Energy Resources In Israel: Impacts On The State Security System رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

This Thesis studies the new gas discoveries in Israel from a security perspective. It seeks to answer an important question related to state security: What is the impact of energy discoveries and supply on Israel’s state security? The question is adopted approach by employing an analytical and historical methodology to explore future Israeli changes. The analytical part builds on a theoretical review of energy security and geopolitics of energy, which help understanding historical events, mainly the impact of natural gas discoveries in 2009 on security and relations through additional analysis from the liberalism theory, and introducing the main findings and results. Israel consolidates its relations with Greece and RoC after gas discoveries at Turkey's expense and crowns by the EastMed pipeline to supply Israeli gas to the EU via the Greece-RoC sea's route. Although the EU supports the project to diversify its energy resources, the pipeline also faces rejections, mainly from Turkey, due to unsettled EEZ, principally between Turkey, Greece, and RoC. The project will also threaten Turkey's economic position as an energy hub for the EU and Israel. Hence, Israel is depoliticizing its economic relations with Turkey to maintain the Turkish routes' energy flow. Besides, Russia may oppose this project under the umbrella of its intervention in Syria. Still, it opposes this pipeline since it may reduce its master energy supply in the EU. In contrast, Israel is interested in a positive peace like its relations with Egypt and Jordan, Israeli primary gas consumers. It also expands its energy infrastructure with regional countries, besides its utilization of Egypt's well-established energy infrastructure by exporting its LNG, which bypasses the EastMed pipeline's late implementation. Further, Egypt may threaten Israel's energy position, like after the VI Egyptian revolution in 2011, or may make control over the supply chain to Israel in The Straits of Tiran. In this regard, the EastMed project is essential for the Israeli energy future as it opens additional or alternative markets to the Egyptian option. On the Palestinian side, Despite the Oslo agreement that did assure Israeli- Palestinian energy cooperation, but Israel still uses energy supply to the Palestinian as a controlling method. On the contrary, Israel needs them as part of its energy customers. Moreover, Israel benefits from the late development of Palestinian gas fields, and the “no peace” situation still serves Israel's energy position against Palestinians. The main threats for the Israeli energy sector are coming from states' conventional threats like Iran. Iran can interrupt the supply chain in the Red sea or the Tiran Strait, whereas the militants, like Hamas or Hezbollah, can only do limited damages in the energy sector while the conventional threats directly affect the Energy reliability. Israel will not permit interrupt energy reliability, even leading to war. In contrast, Israel did not favor wars that may discourage international investments in its energy sector. These threats stimulate Israel to increase its naval forces capacities using the gas revenues. This weaponization policy is to cover the gap in Israel's sea forces that was neglected traditionally. Gas revenues make affordable energy prices, increase industrialization, and export competitiveness. The abundance of domestic energy resources may encourage Israel to practice the Long wars instead of the Quick war theme, which was applied in the past depending on energy and economic scarcity. Finally, the US may support Israel under threats of energy security like its efforts to protect the Israeli energy supply and the Gulf oil flow in the 1970s, 1980s accordingly. VII Noting that, the US strengthens its relation with RoC after the gas discoveries by the 2019 Congress decree; besides, Israel is increasing its military cooperation with RoC.