Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel s environment reporter.
A satellite image of Israel and Gaza s southern Mediterranean coast taken by the EU s Sentinel 1 on February 12, 2021. (screen capture)
The head of the company that helped Israel pinpoint a vessel it says is responsible for spilling oil that wound up polluting the country’s beaches is calling on Jerusalem to significantly bolster its monitoring capabilities, or risk being stricken again.
“Until Israel, like every other country that respects its oceans, has the ability to monitor daily for oil spills and to find the perpetrators, this can happen again and again. It’s a decision away,” said Ami Daniel, co-founder and CEO of Tel Aviv-based marine intelligence firm Windward.