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Wind Power News: Israel
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Wind turbine construction delayed after police refuse to oversee it
Construction on the wind turbine project in the North has not resumed, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying on Sunday that it would. The lack of resumption is due to the fact that the Israel Police, whom Netanyahu said would oversee security for the work, did not agree to the work. As such, it has been reported in Hebrew media that the construction work will not resume until after the Jewish High Holy Days. Protests had rocked the region as . . . Complete story »
Work on Golan wind turbines that sparked unrest expected to resume next week
Controversial construction work on wind turbines in the Golan Heights is expected to resume next week, despite continued opposition by the area’s Druze community. Members of the community held fiery mass protests against the project in June, leading the government to halt the work. But negotiations have not borne fruit. Construction is first expected to resume on turbines that are farthest from the protesting communities, in the apparent hope of avoiding a repeat of June’s discord. The Prime Minister’s Office . . . Complete story »
Netanyahu lets deadline for resuming work on controversial Golan wind farm slip by
Construction on a controversial wind turbine project in the Golan Heights that sparked large protests by members of the Druze community has not resumed despite the Prime Minister’s Office telling the company behind the project that they could return to work no later than August 1. In June, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a temporary halt to the project following violent protests and set up an inter-ministerial committee to address the issue. In a letter sent by Netanyahu’s military secretary . . . Complete story »
Israel postpones work on Golan wind farm over Druze objections
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed work on a Golan Heights wind farm a second time over Druze objections to the project. The ARAN Clean Wind Energy project will involve 21 wind turbines that are expected to produce 104 megawatts of electricity, to supply 50,000 households for 20 years, at an estimated cost of NIS 700 million. Construction on the project was delayed until August 1 in response to violent protests by Druze residents in the area last month . . . Complete story »
Druze community urges Netanyahu to review Golan wind turbine project, alleging fraud
Leaders of the Druze community in the Golan Heights sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday requesting a freeze on a controversial plan to construct dozens of wind turbines on farmland in the area. The lengthy 43-page letter, sent by lawyer Nasser Kais on behalf of Druze landowners and residents of the Golan region, outlines “failures in the approval process of the turbines by the competent authorities,” according to a report by the Haaretz news site. The newly . . . Complete story »
Druze leader: Golan wind turbine project must stop or face unprecedented response
The head of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Muafak Tarif, has warned the government to stop the work to construct wind turbines in the Golan Heights, or face “a reaction the country has hitherto not seen.” He called on the prime minister to seek an arrangement that would be acceptable to Druze residents. Tarif spoke Friday in an emergency meeting in Kfar Yasif. According to Haaretz, some 2,000 people took part in the gathering against the turbine project that . . . Complete story »
Ben-Gvir and Druze leaders release contradictory statements after supposed wind turbine agreement
Druze community leaders claimed after the meeting that the turbines would stop immediately while Ben-Gvir said that they will stop just on the Eid al-Adha holiday. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Thursday that he and the leaders of the Druze community have agreed that construction of wind turbines in the Golan Heights will temporarily halt during the Eid al-Adha holiday. Energix, who is working on building the turbines, also claimed that work would resume Friday morning until the . . . Complete story »
Ben Gvir overrules police on freezing wind farm project, despite riots – reports
Construction work continued on a contentious wind farm on Thursday, after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly overruled Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who wanted to freeze work on the project following protests and rioting from Druze residents of the Golan Heights. According to a number of reports, police initially ordered the work on the wind turbines to be stopped in the wake of the protests, before reversing that decision and allowing the work to continue. The Israel Police . . . Complete story »
Druze protesters clash with police in Golan Heights over wind turbine construction
Clashes erupted in the Golan Heights on Tuesday between hundreds of Druze protesters and police officers because residents oppose the construction wind turbines in the area. The protesters blocked agricultural roads and burned mattresses. Police used crowd-control equipment, including water cannons. Three protesters suffered mild injuries from inhaling smoke or tear gas and were taken to a local clinic for treatment. Three police officers were injured in the clashes with protesters. Two were taken to Ziv Medical Center in Safed . . . Complete story »
Syrians in Golan reiterate rejection of Israeli scheme to build wind turbines on their land
Syrian citizens in the Golan, occupied by “Israel” since 1967, said on Saturday that they would not bargain over their rights or abandon grain of land in the Golan, as they considered an integral part of Syria. During a protest in Al-Marj area located between the villages of Masada and Majdal Shams, the people of Golan reiterated their categorical rejection of the occupier’s new proposals through which the plan for wind turbines is trying to pass. “We, the residents of . . . Complete story »
