Oded Eran, INSS, Gidon Bromberg and Giulia Giordano, EcoPeace Middle East January 2018

full report: http://ecopeaceme.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Water_Diplomacy.pdf

Introduction:

This paper reflects on the concepts of water security and water diplomacy, describes the
state of water security in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories, and presents a set of
recommendations to decision makers designed to advance Israeli Palestinian water security
and shared national security concerns.

The paper contends that water security plays a fundamental role in ensuring the economic
development and the social and political stability of a country, and therefore must be regarded
as a national priority issue. Conditions of water insecurity can trigger social tensions, and
even lead to uprisings, and therefore pose a threat both internally at a domestic level, and to
bordering states at a regional level. The paper suggests that by advancing water diplomacy,
states can enhance water security, build regional cooperation and contribute to peace and
stability.

This paper provides an overview of Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian water relations
and argues that Israeli water diplomacy with Jordan has led to successful cooperation, based
on a common understanding that advancing a shared water security agenda serves each
country’s national interests. The paper then argues that Israeli water policies post 1967, and
post Oslo Accords with the Palestinian Authority, have too often failed to consider broader
national security interests. There is a growing understanding, however, that the current
state of water insecurity in the Palestinian Territories and especially in Gaza, constitutes a
security threat to Israel, with regard to cross-border pollution, public health and economic
underdevelopment.

The paper concludes with a set of recommendations on Israeli Palestinian water diplomacy,
highlighting the national security benefits to Israel and the region.

coverage at the Jerusalem Post:

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Peace-process-should-not-be-all-or-nothing-says-EU-ambassador-474910