Global Energy Markets Exposed by Israel’s Gas Field Shutdown: How Fossil Fuel Dependence Amplifies Geopolitical Risks

Indigenous communities in the Eastern Mediterranean, including Palestinian fishers and Bedouin groups, have long resisted gas extraction projects that threaten their livelihoods and sacred lands. Their knowledge of marine ecosystems and land stewardship contrasts with the extractivist model promoted by Israel and international corporations. However, their perspectives are systematically excluded from energy policy discussions, which prioritize corporate and state interests over ecological and cultural preservation.

The resumption of gas production in Israel’s Leviathan field follows a pattern of resource extraction in the region dating back to British colonial mandates, which prioritized foreign corporate access over local sovereignty. The 1948 Nakba and subsequent occupation of Palestinian territories created a structural imbalance in resource control, with Israel now controlling 90% of the Eastern Mediterranean’s gas reserves. This historical context reveals how energy geopolitics is inseparable from settler-colonial dynamics and regional power imbalances.

In Norway, a country often cited as a model for energy transition, gas extraction is balanced with strict environmental regulations and revenue-sharing with local communities. Contrasting this with Israel’s model—where gas revenues fund military expansion and settlement growth—highlights the cultural and ethical dimensions of energy governance. Similarly, in Algeria, gas wealth has been used to suppress dissent, showing how fossil fuel dependence can entrench authoritarianism across diverse cultural contexts.

Scientific studies confirm that gas extraction in the Eastern Mediterranean has caused seismic activity and marine biodiversity loss, particularly in coral reefs and fish spawning grounds. The Leviathan field alone emits 15 million tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to the emissions of 3 million cars. However, these environmental costs are rarely quantified in economic analyses of energy security, which focus solely on market supply metrics.

For many Palestinians, the Mediterranean is not just a resource but a sacred space tied to cultural identity and resistance. Artists like Larissa Sansour have used film and photography to depict the sea as a site of both occupation and hope, framing energy extraction as a violation of ancestral connections. In Jewish traditions, the land and sea are often seen as divine gifts requiring stewardship, a perspective rarely applied to modern resource exploitation.

Scenario modelling by the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels could reduce geopolitical conflicts over energy by 60% by 2040. However, current policies in Israel and its allies prioritize short-term energy security over long-term stability, risking further regional escalation. Alternative models, such as community-owned renewable microgrids in the West Bank, demonstrate how decentralized energy systems could bypass extractivist geopolitics entirely.

Palestinian energy experts and activists, such as those in the Palestinian Energy and Environment Research Center, have long advocated for renewable energy as a path to sovereignty. Their voices are systematically excluded from global energy debates, which are dominated by Western corporations and Israeli state narratives. Similarly, migrant workers in Israel’s gas fields, many from Southeast Asia, face exploitative labor conditions with no recourse to justice.