An attack by local Arab villagers on a Jewish National Fund road-building crew in western Galilee last week was denounced by Rabbi William Berkowitz. president of the JNF of America as an “unlawful, violent and brutal negation of Israeli rights.”He said that despite the attack the JNF is continuing work on the road The incident occurred near the Arab village of Mailia where the JNF was building an access road to a new lookout post settlement called Mitzpeh.
Berkowitz noted that by prior agreement the village elders had promised there would be no harassment of the workers. Berkowitz claimed that the attack was apparently instigated by outside political agitators. He said it demonstrated that “for the terrorist PLO and for many Palestinians, any JNF reclamation work — indeed the very idea of a Jewish State — is a provocation in itself and the location is irrelevant.” He added, “If anything, this incident strengthens our resolve to raise the funds needed for immediate acceleration of JNF projects in Israel.
Berkowitz said the new settlement is one of 30 such lookout posts for protection against possible terrorist attack now being built throughout Galilee on Israeli owned land.
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