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Salama (town)
Encyclopedia
Salama was a Palestinian
Arab village, located five kilometers east of Jaffa
, that was depopulated in the lead up the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. The town was named for Salama Abu Hashim, a companion
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
. His tomb, two village schools, and ten houses from among the over 800 houses that had made up the village, are all that remain of the structures of the former village today.
rule, Salama was a village in the nahiya of Ramla (liwa
´ of Gaza), with a population of 94. It paid taxes on a number of crops, including wheat and barley, as well as on other types of property, such as goats and beehives. In the late nineteenth century, the village was described as being built of adobe
brick, with a few gardens and wells.
In 1931, the town had a population of 3,691 inhabitants according to a census conducted by the British Mandate authorities.
An elementary school for boys was opened in 1920, and by 1941 it had 504 boys enrolled. In 1936 an elementary school for girls was opened, which had 121 girls enrolled by 1941.
In 1944/45 the town had 6,730 inhabitants, of whom 6,670 were Muslims and 60 Christians.
and Salama. Their operational orders for Salama were:
Morris goes on to explain, "The destruction of most of the sites was governed by the cogent military consideration that, should they be left intact, irregulars, or, come the expected invasion, Arab regular troops, would reoccupy and use them as bases for future attacks. An almost instant example of this problem was provided at Qastal in early April."
The village of Salama finally got depopulated in the weeks leading up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
, during Haganah
´s offensive Mivtza Hametz (Operation Hametz
) 28–30 April 1948. This operation was held against a group of villages east of Jaffa, including Salama. According to the preparatory orders, the objective was to "opening the way [for Jewish forces] to Lydda". Though there was no explicit mention of the prospective treatment of the villagers, the order spoke of "cleansing the area" [tihur hashetah]. The final operational order stated: "Civilian inhabitants of places conquered would be permitted to leave after they are searched for weapons." It cautioned against looting and "'undisciplined acts [maasei hefkerut], robbery, or harming holy places.'" Prisoners were to be moved to headquarters.
During 28–30 April, the Haganah took Salama without a fight, the HIS attributed the non-resistance of the inhabitants to prior Arab defeats and added that "it is clear that the inhabitants have no stomach for war and ... would willingly return to their villages and accept Jewish protection."
According to an AP
article of 1 May 1948,
When Ben-Gurion visited Salama on 30 April he encountered "only one old blind woman". A day or two later, "hooligans" from Tel Aviv's Hatikva Quarter torched several buildings.
Settlement of the abandoned village with Jewish war refugees, and later by new immigrants, began two weeks after its conquest. On 10 December 1948, Salama and some of its agricultural land was annexed to Tel Aviv. Today the village site is part of the Kfar Shalem
neighborhood of Tel Aviv.
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 village, located five kilometers east 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:...
, that was depopulated in the lead up the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 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 town was named for Salama Abu Hashim, a companion
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. His tomb, two village schools, and ten houses from among the over 800 houses that had made up the village, are all that remain of the structures of the former village today.
Ottoman rule
In 1596, under OttomanOttoman 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...
rule, Salama was a village in the nahiya of Ramla (liwa
Liwa
*Liwa "Liwa" means "standard" or "banner" in Arabic.*Liwa *Liwa geography*Chad**Liwa in Mamdi Department*Oman**Liwa, Oman**Liwa Province, Oman *United Arab Emirates**Liwa Oasis *Poland...
´ of Gaza), with a population of 94. It paid taxes on a number of crops, including wheat and barley, as well as on other types of property, such as goats and beehives. In the late nineteenth century, the village was described as being built of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
brick, with a few gardens and wells.
In 1931, the town had a population of 3,691 inhabitants according to a census conducted by the British Mandate authorities.
An elementary school for boys was opened in 1920, and by 1941 it had 504 boys enrolled. In 1936 an elementary school for girls was opened, which had 121 girls enrolled by 1941.
In 1944/45 the town had 6,730 inhabitants, of whom 6,670 were Muslims and 60 Christians.
1948 War
In January and February 1948 Palmah raiders destroyed houses in YazurYazur
Yazur was an Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th century....
and Salama. Their operational orders for Salama were:
The villagers do not express opposition to the actions of the [Arab] gangs and a great many of the youth even provide [the (Arab) irregulars with] active cooperation ...The aim is...to attack the northern part of the village...to cause deaths, to blow up houses and to burn everything possible. A qualification stated: 'Efforts should be made to avoid harming women and children.'
Morris goes on to explain, "The destruction of most of the sites was governed by the cogent military consideration that, should they be left intact, irregulars, or, come the expected invasion, Arab regular troops, would reoccupy and use them as bases for future attacks. An almost instant example of this problem was provided at Qastal in early April."
The village of Salama finally got depopulated in the weeks leading up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 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...
, during 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 :...
´s offensive Mivtza Hametz (Operation Hametz
Operation Hametz
Operation Hametz was a Jewish operation towards the end of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was launched at the end of April 1948 with the objective of capturing villages inland from Jaffa and establishing a blockade around the town.-Background:...
) 28–30 April 1948. This operation was held against a group of villages east of Jaffa, including Salama. According to the preparatory orders, the objective was to "opening the way [for Jewish forces] to Lydda". Though there was no explicit mention of the prospective treatment of the villagers, the order spoke of "cleansing the area" [tihur hashetah]. The final operational order stated: "Civilian inhabitants of places conquered would be permitted to leave after they are searched for weapons." It cautioned against looting and "'undisciplined acts [maasei hefkerut], robbery, or harming holy places.'" Prisoners were to be moved to headquarters.
During 28–30 April, the Haganah took Salama without a fight, the HIS attributed the non-resistance of the inhabitants to prior Arab defeats and added that "it is clear that the inhabitants have no stomach for war and ... would willingly return to their villages and accept Jewish protection."
According to an AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
article of 1 May 1948,
Jewish troops moved into Salama, key Arab position in the Jaffa perimeter, without firing a shot after maneuvering the Arabs into a position where they had no choice but to withdraw.
Streets and houses in Salama were deserted when the Jews arrived.
The Arab troops and the 12,000 civilians there had fled down a narrow escape corridor which the Jews purposely had kept open.
When Ben-Gurion visited Salama on 30 April he encountered "only one old blind woman". A day or two later, "hooligans" from Tel Aviv's Hatikva Quarter torched several buildings.
Settlement of the abandoned village with Jewish war refugees, and later by new immigrants, began two weeks after its conquest. On 10 December 1948, Salama and some of its agricultural land was annexed to Tel Aviv. Today the village site is part of the Kfar Shalem
Kfar Shalem
-20th century:Until 1948, the Arab village of Salama stood where Kfar Shalem is now located. In 1931, there were 800 houses and 3,691 residents in the village. On the eve of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the village had 7,600 residents, most of whom were refugees from the surrounding area, who had...
neighborhood of Tel Aviv.
See also
- Kafr 'AnaKafr 'AnaKafr 'Ana was a Palestinian town located east of Jaffa. In 1945, the town had an estimated population of 2,800 Arabs and 220 Jews. Captured by the pre-state Israeli forces of the Alexandroni Brigade prior to the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, it was depopulated.-History:The Canaanites...
- 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 Salama
- Salameh 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...
- Salama by Rami Nashashibi (1996), Center for Research and Documentation of Palestinian Society.
- A Palestinian Village in the Heart of Tel Aviv? by Omer Carmon, 15 August 2005