Afula

Afula עֲפוּלָה‎ العفولة‎
Hebrew transcription(s)
• ISO 259	ʕapula
Arlosoroff Boulevard
Municipal seal o Afula
Afula
Coordinates: 32°36′22.56″N 35°17′17.11″E
Destrict	Northren
Foondit	1925
Govrenment
• Teep	Ceety
• Mayor	Avraham Elkabetz
Area
• Total	26.909 km2 (10.390 sq mi)
Population  (2015)
• Total	44,930
• Density	1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi)

Afula (Hebrew: עֲפוּלָה‬; Arabic: العفولة‎, al-ʻAfūlaḧ) is a ceety in the Northren Destrict o Israel, aften kent as the "Capital o the Valley", referrin tae the Jezreel Valley. The ceety haed a population o 40,500 at the end o 2009.

History

Locatit in the lawer Galilee region, Afula is roughly haufway atween Jenin an Nazareth. It lies on the site o the Israelite veelage ofOfel, the hametoun o the Biblical figure Gideon. It is mentioned in the Beuks o Keengs (2 Keengs 5, 24) in connection wi Elisha an the disciple o Elijah, who lived in the vicinity.

Ceety Auditorium an Airt Gallery

The tent century Sultan Saladin foondit an Arab veelage named al-Fulah on the site. In 1799, durin Napoleon's Syrian campaign, the Battle o Munt Tabor wis fought aroond al-Fulah.

In 1909 or 1910, Yehoshua Hankin completit his first major purchase in the Jezreel Valley. He bought some 10,000 dunams (10 km²) o land in Al-Fuleh (now Afula), which became the hame o Merhavia an Tel Adashim. This purchase also marked the start of bitter disputes atween Arabs an Jews ower the richts o tenant fermers who haed been evictit, an regardin the employment o Jewish or Arab watchmen for the land.

The modren community o Afula wis foondit in 1925 bi the American Zionist Commonwealth, efter the completion o the purchase o the valley frae the Sursuk family o Beirut. The nearbi Arab veelage o Al-Fulah wis disbandit bi the turn o the century. At the time, the community wis served bi the Jezreel Valley railwey, which wis abandoned durin the War o Unthirldom.