John Reed in Jerusalem and Erika Solomon in Beirut
Row over wedge of Mediterranean Sea casts shadow over oil and gas tenders
An Israeli attempt to establish sovereignty over a disputed area of the Mediterranean has angered Lebanon and put the two countries at odds when both are trying to attract foreign investors in oil and gas.
The disagreement over the maritime border comes at a time of rising tensions between Israel and Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group, and serves as a reminder of regional geopolitical risk as both Israel and Lebanon — two enemy states — want to secure multibillion-dollar energy investments.
The dispute stretches back years, but has burst into the open in recent days after it was revealed that the Israeli government plans to propose a “maritime areas law” that would seek to establish Israel’s sovereignty over the disputed area that both countries claim as part of their territorial waters.
