Between Ruin and Restoration: An Environmental History of Israel

Acknowledgments

ix We are deeply grateful to the authors of the chapters in this edited volume. in most cases, their scholarly contributions to israel’s environmental history are equally matched by their active participation and leadership in improving israel’s environment. We are honored to have them as colleagues and collaborators. it is appropriate therefore that we dedicate this volume to three people who have also epitomized environmental activism on the one hand and environmental scholarship on the other. The first is the late former Knesset member yosef tamir (z”l), who was a pioneer of environmental legislation and a consistent advocate for israel’s environment throughout his long life, in and out of the Knesset. azariah alon and amotz Zahavi, the founders of the society for Protection of nature in israel, have probably done more than anyone on the planet to protect israel’s landscape and ecology. for sixty years they have been on the front lines fighting for, writing about, and often succeeding in saving israel’s unique natural world. at the University of Pittsburgh Press we express our deep appreciation to Cynthia miller, director of the press. she had originally contracted with the late Hal K. rothman to edit a volume on israel’s environmental history; shortly after his untimely death, she spoke with Char miller to relaunch the project and ever since has given it her steadfast support. smoothing the way too were her assistant Kelley Johovic and former managing editor Deborah meade. no acknowledgment would complete without a thanks to our families. in particular, our children, na’ama, aviv, and Gil’ad; mika, Hadas, and Zoe; and benjamin and rebecca who daily remind us of what sustainability is all about. This book is also for them. ACkNOWLEDgMENTS ...