Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{About|the city in Israel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
|name =Tel Aviv
|native_name ={{small|{{unbulleted list|{{lang|he| תֵּל־אָבִיב}}|{{lang|ar|تل أبيب-يافا}}}}}}
|ISO =Tell ʔabib Yapo
|translit_lang1_type =09090909
|translit_lang1_info =
|image_skyline = Tel Aviv Collage 3.JPG
|image_caption = From left to right: Tel Aviv skyline at sunset, [[Azrieli Center]], [[Dizengoff Square]], [[Jaffa Clock Tower]], Beach view from the [[Old City (Jaffa)|Old City]]
|image_flag = Tel Aviv flag.svg
|flag_alt =
|image_seal =
|seal_alt = Tel Aviv New Logo.svg
|image_shield = TelAvivEmblem.svg
|shield_alt =
|nickname = {{unbulleted list| "[[White City (Tel Aviv)|The White City]]" |"The City That Never Sleeps"}}
|motto =
|image_map =
|map_alt =
|map_caption =
|pushpin_map =Israel
|pushpin_label_position =
|pushpin_map_alt =
|pushpin_map_caption =Location of Tel Aviv within Israel
|latd=32 |latm=4 |lats=|latNS=N
|longd=34 |longm=47 |longs=|longEW=E
|coor_pinpoint =
|coordinates_type =
|coordinates_display =
|coordinates_footnotes =
|subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name = {{flagicon|ISR}} [[Israel]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Districts of Israel|District]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Tel Aviv District|Tel Aviv]]
|subdivision_type2 = Metropolitan Area
|subdivision_name2 = [[Tel Aviv metropolitan area|Gush Dan]]
|subdivision_type3 =
|subdivision_name3 =
|established_title = Founded
|established_date = 20 April 1909
|established_title1 =
|established_date1 =
|founder =
|named_for =
|seat_type =
|seat =
|government_footnotes =
|government_type = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-council]]
|governing_body = Tel Aviv municipality
|leader_party =[[Israeli Labor Party|Labor]]
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = [[Ron Huldai]]
|unit_pref =
|area_magnitude =
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_km2 =52
|area_total_sq_mi =
|area_land_km2 =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|area_water_percent =
|area_urban_km2 =176
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_metro_km2 =1516
|area_metro_sq_mi =
|area_note =
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m =5
|elevation_ft =
|population_footnotes =<ref name="population"/>
|population_total =414,600
|population_rank =[[List of Israeli cities|2nd]] in Israel
|population_urban =1,318,300
|population_metro =3,464,100
|population_as_of =2013
|population_density_km2=8,148.3
|population_density_rank= [[List of Israeli cities|12th]] in Israel
|population_density_urban_km2= 7504.4
|population_density_metro_km2= 2291.4
|population_est =
|pop_est_as_of =
|population_demonym =Tel Avivi
|population_note =
|timezone1 =[[Israel Standard Time|IST]]
|utc_offset1 =+2
|timezone1_DST =[[Israel Summer Time|IDT]]
|utc_offset1_DST =+3
|postal_code_type =[[Postal codes in Israel|Postal code]]
|postal_code =61999
|area_code_type =[[Telephone numbers in Israel|Area code]]
|area_code =+972 (Israel) 3 (City)
|website =[http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/index.htm tel-aviv.gov.il]
|footnotes =
}}
'''Tel Aviv''' ({{lang-he-n|תֵּל־אָבִיב}}; {{lang-ar|تل أبيب}}) is the [[List of largest cities and second largest cities by country|second most populous city]] in [[Israel]], with a population of 414,600 within its administrative limits.<ref name="population">{{cite journal|url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_25&CYear=2013 |title=לוח 3.- אוכלוסייה( 1), ביישובים שמנו מעל 2,000 תושבים( 2) ושאר אוכלוסייה כפרית Population (1) of localities numbering above 2,000 Residents (2) and other rural population |accessdate=7 November 2013}}</ref> It is located on the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coast in central-west Israel, within [[Gush Dan]], Israel's largest metropolitan area, containing 42% of Israel's population. It is also the largest and most populous city in Gush Dan, which is collectively home to 3,464,100 residents.<ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite web|title=Localities, Population and Density per km²., by Metropolitan Area and Selected Localities |work=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2013|publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_25&CYear=2013|format=PDF|accessdate=7 November 2013|year=2012}}</ref> The city is governed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, headed by [[Ron Huldai]]. Residents of Tel Aviv are referred to as ''Tel Avivim'' (singular: ''Tel Avivi'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/index.htm |title=Tel Aviv Municipality |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |accessdate=2 February 2008}}</ref> As the [[United Nations]] and all other countries do not recognize [[Jerusalem]] as the capital of Israel, Tel Aviv is home to many foreign embassies.<ref>[[Jerusalem]] is the capital under [[Jerusalem Law|Israeli law]]. The presidential residence, government offices, supreme court and parliament ([[Knesset]]) are located there. The [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]] foresees East Jerusalem as the capital of its future state. The UN does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, taking the position that the final status of Jerusalem is pending future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority {{PDFlink|[http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/israel.pdf Map of Israel]|319 KB}}. Countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv and its suburbs, or suburbs of Jerusalem, such as [[Mevaseret Zion]]. (see [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html CIA Factbook]) See [[Positions on Jerusalem]]: "No country in the world except for Israel has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital".</ref>
Tel Aviv was founded by the Jewish community on the outskirts of the ancient [[port|port city]] of [[Jaffa]] ({{lang-he-n|יָפוֹ}} ''{{transl|he|Yafo}}''; {{lang-ar|يافا}} ''{{transl|ar|ALA-LC|Yāfā}}'') in 1909. Jewish immigration meant that the growth of Tel Aviv soon outpaced Jaffa, which had a majority [[Palestinian people|Arab]] population at the time.<ref>85% in 1922, 92% in 1931 (Census reports)</ref> Tel Aviv and Jaffa were merged into a single municipality in 1950, two years after the [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|establishment of the State of Israel]]. Tel Aviv's [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]], designated a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] in 2003, comprises the world's largest concentration of [[Bauhaus]] buildings.<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/1096.pdf |title=The White City of Tel Aviv |accessdate=29 March 2008 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="times">{{cite news |url=http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/holiday_type/breaks/article3370349.ece |title=Hip and happening in Tel Aviv |work=The Times |date=16 February 2008 |accessdate=16 February 2008 |last=Strimpel |first=Zoe |location=London}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is an economic hub, home to the [[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]], corporate offices and [[research and development]] centers.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/1998/04/11669 |title=New Economy: Silicon Wadi |journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |accessdate=2 February 2008 |date=16 April 1998}}</ref> It is the country's [[Financial centre|financial capital]] and a major [[performing arts]] and business center.<ref name="GAWC"/> Tel Aviv has the [[List of cities by GDP|second-largest economy]] in the Middle East after [[Dubai]], and is the 31st most expensive city in the world.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ami Sedghi |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/12/city-cost-of-living-2012-tokyo |title=Which is the world's most expensive city? Cost of living survey 2012 | News | guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian |date=2012-06-12 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> With 2.5 million international visitors annually, Tel Aviv is the fifth-most-visited city in the Middle East.<ref name="MasterCard ranks Tel Aviv as fifth most visited city in Middle East and Africa">{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/mastercard-ranks-tel-aviv-as-fifth-most-visited-city-in-middle-east-and-africa/|title=MasterCard ranks Tel Aviv as fifth most visited city in Middle East and Africa |accessdate=12 June 2012|publisher=[[The Times of Israel]] |first=Yoel|last=Goldman |date=12 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="Tourists rank Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among top cities to visit">{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/travel/travel-news/tourists-rank-jerusalem-and-tel-aviv-among-top-cities-to-visit-1.374032|title=Tourists rank Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among top cities to visit |accessdate=19 July 2011|publisher=[[Haaretz]] |first=Tanya |last=Sapty |date=19 July 2011}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> It is known as "the city that never sleeps" and a "party capital" due to its lively [[nightlife]], dynamic atmosphere and famous [[24/7|24-hour culture]].<ref name="Top 10 party towns">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/the-worlds-top-10-party-towns-20091118-im4q.html |title=The world's top 10 party towns |publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald|Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=19 November 2009 |accessdate=19 November 2009}}</ref><ref name="lonelyplanet.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-york-city/travel-tips-and-articles/76165|title=Lonely Planet's top 10 cities for 2011 |accessdate=31 October 2010}}</ref>
==Etymology==
''Tel Aviv'' is the Hebrew title of [[Theodor Herzl]]'s [[The Old New Land|''Altneuland'']] ("Old New Land"), translated from German by [[Nahum Sokolow]]. Sokolow had adopted the name of a [[Mesopotamia]]n site near the city of Babylon mentioned in [[Book of Ezekiel|Ezekiel]]: "Then I came to them of the captivity at [[Tel Abib]], that lived by the [[Khabur River|river Chebar]], and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days."<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezekiel|3:15|HE}}</ref> The name was chosen in 1910 from several suggestions, including "[[Herzliya]]". It was found fitting as it embraced the idea of a renaissance in the ancient Jewish homeland. ''Aviv'' is Hebrew for "spring", symbolizing renewal, and ''[[Tell|tel]]'' is a man-made mound accumulating layers of civilization built one over the other and symbolizing the ancient.<ref name="VTLV">{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Telaviv.html |title=Tel Aviv |accessdate=18 July 2007 |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]]}}</ref>
Theories vary about the etymology of Jaffa or ''Yafo'' in Hebrew. Some believe that the name derives from ''yafah'' or ''yofi'', Hebrew for "beautiful" or "beauty". Another tradition is that [[Japheth]], son of [[Noah]], founded the city and that it was named after him.<ref name="VJF">{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/jaffa.html |title=Jaffa |accessdate=16 September 2012 |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]]}}</ref>
==History==
===Jaffa===
[[File:Jaffa port 1906-3.jpg|thumb|left|Port of Jaffa in 1906]]
[[File:TelAviv-Founding.jpg|thumb|left|Lottery for building plots in Tel Aviv, 1909]]
The ancient port of [[Jaffa]] changed hands many times in the course of history. [[Excavation (archaeology)|Archeological excavations]] from 1955 to 1974 unearthed towers and gates from the [[Bronze Age|Middle Bronze Age]].<ref name="TAU">{{cite web |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/archaeology/projects/proj_jaffa.html |title=Excavations at Ancient Jaffa (Joppa) |accessdate=30 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv University}}</ref> Subsequent excavations, from 1997 onwards, helped date earlier discoveries.<ref name="TAU"/> They also exposed sections of a packed-sandstone [[glacis]] and a massive brick wall, dating from the [[Bronze Age|Late Bronze Age]], as well as a temple attributed to the [[Sea Peoples]] and dwellings from the [[Iron Age]].<ref name="TAU"/> Remnants of buildings from the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] and [[Hellenistic civilization|Hellenistic]] periods were also discovered.<ref name="TAU"/>
The city, Jaffa, is first mentioned in letters from 1470 BC that record its conquest by Egyptian [[Pharaoh]] [[Thutmose III]].<ref name="Economist">{{cite journal |url=http://www.economist.com/topics/tel-aviv?city_id=TLV&folder=Facts-History |title=Economist City Guide-Tel Aviv |journal=[[The Economist]] |accessdate=21 January 2008}} {{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}</ref> Jaffa is mentioned several times in the Bible, as the port from which [[Jonah]] set sail for [[Tarshish]];<ref>[[Book of Jonah]] 1:3</ref> as bordering on the territory of the [[Tribe of Dan]];<ref>[[Book of Joshua]] 19:40–48</ref> and as the [[Jaffa Port]] at which the wood for [[Solomon's Temple]] in [[Jerusalem]] arrived from Lebanon.<ref>[[Books of Chronicles]] II 2:16</ref> Jaffa is also mentioned as the place where the Apostle Peter raised Tabitha and visited Simon the Tanner.<ref>[[Acts of the Apostles]] 9:36-43</ref> According to some sources it has been a port for at least 4,000 years.<ref name="VJF"/>
In 1099, the Catholic armies of the [[First Crusade]], led by [[Godfrey of Bouillon]], occupied Jaffa, which had been abandoned by the Muslims, fortified the town and improved its harbor.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of the Crusades Vol 1: The First Crusade |last=Runciman|first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Runciman |publisher=Penguin|year=1951|location=London |pages=282, 308 |isbn=978-0-14-013706-4}}</ref> As the [[Count]]y of Jaffa, the town soon became important as the main sea supply route for the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of the Crusades Vol 2: The Kingdom of Jerusalem|last=Runciman|first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Runciman|publisher=Penguin|year=1952|location=London |pages=191–92 |isbn=978-0-14-013704-0}}</ref> Jaffa was captured by [[Saladin]] in 1192 but swiftly re-taken by [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]], who added to its defenses.<ref name=RuncimanV3>{{Cite book |title=A History of the Crusades Vol 3: The Kingdom of Acre|last=Runciman|first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Runciman |publisher=Penguin|year=1954|location=London |pages=70–71, 186, 324 |isbn=978-0-14-013705-7}}</ref> In 1223, [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Frederick II]] added further fortifications.<ref name=RuncimanV3/> Crusader domination ended in 1268, when the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk]] Sultan [[Baibars]] captured the town, destroyed its harbor and razed its fortifications.<ref name=RuncimanV3/><ref name="Kark">{{Cite book |title=Jaffa: A City in Evolution 1799–1917|last=Kark |first=Ruth |publisher=Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi|year=1990|location=Jerusalem|pages=8–10 |isbn=9789652170651}}</ref> In 1336, when a new Crusade was being planned, [[Al-Nasir Muhammad]] had the harbor destroyed to prevent the Franks from landing there.<ref name=EI>{{cite book |title= Encyclopedia of Islam, second edition |editor= PN Bearman et al. |at= Yafi}}</ref> For the same reason, both the town and the harbor were destroyed in 1345.<ref name=EI/> In the 16th century, Jaffa was conquered by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] and was administered as a village in the [[Liwa of Gaza|Sanjak of Gaza]].<ref name="Kark"/>
[[Napoleon I|Napoleon]] besieged the city in 1799 and killed scores of inhabitants; a plague epidemic followed, decimating the remaining population.<ref name="Kark"/> The surrendering garrison of several thousand Muslims was massacred.<ref>{{cite book |author= Jacques-François Moit |title= Mémoires pour servir à l'historoire des expéditions en Egypte et en Syrie |year= 1814}}, quoted in {{cite journal |author= Véronique Nahoum-Grappe |title= The anthropology of extreme violence: the crime of desecration |journal= International Social Science Journal |volume= 54 |issue= 174 |year= 2002 |pages= 549–557 |doi= 10.1111/1468-2451.00409}}</ref>
[[File:Tel Aviv carrying bricks.jpg|thumb|upright|Builder in Tel Aviv, 1920s]]
Jaffa began to grow as an [[urban area|urban center]] in the early 18th century, when the Ottoman government in [[Istanbul]] intervened to guard the port and reduce attacks by Bedouins and pirates.<ref name="Kark"/> However, the real expansion came during the 19th century, when the population grew from 2,500 in 1806 to 17,000 in 1886.<ref name="Economist"/>
From 1800 to 1870, many of Jaffa's old walls and towers were torn down to allow for expansion.<ref name=Haaretz20080115>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944906.html |title=Archaeological discoveries may prove barrier to Jaffa port rejuvenation |accessdate=21 January 2008 |date=15 January 2008 |work=[[Haaretz]]}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> The [[Seawall|sea wall]], {{convert|2.5|m|ft}} high, remained intact until the 1930s, when it was built over during a renovation of the port by the [[British Mandate for Palestine|British Mandatory]] authorities.<ref name=Haaretz20080115/> During the mid-19th century, the city grew prosperous from trade, especially in silk and [[Jaffa orange]]s, with Europe.<ref name="Economist"/> In the 1860s Jaffa's small [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] community was joined by Jews from Morocco and small numbers of [[Ashkenazi Jews]].
The first Jews to settle outside of Jaffa, in the area of modern day Tel Aviv, were [[Yemenite Jews]]. These homes, built in 1881, later became the core of [[Kerem HaTeimanim]] ([[Hebrew]] for "the Vineyard of the Yemenites"). In 1896 Yemenite Jews established homes at Mahane Yehuda, and in 1904, Mahane Yossef. These neighbourhoods later became the Shabazi neighbourhood.
During the 1880s, Ashkenazi immigration to Jaffa increased with the onset of the [[First Aliyah]]. The new arrivals were motivated more by [[Zionism]] than religion and came to farm the land and engage in productive labor.<ref name="Economist"/> In keeping with their "pioneer" ideology, some settled in the sand dunes north of Jaffa.<ref name="Economist"/> Between 1887 and 1899, Ashkenazi settlers constructed houses at [[Neve Tzedek]]<ref name="UNESCO"/> and in 1890 at Neve Shalom nearby.
===Ahuzat Bayit===
The [[Second Aliyah]] led to further expansion. In 1906, a group of Jews, among them residents of Jaffa, followed the initiative of [[Akiva Aryeh Weiss]] and banded together to form the ''Ahuzat Bayit'' (lit. "homestead") society. The society's goal was to form a "Hebrew urban centre in a healthy environment, planned according to the rules of aesthetics and modern hygiene."<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} The urban planning for the new city was influenced by the [[Garden city movement]].<ref name="JewishVL">{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/tahist.html |title=From Spring Hill to Independence |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]] |accessdate=20 January 2008}}</ref> The first 60 plots were purchased in Kerem Djebali near Jaffa by Jacobus Kann, a Dutch citizen, who registered them in his name to circumvent the Turkish prohibition on Jewish land acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|last=Azoulay |first=Yuval |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/jacobus-street-corner-of-oblivion-1.273311 |title=Jacobus Street, corner of Oblivion|publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2009-04-01 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> [[Meir Dizengoff]], later Tel Aviv's first mayor, also joined the Ahuzat Bayit society.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/BIOS/dizen.html |title=Dizengoff, Meir |publisher=[[Jewish Agency for Israel|Jewish Agency]] |accessdate=21 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bridger |first=David |title=The New Jewish Encyclopedia |publisher=Behrman House, Inc |year=1906 |page=117 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=hZqpCrG3qw0C&pg=PA117&dq=founder+tel-aviv |isbn=978-0-87441-120-1}}</ref> His vision for Tel Aviv involved peaceful co-existence with Arabs.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
[[File:Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|[[Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium]] in 1936]]
In April 1909, 66 Jewish families gathered on a desolate sand dune to parcel out the land by lottery using seashells. This gathering is considered the official date of the establishment of Tel Aviv. The lottery was organised by [[Akiva Aryeh Weiss]], president of the building society.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kosharek |first=Noah |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1079400.html |title=Seashell lottery |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2009-04-20 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> Weiss collected 120 sea shells on the beach, half of them white and half of them grey. The members' names were written on the white shells and the plot numbers on the grey shells. A boy drew names from one box of shells and a girl drew plot numbers from the second box. A photographer, Avraham Soskin, documented the event. The first water well was later dug at this site (today Rothschild Boulevard, across from Dizengoff House).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.israelphilately.org.il/articles/content/en/000874 |title=Tel-Aviv Centennial – "Ahuzat-Bayit Land Lottery |publisher=English.israelphilately.org.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> Within a year, [[Theodor Herzl|Herzl]], [[Ahad Ha'am]], [[Judah Halevi|Yehuda Halevi]], [[Moshe Leib Lilienblum|Lilienblum]], and Rothschild streets were built; a water system was installed; and 66 houses (including some on six subdivided plots) were completed.<ref name="JewishVL"/> At the end of Herzl Street, a plot was allocated for a new building for the [[The Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium|Herzliya Hebrew High School]], founded in Jaffa in 1906.<ref name="JewishVL"/> On 21 May 1910, the name Tel Aviv was adopted.<ref name="JewishVL"/> Tel Aviv was planned as an independent Hebrew city with wide streets and boulevards, running water at each house and street lights.<ref name="brit">{{cite journal |url=http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/RonBernthal/tel-aviv-and-its-bauhaus-tradition.html |title=The White City: Tel Aviv And Its Bauhaus Tradition |last=Bernthal |first=Ron |journal=Travel Writer's Magazine |accessdate=21 January 2008}}</ref>
By 1914, Tel Aviv had grown to more than {{convert|1|km2|acre|0}}.<ref name="JewishVL"/> However, growth halted in 1917 when the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] authorities [[Tel Aviv and Jaffa deportation|expelled the Jews of Jaffa and Tel Aviv]].<ref name="JewishVL"/> A report published in ''The New York Times'' by United States Consul Garrels in [[Alexandria|Alexandria, Egypt]] described the Jaffa deportation of early April 1917. The orders of evacuation were aimed chiefly at the Jewish population.<ref name=Turkish>{{cite book |title=The New York Times Current History |publisher=The New York Times Co|year=1917|page=167 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=Lls-WnKHpccC&q=Consul+Garrels+in+Alexandria+new+york+times+jaffa&dq=Consul+Garrels+in+Alexandria+new+york+times+jaffa|accessdate=15 March 2008}}</ref> Jews were free to return to their homes in Tel Aviv at the end of the following year when, with the end of World War I and the defeat of the Ottomans, the British took control of Palestine.
===Under the British Mandate===
[[File:Geddes Plan for Tel Aviv 1925.jpg|thumb|right|Master plan for Tel Aviv by [[Patrick Geddes]], 1925]]
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 2779 Great Britain בריטניה הגדולה.JPG|thumb|left|250px|The British pavilion in the [[Orient Fair]], 1934]]
With increasing Jewish immigration during the [[British Mandate of Palestine|British administration]], friction between Arabs and Jews in Palestine increased. On 1 May 1921, the [[Jaffa riots|Jaffa Riots]] resulted in the deaths of 48 Arabs and 47 Jews and injuries to 146 Jews and 73 Arabs.<ref>[http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:hcpp&rft_dat=xri:hcpp:rec:1921-024927 Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the disturbances in Palestine in May, 1921], with correspondence relating thereto (Disturbances), 1921, Cmd. 1540, p. 60.</ref> In the wake of this violence, many Jews left Jaffa for Tel Aviv, increasing the population of Tel Aviv from 2,000 in 1920 to around 34,000 by 1925.<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web |url=http://www.travelnet.co.il/israel/TelAviv/History.htm |title=Tel Aviv History |accessdate=20 January 2008 |publisher=Travelnet.co.il}}</ref>
Tel Aviv began to develop as a commercial center.<ref name="JewishVL"/>
In 1923, Tel Aviv was the first town to be wired to electricity in Palestine, followed by Jaffa later in the same year. The opening ceremony of the Jaffa Electric Company powerhouse, on June 10, 1923, celebrated the lighting of the two main streets of Tel Aviv.<ref>Shamir, Ronen (2013) Current Flow: The Electrification of Palestine. Stanford: Stanford University Press.</ref>
In 1925, the Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist and pioneering town planner [[Patrick Geddes]] drew up a [[Urban planning|master plan]] for Tel Aviv which was adopted by the city council led by [[Meir Dizengoff]]. This first plan for developing the northern part of the district was called "The Geddes Plan",<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} whose core idea was the development of a [[Garden city movement|Garden City]] or "urban village," combining the best of urban and rural life.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=YuQZcdbG0HQC&pg=PA489&dq=about+park+hayarkon#v=onepage&q&f=true |title=Regional Architecture in the Mediterranean Area, ed. Alessandro Bucci, Luigi Mollo |publisher=Books.google.co.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23|isbn=9788860552938|year=2010}}</ref> The boundaries used by Geddes, the [[Yarkon River]] in the North and [[Solomon ibn Gabirol|Ibn Gvirol]] Street in the East, are now the boundaries of Tel Aviv's [[:he:הצפון הישן|Old North]].
[[Ben Gurion House]] was built in 1930–31, part of a new worker's housing development. At the same time, Jewish cultural life was given a boost by the establishment of the Ohel Theater and the decision of [[Habima Theatre]] to make Tel Aviv its permanent base in 1931.<ref name="JewishVL"/>
Tel Aviv was granted municipal status in 1934.<ref name="JewishVL"/> The Jewish population rose dramatically during the [[Fifth Aliyah]] after the Nazis came to power in Germany.<ref name="JewishVL"/> By 1937 the Jewish population of Tel Aviv had risen to 150,000, compared to Jaffa's mainly [[Palestinians]] 69,000 residents. Within two years, it had reached 160,000, which was over a third of Palestine's total Jewish population.<ref name="JewishVL"/> Many new Jewish immigrants to Palestine disembarked in Jaffa, and remained in Tel Aviv, turning the city into a center of urban life. Friction during the [[1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine|1936–39 Arab revolt]], led to the opening of a local Jewish port, [[Tel Aviv Port]], independent of Jaffa, in 1938, (it closed on 25 October 1965). [[Ben Gurion International Airport|Lydda Airport]] (later Ben Gurion Airport) and [[Sde Dov Airport]] opened between 1937 and 1938.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
Many [[German Jews|German Jewish]] architects trained at the [[Bauhaus]], the [[Modernism|Modernist]] school of architecture fled Germany. Some, like architect [[Arieh Sharon]], came to Palestine and adapted the architectural outlook of the Bauhaus as well as other similar schools, to local conditions, creating what is recognized as the largest concentration of buildings in the [[International style (architecture)|International Style]] in the world.<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
Tel Aviv's [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]] emerged in the 1930s, and became a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 2003.
Tel Aviv was hit during the Italian [[Bombing of Palestine in World War II]]. On 9 September 1940, 137 were killed in the bombing of Tel Aviv.<ref>Maya Zamir, {{Wayback |date=20080112084944 |url=http://www.tam.co.il/7_9_2007/magazin1.htm |title=The Day of The bombing }}, [[Tel Aviv Magazine]], 7 September 2007 {{he icon}}</ref>
According to the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine|1947 UN Partition Plan]] for dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, Tel Aviv, by then a city of 230,000, was included in the new [[Homeland for the Jewish people|Jewish state]]. Jaffa with, as of 1945, a population of 101,580 people, consisting of 53,930 Muslims, 30,820 Jews and 16,800 Christians, was designated as part of the Arab state. The Palestinian Arabs, however, rejected the plan.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} Between 1947 and 1948, tensions grew between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. When fighting broke out, the [[Haganah]] and [[Irgun]] Jewish para-military forces laid virtual siege to Jaffa.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} Arab snipers were reported firing at Jews from the minarets of the [[Hassan Bek Mosque]]. From April 1948, the [[Palestinians]] residents of Jaffa were forced to flee. By the time Jaffa had been captured by Jewish forces on 14 May, few Palestinian Arabs remained.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
===After Israeli independence===
[[File:Israel -Independence May 14, 1948.jpg|thumb|Crowd outside Dizengoff House (now [[Independence Hall (Israel)|Independence Hall]]) to hear declaration and signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948]]
When Israel [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|declared Independence]] on 14 May 1948, the population of Tel Aviv was over 200,000.<ref name="population"/>
Tel Aviv was the temporary government center of the State of Israel until the government moved to Jerusalem in December 1949. Due to the international dispute over the [[Positions on Jerusalem|status of Jerusalem]], most foreign embassies remained in or near Tel Aviv.<ref name="VTLV"/> In the early 1980s, 13 embassies in Jerusalem moved to Tel Aviv as part of the [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 478|UN's measures]] responding to Israel's 1980 [[Jerusalem Law]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Foreign%20Relations/Israels%20Foreign%20Relations%20since%201947/1979-1980/119%20Foreign%20Ministry%20reaction%20to%20the%20transfer%20of%20t |title=Foreign Ministry reaction to the transfer of the Dutch embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv |date=26 August 1980 |accessdate=3 June 2007 |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |work=Israel's Foreign Relations: Selected Documents}}</ref> Today, all national embassies are in Tel Aviv or environs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.co.il/Embassies.asp|title=Embassies and Consulates in Israel |accessdate=18 July 2007 |publisher=Israel Science and Technology |work=Israel Science and Technology Homepage}}</ref> The boundaries of Tel Aviv and Jaffa became a matter of contention between the Tel Aviv municipality and the Israeli government in 1948.<ref name=Golan1995>Arnon Golan (1995), The demarcation of Tel Aviv-Jaffa's municipal boundaries, ''Planning Perspectives'', vol. 10, pp. 383–398.</ref> The former wished to incorporate only the northern Jewish suburbs of Jaffa, while the latter wanted a more complete unification.<ref name=Golan1995/> The issue also had international sensitivity, since the main part of Jaffa was in the Arab portion of the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine|United Nations Partition Plan]], whereas Tel Aviv was not, and no armistice agreements had yet been signed.<ref name=Golan1995/> On 10 December 1948, the government announced the annexation to Tel Aviv of Jaffa's Jewish suburbs, the [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] neighborhood of [[Abu Kabir]], the Palestinian village of [[Salama, Jaffa|Salama]] and some of its agricultural land, and the Jewish 'Hatikva' slum.<ref name=Golan1995/> On 25 February 1949, the depopulated Palestinian village of [[al-Shaykh Muwannis]] was also annexed to Tel Aviv.<ref name=Golan1995/> On 18 May 1949, [[Manshiya]] and part of Jaffa's central zone were added, for the first time including land that had been in the Arab portion of the UN partition plan.<ref name=Golan1995/> The government voted on the unification of Tel Aviv and Jaffa on 4 October 1949, but the decision was not implemented until 24 April 1950 due to the opposition of Tel Aviv mayor [[Israel Rokach]].<ref name=Golan1995/> The name of the unified city was Tel Aviv until 19 August 1950, when it was renamed Tel Aviv-Yafo in order to preserve the historical name Jaffa.<ref name=Golan1995/>
Tel Aviv thus grew to {{convert|42|km2|sqmi|sp=us|1}}. In 1949, a memorial to the 60 founders of Tel Aviv was constructed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fodors.com/world/africa%20and%20middle%20east/israel/tel%20aviv/entity_190378.html |title=Founders Monument and Fountain |accessdate=21 January 2008 |work=[[Fodor's|Fodors]]}}</ref> Over the past 60 years, Tel Aviv has developed into a [[secularity|secular]], liberal-minded center with a vibrant nightlife and café culture.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
In the 1960s, some of the older buildings were demolished, making way for the country's first high-rises. [[Shalom Meir Tower]] was Israel's [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the world|tallest building]] until 1999. Tel Aviv's population peaked in the early 1960s at 390,000, representing 16 percent of the country's total.<ref name="profile">{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/engineering/strategy/pdf/profile-main-issues.pdf |title=City Profile |accessdate=30 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |format=PDF}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> A long period of steady decline followed, however, and by the late 1980s the city had an aging population of 317,000.<ref name="profile"/> High property prices pushed families out and deterred young people from moving in.<ref name="profile"/>
At this time, gentrification began in the poor neighborhoods of southern Tel Aviv, and the old port in the north was renewed.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} New laws were introduced to protect Modernist buildings, and efforts to preserve them were aided by [[UNESCO]] recognition of the Tel Aviv's White City as a world heritage site. In the early 1990s, the decline in population was reversed, partly due to the large wave of immigrants from the [[Post-Soviet states|former Soviet Union]].<ref name="profile"/> Tel Aviv also began to emerge as a high-tech center.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} The construction of many [[List of tallest structures in Israel|skyscrapers]] and high-tech office buildings followed. In 1993, Tel Aviv was categorized as a [[Global city|world city]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ff.uni-lj.si/oddelki/geo/publikacije/dela/files/Dela_21/019%20kipnis.pdf |title=Tel Aviv, Israel – A World City in Evolution: Urban Development at a Deadend of the Global Economy |first=Baruch A. |last=Kipnis |year=2004 |accessdate=30 March 2008 |format=PDF}}</ref> The city is regarded as a strong candidate for [[Gamma world city|global city status]].<ref name="GAWC">{{cite web|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb57.html|title=Tel Aviv, Israel – A World City in Evolution: Urban Development at a Deadend of the Global Economy|last=Kipnis|first=B.A. |publisher=Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network at [[Loughborough University]]|date=8 October 2001 |accessdate=17 July 2007}} Cities in Transition. Ljubljana: Department of Geography, [[University of Ljubljana]], pp. 183–194.</ref>
[[File:Florentin0013.JPG|thumb|A [[Bauhaus]] street café in Florentin, Tel Aviv.]]
In the [[Gulf War]] in 1991, Tel Aviv was attacked by [[Scud]] missiles from Iraq. Iraq hoped to provoke an Israeli military response, which could have destroyed the US–Arab alliance. The [[United States]] pressured Israel not to retaliate, and after Israel acquiesced, the US and [[Netherlands]] rushed [[Patriot missile]]s to defend against the attacks, but they proved largely ineffective. Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities continued to be hit by Scuds throughout the war, and every city in the Tel Aviv area except for [[Bnei Brak]] was hit. A total of 74 Israelis died as a result of the Iraqi attacks, mostly from suffocation and heart attacks,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Gulf_War.html |title=The Gulf War |publisher=Jewishvirtuallibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> while approximately 230 Israelis were injured.<ref name="publicpolicy.umd.edu">{{Cite journal | last1 = Fetter | first1 = Steve | last2 = Lewis | first2 = George N. | last3 = Gronlund | first3 = Lisbeth | title = Why were Casualties so low? | journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] | volume = 361 | pages = 293–296 | publisher = [[Nature Publishing Group]] | location = London | date = 28 January 1993 | url = http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/4282/1/1993-Nature-Scud.pdf | doi = 10.1038/361293a0 | issue = 6410 | ref = harv}}</ref> Extensive property damage was also caused, and some 4,000 Israelis were left homeless. It was feared that Iraq would fire missiles filled with [[nerve agent]]s or [[sarin]]. As a result, the Israeli government issued [[gas mask]]s to its citizens. When the first Iraqi missiles hit Israel, some people injected themselves with an antidote for nerve gas. The inhabitants of the southeastern suburb of HaTikva erected an angel-monument as a sign of their gratitude that "it was through a great miracle, that many people were preserved from being killed by a direct hit of a Scud rocket."<ref>[http://israelplaces.christ2020.de/#q Citation from a web travel guide about modern places in Israel, with Biblical references]</ref>
On 4 November 1995, Israel's prime minister, [[Yitzhak Rabin]], [[Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin|was assassinated]] at a rally in Tel Aviv in support of the Oslo peace accord. The outdoor plaza where this occurred, formerly known as Kikar Malchei Yisrael, was renamed [[Rabin Square]].<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
In 2009, Tel Aviv celebrated its official centennial.<ref name="centennial">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.tlv100.co.il/EN/
|title=Tel Aviv-Yafo Centennial Year 1909–2009
|publisher=City of Tel Aviv-Yafo}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> In addition to city- and country-wide celebrations, digital collections of historical materials were assembled. These include the History section of the official Tel Aviv-Yafo Centennial Year website;<ref name="centennial"/> the Ahuzat Bayit collection, which focuses on the founding families of Tel Aviv, and includes photographs and biographies;<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.ahuzatbait.org.il/
|title=Ahuzat Bayit Collection
|language=Hebrew}}</ref>
and [[Stanford University]]'s [http://lib.stanford.edu/telaviv Eliasaf Robinson Tel Aviv Collection],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://lib.stanford.edu/telaviv
|title=Eliasaf Robinson Tel Aviv Collection
|publisher=[[Stanford University]]}}</ref> documenting the history of the city.
====Arab–Israeli conflict====
[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - IAF Flight for Israel's 63rd Independence Day.jpg|thumb|[[Israel Air Force]] over Tel Aviv]]
Since the [[First Intifada]], Tel Aviv has suffered from [[Palestinian political violence]]. The first [[suicide attack]] in Tel Aviv occurred on 19 October 1994, on the [[Dizengoff Street bus bombing|Line 5 bus]], when a bomber killed 22 civilians and injured 50 as part of a [[Hamas]] suicide campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9511/rabin/timeline/mideast_timeline/index.html |title=Death toll |publisher=Cnn.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> On 6 March 1996, another Hamas suicide bomber killed 13 people (12 civilians and 1 soldier) in the [[Dizengoff Center suicide bombing]].<ref name="victims">{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+before+2000/Fatal+Terrorist+Attacks+in+Israel+Since+the+DOP+-S.htm |title=Fatal Terrorist Attacks in Israel Since the DOP (Sept 1993) |date=24 September 2000 |publisher=Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs |accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news |title=Bombing in Israel:The Overiew;4th Terror Blast in Israel Kills 14 at Mall in Tel Aviv; Nine-Day Toll Grows to 61 |author=Serge Schmemann |newspaper=The New York Times |date=5 March 2010 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/05/world/bombing-israel-overview-4th-terror-blast-israel-kills-14-mall-tel-aviv-nine-day.html?scp=1&sq=dizengoff%20center%20suicide&st=cse&pagewanted=print }}</ref> Three women were killed by a Hamas terrorist in the [[Café Apropo bombing]] on 27 March 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://laad.btl.gov.il/show_item.asp?itemId=34825&levelId=28553&itemType=10&template=3 |title=אתר לזכר האזרחים חללי פעולות האיבה |publisher=Laad.btl.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://laad.btl.gov.il/show_item.asp?itemId=35470&levelId=28553&itemType=10&template=3 |title=אתר לזכר האזרחים חללי פעולות האיבה |publisher=Laad.btl.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://laad.btl.gov.il/show_item.asp?itemId=35084&levelId=28553&itemType=10&template=3 |title=אתר לזכר האזרחים חללי פעולות האיבה |publisher=Laad.btl.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
One of the most deadly attacks occurred on 1 June 2001, during the [[Second Intifada]], when a suicide bomber exploded at the entrance to the [[Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing|Dolphinarium discothèque]], killing 21, mostly teenagers, and injuring 132.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ict.org.il/Articles/tabid/66/Articlsid/65/currentpage/22/Default.aspx |title=The Palestinian Authority-Hamas Collusion – From Operational Cooperation to Propaganda Hoax |publisher=Ict.org.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-48416289.html|title=No. 1 Hamas terrorist killed. Followers threaten revenge in Tel Aviv |last=O'Sullvian|first=Arieh|date=25 November 2001|publisher=Jerusalem Post|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/international/middleeast/29israel.html|title=In Hamas's Overt Hatred, Many Israelis See Hope|last=Fisher|first=Ian|date=29 January 2006|work=New York Times|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/home/0,7340,L-1258,00.html |title=Ynet – פיגוע בדולפינריום – חדשות |publisher=Ynet.co.il |date=1995-06-20 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> Another Hamas suicide bomber killed six civilians and injured 70 in the [[Allenby Street bus bombing]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002-09-19-mideast-explosion_x.htm |title=USATODAY.com – Six killed, scores wounded in suicide attack on Tel Aviv bus |work=USA Today |publisher=[[Gannett Company|Gannett]] |location=McLean, VA |issn=0734-7456 |accessdate=16 October 2011 |date=19 September 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/sep/20/israel1 |title=Tel Aviv bus bomb shatters hopes of truce | World news | The Guardian |work=The Guardian |date=20 September 2002 |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group|GMG]] |location=London |issn=0261-3077 |oclc=60623878 |accessdate=16 October 2011 |first=Jonathan |last=Steele}}</ref><ref name=bbc>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2268392.stm |title=BBC NEWS | Middle East | Fatal bus blast rocks Tel Aviv |work=BBC News |date=19 September 2002 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] |location=London |accessdate=16 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/20/world/suicide-bomber-kills-5-on-a-bus-in-tel-aviv.html |title=Suicide Bomber Kills 5 on a Bus in Tel Aviv – New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=20 September 2002 |publisher=[[New York Times Company|NYTC]] |location=New York |issn=0362-4331 |accessdate=16 October 2011 |first=Serge |last=Schmemann}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/19/kessel.otsc/index.html |title=CNN.com – Jerrold Kessel: Heart of Tel Aviv hit – Sep. 19, 2002 |publisher=cnn |year=2011 |accessdate=16 October 2011}}</ref> Twenty-three civilians were killed and over 100 injured in the [[Tel-Aviv central bus station massacre]].<ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-%20Obstacle%20to%20Peace/Memorial/2003/Avi%20Kotzer Avi Kotzer]</ref><ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-%20Obstacle%20to%20Peace/Memorial/2003/Viktor%20Shebayev Viktor Shebayev]</ref> [[Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades]] claimed responsibility for the attack. In the [[Mike's Place suicide bombing]], an attack on a bar by a [[British Muslim]] suicide bomber resulted in the deaths of three civilians and wounded over 50.<ref name=jewishsf.com>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/20891/edition_id/429/format/html/displaystory.html |title=Tel Aviv bar and bomb target slowly getting its groove back |last=Khazzoom |first=Loolwa |work=jewishsf.com|date=29 September 2003 |accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref> Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed joint responsibility. An Islamic Jihad bomber killed five and wounded over 50 in the 25 February 2005 [[Stage Club bombing]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-26-syria-bombing_x.htm |title=Syria-based Islamic Jihad claims role for Tel Aviv bombing |publisher=Usatoday.com |date=2005-02-26 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> The most recent suicide attack in the city occurred on 17 April 2006, when 11 people were killed and at least 70 wounded in a [[2006 Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing|suicide bombing near the old central bus station]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/Israel/israel_attacks.asp |title=Major Terrorist Attacks in Israel |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref>
Another attack took place on 29 August 2011 in which a Palestinian attacker stole an Israeli taxi cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular [[Haoman 17]] [[nightclub]] in Tel Aviv which was filled with 2,000<ref name=autogenerated5>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/palestinian-drives-stolen-taxi-israelis-stabs/story?id=14403744 |title=Terror Attack Outside Tel Aviv Nightclub Filled With 2,000 Teenagers |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=2011-08-29 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> [[Israelis|Israeli]] teenagers. After crashing, the assailant went on a stabbing spree, injuring eight people.<ref name=autogenerated1/> Due to an [[Israel Border Police]] roadblock at the entrance and immediate response of the Border Police team during the subsequent stabbings, a much larger and fatal mass-casualty incident was avoided.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kubovich |first=Yaniv |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/terror-attack-in-tel-aviv-leaves-eight-wounded-1.381250 |title=Terror attack in Tel Aviv leaves eight wounded |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2011-08-29 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
On 21 November 2012, during [[Operation Pillar of Defense]], the Tel Aviv area was targeted by rockets, and air raid sirens were sounded in the city for the first time since the Gulf War. All of the rockets either missed populated areas or were shot down by an [[Iron Dome]] rocket defense battery stationed near the city. During the operation, a bomb blast on a bus wounded at least 28 civilians, three seriously.<ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/21/250965.html |title='Apparent explosion' rocks Tel Aviv bus: Israeli police |publisher=Al Arabiya |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=292860 |title=Terrorist blows up bus in central Tel Aviv; 10 injured |publisher=Jerusalem Post |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/162356 |title=Terrorist Attack on Bus in Tel Aviv |publisher=Arutz Sheva |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4309791,00.html |title=Blast on bus in heart of Tel Aviv |publisher=Ynet News |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref> This was described as a terrorist attack by Israel, Russia, and the United States and was condemned by the United Nations, United States, United Kingdom, France and Russia, whilst Hamas spokesman [[Sami Abu Zuhri]] declared that the organisation "blesses" the attack.<ref name="BBC-Nov21">{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20425352 | title=Israel-Gaza crisis: 'Bomb blast' on bus in Tel Aviv | publisher=BBC | date=November 21, 2012 | accessdate=November 21, 2012}}</ref>
==Geography==
[[File:Tel Aviv SPOT 1083.jpg|thumb|right|Tel Aviv seen from space]]
Tel Aviv is located around {{Coord|32|5|N|34|48|E|}} on the [[Israeli coastal plain|Israeli Mediterranean coastline]], in central Israel, the [[Via Maris|historic land bridge]] between Europe, Asia and Africa. Immediately north of the ancient port of Jaffa, Tel Aviv lies on land that used to be sand dunes and as such has relatively poor [[fertility (soil)|soil fertility]]. The land has been flattened and has no important gradients; its most notable geographical features are bluffs above the Mediterranean coastline and the [[Yarkon River]] mouth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/About+Israel/Cities/Tel+Aviv.htm |title=Tel Aviv |publisher=[[Jewish Agency for Israel|Jewish Agency]] |accessdate=26 January 2008 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071013102915/http://jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/About+Israel/Cities/Tel+Aviv.htm |archivedate= 13 October 2007}}</ref> Because of the expansion of Tel Aviv and the Gush Dan region, absolute borders between Tel Aviv and Jaffa and between the city's neighborhoods do not exist.
The city is located {{convert|60|km|mi|0|sp=us}} northwest of Jerusalem and {{convert|90|km|mi|0|sp=us}} south of the city of [[Haifa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distances.html?n=676 |title=Cities located close to Tel Aviv |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=TimeandDate.com}}</ref> Neighboring cities and towns include [[Herzliya]] to the north, [[Ramat HaSharon]] to the northeast, [[Petah Tikva]], [[Bnei Brak]], [[Ramat Gan]] and [[Giv'atayim]] to the east, [[Holon]] to the southeast, and [[Bat Yam]] to the south.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.co.il/Israel-map-Carta.asp |title=Map of Israel |accessdate=15 March 2008 |publisher=Carta}}</ref> The city is economically stratified between the north and south. Southern Tel Aviv is considered less affluent than Northern Tel Aviv with the exception of [[Neve Tzedek]] and some recent development on [[Jaffa]] beach. Central Tel Aviv is home to [[Azrieli Center]] and the important financial and commerce district along [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway]]. The northern side of Tel Aviv is home to [[Tel Aviv University]], [[Hayarkon Park]], and upscale residential neighborhoods such as [[Ramat Aviv]] and [[Afeka]].<ref name=yarkoni>{{cite web
|last=Yarkoni
|first=Amir
|title=Real Estate in Tel Aviv – continued
|work=Tel Aviv Insider
|accessdate=22 July 2008
|url=http://www.telaviv-insider.co.il/real-estate-2.php
}}</ref>
===Climate===
Tel Aviv has a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: Csa) with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
In the colder months, average temperatures typically range from {{convert|9|°C|°F|sigfig=2}} to {{convert|17|°C|°F|sigfig=2}}.<ref name="ims">{{cite web|url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |title=Averages and Records for Tel Aviv (Precipitation, Temperature and Records [Excluding February and May] written in the page)|publisher=Israel Meteorological Service | accessdate= August 2010}}{{link language|he}}</ref> In summer, average temperatures range from {{convert|24|°C|°F|sigfig=2}} to {{convert|30|°C|°F|sigfig=2}}. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons, with some fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. Heatwaves are most common during spring, with temperatures as high as {{convert|35|°C|°F|sigfig=2}}.
Tel Aviv averages {{convert|532|mm|inch|sp=us|1}} of precipitation annually, which mostly occurs in the months of September through May. Winter is the wettest season, often accompanied by cold spells of heavy showers and thunderstorms. Snow is extremely rare, with the last recorded [[snowfall]] within city limits occurring in February 1950. The wettest month on record was January 2000 with {{convert|324.9|mm|2|abbr=on}}. The wettest day on record was 8 November 1955 with {{convert|133|mm|2|abbr=on}}. However, Tel Aviv enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year with more than 300 sunny days annually.
{{Weather box
|location= Tel Aviv (1916–2007)
|metric first= yes
|single line= yes
|Jan record high C= 26.8
|Feb record high C= 29.6
|Mar record high C= 35.2
|Apr record high C= 40.4
|May record high C= 46.5
|Jun record high C= 37.6
|Jul record high C= 37.4
|Aug record high C= 34.4
|Sep record high C= 35.4
|Oct record high C= 38.4
|Nov record high C= 35.3
|Dec record high C= 27.9
|year record high C= 46.5
|Jan humidity= 73
|Feb humidity= 71
|Mar humidity= 69
|Apr humidity= 65
|May humidity= 68
|Jun humidity= 70
|Jul humidity= 70
|Aug humidity= 70
|Sep humidity= 67
|Oct humidity= 66
|Nov humidity= 66
|Dec humidity= 72
|year humidity= 69
|Jan high C= 17.5
|Feb high C= 17.7
|Mar high C= 19.2
|Apr high C= 22.8
|May high C= 24.9
|Jun high C= 27.5
|Jul high C= 29.4
|Aug high C= 30.2
|Sep high C= 29.4
|Oct high C= 27.3
|Nov high C= 23.4
|Dec high C= 19.2
|year high C= 24.04
|Jan mean C= 13
|Feb mean C= 13.8
|Mar mean C= 15.4
|Apr mean C= 18.6
|May mean C= 21.1
|Jun mean C= 24.1
|Jul mean C= 26.2
|Aug mean C= 27
|Sep mean C= 26
|Oct mean C= 23.2
|Nov mean C= 19
|Dec mean C= 15.2
|year mean C= 20.3
|Jan low C= 9.6
|Feb low C= 9.8
|Mar low C= 11.5
|Apr low C= 14.4
|May low C= 17.3
|Jun low C= 20.6
|Jul low C= 23
|Aug low C= 23.7
|Sep low C= 22.5
|Oct low C= 19.1
|Nov low C= 14.6
|Dec low C= 11.2
|year low C= 16.44
|Jan record low C= 2.5
|Feb record low C= −1.9
|Mar record low C= 3.5
|Apr record low C= 7
|May record low C= 11.2
|Jun record low C= 15
|Jul record low C= 19
|Aug record low C= 20
|Sep record low C= 15.7
|Oct record low C= 11.6
|Nov record low C= 6
|Dec record low C= 4
|year record low C= −1.9
|Jan rain mm= 126.9
|Feb rain mm= 90.1
|Mar rain mm= 60.6
|Apr rain mm= 18
|May rain mm= 2.3
|Jun rain mm= 0
|Jul rain mm= 0
|Aug rain mm= 0.7
|Sep rain mm= 1.4
|Oct rain mm= 26.3
|Nov rain mm= 79.3
|Dec rain mm= 126.4
|Jan rain days= 12.8
|Feb rain days= 10
|Mar rain days= 8.5
|Apr rain days= 3.1
|May rain days= 0.8
|Jun rain days= 0
|Jul rain days= 0
|Aug rain days= 0.3
|Sep rain days= 0.3
|Oct rain days= 3.2
|Nov rain days= 7.5
|Dec rain days= 10.9
|Jan sun= 192.2
|Feb sun= 205.9
|Mar sun= 235.6
|Apr sun= 270
|May sun= 328.6
|Jun sun= 357
|Jul sun= 368.9
|Aug sun= 356.5
|Sep sun= 300
|Oct sun= 279
|Nov sun= 234
|Dec sun= 189.1
|year sun= 3316.8
|source 1= ''Israel Meteorological Service''<ref name="ims"/><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael |title=Extremes for Tel Aviv [Records of February and May]|publisher=Israel Meteorological Service| accessdate= August 2010}}{{link language|he}}</ref>
|source 2= ''[[Hong Kong Observatory]]'' for data of sunshine hours<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/europe/gr_tu/tel_aviv_e.htm |title=Climatological Information for Tel Aviv, Israel|publisher=Hong Kong Observatory | accessdate= August 2010}}</ref>
}}
{|class="wikitable"
|+Tel Aviv mean sea temperature<ref>[http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/israel/tel-aviv.php Tel Aviv Climate and Weather Averages, Israel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|-
!'''Jan'''
!'''Feb'''
!'''Mar'''
!'''Apr'''
!'''May'''
!'''Jun'''
!'''Jul'''
!'''Aug'''
!'''Sep'''
!'''Oct'''
!'''Nov'''
!'''Dec'''
|-
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|17|°C}}
|{{convert|17|°C}}
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|24|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|28|°C}}
|{{convert|27|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|{{convert|20|°C}}
|}
==Local government==
[[File:Rabin Squre eco pool.jpg|thumb|[[Rabin Square]] and [[Tel Aviv City Hall]] looking northwest]]
Tel Aviv is governed by a 31-member city council elected for a five-year term in direct proportional elections.<ref name="govt">{{cite book
|last=Encyclopædia Britannica Staff
|title=The New Encyclopædia Britannica
|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica
|year=1974
|page=66
|url=http://books.google.com/?id=YpZpY9plD7AC&q=tel-aviv+city+council&dq=tel-aviv+city+council
|id=
|isbn=0-85229-290-2}}</ref> All Israeli citizens over the age of 18 with at least one year of residence in Tel Aviv are eligible to vote in municipal elections. The municipality is responsible for social services, community programs, public infrastructure, urban planning, tourism and other local affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/human/index.htm|title=Social Services Administration|accessdate=29 March 2008|publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/education/community/centers.htm |title=Community Life |accessdate=29 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/Tourism/Information/Index.htm |title=Tourism |accessdate=29 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302120451/http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/Tourism/Information/Index.htm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archivedate=2 March 2008}}</ref> The Tel Aviv City Hall is located at [[Rabin Square]]. [[Ron Huldai]] has been mayor of Tel Aviv since 1998.<ref name="govt"/> Huldai was reelected in the 2008 municipal elections, defeating [[Dov Khenin|Dov Henin]]'s list.<ref name=lappin>{{Cite news
|last= Lappin
|first= Yaakov
|title= Huldai beats Henin in TA mayor race
|work= Jerusalem Post
|accessdate=22 November 2008
|date= 12 November 2008
|url= http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1226404704522
}}</ref> The longest serving mayor was [[Shlomo Lahat]], who was in office for 19 years. The shortest serving was [[David Bloch-Blumenfeld|David Bloch]], in office for two years, 1925–27. Outside the [[kibbutz]]im, [[Meretz]] receives more votes in Tel Aviv than in any other city in Israel.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shiner |first=Doron |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/how-they-voted-see-israel-election-results-by-city-sector-1.269923 |title=How they voted: See Israel election results by city/sector |work=Haaretz |location=Israel |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref>
===Mayors===
[[File:Ron Huldai.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ron Huldai]], mayor of Tel Aviv since 1998.]]
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Mayors of Tel Aviv
!
! Name
! Term
! Party
|-
|1
|[[Meir Dizengoff]]
|1921–1925
|General Zionists
|-
|2
|[[David Bloch-Blumenfeld|David Bloch]]
|1925–1927
|Ahdut HaAvoda
|-
|3
|Meir Dizengoff
|1928–1936
|General Zionists
|-
|4
|[[Israel Rokach]]
|1936–1952
|General Zionists
|-
|5
|[[Chaim Levanon]]
|1953–1959
|General Zionists
|-
|6
|[[Mordechai Namir]]
|1959–1969
|Mapai
|-
|7
|[[Yehoshua Rabinovitz]]
|1969–1974
|Alignment
|-
|8
|[[Shlomo Lahat]]
|1974–1993
|Likud
|-
|9
|[[Roni Milo]]
|1993–1998
|Likud
|-
|10
|[[Ron Huldai]]
|1998–Present
| Tel Aviv 1
|}
===City council===
The coalition is led by [[Tel Aviv 1]] and consists of 23 of 31 seats.
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Tel Aviv City Council, 2008
! Party
! Seats
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Tel Aviv 1]]
|5
|-
|City for All
|5
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|Power for Pensioners
|3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Meretz]]
|3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|City Majority
|3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[The Greens (Israel)|The Greens]]
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Likud]]
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[United Torah Judaism]]
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Shas]]
|2
|-
|Latet Lihyot – Let Live
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Social Justice (political party)|Social Justice]]
|1
|-
|Jaffa
|1
|}
==Education==
[[File:Shriber-math01.jpg|thumb|The Vladimir Schreiber Institute of Mathematics in [[Tel Aviv University]]]]
In 2006, 51,359 children attended school in Tel Aviv, of whom 8,977 were in municipal kindergartens, 23,573 in municipal elementary schools, and 18,809 in high schools.<ref name="TA Stats"/> Sixty-four percent of students in the city are entitled to matriculation, more than 5 percent higher than the national average.<ref name="TA Stats"/> About 4,000 children are in first grade at schools in the city, and population growth is expected to raise this number to 6,000 by 2012.<ref name="young"/> As a result, 20 additional kindergarten classes were opened in 2008–09 in the city. A new elementary school is planned north of Sde Dov as well as a new high school in northern Tel Aviv.<ref name="young"/>
The first Hebrew high school, called [[Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium]], was built in 1905 on Herzl Street.
[[Tel Aviv University]], the largest university in Israel, is known internationally for its [[physics]], [[computer science]], [[chemistry]] and [[linguistics]] departments. Together with [[Bar-Ilan University]] in neighboring [[Ramat Gan]], the student population numbers over 50,000, including a sizeable [[international student|international community]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.topuniversities.com/ |title=Tel Aviv University |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=QS Top Universities}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Education/higher_ed.html |title=Higher Education |publisher=Jewish Virtual Library |accessdate=19 July 2007}}</ref> Its campus is located in the neighborhood of [[Ramat Aviv]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/tau-history-eng.html |title=TAU History |publisher=[[Tel Aviv University]] |accessdate=26 January 2008}}</ref> Tel Aviv also has several colleges.<ref name=colleges>{{cite web
|title=Colleges in Israel
|work=Israel Science and Technology Homepage
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|url=http://www.science.co.il/Colleges.asp
}}</ref>
The [[Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium]] moved from Jaffa to Tel Aviv in 1909. The school continues to operate, although it has moved to [[Jabotinsky]] Street.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schooly.co.il/gymnasia/ |title=Gymnasia Herzlia |language=Hebrew |accessdate=2 April 2008}}</ref> Other notable schools in Tel Aviv include [[Shevah Mofet]], the second [[Hebrew school]] in the city, Ironi Alef High School for Arts and [[Alliance Israelite Universelle|Alliance]].
==Demographics==
[[File:Tel Avivskyline.jpg|thumb|300px|Aerial view of Tel Aviv]]
Tel Aviv has a population of 414,600 spread over a land area of {{convert|52000|dunam|km2|1}} (20 mi²), yielding a population density of 7,606 people per square kilometer (19,699 per square mile). According to the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] (CBS), as of 2009 Tel Aviv's population is growing at an annual rate of 0.5 percent. Jews of all backgrounds form 91.8 percent of the population, Muslims and Arab Christians make up 4.2 percent, and the remainder belong to other groups (including various Christian and Asian communities).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gis.cbs.gov.il/website/yishuvim/yishuvim_2005/XLS/bycode.xls |title=Tel Aviv Ethnic Breakdown |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] |date=31 December 2005 |format=Excel |accessdate=7 July 2007}}"Others" refers to non-Arab Christians and unclassified.</ref> As Tel Aviv is a multicultural city, many languages are spoken in addition to [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]. According to some estimates, about 50,000 unregistered Asian [[foreign worker]]s live in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://migration.ucdavis.edu/MN/more.php?id=1041_0_5_0 |title=Migration News |accessdate=22 May 2007 |publisher=UC Davis}}</ref> Compared with Westernised cities, crime in Tel Aviv is relatively low.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=64217 |title=Israel 2007 Crime & Safety Report: Tel Aviv |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=Overseas Security Advisory Agency}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref>
According to Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the average income in the city, which has an [[unemployment|unemployment rate]] of 6.9 percent, is 20 percent above the national average.<ref name="TA Stats">{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124142007/http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/cityhall/geo/6167Area.pdf |title=Tel Aviv-Yafo in Numbers |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |accessdate=27 January 2008 |date=July 2006}} {{Dead link|date=April 2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The city's education standards are above the national average: of its 12th-grade students, 64.4 percent are eligible for [[Bagrut|matriculation certificates]].<ref name="TA Stats"/> The age profile is relatively even, with 22.2 percent aged under 20, 18.5 percent aged 20–29, 24 percent aged 30–44, 16.2 percent aged between 45 and 59, and 19.1 percent older than 60.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_11x&CYear=2007 |title=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2007 |accessdate=23 January 2008 |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref>
Tel Aviv's population reached a peak in the early 1960s at around 390,000, falling to 317,000 in the late 1980s as high property prices forced families out and deterred young couples from moving in.<ref name="profile"/> Since the mass immigration from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, population has steadily grown.<ref name="profile"/> Today, the city's population is young and growing.<ref name="young">{{cite news |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200572495562&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |title=Tel Aviv getting younger |work=[[The Jerusalem Post|Jerusalem Post]] |date=21 January 2008 |accessdate=31 January 2008}}</ref> In 2006, 22,000 people moved to the city, while only 18,500 left,<ref name="young"/> and many of the new families had young children. The population is expected to reach 450,000 by 2025; meanwhile, the average age of residents fell from 35.8 in 1983 to 34 in 2008.<ref name="young"/> The population over age 65 stands at 14.6 percent compared with 19% in 1983.<ref name="young"/>
===Religion===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 6317 Central Synagogue in Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Great Synagogue (Tel Aviv)|Great Synagogue]]]]
Tel Aviv has 544 active synagogues,<ref name=LauINN>{{cite news
|last=Baruch
|first=Uzi
|title=תל אביב דתית יותר ממה שנהוג לחשוב
|work=Israel National News
|accessdate=17 May 2009
|date=17 May 2009
|url=http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/189306
}} {{he icon}}</ref>
including historic buildings such as the [[Great Synagogue (Tel Aviv)|Great Synagogue]], established in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Jewish underground of Tel Aviv |url=http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3451146,00.html |work=Ynetnews |first=Udi |last=Michelson |date=19 January 2007 |accessdate=16 March 2008}}</ref> In 2008, a center for secular [[Jewish studies|Jewish Studies]] and a [[BINA Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture|secular yeshiva]] opened in the city.<ref name=arfa>{{cite news
|last=Arfa
|first=Orit
|title=Jewish learning on the rise in Tel Aviv
|work=Jerusalem Post
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|date=21 October 2006
|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193467733&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
}}</ref> Tensions between religious and [[Secular Jewish culture|secular Jews]] before the gay pride parade ended in vandalism of a synagogue.<ref name=cohen>{{cite news
|last=Cohen
|first=Avi
|title=Synagogue vandalized as gay parade controversy picks up steam
|work=Ynetnews
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|date=2 November 2006
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3322809,00.html
}}</ref> The number of churches has grown to accommodate the religious needs of diplomats and foreign workers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Euk/Destinations/Tel+Aviv/Tel+Aviv-Jaffa.htm |title=Tel Aviv-Jaffa |accessdate=16 March 2008 |publisher=Israeli Tourism Ministry |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080303015041/http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Euk/Destinations/Tel+Aviv/Tel+Aviv-Jaffa.htm |archivedate= 3 March 2008}}</ref> The population consists of 93% Jewish, 1% Muslim, and 1% Christian. The remaining 5 percent are not classified by religion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_06x&CYear=2007 |title=Population by District, Sub-District and Religion |publisher=Israel CBS |work=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2007 |format=PDF |year=2007 |accessdate=2 April 2008}}</ref> [[Yisrael Meir Lau|Israel Meir Lau]] is [[Chief Rabbi|chief rabbi]] of the city.<ref name=lau>{{Cite news
|last= Associated Press
|title= Former Chief Rabbi Lau named as chair of Yad Vashem council
|work= Haaretz
|accessdate=22 November 2008
|date= 9 November 2008
|url= http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035690.html
}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is an ethnically diverse city. The Jewish population, which forms the majority group in Tel Aviv consists of immigrants from all parts of the world and their descendants, including Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, North America, South America, Australia and South Africa, as well as Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews from Southern Europe, North Africa, India, Central Asia, West Asia,and the Arabian Peninsula. There are also a sizable number of Ethiopian Jews and their descendants living in Tel Aviv. In addition to Muslim and Arab Christian minorities in the city, several hundred Armenian Christians who reside in the city are concentrated mainly in [[Jaffa]] and some Christians from the former Soviet Union who immigrated to Israel with Jewish spouses and relatives. In recent years, Tel Aviv has received many non-Jewish migrants, students, foreign workers (documented and undocumented) and refugees. There are many refugees from African countries located in the southern part of the city.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0524/Israel-land-of-Jewish-refugees-riled-by-influx-of-Africans Christian Science Monitor: "Israel, land of Jewish refugees, riled by influx of Africans" By Joshua Mitnick] 24 May 2012</ref>
===Neighborhoods===
[[File:Kerem.jpg|thumb|[[Kerem HaTeimanim]] is a predominantly [[Yemenite Jewish]] neighborhood in the center of Tel Aviv]]
{{Further|Neighborhoods of Tel Aviv}} Tel Aviv is divided into nine districts that have formed naturally over the city's short history. The oldest of these is Jaffa, the ancient [[port|port city]] out of which Tel Aviv grew. This area is traditionally made up demographically of a greater percentage of Arabs, but recent [[gentrification]] is replacing them with a young professional and artist population. Similar processes are occurring in nearby [[Neve Tzedek]], the original Jewish neighborhood outside of Jaffa. [[Ramat Aviv]], a district in the northern part of the city that is largely made up of luxury apartments and includes [[Tel Aviv University]], is currently undergoing extensive expansion and is set to absorb the beachfront property of Sde Dov Airport after its decommissioning.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3420369,00.html |title=Tel Aviv airport to make way for luxury project |accessdate=3 July 2007 |date=3 July 2007 |last=Petersburg |first=Ofer |work=Ynetnews}}</ref> The area known as [[HaKirya]] is the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) headquarters and a large [[military base]].<ref name=yarkoni/>
Historically, there was a demographic split between the [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] northern side of the city, including the district of Ramat Aviv, and the southern, more [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] and [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]] neighborhoods including [[Neve Tzedek]] and [[Florentin, Tel Aviv|Florentin]].<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
Since the 1980s, major restoration and gentrification projects have been implemented in southern Tel Aviv.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} Baruch Yoscovitz, city planner for Tel Aviv beginning in 2001, reworked old British plans for the Florentin neighborhood from the 1920s, adding green areas, pedestrian malls, and housing. The municipality invested 2 million shekels in the project. The goal was to make Florentin the [[Soho]] of Tel Aviv, and attract artists and young professionals.<ref>{{cite book|last=Forester, Fischler, Shmueli|first=John, Raphael, Deborah|title=Israeli Planners and Designers: Profiles of Community Builders|year=2001|publisher=State University of New York Press|location=Albany|pages=33–41}}</ref> Florentin is now known as a hip, "cool" place to be in Tel Aviv with coffeehouses, markets, bars, galleries and parties.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mayer|first=Joel|title=Tel Aviv Chic; Exploring Graffiti in Florentine|url=http://www.jpost.com/LocalIsrael/TelAvivAndCenter/Article.aspx?id=135152|accessdate=3/12/11|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=4/12/11}}</ref>
==Cityscape==
{{Wide image|TelAviv-Panorama3.jpg|1100px|{{centre|View of Tel Aviv from Azrieli Center}}}}
===Architecture===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 5189 Neve Tzedek in Tel-Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|1930s [[Bauhaus]] (left) and 1920s [[Eclecticism|Eclectic]] (right) architecture styles]]
Tel Aviv is home to different [[architectural style]]s that represent influential periods in its history. The early architecture of Tel Aviv consisted largely of European-style single-story houses with red-tiled roofs.<ref name="arch">{{cite web |url=http://mjwein.net/lectures/T-Lec-WhiteCity.pdf |title=Green, White or Black City? |format=PDF |accessdate=16 March 2008 |year=2006 |publisher=Martin Wein, Emory University |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080409004022/http://mjwein.net/lectures/T-Lec-WhiteCity.pdf |archivedate= 9 April 2008}}</ref> [[Neve Tzedek]], the first neighborhood to be constructed outside of Jaffa is characterised by two-story sandstone buildings.<ref name="UNESCO"/> By the 1920s, a new [[Eclecticism in art|eclectic Orientalist style]] came into vogue, combining European architecture with Eastern features such as arches, domes and ornamental tiles.<ref name="arch"/> Municipal construction followed the "garden city" master plan drawn up by [[Patrick Geddes]]. Two- and three-story buildings were interspersed with boulevards and public parks.<ref name="arch"/>
Various architectural styles, such as [[Art Deco]], classical and modernist also exist in Tel Aviv.
====Bauhaus====
{{Main|Bauhaus}}
[[File:Tel Aviv Ben Gurion - Emil Zola 2011.jpg|thumb|left|Classical Bauhaus architecture, part of the [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]]]]
Bauhaus architecture was introduced in the 1920s and 1930s by German Jewish architects who settled in Palestine after the rise of the Nazis. Tel Aviv's [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]], around the city center, contains more than 5,000 Modernist-style buildings inspired by the [[Bauhaus school]] and [[Le Corbusier]].<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name="times"/> Construction of these buildings, later declared protected landmarks and, collectively, a [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Site, continued until the 1950s in the area around [[Rothschild Boulevard]].<ref name="times"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=1096 |title=White City of Tel Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]}}</ref> Some 3,000 buildings were created in this style between 1931 and 1939 alone.<ref name="arch"/>
In the 1960s, this architectural style gave way to office towers and a chain of waterfront hotels and commercial skyscrapers.<ref name="Economist"/> Some of the city's Modernist buildings were neglected to the point of ruin. Before legislation to preserve this landmark architecture, many of the old buildings were demolished. Efforts are under way to refurbish Bauhaus buildings and restore them to their original condition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/Architecture/Bauhaus.html |title=Bauhaus Architecture |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]] |accessdate=11 February 2008}}</ref>
===High-rise construction and towers===
{{see also|List of tallest buildings in Tel Aviv}}
[[File:Azrieli Towers Sept.2007.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Azrieli Center]] complex contains the tallest skyscrapers in Tel Aviv]]
The [[Shalom Meir Tower]], Israel's first skyscraper, was built in Tel Aviv in 1965 and remained the country's tallest building until 1999. At the time of its construction, the building rivalled Europe's tallest buildings in height, and was the tallest in the Middle East.
In the mid-1990s, the construction of skyscrapers began throughout the entire city, altering its skyline. Before that, Tel Aviv had had a generally low-rise skyline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/2881/skyscrapers-dotting-tel-aviv-landscape |title=Skyscrapers dotting Tel Aviv landscape | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California |publisher=Jweekly.com |date=1996-03-29 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> However, the towers were not concentrated in certain areas, and were scattered at random locations throughout the city, creating a disjointed skyline.
New neighborhoods, such as [[Park Tzameret]], have been constructed to house apartment towers such as [[Yoo Tel Aviv|YOO Tel Aviv]] towers, designed by [[Philippe Starck]]. Other districts, such as [[Sarona (colony)|Sarona]], have been developed with office towers. Other recent additions to Tel Aviv's skyline include the [[Rothschild Boulevard|1 Rothschild Tower]] and [[First International Bank Tower]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://telavivinf.com/info/infoitems.asp?lang=eng&cat=1&status=completed |title=Tel Aviv Towers|accessdate=15 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv in Focus}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=948 |title=Tel Aviv |publisher=SkyscraperPage.com |accessdate=15 March 2008}}</ref> As Tel Aviv celebrated its centennial in 2009,<ref name="Tel Aviv centennial celebrations kick off">[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3680467,00.html Ynetnews.com], by Reuven Weiss, [[Ynet]], 3 March 2009.</ref> the city attracted a number of architects and developers, including [[I. M. Pei]], [[Donald Trump]], and [[Richard Meier]].<ref name="TNC">[http://www.townandcountrytravelmag.com/vacation-ideas/best-vacations/tel-aviv-israel-sp08 Tel Aviv’s Upscale Revolution], by Adam H. Graham, Town & Country Travel, 12 February 2008.</ref> American journalist [[David Kaufman (journalist)|David Kaufman]] reported in [[New York (magazine)|''New York'' magazine]] that since Tel Aviv "was named a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage]] site, gorgeous historic buildings from the Ottoman and Bauhaus era have been repurposed as fabulous hotels, eateries, boutiques, and design museums."<ref name="NYmag">[http://nymag.com/travel/weekends/telaviv/ Go Out With the Old in Tel Aviv], David Kaufman, New York Magazine, Published 28 August 2008.</ref> In November 2009, ''[[Haaretz]]'' reported that Tel Aviv had 59 skyscrapers more than 100 meters tall.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mirovsky |first=Arik |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/tel-aviv-50th-in-number-of-skyscrapers-1.3931 |title=Tel Aviv 50th in number of skyscrapers |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2009-11-18 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> Currently, dozens of skyscrapers have been approved or are under construction throughout the city, and many more are planned.
The tallest building approved is the Egged Tower, which would become Israel's tallest building upon completion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telavivinf.com/info/infoitem.asp?item=278&lang=eng |title=Egged Tower |publisher=Telavivinf.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> According to current plans, the tower is planned to have 80 floors, rise to a height of 270 meters, and will have a 50-meter spire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/building/eggedtower-telavivyaffo-israel |title=Egged Tower | Buildings |location=IL / |publisher=Emporis |date= |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
[[File:TA1011.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Bird's eye view from [[Moshe Aviv Tower]]]]
In 2010, the Tel Aviv Municipality's Planning and Construction Committee launched a new master plan for the city in 2025. It decided not to allow the construction of any additional skyscrapers in the city center, while at the same time greatly increasing the construction of skyscrapers in the east. The ban extends to an area between the coast and [[Ibn Gabirol Street]], and also between the [[Yarkon River]] and Eilat Street. It did not extend to towers already approved and/or under construction. Any new buildings there will usually not be allowed to rise above six and a half stories. However, hotel towers along almost the entire beachfront will be allowed to rise up to 25 stories. The committee decided to approve one last skyscraper project in the city center, while dozens of other planned projects had to be scrapped. According to the plan, the entire area between Ibn Gabirol Street and the eastern city limits would be "flooded" with skyscrapers and high-rise buildings at least 18 stories tall. Under the plan, "forests" of corporate skyscrapers will line both sides of the [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway]]. Further south, skyscrapers rising up to 40 stories will be built along the old Ottoman railway between [[Neve Tzedek]] and [[Florentin, Tel Aviv|Florentine]], with the first such tower there being the [[Neve Tzedek Tower]]. Along nearby Shlavim Street, passing between Jaffa and south Tel Aviv, office buildings up to 25 stories will line both sides of the street, which will be widened to accommodate traffic from the city's southern entrance to the center.<ref>Fox, Jesse: ''Tel Aviv's skyline in 2025'' (21 May 2011)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3888492,00.html |title=No new skyscrapers in central Tel Aviv - Israel Business, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=1995-06-20 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref>
In November 2012, it was announced that to encourage investment in the city's architecture, residential towers throughout Tel Aviv would be extended in height. Buildings in Jaffa and the southern and eastern districts may have two and a half stories added, while those on Ibn Gabirol Street might be extended by seven and a half stories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=21251 |title=New skyline for Tel Aviv, Editorial, world architecture news, architecture jobs |publisher=Worldarchitecturenews.com |date=2012-11-12 |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
[[File:31.03.09 Tel Aviv 066 Beinleumi Tower 2.JPG|thumb|upright|right|The "[[First International Bank Tower]]" in Tel Aviv's financial district]]
==Economy==
Tel Aviv was built on sand dunes in an area unsuitable for farming. Instead, it developed as a hub of business and scientific research.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} In 1926, the country's first shopping arcade, Passage Pensak, was built there. By 1936, as tens of thousands of middle class [[aliyah|immigrants]] arrived from Europe, Tel Aviv was already the largest city in Palestine. A small port was built at the Yarkon estuary, and many cafes, clubs and cinemas opened. [[Herzl Street]] became a commercial thoroughfare at this time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dvir |first=Noam |url=http://www.haaretz.com/culture/arts-leisure/back-to-the-future-everything-s-up-to-date-in-tel-aviv-it-s-1935-1.372939 |title=Back to the future: Everything's up to date in Tel Aviv. It's 1935|publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2011-07-13 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
Economic activities account for 17 percent of the GDP.<ref name="profile"/> In 2011, Tel Aviv had an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent.<ref>[http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000728750&fid=1725 Unemployment rate at historic low in Q4 2011]''Globes'', 28 February 12 14:00, Adrian Filut</ref>
[[File:Ehad Haam stock exchange.JPG|thumb|left|[[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]] (on the left)]]
The city has been described as a "flourishing technological center" by ''[[Newsweek]]'' and a "miniature Los Angeles" by ''[[The Economist]]''.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite journal |url=http://www.economist.com/cities/findStory.cfm?city_id=TLV&folder=Facts-Figures#Economic_profile |title=Tel Aviv City Guide |accessdate=28 May 2007 |journal=[[The Economist]]}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Newsweek">{{cite journal|last=Levy |first=Stephen |coauthors=Matt Rees |title=Focus on Technology: The Hot New Tech Cities |journal=[[Newsweek]] |date=9 November 1998}} <!-- (online: 1998-11-04) "Massive immigration from Russia in the early 1990s brought the country a flood of computer scientists with advanced theoretical knowledge." --></ref> In 1998, the city was described by Newsweek as one of the 10 most technologically influential cities in the world. Since then, high-tech industry in the Tel Aviv area has continued to develop.<ref name="Newsweek"/> The Tel Aviv metropolitan area (including [[satellite town|satellite cities]] such as [[Herzliya]] and [[Petah Tikva]]) is Israel's center of high-tech, sometimes referred to as [[Silicon Wadi]].<ref name="Newsweek"/><ref name="mercer">{{cite web|url=http://www.mercer.com/costofliving|title=Cost of living top 50 cities
|publisher=[[Mercer (consulting firm)|Mercer Human Resource Consulting]] |accessdate=25 July 2008}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is home to the [[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]] (TASE), Israel's only [[stock exchange]], which has reached record heights since the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070621_251927.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business |title=Israel: A Hotbed of...Investment |work=[[Bloomberg BusinessWeek|BusinessWeek]] |date=21 June 2007 |accessdate=7 July 2007 |last=Sandler |first=Neal}}</ref> The Tel Aviv Stock exchange has also gained attention for its resilience and ability to recover from war and disasters. For example, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange was higher on the last day of both the 2006 Lebanon war and the 2009 Operation in Gaza than on the first day of fighting<ref>{{cite book|last=Senor, Singer|first=Dan, Saul|title=Start Up Nation|year=2009|publisher=Twelve|location=New York|pages=13–14}}</ref> Many international [[venture capital|venture-capital]] firms, [[scientific method|scientific research]] institutes and high-tech companies are headquartered in the city. Industries in Tel Aviv include chemical processing, textile plants and food manufacturers.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} The city's nightlife, cultural attractions and architecture attract tourists whose spending benefits the local economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thomsonfly.com/en/destination_3863.html |title=Tel Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Thomsonfly}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Dizengoff Center.jpg|thumb|Shops at the [[Dizengoff Center]]]]
In 2008, the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) at [[Loughborough University]] reissued an inventory of [[Global city|world cities]] based on their level of advanced producer services. Tel Aviv was ranked as a [[Global city|beta+ world city]].<ref name="lboro.ac.uk">{{cite web
|title= GaWC – The World According to GaWC 2008
|work= Globalization and World Cities Research Network
|accessdate=1 March 2009
|url= http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2008t.html
}}</ref>
The [[Kiryat Atidim]] [[high tech]] zone opened in 1972 and the city has become a major world high tech hub. In December 2012, the city was ranked second on a list of top places to found a high tech [[startup company]], just behind [[Silicon Valley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4315220,00.html |title=Tel Aviv named 2nd best high-tech center - Israel Business, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref> In 2013, Tel Aviv had more than 700 startup companies and research and development centers, and was ranked the second-most innovative city in the world, behind [[Medellín]] and ahead of [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4352010,00.html |title=Tel Aviv ranks 2nd in innovation - Israel Business, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
According to [[Forbes]], nine of its fifteen Israeli-born billionaires live in Israel; four live in Tel Aviv and its suburbs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_The-Worlds-Billionaires_CountryOfCitizen_10.html |title=The World's Billionaires |accessdate=7 July 2007 |work=Forbes |date=8 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/81/biz_06israel_Israels-Richest_land.html |title=Israel's 40 Richest |date=9 December 2006 |accessdate=7 July 2007 |work=Forbes |last=Bin-Nun |first=Boaz}}</ref> The [[cost of living]] in Israel is high, with Tel Aviv being its most expensive city to live in. According to [[Mercer (consulting firm)|Mercer]], a [[human resources]] [[Management consulting|consulting firm]] based in New York, as of 2010 Tel Aviv is the most expensive city in the Middle East and the 19th most expensive in the world.<ref name="mercer"/>
According to [[Globes]], Tel Aviv has the potential to become a leading world [[financial centre]], but that reforms are needed in Israel's taxation laws, which it says are unfavorable to investors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000649042&fid=4470 |title=Cut taxes, and they will come |publisher=Globes |date=2011-05-25 |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
Shopping malls in Tel Aviv include [[Dizengoff Center]], [[Ramat Aviv Mall]] and [[Azrieli Center|Azrieli Shopping Mall]] and markets such as Carmel Market, Ha'Tikva Market, and Bezalel Market.
==Culture and contemporary life==
===Entertainment and performing arts===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 9997 suzanne dalal center in tel aviv.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater]]]]
Tel Aviv is a major center of culture and entertainment.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=wyPZRi9uYxUC&pg=PA196&dq=tel+aviv+israel+cultural+capital |title=Emerging Nodes in the Global Economy: Frankfurt and Tel Aviv Compared |first=Felsenstein, Daniel |last=Schamp, Eike W. |publisher=Springer |year=2002 |accessdate=25 March 2008 |isbn=978-1-4020-0924-2}}</ref> Eighteen of Israel's 35 major centers for the performing arts are located in the city, including five of the country's nine large theaters, where 55% of all performances in the country and 75 percent
of all attendance occurs.<ref name="profile"/><ref name="culture">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com/city/125/culture/Middle-East/Tel-Aviv.html |title=Tel Aviv Culture |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=TravelGuides.com |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071217073110/http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com/city/125/culture/Middle-East/Tel-Aviv.html |archivedate= 17 December 2007}}</ref> The
[[Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center]] is home of the Israeli Opera, where [[Plácido Domingo]] was house tenor between 1962 and 1965, and the [[Cameri Theater]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israel-opera.co.il/Eng/?CategoryID=220&ArticleID=146 |title=History and Architecture |publisher=Israel Opera |accessdate=31 January 2008}}</ref> With 2,482 seats, the Tel Aviv [[Culture Palace (Tel Aviv)|Culture Palace]] is the city's largest theater and home to the [[Israel Philharmonic Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hatarbut.co.il/English/about.htm |title=Mann Auditorium |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=Hatarbut.co.il}}</ref> [[Habima Theatre|Habima Theater]], Israel's national theater, was closed down for renovations in early 2008, and reopened in November 2011 after major remodeling. Enav Cultural Center is one of the newer additions to the cultural scene.<ref name="culture"/> Other theaters in Tel Aviv are the Gesher Theater and [[Beit Lessin Theater]]; [[Tzavta]] and [[Tmuna]] are smaller theaters that host [[performance|musical performances]] and [[fringe theatre|fringe]] productions. In Jaffa, the Simta and Notzar theaters specialize in fringe as well. Tel Aviv is home to the [[Batsheva Dance Company]], a world famous [[contemporary dance]] troupe. The Israeli Ballet is also based in Tel Aviv.<ref name="culture"/> Tel Aviv's center for modern and classical dance is the [[Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater]] in [[Neve Tzedek]].<ref name=iexplore>{{cite web
|title=Tel Aviv Activities
|work=iExplore.com
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|url=http://www.iexplore.com/cityguides/Israel/Tel+Aviv/Activities
}}</ref>
The city often hosts [[Popular music|pop]] and rock concerts in venues such as [[Yarkon Park|Hayarkon Park]], the [[Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center]], the Barby Club and the Zappa Club.<ref name=Reuters>{{cite news
|title=McCartney wows fans with historic Israel concert
|agency=Reuters
|accessdate=26 September 2008
|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE48O92W20080925?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews
|date=25 September 2008}}</ref><ref name=Haaretz>{{cite web
|title=Depeche Mode to kick off next world tour in Israel
|work=[[Haaretz]]
|accessdate=6 October 2008
|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1026314.html}}</ref><ref name=Ynet>{{cite web
|title=Madonna To Wrap Up Tour in Tel Aviv
|work=[[The Forward]]
|accessdate=4 June 2009
|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/107163/}}</ref>
Opera and classical music performances are held daily in Tel Aviv, with many of the world's leading [[conducting|classical conductors]] and [[solo (music)|soloists]] performing on Tel Aviv stages over the years.<ref name="culture"/>
The [[Tel Aviv Cinematheque]] screens art movies, premieres of short and full-length Israeli films, and hosts a variety of film festivals, among them the Festival of Animation, Comics and Caricatures, "Icon" Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival, the Student Film Festival, the Jazz, Film and Videotape Festival and Salute to Israeli Cinema. The city has several [[multiplex (movie theater)|multiplex cinema]]s.<ref name="culture"/>
===Tourism and recreation===
[[File:Hayarkon IMG 8516.JPG|thumb|[[Hayarkon Park]] is the largest park in Tel Aviv]]
In 2010, ''[[Knight Frank]]'''s [[global city#World City Survey|world city survey]] ranked it 34th globally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport/2011/global-cities-survey/|title=Results Of The Knight Frank Global Cities Survey}}</ref> Tel Aviv has been named the third "hottest city for 2011" (behind only New York City and Tangier) by ''[[Lonely Planet]]'', third-best in the Middle East and Africa by [[Travel + Leisure|''Travel + Leisure magazine'']] (behind only Cape Town and Jerusalem), and the ninth-best [[Seaside resort|beach city]] in the world by ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Travel/TravelNews/Article.aspx?id=193541|title=Tel Aviv ranked world's 3rd hottest city for 2011 |accessdate=1 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/cities/africa-middle-east-cities/252|title=World's Best Awards 2011 – Africa and the Middle East|accessdate=11 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="Top 10 Beach Cities">{{cite web|url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/beach-cities-photos/#beaches-tel-aviv-cities_22323_600x450.jpg|title=Top 10 Beach Cities|accessdate=30 July 2010}}</ref> Tel Aviv is consistently ranked as one of the top [[LGBT]] destinations in the world.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=253129 Huldai proud of Tel Aviv winning best gay city of 2011]''Jerusalem Post'', By JPOST.COM STAFF01/11/2012 11:21</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501843_162-57364676/tel-aviv-emerges-as-top-gay-tourist-destination/?tag=contentMain;contentBody Tel Aviv emerges as top gay tourist destination] CBS NEWs, 24 January 2012 9:52 am</ref>
With 2.5 million international visitors annually, Tel Aviv is the fifth-most-visited city in the Middle East & Africa.<ref name="MasterCard ranks Tel Aviv as fifth most visited city in Middle East and Africa"/><ref name="Tourists rank Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among top cities to visit"/> It is known as "the city that never sleeps" and a "party capital" due to its thriving [[nightlife]], young atmosphere and famous [[24/7|24-hour culture]].<ref name="Top 10 party towns"/><ref name="lonelyplanet.com"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thestar.com/travel/article/953921--5-best-irish-pubs-not-in-ireland |title=5 best Irish pubs not in Ireland
|work=[[The Jerusalem Post|Toronto Star]] |accessdate=15 March 2011 |date=15 March 2011 |first=Adrian |last=Brijbassi}}</ref> Tel Aviv has branches of some of the world's leading hotels, including the [[Crowne Plaza]], [[Sheraton Hotels and Resorts|Sheraton]], [[Dan Hotels|Dan]], [[Isrotel Tower|Isrotel]] and [[Hilton Hotels|Hilton]]. It is home to many museums, architectural and cultural sites, with city tours available in different languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://city-tour.co.il/ntextin.asp?psn=1109 |title=Tel Aviv bus tour |accessdate=19 January 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv City Tours}}</ref> Apart from bus tours, architectural tours, [[Segway PT|Segway]] tours, and walking tours are also popular.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telavivarchitecture.com |title=Tel Aviv architecture tour |accessdate=19 January 2008 |publisher=TelAvivArchitecture.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.segways.co.il/ |title=Tel Aviv segway tours |accessdate=19 January 2008 |publisher=Segways.co.il}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telaviv4fun.com/citywalks.html |title=Tel Aviv walking tours |accessdate=19 January 2008 publisher=TelAviv4Fun.com}}</ref> Tel Aviv has 44 hotels with more than 6,500 rooms.<ref name="TA Stats"/>
The beaches of Tel Aviv play a major role in the city's cultural and touristic scene, often ranked as some of the best beaches in the world.<ref name="Top 10 Beach Cities"/> [[Yarkon Park|Hayarkon Park]] is the most visited [[park|urban park]] in Israel, with 16 million visitors annually. Other parks within city limits include [[Charles Clore Park]], Independence Park, [[Meir Park, Tel Aviv|Meir Park]] and [[Dubnow Park]]. About 19% of the city land are green spaces.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/StatisticalOverview.htm |title=Tel Aviv Statistical Overview |work=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality }}</ref>
===Nightlife===
[[File:Tel Aviv Skyline (night) - 2.jpg|thumb|Tel Aviv by night]]
Tel Aviv is an international hub of highly active and diverse nightlife with bars, dance bars and nightclubs staying open well past midnight. The largest area for nightclubs is the Tel Aviv port, where the city's large, commercial clubs and bars draw big crowds of young clubbers from both Tel Aviv and neighboring cities. The South of Tel Aviv is known for the popular Haoman 17 club, as well as for being the city's main hub of alternative clubbing, with underground venues including established clubs like the Block Club, Comfort 13 and Paradise Garage, as well as various warehouse and loft party venues. The Allenby/Rothschild area is another popular nightlife hub, featuring such clubs as the Pasaz, Radio EPGB and the Penguin. In 2013, [[Absolut Vodka]] introduced a specially designed bottle dedicated to Tel Aviv as part of its international cities series.<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4372126,00.html Absolut bottle dedicated to Tel Aviv]</ref>
===Cuisine===
Tel Aviv is famous for its wide variety of world-class restaurants, offering traditional Israeli dishes as well as international fare.<ref>{{cite news |first=Bonnie S.|last=Benwick |title=Tasting Tel Aviv, Israel's culinary capital|date=4 April 2010|work=Washington Post |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/01/AR2010040103382.html|accessdate=4 April 2010 }}</ref> More than 100 [[sushi]] restaurants, the third highest concentration in the world, do business in the city.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3499855,00.html |title=Israel becomes sushi mecca |first=Sarit |last=Saradas-Trutino |work=Ynetnews |accessdate=15 February 2008 |date=28 January 2008}}</ref>
===LGBT culture===
[[File:Pride Gay Parade 2012 No.330 - Flickr - U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|[[Tel Aviv Pride]] is the largest annual [[pride parade]] in the Middle East and Asia]]
Named "The best gay city in the world" by [[American Airlines]], Tel Aviv is one of the most popular destinations for [[LGBT tourism|LGBT tourists]] internationally, with a large [[LGBT]] community.<ref name="Was Arafat Gay?">{{cite web |url=http://out.com/detail.asp?id=22719 |title=Was Arafat Gay? |publisher=[[Out (magazine)|Out]]}}</ref><ref name=Burden>{{cite news
|title=Tel Aviv named world's best gay city
|work=[[Ynet]]
|accessdate=11 January 2012
|date=11 January 2012
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4174274,00.html
}}{{dead link|date=November 2012}}</ref> American journalist [[David Kaufman (journalist)|David Kaufman]] has described the city as a place “packed with the kind of ‘we're here, we're queer’ vibe more typically found in Sydney and San Francisco. The city hosts its well-known [[Tel Aviv Pride|pride parade]], the biggest in Asia, attracting over 100,000 people yearly.<ref name=Sherwood>{{cite news
|last=Sherwood
|first=Harriet
|title=Tel Aviv's Gay Pride parade draws thousands
|work=The Guardian
|accessdate=10 June 2011
|date=10 June 2011
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/10/tel-aviv-gay-pride-parade
|location=London
}}</ref> In January 2008, Tel Aviv's municipality established the city's [[LGBT]] [[Community centre|Community Center]], providing all of the municipal and cultural services to the LGBT community under one roof. In December 2008, Tel Aviv began putting together a team of gay athletes for the [[2009 World Outgames]] in Copenhagen.<ref name=zeitun>{{Cite news
|last= Zeitun
|first= Yoav
|title= Tel Aviv recruits gay athletes for 2009 World Outgames
|work= Ynetnews
|accessdate=26 December 2008
|date= 26 December 2008
|url= http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3644715,00.html
}}</ref> In addition, Tel Aviv hosts an annual LGBT [[Film festival|Film Festival]].
Tel Aviv's LGBT community is the subject of [[Eytan Fox]]'s 2006 film ''[[The Bubble (2006 film)|The Bubble]]''.
===Fashion===
Tel Aviv has become an international center of fashion and design.<ref name="T+L1">[http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/newsflash-whats-new-in-tel-aviv What’s New in Tel Aviv], by David Kaufman, March 2008.</ref> It has been called the “next hot destination” for fashion.<ref name="JewishWeek">[http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c277_a14292/Special_Sections/Israel_Travel.html Promoting Israel in a Downturn]{{dead link|date=February 2012}}, David Saranga, 17 December 2008</ref> Israeli designers, such as swimwear company [[Gottex]] show their collections at leading fashion shows, including New York’s [[Bryant Park]] fashion show.<ref name="TimeOut">[http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/tonyblog/2008/09/fashion-week-gottex/ Fashion Week: Gottex], 9 September 2008.</ref> In 2011, Tel Aviv hosted its first [[Fashion Week]] since the 1980s, with Italian designer [[Roberto Cavalli]] as a guest of honor.<ref>{{cite news|last=Merle Ginsberg|title=Roberto Cavalli Shows Spring 2012 Collection at First Ever Tel Aviv Fashion Week|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/roberto-cavalli-spring-2012-tel-aviv-fashion-week-264432|accessdate=21 November 2011|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 November 2011}}</ref>
===Museums===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 15282 Tel Aviv Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|The Herta and Paul Amir Building in the [[Tel Aviv Museum of Art]]]]
Israel has the highest number of museums per capita of any country, with three of the largest located in Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visit-tlv.co.il/eng.html |title=Museums and Galleries |publisher=Tel Aviv Municipality |accessdate=22 September 2007 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071011022740/http://www.visit-tlv.co.il/eng.html |archivedate= 11 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Governing Israel: Chosen People, Promised Land and Prophetic Tradition |last=Sharkansky |first=Ira |authorlink=Ira Sharkansky|year=2005 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=0-7658-0277-5 |page=22}}</ref> Among these are the [[Eretz Israel Museum]], known for its collection of archaeology and history exhibits dealing with the [[Land of Israel]], and the [[Tel Aviv Museum of Art]]. Housed on the campus of [[Tel Aviv University]] is [[Beth Hatefutsoth]], a museum of the international Jewish diaspora that tells the story of Jewish prosperity and persecution throughout the [[Jewish diaspora|centuries of exile]]. Batey Haosef Museum specializes in [[Israel Defense Forces]] [[military history]]. The [[Palmach|Palmach Museum]] near Tel Aviv University offers a multimedia experience of the history of the [[Palmach]]. Right next to [[Charles Clore Park]] is a museum of the [[Irgun|Etzel]]. The [[Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center]], located in the northern part of the city, hosts more than 60 major events annually. Many offbeat museums and galleries operate in the southern areas, including the Tel Aviv Raw Art [[contemporary art]] gallery.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/culture/museums/index.htm |title=Treasure of the State |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/culture/museums/list.htm |title=The Museums of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080114035243/http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/culture/museums/list.htm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archivedate=14 January 2008}}</ref>
===Sports===
Tel Aviv is the only city with three clubs in [[Israeli Premier League]], the country's top [[Football in Israel|football]] league. [[Maccabi Tel Aviv|Maccabi Tel Aviv Sports Club]] was founded in 1906 and competes in more than 10 sport fields. Its [[basketball team]], [[Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.|Maccabi Tel Aviv]], is a world-known professional team, that holds 50 Israeli titles, has won 39 editions of the Israel cup, and has five European Championships, and its [[Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.|football team]] has won 19 Israeli league titles and has won 22 [[Israel State Cup|State Cups]], two [[Toto Cup]]s and two [[AFC Champions League|Asian Club Championships]]. [[Yael Arad]], an athlete in Maccabi's [[judo]] club, won a silver medal in the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Olympic Games]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Great Jews in Sports |url=http://books.google.com/?id=GWE_lEPfHpIC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=yael+arad+olympics+tel+aviv|accessdate=15 March 2008 |publisher=Jonathan David Company, Inc. |first=Robert |last=Slater |year=2003 |page=19 |isbn=978-0-8246-0453-0}}</ref>
[[File:Marathon Tel Aviv - Hayarkon View.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Tel Aviv Marathon]] going through [[Hayarkon Park]]]]
[[National Sport Center – Tel Aviv]] (also '''Hadar Yosef Sports Center''') is a compound of stadiums and sports facilities. It also houses the [[Olympic Committee of Israel]] and the National Athletics Stadium with the [[Israeli Athletic Association]].
[[Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv]] [[Sports club|Sports Club]], founded in 1923, comprises more than 11 sports clubs,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fotw.net/flags/il@hapta.html |title=Hapoel Tel Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Fotw.net}}</ref> including [[Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club]] (13 championships, 11 State Cups, one Toto Cup and once Asian champions) which plays in [[Bloomfield Stadium]], men's and women's [[Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.|basketball clubs]].
[[Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C.|Bnei Yehuda]] (once Israeli champion, twice [[Israel State Cup|State Cup]] winners and twice [[Toto Cup]] winner) is the only Israeli football team in the top division that represents a neighborhood, the [[Hatikva Quarter]] in Tel Aviv, and not a city.
[[Shimshon Tel Aviv F.C.|Shimshon Tel Aviv]] and [[Beitar Tel Aviv F.C.|Beitar Tel Aviv]] both formerly played in the top division, but dropped into the lower leagues, and merged in 2000, the new club now playing in [[Liga Artzit]], the third tier. Another former first division team, [[Maccabi Jaffa F.C.|Maccabi Jaffa]], is now defunct, as are Maccabi HaTzefon Tel Aviv, Hapoel HaTzefon Tel Aviv and [[Hakoah Tel Aviv F.C.|Hakoah Tel Aviv]], who merged with [[Maccabi Ramat Gan F.C.|Maccabi Ramat Gan]] and moved to Ramat Gan in 1959.
[[File:Bloomfield Stadium21.jpg|left|thumb|[[Bloomfield Stadium]]]]
Tel Aviv is also the home to [[Hapoel Ussishkin B.C.|Hapoel Ussishkin]], a fan-owned basketball club founded in 2007 due to disagreements between the [[Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball]] club's management and the fans.
Two [[rowing (sport)|rowing]] clubs operate in Tel Aviv. The Tel Aviv Rowing Club, established in 1935 on the banks of the [[Yarkon River]], is the largest rowing club in Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rowersalmanac.com/profiles/israel.asp |title=Rowers Almanac |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Rowersalmanac.com }}</ref> Meanwhile, the beaches of Tel Aviv provide a vibrant [[Matkot]] (beach paddleball) scene.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telaviv-insider.co.il/sports.php |title=Sports in the Tel-Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Tel Aviv Insider}}</ref> [[Tel Aviv Lightning]] represent Tel Aviv in the [[Israel Baseball League]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stljewishlight.com/topstories/12348156495807.php |title=Israel Baseball League starts in June |work=[[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] Jewish Light |accessdate=19 January 2008}}</ref> Tel Aviv also has an annual [[half marathon]], run in 2008 by 10,000 athletes with runners coming from around the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035198.html |title=10,000 athletes to run in Tel Aviv half marathon |accessdate=7 November 2008}}</ref>
In 2009, the [[Tel Aviv Marathon]] was revived after a fifteen-year hiatus, and is run annually since, attracting a field of over 18,000 runners.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-sport-sneakers-for-tel-aviv-marathon-1.354898 |title=Thousands sport sneakers for Tel Aviv marathon |accessdate=8 April 2011 |work=Haaretz |location=Israel}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is also ranked to be 10th best to-skateboarding city by Transworld Skateboarding.
===Media===
The three largest [[List of newspapers in Israel|newspaper companies]] in Israel – [[Yedioth Ahronoth]], [[Maariv (newspaper)|Maariv]] and [[Haaretz]] – are all based within the city limits.<ref name="news">{{cite web |url=http://www.abyznewslinks.com/israe.htm |title=Israel Newspapers |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=Abzynewslinks.com}}</ref> Several radio stations cover the Tel Aviv area, including the city-based Radio Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/il/235/4739 |title=Tel Aviv Israel news media |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=Mondotimes.com}}</ref>
<br>The three major Israeli television networks, [[Israel Broadcasting Authority]], [[Keshet (TV)|Keshet]], [[Reshet]], and [[Channel 10 (Israel)|Channel 10]], are based in the city, as well as two of the most popular radio stations in Israel: [[Israel Army Radio|Galatz]] and [[Galgalatz]], which are both based in [[Jaffa]].
==Environment and urban restoration==
[[File:Soldiers cleaning beach.jpg|thumb|left|[[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] soldiers cleaning the beaches at Tel Aviv. The beaches have scored highly in environmental tests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/Documents/Beaches%20_2_.pdf |title=Tel Aviv-Yaffo Municipality, Beaches |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>]]
Tel Aviv is ranked as the [[Sustainable city|greenest city]] in Israel.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000637815&fid=1725 |title=Tel Aviv ranked Israel's greenest city |accessdate=11 April 2011 |date=11 April 2011 |publisher=Globes}}</ref> Since 2008, City lights are turned off annually in support of [[Earth Hour]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=969276&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0 |title=Tel Aviv goes dark as part of global 'Earth Hour' campaign |accessdate=30 March 2008 |date=30 March 2008 |publisher=Haaretz}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> In February 2009, the municipality launched a water saving campaign, including competition granting free parking for a year to the household that is found to have consumed the least amount of water per person.<ref name=senyorwater>{{Cite news
|last= Senyor
|first= Eli
|title= Tel Aviv launches water saving campaign
|work= Ynetnews
|accessdate=27 February 2009
|date= 22 February 2009
|url= http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3675380,00.html
}}</ref>
In the early 21st century, Tel Aviv's municipality transformed a derelict [[power station]] into a public park, now named "Gan HaHashmal" (electric park), paving the way for [[Ecology|eco-friendly]] and environmentally conscious designs.<ref name="FT">[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d8eb606-70ae-11dd-b514-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1 Electric Tel Aviv], by David Kaufman, [[Financial Times]], 12 February 2008.</ref> In October 2008, Martin Weyl turned an old garbage dump near [[Ben Gurion International Airport]], called [[Hiriya]], into an attraction by building an arc of plastic bottles.<ref name="NYTPlastic">[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/world/middleeast/24dump.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=israel%20plastic&st=cse Recycling in Israel, Not Just Trash, but the Whole Dump], by Isabel Kershner, 24 October 2007.</ref> The site, which was renamed [[Ariel Sharon]] Park to honor Israel’s former prime minister, will serve as the centerpiece in what is to become a {{convert|2000|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[urban wilderness]] on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, designed by German [[landscape architect]], [[Peter Latz]].<ref name="NYTPlastic"/>
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 6097 Environment of Israel.JPG|thumb|right|[[Charles Clore Park]]]]
At the end of the 20th century, the city began restoring historical neighborhoods such as [[Neve Tzedek]] and many buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. Since 2007, the city hosts its well-known, annual [[Open House Tel Aviv]] weekend, which offers the general public free entrance to the city's famous landmarks, private houses and public buildings. In 2010, the design of the renovated Tel Aviv Port (''Nemal Tel Aviv'') won the award for outstanding landscape architecture at the European Biennial for Landscape Architecture in [[Barcelona]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dvir |first=Noam |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israelis-win-barcelona-landscape-architecture-prize-1.316789 |title=Israelis win Barcelona landscape prize |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2010-10-03 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
==Transportation==
{{main|Transport in Tel Aviv}}
[[File:View on Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Ayalon Highway]] which runs through Tel Aviv]]
Tel Aviv is a major transportation hub, served by a comprehensive public transport network, with many major routes of the national transportation network running through the city.
===Bus and taxi===
As with the rest of Israel, bus transport is the most common form of public transport and is very widely used. The [[Tel Aviv Central Bus Station]] is located in the southern part of the city. The main bus network in Tel Aviv metropolitan area operated by [[Dan Bus Company]], [[Metropoline]] and [[Kavim]]. the [[Egged (company)|Egged Bus Cooperative]], the world's largest bus company, provides intercity transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/11/Facets%20of%20the%20Israeli%20Economy-%20Transportation |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |title=Facets of the Israeli Economy – Transportation |date=1 November 2001 |last=Solomon |first=Shoshanna |accessdate=17 July 2007}}</ref>
The city is also served by local and inter-city [[share taxis]]. Many local and inter-city bus routes also have sherut taxis that follow the same route and display the same route number in their window. Fares are standardised within the region and are comparable to or less expensive than bus fares. Unlike other forms of public transport, these taxis also operate on Fridays and Saturdays (the Jewish sabbath "Shabbat"). Private taxis are white with a yellow sign on top. Fares are standardised and metered, but may be negotiated ahead of time with the driver.
===Rail===
[[File:Tlvgenel002.jpg|thumb|[[Tel Aviv Central Railway Station]]]]
The [[Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station|Tel Aviv Central train station]] is the main train station of the city, and the busiest station in Israel. The city has three additional [[Israel Railways|train stations]] along the Ayalon Highway: [[Tel Aviv University Railway Station|Tel Aviv University]], [[Tel Aviv HaShalom Railway Station|HaShalom]] (adjacent to [[Azrieli Center]]) and [[Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station|HaHagana]] (near the [[Tel Aviv Central Bus Station]]). It is estimated that over a million passengers travel by train to Tel Aviv monthly. The trains do not run on Saturday and holidays.
===Roads===
The main highway leading to the city is the [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway (Highway 20)]], which runs along the eastern side of the city from north to south along the Ayalon River riverbed, dividing for the most part Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. Driving south on the Ayalon gives access to [[Highway 1 (Israel)|Highway 1]], leading to [[Ben Gurion International Airport]] and Jerusalem. Within the city, main routes include [[Kaplan Street]], [[Allenby Street]], [[Ibn Gabirol Street]], [[Dizengoff Street]], [[Rothschild Boulevard]], and in Jaffa the main route is Jerusalem Boulevard. Namir Road connects the city to [[Highway 2 (Israel)|Highway 2]], Israel's main north–south highway, and Begin/Jabotinsky Road, which provides access from the east through Ramat Gan, [[Bnei Brak]] and Petah Tikva. Tel Aviv, accommodating about 500,000 commuter cars daily, suffers from increasing congestion. In 2007, the Sadan Report recommended the introduction of a [[Road pricing|congestion charge]] similar to that of London in Tel Aviv as well as other Israeli cities. Under this plan, road users traveling into the city would pay a fixed fee.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1198517321459 |title=Public transportation to be overhauled |accessdate=27 January 2008 |work=[[The Jerusalem Post|Jerusalem Post]] |date=1 August 2008 |last=Wrobel |first=Sharon}}</ref>
===Air===
[[File:Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, Departure Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Ben Gurion Airport]]]]
The main airport serving Tel Aviv is [[Ben Gurion Airport]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]]: TLV). Located in the neighboring city of [[Lod]], it is the main airport of Israel, handling over 13 million passengers in 2011. The airport serves both international flights and domestic flights, and is the main hub of [[El Al]], [[Arkia Israel Airlines]], [[Israir Airlines]] and [[Sun D'Or International Airlines]]. The airport is {{convert|15|km|mi|0}} southeast of Tel Aviv, on [[Highway 1 (Israel)|Highway 1]] between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Another airport in the Tel Aviv area, [[Sde Dov Airport|Sde Dov]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]]: SDV), in northwestern Tel Aviv close to [[Tel Aviv Port]], serves mainly domestic flights and may be closed in favor of real-estate development.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/793988.html |title=Sde Dov to be vacated, state gets half of Big Bloc |accessdate=17 July 2007 |work=[[Haaretz]] |last=Bar-Eli |first=Avi|date=30 November 2006}}</ref> In the future all services to Sde Dov will be transferred to Ben Gurion Airport.
===Light rail===
{{Main|Tel Aviv Light Rail}}
The first line of a [[light rail]] system is under construction and scheduled to open in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://80.70.129.175/data/SIP_STORAGE/files/1/2021.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=[[Yedioth Ahronot]] |title=Israel Treasury: We decided to take the light rail from Leveiev. New opening target: 2016 |accessdate=11 April 2007}}</ref> The Red Line starts at [[Petah Tikva]]'s Central Bus Station, east of Tel Aviv and follows the Jabotinsky Road (Route 481) westwards at street level. At the point where Jabotinsky Road and [[Highway 4 (Israel)|Highway 4]] intersect the line drops into an underground tunnel for {{convert|10|km|2|abbr=on}} through [[Bnei Brak]], [[Ramat Gan]] and Tel Aviv and emerges again to street level just before [[Jaffa]], where it turns southwards towards [[Bat Yam]].
The underground section will include 10 stations, including an interchange with [[Israel Railways]] services at [[Tel Aviv Central Railway Station]] and the nearby [[2000 Terminal]]. A maintenance depot, connected via a branch line and tunnel to the main section of the line, will be constructed in Kiryat Arye, across from the existing [[Petah Tikva Kiryat Arye Railway Station|Kiryat Arye suburban railway station]]. The intended builder and operator of the first line, MTS, has had financial difficulties that postponed the line's opening. In May 2010, the ministry of finance decided to cancel the agreement with MTS due to the difficulties and the agreement was cancelled in August 2010.<ref>[http://www.calcalist.co.il/local/articles/0,7340,L-3414299,00.html Now it's final? The government cancelled the agreement with MTS to construct the Tel Aviv Light Rail], Calcalist, 10 August 2010, In Hebrew</ref> The line is being built instead by NTA – The Tel Aviv region's mass transit development authority. Initially, the line's targeted opening was in 2012 and today the target is 2016 after several postponements due to the disagreements with MTS and NTA's takeover of the project.
===Cycling===
[[File:Tel-o-fun.jpg|thumb|[[Tel-O-Fun]] in Tel Aviv]]
Tel Aviv Municipality encourages the use of bicycles in the city. Plans called for expansion of the paths to {{convert|100|km|mi|1|sp=us}} by 2009.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200572503247&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull | title=City wheels in bicycle rental plan | accessdate=2008-01-31 | date=2008-01-21 | publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]}}</ref>
In April 2011, Tel Aviv municipality launched Tel-O-Fun, a [[bicycle sharing system]], in which 150 stations of bicycles for rent were installed within the city limits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-o-fun.co.il/ |publisher=Tel Aviv Municipality |title=Tel-O-Fun |accessdate=10 May 2011}}</ref> As of October 2011, there are 125 active stations, providing more than 1,000 bicycles. As of April 2011 the municipality has completed construction of about {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=on}} of bicycle paths.
==Twin towns and sister cities==
{{See also|List of Israeli twin towns and sister cities}}
<div class="noprint">
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
! colspan="3"|Tel Aviv is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
|-
{|style="width:100%"
|-
| style="width:33.3%;"|
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Toulouse]], France <small>''(since 1958)''</small>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Philadelphia]], United States <small>''(since 1966)''</small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt]], Germany <small>''(since 1980)''</small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Bonn]], Germany <small>''(since 1980)''</small> (Partner)<ref name="Bonn twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.bonn.de/wirtschaft_wissenschaft_internationales/internationale_aktivitaeten/staedtepartnerschaften/index.html?lang=en|title=City Twinnings|accessdate=2013-08-01|work=Stadt Bonn|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410070837/http://www.bonn.de/wirtschaft_wissenschaft_internationales/internationale_aktivitaeten/staedtepartnerschaften/index.html?lang=en|archivedate=2013-04-10}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina <small>''(since 1988)''</small>
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Budapest]], Hungary <small>''(since 1989)''</small> (Partner)<ref name="Budapest twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://budapest.hu/Lapok/Fovaros/Testvervarosok.aspx|title=Budapest - Testvérvárosok|accessdate=2013-08-14|work=Budapest Főváros Önkormányzatának hivatalos oldala [Official site of the Municipality of Budapest]|language=Hungarian|trans_title=Budapest - Twin Cities|archiveurl=http://budapest.hu/Lapok/Fovaros/Testvervarosok.aspx|archivedate=2013-08-09}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|SRB}} [[Belgrade]], Serbia <small>''(since 1990)''</small> (Partner)
||
*{{flagicon|MDA}} [[Chișinău]], Moldova <small>''(since 2000)''<ref name="Chișinău twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php?l=ro&idc=526|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903122220/http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php?l=ro&idc=526|title=Oraşe înfrăţite (Twin cities of Minsk) ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|publisher=Primăria Municipiului Chişinău|archivedate=3 November 2012|accessdate=2013-07-21|language=Romanian}}</ref></small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Essen, Germany|Essen]], Germany <small>''(since 1992)''</small> (Partner)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Warsaw]], Poland <small>''(since 1992)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Milan]], Italy <small>''(since 1994)''</small>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]], United States <small>''(since 1996)''</small><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Cityhall/Pages/Partnerships.aspx?tm=&sm=&side=515|title=Tel Aviv sister cities|accessdate=2013-08-04}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Łódź]], Poland <small>''(since 1994)''</small><ref name="Łódź twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.uml.lodz.pl/samorzad/miasta_partnerskie_lodzi/tabelka|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624211727/http://www.uml.lodz.pl/samorzad/miasta_partnerskie_lodzi/tabelka/|title=Miasta partnerskie - Urząd Miasta Łodzi ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|accessdate=2013-07-21|archivedate=24 June 2013|work=City of Łódź|language=Polish}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]],USA (Partner)<ref>[http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Cityhall/Pages/Partnerships1.aspx?tm=69&sm=&side=515 ערים שותפות<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
||
*{{flagicon|PAN}} [[Panama City]], Panama<small>''(since 2013)''</small><ref name="Caribbean Journal">{{cite web | url = http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/03/08/panama-city-and-tel-aviv-sign-agreement-to-become-sister-cities/ | title = Panama City and Tel Aviv Sign Agreement to Become Sister Cities | accessdate = 2013-06-25 | work = Caribbean Journal}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Thessaloniki]], Greece <small>''(since 1994)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona]], Spain <small>''(since 1998)''</small>
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[İzmir]], Turkey <small>''(since 1998)''</small>
*{{flagicon|BRA}} [[São Paulo]], Brazil <small>''(since 2004)''</small><ref name="São Paulo twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www3.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/cadlem/secretarias/negocios_juridicos/cadlem/integra.asp?alt=11072007L%20144710000|title = Pesquisa de Legislação Municipal - No 14471|accessdate=2013-08-23|work=Prefeitura da Cidade de São Paulo [Municipality of the City of São Paulo]|language=Portuguese|trans_title=Research Municipal Legislation - No 14471|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018123138/http://www3.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/cadlem/secretarias/negocios_juridicos/cadlem/integra.asp?alt=11072007L%20144710000|archivedate = 2011-10-18}}</ref><ref name="São Paulo WikiSource">[http://pt.wikisource.org/wiki/Lei_Municipal_de_S%C3%A3o_Paulo_14471_de_2007 Lei Municipal de São Paulo 14471 de 2007] WikiSource {{pt icon}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Beijing]], China <small>''(since 2004)''</small>
|}
|}
==Notable people born in Tel Aviv ==
*[[Miri Ben-Ari]],The Hip Hop Violinist
*[[Borgore]], dubstep producer and DJ
*[[Esti Ginzburg]], model and actress
*[[Ofra Haza]], singer
*[[Yair Lapid]], politician and journalist
*[[Ido Pariente]], [[mixed martial artist]] fighter and trainer
*[[Itzhak Perlman]], musician and conductor
*[[Orli Shoshan]], ''Star Wars'' film actress
*[[Ayelet Zurer]], actress
*[[Dana International]], musician and singer
*[[Oded Fehr]], actor
{{clear}}
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==Bibliography==
* Michael Turner, Catherine Weill-Rochant, Geneviève Blondiau, Silvina Sosnovsky, Philippe Brandeis, ''Sur les traces du modernisme, Tel-Aviv-Haïfa-Jérusalem'', CIVA (ed.), Bruxelles 2004. (Hebrew and French)
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, ''L'Atlas de Tel-Aviv 1908–2008'', Paris, CNRS Editions, 2008. (Historical maps and photos, French, soon in Hebrew and English)
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, ''Bauhaus » – Architektur in Tel-Aviv, L’architecture « Bauhaus » à Tel- Aviv'', Rita Gans (éd.), Zürich, Yad Yearim, 2008. (German and French)
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, 'The Tel-Aviv School : a constrained rationalism', ''DOCOMOMO journal'' (Documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the modern movement), April 2009.
*{{Cite thesis |degree=PhD|title=Le plan de Patrick Geddes pour la « ville blanche » de Tel Aviv : une part d’ombre et de lumière. Volume 1|url=http://www.bu.univ-paris8.fr/web/collections/theses/RochantThese1.pdf |format=PDF|last=Rochant Weill|first=Catherine|year=2006|publisher=Université Paris 8|location=Paris|accessdate=9 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}} And: {{Cite thesis |degree=PhD|title=Le plan de Patrick Geddes pour la « ville blanche » de Tel Aviv : une part d’ombre et de lumière. Volume 2|url=http://www.bu.univ-paris8.fr/web/collections/theses/RochantThese2.pdf|format=PDF|last=Rochant Weill|first=Catherine|year=2006|publisher=Université Paris 8|location=Paris|accessdate=9 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, ''Le travail de Patrick Geddes à Tel-Aviv, un plan d'ombre et de lumière'', [[Saarbrücken]], ةditions Universitaires Européennes, May 2010.
* Jochen Visscher (ed.): ''Tel Aviv The White City'', Photographs by Stefan Boness, JOVIS Verlag Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-939633-75-4
==External links==
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=== {{No more links}} =========-->
{{Commons category|Tel Aviv-Yafo}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/ The official Tel Aviv municipality website]
* [http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/ The official Tel Aviv municipality website] {{he icon}}
* [http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Arabic/ The official Tel Aviv municipality website] {{ar icon}}
* [http://www.israelinarabic.com/?p=605 The History of Tel Aviv] {{ar icon}}
* [http://www.visit-tlv.com/ visit-tlv.com] - Tel Aviv-Jaffa Tourism Site
* [http://www.telavivfoundation.org/ The Tel Aviv Foundation]
* [http://telaviv.busmappa.com/p/bus-map.html Tel Aviv bus map]
* [http://www.yourway.co.il/travel_to_tel_aviv.html Travel Tel Aviv]
{{Tel Aviv District}}
{{Largest Israeli cities}}
{{Paralympic Summer Games Host Cities}}
{{Coord|32|5|0|N|34|48|0|E|type:city|display=title}}
{{Good article}}
[[Category:Tel Aviv| ]]<!--leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:1909 establishments in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Cities in Israel]]
[[Category:Cities in Tel Aviv District]]
[[Category:Former national capitals]]
[[Category:Jewish villages in the Ottoman Empire]]
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New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{About|the city in Israel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
|name =Tel Aviv
|native_name ={{small|{{unbulleted list|{{lang|he| תֵּל־אָבִיב}}|{{lang|ar|تل أبيب-يافا}}}}}}
|ISO =Tell ʔabib Yapo
|translit_lang1_type =09090909
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|image_skyline = Tel Aviv Collage 3.JPG
|image_caption = From left to right: Tel Aviv skyline at sunset, [[Azrieli Center]], [[Dizengoff Square]], [[Jaffa Clock Tower]], Beach view from the [[Old City (Jaffa)|Old City]]
|image_flag = Tel Aviv flag.svg
|flag_alt =
|image_seal =
|seal_alt = Tel Aviv New Logo.svg
|image_shield = TelAvivEmblem.svg
|shield_alt =
|nickname = {{unbulleted list| "[[White City (Tel Aviv)|The White City]]" |"The City That Never Sleeps"}}
|motto =
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|pushpin_map =Israel
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|pushpin_map_caption =Location of Tel Aviv within Israel
|latd=32 |latm=4 |lats=|latNS=N
|longd=34 |longm=47 |longs=|longEW=E
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|subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name = {{flagicon|ISR}} [[Israel]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Districts of Israel|District]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Tel Aviv District|Tel Aviv]]
|subdivision_type2 = Metropolitan Area
|subdivision_name2 = [[Tel Aviv metropolitan area|Gush Dan]]
|subdivision_type3 =
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|established_title = Founded
|established_date = 20 April 1909
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|government_type = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-council]]
|governing_body = Tel Aviv municipality
|leader_party =[[Israeli Labor Party|Labor]]
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = [[Ron Huldai]]
|unit_pref =
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|area_total_km2 =52
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|area_urban_km2 =176
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|area_metro_km2 =1516
|area_metro_sq_mi =
|area_note =
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m =5
|elevation_ft =
|population_footnotes =<ref name="population"/>
|population_total =414,600
|population_rank =[[List of Israeli cities|2nd]] in Israel
|population_urban =1,318,300
|population_metro =3,464,100
|population_as_of =2013
|population_density_km2=8,148.3
|population_density_rank= [[List of Israeli cities|12th]] in Israel
|population_density_urban_km2= 7504.4
|population_density_metro_km2= 2291.4
|population_est =
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|population_demonym =Tel Avivi
|population_note =
|timezone1 =[[Israel Standard Time|IST]]
|utc_offset1 =+2
|timezone1_DST =[[Israel Summer Time|IDT]]
|utc_offset1_DST =+3
|postal_code_type =[[Postal codes in Israel|Postal code]]
|postal_code =61999
|area_code_type =[[Telephone numbers in Israel|Area code]]
|area_code =+972 (Israel) 3 (City)
|website =[http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/index.htm tel-aviv.gov.il]
|footnotes =
}}
'''Tel Aviv''' ({{lang-he-n|תֵּל־אָבִיב}}; {{lang-ar|تل أبيب}}) is the [[List of largest cities and second largest cities by country|second most populous city]] in [[Israel]], with a population of 414,600 within its administrative limits.<ref name="population">{{cite journal|url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_25&CYear=2013 |title=לוח 3.- אוכלוסייה( 1), ביישובים שמנו מעל 2,000 תושבים( 2) ושאר אוכלוסייה כפרית Population (1) of localities numbering above 2,000 Residents (2) and other rural population |accessdate=7 November 2013}}</ref> It is located on the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coast in central-west Israel, within [[Gush Dan]], Israel's largest metropolitan area, containing 42% of Israel's population. It is also the largest and most populous city in Gush Dan, which is collectively home to 3,464,100 residents.<ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite web|title=Localities, Population and Density per km²., by Metropolitan Area and Selected Localities |work=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2013|publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_25&CYear=2013|format=PDF|accessdate=7 November 2013|year=2012}}</ref> The city is governed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, headed by [[Ron Huldai]]. Residents of Tel Aviv are referred to as ''Tel Avivim'' (singular: ''Tel Avivi'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/index.htm |title=Tel Aviv Municipality |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |accessdate=2 February 2008}}</ref> As the [[United Nations]] and all other countries do not recognize [[Jerusalem]] as the capital of Israel, Tel Aviv is home to many foreign embassies.<ref>[[Jerusalem]] is the capital under [[Jerusalem Law|Israeli law]]. The presidential residence, government offices, supreme court and parliament ([[Knesset]]) are located there. The [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]] foresees East Jerusalem as the capital of its future state. The UN does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, taking the position that the final status of Jerusalem is pending future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority {{PDFlink|[http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/israel.pdf Map of Israel]|319 KB}}. Countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv and its suburbs, or suburbs of Jerusalem, such as [[Mevaseret Zion]]. (see [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html CIA Factbook]) See [[Positions on Jerusalem]]: "No country in the world except for Israel has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital".</ref>
Tel Aviv was founded by the Jewish community on the outskirts of the ancient [[port|port city]] of [[Jaffa]] ({{lang-he-n|יָפוֹ}} ''{{transl|he|Yafo}}''; {{lang-ar|يافا}} ''{{transl|ar|ALA-LC|Yāfā}}'') in 1909. Jewish immigration meant that the growth of Tel Aviv soon outpaced Jaffa, which had a majority [[Palestinian people|Arab]] population at the time.<ref>85% in 1922, 92% in 1931 (Census reports)</ref> Tel Aviv and Jaffa were merged into a single municipality in 1950, two years after the [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|establishment of the State of Israel]]. Tel Aviv's [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]], designated a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] in 2003, comprises the world's largest concentration of [[Bauhaus]] buildings.<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/1096.pdf |title=The White City of Tel Aviv |accessdate=29 March 2008 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="times">{{cite news |url=http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/holiday_type/breaks/article3370349.ece |title=Hip and happening in Tel Aviv |work=The Times |date=16 February 2008 |accessdate=16 February 2008 |last=Strimpel |first=Zoe |location=London}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is an economic hub, home to the [[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]], corporate offices and [[research and development]] centers.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/1998/04/11669 |title=New Economy: Silicon Wadi |journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |accessdate=2 February 2008 |date=16 April 1998}}</ref> It is the country's [[Financial centre|financial capital]] and a major [[performing arts]] and business center.<ref name="GAWC"/> Tel Aviv has the [[List of cities by GDP|second-largest economy]] in the Middle East after [[Dubai]], and is the 31st most expensive city in the world.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ami Sedghi |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/12/city-cost-of-living-2012-tokyo |title=Which is the world's most expensive city? Cost of living survey 2012 | News | guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian |date=2012-06-12 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> With 2.5 million international visitors annually, Tel Aviv is the fifth-most-visited city in the Middle East.<ref name="MasterCard ranks Tel Aviv as fifth most visited city in Middle East and Africa">{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/mastercard-ranks-tel-aviv-as-fifth-most-visited-city-in-middle-east-and-africa/|title=MasterCard ranks Tel Aviv as fifth most visited city in Middle East and Africa |accessdate=12 June 2012|publisher=[[The Times of Israel]] |first=Yoel|last=Goldman |date=12 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="Tourists rank Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among top cities to visit">{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/travel/travel-news/tourists-rank-jerusalem-and-tel-aviv-among-top-cities-to-visit-1.374032|title=Tourists rank Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among top cities to visit |accessdate=19 July 2011|publisher=[[Haaretz]] |first=Tanya |last=Sapty |date=19 July 2011}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> It is known as "the city that never sleeps" and a "party capital" due to its lively [[nightlife]], dynamic atmosphere and famous [[24/7|24-hour culture]].<ref name="Top 10 party towns">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/the-worlds-top-10-party-towns-20091118-im4q.html |title=The world's top 10 party towns |publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald|Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=19 November 2009 |accessdate=19 November 2009}}</ref><ref name="lonelyplanet.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-york-city/travel-tips-and-articles/76165|title=Lonely Planet's top 10 cities for 2011 |accessdate=31 October 2010}}</ref>
==Etymology==
''Tel Aviv'' is the Hebrew title of [[Theodor Herzl]]'s [[The Old New Land|''Altneuland'']] ("Old New Land"), translated from German by [[Nahum Sokolow]]. Sokolow had adopted the name of a [[Mesopotamia]]n site near the city of Babylon mentioned in [[Book of Ezekiel|Ezekiel]]: "Then I came to them of the captivity at [[Tel Abib]], that lived by the [[Khabur River|river Chebar]], and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days."<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezekiel|3:15|HE}}</ref> The name was chosen in 1910 from several suggestions, including "[[Herzliya]]". It was found fitting as it embraced the idea of a renaissance in the ancient Jewish homeland. ''Aviv'' is Hebrew for "spring", symbolizing renewal, and ''[[Tell|tel]]'' is a man-made mound accumulating layers of civilization built one over the other and symbolizing the ancient.<ref name="VTLV">{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Telaviv.html |title=Tel Aviv |accessdate=18 July 2007 |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]]}}</ref>
Theories vary about the etymology of Jaffa or ''Yafo'' in Hebrew. Some believe that the name derives from ''yafah'' or ''yofi'', Hebrew for "beautiful" or "beauty". Another tradition is that [[Japheth]], son of [[Noah]], founded the city and that it was named after him.<ref name="VJF">{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/jaffa.html |title=Jaffa |accessdate=16 September 2012 |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]]}}</ref>
==History==
===Jaffa===
[[File:Jaffa port 1906-3.jpg|thumb|left|Port of Jaffa in 1906]]
[[File:TelAviv-Founding.jpg|thumb|left|Lottery for building plots in Tel Aviv, 1909]]
The ancient port of [[Jaffa]] changed hands many times in the course of history. [[Excavation (archaeology)|Archeological excavations]] from 1955 to 1974 unearthed towers and gates from the [[Bronze Age|Middle Bronze Age]].<ref name="TAU">{{cite web |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/archaeology/projects/proj_jaffa.html |title=Excavations at Ancient Jaffa (Joppa) |accessdate=30 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv University}}</ref> Subsequent excavations, from 1997 onwards, helped date earlier discoveries.<ref name="TAU"/> They also exposed sections of a packed-sandstone [[glacis]] and a massive brick wall, dating from the [[Bronze Age|Late Bronze Age]], as well as a temple attributed to the [[Sea Peoples]] and dwellings from the [[Iron Age]].<ref name="TAU"/> Remnants of buildings from the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] and [[Hellenistic civilization|Hellenistic]] periods were also discovered.<ref name="TAU"/>
The city, Jaffa, is first mentioned in letters from 1470 BC that record its conquest by Egyptian [[Pharaoh]] [[Thutmose III]].<ref name="Economist">{{cite journal |url=http://www.economist.com/topics/tel-aviv?city_id=TLV&folder=Facts-History |title=Economist City Guide-Tel Aviv |journal=[[The Economist]] |accessdate=21 January 2008}} {{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}</ref> Jaffa is mentioned several times in the Bible, as the port from which [[Jonah]] set sail for [[Tarshish]];<ref>[[Book of Jonah]] 1:3</ref> as bordering on the territory of the [[Tribe of Dan]];<ref>[[Book of Joshua]] 19:40–48</ref> and as the [[Jaffa Port]] at which the wood for [[Solomon's Temple]] in [[Jerusalem]] arrived from Lebanon.<ref>[[Books of Chronicles]] II 2:16</ref> Jaffa is also mentioned as the place where the Apostle Peter raised Tabitha and visited Simon the Tanner.<ref>[[Acts of the Apostles]] 9:36-43</ref> According to some sources it has been a port for at least 4,000 years.<ref name="VJF"/>
In 1099, the Catholic armies of the [[First Crusade]], led by [[Godfrey of Bouillon]], occupied Jaffa, which had been abandoned by the Muslims, fortified the town and improved its harbor.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of the Crusades Vol 1: The First Crusade |last=Runciman|first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Runciman |publisher=Penguin|year=1951|location=London |pages=282, 308 |isbn=978-0-14-013706-4}}</ref> As the [[Count]]y of Jaffa, the town soon became important as the main sea supply route for the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of the Crusades Vol 2: The Kingdom of Jerusalem|last=Runciman|first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Runciman|publisher=Penguin|year=1952|location=London |pages=191–92 |isbn=978-0-14-013704-0}}</ref> Jaffa was captured by [[Saladin]] in 1192 but swiftly re-taken by [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]], who added to its defenses.<ref name=RuncimanV3>{{Cite book |title=A History of the Crusades Vol 3: The Kingdom of Acre|last=Runciman|first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Runciman |publisher=Penguin|year=1954|location=London |pages=70–71, 186, 324 |isbn=978-0-14-013705-7}}</ref> In 1223, [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Frederick II]] added further fortifications.<ref name=RuncimanV3/> Crusader domination ended in 1268, when the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk]] Sultan [[Baibars]] captured the town, destroyed its harbor and razed its fortifications.<ref name=RuncimanV3/><ref name="Kark">{{Cite book |title=Jaffa: A City in Evolution 1799–1917|last=Kark |first=Ruth |publisher=Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi|year=1990|location=Jerusalem|pages=8–10 |isbn=9789652170651}}</ref> In 1336, when a new Crusade was being planned, [[Al-Nasir Muhammad]] had the harbor destroyed to prevent the Franks from landing there.<ref name=EI>{{cite book |title= Encyclopedia of Islam, second edition |editor= PN Bearman et al. |at= Yafi}}</ref> For the same reason, both the town and the harbor were destroyed in 1345.<ref name=EI/> In the 16th century, Jaffa was conquered by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] and was administered as a village in the [[Liwa of Gaza|Sanjak of Gaza]].<ref name="Kark"/>
[[Napoleon I|Napoleon]] besieged the city in 1799 and killed scores of inhabitants; a plague epidemic followed, decimating the remaining population.<ref name="Kark"/> The surrendering garrison of several thousand Muslims was massacred.<ref>{{cite book |author= Jacques-François Moit |title= Mémoires pour servir à l'historoire des expéditions en Egypte et en Syrie |year= 1814}}, quoted in {{cite journal |author= Véronique Nahoum-Grappe |title= The anthropology of extreme violence: the crime of desecration |journal= International Social Science Journal |volume= 54 |issue= 174 |year= 2002 |pages= 549–557 |doi= 10.1111/1468-2451.00409}}</ref>
[[File:Tel Aviv carrying bricks.jpg|thumb|upright|Builder in Tel Aviv, 1920s]]
Jaffa began to grow as an [[urban area|urban center]] in the early 18th century, when the Ottoman government in [[Istanbul]] intervened to guard the port and reduce attacks by Bedouins and pirates.<ref name="Kark"/> However, the real expansion came during the 19th century, when the population grew from 2,500 in 1806 to 17,000 in 1886.<ref name="Economist"/>
From 1800 to 1870, many of Jaffa's old walls and towers were torn down to allow for expansion.<ref name=Haaretz20080115>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944906.html |title=Archaeological discoveries may prove barrier to Jaffa port rejuvenation |accessdate=21 January 2008 |date=15 January 2008 |work=[[Haaretz]]}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> The [[Seawall|sea wall]], {{convert|2.5|m|ft}} high, remained intact until the 1930s, when it was built over during a renovation of the port by the [[British Mandate for Palestine|British Mandatory]] authorities.<ref name=Haaretz20080115/> During the mid-19th century, the city grew prosperous from trade, especially in silk and [[Jaffa orange]]s, with Europe.<ref name="Economist"/> In the 1860s Jaffa's small [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] community was joined by Jews from Morocco and small numbers of [[Ashkenazi Jews]].
The first Jews to settle outside of Jaffa, in the area of modern day Tel Aviv, were [[Yemenite Jews]]. These homes, built in 1881, later became the core of [[Kerem HaTeimanim]] ([[Hebrew]] for "the Vineyard of the Yemenites"). In 1896 Yemenite Jews established homes at Mahane Yehuda, and in 1904, Mahane Yossef. These neighbourhoods later became the Shabazi neighbourhood.
During the 1880s, Ashkenazi immigration to Jaffa increased with the onset of the [[First Aliyah]]. The new arrivals were motivated more by [[Zionism]] than religion and came to farm the land and engage in productive labor.<ref name="Economist"/> In keeping with their "pioneer" ideology, some settled in the sand dunes north of Jaffa.<ref name="Economist"/> Between 1887 and 1899, Ashkenazi settlers constructed houses at [[Neve Tzedek]]<ref name="UNESCO"/> and in 1890 at Neve Shalom nearby.
===Ahuzat Bayit===
The [[Second Aliyah]] led to further expansion. In 1906, a group of Jews, among them residents of Jaffa, followed the initiative of [[Akiva Aryeh Weiss]] and banded together to form the ''Ahuzat Bayit'' (lit. "homestead") society. The society's goal was to form a "Hebrew urban centre in a healthy environment, planned according to the rules of aesthetics and modern hygiene."<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} The urban planning for the new city was influenced by the [[Garden city movement]].<ref name="JewishVL">{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/tahist.html |title=From Spring Hill to Independence |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]] |accessdate=20 January 2008}}</ref> The first 60 plots were purchased in Kerem Djebali near Jaffa by Jacobus Kann, a Dutch citizen, who registered them in his name to circumvent the Turkish prohibition on Jewish land acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|last=Azoulay |first=Yuval |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/jacobus-street-corner-of-oblivion-1.273311 |title=Jacobus Street, corner of Oblivion|publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2009-04-01 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> [[Meir Dizengoff]], later Tel Aviv's first mayor, also joined the Ahuzat Bayit society.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/BIOS/dizen.html |title=Dizengoff, Meir |publisher=[[Jewish Agency for Israel|Jewish Agency]] |accessdate=21 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bridger |first=David |title=The New Jewish Encyclopedia |publisher=Behrman House, Inc |year=1906 |page=117 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=hZqpCrG3qw0C&pg=PA117&dq=founder+tel-aviv |isbn=978-0-87441-120-1}}</ref> His vision for Tel Aviv involved peaceful co-existence with Arabs.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
[[File:Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|[[Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium]] in 1936]]
In April 1909, 66 Jewish families gathered on a desolate sand dune to parcel out the land by lottery using seashells. This gathering is considered the official date of the establishment of Tel Aviv. The lottery was organised by [[Akiva Aryeh Weiss]], president of the building society.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kosharek |first=Noah |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1079400.html |title=Seashell lottery |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2009-04-20 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> Weiss collected 120 sea shells on the beach, half of them white and half of them grey. The members' names were written on the white shells and the plot numbers on the grey shells. A boy drew names from one box of shells and a girl drew plot numbers from the second box. A photographer, Avraham Soskin, documented the event. The first water well was later dug at this site (today Rothschild Boulevard, across from Dizengoff House).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.israelphilately.org.il/articles/content/en/000874 |title=Tel-Aviv Centennial – "Ahuzat-Bayit Land Lottery |publisher=English.israelphilately.org.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> Within a year, [[Theodor Herzl|Herzl]], [[Ahad Ha'am]], [[Judah Halevi|Yehuda Halevi]], [[Moshe Leib Lilienblum|Lilienblum]], and Rothschild streets were built; a water system was installed; and 66 houses (including some on six subdivided plots) were completed.<ref name="JewishVL"/> At the end of Herzl Street, a plot was allocated for a new building for the [[The Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium|Herzliya Hebrew High School]], founded in Jaffa in 1906.<ref name="JewishVL"/> On 21 May 1910, the name Tel Aviv was adopted.<ref name="JewishVL"/> Tel Aviv was planned as an independent Hebrew city with wide streets and boulevards, running water at each house and street lights.<ref name="brit">{{cite journal |url=http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/RonBernthal/tel-aviv-and-its-bauhaus-tradition.html |title=The White City: Tel Aviv And Its Bauhaus Tradition |last=Bernthal |first=Ron |journal=Travel Writer's Magazine |accessdate=21 January 2008}}</ref>
By 1914, Tel Aviv had grown to more than {{convert|1|km2|acre|0}}.<ref name="JewishVL"/> However, growth halted in 1917 when the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] authorities [[Tel Aviv and Jaffa deportation|expelled the Jews of Jaffa and Tel Aviv]].<ref name="JewishVL"/> A report published in ''The New York Times'' by United States Consul Garrels in [[Alexandria|Alexandria, Egypt]] described the Jaffa deportation of early April 1917. The orders of evacuation were aimed chiefly at the Jewish population.<ref name=Turkish>{{cite book |title=The New York Times Current History |publisher=The New York Times Co|year=1917|page=167 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=Lls-WnKHpccC&q=Consul+Garrels+in+Alexandria+new+york+times+jaffa&dq=Consul+Garrels+in+Alexandria+new+york+times+jaffa|accessdate=15 March 2008}}</ref> Jews were free to return to their homes in Tel Aviv at the end of the following year when, with the end of World War I and the defeat of the Ottomans, the British took control of Palestine.
===Under the British Mandate===
[[File:Geddes Plan for Tel Aviv 1925.jpg|thumb|right|Master plan for Tel Aviv by [[Patrick Geddes]], 1925]]
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 2779 Great Britain בריטניה הגדולה.JPG|thumb|left|250px|The British pavilion in the [[Orient Fair]], 1934]]
With increasing Jewish immigration during the [[British Mandate of Palestine|British administration]], friction between Arabs and Jews in Palestine increased. On 1 May 1921, the [[Jaffa riots|Jaffa Riots]] resulted in the deaths of 48 Arabs and 47 Jews and injuries to 146 Jews and 73 Arabs.<ref>[http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:hcpp&rft_dat=xri:hcpp:rec:1921-024927 Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the disturbances in Palestine in May, 1921], with correspondence relating thereto (Disturbances), 1921, Cmd. 1540, p. 60.</ref> In the wake of this violence, many Jews left Jaffa for Tel Aviv, increasing the population of Tel Aviv from 2,000 in 1920 to around 34,000 by 1925.<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web |url=http://www.travelnet.co.il/israel/TelAviv/History.htm |title=Tel Aviv History |accessdate=20 January 2008 |publisher=Travelnet.co.il}}</ref>
Tel Aviv began to develop as a commercial center.<ref name="JewishVL"/>
In 1923, Tel Aviv was the first town to be wired to electricity in Palestine, followed by Jaffa later in the same year. The opening ceremony of the Jaffa Electric Company powerhouse, on June 10, 1923, celebrated the lighting of the two main streets of Tel Aviv.<ref>Shamir, Ronen (2013) Current Flow: The Electrification of Palestine. Stanford: Stanford University Press.</ref>
In 1925, the Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist and pioneering town planner [[Patrick Geddes]] drew up a [[Urban planning|master plan]] for Tel Aviv which was adopted by the city council led by [[Meir Dizengoff]]. This first plan for developing the northern part of the district was called "The Geddes Plan",<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} whose core idea was the development of a [[Garden city movement|Garden City]] or "urban village," combining the best of urban and rural life.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=YuQZcdbG0HQC&pg=PA489&dq=about+park+hayarkon#v=onepage&q&f=true |title=Regional Architecture in the Mediterranean Area, ed. Alessandro Bucci, Luigi Mollo |publisher=Books.google.co.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23|isbn=9788860552938|year=2010}}</ref> The boundaries used by Geddes, the [[Yarkon River]] in the North and [[Solomon ibn Gabirol|Ibn Gvirol]] Street in the East, are now the boundaries of Tel Aviv's [[:he:הצפון הישן|Old North]].
[[Ben Gurion House]] was built in 1930–31, part of a new worker's housing development. At the same time, Jewish cultural life was given a boost by the establishment of the Ohel Theater and the decision of [[Habima Theatre]] to make Tel Aviv its permanent base in 1931.<ref name="JewishVL"/>
Tel Aviv was granted municipal status in 1934.<ref name="JewishVL"/> The Jewish population rose dramatically during the [[Fifth Aliyah]] after the Nazis came to power in Germany.<ref name="JewishVL"/> By 1937 the Jewish population of Tel Aviv had risen to 150,000, compared to Jaffa's mainly [[Palestinians]] 69,000 residents. Within two years, it had reached 160,000, which was over a third of Palestine's total Jewish population.<ref name="JewishVL"/> Many new Jewish immigrants to Palestine disembarked in Jaffa, and remained in Tel Aviv, turning the city into a center of urban life. Friction during the [[1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine|1936–39 Arab revolt]], led to the opening of a local Jewish port, [[Tel Aviv Port]], independent of Jaffa, in 1938, (it closed on 25 October 1965). [[Ben Gurion International Airport|Lydda Airport]] (later Ben Gurion Airport) and [[Sde Dov Airport]] opened between 1937 and 1938.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
Many [[German Jews|German Jewish]] architects trained at the [[Bauhaus]], the [[Modernism|Modernist]] school of architecture fled Germany. Some, like architect [[Arieh Sharon]], came to Palestine and adapted the architectural outlook of the Bauhaus as well as other similar schools, to local conditions, creating what is recognized as the largest concentration of buildings in the [[International style (architecture)|International Style]] in the world.<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
Tel Aviv's [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]] emerged in the 1930s, and became a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 2003.
Tel Aviv was hit during the Italian [[Bombing of Palestine in World War II]]. On 9 September 1940, 137 were killed in the bombing of Tel Aviv.<ref>Maya Zamir, {{Wayback |date=20080112084944 |url=http://www.tam.co.il/7_9_2007/magazin1.htm |title=The Day of The bombing }}, [[Tel Aviv Magazine]], 7 September 2007 {{he icon}}</ref>
According to the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine|1947 UN Partition Plan]] for dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, Tel Aviv, by then a city of 230,000, was included in the new [[Homeland for the Jewish people|Jewish state]]. Jaffa with, as of 1945, a population of 101,580 people, consisting of 53,930 Muslims, 30,820 Jews and 16,800 Christians, was designated as part of the Arab state. The Palestinian Arabs, however, rejected the plan.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} Between 1947 and 1948, tensions grew between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. When fighting broke out, the [[Haganah]] and [[Irgun]] Jewish para-military forces laid virtual siege to Jaffa.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} Arab snipers were reported firing at Jews from the minarets of the [[Hassan Bek Mosque]]. From April 1948, the [[Palestinians]] residents of Jaffa were forced to flee. By the time Jaffa had been captured by Jewish forces on 14 May, few Palestinian Arabs remained.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
===After Israeli independence===
[[File:Israel -Independence May 14, 1948.jpg|thumb|Crowd outside Dizengoff House (now [[Independence Hall (Israel)|Independence Hall]]) to hear declaration and signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948]]
When Israel [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|declared Independence]] on 14 May 1948, the population of Tel Aviv was over 200,000.<ref name="population"/>
Tel Aviv was the temporary government center of the State of Israel until the government moved to Jerusalem in December 1949. Due to the international dispute over the [[Positions on Jerusalem|status of Jerusalem]], most foreign embassies remained in or near Tel Aviv.<ref name="VTLV"/> In the early 1980s, 13 embassies in Jerusalem moved to Tel Aviv as part of the [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 478|UN's measures]] responding to Israel's 1980 [[Jerusalem Law]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Foreign%20Relations/Israels%20Foreign%20Relations%20since%201947/1979-1980/119%20Foreign%20Ministry%20reaction%20to%20the%20transfer%20of%20t |title=Foreign Ministry reaction to the transfer of the Dutch embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv |date=26 August 1980 |accessdate=3 June 2007 |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |work=Israel's Foreign Relations: Selected Documents}}</ref> Today, all national embassies are in Tel Aviv or environs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.co.il/Embassies.asp|title=Embassies and Consulates in Israel |accessdate=18 July 2007 |publisher=Israel Science and Technology |work=Israel Science and Technology Homepage}}</ref> The boundaries of Tel Aviv and Jaffa became a matter of contention between the Tel Aviv municipality and the Israeli government in 1948.<ref name=Golan1995>Arnon Golan (1995), The demarcation of Tel Aviv-Jaffa's municipal boundaries, ''Planning Perspectives'', vol. 10, pp. 383–398.</ref> The former wished to incorporate only the northern Jewish suburbs of Jaffa, while the latter wanted a more complete unification.<ref name=Golan1995/> The issue also had international sensitivity, since the main part of Jaffa was in the Arab portion of the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine|United Nations Partition Plan]], whereas Tel Aviv was not, and no armistice agreements had yet been signed.<ref name=Golan1995/> On 10 December 1948, the government announced the annexation to Tel Aviv of Jaffa's Jewish suburbs, the [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] neighborhood of [[Abu Kabir]], the Palestinian village of [[Salama, Jaffa|Salama]] and some of its agricultural land, and the Jewish 'Hatikva' slum.<ref name=Golan1995/> On 25 February 1949, the depopulated Palestinian village of [[al-Shaykh Muwannis]] was also annexed to Tel Aviv.<ref name=Golan1995/> On 18 May 1949, [[Manshiya]] and part of Jaffa's central zone were added, for the first time including land that had been in the Arab portion of the UN partition plan.<ref name=Golan1995/> The government voted on the unification of Tel Aviv and Jaffa on 4 October 1949, but the decision was not implemented until 24 April 1950 due to the opposition of Tel Aviv mayor [[Israel Rokach]].<ref name=Golan1995/> The name of the unified city was Tel Aviv until 19 August 1950, when it was renamed Tel Aviv-Yafo in order to preserve the historical name Jaffa.<ref name=Golan1995/>
Tel Aviv thus grew to {{convert|42|km2|sqmi|sp=us|1}}. In 1949, a memorial to the 60 founders of Tel Aviv was constructed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fodors.com/world/africa%20and%20middle%20east/israel/tel%20aviv/entity_190378.html |title=Founders Monument and Fountain |accessdate=21 January 2008 |work=[[Fodor's|Fodors]]}}</ref> Over the past 60 years, Tel Aviv has developed into a [[secularity|secular]], liberal-minded center with a vibrant nightlife and café culture.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
In the 1960s, some of the older buildings were demolished, making way for the country's first high-rises. [[Shalom Meir Tower]] was Israel's [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the world|tallest building]] until 1999. Tel Aviv's population peaked in the early 1960s at 390,000, representing 16 percent of the country's total.<ref name="profile">{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/engineering/strategy/pdf/profile-main-issues.pdf |title=City Profile |accessdate=30 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |format=PDF}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> A long period of steady decline followed, however, and by the late 1980s the city had an aging population of 317,000.<ref name="profile"/> High property prices pushed families out and deterred young people from moving in.<ref name="profile"/>
At this time, gentrification began in the poor neighborhoods of southern Tel Aviv, and the old port in the north was renewed.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} New laws were introduced to protect Modernist buildings, and efforts to preserve them were aided by [[UNESCO]] recognition of the Tel Aviv's White City as a world heritage site. In the early 1990s, the decline in population was reversed, partly due to the large wave of immigrants from the [[Post-Soviet states|former Soviet Union]].<ref name="profile"/> Tel Aviv also began to emerge as a high-tech center.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} The construction of many [[List of tallest structures in Israel|skyscrapers]] and high-tech office buildings followed. In 1993, Tel Aviv was categorized as a [[Global city|world city]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ff.uni-lj.si/oddelki/geo/publikacije/dela/files/Dela_21/019%20kipnis.pdf |title=Tel Aviv, Israel – A World City in Evolution: Urban Development at a Deadend of the Global Economy |first=Baruch A. |last=Kipnis |year=2004 |accessdate=30 March 2008 |format=PDF}}</ref> The city is regarded as a strong candidate for [[Gamma world city|global city status]].<ref name="GAWC">{{cite web|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb57.html|title=Tel Aviv, Israel – A World City in Evolution: Urban Development at a Deadend of the Global Economy|last=Kipnis|first=B.A. |publisher=Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network at [[Loughborough University]]|date=8 October 2001 |accessdate=17 July 2007}} Cities in Transition. Ljubljana: Department of Geography, [[University of Ljubljana]], pp. 183–194.</ref>
[[File:Florentin0013.JPG|thumb|A [[Bauhaus]] street café in Florentin, Tel Aviv.]]
In the [[Gulf War]] in 1991, Tel Aviv was attacked by [[Scud]] missiles from Iraq. Iraq hoped to provoke an Israeli military response, which could have destroyed the US–Arab alliance. The [[United States]] pressured Israel not to retaliate, and after Israel acquiesced, the US and [[Netherlands]] rushed [[Patriot missile]]s to defend against the attacks, but they proved largely ineffective. Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities continued to be hit by Scuds throughout the war, and every city in the Tel Aviv area except for [[Bnei Brak]] was hit. A total of 74 Israelis died as a result of the Iraqi attacks, mostly from suffocation and heart attacks,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Gulf_War.html |title=The Gulf War |publisher=Jewishvirtuallibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> while approximately 230 Israelis were injured.<ref name="publicpolicy.umd.edu">{{Cite journal | last1 = Fetter | first1 = Steve | last2 = Lewis | first2 = George N. | last3 = Gronlund | first3 = Lisbeth | title = Why were Casualties so low? | journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] | volume = 361 | pages = 293–296 | publisher = [[Nature Publishing Group]] | location = London | date = 28 January 1993 | url = http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/4282/1/1993-Nature-Scud.pdf | doi = 10.1038/361293a0 | issue = 6410 | ref = harv}}</ref> Extensive property damage was also caused, and some 4,000 Israelis were left homeless. It was feared that Iraq would fire missiles filled with [[nerve agent]]s or [[sarin]]. As a result, the Israeli government issued [[gas mask]]s to its citizens. When the first Iraqi missiles hit Israel, some people injected themselves with an antidote for nerve gas. The inhabitants of the southeastern suburb of HaTikva erected an angel-monument as a sign of their gratitude that "it was through a great miracle, that many people were preserved from being killed by a direct hit of a Scud rocket."<ref>[http://israelplaces.christ2020.de/#q Citation from a web travel guide about modern places in Israel, with Biblical references]</ref>
On 4 November 1995, Israel's prime minister, [[Yitzhak Rabin]], [[Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin|was assassinated]] at a rally in Tel Aviv in support of the Oslo peace accord. The outdoor plaza where this occurred, formerly known as Kikar Malchei Yisrael, was renamed [[Rabin Square]].<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
In 2009, Tel Aviv celebrated its official centennial.<ref name="centennial">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.tlv100.co.il/EN/
|title=Tel Aviv-Yafo Centennial Year 1909–2009
|publisher=City of Tel Aviv-Yafo}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> In addition to city- and country-wide celebrations, digital collections of historical materials were assembled. These include the History section of the official Tel Aviv-Yafo Centennial Year website;<ref name="centennial"/> the Ahuzat Bayit collection, which focuses on the founding families of Tel Aviv, and includes photographs and biographies;<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.ahuzatbait.org.il/
|title=Ahuzat Bayit Collection
|language=Hebrew}}</ref>
and [[Stanford University]]'s [http://lib.stanford.edu/telaviv Eliasaf Robinson Tel Aviv Collection],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://lib.stanford.edu/telaviv
|title=Eliasaf Robinson Tel Aviv Collection
|publisher=[[Stanford University]]}}</ref> documenting the history of the city.
====Arab–Israeli conflict====
[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - IAF Flight for Israel's 63rd Independence Day.jpg|thumb|[[Israel Air Force]] over Tel Aviv]]
Since the [[First Intifada]], Tel Aviv has suffered from [[Palestinian political violence]]. The first [[suicide attack]] in Tel Aviv occurred on 19 October 1994, on the [[Dizengoff Street bus bombing|Line 5 bus]], when a bomber killed 22 civilians and injured 50 as part of a [[Hamas]] suicide campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9511/rabin/timeline/mideast_timeline/index.html |title=Death toll |publisher=Cnn.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> On 6 March 1996, another Hamas suicide bomber killed 13 people (12 civilians and 1 soldier) in the [[Dizengoff Center suicide bombing]].<ref name="victims">{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+before+2000/Fatal+Terrorist+Attacks+in+Israel+Since+the+DOP+-S.htm |title=Fatal Terrorist Attacks in Israel Since the DOP (Sept 1993) |date=24 September 2000 |publisher=Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs |accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news |title=Bombing in Israel:The Overiew;4th Terror Blast in Israel Kills 14 at Mall in Tel Aviv; Nine-Day Toll Grows to 61 |author=Serge Schmemann |newspaper=The New York Times |date=5 March 2010 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/05/world/bombing-israel-overview-4th-terror-blast-israel-kills-14-mall-tel-aviv-nine-day.html?scp=1&sq=dizengoff%20center%20suicide&st=cse&pagewanted=print }}</ref> Three women were killed by a Hamas terrorist in the [[Café Apropo bombing]] on 27 March 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://laad.btl.gov.il/show_item.asp?itemId=34825&levelId=28553&itemType=10&template=3 |title=אתר לזכר האזרחים חללי פעולות האיבה |publisher=Laad.btl.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://laad.btl.gov.il/show_item.asp?itemId=35470&levelId=28553&itemType=10&template=3 |title=אתר לזכר האזרחים חללי פעולות האיבה |publisher=Laad.btl.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://laad.btl.gov.il/show_item.asp?itemId=35084&levelId=28553&itemType=10&template=3 |title=אתר לזכר האזרחים חללי פעולות האיבה |publisher=Laad.btl.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
One of the most deadly attacks occurred on 1 June 2001, during the [[Second Intifada]], when a suicide bomber exploded at the entrance to the [[Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing|Dolphinarium discothèque]], killing 21, mostly teenagers, and injuring 132.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ict.org.il/Articles/tabid/66/Articlsid/65/currentpage/22/Default.aspx |title=The Palestinian Authority-Hamas Collusion – From Operational Cooperation to Propaganda Hoax |publisher=Ict.org.il |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-48416289.html|title=No. 1 Hamas terrorist killed. Followers threaten revenge in Tel Aviv |last=O'Sullvian|first=Arieh|date=25 November 2001|publisher=Jerusalem Post|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/international/middleeast/29israel.html|title=In Hamas's Overt Hatred, Many Israelis See Hope|last=Fisher|first=Ian|date=29 January 2006|work=New York Times|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/home/0,7340,L-1258,00.html |title=Ynet – פיגוע בדולפינריום – חדשות |publisher=Ynet.co.il |date=1995-06-20 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> Another Hamas suicide bomber killed six civilians and injured 70 in the [[Allenby Street bus bombing]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002-09-19-mideast-explosion_x.htm |title=USATODAY.com – Six killed, scores wounded in suicide attack on Tel Aviv bus |work=USA Today |publisher=[[Gannett Company|Gannett]] |location=McLean, VA |issn=0734-7456 |accessdate=16 October 2011 |date=19 September 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/sep/20/israel1 |title=Tel Aviv bus bomb shatters hopes of truce | World news | The Guardian |work=The Guardian |date=20 September 2002 |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group|GMG]] |location=London |issn=0261-3077 |oclc=60623878 |accessdate=16 October 2011 |first=Jonathan |last=Steele}}</ref><ref name=bbc>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2268392.stm |title=BBC NEWS | Middle East | Fatal bus blast rocks Tel Aviv |work=BBC News |date=19 September 2002 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] |location=London |accessdate=16 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/20/world/suicide-bomber-kills-5-on-a-bus-in-tel-aviv.html |title=Suicide Bomber Kills 5 on a Bus in Tel Aviv – New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=20 September 2002 |publisher=[[New York Times Company|NYTC]] |location=New York |issn=0362-4331 |accessdate=16 October 2011 |first=Serge |last=Schmemann}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/19/kessel.otsc/index.html |title=CNN.com – Jerrold Kessel: Heart of Tel Aviv hit – Sep. 19, 2002 |publisher=cnn |year=2011 |accessdate=16 October 2011}}</ref> Twenty-three civilians were killed and over 100 injured in the [[Tel-Aviv central bus station massacre]].<ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-%20Obstacle%20to%20Peace/Memorial/2003/Avi%20Kotzer Avi Kotzer]</ref><ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-%20Obstacle%20to%20Peace/Memorial/2003/Viktor%20Shebayev Viktor Shebayev]</ref> [[Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades]] claimed responsibility for the attack. In the [[Mike's Place suicide bombing]], an attack on a bar by a [[British Muslim]] suicide bomber resulted in the deaths of three civilians and wounded over 50.<ref name=jewishsf.com>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/20891/edition_id/429/format/html/displaystory.html |title=Tel Aviv bar and bomb target slowly getting its groove back |last=Khazzoom |first=Loolwa |work=jewishsf.com|date=29 September 2003 |accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref> Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed joint responsibility. An Islamic Jihad bomber killed five and wounded over 50 in the 25 February 2005 [[Stage Club bombing]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-26-syria-bombing_x.htm |title=Syria-based Islamic Jihad claims role for Tel Aviv bombing |publisher=Usatoday.com |date=2005-02-26 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> The most recent suicide attack in the city occurred on 17 April 2006, when 11 people were killed and at least 70 wounded in a [[2006 Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing|suicide bombing near the old central bus station]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/Israel/israel_attacks.asp |title=Major Terrorist Attacks in Israel |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref>
Another attack took place on 29 August 2011 in which a Palestinian attacker stole an Israeli taxi cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular [[Haoman 17]] [[nightclub]] in Tel Aviv which was filled with 2,000<ref name=autogenerated5>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/palestinian-drives-stolen-taxi-israelis-stabs/story?id=14403744 |title=Terror Attack Outside Tel Aviv Nightclub Filled With 2,000 Teenagers |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=2011-08-29 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref> [[Israelis|Israeli]] teenagers. After crashing, the assailant went on a stabbing spree, injuring eight people.<ref name=autogenerated1/> Due to an [[Israel Border Police]] roadblock at the entrance and immediate response of the Border Police team during the subsequent stabbings, a much larger and fatal mass-casualty incident was avoided.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kubovich |first=Yaniv |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/terror-attack-in-tel-aviv-leaves-eight-wounded-1.381250 |title=Terror attack in Tel Aviv leaves eight wounded |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2011-08-29 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
On 21 November 2012, during [[Operation Pillar of Defense]], the Tel Aviv area was targeted by rockets, and air raid sirens were sounded in the city for the first time since the Gulf War. All of the rockets either missed populated areas or were shot down by an [[Iron Dome]] rocket defense battery stationed near the city. During the operation, a bomb blast on a bus wounded at least 28 civilians, three seriously.<ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/21/250965.html |title='Apparent explosion' rocks Tel Aviv bus: Israeli police |publisher=Al Arabiya |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=292860 |title=Terrorist blows up bus in central Tel Aviv; 10 injured |publisher=Jerusalem Post |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/162356 |title=Terrorist Attack on Bus in Tel Aviv |publisher=Arutz Sheva |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4309791,00.html |title=Blast on bus in heart of Tel Aviv |publisher=Ynet News |date=21 November 2012 |accessdate=21 November 2012}}</ref> This was described as a terrorist attack by Israel, Russia, and the United States and was condemned by the United Nations, United States, United Kingdom, France and Russia, whilst Hamas spokesman [[Sami Abu Zuhri]] declared that the organisation "blesses" the attack.<ref name="BBC-Nov21">{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20425352 | title=Israel-Gaza crisis: 'Bomb blast' on bus in Tel Aviv | publisher=BBC | date=November 21, 2012 | accessdate=November 21, 2012}}</ref>
==Geography==
[[File:Tel Aviv SPOT 1083.jpg|thumb|right|Tel Aviv seen from space]]
Tel Aviv is located around {{Coord|32|5|N|34|48|E|}} on the [[Israeli coastal plain|Israeli Mediterranean coastline]], in central Israel, the [[Via Maris|historic land bridge]] between Europe, Asia and Africa. Immediately north of the ancient port of Jaffa, Tel Aviv lies on land that used to be sand dunes and as such has relatively poor [[fertility (soil)|soil fertility]]. The land has been flattened and has no important gradients; its most notable geographical features are bluffs above the Mediterranean coastline and the [[Yarkon River]] mouth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/About+Israel/Cities/Tel+Aviv.htm |title=Tel Aviv |publisher=[[Jewish Agency for Israel|Jewish Agency]] |accessdate=26 January 2008 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071013102915/http://jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/About+Israel/Cities/Tel+Aviv.htm |archivedate= 13 October 2007}}</ref> Because of the expansion of Tel Aviv and the Gush Dan region, absolute borders between Tel Aviv and Jaffa and between the city's neighborhoods do not exist.
The city is located {{convert|60|km|mi|0|sp=us}} northwest of Jerusalem and {{convert|90|km|mi|0|sp=us}} south of the city of [[Haifa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distances.html?n=676 |title=Cities located close to Tel Aviv |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=TimeandDate.com}}</ref> Neighboring cities and towns include [[Herzliya]] to the north, [[Ramat HaSharon]] to the northeast, [[Petah Tikva]], [[Bnei Brak]], [[Ramat Gan]] and [[Giv'atayim]] to the east, [[Holon]] to the southeast, and [[Bat Yam]] to the south.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.co.il/Israel-map-Carta.asp |title=Map of Israel |accessdate=15 March 2008 |publisher=Carta}}</ref> The city is economically stratified between the north and south. Southern Tel Aviv is considered less affluent than Northern Tel Aviv with the exception of [[Neve Tzedek]] and some recent development on [[Jaffa]] beach. Central Tel Aviv is home to [[Azrieli Center]] and the important financial and commerce district along [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway]]. The northern side of Tel Aviv is home to [[Tel Aviv University]], [[Hayarkon Park]], and upscale residential neighborhoods such as [[Ramat Aviv]] and [[Afeka]].<ref name=yarkoni>{{cite web
|last=Yarkoni
|first=Amir
|title=Real Estate in Tel Aviv – continued
|work=Tel Aviv Insider
|accessdate=22 July 2008
|url=http://www.telaviv-insider.co.il/real-estate-2.php
}}</ref>
===Climate===
Tel Aviv has a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: Csa) with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
In the colder months, average temperatures typically range from {{convert|9|°C|°F|sigfig=2}} to {{convert|17|°C|°F|sigfig=2}}.<ref name="ims">{{cite web|url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |title=Averages and Records for Tel Aviv (Precipitation, Temperature and Records [Excluding February and May] written in the page)|publisher=Israel Meteorological Service | accessdate= August 2010}}{{link language|he}}</ref> In summer, average temperatures range from {{convert|24|°C|°F|sigfig=2}} to {{convert|30|°C|°F|sigfig=2}}. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons, with some fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. Heatwaves are most common during spring, with temperatures as high as {{convert|35|°C|°F|sigfig=2}}.
Tel Aviv averages {{convert|532|mm|inch|sp=us|1}} of precipitation annually, which mostly occurs in the months of September through May. Winter is the wettest season, often accompanied by cold spells of heavy showers and thunderstorms. Snow is extremely rare, with the last recorded [[snowfall]] within city limits occurring in February 1950. The wettest month on record was January 2000 with {{convert|324.9|mm|2|abbr=on}}. The wettest day on record was 8 November 1955 with {{convert|133|mm|2|abbr=on}}. However, Tel Aviv enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year with more than 300 sunny days annually.
{{Weather box
|location= Tel Aviv (1916–2007)
|metric first= yes
|single line= yes
|Jan record high C= 26.8
|Feb record high C= 29.6
|Mar record high C= 35.2
|Apr record high C= 40.4
|May record high C= 46.5
|Jun record high C= 37.6
|Jul record high C= 37.4
|Aug record high C= 34.4
|Sep record high C= 35.4
|Oct record high C= 38.4
|Nov record high C= 35.3
|Dec record high C= 27.9
|year record high C= 46.5
|Jan humidity= 73
|Feb humidity= 71
|Mar humidity= 69
|Apr humidity= 65
|May humidity= 68
|Jun humidity= 70
|Jul humidity= 70
|Aug humidity= 70
|Sep humidity= 67
|Oct humidity= 66
|Nov humidity= 66
|Dec humidity= 72
|year humidity= 69
|Jan high C= 17.5
|Feb high C= 17.7
|Mar high C= 19.2
|Apr high C= 22.8
|May high C= 24.9
|Jun high C= 27.5
|Jul high C= 29.4
|Aug high C= 30.2
|Sep high C= 29.4
|Oct high C= 27.3
|Nov high C= 23.4
|Dec high C= 19.2
|year high C= 24.04
|Jan mean C= 13
|Feb mean C= 13.8
|Mar mean C= 15.4
|Apr mean C= 18.6
|May mean C= 21.1
|Jun mean C= 24.1
|Jul mean C= 26.2
|Aug mean C= 27
|Sep mean C= 26
|Oct mean C= 23.2
|Nov mean C= 19
|Dec mean C= 15.2
|year mean C= 20.3
|Jan low C= 9.6
|Feb low C= 9.8
|Mar low C= 11.5
|Apr low C= 14.4
|May low C= 17.3
|Jun low C= 20.6
|Jul low C= 23
|Aug low C= 23.7
|Sep low C= 22.5
|Oct low C= 19.1
|Nov low C= 14.6
|Dec low C= 11.2
|year low C= 16.44
|Jan record low C= 2.5
|Feb record low C= −1.9
|Mar record low C= 3.5
|Apr record low C= 7
|May record low C= 11.2
|Jun record low C= 15
|Jul record low C= 19
|Aug record low C= 20
|Sep record low C= 15.7
|Oct record low C= 11.6
|Nov record low C= 6
|Dec record low C= 4
|year record low C= −1.9
|Jan rain mm= 126.9
|Feb rain mm= 90.1
|Mar rain mm= 60.6
|Apr rain mm= 18
|May rain mm= 2.3
|Jun rain mm= 0
|Jul rain mm= 0
|Aug rain mm= 0.7
|Sep rain mm= 1.4
|Oct rain mm= 26.3
|Nov rain mm= 79.3
|Dec rain mm= 126.4
|Jan rain days= 12.8
|Feb rain days= 10
|Mar rain days= 8.5
|Apr rain days= 3.1
|May rain days= 0.8
|Jun rain days= 0
|Jul rain days= 0
|Aug rain days= 0.3
|Sep rain days= 0.3
|Oct rain days= 3.2
|Nov rain days= 7.5
|Dec rain days= 10.9
|Jan sun= 192.2
|Feb sun= 205.9
|Mar sun= 235.6
|Apr sun= 270
|May sun= 328.6
|Jun sun= 357
|Jul sun= 368.9
|Aug sun= 356.5
|Sep sun= 300
|Oct sun= 279
|Nov sun= 234
|Dec sun= 189.1
|year sun= 3316.8
|source 1= ''Israel Meteorological Service''<ref name="ims"/><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael |title=Extremes for Tel Aviv [Records of February and May]|publisher=Israel Meteorological Service| accessdate= August 2010}}{{link language|he}}</ref>
|source 2= ''[[Hong Kong Observatory]]'' for data of sunshine hours<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/europe/gr_tu/tel_aviv_e.htm |title=Climatological Information for Tel Aviv, Israel|publisher=Hong Kong Observatory | accessdate= August 2010}}</ref>
}}
{|class="wikitable"
|+Tel Aviv mean sea temperature<ref>[http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/israel/tel-aviv.php Tel Aviv Climate and Weather Averages, Israel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|-
!'''Jan'''
!'''Feb'''
!'''Mar'''
!'''Apr'''
!'''May'''
!'''Jun'''
!'''Jul'''
!'''Aug'''
!'''Sep'''
!'''Oct'''
!'''Nov'''
!'''Dec'''
|-
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|17|°C}}
|{{convert|17|°C}}
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|24|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|28|°C}}
|{{convert|27|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|{{convert|20|°C}}
|}
==Local government==
[[File:Rabin Squre eco pool.jpg|thumb|[[Rabin Square]] and [[Tel Aviv City Hall]] looking northwest]]
Tel Aviv is governed by a 31-member city council elected for a five-year term in direct proportional elections.<ref name="govt">{{cite book
|last=Encyclopædia Britannica Staff
|title=The New Encyclopædia Britannica
|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica
|year=1974
|page=66
|url=http://books.google.com/?id=YpZpY9plD7AC&q=tel-aviv+city+council&dq=tel-aviv+city+council
|id=
|isbn=0-85229-290-2}}</ref> All Israeli citizens over the age of 18 with at least one year of residence in Tel Aviv are eligible to vote in municipal elections. The municipality is responsible for social services, community programs, public infrastructure, urban planning, tourism and other local affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/human/index.htm|title=Social Services Administration|accessdate=29 March 2008|publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/education/community/centers.htm |title=Community Life |accessdate=29 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/Tourism/Information/Index.htm |title=Tourism |accessdate=29 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302120451/http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/Tourism/Information/Index.htm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archivedate=2 March 2008}}</ref> The Tel Aviv City Hall is located at [[Rabin Square]]. [[Ron Huldai]] has been mayor of Tel Aviv since 1998.<ref name="govt"/> Huldai was reelected in the 2008 municipal elections, defeating [[Dov Khenin|Dov Henin]]'s list.<ref name=lappin>{{Cite news
|last= Lappin
|first= Yaakov
|title= Huldai beats Henin in TA mayor race
|work= Jerusalem Post
|accessdate=22 November 2008
|date= 12 November 2008
|url= http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1226404704522
}}</ref> The longest serving mayor was [[Shlomo Lahat]], who was in office for 19 years. The shortest serving was [[David Bloch-Blumenfeld|David Bloch]], in office for two years, 1925–27. Outside the [[kibbutz]]im, [[Meretz]] receives more votes in Tel Aviv than in any other city in Israel.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shiner |first=Doron |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/how-they-voted-see-israel-election-results-by-city-sector-1.269923 |title=How they voted: See Israel election results by city/sector |work=Haaretz |location=Israel |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref>
===Mayors===
[[File:Ron Huldai.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ron Huldai]], mayor of Tel Aviv since 1998.]]
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Mayors of Tel Aviv
!
! Name
! Term
! Party
|-
|1
|[[Meir Dizengoff]]
|1921–1925
|General Zionists
|-
|2
|[[David Bloch-Blumenfeld|David Bloch]]
|1925–1927
|Ahdut HaAvoda
|-
|3
|Meir Dizengoff
|1928–1936
|General Zionists
|-
|4
|[[Israel Rokach]]
|1936–1952
|General Zionists
|-
|5
|[[Chaim Levanon]]
|1953–1959
|General Zionists
|-
|6
|[[Mordechai Namir]]
|1959–1969
|Mapai
|-
|7
|[[Yehoshua Rabinovitz]]
|1969–1974
|Alignment
|-
|8
|[[Shlomo Lahat]]
|1974–1993
|Likud
|-
|9
|[[Roni Milo]]
|1993–1998
|Likud
|-
|10
|[[Ron Huldai]]
|1998–Present
| Tel Aviv 1
|}
===City council===
The coalition is led by [[Tel Aviv 1]] and consists of 23 of 31 seats.
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Tel Aviv City Council, 2008
! Party
! Seats
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Tel Aviv 1]]
|5
|-
|City for All
|5
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|Power for Pensioners
|3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Meretz]]
|3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|City Majority
|3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[The Greens (Israel)|The Greens]]
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Likud]]
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[United Torah Judaism]]
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Shas]]
|2
|-
|Latet Lihyot – Let Live
|2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|[[Social Justice (political party)|Social Justice]]
|1
|-
|Jaffa
|1
|}
==Education==
[[File:Shriber-math01.jpg|thumb|The Vladimir Schreiber Institute of Mathematics in [[Tel Aviv University]]]]
In 2006, 51,359 children attended school in Tel Aviv, of whom 8,977 were in municipal kindergartens, 23,573 in municipal elementary schools, and 18,809 in high schools.<ref name="TA Stats"/> Sixty-four percent of students in the city are entitled to matriculation, more than 5 percent higher than the national average.<ref name="TA Stats"/> About 4,000 children are in first grade at schools in the city, and population growth is expected to raise this number to 6,000 by 2012.<ref name="young"/> As a result, 20 additional kindergarten classes were opened in 2008–09 in the city. A new elementary school is planned north of Sde Dov as well as a new high school in northern Tel Aviv.<ref name="young"/>
The first Hebrew high school, called [[Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium]], was built in 1905 on Herzl Street.
[[Tel Aviv University]], the largest university in Israel, is known internationally for its [[physics]], [[computer science]], [[chemistry]] and [[linguistics]] departments. Together with [[Bar-Ilan University]] in neighboring [[Ramat Gan]], the student population numbers over 50,000, including a sizeable [[international student|international community]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.topuniversities.com/ |title=Tel Aviv University |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=QS Top Universities}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Education/higher_ed.html |title=Higher Education |publisher=Jewish Virtual Library |accessdate=19 July 2007}}</ref> Its campus is located in the neighborhood of [[Ramat Aviv]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/tau-history-eng.html |title=TAU History |publisher=[[Tel Aviv University]] |accessdate=26 January 2008}}</ref> Tel Aviv also has several colleges.<ref name=colleges>{{cite web
|title=Colleges in Israel
|work=Israel Science and Technology Homepage
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|url=http://www.science.co.il/Colleges.asp
}}</ref>
The [[Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium]] moved from Jaffa to Tel Aviv in 1909. The school continues to operate, although it has moved to [[Jabotinsky]] Street.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schooly.co.il/gymnasia/ |title=Gymnasia Herzlia |language=Hebrew |accessdate=2 April 2008}}</ref> Other notable schools in Tel Aviv include [[Shevah Mofet]], the second [[Hebrew school]] in the city, Ironi Alef High School for Arts and [[Alliance Israelite Universelle|Alliance]].
==Demographics==
[[File:Tel Avivskyline.jpg|thumb|300px|Aerial view of Tel Aviv]]
Tel Aviv has a population of 414,600 spread over a land area of {{convert|52000|dunam|km2|1}} (20 mi²), yielding a population density of 7,606 people per square kilometer (19,699 per square mile). According to the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] (CBS), as of 2009 Tel Aviv's population is growing at an annual rate of 0.5 percent. Jews of all backgrounds form 91.8 percent of the population, Muslims and Arab Christians make up 4.2 percent, and the remainder belong to other groups (including various Christian and Asian communities).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gis.cbs.gov.il/website/yishuvim/yishuvim_2005/XLS/bycode.xls |title=Tel Aviv Ethnic Breakdown |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] |date=31 December 2005 |format=Excel |accessdate=7 July 2007}}"Others" refers to non-Arab Christians and unclassified.</ref> As Tel Aviv is a multicultural city, many languages are spoken in addition to [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]. According to some estimates, about 50,000 unregistered Asian [[foreign worker]]s live in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://migration.ucdavis.edu/MN/more.php?id=1041_0_5_0 |title=Migration News |accessdate=22 May 2007 |publisher=UC Davis}}</ref> Compared with Westernised cities, crime in Tel Aviv is relatively low.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=64217 |title=Israel 2007 Crime & Safety Report: Tel Aviv |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=Overseas Security Advisory Agency}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref>
According to Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the average income in the city, which has an [[unemployment|unemployment rate]] of 6.9 percent, is 20 percent above the national average.<ref name="TA Stats">{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124142007/http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/cityhall/geo/6167Area.pdf |title=Tel Aviv-Yafo in Numbers |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |accessdate=27 January 2008 |date=July 2006}} {{Dead link|date=April 2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The city's education standards are above the national average: of its 12th-grade students, 64.4 percent are eligible for [[Bagrut|matriculation certificates]].<ref name="TA Stats"/> The age profile is relatively even, with 22.2 percent aged under 20, 18.5 percent aged 20–29, 24 percent aged 30–44, 16.2 percent aged between 45 and 59, and 19.1 percent older than 60.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_11x&CYear=2007 |title=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2007 |accessdate=23 January 2008 |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref>
Tel Aviv's population reached a peak in the early 1960s at around 390,000, falling to 317,000 in the late 1980s as high property prices forced families out and deterred young couples from moving in.<ref name="profile"/> Since the mass immigration from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, population has steadily grown.<ref name="profile"/> Today, the city's population is young and growing.<ref name="young">{{cite news |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200572495562&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |title=Tel Aviv getting younger |work=[[The Jerusalem Post|Jerusalem Post]] |date=21 January 2008 |accessdate=31 January 2008}}</ref> In 2006, 22,000 people moved to the city, while only 18,500 left,<ref name="young"/> and many of the new families had young children. The population is expected to reach 450,000 by 2025; meanwhile, the average age of residents fell from 35.8 in 1983 to 34 in 2008.<ref name="young"/> The population over age 65 stands at 14.6 percent compared with 19% in 1983.<ref name="young"/>
===Religion===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 6317 Central Synagogue in Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Great Synagogue (Tel Aviv)|Great Synagogue]]]]
Tel Aviv has 544 active synagogues,<ref name=LauINN>{{cite news
|last=Baruch
|first=Uzi
|title=תל אביב דתית יותר ממה שנהוג לחשוב
|work=Israel National News
|accessdate=17 May 2009
|date=17 May 2009
|url=http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/189306
}} {{he icon}}</ref>
including historic buildings such as the [[Great Synagogue (Tel Aviv)|Great Synagogue]], established in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Jewish underground of Tel Aviv |url=http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3451146,00.html |work=Ynetnews |first=Udi |last=Michelson |date=19 January 2007 |accessdate=16 March 2008}}</ref> In 2008, a center for secular [[Jewish studies|Jewish Studies]] and a [[BINA Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture|secular yeshiva]] opened in the city.<ref name=arfa>{{cite news
|last=Arfa
|first=Orit
|title=Jewish learning on the rise in Tel Aviv
|work=Jerusalem Post
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|date=21 October 2006
|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193467733&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
}}</ref> Tensions between religious and [[Secular Jewish culture|secular Jews]] before the gay pride parade ended in vandalism of a synagogue.<ref name=cohen>{{cite news
|last=Cohen
|first=Avi
|title=Synagogue vandalized as gay parade controversy picks up steam
|work=Ynetnews
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|date=2 November 2006
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3322809,00.html
}}</ref> The number of churches has grown to accommodate the religious needs of diplomats and foreign workers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Euk/Destinations/Tel+Aviv/Tel+Aviv-Jaffa.htm |title=Tel Aviv-Jaffa |accessdate=16 March 2008 |publisher=Israeli Tourism Ministry |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080303015041/http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Euk/Destinations/Tel+Aviv/Tel+Aviv-Jaffa.htm |archivedate= 3 March 2008}}</ref> The population consists of 93% Jewish, 1% Muslim, and 1% Christian. The remaining 5 percent are not classified by religion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_06x&CYear=2007 |title=Population by District, Sub-District and Religion |publisher=Israel CBS |work=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2007 |format=PDF |year=2007 |accessdate=2 April 2008}}</ref> [[Yisrael Meir Lau|Israel Meir Lau]] is [[Chief Rabbi|chief rabbi]] of the city.<ref name=lau>{{Cite news
|last= Associated Press
|title= Former Chief Rabbi Lau named as chair of Yad Vashem council
|work= Haaretz
|accessdate=22 November 2008
|date= 9 November 2008
|url= http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035690.html
}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is an ethnically diverse city. The Jewish population, which forms the majority group in Tel Aviv consists of immigrants from all parts of the world and their descendants, including Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, North America, South America, Australia and South Africa, as well as Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews from Southern Europe, North Africa, India, Central Asia, West Asia,and the Arabian Peninsula. There are also a sizable number of Ethiopian Jews and their descendants living in Tel Aviv. In addition to Muslim and Arab Christian minorities in the city, several hundred Armenian Christians who reside in the city are concentrated mainly in [[Jaffa]] and some Christians from the former Soviet Union who immigrated to Israel with Jewish spouses and relatives. In recent years, Tel Aviv has received many non-Jewish migrants, students, foreign workers (documented and undocumented) and refugees. There are many refugees from African countries located in the southern part of the city.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0524/Israel-land-of-Jewish-refugees-riled-by-influx-of-Africans Christian Science Monitor: "Israel, land of Jewish refugees, riled by influx of Africans" By Joshua Mitnick] 24 May 2012</ref>
===Neighborhoods===
[[File:Kerem.jpg|thumb|[[Kerem HaTeimanim]] is a predominantly [[Yemenite Jewish]] neighborhood in the center of Tel Aviv]]
{{Further|Neighborhoods of Tel Aviv}} Tel Aviv is divided into nine districts that have formed naturally over the city's short history. The oldest of these is Jaffa, the ancient [[port|port city]] out of which Tel Aviv grew. This area is traditionally made up demographically of a greater percentage of Arabs, but recent [[gentrification]] is replacing them with a young professional and artist population. Similar processes are occurring in nearby [[Neve Tzedek]], the original Jewish neighborhood outside of Jaffa. [[Ramat Aviv]], a district in the northern part of the city that is largely made up of luxury apartments and includes [[Tel Aviv University]], is currently undergoing extensive expansion and is set to absorb the beachfront property of Sde Dov Airport after its decommissioning.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3420369,00.html |title=Tel Aviv airport to make way for luxury project |accessdate=3 July 2007 |date=3 July 2007 |last=Petersburg |first=Ofer |work=Ynetnews}}</ref> The area known as [[HaKirya]] is the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) headquarters and a large [[military base]].<ref name=yarkoni/>
Historically, there was a demographic split between the [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] northern side of the city, including the district of Ramat Aviv, and the southern, more [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] and [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]] neighborhoods including [[Neve Tzedek]] and [[Florentin, Tel Aviv|Florentin]].<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}}
Since the 1980s, major restoration and gentrification projects have been implemented in southern Tel Aviv.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} Baruch Yoscovitz, city planner for Tel Aviv beginning in 2001, reworked old British plans for the Florentin neighborhood from the 1920s, adding green areas, pedestrian malls, and housing. The municipality invested 2 million shekels in the project. The goal was to make Florentin the [[Soho]] of Tel Aviv, and attract artists and young professionals.<ref>{{cite book|last=Forester, Fischler, Shmueli|first=John, Raphael, Deborah|title=Israeli Planners and Designers: Profiles of Community Builders|year=2001|publisher=State University of New York Press|location=Albany|pages=33–41}}</ref> Florentin is now known as a hip, "cool" place to be in Tel Aviv with coffeehouses, markets, bars, galleries and parties.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mayer|first=Joel|title=Tel Aviv Chic; Exploring Graffiti in Florentine|url=http://www.jpost.com/LocalIsrael/TelAvivAndCenter/Article.aspx?id=135152|accessdate=3/12/11|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=4/12/11}}</ref>
==Cityscape==
{{Wide image|TelAviv-Panorama3.jpg|1100px|{{centre|View of Tel Aviv from Azrieli Center}}}}
===Architecture===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 5189 Neve Tzedek in Tel-Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|1930s [[Bauhaus]] (left) and 1920s [[Eclecticism|Eclectic]] (right) architecture styles]]
Tel Aviv is home to different [[architectural style]]s that represent influential periods in its history. The early architecture of Tel Aviv consisted largely of European-style single-story houses with red-tiled roofs.<ref name="arch">{{cite web |url=http://mjwein.net/lectures/T-Lec-WhiteCity.pdf |title=Green, White or Black City? |format=PDF |accessdate=16 March 2008 |year=2006 |publisher=Martin Wein, Emory University |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080409004022/http://mjwein.net/lectures/T-Lec-WhiteCity.pdf |archivedate= 9 April 2008}}</ref> [[Neve Tzedek]], the first neighborhood to be constructed outside of Jaffa is characterised by two-story sandstone buildings.<ref name="UNESCO"/> By the 1920s, a new [[Eclecticism in art|eclectic Orientalist style]] came into vogue, combining European architecture with Eastern features such as arches, domes and ornamental tiles.<ref name="arch"/> Municipal construction followed the "garden city" master plan drawn up by [[Patrick Geddes]]. Two- and three-story buildings were interspersed with boulevards and public parks.<ref name="arch"/>
Various architectural styles, such as [[Art Deco]], classical and modernist also exist in Tel Aviv.
====Bauhaus====
{{Main|Bauhaus}}
[[File:Tel Aviv Ben Gurion - Emil Zola 2011.jpg|thumb|left|Classical Bauhaus architecture, part of the [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]]]]
Bauhaus architecture was introduced in the 1920s and 1930s by German Jewish architects who settled in Palestine after the rise of the Nazis. Tel Aviv's [[White City (Tel Aviv)|White City]], around the city center, contains more than 5,000 Modernist-style buildings inspired by the [[Bauhaus school]] and [[Le Corbusier]].<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name="times"/> Construction of these buildings, later declared protected landmarks and, collectively, a [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Site, continued until the 1950s in the area around [[Rothschild Boulevard]].<ref name="times"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=1096 |title=White City of Tel Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]}}</ref> Some 3,000 buildings were created in this style between 1931 and 1939 alone.<ref name="arch"/>
In the 1960s, this architectural style gave way to office towers and a chain of waterfront hotels and commercial skyscrapers.<ref name="Economist"/> Some of the city's Modernist buildings were neglected to the point of ruin. Before legislation to preserve this landmark architecture, many of the old buildings were demolished. Efforts are under way to refurbish Bauhaus buildings and restore them to their original condition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/Architecture/Bauhaus.html |title=Bauhaus Architecture |publisher=[[Jewish Virtual Library]] |accessdate=11 February 2008}}</ref>
===High-rise construction and towers===
{{see also|List of tallest buildings in Tel Aviv}}
[[File:Azrieli Towers Sept.2007.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Azrieli Center]] complex contains the tallest skyscrapers in Tel Aviv]]
The [[Shalom Meir Tower]], Israel's first skyscraper, was built in Tel Aviv in 1965 and remained the country's tallest building until 1999. At the time of its construction, the building rivalled Europe's tallest buildings in height, and was the tallest in the Middle East.
In the mid-1990s, the construction of skyscrapers began throughout the entire city, altering its skyline. Before that, Tel Aviv had had a generally low-rise skyline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/2881/skyscrapers-dotting-tel-aviv-landscape |title=Skyscrapers dotting Tel Aviv landscape | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California |publisher=Jweekly.com |date=1996-03-29 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> However, the towers were not concentrated in certain areas, and were scattered at random locations throughout the city, creating a disjointed skyline.
[[File:Tsammeret011.jpg|thumbnail|[[Park Tzameret]] neighborhood]]
New neighborhoods, such as [[Park Tzameret]], have been constructed to house apartment towers such as [[Yoo Tel Aviv|YOO Tel Aviv]] towers, designed by [[Philippe Starck]]. Other districts, such as [[Sarona (colony)|Sarona]], have been developed with office towers. Other recent additions to Tel Aviv's skyline include the [[Rothschild Boulevard|1 Rothschild Tower]] and [[First International Bank Tower]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://telavivinf.com/info/infoitems.asp?lang=eng&cat=1&status=completed |title=Tel Aviv Towers|accessdate=15 March 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv in Focus}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=948 |title=Tel Aviv |publisher=SkyscraperPage.com |accessdate=15 March 2008}}</ref> As Tel Aviv celebrated its centennial in 2009,<ref name="Tel Aviv centennial celebrations kick off">[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3680467,00.html Ynetnews.com], by Reuven Weiss, [[Ynet]], 3 March 2009.</ref> the city attracted a number of architects and developers, including [[I. M. Pei]], [[Donald Trump]], and [[Richard Meier]].<ref name="TNC">[http://www.townandcountrytravelmag.com/vacation-ideas/best-vacations/tel-aviv-israel-sp08 Tel Aviv’s Upscale Revolution], by Adam H. Graham, Town & Country Travel, 12 February 2008.</ref> American journalist [[David Kaufman (journalist)|David Kaufman]] reported in [[New York (magazine)|''New York'' magazine]] that since Tel Aviv "was named a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage]] site, gorgeous historic buildings from the Ottoman and Bauhaus era have been repurposed as fabulous hotels, eateries, boutiques, and design museums."<ref name="NYmag">[http://nymag.com/travel/weekends/telaviv/ Go Out With the Old in Tel Aviv], David Kaufman, New York Magazine, Published 28 August 2008.</ref> In November 2009, ''[[Haaretz]]'' reported that Tel Aviv had 59 skyscrapers more than 100 meters tall.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mirovsky |first=Arik |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/tel-aviv-50th-in-number-of-skyscrapers-1.3931 |title=Tel Aviv 50th in number of skyscrapers |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2009-11-18 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> Currently, dozens of skyscrapers have been approved or are under construction throughout the city, and many more are planned.
The tallest building approved is the Egged Tower, which would become Israel's tallest building upon completion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telavivinf.com/info/infoitem.asp?item=278&lang=eng |title=Egged Tower |publisher=Telavivinf.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref> According to current plans, the tower is planned to have 80 floors, rise to a height of 270 meters, and will have a 50-meter spire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/building/eggedtower-telavivyaffo-israel |title=Egged Tower | Buildings |location=IL / |publisher=Emporis |date= |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
[[File:TA1011.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Bird's eye view from [[Moshe Aviv Tower]]]]
In 2010, the Tel Aviv Municipality's Planning and Construction Committee launched a new master plan for the city in 2025. It decided not to allow the construction of any additional skyscrapers in the city center, while at the same time greatly increasing the construction of skyscrapers in the east. The ban extends to an area between the coast and [[Ibn Gabirol Street]], and also between the [[Yarkon River]] and Eilat Street. It did not extend to towers already approved and/or under construction. Any new buildings there will usually not be allowed to rise above six and a half stories. However, hotel towers along almost the entire beachfront will be allowed to rise up to 25 stories. The committee decided to approve one last skyscraper project in the city center, while dozens of other planned projects had to be scrapped. According to the plan, the entire area between Ibn Gabirol Street and the eastern city limits would be "flooded" with skyscrapers and high-rise buildings at least 18 stories tall. Under the plan, "forests" of corporate skyscrapers will line both sides of the [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway]]. Further south, skyscrapers rising up to 40 stories will be built along the old Ottoman railway between [[Neve Tzedek]] and [[Florentin, Tel Aviv|Florentine]], with the first such tower there being the [[Neve Tzedek Tower]]. Along nearby Shlavim Street, passing between Jaffa and south Tel Aviv, office buildings up to 25 stories will line both sides of the street, which will be widened to accommodate traffic from the city's southern entrance to the center.<ref>Fox, Jesse: ''Tel Aviv's skyline in 2025'' (21 May 2011)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3888492,00.html |title=No new skyscrapers in central Tel Aviv - Israel Business, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=1995-06-20 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref>
[[File:Http://powerrabbi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tel-aviv.jpg|thumbnail|Park Tzameret neighborhood]]
In November 2012, it was announced that to encourage investment in the city's architecture, residential towers throughout Tel Aviv would be extended in height. Buildings in Jaffa and the southern and eastern districts may have two and a half stories added, while those on Ibn Gabirol Street might be extended by seven and a half stories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=21251 |title=New skyline for Tel Aviv, Editorial, world architecture news, architecture jobs |publisher=Worldarchitecturenews.com |date=2012-11-12 |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
[[File:31.03.09 Tel Aviv 066 Beinleumi Tower 2.JPG|thumb|upright|right|The "[[First International Bank Tower]]" in Tel Aviv's financial district]]
==Economy==
Tel Aviv was built on sand dunes in an area unsuitable for farming. Instead, it developed as a hub of business and scientific research.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} In 1926, the country's first shopping arcade, Passage Pensak, was built there. By 1936, as tens of thousands of middle class [[aliyah|immigrants]] arrived from Europe, Tel Aviv was already the largest city in Palestine. A small port was built at the Yarkon estuary, and many cafes, clubs and cinemas opened. [[Herzl Street]] became a commercial thoroughfare at this time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dvir |first=Noam |url=http://www.haaretz.com/culture/arts-leisure/back-to-the-future-everything-s-up-to-date-in-tel-aviv-it-s-1935-1.372939 |title=Back to the future: Everything's up to date in Tel Aviv. It's 1935|publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2011-07-13 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
Economic activities account for 17 percent of the GDP.<ref name="profile"/> In 2011, Tel Aviv had an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent.<ref>[http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000728750&fid=1725 Unemployment rate at historic low in Q4 2011]''Globes'', 28 February 12 14:00, Adrian Filut</ref>
[[File:Ehad Haam stock exchange.JPG|thumb|left|[[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]] (on the left)]]
The city has been described as a "flourishing technological center" by ''[[Newsweek]]'' and a "miniature Los Angeles" by ''[[The Economist]]''.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite journal |url=http://www.economist.com/cities/findStory.cfm?city_id=TLV&folder=Facts-Figures#Economic_profile |title=Tel Aviv City Guide |accessdate=28 May 2007 |journal=[[The Economist]]}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Newsweek">{{cite journal|last=Levy |first=Stephen |coauthors=Matt Rees |title=Focus on Technology: The Hot New Tech Cities |journal=[[Newsweek]] |date=9 November 1998}} <!-- (online: 1998-11-04) "Massive immigration from Russia in the early 1990s brought the country a flood of computer scientists with advanced theoretical knowledge." --></ref> In 1998, the city was described by Newsweek as one of the 10 most technologically influential cities in the world. Since then, high-tech industry in the Tel Aviv area has continued to develop.<ref name="Newsweek"/> The Tel Aviv metropolitan area (including [[satellite town|satellite cities]] such as [[Herzliya]] and [[Petah Tikva]]) is Israel's center of high-tech, sometimes referred to as [[Silicon Wadi]].<ref name="Newsweek"/><ref name="mercer">{{cite web|url=http://www.mercer.com/costofliving|title=Cost of living top 50 cities
|publisher=[[Mercer (consulting firm)|Mercer Human Resource Consulting]] |accessdate=25 July 2008}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is home to the [[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]] (TASE), Israel's only [[stock exchange]], which has reached record heights since the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070621_251927.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business |title=Israel: A Hotbed of...Investment |work=[[Bloomberg BusinessWeek|BusinessWeek]] |date=21 June 2007 |accessdate=7 July 2007 |last=Sandler |first=Neal}}</ref> The Tel Aviv Stock exchange has also gained attention for its resilience and ability to recover from war and disasters. For example, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange was higher on the last day of both the 2006 Lebanon war and the 2009 Operation in Gaza than on the first day of fighting<ref>{{cite book|last=Senor, Singer|first=Dan, Saul|title=Start Up Nation|year=2009|publisher=Twelve|location=New York|pages=13–14}}</ref> Many international [[venture capital|venture-capital]] firms, [[scientific method|scientific research]] institutes and high-tech companies are headquartered in the city. Industries in Tel Aviv include chemical processing, textile plants and food manufacturers.<ref name="Economist"/>{{Verify credibility|failed=y|date=June 2013}} The city's nightlife, cultural attractions and architecture attract tourists whose spending benefits the local economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thomsonfly.com/en/destination_3863.html |title=Tel Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Thomsonfly}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Dizengoff Center.jpg|thumb|Shops at the [[Dizengoff Center]]]]
In 2008, the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) at [[Loughborough University]] reissued an inventory of [[Global city|world cities]] based on their level of advanced producer services. Tel Aviv was ranked as a [[Global city|beta+ world city]].<ref name="lboro.ac.uk">{{cite web
|title= GaWC – The World According to GaWC 2008
|work= Globalization and World Cities Research Network
|accessdate=1 March 2009
|url= http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2008t.html
}}</ref>
The [[Kiryat Atidim]] [[high tech]] zone opened in 1972 and the city has become a major world high tech hub. In December 2012, the city was ranked second on a list of top places to found a high tech [[startup company]], just behind [[Silicon Valley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4315220,00.html |title=Tel Aviv named 2nd best high-tech center - Israel Business, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref> In 2013, Tel Aviv had more than 700 startup companies and research and development centers, and was ranked the second-most innovative city in the world, behind [[Medellín]] and ahead of [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4352010,00.html |title=Tel Aviv ranks 2nd in innovation - Israel Business, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
According to [[Forbes]], nine of its fifteen Israeli-born billionaires live in Israel; four live in Tel Aviv and its suburbs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_The-Worlds-Billionaires_CountryOfCitizen_10.html |title=The World's Billionaires |accessdate=7 July 2007 |work=Forbes |date=8 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/81/biz_06israel_Israels-Richest_land.html |title=Israel's 40 Richest |date=9 December 2006 |accessdate=7 July 2007 |work=Forbes |last=Bin-Nun |first=Boaz}}</ref> The [[cost of living]] in Israel is high, with Tel Aviv being its most expensive city to live in. According to [[Mercer (consulting firm)|Mercer]], a [[human resources]] [[Management consulting|consulting firm]] based in New York, as of 2010 Tel Aviv is the most expensive city in the Middle East and the 19th most expensive in the world.<ref name="mercer"/>
According to [[Globes]], Tel Aviv has the potential to become a leading world [[financial centre]], but that reforms are needed in Israel's taxation laws, which it says are unfavorable to investors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000649042&fid=4470 |title=Cut taxes, and they will come |publisher=Globes |date=2011-05-25 |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
Shopping malls in Tel Aviv include [[Dizengoff Center]], [[Ramat Aviv Mall]] and [[Azrieli Center|Azrieli Shopping Mall]] and markets such as Carmel Market, Ha'Tikva Market, and Bezalel Market.
==Culture and contemporary life==
===Entertainment and performing arts===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 9997 suzanne dalal center in tel aviv.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater]]]]
Tel Aviv is a major center of culture and entertainment.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=wyPZRi9uYxUC&pg=PA196&dq=tel+aviv+israel+cultural+capital |title=Emerging Nodes in the Global Economy: Frankfurt and Tel Aviv Compared |first=Felsenstein, Daniel |last=Schamp, Eike W. |publisher=Springer |year=2002 |accessdate=25 March 2008 |isbn=978-1-4020-0924-2}}</ref> Eighteen of Israel's 35 major centers for the performing arts are located in the city, including five of the country's nine large theaters, where 55% of all performances in the country and 75 percent
of all attendance occurs.<ref name="profile"/><ref name="culture">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com/city/125/culture/Middle-East/Tel-Aviv.html |title=Tel Aviv Culture |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=TravelGuides.com |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071217073110/http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com/city/125/culture/Middle-East/Tel-Aviv.html |archivedate= 17 December 2007}}</ref> The
[[Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center]] is home of the Israeli Opera, where [[Plácido Domingo]] was house tenor between 1962 and 1965, and the [[Cameri Theater]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israel-opera.co.il/Eng/?CategoryID=220&ArticleID=146 |title=History and Architecture |publisher=Israel Opera |accessdate=31 January 2008}}</ref> With 2,482 seats, the Tel Aviv [[Culture Palace (Tel Aviv)|Culture Palace]] is the city's largest theater and home to the [[Israel Philharmonic Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hatarbut.co.il/English/about.htm |title=Mann Auditorium |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=Hatarbut.co.il}}</ref> [[Habima Theatre|Habima Theater]], Israel's national theater, was closed down for renovations in early 2008, and reopened in November 2011 after major remodeling. Enav Cultural Center is one of the newer additions to the cultural scene.<ref name="culture"/> Other theaters in Tel Aviv are the Gesher Theater and [[Beit Lessin Theater]]; [[Tzavta]] and [[Tmuna]] are smaller theaters that host [[performance|musical performances]] and [[fringe theatre|fringe]] productions. In Jaffa, the Simta and Notzar theaters specialize in fringe as well. Tel Aviv is home to the [[Batsheva Dance Company]], a world famous [[contemporary dance]] troupe. The Israeli Ballet is also based in Tel Aviv.<ref name="culture"/> Tel Aviv's center for modern and classical dance is the [[Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater]] in [[Neve Tzedek]].<ref name=iexplore>{{cite web
|title=Tel Aviv Activities
|work=iExplore.com
|accessdate=15 July 2008
|url=http://www.iexplore.com/cityguides/Israel/Tel+Aviv/Activities
}}</ref>
The city often hosts [[Popular music|pop]] and rock concerts in venues such as [[Yarkon Park|Hayarkon Park]], the [[Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center]], the Barby Club and the Zappa Club.<ref name=Reuters>{{cite news
|title=McCartney wows fans with historic Israel concert
|agency=Reuters
|accessdate=26 September 2008
|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE48O92W20080925?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews
|date=25 September 2008}}</ref><ref name=Haaretz>{{cite web
|title=Depeche Mode to kick off next world tour in Israel
|work=[[Haaretz]]
|accessdate=6 October 2008
|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1026314.html}}</ref><ref name=Ynet>{{cite web
|title=Madonna To Wrap Up Tour in Tel Aviv
|work=[[The Forward]]
|accessdate=4 June 2009
|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/107163/}}</ref>
Opera and classical music performances are held daily in Tel Aviv, with many of the world's leading [[conducting|classical conductors]] and [[solo (music)|soloists]] performing on Tel Aviv stages over the years.<ref name="culture"/>
The [[Tel Aviv Cinematheque]] screens art movies, premieres of short and full-length Israeli films, and hosts a variety of film festivals, among them the Festival of Animation, Comics and Caricatures, "Icon" Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival, the Student Film Festival, the Jazz, Film and Videotape Festival and Salute to Israeli Cinema. The city has several [[multiplex (movie theater)|multiplex cinema]]s.<ref name="culture"/>
===Tourism and recreation===
[[File:Hayarkon IMG 8516.JPG|thumb|[[Hayarkon Park]] is the largest park in Tel Aviv]]
In 2010, ''[[Knight Frank]]'''s [[global city#World City Survey|world city survey]] ranked it 34th globally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport/2011/global-cities-survey/|title=Results Of The Knight Frank Global Cities Survey}}</ref> Tel Aviv has been named the third "hottest city for 2011" (behind only New York City and Tangier) by ''[[Lonely Planet]]'', third-best in the Middle East and Africa by [[Travel + Leisure|''Travel + Leisure magazine'']] (behind only Cape Town and Jerusalem), and the ninth-best [[Seaside resort|beach city]] in the world by ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Travel/TravelNews/Article.aspx?id=193541|title=Tel Aviv ranked world's 3rd hottest city for 2011 |accessdate=1 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/cities/africa-middle-east-cities/252|title=World's Best Awards 2011 – Africa and the Middle East|accessdate=11 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="Top 10 Beach Cities">{{cite web|url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/beach-cities-photos/#beaches-tel-aviv-cities_22323_600x450.jpg|title=Top 10 Beach Cities|accessdate=30 July 2010}}</ref> Tel Aviv is consistently ranked as one of the top [[LGBT]] destinations in the world.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=253129 Huldai proud of Tel Aviv winning best gay city of 2011]''Jerusalem Post'', By JPOST.COM STAFF01/11/2012 11:21</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501843_162-57364676/tel-aviv-emerges-as-top-gay-tourist-destination/?tag=contentMain;contentBody Tel Aviv emerges as top gay tourist destination] CBS NEWs, 24 January 2012 9:52 am</ref>
With 2.5 million international visitors annually, Tel Aviv is the fifth-most-visited city in the Middle East & Africa.<ref name="MasterCard ranks Tel Aviv as fifth most visited city in Middle East and Africa"/><ref name="Tourists rank Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among top cities to visit"/> It is known as "the city that never sleeps" and a "party capital" due to its thriving [[nightlife]], young atmosphere and famous [[24/7|24-hour culture]].<ref name="Top 10 party towns"/><ref name="lonelyplanet.com"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thestar.com/travel/article/953921--5-best-irish-pubs-not-in-ireland |title=5 best Irish pubs not in Ireland
|work=[[The Jerusalem Post|Toronto Star]] |accessdate=15 March 2011 |date=15 March 2011 |first=Adrian |last=Brijbassi}}</ref> Tel Aviv has branches of some of the world's leading hotels, including the [[Crowne Plaza]], [[Sheraton Hotels and Resorts|Sheraton]], [[Dan Hotels|Dan]], [[Isrotel Tower|Isrotel]] and [[Hilton Hotels|Hilton]]. It is home to many museums, architectural and cultural sites, with city tours available in different languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://city-tour.co.il/ntextin.asp?psn=1109 |title=Tel Aviv bus tour |accessdate=19 January 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv City Tours}}</ref> Apart from bus tours, architectural tours, [[Segway PT|Segway]] tours, and walking tours are also popular.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telavivarchitecture.com |title=Tel Aviv architecture tour |accessdate=19 January 2008 |publisher=TelAvivArchitecture.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.segways.co.il/ |title=Tel Aviv segway tours |accessdate=19 January 2008 |publisher=Segways.co.il}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telaviv4fun.com/citywalks.html |title=Tel Aviv walking tours |accessdate=19 January 2008 publisher=TelAviv4Fun.com}}</ref> Tel Aviv has 44 hotels with more than 6,500 rooms.<ref name="TA Stats"/>
The beaches of Tel Aviv play a major role in the city's cultural and touristic scene, often ranked as some of the best beaches in the world.<ref name="Top 10 Beach Cities"/> [[Yarkon Park|Hayarkon Park]] is the most visited [[park|urban park]] in Israel, with 16 million visitors annually. Other parks within city limits include [[Charles Clore Park]], Independence Park, [[Meir Park, Tel Aviv|Meir Park]] and [[Dubnow Park]]. About 19% of the city land are green spaces.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/StatisticalOverview.htm |title=Tel Aviv Statistical Overview |work=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality }}</ref>
===Nightlife===
[[File:Tel Aviv Skyline (night) - 2.jpg|thumb|Tel Aviv by night]]
Tel Aviv is an international hub of highly active and diverse nightlife with bars, dance bars and nightclubs staying open well past midnight. The largest area for nightclubs is the Tel Aviv port, where the city's large, commercial clubs and bars draw big crowds of young clubbers from both Tel Aviv and neighboring cities. The South of Tel Aviv is known for the popular Haoman 17 club, as well as for being the city's main hub of alternative clubbing, with underground venues including established clubs like the Block Club, Comfort 13 and Paradise Garage, as well as various warehouse and loft party venues. The Allenby/Rothschild area is another popular nightlife hub, featuring such clubs as the Pasaz, Radio EPGB and the Penguin. In 2013, [[Absolut Vodka]] introduced a specially designed bottle dedicated to Tel Aviv as part of its international cities series.<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4372126,00.html Absolut bottle dedicated to Tel Aviv]</ref>
===Cuisine===
Tel Aviv is famous for its wide variety of world-class restaurants, offering traditional Israeli dishes as well as international fare.<ref>{{cite news |first=Bonnie S.|last=Benwick |title=Tasting Tel Aviv, Israel's culinary capital|date=4 April 2010|work=Washington Post |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/01/AR2010040103382.html|accessdate=4 April 2010 }}</ref> More than 100 [[sushi]] restaurants, the third highest concentration in the world, do business in the city.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3499855,00.html |title=Israel becomes sushi mecca |first=Sarit |last=Saradas-Trutino |work=Ynetnews |accessdate=15 February 2008 |date=28 January 2008}}</ref>
===LGBT culture===
[[File:Pride Gay Parade 2012 No.330 - Flickr - U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|[[Tel Aviv Pride]] is the largest annual [[pride parade]] in the Middle East and Asia]]
Named "The best gay city in the world" by [[American Airlines]], Tel Aviv is one of the most popular destinations for [[LGBT tourism|LGBT tourists]] internationally, with a large [[LGBT]] community.<ref name="Was Arafat Gay?">{{cite web |url=http://out.com/detail.asp?id=22719 |title=Was Arafat Gay? |publisher=[[Out (magazine)|Out]]}}</ref><ref name=Burden>{{cite news
|title=Tel Aviv named world's best gay city
|work=[[Ynet]]
|accessdate=11 January 2012
|date=11 January 2012
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4174274,00.html
}}{{dead link|date=November 2012}}</ref> American journalist [[David Kaufman (journalist)|David Kaufman]] has described the city as a place “packed with the kind of ‘we're here, we're queer’ vibe more typically found in Sydney and San Francisco. The city hosts its well-known [[Tel Aviv Pride|pride parade]], the biggest in Asia, attracting over 100,000 people yearly.<ref name=Sherwood>{{cite news
|last=Sherwood
|first=Harriet
|title=Tel Aviv's Gay Pride parade draws thousands
|work=The Guardian
|accessdate=10 June 2011
|date=10 June 2011
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/10/tel-aviv-gay-pride-parade
|location=London
}}</ref> In January 2008, Tel Aviv's municipality established the city's [[LGBT]] [[Community centre|Community Center]], providing all of the municipal and cultural services to the LGBT community under one roof. In December 2008, Tel Aviv began putting together a team of gay athletes for the [[2009 World Outgames]] in Copenhagen.<ref name=zeitun>{{Cite news
|last= Zeitun
|first= Yoav
|title= Tel Aviv recruits gay athletes for 2009 World Outgames
|work= Ynetnews
|accessdate=26 December 2008
|date= 26 December 2008
|url= http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3644715,00.html
}}</ref> In addition, Tel Aviv hosts an annual LGBT [[Film festival|Film Festival]].
Tel Aviv's LGBT community is the subject of [[Eytan Fox]]'s 2006 film ''[[The Bubble (2006 film)|The Bubble]]''.
===Fashion===
Tel Aviv has become an international center of fashion and design.<ref name="T+L1">[http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/newsflash-whats-new-in-tel-aviv What’s New in Tel Aviv], by David Kaufman, March 2008.</ref> It has been called the “next hot destination” for fashion.<ref name="JewishWeek">[http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c277_a14292/Special_Sections/Israel_Travel.html Promoting Israel in a Downturn]{{dead link|date=February 2012}}, David Saranga, 17 December 2008</ref> Israeli designers, such as swimwear company [[Gottex]] show their collections at leading fashion shows, including New York’s [[Bryant Park]] fashion show.<ref name="TimeOut">[http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/tonyblog/2008/09/fashion-week-gottex/ Fashion Week: Gottex], 9 September 2008.</ref> In 2011, Tel Aviv hosted its first [[Fashion Week]] since the 1980s, with Italian designer [[Roberto Cavalli]] as a guest of honor.<ref>{{cite news|last=Merle Ginsberg|title=Roberto Cavalli Shows Spring 2012 Collection at First Ever Tel Aviv Fashion Week|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/roberto-cavalli-spring-2012-tel-aviv-fashion-week-264432|accessdate=21 November 2011|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 November 2011}}</ref>
===Museums===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 15282 Tel Aviv Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|The Herta and Paul Amir Building in the [[Tel Aviv Museum of Art]]]]
Israel has the highest number of museums per capita of any country, with three of the largest located in Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visit-tlv.co.il/eng.html |title=Museums and Galleries |publisher=Tel Aviv Municipality |accessdate=22 September 2007 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071011022740/http://www.visit-tlv.co.il/eng.html |archivedate= 11 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Governing Israel: Chosen People, Promised Land and Prophetic Tradition |last=Sharkansky |first=Ira |authorlink=Ira Sharkansky|year=2005 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=0-7658-0277-5 |page=22}}</ref> Among these are the [[Eretz Israel Museum]], known for its collection of archaeology and history exhibits dealing with the [[Land of Israel]], and the [[Tel Aviv Museum of Art]]. Housed on the campus of [[Tel Aviv University]] is [[Beth Hatefutsoth]], a museum of the international Jewish diaspora that tells the story of Jewish prosperity and persecution throughout the [[Jewish diaspora|centuries of exile]]. Batey Haosef Museum specializes in [[Israel Defense Forces]] [[military history]]. The [[Palmach|Palmach Museum]] near Tel Aviv University offers a multimedia experience of the history of the [[Palmach]]. Right next to [[Charles Clore Park]] is a museum of the [[Irgun|Etzel]]. The [[Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center]], located in the northern part of the city, hosts more than 60 major events annually. Many offbeat museums and galleries operate in the southern areas, including the Tel Aviv Raw Art [[contemporary art]] gallery.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/culture/museums/index.htm |title=Treasure of the State |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/culture/museums/list.htm |title=The Museums of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa |accessdate=26 January 2008 |publisher=Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080114035243/http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/culture/museums/list.htm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archivedate=14 January 2008}}</ref>
===Sports===
Tel Aviv is the only city with three clubs in [[Israeli Premier League]], the country's top [[Football in Israel|football]] league. [[Maccabi Tel Aviv|Maccabi Tel Aviv Sports Club]] was founded in 1906 and competes in more than 10 sport fields. Its [[basketball team]], [[Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.|Maccabi Tel Aviv]], is a world-known professional team, that holds 50 Israeli titles, has won 39 editions of the Israel cup, and has five European Championships, and its [[Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.|football team]] has won 19 Israeli league titles and has won 22 [[Israel State Cup|State Cups]], two [[Toto Cup]]s and two [[AFC Champions League|Asian Club Championships]]. [[Yael Arad]], an athlete in Maccabi's [[judo]] club, won a silver medal in the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Olympic Games]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Great Jews in Sports |url=http://books.google.com/?id=GWE_lEPfHpIC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=yael+arad+olympics+tel+aviv|accessdate=15 March 2008 |publisher=Jonathan David Company, Inc. |first=Robert |last=Slater |year=2003 |page=19 |isbn=978-0-8246-0453-0}}</ref>
[[File:Marathon Tel Aviv - Hayarkon View.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Tel Aviv Marathon]] going through [[Hayarkon Park]]]]
[[National Sport Center – Tel Aviv]] (also '''Hadar Yosef Sports Center''') is a compound of stadiums and sports facilities. It also houses the [[Olympic Committee of Israel]] and the National Athletics Stadium with the [[Israeli Athletic Association]].
[[Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv]] [[Sports club|Sports Club]], founded in 1923, comprises more than 11 sports clubs,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fotw.net/flags/il@hapta.html |title=Hapoel Tel Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Fotw.net}}</ref> including [[Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club]] (13 championships, 11 State Cups, one Toto Cup and once Asian champions) which plays in [[Bloomfield Stadium]], men's and women's [[Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.|basketball clubs]].
[[Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C.|Bnei Yehuda]] (once Israeli champion, twice [[Israel State Cup|State Cup]] winners and twice [[Toto Cup]] winner) is the only Israeli football team in the top division that represents a neighborhood, the [[Hatikva Quarter]] in Tel Aviv, and not a city.
[[Shimshon Tel Aviv F.C.|Shimshon Tel Aviv]] and [[Beitar Tel Aviv F.C.|Beitar Tel Aviv]] both formerly played in the top division, but dropped into the lower leagues, and merged in 2000, the new club now playing in [[Liga Artzit]], the third tier. Another former first division team, [[Maccabi Jaffa F.C.|Maccabi Jaffa]], is now defunct, as are Maccabi HaTzefon Tel Aviv, Hapoel HaTzefon Tel Aviv and [[Hakoah Tel Aviv F.C.|Hakoah Tel Aviv]], who merged with [[Maccabi Ramat Gan F.C.|Maccabi Ramat Gan]] and moved to Ramat Gan in 1959.
[[File:Bloomfield Stadium21.jpg|left|thumb|[[Bloomfield Stadium]]]]
Tel Aviv is also the home to [[Hapoel Ussishkin B.C.|Hapoel Ussishkin]], a fan-owned basketball club founded in 2007 due to disagreements between the [[Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball]] club's management and the fans.
Two [[rowing (sport)|rowing]] clubs operate in Tel Aviv. The Tel Aviv Rowing Club, established in 1935 on the banks of the [[Yarkon River]], is the largest rowing club in Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rowersalmanac.com/profiles/israel.asp |title=Rowers Almanac |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Rowersalmanac.com }}</ref> Meanwhile, the beaches of Tel Aviv provide a vibrant [[Matkot]] (beach paddleball) scene.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telaviv-insider.co.il/sports.php |title=Sports in the Tel-Aviv |accessdate=19 July 2007 |publisher=Tel Aviv Insider}}</ref> [[Tel Aviv Lightning]] represent Tel Aviv in the [[Israel Baseball League]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stljewishlight.com/topstories/12348156495807.php |title=Israel Baseball League starts in June |work=[[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] Jewish Light |accessdate=19 January 2008}}</ref> Tel Aviv also has an annual [[half marathon]], run in 2008 by 10,000 athletes with runners coming from around the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035198.html |title=10,000 athletes to run in Tel Aviv half marathon |accessdate=7 November 2008}}</ref>
In 2009, the [[Tel Aviv Marathon]] was revived after a fifteen-year hiatus, and is run annually since, attracting a field of over 18,000 runners.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-sport-sneakers-for-tel-aviv-marathon-1.354898 |title=Thousands sport sneakers for Tel Aviv marathon |accessdate=8 April 2011 |work=Haaretz |location=Israel}}</ref>
Tel Aviv is also ranked to be 10th best to-skateboarding city by Transworld Skateboarding.
===Media===
The three largest [[List of newspapers in Israel|newspaper companies]] in Israel – [[Yedioth Ahronoth]], [[Maariv (newspaper)|Maariv]] and [[Haaretz]] – are all based within the city limits.<ref name="news">{{cite web |url=http://www.abyznewslinks.com/israe.htm |title=Israel Newspapers |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=Abzynewslinks.com}}</ref> Several radio stations cover the Tel Aviv area, including the city-based Radio Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/il/235/4739 |title=Tel Aviv Israel news media |accessdate=31 January 2008 |publisher=Mondotimes.com}}</ref>
<br>The three major Israeli television networks, [[Israel Broadcasting Authority]], [[Keshet (TV)|Keshet]], [[Reshet]], and [[Channel 10 (Israel)|Channel 10]], are based in the city, as well as two of the most popular radio stations in Israel: [[Israel Army Radio|Galatz]] and [[Galgalatz]], which are both based in [[Jaffa]].
==Environment and urban restoration==
[[File:Soldiers cleaning beach.jpg|thumb|left|[[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] soldiers cleaning the beaches at Tel Aviv. The beaches have scored highly in environmental tests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/Documents/Beaches%20_2_.pdf |title=Tel Aviv-Yaffo Municipality, Beaches |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>]]
Tel Aviv is ranked as the [[Sustainable city|greenest city]] in Israel.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000637815&fid=1725 |title=Tel Aviv ranked Israel's greenest city |accessdate=11 April 2011 |date=11 April 2011 |publisher=Globes}}</ref> Since 2008, City lights are turned off annually in support of [[Earth Hour]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=969276&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0 |title=Tel Aviv goes dark as part of global 'Earth Hour' campaign |accessdate=30 March 2008 |date=30 March 2008 |publisher=Haaretz}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> In February 2009, the municipality launched a water saving campaign, including competition granting free parking for a year to the household that is found to have consumed the least amount of water per person.<ref name=senyorwater>{{Cite news
|last= Senyor
|first= Eli
|title= Tel Aviv launches water saving campaign
|work= Ynetnews
|accessdate=27 February 2009
|date= 22 February 2009
|url= http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3675380,00.html
}}</ref>
In the early 21st century, Tel Aviv's municipality transformed a derelict [[power station]] into a public park, now named "Gan HaHashmal" (electric park), paving the way for [[Ecology|eco-friendly]] and environmentally conscious designs.<ref name="FT">[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d8eb606-70ae-11dd-b514-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1 Electric Tel Aviv], by David Kaufman, [[Financial Times]], 12 February 2008.</ref> In October 2008, Martin Weyl turned an old garbage dump near [[Ben Gurion International Airport]], called [[Hiriya]], into an attraction by building an arc of plastic bottles.<ref name="NYTPlastic">[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/world/middleeast/24dump.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=israel%20plastic&st=cse Recycling in Israel, Not Just Trash, but the Whole Dump], by Isabel Kershner, 24 October 2007.</ref> The site, which was renamed [[Ariel Sharon]] Park to honor Israel’s former prime minister, will serve as the centerpiece in what is to become a {{convert|2000|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[urban wilderness]] on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, designed by German [[landscape architect]], [[Peter Latz]].<ref name="NYTPlastic"/>
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 6097 Environment of Israel.JPG|thumb|right|[[Charles Clore Park]]]]
At the end of the 20th century, the city began restoring historical neighborhoods such as [[Neve Tzedek]] and many buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. Since 2007, the city hosts its well-known, annual [[Open House Tel Aviv]] weekend, which offers the general public free entrance to the city's famous landmarks, private houses and public buildings. In 2010, the design of the renovated Tel Aviv Port (''Nemal Tel Aviv'') won the award for outstanding landscape architecture at the European Biennial for Landscape Architecture in [[Barcelona]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dvir |first=Noam |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israelis-win-barcelona-landscape-architecture-prize-1.316789 |title=Israelis win Barcelona landscape prize |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2010-10-03 |accessdate=2012-11-23}}</ref>
==Transportation==
{{main|Transport in Tel Aviv}}
[[File:View on Tel Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Ayalon Highway]] which runs through Tel Aviv]]
Tel Aviv is a major transportation hub, served by a comprehensive public transport network, with many major routes of the national transportation network running through the city.
===Bus and taxi===
As with the rest of Israel, bus transport is the most common form of public transport and is very widely used. The [[Tel Aviv Central Bus Station]] is located in the southern part of the city. The main bus network in Tel Aviv metropolitan area operated by [[Dan Bus Company]], [[Metropoline]] and [[Kavim]]. the [[Egged (company)|Egged Bus Cooperative]], the world's largest bus company, provides intercity transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/11/Facets%20of%20the%20Israeli%20Economy-%20Transportation |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |title=Facets of the Israeli Economy – Transportation |date=1 November 2001 |last=Solomon |first=Shoshanna |accessdate=17 July 2007}}</ref>
The city is also served by local and inter-city [[share taxis]]. Many local and inter-city bus routes also have sherut taxis that follow the same route and display the same route number in their window. Fares are standardised within the region and are comparable to or less expensive than bus fares. Unlike other forms of public transport, these taxis also operate on Fridays and Saturdays (the Jewish sabbath "Shabbat"). Private taxis are white with a yellow sign on top. Fares are standardised and metered, but may be negotiated ahead of time with the driver.
===Rail===
[[File:Tlvgenel002.jpg|thumb|[[Tel Aviv Central Railway Station]]]]
The [[Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station|Tel Aviv Central train station]] is the main train station of the city, and the busiest station in Israel. The city has three additional [[Israel Railways|train stations]] along the Ayalon Highway: [[Tel Aviv University Railway Station|Tel Aviv University]], [[Tel Aviv HaShalom Railway Station|HaShalom]] (adjacent to [[Azrieli Center]]) and [[Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station|HaHagana]] (near the [[Tel Aviv Central Bus Station]]). It is estimated that over a million passengers travel by train to Tel Aviv monthly. The trains do not run on Saturday and holidays.
===Roads===
The main highway leading to the city is the [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway (Highway 20)]], which runs along the eastern side of the city from north to south along the Ayalon River riverbed, dividing for the most part Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. Driving south on the Ayalon gives access to [[Highway 1 (Israel)|Highway 1]], leading to [[Ben Gurion International Airport]] and Jerusalem. Within the city, main routes include [[Kaplan Street]], [[Allenby Street]], [[Ibn Gabirol Street]], [[Dizengoff Street]], [[Rothschild Boulevard]], and in Jaffa the main route is Jerusalem Boulevard. Namir Road connects the city to [[Highway 2 (Israel)|Highway 2]], Israel's main north–south highway, and Begin/Jabotinsky Road, which provides access from the east through Ramat Gan, [[Bnei Brak]] and Petah Tikva. Tel Aviv, accommodating about 500,000 commuter cars daily, suffers from increasing congestion. In 2007, the Sadan Report recommended the introduction of a [[Road pricing|congestion charge]] similar to that of London in Tel Aviv as well as other Israeli cities. Under this plan, road users traveling into the city would pay a fixed fee.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1198517321459 |title=Public transportation to be overhauled |accessdate=27 January 2008 |work=[[The Jerusalem Post|Jerusalem Post]] |date=1 August 2008 |last=Wrobel |first=Sharon}}</ref>
===Air===
[[File:Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, Departure Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Ben Gurion Airport]]]]
The main airport serving Tel Aviv is [[Ben Gurion Airport]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]]: TLV). Located in the neighboring city of [[Lod]], it is the main airport of Israel, handling over 13 million passengers in 2011. The airport serves both international flights and domestic flights, and is the main hub of [[El Al]], [[Arkia Israel Airlines]], [[Israir Airlines]] and [[Sun D'Or International Airlines]]. The airport is {{convert|15|km|mi|0}} southeast of Tel Aviv, on [[Highway 1 (Israel)|Highway 1]] between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Another airport in the Tel Aviv area, [[Sde Dov Airport|Sde Dov]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]]: SDV), in northwestern Tel Aviv close to [[Tel Aviv Port]], serves mainly domestic flights and may be closed in favor of real-estate development.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/793988.html |title=Sde Dov to be vacated, state gets half of Big Bloc |accessdate=17 July 2007 |work=[[Haaretz]] |last=Bar-Eli |first=Avi|date=30 November 2006}}</ref> In the future all services to Sde Dov will be transferred to Ben Gurion Airport.
===Light rail===
{{Main|Tel Aviv Light Rail}}
The first line of a [[light rail]] system is under construction and scheduled to open in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://80.70.129.175/data/SIP_STORAGE/files/1/2021.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=[[Yedioth Ahronot]] |title=Israel Treasury: We decided to take the light rail from Leveiev. New opening target: 2016 |accessdate=11 April 2007}}</ref> The Red Line starts at [[Petah Tikva]]'s Central Bus Station, east of Tel Aviv and follows the Jabotinsky Road (Route 481) westwards at street level. At the point where Jabotinsky Road and [[Highway 4 (Israel)|Highway 4]] intersect the line drops into an underground tunnel for {{convert|10|km|2|abbr=on}} through [[Bnei Brak]], [[Ramat Gan]] and Tel Aviv and emerges again to street level just before [[Jaffa]], where it turns southwards towards [[Bat Yam]].
The underground section will include 10 stations, including an interchange with [[Israel Railways]] services at [[Tel Aviv Central Railway Station]] and the nearby [[2000 Terminal]]. A maintenance depot, connected via a branch line and tunnel to the main section of the line, will be constructed in Kiryat Arye, across from the existing [[Petah Tikva Kiryat Arye Railway Station|Kiryat Arye suburban railway station]]. The intended builder and operator of the first line, MTS, has had financial difficulties that postponed the line's opening. In May 2010, the ministry of finance decided to cancel the agreement with MTS due to the difficulties and the agreement was cancelled in August 2010.<ref>[http://www.calcalist.co.il/local/articles/0,7340,L-3414299,00.html Now it's final? The government cancelled the agreement with MTS to construct the Tel Aviv Light Rail], Calcalist, 10 August 2010, In Hebrew</ref> The line is being built instead by NTA – The Tel Aviv region's mass transit development authority. Initially, the line's targeted opening was in 2012 and today the target is 2016 after several postponements due to the disagreements with MTS and NTA's takeover of the project.
===Cycling===
[[File:Tel-o-fun.jpg|thumb|[[Tel-O-Fun]] in Tel Aviv]]
Tel Aviv Municipality encourages the use of bicycles in the city. Plans called for expansion of the paths to {{convert|100|km|mi|1|sp=us}} by 2009.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200572503247&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull | title=City wheels in bicycle rental plan | accessdate=2008-01-31 | date=2008-01-21 | publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]}}</ref>
In April 2011, Tel Aviv municipality launched Tel-O-Fun, a [[bicycle sharing system]], in which 150 stations of bicycles for rent were installed within the city limits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-o-fun.co.il/ |publisher=Tel Aviv Municipality |title=Tel-O-Fun |accessdate=10 May 2011}}</ref> As of October 2011, there are 125 active stations, providing more than 1,000 bicycles. As of April 2011 the municipality has completed construction of about {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=on}} of bicycle paths.
==Twin towns and sister cities==
{{See also|List of Israeli twin towns and sister cities}}
<div class="noprint">
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
! colspan="3"|Tel Aviv is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
|-
{|style="width:100%"
|-
| style="width:33.3%;"|
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Toulouse]], France <small>''(since 1958)''</small>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Philadelphia]], United States <small>''(since 1966)''</small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt]], Germany <small>''(since 1980)''</small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Bonn]], Germany <small>''(since 1980)''</small> (Partner)<ref name="Bonn twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.bonn.de/wirtschaft_wissenschaft_internationales/internationale_aktivitaeten/staedtepartnerschaften/index.html?lang=en|title=City Twinnings|accessdate=2013-08-01|work=Stadt Bonn|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410070837/http://www.bonn.de/wirtschaft_wissenschaft_internationales/internationale_aktivitaeten/staedtepartnerschaften/index.html?lang=en|archivedate=2013-04-10}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina <small>''(since 1988)''</small>
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Budapest]], Hungary <small>''(since 1989)''</small> (Partner)<ref name="Budapest twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://budapest.hu/Lapok/Fovaros/Testvervarosok.aspx|title=Budapest - Testvérvárosok|accessdate=2013-08-14|work=Budapest Főváros Önkormányzatának hivatalos oldala [Official site of the Municipality of Budapest]|language=Hungarian|trans_title=Budapest - Twin Cities|archiveurl=http://budapest.hu/Lapok/Fovaros/Testvervarosok.aspx|archivedate=2013-08-09}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|SRB}} [[Belgrade]], Serbia <small>''(since 1990)''</small> (Partner)
||
*{{flagicon|MDA}} [[Chișinău]], Moldova <small>''(since 2000)''<ref name="Chișinău twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php?l=ro&idc=526|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903122220/http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php?l=ro&idc=526|title=Oraşe înfrăţite (Twin cities of Minsk) ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|publisher=Primăria Municipiului Chişinău|archivedate=3 November 2012|accessdate=2013-07-21|language=Romanian}}</ref></small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Essen, Germany|Essen]], Germany <small>''(since 1992)''</small> (Partner)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Warsaw]], Poland <small>''(since 1992)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Milan]], Italy <small>''(since 1994)''</small>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]], United States <small>''(since 1996)''</small><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Cityhall/Pages/Partnerships.aspx?tm=&sm=&side=515|title=Tel Aviv sister cities|accessdate=2013-08-04}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Łódź]], Poland <small>''(since 1994)''</small><ref name="Łódź twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.uml.lodz.pl/samorzad/miasta_partnerskie_lodzi/tabelka|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624211727/http://www.uml.lodz.pl/samorzad/miasta_partnerskie_lodzi/tabelka/|title=Miasta partnerskie - Urząd Miasta Łodzi ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|accessdate=2013-07-21|archivedate=24 June 2013|work=City of Łódź|language=Polish}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]],USA (Partner)<ref>[http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Cityhall/Pages/Partnerships1.aspx?tm=69&sm=&side=515 ערים שותפות<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
||
*{{flagicon|PAN}} [[Panama City]], Panama<small>''(since 2013)''</small><ref name="Caribbean Journal">{{cite web | url = http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/03/08/panama-city-and-tel-aviv-sign-agreement-to-become-sister-cities/ | title = Panama City and Tel Aviv Sign Agreement to Become Sister Cities | accessdate = 2013-06-25 | work = Caribbean Journal}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Thessaloniki]], Greece <small>''(since 1994)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona]], Spain <small>''(since 1998)''</small>
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[İzmir]], Turkey <small>''(since 1998)''</small>
*{{flagicon|BRA}} [[São Paulo]], Brazil <small>''(since 2004)''</small><ref name="São Paulo twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www3.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/cadlem/secretarias/negocios_juridicos/cadlem/integra.asp?alt=11072007L%20144710000|title = Pesquisa de Legislação Municipal - No 14471|accessdate=2013-08-23|work=Prefeitura da Cidade de São Paulo [Municipality of the City of São Paulo]|language=Portuguese|trans_title=Research Municipal Legislation - No 14471|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018123138/http://www3.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/cadlem/secretarias/negocios_juridicos/cadlem/integra.asp?alt=11072007L%20144710000|archivedate = 2011-10-18}}</ref><ref name="São Paulo WikiSource">[http://pt.wikisource.org/wiki/Lei_Municipal_de_S%C3%A3o_Paulo_14471_de_2007 Lei Municipal de São Paulo 14471 de 2007] WikiSource {{pt icon}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Beijing]], China <small>''(since 2004)''</small>
|}
|}
==Notable people born in Tel Aviv ==
*[[Miri Ben-Ari]],The Hip Hop Violinist
*[[Borgore]], dubstep producer and DJ
*[[Esti Ginzburg]], model and actress
*[[Ofra Haza]], singer
*[[Yair Lapid]], politician and journalist
*[[Ido Pariente]], [[mixed martial artist]] fighter and trainer
*[[Itzhak Perlman]], musician and conductor
*[[Orli Shoshan]], ''Star Wars'' film actress
*[[Ayelet Zurer]], actress
*[[Dana International]], musician and singer
*[[Oded Fehr]], actor
{{clear}}
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==Bibliography==
* Michael Turner, Catherine Weill-Rochant, Geneviève Blondiau, Silvina Sosnovsky, Philippe Brandeis, ''Sur les traces du modernisme, Tel-Aviv-Haïfa-Jérusalem'', CIVA (ed.), Bruxelles 2004. (Hebrew and French)
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, ''L'Atlas de Tel-Aviv 1908–2008'', Paris, CNRS Editions, 2008. (Historical maps and photos, French, soon in Hebrew and English)
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, ''Bauhaus » – Architektur in Tel-Aviv, L’architecture « Bauhaus » à Tel- Aviv'', Rita Gans (éd.), Zürich, Yad Yearim, 2008. (German and French)
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, 'The Tel-Aviv School : a constrained rationalism', ''DOCOMOMO journal'' (Documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the modern movement), April 2009.
*{{Cite thesis |degree=PhD|title=Le plan de Patrick Geddes pour la « ville blanche » de Tel Aviv : une part d’ombre et de lumière. Volume 1|url=http://www.bu.univ-paris8.fr/web/collections/theses/RochantThese1.pdf |format=PDF|last=Rochant Weill|first=Catherine|year=2006|publisher=Université Paris 8|location=Paris|accessdate=9 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}} And: {{Cite thesis |degree=PhD|title=Le plan de Patrick Geddes pour la « ville blanche » de Tel Aviv : une part d’ombre et de lumière. Volume 2|url=http://www.bu.univ-paris8.fr/web/collections/theses/RochantThese2.pdf|format=PDF|last=Rochant Weill|first=Catherine|year=2006|publisher=Université Paris 8|location=Paris|accessdate=9 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}
* Catherine Weill-Rochant, ''Le travail de Patrick Geddes à Tel-Aviv, un plan d'ombre et de lumière'', [[Saarbrücken]], ةditions Universitaires Européennes, May 2010.
* Jochen Visscher (ed.): ''Tel Aviv The White City'', Photographs by Stefan Boness, JOVIS Verlag Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-939633-75-4
==External links==
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{{Commons category|Tel Aviv-Yafo}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/ The official Tel Aviv municipality website]
* [http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/ The official Tel Aviv municipality website] {{he icon}}
* [http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Arabic/ The official Tel Aviv municipality website] {{ar icon}}
* [http://www.israelinarabic.com/?p=605 The History of Tel Aviv] {{ar icon}}
* [http://www.visit-tlv.com/ visit-tlv.com] - Tel Aviv-Jaffa Tourism Site
* [http://www.telavivfoundation.org/ The Tel Aviv Foundation]
* [http://telaviv.busmappa.com/p/bus-map.html Tel Aviv bus map]
* [http://www.yourway.co.il/travel_to_tel_aviv.html Travel Tel Aviv]
{{Tel Aviv District}}
{{Largest Israeli cities}}
{{Paralympic Summer Games Host Cities}}
{{Coord|32|5|0|N|34|48|0|E|type:city|display=title}}
{{Good article}}
[[Category:Tel Aviv| ]]<!--leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:1909 establishments in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Cities in Israel]]
[[Category:Cities in Tel Aviv District]]
[[Category:Former national capitals]]
[[Category:Jewish villages in the Ottoman Empire]]
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{{Link GA|zh}}
{{Link FA|he}}
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