Many of us understand the benefits of planting trees, generally speaking. They improve the environment, produce harvests, and beautify the earth. Each of these gifts of forestation has a multitude of advantages. However, some post the question, why plant across the globe when you could plant locally?
Let’s look at three reasons as to how planting trees in Israel impacts us more than we might think…
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Homeland Security
Did you know that Israel and the United States have worked together for years to develop highly advanced military technologies?
Missile defense systems such as the David’s Sling Weapon System (DSWS) make up some of their collaborative projects. Israel is one of the world’s largest military suppliers, supplying surveillance systems, laser systems, protection systems, vehicles, and missiles to the United States.
Therefore, it isn’t a surprise that Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. When Middle Eastern politics, nuclear technology, and terrorism intelligence are shared, it brings more security to the American homeland. [i]
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Compassion
Did you know the United States closed its doors to Jewish refugees during the Immigration Restriction Act of 1924?
Sadly, out of fear, the United States turned away thousands of Jewish refugees. This fearful thinking seeped into future immigration policies. These included fears such as national security threats and even job loss.
Some have heard of the infamous rejection of the passenger ship, St. Louis.
“Most notoriously, in June 1939, the German ocean liner St. Louis and its 937 passengers, almost all Jewish, were turned away from the port of Miami, forcing the ship to return to Europe; more than a quarter died in the Holocaust.”[ii]
Such grievances are inconceivable to the compassionate, and this is only a glimpse at the struggles of the Holocaust survivors and victims. The story continued for the survivors as they hid underground, living with uncertainty day after day.
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Environmental Prophecy
Did you know that a part of biblical prophecy was fulfilled in 1948 when Israel became a state?
The prophet Isaiah foretold centuries ago that the Jewish nation would be birthed in one day.
“…Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8 NIV). This prophecy was fulfilled on May 14, 1948, when Israel declared statehood.
Isaiah and Amos also described the restoration of the desert land. Their words spoke of Israel’s destiny and revealed God’s heart for both His land and His people…
“In that day ‘I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,’ declares the LORD, who will do these things.”—Amos 9:11-12 (NIV)
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”—Isaiah 35:1 (NKJV)
My Olive Tree is committed to restoring the land and people of Israel through the physical act of planting olive trees that will make the desert “rejoice and blossom.” Contact us to find out more about our restorative projects.
[i] https://www.aipac.org/-/media/publications/policy-and-politics/aipac-analyses/issue-memos/2016/usisraelmissiledefensecooperation.pdf
[ii] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/us-government-turned-away-thousands-jewish-refugees-fearing-they-were-nazi-spies-180957324/