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= = Breeding = =
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The breeding season starts in May in Poland but further north in Scandinavia may not start until early July . The female fieldfare builds a cup @-@ shaped nest with no attempt at concealment . The location is often in woodland but may be in a hedgerow , garden , among rocks , in a pile of logs , in a hut or on the ground . Fieldfares usually nest in close proximity to others of the same species . The adults will defend the nest aggressively and nesting gregariously may offer protection from predators . The nest is built of dried grasses and weeds with a few twigs and a little moss , with a lining of mud and an inner lining of fine grasses . There are usually five to six eggs in a clutch , but occasionally three , four , seven or eight eggs are laid . The eggs vary in size from 28 @.@ 8 by 20 @.@ 9 millimetres ( 1 @.@ 13 in × 0 @.@ 82 in ) to 33 @.@ 5 by 23 @.@ 4 millimetres ( 1 @.@ 32 in × 0 @.@ 92 in ) and are variable in colour . Many are pale blue speckled with fine brown dots and resemble those of the common blackbird . Others are bright blue , with or without larger red @-@ brown splotches . Incubation starts before all the eggs are laid and lasts for thirteen to fourteen days . The female does all or most of the incubation . The chicks are altricial and both parents bring food to them . They are usually ready to leave the nest after fourteen to sixteen days and there may be two broods in the season , especially in the southern parts of the breeding range .
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= = Status and conservation = =
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The fieldfare has an extensive range , estimated at 10 million square kilometres ( 3 @.@ 8 million square miles ) , and a large population , including an estimated forty two to seventy two million individuals in Europe . There are thought to be up to twenty thousand individuals in Russia and the global population is estimated to be between forty four and ninety six million individuals . The population size appears to be stable and the bird is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ( i.e. , declining more than 30 % in ten years or three generations ) , and is therefore evaluated as being of " Least Concern " .
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In the United Kingdom , at the extreme edge of the fieldfare 's breeding range , only a handful of pairs breed . It is therefore classified by the RSPB as a Red List species as of January 2013 .
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= Type 94 Nambu pistol =
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The Type 94 Nambu 8 mm Pistol ( Type 94 Handgun , Japanese : 九四式拳銃 Kyūyon @-@ Shiki Kenjū ) is a semiautomatic pistol developed by Kijirō Nambu and his associates for the Imperial Japanese Army . Development of the Type 94 pistol began in 1929 , and after several redesigns the final prototype was tested and officially adopted by the Japanese Army in late 1934 ( Japanese calendar , 2594 ) . The Type 94 pistol entered production in 1935 . Approximately 71 @,@ 000 pistols were manufactured before production ended in 1945 .
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The Type 94 pistol was designed for , and popular among , Japanese tank and aircraft crews who preferred a smaller , lightweight design . Japanese weapons experts have subsequently criticized some design elements of the Type 94 ; in particular the pistol could be fired unintentionally before the breech was fully locked if the sear bar on the side of the receiver was jarred loose and the pistol was improperly handled . Additionally , the process to disassemble the pistol is overly complex and awkward . The build quality of the Type 94 pistol declined over its production run ; " last ditch " pistols made in 1945 were crudely manufactured .
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= = History = =
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The Type 94 Nambu pistol was designed by Kojiro Nambu after he retired from the Japanese Army and founded the Nambu Rifle Manufacturing Company . Design for the Type 94 Nambu pistol commenced in 1929 with the goal of reducing the bulk and price of previous Nambu designs . The Imperial Japanese Army felt a smaller pistol of domestic design that could accommodate the standard 8 × 22mm Nambu cartridge was needed to substitute the larger , heavier , and only official military pistol , the Type 14 Nambu . The demand for officer 's handguns had increased as a result of Japan 's invasion of Manchuria during the Second Sino @-@ Japanese War . A new design was also wanted by the Japanese Army to include a magazine safety , to prevent unintentional discharges during cleaning that were common among Japanese personnel . Naming of the Type 94 pistol reflects the change in Japanese nomenclature with the 94 reckoning back to the mythical foundation of Japan in 660 BC therefore year 2594 instead of the traditional emperor reign period used to name the Type 26 revolver or Type 14 Nambu pistol . The final prototype for the Type 94 was officially adopted by the Japanese Army in late 1934 after several redesigns . Production began under the supervision of the Nagoya Army Arsenal at the Nambu Rifle Manufacturing Company and later its successor , Chuo Kogyo Company , Ltd . An estimated 71 @,@ 000 pistols were produced for the military but the exact quantity is unknown because of the production of unserialized pistols and undated pistols . During World War II the pistol became a preferred weapon for tank crews and paratroopers who required a smaller , more convenient pistol . The Type 94 was never officially adopted by the Imperial Japanese Navy but was available to officers through the Japanese officer 's union .
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= = Design = =
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The Type 94 pistol is operated by a different mechanism than previous Japanese sidearms . Unlike previously designed Nambu pistols , the Type 94 operates with a concealed hammer and with a firing pin rather than a hammer . According to authors , Harry L. Derby and James D. Brown , the firing pin is inherently weak and is prone to breakage because of a recess cut provided for the crossbolt and is prone to breaking at this point . The sturdier hammer firing mechanism was developed and included in the Type 94 to replace the poor striker on the Type 14 Nambu . The locking system is a rising @-@ block type which floats independently between the lugs underneath the chamber end of the barrel . The single coil mainspring is positioned around the barrel around the barrel instead of to the rear of the barrel as found on other Nambu pistols . The grip is smaller than other Japanese pistols and is finished with smooth wood but according to author Jeff Kinard , are more comfortable for use by men with smaller hands . The magazine holds a maximum of six rounds because of the smaller grip and it is considered difficult to reload the weapon , with pressure from the bolt holding it inside the pistol . The magazine catch protrudes far enough to occasionally disengage when the pistol is placed on its left side on a hard surface . The magazine could also disengage if squeezed into or jarred in a holster . The manual safety lever is located on the left rear of the frame and has the kanji for fire and safe stamped onto the frame . The front blade sight on the muzzle of the Type 94 pistol and the rear fixed V were occasionally inaccurately positioned making them useless when the weapon is being aimed . The rear sight was reduced from a U @-@ shape to a simple notch in 1944 with the front blade being left unchanged but less attention to detail being applied as World War II progressed .
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= = = Final production = = =
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The quality of Type 94 Nambu pistols decreased towards the end of World War II as the Japanese faced bombing raids from allied forces and material shortages increased . This drastic change in quality from late March 1945 , onwards with all quality standards appearing to disappear towards the end of June 1945 . The smooth wooden finished grip was replaced by a bakelite checkered pattern . Many pistols were not serialized and no pistols have been reported that bear July 1945 manufacture date . Only four unserialized and undated pistols are known to exist and include mismatch parts with no inspection marks , lanyard loops , and extractors . A small number of pistols made during the final production stages include earlier production dates and appear to have been salvaged from previously discarded pistols that had minor or cosmetic defects .
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= = Disassembly = =
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Disassembly of the Type 94 Nambu pistol is considered difficult and can lead to damage to the pistol if done carelessly . After clearing the Type 94 , the operator must draw the slide against the magazine follower to hold the bolt to the rear of the pistol . This will allow the crossbolt to be released after the firing pin is depressed . Removal of the crossbolt without depressing the firing pin will damage both the firing pin and the crossbolt . Removing the crossbolt is further complicated as the disassemblers hands are both holding the pistol and depressing the firing pin .
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= = Holster = =
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Holsters for the Type 94 pistol were generally made from either pigskin or cowhide leather and ranged in color from tan to dark reddish brown . Holsters faced the same degradation in quality as the Type 94 pistol . As supplies of leather were exhausted in Japan , holsters manufactured in 1944 became fabricated from olive drab fabric . The Type 94 pistol holster is distinguishable from other Japanese holsters having a pointed closure flap and a vertically positioned magazine pouch . The pouch tow has a narrow extension to accommodate a cleaning rod . The majority of holsters were made in civilian owned tanneries with some ink stamped with arsenal and inspection marks . A belt loop and two shoulder strap " D " rings are provided on the rear of the holster and are made from brass , galvanized steel , or nickel plating .
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= = Unintentional firing = =
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The poor design of the breech allowed the Type 94 Nambu to be fired unintentionally . The sear bar on the Type 94 Nambu converts the forward pull of the trigger into a lateral movement that frees the hammer . Because the sear bar is on the outside of the pistol , it could be jarred loose during engagement if the pistol was cocked and handled carelessly . The forward end of the sear bar would need to be depressed approximately 2mm to cause the weapon to fire . The ability to fire the Type 94 without pulling the trigger gave rise to war stories of Japanese soldiers surrendering , only to fire the pistol , earning the pistol monikers such as the " suicide special " and the " surrender pistol " . These stories are widely discredited because of the difficulty to fire the weapon by squeezing the sear bar . If the safety is engaged on the Type 94 it is impossible for the weapon to discharge unintentionally .
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= Jifna =
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Jifna ( Arabic : جفنا , Jifnâ ) is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al @-@ Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank , Palestine , located 8 kilometers ( 5 @.@ 0 mi ) north of Ramallah and 23 kilometers ( 14 mi ) north of Jerusalem . A village of about 1 @,@ 400 people , Jifna has retained a Christian majority since the 6th century CE . Its total land area consists of 6 @,@ 015 dunams , of which 420 are designated as built @-@ up areas , most of the remainder being covered with olive , fig and apricot groves . Jifna is governed by a village council , led ( 2008 ) by chairman Jabi Na 'im Kamil .
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Jifna was known as Gophnah ( In Hebrew גופנה ) at the time of the First Jewish @-@ Roman War , and after its conquest became a Roman regional capital . Later the town grew less significant politically , but nevertheless prospered under Byzantine and Arab rule due to its location on a trade route . St. George 's Church in Jifna was built in the 6th century CE , but fell into disrepair and was not rebuilt until the arrival of the Crusaders in the late 10th century . However , it again fell into ruin after the Crusaders were driven out by the Ayyubids . In modern times , the ruins of St. George 's Church have become a tourist attraction . During the period of Ottoman control in Palestine the tower of an ancient Roman structure in Jifna became the location of a jail house .
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Jifna has local traditions and legends relating to the Holy Family , and to the village water @-@ spring . It is also locally known for its apricot harvest festival ; each year , during the late Spring period , hundreds travel to the village to harvest the fruit during its brief season .
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= = History = =
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= = = Biblical era and Roman / Byzantine rule = = =
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It was suggested by Edward Robinson that Jifna was Ophni of Benjamin , mentioned in the Book of Joshua as one of the " twelve cities . " Nothing thereafter is recorded in its history until the time of the Roman conquest during the 1st century BCE , when it appears in various records as " Gophna " . Gophna was described by Flavius Josephus as the second city of Judea , after Jerusalem , in his account of the First Jewish @-@ Roman Wars during the 1st century CE . The town is depicted as Gophna in the Map of Madaba , situated north of Gibeon ( al @-@ Jib ) , and is also mentioned in the Talmud as Ben Gufnin , a " city of priests " . The latter portion of its Talmudic name derives from the Hebrew root word gefen , meaning " vine " .
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Known by the Romans as Cofna , Jifna was a regional capital in the Iudaea Province under the Roman Empire . Around 50 BCE the Roman general Cassius sold the population into slavery , for failure to pay taxes . They were freed , however , by Mark Antony shortly after he came to power . Jifna was within the area under Hananiah 's command in 66 CE , during the First Jewish @-@ Roman War , and was the headquarters of one of the twelve toparchies ( minor realms ) of Judea . The Roman emperor Vespasian occupied the town in 68 CE , established an army garrison there , and concentrated within the city Jewish priests and other local notables who had surrendered to him . Titus , the future Roman emperor , passed through Gophna during his march to besiege Jerusalem in 70 CE .
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The building of a church dedicated to Saint George during the 6th century CE indicates that by this time Jifna , now under Byzantine rule , had become a Christian town . Besides the church , other remains from this era are located in Jifna , including a Jewish tomb , a tower ( Burj Jifna ) once used by the Ottomans as a prison , a Roman villa , an olive oil press and a winery .
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= = = Middle Ages = = =
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Jifna , along with most of Palestine , was annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate under Umar ibn al @-@ Khattab after the Battle of Ajnadayn in 634 . The town became less politically significant under the Arab dynasties of the Umayyads , Abbasids and Fatimids , but remained a major regional center for trade and commerce , due to its location along the Jerusalem – Nazareth road . It was known by the Arabs as Gafeniyyah .
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Sources are vague , but it is likely that St. George 's Church fell into disrepair during the early decades of Islamic rule , and that unfavorable circumstances for the Christian population prevented them from rebuilding it . However , it was partially rebuilt with old materials by the Crusaders , who conquered the area in 1099 . The Crusaders built a large courtyard building in Jifna . It had a monumental gate with a portcullis , with a large vaulted hall and thick walls of fine masonry . After their defeat to the Ayyubids under Saladin in 1187 , the church again fell into ruin . A document dated 1182 with the signature of one Raymundus de Jafenia , might indicate a Christian presence at this time . According to the American biblical scholar Edward Robinson , there are remains of massive walls in the center of the village , now filled by houses . They were relics of a castle built by the Crusaders . However , the masonry has no characteristics of the Crusader period ; rather , the remains display the Arab architectural style of the post @-@ Crusader period , most likely of the 18th century , judging by the dressing of the stones .
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= = = Ottoman era = = =
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After the Crusaders were succeeded by the Ayyubids and then the Mamluks , the Ottoman Empire conquered Palestine in 1517 , and Jifna came under their control for the following 400 years . In 1596 it appeared in the tax registers under the name of " Jifna an @-@ Nasara " , being in the nahiya ( subdistrict ) of Jerusalem of the Jerusalem Sanjak , with a population of 21 households . The villagers paid a fixed tax @-@ rate of 33 @.@ 3 % on agricultural products , including wheat , barley , olive trees , vineyards , fruit trees , goats and beehives , in addition to occasional revenues ; a total of 6 @,@ 470 akçe . It was under the administration of the Bani Zeid subdistrict , part of the larger Jerusalem District , throughout Ottoman rule , being the only all @-@ Christian village in the district . During this period , the main commodity of Jifna was olive oil . Ottoman activity in the village was minimal , but they used the remains of Jifna 's castle , known as " Burj Jifna " , as a jail house sometime during the 19th century . In the early 1830s , Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt conquered most of the Levant , including Palestine . In 1834 there was a revolt against the Egyptian authorities in the Jifna area ; 26 residents of Jifna were subsequently exiled to Egypt for their alleged participation in the uprising . They were joined , voluntarily , by two prominent local priests .
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An Eastern Orthodox Church was built in the village in 1858 , and a larger Latin ( Roman Catholic ) church dedicated to St. Joseph was built in 1859 , adjacent to the ruins of St. George 's Church . In the courtyard of St. George 's Church is a sarcophagus . St. George 's Church has continued to serve as a place of worship into the modern era and has been the site of archaeological excavation since the mid @-@ 19th century . Mass is still held at its altar on certain occasions . In 1882 the Palestine Exploration Fund 's Survey of Western Palestine described Jifna as an Important Christian village , with a Latin Church and a convent . Also in the 1880s , Jifna was frequently taxed by Ottoman authorities . It also came into consistent armed conflict with another Christian village , Bir Zeit , which in one incident , resulted in the deaths of five men from that village . In retaliation , residents of Bir Zeit uprooted and burned 125 of Jifna 's olive groves .
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= = = Modern times = = =
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In 1917 , during World War I , the Ottomans were defeated by British and Arab forces . After a brief period of military rule , Jifna and its region came under the control of the League of Nations British Mandate , in 1922 . In 1947 the United Nations proposed the partitioning of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states , with Jifna being a part of the projected Arab state . However , after the 1948 Arab @-@ Israeli War the whole West Bank region , including Jifna , was annexed by Transjordan to form the Kingdom of Jordan , and the Arab state was stillborn . In 1967 Israel occupied the West Bank , after their victory in the Six @-@ Day War .
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After the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between the Palestinian National Authority ( PNA ) and Israel , Jifna was placed in " Area B " . Thus , its administrative and civil affairs were transferred to the PNA , while security matters remained in Israeli control . Throughout the ongoing Second Intifada , which began in 2000 , Jifna has not experienced violence to the same extent as other parts of the West Bank , such as in nearby Ramallah , but its residents face travel restrictions and economic hardship .
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On 31 July 2015 a 15 @-@ year @-@ old resident was shot dead by an IDF sniper after allegedly throwing a firebomb at an army outpost .
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= = Geography and climate = =
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Jifna is located on the slope of a hill , standing at an elevation of about 661 meters ( 2 @,@ 169 ft ) above sea level . It is situated at the intersection of two ancient trade routes , the mountainous north @-@ south route and the east @-@ west route connecting the Jordan Valley with the Mediterranean seacoast . In 1945 its land area consisted of 5 @,@ 939 dunams , 52 dunams of which were classified as built @-@ up area in 1945 . Today Jifna has a total jurisdiction over 6 @,@ 015 dunams , 420 of which are designated as built @-@ up and roughly 2 @,@ 000 planted with olive , apricot and other fruit trees .
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The village is located 8 kilometers ( 5 @.@ 0 mi ) northwest of Ramallah and al @-@ Bireh and about 23 kilometers ( 14 mi ) north of Jerusalem . The Palestinian refugee camp of Jalazone was built on Jifna 's southern lands and is connected to the village by road . The villages of Dura al @-@ Qar ' and Ein Siniya are located adjacent to Jifna to the east and northeast respectively . Other nearby localities include Abu Qash to the southwest , Beitin to the southeast , Ein Yabrud to the east , ' Atara to the north and Bir Zeit to the northwest . Jifna is connected to the main Ramallah @-@ Nablus highway by a road at the eastern side of the village .
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Jifna experiences a temperate Mediterranean climate . Based on data for nearby Ramallah , average monthly high temperatures range from 53 ° F ( 12 ° C ) in January to 84 ° F ( 29 ° C ) in July / August , the corresponding lows being 39 ° F ( 4 ° C ) and 63 ° F ( 17 ° C ) . Rain is usually restricted to the winter season , from around November until the end of April . The months that receive the most precipitation are January and December and the annual rainfall is 23 @.@ 2 inches ( 590 mm ) .
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= = Demographics = =
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According to Edward Robinson , Jifna 's population in 1838 consisted of about 200 people , of whom only 42 were adult males . In a 1945 land and population survey carried out by Sami Hadawi , Jifna had 910 inhabitants . The modern inhabitants of Jifna belong mainly to eight families , four of whom are originally from the village , while the other five have , at various times , migrated from other countries such as Syria .
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In 1994 , Jifna experienced a wave of emigration , with about half of its population leaving the town to pursue better livelihoods elsewhere . The first census carried by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics ( PCBS ) shows that Jifna had a population of 961 , of whom 623 ( 64 @.@ 8 % ) were classified as refugees in 1997 . The gender distribution was 465 males ( 48 @.@ 4 % ) and 494 females ( 51 @.@ 6 % ) . The age distribution was : Under 15 , 330 ( 34 % ) ; 15 – 29 , 275 ( 29 % ) ; 30 – 65 , 304 ( 32 % ) ; Over 65 , 50 ( 5 % ) .
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The population of Jifna continues to grow . According to the PCBS , Jifna 's mid @-@ year population estimate for 2006 was 1 @,@ 358 . An informal estimate from Autumn 2006 gives the population as 1 @,@ 500 , " 25 % of whom have had to move to Jerusalem or Ramallah to find jobs " . The 2007 census by the PCBS listed Jifna 's population as 1 @,@ 716 , of which 856 were males and 860 females .
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= = = Religion = = =
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The remains of the Byzantine @-@ era church in Jifna testifies to the existence of a Christian community prior to the Muslim conquest . It continued to exist during the Middle Ages and the village is still inhabited mainly by Christians . The names of Christian inhabitants from Jifna appeared in a 10th @-@ century inscription on a stone above the gate of St. George 's Monastery in the Wadi Qelt .
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Ottoman tax records from the late 16th century reveal that Jifna had a Christian population at the time also . An informal survey in 1927 found 550 inhabitants , of whom 325 were Catholics and the remainder reportedly " Christians of other denominations " . Palestinian Christians make up about 80 % of the residents , while the remaining 20 % are Muslims , mostly refugees .
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It is certain that most of the Christian residents of Jifna in the 12th century were local inhabitants . Apart from local Christians there was also a Frankish settlement , as is attested by the ruins of a maison forte ( manor ) built in the lower part of the village . In Jifna , like in many other sites in Palestine , the Crusaders built their settlement in the heart of the local Christian settlement .
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= = Economy = =
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Although most of Jifna 's cultivable land is covered with olive groves as well as fig , walnut and apricot trees and grape vines , agriculture is no longer the village 's main source of income . Many of the village 's former farmers are living off other businesses , including restaurants , other small family @-@ owned industries , and simple commerce .
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Unlike some other West Bank localities , unemployment is a minor issue in Jifna . However , the average income is low because of the unstable political situation in the Palestinian territories , Israeli checkpoints , the West Bank barrier and the 2006 freezing by Israel of funds to the Palestinian territories — although the latter no longer applies to the West Bank .
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According to the PCBS , 98 @.@ 5 % of Jifna 's 201 households are connected to electricity through a public network . The same percentage is connected to a sewage system , mostly through a cesspit . Pipe water is provided for 98 % of the households primarily through a public network ( 97 @.@ 5 % ) , but some residents receive water through a private system ( 1 @.@ 5 % ) . The village is home to the Jifna Women 's Charitable Society which offers health services and recreational activities for women and children .
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= = = Small businesses = = =
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There are three restaurants in Jifna : Al @-@ Burj Restaurant , Red Valley Restaurant and Garden , and Tabash Restaurant , as well as a hotel : al @-@ Murouj Pension . In 2003 , the Odeh family of Jifna opened a leisure complex — called the Dream Day Resort — in the village . The complex , containing a half @-@ Olympic @-@ size swimming pool , a children 's pool and a jacuzzi is frequented by residents in Jifna and the surrounding area .
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Al @-@ Burj Restaurant — also known as " Burj Jifna " — specializes in Palestinian cuisine and contains a café and a Palestinian culture hall . Situated in the center of the village , the restaurant is the site of Jifna 's old city . With international funding , the local youth club restored the area , adding bright accents to the stone masonry . The restaurant has become a center of tourism and the complex provides tours for its rooms , olive oil presses and ancient ramparts . Tabash Restaurant was founded in 1962 by a Palestinian refugee family from Jaffa . Initially known as al @-@ Wadi Bar , it received its current name in 1972 . The owners and the employees of the restaurant are from the Tabash family .
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