MA’AN Development Center Nablus From Economic Metropolisp to Shrinkingg Cityy January 2008 The Nablus old city has one OVERVIEW of the oldest souks (covered Nablus governorate central markets) in the West Bank. It is governorate of the northern one of the most important cies West Bank, located 55 for trade, industry and educaon kilometres north of Jerusalem. in the occupied Palesnian territory (oPt). The city’s The governorate, which is the populaon is predominantly fourth largest in the West Bank, Muslim, with Chrisan and following Hebron, Bethlehem, Samaritan minories. and Ramallah governorates, There are 56 communies in the extends over a total area of 2 governorate with an esmated 605km . populaon of 345,847 (PCBS mid-year populaon projecon The heart of the governorate, 2003), the populaon of Nablus Nablus city, is the largest city is about 137, 891, or 39.8% Palesnian city in the West of the total populaon in the Map (1): Nablus location map Bank. Its history dates back district. to ancient mes and it is menonedintheOldTestament On the outskirts of Nablus as the Canaanite city of city there are three large and Shekhem. Its present name densely populated refugee derives from the Roman city camps ‘Ein Beit el Ma (5,178 of Flavius Neapolis, which was inhabitants), ‘Askar (13,064 changed into its current Arabic inhabitants) and Balata (18,142 from Nablus in the 8th century. inhabitants). General view of Nablus and its Old City from Al Tor Mountain 2 Nablus in History The city of Nablus was founded in 72 CE by the Romans. During the subsequent Ooman rule, the city was named “Lile Damascus” and visitors to the town can sll detect some of the strong pan-Arab roots on which this associaon is based. In the 19th century, the city became a major industrial center for olive oil and coon processing. The town’s historic old city includes nine historic mosques, 18 Islamic monuments, an Ayyubid mausoleum and a 17th-century church, as well as Ooman-era palaces and Turkish baths. Al Naser historic mosque Nablus has boasted 79% of the monotheisc religions. A small vegetable oil processing industry, community of Jewish Samaritans including soap producon, which resides on Mount Gerezim, on the is centered in the old city. Another edge of Nablus. They are recognized important industry has been stone as an official minority and retain quarrying and processing, with 54 one quota seat on the Palesnian quarries (37% of all quarries) located Legislave Council. in the area alongside one-third of Palesnian stone-cung operaons. The city is home to all three Informaon from Costs of Conflict, OCHA & Palesnian Chambers of Commerce 3 It’s Wednesday morning in the Nablus souk and business is slow. One week Nablus in Crisis before the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, the market should be humming with • Forced internal displacement acvity. But last night, December 10, • Transfer of major markets and industries Israeli undercover forces entered the outside of Nablus town and killed a wanted Palesnian. • Unemployment Mosques earlier in the day announced • Destrucon and insecurity caused by Israeli a “haddad” or an unofficial commercial military raids strike. Most shops were open anyway, • Regional inaccessibility of basic services due but the shoppers were few. to encircling Israeli checkpoints “I’ve been here since the morning, and • Isolaon of the city from its hinterlands this is my first sale today,” Yahia Ahmad caused by Israeli selements and their Izzain, 58, said at 11 am, standing behind infrastructure a pile of burnished apples and oranges. A produce seller for decades in one of Nablus’ markets, he has watched the change in the city’s fortunes as it has transformed from the center of West Bank industry to a closed, shrinking city. While the Nablus nave used to go to Israel and Jericho himself to pick out produce for his stall, these days he can’t get an Israeli permit to cross the checkpoints and is forced to buy from a distributor in town at much higher cost. In any case, “people just don’t have money to buy these days,” he says. Downtown Nablus on a day of “haddad”. The once-bustling streets are quiet One of Nablus’ vegetable markets on a slow day 4 C«»ÖÊ®ÄãÝ Ä BùÖÝÝ RÊÝ C«»ÖÊ®ÄãÝ Ä BùÖÝÝ RÊÝ Nablus city, home to 137,891 people, and center for an esmated 345,847 people in Nablus governorate, is surrounded by no less than 106 permanent Israeli military checkpoints, seven of them just outside the city.1 Nablus is disnct from other Palesnian cies because all goods are required to pass through one of two special commercial checkpoints; ‘Awarta and Beit Iba through back-to-back process. At ‘Awarta crossing south of the city, a truck carries goods to one side and a special Back-to-back transfer of goods at Beit Iba checkpoint vehicle removes the products for a security check before they are transferred to another truck on the crossing’s other side. The same “Overall, it is esmated that Palesnians are process is observed for goods entering from restricted from some 41 secons of roads in the West the northwest at Artah crossing (also known Bank covering an approximate distance of 700 km. as at-Tayba), which is a gate in the Apartheid For the most part, the restricted roads are major north-south and east-west transport routes which Wall near Tulkarem. These goods are then only are now reserved for the movement of selers or allowed to enter Nablus city through Beit Iba internaonals. Palesnian drivers and vehicles can 2 checkpoint. Delays, closures, and traffic jams apply for special permits to use these roads, but mar the free transport of food, clothes, and raw “flying checkpoints” (stop and search acvies in materials that are required for the survival of temporary locaons) are rounely in operaon and Nablus markets and factories. applied to most Palesnian vehicles (idenfied by green license plates rather than the yellow plates of “Imagine how long the process takes, how Israeli and selement registered vehicles). Because much special security checking – because for the delays and other problems associated with the the Israelis any security checkpoint is sacred,” “flying checkpoints” add significant uncertainty, cost and risk to the transportaon of goods, they act as says Amjad Nimr of the Nablus Chamber of a further deterrent to Palesnian economic acvity. Commerce. “Somemes the soldiers behave All non-permied Palesnian private and commercial badly, or the goods are ruined in the wait. traffic are forced onto smaller and less-maintained Somemes the goods go through checking two roads and circuitous routes. Moreover, most new or three mes.” roads constructed in the West Bank over the last several years have restricted use by Palesnians. In Palesnians cross Huwara on foot through a general, there are no formal wrien orders from the narrow turnsle Military Commander of the West Bank regarding restricons on road usage by Palesnians and according to the Internaonal Law Department of the IDF, military commanders have the right to restrict road usage for security purposes, and it is sufficient to issue such orders verbally.” - From Movement and Access Restricons in the West Bank: Uncertainty and Inefficiency in the Palesnian Economy, World Bank, May 2007 1 The Humanitarian Impact…, OCHA, p. 90. 2 Interview with Amjad Nimr, Nablus Chamber of Commerce, Public Relaons Department, December 11, 2007. 5 Table (1): Checkpoints outside Nablus City Checkpoint outside Route DescripƟon Nablus City Pedestrian crossing with narrow turnsles, watch Southern entrance to towers, detenon rooms, electronic and x-ray Huwara Nablus city checks, gates for cars, permits required for entry and exit of cars Commercial crossing Back-to-back transfer of goods from trucks on each ‘Awarta south of Nablus city side, high-tech security checking Commercial and pedestrian crossing, trucks and Beit Iba Northwest of Nablus city cars require permit, limited hours Similar to Huwara but only for use by Beit Furik and Beit Furik East of Nablus city Beit Dajan residents Watch towers, gates for car passage, Nablus gate to Al Bathan East of Nablus city the Jordan valley Hamra East of Nablus city Similar to Huwara checkpoint East of Aqraba, leads to Car checking lanes, watch towers, passage allowed Ma’ale Efrayim northern West Bank and only for permit holders who are usually workers in Jordan valley Jordan valley Watch towers, car checking lanes, no pedestrians, South of Nablus city, Zaatara main gateway to and from northern governorates of aer Huwara Nablus, Tubas, Jenin, Tulkarem and Qalqilia West of Nablus city to Tayasir Like Ma’ale Efrayim checkpoint the Jordan valley Al-Juneid West of Nablus city Watchtowers, gateway to Qalqilia and Tulkarem Source: OCHA, checkpoint list provided to Nablus governorate, unpublished data. Palesnian vehicles at Huwara checkpoint 6 Checkpoints and other physical obstacles surrounding Nablus city Map (2): From the Humanitarian Impact of Israeli Infrastructure the West Bank - OCHA - Decmber 2007 7 Sãã½ÃÄãÝ More North Established before SeƩlements March 2001 Ya’bad Jenin Established after Ä OçãÖÊÝãÝ Miokdonan Qabatia March 2001 (when Ariel Arrabeh Sharon took office as On January 7, 2008 Israel’s eleventh prime The flow of people is similarly the Israeli newspaper, minister) Tulkarm restricted. Fourteen Israeli Tubas Ha’aretz, published a Shaveh Shamron selements and 26 outposts report on more than Nablus Bek’out Balata (selements established without 100 new Israeli outposts Qalqilia Karneh Shamron Israeli government permits) Alfe Menasheh to be established Oranit Bidya Sh’ari Ariel surround the city of Nablus, Tekva Ma’ale in the West Bank. Salfit and the roads connecng them According to Peace Ale Zahav Efrayim are considered off-limits to Now, about 50 outposts, 3 Palesnians.