ABSTRACT
One of the aspects of the Palestine Problem, which has recently taken a serious turn and attracted much international attention, is the Jordan water dispute. On the one hand Israel has completed a project which enables it to draw large quantities of water from the river, while on the other hand Syria has embarked on a project designed to cut off the headwaters of the Jordan to prevent them from reaching Israel. The dispute is basically a direct result oflong-standing Arab-Israel hostility, and not a genuine clash of interests. It is, however, essential to acquaint oneself with some facts concerning the water resources and water problems involved, as well as some of the intricacies of prevailing conditions in the frontier areas through which the Jordan runs, in order to understand the issues involved. The quantities of water in dispute seem very small when compared with those involved in other similar and recent disputes, for example that between Pakistan and India, or with the dimensions of water projects in other parts of the Middle East, for example, the Nile or the Tigris and Euphrates, but they are nevertheless of considerable importance in the region through which the Jordan runs.
