Water is an invaluable commodity in the Middle East. Due to the region's scarcity of this vital natural resource, water can be used to perpetuate conflict, fuel wars, and even procure peace.
In 2010, the United Nations recognized that access to clean drinking water was an inalienable human right. Through Resolution 64/292, countries and international organisations were called upon to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to aid established and developing countries provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.
Israel, a global leader in providing innovative water technologies and desalination processes worldwide, recognizes its responsibilities to its own populace and to its immediate neighbours in facilitating fair allocations of water.
Contrary to claims made by Dr. Shaddad Attili, the Minister of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), in his Huffington Post Canada commentary, Israel exports volumes of water to the West Bank greatly in excess of what the Oslo Accords had mandated. West Bank Palestinians have access to over 248 million cubic meters (MCM) of fresh natural water as Israel supplies an extra 21 MCM beyond its obligations under the Interim Agreements. This is done, among other reasons, to compensate for the Palestinian Water Authority's repeated failures to implement approved water projects.
According to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, West Bank Palestinians have ample access to water supplies with more availability than in Amman or Damascus. In a report published last month, COGAT noted that the Palestinian Authority has breached its water obligations in the following ways:
Israel faults Dr. Attili's Palestinian Water Authority for "Corruption..., lack of organization and insufficient funds," but despite this, Israel seeks to work with its Palestinian counterparts to facilitate the extraction, transfer, and sanitation of its water resources and infrastructure. It's worth remembering that under Jordanian rule prior to 1967, only one in 10 West Bank households were connected to running water. Today, owing to Israel's water policy, the figure stands at 96 percent and is rising.
Instead of accepting responsibility for Palestinian failures to develop, manage, and enforce its water resources, Mr. Attili blames the so-called "Israeli occupation" for impeding progress, yet, as a result of the Israeli-Palestinian agreements following the Oslo Accords of 1993 and subsequent unilateral Israeli withdrawals, the Palestinian Authority now governs the civil affairs of the 98 per cent of Palestinian Arabs who live in the West Bank. In Area C of the West Bank, a sparsely populated land under Israeli control, just four per cent of Palestinians call this area home. As to Israel's settlements, they make up less than three per cent of the West Bank's overall territory.
Contrary to Attili's assertions, Israel does not sell water to Palestinians at an inflated price. The trade price of water was jointly agreed by Israel and its Palestinian counterparts which dictates that 2.6 NIS (Israel's currency) per cubic meter for the PWA. According to COGAT "This is a considerably lower rate than the full real price and also significantly lower than that paid by Israeli municipalities, both within Israel and the West Bank (the average Israeli Municipality pays 3.86 NIS per cubic meter)." Additionally, Israel's settlers use less than their annual allotment. The approximately 350,000 settlers in the West Bank consume less than their Israeli allowance per the Interim Agreements of 150 m3/year.
As to the peril of the Gaza Strip claimed by Attili, the International Red Cross has confirmed there is no humanitarian crisis. Instead, the Strip boasts five star restaurants, boutique hotels, vibrant and well-stocked markets, first class shopping malls, theme parks, luxury restaurants, sports cars, scenic beaches, and Olympic-sized swimming pools. Amazingly, a territory which Attili claims "needs fresh water now" has no problem filling up enormous recreational swimming pools for leisurely use.
Instead of suggesting pragmatic solutions to address pressing water issues in the region, Dr. Attili used the Huffington Post as a platform to protract the conflict and wage a water war with Israel. But water can serve as a valuable bargaining tool in the procurement of peace. Take for example Israel's peace treaty with Jordan in 1994 which to this day sees Israel transfer 50 million cubic metres of water a year to Jordan.
Israel itself faces water shortages greater than previously thought, but Israeli scientists who have literally made the desert bloom through drip irrigation and water reclamation persist with their efforts against tremendous adversity. It's for these reasons that the Canadian government wants to strengthen collaboration with Israel in areas of water technology innovation.
Israel recognizes Palestinian water rights in the West Bank and is of the firm belief that they should ultimately be negotiated in a Permanent Status Agreement, but to get to this state, Mr. Attili's boss, PA President Mahmoud Abbas, must embrace Prime Minister Netanyahu's repeated invitations to immediately start direct negotiations and boldly state what no other Palestinian leader has dared declare before him: that he will accept a Jewish State.
"Palestine" needs this watershed moment now more than ever.
Follow Mike Fegelman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HonestRepCanada
"Instead, the [Gaza] Strip boasts five star restaurants, boutique hotels, vibrant and well-stocked markets, first class shopping malls, theme parks, luxury restaurants, sports cars, scenic beaches, and Olympic-sized swimming pools. Amazingly, a territory which Attili claims "needs fresh water now" has no problem filling up enormous recreational swimming pools for leisurely use."
Even the slowest of minds knows that this is a pile of pooh.
Who edits this nonsense?
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=188560
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As-Sadaka
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/libyan-luxury-cars-turn-up-in-gaza-showrooms
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU5NmRkaIt4
The first notes the opening of a five star resort
The second notes that the Water Park was shut down and burned to the ground by extremists because it allowed the mixing of genders
The third is the olympic sized pool
The fourth is about luxury cars being smuggled in from Lybia
The last is a youtube video showing the water park that was, and the luxury restaurant that is.
Does that make life easier for you? I just googled those terms.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/yoris-daily-news-clips/postcards-from-hell-the-face-of-gazas-humanitarian-crisis/2012/07/11/
People like Fegelman and other apologists write these stories to make other Jewish people feel better about what is a clearly and sadly a grossly immoral act and to distort the story for others who don't know better. You know....you do....that a cramped territory stuffed full of unemployed dirt pool people whose movements and the movements of goods are severely limited by an occupation, where the UN has to step in to provide supplies is not a 5 star resort. This isn't Honolulu....I know you want to feel better about this situation - to find some way to be able to turn a blind eye to it and claim you didn't know. This is where Fegelman and other come in and the article you sent me. Common sense tells you these are nonsense. If you are in doubt read more....I won't send you anything....just keep your eyes open and start digging.
If you are referring to the Jordan River, Israel has access to it from the south, but I do agree that settlers are stealing the water (as the settlement should be illegal and must be shut down, as they were in Gaza)
Israel actually built a dam on the Jordan river, just south of the Tiberias Lake, and pumps huge amounts of water to the south of Israel through its national water carrier. The rest that flows down the Jordan river is saline water from nearby salty springs, and polluted water from factories, and is basically down to a trickle. Haven´t you heard of the shrinking Dead Sea, Einstein?
As for the water taken from the West Bank, it´s the underground water (maybe you know, when you dig a well, sometimes there´s water at the bottom). Israel pumps huge amounts of water under the West Bank, uses 90% of it for its population and its settlements, and the remaining 10% is for the Palestinians. In international law, we call this "appropriation of resources", and it´s illegal. But then, so is everything else Israel is doing, ever since its creation...
http://pwa.ps/Portals/_PWA/full_report.pdf
Water has always been a concern. Which side is correct? Do we have any way of knowing. Amnesty has its particular sources and Mr. Fegelman has his own. I don't know if we can actually see this in such a black and white way and call one side 100% correct or 100% wrong.
Sadly, when there are so many false claims about Israel and so many fake or staged you tubes on the net, it does make people very protective.
I read things on Huffpost that are blatant lies about Israel that people just lap up as if there is no tomorrow. These are the sort of things people are basing their opinions on.
More than one viewpoint should always be welcomed.
well, the truth is most often what the palestinians say, and if you don´t believe me, here´s the proof for this case: go to google maps, switch to satellite view, and look at Israel and the West Bank. Notice how the colors are different and follow the borders of the West Bank? Israel appears very green, because it has a lot of water, whereas inside the West Bank, everything is yellowish, because Palestinians have very little water.
If so then they are allowing Palestinians the use of their own water and taking credit for such.
Only in Israeli logic is such a thing charitable.
227,000 Palestinians in 220 villages and towns are not connected to infrastructure allowing for plumbing – of these, 75% reside in the northern West Bank. An additional 190,000 Palestinians reside in villages or towns were the water infrastructure is minimal. B’Tselem reports that Israel allocates only 20% of the shared mountain aquifer waters to the Palestinians, and prevents the Palestinian Authority from developing additional water resources which would allow the supply of water to grow. According to the Palestinian Water Authority, in 2008 alone there was a shortage of 40 to 70 million cubic meters for Palestinian needs.
I have read offers of Israel to help both the Palestinian government in the West Bank and in Gaza with water treatment facilities. They are essentially ignored.
If there is not enough money, then the PA should outline a sound program to the international community asking for specific funding for both Israel and the West Bank to improve the water conditions.
At some point, people have to do more than just list complaints like B'Tselem does and act in a manner that tries to eliminate the problems. I cannot off hand think of a group in Israel who works against the self-determination of the Palestinian people as much as B'Tselem.
With sound programs in place, it shows the intentions and capabilities of Palestinians to run their own country. There have been many improvements in the infrastructure in the West Bank thanks to Fayyad's push towards developing a country. Here is another opportunity to push even further.