Abu Dis

Infobox Palestinian Authority muni
name=Abu Dis


imgsize=
caption=
arname=ابو ديس
meaning=
founded=
type=muna
typefrom=
altOffSp=Abu Dies
altUnoSp=
governorate=jl
population=12,100
popyear=2006
area=28,332
areakm=28.3
latd=31 |latm=45 |lats=44.35 |latNS=N
longd=35 |longm=15|longs=57.05 |longEW=E
mayor=

Abu Dis ( _ar. ابو ديس) is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate, bordering Jerusalem. Abu Dis is due east of the Jerusalem municipal border. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of approximately 12,100 in mid-year 2006. [ [http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/populati/pop08.aspx Projected Mid -Year Population for Jerusalem Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006] Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)]

Abu Dis has a boy's secondary school, a girl's secondary school and a primary school. Abu Dis is also home to the Al-Quds University.

History

According to the UN General Assembly Resolution 194 in 1948, Abu Dis was to be the most Eastern part of the "corpus separatum" Jerusalem area. However, like the rest of the West Bank, it was annexed by Jordan at the end of the British Mandate in 1948.

Israel occupied it in the 1967 Six-Day War, and since the 1995 signing of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip it has been administered by the Palestinian National Authority. Abu Dis has been mentioned as a possible capital by the Israeli government for a future Palestinian State. [ [http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/980507/1998050729.html Palestine denies Arafat's approval of Abu Dis as Palestinian capital] Arabic News. 1998-05-07] Most of the PNA's offices responsible for Jerusalem affairs are located in the town. [http://www.un.org/unrwa/emergency/barrier/profiles/abu_dis.pdf UNRWA Profile of Abu Dis] United Nations Relief and Works Agency March 2004]

Barrier

On January 13 2004 cranes lowered massive concrete slabs into place on the edge of East Jerusalem as the Palestinian residents of Abu Dis got their first look at the concrete barrier that Israel is constructing through Jerusalem. [ [http://www.jerusalemquarterly.org/publications/pdfs/chron.pdf Jerusalem Quarterly] Jerusalem Chronology (October - January 2004)] The recent construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier along the border between Abu Dis and Jerusalem has made it difficult for Abu Dis' residents to access Jerusalem's services without a permit. The barrier will also detach over 6,000 dunums of arable land from the city's total land area of 28,332 dunums. [ [http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=331 Abu Dis: A Palestinian Town Tarred by the Israeli Wall] Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. 2004-02-04.]

References

External links

* [http://www.abudis.net Abu Dis advocacy site]