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The energy ministers of Israel, Egypt and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding to export Israeli gas to Europe at a ceremony in Cairo on Wednesday. The agreement comes as Europe looks for alternative sources of energy than from Russia in light of its invasion of Ukraine.
The gas will be transferred from Israel to Egypt via an existing pipeline. Egypt will use its facilities to liquefy the gas for export to ensure a steady stream of natural gas to Europe, while ensuring the energy security of all sides.
The arrangement is slated to continue until at least 2030 and will be gradually reduced until 2050. The sides agreed to work together on carbon capture and the reduction of carbon emissions, as well as to cooperate with the private sector on green energy and energy efficiency initiatives.
In addition, the parties have agreed to work on a plan to make gas exports to Europe more efficient. The EU will encourage European companies to take part in searching for and producing natural gas in Israeli and Egyptian economic waters.
Energy Minister Karin Elharrar characterized the signing as “a great moment in which little Israel becomes a significant player in the global energy market.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was present at the signing, tweeted, “With this… agreement we will work on the stable delivery of natural gas to the EU from the East Med region. This will contribute to our EU energy security. And we are building infrastructure fit for renewables – the energy of the future.”
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Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov on Wednesday summoned Israel’s Ambassador Alexander Ben Zvi for a dressing down over the recent airstrike on the international airport in Damascus, which foreign media reports attributed to Israel.
In a statement, Moscow said Bogdanov “again expressed serious concern over the Israeli Air Force attack on Damascus’ airport, which damaged a runway, navigation equipment, and structures and harmed international civilian aviation traffic.”
Bogdanov told Ben Zvi: “The justifications received from the Israeli side regarding the attack appear unconvincing and Moscow awaits further clarifications, among other things, through the existing Russian-Israeli mechanism for preventing dangerous incidents in Syria …” The deputy minister also expressed concern over what he said would be a blow to the supply of UN humanitarian aid to millions of Syrians as a result of the damage to runways at the airport.
Satellite photographs revealed significant damage to runways at Damascus International Airport after Israel allegedly targeted the site last week. The images showed three impact craters on both the military and civilian runways, rendering them inoperable.
Syria’s state-controlled SANA news agency claimed that Israel carried out strikes against targets south of Damascus around 4:20 on Friday morning, wounding one person and causing material damage.
Jerusalem has repeatedly warned about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions as well as aspirations of regional hegemony, admitting that it has conducted hundreds of airstrikes as part of its campaign to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the entrenchment of Iranian forces in Syria.
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The Israel Defense Forces said it would conduct a military drill in the Galilee panhandle in northern Israel on Thursday morning, which will include artillery fire toward the Mount Dov area on the border with Lebanon.
Mount Dov, also known as the Sheba Farms, is a contested region claimed by Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Jerusalem and Beirut are still technically at war and the border area is the site of sporadic incidents.
Last August, 19 rockets fired by the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon were aimed at Mount Dov. The IDF said 10 projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and six landed in open areas. Another three rockets failed to clear the border and landed in Lebanese territory, according to the military.
In July 2020, a Hezbollah cell attempted an assault on a military base on Mount Dov. It was foiled by the Israeli military, and proof of the attempted attack was presented to the United Nations. Hezbollah still officially denies the incident occurred.
Tensions with Lebanon have been especially high recently after the group’s leader threatened Israel over plans to extract gas from a contested offshore reserve.
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A bill seeking to disband the United Nations Human Rights Council’s probe into Israel is reportedly gaining momentum in Congress. The Commission of Inquiry (COI) was launched in 2021 following a conflict between Israel and terrorist groups in Gaza, known as Operation Guardian of the Walls.
The bill seeks to abolish the probe and “combat systemic anti-Israel bias at the United Nations Human Rights Council and other international fora.” It would also cut back on Washington’s annual contributions to the organization. The United States is the UNHRC’s largest sponsor and accounts for over 20 percent of its budget, although it has over 190 member states.
Since being introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), the proposed legislation has garnered the support of 34 members of Congress.
“The ongoing anti-Israel commission formed by the UN’s discredited Human Rights Council directly obstructs peace in the Middle East and intentionally targets the only democracy in the region,” Steube said in a statement when he first introduced the bill. “Our US tax dollars have no place funding an anti-Israel commission.”
Earlier this week, Israel scored a diplomatic achievement at the Human Rights Council when 22 members issued a statement censuring the probe.
Recommended Reading
- Unilever Shareholder Sues Over Ben & Jerry’s Israel Boycott (Ynet)
- The UNHRC’s Diplomatic Terrorism (Danny Danon, Israel Hayom)
- Google Stockholders Vote Against BDS Proposal on Israeli Nimbus Project (Michael Starr, Jerusalem Post)
- Tel Aviv Ranked Seventh in Survey on World’s Best Tech Ecosystem (Jewish News Syndicate)
- Israeli Maestro Woos Fans in Off-Limits Iran (i24News)
- An Israeli Village Where Art Dominates the Streets (Diana Bletter, Israel21C)
