Jewish National Fund

Jewish National Fund
Native name
קרן קיימת לישראל‎
Acronym: קק״ל‎
Formerly(Jüdische) Nationalfonds
Company typePublic-benefit corporation
IndustryReal estate
Founded1901 (1901)
Headquarters
Jerusalem
Key people
Avraham Duvdevani, chairperson, Russell Robinson, JNF-USA CEO
Revenue₪ 2.583 billion (2015[1])
₪ 511 million (2015[1])
₪ 398 million (2015[1])
Total assets₪ 12.720 billion (2015[1])
Number of employees
950 (2015)
Websitewww.kkl.org.il jnf.org

The Jewish National Fund (JNF; Hebrew: קֶרֶן קַיֶּימֶת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael; previously Nationalfonds) is a non-profit organization[2][3] founded in 1901 to buy land and encourage Jewish settlement (aliyah) in Ottoman Syria (later Mandatory Palestine, subsequently Israel and the Palestinian territories) for Jewish settlement.[4] By 2007, it owned 13% of the total land in Israel.[5] Since its inception, the JNF has planted over 240 million trees in Israel. It has also built 180 dams and reservoirs, developed 250,000 acres (1,000 km2) of land and established more than 1,000 parks.[6] In 2002, the Israeli government awarded the JNF the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the State of Israel.[7][8]

The JNF has faced numerous criticisms for its role in the displacement of Palestinian Bedouins,[9][10] the construction of Israeli military installations,[11] the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal under international law,[11] and its refusal to lease to non-Jews.[12][13]

  1. ^ a b c d "דו″ח כספי לשנת 2015" [Financial report for 2015]. Jewish National Fund (in Hebrew).
  2. ^ Professor Alon Tal, The Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev. "National Report of Israel, Years 2003–2005, to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)" Archived 2011-05-26 at the Wayback Machine; State of Israel, July 2006
  3. ^ Rebecca Spence. "Reform Slams Knesset Plan for JNF Land"; Jewish Daily Forward, 25 July 2007
  4. ^ Joshua Feldman, The Yemenite Jews, London 1913, p. 32
  5. ^ Pfeffer, Anshel; Stern, Yoav (24 September 2007). "High Court delays ruling on JNF land sales to non-Jews". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
  6. ^ "Jewish National Fund – Plant Trees in Israel". jnf.org. Archived from the original on 6 August 2008.
  7. ^ "Israel Prize Official Site – Recipient's C.V." (in Hebrew).
  8. ^ "Israel Prize Official Site – Judges' Rationale for Grant to Recipient" (in Hebrew).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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