Dr. Elai Rettig
Research
Dr. Elai Rettig is an assistant professor (lecturer) in the Department of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University, and a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA Center). He specializes in energy geopolitics and international relations, and his studies focus on regional patterns of conflict and cooperation over oil, natural gas, and renewable energy sources. He also writes about Israel’s energy policy and national security, as well as international environmental politics.
Before joining our department, Dr. Rettig served as the “Israel Institute teaching fellow” in the Environmental Studies Program and the Department of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies at Washington University in St Louis. He was also an adjunct lecturer for energy management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He previously served as a Neubauer Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel-Aviv, a senior fellow in the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center at the University of Haifa, and a lecturer for energy geopolitics at the National Security College in Israel (MABAL). He earned his PhD in International Relations at the University of Haifa in 2019.
Dr. Rettig teaches the following courses at Bar-Ilan University for the BA and MA programs: “Energy and National Security”, “Security and Strategy in the 21st Century”, “Regime Change in the Middle East”, and “Energy and Environmental Politics in the International System”.
CV
Publications
Books (authored)
Rettig, Elai and Eitan Shamir. Israel’s Grand Strategy: Controlling, Shaping, and Adapting to New Realities. Oxford University Press (2026).
Books (edited)
Dyduch, Joanna, Halasah Suleiman, Rettig, Elai, Skorek Artur, and Karolina Zielińska (eds.). Energy Security in the Eastern Mediterranean: Patterns of Transition, Interdependence and Conflict. Routledge (forthcoming, 2027)
Spanier, Benny, Sheffler Orin, and Elai Rettig (eds.). UNCLOS and the Protection of Innocent and Transit Passage in Maritime Chokepoints. University of Haifa; Konrad Adenauer Foundation (2021).
Peer-Reviewed Journals
Rettig, Elai. Solar Energy as National Security in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Political Geography (2026).
Heller Shachar and Elai Rettig. The Water and the Fish: Counterinsurgency Models for Climate-Induced Violence. Small Wars & Insurgencies 37(4), 888–916 (2026).
Rettig, Elai. Israel’s Oil Import Policy Following the Wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Israel Affairs, Vol 31, no. 6 (2026): 1069-1094.
Feldman, Nizan, Elai Rettig, and Ziv Rubinovitz. “Oil Shocks and Trade Networks: How Israel, South Korea, and Poland Leveraged Oil Imports to Access New Regional Markets.” Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 127, 104285 (2025)
Rettig, Elai, Shani Friedman, and Benny Spanier. “Postwar Development of Offshore Energy Resources: Legal and Political Models for Developing the Gaza Marine Gas Field.” Leiden Journal of International Law 38, no. 1 (2025): 13–28.
Rettig, Elai, Shani Friedman, and Benny Spanier. “Reflections on Our Article ‘Postwar Development of Offshore Energy Resources.’” Leiden Journal of International Law 38, no. 1 (2025): 30–39.
Michaels, Lucy and Elai Rettig. A Renewable Light unto the Nations? Modelling the Limits of Culturally Appealing Climate Frames: a case study from Israel. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, Vol. 27(4), pp. 376-389 (2025).
Moss, Timothy, Itay Fischhendler, Lior Herman, Shirley Lukin, Ourania Papasozomenou, Elai Rettig, Gillad Rosen, Marik Shtern, Sertac Sonan et al. Energy Infrastructures in Divided Cities, Progress in Planning, , Vol. 191, 100910 (2025).
Rettig, Elai. When Regional Energy Cooperation Fails: Learning from the Struggles of Northeast Asia’s Joint Oil Import Mechanism. Cambridge Review of International Affairs. Vol. 37, No. 5 (2024). pp. 637–664.
Rettig, Elai and Lior Herman. The Paradox of Permission: Why Governments Allow Foreign Actors to Promote Solar Energy Projects in Disputed Cities. Energy Research & Social Science. Vol. 116 (2024).
Rettig, Elai and Benny Spanier. Striking Energy Deals in Disputed Seas: The Case of the Gaza Marine Gas Field. Journal of World Energy Law & Business. Vol. 17, No. 2 (2024). pp. 128-135.
Rettig, Elai and Ziv Rubinovitz. “How Small States Break Oil Sanctions: Israel’s Oil Import Strategy in the 1970s.” Journal of Strategic Studies. Vol. 47, No. 5 (2024). pp. 730–760.
Rettig, Elai, Fischhendler, Itay, and Fiona Schlecht. The Meaning of Energy Islands: Towards a Theoretical Framework. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Volume 187 (2023), 113732.
Rettig, Elai. Securitizing Energy Cooperation: Israel's Regional Shift in the East-Mediterranean, Foreign Policy Analysis. Vol. 17, no. 3 (2021). pp. 1-18
Rubinovitz, Ziv and Elai Rettig. Crude Peace: The Role of Oil Trade in the Israeli-Egyptian Peace Negotiations, International Studies Quarterly. Vol. 62, No. 2 (2018). pp. 371-382
Rettig, Elai and Eli Avraham. The Role of Intergovernmental Organizations in the Battle over Framing: The Case of the Israeli-West Bank Separation Barrier, International Journal of Press/Politics. Vol. 21, No. 1. (2016). pp. 111-133
Rettig, Elai. Limits to Cooperation: Why Israel Does Not Want to Become a Member of the International Energy Agency, Israel Affairs. Volume 22, No. 2. (2016). pp. 512-527
Rettig, Elai. Protecting Foreign Manpower in the Israeli Natural-Gas Industry: Lessons from Nigeria, Military and Strategic Affairs, Vol. 6, No. 2. (2014). pp. 49-64
Book Chapters
Rettig, Elai. Solar Energy Policy in Israel: Social, Economic, and Political Dimensions, in P. R. Kumaraswamy (ed.) The Palgrave International Handbook of Israel, Springer Nature (2025).
Rettig, Elai and Ziv Rubinovitz. The Role of Oil Supplies in Israel’s Foreign Policy, in P. R. Kumaraswamy (ed.) The Palgrave International Handbook of Israel, Springer Nature (2025).
Rettig, Elai. Maritime aspects of the Israeli energy economy following the 'Israel-Hamas' war, in Shaul Chorev (ed.), Maritime Strategic Evaluation for Israel 2023-24. Institute for Maritime Policy & Strategy, University of Haifa (2025).
Rettig, Elai. Solar Hopes and Grounded Reality: Should and Could Israel Meet its 2030 Renewable Energy Transition Targets, in Shaul Chorev and Ziv Rubinovitz (eds.), Maritime Strategic Evaluation for Israel 2021-22. Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center (2022).
Rettig, Elai. “Israel’s Energy Sector Between Peace and Plague”, in Shaul Chorev and Ehud Gonen (eds.), Maritime Strategic Evaluation for Israel 2020-21. Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center (2021).
Rettig, Elai The Impact of Natural-Gas Discoveries on Israeli Politics, Geopolitics & Socioeconomic Discourse, in David Jalilvand and Kirsten Westphal (eds.) The Political and Economic Challenges of Energy in the Middle East and North Africa, Routledge (2018). pp. 169-181.
Rettig, Elai and Oded Eran. Economic Relations between Israel and Europe: Selected Issues, in: Rosner, Yotam and Adi Kantor (eds.), The European Union in Turbulent Times: Challenges, Trends, and Significance for Israel. INSS Memorandum 175, Tel Aviv University (2018). pp. 157-163.
Rettig, Elai and Oden Eran. The EU's Energy Challenges, in: Rosner, Yotam and Adi Kantor (eds.), The European Union in Turbulent Times: Challenges, Trends, and Significance for Israel. INSS Memorandum 175, Tel Aviv University (2018). pp. 103-112.
Rettig, Elai. Obstacles to Israeli Natural Gas Developments, in Ayla Gürel, Harry Tzimitras and Hubert Faustmann (eds.) Global Energy Debates and the Eastern Mediterranean, PRIO Cyprus Centre Report, 1. Cyprus: PRIO (2016). pp. 59-66
Selected Policy Reports
Rettig, Elai (August 2026). “Power Without Integration: A Cautious Model for Electricity Cooperation between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon”. BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 10.
Rettig, Elai (July 2026). “Israeli Gas Exports to Syria: The Dilemma of Formalizing Direct Gas Cooperation”. BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 9.
Rettig, Elai (May 2026). “The Other Iranian Energy Crisis: How Israeli Gas Disruptions Will Reshape East Mediterranean Energy Infrastructure”. BESA Perspectives Paper No. 2,382.
Rettig, Elai (April 2025). “Azerbaijan’s Entry into Israeli Waters May Open New Export Routes with Turkey”. BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 8.
Rettig, Elai (January 2025). “The Syrian Pipeline Game: How Turkey’s Plans Affect Israel’s Regional Ambitions”. BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 7.
Elai Rettig and Lee Wilcox (October 2024). “The Gaza Oil Myth”. BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2316.
Elai Rettig (September 2024). "Relieving Gaza’s Electricity Burden After the War". BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 5.
Rettig, Elai and Michael Harari (May 2024). "The Security of the Israeli Electricity Sector During the Israel-Hamas War". BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 3.
Harari, Michael and Elai Rettig (March 2024). "How Energy Considerations Affect Hezbollah’s Involvement in the War in Gaza". BESA Geo-Energy Insights No. 1.
Levy, David and Elai Rettig (February 2024). “Confused Seas: The Current State of Maritime Affairs”. BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2261.
Rettig, Elai (November 2023). “Fuel Supply in Gaza – Needs and Uses”. BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2232.
Rettig, Elai (October 2023). “Cutting the Electricity Supply to Gaza – Consequences and Implications”. BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2219.
Rettig, Elai and Benny Spanier (July 2023). “Why Israel Approved Development of the Gaza Marine Gas Field”. BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2207.
Rettig, Elai (March 2023). “Israel’s Energy Market and the War in Ukraine”. BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2186.
Zimmerman, Nadia, Benny Spanier, and Elai Rettig. Consequences of Development and Production of Cross-Border Oil and Gas Deposits [in Hebrew], Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center (2020).
Rettig, Elai. “The Black Gold isn’t Shining Anymore” [in Hebrew], Hashiloach (September 2020)
Rettig, Elai and Oded Eran (July 2018). “New Obstacles Facing Israeli Natural Gas Exports,” INSS Insight No. 1073.
Oded Eran, Rettig, Elai and Ofir Winter (March 2018). “Gas Deal with Egypt: Israel Deepens its Anchor in the Eastern Mediterranean,” INSS Insight No. 1033.
Rettig, Elai and Yotam Rosner (August 2017). “Europe’s Challenges Open the Market for Israel’s Arms Industry,” INSS Insight No. 965.
Rettig, Elai. Claim what's yours: Natural Gas, Regional Perception and Socioeconomic Discourse in Israel, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (December 2016)
Rettig, Elai. Can Saudi Arabia Cook a Homemade Defense Industry? Not with Oil in the Recipe, War on the Rocks (July 13, 2016)
Rettig, Elai. Removing the Iranian Threat from the Gas Framework's Agenda [in Hebrew], Public Hearing on the Proposed Framework to Regulate Israel's Natural Gas Sector, Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water, State of Israel (July 3, 2015)
Articles Under Review
Heller, Shachar and Elai Rettig. "The Water and the Fish: Applying Counterinsurgency Models to Mitigate Climate-Induced Organized Criminal Activities"
Rapaport, Bar, Rettig Elai, and Itay Fischhendler. “Conceptualizing Transboundary Electricity Connectivity in the Age of Renewables“
Last Updated Date : 12/08/2026
