I am very puzzled by approaching a very important issue. And this problem, to me, as a professional, it seems very serious. As a journalist, I am inclined to believe the statement made by Ambassador Mohamed Pasha, Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation, which was subsequently confirmed once more that the current Israeli-Jordanian project channel, will not compete with the Suez Canal. Despite the emphasis that the project has great economic feasibility for Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, I am sure that the project has greater significance for Israel.
  Yes, I, as a professional journalist can not believe in the fact that Israel seeks to project, concerned only the benefits to Jordan and Palestine!

  The mistrust is based on the words of the representative of the Department of State, and policies that are filled with innuendo, and words can not seem to be completely honest and transparent.
  My distrust is based on a lack of coherence of reason and logic. It is known that not all what you hear matches what it really is!
  How can we believe that Israel can allocate money from its budget in the project entirely in favor of the Arabs?
  Once I, as a professional journalist, a few years ago, held extensive dialogue with one of the Parties, in the presence of the Jordanian ambassador in Cairo, who defended the project, stressing that Jordan can not be entered into the project, to cause damage to Egypt.
  Logic Ambassador was simply and convincingly. But I noticed that for this ease and simplicity, as if there is a door behind which I see too many suspicious, inspire doubt and fear!
  Это было в ноябре 2003 года во время месяца Рамадан .
  The time when Israel announced its intention, together with Jordan to implement a project to construct a navigation canal, not hiding the goal of competition, the Suez Canal. They also discussed the establishment of rail link between Eilat and Ashdod, the project construction of a sea transport path (I emphasize - as an alternative to the Suez Canal).
  Of course, got a terrible scandal, and news releases betrayed a note of anger.
  Natural concern for the fate of the Suez Canal is to the anger of Jordan, which is practically involved in a conspiracy against Egypt!
I was one of the few Egyptian journalists who were present at a luncheon in honor of the last Ambassador of Jordan in Cairo, Mr Mulki, which also discussed this issue.
  Jordanian ambassador showed documents and maps. Discussing this subject, he talked in detail about the many technical nuances, how he acted as minister of energy and water resources in Jordan, before being appointed ambassador to Cairo.
  In the end, he said that the project can not be a threat to the Suez Canal, for the simple, natural reason. - And if someone thinks that Jordan is going to build a canal, he should pay attention to this cause: for a channel are mountains. Consequently, in some areas the water will go through the huge pipe, and not in keeping with the open channel. I was joking, asking: "Is the ship can pass through the pipe?"
  I was amazed by Ambassador.
  If he limited himself in his speech on the subject - the response of the pipeline CSS - this would be more than enough to convince us that the project can not compete with the Suez Canal. But he talked a lot about the technical details, complicated and flowery. So, at the end of his speech, a joke about the closed pipe something for me to clarify, and suspicions only intensified.
  My suspicion prompted to request an exclusive interview with the ambassador. It was agreed to interview him the next morning. I moved determination to know more details about this business!

  Continue the interrupted before the subject, I asked the Jordanian ambassador once again to talk about the details. He said that there is an unwritten law when it is impossible to discuss serious topics without details. Egypt is the linchpin of the region, and it is not discussed. Strong power of Egypt - for the benefit of the entire Arab nation. But it is also the undeniable factor in generating competition.
  After a detailed conversation, he said that there is a serious problem of the Dead Sea. Each year, the water level in the Dead Sea is reduced by 1 meter. This led to a number of serious problems, including loss of fresh groundwater in Jordan, only a total of 150 million cubic meters .. Status wells (Anhdamip) led to the disappearance of residential areas. Reduce the Dead Sea and the impact on reduction to lower the groundwater level, and this, in turn, led to an increase in the cost of replenishment of groundwater.
  In this regard, as the Ambassador of Jordan, I thought about creating a project on increasing the volume of water from the Dead Sea twice, with a view to fill the annual evaporation.
  Israel wants to link the Dead Sea canal to the Mediterranean Sea. But we refused and asked to attach a draft replenishment of the Dead Sea with the Red Sea. In this case, it will be much more useful for Jordan and Palestine.
  In conclusion a detailed conversation, the Jordanian ambassador said that King Abdullah was able to persuade the United States to do the project and the positive decision will come either from America or from the World Bank.
  He repeated the words of its ambassador, saying that the project can not compete with the Suez Canal because the canal has closed part of passing in the pipe.
  I asked the Ambassador about the launch of the railway line between Eilat and Ashdod, announced by Israel, and in his message said that it will become an alternative to the Suez Canal.
  The Ambassador said that the statement of Israel is nothing but a humbug; a railway line can not replace the canal. If there was a reason, Egypt would have replaced the Suez Canal to the railway line and connected to Port Said to Suez!
  He convinced me, head calmed. But the fears, concerns and doubts still remain. If the question is, how it sees the Jordanian side, why did Israel has sought to implement the project? What are the benefits it wants to extract from it?

  On the question of the closed pipe, the question of competition Sea Canal to the Suez Canal replies.

  It is the second Jordanian ambassador in Cairo. I had a desire to ask fundamental questions about him. For me it is very important, but I did not know in which direction the act, trying to look for clues. But suddenly all the hype about the project subsided, just disappeared, to talk, to raise this topic again, there was simply no clues.
  Theme of the project for some time, died suddenly.
And suddenly a new birth!
  Renewed talk about the project channel, after publication in the Israeli press.
  Israeli media reported that the World Bank approved financing for the project.
  Instantly, as always in doubt and fear. Perhaps it was after the Muhammad al - Pasha said, and stressed that the project poses no threat to the Suez Canal, because it can not compete and all!
  After the El Pasha said in his statement that Israeli newspapers published on the agreement of the World Bank to finance the project, and at the same time that this inaccurate information, and that in the Israeli press reported on the possibility of making large amounts of electricity and water desalination capacity , might seem misleading information. However, the project that carries significant economic opportunities for Jordanian and the Palestinian Authority can not be overlooked.
  In fact, do not understand the position of Muhammad al - Pasha, there is a lot of questions. Why, after reports in Israeli newspapers about the refusal of the World Bank to finance the project, suddenly appear on the consent of the World Bank financing of the project. Why does he - Muhammad al - Pasha, casts doubt on the question of power generation from the project, as well as the production of desalinated water? And yet - it appears that the project has significant economic benefits to Jordan and the Palestinian Authority? ..
  Why, speaking in defense of the project, he at the same time reducing its importance? ..
Does this mean that there is a danger, and security concerns the existence of the Egyptian Ship Canal true?
  Fears, fears and doubts are increased if we know that the idea of a channel in Israel has existed since the beginning of the nineteenth century, when it raised the founder of Zionism Theodor Herzl. This was written in his book "The Promised Land", which he published in 1902!
  Surprisingly, but in Israel itself in the project, it appears there are opponents!
Some experts in the field of ecology, the Israelis have confirmed that the project in the region would be more devastating than the earthquake!
  Several Israeli organizations stressed that the project will have adverse effects on the environment!
  Member of the Israeli parliament Nitzan Horowitz, who heads the Committee to Save the Dead Sea, issued a statement urging the Israeli government to stop work in Bahrain TV (the so-called Arab street project channel spillway, - approx. Author) Generally, because there is potential danger in the aftermath. I called to make more detailed study alternatives to save and preserve the Dead Sea!
  An Israeli expert on behalf of Eli reiterated that the project would represent a serious threat to soil, and that this will lead to pollution of the aquifer because of saltwater intrusion.
  At the same time, he argues that the Government of Jordan, using the draft channel will produce approximately 850 million cubic meters of fresh water. Share, of which equal to about 570 million cubic meters will leave me, and the remaining 380 million cubic meters, divided equally between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
  This means that Israel will, in the end, only 190 million cubic meters. Does Israel, as a result of risks and costs incurred to agree to such a cut the number of desalinated water?
  And yet, we have everything - yet a confirmation that the canal linking the Dead and Red seas, is only the first stage of the project. This will be supplemented by another channel: the Mediterranean - Dead Sea. And we have not presented these plans as legitimate, because be an alternative to the Suez Canal. We believe that in this case had an enormous impact on the reduction of income from the Suez Canal of Egypt!
  In late December, the chairman of the Committee for Arab Affairs and External Relations Council and the Advisory Council, met on the possible implications of the project. However, present Ambassador Mohammed Bassiouny tried to calm the crowd, stressing that the channel of Bahrain does not pose any threat to the Suez Canal. He said that all exaggerated, and that the channel is much less harm than good.

Translated article: http://www.iraq4allnews.dk/new/ShowNews.php?cat=25&id=26794
Author: إسماعيل منتصر