The Green Zionist Alliance: The Acorn That Acted Like a Tree   

By Rabbi Michael M. Cohen

Our conventional association with the desert is that it is a vast wilderness of nothing. However, if one spends some time living in the desert, that approach can be radically altered. It is possible to learn to read the barren landscape as if it were a book. As in all good books, there are lessons to be learned and discovered. Spend forty years wandering in the desert, and those lessons become integrated into personal identity. Have a people wander for forty years, and those lessons become part of its cultural outlook and orientation.

Within the soil of the biblical desert, waiting for those few drops of rain, is the potential for life and change. It does not take much rain for that potential to be realized. In truth, the soil of the desert is fertile with seeds just waiting for even a few drops of rain. Witness how the Judean desert comes alive in a light carpet of green grasses, while the Arava and Sinai desert landscapes become splashed with colorful wildflowers.

The lesson that the desert teaches us is that it does not always take much to make a lot happen. Such is the story of the Green Zionist Alliance (www.greenzionism.org), the first Environmental Zionist organization to attend a World Zionist Congress.

In the spring of 2001, a discussion took place at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (www.arava.org) on Kibbutz Ketura about the state of the Zionist movement and the environment. Out of that discussion there was an agreement on the need for environmental Zionist representation at the then-upcoming 34^th World Zionist Congress in June 2002. The Green Zionist Alliance came into operation in the fall of 2001, operating out of Vermont, on a very marginal grassroots budget focusing on getting signatures to be on the ballot and the related paper work. A slate and platform were put together. The GZA captured 622 votes in the elections, garnishing one seat for the delegation from the United States to the World Zionist Congress.

With that one seat, the GZA used its presence at the Congress to broker an agreement with Mercaz Olami, the Conservative Movement’s Zionist arm. Through this agreement, the GZA secured two of Mercaz Olami’s three seats on the Board of Directors of Keren Keyemet L’Yisrael (the KKL, the Hebrew name for the Jewish National Fund – the organization founded in 1901 to buy and develop land for Jewish settlement in Palestine, which now owns some 13% of Israeli land). Thus, two leading Israeli environmental activists—Dr. Alon Tal, founder of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and the Arava Institute, and Dr. Eilon Schwartz, the Executive Director of The Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership—were named to the Board of the KKL. 

Tal and Schwartz were appointed to head what was then a new sub-committee for sustainable development. They created position papers that established new KKL policies for sustainable forestry, river restoration, water reservoirs, and public participation. They launched a number of other environmental initiatives, including pressuring the KKL to declare nature reserves in the last remaining sanctuary in Nes Tsiona, convincing the KKL to join the campaign to save thousands of acres of woodlands by moving parts of the trans-Israel highway into tunnels, and taking an active role through the KKL in international efforts to combat desertification.

Tal and Schwartz were also active in the area of social justice. In the heated debate over ending the ban on KKL land sales to non-Jewish citizens, the two led the fight for a new "equal rights" policy in the board. (The GZA’s voice would also be heard a few years later, in the summer of 2007, when that same questioned resurfaced.) Tal was the keynote speaker in the kick-off dinner that launched a 25 million-dollar KKL initiative to make the forests and parks "inclusive" and handicapped accessible. (see also Alon Tal, “The Greening of the Jewish National Fund,” Tikkun, July/August 2005, Vol. 20, No. 4.)

Unlike for the 2002 campaign, when the GZA needed to focus primarily on the organizational paperwork to simply be listed on the ballot, four years later with the 35^th World Zionist Congress elections approaching, the GZA was able to focus on the campaign. To help with this endeavor, the GZA expanded its Executive Committee. Representatives from Hazon, the Arava Institute, JGEN, COEJL, and the Teva Learning Center joined the Executive Committee, transforming the GZA into the alliance it had originally intended. In addition, Hal Klopper was hired as the Executive Director to run the campaign, and Steve Jacobson, as he did four years earlier, helped with legal aspects of the organization.

Funds were gathered from foundations and individuals, including the Avodah La’Olam (“work of the world”) class at the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, California, where philanthropy is taught to young teenagers. Not only did the class give to the GZA, but Ben Krigel also gave a significant percentage of his Bar Mitzvah money to the GZA.

The GZA slate included activists, professionals, rabbis, and scientists such as Dr. Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Dr. Richard Schwartz, Aliza Klein, Dr. Jeff Albert, and Karen Schapiro. The GZA captured 990 votes in the 2006 elections and increased to two seats at the Congress.

(An interesting voting trend should be noted: Ten years ago, in 1997, 107,636 American Jews voted for the 33^rd World Zionist Congress. In 2002 the GZA received 622 votes out of 88,753 cast, and in 2006 the GZA received 990 votes out of 75,686 cast. While the GZA numbers increased its numbers, the number of American Jews voting in these decreased; a drop-off ratio that continues more significantly with each election. This raises two questions. How many American Jews define themselves as Zionists? What is the future of the organized Zionist movement in the United States?)

With those two seats, out of a total of 350 delegates worldwide (including 145 U.S. delegates), the Green Zionist Alliance made a big impact at the 35^th World Zionist Congress. The GZA delegation included Rabbi Michael Cohen and Noam Dolgin, with Becca Weaver, Jonah Schein, and Lee Wallach attending as alternates. All three of the GZA resolutions submitted to the Congress passed, with support across the political spectrum. This was accomplished in part due to leadership skills utilized by Dolgin, Weaver, and Schein, which they had learned as students at the Arava Institute, the premier environmental teaching and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s environmental challenges. The resolutions were historic in scope and content and gave the GZA members on the KKL Board the mandate to improve the environment of Israel in significant ways. 

The first resolution made Sustainable Development a stronger objective of KKL projects. This resolution called for the budget to be increased in key environmental areas such as river restoration. It also required the JNF/KKL to produce environmental impact statements for major projects, and to develop a more sustainable transportation policy.

The second resolution called for the creation of environmental impact statements for World Zionist Organization projects (at present there are no policies within WZO institutions in compliance with internationally recognized standards of environmental responsibility).

The third resolution mandated the use of recycled paper in all World Zionist Organization offices. This resolution will also lead to the production of office-recycled paper in Israel for the first time in Israel’s history. A company in Israel has been waiting for a large market in Israel to open up so it can start production; the adopted GZA resolution will allow for this to happen. After the third resolution passed, the hall of the Congress in Jerusalem buzzed with excitement in recognition of what had transpired.

Once again, at the Congress, the GZA formed a coalition with Mercaz Olami and, in turn, became part of the largest faction at the Congress when Mercaz Olami joined with Kadima. This greatly increased the GZA’s political power and influence. In addition to retaining two seats on the Board of Directors of the KKL (Alon Tal and Or Karasin, with Eilon Schwartz remaining on as the Mercaz Olami representative), a GZA delegate was named by Mercaz Olami as an alternate delegate to the Vaad HaPoel, the World Zionist Council. Subsequent negotiations by Mercaz leveraged key positions for Tal, Karasin, and Schwartz. 

Tal became a co-chairman of the Land Development Committee, which oversees a budget of 380 million shekels that includes Israel’s forestry activities, river restoration (to which Tal added aquifer restoration as he doubled funding for both in the FY08 KKL Budget), reservoir projects, as well as all development activities. In this capacity he has instigated for tough environmental constraints on projects. Dr. Eilon Schwartz, Israel's leading expert on environmental education and philosophy will rotate into the position of chairman of the KKL Education Committee next year. In this capacity he will be able to redefine KKL's 25 million shekel educational program largely in Israel’s development towns and among international students, as well as those of the 24 affiliate JNF offices around the world. Schwartz is also able to use his position on the Education Committee as a platform to have the KKL examine what guideline should be in place to define the criteria for what sustainable cities should look like. Orr Karassin, a leading environmental attorney and activist became chair the Sustainable Development Subcommittee, an internal think tank that defines KKL strategies in this area.   Given the modest number of seats at the Congress, these political achievements are remarkable -- indeed unprecedented.

In addition to these three important positions the Green Zionist Alliance was able to increase its influence even further after the Congress. The GZA has continued to work with MERCAZ OLAMI and MERCAZ USA on education projects in the United States. In addition, after the Congress, the GZA entered into a working agreement with AMIENU, formally the Labor Zionist Alliance. Through this agreement the GZA was given one seat on the Board of JNF-USA by AMEINU. Dr. Daniel Orenstein, then a science and policy fellow with COEJL, and a visiting fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies was named to the JNF-USA Board. By having representatives on both the JNF-USA and KKL boards the Green Zionists has been able to position itself in the United States and Israel to influence the environmental policies of these two important institutions. This has been particularly true when it comes to the JNF/KKL Go Neutral carbon reduction program. This is a very important initiative that the JNF/KKL has decided to focus on as it embraces an even stronger environmental identity. As the world is learning Carbon Neutral is not as simple as it sounds. There are many variables that need to be taken into account. The Green Zionist Alliance has been able to provide expertise within the JNF/KKL discussions on this topic helping the JNF/KKL fine tune this initiative.

For one planting trees in Israel to offset carbon usage in the United States will be quite limited in how much it does to reduce carbon in the United States. On the other hand as it raises awareness of carbon usage, as well as strengthens connections to Israel there is merit in such efforts. Alon Tal has put forward to the KKL a number of important addition measures to reduce carbon in Israel. For the past three years Israel has not increased the numbers of tress. Tal has succeeded in securing an increase in the FY08 KKL Budget in planting trees; particularly in urban areas (This was not easy with this year being a Shmitah year). Other ideas put forward by Tal and the GZA are: changing the entire KKL fleet to hybrids; expand agricultural research initiative in developing high-carbon sequestration seed types, and researching methane reductions from dairies; and building more KKL wind farms. 

Donny Orenstein has suggested incentives to encourage KKL employees to live closer to where they work and/or work from home. Related he has suggested incentives for carpooling, and using public transportation. In addition he has advocated that all KKL offices switch to CFL bulbs and automated thermostats, and that all computers be shut down at the end of the day. The GZA also has encouraged the KKL to have an independent audit energy use in all KKL facilities, as well map reductions over the course of the next five years.

Last year, Tal proposed a plan, in conjunction with the Sharp corporation (which produces over half of the solar roofs in the global market) to convert KKL buildings into solar generators. Domestic laws in Israel require the national electric company to purchase solar energy produced during the day from small solar generators and then sell electricity to these buildings in the evening. Within a matter of a few years these roofs would pay off the capital costs from the energy sold. Then they begin to earn money outright which could be then dedicated to the next group of buildings.

Israel has not yet launched a major afforestation project in a developing country. As part of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Israel is required to provide assistance to affected countries, particularly in Africa. Unfortunately, Israel’s government has not made this a priority since Golda Meir was the Foreign Minister in the 1950s. Given human and environmental conditions in sub-Saharan Africa with overgrazing and deforestation, the GZA has urged the KKL to step up to the plate here with an African Afforestion Project. A 1-2 million dollar grant would allow KKL to send its foresters with their unique mastery of dryland forestation techniques to an African country in the Sahel, set up nurseries and within three years have the country’s most important international assistance initiative in place. Israel would also be able to pick up funds in Europe’s carbon market this way. Benefits from such a project include enriching degraded soils and helping to combat desertification as well as bring meaningful sequestration in a region where there is little to no baseline carbon stocks.

The GZA calls for the KKL to adopt a bicycling policy for her workers. Given Israel’s moderate climate, there is no reason why bicycles could not enjoy the status they do in countries like the Netherlands, where in cities like Amsterdam, they constitute 50% of urban trips. The carbon reduction benefits are self-evident. Israelis in recent years have become extremely avid recreational cyclists. The trouble of course is the absence of appropriate infrastructure. Without bike paths, riding a bicycle can be dangerous in many cities. In the FY08 KKL Budget Tal was able to have bike paths given, for the first time, a separate budget item, as well as increasing funding for them.

The KKL is the leader in producing agricultural roads in Israel. Recently in parks and along river beds, they have begun to build bike lines. KKL’s heavy equipment should now systematically be redirected and dedicated to bike lanes. A major grant could expand existing bike lane pathways and jump start urban efforts in cities like Tel Aviv, Netanya, Herzliyah or Ashkelon which are flat and particularly given to this transportation option.

The KKL has been a major donor to agricultural research over the years. A special grant process should be initiated where by the existing network of research stations in Israel’s periphery would have access to additional funds to pursue climate related efforts. For example, methane reduction from dairies, carbon intensive plant types, tree farming alternatives, are all important initiatives which are presently unfunded by the regional agricultural R&D facilities. A grant to support such research could catalyze a real shift in the way Israel’s farmers participate and contribute to global solutions. Tal has worked for increases in the FY08 KKL Budget for increases towards research funding, including money for the Long Term Ecological Research stations.

As owners of some 13% of Israel’s lands and as managers of additional tracts of forests the KKL is uniquely set to establish wind farms. Already, expansion of a windfarm in the Golan Heights was approved under the Kyoto CDM process. A grant could either allow for rezoning of dryland forests to become wind farms or allow farmers on KKL lands to rededicate areas to wind farming, much as mid-Western American farmers have begun to do. These projects would compliment existing “Action Plan Negev” strategies which seek alternative, sustainable livelihoods in the Negev. The GZA has also asked that the JNF/KKL, as it looks to the Negev for activity, to emphasis the strengthening of existing cities and towns over the building of new municipalities.

During the past twenty years the KKL established over 190 reservoirs – both for rainwater harvesting and wastewater. These have added some 7% to Israel’s water supply. Yet all suffer from evaporation and water losses. More over, they are a potential source of clean energy. Former Water Commissioner, Shimon Tal has joined a German consortium and is promoting the covering of these ponds with plastics in order to create a giant “solar heater” – which could be converted to energy while simultaneously reducing evaporation. The size of the reservoirs and their location in warm regions makes this option extremely feasible. 

While one can argue that we now live in a post-Zionist world—which would partly explain the diminishing number of U.S. Jews who participate in the World Zionist Congress elections—there are still many essential issues to address and much vital work to accomplish regarding the homeland of the Jewish People.

The story and the work of The Green Zionist Alliance is, at its root, an invitation for those who consider themselves post-Zionists to participate in the evolution of our Zionist institutions. As we learn from the desert’s potential for life and for change, one does not always need to be big to bring revolutionary ideals to fruition. One of the goals in establishing the GZA was to bring Jews who don’t define themselves as Zionists into the Zionist conversation by using our education initiatives to prompt interest, concern, and action. We are inspired and driven to continue our work, not least through the burgeoning interest expressed in our efforts.

One can argue that the Zionist institutions are dinosaurs, and that is an interesting argument, but let us not get caught in semantics. The State of Israel remains a challenging work in progress and our Zionist institutions are positioned to do great things for Israel and for the Jewish people throughout the world. 

We appreciated the support from a number of key Tikkun leaders who accepted our invitation to join the GZA delegate slate for this past Congress. Our new challenge to the Tikkun community: Join The Green Zionist Alliance in a fully participatory way. Or even better: Get your hands dirty. Run a Tikkun slate for the 36th Congress in three years' time. 

Rabbi Michael M. Cohen is the Director of Special Projects for the Friends of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and Rabbi Emeritus of the Israel Congregation, Manchester Center, Vermont.