A decision regarding the Rosebank oil field is expected soon. The Prime Minister has been cautioned that approving the oil field may violate sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The government is set to decide on Rosebank, which is Britain's largest untapped oil field located off Shetland. Environmental advocates and Green Party leader Zack Polanski have expressed concerns about the field's association with the Israeli company Delek Group.
Delek Group was included in a UN database last year for allegedly supporting settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. A spokesperson for Delek Group stated that it no longer has any involvement in Israeli settlements and claims it was wrongly included in the database. Delek Group controls Ithaca Energy, which holds a 20% stake in Rosebank.
The campaign group Uplift, which has legally challenged the Rosebank project in 2023, organized a letter to Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, urging the government to clarify whether Delek would be affected by the recent sanctions. Polanski has also written to Miliband, inquiring about measures to ensure that revenue from UK oil and gas production does not support illegal settlements. He stated, "Rosebank is a test of whether Labour's proposed sanctions regime is fit for purpose. Companies blacklisted by the UN for operating in the illegal settlements should not be financed by oil and gas revenues from the North Sea."
Last month, Miliband announced a stricter UK stance against companies and individuals providing services that support settlement expansion, including a ban on imports from illegal settlements. Uplift's letter to Burnham requested confirmation on whether Delek would be subject to these new measures and an explanation if it is not.
A spokesperson for Ithaca Energy emphasized that it is a FTSE 100 company adhering to high corporate governance standards and is a significant investor in the North Sea. Delek Group's spokesman reiterated their intention to challenge their inclusion in the UN database.
The decision on Rosebank and the Jackdaw gas field has gained political significance. Rosebank was approved by the previous Conservative government in 2023, but that decision faced legal challenges from campaigners. The current decision rests with Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh and could reflect Burnham's broader energy policy. Miliband previously opposed Rosebank while serving as energy secretary. Burnham advocates for a flexible energy approach, favoring drilling where licenses already exist in the North Sea.
This decision may also affect UK-US relations, as President Trump has pressured UK leaders to increase North Sea drilling. While Downing Street has avoided backlash from Trump regarding the West Bank sanctions, his administration has indicated it will not pursue similar actions. Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift, stated that no profits from North Sea oil should benefit a company that risks UK sanctions.
Israel has established approximately 160 settlements housing around 700,000 Jews since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, where an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians reside. Settlements are deemed illegal under international law, and violence against Palestinians by settlers has increased in recent months. Israel has criticized the UK's sanctions, alleging anti-Israel policies.