Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., April 24, 2008 Nisan 19, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:16 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 23:22 21/04/2008 Israeli Arab students take to the fields to learn green activism By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel, Environment  A week ago, two groups of students from Israeli Arab schools in the north took part in environmental activities, a sign of Israeli Arab society's growing awareness of nature preservation issues. The students, from the Galilee towns of Dir al-Asad and Sakhnin, helped pick up litter that careless locals and visitors had left in the fields and forests of the verdant Galilee region. "Schools and factories aren't the only ones that deal with [environmentalism]," said Mahmoud Omar, the principal of a school in the Israeli Arab town of Shagur. Omar's school is dedicated to raising environmental awareness and has a special program on the issue. "Parents are also involved," Omar said. "Everyone understands, for instance, that plastic bags at the supermarket will soon be a thing of the past, because they see it in the media. Parents encourage their children to participate in this trend." Advertisement Tenth-graders from Omar's school helped clear a new pedestrian route parallel to the road leading to the adjacent town. The new path will allow pedestrians - Jews and Arabs - to access the city while avoiding the traffic on the city's main access road. Still, Israeli Arab society is just awakening to environmental issues, as the heaps of building materials and refuse scattered around Israeli Arab towns attest. But some change is taking place. Environmentalists within the sector say their activism is based in a long tradition of respect for nature within Palestinian culture. "We shall remain put, just as the olive trees and zaatar shrubs do," goes a famous Palestinian idiom. But now, even the zaatar shrubs are in danger of disappearing, as the herb is quite popular. Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority inspectors may now fine people caught picking the fragrant plant. Badria Biromi-Kandaleft, director of the Israeli-Arab group Link to the Environment, explains that tensions exist between Israel Arabs and environmentalists because nature reserves often guzzle up land that Israeli Arabs want to use for urban development. Also, land claimed by Israeli Arabs is sometimes allocated to be part of reserves. "There is sometimes a contradiction between being a Palestinian and backing environmental issues, but I think land does not have to be registered under your name to make you care about the environment," Biromi-Kandaleft said. "This is not a zero-sum game of all or nothing against the state - all can benefit." Link is helping set up the newly-created Nazareth forum for nature preservation as well as other projects in Jewish and Arab towns. The group works with the Environment Ministry and local authorities to find solutions for environmental problems. The Towns Association for Environmental Quality, an umbrella group for a number of Israeli Arab towns in the Beit Natufa area, educates youth on the environment. Its manager, Hussein Trabiyah, says there are no disagreements between Arabs and Jews on environmental educational issues. "All understand air and water pollution is harmful to everyone, and we have to preserve the environment," Trabiyah said. "Problems begin when a plan is proposed. Where should a wildlife reserve, a sewage treatment facility or a landfill be located? That is when arguments begin. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Sex, lies and videotape 3 Kibbutz Ein Gedi residents suspected of filming themselves raping Danish tourists. Big brother is watching An IDF soldier has been jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook.   1.   Joke: a long tradition of respect for nature within Arab culture? 08:11  |  Genuine Tosefta 21/04/08   2.   A good joke 08:28  |  Ofer from Ofer 21/04/08   3.   Sign of positive change 08:51  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 21/04/08   4.   What I saw 09:04  |  Mikey 21/04/08   5.   to Genuine Tosefta 10:34  |  lionel 21/04/08   6.   Ofer from Ofer 10:44  |  Assadi 21/04/08   7.   Typical Racism by posters 10:53  |  I live here 21/04/08   8.   I plan to promote tourism to Israel, so I would like to 10:59  |  Andreas 21/04/08   9.   To assadi 11:11  |  ofer from ofer 21/04/08   10.   #1 Who robbed Palestine and Lebanon of its trees? 11:23  |  Ben Alofs 21/04/08   11.   More tourist attractions for Andreas 11:43  |  Unconscious 21/04/08   12.   Ofer doesn`t get around much 11:54  |  Unconscious 21/04/08   13.   All the israelis should... 11:58  |  Anne 21/04/08   14.   Genuine Tosefta 12:05  |  Said 21/04/08   15.   to #1 and #2 Zionism made some irreversable damadge to nature 12:09  |  Lobo08 21/04/08   16.   Palestinians plant trees 12:13  |  Lobo08 21/04/08   17.   green activism 12:44  |  Ralph 21/04/08   18.   Their is no such tradition. Look at the history of the land 12:48  |  Jos 21/04/08   19.   I`m confused 13:07  |  Ofer from Ofer 21/04/08   20.   Lobo Palestinians kept goats that grub out the roots from 14:00  |  Margie 21/04/08   21.   to ofer again 14:05  |  Assadi 21/04/08   22.   To Assadi 15:14  |  Ofer from Ofer 21/04/08   23.   Excellent initiative, hope to see more of such kind 15:30  |  Rami 21/04/08   24.   Ben alofs Turks 22:54  |  FOX 21/04/08   25.   #1 genuine biggot 23:29  |  ur crap 21/04/08   26.   #25 Fake ur crap 00:37  |  ur crap 24/04/08

Read & React Ezra: New spy case won't harm U.S.-Israel ties Responses: 537 Syrian FM: Nothing barring resumption of peace talks with Israel Responses: 288 Yuval Steinitz: Absurd U.S. intel report saps effort to save world from Iranian nukes Responses: 74 ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly damage Israel Responses: 112 Rosner's Domain The real numbers of the Jewish vote in Pennsylvania New poll: Will the new spy case harm U.S.-Israel ties? Why was the new spy arrested now? (WTR) Notes on the new Israeli-espionage affair More Headlines 02:47 Officials: U.S. vital to relaunching Syria talks 02:23 Israel launches two airstrikes against Gaza Strip targets 02:52 Defense Min. yet to start court-ordered reroute of Bil'in fence 00:29 Clinton wins Pennsylvania Jewish vote with surprising ease 23:18 Christmas card written by Anne Frank turns up in antique shop 23:33 Video footage leads to indictment of 3 kibbutzniks for rape 20:15 Carter: Rice statement untrue, I wasn't warned not to meet Hamas 19:12 IDF soldier jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook 20:19 Ezra: New spy case won't harm U.S.-Israel ties 18:40 U.S. facing nation-wide matza shortage this Passover Previous Editions Select Day 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Learn Hebrew online with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today Pardes Institute Summer Sessions Study Jewish texts and issues in Jerusalem, Co-ed, All Levels Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved