APN | Jordan & Palestine
11 January 2024
The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) issued a public statement titled “Rejecting Eco-Normalisation & the “GreenLine” Initiative”, asserting that APN has no connection of any kind with this project, any entities or individuals cited within it, or any initiative aimed at normalising relations with the Zionist occupation. The statement confirmed that APN’s name was included several times in the project documents using an incorrect abbreviation, but a link to APN’s website was added, indicating a deliberate attempt to exploit our name without our knowledge. Below is the text of the statement:
Statement by the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature Rejecting Eco-Normalisation & the “GreenLine” Initiative
The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature denounces the inclusion of its name in a proposal for an environmental normalisation initiative titled "GreenLine". This project is supposedly in the early stages of preparation, claims to establish a peace park in the northeast of the West Bank along the Green Line, spanning from Jalamah to Faqqua. The projected area is expected to cover 61 square kilometers, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is cited as a funding source through its initiative known as the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA). Additionally, EcoPeace, an organization known for its eco-normalisation projects, and the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) are mentioned as stakeholders, and the project will adhere to international and national laws and regulations including the KKL-JNF Sustainability Policy, and the Convention on Biodiversity.
We assert that our organization has no connection of any kind with this project, any entities or individuals cited within it, or any initiative aimed at normalising relations with the Zionist occupation. We confirm that our name was included several times in the project documents using an incorrect abbreviation, but a link to our website was added, indicating a deliberate attempt to exploit our name without our knowledge.
The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature rejects environmental normalisation initiatives, particularly in Palestine and Jordan, and across the Arab region. This position has been consistent since our inception during the second intifada in 2000.
This project comes amidst the ongoing genocide committed by the occupation in Gaza and facilitates the encroachment on new lands. This is evident in various nature reserves and colonial forests and is part of an attempt to enhance the image of the Zionist entity through greenwashing, despite being the primary contributor to environmental and agricultural violations. Notably, the occupation has uprooted over 3 million documented trees in Palestine since 2000, including those in the area specified for the project. Despite these challenges, the Palestinian people, ourselves included, persist in replanting lands to safeguard them from confiscation.
We will formally contact the individuals overseeing this project, demanding to promptly remove our name and any references to our organization from all associated documents. We retain the right to pursue legal action if this misinformation persists. We also call on all movements, parties, boycott campaigns, and free peoples in Palestine, Jordan, the Arab region, and the world to expose this project and other environmental normalisation initiatives endorsed by civil society organizations in Palestine and the Arab region.
Long live Palestine, from the river to the sea!
The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature
11 January 2024