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Afula (Israel)

Municipality of Afula, Iriyat Afula

image by Dov Gutterman | 2:3

Emblem adopted 30th October 1958

Description
Variants
The Emblem

See also:

Municipal Flags (Israel)
Jezreel Subdistrict (Northern District, Israel)
Israel

Description

Afula, nicknamed capital of the valley, is situated in Jezreel Valley on the central road cross of the area (roads to Tel-Aviv, Tiberias and upper Galilee, Nazareth and Bet Shean). Established in 1925 near the 'Valley Railway' tracks (the out of service old line from Haifa to Damascus). Municipality since 1973 with 40,000 inh.
I spotted a light blue flag with blue emblem. The municipal emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot, Yalkut HaPirsumim), YP 631, 30 October 1958, in the first batch of emblems, for the then Local Council Afula.
Sources: author's own observation, 2 October 2001.
Dov Gutterman, 16 October 2001

In my visit of today I noted also five more variants (on yellow, red, orange, white and green). It is possible that there are more variants.
Dov Gutterman, 30 April 2003

Afula history is connected directly to the legendary Rakevet HaEmeq (The Valley Railway), the narrow-track railroad that connected Haifa and the Hijaz Railway line which was constructed in 1903-1905. The decision to built a central station near the tiny Arab village of Al-Fula (which kept the ancient Hebrew name Ofel (Fortified area of a town) and a side track to Jenin and Nablus, made this spot a major transportation junction (as the Nazareth-Jerusalem road and Haifa-Bet She'an road also met there).
With such a prospect ahead, the American Zion Community bought the land of the tiny village in 1924 and after arriving to compensation agreement with the inhabitants, they left the area and first new settlers arrived in 1925. However, the big vision was dissolved by economic crisis, and the British Mandate decisions to put emphasis on other towns and to close the railway line, kept Afula as a small town and only in 1972 it became a municipality.
Sources: <www.afula.muni.il>
The Valley Railway was endless source for legends and Jokes. It was so slow that it was told that while it moving you could step down from the front wagon, talk with a friend or drink coffee and still have time to catch the last wagon. However, this raiway holds some world records as the speed record for narrow-track lines (100 Kmh - with airplane engine installed on one of its waggon) and the record for the lowest train station of the world (Naharayim Bridge Station - 246 m. below sea level).
There are plans to re-build parts of the line in the future.
Dov Gutterman, 1 May 2005

Variants

image by Dov Gutterman

The Emblem

image from wikipedia