Settlers Divert West Bank Water to Tourist Attraction

Israeli settlers have taken control of a spring near the Palestinian village of Fasayil in the Jordan Valley. They have diverted the water, which used to irrigate local fields, to an ancient pool used as a tourist attraction.

Farmer Saad Nemer says that without water, he cannot grow vegetables, and local families are losing their jobs and livelihoods. According to UN data, settlers have attacked at least 160 water and sanitation facilities in the West Bank this year.

Palestinians speak of a systematic “water war” aimed at driving them off their land. One Israeli settler told Reuters that the territory belongs to the Jewish people and that Palestinians who refuse to accept Jewish authority should leave.

The dispute also has an archaeological dimension. Settlers associate the pool with the biblical King Herod. However, an Israeli archaeologist points out that its origin is unclear and that filling it with water could damage the site.

(Reuters, mja)