Israel Gas deals with Egypt, Turkey will happen, U.S. envoy says

Israel will be able to export its natural gas to Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, overcoming political obstacles to such agreements, said a U.S. official involved in energy talks in the Middle East.

“We have a remarkable situation where the self-interest of each of the parties is remarkably similar in the energy sphere,” said Amos Hochstein, U.S. State Department special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs. He spoke in an interview at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Israel is trying to make export deals with neighboring states after discovering offshore gas over the past five years. There’s resistance among some potential clients in Islamic countries who oppose Israel’s polices toward the Palestinians.

Hochstein says new energy ties in the Middle East will help alleviate some of those diplomatic tensions.