Abeer Butmeh: Living on the Front Lines of a War and the Climate Crisis, in Palestine

[00:00:00] Welcome back to Drilled, I'm Amy Westervelt. Today, we're bringing you a dispatch from the frontlines, not only of the climate crisis but also of the Israel-Palestine war. Our senior editor Alleen Brown managed to get hold of an environmental activist in Palestine to talk about how militarization intersects with various environmental issues, and what it's like to fight for survival against a changing climate and an occupying force at the same time. Here's Alleen with that story.

Alleen Brown: Last week, I spoke to Abeer Butmeh, coordinator of the Palestinian NGOs Network, one of the most important Palestinian environmental organizations. Before we get into this conversation, though, I want to define some terms that Abeer uses that might not be familiar to listeners. First of all, you're going to hear Abir talk about 1948 territory.

Palestine was under British rule between 1917 and 1948, [00:01:00] and it was British policy to support Jewish settlers who wanted to establish a national homeland there.

Alleen Brown: In the lead up to and aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, the immigration of European Jews to the area increased dramatically, as did tensions between Jews and Arabs living in Palestine.

In 1947, the UN Assembly voted to separate Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab with Jerusalem under a UN administration, Arab Palestinians and several neighboring Arab countries rejected this plan.

Jewish militia groups attacked Palestinian villages, forcing thousands of people to abandon their homes. The situation escalated into the Arab Israeli War in 1948. Rule

had ended. Britain had withdrawn its troops, and the Jewish [00:02:00] side of Palestine, outlined by the UN, had declared itself the independent state of Israel. At the end of the war, more than half of the Palestinian population was displaced.

Over 700, 000 people. The Palestinians came to know this expulsion as the Nakba. And that 1948 territory came to be recognized internationally as the country of Israel. Because of this history, for many Palestinians, their opposition to the Israeli military's activities is a decolonial struggle against the stealing of their own homeland.

You're also going to hear Abir reference the West Bank and Area C. Many of the people who were displaced in 1948 were pushed into smaller sections of their country, including the West Bank. Parts of that territory are governed by the Palestinian Authority, but 60 percent of the territory is controlled by Israel and is known as [00:03:00] Area C.

Numerous road checkpoints, walls, and roving soldiers significantly limit Palestinian movement. That's in large part because of the presence of Israeli settlers. According to international law, Israelis are not supposed to establish settlements within the West Bank.

However, the Israeli government has supported the establishment of more than 130 Israeli settlements throughout the region, with the Israeli military providing them protection. Those who fight against the settlements, or attempt to continue the agricultural practices and daily activities that make them who they are, face armed soldiers or extremist settlers.

who often kill Palestinians in the name of protecting or expanding the settlements. Finally, by now most of you have heard of Gaza, a small strip of land 25 miles long and 7. 5 miles wide along the Mediterranean Sea. [00:04:00] Gaza is another one of the areas that Palestinians were pushed into after 1948.

In 2007, Hamas, a political party that favors using armed force to push back against the Israeli occupation took power in Gaza. In response, the Israeli government put in place a blockade, strictly controlling what materials or people could move in and out..

Although both sides have at times used violence, the Israeli military has a huge advantage over Hamas and Palestinians, in large part because of US government support.

Between 2008 and 2022, according to the UN, Palestinians killed nearly 300 Israelis.

while Israelis killed over 6, 000 Palestinians, who are mostly civilians, farmers, unarmed protesters, journalists, and children. The bombardment of Gaza is a culmination of these years of [00:05:00] conflict, and the death toll provides a snapshot of the power differential.

The Israeli government says Hamas killed about 1, 200 people and took around 240 people hostage in its October 7th attack. Gaza's Ministry of Health says that the Israeli military has since killed more than 11, 000 people, including over 4, 000 children.

Alleen Brown: palestinians say that even if they denounce Hamas and practice only non violent protest, Even if they make no moves to resist the Israeli military's actions at all, their very identity as Palestinian is seen as criminal, violent, and even terroristic.

Amidst all of this exists a network of Palestinian environmental defenders who say environmental violations are inherent to the Israeli government's actions in Palestinian territories and to face serious repercussions for their environmental activism. Here's our interview. I hope it's useful,

That interview is coming up right [00:06:00] after this quick break, I hope you'll find it useful. I'm Alene Brown, and you're listening to Drilled.

Abir, thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me. I know this has been a devastating month.

Abeer Butmeh: Thank you very much. Thank you.

Alleen Brown: Could you start by telling me a bit about yourself, where you're from, and your environmental work?

Abeer Butmeh: I am Abir Botme, the coordinator of PINGON, Friends of the Earth Palestine. I work in PINGON as coordinator for environmental and environmental advocacy campaigns in Palestine. I'm from Nablus.

In the northern part of west Bank. And I work in different cities and different areas in West Bank and also in Gaza Strip

Alleen Brown: This season of drilled is focused on criminalization of land and water defenders. And early on, we started talking about doing a piece on Palestine, asking the question, what does it mean to be an [00:07:00] environmental activist in a place where your identity is criminalized? I'm still really interested in that question, but since we had that conversation, Israel's bombardment of Gaza began.

In response to Hamas killing 1, 400 Israelis and kidnapping 240 people, The Israeli military with substantial funding and political support from the U. S. Government has killed an estimated more than 8000 Palestinians. So in a lot of ways, it's hard to look beyond that loss of life. But as an environmental journalist who is often speaking to people who look at the world through an environmental lens it has felt important to help that audience.

think through what's happening right now. So maybe a question to start with is, is the bombardment of Gaza and environmental justice issue? And if so, why?

Abeer Butmeh: Gaza Strip is suffering from illegal blockade [00:08:00] 16 years of cutoff water the basic needs for the 2.2 million people in who live in Gaza Strip.

Israel put Gaza with a lot of restrictions. For passing the necessary materials for the developing infrastructure. Also it's like a large prison in Gaza no people can go outside even to for medical reasons. A very limited numbers can go outside with a lot of restrictions and conditions .

The environmental situation inside the Gaza Gaza live under environmental catastrophe as a result of the seige on Gaza. When we talk about the basic environmental elements in Gaza water, for example 97% of water it. It's unsuitable and unfit for human use.

This is before [00:09:00] the current attack against Gaza. The Israelis used the white phosphorus and it has, a critical impact on the environmental elements, different environmental elements, whether water the groundwater and also soil and the air.

And it has a long-term impact.

Alleen Brown: Right? White phosphorus is a chemical that can be dispersed via artillery shells or bombs that sets fires and causes excruciating burns . Human Rights Watch verified that Israel used white phosphorus against Gaza in October.

Abeer Butmeh: WHen we talk about climate change in Palestine it's. It's a political phenomena in Palestine, not only natural phenomena because when we talk about climate change, the most important sectors, which are water and also agricultural sector. When we talk about water in Palestine, Israeli occupation put control on the major water resources in Palestine so [00:10:00] we have to buy our water resources from the Israelis with the limited quantities.

When we talk about climate change adaptation, we cannot cope with the climate change phenomena with, without full sovereignty on our water resources. And also there is no real Palestinian sovereignty on the land. When we talk about the agricultural sector, most agricultural areas are located in Area C which is under the Israeli control.

So the Palestinians, even the individuals or the organizations, they have a limited access to these areas. So as Palestinian organizations and environmental activists, we cannot develop any planned. Infrastructure [00:11:00] in area C without taking a permission from the Israelis and many projects that were developed in these areas are damaged by the Israelis.

Alleen Brown: And when you see they're damaged by the Israelis how are they damaged?

Abeer Butmeh: For example, in some communities, in Area C especially the areas which are near the Israeli settlements we developed clean energy projects, mainly the solar energy or the solar units. So where the Israelis also damage these solar panels several times. And we repeat building these and constructing these solar units.

There are two threats for the Palestinians.

The first threat from the Israeli soldiers from the Israeli occupation, and the second threat from the Israeli settlers. Different areas were burned by the Israeli settlers mainly the olive trees. The Were burned by the Israeli settlers [00:12:00] and currently there is olive harvesting season and under these situation and all the restrictions and pressure from the Israeli on the Palestinians who live in West Bank, they closed All the gates in front of the farmers so the Palestinian farmers cannot reach their land.

And even they could reach their land, the Israeli settlers attacked the farmers who harvest and plow their land. Pick their their olive trees. And before one week the Israeli settler killed a Palestinian farmer in his land during harvesting the olive tree in a SA village near city.

Alleen Brown: Wow. And in, in Gaza you talked about how the blockade has prevented equipment from coming through [00:13:00] to build their water infrastructure. What equipment needs to come through and why do they say they're not allowing it through?

Abeer Butmeh: So for example, the the equipments that are needed to enter Gaza, for example, Uh, for the pumping public station and also some equipment for or some materials building materials.

Also there is very or there is a limitation on the quantity of the fuel. Uh, For example, the limited quantities of the fuel um, uh, caused a shortage of energy in order to operate the wastewater treatment plant in Gaza, so as a result of the shortage, the fuel shortage that is needed to operate.

The wastewater treatment plants in Gaza, uh, raw water, raw wastewater is pumped to the sea without treatment and that cause damage for the marine life in addition to wastewater penetration to the groundwater and [00:14:00] polluting the groundwater. And also the the repeated attacks against Gaza especially the attack in 2021.

They targeted the main infrastructure and the main facilities inside the development facilities inside Gaza. And also the current attack they targeted the different wastewater. Treatment plants and also the saline water treatment plant. They targeted different solar energy projects.

They Aim to damage the main infrastructure and the main basic elements in Gaza strip. Also during the last years 35% of the agricultural areas in Gaza. Strip it it is under, restricted areas, so the Palestinian farmers cannot reach their land freely without Israeli threats.

And there are different cases that the [00:15:00] Palestinian farmers were killed as a result of because they want to go to their farms to rehabilitate their farms and to harvest their crops.

And also the Israeli occupation. They spread chemicals by airplanes in these areas. To kill all the plants and vegetables in that area for they claim that it's for the safety and security reason. So they damaged huge areas of agricultural land by spreading these chemical materials on the agricultural areas and the plants.

Alleen Brown: And how do they claim that's a security thing? What, what could, what security could that possibly provide?

Abeer Butmeh: Because these areas should be seen without any without any trees, for example. They claim that the Palestinians can can come near the border. Without the Israeli occupation can see them, so they want to [00:16:00] make like a buffer zone, empty buffer zone, without any green cover.

Alleen Brown: I see. Okay. And with the equipment that they're not allowing in for the pumping, for water treatment, is the claim there that material could be used for violence? Is that what their claim is?

Abeer Butmeh: Yes, the claim is uh, the uh, fuel, the uh, all the materials can be used for the Palestinian resistance. Yeah, that's why they put a lot of pressure in order to, and restrictions in order to allow these materials to enter Gaza, but there is no reason any reason to allow for the Palestinians to go outside Gaza.

Even children we have different sick children suffer from, for example, cancer. And there is no medical medical relief in Gaza, uh, the suitable [00:17:00] medical equipments in Gaza and relief in Gaza. So they have to go to hospitals inside West Bank. So sometimes Children who with the ages less than 12 years, they go outside Gaza without their families.

They the Israeli occupation don't, doesn't allow for the for their mothers or fathers to go with. with with their children to to the hospitals inside West Bank. So there is no reason only it's a strategic of slow killing for the Palestinians and the collective punishment for the Palestinians.

What's happening in Gaza, it's a collective punishment. Since 16 years, um, why the children in Gaza cannot take the medical and the hospitality rights why the children also cannot dream with the future. Like any any child in the world. So [00:18:00] yeah. All all their life are frozen by the Israeli orders.

There is a lot of limitations. Not only the allowing of the spare parts or the materials. And for example Gaza Strip, it was agricultural area. It. Exports different agricultural crops like strawberry, like flowers, like different vegetables but as a result of the Israeli blockade.

These agricultural crops, there are a lot of restrictions to go outside Gaza also, and why there is no security or reason for the Israelis why, because they want to kill also the economy inside Gaza. So the, yeah, the minimum. Quantities can be imported, uh, from Gaza to West Bank and agricultural economy inside Gaza.

It was collapsed since 16 years.

Alleen Brown: I just wanted to go back to one thing you'd said [00:19:00] earlier, just to make sure I understand, you said that the Israelis have destroyed agricultural projects on the West Bank. They've destroyed solar panels and other things in those cases. Is it the Israeli military or is it soldiers?

And and why do they say they're doing that?

Abeer Butmeh: For the clean energy projects and water wells, for example, the Israeli soldiers they give an orders they give orders to damage these infrastructure because it is located in area C and area C, it is under. The Israeli control area C it forms 64% of the Palestinian areas in West Bank.

So the majority of the Palestinian areas located in the area. Sea and the area sea, mainly the agricultural areas in in West Bank.

Uh, but regarding the [00:20:00] burning trees and mainly the olive trees there are different cases that are practiced by the Israeli settlers, and the Israeli settlers attack the Palestinian farmers. And also they uh, burnt and uproot different trees in different areas in West Bank.

Alleen Brown: And why are the olive trees important?

Abeer Butmeh: The olive trees, it's the identity for the Palestinians. It's a symbolic Palestinian trees. Um, and  also the agricultural economy it depends on the olive trees.

Alleen Brown: you know, And I've, been reading a little bit about how greenwashing has been an important tool for Israel's occupation. Can you talk to me about that?

Abeer Butmeh: The Israel promoted self like eco friendly country by by depending on different environmental practices for example [00:21:00] Mikorot Israeli company, which is a wastewater and water company in in Israel it promotes It's itself like a professional water company in water and with water management all over the world.

What's happening on the ground is is responsible on the suffering of the Palestinians, especially in the Jordan Valley communities and in the eastern part and southern part of West Bank.

For example. And Israel practiced or practices the water apartheid in West Bank and in Gaza. When we compare the Palestinian water consumption by the Israeli settlers inside West Bank for example, in the Jordan Valley, the water consumption per capita per day it reaches to 10 to 20 liter per capita per day while the Israeli settlers in the Jordan Valley, they consume eight times the uh, Palestinians [00:22:00] and also

for example we have a laja village which was the main agricultural village inside the Jordan Valley. And they depend on the larger spring. But as a result of, uh, the Israeli practices, they drilled wells beside the main feed to these springs.

Currently village suffered from water shortage for agricultural use, and now you can see Al Auja village dry .

Another kind of green washing which is the Jewish National Fund which is claim that it's a charity they organize different planting trees, a huge planting trees. So they work under environmental cover but the reality Of G and F is covering the Palestinian identity. They replace the Palestinian native trees with foreign trees[00:23:00] and cover the Palestinian nature.

In addition to that they aim to To organize planting trees on the ruins of the Palestinian villages inside the 1948 land. For example, previously, GNF, they organized large planting trees on the ruins of eight Palestinian villages. Inside the 1948 land in order to cover that there were Abyssinian villages in these areas. .

Alleen Brown: We should note That, In the past Mekorot has denied responsibility for Palestinian water shortages.

And you talked a little bit before about the ways that the climate crisis in Palestine , is really shaped by the occupation. But can you say more about how the climate crisis is impacting Gaza and the West Bank and other [00:24:00] Palestinian territories?

Abeer Butmeh: When we talk about climate change the main important sector, which is water sector we cannot as Palestinians, we cannot cope with uh, with climate uh, changes with, without sovereignty on water resources.

. So we cannot, uh, cope with climate change as any any environmental organizations or any farmer in different countries because the Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian land and its resources. We hAve plans.

We have different, uh, environmental adaptation projects, but we cannot implement what we plan because the Israeli restrictions on the land and also on the resources.

Alleen Brown: And given all of these pressures how are Palestinians pushing back? What is Palestine's environmental movement [00:25:00] look like?

Abeer Butmeh: YEah. As the Palestinians we believe in our rights that this we believe in our rights in this land and with its resources. So we always fighting for our rights as Palestinians.. We don't stop trying to find alternatives and solutions, even under these restrictions.

For example, in the Jordan Valley, which is a strategic area for the Israelis, only in the Jordan Valley, we have 42 Israeli settlements are mainly agricultural settlements. So they control as much as they can on water resources and agricultural areas in order to provide and supply these water resources to develop the these illegal agricultural settlements.

But we, what we do as environmental, [00:26:00] organizations and movements inside the Jordan Valley in order to increase the Palestinian farmers steadfastness and to keep them in their land is to develop and to provide them with basic needs, even As not as planned. For example, in these communities, we have no water networks.

So we provide them with water tanks in order to be able to stay in their land and in these communities, there is no electricity networks as a result of the Israeli restrictions. So we developed a And we constructed different solar energy projects inside these communities in order also to increase their steadfastness in their land and also in different areas in West Bank. And also. And regarding Gaza [00:27:00] Strip, even Gaza Strip, which is live under the siege since a very long time, but we try to do what we can by providing them more with basic elements and equipments that is needed to develop the infrastructure there. Even it took a very long time and a very long process to enter these equipments and materials. We achieved a lot of successes. Even it's small successes and even it's slow progre progress. But we couldn't stop doing. These these development and this work because we believe that we have to continue our our fight to protect our environmental rights.

Alleen Brown: And for you [00:28:00] personally, what made you want to do this work to become an environmental defender the way you are?

Abeer Butmeh: Personally, I'm basically I'm from uh, Palestinian village, and I'm very connected with land since. My childhood. When I was a child, I the most favorite thing is to go to is going to the our farms and plant trees. And I remember the Israeli soldiers when they uproot different trees from our farms.

And I will not forget the feeling that I That I had when I was a child, when I saw My tree when it was uprooted so I believe that this is our land and we we have the right to continue struggling in order to protect our land.

Alleen: And I saw that Pentagon coauthored a report about challenges faced by Palestinian environmental defenders, [00:29:00] and it listed some violations against environmental defenders, including imprisonment, harassment, withholding information, defamation of the image.

Threats and banning people from attending meetings. I wondered if you could share more about these kinds of violations and what you've experienced as an environmental activist.

Abeer Butmeh: We cannot do our environmental work freely without Israeli restrictions. For example, we cannot reach the areas that is under the Israeli violations in order to do some investigation work.

In some cases we became under the threats. To be prisoners by the Israeli occupation. For example through our work, we have to do a lot of investigation in some areas located in the south of Hiran. We took [00:30:00] a. That there is a lot of indicators that the Israelis dump the nuclear waste in the southern part of West Bank.

So our colleague who took some photos for the trucks and for the caves in that areas, they put him in in the prison and they damaged the cameras and all the on the laptops and all the materials. We have different cases like this case. We cannot do our environmental work freely without that is really a threat.

Also when we want to develop any environmental project like rehabilitation of agricultural land there is a threat also to control the rehabilitation equipments like bulldozers trucks, and Different equipments. So we try sometimes some cases we try to work during the night, not the day in order to finish [00:31:00] our work without taking giving attention from the Israelis.

Also, there is a control for the information that we collect in different media media centers, Persian media centers, and also different environmental organizations and legal organizations uh, the Israeli soldiers. Attack the offices and control all the equipments and the and the information inside these these laptops and these equipments.

And there is a, any many restrictions on the Palestinian environmental activists and organizations. And also there's a section on, on movement for the Palestinian environment, environmental activists. For example, when we want to travel outside Palestine, in some cases, the Israeli occupation [00:32:00] stopped us and prevented us to travel as a result of certain activities that we did inside Palestine.

Alleen: And have you experienced any of these things personally?

Abeer Butmeh: For me, when I participated in Geneva in the UN Human Rights Council talking about the Mikorod water upright practices, when I returned back on the Persian borders uh, So we have Israeli border first they stopped me and they asked me what I did inside the UN and they gave me

A condition if I repeat this this case, they will put me in a jail. And yeah. So they threatened me in order to silence him to, to silence me not to talk about the Israeli practices in Palestine.

Alleen: So they said if you spoke again about the [00:33:00] water company and those problems to the UN, you would be imprisoned.