A Peace of Water

Both Israelis and Palestinians are beginning to believe that the negotiations re-launched two years ago to determine the future of Palestine are going nowhere. As a result, it is vitally important to work on those areas where intensive negotiations have the potential to produce quick results, with water rights being a prime example.

PRAGUE – The global financial crisis may be grabbing all the headlines, but resolving it should not be allowed to crowd out other vital issues. In the Middle East, for example, Israelis and Palestinians – as well as many others around the world – are beginning to believe that the permanent status negotiations to determine the future of Palestine are going nowhere.

The situation may be more promising than it appears, but one cannot deny that hope for real changes on the ground has faded since talks were re-launched two years ago. This loss of faith is, sadly, establishing a dynamic that will itself inhibit the concessions that are needed if a permanent agreement is to be found.

Because an impasse beckons, it is vitally important to work on those areas where intensive negotiations have the potential to produce quick results. Fresh water is one such area.

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