Speaker Berri: Hochstein to Visit in Coming Days Although no official travel plans have been announced by State Department spokesperson Ned Price, Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri made public remarks alluding to an upcoming visit of the State Department’s Senior Advisor for Energy Security Amos Hochstein to Lebanon. He has been the key US mediator in Lebanon’s negotiations concerning the demarcation of its maritime border with Israel. [Reuters]
President Aoun Reported to Refrain from Provocation on Border Tensions According to Naharnet, the President of the Lebanese Republic, Michel Aoun, is reported to be refraining from any provocation of the ‘US mediator’ in his approach to Lebanon’s recent maritime border tensions with Israel. Naharnet alleges that, “the Americans have relayed an Israeli message to Lebanon saying that Israel does not want to escalate the situation in connection with the latest row over gas drilling in a possibly disputed area . . . ‘that’s why [President Aoun] does not see a necessity to hurry up in signing the amended decree, and he prefers to hear what (U.S. mediator Amos) Hochstein has to say in order to act accordingly’.” [Naharnet]
Parliament Elects Members of Committees After today’s session in the Lebanese Parliament, the legislative body voted on the members comprising a number of Parliamentary committees, including the Finance and Budget Committee; the Justice and Administration Committee; and the Media and Communications Committee. [L’Orient Today]
LAF Arrests 64 Attempting to Flee Lebanon From Northern Coast The Lebanese Armed Forces announced its detainment of a group of 64 – some of whom Lebanese emigrants while others, Syrian and Palestinian refugees – attempting to flee Lebanon for Europe over the Mediterranean Sea from its Northern coast. [AP News]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
The National Lebanon’s Financial Crisis Explained: What Happened And Why Is The Country Stuck? Sunniva Rose
Rose writes, “The ABL and successive governments have disagreed for more than two years about how to address the country’s financial meltdown. The disagreements have held up vital reforms and talks on an IMF bailout. In the absence of decision-making, small depositors have suffered the brunt of the losses. About three quarters of the population have slid into poverty, according to the UN. How did Lebanon get here and what caused the country’s financial crisis?”
France24 Arrival Of Israeli Gas Installation Reignites Lebanon Maritime Border Dispute Marc Daou
Daou writes, “In abeyance for more than a decade, the dispute between Israel and Lebanon over the two countries’ maritime borders resurfaced on June 5. The Lebanese presidency warned the Israeli government against any “aggressive actions” in the disputed maritime area. After a floating production, storage and offloading unit belonging to the company Energean (listed in both Tel Aviv and London) arrived on Sunday, the problem was obvious: Israel and Lebanon have never drawn their borders. The Karish gas field where Israel is exploring is located in a disputed area of 860 km2 in the middle of the eastern Mediterranean where huge gas reserves have been found in recent years. The Lebanese government even invited the US envoy Amos Hochstein – charged by President Joe Biden with mediating between the two countries – asking him to help restart talks with Israel over the issue.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.
