Zalafa
Zalafa
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 Zalafa
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| Coordinates: 32°32′56″N 35°11′17″E / 32.54889°N 35.18806°ECoordinates: 32°32′56″N 35°11′17″E / 32.54889°N 35.18806°E | |
| Grid position | 167/217 PAL |
| District | Haifa |
| Founded | 17th century |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 4,000 |
| Name meaning | "The cisterns" or "Hard Soil" |
Zalafa (Arabic: زلفة, Hebrew: זלפה) is an Arab village in Israel's Haifa District. The village is in the Wadi Ara area of the northern Triangle, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northeast of Umm al-Fahm. Since 1996, it has been under the jurisdiction of the Ma'ale Iron local council whose headquarters is in the village. The village is divided into three neighborhoods: East, West and al-Murtafi'a. In the 2008 census, Zalafa's population was about 4,000, all of whom are Muslim.
According to archeological evidence, Zalafa location has been settled continuously since the Iron Age, but with a decline in the Ottoman era. Building foundations, burial tombs, potsherds from the Byzantine era and an ancient well can be found under the village.
According to local tradition, Zalafa was established in the mid-17th century by people from the nearby town of Umm al-Fahm. In 1870, French explorer Victor Guérin found the village "almost completely deserted", and in 1882 it was described as "a small ruined village with a well" by the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP).
The village's clay and straw houses were built close to each other for security reasons. Clan divisions were reflected in the distribution of the houses. Zalafa's residents drew water from nearby springs and the village lacked basic services such as schools, clinics, local government, banks, etc. Following the Jewish migration to Palestine, many of Zalafa's residents worked in Jewish-owned fields and settlements. In addition to being a new source of income, this work experience instilled in the residents advanced skills that improved their way of life.
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