Australian water companies' link to Israeli company stealing West Bank water

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/08/2009 - 11:50pm

This Friday, 3 coaches of Israeli peace workers went on a water convoy to the Palestinian village Qarawat Bani Zayid near Ramallah. In the hot August heat, this village and five others have been suffering from severe and prolonged water shortages. This hasn't been caused by drought - but by Israeli political interference.

In the West Bank, the Israeli state owned water company, Mekorot, controls almost all of Palestine's water supply. Whilst Mekorot supplies approx 253 liters of water per person per day to West Bank settlers, Palestinians are allotted just 48 liters per person per day. This is one-fifth of what Israelis receive. This paltry ration is to cover everything from drinking, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, to irrigating agricultural land. When it's used, the villagers’ taps run dry.

Australian local government has trade ties to Mekorot. In 2006, both Perth Water and Sydney Water signed research agreements with Mekorot to share technical information. Koor Inter Trade in New South Wales is Mekorot's representative in Australia. If anyone would like to ask local government why Sydney Water and Perth Water are co-operating with Mekorot, I'm sure the thirsty people of the West Bank would appreciate it.

Perhaps they don’t know that the Geneva Conventions forbid an occupying power to control or steal natural resources. That Mekorot diverts 80% of the West Bank's ground water to Israeli citizens. That Palestinians have to buy the remaining 20% from Mekorot at exorbitant prices. That Mekorot prevents Palestinians from digging their own water wells so it can maintain its monopoly. That settlers receive subsidized water at high enough quantities that they can top up their swimming pools in the Summer.

When we arrived in Bani Zayid, the village council had organized a big party for us. Two large water tankers were supplied and everyone handed out bottled water. One little Palestinian boy was a little confused and with a big smile on his face, started handing water bottles back to the peace workers! The villagers called for more joint actions with Israelis and welcomed us warmly, with the joyful hospitality we have come to love.

Here are some pictures from the day:

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/09/2009 - 12:11am

Australia could learn a few things from Israel about how to generate water or how to turn a desolate land into a fertile land. The Palestinians (West Jordanians) didn't ever do much to help the land.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 18/09/2009 - 11:46pm

Is this supposed to be believed? Israel is extremely rigourous and ethical, knowing that antisemitism is alive, irrationnal, and that israelian actions might be reproached to israeli citizens and non-israeli jewish people, or non jewish people with jewish roots, anywhere in the world.
AND I agree with the previous comment: Australia could learn a few things from Israel about how to generate water or how to turn a desolate land into a fertile land. The Palestinians (West Jordanians) didn't ever do much to help the land.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 19/09/2009 - 8:47am

Indymedia takes no responsibility for anything that is published here...
something that does not happen with mainstream media.
The beauty or perhaps ugly face of "Free Press".
How does someone who lives in Australia confirm the accuracy of this article?
And to those who have already commented... "The Palestinians (West Jordanians) didn't ever do much to help the land." I would presume that they had clean cheap drinking water before the occupation...???

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 20/10/2009 - 11:14pm

When I was in Australia 2001 ist was discussed in all news if it should be allowed or prohibited to "harvest" rain water by covering large areas of hills by plastic planes. Now I tried to investigate about this and nobody, really NOBODY seems to know anything about it.

Can anybody help me with information/pictures etc.?

ASRA

Submitted by Michael O'Shea (not verified) on Fri, 20/11/2009 - 10:48pm

There is little that could be learnt from the Zionist bullshit regarding "making the desert bloom". The reality is that before 1948 Palestine was supplying Europe with grapes, oranges, figs et cetera et cetera. The peoples who had worked the land for centuries were sent packing and much of the agricultural infrastructure was destroyed. Then and only then did the new arrivals find that they needed agriculture. The miracle of making the desert bloom was that the people were predominantly from European cities with no skills in agriculture and found themselves having to learn and recreate what they destroyed. I'm quoting a prominent Zionist here.