I look forward to reading more from Rev. Ian Clark on water in the Jordan Valley. According to a detailed, thought provoking, and sad CBC Radio documentary, drought is not the only issue. Security is indeed a matter of water, as Clark states, but water supplies are being managed primarily to supply and secure Israel, notably Israeli settler communities dotted across the West Bank on hill tops, and Israeli farming.
According to the documentary, Israel and its encroachments on Palestinian land (as well as Syria and Lebanon) get most of the water that is available directly from the Jordan and the Sea of Galillee. Much of the river is fenced off with little access for Palestinians, and many of their communities must rely on wells, rather than water piped from the river. This would indeed appear to be a threat to ordinary Palestinian folk and their security. Reports from a Presbyterian on the spot, with insight and knowledge from a long sojourn there, promise to be interesting and helpful.
