Akademik

(Elat, Elath)

   Israel's southernmost city, with a population of 47,000. It is a deepwater port on the Gulf of Aqaba, connecting Israel with the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is named for the ancient city of Eilat, which is mentioned in the Bible as a city through which the Israelites passed during their desert wanderings. It later served as a port city for numerous empires and conquerors of the area. Prior to the opening of the Suez Canal to Israeli shipping, Eilat was Israel's major gateway for goods from the Far East, the Indian Ocean, Asia, and East Africa. Eilat also serves as an important center for oil distribution; a pipeline carries oil from the city to Israel's Mediterranean coast, and from there, it is either exported or sent to a refinery in Haifa. Eilat's natural beauty and seaside location make it a year-round resort and a tourist mecca. Modern Eilat was founded in 1948.

   Eilat's importance increased after 1950, when Egypt banned Israeli ships from the Suez Canal. Without the canal, the Gulf of Aqaba became Israel's only outlet to the Red Sea, but Egypt also blocked the entrance to the Gulf at the Strait of Tiran. The gulf was opened as a result of the Sinai War (1956), and Eilat then grew rapidly in both size and importance. Egypt's blockade of the gulf in 1967 was a major cause of the Six-Day War.