Monof Colony

Manof is a colony located in the north of the occupied Palestinian territories, situated on Mount Shekhanya in the Lower Galilee, approximately 30 km northeast of the city of Haifa, at an average elevation of 382 meters above sea level.

The colony was established in 1980 by a group of immigrants from South Africa on the lands of the depopulated Palestinian village of Mi’ar, whose residents were displaced in 1948.

As of 2015, Manof included 175 detached single-family homes. The settlement features various local amenities, including a grocery store, preschools for children aged 1 to 6 years (up to kindergarten), a playground, sports fields (football, tennis, and basketball), a synagogue, a small library, and a petting zoo.

There are no schools in Manof beyond kindergartens. Most children travel by school bus to Har Shekhanya Elementary School in the neighboring settlement (grades 1 to 6), and later attend Misgav High School, located in the nearby Misgav Regional Council center, about a 10-minute drive away. The regional center also includes various facilities such as healthcare services, a gym, a swimming pool, a library, after-school programs, and more.

There are only a few small businesses operating in Manof’s industrial zone, including a small chocolate factory, a plant nursery, an art therapy studio, and a sports store. A few other settlers operate home-based businesses or work remotely. However, the majority of Manof settlers are employed outside the colony, often in nearby cities such as Haifa. As such, Manof is often considered a commuter settlement.

As of 2022, the number of settlers in Manof was 851.

Sources:
Due to the scarcity of Arabic sources, Hebrew sources were used:

• The settlement’s website (in Hebrew)
• The “Israeli” Central Bureau of Statistics
• Information on the village of Mi’ar from the Palestine Remembered website