Gas deal with Israel does not support occupation — gov’t – Jordan Times
Oct 02,2016
AMMAN — It is “extremely shallow” to suggest that Jordan supports the Israeli occupation by signing the gas deal with Noble Energy, Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said on Sunday.
In remarks to Jordan Television’s “Jordan this Evening” programme, Momani, who is also minister of state for media affairs, stressed the Kingdom’s undisputed stance towards the occupation.
“We are the one country most capable of confronting this occupation,” he noted, stressing, however, the need to “put matters in perspective”, since Jordan has signed a peace deal with Israel and is engaged in trade with it.
Noble Energy is a Houston-based company that holds the largest share in the Israeli Leviathan gas field, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.
Commenting on the availability of other energy resources such as solar and wind power, Momani said that no country in the world can generate all of its needs only out of the wind and the sun, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The deal is a “strategic choice” based on diversifying energy resources; however, it does not put Jordan at Israel’s mercy “as some speculators suggest”, the spokesperson noted.
The government announced the deal two years ago and explained all of the justifications in “total transparency”, he added.
Activists on Sunday switched off the lights for an hour at 9pm “to show the public’s rejection of the gas deal”.
Officials from the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) previously told The Jordan Times that the deal to import natural gas would “help save Jordan up to $600 million each year”.
A NEPCO official said the deal will enable Jordan to import 300 million cubic feet of gas per day, which represents 40 per cent of the Kingdom’s electricity-generating.
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/gas-deal-israel-does-not-support-occupation-%E2%80%94-gov%E2%80%99t
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Across Jordan, lights go out to protest gas deal with Israel
By Suzanna Goussous – Oct 03,2016
AMMAN — Activists and residents across the Kingdom turned their lights off for an hour on Sunday night to protest the gas deal between Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and Israel.
Under the slogan “The enemy’s gas is occupation”, the initiative aimed to show the public’s rejection of the gas deal, which was signed last week, as homes across Jordan switched off electrical appliances at 9pm.
Amman resident Samah Bibars, a mother of two, said the initiative not only symbolised the public’s rejection of the deal, it also helped parents convey the message to their children.
“I explained to my children the importance of boycotting and voicing our rejection of the gas deal with the Zionists. It was important to introduce them to the concept,” she said.
Bibars added: “We were all protesting the gas deal under one notion. It was a peaceful act to protest.”
Foodstuff Traders Association President Khalil Haj Tawfiq, who also took part in the initiative, said he was impressed by the level of awareness among the younger generation.
“The awareness of political events and conditions is high among school and university students; they were all united for the same cause. A cause they are completely convinced of,” he told The Jordan Times.
Haj Tawfiq, a father of two, said the idea was promoted by activists and campaigners mostly from the younger generation who expressed their outrage over the agreement.
“The initiative reflects the civilised way Jordanians protest a decision they do not agree with and do not want to be part of. This way sends a clear message to the government and shows the public’s response to the gas deal,” he added.
Mohammad Mahadeen, from Karak Governorate some 130km south of Amman, said activists and civil society organisations turned off their lights at 9pm “in solidarity with the Palestinians”.
“Our martyr Saeed Amro was murdered by the occupation forces in Jerusalem recently. It is a disgrace for us as Jordanians and residents of the south to accept the gas deal, this [initiative] will generate many other activities,” he added.
Activist Malek Sabe from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in the northeastern governorate of Mafraq said residents who participated in the march on Friday to denounce the deal also took part in the initiative.
Around 40 per cent of the houses in the governorate turned off their lights, he said, adding that activists would take other measures to raise awareness of the issue during the upcoming days.
University student Haneen Saadi said the initiative helps to show the state-owned company that Jordanians oppose the newly-signed deal.
“I think we are all for the same cause. This is a serious issue that we all need to stay united for and alert people to its consequences.”
Several restaurants and coffee shops in the capital, Irbid, Karak, Balqa and other governorates participated in the initiative, switching off their lights to show their rejection of the deal.
Officials from NEPCO have said that the deal with US Noble Energy to import natural gas would “help save Jordan up to $600 million each year”.
Noble Energy is a Houston-based company that holds the largest share in the Israeli Leviathan gas field, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.
A NEPCO official said the deal will enable Jordan to import 300 million cubic feet of gas per day, which represents 40 per cent of the Kingdom’s electricity-generating.
In remarks on Sunday to Jordan Television’s “Jordan this Evening” programme, Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said it is “extremely shallow” to suggest that Jordan supports the Israeli occupation by signing the gas deal, stressing the Kingdom’s “undisputed stance” towards the occupation.
“We are the one country most capable of confronting this occupation,” he noted, stressing, however, the need to “put matters in perspective”, since Jordan has signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994 and is engaged in trade with it.
The deal is a “strategic choice” based on diversifying energy resources; however, it does not put Jordan at Israel’s mercy “as some speculators suggest”, the spokesperson noted.
The government announced the deal two years ago and explained all of the justifications in “total transparency”, he added.
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/across-jordan-lights-go-out-protest-gas-deal-israel
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Activists across Jordan protest against Israel gas deal
Protesters call for turning off lights to show rejection of agreement
By Suzanna Goussous – Oct 01,2016
Protesters demonstrate against the gas deal with Israel in downtown Amman on Friday (Photo by Osama Aqarbeh)
AMMAN — Activists across the Kingdom have organised protests and marches to demand the cancellation of the recent gas deal between Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and Israel.
An activist from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in the Kingdom said around 2,500 people attended a demonstration in Amman after noon prayers on Friday to protest the 15-year gas deal, organised by the so-called Jordan National Campaign Against the Gas Agreement with the Zionist Entity.
“People from different campaigns, organisations and associations joined the march to denounce signing the deal,” the activist told The Jordan Times.
Activists also called for switching off the lights for an hour at 9pm on Sunday “to show the public’s rejection of the gas deal”, she added.
Demonstrations have also taken place in the southern governorate of Karak, some 130km from Amman, where residents headed to the city centre to denounce the agreement, locals said.
The engineers’ association and other organisations will “step up” protests over the coming weeks in Karak, a city that has boycotted Israeli products since 2015, said Wissam Majali, the director of “A city free of Zionist merchandise” campaign.
“This week’s protests, campaigns, and activities will mark the start of demonstrations and initiatives to demand the total reversal of the gas deal and to show the public’s outrage towards the agreement,” Majali told The Jordan Times.
He said activists from Karak will organise a protest next week along with other initiatives in the governorate, including switching off all electrical appliances in houses, institutes and centres to create city-wide black outs on specific days.
Activists in the governorate said the gas deal “does not represent the Jordanian public, and is a source of shame”, pointing to the recent killing of Jordanian Saeed Amro by Israeli forces in Jerusalem.
In Mafraq, 80km northeast of Amman, BDS activist Malek Sabe previously told The Jordan Times that groups and campaign members in the city plan to demonstrate against the agreement until it is cancelled.
He said that protesters had voiced their outrage over the past week and questioned the timing of the deal, noting that it was signed during a politically eventful week.
Advocates from the University of Jordan and the Jordan University of Science and Technology on Thursday organised marches to “show the rejection of students and Jordanian youths”.
University student Sameer Mashhour said activists can deliver clear messages to decision makers through protests on campus.
He said students are planning to wait for the first parliamentary session before stepping up their activities.
Associations and civil society organisations have also called for the cancellation of the gas deal.
Jordan signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994.
Officials from NEPCO previously told The Jordan Times that the gas deal would “help save Jordan up to $600 million each year”.
NEPCO said last Wednesday that the deal with US Noble Energy to import natural gas is one of the Kingdom’s several options to import gas in the future.
Noble Energy is a Houston-based company that holds the largest share in the Israeli Leviathan gas field, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.
A NEPCO official said the deal with Noble Energy will enable Jordan to import 300 million cubic feet of gas per day, which represents 40 per cent of the Kingdom’s electricity-generating needs.
Jordan will still import liquefied natural gas from international markets at the same time, the official said, adding that the Kingdom is in talks with Algeria to import natural gas as part of its strategy, and in the future, it plans to import from Egypt to cover the remaining needs.
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/activists-across-jordan-protest-against-israel-gas-deal
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Jordan BDS movement ‘outraged’ by gas deal with Israel
By JT – Sep 29,2016
AMMAN — The Jordan Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement on Wednesday expressed “outrage and absolute opposition” to the recent signing of a gas deal between Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and Israel.
“Jordan BDS categorically rejects the agreement for strategic, economic and moral reasons as it ties Jordan’s energy, economic and political security to Israel for the coming 15 years,” the movement said in a statement.
“Signing this agreement blatantly ignores the will of the Jordanian people who principally and unequivocally rejected the agreement through two years of demonstrations across the country, national petitions signed by Jordanians and their political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations,” the group added.
Under the deal, signed on Monday, Israel will supply NEPCO with 300 million cubic feet of natural gas per day for 15 years at a cost of $10 billion.
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-bds-movement-outraged%E2%80%99-gas-deal-israel
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NEPCO says gas deal with Israel saves Jordan $600m a year
By Mohammad Ghazal – Sep 29,2016
AMMAN — The National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) said Wednesday that the deal with US Noble Energy to import natural gas is one of the Kingdom’s several options to import gas in the future.
Noble Energy is a Houston-based company that holds the largest share in the Israeli Leviathan gas field, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.
“Signing the deal is in line with the government’s policy to diversify energy resources and increase the competitiveness of the major national industries,” an official at the state-owned company said in a statement to The Jordan Times.
NEPCO said the deal will help save Jordan around $600 million per year.
The company said Jordan cannot rely on renewable energy only for generating electricity to meet rising demand.
According to official figures, demand on electricity in Jordan rises by 6-7 per cent annually.
The Kingdom needs natural gas to meet demand on electricity, the official said.
The deal will enable Jordan to import 300 million cubic feet of gas per day, which represents 40 per cent of the Kingdom’s electricity-generating needs.
Jordan will still import liquefied natural gas from international markets at the same time, the official said.
Jordan is in talks with Algeria to import natural gas as part of its strategy, and in the future, it plans to import from Egypt to cover the remaining needs.
Jordan will continue to import liquefied natural gas through the terminal in Aqaba to diversify resources and reduce the burden on the energy sector, said the official, who was not identified in the statement.
“Diversifying natural gas resources will not only reflect on industries but also on consumers, which ensures stability of prices,” the official said.
The deal with Noble Energy is flexible and allows the company to import the volume that it sees needed, he explained.
If Noble Energy fails to deliver shipments on time, then it has to supply the quantities later 25-30 per cent cheaper than the agreed upon price.
Activists and professional associations in the Kingdom have expressed anger and concern over the gas deal with Israel.
A so-called Jordanian National Campaign Against the Gas Agreement with the Zionist Entity has announced that it would stage a protest after Friday prayers in downtown Amman, calling for the cancellation of the deal.
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/nepco-says-gas-deal-israel-saves-jordan-600m-year