Foto Friday – Greenpeace vs Coal Power

July 16, 2010 - 1:01 PM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Environment, Foto Friday, General, History and Culture, Picture of the Week, Politics, Technology 

Greenpeace has been stepping up its activity against coal-fired power stations, coal still being the prevalent form of fuel for electric power generation in Israel. Yesterday, eight Greenpeace activists were arrested upon infiltrating the grounds of the Hadera power plant. The eight — comprising Israeli and foreign nationals — entered the plant via the sea.

This follows an action taken earlier this month, when Greenpeace activists boarded a coal ship, the Orient Venus, en route from South Africa to Israel and attempted to block it from docking at the Hadera power plant.

The three persons who hung the “Coal kills” banner were arrested but later released.

According to the Associated Press yesterday, “Israeli police said six of the activists were arrested on the coal dock.”

“Greenpeace said nine more activists were arrested after their “Rainbow Warrior” boat reached the Haifa port in northern Israel for inspection by Israeli authorities.”

Greenpeace opposes Israel’s plans to build a new coal-fueled power plant off the coast of Ashkelon so stay tuned for more news items about dramatic actions like these.

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Why I’m Voting Green This Year

February 6, 2009 - 11:56 AM by · 4 Comments
Filed under: Israeliness, Politics 
yeruka
You would think that after voting for a Barkat and a Barack respectively in the local Jerusalem and U.S. elections, the logical next choice would be to support a Barak (Ehud that is) in the upcoming Israeli national elections.

Would that it were that easy.

The major parties fielded for the 2009 elections have got to be the worst in years. Which is too bad.

When elections were called after newly minted Kadima party head Tzipi Livni couldn’t form a coalition last year, I initially felt it was the right thing for the country.

Kadima, under the now disgraced Ehud Olmert, has veered significantly from the mandate under which it had been elected. Olmert’s public declarations on how much territory he would be willing to cede in a peace deal with Palestinians are from the consensus.

So elections, I thought, would allow the Israeli public to choose a leader who was more in sync with where the people stand today, one who made it clear which way he or she planned to take the country.

Except that we have no idea what the candidates are for at all, because they simply won’t tell us. A public debate like in the U.S.? Not here.

David Horowitz, writing in last week’s Jerusalem Post, nailed it on the head.

Is the Likud under Bibi Netanyahu committed to expanding settlements in the West Bank, Horowitz asked, or will it limit those to “natural growth,” possibly even proposing its own permanent borders?

Will Livni pick up the negotiations with the Palestinian Authority from where Olmert left off, or will she turn more hawkish like her political rival in Kadima Shaul Mofaz?

What about Labor? Ehud Barak proposed borders at Camp David in 2000 that fell far short than those contemplated by Olmert. They were subsequently rejected by Yassar Arafat and met instead by a protracted campaign of suicide terror. Will Barak now harden his stance?

And where do the candidates stand on the economy – not an insignificant matter in this time of global doom and gloom. Only the Likud – riding on Netanyahu’s tenure as finance minister – has spelled out a comprehensive plan.

But the real question that has to be asked: How did we get to a situation where two out of the three candidates competing for the premiership have already held the position…and were unceremoniously booted out of office? Where is our Barack Obama, a leader who seemingly comes out of nowhere to galvanize the country?

Traditionally, I have voted for one of the big parties. I want to have my say over who will be prime minister and, in Israel’s antiquated party coalition system, where there’s no such thing as U.S. style direct election of the country’s leader, that’s the only way to do it. I’m not beholden to any particular party. Over the past three elections, I have voted for all of them – Likud, Labor and Kadima, in that order.

But when the choices are as dreadful they are, I’ve turned my attention to the smaller parties. Not the ridiculous new pairing of the Holocaust Survivor’s Party with a spin off of the Green Leaf movement which has broadcast commercials of senior citizens pushing for legalization of marijuana.

No, the party that’s captured my interest is the Yeruka-Meimad list.

Yeruka-Meimad is an amalgamation of an environmentally conscious list (“yarok” is Hebrew for green) and the tolerant religious party Meimad. Together they stand for many of the issues I have always cared deeply about.
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Too many shades of Green?

July 30, 2008 - 4:37 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Politics 

The GreensThe smell of elections is certainly starting to penetrate the air we breathe with new political parties being formed as well as current member of the Knesset who are looking to bolt their party for other parties with better chances in the next election. Israel is known for it’s lesser known – and eclectic – parties that always come out of the woodwork. We’ve got the man’s rights party, cab drivers party and the pensioners party (who managed to get a substantial amount of seats in the last election). I’m sure a few more fun ones will come about.Green Leaf Party

The people are angry with the government. They are fed up with the same old politicians serving their self-interests and are sick and tired of the corruption. Many parties are poised to fill the void and speak for the people but they of course must garner enough support to break the threshold in order to get into the Knesset. There exists a substantial protest vote and that is how the pro-marijuana Green Leaf party almost made it in a few elections ago and it was that same protest vote that brought the pensioners party into the Knesset.

However this time there might be a bit more confusion. Currently there are three parties all with the word Green in their names. There is of course the Green Leaf party, the Greens and now a Green party spin off called (as of right now) the “Green Movement.” From Haaretz:

Over the past few weeks, the new party held a series of discussions that culminated in a foundational document entitled “Green Movement Vision.” The document says a “green movement” does more than preserve the landscape; it has a broader political and social agenda.

According to the document, the new party will focus on building an economy that takes into account environmental and ecological needs.

It will work for tougher legislation to deter polluters, expand local authorities’ power to intervene in environmental matters, and initiate a national project to make Israel energy-independent by 2050 by utilizing solar energy.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the party supports a resolution based on the two-state principle, with security guarantees for Israel.

The party advocates preserving Shabbat as a day of rest free of business or commercial activity, but allowing public transportation to operate and entertainment venues to be open .

As for the character of the State of Israel, the movement states that the Hebrew language and the Jewish identity are the country’s essence.

However, it adds that Israel’s Arab citizens suffer from discrimination, and that they must be allowed to fulfill their right to develop their cultural heritage.

“The Arab school system is entitled to teach and promote Palestinian and Arab culture and history,” according to the document, “alongside a shared core curriculum that reflects values common to every citizen in the country,” it states.

I fail to see the difference between this agenda and the agenda of the original Greens. Time will tell and I think success of either of these groups is contingent on what “name” they each get to top their list. With environmentalism all the rage (and the disappointing actions of the pensioner party) I can’t imagine those who voted for the pensioners as a protest vote not supporting a party who actually has an agenda that might be somewhat altruistic. Time will tell.

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