Bnei Zion
בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן‎
Bnei Zion is located in Central Israel
Bnei Zion
Bnei Zion
Bnei Zion is located in Israel
Bnei Zion
Bnei Zion
Coordinates: 32°13′5″N 34°52′6″E / 32.21806°N 34.86833°E / 32.21806; 34.86833
Country Israel
DistrictCentral
CouncilHof HaSharon
AffiliationAgricultural Union
Founded27 March 1947
Founded byJewish Agency
Population
 (2021)[1]
1,334
Websitewww.bnaizion.org.il

Bnei Zion (Hebrew: בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן, lit. 'Sons of Zion') is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain around four and a half kilometres north of Ra'anana, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaSharon Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,334.[1]

History

Before the 20th century the area formed part of the Forest of Sharon. It was an open woodland dominated by Mount Tabor Oak, which extended from Kfar Yona in the north to Ra'anana in the south. The local Arab inhabitants traditionally used the area for pasture, firewood and intermittent cultivation. The intensification of settlement and agriculture in the coastal plain during the 19th century led to deforestation and subsequent environmental degradation.[2]

Bnei Zion was established on 27 March 1947 by the Jewish Agency for Israel, and was initially called Gva'ot Ra'anana (גבעות רעננה, lit. Ra'anana Hills) before being renamed after Bnai Zion Foundation, the American organisation that helped found it.

Bnei Zion 27 March 1947

Nature reserve

Just west of the moshav is a 100-dunam nature reserve, declared in 1968.[3] The reserve is a remnant of the natural state of the Sharon plain, rich in flora that grows well in iron-rich soil.[4]

Notable residents

References

  1. 1 2 "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. ↑ Marom, Roy (2022-12-01). "The Oak Forest of the Sharon (al-Ghaba) in the Ottoman Period: New Insights from Historical- Geographical Studies". Muse. 5: 90–107.
  3. ↑ "List of National Parks and Nature Reserves" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  4. ↑ "Bnei Zion Nature Reserve" (in Hebrew). iNature.info. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
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