Diana Benlevy’s first word was “hydro-diplomacy” and her favorite hobby as a child was picking up trash on the beach. Little did she know that years later she would find where she belongs: interning at Zalul.
Diana grew up in south Florida and spent a lot of time outdoors, influencing her love and appreciation of nature. She graduated from Brandeis University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and two minors in philosophy and acting. She enjoys playing basketball, kayaking, rollerblading, and snorkeling (see photo).
Diana found Zalul through her participation in Career Israel, a 5 month internship program. She is currently living in Tel Aviv and beyond ecstatic to be a part of the wonderful Zalul family!
Calm waves roll to the shore on a relaxing beach day.
Yes, you read the title correctly. Although water scarcity is a huge problem in the Middle East, it does not necessarily have to be something that divides Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and others. We are all in agreement that water is a source of life and that without it we cannot survive. So is it possible that this can turn into a project that can, if not unite us, ameliorate the tensions in the Middle East? Could it at least be a stepping stone in the right direction?
The idea of hydro-diplomacy in the Middle East has been introduced along with the idea that a single, multinational water authority should manage the water of the Jordan River Basin. Even though these are just ideas in the making, perhaps with the development of this type of thinking we could one day achieve an ultimate goal of peace.
For more information on hydro-diplomacy, check out this article from The Daily Star.
One surfer takes his board out in hopes of some surfer-friendly waves.
As much as we enjoy relaxing in the refreshing Mediterranean, it is also one of the world’s most dangerous bodies of water in terms of tsunamis. One quarter of all tsunamis throughout history have occurred in the Mediterranean and half of those occurred as a result of landslides following earthquakes in the vicinity of the Dead Sea. Here is a short video clip that demonstrates how a tsunami is triggered.
Research shows that a powerful tsunami is likely to hit the area every 120 years and that we can expect a powerful earthquake in Israel in the next 50 years. With that being said, there are things Israel has been doing to prepare for a tsunami, should it occur. The establishment of the early-warning system is the most important step and we are glad that the government is taking care of this. Israel is also in the process of upgrading mechanisms that monitor the level of the Mediterranean so real-time information about an impending tsunami can be transmitted. These are all steps in the right direction, but there is still more that needs to be done and the next steps for action have not been decided upon yet.
For more information about tsunamis and Israel, check out this great article from Haaretz
