Water, water and not a drop to drink

There have been claims that Israel has "cut off water supplies" to the Dehaishe Palestinian community.

This is yet another attempt to demonise Israel by Palestinians who have been brainwashed and indoctrinated that Israel is responsible for all their ills. The ineffectiveness the Abbas leadership is causing suffering of the man in the street and because of this incessant demonisation of Israel by the Palestinians in its schools, media, mosques etc it would naturally seem to the average Palestinian that only Israel is to blame for everything.

Following the claim that water has been "cut off", a spokesman for the Co-coordinator of Civilian Activities in the Territories had the following to say :

Israel - i.e. the Coordinator in the Territories is not aware and does not know of any suspension in the water supply to Dehaisha.

The claim that water supply has been cut has been checked with both the Palestinian Authority and with UNWRA. Neither are cognisant of any problem.

Dehaisha and the rest of Bethlehem is located in Area "A" in which the Palestinian Authority is totally responsible for all civilian matters.including the regularity of water supply.

Israel's responsibility to supply water stops at the municipal boundary.

Water supply and distribution of water within Bethlehem including Dahaisha [as well as in the other Palestinian towns located in Area A] is not in Israel hands.

Under the Interim Agreement on Self Government, Israel is responsible for supplying a 4% increase in the amount supplied last year. In reality, Israel has supplied 20% in excess of last years supply

There is a very high probability that the infrastructure in Bethlehem and Dehaisha is defective or has been tampered with. Experience in Hebron has shown that water losses amount to 40% of the amount supplied- due to leakage resulting from a lack of infrastructural maintenance and more significantly by water theft. Holes are made in the supply pipes and water is drained off by the inhabitants in order to avoid paying for the water consumed.

Water wells around Bethlehem have been approved and supply pipes have been laid.

There was indeed a cut in the water supply for a couple of days to a small Palestinian settlement near Nablus (Shehem). This was caused by deep -ploughing which punctured the underground supply line and the farmer responsible covered up the damage- leaving the Israel Water Authority to discover where the leak was- which took time.

Israel also supplies water to Gaza well in excess of anything they are entitled. Gaza is served by wells in the Gaza aquifer and this has been over exploited by the Gazans

There has been wildcat drilling of the order of 100's of illegal wells.

In contrast to Israel- the Palestinians DO NOT RECYCLE THEIR WASTE WATER.
The Israel settlements in the Gaza strip which Israel vacated 2 years ago already, each had a water recycling plant which was left in good order. Not a single plant is in operation since Israel's withdrawal

Waste water and sewerage is left untreated within the West Bank and Gaza and is allowed to percolate into the ground causing pollution to the ground water.

This claim made by the Paestinian Solidarity Campaign in Britain, whose aim is the indoctrination of the Britsh public by using the UK media and in particular the BBC by blaming everything on Israel.