An American Energy Giant Sees Israel as a Springboard to Europe
There are also signs of unease within Israel over moving from one fossil fuel to another.
“Gas is taking us toward less pollution than coal, but it is not getting us out of pollution completely, and it is not getting us to cleaner energy,” said Yael Cohen Paran, a former Israeli lawmaker, in an interview at a beach resort where the Leviathan platform was visible in the distance.
Environmentalists say that the dominance of gas in powering the Israeli economy and the influence of the petroleum industry mean that insufficient resources are going into developing clean energy.
“We are hostages in a way,” said Elad Hochman, executive director of Green Course, an advocacy group.
As for Chevron, though it does not disclose financial results from its Israeli operations, its executives say it is a profitable business that can be a springboard for expansion.
“It is a very nice, attractive position,” Mr. Neff, the Chevron president, said, adding that the company has the opportunity “to grow our business substantially in the next few years.”
Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.