Designs have to be drawn up, and financing still needs to obtained. And not everyone is enthusiastic about the project. Israel's Water Commissioner Shimon Tal has gone on record as saying he doesn't think it can work. Valerie Brachya, deputy director general for policy and planning in the Environmental Ministry, argues that first, there are serious environmental issues that need to be considered. And Tzipi Livni, the new Minister of Regional Cooperation, says there many issues must be examined before any practical steps toward implementation are taken.
Environmental groups have mixed reactions to the proposal.
They are torn between their desire to save the sea, and their fear that the environmental implications won't be well thought out. It's not that we are against building the canal, says Bromberg. We are just saying there needs to be a lot more research done. Pumping water from the Red Sea creates more movement than is usually present there. This in turn could harm the coral reefs, Bromberg points out.