Author: Wadih El Khazen.

More forcefully than ever, it has become evident that the next casus belli in the Middle East will be control and use of water. Security of water supply is becoming at least as important as territorial security. Thus resolution of water-related issues is essential for the success of the Arab-Israeli peace process which is now at an ,almost, complete halt. Many Israeli policymakers view the water supply from the Litani River as a promising solution to their country’s impending water crisis. However, the Litani River, whose entire basin is in Lebanon , is crucial for rebuilding and effectively integrating the country in the post-civil-war period. Specifically, the waters of the Litani are essential for agricultural and industrial development of southern Lebanon. This competition for water, a prized resource in a water-scarce region, makes the Litani river a potential source of serious international conflict in the future and complicates the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The conceptual premise of the analysis presented here is that The Sate Of Israel, suffering from water resources scarcities, will try to reach those waters beyond its  borders using all sorts of pressures including coercive actions  involving the military.