Making the Desert Bloom: The Impact of Zionist Occupation on the Ecosystems of Palestine

In today’s show Betty and Trev take us through the diverse ecosystems of Palestine, the meeting point of three continents. We discuss the agricultural history and the impact of Zionist occupation and land use changes on the landscapes and animals of Palestine.  Music played:Rasha Nahas 'Desert' - https://rashanahas.bandcamp.com/album/desertDaniel Kahn 'Oy, Ir Narishe Tsienistn' - https://aurismedia.bandcamp.com/album/the-unternationale-the-first-unternationalDAM 'Min Imhabi' - https://open.spotify.com/album/6gBrqhOboMpHdfc2dIAFCw  DAM - Min Imhabi English Lyrics Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcHRW14K2SM  Support Mutual Aid in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mutual-aid-in-gaza?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet_ai&utm_content=amp1v3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=whatsapp  Disrupt Land Forces 2024: https://disruptlandforces.org/  References and further reading:  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/06/palestine-gaza-west-bank-nature-birds-birdwatching-aoe  https://e360.yale.edu/features/in-israel-questions-are-raised-about-a-forest-that-rises-from-the-desert  https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/jerusalem-forest-fire-kindle-Palestinian-dreams-return  https://marcus.uib.no/exhibition/mer-enn-det-humanitare-blikket/no/eucalyptus-in-gaza-a-tragedy-in-hula-valley  https://q.sustainability.illinois.edu/the-dead-sea-palestine-connection/#:~:text=Dead%20Sea%20water%20levels%20have,and%20will%20continue%20to%20be.  https://www.leftvoice.org/a-brief-history-of-anti-zionist-jews/  Finkelstein, Aria Ritz, “Nature of the Nagev: Assessing a National Experiment in Drylands Afforestation.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014).  Isaac, Jad, and Stephen Gasteyer. "The issue of biodiversity in Palestine." Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem, Palestine 1 (1995): 1-15.  Rotem, Guy, Amos Bouskila, and Alon Rothschild. "Ecological effects of afforestation in the northern Negev." Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Tel Aviv, Israel (2014).  Schiller, Gabriel. "The case of Yatir forest." Forest Management and the Water Cycle: An Ecosystem-Based Approach (2011): 163-186.  Temper, Leah. "Creating facts on the ground: Agriculture in Israel and Palestine (1882-2000)." Historia agraria: Revista de agricultura e historia rural 48 (2009): 75-110.  Ghattas, Roubina, Nader Hrimat, and Jad Isaac. Forests in Palestine. Applied research Institute, 2002.