"We can't open windows at night": Menashe residents protest illegal waste fires

Residents of the Menashe region are protesting against illegal waste fires that have been causing smoke and harsh chemical odors for over two years. They claim the authorities are not handling the hazard, and air pollution data is severe. A protest is planned for tomorrow evening in front of the Menashe Regional Council building.

Residents of the Menashe area, in communities such as Maor, Lahavot Haviva, and Sde Yitzhak, have been dealing with thick smoke and chemical odors from illegal fires of plastic and agricultural waste for over two years. The fires originate near Baqa al-Gharbiyye and Jatt. Tomorrow evening, a protest is planned in front of the Menashe Regional Council building against the ongoing hazard and what residents describe as the authorities' inaction. According to data from the Sharon-Carmel Cities Association, on one night in September, the concentration of fine inhalable particles, which can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and are linked to health risks, spiked nearly eightfold. Residents say they are forced to avoid opening windows at night due to the smoke and odors. They claim that calls to the fire department are not always effective because the incidents are not defined as an immediate life threat. Environmental organizations and activists from 'Citizens for Clean Air' argue that this is ongoing neglect, and that a budget of 550 million shekels allocated for waste treatment in Arab society was not actually transferred. Residents and activists demand a national emergency budget plan.