Tal
Habonim beach – is one of the only open stretches of Mediterranean coast remaining between Haifa and Tel Aviv. Recently, the local regional council proposed creating a new series of restaurants and tourist commercial center contiguous to the shoreline, replete with a major new parking lot on what is now open coastal vistas. A spontaneous opposition emerged that brought together a coalition of local and national environmental organizations which hurriedly put together a demonstration which protested the move. As there was no time to formally raise funds, a Tal fund grant – evaluated and approved within less than a week — contributed to the event’s success.
The funds supported buses, the sound system and publicity which brought together thousands of concerned citizens in a celebration for the beach. Bands played, activists speechified and the Chairman of the Regional Council – seeing the determination of the citizenry – announced that he was taking the proposal back for “reconsideration”.
