‘They burn, we plant’ campaign launched

Residents of Israeli communities surrounding the Gaza border will begin a massive tree-planting campaign this week in response to the destruction that has been caused by incendiary kites from Gaza.

The project is the initiative of Ofir Levstein from Kfar Aza, and Friday marks the beginning of the week-long campaign.

“The Sha’ar Hanegev [regional council] community, from all the neighborhoods, are invited to the tree-planting event this weekend,” Levinstein wrote in a post on Facebook.

“Families, farmers, the old and the young – everyone is invited... We’re taking responsibility and creating the reality. They burn and we plant,” he wrote.

He mentioned Nir Am, Erez, Nahal Oz, Kfar Aza and Miflasim as communities in need of restorative efforts.

Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKLJNF) is joining the residents in the campaign and will supply thousands of tree seedlings to be distributed and planted by residents.

The arson kite attacks have dealt a blow to the residents in the area, their livelihood and local agriculture as well as to large areas of KKL-JNF forests and national parks.

Since the start of the fire kite phenomenon, some 265 fires have been recorded, in which approximately 697 acres of KKL-JNF forests have burned.

There were at least nine fires ignited within 40 minutes in the Be’eri forest on Thursday.

KKL-JNF has been involved in response efforts since these attacks began over two months ago, with KKL-JNF field rangers and firefighters in the South playing an active role to try to minimize the damage caused by the arson kites in the area surrounding Gaza.