Qarawat Bani Zeid () is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located 22 kilometers northwest of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Qarawat Bani Zeid had a population of 3,415 inhabitants in 2017. Almost all of Qarawat Bani Zeid is under the complete control of the Palestinian National Authority, as it is located within Area A.

Situated close to the village mosque is the remains of a Roman pool, about 60 meters underground.

Etymology Qarawat Bani Zeid is named after the Arab tribe of Bani Zeid, that settled in the town after the Muslim Ayyubid victory against the Crusaders in 1187.Bani Zeid: Excerpt Palestinian Association for Culture Exchange The "Qarawat" portion of the name comes from the Arabic word Qaran, which means "central point", originating from the site's location between the major cities of Nablus, Jericho and Jerusalem. There is also speculation that the name comes from Qira, which means "place that respects guests".Qarawat Bani Zeid Village Profile International Women's Peace Service. April 2004. According to Palmer, the name means "the towns of Ibn Zeid, in the Beni Zeid district."

Location Qarawat Bani Zeid is located northwest of Ramallah. It is bordered by Bani Zeid ash Sharqiya to the east and to the south, Farkha and Bruqin to the north, and Kafr 'Ein to the west.

History Potsherds from the IA I-II, IA II, lA II/ Persian, Persian, Hellenistic, Hellenistic/Roman, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader/Ayyubid and Mamluk eras have been found in the village.Finkelstein et al., 1997, p. 443

Ottoman era In 1517, the village was included in the Ottoman Empire with the rest of Palestine, and in the 1596 tax-records it appeared as Qarawa, located in the nahiye of Quds (Jerusalem) in the sanjak of the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem. The population was 32 households, all Muslim. They paid a tax rate of 33,3% on agricultural products, which included wheat, barley, olive trees, vineyards and fruit trees, occasional revenues, goats and beehives; a total of 24,000 Akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 120Toledano, 1984, p. 297, has Qarawa located at 35°07′15″E 32°03′15″N. He further noted that the place was called Qurawa Bani Zayd in the 1525-6 register. Potsherds from the early Ottoman era have also been found.

In 1838, it was described as a Muslim village, called Kurawa, in the Beni Zeid district, north of Jerusalem.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol. 3, p. 82, 2nd Appendix, p. 124

In 1869, Victor Guérin found the village to have 300 inhabitants.Guérin, 1875, pp. 148-149 He also noted a fragment of an ancient pillar.Guérin, 1875, p. 149; cited in Finkelstein et al., 1997, p. 443

An official Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Karawa had a total of 48 houses and a population of 200, though the population count only included men.Socin, 1879, p. 155 It was noted to be in the Beni Zeid districtHartmann, 1883, p. 106, also noted 48 houses

In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described is as "a small village on a knoll, with ancient tombs, and a tank, surrounded with olives."Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 290

In 1896 the population of Karawa was estimated to be about 312 persons.Schick, 1896, p. 124

British Mandate era In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Karawa Beni Zaid had a population of 274 Muslims,Barron, 1923, Table VII, Sub-district of Ramallah, p. 16 increasing in the 1931 census to 394, still all Muslims, in a total of 88 houses.Mills, 1932, p. 50

In the 1945 statistics the population was 500 Muslims,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 26 while the total land area was 5,100 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, 3,421 were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 219 for cereals,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 112 while 21 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, Qarawat Bani Zeid came under Jordanian rule.

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 928 inhabitants in Qarawat Bani Zeid.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 24

Post-1967 Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Qarawat Bani Zeid has been under Israeli occupation.

After the 1995 accords, 99.7% of village land is classified as Area A, the remainder 0.3% is Area B.Qarawat Bani Zeid Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 16 As of 2004, the village held no elections, but has a Village Council with representatives from each of the families who then choose a Mayor. Around 70% of the village supports the Palestinian People's Party (Communist Party), the rest support Fatah, Hamas or PFLP. About 60% of the workforce is unemployed.

Economy Qarawat Bani Zeid's main economic sectors are agriculture and traditional industries. The village's land area consists of about 8,000 dunams, 30% of which is built-up area, another 30% is covered with crops or orchards and the remaining 40% consists of either unused land or roads. The main crops that are grown are lentils, vegetables, thyme (za'atar) and sage. Grapes, as well as olive and fig orchards are also grown in the village lands. Traditional industries include basket weaving from olive wood, wool and leather-making and food manufacturing, particularly cheese.

About 60% of the village's working population are unemployed. The 40% that are employed work mostly in farming, simple commerce or teaching. However, some inhabitants work in government offices in Ramallah. There are two mosques, a hammam, a library, a social club for teenagers and a women's club in Qarawat Bani Zeid.

Government Qarawat Bani Zeid is governed by a village council. Elections are not held; rather, the council — which has representatives from the village's prominent families — select a mayor. The primary political faction is the Palestinian People's Party (PPP) and Fatah, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have minor influence in the village.

References

Bibliography

External links Welcome To Qarawat Bani Zeid Survey of Western Palestine, Map 14: IAA , Wikimedia commons Qarawat Bani Zeid Village (Fact Sheet), Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ) Qarawat Bani Zeid Village Profile, ARIJ Qarawat Bani Zeid, aerial photo, ARIJ Locality Development Priorities and Needs in Qarawat Bani Zeid Village, ARIJ