I am very glad that Green Zionist Alliance (GZA) exists. It is a leading group in increasing awareness of Israeli environmental problems and in efforts to improve Israel’s environment. While most groups that are involved with Israel pay little attention to Israel’s environment, GZA helps keep it on the agenda. GZA has helped Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (Israel’s Jewish National Fund) to save open spaces, prevent destructive projects, install more efficient energy devices, and in general to green Israel.
I am proud that I have been involved in promoting GZA in recent years and that I have been able to help get their message to a wider public.
I am especially proud that I was on GZA’s delegation to the 2010 World Jewish Congress in Jerusalem. Without GZA’s input, there would have been no discussion of Israel’s environment at all. Because of their involvement, resolutions were passed on many issues related to Israel’s environment, including saving water and energy, abating climate change, incorporating environmental education into the immigration absorption experience, and having healthier foods served at future Congress events.
In conclusion, GZA is playing a very important role in improving Israel’s environment, one that will be more and more important as Israel increasingly faces widening environmental and climate change threats.
I am personally committed to Israel and the environment, but never thought to combine the two. GZA was the right platform to broaden my environmental work and affect meaningful change abroad.