A resident of the Sharon community of Kfar Netter was shocked to discover that an orange grove that he had worked on growing for years was destroyed by illegal Arabs from PA towns who invaded his grove and cut down his trees. The destruction, he said, was carried out by an Arab gang who over the course of several days worked to cut down the trees, working from the center of the grove, so they could cut down trees undetected.
The man discovered the destruction when he heard noises from inside the grove, and went to investigate – and discovered to his shock five Arabs who were in the middle of cutting down a tree with an electric saw. The man called the police immediately, and they arrived in short order and arrested the Arabs – along with a neighbor of the man, an Arab from a nearby village who claims he had a contract to cut down the trees. The owner of the grove denies the existence of such a contract. Police say that the trunks were taken away, apparently to be turned into firewood in PA villages. The Arab villager was arrested and his remand was extended for five days.
Police who interviewed the victim said that he was in a state of shock over the destruction of his trees. The trees, spread out over 30 dunams of land, were decades old, and “like members of the family,” a family spokesperson said. “This grove was part of our childhood, we have many happy memories of it. Now they are destroyed. We are in mourning.”
The man discovered the destruction when he heard noises from inside the grove, and went to investigate – and discovered to his shock five Arabs who were in the middle of cutting down a tree with an electric saw. The man called the police immediately, and they arrived in short order and arrested the Arabs – along with a neighbor of the man, an Arab from a nearby village who claims he had a contract to cut down the trees. The owner of the grove denies the existence of such a contract. Police say that the trunks were taken away, apparently to be turned into firewood in PA villages. The Arab villager was arrested and his remand was extended for five days.
Police who interviewed the victim said that he was in a state of shock over the destruction of his trees. The trees, spread out over 30 dunams of land, were decades old, and “like members of the family,” a family spokesperson said. “This grove was part of our childhood, we have many happy memories of it. Now they are destroyed. We are in mourning.”