Triangle (Israel)

The Triangle ( _he. המשולש, "HaMeshulash"; _ar. المـُثـَلـَّث, "al-Muthalath"), formerly referred to as the Little triangle, is a concentration of Israeli Arab towns and villages adjacent to the Green Line, located in the eastern Sharon plain among the Samarian foothills. The name derives from the "triangle" of settlements visible from an aerial view.

Prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and Israel's establishment and sovereignty over that area, it was referred to as the "Little Triangle" to differentiate it from the larger "Triangle" region between Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus, so-called due to the extensive anti-Jewish attacks there during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt.

Soon after the area was transferred to Israel from Jordan as part of the 1949 Armistice Agreements, the term was expanded to include the entire area around Umm al-Fahm rather than just the towns of Kafr Qasim, Jaljulia and Kafr Bara, and the "Little" appendage quickly fell out of common use.

Today the Triangle refers to the towns of
*al-Arian
*Ar'ara (includes the village of 'Ara)
*Baqa-Jatt (result of merger of Baqa al-Gharbiyye and Jatt)
*Ein al-Sala
*Jalma
*Kafr Qara
*Ma'ale Iron
*Ma'oia
*Meiser
*Musmus
*Qalansawe
*Tayibe
*Tira
*Umm al-Fahm
*Umm al-Qutuf
*Zemer (result of merger of Bir as-Sikka, Yamma, Marja and Ibthin villages)

Several Israeli politicians have suggested by the Triangle should be transferred to a future State of Palestine in exchange for Israel retaining sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank. The idea is a major plank of the Lieberman Plan put forward by Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman but is largely opposed by Israeli Arabs. [ [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/836427.html New poll shows 68.4% of Israeli Jews fear Israeli Arab uprising] Haaretz, 12 March 2007]

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