The New York Times · 14 May 1979

CP-1979-032

Arabs on West Bank Reject Gesture by Israeli Liberals

By PAUL HOFMANN

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Transcribed from the clipping

JERUSALEM, May 13 — A few hundred vines and olive saplings, plants of age-old Mediterranean civilization, have become symbols during the last few days of the conflicts between Arabs and Jews in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and of the frustrations that await anyone seeking to ease the strains.

Today Arabs uprooted the vines and saplings, which a group of liberal Jews had set into a gentle hillside near the city of Hebron southwest of here in a demonstration Friday of sympathy and support for the Arab population in the area.

Those who pulled the plants out of the ground explained that Jews, whatever their motives and intentions, must not be permitted to do any work on Arab land because they may later make claims on it. Besides, the Arab farmers who cleared the hillside told bystanders that the Jews who had taken part in the symbolic planting did not know how to handle vines.

“Sour grapes?” an announcer of the Israeli broadcasting network asked in a news program later today. But hardly anyone here seemed to find the episode amusing.

The demonstration on Friday was organized by Peace Now, a Jewish movement that advocates amity between Jews and Arabs, and opposes efforts to strengthen Israeli control of the West Bank by the creation of Jewish settlements and other means.

The group had decided to plant the vines and olive trees to express their disapproval of a raid last month on an Arab-owned vineyard on top of Jaabari Hill near Hebron. In the action the invaders cut 550 vines with a power saw.

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