Talk:Besor Stream#c-M.Bitton-20250502200200-MilesVorkosigan-20250502195900

Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to {{plural:1|one external link|1 external links}} on HaBesor Stream. Please take a moment to review [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=706282317 my edit]. If necessary, add {{tlx|cbignore}} after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add {{tlx|nobots|deny{{=}}InternetArchiveBot}} to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:

• Added archive https://web.archive.org/20140714195502/http://arij.net/node/5905siege to http://www.arij.net/node/5905siege

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

{{sourcecheck|checked=false}}

Cheers.—^{cyberbot II}_{Talk to my owner:Online} 13:24, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

Is this watercourse a stream or a wadi? I note that a change in the opening paragraph was made anonymously yesterday. Both terms are referred to in the alternative names in use. BobKilcoyne (talk) 04:30, 8 November 2023 (UTC)

:@BobKilcoyne realistically it seems to be an Israeli stream, Besor Stream, flowing into a Palestinian river valley, Wadi Gaza? I don't know why this describes them as one thing? If this is about both, there might be a name for the whole system that the page should have? BottleOfSoup (talk) 22:49, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Is Besor Stream really the same as Wadi Gaza? Or is Besor Steam a tributary that runs into Wadi Gaza valley / wetlands? BottleOfSoup (talk) 22:46, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

The geography section is a bit of a mess. It needs to be put on order to follow along the course of the river, down stream probably works best. But I'm not sure what order that would be without a better map? BottleOfSoup (talk) 05:43, 5 April 2024 (UTC)

The common name is the Besor, as evidenced by the sources. Similar to Jerusalem.

The river is in the Gaza Strip and Israel and divides the Strip in half. It is one river and does not have a tributary that spills out at the Israel-Gaza border. The Wadi Gaza reserve is not relevant to the lede and is mentioned in the body, especially because it has been severly damaged in the Gaza war. Closetside (talk) 18:55, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

:Upon further thought, we don't need the fact that it divides the Gaza Strip in half in the lede. This is evident from the map and from the Geography section. Closetside (talk) 19:03, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

::While boldness is part of Wikipedia, given the topic area I think that consensus should have been established before moving the page. Richard Nevell (talk) 19:06, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

:::The new title was moved without consensus {{url|https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wadi_Gaza_and_Besor_Stream&diff=prev&oldid=1217251590}} Closetside (talk) 19:11, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

::::Heck, by a sockpuppet {{u|BottleOfSoup}}. Closetside (talk) 19:13, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

{{u|M.Bitton}} please give the quote saying the Nahal Besor's source is in the West Bank. Also please ensure you are not referring to the Nahal Gerar or the Nahal Beersheba. From the map in Nahal Gerar it seems to be inaccurate. Closetside (talk) 19:50, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

:That doesn't explain why you removed the sourced content. Was it to make it fit the title that you're after? M.Bitton (talk) 19:33, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

::Yep. Alright, I will include the Arabic name in the title as infobox as well. Closetside (talk) 19:36, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

:::That doesn't come close to explaining the sourced content removal. M.Bitton (talk) 19:42, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

::::The only thing I didn't restore was the nature reserve's rehabilitation in 2022 which is not pertinent, considering the Gaza war. Closetside (talk) 19:44, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

:::::It is in the body Closetside (talk) 19:44, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

::I restored the source content. I've got other things to do and I will rewrite if and after this RM succeeds. Closetside (talk) 19:57, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

@M.Bitton The article title, which was imposed by a neutral closer, implies one wadi, not a river system. Therefore, the introduction should say the Besor Stream, or Wadi Gaza, is a wadi in Israel and the Gaza Strip... Second, the coverage of the Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve is undue. It was never a de facto nature reserve and is not one today due to the war. Should the Eshkol National Park, a de jure and de facto nature reserve and the wadi's headwaters, get even more coverage? Third, we need not say it divides the Gaza Strip, any user can see from looking at the map or reading the Geography section's final line (it flows to the Israel-Gaza border and then to the Mediterranean Sea, of course it bisects the Gaza Strip) Closetside (talk) 01:11, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:I just rephrased the history section, making it clear the evacuation orders applied to all Palestinians living north of the Wadi Gaza. So a reader could also find it through there. I don't think we need it in the lede - it belongs in the Geography section if you don't think it is implied, which I think it is. Closetside (talk) 01:16, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:@M.Bitton assuming the problem was "removing source content", I resolved point 1 without doing so. There is no source that the Besor Stream is a tributary of the Wadi Gaza, in fact sources say they are one stream. The lede reflects the title - that's a long standing rule per WP:LEDE and specifically WP:FIRSTSENTENCE. Closetside (talk) 01:35, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::I'm too tired to give a long answer, but the short of it is that you need to refrain from trying to impose the POV that you've been after for months. 1) The RM closer didn't say anything about content and 2) I will remind you that you removed the sourced content that mentions the fact that the Besor stream originates in the Palestinian territory. M.Bitton (talk) 01:48, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::1) It's clearly against policy for the WP:FIRSTSENTENCE to go against the tile.

:::2) You are talking about the Nahal Hevron tributary, which is a tributary of Nahal Beersheva, which is a tributary of Nahal Gerar, which is a tributary of the Besor Stream. Nahal Hevron does originate in the West Bank, but the Nahal Besor originates near Midreshet Ben Gurion; in Israel, not the West Bank. And show me how my edits contradict the notion that it originates in the West Bank?

:::Let's get a 3O. Closetside (talk) 02:05, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::{{tq|You are talking about..|q=yes}} you don't tell me what I'm talking about.

::::It's not about the title, it's about you removing content that you clearly disagree with. You even removed the cn tags that you could have easily addressed had you not removed the scholarly source that I added.

::::No need for a 3O (there is already another editor involved who can weigh in) or any discussion that involves OR and unsourced content. M.Bitton (talk) 02:07, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::So is the source near Midreshet Ben Gurion in the West Bank? It is not; the wadi's source is in pre-1967 Israel.

:::::What is the scholarly source that I removed?

:::::Please explain further.

:::::Lastly there is no other editor on this thread in particular. I guess we could ask @Richard Nevell but having a fresh pair of eyes can only help. Closetside (talk) 02:13, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

{{od|4}} Here's a quote from the scholarly source that you obliterated: "the Hebron /Besor Stream that originates in the Palestinian Authority territory (West Bank), flows westward, crossing into Israel, and ultimately crosses again into the Palestinian Authority territory in Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast."{{cite book|author=Alon Tal, Alfred Abed Rabbo|title=Water Wisdom Preparing the Groundwork for Cooperative and Sustainable Water Management in the Middle East|year=2010|publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-4770-1|page=142}} M.Bitton (talk) 02:13, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:The source even says Hebron/Besor Stream, making it clear it is referring to the West Bank portion of the Nahal Hevron. Per the Ariel Encyclopedia, it is an indirect tributary of the Besor Stream, not part of the Besor Stream, which originates near Midreshet Ben Gurion. Closetside (talk) 02:19, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::I'm not interested in your WP:OR (the source says "Besor Stream" and that's all I care about). Here's another source for good measure:

::{{talkquote|the Besor, the largest watershed in the region, flows through three political entities from Hebron to Beersheva and then into the Gaza Strip and eventually to the Mediterranean. [http://husseini1.com/resources/file/publications/1273744294012/Water%20Legislation,%20Water%20Wisdom%20Preparing%20the%20Groundwork%20for%20Cooperative%20and%20Sustainable%20Water%20Management%20in%20the%20Middle%20East,%202008.pdf]}} M.Bitton (talk) 02:20, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::This is not OR. This is per the Ariel Encyclopedia written by Zev Vilnay, which places the source of the Besor near Elusa (Haluza), not the source of the Nahal Hevron. Both Arabic and Hebrew Wikipedias agree with this assessment.

:::Regarding your first quote, suppose "the Missouri / Mississippi River originates at Brower's Spring and flows into the Gulf of Mexico." This does not prove they are the same river, just like your first quote does not prove the Nahal Hevron (and Nahal Beersheba) is the Besor Stream.

:::It is true that the stream's watershed includes Nahal Hevron, but watershed is defined as the watercourse and all of its tributaries. The Missouri River is not part of the Mississippi River, though the former is part of the latter's watershed.

:::Also, this proves my point that Wadi Gaza is not a tributary of the Besor Stream - it is its Arabic name. If you disagree, what is the stream in Elusa called? Provide a source. It can't be the Besor as Vilnay says it is, for the Besor's source is in the Hebron Mountains. Closetside (talk) 03:03, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::{{tq|Both Arabic and Hebrew Wikipedias agree|q=yes}} unreliable sources don't count.

::::{{tq|suppose..|q=yes}} I'm not interested in your WP:OR.

::::The scholarly sources says:

::::{{talkquote|the Hebron /Besor Stream that originates in the Palestinian Authority territory (West Bank), flows westward, crossing into Israel, and ultimately crosses again into the Palestinian Authority territory in Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast.}}

::::That's all that matters. M.Bitton (talk) 03:11, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::: This academic paper (see map on page 3) clearly confirms the Besor Stream originates in the northwest Negev. Closetside (talk) 03:24, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Here's a working link to the [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237516593_Differentiated_suspended_sediment_transport_in_headwater_basins_of_the_Besor_catchment_northern_Negev|academic paper]. Closetside (talk) 03:41, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Here is the map: [http://www.researchgate.net/figure/Nahal-Besor-catchment-and-the-location-of-three-headwater-sub-catchments-providing-data_fig1_237516593] Closetside (talk) 03:43, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Not just Vilay, but [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=elusa+besor&btnG=| 120 scholarly papers]. The way to reconcile this research, clearly placing the source near Elusa and research that says the Hebron / Besor [/Gaza ] stream is that the former is the literal source of the stream and the latter is a waterflow path used in scholarly research about Israeli-Palestinian water cooperation, for the term is not used outside of that matter. Closetside (talk) 03:11, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::I have zero interest in WP:OR, what other wiki projects say and links to some Google search.

:::::I have provided a reliable scholarly source (about "water management") that says: "the Hebron /Besor Stream that originates in the Palestinian Authority territory (West Bank), flows westward, crossing into Israel, and ultimately crosses again into the Palestinian Authority territory in Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast." M.Bitton (talk) 03:14, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Google Scholar is Google for academic papers. Check the link and you'll get academic papers confirming Elusa is on the Besor's watercourse, 120 of them, the first three I quoted below. Closetside (talk) 03:16, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::A few quotes establishing Elusa as close to the source, not Hebron:

:::::"Elusa was the most important urban center in the northern Negev during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Situated on a rock plateau at the confluence of two wadis, Nahal Besor and Nahal Atadim, ca. 45 km south-east of Gaza, the site provided year-round availability of groundwater that was made accessible by deep wells."

:::::"such as Elusa (in Nahal Besor)"

:::::"Investigations of the extra-urban area of Elusa aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the

:::::development of the city and its hinterland, from the establishment of the settlement in the third century

:::::BCE to its end in the eighth century CE. The extra-urban survey focused on four belts (1–4; for Belts 1–

:::::3 see Fig. 1) surrounding the city. The interior belt (Belt 1; width 50–200 m) comprises mainly large

:::::waste mounds arranged in a distinct ring configuration. Investigations then progressed farther from the

:::::city, to a belt of mainly horticultural land use of a less well-defined aerial shape (Belt 2; width 80–400 m).

:::::Floodplain horticulture was practiced in suitable locations, such as the banks of Nahal Besor (Wadi el-

:::::Khalaṣa)"

:::::These are from the first Google Scholar results. And so on.

:::::Find me a paper outside of Israel/Palestine water cooperation that places the Hebron Mountains within the Besor's watercourse (it specifically, not a tributary). Closetside (talk) 03:15, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::What did I tell you? When we remove Israel from the search, the Besor Stream is never mentioned in connection with Hebron or settlements near Hebron. (//scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=hebron+besor+-"israel"&btnG). Closetside (talk) 03:21, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

{{od|5}} separating the sourced content (about the origin of the Besor stream) from the wall of text.

• {{talkquote|the Hebron /Besor Stream that originates in the Palestinian Authority territory (West Bank), flows westward, crossing into Israel, and ultimately crosses again into the Palestinian Authority territory in Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast."{{cite book|author=Alon Tal, Alfred Abed Rabbo|title=Water Wisdom Preparing the Groundwork for Cooperative and Sustainable Water Management in the Middle East|year=2010|publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-4770-1|page=142}}}}
  
• {{talkquote| The Khalil Besor river originates in the West Bank, flows through Israel and then reaches the Mediterranean in the Gaza Strip.{{cite journal | last=Brooks | first=David | last2=Trottier | first2=Julie | title=Confronting water in an Israeli–Palestinian peace agreement | journal=Journal of Hydrology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=382 | issue=1-4 | year=2010 | issn=0022-1694 | doi=10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.12.021 | pages=103–114}}}} M.Bitton (talk) 16:55, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:Here are my sources:

:{{talkquote| Elusa was the most important urban center in the northern Negev during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Situated on a rock plateau at the confluence of two wadis, Nahal Besor and Nahal Atadim, ca. 45 km south-east of Gaza, the site provided year-round availability of groundwater that was made accessible by deep wells.Wozniok, Tali Erickson-Gini–Diana. "Elusa–Urban Development and Economy of a City in the Desert." Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World: 141.}}

:Also consult the map on page 2. Elusa is south of the Nahal Beersheva's mouth where it spills into the Besor. (My position is the Nahal Beersheva is a tributary, M.Bitton's position is it is part of the Besor while the portion that originates near Sde Boker and flows through Elusa is a tributary)

:{{talkquote|The situation in the Negev Highlands was quite different from that of Edom and Moab. Here, precipitation is limited to between 80 and 100 mm. annually and water was obtained from wells in a handful of places with high groundwater such as Elusa (in Nahal Besor), Rehovot-in-the-Negev (Nahal Shunra) and Nessana (Nahal Ezuz).Erickson-Gini, Tali. "Nabataean agriculture: Myth and reality." Journal of Arid Environments 86 (2012): 50-54.}}

:{{talkquote|Nahal Eshtemoa, an un-named first-order headwa ter tributary of the nearby Nahal Bikhra, and Nahal Sekher are tributaries of Nahal Be’er Sheva, one of the largest tributaries of Nahal Besor (Fig. 1).Alexandrov, Yulia, et al. "Differentiated suspended sediment transport in headwater basins of the Besor catchment, northern Negev." Israel Journal of Earth Sciences 57 (2008).}}

:Also consult the map on page 3, which the quote references. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237516593_Differentiated_suspended_sediment_transport_in_headwater_basins_of_the_Besor_catchment_northern_Negev| Here] is another link to it. Closetside (talk) 17:35, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::1) Your analysis of a map cannot contradict properly sourced text. 2) That map was uploaded by Nathaniel Bergman, who co-published an article that says:

::{{talkquote|Nahal Besor is a large transboundary ephemeral river shared between Israel, the West Bank (Palestinian and Israeli territories) in the northeast, and finally, its western outlet into the Mediterranean Sea is in the Gaza Strip.Bergman, N., Roskin, J., Greenbaum, N. et al. Comment on “Analysis of extreme rainfall trend and mapping of the Wadi pluvial flood in the Gaza coastal plain of Palestine”. Acta Geophys. 72, 4333–4340 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-024-01446-9}}

::Further cementing what the first two sources say about the Besor stream and its origin (in the West Bank). Moreover, the statement (about the origin of the Besor stream and its course) isn't contradicted by any of the sources that you cited (including the ones that you added after this comment).

::{{tq| M.Bitton's position is..|q=yes}} I already stated what the RS say. Your interpretation of my so-called "position" is neither wanted nor appreciated. M.Bitton (talk) 22:40, 28 April 2025 (UTC) M.Bitton (talk) 22:40, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::No, the map clearly shows where the Besor Stream originates, and that is in the northwest Negev. Reading a map, just like reading text, is not OR.

:::It seems that the Besor stream has two definitions in the literature:

:::1) Within Israeli-Palestinian water relations, it is defined as the Nahal Hevron > Nahal Beersheva > Lower Besor Stream. This is done out of convenience, because that path is most important to the topic. The upper Besor Stream remains unnamed, as it is not important to the topic.

:::2) Everywhere else, including when the upper Besor is discussed (such as digs of Elusa), it is defined as originating near Sde Boker in the northwest Negev, not in the Hebron mountains.

:::If you believe this hypothesis is incorrect, the answer to these questions should be trivial:

:::What is the name of the tributary of the Besor stream Elusa (Haluza) was adjacent to?

:::Provide an example of a paper not discussing Israeli-Palestinian water relations referring to the stream in the Hebron mountains as the Besor stream.

:::However, these tasks are impossible. Elusa was built on the upper Besor stream and the stream in the Hebron mountains is called the Nahal Hevron. Closetside (talk) 23:09, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Another one for good measure, proving it originates near Sde Boker northwest Negev, not the Hebron mountains.

::::{{talkquote|"Three excavation areas (A–C; Fig. 2) were opened on a moderate hill near the confluence of Upper Nahal Besor and Nahal Boqer, yielding flint items dating from the Middle Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic and Chalcolithic periods."

::::Oron, Maya. “Upper Nahal Besor: Final Report.” Hadashot Arkheologiyot: Excavations and Surveys in Israel / חדשות ארכיאולוגיות: חפירות וסקרים בישראל, vol. 129, 2017. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26693802. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.}} See also the first figure, the location map.

::::Until both my challenges are answered - which should be trivial if your position is correct - I will rest my case. Closetside (talk) 23:23, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::User:M.Bitton has provided sources explicitly saying the river originates in the West Bank. The quotes provided by User:Closetside are less direct, which is part of the challenge. Taking the example of the quote from Oron 2017 immediately above this comment, it doesn't state where the source of the Besor stream is.

:::::If we have disagreeing sources perhaps the answer is to present the information from both sets in the article, explaining to the reader that different groups approach the river in different ways? Richard Nevell (talk) 19:34, 3 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::There are two sources with completes map of the Besor Stream drainage basin (see refs 5 and 8 in 3O disagreements below), including all major tributaries labelled. These sources explicitly show the stream originating near Sde Boker, with Nahal Be'er Sheva as a tributary and the Nahal Hevron as a tributary of the Nahal Be'er Sheva. Here is another one for good measure

::::::{{talkquote|The Hebron Stream originates in the mountainous Wadi system of the Hebron Hills in the West Bank, f lowing downstream into the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva where it merges with the Be’er Sheva Stream and joins the Besor that originates in Israel’s Southern Negev Report on the Status of the Hebron-Besor-Wadi Gaza Basin Besor Stream/Flooding, January Charlotte De Bruyne) Besor 2018}}. This is a report about I/P (Israeli-Palestinian) water relations which describes the drainage basin as I prefer.

::::::I have yet to see a paper outside of I/P water relations (i.e. about general geography history, archaeology, etc.) which describes the drainage basin as M.Bitton prefers. Furthermore, the papers which they cite do not give a name to supposed tributary of the Besor that originates at Mount Boker and ends at Hamifgash or the supposed tributary of the Besor that originates south of the Yatir Forest and ends east of Beersheba. If M.Bitton's preferred description is an alternate model, they should be able to provide the papers and the names of the two supposed tributaries (which my preferred description names as the Upper Besor and Upper Be'er Sheva respectively) fairly easily, although despite this dispute going on for 5 days, they are still emptyhanded.

::::::It seems that the three papers M.Bitton cites to support their conclusion uses a style which sacrifices technical accuracy for convenience considering the uniqueness of the path (West Bank --> pre-1967 Israel --> Gaza Strip). Furthermore, the first one using the Hebron / Besor Stream and the second similarly uses Khalil (i.e. Hebron) Besor river, implying a specifically defined path different from the typical definition. Otherwise, they would have just said Besor as opposed to Hebron/Besor. The last paper is a comment that is not peer reviewed and just like a preprint is not RS.

::::::So I suggest the typical description, which is my preference in the lede and a paragraph about the unique path in the body. Closetside (talk) 03:45, 4 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::::See below where I respond to @M.Bitton's sources, showing that each describe the Besor originating near Sde Boker, and not near Hebron. Tldr: The first source identifies the Nahal Hevron as one of the Besor's [indirect] tributaries, the second refers to the course once as a variant of the first's without further elaboration (Khalil Besor vs Hebron/Besor) and the Bergman comment explicitly shows the source near Sde Boker. So the notion that the Besor originates near Hebron has no RS to back it up. Closetside (talk) 23:37, 5 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::Closetside has indeed failed to provide reliable sources that contradict what the RS say "in plain English", and worse, they insist on presenting their pov as the only viable option. M.Bitton (talk) 13:35, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

@M.Bitton we have hashed out the fourth point of disagreement listed at 3O, but not really the first three. If you have a response, please state it. I contend the Besor Stream is one stream, there is undue coverage of the Wadi Gaza national reserve, and the fact that it divides the Gaza Strip need not be mentioned because it can trivially be derived from the article. If you disagree, please let me and the 3O know. Closetside (talk) 20:35, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:The only point that I aware of is the one that have has been discussed. I wasn't aware that you actually asked for a 3O, but since you did, we might as well wait for a volunteer; assuming {{u|Richard Nevell}} (who participated in the discussion) isn't interested. M.Bitton (talk) 20:50, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

::Do you disagree with me on the first three points? It seems you do but you are reverting without any explanation. Closetside (talk) 21:10, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:::You asked for a 3O and I pinged Richard Nevell, so we wait (there is no rush and certainly no excuse for you to impose your POV). M.Bitton (talk) 21:12, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Without a reason, this is DONTLIKEIT. I thought you disagree with me on the first three points but apparently you don't or you do without reason. In order for 3O to work, both sides must disagree and explain their rationale. If you don't disagree or can't explain why you disagree with me on the first three points, kindly self-revert. Closetside (talk) 21:18, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Since you clearly prefer your WP:OR over properly sourced content, I see no point in wasting time arguing with you. I'm done here (until another editor weighs in). M.Bitton (talk) 21:19, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::How was my content OR? The MOS recommends not citing in the lede if the points are cited in the body later. Closetside (talk) 21:30, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::I admit to having some trouble following the discussion, is the issue that there is one source that describes the stream the way M.Bitton prefers, but all the other sources describe it the way Closetside prefers? MilesVorkosigan (talk) 19:11, 2 May 2025 (UTC) WP:ECR M.Bitton (talk) 20:51, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::::Remember that I am a biased participant, although here's how I'd summarize it.

::::::::There are a few sources, all having to do with Israeli-Palestinian water relations that describe the Besor stream as M.Bitton prefers. However, this is done out of convenience for the path chosen the only water path that starts in the West Bank, traverses through pre-1967 Israel and ends in the Gaza Strip.

::::::::In all other cases, including when the upper Besor Stream is discussed, or when the Nahal Be'er Sheva or the Nahal Hevron are discussed outside the context of Israeli-Palestinian water relations the sources always describe it how I prefer. I have challenged M.Bitton to give a single counterexample, a challenge they have not fulfilled.

::::::::Therefore, I suggest the lede describing it how I prefer and including a section in the article about the special water path. Closetside (talk) 19:18, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::Even within Israeli-Palestinian water relations, this special definition is not universal. For example, this article{{cite book |title= Advancing Sanitation Solutions and Reuse in the Hebron Stream: Shared Waters / Geographic Description |page= 29 |editor-last= |editor-first= |work= Community Based Problem Solving on Water Issues: Cross-border "Priority Initiatives" of the Good Water Neighbors Project |publisher=EcoPeace Middle East |location= Amman, Bethlehem and Tel Aviv |volume= November, 2016 |url= https://old.ecopeaceme.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Community_Based_Problem_Solving_Nov_2016_Final.pdf |access-date= 23 February 2021}}, which is about Israeli-Palestinian water relations but describes it how I prefer it (see map on page 31). The map is based on the International Journal of River Basin Management - Volume 8, 2010 - Issue 2. Closetside (talk) 19:22, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::::M.Bitton has not disputed my position on the other three points in the 3O request although they insisted on me leaving the article until I get one so here we are. Closetside (talk) 19:26, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::I have no idea what 3 points you're referring to. In any case, once what the RS say (instead of some irrelevant editor's OR) is taken into account, everything else will fall into place. M.Bitton (talk) 19:58, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::I'm sorry I won't be able to provide any help, M. Bitton has declared themselves the owner of this talk page and that discussing the name of a stream on a talk page is somehow implicated in the Arab-Israeli Conflict, so I'm not allowed to talk to you.

:::::::::It's too bad they won't even let me fix the typos, but I guess when an article belongs to an editor like this, even that is too much.

:::::::::You may need to have them topic-banned, show them this edit-warring and the request should be fairly straightforward. Good luck! MilesVorkosigan (talk) 20:57, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::::It's more like there are RS (that I cited) that describe the Stream (its course and its origin) and nothing else that contradict them. M.Bitton (talk) 19:56, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::So if I understand you correctly, you have chosen to just ignore all of the other sources, and believe that only your source is reliable? MilesVorkosigan (talk) 19:59, 2 May 2025 (UTC) WP:ECR M.Bitton (talk) 20:51, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::::::Which other sources describe the Stream's course and origin? BTW, there are two sources (three we include the one about the author of the map) that describe this. They are all cited above. M.Bitton (talk) 20:02, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::::I was just trying to provide a third opinion, telling me that you are unable to see the other sources that have been mentioned here on the discussion page is not helpful. I'm not going to repeat them for you. MilesVorkosigan (talk) 20:17, 2 May 2025 (UTC) WP:ECR M.Bitton (talk) 20:51, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::::::::You're accusing me of ignoring some sources, that's why I asked you a "which other sources describe the Stream's course and origin?". M.Bitton (talk) 20:20, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

{{od|12}} Here are the sources that describe the River's course and its origin (which is at the centre of the dispute).

• {{talkquote|the Hebron /Besor Stream that originates in the Palestinian Authority territory (West Bank), flows westward, crossing into Israel, and ultimately crosses again into the Palestinian Authority territory in Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast."{{cite book|author=Alon Tal, Alfred Abed Rabbo|title=Water Wisdom Preparing the Groundwork for Cooperative and Sustainable Water Management in the Middle East|year=2010|publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-4770-1|page=142}}}}
  
• {{talkquote| The Khalil Besor river originates in the West Bank, flows through Israel and then reaches the Mediterranean in the Gaza Strip.{{cite journal | last=Brooks | first=David | last2=Trottier | first2=Julie | title=Confronting water in an Israeli–Palestinian peace agreement | journal=Journal of Hydrology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=382 | issue=1-4 | year=2010 | issn=0022-1694 | doi=10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.12.021 | pages=103–114}}}} M.Bitton (talk) 20:23, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:Let's go over these sources:

:1) A quote from later on in the page

:{{talkquote|The magnitude of cross-boundary pollution was demonstrated in joint Israeli Palestinian research in which the authors participated, assessing conditions in two major streams and their upper Palestinian tributaries: Hebron (El-Halil)-Besor and Shekhem (Nablus)-Alexander (Tal et al. 2008).}}

:From this quote, the Nahal Hevron is an (indirect) tributary of the Besor, not part of it.

:Later on, the Besor is identified independently, making it clear the Hebron / Besor stream is not an alternate name for the Besor Stream, but rather shorthand for the Nahal Hevron, [the lower Nahal Be'er Sheva] and the lower Besor.

:{{talkquote|A relevant example is “greening the desert” by modifying an ephemeral stream into a perennial one, usually by discharging sewage or effluent (e.g., the Besor Stream). For the past 15 years effort has been made to restore streams in Israel. Such effort is yet to be implemented in the Palestinian Authority territory.}}

:Bergman comment: Later on a map (figure 1) clearly shows the main stream originates near Sde Boker and the part of its watershed that is in the West Bank consists entirely of tributaries.

:Now to your second source. Khalil Besor river is a variant of Hebron / Besor. There is no reason to think that those authors dispute the first source, which clearly identifies them as tributary and stream as opposed to one stream. They most definitely don't do so explicitly. Closetside (talk) 20:40, 4 May 2025 (UTC)

::This is nothing more than a continuation of what you have been doing from the get go. I suggest you read Richard Nevell's comment. M.Bitton (talk) 13:41, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

:::Are you outright ignoring my sources and my analysis of your sources which demonstrate the source is on Mount Boker and not in Hebron? There is no requirement the RS must communicate in text form, although Report on the Status of the Hebron-Besor-Wadi Gaza Basin Besor Stream/Flooding, January Charlotte De Bruyne) Besor 2018 explicitly spells out what I have previously said (Nahal Hevron, Nahal Be'er Sheva, Besor Stream). Every one of my sources (6 in total) is incompatible with the Hebron origin notion. So is the Bergman comment and your first source. Your second source uses a variant of a term in the first source (Khalil Besor river for Hebron / Besor stream). Your first source subsequently identifies the Nahal Hevron as a tributary of the Besor (see above), and your second source doesn't dispute your first source's statement.

:::This is straight-up disruptive editing, so I am giving you three options:

:::1) Acknowledge my sources and analysis, and give a thorough response to it.

:::2) Concede the dispute

:::3) Get reported at AE

:::The choice is yours. Closetside (talk) 14:35, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

::::AE it is. In fact, I already asked the admins to include you in the open report. M.Bitton (talk) 14:45, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::I have no objection to it and I will formally present my evidence and respond to your arguments. Closetside (talk) 14:48, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

{{Reflist-talk}}

Since 3O appears to be a waste of time, I suggest we use WP:DRN. Let me know what you think. M.Bitton (talk) 22:38, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:How about you withdraw your opposition to me acting on the first three points you supposedly don’t disagree with and respond to my scholarly sources that show the Besor originates near Sde Bokor and have complete labelled maps of the stream and its tributaries? If you do, I will withdraw my statement at ANI. If not, DRN will almost certainly come to the same conclusion. Closetside (talk) 22:47, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::How about you withdraw your opposition to me adding reliably sourced content? I see no point in discussing the details of a river whose very course and origin are disputed. Anyway, does that mean that you're not interested in resolving the issue through DRN? M.Bitton (talk) 22:52, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

:::See, complete ignorance of my sources. I have acknowledged your sources and given an explanation (convenience over technical correctness due to I/P water relations). I'm not opposed to going on DRN, just be advised all the 3O's points were valid and DRN will almost certainly give the same result. Closetside (talk) 23:08, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

::::The most important part is that you're not opposed to going to DRN (where you will justify why you removed the reliable source). M.Bitton (talk) 23:10, 2 May 2025 (UTC)