The Green Line
That's what the common name for the 1967 borders is. Most media outlets use that name, and its common in every political discussion about Israel.
Have you ever wondered why it's called the Green Line? Here's why:
See the forest? That's Israel. See where it ends and desert begins? That's the West Bank.
And that's what they mean when they say "Jews made the desert bloom".
Not many people are aware of it, but the world's largest reforestation effort is made in Israel. Israel is probably the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a gain of trees. The Jewish National Fund is responsible for that. It constantly plants new trees and creates new forests every year, making Israel greener and greener.
The situation on the other side is naturally, much much worse. The few natural reserves that the Brits left on the other side were left destroyed and unprotected by Jordan. Rivers are polluted. And here's the worst of it: there is no efficient garbage handling in the Palestinan side. Their way of getting rid of trash is taking it a mile away from their villages and burning it. Which not only badly pollutes the environment, but leaves a constant stench in the outskirts of their villages. Sometimes it's so bad, that driving in a few miles radius from such a site without throwing up becomes a challenge.
Sewage? Since the Israeli built treatment plant in Gaza went out of order in the 90s, Palestinians just let the sewer flow into the sea.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that Palestinians have much bigger problems than their environment to handle. But so did young Israel in the 50s, where every home had a JNF collection tin to plant as many trees possible. It seems to me that the environmental issue is left untouched in the Palestinian authority, and that efforts to clean the environment and make it greener are kept on our side of the Green line.
A satellite photo of Israel. The "Green Line" is obvious even from space
Anyway, I know it's a lot after "Tu Bi-Shvat" (A Jewish holiday, in which it is a custom to plant trees), but you can still plant a tree in Israel, even from your own couch: The Jewish National Fund lets you plant your own tree by donating online.
The next time some Israel-hater starts whining about the "Green Line", remind him what it means.
Have you ever wondered why it's called the Green Line? Here's why:
See the forest? That's Israel. See where it ends and desert begins? That's the West Bank.
And that's what they mean when they say "Jews made the desert bloom".
Not many people are aware of it, but the world's largest reforestation effort is made in Israel. Israel is probably the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a gain of trees. The Jewish National Fund is responsible for that. It constantly plants new trees and creates new forests every year, making Israel greener and greener.
The situation on the other side is naturally, much much worse. The few natural reserves that the Brits left on the other side were left destroyed and unprotected by Jordan. Rivers are polluted. And here's the worst of it: there is no efficient garbage handling in the Palestinan side. Their way of getting rid of trash is taking it a mile away from their villages and burning it. Which not only badly pollutes the environment, but leaves a constant stench in the outskirts of their villages. Sometimes it's so bad, that driving in a few miles radius from such a site without throwing up becomes a challenge.
Sewage? Since the Israeli built treatment plant in Gaza went out of order in the 90s, Palestinians just let the sewer flow into the sea.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that Palestinians have much bigger problems than their environment to handle. But so did young Israel in the 50s, where every home had a JNF collection tin to plant as many trees possible. It seems to me that the environmental issue is left untouched in the Palestinian authority, and that efforts to clean the environment and make it greener are kept on our side of the Green line.
A satellite photo of Israel. The "Green Line" is obvious even from space
Anyway, I know it's a lot after "Tu Bi-Shvat" (A Jewish holiday, in which it is a custom to plant trees), but you can still plant a tree in Israel, even from your own couch: The Jewish National Fund lets you plant your own tree by donating online.
The next time some Israel-hater starts whining about the "Green Line", remind him what it means.
posted by OnlyInIsrael at
5:49 PM
17 Comments:
Hooah! But what do I do when you whine about Israel-haters?
By
brainhell, at 3:07 AM, March 26, 2006
I thought the green line came from the fact that when the cease-fire lines were drawn after the war of independence, the general (or whomever) used a green marker to trace out the cease-fire line on a map. perhaps that is just an urban legend?
By
Anonymous, at 1:43 PM, March 26, 2006
This is a terrific story, how Jews took a desert, with few natural resources, and turned it into a vibrant state, with technological, agricultural, and medicinal advances envied the world over. Not to mention the reforestation efforts.
By
Jason Lomberg, at 9:14 PM, March 26, 2006
Well, the PA started recently to take care of its environment and launched campaigns like "greener and cleaner Nablus" or "clean your city" ads in PA TV. But I guess this is not enough.
By
Rachel, at 1:45 PM, March 27, 2006
Dude, I love you. What a brilliant, passionate mind. I will bring this up from now on, whether anyone mentions it or not.
By
Anonymous, at 4:25 AM, March 30, 2006
haha nice paintshop-work. I'm thrilled that you guys have to use such measures to achieve your goals. And by the way, consider the fact that your stealing almost all water-supplies availble in Palestinan ares.
By
Trygv Restan, at 11:28 PM, April 24, 2006
First off - If you can claim that it's a photoshop job, I can claim that you're an illiterate idiot who felt so offended by this post that he had to block it out with a ridiculous lie that it's all fake.
About water, I'll quote the author of this blog: "Well, there are a few things wrong with that: the major one is you being a liar.
"Israelis steal water from Palestinians"? Bullshit. The Mount aquifer is NOT ENOUGH to provide water to the palestinians living in the west bank and gaza. Israel adds water to that supply from lake Tiberias, just to supply the water needs of Palestinians. In an event a Palestinian state will be established the Palestinians will need a constant supply of water from Israel in the near future till they find a better solution and that is a fact.
As for the lack of water infrastractuer in Bil'in. Bil'in has been "Area B" (Palestinian civil control) for the last 12 years since the Oslo agreement in 1993. That means the Palestinian authority is exclusively responsibly for supplying the residents with water infrastructure. Not Israel, Not the UN, Not the Europeans. The Palestinian Authority. They didn't. Why should I give a rat's ass about people who aren't citizens of my country, do NOT pay taxes, and spend their time executing or aiding terrorist attacks against innocent civilians?"
By
Nemesis6, at 10:52 AM, May 05, 2006
trygv restan,
Don't believe me, check it on GoogleEarth yourself. See if I'm lying.
And thank you Nemesis for responding.
By
OnlyInIsrael, at 12:50 AM, May 07, 2006
Please scroll thru these links, which i guess are already know liars to you or am i wrong?
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/water.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn5037
I don't know where to start. How can I not be offended by the post? Lies are usually offensive. Heh, why else would you call me an idiot?(Al though i'm not lying)
Calling me a liar is of course your typical and pathetic way of discussing, this is well known, and i'm glad that you were able to confirm it to me.
The Oslo agreement is dead, everyone knows that, which makes your points meaningless and shows a lack of knowledge. And I'll tell you why you should care. It might n-light-n your head that, believe it or not, Israel is occupying the West-Bank. There is no god damn PA with authority.
By
Trygve, at 6:17 PM, May 08, 2006
Please be advised that my allegation about paintshop was wrong. I'm deeply sorry about this, and I admit it humbly. However, this does not change any other fact of mine. Israel do steal water from Palestine. And next time you're using pictures to prove ridicculus points, let's se the whole thing not the most mountainious ares which of course aren't agriculturally fitted.
By
Trygve, at 6:35 PM, May 08, 2006
Nemesis, this is from the New Scientist link that Trygve posted:
"Under an agreement signed a decade ago as part of the Oslo accord, four-fifths of the West Bank's water is allocated to Israel, though the aquifers that supply it are largely replenished by water falling onto Palestinian territory."
Can you prove this is incorrect, w/ a source?
-Jewish ISMer
By
Anonymous, at 8:37 AM, May 18, 2006
read here about how Canada Park came to be, and the role of the JNF in covering up the cleansing of Palestinian villages. http://www.yayacanada.com/uridavis.html
more from Davis:
http://fromoccupiedpalestine.org/node.php?id=1419
The Jewish National Fund, including the Jewish National Fund of Canada, projects itself as an environmentally friendly organization concerned with ecology and sustainable development. It plants forests and establishes recreation facilities open to all. Well, it is the case that JNF forests and facilities are open to all, but it is equally the case that that most - almost without exception all - of these forests are planted on the ruins of Palestinian Arab villages ethnically cleansed in the 1948-49 war.
To ethnically cleanse indigenous localities and reduce their population into the misery of statelessness and refugee existence is a war crime. It is not charitable, as the JNF would have you believe, it is a war crime. The forests of the Jewish National Fund are there to veil this criminality and, to my reading, the Jewish National Fund afforestation activity is an accomplice to the cover-up of war crimes.
The apartheid is revealed when one visits Canada Park and realizes that Canada Park is planted over the ruins of three Palestinian-Arab localities - Amwas, Yalu and Beit Nuba. It is revealed when one realizes that the cemetery of Amwas is desecrated by Jewish National Fund activity, and that the trees are planted among the surviving tombstones.
###
It's good to know the nickels I dropped into those little blue boxes when I was a kid went to such a noble cause.
-Jewish ISMer
By
Anonymous, at 8:52 AM, May 18, 2006
trygve.
A few points regarding your links. The first link proves my claim completely, if you see the map there you'll see that most of the water can be accessed from within the Green Line, and that the fence doesn't change that situation in any effect, because most of the water sources were always on Israel's territory.
Regarding the second source, which is biased, and it's claims I will not accept, although I'd like to point out a few ways in which it may be correct, but misleading.
Of the water available from West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73%, West Bank Palestinians use 17%, and illegal Jewish settlers use
10%.
That's completely impossible to measure, because settlements and Palestinian villages share the same pipline. Furthermore, Israel GIVES water to the Palestinians from the Sea of Galilee, because the Mount aquifer simply isn't enough. Hence, the precentage is tilted wrongly, because most water comes from the Sea of Galilee.
While 10-14% of Palestine’s GDP is agricultural, 90% of them must rely on rain-fed farming methods. Israel’s agriculture is only 3% of their GDP, but Israel irrigates more than 50% of its land.
nearly 90% of Palestinian agriculture are olives. You don't water those, the rain does that. so DUH. Neglecting to mention the fact that most of their agricultural production (specificly in the west bank) comes from trees you don't water, is pretty much lying.
Three million West Bank Palestinians use only 250 million cubic meters per year (83 cubic meters per Palestinian per year) while six million Israelis enjoy the use of 1,954 million cubic meters (333 cubic meters per Israeli per year), which means that each Israeli consumes as much water as four Palestinians. Israeli settlers are allocated 1,450 cubic meters of water per person per year.
Again no source. No proof, completely no evidence.
Israel consumes the vast majority of the water from the Jordan River despite only 3% of the river falling within its pre-1967 borders. Israel now diverts one quarter of its total water consumption through its National Water Carrier from the Jordan River, whereas Palestinians have no access to it whatsoever due to Israeli closures.
Water from the Jordan river isn't consumed, it goes to the dead sea. Noone pumps that water. The national water carrier takes water from the sea of galilee, not the jordan river. Again, a simple lie.
I will not honor the rest of that piece of lies with responds, because nothing there has no source or refernece, Just a propaganda sheet.
Jewish ISMer, I CAN prove that the Oslo accord said no such thing.
here's the full text http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/israel_and_the_palestinians/key_documents/1682727.stm
Scan it and see if you can find it.
As for your suggestion that JNF forests shield detroyed Palestinian villages, I'll have to say it's a load of crap. The forests are built on JNF owned land, where usually no Palestinian villages existed.
Let's pause a minute and discuss the meaning of a Palestinian village destroyed in 1949. It's a village whose citizens weren't deported, or forced out. They willingly left that village. Israel told them, in our declaration of independence to stay put. The arab league told them to leave. They picked a side and it lost. They weren't deported, they just left. So boo-hoo, some of their villages are destroyed, they willingly left them.
The country of Israel, the Palestinian Authority as well as Jordan are filled with destroyed settlement points, dating from all ages and time. In practicly every arab village there is an ancient, destroyed synagogue, somtimes they're even nicknamed "Khirbat al-Yahud" "Jewish relics". Most Arab villages got their names from ancient Jewish towns. Beit Horon Elyon became "Beit 'Ur al-Fuka", and Beit Horon Tahton became "Beit 'Ur a-Tahta". Modiim became "Al-Midya". I can go on and on. This land has destroyed villages from all times. Somehow you only care about the ones that were peacefully neglected and not the ones who were invaded and genocided. This shows not only hypocricy, but deception.
I'm going to drop a bombshell now and say that one of the villages you've mentioned as destroyed, Beit Nuba, still exists. I served in it. It's a small group of around 20-25 houses, and you can see it for yourself (although it's not marked on most maps) in the following Google Earth coordinates:
31°51'31.41"N
35° 2'36.88"E
There's a gate in the Anti-Terrorist barrier there, and most of its citizens work in the nearby settlement of Mevo-Horon. Some of them make excellent Hummus, which they were happy to share with the soldiers, and I have to say, that the people of Beit Nuba are the friendliest Palestinians I've encountered during my service.
As for the trees you suggest were planted in a cemetery. Does building trees in neglected cemeteries annoy you? Boy, you must be pissed off when the Jordanians used Jewish tombstones to pave roads in Jerusalem 1948-1967. You also probably never visited European Jewish cemeteries. Most of them are in a similar state.
Besides, Planting trees between graves is grooming a cemetery, not desecrating it.
By
OnlyInIsrael, at 9:35 PM, May 30, 2006
"Jews made the desert bloom" thanks to Palestinian water.
By
Anonymous, at 4:16 AM, March 17, 2007
lies of jews world wide will bring israel down and scatter jews once again because they do NOT uphold the true jewish faith they owe to GOD......
By
truth wins, at 9:23 PM, December 23, 2007
Leaving a comment three years later...
In Kabala, the separation between the civilized world and the world of Tohu and Vohu is called the "kav hayarok".
Please see my blog at http://baruchatta.blogspot.com
By
BaruchAttta, at 7:07 PM, December 12, 2008
Yeah, but Israël does not tell you that the water comes for 90% from the occupied territory. Meaning the Golan Height and underground water reserve from the West Bank and more precisely the Jordan Valley and the river itself.
By
Anonymous, at 12:33 AM, March 24, 2009
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