Al-Dawwara
Encyclopedia
Al-Dawwara was a Palestinian
Arab
village in the District of Safad
. It was depopulated during the 1948 War
on May 25, 1948 by the Palmach's First Battalion of Operation Yiftach
. It was located 27 km northeast of Safad, bordering three rivers that flowed into lake al-Hula: the al-Hasbani, Banyas, and Dan rivers.
In 1945 the village had a population of 1,100 (this figure included 400 Jewish residents of the Kibbutzim ‘Amir
and Sde Nehemia
).
According to the 1931, the entire population was Muslim
except for one Christian
and the residents were employed mostly in agriculture, growing gram, vegetables, and citrus. In 1944/45 a total of 68 dunums was allocated to the growing of citrus fruits and bananas and 281 dunums was allocated to cereals. A total of 2,135 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The older houses in the village was separated by narrow alleys and mostly made of mud and some with basalt
stones.
On receiving news of an imminent attack on the village by Operation Yiftach
, many villagers fled on May 25, 1948, but some sources have indicated that some military force in practice was used to drive out the Arabs from the village.
Today there are few remnants of Al-Dawwara except for some stones near a fish pond and today the area is a notable fish hatchery. Kibbutz ‘Amir was established in 1939 about 0.5 km west of the site, and Sde Nechemya in 1940 to the northwest.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
village in the District of Safad
District of Safad
The District of Safad was an administrative district, situated in the British Mandate of Palestine around the city of Safad. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the district disintegrated.-Depopulated settlements:...
. It was depopulated during the 1948 War
1948 War
The term 1948 War can refer to any of the following events:* 1948 Palestine war with :** its civil war period : the 1947-1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine** the regular war between Israel and neighbouring Arab states : the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
on May 25, 1948 by the Palmach's First Battalion of Operation Yiftach
Operation Yiftach
Operation Yiftach was an offensive of the Israeli Haganah between 28 April and 29 May 1948 aimed at capturing the eastern Galilee. The central objectives were the capture of Safed and the securing of the Lebanese and Syrian borders before the British Mandate ended on 14 May 1948...
. It was located 27 km northeast of Safad, bordering three rivers that flowed into lake al-Hula: the al-Hasbani, Banyas, and Dan rivers.
In 1945 the village had a population of 1,100 (this figure included 400 Jewish residents of the Kibbutzim ‘Amir
Amir, Israel
Amir is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Finger of the Galilee near Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 545...
and Sde Nehemia
Sde Nehemia
Sde Nehemia is a small kibbutz in the Upper Galilee area of Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council and in 2006 had a population of 429...
).
History
Al-Dawwara was located on on flat terrain, and faced Mount Herrmon (Jabal al-Shaykh) to the northeast. It was near the confluence of three rivers that flowed into Lake Hula: the al-Hasbani, Banyas, and Dan rivers and a road linked it to a highway that led to Safad.According to the 1931, the entire population was Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
except for one Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and the residents were employed mostly in agriculture, growing gram, vegetables, and citrus. In 1944/45 a total of 68 dunums was allocated to the growing of citrus fruits and bananas and 281 dunums was allocated to cereals. A total of 2,135 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The older houses in the village was separated by narrow alleys and mostly made of mud and some with basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
stones.
On receiving news of an imminent attack on the village by Operation Yiftach
Operation Yiftach
Operation Yiftach was an offensive of the Israeli Haganah between 28 April and 29 May 1948 aimed at capturing the eastern Galilee. The central objectives were the capture of Safed and the securing of the Lebanese and Syrian borders before the British Mandate ended on 14 May 1948...
, many villagers fled on May 25, 1948, but some sources have indicated that some military force in practice was used to drive out the Arabs from the village.
Today there are few remnants of Al-Dawwara except for some stones near a fish pond and today the area is a notable fish hatchery. Kibbutz ‘Amir was established in 1939 about 0.5 km west of the site, and Sde Nechemya in 1940 to the northwest.