Water and the Arab- Israeli Peace Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water and the Arab- Israeli Peace Process - Essay Example After the war, a larger section of water resources was taken by Israel (Asser 1). The complete control of water resources has led to conflict. Israel has dominated 80 percents of the mountain aquifer leaving only 20 percent to the Palestinians (Asser 1). This leaves little water resources to the Palestinians. Moreover, the Palestinians complain of limited access to their water resources (Asser 1). They cite the Israel military as the one preventing them from using their own water resources. There has also been allocation of more water to Israel nationals as compared to Palestinians. This has been evident in West Bank. The issue of water has also led to increased tension in the area. The tension has been due to the effect on Palestinian agriculture. The little available water has negatively affected the Palestinian agricultural economy (Asser 1). The Palestinian are also subjected to water rationing as the reserves gets dry (Asser 1). Proper water management has been cited as necessary for peace in the region. In the 90s, water was viewed as being tricky point of discussion in Arab-Israel peacemaking (Asser 1). The continued settlement of Israel in sensitive water areas, in West Bank, has also been seen as a threat to peace and stability in the region. Additionally, some of the stalled negotiations on the peace process between Israel and other Arab countries have been based on water related issues (Asser