LETTER: Israel is no example when it comes to water

Allan Wolman claims Israel is the “world leader” in both recycling water and the desalinisation of seawater, “having developed economical methods of turning seawater into fresh water and exporting this water to neighbouring countries in the region” (“Pragmatism beats stupidity at African Union,” July 29). 

Yet in a current article titled “Israel’s chronic water problem”, even the Israeli department of foreign affairs acknowledges: “Israel has suffered from a chronic water shortage for years. In recent years however, the situation has developed into a crisis so severe that it is feared that by the next summer it may be difficult to adequately supply municipal and household water requirements.

“The current cumulative deficit in Israel's renewable water resources amounts to approximately 2-billion cubic metres, an amount equal to the annual consumption of the state. The deficit has also lead to the qualitative deterioration of potable aquifer water resources that have, in part, become either of brackish quality or otherwise become polluted.”

A recent UN study confirmed that after Bahrain, Israel is the world’s worst abuser of its water resources. The reality is that Israel survives on stolen Palestinian water. Wolman boasts about Israeli desalination leadership. In fact, the last time I was in Tel Aviv, our Israeli hosts warned us not to drink the poisonous desalinated water.

Terry Crawford-Browne
Via e-mail

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