Ramot Menashe

Ramot Menashe
The kibbutz entrance
Ramot Menashe
Coordinates: 32°35′48.11″N 35°3′25.92″E / 32.5966972°N 35.0572000°E / 32.5966972; 35.0572000Coordinates: 32°35′48.11″N 35°3′25.92″E / 32.5966972°N 35.0572000°E / 32.5966972; 35.0572000
District	Northern
Council	Megiddo
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	July 1948
Founded by	Jewish pioneers from Poland and South America
Population (2015)	1,091
Website	Ramot Menashe

Ramot Menashe (Hebrew: רָמוֹת מְנַשֶּׁה‎, lit. Menashe Heights) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the Menashe plateau between the Carmel mountain range and the Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2015, it had a population of 1,091.

Ramot Menashe is located in the Menashe Heights, after which the kibbutz is named. The kibbutz is surrounded by open terrain, mostly agricultural lands worked by members of the kibbutz. The main traffic routes connecting the kibbutz to its surroundings are Highway 6 and Route 672.

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, the kibbutz is located on land close to Daliyat al-Rawha', a depopulated Arab village, while Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi notes that the land of Ramot Menashe actually belonged to the former village of Sabbarin.

In 1946, a gar'in of Hashomer Hatzair movement, made of holocaust survivors and Jewish insurgents from Austria and Poland was established. The gar'in was named "Bone HaNegev" (builders of the Negev) and the members planned to build a settlement in the Negev. In April 1946, the members of the gar'in boarded a ship in La Spezia, Italy along with 1,400 other Jewish holocaust survivors, but the British discovered the ship and prevented it from sailing. The citizens of La Spezia sent food and aid to the ship and put pressure on the British to allow the ship to sail to Palestine, and eventually the British allowed the ship to sail. On 18 May 1946, the members arrived at Palestine. Despite their desire to settle in the Negev, they were sent to Ein HaShofet and Dalia for qualifications and on 29 July 1948, they settled as a kibbutz, numbering 64 members. The kibbutz served as a military outpost during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the war, the members moved to a nearby location. They started clearing the land and planting trees. Living conditions were harsh during the early days, when the members lived in barracks and tents, disconnected from water and electricity. In November 1948, the kibbutz adopted the name "Ramot Menashe".