Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04TELAVIV6103
2004-12-03 15:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

ISRAEL CONCERNED ABOUT ILLEGAL WATER WELLS ON WEST

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 006103 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA AND NEA/REA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2014
TAGS: EAID IS KWBG PGOV PREL SENV ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT
SUBJECT: ISRAEL CONCERNED ABOUT ILLEGAL WATER WELLS ON WEST
BANK

REF: TEL AVIV 6006 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Econ Counselor William Weinstein, Reasons 1.4b and d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 006103

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA AND NEA/REA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2014
TAGS: EAID IS KWBG PGOV PREL SENV ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT
SUBJECT: ISRAEL CONCERNED ABOUT ILLEGAL WATER WELLS ON WEST
BANK

REF: TEL AVIV 6006 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Econ Counselor William Weinstein, Reasons 1.4b and d.


1. (C) Summary: Israeli officials are concerned about water
wells on the West Bank that have not been approved by the
Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Commission. They see the
illegal wells as a bad precedent for Gaza disengagement, West
Bank withdrawal, and eventual negotiations on water issues
with the Palestinians or neighoring countries. The MOD Water
Advisor encouraged the senior security affairs reporter for
the Haaretz newspaper to report and comment on the issue to
highlight GOI concerns. Palestinian water officials have
acknowledged the problem of uncontrolled wells tapping shared
aquifers. End summary.


2. (SBU) The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article
and a separate op-ed piece on the drilling of unauthorized
wells in the northern West Bank on November 26. The article,
"Water Dispute May Boil Over During Pullout," by security
affairs correspondent Ze-ev Schiff, stated that hundreds of
unauthorized wells have been drilled in areas from which
Israel is planning withdrawal of settlements, affecting the
shared Northeastern Aquifer. (Note: The wells may be near,
rather than actually in Israeli-controlled settlement areas.
End note).


3. (SBU) The article expressed concern that such drilling
could increase following withdrawal of Israeli forces, and
noted that new wells require permits from the Joint Water
Commission. (Note: In the near-term, the GOI would retain
control of former settlement areas in the West Bank, so the
articles may overstate the probability of new drillings right
after withdrawal. End note). Schiff said the Israeli Water
Commission estimates there have been 150-260 unauthorized
drillings while the General Staff puts the number as high as

300.


4. (U) In a signed Op-Ed, "A Threat to the West Bank
Pullout," Schiff said that drawdowns of shared acquifers was
a greater concern for Israel for West Bank withdrawals of
settlements than was the case for disengagement from the Gaza
Strip. He quoted Water Advisor to the Minister of Defense
Noah Kinnarti as saying that a failure to control drillings
in the Northeast Acquifer could affect future dealings on the
larger Mountain Aquifer as well as with Syria and Lebanon on
water issues.


5. (C) Comment: MOD Advisor Kinnarti told ESTH Officer on
November 28 that he had encouraged Schiff to write about the
illegal drillings, saying that Israel's credibility was at
stake. Earlier, MFA Director for Water Issues told ESTH
Officer that illegal wells could be a problem following
disengagement from Gaza, saying that "2,000" unauthorized
wells had been drilled following the 1995 Gaza-Jericho
Agreement. Palestinian Water Authority Chief Nabil Sharif
has acknowledged to USAID officials that uncontrolled
drilling is a problem. Besides the issue of living up to
commitments highlighted by Kinnarti, uncontrolled drilling
draws down both the inland and Coastal aquifers, causing them
to draw in brackish and sea waters, diminishing water quality
for both Israelis and Palestinians.

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