A new survey reveals that the statements of Greta and climate activists around the world against Israel had a negative impact on the position of about a quarter of the Israeli public on the issue of the climate crisis
The statements of climate activist Greta Thunberg Against the war in Gaza And her calls to stop the "genocide" in the region - while completely ignoring the October 7 massacre, led to deep hurt and anger among many Israelis. For those who identify with the environmental struggle and who appreciated her work in the field, this was a big disappointment. Now, a new study shows that following Greta's and other climate activists' pro-Palestinian statements, about a quarter of Israelis have changed their attitude toward the importance of the environmental struggle.
The State of Israel has received quite a bit of criticism from climate activists since the beginning of the Iron Swords War. After Thunberg made many posts in which she promoted a distinctly anti-Israel position, at the recent climate summit in Dubai, other environmental activists Review about Israel's conduct in the war.
The new research, commissioned by the "Tzulul" association and carried out by the "Geocartography" company, shows as mentioned the alarming consequences of the outrageous statements of the climate activists. The research was carried out last December through a dedicated internet survey, to which Jewish and Arab men and women aged 18 and over answered, who according to the researchers constitute a nationally representative sample of the population in the State of Israel.
The most significant finding of the study is that the publications and statements of senior leaders of the global climate movement after October 7 had a negative impact on the perception of the importance of the fight against the climate crisis among about a quarter of the Israeli public. Of these, for 8 percent the statements had a very negative effect, and for 19 percent they had a somewhat negative effect. 64 percent answered that they were not affected by the statements, 6 percent reported that they were somewhat positively affected and only 2 percent answered that they were very positively affected. "No matter how we turn it around, the importance of the fight against the climate crisis is being undermined here," says Eli Meshulam, VP of the Geocartography Group.
"Greta is sometimes seen by the public as the face of the climate crisis and the environment, and she is admittedly more significant than a network influencer - but in the end, the presenter is not the essence, but only a factor that is put in the front as a means of conveying messages," emphasizes Dr. Adi Levy, head of the master's degree program In sustainability in the urban and rural areas at Ahva Academic College. "Greta succeeded in promoting awareness and action to combat the climate crisis, especially among the younger generation - but disagreement with what she writes or publishes does not change the fact that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is increasing at an unprecedented rate, nor does it slow down the pace of the climate crisis or remove from humans the The responsibility for this. In the end, it is important to distinguish between the scientific facts, which are in a broad scientific consensus - and the people who spread them in the public and media."
There is no "right" and "left" around
The new survey also showed that close to half of the public reports that the anti-Israel publications of international climate organizations following the events of October 7 had a negative impact on their perception of environmental organizations in the world - and to a lesser extent in Israel as well. In reference to the international organizations, about 45 percent of the respondents reported that the publications affected their perception of them negatively, and 26 percent reported that they were negatively affected in reference to Israeli organizations. "In other words, the Israeli organizations were also affected by the statements - albeit in a less significant way, but it still exists," says Meshulam.
"Greta's statements after October 7 showed that she had no idea what she was talking about, and people could probably be negatively affected by this - because they might think that she behaves the same way when it comes to the climate," says Levy. "This may harm the general goal of the environmental organizations - the fight against the climate crisis. Therefore, the attempt to be a global 'beacon of justice' and try to express a position on any issue, even if one does not understand it at all, is problematic - and it harms the fight against the climate crisis, the effects of which do not distinguish between right and left and between Jews and Arabs."
Many damages occur When environment and politics mix together. During the reign of Donald Trump in America, for example, the existence of the climate crisis turned from a well-agreed scientific fact - For a topic that has "right" and "left". "Introducing the political game or struggles between nations into the environmental issue - which deals with threats that endanger us all - is a strategic mistake from the point of view of the environmental organizations," adds Levy. "They are trying to speak in the name of justice and morality - but they are actually making the environmental issue more political and polarizing, which will make it difficult to mobilize significant support to take action."
However, according to Levy, the fact that the damage to the perception of Israeli organizations is lower is a point of hope. "Fortunately, despite the situation in other parts of the world, the majority of the Israeli public does not look at the issues of the climate crisis and the environment under the glasses of the right or the left - but as a scientific issue."
Environmental organizations must deal with... the environment
So what can Israeli environmental organizations do to try and prevent damage to public trust due to the statements of environmental activists from abroad? "Environmental organizations in Israel should stay away from political disputes and avoid issues that are not relevant to their activities," says Levy. "They should continue to focus on the environmental challenges - and there are countless of them, which negatively affect each and every one of Israel's citizens every day."
Alongside this, Levy emphasizes that it is possible that the consequences expressed in the survey will weaken as time passes. "People have a tendency to forget," he says. "It is possible that another survey conducted in the coming months will show that this effect will fade. On the other hand, to the extent that organizations or environmental presenters such as Greta decide to continue and persist in the one-sided view of the events and the expression of one-sided positions against the right of the State of Israel to protect its citizens from monstrous terrorism, it can be assumed that the effect will remain for a long time.'
The environment is still important to the public
Another finding of the new study is that about two-thirds of the respondents (68 percent) report that the fight against the climate crisis is important to them personally - but the importance of the fight is lower among the religious and ultra-Orthodox. Thus, among the secular population about 77 percent reported that the struggle is important to them personally, compared to 69 percent in the traditional sector and only 45 percent in the religious-Orthodox sector. "It is striking and clear in the research that the identification with the climate crisis is decreasing the more religiously pious a person is," says Meshulam.
"These data prove once again the need for advocacy work and raising awareness among the religious and ultra-Orthodox community in Israel regarding the importance of protecting the environment and promoting daily practices that help in this," adds Mor Gilboa, CEO of the Clear Association.
Be that as it may, the findings of the study also show as stated that a vast majority of the public in Israel still attaches very high importance to the climate crisis, despite the damaged trust in the international organizations dealing with the issue. According to Gilboa, this finding illustrates that the government must not neglect the handling of environmental issues - to the extent possible during wartime, of course. "These are difficult days for everyone and certainly for the need for essential actions that the government must carry out in the field of the environment," he says. "A war of iron swords brings with it many challenges, but the place of environmental organizations in Israel is more important today than ever. The public support for the need for immediate steps, alongside the multitude of Israeli organizations committed to the issue, constitute a broad and strong front in the clear demand from the government to act to protect people and the environment", he concludes.
