Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman is defending her tenure against severe criticism from Israel’s green establishment, pointing to hard-won legislative reforms while dismissing her detractors as politically prejudiced, The Times of Israel reported. The Likud politician, whose 2022 defection collapsed the Bennett-Lapid coalition, insisted her ministry was failing before she took charge.
Legislative Victories and Internal Strife
In her conversation with The Times of Israel, Silman pointed to an extensive record of accomplishments, which featured comprehensive regulatory overhauls, multi-million-shekel aid packages to rebuild areas impacted by fighting with Hamas and Hezbollah, alongside master plans focused on coastal protection, food waste reduction, and clean transportation.
She pointed to progress on Israel’s first waste-to-energy facility in the south, long-overdue legislation on building waste, and overhauled environmental licensing.
She also stood firm against attempts to lift an import cap on a state-owned pipeline company with a history of oil leaks. She also protected a lucrative cleanup and recycling fund from the Interior Ministry and repelled an attempt by the National Security Ministry to strip away the Green Police, the ministry’s enforcement arm. However, her critics argue these wins were overshadowed by an exodus of senior career personnel, including chief scientist Noga Kronfeld-Shor, who departed in mid-2024.
Clashes with Environmental Groups and Policy Controversies
Veteran environmentalist Alon Tal, who has observed every holder of the portfolio since 1989, offered a scathing assessment of Silman’s tenure, calling her “the worst environment minister we’ve had, by every conceivable parameter.” Silman dismissed his verdict as partisan, noting Tal’s past stint as an opposition lawmaker for Blue and White.
Amit Bracha, head of Adam Teva V’Din, charged Silman with introducing unprecedented partisan friction into environmental governance. Bracha noted that crucial draft legislation on soil rehabilitation and pending regulations on forever chemicals and organic waste separation languished without the minister’s endorsement. Silman retorted that Adam Teva V’Din is fundamentally against the state, later halting millions of shekels in longstanding state funding for environmental research.
Silman pursues right-wing environmental policies
Silman has gravitated toward ideological touchstones of the political right, addressing the persistent problem of illegal waste burning along the Green Line. During a December 2025 committee session, she concurred that those burning Palestinian waste should be treated as environmental terrorists targeted by gunfire, while also raising the prospect of asserting environmental jurisdiction over the West Bank. She also instructed officials to reclassify the Nile crocodile to facilitate a proposal by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, though a court injunction halted the initiative in August.
Climate advocates were particularly disquieted earlier this year when Silman ordered a formal review of Israel’s participation in the UN Climate Convention and the 2015 Paris Accord. The review’s results ultimately concluded that there is currently no need to leave the international agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions on Silmans Tenure
What sparked the criticism against Environment Minister Idit Silman?
Critics point to high-level staff departures, an 83% plunge in environmental indictments, and stalled regulations on soil rehabilitation and toxic chemicals. Veteran environmentalists and advocacy groups argue these issues crippled the ministry’s professional capacity.
How did Silman respond to the departure of her chief scientist and other senior staff?
Silman blamed the civil service commission for a prolonged vacancy in the chief scientist’s office and dismissed broad professional criticism as political prejudice from figures aligned with the political opposition.
What was the outcome of the review regarding Israel and the Paris Accord?
After ordering a formal review earlier this year to examine Israel’s participation in the UN Climate Convention and the 2015 Paris Accord, the ministry concluded that Israel has no current need to leave the agreement.