In another month and a half, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will go to the peace conference in Washington to be held under the aegis of the American administration. There are some who say that the conference will not produce any results or achievements beyond what has already been achieved. What is sure is that the well-known core subjects - the borders of a Palestinian state, the evacuation of the settlements, the division of Jerusalem into two capitals and the issue of the refugees - will be discussed with sensitivity and determination.

An important issue that will not be discussed, and which has never been discussed in talks with the Palestinians, is the effort to find a joint solution to the environmental problems of the region. Dealing with environmental issues crosses borders and political inclinations. Every supporter of the Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu or, alternately, a person on the left, would be able to discuss this matter with his Palestinian counterpart without fearing that he had "compromised" a piece of land from the area of the land of Israel.

Dealing with environmental quality could lead to swift cooperation that could bridge the gaps and build confidence. Subjects such as building a joint "green lung" between the West Bank and Israel with international funding, the rehabilitation of the polluted rivers in the territories and the exchange of environmental information, could form the basis of countless meetings, investments in mutual projects and so forth.