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We believe that the person is part of his environment; he has the right to live in a healthy environment, yet has the duty to protect it for the future generations. We want the people to believe that they have the power to change, to increase their engagement in local and global environmental matters, and to act to ensure sustainable and healthy common space.

About Us

Citizens for the Environment (CFE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing the environmental needs and challenges of the Arab community in Israel. Established in 1990 by a group of Galileans in northern Israel CFE has emerged as the leading advocate for environmental sustainability and climate change action within Arab community.

 To date, we’ve made significant strides in reshaping public perceptions on various environmental issues, empowering numerous citizen groups, fostering environmental leadership within local communities, and influencing the environment code of conduct of a significant number of factories and plants.

In 2021, CFE achieved a significant milestone by becoming the sole Arab organization authorized to pursue civil enforcement lawsuits against polluters. This groundbreaking achievement underscores CFE’s unwavering commitment to holding accountable those who endanger the environment.

Vision:CFE envisions a just, resilient society where all citizens have access to a clean and healthy environment, can make informed decisions about sustainable resource use, and take actions to safeguard the climate for the well-being and quality of life of current and future generations.

Mission: The organization’s mission is to promote climate justice, protect the right to a clean and healthy environment, and address the impacts of climate change and environmental hazards on the Arab community in Israel. CFE strives to achieve this mission through advocacy, empowering professional leadership, and civil enforcement, in collaboration with community members and partners.

Our Mission

Promote environmental activism and engage local communities in addressing environmental crises and climate change issues.

Strengthen the role of local governance in addressing the impact of climate change and environmental hazards .

To exercise the right to a healthy environment and enforce the polluter pays principle.

Advocate for just and inclusive climate policies and strategies that effectively address the impact of environmental hazards and climate change in Arab communities in Israel.

Success and Achievements

  • Citizens for the Environment significantly influenced the Ministry of Environment’s approach to the Arab community’s environmental issues through Government Resolution 550 (Takadum). Our policy recommendations were widely adopted by the Ministry, and our collaboration with other environmental organizations led to the passage of the waste-burning amendment proposal by the Knesset’s Law and Judiciary Committee.
  • In 2022, we built the capacities of at least 100 members of the Environment Protection Committees in at least 50 Arab local authorities.
  • We supported the local struggle of residents in at least twenty localities on several issues, including illegal waste burning, and we brought about the shutting down of at least five major illegal waste burning sites since 2019. In January 2021, in collaboration with the local council of Jdeideh Al Maker we brought the waste management crisis to the Subcommittee on Environmental and Distributive Justice in the Knesset.
  • CFE led the unprecedented class action against mass exposure to air pollution in Haifa Bay, allowing thousands of residents to jointly sue polluting factories in Haifa Bay.
  • CFE has published several reports, surveys, and maps in which we document the environmental crisis of the sewage infrastructure in Galilee and its impact on water sources, as well as reports on radiation, illegal waste sites, and waste incineration.

Staff

Jamila Hardal Wakim

General director

Juhaina Bader Namarneh

Projects manager

Deema Abo Elassal

Media coordinator

Eman Sliman

Fundraiser

Sama Khoury

Advocate

Board Members

Dr. Janet Michael

Board member

Dr. Liad Urtar

Board member

Tal Frenkel

Board member

Alegera Yaacob

Board member

Ron Hod

Board member

Dodo Manor

Board member

Dr. Diana saadi

Board member

Dov Moshe

Board member

Hoda Massalha

Board member

Salwa Wakeem

Audit committee

Dr. Maisa Totry

Audit committee

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and the people from environmental hazards.