CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 102

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
military forces. Israel’s military strength depends on over an estimated
615.000 military personnel, 595 aircrafts, out of which 146 helicopters,
2.760 combat tanks, 65 naval assets, 61 whereas Palestinian military
strength depends on small, poorly trained armed groups created after the
Oslo II Accord. 62
Due to a high level of education, Israel succeeds in having an
industrialized economy, which allows them to invest a large amount of
human capital in water resource development. The evidence of this is the
fact that by developing new technologies (energy-efficient desalination
plants that turn seawater and brackish water into freshwater; sustainable
and cost-effective wastewater systems, etc.) Israel is able to increase the
water supply and reduce water demand in its country. 63 As Booky Oren,
the chairman and CEO at Booky Oren Global Water Technologies, states,
‘Israel has turned to be a water-independent country in 2013, based on a
variety of innovative technological water solutions’. 64 However, it should
be noted that the development of the water sector technologies also
require significant investments. In 2017, the total amount of investments
in this sector has reached 236.000.000 US dollars.
The only aspect where the two sides have comparatively identical
footing of hard power is their position on water resources. On the one
hand, Israel is in the downstream position over the West Bank’s aquifer
basin and on the other hand, it is upstream over the Coastal Aquifer in the
Gaza Strip. Regarding its position on the Jordan River, Israel is
downstream from Lebanon and Syria and upstream to the West Bank.
Nevertheless, the supremacy of power again leans toward the Israeli side,
as due to its technologies, as well as due to the settlements in the West
Bank, it is able to overcome its somewhat unfavorable position.
Relative bargaining power asymmetry
As it has already been pointed out, bargaining power is associated
more with having or acquiring legitimacy in a relationship. Referring to
the Oslo II Accord, it can be seen that formally, both Israel and Palestine

61
Global
Firepower,
2019.
Israel
Military
Strength,
https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-
detail.asp?country_id=israel#overview (accessed May 15, 2019).
62 Zeitoun, Power and Water in the Middle East.
63 Israeli Water Authority, 2009. The Issue of Water between Israel and the Palestinians,
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWESTBANKGAZA/Resources/IsraelWaterAuthor
ityresponse.pdf (accessed April 28, 2019).
64
Start-Up
Nation
Central
(2019).
Watertech
Brief,
https://www.startupnationcentral.org/sector/watertech/ (accessed May 15, 2019).
102