Palestine claims the right to water out of the mountain aquifer, the Gaza coastal aquifer and Jordan River which eventually flows into the Kinneret. With overlapping claims to the few water sources for the area, there is much debate and politics behind access to water in Israel and Palestine.
There is no way to discuss the water claims without discussing the conflict(s) between Israel and Palestine. The long and intense history is always brought up and the various claims to and for water rights become one more struggle in the greater Israel-Palestine conflict. This is unfortunate because environmental issues, like access to water and food, are incredibly important issues that must be addressed.
For instance, the continual struggle in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestine has severely degraded the infrastructure in Gaza. This has led to extremely poor water quality in the area, if there is access to water at all. The problem of a lack of access to water, let alone clean water, is often not addressed and gets mixed up with the greater agenda of the struggle for territory between Palestine and Israel.
This is unlike any other environmental narratives and struggles I have studied before because the issues in this region are part of a greater cultural, religious and territorial conflict. I find it challenging to have an opinion on the issues here because I can never be well-versed enough in the other issues that impact the environmental ones.
However, I have truly enjoyed my exposure to the environmental issues of this region thus far and I look forward to learning more about them as I continue to travel around the country and take more courses on the subject.
