Baram

On eve of new years eve I travelled with a group from One voice to a little well know village called Baram. Most people know of the kibbutz Baram but there is also a much older village that for the most part has been left perfectly preserved since 1948.

The story of Baram after 1948 is both tragic and folly. During the Israeli war of Independence the members of the village were warned by neighboring Arab villages to join them and flee Palestine, for Lebanon or Syria. They were warned that the encroaching Israeli army would kill any arabs they found. Yet the villagers refused to leave and stayed. When the Israeli's came the villagers were not harmed. But told to move to a neighboring village until the war was over for their safety.

After the war the Arabs of Baram become Israeli citziens. They were eager to return to their village and sought means to do this. Thier efforts appeared to pay off when they received a letter from the Prime Ministers office (dated 1949) that the state of Israel recognises their rights and owenership of the village of Baram. Unfortuntaly they were prevented from returning by the area commander of the newly formed IDF.



Thus its been over 60 years and the arabs of Baram have not been able to return, the specific area become a security zone after 48, making it illegal for anyone to live or reside there. in the early 50s the village was bombarded to ensure it could not be used. To this day it is a ruined village locked in time from 1948. Not just the Baram arabs but many Isralies have petitioned and campagained for the Baram families to be able to return to thier village. Time and again the courts appear to approve thier wishes, yet the IDF continually deny the arabs to return on security grounds.

It difficult to accept the "security issue" as the reason why they cant return, especially since thwir are other towns and villages so close by which have not faced this problem. You can see Kibbutz Baram from the ruins of the village and yet the Kibbutz has been able to thrive whilst the village has been left desolate.



The law is on the side of these villagers yet they have been unfortunate and unlucky in the pursuit returning to their village. We were given a tour of the ruined village by one of the former residents. He is a very loyal citizen of Israel and has been fighting for what he feels is right and what in the law is right. He cannot do anything more (him and many of the former residents and their families now use the church in the village at the risk of breaking military law)

The hope is that one day the law is used the correct way and held up above all other institutions. Only then will the village be guaranteed to be returned to its former inhabitants.