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{{Short description|Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights}}
{{Infobox Israel municipality
{{pp-30-500|small=yes}}
|name=Katzrin
{{Infobox settlement
⚫ |image_skyline=Katzrinlibrary.jpg
| official_name = Katzrin
⚫ |image_caption=
⚫ | native_name = {{Script/Hebrew|קַצְרִין}}
|emblem=Katzrin_COA.png
| other_name = {{Lang|ar|قَصْرِين}}
|emblem_type=
| settlement_type = Town
⚫ |hebname={{Hebrew|קַצְרִין}}
⚫ | image_skyline = Katzrinlibrary.jpg
|ISO=Qaçrin
| imagesize = 250px
|arname=
⚫ | image_caption = Katzrin
|meaning=
| image_seal = Coat of arms of Katzrin.svg
|latd = 32.992
| seal_type = Emblem of Katzrin
|longd = 35.691
| leader_title = Mayor
|founded=
| leader_name = Dmitry Apartzev
|type=lc
| mapsize = 300px
|typefrom=
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
|stdHeb=
⚫ | pushpin_map = Israel Golan#Israel#Syria
|altOffSp=Qazrin
| subdivision_type = Country
|altUnoSp=Katzrin, Katsrin
| subdivision_name = ], ''internationally recognized as ]n territory ]''
|district=north
| subdivision_type1 = ]
|population=7,500
| subdivision_name1 = ]
|popyear=2013
| subdivision_type2 = Israeli Subdistrict
|area_dunam=12214
| subdivision_name2 = Golan
|mayor=Sammy Bar-Lev<ref></ref>
| subdivision_type3 = ]
⚫ |pushpin_map=Israel Golan
| subdivision_name3 = ]
| subdivision_type4 = ]
| subdivision_name4 = ]
| subdivision_type5 = Syrian Subdistrict
| subdivision_name5 = ]
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 1977
| unit_pref = Metric
| population_as_of = {{Israel populations|Year}}
| population_footnotes = {{Israel populations|reference}}
| population_total = {{Israel populations|Qazrin}}
| coordinates = {{coord|32.992|N|35.691|E|region:IL|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m = 339
}} }}

'''Katzrin''' ({{lang-he-n|קַצְרִין}}; also '''Qatzrin''') is an ] and ] in the ].<ref name="Aronson 1998 p. 138">{{cite journal|title=Settlement Monitor|last=Aronson|first=Geoffrey|journal=Journal of Palestine Studies|volume=27|issue=4|year=1998|page=p. 138|publisher=University of California Press}}</ref> Known as the "capital of the Golan,"<ref name="Golan olive attractions"></ref> it is the second-largest locality there after ], and the largest Jewish locality.<ref name="Aronson 1998 p. 138"/><ref name=CBS>Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (2011), </ref> At the end of 2010, Katzrin had a population of 6,700.<ref name=CBS /> The seat of the ] is located in Katzrin. '''Katzrin''' ({{langx|he|קַצְרִין}}; also '''Qatzrin''', {{langx|ar|قصرين|qaṣrīn}}) is an ] organized as a ] in the ].<ref name="Aronson 1998 p. 138">{{cite journal|title=Settlement Monitor|last=Aronson|first=Geoffrey|journal=Journal of Palestine Studies|volume=27|issue=4|year=1998|page=138|publisher=University of California Press|doi=10.2307/2538145|jstor=2538145}}</ref> Known as the "capital of the Golan",<ref name="Golan olive attractions"></ref> it is the second-largest locality there after ], and the largest Israeli settlement.<ref name="Aronson 1998 p. 138"/><ref name=CBS>Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (2011), </ref> In {{Israel populations|Year}} it had a population of {{Israel populations|Qazrin}}. It is the seat of ].

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights ], though the Israeli and United States governments dispute this.<ref name="BBC_GC4">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1682640.stm |title=The Geneva Convention |publisher=BBC News |date=10 December 2009 |access-date=27 November 2010 }}</ref><ref name=jp/> Since 2019, the United States has ].<ref name=jp> ''The Jerusalem Post''. 29 July 2024</ref>


==Geography== ==Geography==
To the south of Katzrin is the ], to the north ], and to the west is ], specifically the hills of the ].<ref></ref><ref>http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/golan_heights_rel89.jpg</ref> To the south of Katzrin is the ], to the north ], and to the west are the ] hills of ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.demotix.com/news/546831/golan-heights-attracting-young-israelis |title=The Golan Heights attracting young Israelis |access-date=2011-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228001254/http://www.demotix.com/news/546831/golan-heights-attracting-young-israelis |archive-date=2013-12-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref> utexas.edu {{dead link|date=August 2023}}</ref>{{dubious|So Katzrin is almost identical to the Golan Heights?! It's a tiny town, for Zeus' sake!|date=June 2016}}


==History== ==History==
===Bronze Age to Early Islamic period===
===Antiquity===
The site was occupied from the Middle Bronze Age, continuing into the Iron, Hellenistic and Roman (when it was destroyed) periods.<ref name=Killebrew>{{cite book | author = Ann E. Killebrew | chapter = Reflections on a reconstruction of the ancient Qasrin synagogue and village | editor = John H. Jameson | title = The Reconstructed Past: Reconstructions in the Public Interpretation of Archaeology and History | year = 2004 | publisher = Altamira Press | pages = 127–129}}</ref> The most substantial structural remains date from the Late Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (3rd–4th to mid-8th centuries), when the site was a Jewish village with a synagogue.<ref name=Killebrew/> The site was occupied from the Middle ], continuing into the ], the ] and ] periods (during the latter it was once destroyed), while the most substantial structural remains date from the Late Roman, ] and Early Islamic periods (3rd–4th to mid-8th centuries), when the site was a Jewish village with a ].<ref name=Killebrew>{{cite book |author= Ann E. Killebrew |chapter= Reflections on a reconstruction of the ancient Qasrin synagogue and village |editor= John H. Jameson |title= The Reconstructed Past: Reconstructions in the Public Interpretation of Archaeology and History |year= 2004 |publisher= Altamira Press |pages= 127–129}}</ref>


⚫ The ] served as an important trading location in the region but started to decline with the change of trading routes after the Islamic conquest. The village was destroyed in an earthquake in CE 746–749.<ref name="Dauphin">{{cite book |author= Claudine Dauphin |author-link=Claudine Dauphin|title= La Palestine byzantine, Peuplement et Populations, Vol. III: Catalogue |series= BAR International Series 726 |year= 1998 |publisher= Archeopress |location= Oxford |pages= 653–654}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1= Shmuel Marco |author2= Moshe Hartal |author3= Nissim Hazan |author4= Lilach Lev |author5= Mordechai Stein |title= Archaeology, history, and geology of the 749 AD earthquake, Dead Sea transform |journal= Geology |year= 2003 |volume= 31 |issue= 8 |pages= 665–668 |doi= 10.1130/g19516.1|bibcode= 2003Geo....31..665M }}</ref> As a result of the earthquake the declining Jewish community most probably abandoned the location.
⚫ ===Arab and Mamluk periods===
⚫ The Jewish settlement served as an important trading location in the region, but started to decline with the change of trading routes after the Islamic conquest. The village was destroyed in an earthquake in CE 746–749.<ref name="Dauphin">{{cite book | author = Claudine Dauphin | title = La Palestine byzantine, Peuplement et Populations, Vol. III : Catalogue | series = BAR International Series 726 | year = 1998 | publisher = Archeopress | location = Oxford | pages = 653–654}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Shmuel Marco, Moshe Hartal, Nissim Hazan, Lilach Lev and Mordechai Stein | title = Archaeology, history, and geology of the A.D. 749 earthquake, Dead Sea transform | journal = Geology | year = 2003 | volume = 31 | pages = 665–668 | doi=10.1130/g19516.1}}</ref> As a result of the earthquake the location was most probably abandoned by the declining Jewish community.


⚫ ===Mamluk period===
During the Mamluk period (13th–14th centuries), it was a Muslim village and a mosque was built on the ruins of the synagogue.<ref name=Killebrew/><ref name="Dauphin"/> During the ] (13th–14th centuries), it was a Muslim village, and a mosque was built upon the ruins{{Efn|Those synagogue ruins are estimated to have been 500-900 years old at the time of the construction of the mosque.{{Efn|Based on facts from elsewhere in this article}}}} of the synagogue.<ref name=Killebrew/><ref name="Dauphin"/>


===Ottoman, French and Syrian rule=== ===Ottoman, French and Syrian periods===
In the 1880s, Kisrin, as it was known then, was described as "a small Bedawin winter village, with a group of beautiful oak trees and old ruins".<ref>{{cite book | author = G. Schumacher | title = The Jaulan | year = 1888 | place = London | publisher = Richard Bentley and Son | page = 194}}</ref> From the late 19th century to 1967, the village was occupied by Bedouin and a settled population.<ref name=Killebrew/> Since 1920 and until the independence of Syria in 1944, the area was under the jurdisdiction of the French Mandate. In the 1880s, Kisrin, at the east edge of the modern town, was described as "a small ] winter village, with a group of beautiful oak trees and old ruins".<ref>{{cite book |author= G. Schumacher |author-link=Gottlieb Schumacher |title= The Jaulan |url= https://archive.org/details/jaulansurveyedf00schu |year= 1888 |place= London |publisher= Richard Bentley and Son |page= }}</ref> From the late 19th century to 1967, the village was occupied by Bedouin and a settled population.<ref name=Killebrew/> Since 1920 and until the independence of Syria in 1944, the area was under the jurisdiction of the French mandate. The Syrian farm of Fakhoura was just to the north-east and had about 250 inhabitants before its depopulation in 1967.<ref name="Kipnis">{{cite book | author = Yigal Kipnis | title = The Golan Heights | publisher = Routledge | place = London and New York | year = 2013 | page = 243}}</ref>


===State of Israel=== ===Israeli occupation and annexation===
] ]
Modern Katzrin was established in 1977 as a planned ] for the Golan based on a decision of the government in November 1973. Construction began in 1976 on a plateau east of Lake Kinneret.<ref>]]</ref> Katzrin serves as a district town,<ref>]]</ref> that provides educational, administrative and cultural services to the surrounding region.<ref name="Katzrin community guide"></ref> The Israeli settlement of Katzrin was established in 1977 as a planned ] for the Golan based on a decision of the Israeli government in November 1973. Construction began in 1976.<ref name="haaretz.com">, ]</ref> In 1981, under the ], Israel applied Israeli civil law in the Golan Heights (including Katzrin). This law was condemned internationally and by the United Nations Security Council.<ref name='un_scr_1981'>United Nations. , 1981.</ref><ref>]. .</ref><ref name='bbc_golan_profile'>BBC News. .</ref> Katzrin serves as a district town<ref>, ]</ref> that provides educational, administrative and cultural services to the surrounding region.<ref name="Katzrin community guide"></ref>


==Demography== ==Demographics==
The early residents were young couples and free professionals from Tel Aviv and Haifa.<ref>]]</ref> The early residents were young couples and professionals from Tel Aviv and Haifa.<ref name="haaretz.com"/>
At the end of the 1980s, a large number of Jews from the former Soviet Union settled in Katzrin. Today, a third of the city’s residents are Jews from Soviet Union and their descendants. Religious educators also moved to Katzrin, establishing a religious day school and a premilitary academy.<ref></ref> Katzrin is divided into five neighborhoods: Gamla, Naveh, Kedma, Afek and Batra.<ref name="Katzrin community guide"/> At the end of the 1980s, many Jews from the former Soviet Union settled in Katzrin. Today, a third of the city's residents are Jews from the Soviet Union and their descendants. Religious educators also moved to Katzrin, establishing a religious day school and a premilitary academy.<ref></ref> Katzrin is divided into six neighbourhoods: Gamla, Naveh, Kedma, Afek, Batra, and Chen.<ref name="Katzrin community guide"/> Building of infrastructure for an additional neighbourhood, Yovel, began in 2018.

There are also 30 Druze families and a few Sunni Muslim families living in the town.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}


==Economy== ==Economy==
{{See also|Golan Brewery}} {{See also|Golan Brewery}}
] ]
The ] is located in Katzrin. In 2008, the large ] solar company ] and Israeli company ] built ], a 50&nbsp;kW rooftop project near the town, and connected it to the electric grid.<ref>, December 10, 2008.</ref><ref name=Xinhua>, '']'', December 9, 2008.</ref> The ] mineral water bottling plant and the Golan Olive Oil Mill are in Katzrin. Golan Olive Oil produces some 50 tons of ] which is sold locally and exported. During the olive harvest season, which begins in October, visitors can watch the processing procedure, from crushing to bottling.<ref name="Golan olive attractions"/> The ] is located in Katzrin. In 2008, the large ] solar company ] and Israeli company ] built ], a 50&nbsp;kW rooftop project near the town, and connected it to the electric grid.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217122236/http://www.cleantech.com/news/3966/israel-opens-largest-solar-plant-chinese-help |date=2008-12-17 }}, December 10, 2008.</ref><ref name=Xinhua>, '']'', December 9, 2008.</ref> The ] mineral water bottling plant and the Golan Olive Oil Mill are in Katzrin. Golan Olive Oil produces some 50 tons of ], sold locally and exported. During the olive harvest season, which begins in October, visitors can watch the processing procedure, from crushing to bottling.<ref name="Golan olive attractions"/>


A tourist attraction in Katzrin is the ''Magic of the Golan'', a special effects movie screened at the local mall that depicts the spectacular scenery of the region.<ref>]]</ref> A tourist attraction in Katzrin is the ''Magic of the Golan'', a special effects movie screened at the local mall that depicts the spectacular scenery of the region.<ref>, Lebanon ]</ref>

Near Katzrin in 2015, Afek Oil & Gas, a subsidiary of Genie Energy Ltd. and controls ] oil and gas exploratory project in Northern Israel and the Golan Heights region, discovered significant oil and natural gas reserves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afekoil.com|title=Afek Oil & Gas|website=Official Website|access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref><ref name='Kelley01'>{{cite news | first = Michael | last = Kelley | title = Israel Grants First Golan Heights Oil Drilling License To Dick Cheney-Linked Company | date = February 22, 2013 | url = http://www.businessinsider.com/israel-grants-golan-heights-oil-license-2013-2 | work = ] | access-date = August 31, 2013}}</ref><ref name=jpost1>{{cite news | newspaper = ] | title = Israel approves drilling for oil in Golan Heights | url= http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Israel-approves-drilling-for-oil-in-Golan-Heights | date = 2013-02-02 | access-date=2014-05-20}}</ref><ref>http://genie.com/investors/quarterly-earnings/, Genie Energy Earnings Release, May 7, 2014. "Genie Energy Reports First Quarter 2014 Results"</ref>{{efn|As of 2015, Israel consumes 270,000 barrels of oil per day.<ref name=GraeberReserves>{{cite web | last = Graeber | first = Daniel J | title = Israel upbeat on Golan oil potential: Israeli company estimates reserve column 10 times larger than global average | url = http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Industry/2015/10/07/Israel-upbeat-on-Golan-oil-potential/9401444212278/ | publisher = ] | date = 7 October 2015 | access-date = 26 October 2015}}</ref>}}<ref name=Globes>{{cite web | last = Globes correspondent | title = Huge oil discovery on Golan Heights: Estimates are that the amount of oil found will make Israel self sufficient for very many years to come | url = http://www.globes.co.il/en/article.aspx?did=1001071698&from=iglobes | publisher = ] | date = 7 October 2015 | access-date = 26 October 2015}}</ref><ref name=Graeber2>{{cite web | last = Graeber | first = Daniel J | title = Major reserve discovery confirmed in the southern Golan Heights: Leadership of company behind the find seen as close to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu | url = http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Industry/2015/10/09/Major-reserve-discovery-confirmed-in-Golan-Heights/6461444389373/ | publisher = UPI | date = 9 October 2015 | access-date = 26 October 2015}}</ref><ref name=jpostWells>{{cite web | last = Udasin | first = Sharon | title = Still too soon to determine production potential of Golan Heights oil: Afek Oil and Gas say findings have so far revealed a 'very robust oil-bearing strata' | url = http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Environment/Still-too-soon-to-determine-production-potential-of-Golan-Heights-oil-421220 | publisher = The Jerusalem Post | date = 7 October 2015 | access-date = 26 October 2015}}</ref> As of October 2015, an estimate of the volume of resources and to what extent they may be extractable is unknown.<ref name=jpostThirdWell>{{cite web | last = Udasin | first = Sharon | title = Drilling begins at third Golan Heights oil exploration site: "We are very pleased with the progress of the work and the findings, which have thus far matched our expectations," said Afek Oil chief geologist Dr. Yuval Bartov | url = http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Environment/Drilling-begins-at-third-Golan-Heights-oil-exploration-site-413239 | publisher = The Jerusalem Post | date = 8 August 2015 | access-date = 26 October 2015}}</ref>


==Education and culture== ==Education and culture==
], a teacher training college, moved to Katzrin in 1988.<ref></ref> In 2010, the college opened a department devoted to sustainable development and renewable energy. Students explore the interrelationship of different renewable energy sources and their impact on the sustainability of development in the Golan and Galilee.<ref></ref> Katzrin has twelve preschools (including three for special needs children); two elementary schools (one religious and one secular) and a comprehensive regional high school ] with over 1,000 students.<ref name="Katzrin community guide"/> ], a teacher training college, moved to Katzrin in 1988.<ref></ref> In 2010, the college opened a department devoted to sustainable development and renewable energy. Students explore the interrelationship of different renewable energy sources and their impact on the sustainability of development in the Golan and Galilee.<ref></ref> Katzrin has twelve preschools (including three for special needs children); two elementary schools (one religious and one secular) and a comprehensive regional high school ] with over 1,000 students.<ref name="Katzrin community guide"/>


==Archaeology== ==Archaeology==
] ]
Prior to 1967, the antiquities site on the outskirts of Katzrin was a closed military zone and off limits to archaeological research.<ref name=Killebrew/> Investigation by Israeli archaeologists commence in 1972.<ref name=Killebrew/> ] was reconstructed and opened to the public as a "Talmudic village" set in a national park.<ref name=Killebrew/> Before 1967, the antiquities site on the outskirts of Katzrin was a closed military zone and off-limits to archaeological research.<ref name=Killebrew/> Investigation by Israeli archaeologists commenced in 1972.<ref name=Killebrew/> ] was reconstructed and opened to the public as a "Talmudic village" set in a national park.<ref name=Killebrew/>
The Golan Antiquities Museum in Katzrin houses archeological findings from the region and screens an audiovisual presentation about ], a Jewish town in the Golan Heights that fought the Romans in the 1st century.<ref></ref> The Golan Antiquities Museum in Katzrin houses archeological findings from the region and screens an audiovisual presentation about ], a Jewish town in the Golan Heights that fought the Romans in the 1st century.<ref></ref>

==Town twinning== ==Town twinning==
Katzrin has a friendship agreement with ], Czech Republic. In 2012, a Czech delegation visiting Israel attended a cornerstone ceremony for Mikulov Park in Katzrin attended by the Czech Deputy Ambassador to Israel. Special features of the park are a miniature replica of the clock tower of Mikulov and an audio station where visitors can learn about the history of Mikulov.<ref></ref> Katzrin has a ] with ], ]. In 2012, a Czech delegation visiting Israel and the Golan Heights attended a cornerstone ceremony for Mikulov Park in Katzrin attended by the Czech Deputy Ambassador to Israel. Special features of the park are a miniature replica of the clock tower of Mikulov and an audio station where visitors can learn about the history of Mikulov.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kkl.org.il/eng/about-kkl-jnf/kkl-jnf-in-public-discourse/in-the-press/april-june-2013/mikulov-park/ |title=KKL-JNF Completing Work on Mikulov Park in Katzrin |access-date=2013-09-20 |archive-date=2013-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055430/http://www.kkl.org.il/eng/about-kkl-jnf/kkl-jnf-in-public-discourse/in-the-press/april-june-2013/mikulov-park/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==See also== ==Notes==
{{notelist}}
* ]


== References == ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Katzrin}} {{Commons category|Katzrin}}
{{Wikivoyage|Qatzrin}} {{Wikivoyage|Qatzrin}}
* *
*


{{North District (Israel)}} {{North District (Israel)}}
{{Quneitra Governorate}}
{{Authority control}}


] ]
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Latest revision as of 08:21, 23 December 2024

Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights

Town in Northern District
Katzrin קַצְרִין‎قَصْرِين
Town
KatzrinKatzrin
Official seal of KatzrinEmblem of Katzrin
Katzrin is located in the Golan HeightsKatzrinKatzrinShow map of the Golan HeightsKatzrin is located in IsraelKatzrinKatzrinShow map of IsraelKatzrin is located in SyriaKatzrinKatzrinShow map of Syria
Coordinates: 32°59′31″N 35°41′28″E / 32.992°N 35.691°E / 32.992; 35.691
CountryGolan Heights, internationally recognized as Syrian territory occupied by Israel
Israeli DistrictNorthern District
Israeli SubdistrictGolan
Syrian GovernorateQuneitra Governorate
Syrian DistrictQuneitra District
Syrian SubdistrictQuneitra Subdistrict
Founded1977
Government
 • MayorDmitry Apartzev
Elevation339 m (1,112 ft)
Population
 • Total7,876

Katzrin (Hebrew: קַצְרִין; also Qatzrin, Arabic: قصرين, romanized: qaṣrīn) is an Israeli settlement organized as a local council in the Golan Heights. Known as the "capital of the Golan", it is the second-largest locality there after Majdal Shams, and the largest Israeli settlement. In 2022 it had a population of 7,876. It is the seat of Golan Regional Council.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights illegal under international law, though the Israeli and United States governments dispute this. Since 2019, the United States has recognized that the Golan Heights are under the sovereignty of Israel.

Geography

To the south of Katzrin is the Sea of Galilee, to the north Mount Hermon, and to the west are the Upper Galilee hills of Israel.

History

Bronze Age to Early Islamic period

The site was occupied from the Middle Bronze Age, continuing into the Iron Age, the Hellenistic and Roman periods (during the latter it was once destroyed), while the most substantial structural remains date from the Late Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (3rd–4th to mid-8th centuries), when the site was a Jewish village with a synagogue.

The ancient Jewish settlement served as an important trading location in the region but started to decline with the change of trading routes after the Islamic conquest. The village was destroyed in an earthquake in CE 746–749. As a result of the earthquake the declining Jewish community most probably abandoned the location.

Mamluk period

During the Mamluk period (13th–14th centuries), it was a Muslim village, and a mosque was built upon the ruins of the synagogue.

Ottoman, French and Syrian periods

In the 1880s, Kisrin, at the east edge of the modern town, was described as "a small Bedawin winter village, with a group of beautiful oak trees and old ruins". From the late 19th century to 1967, the village was occupied by Bedouin and a settled population. Since 1920 and until the independence of Syria in 1944, the area was under the jurisdiction of the French mandate. The Syrian farm of Fakhoura was just to the north-east and had about 250 inhabitants before its depopulation in 1967.

Israeli occupation and annexation

Entrance to Katzrin shopping mall

The Israeli settlement of Katzrin was established in 1977 as a planned urban center for the Golan based on a decision of the Israeli government in November 1973. Construction began in 1976. In 1981, under the Golan Heights Law, Israel applied Israeli civil law in the Golan Heights (including Katzrin). This law was condemned internationally and by the United Nations Security Council. Katzrin serves as a district town that provides educational, administrative and cultural services to the surrounding region.

Demographics

The early residents were young couples and professionals from Tel Aviv and Haifa. At the end of the 1980s, many Jews from the former Soviet Union settled in Katzrin. Today, a third of the city's residents are Jews from the Soviet Union and their descendants. Religious educators also moved to Katzrin, establishing a religious day school and a premilitary academy. Katzrin is divided into six neighbourhoods: Gamla, Naveh, Kedma, Afek, Batra, and Chen. Building of infrastructure for an additional neighbourhood, Yovel, began in 2018.

There are also 30 Druze families and a few Sunni Muslim families living in the town.

Economy

See also: Golan Brewery
Golan Heights Winery, Katzrin

The Golan Heights Winery is located in Katzrin. In 2008, the large Chinese solar company Suntech Power and Israeli company Solarit Doral built Israel's largest solar power station, a 50 kW rooftop project near the town, and connected it to the electric grid. The Mey Eden mineral water bottling plant and the Golan Olive Oil Mill are in Katzrin. Golan Olive Oil produces some 50 tons of olive oil, sold locally and exported. During the olive harvest season, which begins in October, visitors can watch the processing procedure, from crushing to bottling.

A tourist attraction in Katzrin is the Magic of the Golan, a special effects movie screened at the local mall that depicts the spectacular scenery of the region.

Near Katzrin in 2015, Afek Oil & Gas, a subsidiary of Genie Energy Ltd. and controls Genie Energy Ltd.'s oil and gas exploratory project in Northern Israel and the Golan Heights region, discovered significant oil and natural gas reserves. As of October 2015, an estimate of the volume of resources and to what extent they may be extractable is unknown.

Education and culture

Ohalo College, a teacher training college, moved to Katzrin in 1988. In 2010, the college opened a department devoted to sustainable development and renewable energy. Students explore the interrelationship of different renewable energy sources and their impact on the sustainability of development in the Golan and Galilee. Katzrin has twelve preschools (including three for special needs children); two elementary schools (one religious and one secular) and a comprehensive regional high school Nofey Golan with over 1,000 students.

Archaeology

Entrance to Talmudic-era synagogue, Katzrin archaeological park

Before 1967, the antiquities site on the outskirts of Katzrin was a closed military zone and off-limits to archaeological research. Investigation by Israeli archaeologists commenced in 1972. Katzrin ancient village and synagogue was reconstructed and opened to the public as a "Talmudic village" set in a national park. The Golan Antiquities Museum in Katzrin houses archeological findings from the region and screens an audiovisual presentation about Gamla, a Jewish town in the Golan Heights that fought the Romans in the 1st century.

Town twinning

Katzrin has a friendship agreement with Mikulov, Czech Republic. In 2012, a Czech delegation visiting Israel and the Golan Heights attended a cornerstone ceremony for Mikulov Park in Katzrin attended by the Czech Deputy Ambassador to Israel. Special features of the park are a miniature replica of the clock tower of Mikulov and an audio station where visitors can learn about the history of Mikulov.

Notes

  1. Based on facts from elsewhere in this article
  2. Those synagogue ruins are estimated to have been 500-900 years old at the time of the construction of the mosque.
  3. As of 2015, Israel consumes 270,000 barrels of oil per day.

References

  1. "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ Aronson, Geoffrey (1998). "Settlement Monitor". Journal of Palestine Studies. 27 (4). University of California Press: 138. doi:10.2307/2538145. JSTOR 2538145.
  3. ^ Golan olive attractions
  4. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (2011), populations of localities numbering above 2,000 residents
  5. "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  6. ^ ‘Golan Heights is part of northern Israel,’ White House says after Hezbollah attack The Jerusalem Post. 29 July 2024
  7. "The Golan Heights attracting young Israelis". Archived from the original on 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  8. Golan Heights map utexas.edu
  9. ^ Ann E. Killebrew (2004). "Reflections on a reconstruction of the ancient Qasrin synagogue and village". In John H. Jameson (ed.). The Reconstructed Past: Reconstructions in the Public Interpretation of Archaeology and History. Altamira Press. pp. 127–129.
  10. ^ Claudine Dauphin (1998). La Palestine byzantine, Peuplement et Populations, Vol. III: Catalogue. BAR International Series 726. Oxford: Archeopress. pp. 653–654.
  11. Shmuel Marco; Moshe Hartal; Nissim Hazan; Lilach Lev; Mordechai Stein (2003). "Archaeology, history, and geology of the 749 AD earthquake, Dead Sea transform". Geology. 31 (8): 665–668. Bibcode:2003Geo....31..665M. doi:10.1130/g19516.1.
  12. G. Schumacher (1888). The Jaulan. London: Richard Bentley and Son. p. 194.
  13. Yigal Kipnis (2013). The Golan Heights. London and New York: Routledge. p. 243.
  14. ^ The Golan Heights come down to Earth, Haaretz
  15. United Nations. Security Council Resolutions, 1981.
  16. Council on Foreign Relations. UN Security Council Resolution 497.
  17. BBC News. Regions and territories: The Golan Heights.
  18. In Golan Heights, Doubts Plus a Bit of Confidence, New York Times
  19. ^ Katzrin community guide
  20. Moskowitz prize
  21. Israel opens largest solar plant with Chinese help Archived 2008-12-17 at the Wayback Machine, December 10, 2008.
  22. Chinese PV pioneer helps build Israel's biggest solar power station, Xinhua, December 9, 2008.
  23. Settlers aim to increase Israeli population in Gaza in bid to thwart pullout, Lebanon Daily Star
  24. "Afek Oil & Gas". Official Website. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  25. Kelley, Michael (February 22, 2013). "Israel Grants First Golan Heights Oil Drilling License To Dick Cheney-Linked Company". Business Insider. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  26. "Israel approves drilling for oil in Golan Heights". The Jerusalem Post. 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  27. http://genie.com/investors/quarterly-earnings/, Genie Energy Earnings Release, May 7, 2014. "Genie Energy Reports First Quarter 2014 Results"
  28. Graeber, Daniel J (7 October 2015). "Israel upbeat on Golan oil potential: Israeli company estimates reserve column 10 times larger than global average". UPI. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  29. Globes correspondent (7 October 2015). "Huge oil discovery on Golan Heights: Estimates are that the amount of oil found will make Israel self sufficient for very many years to come". Globes. Retrieved 26 October 2015. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  30. Graeber, Daniel J (9 October 2015). "Major reserve discovery confirmed in the southern Golan Heights: Leadership of company behind the find seen as close to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu". UPI. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  31. Udasin, Sharon (7 October 2015). "Still too soon to determine production potential of Golan Heights oil: Afek Oil and Gas say findings have so far revealed a 'very robust oil-bearing strata'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  32. Udasin, Sharon (8 August 2015). "Drilling begins at third Golan Heights oil exploration site: "We are very pleased with the progress of the work and the findings, which have thus far matched our expectations," said Afek Oil chief geologist Dr. Yuval Bartov". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  33. Ohalo College in Katzrin
  34. College of Katzrin opens department of sustainable development and renewable energy
  35. Go Israel: Katzrin
  36. "KKL-JNF Completing Work on Mikulov Park in Katzrin". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-09-20.

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