Summary
S. Yizhar’s story (fiction) of the expulsion of the inhabitants of a Palestinian village by Israeli soldiers in 1948, quoted at length in Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace as a literary expression of actions that were widespread in that period; events in the story are the story’s, not stated as fact (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.92-96).
Details
- In the story, the unit’s operational order directs it to “assemble the inhabitants of the area extending from point X (see attached map) to point Y (see same map) – load them onto transports, and convey them across our lines; blow up the stone houses, and burn the huts”, and goes on to direct the detention of the youths and the suspects and the clearing of the area of hostile forces, with a final clause permitting “no violent outbursts or disorderly conduct” (quoted at PDF p.92-93, from the story’s English translation by Nicholas de Lange and Yaacob Dweck, Ibis Editions, 2008, pp.8-9).
- In the story, the village did not resist and not a single shot was fired at the soldiers; the soldier Moishe anticipates Jewish immigrants taking the land — “they’ll take this land and work it and it’ll be beautiful here!” — and the narrator answers in conscience: “We came, we shot, we burned; we blew up, expelled, drove out, and sent into exile. What in God’s name were we doing in this place!” and “The Spandau gun never gave us any rights” (PDF p.93-95, translation pp.10, 101-102, 107-111).
- In the story, an expelled woman walks into exile holding her child’s hand, too proud to attend to the soldiers, and the narrator sees in the boy’s heart something that, grown, “could only become a viper inside him” (PDF p.95-96, translation pp.103-104).
- The book comments: ““Khirbet Khizeh” was merely a literary expression of actions and folklore that were widespread in that period and a long time afterwards”, and follows the quotations with its documentary list of expulsions of 1949-1959 (PDF p.96-98).
- The book spells the village “Khirbet Khizeh” in the story passages (PDF p.92-96) and “Khirbet Hiz’ahs” in its closing rhetorical question, “Were there not Deir-Yassins and Khirbet Hiz’ahs and General Staff orders with their known clauses?” (PDF p.98).
Related pages
Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, S. Yizhar, Dalet Plan, Transfer