This land was made for you and me

[varelse]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1102579.html

On Wednesday, the government suffered a temporary setback in the battle it is waging in the Knesset to allow the privatization of national lands. Many consider it to be a clash over the very soul - and heartlands - of this country. The prime minister, determined not to be caught by surprise at next week's decisive vote, is mercilessly twisting his coalition members' arms as he continues his obsessive march toward privatization. Sadly, the gallant struggle to preserve public land ownership in Israel may be lost.

Because of the complexity of Israel's land laws and policies, the public cannot be blamed if it has failed to grasp the enormous ramifications of the so-called "land reform" bill. So it is important to establish what the debate is about.

"The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land belongs to Me, for you are strangers and residents." From its inception, the Zionist movement adopted this traditional Jewish land ethic, from Leviticus 25. The social message was powerful: A Jewish state would not suffer the kind of injustices, inequality and exploitation historically associated with unrestrained landownership and real estate barons. Environmentally, public ownership has been the key to balancing development and preservation interests.

[tabatha]

1. I hope privatization fails.

[varelse]

2. Ultimately it will

for we are all nothing more than "strangers and residents". In the interim, it'd be nice if we could all be persuaded to treat each other with more empathy, compassion, and respect.