Lapid to Scholz: "Israel" part of solution to Europe's gas crisis
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After meeting with the Israeli PM, the German Chancellor says Germany is working on gas import infrastructure to allow deliveries from new partners.
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin (Reuters)
Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid claimed Monday that "Israel" can deliver about 10% of the gas Europe received from Russia last year
"We are going to be part of the effort to replace Russian gas in Europe," Lapid mentioned following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
On his part, Scholz said Germany was working on gas import infrastructure to allow deliveries from new partners, as Berlin strives to end its dependency on Russian deliveries.
In a separate context, the German leader pointed out that Germany will draw on the Israeli occupation's help to bolster its air defense force, describing the Israeli Arrow 3 missile system as a "high-performance offer."
"Israel ... will play a part in building Germany's new defense force, mainly in the field of air defense," Lapid said.
Earlier, Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov reiterated that Russia refuses to supply any country with natural gas and oil below market price, rejecting the "price cap" idea floated by EU officials as an attempt to force a "cartel deal" on Moscow.
Moscow has warned several times that it won't supply energy to any country, under reduced prices, if it adopts such a scheme. Still, the EU leadership is maintaining attempts to push forward with the gas price cap plan.
The European Commission had prepared suggestions on measures aimed at tackling soaring energy prices to be discussed by the energy ministers of the bloc’s member states. The suggestions include the proposal to introduce a price cap on Russian natural gas.
However, the bloc failed to agree on the cap, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto revealed Friday.
It is worth mentioning that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen proposed that the bloc's 27 nations agree on placing a price cap on Russian gas imports.
Von der Leyen's decision comes as a means of imposing further sanctions on Russia as the West looks for more means of punishing the country over the war in Ukraine.
"The objective here is very clear. We must cut Russia's revenues which (Russian President Vladimir) Putin uses to finance this atrocious war against Ukraine," the president of the European Commission told reporters.
This comes as the Israeli occupation and Lebanon are having indirect negotiations over the demarcation of the maritime border under the US mediation.
"Israel" has already set up a rig in the disputed Karish gas field in an attempt to extract gas, completely infringing on Lebanon's rights, amid an energy crisis in Europe. But Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had warned that "if Lebanon does not obtain the rights demanded by the Lebanese state, we are heading toward an escalation whether or not the nuclear agreement is signed."
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that "the focus in Lebanon must be on Karish and the Lebanese [maritime] border, as well as the US mediator that is still wasting time amid a time constraint."
On August 9, the Lebanese leader warned that any attempt to plunder any of Lebanon's wealth will be thwarted, indicating that the party is waiting for the Israeli enemy's response to Lebanon's demands regarding border demarcation.
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