It has been a while since I posted an installment of this series. But, given the disdain – even hatred – President Obama has shown for Israel, and his willingness to sign off on Iran having the nuclear capability to vaporize it, I thought I would put up another reminder.
Excerpted from Joel Greenberg\’s article at mcclatchydc.com:
Israel has gone through one of the driest winters in its history, but despite the lean rainy season, the government has suspended a longstanding campaign to conserve water.
The reason: Israel has in recent years achieved a quiet water revolution through desalination.
With four plants currently in operation, all built since 2005, and a fifth slated to go into service this year, Israel is meeting much of its water needs by purifying seawater from the Mediterranean. Some 80 percent of domestic water use in Israeli cities comes from desalinated water, according to Israeli officials.
“There\’s no water problem because of the desalination,” said Hila Gil, director of the desalination division in the Israel Water Authority. “The problem is no longer on the agenda.”
The struggle over scarce water resources has fueled conflict between Israel and its neighbors, but the country is now finding itself increasingly self-sufficient after years of dependency on rainfall and subterranean aquifers.
Israel’s experience might also offer some important lessons, or at least contrast, for states like California. Now gripped by drought, with the all-important snowpack averaging only 26 percent of normal, California has struggled with desalination efforts in the past.
Yes, Israel has this to offer to California. And Gaza. And Judea and Samaria (the west bank). And the rest of the world as well.
I have said it many times before, and I\’ll say it again now: If Palestinian Arabs would stop trying to kill Israelis and start trying to learn from them, both sides would be 1000% better off. Because desalinization technology, enormously important in and of itself, is just one of countless advances in science, medicine technology and agriculture that emanate directly from Israel.
But with Palestinian Arabs abiding by the hamas charter, which calls for the obliteration of Israel, death to all Jews everywhere (not just Israel) and rejects all peace talks 100% (a little something supporters of “the peace process” always seem to forget, as they demand Israel make concession after concession), that does not appear to be in the offing, does it?
In any event, successful desalinization techniques are just another of the things we lose if we lose Israel.
Let\’s not.
