Israel may supply gas to Turkey amid Ankara-Moscow escalation

Israel is weighing the possibility of export and transit gas supplies to Turkey, despite political differences, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The Israelites associated hopes for decades of energy self-sufficiency and the acquisition of a significant export potential with offshore resources of the eastern Mediterranean, where the Tamar gas field had already been open to operation, and the more prominent Leviathan gas field is yet to be opened, according to Russian information agency RIA Novosti.

"At the moment, consultations on the issue of gas exports to Turkey and transit supplies through Turkey are being held, and they could change the relations between our countries," the press service of the head of government quoted his speech at the meeting of the Economic Commission of the Parliament, where the draft law on regulation of gas sector was discussed.

Netanyahu also said the country was eyeing other export options for its gas, including to Jordan, Greece, Egypt and Cyprus. Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has not ruled out the possibility of supplies to Western Europe.

A consortium of U.S. Noble Energy and Israeli Delek Group are engaged in the development of Tamar and Leviathan gas fields.

Partners previously threatened to stop investing in Israeli projects due to a conflict with the local antitrust authorities, who had accused them of creating a monopoly, and announced a review of the original agreements. It is believed that the compromise bill, which Netanyahu has developed and promoted through parliament, takes into account the interests of gas producers. In a sign of disagreement with the position of the cabinet, Antitrust Commissioner David Gilo resigned.

"I am a supporter of competition, but if we do not accept this agreement, we will remain without competition and without energy security, without gas fields, and without the ability to export and benefit from export of gas. The result of delaying the adoption of the government program will be the decline in the authority of Israel, which is already considered the state with over-regulation in the business world," he said.