Jayyous

Infobox Palestinian Authority muni
name=Jayyous


imgsize=200
caption=
arname=جيوس
meaning=
founded=
type=mund
typefrom=
altOffSp=Jayyus
altUnoSp=
governorate=ql
latd=32|latm=12|lats=04.77|latNS=N
longd=35|longm=02|longs=05.58|longEW=E
population=3,300
popyear=2006
area=
areakm=
mayor=

Jayyous ( _ar. جيوس) is a Palestinian village near the west border of the West Bank, close to Qalqilya. It is a farming community. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of approximately 3,307 inhabitants in 2006. [ [http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/populati/pop04.aspx Projected Mid -Year Population] for Qalqilya Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]

Located in an area directly affected by the Israeli-built separation barrier, around 75 per cent of the village's farming land is on the other side of the wall. [ [http://www.un.org/unrwa/emergency/barrier/case_studies/permits.pdf UNRWA] ] . In order to get to their land the farmers need to use one of two gates, North gate or South gate, or gates number 943 and 979 respectively. The two gates are supposed to be open for three short periods a day. In June 2005, the gates were usually closed, and farmers were staging regular protests at the gate. As of February 2007, the gates are open for only 3 hours per day - one hour each morning, afternoon and evening on average.

In 2002, Jayyous became the first village to mount a non-violent campaign with Israeli and international participation against the construction of the wall and the expansion of settlements on its land. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-08-17-omar_x.htm USATODAY.com - Israel's wall hems in livelihoods and dreams ] ] Because their agricultural land has been cut off of the wall, 50% of the once prosperous Jayyous villagers are now on foreign food aid, according to "The Financial Times". [ [http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/article.php?id=528 Stop Caterpillar] : Palestinian farmers fear advance of West Bank wall] In January 2005 Ta'ayush activists along with Gush Shalom, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Machsom Watch, Anarchists Against the Wall together with residents of the Palestinian village, began to plant hundred of olive saplings which they had brought with them to the plot of land where the bulldozers of the settlers had uprooted hundreds of olive trees. Advocate Wiam Shbeyta, an activist of the Ta'ayush movement said:-

"In spite of the police and army assertions, we do not recognise the ownership of the settlers over this land. This land belongs to the Jayyous villagers and the company "Geulat HaKarka" which is associated with the settlers took control of it on the false assertion that it was sold to them. The matter is still awaiting legal review, and we will not allow the settlers to dictate facts on the ground, to grab Palestinian lands and to commence establishing a new settlement on it". [ [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0501/S00017.htm Scoop Independent world news from a Gush Shalom column] ]

The mayor, elected in 2005, is a retired teacher of English, and a member of Hamas. He is also a farmer who has lost a large portion of his land behind the wall.Fact|date=June 2007

Falkirk, Scotland, maintains a sister-city partnership with Jayyous, a history of this twinning can be found at [http://www.antoninefriendshiplink.co.uk The Antonine Friendship Link] . [ [http://www.twinningwithpalestine.net/groups-westbank.html Twinning with Palestine] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.jayyousonline.org/jayyous_news.htm Jayyous News] ar icon.
* [http://www.jayyousonline.org/englishweb/englishindex.htm Jayyous News and Information] .
* [http://www.un.org/unrwa/emergency/barrier/profiles/jayous.html Effects of the barrier on Jayyous from the UNRWA website] .
* [http://www.un.org/unrwa/emergency/barrier/case_studies/permits.pdf UNRWA Case Study on Jayyous and Falamyeh]
* [http://pamolson.org/Week18.htm An essay about olive harvest in Jayyous and effects of military occupation and property destruction]
* [http://www.antoninefriendshiplink.co.uk The Antonine Friendship Link]