Zohar, Israel

Zohar זוהר, זֹהַר‎ زوهر
Etymology: Brightness
Zohar
Coordinates: 31°35′43″N 34°41′32″E / 31.59528°N 34.69222°E / 31.59528; 34.69222
Country	Israel
District	Southern
Council	Lakhish
Affiliation	Agricultural Union
Founded	1956
Founded by	Algerian and Tunisian Jews
Population  (2023)	373[1]

Zohar (Hebrew: זֹהַר, lit. Brightness) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located near the city of Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. In 2023 it had a population of 373.^[1]

A large lake that serves as a reservoir lies near the town.

The moshav was founded in 1956 by Jewish refugees from Algeria and Tunisia on land, that had belonged to the Arab village of al-Faluja,^[2] as part of the effort to settle Hevel Lakhish.

According to Walid Khalidi, Zohar is founded on the land belonging to the depopulated Palestinian village of Burayr.^[3]

Its name signifies the desire of the inhabitants to be quickly absorbed in what was then a remote frontier region. In later years, new immigrants from Iraq, Russia and Hungary settled there.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1950s and 1960s the moshav was a target for Palestinian fedayeen who infiltrated into Israel from Gaza.^{[citation needed]}