Wadi Fukin
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| Wadi Fukin | |
| Arabic | وادي فوقين |
| Name Meaning | "Valley of Thorns"[1] |
| Government | Village Council |
| Also Spelled | Wadi Fuqin (officially)
Wadi Foukin (unofficially) |
| Governorate | Bethlehem |
| Population | 1,200 (2006) |
| Jurisdiction | 4,347 dunams (4.3 km²) |
Wadi Fukin (Arabic: وادي فوقين) is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, located eight kilometers southwest of Bethlehem in the Bethlehem Governorate. The village is located in between the the Green Line and the Israeli West Bank barrier, being five kilometers east of the Green Line.[2] According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Wadi Fukin had a population of over 1,200 inhabitants in mid-year 2006.[3] The town relies on agriculture as the primary source of income.[4]
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[edit] Plight and return
Prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Wadi Fukin was raided by the Haganah a number of times and several inhabitants fled to the Dheisheh camp established just south of Bethlehem. They returned during Jordan's occupation of the West Bank and fled once more after Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1972, the inhabitants were permitted to return to Wadi Fukin on the basis that they construct their homes within a month.[1]
[edit] Land
Wadi Fukin has a total land area of 4,347 dunams, of which 201 dunams is built-up area. The remaining land is primarily used for orchards and vineyards, in particular olives, almonds, mulberries and grapes. Israel allotted 51 dunams to Israeli settlements near the town and an additional 885 dunams were seized in 2005. The Israeli West Bank barrier separates 1,039 dunams from the majority of the town's area.[2] As a result of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1995, 93.6% of Wadi Fukin's land is located in Area C (complete Israeli control) while 6.4% is located in Area B which is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority and Israeli security.[4]
[edit] Infrastructure
Wadi Fukin is connected to Bethlehem by the village's main road and has bus transportation services. The town contains two primary schools, a mosque, a pharmacy and clinic, and two charity associations. The area around Wadi Fukin including the towns of Battir and Beit Fajjar are known for stone masonry and Wadi Fukin has one stone-cutting factory.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Stories from Palestine Wadi Fuqin Khano, Delia. This Week in Palestine. 2007-07-09
- ^ a b c Settlement expansion and loss of Wadi Fukin’s land Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. 2005-05-23
- ^ Projected Mid -Year Population for Bethlehem Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
- ^ a b “Declared as State Land” New Israeli Military Orders Targeting Palestinian Lands in Al Jaba’a & Wadi Fukin villages Southwest Bethlehem city Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. 2008-02-03
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