MIFTAH
Thursday, 28 March. 2024
 
Your Key to Palestine
The Palestinian Initiatives for The Promotoion of Global Dialogue and Democracy
 
 
 

“The second day after occupying the West Bank in 1967, the Israeli military issued military order No. 92, which would prohibit all water development, drilling, and infrastructure building in the West Bank, unless a permit was obtained from the military ‘water officer’; to date, not a single permit has been issued, for agricultural or domestic use…demonstrating Israel’s iron grip over Palestinian water resources”
-Palestinian Environmental NGO’s Network, 2003

Drowned beneath the successive ceasefires, ill-fated peace accords, and brutal violence that have highlighted more than five decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, runs the true lifeline of the region: water. The issue has surfaced at regular intervals dating back to the Balfour Declaration in 1918 and as recently as the Apartheid Wall being built today. Israel’s predominantly successful attempts at monopolizing water resources have jeopardized the viability of its Arab neighbors. This is taking place with complete disregard to international law. A statistical examination of the history of the State of Israel uncovers some hidden truths which point towards water as the chief motivation of their successive occupations. If these campaigns and the current construction of the Apartheid Wall are allowed to continue, the world will see yet another drought in peace negotiations.

The external borders that define Israel proper did not satisfy original Zionist ambitions. The Balfour Declaration which called for the “establishment in Palestine of a national homeland for the Jewish people” met the aspirations of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) in concept, but failed to satisfy their anticipated borders. Following World War I and the subsequent colonization of the Middle East by British Occupation forces, the WZO pressured European leaders to extend the borders of Palestine north into Lebanon to include the Litani River, and east as “to include all sources feeding the Jordan River (including Lebanon’s Hasbani and Syria’s Banias rivers), the eastern shore of Lake Tiberias and all the Yarmouk River tributaries…”.[1] It should be noted that this was proposed nearly three decades before the UN Partition plan of 1947, further suggesting the expansionist objectives of the WZO.

The choice of Palestine as a homeland served two main objectives: one being the obvious strategic significance in the region which allowed the WZO to bring Britain, and the US, on board their venture. The significance of the Israelites in Palestine in the Bible lent further pull. Jewish migrants felt attached to the land historically. Upon arrival into Palestine this feeling was made permanent as the migrants took up the lands of the former Arab population. Jewish philosopher Martin Buber refers to “…miserable Arab refugees in whose towns we have settled from afar; whose homes we have inherited, whose fields we now sow and harvest; the fruit of whose gardens, orchards and vineyards we gather; and in whose cities that we robbed…”.[2] Agriculture served to tie the new residents to the land. As Israel was to be a state exclusively for Jews, and migrants were plenty in the post WWII aftermath, agriculture became a main focus of the future of the state.

In response to the growing demand for water precipitated by the focus on agriculture, Israel began a sequence of strategic occupations. The Golan Heights, labeled a ‘security’ issue by Israel has in fact little to do with land as a security measure. The Stratfor Special Report conducted in 1999 that the Golan offered little strategic importance in times of war stating that the most it could provide would be “some security from modern Syrian artillery” and further concluding it is “…not ideal for mobile defensive operations…”.[3] Water resources however paint a different picture. The same report indicates an estimated 12%, around 1.8 billion cubic meters, of Israel’s water supply is actively being pumped from the Golan Heights per year. To supplement these figures Israeli General Uri Saguy recently commented on discussions with Syria stating water as “the most critical issue” and going on to say “if Israel is satisfied [with water distribution], it will return all territory”.[4]

In 1967 the West Bank and Gaza strip were occupied in addition to the Golan Heights. Although Israel was facing no “imminent crisis of water scarcity” [5] at the time of occupation, the move eventually took on great significance. Worth mentioning in this regard is that since 1967 over 35% of Israel’s water supply has come from those occupied territories.[6] The 1967 war left Israel in control of all sources of water extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.[7] These statistics cast doubt on an already questionable occupation of southern Lebanon in the 1970’s. Of particular concern is the extent with which the occupation was a security measure and the role of Lebanon’s Litani River in the Israeli endeavor.

The Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon was also highly regarded as a water issue by a number of Israeli and international academics. Access to the Litani River would have offered a boost of 800 million cubic meters per year to Israel, essentially a 50% increase.[8] In addition to quantity, Amery and Kubursi argued that the Litani River could have been “diverted into the Israeli water system” with “relative ease.”[9] Following the 1967 War Israeli defense minister Moshe Dayan recommended “provisionally satisfying all frontiers, with the exception of those with Lebanon.”[10] A journal entry by former Israeli Prime Minister Moshe Sharett quotes Dayan as suggesting an occupation of southern Lebanon and installment of a Christian regime which “will ally itself with Israel. The territory from the Litani southward will be totally annexed to Israel and everything will be all right” Thus, Israel’s occupation of Southern Lebanon shared common ground with the ’67 Territories: occupation under the guise of military necessity.

Although Israel is about one fourth the size of Jordan (20,770 km2 versus 89,213 km2) Israel manages to amass three times the total yearly water consumption of Jordan (1750 MCM versus 555 MCM).[11] As an occupying power and the owner of vast aquatic resources Israel is required under the Geneva Conventions to provide infrastructure maintenance to the residents of the occupied territory. Following the conquest of the West Bank and Gaza however, no new wells were allowed to be drilled for the Palestinian people. In effect all new wells would provide water only for settlements within the West Bank and for Israel proper.[12]The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz published a piece titled “The Settlers are not to Blame” in 1998 in which columnist Amira Hass reported “Of the 601 million cubic meters [of water] produced annually by the three aquifers in the West Bank, 56.6 percent (340 million cm) is earmarked for Israeli citizens, 23.8 percent (143 million cm) for the 170,000 settlers in the West Bank and 19.6 percent (118 million cm) for the 1.2 million Palestinians.”[13] In effect the ultra high standard of living enjoyed by all Israeli citizens and illegal settlers will not be compromised for the majority Palestinian population who “..will not drink enough water, use the bathroom less, not shower for a week or more, do laundry once every two weeks and risk infection and illness.”[14] Palestinians complain “our tap water is polluted with gravel and sand” and Dr. Yousif Abu-Safiy'eh, a Palestinian legislator and head of the Legislative Council Committee on natural resources and energy comments “Insufficient sanitation conditions and the absence of sewage conveyance systems pose serious threats to public health and are the major cause of environmental degradation.”[15] Moreover, Israeli consumption of water for agricultural use is almost 200% higher than the Palestinian allotment.[16] What’s more, it has been observed that Israeli farmers receive water at a subsidized price allowing them to grow some crops that otherwise “would be uneconomical for Israel and would not be grown”.[17] This selfish policy of Israel dates back to 1953. Andrew Cockburn’s Dangerous Liaison states when US President Eisenhower cut off aid to Israel because of its exploitation of Jordan’s water resources. Israel used water from the Sea of Galilee and the lakes above it which were at the time used by Arab countries irrigating their crops. As a result Israel’s Negev desert flourished while Arab land was reduced to desert.[18] This case follows as another violation of international law, that which states “water within one catchment area should not be diverted outside that area –regardless of political boundaries—until all needs of those within the catchment area are satisfied.”[19] In a report by the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine, Shariff Elmusa observes “…relative to income level, Palestinians pay a minimum of 15 times more than Israeli settlers [for water]..”[20] Recent regional and world developments have set an interesting stage for the future of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The latest American conquest of Iraq has changed the face of Middle Eastern affairs. At once, it has provided the United States with another stronghold in the region, assuming any democratically elected regime in Iraq will be in almost full compliance with the United States government. In a sense, this has decreased, even if slightly, American dependence on Israel as a strategic ally. But the change, as mentioned, is a small one, and American-Israeli relations will remain a tight bond. However, America now has some flexibility to act against the wishes of Israel. This shift, when coupled with the rise of an Anti-American attitude within the neighboring Arab world dictates a force with the potential to change the region for the better. Although America has always had the ability to change the state of affairs in the region, only now is this in their best interest, and as it so happens, that of the entire region. By actively pressuring a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza the United States could take a step towards mending Arab-Western relations which at the time are at a very low point. By the same token, a US brokered peace deal will hinge on Arab recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist. Effectively, an independent Palestinian state will emerge in all of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel, with full recognition, could begin brokering agreements with its Arab neighbors on the shared distribution of water, to assist their water crisis. But that’s a poetic note, one that Israel seems content to edit before publication.

Israel is aware that a Palestinian State is on the horizon; and with its resurrection the allocation of the lands water sources to its rightful inhabitants, the residents of the new State. As mentioned earlier, around 35% of Israel’s water usage comes from the areas occupied in 1967. A unilateral withdrawal will mean the temporary loss of these sources. Enter Israel’s “Security” Wall. The stated purpose of the Barrier has already failed miserably, the last attack in Israel on October 4th was carried out by a bomber who passed through an already completed section of the wall. The spell of calm can otherwise be credited to the Palestinian respect of the ceasefire. Meanwhile Israel has continued its raids, arrests, and targeted killings, as dozens of civilians have lost their lives.

The wall has already isolated 200 cisterns and 36 underground wells, while threatening an additional 14 which together account for 6.7 MCM of water discharge per year.[21] This statistic comes from the completion of the first phase of the operation which included a stretch of wall 145 kilometers long, only a fraction of the projected 650 km long completed Wall. By weaving around the Green Line the wall will ensure Israel maintains control of the Western Aquifer, which is among the richest water sources in the West Bank. To the east, the Jordan River and its tributaries are also a concern to the Zionist entity. Currently, a second wall is actively being planned which will cut off the West Bank from the Jordan River to the East and effectively leave the fertile area for Israel.

A high percentage of water serving Israel and its illegal settlements is coming out of the Occupied Territories and this provides a motive for that occupation. Now, having lost any access to Lebanon’s Litani River in 1998, and faced with the imminent threat of a Palestinian State, Israel has embarked on the construction of an Apartheid Wall which in its earliest stages alone has ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, stolen 6.7 million cubic meters of water, and threatens the fate of the entire region. A number of international laws are also in violation, including articles of the Hague Regulations and the Fourth Geneva Convention[22] as well as internationally accepted stipulations on the legality of diverting water from a catchment before the needs of the resident population are satisfied. It has been said that water is the substance of life; nevertheless, blood is thicker than water, and it is Israel’s responsibility to embrace this concept and stop the construction of their Apartheid Wall in favor of peace.

[1] Casa, Kathryn. The Washington Report The Underlying Problem: Water the Real Reason Behind Israeli Occupations. July 1991, p. 26.

[2] Buber, Martin. 1961 Address. Available from http://www.mideastfacts.com/index_zion2.html

[3] Stratfor Special Report. Water: The Key to Middle East Peace? Novemeber 10th 1999. Available from http://www.mideastfacts.com/water_gol_stratfor.html

[4] Stratfor Special Report

[2] Amery H.A. , Kubursi A.A. The Litani River Basin: The Politics and Economics of Water. Available from http://www.bintjbeil.com/water/litani_river_basin.html

[6] Amery H.A. , Kubursi A.A.

[7] Hass, Amira. Ha-aretz On the Water Front. Wednesday June 21st 2000. Available from http://www.mideastfacts.com/haas_water_062100.html

[8] Moss, Angela Joy. ICE Case Studies. Litani River and Israel-Lebanon. American University, Case #14 Available from http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/ted/ice/litani.htm

[9] Amery H.A. , Kubursi A.A.

[10] Soffer, Annon. The Litani River: Fact and Fiction. vMiddle Eastern Studies, Vol. 30 No. 4, October 1994, 963-74. Quoted by Angela Joy Moss. Available from http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/ted/ice/litani.htm

[11] Amery H.A. , Kubursi A.A.

[12] Collins, Frank. Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs Special Report: Israeli Refusal to Yield Control of West Bank Water Forces Deferral of Issue. October/November 1995. pgs 13, 19. Available from http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/1095/9510013.htm

[13] Hass, Amira. Ha’aretz The Settlers Are Not to Blame. August 26, 1998. Available from http://www.mideastfacts.com/index_misc.html

[14] Hass, Amira. Ha’aretz On the Water Front

[15] Hadi, Abdul Asya. Palestine Report Gaza Water Crisis Worsening. Vol. 2 No. 49. May 16, 1997. Available from http://desip.igc.org/GazaWater.html

[16] Collins, Frank

[17] Collins, Frank

[18] Cockburn, Andrew ; Cockburn, Leslie. Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the Us-Israeli Covert Relationship HarperTrade, New York New York 1991. p. 131

[19] Moss, Angela Joy. ICE Case Studies

[20] Elmusa, Shariff S. The Water Issue and the Palestinian Israeli Conflict. Information Paper Number 2. (Washington D.C. The Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine) Quoted by Angela Joy Moss. Available from http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/ted/ice/litani.htm

[21] PENGON. STOP The Wall IN Palestine The Impact of the Wall’s First Phase on Water. Turbo Design Ramallah, West Bank 2003. page 52.

[22] Hague Regulations Section II Article 23(g) Section III Articles 46, 50, 52, 55. Fourth Geneva Convention Article 52 and Article 53

 
 
Read More...

Error Occurred While Processing Request

Error Occurred While Processing Request

Error Diagnostic Information

Template file not found.

HTTP/1.0 404 Object Not Found

Note: If you wish to use an absolute template path (e.g. TEMPLATE="/mypath/index.cfm") with CFINCLUDE then you must create a mapping for the path using the ColdFusion Administrator.

Using relative paths (e.g. TEMPLATE="index.cfm" or TEMPLATE="../index.cfm") does not require the creation of any special mappings. It is therefore recommended that you use relative paths with CFINCLUDE whenever possible.

The error occurred while processing an element with a general identifier of (CFINCLUDE), occupying document position (776:27) to (776:90).

Date/Time: 03/28/24 05:21:54
Browser: claudebot
Remote Address: 18.215.15.122
Query String: DocId=3212&CategoryId=21