 Woman in Gaza draws water Photo: Hatem Moussa/AP |
The daily life of Palestinians in the West Bank is clouded with checkpoints, a heavy military presence constantly in their faces, and the apartheid wall that coils around their existence, to mention the least. Added to these burdens, Palestinians can look in any direction and see illegal Israeli settlements with lush green lawns, well-maintained swimming pools and, in some Israeli cities, huge leisure water parks.
Just minutes from these government-subsidized settlements, Palestinians live with limited and unstable access to water granted to them under Israeli occupation.
According to an Amnesty International report issued Oct. 27, Israeli settlers, whose population numbers about 450,000, use four times the amount of water than the 2.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank.
Israel reroutes more than 80 percent of water retrieved from the Mountain Aquifer. This aquifer is the only supply of drinking water for Palestinians, while Israel draws water from other sources, including the Jordan River. Somewhere between 180,000 and 200,000 Palestinians in rural communities either have no access to running water. In other areas, taps run dry.
The water crisis in Gaza became even more acute as a result of the 22-day bombardment of the territory at the beginning of the year. The bombing destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure and seriously damaged the water and sewage systems below ground. About 90 to 95 percent of Gaza’s drinking water supply has been contaminated with sewage and seawater and is now undrinkable.
The three-year siege imposed by Israel continues, and building materials are still being denied to the people of Gaza. Unable to rebuild, Palestinians in the Strip will face even more health problems, and those already suffering from what in normal circumstances would be manageable diseases have lower survival rates. Amnesty reports that the Palestinian consumption of water per person is far less than required based on World Health Organizations standards.
The Israeli Water Authority, expectedly, denies the “accusations” and insists that Israel does not pump that much water from the Mountain Aquifer. The authority also claims to have fulfilled its duty pertaining to the water supply according to the Oslo peace agreement. They even go so far as to blame the Palestinian Authority for the water scarcity in the West Bank, as though the Palestinian government had the power to do anything over the issue.
The Israeli government continues to deprive Palestinians of the most basic human rights. Depriving the Palestinians of water is not only a violation of international law, but even more importantly, it is evidence of the colonial character of the Israeli state. Native Palestinians have no say in the distribution and usage of their most basic and precious resources—how can a people be truly sovereign under such circumstances?
The water shortage in the West Bank is another product of racism and apartheid. The Palestinian people should have not only access to water, but also control over all their resources.
End the occupation! End the siege of Gaza!
