Arraba, Israel

Arraba עראבה‎ عرّابة
City (from 2016)
Hebrew transcription(s)
• ISO 259	ʕarrabba
• Also spelled	Arrabe (official) 'Arrabat-Batuf (unofficial)
Entrance to Arraba
Arraba Show map of Northwest Israel Arraba Show map of Israel
Coordinates: 32°51′2″N 35°20′20″E / 32.85056°N 35.33889°E / 32.85056; 35.33889
Grid position	181/250 PAL
Country	Israel
District	Northern
Government
• Head of Municipality	Ahmad Nassar[1]
Area
• Total	8,250 dunams (8.25 km2 or 3.19 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]
• Total	27,115
• Density	3,300/km2 (8,500/sq mi)
Name meaning	The steppe or plateau of the Buttauf[3]

Arraba (Hebrew: עראבה; Arabic: عرّابة), also known as 'Arrabat al-Battuf, is an Arab city in Israel. It is located in the Lower Galilee in the Northern District, within Sakhnin valley, adjacent to Sakhnin and Deir Hanna, and climbing a bit on Yodfat range to its south, while also owning some lands south of that in the Beit Netofa Valley (Sahl al-Battuf) to the north of Nazareth area. Arraba attained local council status in 1965, and city status in 2016. In 2022, its population was 27,115.^[2]

During the Roman period, Arraba was a Jewish settlement known as Arab or Gabara, and was home to the priestly family of Petahiah. In the fifth or sixth century CE, it was inhabited by Christians, as evidenced by the discovery of a church. The Arab Muslim tribe of Zayadina arrived in Arraba in the middle of the 17th century and later gained control of the town. In the 18th century, Zahir al-Umar, an autonomous ruler of Galilee, lived in Arraba. In the late Ottoman period, the town had a sizable Christian minority, but since then, many have emigrated to Haifa, leaving only a small number of Christian households in the predominantly Muslim city.