Safa - The British government is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to reapprove the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas projects in the North Sea, a move that has sparked criticism from human rights groups and climate campaigners over concerns that it could financially benefit an Israeli company listed by the United Nations for its involvement in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. 

Middle East Eye reports that Israel’s Delek Group is majority-owner of Aberdeen-based Ithaca Energy, which holds 20% of the Rosebank oil field. The company is included in the UN database of businesses linked to Israeli settlement activities, while its subsidiary, Delek Israel, has also been reported to supply fuel to the Israeli military and police. 

The report states that Delek Group has received more than $1 billion in dividends from Ithaca's North Sea operations since 2020. Campaigners argue that approval of the Rosebank project, as well as the nearby Cambo field wholly owned by Ithaca, would significantly increase the company's profits. 

Environmental organizations, including Greenpeace and Uplift, previously succeeded in challenging the projects in court after a UK judge ruled that the original approvals were unlawful because they failed to consider the climate impact of burning the extracted oil and gas.

The developers were subsequently required to submit new environmental assessments before any fresh approval could be granted. 

The UK government has launched a public consultation on the projects, with a final decision expected after the consultation period closes in mid-August. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government argues that domestic oil and gas production could contribute to the UK's energy security, while critics say the projects would undermine Britain's climate commitments and raise legal and ethical concerns over financial links to a company associated with Israel's settlement enterprise.