THE UK Government has been challenged to explain whether its proposed sanctions against Israeli settlement-linked companies could affect the controversial Rosebank oil field.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has written to Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband demanding clarity over the Government's position on Ithaca Energy, which holds a 20% stake in Rosebank.
The Aberdeen-based oil and gas company is controlled by Israeli energy firm Delek Group, which appears on a UN database of businesses involved in activities related to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Polanski's intervention comes after Miliband announced plans last month for sanctions targeting companies involved in trade with illegal settlements.
In his letter, the Greens leader questioned whether revenues flowing from Ithaca's North Sea operations to Delek would fall within the scope of the proposed regime.
He said: "Rosebank is a test of whether Labour's proposed sanctions regime is fit for purpose.
"Companies blacklisted by the UN for operating in the illegal settlements should not be financed by oil and gas revenues from the North Sea.
"This should be a red line, and yet the government seems to be getting ready to greenlight Rosebank."
According to the Greens, Ithaca has paid more than $1 billion (£740 million) in dividends from its UK oil and gas interests to Delek since 2020.
Delek holds a controlling 50.57% shareholding in Ithaca.
As well as its 20% interest in Rosebank, Ithaca has a 100% stake in the proposed Cambo development and a 50% stake in Tornado.
The Greens said revenues flowing to Delek from Rosebank alone could amount to £235m.
In his letter to Miliband, Polanski asked: "What steps will you be taking to ensure revenues from UK oil and gas production are not financing support for illegal settlements?"
Delek is included in a UN database of companies operating in the occupied territories.
The activities attributed to the company include providing services and utilities supporting settlements and the use of natural resources for business purposes.
Polanski argued this falls within the scope of the sanctions regime outlined by Miliband, who told MPs earlier this month that those who "finance or facilitate illegal settlements" would face UK sanctions.
The Green leader said it would be "counterproductive and hypocritical" for the Foreign Office to sanction companies involved with settlements while the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero approved North Sea projects involving subsidiaries of those firms.
He added: "Not only is Rosebank incompatible with our obligations under international law, but it is also incompatible with a safe and liveable climate.
"Greenlighting new oil and gas will completely undermine our international credibility when working to get global progress on urgent and rapid emissions reductions."
Campaign group Uplift previously commissioned lawyers to examine the relationship between Ithaca and Delek.
They argued that approving drilling at Rosebank could risk putting the UK Government in breach of its obligations under the Geneva Conventions because of Delek's activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Rosebank, around 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is one of the UK's largest undeveloped oil and gas fields.
Ithaca holds a 20% interest in the development, which is operated by Adura.
Ithaca says Rosebank could contain around 300 million barrels of recoverable resources across its first two phases.
Polanski said the Government now needed to "make clear where it stands".
He said: "On the side of international law and climate science, or the side of big fossil fuel companies, wrecking our planet and aiding atrocities in Palestine."
