KKL-JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund)
Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel · Nonprofit · National · since 1901
Israel's national afforestation body, managing about 1.5 million dunams of forest planted since 1901
About
Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to acquire and develop land, and since 1953 has been Israel's forestry agency, headquartered in Jerusalem. It manages about 1.5 million dunams (150,000 ha) of forest land, runs three nurseries producing roughly 800,000 to 1 million saplings a year, and reports having planted more than 240 million trees since 1901; in the 2024-25 season it planted about 4,858 dunams (486 ha), mostly forest renewal, while rehabilitating some 32,300 dunams damaged by fire during the 2023-24 war. Its work is contested: forests have been planted over depopulated Palestinian villages and on land claimed by Bedouin in the Naqab/Negev (for example the Ambassadors' Forest at al-Araqib, where planting was carried out under police guard after demolitions in 2010-2011); in 2021 its board voted in principle to buy land in the West Bank, and its subsidiary Himnuta had already acquired West Bank land and pursued evictions in East Jerusalem; and its historic reliance on Aleppo pine monocultures has been criticised for ecological poverty and flammability, a shift reflected in its own data showing 55-65 % of saplings are now native broadleaf species. KKL-JNF is separate from JNF-USA, an American fundraising charity incorporated in 1926.
What they run
Planting of new forest and renewal of existing stands across about 1.5 million dunams of managed forest, with thinning and fire-break work; reported annually in the Israel Forest Status Report.
Restoration of some 32,300 dunams of forest burned or damaged during the 2023-24 war (91 % in the north, 9 % in the south), including Biriya and Naftali forests and Be'eri and Yad Mordechai forests.
Three nurseries (including Eshtaol) producing roughly 800,000 to 1 million saplings a year, about 40 % for forest planting and 60 % for local authorities, IDF bases and schools.
Donors (USD 36 per tree) plant at the Ben Shemen or Golani planting centers or via a Zoom ceremony; at Tu BiShvat KKL-JNF also distributes hundreds of thousands of free saplings to the public.
The numbers
| Metric | Year | Value | Program | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survival rate (%) | 2025 | 94 | Organization-wide | Self-reported | sourceKKL-JNF Forestry Facts and Figures (updated March 2025): 'The assimilation and survival rate of planted forest trees is 94%, according to the national annual average.' Wikipedia cites JNF statistics that only about 4 in 10 saplings planted in Jerusalem survive versus about 95 % elsewhere. |
| Trees plantedto date | 2010 | 240,000,000 | Organization-wide | Self-reported | sourceYnetnews 26 Jan 2010, quoting JNF: 'JNF has planted over 240 million trees in its years of existence'; the same figure appears on Wikipedia and in later press. No more recent official cumulative count was found on kkl.org.il or kkl-jnf.org in Nov 2026. |
| Hectares restored | 2024 | 447 | Forestry Division (afforestation and forest renewal) | Estimated | sourceKKL-JNF news release 15 May 2025 on the Israel Forest Status Report 2024: 'thinning about 32,000 dunams, and replanting around 4,465 dunams' in the 2023-24 season. Converted 4,465 dunams = 446.5 ha. Hebrew report PDF: https://www.kkl.org.il/files/afforestation-and-environment/2024forest_report.pdf |
| Hectares restored | 2025 | 486 | Forestry Division (afforestation and forest renewal) | Estimated | sourceYnetnews (Jan 2026) reporting KKL-JNF Forestry Division data: 2024-25 season 'total planting by KKL-JNF amounted to about 4,858 dunams', 604 dunams new forest and 4,254 dunams renewal, 80 % broadleaf. Converted 4,858 dunams = 485.8 ha (10 dunams = 1 ha). |
| Hectares restoredto date | 2019 | 100,000 | Forestry Division (afforestation and forest renewal) | Self-reported | sourceKKL-JNF Forestry Facts and Figures (updated March 2025): 'As of 2019, KKL-JNF had planted more than 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) of forests'; the Forest Status Report 2024 puts the managed forest layer at about 1,500,000 dunams (150,000 ha) after adding 200,000 dunams from detailed forest plans. |
| Seedlings produced | 2024 | 800,000 | KKL-JNF tree nurseries | Self-reported | sourceKKL-JNF news release 15 May 2025: 'KKL-JNF nurseries produced around 800,000 seedlings, with 40% designated for forest planting and 60% supplied to external organizations'. The Forestry Facts and Figures 2025 sheet says about 1,000,000 saplings are grown each year. |
How they report
What earned it
- 0/20 Publishes annual tree figures: No year-by-year figures found
- 0/15 Figures are recent: No dated annual figure
- 10/10 Every figure has a public source: 6 of 6 figures link to a source
- 0/15 Publishes financials or cost per tree: No financial figure recorded
- 15/15 Reports survival or monitoring: Survival rate on record
- 0/10 Independently verified figure: All figures are the organization's own
- 10/10 Breaks figures down by program: Figures attached to named programs
- 5/5 Reports volunteers or events: Public events listed
- Survival
- 94% (2025, reported)
- Compare
- Put KKL-JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund) next to others · method
Upcoming events
- Marching and Saluting 2026 (Tzo'adim u-Matzdi'im) – guided walks in 16 locationsRegisterWed, Nov 25, 2026, 9:00 AM GMT+2 · Other · Jerusalem
- Hanukkah Tours in the Land of the Hasmoneans – Modi'in and Ben Shemen ForestRegisterTue, Dec 8, 2026, 9:00 AM GMT+2 · Other · Modi'in