Tikkun Olam

Finally, here is something worth writing about for the Jewish New Year, which has just begun with Rosh Hashana this past Thursday and Friday.  On the occasion of the 4th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, there is a very good chance that Israel might be on the way to energy independence, through the gas and oil discoveries in the Tamar and Leviatan fields in the Mediterranean. What impact will this have on Israel's economy, on its current dependance on the U.S. and other countries for oil? On its relations with its volatile neighbors the Arabs, in 'neutral' countries ( relatively speaking, as far as its Arab neighbors go) such as Jordan?  Or Egypt? Or the "Palestinians?" This is a door opening to a positive, exciting future. Here is my wish for the New Year: may Israel achieve energy independence and economic wealth, eliminate poverty among its citizens, and may this discovery help promote true peace with its neighbors in the Middle East.

In light of the political upheavals around the Arab world in North Africa and the Middle East, the price of a barrel of oil has shot up to over $100 a barrel, consequently the price of gasoline in my state alone has risen to $3.39/gal, and in some areas even higher. The world has become dependent upon MIddle Eastern oil (read: Arab controlled), which does not seem to bode well for Israel.  Except for this: it is now known that there were major discoveries of natural gas off the shore of the Mediterranean (about which I had written, complete with maps,  here - ) in areas mainly under Israel's jurisdiction. I have just read an article in the Jerusalem Post by Dore Gold which states that back in November, the World Energy Council based in Britain reported that Israel has oil shale reserves from which billions--yes, billions --of barrels of oil can be extracted.  Dr. Yuval Bartov, chief geologist for Israel Energy Initiatives presented, at a Colorado School of Mines sym...