Haifa

Statistic/Fact Value

Occupation date 23rd of April 1948 (The first Palestinian city to fall into the Zionists hands)

Elevation from the sea Elevation varied between 50 meters in the coastal area to 500 meter on Mount Carmel.

Attacking Israeli force : The Zionist force were made up of 5,000 well equipped and organized Haganah (from the Carmeli Brigade) and IZL troops. The attack on Arab Haifa started on the 21st of April and it aimed to split the city into three separate and isolated pockets (operation Misbarayim meaning scissor). The 1st attacking force was directed from Wadi Rashmya towards the Northeastern neighborhoods of Arab Haifa, the 2nd attacking force was directed toward the Arab neighborhood next to the port, and the 3rd attacking was directed toward the commercial district. All of these attacking forces originated from Hadara Ha Carmel, the main Jewish Haifa neighborhood.

City defenders :The city was poorly defended with 350-500 Palestinian volunteers and some Arab Liberation Army (ALA). The defense of Haifa was headed by Ahmad al-Huneiti (Jordanian national), who was killed on the 17th of March while supplying the city with a major arms shipment, 12 tons of explosives, from Beirut, Lebanon. The arms shipment was meant to reinforce Haifa's crumbling defenses. Based on a tip from a British commander in the area, a Haganah force, stationed nearby Kiryat Motzkin between Haifa and Acre, ambushed Ahmad al-Huneiti and the arms shipment. The death of Ahmad al-Hunayti had a major demoralizing affect on Arab Haifa's population. On the 27th of March 1948, Ameen 'Izz al-Deen took up the responsibility of defending Haifa, until its surrender on the 23rdh of April.

It should be noted that close to 300 fighters from the al-Tira, Palestinian village located 7 km southeast of Haifa, attempted to reinforce Haifa's defenses, but they were intercepted by a British force commanded by General Stockholm, the British commander of Haifa at the time, and they were forced to turned back. The people of al-Tira are a very good example of how a poorly armed, but well determined and stubborn fighters, can stand up to the Zionist might. Despite all the odds, al-Tira withstood a siege and an onslaught for more than three months until its occupation in late July 1948.

It should be noted that close to 700 of Transjordan's Arab Legionnaires (who were give strict orders not interfere by H.M. King Abdullah and their commanding British officer Gloub Pasha) stood by while Haifa was being ethically cleansed cleansed and occupied because

Acts of terror : On the 30th of December 1947, a Zionist terrorist planted a bomb in the Arab neighborhood where the Arab Oil Refinery workers used to live. As a result of this bomb, 6 Arabs were killed, and 41 others were injured. Next morning, the Arab workers rioted in the Oil Refinery and attacked the Jewish workers to avenge the death of their Arab brothers, which resulted in the killing of 41 Jewish workers. As a result of the Arab retaliation, the Haganah and IZL forces commit the New Years Eve Massacre in Balad al-Shaykh, which resulted in the killing of close to 60 innocent men, women, and children. It should be noted that the people of Balad al-Shaykh had nothing to do with Oil Refinery riots, and the Haganah made the choice of picking an easy target to avenge the death of the Jewish Oil Refinery workers.

On the 29th of February 1948, the Zionist rolled downs a barrel of explosives from the Jewish neighborhood of Hadara Ha Carmel into al-'Abasyah Arab neighborhood, which resulted in the destruction of most of the neighborhood. The bomb ended up terrorizing the nearby Arab neighborhoods into fleeing soon after this incident.
On the 22nd of March 1948, a Zionist terrorists disguised as British officers planted a car bomb in Iraq Street which killed and injured 36 people, mostly women and children, plus the destruction of several public buildings.

Ethnic cleansing : Based on declassified Israeli documents, the Israeli historian Benny Morris concluded that the Jewish civilian population (especially Haifa's Jewish mayor Shabtai Levy) was at peace with their Palestinian neighbors, but the Haganah and the IZL leadership had a different agenda of ethnically cleansing the city of its Palestinian Arab population. Benny Morris wrote:

"In Haifa, the civilian authorities were saying one thing and the Haganah was doing something else altogether. Moreover, Haganah unites in the field acted inconsistently and in a manner often unintelligible to the Arab population" (Benny Morris, p. 90).

To expedite the ethnic cleansing process, the Haganah broadcasted terror messages, via loudspeakers, to sociologically terrorize the Arab inhabitants into fleeing. (Benny Morris, p. 76)

According to Ben-Gurion's biographer, Micheal Bar-Zohar, the dispatching of Golda Meir to Haifa soon after the city's occupation was nothing but a political and tactical ploy, Zohar wrote:,

"The appeals to the Arabs [of Haifa] to stay, Golda's mission, and other similar gestures were the result of political considerations, but they did not reflect [Ben-Gurion's] basic stand. In internal discussions, in instructions to his people, the 'old man' demonstrated a clear stand: it was better that the smallest possible number of [Palestinian] Arabs remain with in the [Jewish] state." (Simha Falpan, p. 84)

Out of the 61,000 Palestinian Arabs who used to call Haifa home, only 3,566 Palestinians were allowed to stay. The remaining population were in constant fear on their lives and properties, and many of them witnessed the looting of their homes and possessions by the Zionists.

Refugees migration route :The mass majority of Haifa's population, numbering at least 35,000, were pushed into the sea. Similarly, Jaffa's population, numbering at least 50,000, suffered the same fate on the 13th of May 1948. For a map illustration of the refugees migration routes.
Via boats, many of the refugees landed in Sour (Tyre), Sayda, and Beirut Lebanon, and some boats managed to land in Acre City. It's very sad that some of the people who landed in Acre were ethnically cleansed again few weeks later.

It is very sad and ironic that the Zionists often accuse the Arabs of plotting to push the Jews into the sea!

City's name through history The city's name comes from the Canaanite Arabic word al-Hayfah meaning nearby, and during the Roman period it was known by Efa. The Crusades called Haifa by Cayphas and sometime they referred to it also by Sycaminon (meaning Wild Strawberry which is abandoned in the area). During the Islamic period, Acre dominated the coastal area, and Haifa was just a small town.
It should be noted that Haifa is a modern and new city, which was initially developed by the Ottomans and later on by the British and the Israelis.

District's size : Haifa's district covered an area of 1,031.76 square kilometers, of which Jews owned 364.28 square kilometers (35.3% of the overall district size). In 1945, the district was made of 52 villages, and 14 bedouin localities. The Racist Zionist destroyed all of these villages and bedouin localities with the exception of 'Ablein, Shefa 'Amr, 'Ibtin, 'Ara and 'Ar'ara, Kafer Qare'a, 'Aseifa, and Dalyat al-Karmel (Palestinian Druze village).

District's population
Year Arabs Muslim Christian Jews

1911 23,440 19,244 3,282 914

1916 30,737 23,823 3,691 1,117

1922 42,839 23,305* 11,032 6,425

1931 95,472** 52,830 16,492 23,367

1945 224,630 85,590 30,200 104,510

* In the Ottoman's period, Haifa district was made off 62 villages and that may have accounted for the population drop down in 1922.
** The number of houses in the municipality in 1931 was 21,335.

District's agriculture

Crops* Arab Jewish

Grain 4,393 1,683

Cereal 4,134 1,722

Lentil 540 80

Corn 2,100 36

Sesame 438 N/A

Olive 3,900 550

Watermelon 4,995 1,444

Grape 1,618 4,727

Fig 680 10

Almond 28 25

Vegetables 13,310 10,060

Citrus** 83 17,105

Banana** 6 53

Note that the above data are based upon 1945 statistics.
* In metric tons
** In dunums

District's wadies and rivers

River/Wadi Note

al-Muqtta'River -

Wadi al-Tira: This wadi carries rainwater East of the al-Tira and at that point it's known by Wadi al-Kasab, and at its termination point it's also known by Wadi al-Musrara.

Wadi al-Fallah: A small wadi which originates from Khirbat al-Damun and it terminates nearby 'Atlit al-Shamlyah.

Wadi al-Mugharah: A winter wadi which originates from Dalyat al-Karmel, and passes through 'Ijzim, Jaba', and Khirbat al-Shyahk, and at its terminates between 'Atlit and al-Sarafand.
The Zionists call this wadi Nahl Me'arot.

Wadi al-Difla: The rainwater falling on 'Umm al-Zaynat, al-Rayhanyah, Dalyat al-Rawha, and Khirbat 'Umm al-Dufouf ends up feeding this wadi, then it passes through 'Umm al-Jamal (Beit Shelomo) and Shafya, and finally it terminates 4 (km) south of al-Tantura.

al-Zarqa' River: It's also known by al-Timsah river, since crocodiles used to inhabit the river at its termination point. The river waters originates from al-Kafryn, al-Butymat, al-Khubyzah, 'Umm al-Shuf, Sabareen, al-Sindyanah, and Ben Yaminah, and it terminates 5 km North of Qisarya

al-Mufjar River

City size : In 1945, the city covered an area of 54,305 dunums, of which 5,890 for roads and railroads.

Distance from other towns:

Town Distance From Jaffa

'Atlit 16 (km) south west

Baysan 71 (km) east via Jinijar

Tulkarm 75 (km) via Kirbat al-Sarkas

al-Tantura 29 (km) south west

al-Lydd 105 (km) south west

Nablus 94 (km) via Jinin

Jaffa 99 (km) via the new Lake Shore Drive (LSD) built in 1937.

Sour (Tiri), Lebanon 62 (km) north

Sayda, Lebanon 101 (km) north

Population
Year Arabs Muslim Christian Jews

1922 24,634 9,377 8,863 6,230

1931 50,483 20,401 13,827 15,923

1938 99,090 51,090* N/A 48,000

1945 138,300 35,940 26,570 75,500 (54.5%)

1949 88,893 3,566* N/A 85,327

1950 120,700 5,700* N/A N/A

1951 140,000 N/A N/A N/A

1955 158,700 N/A N/A N/A

1961 183,000 N/A N/A N/A

1961 209,900 N/A N/A N/A

1970 N/A 17,000* N/A N/A

1973 225,800 N/A N/A N/A

* The statistic includes Muslim and Christian Arabs.

Number of houses: In 1931, Haifa had 12,364 houses.

Schools

School Type Notes

Government : The government managed three schools:
1- Complete senior high school for boys, and in 1942 it had an enrollment of 461 students and 21 instructors.
2-Complete elementary school for girls, and in 1942 it had an enrollment of 442 students and 12 instructors.
3-Industrial school for boys founded in 1936. The school used to accept honor elementary students, and it used to offer a three year program in carpentry, locksmith, industrial machinery, car mechanics, ... etc. In 1945, the school had an enrollment of 69 student.

Muslim : Altogether, Haifa had 10 Islamic schools, which all had an enrollment of 1,297 boys and 453 girls teaching them 53 instructors.

Christian : Altogether, Haifa had 18 schools (including foreign schools), which all had an enrollment of 2,406 boys and 2,042 girls teaching them 38 instructors.

City neighborhoods: Haifa before occupation was made up of the following neighborhoods:
The Old City, al-Khamrah square, Suq al-'Abyad, al-Markaz al-Kadeem, Daraj Saqreiq, Hadarah Ha Carmel, al-'Abasyah, al-Nabi Sha'nan (al-Halaqah), Tel al-Samak, Beit Kaleim, Madraset al-'Anbiya, al-Khayat Coast (southeast), Wadi al-Salib, Wadi al-Nisnass, Burg al-Salam, Central station/al-Markaz, al-Hamra square (now Paris Square), Rashmaya, Ra'as al-Carmel, The Germany Colony (built in the 1860s southwest of the city center) ... etc.

Hospitals: Haifa had one government owned and operated hospital which had a capacity of 261 beds, and in 1944 it accepted 6,337 patients.
The Jewish community in Haifa had five hospitals, three of these were private hospitals. All of these Jewish community hospitals had a capacity of 177 beds.

Industries: Oil Refinery (northeast) founded in 1933 to refine the Iraqi oil, cement, cigarettes (Qaraman, Deik, iw-Salti), publications (Haifa had three Arabic newspapers), textiles, olive and grape presses, several grain mills, ice production, wood processing, soap, fishing (mostly Arab owned), and industrial machinery for the railroads.

Airport: Haifa's airport was located north west of the city center. In 1944, 175 plans landed in the airport which carried total of 514 passengers and 13,528 tons of goods.
It should be noted that Palestine had three operational airports before occupation: al-Lydd, Haifa, and Kalyah. In 1944, all of these airports received 2,207 plans which altogether carried 5,582 passengers.

Port: In 1908, the Ottomans were the first to invest into Haifa's port , and since then the city and its port have experienced a very rapid growth. In 1929, the Palestine government started to investment heavily into Haifa City and especially in its port. The investment was mainly motivated by refining and exporting the Iraqi oil imported by the new Iraq-Palestine oil pipeline. The port was officially opened for business in 1933, which cost the government of Palestine 1.25 million Palestinian Pounds. When the port was first opened for business, and probably until today, it was considered to be the most modern and well equipped in the Mediterranean, and second to Marceil's port in France.

The port loading dock had a length of 400 meters and depth of 9 meters. The port also was capable of accepting 3-4 big ship at the loading docks, or 20 ships next to the retaining walls, which needed small boats to carry their loads. The main Haifa railroad line had a connection going into the port to ease goods transportations. The port also was well equipped with modem cranes to expedite the loading and unloading of the parking ships to and from railcars and trucks.

It also should be noted that the port used to employee 1,400 people.
Currently, Haifa's port is considered to be Israel's main port where in 1971 it received 56% of its total shipping. Tel Aviv, Isdud, and 'Ilat are the other Israeli main ports. Jaffa's old port was decommissioned as soon as Isdud's port became operational in the 1965.

Comparison between
Jaffa and Haifa ports

Year Haifa* Jaffa*

Imports Exports Imports Exports

1932 273,411 54,164 221,113 106,824

1933 410,410 71,732 348,797 96,888

1934 589,203 99,756 486,974 120,967

1935 787,307 138,427** 402,524 171,819

1936 756,722 1,640,028 163,134 117,156

* In metric tons
** Oil exports not included

Port's import and exports

Year Imports* Exports*

1928 2,167,845 269,851

1929 2,461,833 412,812

1930 2,410,470 480,763

1931 2,085,055 425,437

1932 2,893,543 586,634

1933 4,260,045 893,541

1934 6,216,055 1,208,721

1935 8,455,765 1,707,421

1936 8,627,065 1,690,025

1937 9,300,274 3,167,225

1938 6,884,187 2,618,651

1939 7,891,600 2,926,173

* In Palestinian pound

City's income and expenses

Year Income* Expenses*

1927 25,953 25,098

1932 50,252 42,788

1935 111,213 86,993

1939 122,477 103,955

1940 133,575 127,980

1943 232,790 241,959

1944 352,862 328,576

* In Palestinian Pound

Rainfall and humidity

Year Rainfall* Humidity

1926 678.3 N/A

1927 514.4 N/A

1928 779.1 N/A

1929 680 N/A

1930 789.5 N/A

1931 494.8 N/A

1932 397.3 N/A

1933 589.9 N/A

1934 548.7 N/A

1935 461 N/A

1936 629.2 N/A

1937 807.2 N/A

1938 600.0 59%

1939 481.2 62%

1940 523.7 N/A

1941 332.6 N/A

1942 695.2 69%

1943 470.6 70%

1944 N/A 71%

* In millimeters

Average temperature

Month/1944 Average* Average Hi* Average Low*

January 11.2 14.4 7.9

February 12.8 16.3 9.2

March 14.9 19.2 10.6

April 18.6 23.2 13.6

May 18.9 22.6 15.1

June 23 27 20.9

July 24.2 27.5 20.9

August 24.4 27.8 21.1

September 23.6 26.8 20.3

October 22.4 26.1 18.7

November 17.2 20.5 14

December 12.9 15.9 10

Overall Avg. 18.7 22.3 15.1

* In centigrade.
For conversion purposes, temperature of 24 centigrade = 75 fahrenheit.

Fishing industry

Season Quantity in Tons Worth in Palestinian Pound

1922 131 16,745

1923 126 13,459

1924 226 17,494

1925 128 10,283

1925-1926 133 8,242

1927-1928 182 12,048

1928-1929 342 16,041

1933-1934 422 17,329

1934-1935 502 17,535

1935-1936 651 19,203

1937-1938* 631 14,168

1938-1939 439 15,532

1939-1940 463 16,586

1940-1941 345 16,693

1941-1942 308 26,679

1942-1943 408 71,840

1943-1944 535 136,720

1944-1945 556 138,740

* Palestine's total fishing for this year was 1,699 tons.
Note: All fishing in the Haifa area was Palestinian owned and operated.