Be'er Ya'akov was established in 1907 on 2,000 dunams of land purchased by a company headed by Meir Dizengoff from a Lutheran German colony the previous year. It was divided into two sectors, one for immigrants from Russia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Argentina, and Iran, and the other for Mountain Jews from Dagestan. It was named after Yaakov Yitzhaki, a rabbi and pioneer from the Mountain Jewish community.[4] Yitzhaki headed the Mountain Jewish pioneers who settled there.
In 1909, 25 families were living in Be'er Ya'akov, and tensions between the Ashkenazi and Dagestani families.[5] In 1910, the first elementary school was established. According to a census conducted in 1922 by the British Mandate authorities, Be'er Ya'akov had 131 inhabitants,[6] which had increased in the 1931 census to 265 residents in 58 houses.[7] By 1947, it had a population of 400.[8] It achieved local council status in 1949.
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and until the Israeli capture of Ramla in July 1948, Be'er Ya'akov was on the front line. The population at that time was evacuated and a new settlement, Be'er Shalom, was established nearby by members of Kibbutz Buchenwald, the first pioneer training group formed in post-World War II Germany.[9][10]
In 2017, a plan was approved to build on the land vacated by the Tzrifin military bases which are being relocated to the Negev. The plan envisions Be'er Ya'akov with a population of 100,000.[11][12] Be'er Ya'akov is currently undergoing a construction boom, with numerous residential and commercial developments planned or under construction, along with numerous schools and daycare centers, cultural institutions, and a 1,000-seat sports arena. A metro system for the city which will terminate at Ben Gurion International Airport is also planned, with work scheduled to commence in 2028.[13]
Economy
Be'er Ya'akov Shopping mall
IAI's MLM Division, Israel's main missile assembly facility is located in the south of Be'er Ya'akov. The Jericho and Arrow missiles and the Shavit launch vehicle are assembled there. The facility area is situated east of Diezengoff Street.[14]
