The UK Government has been served notice over Rosebank’s links to illegal Israeli settlements. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign has warned the government that approving Rosebank could see the UK breach international law.
Delek Group is the majority-owner of Ithaca Energy, Rosebank’s co-owner, and is one of the largest companies in Israel. Delek operates in West Bank settlements and provides fuel to the Israeli military via its subsidiary, Delek Israel.
The new legal advice has identified potential breaches of the UK’s international obligations under the Geneva Conventions, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, should the UK government choose to approve the field over the coming months.
If developed, Rosebank could see over £200 million flow towards Delek Group - an Israeli fuel conglomerate that has been flagged by the UN for links to human rights abuses in Palestine.
Former First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf MSP said: “The UK government cannot pick and choose which bits of its international obligations it upholds. Nor can it allow the narrow, commercial interests of multinational oil and gas firms to trump the rights of Palestinians.
“Scotland’s resources must not be allowed to become a revenue stream for a company that is facilitating the very existence of illegal Israeli settlements.
“Keir Starmer needs to recognise the strength of feeling in Scotland by standing up for international law, and the right of Palestinian people not to have their land stolen from them, and say no to Rosebank funding occupation.”
For more information, see the BBC news coverage. We have an ongoing petition about Rosebank and Delek Group; sign it here.