West Bank pool of contention

Israelis swimming in an ancient reservoir on land belonging to Nemer and his siblings, near the West Bank village of Fasayil. A pipeline that brought spring water to Palestinian farms was diverted to fill the reservoir, which now attracts trespassing Israelis for swimming and picnics. — Samar Hazboun/The New York Times

ON a hot August morning in the West Bank’s desert, an Israeli teenager perfor­med a backflip into the cool water of an ancient reservoir. It was filled with water diverted from Palestinians’ farms.

The farmers used to grow watermelons, eggplants and cucumbers in the arid Jordan Valley.