Al-Ruways
Encyclopedia
al-Ruways was a Palestinian
Arab
village of 330 on a rocky hill located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southeast of Acre
and south of al-Damun
.
forces based in Safad in Careblier. Based on tradition, the people of the village professed to have blood relations with Hussam ad-Din Abu al-Hija. Hussam ad-Din was a high ranking officer in the Ayyubid army of Saladin
.
In the late nineteenth century, al-Ruways was situated on open ground with olive groves to the north of the village. Its population of 400 was entirely Muslim
. Under the British Mandate of Palestine in the early twentieth century, al-Ruways was one of the smallest villages in the District of Acre
, with a population of 217 in 1931, and consisting of two quarters. The village had a mosque
, its children attended school in nearby al-Damun
. The villagers drinking water came from domestic wells, and they primarily grew wheat, corn, sesame, watermelons, and olives. In Sami Hadawi
's population survey, al-Ruways had a population of 330 in 1945.
On July 18, 1948, two days after Nazareth
was occupied by Israel
's Seventh Brigade in Operation Dekel
, some units advanced into the Western Galilee
and captured a number of Arab
villages, one of which was al-Ruways. The inhabitants fled after bombardment and the fall of major neighboring towns (Shefa-'Amr
and Nazareth). According to Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
, "the site is deserted. The debris of old wells and cement roofs is strewn of over the site, which is otherwise covered by a forest of eucalyptus trees and cactus."
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...
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...
village of 330 on a rocky hill located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southeast of Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
and south of al-Damun
Al-Damun
Al-Damun was a Palestinian Arab village located from the city of Acre that was depopulated during 1948 Arab-Israeli war. In 1945, the village had 1,310 inhabitants, most of whom were Muslim, while the remainder were Christians...
.
History
Al-Ruways stood on the site of the Crusader town of Careblier. In 1266, a Crusader vanguard returning from a raid in Tiberias to Acre was ambushed by MamlukMamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
forces based in Safad in Careblier. Based on tradition, the people of the village professed to have blood relations with Hussam ad-Din Abu al-Hija. Hussam ad-Din was a high ranking officer in the Ayyubid army of Saladin
Saladin
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...
.
In the late nineteenth century, al-Ruways was situated on open ground with olive groves to the north of the village. Its population of 400 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...
. Under the British Mandate of Palestine in the early twentieth century, al-Ruways was one of the smallest villages in the District of Acre
District of Acre
The Sanjak of Acre was a prefecture of the Ottoman Empire, located in modern-day northern Israel. The city of Acre was the sanjak's capital.Acre was captured by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I in 1517, but the city fell into disuse soon thereafter...
, with a population of 217 in 1931, and consisting of two quarters. The village had a 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...
, its children attended school in nearby al-Damun
Al-Damun
Al-Damun was a Palestinian Arab village located from the city of Acre that was depopulated during 1948 Arab-Israeli war. In 1945, the village had 1,310 inhabitants, most of whom were Muslim, while the remainder were Christians...
. The villagers drinking water came from domestic wells, and they primarily grew wheat, corn, sesame, watermelons, and olives. In 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...
's population survey, al-Ruways had a population of 330 in 1945.
On July 18, 1948, two days after Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
was occupied by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Seventh Brigade in Operation Dekel
Operation Dekel
Operation Dekel , was the largest offensive in the north of Israel after the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was carried out by the 7th Armoured Brigade, a battalion from the Carmeli Brigade along with some elements from the Golani Brigade between 8–18 July. Its objective was to...
, some units advanced into the Western 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...
and captured a number 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...
villages, one of which was al-Ruways. The inhabitants fled after bombardment and the fall of major neighboring towns (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 Nazareth). 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...
, "the site is deserted. The debris of old wells and cement roofs is strewn of over the site, which is otherwise covered by a forest of eucalyptus trees and cactus."
See also
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
- Ein HodEin HodEin Hod is a communal settlement in northern Israel. Located south of Mount Carmel and southeast of Haifa in northern Israel, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. In 2008 it had a population of 559....
External links
- al-Ruways Palestine Remembered
- al-Ruways from the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre
- Al-Rweis photos from Dr. Moslih Kanaaneh