Deir Rafat

The village of Deir Rafat was located on the western slope of a moderately elevated mountain. As indicated by the first part of its name (“Deir,” meaning “monastery”), the village was the site of a large monastery owned by the Latin Patriarchate. The village also contained a single mosque known as the Mosque of Haj Hassan.

In the late 19th century, Deir Rafat was described as a small farmstead situated on the summit of a hill, with a spring in its western corner. In 1945, the population of Deir Rafat was estimated at 430, including 100 Christians, with the remainder being Muslims.

In 1944–1945, a total of 10,563 dunums was allocated to cereals, and 216 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards, including 25 dunums planted with olive trees. The village obtained water from three local springs. Archaeological remains were found at the edges of the village, consisting of three sites containing the foundations of ancient structures, wine presses, rock-hewn cisterns and wells, a millstone, and burial sites.

Occupation and Depopulation

Deir Rafat was overrun on 17–18 July 1948 during the second phase of Operation Dani,

conducted by Israeli forces (see: Abu al-Fadl, Ramla District). According to The History of the War of Independence, the village was captured by units of the Harel Brigade near the end of the operation, when Israeli forces were expanding the Jerusalem Corridor southward.

Israeli historian Benny Morris reports that most of those who remained near the village fled as the Harel Brigade approached and as mortar shelling began. Those who stayed were soon forced to leave. However, there is no detailed account of what occurred inside the village itself, nor what happened to the inhabitants of the nearby monastery.

The village was not destroyed immediately after its capture but rather a few weeks later, during the second truce of the war. In discussing the destruction of villages during this period, Morris makes specific mention of Deir Rafat, noting:“Throughout the second truce, which lasted three months from 19 July to mid-October, the army worked steadily to destroy the abandoned villages — a practice typically justified on military grounds. Most of the villages in the central region, for instance, were demolished in September.”

Current Status of the Village

Today, the site is covered with rubble and remains of stone terraces, some of which remain intact while others have collapsed and merged with the ruins of homes. Cactus plants grow on the northwestern edge of the village. A group from the al-Sana’ tribe — Bedouins from the Negev — rented a portion of the village lands from the Latin Monastery (the landowner) and set up tents there.

A statue of the Virgin Mary adorns the façade of the monastery, which is located approximately two kilometers west of the village. The monastery building is partly roofed with red tiles. In the village’s western corner, there is a spring, while in its southern corner, there is a cemetery containing a single large grave. An olive grove lies to the west of the village site.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

In 1954, the Israeli settlement of Giv'at Shemesh (Grid Reference: 145131) was established on the village lands, directly west of the original site.