The settlement of – some would say return to – Gush Etzion (the Etzion bloc), which lies southwest of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, began immediately after the 1967 War. It ended a 19-year year hiatus in Jewish settlement in the area, which had Jewish communities until 1948 and was designated for the Arab state under the partition plan. In the battle for the area on May 13, 1948, nearly 250 Jewish fighters and civilians were killed. Gush Etzion now has 12 settlements. Like many others, they were initially built under the guise of security needs.

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Letter of Colonel Shlomo Gazit to Office of the Chief of Staff
September 27, 1967

Letter of Legal Advisor Theodore Meron to Minister of Foreign Affairs
September 21, 1967

Cable from Israeli Consulate in New York City to Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem
September 26, 1967

Cable exchange between Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel and Diplomatic Mission in New York City
September 24-25, 1967

Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Diplomatic Mission in Canberra, Australia
September 27, 1967

Cable from Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem to Israeli diplomatic missions in Washington DC and New York City
September 26, 1967