Development of the Leviathan natural gas field off the coast of Israel has cleared a crucial final hurdle with an investment decision by the U.S.-Israeli consortium that has production rights to the field. Delek Group and Noble Energy will spend $3.75 billion over the next three years to develop the first phase of the project, and initial production is expected by 2019. The controversial development project has suffered delays since the field was discovered in 2010. Concern that the deal would give the consortium a monopoly over Israeli natural gas supplies led a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet to resign after the prime minister tried to force the agreement through on national security grounds. Even after Netanyahu himself testified on the agreement's merits, the courts struck it down, but a deal was eventually worked out.