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Why Israel will rule the new Middle East
By Arthur Herman Published January 31, 2013FoxNews.com
If you still think the future of Israel looks bleak, think again.
A few months ago it looked like the Jewish state might not survive until 2013. Rockets were raining down from Gaza; revolution was about to install one Islamicist government in Egypt, and another was poised to take over in Syria. Iran was threatening to finish what Hitlers Holocaust started, with an atomic bomb. The Obama administration seemed unwilling to stop that happening-- while Israels only alternative to nuclear annihilation was a preemptive strike that was bound to start a major shooting war in the Middle East.
Now, however, Israels future may be brighter than ever.
Iran remains the neighborhoods unpredictable mad dog, although its nuclear bark is still far worse than its bite. But Israel itself is set to dominate the region like never before. Thanks to the industrial technological miracle known as fracking, Israel is about to become the new energy Mecca of the Middle East, and theres very little its Arab neighbors can do to stop it.
Indeed, instead of plotting Israels destruction, its Arab neighbors could find themselves courting Tel Avivs favor the way the United States and Europe courted OPEC in the 1970's and 1980's.
Whats tilting the regions dynamics toward Israel?
For one thing, the Arab Spring has spawned a chaos and instability in every country its touched, thats going to grind on for years to come. A new report warns that Egypt is on the verge of collapse; Israels old adversary Syria, already is. Both are also very likely headed toward economic ruinas has already happened to Israels other foe, Hamas in Gaza, and could hit Iran next.
Israel is going to be the famous still point in a turning worlda world turning in on itself, with little or no energy to spend confronting the Jewish state. And heres where fracking comes in.
Hydraulic fracking is, of course, is the technology that uses a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to crack open deep deposits of shale oil and natural gas. Its single-handedly revived our domestic energy industryto the point where by 2020 well be the worlds biggest oil producer.
What many people dont know is that the land of Israel holds almost 250 billion barrels of oil shale reserves (thats according to the World Petroleum Council). Thats almost equal to Saudi Arabias 260 billion barrels--and as conventional oil sources there and in the Persian Gulf gets harder to extract (it alreadys happening) and the cost goes up, Israel will be the new energy frontier of the region.
Its already happening. The fracking-savvy Canadians have joined an Israeli energy technology fund, to help companies like Israeli Energy Initiatives begin production of oil shale in reserve-rich areas like the Valley of Elah near Jerusalem; the Russians have signed a deal to help open up the vast natural gas reserves discovered in 2008 and 2009 off Israels coastsome 16 trillion cubic feet worth.
Right now production is still tiny, but as fracking technology continues to advance Israel could soon move beyond its declared goal of energy independence, and become a major oil exporting countryincluding to oil-poor neighbors like Egypt and Syria and Lebanon.
The implications are nothing less than staggering.
Instead of an embattled and isolated outpost of Western democracy, Israel would look like the Middle Easts new economic colossus.
Instead of shunning Israel for fear of offending oil-rich Arab states, Western Europeans could find themselves beating a path to Israels oil shale fieldsand rethinking who they want as their ally in the region, and who they dont.
That includes the United States. Fracking is changing the worlds economic map; its about to change the Middle East. Its time policy-makers caught up with reality, and realized that our relationship with Israel may be our most important bond to that regions future.
Why Israel will rule the new Middle East | Fox News
By Arthur Herman Published January 31, 2013FoxNews.com
If you still think the future of Israel looks bleak, think again.
A few months ago it looked like the Jewish state might not survive until 2013. Rockets were raining down from Gaza; revolution was about to install one Islamicist government in Egypt, and another was poised to take over in Syria. Iran was threatening to finish what Hitlers Holocaust started, with an atomic bomb. The Obama administration seemed unwilling to stop that happening-- while Israels only alternative to nuclear annihilation was a preemptive strike that was bound to start a major shooting war in the Middle East.
Now, however, Israels future may be brighter than ever.
Iran remains the neighborhoods unpredictable mad dog, although its nuclear bark is still far worse than its bite. But Israel itself is set to dominate the region like never before. Thanks to the industrial technological miracle known as fracking, Israel is about to become the new energy Mecca of the Middle East, and theres very little its Arab neighbors can do to stop it.
Indeed, instead of plotting Israels destruction, its Arab neighbors could find themselves courting Tel Avivs favor the way the United States and Europe courted OPEC in the 1970's and 1980's.
Whats tilting the regions dynamics toward Israel?
For one thing, the Arab Spring has spawned a chaos and instability in every country its touched, thats going to grind on for years to come. A new report warns that Egypt is on the verge of collapse; Israels old adversary Syria, already is. Both are also very likely headed toward economic ruinas has already happened to Israels other foe, Hamas in Gaza, and could hit Iran next.
Israel is going to be the famous still point in a turning worlda world turning in on itself, with little or no energy to spend confronting the Jewish state. And heres where fracking comes in.
Hydraulic fracking is, of course, is the technology that uses a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to crack open deep deposits of shale oil and natural gas. Its single-handedly revived our domestic energy industryto the point where by 2020 well be the worlds biggest oil producer.
What many people dont know is that the land of Israel holds almost 250 billion barrels of oil shale reserves (thats according to the World Petroleum Council). Thats almost equal to Saudi Arabias 260 billion barrels--and as conventional oil sources there and in the Persian Gulf gets harder to extract (it alreadys happening) and the cost goes up, Israel will be the new energy frontier of the region.
Its already happening. The fracking-savvy Canadians have joined an Israeli energy technology fund, to help companies like Israeli Energy Initiatives begin production of oil shale in reserve-rich areas like the Valley of Elah near Jerusalem; the Russians have signed a deal to help open up the vast natural gas reserves discovered in 2008 and 2009 off Israels coastsome 16 trillion cubic feet worth.
Right now production is still tiny, but as fracking technology continues to advance Israel could soon move beyond its declared goal of energy independence, and become a major oil exporting countryincluding to oil-poor neighbors like Egypt and Syria and Lebanon.
The implications are nothing less than staggering.
Instead of an embattled and isolated outpost of Western democracy, Israel would look like the Middle Easts new economic colossus.
Instead of shunning Israel for fear of offending oil-rich Arab states, Western Europeans could find themselves beating a path to Israels oil shale fieldsand rethinking who they want as their ally in the region, and who they dont.
That includes the United States. Fracking is changing the worlds economic map; its about to change the Middle East. Its time policy-makers caught up with reality, and realized that our relationship with Israel may be our most important bond to that regions future.
Why Israel will rule the new Middle East | Fox News
