Al-Birweh 10.01.43
Translation with [comments]
[Occupied and destroyed on 11 June 1948.]
Established about two hundred years ago on an ancient ruin.
Water there are no springs. There are two wells, one to the west (al-Bir al-Arabi), the second to the south-east (Bir al-Magid), plenty of water, drawn by buckets. Every house has a hole for rainwater. Around the wells are water pools for watering the herds.
Roads the village lies between two highways - Acre-Safed and Acre-Sakhnin [see file]. The village is half a km away from the highways. The internal roads are good in rainy weather too because the village is high.
There are roads to the east to Sha'ab [see file], west to Acre, South to Damun [al-Damun was a village destroyed on 15 July 1948], north to Kafr Yasif [see file]. The village is reached by car from Safed or Al-Rameh [see file].
Buildings stone and loam. Roofs - wood. The new ones - stone and concrete.
Wadis to the south Wadi al-Halzun.
Khirbes khirba to the west of the village, Tel al-Birweh with ruins of a building. In 1935 the government began excavations, removed antiques and stopped.
Livestock 600 heads of cattle, 3000 goats, 1000 chickens.
Land about 13 thousand dunam, divided, mostly flat. Soil is red and yellow.
Plantations olives, grapes and figs. Main crops - wheat, sorghum, sesame, water-melon, olives, grapes and figs.
Land is owned by effendis and they are inheritors of Salim and Khalil al-Adlabi from Adlab (Syria): Ahmad al-'Akki of Acre, inheritors of Yusuf al-Ziat of Acre, inheritors of al-Magrabi, inheritors of 'Id, inheritors of Bidun and Salim Hana the officer. The al-Adlabs cultivate their own land. The others lease to farmers for half the crop.
Average family plot - 50 dunam. There are 240 families in the village, 140 of which own no land. There has been development of land - 1000 dunams planted with olives, grapes and figs. There are no irrigated lands. Have not received land from the government.
About 60 olive trees belong to the Orthodox waqf.
The village has no land elsewhere.
Residents 1400, of which 100 are Christian. Men aged 18-48 - 400.
Families
1. Al-Kial, 200, Mahmud Mustafa al-Mahmud, originally from Halab (Syria).
2. Darwish and Sa'ad, 200 members, headed by Ahmad al-Darwish and Salim Mutlak Sa'ad. An ancient family in the village.
3. Ramdan Wajuda, 175 members, headed by Yusuf Salah 'Abdallah.
4. Al-Mi'ari, 80 members, headed by Abed al-Majid al-Mi'ari.
Half the land belongs to the first three families. The rest to the other villagers and the effendis.
Most of the families sympathize with al-Husayni [namely loyal to the Arab National party headed by Hajj Amin, the Mufti].
There is constant strife between the first three families over leadership including one case of murder. Relations with neighbouring villages are good, because the residents of al-Birweh are the rulers of the area and solve every issue occurring in the neighbouring villages.
Mukhtars the first Salah Al-Khatib, 15 years, popular.
The second - Hasan Darwish - appointed by the government, 4 years.
Mukhtar of the Christians – Asad Attalah, elected by the Christians. All belong to Al-Husayni.
The Village Committee Mahmoud al-Mustafa, Yusuf Salah Abdallah, Mouhamad al-Haj Ali Darwish, Salim Mutlak al-Sa'ad, Tayeb Abdallah Dib, Mouhamad Ihsan and the three mukhtars. Appointed by the government.
[Schools] There is a government school with 50 pupils. The teacher - Omar Kahamto of Acre. Since there are many children in the village the residents collected among themselves 90 EIL ten years ago to expand the school. The money they handed to the regional officer in Acre Hana Bulus and asked him that the government supplement the sum. But the regional officer bears a grudge for the residents and did nothing. They continue to try expanding the school.
Artisans 20 quarrymen, 5 well diggers, 4 drivers, 3 cobblers, 2 tailors, living off their trade.
[Shops] There are 4 shops. Their owners make their living only from them.
Government Official a young Darwish family member, clerk in the regional court in Haifa.
[Employment] There are no railway employees. None migrated to towns.
[Guesthouses] The large families have public guesthouses.
[Expenditure] There is no standing arrangement of expenditure. Money is levied among the residents as needed.
There are no relatives of consequence.
Ties with Jews Salim Asad Taha, Mahmud al-Mustafa and Yusuf Salah and other families sold land to the JNF [Jewish National Fund] and other Jews - 700 dunams. Al-Kial family sold to many Jews and the company, among others to Mendelman [I could not find yet who it was, but will update this with information].
Mahmoud al-Mustafa sold a 200 dunams piece of land to Jews, belonging to the waqf of the mosque. This land has not yet been turned over to the Jews and is still cultivated by the Arabs. The sale was made by Ahmad al-Adlabi of Acre. There are no workers or guards for the Jews.
[Mosque] There is an ancient mosque in the western quarter. It is said to be a monastery of Queen Helena. The preacher Salah al-Khatib of the village. His salary is paid by the residents.
[Guards] There are no gaffirs [security men] or recruits.
The residents appoint various people to guard during the various seasons.
Relations with the government were good. The informers are unknown.
Debts Al-Adlaby family lends to the residents for interest and most of the residents owe to the banks as well.
[Smuggling] There are currently no smugglers.
Activists in the Troubles [The Arab Revolt] the main instigators were Muhamad al-Haj, 'Ali Al-Darwish and Mahmud al-Judi. During the uprising the villagers were under the command of al-Abed Bashir of Majd al-Krum [see file]. The village commander was Sheikh Yihyah Hawash, commander of Nazareth province, Tiberias and Al-Ghor [The Jordan Valle].
The army killed Ibrahim Ahmad Abu Taha, Asad Ahmad al-Sa'ad, Hamuda al-Juda, Asha Mouhamad 'Ali al-Khalid, Fadil 'Ali al-Dala, Najah Ahmad al-Najah, Ahmad 'Abadi and Taleb 'Uda - were run over by a military vehicle intentionally. A man by the name of Hamuda al-Waqad lost a leg. The rebels murdered one man.
The government arrested many of the villagers, especially the notables.
The general commander of the rebels Sheikh Yihyah Hawash was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The government confiscated 4 rifles from the residents and one rifle from Sheikh Yihyah Hawash. The amount of weapons there now is unknown.
Damages the army burnt down 5 houses and killed stock to the price of 200 EIL. The government laid a 600 EIL fine paid in instalments.
There are no metrudin [deportees].
Note Birweh residents enjoy longevity. Most of them live to be over a hundred. There is one 130 year old man, Salah 'Abdallah, his body is strong and he always prays in public.