Secretive Israel-UAE oil deal endangers prized Eilat corals

By ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

EILAT, Israel (AP) — The Red Sea reefs off the Israeli resort of Eilat host some of the greatest coral diversity on the planet. But a clandestine oil deal struck last year as part of the historic agreement formalizing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates puts them in danger. That’s according to environmental groups that have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to halt oil shipments to Eilat. The deal between the government-owned Europe-Asia Pipeline Company and MED-RED Land Bridge, a joint Israel-Emirati venture, remains a secret. Israel’s government has opened a review that its environment minister seeks to scuttle. This has upset investors and risks a diplomatic spat with Israel’s Gulf allies.