Israel suffers water severe water crisis
Israel, Politics, 7/5/2000

Israeli water experts have described the severe water shortage currently taking place in Israel as implying unprecedented catastrophe and called for taking what they called " urgent measures" including importing waters from Turkey, reduction of water consumption, measures the Israelis used to take against the Palestinians in their villages and cities.

The Israeli experts expected underground water level used by Israel to be reduced by the end of the current Summer to 70 cm or one meter from the average level set by the well-known Israeli water company " Micorot."

News reports said that Israel is negotiating with Turkey to import 50 million cubic meters of waters and the number to be increased later to 100 million cubic meters annually.

For his part, the official at the water committee of the Israeli infrastructure ministry Moshe Fredman remarked that negotiations with Turkey over importing waters from it have not completed yet. He expected that the imported Turkish waters will be transported off Ashdoud coast, southern Tel Aviv, if such a water agreement will be signed.

In June, an official Israeli delegation held talks to this effect in Ankara.

" Micorot" experts expected the cost of the imported waters from Turkey to range between US$ 0.8 and US$ 0.9 for each cubic meter against US$ 0.5 and 0.8 per one cubic meter of desalinized waters The Israeli government is also planning to take other urgent measures including banning irrigation of public gardens.

Meantime, an official at the Israeli ministry of finance, asked not to be identified expected the Israeli agricultural exports to Europe will be affected in case waters will keep its current price.

The Israeli authorities, on the other hand, imposed measures against the Palestinian citizens and banned waters which are originally underground waters in the occupied West Bank to reach the Palestinian cities and villages at a time when temperatures are increasing high.

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