Minister Peled planting a tree in the Golan
Minister Peled plants tree in Golan as symbol of permanence
Likud member plants carob tree near Kibbutz Natur, says, 'You plant trees where you live and plan on living in the future'
After causing a storm with his estimates that a clash with Hezbollah is waiting in the offing, Minister Yossi Peled (Likud) arrived in the Golan Heights Tuesday to plant a carob tree in honor of Tu B'Shvat.
"I am planting a tree in the Golan Heights of all places. This is not the first tree, and I am sure won't be the last. Tree-planting symbolizes permanence," he said.
Peled, who planted a carob tree near Kibbutz Natur, also said: "You plant trees where you live and plan to continue living in the future. The children here with us will also bring their children to this spot in a good few years to see how this tree has grown and developed."
"Not the first and not the last tree planted," Peled.
"It is important for me to say that we want peace with Syria and that an agreement can be reached at the end of long talks that will be held. To say that giving up the Golan Heights prior to negotiations will bring peace does not show seriousness," Peled continued.
Minister Peled, a Holocaust survivor who was hidden by a Christian family in Belgium, addressed the spreading anti-Semitism in the world on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"In the past year, there has been a huge wave of hatred towards Jews in the world. I hope that this phenomenon is halted in time, before it gains unwanted proportions. We, as the state of the Jews, have an obligation along with the rest of the enlightened countries to stop hatred that in the future is likely to affect not only the Jews in the world, but all other nations," he said.
Peled praised the previous administration: "The Olmert administration was the first and only government to make a serious effort to justly address the distress of Holocaust survivors, some of whom living in harsh and disgraceful conditions. I have a strong desire to help the survivors, whose part in the population is getting smaller with the years."
