Jamma'in
Encyclopedia
Jamma'in is a Palestinian
town in the northern West Bank
located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) southwest of Nablus
, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwest of Salfit
and 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north of Ramallah
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
, the town had a population of 6,227 in 2007.
and Saladin
camped with his army in Jamma’in.
The original inhabitants of the town were Bani Qadama or Salahea tribe from Damascus
, but they returned to Damascus during early Ottoman rule in the 16th century. During their stay in the town, they constructed its first mosque
.
In the 17th century, the Qasim family ruled Jamma'in and twenty nearby villages, including Awarta
, Beit Wazan
, Haris
and Zeita Jamma'in
. Jamma'in was the seat of the Jamma'in subdistrict of the District of Nablus
. In 1834, when the Egyptians
under Muhammad Ali
conquered Palestine from the Ottomans, Ottoman-aligned Arab families in Samaria
revolted under the leadership of Ahmad al-Qasim. The revolt, however, was crushed, and Ahmad al-Qasim and his two eldest sons were hanged. Along with the Qasim tribe, the Zeitawi tribe also settled in the town from Zeita Jamma'in in the 17th century.
like many other Palestinian localities in the West Bank, Jamma'in's residents have been involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
, and have been a target of several raids by the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF). Since the First Intifada
in 1987, six people from the town have been killed by the IDF and hundrerds of its residents have been prisoned.
and Jordan
, has decreased. Some people work in Palestinian government offices in Ramallah. Basket-weaving is not a major economic sector, but along with Zeita and az-Zawiya
, Jamma'in is well-known for producing baskets made from olive wood fronds.
Olives are the primary crop grown. There are two or three sheep and cow farms in Jamma'in. Milk, yogurt and cheese are sold in the town. There are two mosque
s, a religious charity and a library in the town.
There are five schools in Jamma'in; Two boys' schools, two girls' schools and co-ed school. Over 90% of the population over the age of 10 is literate. Most university students attend the an-Najah National University
.
of eleven members, including one reserved for females. In the 2005 Palestinian municipal elections, the Hamas
-backed Al-Islamiya for Reform list won seven seats, the majority, and the Fatah
-backed Martyrs list won three seats and an Independent list won the remaining seat. Female candidates won two seats. 'Izzat Mahmoud Zeitawi succeeded Ahmad Mahmoud Zeitawi as head of the municipality of Jamma'in.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
town in the northern 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...
located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) southwest of Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwest of Salfit
Salfit
Salfit also spelled Salfeet is a Palestinian town in the central West Bank. Salfit is located at an altitude of in the central Samarian highlands adjacent to the Israeli settlement of Ariel. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the City had a population of 8,796 in 2007....
and 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north of Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian 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....
, the town had a population of 6,227 in 2007.
History
The town has been inhabited since the mid-Islamic era of rule in PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
camped with his army in Jamma’in.
The original inhabitants of the town were Bani Qadama or Salahea tribe from Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, but they returned to Damascus during early Ottoman rule in the 16th century. During their stay in the town, they constructed its first mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
.
In the 17th century, the Qasim family ruled Jamma'in and twenty nearby villages, including Awarta
Awarta
Awarta is a Palestinian town located southeast of Nablus, in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 5,623 inhabitants in 2007...
, Beit Wazan
Beit Wazan
Beit Wazan is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate in northern West Bank, located 4 kilometers northwest of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , the town had a population of 1,120 inhabitants in mid-year 2006....
, Haris
Haris
Haris is a traditional name for the star Gamma Boötis.It is also the name of:* Heris County, a county in East Azarbaijan, Iran** Heris, a city in East Azarbaijan, Iran* Haris, Salfit, a Palestinian village in the West Bank...
and Zeita Jamma'in
Zeita Jamma'in
Zeita Jamma'in is a Palestinian village in the Nablus Governorate in northern West Bank, located 16 kilometers southwest of Nablus. The village is located just north of Jamma'in, from which the village receives its name. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , Zeita Jamma'in...
. Jamma'in was the seat of the Jamma'in subdistrict of the District of Nablus
District of Nablus
The District of Nablus also known as Sanjak Nablus is a historical administrative area that existed throughout Ottoman rule of Palestine and to a lesser extent during British rule. It exists today as the Nablus Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority...
. In 1834, when the Egyptians
Muhammad Ali Dynasty
The Muhammad Ali Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan, from the 19th to the mid-20th Century. It is named after its progenitor, Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. It was also more formally known as the Alawiyya Dynasty...
under Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
conquered Palestine from the Ottomans, Ottoman-aligned Arab families in Samaria
Samaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
revolted under the leadership of Ahmad al-Qasim. The revolt, however, was crushed, and Ahmad al-Qasim and his two eldest sons were hanged. Along with the Qasim tribe, the Zeitawi tribe also settled in the town from Zeita Jamma'in in the 17th century.
like many other Palestinian localities in the West Bank, Jamma'in's residents have been involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
, and have been a target of several raids 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...
(IDF). Since the First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
in 1987, six people from the town have been killed by the IDF and hundrerds of its residents have been prisoned.
Economy
The two most prominent economic sectors of Jamma'in is stone-cutting and agriculture. Since the Second Intifada, the stone-cutting industry has grown weaker due to the cost of electricity increasing and the cost of stone, to IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, has decreased. Some people work in Palestinian government offices in Ramallah. Basket-weaving is not a major economic sector, but along with Zeita and az-Zawiya
Az-Zawiya
az-Zawiya is a Palestinian town in the Salfit Governorate in the northern West Bank, located 15 kilometers west of Salfit and 24 kilometers south of Qalqilya. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, az-Zawiya had a population of approximately 5,100 inhabitants in mid-year 2006...
, Jamma'in is well-known for producing baskets made from olive wood fronds.
Olives are the primary crop grown. There are two or three sheep and cow farms in Jamma'in. Milk, yogurt and cheese are sold in the town. There are two mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s, a religious charity and a library in the town.
There are five schools in Jamma'in; Two boys' schools, two girls' schools and co-ed school. Over 90% of the population over the age of 10 is literate. Most university students attend the an-Najah National University
An-Najah National University
An-Najah National University is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of Trustees. It is located in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The university has over 16,500 students and 300 professors in 19 faculties...
.
Government
Jamma'in is mostly located in Area B, putting it under Israeli military control, but Palestinian administrative and civil control. It is governed by a municipal councilMunicipality (Palestinian Authority)
In the territories administrated by the Palestinian Authority, a municipality is an administrative unit of local government similar to a city. They were established and decided after the creation of the Local Government Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994. All municipalities are...
of eleven members, including one reserved for females. In the 2005 Palestinian municipal elections, the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
-backed Al-Islamiya for Reform list won seven seats, the majority, and the Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
-backed Martyrs list won three seats and an Independent list won the remaining seat. Female candidates won two seats. 'Izzat Mahmoud Zeitawi succeeded Ahmad Mahmoud Zeitawi as head of the municipality of Jamma'in.