February 1947, Arab Murder, Mayhem, and Massacre – Lydda, Ramleh, Ben Shemen In February 1947, four hundred students of the youth village are evacuated from the Lydda valley in a sad convoy of buses, escorted by British armored vehicles.  Dr. Lehmann is heartbroken.  By April, the youth village is a besieged military post.” Source:  Ari Shavit, My Promised Land