The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1948-11-26
HNuM CERTAINTY GOULD USE A NEW Plank
For Centuries Nobody Wanted The Nesev;
Why Do They Covet 1t Today?

Israeli In the guided conference rooms of the Palas de
Chalo where fftyeight members of the United Nations
settle world problems they discuss the Negev OH
and they discuss BERLIN and the NEGEV Berlin was
once European capital. But what is the NEGEV?
Of course there be many Geographically,
is the triangular southern part of Palestine with its apex
reaching Aqaa the Red Sea- its base resting roughly on
line running little north OF Beersheba On the lett
of the whole of Palestine occupied only by four to
per of the population Why should this be so? The
answer is: there is no water; it is a desert
AS your car bumps along the rough track you cannot
much because of the Sitting cloud Of dust which raised
front you that there is much to Widest des
olaon surrounds AS far as the eye can see there IS
brownish yellow rocks and sand Sharp hills cut the sky
barren and feles the Wadis twisted empty OF water
It has not always like this in the Negev Since the
time of Abraham cities fourshed here There IS EVIL
dence that civilization regned here supported by agriculture
we'll trade The agriculture based on comprehen-
irrigation system which necessary to supplement- the
scanty rainfall : inadequate then With the final
collapse of the Byzantine Empire and increasing nvasons
wild Bedun warriors the civilized inhabitants OF the reg
driven the desert began its memorable conquest
For centuries nobody wanted Negev. Not Egypt not
Turkey nor Britain Sand cheap this part of the world
Why do they all want it now? What happened to make the
busy diplomats in the Paas de Chalo wrange about the
arid stretch of the desert they have not set eyes on
twas the Jewish National Fund that started ALL With
the coastal plain the Emek Jezree the Vale of Besan
Southern udea grownly settled foothod having been
established Galee and in the Jordan Valley, the keren
Kayemeth had plan ahead More land had to be found
and prepared settling hundreds Of thousands of Jews from
the European DIP camps And then there another i'm
portant consideration The vital centers of Jewish intensive
settlement and industry south of Tel Aviv
dangerously exposed.
1t was the vital need for land for settlement and
for the defense the Homeland which sent the Karen Kaye
meth the Peoples Land Fund.- the fantastic adventure
southwards In 943 with the world at its height and
things looking black for the Allies when Rommel stood at
gates of the Suez Canal three experimental settlements
were launched in the Negev.
It was work done these settlements of Beth Eshe
evuloh and Revvm which established that crops be
raised in the Negev using not water than necessary
plain The experiments made in these settle
proved that there possible solutions to the water
Operaton Negev" daring move which took place at the
height the British Mandaorys antZonist drive and
sisted of the founding overnight of eleven settlements
destined to play major part holding back the Egyptian
invasion of Israel.
Everywhere visited they related how the agricultural
work of the settlement carried till the last possible
moment often under the most difficult conditions "Our
tomatoes promised well this year, bearded youngster
born Aviv told he showed what vege
garden Bu wait and experiment next year