From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 22, 2026
From gas rig, Netanyahu promises windfall for citizens
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
With less than a week to go until the election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flies to a rig in the Leviathan natural gas field to promise major economic benefits for Israeli citizens from gas sales.
“This is the rig from which we are extracting NIS 400 billion from the sea for state coffers,” says Netanyahu, standing alongside Energy Minister Eli Cohen.
“Tens of billions now, and in the future, in the sovereign wealth fund for your children, and billions, billions to lower our electricity prices, which is virtually the lowest among developed countries,” says Netanyahu.
The Citizens of Israel Fund finally began operations in June 2022, four years later than its initial date. At the end of last year, it had only NIS 8.6 billion in it.
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