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Metula (Israel)

Mo'atza Mekomit Metula, Local Council of Metula

image by Dov Gutterman | 2:3

Coat-of-arms adopted 21st January 1960

Description

See also:

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

Description

The northmost local council in Israel. Situated in the top of Etzba HaGallile (finger of Galilee) on the Lebanese border. Local Council Metula was founded in 1896 and got 2,000 inh. The flag is white with the emblem in natural colors. No inscription. The municipal emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot, Yalkut ha-Pirsumim), YP 734, 21 January 1960.
Source: author's own observation, 18 September 2001; this website.
Dov Gutterman, 2 October 2001

I reported a white flag at my first visit, but in further visits, I saw also other variants (yellow and light blue).
Metula was founded in 1896 by 59 families of agriculture workers on land bought in the Druze's Umm-Tula village (hence the name). Acording to Anglo-French agreement of 1919, it was under French jurisdiction, but following the Arab and Druze revolt against the French, it was decided to move the Jewish settlements into British control, and the border line was drawn according their position and therefore touch Metula residential boundaries (as it was the most northern Jewish village). So Metula found itself under British control thou its fields under French control. This unique situation made it a perfect place for illegal immigration.
According to the cease fire agreements with Lebanon, the border line was determined according to the Anglo-French agreements and Metula lost access to its fields, now in Lebanon. It became a target to attacks from Lebanon. The Lebanese internal conflict brought to the opening of the "good fence" in 1976.
Today, Metula is based a lot on tourism. It hosts the Farmer House Museum, Canada Sport Center and situated near Ayun river waterfalls reservation. Metula is a local council since 1949.
Sources: <www.metulla.muni.il>, <www.zimmer.co.il>.
The emblem (as other 19th century colonies' emblems) is a bit complicated. One can identify the snowy Hermon mountain overlooking the fields on one side, and an Ayun river's waterfall on the other.
Dov Gutterman, 27 April 2005