Israel and Jordan are working together to replenish the Dead Sea. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The governments of Israel and Jordan have signed a major agreement to build a desalination plant near the Jordanian tourist resort of Akaba, with the goal of working together to replenish the Dead Sea.

Through the “Red-Dead” agreement, water that remains highly salty after going through the desalination process will be transferred to the Dead Sea, whose water is known for its saltiness.

Israeli Energy Minister Silvan Shalom visited Jordan on Thursday for an official ceremony that marked the signing of the Israel-Jordan agreement.

“This is a historic agreement,” Shalom said, the Times of Israel reported. “Today we realize the vision of Binyamin Ze’ev Herzl, the visionary of the state, who already at the end of the 19th century understood the need to revive the Dead Sea. This is the most important and significant agreement since the peace treaty was signed with Jordan [in 1994].”