VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0676/01 0791449
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201449Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1090
RUEHSS/OECD POSTS COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1697
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5682
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000676 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/ENV, EEB/EPPD AND NEA/IPA 
AMMAN FOR ESTH - BHALLA 
EPA for International - S. Fulton 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG TBIO IS
SUBJECT: Environment Minister Criticized as OECD Assessment 
Approaches 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
REF: (A) 08 TEL AVIV 195 (B) 08 TEL AVIV 2201 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Outgoing Environment Minister Gideon Ezra was 
given a failing grade by the Israeli environmental NGO community in 
a review of his three year tenure.  He sided with the government 
against policy choices endorsed by his own ministry staff, weakened 
rather than strengthened environmental protection legislation, and 
saw his ministry's budget cut to its lowest level in the past 
decade.  This criticism coincided with a visiting OECD team 
evaluating Israel's handling of chemicals and its environmental 
preparedness for OECD accession, raising questions about Israel's 
compliance actions taken to date.  Comment: Post believes the March 
and June OECD visits will be crucial in energizing the GOI to 
undertake needed environmental protection reforms. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Gideon Ezra received poor marks for his stewardship of the 
ministry and Israel's environment from local NGOs.  They 
acknowledged that although his defense sector background gave him 
little in the way of background on environmental issues, he did 
study his new brief seriously and keep an open door.  However, they 
term his tenure as one of lost opportunities and slow progress. 
Professor Alon Tal of Ben Gurion University claimed that Ezra's 
policies on air pollution failed, especially given the spotlight 
placed on this issue in recent years.   Enforcement was poor, with 
factories polluting the Haifa Bay area escaping serious sanctions. 
"It is impossible to point to improvements... in air quality 
regarding harm to public health," said the head of the Israel Union 
for Environmental Defense.  The minister's opposition to the Clean 
Air Act legislation, due to his budget constraints, appalled 
environmental defense groups.  The Society for the Protection of 
Nature in Israel (SPNI) criticized Ezra for backing the GOI's 
settlement policy in the Negev and ecologically sensitive areas 
despite its sometimes deleterious environmental impact.  It also 
faulted him for the Ministry's failure to pursue levies due the 
government for wastewater dumping in the Mediterranean - monies that 
were supposed to fund rehabilitation efforts along the shoreline. In 
brief, his critics claim that he failed to exercise the type of 
strong leadership that the sector needs. 
 
¶3. (U) Ezra defended his record at an end-of-tenure press 
conference, and pointed to the accomplishments of recent years. 
Among those he mentioned were legislative measures levying new taxes 
on landfills, imposing tighter regulation on construction and 
demolition waste to curb illegal dumping, and regulating ground 
contamination.  Although it will not take effect until 2011, Ezra 
also claimed that the Clean Air legislation was an achievement.  He 
noted that he and his ministry worked to make government contracts 
more "green," thus capitalizing on the clout of government spending 
in the economy.   As the Israeli military uses about 50 percent of 
the country's land area, he termed as very important the recent 
efforts to increase the environmental awareness of IDF officers 
through new training programs.  Ezra also cited new regulations 
tightening the import and export of hazardous materials and 
agreements to rehabilitate parts of Ramat Hovav, Israel's sole 
hazmat processing industrial park as significant accomplishments. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The debate over environmental progress coincided 
uncomfortably with the start of a mission from the Organization for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on March 15 to evaluate 
Israel's chemicals management. The delegation, headed by Rob Visser, 
Deputy Director of the Environment Directorate of the OECD, came in 
the context of Israel's accession process to the OECD.  It will 
assess Israel's willingness and ability to implement 
OECD-recommended standards related to chemicals.  These standards 
include transparency in the chemicals management system and 
requirements on the reduction of risks to humans and the environment 
as a result of the production, use, and disposal of chemicals, 
including preparedness for both industrial and defense-related 
hazardous substances accidents.  Within the framework of its 
accession process, Israel submitted its Initial Memorandum to the 
OECD in July 2008.  The memorandum specified the extent of Israel's 
acceptance of the obligations resulting from each of the OECD's 
relevant legal instruments and the compatibility of Israeli 
legislation and policies with these obligations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) During the visit, members of the Chemicals Mission will 
hold discussions with representatives of the Ministry of 
Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor 
and others to hear about Israel's preparations for fulfilling OECD 
chemicals management requirements. Key among the subjects to be 
discussed are the establishment of a chemicals licening and control 
mechanism, the assimilation of itegrated pollution prevention and 
 
 
control (IPPC) principles in industrial plants, and the 
establishment of a pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR). 
Gaps in Israeli policy will be clarified.  Besides talking with the 
GOI, the OECD team will meet representatives of the Israel 
Manufacturers' Association and environmental NGOs.  Following the 
meetings OECD officials will tour several of Israel's hazmat 
hotpoint sites, including Ramat Hovav. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: Post believes that the present OECD team visit 
will play a critical role in laying out to the GOI the reforms 
needed to smooth the route to accession vis-a-vis the environmental 
criteria.  Their scheduled return visit in June to evaluate progress 
- just prior to a Paris meeting on the accession - will help focus 
the new Israeli government on the issue.  The degree to which 
Israel's new government undertakes the necessary reforms will test 
the depth of its commitment to the OECD process and the strength and 
political savvy of the new environment minister as s/he takes over 
what is considered to be one of the most junior ministries in the 
cabinet. 
 
Cunningham