Al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. The village had a population of 5,180 in 2017.
In 2005 it merged with the village of Abu Shukheidim to form the town of Al-Zaitounah.
History Pottery sherds from the Byzantine era and the early Ottoman period have been found here.Finkelstein et al, 1997, p.392 Finkelstein and Lederman argue that Röhricht's identification of the village with the Medieval site of Mezrea, mentioned in a Frankish text related to the area, should be disregarded in light of these findings.
Ottoman era The village was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 with all of Palestine, and in 1596 it appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as Qibliyya, being in the nahiya (subdistrict) of Quds, part of the liwa (district) of Quds. It had a population of 8 households, all Muslims. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 33.3% on various agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and/or beehives, in addition to "occasional revenues"; a total of 2,190 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 112 Pottery sherds from the early Ottoman era have also been found here.
In 1838, it was noted as a Muslim village, el-Mezra'ah, in the Bani Harith district, north of Jerusalem.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 124
An Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Mezra'a had 111 houses and a population of 428, though the population count included men, only.Socin, 1879, p. 158 It was also noted to be in the Beni Harit districtHartmann, 1883, p. 126, noted 112 houses
In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described Mezeirat el Kibliyeh as: "a good sized village on low ground, among olives".Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 294
In 1896 the population of 'Mezraa in Bani Harit was estimated to be about 1,569 persons.Schick, 1896, p. 122
British Mandate In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate of Palestine, there were 492 people living in Al Mizra'a al-Qibliyeh, all Muslims,Barron, 1923, Table VII, Sub-district of Ramallah, p. 17 rising to 799 Muslims in the 1931 census, in a total of 162 houses.Mills, 1932, p. 50.
In 1945 statistics the population was 860, all Muslims,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 26 while the total land area was 13,240 dunams, according to an official land and population survey.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 65 Of this, 6,483 were plantations and irrigable land, 1,847 for cereals,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 112 while 34 dunams were classified as built-up areas.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 162
Jordanian era In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya came under Jordanian rule.
The Jordanian census of 1961 found 1,349 inhabitants.Government of Jordan, 1964, p. 24
Post-1967 Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya has been under Israeli occupation.
After the 1995 accords, 54.2% of Al-Zaitounah land was defined as Area B, while the remaining 45.8% was defined as Area C. Israel has confiscated 308 dunams of land from Al-Zaitounah in order to construct two Israeli settlements, Talmon and Nahl'iel.AL-Zaytouneh Town Profile, ARIJ, p. 18
Israeli settlers have started encroaching on Al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya land, especially the hilltop named Khirbet Na’alan. On October 15, 2018, the settlers entered the village in the night and damaged 28 cars, drawing Stars of David on them and writing “Death to the Arabs.” On October 26, 2018, in an altercation between villagers and Israeli settlers, the Israel Border Police, without warning, started shooting the Palestinian villagers. 9 Palestinians were wounded, 2 were killed; Uthman Labawda, 33 years old and the father of 4, and Mohammed Ibrahim Shreitah, the father of 2.Struggle over quiet hill claims lives of two Palestinians, shot by Israeli troops at close range, Gideon Levy, November 29, 2018, Haaretz
References
Bibliography
External links Welcome to al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya Survey of Western Palestine, Map 14: IAA, Wikimedia commons AL-Zaytouneh town (fact sheet), Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ) AL-Zaytouneh town profile, (ARIJ) AL-Zaytouneh aerial photo, (ARIJ) Locality Development Priorities and Needs in AL- Zaytouneh Town, (ARIJ)