Not only the students of Israel look forward to September 1st, but also its leaders.
During September, it was officially said, the Energian company is supposed to operate the Harish gas rig, not far from Lebanon's economic waters.
The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, threatens to damage the rig if pumping begins without an agreement between Israel and Lebanon on the waters of the two countries.
Ten days before the "gong", the agreement is still not in sight.
Judging by the rhetoric - and we have already learned that the threats of our enemies should be taken seriously - Israel and Hezbollah are entering one of the most tense periods between them since the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Nasrallah talks explicitly about the possibility of war.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz also said yesterday in an interview with 103 FM: "This could lead to a reaction, and it could lead to a day of battle that could develop into several days of battle. It could lead to a campaign."
Defense Minister Gantz.
"There may be a campaign", photo: Yossi Zelinger
Gantz's words were probably a blatant departure from the Israeli message board, which maintains thunderous silence.
All the political and security agencies that deal with the explosive issue - the National Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IDF, the Ministry of Energy - refrain from addressing Nasrallah's threats.
"no dispute"
The only statement that Israel releases is: "The Shark rig is in undisputed territory."
This statement was not pulled from the hip, but is based on the order of things as they were.
In 2011, after the discovery of the first gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, Israel and Lebanon submitted their territorial water maps to the United Nations. The intended location of the Shark rig was determined about five years later, based on the original Lebanese map.
Hassan Nasrallah.
Free to fight, photo: Reuters
Only after the location was chosen did Beirut expand the area of water that it claims belongs to it.
That is, when the Ministries of Energy and Foreign Affairs approved the location of the rig to Energian, they did so thinking that no problem should arise with our northern neighbor.
Of course, these facts do not change Nasrallah, who now, after the end of the civil war in Syria, is both free to quarrel with Israel and has found a supposedly good excuse - concern for the pockets of the Lebanese which he himself is emptying.
Gantz's words were probably a gross exception.
All the parties that deal with the issue maintain a deafening silence and refrain from referring to Nasrallah's threats
Lebanon officered positions
As mentioned, with the exception of Gantz's "slippage", Israel is deafening.
In Jerusalem, they still hope that the American mediator, Amos Hochstein, will be able to find a compromise that will prevent a conflict.
But the chances are not high.
Lebanon behaved irresponsibly throughout the talks, and instead of flexing positions - radicalized them.
Even if an agreed border is found, the government, which is on the eve of elections and without a majority in the Knesset, has no authority to approve it.
Referendum
And even without elections, any concession on part of the original border line is probably impossible.
MK Yariv Levin and Orit Struck wrote yesterday to Lapid and Levant that according to law, "any change to Israel's border line will be approved by the Knesset by a majority of 80 MKs, or will be submitted to a referendum after it is approved by the Knesset by a normal majority."
The Ecclesiastical Forum also prepared a petition to the High Court in this spirit.
Now, after the civil war in Syria, Nasrallah is free to quarrel with Israel, and has also found a good excuse - concern for the pockets of the Lebanese, who are emptying themselves
Even if classes do not resume in September, a big test awaits Lapid and Israel.
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