Sderot

Sderot lies from the Gaza Strip and the town of Beit Hanoun. ==History==

20th century The Israeli Negev Brigade had depopulated the area on which Sderot would be built on between 2 May and 13 May 1948, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, expelling the 422 Muslim farmers there who cultivated citrus, bananas and cereals from the Palestinian village of Najd. Sderot was founded in 1951 as a transit camp for Jewish immigrants, primarily from Kurdistan and Iran. The settlement initially housed 80 families and was originally called Gabim Dorot, before later being renamed Sderot, a symbolic nod to the numerous avenues of trees planted in the Negev to combat desertification and beautify the arid landscape. Like many localities in the Negev, a green motif was chosen in keeping with the Zionist vision of "making the desert bloom." Romanian Jewish immigrants also began settling in Sderot. In 1956, Sderot was recognized as a local council. Rocket fire intensified after the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005, with the city sustaining constant rocket fire from Qassam rockets launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In March 2008, the mayor said that the population had dropped by 10–15%, while aid organizations said the figure was closer to 25%. Many of the families that remained were those who could not afford to move out or were unable to sell their homes. From mid-June 2007 to mid-February 2008, 771 rockets and 857 mortar bombs were fired at Sderot and the western Negev, an average of three or four each a day. The city sustained rocket fire on occasion over the following years, including during Operation Protective Edge. In 2010, after a decline in charitable donations, the municipality revealed that it was on the verge of bankruptcy. The name was coined by a Danish journalist who snapped a photo of it and posted it on Twitter. Similar events happened in Operation Cast Lead in 2009, after which some critics decided to refer to the hill as "Hill of Shame". Sderot residents have complained about the media portrayal. In May 2019, the Israeli Air Force held a special flypast (aerial display) over Sderot (in addition to Yom Ha'atzmaut flypast), in order to salute the residents of Sderot who suffer continuously from Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. On October 7, 2023, Hamas gunmen attacked Sderot, engaging in firefights with Israeli police and civilians in the streets and occupying the town's police station. About eighteen members of the Israeli police were killed during the fighting. Fighting continued through the night until security forces retook the police station, which was demolished in case more terrorists remained inside. Early estimates stated that at least 20 civilians were killed as they were waiting at bus stops, walking down the street, and driving in their cars. Of the 36,000 residents of the city, 90% were evacuated during the days after the massacre. Most of them were housed in hotels evenly split between Eilat and the rest of the country that were paid for by the Israeli government. As Israeli military actions in the Gaza war reduced the risk to Sderot, schools were reopened in March 2024. By April, 85% of the pre-war population had returned, subsidized by government grants to return as their initial temporary housing grants were wound down. By August 2024, 90% of the pre-war population had returned. During the war, viewing platforms on hilltops overlooking the devastation in northern Gaza once again became tourist attractions. ==Demographics==

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in 2010 the city had a population of 21,900. The national makeup of the city was 94% Jewish, 5.5% other non-Arabs, and Arabs less than 1%. There were 10,600 males and 10,500 females. The population growth rate in 2010 was 0.5%. ==Economy==

In 2008, the average wage for a salaried worker in Sderot was . The Osem plant in Sderot, opened in 1981, is the region's major employer, with 480 workers. 170 products are manufactured there, including Bamba, Bisli, Mana Hama instant noodle and rice dishes, instant soup powders, shkedei marak, ketchup and sauces. The Menorah Candle factory, located in Sderot, exports Hanukkah candles all over the world. Nestlé maintains a research and development facility in Sderot, established in 2002. Its production facilities for breakfast cereals are also located in Sderot. Amdocs has a plant in Sderot and an industrial zone is under development. In 2012, the government approved nearly $59 million worth of economic benefits for Sderot to strengthen the economy, boost employment, and subsidize psychosocial programs for the city's residents. ==Culture==

An unusually high ratio of singers, instrumentalists, composers and poets have come from Sderot. Well-known musicians from Sderot include Shlomo Bar, Kobi Oz, Haïm Ulliel and Smadar Levi. The winner of the Israeli version of "American Idol" 2011 was Hagit Yaso, a local Sderot singer of Ethiopian origin. Israeli poet Shimon Adaf was born in Sderot, ==Transportation==

Sderot is accessible by Highway 34 and Route 232. The Ashkelon–Beersheba railway, a new railway line that connected Sderot with Tel Aviv and Beersheba, was inaugurated in December 2013. The Sderot railway station, located on the outskirts of the city at the southern entrance, was opened on December 24, 2013. It is the first in Israel to be armored against rocket fire. ==Education==

According to CBS, there are 14 schools and 3,578 students in the city. They are spread out as eleven elementary schools and 2,099 elementary school students, and six high schools and 1,479 high school students. 56.5% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001. Sapir Academic College and the Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot are located in Sderot. All schools in the city and 120 bus stops have been fortified against missile attacks. == Urban forest ==

In 2024, the city of Sderot was chosen to serve as a model for the implementation of urban forestry principles in Israel. The project is also referred to as "Sderot Forest City". Channel 13 reported that the initiative will lead to Sderot's streets being lined with fruit trees and vegetable gardens from which residents will be able to pick produce for their personal use. ==Twin towns – sister cities==

Sderot is twinned with: • Antony, France • Zehlendorf (Berlin), Germany ==People== • Miri Bohadana, model • Kim Edri, beauty queen, and former Miss Israel • Kobi Oz, musician • Amir Peretz, politician former defense minister • Hagit Yaso, singer ==See also==