Niran

Niran (Hebrew: נערן or נִירָן) is a kibbutz and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley near Jericho, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council and is located in Area C.

In 2006 it had a population of 56.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

History

Niran was established on June 18, 1971 as a Nahal settlement, or military outpost, by the Nahal Command in collaboration with the Agricultural Settlement Department of the Jewish Agency on land prepared by the Jewish National Fund. Niran began its existence as "a tented outpost of a few dozen persons." The barren conditions required that soil be carried up from surrounding valleys to make agriculture viable. During its time as a military outpost, it was used to prevent armed infiltration from Jordan and as a disciplinary assignment for delinquent Israeli soldiers. It was demilitarized and converted to a civilian kibbutz in 1977. It is named after the biblical city of Naaran.