Misgav Am

Misgav Am

משגב עם‎
Misgav Am משגב עם‎
	Misgav Am
	Coordinates: 33°14′52″N 35°32′54″E / 33.24778°N 35.54833°E
Country	Israel
District	Northern
Council	Upper Galilee
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	2 November 1945
Founded by	Hanoar Haoved members
Population (2022)	360
Website	www.misgav-am.com

Misgav Am (Hebrew: מִשְׂגַּב עָם, lit. 'Fortress of the People') is a kibbutz in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel. Located close to the border with Lebanon, facing the Lebanese town of Odaisseh, and near the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 360.^[1]

Misgav Am is 840 metres (2,760 ft) above sea level and overlooks on one side the Hula Valley and on the other side the neighboring Lebanese village of Odaisseh.

History

The kibbutz was founded on 2 November 1945,^[2] the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, by young Palmach members.^[3] Misgav Am was one of seven Palmach posts established on the eastern fringe of the Galilee.^[4] It was located at the northern part of the now depopulated Palestinian village of Hunin^{[dubious – discuss]}.^[5]

The founders were members of Hanoar Haoved from the suburbs of Tel Aviv. They were later joined by new immigrants from Turkey and Bulgaria.^[6]

In the late 1970s, the population increased as new immigrants moved there from Europe, the United States and South America.^[3]

On 7 April 1980, five armed men from the Iraqi-backed Arab Liberation Front penetrated Misgav Am in the night and entered the nursery. They killed the kibbutz secretary and an infant boy and held the rest of the children hostage, demanding the release of about 50 captives held in Israeli prisons. The first raid of an IDF infantry unit was unsuccessful, but a second attempt, a few hours later, succeeded, and all the armed group were killed. Two kibbutz members and one soldier were killed, four children and 11 soldiers were wounded.^[7]

Immediately after the attack, Israeli troops entered southern Lebanon to wipe out terrorist nests and to intensify the pressure on the Palestinian terrorists in Lebanon. Israel withdrew after five days, because of heavy political pressure by the United States, and the losses due to years of fighting with the differents lebanse factions. In the years of the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon (1982–2000), the kibbutz had cordial relations with the people on the other side of the border, despite the state of war between Lebanon and Israel since 1948.^[8]

During the Second Lebanon war in 2006, several thousands of IDF troops were deployed around Misgav Am, which brought heavy logistical problems regarding food, water and sanitary facilities.^{[citation needed]}

2023 Israel–Hamas war

During the 2023 war between Hamas and Israel, northern Israeli border communities, including Misgav Am, faced targeted attacks by Hezbollah and Palestinian factions based in Lebanon, and were evacuated.^[9]

2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon

On 30 September 2024, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a limited ground invasion into Southern Lebanon. On that same day, the IDF declared that Misgav Am became a closed military area.^[10]

Education

The kibbutz offers an education system beginning age three and ending after high school. There is a daycare center for babies, another for infants and also a kindergarten. Elementary school is at kibbutz Kfar Giladi. Junior and senior high school is located at kibbutz Dafna.

With the new policy of a longer schooling day, children receive various enrichment classes in the region: dance and music at Kfar Blum, ice-skating at Canada centre of Metula, and karate at Ramot Naftali.

Kibbutz life

Around 90 of the 300 people living in Misgav Am are members. Many residents study in the nearby Academic College of Tel Hai. The kibbutz residents celebrate some of the Jewish and national holidays together, which is kind of a kibbutz tradition: Lag Ba'omer, Independence Day, Hanukkah, Tu Bishvat and Shavuot.

The kibbutz has a covered swimming pool, a library, a mini-market and sports courts. Besides a 24-hour Magen David Adom emergency station, there is also a health clinic which belongs to Clalit Health Services.