Barta'a
Encyclopedia
Barta'a is a town that straddles both sides of the Green Line
and the Wadi Ara
region.
Western Barta'a is in the Haifa District
of Israel
, and forms part of the Basma
local council
. Its 4,700 residents are Arab citizens of Israel
.
Eastern Barta'a is in the Palestinian territories
in the northern part of the Jenin Governorate
of the West Bank
in what was designated under the Oslo Accords
Area C. It has 3,600 residents, of whom 30-40 percent carry Israeli identity cards and the rest of whom carry Palestinian identity cards.
, Barta'a had 94 occupied houses and a population of 692 Muslims.
the village of Barta'a was divided by the 1949 armistice
into eastern and western parts. The western part fell under Israel
i control, while the eastern part fell under Jordanian control
. From 1949 to 1967, travel between the two halves was practically impossible.
Following the 1967 Six Day War, Israel took control of the West Bank
and the two parts of the town were informally reunited, operating as one municipal unit. Since most of the residents in both parts of the town belong to the same extended family, the de facto
"reunification" was viewed positively by town residents.
, Eastern Barta'a found itself located in a closed military zone, an area between the Green Line and the barrier known as the Seam Zone
.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has noted that since the building of the separation barrier, Eastern Barta'a is part of a totally enclosed enclave with two restricted entry/exit gates to rest of the West Bank: Barta'a and Shaked. Since the introduction of the seam zone gate and permit system in October 2003, inhabitants of the Barta'a enclave have been designated "long-term residents" and must have a permit to live in and to enter and leave the enclave. Every person who wants to enter the enclave must also apply for a permit.
Eastern Barta'a (Barta'a ash-Sharqiyya) is the largest town in the Barta'a enclave which also includes the Palestinian villages of Um ar-Rehan, Khirbet 'Abdallah al-Yunis, Khirbet Ash-Sheikh Sa'eed, Khirbet al-Muntar al-Gharbiya, Khirbet al-Muntar ash-Sharqiyya, and Dhaher al-Malik. There are no checkpoints to the west, but "long-term residents" of the Barta'a enclave, most of whom do not have Israeli citizenship, face fines if they leave the enclave to venture into Israel.
Shaked gate is only open for a few minutes in the morning and at lunchtime, allowing children from the villages of Daher al-Mahler and Um ar-Rehan to school in a near-by village. All those over age 12 over must have a permit to pass through the Shaked gate.
UNRWA reported in October 2005 that its
In 2005, a new Israeli Defense Force District Coordinators Office opened within a new gate complex at Barta'a. According to UNRWA, it appears to be permanent infrastructure, including metal detectors and shelters.
For non-'long term residents', access through the Shaked gate has become more and more restricted. UNRWA cites the examples of women from Barta'a who have married and live outside the enclave are not able to visit their families there and workers who live east of the fence in the West Bank who are unable to get into the enclave to work.
Green Line (Israel)
Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
and the Wadi Ara
Wadi Ara
Wadi Ara or Nahal Iron , refers to an area within Israel that is mostly populated by Arabs. It is located northwest of the Green Line and is mostly within Israel's Haifa District. Today, Highway 65 runs through the wadi.-Geography:...
region.
Western Barta'a is in the Haifa District
Haifa District
Haifa District is an administrative district surrounding the city of Haifa, Israel. The district is one of six administrative districts of Israel, and its capital is Haifa...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and forms part of the Basma
Basma
Basma is an Israeli-Arab local council located in the Wadi Ara area of the Haifa District. The local council was formed in 1995 through the consolidation of the villages of Barta'a West, Ein as-Sahala, and Muawiya; Basma is an acronym of the villages' names...
local council
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
. Its 4,700 residents are Arab citizens of Israel
Arab citizens of Israel
Arab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
.
Eastern Barta'a is in the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
in the northern part of the Jenin Governorate
Jenin Governorate
The Jenin Governorate is one of a number of Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip within the Palestinian Territories, it covers the northern extremity of the West Bank including the area around the city of Jenin....
of the 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...
in what was designated under the Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
Area C. It has 3,600 residents, of whom 30-40 percent carry Israeli identity cards and the rest of whom carry Palestinian identity cards.
History
At the time of the 1931 census1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
, Barta'a had 94 occupied houses and a population of 692 Muslims.
Separation, reunification and separation
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
the village of Barta'a was divided by the 1949 armistice
1949 Armistice Agreements
The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israeli forces and the forces in...
into eastern and western parts. The western part fell under Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i control, while the eastern part fell under Jordanian control
Rule of the West Bank and East Jerusalem by Jordan
The West Bank and East Jerusalem were occupied by Jordan for a period of nearly two decades starting from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1950, the British extended formal recognition to the union between the Hashemite Kingdom and of that part of Palestine under Jordanian occupation and control -...
. From 1949 to 1967, travel between the two halves was practically impossible.
Following the 1967 Six Day War, Israel took control of the 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...
and the two parts of the town were informally reunited, operating as one municipal unit. Since most of the residents in both parts of the town belong to the same extended family, the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
"reunification" was viewed positively by town residents.
Barta'a enclave
After the 2003 construction of the Israeli West Bank barrierIsraeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
, Eastern Barta'a found itself located in a closed military zone, an area between the Green Line and the barrier known as the Seam Zone
Seam Zone
Seam Zone is a term used to refer to a land area in the West Bank located east of the Green Line and west of Israel's separation barrier, populated largely by Israelis in settlements such as Alfei Menashe, Ariel, Beit Arye, Modi'in Illit, Giv'at Ze'ev, Ma'ale Adumim, Beitar Illit and Efrat.As of...
.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has noted that since the building of the separation barrier, Eastern Barta'a is part of a totally enclosed enclave with two restricted entry/exit gates to rest of the West Bank: Barta'a and Shaked. Since the introduction of the seam zone gate and permit system in October 2003, inhabitants of the Barta'a enclave have been designated "long-term residents" and must have a permit to live in and to enter and leave the enclave. Every person who wants to enter the enclave must also apply for a permit.
Eastern Barta'a (Barta'a ash-Sharqiyya) is the largest town in the Barta'a enclave which also includes the Palestinian villages of Um ar-Rehan, Khirbet 'Abdallah al-Yunis, Khirbet Ash-Sheikh Sa'eed, Khirbet al-Muntar al-Gharbiya, Khirbet al-Muntar ash-Sharqiyya, and Dhaher al-Malik. There are no checkpoints to the west, but "long-term residents" of the Barta'a enclave, most of whom do not have Israeli citizenship, face fines if they leave the enclave to venture into Israel.
Shaked gate is only open for a few minutes in the morning and at lunchtime, allowing children from the villages of Daher al-Mahler and Um ar-Rehan to school in a near-by village. All those over age 12 over must have a permit to pass through the Shaked gate.
UNRWA reported in October 2005 that its
"relief and other humanitarian efforts have been no exception to IDF restrictions. Since the completion of the wall/fence in the Barta’a area, UNRWA staff members have faced delays, abuse and intimidation at the gates of the enclave on a number of occasions. Since 1 October, access for UNRWA’s staff members has been denied for lack of permit to be inside the enclave, designated 'seam zone' by the Israeli government. The official reason being that after the gate, there are no more checkpoints before entering Israel. Thus the enclave is effectively de facto annexed to Israel a fact not lost on Israeli Defense Force soldiers who consistently refer to the enclave as 'Israel'."
In 2005, a new Israeli Defense Force District Coordinators Office opened within a new gate complex at Barta'a. According to UNRWA, it appears to be permanent infrastructure, including metal detectors and shelters.
For non-'long term residents', access through the Shaked gate has become more and more restricted. UNRWA cites the examples of women from Barta'a who have married and live outside the enclave are not able to visit their families there and workers who live east of the fence in the West Bank who are unable to get into the enclave to work.