BDS campaign targets Houston-based energy company over Israeli exploration plans

BDS activists are targeting Houston-based Murphy Oil in an effort to pressure the company to abandon its newly awarded license for natural gas exploration off Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and affiliated groups have vowed to subject Murphy Oil to the same pressure they say helped drive energy companies Eni and Dana Petroleum to withdraw from bids for exploration rights in the same area.

Murphy Oil holds a 50% stake in the Zone G license alongside Israeli energy company Ratio Energies.

“Murphy Oil, which has now taken the place Dana and Eni abandoned, should expect exactly the same treatment,” said Dave Black of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

The Scottish campaign and its allies have taken credit for the earlier decisions by Eni and Dana Petroleum to withdraw their bids for exploration rights in Zone G. However, neither company confirmed that pressure from BDS groups was a decisive factor in its decision.

Dana Petroleum, based in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a subsidiary of the Korean National Oil Corporation, while Eni is based in Italy. Both companies operate in countries that have faced pressure from anti-Israel and Islamist groups in recent years. Texas, by contrast, has traditionally been viewed as less susceptible to such pressure.

The recent U.S. election, which saw Democrats win every statewide office in Texas and make gains in the state legislature, raises questions about whether a Houston-based company could face similar pressure. However, Texas has laws designed to counter BDS efforts, potentially making Murphy Oil less vulnerable to the kind of pressure that preceded the withdrawals by Eni and Dana Petroleum.

The campaign against Murphy comes as European natural gas prices have risen sharply this week, approaching historic highs amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and the approach of winter. Europe is the main export market for Israeli natural gas.

According to a report by the energy industry publication Oilprice.com, “The front-month price at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), the benchmark for Europe’s gas trading, rose by 2.7% as of 9:30 a.m. in Amsterdam on Wednesday, topping $96.85 per megawatt-hour.”

The report warned that Europe remains vulnerable to gas shortages ahead of winter, with LNG flows from the Strait of Hormuz still “way below pre-war levels.” EU gas storage was 72% full as of Nov. 10, “well below the five-year average for this time of the year.”

Global oil prices also rose sharply this week amid uncertainty over the next steps in the confrontation with Iran. Members of the Trump administration have sent differing messages about the way forward, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly urged the United States to resume attacks on Iran as soon as possible.