Galilee Society Newsletter - Issue 24

1. The Galilee Society Newsletter
In This Issue: Issue 24, March 2007
< Environmental Injustice: Galilee Society Re- < Galilee Society General Director Meets with
port Presented at Study Day Shows Discrimi- Donors, Friends of Galilee Society Board in
nation in Placement of Stone Quarries U.S. Tour
< Jewish Artist Couple to Work with Bedouin < R&D Center Urgently Seeks Intern
Youth-to-Youth Students to Create Art from < News in Brief
Recycled Tires < How to Support the Galilee Society
< Rikaz Databank Begins Work on E.U.-Funded
2007 Socio-Economic Survey
Environmental Injustice: Galilee Society Report Presented at Study Day
Shows Discrimination in Placement of Stone Quarries
More than 50% of those negatively affected by search whose results were presented at a Study Day
stone quarries in Israel are Arabs, a population on 31 January in the Arab town of Um Al Fahem.
group that constitutes only 18% of the general
population, according to Galilee Society report The report found that for communities affected by
funded by the Jerusalem Institute for Israeli Re- stone quarries, the closer to the stone quarry, the

2. greater the concentration of Arab residents and the
more harmful the effects on the Arab population.
The report analyzed a number of characteristics of
residents living within a 3km radius of both exist-
ing and planned stone quarries, in six, 500m rings.
These characteristics included demography, age,
and socio-economic status. Of the existing stone
quarries in Israel, more than 60% of the population
within the first 5 rings (i.e. 2.5km) is Arab, and
almost 70% of Arabs live within areas close to ex- Shadi Azzam, Environmental Lawyer for the Galilee
isting stone quarries. In the northern region of the Society and study day host
country, where the majority of Arabs in Israel live,
the situation is worse: 71% of the population lives within a 3km radius of planned stone quarries will
within 3km of a stone quarry. Within the inner be Jewish and 35% will be Arab. However, this is
rings, i.e. up to 1,500m from the centre of a stone still not proportionate to the division of Jews and
quarry, this figure goes up to 85%. In the northern Arabs in the population as a whole, and there will
district of Akko, where 63% of the population is remain a disproportionate concentration of stone
Arab, 88% of the population within the 3km radius quarries close to Arab residents.
of a stone quarry is Arab.
The recommendation of the Galilee Society’s Stone
Quarry Report is to amend the Israeli Master Plan
#14, which regulates stone quarries in Israel. It also
recommends to minimize the allocation of stone
quarries near Arab villages and to involve Arabs
more in the planning procedures, enabling them
to have a say. This report will be submitted to the
Environmental Committee of the Knesset in the
coming months.
The presentation of this significant report consti-
Study day program
tuted the central thesis of the Study Day, which
was co-sponsored by the Um Al Fahem Environ-
The dire picture of high numbers of Arab commu- mental Unit and Local Authority, and was entitled
nities living in close proximity to existing quarries “Environmental Discrimination against Palestin-
does improve for planned quarry construction proj- ians in Israel.” Galilee Society General Director
ects. In these cases, 65% of the population living Dr. Basel Ghattas and Naim Daoud of the Envi-

3. ronmental Justice Center presented survey find-
ings to an audience of more than 100 politicians,
policymakers, representatives of non-governmental
organizations, Galilee Society staff, and citizens.
In addition to discussion of the Stone Quarry
Report findings, a range of human rights and policy
professionals, academics, and governmental officials
gave presentations on environmental discrimination
against Palestinians in Israel. Karmit Levnov of Life & Environment
The first part of the study day included introduc-
tory comments from Muhammed Rabah, General Also included in the section part of the study
Director of the Um Al Fahem District Environ- day was a perceptive speech from Suhad Bishara,
mental Unit; Um Al Fahem Deputy Mayor Zeki Coordinator of the Legal Department for Adalah,
Eghbaria; and Wael Omari, Chairman of the the Legal Center for Arab Minority Right in Israel.
Board, the Galilee Society. Ms. Bishara discussed the lack of environmental
planning in building procedures in Israel and the
The second section included an insightful speech complete exclusion of Arabs from discussions of
from Jousef Jabaren, senior lecturer at Technion – environmental planning.
Israeli Institute of Technology in Haifa and visiting
lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following these speeches, Karmit Levnov of Life
Mr. Jabaren discussed the concept of environmental & Environment, Israel’s umbrella organization for
justice, its definition, application, and meaning to environmental NGOs, commented on the survey’s
the Israeli government. findings.
EJC Awards First Half of Scholarships to Students Pursuing Environmental Studies
The Galilee Society disbursed the first installment Galilee Society General Director, Naim Karim,
of scholarship funds during the Environmental Jus- General Program Director, and Shadi Azzam, EJC
tice Study Day to participants of an Environmental lawyer and Scholarship Program manager, 20 stu-
Justice Center (EJC) program aiming to encour- dents received the first installment worth 1000 NIS
age environmental study for university students in ($234). They will receive the remainder of the funds
Israel. upon completion of their responsibilities in July
2007 and submission of a report about their work
In a ceremony presided over by Dr. Basel Ghattas, during the program. The students will also be re-

4. evant to the Arab communities in Israel. Environ-
mental information materials in Arabic, prepared
by the Environmental Justice Center, have been
given to the students. The program includes field
trips and other outdoor environmental activities,
such as cleaning public parks and planting trees.
Examples of accepted proposals are a green yard,
a community environmental hazard report, and
Galilee Society General Director Dr. Basel Ghattas an aviary. The Galilee Society will report in this
awarding first disbursement of scholarship to a recipient newsletter on student projects at the end of the
five-month period.
quired to attend another EJC study day on Sustain-
able Development in August 2007. Funding for the project comes from MISEREOR,
the German Catholic Bishops’ Organization for
These students have received training from the Development Cooperation. Discussions are also
Galilee Society to qualify them to conduct environ- being held with various Arab Local Authorities
mental education for children aged 10-14 in their to try to secure financial support for further envi-
local communities. The scholarship recipients are ronmental students to take part in the scholarship
holding weekly meetings with the children, educat- project, in addition to that provided by the Galilee
ing them on a variety of environmental issues rel- Society.
Jewish Artist Couple to Work with Bedouin Youth-to-Youth Students to
Create Art from Recycled Tires
The Naqab Department has signed an agreement
with Jewish artists Alon and Abital Aharone to
work with Bedouin students from the Galilee
Society’s Youth-to-Youth project to create practical
and artistic objects out of discarded rubber tires.
The Ahrones have collaborated with the Galilee
Society Naqab Department’s projects in the past,
leading a workshop on parent-child communica-
tion as part of a Women’s Health Education course. Bedouin youth participants of the Youth-to-Youth
program creating art from recycled materials at the Arad
studio of Alon and Abital Aharone

5. The Galilee Society has a history of collaboration the importance and meaning of health and envi-
with Jewish, Arab and international organizations, ronmental education, the human body (build and
both governmental and non-governmental. This function), infectious diseases and their transmis-
agreement is evidence of this emphasis, which is sion, hygiene and nutrition, the importance of
the result of the belief that coexistence initiatives, if vaccinations, household and road accidents and
properly implemented and sustained, can improve their prevention, first aid, the dangers of drugs and
the quality of Arab/Jewish relations. smoking, hereditary diseases, local environmental
hazards in the area, and good environmental prac-
The Arad-based Aharones, who are known for their tice.
creation of art out of recycled materials, will work
with the 15 Youth-to-Youth members that meet at The Youth-to-Youth project is a component of a
the Almostaqba primary school. The purpose of larger Galilee Society’s project, entitled, “Programs
the activity is to introduce to the Youth-to-Youth for Strengthening Health and Education in the
students the enlightened use of discarded materials, Bedouin Unrecognized Villages in the Naqab,”
with an emphasis on the preciousness of natural re- which is financed by the Spanish Government’s
sources. With the Aharone’s guidance, the students Development Fund, via the development agency,
will create such practical items as chairs, flower- ACSUR. Aiming to promote women’s participa-
beds, and roofing, all from recycled tires. tion in development, this project provides women’s
health leadership training, women’s health/first
The Youth-to-Youth project, which aims to train aid education, peer health education, campaigns of
Bedouin students to act as peer leaders in the fields legal advocacy on behalf of Bedouin communities,
of health and environment, operates in three Naqab and public health and environment campaigns.
schools and involves 54 total students. Participants
attend workshops where they learn such topics as
Rikaz Databank Begins Work on E.U.-Funded 2007
Socio-Economic Survey
Rikaz Databank staff have begun work on the The 2007 Socio-Economic Survey, which will
2007 Socio-Economic Survey of Palestinians liv- gather extensive data on the condition of Pales-
ing in Israel, which is part of its E.U. Partnership tinians living in Israel, is a follow-up to Rikaz’s
for Peace- funded project. The project is entitled, 2004 Socio-Economic Survey, which constituted a
“Strengthening Civil Society in Israel and Empow- unique and complete data source for the socio-eco-
ering the Palestinian Minority via the Applied use nomic and other aspects of Palestinian life in Israel,
of Rikaz Databank.” including demography, education, culture, health,
environment, housing conditions and labor.

6. The 2007 Socio-Economic Survey entails extensive
preparation. The first meeting of the steering com-
mittee, an association of data management profes-
sionals that will oversee the project and assure the
integrity of data collection, took place in January.
Since the initial meeting the steering committee
has been building the questionnaire that will be
distributed to Palestinians living in Israel. Between
3,200 and 3,500 households will participate in the
survey. 2007 Socio-Economic Survey Pilot Committee in
session
In addition, the steering committee has begun to
develop the statistical strategy that will ensure the Society will apply the survey’s findings to a myriad
accuracy of collected data. of vital advocacy and instructive uses. First, the
Galilee Society will issue a call for proposals to
The goal of the 2007 Socio-Economic Survey is to encourage research utilizing the survey’s findings.
assure that the Databank contains the most re- Second, Rikaz staff will add the survey’s data to the
cent and accurate data on the living conditions of Databank to ensure the universality of access, en-
Palestinians living in Israel. Moreover, the publica- abling researchers worldwide ease of access. Third,
tion of a second, later survey will empower citizens, the Galilee Society will hold a study day where
lawmakers, and advocates by providing them with survey results will be published. Fourth, the Galilee
invaluable data on statistical trends. This latest sur- Society will conduct training workshops for those
vey will advance Rikaz’s goal of promoting the use active in civil society and in NGOs in the Arab
of reliable information to combat discrimination community in Israel. Fifth, the Galilee Society will
against Palestinian citizens in Israel, thus advancing publish the final results for distribution to human
equality, tolerance, and peace. rights activists, policy makers, and members of
Arab advocacy NGOs nationally and internation-
In order to facilitate the Databank’s function as ally.
a tool for combating discrimination, the Galilee
Galilee Society General Director Meets with Donors, Friends of Galilee
Society Board in U.S. Tour
General Director Dr. Basel Ghattas attended a from Galilee Society donors Ford Foundation and
board meeting of the Friends of the Galilee Society The Open Society Institute during a short U.S. tour
(FGS) in Maryland and visited with representatives in late January.

7. The FGS board meeting, attended
Member Title Home State
by Dr. Ghattas in addition to all
eight members, focused on stra- Dr. Shouki Kassis Chair PA
tegic planning and included such
Dr. Ali Fatton Secretary MD
topics as fundraising accomplish-
ments and needs and member Dr. Soleman Abu Bader Treasurer VA
recruitment.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Nimir Member VA
The FGS in the U.S. was estab- Dr. Mariam Marai Member MD
lished in 2005 in order to support
Mr. Nasser Omari Member CA
the Galilee Society in its work
to promote the legal, social, and Mr. Deen Dabbah Member IL
economic rights of the Palestinian
Dr. Yousef Sahly Member CA
minority in Israel. The FGS is a
legally registered charity organiza-
tion with 501(c)(3) status, which Program and Strategic Projects of the Galilee
allows for tax-exempt donations in the U.S. Society.
The goal of the FGS is to establish relationships The FGS board will expand as members are re-
with individuals and organizations in the U.S. to cruited in the months to come. The table above
develop networks of support and assist the Galilee shows thecurrent board members of the FGS.
Society in furthering its mission to provide tech-
nical, moral, and financial support to the General
R&D Center Urgently Seeks Intern
The Regional Center for Research & Development < Intern responsibilities: Maintain contacts with
(R&D Center) is urgently seeking an intern at USAID, project partners, and international
its Shefa-‘Amr office. R&D Center Interns work organizations; organizing training workshops
with the Galilee Society´s scientists, lab technicians and partner meetings; and fundraising. Assist
and local university students at the R&D Center. the Project Manager in writing and editing
Intern work will focus on sustainable development English-language letters, reports, meeting sum-
projects and other scientific projects. Other re- maries, brochures, etc.
search opportunities may be available based on the < Skills: Minimum BA/BS, excellent English
applicant’s skills and interests. writing (native level only), computer literate,

8. knowledge of Middle East development issues. To apply, please e-mail the following to Felice Nas-
< Languages: English, with some Arabic pre- sar with “R&D internship” in the subject line:
ferred
< Compensation: Monthly Stipend Cover letter
< Start Date: Rolling < CV (Resume)
< Time Commitment: 1 year minimum < 2-3 page writing sample (showing your best
< Location: Shefa-Amr, Israel (north of Israel, writing capacity)
close to Haifa and Nazareth) < 1 recommendation letter -or- contact informa-
< Areas of Focus: Development, Health, Envi- tion for 1 reference
ronment, Socio-Economic Conditions, Water/
Wastewater, Environment, Agriculture Fax: +972-4-950-4525
News in Brief
R&D Center: Call for Papers Issued for Traditional Arabic Medicine Conference
31 March 2007. For full abstract requirements,
click here. Papers to be considered for publication
should be submitted via e-mail as an attachment
to medplantamman@gmail.com no later than 30
April 2007. For full paper requirements, click here.
The conference will discuss historical and cultural
aspects of the Arabic Islamic medicine and its con-
tribution to modern medicine and to human well-
Website for the Arabic and Islamic Medicine Confer- being. In addition, it will review the global scientific
ence, to be held in August 2007 in Amman, Jordan
research on medicinal and aromatic plants, phar-
maceutical research, clinical trials, and international
The R&D Center has issued a Call for Papers for
legislation and intellectual property rights on Arabic
its First Regional Scientific Conference on Tradi-
and Islamic medicinal plants of the region.
tional Arabic and Islamic Medicine, to take place in
Amman from 8-10 August.
Registration and further information on the con-
ference can be obtained at the conference website,
Abstracts should be sent via e-mail as an attach-
http://www.arabic-islamic-medicine.com/.
ment to medplantamman@gmail.com no later than

9. R&D Center: Arab Medicinal Plants Expert Presents Lecture at R&D Center on
Traditional Treatments
Medicinal plants expert Dr. Rachid Soulimani of
the Department of Botany and Pharmacology of
Metz University in France presented a lecture at
the R&D Center on 29 January on the use of plant
extracts to treat depression and other illnesses. A
Moroccan by birth, Dr. Soulimani is a member
of the scientific and organizing committee of the
First Regional Scientific Conference on Traditional
Arabic and Islamic Medicine, to be held from 8-10
August in Amman, Jordan. For more information,
visit the conference website at Dr. Soulimani (right) of the University of Metz, with
http://www.arabic-islamic-medicine.com/. R&D Center staff
In addition to his lecture on the use of medicinal
plants, Dr. Soulimani also met with R&D scientists
to discuss conference practicalities such as financial
support and sponsorship.
R&D Center: Prominent German Scientist Presents Activities of Wastewater
Treatment Research Center
on 27 and 28 February to present their organiza-
tion’s research on decentralized wastewater treat-
ment and to discuss joint R&D Center/Helmholtz
Center collaborations.
Dr. Müller is the head of the Environmental and
Biotechnology Department at the Helmholtz
Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig,
Germany. Dr. Bederski is a member of the Water
German scientists Dr. Roland A. Müller and Dr. Oliver Recycling and Resources Recovery group, also at
Bederski visiting the R&D Center the Helmotz Centre.
Prominent German scientists Dr. Roland A. Müller Drs. Müller and Bederski’s presentation, which was
and Dr. Oliver Bederski visited the R&D Center entitled “The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental

10. Research – Focus on Decentralized Wastewater sand filters to treat wastewater in arid and semi-
Treatment Technologies,” outlined their organiza- arid regions. In addition to meeting with Galilee
tion’s activities and accomplishments in the field. Society staff, Drs. Müller and Bederski visited the
R&D Center’s wastewater treatment pilot site in
The R&D Center and the Helmholtz Center are Sakhnin, where the two organizations will con-
working closely to study constructed wetland and struct a new joint wastewater treatment prototype.
Staff Changes: New Faces at the Galilee Society
The Galilee Society has made the following addi-
tions to its staff:
< Naim Karim – General Program Director
< Nabi Bashir – Economics Researcher, Rikaz
Databank
< Souhail Suede – Field Work Coordinator for
the Rikaz 2007 Socio-Economic Survey
< Sarhan Eskandar – IT Support
< Alexandra Carrera – Intern, Resource Develop-
ment
Galilee Society Annual Planning Meeting Focuses on Project Impact, Sustainability
Staff, board members, and members of the Galilee
Society attended the annual planning workshop at
the Rimonim Hotel in Nazareth on 17 February.
Chairman of the Board Mr. Wael Omari intro-
duced the activities by thanking the board for its
time and efforts. Dr. Basel Ghattas, General Di-
rector, reviewed Galilee Society accomplishments
from 1982 to the present and reviewed recommen-
dations from last year’s planning conference. Participants in the Galilee Society’s annual planning
meeting
Dr. Isam Sabbah, Scientific Director of the R&D
Center, then introduced the vision of the R&D General Program Director of the Galilee Society,
Center. Following Dr. Sabbah, Naim Karim, discussed Al-Maissam activities, and shared his vi-

11. sion of a medicinal plants and educational center in Dr. Ghattas then discussed the importance of
the Naqab region. Activities of the Naqab Center the efforts of the Friends of the Galilee Society
would be based on the rich knowledge and experi- (FGS) in the U.S. and reported on his recent U.S.
ence of Al-Maissam - The Medicinal Plant Center tour (for details click here). Moreover, Dr. Ghat-
for Research and Education in Kafr-Kanna, which tas outlined the organization’s 2007 strategic plan,
serves the residents of Northern Israel. It would which included a focus on the impact and sustain-
bring together science and tradition and will create ability of projects. Dr. Ghattas also highlighted
a link between human and environmental health. the organization’s commitment to maintaining and
Serving as a research, education, and demonstration strengthening community-based health and envi-
institute, the Center in the Naqab would specifi- ronmental activities and long-term planning for the
cally serve the Bedouin community as well as the Rikaz Databank and R&D Center.
general population of the Naqab. Visitors to the
Center would experience the world of medicinal Following these remarks, individual department
heads presented the successes, challenges, and goals
plants and Bedouin folk medicine as well as gain
for their respective departments.
skills they will be able to employ in their own
homes and/or schools.

12. How to Support the Galilee Society
Help achieve equitable health, environmental, and socio-economic conditions and development opportuni-
ties for Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel by supporting the Galilee Society.
How to Donate to the Galilee Society
Tax-Exempt Donations
In order to facilitate giving, the Galilee Society has recently received tax-exempt status in the United
States, via the Friends of the Galilee Society. To donate in the United States, please make checks payable to
the Friends of the Galilee Society and send them to:
Dr. Shouki Kassis
Chair, Board of Directors
7 Lee Road, Audubon, PA 19403
United States
kassis25@comcast.net
Tel: +1 610 662 3693
Bank transfers to the Friends of the Galilee Society can be made to the following account:
Account Name: Friends of the Galilee Society
Bank Name: PNC Bank
Branch: Audubon Village Shopping Center
Account Number: 86-0943-9642
Please inform Friends of the Galilee Society of your donation:
rbarghouti@gal-soc.org.
Direct Donations
To donate to the Galilee Society directly, please send checks (in any currency) payable to the Galilee Soci-
ety at:

13. P.O. Box 330
Shefa-Amr, 20200
Israel
Alternatively, bank transfers (in any currency) can be made directly to the Galilee Society’s bank account:
Account Number: 9800
Bank Name: Bank Hapoalim
Branch Number: 731
Bank Address: Jabour Street, Shefa-Amr 20200 Israel
SWIFT Code: POALILIT
Please inform us of your donation at fnassar@gal-soc.org.
The Galilee Society - The Arab National Society for Health Research and Services is a leading disk utility commu-
nity-based Arab NGO. The overriding goal of the Galilee Society is the achievement of equitable health and socio-
economic conditions for the Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The Galilee Society
P.O. Box 330, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel
Tel.: +972 4 986 1171
Fax: +972 4 986 1173
Email: admin@gal-soc.org