Ein al-Beida () is a

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

village of in the

Tubas Governorate The Tubas Governorate () is an administrative district of Palestine, in the northeastern West Bank. Its district capital or ''muhfaza'' is the city of Tubas. In 2007, the population was 50,267, raising to 60,927 in 2017. History During the ...

in the northeastern

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. It has a population of about 1,138.

History

Ceramics from the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

era have been found here. In the wake of the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...

, and after the

1949 Armistice Agreements The 1949 Armistice Agreements were signed between Israel and Egypt,Jordanian rule. Ein al-Beida was reestablished in 1952 by

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

farmers belonging to the Fuquha and Daraghmah families from nearby Tubas who owned farms in the area and decided to establish a village. The village is named after a large spring in the area, ''Ein al-Beida'', which was once used to irrigate the neighboring land. In the 1961 Jordanian census Ein al-Beida's population was 573.Government of Jordan, 1964, p
27
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Post 1967

Since the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

in 1967, Ein al-Beida has been under

Israeli occupation Israel has occupied the Golan Heights of Syria and the Palestinian territories since the Six-Day War of 1967. It has previously occupied the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and southern Lebanon as well. Prior to 1967, control of the Palestinian terr ...

. The spring nearby which provided some of its farmers with irrigation dried up when the Israeli water company

Mekorot Mekorot (, lit. "Sources") is the national water company of Israel and the country's top agency for water management. Founded in 1937, it supplies Israel with approx. 80% of its drinking water and operates a cross-country water supply network kno ...

drilled a well nearby in order to supply the Israeli settlement of

Mehola Mehola () is a religious moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley near the Green Line and the Palestinian village of Bardala,Isabel KershneStrategic Corridor in West Bank Remains a Stumbling Block in Mideas ...

with water.

Geography and climate

Ein al-Beida is situated in a plain area on the eastern foothill of the Jordan Valley surrounded by hills and mountains. It is located 15 kilometers northeast of

Tubas Tubas is the plural of tuba. It can also refer to: * Tubas (city) in Palestine * Tubas Governorate in Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, ...

, bordered by the

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan (, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn''; , ''Nəhar hayYardēn''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' (), is a endorheic river in the Levant that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and drains to the Dead ...

to the east,

Bardala Bardala () is a Palestinian village in the northern Jordan Valley of the West Bank, consisting of 1,607 inhabitants. The town lies in the Tubas Governorate, located thirteen kilometers northeast of Tubas and 28 kilometers northeast of Nablus. ...

to the west, the Green Line to the north and the

Israeli settlement Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Israeli Jews, Jewish identity or ethni ...

of Mehola to the south. The town's elevation is 166 meters below sea level.Ein al-Beida Village Profile
Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. February 2006. The total jurisdiction of the village is 15,000

dunam A dunam ( Ottoman Turkish, Arabic: ; ; ; ), also known as a donum or dunum and as the old, Turkish, or Ottoman stremma, was the Ottoman unit of area analogous in role (but not equal) to the Greek stremma or English acre, representing the amo ...

s, constituting 3% of the Tubas Governorate's land. Built-up area accounts for 480 dunams while 8,500 dunams are agricultural or cultivated lands. Ein al-Beida Feb 24

Warm weather is characteristic of Ein al-Beida, with hot, dry summers and cold and dry winters. The average rainfall in the village 275 millimeters. The average annual temperature is 21-22 degrees Celsius and the humidity rate is 55%.

Demographics

Ein al-Beida's population in 1961 was 573, increasing to 791 in 1997. According to a census by the

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS; ) is the official statistical institution of Palestine. Its main task is to provide credible statistical figures at the national and international levels. It is a state institution that provid ...

(PCBS) in that year, 398 were males and 393 were females. The census also revealed that 42.9% of the inhabitants were younger than 15, 54.1% between the ages of 15 and 64 and 3% above the age of 64. In 2006, Ein al-Beida's population was 1,048 and it was 1,138 by 2017.Projected Mid -Year Population for Tubas District by Locality 2004- 2006

. The Fuquha family represent about 80% of the village residents while the Daraghma represent roughly 20%.

Government

A village council was established in 1996 to govern Ein al-Beida. It consists of 7 members, including a chairman and holds elections every four years. Responsibilities of the council include administration, planning and development, social services, infrastructural maintenance and utilities.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Ein el Beida (Fact Sheet)

Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem The Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ; ) is a Palestinian NGO founded in 1990 with its main office in Bethlehem in the West Bank. ARIJ is actively working on research projects in the fields of management of natural resources, water m ...

(ARIJ) February, 2006
Ein el Beida village profile
ARIJ *Survey of Western Palestine, Map 12
IAAWikimedia commons
{{Authority control Villages in the West Bank Municipalities of Palestine