The UK government is deliberating whether to approve Rosebank, Britain’s largest untapped oil field located off Shetland, with a decision expected from Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh. The decision has drawn scrutiny from environmental and political figures who have raised concerns about the project’s connection to Delek Group, an Israeli company.
Delek Group controls Ithaca Energy, which holds a 20% stake in Rosebank. Last year, Delek Group was included in a UN database of firms allegedly providing services to support settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Environmental campaigners and Green Party leader Zack Polanski have written separately to Prime Minister Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to raise concerns about potential conflicts between approving the oil field and the government’s newly announced sanctions on Israeli settlements.
The foreign secretary signaled a hardening of the UK’s position last month by announcing measures against companies and individuals providing services such as infrastructure to settlement expansion. The sanctions will also ban imports of goods from illegal settlements. Campaigners have asked the government to clarify whether Delek will be affected by these new measures and how approval of Rosebank would align with the stated intent to sanction those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements.
Delek Group has stated it was wrongly included in the UN database and intends to formally challenge its inclusion. Ithaca Energy, the London Stock Exchange-listed company, emphasized its role as a major North Sea investor and contributor to UK energy security and tax revenues. The decision on Rosebank holds broader political significance, as the previous Conservative government approved it in 2024, but that decision was successfully challenged in court by campaigners. The matter also carries implications for UK-US relations, given that President Trump has previously pressured UK leaders to increase North Sea drilling activities.
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