MK (Likud) David Amsellem, in his capacity as head of the Knesset Environmental Protection Committee is planning to act to prevent the ‘silent murder’ of Israelis caused by ferocious PA (Palestinian Authority) pollution. He refers to the common practice by PA residents to burn garbage as a means of disposal, which results in the production of charcoal as the trees cut down and used for the fires become charcoal. Amsellem laments the fact that to date, almost nothing has been done about this by Israel.

Amsellem explains the matter is far from a local PA issue as many Israelis inhale the byproduct of the garbage fires, which produce a strong odor as well.

In his Facebook post he calls on Israelis to stop breathing for a few minutes in an effort to try to understand what residents of Hader, Pardes Chana and the Menashe region feel like as they are compelled to address this issue daily as the charcoal smoke from PA areas infiltrates into the areas mentioned along with other areas.

He adds that he is truly angered by the fact that the PA residents then sell the charcoal produced from the trees they cut down to Israeli farmers. He has been shouting over the problem for months to gain support for doing what must be done to end it.

For comparison sake Amsellem speaks of what it would be like to inhale smoke generated by rockets fired into Israel on a regular basis, stating “there is no Iron Dome [defense system] against the charcoal smoke that harms the heath of Israelis on a regular basis.

Amsellem’s plan is to stop trucks which deliver charcoal from Yehuda and Shomron over the Green Line into “Israel proper”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)