Yokneam
| Yokneam | |||
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | |||
| • Hebrew | יָקְנְעָם עילית | ||
| • ISO 259 | Yoqnˁamm ʕillit | ||
| • Translit. | Yokne'am Illit | ||
| • Also spelled | Yoqneam Illit (official) | ||
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 Yokneam
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| Coordinates: 32°39′34″N 35°06′36″E / 32.65944°N 35.11°ECoordinates: 32°39′34″N 35°06′36″E / 32.65944°N 35.11°E | |||
| District | North | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | City (from December 18, 2006) | ||
| • Mayor | Simon Alfasi | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7,390 dunams (7.39 km2 or 2.85 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| • Total | 18,600 | ||
| Website | www.yoqneam.org.il | ||
Yokneam Illit (Hebrew: יָקְנְעָם עילית), also Yoqne'am Illit and Jokneam Illit is a city southeast of Haifa in northern Israel. It is located in a hilly region of the lower Galilee, bordered by Highway 70 and Mount Carmel. Yokneam Illit is at the base of the Carmel Mountains and overlooks the Jezreel Valley, 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Haifa and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Tel Aviv. Yokneam Illit had a population of 18,600 at the end of 2007.[1] The town has developed as a centre for high tech businesses, due to its proximity to the Technion in eastern Haifa.
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[edit] History
Yokneam appears in the list of 119 conquered cities by Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III after the victory in the Megiddo battle (1468BC). Yokenam is mentioned in the Bible as a city of Levites within the Israelite tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 12:1, 12:22, 19:10-11, 21:34). It is located near Megiddo (Armageddon). The Crusaders called Yokneam "Cain Mons", or "Mountain of Cain" in keeping with the tradition that Cain, son of Adam (Genesis 4: 23-24), was murdered at this site. Yokneam was populated throughout the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman/Byzantine, Arab, Crusaders, Mameluk, and Ottoman periods.
Yokneam was then the site of Palestinian village named Qira, depopulated in the lead up to the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. After the establishment of the State of Israel, it was settled by Jewish immigrants from North Africa. It achieved local council status in 1967 and municipal status on December 18, 2006.
[edit] Economy
Yokneam Illit is a "National Priority Area A" under the Israeli Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investment. Approved enterprises in Yokneam Illit enjoy the highest level of tax benefits and investment grants. In addition, companies relocating to the region can apply for concessions in local taxes over a three year period from the Yokneam Illit Local Authority.
Osem established a plant in Yokneam in 1974. Initially, the plant produced mainly pasta products, but the scope of activities broadened over the years. In 1997, the facility doubled in size and three production lines were installed for baked goods such as crackers, biscuits, cookies and pretzels. Bamba, a popular Israeli snack food, is also produced in Yokneam. Many Yokneam residents are employed at the plant, which won awards from the Council for a Beautiful Israel for its attractive premises.[2]
Yokneam Illit has attracted many high-tech companies, among them Intel, Medtronic, Given Imaging, Naiot Venture Accelerator, Mellanox Technologies, Marvell, Soltam Systems, Biosense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson company, and Lumenis.
[edit] International relations
[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities
Yokneam Illit is twinned with:
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Partnership 2000 Yokneam-Megiddo
- Regional Development Unit for Yokneam-Megiddo
- Population figures from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
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