Kudna
Encyclopedia
Kudna was a Palestinian
Arab
village, located 25 kilometers northwest of Hebron
.
as Kidna. An archaeological site in Kudna contained remnants of a fort, the foundations of buildings, previously inhabited caves, and cisterns. About half a dozen khirbas lay in the vicinity.
During the rule of the Ottoman empire
, Edward Robinson
passed by in 1838, and noted that Kudna was a small village, with the remains of a large ancient building. The western wall was still standing, some 150 ft (45.7 m), built of large stones. In the late 19th century, Kudna was described as a small village situated on a low hill and surrounded by olive
trees. The walls of a Crusader Castle rose from the middle of the village.
In a 1931 census
conducted by the British Mandatory authorities, there were 353 registered inhabitants living there.
, the Israel
i forces of the Giv'ati Brigade, commanded by Yigal Allon
in Operation Yo'av assaulted the village on 22 October 1948. Though the village was defended by volunteers from the Arab Liberation Army
, the Egypt
ian Muslim Brotherhood
, and local militia men, it was overtaken by the Israeli forces and the village inhabitants fled. Benny Morris
reports that Kudna was one of a number of villages, including Zikrin
, Ra'na
, Deir ad Dabbun and Ajjur
, where most of the people fled before the arrival of the Givati Brigade; however those that did remain were expelled eastwards.
The area today is inhabited by the Israeli kibbutz
Beit Nir
, established to the west of the village site, on village land.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
described the village remaining structures in 1992: "The houses have been reduced to levelled debris hidden beneath an overgrowth of wild vegetation. One can see the stones that served as fences for home gardens. Cactuses and carob, fig, and olive trees grow on the site."
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, located 25 kilometers northwest of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
.
History
Kudna was known to the CrusadersCrusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
as Kidna. An archaeological site in Kudna contained remnants of a fort, the foundations of buildings, previously inhabited caves, and cisterns. About half a dozen khirbas lay in the vicinity.
During the rule of the Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, Edward Robinson
Edward Robinson (scholar)
Edward Robinson was an American biblical scholar, known as the “Father of Biblical Geography.” He has been referred to as the “founder of modern Palestinology.” -Biography:...
passed by in 1838, and noted that Kudna was a small village, with the remains of a large ancient building. The western wall was still standing, some 150 ft (45.7 m), built of large stones. In the late 19th century, Kudna was described as a small village situated on a low hill and surrounded by olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
trees. The walls of a Crusader Castle rose from the middle of the village.
In a 1931 census
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...
conducted by the British Mandatory authorities, there were 353 registered inhabitants living there.
1948, and aftermath
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War1948 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...
, the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i forces of the Giv'ati Brigade, commanded by Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon was an Israeli politician, a commander of the Palmach, and a general in the IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Israeli Labor party, and acting Prime Minister of Israel, and was a member of the Knesset and government minister from the 10th through the...
in Operation Yo'av assaulted the village on 22 October 1948. Though the village was defended by volunteers from the Arab Liberation Army
Arab Liberation Army
The Arab Liberation Army , also translated as Arab Salvation Army, was an army of volunteers from Arab countries led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji...
, the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
, and local militia men, it was overtaken by the Israeli forces and the village inhabitants fled. Benny Morris
Benny 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...
reports that Kudna was one of a number of villages, including Zikrin
Zikrin
Zikrin was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Hebron, depopulated in the 1948 Palestine War.-History:The village was called Kefar Dikrina in Roman times....
, Ra'na
Ra'na
Ra'na was a village located approximately 26 km northwest of Hebron. It was occupied by Israeli occupying forces during Operation Yo'av in October 1948...
, Deir ad Dabbun and Ajjur
Ajjur
Ajjur was a Palestinian Arab village of over 3,700 inhabitants located 24 kilometers northwest of Hebron. It was captured by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, during which all of its inhabitants fled or were expelled...
, where most of the people fled before the arrival of the Givati Brigade; however those that did remain were expelled eastwards.
The area today is inhabited by the Israeli kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
Beit Nir
Beit Nir
-External links:* *...
, established to the west of the village site, on village land.
The 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...
described the village remaining structures in 1992: "The houses have been reduced to levelled debris hidden beneath an overgrowth of wild vegetation. One can see the stones that served as fences for home gardens. Cactuses and carob, fig, and olive trees grow on the site."
External links
- Wecome to Kudna
- Kudna, 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...