Israeli-run NGO gives solar power to off-grid West Bank Palestinian villagers Comet-ME (Community, Energy, and Technology in the Middle East) is one of those visionary non-profit organizations that recognizes the fact that environmental concerns span the Middle East’s borders, cultures, religions, and histories. At the end of the day, all the residents of the Middle […]
As we saw in the recent Gaza and Lebanon wars, violent conflict can be a major obstacle to environmental protection in the Middle East. Recently, a letter signed by Issac Ben David, deputy director of Israel’s Ministry for Environmental Protection, and addressed to Major-General Gadi Shamni, commander-in-chief of Israel’s central command, contained even more evidence […]
The World Bank published a report yesterday recommending an immediate change in the water regime between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Coming at a particularly sensitive time, considering the region’s ever-worsening water crisis, the report, entitled Assessment of Restrictions on Palestinian Water Sector Development, concluded that “the joint governance rules and water allocations established under […]
(Abu Ibrahim, 53, in a field of fava beans. Photo: Daniella Cheslow) One of the most compelling parts of the West Bank is its Biblical landscape, shaped by the small villages and terraced farm plots that dot the rolling hillsides. Yesterday, I saw that landscape up close on a visit to Wadi Fuqin (Valley […]
Disputes over natural resources are not a new part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Water, for instance, is a famous bone of contention between the two parties. Recently, however, a newer twist developed in this ongoing battle between nations. On Monday, Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights, an Israeli rights group, petitioned the High Court […]
As the dust settles on the recent round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reports indicate that the environmental damage is another unfortunate byproduct of the war. The political situation aside, Gaza’s ecological conditions are already conducive to groundwater pollution. The sandy desert soil tends to absorb water – or pollutants […]
While rockets fly overhead, Bat-Zion Benjaminson tends her garden. The religious mother of four hopes to establish an eco-village in the moshav (cooperative community) of Shokeda, which is located just six kilometers away from the border of Gaza. According to Bat-Zion, the war being fought in the area is not just with rockets. “This is […]
This isn’t the forum for politics, but unfortunately so much of what decisions are made in the Middle East (ie funds allocated, prayers made) are determined by the conflict. Above, see a video of the consequences of the Israel-Lebanon war 2.5 years ago. As an Israeli, I know that untold environmental damage happened south of […]
Although Palestinian environmental activism is clearly on the rise, Palestinians still face a myriad of environmental and social challenges. These issues often have both ecological and political aspects; the current water shortage, for instance, is influenced both by global climate change and Israel’s policies in the West Bank. This past year, a team of four […]
In 1994, Jerusalem chef Johnny Goric cooked a lunch and dinner for Yassar Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin, during their peacemaking talks. He was also, more recently, the chef to King Abdullah II of Jordan. But besides feeding kings and some of the world’s most influential leaders, he is also cooking in the name […]