The Northwestern Center for Water Research was created in March, 2016 with an ambitious vision to be a world leader in achieving global solutions for regional and local water challenges. Israel and the Middle East clearly face critical water challenges, inextricably linked with the social, cultural, and political diversity of the region. This has often led to regional conflicts—certainly conflicts of interest, and sometimes political and military conflicts. Water, as a scarce regional resource, has precipitated conflicts, but also served as the basis of collaboration and cooperation, even in times of war. Grounded in Northwestern’s tradition of leadership in interdisciplinary studies, the Water Center and the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies have developed a partnership to explore and resolve water challenges in Israel and the Middle East. We approach these problems from multiple perspectives: social sciences, natural sciences, technology development, law and policy, and systems analysis. Through Northwestern’s unique approach, we seek to realize regional solutions for water in Israel and the Middle East that can be exported globally to provide Water for Peace and Health in arid regions around the world.