Dr. Alon Tal, Professor of Environmental Policy at the Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research of Ben-Gurion University, was awarded the prestigious Charles Bronfman Prize on January 10, 2006, in recognition of his work to advance the environmental movement in Israel and the Jewish world. The prize awards $100,000 and "celebrates the vision and talent of an individual or team whose humanitarian work on behalf of others has contributed significantly to the betterment of the world." The Prize was established by the children of philanthropist Charles Bronfman in honor of his 70th birthday. Tal, who specializes in environmental law, immigrated to Israel from the United States 25 years ago. He began his environmental work in 1983 as a legal aid in the Environmental Protection Service of the Minsitry of the Interior, the predecessor of today's Ministry of the Environment. In 1990 he established the Israel Union for Environmental Defense, an environmental advocacy group that has emerged as one of Israel's most prominent environmental NGOs. In 1996, he founded the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura in Israel's south, a multidisciplinary program in which Israeli students study alongside Jordanian and Palestinian students. Dr. Tal also co-founded EcoPeace, the first regional environmental initiative, now known as Friends of the Earth Middle East. In 1998, he was elected Chair of Life and the Environment, Israel's umbrella group for environmental organizations. Under his leadership, the group grew from 24 to 80 member organizations. Dr. Tal is the author of Pollution in a Promised Land - An Environmental History of Israel (University of California Press, 2002). He is currently the chairperson of the organizing committee for the UN conference on "Deserts and Desertification: Challenges and Opportunities," which will take place in Beersheba in November 2006. Nominations for the award were accepted from around the world on behalf of individuals and/or teams under 50 yers of age. The panel of judges included former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, MK Dan Meridor and Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella. The Bronfman Prize ceremony took place in the Jerusalem Municipality Council Chambers on January 10, 2006, in the presence of Mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski. At the award ceremony, Dr. Tal was described as "a young visionary whose passionate activism has changed the face of environmental policy in Israel. He has inspired people throughout the Middle East to find common ground in preserving the region's environmental health for future generations." Dr. Alon Tal intends to earmark a sizable part of the award for the establishment of a fund to assist environmental organizations.
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