RSS
Debunking the Gaza Oil Myth
The claim that Israel’s military actions in Gaza are motivated by a desire to seize Palestinian oil and gas resources has gained traction since October 2023. Reports and op-eds have been published by Al Jazeera, TRT World, and the Middle East Eye, with headlines such as “Israel’s Genocidal War on Gaza Is Also About Oil and Gas.” Various environmental NGOs have followed their lead, claiming that “this genocide is about oil.” These claims were further echoed by prominent anti-Israeli social media influencers such as Richard Medhurst and Jake Shields, who claimed that “massive amounts of oil have been discovered off of Gaza. After the genocide is completed, it will be rightfully Israel’s oil.” Even the poetry editor of the New York Times Magazine claimed that Israel’s war in Gaza was about “the deadly profit of oil interests” in her November 2023 resignation letter from the paper.
None of these claims has any basis in fact. Gaza does not have any known oil reserves. There are also no known assessments regarding potential oil in Gaza that is waiting to be explored. What Gaza does have is a small, undeveloped offshore natural gas field named “Gaza Marine.” The field was discovered in 2000, but was deemed too small to be commercially viable at the time. The field is estimated to contain only 30 BCM of natural gas, which is a small fraction of the more than 1,000 BCM of natural gas contained in Israel’s own territorial waters (in the Tamar, Leviathan, and Karish/Tanin fields). The idea that Israel would go to war over such a marginal gas field is absurd.
The primary source behind this disinformation campaign about Gaza’s alleged oil reserves is a UN body. Specifically, most of the accusations against Israel can be traced to a 2019 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) entitled “The Economic Costs of the Israeli Occupation for the Palestinian People: The Unrealized Oil and Natural Gas Potential.” The report, written by Atif Kubursi, Professor Emeritus of Economics at McMaster University in Canada, states that “the Occupied Palestinian Territory lies above sizeable reservoirs of oil and natural gas wealth,” to the tune of “tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars.” It also claims that there are $524 billion worth of energy reserves in the Levant Basin, a bounty that could be shared among the different parties in the region if not for Israel’s “occupation of the Palestinian people.”
Critics of Israel have latched onto the $524 billion figure from the UNCTAD report to argue that Israel’s war in Gaza is driven by a desire to seize its energy assets. However, the report did not attribute these resources to Gaza or the West Bank but to the entire Levant Basin, which includes Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Cyprus. The report estimates that Palestinians have lost approximately $2.57 billion in potential revenue from Gaza Marine due to their inability to develop the field. This revenue could, however, be recouped once the field is developed. Egypt was poised to develop the field and share the revenue with the Palestinian Authority, with the approval of the Israeli government, if not for the current war.
In addition, the report points to the Meged oil field – located primarily within Area C of the West Bank – as another possible source of revenue for Palestinians. However, the report deliberately inflates the significance of the field by relying on outdated figures. The report estimates that the field might contain 1.5 billion barrels of oil and have a potential market value of $71 billion, but these figures are based on unsourced PR claims (rather than available geological evidence) that were released prior to commercial production. These assessments have been proven incorrect following repeated attempts to develop the field. Between 2011 and 2016, the field produced only 1 million barrels and shut down due to technical difficulties and dwindling output. The fact that the field has already been proven economically nonviable was ignored in the report, which continued to cite the debunked assessments.
Even under optimal conditions, the Meged field would not produce enough oil to be a central motivator for Israeli military action in the West Bank. This becomes especially clear when considering that a large part of the field is in Israeli territory, so Israel would not have to occupy Area C to access it and produce from it.
The misleading interpretation of the 2019 UNCTAD report could have been dismissed as an innocent mistake, had UNCTAD itself not deliberately presented the findings in such a way. On its website and subsequent press releases, UNCTAD advertised its report with the headline “The unrealized potential of Palestinian oil and gas reserves.” It continued this misrepresentation with the subhead, “Oil and natural gas resources in the occupied Palestinian territory could generate hundreds of billions of dollars for development.” Again, the report does not attribute these numbers to the Palestinian Territories but to the entire Levant Basin, a fact that cannot be inferred from the headline. Moreover, the UNCTAD press release repeats the claim that “Geologists and resource economists have confirmed that the occupied Palestinian territory lies above sizeable reservoirs of oil and natural gas,” a bald assertion that is not substantiated in the report.
The UNCTAD report has also been criticized for inflating additional figures and relying on dubious conspiracy blogs as its sources of data, raising serious doubts about the credibility and intentions of its author. The political newsletter “Twilight of Greed” took a deep dive into the report and discovered false and deliberately misleading arguments. For example, the report frequently cites the works of Michel Chossudovsky, who is known for spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories about how the Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks and who was accused by the US State Department in 2020 of being a proxy for a Russian disinformation campaign. Despite this, the report cites Chossudovsky 11 times, making him the single most-cited author in the entire report. It even prints his false assertion that the Gaza Marine field is secretly connected to Israeli underwater infrastructure and is slowly being depleted.
It is appalling that an official UN body would approve of such a report and then continue to publicize it with false claims about its content. One of the most troublesome aspects of the narrative is how quickly it has spread on social media, bolstered by a broader anti-Israeli and anti-imperialist sentiment. Despite efforts by experts to debunk these myths, they have become entrenched in the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These claims have been difficult to counter due to the viral nature of social media misinformation. By the time experts began addressing the flaws in the narrative, the theory had gained millions of adherents online.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza is driven by far more complex political, historical, and security concerns than the control of natural gas or oil. Israel’s current and previous wars in Gaza have focused primarily on security threats posed by Hamas and other militant groups, as well as broader territorial and political disputes. The Gaza Marine and Meged fields, while valuable in an economic sense, are not significant enough to drive military action. The spread of the Gaza oil myth reflects the dangers of relying on dubious sources and conspiracy theories to explain complex geopolitical conflicts. These dangers are only worsened when an official UN body knowingly pushes these theories to center stage, permitting reckless ideologues to launder their viewpoints and providing them with unwarranted credibility.
Dr. Elai Rettig is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Studies and a senior research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He specializes in energy geopolitics and national security.
Lee Wilcox is a California-based writer and editor for the American political and historical newsletter “Twilight of Greed.” He currently studies US History at the University of California, Davis.
A version of this article was originally published by The BESA Center.
The post Debunking the Gaza Oil Myth first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
German Foreign Minister Tones Down Palestinian Recognition Talk on West Bank Trip

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul gestures next to a member of clergy during the visit to the town of Taybeh, a Christian village in the West Bank, Aug. 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ali Sawafta
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul sought to tone down previous comments about his country’s position on Palestinian statehood during a trip to the West Bank on Friday, saying Germany had no immediate plans to recognize a Palestinian state.
Wadephul’s comment followed sharp criticism from Israeli officials over his earlier suggestion, before he left for the trip, that Germany could respond to any unilateral Israeli actions with recognition of a Palestinian state.
Far-right Israeli government minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had written on X: “80 years after the Holocaust, and Germany returns to supporting Nazism.”
After meeting Israel’s foreign minister, prime minister, and president on Thursday evening, Wadephul explained on Friday that Germany did not plan to recognize a Palestinian state immediately, “as that is one of the final steps to be taken” as part of a two-state solution.
Wadephul’s attempt to clarify his remarks highlights Germany’s longstanding difficulty in taking a clear position on the issue, caught between growing international pressure on Israel amid the Gaza war and Germany’s own post-Holocaust commitment to ensuring Israel’s security.
He called on Israel to ensure safe access for United Nations agencies to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying the current restrictions were worsening the crisis.
“The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now,” Wadephul said, stressing that aid distribution through the UN needed to resume without obstacles.
He said Germany would provide an additional 5 million euros ($5.7 million) to the UN World Food Program to support bakeries and soup kitchens and fund a field hospital in Gaza City.
Asked about Israeli concerns that aid could be diverted by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Wadephul acknowledged that misuse could not be fully ruled out but said it was no reason to block relief efforts.
“The best way to prevent Hamas from misusing supplies is to deliver more aid and ensure full coverage for the population,” he said.
RSS
Syria Forms Committee to Investigate Sweida Violence

People ride a motorcycle past a burned-out military vehicle, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and government forces, in Syria’s predominantly Druze city of Sweida, Syria, July 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Syria has pledged to investigate clashes in the southern province of Sweida which killed hundreds of people last month — the second major episode of sectarian violence since the ouster of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
In a decree dated July 31, justice minister Muzher al-Wais said a committee of seven people — including judges, lawyers, and a military official — would look into the circumstances that led to the “events in Sweida” and report back within three months.
The committee would investigate reported attacks and abuses against civilians and refer anyone proven to have participated in such attacks to the judiciary.
The violence in Sweida began on July 13 between tribal fighters and Druze factions. Government forces were sent to quell the fighting, but the bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops in the name of the Druze.
The Druze are a minority offshoot of Islam with followers in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Sweida province is predominantly Druze but is also home to Sunni tribes, and the communities have had longstanding tensions over land and other resources.
A US-brokered truce ended the fighting, which had raged in Sweida city and surrounding towns for nearly a week.
In March, hundreds of Alawite civilians were killed after government-aligned forces deployed to Syria‘s coastal areas following a deadly attack on new government forces by militias still aligned with Assad, who hails from the Alawite minority.
Assad’s brutal crackdown on protests against him in 2011 from within Syria‘s Sunni majority spiraled into a nearly 14-year war. Western leaders are keen to ensure the new government, led by a former Sunni Islamist group that has its roots in global jihad, conducts an orderly democratic transition.
The fact-finding committee established after the March killings last month referred 298 people suspected of carrying out abuses against Alawites to the judiciary.
The committee said it found no evidence of commanders ordering troops to commit violations and that 265 people had been involved in the initial attack on government forces.
RSS
Do We Have the Courage to Follow the New Route Home?
One of ancient Greece’s earliest philosophers, Heraclitus, is recorded as having said: “There is nothing permanent except change.” Along the same lines, he stated: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”
The sentiment of this ancient wisdom is simple – those who stay in the same place and never embrace new realities are doomed to disaster.
There are numerous examples from history of those who refused to change when catastrophe loomed. But far more refreshing are those who understood, when faced with disaster, that a correction was needed, sometimes urgently.
One famous example is the sixteenth-century Dutch leader, William of Orange. In 1566, William faced an impossible choice. The king of Spain, Philip II, was tightening his iron grip on the Low Countries – crushing religious freedom and centralizing power in ways that had never been attempted before. The old system – accepting foreign rule while hoping for gradual reform – had failed spectacularly.
William could have clung to the familiar, doubling down on diplomatic appeals and hoping for the best. But instinctively, he knew that this wouldn’t work out well. Instead, he did something revolutionary: he acknowledged that the old route wasn’t working and opted to change course.
The Dutch Revolt that followed could be viewed as a military campaign, but actually it was much more than that: it was a complete reimagining of what could be and how that could be achieved. William became the first Stadtholder of what would become the Dutch Republic, creating a new model that bore little resemblance to the monarchical systems that had preceded it.
The change was radical, and initially it was both uncomfortable and uncertain. But it worked – because William and his supporters dared to honestly assess what wasn’t working and make the necessary adjustments until they got it right. What followed was a century of prosperity, known as the Dutch Golden Age.
This willingness to recalculate in the face of potential failure isn’t merely a political strategy – it’s a fundamental principle of how progress can proceed. And nowhere is this principle more beautifully illustrated than in Parshas Devarim.
Modern technology has given us an unexpected teacher in resilience. When you set your GPS to a destination, it sets your course – but inevitably, you will make a mistake and take a wrong turn. Without a fuss, your GPS will recalculate, offering you a new route to your destination. There’s no judgment, and no disappointment.
Occasionally, the GPS will try to send you back to the original route, but more often it will simply offer you another pathway. Now, imagine if life worked like that. Imagine if every time we found ourselves going off course, we were offered the new route back to the best version of ourselves.
This is precisely the approach Moshe Rabbeinu takes in Devarim. As the Jewish people stand on the threshold of the Promised Land, about to change course completely from the secure existence they had enjoyed for four decades, Moshe offers them a platform to succeed in their new situation. Not criticism or recrimination. Instead, he offers something far more valuable: a retrospective that focuses not on blame but on learning from mistakes and charting a new route ahead.
Yes, there were the spies who brought back a discouraging report, and the repercussions were devastating. So, beware of those whose advice will set you back.
Yes, there was the golden calf, and you almost went off a cliff before your journey even started. So, don’t fall into the trap of attractive ideas that will end up taking you down.
Yes, there was the rebellion of Korach. So, don’t allow yourself to be drawn into self-destructive insurrections.
Moshe acknowledges these missteps, not to draw attention to the mistakes, but to explain that every misstep is just a stumble along the way to your predetermined destination.
For forty years, the Israelites had lived as perpetual wanderers, always looked after by God – manna falling from heaven, water flowing from rocks, clouds providing direction and protection. They had become accustomed to a kind of spiritual dependency, where their basic needs were miraculously provided, and their major decisions were made through divine signs.
Now, as they prepared to enter the Land of Israel, everything was about to change. They would need to plant crops and harvest them, dig wells and maintain them, establish courts and ensure justice, defend borders and govern cities. The wilderness mindset – reactive, dependent, whiny – had to give way to a completely different approach: proactive, responsible, and focused on building a society.
Perhaps no figure in Jewish history understood this principle better than Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. As Jerusalem collapsed under the weight of the Roman siege in 70 CE, he understood that the Temple would imminently be destroyed.
Unless there was a drastic adaptation to new realities, Judaism would disappear. The old system – Temple-based Judaism centered in Jerusalem – was collapsing. The rebels who presided over Jerusalem, including his own nephew, refused to consider any alternative. They clung to the familiar, convinced that doubling down was the only honorable path.
But Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai chose to recalculate. His famous request to the Roman general Vespasian – “Give me Yavneh and its sages” – was an acknowledgement that a new route was required to get to the same destination.
The route through Temple worship was no longer available. So, instead of doggedly pursuing the same path and pretending that the destruction wasn’t happening, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai calmly assessed the new landscape and found an alternative route: a Judaism that could survive and thrive without the Temple, a Judaism centered on study and scholarship rather than animal sacrifices and pilgrimage.
The transformation was radical. The Judaism that emerged from Yavneh may have been significantly different from what had come before, but it worked — spectacularly. And the proof is that it has survived for nearly two millennia. Meanwhile, those who refused to change course disappeared without a trace once the Temple was destroyed.
This theme resonates powerfully with Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat of Isaiah’s Vision that precedes Tisha B’Av. The haftarah from Isaiah that gives this Shabbat its name is predominantly a prophecy of doom, and a divine indictment of Jewish failures.
But if you look more carefully, you’ll see something else entirely: embedded within the rebuke is the ultimate recalculation. Isaiah acknowledges that the Jewish people are off course and the consequences for that will be severe – exile, destruction, and the loss of the Temple.
But the prophet’s message isn’t “Game Over.” Instead, his underlying message is “Come now, let us reason together” (Is. 1:18) — even after destruction, we can recalculate. The vision Isaiah presents isn’t only about destruction, it’s also about reconstruction.
The entire concept of Tisha B’Av embodies this principle. When we fast and mourn, it’s not just about wallowing in historical tragedy. It’s about engaging honestly with our missteps so we can find our way back to the correct route.
Our day of mourning is about the destruction of the past, but simultaneously it is also a day of recalculation, a hopeful acknowledgement that while we may have taken wrong turns, we remain on course for our destination.
Moshe’s retrospective in Parshat Devarim and Isaiah’s vision in the haftarah of Shabbat Chazon both carry the same essential message: it’s never “Game Over.” No matter how far off course we’ve traveled, no matter how many wrong turns we’ve taken, the GPS of divine providence is always ready to find the route that will get us back on track.
The question is only whether we have the wisdom to listen and the courage to follow that new route home.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.