The New KKL exhibition is an educational, artistic and political offer and has nothing to do with KKL. Despite this, KKL is threatening with a lawsuit if this project is not canceled.
The response of the New KKL to KKL's claims
1. These are NOT two separate projects, as the letter claims, but one, mentioned in 'Zochrot', running from 13/03/2014 until 10/05/2014. This project has various appearances – over the Internet, the KKL forests and now at the 'Zochrot' exhibition.
2. KKL warns us that “we might fail in acts of libel and slander against the KKL. Assuming that they are being sincere, their claim has no grounds. We have no desire nor intention to slander or publish libel in regards to KKL. On the contrary – we wish them to regard the New KKL as a gift, an oppurtunity to do good, as in: Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalms 34, 14).
3. Rafi Shtendel, a fictional character invented by the New KKL founders, operates within KKL and discovers the truth about the KKL forests, as we can see in the video installation about the birth of the New KKL. The discovery of the truth, which has changed his life, is based on the reading of articles, literature and even quotations from actual KKL people. One of which is Michal Katorza, in charge of the sign posting at KKL. How is that slander?
4. KKL is complaining about seemingly harming its good name and reputation, yet it took and still takes an active role in the demolition of Palestinian homes and concealing the act of demolition itself. The signs that the New KKL created and plans to place at the KKL forests testify of acknowledging the sins of the past, which is a sign of strength. KKL should be pleased to know that many people, which have been exposed to the New KKL assumed that a change towards acknowledging the Nakba could take place, even within the KKL itself.
5. KKL claims that the New KKL advertises false and untrue information. We'd be happy if they could show us where we were wrong in the list of 46 KKL forests founded upon ther ruins of Palestinian villages destroyed in 1948. In fact, in a meeting that took place between Zochrot's representative and the KKL representatives, KKL was given this information and they had promised to use it in order to change and correct the missing information which they present to the public. In the exhibition, KKL may find and use signs that we've created, ready to be placed at the KKL forests. They contain information in regards to the destroyed Palestinian villages that once existed in the area of those very forests.
6. KKL is threatening to sue Zochrot for damages in regards to the New KKL. Their financial threat reveals their fear of having the truth exposed by the New KKL. Alternatively, we hereby invite the KKL people to come to our exhibition and receive a Nakba (1948 events) recognition certificate, which they may hang in their offices, alongside their tree planting certificate. By doing so they'd exhibit a sincere attempt to acknowledge the wrong-doings of the past, a desire to change our present and future in Israel and by doing so, would provide a shining example for present and future generations in Israel and worldwide.
7. We have no intention of making any profits by using symbols identified with KKL, yet wish to have the public contemplate what KKL is doing in our name. When exposed to the concealment of history via the KKL forests, we may better comprehend the angry response of the KKL tree through the response to Rafi Shtandel, which appears in the exhibition in the video art created by Natalie Cohen Vaxberg.
8. We've created memory cards called “Under the forests”. It will train us, the people living in Israel, children and adults alike, to match and couple the forests with the ruined Palestinian villages in their territory.
9. We hope the KKL representatives will come and visit our exhibition and may even decide to use the program in order to spread new knowledge. The map of the Canada-Ayalon park, one of the KKL's most popular forests, covers the entire floor of the gallery and contains information concerning the demolished villages of Imwas and Yalu, destroyed in 1967, within the park's confines. We've conducted a survey among the park's visitors, which is presented at the exhibition, showing that most visitors think they are within the area of the green line (Israel), which shows what we identify as distortion of information, even if not intentional, by the KKL signs placed on location.
10. Devora Neumark, a Jewish Canadian artist which has donated plenty of coins to the blue KKL charity box as a child, is in pain over the destruction of Imwas, digging through its’ remnants, as we can see in the exciting video art presented at the exhibition. Another video shows an activity of completing the missing information over the map of Israel, painted on an electricity box outside the KKL building in Tel-Aviv. The social television has also contributed to exposing the ignorance of many Israelis in a video item, which also shows a glitter of hope for a change.
11. By walking on a big and so different map that shows a place we know very well, signing a certificate of acknowledging the Nakba, training our memory by using knowledge of a different type and more, visitors to the exhibition are offered a peek, a glimpse through the severe blindness we are all suffering from. We were happy to hear in a letter from KKL, that KKL is following New KKL on facebook. We’d be happy to have them get updated through the ‘Zochrot’ website, instead of handling a lawsuit at the expense of public finances, which should be allocated to better causes.
Eitan Bronstein Aparicio, Moran Barir.
The founders of the New KKL.
March 2014.
פתיחת התערוכה קק"ל החדשה / Opening New KKL exhibit
פתיחת התערוכה קק"ל החדשה / Opening New KKL exhibit
תעודת הכרה בנכבה / Certificate of acknowledgement of the Nakba
פתיחת התערוכה קק"ל החדשה / Opening New KKL exhibit
מחסן השלטים של קק"ל החדשה / New KKL signs storage
פתיחת התערוכה קק"ל החדשה / Opening New KKL exhibit
מפת פארק איילון קנדה / Ayalon Canada Park map
משחק קלפי זיכרון / Memory cards game
סקר בין מבקרי פארק איילון - קנדה / A survey among Ayalon - Canada visitors
הוידיאו "לידתה של קק"ל החדשה" / The video on the birth of New KKL
עדויות / Testimonies