On December 17, 1951, a soldier from an Engineering Corps company reported to an Israel Police station with a request to make accommodation arrangements for 18 soldiers who would be blowing up structures in the village of Iqrit. The village was conquered in October 1948, and its residents were told to vacate their homes for a short while.
Demolition of the village of Iqrit
In a laconic letter, the Eilon Police Inspector asks the District Commander for direction with respect to a request made by a soldier with an Engineering company to provide accommodations for 18 soldiers at the Shomera Police headquarters, located near the Palestinian village of Iqrit. The homes of the nearby village of Biram had been blown up the previous day, and the military was now preparing to blow up the homes of the village of Iqrit. About a week later, on December 25, 1951, all structures in the village of Iqrit were blown up, with the exception of the church.
Return of the Iqrit-Biram displaced
In a detailed letter to the PMO Director-General, Arab Affairs Advisor, Binyamin Gur Aryeh, describes the chain of events in the Iqrit and Biram affair: the capture of the villages and the departure of the residents in 1948, the residents’ petition to the High Court of Justice in 1951 demanding permission to return, and discussions about their possible return through the 1960s and 1970s. The Arab Affairs Advisor concludes the letter with a recommendation to avoid letting residents return to their villages out of concern that the move would impact other cases of displaced Palestinians.
