Netanyahu signs natural gas deal

It’s also important for our foreign relations. Many countries have expressed interest. Not just Greece and Cyprus, whose leaders I’m going to meet in a few weeks. Jordan, and of course the Palestinian Authority as well, are interested. Turkey and Egypt are also interested, and we’re discussing this with them.”

 

The prime minister said he decided to sign the gas deal despite the objections of the Knesset’s Finance Committee. “Unfortunately, this has turned into a political and populist discussion. I’ve read (the committee’s opinion), considered it, and decided to approve the gas plan today. This plan is vital to our security, because we don’t want to be left with one power plant that’s under fire, we want multiple gas fields.”

 

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said: “After years of unnecessary and harmful delays, after six months of a great struggle to put an end to the foolishness with which the largest gas field, Leviathan, has been left uselessly at the bottom of the sea – we are here.

 

“This is something we’ve been handling since the government before last at the Sheshinski Committee and later with legislation at the Knesset. The people of Israel will get a higher percent of the profit than the average in most western countries: About 60 percent of the profit,” Steinitz added.

 

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