Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: We witnessed new, stricter stances from European countries since signing new agreement with IAEA
Saree: Our UAV force targeted the so-called Ramon Airport in the Umm al-Rashrash area in southern occupied Palestine
YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: Our rocket force carried out an operation with a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile targeting a sensitive target in the occupied Yafa area
Trump administration clears first Ukraine arms aid package paid for by allies: Reuters, citing sources
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman receives Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani at his office in Al-Yamamah Palace
Wakim: Surrender is not in our dictionary, and it is not true that "Israel" can implement its project in Lebanon and the region
Wakim: The US is preventing the armament of the Lebanese army. The question is, why are the weapons it is handed over by the Resistance being destroyed?
Wakim: The Resistance is required to hand over its weapons to the [current] authority. The question is: Is this authority independent or subservient to America?

Settler colonialism and manipulation of water supply in the WB

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 17 May 2023 23:53
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

One of the most notorious settler enterprises that, have flourished through settler colonialism is "Meshek Achiya": an agricultural business founded in 2003. 

  • x
  • Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinians, while under Israeli army protection, in the West Bank village of Safa, near al-Khalil (Palestine today)
    Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinians, while under Israeli army protection, in the West Bank village of Safa, near al-Khalil (Palestine today)

While "Israel" is largely praised in Western countries for its finesse in developing water management and technology, this appraisal often ignores the detrimental externalities which this prosperity for the settler society has on Palestinians.

In a report titled "A precious resource: how Israel uses water to control the West Bank", Bethan McKernan of The Guardian unpacks the systematic exploitation of Palestinians in favor of the prosperity of the settler society. 

Palestinians living in the West Bank suffer from severe water scarcity, while the occupation authorities control 80% of the water reserves in the West Bank. 

Read more: "Israel" advances plans of 4,500 illegal settlement units in W. Bank

In stark contrast, on the opposite side of settler colonialism, "Israel" started operating a desalination project pumping seawater toward the Tabariyya lake to replenish it.

Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories of the West Bank are claimed to have a right to get connected to the Israeli national water company. However, in practice, water is a colonial weapon favoring settler-owned vineyards, olive groves, livestock farms, and plantations, The Guardian reports.  

According to a study done by the Israeli NGO B'Tselem, Israeli settlers' consumption of water is three times more than that of Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinian farmers in the West Bank struggle to cultivate even low-yielding crops such as wheat, lentils, and chickpeas. 

Read more: IOF storm several West Bank cities, shoot dead Palestinian youth

About 450,000 Israelis have settled in West Bank since its occupation in 1967. Mainly these settlers, who are generally heavily militarized, are driven by the cheaper cost of living and business opportunities as well as religious and political beliefs. The Guardian reports that some settlers have amassed fortunes by cultivating thousands of acres of appropriated Palestinian lands: establishing "lucrative boutique wineries and high-grade Medjool dates and olive oil brands for export".

Related News

Israeli strikes fail to uproot 1mln Palestinians from Gaza City, North

'Israel' kills two Palestinian youths in Qalqilya, West Bank

One of the most notorious settler enterprises that, have flourished through settler colonialism is "Meshek Achiya": an agricultural business founded in 2003. 

Meshek Achiya capitalized on the martial law imposed on Palestinians by the IOF after the second Intifada: whence many Palestinian farmers were forcibly dispossessed of their lands by restricting their access to the land through the various checkpoints spread out across the West Bank.

The unattended lands were swiftly grabbed by "Meshek Achiya" which developed the Palestinian farmers' lands into the settler capitalist's agricultural enterprise. 

Read more: NY law eyes ending funding of illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Over the years, Mechek Achiya's prosperity was mainly due to their disproportionate access to water resources.  Settlers' access to the water supply from the Israeli water facilities vastly supersedes that of Palestinians.

On average, Palestinians in the West Bank use about 20 liters of water per day which is five times less than the minimum standard (100 liters) set by the World Health Organization. 

Palestinians' access to water supplies for individual consumption is severely restrained not to mention their access to water access for farming and land cultivation. 

In the West Bank, the occupation, in collusion with the settler capitalists, enforces a severe ultimatum for the Palestinian farmer: forsaking their land or keeping it with minimal resources to cultivate it. 

Furthermore, the UN reports that in the past five years, more than 270 water and sewage facilities used by Palestinians were demolished by occupation authorities under the pretext of the infrastructure being illegal. 

“It is easy to get rich when you don’t have to pay for the land and you’re hooked up to a water supply your neighbors don’t get,” an NGO activist was quoted saying by The Guardian.

  • Palestine
  • "Israel"
  • West Bank
  • Israeli occupation

Most Read

Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

American far-right activist Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
A screengrab from the ad played on Fox News. (X Screengrab)

Fox airs ad warning Trump not to let Netanyahu 'play' him on Gaza

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
'Israel’s' Qatar strike backfires, fueling diplomatic fallout
Politics

'Israel’s' Qatar strike backfires, fueling diplomatic fallout

'Israel' committing genocide in Gaza, UN Commission declares
Politics

'Israel' committing genocide in Gaza, UN Commission declares

Rubio supports Gaza offensive, warns few days left for diplomacy
Palestine

Rubio supports Gaza occupation, warns of tight window for deal

US adds Colombia to drug list, drawing Petro’s rebuke
Politics

US adds Colombia to drug list, drawing Petro’s rebuke

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS