Environment Journalists, Bloggers and Activists From Israel, Jordan and the PA Unite: Let’s Meet Jordan

Palestinians do have control over their destiny. The situation in the Israel-PA story is not a one-way story, Tarawnah. Israel is the most developed among all three in the region; and hopefully the others will learn from Israel's mistakes, the way Israel is looking to the US now to learn from the mistakes of the Americans and Europe. Israel has advanced industry and a high standard of living, so naturally greenhouse gas emissions and pollution will be higher. That doesn't make it evil or justifying attack. You could say the same about Lebanon or Turkey. Or Greece. The idea of the workshop was to gather young thought-leaders, writers and activists dealing with and interested in the environment (all from the region) so we can pool our resources on overcoming media holes on environmental coverage. And share our personal projects. It wasn't meant to be a political forum to solve the Middle East conflict. We hope it is a first of many encounters. There were no barriers to break and we all became friends very easily.

Palestinians do have control over their destiny. The situation in the Israel-PA story is not a one-way story, Tarawnah. Israel is the most developed among all three in the region; and hopefully the others will learn from Israel's mistakes, the way Israel is looking to the US now to learn from the mistakes of the Americans and Europe. Israel has advanced industry and a high standard of living, so naturally greenhouse gas emissions and pollution will be higher. That doesn't make it evil or justifying attack. You could say the same about Lebanon or Turkey. Or Greece. The idea of the workshop was to gather young thought-leaders, writers and activists dealing with and interested in the environment (all from the region) so we can pool our resources on overcoming media holes on environmental coverage. And share our personal projects. It wasn't meant to be a political forum to solve the Middle East conflict. We hope it is a first of many encounters. There were no barriers to break and we all became friends very easily.

As far as I can tell, this workshop was meant to put Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians in one room to discuss environmental issues that concern them all. In my opinion, to “forget about Israel for a sec” is to ignore one of the major contributors to the environmental damage that concerns all three parties – and more specifically Palestinians who have had very little control over their environmental destiny in the past 60 years, if any at all. Even a rational third-party with no “anti-israeli” sentiments would come to this conclusion.

Let's forget about Israel for a sec. The PA too. Ask yourselves what sort of environmental activities are happening in the Arab world in general, and use that as a meter stick for accusing Israel of environmental crimes. Your politics and anti-Israeli sentiments cloud your judgement.

ramsey, i think karin has a point. not all israelis are specialized in this area compared to US bloggers who blog about their army's contribution to global warming, especially with the israeli military arsenal being so vague as you rightly pointed out. i mean especially when it comes to the nuclear stuff – i dont think we want to open up that can of worms that include the leakages of the dimona reactor that has caused sicknesses in jordan, and the polluted water they've sent jordan's way. and yes, as karin pointed out, it is indeed wrong to paint all israelis the same.so let's stick to what we know. actually, let's stick to one small, segment of what we know. let's stick to the israeli government and its policies. and let's even stick to 2009for instance, we know that that overall environmental impact of trees is essential to the survival of palestinians in general, many of whom generally make their livelihood from them. and we know that israel has played a major role in destroying those trees and those livelihoods not only through the apartheid wall that has separated many farmers from their own orchards, but through the ongoing policy of uprooting trees in the occupied lands. we know that 2009 saw over 14,000 olive trees being uprooted or burned, with at least half of them being uprooted to clear the land and make room for illegal israeli settlements.we know that according to a report produced by israel's ministry of environment, israeli military bases in palestinian lands such as jerusalem, ramallah, herbron and others, have been polluting the lands they are situated on and the surrounding water sources with the use of diesel and other fuels. we know that israeli settlers who are currently living illegally on palestinian lands, are allowed the consumption of 5 times more the water allowance than the average palestinian in the occupied territories. and this is all of course to say nothing of the fact that israel controls what water the palestinians are allowed to consume – to say nothing of controlling their mobility, which includes freedom to access their farms. if that's not using the west bank as one's playground then i dont know what isand we can go on and on and on and on. israel's environmental crimes at the expense of palestinians, and indeed its neighbors, including Jordan and Lebanon, are ludicrous. and with the one year anniversary of israel's onslaught on gaza, which crippled the territory, it's people and it's environment, it is utterly disgusting that any organization in jordan would even think to host a workshop of this sorts in the midst of israel's ongoing environmental crimes – to say nothing of its many, many, many, many other crimes.

I don't think the Israelis are specialized in this area in as much as average bloggers in the US blog about the US Army's contribution to Global Warming around the world. It's not fair to paint every Israeli in the manner you do. But if you are a specialist in this area, go for it. We can give you the forum. It's also not fair to say that Israelis use the West Bank as their playground.

I would love to see the Israeli “eco-activists” talk about Israel's military contribution to global warming. How about those Merkava tanks, F-16s, constant military patrols, poisoning the earth with the depleted uraniam? Of course Israel talks about ecological friendliness, but only on one side of the wall. The Palestinian side is the playground for new weapons without any regard to the environment (or for human rights for that mantter).We won't even mention the nuclear ambitions of Jordan, and the “unconfirmed” nuclear capabilities of Israel, because of security and monetary reasons. Right?