Environmental Protection Minister Gilad: "River rehabilitation must be a central national mission after years in which river's served as Israel's polluted backyard." The Ministry of Environmental Protection has allocated 20 million shekels (more than $5 million) to help finance river rehabilitation activities by river administrations, drainage and river authorities and the Nature and Parks Authority. Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan: "We are spearheading a significant change in the treatment of Israel's rivers. For years, river channels have served as the polluted and neglected backyards of Israel; today we are taking steps to transform our rivers into Israel's display window and green lung. In our joint rehabilitation work with river administrations and the Nature and Parks Authority, we are helping to transform rivers into public attractions as leisure and recreation areas. Within the framework of current budgetary allocations, we are emphasizing the rehabilitation of ecosystems and the return of the public to the river by means of educational activities and making the river accessible and attractive for visitors." In the mid-1990s, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, established the National River Restoration Administration and today, 30 regional administrations are promoting plans for river rehabilitation at the regional level. Rehabilitation is carried out by means of drainage authorities, river authorities and the Nature and Parks Authority, all of which are members of the river administrations and enable the much needed cooperation which is vital for the success of such a complex rehabilitation process. Calls for proposals for the rehabilitation of rivers in Israel are published on the Hebrew website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection
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