(haipo) – The State of Israel boasts of laws prohibiting the cutting down of trees, but sometimes the reality on the ground tells a different story. When a neighbor decides that his neighbor's ficus tree is unwanted, a system is revealed that is powerless in the face of private will, even if it involves cutting down a large, old tree. At least that is the picture of the situation from the story of a Haifa resident who fought until the last moment to keep her ficus tree. At the end of a bitter struggle, the tree was cut down and, in great sorrow and pain, the woman was taken to the hospital.
The painful story of the ficus tree
In a luxury neighborhood in Haifa, a mature, green ficus tree, over 30 years old, stands in the yard of a 75+ year old woman (name withheld). The tree, which has become an integral part of the local landscape, is at the center of a legal dispute with a neighbor who complained about leaves falling into his yard and, he claims, aggressive root damage. Previously, another neighbor lived in the apartment, who did not complain about the tree, but when the new neighbor moved in, he demanded the tree be cut down and filed a lawsuit against her.
The woman says she received the lawsuit before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
"He claimed that the tree was dangerous and causing damage," she tells Lehi. Although a report from a well-known agronomist confirmed that the tree was not harmful, the plaintiff's claims were received favorably by the judge in court. The verdict required the woman to pay compensation of 116,000 NIS, as well as ordering the tree to be cut down and poisoned. The cutting down took place on Sunday, 19/1/25.
According to the tree owner, the court ruling also led to approval of the felling by municipal and national forestry officials, ostensibly due to the influence of the legal decision. How does a healthy tree, which is part of the city's green fabric, end up in a situation where it is destined to be felled? Why is there no mechanism to protect trees from disputed claims?
The tree owner shares a sense of helplessness in the face of a "chain of injustices" that began with a lawsuit, continued with a severe verdict, and ended with the decision of forestry officials. "Does the loss of leaves justify abuse of a tree and its owner? Why do the legal system and the municipality shun elementary values of preserving the earth's ecology, not to mention protecting citizens who feel a mission in preserving and growing trees?"
The woman, who, as mentioned, is elderly and single, and has worked and contributed to society her entire life, was forced to deal with the situation alone and receive medical treatment while the ficus tree was being cut down, which was done before her eyes. For the woman, the ficus tree was not just part of the yard, but a symbol of a deep emotional and spiritual connection. The tree, with its green and heartwarming appearance, carried with it great emotional value and memorable significance, which made it an inseparable part of her life and the home in which she grew up.
The opinion of a certified agronomist whose services the woman received

The article mainly presents one side.
The defendant's side is hardly presented here.
In which court was the hearing held? What is the case number?
Shallow, unprofessional article.
The woman's words are also superficial and tendentious, and more concealing than revealing.
Gal Havd, the agronomist, is superficial.
We need a structural engineer as a consultant, and then everyone will understand why the tree must be cut down and the roots killed so that they do not continue to spread and cause structural damage.
I really like trees, including and especially ficuses, but trees with dicotyledonous roots (that grow sideways) should not be planted near buildings.
I fully understand the pain of the tree owner who had to go through the trauma of cutting it down.
The article only presented the perspective of the tree owner.
In order for the article to be balanced, it was necessary to provide many additional facts, such as:
The perspective of the neighbor who sued the tenant and won his lawsuit.
The agronomist's opinion presented by the plaintiff was apparently different from the agronomist's opinion presented by the tree owner.
Understand why an Israeli court, concerned about the landscape, ruled in favor of the plaintiff and what evidence convinced it to rule so.
What caused the court to award such a high compensation amount?
Understand why the agronomist brought by the tree owner also advised cutting down two-thirds of the tree's canopy. Which is the majority of the tree's canopy.
Why did the Haifa municipality's forestry official, who is one of the strictest in the country, also approve the felling of the tree?
And more.
A wicked, evil court. I have a ficus tree and it does nothing to anyone. It blooms in the shade of the insolent. And to rob an old woman, there is a creator of evil people in the world.
Shame and disgrace, contempt for the entire system and the neighborhood
We already know the style of people who see no one except their own desires. A beautiful and old tree, but what can be done if it harms another?
This is nothing less than murder. Everyone involved in cutting down this tree is a cold-blooded murderer.
One way to prevent fire damage is by planting trees close to homes.
And in Haifa, many apartments were destroyed because of fires that spread to trees adjacent to the houses.
She immediately planted another tree in her garden.
A relatively mature tree that will give her peace.
For all the angry people out there, read about ficus trees and you will discover that their roots, like a drill, penetrate concrete and create cracks that can cause disaster.
You can plant another tree, there is no shortage of types that are not harmful.
Successfully
End of story in the beginning. Happy Shabbat and blessed be you, Samar Odeh.
End of action with forethought. Don't move in next to a house/tree that bothers you! The audacity and malice of a neighbor combined with the stupid legal system and it's clear that the woman will end up in the hospital. It's terrible that such things happen in Haifa..a city that is supposed to respect nature. My heart goes out to the woman and I hope she recovers and finds comfort in the thirty years that the tree has been given. The tree has a soul, this neighbor doesn't.
It is said about this....the end of the act is thought out first...
When planting a tree, one must take into account its development and growth above and below the ground and prevent it from invading the neighbor's property. Unfortunately, I suffer from the same problem. A neighbor planted 3 ficus trees that have reached enormous sizes, blocking the sunlight, and their roots are harming the plants I planted in my garden. This is inconsiderate. Therefore, the judge's ruling is correct and just. It is possible to plant another tree in its place that is not wild. It is not the end of the world! We must think about the neighbors and prevent their plants from invading the neighbor's yard.
End of story in the beginning. Happy Shabbat and blessed be you, Samar Odeh.
All the best for the decision!
Lots of trees tend to fall.
Leaning on power lines or poles
Collapse on roads. And it is not possible to reach a pruning solution even.
There are and most of the trees are on private property.
And if there is damage as a result of their collapse.
The costs are on the landowners and not on the authority that is guilty of failing to take prior care!
Some neighbors won't give up, not even on a ficus tree.
It's not because the tree is in the way, it's because it's a ficus tree that the builders are plotting to keep out of anyone's reach because of its virtues.
A dirty secret that is being hidden from everyone. If people knew the truth, they would be dying today from the injustices committed by the same ruling sect that also controls the justice system. That's why the judge ordered the tree to be cut down. I hope my response will be published and not shelved like they do in all systems.
To vomit from the state and its judges!!!!
Abuse of an elderly woman to the point of hospitalization!!!
If we start cutting down trees – the climate will change for the worse and the end of the globe will come!!!!!!!!
Belongs to the cat-hating, pig-hysterical, pigeon-scared, climber-hating, etc. category: What's the point without nature?
An idiot is anyone who, even at the time, approved planting a ficus in an urban area. This tree is a disaster. It is a deciduous tree, its leaves and fruits are dirty and pose a slipping hazard, the bats dirty the walls of buildings, and also invade apartments, demanding that sidewalks and yards be cleared. With all the regret, there is no justification for leaving such a tree when it disrupts the environment.
Unfortunately, there are cases where a tree does more harm than good, and therefore it must be recognized that sometimes the damage caused by the tree is truly unbearable, and therefore the solution is to cut it down. Anyone who plants a tree should think carefully before deciding which tree to plant and what damage the tree can cause to the environment.
We wish those forestry officials, the wicked neighbor, and the opaque judge, that they spend the rest of their long lives between concrete and concrete, without any green landscape and without the many benefits of the trees among us.
And you, dear woman, who tried to protect the tree and failed, I so understand your aching heart and may you find comfort in time.
No one can plant a tree that bothers their neighbor. Some things are as clear as not
Empty the trash at the neighbor's and don't send the dog to shit at the neighbor's. So there's no reason for the tree to grow towards the neighbor!
You are right in every word. Well done. Happy Shabbat and blessed be you, Samar Odeh.
Someone here did not read the agronomist's professional opinion, and even in the comments here, the commenters did not address the same opinion that states that fruit bats do not touch this specific tree because it is of a different type. The root system that interferes in this case also comes from completely different trees planted in the urban area.
In short, this is a dream, and with the addition of human evil, we reach a situation where all the Dalits are men, and perhaps also the anointing of a few hands along the way or a personal acquaintance of someone who knows someone who knows someone.
You're right, every word.
The ficus tree is a strong and durable tree. Its roots lift sidewalks, clog roads, and cause other such damage. It is very advisable not to plant ficus trees in yards because the damage is extensive.
The damage that humans do by covering entire areas with concrete, polluting rivers, cutting down trees, destroying many species of animals, polluting with microplastic particles, and more is immeasurably greater than the "damage" that this tree did.
It's worth checking what the judge received in exchange for this bizarre ruling.
The woman did not plant the tree, but the contractor who built the house, because her apartment was a model apartment. The tree was at the edge of her garden, and adjacent to the neighbor's fence, and anyone who saw the neighbor's balcony saw a slight elevation at the edge, and not the destruction of the entire balcony, as the cruel neighbor, who took advantage of the situation, pointed out. The tree's roots also did not reach the sewer as he claimed, since the entire water and sewage system is on the other side of the house.
The trial was also a family affair. The judge was the cousin of the appraiser who testified in favor of the plaintiff and it turns out that he was also a car appraiser and not a building appraiser. Both a conflict of interest for the judge and an expert who is not an expert.
They simply did an injustice to the woman and took advantage of the fact that she was old and unmarried, and they also lied blatantly.
It is possible to file an injunction against the felling of the tree, the trees were here before us, a bill should be proposed that completely prevents the felling of trees, the tree is the extraction of nature's energy and should be treated as a living, breathing body that contributes to society by its very nature and nature... Any harm to a tree is considered an infringement on ancient and primitive human values, they should never be harmed... because it is an infringement on basic human values, like building on the seashore... Shame, shame, shame, whoever cut down the tree and whoever ordered it are filth and subhuman without a drop of culture and universal values.
A harmful tree that clogs the sewer system and slowly lifts the house.
Such a tree disaster in the yard.
There is nothing to say.
Someone took the judge's words too seriously and actually cut down the tree.
Wow – such quick execution is hard to find these days.
There is a situation where the complainant is something important - (his name is kept in the system???)
The trees are not 'dirty', it is the wonderful nature that includes falling leaves, the seasons, fruits, bats, what beauty. But, with this beauty, especially the ficus trees, their roots are aggressive, damaging the foundations of buildings, rising through gutters.. Such trees are planted in one place and after a few years they appear on the other side of the road, that is how far their roots can reach. I certainly understand the woman, but I'm not sure that the new neighbor didn't do her any good with it.
I understand the woman's pain. Every tree that is cut down is heartache, and what's more, it belongs to her and her yard.
But the more beautiful the ficuses are, the more beautiful they are.
They pollute their surroundings with their leaves and fruits. Bats love them and dirty the walls of houses with their droppings.
My heart is with you, lady.
And what about reading comprehension?
See the agronomist's opinion...