Ashdod

Ashdod (Hebrew: אַשְׁדּוֹד; Arabic: إسدود, Isdud) is a city in the Southern District of Israel located towards the south of the Israeli Coastal Plain about 70km from both Jerusalem and Beer Sheba. Its jurisdiction is 60,000 dunams (60 km²). It was declared a city in 1968 and today is an important industrial center in the country, particularly because the city's port, the Port of Ashdod is Israel's largest port accounting for 60% of imported goods. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Ashdod had a population of about 204,400 at the end of 2006 making it the fifth largest city in Israel.

History

Ancient Ashdod

Ashdod in the early 19th century.

Human settlement in the area now known as Ashdod was first documented to the Paleolithic Age. During all three Stone Ages there was much human activity, and the settlement is even mentioned in Ugaritic documents. At the end of the 13th century BCE the Sea Peoples conquered the city and destroyed it. The city was taken over by the Philistines (who are generally thought to have been one of the Sea Peoples) at the beginning of the 12th century BCE. During the years they reigned over Ashdod, the city prospered and was said to have become their capital.

In 950 BCE Ashdod was destroyed Pharaoh Siamun's conquest of the area; the city was rehabilitated after 815 BCE. A hundred years later, it was conquered by Sargon II who destroyed the city and exiled its residents. Asdûdu led the revolt of Philistines, Judeans, Edomites, and Moabites against Assyria after expelling the king Akhimeti, whom Sargon had installed instead of his brother Azuri. Gath (Gimtu) belonged to the kingdom of Ashdod at that time.

An Assyrian general titled Tartan, subjected Ashdod in 711 (cf. Isaiah 20:1), and the usurper, Yawani, fled. Mitinti was king in the time of Sennacherib; Akhimilki in the reign of Esarhaddon. Psammetichus of Egypt is reported to have besieged the great city Azotus for twenty-nine years (Herodotus, ii. 157); the biblical references to the remnant of Ashdod (Jeremiah 25:20; cf Zephaniah 2:4) are interpreted as an allusion to this event.

The city absorbed another blow in 605 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar conquered it. In 539 BCE the city had been rehabilitated by the Persians, but was conquered in the wars of Alexander of Macedon, when its name was changed into Izotus.

In the Book of Nehemiah (at 4:1, 13:23, etc.), the Ashdodites seem still to represent the whole nation of the Philistines, so that 13:24, the speech of Ashdod (which the younger generation of the Jews are described as adopting), would simply be the general Philistine dialect. Winckler ("Gesch. Israels", p. 224) explains the use of that name by the fact that Ashdod was the nearest of the Philistine cities to Jerusalem; yet the simplest explanation seems to remain that Ashdod remained the leader among previously Philistine cities, even into Greek times.

The city prospered as Izotus under the Hellenistic rule, until the Hasmonean Revolt. During the rebellion Judas Maccabeus arrived at its gates, but didn't conquer it. He had left it for his brother Jonathan, who conquered it in 147 BCE and destroyed the Temple of Dagon. According to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 13:15, volume 4), Alexander Jannæus possessed it. Pompey restored its independence in that he reconstructed its city walls, though it belonged to the dominion of Herod and Salome (Antiquities... 17:18, volume 9), and Vespasian had to later take it by force.

Ashdod-Sea Fortress, Israel. Gate

The statement of Ptolemy and Josephus that it was a maritime city, despite its standing 4 miles from the shore, is explained by the city having controlled a separate shore-edge harbour, which was called Azotus Paraliyus, or Ashdod Sea (Antiquities... 13:15, volume 4). This place has been compared with the Asdudimmu mentioned by Sargon, but the comparison is hardly justified. The importance of the city continued until the seventh century, when citadel was built in Azotus Paraliyus as stronghold against the Byzantine navy. To the west of the wooded height on which the city stands, traces of the ancient harbour—now known as Minet el-Ḳal'a can still be seen.

The Fatimids established shore fortresses and village on the Tell of Ashdod. The location of the village on Via Maris resulted in an increase in its importance during the Ottoman age, when there stood a large village called Isdud and its khan. In 1596 CE, the population of Ashdod numbered 413 persons. In the beginning of the 20th century the village was known as Esdūd, its population numbering 5,000 persons, and its main industries being agriculture and trade.

Biblical mentions

According to the bible, during the 10th century BCE it became, along with all the kingdom of Philistia a patronage area of the Kingdom of Israel under the control of King David. Judah's claim upon Ashdod is mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 15:46). In the Book of Samuel it is mentioned first (I Samuel 6:17) among the principal Philistine cities; and the Ark of the Lord is brought first to that place as a trophy (1 Samuel 5 and following passages). The capture of the city by King Uzziah shortly after 815 BCE is mentioned within the text of the Book of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 26:6) also mentioned in the Book of Zechariah (Zechariah 9:6) speaking of the false Jews.

Modern times

View of Begin blvd.

Beach in Ashdod

Immediately before the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Egyptian Army took over Isdud, and the city became the northern-most advancement point of the Egyptian forces. Battles were conducted in the area during the war, with the Egyptians being halted at the Ad Halom bridge over the Lachish River. The city was surrounded during Operation Yoav, and the Egyptian Forces were shelled and bombed from the air. Fearing encirclement, they retreated on October 28, 1948 with the decisive majority if not all of the city's residents.

In 1953, a group of surveyors and designers was sent to the desolate dunes area near the mouth of Lachish River in order to choose a place to build a new power station in the south of the country (eventually "Eshkol A"). Its workers dwelled in the regional settlements - Rehovot and Gedera.

On May 1, 1956, then finance minister Levi Eshkol gave confirmation in the name of the government for the establishment of a city of Ashdod. A daughter-company of City-Builders Company Ltd., "Ashdod Company Ltd.", was created for the purpose by the end of that year by Oved Ben-Ami and Philipp Klotznik (USA).

The first settlers arrived in November 1956, 22 families of immigrants from Morocco, and a bit later, a group of immigrants from Egypt joined them. In July 1957, a concession was granted to Ashdod Company Ltd. on an area of 40,000 dunam (40 km²), a distance of 32 km (as the crow flies) from Tel Aviv, for the purpose of establishing Ashdod city.

The building of the Eshkol A power station in Ashdod was completed in 1958 and included 3 units: 2 units of 50 MW, and one unit of 45 MW (with the ability of sea water desalination).

The first local council was appointed in October 1959. Dov Gur was appointed on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Interior as the first local council head. The Magistrates' Court in the city was inaugurated in 1963, and, in January 1965, a contract between Ashdod Company and the General Health Maintenance Organization was signed regarding establishment of a hospital with 500 beds on an area of 250 dunams (250,000 m²) -- a hospital which has yet to be established. The building of the port of Ashdod began in April 1961. The port was inaugurated in November 1963, and was utilized for the first time in November 1965 with the coming of the Swedish ship "Wiengelgad".

In 1964 the Ponevezher Rov, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman established the Ponevezh development, the first Hareidi neighbourhood in Ashdod. In 1978 a joint Belz-Ger estate was established in Neighbourhood 3 (Rova Gimel). The Lev Simcha Talmud Torah in Ashdod is the largest cheder in Israel. Today, the Tolna Rebbe, Pittsburgher Rebbe, Neshchiz, and Melitzer Rebbes reside in Ashdod.

The explosive growth of the city began in 1991, with the massive arrival of immigrants from the Soviet Union and infrastructure development. From 1990 to 2001 the city accept more than 100,000 new inhabitants, which is 150% growth.

Planned City

The city was established outside of the Ashdod historic sites in virgin sands. The development over the years followed the main development plan. According to the plan the city was divided into 17 neighborhoods of 10-15 thousand people each, while wide avenues between them makes traffic inside the city free of jams. Each neighborhood has easy access to its own commercial center, urban park, health & education infrastructure. A business and administrative center was also planned, but was not developed until the mid 1990s when the city population grew rapidly and doubled in eight years.

Three industrial zones were placed adjacent to the port in the northern part, taking into account the prevailing southern winds which take air pollution out of the city.

The main problems in the practical use of the lineation plan in city development were asymmetric growth of upscale and poorer neighborhoods and the long-time lack of a main business and administartive center, which cause various neighborhood commercial centers to take up the slack.

The city was planned for a maximum of 250,000 inhabitants when an additional area in the south was reserved. However, the southern border of the city was proclaimed a national nature reserve, Ashdod Nitzanim Sand Dune Park, which makes future city growth problematic, since the last of the 17 neighborhoods allowed is now under construction.

Climate

Ashdod has a mediterranean climate with hot summers, pleasant spring and autumn, and cool, rainy winters. Humidity tends to be high all year round, and rain occurs usually between October to May. In winter, temperatures seldom drop below 5°C and are more likely to be in the region of 10° to 15°C, while in summer the average is 27°C. The average annual rainfall is 510 millimetres.

Climate data for Ashdod
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

Economy

Industry

The Laser Light Tower in the city center

Ashdod is one of the most important Israeli industrial centers. All industry activities in the city are located in the northern part and this area can be divided into four main areas:

• The port of Ashdod is the largest port in Israel, handling about 60% of Israel's port cargo. Various shipping companies offices are also located in the port area. Eshkol electrical power station and a coal terminal are also located nearby.
• The Northern industrial zone is located on Highway 41 (Ashdod - Gedera) and includes various industry and stores an oil refinery (one of only two in the country).
• A heavy industry zone is located south of the Lachish River and was once the main city industry center, however in recent years entertainment activities have moved into the area. There is still some industry in the area including a Teva Pharmaceutical Industries plant, construction components producer Ashtrom, and Solbar a soybean oil producer.
• A light industry zone serves Ashdod's inhabitants with auto repair, carpentry, and other services. There are also a numerous shops (mostly furniture) in the area.
• The city is also home to Elta, a part of Israel Aircraft Industries where radar equipment, electronic warfare systems, and ELINT are developed.

Sea mall main entrance

Shopping

Historically each neighborhood has its own commercial center. In different times some of these centers became the main shopping areas of the city. In the 1980's this was Rogozin St., a major shopping sreet. Around 1990, when the mall culture developed in Israel, the main commercial activity in Ashdod moved to malls.

• The Forum center was the first mall in Ashdod. It was built in the industrial zone and was very popular until additional malls were built in the residential neighborhoods. Restaurants, bars and night clubs were opened in the area and now it is one of the most active recreation zones in the city. Today, the Forum center is mainly used for offices.
• Lev Ashdod Mall was opened in 1993. Very soon this mall became the most poular shopping and recreation place among the inhabitants. During the years the mall was enlarged and upgraded.
• Ashdod Mall was opened in 1995 and was at the time the biggest mall in the city. However, it was not successful and is currently being redesigned.
• City Mall was opened in a combined building with the central bus station, following the examples of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station and the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. Due to its location in the city center it is highly popular. It was upgraded in 2007.
• Sea Mall is the three commersial floors mall, the biggest one in the city. It is located in modern designed building near the Mayor offices. There are climbing wall and the cinema.
• Star Center is a new and very poular outlet mall. Its size is expected to be doubled in 2007.

Transportation

The view toward marina

Roads

Ashdod is located on the historic Via Maris. Highway 4 was developed following this route along the southern sea shore of Israel; it serves as the main connection to the north, towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, and to the south, towards Ashqelon.

Ad Halom junction was planned as the main entrance to the city from the east. The junction was poorly planned and built, including a grade-level railway crossing less than 100 meters from the intersection with Highway 4 and a dangerous intersection with the nearby railway station's access road, and it currently suffers from heavy congestion. An interchange is under construction, planned to open in 2009. The interchange is intended to continue the freeway section of Highway 4 further south by removing the traffic light at this junction, and it will also utilize grade separation with the railway.

The other main road in the area is Highway 41 which served the city from the start of its modern history. This road runs from west to east towards Gedera and it is the main transport link to the port of Ashdod and the industrial zones, and connects to Highway 4 with an interchange.

Railroad

Main article: Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station

The passenger railroad connection to Ashdod opened in 1992 after the renovation of the historical railway to Egypt. Ashdod railway station is on Israel Railways' Binyamina/Netanya - Tel Aviv - Ashkelon line and it is located near Ad Halom Junction. The station was upgraded in 2005 when a new terminal building was built. The station is modern and has all the usual facilities, but road access to it is old and clumsy. A new access road is currently under construction.

There is also heavy freight traffic in the area. port of Ashdod has its own railway branch line as well as a special terminal for potash brought from the Sodom area and exported abroad.

The central bus station

Buses

The new central bus station opened in 1996. It serves as the terminus both for inter- and intracity lines. The building also includes a small but popular shopping mall. The bus lines connect the city with all major population centers in Israel. These routes are served by Connex, Metropoline, and the Egged Bus Cooperative.

Sea Transport

There is a passenger pier in the Port of Ashdod. The traffic at this gateway is constantly growing, especially due to cruise ship activities. The other sea gateway is the newly opened Blue Marina.

Demographics

Year	Population
1961	4,600
1972	40,300
1983	65,700
1990	83,900
1995	125,820
1996	137,100
2000	174,224
2001	187,000
2003	192,200
2006	204,400

According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Ashdod had a population of about 204,400 at the end of 2006 (5th largest in Israel). The annual population growth rate is 2.6%. The ratio of women to men is 1,046 to 1,000.

The population spread out with 19.7% under the age of 10, 15.7% from 10 to19, 14.9% from 20 to 29, 19.1% from 30 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64 and 11.3% who are 65 years old and older. The population of Ashdod is significantly younger than Israeli average due to large number of young couples that choose Ashdod as place of life.

The city is ranked in medium-low socio-economic grading (4 of 10). 56.1% of 12th grade students were eligible for matriculation certificates in 2000. The average salary in 2000 was NIS 4,821 (national average: NIS 6,835).

City Hall

Government

The Ashdod City Council has twenty-five elected members, one of whom is the mayor. The mayor serves a five-year term and appoints six deputies. The current mayor of Ashdod, Zvi Zilker was last elected in 2003 and has been in office continuously since 1989. Within the city council there are various factions representing different population groups, both secular and religious. The headquarters of the Ashdod Municipality and the mayor's office are at city hall. This new municipal building is located in the main culture and business area.

Mayors

• Robert Hayim was chosen to the council chairmanship in the first municipal elections, in 1961.
• 1963 - Avner Garin
• 1969 - Zvi Zilker
• 1983 - Arie Azulay
• 1989 - Zvi Zilker

Culture

Music and theatre

Ashdod is home to the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra which performs music that originated in Andalusia, a blend of Western and Arabic music. The orchestra was awarded the Israel Prize in 2006.
The ACADMA conservatory, a professional educational institute for music and peformance studies is based in Ashdod. Operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, the institute was established in 1966, and serves as a home for 600 young musicians in different fields. The conservatory is a vivacious and vigorous center of the music and the culture life in the city, and it is involved in the community life and educates a second generation of musicians made in Ashdod.

The MonArt center is a newly opened performing arts center which has different art schools, studios and events. Theatre and concerts are hosted in several cultural venues; the most important are performed at Yad leBanim concert hall. The new city concert hall is in its final building stages, and will enlarge capacity to 1600.

• 
  Building of new culture center. February 2006.
• 
  Yad-le-Banim concert hall
• 
  MonArt performing arts center

Museums and exhibitions

• Korin Maman museum has a permanent archeology exhibition named "Philistian World" and various changed arts exhibitions.
• Ashdod art museum, located in the MonArt center, has 13 exhibition halls.

Sports

Ashdod's football team, FC Ashdod represents the city in Ligat ha'Al, Israel's Premier League. The club is known for its successful soccer school.

Maccabi Ashdod basketball club currently plays in the Liga Leumit which is Israel's second tier of basketball teams. The women team plays in top division.

There are many sporting events and clubs in Ashdod including an annual Chess tournament and cricket team (exotic for Israel) organized by inhabitants of Indian descent. The beaches host a lot of windsurfing activities, and yachting and SCUBA diving clubs operating in the Marina area.

The most famous Ashdod sportsmen are:

• Haim Revivo - international soccer player
• Alon Hazan - international soccer player
• Anna Gostomelsky - 2004 Summer Olympics swimmer.
• Gocha Tzitziashvili - 2004 Summer Olympics wrestler

Sister cities

• Bordeaux, France
• Bahia Blanca, Argentina
• Spandau, Germany
• Tampa, Florida, USA

External links

• Ashdod official website
• Ashdod Port official website
• Ashdod Local News (in Hebrew)
• Ashdod Image Gallery
• From Isdud to Ashdod: One man's immigrant dream; another's refugee nightmare
• The Israeli Andalusit Orchestra

31°48′N 34°39′E