a set of facts that i found...from national geographic's article: Parting the Waters

with responses from my friend uri who will be joining the blog soon!

The sea of galilee supplies 1/3 of israel's fresh water

True

since 1967 israel has blocked syria's access to the lake's shoreline

Syria has more natural water resources than any other bordering country of Israel. Including Israel. The euphrates and tributaries of it make it self reliant. Its water management infrastructure/ political systems are undeveloped and could be a problem as the country develops ( i.e.city growth and expansion).

Syria is still at war with Israel from 1967- they are still enemies. Syria actively supplies attacks on Israel.
Maps of the golan heights minefields (the second most densely mined area in the world after only Korean DMZ) have still not been turned over to Israel as mandated by international law when a country conquers territory from another. That is why when hiking in the area you are never supposed to leave the trail. I attached a common sign you will see in northern Israel.




water flows from mount Hermon

Mt. Hermon and the entire golan plateau is a military stragetic necessity because of its relative height in the area.


The region has been going through a 6 year drought

The Kineret (See of galilleee) goes down every year and with it the allowable per capita water allocation to Israelis.


in the past five decades the Jordan River has lost more than 90% of its flow, which flows to the Sea of galilee-- Israel's national water carrier has a damned the sea of galilee diverting water from the jordan river.

First part of the statement- JR flows from the SG not to (technically it emerges above the Sea and flows out too). Second, this is how aquefers other water management systems work- they use dam systems to regulate flow of water precisely because it is a precious resource.

according to Oregon state university "of the 37 actual military conflicts over water since 1950, 32 took place in the middle east; 30 of them involved israel and its arab neighbors. of those practically all were over the jordan river and the tributaries

I want to see a list of these conflicts. Isreal has not been involved in more than 10 official conflicts since independence. Only other user of Jordan river is the country of Jordan now at peace with Israel. This is trying to paint the picture that Israel engages its enemies not in self defense but in the form of a resource colonizer. Look at the conflicts Israel has engaged in and it is clear.

armed conflicts over the Jordan began in 1948 with the founding of israel. source of israel's water supply have lain out side of its borders


israel sees water as a national security issue and a resource to guard jealously

For every country in the Middle East it is.

israel settlers get water from merkorot--which has drilled 42 deep wells in the west bank--to supply israel and settlers

Israel has developed the entire water system the Palestinians in the West Bank use.

according to a 2009 world bank report, israel uses four times as much water per capita as palestinians

Since Israel has controlled West Bank and Gaza Palestinian per cap. consumption has risen and Israeli consumption has decreased. Still Israelis do use more water than the palestinians- not causal connection. As the most developed country in the region they also use more than the rest of their neighboring countries and every other country in Africa and the middle east.

west bank palestinians, under islraeli military rule, have largely been preveneted from digging deep wells--palesitinians are forced to purchase water for 1$ a cubic yard--in effect buying back the water that is taken underneath them by merkorot

Israelis purchase their water as well and are harshly fined if they go over their allocated amount. They system is universal. Israel has modernized palestianian territory water system and provided more than the Oslo agreed amounts.