Qannir
Encyclopedia
Qannir was a Palestinian
village, located 35 kilometers south of Haifa
. With 750 inhabitants in 1945, it was depopulated in the lead up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
.
s of land. By 1880s, The Survey of Western Palestine described the place as a village of mud
of moderate size, with one well to the south, and another to the west. By a later account, the village consisted of stone houses built side by side.
By 1944/45 the village had a total of 5,760 dunums of land allocated to cereals; while 460 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
According to a dispatch sent by Fawzi al-Qawuqji
to the [Arab] High Command, an enemy attack from Ein Hashofeit started on 0400 on 8th May towards Quannir and Kafr Quari. The attackers were supported by armored cars. According to al-Qawuqji the attack was "resisted and repelled", with a result of one killed and four wounded on the Palestinian side.
However, according to Haganah
sources, the forces of the Alexandroni Brigade
"raided the village on 9 May 1948, killed four Arabs and blew up 55 houses". According to Morris, the remaining villagers probably left at this time. The Jewish Israel
i locality of Regavim
, established in 1949, is located on the village's former lands.
Khalidi
described the place in 1992:
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 35 kilometers south of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. With 750 inhabitants in 1945, it was depopulated 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
In 1859, the English consul Rogers estimated the population to be 250, who cultivated 24 feddanFeddan
A feddan is a unit of area. It is used in Egypt, Sudan, and Syria. The feddan is not an SI unit and in Arabic, the word means 'a yoke of oxen': implying the area of ground that could be tilled by them in a certain time. In Egypt the feddan is the only non-metric unit which remained in use...
s of land. By 1880s, The Survey of Western Palestine described the place as a village of mud
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
of moderate size, with one well to the south, and another to the west. By a later account, the village consisted of stone houses built side by side.
By 1944/45 the village had a total of 5,760 dunums of land allocated to cereals; while 460 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
1948, and after
Between 22 -24 April 1948, the women and children of Qannir started to evacuate the village, apparently on [Arab] "orders from on high".According to a dispatch sent by Fawzi al-Qawuqji
Fawzi Al-Qawuqji
Fawzi al-Qawuqji was the field commander of the Arab Liberation Army during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War in Palestine, and a rival of the principal Palestinian Arab leader, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini.-Biography:...
to the [Arab] High Command, an enemy attack from Ein Hashofeit started on 0400 on 8th May towards Quannir and Kafr Quari. The attackers were supported by armored cars. According to al-Qawuqji the attack was "resisted and repelled", with a result of one killed and four wounded on the Palestinian side.
However, according to 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 :...
sources, the forces of 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...
"raided the village on 9 May 1948, killed four Arabs and blew up 55 houses". According to Morris, the remaining villagers probably left at this time. The Jewish Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i locality of Regavim
Regavim
Regavim is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near Umm al-Fahm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Menashe Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 270....
, established in 1949, is located on the village's former lands.
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 place in 1992:
Stone rubble is strewn about the site, which is covered with thorns, fig trees, and cactus. Part of the adjacent land is used by Israelis as pasture and the other part is cultivated.
External links
- Welcome To Qannir
- Qannir 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...