User:Ykantor/Sandbox/Israel1965-Jordan water clashes

=Jordan water clashes=

the water struggle was a major factor in the deterioration of Arab Israeli relationship that led to the six days war in 1967 (shemesh p. 32 ; murakami,p. 297 app. c4; kobori p. 130, wolf). On 1964, Israel completed and started using the National Water Carrier (NWC) that carried water from the Sea of Galilee for the Southern Negev desert (shemesh p. 43; murakami,p. 295 app. c4).

The Arab states opposed the Israeli National Water Carrier (NWC) project because it enabled Israel to irrigate the Negev desert(murakami,p. 296 app. c4) and support a population growth of up to 5 millions (sosland 2007 p. 80). Moreover, Syria did not regard Israel as a party with any Jordan river riparian right (sosland 2007 p. 79). Hence, the Arab states decided to divert the Jordan river tributaries to Syria and Jordan which would result in Israel loosing one third of the water planned for its NWC (shemesh p. 50;murakami, p. 296 app. c4; kobori p. 129), and Syria would gain more water then its allocation (shemesh p.49) according to the Johnston plan. the Arab scheme was only marginally feasible; it was technically difficult economically inefficient(wolf) and expensive (murakami,p. 296 app. c4)

On 1966, After few Israelis killed as their cars detonated mines (the perpetrators' tracks led to Syria) Israeli army destroyed Syrian ground moving equipment used for their diversion project. (shemesh p. 65). The Syrians nearly halted the diversion project. (shemesh p. 66)

The scheme was only marginally feasible, was technically difficult and expensive. Arab political considerations were cited to justify the diversion scheme.

In January 1964 an Arab League summit meeting convened in Cairo and decided: "The establishment of Israel is the basic threat that the Arab nation in its entirety has agreed to forestall. And Since the existence of Israel is a danger that threatens the Arab nation, the diversion of the Jordan waters by it multiplies the dangers to Arab existence. Accordingly, the Arab states have to prepare the plans necessary for dealing with the political, economic and social aspects, so that if necessary results are not achieved, collective Arab military preparations, when they are not completed, will constitute the ultimate practical means for the final liquidation of Israel."

However, Nasser, the Egyptian president, assured the Americans that the Arabs would not exceed the water quotas prescribed by the Johnston plan

Israel exploited the DMZ incidents as pretexts for bombing the diversion project,

Israel agreed to exploit only the water quota allocated to it by the Johnston plan, and Eshkol announced that water was as vital for Israel 'as the blood in our vains'.

=Notes=