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| '''Beit Sahour''' ({{lang-ar|<big>بيت ساحور</big>}} pronounced {{Audio|ArBeitSahur.ogg|'''Bayt Saahoor'''}}) (lit. ''Place of the Night Watch'') is a ] town east of ] under the administration of the ]. The population of 12,367,<ref name="PCBS"> ]. p.117.</ref> is 80% ] and 20% ].<ref> Beit Sahour Municipality.</ref> | '''Beit Sahour''' ({{lang-ar|<big>بيت ساحور</big>}} pronounced {{Audio|ArBeitSahur.ogg|'''Bayt Saahoor'''}}) (lit. ''Place of the Night Watch'') is a ] town east of ] under the administration of the ]. The population of 12,367,<ref name="PCBS"> ]. p.117.</ref> is 80% ] and 20% ].<ref> Beit Sahour Municipality.</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | There are two enclosures in the eastern part of Beit Sahour which are claimed by different Christian denominations to be the actual 'Shepherds Field': one belonging to the ] Church and the other, the ] site, to the ] Custody of the Holy Land. | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | Beit Sahour is reputed to be close to the place where, according to the ], an ] announced the birth of ] to the shepherds. According to tradition, ] built a convent at the site, which is today known as the shepherd's cave.<ref name="Sharon"/> There are two enclosures in the eastern part of Beit Sahour which are claimed by different Christian denominations to be the actual 'Shepherds Field': one belonging to the ] Church and the other, the ] site, to the ] Custody of the Holy Land. | ||
| Beit Sahour is reputed to be close to the place where, according to the ], an ] announced the birth of ] to the shepherds. According to tradition, ] built a convent at the site, which is today known as the shepherd's cave.<ref name="Sharon"/> | |||
| The name Beit Sahur belongs to two places in the vicinity: Beit Sahur al-Atiqah ("ancient Beit Sahur") and Beit Sahur an-Nasara ("Beit Sahur of the Christians"). 16th century ] geographer ] mentions the former in a biography of a ] scholar Sha'ban bin Salim bin Sha'ban who died in the town in 1483 at the age of 105. The former was noted by French geographer Guerin as being 40 minutes away from ], a short distance south of the ].<ref name="Sharon">Sharon, 1997, p.154.</ref> | The name Beit Sahur belongs to two places in the vicinity: Beit Sahur al-Atiqah ("ancient Beit Sahur") and Beit Sahur an-Nasara ("Beit Sahur of the Christians"). 16th century ] geographer ] mentions the former in a biography of a ] scholar Sha'ban bin Salim bin Sha'ban who died in the town in 1483 at the age of 105. The former was noted by French geographer Guerin as being 40 minutes away from ], a short distance south of the ].<ref name="Sharon">Sharon, 1997, p.154.</ref> | ||
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| ==Political activism == | ==Political activism == | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | During the ] and ], the ] (PCR) based in Beit Sahour encouraged non-violent activism under the aegis of the ]. <ref> annual report</ref> During the First Intifada the center invited Israelis to come and spend a weekend (Shabbat) in Palestinian homes using the slogan “Break Bread, Not Bones”. The ] is also partly based in the town. The Alternative Tourism Group (ATG) is a ] specializing in tours of ] and the ]. <ref> municipality council members biographical details</ref> The olive harvest is used as a PR tool to show the effects of Israeli occupation and land confiscation on the Palestinian population.<ref> Alternative Tourism group ''Olive Picking Program 2008''</ref> | ||
| Beit Sahour is a center of Palestinian political activism. The town played a key role in the ] and ]s, with local activists pioneering ] techniques. | |||
| ⚫ | During the First intifada and |
||
| <!-- Unsourced image removed: ] --> | <!-- Unsourced image removed: ] --> | ||
| ===Tax resistance === | ===Tax resistance === | ||
| {{Tax resistance}} | {{Tax resistance}} | ||
| In 1989, during the First Intifada, the |
In 1989, during the First Intifada, the ] (UNLU) and ] urged the population to stop paying taxes to Israel, which inherited and modified the ] tax-collection regime in the ].<ref name=WB> (says parenthetically that the ''property tax'' “rate and base” were “unchanged since 1963”)<br />Baxendale, Sidney J. “Taxation of Income in Israel and the West Bank: A Comparative Study” Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Spring, 1989), pp. 134-141 "it retained the Jordanian tax law"</ref> The motto was “No taxation without representation.” <ref>Gradstein, Linda “Palestinians Claim Tax is Unjust, Many Don’t Pay” '' Sun-Sentinel'' 8 October 1989, p. 12A</ref> Beit Sahour responded with an organized ] that included refusal to pay and file tax returns. | ||
| ⚫ | Israeli defense minister ] allegedly said: “We will teach them there is a price for refusing the laws of Israel.”<ref>Sosebee, Stephen J. “The Passing of Yitzhak Rabin, Whose ‘Iron Fist’ Fueled the Intifada” ''The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.'' 31 October 1990. Vol. IX #5, pg. 9</ref> According to the Journal of Palestine Studies, Beit Sahour was placed under curfew for 42 days. During this time, food shipments were blocked, telephone lines were not repaired and reporters were barred from entering the town. Forty residents were arrested and millions of dollars in money and property {{dubious}} were seized. <ref>Grace, Anne “The Tax Resistance at Bayt Sahur” ''Journal of Palestine Studies'' 1990<br /> Lewis, Anthony “It Can Happen There” 29 October 1989, p. E23<br />Curtius, Mary “Palestinian Villagers are Defiant After Israeli Troops End Tax Siege” ''Boston Globe'' 2 November 1989, p. 2<br />Williams, Daniel “Israeli troops withdraw after failing to stop tax revolt” ''Austin American Statesman.'' 1 November 1989, p. A6<br />“Israel abandons attempt to crush town's tax revolt” ''The Ottawa Citizen'' 1 November 1989, p. A10<br />“Food to West Bank Town Blocked” ''The Washington Post'' 28 October 1989, p. A18<br />“Israelis stop bishops from helping besieged town” ''The Ottawa Citizen'' 28 October 1989, p. A10<br />Sela, Michal “Elias Rashmawi’s ‘Tea Party’” ''Jerusalem Post'' 29 September 1989, p. 9<br />Williams, Daniel “Anti-Israel Boycott: Tax Man Cometh, but an Arab Town Resists” ''Los Angeles Times'' 9 October 1989, p. 10</ref> The Israeli military administration prevented diplomats from entering Beit Sahour during the tax strike.<ref>“Envoys turned back on road to Beit Sahour” ''The Globe and Mail'' 7 October 1989, p. A9<br />“Israeli Troops Bar Western Envoys” ''Los Angeles Times'' 6 October 1989, p. 1</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Israel’s authorities had the power to create and enforce taxes beyond the Jordanian code enacted in 1963.<ref name=WB/> During the Intifada, they imposed taxes on Palestinians as collective punishment. These included a glass tax (for broken windows), a stones tax (for damage done by stone-throwing), a missile tax (for Gulf War damage), and a general ''intifada'' tax.<ref>“A Matter of Justice: Tax Resistance in Beit Sahour” ''Nonviolent Sanctions'' Albert Einstein Institution, Spring/Summer 1992</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Israeli defense minister ] |
||
| ⚫ | The ] considered a resolution demanding that Israel return the property it confiscated during the Beit Sahour tax resistance. The United States vetoed the resolution, which was supported by eleven other council members.<ref>“U.S. vetoes UN resolution that Israel return property seized in tax revolt” ''The Gazette.'' 8 November 1989, p. A14</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Israel’s |
||
| ⚫ | ==Land confiscation and illegal construction== | ||
| ⚫ | The ] considered a resolution demanding that Israel return the property it confiscated during the Beit Sahour tax resistance. The United States vetoed the resolution, which was supported by |
||
| ⚫ | The ] neighborhood on the outskirts of ] was built partially on land owned by Beit Sahour residents, as was a nearby bypass road. During the Second Intifada, freedom of movement was disrupted by Israeli restrictions on travel to Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank.<ref> ''Bypassing Bethlehem’s Eastern Reaches'' by Nate Wright October 7, 2008</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | On the eastern edge of Beit Sahour, on land that was formerly a military base, residents began to build without ownership or permits. The land was designated as Area C under the ]. The civil administration of Israel refrained from carrying out a long-standing demolition order on the illegal structures. In response to this construction, right-wing groups have sqatted in the area. The army maintains the area is a closed military zone and has evacuated the protesters, but nothing has been done to carry out the demolition orders. | ||
| ⚫ | ==Land confiscation and |
||
| ⚫ | The ] |
||
| ⚫ | On the eastern edge of |
||
| In response to the illegal construction, right-wing groups have orchestrated events in the area to maintain a presence. The army maintains the area as a closed military zone and frequently evacuates the right-wing groups, while it has not carried out a long-standing demolition order on the illegal structures. | |||
| ==2005 municipal election== | ==2005 municipal election== | ||
| {{update}} | |||
| In the ], two lists gained seats in the municipal council. 8 seats went to 'United Beit Sahour' and 5 to 'Sons of Beit Sahour'. The most popular vote was for Hani Naji Atallah Abdel Masieh of United Beit Sahour with 2,690 votes, followed by Elen Michael Saliba Qsais of Sons of Bethlehem with 2,280 votes.<ref> Local Elections ( Round two)- Successful candidates by local authority, gender and No. of votes obtained, Beit Sahour p 24</ref> | In the ], two lists gained seats in the municipal council. 8 seats went to 'United Beit Sahour' and 5 to 'Sons of Beit Sahour'. The most popular vote was for Hani Naji Atallah Abdel Masieh of United Beit Sahour with 2,690 votes, followed by Elen Michael Saliba Qsais of Sons of Bethlehem with 2,280 votes.<ref> Local Elections ( Round two)- Successful candidates by local authority, gender and No. of votes obtained, Beit Sahour p 24</ref> | ||
Revision as of 16:27, 3 March 2010
Template:Infobox Palestinian Authority municipality Beit Sahour (Template:Lang-ar pronounced Bayt Saahoor) (lit. Place of the Night Watch) is a Palestinian town east of Bethlehem under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority. The population of 12,367, is 80% Christian and 20% Muslim.
History
Beit Sahour is reputed to be close to the place where, according to the New Testament, an angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. According to tradition, Helena built a convent at the site, which is today known as the shepherd's cave. There are two enclosures in the eastern part of Beit Sahour which are claimed by different Christian denominations to be the actual 'Shepherds Field': one belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church and the other, the Catholic site, to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.
The name Beit Sahur belongs to two places in the vicinity: Beit Sahur al-Atiqah ("ancient Beit Sahur") and Beit Sahur an-Nasara ("Beit Sahur of the Christians"). 16th century Arab geographer Mujir al-Din mentions the former in a biography of a Muslim scholar Sha'ban bin Salim bin Sha'ban who died in the town in 1483 at the age of 105. The former was noted by French geographer Guerin as being 40 minutes away from Jerusalem, a short distance south of the Qidron Valley.
Beit Sahur al-Atiqah surrounded the tomb of Sheikh Ahmad al-Sahuri, a local saint to whom the local Arab tribe of al-Sawahirah attribute their name. The Sawahirah originate from the Hejaz and entered Palestine through al-Karak. The Survey of Western Palestine describes the town as "Ruins of a village with wells and a mukam." The modern Beit Sahur was described by the same survey as "sort of a suburb of Bethlehem, situated on the same ridge, with the broad plateau east of it known as the 'shepherd's plain'".
Economy
The town's economy is largely based on tourism and related industries, such as the manufacture of olive-wood carvings. Agriculture and work in Israel also play a significant role. The town had a prominent role in the Palestinian national "Bethlehem 2000" project, as extensive renovations of tourist sites, hotels and businesses, and historic sites were carried out prior to the millennium celebrations. Social and economic sectors have been seriously disrupted since September 2000 due to the events of the Al-Aqsa Intifada.
Political activism
During the First intifada and Second Intifada, the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between Peoples (PCR) based in Beit Sahour encouraged non-violent activism under the aegis of the International Solidarity Movement. During the First Intifada the center invited Israelis to come and spend a weekend (Shabbat) in Palestinian homes using the slogan “Break Bread, Not Bones”. The Alternative information centre is also partly based in the town. The Alternative Tourism Group (ATG) is a non-governmental organisation specializing in tours of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The olive harvest is used as a PR tool to show the effects of Israeli occupation and land confiscation on the Palestinian population.
Tax resistance
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In 1989, during the First Intifada, the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU) and Ghassan Andoni urged the population to stop paying taxes to Israel, which inherited and modified the previous Jordanian tax-collection regime in the West Bank. The motto was “No taxation without representation.” Beit Sahour responded with an organized tax strike that included refusal to pay and file tax returns.
Israeli defense minister Yitzhak Rabin allegedly said: “We will teach them there is a price for refusing the laws of Israel.” According to the Journal of Palestine Studies, Beit Sahour was placed under curfew for 42 days. During this time, food shipments were blocked, telephone lines were not repaired and reporters were barred from entering the town. Forty residents were arrested and millions of dollars in money and property were seized. The Israeli military administration prevented diplomats from entering Beit Sahour during the tax strike.
Israel’s authorities had the power to create and enforce taxes beyond the Jordanian code enacted in 1963. During the Intifada, they imposed taxes on Palestinians as collective punishment. These included a glass tax (for broken windows), a stones tax (for damage done by stone-throwing), a missile tax (for Gulf War damage), and a general intifada tax.
The United Nations Security Council considered a resolution demanding that Israel return the property it confiscated during the Beit Sahour tax resistance. The United States vetoed the resolution, which was supported by eleven other council members.
Land confiscation and illegal construction
The Har Homa neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem was built partially on land owned by Beit Sahour residents, as was a nearby bypass road. During the Second Intifada, freedom of movement was disrupted by Israeli restrictions on travel to Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank.
On the eastern edge of Beit Sahour, on land that was formerly a military base, residents began to build without ownership or permits. The land was designated as Area C under the Oslo Accords. The civil administration of Israel refrained from carrying out a long-standing demolition order on the illegal structures. In response to this construction, right-wing groups have sqatted in the area. The army maintains the area is a closed military zone and has evacuated the protesters, but nothing has been done to carry out the demolition orders.
2005 municipal election
 | This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. |
In the 2005 municipal election, two lists gained seats in the municipal council. 8 seats went to 'United Beit Sahour' and 5 to 'Sons of Beit Sahour'. The most popular vote was for Hani Naji Atallah Abdel Masieh of United Beit Sahour with 2,690 votes, followed by Elen Michael Saliba Qsais of Sons of Bethlehem with 2,280 votes.
Notable residents
References
- 2007 PCBS Census Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. p.117.
- History, Economy, and Tourism Beit Sahour Municipality.
- ^ Sharon, 1997, p.154.
- Sharon, 1997, p.155.
- PCR annual report
- Beit Sahour municipality council members biographical details
- Joint Advocacy Initiative Alternative Tourism group Olive Picking Program 2008
- ^ Local Government in the West Bank and Gaza (says parenthetically that the property tax “rate and base” were “unchanged since 1963”)
Baxendale, Sidney J. “Taxation of Income in Israel and the West Bank: A Comparative Study” Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Spring, 1989), pp. 134-141 "it retained the Jordanian tax law" - Gradstein, Linda “Palestinians Claim Tax is Unjust, Many Don’t Pay” Sun-Sentinel 8 October 1989, p. 12A
- Sosebee, Stephen J. “The Passing of Yitzhak Rabin, Whose ‘Iron Fist’ Fueled the Intifada” The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. 31 October 1990. Vol. IX #5, pg. 9
- Grace, Anne “The Tax Resistance at Bayt Sahur” Journal of Palestine Studies 1990
New York Times Lewis, Anthony “It Can Happen There” 29 October 1989, p. E23
Curtius, Mary “Palestinian Villagers are Defiant After Israeli Troops End Tax Siege” Boston Globe 2 November 1989, p. 2
Williams, Daniel “Israeli troops withdraw after failing to stop tax revolt” Austin American Statesman. 1 November 1989, p. A6
“Israel abandons attempt to crush town's tax revolt” The Ottawa Citizen 1 November 1989, p. A10
“Food to West Bank Town Blocked” The Washington Post 28 October 1989, p. A18
“Israelis stop bishops from helping besieged town” The Ottawa Citizen 28 October 1989, p. A10
Sela, Michal “Elias Rashmawi’s ‘Tea Party’” Jerusalem Post 29 September 1989, p. 9
Williams, Daniel “Anti-Israel Boycott: Tax Man Cometh, but an Arab Town Resists” Los Angeles Times 9 October 1989, p. 10 - “Envoys turned back on road to Beit Sahour” The Globe and Mail 7 October 1989, p. A9
“Israeli Troops Bar Western Envoys” Los Angeles Times 6 October 1989, p. 1 - “A Matter of Justice: Tax Resistance in Beit Sahour” Nonviolent Sanctions Albert Einstein Institution, Spring/Summer 1992
- “U.S. vetoes UN resolution that Israel return property seized in tax revolt” The Gazette. 8 November 1989, p. A14
- Middle East Report Online Bypassing Bethlehem’s Eastern Reaches by Nate Wright October 7, 2008
- West Bank Local Elections ( Round two)- Successful candidates by local authority, gender and No. of votes obtained, Beit Sahour p 24
External links
- Beit Sahour municipality
- Beit Sahour Information
- Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People
- Alternative Information Centre
- Alternative Tourism Group
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