Gas pipeline from Israel to Europe coming. This is the best defense against Israel haters.

By Adam Hegazy337259 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85603344

 

From Reuters:

The Israeli government on Sunday approved an agreement with European countries for the construction of a subsea pipeline that would supply Europe with natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean.

The Eastmed pipeline, which has been in planning for several years, is meant to transport gas from offshore Israel and Cyprus to Greece and on to Italy. A deal to build the project that was signed in January between Greek, Cypriot and Israeli ministers had still required final approval in Israel.

The countries aim to reach a final investment decision by 2022 and have the 6 billion euro ($6.86 billion) pipeline completed by 2025 to help Europe diversify its energy resources.

The pipeline is planned to initially carry 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year with the possibility of eventually doubling the capacity.

Israel haters may make headway into brainwashing people to think Israel is one of the world’s worst human rights violators.

But nations invariably act in their self-interest, and if it will hurt them to cut ties with another country, they won’t do it.

No one is boycotting Saudi Arabia’s oil because of its human rights abuses. No one is  boycotting China’s products (unless those products themselves are used against other nations, like 5G for spying.)

Israel’s exports of technology and now energy is the clearest way to secure Israel. While 10 billion cubic meters a year is not a huge amount – it is the amount that Italy consumes every six weeks or so – its loss would make a dent in a tight energy market.

Israel haters would continue to paint Israel as a violator of human rights no matter what it does. Israel’s time is better served in strengthening its economy than in arguing with modern antisemites.

(h/t Yoel)