Israel’s Security Cabinet voted on Wednesday afternoon in favor of a statement by caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid on the US-brokered maritime boundary agreement with Lebanon. The cabinet then voted to support the deal as well.
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“There is importance and urgency in reaching the maritime agreement between Israel and Lebanon, at this time,” said Lapid’s statement. “The members of the Security Cabinet express their support for the Government of Israel to advance the agreement.”
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Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and Energy Minister Karine Elharrar attended the meeting along with Lapid and Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. All voted in support of the statement except for Shaked, who abstained.
But Shaked voted against the agreement when the second vote was taken.
“I will start from the end – I insist that if the agreement is not brought to the Knesset for approval, I will oppose it,” Shaked wrote in a tweet following publication of the decision. “And for the benefit of those who understood otherwise – the vote that took place today in the cabinet is not a vote on the agreement itself, but on the Prime Minister’s announcement at the end of the cabinet meeting. It is of no importance. It was intended for public relations purposes only. That is why I did not agree to take part in it and vote for it.”
Following the meeting, Lapid’s office said in a statement that the agreement and its explanatory notes will be sent to the Knesset tonight and “will be brought to the attention of all members of the Knesset. It is set to be presented to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
“At the end of 14 days, the agreement will be submitted for government approval. This is in accordance with the necessary regulations, as well as the overview and approval of the Attorney General.”
Lapid had said Tuesday in announcing the deal that the agreement is “an historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, inject billions into Israel’s economy and ensure the stability of our northern border.
Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who was present at the meeting, disagreed, although he supported the agreement with a statement that attempted to side with the opposition as well as with the cabinet vote.
“This is neither a time for a victory lap nor for lamentation, as if this were some kind of catastrophe,” Bennett said.
“This agreement is not a historic diplomatic victory, but at the same time it is not a terrible defeat. This is a necessary arrangement, made obligatory by the situation we are in, with problematic timing.
“Unfortunately, even this meeting on an important security issue for Israel, based on strategic needs, was carried out with political considerations mixed in from all sides,” Bennett said.
“As someone with no political interests, I learned the subject in depth, and I made my decision responsibly,” he added in a clearly disingenuous comment.
The agreement now goes to the full government cabinet for a vote, where it is expected to pass without difficulty.
Lapid has also managed to bypass any opposition from the Israeli parliament: the Knesset will be allowed to review the agreement but will have no vote on the matter.
