Biden confidant to mediate Israel and Lebanon's maritime border dispute
Biden confidant to mediate Israel and Lebanon's maritime border dispute By Barak Ravid The State Department's energy envoy, Amos Hochstein, will serve as the new mediator between Lebanon and Israel in a dispute over the maritime border and natural gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, Israeli and U.S. officials tell Axios. Why it matters: Hochstein is one of President Biden’s closest confidants and has worked with him for many years. Appointing Hochstein as the mediator raises the profile of this ongoing conflict, and signals it is a higher priority for the Biden administration. The big picture: Israeli and U.S. officials hope the new government in Lebanon and the energy and economic crisis in the country will create an incentive for the Lebanese to move on the issue. The talks are an attempt to resolve a dispute over natural gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The revenues at stake could reach the tens of billions of dollars. The backstory: T...
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