Parched Jordan fuming at Israeli refusal to renew expired water deal – report

2021 agreement doubled the original 50 million annual cubic meters specified in 1994 peace pact; the increase was repeatedly renewed until November, when fraying relations ended it

Jordan is furious about Israel’s continued refusal to renew a 2021 water agreement between the two neighbors, the Kan public broadcaster reported Monday.

The 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan mandates that Jerusalem supply 50 million cubic meters annually to its eastern neighbor. In 2021, during the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government, Israel agreed to double the amount of fresh water it provides to Jordan, one of the world’s most water-deficient countries.

The 2021 agreement expired in late 2025 after a series of extensions, though Israel still supplies the initial 50 million cubic meters laid out in the peace treaty. Israel reportedly conditioned the supply of the additional volume on Jordan moderating its rhetoric toward Israel and restoring full diplomatic ties.

A Jordanian source close to the royal family told the outlet: “The water issue is very important to us, and is part of the peace treaty.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah declined repeated requests from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet in March, according to Israeli media reports. One of Abdullah’s demands for agreeing to a meeting was the renewal of the water agreement, the report said.

Energy Minister Eli Cohen had been renewing the additional agreement every six months, reportedly under pressure from the US and because Jordan helped shoot down Iranian drones fired at Israel, the Ynet news site reported. However, Jerusalem became reluctant to continue the process in the face of repeated criticism of Israel by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

The water issue is one of the topics that would be on the agenda of a possible trilateral energy summit that would be hosted by the United Arab Emirates, Ynet said.

Israel is interested in the summit, which would be held in Abu Dhabi and attended by the Israeli, UAE, and Jordanian energy ministers, the outlet reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official.

Israel has no obligation to provide the additional water but could do so if “there is goodwill between the two countries,” the official said.

“Jordan needs the water, but when you help your neighbors, you expect warmer relations,” the official said. “If there is a meeting, everything will be on the table — normalization, water, and strengthening bilateral ties.”

The official noted that 2025 was Israel’s driest year in the past 100 years and that the government has placed a priority on refilling the country’s water reservoirs as well as supplying local agriculture.

Aside from the water agreement, talks would also be held at the summit on the so-called “Prosperity” initiative to build a desalination plant for providing potable water to Israel and Jordan, as well as a Jordanian solar plant that would supply electricity to both countries.

Israel, Jordan, and the UAE signed a declaration of intent for the project in 2021. If completed, Israel would provide Jordan with 200 million cubic meters of water each year, while Jordan would supply 600 MW of electricity.

According to the report, efforts would also be made to patch up relations between Israel and Jordan, which have not maintained ambassadors in each other’s countries since 2023, when the war against Hamas in Gaza started.