Israeli Public - Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel News - Springwater Flows In The West Bank - But Who Controls It

The settlers have been investing special efforts of late to persuade the Israeli public to make its way to numerous tourism sites on the other side of the Green Line. Internet sites of regional councils in the territories and advertisements placed by various nonprofit groups are replete with stories about the wonders of gourmet restaurants, boutique wineries, farms producing high-quality cheeses, and especially the many springs in the region. Most of these springs have been used by Palestinian farmers over the years, but according to a new UN report, settlers are increasingly gaining control over them.

The report, released last month by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, says settlers in the West Bank have taken over dozens of springs in the past few years, sometimes using threats and intimidation to prevent the Palestinians from using them. The report notes that springs are the single largest source of water for irrigation in the West Bank and an important coping mechanism for communities not connected to a water network, or poorly supplied, to meet domestic and livelihood needs.

The report is based on a survey of springs conducted by Dror Etkes, former head of the Peace Now settlement-tracking project. According to the data, 30 springs are now under full settler control; another 26 are the target of settler activities that have put Palestinian access to the springs at risk. The highest concentration of springs are in the Mateh Benjamin regional council. Most of them are situated on privately owned Palestinian land in Area C, based on the Israeli Civil Administration's land ownership data.

Renaming and reconstructing

Settlers have taken a variety of actions to develop tourism and leisure sites at 40 springs, in order to attract visitors. These activities include marking the spring with a new Hebrew name that, of course, bears symbolic importance by attributing the site to the Jewish heritage. After naming them, facilities are constructed, such as benches, picnic tables, and new pools for spring water collection. The report charges that this construction is being carried out without permits. There was one instance in which the Israeli Civil Administration demolished an unlawful pool at a spring near Elon Moreh, but it was later reconstructed.

Palestinians are quoted in the report as saying they are scared to get too close to the springs, because settlers use violence against them. The report also says security coordinators in the settlements have deterred Palestinians from accessing the springs.

OCHA representative Yehezkel Lein says the activity of the settlers prevents the Palestinians from using springs for their agricultural needs, and even from drinking, calling it part of an attempt to take over rural areas in the West Bank. He adds that converting the springs into tourism attractions is an attempt to normalize the settlements in the eyes of the Israeli public .