Netanya

History

Before the 20th century, parts of Netanya belonged to the Forest of Sharon, a hallmark of the region's historical landscape. It was an open woodland dominated by Mount Tabor Oak (Quercus ithaburensis), which extended from Kfar Yona in the north to Ra'anana in the south. Arabs who lived in the area used it for pasture, firewood and intermittent cultivation. The intensification of settlement and agriculture in the coastal plain during the 19th century led to deforestation and subsequent environmental degradation known from Hebrew sources.

Netanya was established near the ancient site of Poleg by the Bnei Binyamin association in Zikhron Ya'akov. It was named in honor of Nathan (Hebrew: Natan) Straus (1848–1931), co-owner of Macy's department store, New York City Parks Commissioner, and president of the New York City Board of Health, who gifted two-thirds of his personal fortune to projects benefiting Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine. "Netanya...was named for Straus in the hope he would donate money to them. When he told them he had no more money to give, they were disappointed, but decided to keep the city's name anyway."

The funds for the project of building Netanya were raised by Itamar Ben-Avi and Oved Ben-Ami, who embarked on a fundraising trip to the United States to raise the money. In 1928 members of Bnei Binyamin and Hanotea, an organisation set up after Straus was informed of the establishment of the settlement, purchased 140 hectares (350 acres) of Umm Khaled lands. On December 14, 1928, a team led by Moshe Shaked began digging for water at the site. After water was discovered in February 1929, the first five settlers moved onto the land. In the weeks that followed, more settlers began arriving. Development was set back due to the 1929 Palestine riots and massacre of Jews. By September, however, development was back on track with the cornerstones for the first 10 houses being laid on Sukkot.

The first kindergarten opened in 1930 and the first school in 1931. In the 1931 census of Palestine, Netanya was recorded as having 253 residents. In 1933, the British architect Clifford Holliday drew up a plan for Netanya as a tourist resort. Holliday also designed urban projects in Jaffa, Tiberias, Lydda and Ramla. The first urban plan divided the city into three sections with a tourism district along the coastline, housing, farms and commerce in the center, and agriculture and industry to the east. That year also saw the completion of the Tel Aviv Hotel, the first hotel in Netanya, as well as the establishment of two new neighborhoods, Ben Zion and Geva.

Geography

Netanya is located on the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain, the historic land bridge between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The city is the capital of the Sharon plain, a geographic region stretching from the Mediterranean in the west to the Samarian hills in the east, and the modern-day Gush Dan metropolitan area in the south northwards to Mount Carmel. Although the capital of a densely populated region, Netanya itself is relatively separate from settlements to the north, south, and east, although, over time, growth has incorporated some into what makes up modern-day Netanya.

Apart from some small moshavim and kibbutzim, south of Netanya is relatively clear of settlement until Herzliya and the start of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Likewise, to the north is clear of large settlement until Hadera, and to the east until Tulkarm in the West Bank. The area to the east of Netanya does, however, have a large concentration of kibbutzim and moshavim in the Hefer Valley Regional Council and local councils of Kfar Yona, Kadima-Tzoran and Even Yehuda.

Netanya itself is divided into a large number of neighborhoods (see Neighborhoods of Netanya), recently growing southwards out of the city to create several high-end coastal neighborhoods with industrial areas inland. Netanya is home to the Poleg nature reserve and the Irises Dora Rainpool nature park containing the world's largest population of iris atropurpurea. At the center of the park is a rainpool which fills up with water in the winter months, and dries up over the summer months. Signs along the rain pool include information on the types of flora and fauna that populate the ecosystem.

Demographics

In 2024, Netanya was home to 234,813 people. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2022, 88.3% of residents were Jewish and 11.7% were classified as "others", and about 31% of the population had immigrated to Israel since 1990. That year the population grew by 4.0%, and the population density was 7,526 people per square kilometer. About 19% of residents were aged 65 or older, and life expectancy at birth (2018–2022) was 83.1 years. The city is ranked 6 out of 10 on the CBS socio-economic index. The population is expected to be around 320,000 in 2035.

In 2008, by origin, 63,800 residents originated from Europe and America, 30,200 from North Africa, 18,100 from Asia, 10,500 from Ethiopia and 38,100 from Israel. That same year, 90,200 of the residents of Netanya were born in Israel, while 71,300 were born abroad. Netanya has the largest community of Ethiopian Jews in Israel, numbering over 12,000 in 2023. Netanya is also the center of the Persian Jewish community of Israel.

About half of Netanya's Jewish residents are secular. It is also the home of the Sanzer dynasty and has a large Chabad Lubavitch presence.

Neighborhoods

Kiryat Eliezer

Kiryat Eliezer (Hebrew: קריית אליעזר) is an industrial neighborhood named after Eliezer Kaplan in eastern Netanya. It is also known as Kiryat Eliezer Kaplan Industrial Zone and the Old Industrial Zone. It was established in 1950 when units built for packing produce were set up to support the surrounding orchards. Later, large factories and workshops were established to provide jobs for the city's residents and new immigrants. The Ort Leibowitz Vocational School was established in Kiryat Eliezer. In the 1960s, students from African countries studied there, as part of Israel's cooperation with developing countries.

Kiryat Sanz

In 1956, a beachfront in northern Netanya was selected as a home base for the Sanzer Hasidim by its leader, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam. Halberstam established kindergartens, boys' and girls' schools, yeshivas, seminaries, synagogues, a children's home for orphaned and needy girls, an old-age home, and a hospital. In addition to religious services, Kiryat Sanz had a diamond polishing factory built by a New York diamond merchant. Halberstam established his court here in 1960. Following his death in 1994, his eldest son, Rabbi Zvi Elimelech Halberstam, known as the Sanzer Rebbe, became the spiritual leader of the Sanz community in Israel. In 2010, Kiryat Sanz had a population of approximately 1000 families. Most of the older generation are Holocaust survivors. Besides its educational facilities for boys and girls from elementary to post-graduate, there are five synagogues, a mikveh, a printing house, a religious hotel, a religious nursing school, and the Laniado Hospital, which encompasses two medical centers, a children's hospital, a geriatric center and a nursing school, serving a regional population of over 450,000.

Neot Herzl

Located in the center of Netanya, near the Netanya interchange. It is a unification of four neighborhoods: Shikkun Sela, Gan Beracha, Amidar and Ramat Herzl. The neighborhood, like the main street of the city that runs nearby, was named after Theodor Herzl. The old settlement of Umm Khalid is also located in this neighborhood.

Tobruk

Lies west of the Ramat Hen neighborhood. The neighborhood was established during the Second World War and is named after the port city of Tobruk in Libya. It used to be a center of Diamond cutting. In 1947, two British Army Sergeants were hanged in the inactive "Feldman" diamond polishing plant in this neighborhood.

Nof Hatayelet

A comparably new neighborhood, established in 2000, along the cliff promenade, south of the "Carmel" hotel. A paragliding site is located near the neighborhood.

Ein Hatkhelet

A neighborhood of about 2,500 residents located in the north of Netanya, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea near Avihayil. Ein Hatkhelet was established as a working-class neighborhood in Emek Hefer in 1936. In 1948 it became part of the city of Netanya.

Ramat Ephraim

Named after Ephraim Aaronsohn. Part of it is the Moshav Ramat Tiomkin which was established in 1932 and over time was incorporated into Netanya. The moshav was founded by the people of Betar, and a Kvutza named Menorah. It was named after Ze'ev Vladimir Tiomkin.

Ramat Chen

One of the southern neighborhoods of the city, near Gesher HaAchdut. Previously called Pagi neighborhood, since it was founded by Poalei Agudat Yisrael (Pagi is the Hebrew acronym of it).

Neot Ganim

Previously called "Shikkun Vatikim", this neighborhood is one of the first neighborhoods in the city and it was established in the location of the city's immigrant camp used to be. At its southern end is the cemetery of the city of Netanya.

Neve Itamar

The neighborhood was established in 1944 as an independent settlement and was annexed to Netanya in 1949. It is named after Itamar Ben-Avi, who has been an important figure in the story of the establishment of Netanya.

Ramat Poleg

Ramat Poleg was built in the late 1970s. It is the southernmost neighborhood in Netanya.

Ir Yamim

Established in 2006. This neighborhood is located along the shoreline at the southern part of Netanya. The neighborhood borders Ramat Poleg (to its south) and the Irus nature reserve (to its north).

Agamim

Established in 2013, and still in construction. It is located next to the Vernal pool

of Netanya. The neighborhood is divided into three sections, A B & C. Section C is currently in construction (as of October 2023).

Economy

In its early years, Netanya's economy was based on citrus groves. In the 1940s, as the diamond industry moved from Nazi-occupied Belgium to Mandatory Palestine, Netanya became the country's center of diamond polishing. The center of the industry later shifted to the Tel Aviv area, and most of the city's workshops closed.

Industry is concentrated in two industrial zones: the older Kiryat Eliezer zone in the east of the city and the Pinchas Sapir (Poleg) zone in the south. Sectors represented include high-tech, steel, pharmaceuticals, food, textiles, rubber, furniture and electronics. One of Israel's largest breweries is located just south of the city. In April 2001, Israel's first IKEA store, covering 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft), opened in Netanya. The store was destroyed by fire in February 2011; the rebuilt store was scheduled to reopen in March 2012.

Tourism also plays a major part in the economy, and Netanya is one of Israel's leading seaside resorts. Several hotels opened or were renovated in the late 2010s, including the Tamares West Lagoon, which opened in 2017 and, with more than 270 rooms, became the city's largest hotel.

Transportation

The public transportation in Netanya is based on buses, railways and service taxis.

Train

The Netanya railway station is located near the city center, on the east side of Highway 2. Netanya Sapir railway station is located in the Poleg Industrial Area. Beit Yehoshua railway station, located in the moshav of Beit Yehoshua, immediately south of Netanya, is convenient for getting to southern Netanya and to the Poleg Industrial Area. These stations are connected to the city by Egged bus service, although Shay Li service taxis are highly predominant at the Beit Yehoshua station. There are direct trains from Netanya and Beit Yehoshua to Tel Aviv, Binyamina, Hadera, Herzliya, Lod, Rehovot, Ashdod, Ashkelon and other towns. All Israel Railways stations, including Ben Gurion Airport, can be accessed from Netanya by means of transfer stations such as Binyamina and Tel Aviv.

Bus

Egged buses run from the Netanya central bus station to Jerusalem, Haifa, Eilat and other destinations. Many neighborhoods have a direct connection to Tel Aviv without the need to pass through the central bus station. In addition, many Egged lines connecting Tel Aviv with the north of the country stop at the Netanya Interchange on Highway 2, giving Netanya a direct connection with Nazareth, Tiberias, Kiryat Shmona and many other northern destinations. Metropoline operates bus services to Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and the surrounding communities, including the city of Hadera. Some regional lines are still operated by Egged. The intracity transportation is based on Egged Ta'avura bus lines and Shay Li service taxis.

Culture

The Well House is a museum documenting the early history of Netanya. It is located in a historic building dating from 1928. Other museums are the Tribes of Israel Pearl Museum of Yemenite Jewish Heritage, the Shlomo Dror Art Institute, and the Diamimon Diamond Museum. The Cliff Gallery, Gosher Gallery, Abecassis Gallery and Fourth Gallery are all located in the city.

War memorials include the Holocaust Train Car, Beit Yad Lebanim, a memorial to fallen IDF soldiers from Netanya, the National Memorial for Fallen Ordnance Corps, the Alexandroni Brigade Memorial, the National Victory Monument, dedicated to the Soviet Red Army victory over Nazi Germany, and the Memorial to Victims of Acts of Terror.

In June 2016, a street in Netanya was named for Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who was responsible for saving Lithuanian Jews from Nazi persecution early in World War II by providing visas allowing travel eastwards, beyond the reach of the Third Reich's genocidal grasp.

Education

According to the Netanya Municipality, the city has 36,544 students including 5,351 pupils in 186 kindergartens, 16,748 in 46 elementary schools, and 14,445 in 16 high schools. Education in the city is controlled by the municipality's Education Administration. 52.7% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate (Bagrut) in 2001.

Netanya Academic College offers Bachelor's and master's degrees, and a unique program for high-school students. Other institutions of higher education in the city are Ort Hermelin College of Engineering, Zinman College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Lesley College, and Tesler School for Nursing. The Wingate Institute, Israel's National Centre for Physical Education and Sport, is located just south of the city.

Sports

The city's main stadium is the 13,610-seat Netanya Stadium, which opened in November 2012, replacing the older Sar-Tov Stadium, which was sold to help fund the roughly $60 million project. Netanya has three football teams, the main being Maccabi Netanya, whose main local rival is Beitar Nes Tubruk. The third is Maccabi HaSharon Netanya, though the team has been limited to fourth-tier football in the Liga Bet. Elitzur Netanya represents the city in the first tier of Israeli basketball. In handball, the city is represented by Hapoel Netanya in the 2nd tier of the Israeli handball. In baseball, the city was represented by the Netanya Tigers of the Israel Baseball League. As part of the "Netanya – city of sport" program the beach soccer stadium was established and it currently hosts Israeli championship and international "Diamond tournament" games.

Aside from the professional sports teams, Maccabi Netanya also has a boxing and fencing club while Hapoel Netanya has judo and gymnastic clubs, and Elitzur Netanya has a lacrosse club.

The founder of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld opened a sports academy in Netanya for the continuation of his way and his martial art.

Netanya is a center of paragliding in Israel; the coastal cliffs and offshore breeze allow gliders to fly along the cliff line above the beach.

Netanya hosted the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships in December 2015 at the new swimming complex of the Wingate Institute. The complex features an Olympic-size pool with 10 lanes and 3m depth, backed by the latest built-in filtration systems, an 8-lane 50m pool and a 6-lane 25m pool.

Netanya hosted the World Lacrosse Championship tournament on July 12–21, 2018, making Israel the first country where English is not the primary language to host the event. Forty-six nations from around the world sent teams.

The city hosted the 2021 FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships.

Urban development

Several of the tallest buildings in Israel are located in Netanya. The construction of eight new skyscrapers, six of them over 30 stories, was approved in 2011. Dozens of 40–42-story skyscrapers have been planned, many of them along the shore.

Netanya is developing according to master plans for 2035 which seek to massively increase residential units and office space in the city, as well as a new marina and piers. As part of the plan, the intention of the municipality is for the city's population to reach 320,000 by 2035.

The city seeks to become a major tourist hub for local and overseas tourism, with an "Israeli Riviera" on the shore. Among the projects planned in 2013 was the construction of 2,062 housing units and 1,100 hotel rooms while leaving much of the land as open space. The city has set itself a goal to expand open space from 56 to 70 percent. The plan is expected to attract more residents, boost hotel development, and increase the number of gardens and green spaces. It has been suggested that as the city's population expands, a light rail system may be built there in the future.

Voting patterns

In the 2022 election, 62 percent of voters in Netanya voted for the parties of the right-wing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, while 35 percent voted for the parties of the center-left coalition led by Yair Lapid and 0.1 percent voted for the Arab parties.

Twin towns – sister cities

Netanya is twinned with:

Notable people

Linor Abargil (born 1980), attorney, actress and model, winner of the Miss World 1998

Eduard Akuvaev (1945–2015), Russian-Israeli artist and teacher

Avi Alfasi (born 1980), former football player

Tova Ascher, Israeli film editor, director, and screenwriter

Yityish Titi Aynaw (born 1991), model and television personality, winner of the Miss Israel 2013

Orit Bar-On (born 1975), Olympic judoka

Yehuda Barkan (1945–2020), actor and filmmaker

Edith Hahn Beer (1914–2009), Austrian Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust by hiding her Jewish identity and marrying a Nazi officer

Cheryl Bentov (born 1960), American real estate agent and former Israeli Mossad agent

Tamir Blatt (born 1997), basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League

Maya Bouskilla (born 1977), singer and songwriter

Noah Brosch (born 1948), astronomer, astrophysicist and space researcher

Yonatan "Yoni" Chetboun (born 1979), member of the Knesset

Eli Dasa (born 1992), footballer for Dynamo Moscow and the Israel national team

Artem Dolgopyat (born 1997), Olympic champion and world champion gymnast