Israel imports 99 percent of its crude oil
To my knowledge, Israel does not produce any oil at all. From whom does Israel import its oil?I guess that means "No War for Oil" is now synonymous with 'No war for Israel."
A: Israel produces only a few thousand barrels a month itself, so 99 percent of its crude oil is imported. Most of it comes from Russia and the "-stans," and a little from Egypt. Azerbaijan, a landlockd Caspian Sea country, provides about 20 percent of Israel's oil. That may increase with use of the new Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, built to get oil from the Caspian Sea area to the Mediterranean Sea.
posted by qrswave @ Saturday, August 19, 2006
3 Comments:
Oh Thirsty Zion, you were thirsty for Water in the desert so the story goes, you are thirsty in your concrete jungle citadel today. You remain thirsty for you continue to work against the promises of God and your sworn pledges. Not to be confused with your blood thirst.
The BTC pipeline, has been one of Israel's pipe dream to meet some of its energy needs. Lebanon and Syria both posed a problem in that respect, as the underwater pipe would run near their territorial waters.
Turkey has a strange relationship with Israel, being a majority Islamic country. The relationship goes back to the good old days of the cold war, when Turkey was a major strategic front-line State in containing the Soviet Union.
Israel has been a strategic partner of the US since the mid-1960's. Israel's bonds with Turkey were thus, sewn in the Western bloc geopolitical dynamic.
Russia will sell its oil to anyone, and besides if Israel was really, in a bind for oil, it's likely the US would come to the rescue. It would not be surprising if Congress pass a bill guaranteeing Israel needs if such a case arose.
Therefore, if OPEC ever gets the wherewithal and decides to implement an oil embargo against Israel as a sanction to help it rethink the Palestinian issue, it would also, have to factor in America. Could OPEC demand that the US could not resell the oil it sells it to Israel? This is possible, but not in the current client State scheme, which most of the Arab nations operate. There would definitely, have to be some elaborate domestic political changes in order for such a venture to work.
Israel has an expanding economy of around 150 billion GDP. It will use and need more oil resources as this growth augments. This energy need can indeed, be its downfall if supplies are difficult to procure.
Prior to the peace treaty with Egypt, the Sinai served as a good source of oil for Israel, but it was returned to Egypt. Mubarak is getting on in age. Sooner or later there will be a change of sovereign. His son is slotted to take his place, but this could change.
A majority of the population of Egypt support the Palestinian cause and would like to pressure Israel to release the Palestinians from the Israeli bondage. The political structure in Egypt as with most gulf States is repressive and do not reflect the will of the people. However, if a popular movement could sweep into power, then the equation may change in favor of polity that will apply pressure against Israel.
Israel has also had a water import deal with Turkey to have water transported on huge bubbles on the sea, that deal is wavering because of the logistical problems and the high costs Israel would incur.
This the reason why Israel wants to hold on to the Sha'aba area, which belongs to Lebanon and a good amount of the West Bank. Sha'aba has many ground springs and is an ample source of water for Israel. Some sources suggest that the US has given Israel assurances that it will use its veto power to preclude any transfer of the Sha'aba farms area -- besides, UNSC 1701, which supposedly, slates Sha'aba for review by the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Anan and for him to submit a recommended disposition. The language even defines area as "disputed" inferring further that a change of possession is unlikely. While Israel has kept the best farmlands and water resources in the West Bank for itself. The Israelis even have laws in the West Bank whereby, the Palestinians can only use the rives and waterways for drinking water and no other purpose.
In light of these Israeli resource deficiencies, the Litani River attains a precarious status for the Lebanese. Israel may opt to stay in southern Lebanon inventing excuse after excuse, not that Hizballah would not give them hell for their troubles, but Israel may still try to hold on to it or somehow tap into it.
Nevertheless, a shady Litani affair at the end of this war is a possibility and Israel has never missed an opportunity to co-opt its neighbors' property.
But yes, some sort of sanctions regime needs to be ignited against Israel, a la, Apartheid South Africa. The irony here of course is that Israel worked diligently, to compromise the economic embargo of South Africa, through smuggling of goods and other forms of cooperation, including a military liason. Israel was a full partner in training and arming South African internal police forces as well as, having an alliance against Angola and other Front-Line States. In fact, Israel was instrumental in South Africa's nuclear program, along with France. The old adage, held in the Israelo-Apartheid relationship, birds of a feather did flock together. Furthermore, don't let France fool you, they have supported many fascist states, besides all that Les bleux pompidou.
That may increase with use of the new Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, built to get oil from the Caspian Sea area to the Mediterranean Sea.
A current map of the Middle East shows fires raging between exactly these points. It must be a coincidence.
stern, yes I agree the French government cannot be trusted. In fact, few or no governments can be trusted. The fact that they exist is almost enough evidence that they go along to get along.
Already published, thanks for the great link.
leslimai, nice thought - it will never happen, unfortunately.
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