Answer
to Jewish National Fund.
by Steven
Shamrak
The following is my for clarification of a
following statement I made two weeks ago: “Over 100,000 Arabs
Live Illegally on Jewish-Owned Land in Jerusalem and Israeli government and JNF
do nothing about it!” It was requested by Isaac Blachor, a Vice President of the Jewish
National Fund (JNF) in the US, who insisted that I apologised or clarify my
statement.
Dear Steven, I am Isaac Blachor and I am the Vice President of the Jewish
National Fund (JNF) in the US. My title is VP for Israel Relations. Your
statement in a recent web posting seemed to indicate that JNF was doing nothing
about Arab squatters living on JNF land... JNF purchased hundreds of individual
parcels of land in and around Jerusalem, during the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's etc.
In 1948, on one of these parcels that was under the control of Jordan, the UN
built the Kalandia refugee camp. The UN took this land without permission from
the owner, JNF... After 1968, when Israel was able to assert control over this
parcel... when JNF brought the matter to the Israeli government, it was told
that this was a political matter and the government would not act on the
complaint of JNF... JNF is powerless in this situation, although it does file
an annual document, which continues to assert its rights over this land,
although the net effect is that there is no change in the status quo. As for
illegal building on this parcel, again, it is up to the government to assert
its authority, and JNF cannot answer for the actions or lack of action on
behalf of the government. So, for you to say that JNF does nothing, is not
accurate. For you to indicate that JNF is not concerned or that it does not
wish to act, is simply not true. JNF can only go to the courts in Israel for redress
and the courts have constantly refused to grant its petition. I would
respectfully suggest that you print a correction about your statement.
Answer: Dear Mr.
Blachor, I appreciate the
importance of the projects the JNF has been involved in Israel and I admire the
dedication of volunteers who collect donations toward these projects. But our
goal is much bigger than just collection funds or planting trees
in Israel. The comment in question was short but heavily loaded with many
ideas. Mainly, it was about apathy that the Israeli governments and the JNF, as
well as other Jewish organizations, which are still calling themselves Zionist
ones, have developed toward the
original Jewish goal – the creation of Eretz-Israel, the Land of Israel.
The Jewish
National Fund was created in 1901 as a political and
financial organization in order to help Jewish people to realise their
Zionist dream, the Jewish National homeland! That is the reason why for over
the century Jews all over the world have been making their donations to the
JNF.
How many of the
JNF donors or general population know about the fact that the UN illegally used
Jewish land and the Israeli government have been doing nothing to free it from
Arab occupation? How many Zionist group or organizations, those that are still
on the front line of battle for Eretz-Israel in spite of a hostile attitude and
actions from successive Israeli governments, have been receiving support from
your organization, financial or moral? The JNF is Zionist organization and it
must return to its original purpose and provide true Zionist leadership!
We hear a lot
about Syrian demands for the return of the Golan Heights. Have the JNF made any
effort to inform
the public, Jews and others, about the land it owns in the area, Syria and
other neighbouring countries? Has the JNF made any public protest about recent
suggestions of the swap of the land owned by your organization on behalf of
Jewish people in order to accommodate the creation of an Arab terrorist entity
on Jewish land – Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Jerusalem, where your organization
holds the ownership of many parcels of land?
Jews have
always been pressed by anti-Semitic international hypocrisy. It is only when we
took matters into our own hands and with determination pursued our dreams that
our goals were realized! Unfortunately, the Israeli government, due to various
political reasons, is unable to fight the political pressure and the Media war
that is waged against Israel. This has put the Zionist NGOs like the JNF and other Jewish organizations into the perfect
position to actively, vigorously and proudly promote the right of Jewish people
to live in peace on all the land of our ancestors. Why don’t they?
The main questions that must be asked are: How and
why has the JNF transformed itself from the champion of the Zionist dream of
Jewish people into a quiet appeaser and a cash cow of the inept political
leadership in Israel and the Diaspora and what can be done to reverse this? It
is too early to become complacent - the original goal of Zionism has not been
completed yet!