A different Point of View

For the last four days, there has been a forest fire buring in northern Israel. As of late Saturday, about 12,500 acres had be consumed. This is an area of about 20 square miles. In reading about the fire in the Jerusalem Post, one sees immediately the difference of perspective of the Israelis from Americans. Here in the US we are used to massive fires that sweep across swaths of the West each year. Areas much larger than that affected in Israel are usually hit by the American fires. New coverage tends to focus on casualties but also on the numbers of homes or businesses destroyed. In Israel, there was a massive number of casualties suffered when a bus got caught in the inferno with 41 killed as a result. Beyond the tragedy of those killed, however, the Israeli paper covered the story with headlines about 5 million trees being destroyed. From an American perspective, it is hard to imagine listing the number of trees harmed in a blaze. To Israelis, however, each tree appears to be so much more important. I assume it is in part a memory of the barren nature of the landscape in Israel 75 years ago. Even before the establishment of Israel, an organization called the Jewish National Fund was dedicated in part to planting trees to reforest the countryside. After such a major effort to bring back the forest, it seems as if each tree is an old friend.