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Eliav, Israel

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01In brief

Eliav (Hebrew: אליאב) is a Jewish community in Israel's Southern District, in the eastern Lachish area and administered by the Lachish Regional Council. Eliav entered the official Central Bureau of Statistics locality count in 2013, a date that the bureau says does not necessarily represent the community's establishment year. It is described as a shared community of religious and secular Israelis with a pluralistic vision.

02Overview and Location

Eliav carries locality code 1365 in Israel's official records and is listed in the Ashkelon subdistrict of the Southern District.[4] It falls under the Lachish Regional Council; a separate CBS report also lists Eliav as a Jewish locality affiliated with that council among places added to the Southern District's official count.[4][1] The settlement is in the eastern Lachish area near the separation barrier.[2]

In March 2026, an N12 report listing communities where educational institutions could reopen included Eliav among the communities of the Lachish Regional Council and grouped it under the article's Judea heading.[5]

03History

A Central Bureau of Statistics report lists Eliav as a Jewish locality affiliated with the Lachish Regional Council that entered the official count of localities in 2013.[1] The report explicitly cautions that the year of entry into the count is not necessarily the year in which a locality was founded.[1]

04Demographics

As of the 2022 CBS localities data, Eliav had a population of 763 residents, all classified as Jews and others; 763 were specifically recorded as Jewish, and no Arab population was recorded.[4]

05Community and Culture

The Jewish Agency describes Eliav as “a shared community of religious and secular Israelis with a pluralistic vision.”[3] Its biography of Yehuda Setton, CEO and Director General of the agency, states that he lives in Eliav with his wife Michal and their three children.[3]

06Security Incidents

In June 2024, Israeli authorities reported a security incident near Eliav in which eleven Palestinians from the Hebron area crossed the separation barrier by ladder and entered Israeli territory.[2] A Bedouin resident who had arrived by car to collect the individuals was arrested along with those who crossed.[2] The incident prompted the deployment of Border Police forces and security coordinators from communities across the eastern Lachish area.[2] Illumination flares fired during the operation ignited a fire that was subsequently handled by firefighting services.[2]

07Name Disambiguation

The name Eliav is shared by a pre-army preparatory academy, known in Hebrew as a mechina, located at Moshav Shekef near Kiryat Gat in south-central Israel.[6] A 2020 report states that the academy normally had approximately 40 students and was directed by Dafna Novik; students lived in a cluster of caravans on site.[6] This institution is separate from the Eliav locality listed by the Central Bureau of Statistics and should not be confused with it.[6]

Sources

  1. 1Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Localities in Israel over the Decade, accessed on September 23, 2026.
  2. 2Ynet, עם סולם, בקלות בלתי נתפסת: שב"חים חצו את חומת ההפרדה בלכיש | תיעוד, accessed on September 23, 2026.
  3. 3The Jewish Agency for Israel, Yehuda Setton | The Jewish Agency - U.S., accessed on September 23, 2026.
  4. 4Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Localities File 2022, accessed on September 23, 2026.
  5. 5Mako, הקלות בחלק מהאזורים: רשימת היישובים המלאה שבהן ניתנה אפשרות לפתוח, accessed on September 23, 2026.
  6. 6The Times of Israel, Israeli students add fruit-picking to gap-year experience during coronavirus, accessed on September 23, 2026.

IsraelPedia Question & Answers

  • What is Eliav, Israel?

    Eliav is a Jewish community in Israel's Southern District, located in the eastern Lachish area and administered by the Lachish Regional Council. It is described as a shared community of religious and secular Israelis with a pluralistic vision.

  • When did Eliav enter Israel's official locality count?

    Eliav entered the Central Bureau of Statistics official locality count in 2013. The bureau explicitly cautions that this date does not necessarily represent the year in which the community was founded.

  • What is Eliav's population?

    As of the 2022 Central Bureau of Statistics localities data, Eliav had a population of 763 residents, all classified as Jews and others, with 763 specifically recorded as Jewish and no Arab population recorded.

  • What security incident occurred near Eliav in 2024?

    In June 2024, Israeli authorities reported that eleven Palestinians from the Hebron area crossed the separation barrier near Eliav by ladder and entered Israeli territory. A Bedouin resident who arrived by car to collect the individuals was arrested along with those who crossed. The incident prompted the deployment of Border Police forces and security coordinators from communities across the eastern Lachish area, and illumination flares fired during the operation ignited a fire that was subsequently handled by firefighting services.

  • Is there another institution in Israel that shares the name Eliav?

    Yes, the name Eliav is also shared by a pre-army preparatory academy, known in Hebrew as a mechina, located at Moshav Shekef near Kiryat Gat in south-central Israel. As of a 2020 report, the academy normally had approximately 40 students and was directed by Dafna Novik. This institution is separate from the Eliav locality listed by the Central Bureau of Statistics.