AI: Israel is stealing water

[Hairless Kitten II]

*** WARNING ***

This thread is not about the ownership to the land. Stay on Topic!

Israel is denying Palestinians access to even the basic minimum of clean, safe water, Amnesty International says.

In a report, the human rights group says Israeli water restrictions discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

It says that in Gaza, Israel's blockade has pushed the already ailing water and sewage system to "crisis point".

Israel says the report is flawed and the Palestinians get more water than was agreed under the 1990s peace deal.
'Basic need'

In the 112-page report, Amnesty says that on average Palestinian daily water consumption reaches 70 litres a day, compared with 300 litres for the Israelis.

It says that some Palestinians barely get 20 litres a day - the minimum recommended even in humanitarian emergencies.

While Israeli settlers in the West Bank enjoy lush gardens and swimming pools, Amnesty describes a series of Israeli measures it says are discriminating against Palestinians:

• Israel has "entirely appropriated the Palestinians' share of the Jordan river" and uses 80% of a key shared aquifer
• West Bank Palestinians are not allowed to drill wells without Israeli permits, which are "often impossible" to obtain
• Rainwater harvesting cisterns are "often destroyed by the Israeli army"
• Israeli soldiers confiscated a water tanker from villagers who were trying to remain in land Israel had declared a "closed military area"
• An unnamed Israeli soldier says rooftop Palestinian household water tanks are "good for target practice"
• Much of the land cut off by the West Bank barrier is land with good access to a major aquifer
• Israeli military operations have damaged Palestinian water infrastructure, including $6m worth during the Cast Lead operation in Gaza last winter
• The Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza has "exacerbated what was already a dire situation" by denying many building materials needed for water and sewage projects.

The report also noted that the Palestinian water authorities have been criticised for bad management, quoting one audit that described the sector as in "total chaos".

"Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining even poor-quality, subsistence-level quantities of water has become a luxury that they can barely afford," Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said.

"Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians' access to water."

Read More>>

Maybe it's time that people start to understand why Israel is fighting the Palestinians or why they occupy the Golan Heights.
The main reason is water.

We should start to boycott Israel more seriously, just like we did with that other apartheid regime.

An OP made possible thanks to:

[Kashindahar]

Fuck the middle east. Just turn it into glass already.

[United Russian State]

Fuck the middle east. Just turn it into glass already.

We could turn it into a WMD testing zone.

[Post-Unity Terra]

Stay classy, Israel.

[Schlauberger]

Did you miss this part?

"He also rejected the claim that Israel was preventing Palestinians from drilling for water, saying Israel had approved 82 such projects but the Palestinians had only implemented 26 of them.

"They have received billions of dollars in international aid over the last decade and a half, why have they not invested that in their own water infrastructure>?" he asked."

The Palestinians received $4 billion in foreign aid from 1993 to 2001, and is getting an additional $7 billion as a result of a donor convention in France in 2007. If the Palestinian leadership weren't so horribly corrupt and actually used these billions of dollars in foreign aid on their people, then water shortages wouldn't be such a problem.

[Sdaeriji]

I am amused that your "read more" link comes right before the Israeli rebuttal. Wouldn't want to present both sides of the story, would you?

[Hairless Kitten II]

I am amused that your "read more" link comes right before the Israeli rebuttal. Wouldn't want to present both sides of the story, would you?

This is ridiculous. I was certainly not aware and I will not change it either.

Everyone can click the 'Read More>>' link.

[Dolbri]

Did you miss this part?

"He also rejected the claim that Israel was preventing Palestinians from drilling for water, saying Israel had approved 82 such projects but the Palestinians had only implemented 26 of them.

"They have received billions of dollars in international aid over the last decade and a half, why have they not invested that in their own water infrastructure>?" he asked."

The Palestinians received $4 billion in foreign aid from 1993 to 2001, and is getting an additional $7 billion as a result of a donor convention in France in 2007. If the Palestinian leadership weren't so horribly corrupt and actually used these billions of dollars in foreign aid on their people, then water shortages wouldn't be such a problem.

Do you realize what happens with the this Palestinian aid? It goes straight to Israeli companies, because Israel decides what goes in and out of the Palestinian territories. If a Palestinian says "hey, the EU just gave me money to build a new house (since Israel demolished my previous one)" then Israel says: okay, you can have your house, but it'll be built by an Israeli contractor.

Of all the money that should be going to Palestine, the biggest part is fuelling the Israeli economy.

But whatever, we all know what the problem is: both parties want the entire land, and both parties consist mainly of arrogant stubborn assholes.

[Sdaeriji]

I am amused that your "read more" link comes right before the Israeli rebuttal. Wouldn't want to present both sides of the story, would you?

This is ridiculous. I was certainly not aware and I will not change it either.

Everyone can click the 'Read More>>' link.

You don't have to change it. Your bias is reflected accurately in your presentation of the article in your original post. I wouldn't want you to weasel out of that now.

[Hairless Kitten II]

I am amused that your "read more" link comes right before the Israeli rebuttal. Wouldn't want to present both sides of the story, would you?

This is ridiculous. I was certainly not aware and I will not change it either.

Everyone can click the 'Read More>>' link.

You don't have to change it. Your bias is reflected accurately in your presentation of the article in your original post. I wouldn't want you to weasel out of that now.

Of course. *yawn*

[Araraukar]

Are you looking for another thwap from a mod for spamming, HK?

Anyways, I don't think you can have this topic without it turning into a land ownership issue, since that's what's causing the trouble here; watering the land. For several years I've lobbied against Israeli citrus fruits, because they're watered on the cost of people like these here going without adequate water.

"Making the deserts bloom" has been one of the 'miracles' modern Israel has been said to have made. Well, yeah, but the water comes from somewhere. If it's good enough to pour on edible plants, chances are that it'd be good enough to drink.

[Kryozerkia]

Staying on topic has been done before. Let's make the same effort.

[Hairless Kitten II]

Staying on topic has been done before. Let's make the same effort.

The topic is about a country that's stealing water and eventually punishments.

The topic is not about staying on topic. Can you stay on the topic please?*



*: I'm only joking, show mercy

[Milks Empire]

Israel treating Palestinians like shit shocker. Call me when they actually start treating them like humans instead of just the IDF's playthings.

[Schlauberger]

Do you realize what happens with the this Palestinian aid?

Yes, the leadership squanders the money.

http://eufunding.org.uk/accountability/Nielson1.html

If a Palestinian says "hey, the EU just gave me money to build a new house (since Israel demolished my previous one)" then Israel says: okay, you can have your house, but it'll be built by an Israeli contractor.

Source?

[Nodinia]

The Palestinians received $4 billion in foreign aid from 1993 to 2001, and is getting an additional $7 billion as a result of a donor convention in France in 2007. If the Palestinian leadership weren't so horribly corrupt and actually used these billions of dollars in foreign aid on their people, then water shortages wouldn't be such a problem.

If the Israeli state takes the water out of the ground, what use is an infrastructure for distributing it?

While Israeli settlers in the West Bank enjoy lush gardens and swimming pools, Amnesty describes a series of Israeli measures it says are discriminating against Palestinians:


Israel has "entirely appropriated the Palestinians' share of the Jordan river" and uses 80% of a key shared aquifer
West Bank Palestinians are not allowed to drill wells without Israeli permits, which are "often impossible" to obtain
Rainwater harvesting cisterns are "often destroyed by the Israeli army"
Israeli soldiers confiscated a water tanker from villagers who were trying to remain in land Israel had declared a "closed military area"
An unnamed Israeli soldier says rooftop Palestinian household water tanks are "good for target practice"
Much of the land cut off by the West Bank barrier is land with good access to a major aquifer
Israeli military operations have damaged Palestinian water infrastructure, including $6m worth during the Cast Lead operation in Gaza last winter
The Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza has "exacerbated what was already a dire situation" by denying many building materials needed for water and sewage projects.

link

[Araraukar]

*: I'm only joking, show mercy

Kryo tends to come off as having a sense of humour, so you might want to crawl out of that bomb shelter.

Can someone remember what organization it was that gives miniloans to people who want to stop begging and start making their own living but just need a little help to take off? They do stuff in India at least. Maybe contact them and try to get them to support small-scale water operations? In desert-like situation you can collect moisture from the air during night, and these people do have some water to start with, so if it could be recycled somehow, it would be good, right?

I'm a bit too distracted by TV right now to look up the links, so... anyone else have the slightest idea of what I'm talking about?

Also, making Israel pay for any water-related things they destroy either by 'accident' or on purpose, would be good... anyone in USA ready to start lobbying? USA is the big brother that makes Israel's queer politics possible, after all.

[Schlauberger]

If the Israeli state takes the water out of the ground, what use is an infrastructure for distributing it?

A modern desalination plant can be built for $100 million or so. That leaves plenty of money left over to pay for infrastructure and distribution.

[Sumamba Buwhan]

Israel treating Palestinians like shit shocker. Call me when they actually start treating them like humans instead of just the IDF's playthings.

[Dolbri]

Source?

Yeah, my only source is my memory of a documentary I saw a few months ago. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to.

A modern desalination plant can be built for $100 million or so. That leaves plenty of money left over to pay for infrastructure and distribution.

Irrigating farmland with desalinated water? Desalinating water is expensive, not because of the building cost of the installation, but because it requires terrible amounts of energy. It's not a coincidence that the Gulf states are practically the only ones who use them.
EDIT: and besides, it's not like Israel wouldn't bomb the installation as soon as it's built.

[Domminus]

A modern desalination plant can be built for $100 million or so. That leaves plenty of money left over to pay for infrastructure and distribution.

Irrigating farmland with desalinated water? Desalinating water is expensive, not because of the building cost of the installation, but because it requires terrible amounts of energy. It's not a coincidence that the Gulf states are practically the only ones who use them.
EDIT: and besides, it's not like Israel wouldn't bomb the installation as soon as it's built.

Can I borrow your crystal ball?

[Glorious Freedonia]

No it is not.

[Hairless Kitten II]

*: I'm only joking, show mercy

Kryo tends to come off as having a sense of humour, so you might want to crawl out of that bomb shelter.

Can someone remember what organization it was that gives miniloans to people who want to stop begging and start making their own living but just need a little help to take off? They do stuff in India at least. Maybe contact them and try to get them to support small-scale water operations? In desert-like situation you can collect moisture from the air during night, and these people do have some water to start with, so if it could be recycled somehow, it would be good, right?

I'm a bit too distracted by TV right now to look up the links, so... anyone else have the slightest idea of what I'm talking about?

Also, making Israel pay for any water-related things they destroy either by 'accident' or on purpose, would be good... anyone in USA ready to start lobbying? USA is the big brother that makes Israel's queer politics possible, after all.

Grameen Bank

[The_pantless_hero]

I am amused that your "read more" link comes right before the Israeli rebuttal. Wouldn't want to present both sides of the story, would you?

This is ridiculous. I was certainly not aware and I will not change it either.

Everyone can click the 'Read More>>' link.

You don't have to change it. Your bias is reflected accurately in your presentation of the article in your original post. I wouldn't want you to weasel out of that now.

Ok, so let's work under the (asinine) assumption that Amnesty International is biased and the Government of Israel isn't. Let's use AI's numbers of water consumption seeing as how none are attributed to Israel's retort. Israel does NOT reject the idea that its current water usage is 300 litres per day, only that that number is actually down (let's all applaud them not using MORE water then they did in 1967). Now assuming Israel is correct - that Palestine is wasting 1/3rd of it's water, that puts Palestinian water usage at between 30 and 105 litres per day (assuming I did math right, which I probably didn't). That still puts Palestinian water access at barely at acceptable levels to still god awfully low. Damn Palestinians using more water than they used to (according to Israel), they should reduce their water usage to what AI says it actually is!

[Araraukar]

Grameen Bank

Thank you, that's the one.

Oh, and you can desalinate water simply by doing the reverse of sea salt harvesting. Just spread plastic sheet of some sort on a slant over the pool/pond/what-have-you, and some sort of collecting dish at the lowest point of the plastic sheet (weight set on top, or similar). Sit back and let sunny day do its job. Mind you, the pool/pond/what-have-you must be fully covered by plastic to prevent the water vapour from escaping. When the air cools in the evening and during the night, you get drinkable water.

In a large scale version you could use solar plant (curved mirrors to focuse the heat) to cause the vaporizing more efficiently, and preferably in a closed system, where vapour and concentrated saline solution can be controlled more efficiently.