Abu al-Fadl (village)
Encyclopedia
Abu al-Fadl was a village in the district of al-Ramla
, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of al-Ramla in, what was until 1948, British Mandate of Palestine. The village was also known as al-Satariyya. In 1945/44 the village had a population of 510.
ic waqf
of Al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas, possibly a cousin of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
, after whom the village was named. In the Palestine Index Gazetteer, Abu al-Fadl was classified as a hamlet
.
In 1944/45 the village had a population of 510. A total of 818 dunum
s of village land was used for citrus
and banana
s, 1,035 dunums were used for cereals, and 822 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
The villagers probably left their homes in the second week of May 1948 during Operation Barak
. This campaign was undertaken by the Givati Brigade
commanded by Shimon Avidan
; its objective was to clear the villages south of Tel Aviv
and "cause a wandering of the inhabitants of the smaller settlements in the area". Each ground assault started with a mortar
bombardment, followed by the expulsion of the remaining residents and the demolition of houses.
The village was probably permanently occupied during the first stage of Operation Danny
, 9–12 July 1948. This offensive, commanded by Yitzhak Rabin
, resulted in the expulsion of some 70,000 people from the neighbouring towns of Lod
and al-Ramla.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
, described the place in 1992: "Of the original village houses, no more than five still stand, deserted and nearly collapsing. One of these houses, located at the edge of a citrus grove, is made of cement blocks, with rectangular doors and windows and a tiled, sloping roof. Another house, composed of three units, is located in the middle of a citrus grove. A few cypress trees, castor oil (ricinus) plants, and cactuses grow on the site, and Israeli buildings have been constructed nearby. The surrounding lands are cultivated by Israelis."
The area is now being absorbed by the suburbs of Rishon LeZion.
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of al-Ramla in, what was until 1948, British Mandate of Palestine. The village was also known as al-Satariyya. In 1945/44 the village had a population of 510.
History
The village land was owned by the IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic waqf
Waqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
of Al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas, possibly a cousin of the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, after whom the village was named. In the Palestine Index Gazetteer, Abu al-Fadl was classified as a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
.
In 1944/45 the village had a population of 510. A total of 818 dunum
Dunum
Dunum is a municipality in the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
s of village land was used for citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, 1,035 dunums were used for cereals, and 822 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
1948, and aftermath
In February 1948 it was reported that ten Arabs, one of them a woman, were murdered ("probably") by IZL gunmen, in a grove, where they apparently worked, near the village. This was one of the massacres of Palestinian civilians which was said to "erode Arab morale".The villagers probably left their homes in the second week of May 1948 during Operation Barak
Operation Barak
Operation Barak was a Haganah offensive launched just before the end of the British Mandate in Palestine. It was part of Plan Dalet. Its objective was to capture villages North of Gaza in anticipation of the arrival of the Egyptian army...
. This campaign was undertaken by the Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
commanded by Shimon Avidan
Shimon Avidan
Shimon Avidan , born Shimon Koch , was an Israeli soldier and officer, the commander of the Givati Brigade during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war....
; its objective was to clear the villages south of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and "cause a wandering of the inhabitants of the smaller settlements in the area". Each ground assault started with a mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
bombardment, followed by the expulsion of the remaining residents and the demolition of houses.
The village was probably permanently occupied during the first stage of Operation Danny
Operation Danny
Operation Danny was an Israeli military offensive launched at the end of the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The objectives were to capture territory east of Tel Aviv and then to push inland and relieve the Jewish population and forces in Jerusalem...
, 9–12 July 1948. This offensive, commanded by Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
, resulted in the expulsion of some 70,000 people from the neighbouring towns of Lod
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
and al-Ramla.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
Walid Khalidi
Walid Khalidi is an Oxford University-educated Palestinian historian who has written extensively on the Palestinian exodus. He is General Secretary and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies, established in Beirut in December 1963 as an independent research and publishing center...
, described the place in 1992: "Of the original village houses, no more than five still stand, deserted and nearly collapsing. One of these houses, located at the edge of a citrus grove, is made of cement blocks, with rectangular doors and windows and a tiled, sloping roof. Another house, composed of three units, is located in the middle of a citrus grove. A few cypress trees, castor oil (ricinus) plants, and cactuses grow on the site, and Israeli buildings have been constructed nearby. The surrounding lands are cultivated by Israelis."
The area is now being absorbed by the suburbs of Rishon LeZion.
See also
- Arab–Israeli conflictArab–Israeli conflictThe Arab–Israeli conflict refers to political tensions and open hostilities between the Arab peoples and the Jewish community of the Middle East. The modern Arab-Israeli conflict began with the rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism towards the end of the nineteenth century, and intensified with the...
- Ethnic cleansingEthnic cleansingEthnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
External links
- Welcome To Abu al-Fadl
- Abu al-Fadl at Khalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural Center is an organization established in 1996. It is located at 4 Raja Street, Ramallah in the West Bank. The traditional manor that houses the centre was the former family home of Khalil Salem Salah, the mayor of Ramallah between 1947/1951, is now owned by the Palestinian...