Not to be confused with
Afikim
.
City in Israel
Ofakim
(
Hebrew
:
????????
??f?q?m
, or ?????????
??f?q?m
,
lit.
"horizons") is a city in the
Southern District
of
Israel
, 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) west of
Beersheba
. It achieved municipal status in 1955. It has an area of 10,000 dunams (~3.9 sq mi; 10 km
2
). In 2022, it had a population of 35,506.
[1]
Established as a
development town
in 1955, Ofakim was for many years a major textile manufacturing center. Outsourcing of textile manufacturing outside Israel caused economic stagnation, and Ofakim suffered high poverty and unemployment rates for many years. Since then, new factories have moved in, and the city is currently undergoing major development. Ofakim was the scene of fighting between
Hamas
Fighters who infiltrated the city and Israeli forces in a stand-off during the
2023 Israel?Hamas war
; the
IDF
cleared the city of Hamas Fighters the following day.
[2]
History
[
edit
]
Prior to 1948, the area was known as
Khirbat Futais
(
Arabic
:
???? ????
), a
Bedouin
hamlet populated by members of
Al-Qadirat
clan of
Al-Tiyaha
tribe, located along "Wadi Futeis", a seasonal river that drains into
wadi Gaza
. The hamlet consisted of several mud houses, and the Bedouin residents were engaged in growing wheat, barley, and melon as well as raising sheep and goats.
[3]
The hamlet was located along
Beersheba
-
Gaza
highway, a strategic location in land of Bedouin tribes whose inter-tribal clashes were a source of worry, prompted
Ottomans
to build a military fort nearby, the
Patish (Futais) fort
. By mid-July, during
the 1948 War
(
Operation An-Far
), the village fell to the
IDF
, and the local
Bedouin
fled to
Al-Muharraqa
, from which they were expelled to
Gaza Strip
.
[4]
The abandoned Bedouin village was destroyed by the IDF in September or October 1948 for reasons that were described as "military".
[5]
Ofakim was established in 1955 as an urban center for the rural communities in the area adjacent to the Ottoman fort and on the site of Khirbat Futais.
[6]
[7]
The first inhabitants were immigrants from
Morocco
and
Tunisia
. The population in 1955 was about 600. The inhabitants initially lived in huts and tin shacks, but the construction of permanent housing proceeded rapidly, and the construction industry was the main source of income during the early years. In late 1956, after Jewish refugees expelled from
Egypt
following the
Suez Crisis
arrived in Israel, 150 Egyptian-Jewish immigrant families, including some
Karaite Jews
, came to Ofakim. In the following years, 170 Jewish families from
Iran
arrived, as did additional immigrants from
India
and
Romania
. In 1958, Ofakim was granted
local council
status.
In the late 1950s, the construction industry was still the main employer, and some residents also worked in agriculture nearby, but industry also began to be established in Ofakim, starting with a diamond polishing plant, followed by two textile factories that opened in 1959. At the same time, the town's streets were paved, public parks were established, and schools were founded. In 1961, the population was 4,600.
As in other
development towns
, the industrial sector historically played an important part in Ofakim's economy. In 1972, 32% of the salaried workers (754 people) were in this sector, and in 1983?924 people (23%). During this period, the textile industry grew to dominate Ofakim's economy. Numerous textile plants were set up, and the industry employed by far the most workers, ranging from 72% (1982?83) to 82% (1972). The Of?Ar (short for Ofakim?
Argentina
) textile factory was a major employer.
[8]
In 1983, the population had grown to 12,600.
Ofakim's economy declined after Israeli textile manufacturers began closing their factories in Israel to move their production to other countries with lower labor costs, mainly in Southwest Asia, and to
Egypt
and
Jordan
after Israel signed peace treaties with those two countries. Starting in the mid-1980s, the city's
textile mills
began to shut down, with the last one closing in 1995, rendering much of the population unemployed. In the early 1990s, during the mass migration of Jews from the former Soviet Union to Israel, more than 7,000 Soviet immigrants arrived in Ofakim, and were provided with heavily subsidized housing. This fueled further competition for jobs, and due to the fact that Soviet immigrants were typically better educated than the mainly unskilled or semi-skilled veteran population, they were better able to get the few jobs available. The city also absorbed immigrants from Ethiopia during this time. A few more plants moved into the city in the 1990s, including an electronics factory in 1996, but unemployment remained high.
[9]
Ofakim gained a reputation as an economically depressed city in Israel.
In 1997, it had the highest unemployment rate in Israel, at 15.3%.
[10]
It also had the highest unemployment rate in 2004, at slightly over 14%.
[11]
In 2008,
Haaretz
reported: "Nearly one-third of the inhabitants are supported by the welfare department and hundreds of families receive aid, including food, from non-profit organizations. Many of the inhabitants in their 50s and 60s have been dreaming of fleeing Ofakim since they were 20. When they retire, they leave."
[12]
In the 2007, the Israeli Interior Ministry dismissed Ofakim mayor Avi Asaraf and his entire city council from their posts for failing to implement a recovery plan for Ofakim.
[13]
Zvika Greengold
became the new mayor.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Ofakim gradually saw improvements in its economy. Tax incentives were given to open new factories in Ofakim, and a branch of MATI, an organization that supports small businesses, was opened. The high-tech industry also entered Ofakim. The city is currently undergoing a series of major development projects.
Ofakim was infiltrated by Palestinian forces on 7 October during the
2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel
.
[14]
On October 8, 2023, the
IDF
retook the city.
[2]
About 50 Israelis, including six police, were killed in the attack.
[15]
Demographics
[
edit
]
In 2010, about one-fifth of the residents were
ultra-Orthodox
and one third were immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Most of the rest were members and descendants of the founding generation of the immigrants who arrived in the town in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, there are small communities of
Ethiopian Jews
and Palestinians originally from the
Gaza Strip
who were resettled in Israel after collaborating with Israeli authorities.
[6]
[7]
According to the
Central Bureau of Statistics
, Ofakim had a population of 30,662 in 2019, and the population is growing at a rate of 1.4% a year. The percentage of the share of the
Arab Palestinian
population of Ofakim is very small and about 0.7%.
[1]
Economy
[
edit
]
In 2013, about 40% of Ofakim's residents worked in the city. There were about 20 factories in Ofakim on 2,000
dunams
of land. Some residents also work in high-tech.
[16]
Education
[
edit
]
In 2001, there were 21 schools and 4,704 students in the city ? 13 elementary schools (3,079 students), and 8 high schools (1,625 students). 43.3% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate.
Sports
[
edit
]
One of Israel's 14 tennis centers is located in Ofakim.
[17]
It opened in 1990 and has six courts. The city also has a soccer stadium. The Nahal Shomriya
cycling
route around Ofakim was inaugurated in 2010. The 60-centimeter-wide single route winds through 1,500 dunams (approx 375 acres) in Ofakim Forest, passing through Nahal Shomriya and Nahal Patish, and looping around eight local
moshavim
.
[18]
Transportation
[
edit
]
Ofakim is accessible by
Highway 25
and Route 241. Ofakim is connected to the
Trans-Israel Highway
via Highway 264.
The
Ashkelon?Beersheba railway
, a new railway line which connected Ofakim with
Tel Aviv
and
Beersheba
, was inaugurated in August 2015, which finally connected the railway line between
Ashkelon
and Beersheba. The
Ofakim railway station
was opened on December 31, 2015.
[19]
The rail line connects Ofakim to
Beersheba
in the Southeast, and to
Ashkelon
and beyond to
Greater Tel Aviv
in the Northwest.
Ben Gurion Airport
, the closest major international airport, is located about 101km North from Ofakim, which can be accessed via a drive along the
Trans-Israel Highway
.
Urban development plans
[
edit
]
The city has begun to develop from 2015 onward after years of stagnation. Thousands of new housing units, commercial and employment centers, and a youth center which included a cinema were built.
Ofakim Railway Station
was completed in December 2015 with a car park for 1,000 cars.
[12]
Next to the train station, a new neighborhood specially designed to have affordable prices for young people, is being built as part of the "Noah Initiative", which was started by activists from
Tel Aviv
.
[20]
[21]
In 2017, a new agreement was signed to build 14,436 housing units in four new neighborhoods and one established neighborhood, which will greatly increase the city's population. In addition, the agreement stipulated the development of an industrial zone in southern Ofakim, increased funding for infrastructure and urban renewal projects, and the construction of a new road between Ofakim and
Ramon Airport
. The plan aims to double the city's population.
[22]
[23]
High-rise construction of buildings up to 13 stories is also planned.
Notable people
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Ofakim
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Regional Statistics"
. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
. Retrieved
21 March
2024
.
- ^
a
b
Hasson, Nir (8 October 2023).
"The Israeli Town of Ofakim Has Been Cleared of Hamas Fighters but the Blood and Shock Remain"
. Haaretz.
Archived
from the original on 8 October 2023
. Retrieved
9 October
2023
.
- ^
Dabbagh, Mustafa Murad. “Futeis (Village) (???? (????)).” Essay. In Our Country Palestine (?????? ??????) 1, 2st ed. Vol. 1. Beirut, 1966
https://www.palestinapedia.net/????-????/
.
- ^
Aweili, Muhammad Abu. “The Negev: Meeting with Haj Abu Mahir Abu Ataya from Al-Tahiya Tribe!! (????? : ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????!!).” ???? ?????, April 26, 2015.
http://deyaralnagab.net/print.php?content=4&id=230
.
- ^
Morris, B.
(2004).
The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited
. Cambridge University Press. p. 355.
ISBN
978-0-521-00967-6
.
- ^
a
b
"Go south, young men (and women)"
.
Haaretz
.
- ^
a
b
"New horizons for Ofakim"
.
Haaretz
.
- ^
Schwarz, Dafna (2009). "Industrialization Attempts in Three Development Towns: Ofakim, Migdal HaEmek and Ma'alot". In Halamish, Aviva; Meir-Glitzenstein, Esther; Tzameret, Zvi (eds.).
The Development Towns
. Idan Series Vol. 24 (in Hebrew). Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi. pp. 160?162.
ISBN
978-965-217-298-3
.
- ^
"Archives"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
"Peak 145,600 Job Seekers in July - Globes"
. 18 August 1997.
- ^
"Unemployment falls, but do statistics lie?"
.
Haaretz
.
- ^
a
b
New Horizons for Ofakim
- ^
"Ofakim Mayor, City Council Dismissed for Failing to Implement Recovery Plan"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. August 29, 2007
. Retrieved
April 16,
2019
.
- ^
Lidor, Canaan (October 7, 2023).
"Outside Ofakim, anguished parents seek signs of life from kids stranded in battle zone: Many young partygoers attending outdoor raves wound up in areas overrun by Hamas; some managed to send messages to parents, who rushed south laden with heavy hopes and fears"
.
Times of Israel
. Retrieved
October 7,
2023
.
- ^
Goldman, Adam; Koplewitz, Gal (26 October 2023).
"Alone and Outgunned, Israeli Police Fought Hamas From House to House"
.
- ^
"Ofakim, Israel | Nefesh B'Nefesh"
.
- ^
Tennis doubles coexistence program
- ^
KKL (February 22, 2010).
"Riding and Building New Ofakim - Shomriya Cycling Route"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. Retrieved
April 16,
2019
.
- ^
"Next stop: Ofakim"
(in Hebrew). Arutz Sheva
. Retrieved
11 January
2016
.
- ^
Tress, Luke (May 11, 2016).
"Building anew in the Negev"
.
The Times of Israel
. Retrieved
April 16,
2019
.
- ^
"????? ????? | ??????"
.
- ^
"The New Ofakim Pact | Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ"
. Archived from
the original
on 2017-08-25
. Retrieved
2017-08-25
.
- ^
"Agreement for 14,000 Housing Units Just Signed"
.
Globes
. May 29, 2017
. Retrieved
April 16,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]