Life and Environment, the Israeli umbrella organization of ecology organizations, will present its Green Globe awards on Sunday to activists and organizations that have improved the country’s environment.  MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) will receive the prestigious Green Globe for improving legislation in critical environmental issues.

Entering its 9th consecutive year, The Green Globe Award is today the central annual event of the environmental movement in Israel. In this event, leaders of the environmental organizations and hundreds of activists get together in an occasion that showcases the prominent position and stance of the environmental movement. The Israeli environmental movement demonstrates unity, and presents national awards of excellence on environmental and public health issues. The Green Globe Award has become a well known brand (“The Green Israeli Oscar”), and winners are proud of their selection and make a point of mentioning their award long after the event itself.

This year, the event will take place out side the Tel Aviv Art Museum at the heart of Tel Aviv, and will include live performance, video screenings, and other surprises. In addition to the regular categories for the awards, this year new awards will be given in new categories of Green Design, and Green Food. The ceremony is held annually in conjunction with Earth Day. A 1970 initiative of U.S. activists, Earth Day is now marked in 175 countries.

Avihai Shelly of Netivot will receive also the Green Globe for improving bus service between his city and Tel Aviv. This month a new direct express bus began running between the two cities. Shelly, who is blind and hard of hearing, and thus dependent on public transportation, fought for the new bus line with the Green Course organization.  Also receiving the Green Globe award are activists from the Carmel Beach area who worked to protect the shoreline from capitalist “developers”. Other winner of the Green Globe is Dr. Hussein Tarabeah, founding director of an environmental education center in Sakhnin and manager of Alzaharaa project in Kufr Qassem and Kalanswa. Still, the environmental movement hasn’t made much headway in Arab-Palaestinians communities in Israel, where because the governments’ discrimination, waste disposal and sewers are poor or nonexistent, and where there are few parks and green areas.