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Could This Gas Field Benefit Israel?
Illustrative: London-based Energean’s drill ship begins drilling at the Karish natural gas field offshore Israel in the east Mediterranean May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Ari Rabinovitch
The Aphrodite gas field was discovered in 2011, and its gas potential is estimated at 124 billion cubic meters. Ownership is divided among three companies: Chevron owns 35%, Shell 35%, and New Med (formerly Delek) 30%. The field is approximately 170 km south of Limassol and 30 km from the Israeli gas field Leviathan.
A small part of the Aphrodite field is in Israel’s economic waters, which means it is a joint, or cross-border, field – a fairly common situation in the global energy arena. The Israeli part is owned by three Israeli companies. Israel and Cyprus have held multiple talks in order to reach an agreement about the field but were not successful, and appear to have left the matter to the companies that are commercially concerned. The likely reason is that the two countries do not want to cloud their close relationship with a dispute over the gas field.
The Aphrodite field has not progressed towards the development stage for a variety of reasons, some of them economic. The reservoir is not particularly large, but it is commercial. No less importantly, it has implications for the “Cyprus problem” — that is, the conflict over the future of the island, which has been divided ever since the Turks invaded it in 1974.
The companies, led by Chevron, and the Cypriot government, represented primarily by its Minister of Energy, conducted complex rounds of negotiations that involved much hand-wringing on the part of the Cypriot minister. A few months ago, the minister went so far as to threaten that if the companies did not return to the original development plan submitted in 2019, he would withdraw the franchise.
Chevron, an American company and one of the largest in the world, won the support of the American government during the negotiations. The President of Cyprus met with the senior Chevron officials and with President Biden’s special envoy, Amos Hochstein, and promised to settle the differences of opinion.
The main dispute concerns the number of wells that will be operated above the field, a matter that reflects the question of supplying gas from the reservoir not just to the export market but to the Cypriot market as well. There was no dispute regarding the export of gas to liquefaction facilities in Egypt (and from there to the local market or other export markets). The updated proposal requires the companies to take on an additional economic cost, along the lines of the original development plan.
The companies’ U-turn on this issue seems to be due to several factors:
Gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean have become more attractive since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, especially for Europe, considering gas prices on the world market. No less important is the Egyptian market, which urgently requires gas for both local consumption and re-export for the purpose of obtaining foreign currency, a vital need for the faltering Egyptian economy. The Egyptian market is a stone’s throw from the field.
The proximity of the Aphrodite field to Israel’s Leviathan field, one of the world’s largest gas discoveries of recent years, is a great advantage. The possibility of connecting to Leviathan, one way or another, is on the table (theoretically at least, but with a considerable economic rationale). It depends on an Israeli decision about its preferred export alternative.
The Cypriot Minister of Energy has wisely leveraged the interest that international companies like BP (British Petroleum) and the UAE’s Adnoc have expressed in stepping into the shoes of the field’s current owners should the negotiations fail. These companies have made their interest clear, and contracts have even been reported to purchase 50% of the Leviathan field (the purchase never took place, perhaps due to the war). It was also reported that the Energean company, which operates the Karish field in Israeli economic waters, has signaled to the Cypriot government that it has an interest in the Aphrodite field.
While the dispute between the Cypriot Minister of Energy and the companies has been settled, the devil is in the details. There is still the “elephant in the room” – the conflict over the future of the island. Negotiations surrounding the reunification of the island have failed time and time again. The Greek part is recognized by the whole world (except Turkey) as the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union. The Turkish part is not recognized internationally by any country other than Turkey. After the last failure in 2017, the Turkish position toughened. In recent years, Ankara has said the only alternative is to divide the island into two countries.
The dispute over the utilization of the proven energy potential in Cypriot economic waters, and its distribution between the two communities on the island, has not been resolved as the island’s future remains unclear. The question constantly in the background is Turkey’s position. Will Ankara allow the Cypriot field to be developed, or will it take assertive steps to make that development conditional on political agreements? It can be argued that the involvement of a huge American company – one that will have the support of the American government in case of tensions or disputes – should soften Turkish opposition. To this must be added the significant improvement that has recently taken place in the relationship between Turkey and Egypt. As mentioned, the latter is in dire need of gas, and the Aphrodite field is close by.
However, the Cypriot conflict is seen by Ankara as a matter of prime strategic importance. The secular opposition parties often take an even more rigid and nationalistic stance than does the Erdogan administration. To this must be added the uncomfortable situation in which Turkish foreign policy finds itself regarding the war in Gaza and its exclusion from any involvement in it.
From a regional perspective, the development of the Aphrodite field, and its connection to Egypt, highlights a fascinating regional relationship that has been forged in recent years following the gas discoveries. This will strengthen Egypt’s current position as well as its ambition to be a regional energy hub (though this would not greatly please Turkey).
Is all of this good for Israel? The answer is yes.
From a political point of view, the strategy that has developed in recent years of strengthening the regional architecture, with Israel occupying a central place, is in line with Israeli interests. So is the strengthening of Egypt and Cyprus. The Turkish alternative to exporting Israeli gas is not on the agenda, certainly following the war in Gaza.
From an economic point of view, the dispute surrounding the Israeli part of the Cypriot field will be resolved in commercial negotiations among the companies and will not necessarily require government involvement. This is good for the Israeli companies concerned and for Israel itself.
The development of the field and its connection to Egypt may strengthen the feasibility of connecting it to the Leviathan reservoir, but this does not reduce Israel’s room for maneuver regarding other possible alternatives, whether a liquefaction facility at sea (FLNG) or another alternative (connection to the liquefaction facility on the Cypriot coast, for example).
Despite the progress that has likely been made between the companies and the Cypriot government, challenges remain. All the parties concerned, companies and governments alike, will have to conduct proactive and creative diplomacy to turn the development of a relatively small but commercial gas field in a highly complex region into a reality.
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari joined the Israeli Foreign Ministry and served more than 30 years in a range of diplomatic roles in Israel and abroad, including (among others) in Cairo, London and Nicosia. His final position abroad was as Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus (2010-2015). Today he serves as a consultant in the fields of strategy, policy and energy and lectures in the Political Science Department at the Jezreel Valley College. A version of this article was originally published by the BESA Center.
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Obituary: Marty Zatzman, 71, a teacher and musician considered the heart and soul of Nova Scotia’s Camp Kadimah
Marty Zatzman was a musician and science teacher whose time at Camp Kadimah in Nova Scotia—first as a camper and later as a director—shaped his life. Zatzman died in Toronto […]
The post Obituary: Marty Zatzman, 71, a teacher and musician considered the heart and soul of Nova Scotia’s Camp Kadimah appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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JD Vance Says US, Israel Sometimes Have ‘Distinct Interests,’ Underscores Importance of Avoiding War With Iran
Then-US Senate candidate JD Vance, now the 2024 Republican vice-presidential nominee, speaks as GOP presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump smiles at a rally, in Dayton, Ohio, US, Nov. 7, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
US vice presidential nominee JD Vance has appeared to temper a potential Trump administration’s support for Israel during a recent interview, arguing that the US and Jewish state can at times have conflicting interests and warning that Washington should seek to avoid a war with Iran, the Jewish state’s chief adversary in the Middle East.
During the nearly hour-and-a-half interview with podcaster Tim Dillon, Vance stated that although he believes Israel has the right to defend itself from threats, there are instances in which the Jewish state’s military goals could conflict with US interests.
“Israel has the right to defend itself, but America’s interest is sometimes going to be distinct — like sometimes we’re going to have overlapping interests and sometimes we’re going to have distinct interests, and our interest, I think, very much is in not going to war with Iran,” Vance said.
The Republican senator from Ohio argued that a war between Iran and the US would be a significant resource drain on the American military.
“It would be [a] huge distraction of resources; it would be massively expensive to our country,” Vance said.
US intelligence agencies have for years labeled Iran as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, noting it devotes significant sums of money and weapons each year to supporting proxies across the Middle East such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Reflecting on Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel last year, Vance said that he and his wife felt “worried” for their personal friends who live in the Jewish state. The senator then claimed that many American supporters of Israel “were actually much more militaristic than the Israelis that were actually living in Israel” following the Hamas atrocities and suggested that, in the immediate aftermath of the onslaught, American allies of the Jewish state expressed enthusiasm to prosecute wars against Iran and Russia.
“We just have to be smarter, right? We have to be smarter. Now, I don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. And, I think we should be, like, strongly encouraging the Iranians, and using all the influence we have, to encourage them to not have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said.
The senator underscored the importance of engaging in “smart diplomacy” to advance US interests without using military force. Vance used the Abraham Accords — a series of historic, US-brokered normalization agreements struck between Israel and several countries in the Arab world when Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was in the White House — as examples of how the US government should secure peace between the Jewish state and its neighbors.
Vance’s comments raised eyebrows among many pro-Israel supporters on social media, with some arguing that the senator undermined the Trump campaign’s attempts to frame the former president as more supportive of the Jewish state than Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
In the months leading up to the election, Trump has aggressively courted Jewish voters, touting his administration’s previous work on the Abraham Accords and close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has also stated that his administration would deport non-American residents who participate in violent anti-Israel protests.
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Turkey’s Erdogan Sends ‘Best Wishes’ to Iran After Israel Strike, Continues Fierce Criticism of Jewish State
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave his “best wishes” to Iran and accused Israel of trying to provoke a regional war in the Middle East in response to the Jewish state’s airstrikes against Iranian military targets over the weekend.
Erdogan’s comments continued his hostile posture toward Israel over the past year, during which Turkish-Israeli relations have nosedived amid Israel’s ongoing military operations against two Iran-backed Islamist terrorist groups: Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
On Saturday, over 100 Israeli aircraft targeted missile production sites and air defenses inside Iran, significantly crippling Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and production capacity. The sophisticated operation was in response to Iran firing more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier in the month, as well as ongoing attacks from its terror proxies in the region, according to Israeli officials.
Responding to the strikes, Erdogan expressed solidarity with Iran and portrayed Israel as the aggressor.
“I extend my best wishes to our neighbor Iran and the Iranian government, which were the target of Israeli aggression last night,” Erdogan said at an event in the southern city of Hatay, according to Turkish media.
The Turkish president also claimed without evidence that Israel was seeking to set a “trap” to start a regional war.
“The Zionist Israeli government is attempting to ignite a regional conflict. It is crucial not to fall into the trap set by Israel and its supporters,” he said. “With this mindset, Israel will achieve nothing. We expect their wrath from Allah.”
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning Israel’s military strikes and similarly accusing the Jewish state of bringing the region toward a broader conflict. The ministry went on to falsely accuse Israel of “committing genocide in Gaza,” preparing to annex the West Bank, and attacking civilians in Lebanon.
“Ending the terrorism created by Israel in the region has become a historic duty in terms of establishing international security and peace,” the statement read, calling on the international community to take steps to avoid further escalation.
The ministry and Erdogan’s comments came two months after Turkey’s Ambassador to Iran Hicabi Kırlangıç lambasted Israel in an interview as “one of the most ruthless enemies” and condemned Western countries for supporting Jerusalem. He also said that Iran’s plan to attack Israel in retaliation for the killing over the summer of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran should be harsh enough to force the Jewish state to “fall to its knees.”
Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Iran’s capital city on July 31. Iran, the chief international sponsor of Hamas, accused Israel of carrying out the assassination and vowed revenge. The Israeli government has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.
Iran, which initially launched an unprecedented direct attack against Israel in April, also said it would retaliate following Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks that killed the top leaders of its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, including longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
On Oct. 1, Iran acted on its threats, firing nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. The only fatality from the barrage was Sameh Asli, 37, a Palestinian from Jabalia in Gaza. He was killed by missile shrapnel in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho, during the attack.
Following Israel’s retaliatory strikes this past weekend, Iranian officials attempted to downplay the severity of the strikes. However, an Israeli weapons systems and intelligence expert told The Algemeiner on Sunday that the Islamist regime’s ballistic missile program will need at least a year to recover from the strikes.
Amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran and its proxies, Turkey has been one of the fiercest critics of Israel — and defenders of Hamas — since the outbreak of the Gaza war last October.
Last month Erdogan said that the United Nations General Assembly should recommend the use of force, in line with a resolution it passed in 1950, if the UN Security Council fails to stop Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
In August, Erdogan declared Aug. 2 a day of national mourning over the killing of Haniyeh.
The announcement came days after Erdogan made an explicit threat to invade Israel, leading Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to call on NATO to expel Turkey, which has the alliance’s second largest military.
Turkey has reportedly blocked cooperation between NATO and Israel since last October because of the war in Hamas-ruled Gaza and said the alliance should not engage with Israel as a partner until the conflict ends.
Erdogan’s comments were the latest in a recent wave of hostile moves targeting the Jewish state.
Earlier this year, for example, Turkey’s foreign ministry compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
In May, the Turkish trade ministry said it had ceased all exports and imports to and from Israel. The announcement came after Turkey imposed trade restrictions on Israeli exports over Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza following the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 invasion of and massacre across the southern region of the Jewish state.
That followed Erdogan in March threatening to “send Netanyahu to Allah to take care of him, make him miserable, and curse him.” He previously accused Israel of operating “Nazi” concentration camps and compared Netanyahu with Hitler.
Weeks earlier, Erdogan said that Netanyahu was a “butcher” who would be tried as a “war criminal” over Israel’s defensive military operations in Gaza. He has also called Israel a “terror state.”
Turkey hosts senior Hamas officials and, together with Iran and Qatar, has provided a large portion of the Palestinian terrorist group’s budget.
Several Western and Arab states designate Hamas, an offshoot of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, as a terrorist group.
However, Erdogan has defended Hamas terrorists as “resistance fighters” against what he described as an Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
Israel withdrew all its troops and civilian settlers from Gaza in 2005.
Turkish-Israeli diplomatic relations have nosedived since the Hamas atrocities of last Oct. 7, when the terrorist group that rules Gaza murdered 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapped over 250 hostages, launching the ongoing war in the Palestinian enclave.
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