Israel Gains Acceptance to Economic Forum

Contact: Jodi Bodner • JNF Director of Communications • 212-879-9305 ext. 221 • jbodner@jnf.org

May 11, 2010 – New York, NY -- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) today approved Israel’s membership in its prestigious organization which creates ties between developed and developing nations. The center provides a platform through which member states can share their experience in economic and social development.

Israel has a long history of assisting developing nations in Africa and the Far East, much of it accomplished through Jewish National Fund (JNF).

As an NGO, JNF places great emphasis on its ability to innovate and lead the way in its fields of endeavor through international joint research and cooperation. This long-standing policy has served JNF well over the years, enabling it to be at the forefront of the knowledge and technology required for managing open spaces and forests, halting desertification processes, reclaiming streams and rivers and conserving both soil and water.

JNF’s international connections and the growing recognition of its professional achievements contribute to Israel’s standing and image. Examples include:

• JNF experts were active in East Timor and Indonesia, setting up tree nurseries to reclaim forests that were damaged by the civil war raging in that region.
• As a member of The International Arid Land Consortium (IALC), JNF works with the U.S., Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority on research and experiments in managing arid areas and supporting projects aimed at preventing desertification in developing countries.
• JNF has found a tiny but powerful predator capable of controlling a breed of wasp that has ravaged eucalyptus groves in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Far East. Israel has already provided the bug, free of charge, to Greece, Turkey and Portugal.
• JNF professionals will be going to Rwanda to provide hands-on instruction and training in agro forestry; and to Kenya, where Israeli scientists will help analyze local circumstances which are preventing certain trees from taking root.

“We are especially pleased that the OECD overcame the strong objections from certain entities,” said Joe Hess, JNF Vice President of Government Relations. “Israel does so much to make the world a better place. Now the full breadth of Israel’s technology will be shared with those interested in improving the lives of their constituents.”

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Jewish National Fund (JNF) began in 1901 collecting coins in blue boxes to purchase land and return the Jewish people to their homeland. In over 109 years, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader and become the central address for partnering with the land and people of Israel. JNF has planted 250 million trees; built over 1,000 parks and recreational areas; constructed security roads; educated students around the world about Israel; created new communities so that Jews from around the world would have a place to call home; discovered new means of growing plants under arid conditions, bringing green to the desert; and built over 200 reservoirs and water recycling centers, increasing Israel’s water supply by 10%. Today, JNF is supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers by bringing life to the Negev Desert, Israel’s last frontier. 

A United Nations NGO, JNF sponsors international conferences on desertification, shares afforestation techniques, and funds research on arid land management. JNF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and continuously earns top ratings from charity overseers. For more information on JNF, call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.