[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 91 (Tuesday, July 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 9, 2002

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, on May 9, Bert Foer of the American 
Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, was scheduled to 
testify before the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on 
Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, of which I 
am a member, on the university's important work in the critical field 
of desertification and water resources.
  Unfortunately, because of the committee's deliberations on the 
supplemental appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2002, that hearing was 
canceled. Thus, members were unable to hear Mr. Foer's testimony about 
these efforts, which have received the support of Congress because of 
the essential role they play in the effort to achieve peace in the 
region.
  As Mr. Foer stated in his prepared statement, even in the turmoil 
that is now occurring in the Middle East, water remains a central 
element of hope for the future. Ben-Gurion University and its Jacob 
Blaustein Institute for Desert Research have played an important role 
in improving relations among the nations of the Middle East. The work 
of Dr. Eilon Adar, the director of the university's new Institute for 
Water Sciences and Technology, figured prominently in the critical 
water allocation process set forth in the Israeli-Jordanian peace 
agreement of 1994. His efforts are perhaps even more important today.
  Congress last year recommended that the Department of State and the 
Agency for International Development should consider up to $1 million 
for the Institute to address the flow and transport of pollutants in 
groundwater in the region. This served to highlight the Institute's 
unique regional partnerships in applied water research.
  Ben-Gurion University is situated on the edge of three of the world's 
four major dryland regions. This gives the university and its world-
renowned research scientists a unique perspective on the challenges and 
solutions to regional water quality, supply and allocations issues--
issues that surely will be key components of future peace negotiations. 
As Mr. Foer stated, even in the turmoil that is now occurring in the 
Middle East, water remains a central element of hope for the future.
  Most of the ground water aquifers in the region are shared by at 
least two countries. In spite of the current conflict, water management 
agreements have remained in effect. Once all parties return to 
negotiations, the success of a lasting peace and security agreement 
will depend on the ability of all parties to agree on an equitable 
allocation of the region's scarce water resources. Thus, we should 
continue to support these essential initiatives.
  Mr. Foer noted in his statement that we know the strains in the 
Middle East will not easily go away. But it is important that we seek 
out and support initiatives that address areas of tension and that 
provide opportunities for the nations of the region to work together on 
matters of mutual interest and interest.
  The efforts of Ben-Gurion University and its Blaustein Institute are, 
as Mr. Foer so eloquently said in his statement, an investment in more 
than simply cleaner water. They are an investment in the peace process 
and in the cause of improved cooperation between Israel and its 
neighbors.

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