Presentation

By: Yasmine Ahmed
Research Questions & Approach
 When, and what, was the
starting point of the water
crisis within the IsraeliPalestinian conflict?
 Why is the on-going situation
worsening in the region?
What is causing the difficulty
to resolve it?
 Is there a way to solve the
crisis?
 Historical timeline of events
 Look at the affects of the
conflict on the water sector
and in the gap of water
distribution
 Analyze the growth of Israeli
authority in comparison with
oppressive conditions faced
by Palestinians
Thesis
 I propose, the severity of the water crisis and its
worsening state within Palestine is directly influenced
by the longevity of the present Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
 Main objective: To raise awareness on the human
rights violations Palestinians face by exposing the
unfair allocation and quality of water as a means of
maintaining authority, by and for Israelis.
Background & Context
 1948- State of Israel
 1949- Armistice
Agreement
 1967- Six-Day War
 1978- Camp David
Accords
 1993- (DOP) Oslo
Accords
 1994- Israel-Jordan
Treaty of Peace
 1995- Oslo Accords II
2000 Camp David Summit  2000 Beirut Summit 2002 Road Map for Peace
2003 Middle Eastern Summit Meeting
Background & Context cont.
Geographically
Politically
 Massive damage to the
 Tension over Religious vs.
infrastructure and water
network
 Occupation & destructive
environmental effects of the
Israeli Gaza withdrawal 2005
Cultural beliefs and claims
 Inherent bias
 International affair and crisis,
NOT regional
“Why should Palestinians have to pay for a natural resource
that should already be available to them?”
-Sonia Nettnin
Water Sector & Distribution
Natural Resources
Distribution
 Northern Aquifer- 93% is
 Israel extracts 70%, leaving
located in the West Bank
 Eastern Aquifer- located in
West Bank; highest salinity
 Western Aquifer- highest
quality of water
 Jordan Basin System: the
upper Jordan River, the Sea of
Galilee, the Yarmuh, and the
lower Jordan River
30% for Palestinians
 Primarily used by
Palestinians
 Mainly used by Israeli’s
 Control and authority of
water basin allows Israel 31%
of their total water
production
*(Mm3) MCM/yr means million cubic meters per year. So that shows how many
cubic meters water will move each year given in millions
File photo: Gaza children drinking from a broken pipe. Photo by Reuters
Testimonies
 ‘Azam Abu Jish
“I saw two soldiers striding toward me with their weapons aimed at me.
They ordered us to stop, and we stopped. They ordered us to drive in the
direction of the Nablus-Beit Furik checkpoint, and they drove behind us
in their vehicle. When we got to the checkpoint, one of the soldiers said
to me, “Don’t you know that you are not allowed to drive along this
road?” I said that I have to transport water for the residents and animals
in the village. He responded: “Let them die, you are forbidden to travel
on this road,” and he struck me forcefully with his hands”
Testimonies
 Mahmud Abu ‘Aram
“We saw an army jeep parked along the road. The four soldiers standing alongside the
jeep stopped us and did not want to let us continue along the road. They took our
identity cards and made us stay there for about two hours. Finally, following a prolonged
argument in which we explained that we needed water and had to take it to the village,
they let us go. But one of the soldiers opened the tap of the container before ordering us
to leave the area immediately. We started on our way to the village with the water
running. After travelling for several meters, when we got far enough away from the
soldiers, we stopped the tractor and my cousin closed the tap, but most of the water was
already gone.”
Testimonies
Izdahar Muhammad Sh’aban al-Jenazreh
“The problem of getting water taught us how important it is to save every
drop. I usually wash the children only once a week. Sometimes I give into
them and let them shower a second time during the week. We use an
outdoors toilet. The toilet in the house is not yet ready. Because of the water
storage, we did not take the trouble to complete the work to install it.”
Su’ad Kasab, 52, mother of 4
“We have lived here for about 15 years, and all this time, I've suffered from the
poor quality of the water. It tastes bad and is murky with a yellowish color. It
gets saltier every year. When we wash our hands, they remain sticky, and when
we wash our face, our skin and eyes burn, especially in the summer. When we
brush our teeth, it doesn't feel like we've done it properly. Everywhere in the
world, people shower and wash themselves and feel refreshed, but we don't.”
Conclusion
• Resolution is holistic
not particular
 inter-regional
and international not
exclusive
•Urgent– time limit, finite
sources
•Awareness