Parched Jordan fuming at Israeli refusal to renew expired water deal – report |
Jordan is furious about Israel’s continued refusal to renew a 2021 water agreement between the two neighbors, the Kan public broadcaster reported Monday.
The 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan mandates that Jerusalem supply 50 million cubic meters annually to its eastern neighbor. In 2021, during the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government, Israel agreed to double the amount of fresh water it provides to Jordan, one of the world’s most water-deficient countries.
The 2021 agreement expired in late 2025 after a series of extensions, though Israel still supplies the initial 50 million cubic meters laid out in the peace treaty. Israel reportedly conditioned the supply of the additional volume on Jordan moderating its rhetoric toward Israel and restoring full diplomatic ties.
A Jordanian source close to the royal family told the outlet: “The water issue is very important to us, and is part of the peace treaty.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah declined repeated requests from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet in March, according to Israeli media reports. One of Abdullah’s demands for agreeing to a meeting was the renewal of the water agreement, the report said.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen had been renewing the additional agreement every six months, reportedly under pressure from the US and because Jordan helped shoot down Iranian drones fired at Israel, the Ynet news site reported. However, Jerusalem became........