Newly appointed Prime Minister, Yaïr Lapid had reserved his first diplomatic visit abroad on Tuesday to “his longtime friend Emmanuel Macron”, notes the left-wing Israeli daily Ha’Aretz.
In Paris, the two centrist leaders who are said to be close and who “communicate regularly via WhatsApp”according to Times of Israelexpressed their willingness to work together to thwart Iran’s regional ambitions and promote a gas deal between Israel and Lebanon.
“Iran still refuses to seize the opportunity given to it to conclude a good agreement […] We will continue, in close coordination with our partners, all efforts to try to bring (him) back to reason”launched Emmanuel Macron by receiving Yaïr Lapid.
Despite this “enthusiastic reception, deep political disagreements were evident in the leaders’ public statements”note however the Times of Israel. The two men recorded their differences on the 2015 agreement (“ JCPOA”) framing the Iranian nuclear program, which the Europeans are trying to save but which the Jewish state considers totally ineffective. “Lapid turned to Macron and reminded him [qu’en 2018] yet he was the first world leader to recognize that a better deal with Iran […] was necessary”note Yediot Aharonot.
“The settlement of the dispute between Israel and Lebanon will also benefit France”
Emmanuel Macron and Yair Lapid also discussed the gas dispute between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday. The two neighboring countries, officially still in a state of war, had started unprecedented negotiations in October 2020 under the aegis of Washington to delimit their maritime border, in order to remove the obstacles to the prospecting of hydrocarbons. But talks were suspended in May 2021 following disputes over the surface of the disputed area, including the Karish gas field.
“Both countries have an interest in reaching an agreement that will allow energy exploitation for the benefit of both peoples. […] France is already contributing to it and is ready to contribute more”underlined Mr. Macron. “The energy company Total, which is partly owned by the French government, has the rights to gas exploration in the economic waters of Lebanon”, affirmed to Jerusalem Post an Israeli official, adding that “the settlement of the maritime border dispute with Israel would also benefit France”.
“The French government seems interested in the natural gas from the platform (from Karish), which must be liquefied, transported to Egypt and sold to Europe. These supplies have grown in importance as Europe tries to replace Russian gas after Russia invaded Ukraine”remarks on his side Ha’Aretz.