[[{"content_id":"124114","domain_id":"0","lang_id":"en","portal_id":"2","owner_id":"29","user_id":"1","view_accesslevel_id":"0","edit_accesslevel_id":"0","delete_accesslevel_id":"0","editor_id":"0","content_title":"On Israeli discriminatrory water policy","content_number":"0","content_date_event":"2014-05-24 00:19:45","content_summary":"Oslo Accords perpetuated the discrimination in allocation of water between Israel and the Palestinians","content_summary_fill":"0","content_body":"btselem.org:\r\n\r\n\tThe Oslo Accords perpetuated the discrimination in allocation of water between Israel and the Palestinians. They allotted 80% of the water pumped from the mountain aquifer – one of three underground water reserves shared by Israel and the Palestinians – to Israel and only 20% to the Palestinians.\r\n\r\n\tThe Accords further established there would be no cap to the supply of water to Israelis, whereas the water supply to Palestinians would be limited to predetermined amounts, namely approximately 118 million cubic meters (mcm) from drilling points active prior to the signing of the Accords and another 70-80 mcm or so from new ones.\r\n\r\n\tAt present, Palestinians in the West Bank must purchase from Mekorot (Israel’s water company) double the amount water specified in the accords, an amount that now equals about one third of available water in the West Bank.\r\n\r\n\tIn the absence of a final status arrangement, the Oslo Accords, meant to be valid only for five years, are still in place today. Yet even so, the measures set forth are only partially satisfied: while Israelis receive an unlimited water supply, Palestinians receive only about 75% of the stipulated quota.\r\n\r\n\tThis situation is the result of several reasons, one being that under the temporary accords, Palestinians were to obtain some 118 mcm from independent drilling points, whereas in practice Palestinians yield only 73% of that amount. They fail to reach the designated amount due to technical limitations of their equipment, the particular properties of the aquifer and its water level, as well as the failure of U.S.- and German-aided attempts to drill for water in the aquifer’s eastern basin. As a result, Israel gets 86% of the aquifer’s water and the Palestinians only 14%.\r\n\r\n\tEven though Israel’s water company Mekorot currently sells Palestinians 53 mcm of water a year – twice the amount stipulated in the Oslo Accords – it is a far cry from meeting demand.\r\n\r\n\tDue to the inequitable distribution, Palestinians must make do with less water than Israelis. The World Health Organization and USAID both recommend a minimum of 100 liters of water per person\/per day. This amount includes is not only for domestic use but includes supply to hospitals, schools, businesses, and other public institutions.\r\n\r\n\tPalestinian average daily consumption of water is about a third less than the recommended amount. The figures on water allocation make the discrimination between Israelis and Palestinians patently palpable:\r\n\r\n\tAverage water consumption in the West Bank for domestic, urban, and industrial purposes is approximately 73 liters per person\/per day. In the northern West Bank average consumption is even lower. According to 2011 figures, a mere 38 liters in the Jenin area and 52 liters in the Tubas area.\r\n\r\n\tAverage water consumption in Israel is much higher. According to the Israeli Water Authority, average consumption is 183 liters per person\/per day– more than twice the corresponding consumption in the West Bank. The lack of water in certain areas of the West Bank is exacerbated by Palestinian farmers’ illegal tapping into pipes supplying water to Palestinian villages. This occurs primarily in Area C, where Israel is directly responsible for law enforcement.\r\n\r\n\tAlthough most Palestinian communities are now connected to a central water network, there is simply not enough water to supply running water 24\/7. Accordingly, Palestinian authorities provide water by rotation. Palestinian residents must deal with water shutoffs for days and sometimes even weeks at a time, a situation that is especially trying in summer. Israelis, by contrast, have the benefit of unlimited running water year round and at any time of day.\r\n\r\n\tMoreover, approximately 113,000 West Bank Palestinians live in about 70 villages that are not even hooked up to the central water grid. In winter and autumn, they collect rainwater in cisterns close to their homes and use it water for all purposes. They do so despite storage conditions that make for poor quality water.\r\n\r\n\tIn spring and summer, when the collected rainwater runs out, residents must rely on water from nearby springs and\/or purchase from vendors of private water trucks vendors at a the cost of at least 30 NIS (approx. 9 USD) per cubic meter.","content_html":"

\r\n\tbtselem.org:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tThe Oslo Accords perpetuated the discrimination in allocation of water between Israel and the Palestinians. They allotted 80% of the water pumped from the mountain aquifer – one of three underground water reserves shared by Israel and the Palestinians – to Israel and only 20% to the Palestinians.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tThe Accords further established there would be no cap to the supply of water to Israelis, whereas the water supply to Palestinians would be limited to predetermined amounts, namely approximately 118 million cubic meters (mcm) from drilling points active prior to the signing of the Accords and another 70-80 mcm or so from new ones.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tAt present, Palestinians in the West Bank must purchase from Mekorot (Israel’s water company) double the amount water specified in the accords, an amount that now equals about one third of available water in the West Bank.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tIn the absence of a final status arrangement, the Oslo Accords, meant to be valid only for five years, are still in place today. Yet even so, the measures set forth are only partially satisfied: while Israelis receive an unlimited water supply, Palestinians receive only about 75% of the stipulated quota.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tThis situation is the result of several reasons, one being that under the temporary accords, Palestinians were to obtain some 118 mcm from independent drilling points, whereas in practice Palestinians yield only 73% of that amount. They fail to reach the designated amount due to technical limitations of their equipment, the particular properties of the aquifer and its water level, as well as the failure of U.S.- and German-aided attempts to drill for water in the aquifer’s eastern basin. As a result, Israel gets 86% of the aquifer’s water and the Palestinians only 14%.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tEven though Israel’s water company Mekorot currently sells Palestinians 53 mcm of water a year – twice the amount stipulated in the Oslo Accords – it is a far cry from meeting demand.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tDue to the inequitable distribution, Palestinians must make do with less water than Israelis. The World Health Organization and USAID both recommend a minimum of 100 liters of water per person\/per day. This amount includes is not only for domestic use but includes supply to hospitals, schools, businesses, and other public institutions.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tPalestinian average daily consumption of water is about a third less than the recommended amount. The figures on water allocation make the discrimination between Israelis and Palestinians patently palpable:<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tAverage water consumption in the West Bank for domestic, urban, and industrial purposes is approximately 73 liters per person\/per day. In the northern West Bank average consumption is even lower. According to 2011 figures, a mere 38 liters in the Jenin area and 52 liters in the Tubas area.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tAverage water consumption in Israel is much higher. According to the Israeli Water Authority, average consumption is 183 liters per person\/per day– more than twice the corresponding consumption in the West Bank. The lack of water in certain areas of the West Bank is exacerbated by Palestinian farmers’ illegal tapping into pipes supplying water to Palestinian villages. This occurs primarily in Area C, where Israel is directly responsible for law enforcement.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tAlthough most Palestinian communities are now connected to a central water network, there is simply not enough water to supply running water 24\/7. Accordingly, Palestinian authorities provide water by rotation. Palestinian residents must deal with water shutoffs for days and sometimes even weeks at a time, a situation that is especially trying in summer. Israelis, by contrast, have the benefit of unlimited running water year round and at any time of day.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tMoreover, approximately 113,000 West Bank Palestinians live in about 70 villages that are not even hooked up to the central water grid. In winter and autumn, they collect rainwater in cisterns close to their homes and use it water for all purposes. They do so despite storage conditions that make for poor quality water.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tIn spring and summer, when the collected rainwater runs out, residents must rely on water from nearby springs and\/or purchase from vendors of private water trucks vendors at a the cost of at least 30 NIS (approx. 9 USD) per cubic meter.<\/p>","content_source":null,"content_url":null,"content_columns":"0","content_date_start":"2014-05-24 00:19:45","content_date_finish":"2014-05-24 00:19:45","content_date_register":"2014-05-24 00:19:45","content_date_last_edit":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","content_show_img":"1","content_show_details":"1","content_show_related_img":"1","content_show_slider":"1","content_show_title_slider":"1","content_comment":"0","content_score":"0","content_recorded":"0","content_confirmed":"1","content_status":"1","content_kind":"0","old_id":"122373","tag_id":null,"tag_word":null,"tag_service":null,"tag_total":null,"tag_soundex":null,"attach_token":"2249596512","attach_date_register":"2014-05-24 00:19:50","attach_id":"119507","attach_file_ext":"jpg","attach_file_header":"image\/jpeg","attach_img_type":"2","attach_img_width":"320","attach_img_height":"120","attach_file_media":"1","attach_show_watermark":"0","score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"visit_count":"167","visit_date_last":"2025-05-10 18:30:32","attach_title":"On Israeli discriminatrory water policy","node_title":"Commentaries","ot_node_left_right":"[{\"node_id\":134, \"left\":25, \"right\":26}]"}]]