An emerging deal brokered by the U.S. to resolve a maritime border dispute between Israel and its neighboring state Lebanon has been panned as “dangerous” by critics, including former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while current Israeli leader Yair Lapid has hailed the deal, as has Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Following an announcement on Saturday by Lebanese President Michel Aoun regarding U.S. proposals for the demarcation of a maritime border with Israel, Nasrallah said that Lebanon would be the ultimate decision-maker in the agreement.
A day later Lapid lauded the proposal for “safeguarding Israel’s security-diplomatic interests, as well as its economic interests.”
“Money will flow into the state’s coffers and our energy independence will be secured. This deal strengthens Israel’s security and Israel’s economy,” Lapid said.
“We do not oppose the development of an additional Lebanese gas field, from which we will of course receive the share we deserve. Such a field will weaken Lebanon’s dependence on Iran, restrain Hezbollah and promote regional stability,” he went on.
The proposal, drafted by mediator and former U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, Amos Hochstein, would allow energy production from the offshore Karish gas field, which is the crux of the dispute between the two nations. While Israel maintains that the gas field is within its territorial waters, Lebanon claims it’s partially within theirs.
Hezbollah, the terror group that effectively controls Lebanese politics, has threatened war over Israel’s decision to develop the Karish gas field and has attacked the rig twice in recent months. The Israeli military has intercepted several Hezbollah drones headed for the rig in over the summer.
Critics have slammed the emerging deal as capitulation to threats from Hezbollah.
“Lapid shamefully surrendered to Nasrallah’s threats,” Netanyahu said on Sunday. “He is giving Hezbollah sovereign territory of the State of Israel with a huge gas reservoir.”
“He did it without discussion in the Knesset and without a referendum. Lapid has no right to hand over territory and sovereign revenues to an enemy state,” he added.
Professor Eugene Kontorovich, director of international law at the Jerusalem-based Kohelet Policy Forum, told Breitbart that the deal was a last ditch attempt by Lapid to gather points ahead of Israel’s upcoming election next month.
According to Kontorovich, the Lapid caretaker government was “surrendering to Hezbollah and Iran at the request of the Biden Administration” and “making permanent sacrifices just weeks before a general election.”
Pointing to the protests sweeping Iran, Kotorovich said: “As the people of Iran fight for their freedom, Israel is surrendering to Tehran via Beirut without even getting an acknowledgement of its existence in return, let alone peace.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.