Coalition of groups urges SNP Westminster leader to oppose the project given his staunch criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza & support for the Palestinian state.
- If approved, Rosebank could send almost a quarter of a billion pounds to Delek Group, which has been identified by the UN for operating in illegal Israeli settlements.
- The Israeli fuel conglomerate is known to provide fuel to the Israeli military via its subsidiary, Delek Israel.
- 65 human rights and climate groups – including Amnesty International UK, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Justice & Peace Scotland– are joining forces to encourage the SNP to take a principled position on Rosebank.
16th October 2025, London – A coalition of Palestine solidarity, human rights and climate organisations has written to Stephen Flynn MP urging him to oppose the controversial Rosebank oil field over the project’s links to a company whose activities are contributing to human rights violations in Palestine.
65 Scottish and UK-wide organisations, including Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Amnesty International UK and Justice & Peace Scotland, applaud Flynn’s speaking out on the genocide in Gaza, including calling for an end to arms sales to Israel. He has also played a key role in pressing for UK recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Groups are asking the MP for Aberdeen South to turn his attention to the Rosebank oil field, which – if approved – could see almost a quarter of a billion pounds in North Sea profits flow to Delek Group, an Israeli fuel conglomerate that has been identified by the UN for operating in illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
You can read the letter here.
Delek Group is the majority-owner of Ithaca Energy, Rosebank’s co-owner and the largest holder of oil and gas resources in the UK North Sea.
Delek is named in a UN list of businesses whose activities in the West Bank have “raised particular human rights concerns” and is known to provide fuel to the Israeli military via its subsidiary, Delek Israel.
Campaign groups across both the Palestine solidarity, human rights and climate movements are calling on politicians to prevent more North Sea profits from fueling Palestinian human rights abuses, noting that Ithaca Energy has already sent hundreds of millions of pounds in the form of dividends to Delek Group.
Dave Black, Campaigner at Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign commented:
“Stephen Flynn has rightly spoken out against the genocide in Gaza by the Israeli Government and pressed the UK Government into stronger action on Palestine.
“We have a responsibility in Scotland to make sure that we are doing everything we can to defend the rights of Palestinians. Stopping the flow of money from the North Sea to a company that is contributing to their ongoing oppression has to be part of that effort.
“We are therefore appealing to the SNP’s leader in Westminster to raise these concerns with the Prime Minister and stand with us in opposing the development of the Rosebank oil field.”
Rosebank’s majority owner, the Norwegian state-backed oil firm Equinor, has resubmitted its application to develop the field, which must now pass a new climate test in order to determine whether it is compatible with critical climate thresholds.
Norway has faced mounting accusations of hypocrisy over the links, with the Norwegian government explicitly warning domestic companies not to contribute to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land, raising questions around why its state oil firm is doing exactly that.
Rosebank’s 2023 approval was overturned earlier this year by the Scottish Court of Session for failing to account for the enormous emissions that would be caused by burning the field’s reserves.
The ultimate decision sits with the UK government, which faces mounting pressure to consider the field’s environmental and human rights risks in their entirety.
Andrew Smith, at Justice & Peace Scotland commented:
"Israel's expansion of settlements across the West Bank is contributing to making life even more unbearable for Palestinians. We must ensure that we, in Scotland, are not complicit by allowing our oil and gas to bankroll companies that are contributing to this suffering. Scotland’s politicians have a chance to show real leadership and solidarity with Palestine by opposing Rosebank.”
Lauren MacDonald, Lead Campaigner at Stop Rosebank said:
“The fact that Rosebank could funnel hundreds of millions of pounds to a company linked to human rights abuses in Palestine makes it even clearer why this project should never go ahead. It is already a climate disaster, while doing next to nothing for the UK as it’s mainly oil for export – but worse, it would be a human rights disaster too.
“Stephen Flynn, must extend the commendable leadership he has shown on Palestine to opposing this toxic project. It is indefensible that a company that is supporting the Israeli military should be financially benefiting from North Sea resources.”