Haaretz: Israel's PM Refuses to Supply Jordan with Fresh Water

Haaretz, an Israeli Hebrew-spoken daily newspaper, revealed that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a Jordanian request to supply the Hashemite Kingdom with more freshwater.

It is worth noting that Jordan is suffering now from a stifling crisis due to a severe shortage of fresh water.

The Israeli daily pointed out that Netanyahu discarded the Jordanian request despite recommendations of specialists in the Israeli Authority of Water and commanders of security agencies who urged him to respond positively to the request of Amman.

The newspaper indicated that the negative response of Netanyahu reflects the deep differences that separate Israel and Jordan on the backdrop of a number of regional conflicts.

However, the two states seem at odds as if there are personal disputes between   Jordan's Monarch Abdullah II and the Israeli Premier Netanyahu.

Over the last weeks, differences between Israel and Jordan worsened over disputes linked to security preparations for a visit of Jordan's Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Following the cancellation of the princely visit, Amman had banned an Israeli flight from the Jordanian space-bound for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On the other hand, Ammon  Jordanian News Agency unveiled that technical negations are still ongoing between Israeli and Jordanian officials to get additional quantities of freshwater more than the quantities approved in the treaty of peace signed between the countries in 1994.

A WELL-INFORMED SOURCE INFORMED THE AGENCY THAT Jordan has requested 8 million cubic meters of freshwater from Israel.

The Israeli delegate assured their Jordanian counterpart they respond to that request after briefing the higher echelon in the government.

The source pointed that the negotiations touched opening a new water conduit from Lake Tiberias to facilitate supplying Jordan with fresh water.

Haaretz affirmed that Netanyahu refused to alleviate the crisis of water in Jordan for internal reasons after the general elections in Israel.