Environmental protection minister says tar on Israel’s beaches that caused the country’s worst case of sea pollution in decades came from a single scofflaw ship Zafrir Rinat Feb. 24, 2021 The oil pollution over the past week along the length of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline was caused by a single ship, Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel […]

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Tar washing up along 90% of Israel’s coastline could take years to clean up, experts warn By MAYA MARGIT/THE MEDIA LINE   FEBRUARY 24, 2021 President Reuven Rivlin visits cleanup efforts at Herziliya beach after oil spill (photo credit: AMOS BEN-GERSHOM/GPO) A Greek-owned and flagged oil tanker has been named as the main suspect in […]

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Minerva Helen, a Greek tanker, was mentioned by several Israeli media outlets as responsible for the leak ■ Company denies all allegations Almog Ben Zikri Zafrir Rinat Feb. 23, 2021 An Israeli court partially lifted on Tuesday the gag order placed on the details pertaining to an oil spill off the country’s coast that led […]

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February 25, 2021 President Michel Aoun has been following up on the reports about the oil spill that has affected Israel’s entire coastline before reaching Lebanon’s shores, the National News Agency said. The agency added that Aoun has asked caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe to follow up on the issue with the U.N. and the […]

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Rawad Taha, Al Arabiya English Published: 22 February ,2021 Lebanon and Israel face the strongest marine ecological disaster since the 2006 war oil spill after a recent oil leak that officials in Lebanon said has originated from “a ship of the Israeli enemy” and has now reached the southern shores of Lebanon. Lebanon’s Prime Minister […]

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A disastrous oil spill that has blackened most of Israel’s shoreline has apparently affected Lebanon and deposits of tar have started washing up in the Lebanese south. The management of the city of Tyre’s coastal nature reserve, one of Lebanon’s last remaining sandy beaches and an important nesting site for endangered Loggerhead and Green sea […]

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A gag order on publishing details about the investigation into the environmental catastrophe was partially lifted on Tuesday February 23, 2021 The government allocated some NIS 45 million for the treatment of the coastal tar spill on Tuesday, as a gag order on publishing details about the investigation into the environmental catastrophe was partially lifted.“ […]

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Updated reports on the oil spill will be posted tomorrow. Those below provide background and highlight the editorial responses in The Jerusalem Post and Haaretz.

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President Reuven Rivlin, who also thanked the volunteers, said: “Now is the time for an urgent national plan before we face an unprecedented ecological disaster.” The image of a baby sea turtle covered in black tar has become the symbol of an ecological disaster that has struck Israel. Huge quantities of tar have been washed […]

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Haaretz Editorial Feb. 20, 2021 Last week Israelis were exposed to the severe consequences of an oil spill at sea as they beheld the wretched sight of sea turtles soaked in pollutants and requiring emergency treatment to save them. There are serious fears of long-term damage to the rocky portion of the coastline, which is […]

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As efforts continue to clean up coastline after country’s worst oil spill, employees at Israeli National Sea Turtle Rescue Center discover that the condiment helps wash the reptiles and flush tar from their digestive system Associated Press | Published: 02.23.21 When it comes to saving sea turtles, Israeli rescuers have discovered that mayonnaise is a […]

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The cleaning of the tar is done using special oils. It is a lengthy process that requires patience and an especially gentle hand. By IDAN ZONSHINE   FEBRUARY 21, 2021 Following the major ecological disaster that has befallen Israel’s shores as a result of the large amount of toxic oil spilled during a storm on Wednesday, […]

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Activists began reporting globs of black tar on Israel’s coast last week after a heavy storm, wreaking havoc on local wildlife. 21 Feb 2021 Israel closed all its Mediterranean beaches until further notice on Sunday, days after an offshore oil spill deposited tonnes of tar across more than 160km (100 miles) of coastline in what […]

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February 21, 2021 Israeli authorities on Sunday warned people to keep away from the Mediterranean shore to avoid massive tar pollution, as thousands of laborers and volunteers worked to clean contaminated beaches. Powerful winds and unusually high waves pummeled Israel’s entire Mediterranean coastline over Tuesday and Wednesday, with tons of tar staining 160 kilometers of […]

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The decision to censor the details was described by Israeli media as “irregular.” By TZVI JOFFRE, ROSSELLA TERCATIN   FEBRUARY 22, 2021 Israel’s investigation of the oil spill which has led to an unprecedented ecological disaster Mediterranean Coast in recent days has been placed under a gag order. The Haifa Magistrates Court issued the order Monday, […]

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Prime Minister Netanyahu and Environmental Minister Gamliel visit the area, vow to find those who are responsible for the disaster. By ROSSELLA TERCATIN   FEBRUARY 21, 2021 Israel’s beaches blackened by tar after offshore oil spill/ Reuters The environmental damage caused by the tar spill that has affected some 160 km. of the Israeli coastline […]

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Thousands of volunteers join cleaning efforts, with four sea turtles the first known fatalities. European satellite tracking points to the source as a tanker that passed through the area a week ago Zafrir RinatAlmog Ben Zikri Feb. 19, 2021 Tar that has washed up along Israel’s coast in recent days represents the country’s worse maritime […]

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We do not deserve the olive as our national tree. Tomer Dekel Feb. 19, 2021 Recently, slightly under the radar, the Jewish National Fund held a competition to choose a national tree for Israel. Like nearly 150,000 other people, I voted. But in retrospect it turned out that I hadn’t taken my role seriously enough. […]

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Awareness, proper legislation and infrastructure vital in instilling recycling habits, say officials and environmentalists By Sarah Abu Zaid – Feb 16,2021 AMMAN — Jordan is working on multiple fronts to increase awareness and improve infrastructure in order to reduce waste and boost recycling habits, which would benefit not only the environment, but the economy too, […]

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Zafrir RinatAlmog Ben ZikriNoa ShpigelFeb. 18, 2021 The pollution, which has affected mostly beaches in the Sharon and Carmel regions, has covered wildlife near the beaches with the black substance A string of beaches along the Mediterranean coast from the Galilee to Ashkelon have become polluted over the past two days with large quantities of […]

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