Al-Sarafand
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| al-Sarafand | |
| Arabic | الصرفند |
| Also Spelled | Sarepta Yudee |
| District | Haifa |
| Population | 290 (1945) |
| Jurisdiction | 5,409 dunams (5.4 km²) |
| Date of depopulation | 16 July 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Jewish forces |
| Current localities | Neve Yam, Tzerufa, Geva' Karmel |
Al-Sarafand (Arabic: الصرفند) was an Arab village close to the Mediterranean shore south of Haifa.
It is not known when the village was founded, or how the name originated. However, from Ottoman records it is known that in the 16th century it was a small village with eleven households. The inhabitants primarily grew wheat, barley, summer crops such as corn, beans, melons, and vegetables, and raised goats[1].
In 1945 the population was 290, predominantly Muslim. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the inhabitants fled in several stages. Most left in early May but some returned and remained until they were expelled in July[2]. Most of the inhabitants fled to the southeast line of Wadi Ara, where the Iraqi army was stationed. Later, they crossed the Jordan River, and since then the majority of al-Sarafand’s refugees have been living in Jordan. Only one former resident of al-Sarafand remained in Israel. The village houses were not immediately demolished by the Israelis and remained empty for many years. When they were eventually destroyed, the mosque was the only building spared.[1]
In 1999, the 'Aqsa Society for the Preservation of Islamic Holy Sites' decided to restore al-Sarafand’s mosque. In May 2000, while restoration was on the verge of completion, the mosque was destroyed overnight by a bulldozer. The perpetrator was never identified. The activists covered the ruins by a large tent and maintained a vigil at the site. Removal of the tent was negotiated with the Israeli authorities. It was agreed that the site would be fenced to protect it, but that did not happen and the activists built a more permanent structure. The latter was demolished by the police in March 2002, but the ruined mosque continues to be used for Friday prayers.[1] According to the Or Commission report, Israeli authorities did not grant a license for rebuilding the mosque after the demolition; a decision that contributed to the souring of relations between Muslims and the authorities. The Or Commission report also claims that activities by Islamic organizations such as the aforementioned society may be using religious pretenses to further political aims. The commission describes such actions as a factor in 'inflaming' the Muslim population in Israel against the authorities, and cites the Sarafand mosque episode, with Muslims' attempts to restore the mosque and Jewish attempts to stop them, as an example of the 'shifting of dynamics' of the relationship between Muslims and the Israeli authorities.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Efrat Ben-Ze'ev and Issam Aburaiya (2004). ""Middle-ground" politics and the re-Palestinization of places in Israel". International Journal of Middle East Studies 36: 639–655.
- ^ Benny Morris. The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited.
