Internal Affairs and the Environment Committee Chairwoman MK Miki Haimovich (Blue&White).
Internal Affairs and the Environment Committee Chairwoman MK Miki Haimovich (Blue&White) on Tuesday said that the government is planning to transform Eilat and Ashkelon into “oil cities,” and the number of oil tankers in both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea will increase significantly, having already grown alarmingly over the past few years.
Addressing said a meeting on the oil spill that recently dumped tons of tar along much of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, Chairwoman Haimovich said the tar pollution was “one of the most serious ecological disasters” in Israel’s history according to the Nature and Parks Authority.
The sand on both beaches was still flecked with tar balls.
Tar on the beach of Maayan Zvi in northern Israel , March 2, 2021. (Sue Surkes/Times of Israel)
At Gador, where soldiers from the army’s special intelligence unit 9900 were volunteering for the day, shiny new chunks of tar lay close to the waterline and previously deposited flotsam were still tucked onto the nooks and crannies of the cliff.
“It’s great to get away from the computer screen and to be out on such a lovely day,” said Samuel. “It’s also great to be able to help,” added Hadar.
Israel begins disposal of 1,200 tons of tar collected from ongoing beach cleanup timesofisrael.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofisrael.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel s environment reporter.
A ladybug rests on tar-covered rocks and shells after an oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea, at Tel-Dor Nature Reserve in Nahsholim, Israel; Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. A disastrous oil spill has blackened most of the country s shoreline and reached beaches of neighboring Lebanon. The cleanup is expected to take months. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The government on Tuesday approved NIS 45 million ($13.8 million) for the cleanup of Israel’s Mediterranean beaches, most of which have been severely contaminated by tar following an oil spill at sea which is currently under investigation.
The government’s announcement followed a court decision Tuesday morning to cancel a seven-day ban on the reporting of any details about the probe, in favor of a package of more limited reporting rules. The change followed a petition from several media organizations.