The first five chapters give a short and focused reminder of the current situation of water resources in Israel and around. Something one can find in other books, but this book does it in a concise and clear manner.
Chapters six to ten are a simple propaganda pamphlet, very disappointing. It is not a political debate or analysis, simply a political discourse. The author presents his views and summarily (the word is weak) dismisses anyone who disagrees.
His thesis: Israel needs water, notably from the Golan. And Arab countries cannot be trusted, so Israel has to keep the Golan. The author does not propose any other political/technical solution.
Several solutions (from other sources) are considered and all rejected with the same fallacious argument: without stability, there is no long-term insurance that a water agreement will be respected. And Arab countries are unstable because undemocratic. So let them first become democratic and recognize Israel, and then we will see.
This is very revealing of Israel negotiating stance at present: what is mine is mine, period. What is yours is negotiable.
Well if the other side is equally flexible, peace in the Middle-East will wait a while...
Several sections describe how Palestinians pollute Israeli waters and are bordering outright racism against Arabs (filthy people). Not a word about the appalling situation of water resources in the concentration camp that the Gaza strip is turning into.
Not a word about the sharing of water between Israeli colons and Palestinian farmers in the occupied territories.
Similarly the titles of chapters 8 and 9 are revealing: Separating the facts from fabrication/fantasy can be read as: facts= what Israel says, fabrication/fantasy = what Arabs say.
Definitely a one-sided account. So four stars for the first five chapter, minus three for the rest.
Hopefully I will find other Israeli authors with more balanced views and a better understanding of what negotiations and trade-offs are about.
Interesting to read the back cover comment: "unapologetically harsh conclusions" (this from a former head of Mossad!).
Addendum: a far superior and balanced read is "Water in the Middle-East: a geography of Peace" by Aaron Wolf et al
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