Representatives from the Ministry of Health informed Zalul that the beaches in south Herzliya and north Tel Aviv were closed due to the flow of partially-treated sewage into the sea from the Herzliya municipality, combined with the natural changes of currents brought about by the weather.

On December 15, 2005, the Ministry of Health informed the public that the beaches 'Hof Hanifrad', 'Hof Hatzuk' and 'Hof Tel Baruch' were closed due to pollution. After investigating the reason for the pollution with the Ministry of Health, Zalul was informed that the change of currents caused by the weather brought the partially-treated sewage to the beaches.

The Herzliya municipality has been polluting the sea for many years, and stubbornly refused for many years to upgrade the city’s sewage treatment facility and stop polluting the sea. Only the joint campaign by Zalul and the residents of Herzliya shook the municipality into doing something about the pollution – however, the partially-treated sewage is still flowing into the sea.

Six months ago, the Permit Committee of Spillage to the Sea revoked Herzliya’s permit and accepted Zalul’s argument that the city refused to work towards upgrading the sewage treatment facility. Following this decision, the city got a provisional permit that forced it to sign a contract with a company that would do the work of upgrading the sewage treatment facility until December 2005.

According to Sagit Rogenstein, Zalul’s coordinator in central Israel, “The closing of the beaches once again proves Zalul’s position - even spilling treated sewage into the sea with a permit endangers the public’s health. There should not be any pollution flowing into the sea, especially when it can be treated on land.”