Tel Tzova was the site of an ancient Jewish settlement in the days of Joshua Bin-Nun. In 1170, a Crusader fortress, Belmont, was built there to guard the route to Jerusalem. Belmont was conquered by Saladin in 1191. The adjacent Arab village of Suba was the scene of fierce fighting during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War due to its strategic location overlooking the road to Jerusalem. In late 1947 and early 1948, irregular forces of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood stationed in Suba took part in the fighting against Jewish forces, including attacks on Jewish traffic on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Road. The village was conquered by the Palmach during the night of July 12-13 as part of Operation Danny. Most of the inhabitants had fled during the fighting, and those who remained were expelled. On October 19, 1948, a kibbutz was established on the lands of Suba by former soldiers of the Palmach
