Beit Surik used to be consider lucky. Within easy reach of Jerusalem and Ramallah, their markets and opportunities to work and study, the village was relatively prosperous, and has a high proportion of graduates.

The separation barrier has now cut off the villagers from nearby Jewish towns (where many worked), Jewish villagers can no longer visit and buy the wonderful fruit, vegetable and olive oil grown here, depriving local farmers of a useful source of income, Jerusalem is effectively out of bounds, and Ramallah, the main nearby Arab town, is difficult to get to, because of road blocks and other restrictions impose by Israeli occupation forces.

From - domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/

Further Humanitarian Consequences for the Beit Surik Area

Access to markets and jobs
The Barrier is likely to further damage economic prospects around Beit Surik. Although some of its agricultural produce is consumed in the village itself, the viability of the agricultural sector depends on access to markets to trade the surplus. Local inhabitants' access to markets has already been impeded by other forms of closure, such as earth mounds and road blocks.

Beit Surik and its neighbouring villages have traditionally had strong economic links to Ramallah and Jerusalem. Before September 2000, farmers living in Beit Surik were also able to sell their goods in Jordan and the Gulf states, as well as in the West Bank in general. Since the closure was imposed, this has become very difficult: Palestinian vehicles are no longer permitted to travel along Highway 443, and smaller access roads onto it have also been blocked since 2000 or 2001.

Some goods are currently transported to markets through the An Nabi Samwil roadblock (where some farmers run the risk of being stopped by the IDF due to lack of trade permits). This route will be adversely affected by the Barrier construction.

Access to employment in Ramallah will also be affected by the Barrier. Around 70 inhabitants of Beit Surik, mainly teachers and bank employees, currently work in Ramallah or Ar Ram. Because of the difficulties involved in travel from Beit Surik, some of these people have already established temporary residences near their work places and only return to the village at weekends. Such difficulties are likely to be exacerbated by Barrier construction.