FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JNF BETRAYS ITS JEWISH MANDATE
Arieh King, founder and head of the Israel Land Fund, has been battling with the JNF for years. He has documented the egregious abuse of the organization's mandate to collect money from Jewish people in order to buy and preserve land in the Land of Israel. King has documented proof of JNF land purchase and give-away to Arabs that has been going on with the knowledge and approval of the Israel Land Authority.
King asserts that during the years 2004-2009, more than 200 new apartments were built on JNF land in the area north of the Atarot airport, in Jerusalem. When one drives near that area today, a very visible sign reading AREA A – NO ISRAELIS (Jews) ALLOWED, can be seen, even though one is in Israel's capital city of Jerusalem. (Israel has been divided into areas A,B and C. A is solely Arab. B is under Israeli control, but open to Arab administration, and C is solely under Israeli control.) King also accuses the JNF of failure to protect Jewish land in Gush Etzion where three years ago, no effort was made to keep hundreds of acres inside the separation wall. Arabs are now using this land. In the Shoafat/JNF forest, near Pisgat Ze'ev, Jerusalem, Arabs have built 300 apartments between 1991-2009, with building continuing today.
King has written to the heads of JNF, pleading with them to stop JNF assistance in planting 3000 trees in the area of a new Arab city, RUWABI, scheduled to be built north of Ramallah. Instead, we read that "Michael Weinberg of the JNF acknowledges that there is a great deal of "professional pride in the project. We are helping in any way we can."
The reports on the project mention such names as Hirui Amara, who heads a JNF greenhouse at the Golani Junction, and Suhil Zaydan, one of the JNF's forestry managers. At the recent Zionist Congress an Israeli Arab was nominated to the KKL (Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael or JNF) General Assembly. Why is JNF, or KKL, hiring and working with Arabs when so many Jews are jobless? Wouldn't some of the expelled farmers from Gush Katif be people who would be expert in working with the land, and keeping it in Jewish hands?
Maaleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel, a member of the JNF board, describes the situation as something that has gone "haywire." He continues, "The country has gone crazy when it plants trees for the PA in Judea and Samaria at the same time that it forbids Jews to build. The system does not know who it is representing – us, the PA, or the Americans."
Diaspora Jews are urged to call JNF headquarters in NYC – 212-879-9300 to voice their indignation about the disgraceful betrayal of the JNF mandate. Ask for CEO Russell Robinson, or VP of Israel Relations Isaac Blachor. Tell them you will no longer contribute to JNF because of their scandalous behavior. Write letters to your local papers about the situation. Spread the information.
Those who are interested in getting more information about the issue are invited to contact Arieh King at kingshir@bezeqint.net oroffice@israellandfund.com. Tel: 972-2-622-3195. He will be happy to answer your questions and present you with the proof of his investigations into JNF abuses.
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