Energy

Trilateral cooperation among Israel, Greece and Cyprus to build a natural gas subsea pipeline is setting the stage for more tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Is Turkey trying to sabotage massive new Israel-Cyprus-Greece EastMed gas deal?
Prof. Efraim Inbar: The Libyan-Turkish deal is meant to force Israel and Cyprus to negotiate with Ankara.

The projected gas pipeline between Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy confirms that Israel's regional partnership has shifted from Turkey to Greece and that a new energy hub is emerging in the eastern Mediterranean. Yet this welcome geopolitical change has many opponents. Israel will need to act proactively and assess energy-related power struggles within the EU in order to actualize the pipeline.

Natural gas has turned Greece from a rival to an ally just as relations between Israel and Turkey started deteriorating.

Emmanuel Navon explains for ARD TV (Germany) how Israel's emergence as a natural gas exporter is transforming its relations with Turkey and with Europe.

The geopolitics of energy is undergoing significant changes, because the oil weapon has weakened; Israel has emerged as a natural gas producer; and the Paris Agreement on the environment necessitates a reduction in oil consumption. To take full advantage of the situation, Israel should be export gas to Turkey and Egypt, not just to Europe.