al-Birwa

The village of Al-Birwa was situated on a rocky hill descending toward the Acre Plain. It lay a short distance southeast of the junction of two main roads—one leading to Acre and the other to Haifa. The Persian traveler Nasir Khusraw (d. 1084) passed near the village in 1047, referring to it as “Birwa.” The Crusaders called it “Beria.” The village was built around the intersection of these two roads, with houses constructed from stone and mud, and roofs made of wood and mud.

By 1969, Al-Birwa was part of the Al-Ala subdistrict in the Safad district, with a population of approximately 120 residents. The villagers paid taxes on various agricultural products including wheat, barley, fruit, and other produce such as barley and beehives.

In the late 19th century, Al-Birwa was a large village located on the edge of the plain, with cultivated land to the south and olive groves to the north. Its population was estimated at about 900 people who cultivated approximately 5100 dunams (around 500 hectares) of land.

The village expanded significantly during the British Mandate period, with residents adopting cement roofing for their houses. The population consisted of approximately 1,100 Muslims and 110 Christians. Al-Birwa had a mosque and a church, two schools—one for boys established by the Ottoman authorities in 1881, and another for girls founded in 1941-1942. Agriculture was the mainstay of the local economy, with residents growing wheat, barley, corn, sesame, and various vegetables. In 1944-45, approximately 1,437 dunams were dedicated to grains, and 1,548 dunams were irrigated or used as orchards, including 1,500 dunams planted with olive trees. Olive harvesting was conducted manually, mechanically, and with animal labor.

Nearby, Tel Al-Sar (grid 166256) contained archaeological artifacts dating between 2300 and 100 BCE, suggesting it may have been a quarry supplying stone for village buildings.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

During the early phase of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israeli forces sought to strengthen their positions on the coastal mountain by capturing the surrounding hills. According to the history of the War of Independence, Israeli forces occupied Al-Birwa and its commanding sites on approximately 11 June 1948, likely under the Carmeli Brigade following Operation Ben-Ami (see also Al-Ghabisah, Acre district). Fighting in the area continued despite the armistice declaration. On 25 June, the Israeli army announced clashes with Arab units in Al-Birwa, causing around 100 casualties. Reports from the “Surk Times” correspondent indicated that fighting lasted two days, with United Nations observers arriving to investigate ceasefire violations. The village was briefly held by a small Israeli garrison before being retaken by Arab Liberation Army units launching an attack from Nazareth.

In subsequent years, some villagers provided more detailed accounts differing somewhat from those of the Haganah and foreign press. According to local testimony, clashes occurred between the lightly armed villagers and Haganah forces. Palestinian historian Nawaf Nazzal, interviewing witnesses, stated that Israeli forces entered the village on the morning of 11 June 1948. Approximately 45 elderly villagers, along with their priest, were gathered in the church. Some defenders were killed in the initial attack, and others retreated after running out of ammunition. The villagers took refuge in nearby villages for about 15 days before deciding to return to harvest crops before spoilage.

About sixteen armed men, along with an equal number of men and women carrying rifles, crossed near the front lines of the Arab Liberation Army. (The Liberation Army did not participate initially due to lack of orders.) Villagers shouted “Allahu Akbar” during their attack. One villager recalled that armed fighters led the assault while unarmed men followed, carrying tools such as hoes, axes, and sticks. They also recovered rifles from fallen fighters. Women stayed in the rear to assist the wounded with water and first aid.

The villagers forced Israeli forces to withdraw about half a kilometer west of Al-Birwa, inflicting casualties previously suffered by Haganah units. The village remained under Arab control until 24 June, when the Israeli army retook it. However, that evening, Israeli forces launched a counterattack that forced the Liberation Army to withdraw, resulting in the permanent loss of the village. Many villagers lived in surrounding areas for a prolonged period and some later returned to reclaim some property.

Complete Israeli control was not established until after the first phase of Operation Dekel (see Acre district). By the start of the second truce on 18 July 1948, the village was firmly behind Israeli lines.

The Village Today

Currently, only three houses, two shrines, and one school remain. Two of the shrines are stone-built; one retains a complete curved roof. The school building is largely intact. The site also contains some neglected graves. Israeli settlers cultivate portions of the site and surrounding lands.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

On 1 August 1940, the Jewish National Fund submitted an initial plan to the Israeli government to establish a settlement at the village site. On 6 January 1949, Kibbutz Sa’ar (grid 166256) was established there, officially Judaizing Al-Birwa. In 1950, the settlement of Ahihud (grid 166256) was founded on the Arab part of the village lands.