Published by Al Jazeera on July 28, 2016, this testimony features Mohammed Saleh, a Palestinian refugee from the village of al-Maliha. In his own words, Saleh recounts his childhood in the village before the 1948 Nakba and the abrupt transformation of his life during the war that accompanied the establishment of the State of Israel. Like hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were displaced during the Nakba, Saleh’s family fled under gunfire and were eventually forced into exile, later living in the Aida refugee camp between Bethlehem and Jerusalem near Checkpoint 300 under extremely difficult conditions.
Al-Maliha was one of the largest Palestinian villages southwest of Jerusalem, known for its agricultural lands, stone houses, and close social life among its residents. The village had a long history dating back centuries, and by the early 20th century was home to several thousand inhabitants who relied on farming, trade, and work in nearby Jerusalem.1
During the 1948 War, al-Maliha was depopulated following military operations by Zionist forces, and its residents were displaced to surrounding areas including Bethlehem, refugee camps in the West Bank, as well as neighboring countries. Today, the lands of the village are largely incorporated into Israeli neighborhoods, including the area of al-Maliha. Saleh’s testimony reflects the enduring connection many displaced Palestinians maintain with their land and the sense of estrangement produced by decades of dispossession.