Betzet

Betzet is classified as a moshav in Israel's Northern District and Akko Subdistrict, under the jurisdiction of the Mateh Asher Regional Council.[1] It lies near Shlomi in the Western Galilee.[2] Its proximity to the Lebanese border led to its inclusion in the October 2023 evacuation program for communities situated within two kilometers of the frontier.[7]

A National Library of Israel bibliographic record lists a 1989 article titled Horvat Galil and Nahal Betzet I: Two Neolithic Sites in the Upper Galilee. The record identifies Nahal Betzet I as a Neolithic site but provides no abstract or further archaeological findings.[6] The library's places index separately includes “Betzet (Israel), antiquities” as a subject entry without additional description.[8]

Before the modern moshav, the site was occupied by the Arab village of al-Bassa, located approximately 19 kilometers north of Acre and north of Wadi al-Bassa, now known as Nahal Betzet.[4] Al-Bassa and the adjacent Khirbat Ma'soub together covered some 29,535 dunams, of which 4,178 dunams had been purchased by Jews.[4] Historical population figures cited by Calcalist give 572 residents in 1596 and approximately 1,050 at the end of the nineteenth century. By 1944–45, the combined population of al-Bassa and Khirbat Ma'soub was around 2,950, more than half Christian and the remainder Muslim.[4] The village contained two mosques, three churches, several saints' tombs, more than twenty shops, and an open market in its center.[4]

Residents of al-Bassa left in 1948, and almost all of the village's houses were destroyed.[4] Sources disagree on the modern moshav's founding year: the 2004 place list and the Calcalist account give 1949,[3][4] whereas a 2023 Jerusalem Post report gives 1951.[5] Shlomi was established in 1950 along the former village's southern boundary. Surviving remains of al-Bassa are now within Shlomi and are addressed by the “Ancient Shlomi” development and preservation plan.[4]

Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics registers Betzet as locality number 589.[1] Its 2022 population of 449 comprised 443 Jews and others—including 433 Jews—and 6 Arabs.[1] A 2004 place list reported 332 inhabitants as of December 31 of that year, compared with the 2022 total of 449.[3][1]

Agriculture remains part of Betzet's local economy. The family-run fruit-drying business Idan HaPri began in 2011 and processes locally grown Israeli fruit at a factory in the moshav.[9] Its production uses fruit that is less suitable for conventional retail because of its size or appearance, reducing agricultural waste. The fruit is prepared by hand without added sugar, preservatives, or artificial coloring.[9]

The factory was struck twice by rockets fired by Hezbollah terrorists during the war. The family rebuilt it with new ovens capable of producing twice the previous quantity.[9] Community recovery also included a Welfare Ministry-funded social club in Betzet that provided leisure activities for older residents returning after evacuation.[10]

Among Betzet's most distinctive features are the remains of a British Mandate-era military airfield within the moshav.[2] During World War II, underground hangars were constructed to store British and Australian fighter aircraft, and the structures remain at the site. The former airfield is now used by model-aircraft enthusiasts.[2]

In August 1968, two Syrian MiG-17 fighter aircraft landed at the airfield.[2] The commonly accepted account presented by Globes holds that the pilots had become lost, while an alternative version suggests that they intended to defect. The pilots were held and released approximately two years later in a prisoner exchange.[2] The aircraft remained in Israeli hands and were later sent to the United States for examination. One stayed there, while the other was returned to Israel and is displayed at the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim.[2]

Betzet experienced rocket fire before the wider war and evacuation later in 2023. On April 6, a rocket struck an agricultural shed in the moshav and ignited a fire. Firefighters were still dousing the site hours after the impact, and a kindergarten stood across the street from the damaged structure.[5]

On October 16, 2023, a government-backed evacuation program designated 28 northern communities within two kilometers of the Lebanese border, including Betzet, for organized relocation.[7] The plan provided for residents to be accommodated in state-subsidized guest houses and was expected to cover more than 10,000 people.[7]

Reports in 2025 documented the return of residents to Betzet. In September, the Tnufa administration listed it among the northern communities whose population had grown since September 2023. The administration said that 55,000 of 64,200 displaced northern residents—approximately 87 percent—had returned home.[11] A November report profiled Miri Kaplan, a 73-year-old Betzet resident who had returned after a year and a half of evacuation, and described the difficulties of readjusting to life in the moshav.[10]