Analysis: Environmentalists angered by minister's about-face over Mirsham

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
It should have been a good moment for Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra. There he was, in front of thousands of environmental activists, to hand out lifetime achievement awards to 12 of their own at an event dedicated to environmental activism over the last 60 years. Instead, he was the target of catcalls and derisive comments from the crowd on Tuesday night. His crime, in their view? Choosing politics over the environment and reversing his ministry's position on establishing the new settlement of Mirsham in the eastern Lachish region. After two years of objecting on environmental grounds, Ezra suddenly ordered his people in recent days to support the new settlement, intended in part for Gush Katif evacuees. The National Planning Council approved the new settlement just prior to the event. The crowd didn't like it. When Ezra got up to give his opening remarks there were boos and calls for him to explain himself. Rather than opening up the floor to a debate, a clearly disgruntled Ezra cut short his remarks and sat back down. Even showing up to the event was too much for the rank and file of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). They decided to boycott the event entirely in protest. So when five [out of 12] of those who were affiliated with SPNI received awards, none of their associates were there to give them a round of applause. Azarya Elon, one of SPNI's founders and a prize recipient, made a point of mentioning Mirsham in his prepared remarks. Yoav Sagi, another recipient, went several steps further. Sagi is the green groups' representative on the council and was particularly incensed. To receive his prize, he plastered anti-Mirsham stickers on the front and back of his shirt. When he shook Ezra's hand, he made a point of saying it was under protest, he told The Jerusalem Post later in the evening. He also slipped Ezra a letter explaining his discontent. Sagi had some interesting things to say about the vote in the council earlier in the day. "The ministry put out a press release a few days ago saying Ezra had changed his mind after consulting with the professionals in his ministry. That is a lie. None of the professionals were willing to switch their position, so none of them showed up to the vote. They just stayed away," he told the Post. In the letter he wrote to Ezra, a copy of which he provided to the Post, Sagi expressed his displeasure with Ezra's actions. Sagi is one of the foremost defenders of Israel's rapidly dwindling open spaces. After dismissing the reasons for establishing a new settlement, he wrote, "Worst of all, the one and only minister who was supposed to stand in the breach and protect nature, the environment and the open spaces folded at the last minute, surrendered to outside pressures and announced his support for establishing the settlement." "I considered boycotting the ceremony," he concluded, "but I was convinced that we do not receive these awards out of the mercy of the representatives of the establishment, but by right of our actions and achievements, which countless times were achieved despite rather than because of the establishment. And therefore there is room to celebrate. How unfortunate it is, however, that anger and worry over the fate of nature and the environment, the identity of the country, the quality of our lives and those who come after us will taint the celebration." Ezra added "protection" to the name of the ministry when he took over. Looks like he has some patching up to do if he hopes to live up to it.