Israel waits with tension as the Lebanese prepare to begin drawing water from the Wazani River with the new installation they completed last month. The Wazani spills into the Hatzbani River, a significant water source for Israel. Diplomatic sources say that Israel will have no choice but to respond militarily, although Prime Minister Sharon is currently not in favor of such a response.
Yesha Cohen, who runs a kayaking operation at Kibbutz HaGoshrim near Israel's northern border, says that the new water-drawing installation, located only about a mile from him, is a real threat not only to his business, but also to the entire tourism industry in the north. "If they were only taking drinking water for the nearby villages," Cohen said, "that would be one thing. But the size of the pipe they've installed shows that they want a lot more than that." He said that this past year, the water supply was sufficient for his business "only because of various measures we took, but if we were to lose any more water, we wouldn't be able to stay afloat."
Yesha Cohen, who runs a kayaking operation at Kibbutz HaGoshrim near Israel's northern border, says that the new water-drawing installation, located only about a mile from him, is a real threat not only to his business, but also to the entire tourism industry in the north. "If they were only taking drinking water for the nearby villages," Cohen said, "that would be one thing. But the size of the pipe they've installed shows that they want a lot more than that." He said that this past year, the water supply was sufficient for his business "only because of various measures we took, but if we were to lose any more water, we wouldn't be able to stay afloat."