The breakdown of the Johnston negotiations over the Jordan waters

From 1953 through 1956 United States Ambassador Eric Johnston conducted the first international negotiations involving the Arab states and Israel toward a settlement of their conflicting claims to surface water rights in the Jordan River watershed. Over this three-year period, Johnston pursued a shuttle-style diplomacy between Middle East capitals. He carried with him a variety of plans and counterproposals that nearly resulted in an agreement between Israel and the Arab states on a formula for water sharing and for joint development of shared water resources. However, Johnston's efforts failed to come to complete fruition. Given the absence of a formal water sharing agreement between states within the Jordan River watershed, independent programs for water development which contained incompatible features were embarked on in the late 1950s by Israel and Jordan. Conflict over water rights in the Jordan Valley continues to be one facet of the multidimensional dispute between the Arab states and Israel.1