Energy Minister Steinitz attacked Environment Minister Gamliel over her opposition to Israel joining the "Regional Energy Forum" • He said, "she did not examine the issue"
"Gamliel tries to force unfounded steps on the forum"
Photography:
Coco, Oren Ben Hakon
Sharp controversy over Israel joins "regional energy forum":
Minister Yuval Steinitz attacked Minister Gila Gamliel today (Sunday) over her reservations about approving the move.
"I see no logical reason to deprive Israeli citizens of the right to enjoy natural gas resources," he wrote.
The "Regional Energy Forum", of which Israel was one of the founders, includes Egypt, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
It was established on the joint initiative of the Israeli Minister of Energy, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, and his Egyptian counterpart, Tarek El Molla. The accession has already been approved by the Knesset and the government, but now approval is required.
"It is inconceivable"
Gamliel justified the objection, for which the government would be required to hold a discussion on the issue.
"The use of natural gas has a critical impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis, and without significant action in this area it will not be possible to deal with the crisis. The forum's constitution includes only sections on promoting infrastructure and gas economy development, while Israel's commitment is completely different."
She added: "A clear expression must be given in the organization's constitution to Israel's international commitment to meeting the targets for reducing emissions in the climate agreements and to the prime minister's statements on the subject."
In addition, Gamliel noted that under the agreement "the Palestinian Authority is given the same status as the other member states of the region. It is inconceivable that the PA, which funds terrorism and is a hostile body to the State of Israel, will receive equal status to the forum members.
"Such a strange demand"
Steinitz responded: "Minister Gamliel's claim that the regional gas forum should focus on renewable energies is so ridiculous that I feel embarrassed that I have to address it at all. Ministers for environmental protection exist in each of the forum countries, and certainly in the EU that puts climate change at the forefront. "Still, none of these countries had thought of making their forum membership conditional on such a strange demand."
The Minister of Energy demanded that the Minister of the Environment "be aware of the existence of another international forum, much wider, centered in Abu Dhabi called IRENA. Israel is also a member of most of the gas forum members in Cairo.
"The existence of the natural gas forum is an umbrella that also helps the agreements to export gas from Israel to Egypt and Jordan," he claimed.
"The real meaning of the unfounded conditions that Minister Gamliel is trying to impose on the forum about two years after its establishment is Israel's exit from the forum ... although this is not the intention, it may seem that Minister Gamliel is willing to jeopardize Israel's international status and welcome cooperation on gas exports to Egypt. To get some positive headlines in the media or to win the sympathy of the extremist green organizations, the kind of housekeepers or a green trend. "
"The step does not constitute recognition"
Steinitz stated that Gamliel's claim regarding the Palestinian Authority's invalid membership in the forum was consistent with the Foreign and Justice Ministries and the National Security Council, "in order to ensure that Palestinian Authority membership in the forum - as is the case with dozens of other international organizations - does not constitute approval or recognition of the PA."
"I will note that the PA's membership in the gas forum is similar to its membership in the FIFA World Football Organization, and it is inconceivable that Israel would give up its membership in this organization because of this," he stated.
He signed his remarks with an expression of regret that Gamliel "did not bother to check the matter with him or the relevant ministries, before submitting the baseless reservation."