Israel's accession to the "Regional Energy Forum" is delayed • The reason: Minister Gamliel's reservation • The request he submitted may delay the state's entry into the forum for many months
Due to the reservations of Minister of Environmental Protection Gila Gamliel, the government refrains from ratifying the membership in the "Regional Energy Forum" of which Israel was one of the founders.
The forum, which includes Egypt, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, was established on the joint initiative of the Israeli Minister of Energy, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, and his Egyptian counterpart, Tarek El Mullah.
The forum, which the US and the EU sought to join as observers, was set up following the discovery of gas reserves in the countries' economic waters in order to coordinate and cooperate with Europe and other countries in the process of exporting gas from the Mediterranean to consumers. In the Knesset and in the government, however, ratification of the states is now required. Last weekend, in accordance with Procedure 19B, the government secretariat presented the ministers with the request for ratification.
According to the procedure, in the event that one of the ministers objects to the agreement, he must notify the Government Secretariat within 48 hours.
Minister Gamliel issued a preliminary announcement that she was reluctant to join Israel in the regional forum, but until now she had not justified the opposition.
The Ministry of Energy is concerned that Israel's accession to the forum will now be postponed for many months and will cause political, energy and economic damage.
Sources in the Ministry of Energy told Israel today that due to the acute political crisis, it is not at all clear when the government will convene.
"According to Procedure 19B, as soon as a minister objects to a draft resolution, a discussion must take place in the government. In the current situation, six months can pass before there is a cabinet meeting again. This means that Israel does not join an important regional forum it initiated. It is a political embarrassment." A source in the office.
He added that the Ministry of Environmental Protection also has no substantive reason to object.
"Gas is green energy. Thanks to it, Israel has already reduced the use of coal to zero, and if so, what is the logic to prevent this. It is Minister Gamliel's lack of understanding of the nature of the regional energy forum and unnecessary damage to Israel's ties with its neighbors," the energy ministry said.
Minister Gamliel's office says she is reluctant to join the forum because its constitution has no obligation to promote renewable energies.
"It is important to include a clear commitment to reducing emissions and developing technologies to reduce environmental damage, resulting from, among other things, the production, production, transportation and use of natural gas."
Gamliel's entourage notes that just a week ago, the prime minister pledged in an international forum in which he founded, in the presence of world leaders, that by 2050 Israel will fully switch to renewable energy.
"A clear expression must be given in the organization's constitution to this commitment of Israel," Gamliel says in the letter of reservation.
Another reason given by Gamliel is what she defines as the definition given to the Palestinian Authority in the forum's constitution as a state.
"It is inconceivable that the PA, which finances terrorism and is a hostile body to Israel, would receive equal status to the member states of the forum and would even be allowed to head it."