Talk:Nes Harim

Bayt Itab

This is what it says on the Bayt Itab page: "The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi described the village remains in 1992 as: "The site is covered with large amounts of rubble from the demolished village houses. There are two cemeteries east and west of the village. Some of the graves are open, and human bones are visible. Almond, carob and olive trees grow on the village site and on the lower approaches. Cactuses grow on the southern edge of the site. Part of the surrounding agricultural lands is cultivated by Israeli farmers." --Gilabrand (talk) 16:19, 22 September 2009 (UTC)

Ok, I´m sitting here with the 1992-Khalidi-book in front of me (which is quoted from on the Bayt 'Itab-page.) This is what Khalidi writes, on p. 275:

Israeli Settlemens on Village Lands

Israel established the settlement of Nes Harim (155128) north of the village site on village land in 1950.

The Village Today

The site is covered with large amounts of rubble from the demolished village houses. The remains of the Crusader fortress are prominent on it (see photo). There are two cemeteries east and west of the village. Some of the graves are open, and human bones are visible. Almond, carob and olive trees grow on the village site and on the lower approaches. Cactuses grow on the southern edge of the site. Part of the surrounding agricultural lands is cultivated by Israeli farmers.

...What is important is to distinguish between "village site" and "village land". Most houses in the average Palestinian village were clustered close together, on the "village site", while the rest of the "village land" was used for agriculture, etc. In short: "village land" is virtually always a very much larger area than the "village site". It is quite typical to see that a new (post-1948) settlements was on the village land of some depopulated Palestinian-village...but often not on the exact village site. Which is the case here. Regards, Huldra (talk) 00:20, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

The distinction is fine, but again, the source says "part of the surrounding agricultural lands," so the text should be amended to reflect that. Best, --Gilabrand (talk) 03:42, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

I´m not sure I follow you? The article does not say how large the juristriction of Nes Harim is, but assume it is quite a bit smaller that what belonged to Bayt 'Itab. And, as the article say, Horbat 'Itab, a 130-dunam national park is, from the descriprion, also obviously on Bayt 'Itab land. That *not all* of Bayt 'Itab land is used by Nes Harim, does not mean that not *all* of Nes Harim -land once belonged to Bayt 'Itab....Regards, Huldra (talk) 20:49, 25 September 2009 (UTC)