Israel Matzav

'Palestinians' and 'peace activists' destroy Jewish orchard

A group of 'Palestinians' and Israeli leftists from the extreme Ta'ayush organization (link did not work) destroyed an orchard of apple, cherry, pomegranate, pear, carob and olive trees this morning near Sde Boaz, which is located on the highest point in the Etzion region between Neve Daniel and Beitar Elite. Afterwards, they made their way to Sde Boaz, accompanied by Arabs from nearby el-Khader, and planted olive trees around the town's perimeter. An eyewitness account of this incident may be found here. Here is an excerpt:

Ezra Nawi, a veteran Ta’ayush coordinator usually active in the southern Hevron Hills, arrived at the scene with hundreds of olive trees and several American, Norwegian and British volunteers. Nawi drove through the community of Sde Boaz, striking the security chief with his car.

Soldiers who witnessed the incident accompanied the security chief to file charges against Nawi when the police arrived, about a half-hour later.

Nawi also screamed racial epithets at an Ethiopian Jewish soldier and used the derogatory word “frenk” to refer to the PA Arab he was illegally driving through the community.

The IDF regional commander showed up with an order declaring the area a closed military zone, but declined to enforce it until the police came. Eventually, two police officers arrived, but only after nearly all of the trees planted, including in one of the community’s vineyards, did the large group begin to make its way back toward El-Khader. The commander told Sde Boaz residents that anyone who touched the olive trees would be arrested. [I'm not an expert but my guess is that if those olive trees are not uprooted, they will kill the vineyard. CiJ]

The group began planting at another plot along the road, hastily sticking the remaining trees in the ground. Residents say that plot of land is worked by an elderly Arab man who has good relations with the community.

When police and IDF soldiers attempted to arrest one of the Arab youths, the foreigners and the Arabs, directed by the Israelis, freed him by force. The man escaped and Ta’ayush’s “Ariel” was arrested for directing the violence.

Only after the group finally left did residents notice that the community’s orchard - in the valley below Sde Boaz, below the point of vision - was destroyed. The vandalism occurred on the very day that the trees reached the age at which their fruits became permitted for consumption according to Jewish Law. Saturday was Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish New Year for Trees, from which three years are counted before fruit is consumed.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:27 PM