...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers..., after it rejected appeals that the pact requires parliamentary approval.
The signing is expected later this week.
Israel and Lebanon, who are technically at war, agreed to terms earlier this month on a U.S.-brokered deal to demarcate their disputed maritime border, a step likely to unlock production at Mediterranean gas fields.
Four right-wing Israeli groups mounted legal challenges against the deal, claiming that centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid was giving away "sovereign" Israeli territory, which requires parliamentary approval.
"Israel has crossed a fundamental democratic line, with a lame duck government agreeing to give up the country's sovereign territory to an enemy state days before an election," said Eugene Kontorovich, of the Kohelet Policy Forum, the conservative think tank that had petitioned the court.
Israel holds elections on November 1, and the petitions additionally argued that agreements to cede territory should not be concluded during an election period.
Opponents of the deal also sought to force the government to hold a referendum on the terms.
But a three-judge panel at Israel's top court threw out all arguments against the deal in a decision Sunday, with the full arguments to be released later.
The ruling means Lapid's cabinet, which has also endorsed the terms of the agreement, can give final, binding approval.
Israel's ruling coalition says the deal will bolster Israel's security, help stabilize the northern frontier and boost the economy with billions in revenue from any gas discovered.
Israeli and Lebanese reports say the signing will happen this week, with officials from the two sides inking the deal in separate locations.