Border Police officers were recently captured on video as they uprooted trees planted by Jewish activists in Sha'ar HaMizrach, Jerusalem.
After pulling the trees out of the ground, the officers threw them downhill in an attempt to hide the evidence. Police later told a Jerusalem court that Jewish activists had attempted to build illegal structures on the land.
The land on which the trees were planted is Jewish land located near the French Hill neighborhood. Activist Aryeh King, who has power of attorney over the land, explained its strategic importance. The land connects Jerusalem to Maaleh Adumim, he said, and also connects Ramallah and Bethlehem. Parts of the land have been taken over by Arab squatters, he said, and Jewish activists have been working to reestablish a Jewish presence in the area.
Many local Arabs hope Jews will retake control of the area, King said. Arabs living adjacent to the property hope that if Jews live there, it will be included within the municipal borders of Jerusalem under any future deal with the Palestinian Authority, allowing nearby Arabs to gain Israeli citizenship.
Activists will return to the area and plant more trees, King said.