"Unfortunate decision" - this is how the former Minister of Energy, MK Yuval Steinitz, defines the announcement of his successor, Karin Elharar, that he will not allow new gas exploration in 2022.
In an exclusive interview with Israel Today, Steinitz says he supported Elharar's previous decisions, such as establishing a green energy division.
"The announcement that no new gas exploration will take place in 2022 is a serious mistake."
"Steinitz reveals that the minister's announcement has almost no practical significance, because the gas exploration he approved will continue."
MK Yuval Steinitz, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"The big problem is the message that there is no contradiction between continuing exploration and gas mining and switching to green energies," the former minister stressed, "The US, Canada, the UK, Norway and other countries are only stepping up gas exploration."
"Biden has declared himself the greenest president in history, and yet, with the encouragement of the administration, there are now hundreds of gas exploration initiatives in the United States. There is an energy crisis in Europe that needs gas for at least the next 20 years as transition energy."
Steinitz emphasizes that exploration that will lead to the discovery of additional gas wells will improve the environment, as well as the energy security and energy costs of Israeli citizens: "If Israel has four or five gas wells, it improves energy security compared to the current situation where there are three more wells. "Gas sources will allow Israel to export more gas to its neighbors Jordan and Egypt. The gas has reduced energy pollution in Israel by 80 percent. The gas that Jordan buys from Israel has replaced oil and coal, which has improved air quality throughout the region."
According to him, locating more gas deposits will ensure low prices for citizens.
"If I had adopted the policy that Lehrer announced, we would not have the shark and whale drilling. The citizens of Israel would not pay three dollars for a gas unit but three and four times as much as in Europe. For all reasons, economic, energetic, geopolitical and environmental, I call Sarah To return to it. "
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