Mghar
Encyclopedia
Maghar is an Arab town in Israel
's North District
with an area of 19,810 dunam
s. Maghar achieved local council status in 1956. There were 19,900 people living in Maghar at the end of 2009.
. Many olive groves and wine presses testify to a long history of agriculture in the area, and numerous hillside caves show signs of ancient habitation. In fact the village's name comes from the Arabic word for "cave".
with a Druze majority (57%), Christian
s (23%), and Muslim
s (20%). Many of the Druze residents serve in the IDF
and Israel Police
. A new neighbourhood was recently built for demobilized soldiers.
In 2005, rumours that Christians had uploaded pornographic pictures of Druze girls led to thousands of Druze youth marching through Christian neighbourhoods, torching cars and shops. A police investigation proved the rumors false. They were attributed to a 16-year old Druze boy who initially confessed but later retracted his statement, claiming that the police were searching for a scapegoat.
, two residents of Maghar were killed and several were wounded as a result of Hezbollah rocket and cluster bomb
attacks. On July 25, Da'aa Abbas, 15, was killed by a rocket that hit his house. Da'aa was killed instantly. The rest of the family suffered minor injuries and were evacuated to Poriya Hospital in Tiberias. On August 4, Manal Azzam, 27, was killed by shrapnel from a Hezbollah cluster rocket
. Azzam was in her apartment's corridor which was used as a fortified safe room
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's North District
North District (Israel)
The Northern District is one of Israel's six administrative districts. The Northern District has a land area of 4,478 km², which increases to 4,638 km² when both land and water are included...
with an area of 19,810 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s. Maghar achieved local council status in 1956. There were 19,900 people living in Maghar at the end of 2009.
History
Maghar was known as "Zar" during the Roman periodRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Many olive groves and wine presses testify to a long history of agriculture in the area, and numerous hillside caves show signs of ancient habitation. In fact the village's name comes from the Arabic word for "cave".
Demographics
The town of Maghar is entirely ArabArab citizens of Israel
Arab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
with a Druze majority (57%), Christian
Arab Christians
Arab Christians are ethnic Arabs of Christian faith, sometimes also including those, who are identified with Arab panethnicity. They are the remnants of ancient Arab Christian clans or Arabized Christians. Many of the modern Arab Christians are descendants of pre-Islamic Christian Arabian tribes,...
s (23%), and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s (20%). Many of the Druze residents serve in the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
and Israel Police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
. A new neighbourhood was recently built for demobilized soldiers.
In 2005, rumours that Christians had uploaded pornographic pictures of Druze girls led to thousands of Druze youth marching through Christian neighbourhoods, torching cars and shops. A police investigation proved the rumors false. They were attributed to a 16-year old Druze boy who initially confessed but later retracted his statement, claiming that the police were searching for a scapegoat.
Education and culture
In August 2003, the Israel Circus School established a joint Jewish-Arab "Children’s Circus" together with its partner, Circus Maghar. A group of 20 Jewish and Arab children trained for the circus. In addition to local performances, the circus school toured Cyprus, giving workshops and performances for Christian and Muslim schools and community centers.Hezbollah rocket attacks
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
, two residents of Maghar were killed and several were wounded as a result of Hezbollah rocket and cluster bomb
Cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
attacks. On July 25, Da'aa Abbas, 15, was killed by a rocket that hit his house. Da'aa was killed instantly. The rest of the family suffered minor injuries and were evacuated to Poriya Hospital in Tiberias. On August 4, Manal Azzam, 27, was killed by shrapnel from a Hezbollah cluster rocket
Cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
. Azzam was in her apartment's corridor which was used as a fortified safe room
Merkhav Mugan
Merkhav Mugan , popularly known as a mamad, is a reinforced security room required in all new buildings by Israeli law. A Merkhav Mugan is deemed preferable to a bomb shelter when the warning time is too short for residents to reach a shelter, which may be located some distance away...
.