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ISRAEL’S Supreme Court today threw out four legal challenges to a maritime agreement with Lebanon controversial in both countries, paving the way to its ratification this week.
Critics said the interim government had no mandate to strike a deal they said ceded Israeli territory.
The deal strikes a compromise over disputed areas of the Mediterranean and allocates rights to gas fields, giving Lebanon control of the Qana field (but Israel a right to claim 17 per cent of revenues from it) and Israel control of the Karish field.
It was negotiated via the United States, since Lebanon and Israel have no diplomatic relations.
It is seen as a step towards normalising “soft” recognition of Israel in the Arab world by both supporters and critics.
The Lebanese Communist Party has condemned the deal, declaring that “Lebanon’s oil and gas wealth is the property of the Lebanese people, and not the property of the corrupt authoritarian system working to plunder it with its international sponsors.”
Israeli rightwingers oppose the deal for the same reason but different motives, claiming increased gas profits in Lebanon will enrich the Hezbollah militia because of pervasive corruption.
