Since we’re in the Middle East it’s reasonable that people assume that Israel’s weather is always hot and sunny. Well, in the summer it sure is that way, but we have quite cold winters and we’re deep in the middle of one now! The sky is grey and overcast, there’s lots of fog, and the temperature has dropped over the last week.

In the next few days we’re scheduled to see temperatures around freezing for the first time this year, but the one thing we’ve yet to see this year is rain … or at least, not enough rain. More than anything else in this country, the most important thing in our lives is water.

Our water resources are dependent on rain, and the last few years have seen very low rainfall. The main reservoir for the country is the Kineret, an inland lake that is often known in English as the Sea of Galilee. The level of the Kineret is watched nervously by everyone here, and reported in the newspapers. Currently the level is several meters below where it ought to be; in fact, I read recently that even if we had three normal winters of rain over the next three years, we’d still be facing a water crisis in years to come. A side-effect of the low level in the Kineret is a reduced flow to the Dead Sea, whose shores have been contracting for many years.

One solution to our problem is to build desalination plants, that would allow us to process sea water and turn it into fresh water. Israel is highly skilled in this technology … in fact, we sell desalination plants throughout the world. Unfortunately, we’re less skilled at creating functional governments, and so our own desalination plants are running years behind schedule.

So everyone, please bear us in mind this winter and pray, as we do, that we’ll be blessed with rain.