Hezballah drones were the opening shot of a maritime energy war vs Israel

Author: Published: July 7, 2022

https://www.debka.com/hizballah-drones-were-the-opening-shot-of-a-maritime-energy-war-vs-israel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hizballah-drones-were-the-opening-shot-of-a-maritime-energy-war-vs-israel

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The IDF’s revelation on Wednesday, July 6, of a fourth Hizballah drone that was intercepted heading for Israel’s Karish gas rig, confirmed an assessment that the Lebanese terrorist organization was bent on starting a war, initially over this offshore gas platform. This hitherto undisclosed drone was intercepted three days before the three that were shot down on July 2 by Barak missiles. This one was downed by advance electronic warfare measures after being identified at a distance from Israel’s maritime economic zone, while still over Lebanese waters. No reason for the disclosure of this fourth drone at this time was offered by the military.

DEBKAfile’s Mid-East sources have concluded that Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Iran’s terrorist proxy Hizballah, has decided to go to war against Israel over its newest gas rig. In his words, “Lebanon’s oil and gas resources must be freed from Israeli control, just as the south was freed [in 2000] and Israel’s ‘security zone’ dismantled by force of arms.”

The drone tactic is the opening shot, say our sources, for three objectives:

  1. To scare the staff employed on Israel’s offshore gas and oil rigs in the eastern Mediterranean into fleeing for fear of their lives.
  2. Nasrallah included Greece’s maritime energy projects in his declaration of war.
  3. As a strong message that the management of gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean had passed from the Lebanese government to Hizballah control. The intention was to nullify the Lebanese prime minister’s condemnation of the drones as “unacceptable” and as jeopardizing ongoing US-brokered negotiations on the drawing of a maritime border between Lebanese and Israeli economic zones.

The interception of the three Hizballah unarmed UAVs was presented by the Israeli military as an important feat, although the Barak missiles were highly expensive compared with the cheap drones. However, Hizballah, did not care about recovering the drones but aimed at this stage for a psychological advantage. This was meant as a declaration that a new page had been opened in its contest against Israel over the oil and gas fields of the Mediterranean.

Report: Biden to Bring Israeli Official to Saudi Talks

Author: Published: July 7, 2022
By

David Israel

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A senior Saudi official––a political adviser to Regent Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud––told Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet that Saudi Arabia is weighing the possibility of holding a three-way meeting of Saudi, American, and Israeli high-ranking officials during President Joe Biden’s visit to the Kingdom or immediately afterward. Conducting the meeting would depend on the rate of success of Biden’s visit (גורם סעודי בכיר לקראת הגעת ביידן: שוקלים לארח אישיות ישראלית).

Talk about dangling a prize before the Americans’ eyes.

Biden has many bridges to mend with the Saudis, not the least of which is his attacks on them during his presidential campaign and after taking office over their human-rights record and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It’s expected that the first issue to come up in the talks in Riyadh would be the Saudis’ demand for immunity from prosecution in the US to the Saudi Crown Prince who was being investigated for his role in the assassination.

In general, US relations with the Saudis have deteriorated under the Biden administration, which has abstained from aiding Saudi Arabia in its fight against Iran’s proxy terrorists in Yemen. The Saudis also want Biden to do away with the Iranian nuclear threat and for the US to support the Kingdom’s civilian nuclear program.

Biden is coming to Saudi Arabia hat in hand, as oil prices continue to skyrocket following the war in Ukraine, and OPEC oil prices now hover just under $120 a barrel – higher than any other oil producer’s rate. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the only two oil producers that can pump millions of additional barrels of oil to help calm the turbulent global market, but the Saudis and the Emiratis are refusing to increase their oil production, adhering instead to the plan approved by OPEC, which unites oil-exporting countries with Russian oil producers. The alliance with Moscow, one of the world’s largest oil producers, has increased OPEC’s power, bringing the Saudis and the Emiratis closer to Moscow.

But if President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia goes well, the possibility of a three-way meeting, as described by the Crown Prince’s senior adviser, is not ruled out. Riyadh, Washington, and Jerusalem are looking into relevant scenarios should such a meeting take place, secretly or with media exposure, but the final say belongs to the Saudis.

If the Saudis approve, a senior Israeli official such as National Security Adviser and Head of the National Security Council Dr. Eyal Hulata, Director of the Mossad David Barnea, or the director-general of the Foreign Ministry, Alon Ushpiz, will board Biden’s plane to Saudi Arabia at the last minute, according to the report.

If a three-way meeting takes place during the president’s visit, it could be an opportunity for the Israeli officials to meet not only with their Saudi hosts but also with the leaders of nine Arab countries that have been invited to a summit meeting with Biden, including countries without official relations with Israel, such as Kuwait and Oman.

The Americans’ ultimate dream is to include Israel in a regional defense pact involving everyone but Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Israel and bin Salman want such a pact, but they still have to work out the optics.

Blinken calls to congratulate new PM Lapid, stresses US support for 2 states

Author: Published: July 7, 2022

While the prime minister was reportedly slated to receive a call from Biden, the two will likely wait to speak until the president lands in Israel next week

By JACOB MAGID Today, 4:42 am   

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Riga, Latvia, on March 7, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Riga, Latvia, on March 7, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP)

WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone with Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday in the first public call between a senior White House official and Lapid since he took office last week.

Blinken congratulated Lapid on becoming prime minister and reaffirmed Washington’s “unwavering commitment to the US-Israel partnership, Israel’s security and to countering shared threats, including those from Iran,” the State Department said in a statement.

The top US diplomat “also emphasized US support for a negotiated two-state solution” and said that “Biden looks forward to celebrating our partnership with Israel during his upcoming visit.”

US President Joe Biden’s Twitter account posted a congratulatory message to Lapid at midnight between Thursday and Friday, the minute he officially replaced Naftali Bennett as prime minister.

Hebrew media reported at the time, citing Israeli officials, that Biden would call Lapid on Friday, but the Blinken conversation on Wednesday indicated the president would not be speaking to the prime minister until Biden lands in Israel for a visit next Wednesday. Biden will go to Israel and the West Bank during the three-day trip.

Lapid’s office has not reported receiving congratulatory phone calls from any world leaders since taking office. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.

Statements from Biden officials have highlighted the administration’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but now the administration will for the first time be working with an Israeli prime minister who is openly supportive of the concept.

Former prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett both refused to publicly back the format for solving the conflict since Biden was elected. Netanyahu and Bennett both have close ties to the settlement movement.

Lapid has expressed willingness to make territorial compromises in order to establish a Palestinian state, but also opposes dividing any part of Jerusalem, which is seen as a non-starter for Palestinians, who view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Lapid will have little power to pass legislation while acting as caretaker prime minister, though. Israelis will go to the ballot box on November 1 for their fifth national election in under four years.

Lapid on Tuesday said he would not rule out meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but that there were currently no immediate plans for talks.

“The limits of what can be done given the current Palestinian leadership and Israel’s political unrest are clear to everyone,” he said.

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