From palestineremembered 1) Acts of terror. Soon after [al-Lydd's] occupation, the "Jewish Army" committed its biggest massacre in Palestine, which resulted in the murder of 426 men, women, and children. At least 176 of these people were slaughtered in Dahmash mosque, which functioned as the city's main mosque. 2) Ethnic cleansing. Soon after al-Lydd's massacre, the inhabitants were terrorized into fleeing their city, and out of the 19,000 people who used to call al-Lydd home, only 1,052 were allowed to stay. Yitzhak Rabin, the Noble Prize winner, has written in his diary soon after Lydda's and Ramla's occupation: "After attacking Lydda [later called Lod] Ben-Gurion would repeat the question: What is to be done with the population?, waving his hand in a gesture which said: Drive them out!. 'Driving out' is a term with a harsh ring, .... Psychologically, this was on of the most difficult actions we undertook." (Soldier Of Peace, p. 140-141) Later, Rabin underlined the cruelty of the operation as mirrored in the reaction of his soldiers. He stated during an interview (which is still censored in Israeli publications to this day) with David Shipler from the New York Times on October 22, 1979: "Great Suffering was inflicted upon the men taking part in the eviction action. [They] included youth-movement graduates who had been inculcated with values such as international brotherhood and humaneness. The eviction action went beyond the concepts they were used to. There were some fellows who refused to take part. . . Prolonged propaganda activities were required after the action . . . to explain why we were obliged to undertake such a harsh and cruel action." (Simha Falpan, p. 101) Just before the 1948 war, the residents of the twin cities, Lydda and al-Ramlah, almost constituted 20% of the total urban population in central Palestine, inclusive of Tel-Aviv. Currently, the former residents and their descendents number at least a half a million, who mostly live in deplorable refugee camps in and around Amman (Jordan) and Ramallah (the occupied West Bank). According to Rabin, the decision to ethnically cleanse the twin cities was an agonizing decision, however, his guilty conscious did not stop him from placing a similar order against three nearby villages ('Imwas, Yalu, and Bayt Nuba) 19 years later.
3) Refugees' migration route. On July 14th 1948, the "Jewish Army" terrorized the inhabitants of al-Lydd and al-Ramla into fleeing to Ramallah via al-Qubab, Salbit, Bayt Nabala, and Kufr Ein. Close to 55,000 people clogged the roads in and out of Ramallah for weeks, where 350 Palestinians died due to exhaustion and dehydration. As the refugees were departing the twin cities, many of them, especially the women, were robbed, stripped of their jewelry and money at roadblocks that were manned "Jewish Army". In that respect, it's worth quoting Aharon Cizling, the 1st Israel Agriculture Minister, who stated in July, 1948: "...It's been said that there were cases of rape in Ramla. I can forgive rape, but I will not forgive other acts which seem to me much worse. When they enter a town and forcibly remove rings from the fingers and jewelry from someone's neck, that's a very grave matter.... Many are guilty of it." (1949, The First Israelis, p. 71-72) It's very sad that for the first time in the twentieth century, terrorizing civilians out of their homes was used to achieve military and political objectives. In that regard, Yigal Allon explained how this expulsion had a "positive" impact on the war, at least from the hit point of view. He stated in mid-July 1948: "clogged the routes of the advance of the [Transjordan Arab] Legion and had foisted upon the Arab economy the problem of "maintaining another 45,000 souls . . . Moreover, the phenomenon of the flight of tens of thousands will no doubt cause demoralization in every Arab area [the refugees] reach.....This victory will yet have great effect on other sectors." (Benny Morris, p. 211 & Israel: A History, p. 218) Often, the Israeli commanders on the scene were encouraged to use refugees to burden the enemy's war machine, clog their roads, divert food and other supplies away from their enemy, and to demoralization the population and the Arab armies.
4) Major plantations. In the years between 1942-1945, al-Lydda's had 3,217 dunums planted with citrus trees, and 5,900 dunums planted with olive trees. Since Israeli still maintains and enforces the "Law Of Absentees", most of Lydda's industries, farms, buses, cars, railroads, cattle, real estate, ... etc. have been looted and became the property of the "Jewish state". When similar injustices were perpetrated against Europe's Jewish citizens by the Germans and the Swiss during WWII, the Jews of the world demanded justice for their looted art works and properties. The question which begs to be asked is: Are the Palestinian people entitled for compensation for their looted properties?
شيرين الحاضر!
Shireen Presente!
Keep up the good work, akhi
When & where can we watch the Film?
Brilliant documentary!
✔️
Thank you. It is essential not to forget Palestine's history and present, in the face of those who want to erase and whitewash it.
From palestineremembered
1) Acts of terror.
Soon after [al-Lydd's] occupation, the "Jewish Army" committed its biggest massacre in Palestine, which resulted in the murder of 426 men, women, and children. At least 176 of these people were slaughtered in Dahmash mosque, which functioned as the city's main mosque.
2) Ethnic cleansing.
Soon after al-Lydd's massacre, the inhabitants were terrorized into fleeing their city, and out of the 19,000 people who used to call al-Lydd home, only 1,052 were allowed to stay.
Yitzhak Rabin, the Noble Prize winner, has written in his diary soon after Lydda's and Ramla's occupation:
"After attacking Lydda [later called Lod] Ben-Gurion would repeat the question: What is to be done with the population?, waving his hand in a gesture which said: Drive them out!.
'Driving out' is a term with a harsh ring, .... Psychologically, this was on of the most difficult actions we undertook." (Soldier Of Peace, p. 140-141)
Later, Rabin underlined the cruelty of the operation as mirrored in the reaction of his soldiers. He stated during an interview (which is still censored in Israeli publications to this day) with David Shipler from the New York Times on October 22, 1979:
"Great Suffering was inflicted upon the men taking part in the eviction action. [They] included youth-movement graduates who had been inculcated with values such as international brotherhood and humaneness. The eviction action went beyond the concepts they were used to. There were some fellows who refused to take part. . . Prolonged propaganda activities were required after the action . . . to explain why we were obliged to undertake such a harsh and cruel action." (Simha Falpan, p. 101)
Just before the 1948 war, the residents of the twin cities, Lydda and al-Ramlah, almost constituted 20% of the total urban population in central Palestine, inclusive of Tel-Aviv. Currently, the former residents and their descendents number at least a half a million, who mostly live in deplorable refugee camps in and around Amman (Jordan) and Ramallah (the occupied West Bank). According to Rabin, the decision to ethnically cleanse the twin cities was an agonizing decision, however, his guilty conscious did not stop him from placing a similar order against three nearby villages ('Imwas, Yalu, and Bayt Nuba) 19 years later.
3) Refugees' migration route.
On July 14th 1948, the "Jewish Army" terrorized the inhabitants of al-Lydd and al-Ramla into fleeing to Ramallah via al-Qubab, Salbit, Bayt Nabala, and Kufr Ein. Close to 55,000 people clogged the roads in and out of Ramallah for weeks, where 350 Palestinians died due to exhaustion and dehydration. As the refugees were departing the twin cities, many of them, especially the women, were robbed, stripped of their jewelry and money at roadblocks that were manned "Jewish Army". In that respect, it's worth quoting Aharon Cizling, the 1st Israel Agriculture Minister, who stated in July, 1948:
"...It's been said that there were cases of rape in Ramla. I can forgive rape, but I will not forgive other acts which seem to me much worse. When they enter a town and forcibly remove rings from the fingers and jewelry from someone's neck, that's a very grave matter.... Many are guilty of it." (1949, The First Israelis, p. 71-72)
It's very sad that for the first time in the twentieth century, terrorizing civilians out of their homes was used to achieve military and political objectives. In that regard, Yigal Allon explained how this expulsion had a "positive" impact on the war, at least from the hit point of view. He stated in mid-July 1948:
"clogged the routes of the advance of the [Transjordan Arab] Legion and had foisted upon the Arab economy the problem of "maintaining another 45,000 souls . . . Moreover, the phenomenon of the flight of tens of thousands will no doubt cause demoralization in every Arab area [the refugees] reach.....This victory will yet have great effect on other sectors." (Benny Morris, p. 211 & Israel: A History, p. 218)
Often, the Israeli commanders on the scene were encouraged to use refugees to burden the enemy's war machine, clog their roads, divert food and other supplies away from their enemy, and to demoralization the population and the Arab armies.
4) Major plantations.
In the years between 1942-1945, al-Lydda's had 3,217 dunums planted with citrus trees, and 5,900 dunums planted with olive trees.
Since Israeli still maintains and enforces the "Law Of Absentees", most of Lydda's industries, farms, buses, cars, railroads, cattle, real estate, ... etc. have been looted and became the property of the "Jewish state". When similar injustices were perpetrated against Europe's Jewish citizens by the Germans and the Swiss during WWII, the Jews of the world demanded justice for their looted art works and properties. The question which begs to be asked is: Are the Palestinian people entitled for compensation for their looted properties?