Dayshum

The village of Dishoum was built on steep, rocky slopes overlooking lower mountains that extended into the Qarah Valley, located to the west. It was situated near the Lebanese border and connected to neighboring villages via secondary roads, as well as to a main road leading to Safad.

In 1596, Dishoum was recorded as a village in the subdistrict of Jira (Liwa Safad), with a population of 50 inhabitants. The village paid taxes on various agricultural products such as wheat, barley, olives, and fruits, in addition to other sources of revenue including goats, beehives, and a press used for olive or grape pressing.

By the late 19th century, Dishoum was described as a well-built village with a population of approximately 400 people. The houses were constructed on the side of a steep hill near the bottom of a valley, with gable-style roofs, and made of stone and mud, closely clustered together. The village had three presses and a few small orchards. All of its inhabitants were Muslims, some of whom descended from Algerian migrants who had fought against French colonial forces alongside Emir Abdelkader during the 1830s and 1840s. It is believed they came to the area following Abdelkader’s defeat and subsequent exile to Damascus in 1847. Given that some of their ancestors had been cavalrymen in Algeria, the people of Dishoum took particular pride in horse breeding.

Agriculture was the primary source of livelihood for the villagers. Some farming was rain-fed, while other plots were irrigated by a small river that ran through the village. The inhabitants cultivated cereals, fruits, and olives, raised livestock, and collected and traded wood. Trees located to the northeast and southwest of the village provided both fruit and firewood.

In the 1944/1945 statistics:

· 4,701 dunums were allocated to cereals.

· 611 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.

Nearby archaeological sites included the ruins of Khirbat Dayr Hasib and Khirbat Dishon, both of which contained remains such as animal pens, piles of building stones, cisterns, building foundations, columns, and rock-carved tombs.

Occupation and Depopulation

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, Dishoum was already depopulated when Israeli forces entered the village on 10 October 1948, during the early stages of Operation Hiram. Morris notes that the village may have been evacuated upon hearing reports of massacres carried out by soldiers from the 7th Brigade (Sheva) in the neighboring villages of Safsaf and al-Jish. It is likely that units from the same brigade later arrived at Dishoum during the operation to secure parts of eastern Galilee. Given the village’s proximity to the Lebanese border, it is probable that the residents either fled or were expelled to Lebanon.

Current Status of the Village

Today, cactus and thorns grow across the former village site. The only visible remnants of Dishoum are piles of stones from destroyed homes and ruined terraces. The land is now used by Moshav Dishon, which raises livestock and cultivates apples on the surrounding land.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

In 1953, the Israeli settlement of Dishon was established directly east of the former village site.