Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After years of negotiations on July 13th, under the auspices of US Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt, a deal was finally reached between Israel’s Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, and Minister Mazen Ghoneim, Head of the Palestinian Water Authority.

According to the water sale agreement, Israel will sell 33 mcm of water to the PA, 10 mcm of which will go to Gaza and 23 to the West Bank.

EcoPeace has contributed to the developments that led to this deal and we congratulate all the parties involved in this important achievement. The additional water for Gaza is of particular importance at this time. The opportunity to include additional water for Gaza in this water sale was recognized by EcoPeace early on and was the focus of our efforts despite the fact that originally Gaza was not supposed to be the beneficiary.

It is important to remember however that while it will alleviate the dire water crisis that is affecting the lives of millions of Palestinians, this is a water sale and not the new political agreement needed that we at EcoPeace believe will transform the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike and significantly contribute to the peace process.

For further details please see relevant media articles below:

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/PA-Gaza-to-get-more-H20-under-Red-Dead-water-sharing-agreement-499695

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-palestinians-reach-landmark-water-deal-for-west-bank-gaza-strip/

http://www.nydailynews.com/newswires/news/world/trump-envoy-helps-broker-israeli-palestinian-water-deal-article-1.3322741

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-us-israel-palestinians-20170713-story.html

http://www.thetower.org/5200-watch-u-s-announces-landmark-water-deal-between-israel-palestinian-authority/

United States House of Representatives
***PRESS RELEASE***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2017



CONTACT:

Nicole L’Esperance, 202-225-4811, Nicole.LEsperance@mail.house.gov
Karina Erickson, 202-225-6565, Karine.Erickson@mail.house.gov

Reps. Blumenauer, Poe Welcome Israeli-Palestinian Water Deal

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Ted Poe (TX-02) welcomed news that Israel and the Palestinians have reached an agreement to provide some much-needed drinking water to severely water-stressed Palestinian communities, especially to those in Gaza.

In May, Blumenauer and Poe led a bipartisan group of members in urging the Trump administration to prioritize the issue of water in its effort to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Last week, while Blumenauer was in Israel, he met with Israeli and Palestinian officials at the highest levels and encouraged them to prioritize water and sanitation relief for the Gaza strip. Currently, 97 percent of the water is not safe for human consumption, and its quality is getting worse.

“We’ve worked on this issue for years now, and it’s gratifying to see a tangible expression of what’s possible. While the agreement is modest in terms of the overall need, the cooperation is significant,” said Congressman Blumenauer. “The health and security implications of unsafe water and non-existent sanitation are a threat not just to people in Gaza, but to those in Israel. We hope this issue will receive the priority that it needs and that the United States builds on its successful participation.”

“Water is a basic necessity for us all, and an issue of mutual interest among people on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said Congressman Poe. “Today we learned that such a deal has indeed been reached, which not only addresses the vital issue of access to water but could also represent a crucial confidence building measure between two adversaries. It is my sincere hope that this cooperative step will mark a new mutually beneficial chapter in the bloody history of the Holy Land.”

“Bipartisan congressional leadership led by Congressmen Blumenauer and Poe that called on the Trump Administration to move quickly on water issues today bore fruit,” said Gidon Bromberg, Israeli co-Director EcoPeace Middle East. “The water now to flow into Gaza is the most critical and shows clearly that greater efforts need to be made on electricity supply to Gaza.”

Best,
EcoPeace Middle East