Birya Fortress
Encyclopedia
Birya Fortress is a fortress built during the British Mandate, near the modern town of Birya
. In 1946 the Birya affair
took place here, and now it is a museum
.
Birya was founded by the Palmach
on January 8, 1945 and the fortress built thereafter. In addition to its civilian purpose, the settlement was intended to serve as a base for the defense of Jews
in nearby Safed
, which at the time had an Arab
majority, and as a waystation for Jewish immigrants arriving from Syria
.
On February 28, 1946, the residents were arrested after the discovery of an arms cache in the village. Shortly thereafter the British
decided to prohibit Jewish residence at the site. However, after a series of large protests and attempts at resettlement of the site, the British relented and agreed to the permanent settlement of 20 people at the site. This was seen as a large victory in the struggle for Jewish settlement of the land.
In Israel's War of Independence the site was destroyed but later reconquered by Jewish forces. After the war it served for several years as a camp for new immigrants, and was later abandoned.
In 1971 the modern community of Birya was established, about two kilometers to the southwest of the original site. In the same year, the fortress was turned into a museum explaining the history of the area. It is now surrounded by Birya Forest.
Birya
Birya , also Biriya, is an agricultural village adjacent to Safed, Israel, under the jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council in the Upper Galilee....
. In 1946 the Birya affair
Birya affair
The Birya affair was an attempt by the British army to take over the Jewish settlement Birya, in Palestine in the time of the British Mandate....
took place here, and now it is a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
.
Birya was founded by the Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
on January 8, 1945 and the fortress built thereafter. In addition to its civilian purpose, the settlement was intended to serve as a base for the defense of 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...
in nearby Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
, which at the time had an 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...
majority, and as a waystation for Jewish immigrants arriving from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
On February 28, 1946, the residents were arrested after the discovery of an arms cache in the village. Shortly thereafter the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
decided to prohibit Jewish residence at the site. However, after a series of large protests and attempts at resettlement of the site, the British relented and agreed to the permanent settlement of 20 people at the site. This was seen as a large victory in the struggle for Jewish settlement of the land.
In Israel's War of Independence the site was destroyed but later reconquered by Jewish forces. After the war it served for several years as a camp for new immigrants, and was later abandoned.
In 1971 the modern community of Birya was established, about two kilometers to the southwest of the original site. In the same year, the fortress was turned into a museum explaining the history of the area. It is now surrounded by Birya Forest.
See also
- BiriyyaBiriyyaBiriyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Safad. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on May 2, 1948 by The Palmach's First Battalion of Operation Yiftach. It was located northeast of Safad...
- BiryaBiryaBirya , also Biriya, is an agricultural village adjacent to Safed, Israel, under the jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council in the Upper Galilee....
- Birya affairBirya affairThe Birya affair was an attempt by the British army to take over the Jewish settlement Birya, in Palestine in the time of the British Mandate....