Arab member states of the Board for Exploitation of the Jordan River have started work to divert the river and its tributaries, in an effort to counter Israel’s tap of the river for its Negev irrigation project, it was reported here today from Damascus.
Subhi Kahale, executive director of the board, announced the beginning of the diversion efforts and said they would last for two years. He said the board had many plans for the diversion of which some were under study and others underway.
Israel’s huge irrigation project, which taps the Jordan River through Lake Tiberias, went into full operation last June. Israel has warned the Arab countries that it would regard implementation of the diversion threats as an aggressive act.
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