Petah Tikva

Town in Israel (1994 pop. 152,000), W central Israel. Its industries produce textiles, plastics, processed foods, tires and other rubber products, and soap. There are extensive citrus groves on the outskirts, and building stone is quarried nearby. Petah Tiqwa was founded in 1878 as the first modern Jewish agricultural settlement in Palestine; it has grown to become one of Israel’s most populous towns.