Ein Karem: Difference between revisions

 

===1948 Arab–Israeli War===

 

When the [[1947–1949 Palestine war]] started, 'Ain Karim became a major base of operations against nearby Jewish neighborhoods.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gelber|first=Yoav|year=2006|title=Palestine, 1948: war, escape and the emergence of the Palestinian refugee problem|pages=308}}</ref> In February 1948, the village's 300 guerilla fighters were reinforced by a well-armed [[Arab Liberation Army]] force of mainly [[Syria]]n fighters, and on March 10 a substantial [[Iraq]]i detachment arrived in the village, followed within days by some 160 [[Egypt]]ian fighters. On March 19, the villagers joined their foreign guests in attacking a Jewish convoy on the [[Highway 1 (Israel)|Tel Aviv–Jerusalem road]].<ref>[[Efraim Karsh]], Palestine Betrayed (2010) p182.</ref> Immediately after the [[Deir Yassin massacre|April 1948 massacre]] at the nearby village of [[Deir Yassin]] ({{convert|2|km|order=flip}} to the north), most of the women and children in the village were evacuated.<ref name="Morris" />

 

=== State of Israel ===

After the war ended, Israel incorporated the village into the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem.<ref name="Morris" /> Ein Karem was one of the few depopulated Arab localities which survived the war with most of the buildings intact. The abandoned homes were resettled with new migrants, many of whom [[Mizrahi Jews]] who [[Jewish exodus from the Muslim world|fled from the Arab countries]] who fought the Arab-Israeli War during the war and after it, i.e. Jews from [[Iraqi Jews|Iraq]] and [[Egyptian Jews|Egypt]] but also from [[Yemenite Jews|Yemen]]. Over the years, the bucolic atmosphere attracted a population of artisans and craftsmen. Today it is a vibrant bohemian neighborhood of Jerusalem, attracting many artist, young people and tourists.