Israelis are choking on the government’s failure to act

5,500. 

That is the number of Israelis killed annually by air pollution. 

We all know of the immense crisis on Israel’s roads: 2025 was among the deadliest years on record, with over 450 fatalities. And yet, the number of Israelis killed by air pollution every year is more than 12 times as high, yet the issue receives little if any attention. 

One of the major sources of this pollution has been the illegal burning of waste in Palestinian cities and towns. For residents of Modi’in, Shoham, and other Israeli communities along the Seam Line, this is not merely a quality of life issue. Given the health consequences, it poses a genuine threat to residents’ lives.

Policymakers have known about this problem for two decades. It was documented in reports by the state comptroller. Residents and local officials pleaded for action. None of it made a difference. The problem continued unabated, damaging air and water quality while nobody took responsibility for addressing it. 

It’s easy to look at this solely as an economic, environmental or public health problem – after all, the consequences fall into all three categories. The 5,500 annual deaths and, according to the Environmental Protection Ministry, the NIS 22.5 billion that air pollution costs our country annually are proof of the staggering price. But in this case, the issue is also rooted in public safety, law enforcement, and security. This failure is yet another example of how the “strong right-wing governments” proudly led by the Likud have talked a big game about Israeli sovereignty and enforcement, but have failed to tackle a straightforward issue directly impacting the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Israelis. 

Tackling such a problem ultimately begins with a commitment to doing the actual work required rather than relying on slogans. Plenty of figures in this government have jumped on this matter as a public relations opportunity. Nothing is more helpful ahead of a Likud primary than talking, as Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman has, about “environmental sovereignty in Judea and Samaria” or making made-for-TV but ultimately useless declarations that trash burning is a form of terrorism. 

But in reality, little has changed on their watch. On my numerous visits to the area, I have seen how little enforcement there is. Since a 2023 government decision that amounted to little more than a glorified press conference, no concrete plans have been enacted. Only now, after years of inaction and neglect and with elections approaching, have even minimal steps been taken. 

This stands in contrast to the Bennett-Lapid “government of change,” which understood that breathing clean air is a fundamental right and that Israel faces a ticking time bomb requiring better, long-term refuse disposal solutions. Alongside robust climate legislation, that government advanced a five-year plan dedicated specifically to addressing illegal waste burning.

We are in the middle of an election campaign, and in the coming weeks and months we will hear plenty of slogans from self-described “strong right-wing” figures about how only they can be counted on to deliver security and public safety. The Israeli public should ask whether a government that could not, in four years, address an environmental enforcement challenge endangering thousands of lives can tackle even more complex threats to the safety of our communities. 

Together, we will repair what has been broken on their watch.