The Impact Operation Cast Lead Could Have on the $4b. Treasure off the Gazan Coast

In addition to the very difficult long-term security concerns that are sure to arise from Operation Cast Lead, the long-overdue Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip has also raised a number of ancillary questions that will need to be addressed over the coming weeks, including the future of key offshore natural gas supplies.
About a year and a half ago, I reported for The Jerusalem Post that Israel and the UK-based BG Group were trying to come to an agreement for the purchase of natural gas from a BG-owned gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
A little background to the story- In 1999, after paying the PA an undisclosed amount, BG, along with its partner Consolidated Contractors Corporations, had acquired the concession to survey for natural gas in 1,000 square kilometers of the Gaza Marine area. The two set about conducting extensive seismic tests to determine if the field contained the valuable gas that they had hoped for and, in early 2000, BG confirmed that the field contained a large quantity.
The PA stipulated in the contract that BG must pay them at least 10% of the royalties from any future sales of the gas.
Over the ensuring 6.5 years, BG and Israeli authorities tried to reach an agreement to pump the gas into Israel, however the two sides could ultimately not come to a satifactory decision on price.
In June 2007, the game shifted dramatically when the terrorist organization Hamas ousted the more moderate Fatah faction from power in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas then proceeded to claim that since they were now in power in the Strip, the billions of dollars in gas off the coast ultimately belonged to them, and that should Israel purchase the gas, they would have to make payments to Hamas coffers. This posed a serious problem for both Israel, which obviously was not going to pay a portion of the money to Hamas, as well as to BG, which was banned by its government from negotiating with Hamas.
Looking at our current situation, the main objective of the Israeli army in Gaza is to break down Hamas to the point where they are no longer capable of attacking Israel, but how much sweeter would an Israeli victory in Gaza be should the country demand, as part of a cease-fire with Hamas, control of the riches that are sitting at the bottom of the Gaza Marine Gas Field?
This would remove any claim that Hamas has to the money from the sale of the gas field and it would allow Israel to return rightful control of the proceeds from the sale of the gas to the PA as per their agreement with BG. Should Israel then actually succeed in purchasing the gas from BG and comply with the PA's original contract guaranteeing them 10%, Israel could stipulate to the PA how that money should best be used, mandating that certain percantages go towards strengthening their school, health, infrastructure systems, etc.

Dvir Emmanueloff

11:15 PM, Sunday, January 4, Har Herzl
The haunting chants of the IDF Chazzan and steady beat of the marching soldiers grew louder as the funeral procession approaced the waiting crowd gathered in Jerusalem's Har Herzl Military Cemetary. The coffin of Dvir Emmanueloff, the first, and G-d willing, only, soldier killed during Operation Cast Lead, came into view, held high by the baby-faced members of his army unit. The Emmanueloff family followed behind the flag-draped coffin, sobbing and clinging to one another as their son and brother was carried towards his final resting place. Cries of "No, No, No" pierced the cold and dark winter night as the coffin was lowered slowly into the ground, and the pain of the moment was driven home as the brown Jerusalem dirt was poured slowly over the coffin.
The Chief Rabbi of IDF recited the Perek of Tehillim for the dead, only 24 hours after he stood with soldiers about to enter Gaza, blessing them to return safely.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with complete strangers, we all cried together as Dvir's sister spoke about her brother, sobbing through her loving and moving depiction of a young man she called her "Dviroosh." "My brother, my brother," she cried, telling us through her tears of her relationship with her brother, a boy who could light up a room with his smile and a man who was a pillar for his family after his father died 2.5 years ago. Dvir's sister asked him to give a kiss to their father when he sees him in heaven, breaking down as the finality sunk in.
Immediately before Shabbat, Dvir sent a text message to his family, who wanted to know if there was a chance that he would be home the following week. He responded "probably not."
Before heading into Gaza, Dvir sent one final message to his mother, telling her how much he loved her. That was the last thet heard from him. Such is the pain of war.
Dvir's elite reconnaissance unit was one of the first sent into the Gaza Strip when the IDF launched its ground incursion on Saturday night, and they encountered heavy resistance almost immediately. Dvir was gravely wounded when shrapnel from a mortar fired by Hamas tore though his unit.
Dvir grew up in Jerusalem and was deeply attached to the land of Israel. He was not only fighting to protect the citizens of the south, but in his words, wanted to "restore dignity to the country."
I did not know Dvir, and judging by the crowd massed at Mt. Herzl, it did not seem that most of those in attendance knew him personally either. Yet there we stood, mourning together as another one of Israel's finest was laid to rest, pulled together to honor a young man who gave his life to the country he loved.

Nir and Far: The Challenge That Awaits Jerusalem's Incoming Mayor

Dear Nir,
While many in Jerusalem excitedly await your inauguration as the next mayor, this edition of "TechWatch" takes a look at some of the activities and companies that you were involved with in your first career as a hi-tech entrepreneur; it also offers a couple of suggestions to help you make good on your promise of delivering more jobs to Israel's poorest city.

For the whole article, please click on the following link: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702352689&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

'Israel's human capital is in danger'

Financier Michael Milken warned on Tuesday that Israel's $7 trillion human capital market is in danger of rapidly depreciating should the government not take the appropriate corrective steps to repair and invest in the local education system.
"Human capital" has been defined by University of Chicago economist Gary Becker as the knowledge, skills and experience of people. For the full article, click on the link below...
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1196834823771&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Intellectual property damages reach NIS 2b.

As advances in technology make it increasingly difficult to slow the spread of intellectual property theft, leading to an estimated NIS 2 billion in annual damages in Israel, industry leaders at Wednesday's Intellectual Property Forum called on the government to begin working toward stamping out the illegal activity.
"There should be a uniform policy in terms of protecting intellectual property like there is in the US, the UK and Japan," Uriel Lynn, president of the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, which encompasses the Israeli Intellectual Property Forum, told The Jerusalem Post. "A national policy needs to be formed. Then a national council that will enforce the policy needs to organized. However, from the side of the government, there is no movement to organize such a council. The government at this moment has no real plans to get involved in this movement." For the full article, click on the link below...
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1196847265234&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Union says 'no' to IEC job cuts

The Israel Electric Corporation workers' union said Sunday it would fight the company's plans to seek to "retire" some 1,000 workers by 2010, increasing by 700 the number of employees who have already signed agreements to take early retirement.
"This is only something that is written on paper, there is no substance to it," David Zarfati, IEC workers' union head, told The Jerusalem Post. "We have no intention of approving such a plan and for us, to even consider it, would be a waste of time. It is nonsense. What is real are the negotiations that we have been conducting concerning our wages and the planned reforms." For the full article, click on the link below...
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195546787977&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Only 1,400 seek change to portable phone plans

The number portability era in Israel got off to a slow start on Sunday. The Communications Ministry reported that only 350 of an estimated 1,400 requests had been filled by the afternoon. The ministry, however, remained upbeat, stressing the need for patience as the system works out its kinks.
"Keep in mind that this is only the first day of the program - the number portability program is not going to be something that will quickly disappear, but it will be here forever, and it is to be expected that there will be problems at the beginning," the Communications Ministry said in a statement. For the full article, click on the link below...
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195546788273&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull