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Israel has approved a maritime deal with Lebanon which will end a decades long dispute over the two countries territorial waters in the Mediterranean, in a moved hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid as a hostile state’s formal recognition of the State of Israel.
The agreement was unanimously voted for by the Israeli cabinet on Thursday, and is intend to end a long running dispute over approximately 330 square miles of the Mediterranean Sea. There is hope the deal will provide Lebanon access to the rich gas fields in the waters, allowing it to become less dependent on Iran for its energy and economic security. It will also provide Israel with further security with the recognition of the ‘buoy-line’, which prevents the Lebanese navy from being able to view the Israeli coastline directly.
Mr Lapid stated: “It is not every day that an enemy state recognises the State of Israel, in a written agreement, in view of the entire intentional community”. Israel and Lebanon are technically still at war and although the deal does not refer to land disputes it is a tacit recognition of Israel by Lebanon, made more significant by having the approval of the powerful Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.
Lapid called the deal an economic achievement, adding: “This agreement strengthens and fortifies Israel’s security and our freedom of action against Hezbollah and threats from the north. There is a rare consensus from the whole defence establishment on the importance of the agreement”.
The signing ceremony was attended by Israeli and Lebanese delegations, UN officials and US Special envoy Amos Hochstein who helped broker the deal. However, a spokesman for the Lebanese presidency asserted that the Lebanese delegation would not meet with the Israeli delegation.
