Tree Huggers and Cutters

Arutz Sheva

Once again, reports that Jewish settlers cut down Arab-owned olive trees are suspected to be a "left-wing provocation" against the Jews of Judea and Samaria.

It was widely reported Sunday, in the name of Arab sources in the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, that Jewish settlers from the Shomron had chopped down 200 olive trees owned by Arabs. The Ynet site, for instance, wrote, "Palestinian sources reported that settlers from an outpost near Elon Moreh had cut down" the trees.

The reports were immediately followed by condemnations of the Jewish population in the Shomron and Israel's rule there. The extremist left-wing organization "Peace Now" released a statement saying that the incident was a direct result of the lack of law enforcement in the areas and the continuing "problem of the [Jewish] outposts."

However, the Yesha Council looked into the matter and said that though "we condemn all violence, including harming Palestinian property," it had found that the incident was apparently a provocation staged by extreme left-wing activists who "wish to sully their Jewish brothers, while at the same time extending their hand to terrorists."

The residents of Elon Moreh, in a statement, "wish to emphasize that we have no connection with this incident, which is based on the testimony of a single Arab."

A widely-published AP photo of an Arab woman weeping and embracing an allegedly chopped-down tree (similar photos were taken by Reuters, AFP, and others) shows that the trunk is intact, and that only the top branches are cut off - as if it had been purposely pruned.

Palestinian Mahfouza Odeh, 75, reacts as she hugs a cut olive tree in an olive grove in the West Bank village of Salim near Nablus Sunday Nov. 27, 2005. Israeli settlers cut down about 300 olive trees belonging to residents of the village of Salim outside the northern West Bank city of Nablus, residents of the village and international activists said Sunday. The settlers say they cut down the trees to prevent Palestinians from attacking them under cover of the olive groves.(AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

In fact, the Haifa-based Land of Israel Task Force says that this is exactly what happened.

"The left-wingers and Arabs pulled the same trick last year," Task Force head Aviad Visuly said, "and using the same method." Photos of the trees show that the branches were sawed off in a manner that is beneficial to the trees. "Why would vandals bother sawing off each individual branch? Wouldn't they just cut down the trunk?"

The branches begin growing back 2-3 months after they are cut, and grow to full size within two years. "In the meanwhile," Visuly said, "the orchard owners receive stipends from the Saudis, via the PA."

Visuly said that left-wing activists look for trees that have been pruned, and then blame the Jews for cutting them. "They have even admitted to the police that they do this," he said....

Comments

[RHoracio]

IsraelNN claims that the Land of Israel Task Force has issued a statement claiming that the villagers have once again pruned the top branches of their own trees and tried to claim Jews were responsible. (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=93745) In a war againts media bias, that tends to put blame merely on Israelis, would somebody please send me link to website of the Land of Israel Task Force to have another source other than IsraelNN to support that claim?