Tooba Altaf
International Relations have always been a complex arena of politics, characterized by disputes as well as cooperation. Lamentably, what we have witnessed is that, there have been more disputes culminating into conflicts, overshadowing the plethora of instances of cooperation. One such conflict which has enshrouded the history of Middle East since 20th century, is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The territorial dimension of this conflict which is well established, is being compounded by conflict over the water resources.
Humanitarian crisis in the form of forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, forcing them to live as refugees in small encampments, has crippled the lives of so many Palestinians. This territorial displacement is further triggered by water-induced displacement i.e. displacement caused by Israel’s control over the water resources, causing Palestinians to flee from their lands in search of livelihood. The history of Israel’s control over the water resources dates back to 1967 Arab-Israel war or better known as the Six-Day War. During this war, Israel along with occupying territory west of the river Jordan known as West Bank, also gained hold of much of the western Jordan river and mountain aquifer.
Water resources from both the Jordan river and mountain aquifer, are transboundary. This forms water as the shared resource to be used by both Israelis and Palestinians, according to the International Law. However, Israel restricts Palestinians not only from using water from the Jordan river but it has also consolidated its hold over the mountain aquifer via Oslo II interim agreement in 1995.
This Israel’s occupation of the water resources has had dire consequences for the Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank. Such as the West Bank’s city of Jericho’s (one of the world’s oldest cities) famed bananas, are getting extinct due to water shortage. Adding salt to the injury of Palestinians, Israel has had demolished many wells and irrigation systems such as cisterns, as reported by Amnesty International. The control and demolition of water supply systems, manipulates Palestinians as they are compelled to buy water from Israeli owned water companies such as Mekorot, unaffordable for many Palestinians.
Therefore, Israel’s water policies are speeding up its process of territorial expansion as the water resources are being diverted for the usage of illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. According to United Nations (UN), Israelis have access to 300 litres of average consumption of water per person/day while for Palestinians, there is only 73 litres of per person/day, water availability, in the occupied West Bank. This is far less than the minimum standard for average water consumption required by World Health Organization’s (WHO) which is 100 litres per day for an individual. The tale of Gaza is far more abysmal where 90-95% water is contaminated and not fit for human use. As per UN, only 10% of the 2 million population of Gaza have an access to safe drinking water.
Israel which is famed for its natural resources’ sustainability, particularly water and is stylized as the beacon of western, modern democratic ideals in the vast stretches of the Middle East, has always acted like a usurper. Not only it has sufficient water for its domestic use but also plenty to share. Its behavior is not that of a responsible power, which has weaponized water to the predicament of Palestinians, forcing the later off their land, as part of the greater annexation strategy.
The author Tooba Altaf is an International Relations graduate, while working as a Researcher at Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad.
