Mr. Hamdan Youssef Rashwan
This rare historical document is a handwritten letter addressed to the Office of the Ministry of Minorities. It was sent by the elders and prominent figures of Jisr az-Zarqa (historically known as the Arab al-Ghawarna) to demand the release of detainees from the village.
The letter contains important human and social details that reflect the difficult circumstances experienced by the village’s families during that period:
📄 Details and Contents of the Letter:
• Date: The letter was written on February 6, 1949.
• Recipient: The letter was addressed to “The Honorable Head of the Office of the Ministry of Minorities in the Hadera District.”
• Content: The village’s elders and prominent figures appealed for the release of prisoners and detainees from among the village’s residents, citing the deteriorating living conditions of their families, who were facing severe hardship and had been left without their providers. The letter describes the worsening crisis of “hunger and homelessness,” noting that women and children lacked even bread or a drink of clean water.
• Signatories: At the end of the letter are the names and signatures of mukhtars and prominent members of well-known Jisr az-Zarqa families, including the Amash, Jarbaan, and Abu Shihab families, among others, including:
- Dheib Al-Ali (Mukhtar)
- Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Khalil Amash
- Tawfiq Mahmoud Ibrahim Abu Shihab
- Muhammad Abd al-Fattah Al-Zayt Abu Raja
- Muhammad Issa Qasim Al-Asasna
- Hamdan Al-Abd Amash Abu Suwaylim
- Rajeh Hassan Ibrahim Abu Shihab
This letter stands as a national and humanitarian document that records the steadfastness and continued presence of the people of Jisr az-Zarqa on their land, despite the restrictions and arrests they faced in the aftermath of the events of 1948.
