Jerusalem, 28 September, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman completed what her office described as a “significant working visit” to the United States, during which she met in Washington with Mr. Lee Zeldin, head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently appointed by US President Donald Trump. The meeting was held at the agency’s headquarters and included strengthening and deepening cooperation between Israel and the US in the areas of waste, renewable energy, restoration of open areas damaged by the war, as well as promoting the Israeli DeserTech initiative – an innovation center for environmental technological solutions in desert areas, with potential for implementation in the southwestern US as well.
One of the issues that particularly emerged as a basis for cooperation is learning from the American experience in reducing the regulatory burden while maintaining high environmental standards – an area of great importance to Israel as well.
At the same time, Minister Silman reported to the UN the ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury – a step that completes Israel’s official accession to the international convention for the protection of human health and the environment from mercury and its compounds.