Mazin Qumsiyeh: Palestinian Enviromental Scientist

On January 26th Mazin Qumsiyeh spoke to JVL members and friends about his work on the environment. In this fascinating conversation with Tony Booth, JVL’s Environment Office, Mazin speaks about the environmental destruction of Gaza especially the impact of the pulverisation on the water supply and quality and the broader Ecocide in Gaza.  He also speaks about the harsh reality of life for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. the restrictions on UNRWA, the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and much more.  Mazin was at one time a High School teacher in Jerusalem, c 5 miles from where he lives in Bethlehem.  Israeli restrictions mean that he can no longer travel there.  His own website can be found at http://qumsiyeh.org/

Mazin Butros Qumsiyeh (born 1957 in Beit Sahour) is a Palestinian geneticist and environmental scientist and author, founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at Bethlehem University. He has published extensively on environmental destruction in Palestinian lands and rates the global environmental crises and their impact in the Middle East as major challenges to Palestinian survival alongside Israeli genocidal oppression. After working at the University of Tennessee (1989–1993), Duke University (1993–1999), and Yale University (1999–2005), he has researched and taught at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities since 2008. He is an activist for Palestinian rights and peace and an advocate for a single anti-discriminatory state in Palestine. He mobilised mass protests in the US in support of Palestinian liberation for the “Wheels of Justice” tour. Mairead Corrigan Maguire, whose peace activism in Northern Ireland won her the Prize in 1976, has nominated Professor Qumsiyeh for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.