Olive Tree, sabra plantings

On Friday, February 10, the village hosted Naftali Raz and members of the social democratic movement, who every year remember Peace Now activist Emil Grunzweig, who was murdered by a right wing extremist 34 years ago during a demonstration outside the Knesset. In a short ceremony they planted an olive tree - a gift of Fawaz Hussein, from the village of Hurfeish. The planting was accompanied by some reminiscences of those present and readings of poetry by Hussein and a Jewish Israeli poet.

Just after the olive tree planting, the village organized the planting of a line of sabras (prickly pear cacti), cuttings of which were taken from the ruins of the Palestinian villages Beit Susin, Beit Jiz, Imwas, Ayn Karem and Abu Shusha. Sabras are a common marker of destroyed Palestinian villages, and often all that remains.

photo album

This modest ceremony, attended by a couple of dozen people, contrasted starkly with the official arbor day planting taking place in the JNF/KKL forest across the way. Many busloads of people came to that one. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked gave a speech. They left behind seedlings to replace the burned forest, but sadly also heaps of plastic JNF/KKL flags.