al-Faluja was an
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
village in the British Mandate Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of
Iraq al-ManshiyyaIraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000
Egyptian troopsThe Armed Forces of Egypt are the largest on the African continent and one of the largest in the world , consisting of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force and Egyptian Air Defense Command....
were besieged for four months by the newly established
Israel Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
. The
1949 Armistice AgreementsThe 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israel and the Jordanian-held West Bank,...
allowed for a peaceful transfer of the pocket to Israeli control, and the return of Egyptian troops to Gaza. Following the agreements, the Arab residents of the pocket slowly left their homes.
al-Faluja was an
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
village in the British Mandate Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of
Iraq al-ManshiyyaIraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000
Egyptian troopsThe Armed Forces of Egypt are the largest on the African continent and one of the largest in the world , consisting of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force and Egyptian Air Defense Command....
were besieged for four months by the newly established
Israel Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
. The
1949 Armistice AgreementsThe 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israel and the Jordanian-held West Bank,...
allowed for a peaceful transfer of the pocket to Israeli control, and the return of Egyptian troops to Gaza. Following the agreements, the Arab residents of the pocket slowly left their homes. The
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
i town of Kiryat Gat, as well as the
moshavMoshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
RevahaRevaha is a religious moshav in south-central Israel. Located in the southern Shephelah near Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 449....
, border the site of the former town.
History
The town was founded on a site that had been known as "Zurayq al-Khandaq", named "Zurayq" from the blue-colored
lupineLupine may be one of several things:*Something that is like, or relating to, a wolf .*A variant spelling for lupin, a flowering plant.*Lupine Records, a record label in Detroit.*Lupine Games, a computer game company....
that grew in the vicinity. Its name was changed to "al-Faluja" in commemoration of a Sufi master, Shahab al-Din al-Faluji, who settled near the town after migrating there from
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
in the 14th century. He died in al-Faluja and his tomb was visited by
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
geographer al-Bakri al-Siddiqi who journeyed through
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
in the mid-18th century. In 1596, it was under the administration of the
nahiya of
GazaGaza is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 410,000, making it the largest city under the control of the Palestinian National Authority....
, part of the Sanjak of Gaza with a population of 413. It paid taxes on wheat, barley, sesame, fruits, vineyards, beehives, goats, and
water buffaloThe Water Buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild Water Buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
.
In the late 19th century, al-Faluja was surrounded on three sides by a
wadiWadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley; in some cases it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
. It had two wells and a pool to the east, a small garden patch to the west, and the village houses were built from
adobeAdobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, and water, with some kind of fibrous or organic material , which is shaped into bricks using frames and dried in the sun. It is similar to cob and mudbrick. Adobe structures are extremely durable and account for some of the oldest extant...
bricks. The nucleus of the village was centered around the shrine of Shaykh al-Faluji. Its residential area began to expand in the 1930s and eventually crossed over to the other side of the wadi, which henceforth divided al-Faluja into northern and southern sections. Bridges were constructed across the wadi to facilitate movement between the two sides, especially during the winter when the water often flooded and caused damage. The center of al-Faluja shifted to the north where modern houses, stores, coffee houses, and a clinic were erected. The village also two schools; one for boys (built in 1919) and the other for girls (built in 1940).
1948 Arab-Israeli war
Al-Faluja was in the territory allotted to the Arab state under the 1947 UN Partition Plan. A battle between an armored Jewish supply convoy and villagers in al-Faluja on 14 March 1948 left thirty-seven Arabs and seven Jews dead, as well as scores of Arabs and four Jews wounded. Israeli sources at the time told the
New York Times that the convoy, protected by armored cars of the
HaganahHaganah 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 :...
, "had to fight its way through the village." A Haganah demolition squad returned later in the day and blew up ten houses in the village, including the town hall. According to
PalestinianThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with family origins in Palestine...
sources, the village had been attacked the month before, on 24 February.
Egyptian forces crossed into the former mandate on 15 May 1948 and a column of them were stopped by the Israelis near
AshdodAshdod , is the fifth-largest city in Israel, located in the Southern District of the country, on the Mediterranean coast, with a population of 207,000. Ashdod is an important regional industrial centre...
. This column retreated to and encamped at al-Faluja and
Iraq al-ManshiyyaIraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
, the so-called Faluja pocket. Between late October 1948 and late February 1949 some 4,000 Egyptian troops were encircled here by Israeli forces.
Armistice agreement
Under the terms of the February 4, 1949
Israel–Egypt Armistice AgreementThe 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israel and the Jordanian-held West Bank,...
, the surrounded Egyptian forces (including future Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death in 1970. He led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which removed King Farouk I and heralded a new period of industrialization in Egypt, together with a profound advancement of Arab nationalism, including a short-lived...
) were allowed to evacuate, and the area was transferred to Israeli control. This agreement (uniquely to the two villages), guaranteed the safety and property of the 3,140 Arab civilians (over 2,000 locals, plus refugees from other villages). The agreement, and a further exchange of letters filed with the United Nations, stated
".... those of the civilian population who may wish to remain in al-Faluja and Iraq al-Manshiya are to be permitted to do so. ... All of these civilians shall be fully secure in their persons, abodes, property and personal effects."
Post-armistice events
Few civilians left when the Egyptian brigade withdrew on 26 February 1949 but Israel promptly violated the armistice agreement and began to intimidate the populace into flight. United Nations observers reported to UN mediator
Ralph BuncheRalph Johnson Bunche was an American political scientist and diplomat who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s mediation in Palestine. He was the first person of color to be so honored in the history of the Prize. He was involved in formation and administration of the United...
that the intimidation included beatings, robberies, and attempted rape. Quaker observers bore witness to the beatings
"Jane Smith (one of the Quaker party) has bandaged six men. The worst case was a man with two bloody eyes, a torn ear, and a face pounded until it was blue ... A young Arab told me: 'We could not sleep last night because of much shooting and because the Israeli soldiers came into the homes and tried to "make into" the Arab women.'". On 3 March they wrote that at
"Iraq al ManshiyaIraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
, the acting mukhtarMukhtar, meaning "chosen" in Arabic, refers to the head of a village or mahalle in many Arab countries. The name refers to the fact that mukhtars are usually selected by some consensual or participatory method, often involving an election....
or mayor told them that 'the people had been much molested by the frequent shooting, by being told that they would be killed if they did not go to Hebron, and by the Jews breaking into their homes and stealing things".
Moshe SharettMoshe Sharett was the second Prime Minister of Israel , serving for a little under two years between David Ben-Gurion's two terms.-Early life:...
(Israeli Foreign Minister) was very concerned at the international repercussions, especially the possible effect on Israeli-Egyptian relations. He was angry at the actions of the IDF, carried out without Cabinet authorization and behind his back and was not easily appeased. He used most uncharacteristic language
"The IDF's actions" threw into question
"our sincerity as a party to an international agreement ... One may assume that Egypt in this matter will display special sensitivity as her forces saw themselves as responsible for the fate of these civilian inhabitants. There are also grounds to fear that any attack by us on the people of these two villages may be reflected in the attitude of the Cairo Government toward the Jews of Egypt". Sharett pointed out that Israel was seeking membership of the United Nations, and was encountering difficulties
"over the question of our responsibility for the Arab refugee problem. We argue that we are not responsible ... From this perspective, the sincerity of our professions is tested by our behavior in these villages ... Every intentional pressure aimed at uprooting [these Arabs] is tantamount to a planned act of eviction on our part".
Sharett also protested that the IDF were carrying out a covert "'whispering propaganda' campaign among the Arabs, threatening them with attacks and acts of vengeance by the army, which the civilian authorities will be powerless to prevent. This whispering propaganda (ta'amulat lahash) is not being done of itself. There is no doubt that here there is a calculated action aimed at increasing the number of those going to the
HebronHebron is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south, 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem. It is home to some 166,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Israelis living in and around the historic Jewish Quarter. Hebron lies 930 meters above sea level...
Hills as if of their own free will, and, if possible, to bring about the evacuation of the whole civilian population of [the pocket]". He also referred to the army's actions as
"'an unauthorized initiative by the local command in a matter relating to Israeli government policy'". Allon admitted (to Yadin) only that his troops had
"beaten three Arabs ... There is no truth to the observers' announcement about abuse/cruelty [hit'alelut], etc. I investigated this personally."
Morris further writes that the decision to cleanse the "Faluja pocket" population was probably approved by Israeli prime minister
David Ben-Gurion' was the first Prime Minister of Israel. Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, culminated in his instrumental role in the founding of the state of Israel...
, that the last civilians left on 22 April, and the order to demolish these (and a string of other) villages was made 5 days later by Rabin. See also the "San Francisco Chronicle" which questions whether due diligence was applied to the land on which the chip plant was built.
See also
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
- Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15 October - 22 October, 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba-Hebron-Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the...
External links
- Welcome To al-Faluja
- Faluja from the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center
Khalil 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...
- Al-Faluja by Rami Nashashibi (1996), Center for Research and Documentation of Palestinian Society.