Al-Khayriyya
Encyclopedia
Al-Khayriyya was a Palestinian
village located 7.5 kilometers east of Jaffa
. Its inhabitants fled as a result of a military assault by the Alexandroni Brigade
of the pre-state Israel
i forces in the lead up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
.
, al-Khayriyya was known as Banai Berka and during Roman
rule, it was known as by Beneberak. Arab villagers had called it Ibn Ibraq, preserving the ancient name. In 1596, under Ottoman
rule, Al-Khayriyya was a village in the nahiya of Ramla (liwa
´ of Gaza), with a population of 154. It paid taxes on a number of crops, including wheat
, barley
, fruits and sesame, as well as on other types of property, such as goats, beehives and vineyards.
At the time of the British Mandate in Palestine the villagers changed the name of the village to al-Khayriyya to distinguish it from the new neighbouring Jewish village
of Bnei Brak. During this time the population was mostly Muslim
; only twenty of the villagers were Christian
. A school for boys was established in 1920, and it had a plot od 8 dunum
s of land attched to it for agricultural training. A school for girls was founded in 1945. By 1946, there were 183 males and 69 females students in these schools.
The villagers worked primarely in agriculture and animal husbandry. In 1944/45 a total of 3,359 dunums of village land was devoted to citrus and bananas and 2,355 dunums to cereals, while 1,275 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. Numerous artesian wells supplied them with irrigation water.
, during the Haganah
's offensive Mivtza Hametz (Operation Hametz
) 28-30 April 1948. This operation was held against a group of villages east of Jaffa, including Al-Khayriyya. According to the preparatory orders, the objective was to "opening the way [for Jewish forces] to Lydda". Though there was no explicit mention of the prospective treatment of the villagers, the order spoke of "cleansing the area" [tihur hashetah]. The final operational order stated: "Civilian inhabitants of places conquered would be permitted to leave after they are searched for weapons."
During 28-30 April, the Haganah took Al-Khayriyya without a fight, the HIS attributed the non-resistance of the inhabitants to prior Arab defeats, and later added that "it is clear that the inhabitants [...] would willingly return to their villages and accept Jewish protection."
The Alexandroni Brigade
32nd Battalion reported that they found and buried the bodies of four adult men and three women in the village, and briefly detained a handful of men, women and children. Two of the adult male villagers were charged with having killed a Haganah man, and they were then promptly executed.
The settlement of Kfar Azar
was established on what was traditionally village land in 1932. The settlements of Ramat Pinkas and Ramat Ef'al
were established north of the village site in 1952 and 1969, respectively. The site now lies within the suburbs of modern-day Giv'atayim
.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
, described the village remains in 1992: "A handful of houses and one of the schools remain. One deserted house, surrounded by shrubs and wild vegetation, has simple architecture: a rectangular door, small side windows, and a flat roof. A two-storey house, identified as having belonged to Ahmad al- Tibi, is used as a store. It has rectangular doors and windows and a gabled roof. Cypress, fig, Christ's-thorn, and orange trees grow on the site. Part of the adjacent land is cultivated and the rest is occupied by buildings."
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...
village located 7.5 kilometers east of Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
. Its inhabitants fled as a result of a military assault by the Alexandroni Brigade
Alexandroni Brigade
The Alexandroni Brigade is an Israel Defense Forces brigade that fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Along with the 7th Armoured Brigade both units had 139 killed during the first battle of Latrun - Operation Ben Nun Alef .The unit is currently a reserve unit.-Katz controversy:In 1998, Teddy Katz...
of the pre-state Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i forces in the lead up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
.
History
At the time of Assyrian rule in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, al-Khayriyya was known as Banai Berka and during Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
rule, it was known as by Beneberak. Arab villagers had called it Ibn Ibraq, preserving the ancient name. In 1596, under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule, Al-Khayriyya was a village in the nahiya of Ramla (liwa
Liwa
*Liwa "Liwa" means "standard" or "banner" in Arabic.*Liwa *Liwa geography*Chad**Liwa in Mamdi Department*Oman**Liwa, Oman**Liwa Province, Oman *United Arab Emirates**Liwa Oasis *Poland...
´ of Gaza), with a population of 154. It paid taxes on a number of crops, including wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, fruits and sesame, as well as on other types of property, such as goats, beehives and vineyards.
At the time of the British Mandate in Palestine the villagers changed the name of the village to al-Khayriyya to distinguish it from the new neighbouring Jewish village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Bnei Brak. During this time the population was mostly 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...
; only twenty of the villagers were 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...
. A school for boys was established in 1920, and it had a plot od 8 dunum
Dunum
Dunum is a municipality in the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
s of land attched to it for agricultural training. A school for girls was founded in 1945. By 1946, there were 183 males and 69 females students in these schools.
The villagers worked primarely in agriculture and animal husbandry. In 1944/45 a total of 3,359 dunums of village land was devoted to citrus and bananas and 2,355 dunums to cereals, while 1,275 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. Numerous artesian wells supplied them with irrigation water.
1948, and after
The village of Al-Khayriyya was depopulated in the weeks leading up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, during the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
's offensive Mivtza Hametz (Operation Hametz
Operation Hametz
Operation Hametz was a Jewish operation towards the end of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was launched at the end of April 1948 with the objective of capturing villages inland from Jaffa and establishing a blockade around the town.-Background:...
) 28-30 April 1948. This operation was held against a group of villages east of Jaffa, including Al-Khayriyya. According to the preparatory orders, the objective was to "opening the way [for Jewish forces] to Lydda". Though there was no explicit mention of the prospective treatment of the villagers, the order spoke of "cleansing the area" [tihur hashetah]. The final operational order stated: "Civilian inhabitants of places conquered would be permitted to leave after they are searched for weapons."
During 28-30 April, the Haganah took Al-Khayriyya without a fight, the HIS attributed the non-resistance of the inhabitants to prior Arab defeats, and later added that "it is clear that the inhabitants [...] would willingly return to their villages and accept Jewish protection."
The Alexandroni Brigade
Alexandroni Brigade
The Alexandroni Brigade is an Israel Defense Forces brigade that fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Along with the 7th Armoured Brigade both units had 139 killed during the first battle of Latrun - Operation Ben Nun Alef .The unit is currently a reserve unit.-Katz controversy:In 1998, Teddy Katz...
32nd Battalion reported that they found and buried the bodies of four adult men and three women in the village, and briefly detained a handful of men, women and children. Two of the adult male villagers were charged with having killed a Haganah man, and they were then promptly executed.
The settlement of Kfar Azar
Kfar Azar
Kfar Azar is a moshav ovdim located in the Ono Valley in central Israel. Previously part of Ef'al Regional Council, in 2007 it was transferred to the municipality of Ramat Gan together with Ramat Ef'al. With an area of around , its population is around 500....
was established on what was traditionally village land in 1932. The settlements of Ramat Pinkas and Ramat Ef'al
Ramat Ef'al
Ramat Ef'al is a neighborhood of Ramat Gan in central Israel. Previously part of Ef'al Regional Council, in 2007 it was transferred to the municipality of Ramat Gan together with Kfar Azar.-History:...
were established north of the village site in 1952 and 1969, respectively. The site now lies within the suburbs of modern-day Giv'atayim
Giv'atayim
Giv'atayim is a city in Israel east of Tel Aviv. It is part of the metropolitan area known as Gush Dan. Givatayim was established in 1922 by pioneers of the Second Aliyah. It has a population of 53,000....
.
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 village remains in 1992: "A handful of houses and one of the schools remain. One deserted house, surrounded by shrubs and wild vegetation, has simple architecture: a rectangular door, small side windows, and a flat roof. A two-storey house, identified as having belonged to Ahmad al- Tibi, is used as a store. It has rectangular doors and windows and a gabled roof. Cypress, fig, Christ's-thorn, and orange trees grow on the site. Part of the adjacent land is cultivated and the rest is occupied by buildings."
See also
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
- HiriyaHiriyaHiriya is a former waste dump located southeast of Tel Aviv, Israel.-History:Hiriya takes its name from the pre-1948 Arab village of al-Khayriyya, which was built on the site of the ancient biblical town of Beneberak....
External links
- Welcome To al-Khayriyya
- Al-Khayriyya from the 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...