Abu Dis
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Abu Dis
| Abu Dis | |
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| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | أبو ديس |
| • Also spelled | Abu Dies (official) |
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 Abu Dis
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| Coordinates: 31°45′44.35″N 35°15′57.05″E / 31.7623194°N 35.2658472°ECoordinates: 31°45′44.35″N 35°15′57.05″E / 31.7623194°N 35.2658472°E | |
| Governorate | Jerusalem |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
| • Head of Municipality | Raed Barghouthi |
| Area | |
| • Jurisdiction | 28,332 dunams (28.3 km2 or 10.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 12,100 |
Abu Dis (Arabic: أبو ديس) is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority bordering Jerusalem. Since the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Abu Dis has been part of Area B, under joint Israeli and Palestinian control. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Abu Dis had a population of 12,100 in mid- 2006.[1]
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Contents
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History
Ottoman era
Abu Dis was one of the most populous villages in the Sanjak of Jerusalem during the 16th century, with a population of several hundred. Wheat and barley formed the bulk of cash crops, but were supplemented by grapes, olives, fruit trees, beans, and products from goats and bees. Descendants of Saladin lived in the village and were entrusted one-third of the grain revenue by the Ottoman Empire.[2] The adult males of the village paid a combined 6,250 akçe in annual taxes, a much more lower figure than other villages of the same size in the sanjak such as Beit Jala, Ein Karim, and Deir Dibwan. This could indicate that Abu Dis was less prosperous, alternatively it could be because it had fewer non-Muslims.[2] In October 1553, Shaykh Sa'd al-Din al-Sharafi al-Maliki was appointed as the administrator of the waqf of the village, but was replaced in 1554 by Muhammad al-Fakhuri at the request of three prominent villagers who complained to the qadi of Jerusalem. He remained in this position until 1563.[2]
In the late 19th century, the Sheikh of Abu Dis, Rasheed Erekat, promised to guarantee the safety of European tourists and pilgrims on the journey down to Jericho and the River Jordan.[3] According to a 19th century traveler, the "only way of accomplishing the journey to the Jordan ...(is) by paying the statutory tribute-money to the Sheikh of Abu Dis. This man has the privilege of extracting some sixteen shillings from each traveller who goes down to Jericho...He will send a man, possibly his own son along with you... arrayed in gorgeous apparel, and armed with sword and revolver."[4]
British Mandate
Between 1922 and 1947, the population of Abu Dis increased by 110%.[5] The town suffered extensive damage in an earthquake in 1927. All the homes were damaged and every cistern was cracked. Since Abu Dis depended on rain-water cisterns for its water supply, this caused great hardship. al-Eizariya (Bethany), half a mile away, suffered little damage.[6]
Jordanian occupation
According to the UN General Assembly Resolution 194 in 1948, Abu Dis was to be the most Eastern part of the corpus separatum Jerusalem area. However, like the rest of the West Bank, it was annexed by Jordan at the end of the British Mandate in 1948.
Israeli and PNA control
Abu Dis was captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Since the signing of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (also known as Oslo 2) in 1995, Abu Dis has been part of Area B, which is under the civil jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority but subject to Israeli security control.[7] Due to its geographic proximity to Jerusalem, as well as its position overlooking the Temple Mount from a position near the Mount of Olives, as a substitute for East Jerusalem, the Palestinians' claimed capital, Abu Dis has been mentioned by the Israeli government as a possible capital for a Palestinian state.[8] Most of the Palestinian Authority's offices responsible for Jerusalem affairs are located in the town.[9] The Palestinian Authority has built a Parliament Building to possibly house the Palestinian Legislative Council.[10]
Schools and cultural institutions
Schools in Abu Dis include Amal Nursery, Abu Dis Elementary School, New Generation Primary School, Special Needs School, Abu Dis Girls Secondary School, Abu Dis Boys Secondary School, UNRWA Mixed School and Arab Institute. Abu Dis is also home to Al-Quds University.
West Bank barrier and land disputes
On January 13, 2004, Israel began constructing the Israeli West Bank Barrier. The route of the barrier between Abu Dis and Jerusalem (East of the Green line) has made it difficult for Abu Dis's residents to access services in Jerusalem without a permit.[9] The barrier will also detach over 6,000 dunums of arable land from the city's total land area of 28,332 dunums.[11] The United Nations humanitarian affairs office charged that the barrier would severely disrupt access to schools, hospitals, and work. Israel says that the route of the barrier is determined by security, not political considerations.[12]
The Cliff Hotel owned by the Ayyad family of Abu Dis has been the focus of a legal dispute in the Israeli courts.[13] The owners sued to halt expropriation of the hotel, built in in the mid-1950s. The case involves the application of the Absentee Property Law, which allows the State of Israel to expropriate property within its territory when the owner lives in a country that Israel regards as an enemy. A High Court ruling in February 2010 was still unable to decide whether the law applies to property in East Jerusalem belonging to residents of the Palestinian territories.[14]
Waste disposal site
Abu Dis has a waste disposal site that became operational in the early 1980s.[15] Until 2011, the site received about half of the 1,400 tons of garbage produced every day in the Jerusalem District. The landfill site is overflowing and slated to expected to close by 2013.[16]
Twin cities
Abu Dis is twinned with Camden, a borough of London in the United Kingdom. Since 2005, many Camden residents have visited Abu Dis and many Abu Dis residents have visited Camden. The visits concentrate on children, women and schools. The twinning activities are supported by the Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA), a UK registered charity.[17]
Notable residents
References
- ^ Projected Mid -Year Population for Jerusalem Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
- ^ a b c Amy Singer (1994). Palestinian peasants and Ottoman officials. Cambridge University Press. pp. 64–69. ISBN 0-521-45238-4.
- ^ Rev James Smith, 'A Pilgrimage to Palestine - An account of a visit to Lower Palestine (1893-1894)
- ^ James Kean, 'Among the Holy Places - A Pilgrimage through Palestine.' T. Fisher Unwin, London, Sixth edition 1908. (1st Edition 1891), p.129-130
- ^ Transformation in Arab Settlement, Moshe Brawer, in The Land that Became Israel: Studies in Historical Geography, Ruth Kark (ed), Magnes Press, Jerusalem 1989, p.177
- ^ Bertha Spafford Vester, 'Our Jerusalem'. Printed in Lebanon, 1950. page 320.
- ^ Dr Haim Gvirtzman, Maps of Israeli Interests in Judea and Samaria, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (Israel).
- ^ "Palestine denies Arafat's approval of Abu Dis as Palestinian capital". Arabic News. 1998-05-07. http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/980507/1998050729.html. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ a b UNRWA Profile of Abu Dis United Nations Relief and Works Agency. March 2004.
- ^ Menon, Kesava (2000-08-20). The Hindu (Chennai, India). http://www.hindu.com/2000/08/20/stories/03200009.htm.
- ^ Abu Dis: A Palestinian Town Tarred by the Israeli Wall Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. 2004-02-04.
- ^ Where day to day living has had its heart cut out Guardian 2004-01-20.
- ^ An Abu Dis hotel has become a new battleground for the Jerusalem separation fence Haaretz 2004-05-05.
- ^ The absentee from 6 Molcho St. Haaretz 2010-07-23.
- ^ Nir Shalev (December 2009). [http://www.btselem.org/sites/default/files2/publication/200912_maale_adummim_eng.pdf "The Hidden Agenda. The Establishment and Expansion Plans of Ma'ale Adummim and their Human Rights Ramifications"]. B'Tselem. pp. 31-34. http://www.btselem.org/sites/default/files2/publication/200912_maale_adummim_eng.pdf. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
- ^ Sharon Udasin (2012-01-04). "Jerusalem to transform waste 'into to resource’". Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/Sci-Tech/Article.aspx?id=252116. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association
Bibliography
- Sharon, Moshe (1997), Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, Vol. I, A, BRILL, ISBN 90-04-10833-5, http://books.google.com/books?id=j1rSzWgHMjoC (Abu Dis; p.xviii)
External links
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