Local Development Committee in Bethlehem, State of Palestine
Al-Masara (Arabic : المعصرة , pronounced al-Ma'sara ; translation : "the press") is a Palestinian village in the central West Bank , 6.2 km southwest of Bethlehem , part of the Bethlehem Governorate . It is surrounded by a number of smaller Palestinian villages, including Khallet al-Haddad to the east.[ 2] The population was 1,085 in the 2017 census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).[ 1]
History
Name. Archaeology
Its name, which translates as "the press", derives from the Byzantine Empire -era olive press still located in al-Ma'sara.[ 2] In 1883 the PEF 's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) noted "heaps of stones and cisterns " at Khurbet Marsia .[ 3]
Establishment (1930)
The modern town was founded in 1930 by members of the Arab al-Zawahra and at-Ta'mirah tribes.[ 2]
Post-1967
After the Six-Day War in 1967, Al-Masara has been under Israeli occupation .
Institutions
A seven-member local development committee was established by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to administer the village, most which is located in Area B giving the PNA jurisdiction over al-Ma'sara's civil affairs.[ 2] The head of the committee is Mahmoud Alaeddin.[ 4]
There is one mosque , al-Ma'sara Mosque, and a primary and secondary school in the village.[ 2]
Economy
Agriculture accounts for 70% of al-Ma'sara's economic activity, while the civil sector makes up 16%. The total land area is 973 dunams , of which 42 dunams are designated built-up. Most of the remainder is arable land , 505 dunams of which are cultivated.[ 2]
References
Bibliography
External links