Israeli and Jordanian ministers held a joint press conference here at the World Summit on Sustainable development to announce a billion dollar plan to cooperate on building a 300-kilometre (185-mile) pipeline to bring water from the Red Sea to the water-starved Dead Sea.
The level of the Dead Sea is dropping by one metre a year due to diversion of water from the River Jordan. Now Israel and Jordan, which both border the Dead Sea, have decided to work together to save it. Financing will come from the World Bank, other governments and the private sector, they hope.
“This closed sea, which is 410 meters below sea level, has an archaeological, religious, touristic and medical value,” Jordan’s Minister of Planning, Bassem I. Awadallah, declared.
The joint press conference was evidently intended to be a striking demonstration of cooperation between Israel and an Arab neighbour, but the media audience was palpably sceptical. First there was silence, then a series of doubting questions from both Arab and Israeli reporters.
The Ministers maintained a positive front, concentrating on the environmental benefits of the project, but politics kept rearing an ugly head.
“This is an environmental problem which cannot wait,” the Jordanian Minister declared. “We are avoiding politics. If Arabs and Israelis want to go on killing each other for 50 years, what can we do?”
But cooperation on such a vital project was still possible.
“The price of water is less than the price of war; so we can be more optimistic about it,” he said. “This is a good and positive step toward better life – peace and life go together.”
The question of Palestinian involvement in the project was raised. “Palestinians are going to be part of this project,” Awadallah stated.
“Israel already supplies water to the Palestinians,” added Roni Milo, Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation.
As reporters cast doubt on the ability of Israel and Jordan to work peacefully together, Awadallah shot back: “Do you think Israelis and Palestinians will not cooperate if there is an earthquake?”
There was a doubtful silence.
By then the news conference was beginning to break down along the familiar Arab-Israeli fault line. Each side lapsed from English into its own language.
An Arab reporter asked a three-minute question in Arabic and received a seven-minute reply in Arabic from the Jordanian Minister. An Israeli reporter then asked his Minister a question in Hebrew and also received a seven-minute answer, in Hebrew.
Minimal translation was offered. Middle East rules took over.
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