01In brief
Al-Qabu was an Arab village in the Judean Hills southwest of Jerusalem. The modern moshav shitufi of Mevo Beitar is identified as standing on the land of the abandoned village; Mevo Beitar was founded on 24 April 1950. A village spelled Qabu is separately listed among 17 villages in the western Jerusalem and western Hebron areas from which the original refugees of Aida camp generally came.
02Overview
The present-day moshav of Mevo Beitar occupies land identified as that of al-Qabu. Mevo Beitar is located in the Judean Hills between Har Refaim and Wadi Fukin, about 10 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem. The surrounding area includes green spaces near Park Begin, nature reserves, and natural springs.[1]
03History
Al-Qabu is described as an abandoned Arab village, but the available account does not date its abandonment. Mevo Beitar was founded on the site on 24 April 1950 by two Beitar Zionist youth groups—one American, Chad Ness, and one Argentinian, Nili. It was organized as a moshav shitufi, a cooperative settlement in which production and service decisions are made collectively while households make their own consumption decisions.[1]
Until the Six-Day War in 1967, Mevo Beitar was a border settlement near Jordan, approximately one kilometer from the 1949 Armistice Green Line.[1]
Aida refugee camp was established in 1950 between Bethlehem and Beit Jala. Its original refugees generally came from 17 villages in the western Jerusalem and western Hebron areas, including a village listed as Qabu.[2] The profile does not establish whether this spelling refers to the same locality as the al-Qabu named by the JewishGen source.
Sources
- 1JewishGen, KehilaLink: Mevo Beitar, Israel, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 2Jewish Virtual Library, UN Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA): West Bank Refugee Camp Profiles, accessed on September 23, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What was al-Qabu?
Al-Qabu was an Arab village in the Judean Hills southwest of Jerusalem. The village is described as abandoned, though the available account does not date its abandonment. The modern moshav shitufi of Mevo Beitar is identified as standing on the land of al-Qabu.
Where is Mevo Beitar located?
Mevo Beitar is located in the Judean Hills between Har Refaim and Wadi Fukin, about 10 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem. The surrounding area includes green spaces near Park Begin, nature reserves, and natural springs.
Who founded Mevo Beitar and when?
Mevo Beitar was founded on 24 April 1950 by two Beitar Zionist youth groups — one American, called Chad Ness, and one Argentinian, called Nili.
What is a moshav shitufi?
A moshav shitufi is a cooperative settlement in which production and service decisions are made collectively while households make their own consumption decisions. Mevo Beitar was organized as a moshav shitufi when it was founded in 1950.
What was Mevo Beitar's position relative to the border before the Six-Day War?
Until the Six-Day War in 1967, Mevo Beitar was a border settlement near Jordan, located approximately one kilometer from the 1949 Armistice Green Line.
What is the connection between al-Qabu and Aida refugee camp?
Aida refugee camp was established in 1950 between Bethlehem and Beit Jala, and its original refugees generally came from 17 villages in the western Jerusalem and western Hebron areas. A village listed as Qabu appears among those villages, though it has not been established whether this spelling refers to the same locality as al-Qabu.