Weekly Commentary: Would Saudi - Israel Oil Pipeline Pit Hamas Against Iran?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 26 September 2020

Plans being discussed to extend existing pipelines so that oil exports from
Saudi and Gulf states can reach Europe and America via Ashkelon. safe from
Iranian interference, may pit Hamas against Iran.

Under the plan, the network of pipelines which already reaches the Saudi
Yanbu oil refineries on the Red Sea would be extended some 700 kilometers to
link into the Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline.

Last Friday in Makor Rishon Pazit Ravina cited a 14 September FARS News
Agency article in which the Iranians threatened that Hamas would attack such
a pipeline.

But would that serve Hamas' interests?

Hamas might try to gain various benefits in return for not interfering with
the pipeline's operation, but the costs it would face actually attacking
such an international system are far greater than any benefits it could
accrue for acting on Iran's behalf.

Even without the possibility of this pipeline, it could serve Israel's
interests for Gazans to benefit from Israeli - Gulf relations.

Today Israel's security system clears Gazans to work inside Israel. Is it
so far fetched that a similar arrangement might be implemented so that
Gazans can fly from Ben Gurion Airport to work in the Gulf?

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