Prospects for energy cooperation between the EU and Israel in the light of Israel's aggressive foreign policy in the Middle East

Abstract

This article presents the results of an analysis of energy cooperation between the EU and Israel, which is aimed at reducing the dependence of European states on Russian energy carriers. The need for getting rid of energy dependence on Russian oil, gas and coal among the EU member states arose after the invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The Russian-Ukrainian war led not only to the deterioration of Russian-Ukrainian relations, but also to the imposition of Western sanctions against Russia, a country that is the main supplier of energy to the European market. The desire to abandon Russian energy carriers forced the European states to look for new suppliers of oil, gas and coal. One of these suppliers decided to become Israel, which, according to Western human rights activists, is pursuing a policy of apartheid. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cooperation between the European Union and Israel in the field of natural gas supplies from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. During the study, the author came to the conclusion that this cooperation: 1) most likely will not help the countries of the European Union to fully compensate for the reduction in natural gas supplies from Russia; 2) carries risks for the reputation of the European Union as a defender of human rights and freedoms in the world (because Israel continues to pursue an aggressive foreign policy in the Middle East, continues to occupy and annex the territories of neighboring states, build illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied territories11 of Palestine and Syria, conduct apartheid, commit politically motivated assassinations of their critics). CZU: [339.94:620.9]:[061.1EU+338(569.4)]; JEL: F51, F53, F68, K33; DOI: https://doi.org/10.53486/cike2022.19