ISRAELI MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WANTS TO REENGAGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006442

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA, NEA/REA, AND NEA/IPA
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2014
TAGS: IS KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL SENV ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SUBJECT: ISRAELI MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WANTS TO REENGAGE
WITH PALESTINIAN COUNTERPARTS

REF: TEL AVIV 5567

Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein, reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).

This is a joint Embassy Tel Aviv - Consulate General
Jerusalem message.


1. (C) Summary: GOI Environment Ministry officials hope that
the USG and/or UNEP can help them reengage with their
Palestinian counterparts to address pressing environmental
issues. MoE provided a list of action items they consider
the most feasible from a longer list of UNEP Desk Study
recommendations. UNEP is working to reactivate earlier
Israeli-Palestinian environmental consultations. Embassy and
Consulate General will encourage the parties to meet
following the January 9 Palestinian presidential election.
End Summary.


2. (C) Ministry of Environment Director General Miki Haran
told visiting NEA Senior S&T Advisor Charles Lawson in a
meeting at MoE on December 6 that her ministry wants to
reengage with its Palestinian counterparts. MoE subsequently
provided ESTH Officer with its updated list of "low-hanging
fruit," a subset of the recommendations of the UN Environment
Programme Desk Study on the Environment in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories. The list represents the Desk Study
recommendations MoE considers most feasible. The document
MoE provided highlighted in bold letters the recommendation
to reactivate the Joint Environmental Experts Committee
established by the Oslo agreements. MoE's list follows at
end of this message. Haran said she hoped USG and/or UNEP
could help facilitate meetings and a dialogue on
environmental issues.


3. (C) UNEP Post-Conflict Assessment Unit Project Coordinator
Aniket Ghai visited Embassy December 14 and told ESTH Officer
that he and UNEP Executor Director Klaus Toepfer met in Cairo
the previous week with Palestinian Environmental Quality
Authority head Abu Safiyeh to discuss progress under the Desk
Study. Ghai said Abu Safiyeh was pleased with the UNEP
process and wanted to see it continue. Abu Safiyeh said he
did not object to meeting with his Israeli counterparts, "but
the time has to be right."


4. (C) Comment: Both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered
from a dearth of dialogue and cooperation on environmental
issues. UNEP is urging both sides to resume consultations on
environmental issues. Embassy and Consulate General will
also work to bring both sides together following the January
9 election, preferably at the ministerial level initially,
but at the technical level if that is not possible in the
short term. Septel will report on the Israeli MoE's internal
deliberations on environmental issues related to Gaza
disengagement. End comment.


5. (C) The GOI MoE updated list of most readily achievable
recommendations from the UNEP Desk Study follows. The
numbers preceding each recommendation are keyed to the full
list of 136 recommendations contained in the January 2003
Desk Study.

Begin MoE list:

"Low-Hanging Fruit" from UNEP Desk Study Recommendations
(listed according to the number of the recommendation, not in
order of priority)


1. Keep environment out of the conflict.

2. Reactivate the Joint EEC established by the Oslo
agreements.

3. Build on regional solutions.

4. Revitalize the cross-border cooperation between
environmental authorities, experts, scientists and NGO's.

8. The international community and donors should support
sustainable development and environmental cooperation.

10. Develop environmental cooperation as a confidence
building tool.

18. Improve the controlling capacity of the EQA.

20. Strengthen the enforcement of environmental laws.

22. Take environmental considerations into account in
land-use planning.

23. Encourage NGO cooperation between Palestinians and
Israelis.

25. Open an environmental dialogue with the private sector.

66. Strengthen the role of the EQA in the waste sector.

67. Improve donor coordination in the waste sector.

68. Re-establish Israeli-Palestinian waste cooperation.

69. Separate hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

72. Improve collection of wastes.

74. Stop the open burning of waste.

76. Recycle metal, glass and other materials.

77. Introduce composting.

92. Envisage cross-border cooperation in waste collection and
treatment.

100. Adopt a regional approach to the treatment of hazardous
waste.

106. Launch public awareness campaigns.

110. Establish a collection system for used oil.

113. Set up a pilot project for medical waste management.

114. Set up a pilot project for the recycling of tires.

115. Organize a workshop on capacity building.

122. Enhance the protection of migratory species.

126. Restart capacity-building activities on conservation
management.

132. Improve solid waste management.

135. Improve coastal zone management.
End of MoE "Low-hanging Fruit" list.

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