Opinion

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan is proud to host regular forums for ideas that allow for open conversation and dialogue on topics related to Israel and the world. We present the following op-ed section in a similar vein: in the hope that open, honest dialogue will take root, and that we may participate in that dialogue with you, our community. To reach us with your thoughts, email Rebecca Grossman at rgrossman@mmjccm.org. ISRAEL’S RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS

By Minister of the Knesset Alon Tal The dust has settled now, after the build-up and then the two-week deliberations at the recent COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. All agree that in contrast to the high expectations, world leaders did not take the dramatic actions needed to significantly reduce global warming. Nonetheless, the event was not devoid of disparate agreements that can certainly be categorized as progress. The United States, once again, assumed a leadership role; after four years of despondence following President Trump’s denial of the crisis, the international community is again focused on finding solutions.

A bold commitment that by the year 2050, Israel would have “net zero” emissions of greenhouse gases

The debate as to whether Glasgow was a reasonable success or a resounding failure resonates among environmental circles within Israel as well. As a member of Israel’s Knesset who spent his career as an environmental activist and researcher, I surely have an opinion.

Charles Dickens might call Israel’s present climate crisis response “the worst of times” and “the best of times.” Glasgow provided the stimulus for a meaningful upgrade in Israel’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gases. Two important cabinet decisions for the first time set quantifiable objectives for a range of relevant parameters, such as renewable energy targets, electric vehicle promotion, solid waste/methane management, and energy efficiency. Most importantly, just prior to leaving for the gathering, Prime Minister Naftali Bennet made a bold commitment that by the year 2050, Israel would have “net zero” emissions of greenhouse gases. In doing so, the country joins a growing number of

nations who have decided that in the longterm, the planet must stop releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

Until Israel’s new “Government of Change” made these important decisions, the country’s climate policy was positively pitiful. At the 2015 Paris climate summit, we were among the only developed countries whose “targets” actually implied a significant increase in emissions. That’s because we framed our objectives in “per capita” reductions in the country’s carbon footprint. With our population growing by 2% annually, in practice this meant that Israel would be increasing its annual release of greenhouse gasses at precisely the time when scientists explained that we needed to eliminate them. So I surely see Israel’s new policies as meaningful progress. It would not have happened without the international pressure surrounding Glasgow and the associated expectations that all countries who care about their children’s future need to “get with the program.”

So much for the good news.

There is also, of course, room for disappointment. Take for example, Israel’s short-term objectives for renewable energy. In a country with well over 300

days a year of sunshine, our renewable energy goals for 2030 are only 30%. When this rate is compared to President Biden’s 100% renewables by 2035, it is hard to deny the modesty of Israel’s aspirations. Energy efficiency objectives are also woefully inadequate.

Paragraph 22 of the Glasgow agreement states that countries are expected to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030. Israel’s present commitment is to reduce it by 27%. We do well to deconstruct that number in order to understand the real reasons behind Israel’s tepid climate policies. Over the next nine years, Israel’s population is expected to increase by 20%. Naturally, every child is born with the right to have a carbon footprint—be it due to an air conditioner or an occasional airplane flight. Assuming that Israel actually achieves its reduction target, with a stable population, we would show an impressive 47% reduction. The situation

If Israel actually achieves its target, we would show an impressive 47% reduction in emissions.

is analogous to a person on a treadmill; though we run faster, we don’t get very far. Of course, there is much more that Israel can and should do: our level of recycling is still extremely low; only 5% of vehicles sold are electric (compared to 90% in Norway); all sorts of bureaucratic and economic obstacles slow down the public’s adoption of solar panels and storage on their roofs. Better public policies can change that. The Knesset has an important role to play. To begin with, we need to provide the oversight and pressure to expedite better climate performance. We need to work with the public, including Jewish communities around the world, to increase awareness and the association between Jewish values, such as the Biblical injunction “Baal tashchit” (“do not destroy”) and reduced consumption. And we need to start talking about the sustainability of Israel’s present policies, which are so zealous in encouraging large families. We can do more. I believe that working together, we will.

PEOPLEHOOD + PLANETHOOD

A Jewish Rallying Cry for the Climate Crisis

By Jakir Manela, CEO, Hazon and Pearlstone

Climate change will have a decisive impact on all areas of life in Israel...Anticipated rainfall reduction could decrease the flow of the Jordan River by 22%, imperiling the region’s freshwater. The agricultural sector will be damaged, as will livestock and fishing. Rising sea levels will impact Israel’s coastline, potentially leading to saltwater infiltration of aquifers and degrading coastal cliffs, displacing residences, hotels, heritage sites, factories, and more. —Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2020

The American Jewish community must confront the climate crisis, both globally and as a threat multiplier that exacerbates existing tensions across the Middle East. Everyone who cares about Israel—from AIPAC and Friends of the IDF to JStreet and Americans for Peace Now— must confront the climate crisis for the sake of the country, the planet, and our future.

Hazon, the Jewish Lab for Sustainability, and the Pearlstone retreat center and outdoor education campus have led the way on this issue for the past 20 years, weaving sustainability into the fabric of Jewish life. Each year, we impact over 50,000 participants through immersive retreats, transformative experiences in Jewish Outdoor Food Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE), Jewish institutional greening projects, strategic partnerships, and community-building initiatives across North America, Israel, and the Jewish world.

In my new role as Hazon’s CEO, I recently traveled to Scotland to bring a Jewish voice to United Nations Climate Change Conference. Being there with activists, negotiators, and faith leaders from all over the world was a profound experience—and meeting the Israelis there was especially meaningful. I learned so much through our recording of several podcasts from Glasgow, including fascinating conversations with Mariana Bergovoy, deputy head of department, senior audit manager for the State Comptroller of Israel, and co-author of a recent audit report on climate action taken by the Israeli government, and with Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, executive director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, which is dedicated to preparing future leaders from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and around the world to

We went out into the streets to march with 100,000 people...a global tapestry of voices calling for a new path forward.

cooperatively solve the regional and global challenges of our time.

Amidst the backdrop of COP26, Hazon was proud to bring together a global network of Jewish climate leaders for Shabbat at Glasgow’s Garnethill Synagogue. It was a beautiful evening, and after dinner we shared our perspectives on the crisis—as Scots and Brits, Americans and Israelis. There was a poignant feeling of Jewish peoplehood that night—a deep sense of connection, and a shared commitment to justice, peace, and sustainability.

Then, on Shabbat morning, we went out into the streets to march with 100,000 people—young and old, religious and secular, a global tapestry of voices calling for a new path forward. We marched for five hours in the cold, wind, and rain. We marched with drums and dance, with songs and laughter, with chants and demands for climate action now. I probably burst into tears four times that day, overcome with grief and awe, inspiration and love. I now understand what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel meant when he described the religious experience of the historic 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery: For many of us the march...was about protest and prayer. Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.

It was an honor to march alongside Israeli allies, and I brought home from Glasgow a

deeper sense of what we can do—what we must do—to confront this crisis together as a Jewish people. Luckily, we are not starting from scratch.

Every fall, Hazon partners with the Arava Institute for the Israel Ride, bringing hundreds of people together to bike from Jerusalem to Eilat. It is a one-of-a-kind Israel experience, supporting cross-border environmental cooperation and peace-building initiatives. At Pearlstone, we host shlichim—educators infusing Israeli culture into our programs—and we hope to bring more of them to JOFEE impact hubs nationwide. Most impactfully, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has partnered with us to build Hakhel, a global network of innovative Jewish intentional communities, sparking a sustainability movement for over 15,000 people through over 130 initiatives in 30 countries all over the world!

Yet we must do more, all of us, together. So please help us green Jewish institutions everywhere through the Hazon Seal of Sustainability. This step-by-step program has helped more than 200 North American Jewish organizations reduce their carbon footprint over the past five years. Moving forward, Hazon will work in partnership with major Jewish organizations—including those focused on Israel—to elevate the climate crisis and mobilize Jewish communities worldwide toward action. Jewish leaders are rising to meet this challenge, and we encourage everyone to participate. The Jewish people must unite in order to build a sustainable future—for our children, for Israel, and for the world. We can do this, together.

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