Not long ago, Uri Ariel, the Minister of Housing, was considered the sworn enemy of the Israel National Fund. After taking office, theAnd he ousted the heads of the JNF. From the Israel Lands Council. His associates talked about the fact that if the JNF does not transfer a billion shekels from its fat coffers to 'remove barriers', then the state may act to cancel the generous tax benefits that the JNF enjoys (a big story in itself). The director general of his office, Shlomo Ben Eliyahu, is generally considered a dirty word in the JNF corridors, to the point that the foundation did not transfer to him his fees for participating in some inspection team that they appointed before he became director general of the Ministry of Housing.
And suddenly, Uri Ariel is the JNF's biggest defender. At least from the State Comptroller.
How did this happen?
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Can Ariel claim – yes, I had complaints against the JNF (Ariel's spokesman told me after the publication of the investigation into the foundation in "Makor" that the minister asked to reserve hours in his schedule to see the investigation), but that doesn't mean that we should, God forbid, bring in the State Comptroller's Office's clerks. What, God forbid, might they discover?
I don't want to claim that Ariel claims what he claims, that the JNF is a secret arm, that invests a lot of money in the territories, heaven forbid, no, there's no connection, but the JNF puts a lot of money in the territories. No need for approval from the Finance Committee, Yariv Oppenheimer doesn't give a damn and the media doesn't write about it. One phone call to Stenzler (the chairman of the JNF) is enough and it will be fine.
I am attaching an internal document here (Kakel and projects in 2012), which summarizes its investments in the territories up to 2012 (note, this is a scan, not who knows what. The rubric that details how much KKL-JNF invests in each project is only at the end of the document). Recently, KKL-JNF's investment rate has even increased. Ostensibly, by the way, the fund's policy is not to invest in the territories, but this is only 'ostensibly' because the great thing about the fund is that it has no policy and no managers. It decides whatever it wants, whenever it wants, and if you come with questions, it tells you - look at the company's regulations from seven hundred and fifty years ago. It says there that we are allowed to do this (yes, but even there it says that KKL-JNF's main goal is to redeem lands, not redeem media consultants and lawyers).
Here is a breakdown of projects approved in the territories, most of them since this government came into power (the small number are changes to previous decisions so that they can be implemented):
1. Conference amphitheater in Shiloh – more than two million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget.
2. Expanding infrastructure in a new neighborhood in Ariel for Gush Katif evacuees – 4.5 million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
3. Central Park in Avni Hefetz – almost 2.5 million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget (previously, KKL-JNF did not approve participation in this park).
4. Promenade in Gush Etzion, Mount Gilo – a quarter of a million shekels from the JNF budget on the condition that the promenade be called the "JNF Promenade" (wow!)
5. Promenade in Kfar Adumim – almost 1.5 million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
6. Bicycle paths in the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council – 1.7 million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
7. Efrat, Eitam Agricultural Farm – 2.5 million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget.
8. Park and observatory in Mitzpe Jericho – 600 thousand shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
9. Historical heritage site in Rosh Tzurim – 400 thousand shekels from the KKL-JNF budget.
10. The Boys' Park in Hebron – 700,000 shekels from the KKL-JNF budget (already approved in the past, but the decision was changed to allow for implementation)
11. Development at the Yeshiva in Alon Moreh – 300 thousand shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
12. Open public space in Shavei Samaria – 350 thousand shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
13. Development of public space in Har Bracha – almost a million shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
14. The Square Garden in Beit El – 120,000 shekels from the KKL-JNF budget
The resounding laugh of fate: Efi Stenzler, the leftist from the Labor Party, and Eli Affalu, the disengagement supporter from Kadima, are now clinging to the settlers' grandeur to keep their empire immune from criticism and transparency.
• Raviv Drucker's website: http://drucker10.net
