Protest poster
Green groups protest plan to build military town in Negev
Activists claim air pollution caused by waste management site of Ramat Hovav will endanger lives of soldiers who will serve in new IDF compound
Environmental organizations continued their protest against the government's plan to build a "military town" south of Beersheba, which will house all of the IDF's training bases.
The town is set to be built only 10 kilometers away from the waste management facility of Ramat Hovav, which deals with large quantities of hazardous materials, and is responsible for a severe problem of air pollution in the region.
Life-size images of concerned parents
The Green groups claim that the pollution caused by the site is behind the dramatic increase in the number of cancer patients and respiratory problems among the local Bedouin population. If the army builds a huge base in the area, they added, this will put the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers at risk as well.
As part of their struggle, the Green Course organization launched Sunday a new campaign, which included life-size posters with the images of parents of pre-army teens, carrying the caption, "The military town in Ramat Hovav – a death sentence to my son."
The posters were placed at various spots in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The Green activists explained that they did not oppose the idea of relocating the army bases to the south, a move that is expected to strengthen the region, but that this should not be done at the expense of the soldiers. "The ideal answer would be to find a solution to the pollution in Ramat Hovav, before building the city."
