Israel cancels offical reps at climate conference - Haaretz

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Fri., November 23, 2007 Kislev 13, 5768

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Last update - 12:10 22/11/2007

Israel cancels offical reps at climate conference

By Zafrir Rinat

Tags: Israel, environment

Israel will not be officially represented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali next month, Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra announced unexpectedly yesterday.

Ezra, who was to head an Israeli delegation to Indonesia, said he decided to cancel the trip due to the high security costs.

Environmental organizations blasted Ezra for his decision.

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"This is the most important conference on the environmental issue preoccupying the world," said Tzipi Isar-Itzik, director of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (Adam Teva V'Din). "It will determine the states' dealing with global warming. Israel's lack of participation is a harsh statement about its readiness to deal with the problem. The minister's decision is inexplicable."

Knesset's Interior and Environmental Protection Committee Chairman MK Ophir Paz-Pines, who was supposed to represent the Knesset in the Israeli delegation, said "it is unacceptable for Israel not to be there. I hope this is not an evasion, to cover up the fact that we have nothing to offer in the fight against global warming."

Ezra said that he'd "rather use the money we save for important things, like environment protection in Israel. We will be briefed on the conference, and I undertake to adopt all the conference's resolutions."

Six Israeli environmental groups will attend the conference, representing Israel unofficially.

The Bali conference is held as part of the meetings of the states that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - an international treaty aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gas in order to combat global warming.

The main issue on the conference's agenda is drafting the agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is the most important agreement based on the UNFCCC treaty. The next agreement is also supposed to determine the world's states' commitment to reducing gas emissions.

Until now Israel has not been included in the developed states committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, Environmental Protection Ministry sources said they expected Israel would be asked to join these states.

"We've sent our official position to the conference, and said we're willing to join the next agreement, which would include a commitment to reduce gas emission," said Shuli Nezer, director of the ministry's Air Quality Division.

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1.	clilmate conference not kosher	19:07	\|	Miriam	22/11/07

2.	Security not the main reason	19:57	\|	Aaron	22/11/07

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