Kafr Qasim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kafr Qasim | |
| Hebrew | כפר קאסם |
| Arabic | كفر قاسم |
| Founded in | 17th century |
| Government | Local council |
| District | Center |
| Population | 16 100 (2003) |
| Jurisdiction | 9 154 dunams (9.2 km²) |
Kafr Qasim (Arabic: كفر قاسم, also known as Kafr Qassem, Kufur Kassem and Kafar Kassem), is a hill-top Israeli Arab town located about 20 km east of Tel Aviv, on the Green Line separating Israel and the West Bank, on the southern part of the "Little Triangle" of Arab-Israeli villages. The town became notorious for the Kafr Qasim massacre, in which the Israel Border Police killed 48 civilians on October 29, 1956.
Contents |
[edit] History
The town's area was populated in ancient times, with archaeological ruins dating back to Roman times. The modern town was founded in the 17th century by inhabitants of the nearby village Mes'cha. In 1917, during World War I, Kufur Kassem (together with the rest of the area) was captured from the ruling Ottoman Empire by the British Army and was later placed under the British Mandate of Palestine. Kafr Qasim is known as the village where the Israeli military advances came to a halt in the central part of Palestine during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1949, Israel annexed the town in accordance with the armistice agreements, which ended the war.
Kafr Qasim became known because of the massacre that was committed by the Israel border police (MAGAV) in October 29, 1956, during which 48 civilians were shot dead. This massacre remains an open wound between the villagers and rest of the Israeli society.
In recent years, the town became known as the place where Sheik Abdullah Nimir Darwish started the Islamic Movement. Israeli parliamentarian Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsur, a native of Kafr Qasim, served for a decade on the town council and heads the southern faction of the Islamic Movement of Israel since 1999.
[edit] Demographics
According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had 16,100 inhabitants as of September 2003. The town's official website states that its 2005 population is 18,000. The population increases at an annual rate of 3.3%. Most inhabitants are Muslim Arabs. There are 936 females for every 1000 males.
The social-economic rank of the town is relatively low (3 out of 10). Only 50.2% of 12th graders were eligible for graduation (Bagrut) certificates in 2000. The average monthly wage in 2000 was 3633 NIS, as opposed to the national average of 6835 NIS at that time.
[edit] People from Kafr Qasim
[edit] External links
 |
This geography of Israel article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
||
| Cities | Hod HaSharon | Kfar Saba | Lod | Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut | Ness Ziona | Netanya | Petah Tikva | Qalansawe | Ra'anana | Ramla | Rehovot | Rishon LeZion | Rosh HaAyin | Tayibe | Tira | Yavne | Yehud-Monosson |  |
| Local councils | Be'er Ya'akov | Beit Dagan | Bnei Aish | El'ad | Elyakhin | Even Yehuda | Gan Yavne | Gedera | Giv'at Shmuel | Jaljulia | Kafr Qasim | Kfar Bara | Kfar Yona | Kiryat Ekron | Kokhav Ya'ir | Mazkeret Batya | Pardesiya | Ramot HaShavim | Savyon | Shoham | Tel Mond | Tzoran-Kadima | Zemer | |
| Regional councils | Brenner | Gan Rave | Gederot | Gezer | Drom HaSharon | Hefer Valley | Hevel Modi'in | Hevel Yavne | Hof HaSharon | Lev HaSharon | Lod Valley | Nachal Soreq | |
| Boroughs | Neve Monosson | |
