Gilat | |
Foundation: | 1949 |
District: | south |
Council: | Merhavim |
Affiliation: | Moshavim Movement |
Pushpin Map: | Israel northwest negev |
Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
Coordinates: | 31.3286°N 34.65°W |
Gilat (Hebrew: גִּילַת||Joy) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the western Negev desert between Beersheba and Ofakim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional Council. In it had a population of .
The moshav was founded in 1949 by Jewish refugees from an Arab country, Tunisia. Like the names of two other moshavim (Tifrah, Ranen) in the area its name was taken[1] from the Book of Isaiah 35:2:
(The desert,) it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing.
Notable residents include Aharon Uzan, a government minister between the 1960s and 1980s, and Pini Badash, a former Knesset member.