 |
| Israeli Navy patrolling Israel's only pumping gas field |
(Scroll down for video) Just recently, the Israeli Prime Minister has announced that the country began using its own gas from an offshore gas installation off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Israeli missile boats were seen on video this week leaving the port of Ashdod heading out west to guard Israel’s only pumping natural gas plant.
The gas field, which several weeks ago began pumping natural gas to Israel, has the potential to transform Israel into an energy independent state. At the same time, the gas field also brings to Israel additional threats. The Israeli Navy, which up until now protected 20 kilometers out west, now needs to patrol 200 kilometers out west.
The gas installation instantly became a strategic target for Israel’s enemies who will seek to attack it, a Navy official said.
“Since the gas field is not only important to Israel from an economic standpoint but also from a political standpoint, it makes it for a strategic target for the enemies, therefore, it is understandable why the site needs extra security,” Ben Milton, 60, of Sderot, Israel told YourJewishNews.com after watching the video.
After years of relying on foreign imports from neighboring hostile countries for natural gas, Israel, has finally begun using its very own natural gas for the first time, according to a statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The natural gas has begun to flow from one of the significant gas fields located in Israeli territory.
the Israeli Ministry of Energy said that the gas from the Tamar offshore field started flowing for the first time on Saturday and will reach a processing center on the coast of Israel on Sunday afternoon.
Tamar was discovered in 2009 and has about 8.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. Another field, called Leviathan, is estimated to hold about 16 trillion cubic feet, and is expected to go online in 2016.
Until now, Israel has relied on imports to meet most of its energy needs. The new gas discoveries are expected to supply the domestic needs of Israel for decades and could turn the country into an energy exporter.
“This is not only a significant economic development for Israel. It is a significant security development as well as Israel will not have to rely on neighboring hostile Muslim nations such as Egypt for its energy needs,” Ben Young, 58, a Middle East political expert in New York City told YourJewishNews.com.