Israel

Drilling in the Golan Hights - SPNI is campaigning to prevent experimental oil drilling from being carried out in the Golan Heights by Afek Oil and Gas. In an area prone to earthquakes SPNI, local residents and environmental experts, are deeply concerned about the risk of a leak which could contaminate the Sea of Galilee and Israel's other main water sources
Eilat Railway  - The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel is working to Save the Negev, by protecting six nature reserves from the destructive and disastrous plans proposed for a rail line to Eilat.
Fish Responsibly -  Partnering with fishermen and other conservation groups, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel has created a puble campaign to reform fishing laws in the Mediterranean. Our Fish Responsibly campaign aims to improve the marine life and eco-systems along the coast.
Protecting Israel's Ecoystems - Israel’s rich and unique nature provides many important ecosystem services for its citizens; from existential needs such as oxygen for important, to important services such as pest control and intangible benefits such as relaxation– nature, and a healthy biodiversity is vital for society’s survival. Israel may be small but is blessed with more than 20 distinct types of ecosystem. Of these about half are found within IDF restricted areas and a further 20% are protected in nature reserves. Protecting Israel’s ecosystems and open spaces their size as well as contiguousness is one of SPNI’s key goals.
Promoting Sustainable Planning - Open spaces in Israel are dwindling due to the unyielding threat of development. By 2020 Israel is expected to be the most densely developed  country in the OECD. Israel is facing intense pressure to utilize its land reserves to house this increased population. If done unintelligently this would lead to the exploitation and destruction of Israel’s dwindling and precious open spaces, harming nature and erasing the landscape and heritage that links the Jewish people to their biblical homeland.
Water for Nature - In recent years, SPNI's EPD has targeted water issues by bringing the water campaign to a national focus through the combined energies of every SPNI employee and volunteer. Water issues in Israel are vast, spanning from residential, industrial and agricultural water conservation, implemented via public awareness and lobbying campaigns, to sustainable planning recommendations for how water is allotted in Israel by the National Water Authority - as everything trickles down from there, ultimately impacting not only the Kinneret and the Dead Sea, but the entire system of rivers and streams in Israel.
Energy - Until recently Israel’s energy production was largely based on coal-fueled power stations, which have a high environmental impact mainly through atmospheric emissions contributing to air pollution and global warming. With the recent discoveries of natural gas in Israel’s economic waters there is now an opportunity to revolutionize Israel’s energy industry by replacing coal with natural gas while fulfilling Israel’s international commitments to increase the amount of renewable energy used. New energy policy and infrastructure development has to be crafted and regulated properly to protect Israel’s nature and unique biodiversity.
Marine Environment - The Mediterranean coast is arguably the country's greatest recreation and tourist asset. However, the unfettered building of marinas, coustal housing, and private beaches greatly limit accessibility to the public. Additionally, development of the gas and oil industries coupled with decades of over-fishing has dramatically harmed the marine habitat. SPNI is working at ever level to keep Israel's beaches clean, ecologically healthy, and accessible to all.
Birdlife - the Israel Ornithological Center of SPNI - Israel lies at a bottleneck along one of the world's most important migration flyways. Twice a year, 500 million birds are funneled over Israel; most are on their way back and forth from their nesting grounds in Europe and Asia to their wintering grounds in Africa.
Mammal Conservation - SPNI is one of the central organizations monitoring mammal species in Israel. We strive to reduce conflict between humans and wild animals through research, education and conservation. Working together with our partners including the Ministry for Environmental Protection, Nature and Park Authority, Universities and zoos we carry out cutting edge research and develop new techniques and approaches to protect Israel’s wild, native mammals.
Environmental Education - SPNI nurtures young people's connection to their own communities, heritage and the Land, thus raising a sentinel generation that will appreciate, love and protect Israel's natural treasures. SPNI has always looked to the children as the stewards of the future, and the reason is clear. Children's life habits are formed at an early age. If we successfully reach out to them during this formative period, a very high percentage will embrace an environmentally-friendly lifestyle. By focusing on children, and sparking their appreciation and understanding of the environment, we are creating the proise of a sustainable Israel. SPNI educational programming reaches tens of thousands of students nationwide, in a wide range of communities, in both formal and informal education programs.
Urban Communities - SPNI's Urban Branches are also known as "Kehilot" (Communities in Hebrew) as they bring local communities together toward shared environmental goals. A revolutionary concept, each Kehila develops itself within the framwork of the needs of each individual community. Though every community has specific concerns and needs crucial to its sustainable future, SPNI’s urban branches share the same primary objectives.

In terms of cultural dialogue: non-academic exchange programs off 1-2 weeks, e.g. “ the Israeli Polish Dialogue Forum” with the WSE. A delegation to east Africa, Tanzania including social involvement in the local community. A delegation of Israeli and Palestinian students to South Korea. Seminars with the World Union of Jewish Students cooperation and leadership programs.

The STI was established with the purpose to create a theological study centre, particularly for Christian students, who were to be given the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Judaism as well as Christianity and Islam. Apart from being a study centre, the STI also functions as a node for researchers. The Institute enjoys a good reputation in Jerusalem and a wide network of contacts among scholars as well as among different religious groups. The STI maintains excellent links with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem as well as with the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, (JCJCR), the Jerusalem Inter-Church Center, (JIC), Communication in the Middle East, (COME), the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI), Studium in Israel and other organisations. Links with representatives of the Muslim community have been strengthened considerably in recent years.

The organization’s vision of creating social change by addressing all aspects of girls’ and women’s lives is reflected in the three main projects in operation today:
• The Open Space Project – serving as an all-female forum for professional guidance, positive peer contact, individual care and group support;
• Employment and Advocacy Project - offering tools and guidance in support of project participants’ efforts to lift themselves out of economic hardship;
• Halfway Apartment – providing safe lodging, support and further empowerment of young women who seek to leave their homes and go on to independent living.

Led by the criticaly acclaimed director, Shlomo Plessner, and the talanted playwright, Ido Borenstein, the theater create shows and workshops.
Theater Can premiered with its controversial play: "Dogs", a biting comedy that addresses the much tabooed aspect of the Israeli reality - How do the men in this conflicted reality, both Jewish and Arab, can overcome the roles they have been assigned to in society?
Dealing with issues of gender, acceptance and cross-generation relationships, have been important subject matters for the leading creating forces in the theater.

Hospitals Programme:
Over one hundred Israeli and Palestinian students studying medicine and nursing in Israeli hospitals took part in Three Faiths Forum Middle East programmes this year. A study session entitled ‘Healing and Suffering’ was developed specifically for the Hospitals Programme which encourages dialogue from a faith perspective on issues of illness, health, miracles and belief in God. Texts are presented from the Tanakh, New Testament and Qur’an on the theme by the students, and the session is a facilitated in a particular manner that encourages both specific comments on the text as well as references to personal identity.
Study sessions are run at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Herzog Psychiatric Hospital in Jerusalem, and Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot. Sessions are facilitated in Hebrew and/or Arabic and texts are presented in both languages.
Seminars for Visiting Groups
Three Faiths Forum Middle East organises interreligious seminars for groups visiting from abroad. Bringing Jews, Christians and Muslims together to present ideas on their identity and faith to visitors binds them together in an unique way. Additionally, their dialogue serves as a fascinating encounter for visiting groups representing the greater possibility of encounter between the faiths in this troubled region.
Recently the Three Faiths Forum Middle East ran an interreligious seminar for an Italian pilgrimage group of thirty-six participants last week on the scenic Mount of Olives, Jerusalem. The group had expressed a desire to learn about Jews and Muslims on their trip to the Holy Land, as well as to participate in bespoke 3FFME study sessions. The theme of this particular study session was Prayer, and the three different traditions of prayer – Jewish, Christian and Muslim, were presented and discussed by the group’s participants.

We anticipate working in the following areas in the coming year: 1. Working with youth both within the formal education system and outside of it. 2. Working with a select group of university students. Both youth and students will it to engage them in activities which promote the welfare and cultural life of our city. 3. Planning a number of cultural and identity-building activities locally targeting the general public. 4. Engaging women in a number of empowerment activities with particular emphasis on increasing women’s political participation locally.

Established in 2015, Tohu Magazine promotes clear and engaged original writing on art and culture (essays, critiques, interviews, columns), as well as visual content created by local and international artists. This is a new and unique platform, whose content is offered free of charge to all readers.  The first of its kind, Tohu magazine brings together a diverse group of writers and artists who are active in various fields of the art world, in order to generate a thriving multicultural dialogue and a meaningful and accessible corpus of art writing from Israel/Palestine and beyond. In addition to the magazine, the group is currently engaged in the organization of several public events (conferences, talks, studio visits). The first conference, held on April 2017 in Herzliya, focused on the concepts of Afro-futurism and Arab-futurism and their implications in a Palestinian/Israeli context.

On the Israeli Jewish level, a Solidarity Visiting project between the women of Sderot and Jerusalem. On the interfaith Israeli level, dialogues between women, and between religious and spiritual leaders. On the Palestinian/Israeli level, dialogues and joint activities. On the MENA level, a planned Young Women’s Interfaith Training Conference and Year long activities, as well as a joint Women’s Visiting project with Jordanian women. On the international level, dialogue with U.S. women, and with women from Africa, South America, Asia, and Europe. All women’s activities are carried out with the support and involvement of men.