--- title: "Newfoundland and Labrador to allow Ithaca Energy entry despite UN blacklist" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/newfoundland-and-labrador-to-allow-ithaca-energy-entry-despite-un-blacklist" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/newfoundland-and-labrador-to-allow-ithaca-energy-entry-despite-un-blacklist" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/newfoundland-and-labrador-to-allow-ithaca-energy-entry-despite-un-blacklist.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/newfoundland-and-labrador-to-allow-ithaca-energy-entry-despite-un-blacklist" category: "Politics" published: "2026-10-18T01:05:17.143Z" source_reported: "2026-10-17T22:08:49.000Z" updated: "2026-10-18T01:05:17.143Z" trust_score: 62 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 18 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-18T02:15:28.759072+00:00" --- # Newfoundland and Labrador to allow Ithaca Energy entry despite UN blacklist *Provincial government states it will not halt company's oil sector involvement.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 62 of 100, higher is better. Trust 62: multiple named officials and two independent reports corroborate core claim. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: clear context, many quotes, facts separated, names used, future steps noted, cohesive story. - Hype 18 of 100, lower is better. Hype 18: headline matches body, no sensational language, presentation measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador will not prevent Ithaca Energy from operating in its oil sector. - Ithaca Energy is majority-owned by Delek Group, an Israeli company blacklisted by the UN for human rights concerns. - Premier Tony Wakeham stated the acquisition "bodes well for our industry" and declined to comment on Ithaca's "political things." - Legal experts suggest governments and corporations could face risks if they do not intervene in the acquisition. The provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador has indicated it does not plan to halt Ithaca Energy's entry into the province's oil sector. This decision comes despite Ithaca Energy's majority ownership by Israel's Delek Group, a company that has been blacklisted by the United Nations due to activities raising human rights concerns. Premier Tony Wakeham stated that the acquisition "bodes well for our industry" and chose not to comment on Ithaca's "political things." ## Disagreement on legal implications Human rights advocates and a legal expert have raised concerns about the acquisition. Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, called the acquisition "unacceptable" and stated that political leaders are obliged to avoid economic dealings with companies involved in Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, according to the International Court of Justice. Heidi Matthews, an assistant professor of law at Osgoode Hall Law School, suggested that the provincial government's characterisation of Delek's ties to the occupation as 'political things' is "inattentive to the realities of their commercial dealings." Matthews also indicated that federal and provincial governments, along with Suncor and OilCo, could face legal risks if they fail to intervene. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the specific stakes in the Terra Nova, White Rose, and West White Rose offshore oil projects that Ithaca Energy is acquiring from Suncor. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 86% (6) - Centre: 14% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-18T02:15:28.759072+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-18T02:45:14.881Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports led with the provincial government's intention to allow Ithaca Energy into the oil sector despite its ties to Israel's alleged occupation of Palestinian territory. These reports highlighted that Ithaca Energy is majority-owned by Delek Group, which the UN has blacklisted for activities raising human rights concerns. The coverage included statements from human rights advocates and a legal expert, Heidi Matthews, who warned of potential legal risks for governments and corporations if they do not intervene. The reports also quoted Michael Bueckert of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, who stated that political leaders are obliged to avoid economic dealings with companies involved in Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine. The International Court of Justice's findings regarding the illegality of Israeli settlements and the obligation of states to prevent trade with them were also referenced. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the provincial government's stance on Ithaca Energy's entry into the oil sector, noting the company's majority ownership by Delek Group and the UN blacklist. These reports included Premier Tony Wakeham's statement that the acquisition "bodes well for our industry" and his refusal to comment on "political things." The coverage also mentioned that human rights advocates and a legal expert have raised concerns about the potential legal implications for governments and corporations involved in the acquisition. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 4 - veryHigh: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Narcity](https://narcity.com/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energy-s-entry-into-province-s) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns - [theindependent.ca](https://theindependent.ca/news/lji/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energys-entry-into-provinces-oil-sector-legal-expert-warns) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns – The Independent - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/canada/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energy-s-entry-into-province-s-oil-sector-legal-expert-warns/article_47744ec0-7d78-5b9f-905e-e4805ef32ab4.html) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/canada/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energy-s-entry-into-province-s-oil-sector-legal-expert-warns/article_39367803-5c2e-51ca-8221-b1b53b6022e9.html) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/canada/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energy-s-entry-into-province-s-oil-sector-legal-expert-warns/article_b5572479-ed8e-5d5d-bb91-cdfbdf8ea6d9.html) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns - [NiagaraFallsReview.ca](https://niagarafallsreview.ca/news/canada/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energy-s-entry-into-province-s-oil-sector-legal-expert-warns/article_d8e06820-3888-5126-b287-f5f5a8dff934.html) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/news/canada/n-l-faces-serious-liability-questions-over-ithaca-energy-s-entry-into-province-s-oil-sector-legal-expert-warns/article_e03d2004-8e94-5d3d-938a-9ab937f2ba64.html) — N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns ## Questions **Will Newfoundland and Labrador stop Ithaca Energy from entering its oil sector?** No, the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador has stated it does not intend to stop Ithaca Energy's entry into the province's oil sector. Premier Tony Wakeham indicated the acquisition "bodes well for our industry." **Why is Ithaca Energy's ownership a concern?** Ithaca Energy is majority-owned by Israel's Delek Group, which the United Nations has blacklisted for alleged involvement in activities that raised particular human rights concerns. This connection has led to calls for intervention from human rights advocates and legal experts. **What are the potential legal risks mentioned?** A legal expert suggests that federal and provincial governments, along with Suncor and OilCo, could face legal risks if they fail to intervene in the acquisition. This is due to Delek Group's alleged ties to activities violating international law in occupied Palestinian territories. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/newfoundland-and-labrador-to-allow-ithaca-energy-entry-despite-un-blacklist. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Newfoundland and Labrador to allow Ithaca Energy entry despite UN blacklist", https://mediabias.news/politics/newfoundland-and-labrador-to-allow-ithaca-energy-entry-despite-un-blacklist