Prime Minister Yair Lapid today (Sunday) convened the ministers for a cabinet meeting, in which he mainly talked about the ongoing discussions surrounding the maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
Lapid said at the beginning of the yeshiva: "During the weekend, the American mediator's proposal for an agreement on the maritime border between the two countries was accepted in Lebanon and Israel. We are conducting discussions on the final details, so it is not possible to welcome the finality yet, but as we demanded from day one, the proposal preserves the full security and political interests of Israel, and also about our economic interests.
The maritime border between Israel and Lebanon, photo: Eyal Margolin - Gini
"For more than ten years Israel has tried to reach this deal. The security of the north will be strengthened, the Harish rig will operate and produce gas, the money will go into the state coffers and our energy independence is guaranteed. This is a deal that strengthens Israeli security and the Israeli economy. We have no objection to the development of another Lebanese gas reservoir, from which we will receive Of course the royalties we deserve. Such a pool will weaken Lebanese dependence on Iran, curb Hezbollah and bring regional stability."
He also said: "The mediator's proposal is now under legal review. After the review is completed, we will bring the decision, together with Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in coordination with the legal adviser to the government, for discussion and approval.
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We expect tens of thousands of immigrants in the coming months and we are preparing for it and welcome it."
Israel gave up most of the gas field
According to Lapid's words, it seems that Israel has given up most of the Kana gas field to Lebanon (to be fair, it should be noted that from the beginning the Israeli claim to ownership of it was less clear than a shark. Also, this is a potential field that is not certain to contain gas).
The implied approval is in the quote: "We have no objection to the development of another Lebanese gas reservoir, from which we will of course receive the royalties we deserve."
A torch above the Harish gas rig, photo: Amos Ben Gershom / L.A.M
The meaning of the royalties, as published, is that most of the field will be in the territory of Lebanon and a small part (its southern bulge) in the territory of Israel.
If the rig that will be built in the Lebanese part finds gas, Israel will receive compensation in exchange for the relative part of the Kana field that is in its territory.
It appears: the agreement will only be submitted for Cabinet approval, and not in the Knesset
Also, Lapid hints in his words that he will bring the agreement for approval only in the cabinet and not in the Knesset, as published in "Israel Hayom".
This was not stated explicitly, but the fact that he refrained from saying that the agreement would be brought to the Knesset for approval and also indicated that its approval process would be done under the auspices of the ombudsman, hints at this.
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