Israel and Lebanon reach deal on maritime border
Israel and Lebanon are officially at war with each other, but after years of negotiations the two countries have reached an agreement on offshore gas fields and therefore on where the maritime border between the two countries lies. According to Israeli sources, Lebanon is giving up its claims to the Karish gas field in exchange for access to the Qana gas field, a small part of which lies in Israeli waters. Israel will receive a percentage of the revenues in return.
Europe could also benefit
At last, good news from the Middle East, Die Welt applauds:
“The agreement indicates that players in the region are acting with an eye to the future. Because the agreement on maritime borders makes the conflict-free use of the natural gas deposits along their coastlines possible for both states as well as their partners. Over the next few years, this perspective could help solve not only the financial but also the energy problems of the involved parties. In the long run it could also benefit Europe, which will remain dependent on alternative energy suppliers.”
Not yet a done deal
Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid has hailed the deal as historic, but it is not yet done and dusted, warns Jerusalem correspondent Davide Frattini in Corriere della Sera:
“Lapid's government must ratify the agreement by the end of the month, and elections will be held on November 1. This is a race against time: parliament has two weeks to discuss the details, and two petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court to block it all. Bibi Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing opposition, has already announced that he is against it and plans to annul the signing if he comes back to power.”