In recent years press accounts have charged Israel with unfairly and illegally draining water from “Palestinian aquifers,” enabling Israelis to enjoy green lawns, clean cars and full swimming pools, while leaving Palestinians with barely enough to drink. Thus, the New York Times reported last year that:
In the West Bank, water allocation is a zero-sum game, and Palestinians consider local scarcity a direct and unjust consequence of the resources given to Jewish communities. With their watered lawns and community pools, the 160,000 settlers enjoy the same suburban life as Israelis elsewhere. (July 15, 2000)
This 1203-word Times story quoted numerous Israeli and Palestinian critics of Israel, but not a single Israeli official or independent water expert. In a similar story National Public Radio reported that Israel is:
violating international law … [by] helping itself to most of the water that runs beneath Palestinian lands… the average Israeli consumes about six times more water than the average Palestinian … Israeli officials say that their policy is to ensure Israelis get sufficient water to live properly and develop economically. It’s unfortunate, they say, if there’s not enough water left over for the Palestinians. (July 27th, 1999)