JORDANIAN-ISRAELI WATER FRUSTRATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005999

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA SATTERFIELD, NEA/IPA, NEA/RA LAWSON, OES/PCI
FOR PAYNE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2008
TAGS: PREL SENV KWBG IS JO MEPN
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN-ISRAELI WATER FRUSTRATIONS


Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE for Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Jordanian Water Minister El-Naser expressed
his disappointment over the past few months' behavior of his
Israeli counterparts from the Joint Technical Water
Committee. Pointing the finger at Israel for dragging its
feet on Jordanian technical requests and charging them with
obstructing water projects that Amman wants to initiate,
El-Naser expressed frustration with what he characterized as
an increasingly nettlesome relationship. Already exercised
over apparent Israeli (and Palestinian) disinterest in the
World Bank,s draft Terms of Reference for the feasibility
study on the Red Sea-Dead Sea Conveyance project (septel),
El-Naser complained of getting the run-around from the
Israeli MFA, Water Commissioner, and Ministry of
Infrastructure on routine bilateral water issues. We urged
El-Naser to continue to address Jordan,s water concerns
directly with his Israeli partners and maintain the lines of
communication, noting that the JWC mechanism has generally
worked well for the past nine years. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) During a September 15 meeting with visiting NEA
Senior Science Advisor Dr. Charles Lawson and NEA Regional
Environment Officer Paul Malik, Jordanian Minister of Water
and Irrigation Dr. Hazem El-Naser vented about his increasing
frustration with the members of the Israeli Joint Technical
Water Committee (JWC) with whom he and his senior ministry
colleagues routinely meet to coordinate water cooperation.
El-Naser claimed that the usually constructive meetings had
devolved into fora that were not yielding positive results.
In fact, he charged the Israeli counterparts with obstructing
work on Jordanian water priorities and with sowing an
atmosphere of mistrust. We have had "problems with the
Israelis during the past six months," he told us.


3. (C) Both El-Naser and the Secretary General of the Jordan
Valley Authority, Zafer Alem, while conceding that "personal
relations are very good" between them and their Israeli
interlocutors, cited several examples of flagging Israeli
cooperation. Complaints of Israeli disagreements over the
Wihdeh Dam water allocation protocol have not stopped Amman
from proceeding with the project, but remain an unresolved
irritant. El-Naser repeatedly has raised with the Israelis
their dumping of untreated effluent into the Jordan River,
requesting them to build a wastewater treatment plant--to no
avail. Finally, although the 25 MCM (million cubic meter)
water concession that Israel provides Jordan annually during
the summer to fulfill a commitment in the 1994 peace treaty
ultimately was delivered, El-Naser registered his concern
that this year,s negotiations presage Israeli balking.


4. (C) Jordan,s desire to capture winter floodwaters on the
Jordan River by diverting them to the Karameh Dam has also
met with Israeli opposition. When El-Naser offered to divert
further upstream at a greater cost to Jordan, the Israelis
continued to deny approval. COMMENT: At least partly, we
understand, Israeli concern stems from Jordan,s interest in
tapping into the Jordan River in a location where the West
Bank is on the other side of the river. In the Jordan-Israel
Peace Treaty, all water projects mentioned were located north
of the point where the Green Line intersects the Jordan
River, specifically to avoid complications arising from
dealing with West Bank areas. END COMMENT


5. (C) Another project that is threatened by the apparent
lack of bilateral cooperation is the development of 50 MCM of
additional water resources for Jordan. Although brackish
water sources have been identified on both sides, Israel
allegedly will not divulge detailed information on the
sources and quality of the water it would provide, making
Jordan fearful it is highly saline and contaminated with
sewage. Moreover, El-Naser claims that Israel,s
contribution of limited brackish sources will not produce the
stipulated 50 MCM of potable water, yet the Israelis have
threatened to cut off the 25 MCM summer concession as soon as
any amount of new water is produced for Jordan.


6. (C) COMMENT: This was the most agitated we have seen
El-Naser over the Israeli-Jordanian water relationship.
Historically, it has been a successful model of cooperation,
with the notable exception in 1999, when tensions temporarily
flared over delivery of Israeli water to Jordan but were
defused with the help of U.S. intervention. We believe that
the current negative state of play on the RDC feasibility
study is coloring El-Naser's view of his bilateral
relationship with Israel. "We are suspicious of their
(Israeli) intentions" regarding the RDC, said El-Naser.
Lawson encouraged the Jordanians to persevere in resolving
technical water issues through the JWC. On the margins of
another meeting in Jordan on September 16, Israeli MFA
Multilateral Peace Process Director Yaacov Keidar expressed
surprise at the Jordanian characterization of the recent JWC
deliberations and countered by telling us that the Israeli
government had approved the Jordan River diversion and other
projects and the Jordanian delegation had returned the signed
protocol within the last few days.
HALE