Residents of the Israeli city of Taibeh are hopeful. For the past few months, the Arab municipality has been advancing an ambitious plan to rehabilitate the East Taibeh waste site. It would like to turn the garbage hills into a vast green space with trees, picnic areas, bike lanes and playgrounds. It would be the town's first park.

The story of East Taibeh starts 50 years ago, back in the 1970s. For 30 years, until 2000, the people of Taibeh and the local authorities dumped waste at the site. When it became clear that the site was not compliant with environmental norms it was closed and for many years the area was abandoned. The authorities did the bare minimum to ensure that the site was stable and prevent dangerous waste from contaminating the groundwater. But other than that, the hills of garbage remained, overlooking over the bustling city and adjacent agriculture lands.

Arab-Israeli towns have suffered budgetary lacks for decades. In 2016, the government adopted a five-year plan to invest in infrastructure, health and education in the Arab sector. Progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go until the Arab towns and villages enjoy the same services and infrastructure as the Jewish ones. The gaps are simply too enormous.

In 2015, Israel signed the Paris climate agreement, defining a series of environmental goals. But for many local Arab authorities, these goals were and still are out of reach. The mayors are busy meeting the basic needs of their residents, such as paving dirt roads or building schools. The environment is not necessarily a top priority for them.