Pollution in a Promised Land: An Environmental History of Israel

by Alon Tal

Virtually undeveloped one hundred years ago, Israel, the promised "land of milk and honey," is in ecological disarray. In this gripping book, Alon Tal provides--for the first time ever--a history of environmentalism in Israel, interviewing hundreds of experts and activists who have made it their mission to keep the country's remarkable development sustainable amid a century of political and cultural turmoil.

The modern Zionist vision began as a quest to redeem a land that bore the cumulative effects of two thousand years of foreign domination and neglect. Since then, Israel has suffered from its success. A tenfold increase in population and standard of living has polluted the air. The deserts have bloomed but groundwater has become contaminated. Urban sprawl threatens to pave over much of the country's breathtaking landscape. Yet there is hope. Tal's account considers the ecological and tactical lessons that emerge from dozens of cases of environmental mishaps, from habitat loss to river reclamation. Pollution in a Promised Land argues that the priorities and strategies of Israeli environmental advocates must address issues beyond traditional green agendas.

Genres: Israel, Middle East

588 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Alon Tal (Hebrew: אלון טל‎‎, born 12 July 1960) is a leading Israeli environmental activist and academic, founder of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and a co-founder of Ecopeace Middle East,This is My Earth,[4] the Israel Forum for Demography, Environment and Society Aytzim: Ecological Judaism and the Green Movement political party. Tal was appointed chair of the department of Public Policy at Tel Aviv University in 2017.