The other big topic Bennett ignored at the UN: Climate change - analysis

• Author: LAHAV HARKOV
• Published date: 30 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Perhaps the comment that received the most notice at the 76th UNGA this month was from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who challenged a Muppet.

"When Kermit the Frog sang, 'It's Not Easy Bein' Green,' I want you to know he was wrong – and he was also unnecessarily rude to Miss Piggy," he said.

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Johnson's speech, several days before Bennett's, was entirely focused on climate. He called on humanity to "grow up" and take "responsibility for the destruction we are inflicting, not just upon our planet but upon ourselves."

Johnson's UK will be presiding over the UN Climate Change Conference at the end of the month in Glasgow.

Over 100 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have said they would attend, but Bennett is not one of them. He has yet to decide, his spokesman said on Thursday.

Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg does plan to go to Glasgow. But not sending Israel's leader would send a message about where climate stands in Israel's priorities, putting Israel in stark contrast with most Western democracies these days.

And that message would be honest. Climate is not at the top of the agenda in Israel, neither for the government nor for the media, not even for the general population as polling indicates, even though we are located in a climate hotspot, where we may fall victim to some of the worst effects.

AT SOME level, Bennett seems to recognize that climate is an important issue, and has made several public statements about climate change.

Last week his office distributed a summary of what the new government did in its first 100 days, including "combating climate change" as one of its top items. He mentioned it in his public statement with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington last month.

A senior diplomatic source this week said Bennett is "very mindful" of climate change.

But the topic didn't come up in the UNGA speech because Israel is "a small country with a small footprint. Even if we do everything we need to, we won't have much of an influence on the global footprint," the source said.

At the same time, Israel "can use our great abilities in innovation, start-ups and water technology to help," the source said.

But Israel is not just "a small country with a small footprint" when it comes to climate. It's the same with corona and social-media-driven political polarization...