Agreement Reached to Preserve Herod's Pool for Visitors While Securing Local Water Rights

Herod's Pool, a large historic water reservoir near Fasael in the Jordan Valley, recently regained public attention after local youths refilled it with water for the first time in decades. This restoration turned the site into a popular destination for thousands of Jewish visitors, sparking controversy over alleged water theft from nearby Arab farmers.

Behind the scenes, negotiations led to a practical agreement that maintains the legal water rights of the adjacent Arab village without violating existing interim accords. The solution involves restoring the flow of spring water, originally part of the ancient Herodian water system, into the pool as it was until about 20 years ago. From the pool, water will continue through a newly installed pipeline to irrigate the village's agricultural fields, balancing tourism and farming needs.

The arrangement follows announcements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of a 3 million shekel investment to rehabilitate the site and a visit by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu. Official authorities have yet to publicly confirm the details, and recent water refilling occurred without prior coordination with local officials. The agreement aims to resolve disputes and ensure both the youth who revived the pool and the neighboring Arab farmers benefit from the ancient spring's waters.

It was also revealed that about two decades ago, the pool was deliberately drained by local Arabs after a drowning incident involving a child from Nablus, leading to current safety warnings for visitors. The site is not an official swimming area, and visitors are responsible for their own safety.