With a Little Help from my Friends
Mining the Logic behind Israel-Jordan-UAE Water for Electricity Deal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21154/invest.v4i2.9857Keywords:
desalinated water, electricity, Israel, Jordan, regional cooperation, trust building, UAEAbstract
In November 2021, Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began evaluating the feasibility of an agreement under which Israel would supply Jordan with desalinated drinking water and Jordan would provide Israel with electricity generated by solar systems located in Jordan and built by a UAE company. Since both water and electricity can be produced independently””Jordan can desalinate its own water, and Israel can generate electricity from solar power””the article questions the rationale behind this project. It concludes that the agreement’s foundation, both in terms of engineering and legal structure, is heavily rooted in political and psychological theories of trust building. If successful, this initiative could pave the way for broader regional cooperation and normalization.
References
Abitbol, Eric. “Giving the Dead Sea a New Life: Have All Options Been Responsibly Considered?” Journal of Peacebuilding & Development 3, no. 1 (September 2006): 94”“99. https://doi.org/10.1080/15423166.2006.774964252571.
Amman. “Drought-Hit Jordan to Build Red Sea Desalination Plant.” News. France 24, 2021. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210613-drought-hit-jordan-to-build-red-sea-desalination-plant.
Bilanceri, Serena. “Water for Energy: A Controversial Deal in a Thirsty Region.” Organization. Friedrich Naumann Foundation, April 4, 2022. https://www.freiheit.org/middle-east-and-north-africa/water-energy-controversial-deal-thirsty-region.
Borthwick, Geoffrey. “Confirmation Bias and Related Errors,” January 1, 2000. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.128.
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Six-Day War.” In Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. https://www.britannica.com/event/Six-Day-War.
Bromberg, Gidon, Nada Majdalani, and Yana Abu Taleb. “A Green Blue Deal for the Middle East.” Palestine: EcoPeace Middle East, December 2020. https://ecopeaceme.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/A-Green-Blue-Deal-for-the-Middle-East-EcoPeace.pdf.
Elmusa, Sharif S. “The Jordan-Israel Water Agreement: A Model or an Exception?” Journal of Palestine Studies 24, no. 3 (April 1995): 63”“73. https://doi.org/10.1525/jps.1995.24.3.00p0026m.
Fischhendler, Itay, Aaron T. Wolf, and Gabriel E. Eckstein. “The Role of Creative Language in Addressing Political Asymmetries: The Israeli-Arab Water Agreements.” In Managing Water in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities - Proceedings of the 8th Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy, 69”“94, 2016.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Israel Renews Water-Sharing Agreement With Jordan Despite Strained Bilateral Ties.” Organization, May 19, 2024. https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/05/19/israel-renews-water-sharing-agreement-with-jordan-despite-strained-bilateral-ties/.
Garcia, Gina Ann. Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019.
Gorvett, Zaria. “Mediterranean States Must Work Together to Adapt to Water Scarcity ”“ Prof. Ralf Ludwig.” Magazine. Horizon, April 27, 2015. https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/mediterranean-states-must-work-together-adapt-water-scarcity-prof-ralf-ludwig.
Govier, Trudy. “Is It a Jungle Out There? Trust, Distrust and the Construction of Social Reality.” Dialogue 33, no. 2 (1994): 237”“52. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0012217300010519.
Guzansky, Yoel. “The United Arab Emirates: Proactive in War and Peace.” INSS Insight, August 23, 2020. https://www.inss.org.il/publication/uae-proactive-in-war-and-peace/.
Haddadin. “Negotiated Resolution of the Jordan-Israel Water Conflict.” International Negotiation 5, no. 2 (2000): 263”“88. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718060020848767.
International Law Association. The Helsinki Rules on the Uses of the Waters of International Rivers (n.d.). https://unece.org/fileadmin//DAM/env/water/meetings/legal_board/2010/annexes_groundwater_paper/Annex_II_Helsinki_Rules_ILA.pdf.
Israeli Bureau of Statistics. “Israel Population 1950-2024.” Macrotrends, 2024. https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/ISR/israel/population#:~:text=The%20current%20population%20of%20Israel,a%201.51%25%20increase%20from%202022.
Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. “Declaration of Intent Between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.” Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, 2020. https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/news/press_221121/en/DOI_221121.pdf.
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Annex II: Water and Related Matters.” Goverment. Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1999. https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Peace/Guide/Pages/Israel-Jordan%20Peace%20Treaty%20Annex%20II.aspx.
Jägerskog, Anders. “Why States Cooperate over Shared Water: The Water Negotiations in the Jordan River Basin.” In Water Resources in the Middle East, edited by Hillel Shuval and Hassan Dweik, 195”“202. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69509-7_19.
Jones, Gareth R., and Jennifer M. George. “The Experience and Evolution of Trust: Implications for Cooperation and Teamwork.” The Academy of Management Review 23, no. 3 (July 1998): 531. https://doi.org/10.2307/259293.
Karolina, ZieliÅ„ska. “Israel and the Arab States: Between Conflict and Interdependence.” OSW COMMENTARY, April 4, 2023. https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2023-04-04/israel-and-arab-states-between-conflict-and-interdependence.
Kee, Herbert W., and Robert E. Knox. “Conceptual and Methodological Considerations in the Study of Trust and Suspicion.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 14, no. 3 (September 1970): 357”“66. https://doi.org/10.1177/002200277001400307.
Khashan, Hilal. “Partner or Pariah? Attitudes Toward Israel in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.” Policy Paper, no. 41 (April 1, 1996). https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/partner-or-pariah-attitudes-toward-israel-syria-lebanon-and-jordan.
Kornfeld, Itzchak E. “A Water Solution for the Middle East Conflict.” Environmental Law Reporter 33, no. 10207 (2003). https://ssrn.com/abstract=1016899.
””””””. “The Middle East: Climate Change, Water Insecurity and Hydro-Diplomacy.” In Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads, edited by Robert V. Percival, Jolene Lin, and William Piermattei. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783470853.00012.
Kramer, Roderick M. “TRUST AND DISTRUST IN ORGANIZATIONS: Emerging Perspectives, Enduring Questions.” Annual Review of Psychology 50, no. 1 (February 1999): 569”“98. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.50.1.569.
Lewicki, Roy J., Edward C. Tomlinson, and Nicole Gillespie. “Models of Interpersonal Trust Development: Theoretical Approaches, Empirical Evidence, and Future Directions.” Journal of Management 32, no. 6 (December 2006): 991”“1022. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206306294405.
Lipchin, Clive. “A Future for the Dead Sea Basin: Water Culture among Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians.” In Water Resources in the Middle East, edited by Hillel Shuval and Hassan Dweik, 87”“107. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69509-7_9.
Lockman, Zachary. Contending Visions of the Middle East: The History and Politics of Orientalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511606786.
Lowi, Miriam R. Water and Power: The Politics of a Scarce Resource in the Jordan River Basin. 1st ed. Cambridge University Press, 1993. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511598708.
Mayer, Roger C., James H. Davis, and F. David Schoorman. “An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust.” The Academy of Management Review 20, no. 3 (July 1995): 709. https://doi.org/10.2307/258792.
McAllister, D. J. “AFFECT- AND COGNITION-BASED TRUST AS FOUNDATIONS FOR INTERPERSONAL COOPERATION IN ORGANIZATIONS.” Academy of Management Journal 38, no. 1 (February 1, 1995): 24”“59. https://doi.org/10.2307/256727.
Miller, Benjamin. “When and How Regions Become Peaceful: Potential Theoretical Pathways to Peace1.” International Studies Review 7, no. 2 (June 2005): 229”“67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2486.2005.00482.x.
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. “Jordan, Israel, and the UAE Sign MoU to Advance Project Prosperity, Targeting COP 28 for Implementation Plan Development.” Goverment. Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, August 11, 2022. https://www.gov.il/en/pages/press_081122.
Mirumachi, Naho, and John Antony Allan. “Revisiting Transboundary Water Governance: Power, Conflict Cooperation and the Political Economy,” Vol. 1215, 2007.
MiÅ¡Ê¿al, Å Äʾûl, Ranan D. Kuperman, and David Boas. Investment in Peace: The Politics of Economic Cooperation between Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. 1. publ. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 2001.
Munin, Nellie. “A New Horizon? Assessing the Abraham Accords’ Economic and Political Effect on Israel.” Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies 9, no. 1 (December 19, 2022): 11”“24. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajms.9-1-1.
””””””. “Israel’s Trade Alliances Strategy: Enjoying the Best of All Worlds.” International Journal of Law and Public Administration 4, no. 2 (November 25, 2021): 23. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijlpa.v4i2.5409.
Munin, Nellie, and Ofer Sitbon. “Between Normative Power and Soft Power: The Psagot Case Prism.” Australia and New Zealand Journal of European Studies 13, no. 1 (2021): 18”“33. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4926616.
Mwagiru, Makumi M., Macharia Munene, and Njeri Karuru. Understanding Conflict and Its Management. Nairobi: Centre for Conflict Research, 1998.
Nevo, Joseph. “East and West of the Jordan River.” In King Abdallah and Palestine, by Joseph Nevo, 3”“9. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 1996. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230378834_1.
Olivia O. Green and Aaron T. Wolf, "Institutional Resilience and Climate Variability in International Water Treaties: The Jordan River Basin as 'Proof-of-Concept'," Hydrological Sciences Journal 56, no. 4, 2012: 703-710.
Oseran, Ariel. “Israel, Jordan, UAE Ink ”˜water-for-Energy’ MOU.” News. I24news, November 8, 2022. https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy/1667907954-israel-jordan-uae-sign-water-for-electricity-mou.
Press-Barnathan, Galia. “The Neglected Dimension of Commercial Liberalism: Economic Cooperation and Transition to Peace.” Journal of Peace Research 43, no. 3 (May 2006): 261”“78. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343306063931.
Reuters. “Israel and Jordan Move Forward with Water-for-Energy Deal.” News. Reuters, November 8, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/israel-jordan-move-forward-with-water-for-energy-deal-2022-11-08/.
Roe, Anat. “Gas Supply Agreement to Egypt Through Jordan Enters Into Force. Livyatan Will Flow 0.5 BCM by the End of the Year.” Calcalist February 26 (2022).
Rousseau, Denise M., Sim B. Sitkin, Ronald S. Burt, and Colin Camerer. “Introduction to Special Topic Forum: Not so Different after All: A Cross-Discipline View of Trust.” The Academy of Management Review 23, no. 3 (1998): 393”“404. http://www.jstor.org/stable/259285.
Segell, Glen. “Revisiting Nasser Style Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism Prompted by the Abraham Accords.” Insight on Africa 14, no. 1 (January 2022): 24”“39. https://doi.org/10.1177/09750878211048161.
Shapiro, Debra L., Blair H. Sheppard, and Lisa Cheraskin. “Business on a Handshake.” Negotiation Journal 8, no. 4 (October 1992): 365”“77. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1571-9979.1992.tb00679.x.
Shatanawi, Mohamed, Maysa Shammout, Sawsan Naber, Nahla Aboul-Fotouh, Alaa Eddin Abdin, Samir Sedky, Lucila Candela, et al. “Conceptual Frame of Water Conflicts in the Mediterranean,” n.d. https://www.idaea.csic.es/meliaproject/node/79.
Shemesh, Moshe. “Prelude to the Six-Day War: The Arab-Israeli Struggle Over Water Resources.” Israel Studies 9, no. 3 (October 2004): 1”“45. https://doi.org/10.2979/ISR.2004.9.3.1.
Sorkin, Emily. “The Abraham Accords: The Culmination of a Decades-Long Normalization Process between Israel and the UAE.” Boston University, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/42494.
Sue Surkes, Jordan, "Israel. “UAE Sign New MOU on Deal to Swap Solar Energy for Desalinated Water.” The Times of Israel, November 8, 2022. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-jordan-uae-sign-new-mou-on-deal-to-swap-solar-energy-for-desalinated-water/.
Talozi, Samer, Amelia Altz-Stamm, Hussam Hussein, and Peter Reich. “What Constitutes an Equitable Water Share? A Reassessment of Equitable Apportionment in the Jordan”“Israel Water Agreement 25 Years Later.” Water Policy 21, no. 5 (October 1, 2019): 911”“33. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2019.143.
TRTWorld, "Israel. “Jordan Sign MOU to Move Ahead with Water-for-Energy Deal,” November 8, 2022.
Ulrichsen, Kristian Coates. “Israel and the Arab Gulf States: Drivers and Directions of Change.” Baker Institute for Public Policy, September 19, 2016. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/israel-and-arab-gulf-states-drivers-and-directions-change.
Weiss, Matthew. “The Definition of the Situation and Its Impact on Israeli-Jordanian Water Relations.” In Western Political Science Association 2010 Annual Meeting Paper, n.d. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1582782.
Williamson, Oliver E. “The Economics of Organization: The Transaction Cost Approach.” American Journal of Sociology 87, no. 3 (November 1981): 548”“77. https://doi.org/10.1086/227496.
World Bank. “Agreement of Trading and Economic Cooperation between the HKJ and the Government of the State of Israel (SI),” 1995. https://wits.worldbank.org/GPTAD/PDF/archive/Isreal-Jordon.pdf.
Yom, Sean. “Collaboration and Community Amongst the Arab Monarchies.” Edited by N. Anayiss. POMEP Briefings 31 (2017): 27”“31. https://pomeps.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/POMEPS_GCC_Qatar-Crisis.pdf.
Yoon, Jim, Christian Klassert, Philip Selby, Thibaut Lachaut, Stephen Knox, Nicolas Avisse, Julien Harou, et al. “A Coupled Human”“Natural System Analysis of Freshwater Security under Climate and Population Change.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 14 (April 6, 2021): e2020431118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020431118.
Zaga, M. “Were the Abraham Accords a ”˜Game-Changing’ Move? First Year Test,” 2021. https://mitvim.org.il/publication/abraham-accords-as-a-game-changer-a-year-after-moran-zaga-september-2021-hebrew.
Zaken, Danny. “Israel and Jordan to Speed up Water for Electricity Deal.” News. Globes, January 30, 2023. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-and-jordan-to-speed-up-water-for-electricity-deal-1001436842.
””””””. “Israel, Jordan, UAE to Expedite Water-for-Power Project.” News. Globes, November 7, 2022. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-jordan-uae-to-expedite-water-for-power-project-1001429012.
Zeitoun, Mark, and Naho Mirumachi. “Transboundary Water Interaction I: Reconsidering Conflict and Cooperation.” International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics 8, no. 4 (December 2008): 297”“316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-008-9083-5.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Nellie Munin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
An author who publishes in the Invest Journal of Sharia & Economic Law agrees to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).