Kuwaykat
Encyclopedia
Kuwaykat was a Druze
Palestinian
village 9 km northeast of Acre
in the British mandate of Palestine District of Acre
, depopulated in 1948.
villagers cultivated olives.
In 1887, during the Ottoman
period, an elementary school was built in the village. In addition, the village had a mosque
and a shrine for the Druze
Shaykh Aby Muhammad al-Qurayshi.
The land of Kuwaykat was considered to be among the most fertile of the district. Grain, olives and watermelons were its chief crops. In 1944/45 a total of 3,316 dunums were used for cereal
s, and 1,246 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards, of which 500 dunums were planted with olive trees. In addition, the villagers also engaged in livestock breeding and dairy production.
took place on 18–19 January 1948, and involved a force of over eighty Jewish militiamen, according to Filastin
, the Palestinan newspaper at the time. The attack was repulsed, as was another attack on the village on the night of 6–7 February.
The village was finally depopulated as a result of Military assault and capture by Israel
in Operation Dekel
by Sheva' Brigade and Carmeli Brigade. On the night of 9 July, at the start of Operation Dekel, the village came under heavy bombardment. Villagers interviewed in 1973 in Bourj el-Barajneh
recalled:
Two people were killed and two wounded by the shelling. Many villagers fled to Abu Sinan
, Kafr Yasif
and other villages that later surrendered. Those, mostly elderly, villagers who remained in Kuwaykat, were soon expelled to Kafr Yasif
.
In January 1949, Kibbutz ha-Bonim was established near the site of Kuwaykat, on village lands. It was later renamed Beyt ha-Emeq. Its settlers were Jewish immigrants from England, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
, described the village in 1992: "Little remains of the village except the deserted cemetery, completely overgrown with weeds, and rubble from houses. Inscriptions on two of the graves identify one as that of Hamad 'Isa al-Hajj, and another as that of Shaykh Salih Iskandar, who died in 1940. The shrine of Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Qurayshi still stands but its stone pedestal is badly cracked."
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
Palestinian
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 9 km northeast 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....
in the British mandate of Palestine 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...
, depopulated in 1948.
History
In the late nineteenth century, the village of Kuwaykat was described by SWP as being built of stone, situated at the foot of hills. The about 300 MuslimMuslim
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...
villagers cultivated olives.
In 1887, during the Ottoman
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...
period, an elementary school was built in the village. In addition, 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...
and a shrine for the Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
Shaykh Aby Muhammad al-Qurayshi.
The land of Kuwaykat was considered to be among the most fertile of the district. Grain, olives and watermelons were its chief crops. In 1944/45 a total of 3,316 dunums were used for cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s, and 1,246 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards, of which 500 dunums were planted with olive trees. In addition, the villagers also engaged in livestock breeding and dairy production.
1948, and aftermath
The first attack on the village of Kuwaykat 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...
took place on 18–19 January 1948, and involved a force of over eighty Jewish militiamen, according to Filastin
Filastin (newspaper)
Filastin was a twice-weekly newspaper published from 1911-1948 in Palestine. Published from Jaffa, the principal publishers were Isa al-Isa and his cousin Yusef al-Isa. Both al-Isas were Greek Orthodox, opponents of British administration, and supporters of pan-Arab unity...
, the Palestinan newspaper at the time. The attack was repulsed, as was another attack on the village on the night of 6–7 February.
The village was finally depopulated as a result of Military assault and capture by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
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...
by Sheva' Brigade and Carmeli Brigade. On the night of 9 July, at the start of Operation Dekel, the village came under heavy bombardment. Villagers interviewed in 1973 in Bourj el-Barajneh
Bourj el-Barajneh
Bourj el-Barajneh is a municipality located in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in Lebanon. The municipality lies between Beirut International Airport and the town of Haret Hreik....
recalled:
We were awakened by the loudest noise we had ever heard, shells exploding and artillery fire [..] women were screaming, children were crying...Most of the villagers began to flee with their pajamas on. The wife of Qassim Ahmad Sa´id fled carrying a pillow in her arms instead of her child...
Two people were killed and two wounded by the shelling. Many villagers fled to Abu Sinan
Abu Sinan
Abu Snan is an Arab local council in the Galilee region of northern Israel, with an area of 4,750 dunams . It achieved recognition as an independent local council in 1964.-History:...
, Kafr Yasif
Kafr Yasif
Kafr Yasif is a Arab town in the North District of Israel. It is located northeast of the city of Acre and adjacent to Abu Sinan. The population of Kafr Yasif is largely Christian with a significant Muslim minority , and a small Druze community....
and other villages that later surrendered. Those, mostly elderly, villagers who remained in Kuwaykat, were soon expelled to Kafr Yasif
Kafr Yasif
Kafr Yasif is a Arab town in the North District of Israel. It is located northeast of the city of Acre and adjacent to Abu Sinan. The population of Kafr Yasif is largely Christian with a significant Muslim minority , and a small Druze community....
.
In January 1949, Kibbutz ha-Bonim was established near the site of Kuwaykat, on village lands. It was later renamed Beyt ha-Emeq. Its settlers were Jewish immigrants from England, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
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 in 1992: "Little remains of the village except the deserted cemetery, completely overgrown with weeds, and rubble from houses. Inscriptions on two of the graves identify one as that of Hamad 'Isa al-Hajj, and another as that of Shaykh Salih Iskandar, who died in 1940. The shrine of Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Qurayshi still stands but its stone pedestal is badly cracked."
See also
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
- List of villages depopulated during the Arab-Israeli conflict
External links
- Welcome to Kuwaykat Palestine Remembered
- Kuwaykat 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...
- Al-Kweikat Dr. Moslih Kanaaneh
- Tour to Kuwykat -Raneen Geries 6.9.2008, 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...