Ramat Raziel
RAMAT RAZIEL
RAMAT RAZIEL (Heb. רָמַת רָזִיאֵל), moshav in Israel's Judean Hills, on the Ẓobah-Eshtaol road, affiliated with the Ḥerut movement. Ramat Raziel was founded in 1948 as one of the first settlements designed to secure the Jerusalem Corridor that had been opened in the fighting in the Israel *War of Independence in the preceding months. The terrain conditions were particularly difficult and all the farming land had to undergo heavy reclamation. Ramat Raziel was therefore included in the work village scheme. The population, in spite of this scheme, changed several times. In 1970 the moshav had 135 inhabitants. In 2002 the population was 382. Farming was based on deciduous fruit orchards, vineyards, and poultry. A well-known boutique winery by the name of Kastel was owned by one of the settlers. The village bears the name of David *Raziel, the *Irgun Ẓeva'i Le'ummi commander.
[Efram Orni /
Shaked Gilboa (2nd ed.)]