Al-Haram, Jaffa
Encyclopedia
Al-Haram, also Sayyiduna Ali' or Sidna Ali, was an Arab
village in the District of Jaffa
in Mandatory Palestine. It was located 16 km north of Jaffa
, adjacent to the ruins of the ancient city of Arsuf
, also known as Apollonia. It was depopulated during the 1948 war
.
of the small Arab settlement at Arsuf had been dedicated to 'Aly Ibn 'Aleim.
In 1880, it was described as a mud village of moderate size on high ground, with springs to the north, and on the west a mosque. The full name was recorded as El Haram 'Aly Ibn 'Aleim, after 'Aly Ibn 'Aleim said to have vainly defended the town when it was attacked by Sultan Barbars in 1265. Probably this tradition was transferred from neighboring Arsuf.
The census of 1931 recorded 83 occupied houses, with a population of 313 Muslims. As of 1945 the village had a population of 880, with 360 Jewish inhabitants. al-Haram had an elementary school for boys founded in 1921, and in 1945 it had an enrollment of 68 students. The village also contained a mosque and a shrine for al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (d. A.D. 1081), who was a descendant of the second Muslim Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the American Zion Commonwealth
bought land from the effendi
of the village, and the towns of Herzliya
, Kfar Shmaryahu
and Rishpon
were established there. According to some testimonies, the relationship between the villagers of Al-Haram and the Jews
of Herzliya
and Rishpon
was very friendly. The early settlers of Herzliya mention Arab
peddlers in the streets of the town. Some of the villagers were employed in construction. Former Arab residents of al-Haram testified that before the war, representatives of the Jewish towns assured them they were safe.
The Israeli town of Kfar Shmaryahu
was established in 1937 southeast of the village site, on what traditionally had been village land.
, the villagers were evacuated on 3 February 1948 out of fear of Jewish attack, after Haganah
or Irgun
attacks on nearby villages.
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...
village in the District of Jaffa
District of Jaffa
The District of Jaffa was an administrative district, situated in the British Mandate of Palestine around the city of Jaffa. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the district disintegrated.-Depopulated settlements:...
in Mandatory Palestine. It was located 16 km north 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:...
, adjacent to the ruins of the ancient city of Arsuf
Arsuf
Arsuf also known as Arsur or Apollonia, was an ancient city and fortress located in Israel, about 15 kilometres north of modern Tel Aviv, on a cliff above the Mediterranean Sea. The city site, Tel Arsuf, was intensively excavated from 1994...
, also known as Apollonia. It was depopulated during the 1948 war
1948 Palestine war
The 1948 Palestine war refers to the events in the British Mandate of Palestine between the United Nations vote on the partition plan on November 30, 1947, to the end of the first Arab-Israeli war on July 20, 1949.The war is divided into two phases:...
.
History
In 1596 the waqfWaqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
of the small Arab settlement at Arsuf had been dedicated to 'Aly Ibn 'Aleim.
In 1880, it was described as a mud village of moderate size on high ground, with springs to the north, and on the west a mosque. The full name was recorded as El Haram 'Aly Ibn 'Aleim, after 'Aly Ibn 'Aleim said to have vainly defended the town when it was attacked by Sultan Barbars in 1265. Probably this tradition was transferred from neighboring Arsuf.
The census of 1931 recorded 83 occupied houses, with a population of 313 Muslims. As of 1945 the village had a population of 880, with 360 Jewish inhabitants. al-Haram had an elementary school for boys founded in 1921, and in 1945 it had an enrollment of 68 students. The village also contained a mosque and a shrine for al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (d. A.D. 1081), who was a descendant of the second Muslim Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the American Zion Commonwealth
American Zion Commonwealth
The American Zion Commonwealth was aZionist settlement corporation that played an important part in the Jewish settlement of Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel....
bought land from the effendi
Effendi
Effendi, Effendy or Efendi is a title of nobility meaning a lord or master.It is a title of respect or courtesy, equivalent to the English Sir, which was used in Ottoman Empire...
of the village, and the towns of Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, Kfar Shmaryahu
Kfar Shmaryahu
Kfar Shmaryahu is a local council in Israel, within the Tel Aviv District. The council was founded in 1937, during the Fifth Aliyah to Israel.Kfar Shmaryahu is ranked very highly on the Israeli socio-economic scale...
and Rishpon
Rishpon
Rishpon is a moshav in the Center District of Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Herzliya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaSharon Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,000....
were established there. According to some testimonies, the relationship between the villagers of Al-Haram and the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
of Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
and Rishpon
Rishpon
Rishpon is a moshav in the Center District of Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Herzliya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaSharon Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,000....
was very friendly. The early settlers of Herzliya mention 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...
peddlers in the streets of the town. Some of the villagers were employed in construction. Former Arab residents of al-Haram testified that before the war, representatives of the Jewish towns assured them they were safe.
The Israeli town of Kfar Shmaryahu
Kfar Shmaryahu
Kfar Shmaryahu is a local council in Israel, within the Tel Aviv District. The council was founded in 1937, during the Fifth Aliyah to Israel.Kfar Shmaryahu is ranked very highly on the Israeli socio-economic scale...
was established in 1937 southeast of the village site, on what traditionally had been village land.
1948, and aftermath
According to MorrisBenny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
, the villagers were evacuated on 3 February 1948 out of fear of Jewish attack, after 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 :...
or Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
attacks on nearby villages.
External links
- Welcome To al-Haram
- Al-Haram at 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...
- Tour of al-Haram/Sidna Ali 11.11.05, ZochrotZochrotZochrot is an Israeli-Jewish non-profit organization founded in 2002. Based in Tel Aviv, its aim is to promote awareness of the Palestinian Nakba , the 1948 Palestinian exodus. The group's director is Eitan Bronstein...
- Al-Haram (Sidna Ali) in the memory of Herzliya, by Eitan Bronstein, with Norma Musih, from ZochrotZochrotZochrot is an Israeli-Jewish non-profit organization founded in 2002. Based in Tel Aviv, its aim is to promote awareness of the Palestinian Nakba , the 1948 Palestinian exodus. The group's director is Eitan Bronstein...
- Maram Massarweh, al-Haram/Sidna Ali, testimony, from ZochrotZochrotZochrot is an Israeli-Jewish non-profit organization founded in 2002. Based in Tel Aviv, its aim is to promote awareness of the Palestinian Nakba , the 1948 Palestinian exodus. The group's director is Eitan Bronstein...
- Issam Hijazi Masarwa, age 11, al-Haram/Sidna Ali, testimony, from ZochrotZochrotZochrot is an Israeli-Jewish non-profit organization founded in 2002. Based in Tel Aviv, its aim is to promote awareness of the Palestinian Nakba , the 1948 Palestinian exodus. The group's director is Eitan Bronstein...