Bayt Fajjar - بيت فجّار: Bayt Fajjar Statistics_2008

Beit Fajjar Village

Location and Area

BEIT FAJJAR is a Palestinian village, located 10 km to the southwest of the city of Bethlehem, in the southern part of West Bank. It is located between Hebron and Bethlehem east of route 60, bordered by Beit Ummar and Al 'Arrub Camp to the west, Al Khader to the north, Sa'ir to the south, and Al Tamereh to the east. Beit Fajjar is elevated 980 meters above sea level in the mountains.
The village is located within the "Beit Fajjar" Village Boundary, which also includes five other localities: Hamrush, Al Manshiya, Marah Rabah, Wadi Muhammad and Mara Maalla. The total area of "Beit Fajjar" Village Boundary is approximately 17.3 km2, according to the village borders specified during the British Mandate. The built-up area of Beit Fajjar is estimated at 1100 dunums, out of a total 18000 (ARIJ GIS, 2002 and village questionnaires). The strategic location of Beit Fajjar connects northern regions with southern regions.

History
The history of Beit Fajjar, famous for its agricultural prowess, goes back 200 years. The original residents of Beit Fajjar, from the Dereayah family, originally came from the city of Bethlehem. Today Beit Fajjar is a main center of stone-cutting industries, because of the major quarries available in the village (Beit Fajjar questionnaire).

Physical Characteristics

? Topography: Beit Fajjar village lies on hills that border quarries.
? Climate: Beit Fajjar is cool and rainy during the winter, and hot and dry during the summer.
? Rain fall: Beit Fajjar annual average rainfall is 599 mm yearly.
? Temperature: Beit Fajjar annual average temperature is 20 °C.
? Humidity: Beit Fajjar annual average humidity is of 61 %.

Demography and Population
The total population of Beit Fajjar was 8001 people in 1997, of which 4122 were males and 3879 were females (PCBS census 1997). In that year, there were 1150 households and 1307 housing units, with an average household size of 6 people (See table 1).

Table 1: Beit Fajjar Households and Members by Household Size
Household Size & Members Total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 +11
Number of Households 15 64 67 99 133 156 173 133 103 79 128 1150
Number of population 15 128 201 396 665 936 1211 1064 927 790 1668 8001
Source: PCBS, May 1999. Population, Housing and Establishment Census-1997, Final Results

The PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census - 1997 Final Results, shows the distribution of population by age groups and sex in Beit Fajjar (See table 2).

Table 2: Beit Fajjar population by sex and age groups in years
Sex Age group
0 -14 15 -64 65 + Total
Male 1874 2140 108 4122
Female 1840 1921 118 3879
Total 3714 4061 226 8001
Source: PCBS, May 1999. Population, Housing and Establishment Census-1997, Final Results

Table 2 reveals that 50.8 % of the total Beit Fajjar population is in the age group 15-64 years, followed by the age group 0-14 (46.4 %) and age group 65 and above (2.8 %).
The gender ratio in the village is 106.3 males for every 100 females. In other terms, the males in Beit Fajjar constitute 51.5 % of the population and females constitute 48.5 %. Figure 1 shows the population by age groups and sex in Beit Fajjar village.

According to PCBS mid-year population projections for Beit Fajjar village, the Beit Fajjar population will have increased by 24.4 % from 1997 to 2005, and will have increased an additional 3.0 % by mid-2006 (See table 3).

Table 3: Projected mid-year population for Beit Fajjar village 2004 -2006
Locality name Mid-population year in
2004 2005 2006
Beit Fajjar 10248 10579 10910
Source: http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/populati/pop10.aspx

Families:
There are three main families in Beit Fajjar: Tagatga, Thawabtah, Derah. An additional 2 % of the population is composed of refugees.
Education

In Beit Fajjar, about 657 persons were illiterate, 990 persons could read and write only, 1734 persons completed elementary and preparatory education, and 323 persons received secondary degrees. Table 5 shows educational attainment by sex in Beit Fajjar village.

Table 5: Beit Fajjar Population (10 years and over) by sex and Educational Attainment
Sex Illit-erate Can read & Write Eleme-ntary Prepar-atory Seco-ndary Associate Diploma Bach-elor Higher Diploma Mas-ter PHD Total
M 191 560 961 599 226 148 67 0 5 0 2769
F 466 430 773 687 97 62 5 0 1 0 2557
T 657 990 1734 1286 323 210 72 0 6 0 5326
Source: PCBS, May 1999. Population, Housing and Establishment Census-1997, Final Results

The table reveals that 12.3 % of the population was illiterate, with a higher percentage of women (70.9 %) than men (29.1 %). 18.6 % of the population could read and write only, 32.6% had completed elementary school, 24.1 % had completed preparatory school, and 11.4% had completed secondary school and continued their higher education.

Education in Beit Fajjar is provided by the public sector. There are seven schools in the village:

School Name Kind by Sex Supervising Authority
1. Beit Fajjar Secondary School Male Governmental
2. Al Tahrer Elementary School Male Governmental
3. Al Wehdah Elementary School Male Governmental
4. Beit Fajjar Secondary School Female Governmental
5. Hayfa Girls Elementary School Female Governmental
6. Alwafa Girls Elementary School Female Governmental
7. Al Saghra Elementary Co-education School Co-education Governmental

At the outset of the scholastic year 2004/2005, the number of students enrolled in Beit Fajjar reached 3287, and the number of teachers reached 142. (See table 6).

Table 6: Total No. of Schools, Teachers and Students by sex in Beit Fajjar (2004-2005)
Government
Male No. of Schools 3
No. of class 42
No. of Teachers 65
No. of Students 1437
Female No. of Schools 3
No. of class 39
No. of Teachers 59
No. of Students 1389
Co-education No. of Schools 1
No. of class 8
No. of Teachers 11
No. of Students 267
Source: ARIJ Data Base ? 2005

Table 6 shows that the total number of students in Beit Fajjar during scholastic year 2004-2005 reached 3093. 46.5 % of these attended male-only schools, 44.9% attended female-only schools, and the remaining 8.6 % attended co-educational schools.
Like many other Palestinian localities, Beit Fajjar faces the rapid increase of elementary school enrollments, a trend that requires more classrooms and schools to accomodate new generations.

Additional to primary and secondary school education, two kindergartens in Beit Fajjar provide pre-education to 150 children: the Beit Fajjar Zakatt Committee Kindergarten, which accommodates 50 children, and Al Jel Algaded kindergarten, which accommodates 100 children.

Health
Two main branches support the health sector in Beit Fajjar village: the government, namely the Beit Fajjar Health Center, and non-governmental organizations, namely the Palestine Red Crescent Center. The village also contains four pharmacies.
The health sector in Beit Fajjar is suffering from the lack of emergency services, a laboratory, and an ambulance.

Main Institutions
Beit Fajjar Municipality: established in 1997, the municipality consists of 11 members. A new municipality council was elected in 2005 for four years.
Beit Fajjar Youth Club:
Women Club:
Farmers Union:
Worker Society:
Children Home Society:
Beit Fajjar Agriculture Society:
Muslim Youth Society:
Beit Fajjar Ladies Society:

Religious and Archeological sites
Mosques: There are seven mosques in the village: Beit Fajjar large mosque, Alsafa mosque, Al Atqiah mosque, Abu Obayda mosque, Alshuhada mosque, Khaled ibn Al Waleed mosque and Al Omary mosque.

Archeological Sites: the old village in Beit Fajjar

Environmental Situation

Sewage Disposal Facilities

Beit Fajjar village lacks a sewage and wastewater system, and due to its population density and the heavy concentration of stone industries, wastewater is considered the main problem facing public health and the environment in Beit Fajjar. Most households and industries rely upon cesspits and open channels to dispose of wastewater. The quantity of wastewater is affected by the water consumption rate, population density, and industrial practices; annually, 0.1097 MCM of wastewater is produced in the village.

Solid Waste Collection Services
Solid waste management in Beit Fajjar is the responsibility of the Municipality; the solid waste is collected by one vehicle and transported from the residential areas to the Yatta dumping site, located 40 km away. About 1786 tons of solid waste are generated annually in Beit Fajjar.

Transportation facilities:
The roads in Beit Fajjar suffer from rapid deterioration and require rehabilitation and pavement, especially the minor roads. Transportation services available in Beit Fajjar village include five buses and 11 informal taxis.

Agriculture
Beit Fajjar's main source of livelihood is the stone-cutting industry, because of its proximity to the major quarries in the West Bank. Agriculture in Beit Fajjar is limited to local consumption. The total arable land of Beit Fajjar is about 10000 dunums; of which about 5440 dunums are actually cultivated. 49 dunums are used for vegetable cultivation, 433 dunums for field crops, 1700 dunums for olive trees, 3205 dunums for grapes, 36 dunums for nut and fruit trees, and 5 dunums for pome (Ministry of Agriculture 2004).
The agricultural sector suffered during the second Intifada because of Israeli occupation practices, which imposed restrictions on the ability of farmers to reach their fields and market their products.
Impact of Segregation Wall
According to the new route of the Wall, Beit Fajjar will be cut off from Bypass Road 60, denying the village access to its main market of marble and stone in Israel. Road 60 is also the main access route from Beit Fajjar to Bethlehem, Hebron and the rest of the West Bank. Alternative routes will be limited and unpaved, in both directions; although the current trip on Road 60 to Bethlehem takes less than 15 minutes, the new route will take one hour or more and cost twice as much in gasoline and vehicle maintenance. Residents of Beit Fajjar have said that being cut off from the main road will mean the economic death of the entire area.
Additionally, the new route of the Wall will enclose the west border of Beit Fajjar for more than one kilometer and will prevent farmers from accessing their agriculture lands on the west side.

Political Impact
Two Israeli settlements have been established on the west side of Beit Fajjar village: Magdal Oz and Etzion. These settlements are the primary reason for Israeli restrictions on villagers? movements and the closure of Route 60.

Table 8: Settlements Surrounded Beit Fajjar land by Area and Population
Settlement Name Date of Establishment Area
(Dunum) Population
1. Kfar Etzion 1967 903 512
2. Magdal oZ 1977 1078 327

Since the eruption of the second Intifada in 2000, the Israeli Forces has often imposed restrictions on the village and erected temporary and permanent checkpoints at its entrances, exemplified by the ?Gush Etzion checkpoint" on road 60 This checkpoint controls the movement of thousands of Palestinians.
Israeli forces demolished one house in Beit Fajjar during the Intifada.