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West Bank

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; Middle Eastern
Countries

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   The West Bank (Hebrew: הגדה המערבית, Hagadah Hamaaravit, Arabic: الضفة
   الغربية‎, aḍ-Ḍiffä l-Ġarbīyä), is a landlocked territory on the west
   bank of the Jordan River in the Middle East. It was captured by Israel
   from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered by the United
   Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the
   International Court of Justice, and the International Committee of the
   Red Cross to be under Israeli occupation.

   After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, this territory was part of
   the British Mandate of Palestine. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War brought an
   end to the Mandate. The West Bank was captured and annexed by Jordan,
   and the 1949 Armistice Agreements defined its interim boundary. From
   1948 until 1967 the area was under Jordanian rule, though Jordan did
   not relinquish its claim to the area until 1988. The area was captured
   by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, although, with the exception of East
   Jerusalem (and unlike the Golan Heights), it was not annexed by Israel.
   The West Bank is currently considered under international law to be de
   jure a territory not part of any state.

   40% of the area (including most of the population, 98% of the
   Palestinian population) is under the limited civilian jurisdiction of
   the Palestinian Authority, while Israel maintains overall control
   (including over Israeli settlements, rural areas, roads, water, and
   border regions).
   Settlements (darker pink) and areas of the West Bank (lighter pink)
   where access to Palestinians is closed or restricted. Source: United
   Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, January
   2006.
   Enlarge
   Settlements (darker pink) and areas of the West Bank (lighter pink)
   where access to Palestinians is closed or restricted. Source: United
   Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, January
   2006.

Demographics of the West Bank

   According to Palestinian evaluations, The West Bank is inhabited by
   approximately 2.4 million Palestinians. According to a study presented
   at The Sixth Herzliya Conference on The Balance of Israel’s National
   Security there are 1.4 million Palestinians.

   There are over 400,000 Israeli settlers (260,000 not including those in
   East Jerusalem), and small ethnic groups such as the Samaritans, living
   in and around Nablus, numbering in the hundreds or low thousands. The
   Jews in the West Bank live mostly in Israeli settlements, though
   populations exist in Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem and Hebron (though
   in Hebron, the Israelis live separated by fences and barricades).
   Interactions between the two societies have generally declined due to
   the recent security problems, though an economic relationship often
   exists between adjacent Israeli settlements and Palestinian villages.

   Approximately 30% of Palestinians living in the West Bank are refugees
   or their direct descendants, who fled or were expelled from Israel
   during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see Palestinian exodus).

   The accuracy of the total population figures are disputed according to
   a study presented at The Sixth Herzliya Conference on The Balance of
   Israel’s National Security.

Cities and settlements in the West Bank

   The most densely populated part of the region is a mountainous spine,
   running north-south, where the cities of Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah,
   Bethlehem, and Hebron are located. Jenin, in the extreme north of the
   West Bank is on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley, Qalqilyah and
   Tulkarm are in the low foothills adjacent to the Israeli coastal plain,
   and Jericho is situated near the Jordan River, just north of the Dead
   Sea.

East Jerusalem

   East Jerusalem is not recognized by Israel as a separate entity from
   western Jerusalem as Jerusalem as a whole is currently claimed to be
   part of the Israeli capital. East Jerusalem is the location where
   Palestinians hope to establish their future capital. All existing
   definitions of East Jerusalem include the Jerusalem Old City and some
   of the holiest sites in the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions,
   including the Western Wall, the Temple Mount/ Noble Sanctuary
   (containing the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque), and the
   Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
   On Mount of Olives.
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   On Mount of Olives.
   Closeup
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   Closeup

Ma'ale Adummim

   Ma'ale Adummim (Hebrew: מעלה אדומים) is an Israeli settlement in the
   Judea region of the West Bank, east of Jerusalem. Founded in 1976, it
   is now sometimes considered to be a suburb of Jerusalem, mainly because
   most of its population works in Jerusalem. Ma'ale Adummim is one of the
   largest Jewish communities in the West Bank. As of 2005, the estimated
   population of Ma'ale Adummim is 32,000. Ma'ale Adummim is seen by
   Palestinians as a threat to the territorial continuity of any future
   Palestinian state, given its strategic situation between the northern
   and southern areas of the West Bank.
   Ma'ale Adummim
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   Ma'ale Adummim

Ramallah

   Ramallah is generally considered the most affluent and cultural as well
   as the most liberal, of all Palestinian cities. Ramallah (not to be
   confused with the Israeli city of Ramla) is a major Palestinian
   cultural and economic centre, and is the location of Yasser Arafat's
   burial spot. The city is located close to the biblical Bethel, the
   location where Jacob had his divine revelation dream in Genesis, and
   the location where the Israelites built a temple to worship in the book
   of Kings. Although mentions of Ramallah can be found throughout
   historical texts, modern Ramallah was founded in the mid 1500s by the
   Hadadeens, a tribe of brothers who were descended from Yemenite
   Christian Arabs. Ramallah is also famous for the Mukata'a which now
   serves as the governmental headquarters of the Palestinian Authority in
   Ramallah. The Mukata'a also recently became known as "Arafat's
   Compound." The Israeli settlement of Bet El is located, just east,
   adjacent to Ramallah.

Tulkarm

   Tulkarm or Tulkarem (Arabic: طولكرم‎ Ṭūlkarm; Hebrew: טול כרם) is a
   Palestinian city in the West Bank. The city's origins can be traced
   back to at least the third century C.E. under the name "Berat Soreqa",
   and in later centuries as "Tur Karma" ( Aramaic: טור כרמא), which means
   “mount of vineyards” in Aramaic, as the city is known for the fertility
   of the land and the vines around it. Avnei Hefetz[, Sal'it and Einav
   are three Israeli settlements nearby.

Nablus

   Nablus is a major city of over 100,000 Palestinians and lies between
   the two mountains of Ebal and Gerizim. It is the location of the
   Palestine Securities Exchange and is also famous for its Knafeh. The
   city is referred to as Shechem in Hebrew, a Biblical city. Ancient
   Shechem is located in the eastern part of the modern city, in a site
   known as Tel Balatah. An ancient city with a rich history, Nablus is a
   site of religious significance to the three major Abrahamic faiths, and
   is also a scene of political instability related to the
   Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Before its destruction in 2000, Joseph's
   Tomb was located in Nablus.

Jenin

   Jenin was known in ancient times as the Biblical village of En-gannim
   (Biblical Hebrew עֵין־גַּנִּים ʻĒn-Gannīm, "gardens spring"), a city of
   the Levites of the Tribe of Issachar. The modern Arabic name Jenin
   ultimately derives from this ancient name. The State of Israel built a
   nearby Israeli settlement, Ganim, also named after the ancient village.
   This settlement was evacuated in August 2005 as part of Israel's
   unilateral disengagement plan. In April 2002, Jenin's refugee camp was
   the theatre of one of the most intense battles to occur during the
   al-Aqsa Intifada. Israel was widely pilloried in by international
   journalists and diplomats for what was called the "Jenin massacre" -- a
   false allegation made by Palestinian officials that the IDF killed
   hundreds of civilians in the camp. Extensive investigation by the
   United Nations found that no such massacre took place.

Ariel

   Ariel (Hebrew: אריאל) is an Israeli settlement located north of the
   Palestinian town of Salfit on the West Bank, in the Biblical region of
   Samaria near the ancient village of Timnat Serah. Founded in 1978, its
   population as of 2004 is 16,414, including 7,000 immigrants from the
   former Soviet Union. It is the fifth largest settlement in the
   territories that Israel gained control from Jordan of as a result of
   the Six Day War in 1967. The Israeli Ministry of the Interior gave the
   municipality of Ariel the status of a city in 1998. Ariel is home to
   the College of Judea and Samaria, founded in 1982. Current enrollment
   is 8,500 students, consisting of both Jewish and Arab students. In
   2005, the Israeli government decided to allow the college to attain
   university status.

Hebron

   Hebron is a city of paramount importance to Jews, Christians, and
   Muslims. Prior to the 1929 Palestine riots, all three populations lived
   together in the city. It is the location of Ruth and Jesse's tombs, as
   well as many ancient synagogues and mosques. The Cave of the Patriarchs
   is considered to be the spiritual centre of Hebron.
   Cave of the Patriarchs
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   Cave of the Patriarchs

   Kiryat Arba is an urban Israeli settlement adjoining the city of
   Hebron. Biblically, it is generally regarded as another name for
   Hebron. Jewish settlers founded Kiryat Arba immediately to the east of
   Hebron. The population in 2005 was approximately 6,500, with an
   additional 2,700 Israelis living in a number of smaller surrounding
   settlements.

Bethlehem

   Bethlehem, which is south of Jerusalem, has great significance for
   Christianity as it is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus of
   Nazareth and the Church of the Nativity. The traditional site of
   Rachel's Tomb, which is important in Judaism, lies at the city's
   outskirts. Bethlehem is also home to one of largest Christian
   communities in the Middle East. The Bethlehem agglomeration includes
   the small towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, the latter also having
   biblical significance. The equally remote Greek Orthodox monastery of
   Mar Saba lies hidden along a silent, empty wadi 15 miles east of
   Bethlehem.
   Interior of the Church of the Nativity
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   Interior of the Church of the Nativity

Jericho

   Jericho, an oasis town in the Jordan Valley, is one of the oldest
   cities on Earth. It is mentioned in the Biblical book of Joshua as the
   first location that the Israelites conquered when entering the new
   land. The city was miraculously conquered when the Israelites circled
   the city's wall seven times and then it collapsed. Jericho has a
   population of approximately 19,000. It is believed by some to be the
   oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world. Many
   archeological sites are located in this city. Also on September 16,
   1998, a medium-sized casino and hotel, jointly called Oasis, were
   opened on the southern outskirts of Jericho. Jericho is also the site
   of Palestinian prisons. Outside Jericho, Nabi Musa is an austere,
   colonnaded mosque built by a Mamluk sultan at the place where Moses is
   reportedly buried, according to the Muslims. The 12th-century Monastery
   of the Qurantul on the Mount of Temptation is built on a majestic site
   where Jesus is believed to have fasted for 40 days while tempted by the
   devil. Mitzpeh Yericho is the Jewish settlement next to Jericho.
   Near central Jericho, November 1996
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   Near central Jericho, November 1996

Gush Etzion

   Gush Etzion (Hebrew: גוש עציון, lit. bloc of the tree) is a group of
   Israeli settlements in the northern Judea region of the West Bank. The
   first modern Jewish attempt to settle the area was in 1927 by a group
   of Yemenite Jews who founded an agricultural village. The location was
   purchased because it was roughly equidistant from Bethlehem and Hebron,
   and thus fell between the zones of influence of the local Arab clans.
   Two years later, the 1929 Palestine riots and recurring hostilities
   forced the group to flee. 1935 saw the founding of Kfar Etzion, for
   which the bloc is named, but this attempt was halted by the 1936-1939
   Arab revolt in Palestine. Four kibbutzim were ultimately founded after
   another attempt in 1943; they were destroyed a week before Israel's
   founding amid the Kfar Etzion massacre. Jewish settlement resumed after
   the 1967 Six Day War. Today the bloc is home to over 40,000 Israelis in
   two urban centers and 18 towns and villages.
   Central Bethlehem
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   Central Bethlehem

Jordan Valley

   The Jordan Valley is a low-lying strip which cleaves down the western
   border of the country. It is part of the Great Rift Valley, which
   extends down southwards into East Africa. Since 1967, every Israeli
   government has considered the Jordan Valley to be the "eastern border"
   of Israel and has sought to strengthen the Israeli presence there. To
   strengthen its hold on the area, Israel has established 26 settlements
   and five Nahal brigade encampments there, which house some 7,500
   residents. Over the years, most of the area has been declared state
   land and was attached to the jurisdictional area of the Jordan Valley
   Regional Council, which includes most of the settlements in the valley.
   Recently, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated in a TV interview that the
   Jordan Valley will remain under Israeli control in any future
   agreement.

Other Israeli settlements

   The following is a list of Israeli settlements, not listed above,
   located in the West Bank:

   Adora, Alei Zahav, Alfei Menashe, Almog, Almon (Anatot), Alon, Alon
   Shvut, Argaman, Asfar, Ateret, Avnei Hefetz, Barqan, Bat Ayin, Beit
   Arye, Beit El, Beit Ha´arava, Beit Horon, Beitar Illit, Bqa´ot, Bracha,
   Carmel, Chemdat, Dolev, Efrat (Efrata), El´azar, Eli (town), Elkana,
   Elon More, Enav, Eshkolot, Etz Efraim, Ganim (evacuated), Geva
   Binyamin, Gilgal, Gitit, Giv´at Ze´ev, Giv´on Ha´hadasha, Gva´ot,
   Haggai, Halamish, Hamra, Har Adar, Hashmonaim, Hermesh, Hinanit, Homesh
   (evacuated), Immanuel, Itamar, Kadim (evacuated), Kalia, Karmei Tzur,
   Karnei Shomron, Kedumim, Keidar, Kfar Adumim, Kfar Etzion, Kfar
   Ha´oranim (Menorah), Kfar Tapuah, Kiryat Arba, Kiryat Netafim, Kochav
   Ha´shachar, Kochav Ya´akov, Ma´ale Amos, Ma´ale Efraim, Ma´ale Levona,
   Ma´ale Michmash, Ma´ale Shomron, Ma´on, Masu´a, Matityahu, Mechola,
   Mechora, Metzadot Yehuda, Mevo Dotan, Mevo Horon, Migdal Oz, Migdalim,
   Mitzpe Shalem, Mitzpe Yericho, Modi´in Illit, Na´ale, Na´ama, Nahaliel,
   Negohot, Netiv Ha´gdud, Neve Daniel, Nili, Niran, Nofei Prat, Nofim,
   Nokdim, Ofarim, Ofra, Oranit, Otniel, Pedu´el, Petzael, Pnei Hever,
   Psagot, Rechelim, Reihan, Revava, Rimonim, Ro´i, Rosh Tzurim, Rotem,
   Sal´it, Sha´arei Tikva, Shadmot Mehola, Shaked, Shani (Livne), Shavei
   Shomron, Shilo, Shim´a, Shvut Rachel, Susiya, Talmon, Telem, Tene,
   Tko´a, Tomer, Tzofim, Vered Yericho, Yafit, Yakir, Yitav, Yitzhar.

Origin of the name

West Bank

   The region did not have a separate existence until 1948–9, when it was
   defined by the Armistice Agreement between Israel and Jordan. The name
   "West Bank" was apparently first used by Jordanians at the time of
   their annexation of the region, and has become the most common name
   used in English and related languages. The term literally means 'the
   West bank of the river Jordan'; the Kingdom of Jordan being on the
   'East bank' of this same river Jordan.

Judea and Samaria

   Prior to this usage of the name "West Bank", the region was commonly
   referred to as Judea and Samaria, its long-standing name. For example,
   U.N. Resolution 181, The 1947 Partition Plan explicitly refers to part
   of the area as Judea and Samaria. For region boundaries set forth in
   the resolution see the text here.

   Israelis refer to the region either as a unit: "The West Bank" (Hebrew:
   "ha-Gada ha-Ma'aravit" "הגדה המערבית"), or as two units: Judea (Hebrew:
   "Yehuda" "יהודה") and Samaria (Hebrew: "Shomron" "שומרון"), after the
   two biblical kingdoms (the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern
   Kingdom of Israel — the capital of which was, for a time, in the town
   of Samaria). The border between Judea and Samaria is a belt of
   territory immediately north of Jerusalem sometimes called the "land of
   Benjamin". The name Judea and Samaria has been in continual use by Jews
   as well as various others since biblical times. This name carries an
   emotional meaning to many Jews as the cradle of Jewish Nation is
   derived from the time of King David in the region, the main religious
   sites and tombs are present there, and continuos Jewish communities
   were concentrated in the area throughout the years.
   The Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Levona, with a 2004 population of 514,
   between Ramallah and Nablus, from different angles.
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   The Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Levona, with a 2004 population of 514,
   between Ramallah and Nablus, from different angles.

Cisjordan/Transjordan

   The neo-Latin name Cisjordan or Cis-Jordan (literally "on this side of
   the [River] Jordan") is the usual name in most Romance languages, in
   part out of the logical argument that the word "[river] bank" should
   not be applied to a mountainous region. The analogous Transjordan has
   historically been used to designate modern-day Jordan which lies on the
   "eastern banks" of the River Jordan. In English, the name Cisjordan is
   also used to designate the entire region between the Jordan River and
   the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the historical context of the
   British Mandate. The use of Cisjordan to refer to the smaller region
   discussed in this article is extremely rare; the name West Bank is
   standard usage for this geo-political entity. For the low-lying area
   immediately west of the Jordan, the name Jordan Valley is used instead.

Status

   The future status of the West Bank, together with the Gaza Strip on the
   Mediterranean shore, has been the subject of negotiation between the
   Palestinians and Israelis, although the current Road Map for Peace,
   proposed by the " Quartet" comprising the United States, Russia, the
   European Union, and the United Nations, envisions an independent
   Palestinian state in these territories living side by side with Israel
   (see also proposals for a Palestinian state).

   The Palestinian people believe that the West Bank ought to be a part of
   their sovereign nation, and that the presence of Israeli military
   control is a violation of their right to self-determination. The United
   Nations calls the West Bank and Gaza Strip Israeli-occupied (see
   Israeli-occupied territories). The United States generally agrees with
   this definition. Many Israelis and their supporters prefer the term
   disputed territories, claiming it comes closer to a neutral point of
   view; this viewpoint is not accepted by most other countries, which
   consider "occupied" to be the neutral description of status.

   Israel argues that its presence is justified because:
    1. Israel's eastern border has never been defined by anyone;
    2. The disputed territories have not been part of any state (Jordanian
       annexation was never officially recognized) since the time of the
       Ottoman Empire;
    3. According to the Camp David Accords (1978) with Egypt, the 1994
       agreement with Jordan and the Oslo Accords with the PLO, the final
       status of the territories would be fixed only when there was a
       permanent agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

   Palestinian public opinion is almost unanimous in opposing Israeli
   military and settler presence on the West Bank as a violation of their
   right to statehood and sovereignty. Israeli opinion is split into a
   number of views:
     * Complete or partial withdrawal from the West Bank in hopes of
       peaceful coexistence in separate states (sometimes called the "
       land for peace" position); (According to a 2003 poll 76% of
       Israelis support a peace agreement based on that principle).
     * Maintenance of a military presence in the West Bank to reduce
       Palestinian terrorism by deterrence or by armed intervention, while
       relinquishing some degree of political control;
     * Annexation of the West Bank while considering the Palestinian
       population as (for instance) citizens of Jordan with Israeli
       residence permit as per the Elon Peace Plan;
     * Annexation of the West Bank and assimilation of the Palestinian
       population to fully fledged Israeli citizens;
     * Annexation of the West Bank.
     * Transfer of the East Jerusalem Palestinian population (a 2002 poll
       at the height of the Al Aqsa intifada found 46% of Israelis
       favoring Palestinian transfer of Jerusalem residents; in 2005 two
       polls using a different methodology put the number at approximately
       30%).

Annexation

   Israel annexed the territory of East Jerusalem, and its Palestinian
   residents (if they should decline Israeli citizenship) have legal
   permanent residency status. Although permanent residents are permitted,
   if they wish, to receive Israeli citizenship if they meet certain
   conditions including swearing allegiance to the State and renouncing
   any other citizenship, most Palestinians did not apply for Israeli
   citizenship for political reasons. There are various possible reasons
   as to why the West Bank had not been annexed to Israel after its
   capture in 1967. The government of Israel has not formally confirmed an
   official reason, however, historians and analysts have established a
   variety of such, most of them demographic. Among the most agreed upon:
     * Reluctance to award its citizenship to an overwhelming number of a
       potentially hostile population whose allies were sworn to the
       destruction of Israel ( Bard,)
     * Fear that the population of non-Zionist Arabs would outnumber the
       Israelis, appeal to different political interests, and vote Israel
       out of existence; thus failing to maintain the concept and safety
       of a democracy and Jewish state ( Bard,)
     * To ultimately exchange the land for peace with neighbouring states

Settlements and International Law

   Israeli settlements on the West Bank beyond the Green Line border are
   considered by some legal scholars to be illegal under international
   law. Other legal scholars (including prominent international law expert
   Julius Stone), have argued that the settlements are legal under
   international law, on a number of different grounds. The Independent
   reported in March 2006 that immediately after the 1967 war Theodor
   Meron, legal counsel of Israel's Foreign Ministry advised Israeli
   ministers in a "top secret" memo that any policy of building
   settlements across occupied territories violated international law and
   would "contravene the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva
   Convention". A contrasting opinion was held by Eugene Rostow, a former
   Dean of the Yale Law School and undersecretary of state for political
   affairs in the administration of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, who
   wrote in 1991 that Israel has a right to have settlements in the West
   Bank under 1967's UN Security Council Resolution 242. It is the policy
   of both Israel and the United States that the settlements do not
   violate international law, although the United States considers ongoing
   settlement activity to be "unhelpful" to the peace process. Israel also
   recognizes that some small settlements are "illegal" in the sense of
   being in violation of Israeli law.

   In 2005 the United States ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer, expressed
   U.S. support "for the retention by Israel of major Israeli population
   centres [in the West Bank] as an outcome of negotiations", reflecting
   President Bush's statement a year earlier that a permanent peace treaty
   would have to reflect "demographic realities" on the West Bank.

   The UN Security Council has issued several non-binding resolutions
   addressing the issue of the settlements. Typical of these is UN
   Security Council resolution 446 which states [the] practices of Israel
   in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab
   territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity, and it calls on
   Israel as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the 1949 Fourth
   Geneva Convention.

   The Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva
   Convention held in Geneva on 5 December, 2001 called upon "the
   Occupying Power to fully and effectively respect the Fourth Geneva
   Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
   Jerusalem, and to refrain from perpetrating any violation of the
   Convention." The High Contracting Parties reaffirmed "the illegality of
   the settlements in the said territories and of the extension thereof."

West Bank barrier

   The Israeli West Bank barrier is a physical barrier being constructed
   by Israel consisting of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier
   trenches surrounded by an on average 60 meters wide exclusion area
   (95%) and up to 8 meters high concrete walls (5%). The barrier
   generally runs along or near the 1949 Jordanian-Israeli armistice/
   Green Line, but diverges in many places to include on the Israeli side
   several of the highly populated areas of Jewish settlements in the West
   Bank such as East Jerusalem, Ariel, Gush Etzion, Emmanuel, Karnei
   Shomron, Givat Ze'ev, Oranit, and Ma'ale Adummim. Because of the
   complex path it follows, most of the barrier is actually set in the
   West Bank, with the result that many Israeli settlements in the West
   Bank remain on the Israeli side of the barrier, and some Palestinian
   towns are nearly encircled by it. The proponents of the barrier claim
   that its route is not set in stone, as it was challenged in court and
   changed several times.

   The West Bank barrier is justified by Israel as being necessary to
   deter Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians, but it has been
   subject to criticism by the international community. In October 2003
   the issue of the barrier was considered by the UN Security Council
   where the US vetoed a resolution criticising its construction. Later in
   the same month the General Assembly passed a resolution (non-binding)
   calling for Israel to stop and reverse the construction of the barrier.
   The vote was 144 in favour, including all of the EU countries, and 4
   against including the US. Subsequently the General Assembly passed the
   matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ found in a
   non-binding advisory opinion that the construction of the barrier was
   contrary to international law and that Israel should cease
   construction, dismantle existing structures and make reparations for
   loss and damage involved. The Court also ruled that all States 'are
   under an obligation not to recognize the (...) wall and under an
   obligation not to render aid or assistance'.

History

   The territories now known as the West Bank were part of the Mandate of
   Palestine granted to Great Britain by the League of Nations after WW1.
   The current border of the West Bank was not a dividing line of any sort
   during the Mandate period. When the United Nations General Assembly
   voted in 1947 to partition Palestine into a Jewish State, an Arab
   State, and an internationally-administered enclave of Jerusalem, almost
   all of the West Bank was assigned to the Arab State. In the ensuing
   1948 Arab-Israel war, the territory was captured by the neighboring
   kingdom of Jordan. It was annexed by Jordan in 1950 but this annexation
   was recognized only by the United Kingdom. (Pakistan is often, but
   apparently falsely, assumed to have recognized it also.)

   The 1948 Armistice Agreements established the "Green Line" separating
   the territories held by Israel and its neighbors. During the 1950s,
   there was a significant influx of Palestinian refugees and violence
   together with Israeli reprisal raids across the Green Line. In the
   Six-Day War of 1967, Israel captured this territory, and in November,
   1967, UN Security Council Resolution 242 was unanimously adopted. All
   parties eventually accepted it and agree to its applicability to the
   West Bank.

   In 1988, Jordan ceded its claims to the West Bank to the Palestine
   Liberation Organization, as "the sole legitimate representative of the
   Palestinian people."

   The 1993 Oslo Accords declared the final status of the West Bank to be
   subject to a forthcoming settlement between Israel and the Palestinian
   leadership. Following these interim accords, Israel withdrew its
   military rule from some parts of West Bank, which was then split into:
     * Palestinian-controlled, Palestinian-administered land (Area A)
     * Israeli-controlled, but Palestinian-administered land (Area B)
     * Israeli-controlled, Israeli-administered land (Area C)

   Areas B and C constitute the majority of the territory, comprising the
   rural areas and the Jordan River valley region, while urban areas –
   where the majority of the Palestinian population resides – are mostly
   designated Area A.

   (See Israeli settlements for a discussion of the legal standing of
   Israeli settlements in the West Bank.)

Transport and communication

Roads

   The West Bank has 4,500 km of roads, of which 2,700 km are paved.

   In response to shootings by Palestinians, some highways, especially
   those leading to Israeli settlements, are completely inaccessible to
   cars with Palestinian license plates, while many other roads are
   restricted only to public transportation and to Palestinians who have
   special permits from Israeli authorities . Due to numerous shooting
   assaults targeting Israeli vehicles, the IDF bars Israelis from using
   most of the original roads in the West Bank. Israel's longstanding
   policy of separation-to-prevent-friction dictates the development of
   alternative highway systems for Israelis and Palestinian traffic.

   Israel maintains 50+ checkpoints in the West Bank . As such, movement
   restrictions are also placed on main roads traditionally used by
   Palestinians to travel between cities, and such restrictions have been
   blamed for poverty and economic depression in the West Bank . Since the
   beginning of 2005, there has been some amelioration of these
   restrictions. According to recent human rights reports, "Israel has
   made efforts to improve transport contiguity for Palestinians
   travelling in the West Bank. It has done this by constructing
   underpasses and bridges (28 of which have been constructed and 16 of
   which are planned) that link Palestinian areas separated from each
   other by Israeli settlements and bypass roads" and by removal of
   checkpoints and physical obstacles, or by not reacting to Palestinian
   removal or natural erosion of other obstacles. "The impact (of these
   actions) is most felt by the easing of movement between villages and
   between villages and the urban centres" .

   However, the obstacles encircling major Palestinian urban hubs,
   particularly Nablus and Hebron, have remained. In addition, the IDF
   prohibits Israeli citizens from entering Palestinian-controlled land
   (Area A).
   A section of the Israeli West Bank barrier.
   Enlarge
   A section of the Israeli West Bank barrier.

Airports

   The West Bank has three paved airports which are currently for military
   use only. The only civilian airport of Atarot Airport in northern
   Jerusalem, which was open only to Israeli citizens, was closed in 2001
   due to the Intifada. Palestinians were previously able to use Israel's
   Ben Gurion International Airport with permission; however, Israel has
   discontinued issuing such permits, and Palestinians wishing to travel
   must cross the land border to either Jordan or Egypt in order to use
   airports located in these countries .

Telecom

   The Israeli Bezeq and Palestinian PalTel telecommunication companies
   provide communication services in the West Bank.

Radio and television

   The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station
   in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local privately owned stations are
   also in operation. Most Palestinian households have a radio and TV, and
   satellite dishes for receiving international coverage are widespread.
   Recently, PalTel announced and has begun implementing an initiative to
   provide ADSL broadband internet service to all households and
   businesses.

   Israel's cable television company 'HOT', satellite television provider
   ( DBS) 'Yes', AM & FM radio broadcast stations and public television
   broadcast stations all operate. Broadband internet service by Bezeq's
   ADSL and by the cable company are available as well.

Higher education

   Before 1967 there were no universities in the West Bank (except for the
   Hebrew University in Jerusalem - see below). There were a few lesser
   institutions of higher education; for example, An-Najah, which started
   as an elementary school in 1918 and became a community college in 1963.
   As the Jordanian government did not allow the establishment of such
   universities in the West Bank, Palestinians could obtain degrees only
   by travelling abroad to places such as Jordan, Lebanon, or Europe.

   After the region was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War, several
   educational institutions began offering undergraduate courses, while
   others opened up as entirely new universities. In total, seven
   Universities have been commissioned in the West Bank since 1967:
     * Bethlehem University, a Roman Catholic institution partially funded
       by the Vatican, opened its doors in 1973 .
     * In 1975, Birzeit College (located in the town of Bir Zeit north of
       Ramallah) became Birzeit University after adding third- and
       fourth-year college-level programs .
     * An-Najah College in Nablus likewise became An-Najah National
       University in 1977 .
     * The Hebron University was established in 1980
     * Al-Quds University, whose founders had yearned to establish a
       university in Jerusalem since the early days of Jordanian rule,
       finally realized their goal in 1995 .
     * Also in 1995, after the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Arab
       American University—the only private university in the West
       Bank—was founded in Jenin, with the purpose of providing courses
       according to the American system of education .
     * In 2005, the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel was approved to
       become a full fledged university . This move to create a university
       within an Israeli settlement has angered some Palestinians,
       although no official response was made by the Palestinian
       authority.
     * The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, established in 1918, is one of
       Israel's oldest, largest, and most important institutes of higher
       learning and research. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the leader
       of the Palestinian forces in Jerusalem, Abdul Kader Husseini,
       threatened that the Hadassah Hospital and the Hebrew University
       would be captured or destroyed "if the Jews continued to use them
       as bases for attacks". Medical convoys between the
       Yishuv-controlled section of Jerusalem and Mount Scopus were
       attacked since December 1947. After the Hadassah medical convoy
       massacre in 1948, which also included university staff, the Mount
       Scopus campus was cut off from the Jewish part of Jerusalem. After
       the War, the University was forced to relocate to a new campus in
       Givat Ram in western Jerusalem. After Israel captured East
       Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of June 1967, the University returned
       to its original campus in Mount Scopus.

   Most universities in the West Bank have politically active student
   bodies, and elections of student council officers are normally along
   party affiliations. Although the establishment of the universities was
   initially allowed by the Israeli authorities, some were sporadically
   ordered closed by the Israeli Civil Administration during the 1970s and
   1980s to prevent political activities and violence against the IDF.
   Some universities remained closed by military order for extended
   periods during years immediately preceding and following the first
   Palestinian Intifada, but have largely remained open since the signing
   of the Oslo Accords despite the advent of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000.

   The founding of Palestinian universities has greatly increased
   education levels among the population in the West Bank. According to a
   Birzeit University study, the percentage of Palestinians choosing local
   universities as opposed to foreign institutions has been steadily
   increasing; as of 1997, 41% of Palestinians with bachelor degrees had
   obtained them from Palestinian institutions . According to UNESCO,
   Palestinians are one of the most highly educated groups in the Middle
   East "despite often difficult circumstances" . The literacy rate among
   Palestinians in the West Bank (and Gaza) (89%) is third highest in the
   region after Israel (95%) and Jordan (90%) .
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank"
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