close
close

Israeli climate group heads to Baku; Isaac Herzog prepares for visit to USA – Israel News

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Israeli climate group heads to Baku; Isaac Herzog prepares for visit to USA – Israel News

President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday hosted a reception for the Israeli delegation heading to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the annual United Nations climate change conference.

Each year the conference is held in a different country.

Herzog led the Israeli delegation to last year’s conference, which took place in Dubai in December.

In addition to his genuine interest in climate change and its control, Herzog went to the UAE knowing that many world leaders would be there, giving him the opportunity to raise the hostage issue with senior government officials and politicians.

This year’s delegation will be led by Environment Minister Idit Silman and will include, among others, Yaakov Asher, chairman of the Knesset Environment Committee, and former Knesset member Dov Henin, who chairs the Presidential Climate Forum. The conference, which opens on November 11 and ends on November 22, will be attended by representatives of 167 countries.

PRESIDENT ISAAC DUKE addresses his guests during selihot. (Photo: HAIM ZAK/GPO)

Herzog in Washington

While Silman and company head to Baku, Duke will head to Washington, D.C., to attend the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, which opens at the Marriott Marquis on November 10.

In Washington, Herzog will be sure to meet with outgoing US President Joe Biden to wish him well and thank him again for all he has done for Israel during his long political career, especially over the past year.

At Tuesday’s reception, Duke said he was very proud that Israel was one of the first countries to recognize the dangers of global warming and climate change.

He told members of the delegation that their mission was twofold. One is humanitarian, in that the solutions Israel has found to solve the crises in energy, water, agriculture and food security can be shared with the rest of the world, and the other is to spread the truth about Israel and Zionism.

Based on his own experience in Dubai, the Duke was confident that all members of the delegation would find their visit to Baku fruitful and meaningful.

Stay up to date with the latest news!

Subscribe to the Jerusalem Post newsletter

Stressing that climate change is not going away, Herzog said solutions must be found together, despite differences between countries on other issues. “We have the opportunity for meetings and cooperation with other countries in the region,” he said.

Aware that there are those who believe that environmental problems should be left aside in the apocalyptic period in which Israel now finds itself, he told his guests: “But you all know how important it is to continue the work. We must recognize that if we do nothing to solve global problems, we will be doing a disservice to our own people.”

Silman proved that when there is a common cause, people who disagree on other issues can work well together. Although she and Heneen are politically polarized, she called him a “partner, friend and mentor.”

Although Henin and Usher are also on opposite ends of the political divide, Henin praised Usher for his commitment to protecting the environment and striving for a better world for the next generation. Usher, for his part, described Henin as a “very honest” person.

Speaking about Baku and beyond, Silman said: “We will be partners with all other countries in finding solutions to combat climate change.” Such a partnership, she continued, would benefit the entire world.

Although Israel has proposed several solutions to the problems of water shortages, drought, wildfires and more, “we are still far from the goals that Israel has set for itself,” Silman said. She, Usher and Henin emphasized the need for environmental legislation. There is widespread consensus in the Knesset on such a law, which has already been drafted but has been delayed in bringing it to a vote.

Usher warned that the bill’s eventual language would differ significantly from the current text. He explained that for legislation to gain public support, everything related to the environment must be more practical and stated in simpler terms so that all segments of the population can understand it.

Nothing that environmentalists hope to achieve can be accomplished until the political issues that have divided the nation are resolved, Heneen said. “We have to find a way to do this,” he insisted. While it is important for Israel to attend the climate conference, he said, it is more important for Israel to be able to say what is being done to find solutions, because so many problems stem from other problems. He referred to the energy crisis in Europe. , which was greatly influenced by the war in Ukraine.

On the other hand, advanced technologies provide partial solutions. China, he noted, is developing new energy sources.

Technological innovation will help solve the climate crisis, said Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority. Israel currently has 800 high-tech companies involved in environmental issues, and representatives of 80 of these companies will be in Baku, he said.

The solutions that Israel can come up with and develop will also bring enormous benefits to the economy, he noted.

Later that day, the Duke eulogized Israel’s third president, Zalman Shazar, on the 50th anniversary of his death and the 100th anniversary of his arrival in the Holy Land. Shazar was the first president to occupy the presidential residence.