2025-08-03 21:04 <br/> Tags: #EarlyZionism #organization #Israel #Yishuv ![[THE MATRIX/images 3/image-6.png|382x255]] # Jewish National Fund (JNF) - The Jewish National Fund is an Israeli government affiliated nonprofit which raises funds for infrastructure and land development purposes in Israel. #### Beginnings - The Jewish National Fund was formed at the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1901 by [[Theodor Herzl]]. - The World Zionist Congress is the primary governing wing of the [[World Zionist Organization]]. - The fund was set up to begin buying land in Ottoman controlled Palestine. - The fund was created as "the property of the Jewish people as a whole." - The JNF began raising funds from the Jewish diaspora. - Postage stamps were released starting in 1902. A "Blue Box" system was implemented with over a million blue boxes spread throughout the diaspora to collect charity. The boxes were places at synagogues, schools, homes, etc. - The JNF began buying land as early as 1903. - The first purchase was 50 acres funded by wealthy Jewish philanthropist Isaac Leib Goldberg. - The JNF started buying land in modern day central Israel and in the northern Galilee region. - By the time the state of Israel was announced, the JNF owned 54% of the land held by Jews in Palestine. *Almost all of the land in Israel is government owned. Today the Israeli government owns ~93% of the total land. The government owned land is leased to its 'owners' on long term leases. Non Jews are not allowed to lease land in Israel. * - Among the JNF's early contributors was [[Edmond de Rothschild ]]. - Rothschild later established the [[Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA)]] in 1924. - PICA was formed out of the already existing [[Jewish Colonization Association (JCA)]]. - The PICA eventually merged into the JNF in 1958. - [[Menachem Ussishkin]] led the JNF from 1922-1941. During his tenure the JNF radically expanded and opened its operation in the United States. - The JNF has been central to the eviction, erasure, and persecution of Palestinians throughout its history. - During British Mandatory Palestine, the JNF would buy land owned by absent Palestinians, or from owners who needed money. They would then kick the Palestinian farmers/inhabitants off the land and establish Jewish settlements. *Though a bad deal for the Palestinians, this is about as peaceful a method used by the Jews to expel the Palestinians.* #### JNF in Israel - In Israel the JNF operates to both acquire land for Jewish use, and develop that land. - The JNF is most known for "making the desert bloom." This means the mass planting of trees, draining of swamps, water conservation, and various other ecological programs. *The phrase "making the desert bloom" is a carefully constructed politically charged term. It reinforces many tropes: Jews must be God's people to undertake such a miracle; Jews are uniquely capable; Jews have the admirable wish for prosperity; the success of Israel is one of peaceful blooming of a flower, etc. * - JNF Israeli afforestation projects are often a concealment of their true intent, to erase Palestinian villages, and further the chokehold on the occupied territories. - After the [[1967 Six Day War]] the JNF was involved in turning destroyed Palestinian villages into "parks." The Canada Park west of Jerusalem was funded by JNF Canada was built on top of three destroyed villages. - The JNF works with the Israeli government on development and population increasing projects. - "Blueprint Negev" in the Negev. - "Go North" in Galilee. - The JNF holds about $3.3 billion in assets as of 2015. - Much of this is in its Israeli land holdings. Other than donations, the JNF makes additional revenue from the rent paid on the land it leases in Israel. *All private property "ownership" in Israel is in the form of long term leases, usually 99 years, from Israeli government entities.* - The JNF will only lease land to Jews. - They were challenged in court on the basis of discrimination by Arab-Israelis in 2004. The result, a convoluted agreement that any land leased to an Arab by the JNF will be compensated by the Israel Land Authority (Israeli gov) for new, non Arab-touched land. So, the JNF was able to keep its 100% Jewish land-leasing rate. - The JNF planned to build a forest on top of a Bedouin village called Al-Araqib in the Negev. - The Bedouin living in Al-Araqib were originally displaced in the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]]. - Since 2010 Al-Araqib has been razed to the ground 243 times. This means that on average since the first demolition, Israel destroys Al-Araqib every 23 days. *Most recently one week prior to writing this* ![[image-63.png|485x273]]]] *Scene of the 235th demolition on Al-Araqib in January 2025.* ![[image-62.png|258x307]] *Al-Araqib's location * - The JNF uses front companies (Himnuta) to buy land in the West Bank for Israeli settler activity. #### JNF and Israeli Intel/Military - The JNF worked closely with the [[Haganah]] prior to the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]]. - The JNF had mapped out Arab villages collecting their demographic information along with noting key individuals. - JNF Land Department leader and Jewish hardliner [[Yosef Weitz]] was particularly harsh in his treatment of Palestinians. - Weitz worked with Haganah officers throughout the 40s devising plans to expel the Palestinians and destroy their property. - "Not one village must be left, not one tribe... There is no other solution." - Weitz 1940 - After the 1948 war the Weitz and the JNF worked together to erase Palestinian villages. Weitz used afforestation projects to replace the destroyed Palestinian property with new 'Israeli' forests and parks. - Weitz was on the "Transfer Committee" established during the 48' war. The committee was tasked with deciding the fate for captured Palestinian villages. - Today, the JNF manages land in critical zones in the Negev and near borders implicitly indicating relations with the Israeli security system. - Many JNF leaders come from Israeli military ranks. Moshe Rivlin, Yehiel Leket, Yosef Weitz, etc. - The JNF-USA funds the program "Special in Uniform." The program brings the disabled into the IDF. *I cannot grasp any reason for American entities being allowed to fund foreign armies.* #### JNF in the United States - The JNF-USA was incorporated in the United States in January of 1926. - The JNF-USA quickly became the largest contributor to JNF activity in Israel. - The JNF-USA is involved with more than simple fundraising for Israeli land development. - The JNF-USA works with Jewish organizations [[Hadassah]], [[Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)]], - The JNF-USA is involved in guiding public Jewish sentiment in the United States. - The American JNF operates the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. The Alexander Muss school is available to American Jews who want to study in Israel. - The JNF-USA works closely with [[Birthright Israel]], the all expenses paid trip to Israel available to all Jewish people. - The JNF-USA Boruchin Center funds various student programs and scholarships. Among these initiatives is the JNF-UAA's own version of [[Birthright Israel]] called "Dream Israel." - Dream Israel gives high school aged American Jews the ability to go to school at a handful of Israeli schools. - The JNF-USA gives grants to US campus groups including [[Students Supporting Israel]] and [[Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC)]]. - The JNF-USA is behind the $350 million "World Zionist Village" project in Be'er Sheva - southern Israel. The Village plans to be a massive campus for general Jewish Zionist purposes. - The JNF-USA leaders and the leaders of the JNF in Israel sit on a shared board of directors. - The JNF-USA works closely with Israel to coordinate diaspora strategy. - The JNF-USA brings in $70-$100 million annually in recent years. - The JNF-USA operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. The 501(c)(3) status of the JNF has been challenged legally based on discrimination policy in regards to the JNF working for the Jewish ethnic group. The tax exempt status was upheld. - In Canada however the tax-exempt charity status was revoke from the JNF. In August 2024 the Canada Revenue Agency revoked the JNF's charity status on the grounds that the JNF was funding military IDF development and activities. - In Israel the JNF has been led by mostly Zionist activists, and Jews with ties to political Zionist history. In the US, the JNF is usually led by wealthy Jewish businessmen and philanthropists. *This is a common arrangement between Israeli Jews and their US counterparts.* ![[THE MATRIX/images 3/image-7.png|317x159]] *JNF USA logo takes the form of the original "blue box."* #### Donors and Notable People - [[Bernard Rosenblatt]] - prominent early American Zionist leader, led the JNF's US operation in the 1920s. - [[Steve Ballmer]] - former Microsoft CEO has donated over one million to the JNF. - John Boruchin left the JNF $60 million upon his death in 2013. - The money was used to establish the Boruchin Center at the JNF-USA. The center focuses on Jewish education programs and Israeli education. - Charity funds like Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable give millions to the JNF. - Funds like the [[Jewish Communal Fund]] facilitate donations from affluent Jews while concealing their identity. - [[Ronald Lauder]] was president of the JNF for 10 years beginning in 1997. He became chairman of the board after his time as president. - The Tree of Life Award, JNF's highest award which it only gives to one person each year has been given to: - [[Donald Trump]] - Ben Carson - Chris Christie - [[Colin Powell]] - [[Mortimer Zuckerman]] - [[Stephen Ross]] #### References - Turani-Chowdhury, Shaniyat **"How the Jewish National Fund Abets U.S.-Sanctioned Settlers."** _Mondoweiss_, January 1, 2025. https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/how-the-jewish-national-fund-abets-u-s-sanctioned-settlers/ - **"Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award."** _Wikipedia_. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_National_Fund_Tree_of_Life_Award - Pappé, Ilan. _The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine_. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2006. - Jewish Virtual Library. “Jewish National Fund (JNF).” American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Accessed August 2025. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-national-fund-jnf. - Jewish National Fund. _JNF History Timeline_. Accessed August 2025. https://www.jnf.org/about-jnf/history. - Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. _The Jewish National Fund (JNF) and Discrimination against Arab Citizens in Land Allocation_. Position Paper, 2006. https://www.adalah.org/uploads/oldfiles/eng/publications/position/JNF%20Discrimination%20Position%20Paper%20-%20Final.pdf - Stop the JNF Campaign. _Fact Sheet: The JNF and the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine_. Updated 2023. https://stopthejnf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/JNF-Fact-Sheet-Stop-the-JNF.pdf - Segev, Tom. _One Palestine, Complete: Jews and Arabs under the British Mandate_. New York: Henry Holt, 2000. - Weitz, Yosef. _My Diary and Letters_. Jerusalem: Jewish National Fund Archives. - Gorenberg, Gershom. _The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967–1977_. New York: Times Books, 2006. - Jewish National Fund-USA. _Annual Reports and Financial Filings_, 2016–2024. https://www.jnf.org/about-jnf/financial-information - Charity Navigator. “Jewish National Fund-USA.” Accessed August 2025. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/131659627 - Middle East Monitor. “JNF Admits to Funding Projects in Israeli Army Bases.” January 2019. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190103-jnf-admits-to-funding-projects-in-israeli-army-bases/ - Jewish National Fund-USA. _One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade_. Strategic Plan, 2014–2024. https://www.jnf.org/assets/pdf/JNF-Roadmap.pdf - **“Al‑Araqeeb,”** _Wikipedia_, accessed **August 3 2025**, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Araqeeb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Araqeeb).