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Israel's Gas Diplomacy

(Financial Post-Canada) Lawrence Solomon - After Israel survived its war of independence, it set about winning friends in the Middle East among non-Arabs, including Iran and Turkey, two non-Arab regional powers that became full-blown military allies. Now Israel's periphery strategy is back big time, thanks largely to hydrocarbon diplomacy. Israel has known gas reserves of $130-billion in the Mediterranean, with some estimating that twice as much will materialize as exploration continues. Cyprus is also discovering immense amounts of gas in the sea bed adjacent to Israel's. The two are now developing their gas jointly, with plans to export it to Europe or Asia or both. Greece is now talking of joining in joint ventures. Israel's periphery strategy includes other European countries such as Christian Romania and Bulgaria, and Muslim Albania, which has been a standout defender of Israel in the UN. Israel also has allies such as Georgia and Azerbaijan in Central Asia, and works with predominantly Christian Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Sudan to fend off Iran and Islamist terrorism. Israel's stock in East Africa is particularly high because of its role in gaining independence for South Sudan. Over much of South Sudan's half-century struggle for independence, Israel almost single-handedly armed and supported the black African rebels against what was widely recognized as genocide and enslavement perpetrated by the Arabic rulers based in northern Sudan.
2012-04-27 00:00:00
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