A Palestinian Village cut in half by Israel's Wall...

[Heresson]

Originally posted by lord of the mark



My understanding is that Eilat didnt exist prior to 1948. Aqaba was east of what was an international border between Jordan and the British Mandate Territory of Palestine, since UK spun Jordan off in 1920. The line was drawn to give all of Aqaba to Jordan, IIUC. After 1948, with Aqaba cut off by the arab boycott of Israel, the Israelis built a new town. Thus, Eilat.

IIUC there is a comparable situation in Poland. Gydnia, which was built up as a port due to the seperation of Gdansk/Danzig.

I was told that ruins of pre-islamic Aelana city that existed at this place is in Israel already... I may be wrong. Yet, Eljat's name suggests that it is considered continuation of the same city Al-Akaba claims descendance to.

[Sirotnikov]

History

The derivation of Eilat's name is unclear. It may come from the Hebrew word, ayil, which means "ram." These animals grazed here in the time of Abraham. In the Bible, the Israelites "passed by the way of the plain of Elath" and "encamped at Etzion Gaber" (Numbers 33:35 and Deut. 2:8-9). King David is believed to have established his southernmost defense line here. The area was developed by his son, Solomon, who built a navy that he used to bring back gold and spices from the land of Ophir (1 Kings, 9:26). The Queen of Sheba was also supposed to have passed through Eilat on the way to see the King in Jerusalem.

King Jehoshophat of Judah also built a navy in Eilat, but it was lost in a storm. During the reign of King Ahaz, Eilat fell to the King of Syria. From that point on, the city changed hands -- and names -- many times. The Egyptians called it Berenice and the Romans Aila. Eilat's importance gradually declined, particularly after the Ottoman Turks built a new port at nearby Aqaba. Up until 1949, Eilat was little more than a small Turkish police station called Um-Rashrash. The ancient site of Eilat with remains from the Nabatean, Roman, Byzantine, and medieval periods has been located north of present day Aqaba

On March 13, 1949, Israeli forces occupied Eilat in the "Operation Uvdah" ("Established Fact"), in the last military move in the War of Independence. According to the United Nations partition plan, Eilat was to be the southernmost tip of the Jewish state. In December 1949, members of the Kibbutz ha-Me'uhad set up a temporary camp in Eilat. Since Israeli independence and the opening of the Straits of Tiran in the 1956 Sinai War, the town has gradually grown into the major resort it is today.

[Heresson]

thanks for info

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Lancer
It takes a village to raise a wall.

[Lancer]

A drink with you!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Why would I care? I don't have a problem with Israel. Hell, I'd pray that I ended up on the Israel side of the wall, away from the ****hole run by my self-destructive countrymen...

I can't believe it has come to this... I'm afraid I agree with Drake. The Palestinians are their own worst enemies and they reason they live in **** holes is because of their own stupidity and refusal to act reasonably.

[Drake Tungsten]

You used to agree with me a lot until you went off the deep end...

[Dinner]

Never have gone off the deep end and never will.

Any more trolls?

[Elok]

Originally posted by Lancer
It takes a village to raise a wall.

Not bad, but I'd have waited for the next kiddie suicide-bomber to attack, then quip "it takes a child to raze a village." Too late now.