Sajur 07.01.43

Translation with [comments]

[Still there today.]

Built on a Roman ruin.

Water a big spring in the east of the village, on the border with Kafr al-Rameh [see file], called Ayn al-Ghnen. A second spring Ayn al-Sajur is plentiful. Above both springs pools have been built, and the villagers get their water easily through the pipes from the pools. There are 4 rain water holes. The livestock is watered at the pools.

Roads the internal roads are useable in rain as well because the village is elevated - the roads: from the east to al-Rameh and from there to Beit Jan, from the west to Nahaf [see file], from the north to Qasra [see file], from the south a road that joins the main Acre-Safed road. The asphalt road is 400 metres away from the village. The al-Rameh and Safed buses go to the village.

The Buildings the ancient - stone, loam and lime, the new - stone and loam. The fences - stone, brambles and prickly pear.

Wadis from the east Wadi Hamid also known by the name of Wadi Jaraf. From the west Wadi al-Salib.

[Khirbes] There are no khirbes [ruins] around.

Livestock 300 heads of cattle, 500 goats, 1000 chickens and some bees.

Land 4000 dunam, all plain, divided [mafruza], the soil is red. There are two mountains there - Mount Haidar and another in the north, and they are jointly owned land [musha'a].

Plantations olives, figs, vines and apples. Mainly employed with field crops. [meaning usually wheat and barley and olives.]

Large Land Owners [effendis] most of the land belongs to Fuad Asad, and all the villagers work for him on a five year lease. There is one family, Hamada (Druze) who bought 250 dunams of land from Fuad Asad and some land close to the village.

Have not developed new land in recent years. Have not received land from the government. There are no irrigated plots.

[Waqf] There are 50 dunams belonging to the Druze waqf.

The village has no land elsewhere.

The Residents number of people 350, all Druze. Men of the 18-48 age group: 75.

Families

1. Ghanem family, 80 people, headed by Fadel Ibrahim.

2. Dahar family, 75 people, headed by Majid al-Husayn.

3. Ibrahim Hamada family, 60 people, headed by Yusuf al-Muhamad.

4. Hamud family, 30 people, headed by Yussef Salman.

There is ongoing strife between the al-Dahar and the Ibrahim Hamada families for a murder of a member of the al-Dahar family. There are constant conflicts between villagers from Sajur and from Nahaf due to thefts by Nahaf men.

The village mukhtar Asad Muhamad, of 30 years' standing, approved by all. This year the villagers elected a village committee: the mukhtar Asad Muhamad, chairman, and Najib Qasem, 'Ali al-Tajer, Yusuf Salman al-Salah and Hamada al-Yusuf members. A Druze charity operates in the village headed by the big sheikh Fadel Ibrahim.

[Schools] There used to be a school founded by the charity but it has been closed for the past three years and still is following the conflict between the families.

Artisans one shoemaker.

[Shops] There is one shop and its owner Hamada al-Yusuf lives off it.

Salah al-Hajar and Tawfiq Asad Hamud were policemen but resigned a year ago and are now living from trade.

[Employment] There are no railway workers etc.

There is no migration to town.

[Guesthouses] Each family has a guesthouse.

[Expenditure] There is no standing arrangement of public expenditure. Contribution is collected as needed.

There are no relatives of consequence.

[Jews] Ties with the Jews: there are rumours that the Jews want to buy the village lands from their owner Fuad Asad. They paid him 40 thousand Erez Israel Lira [Palestine pound] but the matter has not been concluded.

None work as guards or labourers for the Jews.

[Hilweh] There is a Druze hilwe [house of retreat] south of the village, the presiding sheikh: Fadel al-Ibrahim.

Conscripts 5 villagers joined the army.

[Guards] There is no guard.

Relations with the authorities are currently good.

[Debt] The villagers are not in debt.

[Smuggling] There are currently no smugglers.

During the Troubles [the Arab Revolt] the inciter during the revolt was Fares al-Salah.

No one was killed at the hands of the security forces. Salim al-Qasem was a guard at one of the banks in Jaffa. During the revolt the terrorists shot him, he was wounded in the neck but recovered and then gave up his job with the police.

Arrests the government arrested Fares al-Salah, sentenced to 3 months imprisonment.

No weapon was confiscated in the village. The quantity currently present - is unknown.

Damages there were no damages either from the terrorists or the army.

There are no deportees.