Israel, PA at odds over water supply for new Palestinian city
A deal to connect Rawabi to the water supply sparked a furious response from settlers, even as a compromise led to another row.
Danny Rubinstein
About two weeks ago, after a long drawn-out battle, an agreement was finally reached between the Palestinian Authority and Israel's Water Authority over connecting the new Palestinian city of Rawabi, located north of Ramallah, to Israel's water network.
But the agreement has sparked a whole new row, due to efforts to appease the settlers in the area who are vehemently opposed to the existence of the city in principle.
The agreement theoretically removed the greatest obstacle to the process of populating Rawabi, where close to one thousand families have already purchased apartments. The senior Palestinian official who announced the agreement said the local company that built the city, headed by entrepreneur Bashar al-Masri, is hoping to house the first tenants within three months.
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