While the new agreement with Lebanon is expected to be placed on the Knesset table in the next two weeks, the President of Lebanon, Michel Aon, announced this evening (Thursday) that he approves the American proposal to draw the maritime border with Israel.
"The indirect agreement provides an answer to the Lebanese demands and fully preserves our rights," Aon emphasized.
The Lebanese president said that three gas exploration areas that were "threatened" as he put it, were kept under Lebanese control.
"The exploration process will open the door to new oil reserves and provide opportunities for other companies to participate in exploration and production operations that will restore confidence in our country and strengthen the hope of reviving our economy."
The President of Lebanon on the agreement: "It will bring security, stability and development (archive), photo: AFP
Aon said at the beginning of his remarks that the negotiations conducted by Lebanon in the last decade for the delineation of the maritime border and gas production have come to a positive end.
"I hope that at the end of these negotiations it will be a promising start to the economic revival that Lebanon needs through the completion of oil and gas exploration - which will achieve stability and security and development.
"After consulting with Speaker of the Parliament Navia Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati and after the Israeli government's announcement of its agreement - I am announcing Lebanon's agreement to adopt the final version prepared by the American mediator for delineating the maritime border."
Will the border agreement be approved soon?
(for illustration), photo: Eyal Margolin
Aon took office in October 2016. In 2010, he emphasized Lebanon's position to the United Nations where it placed point 23 as the end of its maritime border with Israel. According to him, this is the midpoint of the economic water borders between Lebanon, Cyprus and Israel. About a year later, Israel submitted its position Based on point 1. Point is based on the various agreements of Cyprus with Israel on the one hand and with Lebanon on the other. Thus, in fact, the disputed area of approximately 860 square kilometers was created.
According to the emerging agreement, Lebanon received most of the territory and the border will be based on the original Lebanese position.
Two sides to the agreement
While in Lebanon the agreements are being approved, in Israel the agreement was placed on the Knesset table for the MKs to review after the cabinet and the government discussed it. Now we count 14 days from the day of acceptance until the vote on approval of the agreement in the government.
As published in Israel Hayom, Prime Minister Lapid wants to be content with approving the agreement in the government, despite the legal restrictions and restraints that apply to a transitional government. The spokeswoman explained to Lapid that the closer the action of the transitional government is to the election, the less legitimacy it has to make significant decisions which bind the next government.
believes that the government can approve the agreement even without the Knesset, in Rabbi Miara (archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Due to the fact that the approval of the agreement will be approved less than three weeks from the date of the elections, she recommended not to be satisfied with the government's approval, but also in the Knesset in order to improve the legal position in the High Court. Before the dissolution of the Knesset and the announcement of elections.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
