Water Israel

It's easier to walk on the Sea of Galilee than it used to be. No miracle is required. A severe lack of rain has lowered the level of the historic lake so much that an island has emerged near its southeast corner. The drop is a symptom of three years of drought and, experts say, a signal of future water problems that may not only bring hardship to Israel but to its neighbors in the semi-arid eastern Mediterranean. At November's end, pious Jews in Jerusalem prayed for rain.

With Israeli elections less than three weeks away, a furor erupted Friday over acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's declaration that in the next four years Israel would draw its own borders, roughly following the route of a barrier being built in the West Bank. Both right- and left-wing opponents expressed outrage over Olmert's plan, spelled out in interviews that appeared Friday in major Israeli newspapers.

One of the harshest droughts in 60 years is forcing water cutbacks to Israeli farmers, raising concerns in the Palestinian territories of painful summer shortages and prompting a political dispute between Israel and neighboring Jordan. Worse yet, the dry season--with its relentless sun and soaring temperatures--is still two months away.

Lebanon began pumping water from the Hasbani River on Wednesday despite the opposition of neighboring Israel, which sent warplanes flying overhead. Israeli soldiers also watched from along the border as Lebanese officials opened a pumping station on the river to supply water to the village of Wazzani, which was unable to tap the Hasbani during Israel's 22-year occupation that ended in May. Peasant women from Wazzani howled ecstatically and children jumped into the river.

Israeli Agriculture Minister Rafael Eitan held an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss his country's imperiled water supply after a government report indicated that Israel is on the verge of a critical shortage. Eitan, a former general, announced after the meeting that he would not fire Water Commissioner Tsemah Ishai, although Ishai came under pungent criticism in the report by Israel's state comptroller, Miriam Ben-Porat. But Eitan left no doubt as to the seriousness of the shortage.

Israel faces a serious water shortage if a two-month drought persists, officials warned. Comptroller Miriam Porat blamed not only the weather but also poor planning by the government. She said the nation's water reserves have been drawn down by 56 billion cubic feet, about what is used annually in the nation. Israel has had little precipitation in the last two months, normally the rainy season.

Lebanon began pumping water from the Hasbani River on Wednesday despite the opposition of neighboring Israel, which sent warplanes flying overhead. Israeli soldiers also watched from along the border as Lebanese officials opened a pumping station on the river to supply water to the village of Wazzani, which was unable to tap the Hasbani during Israel's 22-year occupation that ended in May. Peasant women from Wazzani howled ecstatically and children jumped into the river.

The Sea of Galilee, where Christians believe Jesus walked on the water, has dipped to the lowest level ever recorded, according to an Israeli water official. "For about 100 years, we have known the level of the Sea of Galilee, and there was never a year as low as 1990," Zvi Ortenberg, chairman of the Sea of Galilee authority, said. At the end of the rainy season in April, the lake stood at a record low of 700 feet below sea level.

Quietly, with visionary determination, the leaders of Israel and Jordan have led their countries into a new era. After 46 years of hostility, peace between Jordan and Israel is at hand. On July 25, King Hussein and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a nonbelligerency pact at the White House, a vital first step toward normalizing their relations. Now, in Amman, they and their top advisers have resolved the last of the outstanding issues between them and a draft peace treaty has followed.

With Israeli elections less than three weeks away, a furor erupted Friday over acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's declaration that in the next four years Israel would draw its own borders, roughly following the route of a barrier being built in the West Bank. Both right- and left-wing opponents expressed outrage over Olmert's plan, spelled out in interviews that appeared Friday in major Israeli newspapers.

One of the harshest droughts in 60 years is forcing water cutbacks to Israeli farmers, raising concerns in the Palestinian territories of painful summer shortages and prompting a political dispute between Israel and neighboring Jordan. Worse yet, the dry season--with its relentless sun and soaring temperatures--is still two months away.

Quietly, with visionary determination, the leaders of Israel and Jordan have led their countries into a new era. After 46 years of hostility, peace between Jordan and Israel is at hand. On July 25, King Hussein and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a nonbelligerency pact at the White House, a vital first step toward normalizing their relations. Now, in Amman, they and their top advisers have resolved the last of the outstanding issues between them and a draft peace treaty has followed.

It's easier to walk on the Sea of Galilee than it used to be. No miracle is required. A severe lack of rain has lowered the level of the historic lake so much that an island has emerged near its southeast corner. The drop is a symptom of three years of drought and, experts say, a signal of future water problems that may not only bring hardship to Israel but to its neighbors in the semi-arid eastern Mediterranean. At November's end, pious Jews in Jerusalem prayed for rain.

Israeli Agriculture Minister Rafael Eitan held an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss his country's imperiled water supply after a government report indicated that Israel is on the verge of a critical shortage. Eitan, a former general, announced after the meeting that he would not fire Water Commissioner Tsemah Ishai, although Ishai came under pungent criticism in the report by Israel's state comptroller, Miriam Ben-Porat. But Eitan left no doubt as to the seriousness of the shortage.

Israel faces a serious water shortage if a two-month drought persists, officials warned. Comptroller Miriam Porat blamed not only the weather but also poor planning by the government. She said the nation's water reserves have been drawn down by 56 billion cubic feet, about what is used annually in the nation. Israel has had little precipitation in the last two months, normally the rainy season.

The Sea of Galilee, where Christians believe Jesus walked on the water, has dipped to the lowest level ever recorded, according to an Israeli water official. "For about 100 years, we have known the level of the Sea of Galilee, and there was never a year as low as 1990," Zvi Ortenberg, chairman of the Sea of Galilee authority, said. At the end of the rainy season in April, the lake stood at a record low of 700 feet below sea level.

Re "We have enough water," Opinion, Oct. 23 It doesn't surprise me that Dorothy Green and Jamie Simons suggest taking water away from farmers instead of working cooperatively with others to achieve a reliable water supply for our future. They fail in their argument of using Israel as an example of farmers making do with less water; Israel has to rely heavily on other countries to produce its food.

JERUSALEM - The founder of the Tel Aviv-based specialty firm raves about his product with the same gusto distillers reserve for their top-notch scotch. He's particularly proud of his "premium" line. Sure, it costs a bit more, but it's targeted at a more discriminating client. Dr. Jacob Ronen is in the sperm business. Among other things, as head of Cryobank Israel, the country's largest private sperm bank, he guarantees that his stable of superior donors includes only tall, twentysomething ex-soldiers whose sperm has passed rigorous genetic testing.