‘It isn’t surprising there aren’t many complaints, because people have simply given up.’
The Knesset Subcommittee for Judea and Samaria chaired by MK Moti Yogev (Jewish Home) discussed on Tuesday the state of the water economy and water theft in Judea and Samaria.
During the discussion, the Civil Administration representative revealed that each year, local Arabs steal more than 6 million cubic meters of water in Judea and Samaria.
“The summer’s problems are acute, and in many places, such as the Jordan Valley, Kedumim, and other places, residents drank water from tankers, bags and bottles,” Yogev said. “Apart from building a master plan for water, we need plans for the coming years and the coming summer, as well as the status of enforcement against water thefts.”
MK Yogev warned that “the theft of water in the Bardala area is drying up the Jordan Valley.The Water Authority promised a bypass route, but as far as I know, the promise isn’t coming to fruition. Thus, the Jordan Valley farmers suffer twice. Once, when fifty percent of the water is stolen, and a second time, when fifty percent of the stolen water goes to agricultural terror that’s taking over state land in all areas, especially in the Jordan Valley.”
Civil Administration Deputy Director Col. Uri Mendes informed committee members that “on the issue of enforcement – two bypass lines have already been approved. The Migdalim bypass is in the advanced planning stage, with an estimated one year until completion. We have also carried out massive enforcement activities in the area of Kusra Migdalim so that we won’t have to use tankers in the coming year.
“In Bardala in the Jordan Valley, about 2 million cubic meters have been stolen, and we’re carrying out enforcement, we’ve carried out more than 1,500 disconnections of water thefts, and inspection units have completed dozens more water theft disconnections,” said the Deputy Director.
“The water problem in the Jordan Valley is broad, especially for date plantations, and the water authority’s plan is to provide brackish water from Beit Shean to bring another 40 million cubic meters of water to agriculture,” added Mendes.
A representative of the Judea Samaria District Police admitted in the hearing that “very few indictments have been filed in recent years, and on the other hand there has been an increase in incidents in recent years. Only two files were opened in Bardala, with no suspects caught.”
The Chairman of the Committee, Yogev, responded: “This is bankruptcy. There are no indictments, no suspects, nothing. It would never have happened had it been the opposite, if Jews had cut off water lines for Arabs.Criminals profit here, and the law-abiding people are unprotected. There is a governmental vacuum here, theft in broad daylight with no action.
“It isn’t surprising there aren’t many complaints, because people have given up and aren’t complaining,” MK Yogev said. “This is a national plague of water thefts, and we need a lot more enforcement.”
That’s why we should all eat lots of avocados*, while, cultivating a lisp, since “you are what you eat.” We should aspire to be like Moses, who also transmitted the law with a lisp.
[*abogado is spanish for “lawyer.”]
Mel Brooks transmits the Ten Commandments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48hr8HhDv0
Two Far Left wing slogans that some right wingers believe which are half-truths, at best:
(a) “The People United Will Never Be Defeated.”
(b) “The People Armed Will Never Be Smashed.”
Without the right strategy, tactics, alliances and timing, history shows those theses to be, in fact, counter-factual. I can think of numerous examples. And, even with those elements, in some contexts, sometimes, being armed is counter-productive and being united is unnecessary. Group conflict takes many forms, war is not always the best and most appropriate. Within a state based on the rule of law, especially one that there is no intention or desire to overthrow, it will generally only make things worse.
@ yamit82:
While I sympathize emotionally, I hope you realize that Israeli law does not condone shooting people except in self-defense, not defense of property. You are asking people to volunteer to be convicted and sentenced for murder instead of pursuing a legal route. Shaked is trying to straighten out the legal route but there really is no other that won’t backfire badly. The assassination of Rabin served as green light for the complete deprivation of civil rights of the national camp, especially the hilltop youth.
And when those kids were accused of murder and when the Shin Bet found nothing despite torturing them and denying their parents or lawyers access to them, and despite strong circumstantial evidence that it was the result of an inter-Arab feud, who did Bennett side with? The howling mobs. I would only trust him so far. Who else you got?
@ Edgar G.:
Sorry….I hadn’t read Yamit82’s post before writing this above. He describes it far more correctly and eloquently.
@ CuriousAmerican:
I would say-as any person of normal intelligence would, that, knowing the Israel situation, that “agricultural terror” means Arabs, sneaking into State owned land, or other land to which they have no rights, and planting crops, nourishing them with the stolen water, effectively taking it over so that at the very least, it means a Supreme Court action in years to come..
@ Cathy:
It’s not extreme, it’s good common-sense when dealing with an implacable enemy.
@ Cathy:
They should only 2 choices leave or die
CuriousAmerican Said:
I get the feeling so was your mom
CuriousAmerican Said:
It’s terror when there is an ideological and nationalist motive behind the theft….Is stealing live stock and agricultural machinery terror? Is setting intentionally forest fires terror? Do these same arab pigs steal from each other and destroy their neighbors property wantonly? NO!!!! When they destroy and pollute aquifers is that terror? Jews invest in water conservation Arabs invest in destroying, over drilling destroying aquifers and the Jews pay the price same with them driving farmers and ranchers into bankruptcy and off the land … That’s the overriding goal…. Farmers are afraid to defend themselves for fear of being accused by fascist leftists prosecutors and judges charging them with murder or attempted murder in self defense cases and protecting their own property. The stinking maggots know this and feel free to operate almost at will. Time to shoot to kill the lice and hold our politicians responsible for the courts etc. Cheaper to shoot the bastards than keep turning a blind eye and hurting our own people…….
@ Cathy:
I would like that, too, but I believe the reason everybody on the right advocates compensated emigration is that that is the only way to get transfer past the veto of the liberals who dominate the courts, Knesset, military, security, and pretty much all the society’s commanding heights, given that the particular nature of parliamentary systems, in general, and Israel’s in particular, is that even one person can throw a monkey wrench in the system. The PM can be sabotaged by his cabinet, the Knesset by the Court. Lapid alone has stood in the way of much-needed legislation, such as the bill that said the Knesset can over-ride the court, if I remember correctly. That’s why Prof. Paul Eidelberg has written cogently about the need for an American style Presidential system and a constitutional convention to accomplish it, in order to overcome this gridlock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC_wcFDpLmw
Is this agricultural terrorism? Frank Zappa was part-Arab.
Agricultural terror?!
What in the world is agricultural terror?!
Are the Arabs throwing cucumbers at Jewish trees?!
Agricultural terror?!
Does anyone read their own biases?!
The Israelis say Arabs are stealing water. Oddly, the other says Jews are stilling water.
Someone is stealing water. But the theft of water is theft NOT TERROR!
If my interpretation is right, and it means the planting of crops that Israel deems illegally planted, this is still not terror. It may be illegal by Israel law, but it is not terror.
So all of you stay safe, and if any baby tomatoes are thrown your way, you probably will survive.
AGREE 100% @ Cathy:
It seems we get no law enforcement help from the PA and the situation has gotten out of control.. Israel has tried to be good neighbors with the PA and this is what we get in return, this or missiles or terror tunnels. It is time to deport them all or level the PA and Gaza. That may be extreme, but we give them a choice to leave or else. They’ve had enough chances. They will take over slowly if we don’t do something decisive.