Uzeir
עֻזֵיר, עוזייר عزير | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Etymology: El Azeir, Ezra[1] | |
  Uzeir  Uzeir | |
| Coordinates: 32°47′32″N 35°19′51″E / 32.79222°N 35.33083°E | |
| Grid position | 181/243 PAL |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Northern |
| Council | al-Batuf |
| Population (2021)[2] | 3,432 |
Uzeir (Arabic: عزير; Hebrew: עֻזֵיר) is an Arab village in northern Israel. Located near Nazareth Illit in the Lower Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of al-Batuf Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 3,432.[2]
Findings from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods have been found in the village.[3]
It was mentioned in the Ottoman defter for the year 1555–1556, as Mezraa land, (that is, cultivated land), called ‘Uzayr, located in the Nahiya of Tabariyya of the Liwa of Safad. The land was designated as Timar land.[4]
In 1799, a map from Napoleon's invasion by Pierre Jacotin showed the place, named as El Qasr.[5]
In 1838 it was noted as a Muslim village, el-'Aziz, in the Nazareth District.[6]
In 1875, the French explorer Victor Guérin reached the village and described it as consisting of about 20 houses on the side of a hill. A few old columns were remains after an ancient site which had preceded the present village. A Muslim Maqam with two small domes, dedicated to "Neby A'ouzeir" was close by.[7] In Palestine Exploration Fund's 1881 Survey of Western Palestine, the village (called El Azeir) was described as:
A stone village at the foot of the hill. The plain to the north is cultivated with cotton, barley, etc. There are about 150 Moslems in the village. Water is supplied by cisterns in the village, and a tank.[8]
A population list from about 1887 showed that el Azeir had about 45 Muslim inhabitants.[9]
In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British authorities, 'Uzair had a population of 70, all Muslims,[10] increasing in the 1931 census to 88, still all Muslim, in 15 houses.[11]
In the 1945 statistics the population was 150 Muslims[12] while the total land area was 766 dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[13] Of this, 737 dunams were allocated for cereals,[14] while 7 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[15]
In 1948, Uzeir was captured by the Israeli army during the second part of Operation Dekel between 15 and 18 July. The village remained under martial law until 1966.
