The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[2]
History
According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated land from several Palestinian villages/towns nearby in order to construct Hashmonaim:
Under Israeli legal rulings, this territory was claimed as unoccupied state land by the prior sovereign entity, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and thus passed to the subsequent sovereign entity in occupation, the state of Israel.[6][7]
Construction of the first homes began in December 1983. A dedication ceremony on June 12, 1984, was attended by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and the Sephardi chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu. The first families moved in in August 1987. The name derives from the location of Hashmonaim in a region where the Hasmoneans lived in antiquity.[8]
Hashmonaim originally consisted of two neighborhoods: Ramat Modi'in was established in 1983 and Ganei Modi'in in 1985. In 1996, Ganei Modi'in became part of Modi'in Illit.[9]
In May 2010, three homes in Hashmonaim were demolished by Israeli security forces. The buildings were deemed to be violating a 10-month construction freeze in the West Bank.[10]
Demographics
In 2010, there were 545 families living in Hashmonaim. Around 50% of the residents are native English speakers.[11] Most are members of the religious Zionist community. Many residents commute to jobs in the United States or work for American companies.[12]
There are ten synagogues in Hashmonaim: four Ashkenazi, three Sephardi, two Yemenite and one Chabad.[11]
Hashmonaim has five kindergartens, a religious elementary school, and a high-school yeshiva, which attracts boys from all over the Binyamin Region. The community also has a clubhouse for young people, a separate Bnei Akiva branch, two basketball courts, a baseball field, playgrounds, a library and a fitness center.[12]
Transportation
The drive from Hashmoniam to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva and Ariel, is approximately thirty minutes by car. Bus connection is also available.