1st Edition

Israel’s Mediterranean Gas Domestic Governance, Economic Impact, and Strategic Implications

By Sujata Ashwarya Copyright 2019
    328 Pages 28 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge India

    328 Pages 28 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge India

    328 Pages 28 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge India

    This book examines the internal and external implications of Israel’s natural gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean. The nation’s changed status from being an importer of coal and oil to that of an exporter of natural gas has consequences not only for the energy sector but also for the fragile geopolitics of the region.

    The book:

    • Explores the challenges and issues of energy economics and governance;
    • Analyses Israel’s gas diplomacy with its neighbours in the Middle East and North Africa and its potential positive impact on the amelioration of the Arab-Israeli conflict;
    • Studies how Israel can avoid the deleterious impact of the Dutch disease once the government’s share of the export revenues start flowing.

    The author traces a consummate picture of history, politics, and conflicts that shape the economics of energy in Israel and its future trajectories. A major intervention in Middle East studies, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of energy studies, development studies, strategic studies, politics, diplomacy, and international relations. It will also be of interest to government agencies, think-tanks, and risk management firms.

    Introduction 1 Israel’s energy sector: features, policies, and challenges 2 Israel’s natural gas discoveries: evolution of the regulatory framework for resource governance 3 Economic implications for Israel: prospects for development of new gas-based sectors 4 Strategic implications for the Mediterranean region: the changing political-economic scenario and Israeli gas exports Conclusions Glossary Bibliography Index

    Biography

    Sujata Ashwarya is an Associate Professor in the Centre for West Asian Studies in Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. She has published more than 30 research articles in the field of Middle Eastern studies and has written, edited, and co-edited: India-Iran Relations: Progress, Problems and Prospects (2017); Contemporary West Asia: Perspectives on Change and Continuity (co-edited; 2017); Essays on Iran and Israel: An Indian Perspective (2014); and Civil Society, Democracy and State in West Asia (edited; 2010).

    "Through an empirically rich and analytically sophisticated book about the emerging natural gas sector in Israel, Sujata Ashwarya makes an important contribution to the study of the challenges faced by Israel in formulating a comprehensive policy on its newly found natural gas resource, and the trials and tribulations of establishing partnerships for export of gas in the Mediterranean region." —Özden Oktav, Mediniyat University, Istanbul

    "Initially lacking natural resources of its own, Israel has recently become a major gas producer, with ensuing dilemmas for its leaders and citizens. In this insightful and timely book, Sujata Ashwarya vividly presents Israel’s gas discoveries and the domestic and external challenges arising from them." —Oren Barak, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

    "This is a must-read book. Sujata Ashwarya, a well-established scholar, examines the economic, political and environmental issues of energy between Israel and its neighbours. The volume makes a significant contribution to both the academic literature and the political debate." —Gawdat Bahgat, National Defense University, Washington, DC