U.N. Envoy Welcomes Water Deal

An agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to renew cooperation on water management won positive attention from the U.N. on Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

While condemnations and warnings continued to flow from the U.N. and the Paris summit, the water deal demonstrated that peaceful cooperation could be achieved by the two sides when it serves shared interests.

“I welcome the signature of an agreement to renew the activity of the Israeli – Palestinian Joint Water Committee to improve the water infrastructure and supply…” U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov said.

“This, along with previous joint agreements on electricity, water, mail and 3G cellular coverage, is in line with the Middle East Quartet’s recommendations,” Mladenov said.

“If fully implemented, this agreement would be an important step toward preserving the two-state solution. I encourage further cooperation between the two sides which is critical to the viability of a future Palestinian state,” Mladenov said.

In fact, Mladenov was echoing what Israeli Major General Yoav Mordechai said at the conclusion of the agreement on Sunday: “Signing the water agreement proves that you can reach agreements and understandings when you discuss matters in a substantive, bilateral manner that is clean of foreign considerations when it concerns matters of natural resources and other infrastructural issues that affect the entire population,” said Mordechai.