Kaukab Abu al-Hija
Encyclopedia
Kaukab Abu al-Hija often simply Kaukab, (meaning "star"), is an Arab
Muslim
village and local council
in the North District
of Israel
, in the Lower Galilee. It is located on Road 784, between Shefa-'Amr
and Karmiel
, and next to Kafr Manda
. Kaukab was historically under the control of the Abu al-Hija family of the Galilee
.
According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
, Kaukab had a population of 2,800 in 2005, and is ranked low (3/10) on the Israeli socio-economic scale. Its jurisdiction is 2,567 dunam
s.
's lieutenants, and is holy to the local Muslim
s. It is thus named Kaukab Abu al-Hija to differentiate it from several other Arab
villages with the same name. It is possible to discern the ruins of Byzantine, Roman and Greek settlements on Kaukab's location, and it is also thought to be the location of the town Kokhva, mentioned in the Talmud
.
In 1938, during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, the village was destroyed and its threshing floors burnt by British troops during a revenge mission.
In the British Mandate census of 1931
, Kaukab had a population of 285 Muslims and according to a land and population survey by Sami Hadawi
, its population was 490 in 1945. In 1973, this grew to 1,340. Kaukab was declared a local council in 1984.
Arab citizens of Israel
Arab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
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...
village and local council
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
in the North District
North District (Israel)
The Northern District is one of Israel's six administrative districts. The Northern District has a land area of 4,478 km², which increases to 4,638 km² when both land and water are included...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, in the Lower Galilee. It is located on Road 784, between Shefa-'Amr
Shefa-'Amr
Shefa-'Amr, also Shfar'am is a predominantly Arab city in the North District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 35,300.-Etymology:...
and Karmiel
Karmiel
Karmiel is a city in northern Israel. Established in 1964 as a development town, Karmiel is located in the Beit HaKerem Valley which divides upper and lower Galilee. The city is located south of the Acre-Safed road, from Safed and from Acre...
, and next to Kafr Manda
Kafr Manda
Kafr Manda or Kfar Menda is an Israeli-Arab town in the Lower Galilee on the slopes of Mount Atzmon in Israel's North District. Kafr Manda is northwest of the city of Nazareth. It had a population of 15,000 in 2005, the majority of them Muslim Arabs....
. Kaukab was historically under the control of the Abu al-Hija family of the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
.
According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli government office established in 1949 to carry out research and publish statistical data on all aspects of Israeli life, including population, society, economy, industry, education and physical infrastructure.It is headed by a...
, Kaukab had a population of 2,800 in 2005, and is ranked low (3/10) on the Israeli socio-economic scale. Its jurisdiction is 2,567 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.
History
Kaukab was founded next to the grave of Husam ad-Din Abu al-Hija, one of SaladinSaladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
's lieutenants, and is holy to the local 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...
s. It is thus named Kaukab Abu al-Hija to differentiate it from several other 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...
villages with the same name. It is possible to discern the ruins of Byzantine, Roman and Greek settlements on Kaukab's location, and it is also thought to be the location of the town Kokhva, mentioned in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
.
In 1938, during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, the village was destroyed and its threshing floors burnt by British troops during a revenge mission.
In the British Mandate census of 1931
1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
, Kaukab had a population of 285 Muslims and according to a land and population survey by Sami Hadawi
Sami Hadawi
Sami Hadawi was a Palestinian scholar and author. He is known for documenting the effects of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on the Arab population in Palestine and published statistics for individual villages prior to Israel's establishment. Hadawi worked as a land specialist until he was exiled from...
, its population was 490 in 1945. In 1973, this grew to 1,340. Kaukab was declared a local council in 1984.
External links
- Kawkab Abu El-Haija photos, by Dr. Moslih Kanaaneh
- Welcome To Kawkab Abu al-Heija