Bassil Hits Back at Israel, Asks It to Sign U.N. Law of Sea Treaty
In response to the Israeli cabinet’s approval on Sunday of a map of the Jewish state's proposed maritime borders with Lebanon, which conflicts significantly with those proposed by Lebanon in its own submission to the U.N., Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil said Lebanon had demarcated its maritime borders according to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, calling on Israel to “sign this convention before speaking about international laws.”
Commenting on the Israeli cabinet’s announcement that it will soon present the map of its maritime economic zone located between Lebanon and Cyprus for a U.N. opinion, Bassil told Agence France Presse: “We don’t have a presupposition. Let’s see what will Israel send to the U.N. Should it respect international law, there will be no problem.”
Bassil noted, however, that the Israeli remarks might be “a prelude to a breach, as has always been the case with Israel and its violation of our sea, water, sky and territory – and now of our oil rights,” adding that the Jewish state has rarely respected international treaties.
The minister clarified that Lebanon had “demarcated its borders according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and sent the map to the U.N.” last year.
“This treaty mentions how borders should be demarcated, and Lebanon is a signatory of this treaty, while Israel has yet to sign it. Israel must respect international law, not through words but rather through joining this treaty and signing it like Lebanon did, or else let it shut up and stop talking about international laws,” Bassil added.
Asked about Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s remarks that “Lebanon, under pressure from Hizbullah, is looking for friction,” Bassil said that any Israeli breach concerns “entire Lebanon, not only Hizbullah,” adding that “no Lebanese accepts to relinquish oil or maritime right.”
The minister said that the companies cooperating with Israel in the field of oil and gas excavation “must realize that the investment atmosphere in the region and the Mediterranean … will become turbulent should any breach of our rights occur.”
“In that case, not only Lebanon’s interests will be harmed, but also the interests of Israel, Cyprus and these companies. But if we all respect international law, all our interests will be preserved and we will have a suitable and stable investment atmosphere,” Bassil noted.
“Either we all get the chance to benefit from our oil wealth and resources, or we will all be at risk,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the Israeli cabinet “today approved the draft of the northern maritime border of Israel."
"This line demarcates the area of the state's economic rights, including the exploitation of natural resources."
Israel's map could bring it into fresh conflict with Lebanon, with both countries disagreeing on where the border lies.
"The outline that Lebanon submitted to the U.N. is significantly further south than the line Israel is proposing," Netanyahu said at the meeting.
"It also conflicts with the line that we have agreed upon with Cyprus and, what is more significant in my eyes, it conflicts with the line that Lebanon itself agreed upon with Cyprus in 2007."
"Our goal is to determine Israel's position regarding its maritime border, in keeping with the principles of international maritime law," Netanyahu said.
Israel has been moving to develop several large offshore natural gas fields in the Mediterranean that it hopes could help it to become an energy exporter.
But its development plans have stirred controversy with Lebanon, which argues the gas fields lie inside its territorial waters. Israel does not have officially demarcated maritime borders with Lebanon, and the two countries remain technically at war.
Lieberman said Israel was convinced it would win support for its position at the United Nations.
"We will soon be presenting the United Nations headquarters in New York with our position on our maritime borders," Lieberman told Israeli public radio.
"We have already concluded an agreement on this issue with Cyprus ... Lebanon, under pressure from Hizbullah, is looking for friction, but we will not give up any part of what is rightfully ours," he added.
The two biggest known offshore fields, Tamar and Leviathan, lie off Israel's northern city of Haifa.
Tamar is believed to hold at least 8.4 trillion cubic feet of gas (238 billion cubic meters), while Leviathan is believed to have reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet (450 billion cubic meters).
In recent weeks, an Israeli company has also announced the discovery of two new natural gas fields, Sarah and Mira, around 70 kilometers off the city of Hadera further south.
Source: Agence France Presse
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