Israel has granted oil exploration rights inside Syria, in the occupied Golan Heights, to Genie Energy. Major shareholders of Genie Energy – which also has interests in shale gas in the United States and shale oil in Israel – include Rupert Murdoch and Lord Jacob Rothschild.
For Israel to seek to exploit mineral reserves in the occupied Golan Heights is plainly illegal under international law. Israel tried to make the same move twenty years ago but was forced to back down after a strong reaction from the Syrian government, which gained diplomatic support from the United States. Israel is now seeking to take advantage of the weakened Syrian state; this move perhaps casts a new light on recent Israeli bombings in Syria.
Source: Craig Murray, “Israel Has Granted Oil Exploration Rights inside Syria, in the Occupied Golan Heights,” Global Research, August 26, 2013,
Student Researcher: Abel Cooper (Sonoma State University)
Faculty Evaluator: Derek Eysenbach (Sonoma State University)