Ma’lul

Location and Historical Background

The village of Ma’lul was located on the northern edge of the Wadi al-Majidil, facing the village of al-Majidil (which lay approximately 2 kilometers to the south). Two springs were located near Ma’lul: one to the northeast and the other to the northwest. A secondary road linked the village to the main Nazareth–Haifa road, which passed a short distance southeast of the village site.

It is likely that Ma’lul was established on the site of an ancient Roman-era village of the same name, later referred to by the Crusaders as “Mula.” In 1596, Ma’lul was part of the Tiberias subdistrict (of the Safad district), with a population of 77. The villagers paid taxes on various agricultural products such as wheat and barley, as well as on livestock and beehives.

 

By the late 19th century, a Roman mausoleum known as Qasr al-Deir (Monastery Palace) stood near the village. Ma’lul itself was built of mud-brick and located on a hill. Its estimated population of 280 cultivated 42 faddans of land (with each faddan equaling 100–250 dunams).

 

In the early 20th century, the villagers did not own the land they farmed; instead, they leased it from the Sursuq family of Beirut, who had previously acquired the land and resided in Beirut. In 1921, the Sursuqs sold most of the village land—except for 2,000 dunams—to a Zionist company, the Palestine Land Development Company. The remaining 2,000 dunams were insufficient to sustain the village population, so, upon the request of the British Mandate authorities, the company agreed to lease an additional 3,000 dunams to the villagers until 1927, with an option to purchase this land before the lease expired.

In 1927, a lawyer representing the villagers filed a legal claim to purchase the land, but the company responded that the villagers had forfeited their right to buy, and that ownership had since transferred to the Jewish National Fund (JNF)—whose internal regulations prohibited the sale of any land it acquired. The British Mandate government apparently did not compel the company to extend the lease to 1931, though the company unofficially agreed to do so (acting as if it still owned the land), without drafting a formal contract. For the villagers, it likely remained unclear who the rightful landowner was and how long their tenancy would last.

 

In 1931, the JNF demanded rent and brought the villagers to court. The villagers responded with a counterclaim, asserting their continuing right to purchase the land. They also claimed the right to graze their livestock on another parcel of land west of the village, which had been acquired by the JNF. The case dragged on until 1937, when the government proposed a compromise: the JNF would transfer to the villagers a sufficient amount of land near Ma’lul, while the government would grant the JNF an equivalent parcel of land south of Baysan (Beit She’an), and then lease the Ma’lul land to the villagers.

However, the 1937 Partition Plan and the 1939 White Paper halted this land exchange due to restrictions placed on land transfers in the Baysan area. Eventually, the JNF obtained legal documentation confirming ownership of land in another area. Although the JNF did not attempt to cultivate the land (which the villagers of Ma’lul continued to use), it persisted in demanding rent. In 1945, the JNF requested the eviction of the villagers. To avoid bloodshed, the government reopened negotiations in 1946. These negotiations were successful, and the JNF agreed to cede 3,700 dunams near Ma’lul in exchange for 5,433 dunams near Baysan.

 

Unfortunately for the villagers, this agreement proved unworkable, as the land near Baysan offered to the JNF was subject to fierce disputes between Zionist settlers and Palestinians. Zionist trespassers had seized 3,000 dunams of this land, establishing settlements there. In response, residents of the village of Umm ‘Ajra (see Umm ‘Ajra, Baysan District) cultivated 600 dunams and claimed ownership, despite lacking legal documentation. When the Zionist movement attempted to claim the land near Baysan, they faced intense resistance. As of May 1947, the dispute remained unresolved.

 

Sources do not clarify the impact of these events on Ma’lul’s residents. It appears that the JNF allowed the villagers to enter and farm the land in question, and that the government had expropriated it. However, since the JNF was unable to acquire the land it had been promised near Baysan, it may have continued to assert ownership over the land in Ma’lul.

 

Village Description Prior to Depopulation

 

The homes in Ma’lul were tightly clustered and constructed from stone and mud, stone and cement, or reinforced concrete. The population consisted of approximately 490 Muslims and 200 Christians. The village had a mosque and two churches. Residents relied on nearby springs and wells for household water. Their economy was primarily agricultural, focusing on grain cultivation and olive farming—the latter processed using a manual olive press. In 1944–1945, a total of 784 dunams were used for cereals, while 650 dunams were irrigated or dedicated to orchards. Villagers also raised livestock.

 

The presence of a grand Roman-era mausoleum near the village in the 19th century provides clear evidence that the site was inhabited during Roman times. Additionally, remnants of old foundations and graves were visible in the village site.

 

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

 

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, Ma’lul was among the villages in Lower Galilee occupied during the second phase of Operation Dekel (see ‘Amqa, Acre District). He states that Ma’lul was occupied one day before the capture of Nazareth on July 15, 1948. A United Press report dated the same day mentions that Ma’lul had actually been captured the day before. Morris indicates that the village was completely depopulated and its buildings were razed to the ground.

 

Current Status of the Village Site

 

The site is now covered by a pine forest planted by the Jewish National Fund, dedicated in memory of various prominent Zionists as well as American and European non-Jews. A military base is also situated on the village site. The mosque and the two churches still stand but are intermittently used as cattle sheds by residents of Kibbutz Kfar HaHoresh. An Israeli plastic factory is located between the site of Ma’lul and al-Majidil, overlooking Wadi al-Halabi. The area is dotted with cactus, olive, and fig trees, along with piles of stone ruins. Several tombs remain in the Muslim cemetery near the mosque, and remnants of some houses can still be found within the village site.

 

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

 

According to Benny Morris, the Timmorim settlement was established near Ma’lul in June 1948, possibly even before the village’s occupation. This early establishment suggests it may have been built on village lands, though not on the exact village site. The Israeli Settlement Encyclopedia notes that Timmorim (123487) was originally founded near the village but was later relocated to another site (127124), north of Kiryat Gat.

 

A training farm called Timrat (171234) was set up near the village site in the 1950s, replacing an earlier settlement. It was later abandoned. The Jewish Agency developed plans to rebuild Timrat (172234) in the late 1970s, completing them in 1983. By 1988, Timrat had a population of 862 Zionist Jews. It is located 1.5 km west of the village site, with part of it lying on former village lands. A military base was also established on Ma’lul’s land.

 

The Kfar HaHoresh settlement (176234), established in 1933, lies west of the village, and Migdal HaEmek (172231), established in 1952, lies to the southwest. Both are situated on lands that historically belonged to the village of al-Majidil.

Summery-:
Location and Historical Background:
Ma’lul was a Palestinian village located north of Wadi al-Majidil, near the village of al-Majidil, and was connected by a secondary road to the main Nazareth–Haifa highway. The village was near two springs and likely established over a Roman-era settlement known as “Mula” during the Crusades. In 1596, Ma’lul had 77 residents and paid taxes on grain, livestock, and beehives.

By the late 19th century, the village had a Roman mausoleum (Qasr al-Deir) and about 280 residents living in mud-brick houses on a hill, farming around 42 faddans. In the early 20th century, villagers leased their farmland from the Sursuq family of Beirut. In 1921, the Sursuqs sold all but 2,000 dunams of Ma’lul’s land to the Palestine Land Development Company, a Zionist organization.

Due to insufficient land, the company, under British mandate pressure, leased an additional 3,000 dunams until 1927, giving villagers the option to purchase it. When the villagers attempted to buy the land in 1927, the company denied the claim, stating ownership had transferred to the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which by policy did not sell land. The lease extension to 1931 was unofficial and undocumented, creating ambiguity about ownership and lease duration.

Legal Disputes and Land Exchange Efforts:
In 1931, the JNF demanded rent, prompting villagers to file a counterclaim asserting their purchase rights and grazing claims on JNF land. In 1937, the British government proposed a land swap: giving villagers land near Ma’lul in exchange for giving the JNF land near Baysan. The plan failed due to the 1937 Partition Plan and the 1939 White Paper, which restricted land transfers.

Eventually, the JNF received alternate land rights, but it continued demanding rent from Ma’lul’s residents and sought their eviction in 1945. To avoid violence, new negotiations in 1946 led to a 3,700-dunam land concession to villagers in exchange for 5,433 dunams near Baysan. However, Zionist settlers had already seized parts of the Baysan lands, sparking disputes and clashes with Palestinians, including villagers from Umm ‘Ajra. No resolution was reached by May 1947, and it’s unclear how this affected Ma’lul’s residents, though it appears they continued farming the disputed land.

Village Life Before 1948:
Ma’lul had closely clustered houses built from stone, mud, and concrete, with a population of 490 Muslims and 200 Christians. The village had a mosque, two churches, and relied on wells and springs for water. Residents primarily farmed grain and olives, using a manual press, and raised livestock. In 1944–45, 784 dunams were used for cereals and 650 for orchards or irrigation. Roman-era ruins and graves at the site indicated long-standing habitation.

Depopulation and Destruction:

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, Ma’lul was occupied during Operation Dekel and captured one day before Nazareth, on 14 July 1948. The entire population was expelled, and the village was razed to the ground.

Present-Day Site:

The original village site is now covered by a pine forest planted by the Jewish National Fund, dedicated to Zionist and Western figures. A military base also exists on the site. The mosque and two churches still stand, but are sometimes used as cattle sheds by residents of Kibbutz Kfar HaHoresh. An Israeli plastic factory lies between Ma’lul and al-Majidil. Cactus, olive, and fig trees grow around scattered ruins, and remnants of homes and graves remain, especially in the Muslim cemetery.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands:

• Timmorim: Initially established near Ma’lul in June 1948, possibly on its lands. Later relocated near Kiryat Gat.
• Timrat: Began as a training farm in the 1950s near Ma’lul, then rebuilt in the late 1970s and populated by 862 settlers by 1988. It lies 1.5 km west of the village, partly on Ma’lul’s land.
• Kfar HaHoresh: Established in 1933, west of Ma’lul.
• Migdal HaEmek: Founded in 1952, southwest of the village, on land that belonged to al-Majidil.

A military base is also located on former village lands.