Too bad you are not checking information before posting:

1) Where the map shows 'Arab Ghawarina' is actually an Israeli town 'Qiryat Motzkin' that was founded in 1934, 14 years before you claim that 'Palestinians were deported'.

2) Arab Ghawarina is also known as 'Jisr Zerqa' which still exists as an Arab town in Israel, but about 15 miles to the north. Funny that a Jewish guy know more about your cities then you.

Discourse not related to discussion of placemark(s) removed.

The Localities in the desert were beduin semi-villages.

You will not see the ruins because all villages and localities were buldozed, removed and leveled to the ground just after the war.

As for who is responsible for the refugee problem, I do not think it is the place to discuss it here. But I may advise you to read from more neutral books than the sources you cited. Beni Morris is a good start.

However, although most neutral historian agree that some form of ethnic cleansing took place, and to maintain the extereme neutrality of this post, I removed the phrase "ethnic cleansing".



Th

Hi Thameen Darby,

Congratulations. Great that Walid Khalidi's book "All that Remains" can now be found at Google Earth.

I won't go into heated discussion now, but just give some facts:

Many villages are hard to find back, but around Jerusalem there are a few villages of which the houses are still standing. The placemarks are a little bit out of place:

Lifta might once have extended up to where your placemark is, but the leftovers are only visibly (very clearly now in relative high resolution) 300 meters north-north east, on the slopes and down into the valley. The Israeli government has all kinds of plans there, like turning it into an artist's village (because of the picturesque Arab dwellings..), but untill now the houses just keep standing, with or without their roofs. In one of the cellars I found the leftovers of a horse, (probably killed in 1948?). Some houses are more or less inhabited by squatters who took nothing more than a sleeping bag; a few on top are renovated.
Lifta is surrounded by highways now, above. And you can see another road under construction down in the valley.

Houses of Deir Yassin, where a massacre took place in 1948, are visible 650 meters north - northeast of your placemark, between the apartment buildings of the jewish religious neighbourhood Har Nof. They are in use by a psychiatric hospital now.

Al Maliha is located 1200 meters to the north of your placemark. It's inhabited now by Jews. I noticed an Israeli flag at one of the houses. Mosque and minaret seem intact; no idea what their use is now. The neirby shopping mall is called "Malcha", as is the brandnew train station.

I added placemarks with the right location. I'll check other places that I once managed to visit.

Hanaq

Hanaq:

Is that the mosque of Al Maliha to the right side of your placemark?

I take it that you were in the neighborhood. Does it look like the Mosque is just empty?

It might be nice to post a picture of the mosque or houses in the place mark.

You mention Deir Yassin. I live in the Etzion Bloc, which was overrun during the war of 1948 and its inhabitants were all killed after surrendering. Some would say this was a retalliation for the events of Deir Yassin.

The Jordanian Army that was here, on the ruins of Kfar Etzion, erected a mosque...that now houses a museum. This is not a simple thing to accept, i imagine. (We also used it as a synagogue for a while.)

The problem of holy sites that represent other people's real past and present dreams is very problematic. The Arab population of East Jerusalem is known for saving synagogues after 1948. The events after the Israeli pullout from Gush Katif took a different turn..but i think i can see where that came from, even if i don't justify it.

I am attatching a placemark of what i believe is the mosque of Zakkariya..now a small villiage of Jews who came from Kurdistan. I understand that the people of Zakkariya have made pilgrimages to the village that created some tension with the new residents. (On the other hand I have heard of interesting and positive relationships that have developed between the original Arab dwellers and the new Jewish dwellers in a number of places.)

May memories persist...but may we walk into a better future.

Myron

Hi Myron,

Yes, I was in the neighbourhood and walked up and down the small streets, but I can't say exactly which building in GE is the mosque. When I saw it, a few years ago, it was in state of neglect.
For some pictures see:
http://www.palestineremembered.com/Jerusalem/al-Maliha/index.html

I was not in Zakariyya. According to Walid Halidi - All that Remains, Washington 1992 (you'll find that excellent book on depopulated Palestinian villages not only in Palestinian libraries, but also in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem),
the jewish village of Zekharya was established in 1950 on village land, close to the village site.
For a picture of the Zakariyya mosque in 2002:
http://www.palestineremembered.com/Hebron/Zakariyya/Picture4234.html

Hanaq

This is an excellent and very important post. Thank you.

Peace

Excellent post Thameem .

I have always had a very limited knowledge on what is a very complicated and emotive subject, my knowledge extending only as far as what I have seen on Western European news programmes I'm afraid.

I would not worry about the allegations of bias in your post.... the majority of GE historical posts could be viewed as biased, depending on what the poster's interpretation of history is. If anyone has the knowledge and time to create another post with different viewpoint then it would be great.

What I like especially about your post is that is has not degraded into a verbal battle and trading of insults that has caused the Mods to lock other posts previously. Lets hope it can continue to bring mixed, but polite views on the subject.

I not too sure that I am any clearer about the subject, but your post has certainly opened my mind to the difficulties in that part of the world.

Well done

Dear Ben

Hi to you and your Bong,

Thanks for visiting the post and commeting on it.

Let me also thank you for your other contributions to GE and this forum, you are a great asset to us.

Love

Thameen

Dear Hanaq

Thank you thank you

This is the kind of feed back that is very constructive and I need.

I based my layer on a map, so I'm really amazed ow close I was ....

I'm gathering updates that I recieve via mail, now I have yours.

By the way, did you find Ein Karim exact?

Can you give me the villages that I got their location well?

I studied in Jerusalem and I visited Lefta and Ein Karin few times. Its very heart breaking for a Palestinian. I hope they do not bildoze Lifta too.

Thank you,

Thameen

Great Place Mark My friend Myron,

Yes I agree, the issue o former holy places is an open wound. I hope more progress will be done in this issue.

Thameen