9 ▁Arm ist ice ▁Ag re ements , ▁J abel ▁T aw il ▁came ▁under ▁Jordan ian ▁rule . ▁It ▁was ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁Jordan ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁Before ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁J abel ▁T aw il ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁loc als ▁as ▁" K uw ait i ▁hill " ▁because ▁of ▁numerous ▁visitors ▁from ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁who ▁h ik ed ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁purchased ▁by ▁the ▁Jerusalem ▁municipality ▁for ▁a ▁future ▁tour ist ▁resort . ▁In ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War , ▁it ▁came ▁under ▁Isra eli ▁occupation . ▁From ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Arab s ▁were ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁building ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁A RI J , ▁Israel ▁conf isc ated ▁ 7 8 0 ▁d un ams ▁of ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁Palest in ian ▁town ▁of ▁Al - B ire h ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁construct ▁ ▁Ps ag ot . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁A riel ▁Sh aron , ▁then ▁Isra eli ▁Minister ▁of ▁Def ense , ▁told ▁Pin chas ▁W aller stein , ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Mate h ▁B iny amin ▁Regional ▁Council , ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁support ▁initi atives ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁area . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁W aller stein ▁moved ▁the ▁council ▁headquarters ▁to ▁the ▁hill , ▁then ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁military ▁intelligence ▁base