| Kobar | |
| Arabic | كوبر |
| Governorate | Ramallah & al-Bireh |
| Government | Village Council |
| Also spelled | Kaubar (officially) |
| Coordinates | 31°59′20.06″N 35°09′32.74″E / 31.9889056°N 35.1590944°ECoordinates: 31°59′20.06″N 35°09′32.74″E / 31.9889056°N 35.1590944°E |
| Population | 3,667 (2007) |
| Jurisdiction |
9,700 dunams (9.7 km²) |
| Head of Municipality | Abdul Karim Hasan Dar Yousif |
Kobar (Arabic: كوبر) is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the northern West Bank, located 13 kilometers (8 mi) northwest of Ramallah. The village is situated on a hill at an altitude of 640 meters above sea level and is along Highway 37. Its built-up area consists of about 1,300 dunams and a total area of approximately 9,700 dunams. In 1922, the population of the village was about 447 people, which rose 610 in 1945. According to Kobar's Village Council, it had a population of 4,500 residents in 2006,[1] however, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics give the figure 3,667 for 2007.[2]
Kobar contains two secondary schools (one male and one female) and a co-ed primary school. Each school has roughly 500 students. The estimated number of university students about 200 studying in Bir Zeit University or elsewhere. There are three mosques: Masjid ash-Shuhada was built in 2005, Masjid Kobar al-Qadima and Masjid Abu Bakr al-Sadiq. Kobar has a sports and culture club which was established in 1973 and women and children's club since 2001.[1] The village is governed by a village council of eleven members including the chairman of the council.[3] The Barghouti clan is the largest in the town and make-up about a third of the council. Marwan Barghouti was born in Kobar.[4]
Kobar gained considerable media attention when on February 22, 2008 the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) tortured a pro-Hamas imam, Majid Barghouti to death. The PNA claimed he died of a heart attack, but the Human Rights Watch and Barghouti's family claim he died from being tortured.[5]
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