The Return of the Displaced Residents of Kafr Bir'im to Their Village

Kafr Bir'im, a Galilee village, was forcibly displaced by Israeli forces as part of Operation Hiram, a military operation launched three months after the establishment of the State of Israel with the aim of capturing the villages of the so-called “Arab Pocket” in Upper Galilee.

When the Israeli army reached Kafr Bir'im in November 1948, the regional commander ordered the residents to leave the village for two weeks and move five kilometers northward, toward the Lebanese border. Some of the villagers sought refuge in their nearby vineyards and fields, waiting to return, while others fled to villages in southern Lebanon.

Those who remained in the area later moved to the neighboring village of Jish, whose houses were left vacant following the displacement of part of its residents to Lebanon, and settled in the empty homes. Meanwhile, those from Kafr Bir'im who had reached Lebanon remained displaced there to this day, particularly in Dbayeh Refugee Camp. Their prolonged displacement resulted in the deaths of seven of their children from cold and hunger.

The displaced residents of Kafr Bir'im who remained within their homeland organized themselves and formed a committee to lead their struggle to return to their homes. The committee subsequently turned to the Israeli judicial system, demanding the return of the residents to their village.

At this stage in the experience of the Kafr Bir'im Nakba, a court ruling issued in 1951 recognized the residents' right to return to their village, but made their return contingent upon obtaining a special permit from the military governor. Such a permit has never been granted. Consequently, the residents of Kafr Bir'im remain internally displaced within their homeland to this day.

The occupation authorities did not stop at displacing the residents; they went further by creating conditions designed to prevent any attempt to return to the village. In 1953, Israeli forces destroyed the village by bombing it from the air. The only structure that remained standing was its church, surrounded by the ruins and rubble of the demolished homes.

Throughout the years of displacement, the displaced residents of Kafr Bir'im did not submit to their fate. Instead, they adopted various forms of resistance and struggle, including staging sit-ins in the village, restoring the cemetery and burying their dead there, restoring the church and conducting religious rituals there, and organizing and holding summer camps, volunteer work camps, and other activities.

At the beginning of the 1980s, a group of young people from the second generation of the Nakba established the “Return” Movement – Progressive Youth of Kafr Bir'im. The movement began organizing summer camps on the land of the displaced village for members of the third generation of its displaced residents. Today, these activities continue with the same objective, but are now organized for the sons and daughters of the fourth generation of displacement.

Return Camps, Not Refugee Camps:

Today, the summer camps are organized as return camps rather than refugee camps. The camps feature a wide range of educational, awareness-raising, political, social, and recreational activities. During the week-long camp, several hundred displaced residents—who now live in the neighboring village of Jish, as well as in Haifa, Acre, al-Makr, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and elsewhere—stay on the land of their dispossessed village. Their aim is to revive and preserve the village’s social fabric, which has been subjected to fragmentation over the six decades since their displacement. They also maintain contact with other members of the community who became refugees in Lebanon.

The summer camp, along with the volunteer work camp organized by the Return Movement, continues to be held every year.

In 2009, the Bir'amis (the residents of Kafr Bir'im) held democratic elections to elect a committee representing the village's residents. Approximately 1,400 people participated in the elections, representing 73% of those eligible to vote who were residing in the country. This unique democratic process was an achievement in its own right, enabling the village's residents, despite the challenges they faced, to hold elections for a displaced village whose people had been forcibly scattered across different parts of the country.

The 2013 Return Camp of the Bir'amis featured a range of educational activities focusing on the history of the village and the struggles of its residents to achieve their right of return. It also included activities aimed at reviving ties with members of the village community in the diaspora, particularly through letter-writing using modern social media technologies.

Participants also took part in educational tours designed to illustrate what the village looked like and to explore the details of life there before the Nakba. They were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of artistic workshops, including workshops on photography and documentation techniques. In addition, the camp featured discussions and contributions addressing political and social issues related to the lives of Palestinian youth.

The camp also included cultural and artistic evenings, featuring performances of “Zarif” by Al-Sira Theater and “Al-Taghriba” by Al-Midan Theater. Musical performances of committed and alternative music were presented by the Siraj Choir, alongside satirical and critical artistic performances.

What Was New in the Bir'amis’ Experience:

At the conclusion of the 24th Return Camp of the Bir'amis on August 10, 2013, the residents of the village decided to declare their return and remain on the village’s land indefinitely—until their return is realized. An official announcement was subsequently made by the priest of the Kafr Bir'im parish one week later.

Residents of the village from all generations, particularly young people, continue to take turns staying in their village, around the church. Those present, together with the wider community, have also begun organizing their daily affairs, developing a work program, and holding meetings, discussions, and various other activities. Their aim is to make use of their permanent presence in the village to raise greater awareness of their cause and affirm the residents’ right to exercise their right of return.

They also meet with activists and supporters from across the country, as well as with other youth groups representing internally displaced Palestinians, including the youth of Iqrit and others.

“My Grandfather’s Eyes Will Stay with Me Until We Return”

Asil Abu Warda, one of the returnees residing in Kafr Bir'im, says:

“We have declared our return to our village, Kafr Bir'im, because it is a stolen right that has been passed down to us from our grandparents. Our return to the village is a continuation of my grandfather’s struggle, and of the struggle of every man and woman who resides in the village today. Return is a personal story for each and every one of us—a story we have carried on our shoulders in order to reaffirm our roots here. “My return here is meant to remind the authorities and the Israeli and Western media that, at one point, they oppressed an entire people. We are part of that people from whom they tried to sever us. I will never forget my grandfather’s eyes; his eyes will accompany me until our return. Although he is no longer with us today, his eyes remain a compass… Through my return, I heal his wound.”

Return as a Rejection of Death and an Embodiment of Identity

In describing return as an act, activist George Gantous, one of the returnees and organizers of the camp in Kafr Bir'im, says:

“What we are witnessing and experiencing in Kafr Bir'im is an expression and embodiment of the living spirit of the people of Palestine, manifested in reconnecting with the land and the place. The demand is, at its core, a demand for the self to live with dignity. It is a rejection of death, embodied in despair and the forces of the regime. “The people of Bir'im have worked tirelessly for many years to rebuild their local identity. They have knocked on many doors and persevered on the land of their village. Today, we are reaping the fruits of this continuity: we see a new generation of young people working diligently and wholeheartedly to weave together once again a community engaged in struggle. “The final spark came from the youth of Iqrit, who, through their continuous communication, strengthened the pulse of blood flowing through our veins. We, the people of Palestine, southern Lebanon, and the Levant, are committed to the cause of justice and freedom. We seek to develop this action into a firmly rooted form of struggle on the land, one that embraces all oppressed people—particularly our people in all the refugee camps and throughout the diaspora.”

It is evident that this step was not welcomed by the Israeli authorities. On August 21, just 11 days after the return and its announcement, the Israel Land Authority posted an eviction notice for the area where the returnees were camping. This has led the residents to focus their efforts on determining how to confront this escalation by the occupation authorities, while remaining certain that the people of the village emphasize that there can be no retreat from the project of return and permanent presence in Kafr Bir'im—the cradle of their spirit and identity.

Source: BADIL Resource Center