Israel and Lebanon Hold Border Talks Despite State of War

Israel and Lebanon Hold Border Talks Despite State of War

Lebanon and Israel, which technically remain at war, sat down for a discussion to settle a decades-old dispute over their maritime border. The talks, supposed to last for two days, were scheduled at the base of a UN peacekeeping force in Naqoura, Lebanon.

While the negotiations are predicted on the potential exploration of natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea, the fact that they are happening is the inherent acknowledgment of Israel by Lebanon. Whenever the maritime border is settled, there are high chances of both the countries returning to other border disputes, thereby reinforcing Lebanon’s acknowledgment of Israeli and Lebanon sovereignty.

There is no doubt that Lebanon is fundamentally motivated to negotiate for the political and economic crisis. The country held high hopes for a hydrocarbon discovery in Block 4 off its coast — only to lose it when the French company Total reported it found little there. Now, the country hopes that Block 9 might give concrete results.

The normalization of ties between Israel and Lebanon would provide energy & power organizations transparency and comfort over the sovereignty of any likely hydrocarbon discovery. In any case, a maritime border deal between the two countries would involve them both signing off on a final map of the region, which would then be deposited with the UN. This would result in Lebanon formally recognizing Israel as a sovereign nation.

The negotiations come less than a month after Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates agreed to maintain relations with Israel following US-brokered deals.

What Exactly Happened at the Talks?

During their initial meeting, Lebanon and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to resolve their overlapping claims in the eastern Mediterranean after almost three years of US mediation. The first round of discussion at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force In Lebanon (Unifil) was held by US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker and the US ambassador to Algeria, John Desrocher. The talks lasted only an hour, and both parties agreed to meet on October 28 again.

Lebanese Brigadier General Bassam Yassin said the meeting marked “the initial step in the thousand-mile journey towards the demarcation” of the southern borders. “We look forward to achieving this feat within a reasonable period,” he included.

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, who approved both parties’ participation in the next round, said in a statement he agreed “to give the process a chance.”

In Lebanon, the formation of the Lebanese delegation has been overwhelmed by two Shia parties who appeared to be trying to dispel suspicions of negotiation intent that could be the significant factor behind the talks.

Lebanese Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah and its political ally Amal condemned the inclusion of civilians in the delegation. The statement said that they criticized the negotiating team for including civilians and politicians, implying the talks should consist of only military officials.

They said, “This harms Lebanon’s position and interests…and the amounts to giving in to the Israeli logic that seeks some form of normalization.”

Why are Israel and Lebanon at War?

Israel and Lebanon have remained at war since the Arab-Israel conflict of 1948-49. While there is no formal land border between them, they are entrusted to a ceasefire along the so-called Blue Line.

The United Nations drew up the line following Israeli forces’ withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah went into a month-long conflict that killed 1,190 Lebanese and 163 Israelis. The war ended in a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations.

Pierre El Sokhn