Rahat

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Rahat
Hebrew	רהט
Arabic	رهط
Founded in	1972
Government	City (from 1994)
District	South
Population	37,400 (2004)
Jurisdiction	8,560 dunams (8.6 km²)
Mayor	Talal al-Krenawi

Rahat is also a name for the Turkish Delight Lokum.

Rahat (Hebrew: רהט‎, Arabic: رهط‎) is a city in the South District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2004 the city had a total population of 37,400. As such, it is the largest Bedouin settlement in Israel, and the only one to have the status of city.

1 History
2 Demographics
3 Income
4 Education
5 Nomenclature

[edit] History

Rahat was established in the year 1972, by the government of Israel, as a new settlement for Arab Bedouins, who lived in the surrounding area without permanent domicile. Until the year 1980, Rahat was part of the rural county Bnei Shim'on and from then on (until 1994) it was a local council (administered by a private board until 1989). In the year 1994 it was recognized as a city and it is the first city of Bedouins in Israel and in the entire geographical region of Palestine.

[edit] Demographics

Typical houses in Rahat

According to CBS, in 2001 the ethnic makeup of the city was all Arab Bedouins without significant Jewish population (see also: Population groups in Israel). As such, it is by far the largest Bedouin settlement in Israel.

According to CBS, in 2001 there were 16,300 males and 16,100 females. The population of the city was spread out with 65.2% 19 years of age or younger, 15.8% between 20 and 29, 12.0% between 30 and 44, 4.7% from 45 to 59, 0.9% from 60 to 64, and 1.4% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 5.9%..

[edit] Income

According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 3,983 salaried workers and 437 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 3,008, a real change of -0.8% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 3,502 (a real change of 0.1%) versus ILS 1,394 for females (a real change of -10.7%). The mean income for the self-employed is 5,198. There are 277 people who receive unemployment benefits and 10,906 people who receive an income guarantee.

[edit] Education

According to CBS, there are 16 schools and 10,442 students in the city. They are spread out as 13 elementary schools and 7,375 elementary school students, and 6 high schools and 3,067 high school students. 54.7% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.

[edit] Nomenclature

In Arabic, Rahat means 'Comfort', 'Calm' & 'Peace'. It is a unisex name mostly found amongst Islamic individuals.

South District
Cities	Arad · Ashdod · Ashkelon · Beersheba · Dimona · Eilat · Kiryat Gat · Kiryat Mal'akhi · Netivot · Ofakim · Rahat · Sderot
Local councils	Ar'ara BaNegev · Hura · Kuseife · Lakiya · Lehavim · Meitar · Mitzpe Ramon · Omer · Segev Shalom · Tel Sheva · Yeruham
Regional councils	Abu Basma · Beer Tuvia · Bnei Shimon · Central Arava · Eshkol · Hevel Eilot · Hof Ashkelon · Lachish · Merchavim · Ramat Negev · Sdot Negev (Azata) · Shaar HaNegev · Shafir · Tamar · Yoav