water

No decision made by the Zionist pioneers and the young State of Israel has had a greater impact on Israel's water culture than the decision to make water the common property of all. Unlike in the US, where water is a personal property right, in Israel all water ownership and usage is controlled by the government acting in the interest of the people as a whole. Available water is then allocated according to what is seen as the best use. Israel's water system may be the most successful example of socialism in practice anywhere in the world today.