Three Cheers for Israel?!

The media is full of stories critical of the way Israel deals with the Palestinians.
There is indeed a lot to criticize, which, by the way, Israelis often do. However, when Israel does something right -- and in a big way -- that too should be noted. After all, one cannot expect a nation that is boxed around the ears every time it strays, but not rewarded when it gets it right, to mend its ways.

Here's what happened, which got next to no coverage, except in the Washington Post.

The Dead Sea is dying. Since 1960, its water level has decreased by 75 feet and its surface area by a third. But this problem is not restricted to one body of water: throughout the Middle East, water is running out. Israel and Jordan have moved jointly to address this problem.

Israel and Jordan have developed a plan to connect and redistribute water sources throughout their countries to shore up the water supply. One project under this plan would provide Amman with water by connecting it to the Dissi Reservoir, an underground water source in the south of Jordan, and would desalinate it by connecting it to Israeli desalination plants that are being built on the Mediterranean. Another plant would send 500 billion gallons of water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea through pipelines and tunnels over a path of 110 miles. Some of this water would be used to replenish the Dead Sea, while the rest would be desalinated for use by both countries.

The desalinated water from the Dissi Reservoir and Dead Sea would be shared amongst Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The replenished Dead Sea would sustain a tourist attraction and provide economic benefits for both Jordanian and Israeli companies who sell its chemicals.

Critics of the plan argue that these new connections will upset the region's ecosystem and recommend that their possible effects be studied, which could take several years. But Jordan and Israel maintain that the plan be implemented immediately to prevent water shortages, as some cities in Jordan have already begun rationing their water supply.

Three cheers for all concerned.

Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor at the George Washington University and the author of Security First: For a Muscular, Moral Foreign Policy (Yale 2007). To contact him write [e-mail]. www.gwu.edu/~ccps/securityfirst

 

Comments

[Tony Andrews]

Well heck yes!
Let's give a huge cheer to the people who, over decades, have been taking ever increasing amounts of water from the River Jordan at the northern end of the Dead Sea for irrigation purposes, which is to say, guess what, the Israelis and the Jordanians.
They created the critical situation that is reducing water levels in the Dead Sea at an ever increasing rate.
On the basis of the addage that "the polluter pays", they are planning to do no more than they ought to do to try to put right the mess they have created.

[Tom El Rumi]

"After all, one cannot expect a nation that is boxed around the ears every time it strays, but not rewarded when it gets it right, to mend its ways."

Let's not be so naive as to believe that positive reinforcement is what Israel needs.

[mommamia526]

Yes, three cheers for Israel, and a lollipop and balloons!

[mommamia526]

Actually, rumor has it that Jordanians and Israelis get along quite well. Well, they have an agreement or two and they keep to it. Israel and Egypt are also at peace. Come to think of it, all three have a few problems with Palestinians. Or, maybe I am wrong. In any case, I had read about the initiative about a month ago. It is a good idea. Now we need more biological sewage treatment plants as well.

[FearlessFreep]

It's the Jordanian government that gets along well with Israel. The Jordanian people (many of whom are Palestinian refugees) have a different perspective.

[Garioch]

Yeah all good but it's not going to solve the regions water problems which consist of too many people living in a place not suited to these numbers.
It's going to be a massive problem in the region and if there was one area that's not set up for coping with any further possible issues for conflict over that would be it. They all desperately need to control their population growth.

[mommamia526]

Hm. Maybe one wife for life per customer, and two children max? Everyone else has to control multiplication, so why not muslims? And do not tell me it is against their religion, it is against other religions as well. Oh, by the way, some Haredi, the Duggars and a few more people I have heard about, but never met, might also consider the options.

[Garioch]

I never mentioned Muslims as (and this may have escaped your attention) there are people of quite a few faiths living there in large numbers.
Good to see that at least someone has managed to take it down to yet another anti Muslim rant though, congratulations.

[Guylephat]

cheers...c­heers.....­see even people who generally disagree can get along to share vital resources as well as addressing the future....­...I think everyone in the world should read or reread "all I really need to know i learned in kindergarten" by robert fulghum