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U.S. NEWSMonday 15 February 2016
Israeli leader defends gas extraction deal in Supreme Court
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli gas deposits about five “exaggerations, clichés
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- and general statements
tanyahu made an unprec- years ago. without one fact behind
edented appearance at them.”
the Supreme Court Sunday A partnership between Israeli courts spokeswoman
to defend a deal signed in Shirley Koren said Netan-
December with U.S. and Is- Noble Energy and Delek yahu’s appearance be-
raeli developers drilling off- fore the Supreme Court
shore gas deposits. Group, which is led by bil- marked the first ever for a
Israel’s Channel 10 TV re- sitting prime minister.
ported Netanyahu as tell- lionaire Yitzhak Tshuva, is Critics have accused Ne-
ing the court that if Israel tanyahu of using high-
were to alter its deal inves- the main developer at Is- handed tactics to bypass
tors could turn away and opponents of the deal. In
buy gas from Israel’s en- rael’s two larger gas fields, January,
emies instead.
Netanyahu said he chose Tamar and the heftier Le- Israel’s economy minis-
to speak in court because ter resigned rather than
of the strategic impor- viathan. overrule the antitrust com-
tance of the gas deal, missioner who opposed
which he says will allow After the country’s anti- the gas deal and later re-
Israel to develop ties with signed in protest over it.
Jordan, Egypt and Turkey trust commissioner deter- About 50 people protested
and significantly boost its outside the court Sunday.
economy. mined the gas companies’ One wore a cape, a scep-
Resource-poor Israel an- ter and a mask of Netan-
nounced the discovery of ownership constituted a yahu’s face, while another
sizeable offshore natural held a sign that read “sell-
monopoly, a government ing the state.”q
committee reached a deal
with the firms to introduce
competition.
Opponents later chal-
lenged the deal in court
because they said it fa-
vored the developers over
the Israeli public.
Opposition lawmaker
Shelly Yachimovich, a Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits with a stack of
papers as he waits for the Supreme Court to convene in Jeru-
leading opponent of the salem, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016.
deal, tweeted that Netan- Associated Press
yahu’s speech was full of
