Zemer


Zemer is an Arab local council in the Central District of Israel. It is located in the Arab Triangle area, between Baqa al-Gharbiyye and Bat Hefer on Road 574. Zemer is the result of a merger of four villages – Bir al-Sika, Ibtan, Marja and Yama, - in 1988

History

s dating from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine era have been found at Ibtan.
In 1265, two of the villages were mentioned among the estates which Sultan Baibars granted his emirs after he had defeated the Crusaders: The whole of Ibthan was given to his emir 'Alam al-Din Sanjar al-Halabi al-Salihi, while Yamma was divided equally between the emirs Saif al-Din Itamish al-Sa'di and Shams al-Din Aqsunqur.

Ottoman era

Yama and Ibtan appeared in Ottoman tax registers compiled in 1596, in the Nahiyas of Qaqun and Jabal Sami, respectively, of the Nablus Liwa. Yama had a population of 18 Muslim households and 5 bachelors, while Ibtan was indicated as empty even though it paid taxes.
In 1882, in the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine, only Khurbet Ibthan was noted, with "traces of ruins and a well."

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Bir al-Sikka had a population of 36, Ibthan 56 and Yamma 48, all Muslims.
Prior to 1948, all four villages were administratively related to the modern-day Palestinian town of Deir al-Ghusun.

Post-1948

Zemer's population at the end of 2009 was 5,700, and its jurisdiction is 8,203 dunams. The population increased to 6,375 in 2014.The mayor of Zemer is Yassin Harzalla.