There are plenty of trees here, and very hardy strains. Pine forests crown many mountains, and I see a vast variety of beautiful trees whose names are not known to me. Olive trees are not uncommon, nor are apricot, fig, date, pomegranate, cherry and even apple trees. The variety of homegrown fruits is astounding. Autumn here is like spring, due to the torrential rains that break the summer drought, and even the thorn bushes have a fresh green coat. As for grapevines, don’t even go there.
I guess my impression is guided by Mark Twain’s diary when he vsited the Holy Land in the 1800s and found it quite barren in many areas.
But I didn’t want to get into an argument over trees between year One and now, especially if it has religious significance to some that Jesus be a carpenter instead of a stone worker.
I know that Israelis have been planting trees for years and years. MOst fruitwood trees such as olive and dates aren’t very good for carpentering.