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Contemporaneous sources emphasized the Jewish leadership 's attempt to stop the Arab exodus from the city and the Arab leadership as a motivating factor in the refugees ' flight . According to the British district superintendent of police , " Every effort is being made by the Jews to persuade the Arab populace to stay and carry on with their normal lives , to get their shops and business open and to be assured that their lives and interests will be safe . " Time Magazine wrote on 3 May 1948 :
The mass evacuation , prompted partly by fear , partly by orders of Arab leaders , left the Arab quarter of Haifa a ghost city ... By withdrawing Arab workers their leaders hoped to paralyze Haifa .
Benny Morris said Haifa 's Arabs left due to of a combination of Zionist threats and encouragement to do so by Arab leaders . Ilan Pappé writes that the shelling culminated in an attack on a Palestinian crowd in the old marketplace using three @-@ inch ( 76 mm ) mortars on 22 April 1948 . Shabtai Levy , the Mayor of the city , and some other Jewish leaders urged Arabs not to leave . According to Ilan Pappé , Jewish loudspeakers could be heard in the city ordering Arab residents to leave " before it 's too late . " Morris quotes British sources as stating that during the battles between 22 and 23 April 100 Arabs were killed and 100 wounded , but he adds that the total may have been higher .

= = = State of Israel = = =

After the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948 Haifa became the gateway for Jewish immigration into Israel . During the 1948 Arab – Israeli War , the neighborhoods of Haifa were sometimes contested . After the war , Jewish immigrants were settled in new neighborhoods , among them Kiryat Hayim , Ramot Remez , Ramat Shaul , Kiryat Sprinzak , and Kiryat Eliezer . Bnei Zion Hospital ( formerly Rothschild Hospital ) and the Central Synagogue in Hadar Hacarmel date from this period . In 1953 , a master plan was created for transportation and the future architectural layout .
In 1959 , a group of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews , mostly Moroccan Jews , rioted in Wadi Salib , claiming the state was discriminating against them . Their demand for “ bread and work ” was directed at the state institutions and what they viewed as an Ashkenazi elite in the Labor Party and the Histadrut .
Tel Aviv gained in status , while Haifa suffered a decline in the role as regional capital . The opening of Ashdod as a port exacerbated this . Tourism shrank when the Israeli Ministry of Tourism placed emphasis on developing Tiberias as a tourist centre .
Nevertheless , Haifa 's population had reached 200 @,@ 000 by the early 1970s , and mass immigration from the former Soviet Union boosted the population by a further 35 @,@ 000 .
Many of Wadi Salib 's historic Ottoman buildings have now been demolished , and in the 1990s a major section of the Old City was razed to make way for a new municipal center .
From 1999 to 2003 , several Palestinian suicide attacks took place in Haifa ( in Maxim and Matza restaurants , bus 37 , and others ) , killing 68 civilians .
In 2006 , Haifa was hit by 93 Hezbollah rockets during the Second Lebanon War , killing 11 civilians and leading to half of the city 's population fleeing at the end of the first week of the war . Among the places hit by rockets were a train depot and the oil refinery complex .

= = Demographics = =

Haifa is Israel 's third @-@ largest city , consisting of 103 @,@ 000 households , or a population of 266 @,@ 300 . Immigrants from the former Soviet Union constitute 25 % of Haifa 's population . According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics , Israeli Arabs constitute 10 % of Haifa 's population , the majority living in Wadi Nisnas , Abbas and Halissa neighborhoods .
Haifa is commonly portrayed as a model of co @-@ existence between Arabs and Jews , although tensions and hostility do still exist .
Between 1994 and 2009 , the city had a declining and aging population compared to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem , as young people moved to the center of the country for education and jobs , while young families migrated to bedroom communities in the suburbs . However , as a result of new projects and improving infrastructure , the city managed to reverse its population decline , reducing emigration while attracting more internal migration into the city . In 2009 , positive net immigration into the city was shown for the first time in 15 years .

= = = Religious and ethnic communities = = =

The population is heterogeneous . Jews comprise some 82 % of the population , almost 14 % are Christians ( the majority of whom are Arab Christians ) and , some 4 % are Muslims ( of which many are Ahmadis ) . Haifa also includes Druze and Bahá 'í communities . In 2006 , 27 % of the Arab population was aged 14 and under , compared to 17 % of the Jewish and other population groups . The trend continues in the age 15 @-@ 29 group , in which 27 % of the Arab population is found , and the age 30 @-@ 44 group ( 23 % ) . The population of Jews and others in these age groups are 22 % and 18 % respectively . Nineteen percent of the city 's Jewish and other population is between 45 and 59 , compared to 14 % of the Arab population . This continues with 14 % of Jews and others aged 60 – 74 and 10 % over age 75 , in comparison to 7 % and just 2 % respectively in the Arab population .
In 2006 , 2 @.@ 9 % of the Jews in the city were Haredi , compared to 7 @.@ 5 % on a national scale . However , the Haredi community in Haifa is growing fast due to a high fertility rate . 66 @.@ 6 % were secular , compared to a national average of 43 @.@ 7 % . A significant portion of the immigrants from the former Soviet Union either lack official religious @-@ ethnic classification or are Non @-@ Jews as they are from mixed @-@ marriage families of some Jewish origin . There is also a Scandinavian Seamen Protestant church , established by Norwegian Righteous Among the Nations pastor Per Faye @-@ Hansen .
Haifa is the center of liberal Palestinian culture , as it was under British colonial rule . The Palestinian neighborhoods , which are mixed Muslim and Christian , are in the lowlands near the sea while Jewish neighborhoods are at higher elevation . An active Palestinian cultural life has developed in the 21st century .

= = Geography = =

Haifa is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain , the historic land bridge between Europe , Africa , and Asia , and the mouth of the Kishon River . Located on the northern slopes of Mount Carmel and around Haifa Bay , the city is split over three tiers . The lowest is the center of commerce and industry including the Port of Haifa . The middle level is on the slopes of Mount Carmel and consists of older residential neighborhoods , while the upper level consists of modern neighborhoods looking over the lower tiers . From here views can be had across the Western Galilee region of Israel towards Rosh HaNikra and the Lebanese border . Haifa is about 90 kilometers ( 55 @.@ 9 mi ) north of the city of Tel Aviv , and has a large number of beaches on the Mediterranean .

= = Flora and fauna = =

The Carmel Mountain has three main wadis : Lotem , Amik and Si ’ ach . For the most part these valleys are undeveloped natural corridors that run up through the city from the coast to the top of the mountain . Marked hiking paths traverse these areas and they provide habitat for wildlife such as wild boar , golden jackal , hyrax , Egyptian mongoose , owls and chameleons .

= = Climate = =

Haifa has a hot @-@ summer Mediterranean climate with hot , dry summers and cool , rainy winters ( Köppen climate classification Csa ) . Spring arrives in March when temperatures begin to increase . By late May , the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days . The average temperature in summer is 26 ° C ( 79 ° F ) and in winter , 12 ° C ( 54 ° F ) . Snow is rare in Haifa , but temperatures around 3 ° C ( 37 ° F ) can sometimes occur , usually in the early morning . Humidity tends to be high all year round , and rain usually occurs between September and May . Annual precipitation is approximately 629 millimeters ( 25 in ) .

= = Neighborhoods = =

Haifa has developed in tiers , from the lower to the upper city on the Carmel . The oldest neighborhood in the modern Haifa is Wadi Salib , the Old City center near the port , which has been bisected by a major road and razed in part to make way for government buildings . Wadi Salib stretches across to Wadi Nisnas , the center of Arab life in Haifa today . In the 19th century , under Ottoman rule , the German Colony was built , providing the first model of urban planning in Haifa . Some of the buildings have been restored and the colony has turned into a center of Haifa nightlife .
The first buildings in Hadar were constructed at the start of the 20th century . Hadar was Haifa 's cultural center and marketplace throughout the 1920s and into the 1980s , nestled above and around the Haifa 's Arab neighborhoods . Today Hadar stretches from the port area near the bay , approximately halfway up Mount Carmel , around the German Colony , Wadi Nisnas and Wadi Salib . Hadar houses two commercial centers ( one in the port area , and one midway up the mountain ) surrounded by some of the city 's older neighborhoods .
Neve Sha 'anan , a neighborhood located on the second tier of Mount Carmel , was founded in the 1920s . West of the port are the neighborhoods of Bat Galim , Shikmona Beach , and Kiryat Eliezer . To the west and east of Hadar are the Arab neighborhoods of Abbas and Khalisa , built in the 1960s and 70s . To the south of Mount Carmel 's headland , along the road to Tel Aviv , are the neighborhoods of Ein HaYam , Shaar HaAliya , Kiryat Sprinzak and Neve David .
Above Hadar are affluent neighborhoods such as the Carmel Tzarfati ( French Carmel ) , Merkaz Ha 'Carmel , Romema , Ahuzat Ha 'Carmel ( Ahuza ) , Carmeliya , Vardiya , Ramat Golda , Ramat Alon and Hod Ha 'Carmel ( Denya ) . While there are general divisions between Arab and Jewish neighborhoods , there is an increasing trend for wealthy Arabs to move into affluent Jewish neighborhoods . Another of the Carmel neighborhoods is Kababir , home to the National Headquarters of Israel 's Ahmadiyya Muslim Community ; located near Merkaz HaCarmel and overlooking the coast .

= = Urban development = =

Recently , residential construction has been concentrated around Kiryat Haim and Kiryat Shmuel , with 75 @,@ 000 m2 ( 807 @,@ 293 sq ft ) of new residential construction between 2002 – 2004 , the Carmel , with 70 @,@ 000 m2 ( 753 @,@ 474 sq ft ) , and Ramot Neve Sha 'anan with approximately 70 @,@ 000 m2 ( 753 @,@ 474 sq ft ) Non @-@ residential construction was highest in the Lower Town , ( 90 @,@ 000 sq m ) , Haifa Bay ( 72 @,@ 000 sq m ) and Ramot Neve Sha 'anan ( 54 @,@ 000 sq m ) . In 2004 , 80 % of construction in the city was private .
Currently , the city has a modest number of skyscrapers and high @-@ rise buildings , and many additional high @-@ rise buildings are planned , have been approved , or are under construction . Though buildings rising up to 20 stories were built on Mount Carmel in the past , the Haifa municipality banned the construction of any new buildings taller than nine stories on Mount Carmel in July 2012 .
The neighborhood of Wadi Salib , located in the heart of downtown Haifa , is being redeveloped . Most of its Jewish and Arab residents are considered squatters and have been gradually evicted over the years . The Haifa Economic Corporation Ltd is developing two 1 @,@ 000 square meter lots for office and commercial use . Some historic buildings have been renovated and redeveloped , especially into nightclubs and theaters , such as the Palace of the Pasha , a Turkish bathhouse , and a Middle Eastern music and dance club , which has been converted into theaters and offices .
In 2012 , a new , massive development plan was announced for Haifa 's waterfront . According to the plan , the western section of the city 's port will be torn down , and all port activity will be moved to the east . The west side of the port will be transformed into a tourism and nightlife center and a point of embarkation and arrival for sea travel through the construction of public spaces , a beach promenade , and the renovation of commercial buildings . The train tracks that currently bisect the city and separate the city 's beach from the rest of Haifa will also be buried . A park will be developed on the border of the Kishon River , the refineries ' cooling towers will be turned into a visitors ' center , and bridges will lead from the port to the rest of the city . Massive renovations are also currently underway in Haifa 's lower town , in the Turkish market and Paris Square , which will become the city 's business center . In addition , the ammonia depository tank in the Haifa bay industrial zone will be dismantled , and a new one built in an alternative location .
Another plan seeks to turn the western section of Haifa Port into a major tourism and nightlife center , as well as a functioning point of embarkation and arrival for sea travel . All port activity will be moved to the western side , and the area will be redeveloped . Public spaces and a beach promenade will be developed , and commercial buildings will be renovated .
As part of the development plans , the Israeli Navy , which has a large presence in Haifa , will withdraw from the shoreline between Bat Galim and Hof Hashaket . A 5 @-@ kilometer ( 3 @.@ 1 @-@ mile ) long esplanade which will encircle the shoreline will be constructed . It will include a bicycle path , and possibly also a small bridge under which navy vessels will pass on their way to the sea .
In addition , a 50 @,@ 000 square @-@ meter entertainment complex that will contain a Disney theme park , cinemas , shops , and a 25 @-@ screen Multiplex theater will be built at the Check Post exit from the Carmel Tunnels .
In 2014 , a new major plan for the city was proposed , under which extensive development of residential , business , and leisure areas will take place with the target of increasing the city 's population by 60 @,@ 000 by 2025 . Under the plan , five new neighborhoods will be built , along with new high @-@ tech parks . In addition , existing employment centers will be renovated , and new leisure areas and a large park will be built .

= = Economy = =

The common Israeli saying , " Haifa works , Jerusalem prays , and Tel Aviv plays " attests to Haifa 's reputation as a city of workers and industry . The industrial region of Haifa is in the eastern part of the city , around the Kishon River . It is home to the Haifa oil refinery , one of the two oil refineries in Israel ( the other refinery being located in Ashdod ) . The Haifa refinery processes 9 million tons ( 66 million barrels ) of crude oil a year . Its nowadays unused twin 80 @-@ meter high cooling towers , built in the 1930s , were the tallest buildings built in the British Mandate period .
Matam ( short for Merkaz Ta 'asiyot Mada - Scientific Industries Center ) , the largest and oldest business park in Israel , is at the southern entrance to the city , hosting manufacturing and R & D facilities for a large number of Israeli and international hi @-@ tech companies , such as Intel , IBM , Microsoft , Motorola , Google , Yahoo ! , Elbit , CSR , Philips , and Amdocs . The campus of the University of Haifa is also home to IBM Haifa Labs .
The Port of Haifa is the leader in passenger traffic among Israeli ports , and is also a major cargo harbor , although deregulation has seen its dominance challenged by the Port of Ashdod .
Haifa malls and shopping centers include Hutsot Hamifratz , Horev Center Mall , Panorama Center , Castra Center , Colony Center ( Lev HaMoshava ) , Hanevi 'im Tower Mall , Kanyon Haifa , Lev Hamifratz Mall and Grand Kanyon .
In 2010 , Monocle magazine identified Haifa as the city with the most promising business potential , with the greatest investment opportunities in the world . The magazine noted that " a massive head @-@ to @-@ toe regeneration is starting to have an impact ; from scaffolding and cranes around town , to renovated façades and new smart places to eat " . The Haifa municipality had spent more than $ 350 million on roads and infrastructure , and the number of building permits had risen 83 % in the previous two years .
In 2014 , it was announced that a technology @-@ focused stock exchange would be established to compete with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange .
Currently , some 40 hotels , mostly boutique hotels , are planned , have been approved , or are under construction . The Haifa Municipality is seeking to turn the city into Northern Israel 's tourist center , from where travelers can embark on day trips into Acre , Nazareth , Tiberias , and the Galilee .
A new life sciences industrial park containing five buildings with 85 @,@ 000 square meters of space on a 31 @-@ duman ( 7 @.@ 75 acre ) site is being built adjacent to the Matam industrial park .

= = = Tourism = = =

In 2005 , Haifa has 13 hotels with a total of 1 @,@ 462 rooms . The city has a 17 kilometres ( 11 mi ) shoreline , of which 5 kilometres ( 3 mi ) are beaches . Haifa 's main tourist attraction is the Bahá 'í World Centre , with the golden @-@ domed Shrine of the Báb and the surrounding gardens . Between 2005 and 2006 , 86 @,@ 037 visited the shrine . In 2008 , the Bahá 'í gardens were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The restored German Colony , founded by the Templers , Stella Maris and Elijah 's Cave also draw many tourists .
Located in the Haifa district are the Ein Hod artists ' colony , where over 90 artists and craftsmen have studios and exhibitions , and the Mount Carmel national park , with caves where Neanderthal and early Homo Sapiens remains were found .
A 2007 report commissioned by the Haifa Municipality calls for the construction of more hotels , a ferry line between Haifa , Acre and Caesarea , development of the western anchorage of the port as a recreation and entertainment area , and an expansion of the local airport and port to accommodate international travel and cruise ships .

= = Arts and culture = =

Despite its image as a port and industrial city , Haifa is the cultural hub of northern Israel . During the 1950s , mayor Abba Hushi made a special effort to encourage authors and poets to move to the city , and founded the Haifa Theatre , a repertory theater , the first municipal theater founded in the country . The principal Arabic theater servicing the northern Arab population is the al @-@ Midan Theater . Other theaters in the city include the Krieger Centre for the Performing Arts and the Rappaport Art and Culture Center . The Congress Center hosts exhibitions , concerts and special events .
The New Haifa Symphony Orchestra , established in 1950 , has more than 5 @,@ 000 subscribers . In 2004 , 49 @,@ 000 people attended its concerts . The Haifa Cinematheque , founded in 1975 , hosts the annual Haifa International Film Festival during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday . Haifa has 29 movie theaters . The city publishes a local newspaper , Yediot Haifa , and has its own radio station , Radio Haifa .
During the 1990s , Haifa hosted the Haifa Rock & Blues Festival featuring Bob Dylan , Nick Cave , Blur and PJ Harvey . The last festival was held in 1995 with Sheryl Crow , Suede and Faith No More as headliners .

= = = Museums = = =

Haifa has over a dozen museums . The most popular museum is the Israel National Museum of Science , Technology , and Space , which recorded almost 150 @,@ 000 visitors in 2004 . The museum is located in the historic Technion building in the Hadar neighborhood . The Haifa Museum of Art houses a collection of modern and classical art , as well as displays on the history of Haifa . The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art is the only museum in the Middle East dedicated solely to Japanese art . Other museums in Haifa include the Museum of Prehistory , the National Maritime Museum and Haifa City Museum , the Hecht Museum , the Dagon Archaeological Museum of Grain Handling , the Railway Museum , the Clandestine Immigration and Navy Museum , the Israeli Oil Industry Museum , and Chagall Artists ' House . As part of his campaign to bring culture to Haifa , Mayor Abba Hushi provided the artist Mane @-@ Katz with a building on Mount Carmel to house his collection of Judaica , which is now a museum . The Haifa Educational Zoo at Gan HaEm park houses a small animal collection including Syrian brown bears , now extinct from Israel . Wןthin the zoo is the Pinhas House biology institute . In the close vicinity of Haifa , on the Carmel , the Northern " Hai @-@ Bar " ( " wild life " ) operated by Israel 's Parks and Reserves Authority for the purpose of breeding and reintroduction of species now extinct from Israel , such as Persian Fallow Deer .

= = Government = =

As an industrial port city , Haifa has traditionally been a Labor party stronghold . The strong presence of dock workers and trade unions earned it the nickname ' Red Haifa . ' In addition , many prominent Arabs in the Israeli Communist Party , among them Tawfik Toubi , Emile Habibi , Zahi Karkabi , Bulus Farah and Emile Toma , were from Haifa .
In recent years , there has been a drift toward the center . This was best signified by , in the 2006 legislative elections , the Kadima party receiving about 28 @.@ 9 % of the votes in Haifa , and Labor lagging behind with 16 @.@ 9 % .
Before 1948 , Haifa 's Municipality was fairly unusual as it developed cooperation between the mixed Arab and Jewish community in the city , with representatives of both groups involved in the city 's management . Under mayor al @-@ Haj , between 1920 and 1927 , the city council had six Arab and two Jewish representatives , with the city run as a mixed municipality with overall Arab control . Greater cooperation was introduced under Hasan Bey Shukri , who adopted a positive and conciliatory attitude toward the city 's Jews and gave them senior posts in the municipality . In 1940 , the first Jewish mayor , Shabtai Levy , was elected . Levy 's two deputies were Arab ( one Muslim , the other Christian ) , with the remainder of the council made up of four Jews and six Arabs .
Today , Haifa is governed by its 12th city council , headed by the mayor Yona Yahav . The results of municipal elections decide on the makeup of the council , similarly to the Knesset elections . The city council is the legislative council in the city , and has the authority to pass auxiliary laws . The 12th council , which was elected in 2003 , has 31 members , with the liberal Shinui @-@ Greens ticket holding the most seats ( 6 ) , and Likud coming second with 5 . Many of the decisions passed by the city council are results of recommendation made by the various municipal committees , which are committees where non @-@ municipal organs meet with representatives from the city council . Some committees are spontaneous , but some are mandatory , such as the security committee , tender committee and financial committee .

= = = Mayors = = =


= = Medical facilities = =

Haifa medical facilities have a total of 4 @,@ 000 hospital beds . The largest hospital is the government @-@ operated Rambam Hospital with 900 beds and 78 @,@ 000 admissions in 2004 . Bnai Zion Hospital and Carmel Hospital each have 400 beds . Other hospitals in the city include the Italian Hospital , Elisha Hospital ( 100 beds ) , Horev Medical Center ( 36 beds ) and Ramat Marpe ( 18 beds ) . Haifa has 20 family health centers . In 2004 , there were a total of 177 @,@ 478 hospital admissions .
Rambam Medical Center was in the direct line of fire during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and was forced to take special precautions to protect its patients . Whole wings of the hospital were moved to large underground shelters .

= = Education = =

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