Lebanon and Israel Begin Maritime Border Negotiations After Decades of Animosity

Oil fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, many yet untapped, are one of many points at stake in the developing Israel-Lebanon border negotiation. Source.

Lebanon and Israel, two states that are technically still at war and, as of now, have no diplomatic relations, have begun negotiations over a long-debated maritime border in the Eastern Mediterranean - an area that could have significant implications for development of oil fields in the area. The negotiations come after years of hostilities between the two states, and mark the first non-security negotiations in over thirty years, presenting a possible first step towards a more-amiable relationship between the two historical enemies. The area in dispute, a 330-square mile region rich in natural gases, is claimed by both states as within their economic jurisdiction.

The two countries’ delegations, led by Director General of the Israelian Ministry of Energy, Udi Adiri, of Israel, and General Bassam Yassin of Lebanon, met briefly on Wednesday, October 14th in the Lebanese border town of Naqoura, a town that hosts the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force for the area. They plan to meet again on October 28th. 

The talks are taking place under the moderation of the United Nations and mediated by the United States. Representatives from both of the mediational bodies have expressed hope for the success of these talks with the possible indication of an improved relationship between Israel and Lebanon, with a representative of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, stating that “the United Nations through its representatives is fully committed to supporting the parties in the discussions, as requested by them, as they work towards a final agreed outcome,” and U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, expressing that these discussions “have the potential to yield greater stability, security and prosperity for Lebanese and Israeli citizens alike.”

The countries in question do not seem to believe that these talks will facilitate movement towards more peaceful relations between the two countries, as officials on both sides stress that the maritime border is the only topic of discussion, and the the possible normalization of relations, like the agreements that Israel has recently signed with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, is not on the table. The parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s militant group, emphasized this point, stating that the talks were not intended to reconcile with Israel, but to define the border of “national sovereignty” of the Lebanese state. However, the Lebanese delegation head, General Bassam Yassin, acknowledges that these talks could initiate further cooperation between the two states, stating: “Our meeting today will launch the train of technical, indirect negotiations, and represents the first step on a thousand-mile journey for demarcating the southern borders.”

There are meaningful stakes for each state going into these negotiations. Israel seeks to deprive Hezbollah of an excuse to go to war with them or target their gas-drilling platforms, as well as illustrate the benefits of Lebanese cooperation with Israel. Lebanon seeks to facilitate the acquisition of oil and gas reserves within its borders, revenue that could encourage the recovery of the Lebanese economy, as its currency has lost 80 percent of its value against the dollar in the past year, and its debt-to-GDP ratio is among the worst in the world. Successful negotiations would allow international oil and gas companies to search for oil off of Lebanon’s coast, a boon to its struggling economy. 

While these talks only aim to establish an agreed border between the two states, and officially have nothing to do with an improved relationship between the states, the mere occurrence of negotiations between the two states seem to point to a decrease in immediate hostilities and opens the door for possible reconciliation in the future.