After moving to Israel almost 10 years ago, American Jewish activist Joel Busner never thought that he’d be spearheading a campaign to help reclaim Jewish agricultural land in the Galilee that has been commandeered by Arabs, but that is precisely what he’s doing. His charitable organization, B’Ahavat Yisrael, (with love of Israel) has focused it’s energy and resources on delivering food packages and providing essential services to beleaguered Jews in such places as Sderot and to those Jewish evacuees from Gaza, but now his motto has become, “it’s time to take our country back” as he addresses the issues of saving Jewish land in the Galilee, teaching Jews about the importance of agricultural skills and reviving the concept of Jewish labor.
I sat down with Joel Busner to hear of his program.
Q: Can you give us some background on the claim that Jewish land in Israel is being taken over by Arabs?
A: Arabs can now buy homes in Jewish villages such as Poriya, where I live, in the Lower Galilee just outside of Tiberias. All over the country, in such places as Lod, Ramle, Nazareth Elite, Acko, Yaffo, etc, Arabs are buying and Jews are leaving. The Negev is being taken over by blatant Bedouin land grabs and there are thousands upon thousands of illegal houses all over the Negev. Jewish shepherds and farmers are being driven out of business by the Bedouin thieves. Jewish farmers in the Galilee are being bullied on a daily basis by their Arab neighbors. According to a Jerusalem Post article of August 15, 2009, wealthy individuals from Arab states such as tycoons from the Gulf, who do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, have recently purchased hundreds of dunams of agricultural land in the Galilee and the Israel Lands Administration said it could not interfere with the transaction since the lands are privately owned.
Q: Are any elected officials speaking out about this problem?
A: Mayor Shimon Gapso of Nazareth Illit was recently quoted as saying, “The State of Israel’s plan was that 45% of the Galilee will be Jewish by 2010. In reality, we are less than 40%, and if the State doesn’t make sure to bring Jews here en masse, we will lose the Galilee”.
Q: Why do you think that Jews are selling land to Arabs?
A: Arab gangs are terrorizing Jewish farmers and ranchers to force them to give up their lands. There are many who are paying these Arabs protection money to be left alone. Many are selling out to Arabs fearing they will be left with nothing if they don’t, as they know full well that the Israeli police and legal system will do nothing to protect their rights. Demographically, the Galilee now has an Arab majority and the Negev is quickly following suit. What is being done by the Israeli leadership? Virtually nothing.
All over the country, if a Jews wants to build a home, you must pay for land, get permits, etc. You must pay Arnona (property tax). Land is expensive if zoned for residential construction. You pay for garbage collection, water and sewage, and an over bloated bureaucracy. That is, of course, if you live in a Jewish area. On the other hand, Arab-only-occupied cities and villages are different. They build wherever they want and whatever they want. Permits? You have to be joking. Years ago the Jews of Judea and Samaria complained about how small their housing plots were and that they had to purchase plots from the Israeli authorities (long term lease) while the neighboring Arab occupied villages did whatever they pleased. Now if you go to the Arab dominated areas throughout pre-1967 State of Israel you will see exactly the same thing. On state land, JNF land, private land owned by Jews, or whatever, you will see Arabs building huge homes and the law be damned. You will even hear them shooting their guns off at weddings at night.
Q: You mentioned the Jewish National Fund. Accusations have been leveled against them for allowing Jewish owned land to be illegally seized by Arab squatters. Can you tell us more information about that?
A: Arabs have constructed communities on some 320 acres (1,300 dunams) of Jewish-owned land in the Jerusalem area and the JNF has done nothing to prevent this illegal seizure of land. The communities of Kalandiya, Kfar Akev and Shuafat, in northern Jerusalem – was purchased by the JNF in the early 1900s from Jewish donor monies, for the sole purpose of serving as land where Jews could live. Illegal Arab construction on the land began after 1948 and has been ongoing, but that most of it was carried out in the last 15-20 years, with some apartment complexes added in 2004 and other construction is still ongoing.
Q: What can Jews in Israel do to maintain ownership of their agricultural land?
A: We must begin to promote the concept of Jewish labor. For many years, we at B’Ahavat Yisrael have recruited hundreds of Israeli youths for fruit picking and other forms of manual labor. The early pioneers understood that to be normal, Jews had to engage in various sorts of labor. By doing that they earned a country. Today Jews are discouraged from doing manual labor. Instead you have Arabs, Thais, Africans, etc, doing more and more jobs. Then you go to the States and find Itzik from Israel moving your neighbor’s furniture. Arabs who live here have less living expenses and are at an advantage. Thai workers who live 5 or 6 in a small caravan and don’t pay taxes and send every shekel back to Thailand are at a huge advantage. Take out these scab workers and you will create a slightly higher paid Jewish worker. Not everyone is suited for a computer job and not everyone can be a doctor and Israel has far too many lawyers. Personally, I’d rather pay a half shekel more for my lettuce but know that the money is staying in our economy.
Q: What are your immediate objectives in implementing this plan?
A: For the last few years we have dreamed of having a Center in the Galilee. We wanted to build a special place; a place where Jewish youths from the Diaspora could come together with Jewish youths from Israel with a common purpose; to rediscover our land, our heritage. A place that will teach real Torat Eretz Yisrael; a center that will demonstrate that Jews can use a shovel in the morning and sit and learn Torah in the afternoon. A place that will go to the olive groves and assist Jewish farmers so that the olive oil can advertise ‘Jewish Holy Land Olive Oil’. .
On November 22, 2009 in New York, Friends of B’Ahavat Yisrael will be hosting a special dinner titled ‘Save the Galilee’. Proceeds from donations will go to the building of the B’Ahavat Yisrael Torah V’Avoda Ivrit Youth Center (Jewish Youth Center for Torah and Labor) in the Lower Galilee. During the dinner there will be a presentation about a special business exhibition and a new and exciting program called ‘Buy a Piece of Israel’ which will allow Jews everywhere to purchase parts of agricultural plots in the Galilee with other Jews and have those plots managed by a Jewish owned company with Jewish laborers. Plots are either being bought from Arabs or from distressed Jewish owners who are about to sell to Arabs. Every plot purchased is another plot saved by and for the Jewish nation. Proceeds from each plot will be divided between the management and the investors. We see this as the perfect ideological investment and ask all concerned Jews to participate.The dinner will take place at the Rockwood Park Jewish Center in Howard Beach, Queens. For more information please contact our office at:
what a lengthy and in depth article but full of useful information
JohnD said,in October 13th, 2009 at 5:18 am
As a non-Jew I found this article truly eye opening. It was always my understanding that Arabs residing in Israel only resided in their areas and Jews in theirs. If Arabs are able to purchase property freely all over Israel, then why is there such a fuss when Jews buy in their areas?
I applaud Mr. Busner from bringing this to the Worlds attention. I know that in my country if the Turks began purchasing our real estate and we were not permitted to purchase on their side, there would be a major political fall out.
madmanrulz said,in October 24th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
oy all this talk of working with dirt and fighting goyim makes me nervous. Now my thereapist can get a mercedes! oy oy vey! goyim and big dogs brrrrrr!
