Tze'elim
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Tze'elim צֶאֱלִים |
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Egged Ta'avura bus route 376 at Tze'elim
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 Tze'elim
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| Coordinates: 31°12′12.96″N 34°32′6.35″E / 31.2036000°N 34.5350972°ECoordinates: 31°12′12.96″N 34°32′6.35″E / 31.2036000°N 34.5350972°E | |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Eshkol |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | January 1947 |
| Founded by | Eastern European and North African immigrants |
| Population (2015) | 441 |
| Website | www.zeelim.co.il |
Tze'elim (Hebrew: צֶאֱלִים) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 441. A military training base of the ground forces of the IDF (often named "Tze'elim Base") is located nearby.
The kibbutz was founded in January 1947 by gar'in from youth movements in Eastern Europe and North Africa, and was named for the abundant acacia trees in the area, which were mistakenly identified as the biblical Tze'elim trees. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the kibbutz was used as a military base.
Today the kibbutz markets itself as a tourist destination, with a natural hot springs spa and accommodation. Other economic activities are agriculture and farming.
Tze'elim is linked to the regional council by bus route 14, to Tel Aviv by bus route 376, to Ofakim by bus route 30 and to Beersheba by bus route 130. All 4 bus routes are operated by Dan BaDarom. Tze'elim is situated off highway 222, in the north-western Negev.
In 2005, the Israeli Defense Forces, with assistance from the United States, built the Urban Warfare Training Center at the Tze'elim Army Base, at a cost of $45 million. Nicknamed "Baladia" (Arabic for "city"), it is a 7.4 square mile training center used to instruct soldiers in urban warfare techniques, and consists of an imitation Middle Eastern style city with multiple multistory buildings. It has been used to train various military organizations, including the US Army and UN peacekeepers. The project was developed in response to the need for greater urban warfare training amongst the IDF, following the conflict during the Second Intifada.
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