Palestinian Boy Begs Israeli Soldiers Not to Take His Father for Stealing Fresh Water

People don't seem to pay attention to the fact that water is a huge factor in this ongoing conflict.

Yes, it has been a main factor. The Palestinian people are water starved and their agriculture has suffered greatly because of it and what is left is sewerage, while Israel uses most of it.

http://thewe.cc/weplanet/news/water/water_war_leaves_palestinians_thirsty.htm

"Like many other things in the region, water is in hot dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Under international law, Israel is committed to supplying drinking water to the Palestinians and not denying them.

But Israel itself is a very arid area surrounded by desert. It rains only a few months a year - and for the past few years the region has been in the grip of drought.

"We have a chronic water shortage, and it is getting worse year to year," Jacob Kaidar, the director of multilateral peace talks coordination and water issues in the Israeli foreign ministry, told BBC World Service's Politics Of Water programme.

"Basically we have a drought almost every year, we have to cut our water supplies almost every year."

'Unfair'

The water that Israel receives comes mainly from the Jordan river system, the Sea of Galilee and two underground sources.

The supply is shared between Israelis and Palestinians, but, as ever, is a source of great controversy.

At the Third World Water Conference in Kyoto, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev outlined the history of water conflict around the world."

He said there had been 21 armed disputes over water in recent history - and 18 of them involved Israel.

"It's highly unfair," said Yehezkel Lein, a water expert for Israeli human rights group B'tselem, who help to solve water problems in Palestinian areas.

"We are talking about mainly the mountain aquifer and the Jordan River system. Regarding the first one Israel exploits approximately 80% of the renewal water resources, and the Palestinians the remaining 20%.

"Regarding the Jordan River system, the Palestinians do not have any access.
The Sea of Galilee can supply parts of Israel, but not the Palestinian areas

Mr Lein added that the conflict in the region had dramatically exacerbated the problem.

"There is a clear linkage between the gap in water availability, and the occupation," he said.

"Israel has taken advantage of its control of the West Bank in order to appropriate more water sources and to prevent Palestinians from developing new water sources that are under the land."

Israel has controlled water supplies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since it first occupied the areas in 1967.

The 1993 Oslo Peace Accord stated that the Palestinians should have more water resources and greater control, although the Israelis disagree, insisting they supply 40 million cubic metres of water.

Many Palestinians struggle, however, as they remain unconnected to any water infrastructure. "
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It's no wonder they steal it to give it to their children. I would too.

I do . So does anyone with half a brain . Resources , it is almost always about them .