by Ben Lorber / article from the Lughnasadh 2012 issue of the Earth First! Journal
Since the idea of Zionism first gripped the minds of a few intellectuals and the limbs of many agrarian pioneers in the early 20th century, the state of Israel has represented its settlement of Palestine, and its uprooting of the Palestinian people, as a rejuvenation of the Earth. Determined to “make the desert bloom,” an international organization named the Jewish National Fund, or Keren Kayemet LeYisrael, planted forests, recreational parks, and nature reserves to cover over the ruins of Palestinian villages, as refugees were scattered far from the land upon which they and their ancestors had based their lives and livelihoods.
Today, while Israel portrays itself as a “green democracy,” an eco-friendly pioneer in agricultural techniques, desert ecology, water management and solar energy, Israeli factories drain toxic waste from occupied West Bank hilltops into Palestinian villages. Israeli overpumping of aquifers increases water scarcity and pollution, denying Palestinians access to vital water sources. By greenwashing the occupation, Israel hides its apartheid behind an environmentalist mirage and distracts public attention, not only from its brutal oppression of the Palestinian people,but from its large-scale degradation of the Earth upon which these tragedies unfold. Continue reading →
Tags: climate, friendly pioneer, keren kayemet, middle-east, politics, science