The Committee for Oversight of the Israeli Citizens’ Fund, chaired by MK Nissim Vaturi (Likud), convened on Monday for a debate on the topic of the energy sector’s preparations during wartime and the status of the progress in connecting judea and samaria to natural gas. The debate was held with the participation of Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen.
Committee Chair MK Vaturi said at the start of the debate, “Despite the severe threats, we managed to stand on our feet. I would like to commend the Israel Electric Corporation and its workers. There were nearly zero problems, and that cannot be taken for granted. The scenarios were ominous, but the public didn’t experience these things. In the coming budget, we will also allocate funds for rehabilitation of soldiers and induction into the IDF.”
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Cohen praised the workers of the energy sector, and said that although scenarios of darkness had been discussed, Israel’s citizens received electricity, water and fuel continuously throughout the war period—despite the missiles that fell on the refineries, the infrastructure installations that were hit and the fact that the gas rigs were inoperative during Operation Rising Lion. “We saw the energy sector functioning impeccably. Without electricity and without fuel, no country can function. This is important to the emergency services, and for the military and civilian sectors. My thanks to all the workers of the energy sector, who proved that we have people to count on,” said Minister Cohen.
Regarding the issue of connecting judea and samaria to natural gas, the Minister of Energy stated that the goal was to rectify an unreasonable distortion and a reality in which natural gas does not reach Judea and Samaria. Cohen stressed the importance of the matter, and said that there were no power plants in Judea and Samaria, despite the fact that we supply electricity to 2.5 million people in this region.
Minister Cohen said further that laying the gas infrastructure would serve for the benefit of power plants and also for the benefit of industrial factories that have moved eastwards into Judea and Samaria. “We want the factories to consume gas. That way, there will be less air pollution, more marketing of gas and more revenues for the state. We want to move forward in enacting the orders and the regulations that will enable the implementation of this matter. This is a move that is important for the environment, for the energy sector and for the Israeli economy.”
In response to a question by MK Yorai Lahav Hertzanu (Yesh Atid) about a report that the Ministry of Finance’s Budget Department had sent a recommendation to the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure not to convert coal-based power plants to natural gas, Minister Cohen said, “I see from time to time the populist letters of the head of the Budget Department, who is already looking for a way out [of his post]. I approved the decision to convert the coal-based plants, even when the updated estimate of the work’s cost is NIS 1.7 billion, because we have a commitment to the health of the residents of Hadera, Ashkelon and the surroundings. Our intention is for the fourth quarter of 2026 to be the last quarter in which the State of Israel makes use of coal. After that, the coal-based plants will remain only for emergencies, for situations in which the gas rigs are shut down. I reject out of hand the letter we received from the Ministry of Finance; we intend to continue the process and complete the conversions. What would that official who issued the letter say if he lived in Hadera or Ashkelon?”
Adv. Inbal De-Paz of the Ministry of Defense: “We are preparing advanced drafts for the necessary pieces of legislation. There are professional responses that the Natural Gas Authority has to provide during the process, so we meet with them once a week. [The ministry] is constantly dealing with this matter. In our joint estimation, the drafts will be laid on the table by the end of the year. The Ministry of Justice and the legal advisor for Judea and Samaria are also required to respond to them. You have to bear in mind that these are things that haven’t been advanced for many years.”
Israel Electric Corporation CEO Meir Shpigler said that the reality spoke for itself, since in the war there was no need for generators and there was no darkness. “The public has people to count on,” he said. Electricity Authority Chairman Amir Shavit said that the [energy] sector was changing its face, both in the transition to gas and in the transition to renewable energy. “We have set ourselves the goal of making significant progress in the [energy] storage domain, and we’re on the way there,” he stated.
The chairman of the Haifa Refineries Council, Doron Nissan, called to cancel the decision to close down Bazan, saying, “Without Bazan the State of Israel will have no energy continuity. The army received diesel fuel for tanks and gasoline for planes in real time, and the entire energy sector continued to operate.” Minister Cohen said that the State of Israel and the energy sector should be grateful to Bazan and its workers, who risked their lives so that we would have diesel fuel for IDF trucks and gasoline. The minister said, “As a result of the war, we should examine the repercussions of the war, and there’s a team headed by the director general that was formed for this purpose.”
In response to a question by MK Yasmin Fridman (Yesh Atid) on Energean’s sale of its gas reserves and the effect of this sale on electricity prices, Minister Cohen said that the main thing that would increase competition in the gas market was not to drive away investors but rather to find reservoirs. “There were officials in the Ministry of Finance who, in a populist manner, wanted to drive away Chevron. I want additional [companies] to come, not to drive away the existing ones. The more gas we find, the more reserves we will have for the Israeli economy, and also for exports,” Minister Cohen said.
The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure said further that the price of electricity was of vital importance to the economy, since electricity was a driver of inflation: “If the price of electricity rises, the price of every product rises. That is why we told Chevron that we would not employ the tools at our disposal as long as they sold at a fair and reasonable price and did not exploit their power. If they exploit their power—I will accept the Ministry of Finance’s draconian recommendation. In the meantime, I do not support the Ministry of Finance’s position, because I want more companies and I want to enlarge the market,” he said.
Minister Cohen said in conclusion, “I received indications from the Israel Electric Corporation about the prices and they said that it was reasonable, but we should only examine the contract after it is signed and sealed. If we see that they’re behaving greedily and abusing their power—we will take action.”
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