Supporting Israel’s Military Action in Gaza

I’ve had some e-mails asking if the war in Gaza is a threat to Israel’s oil and gas exploration.  The current on-shore efforts by Zion Oil & Gas in the north and Ginko in the Dead Sea region aren’t near enough to Gaza to be under any immediate threat related to this action. Off-shore gas exploration in the north isn’t affected for the same reason. And the long-term stability of gas fields  off the coast of Gaza could only be improved by Israel ousting Hamas and working toward a sustainable peace in Gaza. Everybody, including British Gas, who works the field, Egypt, Gaza’s (and Israel’s) neighbor to the south and Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas agree on that one. So ‘does the current action in Gaza put oil and gas exploration and production in Israel at risk?’ The quick answer is ‘no,’ I don’t think so.

But everything is relative. Israel isn’t a very big country. Geographically it’s a little smaller than New Jersey and it’s population (a little over 7 million) is smaller than New Jersey’s (almost 9 million). Imagine New Jersey as an independent country surround by enemies  and with a war on one of its borders. Israel is always under a potential threat from at least one of its neighbors and any military action anywhere in the country is going to affect the country and its people as a whole.

My friend, Richard Rinberg, CEO of Zion Oil, has two children in the Israeli military. Thankfully they are not at the tip of the spear in this current action, but many of the Rinberg family friends are. If you’re an Israeli, you’re affected by what’s happening in Gaza; it’s inescapable.

But, again,  everything is relative. What’s also inescapable is the history of Israel’s greatest ally standing at her side. The US has stood by Israel since her re-birth in 1948. But I’m not talking about the US; Israel has a much older, much greater ally. Israel’s greatest military leader penned these words a long time ago: “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the G_d of Jacob protect you.”

He also reminded the Israeli people where to place their trust in national emergencies: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our G_d.” Israel’s king David was the leader who penned those words. You can read them in Psalm 20. If you want to say a prayer for Israel today, Psalm 20 is a good one.

As far as Israel’s oil is concerned? Israel’s G_d has that in hand as well.

“Energy Independence” by Nathan Jones

The following article by Nathan Jones appeared in The Christ in Prophecy Journal. You can read the original article at: http://www.lamblion.us/2008/09/energy-independence.html.

Other than the economic downturn most of the world is grappling with due to the Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis, no other topic has been more center stage lately than the energy crisis. Painful fill-ups at the pumps emptying wallets, food shortages ravaging the third world as corn is converted into ethanol, inflation rising as transportation costs are passed onto consumers, and the devaluation of the dollar as the U.S. government mass-prints money to keep up in competitive buying of fuel — all these and many more troubles have befallen the world over the amount of available oil.

“Black Gold,” “Texas Tea,” “Liquid Dinosaur” — the readiness of this substance is the source of troubles in modern world politics. It will also be a huge motivator in the prophetic scenes of Israel overcoming their Arab neighbors (Psalm 83), Russia and Iran trying and failing to seize the Middle East oil fields (Ezekiel 38,39), and the Antichrist’s struggle against Israel to control the Middle East to establish his Revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2,7).

While the world goes ga-ga over oil, Israel instead has been leading the way in becoming energy independent. With no known oil of their own, Israel knows that currently they are totally dependent on the millions of hostile Arabs intent on destroying them. If it wasn’t for God and the greed of OPEC being greater than their Islamic conviction to utterly remove Israel from the face of the earth, Israel would have been reduced to an agrarian society and destroyed by now.

Companies like Zion Oil and Gas, Inc., via The Joseph Project have been vigorously drilling for that questionable Israeli oil, believing the Bible supports that Israel is sitting on trillions of dollars underground. They base their search on Genesis 49:25-26; Deuteronomy 32:24; Deuteronomy 33:24; and Job 29:6. These verses speak of “blessings of the deep that lies below” and “oil from the flinty crag” and “let him bathe his feet in oil” and “the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.”

Whether oil is under Israel or not, where Israel’s true search for energy independence lies is in its brilliant innovations in alternative energy sources like solar and battery power. Israeli scientists have released revolutionary second generation solar cells that are light years ahead of current installs. Israel is also looking to be the first country by 2020 to have eliminated all gas-powered cars with battery-powered cars. Because of Israel’s small size, driving distances are well within the current 124 mile battery limit. Israel is motivated to be totally energy independent because it knows it is in a race to survive.

The United States and EU, instead of selling out Israel to appease oil-rich Arab countries to keep the supply of oil running, should instead be partnering with Israel in their breakthrough advancements in energy. The United States could indeed be not just energy independent by following Israel’s lead and partnering with them, but also become major suppliers of energy to the world and eliminate the woefully unbalanced trade deficit.

Unfortunately, as end-time players are nearly ready to fulfill their prophetic roles and fall all over themselves to get Middle East oil, the day the world is free of oil tyranny with energy independence may well have to wait till Jesus is on the throne during His Millennial Kingdom. Pity our short-sightedness and greed.

Israel Strikes Oil

(Prophecy Today Archive October 13, 2006) Story by Shofar Communications Jerusalem Bureau Chief Ed Horner; Photos by Allison Horner. Article courtesy of Prophecy Today. The original article can be viewed at http://jimmydeyoung.gospelcom.net/pp/israelifront/2006_10_13_archive.html.

Surrounded by the richest oil countries in the world, many would wonder why Israel has never found oil. Now they have. Ginko Oil Exploration, led by Dr. Eli Tannenbaum, has located a potentially large oil field in the Dead Sea region of Israel.

The Dead Sea, near a large oil deposit

Dr. Tannembaum and other specialists on site

In an effort to attract financial partners to harvest the oil, Ginko Oil Exploration reopened a small previously drilled oil well near the Dead Sea and began extracting oil. In an on site interview with Dr. Tannenbaum, he said this first strike is very exciting because it shows that there is oil in the region that can be harvested. He said that Ginko will begin drilling the second well within two months and that the second well should produce a much more significant amount of oil.

An exploration oil rig

One step in the process of oil extraction

Dr. Tannenbaum says that this oil region is not directly connected with surrounding oil fields, but that the sources of the oil deep inside the earth’s crust could be related. He said the oil field in the Dead Sea region is on a deep rift (or tear) similar to Libyan or Egyptian oil fields. The Dead Sea region is the lowest point on earth at almost 400 meters below sea level. Tannenbaum says that he does not foresee Israel’s drilling of oil to be detrimental to surrounding nations’ oil fields.

Ed speaks with Dr. Tannenbaum

Ed speaks with Ginko Exploration’s Site Supervisor

Ginko Exploration’s Site Supervisor said that Israel currently has two oil refineries that could refine the newly extracted crude oil. The extracted crude oil would be taken to the refineries by truck. Israel does not currently have an oil pipeline from this region, and it would most likely not need one in the near future.

Here is Israel’s future oil field

Lead Geologist, Dr. Eli Tannenbaum

My wife and I had the privilege of watching some of Israel’s first oil being pumped from 1800 Meters beneath our feet. Ginko began dismantling the exploration rig while we were on site. They were then going to place a permanent pump on the well as the first of many in the region.

The flow of oil must be carefully monitored

A head on oil well

Israelis currently pay the highest gas prices in the Middle East. Gasoline is approximately $6.50 per gallon and Diesel is $5 per gallon. If Israel could produce its own fuel, it could mean lower prices at the pump for the average Israeli.

The oil is just flowing from this dig

Oil being extracted

Oil in Israel can mean less economic dependence on oil from surrounding countries. It could also mean fewer political negotiations with oil producing countries that routinely plot the demise of Israel.