Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira
Encyclopedia
Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was a Palestinian
village in the District of Gaza
, located 41 kilometres (25.5 mi) northeast of Gaza
. With a land area of 20,687 dunam
s, the village site (135 dunams) was situated on an elevation of 75 metres (246.1 ft) along the coastal plain. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. Before the war, it had a population of 2,520 in 1945.
n Sufi traveler Mustafa al-Bakri al-Siddiqi in the mid-18th century. The French
traveler Volney
noted that the village produced a great deal of spun-cotton
. The adjectival al-Kabira ("major") was later added to Masmiyya's name to distinguish it from the nearby al-Masmiyya al-Saghira
, established in the mid-19th century. In the late 19th century, al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was laid out in a trapezoid-like pattern, with the long base of the trapezoid facing west. The village was surrounded by gardens and it's houses were constructed of adobe bricks or concrete. The most recent expansion of it was westward and southwestward.
The population of al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was entirely Muslim
and the village contained two mosque
s. There were also two schools. The boy's school was built in 1922 and had an enrollment of 307 students in 1947, while the girl's school was built in 1944 and had 39 students 1947. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was one of the few localities in the district to be governed by a village council. The town had a gas station and a clinic.
Agriculture was the main economic activity of the village and the dominant crops were citrus and grains; in 1945, a total of 1,005 dunams were devoted to citrus, while 18,092 were allotted to grains. Beside crop cultivation, residents raised livestock and poultry. Some also worked in the nearby British Army
camp. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira had a weekly market on Thursdays that attracted residents from neighboring communities.
like incidents. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was captured by the Israel
i forces of the Givati Brigade
during Operation An-Far
. The New York Times reported that it had been occupied July 11, blocking an Egyptian
attempt to break through to al-Latrun from the direction of al-Majdal. However, the Haganah
claim it was captured during "several clearing operations in the brigade's rear guard, to eliminate the threat and danger posed by the presence of Arab
civilian concentrations to the rear of the front."
Morris reports that by 27 May 1949 21 of the approx 400 former Palestinian Arab villages had been repopulated by newly arrived ‘olim, Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira along with ‘Aqir, Zarnuqa
, Yibna
, Ijzim
, Ein Hawd
, Tarshiha, Safsaf
, Tarbikha
, Deir Tarif and that 6 more including Deir Yassin
were slated for colonisation.
According to Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
, in reference to the remains of al-Masmiyya al-Kabira,
and Hatzav
were founded in 1949, Yinnon in 1952 and Achawa in 1976. A Palestinian Arab family was able to remain in the area and was used as Sabbath Goy by the community of Bene Re'em.
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 in the District of Gaza
District of Gaza
The District of Gaza was an administrative district, situated in the southern Mediterranean coastline of the British Mandate of Palestine. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the district disintegrated, with Israel controlling the northern and eastern portions while Egypt held control of the southern...
, located 41 kilometres (25.5 mi) northeast of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. With a land area of 20,687 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s, the village site (135 dunams) was situated on an elevation of 75 metres (246.1 ft) along the coastal plain. It was depopulated during 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...
. Before the war, it had a population of 2,520 in 1945.
History
In 1596, Al-Masmiyya was a village in the nahiya of Gaza with a population of 385. It paid taxes on crops such as wheat and barley and other produce such as honey and goats. Al-Masmiyya was mentioned by the SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n Sufi traveler Mustafa al-Bakri al-Siddiqi in the mid-18th century. The French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
traveler Volney
Constantin-François Chassebœuf
Constantin François de Chassebœuf, comte de Volney was a French philosopher, historian, orientalist, and politician...
noted that the village produced a great deal of spun-cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. The adjectival al-Kabira ("major") was later added to Masmiyya's name to distinguish it from the nearby al-Masmiyya al-Saghira
Al-Masmiyya al-Saghira
Al-Masmiyya al-Saghira was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza, located northeast of Gaza. Established in the 19th century, it was situated at an elevation of in the southern coastal plain of Ottoman Syria...
, established in the mid-19th century. In the late 19th century, al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was laid out in a trapezoid-like pattern, with the long base of the trapezoid facing west. The village was surrounded by gardens and it's houses were constructed of adobe bricks or concrete. The most recent expansion of it was westward and southwestward.
The population of al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was entirely 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...
and the village contained two mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s. There were also two schools. The boy's school was built in 1922 and had an enrollment of 307 students in 1947, while the girl's school was built in 1944 and had 39 students 1947. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was one of the few localities in the district to be governed by a village council. The town had a gas station and a clinic.
Agriculture was the main economic activity of the village and the dominant crops were citrus and grains; in 1945, a total of 1,005 dunams were devoted to citrus, while 18,092 were allotted to grains. Beside crop cultivation, residents raised livestock and poultry. Some also worked in the nearby British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
camp. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira had a weekly market on Thursdays that attracted residents from neighboring communities.
1948 War and aftermath
The village was fenced in by Hagana forces purportedly to protect the village against Deir YassinDeir Yassin massacre
The Deir Yassin massacre took place on April 9, 1948, when around 120 fighters from the Irgun Zevai Leumi and Lohamei Herut Israel Zionist paramilitary groups attacked Deir Yassin near Jerusalem, a Palestinian-Arab village of roughly 600 people...
like incidents. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was captured by the 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 of 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...
during Operation An-Far
Operation An-Far
Operation An-Far was a military operation launched by Israel's Givati Brigade on the night of July 8–9 during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its objectives were to gain control of approaches in southern Judea and block the advance of the Egyptian army...
. The New York Times reported that it had been occupied July 11, blocking an Egyptian
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
attempt to break through to al-Latrun from the direction of al-Majdal. However, 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 :...
claim it was captured during "several clearing operations in the brigade's rear guard, to eliminate the threat and danger posed by the presence of 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...
civilian concentrations to the rear of the front."
Morris reports that by 27 May 1949 21 of the approx 400 former Palestinian Arab villages had been repopulated by newly arrived ‘olim, Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira along with ‘Aqir, Zarnuqa
Zarnuqa
Zarnuqa was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla.In 1924, the land was sold by Shukri brothers, and Abd al-Rahman al-Taji al-Farouqi....
, Yibna
Yibna
Yibna was a Palestinian village of 5,420 inhabitants, located 15 kilometers southwest of Ramla. Yibna was occupied by Israeli forces on June 4, 1948, and was depopulated during the military assault and expulsion.-History:...
, Ijzim
Ijzim
Ijzim was a Palestinian village located in the Haifa district of British Mandate Palestine, 19.5 kilometers south of the city, that was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war...
, Ein Hawd
Ein Hawd
-External links:*, Archnet Digital Library....
, Tarshiha, Safsaf
Safsaf
Safsaf was a Palestinian village located 9 kilometres northwest of Safed, present day Israel. Its villagers fled to Lebanon after the Safsaf massacre in October 1948, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-History:The village was called Safsofa in Roman times...
, Tarbikha
Tarbikha
Tarbikha is a former Palestinian village. It was located 27 km northeast of Acre in the British Mandate District of Acre that was captured and depopulated by the Israel Defence Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-History:...
, Deir Tarif and that 6 more including Deir Yassin
Deir Yassin
Deir Yassin was a Palestinian Arab village of around 600 people near Jerusalem. It had declared its neutrality during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine between Arabs and Jews...
were slated for colonisation.
According to 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...
, in reference to the remains of al-Masmiyya al-Kabira,
Four Jewish settlements were established on village lands; Bene Re'em
The two schools and several village houses are extant. The girls' school is deserted, while the boys' school has been converted into an Israeli army installation. Some of the houses are inhabited, but others have been turned into warehouses. One house serves as a shop where juice is sold. All are made of concrete with simple architectural features—flat roofs and rectangular doors and windows. A date palm tree grows in the yard of a house that belonged to a Palestinian named Tawfiq al-Rabi. An Israeli gas station is located on the same spot where the village's gas station (once the property of Hasan Abd al-Aziz and Nimr Muhanna) once stood. The lands in the vicinity are cultivated by Israeli farmers.
Bnei Re'em
Bnei Re'em is a religious moshav in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah, it falls under the jurisdiction of Nahal Sorek Regional Council. In 2007, Bnei Re'em had a population of 1,100....
and Hatzav
Hatzav
Hatzav is a moshav in central Israel. Located on Highway 40 between Gedera and Be'er Sheva, it covers 3,200 dunams and falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council...
were founded in 1949, Yinnon in 1952 and Achawa in 1976. A Palestinian Arab family was able to remain in the area and was used as Sabbath Goy by the community of Bene Re'em.
External links
- Welcome To al-Masmiyya al-Kabira
- al-Masmiyya al-Kabira 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...