Figure 1.--The photo was taken in 1966 in Kibbutz Kabri (northern Israel). The children are playing on an old Spitfire. The plane was used in the 1948-49 War for Independence. The Isrealis fought the war with a hodgepodge of weaponry from a great variety of sources. The Isreali Spitfires were obtained from Czecholslovakia and a few reconstructed from junk British and Egyptian Spitfires. There were aerial dogfights between the fledgling Israeli Air Force Spitfires and Spitfires the British supplied the Egyptiams. Once the Israelis got the Czech Spitfires, control of the air shifted from Egypt to Israel-a major factor in Israel's surrender. The Israelis also got ersatz Me-109s from Czexgoslovakia.
Kinnutz Kabri ( כַּבְּרִי /Cabri) in northern Israel in located in the Western Galilee about four kilometers from the the Mediterranean coast near Nahariya. It was founded at the end of the War for Independence (1949). While all Kibbutzim were founded as agricultural undertakings, the limitations of agriculture in the area has forced the various Kibbutzim to diversify their economic activities. The Kibbutz today operates a banana plantation and avocado grove, a metal and wax casting factory (Cabiran), a plastics factory (Ri'on), a restaurant, regional auditorium, and a vacation village. Many Kibbutzim are similarly diversified.
Location
Kinnutz Kabri ( כַּבְּרִי /Cabri) in northern Israel in located in the Western Galilee about four kilometers from the the Mediterranean coast near Nahariya. The Kibbutz offers a senic view of the Mediterranean and is within sight of the Lebanese border.
Area History
As with many Israeli sites, there is evidence of neolithic settlement. As there are springs, it was an area which attracted humans from earliest time. Archeologists have found evidence of human habitation dating back 16,000 years. Small tribal groups migrating out of Africa were channeled through the levant and would have been attracted by freshwater springs. Human constructed buildings have neen dated to 10,000 years ago. A thriving Canaanite (Phoenician) city existed at the site (2500 BC). It was surrounded by dirt embankments 7 meters high and 35 meters thick, on which were built guard towers. This of course suggests a dangerous environment. Archaeologists working there have namned it Tel Kabri. The actual Canaanite name is unknown. In the middle of the city was a two-story palace for the ruler. The colorful decorations included frescoes and ornaments in the Minoan style, suggesting at the least trade contacts with the Minonan Civilization, Crete and other Minoan locations. Evidence of trade with Egypt Anatolia were also found in the ruins. This suggests a trading city and connections to the nearby coast, presumably Achziv. Tel Kapri was abandoned (around 1600 BC), but the reason is unknown. The Phoenicians later built a fortress nearrby (9-7th century BC). The weapons and kitchen equipment of Greek mercenaries employed by the Phoenician were found at the fortress. A rare bowl was found at the site which was used in the manufacture of the color purple from a snail. This was a valuable Phoenicians export. Babylonian invaders attacked and destroyed the fortress city (late-7th century BC). Remains of Byzantine occupation include a well and mosaic floor. An Arab village appeared at the site in the post-Crusader medieval era.
Independence War: Al-Kabri (1948-49)
Arab sources report what they call the al-Kabri massacre during the Israeli Independence or Isrelai-Aran War (1948-49). The Haganah attacked the Arab village. Some of the villegers were killed, most fled east to Arab controlled areas.
Al-Kabri was one of the villages razed to ensure that the Palistinians "could and would never return." [Morris, p. 125.] Arab sources tend to describe the incident as the Al-Kabri Massacre, an attack on innocent unarmed civilans (May 20, 1948). Arab sources generally ignore the fact that The Arab military units and armed village irregulars attacked a Jewish convoy near the village, killing 49 Jews. These incidents are hotly debated, but it is clear that Al Kabri was a source of irregulars attacking Jewish convoys which has to be taken into consideration in any fair assessment of the incident.
Kibbutz Founding
Israelis founded a kibbutz was founded on the site of the former Arab village. The members were compopsed of the displaced members of Kibbutz Beit HaArava. This was a West Bank kibbutz forced to evacuate by the advance of the Jordanian Arab Legion. Beit HaArava had been located along the west bank of the Jordan River near Jericho. The Arab Legion destroyed the Kibbutz. The children and non-combatant women were evacuated to Kibbutz Shefayim during the War.
The evacuees divided into two groups. One group founded Kibbutz Kabri and the other joined Kibbutz Gesher HaZiv, a neraby kibbutz in the Western Galilee. Other founders included youthful refugees from the Youth Aliyah, these were children saved from the NAZIs during World War II.
Economic Opperations
While all Kibbutzim were founded as agricultural undertakings, the limitations of agriculture in the area has forced the various Kibbutzim to diversify their economic activities. The Kibbutz today operates a banana plantation and avocado grove, a metal and wax casting factory (Cabiran), a plastics factory (Ri'on), a restaurant, regional auditorium, and a vacation village. Many Kibbutzim in Israel are similarly diversified.
Schools
Kibbutz Kapri like most other Israeli Kibbutzim operate a childcare system for infants, toddlers, and kindergartners, and adult education with a range of cultural activities. There is also a primary and secondary school. The Maayanot regional elementary school and the Manor-Kabri regional high school serves the Kibbutz children and the neigboring community. The high school has a strong arts program and offers majors (Grades 10-12) in music, visual arts, drama, and cinema/video. Thge arts program attracts students from areas outside a normal secondary school district.
Sources
Morris, Benny. Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-9, 1st. ed. Morris is a controversial Isreli historian who as far as we can tell accurately depicts events using Israeli sources. He does not, however, attempt tp put the events, into perspective by devealing into Arab sources. Perhaps the most interesting fact about Morris is the freedom he enjoys to research and write in Israel and the fact that there is no comparable figure at any Arab university.
