al-Muftakhira
Population :
1931 : 231
1944/45 :
350 (includes al-Barjiyyat)
A1-Muftakhira
Before 1948
The village was located on flat terrain in the central eastern part of the al-Hula Plain. Its closely clustered
houses were built initially of adobe brick roofed with cane, but later houses
were built of masonry. All of the residents of al-Muftakhira were Muslims. They
had a small school and worked primarily in agriculture. They grew a variety of
crops, including wheat, corn, onions, and animal fodder, and drew irrigation
water for some of these crops from a stream near the site. Some of them also
raised livestock and engaged in fishing, while still others were traders. Many
went to the weekly Tuesday market in the neighboring village of al-Khalisa to
sell their produce. In 1944/45 they planted a total of 924 dunums in cereals;
3,597 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. A nearby khirba contained the
remains of building foundations and walls.
According
to Israeli historian Benny Morris, the villagers were dispersed in two waves:
one on 1 May and another on 16 May 1948. He attributes the dispersal to the
villagers’ fear of a Jewish attack or an actual mortar or ground assault. Such
assaults were common during Operation Yiftach (see Abil aI-Qamh, Safad
District).
The settlement of Shamir, established in 1944, is on village lands, east of the village site. Lahavot ha-Bashan, established in 1945, is close to the site to the southeast; it is on lands that belonged to the neighboring village of Khiyam al-Walid.
Only the stone debris of houses and the occasional ruined wall attest to the former presence of the village A few eucalyptus trees grow on the site. The site has been turned into an archaeological center, and the surrounding lands are cultivated by Israeli farmers.
Source(s):
al-Khalidi. All That Remains