Al-Khunayzir (Arabic: الخنيزر), was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Baysan. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on May 20, 1948.

Al-Khunayzir
الخنيزر
'Arab al Khuneizir[1]
Village
Etymology: Tell el Khaneizîr, the mound of the swine[2]
1870s map
1940s map
modern map
1940s with modern overlay map
A series of historical maps of the area around Al-Khunayzir (click the buttons)
Al-Khunayzir is located in Mandatory Palestine
Al-Khunayzir
Al-Khunayzir
Location within Mandatory Palestine
Coordinates: 32°25′17″N 35°31′20″E / 32.42139°N 35.52222°E / 32.42139; 35.52222
Palestine grid199/203
Geopolitical entityMandatory Palestine
SubdistrictBaysan
Date of depopulationMay 20, 1948[1]
Area
 • Total
3,107 dunams (3.107 km2 or 1.200 sq mi)
Population
 (1945)
 • Total
260[3][4]
Cause(s) of depopulationInfluence of nearby town's fall[1]
Current LocalitiesTirat Zvi[5]

History

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In 1881, a nearby tell was named as Tell el Khaneizîr, meaning the mound of the swine, and a nearby spring was named as Ain el Khaneizîr meaning the spring of the swine.[6] خنزير means pig in Arabic.[2]

British Mandate era

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In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the Mandatory Palestine authorities, Kunaizir had a population of 83; all Muslims,[7] increasing in the 1931 census to 200 Muslims, in a total of 47 houses.[8]

In the 1945 statistics the population was 260 Muslims,[3] with a total of 3,107 dunams of land.[4] Of this, 36 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 1,658 for plantations and irrigated land, 256 for cereals,[9] while 34 dunams were non-cultivable land.[10]

1948, and aftermath

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According to B. Morris, 'Arab al Khuneizir was abandoned by its population under the "[i]nfluence of nearby town's fall", on 20 May 1948.[1]

In 1992 it was described: "The only remaining landmarks is a cemetery on Tall Abu al-Faraj (199/203), north of the site. To the north and the west of this tell are the springs of 'Uyun Umm al-Faraj and 'Ayn al-Khanazir. Most of the village site and the land around it are covered with palm trees."[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Morris, 2004, p. xvii, village #131. Also gives cause of depopulation
  2. ^ a b Palmer, 1881, p. 169
  3. ^ a b Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 6
  4. ^ a b c Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 43
  5. ^ a b Khalidi, 1992, p. 54
  6. ^ Palmer p.157
  7. ^ Barron, 1923, Table IX, p. 31
  8. ^ Mills, 1932, p. 79
  9. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 85
  10. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 135

Bibliography

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