The Environmental Justice
In light of the variety of environmental hazards (such as solid waste, stone quarries, polluting factories and inadequate sewage grids) in proximity to Palestinian-Arab residential areas, the EJ strives to defend the environmental rights of Arab citizens in Israel. Through community work, research and advocacy, the EJ aims to improve the environmental conditions in the Palestinian communities in Israel, thus reducing health risks posed by various environmental hazards.
The EJ is constantly working with the community to raise awareness in regard to environmental issues, in order to empower the Palestinian population to make informed decisions regarding environmental planning and to contest policies that discriminate against the Palestinian minority in Israel.
Through capacity-building and community empowerment, EJ places the tools of environmental change in the hands of the community itself, thus guaranteeing the sustainability and continuity of these changes for generations to come.
Official Claimer vis-a-vis the Knesset
Commending the Galilee Society’s efforts in the promotion of environmental justice, the Minister of Environmental Protection then, MK Gilad Ardan, instructed his office staff to seek the amendment of the Law of Prevention of Environmental Hazards (Civil Cases), 1992 to include the Galilee Society in the list of institutes legally authorized to claim in front of the Knesset in environmental matters. The Galilee Society is the first Arab organization to have received this prestigious status and recognition, which will be of great assistance in the organization’s efforts to improve the conditions and sustainability of Arab communities and promote social justice in Israel.