Umm al-Faraj
Encyclopedia
Umm al-Faraj was a Palestinian
village, depopulated in 1948.
.
as Le Fierge.
An inscription in marble
, built into the wall above the gate of the village mosque
, dates this building to 1254 H, (1838-39 C.E.).
In the late nineteenth century, the village of Umm al-Faraj was described as being built of stones and with a population of 200. The villagers planted fig
, olive
, mulberry
and pomegranate
trees.
The older houses in the village were built close together and formed a circle, while the homes build after 1936 were scattered among the orchards. The entire population of Umm al-Faraj were Muslim
, and lived by agriculture. In 1944/45 a total of 745 dunams (745,000 m²) was used for citrus
and banana
s, 18 dunams (18,000 m²) were used for cereal
s, while 42 dunams (42,000 m²) were irrigated or used for orchards.
, Umm al-Faraj was assaulted by Israel
's Carmeli Brigade in the second stage of Operation Ben'Ami
. The operational order, issued 19 May 1948, was to "attack with the aim of conquest, the killing of adult males, destruction and torching." The assault came on the 20–21 May 1948, when Carmeli forces attacked Umm al-Faraj together with Kabri
, al Tell and Nahar
, and then "demolished them," according to Morris.
The Israeli settlement of Ben Ami
was established in 1949, in part on village land.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
described the village remains in 1992: "Only the stone mosque remains. It is shut and stands in a state of decay amid tall wild grass. Many trees that might predate the village's destruction can be seen. The nearby lands are cultivated; a banana grove belongs to the Ben Ammi settlement."
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, depopulated in 1948.
Location
The village was situated on a flat spot in the Acre plain, 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) northeast of AcreAcre, 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....
.
History
The village 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 Le Fierge.
An inscription in marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, built into the wall above the gate of the village 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...
, dates this building to 1254 H, (1838-39 C.E.).
In the late nineteenth century, the village of Umm al-Faraj was described as being built of stones and with a population of 200. The villagers planted fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
, 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...
, mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
and pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
trees.
The older houses in the village were built close together and formed a circle, while the homes build after 1936 were scattered among the orchards. The entire population of Umm al-Faraj were 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...
, and lived by agriculture. In 1944/45 a total of 745 dunams (745,000 m²) was used for citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, 18 dunams (18,000 m²) were used for cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s, while 42 dunams (42,000 m²) were irrigated or used for orchards.
1948 War 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...
, Umm al-Faraj was assaulted 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 Carmeli Brigade in the second stage of Operation Ben'Ami
Operation Ben'Ami
Operation Ben Ami was one of the last operations launched by the Haganah before the end of the British Mandate. The first phase of this operation was the capture of Acre. A week later four villages east and north of Acre were captured.-Background:...
. The operational order, issued 19 May 1948, was to "attack with the aim of conquest, the killing of adult males, destruction and torching." The assault came on the 20–21 May 1948, when Carmeli forces attacked Umm al-Faraj together with Kabri
Al-Kabri
Al-Kabri was a Palestinian Arab town in the Galilee located northeast of Acre. It was captured by the Israel Defence Forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. In 1945, it had a population of 1,520 and a total land area of 28,729 dunams. It is near the site of Tel Kabri.-History:Al-Kabri was known...
, al Tell and Nahar
Al-Nahr
al-Nahr was a Palestinian village 14 km northeast of Acre. It was depopulated in May 1948 after a military assault carried out by the Carmeli Brigade as part of the Israel Defence Force's Operation Ben-Ami. Immediately after the assault the village of al-Nahr was razed.-History:The twin...
, and then "demolished them," according to Morris.
The Israeli settlement of Ben Ami
Ben Ami
Ben Ami is an agricultural settlement in the Matte Asher Regional Council in the North District of Israel, next to Nahariya. The moshav was founded in 1949 by demobilized soldiers on the lands of the Palestinian village of Umm al-Faraj....
was established in 1949, in part 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 remains in 1992: "Only the stone mosque remains. It is shut and stands in a state of decay amid tall wild grass. Many trees that might predate the village's destruction can be seen. The nearby lands are cultivated; a banana grove belongs to the Ben Ammi settlement."
External links
- Welcome to Umm-al-Faraj
- Um Al-Faraj photos, from Dr. Moslih Kanaaneh
- Umm Al-Faraj, 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...