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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221104-finally-the-mask-slipped-from-the-face-of-hassan-nasrallah/">middleeastmonitor.com</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Finally, the mask slipped from the face of Hassan Nasrallah</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Dr Amira Abo el-Fetouh</div>
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November 4, 2022 at 10:01 am </span>
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<p>The Secretary-General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah stood proud
following the maritime demarcation and gas extraction agreement
concluded between Lebanon and the Zionist entity, describing it as a
historic victory that is added to his previous victories in 2000 and
2006!</p>
<p>Paradoxically, the Zionist entity also considers the agreement a
victory, so Hassan Nasrallah shares joy and happiness with what he
claims to be his enemy, which he <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220610-hezbollah-we-can-stop-israels-gas-exploration-in-disputed-waters/">threatened</a>,
in a speech delivered four months ago on 9 June saying: "We announce
before the Lebanese people that the resistance is militarily and
financially able to prevent the enemy from extracting oil and gas from
the Karish field, and all its measures will not protect this floating
platform. The resistance has the physical, military, security,
technological, logistical and human capability to prevent the enemy from
extracting oil and gas from the Karish field, yes we have this
capability."</p>
<p>The agreement, which has been signed by the President of Lebanon and
the Prime Minister of the Zionist entity, Yair Lapid, completely grants
the Zionist entity the Karish gas field, which the entity has already
extracted gas from, while Lebanon gets two-thirds of the Qana gas field,
and one third remains for the Zionist entity.</p>
<p>Lapid considered the deal a "political achievement" since it is a
recognition of the state of Israel by an enemy state through a written
agreement before the international community. He also considered it an
economic achievement since Israel took over the Karish field as well as
17 per cent of the profits generated by the Qana-Sidon field, and that
the Zionist entity benefits from this agreement at the security,
economic and diplomatic levels.</p>
<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221030-karish-gas-field-to-help-address-europes-energy-crisis-israel/">Karish gas field to help address Europe's energy crisis: Israel</a></strong></p>
<p>Israeli media said the deal was signed in the same tent but without a
handshake between the two parties and no photos were taken.</p>
<p>President Michel Aoun concluded his presidency in 2022 with an
agreement with the Zionists. Under this agreement, Lebanon officially
became a protector of the borders of the Zionist entity and an economic
partner with it, and this is not new to Aoun, when he was army
commander, he was among the first to welcome the Israeli forces when
they invaded Lebanon in 1982.</p>
<p>Thus, both the Zionist entity and Hezbollah consider the agreement a
political achievement that can be politically exploited in their
environment or society. Lapid is taking part in the new legislative
elections against Benjamin Netanyahu, who attacked this agreement and
considered it a concession from Israel to Hezbollah. "This is not a
historical agreement with Lebanon, rather, it is a historic Israeli
surrender," Netanyahu said.</p>
<p>Hezbollah also needs to promote this agreement as a political victory
added to its military victories to counter the accusations that were
brought against it as a party of resistance and opposition against the
Zionist enemy, and not as a political force that supports negotiations
that lead to agreeing with its enemy.</p>
<p>But what is noticeable is that Lebanon did not refer to the security
benefit of the historic agreement, and it seems that Lebanon
deliberately neglected this aspect, while the officials of the Zionist
government were keen to show the interdependence between securing
stability and ensuring security in the north of the Zionist entity,
besides the economic interest in operating the Karish field since it
generates huge funds to the public treasury, and contributes to enabling
energy independence. In previous statements, Lapid considered that the
agreement "weakens Lebanon's dependence on Iran" and also weakens
Hezbollah, and this will provide stability as the agreement will
contribute to avoiding war.</p>
<p>Certainly, working in the gas and oil fields requires stability and
not wars between the two parties that signed the agreement, and I think
that this is the reason Lebanon avoided talking about the security
dimension of the agreement to satisfy Iran and Hezbollah, who want to
continue pretending that they are at war without firing a single shot at
the Zionist entity.</p>
<p>The worst aspect of the border demarcation agreement, however, was
that it recognised the full right of the Zionist entity to the gas and
land of Palestine, and Hezbollah became a guarantor of the security of
the occupation state.</p>
<p>The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not
necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.</p>
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