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Israel Prepares to Face 'Two Busy Months'

Israeli security forces stand at the site where an Israeli was wounded in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli Police said, March 18, 2018. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Israeli security forces stand at the site where an Israeli was wounded in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli Police said, March 18, 2018. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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Israel Prepares to Face 'Two Busy Months'

Israeli security forces stand at the site where an Israeli was wounded in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli Police said, March 18, 2018. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Israeli security forces stand at the site where an Israeli was wounded in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli Police said, March 18, 2018. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The Israeli Army and Security Forces (Shabak) are preparing to face tension in the Palestinian territories, as the coming months will witness “many inciting events,” according to Israeli military sources.
 
The sources hinted at the possibility of the emergence of a “mini-popular uprising”, in which violent clashes could erupt.
 
They enumerated a list of events in the upcoming months, most notably the commemoration of Earth Day on March 30, the beginning of the Hebrew Passover the following day, in addition to the Prisoner Day on April 17, during which activities are held in every town and village in solidarity with the prisoners. Two days later, Israel commemorates the 70th “founding anniversary” with extended celebrations, and on May 13, it celebrates what it calls the “Jerusalem Liberation Day” and organizes marches inside the walls of the Old City.
 
On May 14, the US State Department will officially transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem, as previously announced. On the same day, the Palestinians would commemorate Al-Nakba, and then comes the holy month of Ramadan.
 
The area is expected to witness escalated tensions, according to Israeli security leaders, who are monitoring a large number of planned or anticipated Palestinian events, such as mass rallies organized by Hamas along the border fence towards the end of March.
 
In press remarks on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman alleged that the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas “is deliberately provoking a war between Israel and Hamas.”
 
According to the sources, Israel will be requested not only to increase readiness and vigilance on the Gaza border, but also to make initial decisions to try to avoid confrontations, and to determine the extent to which it would intensify the response to attacks from the Gaza Strip. The situation in Gaza will also be affected by events in the West Bank.
 
During this period, coordination with the Palestinian Authority’s security services will also be crucial. It will not only help stop operations, but also prevent mass events that could ignite the region.

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Arab World

Egypt Strengthens Cooperation with Africa to Tackle Water Challenges

Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
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Egypt Strengthens Cooperation with Africa to Tackle Water Challenges

Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)

Egypt is continuing to strengthen its cooperation with African nations to confront the pressing challenges of water and food security.

“Water issues are a shared challenge that grows more severe due to climate change and resource scarcity, especially given Egypt’s near-total dependence on Nile water,” Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Hani Sewilam said, according to an official statement by the Egyptian Cabinet on Friday.

Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister during a celebration at the Djibouti Embassy in Cairo marking Djibouti’s 48th independence anniversary, Sewilam emphasized that cross-border cooperation, rooted in principles of international law, is the optimal path to ensure sustainable water resources.

Egypt frequently raises the issue of water security, particularly amid the ongoing crisis over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia has built on the main tributary of the Nile since 2011 to generate electricity. Egypt and Sudan fear it will impact their water shares.

Ambassador Salah Halima, former Assistant Foreign Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Egyptian Council for African Affairs, stressed that water security is closely linked to river management and dam operations. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt consistently underscores the importance of respecting international laws and agreements on managing water resources and criticized Ethiopia’s unilateral actions to impose a de facto situation regarding the dam.

Halima added that achieving water security requires cooperation among states in managing water resources and constructing dams, noting that Egypt has valuable experience African nations can benefit from.

Egypt faces a water deficit estimated at 30 billion cubic meters annually. Its share of Nile water amounts to 55.5 billion cubic meters per year, while consumption exceeds 85 billion cubic meters. The shortfall is covered by groundwater extraction, seawater desalination projects, and recycling agricultural drainage water, according to the Ministry of Irrigation.

On Friday, Sewilam highlighted the longstanding ties between Egypt and Djibouti as an example of cooperation amid complex regional and global challenges requiring greater unity and shared vision. He noted that the regional and international context demands an understanding of the magnitude of challenges, ranging from security and peace to sustainable development and socio-economic stability, especially in the Arab and African regions.

Egypt is finalizing a memorandum of understanding with Djibouti’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to cooperate in fields such as integrated water resources management, desalination technologies, groundwater recharge, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and joint research.

In parallel, Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to working with African countries to develop more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural value chains. Speaking during FAO meetings in Rome, he said that strengthening these chains is central to food security, economic growth, and job creation, particularly in rural areas. Farouk also discussed promoting Egyptian investment in Africa to boost agricultural development and food security across the continent.