# Kokhav Ya'ir

Kokhav Ya'ir–Tsur Yig'al (Hebrew: כּוֹכַב יָאִיר צוּר יִגְאָל), is a town in the Central District of Israel. Kokhav Ya'ir and the neighboring town of Tzur Yig'al merged in November 2003. In 2022 it had a population of 8,977.

## History

Kokhav Ya'ir was established in 1981 by 15 families living in temporary quarters. Two years later, work began on infrastructure for a permanent town. In 1986, 550 families moved into permanent housing and the town was officially founded.

## Etymology

Kokhav Ya'ir (literal translation: "A Star Will Shine" or "Star of Ya'ir") was named for Avraham Stern, who went by the alias Ya'ir. He was the founder and leader of the Lehi group, a militant Jewish underground active during the British Mandate of Palestine. The name is constructed out of two words:
* Kokhav (כוכב) -> Hebrew for "star" (Stern is German for "star").
* Ya'ir (יאיר) -> in Hebrew, the word "Ya'ir" can function as a name (such as in Stern's alias), but also as the future-masculine-singular form of the verb "to shine" ("will shine").
Tsur Yig'al (literal translation: "A Rock Will Salvage" or "Rock of Yig'al") was named for Israeli Knesset member Yigal Cohen. The name is constructed out of two words:
* Tsur (צור) -> Hebrew for "Rock", named after the rocky, rugged and stony landscape of the hill.
* Yig'al (יגאל) -> in Hebrew, the word "Yig'al" can function as a name (such as in Cohen's name), but also as the future-masculine-singular form of the verb "to salvage" ("will salvage").

## Geography

Kokhav Ya'ir is located approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-north-east of the city of Kfar Saba and 95 meters above sea level. Neighboring the municipality on its south-west border is kibbutz Eyal, approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north-west is the Israeli Arab city of Tira and approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south is the Palestinian Authority governed city of Qalqilyah.
The Sapir Lookout in Kokhav Ya'ir attracts bird watchers who come to observe the semi-annual migration of many species of birds.

## Education and sports

Kokhav Ya'ir currently has four schools, two secular elementary schools ('Keshet' and 'Nof Tzurim'), one religious elementary school ('Dekel') and one middle school ('Ramon', named after the Astronaut Ilan Ramon). After finishing middle school students are usually directed to highschools in Ra'anana and Kfar Saba and Herzliya.
Kokhav Ya'ir's local basketball team, Elitzur Kokhav Ya'ir, has been a member of the Israel National Basketball League since 2008.
Kokhav Ya'ir's country club from 2010 to 2017 refused membership to Israeli Arabs. After a petition from Tira, an Arab village nearby, the club decided to “sanitize” its racist policy by restricting membership to Kokhav Ya'ir–Tzur Yig'al's residents. A member of the local council said: “What drives people from the club isn’t the price, but the Arabs. We came to live in a community. Whether we’re racist or not, it doesn’t matter. The fact is that residents are leaving the community center because of the Arab children. It’s not clear why we can’t express our opinion.” The club is partially funded by the Israeli government.

## Notable residents

* Ehud Barak (born 1942), former general and politician
* Shaul Mofaz (born 1948), retired military officer and politician
* Michael Eitan (1944-2024), politician
* Shlomi Haimy (born 1989), olympic mountain cyclist specializing in cross-country cycling
* Danny Yatom (born 1945), former politician
* Gideon Ezra (1937-2012), politician
* Michael Ratzon (born 1952), former politician
* Uzi Dayan (born 1948), former general and politician
* Nino Abesadze (born 1965), politician and journalist
* Dov Elbaum (born 1970), writer, editor, journalist, television host and philosophy lecturer.
* Omer Bar-Lev (born 1953), former general and politician