Israel systematically denies Palestinians in the occupied territories and parts of Israel access to clean and safe drinking water.
Interview with Hasan Sari, Filmmaker, Poet and Entrepreneur

This interview was conducted by Brice Garreau

 

Plastic and garbage have bad effects on the environment, but we all know that war destroys the environment in a more brutal way. Now we want to know:

Has this war affected the Palestinian environment? How?

In recent history, wars have become a truly devastating force with massive and serious impact on the natural environments of those countries which were turned into a war zone. Decades-long military occupation, as the Israeli apartheid in Palestine, is one of the worst forms of wars and have been causing a structural damage to the environment in the occupied territories since it stated.

For countless generations, Palestinians have lived and worked sustainably and in harmony with the natural environment in historical Palestine, maintaining the indigenous landscape, sharing common resources, and growing a wide variety of crops as cultivation forms a central part of Palestinian culture and identity. Since 1948, when the state of Israel was established through war crimes and ethnic cleansing on 78% of Palestine and 3/4 of all Palestinians were expelled from their homes, the occupation has been damaging and destroying the environment in order to exploit its natural resources; to pressure Palestinians to leave their land, as part of its repeated military assaults and illegal siege and blockade of Gaza; and to erase evidence of Palestinian existence and connection to the land.

Israel’s environmental apartheid is harmful to the climate and violates the human rights of Palestinians, and is part of Israel’s broader system of apartheid against Palestinians, both inside Israel’s internationally recognized borders and in the territories it has militarily occupied since 1967 (the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza). Israel systematically denies Palestinians in the occupied territories and parts of Israel access to clean and safe drinking water. Israel steals more than 80% of water in the occupied West Bank and expropriates it for use in illegal settlements, denying Palestinians access to water while supplying Israeli settlers with enough water to fill swimming pools, irrigate crops, and wash vehicles. Because of Israeli restrictions, Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza are restricted from drilling water wells and installing water pumps, and are denied access to the Jordan River and freshwater springs. The Israeli army also regularly destroys Palestinian pipelines and water tanks, blocking Palestinians from even collecting rainwater. As a result, Palestinians are forced to live on an average of just 19 gallons of water per day—well below the WHO minimum.

Some reports indicate that the olive groves in Palestine are decreasing day by day. What is the reason for that?

Israel's environmental apartheid refers to the occupation's systematic exploitation of the environment in Palestine and the discriminatory system by which Palestinians are dispossessed of their land, water, and other natural resources while being disproportionately impacted by ecological damage caused by Israel.  Since 1967, Israel has uprooted at least 2.5 million trees in the occupied territories, including nearly one million olive trees, which are a primary source of food and income for many Palestinians. The occupation forces and illegal settlers of apartheid Israel have uprooted over 13 thousand Palestinian olive trees in the occupied West 'bank since the beginning of 2022. Israel's environmental apartheid uproots trees and destroys natural habitats in order to erase Palestinian history, identity and existence.

Environmental pollution, a weapon against the Palestinians: why does the international community not condemn this crime?

Palestinians need more than condemnation to stop the Israeli occupation and environmental apartheid from further damaging what has been remained of their ecological system. It’s no secret that this brutal occupation force and rogue state enjoy full impunity due to the cover it gets from the so-called free-world, for its non-stop crimes against Palestinians, their lands, trees, water resources, air and environment in general. The democratic West that preaches human rights to the rest of the world is empowering this genocide in Palestine, and Palestinian environment is no exception. Israel is a threat not only to Palestinians life and environment, but also to that of neighboring countries and their people; the leaks from Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor is only one example. No investigations by the international community's concerned agencies were demanded or allowed.

How is the slogan of free Palestine, healthy environment realized?

To cut this issue short, free Palestine and healthy environment can only be achieved and materialized through putting an end to this bloody nightmare called apartheid Israel and its criminal military occupation that has been targeting Palestinians and their life, land, and environment for over seven nightmarish decades so far.

COMMENT

A Arthur Filipovic

The silence of the medias about the crimes of Israel is unforgivable.

1 year ago

COMMENT


S Sam Ross

Unfortunately, Israel is doing anti-human activities with the support of cruel countries in the region

1 year ago

COMMENT


J Jason Kambler

Life in the western countries of Asia is very difficult and difficult, either they are involved in war or they are involved in problems such as lack of water

1 year ago

COMMENT


A Albert Jakson

War has always brought many problems, including the destruction of the environment, power does not even spare the environment

1 year ago

COMMENT


S Sheykh Esmaeil

The history of Palestine has been mixed with invaders for centuries, as if this nation is cursed

1 year ago

COMMENT


T Taimaz Temirof

The international community is silent, the water war will definitely be bloodier than the land war

1 year ago

COMMENT


O olive tree

This is terrible! A lot of trees have been cut down by Israel and no media is talking about it! Thank you for your site that paid attention to this issue!

1 year ago

COMMENT


S SMALL BEE

This interview revealed dark angles about Israel! This site is wonderful

1 year ago

COMMENT


T Taimaz Temirof

The international community is silent, the water war will definitely be bloodier than the land war

1 year ago

COMMENT


B Bon Bon

Is there any evidence to show that Israel's nuclear power plants have leaked into the environment?

1 year ago

COMMENT


H Hasan Sari

With French assistance, apartheid Israel began secretly building a nuclear site in the late 1950s in the desert near Dimona, a city some 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of occupied Jerusalem, but under its policy of nuclear ambiguity, the occupation entity neither confirms nor denies having nuclear weapons. It is among just four countries that have never joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty, a landmark international accord meant to stop the spread of nuclear arms. Domestic and international sources and .analysts estimate Israel has already produced hundreds of nuclear bombs that could be delivered by land-based ballistic missiles, fighter jets or submarines. Leakage is no secret. In 2019, an Israeli court heard that radioactive material has leaked from the Dimona nuclear reactor several times since it was built, .

1 year ago
S Sandi Walters

Cruelty is not sustainable

1 year ago

COMMENT


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