Middle East Press On: Israel, Remembrance Day, Climate: New Age Islam's Selection, 2 May 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
2 May 2025
From Agricultural Frost To Drought: Türkiye's Growing Crisis
Israel Is Burning In More Ways Than One
Pleasure And Plagues: The Struggles Of Staying In Israel Now, But Why Staying Matters
To Live And Die For Israel: An Outsider's Perspective On Remembrance Day
77 Years Later, Saving The Country Is Still The Central Mission
Climate Change A Threat To Iraq’s Stability
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From Agricultural Frost To Drought: Türkiye's Growing Crisis
By Mehmet Emin Birpinar
May 02, 2025
This year, numerous disasters have occurred worldwide due to sudden temperature fluctuations. In Türkiye, unusually warm temperatures, exceeding seasonal norms from February to April, caused plants to bloom prematurely. Then, the subsequent sharp drop in temperatures negatively impacted 16 types of agricultural products across 34 provinces. Following these events, the General Directorate of Meteorology released updated drought maps, highlighting the widespread risk of drought across the country. The increasing frequency and intensity of such meteorological disasters have drawn greater attention to the growing impact of climate change.
Climate change stands out as one of the most serious global problems of our time. Although it is commonly referred to as warming, climate change encompasses both the warming and cooling of temperatures over extended periods. Natural events, such as extreme precipitation, heat waves, cold waves and droughts, make the environmental, financial and social impacts of climate change increasingly visible on global, regional and national scales.
According to the “State of Global Climate 2024” report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in March 2025, 2024 was recorded as the hottest year ever measured. The last decade was also the hottest on record. The report emphasized that average global temperatures in 2024 were 1.55 degrees Celsius (2.79 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than those in the preindustrial revolution period, revealing that the temperature increase had exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius – the main target of the Paris Climate Agreement – for the first time.
Extreme weather events
One of the most common indicators of climate change is undoubtedly extreme weather events, such as storms, floods, fires, heat waves and cold waves. These events are increasing in number, frequency and severity every year due to the impacts of climate change. As clearly stated in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Türkiye, located in the Mediterranean basin, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, is increasingly exposed to disasters triggered by climate change.
According to the records of the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), while there were between 20 and 150 extreme weather events annually in the 1990-2000 period, this number increased to between 150 and 550 in the 2000-2010 period, 300 to 980 in the 2010-2020 period and exceeded a thousand annually after 2020, reaching 1,257 in 2024. One-third of these events were caused by extreme and sudden precipitation, as well as floods resulting from this precipitation.
Risk in agricultural production
Temperature changes and the accompanying shifts in the water cycle directly impact many areas, including health, energy, transportation, food and agriculture. Among these, the agricultural sector is one of the most impacted. At the beginning of 2025, agricultural frost cases triggered by sudden temperature changes in February, March and April affected a vast area in Türkiye. The extreme cold that followed temperatures well above seasonal norms – considered to be a false spring – harmed agricultural production.
Although agricultural frost is a concern, the real danger for Türkiye is drought, which affects a broader geographical area for a more extended period. According to MGM assessments, the drought maps for the period April 2023 to March 2025 indicate that the Thrace region, as well as the western, southern and inland parts of the country, are experiencing moderate, severe and extreme drought. In the last 12-month drought maps, more than half of the country’s land faces the threat of drought, and in the previous three-month (winter period) maps, intense drought prevails in all areas except the Black Sea region.
In addition to the threats of frost and drought, wasteful use of water and the lack of adoption of water-resistant cropping patterns undoubtedly have a negative impact on agricultural production and the security of water and food supplies.
Decline in yield
According to the report titled "The Impact of Disasters and Crises on Agriculture and Food Security 2023," prepared by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agricultural losses caused by natural disasters between 2000 and 2021 accounted for approximately 5% of the annual global agricultural GDP. In particular, it has been noted that drought, triggered by climate change, accounts for 65% of farming losses, while floods, storms and forest fires also cause significant damage. Additionally, temperature changes reduce crop productivity, thus creating an inflationary effect on food prices. In Türkiye, one of the most important impacts of climate change expected in the agricultural sector is a decrease in yields.
According to data from Türkiye's climate change adaptation strategy and action plan, prepared for the 2024-2030 period, the damages caused by climate change-induced disasters in Türkiye amount to 1.2% of the country's GDP. Therefore, it has been emphasized that to protect our country from the impacts of climate change-induced disasters, it is crucial to increase our resilience and design and implement adaptation actions at all levels.
According to the plan, it is also estimated that by 2080, changes in temperature and precipitation regimes will impact crop production yields by 8% in crops such as wheat, barley, oats and rye; 12% in sunflower; 12% in legumes; 14% in corn; 5% in cotton; and 16% in sugar beet. In regional studies, such as those in Thrace, it is estimated that changes in temperature and precipitation regimes could result in a 76% decrease in wheat yields and a 66% decrease in sunflower yields.
Similar trends have been observed globally in terms of yield declines, as shown by numerous studies published on platforms such as the American National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Nature and FAO. According to these studies, two-thirds of the calories consumed worldwide come from just four crops – wheat, soy, rice and maize – and for every 1 degree Celsius increase in global temperature, yields of these crops are projected to decrease by up to 25%. Additionally, a study published by NASA predicts that yield losses of up to 17% in wheat and 24% in corn, which are among the primary food sources, will occur globally by 2030 as a result of temperature increases.
In the following piece, I will continue my discussion by examining what Türkiye has done so far to address the agricultural crisis and exploring further actions that can be taken.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/from-agricultural-frost-to-drought-turkiyes-growing-crisis
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Israel Is Burning In More Ways Than One
By Jpost Editorial
May 2, 2025
Massive fires on the eve of Independence Day can be attributed to a cruel divine reflection of the current state of the nation: burning. Nearly 2,000 hectares (almost 5,000 acres) of land were charred, as firefighters fought bravely to contain the fire, and drivers on the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem Highway abandoned their cars in the blazing heat and walked to safety.
Every year, Israelis experience the effects of climate change more and more, as the weather gets more extreme, and not all disasters can be fought off. But we can be prepared.
Government decisions made in the last two years prevented that preparation, demonstrating yet another example of the governing coalition’s disconnect and inefficiency. Civilians end up paying the heaviest of prices.
It should serve as a rallying cry to our leaders to buckle in and prepare for the next fire, both physical and metaphorical, and to start healing the ever-widening schisms in Israeli society.
Furthermore, this isn’t Israel’s first fire. Fifteen years ago, a massive forest fire broke out on Mount Carmel. Forty-four people died, about 17,000 were evacuated, and nearly 2,500 hectares of land were burned, including millions of trees. It took five days to contain the fires.
This was the largest natural fire that took place in Israel up until that point, and it was the worst civilian disaster until the Mount Meron crowd crush in April 2021 that claimed the lives of 45 people.
Israeli leadership's unwillingness to learn
The government was asked to form a state commission of inquiry for the Carmel fires to learn from mistakes and be better prepared for the future.
Such a commission was never formed, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the initiative. In 2012, the State Comptroller’s Office published a series of recommendations.
Already before the Carmel fires, the Fire and Rescue Authority had complained several times in the 2000s about a shortage of supplies and manpower. Some legislation was passed in the following years to settle disputes over the ministerial parent of the Fire and Rescue Authority, streamlining some of the bureaucratic blockages.
The fires this week are even more infuriating, because in December 2022, former Internal Security Ministry director-general Tomer Lotan begged, in a special Knesset committee, to purchase four aerial firefighting Black Hawk jets for use against fires. He warned that they weren’t a luxury but a necessity, and that it could not wait. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was fresh in the role, disputed this, claiming it was a waste of money.
Lotan wrote on Twitter/X on Wednesday: “I am seeing photos of the fires, and my blood is boiling!” The purchase plan was the result of a long, professional process of coordination among several governmental bodies, which was eventually approved by the Bennett-Lapid government, and it came after a widespread government decision to approach firefighting more seriously, he wrote.
Ben-Gvir spun a lie that the jets would be used by the police, and he used it to fodder his claim of fund wastefulness, Lotan wrote, adding: “This was so crazy and stupid, because the purchase was for the Fire and Rescue Authority, not for the police!”
During the committee meeting, Lotan wrote, he tried hard to explain that these jets would upgrade Israel’s aerial power. “It was like talking to the wall,” he wrote.
“These lies stunted the purchase and prevented us from being much more prepared today, two and a half years later, for these massive fires,” he added.
During budgetary debates a few months ago, NIS 217 million was cut from firefighting services and went instead to haredi (ultra-Orthodox) yeshivot and food stamps for the community, as well as for haredi education and to settlements, along with NIS 87m. to “strengthening Jewish identity.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed off on all of this.
Yesh Atid MK Vladimir Beliak, a member of the Knesset’s Finance Committee, summarized it well when he said on Thursday: “What happened to the budget of the Fire and Rescue Authority tells you everything you need to know about yesterday’s fires. The 2025 budget was approved with cuts, while increased funds were dedicated to political and sectoral goals. The Authority’s budget dropped from 2024 to 2025; this government is risking the lives of its citizens for its own survival.”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-852305
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Pleasure And Plagues: The Struggles Of Staying In Israel Now, But Why Staying Matters
By Stewart Weiss
May 2, 2025
“Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane; don’t know when I’ll be back again; oh, babe, I hate to go.” (John Denver, 1969)
“I’m leaving.” She said it matter of factly, almost calmly, but the words froze me where I stood.
“You mean you’re going on vacation, like every second Israeli?” I guessed – or hoped.
She chuckled, but the smile quickly vanished from her face. “No, not on vacation. I’m getting out – for good. I’ve had enough; I can’t take it anymore.”
I first met Donna years ago at a conference of bereaved parents. Like our family, she had made aliyah with great enthusiasm and great expectations. She had carved out a new life for herself here, but that life changed in an instant when tragedy struck. Her daughter was on border patrol in the Old City when two terrorists rushed at her.
One was killed by a fellow soldier, but the other succeeded in stabbing her several times before he was wounded. She died at the scene from her wounds, and Donna never fully recovered.
“What is it that’s gotten to you?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
“What isn’t wrong! I don’t even know where to start!” she exclaimed.
“Well, start somewhere. Tell me what has you so up in arms,” I said.
Why a woman wants to leave Israel
“Okay. Let’s begin with the government. Is there anyone in this country who respects our politicians, who thinks they have a plan and know what to do about this horror film that we’re living?!”
I tried to calm her down a bit. “You know, it’s rare that Israelis ever agree with the government’s decisions.”
“But this time, it’s not just about complaining,” she said. “Now it’s existential; it’s life and death. And we’re so divided; we fight among ourselves about everything! Especially the war – how we should be fighting it, and who should be fighting it! I can’t understand how people could refuse to serve in a life-and-death situation.”
“Well, Donna, there are people who have a different religious outlook than others when it comes to military duty.”
“Please, you’re a rabbi. Doesn’t the Torah – and God – teach that life is the highest value? Didn’t the heroes of the Torah go to war when the nation was threatened? And answer me something: If the Kohen gadol [high priest] could put aside his spiritual purity to bury a dead person when necessary, shouldn’t even the ‘holiest’ people do whatever is necessary to save live individuals?!”
And then Donna began to cry uncontrollably. It took several minutes before she calmed down and could utter just two words: “He’s out.”
“Who’s out? What do you mean?”
Her face was laced with pain. “My daughter’s murderer, that’s who. They set him free, just like that. So much for life sentences, so much for justice. He got a hero’s welcome back in his village; they’ll probably name a street for him and shower him with money.
“You probably didn’t hear about it or see it on the news. The media don’t give a damn about the victims or how this kills us for a second time. They only talk about the hostages and incessantly show the crowds who mindlessly, endlessly scream, ‘NOW! NOW!’ which is just code for ‘give the terrorists everything they want,’ no matter what the price.
“Whatever happened to the Israel that refused to surrender to killers?”
“But how can you leave when your beloved daughter is buried here?” I asked.
“My daughter’s body is here, but her soul is with me wherever I go.”
“And where will you go? Do you really think any place on the planet is safe and secure for Jews, especially Israelis? You watch the news; you must know that the haters now infect virtually every country on Earth. Just last week, the Maldives – one of the exotic get-away escapes that Israelis love – became the latest country to ban us. Do you really believe you’ll get better treatment out there than here?”
“At least there, it won’t be my own people who are putting the knife in my back.”
I struggled to find something to say to Donna that would give her some comfort and re-route the river of anguish and angst that was flowing through her veins.
“You know,” I said, “there are really two Israels, and you are seeing only one right now – the one with a harsh, even ugly, face. But the same Israeli who cuts you off in traffic and risks life and limb to gain one car length on you is the same Israeli who will stop to help you if you get a flat tire.
“The same Israeli who snubs you and struggles to even say ‘hello’ when passing you on the street will tell you her life story the moment you establish some mutual connection. And the same Israeli who totally disagrees with every opinion you have will hug you passionately at the cemetery on Yom Hazikaron.
“There is a famous adage about two words in Hebrew that share the same three letters: ayin, gimmel, and nun. If you place the ayin at the end of the word, it spells ‘nega,’ or ‘plague.’ But if you place the ayin at the front of the word, it spells ‘oneg’ or ‘pleasure.’ It all depends on where you direct the ayin – which means ‘your eye.’
“Yes, Israel is now in crisis mode, to be sure. But we have been there before and lived to tell the tale. We cannot be apathetic or complacent, but we also cannot be fatalistic. Governments come and go, despite their stubborn refusal to move on; and slowly but surely, there will be a meeting of the minds regarding the sharing of the war burden.
“And while thousands of non-observant soldiers are clamoring to wear tzitzit, more and more haredi men are seeking to enlist. The hostages will eventually come home, and we will outlive Hamas and the haters just as we outlasted the great empires of the past. And you surely want to be a part of that.”
I could see that Donna was weakening just a bit, so I added a final plea. “Give us another chance, please. We need people like you here, in the thick of the fight. We need your energy, your passion. Plus, I know you’re not independently wealthy. At least wait until the airfares go significantly down before you plan your escape.”
Somehow, I know that Donna will be around for a long, long time.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-852153
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To Live And Die For Israel: An Outsider's Perspective On Remembrance Day
By Yuval Levy
May 1, 2025
Sometimes I resent the fact that I didn’t grow up in Israel. My parents are your textbook Israelis - staunch Zionists, devoted fans of Hadag Nahash and chronic consumers of hummus. For much of my life, I was angry at them for instilling Israeli values in me and then choosing to raise me in America, where a sense of belonging constantly eluded me, and my identity was a frequent source of uncertainty. But maturing for me was realizing that living in the Jewish state is - like everything else in this country - extremely complicated.
I’ve been on a gap year in Israel for nearly nine months now, trying to understand how an Israeli from the diaspora could belong in this place, and perhaps more importantly, what my role is in fighting this war.
I thought I’d find some answers by attending the Defense Ministry’s Remembrance Day ceremony on Monday. I had never been to anything of the sort - certainly I would never have been provided with the opportunity to shake hands with the nation’s highest defense personnel in the United States.
Upon reflection, I truly don’t think I fully understood what it meant to be Israeli until I experienced Remembrance Day in Israel for the first time. It bears little resemblance to Memorial Day in America, which is more about barbeques and clothing sales. In Israel, this day is deeply personal for every single citizen, regardless of gender, religion or political affiliation. If you belong to Israel, then its fallen belong to you.
The ceremony was intimate, held in the National Hall for Israel’s Fallen on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The venue is composed of thousands of white bricks, each memorializing a soldier who died in battle. Hundreds of names have been added since October 7, 2023, but thousands of bricks remain blank, awaiting the day where they too will immortalize a name in stone.
The IDF's role in Israel's national identity
I think what outsiders struggle to understand about the IDF is that it is not merely a defense institution - it is firmly embedded in the national identity of Israel, serving as the beating heart of a peoplehood. The crowd of civilians in attendance was interspersed with soldiers wearing berets of varying colors, each signifying a corps in the defense forces. The presence of combatants among civilians would be atypical in most other places, but in Israel, it reflects the deep integration of the military within Israeli life.
Perhaps the clearest testament to how deeply the army is woven into the fabric of Israeli civil society was the row of students seated behind me during the commemoration.
Unlike my own experiences at the mandatory ceremonies I attended in high school, these young adults sat in full attention. The thought that, in the next few years, Remembrance Day might be honoring some of them never left my mind. And yet, when I looked at their faces, I didn’t see fear: I saw resolve.
While hearing story after story about soldiers my age who had fallen in combat over the years, I came to a pivotal realization: every day I had spent on my gap year until then had been about understanding what it means to live for this country. But Remembrance Day was the day I began to understand what it means to die for it. And by extension, that the way a nation honors its dead is one of the most profound reflections of how it values life.
In Israel - a country where nearly every single person knows a victim of terror or war, and where grief is a collective burden, where people attend the funerals of strangers, and the entire country stands still as a siren commemorates those who died on the battlefield - there is a love for a peoplehood unlike anything I have witnessed elsewhere. The threat of extinction only ignites their passion to protect; external hatred only deepens their dedication to each other. They possess an extraordinary willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, not just because their home is all that they have, but because their home is all that they are.
My takeaway from Remembrance Day is that a sense of purpose and a willingness to sacrifice make Israelis who they are. However, I don’t believe that military service is necessarily everybody’s purpose. There is power in being an Israeli and a Jew from the diaspora. We have a unique role to play in this conflict.
The sacrifices made by soldiers on the battlefield should inspire us to dedicate ourselves to fighting Jew hatred within our own communities abroad; to make our own sacrifices, even if it’s difficult. Not only because we must do so to survive, but because the sense of belonging we feel as a Jewish people is one rooted deeply in selflessness. We must always remember that the burden of protecting our future does not rest on those in uniform alone - it belongs to us all.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-852244
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77 Years Later, Saving The Country Is Still The Central Mission
By Dan Perry
May 1, 2025
There are not that many miracles in this world. Israel, at 77, is one of them. It is no exaggeration to say that Israel’s very existence – and especially its astounding success across so many fields – runs counter to historical expectations. This is not a flowery statement crafted for Independence Day. It is a sober assessment from someone who has been an international correspondent in countless countries.
A people exiled from their land for two thousand years, nearly annihilated, and mixed together with other nations, somehow did not vanish – but instead managed to regroup and build a modern and thriving state on land they were once expelled from. And they did it under constant threat, with a difficult geography, without significant natural resources.
At a time when questions of national identity dominate the discourse – from Ukraine to the United States and many places in between – Israel’s experiment of uniting Jews from around the world is, or at least should be, a source of inspiration.
The Jews are not just a religion with a state, as some detractors claim, but an ancient civilization with a religion for those who want it and with a shared history and identity for all. The result, despite its flaws, stands as a fascinating model of how different cultures can merge into (roughly) one.
Today, Israel is a country of 10 million people with a per capita GDP is about $53,000 per year – higher than that of Britain, France, Spain, and Italy; comparable to Germany; more than double Greece; nearly triple Turkey; and about 13 times that of Egypt. Israel boasts one of the world’s most stable currencies, among the lowest inflation rates, and one of the highest foreign currency reserves per capita.
ISRAEL IS a true leader – no caveats needed – in technological innovation, attracting venture capital investments on a scale absurdly disproportionate to its size. In some years investment in Israeli startups ($26 billion in 2021) reached about half the total invested in the entire European Union (despite a population 40 times larger).
Israel created global breakthroughs: USB drives and flash memory, internet telephony, Waze, Mobileye, desert agriculture, and in advanced medicine. In many fields – from defensive and offensive cyber to smart agriculture – Israel is not just participating but setting the tone and pace.
Its cultural achievements are equally remarkable. Israel has produced a canon of music, literature, television, and cinema – from novels by Amos Oz and David Grossman to global television hits like In Treatment, Fauda, and Homeland. Until recently – before the war disrupted so much – Israel was a leader in television format exports and acclaimed cinema. It publishes more books per capita than the United States and boasts a strong record in Nobel Prizes per capita (12th worldwide) and scientific publications (14th).
And beyond the dry statistics, there is the spirit of the place itself. Few cities are as vibrant and welcoming as Tel Aviv, with its mesmerizing cuisine, lively nightlife, and thriving gay community. There is Jerusalem with its holy sites, accessible – security issues aside – to all faiths. There is a green, hilly north with decent skiing, a desert south with a thriving diving culture, and breathtaking canyons in between.
Israel’s social fabric, though stretched, includes successes too often overlooked. Especially notable is the coexistence – difficult, imperfect, but significant – between Jews and its Arab citizens. Today, Arab Israelis are doctors, judges, journalists, entrepreneurs, and members of the Knesset. The gaps remain – but against all odds, the trajectory has been forward.
Yes, inequality is a serious problem – but Good Lord! This is still a land flowing with milk, honey, and a contagious zest for life. Anyone doubting this should consult the World Happiness rankings, where Israelis trail only the Nordic nations and Costa Rica.
EVEN REGARDING the Palestinians outside sovereign Israel, the small Jewish country amid 14 Muslim ones – tiny at less than 0.5% of their total land area – historically adopted a more moderate approach than is often remembered: especially today, when the bloodshed in Gaza, under a reckless government, is horrifying. Israel accepted the 1947 UN Partition Plan; the Palestinians and Arab states rejected it. Twice, Israel offered the Palestinians a state in almost all of the West Bank and Gaza; they declined meaningful engagement.
Israel even withdrew completely from Gaza – only for it to fall into the hands of Hamas, an entity so monstrous that the world (literally, it seems) struggles to comprehend it.
Of course, Israel has sometimes used excessive force, and parts of Israeli society have shown disturbing indifference to civilian casualties in the territories and in Lebanon.
This reached shameful dimensions in the current conflict. And yet, overall, few nations would have maintained their humanity under such circumstances.
Thus, taking all this into consideration, Israel is a success story. Not only Jews should take pride in it, but all Israelis should: Jew and Arab. Indeed, all people who seek hope for humanity and a proof of the greatness and spirit that flicker within every individual should.
AND YET, this 77th Independence Day takes place under a deep cloud of melancholy.
The ongoing war in Gaza, with no end in sight, is wearing down the public. Political divisions are deeper than ever, with vast parts of the population convinced that decisions are being made for political survival at the cost of human lives. Hope is fading. An alarming percentage of Israelis are contemplating emigration – not because of external threats, but because of despair.
Hamas and Hezbollah threaten us externally, but what's happening within?
The threats Israel faces today are not like those of 1948 or 1967. The external enemies – Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran – are dangerous but not existential threats if Israel remains internally strong. The greatest danger is within.
First and foremost – the political chasm that has opened. Democracy accommodates disputes, but what has happened here in recent years is beyond reasonable. The 2023 judicial coup attempt was not just a political maneuver – it was a direct attack on Israel’s democratic system, seeking to install an elected autocracy. The protest movement managed to delay it – but not defeat it.
The danger remains. If the conspirators succeed in turning Israel into a Jewish version of Turkey, where the government does whatever it wants, millions will leave – including virtually everyone driving Israel’s technological miracle.
Simultaneously, there is the demographic challenge. Due to insanely high birthrates – 6.5 children per family on average – the haredi population is doubling each generation as a share of the total, while insisting on massive public subsidies. Without true integration into the workforce, the army, and modern education, Israel’s economy – and its social fabric – will not survive. Talk of partitioning into two separate states, which today sounds fanciful, could become urgent reality.
And the entanglement created by Jewish settlements in the West Bank (and possibly, God forbid, again in Gaza) is eroding both the morality of the Zionist project and Israel’s international standing. Without separation from the Palestinians, Israel will have to choose: abandon democracy or abandon its Jewish character. Today, in the combined area of Israel and the territories, the population is evenly split.
The signs of disaster are already here: Tech investment is cooling and emigration is rising. Diaspora Jewish communities are distancing themselves. And the world is losing patience – despite Trump’s “support.” Across Europe, Israeli exile communities are springing up. But above all – talk to ordinary Israelis and ask them how many are considering securing a future for their children abroad. The answers are troubling. The danger is real – and this time, it is self-inflicted.
IT IS not too late, however. I am not here to outline a detailed rescue plan – those exist in abundance, and I have offered them myself on these and other pages. What is missing is focus.
The window is narrowing. For anyone who cares about the future of the Jewish people and the future of Israel, saving this country must become one of the central missions of their life in the coming years. There must be concentration and urgency. It’s not politics.
I have seen and reported on countries that disappeared – the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. They had alternatives. Israel does not.
Therefore, as Israel enters its 78th year, let us remember: Something extraordinary has been built here. But if things continue as they are – if Israelis are seduced by complacency or succumb to defeatism – the future genuinely, truly, absolutely risks collapse. There is work to be done.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-852293
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Climate Change A Threat To Iraq’s Stability
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
May 01, 2025
Iraq is grappling with a combination of soaring temperatures, rapidly declining rainfall, increased desertification and the deterioration of once-thriving agricultural lands. The UN ranks it among the five countries most vulnerable to climate change globally.
Since the beginning of this century, Iraq’s average temperature has increased by nearly 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade, a rate much faster than the global average. Projections suggest that, if current emissions continue unchecked, Iraq’s temperatures could be as much as 5.6 C higher than pre-industrial times by the end of the century. Such an increase would not only devastate the country’s fragile ecosystems but would also exacerbate economic hardship, displacement and social instability.
Already, the country is facing longer and harsher droughts, increasingly violent sandstorms and a sharp decline in water resources — a combination that threatens millions of lives and livelihoods.
Human Rights Watch in March released a sobering report titled “Iraq’s Climate Crisis is a Human Rights Crisis,” bringing global attention to the humanitarian dimension of Iraq’s environmental catastrophe. It underscores that the crisis is not just a matter of rising temperatures or drying rivers, it is about the fundamental rights of Iraq’s people — the right to water, food, health, shelter and even life itself.
The report documented how Iraqi communities, especially marginalized populations such as the Marsh Arabs and rural farmers, are being displaced, their traditional ways of life destroyed and their access to essential resources cut off. As the government struggles to respond adequately, many find themselves increasingly vulnerable to hunger, disease, poverty and forced migration.
The consequences of Iraq’s climate crisis have been devastating across every sector. For example, agricultural production, a cornerstone of Iraq’s economy and food security, has plummeted. Water shortages and soil degradation have made farming in many areas impossible, leaving thousands of families without a source of income. The Mesopotamian Marshes, an ecosystem that once covered thousands of square kilometers and supported a rich cultural heritage, have shrunk dramatically due to upstream water diversions and rising salinity levels. This environmental tragedy threatens not only biodiversity but also the ancient communities whose livelihoods depend on these wetlands.
Moreover, Iraq has witnessed an alarming increase in the frequency and severity of sandstorms, events that blanket cities in thick dust, shut down airports, destroy crops and cause widespread respiratory illnesses among the population. Hospitals in Baghdad and other cities report spikes in patients suffering from asthma and other respiratory diseases after each storm.
Environmental degradation is not an isolated problem for farmers or villagers, it is a nationwide crisis impacting public health, economic stability, education and national security.
The effects of Iraq’s climate crisis are not confined within its borders. The drying of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are essential water sources for Iraq, Syria and parts of Turkiye and Iran, is a regional catastrophe in the making.
As upstream countries build more dams and divert water to serve their own growing populations and industries, Iraq is left gasping for water. This competition for dwindling water resources has already heightened tensions between nations and threatens to ignite new conflicts in an already volatile region.
Severe droughts, linked directly to human-induced climate change, have devastated large areas of Syria, contributing to mass migration, internal displacement and instability — dynamics that could easily worsen in Iraq and spill over into neighboring countries. Thus, Iraq’s environmental collapse risks triggering broader humanitarian disasters, refugee crises and security challenges that will reverberate throughout the Middle East and beyond. What is happening in Iraq is a stark warning for the entire region: environmental degradation knows no borders.
The international community, particularly the world’s most powerful nations, cannot afford to turn a blind eye to Iraq’s plight. Iraq did not cause the climate crisis on its own; historically, its carbon emissions have been relatively small compared to major industrialized countries. Yet it finds itself suffering disproportionately from a problem largely driven by global trends. Justice demands that wealthier nations, which have contributed most to the problem, step up to help Iraq adapt and survive.
Furthermore, helping Iraq is not just a moral obligation, it is a matter of enlightened self-interest. Instability in Iraq, fueled by climate collapse, could trigger waves of migration, regional conflicts and economic shocks that will impact Europe, Asia and beyond. Assisting Iraq in building resilience to climate change today will help avert future crises that might require far greater humanitarian and military interventions. The international community must recognize that Iraq’s fate is intertwined with global security, human rights and the broader fight against climate change.
There are concrete actions that can and must be taken immediately to help Iraq confront this existential challenge. One major area of focus should be strengthening water management systems. Iraq needs modern, efficient infrastructure to store, distribute and conserve its limited water supplies. Revitalizing irrigation systems, repairing aging dams and implementing water-saving technologies could make a tremendous difference.
Sustainable agricultural practices must be promoted to replace traditional methods that are no longer viable under current conditions. Encouraging the use of drought-resistant crops, soil conservation techniques and smart farming technologies would help revive Iraq’s agricultural sector and secure food supplies.
Developing renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, is another critical step. Iraq is blessed with abundant sunlight and wind, and shifting away from fossil fuels would not only reduce emissions but also create jobs and diversify the economy.
Vulnerable communities must receive targeted assistance, including emergency relief, healthcare and relocation support when necessary. Building new schools, clinics and infrastructure adapted to extreme weather conditions would help these communities survive and thrive.
Moreover, Iraq and its neighbours must engage in cooperative regional agreements to manage shared water resources fairly and sustainably. Such diplomacy would help prevent conflicts and foster long-term stability.
Finally, wealthy nations and international organizations must mobilize significant financial and technical aid to support Iraq’s adaptation efforts. Climate finance should not be limited to generic programs — it must address Iraq’s unique needs and vulnerabilities directly, ensuring that the most affected populations are prioritized.
In conclusion, in terms of facing the climate crisis, Iraq’s struggle is humanity’s struggle. The suffering of Iraqi farmers, children and communities points to the urgent need for collective action. Iraq must not be left to confront this catastrophe alone. By extending meaningful support, sharing technology and resources and upholding the basic principles of justice and human rights, the international community can help Iraq.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2599135
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/middle-east-press/israel-remembrance-day-climate/d/135396
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