US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV6103

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 006103 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/IPA AND NEA/REA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2014 
TAGS: EAID, IS, KWBG, PGOV, PREL, SENV, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL CONCERNED ABOUT ILLEGAL WATER WELLS ON WEST 
BANK 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 6006 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Econ Counselor William Weinstein, Reasons 1.4b and d. 
 
 1. (C) Summary:  Israeli officials are concerned about water 
wells on the West Bank that have not been approved by the 
Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Commission. They see the 
illegal wells as a bad precedent for Gaza disengagement, West 
Bank withdrawal,  and eventual negotiations on water issues 
with the Palestinians or neighoring countries.  The MOD Water 
Advisor encouraged the senior security affairs reporter for 
the Haaretz newspaper to report and comment on the issue to 
highlight GOI concerns.  Palestinian water officials have 
acknowledged the problem of uncontrolled wells tapping shared 
aquifers.  End summary. 
 
2. (SBU) The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article 
and a separate op-ed piece on the drilling of unauthorized 
wells in the northern West Bank on November 26.  The article, 
"Water Dispute May Boil Over During Pullout," by security 
affairs correspondent Ze-ev Schiff, stated that hundreds of 
unauthorized wells have been drilled in areas from which 
Israel is planning withdrawal of settlements, affecting the 
shared Northeastern Aquifer. (Note:  The wells may be near, 
rather than actually in Israeli-controlled settlement areas. 
End note). 
 
3. (SBU) The article expressed concern that such drilling 
could increase following withdrawal of Israeli forces, and 
noted that new wells require permits from the Joint Water 
Commission.  (Note:  In the near-term, the GOI would retain 
control of former settlement areas in the West Bank, so the 
articles may overstate the probability of new drillings right 
after withdrawal.  End note). Schiff said the Israeli Water 
Commission estimates there have been 150-260 unauthorized 
drillings while the General Staff puts the number as high as 
300. 
 
4. (U) In a signed Op-Ed, "A Threat to the West Bank 
Pullout," Schiff said that drawdowns of shared acquifers was 
a greater concern for Israel for West Bank withdrawals of 
settlements than was the case for disengagement from the Gaza 
Strip.  He quoted Water Advisor to the Minister of Defense 
Noah Kinnarti as saying that a failure to control drillings 
in the Northeast Acquifer could affect future dealings on the 
larger Mountain Aquifer as well as with Syria and Lebanon on 
water issues. 
 
5. (C) Comment:  MOD Advisor Kinnarti told ESTH Officer on 
November 28 that he had encouraged Schiff to write about the 
illegal drillings, saying that Israel's credibility was at 
stake.  Earlier, MFA Director for Water Issues told ESTH 
Officer that illegal wells could be a problem following 
disengagement from Gaza, saying that "2,000" unauthorized 
wells had been drilled following the 1995 Gaza-Jericho 
Agreement.  Palestinian Water Authority Chief Nabil Sharif 
has acknowledged to USAID officials that uncontrolled 
drilling is a problem.  Besides the issue of living up to 
commitments highlighted by Kinnarti, uncontrolled drilling 
draws down both the inland and Coastal aquifers, causing them 
to draw in brackish and sea waters, diminishing water quality 
for both Israelis and Palestinians. 
 
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