A state-owned water monopoly privileges Israeli settlers over Palestinian communities

Evidence

According to a 2021 report from the United Nations, colonial appropriation has led to outright destruction. In 2020, 84 of the 849 structures destroyed in the West Bank by Israel were water and sanitation structures, and Israeli authorities have repeatedly blocked Palestinian projects relating to the development and maintenance of water infrastructure. Palestinians in the West Bank are thus forced to purchase 80 percent of their annual water supply from Mekorot, Israel’s state-owned national water company. Mekorot assumed ownership of all West Bank water supply systems in 1982 and systematically provides privileged water access to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. As the report explains: “Mekorot prioritizes Israeli settlements to ensure their permanent water supply, in particular during summer droughts. Palestinian communities connected to the Mekorot network often suffer lengthy water outages, while neighbouring settlements are largely spared any significant water reduction.” — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 323