History of Water in Palestine/Israel

The water situation in Palestine and Israel today is a product of the complex social, cultural and political interactions of people with the environment and with each other that have unfolded over time. Access to and control over water resources and development of water distribution infrastructure have helped shape power dynamics between people in the region. Water infrastructure reflects the priorities and prejudices of those who have built it and who operate it, and can thus create and/or reinforce patterns of privilege and control. Human development paradigms write deeply upon the environment, and are reflected in the physical landscape that surrounds us. In order to develop a fuller understanding of the current water situation, from both humanitarian and environmental perspectives, it is necessary to examine in some depth the complex history of water in the Palestinian Territories and Israel.

Read about the history of water in this region

View Historical Map

View Population Charts

Timeline of Events

		1882-1903 First Aliyah – 25000-35000 Jewish immigrants arrive in Ottsomancontrolled Palestine and begin establishing agricultural settlements   1897 Zionist Organization (now World Zionist Organization) founded at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland 1901 Jewish National Fund established at the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland 1914-1918 World War I.  1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France signed, dividing the lands of the Middle East between British and French rule. 1916 Arab revolt against the Ottomans begins, British promise Arab self-determination and sovereignty over all lands conquered from the Ottomans.   1917 British Government issues the Balfour Declaration endorsing the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine “without violating the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities”. 1920 British Mandate in Palestine established.  High Commissioner granted control over all water sources; “holding them in trust for all of Palestine......stipulating the beneficial use of all water sources, including groundwater”. 1923 American water expert Elwood Mead arrives in Palestine to aid Zionist leaders in water planning, and in lobbying the Mandate government for water rights.      1930 British Government issues Passfield White Paper, limiting Jewish immigration to Palestine. 1933 British hydrological survey discovers high levels of pollution in the Coastal Aquifer.  Attempts to close wells thwarted by protests from both Arabs and Jews.     1935-1938 Levi Eshkol and Simcha Blass design and build the first large-scale Jewish water project in the region (in the Jezreel Valley). 1936 Arab Revolt breaks out in Jerusalem in protest at continuing high levels of Jewish immigration to Palestine (spurred on by anti-semitism and persecution across eastern Europe). 1937 Mekorot Water Company founded by Levi Eshkol. 1938 US water expert W C Lowdermilk visits Palestine to offer advice to Zionists on water development in Palestine. 1939 British Government publishes a White Paper calling for further curtailment of Jewish immigration to Palestine 1939-1945 World War II.  The rise of Nazism and the Holocaust precipitates massive Jewish immigration to Palestine. 1944 W C Lowdermilk publishes the popular book: “Palestine, Land of Promise”, culminating in a detailed plan for regional water development (the Jordan Valley Authority). 1946 Britain returns the Palestine Mandate to the United Nations in response to violent resistance to British rule by Jewish underground organizations. 1947 UN Resolution 181 issued (the UN Partition Plan), proposing the division of Palestine into a Jewish State (55%) and an Arab State (45%).  Plan rejected by Arab leaders. 1948 Arab-Israeli war breaks out, Israeli State created over 78% of Palestine.  Jordanian administration established in the West Bank and Egyptian administration in the Gaza Strip.  Over 800 000 Palestinians are made refugees.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	1951 Israel successfully implements a new plan to drain the Huleh Swamp as the initial plan infringed on the demilitarized zone with Syria and was stopped by the UN and US following Syrian objections and Israeli-Syrian military skirmishes. 1953 Jordanian Government and UNRWA sign agreement to implement the Bunger Plan, utilizing the waters of the Yarmouk River for irrigation and for generating hydroelectricity.  Israeli objections derail the scheme. 1955 Yarkon-Negev Pipeline completed, transferring 100 million cubic metres of water per year from the Yarkon River to the northern Negev.  1955 Johnston Plan for sharing of the Jordan River between Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and Syria ratified by technical committees of the Israeli Knesset and Arab League.  1956 Plans for the Israeli National Water Carrier finalized     1959 Israeli Water Law passed, designating all water resources to be public property, and nationalizing water management. 1964 Israeli National Water Carrier finished and put into operation.  1965 Arab League attempt to implement Jordan River Headwater Diversion.  Israelis respond with a series of military actions, culminating in air strikes inside Syria by 1967.  1966 East Ghor Canal (now known as the King Abdullah Canal) put into operation in Jordan.     1967 Arab-Israeli Six Day War.  Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories and Golan Heights begins.  Water resources declared to be Israeli State Property (Military Order No. 92); and permitting system for water consumption established, under the control of the Israeli Military Authorities (Military Order No. 158).  140 Palestinian pumping stations on the Jordan River destroyed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	1971 First Israeli owned well dug inside the West Bank, in the south Hebron area. 1977 Right-wing Likud government elected under Menachem Begin.  Settlement drive begins, bringing with it an associated water supply infrastructure inside the West Bank. 1982 Ownership of all water supply systems in the West Bank transferred to the Israeli Mekorot Water Company for the symbolic price of one shekel. 1986-1987 Drought precipitates cuts in water supply to Israeli agricultural sector.        1988 First Palestinian Intifada (uprising) breaks out, demanding an end to the Israeli Occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian State. 1991-1992 Drought once more raises fears of water scarcity in Israel. 1993 Oslo Declaration of Principles signed by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, setting in process negotiations over water.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	1994 Gaza-Jericho (or Cairo) agreement transfers authority over water infrastructure in the Gaza and Jericho areas to the new Palestinian Authority.  1995 Oslo Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  Israel recognizes Palestinian Water Rights in the West Bank.  Palestinian Water Authority and Joint Water Committee established.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	2000 Failure of the Camp David talks.  Second Palestinian Intifada erupts, violent attacks on Israeli military personnel and civilians in the Palestinian Territories and inside Israel escalate.      2001 Ariel Sharon elected Israeli Prime Minister.  Israeli military operations, curfews, checkpoints and closures damage Palestinian water infrastructure and interfere with Palestinian water supply. 2002 Palestinian Water Law No. 3 passed.  Israelis begin construction of the Separation Barrier.  2004 International Court of Justice declares the Separation Barrier to be illegal.  Israel refuses to abide by the Court’s decision.  November 2004, death of Yasser Arafat.        2005 Mahmoud Abbas elected President of the Palestinian Authority in January.  In August, Gaza settlements dismantled and removed under the leadership of Ariel Sharon.       2006 Hamas elected to government in Palestinian Legislative Council elections in February.  Israel, the US and the EU refuse to recognize Hamas government.  Israel withholds VAT from the PA; the US and the EU withdraw aid from the PA, halting development projects already in progress.  JWC ceases to function, and water development in the Palestinian Territories essentially ceases.  June 2006, Israel launches ‘Operation Summer Rain’ on Gaza destroying Gaza Electric Power Station.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	2007 Hamas takes control of Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas negotiates with Israel and the US but refuses to meet with Ismail Haniya the Palesinian Prime Minister from the Hamas party.  USAID development projects resume in the West Bank.