Gush Emunim

Gush Emunim (Hebrew: גּוּשׁ אֱמוּנִים , Bloc [of the] faithful) was an Israeli messianic, right-wing activist movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. While not formally established as an organization until 1974 in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Gush Emunim sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, encouraging Jewish settlement of the land based on the belief that, according to the Torah, God gave it to the Jewish people. While Gush Emunim no longer exists officially, vestiges of its influence remain in Israeli society.

Political affiliations

Gush Emunim was closely associated with, and highly influential in, the National Religious Party (NRP). Nowadays they refer to themselves – and are referred to by the Israeli media as – Ne'emanei Eretz Yisrael נאמני ארץ ישראל (Hebrew: "Those who are loyal/faithful to the Land of Israel"). It also had a close relationship with the Jewish Agency.

History

Gush Emunim was founded by students of Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook in February 1974 in the living room of Haim Drukman, who is also credited with coining the term. In addition to Drukman, its ideological and political core consisted of other disciples such as Hanan Porat, Moshe Levinger, Shlomo Aviner, Menachem Froman, Eleazar Waldman, Yoel Ben-Nun and Yaacov Ariel. Kook remained its leader until his death in 1982.

Emunim

Emunim (Hebrew: אֱמוּנִים, lit. the faithful) is a moshav in central Israel. Located near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 732

The moshav was founded in 1950 by immigrants from Egypt, on the land of the depopulated Arab town of Bayt Daras. The main source of income for the residents was animal and arable farming.

Like many of the other moshavim in the area, its name is symbolic and taken from the Tanakh, Psalm 31:23: "the Lord preserves the faithful".

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