On World Water Day, 250 people from across historic Palestine and abroad joined a march against Israel’s system of structural apartheid that denies Palestinian communities equal access to water resources. The walk included community visits, talks and interactive theatre events focusing on the life and resistance of farmers, Bedouins and traditional herders in the Jordan Valley.
The Walk for Water Justice was organized by The Freedom Theatre’s Freedom Bus, Jordan Valley Solidarity and Thirsting for Justice. The walk occurred as part of the March Freedom Ride – a 13-day event taking place from March 17 – 29: http://www.facebook.com/events/529394713738231/
WATER ISSUES IN THE JORDAN VALLEY
Under terms negotiated in the Oslo Interim Agreement, Jewish citizens of “Israel” are allocated over four times more water from the shared West Bank mountain aquifer than Palestinians. In addition, the Israeli Civil Administration refuses to grant permits to Palestinian farmers for the construction of cisterns used for rainwater collection. Cisterns that are built without permits are frequently demolished by the Israeli authorities. The high cost of tankered water has also reduced the ability of communities to pay for essentials such as food, health care, and education for their children. Unequal allocation of water, together with illegal land confiscation and settlement expansion, has allowed the Israeli agricultural industry to develop and dominate in the Jordan Valley whilst driving Palestinian inhabitants to the very edge of a viable existence. For farmers and herders in particular, the pursuit of traditional livelihoods has become increasingly difficult.