Fourteen German Air Force soldiers were invited on Sunday by KKL-JNF to prepare trees for planting on the holiday of Tu B’Shvat—which falls on January 17—since the Jewish year 5782 is a shnat Shmita (Sabbatical year). The event was a show of the strength of the German-Israeli relationship.
The airmen are in Israel to take part in the joint Blue Flag exercise hosted by the IAF (German Luftwaffe Flies with Israel Air Force Over Jerusalem in 2021 Blue Flag Exercise). KKL-JNF brought the group’s officers and enlisted men to one of its main nurseries in Esht’aol, where they planted trees in readymade flowerpots, in accordance with the halacha of the shmita year.
The German visitors also had an opportunity to learn more about KKL-JNF and its activities throughout the country. The visit resonated with the hope and drive to continue developing and strengthening the German-Israeli relationship.
Blue Flag is a military aviation exercise held by the Israeli Air Force with the participation of several foreign air forces, aimed at expanding international cooperation. In 2017, the exercise hosted air forces from the US, Poland, Italy, Greece, India, France, and Germany. The Royal Air Force joined Blue Flag in 2020.