Israel's water law and its administration warrants scrutiny for its exceptional foresight, depth, and flexibility. The State of Israel was created in 1948 and a decade later the parliament (Knesset) passed four water laws that cover all aspects of water use and reuse. The laws' motif is that water is a national resource, owned by the people and held in trust by the Government for the benefit of the people. This type of legislation could not be passed today as paternalistic approaches have given way to a focus on individual rights and responsibilities. While privatization and long-term planning have changed water administration, the basic legislative infrastructure remains in place today as a comprehensive code worthy of study and imitation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Central Bureau of Statistics (2006). Israel environment data compendium (No. 2). Jerusalem: Government of Israel.
Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection, Groundwater Quantity and Quality; 2001, Environment Bulletin, Summer 2002, Vol. 25/3.
Kendall, H., & Baruth, K. H. (1949). Village development in Palestine during the British mandate. London, UK: Waterlow & Sons.
Kislev, Y. (2006). The new water law. Water and Irrigation, 478 (Hebrew).
Knesset Committee Concerning Water (2002). The report of the parliamentary investigative committee concerning water (Magen committee). Jerusalem: Government of Israel.
Laster, R., Livney, D., & Holender, D. (2005). The sound of one hand clapping: Limitations to integrated water resources management in the Dead Sea Basin. Pace Environmental Law Review, 22, 123–148.
Shaw, J. V. W. (1946). A survey of Palestine. Jerusalem: Government of Palestine Mandate.
Sitton, D. (2002). Development of water resources. Available at http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/ History/Modern%20History/Israel%20at%2050/Development%20of%20Water%20 Resources.
State Comptroller (2004). ‘Treatment of drainage infrastructure’, in State Comptroller's Report No. 2004/004, pp. 163–227.
Yaroslavitch, D. Water Commissioner, interviewed on August 31, 2006.
Cases
Aashash v. Rev. Herman Scheller, 1 P.L.R. 721 (1932).
Hussein v. Mour'I, 1 P.L.R. 386 (1934).
Israel Union for Environmental Defence v. Minister of Finance (2006). High Court of Justice, no. 2907/06.
Kibbutz Tzuba v. Israel (2003). Jerusalem District Court, no. 7138/04. Local Council Pardess Hanna v. Minister of Agriculture (1964). High Court of Justice, no. 221/64.
Menorah Insurance Co. v Zevulun Valey Drainage Authority (1993). Nazareth District Court, nos. 404/93, 307/93.
Miloban MCP Inc. v. Water Commissioner (2005). Water Court, no. 629/05.
Mutawalli of Shazletti Waqf v. Municipal Council of Acre, 7 P.L.R. 509 (1940).
State v. City of Ashdod (2000). High Court of Justice, no. 1872/00.
Other Government Materials
Amendment to the Palestine Order in Council of 1922 (1940).
Cities Building Ordinance (1935).
Criminal Code Ordinance (1936).
Drainage and Flood Control Law (1957). 12 L.S.I 5.
Drainage (Surface Water) Ordinance (1942).
Local Authorities (Sewerage) Law (1962). 16 L.S.I. 81.
Mejelle 1858 (Turkey).
Municipal Corporations (Sewerage, Drainage and Water) Ordinance (1936).
Palestine Mandate Resolution (1922). Available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1922mandate. html.
Public Health Ordinance No. 40 (1940).
Safeguarding of Public Water Supplies Ordinance No. 17 (1937).
Safeguarding of Public Water Supplies Ordinance No. 2 (1938).
Safeguarding of Public Water Supplies Ordinance No. 20 (1938).
Streams and Springs Authority Law (1965). S.H. 457.
Water and Sewerage Companies Act (2001). S.H. 1802.
Water Drilling Control Law (1955). 9 L.S.I. 88.
Water Law (1959). 13 L.S.I. 173.
Water Measurement Law (1955). 9 L.S.I., 85.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Laster, R., Livney, D. (2009). Israel: The Evolution of Water Law and Policy. In: Dellapenna, J.W., Gupta, J. (eds) The Evolution of the Law and Politics of Water. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9867-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9867-3_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9866-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9867-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)