Sdot Negev Regional Council

Sdot Negev Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית שדות נגב, Mo'atza Azorit Sdot Negev, lit. Negev Fields Regional Council), formerly Azata Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית עזתה, Mo'atza Azorit Azata), is a regional council in the northwestern Negev desert in the Southern District of Israel.

Sdot Negev Regional Council מועצה אזורית שדות נגב‎ مجلس إقليمي سدوت نقب
Regional council
District	Southern
Established	1951
Government
• Head of Municipality	Tamir Idan
Area
• Total	117,350 dunams (117.35 km2 or 45.31 sq mi)
Population  (2014)
• Total	9,100
• Density	78/km2 (200/sq mi)
Website	Official website

Shokeda forest, under the jurisdiction of the Sdot Negev Regional Council, 2012

History

The Sdot Negev region council was established in 1951 by the Religious Zionist HaPoel HaMizrahi settlement movement. The council encompasses 16 communities: two kibbutzim, 12 moshavim and two community settlements.^[1]

Despite frequent rocket attacks from the nearby Gaza Strip, the population of the Sdot Negev region has increased 55 percent in 2006–2012.^[1] Residents have cited the educational system, atmosphere and rural lifestyle as incentives for moving to this part of the Negev.^[1]

List of communities

Kibbutzim:

• Alumim
• Sa'ad

Moshavim:

• Beit HaGadi
• Givolim
• Kfar Maimon
• Mlilot
• Sharsheret
• Shibolim
• Shokeda
• Shuva
• Tkuma
• Yoshivia
• Zru'a
• Zimrat

Community settlements:

• Ma'agalim
• Tushia