Israel’s environment minister joined officials from Iraq and Lebanon for a regional gathering on climate change on Tuesday at the international climate conference taking place in Egypt, according to the minister’s office.
Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war, having engaged in combat in 2006 against Hezbollah, a militant Shiite group, and Israel and Iraq have a long history of hostility.
Although Israel and Lebanon just inked a historic maritime deal mediated by the United States, any indication that the two countries are willing to work together, even in a regional context, would be significant.
The sea agreement was arranged by American shuttle diplomacy with no Israelis nor Lebanese participation because Lebanon forbids its residents from interacting with Israelis.
The discussion took place as part of a regional forum of eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern nations, according to a statement from the office of Israeli Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg.
In their accord, the member nations promised to “strengthen regional cooperation” and “act in a coordinated manner” to combat climate change.
The region’s countries are all affected by the region’s rising and drying environment, and just as they are all affected by the issues, they must and can work together to find solutions.
No nation can confront the climate catastrophe on its own, Zandberg added in the statement.
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