Ma'alot-Tarshiha
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| Ma'alot-Tarshiha | ||
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| Hebrew | מַעֲלוֹת-תַּרְשִׁיחָא | |
| (Standard) | Maʻalot-Tarshiḥa | |
| Arabic | معالوت ترشيحا, Maʻālūt Taršīḥā | |
| Government | City (from 1996) | |
| District | North | |
| Population | 23,000 (2006) | |
| Jurisdiction | 7,000 dunams (7 km²) | |
| Mayor | Shlomo Bukhbut | |
Ma'alot-Tarshiha (Hebrew: מַעֲלוֹת-תַּרְשִׁיחָא; Arabic: معالوت ترشيحا) is a mixed city in the North District in Israel, some 20 km east of Nahariya.
The city was established in 1963 through a municipal merge of the Arab town of Tarshiḥa and the Jewish town of Ma'alot. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in September 2003 the city had a total population of 20,900.
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[edit] History
[edit] Tarshiha
Tarshiha was built on the site of the Canaanite village of Haki dating back to the (2nd-3rd millennium BC. Excavations of a 4th century burial cave in the village unearthed a cross and a piece of glass engraved with a menorah.
Crusader sources from the (12th and 13th century) refer to Tarshiha as Terschia, Torsia and Tersigha. [1] During the Crusades, several battles between Christian Crusaders and Arab Muslims took place in the area.
During the Ottoman rule and the subsequent British Mandate for Palestine, the village became an administrative center between Safed to the east, and Acre to the west.
Tarshiha was in the territory allotted to the Arab state under the 1947 UN Partition Plan [2] and residents of the village planned to take over homes in the nearby Jewish city of Nahariya. However, severe battles were held in the vicinity between Jewish and Arab forces throughout the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the village was finally captured by Israeli troops in Operation Hiram, on October 29, 1948. A large part of Tarshiha's Arab population had fled to Lebanon.[3]
[edit] Ma'alot
Ma'alot was established as a development town for Jewish immigrants from Romania, Iran, and Morocco, in 1957. The first homes were built on Har HaRakafot (Cyclamen Hill), known in Arabic as Bab Al-Hauwa (Gate of the Winds).[4]
In 1963, Ma'alot was merged with the larger Tarshiha, and the unified town was renamed to reflect both origins. The inhabitants of Tarshiha hoped that the merger would improve the level of services.
On May 15, 1974, an elementary school in Ma'alot was attacked by militants belonging to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine in what became known as the Ma'alot massacre.[5] They massacred 21 students from Safed on a class trip who had been sleeping inside the building.[citation needed]
Ma'alot-Tarshiha was officially recognized as a city in 1996.
[edit] Demographics
In 2001, ethnic and religious makeup of the city was 79.7% Jewish and other non-Arabs, and 20.0% Arab (8.9% Muslim, 9.9% Christian, and 1.0% Druze). [6] In the early 2000s, 52% of the population were Russian immigrants. In 2001, there were 10,100 males and 10,100 females. The population of the city was diverse in age with 35.7% 19 years of age or younger, 15.3% between 20 and 29, 20.4% between 30 and 44, 14.6% from 45 to 59, 3.9% from 60 to 64, and 10.0% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 3.0%.
[edit] Income
As of 2000, CBS reported there were 6,931 salaried workers, and 408 were self-employed in the city. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city was NIS 4,435, a real change of 7.0% over the course of 2000. Salaried males had a mean monthly wage of ILS 5,652 (a real change of 9.9%) versus ILS 3,073 for females (a real change of 2.0%). The mean income for the self-employed was 6,320. There were 559 people who received unemployment benefits, and 1,785 people who received an income guarantee.
According to CBS, as of December 2001, the city had a relatively low social-economic rank (4 out of 10, 10 being the most affluent).
[edit] Education
In 2001, there were 11 schools and 4,272 students in the city, including 7 elementary schools with an enrollment of 2,000, and 7 high schools with 2,272 students. 58.5% of the city's 12th graders earned a matriculation certificate in 2001.
In August 1975, Yeshivat Ma’alot, a Hesder yeshiva, was established, attracting 300 students from all over the country.
[edit] Cultural events
In January 2008, Ma'alot-Tarshiha hosted the Israel International Chess Championship. The tournament, held at the community center, carried a prize of $20,000. The city has also hosted other international events, among them an international fencing tournament.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Ma'alot-Tarshiha (Israel)
- ^ http://domino.un.org/maps/m0103_1b.gif
- ^ Tarshiha 11.11.06
- ^ {{cite web|url=http://www.fotw.net/flags/il-matsh.html|title=Ma'alot-Tarshiha|publisher=[[Flags of the World|accessdate=2008-05-28}}
- ^ Top 10 Worst School Massacres.
- ^ http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/cw_usr_view_Folder?ID=141
- ^ Khoury, Jack. "12-year-old Kfar Sava girl defeats 20 men (in chess tournament)", Haaretz, 2008-01-17. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
[edit] External links
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