CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 82

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
SHOGHIK TADEVOSYAN
HYDRO-HEGEMONY IN ACTION:
THE PROBLEM OF WATER IN THE ISRAEL-
PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
Received October 3, 2019, Accepted December 5, 2019
Abstract: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long history. In this
multilayered conflict, water has its own crucial role leading to the
manifestation of hydro-hegemony. Access to adequate water resources
has effectively perpetuated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and continues
to hinder any effort to establish a lasting peace between the two parties.
Therefore, this article aims to reveal the reason behind the importance of
water and the factors that lead to hydro-hegemony. It demonstrates that
water is a highly politicized component of this conflict and serves as a
tool for Israel to oppress and dominate Palestinians. However, it is
important to note that all this is the result of the asymmetrical power
distribution between the parties and the continuous efforts of one side to
control the other.
Keywords: hydro-hegemony, water issue, Israel,
Palestinian Territories, West Bank, Gaza, conflict.
the
Occupied
Introduction
In 2013, the United Nations reported that the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs), particularly the Gaza Strip, will be uninhabitable by
2020. The main reason for this statement was the severe shortage of water
in the region, as well as the excessive pollution, both of which had a
devastating impact on health, agriculture and the overall vitality of the
region.
A series of analyses have attempted to find the real cause of all this
that has had such devastating consequences. There are indications that it
is the result of deliberate Israeli actions. However, the questions of how
water has become a part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, what its role is
in the conflict’s development and how Israel uses water to achieve its
political goals remain open. There are arguments that all this is not only
the result of Israel’s unilateral actions but also the direct consequence of
the water scarcity of the region. It is the most water-scarce region of the
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