Hamas War

Friday, April 30, 2010

"Densely Arab Populated," The Big Lie

Here's another of my contributions to rebranding, trying to change that gut-level, misunderstanding most people all over the world, including Israel, have about Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.


I'll never forget reading that phrase "Densely Arab Populated" in The Jerusalem Post a number of years ago.  The writer was describing Judea and Samaria.  Ever since then, I always request that tourists and visitors take a good look.  I've even dramatically opened my dining room window, even on a freezing winter's day, to stick my hand out and say:


"Look at these empty hills.  This isn't a painted mural or photograph.  There's plenty of land here and no need for the Arabs to insist that it's all theirs."

I'm always amazed to hear people imply that my home and community of Shiloh must be surrounded by Arabs.  That's the impression they get from the media and politicians.  Here are a couple of pictures I took recently walking between Shiloh and Shvut Rachel, the Jewish community just east of my house.




Walking Between Shiloh and Shvut Rachel


Walking Between Shiloh and Shvut Rachel

It's an easy walk, just takes a few minutes.  There's an unpaved road.  And no, we weren't armed.  This may not be what the media claims and the politicians and diplomats believe.  Remember that most high political officials get their news information via a predigested news digest, summary, composed and edited by staff members with agendas.  Yes, to put it simply, they (politicians and diplomats) don't know bupkes.

These are untouched, uncropped pictures I took.  Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley and the Golan Heights and most of the Gaza Strip are just as empty.  If you believe the press, you've been had.  So please pass this around, thanks.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful there!!! Wow!! Please post more pictures!!!

toby said...

Same thing here in Gush Etzion - I can vouch for it :)

Nice photos, by the way!

Batya said...

Thanks
Arent we blogging to get the truth out? Certainly it's not making us rich.

Anonymous said...

yep.
its like the canard that gaza is the most densely populated areas on earth. puh-lease. just for one counter example, have these people never been to manhattan?

back from an extended stay in the us, and you have no idea how thrilled i am to be back!

Batya said...

a, thanks for the example. I think that Tel Aviv has been proven more densely populated than Gaza, and Hong Kong may be even more densely populated than Manhattan. Gaza isn't close to the top ten for sure, but the media and politicians love the lie.

Yoni, Petah Tikva said...

Also look how new are most of the Arab-planted olive trees you see by the side of the roads. By the thinness of their trunks, most of them seem to be 5-15 years old. Of late, the Arabs have deliberately planted olive trees to take over the previously empty land, and claim it as theirs "from time immemorial". And the European Union and all sorts of other evil organisations are funding and encouraging this.

Batya said...

YOni, we're in Shiloh almost 29 years and the roads used to go through nature's wild flowers. All the agriculture now seen is new and political.