bir'em

People gather near the entrance to the the church at the Christmas market in Bir'im, Dec. 13, 2025. (Anna Maria Hawa)

In the Galilee hills, Christmas celebrations revive a depopulated Palestinian village

After a two-year absence, displaced residents and their descendants returned to Bir'im — part of efforts since 1948 to keep the community alive.

By Samah Watad December 24, 2025

Havat Gilad outpost, just south of Nablus. (photo: Yuval Ben-Ami)

Instead of evacuating West Bank outpost, state continues to humiliate itself

One year after it was ordered to remove the illegal outpost of Amona, the government is now claiming that the evacuation has to be postponed, since it ‘may harm the interests of the state.’ We are, after all, negotiating with the Palestinians. By Yesh Din (written by Yossi Gurvitz) Last August, the High Court of…

By +972 Magazine October 18, 2013

Ruins of Bir'em, off the official park pathway (Oren Ziv / Activestills)

Authorities threaten displaced community’s return to village

The displaced Maronite community of Bir’em has decided to implement its right of return by resettling its land. Authorities have threatened to evict the villagers should they refuse to leave. Exactly one year ago, the displaced people of Iqrit decided that after 64 years of empty promises, they would wait no longer to return to…

By Haggai Matar August 22, 2013

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Dispite a unique rulling by the High Court in 1951 villagers are still not allowed to return (Oren Ziv / Activestills)

Displaced Palestinians return to village after 64 years

The third generation of the displaced community of Iqrit decided that they’d had enough of waiting for authorities to allow them to return to their village lands, taking matters into their own hands. Last August, they set up their base in a room adjacent to the old church and haven’t left since. In 1948, the…

By Haggai Matar March 18, 2013

Israeli couple picnics near offensive graffiti in Bir'em (Oren Ziv / Activestills)

Anti-Christian graffiti sprayed on church in destroyed Galilee village of Bir’em

The internally displaced community of Bir’em found abusive graffiti, stars of David and the word ‘revenge’ sprayed on its church, graveyard and other buildings. Yet the act of vandalism is but one of the community’s problems, as it continues its struggle for return. Last week, several days after they celebrated Christmas, the former residents of…

By Haggai Matar January 2, 2013