Israel is denying Palestinians access to even the basic minimum of clean, safe water, Amnesty International says.

In a report, the human rights group says Israeli water restrictions discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

It says that in Gaza, Israel's blockade has pushed the already ailing water and sewage system to "crisis point".

Israel says the report is flawed and the Palestinians get more water than was agreed under the 1990s peace deal. (>>more)

israel and obama said the goldstone report is flawed as well. i guess the unspecific 'flaw' label is an efficient defense when israel is called to account for it's behavior.

there is injustice. and there is absurdity. i want to talk about the absurdity of this injustice insofar as international discourse around what it means to have a 'peace agreement/deal' and who holds the right to 'give rights' to others.

there is much absurdity in this situation. however, the most absurd thing about all of this is the assumption that a 'peace agreement' could include giving israel the right to determine palestinian access to a basic right--water. there is nothing peaceful about legally allowing israel to determine the life and death of palestinians at a very basic level.

as i was writing this, i came across the following quote from toni morrison: “All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”

think about it.

more from amnesty international:

Israel uses more than 80 per cent of the water from the Mountain Aquifer, the main source of underground water in Israel and the OPT, while restricting Palestinian access to a mere 20 per cent.

The Mountain Aquifer is the only source for water for Palestinians in the West Bank, but only one of several for Israel, which also takes for itself all the water available from the Jordan River.

While Palestinian daily water consumption barely reaches 70 litres a day per person, Israeli daily consumption is more than 300 litres per day, four times as much.

In some rural communities Palestinians survive on barely 20 litres per day, the minimum amount recommended for domestic use in emergency situations.