Over the past year, 2,100 Israelis have died as a result of air pollution, most of them as a result of air pollution caused by transportation. However, this is a decrease of 16% compared with the previous year.

“The number of dead in Israel prematurely from air pollution has dropped from 2,500 per year to 2,100, according to OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) figures,” Israel Danziger, Director-General of the Ministry of the Environmental Affairs told the Interior Committee headed by MK Yoav Kish.

Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin added that “about half of the air pollution victims are affected by pollution caused by transportation, and 90% of them are from old diesel cars.” “The Ministry’s plan and the recently approved regulations, which will come into effect next November, will reduce one-third of the air pollution from transportation, which will save 350 people a year, as if we had reset all those killed in traffic accidents,” he said.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)