Al-Mukhayzin المخيزن | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Kh. el Mukheizin, the ruin of the storehouses[1] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Al-Mukhayzin (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Mukhayzin Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°48′12″N34°48′40″E / 31.80333°N 34.81111°E /31.80333; 34.81111 | |
| Palestine grid | 132/134 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | April 20, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,942dunams (10.942 km2; 4.225 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 310[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Chafetz Chayyim,[5]Revadim,[5]Yad Binyamin,[5]Beyt Chilqiyya[5] |
Al-Mukhayzin was aPalestinian village in theRamle Subdistrict. It wasethnically cleansed during theNakba on April 20, 1948, by theGivati Brigade ofOperation Har'el. It was located 10 km southwest ofRamla.
Al-Mukhayzin was aBedouin settlement established in the 19th century.[6]
During theOttoman period, it was inhabited theBedouintribe of'Arab al-Wahidat (عرب الوحيدات). These nomadic people depended onlivestock,transportation, and basicagriculture for survival. Due to their transient lifestyle and modest material possessions, their presence has left only faint marks in thearchaeological record.[7]
In 1838,el-Mukhaizin was noted as aMuslim village in the Gaza district.[8]
Al-Mukhayzin is mentioned as the southern limit reached by the displaced Bedouin tribe al-Wuḥaydī after mid-nineteenth-century pacification campaigns led by the fellāḥīn of Bani Malik andAbu Ghosh. These efforts marked the stabilization of the frontier west ofJerusalem and the reassertion of settled agriculture in the region.[9]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine noted at Khurbet el Mukheizin: "A largewell andbirkeh (=artificial pool), of masonry. Several ruinedcisterns and a few scattered stones."[10]
In the1931 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, El Mukheizin had 79Muslim inhabitants, in a total of 19 houses.[11]
In 1944,Chafetz Chayyim was built on what traditionally was village land.[5]
In1945 statistics, the village had a population of 200 Muslims and 110 Jews,[2] with a land area of 10,942dunums.[3] Of this, Palestinians used 10,936 dunums for cereals,[12] while 6 dunams were classified as non-cultivable areas.[13]
Al-Mukhayzin was ethnically cleansed by an Israeli military assault on April 20, 1948.[4]
Afterwards,Revadim,Yad Binyamin andBeyt Chilqiyya have all been built on village land.[5]
In 1992 the village site was described: "The village has been completely leveled so that only flat, cultivated fields can be seen. There is a mound of stone and debris, about 2.5 m high, at the southern edge of the site. An orange grove has been planted next the mound, also at the southern edge."[14]
