The giant American Noble Energy US oil and gas producer has been inside the eye of a formidable public storm in Israel this year. This storm has recently shown threatening signs of mutating into an extensive social-justice protest movement, similar to the one that swept the streets of Tel Aviv in the summer of 2011.
Noble is the main partner in the large discoveries of natural gas found off Israel’s shores in recent years, in the form of the massive gas fields called Leviathan (2010) and Tamar (2009). Together with its Israeli Delek Drilling partner, Noble has a monopoly on the natural gas domain and the supply of energy to the Israeli market; this angers many social-justice organizations and important media and public personages. The government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been trying for a long time to launch the ''natural gas outline'' with these two companies included. This outline agreement would determine the export quota that the state would allow from these reservoirs, the framework of future prices and a time schedule for the development of the reservoirs.
The protesters argue that heavy US pressure and foreign interests cause the government to “give in” to Noble and Delek. In other words, they claim that the government is agreeing to prices that are much higher than the going market prices and allowing an outline that will harm the rights of the Israeli public and its ownership of Israel’s natural resources. The protests have been growing in recent weeks as reflected in a television series on the topic that is currently being aired ("The Silver Tray") and in demonstrations taking place every week that attract thousands of people.
On the other side of the street, Noble has been trying to steamroll an agreement with the assistance of the US administration and US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro who, naturally, are trying to help the company promote US interests and its business affairs in Israel. Noble’s more important ally in this struggle is Netanyahu, who is working hard to get the gas-outline agreement authorized and jump-started. As of Nov. 23, Netanyahu’s efforts — which included the resignation of Economics Minister Aryeh Deri, who refused to sign the outline — have borne fruit. It looks like the agreement will soon be ratified; then it would hit the road.
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