General Background

Al-Msāʿadiyyah is an unrecognized Bedouin village north of the planned town of al-Lagiyyih. It has existed in its current location since before the founding of Israel, and today contains around 700 residents. It is named after the Abu Msāʿad family from whom the residents originally purchased their lands. The area contains caves and water cisterns which have served the villagers in the past.

Services and Infrastructure

There are no schools in al-Msāʿadiyyah. The students are bussed daily to al-Lagiyyih, 2.5 km away. The village does not have any health services, and the villagers must travel to al-Lagiyyih for clinic visits.

After many years in which the village was not connected to water, a water point was recently installed for the villagers near their houses. However, the village is still not connected to electricity and the villagers use solar panels and generators to supply their own electricity. The village has no paved roads.

Threats

Al-Msāʿadiyyah is one of the unrecognized villages under threat by the District Master Plan, according to which a forest area is to be planted in its place. Since the village is unrecognized, its houses are routinely demolished by the State. The villagers have ownership claims on the properties they live on, and will accept two options: either that the Master Plan for al-Lagiyyih will be expanded northwards, and their village be recognized as an agricultural settlement included in the town; or else that al-Msāʿadiyyah be recognized as an independent agricultural village.