al-Zuq al-Fawqani
Population:
1931: n.a.
1944/45: 160
The village was near the Lebanese border in an area that sloped toward
the al-Hula Plain, to the south. It was about 1 km east of the highway leading
to Salad and Tiberias, at the intersection of secondary roads that linked it to
several neighboring villages. The etymology of the first part of the name,
al-Zuq, is not known for sure; it may have been derived from the Syriac zuk, meaning “town.” The second part,
al-Fawqani (“upper” in Arabic) distinguished it from the “lower” village of
al-Zuq al-Tahtani to the south. The outline of the village was circular, with
its houses built along the roads that radiated outward from its center. Several
springs flowed northwest of it, and a water-powered mill was built on the south
side. The villagers grew olive trees on the slopes to the north and west of the
village, and fruit trees on the western side. In 1944 a total of 1,286 dunuins was
allocated to cereals; 503 dunuins were irrigated or used for orchards. Columns
in secondary use, wall fragments, and an olive press all bear witness to
earlier occupation at the site of al-Zuq al-Fawqani.
Within a
2-km radius of the site were several tells
and khirbas, which testify to the
attractiveness of the site for settlement in the past.
The Palmach “whispering campaign,” which
was launched during Operation Yiftach (see Abil al-Qamh, Salad District),
precipitated the flight of many of the villagers of the Galilee panhandle,
including the villagers of al-Zuq al-Fawqani. Israeli historian Benny Morris
indicates that a direct military assault on the village contributed to the
exodus of the villagers, which took place on 21 May 1948.
There are no Israeli settlements entirely on village land, although Yuval, established in 1952, is located very close by to the northeast. Yuval sits at the intersection of the village lands of Abil al-Qamh, al-Sanbariyya, and al-Zuq al-Fawqani. Another settlement, Kefar Gil’adi , is about 1 km west of the site; it was founded in 1916.
The Village Today
The stones of destroyed homes are strewn across the site, which is overgrown with grass, thorns, and a few cactus plants. The nearby settlement of Yuval cultivates part of the surrounding land, and uses the rest as forests and grazing grounds.
Source(s):
al-Khalidi.
All That Remains