"Box on the Boulevard" is an outdoor exhibition organized by KKL-JNF, currently taking place on Rothschild Blvd. in Tel Aviv. Titled "Bringing back the green to our eyes", the show refers to the recent Israel-Lebanon war and the need for raising money in order to renovate forests damaged by the war in the northern part of Israel.

On display are monumental reproductions of donation (change) boxes used for decades by KKL-JNF in Israel and in the Jewish Diaspora for collecting money to "redeem the Land" in Israel.

True, forest renewal is a decent objective. However, in order that KKL's box will not become a Pandora's box, it seems pertinent that KKL's action should refer also to damage that took place in a different war, the one of 1948, which left hundreds of Palestinian villages erased. The lands of about 70 of them are located today within KKL territory. Throughout the years, KKL has founded and built beautiful green parks on these distraught villages, failing to mention any detail of the Palestinian history that is part of our mutual place, Jews and Palestinians alike.

Today, we believe that enough time has gone by for our government institutions to take the courageous and necessary steps in recognizing our mutual past and our contribution to it. There cannot be reconciliation without recognition. With recognition, perhaps not only green but also hope will revert to our eyes.

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And now for the names...

A list of the destroyed Palestinian villages on which JNF sites were erected:

Abu Zurayq
Hazorea' forest / Menashe heights park

Abu Shusha
Menashe heights park

Idnibba
Haruvit forest

Indur
JNF forest

al-Butaymat
Menashe heights park

Bayt Susin
Eshtaol forest / Rabin park

Bayt Thul
The five (hahamisha) forest

al-Ghabisiyya
Yehia'm forest

Jaba'
Hakarmel coast forest

al-Jura
A'minadav forest

Jimzu
Ben shemen forest

Dayr Aban
USA independence forest

Dayr Abu Salama
Ben shemen forest

Dayr al-Dubban
Britain park

Dayr Ayyub
Ayalon Canada park

Dayr al-Hawa
USA independence forest

Dayr Nakhkhas
JNF forest

al-Damun
JNF forest

Hunin
Naftali mountains forest

al-Walaja
A'minadav forest

Zir'in
Tel (heap) Yzrae'l

al-Haditha
Tel (heap) Hadid, Ben shemen forest

Khubbayza
Menashe heights park

al-Duhayriyya, Khirbat
Ben shemen forest

al-Manara, Khirbat
Hakarmel coast forest

al-'Umur, Khirbat
Hakdoshim (the saints) forest

al-Tannur, Khirbat
USA independence forest

Zakariyya, Khirbat
Ben shemen forest

Kasla
Hakdoshim (the saints) forest

al-Kafrayn
Ramat Menashe

Lubya
Lavi forest

al-Mujaydil
Balfur forest

al-Mazar
Hagilboa forest

Mi'ar
Segev forest

Mughr al-Khayt
Biriya forests

Ma'lul
Kefar Hahoresh forest

Nuris
Hagilboa forest

al-Sawamir
Hakarmel coast forest

Saris
Hakdoshim (the saints) forest

Sar'a
Tzora' forest

A'jjur
Britain park

A'yn Ghazal
Hakarmel coast forest

A'llar
USA independence forest

A'mmuqa
Biriya forests

I'slin
Eshtaol forest

A'qqur
Sataf forest / Hakdoshim (the saints) forest

A'rab al-Zubayd
Nabi Yosha forest

al-Faluja
Plugot forest

Fara
Bara'm forests

al-Qabu
Begin park

Qabba'a
Biriya forests

Kudna
Britain park

Kuwaykat
Bait Hae'mek forest

Karatiyya
Plugot forest

Qira
Menashe heights park

Ras Abu 'Ammar
Begin park

al-Ruways
JNF forest

al-Rihaniyya
Menashe heights park

Tall al-Shawk
Harod stream