Halhul
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| Halhul | ||
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  Halhul
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| Arabic | حلحول | |
| Country | Palestine | |
| Governorate | Hebron | |
| Government | City | |
| Coordinates | 31°34′43.99″N 35°05′55.69″E / 31.5788861°N 35.0988028°ECoordinates: 31°34′43.99″N 35°05′55.69″E / 31.5788861°N 35.0988028°E | |
| Population | 22,128 (2007) | |
| Jurisdiction |
37,335 dunams (37.3 km²) |
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| Head of Municipality | Ziad Abu Yousef | |
| Website | www.halhul-city.com | |
Halhul (Arabic: حلحول, transliteration: Halhûl) is a Palestinian city located in the southern West Bank, 5 kilometers (3 mi) north of Hebron in the Hebron Governorate. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had a population of 22,108 mostly Muslim inhabitants in 2007.[1]
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[edit] History
Chronicler Ali of Herat documented in 1173 CE, that while Halhul was a part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem of the Crusaders, it was a village in which the tomb of Yunis ibn Matta (Jonah son of Amittai) was located.[2] Under the Ayyubids in 1226, a mosque with a minaret was constructed in the town.[3] That same year, Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi visited Halhul, reporting that it lay between Hebron and Jerusalem and contained the tomb of Jonah.[4] An early Jewish traveler noted that the tomb of Gad the seer was located in Halhul.[5]
Biblical scholar Edward Robinson visited Halhul in 1838, describing its surroundings as "thrifty", with numerous fields, vineyards, cattle, and goats. He reported that it was the "head of its district" and that the old mosque was in poor condition and had a tall minaret from which many other villages could be seen.[6] Robinson identified the town with the "Halhul" mentioned in the Book of Joshua.[5]
In 1939, during the Arab revolt in Palestine against the British, the British Army, as part of its counter terrorism campaign punished Halhul's residents by keeping them in outdoor pens without food or water in hot weather, causing fifteen to die.[7][8] In 1978, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enforced a curfew in Halhul lasting sixteen days. Two student activists were shot and killed by the IDF while protesting during the curfew.[8] In the Second Intifada, in February 2002, the IDF raided Halhul destroying its police station, several houses, and a machine shop suspected of manufacturing weapons for Palestinian militants.[9]
[edit] Geography
It is built atop Mount Nabi Yunis, the highest peak in the West Bank at 1,030 meters above sea level.[10] The city has a land area of 37,335 dunams.[11]
[edit] Demographics
In 1922, Halhul had a population of 1,927, rising to 2,523 in a 1931 British Mandate census.[12] According to Sami Hadawi's 1945 land and population survey, Halhul had a recorded population of 3,380 Arabs.[13] While a part of Jordan, in 1961, there were 5,387 residents. Under the Israelis, in censuses taken in 1982 and 1987, Halhul had a population of 6,040 and 9,800, respectively.[12]
According to the first census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in 1997, of the total 15,663 residents, 1,686 (10.8%) were Palestinian refugees.[14] The gender makeup was 51.4% male and 48.6% female. About 54.7% of the inhabitants were below the age of 20, 41.2% were between the ages of 20 and 64, and 0.4% were over the age of 64.[15]
[edit] Government
In the latest municipal elections in Halhul in 2004, held by Palestinian National Authority, 13 council members were elected to replace the very long-serving council headed by Mohammed Milhim. The newly elected council members elected engineer Raed al-Atrash who, despite the short serving period of nine months, managed to restructure the municipality and introduce new faces to the serving staff. After Atrash's resignation, the council elected deputy Ziad Abu Yousef as the new mayor. The council has two women in the female seats.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ 2007 PCBS Census Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. p.118.
- ^ Ali of Herat quoted in le Strange, 1890, p.447.
- ^ Mujir ad-Din quoted in le Strange, 1890, p.478.
- ^ Al-Hamawi quoted in le Strange, 1890, p.477.
- ^ a b Robinson, 1841, p.282.
- ^ Robinson, 1841, p.281.
- ^ Winslow, 2007, p.33.
- ^ a b History of Halhul Halhul Municipality
- ^ Winslow, 2007, p.105.
- ^ A house demolished, three others threatened in the town of Halhul Land Research Center. 2007-03-24
- ^ Welcome To Halhul: Town Statistics and Facts Sami Hadawi (Palestine Liberation Organization Research Center) via palestineremembered.com
- ^ a b Welcome to Halhul Palestine Remembered.
- ^ Hadawi, 1970, p.50.
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
- ^ 291/mayor.htm Curriculum vitae of the Mayor] Halhul Municipality
[edit] Bibliography
- Hadawi, Sami (1970), Village Statistics of 1945: A Classification of Land and Area ownership in Palestine, Palestine Liberation Organization Research Center, http://www.palestineremembered.com/Articles/General-2/Story3150.html
- Robinson, Edward (1856), Biblical Researches in Palestine, 1838-52: A Journal of Travels in the Year 1838, University of Michigan, http://books.google.ca/books?id=j584Vpqg-KAC&pg=PA630&dq=church+birweh&lr=#PPA630,M1
- le Strange, Guy (1890), Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500, Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, http://books.google.com/books?id=ENANAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA493&dq=Lajjun+Guy+le+Strange&lr=&ei=-0MmScyML4TkygTn-J2KAg#PPP1,M1
- Winslow, Phillip C. (2007), Victory for Us is to See You Suffer: In the West Bank with the Palestinians and the Israelis, Beacon Press, http://books.google.com/books?id=HfeO7D5H62EC&pg=PA33&dq=Halhul&lr=&ei=IHNQSYyJGKGayATY2OimAQ#PPA105,M1
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