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ISRAEL AND THE GAS RESOURCES OF THE LEVANT BASIN

Year 2015, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 136 - 154, 01.01.2015

Abstract

The importance of energy as a geostrategic dimension adds more perspectives to the relationships between Eastern Mediterranean countries. Israel, from its beginning as an independent state, has imported energy because of a lack of its own natural resources. The requirement for energy supply affects its foreign policy with neighboring countries, particularly with Eygpt, Lebanon, and the South Cyprus Greek Administration SCGA . However, the discovery of huge reserves off Israel’s coast is changing Israel’s fortune and the geopolitical balance of power in the region. Moreover, gas discoveries off the shore of Israel and the SCGA have become an incentive for alliances, but have created regional tensions. The strategic significance for the Middle East region of the discovery of the gas resources draws the attention of the energy industry as well as regional countries. This paper attempts to analyze the potential impacts on Israel of these discoveries of natural gas. The argument is that for Israel, it will have its own gas resources; however, unless it solves its problems with neighbours, it will be very hard to exploit them and be an exporter

References

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  • “Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Levant Basin Province, Eastern Mediterranean”, US Geological Survey, accessed August 09, 2013, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2010/3014/pdf/FS10-3014.pdf
  • Bahgat, Gawdat, “Israel’s Energy Security: Regional Implications”, Middle East Policy, Vol.18, No.3, Fall 2011, p.25-34.
  • Bar-Eli, Avi, “Netanyahu Offers Natural Gas to Greece”, Haaretz, 29 August 2010, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/ netanyahu-offers-natural-gas-to-greece-1.310761.
  • Bar-Eli, Avi and Itai Trilnick, “Forecast Blackout Israel is About to Run Out of Natural Gas: Shortage Expected to Last at Least Until Next Year, When the Tamar Gas Field Starts Production”, Haaretz, 2 February 2012, accessed June 14, 2013, http://www.haaretz.com/misc/iphone-article/forecastblackout-israel-is-about-to-run-out-of-natural-gas-1.410513
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  • “Cyprus-Israel Close to Gas-Sharing Deal”, Cyprus Gas News, 18 April 2012, accessed August 11, 2013, http://www.cyprusgasnews.com/archives/370
  • “Decision Already Taken for LNG Terminal”, Cyprus Gas News, 8 June 2012, accessed August 11, 2013, http://www.cyprusgasnews.com/archives/589
  • Economides, Michael J., “Eastern Mediterranean Energy: The Next Game”, Energy Tribune, 5 June 2012, accessed June 21, 2013, http://www.energytribune. com/11093/eastern-mediterranean-energy-the-next-game
  • Eichner, Itamar, “Cyprus-Israel Close to Gas-Sharing Deal”, Ynet News, 16 February 2012, accessed July 09, 2013, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4190731,00.html
  • Engdahl, F. William, “New Mediterranean Oil and Gas Bonanza”, 26 February 2012, accessed July 09, 2013, http://rt.com/news/reserves-offshore-middle-east-engdahl-855/
  • Evripidou, Stefanos, “Liberman: Cyprus-Israel relations ‘a win-win situation’”, Cyprus E Directory, accessed July 14, 2013, http://www.cyprusedirectory. com/articleview.aspx?ID=20694
  • Fares, Yacine, “No Oil for Israel, Israel Mines for Natural Gas”, Harvard International Review, Winter 2013, accessed August 09, 2013, http://www. thefreelibrary.com/No+oil+for+Israel%3A+Israel+mines+for+natural+- gas.-a0316203912
  • Ferziger, Jonathan and David Wainer, “Landau Says Israel Willing to Use Force to Protect Gas Finds Off Coast”, Bloomberg, 24 June 2010, accessed August 09, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-24/landau-says-israel-willing-to-use-force-to-protect-gas-finds-off-coast.html
  • “Gas in the Eastern Mediterranean Drill, or Quarrel?”, The Economist, 12 January 2013, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.economist.com/news/business/21569452-politics-could-choke-supplies-big-new-offshore-gasfieldsdrill-or-quarrel
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  • Ghosh, Palash R., “As Israel And Cyprus Ally Over Energy, The Rest Of The Region Feels The Aftershock”, 2 June 2012, accessed July 09, 2013, http:// www.ibtimes.com/israel-and-cyprus-ally-over-energy-rest-region-feels-aftershock-701215
  • Hafner, Manfred, Simone Tagliapietra and El Habib El Elandaloussi, “Outlook for Oil and Gas in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries”, October 2012, accessed June 24, 2013, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/ Publications/Detail/?lng=en&id=154892
  • Henderson, Simon, “Israel’s Natural Gas Challenges”, 7 September 2012, accessed July 14, 2013, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/ israels-natural-gas-challenges
  • Kambas, Michele and Ari Rabinovitch, “Netanyahu Discusses Energy Cooperation in Cyprus”, Reuters, 16 February 2012, accessed June 09, 2013, http:// ru.reuters.com/article/idUKL5E8DG3PS20120216
  • Karam, Zeina, “Israel-Hezbollah Dispute Emerging Over Mediterranean Resources”, Huffington Post, 26 July 2011, accessed June 27, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/israel-hezbollahdispute_n_910224.html.
  • Katz, Yaakov, “IDF Deploys Drones to Protect Gas Fields From Hezbollah”, Jerusalem Post, 9 August 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/ Defense/IDF-deploys-drones-to-protect-gas-fields-from-Hezbollah
  • Keinon, Herb, “Cabinet Approves Northern Maritime Border”, Jerusalem Post, 10 July 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/ Article.aspx?id=228666.
  • Khadduri, Walid, “East Mediterranean Gas: Opportunities ands Challenges”, Mediterranean Politics, Vol.17, No.1, March 2012, p.111-117.
  • “Lebanon Parliament to Vote on Gas Rights Bill”, Petroleumworld, 17 August 2010, accessed June 14, 2013, http://www.petroleumworld.com/story10081702. htm
  • Levinson, Charles and Guy Chazan, “Big Gas Find Sparks a Frenzy in Israel”, The Wall Street Journal, 30 December 2010, accessed July 09, 2013
  • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240529702042040045760498427867665 86.html
  • Mansour, Adnan, Minister for For. Aff. & Emigrants, “Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nation, U.N. Doc. 2082.11D”, June 20, 2011, accessed June 09, 2013
  • http://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/communications/lbn_re_cyp_isr_agreement2010.pdf.
  • Ministry of Finance of the State of Israel. “Conclusions of the Committee for the Examination of the Fiscal Policy with Respect to Oil and Gas Resources in Israel”, January 2011, accessed June 07, 2013, http://www.financeisrael.mof.gov. il/FinanceIsrael/Docs/En/publications/02_Full_Report_Nonincluding_ Appendixes.pdf
  • Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Israel. “The Natural Gas Inter-ministerial Committee Main Recommandations”, August 2012, accessed June 22, 2013, http://energy.gov.il/Subjects/NG/Documents/MainRecommendations. pdf
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  • “Netanyahu Vows to Defend Med Gas Fields”, Cumhuriyet, 19 January 2011, accessed June 25, 2013, http://www.cumhuriyet.com/?hn=209634
  • Pfeffer, Anshel, “Turkey to Deploy Warships Over Gas Dispute with Cyprus”, Haaretz, 25 September 2011, accessed June 23, 2013, http://www.haaretz. com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkey-to-deploy-warships-over-gas-dispute-with-cyprus-1.386659
  • Rabinovitch, Ari, “Natural Gas Firms Call on Israel to Allow Exports”, Reuters, 29 November 2011, accessed August 09, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/29/idUSL5E7MT21K20111129
  • Shaffer, Brenda, “Israel: A New Natural Gas Producer in the Mediterranean”, Energy Policy, Vol.39, No.9, September 2011, p. 5379-5387, accessed June 6, 2013, http://poli.haifa.ac.il/~bshaffer/Shaffer_Israel_naturalgas.pdf
  • Shemer, Nadav, “Analyst: Jordan to Buy Israeli Gas as Alternative to Egypt”, Jerusalem Post, 6 October 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/ Business/Business-News/Analyst-Jordan-to-buy-Israeli-gas-as-alternativeto-Egypt
  • Sleiman, H.E. General Michel, President of the Republic of Lebanon, “Address at 66th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations” 21 September 2011, accessed July 14, 2013, http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/ files/gastatements/66/LB_en.pdf.
  • Sofaer, Abraham D., “Securing Israel’s Offshore Gas Resources”, 23 June 2011, accessed June 23, 2013, http://www.abesofaer.com/2011-pdfs/Offshore-Gas-Security-6-23-2011.pdf
  • Udasin, Sharon, “Natural Gas Will 1st Go to Arap Neighbors”, Jerusalem Post, 28 March 2012, accessed August 14, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Natural-gas-exports-will-1st-go-to-Arab-neighbors
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İSRAİL VE LEVANT HAVZASININ GAZ KAYNAKLARI

Year 2015, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 136 - 154, 01.01.2015

Abstract

Bir jeostratejik boyut olarak enerjinin önemi, Doğu Akdeniz ülkeleri arasındaki ilişkilere daha fazla perspektif eklemektedir. Bağımsız bir devlet olarak ortaya çıkışından itibaren İsrail, kendi doğal kaynakların yetersizliği nedeniyle enerjiyi ithal etmektedir. İsrail’in enerji arzına yönelik ihtiyacı, başta Mısır, Lübnan ve Güney Kıbrıs Rum Yönetimi GKRY olmak üzere komşu ülkelere yönelik dış politikalarını etkilemektedir. Ancak, İsrail’in kıyılarında dev rezervlerin keşfi, İsrail’in talihini ve bölgedeki joepolitik güç dengesini değiştirmiştir. Dahası İsrail GKRY’nin açık denizlerinde doğalgaz sahalarının keşfedilmesi yeni ittifaklar için teşvik edici hale gelmektedir fakat bu durum bölgesel gerilimi de arttırmaktadır. Ortadoğu bölgesinde yeni doğal gaz sahalarının keşfedilmesinin stratejik önemi hem enerji şirketlerinin hem de bölge devletlerinin dikkatini çekmektedir. Bu çalışma yeni doğalgaz sahalarını keşfedilmesinin İsrail üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektedir. Çalışma, İsrail’in bu doğalgaz kaynaklarına sahip olacağını, ancak eğer komşu ülkeler ile sorunlarını çözmez ise bu kaynakları çıkarmasının ve ihraç etmesinin zor olacağını iddia etmektedir

References

  • Abdel-Kader, Nizar, “Potential Gas Conflict in the Mediterranean”, 16 March 2012, accessed March 01, 2013, http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/03/16/potential_gas_conflict_in_the_mediterranean_99965. html.
  • Agreement Between the Government of the State of Israel and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus on the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone, 17 December 2010, accessed June 05, 2013, http://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/TREATIES/cyp_isr_eez_2010. pdf.
  • Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. “The Geopolitical Impacts of the Discovery of Natural Gas in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin”, December 2012, accessed June 09, 2013, http://english.dohainstitute.org/release/ b69fb5e1-b575-4ddf-a792-3aae0c3d189c
  • “Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Levant Basin Province, Eastern Mediterranean”, US Geological Survey, accessed August 09, 2013, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2010/3014/pdf/FS10-3014.pdf
  • Bahgat, Gawdat, “Israel’s Energy Security: Regional Implications”, Middle East Policy, Vol.18, No.3, Fall 2011, p.25-34.
  • Bar-Eli, Avi, “Netanyahu Offers Natural Gas to Greece”, Haaretz, 29 August 2010, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/ netanyahu-offers-natural-gas-to-greece-1.310761.
  • Bar-Eli, Avi and Itai Trilnick, “Forecast Blackout Israel is About to Run Out of Natural Gas: Shortage Expected to Last at Least Until Next Year, When the Tamar Gas Field Starts Production”, Haaretz, 2 February 2012, accessed June 14, 2013, http://www.haaretz.com/misc/iphone-article/forecastblackout-israel-is-about-to-run-out-of-natural-gas-1.410513
  • Cashman, Greer Fay, “Peres, Cypriot Counterpart Discuss Gas Cooperation”, The Jerusalem Post, 3 November 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost. com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Peres-Cypriot-counterpart-discuss-gas-cooperation
  • “Cyprus-Israel Close to Gas-Sharing Deal”, Cyprus Gas News, 18 April 2012, accessed August 11, 2013, http://www.cyprusgasnews.com/archives/370
  • “Decision Already Taken for LNG Terminal”, Cyprus Gas News, 8 June 2012, accessed August 11, 2013, http://www.cyprusgasnews.com/archives/589
  • Economides, Michael J., “Eastern Mediterranean Energy: The Next Game”, Energy Tribune, 5 June 2012, accessed June 21, 2013, http://www.energytribune. com/11093/eastern-mediterranean-energy-the-next-game
  • Eichner, Itamar, “Cyprus-Israel Close to Gas-Sharing Deal”, Ynet News, 16 February 2012, accessed July 09, 2013, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4190731,00.html
  • Engdahl, F. William, “New Mediterranean Oil and Gas Bonanza”, 26 February 2012, accessed July 09, 2013, http://rt.com/news/reserves-offshore-middle-east-engdahl-855/
  • Evripidou, Stefanos, “Liberman: Cyprus-Israel relations ‘a win-win situation’”, Cyprus E Directory, accessed July 14, 2013, http://www.cyprusedirectory. com/articleview.aspx?ID=20694
  • Fares, Yacine, “No Oil for Israel, Israel Mines for Natural Gas”, Harvard International Review, Winter 2013, accessed August 09, 2013, http://www. thefreelibrary.com/No+oil+for+Israel%3A+Israel+mines+for+natural+- gas.-a0316203912
  • Ferziger, Jonathan and David Wainer, “Landau Says Israel Willing to Use Force to Protect Gas Finds Off Coast”, Bloomberg, 24 June 2010, accessed August 09, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-24/landau-says-israel-willing-to-use-force-to-protect-gas-finds-off-coast.html
  • “Gas in the Eastern Mediterranean Drill, or Quarrel?”, The Economist, 12 January 2013, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.economist.com/news/business/21569452-politics-could-choke-supplies-big-new-offshore-gasfieldsdrill-or-quarrel
  • Golan, Avirama, “Friends on the East-West Seam”, Haaretz, 11 March 2011, accessed June 24, 2013, http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/friends-onthe-east-west-seam-1.348565
  • Ghosh, Palash R., “As Israel And Cyprus Ally Over Energy, The Rest Of The Region Feels The Aftershock”, 2 June 2012, accessed July 09, 2013, http:// www.ibtimes.com/israel-and-cyprus-ally-over-energy-rest-region-feels-aftershock-701215
  • Hafner, Manfred, Simone Tagliapietra and El Habib El Elandaloussi, “Outlook for Oil and Gas in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries”, October 2012, accessed June 24, 2013, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/ Publications/Detail/?lng=en&id=154892
  • Henderson, Simon, “Israel’s Natural Gas Challenges”, 7 September 2012, accessed July 14, 2013, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/ israels-natural-gas-challenges
  • Kambas, Michele and Ari Rabinovitch, “Netanyahu Discusses Energy Cooperation in Cyprus”, Reuters, 16 February 2012, accessed June 09, 2013, http:// ru.reuters.com/article/idUKL5E8DG3PS20120216
  • Karam, Zeina, “Israel-Hezbollah Dispute Emerging Over Mediterranean Resources”, Huffington Post, 26 July 2011, accessed June 27, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/israel-hezbollahdispute_n_910224.html.
  • Katz, Yaakov, “IDF Deploys Drones to Protect Gas Fields From Hezbollah”, Jerusalem Post, 9 August 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/ Defense/IDF-deploys-drones-to-protect-gas-fields-from-Hezbollah
  • Keinon, Herb, “Cabinet Approves Northern Maritime Border”, Jerusalem Post, 10 July 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/ Article.aspx?id=228666.
  • Khadduri, Walid, “East Mediterranean Gas: Opportunities ands Challenges”, Mediterranean Politics, Vol.17, No.1, March 2012, p.111-117.
  • “Lebanon Parliament to Vote on Gas Rights Bill”, Petroleumworld, 17 August 2010, accessed June 14, 2013, http://www.petroleumworld.com/story10081702. htm
  • Levinson, Charles and Guy Chazan, “Big Gas Find Sparks a Frenzy in Israel”, The Wall Street Journal, 30 December 2010, accessed July 09, 2013
  • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240529702042040045760498427867665 86.html
  • Mansour, Adnan, Minister for For. Aff. & Emigrants, “Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nation, U.N. Doc. 2082.11D”, June 20, 2011, accessed June 09, 2013
  • http://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/communications/lbn_re_cyp_isr_agreement2010.pdf.
  • Ministry of Finance of the State of Israel. “Conclusions of the Committee for the Examination of the Fiscal Policy with Respect to Oil and Gas Resources in Israel”, January 2011, accessed June 07, 2013, http://www.financeisrael.mof.gov. il/FinanceIsrael/Docs/En/publications/02_Full_Report_Nonincluding_ Appendixes.pdf
  • Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Israel. “The Natural Gas Inter-ministerial Committee Main Recommandations”, August 2012, accessed June 22, 2013, http://energy.gov.il/Subjects/NG/Documents/MainRecommendations. pdf
  • Mroueh, Wassim, “Lebanon to Fight Israel at U.N.”, Daily Star, 11 July 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/ Jul-11/Lebanon-to-fight-Israel-at-UN.ashx#axzz1ZtdbDoni.
  • “Netanyahu Vows to Defend Med Gas Fields”, Cumhuriyet, 19 January 2011, accessed June 25, 2013, http://www.cumhuriyet.com/?hn=209634
  • Pfeffer, Anshel, “Turkey to Deploy Warships Over Gas Dispute with Cyprus”, Haaretz, 25 September 2011, accessed June 23, 2013, http://www.haaretz. com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkey-to-deploy-warships-over-gas-dispute-with-cyprus-1.386659
  • Rabinovitch, Ari, “Natural Gas Firms Call on Israel to Allow Exports”, Reuters, 29 November 2011, accessed August 09, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/29/idUSL5E7MT21K20111129
  • Shaffer, Brenda, “Israel: A New Natural Gas Producer in the Mediterranean”, Energy Policy, Vol.39, No.9, September 2011, p. 5379-5387, accessed June 6, 2013, http://poli.haifa.ac.il/~bshaffer/Shaffer_Israel_naturalgas.pdf
  • Shemer, Nadav, “Analyst: Jordan to Buy Israeli Gas as Alternative to Egypt”, Jerusalem Post, 6 October 2011, accessed June 09, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/ Business/Business-News/Analyst-Jordan-to-buy-Israeli-gas-as-alternativeto-Egypt
  • Sleiman, H.E. General Michel, President of the Republic of Lebanon, “Address at 66th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations” 21 September 2011, accessed July 14, 2013, http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/ files/gastatements/66/LB_en.pdf.
  • Sofaer, Abraham D., “Securing Israel’s Offshore Gas Resources”, 23 June 2011, accessed June 23, 2013, http://www.abesofaer.com/2011-pdfs/Offshore-Gas-Security-6-23-2011.pdf
  • Udasin, Sharon, “Natural Gas Will 1st Go to Arap Neighbors”, Jerusalem Post, 28 March 2012, accessed August 14, 2013, http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Natural-gas-exports-will-1st-go-to-Arab-neighbors
  • “New Natural Gas Wealth Means Historic Change for Israel”, National Geographic News, 3 July 2012, accessed August 14, 2013, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/07/12 0703-israel-new-natural-gas/
There are 43 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

A.murat Ağdemir This is me

Publication Date January 1, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2015 Volume: 6 Issue: 2

Cite

Chicago Ağdemir, A.murat. “İSRAİL VE LEVANT HAVZASININ GAZ KAYNAKLARI”. Ortadoğu Etütleri 6, no. 2 (January 2015): 136-54.

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