Netanyahu rejects Lapid invitation to meeting on demarcation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli Media
16 Oct 2022 22:36

Israeli media reports that former Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, refused to hold a meeting with current Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, to discuss the maritime demarcation agreement.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current Prime Minister Yair Lapid

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to attend a meeting with the current Prime Minister Yair Lapid to discuss the final draft of the maritime demarcation agreement recently reached with the US mediator.

The Israeli website Walla! reported on Sunday that "opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu refused to hold a summit meeting with Yair Lapid" which sought to discuss the maritime demarcation agreement that has been ongoing with the US in order to define the maritime economic zone in which "Israel" can begin oil production without being threatened by the Lebanese Resistance.

Netanyahu called for “presenting the agreement with Lebanon to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset,” explaining that “Lapid’s behavior is undemocratic.”

Earlier, Israeli occupation opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu said that the dangerous aspect of the agreement is that "Lapid and Gantz set a very dangerous precedent: terrorism is threatening Israel into retreat. This a devastating hit to our deterrence power."

"The maritime agreement with Lebanon is an embarrassing act of surrender by Lapid and Gantz to (Hezbollah Secretary-General) Nasrallah. Lebanon got 100%, and "Israel" got nothing," Netanyahu said.

Israeli media also reported that Netanyahu criticized the drafted agreement from a position of opposition. The opposition leader argued that "this is not a historical agreement, but rather a historical submission, liquidation [in the commercial sense] one that pertains specifically to Lapid," adding that "For over a decade, governments under my leadership did not surrender to Nasrallah's threats, nor did we accept war, until Lapid arrived...and within three months, Lapid had fully surrendered to all of Hezbollah's demands."

On the other hand, the Yesh Atid party, led by Yair Lapid, attacked Netanyahu for not responding to the Israeli prime minister's call to review the agreement with Lebanon, explaining that "Netanyahu only cares about himself."

Last Wednesday, the Israeli Cabinet for Security and Political Affairs approved, by a majority of votes, the final version of the maritime border demarcation agreement with Lebanon, which was prepared by the United States after consultations with both the Lebanese government and the Israeli government. Later, the occupation government approved by its majority the principles of the agreement, to be voted on once and for all after 14 days.

The office of Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement that "The government approved by a large majority the principles of the agreement with Lebanon and Prime Minister Yair Lapid's proposal to present the agreement before the Knesset," adding that "The members of the government expressed their support for the importance and necessity of the maritime agreement with Lebanon at this time, and they also supported Prime Minister Lapid's proposal to put the agreement on the Knesset table."

Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced on Thursday that Lebanon agreed to adopt the final formula prepared by the US mediator Amos Hochstein to demarcate the southern maritime borders.

In a televised speech, Aoun stressed that "this agreement responds to the Lebanese demands and preserves our rights in full," stressing that this achievement would not have been completed without the unified Lebanese stance.