Ramot
Encyclopedia
- For the moshav in the Golan Heights, see Ramot, Golan HeightsRamot, Golan HeightsRamot is an Israeli settlement and a moshav near the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee in the western Golan Heights. It belongs to the Golan Regional Council. It is named "Ramot" because it is located on two hills...
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Ramot , also known as Ramot Alon , is a large housing development in northwestern Jerusalem. Because part of Ramot lies north of the Green Line
Green Line (Israel)
Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
in East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
, the international community considers Ramot an Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
that is illegal under international law
International law and Israeli settlements
The international community considers the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories illegal under international law, but Israel maintains that they are consistent with international law because it does not agree that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the...
. Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
disputes this and consideres Ramot a part of the Jerusalem municipality. The land was annexed after the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. Ramot is one the Jerusalem ring neighborhoods.
History
Between the 1949 Armistice Agreements1949 Armistice Agreements
The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israeli forces and the forces in...
and the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
in 1967, the area that is today Ramot was in the demilitarized zone
Demilitarized zone
In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...
between Israeli and Jordanian lines. Ramot was established in 1974. The name is based on the biblical city of Rama, where the Prophet Samuel lived and was brought for burial: And Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned him, and they buried him near his home in Rama (Samuel I, 25:1). According to tradition, Rama was situated on one of the highest peaks of the Judean Hills, 885 meters above sea level.
Modern Ramot was built on a hill overlooking the land of the tribe of Benjamin
Benjamin
Benjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
. After the death of Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon was an Israeli politician, a commander of the Palmach, and a general in the IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Israeli Labor party, and acting Prime Minister of Israel, and was a member of the Knesset and government minister from the 10th through the...
, the neighborhood was renamed Ramot Alon.
Geography
Ramot is north and west of the center of Jerusalem. The neighborhood is built upon two elongated ridges about 100–200 meters above the surrounding landscape (heights of 693–876 meters above sea level). Between the ridges is the Golda MeirGolda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
highway, leading to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. Travel time to the center of Jerusalem is about 15 minutes and Har Hotzvim
Har Hotzvim
Har Hotzvim , also Campus of Science-Rich Industries is a high-tech industrial park located in northwest Jerusalem, Israel. It is the city's main zone for science-based and technology industries, among them Intel, Teva, Amdocs, NDS, Ophir Optronics, Sandvine, Radware and IDT Global Israel...
industrial park is about 7 minutes .
Schools
- Lakewood EastLakewood EastLakewood East, officially Beth Medrash Govoha of America in Eretz Yisroel , is a yeshiva in Jerusalem headed by Rabbi Yaakov Eliezer Schwartzman, son of Rabbi Dov Schwartzman and the eldest grandson of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, founder of the Lakewood Yeshiva...
, officially Beth Medrash Govoha of America in Eretz Yisroel is located in Ramot. - Ateret Yerushalayim, An English speaking post-high school Yeshiva.
- Ohr Torah Stone - Jacob Sapirstein Junior High and High School for Boys.
- Yeshiva Ohr HaTzafon, An English speaking post-high school Yeshiva.
- Ahavat Yisrael - Rappaport for boys, a Chardal primary and Jr. High School.
- Noam Ramot (boys and girls), a primary School.
Demography
Ramot has a population of 50,000. Ramot Alon is an example of the demographic change in Jerusalem. When it was established in 1974, the population was 70% secular. Since 2000, Ramot Alef, Gimel and Daled have become Haredi, and the percentage of ultra-Orthodox Jews in all of Ramot Alon has risen to 75%.One side of Ramot Gimel is mostly Chareidi, and the other side is more Modern Orthodox. Ramot Vav is primarily a Chareidi population, though there is a mix of other types of residents.
Legal status
Ramot is administered by Israel as being within Jerusalem. However, since part of the neighborhood has been built across the Green Line in East JerusalemEast Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
, the international community considers Ramot to be an Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
. Israel unilaterally annexed East Jerusalem and maintains that developments in East Jerusalem are not settlements, but the move was condemned by the UN Security Council as "null and void" and was not recognized by the international community. The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention
Fourth Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in August 1949, and defines humanitarian protections for civilians...
's prohibition on the transfer of a civilian population into territory held under military occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
, but Israel considers East Jerusalem its sovereign territory.
The U.S. government has traditionally refrained from calling Israeli neighborhoods in East Jerusalem "settlements."
The Clinton Parameters and Geneva accords
Geneva accords
The Geneva Accords, known formally as the agreements on the settlement of the situation relating to Afghanistan, were signed on 14 April 1988 between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the United States and the Soviet Union serving as guarantors....
proposed keeping Ramot (and other Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem beyond the green line) under Israeli sovereignty, possibly in exchange for other land, though no deal has been made in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process.
Since the portion of Ramot across the Green Line was constructed in the demilitarized zone between the Jordanian and Israeli front lines, Israelis have argued that it should not be considered occupied territory.
Architecture
Ramot
Ramot , also known as Ramot Alon , is a large housing development in northwestern Jerusalem. Because part of Ramot lies north of the Green Line in East Jerusalem, the international community considers Ramot an Israeli settlement that is illegal under international law. Israel disputes this and...
in a shape resembling a five-finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
ed hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
or three-branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
ed leaf
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
.
Parks and nature trails
Ramot Forest is located in Ramot. At the edge of the forest is the Gan Kipod children's park featuring a porcupine-shaped slide.Ramot Forest Gazelle Trail, a natural Gazelle habitat is located there as well.
Landmarks
In November 2009, 30-foot high bronze sculpture depicting a waving American flag turning into a flame was unveiled in Ramot, part of a five-acre memorial plaza for the September 11 terror attacks. The sculpture, located in Arazim Valley, was the first memorial outside New York to list the names of the 2,974 people killed in the attack. Part of the gray granite base, taken from the original Twin Towers, was donated by the New York municipality. Israeli sculptor Eliezer Weishoff said the memorial had to be moved 200 yards from the planned site to accommodate gazelle migration pathways. U.S. Ambassador James B. CunninghamJames B. Cunningham
Ambassador James Blair Cunningham is an American diplomat. Having served as the acting United States Ambassador to the United Nations , and Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations , Cunningham served as the Consul General of the United States of...
and a number of congressmen attended the event.
Ramot Mall
Ramot Mall
Ramot Mall is an indoor/outdoor shopping mall in the northwestern neighborhood of Ramot, Jerusalem that opened in September 2011. It will be the 2nd largest mall in Jerusalem, after Malha Mall....
, which will be Jerusalem's 2nd largest mall is scheduled to open in 2011.
The Tomb of Samuel
Tomb of Samuel
The Tomb of Samuel, , is the traditional burial site of the biblical Hebrew prophet Samuel, atop a steep hill at an elevation of 908 meters above sea level. It is situated to the north of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. On the site is a building containing a mosque built in the 18th century...
, the prophet and leader of the Israelites is located on the outskirts of Ramot.
Archaeology
There are Crusader era remains in Ramot 2 and Ramot 6. In May 2005, a salvage excavation conducted in the Ramot neighborhood on behalf of the Israel Antiquities AuthorityIsrael Antiquities Authority
The Israel Antiquities Authority is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research...
found a rock hewn burial cave surmounted by a massive rectangular building and a columbarium cave. Potsherds dating to the Ottoman period were discovered on the floor of the building. Fragments of jars and cooking pots dating to the Early Roman period were discovered in the columbarium, which is characteristic of the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods.
Khirbet Tililiya is the site of an ancient ruined fortress on a high hill in the center of Ramot Alon. The ruins are dated to the Second Temple period (Hasmonean and Herodian).
Sections
Ramot has five sections; Aleph (A), Bet (B), Gimmel (G), Daled (D), and Vav (V), also known as Ramot 06. Ramot PolinRamot Polin
Ramot Polin is a neighborhood in northwest Jerusalem, part of the larger neighborhood Ramot. It was constructed in stages beginning in 1972 under the auspices of the Office for Building and Habitation, and it is populated, as intended, mostly by Haredi Jewish families, including Breslov...
is a sub-section of Ramot Gimmel (G).