#Israel: offshore exploration and the Lebanese dimension
▻http://www.mesp.me/2016/08/31/israel-offshore-exploration-lebanese-dimension
Twenty-four blocks are on offer. They do not include northern blocks running along the Lebanese-Israeli borders. Not a coincidence, according to an article by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, which claims Israel prefers avoiding a clash with Lebanon over potential hydrocarbon resources. The article goes further and claims the authorities also prevented drilling in Alon D, a block that is entirely in Israeli waters, even according to Lebanese maps. There are indications the block might contain hydrocarbon resources, with a possibility that these potential resources might extend into the Lebanese side of the border.
If the information is correct, it shows a degree of caution the Israelis have rarely exercised vis-à-vis Lebanon. The article raises more questions than answers. Is this cautious approach a result of the deterrence equation established at the border? A willingness not to disturb Special Envoy and Coordinator for international Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein’s final mediation efforts before the end of President Barack Obama’s term? Or is it intended to exert pressure on Lebanon to discourage Beirut from offering blocks on the border in its upcoming tender?