Netanya נתניה | |
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • ISO 259 | Netanya |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Netanya Location within Israel Show map of Central Israel Netanya Netanya (Israel) Show map of Israel | |
| Coordinates:32°19′43″N34°51′24″E / 32.32861°N 34.85667°E /32.32861; 34.85667 | |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Central |
| Subdistrict | HaSharon |
| Founded | February 18, 1929 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Body | Municipality of Netanya |
| • Mayor | Shiri Haguel Saadon (acting) |
| Area | |
• Total | 34,750dunams (34.75 km2; 13.42 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 233,485 |
| • Density | 6,719/km2 (17,400/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Jews | 88.0% |
| • Arabs | 0.3% |
| • Others | 11.7% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (IST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (IDT) |
| Name meaning | Named afterNathan Straus |
| Website | www.netanya.muni.il |
Netanya[2] (Hebrew:נתניה,IPA:[netanˈja]) orNatanya (IPA:[naˈtanja]),[3][2] is a city in theCentral District ofIsrael, and is the capital of the surroundingSharon plain. It is 30 km (18.6 mi) north ofTel Aviv, and 56 km (34.8 mi) south ofHaifa, between thePoleg stream and theWingate Institute in the south and the Avihayil stream in the north.
Netanya was named in honor ofNathan Straus, a prominentJewish American merchant and philanthropist in the early 20th century who was the co-owner ofMacy'sdepartment store. The 14 km (8.7 mi) of beaches have made the city apopular tourist resort.
In 2023, Netanya had a population of 233,485,[1] ranking it as the 7th largest city in Israel by population. An additional 150,000 people live in the local and regional councils within 10 km (6 mi) of Netanya, which serves as a regional center for them. The city mayor wasMiriam Feirberg, who died in 2025.
Before the 20th century, parts of Netanya belonged to the Forest ofSharon, a hallmark of the region's historical landscape. It was an openwoodland dominated by Mount Tabor Oak (Quercus ithaburensis), which extended fromKfar Yona in the north toRa'anana in the south. Arabs who lived in the area used it forpasture,firewood and intermittentcultivation. The intensification of settlement and agriculture in thecoastal plain during the 19th century led todeforestation and subsequentenvironmental degradation known fromHebrew sources.[4]
Netanya was established near the ancient site ofPoleg by the Bnei Binyamin association inZikhron Ya'akov.[5] It was named in honor ofNathan (Hebrew:Natan) Straus (1848–1931),[6][7] co-owner ofMacy's department store,[8]New York City Parks Commissioner, and president of theNew York City Board of Health,[9] who gifted two-thirds of his personal fortune to projects benefiting Jews andArabs inMandatory Palestine.[7][9][10] "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."[11][12]
The funds for the project of building Netanya were raised byItamar Ben-Avi andOved 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 350 acres (1.4 km2) ofUmm Khaled lands.[5] 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 the1929 Palestine riots and massacre of Jews. By September, however, development was back on track with the cornerstones for the first 10 houses being laid onSukkot.[5]
The first kindergarten opened in 1930 and the first school in 1931. In the1931 census of Palestine, Netanya was recorded as having 253 residents. In 1933, the British architectClifford Holliday drew up a plan for Netanya as a tourist resort. Holliday also designed urban projects inJaffa,Tiberias,Lydda andRamla.[13] The firsturban 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.[5]
In 1934, the firstAliyah Bet ship arrived at the shores of Netanya, carrying 350 immigrants. By 1939, over seventeen more ships had followed. An industrial zone was established, and the first synagogue and school was built.[5]
In 1937 the cornerstone was laid for a new commercial center and the connection of Netanya to the Tel Aviv-Haifa road. In 1939, the Ophir diamond polishing plant, the first diamond polishing plant in Palestine, was opened by Asher Daskall and Zvi Rosenberg.[14][15] In 1940, theBritish Mandate government defined Netanya as alocal council of whichOved Ben-Ami was elected head.[5] In 1944, Netanya had a population of 4,900. The first high school in Netanya opened in 1945.
During theJewish insurgency in Palestine, the Jewish underground groupIrgun launched several attacks against British military and police forces in the Netanya area. The town itself was a bastion of support for the Irgun. The most infamous incident happened in July 1947, in what became known as theSergeants affair. After three Irgun fighters had been sentenced to death by the British, the Irgun abducted two British sergeants on a Netanya street, and hid them in an abandoned factory. The British responded by declaring martial law and placing Netanya and the surrounding area under curfew. The British Army searched the town and interrogated residents, but did not find the sergeants. After the three Irgun fighters were hanged, the Irgun hanged the two sergeants in the factory and re-hanged and booby-trapped their bodies in an orange grove.[16]
In November 1947, anEgged bus driving from Netanya to Jerusalem wasattacked inPetah Tikva. In 1948, following the withdrawal of British forces from Netanya and the1948 Arab-Israeli War, a large military base was established in the city.
On December 3, 1948, Netanya was declared a city in the newly established State of Israel.[5] Ramat Tiomkin, Ein Hatchlelet, Pardes Hagdud, and Ramat Ephraim were annexed to Netanya. At this time, Netanya had a population of 11,600.[17]
TheKiryat Eliezer Kaplan Industrial Zone was inaugurated in 1949 and Neve Itamar, founded in 1944, was annexed to Netanya.[18][19] TheNetanya railway station opened in 1953.
With Israel experiencing a wave of Jewish immigration from Europe, elsewhere in the Middle East, and North Africa, Netanya's population expanded. In the years following independence, approximately 14,000Libyan Jewish immigrants settled in Netanya.[20] The population reached 31,000 in 1955. To accommodate the influx of newcomers, the Israeli Housing Ministry built housing units of 50 square meters.[17] The cornerstone of Kiryat Sanz, a religious neighborhood was laid in 1956. The firststock exchange built in Israel was built in Netanya.[5] By 1961, the city's population had grown to 41,300.
During theSix-Day War in 1967, Netanya was hit by Jordanian artillery, and Jordanian planes made sorties near Netanya, but failed to cause major damage. A lone Iraqi bomber attacked Netanya, dropping several bombs which damaged a factory and caused some casualties, shortly before being shot down. In 1972, Netanya had a population of 71,100.
In the 1990s, large numbers of immigrants from the former Soviet Union settled in Netanya, greatly expanding the city's population and resulting in large-scale housing construction.[17]
Netanya suffered from severalPalestinian bombings during theSecond Intifada, including theNetanya Market bombing and, in the same month, thePassover massacre which caused the death of 29 people.[21] Such attacks were cited as justification for the construction of theIsraeli West Bank barrier which has proved effective in stemming suicide attacks.[22]
In the 2000s and 2010s, Netanya became one of the primary destinations of French Jewishaliyah. Thousands of French immigrants settled in Netanya, influencing the local culture.[23]
Netanya is located on theIsraeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain, thehistoric land bridge between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The city is the capital of theSharon plain, a geographic region stretching from theMediterranean in the west to the Samarian hills in the east, and the modern-dayGush Dan metropolitan area in the south northwards toMount 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 smallmoshavim andkibbutzim, south of Netanya is relatively clear of settlement untilHerzliya and the start of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Likewise, to the north is clear of large settlement untilHadera, and to the east untilTulkarm in theWest Bank. The area to the east of Netanya does, however, have a large concentration of kibbutzim and moshavim in theHefer Valley Regional Council andlocal councils ofKfar Yona,Kadima-Tzoran andEven Yehuda.
Netanya itself is divided into a large number of neighborhoods (seeNeighborhoods 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 ofiris atropurpurea.[24][25] 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.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 5 | — |
| 1931 | 100 | +347.21% |
| 1948 | 11,600 | +32.26% |
| 1955 | 31,000 | +15.08% |
| 1961 | 41,300 | +4.90% |
| 1972 | 71,100 | +5.06% |
| 1983 | 102,300 | +3.36% |
| 1995 | 146,100 | +3.01% |
| 2008 | 179,000 | +1.57% |
| 2012 | 192,200 | +1.79% |
| 2015 | 207,946 | +2.66% |
| [5][26] | ||
In 2023, Netanya was home to 233,485 people. The population density of the city is 7,115 per square kilometer.[26] The population is expected to be around 320,000 in 2035.[27] According to a 2001 survey by the CBS, 99.9% of the population are Jewish and other non-Arabs. In 2001 alone, the city became home to 1,546 immigrants. According to CBS, in 2001 there were 78,800 males and 84,900 females with the population of the city being spread out, with 31.1% 19 years of age or younger, 15.3% between 20 and 29, 17.2% between 30 and 44, 17.4% from 45 to 59, 4.2% from 60 to 64, and 14.9% 65 years of age or older.
In terms of the origin of Netanya's residents, 63,800 originate from Europe and America, 30,200 from North Africa, 18,100 from Asia, 10,500 from Ethiopia and 38,100 from Israel in 2008. That same year, 90,200 of the residents of Netanya were born in Israel, while 71,300 were born abroad.[28] A significant number ofEthiopian Jews in Israel have settled in Netanya with over 10,500 Ethiopian Jewish residents in the city.[29] Netanya is also the center of thePersian Jewish community of Israel.
As of 2000, the city had 58,897 salaried workers and 4,671 self-employed with the mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city beingNIS 4,905, a real change of 8.6% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of NIS 6,217 (a real change of 9.0%) versus NIS 3,603 for females (a real change of 6.8%). The mean income for the self-employed is 6,379. There are 3,293 people who receive unemployment benefits and 14,963 people who receive an income guarantee.
In terms of religion, Netanya is made up approximately of 50%secular Jews. It is also the home of the Sanzer dynasty and has a largeChabad Lubavitch presence.
In 1956, a beachfront in northern Netanya was selected as a home base for theSanzerHasidim by its leader, RabbiYekusiel Yehudah Halberstam. Halberstam established kindergartens, boys' and girls' schools,yeshivas, seminaries, synagogues, a children's home for orphaned and needy girls,[30] 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.[31] Halberstam established his court here in 1960.[32] Following his death in 1994, his eldest son, RabbiZvi Elimelech Halberstam, known as the Sanzer Rebbe, became the spiritual leader of the Sanz community in Israel.[33] In 2010, Kiryat Sanz had a population of approximately 1000 families.[34] Most of the older generation are Holocaust survivors.[35] Besides its educational facilities for boys and girls from elementary to post-graduate,[36] there are five synagogues, amikveh, a printing house,[37] a religious hotel, a religious nursing school, and theLaniado Hospital,[34] which encompasses two medical centers, a children's hospital, a geriatric center and a nursing school, serving a regional population of over 450,000.[38]
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.[39] The neighborhood, like the main street of the city that runs nearby, was named afterTheodor Herzl. The old settlement ofUmm Khalid is also located in this neighborhood.
Lies west of the Ramat Hen neighborhood. The neighborhood was established during the Second World War and is named after the port city ofTobruk in Libya. It used to be a center ofDiamond cutting. In 1947,two British Army Sergeants were hanged in the inactive "Feldman" diamond polishing plant in this neighborhood.
A comparably new neighborhood, established in 2000, along the cliff promenade, south of the "Carmel" hotel.[40] A paragliding site is located near the neighborhood.
A neighborhood of about 2,500 residents located in the north of Netanya, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea nearAvihayil. Ein Hatkhelet was established as a working-class neighborhood inEmek Hefer in 1936. In 1948 it became part of the city of Netanya.[41]
Named afterEphraim Aaronsohn [HE]. Part of it is theMoshav Ramat Tiomkin which was established in 1932 and over time was incorporated into Netanya. The moshav was founded by the people ofBetar, and aKvutza namedMenorah [he]. It was named afterZe'ev Vladimir Tiomkin [he].[42]
One of the southern neighborhoods of the city, near Gesher HaAchdut. Previously called Pagi neighborhood, since it was founded byPoalei Agudat Yisrael (Pagi is the Hebrew acronym of it).[43]
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'simmigrant camp used to be.[44] At its southern end is the cemetery of the city of Netanya.
The neighborhood was established in 1944 as an independent settlement and was annexed to Netanya in 1949. It is named afterItamar Ben-Avi, who has been an important figure in the story of the establishment of Netanya.[45]
Ramat Poleg is an old neighborhood in Netanya, Israel, built in the late 1970s.[46] It is the most southern neighborhood in Netanya.Ramat Poleg is an economically stable neighborhood with a rich culture and many sports activities.
Established in 2006.[47] 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).
Established in 2013, and still in construction.[48] It is located next to the Vernal poolof Netanya. The neighborhood is divided into three sections, A B & C. Section C is currently in construction (as of October 2023).
Industry in Netanya is largely divided between two industrial parks.[citation needed] In the south of the city, the newest of these, Pinchas Sapir (KA Poleg), houses the first branch ofIKEA in Israel as well as technology companies such asCeedo.[citation needed] Tourism also plays a major part in Netanya's economy with some 19 hotels in the city having 1,452 rooms.[citation needed]
The public transportation in Netanya is based on buses, railways and service taxis.
TheNetanya railway station is located near the city center, on the east side ofHighway 2.Netanya Sapir railway station is located in the Poleg Industrial Area.Beit Yehoshua railway station, located in themoshav ofBeit 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 byEgged bus service, although Shay Li service taxis are highly predominant at the Beit Yehoshua station.[49] There are direct trains from Netanya and Beit Yehoshua to Tel Aviv,Binyamina,Hadera,Herzliya,Lod,Rehovot,Ashdod,Ashkelon and other towns. AllIsrael Railways stations, includingBen Gurion Airport, can be accessed from Netanya by means oftransfer stations such as Binyamina and Tel Aviv.[50]
Egged buses run from the Netanya central bus station toJerusalem, 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 onHighway 2, giving Netanya a direct connection withNazareth,Tiberias,Kiryat Shmona and many other northern destinations.Metropoline operates bus services to Tel Aviv,Bnei Brak and the surrounding communities, including the city ofHadera. Some regional lines are still operated by Egged. The intracity transportation is based onEgged Ta'avura bus lines and Shay Li service taxis.[49]
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.[51]
War memorials include the Holocaust Train Car,[52] Beit Yad Lebanim, a memorial to fallenIDF soldiers from Netanya, the National Memorial for Fallen Ordnance Corps, theAlexandroni 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.[53]
In June 2016, a street in Netanya was named for Japanese diplomatChiune 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.[54]
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.[55] 52.7% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate (Bagrut) in 2001.
Netanya Academic College offersBachelor'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.[56] TheWingate Institute, Israel's National Centre for Physical Education and Sport, is located just south of the city.
The main stadiums in Netanya are the 13,610-seatNetanya Stadium. Netanya has threefootball teams, the main beingMaccabi Netanya, whose main local rival isBeitar Nes Tubruk. The third isMaccabi HaSharon Netanya, though the team has been limited to fourth-tier football in theLiga Bet.Elitzur Netanya represents the city in the first tier of Israeli basketball. In handball, the city is represented byHapoel Netanya in the 2nd tier of the Israeli handball. In baseball, the city was represented by theNetanya Tigers of theIsrael Baseball League. As part of the "Netanya – city of sport" program thebeach 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, andElitzur Netanya has a lacrosse club.
The founder ofKrav Maga,Imi Lichtenfeld opened a sports academy in Netanya for the continuation of his way and his martial art.[57]
Netanya is also the home of paragliding in Israel. The moderate cliffs plus a stiff offshore breeze provide an ideal environment for safe and fun comfortable paragliding. Gliders are often seen cruising high above the beach, just along the cliff line.
Netanya was scheduled to host the2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships in December. The venue of the event was to be the brand-new swimming complex of theWingate Institute. The new complex at the Wingate Institute 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.[58][59]
Netanya hosted theWorld Lacrosse Championship tournament on July 12–21, 2018, thus making Israel the first country to host such where English is not the primary spoken language. Forty-six nations from around the world sent teams.[60]
The city hosted the 2021FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships.[61]
Several of thetallest 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.[62][63]
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.[64]
The city seeks to become a major tourist hub for local and overseas tourism, with an "Israeli Riviera" on the shore.[65] 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.[66] It has been suggested that as the city's population expands, alight rail system may be built there in the future.[67][68]
Netanya istwinned with:[69][70]
Batumi, Georgia
Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Como, Italy
Dortmund, Germany
Gelendzhik, RussiaGiessen, Germany
Gold Coast, Australia
Nice, France
Nowy Sącz, Poland
Poděbrady, Czech RepublicSarcelles, France
Siófok, Hungary
Stavanger, Norway
Sunny Isles Beach, United States
Xiamen, China
A ceremony on a planned street named after the late Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara was held in Netanya, Israel, on Tuesday. Sugihara issued transit visas to thousands of Jewish people during World War II, which later came to be known as "visas for life," as they saved many from Nazi persecution. Netanya is known as a place where many Jewish people arrived after fleeing from oppression thanks to visas issued by Sugihara. The plan to build the street marks 30 years since Sugihara's death. "It's such an honor. I wish my father was here," said Sugihara's fourth son, Nobuki, 67.
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