Flash Report

Greenwashing the Golan: The Israeli Wind Energy Industry in the Occupied Syrian Golan

March 2019

Introduction 2 Methodology 2 The Israeli Wind Energy Industry 2 Targeting the Syrian Golan for Wind Farm Construction 3 About the Occupied Syrian Golan 5 Commercial Wind Farms in the Syrian Golan 6 Al-A’saniya Wind Farm 6 Valley of Tears (Emek Habacha) Wind Farm 7 Ruach Beresheet Wind Farm 10 Clean Wind Energy (ARAN) Wind Farm 10 Conclusion 12 Annex I: Aveeram Ltd. company response 13 Introduction For each farm we expose the involvement of international and Israeli companies which Though neither sun nor wind are finite re- include, Enlight , Energix sources, their exploitation for electricity gen- Group and General Electric, among others. eration is not without material constraints. Green energy requires favorable geographic The report argues that the emergence of this conditions and extensive swathes of land. sector is a case of greenwashing: while touted In the Israeli context, the emergence of the as the “green solution” to ’s national en- green energy industry over the past decade, ergy requirements, the growth of this indus- has been inextricably tied to Israeli control try in the occupied Golan is in fact an inherent over Palestinian and Syrian land. part of the expansion of Israel’s control and presence in the Syrian Golan. Previous research by Who Profits demon- strated the centrality of Palestinian land to Methodology the development of Israeli .1 We This flash report is based on both desk and revealed that the Jordan Valley in the oc- field research. The desk research includes the cupied West Bank and the Naqab (Negev) collection and analysis of information from region have been the focus of solar energy various public sources, including company re- production. By contrast, wind energy devel- cords and publications, documents from the opment has predominantly targeted the oc- Israeli Registrar of Companies, newspapers cupied Syrian Golan. Here, private companies and other media sources and publications by are increasingly vying for a foothold in the various state authorities. The field research nascent industry. As shown below, access to included a visit to the al-A’saniya wind farm, illegally annexed Syrian land, where air flows in the eastern Golan, as well as a visit to the are ideal for generating wind-powered elec- site of a planned wind farm on the outskirts of tricity, is vital to Israel’s ability to meet its na- the Syrian town of . The sources tional energy goals. Wind energy is also highly for the corporate information presented are profitable to investors, with expected annual on file with Who Profits. revenues of hundreds of millions of shekels. Israeli settlements are also set to benefit from Prior to publication, Who Profits contacted the development of wind energy in the Golan, all the companies profiled herein and through the leasing of their agricultural land requested their comments. To date, only to developers. In some cases, settlements are one company, Aveeram Ltd, responded (see even offered minority holdings in projects. annex I). This flash report investigates four commercial The Israeli Wind Energy Industry wind farm projects currently under devel- In 2009, the Israeli government adopted De- opment in the occupied Syrian Golan. These cision No. 4450, which set a target that 10% projects are al-A’saniya; Valley of Tears; Ruach of the country’s energy needs to be generat- Beresheet; Clean Wind Energy (ARAN) Farm. ed from renewable energy sources by 2020.2 1 Who Profits,Greenwashing the Occupation: The Solar Energy Industry and the Israeli Occupation. 2 “Government Decision No. 4450: setting a February 2017; Who Profits,Plundering the Sun: The guideline target and formulating measures to pro- Israeli Solar Industry and the Palestinian Forced Dis- mote renewable energy sources, especially in the placement. May 2018; Who Profits, Greenwashing the Negev and Arava regions” (Hebrew), Prime Minister’s Naqab: The Israeli Industry of Solar Energy. February Office,gov.il , 29 January 2009. 2017

2 | Greenwashing the Golan In 2011, Government Decision No. 3484 rat- a negligible 27MW.7 This reality, however, is ified the objective determined in 2009, and positioned to undergo a drastic change in the defined specific quotas for the installation coming years. approved by ,2/ד/of solar, wind, biogas and biomass technolo- National Outline Plan 10 3 gies. Subsequent decisions have affirmed the the Israeli government in 2014, established development of a renewable energy industry the guidelines for plans and permits for the 4 as a national priority. construction of wind turbines.8 Its policy doc- This nascent industry has been led by the pri- uments, published in 2012 by an inter-minis- vate sector, with the state acting to incentivize terial team,9 identified potential sites for wind and facilitate private investments. In order to energy projects. In the absence of a mapping encourage developers to invest in renewable of wind regime characteristics by the Israe- energy production, the Israeli government es- li meteorological service, the process was tablished feed-in-tariffs for renewable energy based on proposals made by private develop- projects, committing to purchasing the elec- ers, solicited through an open call for submis- tricity at high rates for an extended period of sions.10 5 time (typically 20 years). As of December 2018, 23 wind energy proj- Since the adoption of Decision No. 4450, the ects have been granted a conditional license vast majority of green electricity in the Israe- by the Israel Electricity Authority (IEA), with li market has been generated through solar total capacity of 816.8MW. All projects are ex- energy projects.6 Wind energy was allotted a pected to become connected to the national quota of 740MW (larger than the combined electricity grid between 2020 and 2023.11 quota allotted to medium and large solar projects), but its actual capacity remained Targeting the Syrian Golan For Wind Farm Construction 3 Shapira, Yosef Haim, “The impact of electrici- Three projects slated to be connected to the ty generation on air quality in Israel.” InAnnual Report grid in 2020, and accounting for nearly half of State Comptroller of Israel, mevaker.gov.il, 25 ,א68 October 2017. the expected capacity (395MW), are located 4 See for example Decision 542 (Sep- 7 Ibid. tember 2015), Decision 1403 (April 2016) and 8 “Government Decision No. 1995: National Decision 3269 on the reduction of greenhouse Outline Plan for Wind Turbines - NOP 10/d/2” (He- brew), Prime Minister’s Office,gov.il , 29 August 2014. gas emissions and increasing the efficiency of 9 The team consisted of representatives from the national energy consumption, gov.il. various governmental and nongovernmental bodies, 5 Ronen, Yaniv, “Electricity generation from including the Israeli Planning Administration, Israel renewable energies in Israel - follow up on the imple- Electric Company (IEC) and the Israeli Ministry of De- mentation of Government Devision No. 4450. Submit- fense (IMOD). ted to the Committee of Interior and Environmental 10 “The Inter-Ministerial Team for the Examina- Protection.” The Knesset: Research and Information tion of Land Cells with Potential for the Establishment Center, Knesset.gov.il, 3 March 2013. of Large Wind Turbine Farms: Recommendations to 6 According to a 2017 report by the Israe- the National Council of Planning and Construction: li state comptroller, out of 732.94MW of installed Phase I Summary” (Hebrew), Israeli Planning Admin- capacity from renewable energy sources, 678.33MW istration,iplan.gov.il , April 2014. On file with Who were generated using small, medium and large PV Profits. (solar) technology. Shapira, Yosef Haim, “The impact of 11 “List of conditional licenses (updated to electricity generation on air quality in Israel.” InAnnual 11/2018)” (Hebrew), Status of conditional and per- .State Comptroller of Israel, mevaker.gov.il, manent licenses, The Electricity Authority, pua.gov.il ,אReport 68 25 October 2017. Accessed 16 January 2019.

3 | Greenwashing the Golan in the occupied Syrian Golan.12 An additional 152MW wind project in the northern Golan is also being advanced through the Israeli Com- mittee for National Infrastructures.13 The strategic importance of the Golan to Is- raeli green energy production is such that the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures has instructed the Israel Electric Company (IEC) to prepare an outline plan specifically to ensure the transfer of energy generated by wind tur- bines in the Golan to the national electricity network.14 -High Ten -א/National Infrastructure Plan 62 sion Cable 161KW, Hula - Bar’on Junction, ap- proved by the Israeli Committee for National Infrastructures on 26 March 2018, entails the establishment of electricity infrastructure on occupied land to receive energy generated by wind projects in the Golan and transport it to the Israeli electricity grid. The plan also in- volves the expansion of the existing electrical substation in the settlement of . The fact that several of the wind farms, as Al-A’saniya wind farm, Occupied Syrian Golan. well as their associated infrastructure, have Photo: Who Profits. November 2018 been classified as national infrastructure, projects are expected to power 500,000 Is- makes clear that they are primarily intended raeli households,15 nearly 100 times the num- to benefit the Israeli economy and popula- ber of Syrian households. tion. As noted in a meeting of the North Dis- Article 55 of the Hague Regulations desig- trict’s Regional Committee for Planning and nates that the Occupying Power is only the the wind , /62א Construction regarding NIP administrator and usufructuary of public im- movable properties such as land. Accordingly, 12 The three projects are Emek Habacha Wind Energies Ltd (96MW), Emek Haruchot LP (169MW) Israel is prohibited from exploiting the land and Ruach Beresheet (130MW). A fourth project by in a manner that benefits its own citizens Green Wind Energy (15MW) in Al-A’saniya in the Golan or national economy. Moreover, the rules of is slated to be connected in 2023. “List of conditional licenses (updated to 11/2018)” (Hebrew), Status of usufruct, under international humanitarian conditional and permanent licenses, The Electricity law (IHL), state that the Occupying Power is Authority, pua.gov.il. Accessed 16 January 2019. prohibited from using any of the land of an 13 “Energix Renewable Energies 2017 Annual Report” (Hebrew), Corporate occupied territory in a manner not primarily Actions Systems (MAYA), maya.tase.co.il, 12 March benefiting the occupied population for any 2018. Protocol for the meeting of the Regional High ten- 15 - א/National Infrastructure Plan 62 14 sion cable 161KW Hulah Bar On Junction and Katzrin Committee for Planning and Construction North Dis- substation trict, meeting no. 2018007, 5 March 2018.

4 | Greenwashing the Golan purpose other than a military necessity. As tlers live in 34 illegal settlements21 that were wind farms serve no such purpose, there is built on the ruins of the destroyed villages. no legal justification for this blatant violation In December 1981, the Israeli Knesset passed of international law. the Law, unilaterally extend- The construction of wind turbines in the Golan ing Israeli law to the Golan. The law, which has been met with opposition from the Israeli effectively annexed the occupied Golan, was Ministry of Defense (IMOD), which claims the met with opposition by the occupied Syrian turbines would interfere with its airspace and population. To date, the vast majority of Syr- compromise strategic military interests.16 As ians refuse to accept Israeli citizenship.22 The a precondition for approving wind projects, international community does not recognize the IMOD has demanded the development Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, and UN of a technological solution estimated at 250 Security Council Resolution 497 declared the million USD, financed entirely outside of the 1981 annexation law “null and void.”23 17 defense budget. This further proves the lack Private corporations are reaping enormous of military necessity and in fact points overtly profits from exploiting the fertile lands and to the lack of military necessity in the estab- resources of the Golan, in addition to land lishment of wind farms in the occupied Golan expropriation, tourism development, and the thereby further strengthen our claim that this establishment and expansion of the Israeli is a blatant violation of international law. settlement enterprise. Corporations are also About The Occupied Syrian Golan involved in home demolitions carried out against Syrian homes in the Golan, a policy Following the Israeli occupation of the Golan that constitutes a direct breach of the provi- in 1967, 95% of the Syrian population was sions of International Humanitarian Law and forcibly expelled, and 340 towns and villages International Human Rights Law.24 were completely destroyed.18 At present, ap- One of the most important natural resources proximately 20,000 Syrians19 live in five towns, controlled and exploited by Israel in the Syrian Majdal Shams, Buqatha, Ein Qenia, Golan is water. The Golan provides one-third and Masaada, which constitute around 5% of the water in the Sea of , Israel’s main of the Golan. The remaining 95% is taken up source of water.25 These resources are denied by Israeli settlements and Israeli military and to the Syrians in the Golan who are unable authorities20. Today, 26,261 Jewish-Israeli set-

21 Ibid. 16 “Ministry of Defense: Technological means According to the Forth Geneva Convention, the occu- in hundreds of millions as a condition for operating pying power is not allowed to transfer population into turbines for electricity generation” (Hebrew), Israeli an occupied territory. This means that any establish- Knesset, knesset.gov.il, 18 January 2017. ment, consolidation and expansion of settlements is 17 Zafrir, Rinat, “Golan Wind Turbine Project illegal under international humanitarian law. May Be Shelved Over Objections of Israel Air Force” 22 Al Marsad, Elections in Syrian Villages in Haaretz, haaretz.com, 14 January 2018. Occupied Golan. February 2018 18 Al-Marsad: Forgotten Occupation- Life in 23 See https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/ the Syrian Golan after 50 Years of Israeli Occupation, ga11982.doc.htm March 2018. 24 For more information check out Who Profits’ 19 See https://www.un.int/syria/syria/syri- report House Demolition in the Syrian Golan: Hyundai an-golan Heavy Industries 20 Al-Marsad: 50 years of Occupation of the 25 “Golan Heights,” Israeli Ministry of Foreign Syrian Golan. June 2017. Affairs,mfa.gov.il . Accessed 15 January 2019.

5 | Greenwashing the Golan to control them and benefit from them. This el’s control over the Golan and greenwashing has a particularly adverse impact on Syrian its presence on occupied land. farmers who are given smaller water quotas compared to Israeli settlers and are unable Commercial Wind Farms in the Syrian to compete in the agricultural market.26 Isra- Golan and complicit companies el has also granted a petroleum exploration Al-A’saniya Wind Farm license to private corporations in the Golan, in clear violation of Article 55 of the Hague Status: Active; undergoing upgrade Regulations.27 In previous years, the petro- Location: Al-A’saniya Hill leum council of the Israeli Ministry of Energy Project Area: 3475.685 Dunam and Water has granted the company Afek Oil Capacity: 15.0 MW and Gas a three years exclusive petroleum ex- ploration license in the occupied Golan. The Corporations: Green Wind Energy, EffiSolar petroleum exploration license covered 396.5 Owned by the private Israeli company Green square kilometers in the southern part of the Wind Energy, the al-A’Saniya wind farm is Golan. located at the top of Al-A’saniya Hill (Mount Bnei Rasan). An upgrade of the existing Israel’s emerging wind energy industry rep- wind farm is planned. The company’s major resents a new frontier for the exploitation of shareholder is Effiwind Energy Ltd, owned Syrian natural resources by the Israeli state by the Canadian company EffiSolar. The and private corporations. The Golan has been other two companies involved in the project found to be wind rich, with wind speed al- are Multi Green (2010) Ltd and Gunther most double that of Israel’s coastal plain, and Wind Energy Ltd, both owned by the Israeli vast open areas and low population density. company, Tracks Holdings Ltd. These conditions make the region ideal for wind energy generation. The wind farm includes 10 wind turbines built in 1992. Under a plan to upgrade Four out of five wind projects currently under the wind farm, the existing turbines will development benefit Israeli agricultural - set be dismantled and replaced by six new tlements.28 One project, though claiming to 80-meter-long turbines that will generate benefit Druze communities, involves exploit- 15.0 MW of electricity. According to the ative land rental agreements and threatens , this wind farm is to restrict the future growth of Druze towns. considered “a tourist attraction that attracts Israeli wind projects target not only the wind, tens of thousands of travelers. Following the but also Syrian land, thus strengthening Isra- establishment of the farms, the spectacular sight will attract the travelers, who would 26 Al- Marsad, Israeli Agricultural Settlement Expansion in the Occupied Syrian Golan During the also learn about the production of green Syrian Conflict. 2014 energy from wind.”29 27 Al-Marsad, Oil and natural gas in the occu- In addition to the al-A’saniya project, Effisolar pied Syrian Golan Illegal exploitation by Israel as occu- pying power. For more information see the company is planning to develop another 15 MW wind profile of and its subsidiary Afek Oil and farm in the settlement of .30 Gas. 28 Most settlements in the Golan are co- 29 Golan Regional Council Website https://go- operative agricultural settlements (Kibbutzim and lan.org.il/green/energy/ Moshavim). 30 https://effisolar.ca/merom-golan-

6 | Greenwashing the Golan Effisolar Ben Dov, the Valley of Tears (Emek Habacha) A private Canadian renewable energy wind farm is a wind energy project to be company founded in 2008, with sites in built in the northeastern Syrian Golan. Once Ontario, New Jersey, Saipan and Israel. operational, it would be the largest wind farm in the Israeli market. President: Lawrence Neuman The project takes up 523,200 m2 of occupied CEO: William Xu Syrian land and is expected to generate 96 Subsidiaries: The company owns an Israeli MW through 30 wind turbines, enough to subsidiary under the same name. Other power approximately 40,000 households. subsidiaries include EffiSolar New Jersey LLC. The cost of the project is estimated at 660 Partners: GDF SUEZ Canada, Inc; Algonquin million NIS, with anticipated annual revenues Power & Utilities Corp; Kalix Wind AB of 100-110 million NIS from the sales of Head Office: 220-17 Fawcett Rd, Coquitlam, electricity for the 20-year license period. BC V3K 6V2, Canada In May 2018, Minrav and Nextcom were Phone: +1 604 6762457 contracted to build, operate and maintain Website: www.effisolar.ca the wind farm project at a profit of 136 million NIS for the duration of the license Valley of Tears (Emek Habacha) Wind Farm period. The project also has TSA (Transitional Status: Approved; conditional license Service Agreement) and FSA (Functional Support Agreement) agreements with the Location:Occupied Syrian Golan; Ortal, US-based publicly traded multinational Alonei Habashan, Kidmat Zvi, and General Electric (GE). Under the TSA, GE will settlements supply, transport, erect and commission the Project Area: 523,200 m2 turbines. Under the FSA, GE will operate and Capacity: 96 MW maintain the turbines for the license period. No. of Households Powered: 40,000 The project is financed by a consortium led Corporations:Enlight Renewable Energy, E. by Hapoalim Bank under a non-recourse A. Ben Dov Wind Energy financing agreement signed in July 2018. According to the Israeli financial newspaper Globes, the 525 million NIS index-linked loan Jointly owned by Kinetic Energies - will cover the construction period, during Alternative Electrical Energies Ltd31 and Eli which the loan will bear 3-3.5% interest, wind-project/. The settlement is built on the ruins and 18 more years, during which it will bear of Bab Al-Hawa village (see Zochrot Report of 2006: 2.3-2.8% interest. The consortium holds Remembering) ”זוכרות את כיבוש הגולן“ :Zochrot Report the Occupation of the Golan) as collateral all the assets and rights, and 31 Kinetic Energies - Alternative Electrical income derived from them, to which the Energies is majority owned (60%) by the publicly project company is entitled. traded Israeli company Enlight Renewable Energies. The remaining shares were previously owned by a The project will benefit the settlements of subsidiary of the Israeli private company Aveeram Ltd. Ortal, Alonei Habashan, Kidmat Zvi, Neve However, in a letter to Who Profits dated 18 February Ativ and Odem. 2019, Aveeram stated that on 26 January 2017, Israel Tax Authority approved the transfer of Aveeram’s wind energy activities to a third party. At this time, Who Profits does not know the identity of the third party. The company response is annexed to the report.

7 | Greenwashing the Golan Project sign near Al-A’saniya wind farm, Occupied Syrian Golan. Photo: Who Profits. November 2018

The Israeli military will have the ability to Subsidiaries: Enlight Eshkol Havazelet (100%), directly control the operation of the turbines Tlamim Enlight (100%), Talmey Bilu Green through a switch located in the air force Energies Ltd (100%), Eshkol Ella Kramim- control center. Enlight L.P (100%), Eshkol Brosh -Idan-Enlight L.P (100%), Eshkol Zait - Zait Yarok - Enlight, Enlight Renewable Energy L.P (100%), Sde Nehemia-Enlight L.P (100%), Eshkol Havazelet - Halutzyut Enlight L.P, A publicly traded Israeli company specializing (79.49%) Mivtahim Green Energies (51%), in the development, construction and Golan Fruits - Enlight L.P (51%), Eshkol operation of renewable energy projects. Gefen-Barbur-Enlight L.P (51%), Kinetic Traded: Publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Energies - Alternative Electrical Energies Ltd Exchange under the ticker symbol ENLT (60.09%), Emek Habacha. Wind Energy Ltd Revenues: 37.388 million NIS in 2017 (36.54%),, Orsol Energy 3 (90%), Tullynamoyle Ownership: Major shareholders: Psagot Wind Farm 3 Limited (Ireland) (50.1%), Investment House (10.58%), Phoenix Vjetroelektrana Lukovac D.O.O (Croatia) Insurance Company (9.41%), Noked Capital (50.1%), Ew-K-Wind D.O.O (Serbia) (50.1%) (8.11%) Harel Insurance Investments and Global presence: Ireland, Serbia, Croatia, Financial Services (7.62%), Clal Insurance Poland, Spain Enterprises Holdings Ltd (6.8%), Migdal Head Office: 13 Amal St., Rosh Ha’ayin, (5.13%) 4802949, Israel CEO: Gilad Yavetz Tel: +972-3-9008700

8 | Greenwashing the Golan Website: www.enlightenergy.co.il Communication Ltd (100%); Bintech Communication services Ltd (100%); Harel Antennas (100%); Nextcom Energy (100%) General Electric Partners: Company clients include: Israeli A US-based publicly traded global digital Ministry of Defense; Hot Telecommunication industrial company active in the fields Systems; Telecom Corporation; Rafael of power, renewable energy, oil and gas, Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Prison aviation, healthcare, transportation, lighting Service; Elbit Systems; Delek Natural Gas; and finance. Nokia Siemens Networks; Israel Police; Israeli Traded: Publicly traded on the New York Aerospace Industries (IAI); Israel Electric Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GE Company. Revenues: 122.1 billion USD in 2017 Global presence: Ghana, Senegal, Angola Ownership: Major shareholders: The Head Office: 1 Horesh Halonim St., Ramat Vanguard Group (7.25%) and BlackRock Inc. Ishay Industrial Park, Kefar Yehoshua 36582, (6.24%), State Street Corporation (3.76%), Israel FMR LLC (2.37%) Tel: 1-800-488-488 CEO and Chairman: John Flannery Website: www.nextcomgroup.com Subsidiaries: The company has over 150 principal subsidiaries worldwide. Minrav Group Partners: Microsoft, South32, Danfoss. The company has agreements with Enlight A group of companies specializing in Renewable Energy and TAHAL Group. construction and engineering services, Global presence: Global managed by the publicly traded Israeli company Minrav Holdings. Head Office: 41 Farnsworth Street, Boston, Traded: MA 02210, USA Publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MNRV. Tel: +1-617-443-3000 Revenues: 831.49 million NIS in 2017 Website: www.ge.com Ownership: The company is majority owned (62.01%) by Avraham Kuznitsky. Other Nextcom Group shareholders include Menora Mivtachim A publicly traded Israeli company specializing Holdings Ltd (7.45%), Ziva Kuznitsky (5.20%) in communication infrastructure, renewable and The Phoenix Holdings Ltd. (4.85%). energy, security and civil engineering. Subsidiaries: Minrav Engineering Traded: Publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock (100%), Unihead Biopark (100%), Minrav Exchange under the ticker symbol NXTM International Ltd (100%), Minrav Projects Revenues: 239.4 million NIS in 2017 (71.77%), QualiTest (49%), Mabat LaNegev Ownership: Guy Israeli, who serves as CEO (33%), Minrav Investments (71.77%), Minrav and president of the company, owns 62.37% Infrastructures (71.77%) of the shares. Global presence: Hungary, USA Subsidiaries: EVI MNG Ltd (100%); Nextcom Head Office: 3 Habosem Street, Ashdod, Angola (100%); Bnext Ltd (50%); Nextcom Israel

9 | Greenwashing the Golan Tel: +972-8-8516262 to generate 130 MW through 42 wind Website: www.minrav.co.il turbines, enough to power approximately 60,000 households. The estimated cost of the project is 750 million NIS, with expected E. A. Ben Dov Wind Energy annual electricity payments of 117 million A private Israeli company specializing in wind NIS once the farm is fully operational. . The electricity generated at the wind farm Ownership: Privately owned by Eli Ben Dov. would be transferred through an underground Subsidiaries: E.A. Ben-Dov Emek Habacha Ltd network of high-tension cables to a top Partners: Enlight Renewable Energy transformer station within the farm and from Head Office: 8 Sderot HaNadiv, Haifa there, through an underground high-tension 3461108, Israel cable, to a substation near the existing high- tension cable “Kursi-Kinarot,” located in the jurisdiction of the Golan Regional Council. Ruach Beresheet Wind Farm The project’s proponents claim it would Status: Planned; conditional license “entail significant economic benefits” for the settlement enterprise in the southeastern Location:Occupied Syrian Golan; Yonatan, Golan, especially in light of the fact the , , , turbines take up little land and do not disrupt Alonei Habashan, Natur, and Maale agricultural work. The settlements of Avnei Gamla settlements Eitan, Kanaf, Yonatan, Mevo Hama, Ramat Project Area: 12,654,000 m2 Magshimim and Alonei Habashan have the Capacity: 130 MW option of joining as partners with minority No. of Households powered: 60,000 holdings. Corporations: Enlight Renewable Energy The project has received the conditional approval of the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD), provided that the latter receives Approved by the Israeli National Committee hundreds of millions of shekels for the for Planning and Construction of National “development and purchase of technological Infrastructures in July 2018, the Ruach means that would enable the tackling of a Beresheet wind farm is a wind energy project very significant problem that disturbs the IDF to be built in the Mount Peres (Tall al-Faras) [sic] that cannot be discussed in detail.” area in the southeastern Golan. The project’s final approval by the Israeli Housing Cabinet is still pending. Clean Wind Energy (ARAN) Wind Farm Majority owned by the publicly traded Israeli Status: Planned company Enlight Renewable Energy (60%),32 the planned wind farm takes up an area of Location: Occupied Syrian Golan; Majdal 12,654,000 m2 of Syrian land and is expected Shams and Masaada towns

32 The remaining shares (40%) were previously Tax Authority approved the transfer of Aveeram’s wind owned by the Israeli private company Aveeram Ltd. energy activities to a third party. At this time, Who However, in a letter to Who Profits dated 18 February Profits does not know the identity of the third party. 2019, Aveeram stated that on 26 January 2017, Israel The company response is annexed to the report.

10 | Greenwashing the Golan Project Area: 6013.096 Dunam exclusivity between Energix and landowners Capacity: 152 MW that allows Energix an unrestricted ability No. of Households powered: 66,000 to pass the rights and obligations of the contract to another company or person.”38 Corporations: Energix Renewable According to Al-Marsad, the compensation The project is developed by Energix, given to the Syrian farmers is considerably through its subsidiary Clean Wind Energy lower than compensation given to Israelis (ARAN), in which Energix holds 73% of who rent their lands for similar projects. ordinary shares and a 100% of shares that While the Syrian farmers are offered one grant management rights, including the percent of the project’s revenues, Israelis appointment of all board members.33 have been offered as much as five times The 52 wind turbines are expected to more.39 Many of the landowners that have generate 152MW of electricity, enough to signed the contracts have already shown 34 power 66,000 homes. The estimated annual discontent with Energix, stating they were revenues from the wind farm reach 41-44 manipulated into signing the contracts, 35 million USD. The project is being advanced and expressing a willingness to cancel through the Israeli Committee for National agreements reached with the company.40 Infrastructures, tasked with promoting plans The construction of the project on the lands for infrastructure projects deemed to be of of two Syrian towns (Majdal Shams and “national importance”. The wind farms will Masaada) might restrict their expansion.41 be established in two locations: the Suheita compound, on the southeastern side of Majdal Shams, and the Ra’abana compound, Energix on the southwestern side of the village of One of the largest renewable energy Masaada, both of which are agricultural companies in Israel. Energix constructs and lands owned by Syrian farmers. A third owns long-term renewable energy projects. location is the Bar’on Junction, where the Traded: Publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock electrical substation will be located. Exchange under the ticker symbol ENRG. As of 2017, the company claims to have Revenues: 141.3 million NIS in 2017 reached an agreement with over 200 local Ownership: Energix Renewable Energies 36 farmers. The contracts include a demand is controlled by Alony-Hetz Properties and that all farmers register their lands with Investments Ltd. Israel, give the company “a designation CEO: Asa Levinger of land rights that allows the company to Subsidiaries: Energix Projects 2 Limited destroy and utilize whatever it wants on Partnership (100%); Clean Wind Energy the leased land”37 and assure “a lack of (73%); Energix Projects 1 Limited Partnership (100%); Granot Energix Solar Projects (50%); 33 Company’s annual report (2017(. Energix Neot Hovev Ltd (100%); Energix 34 Ibid. 35 150-160 Million NIS. Company presentation to the Capital Market, November 2018. 38 Ibid. 36 Company’s Annual Report, 2017. 39 Ibid. 37 Southlea, Aaron, WINDFALL Developing Wind 40 Ibid. Energy in the Occupied Golan. Al-Marsad, 2019 41 Ibid.

11 | Greenwashing the Golan Energix Group offices in Majdal Shams, Occupied Syrian Golan. Photo: Who Profits. November 2018

South Har Hebron Limited Partnership plans to build new wind farms in the occupied (50.1%); Orlik (75%); Wintromill (100%); Golan. It showed that these plans are part of Caden Energix. a strategy to greenwash the occupation of the Global presence: Poland, USA Syrian Golan. Whilst portrayed as a positive en- Head Office: 2 Jabotinsky St., Ramat Gan deavor to provide clean and economic energy, 5250501, Israel producing wind energy in the Golan is a ruse to further expand Israel’s control and presence in Tel: +972-3-5668855 the region, whilst disregarding the Syrian com- Website: www.energix-group.com munity’s rights over its own resources. Conclusion These wind farm projects exploit Syrian lands and provide services to illegal Israeli settle- Private corporations play a major role in Isra- ments. This constitutes a violation of IHL and el’s booming green energy industry. This in- is directly connected to Israel’s policies of dustry is directly involved in the occupation de-development and exploitation in the Go- of both Syrian and Palestinian land,42 as well lan. Moreover, private corporations, support- as in the forced displacement of Palestinians ed by the Israeli government, are set to reap in the Naqab.43 immense profits from wind energy projects in In this flash report, Who Profits investigated the occupied Syrian Golan.

42 Who Profits,Greenwashing the Occupation: This flash report has exposed that in the case The Solar Energy Industry and the Israeli Occupation. of the wind energy sector, as in the green en- January 2017 . ergy sector more broadly, private companies 43 Who Profits,Greenwashing the Naqab: The are directly complicit in, and benefit from, Is- Israeli Industry of Solar Energy. February 2017 rael’s occupation and exploitation of Palestin- ian and Syrian land.

12 | Greenwashing the Golan Annex I: Aveeram Ltd. company response

13 | Greenwashing the Golan 14 | Greenwashing the Golan