Netanya[2] or Natanya[3][2] (in Hebrew: נְתַנְיָה, in Arabic: نتانيا) in is a city in the Northern Central District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain.

Netanya was named in honor of Nathan Straus, a prominent Jewish American merchant and philanthropist in the early 20th century who was the co-owner of Macy's department store.Thanks to generous donations, On September 8, 1928, 1,400 dunams were purchased from Sheikh Hamdan for 5,600 lira.

It was an open woodland dominated by Mount Tabor Oak (Quercus ithaburensis), which extended from Kfar Yona in the north to Ra'anana in the south.

The intensification of settlement and agriculture in the coastal plain during the 19th century led to deforestation and subsequent environmental degradation known from Hebrew sources.

[5] It was named in honor of Nathan (Hebrew: Natan) Straus (1848–1931),[6][7] co-owner of Macy's department store,[8] New York City Parks Commissioner, and president of the New York City Board of Health,[9] who gifted two-thirds of his personal fortune to projects benefiting Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine.

In 1928 members of Bnei Binyamin and Hanotea, an organisation set up after Straus was informed of the establishment of the settlement, purchased 350 acres (1.4 km2) of Umm Khaled lands.

[13] The first urban plan divided the city into three sections with a tourism district along the coastline, housing, farms and commerce in the center, and agriculture and industry to the east.

[14][15] In 1940, the British Mandate government defined Netanya as a local council of which Oved Ben-Ami was elected head.

With Israel experiencing a wave of Jewish immigration from Europe, elsewhere in the Middle East, and North Africa, Netanya's population expanded.

A lone Iraqi bomber attacked Netanya, dropping several bombs which damaged a factory and caused some casualties, shortly before being shot down.

[citation needed] In the south of the city, the newest of these, Pinchas Sapir (KA Poleg), houses the first branch of IKEA in Israel as well as technology companies such as Ceedo.

[citation needed] Tourism also plays a major part in Netanya's economy with some 19 hotels in the city having 1,452 rooms.

[citation needed] Netanya is located on the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain, the historic land bridge between Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The city is the capital of the Sharon plain, a geographic region stretching from the Mediterranean in the west to the Samarian hills in the east, and the modern-day Tel Aviv metropolitan area in the south northwards to Mount Carmel.

Apart from some small moshavim and kibbutzim, south of Netanya is relatively clear of settlement until Herzliya and the start of the Gush Dan, Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area.

In 1956, a beachfront in northern Netanya was selected as a home base for the Sanzer Hasidim by its leader, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam.

[32] Following his death in 1994, his eldest son, Rabbi Zvi Elimelech Halberstam, known as the Sanzer Rebbe, became the spiritual leader of the Sanz community in Israel.

[35] Besides its educational facilities for boys and girls from elementary to post-graduate,[36] there are five synagogues, a mikveh, a printing house,[37] a religious hotel, a religious nursing school, and the Laniado Hospital,[34] which encompasses two medical centers, a children's hospital, a geriatric center and a nursing school, serving a regional population of over 450,000.

[49] There are direct trains from Netanya and Beit Yehoshua to Tel Aviv, Binyamina, Hadera, Herzliya, Lod, Rehovot, Ashdod, Ashkelon and other towns.

[50] Egged buses run from the Netanya central bus station to Jerusalem, Haifa, Eilat and other destinations.

Metropoline operates bus services to Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and the surrounding communities, including the city of Hadera.

The intracity transportation is based on Egged Ta'avura bus lines and Shay Li service taxis.

[53] In June 2016, a street in Netanya was named for Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who was responsible for saving Lithuanian Jews from Nazi persecution early in World War II by providing visas allowing travel eastwards, beyond the reach of the Third Reich's genocidal grasp.

Netanya Academic College offers Bachelor's and master's degrees, and a unique program for high-school students.

[56] The Wingate Institute, Israel's National Centre for Physical Education and Sport, is located just south of the city.

As part of the "Netanya – city of sport" program the beach soccer stadium was established and it currently hosts Israeli championship and international "Diamond tournament" games.

The founder of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld opened a sports academy in Netanya for the continuation of his way and his martial art.

The moderate cliffs plus a stiff offshore breeze provide an ideal environment for safe and fun comfortable paragliding.

[62][63] Netanya is developing according to master plans for 2035 which seek to massively increase residential units and office space in the city, as well as a new marina and piers.

The plan is expected to attract more residents, boost hotel development, and increase the number of gardens and green spaces.