Madama is a Palestinian village in the Nablus Governorate.
Location Madama is located south of Nablus. It is bordered by Burin to the east, Asira al-Qibliya to the west and south, and Tell and Iraq Burin to the north.Madama Village Profile, p. 4
History Ottoman era In 1517, the village was included in the Ottoman Empire with the rest of Palestine, and in the 1596 tax-records it was noted as Madama, located in the Nahiya of Jabal Qubal, part of Nablus Sanjak. The population was 36 households, all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax rate of 33,3% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues and a fixed tax for people of Nablus area; a total of 6,250 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 131
In 1870/1871 (1288 AH), an Ottoman census listed the village in the nahiya (sub-district) of Jamma'in al-Thani, subordinate to Nablus.
In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Madama as: "a small hamlet in a valley."Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 163
British Mandate era In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Madama had a population of 170, all Muslims,Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 24 increasing in the 1931 census to 211, still all Muslims, in a total of 67 houses.Mills, 1932, p. 62
In the 1945 statistics Madama had a population of 290 MuslimsGovernment of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 19 and a total of 3,361 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 60 Of this, 162 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 1,943 used for cereals,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 107 while 30 dunams were built-up land.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 157
Jordanian era In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Madama came under Jordanian rule.
The Jordanian census of 1961 found 456 inhabitants in Madama.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 26
Post-1967 Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Madama has been under Israeli occupation.
After the 1995 accords, 62% of Madama land was defined as Area B, while the remaining 32% was defined as Area C. Israel has confiscated 139 dunams of land from Madama in order to construct the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar.Madama Village Profile, p. 16
Settler violence
In 2006, an incident occurred in Madama in which neighbouring Israeli settlers both "poisoned the village's only well and shot at aid workers who came to clean it."
In May 2017, Israeli settlers, apparently from Yitzhar, attacked a Palestinian shepherd from Madama. The Palestinian was "bleeding profusely", and was sent to a hospital in Nablus. The Israeli soldiers "fired in the air, dispersing the assailants", but none of the attackers were arrested.Palestinian shepherd suffers head wound in attack by Israelis in West Bank, Yotam Berger, May 27, 2017, Haaretz
In April 2018, Israeli soldiers were filmed "cheering after shooting unarmed Palestinian with rubber bullets" by a roadblock by Madama.Israeli soldiers filmed cheering after shooting unarmed Palestinian with rubber bullets, 25 April 2018 The Independent
In May 2019, it was reported that Israeli settlers from Yitzhar had started razing and levelling Palestinian-owned agricultural lands in Madama, in order to make a settler-only road.Israeli settlers raze Palestinian lands for settler-only road, May 6, 2019, Ma'an News Agency
In September 2019, settlers from Yitzhar stormed the southern part of Madama and set fire to olive trees. Settlers Storm Madama Village, September 5, 2019
On 20 January 2023, about 30 settlers escorted by 7 soldiers came to the village of Madama and began stoning residents homes. Residents attempting to defend their homes were fired upon by the soldiers, who used tear gas and several live rounds. The settlers then left the area through village olive groves, breaking three roughly five-year-old olive trees on their way out.
Destruction of monument in Madama On 25 August 2026, during a tour escorted by the Israeli military, Zvi Sukkot and his aides destroyed a monument commemorating "martyrs" who were killed in the First and Second Intifadas in Madama. Sukkot stated the monument was "commemorating terrorists in the murderers' villages" of Madama and Burin and called for the Israeli army to remove the monument a few days prior, though to no avail. He also stated on social media: "Every child who sees a huge monument that glorifies the murderers of Jews every day will dream of becoming a terrorist." The IDF accused Sukkot of having "acted deceptively and manipulatively", in asking for its protection at the location, verifying that resources were diverted to accompany Sukkot only for him to commit the vandalism.
His actions were condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it as "unacceptable" and "interferes with the IDF’s ability to focus on its missions against terrorism and incitement." Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionist Party, Bezalel Smotrich condemned Sukkot's actions, reportedly telling him that "he should not have acted without proper authorization and authority" and RZP member of Knesset, Ohad Tal, denounced the incident in the party's group on WhatsApp.
References
Bibliography
External links Welcome To Madama Survey of Western Palestine, Map 11: IAA, Wikimedia commons Madama Village Profile, Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem, ARIJ Madama photo, ARIJ Development Priorities and Needs in Madama, ARIJ