Recently, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has remarked that he is willing to discuss peace with Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad.

As we have written repeatedly, Israel’s water crisis grows worse daily.  Perhaps the new Israel-Syrian connection will afford Sharon an opportunity to see Israel’s water future.

Residents of Damascus have drinking water available from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.  Since it takes a while to build up pressure in the system, drinking water is actually available for less than 8 hours a day.  The Syrians blame the same three years of low rainfall that Israelis cite as the cause of their water crisis.

The shadows of Israel’s future are coming into focus.  Israelis can look forward to intermittent supplies of drinking water.  Any peace agreement between Israel and Syria will require turning over to Syria some of the water in the Sea of Galilee.

Two policies are available to Israel.  One is to pray for rain this fall.  The second is to begin, now, serious free-market reforms of the production and distribution of water in Israel.