New Jordan Water Pipeline Project Restricts Northern Land Development

A major infrastructure project to increase water transfer capacity from Israel to Jordan is already impacting landowners in northern Israel. Dubbed the "Abraham Pipeline," the approximately 50-kilometer conduit will run from the Kfar Yehoshua area, through the Jezreel Valley and Beit She'an Valley, to the Jordanian border. The state has reserved a corridor up to 100 meters wide along parts of the route, where new construction and various works will require special permits. While most of the path crosses agricultural land, the implications for landowners extend beyond farming, potentially affecting land with future development or rezoning potential. The National Council for Planning and Building has invoked sections 77 and 78 of the Planning and Building Law in the affected areas. This legal mechanism allows the state to reserve land for an upcoming plan and impose interim restrictions, preventing new construction in the path of the planned water line. This extensive corridor traverses areas with agricultural land, existing infrastructure, development plans, and land whose value is partly based on future development possibilities. The project is part of a broader expansion of Israel's water infrastructure, including desalination plants and transmission systems, aimed at strengthening the national supply and enabling greater inter-regional water transfer. Israel supplies water to Jordan under existing agreements, and the increased capacity is intended to make eastward transmission more robust and flexible. For landowners, the state is designating a corridor and reserving the right to use it, imposing additional limitations on land within or near the route during the planning phase. Expropriation, if necessary, will be a separate step occurring later. Even at this stage, the economic impact is significant, as land with planning restrictions typically holds less value than similar land with clearer development prospects. Therefore, landowners in the region between Kfar Yehoshua, Afula, and Beit She'an must consider the pipeline's influence even before construction begins, as its proximity and planning status can affect property values as much as building rights.