Negative attitudes towards Israel due to the war in Gaza has caused a number of countries to refuse to participate in the country’s panels at the COP29 climate conference, an Israeli NGO has said.

Hesitation from the international community towards collaborating with Israeli organisations at UN climate conferences is not unprecedented, but this year it is markedly worse, according to Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF).

“Due to the war, we have received a lot of negative answers about participating in our panel in COP29,” said Noah Tal, the director of the strategic planning division at the eco-Zionist NGO, which acts as Israel’s national forestry service and promotes sustainable development in the country.

“We are in the middle of wartime and we have to maintain open dialogue, we have to keep communication open and we have to listen to one another,” she added.

This year’s climate conference, which began on Monday and will continue until November 22, is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan.

KKL-JNF, founded in 1901, will lead panels throughout the convention, including ones about revolutionising solar energy with agrivoltaics on Friday, and harnessing Israel’s forests as a resource for the nation’s mental and physical health on November 18.

Not only have countries declined to sit on KKL-JNF’s panels, but fewer people are signing up to sit in the audience compared to previous years.

“There is a lot of hesitation about taking part in the Israeli pavilion,” said Tal. “It’s a great shame, because collaboration is the key for a great future for everyone.”

Tal said that at a recent convention in Spain, she personally made sure that a KKL-JNF representative attended Lebanon’s “huge” panel, because she “really believe[s] in that dialogue”.

“I want to call on everyone to come and participate and see what the Israeli Pavilion has to offer at COP29.”

KKL-JNF has actively engaged in the UN climate conferences since 2007 and was granted observer status accreditation in 2009.