{"id":5581,"date":"2023-11-06T09:46:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=5581"},"modified":"2023-11-06T09:46:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:46:10","slug":"wiping-gaza-off-the-map-big-money-agenda-confiscating-palestines-maritime-natural-gas-reserves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2023\/11\/06\/wiping-gaza-off-the-map-big-money-agenda-confiscating-palestines-maritime-natural-gas-reserves\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWiping Gaza Off The Map\u201d: Big Money Agenda. Confiscating Palestine\u2019s Maritime Natural Gas Reserves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This makes a lot of sense as to why Israel allowed the attacks (possibly planned them with their Palestinian agents as Israel did create Hamas to divide the Palestinians), with the end goal being billions of dollars for themselves and the OCGFC through their megacorps. The one saving grace is this might mean we&#8217;re not on the brink of a regional conflict, though it remains to be seen if the Arab countries can stay out of the conflict when their people are clamoring for action against Israel and wiping out all the Jews. And antisemitism is rising all over the world with delusional groups not even understanding how opposed they are to the dangerous group they&#8217;re supporting, who would see them killed just like the Jews to bring about a Muslim Caliphate ushering in the time of their Messiah, the Mahdi, or for us the Antichrist who will make a false peace with Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/israel-gas-oil-and-trouble-in-the-levant\/5362955\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/israel-gas-oil-and-trouble-in-the-levant\/5362955<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ub-divider ub_divider ub-divider-orientation-horizontal\" id=\"ub_divider_cf005b17-d014-4785-96e4-f7d5cb1c4c32\"><div class=\"ub_divider_wrapper\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 2px; width: 100%; height: 2px; \" data-divider-alignment=\"center\"><div class=\"ub_divider_line\" style=\"border-top: 2px solid #ccc; margin-top: 2px; \"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>By Felicity Arbuthnot and Prof Michel Chossudovsky<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Israel has launched an invasion (October 7, 2023) of the Gaza Strip.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>As outlined by <\/em><em>Felicity Arbuthnot<\/em><em>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<\/em><em>foresight<\/em><em>&nbsp;10 years ago in a December, 30 2013 article:&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIsrael is set to become a major exporter of gas and some oil, \u201c<strong>If&nbsp;All Goes to Plan\u201d.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>In the current&nbsp;context,<strong> Israel\u2019s \u201cAll Goes to Plan\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;option&nbsp;consists in bypassing Palestine and \u201c<strong>Wiping Gaza off the Map\u201d<\/strong>, &nbsp;as well <strong>confiscating ALL Gaza\u2019s maritime offshore gas reserves, <\/strong>worth&nbsp;billions of dollars.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The ultimate objective is not only to exclude&nbsp;<\/em><em>Palestinians from their homeland, it&nbsp;<\/em><em>consists<\/em><em>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>confiscating the multi-billion dollar Gaza offshore Natural Gas reserves, <\/em><\/strong><em>namely those pertaining to the BG (BG Group) in 1999<\/em><strong><em>, <\/em><\/strong><em>as&nbsp;<\/em><em>well&nbsp;<\/em><em>the Levant discoveries of 2013.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Update. Israel\u2019s Secret Intelligence Memorandum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/expel-all-palestinians-gaza-recommends-israeli-govt-ministry\/5838581\">An official \u201csecret\u201d memorandum authored by Israel\u2019s &nbsp;Ministry of Intelligence<\/a> \u201c<strong>is recommending the forcible and permanent transfer of the Gaza Strip\u2019s 2.2 million Palestinian residents to Egypt\u2019s Sinai Peninsula\u201d, <\/strong>namely to a&nbsp;<\/em><em>refugee camp in Egyptian territory. There are indications of Israel-Egypt&nbsp;<\/em><em>negotiations &nbsp;as well as&nbsp;consultations with the U.S.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The 10-page document, dated Oct. 13, 2023, bears the logo of the Intelligence Ministry<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2026 assesses three options regarding the future of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip \u2026 It&nbsp;recommends <strong>a full population transfer as its preferred course of action.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2026 The document, whose authenticity was confirmed by the ministry, has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/681086738\/Israeli-Intelligence-Ministry-Policy-Paper-on-Gaza-s-Civilian-Population-October-2023\">translated into English<\/a> in full here on +972. See below, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/681086738\/Israeli-Intelligence-Ministry-Policy-Paper-on-Gaza-s-Civilian-Population-October-2023\">click here or below to access complete document <\/a>(10 pages)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/681086738\/Israeli-Intelligence-Ministry-Policy-Paper-on-Gaza-s-Civilian-Population-October-2023\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/secret-israel-memorandum.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5838680\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>First published on October &nbsp;22, 2023. Video added on October 27, 2023, Update, November 1, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script>!function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src=\"https:\/\/rumble.com\/embedJS\/u4\"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+\"\/?url=\"+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+\"&args=\"+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, \"script\", \"Rumble\");<\/script>\n\n<div id=\"rumble_v3pgaua\"><\/div>\n<script>\nRumble(\"play\", {\"video\":\"v3pgaua\",\"div\":\"rumble_v3pgaua\"});<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Felicity Arbuthnot\u2019s 2013 Analysis&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cThe Giant Leviathan natural gas field, in the eastern Mediterranean<\/strong>, discovered in December 2010, widely described [by governments and media] as \u201coff the coast of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>These Levant reserves must be&nbsp;<\/em><em>distinguished from<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/war-and-natural-gas-the-israeli-invasion-and-gaza-s-offshore-gas-fields\/11680\">&nbsp;those discovered in Gaza in 1999 by British Gas<\/a>, which belong to Palestine.&nbsp;<\/em><em>Felicity&nbsp;Arbuthnot\u2019s analysis&nbsp;nonetheless&nbsp;confirms that \u201c<\/em><em>Part of the Leviathan&nbsp;Gas fields lie in Gazan territorial waters\u201d (See Map Below).&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whilst Israel claims them as her very own treasure trove, only a fraction of the sea\u2019s wealth lies in Israel\u2019s bailiwick as maps.&nbsp;Much is still unexplored, but currently Palestine\u2019s Gaza and the West Bank between them show the greatest discoveries\u2026 (<strong>Felicity Arbuthnot<\/strong>, 2013)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/levant-gas-map1-felicity.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5362977\" title=\"levant gas map1 felicity\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Flash Forward to October 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Netanyahu\u2019s October 2023 declaration of war against 2.3 million people of the Gaza Strip is a continuation of its 2008-2009 invasion of Gaza under <strong>\u201cOperation Cast Lead.\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The underlying objective is the <strong>outright military occupation of Gaza <\/strong>by Israel\u2019s IDF forces and<strong> the expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I should however mention that there are powerful financial interests <\/em><em>which stand to benefit from Israel\u2019s criminal undertaking (<\/em><strong>Genocide)&nbsp;<\/strong><em>directed against Gaza.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The ultimate objective is not only to exclude&nbsp;<\/em><em>Palestinians from their homeland, it&nbsp;<\/em><em>consists<\/em><em>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>confiscating the multi-billion dollar Gaza offshore Natural Gas reserves, <\/em><\/strong><em>namely those pertaining to the BG (BG Group) in 1999<\/em><strong><em>, <\/em><\/strong><em>as&nbsp;<\/em><em>well&nbsp;<\/em><em>the Levant discoveries of 2013.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Egypt-Israel \u201cSecret Bilateral Talks\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021-22, Egypt and Israel were involved in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al-monitor.com\/originals\/2022\/10\/egypt-persuades-israel-extract-gazas-natural-gas#ixzz8GnZcqWWC\">\u201csecret bilateral talks\u201d<\/a> regarding \u201cthe extraction of natural gas off the coast of the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/egypt-israel-maritme-gas.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/egypt-israel-maritme-gas.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5837275\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEgypt succeeded in persuading Israel to start extracting natural gas off the coast of the Gaza Strip, <strong>after several months of secret bilateral talks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This development \u2026&nbsp;comes after years of Israeli objections to extract natural gas off the coast of Gaza <strong>on [alleged] security grounds, \u2026&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>British Gas (BG Group) has also been dealing with the Tel Aviv government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is significant is that the civilian arm of the Hamas Gaza government has been bypassed in regards to exploration and development rights over the gas fields:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/gaza-marine-web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">field<\/a>, which lies about 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of the Gaza coast, was discovered in 2000 by British Gas (currently BG Group) and <strong>is estimated to contain more than 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The official in the Egyptian intelligence service told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, <strong>\u201cAn Egyptian economic and security delegation discussed with the Israeli side for several months the issue of allowing the extraction of natural gas off the coast of Gaza. \u2026<a href=\"https:\/\/www.al-monitor.com\/originals\/2022\/10\/egypt-persuades-israel-extract-gazas-natural-gas#ixzz8GnZcqWWC\">Al-Monitor,<\/a> October 22, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Egypt and Israel, which had the rubber-stamp of the Palestinian National Authority (PA):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Egyptian official explained that Israel required the<strong> start of practical measures to extract gas from the Gaza fields at the beginning of 2024, to ensure its own security. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.al-monitor.com\/originals\/2022\/10\/egypt-persuades-israel-extract-gazas-natural-gas#ixzz8GnZcqWWC\">Al-Monitor,<\/a> October 22, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Netanyahu\u2019s Timeline: \u201cBefore The Beginning of 2024\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The timeline resulting from these bilateral Israel-Egypt \u201csecret talks\u201d i.e. confiscation of Palestine\u2019s offshore Maritime Gas Reserves is \u201cThe Beginning of 2024\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>United Nations Assessment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An important <a href=\"https:\/\/unctad.org\/publication\/economic-costs-israeli-occupation-palestinian-people-unrealized-oil-and-natural-gas\">United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)<\/a>&nbsp;(2019) report describes Palestine\u2019s predicament as follows:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Geologists and natural resources economists have confirmed that t<strong>he Occupied Palestinian Territory lies above sizeable reservoirs of oil and natural gas wealth, in Area C of the occupied West Bank and the Mediterranean coast off the Gaza Strip.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, occupation <strong>continues to prevent Palestinians from developing their energy fields so as to exploit and benefit from such assets.<\/strong> As such, the Palestinian people have been denied the benefits of using this natural resource to finance socioeconomic development and meet their need for energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The accumulated losses are estimated in the billions of dollars. <strong>The longer Israel prevents Palestinians from exploiting their own oil and natural gas reserves, the greater the opportunity costs and the greater the total costs of the occupation borne by Palestinians become.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This study identifies and assesses existing and potential Palestinian oil and natural gas reserves that could be exploited for the benefit of the Palestinian people, <strong>which Israel is either preventing them from exploiting or is exploiting without due regard for international law.<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/unctad.org\/publication\/economic-costs-israeli-occupation-palestinian-people-unrealized-oil-and-natural-gas\">UNCTAD<\/a>, August 2019, emphasis added, download complete report)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Crimes against Humanity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the words of Netanyahu who is&nbsp;<strong>on Record<\/strong><strong> for Supporting and Financing a faction within Hamas: &nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state <strong>has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas \u2026&nbsp;<\/strong>This is part of our strategy \u2013 to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>(Benjamin&nbsp;Netanyahu, <\/strong>statement at a March 2019 meeting of his Likud Party\u2019s Knesset members, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.md\/2023.10.10-030658\/https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/israel-news\/2023-10-09\/ty-article\/.premium\/another-concept-implodes-israel-cant-be-managed-by-a-criminal-defendant\/0000018b-1382-d2fc-a59f-d39b5dbf0000#selection-453.0-453.73\">Haaretz<\/a>, October 9, 2023, emphasis added)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHamas was treated as a partner to the detriment of the Palestinian Authority to prevent Abbas from moving towards creating a Palestinian State. Hamas was promoted from a terrorist group to an organization with which Israel conducted negotiations through Egypt, <strong>and which was allowed to receive suitcases containing millions of dollars from Qatar through the Gaza crossings.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces\/\">Times of Israel<\/a>, October 8, 2023, emphasis added)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crimes against humanity beyond description by the Netanyahu government against the People of Palestine,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crimes also committed against the People of Israel who are the victims of the <strong>Hamas \u201cFalse Flag Attack\u201d<\/strong> carefully engineered by&nbsp;<strong>Mossad-IDF.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are deep-seated divisions within Hamas. Our \u201cFalse Flag\u201d analysis pertains to a military-intelligence faction within Hamas which cooperates with Israeli and U.S. intelligence. &nbsp;See:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/is-the-gaza-israel-fighting-a-false-flag-they-let-it-happen-their-objective-is-to-wipe-gaza-off-the-map\/5835310\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/2023-09-22T134028Z_348244383_RC2PD3A8WAP8_RTRMADP_3_UN-ASSEMBLY-1-51x46.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/is-the-gaza-israel-fighting-a-false-flag-they-let-it-happen-their-objective-is-to-wipe-gaza-off-the-map\/5835310\">Is the Gaza-Israel Fighting \u201cA False Flag\u201d? They Let it Happen? Their Objective Is \u201cto Wipe Gaza Off the Map\u201d?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/author\/philip-giraldi\">Philip Giraldi<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/author\/michel-chossudovsky\">Prof Michel Chossudovsky<\/a>, October 20, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Michel Chossudovsky<\/strong>, &nbsp;Global Research, October 21, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ub-divider ub_divider ub-divider-orientation-horizontal\" id=\"ub_divider_11abcc94-27f0-4f7e-9110-e92c50c60680\"><div class=\"ub_divider_wrapper\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 2px; width: 100%; height: 2px; \" data-divider-alignment=\"center\"><div class=\"ub_divider_line\" style=\"border-top: 2px solid #ccc; margin-top: 2px; \"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Israel Gas-Oil and Trouble in the Levant<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>by Felicity Arbuthnot&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global Research,&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>December 13, 2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2605\"><em>Israel is set to become a major exporter of gas and some oil, if all goes to plan. The giant Leviathan natural gas field, in the eastern Mediterranean, discovered in December 2010, is widely described as \u201coff the coast of Israel.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2607\">At the time the gas field was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c \u2026 the most prominent field ever found in the sub-explored area of the Levantine Basin, which covers about 83,000 square kilometres of the eastern Mediterranean region.\u201d (i)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2609\">Coupled with Tamar field, in the same location, discovered in 2009, the prospects are for an energy bonanza for Israel, for Houston, Texas based Noble Energy and partners Delek Drilling, Avner Oil Exploration and Ratio Oil Exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2611\">Also involved is Perth, Australia-based Woodside Petroleum, which has signed a memorandum of understanding for a thirty percent stake in the project, in negotiations which have been described as \u201cup and down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is currently speculation that Woodside might pull out of the deal: \u201c \u2026since the original plans to refrigerate the gas for export were pursued when relations between Israel and Turkey were strained. That has changed, more recently, which has opened the door for gas to be piped to Turkey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The spoils of the Leviathan field has already expanded from an estimated 16.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf ) of gas to nineteen trillion \u2013 and counting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2613\">\u201dWe\u2019ve discovered nearly 40 tcf of gas, and we have roughly 19 tcf of that gas that\u2019s available for export to both regional and extra-regional markets. We see exports reaching 2 billion cubic feet a day in capacity in the next decade. And we continue to explore.\u201d, stated Noble Vice Chairman Keith Elliot (ii) There are also estimated to be possibly six hundred million barrels of oil, according to Michael Economides of energytribune.com (\u201cEastern Mediterranean Energy \u2013 the next Great Game.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2614\">&nbsp;However, even these estimates may prove modest. In their:&nbsp;\u201cAssessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Levant Basin Province, Eastern Mediterranean\u201d, the US Department of the Interior\u2019s US Geological Survey, wrote in 2010:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cWe estimated a mean of 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas in this province using a geology based assessment methodology.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2615\">Nevertheless, Woodside Petroleum, might also be hesitant to become involved in further disputes, since they are already embroiled, with the Australian government, in a protracted one in East Timor relating to the bonanaza of energy and minerals beneath the Timor Sea, which has even led to East Timor accusing Australia \u201cof bugging East Timorese officials during the negotiations over the agreement.\u201d(iii)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2616\">Woodside\u2019s conflict in East Timor however, may well pale against what might well erupt over the Leviathan and Tamar fields. The area is not for nothing called the Levantine Basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Whilst Israel claims them as her very own treasure trove, only a fraction of the sea\u2019s wealth lies in Israel\u2019s bailiwick as maps (iv, v, see below) clearly show.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Much is still unexplored, but currently <strong>Palestine\u2019s Gaza and the West Bank between them show the greatest discoveries, with anything found in Lebanon and Syria\u2019s territorial waters sure to involve claims from both countries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/levant-gas-map1-felicity.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/levant-gas-map1-felicity.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5362977\" title=\"levant gas map1 felicity\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/LevantineEnergyCorridor.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/LevantineEnergyCorridor.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5362978\" title=\"LevantineEnergyCorridor\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a pre-emptive move, on Christmas Day, Syria announced a deal with Russia to explore 2,190 kilometres (850 Sq. miles) for oil and gas off its Mediterranean coast, to be: \u201c\u2026 financed by Russia, and should oil and gas be discovered in commercial quantities, Moscow will recover the exploration costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2619\">Syrian Oil Minister, Ali Abbas said during the signing ceremony that the contract covers \u201c25 years, over several phases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2620\">Syria, increasingly crippled by international sanctions, has seen oil production plummet by ninety percent since the largely Western fermented unrest began in March 2011. Gas production has nearly halved, from thirty million cubic metres a day, to 16.7 cubic metres daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2622\">The agreement is reported to have resulted from \u201cmonths of long negotiations\u201d between the two countries. Russia, as one of the Syrian government\u2019s main backers, looks set to also become a major player in the Levant Basin\u2019s energy wealth. (vi)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2624\">Lebanon disputes Israel\u2019s map of the Israeli-Lebanese maritime border, filing their own map and claims with the UN in 2010. Israel claims Lebanon is in the process of granting oil and gas exploration licenses in what Israel claims as its \u201cexclusive economic zone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2625\">That the US in the guise of Vice President Joe Biden, as honest broker, acting peace negotiator in the maritime border dispute would be laughable, were it not potential for Israel to attack their neighbour again. In a visit to Israel in March 2010, Biden announced: \u201cThere is absolutely no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel\u2019s security- none at all\u201d, also announcing on arrival in Israel:\u201dIt\u2019s good to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given US decades of &nbsp;\u201cpeace brokering\u201d between Israel and Palestine, this is already a road of pitfalls, one sidedness and duplicity, well traveled. There is trouble ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, and in demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Notes<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2656\">i. http:\/\/www.offshore-technology.com\/projects\/leviathan-gas-field-levantine-israel\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2655\">ii. http:\/\/m.theage.com.au\/business\/options-widen-for-woodsides-leviathan-partners-20131219-2znu6.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2652\">iii. http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2013-09-04\/east-timor-offers-funds-for-onshore- gas-processing\/4933106<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2649\">iv. http:\/\/www.offshore-technology.com\/projects\/leviathan-gas-field-levantine-israel\/leviathan-gas-field-levantine-israel1.html<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2647\">v. http:\/\/www.google.co.uk\/search?q=Leviathan+gas+project+Israel+map&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=ntC2UvO7IcPE7Ab7rIDYCQ&amp;ved=0CEQQsAQ&amp;biw=1017&amp;bih=598<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388406651171_2645\">vi. http:\/\/www.phantomreport.com\/syria-inks-oil-gas-deal-with-russia-firm#more-20238<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original source of this article is Global Research<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/author\/felicity-arbuthnot\">Felicity Arbuthnot<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/author\/michel-chossudovsky\">Prof Michel Chossudovsky<\/a>, Global Research, 2023<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This makes a lot of sense as to why Israel allowed the attacks (possibly planned them with their Palestinian agents as Israel did create Hamas to divide the Palestinians), with the end goal being billions of dollars for themselves and the OCGFC through their megacorps. The one saving grace is this might mean we&#8217;re not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5581"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5582,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5581\/revisions\/5582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}