At the very moment when climate risks are accelerating across the world and the Middle East, Israel’s National Security Council is stepping back from addressing climate change as a national security issue.

This is a strategic mistake.

Climate change is no longer only an environmental challenge. In a growing number of countries, it is being addressed as a matter of national resilience, economic stability, military readiness, infrastructure security, and regional stability.

Israel cannot afford to ignore this reality.

According to Israel’s Meteorological Service, Israel has warmed by approximately 0.6°C per decade over the past 30 years, compared to a global average warming rate of approximately 0.22°C per decade during the same period. By the end of the century, average temperatures across most of Israel are expected to rise by approximately 3.5°C. The same report warns of far more frequent extreme heat events and significant declines in rainfall and rainy days.

These are not abstract environmental projections. They are strategic warnings. And it’s worth saying plainly: scientists are generally conservative in their predictions. The risks are more likely to exceed these forecasts than fall below them.

Extreme heat threatens electricity systems, public........

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