Mideast: EcoPeace In The Middle East
The Middle East, as per the style guide of this publication, refers to the nations and peoples of Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The map on Encyclopaedia Brittanica’s entry titled “Middle East” includes Libya and Sudan. The UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies adds to the list naming, Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Somalia, and Tunisia.
Initially, in English, the region commonly thought of now as the Middle East was referred to as the Near East. Near East generally meant the region in which the Bible originated, or the greater Levant. It was as opposed to the Far East which referred to Eastern Asia. Middle East was first used to refer to the regions surrounding India in the context of British military coordination. Now, both colloquially and academically it signifies the (mostly) Muslim (excluding Israel) region where Arabic is (predominantly) spoken (excluding Turkey, Iran, Israel, and Afghanistan), which extends from the Sahara desert south of the Mediterranean to the Arid mountains which surround the Persian Gulf. Excuse the parenthetical confusion in the previous sentence, however, the contrived grammar reflects the limits of reason in determining the boundaries of the Middle East.
One final factor that precedes sociocultural dynamics but perhaps influences them is environmental consistency throughout the MENA region (Middle East North Africa). Desert. No, not all of the Middle East is desert, there are coasts and riverbanks and mountains. However, the majority of the landscape is marked by a severe lack of water. Throughout the Middle East, living in hot, dry climates is part of life, and access to water is a major priority.
In today’s changing climates, deserts are particularly vulnerable to drought and extreme heat. The desperate need for sustainable water access has only increased throughout the Middle East. EcoPeace is an organization based in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan that advocates for inter-regional resource sharing. Not only would countries be given what they need to survive, but they would be tied to the successes of the countries next to them. EcoPeace believes that the pathway to peace and the resolution of forever conflicts like the Arab-Israeli conflict is through mutualistic approaches to climate change and sustainability.
EcoPeace has been advocating a policy package they call the Green Blue Deal, a play on America’s Green New Deal supported by the Sunrise Movement and left-wing members of US Congress. It is ambitious for current political standards, but they call it the “low-hanging fruit.”
The first part of this policy package is also the whopper. The Water-Energy Nexus. Essentially, a trade of water from Israel and Palestine to Jordan in exchange for renewable energy. Israel already gets more than half of its potable water through desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast. Building more of these plants, including the Palestinians in the project, and building plants along the Gaza coastline would also provide more water, which could be shared by Palestine and traded to Jordan. Jordan, meanwhile, has extensive renewable energy possibilities, from solar to wind.
Jordan is one of the driest countries on earth, and it has a massive water demand. Israel, on the other hand, has access to water but is short on renewable energy. By connecting the resource pools of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, EcoPeace argues that there would be more to go around and more investment in conflict resolution.
The Green Blue Deal also calls for “Israeli / Palestinian Natural Water Allocation and Sustainable Management,” which essentially asks Israel to desalinate more of its water and allow Palestinians to draw from natural aquifers that are currently inaccessible to them. It also recommends a market-based approach to water resourcing between Israel and Palestine.
The final two demands are for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River valley from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, and for educational curricula based on environmental sustainability and peace.
The Water-Energy Nexus has been ongoing for a long time. Under various names and at various times, different interest groups have tried to bring more water from Israel into Jordan, invest in Jordanian solar, and include Palestinians in the trade of essential resources. However, problems abound.
Firstly, it's politically unpopular pretty much everywhere. Of course, when asked if they want clean water and clean energy, people invariably say yes. But, when you ask Jordanians or Palestinians if they want to buy water, from Israel, from water sources they deem to be their own, suddenly the answer is no. Similarly, if you ask Israelies if they want to become energy dependent on a neighboring Palestinian-majority Arab country, they also say no.
It took negotiations by the American government, investment money from the Emiratis, development grants from the Swedes, and activism from all three countries to put a plan in place. Then, in October of 2023, Hamas attacked Israel. This has taken a backseat since then.
All civil projects that engaged Israelis and Palestinians have struggled to recover in the wake of the brutal violence on October 7th and the subsequent war in Gaza. Neither Jordanians nor Israelis feel like compromising or deal-making with one another. Forget Palestinians, it is not even clear who can make deals on their behalf or who governs their territory.
“Never before have we seen this level of bloodshed or this degree of widespread suffering. Many among our staff and program participants are still coping with grief over loved ones lost to the violence. The ongoing war means that healing has not yet begun. October 7 and the wars which followed have shaken the belief of many that peace is still worth fighting for. Despite a backdrop of so much despair, we are proud to report that EcoPeace continues to stand as a symbol of steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship, and peace.” — EcoPeace Directors
The devoted organizers say that this war is exactly the type of violence they are trying to prevent with the Green Blue Deal and by developing regional interdependence. Unfortunately, the violence is also preventing them from making any progress.
After World War II, Europe was broken. The Wars left its borders hazy, its populations traumatized, and its industries devastated. One policy arrangement reminiscent of EcoPeace’s intentions was the 1951 European Coal and Steel Community. Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg decided to manage their coal and steel industries jointly and prevent the buildup of weapons against one another. They have not fought a war against one another since.
EcoPeace may be viewed as dreamers or naive idealists, but their ideas have some historical roots. They point to a genuine crisis of water throughout the Middle East and a crisis of violence. Maybe sharing essential resources and bearing the burden of the future together is the peace they need.
