ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES TO CREATE NEW SETTLEMENT ROAD IN HAIFA
Cairo, 15 Ramadan 1434/23 July 2013 (MINA) – The Israeli District Committee for Planning and Building declared its intention to build a new settlement road, in Haifa in occupied territories, that links between Fureidis and Zichron Yaaqub junctions with the nearby settlement of Nkhcollym.
Palestinian farmers in that area expressed their dissatisfaction with the new Israeli settlement project especially that hundreds of dunums of their land will be confiscated, Palestinian Information Center reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
The Israeli new scheme is made to facilitate the movement of settlers living in Nhacollym and Dore settlements.
The project area is estimated at 1275 dunums where hundreds of agricultural dunums will be confiscated.
Residents in that area rely on agriculture for their livelihood.
Haifa is the largest city in northern Palestine, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including Daliyat al-Karmel, Krayot, Nesher, and Tirat Carmel, and some Kibbuzim. Together these areas form a contiguous urban area home to nearly 600,000 residents which makes up the inner core of the Haifa metropolitan area.
Haifa is a mixed city: 90% are Jews, more than a quarter of whom are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, while 10% are Arabs, predominantly of the Christian religion. It is also home to the Bahá’í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, the history of settlement at the site spans more than 3,000 years. The earliest known settlement in the vicinity was Tell Abu Hawam, a small port city established in the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE).
In the 3rd century CE, Haifa was known as a dye-making center. Over the centuries, the city has changed hands: It has been conquered and ruled by the Phoenicians, Persians,Hasmoneans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, British, and the Israelis. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948; the city has been governed by the Haifa Municipality.
Today, the city is a major seaport located on Israel’s Mediterranean coastline in the Bay of Haifa covering 63.7 square kilometres (24.6 sq mi). It is located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of northern Israel.
Two respected academic institutions, the University of Haifa and the Technion, are located in Haifa, and the city plays an important role in Israel’s economy. It is home to Matam, one of the oldest and largest high-tech parks in the country. Haifa Bay is a center of heavy industry, petroleum refining and chemical processing.
Haifa was formerly the western terminus of an oil pipeline from Iraq via Jordan. The city is considered to be the Israeli equivalent of San Francisco because of its sloping steep streets, proximity to a bay and liberal atmosphere.(T/P03/P04)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
