Alon Shvut
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Alon Shvut אַלּוֹן שְׁבוּת |
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • official | Allon Shevut |
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 Alon Shvut
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| Coordinates: 31°39′17″N 35°7′40″E / 31.65472°N 35.12778°ECoordinates: 31°39′17″N 35°7′40″E / 31.65472°N 35.12778°E | |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Council | Gush Etzion |
| Region | West Bank |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Population (2015) | 3,218 |
| Name meaning | Oak of return |
Alon Shvut (Hebrew: אַלּוֹן שְׁבוּת) is an Israeli settlement located southwest of Jerusalem, one kilometer northeast of Kfar Etzion, in the West Bank. Established in June 1970 in the heart of the Etzion bloc, Alon Shvut became the prototype for Jewish communities in the region. It is administered by the Gush Etzion Regional Council and neighbors the communities of Neve Daniel, Elazar and Efrat. In 2015 its population was 3,218.
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.
Alon Shvut, literally "oak of return", is a reference to the return of the Jews expelled from Gush Etzion by the Jordanian Arab Legion in 1948 following the Kfar Etzion massacre. The 700-year-old Kermes Oak (Quercus calliprinos) is sacred to the Arabs with the name Ballutet el Yerzeh (oak of Yerzeh). It was a central feature of Gush Etzion and became known as "lone oak". The town was constructed adjacent to the oak, which is considered a symbol of renewal and continuity. The oak is incorporated in the municipal emblem.
Yigal Allon, who sponsored the establishment of the town, claimed that the name was chosen in order to honour him.
Alon Shvut is located on the site of the Battle of Beth Zechariah, fought between the Maccabees and the Seleucid army after the defeat of the Seleucids in Jerusalem. The ancient town of Beit Zakariah, in northern Judea, is identified with the ruins of Khirbet Zechariah, less than a kilometer north of Alon Shvut. It was considered the nearest area to Jerusalem whose topography could be exploited by the Maccabees to block the northward advance of the Seleucid army, after the Maccabee defeat in the Battle of Beth Zur.
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