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Husseini, H. 2007. Palestinian Water Authority: Development and challenges—legal framework and capacity. In Water resources in the Middle East, ed. H. Shuval and H. Dweik, 301. Berlin: Springer. Keidar, J., and F. Kawash. 2005. Regional water data banks project multilateral working group on water resources. In Food security under water scarcity in the Middle East: Problems and solutions , ed. A. Hamdy and R. Monti, 213–215. Bari:CIHEAM-IAMB. Oka, H. 2002. Activities of the multilateral environmental working group. In Security and environment in the Mediterranean, ed. H. G. Brauch, P. H. Liotta, A. Marquina, P. F. Rogers, and S. M. El-Sayed, 573. Berlin: Springer. Seby, I. 2003. Joint mismanagement: Reappraising the Oslo water regime. In Water resources in the Middle East, ed. H. Shuval and H. Dweik, 203–212. Berlin: Springer. Sofer, A. 1994. The relevance of the Johnston Plan to the reality of 1993 and beyond. In Water resources in the Middle East, ed. H. Shuval and H. Dweik, 107. Berlin: Springer. Sogge, D. 2002. Give and take: What’s the matter with foreign aid. London: Zed Books. Twite, R. 2005. The role of NGOs in promoting regional cooperation over environmental and water issues in Israel and Palestine—successes and limitations. In Palestinian and Israeli environmental narratives, proceedings of a conference held in association with the Middle East Environmental Futures project, ed. S. Schoenfeld. Toronto: Centre for International and Security Studies, York University. www.yorku.ca/yciss//whatsnew/documents/Twitepaper.pdf (accessed November 8, 2009). United Nations Environmental Program. 2003. Desk study on the environment in the occupied Palestinian Territories. Geneva: UNEP. West Bank Water Department. 2004. Institutional reform towards national bulk supply utility. In Food security under water scarcity in the Middle East: Problems and solutions, ed. A. Hamdy and R. Monti, 123. Paris: CIHEAM-IAMB. The Role of Third Parties 307 308 O Editors’ Summary If the past 15 years have made anything clear, it is that leaving Israelis and Palestinians to resolve their differences will have limited results. Quantum leaps forward in the region became possible due to interventions of third parties. The United States has been particularly active in this realm, from the work of special presidential envoy Eric Johnston during the 1950s to the work of the Clinton administration during the 1990s. The increasing status of the “quartet”—the negotiating consortium comprised of the United States, Russia, the EU, and the UN—creates a broad international umbrella for facilitating hydrological progress. This is a positive development that should be welcomed by both sides. Water constitutes a particularly promising area where this influence can find positive expression. Robin Twite’s presentation offers a frank assessment of what has and what has not been achieved by the international community’s involvement in the water realm to date. The disappointing results in no way mean that third parties should find better areas on which to focus their assistance. Rather, aid should be given more strategically, prescriptively, and resolutely, with third-party involvement going beyond financial support. Twite’s overall suggestions are widely accepted by both Palestinian and Israeli experts alike. Accordingly, it is extremely important that once third parties decide to get involved, they remain involved and their staffs have the professional skills as well as the requisite attention spans and tours of duty to get beyond superficial familiarity . Given the anticipated strategic role of aid in Palestinian in improving conditions , there is room for participation of experts in the joint administrative bodies, like the Joint Water Committee. Indeed, the success of similar bilateral bodies, such as the International Boundary and Water Commission established under the Treaty between the United States of America and Mexico regarding Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande Rivers, was due to professional membership. This commission, for over half a century, has shown that joint management works when decisions are made by experts and engineers rather than by diplomats and politicians. Israelis and Palestinians are generally supportive of expanding the local Joint Water Committee to formalize input from the international donor community. Any peace accord that is ultimately reached by Israel and Palestine will be fragile. The new equilibrium will only become more robust when the emergence of real benefits to the two parties becomes apparent. Israel’s benefits will largely be diplomatic and associated with its enhanced security and status within the Middle Eastern community. Palestinians must see a transformation not only in [3.128.78.41...

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