al-Qubeiba | |
---|---|
Arabic transcription(s) | |
• Arabic | القبيبة |
• Latin | al-Qubeibah (official) al-Qubaybah (unofficial) |
| |
Location of al-Qubeiba within Palestine | |
Coordinates: 31°50′24″N35°08′13″E / 31.84000°N 35.13694°E | |
Palestine grid | 163/138 |
State | State of Palestine |
Governorate | Jerusalem |
Government | |
• Type | Municipality |
• Head of Municipality | Mr. Hasanayn Hammouda |
Population (2017) [1] | |
• Total | 3,876 |
Name meaning | "The little dome" [2] |
Al-Qubeiba (Arabic : القبيبة) is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate of Palestine, located 2 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem in the central West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2017, the village had a population of 3,876. [1] Al-Qubeiba lies at an altitude of 783m to 795m above sea-level. It is located in a conflict area near the border with Israel between Ramallah and Jerusalem. The settlement of Giv'on HaHadashah lies 5 km southeast of al-Qubeiba. It is surrounded by the town of Biddu (east), Beit 'Anan (northwest), Qatanna (southwest), and Kharayib Umm al-Lahim (west). Unlike the surrounding region, al-Qubeiba has large areas covered with pine and olive trees.
In the Crusader era a new Frankish village was erected along the still extant Roman road and received the name Parva Mahomeria. [3] In 1159 it was mentioned in a document defining its borders with Beit 'Anan. [3] [4]
After the expulsion of the Crusaders from the Holy Land, the next Christian established presence in Palestine were the Franciscan custodians of the holy sites. During the 13th century Qubeibeh was gradually adopted by pilgrims as the location of Emmaus, the village mentioned in Luke 24:13-35, eventually replacing Abu Ghosh in this function. From 1335 on the Franciscans adopted it too and began an annual pilgrimage to this site. [5]
In 1838 el-Kubeibeh was noted as a Muslim village, part of Beni Malik area, located west of Jerusalem. [6]
In 1863 the French explorer Victor Guérin described it as a village of a hundred people who lived in old houses, each consisting of a single vaulted room. [7]
An Ottoman village list from about 1870 found that el-kubebe had a population of 79, in 12 houses, though the population count included only men. [8] [9]
In 1883, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described it as a "village of moderate size, standing on a flat ridge with a few olives to the west. [..] To the west is a monastery of Latin monks, established in 1862." [10] A ruined Crusader church was noted. [11]
In 1896 the population of El-kubebe was estimated to be about 144 persons. [12]
In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Al-Qubeiba had a population of 236 inhabitants, consisting of 26 Christians and 210 Muslims, [13] where all the Christians were Roman Catholics. [14] This had increased in the 1931 census to 316, 55 Christians and 261 Muslim, in 83 residential houses. [15]
In the 1945 statistics Al-Qubeiba had a population of 420; 340 Muslims and 80 Christians, [16] with 3,184 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey. [17] Of this, 534 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 1,032 used for cereals, [18] while 22 dunams were built-up land. [19]
In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Al-Qubeiba came under Jordanian rule. It was annexed by Jordan in 1950.
In 1961, the population of Qubeiba was 701, [20] of whom 116 were Christian, the rest Muslim. [21]
Since the Six-Day War in 1967 Al-Qubeiba has been under Israeli occupation. The population in the 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 688, of whom 21 originated from the Israeli territory. [22]
After the 1995 Oslo accords, 53.3% of village land was classified as Area B, and the remaining 46.2% as Area C. Israel has expropriated more than 500 dunams of village land in order to construct the West Bank barrier. [23]
Al-Qubeiba is known for its cool climate during the summertime and its natural landscape. The village serves as a tourist destination because it is home to St. Cleophas Church, an over-a-century-old Franciscan church that was built on the remains of a Crusader precursor at the very place where Jesus Christ is thought to have shared bread with two of his disciples. The village has remains of the cobble-stoned Roman road that connected the coastal city of Jaffa to Jerusalem. This historic road is surrounded by remains of Crusader houses.[ citation needed ]
Of the three major candidates identified with Emmaus, Al-Qubeiba is the only one located in the Palestinian territories, which means that if visitors are coming from Israel access can be more difficult. For pilgrims it is advisable to coordinate a visit with the offices of the Franciscans. For individual travellers it is useful to contact the Christian Information Center in Jerusalem. [24] For more access information, see below under "Transportation".
Al-Qubeiba along with Beit Duqqu, Beit 'Anan, Beit Surik, Qatanna, Biddu, Beit Ijza, Kharayib Umm al-Lahim and at-Tira form the "Biddu enclave". The enclave is linked to Ramallah by underpasses and a road that is fenced on both sides. From the "Biddu enclave" Palestinians will travel along a fenced road that passes under a bypass road to Bir Nabala enclave, then on a second underpass under Bypass Road 443 to Ramallah. [25]
Diaa' A-Din 'Abd al-Karim Ibrahim Abu 'Eid was shot dead by gunfire during an anti-barrier demonstration on 18 April 2004. [26] Muhammad Fadel Hashem Rian and Zakaria Mahmoud 'Eid Salem were shot dead during anti-barrier demonstrations on 26 February 2004 at Beit Ijaz (a satellite village of Biddu). [26]
Al-Qubeiba is accessible only by road (via service-shuttles or buses) from either Ramallah or Jerusalem. Nonetheless, due to the closure of the roads from the village to Jerusalem during the second intifada, only those with foreign passports or with the Jerusalem ID cards can reach the village from Jerusalem. This leaves the only possible access to the village to be from Ramallah via buses #40 and #45 and the service shuttles destined to al-Qubeiba, Qatannah, and Beit 'Anan (all found in the southern public transportation station in Ramallah, just across from the Yasser Arafat Square "al-Sa'a Square" in the city). Several mini-vans operate on the road between al-Qubeiba and the neighboring villages and towns.
Al-Qubeiba has two government-run schools (one mixed-gender elementary and another all-girls secondary schools). It also enjoys several kindergartens and pre-schools. The village also houses the "al-Qubeiba Nursing School" that operates in association with the Bethlehem University School of Nursing to provide students with a bachelor's degree in nursing.
The medical facilities for al-Qubeiba are classified as level 2 according to the Palestinian National Authority Ministry of Health. [27] Governmental primary and secondary health care clinics operate in the village in addition to a German-run clinic. Several other private medical and dental clinics also exist.[ citation needed ]
The village is run by a village council elected every four years and is mainly funded by the Palestinian Ministry of Local Authority. Al-Qubeiba has a locally funded-and-run "al-Qubeiba Club" that provides numerous educational, vocational, sports, and scout activities to the residents of the village. The village also enjoys the presence of one park (with an outdoor semi-olympic swimming pool) and two large multi-purpose halls for weddings and other major events. It also has a fully automated modern olive press that operates to service farmers from the village and the neighboring villages and towns, being one of the few olive presses in the West Bank licensed to produce extra virgin organic olive oil.[ citation needed ]
Al-Bireh, al-Birah, or el-Bira is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) north of Jerusalem. It is the capital of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is 860 meters (2,820 ft) above sea level, covering an area of 22.4 square kilometers (8.6 sq mi). Al-Bireh is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority.
Beit Safafa is a Palestinian town along the Green Line, with the vast majority of its territory in East Jerusalem and some northern parts in West Jerusalem.
Beitunia, also Bitunya, is a Palestinian city located 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) west of Ramallah and 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) north of Jerusalem, in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of Palestine, in the central West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had a population of 26,604 in 2017, making it the third largest locality in its governorate after al-Bireh and Ramallah.
Al-Lubban al-Gharbi is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located 21 kilometers northwest of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 1,566 inhabitants in 2017.
Dura al-Qar' or Dura al-Qari'a is a Palestinian town in the central West Bank, part of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Dura al-Qar' had a population of 3,032 inhabitants in 2017.
Qatanna is a Palestinian town in the central West Bank part of the Jerusalem Governorate, located 12 km. northwest of Jerusalem. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 6,981 inhabitants in 2017. Primary health care for the town is level 2.
Kharbatha al-Misbah is a Palestinian town in the central West Bank, located 12.5 kilometers (7.8 mi) west of Ramallah in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 6,366 in 2017. It has a total land area of 4,431 dunams, of which 644 are built-up areas and the remainder agricultural lands and forests.
Beit Liqya is a Palestinian town located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of approximately 9,304 in 2017.
Beit Ur al-Fauqa is a Palestinian village located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the northern West Bank, 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) west of Ramallah and 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) southeast of Beit Ur al-Tahta.
Beit Sira is a Palestinian village in the central West Bank, located 22 kilometers west of Ramallah and is a part of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. The village is situated along the Green Line. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, around 4,000 dunams of its land became a part of the "No-Man's Land" strip between the north-central West Bank and Israel. Currently Beit Sira's jurisdiction is 3,120 dunams, of which 441 dunams are built-up areas and the remainder is open spaces for future construction or agricultural land.
Saffa is a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located west of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of 4,374 inhabitants in 2017.
al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya is a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located northeast of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of 4,063 inhabitants in 2017.
Biddu is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate, located 6 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 8,231 in 2017. Biddu is at an altitude of 806m to 834m. Giv'on HaHadashah lies 2 km east of Biddu.
Beit Duqqu is a Palestinian village in the Jerusalem Governorate, located northwest of Jerusalem in the central West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 1,754 in 2017.
Beit Surik is a Palestinian village in the Jerusalem Governorate, located 12 kilometers Northwest of Jerusalem in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 4,025 in 2017.
Ein Qiniya or 'Ayn Kiniya is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, located 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) northwest of Ramallah and part of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of the State of Palestine. Ein Qiniya has existed since the Roman-era of rule in Palestine. The village is very small with no public structures or institutions and is governed by a local development committee. Ein Qiniya is regionally notable for being a spring and autumn time picnic resort.
Beit 'Anan is a Palestinian village in the Quds Governorate, located northwest of Jerusalem. In 2017, it had a population of 4,210. Some residents of Beit 'Anan hold Israeli identity cards, while others hold Palestinian identity cards.
Ein Siniya is a small Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) north of Ramallah, and approximately 1km northeast from Jifna. It lies in a valley surrounded with olive and fig-terraces.
Beit Ijza ; is a village in the Jerusalem Governorate in the central West Bank with an area of 2,526 dunams. Located approximately six miles north of Jerusalem, it had a population of 698 in 2007 and 854 by 2017.
At-Tira is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the northern West Bank.