Israeli agriculture at risk ahead of High Holy Days as desalination systems remain nonfunctional

Israel’s agriculture sector is facing the prospect of severe crop damage after most desalination facilities were shut down because unusually turbid seawater disrupted their operations.

The facilities operated overnight but were largely shut again when turbidity levels rose, the Water Authority and Energy and Infrastructure Ministry said. Authorities instructed the public to reduce landscaping and agricultural activity and limit water use. Household supplies, however, were continuing, while an operations center handled localized problems.

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We are working to increase the rate of pumping from wells and the Sea of Galilee, and we have also approved the activation of two additional desalination facilities in order to ensure water supplies.

Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen described the event as a natural phenomenon not seen in Israel for 20 years. He said the government was increasing water pumping from wells and the Sea of Galilee and had approved two additional desalination facilities to protect supplies. Officials also warned that running the plants in highly turbid water could damage them, making household supply the immediate priority.

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We are dealing with an unusual event that requires rapid action.

The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has mapped affected farms, focusing on the South and Ramat Hanegev, and is working with the Water Authority and Mekorot to restore agricultural supplies. Significant damage was reported around Nitzana, where vegetables, greenhouses and young seedlings depend on continuous irrigation and lack easy alternatives.

“We are dealing with an unusual event that requires rapid action,” said Oren Lavi, the ministry’s director-general. “For farmers, water is not a resource whose use can be postponed to another time. In some crops, particularly young seedlings, greenhouses, and sensitive crops, prolonged irrigation stoppages can cause irreversible damage quickly.”

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For farmers, water is not a resource whose use can be postponed to another time. In some crops, particularly young seedlings, greenhouses, and sensitive crops, prolonged irrigation stoppages can cause irreversible damage quickly.