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District of Jerusalem
Ethnically cleansed days ago |
العربية Google Earth |
| Gallery (399) |
| Statistic & Fact | Value | ||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation Date | January 1, 1948 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Distance From District | 5 (km) West of Jerusalem | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 675 (meters) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Before & After Nakba, Click Map For Details |
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| Pre-Nakba Aerial View |
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| Map Location | See location #4 on the map View from satellite |
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| Acts of Terror | Six people were gunned down on the 28th December 1947 when Jewish terrorists (probably from Begin's IZL or the Stern gang) shot them in the village coffee house. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Exodus Cause | Military assault by Zionist troops | ||||||||||||||||||
| Village Temains | Lifta was mostly destroyed with the exception of few deserted houses (including the village mosque and its club) and some houses are used by homeless and hippie Israelis, see Pictures section for details. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnically Cleansing | Soon after the terror act on Lifta's coffee house, its population was terrorized repeatedly into leaving by Menachem Begin's IZL and Yitzhak Shamir's Stern terror gangs. By February 1948, the village was completely emptied and all of its inhabitants were trucked to East Jerusalem. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pre-Nakba Land Ownership |
**Town Lands' Demarcation Maps |
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| Land Usage As of 1945 |
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| Population |
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| Number of Houses | In (1931): 410 (includes Schneller's Quarter) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Near By Towns |
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| Town's Name Through History | During the Biblical and Roman periods, Lifta was known by Nephtoah, the Byzantines called it Nephtho, and the Crusades referred to Lifta with Clepsta. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Schools | Lifta had two elementary schools, one was for boys and the other for girls. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Town's Notable People | In 1834, Lifta was the site of a battle in which the Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pasha (the son of Muhammad Ali) defeated local rebels led by a prominent local ruler, al-Shaykh Qasim al-Ahmad. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Places of Warship | One mosque (remain standing) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shrines / Maqams | A shrine for a local sage known by al-Shaykh Badr. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nearby Wadies & Rivers | The village overlooks Wadi Salman, also Wadi al-Shami was used for agriculture and providing irrigation water. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Water Supply | Lifta's drinking water was drawn from a spring in Wadi al-Shami, see Pictures section for details. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Exculsive Jewish Colonies That Usurped Village Lands |
Currently, it is the suburbs of West Jerusalem. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Featured Video | |||||||||||||||||||
Village Before NakbaThe village stood on the slope of a steep hill and faced north-northwest, overlooking Wadi Salman. The Jerusalem−Jaffa highway ran immediately southwest of it, and dirt paths linked it to a group of neighboring villages. Although the identification of the village has been debated by biblical scholars, Lifta is believed to have been established on the site of Mey Neftoach (Mey Nephtoah), a source of water near Jerusalem (Joshua 15:9, 18:15). The site retained this name during the Roman period and was called Nephtho during the Byzantine era. Almost nothing is known about the village in the early Islamic period; however, during the Crusades the village was referred to as Clepsta. In 1596, Lifta was a village in the nahiya of Jerusalem (liwa' of Jerusalem) with a population of 396. It paid taxes on a number of crops, including wheat, barley, olives, and fruit, as well as on orchards and vineyards. In 1834, the village was the site of a battle in which the Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pasha defeated local rebels led by a prominent local ruler, Shaykh Qasim al-Ahmad. The family of Qasim al-Ahmad remained powerful, however, for years after this battle. They ruled the region southwest of Nablus from their fortified villages (Dayr Istiya' and Bayt Wazan) some 40 km due north of Lifta. In the late nineteenth century, Lifta was situated on the side of a steep hill, with a spring and rock-cut tombs to the south.The village houses were built mainly of stone, along the contours of the hill. The old streets of the village also ran in curvilinear fashion. The village expanded markedly towards the end of the Mandate; construction spread east, up the slope of Mount Khallat al-Tarha, linking the village with the buildings of the Rumayma neighborhood in the northwestern quarter of West Jerusalem. Construction also expanded towards the foot of the hill in the south and southwest, along the Jerusalem−Jaffa highway. Lifta's population was predominantly Muslim; its Christian residents were estimated at 20 out of a total of 2,550 in the mid-1940s. The village had a mosque, a shrine for Shaykh Badr (a local sage), and a few shops at its center. It also had an elementary school for boys and a girls' school that was founded in 1945. There were, in addition, two coffeehouses and a social club. The village was in effect a suburb of the city of Jerusalem, and its economic ties with the city were strong. The farmers of Lifta marketed their produce in Jerusalem markets and took advantage of the city's services. Their drinking water was drawn from a spring in Wadi al-Shami. Their lands were planted in grain, vegetables, and fruit, including olives and grapes; olive trees covered 1,044 dunums. The rainfed agriculture of the village was concentrated in Wadi al-Shami, in the depressions lying to the southwest of the village, and on the slopes. In 1944/45 a total of 3,248 dunums was planted in cereals. Village Occupation and Ethnic CleaningThe fighting in Lifta, as well as the adjacent Jerusalem sub-disctricts of Rumayma and Shaykh Badr, was triggered by the Haganah in the earliest days of the war. The History of the Haganah states that, 'Securing the western exit of the city [of Jerusalem] entailed the eviction of Arabs from Romema and Shaykh Badr. Afterwards, the Arabs also vacated Lifta.' Other sources supply further details. According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, the Haganah fired the first shots in December 1947, killing the Palestinian owner of a filling station in Rumayma, on the grounds that he was suspected of informing Arab forces about the departure of Jewish convoys to Tel Aviv. The next day, a grenade was thrown at a Jewish bus. Palestinian historian Aref al-Aref adds that a coffeehouse in Lifta was attacked on 28 December with Sten guns and submachine-guns, and that six of the patrons were killed and seven wounded. The New York Times account puts the number of dead at five, adding that members of the Stern Gang halted their bus outside the cafe, sprayed the patrons with machine-gun fire and threw grenades.AI-Aref writes that most of the residents of Lifta left after the attack on the coffeehouse and the rest evacuated soon afterwards. These actions were followed by a number of others, with the Haganah, Irgun Zvai Leumi (IZL), and Stern Gang repeatedly raiding both Rumayma and Lifta. In neighboring Shaykh Badr, the Haganah blew up the house of the mukhtar on 11 January, and two days later launched a second raid in which twenty houses were damaged. Most houses on the eastern periphery of Lifta were also demolished. Morris adds that the purpose of these demolitions was to turn the Palestinian residents out of their homes; to a large extent, this goal was achieved. By 7 February 1948, Jewish Agency chairman (later Israeli prime minister) David Ben-Gurion expressed his satisfaction with the results of the attacks at a meeting of Mapai party leaders: 'From your entry into Jerusalem through Lifta−Romema, through Mahane Yehuda, King George Street and Mea Shearim―there are no strangers [i.e. Arabs]. One hundred percent Jews.' Zionists Colonies on Village LandsThe settlements of Mey Niftoach and Giv'at Sha'ul were built on village lands and now have become parts of the suburbs of Jerusalem.Village TodayMost of the houses remaining on the site are deserted, although some have been restored for the use of Jewish families. A basin that had been built around the spring in Wadi al-Shami lies in ruins. The mosque and the village club are still visible, north of the spring. Adjacent to the mosque, on the western side, is a cemetery covered with bushes and wild grass. The village orchard of fig and almond trees is located at the bottom of a wadi along a stream flowing from the spring. Jewish families have moved into three of the old village houses. The ruins of other houses are visible in various parts of the site. In 1987, the Israeli Nature Reserves Authority planned to restore the 'long-abandoned village' and to turn it into an open-air natural history and study center that would 'stress the Jewish roots of the site.' This project, with an estimated cost of $10 million, would be financed from donations.SourceDr. Walid al-Khalidi, 1992: All That Remains. |
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| Related Maps | Town Lands' Demarcation Maps خرائط للقضاء توضح حدود القرى والاودية Town's map on MapQuest View from satellite Help us map this town at WikiMapia |
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| Related Links | Wikipedia's Page Facebook Page Google Search Google For Images Google For Videos |
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| More Information | في كتاب كي لا ننسى في كتاب بلادنا فلسطين في كتاب النكبة والفردوس المفقود المزيد من موقع هوية |
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| Display Name | Clan/Hamolah | Country of Residence |
| S. Aladra | العدرة / Al-Adra | United States |
| داود ابو ليل | العيدة | القدس, فلسطين |
| Mhmmdbdllh08 | Ali | - |
| Ali Hamdallah | Ghaben | Virginia, United States |
| Ahlam Hamdan | Alzaatout/Hamdan | NV, United States |
| Musa Hammudeh | Muqbel | Amman |
| yasmeen joudeh | alayada | Amman |
| ward joudah | alayada | Amman |
| shada joudah | alayadah | amman |
| Rana Awwad | ALayadah | AMMAN |
| sakher | - | JORDAN, amman |
| layth siam | - | amman, jordan |
| الجبلي | - | - |
| عبدالرحمن عزام سبيتان | سعد/حسن | عمان, الاردن |
| Ayed Abusaad | - | - |
| Nijmeh | AlQam | Amman, Jordan |
| ابوعلي | عوده | - |
| salim naser | alfar/zeyadeh/alsafran | il, usa |
| رفيدة حسين | - | syria |
| نسرين ريّان | - | - |
| عزالدين عزام سبيتان | سعد / فخذ حسن | السعودية, الرياض - السعودية |
| ahmad s shannak | الغبن | oh, oh |
| محمد عبد السلام جابر | جبران | عمان - الأردن , الأردن |
| Amer Abusaad | - | Texas, USA |
| AMER | saad | Texas, USA |
| النجار | العيدة | الرياض, السعودية |
| nagham abu-leil | العيدة | - |
| Ayan ,Denan,Ahmed Khalaf | Saad | Doha |
| Luay Khalaf | سعد | Doha |
| MOHAMMAD MA'ALI | معالي | السعودية |
| Derar Hamoudeh | Moqbel | NY, USA |
| Mohamed Ahmad Liftawi | - | Doha, Qatar |
| Tamara Saleh | - | - |
| Lara Saleh | - | - |
| Firas Saleh | - | - |
| Tamer Saleh | - | - |
| Yara Saleh | - | - |
| لفتا | فرحان | الخبر, السعودية |
| يزيد حموده | حموده | رام الله, دير دبوان |
| Mohammad Shehadeh | Sofran | Amman, Jordan |
| Bilal Moussa Shannak | Ghaban | al-khobar, Saudi Arabia |
| Amani Moussa Shannak | Ghaban | Illinois, USA |
| Jacob Saleh | Saa'd | Amman, Jordan |
| mohamed hmidan | homidan | carabobo, valencia |
| zeneh | alsufran | peru, peru |
| Amjad Abusaad | - | القدس |
| bassle | الصفران | amman, jordan |
| Zein | GHABEN | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Hasan Issa | Sofran | Kuwait |
| Deya Ghabayen | Ghabayen | California, USA |
| ahmad m shannak | الغـــبـــن | amman, jordan |
| Hassan Al-Dahin | AL-DAHIN / MOQBEL | ESTREN PROVICE, SAUDI ARABIA |
| مـــوســى عــيــد | عـــيــد | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| SALEEM EASA SALEEM FARHAN | FARHAN | AMMAN, JORDAN |
| nabeel qasem | kahlaf | - |
| Anas Abu Leil | العيدة | Palestine-Jerusalem |
| Haneen Awwad | Alayadah | USA |
| Kareem Awwad | Alayadah | - |
| MALIK AHMAD KASSIM | Saad | Kansas, USA |
| jamal abutaa | - | Lagrave, France |
| MAYSA | - | - |
| رنا عمران الطرشه | سعد | - |
| MOH-D BADER | غبن | الاردن |
| مودي | مقبل | amman, jordan |
| Firas Ata Abu Taa | - | - |
| nessma shannak | ghaben | amman, jordan |
| basel awwad | ayadeh | mo, usa |
| رندة سمير شكري أسعد | أسعد | OH, USA |
| Mohammed Aqel | عقل | Amman, Jordan |
| Nader Adawiya | Meqbel | Amman, Jordan |
| BASHIR AWWAD | AL AYADAH | EDMONTON, CANADA |
| Rafat Shannak | geban | amman, Jordan |
| Ahmad Abutaa | meqbel | dubai, u.a.e |
| Emad Salameh | Sa'ed | - |
| liftawia | ayada | california, usa |
| ali abed no'man abdulrahman | ghabin | jeddah, saudi arabia |
| SAAD ABOU SAKHER ( ABOU ZAYED 0 | MUKBEL | RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA |
| Abou-Zayed | MEQBEL | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| خليلية | خليلية | جبع |
| essam nassar | saad | - |
| Mustafa Awwad | Ayadah | Amman, Jordan |
| HUSSEIN-FARES ABUTAA | - | N.C, U S A |
| Sa'ed Shannak | Gaben | Amman, Jordan |
| Adnan D. Khalil | Sa'ad | Amman, Jordan |
| Ayman Khalaf | Sa'ad - Khalaf | - |
| AHMAD OMAR | ghaben | nj, United States |
| Rabie Rabie | Sofran | Palestine, +970(02)2985539 |
| Abu Muhammad | Mukbel | Amman, Jordan |
| nasser | ayadeh | byader wadi sser, jordan |
| mah d | - | jordan, jordan |
| ابو غالب | الحمارشه | jinen, jinen |
| Nadia AL Liftawi | - | California, U.S.A |
| Nabil | Lifta | - |
| ABLA ALHAJ OMAR | GHABIN | michigan, usa |
| Rasmyah Hammoudeh | Hammoudeh | CA, USA |
| Kamal Majed Shannak | Lifta | - |
| Naser Abu Leil | aiada | Palestine, Palestine |
| islam shannak | ghaben | amman, jordan |
| Hatem Awwad | al-aidah | Canada |
| NASSIR SHANNAK | Ghaben | JORDAN, JORDAN |
| Abu Yaman | Ghabin | Jordan, Jordan |
| Nabil Issa | Moqbel | Quebec, Canada |
| Ismail EL-Liftawi | Abbuta | PA, U.S.A |
| lamoush | - | amman |
| Mohammad Khalil | Sa'ad | Amman, Jordan |
| Raed Issa | sofran | NSW, australia |
| KHALIL fARHAN | Sa'ad | - |
| mustafa ismail | Ayaadah | Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia |
| mohammadl shanak | shanak | amman 11183, jordan |
| waleed ali ismail siam | MOQBEEL | JAPAN, JAPAN |
| Ashraf | Al Ayaadeh | USA/CT - ALQuds |
| Musa Abu-Shalback | Ghbin | IL, U.S.A |
| Anas Assa'd | Gaben | Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates |
| h8siam | - | Palestine, Palestine |
| Lena - Nadia Qasim | Qasim- Khalaf | - |
| Mohammad - Jihad Qasim | qasim- Khalaf | us |
| Laila Qasim | Qasim Khalaf | us |
| Ala'a Adawieh | Moqbel | al khobar, saudi arabia |
| Fadi Siyam | mogbel | Palestine, Palestine |
| ABOU ZAYED | MOGBEL | RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA |
| Wessam Al-Dahin | Muqbil | Khobar, 12345 |
| Nabiha Bajis-Zegar | Moqbel | IL, IL |
| DAHINI | Muqbil | Al-Khobar, K. S. A. |
| Jamil Al-isis | Sa'ad | Amman, Jordan |
| Aiman Hamdallah | Ghaben | - |
| wael Abed Husain Shannak | - | amman |
| Myriam Hamdallah | Gabin | - |
| Mohamad Hamdallah | Gabin | - |
| Wa'el Shannak | Ghaben | Pennsylvania, U.S.A |
| Sameer Ihmeadan | Sofran | - |
| Hussam Siam | Siam | Jerusalem, Palestine |
| said awwad | ayadeh | - |
| Kodsaweyeh | Sbitan | U.A.E |
| MOFEED ADAWIYA | MOQBEL | KSA, KSA |
| Elza Saleh | Saleh | - |
| Ehsan Hamideh | Sa'ad | Aljubail, K.S.A |
| suzan najjar | ayadeh | amman, jordan |
| kariman najjar | ayadeh | amman, jordan |
| Randa Najjar | Ayadeh | Sharjah, United Arab Emirates |
| YOUSEF ABUTAA | - | VA, VA |
| Nijmeh Liftawi | Ghaben | New York, New York |
| Hani Shannak | Ghaben | - |
| omar khalaf | Sa'ad | Amman, jordan |
| khaled naser | Ayadeh | puerto rico, usa |
| Riham Rayyan | sa'ad | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Rami AbuGhazaleh | - | - |
| mohammed adawieh | Mekbel | DAMMAM, KSA |
| mohammed adawieh | - | - |
| Kodsaweyeh | Sbitan | U.A.E |
| dr. khadijah hamdallah rashid | ghaben | puerto rico |
| musa hammudeh | hammudeh | amman, jordan |
| hazem siam | mekbel | jordan, tareq |
| Mohammed Khalaf | Sa'ad | AL-AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
| Imad Obeidi | Ayadeh | Worcester, USA |
| khalid spetan | spetan | - |
| hisham Alyan | - | switzerland |
| RASHID | dar gabin | p.r, us |
| Abdel-Rahman Ahmad Ghouleh | El-Ghouleh (Mikbel) | IL, USA |
| Ismail Najjar | Ayadeh | Quebec, Canada |
| Husam Abed Al-Karim B. Hussain Khalil | Al Shaikh Ahmad | - |
| UmmNidaal | SbItan | U.A.E |
| Bashir ( Raad ) Abou-Sakher ( Abou-Zayed ) | MEGBEL | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |