Grandma's army

THE ECOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE – ISRAEL The renewal of physical ties between the Land of the Bible and the people of Israel have led, in recent generations, to a rediscovery of and concern for the environment, and the ecological balance of the Land. The Land of Israel, ancient and biblical, has a beautiful and varied landscape with many distinct ecosystems: from the snow-capped Hermon and volcanic plateau of the Golan Heights to the pristine coral reefs and majestic mountains in Eilat; from the lush Galilee in the North to the Negev Desert in the South; from the Hula Valley wetlands of the River Jordan to the Savannas of the Arava Desert; and from the sandy Mediterranean Coast to the limestone mountains of Jerusalem. All are vital to a delicate natural balance. Israel is blessed with a wide array of biodiversity. It is home to some 2,800 species of plants, more than 500 species of birds and 100 species of mammals. Located along the African-Eurasian flyway, Israel hosts over 500

THE ECOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE Both wars and terrorism are factors in the most life-threatening problem facing the world today - the environment. The record of human intervention in the natural order of things is marked by devastation on a massive scale.  Almost everywhere human beings have set foot they have crushed the natives of the land and wiped out  many species of living creatures. Today, flooding the land and seas with plastic and other pollutants is one of the most destructive factors in maintaining ecological balance. Not to speak of destroying forests for the sake of cultivating live-stock. It is a biological fact that the various elements of nature have to be anchored in a permanent ecological balance. Human beings are the only organisms  who are able to understand and confront this. Implicit in this view is the understanding that, as long as the culture man develops is consistent with nature, the biological world will remain in harmony. In Biblical times, when