Jerusalem - القدس الشريف: Sheikh Badr as it was before destruction during the pre-Nakba period by Assaf, MD

A detailed map of Jerusalem's Western suburbs as if was before Nakba of 1948 showing Lift, Qalunya, Deir Yassin and Sheik Badr.

The Israeli Knesset building was built in stolen Palestinian land. Here’s the story.

In January 1948, the small Palestinian village of Sheikh Badr, perched on a hill west of Jerusalem, became one of the first villages to be ethically cleansed, Its people had lived there for generations, cultivating the land and maintaining a modest rural existence.

On the night of January 14, 1948, Jewish terrorists, including the Haganah and Lehi, invaded Sheikh Badr with one objective—drive out its residents and ensure they never returned. The assault began with gunfire echoing through the stone alleyways, sending families into a panic. Many had already fled, fearing what had happened in other nearby villages. But those who remained would face a terrifying fate.

The target of the attack was clear: the Mukhtar’s house. As the village leader, the Mukhtar was a figure of authority and stability. The attackers made an example of him. With explosives carefully placed against the stone walls of his home, they detonated the structure, reducing it to rubble. The blast sent shockwaves through the village.

With the Mukhtar’s house destroyed, the remaining villagers of Sheikh Badr had no choice but to flee. Families abandoned their homes in the dead of night, carrying only what they could on their backs. Many sought refuge in nearby Arab villages like Lifta and the Old City of Jerusalem, only to face further displacement in the coming months. But the violence didn’t stop at expulsion—what followed was systematic looting and destruction. Haganah fighters moved house to house, ransacking homes, smashing doors, and seizing anything of value before setting buildings ablaze.

To ensure the village could never be re-inhabited, many of the remaining buildings were leveled with explosives. Even the graves in the small cemetery were reportedly disturbed, as if the very memory of Sheikh Badr was being erased.

By the morning of January 15, 1948, Sheikh Badr was no more.

After its violent takeover, Sheikh Badr was quickly absorbed into the growing city of West Jerusalem.

The village site became part of the Government Quarter of Israel. Today, its land hosts administrative offices, roads, and urban infrastructure.

Here is a link to Assaf's X Thread.