John Kerry: Investigate Israel's Part in Gaza's Water Crisis

JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, the people of Gaza have a human right to clean and safe drinking water. The UN has determined that the source of 95% of Gaza's drinking water may be entirely unfit for human consumption by the end of this year, and irreversibly damaged by 2020.

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, REQUEST THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATE ISRAEL'S PART IN THIS CRISIS. The U.S. Foreign Assistance Act forbids U.S. military aid to governments that abuse human rights. International law states that safe and clean drinking water is a human right.

If an investigation of Israel's alleged culpability for this crisis concludes Israel has abused the human right to water, U.S. military aid must be cancelled until future investigation proves that Israel is no longer abusing this human right of the people of Gaza.

Background:

Other contributing factors include Mediterranean Sea salt-water seeping into the aquifer due to over-extraction and reduced levels of fresh water, coupled with infiltration of agricultural fertilizers and untreated sewage. Israel's bombing of water-system infrastructure adds significant insult to injury.

Israel contributes to this problem on several levels, including but not necessarily limited to (1) not selling water in the amounts required in Oslo II, (2) not allowing materials into Gaza to rebuild desalination plants, water storage and other water and sanitation infrastructure, and (3) not selling requisite electricity to operate Gaza's desalination plants and a large-scale sewage plant provided by the World Bank.*

In June of this year, the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that the average water consumption in Gaza is currently 55 liters per person per day, while the World Health Organization (WHO)
standard is 100 liters per day.

The U.S. Foreign Assistance Act reads in part, [no assistance will be provided to a government which] "engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, including…the right to life, liberty, and the security of person…"

Water is recognized internationally as a human right.* *

We therefore urge the State Department to investigate Israel's part in Gaza's water crisis to see if Foreign Assistance, which includes military aid, should be withheld until Israel has done what is necessary for people living in Gaza to have an adequate amount of clean and safe drinking water.
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* Gould and McDermott, Time Magazine, How to Solve Gaza's Water Crisis,
http://time.com/4301139/gaza-water-crisis/ NOTE: This article contains numerous hyperlinks to further information.

** On 28 July 2010, 122 countries formally acknowledged the "right to water" in the UN General Assembly resolution (A/64/292, based on draft resolution A/64/L.63/Rev.1).[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_water#Recognition_under_international_law_.281976.E2.80.932010.29

Additional reading:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/water-crisis-deepens-gaza-strip-
151006081548621.html

http://mondoweiss.net/2016/03/palestinians-in-gaza-are-drinking-
contaminated-water-from-their-sinks/