Mekorot, Israel’s National Water Carrier, uses water as a weapon against Palestinians by controlling water distribution in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It was founded in 1937 to provide water to Jewish communities in Palestine and has since then played a vital role in helping Zionism carry out its colonizing mission.  

Mekorot-operated wells in the West Bank are used to supply water to the illegal Israeli settlements. The company also confiscates water from Palestinian aquifers. This theft both destroys the livelihood of Palestinian farmers and contributes to increased disease and the lack of water necessary for well-being.  According to Amnesty International, Mekorot routinely cuts the supply of water to Palestine—by as much as 50 percent—during the summer to meet the consumption in Israel and in its settlements.

Human rights activists around the world are working to block Israel’s global aspirations for its water industry. There are campaigns to terminate contracts with Mekorot in Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, the UK, and Uruguay. In April 2016, the Brazilian state of Bahia terminated its cooperation agreement with Mekorot due to its involvement in violations of international law. Argentina cancelled a proposed $170 million water-treatment facility in response to trade unions and human rights groups recognizing Mekorot’s connection to the theft of Palestinian water resources.