Professors for a Strong Israel
Statement to the Press -
16 May 1995
Re:
The symposium on ``The Peace Process and the Environment''
This week a conference on ``The Peace Process and the Environment''
is taking place at Tel Aviv University.
Professors for a Strong Israel directs the public's attention to the
dire implications of the ``peace process'' for environmental quality
and the quality of life in Israel:
- Land use:
Israeli withdrawal from Samaria, the natural hinterland of the Dan
metropolis (Tel Aviv, etc.), will lead to accelerated urbanization
of agricultural lands in the center of the country and damage to
scenery, nature, and archeology.
- Water balance:
Uncontrolled drilling in Samaria will damage the mountain aquifer
which supplies a third of Israel's water and will upset the replenishment
cycle of the aquifer.
- Sewage:
Only some of the cities of Judea and Samaria possess sewage systems
which collect, remove, and purify waste water.
Mishandling of the sewage and rubbish of these cities will cause
pollution of the environment, of the streams, and of the ground water
and will exacerbate Israel's water purity problem.
- Quarrying:
Accelerated construction in Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza) will lead to
multiplication of pirate stone quarries, to the detriment of the scenery.
- Industrial waste:
The erection of industrial parks on the slopes of Samaria constitutes
an ecological threat (toxic waste, air and water pollution, etc.)
in immediate proximity to Israel's population centers and to the remnants
of her green ``lungs.''
- Preservation of nature:
Even today there is continual erosion of the nature preserves.
The process will become much more severe with the establishment of
``separation'' facilities and army camps whose purpose is protection
of the ``peace'' borders.
In sum, the ``peace'' which is leading to a Palestinian state
in Yesha will have extremely negative consequences
for the environment, both in Yesha and within the Green Line.
Every political process should take into account the above ecological
implications.
Dr. Ron Breiman, Spokesman
Tel.: 03-642 5540