Hagor

Hagor is a moshav in Southern Sharon, within the South Sharon Regional Council.[1][2] An older reference listing records its affiliation with Tenu'at ha-Moshavim (TM) and representation in Mifalot Afek Regional Council.[2] The National Library of Israel lists Hagor — in Hebrew, חגור (ישראל) — in its places index.[6]

The South Sharon area has been characterized as emblematic of the broader agricultural transformation underway in central Israel, including shifts in land use, declining reliance on farming as a primary income source and growing interaction with nearby urban markets.[1]

Hagor was established as a moshav in 1949, one year after Israel's founding.[2][3] In the years after the state's establishment, it was regarded as a border settlement because of its proximity to the Green Line and nearby Arab villages. Resident Nissim Naouri recalled that protective trenches were dug around the moshav against fedayeen attacks and that he and Dan Halutz played in them as children.[5]

Halutz's family had immigrated from Persia, settled in Hagor and farmed like other moshav families. Naouri recalled that Halutz's father changed the family surname from Zadeh to Halutz because he saw himself as a pioneer in immigrating to Israel, settling on the land and working in agriculture.[5]

Hagor's population stood at 615 on December 31, 2004.[2] The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics dataset for 2022 records a population of 1,146, reflecting substantial growth over roughly two decades.[4]

A 2009 study selected Hagor as one of five moshavim sampled within the South Sharon local council to examine perceptions of agricultural change and rural development in central Israel. Its primary survey conducted 199 personal interviews across the sampled settlements in 2007, representing 67.2 percent of the sample population, but the report did not publish findings attributable to Hagor alone.[1]

Hagor lies within South Sharon, a region described in a 2009 study as undergoing major agricultural change, including declining reliance on farming as a primary income source, changes in land use and stronger ties to urban markets. Across the surveyed communities, many residents supported non-agricultural businesses as a supplement or alternative to farming while also seeking to preserve the region's rural character.[1]

In 2013, second-, third- and fourth-generation members of the Abramov family operated the Shimna Boutique Olive Oil Mill in Hagor. Their operation combined a tradition of Hebrew agriculture with practices associated with premium olive-oil producers in Tuscany and used pressing technology described as unique. Harvest-season activities included grove tours and participation in olive picking and processing.[7]

Hagor's community amenities include a swimming-pool complex in the center of the moshav. The facility has several pools for professional swimming, families and children, along with swimming lessons and organized children's activities.[8]

Hagor was the childhood home of two men who later served as IDF chief of staff: Dan Halutz and Gabi Ashkenazi. They grew up as neighbors, and residents described both as sources of pride when Halutz was appointed to lead the IDF.[5]

Residents recalled the two future generals as having distinct childhood personalities. Former sports teacher George Ben Simhon remembered Halutz as a good student who was open and cheerful. Ben Simhon also recalled that, when Ashkenazi was about twelve or thirteen, he would gather other children and tell them what to do, prompting Ben Simhon's wife to predict that he would become a general. Resident Rachel Katz said Ashkenazi maintained contact with friends in the moshav into adulthood.[9]

In August 2019, N12 reported that callers from neighboring Kafr Qasim seeking access to the Hagor swimming pool were told that it was full or restricted to residents, while a Jewish caller was offered registration and discounts. On February 23, 2020, N12 reported that the pool's management had apologized, acknowledged that the conduct was improper and pledged that the facility would be open to all visitors without distinction. The report said that the apology formed part of a broader agreement that included compensation.[10]