Israeli Tourist Trap ‘Herod’s Pool’ Is Draining Palestinians’ Land Dry

Israeli Tourist Trap ‘Herod’s Pool’ Is Draining Palestinians’ Land Dry By Lina Al‑Khatib, BBC Correspondent The Israeli Knesset’s recent tourism push has put the spotlight on an ancient water‑reservoir known locally as Herod’s Pool, a historic site perched on the edge of Jerusalem’s West Bank outskirts. While promotional brochures depict the pool as a serene relic of Roman engineering, the reality on the ground is far less idyllic. Since July, the pool has been refilled with water diverted from a network of Palestinian farms that once irrigated orchards, vegetable plots and olive groves in the nearby villages of al‑Jab’a and Beit Jala..

The move has sparked outrage among Palestinian landowners, who say the water transfer is part of a broader strategy to deprive them of essential resources. The scheme was first announced in a televised address by Minister of Tourism Yoav Gallant, who invited “both Israelis and international visitors” to experience the “living history” of Herod’s Pool. Gallant’s speech, delivered in Jerusalem’s Knesset chamber, highlighted the pool’s “cultural significance” and its potential to boost the local economy through increased tourism..

However, the minister’s remarks omitted any reference to the source of the water now filling the basin, a detail that Palestinian officials and human‑rights groups claim is deliberately concealed to mask the impact on agricultural communities. According to a joint report by the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the NGO Al‑Haq, at least 1.2 million cubic metres of water have been redirected from Palestinian irrigation channels to Herod’s Pool over the past two months. The report notes that the water was taken without compensation or prior notice, violating the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which obliges Israel to refrain from “unilaterally altering water allocations” that affect Palestinian agriculture..

The PWA has lodged a formal complaint with the Israeli Civil Administration, demanding an immediate halt to the diversions and restitution for the loss of crops. Farmers in al‑Jab’a, a village of 8,500 residents, describe the consequences in stark terms. “Our orange trees are wilting, the tomatoes are rotting in the fields, and the olive groves that have fed our families for generations are now dry,” says Ahmad Abu Salah, a third‑generation farmer..

He adds that the water diverted to Herod’s Pool is “the same water that once ran through our irrigation ditches, the lifeblood of our land.” Abu Salah’s neighbour, 27‑year‑old horticulturist Leila Khatib, warns that the loss of water will force many families to abandon farming altogether, driving a wave of unemployment and deepening the economic disparity between Israeli settlements and Palestinian villages. Israeli settlement leaders, on the other hand, praise the government’s initiative. A spokesperson for the nearby settlement of Ma’ale Adumim argued that the pool’s restoration is a “heritage project that benefits all peoples of the Holy Land.” He claimed the water used for the pool is “excess” and “does not affect anyone’s livelihood.” Yet critics point out that the term “excess” is a legal fiction, as the water in question is extracted from a shared aquifer that already supplies both Israeli and Palestinian communities under a fragile allocation system established after the 1995 Oslo accords..

Legal experts warn that the water diversions could set a dangerous precedent. Hanan Al‑Khatib, a professor of international law at Birzeit University, explains that “the unilateral redirection of water resources without mutual consent contravenes not only bilateral agreements but also customary international water law, which mandates equitable and reasonable use of shared watercourses.” She adds that the case may be taken to the International Court of Justice if diplomatic channels fail, a step that could further strain already tenuous Israeli‑Palestinian relations. The Israeli Civil Administration, the military body that governs civilian affairs in Area C of the West Bank, has so far defended the diversions as “temporary measures for heritage preservation.” In a written statement to the BBC, the administration said that the water will be returned to its original channels once the pool’s water level stabilises and that “no permanent damage to Palestinian agriculture is intended.” Observers, however, note that similar “temporary” measures have persisted for years, effectively normalising the depletion of Palestinian water supplies..

International reaction has been muted but not indifferent. The European Union’s Middle East envoy, Josep Borrell, issued a brief comment urging “all parties to respect existing water‑sharing agreements and to ensure that cultural projects do not come at the expense of basic human needs.” The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has flagged the situation as a “potential humanitarian concern,” noting that water scarcity already places 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank at risk of food insecurity. In Jerusalem, activists have staged daily protests outside the Ministry of Tourism, holding signs that read “Herod’s Pool, Not Our Pool” and “Water for People, Not for Pictures.” The demonstrations, organized by the Palestinian NGO “Water for Life,” have drawn a modest but determined crowd of 150 people, including Israeli peace‑activists..

Their demands are simple: halt the water diversion, compensate affected farmers, and establish a joint management committee for any future heritage projects that involve shared resources. The controversy has also sparked a debate within Israel about the ethics of heritage tourism. A public opinion poll conducted by the Israeli Center for.