'Arab al-Shamalina

The village of Arab al-Shamaliyya (also known as Khirbat Abu Zaynah) was located in a plain west of the Syrian border, just north of the point where the Jordan River flows into Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee). The village overlooked the northernmost part of the lake’s shoreline. A secondary road connected it to the nearby village of al-Tabigha, located on the lake’s shore to the southwest, and to a main road that circled the lake and led to the city of Tiberias.

The village’s stone houses were situated between this secondary road and the banks of the Jordan River. The residents were members of the Arab al-Shamaliyya tribe, who had settled in the area. They cultivated land to the north of the village along the river, growing citrus fruits and vegetables, and relied on the river and several nearby springs for drinking water and irrigation.

In the agricultural statistics for 1944–1945, a total of 3,842 dunums were allocated for cereal cultivation, and 238 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. Several archaeological sites were located in the vicinity of the village.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

As part of Operation Yiftach, which was designed to occupy and ethnically cleanse the eastern Galilee (see entry on Abil al-Qamh, Safad District), a smaller military campaign was launched with the specific aim of expelling all Palestinian inhabitants from the area between Lake al-Hula and Lake Tiberias.

Arab al-Shamaliyya was occupied during this operation, named Operation Matateh ("The Broom"), which was launched on May 4, 1948. According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, the operational orders explicitly called for the attack on the village, demolition of its houses, and expulsion of its residents. Prior to the assault, Palmach forces shelled the area with mortars.

Morris states that the village inhabitants fled as the invading forces advanced. The operation, according to its commander Yigal Allon—who was also the commander of the Palmach—had a strong psychological impact on the residents of Safad and the al-Hula Valley. The Syrians reportedly informed the British that this Palmach advance caused an additional 2,000 refugees to flee from the area.

The Village Today

The ruins of the village homes are now scattered across a site overgrown with thorny vegetation. Some eucalyptus and palm trees remain on the site. Most of the former village lands are now used as pasture, though part of the land remains cultivated.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

The lands of Arab al-Shamaliyya are currently exploited by the residents of the Israeli settlement of Amnun (206257), which was established in 1961, approximately two kilometers northwest of the original village site.