The Cities of Galilee During the 1948 War

The book provides an in-depth study of the story of four cities in the Galilee during the 1948 War and examines why the results of the war differed in each of them. Thus it is micro-history research of small spheres and also of a broader regional sphere. The book explains why Nazareth survived the war and its population grew, while Acre survived the same war partially and its population decreased considerably, and Safad and Tiberias were left with no Arab population at all. Although the story of the four cities is a study of the Galilee, it constitutes an important part of the study of the 1948 War as a whole and is relevant to the developments in other regions. It is an effort to learn about the war based on a different method and approach, in which it is preferable to concentrate first on the developments in each separate region and each city and district, and only afterwards compare the conclusions with other regions on the macro level. This approach is essential, in my view, to understanding the complexity and developments of the war at different stages, and it frees us of dependence on the frameworks and theories that the majority of researchers have adapted to date.

Dr.Mustafa Abbasi is a Senior Lecturer and head of the Department for Interdisciplinary Studies at Tel-Hai College. His research covers primarily the history of the social and political aspects of the Arab population in Palestine during the British Mandate. His works also focus on the history of 1948 War between the Israelis and the Palestinians.