State tells High Court of urgent need to sign Lebanese maritime deal

19 October 2022, 8:18 pm

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Prime Minister Yair Lapid (L), alongside Energy Minister Karine Elharrar (C) and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, speak to the press in Jerusalem about the Israel-Lebanon maritime border deal, October 12, 2022 (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)

In its submission to the High Court, the government says there is an urgent need to sign the maritime border deal with Lebanon.

The court will hear petitions tomorrow against the deal, which the government does not intend to bring before the Knesset for a vote or to a referendum.

The state’s position is that there are weighty security, political and economic-energy reasons that support the approval of the agreement, which was preceded by a protracted process of years-long negotiations by various governments, including during the election period.

The state argues there is a limited window of opportunity to get the deal signed.