What happened in 1944?

A legal battle lasting 22 years involving land purchased 74 years ago by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) ended this week when Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that JNF is indeed the rightful owner of the 522 dunam tract in Gush Etzion, Israel Hayom reported Wednesday. A three-judge panel rejected an appeal filed by Palestinians against the decision of the Jerusalem District Court, which likewise ruled that the JNF was the owner of the land. Kibbutz Ein Tzurim was established on the land, which was purchased in 1944, but the kibbutz was destroyed in 1948 and the Jordanians took control of