Huge oil discovery on Golan Heights

[Mosby]

After more than a year of round-the-clock drilling, large amounts of oil have been found on the Golan Heights. Estimates are that the amount of oil discovered will make Israel self sufficient for very many years to come.

Afek Oil and Gas chief geologist Dr. Yuval Bartov told Channel 2 News, "We are talking about a strata which is 350 meters thick and what is important is the thickness and the porosity. On average in the world strata are 20-30 meters thick, so this is ten times as large as that, so we are talking about significant quantities. The important thing is to know the oil is in the rock and that's what we now know."

Three drillings have so far taken place in the southern Golan Heights which have found large reserves of oil. Potential production is dramatic - billions of barrels, which will easily provide all Israel's oil needs. Israel consumes 270,000 barrels of oil per day.

http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-huge-oil-discovery-on-golan-heights-1001071698

[Scootaloo]

1. Meanwhile, Golan remains not part of Israel.

[Kurska]

3. If Syria wanted the Golan

They shouldn't have repeatedly shelled Israel from the Golan in-between attempted invasions.

[geek tragedy]

7. Israel would be legally obligated to turn that land, and all of its oil--all of it--

to a regime that succeeds Assad if there's a peace agreement.

Theft of land via military force is highly illegal. The kind of thing thug states like Russia do.

[Kurska]

9. Normalize relations and provide a full treaty with Israel, then sure.

Israel has no obligation to return land to a state that still considers it an arch enemy.

[geek tragedy]

10. Certainly a nonstarter while the butcher Assad is in power.

[Kurska]

20. Israel has no guarantee one regime will be better than the other.

They are justifiably apathetic in the matter and have ever right to pursue their own regional interests. Syrian problems are Syrian problems.

[shira]

23. And of course, Israel is the only country in the history of the world expected....

...to give up land they acquired in a defensive war.

[Scootaloo]

16. No, so long as a state of war remains, Israel con occupy the territory.

However, being the occupying power, Israel is bound by several restrictions and obligations.

[Kurska]

19. A state of war lasting 3 decades is an outlier

The people of the region deserve development and normalcy. Oil exploitation will provide money and jobs to the local economy.

Nations don't transfer funds to nations they are technically at war with. Syria could have a peace treat anytime they are willing to come to the table, though doubtlessly they are occupied at the moment with internal problems, they had decades to do so.

You really think the Golan would better off if it was returned to the Syrian government at the moment?

[Little Tich]

21. Most of the population of the Golan Heights are refugees in Syria since they were driven out

in 1967.

How would exploiting the oil resources help them? It's more likely it will help the illegal settlers currently "living" there.

[shira]

24. If Syria got money from the oil, none would get to the people needing it most.

It would go towards more incitement, war, and terror. Just like in Iran.

[Scootaloo]

44. Iran's doing pretty well, economically

[Kurska]

42. Golan heights is majority Druze

No the region was not emptied after Syria lost the territory in their aggressive expansionist attacks on Israel.

[Scootaloo]

37. I said that Israel has obligations as the occupying power

And that the lack of any treaty ceding Golan to Israel means that Golan is not part of Israel.

[grossproffit]

8. Indeed.

[Scootaloo]

12. That doesn't make it part of Israel

It's occupied Syrian territory.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. The Golan is never going to go back to Syria, period, full stop.

People can call it what they want, but distinct from the West Bank and Gaza the simple fact of the matter is, for all intents and purposes it's a part of Israel now--- and absolutely no friggin' way are they going to go back to the '49 border which sat in some places like 10 feet from the shore of Lake Kinneret.

I'm sure folks can make a good argument that California is occupied Mexican territory, too, but fact is The Golan isn't going to change hands no matter what peace arrangements are made. I'd say you can take that one to the bank.

[Scootaloo]

14. The US and mexico signed a treaty that made California US territory

There is no treaty ceding any part of Syria to Israel. Thus, that territory is Syria, and as the occupying power, Israel holds many obligations.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Like i said, you can call it whatever you want.

Send me a note when Israel no longer controls it, and I will eat my hat.

And I dont even do hats.

[Scootaloo]

17. I call it "international law."

[Warren DeMontague]

18. Fine.

Like i said, lemme know how it pans out.

[shira]

25. When Syria proves their peaceful intent, only then can it be handed back.

Maybe in a thousand years or so.

There's a reason no other country in the history of this planet has ever returned land won in a defensive war.

[Scootaloo]

38. I really suggest you read up on the 1967 war.

In the meantime, the reality is that Golan remains part of Syria. Israel is occupying that part of Syria. As occupying power, Israel is bound by several obligations and responsibilities under international law.

[grossproffit]

2. This would be a dream come true for Israel.

[geek tragedy]

5. Indeed. Think of the goodwill it would generate when they place all of that revenue

in a trust dedicated to helping Syria rebuild after the tremendous destruction from that civil war.

[geek tragedy]

4. That oil belongs to the people of Syria.

As does the Golan Heights.

Presumably the Israelis won't be so greedy and immoral that, after Assad's regime is replaced by a more benign government , they would continue to steal valuable resources from the people of Syria who certainly need that revenue a lot more.

Oh wait.

[oberliner]

22. "after Assad's regime is replaced by a more benign government..."

This is something you envision taking place?

[geek tragedy]

31. Eventually yes. Dictatorships are much less

stable than democracies.

[oberliner]

32. I certainly hope you are right

It does not appear too promising at the moment.

[geek tragedy]

34. it never does while a dictatorship is in power nt

[shira]

27. Expecting that benign government in....oh, about 1000 years. Right? n/t

[cpompilo]

6. Israel had just announced they were opening the Golan for a new settlement. Now we know why.

oil.

[Little Tich]

11. The Golan Heights are part of Syria, and Israel has no right whatsoever to exploit any Syrian

resources.

It's however significant that the idiots in the Israeli government is allowing this to go on, it shows how little they care about international law.

[shira]

28. Think Israel should hand the Golan over to Assad or ISIS now?

If not, when does it go back?

[Little Tich]

35. There will be a peace treaty someday.

Right now, the Golan Heights are only held in trust by Israel, to be given back in the same state it was when it was taken.

[oberliner]

30. Are the US, Saudi, and Russian attacks on Syria legal under international law?

How about Assad's bombing of refugee camps within his own country?

It's hard to see a whole lot of concern for international law with respect to Syria these days both from within and without.

[shira]

33. Lots of Palestinians in Syria being killed. No cameras though...

So no interest & nothing but a yawn from the armchair humanitarians.

[Little Tich]

36. Do you even have a point?

What does that have to do with Israel trying to exploit natural resources that aren't theirs?

[oberliner]

40. Either every country has to follow international law or none do

You can't only have international law apply to some countries and not others.

[Scootaloo]

39. Russia's are, in fact

The legal government of Syria asked for their military aid.

[oberliner]

41. Russia may share criminal responsibility for Assad's use of barrel bombs, UK says

The UK foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, has warned Russia that its military intervention in support of the Assad regime could mean Moscow shares criminal responsibility for the regime’s use of barrel bombs against its own people.

Hammond was speaking minutes before the start of a UN security council session called by Moscow on a morning in which Russia carried out its first bombing sorties inside Syria. The foreign secretary said that Britain was still trying to confirm the targets of the airstrikes but added: “If they’re in an area where there’s no Isil [an acronym for Islamic State, also known as Isis], it will send a very clear message that the intervention is there to support Assad.”

Early reports suggested that the Russian airstrikes may have struck non-Isis rebel groups, including those supported by the west.

“Now the Russians are now very openly and ostentatiously there propping up the regime, they are vulnerable to international pressure,” he told a group of journalists. “They have a shared responsibility. They may arguably have a legal exposure to this barrel bombing activity. Barrel bombing is criminal. It breaches international humanitarian law.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/30/russia-syria-barrel-bombing-international-law-uk

[Scootaloo]

43. The US and UK are fishing for shit, because Russia is blowing up "our" terrorists too

[frizzled]

26. They seem to announce this story every few years; even if true, shale is not economic right now

nt

[shira]

29. This is a different location altogether. n/t