Daniel Pipes on How Cyprus Oil and Gas Reserves Drag It Into Middle East Maelstrom

The following from Daniel Pipes is reposted here with permission:

Cyprus Joins the Middle East

by Daniel Pipes
The Washington Times
November 6, 2013
http://www.danielpipes.org/13588/cyprus-oil-gas

N.B.: (1) Washington Times title: "Cyprus rides a troubled sea of oil and gas opportunity."
(2) I use Grammarly for proofreading because every time you publish a typo, the errorists win!

The Republic of Cyprus has entered the maelstrom of the world's most volatile region thanks to new-found gas and oil reserves combined with an erratic Turkish foreign policy and a civil war in Syria. Even as leaders of this Mediterranean island show skill dealing with these novel threats and opportunities, they need support from a strong U.S. Navy, something not now available.

Will Israel Get The Last Laugh Over Saudi Arabia When It Comes To Oil?

When Later is Better

by Jonathan Rosenblum

The first natural gas has begun to flow from the offshore Tamir field to the Ashdod processing plant. The Tamar field and the even larger Leviathan field are estimated to hold enough natural gas to supply Israel's energy needs for many decades to come, and to turn Israel into an energy exporter.

In addition to the offshore finds of natural gas, Israel is estimated to have shale oil reserves equal in volume to the known oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. Besides enriching Israel, the new found energy resources hold out the hope of lessening Israel's diplomatic isolation. Western dependence on Arab oil has always been a crucial factor behind the propensity of many Western governments to curry favor with Arab states by adopting a diplomatic stance hostile to Israel.

Mideast Media Sampler 4/05/13: Palestinians Throwing Stones Is All Fun And Games To The Media Until Someone Loses A Life

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection

1) Casting the first stone - and all the subsequent ones too 

What's the difference between assault with a deadly weapon - a shooting - and assault with rocks that hit cars at potentially lethal speeds? Why should teenagers think of rock-throwing as something fun to do - and not as a crime?
Excerpt from Beltway Rocks: Police Responses The Washington Post [Washington, D.C] 05 June 1990: A24.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post and New York Times reported on allegations that Israel allowed a Palestinian prisoner die. Never mind that the prisoner in question had a terminal disease or that the Palestinian Authority politicians making the charges had no basis for their claims, both papers treated the charges uncritically.

But if trumped up charges are news, apparently real attacks are not.

There have been a slew of articles about Israel and the offshore gas reserves of Tamar and Leviathan, ever since they were first discovered. Articles dealing with the potential of these finds were of course, theoretical.

Now, with the inauguration of the Tamar reservoir, we are finally dealing with real possibilities.

With that in mind, David Wurmser's article is worth reading.

The Geopolitics of Israel's Offshore Gas Reserves

David Wurmser

• The flow of natural gas from Israel's Tamar reservoir in the Mediterranean to the Ashdod reception facility was inaugurated on March 30, 2013, ushering in a new era in Israel's energy sector. Israel will not only become independent in being able to supply its own energy needs, but it is likely to become an energy exporter as its maritime gas fields are further developed.

Arlene Kushner on Turkey, Syria, The Palestinians -- And The Tamar Gas Field

From Arlene Kushner:
April 2, 2013

Heads Held High

Pesach concluded last night here in Israel, and will end at dark tonight elsewhere.  My hope is that each of you has had a joyous and meaningful holiday -- and that the joy and sense of purpose it conveyed will remain.

I'm going to go backward in this posting and look at some of what has occurred during the days that I was away from my computer.  But I want to begin here with an excellent talk by Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who just weeks ago addressed the AIPAC Conference in Washington DC.  (With thanks to Rebecca M.)  It sets an important tone for us.

Rabbi Sacks begins by addressing the state of the world, with its growing anti-Semitism, which today takes the guise of anti-Zionism.  And then...then he speaks about the glories of Israel -- most specifically about Israel as the most stunning expression of the Jewish commandment to choose life.  No editorial comment is necessary.

Israel's New Energy Potential: New Agreement With Russia Is Only The Beginning

Walter Russell Mead writes that already Israel’s Emergence As Energy Superpower Making Waves:

Actual production is still minuscule, but evidence is accumulating that the Promised Land, from a natural resource point of view, could be an El Dorado: inch for inch the most valuable and energy rich country anywhere in the world. If this turns out to be true, a lot of things are going to change, and some of those changes are already underway.

One impact of Israel's predicted oil reserves are new partnerships, actual and potential:

Even With Huge New Oil And Gas Resources, Israel May Face Competition As An Exporter

When news came out about the huge oil and gas reserves available to Israel--with the necessary exploration and technology--it became clear that Israel was on the verge of becoming a major player on the level of Saudi Arabia.

Or maybe not.

Other countries have similar special sources of oil and combined, these countries may effect the market for Israel's oil:

For more than five decades, the world’s oil map has centered on the Middle East. No matter what new energy resources were discovered and developed elsewhere, virtually all forecasts indicated that U.S. reliance on Mideast oil supplies was destined to grow. This seemingly irreversible reality has shaped not only U.S. energy policy and economic policy, but also geopolitics and the entire global economy.

But today, what appeared irreversible is being reversed.