Petah Tikva (, ), also spelt Petah Tiqwa and known informally as Em HaMoshavot (), is a city in the Central District of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, east of

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

. It was founded in 1878, mainly by

Haredi Jews Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

of the

Old Yishuv The Old Yishuv (, ''haYishuv haYashan'') were the Jewish communities of the Land of Israel during the Ottoman period, up to the onset of Zionist aliyah waves, and the consolidation of the new Yishuv by the end of World War I. Unlike the new Yis ...

, and became a permanent settlement in 1883 with the financial help of Edmond Rothschild. In , the city had a population of , thus being the fifth-largest city in Israel. Its population density is approximately . Its jurisdiction covers 35,868

dunam A dunam ( Ottoman Turkish, Arabic: ; ; ; ), also known as a donum or dunum and as the old, Turkish, or Ottoman stremma, was the Ottoman unit of area analogous in role (but not equal) to the Greek stremma or English acre, representing the amo ...

s (~35.9 km² or 15 sq mi). Petah Tikva is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area.

Etymology

Petah Tikva takes its name (meaning "Door of Hope") from the biblical allusion in

Hosea In the Hebrew Bible, Hosea ( or ; ), also known as Osee (), son of Beeri, was an 8th-century BC prophet in Israel and the nominal primary author of the Book of Hosea. He is the first of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose collective writing ...

2:15: "... and make the valley of Achor a door of hope." The

Achor Valley Achor ( "muddy, turbid: gloomy, dejected") is the name of a valley in the vicinity of Jericho. History The Book of Joshua, Joshua 7, chapter seven, relates the story from which the valley's name comes. After the problems the Israelites had as ...

, near

Jericho Jericho ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Jericho Governorate. Jericho is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It had a population of 20,907 in 2017. F ...

, was the original proposed location for the town.

History

Tel Mulabbis, an archaeological mound in modern Petah Tikva, is an important archaeological site from the

Yarkon River The Yarkon River, also Yarqon River or Jarkon River (, ''Nahal HaYarkon''; , ''Nahr al-Auja''), is a river in central Israel. The source of the Yarkon ("Greenish" in Hebrew) is at Tel Afek (Antipatris), north of Petah Tikva. It flows west throu ...

basin, with habitation remains from the Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Late Ottoman periods.: "The following article summarizes our current knowledge of the history of Tell Mulabbis (in modern Petah Tikva). As a key archaeological site in the Yarkon River basin, it was inhabited during the Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Late Ottoman periods." The place was inhabited sporadically, and was known in Arabic as

Mulabbis Tell Mulabbis (Arabic: ملبس, Hebrew language, Hebrew: אומלבס, מולבס) is an Tell (archaeology), archaeological mound in modern Petah Tikva, Israel. Mulabbis is a key site in the Yarkon River basin, with habitation remains from the ...

, and was the site of an Egyptian village of the same name, inhabited by the Abu Hamed al-Masri clan. Petah Tikva was founded in 1878 by Jewish settlers from Europe, among them

Yehoshua Stampfer Yehoshua Stampfer (born 8 June 1852, Komárno – died 4 July 1908; ) was one of the founders of the city of Petah Tikva in Israel. He was a member of its first municipal council. Biography Yehoshua Stampfer was born in Komárno and raised in Sz ...

, Moshe Shmuel Raab, Yoel Moshe Salomon, Zerach Barnett, and David Gutmann, as well as

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n Rabbi Aryeh Leib Frumkin who built the first house. It was the first modern Jewish agricultural settlement in Ottoman Southern Syria (hence its nickname as "Mother of the Moshavot"). Originally intending to establish a new settlement in the

, near

, the settlers purchased land in that area. However,

Ottoman Sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...

Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

cancelled the purchase and forbade them from settling there, but they retained the name Petah Tikva as a symbol of their aspirations. In 1878, the founders of Petah Tikva learned of the availability of land northeast of

Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...

near the village of Mulabes (or Umlabes). The land was owned by two

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

businessmen from Jaffa, Antoine Bishara Tayan and Selim Qassar, and was worked by some thirty tenant farmers. Tayan's property was the larger, some 8,500 dunams, but much of it was in the malarial swamp of the Yarkon Valley. Qassar's property, approximately 3,500 dunams, lay a few kilometers to the south of the Yarkon, away from the swampland. It was Qassar's that was purchased on July 30, 1878. Tayan's holdings were purchased when a second group of settlers, known as the Yarkonim, arrived in Petah Tikva the following year. Abdul Hamid II allowed the purchase because of the poor quality of the land. In a microhistorical anecdote of Petah Tikva, Yehuda Raab, one of the Hungarian settlers, recalls in his memoirs meeting a Baghdadi Jew, Daud abu Yusuf, who despite appearing as a

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

, announced “ana Israʾili,” ''I am Jewish'', and recited the

shema ''Shema Yisrael'' (''Shema Israel'' or ''Sh'ma Yisrael''; , “Hear, O Israel”) is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. Its first verse encapsulates the monothe ...

by way of proof. Yusuf, along with a Moroccan Jew from Jaffo, Yaʿqub bin Maymun Zirmati, was hired as a guard for colony; it was customary for European Jewish colonies to hire local Arab guards or in some cases

Yemenite Jews Yemenite Jews, also known as Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ; ), are a Jewish diaspora group who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. After several waves of antisemitism, persecution, the vast majority ...

. Both were Ottoman imperial subjects and were important cultural and linguistic go-betweens, for example in the horse and camel trade, from the world of the

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

immigrants and that of the Eastern or Maghribi Jews, today called

Mizrahi Jews Mizrahi Jews (), also known as ''Mizrahim'' () in plural and ''Mizrahi'' () in singular, and alternatively referred to as Oriental Jews or ''Edot HaMizrach'' (, ), are terms used in Israeli discourse to refer to a grouping of Jews, Jewish c ...

. A

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

epidemic broke out in 1880, forcing the abandonment of the settlements on both holdings by 1881 or 1882. Those who remained in the area moved south to

Yehud Yehud may refer to: * Yehud, the Levantine province of the Neo-Babylonian Empire * Yehud Medinata, the Levantine province of the Achaemenid Persian Empire * Yehud, the modern-day Israeli city See also *Yahud (disambiguation) *Yehudi (disambiguatio ...

. After Petah Tikva was reoccupied by

Bilu Bilu may refer to: People * Bilú (footballer, 1900-1965), Virgílio Pinto de Oliveira, Brazilian football manager and former centre-back * Asher Bilu (born 1936), Australian artist * Bilú (footballer, born 1974), Luciano Lopes de Souza, Brazi ...

immigrants in 1883, some of the original families returned. With funding for swamp drainage provided by Baron

Edmond de Rothschild Baron Abraham Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild (; 19 August 1845 – 2 November 1934) was a French member of the Rothschild banking family. A strong supporter of Jewish settlement in Palestine, his large donations lent significant support to ...

, the colony became more stable. In March 1886, Arab peasants from

Yahudiya Al-'Abbasiyya (), also known as al-Yahudiya (), was a Palestinian Arab village in the Jaffa Subdistrict. It was attacked under Operation Hametz during the 1948 Palestine War, and finally depopulated under Operation Dani. It was located 13 ...

attacked the Jewish colony, injuring 5, with one dying later, possibly due to aggravation of her preexisting condition. This was called the first violent clash in the

Yishuv The Yishuv (), HaYishuv Ha'ivri (), or HaYishuv HaYehudi Be'Eretz Yisra'el () was the community of Jews residing in Palestine prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The term came into use in the 1880s, when there were about 2 ...

Moshe Smilansky Moshe Smilansky MBE (; February 24, 1874 – October 6, 1953) was a pioneer of the First Aliyah, a Zionist leader who advocated peaceful coexistence with the Arabs in Mandatory Palestine, a farmer, and a prolific author of fiction and non-fict ...

. Upon learning that the Austrian post office in Jaffa wanted to open a branch in Petah Tikva, Yitzchak Goldenhirsch, an early resident, offered his assistance on condition that the Austrian consulate issued a Hebrew stamp and a special postmark for Petah Tikva. The stamp was designed by an unknown artist featuring a plow, green fields and a blossoming orange tree. The price was 14 paras (a Turkish coin) and displayed the name 'Petah Tikva' in Hebrew letters.

David Ben Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder and first prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency ...

lived in Petah Tikva for a few months on his arrival in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

in 1906. It had a population of around 1000, half of them farmers. He found occasional work in the orange groves. But, he soon caught malaria and his doctor recommended he return to Europe. The following year, after moving to

, he set up a Jewish workers organisation in Petah Tikva. During the

Sinai and Palestine Campaign The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revol ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Petah Tikva served as a refugee town for residents of Tel Aviv and

, following their exile by the Ottoman authorities. The town suffered heavily as it lay between the Ottoman and British fronts during the war.

British Mandate

In the early 1920s, industry began to develop in the Petah Tikva region. In 1921, Petah Tikva was granted local council status by the British authorities. In May 1921, Petah Tikva was the target of an Arab attack, which left four of its Jewish inhabitants dead–an extension of the

Jaffa riots of 1921 The Jaffa riots (commonly known in ) were a series of violent riots in Mandatory Palestine on May 1–7, 1921, which began as a confrontation between two Jewish groups but developed into an attack by Arabs on Jews and then reprisal attacks by ...

. In 1927, Petah Tikva concluded a local peace treaty with the Arabs living nearby; subsequently, Petah Tikva was untouched by the

1929 Palestine riots The 1929 Palestine riots, Buraq Uprising (, ) or the Events of 1929 (, , ''lit.'' Events of 5689 Anno Mundi), was a series of demonstrations and riots in late August 1929 in which a longstanding dispute between Palestinian Arabs and Jews ove ...

. According to the

1922 census of Palestine The 1922 census of Palestine was the first census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine, on 23 October 1922. The reported population was 757,182, including the military and persons of foreign nationality. The divis ...

conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Petah Tikva had a total population of 3,032: 3,008 Jews, 22 Muslims and 2 Orthodox Christians. By the time the 1931 census was taken, the population had increased to 6,880 inhabitants in 1,688 houses.Mills, 1932, p
14
/ref> In 1937, it was recognized as a city. Its first mayor, Shlomo Stampfer, was the son of one of its founders,

. Petah Tikva, a center of citrus farming, was considered by both the British government and the Jaffa Electric Company as a potentially important consumer of electricity for irrigation. The Auja Concession, which was granted to the Jaffa Electric Company on 1921, specifically referred to the relatively large Jewish settlement of Petah-Tikva. But, it was only in late 1929 that the company submitted an irrigation scheme for Petah-Tikva, and it was yet to be approved by the government in 1930. In 1931, Ben Gurion wrote that Petah Tikva had 5000 inhabitants and employed 3000 Arab labourers. In the 1930s, the pioneering founders of

Kvutzat Yavne Kvutzat Yavne () is a religious kibbutz in the Central District of Israel. Located in the coastal plain just east of Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Yavne Regional Council. In it had a population of . The kibbutz is adjacent t ...

from the

Religious Zionist movement Religious Zionism () is a religious denomination that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' (), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the fi ...

immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine, settling near Petah Tikva on land purchased by a Jewish-owned German company. Refining the agricultural skills they learned in Germany, these pioneers began in 1941 to build their kibbutz in its intended location in the south of Israel, operating from Petah Tikva as a base.

State of Israel

After the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...

, Petah Tikva annexed all of the lands of the newly depopulated

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

village of

Fajja Fajja () was a Palestinian town located 15 kilometers northeast of Jaffa. Ethnically cleansed during the Nakba, its land area is today part of the Israeli city of Petah Tikva. History Pottery remains from the Chalcolithic, Middle Bronze II, Iro ...

.Khalidi, 1992, p. 240 The city has suffered a series of terror attacks as a result of the ongoing regional conflict, including the bombing of a vegetable market in 1977, and three attacks during the

Second Intifada The Second Intifada (; ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, was a major uprising by Palestinians against Israel and its Israeli-occupied territories, occupation from 2000. Starting as a civilian uprising in Jerusalem and October 2000 prot ...

: On May 27, 2002, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a small cafe outside a shopping mall, leaving two dead, including a baby; on December 25, 2003, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a bus stop near the Geha bridge, killing 4 civilians, and on February 5, 2006, a Palestinian got into a shuttle taxi, pulled out a knife, and began stabbing passengers killing two of them, but a worker from a nearby factory hit him with a log, subduing him. Artificial pond in the park of Petah Tikva - 08

Artificial pond in the park of Petah Tikva - 08

After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, several adjoining villages–Amishav and

Ein Ganim Ein Ganim () was the first ''moshav po'alim'' ("workers' moshav") in Israel. The moshav was established in 1908 near Petah Tikva by members of the Second Aliyah and was named after the Levitical city of Ein Ganim, mentioned in the book of Joshua ...

to the east (named after the biblical village (Joshua 15:34)), Kiryat Matalon to the west, towards

Bnei Brak Bnei Brak ( ) or Bene Beraq, is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an area of 709 hectares (1,752 acre ...

, Kfar Ganim and Mahaneh Yehuda to the south and

Kfar Avraham Kfar Avraham () was a moshav founded by the Hapoel HaMizrachi organization in March 1932. Kfar Avraham officially became part of Petah Tikva in 1952 and is today a neighborhood in the northern part of the city. History In 1913 the Jewish phil ...

on the north–were merged into the municipal boundaries of Petah Tikva, boosting its population to 22,000. As of 2018, with a population of over 240,000 inhabitants, Petah Tikva is the third most populous city in the

Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area Gush Dan (, ) or Tel Aviv metropolitan area is a conurbation in Israel, located along the country's Mediterranean coastline. There is no single formal definition of Gush Dan, though the term is in frequent use by both governmental bodies and the ...

("Gush Dan"). Grand Mall in Petah Tikva

Petah Tikva is divided into 33 neighborhoods for municipal purposes.

Economy

93452 beit pelephone park ofer PikiWiki Israel

Petah Tikva is the second-largest industrial sector in Israel after the northern city of

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

. The industry is divided into three zones—Kiryat Aryeh (named after Arie Shenkar, founder and first president of the

Manufacturers Association of Israel The Manufacturers’ Association of Israel (MAI) (Hebrew: התאחדות התעשיינים בישראל) is the umbrella organization and representative body of all industrial sectors in Israel including the private, public, kibbutz, and governmen ...

and a pioneer in the Israeli textile industry), Kiryat Matalon (named after Moshe Yitzhak Matalon), and Segula, and includes textiles, metalwork, carpentry, plastics, processed foods, tires and other rubber products, and soap. IBM building Petax Tikva 201203 01

Numerous

high-tech High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or ...

companies and start-ups have moved into the industrial zones of Petah Tikva, which now house the Israeli headquarters for the

Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational computer technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Co-founded in 1977 in Santa Clara, California, by Larry Ellison, who remains executive chairman, Oracle was ...

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...

Alcatel-Lucent Alcatel-Lucent S.A. () was a multinational telecommunications equipment company, headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France. The company focused on Fixed line telephone, fixed, Mobile phone, mobile and telecommunications convergence, ...

ECI Telecom ECI Telecom Ltd is an Israel-based manufacturer of telecommunications equipment that provides packet optical transport products, software-defined networking applications, cybersecurity and professional services. History The Electronics Corpo ...

, and

GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...

Pharmaceuticals. The largest

data center A data center is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Since IT operations are crucial for busines ...

in Israel, operated by the company TripleC, is also located in Petah Tikva. Furthermore, the Israeli Teva company, the world's largest generic drug manufacturer, is headquartered in Petah Tikva. One of Israel's leading food processing corporations, Osem opened in Petah Tikva in 1976 and has since been joined by the company's administrative offices, distribution center and sauce factory.

Strauss Strauss, Strauß, or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is usually spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" most com ...

is also based in Petach Tikva. Over time, the extensive citrus groves that once ringed Petah Tikva have disappeared as real-estate developers acquired the land for construction projects. Many new neighborhoods are going up in and around Petah Tikva. A quarry for building stone is located east of Petah Tikva. As well as general

hi-tech High tech refers to "high technology". It may also refer to: * High-tech architecture, an architectural style that emerged in the 1970s * HiTech, a computer chess program * Hi-Tech Automotive, a car builder and automotive design house * Hi-Tech ( ...

firms, Petah Tikva has developed a position as a base for many communications firms. As such, the headquarters of the

Bezeq International Bezeq () is an Israeli telecommunications company. Bezeq and its subsidiaries offer a range of telecom services, including fixed-line, mobile telephony, high-speed Internet, transmission, and pay TV (via Yes (Israel), Yes). The company is tra ...

international phone company is located in the Kiryat Matalon industrial zone as are those of the 012 Smile

Internet Service Provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, no ...

. The headquarters of

Tadiran Telecom Tadiran Telecom (TTL) L.P., is a privately held Israeli Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) company, providing UC&C systems globally. TTL is owned by Afcon Industries, which in turn is controlled by the Shlomo Group (TASE:SHLD), ...

are in the Ramat Siv industrial zone.

Arutz Sheva ''Arutz Sheva'' (), also known in English as ''Israel National News'', is an Israeli media network identifying with religious Zionism. It offers online news articles in Hebrew language, Hebrew, English language, English, and Russian language, R ...

, the right wing

Religious Zionist Religious Zionism () is a religious denomination that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' (), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the fi ...

Israeli media network, operates an internet radio studio in Petah Tikva, where Arutz Sheva internet TV is located as well as the printing press for its ''

B'Sheva ''B'Sheva'' () is a weekly Hebrew language newspaper published in Israel. The first issue of ''B'sheva'', published by Arutz Sheva, appeared on July 19, 2002. It is distributed free on Thursdays in religious population centers. Readership The ...

'' newspaper. The Israeli secret service,

Shin Bet The Israel Security Agency (ISA; , (GSS); ), better known by the Hebrew acronyms, acronyms Shabak (; ; ) or Shin Bet (from the abbreviation of , "Security Service"), is Israel's internal Security agency, security service. Its motto is "''Magen ...

, has an interrogation facility in Petah Tikva.

Transportation

Bus

Petah Tikva is served by a large number of buses. A large number of intercity Egged buses stop there, and the city has a network of local buses operated by the

Kavim Kavim () is an Israeli bus company based in Holon. It was founded in 2000 and provided lines in the eastern Gush Dan region - the towns/cities Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva, Or Yehuda, Givatayim and others. In February 2005, Kavim expanded to the n ...

company. The

Dan bus company Dan Bus Company () is an Israeli bus company based in Tel Aviv. It operates local bus service in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area (Gush Dan). Dan operates 1,200 buses and has 2,400 employees. It transports approximately over 600,000 passengers d ...

operates lines to

Ramat Gan Ramat Gan (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv, and is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. It is home to a Diamond Exchange District (one of the world's major diamond exch ...

and

. Petah Tikva's largest bus terminal is the Petah Tikva Central Bus Station (Tahana Merkazit), while other major stations are located near

Beilinson Hospital Rabin Medical Center () is a large general hospital located in Petah Tikva, Israel. It is owned and operated by Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest health maintenance organization. In January 1996, Beilinson Hospital and Hasharon Hospital were ...

and Beit Rivka.

Mainline rail

Israel Railways Israel Railways Ltd. (, ''Rakevet Yisra'el'') is the state-owned principal railway company responsible for all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in Israel. Israel Railways network consists of of track. All its lines are standar ...

maintains two suburban railroad stations in Segula and Kiryat Aryeh, in the northern part of the city. A central train station near the main bus station is envisioned as part of Israel Railways's long-term expansion plan.

Road transport

There are eight taxi fleets based in Petah Tikva, and the city is bordered by three of the major vehicle arteries in Israel: Geha Highway ( Highway 4) on the west, the Trans-Samaria Highway ( Highway 5) on the north, and the Trans-Israel Highway (

Highway 6 Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries: International * AH6 (highway), Asian Highway 6 * European route E6 * European route E006 Albania * :de:Nationalstraße 6 (Albanien), National Road SH6 Argentina * P ...

) on the east.

Santiago Calatrava designed bridge

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spaniards, Spanish-Swiss people, Swiss architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stad ...

's bridge, a long span Y-shaped cable-stayed pedestrian

three-way bridge A multi-way bridge is a bridge with three or more distinct and separate spans, where one end of each span meets at a common point near the centre of the bridge. Unlike other bridges which have two entry-exit points, multi-way bridges have three ...

connecting Rabin Hospital to a shopping mall, a residential development and a public park. The structure is supported from a high inclined steel pylon, which is situated where the three spans intersect. Light in construction, the bridge is built principally of steel with a glass-paved deck.

Light rail

The Red Line of the Greater Tel Aviv

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...

system connects Petah Tikva to

and

Bat Yam Bat Yam ( ) is a city on Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast, on the Central Coastal Plain just south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area and the Tel Aviv District. In , it had a population of . History British Mandate Bat Y ...

. The Red Line of the

Tel Aviv Light Rail The Tel Aviv Light Rail (, Romanized: ''Ha'rakēvet Ha'kalā Be'Tel Avīv'', , Romanized: ''Qītar Tall ʾAbīb Al-khāfifa''), also known as Dankal (, ) is a mass transit system for Gush Dan, the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in central Israel. T ...

system is split into 2 branches upon entrance to Petah Tikva. One branch travels to an underground terminal at the Kiryat Aryeh railway station, while the other continues east to the Petach Tikva Central Bus Station. The Light Rail's train depot is also located at Kiryat Aryeh. It was opened to service on August 18, 2023.

Local government

Petah Tikva's history of government goes back to 1880, when the pioneers elected a council of seven members to run the new colony. From 1880 to 1921, members of the council were David Meir Guttman, Yehoshua Stampfer, Ze'ev Wolf Branda, Abraham Ze'ev Lipkis, Yitzhak Goldenhirsch, Chaim Cohen-Rice, Moshe Gissin, Shlomo Zalman Gissin and

Akiva Librecht Akiva Librecht (; 1876 – March 3, 1958) was a founding member of Petah Tikva, Israel, and a member of its first council, which he headed in 1912–13. He was also a member of the Kfar Saba council. Librecht was born in 1876 in Jerusalem, then ...

. This governing body was declared a local council in 1921, and Petah Tikva became a city in 1937.

Kadima Kadima () was a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely following the implementation of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan in August 2005, and was soon ...

, the political party founded by former Israeli prime minister

Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon ( ; also known by his diminutive Arik, ; 26 February 192811 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the prime minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. Born in Kfar Malal in Mandatory Palestin ...

, had its headquarters in Petah Tikva. YehoshuaStampfer

Council heads and mayors

*Shlomo Zalman Gissin (1921) *Pinchas Meiri (1922–1928) *Shlomo Stampfer (1928–1937) *Shlomo Stampfer (1938–1940) *Yosef Sapir (1940–1950) *Mordechai Krausman (1951) *Pinchas Rashish (1951–1966) *Yisrael Feinberg (1966–1978) *Dov Tavori (1978–1989) *

Giora Lev Giora Lev (; born 30 June 1939) was the 7th mayor of Petah Tikva (1989-1998) and Brigadier-general in the Israel Defense Forces. He was born in Haifa and studied in Kadoorie Agricultural High School. Once conscripted, he joined the Armored Corp ...

(1989–1999) *Yitzhak Ohayon (1999–2013) *Uri Ohad (2013) *Itzik Braverman (2013–2018) *

Rami Greenberg Rami Greenberg (Hebrew: רמי גרינברג; born 18 May 1978) is an Israeli politician, currently serving as the mayor of Petah Tikva. Biography Greenberg was born in Neve Yarak, and grew up in Petah Tikva. At the age of 14, he was elected ...

(2018–)

Schools and religious institutions

102427 petah tikva - the great synagogue PikiWiki Israel

Petah Tikva is home to 300 educational institutions from kindergarten through high school, catering to the secular, religious and

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

populations. There are over 43,000 students enrolled in these schools, which are staffed by some 2,400 teachers. Petah Tikva has seventeen public libraries, the main one located in the city hall building. Some 70,000 Orthodox Jews live in Petah Tikva. The community of Petah Tikva is served by 300 synagogues, including the 120-year-old Great Synagogue, eight

mikvaot Tractate Miqwaʾoth (Hebrew: מקואות, lit. "Pools of Water"; in Talmudic Hebrew: ''Miqwaʾoth'') is a section of the Mishna discussing the laws pertaining to the building and maintenance of a mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath. Like most of Seder To ...

(ritual baths) and two major

yeshivot A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish education, Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in par ...

, ''Lomzhe Yeshiva'' and ''Or-Yisrael'' (founded by the

Chazon Ish Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (; 7 November 1878 – 24 October 1953), also known as the Chazon Ish () after his magnum opus, was a Belarusian-born Orthodox rabbi who later became one of the leaders of Haredi Judaism in Israel, where he spent ...

, Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz).

Yeshivat Hesder Petah Tikva Yeshivat Hesder Petah Tikva is a Hesder Yeshiva located in Petah Tikva, Israel. Established in 1998, it currently has approximately 200 students, of whom 25% are actively serving in the IDF. History Yeshivat Hesder Petah Tikva was established b ...

, a Modern Orthodox

Hesder Hesder ( "arrangement"; also Yeshivat Hesder ) is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The program allows Orthodox J ...

Yeshiva affiliated with the

movement, directed by Rabbi

Yuval Cherlow Yuval Cherlow (; born 1957) is a Modern Orthodox rabbi and posek. He is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Hesder Amit Orot Shaul in Tel Aviv, Israel. Cherlow was one of the founders of Tzohar, an organization of religious Zionist Orthodox rabbis in Isr ...

, is also located in Petah Tikva. Additionally, Rav Michael Laitman, PhD in Philosophy and Kabbalah (see

Bnei Baruch Bnei Baruch (also known as Kabbalah Laam, ) is a universalist kabbalah association founded by Michael Laitman in the early 1990s. It is estimated to have around 50,000 students in Israel, and some 150,000 around the world. History Bnei Baruch is ...

), daily leads 200-300 students and hundreds of thousands virtually (some estimates of up to 2 million) in the method of Kabbalah learned from his teacher Rav Baruch Ashlag, known as the RABASH. Petah Tikva has two cemeteries: Segula Cemetery, east of the city, and Yarkon Cemetery, to the northeast.

Health care

Six hospitals are located in the city. The

Rabin Medical Center Rabin Medical Center () is a large general hospital located in Petah Tikva, Israel. It is owned and operated by Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest health maintenance organization. In January 1996, Beilinson Hospital and Hasharon Hospital were ...

Beilinson complex includes the Beilinson Medical Center, the Davidoff Oncologic Center, the Geha Psychiatric Hospital, the Schneider Pediatric Hospital and Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Medical Research. Other medical facilities in Petah Tikva are HaSharon Hospital, the Beit Rivka Geriatric Center, the Kupat Holim Medical Research Center and a private hospital, Ramat Marpeh, affiliated with Assuta Hospital. The Schneider Pediatric Center is one of the largest and most modern children's hospitals in the Middle East. In addition, there are many family health clinics in Petah Tikva as well as Kupat Holim clinics operated by Israel's

health maintenance organization In the United States, a health maintenance organization (HMO) is a medical insurance group that provides health services for a fixed annual fee. It is an organization that provides or arranges managed care for health insurance, self-funded hea ...

s. The city is also served by

Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center (MHMC) is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi hospital in Bnei Brak, Israel. Initially focusing on Maternity hospital, maternity, it is now a Hospital#General and acute care, general hospital. MHMC's affairs are managed in st ...

, a Haredi hospital in nearby

Landmarks and cultural institutions

103847 petah tikva - founders square PikiWiki Israel

Petah Tikva's Independence Park includes a zoo at its northeastern edge, the Museum of Man and Nature, a memorial to the victims of the 1921 Arab riots, an archaeological display, Yad Labanim soldiers' memorial, a local history museum, a Holocaust museum and the

Petah Tikva Museum of Art The Petah Tikva Museum of Art is an art museum in Arlozorov Street, Petah Tikva, Israel. History The museum is part of Petah Tikva's Museum Complex. Most of the art at the museum (roughly 3188 items) is art in memory and perpetuation of others, ...

Sports

The main stadium in Petah Tikva is the 11,500-seat

HaMoshava Stadium The HaMoshava Stadium (), also known as Petah Tikva Stadium, is a football stadium in Petah Tikva, Israel completed in 2011. It is used mainly for football matches and is home to both Hapoel Petah Tikva and Maccabi Petah Tikva. The stadi ...

. Petah Tikva has two

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

teams –

Hapoel Petah Tikva Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C. () is an Israeli professional football club based in the city of Petah Tikva, currently playing in Israeli Premier League. Its most successful period was throughout the 1950s and 1960s, in which the club won six League C ...

and Maccabi Petah Tikva. The local baseball team, the

Petach Tikva Pioneers The petah Tikva Pioneers () was an Israeli baseball team from Petah Tikva in the Israel Baseball League. They finished the inaugural 2007 regular season in last place (9-32; .220), and lost to the Modi'in Miracle in the quarterfinals of the 200 ...

, played in the inaugural 2007 season of the

Israel Baseball League The Israel Baseball League (IBL; Hebrew: ליגת הבייסבול הישראלית, ''Ligat ha-Beisbol ha-Israelit'') was a five-team professional baseball league in Israel. The first game was played on June 24, 2007. The league was discontinue ...

. The league folded the following year. In 2014, Hapoel Petah Tikva's women's football team recruited five

Arab-Israeli The Arab citizens of Israel form the country's largest ethnic minority. Their community mainly consists of former Mandatory Palestine citizens (and their descendants) who continued to inhabit the territory that was acknowledged as Israeli by ...

women to play on the team. One of them is now a team captain.

Archaeology

In November–December 2006 and May 2007, a salvage excavation was conducted at Khirbat Mulabbis, east of Moshe Sneh Street in Petah Tikva on behalf of the

Israel Antiquities Authority The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA, ; , before 1990, the Israel Department of Antiquities) is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservatio ...

. Four main strata (I–IV) were identified, dating to the Byzantine period (fourth–seventh centuries CE; Stratum IV), Early Islamic period (eighth–tenth centuries CE; Stratum III), Crusader period (twelfth–thirteenth centuries CE; Stratum II) and Ottoman period (Stratum I).Haddad, 2013
Petah Tikva, Kh. Mulabbis

Notable people

Gila Almagor Gila Almagor Agmon (; born Gila Alexandrowitz; July 22, 1939) is an Israeli actress, film star, and author. In Israel, she is known as "queen of the Israeli cinema and theatre". Biography Gila Alexandrowitz (Almagor) was born in Petah Tikva to Je ...

(born 1939), actress and author *

Yehuda Amichai Yehuda Amichai (; born Ludwig Pfeuffer 3 May 1924 – 22 September 2000) was an Israelis, Israeli poet and author, one of the first to write in colloquial Hebrew language, Hebrew in modern times. Yehuda Amichai, the poet of everyday life, love, ...

(1924–2000), poet *

Zvi Arad Zvi Arad (; 16 April 1942, in Petah Tikva, Mandatory Palestine – 4 February 2018, in Petah Tikva, Israel) was an Israeli mathematician, acting president of Bar-Ilan University, and president of Netanya Academic College. Biography Zvi Arad bega ...

(1942–2018), mathematician, acting president of

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, , ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic university institution. It has 20,000 ...

, president of

Netanya Academic College Netanya Academic College (, ''HaAkademit Netanya'') is a private college based in Netanya, Israel. Established in 1994 by a team from Bar-Ilan University, it has an enrollment of around 4,000 undergraduate students. It was founded by Zvi Arad, who ...

* Shlomo Baksht (born 1960), rabbi *

Hannah Barnett-Trager Hannah Barnett-Trager (born Hannah Barnett) (1870–1943) was an English writer and activist. She resided and worked primarily in Mandatory Palestine. Her father, Zerah Barnett, established the city of Petah Tikva Personal life Trager was bor ...

(1870–1943), wrote about early Petah Tikva * Hanoch Bartov (1926-2016), author *

Mor Bulis Mor Bulis (; born 18 April 1996) is an Israeli tennis player. Bulis has a career-high ATP singles ranking of 516 achieved on 7 May 2018. He also has a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 654 achieved on 25 September 2017. Bulis was born in Peta ...

(born 1996), tennis player *

Tal Burstein Tal Burstein (; born 19 February 1980) is an Israeli professional basketball coach and a former professional basketball player. He played at the point guard position, and also as a swingman. He is 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) in height. He has ...

(born 1980), basketball player * Moran Buzovski (born 1992), Olympic rhythmic gymnast *

Shmuel Dayan Shmuel Dayan (; 8 August 1891 – 11 August 1968) was a Zionist activist during the British Mandate of Palestine and an Israeli politician who served in the first three Knessets. Biography Born in the town of Zhashkiv in the Russian Empire (tod ...

(1891–1968), Zionist activist *

Ofer Fabian Ofer Fabian () is a former Israeli footballer who now works as the assistant manager of the Israel national under-21 football team The Israel national under-21 football team () is the national under-21 football team of Israel, and is contro ...

(born 1962), footballer *

Israel Finkelstein Israel Finkelstein (; born March 29, 1949) is an Israelis, Israeli archaeologist, professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and the head of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. Finkelstein is active in the a ...

(born 1949), archaeologist *

Dudu Fisher David "Dudu" Fisher (; born 18 November 1951) is an Israeli cantor and performer, best known for his Broadway performance as Jean Valjean in the musical ''Les Misérables''. Biography The son of a Holocaust survivor, Fisher was born in Petah Tik ...

(born 1951), cantor and stage performer *

Gal Gadot Gal Gadot (; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress. She gained recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films (2016–2023). In 2018, Gadot was named one of ''Time''s 100 most influential people and ranked by ''F ...

(born 1985), actress and model *

Zehava Gal-On Zehava Galon (; born 4 January 1956), is an Israeli politician, the president of the research institute ZULAT for Equality and Human Rights and former leader of Meretz. Galon served as a member of the Knesset from 1999 to 2017 and ran as the ...

(born 1956),

Meretz Meretz (, ; ) was a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It had no seats in the Knesset following its failure ...

politician *

A. D. Gordon Aaron David Gordon (; ), more commonly known as A. D. Gordon, was a Labour Zionist thinker and the spiritual force behind practical Zionism and Labor Zionism. He founded Hapoel Hatzair, a movement that set the tone for the Zionist movement for m ...

(1856–1922), Labor Zionist ideologue *

Tamar Gozansky Tamar Gozansky (, also spelt Tamar Gozhansky; born October 3, 1940) is an Israeli politician. Biography Tamar Gozansky was born in Petah Tikva in 1940 to a Russian Jewish family. She earned an MSc in Economics from Leningrad State University. Sh ...

(born 1940), politician * Avraham Grant (born 1955), football coach * Tzofit Grant (born 1964), television personality *

Tzachi Halevy Tzachi Halevy (or Tsahi HaLevi; ; born ) is an Israeli film and television actor and singer. Early and personal life HaLevi was born and raised in Petah Tikva, Israel, to an Israeli family of both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish descent.

(born 1975), film and television actor, singer *

Simcha Jacobovici Simcha Jacobovici (; ; born April 4, 1953) is a Canadian–Israeli journalist and documentary filmmaker. While several scholars consider him to be a pseudo-archeologist and pseudo-historian, the ''New York Times'' dubbed him a modern-day “I ...

(born 1953), filmmaker *

Doron Jamchi Doron Jamchi, also spelled Jamchy (; born July 1, 1961), is an Israeli former professional basketball player. At a height of , he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions. During his pro club career, Jamchi was a four-time FIBA Eu ...

(born 1961), basketball player *

Nimrod Kamer Nimrod Kamer (; born 1981) is a comedy writer, gonzo journalist and club crasher based in London. Life and career Kamer was born in 1981 in Petah Tikva, Israel. Kamer claims to hold both Romanian and Israeli passports. In 2004, while attendi ...

(born 1981), poet and class warrior residing in London *

Yosef Karduner Yosef Karduner (; born 1969) is an Israeli Hasidic singer, songwriter, and composer. His biggest hit, ''Shir LaMaalot'' ( Psalm 121), appeared on his debut album, ''Road Marks'' (2000). Biography Born Gilad Kardunos, he was raised in a traditio ...

(born 1969),

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

singer-songwriter *

Haim Kaufman Haim Kaufman (; 12 December 1934 – 7 August 1995) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1977 and 1988, and again from 1990 until his death in 1995. Biography Born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, ...

(1934–1995), Knesset member *

Yehoshua Kenaz Yehoshua Kenaz (; 2 March 1937 – 12 October 2020) was an Israeli novelist who studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hebrew University and at the University of Paris, Sorbonne. Kenaz is best known for his novel ''Infiltration'', published ...

(1937-2020), novelist *

Itzik Kol Itzik Kol (; January 12, 1932 – July 8, 2007) was an Israeli television and film producer considered by many to be a pioneer and originator of Israeli cinema. He died following complications from pneumonia. Biography Yitchak Kolker (later Itz ...

(1932–2007), television and movie producer *

Alona Koshevatskiy Alona Koshevatskiy (; born 8 October 1997) is an Israeli female rhythmic gymnast. She's a two-time (2014, 2016) European Group All-Around bronze medalist and the 2015 European Games Group All-Around silver medalist. She retired in 2016, after co ...

(born 1997), Olympic

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, fle ...

Amnon Krauz Amnon Krauz (; born August 10, 1952) is an Israeli former Olympic swimmer. He was born in Petah Tikva, Israel. Swimming career Krauz competed for Israel at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital an ...

(born 1952), Olympic swimmer *

Peretz Lavie Peretz Lavie (; born 19 February 1949) was the 16th president of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, having taken the position on 1 October 2009 through September 2019. Lavie, an expert in the psychophysiology of sleep disorders, sleep a ...

(born 1949), expert in the

psychophysiology Psychophysiology (from Greek , ''psȳkhē'', "breath, life, soul"; , ''physis'', "nature, origin"; and , '' -logia'') is the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes. While psychophysiolog ...

of sleep and sleep disorders, 16th president of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Dean of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine *

Talya Lavie Talya Lavie (; born on 27 April 1978) is an Israeli filmmaker best known for her 2014 debut feature, '' Zero Motivation''. Early life Lavie attended the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design as well as the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in ...

(born 1978), filmmaker *

Karina Lykhvar Karina Lykhvar (; born 11 December 1998) is a retired Israeli female rhythmic gymnast. She's a two-time (2014, 2016) European Group All-Around bronze medalist and the 2015 European Games Group All-Around silver medalist. She retired in 2016, aft ...

(born 1998), Olympic rhythmic gymnast *

Menachem Magidor Menachem Magidor (; born January 24, 1946) is an Israeli mathematician who specializes in mathematical logic, in particular set theory. He served as president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was president of the Association for Symbolic ...

(born 1946), mathematician, president of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...

* Samir Naqqash (1938–2004), Iraqi-Jewish author *

Zvi Nishri Zvi Nishri (; January 4, 1878 – July 22, 1973) was a pioneer in modern physical education in British Mandate for Palestine and later, Israel. Biography Zvi Orloff (later Nishri) was born to a Jewish family in Russia, where he served as a soldi ...

(Orloff) (1878–1973), physical education pioneer *

Uri Orbach Uri Shraga Orbach (; 28 March 1960 – 16 February 2015) was an Israeli Religious Zionist writer, journalist, and politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Jewish Home party, and as Minister of Pensioner Affairs. Biography Orbac ...

(1960–2015),

The Jewish Home The Jewish Home () was an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish, Religious Zionism, religious Zionist and Far-right politics in Israel, far-right political party in Israel. It was originally formed by a merger of the National Religious Party, Mole ...

politician, journalist and writer *

Elyakum Ostashinski Elyakum Ostashinski or Elyakum Austshinsky (), born 1909, died 1983, was the first mayor of Rishon LeZion, and later CEO of the Vineyard Association. Education Ostashinski was born in Petah Tikva. His parents were pioneers of the First Aliyah ...

(1909–1983), first mayor of

Rishon LeZion Rishon LeZion ( , "First to Zion") is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Founded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who were ...

Ravid Plotnik Ravid Plotnik (; born 13 January 1988), also known by his stage name Nechi Nech (, from Amharic ነጭ, white) is an Israeli singer and rapper. Biography Ravid Plotnik was born in Petah Tikva, Israel, to a family of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. His ...

(born 1988), rapper and singer * Esther Raab (1894–1981), Hebrew author of prose and poetry *

Leah Rabin Leah Rabin (, née Schloßberg; 28 April 1928 – 12 November 2000) was the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995. Biography Leah Rabin was born Leah Schloßberg in Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany (now K ...

(1928–2000), wife of Israeli prime minister

Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; , ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the prime minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977, and from 1992 until Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his ass ...

Neta Rivkin Neta Rivkin (; born June 19, 1991) is a retired Israeli individual rhythmic gymnast. She is one of Israel's most successful rhythmic gymnasts. A three-time Olympian, in 2011 she won the silver medal in clubs at the 2011 European Championships. ...

(born 1991), rhythmic gymnast *

Pnina Rosenblum Pnina Rosenblum (; born ) is an Israeli businesswoman, model, media personality, and a former politician. She is a former member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, for Likud from 2005 to 2006. Biography Pnina Rosenblum was born in Petah T ...

(born 1954), actress, fashion model, businesswoman and politician *

Michal Rozin Michal Rozin (; born 25 June 1969) is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Meretz from 2013 to 2019 and then again from 2021 until 2022. Political career Rozin was elected to the Knesset in 2013 on the Meretz list. ...

(born 1969),

politician *

Rami Saari Rami Saari (; born 17 September 1963, Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israelis, Israeli poet, translator, linguist and literary critic. Biography Saari studied Semitic and Uralic languages at the Universities of Helsinki, Budapest and Jerusalem. He d ...

(born 1963), poet, translator and linguist *

Dan Shechtman Dan Shechtman (; born January 24, 1941)Dan Shechtman
. (PDF). Retrieved on January 28, ...

(born 1941), winner of Nobel Prize for Chemistry *

Sigal Shachmon Sigal Shachmon (; born 13 June 1971) is an Israeli model, actress and television presenter. Life and career Shachmon was born in Petah Tikva. Before she made her big breakthrough she was a dancer in a dance company and worked in modeling. In 19 ...

(born 1971), model, actress and television presenter *

Giora Spiegel Giora Spiegel (; born July 27, 1947) is an Israeli former Association football, footballer and coach. As a footballer, he holds the Israel national football team records, record for the longest Israel national football team, Israeli international ...

(born 1947), football player and coach *

Nahum Stelmach Nahum Stelmach (; – ) was an Israeli footballer and manager. Biography Stelmach was born in Petah Tikva, Mandate Palestine, British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel), to a Jewish family. He was chosen third by ''Yediot Aharonots greatest Israe ...

(1936–1999), football player *

Pnina Tamano-Shata Pnina Tamano-Shata (; born 1 November 1981) is an Israeli lawyer, journalist, and politician. The first Ethiopia-born woman to enter the Knesset in 2013, in 2020 she also became the first Ethiopia-born minister after being appointed Minister of ...

(born 1981), politician * Moshe Gaon (born 1964), businessman and political consultant * Kfir Tsafrir (born 1990), singer-songwriter, rapper and music producer. * Itay Zvulun (born 1984), rapper, singer, songwriter and actor * Hayim Katsman (1991-2023), peace activist and academic

In popular culture

Petah Tikva is referenced in the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

–winning 2016 musical ''

The Band's Visit ''The Band's Visit'' () is a 2007 comedy-drama film written and directed by Eran Kolirin, and starring Saleh Bakri, Ronit Elkabetz, Sasson Gabai and Uri Gavriel. It is an international co-production between Israel, France and the United Sta ...

'' as the main plot derives from a mix-up between the city and the fictional town of "Bet Hatikva" in the Negev Desert of southern Israel. Petah Tikva is known for being a part of a satirical

conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...

which claims that it does not exist, much like the German Bielefeld conspiracy. "Free Petah Tikvah" became a

meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...

during 2023.

International relations

Petah Tikva is twinned with: *

Bacău Bacău ( ; , ; ; ) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. With a population of 136,087 (as of 2021 census), Bacău is the 14th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of Moldavia, at the foothills of the ...

, Romania *

Cherkasy Cherkasy (, ) is a city in central Ukraine. Cherkasy serves as the administrative centre of Cherkasy Oblast as well as Cherkasy Raion within the oblast. The city has a population of Cherkasy is the cultural, educational and industrial centre ...

, Ukraine *

Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...

, Ukraine *

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States *

Las Condes Las Condes is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. The area is inhabited primarily by upper middle- to high-income families and is known in the Chilean collective consciousness as home to the country's e ...

, Chile *

Gabrovo Gabrovo ( ) is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the Local government, administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international ca ...

, Bulgaria *

Gyumri Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

, Armenia *

Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

, Turkey *

Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...

, Germany *

Międzyrzec Podlaski Międzyrzec Podlaski () is a town in Biała Podlaska County, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland, with a population of 17,102 inhabitants . The total area of the town is . Międzyrzec is located in the historic region of Podlachia, near the Krzna river, n ...

, Poland *

Șimleu Silvaniei Șimleu Silvaniei (; , ) is a town in Sălaj County, Crișana, Romania with a population of 13,948 people (2021 census). It is located near the ancient Dacian fortress Dacidava. Three villages are administered by the town: Bic (''Bükk''), Cehei ...

, Romania *

Taichung Taichung (, Wade–Giles: '), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in central Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in Ce ...

, Taiwan *

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...

, Norway *

Norrköping Norrköping ( , ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Lin ...

, Sweden

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

Municipality's official website

Photos of Petah TikvaCadastral map of Petah Tiqva, Ein Ganim, Al Mirr, Mahne Yehuda, 1934
- Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, The

National Library of Israel The National Library of Israel (NLI; ; ), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; ), is the library dedicated to collecting the cultural treasures of Israel and of Judaism, Jewish Cultural heritage, heritage. The library holds more ...

{{Authority control 1878 establishments in Ottoman Syria 1878 in Ottoman Syria Cities in Central District (Israel) Jewish villages in the Ottoman Empire Populated places established in 1878