Lebanon today: Tuesday , May 21 Top news

May 21, 2019

A Lebanon, Israel border demarcation deal would strip Hezbollah of its most “legitimate” argument to bear arms

Lebanon has been recently locked in intense US-mediated negotiations to resolve its maritime and land borders dispute with Israel. If successful, the negotiations could have a ripple effect on Hezbollah’s pretext to bear arms, diplomats say. One could draw parallels with Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, which undermined justifications behind Syria’s continued military presence in the small Mediterranean country leading to its withdrawal five years later.

File photo : Former U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Satterfield is shown with Prime Minister Saad Hariri at his office in Beirut. Satterfield met PM Hariri , speaker Nabih Berri and President Michel Aoun

Progress reported in Lebanon , Israel border demarcation talks

Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield returned to Lebanon from Israel on Tuesday with a “positive impression” l as talks on the demarcation of maritime and land borders between the two enemy countries progresses. According to Asharq al-Awsat report, Israel agreed on the demarcation but had asked for clarification on some issues.
“Satterfield is trying to get answers from Lebanon,” sources were quoted by Asharq al-Awsat as saying, adding that it was the first time that Satterfield “had conveyed a positive atmosphere by the Israeli side, unlike previous times.” “There is progress in the efforts by Satterfield, but it is not over,” a statement from the Speaker Nabih Berri’s office was quoted as saying

Lebanon cabinet set to complete 2019 draft budget

The cabinet observed a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Istanbul terror attack that killed 39 individuals, including three Lebanese, and wounded many.

Heavily-indebted Lebanon is close to finalising its draft 2019 budget aimed at cutting the deficit to 7.6% of gross domestic product despite social protests over feared benefits losses. The deficit was 11.2% of GDP in 2018. The cabinet has met daily to debate the state budget that tries to rein in one of the world’s heaviest public debt burdens, at 150% of GDP. Lebanon’s ministers will convene again on Wednesday for a final reading of the draft budget, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah said after Tuesday’s session. “Today is an important stop with the achievement of the budget with encouraging deficit numbers and a real path of reform,” Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said earlier.

4 responses to “Lebanon today: Tuesday , May 21 Top news”

Arzna

May 22, 2019

A deal on border demarcation between Lebanon and Syria and Lebanon and Israel would be a great move for peace and prosperity for Lebanon and the whole region . I am all for it

Reply
Kris Welter

May 22, 2019

The best way to settle the border dispute with Israel is to get rid of Israel and talk to the Palestinians. Once Israel is GONE, 95% of the problems disappear. Anything short of that is just putting lipstick on a pig. It’s still fat, ugly, stupid and rooting through your garden eating your vegetables at night.

Reply
1. vs
  
  May 23, 2019
  
  rat, go to hell
  
  Reply
2. MaryTPresumptuous
  
  May 23, 2019
  
  You illustrate the central problem: by imagining that a no-Israel scenario solves 95% of your problem, you gleefully embrace that Lebanon will still suffer unendingly because that “last 5%” is what is killing the nation. The 95%? Not so much; Just the 5% of all that hatred that makes your everyday so difficult. You are resigned either to re-fighting or capitulating the losses in the civil war, rather than not moving on from and past it.
  
  You are such a tool.
  
  Reply