Far-Right Settlers Divert West Bank Spring Water as Israel Backs Heritage Site Takeovers
Settlers have seized springs and diverted water, leaving Palestinian farmers short of irrigation as Israel allocates about $1 million for site rehabilitation.
- Israeli settlers have seized natural springs across the West Bank, forcing Palestinian farmers like Murad al-Juba to abandon their fields as water is diverted to unauthorized tourist attractions.
- Tensions over water access reflect a wider contest for control of the Jordan Valley, where Palestinians face shortages while 80% of water from the main aquifer is allocated for Israeli use.
- Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu confirmed the government earmarked about $1 million to rehabilitate the pool near Fasayil, calling it a future 'Garden of Eden' during a visit to the site.
- COGAT, Israel's military body overseeing West Bank civil issues, acknowledged the water was diverted 'without authorization' and said it would investigate, while B'Tselem reported heritage designations displace Palestinians.
- Alon Arad, executive director of Emek Shaveh, criticized the naming of the pool as an attempt to 'brand' the site as Jewish history, part of a broader $166 million heritage infrastructure allocation.
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20 Articles
Far-right settlers divert West Bank spring water as Israel backs heritage site takeovers – WTOP News
PETZAEL, West Bank (AP) — The natural springs and ancient pools of the occupied West Bank have long provided a respite from the oppressive summer heat. They also have been a lifeline for Palestinian communities, which rely on them for tourism and irrigation for their farmland. But for the 2.8 million Palestinians who live in...
Far-right settlers divert West Bank spring water as Israel backs herit
PETZAEL, West Bank (AP) — The natural springs and ancient pools of the occupied West Bank have long provided a respite from the oppressive summer heat. They also have been a lifeline for Palestinian communities, which rely
Settlers take over West Bank springs: Palestinians left without water for their fields - Water from a natural spring was illegally diverted into a nearby ancient pool, after which the area was declared a new tourist attraction and named after Herod, the Roman ruler of Judea
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers are increasingly taking over springs and other sites, while Palestinian communities are left without water important for irrigation.
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