There was a final agreement announced today among Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. NO, it wasn't a peace deal. It was a water deal. There are going to be the following items built:
1. a desalinization plant in Aqaba in Jordan.
2. a pipeline to bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.
3. additional water infrastructure that will deliver water to Palestinian and Israeli users.
This is a key example of cooperation in the Middle East among parties from whom one would not expect to see such cooperation. It was brought about under the auspices of the USA, especially President Trump's new envoy for promoting negotiations between the enemies in the region.
Think about what this deal does. It supplies a major new source of water for the Jordanians. The cost of getting the water and constructing the plant, however, is defrayed by about half because Israel is participating in the program. Nearly all of the Israeli half of the water produced is to be distributed to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. On top of this, the falling levels of the Dead Sea (which are the result of diversion of water away from the Sea of Galilee in Syria and Jordan) will be dealt with, and the status of the Dead Sea will be preserved. The announcement does not talk about energy, but it would be surprising if the 1800 foot drop of the sea water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea is not used to run turbines and generate clean, renewable hydro-energy.
In short, everyone involved in the project comes out ahead. No wonder the mainstream media is not mentioning this.
1. a desalinization plant in Aqaba in Jordan.
2. a pipeline to bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.
3. additional water infrastructure that will deliver water to Palestinian and Israeli users.
This is a key example of cooperation in the Middle East among parties from whom one would not expect to see such cooperation. It was brought about under the auspices of the USA, especially President Trump's new envoy for promoting negotiations between the enemies in the region.
Think about what this deal does. It supplies a major new source of water for the Jordanians. The cost of getting the water and constructing the plant, however, is defrayed by about half because Israel is participating in the program. Nearly all of the Israeli half of the water produced is to be distributed to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. On top of this, the falling levels of the Dead Sea (which are the result of diversion of water away from the Sea of Galilee in Syria and Jordan) will be dealt with, and the status of the Dead Sea will be preserved. The announcement does not talk about energy, but it would be surprising if the 1800 foot drop of the sea water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea is not used to run turbines and generate clean, renewable hydro-energy.
In short, everyone involved in the project comes out ahead. No wonder the mainstream media is not mentioning this.
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