A chunk of coal was hurled toward Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman during a contentious public hearing on Wednesday evening on the continued use of coal at Israel’s largest power plant, but she was not injured, police and witnesses said.

The incident occurred at a hearing in Hadera, a coastal city north of Tel Aviv, where residents and activists have repeatedly protested the operation of the coal‑fired plant Orot Rabin, saying emissions there contribute to health problems and premature deaths. The plant has long been a flashpoint in debates over pollution and climate policy.

Police said officers from the Hadera station responded after receiving a report of the incident. They located the woman who threw the coal and detained her for questioning, even though no formal complaint was filed, police said. Authorities said they would decide whether to extend her detention based on the investigation’s progress and findings.

At the hearing, which was described by participants as particularly intense, dozens of residents voiced opposition to the use of coal at the plant. Silman — whose ministry oversees pollution and conservation efforts — attended the session hosted by the regional environmental authority to hear public views on coal‑powered electricity.

Silman sharply criticized activists from the environmental group Green Course who were present. “I came this evening to a public hearing hosted by the local environmental authority to hear the public’s views on coal‑fired power plants,” she said. She later accused members of the organization of disruptive behavior, reportedly citing remarks attributed to its chief executive and referring to “Green Course” as a “bad course.”

Later Wednesday, Silman wrote on social media that the group “decided to burst in and not let me say a word, and then a woman even allowed herself to throw some object at me.”

Green Course CEO Elad Hochman rejected Silman’s accusations. “The minister is slandering us. I don’t know why, and I’m not dealing with that,” he said. “We are focused on opposing the coal‑fired power plants in Hadera and the absurd situation in which we are holding this hearing. The minister should have declined to approve an emissions permit.”

The hearing focused on the future of the plant’s coal‑burning units. Energy Minister Eli Cohen recently announced a decision to extend the operation of the plant’s four older, highly polluting coal units through the end of 2028 — a reversal of the direction taken by his predecessors and a move that has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups.

Green Course and another advocacy group, Israel Earth Guardians, said a review they conducted found that the proposed operating conditions for the plant violate the Clean Air Law and contravene European environmental regulations, effectively allowing continued operation of polluting coal units despite legal restrictions.