AUGUST 14,

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1 AIPAC S BIWEEKLY ON AMERICAN MIDDLE EAST POLICY AUGUST 14, The Tamar field, located 90 kilometers west of the city of Haifa, is one of Israel s recent natural gas deposit discoveries expected to provide the country enough natural gas for over 100 years and inaugurate an era of Israeli energy independence. E-ISSN Published biweekly by The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Funded in part by the American Israel Education Foundation, the charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC. EDITORS: Dr. Raphael Danziger Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Adam Harris Executive Editor Cory Meyer Managing Editor Tzvi Kahn Lauren Waldstein Ben Shlesinger Associate Editors ANALYSTS: Steven Beckerman Senior Research Analyst Samantha Levy Research Analyst I.L. Kenen Founder, In This Edition New Fields of Gold: Israel s Quest for Energy Independence PAGE 1 Security Vacuums: The Rise of Extremism in Egypt and Syria PAGE 4 In Focus: Martin Indyk PAGE 6 Heard On The Hill PAGE 7 Editorial: Hold Abbas Accountable PAGE 11

2 Formerly dependent on foreign energy imports, new natural gas finds have Israel charting a new course. New Fields of Gold: Israel s Quest for Energy Independence Israel long existed as an energy-less island a country wholly dependent on energy imports to power its grid, move its vehicles and underwrite its economy. The Jewish state is completely isolated from its energy-rich neighbors who continuously use energy as a weapon and a foreign policy tool to promote anti-israeli campaigns throughout the world. Today, however, Israel is swiftly shaking off its foreign dependencies and charting a course toward energy independence. This mission runs parallel to American efforts to ratchet up domestic production of oil and gas. Both countries shared interest in strengthening energy security and enhancing energy independence can manifest itself in a new strategic energy partnership including joint research-and-development initiatives to unlock new resources, industrial and commercial cooperation, academic partnerships, strategic dialogue and more. In December 2010, exploratory drilling off Israel s northern coast uncovered a major natural gas field named Leviathan, containing at least 18 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, enough to power Israel for over 100 years. This find came on the heels of discovering the Tamar field, which is already providing the Jewish state with much-needed energy relief. 2

3 Continued: New Fields of Gold: Israel s Quest for Energy Independence In addition to holding tremendous market value, these finds also offer the potential for Israel to become a net energy exporter to a region starved for gas, where alternate sources are Iran, Iraq, Qatar and Russia. Moreover, Israel s breakthrough came just months after the Israeli Government publicly pledged to significantly roll back its oil dependence by the end of the decade, taking aim squarely at OPEC s strategic lever over the West gasoline. Together with the discovery of natural gas, and the potential development of oil shale, Israel is embarking on a new era of energy security. If it acts correctly, levelheadedly and responsibly, Israel can enjoy not only the benefit of using the gas, but it can also turn into a gas supplier in the Mediterranean region, said then-infrastructure minister Uzi Landau following the discovery. Prior to discovering its own bountiful gas reserves, Egypt as of 2008 acted as Israel s primary natural gas supplier. However, following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the gas pipeline transiting Egypt to Israel and Jordan was attacked 14 times by Bedouin in the Sinai Peninsula. The attacks cut off vital energy sources and cost Israel over a billion dollars. Today, as Egypt experiences continued unrest following this summer s military takeover, terrorists continue to attack the pipeline feeding natural gas to Jordan, resulting in rolling blackouts and causing negative political exposure for the Hashemite Kingdom. These events highlighted the extreme vulnerability Israel endured due to its dependence on foreign energy, demonstrating the timeliness of its own energy discoveries. Today, Israeli ambitions of energy independence are rapidly progressing. The Australian firm Woodside has joined U.S.-based Noble Energy in the hopes of developing the Leviathan field for export. Potential markets include Israel s immediate neighbors the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Egypt in addition to Turkey and markets in Asia and Europe. Energy can thus be a geopolitical connector as well as an economic asset, and Israel is attempting to maximize its opportunity. This could be a potential boon to the United States as well, which holds a vested interest in seeing regional allies supplied by Western nations gas rather than by Iran or Russia. The United States and Israel are natural energy allies and have collaborated since 2008 in project-driven joint ventures. 3

4 Continued: New Fields of Gold: Israel s Quest for Energy Independence Against the backdrop of rising U.S. energy production and independence, Israel s gas findings present a new platform on which to develop a strategic energy partnership. In addition to efforts to reduce the West s dependence on gasoline and thus its reliance on OPEC s crude oil the two governments, as well as private business in both countries, have shared goals of promoting additional energy solutions. By leveraging current resources and safely pursuing more, the U.S. and Israel can work together to ensure mutual long-term energy security. Islamic militants are mobilizing in Syria and the SInai Peninsula, where broken governments have left significant territory unpoliced and out of control. Security Vacuums: The Rise of Extremism in Egypt and Syria With increasing instability in Egypt and Syria, radical Islamists are seizing the opportunity to establish control over critical areas in the Middle East. As the Muslim Brotherhood protests the military s takeover in Egypt and extremists seek to control war-torn Syria, Islamists are increasingly seizing territory and destabilizing both countries. Both countries, which previously experienced authoritarian governance, are now loci of increasing instability. Militant terrorist groups throughout the region are seizing these opportunities to replace weakened leadership with radicalism, incubating anti-israel and anti-american extremism in an already volatile neighborhood. 4

5 Continued: Security Vacuums: The Rise of Extremism in Egypt and Syria In Syria: The uprising against the oppressive rule of President Bashar al-assad has pitted the Syrian president against several different opposition groups. Jihadists, who employ violence to gain control over territory and then impose harsh Islamic law over the local population, are the most formidable fighters among the rebels. Unlike other elements of the opposition, these extremists seek more than a mere change in leadership. Jabhat al-nusra, an al-qaeda-affiliated Sunni Muslim group, is a most worrisome example. The jihadist rebel faction has taken to extreme violence in order to spread its influence over the vulnerable region. Syria s porous borders with Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey have created an open door for thousands of al-qaeda and other jihadist extremists to flow freely throughout the region. Many extremists from nearby countries are eager to build strongholds within the lawless and war-torn areas of Syria. Meanwhile, many Syrian civilians opposed to violence have fled the country, burdening neighboring nations with a growing refugee crisis. Syria itself is now saturated with militant extremists and internally displaced people. In Egypt: Islamic extremism is fomenting violence in Egypt s Sinai Peninsula, as the military seeks to regain control of the politically destabilized country. Muslim Brotherhood Islamists angered by the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi have become increasingly hostile and frustrated over their failure to establish an Islamist government. As violent clashes continue to spread throughout Egypt, the Sinai has become a breeding ground for jihadist mobilization, posing a serious threat to Israel s southern border. Thousands of Islamists have streamed through the Peninsula, Dozens of security officers have been killed, and numerous checkpoints have been attacked by extremists seeking control. Moreover, while most jihadists in the Sinai are Bedouin or Palestinians from Gaza, some foreign fighters from Saudi Arabia and Libya have arrived with advanced weaponry, greatly expanding terrorists weapons caches. As recently as Aug. 12, a jihadist group fired a rocket from the Sinai to Eilat; fortunately it was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-rocket system. 5

6 Continued: Security Vacuums: The Rise of Extremism in Egypt and Syria In and around Cairo, the Egyptian military has responded to protestors and insurgents by forcibly quelling uprisings and maintaining a strong presence near Brotherhood sit-ins. All the while, efforts to seal the border between Gaza and Sinai have failed to stop transfers of jihadists and weapons. Both the military and Muslim Brotherhood protesters are adamant in their quests to lead the country, resulting in persistent violence with no end in sight. As radical extremism ferments in Egypt and Syria, Israel finds itself at a critical moment of regional instability. Insufficiently policed borders in both countries pose increasingly dangerous threats to the Jewish state and American interests in the region. In Focus: Martin Indyk Israeli and Palestinian officials convened in Washington on Monday, July 29 to resume peace negotiations for the first time in nearly three years. Prior to the initial gathering, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced Martin Indyk as U.S. Special Envoy to shepherd the talks. [Ambassador Indyk] knows what has worked and he knows what hasn t worked, Kerry said with respect to his appointee s past as a moderator between the two sides. The Secretary added that he also understands that there is now a path forward and we must follow that path with urgency. Kerry s appointee is a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, serving two terms from April 1995 to September 1997 and from January 2000 to July During his second round of service, he played a key role in the 2000 Camp David Summit, in which President Clinton attempted to facilitate a peace agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat. Indyk has served in various other senior government positions. He was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council in , and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs in Ambassador Indyk has written extensively about the Middle East, and has taught at several universities, including Columbia University and Tel Aviv University. He was the 6

7 Continued: In Focus: Martin Indyk U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry appointed Amb. Martin Indyk to shepherd Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. founding executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and previously served as AIPAC s deputy research director. Prior to his naming as special Mideast envoy, Indyk was vice president and foreign policy director at the Brookings Institution. It is a daunting and humbling challenge, but one that I cannot desist from, Indyk said of his latest charge. It s been my conviction for 40 years that peace is possible I look forward to working with [Secretary Kerry], President Abbas, and Prime Minister Netanyahu and their teams to do our best to achieve President Obama s vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and security. Heard on the Hill House Intel Committee Chair Strongly Supports Iran Sanctions Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he strongly supports sanctions against Iran and believes newly installed President Hassan Rouhani will continue the country s illicit nuclear program. 7

Continued: Heard on the Hill Sanctions are incredibly important to continue to send a message that the pursuit of the nuclear program will only cause them pain, Roger said in an interview with

8 Continued: Heard on the Hill Sanctions are incredibly important to continue to send a message that the pursuit of the nuclear program will only cause them pain, Roger said in an interview with Al-Monitor. One always hopes for a diplomatic solution. They have shown no interest despite all the other sanctions in actually moving forward with real negotiations about their nuclear program. Rogers was a co-sponsor of the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 (H.R. 850), which establishes the toughest-ever sanctions on Iran as a means of getting the regime to stop working toward a nuclear weapons capability. The legislation passed the House by a resounding vote of on July 31. Rogers cautions that people should not be swept up by the idea that Rouhani is a moderate or that Iran s policies will change now that he is in office. I think there is a lot more marketing going on than there is reality in his position on Iran s negotiations on Iran s nuclear program, he said. Lawmakers Highlight Benefits of Iron Dome Rocket Defense System Reps. Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Ted Deutch (D-FL) penned an August 6 op-ed in The Jerusalem Post extolling the virtues of the Iron Dome rocket defense system, which the United States has partially funded. 8

9 Continued: Heard on the Hill During Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, Iron Dome intercepted 85 percent of the 300 Hamas rockets that would have otherwise struck Israeli towns and caused massive civilian casualties; as it was designed to do, Iron Dome ignored the 700 rockets that landed in open fields. Cheap, unsophisticated rockets from Hamas are becoming a thing of the past as Iran and its proxies continue to develop more advanced medium- and long-range missiles, the lawmakers wrote. Roskam and Deutch have introduced the United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation Act of 2013 (H.R. 2717), which authorizes further funding and cooperation for the vital defense systems. This legislation underscores the mutually beneficial joint venture of developing these cooperative programs with Israel and helps ensure their continued inclusion in future authorization bills, the congressmen wrote. Roskam is chief deputy majority whip and co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus. Deutch is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. Lawmakers Propose Awarding Peres Congressional Gold Medal A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced bicameral legislation that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to Israeli President Shimon Peres. The legislation was spearheaded in the Senate by Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and in the House by Reps. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ). President Peres extraordinary record of service has helped strengthen the unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel, our closest and most stalwart ally in the Middle East, said Sen. Ayotte in a statement. As we mark the 65th anniversary of Israel s founding and the 90th birthday of one of Israel s great leaders, this legislation demonstrates that the people of Israel and the United States stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of extraordinarily uncertain times. Rep. Kennedy expressed similar sentiments. For over 70 years President Shimon Peres has dedicated himself to the enduring bond that unites Israel and the United States, he stated. 9

10 Continued: Heard on the Hill There has been no greater champion for our shared values and defender of our shared interests. If Peres receives the award, he would be one of only nine people to win both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Peres, who recently turned 90, also won the Nobel Peace Prize in Senators Call for End to Deals with Russian Arms Company Twelve senators sent a letter to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey on August 5 expressing deep concern over the ongoing Department of Defense (DOD) purchasing of helicopters from Rosoboronexport. The bipartisan letter, led by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and signed by six Democrats and six other Republicans, explicitly requests the DOD cancel all current contracts with Rosoboronexport. Rosoboronexport is Russia s official arms export firm and has been providing weapons to Bashar al-assad s regime in Syria. We are concerned by DOD s apparent failure to consider the strategic implications of sourcing mission-critical military equipment from a potentially hostile power such as Russia, Cornyn wrote. DOD s preference for Russian helicopters will also make it highly difficult to achieve robust interoperability between the U.S. and Afghan helicopter fleets, which is in the long-term interests of both nations. These problems are self-inflicted, and this policy is extremely shortsighted. Bipartisan House Letter Expresses Concern over Qatar s Support of Hamas Reps. Peter Roskam (R-IL) and John Barrow (D-GA) sent a letter to the Qatari ambassador to the United States calling into question his government s ties to Hamas. The bipartisan letter, signed by 22 other lawmakers, expresses grave concern over Qatar s bolstering of the terrorist organization. We are disturbed by reports that Qatar pledged over $400 million in funds to Hamas in October 2012, Roskam and Barrow wrote. The funding was allegedly pledged during a 10

11 Continued: Heard on the Hill high-profile visit to the Gaza Strip by Qatar s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-thani, the first visit by a foreign leader to Gaza since Hamas took power in The letter also quotes then-sen. John Kerry, who said in 2009, Qatar can t continue to be an American ally on Monday that sends money to Hamas on Tuesday. Emir al-thani has recently handed over power to his son, Sheikh Tamim, whose policy visà-vis Hamas is still unknown. Samantha Power Confirmed as U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power has been confirmed as the new ambassador to the United Nations. The Senate voted on August 1 in her favor. Before taking her new post, Power served as special assistant to President Barack Obama and senior director for multilateral affairs and human rights with the National Security Council (NSC). As one of our country s leading foreign policy thinkers, Samantha knows that our nation s interests are advanced with strong and principled American leadership, Obama said. As a long-time champion of human rights and dignity, she will be a fierce advocate for universal rights, fundamental freedoms and U.S. national interests. During the confirmation hearing, Power affirmed her commitment to Israel. Just as I have done the last four years as President Obama s U.N. adviser at the White House, I will stand up for Israel and work tirelessly to defend it, she said. Editorial: Hold Abbas Accountable Beginning on Tuesday, Israel initiated a release of 26 terrorists from its prisons to further the peace process (read AIPAC s statement in support of the talks). 17 of these 26 prisoners murdered Israelis, including one who struck a Holocaust survivor with repeated blows to the neck with axes. 11

Continued: Editorial: Hold Abbas Accountable Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas must be held accountable to create an environment for peace.

12 Continued: Editorial: Hold Abbas Accountable Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas must be held accountable to create an environment for peace. One released prisoner is a man who killed Ofra Moses and her son Tal when he threw a Molotov cocktail at their car, reports The Times of Israel. Another is Abed Rabbo, who confessed to police that he attacked a young couple hiking near the Cremisan monastery south of Jerusalem. Rabbo tied Revital Serry and Nir Levi s hands together, blindfolded them with rags and shot them in the head at point blank range. Muhammad Tus was a member of a terror cell that carried out five bus attacks, killing Zalman Avolnik, Michal Cohen, Meir Ben Yair, Edna Harari and Motti Swisa. Jomaa Adam and Mahmoud Harbish attacked a bus with Molotov cocktails, killing Rachel Weiss and her three young children, as well as soldier David Delarossa who tried to rescue them. Israel s bold prisoner release raises many questions: If Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is trying to construct a stable civic society in a future Palestinian state, why would he want 104 convicted felons to be released in the West Bank? Why would Abbas mandate that his ambassadors refer to the 12

13 Continued: Editorial: Hold Abbas Accountable prisoners not as murders or terrorists, but as freedom fighters a title that seemingly encourages young Palestinians to revere them as heroes or role models? There is an overarching and indisputable lesson to be learned by the Israeli release of terrorists back into Palestinian society Israel is willing to go to great lengths to live in peace with its neighbors. The Jewish state has dismantled settlements in Gaza and Egypt for the sake of peace. It has relinquished land in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and Egypt for peace. It has removed roadblocks and security check points in the West Bank for peace. And it has extended an open hand to all of its neighbors in exchange for simple recognition and normalization. Releasing terrorists who killed innocent Israelis is yet another painful step that the Jewish state has made. It is a sweeping statement of its willingness to reach sustainable peace with the Palestinians. Now is the time for Abbas to take his own step forward. He and his Palestinian leadership must be held accountable to create an environment for peace. He should educate his citizens about living in peace with Israelis rather than glorifying murderers and manage the expectations of the Palestinians on key issues such as the refugee claim of return. Israel has taken tough steps to prove it is ready for peace, today. It s time the Palestinians prove they are too. 13

Regional Issues. Conflicts in the Middle East. Importance of Oil. Growth of Islamism. Oil as source of conflict in Middle East

Regional Issues. Conflicts in the Middle East. Importance of Oil. Growth of Islamism. Oil as source of conflict in Middle East Main Idea Reading Focus Conflicts in the Middle East Regional issues in the Middle East have led to conflicts between Israel and its neighbors and to conflicts in and between Iran and Iraq. How have regional