PALESTINIAN CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE PURCHASE OF ISRAELI GAS

Ramallah, 29 Rabi’ul Akhir 1436/19 February 2015 (MINA) – A number of official and popular institutions and activists declared rejection to the purchase of Israeli gas.

The Palestinian government and some private sector institutions have earlier signed an agreement to import natural gas from the occupation state on 01/05/2014, worth 1.2 billion dollars, for 20 years, The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Wednesday.

In a press conference organized by the BDS Movement, the participants called for an end to the Palestinian dependence on Israel and to locally exploit Gaza’s offshore gas fields.

Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, considered the purchase of Israeli gas as a big national and strategic mistake.

The agreement, signed early last year to import natural gas supplies from Israel for 20 years, would provide more legitimacy to Israeli control over Palestinian economy.

For his part, the BDS coordinator pointed out that boycott campaigns have been launched in Palestine and Jordan to pressure the countries’ governments to revoke their gas agreements with Israel.

Along the same line, head of the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) Dr. Azmi Shuaibi confirmed that the PA government refused to hand him a copy of the preliminary agreement.

He revealed that the Palestinian government is a key partner in this agreement through the Palestinian Investment Fund, which is a quasi-governmental financial institution.

He called for looking for other fuel and gas alternative supplies in Qatar, Turkey, or Venezuela.(T/P008/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)