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Support the work of NCJW/Greater Detroit. 9LVLWRXUZHEVLWHRUJLYHXVDFDOO viewpoints » S e n d l e t t e r s t o : l e t t e r s @ t h e j e w i s h n e w s . c o m continued on page 8 December 10 • 2015 5 editorial Israel Helps Shape Climate Change Debate guest column Standing With Israel Especially Crucial Now E arlier this month, more than 1,100 members of the Michigan commu- nity came together in Southfield for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Michigan Gala Dinner to honor the brave men and women of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at a crucial time for Israel — when Israeli citizens are being attacked every day. As a committed Jew and staunch sup- porter of Israel, I first became involved with FIDF when I was approached by FIDF Michigan Chairman Alon Kaufman. Happy to give my support, I became more and more involved — and now I've been a board member and president of FIDF's Michigan chapter for almost 20 years. This year's record turnout was, by far, the largest I've seen with more than $1.5 million raised for well-being and educational programs for Israeli soldiers. Impressive to say the least, for a state where less than 1 percent of the popula- tion is Jewish. Although relatively small compared to those in other major cities, the Metro Detroit Jewish community is particu- larly engaged and committed to its local community and to the idea that it is responsible for supporting the Jewish homeland. This support and strong ties were evident as we gathered at the annual FIDF dinner at a time when important policy decisions with serious implications for Israel are being made in the U.S. and abroad. At this tumultuous time, with upcom- ing elections at home in the U.S., major upheavals across the Middle East (whose effects once thought to be rippling are now being felt directly in Paris and other cities worldwide, which were once thought to be insulated), it is incumbent on each of us to make sure our voices are heard — and we did just that on Nov. 3. Our voices joined together to send one clear and powerful message at the FIDF gala: The Michigan Jewish community stands with Israel and her soldiers, now more than ever. "The FIDF Michigan Gala Dinner warmed our souls, tugged at our heartstrings, brought tears to our eyes and lit a fire under our feet," my good friends, FIDF supporters Nanci and David Farber, told me. "We invited some Christian friends to join us and they were so moved that they made a dona- tion and thanked us for giving them the opportunity to be a part of such a won- derful evening." Joan Epstein, who contributes to the FIDF IMPACT! Scholarship Program, which provides college tuition assistance to Israeli combat veterans from disad- vantaged socio-economic backgrounds, told me, "I was so touched by the sol- diers' speeches and how proud they were to be serving in the military … and I was equally moved by the outpouring of support from the Jewish community." For me, one of the most powerful moments was hearing from wounded Israeli war hero Capt. Ziv Shilon, a platoon commander in the IDF's Givati A t the U.N. climate change conference outside Paris, the Palestinian Authority claimed Israeli "ecological attacks" have hindered its "great progress" in adopting climate change laws — conveniently ignoring that Israel leads the Global Cleantech Innovation Index. Tiny Israel is a relatively small con- tributor to climate change. Still, its geo- graphic location makes it highly sensitive to the effects of such change. Its innova- tive spirit gives it global stature. The Jerusalem Post correctly pointed to a correlation between climate change and violent conflict. In a Nov. 30 editorial, it noted the Syrian civil war erupted amid the worst drought in Syria's recent his- tory. Also, Smithsonian.com reports Syria and Iraq have accused Turkey of hoard- ing water for hydroelectric purposes. Israel has excelled at dealing with drought and limited freshwater. But its success at generating potable water via desalination has increased energy burn and carbon emissions. The P.A. governs the West Bank's Palestinian-controlled areas. President Mahmoud Abbas cited the "continued Israeli occupation and violation of inter- national laws related to the environment" as P.A. impediments to implementing cli- mate change standards. But he offered no hard evidence of Israel-caused damage to P.A. resources. The Global Cleantech Innovation Index, produced by the San Francisco- based Cleantech Group, ranks countries where entrepreneurial clean technology companies are most likely to emerge over the next 10 years — and why. It isn't about to honor environmental subter- fuge. At the climate summit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited Israeli innova- tions in environmental technology and advances in solar, agricultural and irriga- tion technology. He tied Israel's stand- ing as a top water recycler to the desert nation's innovative water and drip irriga- tion techniques. He chose the summit to kvell over an Israeli initiative intended to curtail global dependence on crude oil, notably in transportation. The impetus banks on Israel becoming a global leader in identi- fying fuel alternatives. Israel has pledged to substantially cut per-capita greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 via extensive "green" improvements. To the extent possible, the Jewish state ultimately will have to step up resource sharing and cooperative efforts with its Palestinian neighbors. So goes the region, so goes Israel, environmentally speaking. According to the Cleantech Index, Israel "has demonstrated the great- est density of high-impact, clean-tech startups as well as a high level of busi- ness sophistication and entrepreneurial attitudes, strong venture capital activity and a good number of environmental patents." The Index applauded Israel for increas- ing "its supportive government policies" even "while clean-tech company revenues remain low." "The country has seen an impressive number of clean-tech companies voted into the Global Cleantech 100 Index per GDP [Gross Domestic Product] over the past two years," the Index observed. That's quite a rosy picture the P.A. president chose to discredit. * Gary Shiffman