Beit Iksa
Encyclopedia
Beit Iksa is a Palestinian
village in the Jerusalem Governorate
, located 6 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem in the West Bank
. Beit Iksa, a village of 1,600 inhabitants, was classified as "Area B" as a result of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
in 1995. Since then, civil affairs have been under the control of the Palestinian National Authority
, while security matters are handled by the Israel Defense Forces
.
Beit Iksa contains two primary schools run by the Palestinian National Authority
. Students attending secondary school travel to Jerusalem or nearby towns for education.
(PCBS), Beit Iksa had a population of approximately 1,600 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. From the population, over 80% are Palestinian refugee
s.
Beit Iksa's population was recorded as 791 inhabitants in 1922; and according to the land researcher Sami Hadawi
, the population grew to 1,410 in 1945. However, following Israel
's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War
, Beit Iksa counted 633 inhabitants, due to the number of residents that fled the village. Most of the village's inhabitants hold Palestinian ID cards and live in Beit Iksa's built-up area of 417 dunam
s or 5.4 % of the village's total land area of 7,734 dunams.
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
village in the Jerusalem Governorate
Jerusalem Governorate
The Jerusalem Governorate is one of 16 Palestinian governorates situated in the central portion of the West Bank. Its claimed district capital is East Jerusalem, which is, however, under Israeli occupation and regarded by Israel as being part of its territory. The total land area of the...
, located 6 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem in the 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...
. Beit Iksa, a village of 1,600 inhabitants, was classified as "Area B" as a result of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
The Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, also known as the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, the Interim Agreement, Oslo 2, Oslo II, and Taba, was a key and complex agreement governing several aspects of the Palestinian territories of Gaza Strip and the West Bank.-History:It...
in 1995. Since then, civil affairs have been under the control of the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
, while security matters are handled by the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.
Beit Iksa contains two primary schools run by the Palestinian National Authority
Education Minister of the Palestinian National Authority
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the Palestinian National Authority is the branch of the Palestinian government in charge of managing the education in the Palestinian territories. It was established in 1994 after the formation of the Palestinian National Authority...
. Students attending secondary school travel to Jerusalem or nearby towns for education.
Population
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of StatisticsPalestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
(PCBS), Beit Iksa had a population of approximately 1,600 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. From the population, over 80% are Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
s.
Beit Iksa's population was recorded as 791 inhabitants in 1922; and according to the land researcher Sami Hadawi
Sami Hadawi
Sami Hadawi was a Palestinian scholar and author. He is known for documenting the effects of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on the Arab population in Palestine and published statistics for individual villages prior to Israel's establishment. Hadawi worked as a land specialist until he was exiled from...
, the population grew to 1,410 in 1945. However, following Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, Beit Iksa counted 633 inhabitants, due to the number of residents that fled the village. Most of the village's inhabitants hold Palestinian ID cards and live in Beit Iksa's built-up area of 417 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s or 5.4 % of the village's total land area of 7,734 dunams.
External links
News items on Beit Iksa:- January 1, 1995 :"Minaret of Arab village of Beit Iksa confronts Jewish district of Ramot."
- May 17, 2006 :"Beit Iksa village loses its lands for the Israeli Segregation Wall"
- December 8, 2006: "Beit Iksa: the making of another ghetto"
- January 16, 2007 :"Israel hits Beit Iksa, Nabi Samuel and Beit Surik with new military order in favor of the Segregation Wall"
- August 17, 2008: "The Zionist La Passionara" (extensive reference within a bigger article)
- August 4, 2009 :"Israel annexes Palestinian village near Jerusalem"
Further reading
- Sharon, Moshe (1997): Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (Beit Iksa: p. 105 ff.)