Baqa al-Gharbiyye
Encyclopedia
Baqa al-Gharbiyye is a predominantly Arab city in the Haifa District
in Israel
, located near the Green Line
. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
(CBS), at the end of 2001 the city had a total population of 19,200. In 2003, Baqa al-Gharbiyye united with the Jatt local council
to form Baqa-Jatt.
divided the village of Baqa between Alam al-Din al-Zahiry and Aladdin al-Tankazy when the villages of Palestine were divided and given to the mujaheddin who fought against the Crusaders
and the Byzantines
.
document in 1538, as a five-family small village with 11 non-married people. In 1596, Baqa al-Gharbiyye appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Jabal Shami of the Liwa
of Nablus. It had a population of 5 Muslim households and paid taxes on wheat, barley, summercrops, goats or beehives, and a press for olives or grapes.
At the end of the 19th century, Baqa al-Gharbiyye was described as a village of moderate size, very white and conspicuous. It had a few olive trees, and orchards to the south.
In the 1931 census of Palestine
, Baqa was recorded as having a population of 1,640 Muslims living in 403 houses. These numbers included the nearby smaller locality EI Manshiya.
martial law
controlled the village. When the battles reached a peak in 1938 a state of emergency
was declared by Britain and tough collective punishment was imposed on every village where militants were found. A British military camp was established near the al-Madrasa al-Foqa School.
In 25 August 1938 a clash took place between British troops and local militants and resulted in an armed battle which resulted two dead British officers and injuring three militants. The same day British military forces stormed the village and larger battles begun and continued until next day morning by which British losses raised to three.
The next day, 26 August 1938, the British ordered the villagers to leave homes without taking anything with them and those to refused were taken out by force, and they were driven to a nearby camp. Later on raids over the village started and continued until evening, leaving a great devastation for such a small village then: most of the wooden homes were burnt and over 70 homes were flattened. After the raids were over the villagers were forced to walk to the Nur al-Shams Camp near Tulkarm
. The next day the villagers returned to the village to find out the huge damage that occurred to Baqa, and the news spread out quickly in the Palestinian cities. This was one of the largest British attacks on a Palestinian village during the revolt.
In 1996, Baqa al-Gharbiyye was declared a city. In 2003 it was combined with the nearby town Jatt to become the city of Baqa-Jatt.
Baqa al-Gharbiyye is separated from its West Bank
sister city, Baqa ash-Sharqiyya
(or Baqa East) by the Israeli West Bank barrier
which in this section coincides with the Green Line
. As a result, a concrete wall topped with barbed wire runs through one neighbourhood.
As the Israeli foreign minister
in April and June 2008, Tzipi Livni
raised the possibility of territorial exchange with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. She proposed transferring Israeli Arab communities, among them Baqa al-Garbiyeh, to the Palestinian side of the border. The Palestinians rejected the proposal.
Arab
, with no Jewish population and some Europe
an and foreign exceptions. The city is made up of 51% males an 49% females. Baqa has a population growth rate of 3.1%. The population of the city is spread out with 48.6% 19 years of age or younger, 18.4% between 20 and 29, 18.9% between 30 and 44, 9.5% from 45 to 59, 1.8% from 60 to 64, and 2.8% 65 years of age or older.
for the city and the surrounding towns and villages.
The Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education
, located in the city, as well-known students come to it for studying from all around the country. The college is growing and expanding rapidly as a part of the Al-Qasemi group of projects for establishing high-standards private education in the city including the private school, a library and several centers for extra-education.
Baqa al-Gharbiyye is considered a commercial and industrial center for nearby towns, villages and kibbutzim. There are over 400 workshops in Baqa. Industrial zones make up 8.5% of city's area.
Haifa District
Haifa District is an administrative district surrounding the city of Haifa, Israel. The district is one of six administrative districts of Israel, and its capital is Haifa...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, located near the Green Line
Green Line (Israel)
Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli government office established in 1949 to carry out research and publish statistical data on all aspects of Israeli life, including population, society, economy, industry, education and physical infrastructure.It is headed by a...
(CBS), at the end of 2001 the city had a total population of 19,200. In 2003, Baqa al-Gharbiyye united with the Jatt local council
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
to form Baqa-Jatt.
Roman and Byzantine eras
Ceramic objects from the late Roman or early Byzantine periods have been found.Middle Ages
The earliest documentation regarding Baqa is from the 12th century. In 1265 BaibarsBaibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
divided the village of Baqa between Alam al-Din al-Zahiry and Aladdin al-Tankazy when the villages of Palestine were divided and given to the mujaheddin who fought against the Crusaders
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
and the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
.
Ottoman era
Baqa was mentioned in an OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
document in 1538, as a five-family small village with 11 non-married people. In 1596, Baqa al-Gharbiyye appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Jabal Shami of the Liwa
Liwa (arabic)
Liwa or Liwa is an Arabic term meaning district, banner, or flag, a type of administrative division. It was interchangeable with the Turkish term "Sanjak" in the time of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of the empire, the term was used in the Arab countries formerly under Ottoman rule...
of Nablus. It had a population of 5 Muslim households and paid taxes on wheat, barley, summercrops, goats or beehives, and a press for olives or grapes.
At the end of the 19th century, Baqa al-Gharbiyye was described as a village of moderate size, very white and conspicuous. It had a few olive trees, and orchards to the south.
In the 1931 census of Palestine
1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
, Baqa was recorded as having a population of 1,640 Muslims living in 403 houses. These numbers included the nearby smaller locality EI Manshiya.
British Mandate
Just like other Palestinian villages a strict BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
controlled the village. When the battles reached a peak in 1938 a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
was declared by Britain and tough collective punishment was imposed on every village where militants were found. A British military camp was established near the al-Madrasa al-Foqa School.
In 25 August 1938 a clash took place between British troops and local militants and resulted in an armed battle which resulted two dead British officers and injuring three militants. The same day British military forces stormed the village and larger battles begun and continued until next day morning by which British losses raised to three.
The next day, 26 August 1938, the British ordered the villagers to leave homes without taking anything with them and those to refused were taken out by force, and they were driven to a nearby camp. Later on raids over the village started and continued until evening, leaving a great devastation for such a small village then: most of the wooden homes were burnt and over 70 homes were flattened. After the raids were over the villagers were forced to walk to the Nur al-Shams Camp near Tulkarm
Tulkarm
Tulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...
. The next day the villagers returned to the village to find out the huge damage that occurred to Baqa, and the news spread out quickly in the Palestinian cities. This was one of the largest British attacks on a Palestinian village during the revolt.
State of Israel
In the early years of Israeli independence, Baqa al-Gharbiyye was one of the headquarters of the Israeli military administration. The land holdings of the town, which had been 21,116 dunams in 1945, were reduced to 8,228 dunams by 1962, mostly due to expropriation in 1953–1954.In 1963, the Baka canning plant went into partnership with Priman, an Israeli company that relocated to Baqa al-Gharibiyye. Baqa al-Gharbiyye developed quickly and expanded especially beginning in the 1990s.In 1996, Baqa al-Gharbiyye was declared a city. In 2003 it was combined with the nearby town Jatt to become the city of Baqa-Jatt.
Baqa al-Gharbiyye is separated from its West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
sister city, Baqa ash-Sharqiyya
Baqa ash-Sharqiyya
Baqa ash-Sharqiyya is a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank, located northeast of Tulkarm in the Tulkarm Governorate. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , the town had a population of approximately 4,300 inhabitants in mid-year 2006; refugees made up 20.4% of the...
(or Baqa East) by the Israeli West Bank barrier
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
which in this section coincides with the Green Line
Green Line (Israel)
Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
. As a result, a concrete wall topped with barbed wire runs through one neighbourhood.
As the Israeli foreign minister
Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
in April and June 2008, Tzipi Livni
Tzipi Livni
Tzipporah Malkah "Tzipi" Livni is an Israeli lawyer and politician. She is the current Israeli Opposition Leader and leader of Kadima, the largest party in the Knesset. Raised an ardent nationalist, Livni has become one of her nation's leading voices for the two-state solution. In Israel she has...
raised the possibility of territorial exchange with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. She proposed transferring Israeli Arab communities, among them Baqa al-Garbiyeh, to the Palestinian side of the border. The Palestinians rejected the proposal.
Demographics
In 2003, the official population was 24,000. Together with Jatt the estimated population is 32,500. The ethnic makeup of the city is entirely MuslimIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, with no Jewish population and some Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and foreign exceptions. The city is made up of 51% males an 49% females. Baqa has a population growth rate of 3.1%. The population of the city is spread out with 48.6% 19 years of age or younger, 18.4% between 20 and 29, 18.9% between 30 and 44, 9.5% from 45 to 59, 1.8% from 60 to 64, and 2.8% 65 years of age or older.
Education and culture
According to CBS, 47.8% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001. There are 6 elementary school, two junior-high schools and two high school, in addition to a private school. In addition to the official education institutions, Baqa has a wide range of private educational institutions which provide services to the city residents as well as people from the whole region. In addition, The Al-Rahma School (مدرسة الرحمة) in the city provides Special educationSpecial education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
for the city and the surrounding towns and villages.
The Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education
Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education
The Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education is an academic college located in the city of Baqa al-Gharbiyye in the Haifa District in Israel.The College was founded in 1989 as a college for Sharia and Islamic Studies, is authorized by the Council for Higher Education in Israel and specializes in the...
, located in the city, as well-known students come to it for studying from all around the country. The college is growing and expanding rapidly as a part of the Al-Qasemi group of projects for establishing high-standards private education in the city including the private school, a library and several centers for extra-education.
Economy
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 3,735 salaried workers and 501 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 3,415, a real change of −2.3% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 4,110 (a real change of 0.2%) versus ILS 1,660 for females (a real change of −20.5%). The mean income for the self-employed is 4,993. There are 338 people who receive unemployment benefits and 1,520 people who receive an income guarantee.Baqa al-Gharbiyye is considered a commercial and industrial center for nearby towns, villages and kibbutzim. There are over 400 workshops in Baqa. Industrial zones make up 8.5% of city's area.