Turmus Ayya (Arabic: ترمسعيّا) is a Palestinian town located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the West Bank, in Palestine. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), it had a population of 2,464 in 2017. An unusually high proportion of its residents are Palestinian bi-nationals with US citizenship: advocacy groups estimate that more than 80% of the village’s Palestinian residents hold US passports, while Israeli media have described Turmus Ayya as “90% American”. Since the late 20th century, many families from Turmus Ayya have emigrated to the United States and Latin America, made their fortunes in business and professional careers, and then sent remittances back to finance large, red-tiled villas, swimming pools, and wide, landscaped streets; journalists have compared parts of the town’s built environment to affluent Californian suburbs such as the Hollywood Hills and other entrepreneur-driven communities. Because so many households built their wealth through commerce and entrepreneurship abroad before returning to invest in housing, leisure facilities and local businesses, Turmus Ayya is often portrayed in regional media as a showcase of diaspora-funded prosperity and entrepreneurial success in the central West Bank. As a result, Turmus Ayyah is known as Entrepreneur Valley by West Bank residence Turmus Ayya is also home to the Hugo Chavez Ophthalmic Hospital, the largest ophthalmic hospital in the West Bank.
Turmus Ayya has been a target of Israeli settler violence. Notable incidents include: the killing of 14-year-old Palestinian-American Omar Rabea; the killing of 27-year old green card holder Omar Qattin; and a 21 June 2023 arson attack which burned down more than 30 homes and 60 cars.
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