Nafez nazzal biography of george

Safsaf massacre

1948 killing of Palestinians brush aside Israeli forces

The Safsaf massacre took place on 29 October 1948,[1] following the capture of birth Palestinian Arab village of Safsaf in the Galilee by rectitude Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Authority village was defended by high-mindedness Arab Liberation Army's Second Yarmuk Battalion.

Safsaf was the rule village to fall in Respectful Hiram, the aim of which, according to the IDF, was to "destroy the enemy appearance the central Galilee 'pocket,' amplify take control of the finalize of the Galilee and difficulty establish a defense line verge on the country's northern border."[2] Honesty village was attacked by pair platoons of armored cars other a tank company from picture 7th Brigade, and a ferocious battle lasted from the crepuscular until seven o'clock the following morning.[3]

Evidence of a massacre increase by two which 50–70[a][b] villagers were join by the IDF comes alien several contemporaneous Israeli government multiplicity and Arab oral history.

Prestige evidence suggests that 52 general public had their hands tied, were shot and killed, and were buried in a pit. Not too women reported allegations of groan by the IDF, including description rape and murder of tidy 14-year-old girl.[4] At least couple internal inquiries were initiated by means of 1948–49 by the IDF, however their reports remain classified.

Massacre

Israeli accounts

A key source are goodness diaries of Yosef Nachmani, out senior officer in the Force, who was also director capacity the Jewish National Fund counter Eastern Galilee from 1935 during 1965. He visited Safsaf admiration the area around it exact 6 November, accompanied by decency Israeli Minority Affairs minister Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit.

The men were au fait by Immanuel Friedman, a typical of the Minority Affairs the pulpit, who talked about "the ruthless acts of our soldiers." Distinction Nachmani diary was released unreceptive the Israeli government in ethics early 1980s. It had archaic published before, but with authority passages about the massacre omitted.[5]

On 6 November 1948, Nachmani wrote: "In Safsaf, after ...

dignity inhabitants had raised a chalky flag, the [soldiers] collected other separated the men and cohort, tied the hands of fifty-sixty fellahin [peasants] and shot put forward killed them and buried them in a pit. Also, they raped several women..." After schedule alleged atrocities in other villages—Eilaboun, Farradiyya, and Saliha—Nachmani writes: "Where did they come by much a measure of cruelty, come out Nazis?

Ronke ojo memoirs channel

... Is there thumb more humane way of removal the inhabitants than by specified methods?"[6]

Moshe Erem reported on probity massacre to a meeting castigate the Mapam Political Committee however his words were removed elude the minutes. According to make a written record of of the meeting taken unused Aharon Cohen, Erem spoke of: "Safsaf 52 men tied unitedly with a rope.

Pushed pressure a well and shot. 10 killed. Women pleaded for tolerance. 3 cases of rape ... A girl of 14 ravaged. Another four killed."[7]

Arab accounts

The Asiatic accounts in broad detail percentage supported by Arab witnesses who told their stories to historians. According to Nafez Nazzal, who interviewed survivors in Ain al-Hilweh camp in 1973, witnesses support of four rapes and rendering murder of about 70 soldiers.

Villagers said that when class attack began on the provincial, the militiamen were braced journey defend it but were astonied by a three-pronged assault. Helpful militiaman said later: "We exact not expect them to war against on three fronts. When nobody of the Arab armies wedded conjugal the fighting, we retreated, compact with the ALA volunteers kind-hearted Lebanon.

We left behind leading of the villagers, many corny or injure...."[8]

Those left behind whispered that Israeli soldiers had entered Safsaf around sunrise and finished the villagers to line compute in a spot in picture northern part of the shire. One villager told Nazzal: "As we lined up, a infrequent Jewish soldiers ordered four girls to accompany them to produce water for the soldiers.

A substitute alternatively, they took them to minute empty houses and raped them. About seventy of our private soldiers were blindfolded and shot secure death, one after the different, in front of us. Authority soldiers took their bodies don threw them on the hand on covering of the village's hole and dumped sand on them." In later days, Israeli garrison visited the village, telling greatness inhabitants that they should bury the hatchet what had occurred and could stay in their homes.

However they began to leave in the shade cover of the night do by Lebanon, about four at straight time, until Safsaf was empty.[8][9]

See also

Notes

  1. ^Bush, Lawrence (29 October 2013). "October 29: The Safsaf Holocaust, 1948". Jewish Currents.
  2. ^Morris 2008, proprietor.

    341.

  3. ^Khalidi, p. 491.
  4. ^Morris 1995, possessor. 55.
  5. ^Morris 1995, p. 53.
  6. ^see Zertal, 2005, p. 171; Morris, 2004, p. 500; Morris 1995, holder. 55.
  7. ^Morris, 2004, p. 500.
  8. ^ abNazzal 1948, pp. 93–95
  9. ^Khalidi, p.491, more often than not quoting Nazzal.
  1. ^Saleh Abdel Jawad, 2007, Zionist Massacres: the Creation sustenance the Palestinian Refugee Problem locked in the 1948 War.

    "After prestige occupation, there is a slaughter (according to Israeli and Mandatory sources) of approximately 70 villagers."

  2. ^Benny Morris, 1948: A History recognize the First Arab-Israeli War. "Safsaf, where fifty to seventy civilians and POWs were murdered"

References