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October 5, 2023       Share:    

Source: https://www.jns.org/the-palestinian-olive-tree-litmus-test/

The Palestinian Olive Tree Litmus Test

(JNS) Ron Jager - The Palestinian Arabs have created a narrative based on a falsehood: that they are the indigenous people of "Palestine." One of the many proofs of this is the olive tree. Olive trees play a major role in Palestinian Arab society and culture. They are a constant presence near any Palestinian Arab home. Thus, the "Palestinian olive tree litmus test" can be used to accurately assess how long a Palestinian Arab has been living in their home or on the plot of land they claim has been in their possession for hundreds of years. Olive trees are very long-lived. In the Galilee, there are olive trees that are over 1,000 years old. Yet botanists and biologists have told me that the vast majority, if not all, of the olive trees in Judea and Samaria are less than 80-90 years old. If the Palestinian Arabs have populated Judea and Samaria for centuries, why is this the case? The answer is that, prior to 1948, the vast majority of Arabs in Palestine were foreign workers who migrated to the area seeking employment. They were motivated by the economic opportunities presented by Zionist development of the land. The writer served for 25 years as an IDF mental health field officer, including as commander of the Central Psychiatric Clinic for Reserve Solders.

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