Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08TELAVIV918,

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08TELAVIV918.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08TELAVIV918 2008-04-22 14:02 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Tel Aviv
VZCZCXRO4658
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0918/01 1131402
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221402Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6417
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 9575
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000918 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/REA and OES/ENV 
USDA FOR FAS/OCBD/DRDAD 
AMMAN FOR ESTH - BHALLA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR IS PA JO
SUBJ:  ISRAEL'S WATER POLICY OPTIONS DEBATED 
 
Ref: (A) Tel Aviv 242  (B) Tel Aviv 678 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Israel is debating options on dealing with its 
critical water shortage.  Until new and greater supply comes 
on-stream from desalination plants in 2009, the choice is 
essentially how to share the pain.  Agriculture, the biggest user by 
sector, is unlikely to shoulder the bulk of the hardship.  Consumer 
and commercial users will see fees rise and public use of water will 
be sharply curtailed.  Israel's current 350 million cubic meter 
(mcm) shortfall would largely have been filled had GOI plans in 2001 
to build more desalination capacity been acted upon. 
Finger-pointing on who dropped the ball continues, while Water 
Authority management claims it has the situation in hand.  End 
Summary. 
 
Few Pleasant Options 
-------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Israeli government and society are debating measures to 
address the country's critical water shortage that post outlined 
previously (reftels).  The Israeli Water Authority (IWA) expects 
Lake Kinneret to reach its lowest level ever next year, while both 
mountain and coastal aquifers will drop beneath red-line levels over 
the next two years, resulting in increased - and likely irreversible 
- salinity.  Reports from the Palestinian Water Authority claim this 
is already occurring in Gaza, and an IWA water quality expert 
confirmed last week that only 40 percent of Israel's coastal aquifer 
now yields good quality water. 
 
3. (SBU) On April 13 the Director General of the IWA, Uri Shani, 
presented an emergency water program to GOI cabinet ministers.  It 
consisted essentially of persuading the public to economize on water 
use, raising water prices to all users, and rationing water for some 
private uses.  Supply will be cut altogether for public venues such 
as boulevard medians and municipal parks, which IWA estimates use 
140 mcm annually.  Overall supervision will be tightened and a close 
watch kept on consumption.  A maximum use ceiling will be set for 
agriculture, and financial resources will be spent to expand the 
facilities for treating sewage water into "greywater" useable for 
agriculture. The cost of the whole program would be about NIS 1.5 
billion (US$ 425 million). 
 
4. (SBU) Some of the measures debated in the Cabinet evoked protests 
from ministers who believe their sectors are being 
disproportionately harmed. Agriculture Minister Shalom Simchon 
defended his sector's large share in water consumption (60 percent). 
 Although agriculture is the largest single user of water 
distributed in Israel, the use of treated wastewater accounts for a 
large share of this.  Israeli agriculture uses over 1.2 billion cm 
of water annually, but in the past two decades has moved from using 
mostly fresh water to using a majority of treated wastewater; in 
2007 farmers used 615 mcm of greywater versus 565 mcm of freshwater. 
 Shani's plans allocate 454 mcm of freshwater to agriculture in 2008 
- only 40 percent of the fresh water agriculture drew 20 years ago. 
While Israeli agriculture uses about the same total amount of water 
as thirty years ago, it is twelve times more productive with it. 
Simchon suggested industry and other fast-growing water users are 
more to blame than agriculture for Israel's water deficit. 
 
Present Realities 
----------------- 
5. (SBU) Opponents of high allocation to agriculture note that 
agriculture now accounts for only 2 percent of Israel's GDP, and 
thus does not merit such a large share of this precious resource. 
The majority of Israel's US$44 billion in export earnings are 
technology driven today, and some believe keeping high-tech workers 
productive is a wiser investment than exporting melons.  Minister 
Simchon and others say the answer is to increase supply, not just 
suppress demand, and propose that each Mediterranean coastal town be 
obliged to build desalination plants within its municipal boundaries 
to supply water to residents of the town.  He believes 
municipalities can supply water cheaper than the national water 
company Mekorot by attracting Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) 
facilities erected by private investors who sell the desalinated 
water for a fixed period of years to pay off their investment before 
ownership of the desalination facility is transferred to the city. 
Water supply beyond what the city needs would be sold to Mekorot at 
fixed rates for distribution elsewhere in Israel. 
 
6. (SBU) The IWA office charged with demand management told ESTOff 
privately it is fine-tuning the action program, which will include 
sharply higher fees for all users, cut-backs on allocations of water 
by sector, and several outright bans on use.  Fees per cubic meter 
of water supplied to private consumers will rise by over 16 percent, 
water to industrial and commercial users by over 10 percent, and 
agriculture by only 2 to 3 percent.  When asked why agriculture, 
 
TEL AVIV 00000918  002 OF 002 
 
 
which already enjoys preferentially lower cm rates, receives such 
favored treatment, IWA officials responded there are political as 
well as economic purposes to land development.  While "making the 
desert bloom" is part of the cultural ethos of Israel, working the 
land is also statement of ownership and possession. 
 
In Regional Perspective 
----------------------- 
7. (SBU) Despite its many problems, Israel's water situation looks 
better than that of its neighbors, whose needs will also impact on 
Israeli water availability. Israel transfered almost 40 mcm of water 
to PA areas in 2007. Palestinians on average consume about one 
quarter the amount of water Israelis do, and water sources within 
Palestinian areas are generally less reliable, leading to greater 
demand to import water from Israel.  Although Israeli and PA Water 
Authorities have discussed sharing desalinated water resources, the 
political vulnerability of this does not make it an attractive 
option to either side, either from reliability of supply or 
reliability of payment perspectives.  Estimates of inefficiency and 
leakage in the PWA distribution system range up to 45 percent.  The 
IWA confirms that Israel will transfer 35 mcm to Jordan in 2008, in 
accordance with Israel's commitment under the terms of the 1994 
peace treaty with Jordan.  Amman faces greater hardship than Israel, 
according to reports, having received only 57 percent of the average 
annual rainfall this past winter.  Amman itself needs 100 mcm for 
the year, but expects to have only 70 mcm available. 
 
8. (SBU) Comment: Measures taken by Israeli authorities to address 
the current water situation, even though domestically targeted, are 
unlikely to avoid impacting Israel's water policy toward the 
Palestinian Authority. The GOI may face increasing domestic pressure 
to curb exports, while being pressed by the PA and donors to share 
its growing desalination capacity. 
 
JONES