Jordanian public unhappy with Israeli water deal
The sudden decision by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to sign a declaration of intent to trade clean electricity for water has produced public opposition despite the fact that Jordan badly needs to add to its water supply due to the increase in population from the regional violence.
In normal times, the aim of the recent Jordan-Israel-United Arab Emirates declaration of intent would make sense.
A wealthy Arab Gulf country is willing to contribute to the huge infrastructure of solar panels in the vast, unused Jordanian desert in order to supply a neighboring country — Israel — with clean electricity that will help desalinate and deliver water back to water-poor Jordan.
A seeming no-brainer, but these are not normal times.
The "neighboring country," Israel, is occupying Palestinian Arab lands, and the Gulf partner's normalization policy with Israel has not played well among Jordanians and Palestinians.
