While Palestinians in the West Bank barely have enough water to drink . . .

by on August 2, 2012 52
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settlers in Ma’ale Adumim frolic in an Olympic sized pool.

AzNB3M2CAAE8SfP jpg large
 Photo taken 11:30 AM local time on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at Ma’ale Adumim.
(Photo: Scott Roth)

About Scott Roth

Scott Roth is publisher of Mondoweiss.net. Follow him on twitter at scottroth76 .
Posted in Israel/Palestine, Occupation | Tagged

{ 52 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. Cliff says:
    August 2, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    Pure colonialism.

    But ZioBots and their bought-and-paid-for politicians, intellectual hacks and academia would have us tarred and feathered for antisemitism.

    Just goes to show you how that slur is just a way to cover up the glaring criminality of Zionism.

    Zionism is ROTTEN TO THE VERY CORE.

    • Exiled At Home says:
      August 2, 2012 at 4:25 pm

      But, but, but… one can be a Zionist and still oppose occupation! BS!

      The very realization of Zionism, even within the pre-1967 borders, necessitated terrorism, ethnic cleansing and occupation.

      There is no benign face of Zionism. It is purely nationalist, racist, violent. Evil.

  2. ritzl says:
    August 2, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    If the camera pans up and to the right, the parched, brown Palestinian land from which the water comes is visible – by the people in the pool.

    Down south here, we call it (not affectionately) the “plantation mentality.”

  3. Fredblogs says:
    August 2, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    Oh, and the numbers just get worse when you check up on them:
    250 mcm, not 105 mcm. For a usage of 83 cm per person per year.

    Going by this, the setters are “allocated” 1450 cm per person per year, while the average Israeli uses 333. The distinction probably lies with the definition of “allocate”, as in, they aren’t using as much as is “allocated” to them. However, even taking this at face value, the ratio is more like 17.5X, not 70X.

    link to ifamericansknew.org

    • ColinWright says:
      August 2, 2012 at 5:06 pm

      “… However, even taking this at face value, the ratio is more like 17.5X, not 70X…”

      You do realize this is a bit like proving the Nazis killed ‘only’ 4.7 million Jews or whatever?

      You haven’t altered the moral equation in the least.

      • Fredblogs says:
        August 3, 2012 at 2:02 pm

        They get 60 gallons per day per person. Plenty to drink.

        • Taxi says:
          August 3, 2012 at 2:18 pm

          Where’s that link to 60 gallons per day per person?

          And BTW has anyone ever told you that Fred is a european name and NOT a mideastern one?

        • Eva Smagacz says:
          August 3, 2012 at 3:06 pm

          The water is for growing crops, keeping animals, industrial use and domestic use. Don’t you dare imply that they get enough.

        • Fredblogs says:
          August 3, 2012 at 3:11 pm

          The link is the one to “ifamericaknew.org” in my post.

          “Three million West Bank Palestinians use only 250 million cubic meters per year (83 cubic meters per Palestinian per year) . ”

          83 cubic meters per year equals 60 gallons per day.

          link to google.com…1458.14588.0.14826.33.33.0.0.0.0.297.6603.0j24j9.33.0.epbsh..0.0…1c.JZKgCWuesk0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=86f315edd1263b0b&biw=800&bih=983

          re:Fred. The name “Fred Blogs” is like “John Doe” or “Joe Sixpack”. Commonly used to represent just some random guy. I am an American, not a Middle Easterner and I don’t know the middle eastern equivalent of “Fred Blogs”.

        • ritzl says:
          August 3, 2012 at 9:48 pm

          Thanks, Eva. “To drink” is a another F/Bs classic.

        • Fredblogs says:
          August 5, 2012 at 9:32 pm

          Actually “to drink” is right from the headline of the original article post. If they were growing all their food, then 60 gallons a day would be inadequate. However, they get a lot of their food from outside sources. Given the food from outside sources and the water they get, they must be doing alright since there are no reports of mass starvation or of mass death from dehydration from the Palestinians. In fact the West Bank Palestinians have a higher life expectancy than people in 3 U.S. states.

        • Franklin Ryckaert says:
          August 11, 2012 at 1:50 pm

          “I don’t know the middle eastern equivalent of “Fred Blogs”.

          Take something that sounds similar, take “Farid Blogs”. Farid is a regular Arabic name, meaning “unique”.

    • thankgodimatheist says:
      August 3, 2012 at 7:50 am

      Good to see you link to the great ifamericansknew site, fredblog. May you learn something from it while you’re at it. Not holding my breath though.

    • elephantine says:
      August 3, 2012 at 2:29 pm

      @ Fredblogs –

      The question that really matter and that needs to be answered is: Would you trade places?

      Exactly.

      The disparity in water consumption between Israel and Palestine is more evident today than ever before. In the West Bank the average daily per capita water consumption rate (domestic, urban and industrial use) is around 73 litres (PWA, 2012; B’Tselem, 2011a). This figure is much lower in certain areas of the West Bank such as Tubas governorate where the average consumption rate for the 48,000 Palestinians who reside there is 30 litres per person per day. However residents of the illegal Israeli settlement of Beda’ot, just 12km south of Tubas, consume around 401 litres a day (B’Tselem, 2011a).

      The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 100 litres of water per capita per day as a minimum. Daily Palestinian consumption is one-third less than the recommended quantity. By comparison, daily per capita water consumption in Israel is 242 litres (B’Tselem, 2011a). Amnesty International (2009) and the Palestinian Water Authority (2012) claims this gap is even wider at 70 litres per capita daily for Palestinians, and 300 litres per capita daily for Israelis.

      Water consumption in the agricultural sector also reflects a severe imbalance. In 2006 Israel’s agricultural consumption of water amounted to 1,107.8 MCM (of which 519.3 MCM was fresh water). Israeli agricultural settlements in the West Bank, particularly those in the Jordan Valley, utilise high quantities of water. In comparison, agricultural water consumption in the oPt for 2006 was at 170.8 MCM . Irrigated areas in the oPt cover approximately 201,358 dunums, compared to 2,177,500 dunums of irrigated areas in Israel (Issac, 2006). This imbalance is further realized when we compare the contribution of the agricultural sector in Palestine which is estimated at 20 percent of the GDP, in comparison to only 1.6 percent to the GDP in Israel (Issac, 2006).

      Israel, as the occupying power of the oPt, has specific obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) as stated in the Hague Regulations of 1907 and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. The Hague Regulations impose limitations on an occupying power’s sovereignty over the natural resources of the occupied territory including water resources. The Hague Regulations forbid an occupying power from utilizing the resources of the occupied territory for the benefit of its civilian population. The rules of the Fourth Geneva Convention oblige Israel to take responsibility for the welfare of the Palestinian population under its control and to ensure that civilians are provided with, or allowed to secure the basic necessities for survival including access to water. Furthermore, Israel has signed and ratified the ICESCR of 1966 which enshrines the human right to water access within General Comment 15 therefore Israel is obliged to implement this right in the oPt since it is under the Israeli jurisdiction. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urges the state of Israel to fully respect the norms of humanitarian law in the oPt and to ensure respect for Palestinians’ rights to housing, education, health, water and sanitation.

      In recent years water springs in the vicinity of Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank have become the target of settler activities that eliminated, or put at risk, the access to these springs and their use by Palestinians. A recent report published by UN OCHA (2012b) identifies a total of 56 such springs, the large majority of which are located in Area C on land parcels recorded by the Israeli Civil Administration as privately owned by Palestinians. Thirty of these springs were found to be under full settler control, with no Palestinian access to the area. In almost three quarters (22) of these Palestinians have been deterred from accessing the spring by acts of intimidation, threats and violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers. In the remaining eight springs under full settler control, Palestinian access has been prevented by physical obstacles, including the fencing of the spring area, its de facto annexation to the settlement (four cases), the isolation of the area from the rest of the West Bank by the Separation Wall (see section 6.3) and its subsequent designation as a closed military zone (four cases). The other 26 springs are at risk of a settler takeover. This category includes springs that have became the target of regular tourism activities of settlers, and/or patrolling by the security coordinators of settlements (OCHA, 2012b).

      The inability to access and use springs has significantly undermined the livelihoods and security of Palestinians living in affected communities. Many farmers have been forced to either cease cultivating the land or face a reduction in productivity. This also has increased the expenditure for herders and households who are forced to purchase piped or tankered water.

      Many springs, and related water infrastructure, that are utilized by Palestinians are also subject to malicious attacks and vandalism from settlers. For example, settlers from the Yitzhar settlement have repeatedly damaged the Al Sh’ara spring and the water pipe which carries water to the Palestinian village of Madama. Settlers have also dumped raw sewage, diapers and chicken carcasses into the spring in order to contaminate it. In February 2010, the spring was vandalised with large rocks thrown in to block the flow of water and as a result the village’s water storage tank ran dry in the spring of 2010. In April 2011, water pipes were again intentionally damaged by settlers from the Yitzhar settlement.

      Israeli settlements are also a major cause of environmental pollution in the West Bank as untreated and unregulated wastewater is allowed to flow from the settlements. The amount of domestic wastewater generated annually by almost half a million Israeli settlers living in the West Bank amounts to 54 MCM per year (ARIJ, 2008). This is more than the annual amount of wastewater generated by the 2.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, a result of excessive water consumption by Israeli settlers.

      Israeli sources state that only 81 of 121 settlements in the West Bank are connected to wastewater treatment facilities. Therefore unconnected settlements discharge 5.5 MCM of raw wastewater which flows down the settlement hilltops polluting wadis and Palestinian agricultural lands (Cohen et al, 2008, B’Tselem, 2009). This is the case in Salfit where local residents have witnessed contamination of agricultural lands and water resources, and have contracted serious diseases including cases of cholera. Barqan settlement, near Salfit’s Qana Valley, has the largest industrial complex of the Israeli settlements and waste from industrial activity is dumped in sites surrounding Salfit. In November 2011, wastewater from Revava settlement near Salfit completely destroyed 20 olive trees and flooded a further 100 trees in Palestinian land surrounding the settlement (WAFA, 2011)

      The Separation Wall illegally isolates 28 groundwater wells in the oPt. The total yield of the isolated wells reaches 4 MCM per year, which constitutes more than 30 percent of Palestinians’ share in the Western Aquifer as stated within the interim agreement (PHG, 2008). Jayyus village, for example, lost two thirds of its land (9,200 dunums) and 6 groundwater wells following construction of the wall.

      As a result the quantity of water available has drastically reduced to 23 litres per capita per day, drastically below the WHO recommendation levels (COHRE, 2008). Prior to the construction of the Wall Jayyus was a leading agricultural area with some of the most productive land in the West Bank due to the availability of water. Eighty per cent of the 4,000 strong community relied on agriculture as a livelihood before 2002, but now Jayyus is reliant on international humanitarian assistance for its survival. Unemployment rates are high and many Palestinians, especially young men, have left Jayyus. The World Bank (2009) estimates the economic losses of agriculture related to the construction of the separation wall and the closure of land located in Area C at 1.4% of GDP and the loss of 14,880 jobs.

      The Separation Wall has also resulted in the de facto appropriation of agricultural wells in the West Bank (EWASH, 2011). This loss cannot be replaced by the Palestinians who are restricted from drilling news wells in the Western Aquifer, which is the most productive aquifer in the region, and thus the Western Aquifer itself has essentially been unlawfully annexed by Israel.

      The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with some 1.5 million Palestinians living in an area of 40 km by 10km (see figure 8). More than 1 million are UN-registered refugees (UNEP, 2009). Increased pressure on available water resources, combined with an economic blockade and continued Israeli military strikes, has severely weakened the capacity of water and sanitation infrastructure.

      The blockade on Gaza has led to the periodic paralysis of the water and sanitation sector which has resulted in denial of access to water and sanitation as well as detrimentally impacting quality and safety of water sources (EWASH, 2011). The blockade continues to hinder investment in the rehabilitation of damaged water and sewage infrastructure as materials necessary are routinely denied entry into the Gaza Strip. The equipment needed includes water pumps, pipes, generators, computers, building cement, and chloride. Israel classifies these materials as dual-use items that are liable to be used for military purposes, and therefore prohibits their entry. The blockade has also affected the availability of fuel in the Gaza Strip which has impacted water supply and sanitation services. Due to severe fuel shortages at the beginning of 2012, the Gaza power station has been operating at one-third of its operational capacity, triggering scheduled blackouts of 6-18 hours a day, in addition to random unscheduled cuts. In recent months this has frequently shutdown water supply systems, wastewater treatment plants and desalination units (UN OCHA, 2012c).

      The chloride ion concentration in the Gaza strip varies from less than 250mg/litre to 10,000mg/ litre where seawater intrusion has occurred (CMWU, 2011). An examination carried out by the UN Environment Programme on a number of wells in Gaza found that the concentration of nitrates was six times higher than the 50 mg level recommended by the WHO (UNEP, 2009).

      High level of nitrates present in water supplies is liable to cause anemia among children and methemoglobinemia (“blue infants” syndrome) among infants, which often leads to death by asphyxiation. Waterborne diseases are common in the Gaza Strip as a result of poor water quality from private vendors and piped services. The Department of Health of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that watery diarrhea, as well as acute bloody diarrhea and viral hepatitis remain the major causes of morbidity among reportable infectious diseases in the refugee population of the Gaza Strip (UNWRA, 2010a). Without access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene, children are particularly vulnerable to sickness caused by water borne disease. Furthermore lack of safe water is an immediate cause of malnutrition in children, which can have lasting impact on a child’s cognitive and physical development.

      The deterioration of water quality in Gaza has also scarred the environment. Everyday along the Gaza Strip, 16 sewage outfalls dump 70-80,000 M3 of untreated wastewater directly into the sea (World Bank, 2009). Faecal coliform bacteria cluster around the outfalls, fish are infected, and the coastline is contaminated, impacting the quality of life of Gazan citizens and the livelihoods of those who depend on marine resources for their income. Fishing is limited to a distance of 5 km from the coastline and the consumption of seafood also creates a further health risk for Gazans.The poor water quality also weakens agricultural yields which in turn impacts the livelihoods of farmers and food security in the Gaza Strip.

      The assault [Operation Cast Lead] resulted in serious damages and destruction to water and sanitation infrastructure as followed; 11 wells were either partially damaged or totally destroyed. A total of 75,000 metres of steel and UPVC water pipes were damaged; 9 sewage pump stations sustained either partial direct or indirect damage. In addition, about 5,700 roof storage tanks were destroyed and about 3,000 were damaged. At the operational level the loss of 11 of the 150 wells (about 7%) has had a significant impact on the total daily water capacity, resulting in an increased shortage of water especially during the summer time.

      The military operation also caused heavy destruction to wastewater infrastructure resulting in significant sewage leaks that flooded extensive farm areas. The sewage eventually percolated into the underground water or was discharged into the sea causing coastal contamination (World Bank, 2009). The estimated damage to water and wastewater treatment facilities is estimated at US$6.2 million.

      Israeli military action continues to destroy water and sanitation infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On August 19 2011, an Israeli airstrike resulted in the destruction of a sewage pumping station. The pumping station had only just been completed to connect 130,000 residents of the Al Nusseirat and Al Bureij refugee camps to a mains sewage system. In April of the same year 30,000 residents in the Gaza Strip were without water for three days as a result of an airstrike that damaged the Al Mintar reservoir. In addition, an air strike in July 2011 destroyed a well serving 39 dunums of land and nine domestic water tanks supplying 59 people with water. In the Gaza Strip, the cost of damage to water and sanitation infrastructure in 2011, as a result of airstrikes, was approximately US$1.3 million (EWASH, 2012b).

      Israeli occupation policies are clearly manipulating the allocation of water resources and denying Palestinians the right to water.

      Source: Water resource allocations in the occupied Palestinian territory (report)

      • ritzl says:
        August 3, 2012 at 10:05 pm

        @Elephantine Great water link. Current. Thanks.

        The Israeli response to the 2009 World Bank report was almost comical. I’m slightly paraphrasing, but it read like “since the water in the WB aquifers would end up in Israel anyway (true), we have a right to all of it, wherever it resides. (not true)” Another example of the fact that believable lies must have elements of truth to them.

        I’m glad that contention got rebutted more strenuously than the World Bank did (though they didn’t do a bad job).

        link to web.worldbank.org,,contentMDK:22174947~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:294365,00.html

      • ritzl says:
        August 4, 2012 at 2:25 am

        Actually, this Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (AJIP) report is THE best, historical, contextual, holistic treatment of I/P water issues that I have seen. They connect all the dots, as far as I can tell, and explain the situation accurately and in plain language.

        They distill the numbers correctly and in context. Surface and subsurface. Gaza and the WB. Regional and local. Historical and current.

        It took a lot of work and expertise to put this report together and make it connect. A LOT of work.

        Pretty amazing, and VERY useful.

        Again, thanks.

      • Fredblogs says:
        August 10, 2012 at 7:27 pm

        They can’t be drinking 70 liters per day since drinking that much water would probably kill you through electrolyte imbalance. Even 30 liters per day (about 7.5 gallons) would probably kill you. So what is WHO recommending this amount of water for? Obviously not for drinking.

        Actually, the question of “would you trade places” is irrelevant. I wouldn’t trade places with any third world person, that doesn’t mean I am at fault for their poor conditions. I don’t see you trading places with them either (metaphorically speaking).

  4. German Lefty says:
    August 2, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Looks beautiful. However, considering the circumstances, it makes me want to puke. Also, the fence looks really weird and misplaced in the picture. The Israel flag there reminds me of why I hate national pride. It represents the sense of superiority and entitlement.

  5. German Lefty says:
    August 2, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    There’s an interesting piece on the Haaretz website about the environmental problems in the West Bank, partly caused by the settlements.
    link to haaretz.com
    Settlers yearn for ‘environment without borders’ – and without Palestinians
    A conference was held in Ariel this week to discuss the West Bank’s environment. No Palestinians attended.
    [...] Dr. Nitzan Levy, director of the Municipal Environmental Associations of Judea and Samaria, notes that there is a significant difference between the organizational and professional capabilities of the Palestinians and those of Israel. He stresses the fact that the Environmental Protection Ministry hasn’t formulated a problem-solving strategy that takes into account the gap in the sides’ capabilities. In another part of the report, its authors admit that limitations on movement and access had made it difficult to build environmental infrastructures on the Palestinian side.
    What the report fails to note is the fact that the very establishment of the settlements was a political act almost completely disconnected from environmental concerns or long-term planning. The settlements were built in order to grab land for Jews by establishing many dozens of residential points and small outposts, requiring the extensive – and expensive – dispersion of infrastructures and roads.
    There were cases, also mentioned in the report, in which “The cost of the race to put facts on the ground by Israeli settlement activity was paid by nature. Some of the construction and expansions in the settlement program encroached on nature reserves.”
    The outcome was that for many years the settlements did not have appropriate solutions to wastewater and solid waste. Some of the problems have been solved in recent years only thanks to the more numerous organizational and professional resources available to Israel. A prominent example is the settlement of Ofra, built and eventually expanded long before it had a reasonable wastewater treatment solution. Currently, the state is trying to authorize a wastewater treatment facility built recently without permits on private Palestinian land.

  6. radii says:
    August 2, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    Every time the subject of water comes up I’ll remind all that the plan in place is to take ALL water away from the Palestinians … all natural sources will go to the zionists and israeli gov’t will give desalination plants they can withhold parts from or bomb … it is slowly happening already but this is the long-term plan

  7. mondonut says:
    August 2, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    OMG !!!! The Israelis have a pool!!! And a flag!!!! The horror!!!

    So I suppose there are no Palestinian pools in the entire West Bank, all because they are so thirsty that need that water to drink. Sure, that sounds about right.

    Haaretz…
    //Nowadays, every city in the West Bank has a pool or a recreational complex: Bethlehem has one similar to Al-Khahuf, while Ramallah has more than 10. One of Jenin’s swimming champs committed a suicide bombing at Jerusalem’s Sbarro restaurant in August 2001. Nablus has a pool reserved for women, and an Olympic pool. Another pool and recreation complex sits between Nablus and Tubas.//

    • Woody Tanaka says:
      August 3, 2012 at 9:13 am

      “OMG !!!! The Israelis have a pool!!! And a flag!!!! The horror!!!”

      Gotta figure someone would show up and defend the cancer poisoning Palestine…

    • Taxi says:
      August 3, 2012 at 12:05 pm

      Mondomut,

      I’m as outraged at the Palestinians as you are! How dare they have “more than 10″ pools?!!!! Don’t they know that the colonialists need ALL that pool water to scub the scum off their backs and backsides?! What to do then except to punish them by making America give israel more guns eh.

      • ritzl says:
        August 4, 2012 at 12:47 am

        I know what you’re saying, but it’s not just pools. Look at any satellite picture of Israel/Palestine and the borders are literally marked by green v. brown.

        One [bigger] picture, the issues become crystal clear.

  8. Taxi says:
    August 3, 2012 at 12:27 am

    My crystal ball shows me all these bathers, white-knuckled, carrying their suitcases and running up the stairs of an airplane.

    • Woody Tanaka says:
      August 3, 2012 at 9:10 am

      “Palestinians reject desalination plant”

      Of course they do. The israelis steal the water that is under the West Bank from the Palestinians and you have a problem with the rejection of the oppressors’ proposal that the Palestinians be forced to buy desalinated water at ultra-inflated prices??? The israelis should use the expensive water themselves and stop stealing from the Palestinians.

      • ritzl says:
        August 4, 2012 at 12:38 am

        “ultra-inflated prices” Bingo.

        And long-term commitment to same. And pipelines running through Israel with their fingers on the button. And, and, and…

        Israel to Palestine: “Trust us.”

        What’s not to like with that offer?

        Build one/several in Gaza, ffs. Build a 1000 mile pipeline through Egypt and Jordan to get it to the WB. At the inflated prices Mekorot charges, it would pay for itself in a few years. Everyone, outside Israel, would benefit.

        But then Israel wouldn’t have the benefit or control, which is what every argument ultimately boils down to.

    • Eva Smagacz says:
      August 3, 2012 at 12:09 pm

      Let me turn off the water main in your home and stop you from going shopping.
      Now I will sell you Perrier water for flushing toilets, washing and cooking.

      This is a deal when Israel takes out the water from the aquifers in the West Bank, and tries to sell expensive desalination plants to the Palestinians.

      It is pernicious hasbara to show Palestinian wisdom as ungratefulness.

  10. biorabbi says:
    August 3, 2012 at 1:55 am

    While Palestinians in the West Bank barely have enough water to drink, Bashar Assad’s goons blow Palestinians up in a brutal massacare today. This is a gruesome video. Why are Assad’s Shabiha targeting Palestinians in their refugee camps? Because they are believed to have given succor to the FSA, allowing them to be treated when injured. It is a form of brutal payback. I believe the pro-Syria crowd may have a difficult time rationalizing this, explaining this. 25,000 dead and counting.

    link to youtube.com

    • thankgodimatheist says:
      August 3, 2012 at 9:26 am

      You have an obsession with diversion, rabbi. Keep going, no one has noticed.

      • biorabbi says:
        August 3, 2012 at 8:22 pm

        Thankgodiamatheist, nice name. Judging from some of the responses, quite a few have noticed, and that’s a good thing. True mass murder should be condemned, no matter if by Jews, Mormons, or anybody else. I might argue that talking about this neoconservative on Romney’s staff who waxes on about Romney or Obama is actual diversion from evil.

        While Brooklyn bred religious nuts bath in a swimming pool on Palestinian land is horrible, when Syrians murder, rape, castrate Palestinians, it elicits barely a faint echo to you. You can turn away from evil, but you cannot claim you didn’t know.

        • thankgodimatheist says:
          August 4, 2012 at 12:04 am

          Rabbi. A thankful atheist indeed. Now whom are you trying to fool with those Syria! Syria! Syria! posts? If the situation is dire for the Palestinians in Arab countries as well it’s for no other reason but the fact that they were made refugees by your ilk. It’s a consequence of the initial crime. Pointing to what’s going on in Syria does not make what’s going on in Palestine any less tragic and in many ways it’s more so as it acts as a diversion from the current ethnic cleansing which is taking place as we speak with the consequence of creating more tragedies for the Palestinians wherever they end up living in the future. So yes, their predicament in Syria is to be highlighted but the source of all tragedies for them is initially Israel’s crime.

        • Taxi says:
          August 4, 2012 at 5:47 am

          People should just laugh when they see ‘Syria’ headlines in the israeli or American media. Wishful thinking to keep saying that Bashar is “finished any day now”. Or my fave “Civil war breaks out in Syria” – yeah right!

          The irony is, even if Bashar wanted to resign today, he simply couldn’t. Russia won’t let him resign. The battle for Syria is between USA and it’s motely gangbangers versus Russia (with the blessing and support of China).

    • Eva Smagacz says:
      August 3, 2012 at 11:57 am

      In area C they even confiscate plastic containers for carrying water. No swimming pools there. And there were several cake shops in Warsaw Ghetto.

  11. amigo says:
    August 3, 2012 at 5:16 am

    The sight of these evil settler thieves enjoying themselves is vomit inducing.

    What God could possibly lend his/her/it,s name to this criminal entity.

  12. thankgodimatheist says:
    August 3, 2012 at 7:56 am

    “While Palestinians in the West Bank barely have enough water to drink . . .”

    Let them drink Perrier!

  13. dimadok says:
    August 3, 2012 at 8:40 am

    Absolutely idiotic post- there are no pools in Ramallah, Nablus or Jenin?
    What are moronic and righteous post.

    • Woody Tanaka says:
      August 3, 2012 at 12:59 pm

      Of course you don’t see a problem with occupiers stealing the water from the occupied while the occupied are given lessened rations.

      The point isn’t whether ANYONE in the West Bank has a pool. The Palestinians have every right to all of their water, to use as they see fit. The point is that the settler pig bastards have no right to any of the water, especially for wasteful purpose like this.

    • justicewillprevail says:
      August 3, 2012 at 1:09 pm

      You’re not getting it, are you? Do try and keep up. If you can read, there are plenty links available at a computer near you.

    • Cliff says:
      August 3, 2012 at 1:12 pm

      The point is that a Palestinian with a pool is rare. This story is yet another aspect of Israeli apartheid that underscores the hard empirical facts of the gulf between the two peoples.

      This particular issue has to do with WATER DISTRIBUTION. So we are using a water park for settlers to show that disparity. It’s not supposed to be viewed IN A VACCUUM, you putz.

      Zionists on this website have always responded to sophisticated analysis such as this with such inanely idiotic whiny petulant noise demonstrated here by the likes or Dimbulb and Mondonuts and Biohazard.

      Non-Jewish nationalists and other racists and White nationalists understood right away that this was not simply about a friggin’ water park, anymore than a picture of White teenagers sitting in solidarity with a Black teenager, who’s being doused with food by racists, is about a playful food-fight.

      Of course, if those White racists were Jews, then we would have to deal with those idiotic explanations.

      When something horrible happens in Palestine – whether it’s a young, courageous American girl who believes in fighting injustice, is ran over BY A BULLDOZER, or a British man of the same disposition who is SHOT SHIELDING A CHILD IN THE MIDDLE OF A STREET, WHILST WEARING A BRIGHT ORANGE PEACEWORKER JUMPSUIT – ZioBot liars always find some way to dehumanize the dead and murdered non-Zionists/non-Tribesmen.

      Pathetic but predictable. And of course, f**kin stupid. Once again, show me a Zionist worth respecting to the level of a telemarketer for spray-on hair.

  14. Kathleen says:
    August 3, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Have looked at many of Israel’s real estate sites. Lots of pools in backyards while they access control to the area’s water resources. Just one more example of the elitism and racism

  15. powzon says:
    August 3, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    This should be all over the place.
    Just one problem: it’s not an Olympic-sized pool, it’s about half that.

    • Fredblogs says:
      August 3, 2012 at 2:05 pm

      Really, their pool is half the size of one in Gaza? It’s just too funny that you guys think that pointing out that Gaza has an olympic sized pool is so big a threat to your agenda that you have to censor it.

      • powzon says:
        August 3, 2012 at 2:12 pm

        What pool in Gaza?
        What guys?
        What agenda?

        Had you forgotten the first sentence, “This should be all over the place”, by the time you got through the second?

        The facts of Israel’s control and denial of water to Palestinian Arabs are hyperbolic enough on their own.
        It’s obviously not an Olympic pool, which is 50 meters long.
        Should zealousness permit inaccuracies?

      • ColinWright says:
        August 3, 2012 at 2:16 pm

        This post seems kind of logically inconsistent. Since I am able to read it, obviously the statement that Gaza has an olympic-sized pool wasn’t censored.