Jahula - جاحولا: history of jahula

The inhabitants of Jahula were mostly poor Palestinian Arab peasants who worked in fields in and around the village. Their fields produced wheat, corn, fruits and vegetables. Peasants supported their livelihood by raising cows, sheep, water buffalo and chickens that supplied them with milk, meat and eggs as well as manure to fertilize their fields. They used abundant spring water as the sole source of drinking water. The largest and cleanest spring was Ain Balata around which archaeological artifacts were found. They also made use of nearby swamps and river (the Shari؟ah) to catch fish, hunt for birds and game, and cut papyrus stems to make mats and hut walls and roofs.

The peasants used government grants to build a school shared by neighbouring Al-Bowayziah sister village. They started a land reform and reclamation campaign that resulted in a better life style. This happened after a fight with a rich landlord who abused his powers to humiliate the residents. The fight resulted in serious property damage, but eventually the peasants won a long-lasting legal battle at Safad courts. Landowners refused to sell their property to Jewish settlers or Zionist organizations. Yet some ؟Arab brothers؟ from neighbouring countries could trick some of theselandowners to sell land that was passed later on to settlers.

In fact, many villagers fought the Zionist aggression fiercely, winning several key battles. One of these key battles was fought at Nebi Yusha؟ where almost all of the aggressive forces were abolished. Other battles that Jahulites fought were at Alma, Malkiyah and Al-Mitillah. Yet the battle for Jahula itself (May 24-25) was lost to the Irgun-Hagana gangs; three men and two women lost their lives at that battle. The poor peasants were then forced to evacuate their premises and leave for neighbouring Syria and Lebanon. After the Nakbah, scores of men and women from Jahula joined Palestinian and Arab armies. Later on, they joined the Palestinian resistance movement. Many were marked as martyrs of the Palestinian revolution.