Equinor is partnering with Ithaca Energy on the development of the huge oil field Rosebank in the British North Sea. Ithaca Energy is majority-owned by Delek Group, one of Israel’s biggest energy companies, which is on a UN “blacklist” of companies operating in occupied Palestinian territory. Rosebank will not only be a disaster for the climate and marine protected areas, but profit from the project will contribute to maintaining and expanding illegal Israeli settlements. 
 
Equinor’s partnership with Ithaca Energy is highly problematic because:

• Ithaca’s parent company, Delek Group, has since 2020 been listed on a UN “blacklist” of companies operating in Israel’s West Bank settlements. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights updated the database most recently in 2023, with Delek Group remaining on the list for the “provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements, including transport”, and “use of natural resources, in particular water and land, for business purposes”.

• Delek Group sells fuel to the Israeli military. Since 2020, Delek Israel (another of Delek Group’s subsidiaries) and Sonol have had a contract with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to supply petrol and diesel. The value of the contract is 600 million USD.

• In 2021, Norway’s largest pension fund, KLP, divested from Delek Group, over their links to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. KLP concluded that “there is unacceptable risk that the excluded companies contribute to violations of human rights in war and conflict situations through their affiliation with the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.” In 2023, the Norwegian oil fund also excluded Delek Group over human rights concerns related to its operations in Western Sahara. 

Equinor argues that the partnership is unproblematic because Ithaca and Delek are separate legal entities. This ignores the fact that Equinor’s continued involvement with Delek is contributing to financing and legitimising violations of international law. If the Rosebank development goes ahead, profit from the field will contribute to maintaining and expanding Israeli settlements and the exploitation of Palestinian natural resources.

We need your help to stop the violation of international law! Norway has taken a strong and principled position by recognising Palestine as a state. Now the government has to ensure that Norway’s biggest company acts in line with the government’s position and the protection of human rights. Together we can demand that Equinor ends the partnership with Ithaca and cancels the Rosebank oil field. Add your voice now! 

To the Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth, 

We demand that Equinor immediately cancels its dirty partnership with Israeli-owned company Ithaca Energy. Ithaca’s parent company, Delek Group is listed on a UN “blacklist” of companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. If Rosebank is developed, more than 600 million USD could flow to Delek Group, a company that contributes to violations of international law and human rights.

We are deeply concerned about Equinor’s partnership on the Rosebank oil field because:

• Ithaca’s parent company, Delek Group, has since 2020 been listed on a UN “blacklist” of companies operating in Israel’s West Bank settlements. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights updated the database most recently in 2023, with Delek Group remaining on the list for the “provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements, including transport”, and “use of natural resources, in particular water and land, for business purposes”.

• Recently, evidence surfaced that Delek Group has ties tothe Israeli military. Vehicles belonging to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been able to re-fuel at hundreds of petrol stations owned by Delek Israel, another of Delek Group’s subsidiaries. 

• In 2021, Norway’s largest pension fund, KLP, divested from Delek Group, one of 16 firms it severed ties to over their links to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. It concluded that “there is unacceptable risk that the excluded companies contribute to violations of human rights in war and conflict situations through their affiliation with the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.” In 2023, the Norwegian oil fund also excluded Delek Group over human rights concerns related to its operations in Western Sahara. 

• Equinor’s partnership goes against the government’s advice to Norwegian companies not to engage in business cooperation or trade that serves to perpetuate the illegal Israeli settlements. 

Equinor can no longer be allowed to prioritise short-term profits over climate, nature and human rights. As Norway’s Minister of Trade, we urge you to instruct Equinor and its CEO Anders Opedal to immediately end the partnership with Ithaca Energy and cancel Rosebank. 

Every signature counts. Together we can make sure the Norwegian government instructs Equinor and its CEO Anders Opedal to immediately end the partnership with Ithaca Energy and cancel Rosebank.