Yokneam

Yokneam Illit (Hebrew יוקנעם עלית), Yoqne'am Illit and Jokneam Illit  is a city southeast of Haifa in northren Israel. It is locatit in a hilly region o the Lower Galilee, bordered bi Haifa and Mount Carmel. Yokneam Illit is at the base o the Carmel Mountains an overlooks the Jezreel Valley, 21 kilometres (13 mi) frae Haifa an 80 kilometres (50 mi) frae Tel Aviv. Yokneam Illit haed a population of 18,600 at the end of 2007. The city haes developed as a centre for Hi-Tech businesses, due tae its proximity tae the Technion in eastren Haifa.

History
Yokneam appears in the leet of 119 conquered cities bi Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III  efter the victory in the Megiddo battle (1468 BC). Yokneam is mentioned in the Bible as a city of Levites within the Israelite tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 12:22, 19:10-11, 21:34, 1 Kings 4:12). It is locatit near Megiddo (Armageddon). The Crusaders cried Yokneam "Cain Mons", or "Mountain of Cain" in keepin wi the tradeetion that Cain, son of Adam (Genesis 4: 23-24), wis murdered at this site. Yokneam wis populated throughout the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman/Byzantine, Arab, Crusaders, Mameluk, an Ottoman periods.

Yokneam wis then the site of Palestinian veelage named Qira, which wis depopulated in the lead up tae the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. Efter the establishment o the State of Israel, it wis settled bi Jewish immigrants frae North Africae. It achieved local council status in 1967 and municipal status on December 18, 2006.

Economy 
Yokneam Illit is a "National Priority Area A" unner the Israeli Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investment. Approved enterprises in Yokneam Illit enjoy the heichest level of tax benefits and investment grants. In addition, companies relocatin tae the region can apply for concessions in local taxes ower a three year period frae 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 ower the years. In 1997, the facility doubled in size and three production lines war installed for baked goods such as crackers, biscuits, cookies and pretzels. Bamba, a popular Israeli snack fuid, is produced in Yokneam. Mony Yokneam residents are employed at the plant, which won awairds frae the Council for a Beautiful Israel for its attractive premises.

Yokneam Illit haes attracted mony Hi-tech companies, amang them Intel, Medtronic, Given Imaging, Naiot Venture Accelerator, Mellanox Technologies, Marvell, Soltam Systems an Lumenis.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities
Yokneam Illit is twinned wi:

  Atlanta, Georgie in the USA
  La Garenne-Colombes in Fraunce
  Lugo in Italy  Mianyang, Sichuan Province in Cheenae
  Montauban in Fraunce
  Požega in Croatie  San Pedro de Atacama, El Loa Province in Chile
  St. Louis, Missouri in the USA
  Wiehl in Germany

See an aa
Qamun
Economy of Israel

References

Freemit airtins
Partnership 2000 Yokneam-Megiddo
Regional Development Unit for Yokneam-Megiddo 
Population figures from the Israel Central Bureau o Statistics

Category:Ceeties in Israel
Category:Populatit places established in the 1950s
Category:Development touns
Category:Airchaeological steids in Israel
Category:Auncient steids in Israel
Category:Bronze Age steids
Category:Airn Age steids