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Yael Zisling Adar is a marketing strategist. Her articles on a variety of subjects have been published in both in Israel and in the U.S. She is also the Founder & Publisher of the award-winning .
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By Yael Zisling Adar
August 10, 2004
I seriously doubt that as my grandparents toiled the fertile fields of the Jezreel Valley, more than 70 years ago, in what is today Israel's Breadbasket, they could have dreamt that the Zionist Dream would one day include legalized gambling, in the form of a horseracing track.
They say desperate times call for desperate measures. That must be what was on the minds of "Bibi" Netanyahu and Dani Atar when they came up with the scheme to create a racetrack, with legalized gambling in one of Israel's most pristine areas, the Jezreel Valley (the region is comprised mostly of Kibbutzim and Moshavim and is flanked by the small cities of Afula and Beit Shean).
Or perhaps the two didn't come up with this blasphemous scheme on their own, (more about that later), in any case, they paved the way for Social Economic Cabinet of ministers' decision to allow racing in the Gilboa region. More specifically, the track is slated to be in the Taanach area, just a few miles down the road from Megiddo and Mt. Gilboa.
Remember Mt. Gilboa from your Bible studies? This is where the Philistines killed King Saul, (Israel's first king) and his three sons. "And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in Mount Gilboa," (Samuel I 38:8). David, who replaced Saul, lamented his fallen king. In Samuel II 1:21 "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil." Over the years - some have taken this curse this literally, as the reason for the seeming baldness of Mt. Gilboa.
It was also at the foot of Mt. Gilboa, in what is today the Harod Spring Nature Reserve, that Gideon gathered his men before fighting the Midianites. Judges 7:1 describes the scene, "Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley." This is the place where Gideon administered the 'water test' as a way of choosing the warriors for the coming battle (Judges 7:4-7).
The Jezreel Valley is an area rich in natural springs. The valley got its name from the biblical city of Yizre'el that served as a wintering place during the time of the monarchy. The city flourished under the reign of King Omri and was ultimately destroyed by Tiglath-Pileser III, in 732 BCE.
From Mt. Gilboa you can see they valley below. This area of the Jezreel valley is known as the Harod Valley and it is full of fishponds that attract a great number and variety of birds including cormorants, pelicans, storks, seagulls, and ducks. From here you can see the hill of Moreh where the Philistines assembled to fight Saul, Mt. Tabor (site of the Transfiguration of Jesus), and the mountains of the Jordan Valley. On a clear day you might even see Mt. Hermon to the north.
But all this is about to change. Gone will be the days of peace, quiet and the splendor of nature. Why? We are being told that it is for economic progress. But, that just seems a little bit fishy, if you ask me.
So who exactly are the key players behind this saga that will alter the face of one of Israel's most beautiful regions, a region that has enormous biblical, agricultural and archaeological significance? Our esteemed Finance Minister, Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu, Dani Atar, the head of the Gilboa Regional Council and perhaps most importantly, an anonymous foreign investor who wants to put up $20 million.
And who will benefit from all this progress? I'll tell you who, first and foremost, the unnamed investor. In other countries, such as the U.S. for instance, the nature of the investors in gambling venues, such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas must be disclosed. We (in Israel) however, seem to be willing to take anyone's money, no questions asked. If a whole region is about to be altered, shouldn't we at least have a right to know who is going be influencing our lives from now on? Other than the primary investor, it still remains to be seen who else will benefit from all of this.
I can understand Atar, I am however surprised at Netanyahu, (who I assume, given his experience, knows a bit more about the ways of the world). He really should know better. All one has to do is peruse the list of ongoing race track related investigations in the U.S., which includes everything from money laundering for narcotics dealers, to race fixing, paying workers less than minimum wage, as well as gambling corruption and bribery crime associated with former Louisiana Governor Edwards. This is what we have to look forward to in Israel's heartland. How depressing. All of this of course is aside from your ordinary run of the mill small time criminals, which are bound to crop up left, right and center. We'll have it all, the little fish and the big fish. Aren't we lucky?
I can tell you who won't benefit. Not the 10% of Israeli citizens who are currently unemployed (you don't really think they are going to flock to work at concession stands, as chambermaids at the hotels that are supposed to crop up in the area, or clean out stalls full of horseshit, do you)? The people of the Jezreel Valley, whose lives will forever be altered, won't benefit either. In fact, the people of the Jezreel Valley have been railroaded. Most of them, didn't even know about this plan until it was too late. I'll give Atar credit where credit is due - he kept his plan pretty much under wraps, lobbied well and by the time the decision was announced on the news last week, people were left dumbfounded.
What is even more troubling is that the Gilboa Council actually has an incredibly solid tourism related marketing idea, that entails branding the Jezreel Valley as Kids Land (Medinat Ha'Yeladim), by having about 20-25 small attractions geared for kids. This would of course draw whole families, who would come for the combination of attractions, nature, history and the B&Bs that can be found in the area. Unfortunately, this plan (which would cost much less than the racetrack) looks like it'll never get off the ground, because the Gilboa Regional Council can't get the much needed 50% commitment from the cash strapped Ministry of Tourism. But then, who wants families anyway, when we can have all sorts of unsavory types milling about, right?
On a personal note, as a resident of this treasured region I am particularly dismayed by the fact that one of the key proponents of the plan, was none other than Agriculture Minister, Yisrael Katz. I can't help but what wonder what my great-uncle, who was Israel's first Minister of Agriculture (and who lived most of his life in the Jezreel Valley), would have to say about this particular version of Zionistic 'progress.' I can only imagine that he's turning in his grave.
We all have plenty of reasons to oppose this dastardly plan. None of us should let history, nature and grandeur be superseded by pure unadulterated, greed, regardless of what it is called, economic development, or otherwise.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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