Israel Wants the Litani River Water and Farmlands

[A.Rahman]

Israel Wants the Litani River Water and Farmlands

By Sam Hamod
Al-Jazeerah, August 13, 2006

The fact that Israel is trying to destroy all of Lebanon, not just Hizbullah, is clear by their bombing of Christian villages and other infrastructure that has nothing to do with Hizbullah.

What Israel really wants is control of Lebanon by a puppet government, but also covets the Litani River and the lands it irrigates--very good cropland that is the heart of the Bekka Valley, which is the heart of Lebanese agriculture. Israel also wants the electricity the dams and the Litani generate--so that they may use this for more of their "settlements" and, just like Hitler, they want this area but use different names for their taking of the land of others. In the original plans for "eretz Israel", the map showed Israel taking the Litani area over for its expansionist needs; this map was from the early 1900s. Thus, this desire to have a "security zone" that includes the Litani and its environs is no surprise to those of us who know the reality of Israeli intentions and what is behind this long planned attack.

Ironically, the Western media has given little attention to this matter, but those of us who know the Middle East well know that the Litani and the area of the south is an area that Israel has coveted for years. Israel also wants revenge on Hizbullah for the defeat Hizbullah visited on Israel by pushing the Israeli army out of Lebanon a few years back.

So, the next time you hear that Israel is "defending herself", remember the thousands of Lebanese from the South who have had to leave their homes (most of which have been destroyed by Israel by now), are homeless (with no future except as refugees), all the bridges of Lebanon which have been destroyed, the water and electric facilities and ever other meaningful sign of progress in Lebanon from the last 20 years--all of which Israel has destroyed, and continues to destroy.

It is time for this killing to stop and the sovereign nation of Lebanon once again to be rebuilt and to be able to live in peace--but not until Israel withdraws and has to pay damages to rebuild Lebanon (but this may never happen). This is a sad day for the Lebanese, and for the world; it is Palestine all over again, with Israel, like Hitler, wanting to expand its territory at the expense of others (the Poles, Hungarians and Russians and others remember this well from the 1930s when Hitler was allowed to attack freely--just as Israel is doing today, while the world stands by and sheds crocodile tears).

Professor Sam Hamod is an expert on the Middle East and a former advisor to the State Department.

 

[A.Rahman]

An aerial view shows the Sharon Land-Grab Wall, which annexes parts of the West Bank to Israel, in Baqa El Gharbiya, February 17, 2004. The Hague-based International Court of Justice begins hearings on February 23 to rule on the legality of the obstacle of wire and concrete. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters, 2/18/04).

An aerial view shows the concrete Land-Grab Wall, which cuts off parts of the occupied West Bank to annex them to Israel. This view was in east Jerusalem July 9, 2004. The World Court ruled that Israel's West Bank barrier, which has wrought hardship for thousands of Palestinians, violates international law and should be torn down

A Palestinian child in the village of Masha watering flowers in the remaining yard in his home after the Israeli government surrounded the family by the illegal Land-Grab Wall (PMC, 7/10/04).

The Sharon Land-Grab Wall and Fence is designed to annex Palestinian lands to Israel under the excuse of security. Here, the Fence passes to the east of the illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel in the West Bank, which is built on confiscated Palestinian lands. (Al-Ayyam, 10/25/03).

 

[A.Rahman]

A Palestinian boy sitting in the yard of his home in the village Mas'ha, in the West Bank, just near the Wall that the Israeli government has erected to annex more Palestinian lands, in this case this boy's land. The Sharon government announced that it would annex the Palestinian Jordan valley (PMC, 10/25/03).

 

[A.Rahman]

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall and fence around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

A Palestinian woman walking beside the Sharon Land-Grab Wall, illegally built inside the Palestinian territories (Al-Khaleej, 10/22/03).​

The Sharon Israeli government published its plans for the final route of its Land-Grab Wall. It divides Palestine into separated parts (cantons), encircles Arab East Jerusalem, and isolates the Jordan valley from the Palestinian territory. It destroys any hope for a viable and independent Palestinian state (Alquds, Alhayat Aljadedah, 10/25/03).

An Israeli occupation guard walking beside the illegal Land-Grab Sharon Wall in the northern West Bank. The Palestinian house is separated from the rest of the land the family owns, which may be given to Israeli settlers later. (Al-Ayyam, 10/23/03). ​

 

[A.Rahman]

The Israeli control over Palestinian population centers and illegal settlements in the West Bank. (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).​

 

[sigatoka]

Israel Wants the Litani River Water and Farmlands

By Sam Hamod
Al-Jazeerah, August 13, 2006

The fact that Israel is trying to destroy all of Lebanon, not just Hizbullah, is clear by their bombing of Christian villages and other infrastructure that has nothing to do with Hizbullah.

What Israel really wants is control of Lebanon by a puppet government, but also covets the Litani River and the lands it irrigates--very good cropland that is the heart of the Bekka Valley, which is the heart of Lebanese agriculture.

This is the most stupid thing i have heard, why would they want the farmland when agriculture is so cheap to import, why would they want the Litani rivers water when Israel can desalinate water for urban users, why would they want to generate power from the river when it would they could purchase a gas power generator????

The cost of fighting far outweights the gains from growing crops, or some cheap water. (I dont know where people get the idea that water is expensive?)

 

[A.Rahman]

Only time will tell for sure, but keep in mind that israel is currently facing water shortages.

 

[Averroes]

Thank brother Rahman for your posts.

www.stopthewall.org is a very good site dealing with the apartheid wall, which the International Court has found to be illegal and simply a smokescreen for grabbing the most fertile land in the west bank.

http://stopthewall.org/maps/150.shtml - for better maps.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1258147,00.html - World Court Tells Israel to tear down the Wall

The world court yesterday branded Israel's vast concrete and steel barrier through the West Bank a political not a security measure, and a de facto land grab. The judges told Israel to tear it down and compensate the victims.

The International Court of Justice at The Hague said signatories to the Geneva convention, such as Britain and the US, are obliged to ensure Israel upholds the ruling.

It condemned what it described as the widespread confiscation and destruction of Palestinian property, and the disruption of the lives of thousands of protected civilians, caused by construction of what Israel calls the "anti-terror fence". It also called on the UN to consider measures against Israel. Sanctions appear unlikely in the face of US opposition, but Palestinians hailed the ruling as a landmark judgment that could mobilise international opinion.

"Israel is under an obligation to terminate its breaches of international law; it is under an obligation to cease forthwith the works of construction of the wall being built in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, to dismantle forthwith the structure therein situated," the court ruled.

Only time will tell for sure, but keep in mind that israel is currently facing water shortages.

Is it, last I read Palestinians were being deprived of water and receiving less than what the UN has recommended per/day for every human being and the average Israeli was getting 3 - 4 x more than needed.

Apart from the war mongering nationalism that permeates zionism, you have to look back at the fundamentals of zionism to understand why they would want Litani river, which is settlements. As high tech as the inner city folk are, the gov has to appeal to their settlers which is what zionism is about, which israeli leaders have tried to convey to their people that settlement is what zionism is about. you have 180,000 illegal settlers in Jerusalem and more in the West Bank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_settlement#Settlements.2C_Palestinians.2C_and_human_rights

 

[Neo]

This is the most stupid thing i have heard, why would they want the farmland when agriculture is so cheap to import, why would they want the Litani rivers water when Israel can desalinate water for urban users, why would they want to generate power from the river when it would they could purchase a gas power generator????

Lebanese farms are fertile, rich with sediments and water.
Cheap imports apart, every country has a desire to have some selfsufficiency in food supply.

The cost of fighting far outweights the gains from growing crops, or some cheap water. (I dont know where people get the idea that water is expensive?)

Water ain't cheap when there's not enough! Thats the reason Israel is still occupying Golan.