The royalties the state receives from natural gas and oil drilling should go into a fund for developing sustainable energy solutions, education and welfare, said the head of the Knesset environmental-social lobby, MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), on Tuesday afternoon, as part of the Knesset’s annual Environment Day, held in honor of the United Nations Environment Program’s World Environment Day. Threats to marine and coastal environments, as well as the risks associated with gas and oil drillings, were the prominent topics in the session with the participation of the leaders of Life and Environment, the umbrella group for Israel’s environmental organizations.

MK Khenin added that “completely different thinking is required on gas and oil in the Mediterranean. We can transform this blessing into a curse.” According to MK Khenin a wide range of environmental impacts that can result from sea drilling, including from use of chemicals during drilling, dumping contaminated mud and water into the sea, and oil and gas leaks – all of which, the report argues, can pose potential threats to marine flora and fauna.

“There is no updated or designated regulation and legislation in Israel for the environmental aspects regarding the search for gas and oil reservoirs,” said attorney Dana Tabachnik, from Adam Teva V’Din environmental association. “Leaving the political and regulatory situation as it is today is dangerous to the environment and to public health and the marine population, and is likely to lead to an ecological crisis.”