Government to discuss maritime border agreement

(A7) The government will convene on Wednesday to discuss the maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon. At 11:00 AM the security cabinet will meet, after which, at 1:00 PM, the government will hold a special meeting. Prime minister Yair Lapid will open the meeting by presenting the details of the agreement to the ministers, after which the government will discuss the manner in which the agreement would be brought to approval.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the Knesset Micky Levi has decided to allow the details of the agreement to be left on the Knesset floor, pending the government’s decision, which would allow MKs to review them as soon as the government’s meeting adjourns.

In an opinion sent to the cabinet ministers in preparation for the discussion, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara recommended that the prime minister bring the agreement with Lebanon before the Knesset for approval, but does not obligate him to do so.

The agreement with Lebanon has proven to be controversial in Israel, both because of its significance to the Hizbollah terror group and because of the political issues that arise while making such a decision during an election period, without Knesset approval or a public referendum. On Tuesday Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced that she will vote against the maritime border agreement with Lebanon if the government does not bring it to the Knesset plenum for approval and instead merely brings it up for review.