Jordanian MP threatens to topple government over Israeli gas import
Egypt has also signed a letter stating its intent to sign an agreement to receive natural gas from Leviathan, but has not yet followed through with those plans.
By MAAYAN GROISMANUpdated: FEBRUARY 11, 2016 13:27Israel Navy missile ship patrols near gas field(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Jordanian parliament member Muhammad Dawaymeh declared that the parliament will vote no confidence in the government if it moves towards signing a natural gas import deal with Israel.In an interview with the Jordanian Raya radio station on Wednesday, Dawaymeh claimed that in the next week, government representatives will participate in a general meeting in the parliament to discuss the subject, after 35 parliament members requested such a meeting.In the beginning of February, the Jordanian BDS movement relaunched its social media campaign against gas imports from Israel that was first launched in September 2014 following reports of renewed negotiations between Noble Energy and the Jordanian authorities.The partners of the Leviathan gas reservoir signed a letter of intent to supply about 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) over a 15-year period in September 2014. However that deal was put on hold by Jordan due to upheaval between Israel’s Antitrust Authority and the Leviathan natural gas reservoir’s main stakeholders.The antitrust issues were apparently solved with the approval of Israel's gas outline in December 2015. Jordan's deal with Leviathan is now awaiting Jordanian government approval.Egypt has also signed a letter stating its intent to sign an agreement to receive natural gas from Leviathan, but has not yet followed through with those plans.A final go-ahead of the controversial gas outline that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed through in December is in the hands of Israel’s Supreme Court, which is expected to decide soon on the deal’s legality after opponents filed an injunction request.Sharon Udasin and Michelle Malka Grossman contributed to this report.