Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel's Supreme Court on Feb. 14 that the country must forge ahead with developing a large natural gas field, with billions of dollars’ worth of potential exports, for both economic and security reasons.

In an unusual step for an Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu testified at his own request in the Supreme Court to defend a framework gas deal after opposition parties and non-government organizations filed petitions to block plans to develop the Leviathan field off Israel's Mediterranean coast.

Critics including the Antitrust Authority have argued that planned control of the country's gas reserves by one consortium will limit competition and keep prices high. Netanyahu argued the blueprint provided major opportunities for Israel's foreign relations and that any delay in its implementation could lead to the deal's collapse and cause "long-term significant damage" to the country's security and economy.

After years of political infighting Netanyahu signed a framework deal that gave long-awaited approval for Leviathan's development. Netanyahu had defended the deal in an affidavit to the Supreme Court during the week of Feb. 7 and requested appearing in front of the judges before they make their final, binding ruling; it is not immediately clear when the court will hand this down.

Last year, Parliament narrowly approved the deal, but antitrust commissioner Aryeh Deri resigned in protest. The deal still needed antitrust approval or for the economy minister to sign a waiver to bypass the Antitrust Authority.

Netanyahu took over as economy minister after Deri’s resignation. In December, he invoked a never-before-used clause in the antitrust law that allows for decisions of the Antitrust Authority to be overridden in the name of security and international diplomacy.

Under the deal, Texas-based Noble Energy and Israel's Delek Group, which discovered Leviathan in 2010, would retain control of the field but are being forced to sell other smaller assets, such as the nearby Tamar Field that began production in 2013.

Holding estimated reserves of 622 Bcm, Leviathan will cost at least US$6 billion to develop. It is scheduled to begin production by 2020 and supply billions of dollars’ worth of gas to Egypt and Jordan, and possibly Turkey and Europe.

Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab states to have signed peace deals with Israel. Gas exports could help shore up ties between Israel and its neighbors to the east and south.

"There is no realistic alternative to the gas deal," Netanyahu said. "If we reverse course, we will fall into the chasm once and for all."

Last month, the Leviathan partners signed a deal to sell $1.3 billion of gas over 18 years to Edeltech Group and its Turkish partner Zorlu Enerji for power plants they plan to build in Israel.

Other deals with Jordan and BG are pending while Israel is in talks with Greece and Cyprus to build a natural gas pipeline to Europe.