Israel has been forced to close its entire, 100-mile-long Mediterranean shoreline after a giant oil spill was discovered a week ago. Authorities say they do not know the source of the tarlike substance that washed onto shore, killing whales and sea turtles. It’s one of the worst environmental disasters in Israeli history, and the government has imposed a gag order to prevent reporting on it while a joint Israeli-European investigation takes place. Over the weekend, thousands of volunteers helped clean the beach, but the government wants people to stay away, saying they lack needed protective gear to perform the job aafely. Above: cleanup is assigned to the Israeli army. (Ariel Schalit/AP)
