The Galilee Society - The Arab National Society For Health Research & Services(R.A.)

Garden Rue
Ruta chalepensis
Family: Rutaceae
Rue is a strong-smelling, somewhat bitter botanical herb, often incomparable to any other plant. Culinary uses of Rue have been documented from Ethiopia, through the Mediterranean region, to England. In Palestine, Rue is best known as an additive to storing and curing black olives. Medicinally Rue has been used to treat arthritis and eye skin diseases. Leaves and stems are immersed in olive oil and placed in the sun for up to 15 days; the oil can then be applied to the skin. An infusion of the leaves is also known to treat poisoning.

Goals and Background

Goals

To achieve just environmental conditions for the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, the Galilee Society has adopted a sustainable approach that takes into account the infrastructural, economic and social developmental needs of the community.

The Society´s Environmental Justice Center aims to:

Protect the environmental rights of the Arab minority through litigation, lobbying, nationwide campaigning, and publishing research studies and surveys;

Raise awareness within the Palestinian community about the importance of environmental preservation, capacity building and "green" practices;

Empower citizen groups to take effective action against industrial polluters, through a program of professional consultation and training; and

Foster dialogues on the local, regional and international levels concerning issues of minority environmental rights.

Background

Environmental conditions in Palestinian localities in Israel are sub-standard and often pose serious health risks to residents. Long-term governmental neglect of Arab towns and villages, coupled with a lack of community efforts to prevent environmental deterioration, have resulted in a hazardous situation for both the people and the land. Major causes of concern include:

The lack of sewage collection and treatment systems
The uncontrolled flow of sewage causes the contamination of drinking water, soil and food, and increases the incidence of infectious diseases, especially among children and the elderly. A 1999 Galilee Society survey of Arab towns and villages in the Galilee and the Triangle found that 33% of households do not have access to central sewage collection systems. A total of 56% of households are not connected. Furthermore, many villages with central sewage systems do not have access to regional treatment systems.

The proliferation of unlicensed and unregulated stone quarries
Surveys conducted by the Galilee Society indicate that asthma is twice as prevalent in children living in areas close to stone quarries as in other areas. Other illnesses stemming from the dust and noise produced by the quarries are also high. Yet the building of often unlicensed and unregulated stone quarries continues unabated.
A 1998 report issued by the State Comptroller found that stone quarries are concentrated in northern Israel for no justifiable reason. The supply far outstripped demand. As of 1999, stone quarries covered approximately 46,000 dunams in the Galilee (4 dunams = 1 acre). A quarter of the stone quarries were operating illegally. More troubling still, it is estimated that by 2020, the quarries will cover 70,000 dunams.
As many stone quarries operate in close proximity to Arab residential areas, the risk of adverse health conditions is high, particularly when noise and air pollution remain unchecked.

Urban planning that disregards environmental concerns.
Government planning that does not allot sufficient resources for natural growth and development leaves Arab localities overcrowded and under-planned. Despite pleas from Arab local councils, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has not provided adequate industrial zones on the outskirts of Arab towns. This means that Arab businesses are often forced to set up shop in residential areas, for lack of more appropriate places. Mixed industrial/residential areas create predictable problems, especially in cases where toxic chemicals are utilized or produced.
Arab entrepreneurs are often held back in their efforts to gain access to regional industrial parks, due to strict size requirements imposed by Boards of Directors. When Arab businesses do apply and gain entry into the regional parks, they are sometimes denied the tax incentives commonly offered to Jewish businesses.

In an attempt to raise awareness among the Arab population of their environmental rights and set the standard for its legal work, the Galilee Society Environmental Justice Center recently declared the following principles of Environmental Justice:

The Palestinian Arab minority in Israel has an equal right to:

Clean, unpolluted air.

Access to clean water.

Land free of pollution.

Live in a safe and sound environment.

Free access to impartial information regarding their environment.

Oppose pollution that damages their health and environment.

An equal share of open spaces and natural resources.

Apply measures to eliminate institutionalized environmental injustice.

The Palestinian Arab minority in Israel also has the right to struggle against the existing alienation from its land and heritage, which results from the discriminatory and unjust policies of the Israeli state, as well as from the neglect of this heritage within the community itself.