Drijat ( ar, دريجات; he, דריג'את), also known as Draijat, is an
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
village in southern
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. Located in the
Negev
The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...
desert near
Arad, between
Kuseife
Kuseife ( ar, كسيفة) or Kseifa ( he, כְּסֵיפָה) is a Bedouin town ( local council) in the Southern District of Israel. Kuseife was founded in 1982 as part of a government project to settle Bedouins in permanent settlements. In 1996 ...
and the
Yatir Forest
Yatir Forest ( he, יער יתיר) is a forest in Israel on the edge of the Negev Desert. The forest covers an area of 30,000 dunams (), and is the largest planted forest in Israel.
History
The first trees were planted in 1964 by the Jewish Na ...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of
al-Kasom Regional Council
al-Kasom Regional Council ( he, מועצה אזורית אל קסום, ''Mo'atza Azorit El Kassum'', ar, المجلس الإقليمي القيصوم, ''al-Majlis al-Iqlīmī al-Qayṣūm'') is one of two Negev Bedouin regional councils formed as ...
. In its population was .
History
According to its residents, Drijat was established in the 19th century.
[Bedouin village gets water hook-up, 5 years after recognition]
Haaretz, 14 September 2009 However, like dozens of other Arab locales in the Negev Desert, was an
unrecognized village until 2004,
[ when it joined the ]Abu Basma Regional Council
Abu Basma Regional Council ( he, מועצה אזורית אבו בסמה, ''Moatza Ezorit Abu Basma'', ar, مجلس إقليمي أبو بسمة, ''Majlis Iqlimi Abu Basma'') was a regional council (Israel), regional council operating in 2003-2 ...
. It is the only Arab village in the Negev that is not Bedouin; its residents are descended from a long line of fellahin
A fellah ( ar, فَلَّاح ; feminine ; plural ''fellaheen'' or ''fellahin'', , ) is a peasant, usually a farmer or agricultural laborer in the Middle East and North Africa. The word derives from the Arabic word for "ploughman" or "tiller". ...
. The ruins of a historical site named Dargot is located in Drijat, which is on the Israel National Trail
The Israel National Trail ( he, שביל ישראל, ''Shvil Yisra'el'') is a hiking path that was inaugurated in 1995. The trail crosses the entire country of Israel. Its northern end is at Dan, near the Lebanese border in the far north of the co ...
.
In 2009 the village was connected to national water carrier
National Water Carrier of Israel
The National Water Carrier of Israel ( he, המוביל הארצי, ''HaMovil HaArtzi'') is the largest water project in Israel, completed in 1964. Its main purpose is to transfer water from the Sea of Galilee ...
, but remains unconnected to the electricity grid.[ In 2005, it became the first town in the world to be outfitted with a multipurpose solar electricity system for providing power to the entire village and reducing pollution.] The only solar-powered mosque in the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
is also located in the village.
See also
*Arab localities in Israel
Arab localities in Israel include all population centers with a 50% or higher Arab population in Israel. East Jerusalem and Golan Heights are not internationally recognized parts of Israel proper but have been included in this list.
According to ...
References
{{Authority control
Al-Kasom Regional Council
Arab villages in Israel
Populated places in Southern District (Israel)