The Jewish National Fund (JNF)

[Iqbal Tamimi]

Angus Geddes, Coordinator, Portsmouth Network for a Just Settlement of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
19 March 2008

The JNF was founded in 1901 as the principal Zionist agency for the colonization of Palestine. It bought Palestinian land and then settled Jewish immigrants on it. Its rules forbade selling or leasing any land it owned to non-Jews. If there were Palestinian tenants on the land the JNF encouraged the new Jewish owners to eject them[1]. Hitherto the normal practice in Palestine had been for the new landlord to keep existing tenants to work the land.

The JNF participated in the village files project[2], a secret scheme to document details of each Arab village, including names of villagers hostile to the Jews and the British: many of them were summarily executed when the Jewish forces expelled the village inhabitants in 1948[3].

Yossef Weitz[4], the head of the settlement department of the JNF, wrote in his diary in the early 1940s “Is it not now the time to get rid of them? Why continue to keep in our midst those thorns at a time when they pose a danger to us?” and “Transfer does not serve only one aim - to reduce the Arab population - it also serves a second purpose by no means less important, which is: to evict land now cultivated by Arabs and to free it for Jewish settlement”, and went on “The only solution is to transfer the Arabs from here to neighbouring countries. Not a single village or a single tribe must be let off.” Weitz became a member of the Consultancy, the inner circle responsible for planning and directing the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. With his involvement in the village files, both as a contributor and a user, Weitz immersed himself in the practicalities of the ethnic cleansing process. He wrote that the takeover of Arab lands is a “sacred duty”.

It was a sacred duty that Israel carried out. By the time of the final ceasefire in 1949, nearly 80% of the Palestinians had been expelled from Israel, 531 villages[5] had been destroyed and over three quarters of a million acres[6] of Palestinian land confiscated. The Israeli government appointed a “Custodian of Absentee Property” for this land: it became state land, the property of the Jewish nation and so could not be sold to Arabs. The JNF bought over a quarter of a million acres[7] of this land from the Custodian, including almost every destroyed village, together with all its houses and lands. It was the JNF that decided the fate of the destroyed villages[8] - whether a new Jewish settlement would be built, the land allocated to a neighbouring kibbutz, or a forest established. In every case a major objective was to establish facts on the ground to pre-empt the return of the Palestinian owners whose land had been confiscated. This policy, plus laws against allocation of the land to non-Jews, not only prevented refugees expelled from Israel reclaiming their land, but also Palestinians displaced internally within Israel. The Palestinian Israelis, who made up 17% of the population of Israel after the expulsions, were confined to 3% of the land[9]. Even after the establishment of the state of Israel dispossession of Palestinians’ land within Israel continued, particularly for building new Jewish settlements in Galilee, and the JNF was at the forefront of this campaign, getting military outposts erected[10] at the entrances of villages to pressurise them into selling or exchanging their land. By 2003 the JNF had over half a million acres (2,555,000 dunams) in its possession[11].

The forests planted by the JNF wipe out all memory of the destroyed villages, and not only by their forest cover. Neither the information boards in the forest parks, nor the JNF’s website, give any clue to the fact that these were once the site of thriving Palestinian communities[12]. Even in the rare cases where the names of destroyed villages are mentioned, these are presented as natural beauty spots with no indication of former human habitation or mention of who planted the apparently wild almond trees. We are rightly urged to remember the holocaust, but not, if the JNF has its way, the Nakba, the Palestinians’ catastrophe that followed it so swiftly.

The JNF’s influence and operations are not confined to Israel. After the 1967 war, the JNF was allocated land by the Custodian of Absentee Property in the Greater Jerusalem area. In the early 1980s it passed this land on to Elad[13], an Israeli NGO devoted to the “Judaization” of East Jerusalem. Elad has concentrated its activities on Silwan and stated openly that its aim is to cleanse the neighbourhood of its Palestinian inhabitants. The JNF has also established a subsidiary called Himnuta, 99% owned by JNF, to operate in the West Bank[14] and acquire land for Jewish settlement. Establishing Jewish settlements in the occupied territories has been confirmed by the International Court of Justice to be a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Thousands of acres have been acquired by Himnuta, much of it now on the Israeli side of the illegal “Wall” that the International Court regards as built to perpetuate a land grab. The JNF has also acquired plots of land in its own name[15] around East Jerusalem and planted forests on them, ensuring that the land can not be used for settlement by Palestinians. It also operates through a subsidiary in the occupied Golan Heights captured from Syria in 1967.

The JNF ended up with 13% of Israel’s state lands, but it influence spreads much further through its decisive role in appointing half the directors of the Israel Land Authority (ILA)[16] that was eventually given ownership of 80% of state lands, the latter comprising more than 90% of Israel’s land. Legislation and ILA policy combined to ensure that Palestinian Israelis could not buy or lease ILA land either.

The Jewish author Susan Nathan, in her 2005 book “The Other Side of Israel”, describes how the JNF currently operates[17]. She describes it “as a kind of bullying overlord towards Israel’s Arab citizens, constantly seeking ways to confiscate private land on the flimsiest pretext and transfer it to its own or state ownership for the sole benefit of Jews”. She goes on to describe a friend’s predicament in some detail. First the JNF confiscated some of his land that had been in the family for generations, saying he had not been working it properly. Then they planted pine trees over the access road to his remaining land so that he could not get to it and tend his olive trees. He was in danger of losing this land too, charged with its neglect. Consulting lawyers, he found that if he moved fast and the pines were still saplings, he was entitled to destroy them and re-open his access road. A careful pass with a bulldozer and the JNF were thwarted. But they still refused to allow an electricity supply to his agricultural store.

In 2004 and 2005, in response to legal challenges by Israeli civil rights NGOs over discriminatory practices, the Israeli government and JNF agreed that any land the JNF had to sell or lease to non-Jews would be compensated by the transfer of a comparable amount of state land. In exchange for its municipal lands, the JNF would receive large areas of state land in the Negev and Galilee for establishing Jewish settlements[18]. Will non-Jews in fact be able to buy or lease JNF land? Susan Nathan describes how, in the case of the ILA, non-Jews can now in theory buy ILA land, but in practice they first need to sign contracts with other agencies that can discriminate against them[19]. Moreover, the recent court rulings against discrimination may be nullified. In 2007 a draft Israeli law restricting the sale of JNF land to non-Jews passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset[20] and in the Israeli High Court JNF is arguing for the right to continue discrimination against non-Jews.

Since 1999, JNF in Israel, known there by its Hebrew acronym KKL (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael), has been in dispute with JNF UK. In 1996 JNF UK sent nearly £3.7m to KKL. By 2004, this had dwindled to £440,000 out of £12m raised[21]. JNF UK used the rest for non KKL projects, reducing its transfers to KKL because it was afraid that KKL’s discriminatory policies would jeopardize its UK charitable status. By January 2008 the dispute had been resolved, bar a few details, with the appointment of Samuel Hayek, the Chairman of KKL Charitable Trust, set up by KKL as a rival to JNF UK, to be Chair of both JNF UK and KKL Charitable Trust. Samuel Hayek is quoted as saying “I am looking forward to working with ---- the new Board to drive the organisation to new heights, with JNF UK re-engaged with the KKL agenda and dedicated to promoting the key objectives of JNF UK and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - supporting Israel for life” (my italics)[22]. According to KKL – JNF, both KKL Charitable Trust and JNF UK will continue to raise money for KKL projects in Israel[23].

It has been reported in the Jewish Chronicle (1-2-08) that Prince Philip will be hosting a special fundraising dinner for JNF and other Jewish organisations at Windsor Castle on 7 April this year (2008) to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. There will be 300 guests and the organisers would like President Shimon Peres, President of Israel, to be guest of honour. In view of the foregoing I suggest that the JNF is not an organisation that should be honoured in this way, and that to do so would bring Prince Philip and the royal family into disrepute. Gordon Brown and David Cameron should also reconsider their positions as patrons of the JNF UK lest they bring themselves and their parties into disrepute too.

Angus Geddes, 19 March 2008
Coordinator, Portsmouth Network for a Just Settlement of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
References

[1] Pappe, Ilan, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Oxford, Oneworld Publications, 2006), pp. 17-18

[2] Ibid, p.62

[3] Ibid, p.21

[4] Ibid, pp.61-62

[5] Ibid, p.xiii

[6] Ibid, p.214

[7] Ibid, p.215

[8] Ibid, pp.220-222

[9] Ibid, p.222

[10] Ibid, p.223

[11] Palestine Land Society, Jewish National Fund’s Violation of International and Domestic Law, (Internet posting, 29-8-2005, PalestineRemembered.com), Table 6.

[12] Pappe, Ilan, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Oxford, Oneworld Publications, 2006), pp. 225-234

[13] Ibid, p.226

[14] Palestine Land Society, Jewish National Fund’s Violation of International and Domestic Law, (Internet posting, 29-8-2005, PalestineRemembered.com), section 4.3.

[15] Ibid, section 4.3.

[16] Pappe, Ilan, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Oxford, Oneworld Publications, 2006), p.222.

[17] Nathan, Susan, The Other Side of Israel (Random House Inc., 2005), pp.155-161.

[18] Palestine Land Society, Jewish National Fund’s Violation of International and Domestic Law, (Internet posting, 29-8-2005, PalestineRemembered.com), section 3.5.

[19] Nathan, Susan, The Other Side of Israel (Random House Inc., 2005), pp. 151-152

[20] Shahar, Ilan, The JNF, backed into a corner (Article in Haaretz, 30-7-07)

[21] Ser, Sam, Money doesn’t grow on trees (Jerusalem Post, 12-5-05)

[22] Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund, JNF UK and the KKL Charitable Trust Join in Exceptional Resolution to Recent Dispute (posted on www.kkl.org February 2008)

[23] Ibid
Source: http://www.icahd.org/icahdukdev/eng/documents/BriefingonJNF.htm


http://www.inminds.co.uk/article.php?id=10258

[Sami Joseph]

People in the West think that they enjoy real democracy. Little do they know that no sooner than electing representatives, the elected end up serving alien interests, not by choice but by necessity to stay in office. The salvation of the West hinges on the steadfastness of the Palestinians whose ultimate victory over evil will prove to be in the very best interests of all of humanity.

[pam hardyment]

I too read susan Nathan's book which gives the other side of the story so intimately What was most alarming is the lack of any provision for families to expand, add on to their houses, and so they do it upwards, creating a claustrophobic, intense society which has its roots in close family ties, it was heartbreaking in parts. Is there a museum for the Nakba? That should have its annual ceremony so that nobody forgets, it is 61 years since 531 villages were wiped out, Palestinians should plot on maps the land they will take back, because I am sure this will happen, a two state solution just continues the gross obscenity of what happened. I am going to look into this group whose letters so closely ressemble the Klu Klux Klan, how appropriate, and here in the UK< their charity status supporting a non humanitarian regime.

[Cliff Hanley]

This is an exhaustive and valuable history. I was under the impression that only around 400 villages had been destroyed in 1948, but there must have been so many uncounted farms and homesteads too. The agony aunt who writes in Esquire, incidentally, considers it OK to make humorous references to the JNF, even giving its address for those readers who want to contribute.

[jerry gates]

The Jewish National Fund began as a pool of money, as it's name indicates, it was for Jewish advancement in procuring land for Israel to develop as Forested recreation areas or settlements.

In East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and The West Bank, these funds are used in violation of the Nuremberg Principles and Fourth Geneva conventions concerning the conscription of land in occupied territories by occupation forces intent on colonizing.

Aside from the illegality of such funds from outside of Israel to corrupt courts and ministries in their nations and institutions of origin, these monies are collected from various illegal enterprises including organ trafficking, Heroin trafficking and Kosher foods enterprises which employ sweat shops with illegal labor to maximize profits to be turned into ill gotten gains for the Jewish National fund.

Bernard Maddoff was a contributor to such a fund and his illegal operation brought much discredit to those involved and also hurt many who were perhaps unaware of his dealings with the fund.

A revolving door of money transfers from citizens of nations other than Israel that fills the needs of colonial aspirations on occupied territory is in many ways money laundering if we consider the trail this money takes from it's origins to it's destination as supportive if illegal enterprise.

Money laundering is illegal and prosecuted by international crime agencies such as the FBI, CIA, MI5 and others with international jurisdiction and investigative arms placed to document these transfers of money.

Several sources of monies laundered to support the Jewish National fund are known and a few of them are wildly outside of the law, which implicates the funds board, it's donations and directorate in criminality to procure lands designated as off limits to occupying national armies and their protectorates in ministries and institutions involved in colonizations projects outside of international law in terms of their actions, charter and aspirations and also their sources of funding.

Lobbiests in the UK, Canada and US and in EU nations have set forth appropriations that buy favor with political candidates in these nations that produces Jewish comptrollership and managment of institutions such as National Public Radio, the BBC, Holocaust Museums, projects in cities like Philadelphias Germantown Settlement Fund ,Eli Wiesel foundation, Spielberg enterprises, Metro Goldwyn Meyer and Goldman Sacks and even the Board of directors and comptrollers offices of the US Federal Reserve Bank which all have cadres and board mambers, many of which have secret accounts at the BIS and in Cayman Islands off shore shell corporations which shield monies laundered by Jews to the Jewish National Fund illegally.

An Audit of the United States Federal Reserve has been requested by some Members of Congress that has succesfully been thwarted thus far, but remians an option of discovering of findings that implicate the Jewish National fund as a money laundering operation of international scope, which sets this case as under the Jurisdiction of both national investigation and prosecution justice departments that cooperate with the UN, and ICC and ICG to stop such money laundering by indiers with connections to government employees and their respective institutions and political offices.

With the US request of records of bank deposits in Swiss banks begun and several investigations having uncovered many indiscretions by very influential people and their agencies and institutions, it has been discovered in these findings that further records will be subpoenad to extend the parameters of the investigation into the UK, EU and it's nationas and enterprise.

The Jewish National Fund has been added to in these accounts for many years and from many unsanctioned transfers that are indeed money laundering on a grand scale with implications of even the initial intentions being centered on deceptive lang grabs in violation of the laws not only of nations of origin of the guilty but in their respective military hierarchies, which is indicative of the spoils of war from illegal and unjust military operations of the war on terror filling the coffers of the Jewish National Fund, literally blood money from aggression to further more transgression, primarily against Muslims and with their stolen monies or illegal production of cash crops such as the Poppy.

The findings as yet are under wraps until more evidences are corroborated and correlated to expand investigations, but preliminary estimates of illegality from the funds masters and board serve as a very provocative incentive for those involved to cooperate or be prosecuted for very serious crimes.

Needless to say all of this is discouraging for Palestine in that so much power in ploitcs is garnered by financial clout, none of which Palestine seems to bare for it's casues as the Jews do for theirs, Palestine is out funded perhaps a million to one or more and this is the result of Jewish funding being garnered in several nations on several continents through in many wise illegal means by criminals operation an international money laundering operation with tentacles in every political office and institution on the UK and US and wide spread throughout Germany in particular, France, Canada and Australia, which is racketeering, conspiracy to extort and collusion between non profits and those intent on money laundering to support apartheid, the implications of which are onerous for Israel and their associated
friends groups.

India has become the focus of one aspect of this ongoing investigation that is of particular concern to it's citizens as they have been marginalised to procure favor with western nations and their organization in corrupt enterprise supportive if illegal settlements as well, which shows that The Jewish National Fund has destroyed laws, respect for courts, corrupted not only the IDF, but the US military, the Pentagon, The US department of Defense, The department of Energy and the institutions surrounding the security, energy Industrial military complex in private hands to the detriment of US citizens and Palestine to benefit those intent on colonizing The West Bank, East Jerusalem and The Golan Heights in direct contravention of international laws and moral statements made by these nations and their institutions which is fraud to cover up money laundering and illegal and unjust military aggression supportive of illegal occupations by NATO co conspirators who actually OWN Israel.

The prosecutors in these ongoing investigations have met with cover ups, road blocks, lies, murder, hatred, criminal conspiracy, organized covert ops and psy ops to discourage their work and harsh, unwarranted criticism from organizations accusing this effort as anti semitic.

A veritable mountain of documentary evidence must be sifted, disseminated, organized, categorized, prioritized but never sanitized for the dirt is far in excess of any redemptive works by the Jewish National Fund. This kind of blatant racism and cruelty for no other reason than ethnic cleansing, which is a very serious crime must be stopped as the way of life and future of Israel. Israel cannot and will not stand on illegal legs and not fall eventually. If these crimes are attempted to be swept under the rugs of justice departments in civilized nations, what does that say for these civilization save they they digress into police states with cruelty as their intention to hold power and such a device of rule is not civilized in any wise, but a sure sign of decline of yet another empire tempted by evil and subdued by it's lures and lusts.

[hamzaklein]

israel carry on on her criminel act coz she don't find anybody stop her on her limit by the way if we would to trimph we should change ourself and democracy in arab land and make islam as a law with moderate though coz arab land in general are wealthy and rich we should employ that
best regards