Several environmental organizations and activists have called on the US special envoy for climate change John Kerry to thwart the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed between companies in Israel and the United Arab Emirates for the transport of crude oil from the Arab Gulf to European markets.
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In a letter to Kerry, the signatories argued the agreement was "contrary to the new spirit of Israeli-US climate cooperation."
They noted the "environmental concerns relating to the likelihood of oil spills in the Gulf of Aqaba [that could endanger] the unique coral reefs of Eilat in Israel, the Sinai Peninsula [in] Egypt, and Aqaba in Jordan," according to a Times of Israel report. They warned the MOU would lead to an increased risk of Israel seeing a repeat of the February oil spill that left much of Israel's Mediterranean coast covered in tar.
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Activists also referenced a February phone call between Kerry and Israel's US and UN envoy Gilad Erdan, who formerly held the environmental protection portfolio, in which the two apparently discussed progress on working toward a zero-carbon economy.
Critics of the letter point out that greater regional cooperation between the Jewish state and its Gulf neighbors could increasingly sideline Iran.
From a geopolitical perspective, Israel and its Abraham Accord partners, the UAE and Bahrain, are looking to enhance energy security given the existential threat presented by the Islamic Republic.
i24NEWS contributed to this report
