The Israel-Lebanon Gas Deal Isn’t Over – But It’s In Danger

Another year, another Israeli election.

This time, everyone's favourite Israeli hard-right security freak Benjamin Netanyahu, a.k.a Bibi, is back. His Likud party and allied coalition members gained a solid majority of 64 in the most recent elections. Understandably, with Bibi's election, much is at stake.

But some say it's the survival of the Israel-Lebanon gas deal, also known as the maritime border deal, which was initially struck October 27, that is most at risk.

The deal primarily covers agreements between two contested gas fields, the Israeli Karish field and the Lebanese Qana prospect, and was to settle ongoing Israeli claims on Lebanon's Qana prospect.

Under the recent friend-shoring trend, Eastern Mediterranean gas is emerging as a key supply route for European gas importers. This deal was critical because it stood to enhance Israel's ability to continue growing as an exporter to the European gas market - and grant Lebanon the opportunity to begin consolidating its gas-exp...