Zalul Environmental Association is an environmental not-for-profit organization committed to protecting and maintaining clean, clear water along Israel’s rivers and shorelines.
Founded in 1999 by a group of concerned citizens alarmed by the ongoing degeneration of Israel’s natural water resources and the lack of infrastructure and regulations to safeguard them, Zalul is comprised of a dedicated small team of professionals from various fields, devoted to protecting Israel’s natural heritage and to bring issues of environmental protection to the forefront of the public agenda. Today, Zalul is one of Israel’s leading environmental NGOs.
Zalul Environmental Association
“Zalul” in Hebrew means “clear” – A Clear Sea and Clean Streams
Zalul was established in 1999, acting as the “gatekeeper”, protecting the sea, streams and water sources in Israel. The Organization’s best known victory is in ridding the Eilat Bay of the fish cages that killed the rare coral reef in the water. Zalul’s methods are diverse, including the promotion of legislation, legal action, media activities, raising public opinion and more. Zalul operates a team consisting of professionals in various fields and volunteers.
Among the Organization’s achievements:
Stopping diving activities in the contaminated Kishon Stream (together with Navy Commando Reserve Organization)
Establishing sewage purification facilities nationwide
Changing laws relating to the sea and streams
Significantly reducing sea and stream pollution by authorities and factories.
Zalul aims to take action on issues neglected by the government or subject to governmental disregard due to foreign interests. The Organization is currently active in a wide variety of areas:
Protecting the marine environment in light of the gas and oil offshore drillings
Discontinuing the flow of Shafdan sewage-sludge into the Mediterranean Sea
Stopping marine pollution by land sources
Acting toward closing Haifa Chemicals’ hazardous Ammonia Reservoir in Haifa Bay
Discontinuing the pollution and drying of Israel’s streams, by promoting an campaign for restoring the water to the streams as the desalination endeavor progresses
The Water Crisis
Initiating and financing a program for restoring water to Alexander Stream (The program is currently used as a model for restoring additional streams).
Promoting a reform in the fishery industry, currently considered one of the main causes of pollution in Israel’s streams.
Major Programs
Zalul in the Mediterranean Sea
Preventing the Environmental Hazards of Offshore Gas and Oil Drillings
The discovery of gas (and perhaps oil, in the future) is important to Israel’s energy economy, but drilling in the Mediterranean Sea poses a threat of an ecological disaster, as learned from severe oil and gas disasters around the world. To prevent the catastrophe in advance, Zalul operates on several levels toward increasing the responsibility of Mediterranean drilling, improving the supporting governmental structure, increasing transparency, knowledge, enforcement, joint ventures, and more.
Stopping the Flow of Shafdan’s Sludge into the Sea
Every year, The Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant (Shafdan) pollutes approximately 5 million cubic meters of contaminated sewage-sludge into the Mediterranean Sea. The facility has been compelled to discontinue this activity for many years, but it is held back on various excuses. Zalul is acting to ensure the Shafdan stops contaminating the sea and that its management shortens its process for implementing the plan to transform the sludge into agricultural fertilizer.
The toilet seat is our “mail box” of many post cards we are sending to Tel Aviv mayor Huldai, demanding he puts an end to the sewage-sludge going to the sea.
Promote the Establishing Governmental Institutions to Protect the Mediterranean Sea
Zalul is promoting a plan to establish a Political Lobby for the Marine and Shore in the Knesset. The purpose is aimed at protecting the Mediterranean Sea and its shores against the numerous environmental impacts derived from the changes anticipated due to the desalination
plants established along its shores and due to the offshore gas and oil drilling that are about to take place in nearby waters. The lobby will be responsible for ensuring that the government makes decisions relating to the Mediterranean Sea, while keeping in mind the environmental interest, protecting it, monitoring its users, ratifying international treaties, contributing to research, and more, while expressing their concern for all those who enjoy the marine environment.
In addition, Zalul is currently working together with the Haifa University’s Legal Clinic toward establishing a Marine and Shore Authority alongside a National Marine and Shore Council. This entity will consolidate all of the authorities for managing the marine and shore environment in an integrative manner and in accordance with principles of sustainable development (similar to the broad authority granted to the Israel Land Authority and Israel Water and Sewage Authority). Establishing these entities will serve as a means for coping with the challenges currently facing the government in terms of protecting the ecological systems in the sea and on the shore.
Working Toward a “Zalul” (Clear) Sea
Zalul monitors the Mediterranean Sea through reports and studies. The organization publishes reports on the reasons for beach closure at the beginning and end of each bathing season. Every year, the organization issues a Sea Status Report, analyzing various marine related issues. These reports and studies serve as a basis for proposed bills relating to the sea and they provide the public with extensive information on the state of the sea. The 2011 Sea Report led to the call for establishing a Marine and Shore Authority that would monitor the developments at the Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea, Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
Zalul in the Red Sea
Thanks to its longstanding struggle, Zalul succeeded in closing down the fish tanks in the Gulf of Eilat. Unfortunately, the damage to the coral reef was already severe. Zalul is
currently monitoring the coral reef in order to follow its restoration since the fish tanks were closed.
Zalul for a Safe Environment
Closing Down the Ammonia Reservoir, Now
Haifa Chemicals positioned its Ammonia tank, containing 12K tons of Ammonia, a dangerous and lethal gas, at the Haifa Bay, in an area exposed to earthquakes and missile attacks. Experts estimate that if the Ammonia tank were to be hit, it could equate to the death of ~17,000 people! Zalul’s actions are targeted at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Haifa Municipality, and the courts, demanding the immediate closure of the hazardous tank, thereby, preventing the greatest disaster in the history of the state.
Zalul in Streams
Restoring Life to the Streams
Israel’s’ streams suffer from a high level of pollution caused by factories and local authorities. Zalul works toward stopping pollution by encouraging the state to establish waste purification centers that will redirect waste water to agriculture and refill the streams with water as the establishment of desalination facilities progresses. Concurrently, Zalul is promoting a reform in the fishery industry with the aim of stopping the outflow of fishpond waste into the streams.
The Water Crisis
Zalul is investing efforts toward increasing transparency in water economy management. This transparency shall be achieved through the appointment of an environmental representative to the Water Authority Council and by establishing a public council for water and sewage management. The council will consist of public representatives, consumer
representatives and academics. The council will supervise and audit the Water Authority, and shall provide the public with extensive information.
Community Action
Every year, Zalul conducts several beach clean-up events, recruiting hundreds of students, soldiers and volunteers to take part in the effort. Thus far, thousands of undeclared beachfront accumulated kilometers and riverbanks have been cleaned.
Zalul Looking to the Future
Educating children and youth to take personal responsibility for their environment as a key for preserving nature’s resources in future generations. Every year, Zalul reaches out to hundreds of children and youth with various events and educational programs.
“Sea Defenders” Forum
Zalul is currently establishing a forum of people with emotional ties to the sea, whether they are yachtsmen, scuba divers, surfers, swimmers or simple sea lovers. The joint activity will help promote awareness to protecting the sea, collaboration among various groups in the Israeli public, and will, in general, highlight the concept of preserving the sea and streams.
The “Blue Brigade”
A group of various “sea users” – surfers, divers, yachtsmen, etc., helping Zalul keep the sea and streams clean. Members of the Blue Brigade report hazards to Zalul, in order to ensure a timely response and handling of polluting factors and relevant authorities.
To Join Zalul’s Activities or Donate:
www.zalul.org.il www.facebook.com/ZalulIsrael
Address: 16 Aba Hillel Silver St., Ramat Gan, 52506, Israel
Tel: +972-3- 5762666
Donations may be directed in support of one of the above programs.
Maya Jacobs – Executive Director, Zalul
Maya Jacobs holds an MA in International Affairs and Political Science from Columbia University, an MA in Public Management from the IDC, and a BA in communications and Jewish History from Tel Aviv University. Maya has over 15 years of experience in media advising, lobbying and event productions for the public and Third Sectors. She has served in the past as spokesperson and part of the close staff of Prime Minister Ehud Barak, as Chief Information Officer for the Israeli Consulate General in NY, and as Chief Representative of the Geneva Initiative in North America. As owner of MJ Media Solutions she provided PR, Lobbying, fundraising and networking services to Americans in Israel and to Israelis in the US. Upon her return to Israel in 2006, served as Director for the Sheatufim Center for Philanthropy and later as independent social-investment consultant for philanthropists, politicians and organizations. Her clients included the Interdisciplinary Institute in Hertzlia, the Kadima Party, the Reut Institute and many more. Served in the Israeli Air Force and was released at the rank of Lieutenant.
