My hair was inexplicable, and I was late for work. Perhaps from the heat, instead of falling sleekly about my shoulders, my hair had formed a huge cloud of untameable frizz. I did what anyone would do in this situation: I decided to take a swift shower.
Turning on the tap, I was met with a trickle, a splutter, and the horrifying realisation that there was no water today, and I would have to face going to work with less-than-perfect hair.
I was in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, and my Bad Hair Day was part of a much bigger problem: the frequent water shortages in Palestinian territory, due to Israeli control of water resources. Whilst the taps frequently run dry for Palestinians, the residents of nearby Israeli settlements enjoy the luxury of lush green lawns, trees, flowerbeds, swimming pools, and long showers, as well as the ability to freely irrigate their land and grow bountiful crops.
According to Emergency Water Sanitation and Hygiene in the Palestinian Territory (EWASH), an international NGO dedicated to monitoring the water situation in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Israel has the final say over the distribution of all water resources in the West Bank, both above and below ground. Palestinians are given rights to only 20%, with the remaining 80% allocated to Israel.
EWASH also estimates that the average Palestinian consumption of water is 50 litres per person per day, well under the 100 litres a day recommended by the World Health Organisation. Israelis, on the other hand, consume almost four times as much water as Palestinians, highlighting yet another way in which society’s scales are tipped in Israel’s favour. Settlements are deliberately built on fertile land near vital water sources, over which Israel has total control.
As well as inconveniencing the local population, the lack of reliable water access has economic implications for the Palestinians. With a limited water supply comes a limited scope for growing crops. The majority of watermelons available in Palestinian markets, for example, come from Israeli settlements, despite the fact that it is illegal: Palestinian farmers simply don’t have access to the quantities of water necessary to grow them.
Settlement goods are one clear manifestation of the land and water grab in the West Bank. Produce such as dates, avocadoes and oranges are grown illegally using confiscated water and sold to the international market, funding the expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian lands.
One obvious response to the illegal and unethical practice of growing goods using stolen land and stolen water is to boycott produce from Israeli settlements. In Britain, supermarkets are now required by law to label goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank to help ethical customers make better choices, and some supermarkets have stopped selling them altogether.
Many organisations call for the boycott of settlement goods, since such goods are universally recognised as being in breach of international and domestic law. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, for example, aims to better educate the consuming public and encourages petitions to supermarkets, calling on them to stop stocking illegal Israeli goods until the occupation is ended.
A labelling system for settlement goods, similar to the British one, is a wise idea. It would be hugely beneficial if a similar system could be introduced in other countries, including Israel, in order to encourage consumers to buy more responsibly. However, the recent anti-boycott law passed in Israel adds extra difficulty to this campaign. The law, passed by the Knesset last week, makes it a civil offence for any public body in Israel to advocate the boycotting of Israeli goods, whether culturally, politically, or economically.
This new law is a flagrant impingement on freedom of speech and expression, and makes it almost impossible for organisations in Israel to campaign on behalf of Palestinians whose land and water are being confiscated to supply settlements with the resources to grow their produce. The denial of access to water is a blatant injustice, and all should have the right to be able to boycott that which they deem to be unjust.
The anti-boycott bill seems to be born out of the fear that if the boycott movement continues to gather momentum, Israel may be forced to bow to pressure to make policy changes, particularly regarding the illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Now back in Britain, I have the luxury of knowing that if I go to take a shower or turn on a tap there will be a ready flow of water. But access to water should not be a luxury, it is a basic right, and one which is being denied to Palestinians in order to nurture an illegal network of settlements and tighten Israeli control over stolen lands.
Despite the setback of the anti-boycott bill, it is vital that consumers are enabled to make educated decisions. If more can be added to the movement against settlement goods, and if more speak out against the daily injustices against the Palestinians, then Israel may soon find itself in hot water.
This article was first published by Palestine News Network, 17 July 2011.
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