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31°17′39″N / 34°50′46″E
October 4, 2011. Planting by the JNF as part of its campaign to expand the Givot Goral Forest on the outskirts of the unrecognized village of ‛Awajān. The troughs at the base are orchestrated to optimize water retention during the rains. On the slopes above, portions of the rocky terrain, not suitable for planting, have been left bare. The pathways will eventually be the routes through the forest. ‛Awajān is home to several hundred people, mainly from the al-Asad tribe. The Israeli organization Bimkom (see 54) submitted an objection to a plan for expanding the forest, arguing that it ignores the unrecognized Bedouin settlement and hinders the possibility of its recognition, and that the destruction of the Bedouins’ homes was conducted without offering an alternative settlement solution for them. Furthermore, the rezoning of agricultural land would deny the Bedouins the opportunity to graze sheep and cultivate the land, thus undermining their livelihood. Despite an international petition, the planting continued.