Netivot
established
Population (Pre 7/10/2023)
Distance From The Gaza Border
Type Of Community
Economy
Netivot was founded in 1956. The name means “paths” and comes from the biblical verse, “All her paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:17) Initially a transit camp for new immigrants, it was later transformed into a development town. The first residents were immigrants from Morocco and Tunisia. In the 1990s, they were joined by immigrants from Russia and in the wake of Operation Solomon, Netivot absorbed a large number of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants.
Since 2008, Netivot has been the target of Grad missile attacks from Gaza. In 2012, a rocket exploded near a school in the city. Netivot is known for being the home of Jewish mystics and as a popular pilgrimage site. The most prominent Rabbis in Netivot include Baruch Abuhateizra, Yaakov Israel Ifergan and Yoram Abergel. A major landmark is the tomb of the Baba Sali, (1889–1984), a Moroccan-born kabbalist named Israel Abuhatzeira who is buried there. On the anniversary of the Baba Sali’s death, thousands of pilgrims come to Netivot to visit his tomb.
There are 24 plants and factories located in a nearby industrial park, mostly dealing with food processing, metals, plastics, and construction sectors. There are an additional 15 factories located in the city in some of the same sectors as above, and also chemical and mineral sectors. The city ranked relatively low in the socio-economic index (3 out of 10). For many years, Netivot has suffered from high unemployment.
The Events of October 7, 2023
On October 7, Hamas terrorists were prevented from entering the city of Netivot by local police forces and a force of the municipal security unit, a permanent unit of municipal employees. However, Netivot was the target of rocket attacks from Gaza on October 7. One rocket directly hit an apartment building killing three citizens, Raphael Fahimi, his son-in-law Netanel Maskelchi and Maskelchi’s 14-year-old son, Raphael Meir Maskelchi. One resident of this apartment building explained how poverty in Netivot played a role in the death of these three citizens. “Because of thefts, many here keep butane tanks for cooking on their balconies instead of outside. The rocket ignited the butane. That’s what killed them,” said Liora Touito, another resident of the building.
