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Who cares about Israel’s polluted air?

According to environmental groups, one is more likely to die from pollution in Israel rather than by a rocket, terror attack and road accident combined.
Firefighters put out a fire near Kibbutz Harel, which was damaged by wildfires during a record heatwave, in Israel May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC1B6A7DB200
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The current coalition talks that are now reaching their end were no different from previous rounds, in the sense that everyone wanted a “prestigious” portfolio — defense, justice or education. The head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri, was set to maintain his hold on the Interior Ministry, which is close to his heart. The ultra-Orthodox Yahadut HaTorah party demanded to retain its hold on the health portfolio. Moshe Kahlon insisted on keeping the position of finance minister. Acting Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz hoped to be a full-time foreign minister. Miri Regev sought an upgrade from the Ministry of Culture to the Ministry of Public Security. As always, the Ministry of Environmental Protection was at the bottom of the national political league. The current minister, Ze’ev Elkin, wanted to flee the office, but he crawled back after losing the Jerusalem mayoral race in October 2018.

On May 22, due to a combination of the traditional Lag b’Omer bonfires and heavy heat, the environmental issue made headlines. Newspapers reported Elkin’s call to the public to act responsibly and limit the number of bonfires, “for the sake of the environment and your health.” Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman urged parents to “avoid endangering their health and that of their children by smoke, fire or exposure to environmental and health damage.” The head of the firefighting services issued a special order to curtail the extent of bonfires, and municipal inspectors increased their presence on the ground. The following day, news reports crowned the campaign a success. Pollution rose “only” a little over 11%. The Ministry of Environmental Protection was pleased with the rising public awareness of the issue and noted that a decline in pollution was recorded on Lag b’Omer in many areas of the country compared to previous years.

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