‘Arab al-Safa

The village of ʿArab al-Safa was located over a wide area to the south of the village of Masil al-Jizl and Wadi al-Shaykh Mahmoud, overlooking a vast expanse to the east of the Jordan River. A secondary road connected the village to the Baysan–Jericho main road, which ran approximately five kilometers to the west, and several dirt paths linked it to nearby villages situated closer to the Jordan River.

In the late 19th century, the French traveler Guérin, who passed through ʿArab al-Safa, reported seeing several ancient tombs in the area. Like many villages in the Baysan district, ʿArab al-Safa was originally used as a seasonal encampment by Bedouins, later becoming a permanent settlement as they transitioned from a nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary one.

Several springs emerged from the village lands near the Jordan River. The houses, built of mud and reeds, along with some tents, were scattered along both sides of the secondary road that led to the main Baysan–Jericho road. Agriculture was the primary source of livelihood for the residents, who were predominantly Muslim. Their farmlands were located east of the village, especially within the Zor (floodplain) of the Jordan Valley.

Their main crops included grains and vegetables, and date palms had been planted to the southeast, near one of the springs. In 1944, a total of 7,449 dunums was allocated for cereal cultivation. Other lands, particularly those consisting of saline soil or nearby marshlands, were unsuitable for farming.

Depopulation and Ethnic Cleansing

The inhabitants of ʿArab al-Safa were displaced on May 20, 1948, most likely following the fall of Baysan one week earlier, as part of a broader military campaign targeting the entire Baysan Valley. The forces responsible were units of the Golani Brigade, operating under Plan Dalet.

The Village Today

Only three date palm trees remain at the site of the former village. The surrounding lands are now cultivated with wheat.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

No Israeli settlements have been established directly on village lands. However, Tirat Tzvi (199203), founded in 1937 on the lands of the nearby village al-Khunayzir, is located southwest of the village site. Additionally, Sde Eliyahu (198205), founded in 1939, is also nearby, but it is located on the lands of ʿArab al-ʿArida, to the west of ʿArab al-Safa.