 that lasted months and ended over the past few days, we've managed to reach a financial agreement with Lebanon about the maritime border between the two countries. We refused the latest demands of Lebanon that were raised last week. The agreement was presented today to the Cabinet and to the government, and both have approved with a large majority. I thank the U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron for their support. This is a tremendous achievement for the state of Israel, for the state's security and for the finance of Israel. It enables the free hand of the IDF and the Israeli border, the blue line. The agreement gives a preferable answer to our security demands. It does not preserve our demand. It improves our defense. This agreement prevents the chances of a confrontation with Hezbollah. And if we would have embarked on an operation, we would have hit them heavy blow. And at the same time, the role of a responsible government is to prevent war. Along the way, we made it clear to the Lebanese that whether there is or there isn't an agreement, Israel will not prolong the exertion of gas from the Karish gas field. And any attack on the gas field will be an attack on the state of Israel. We will not hesitate to use power to protect the gas rig. It will bring income of billions from which every family in Israel will enjoy. Israel will get 17 percent of the incomes of the Lebanese gas field if and when it is developed. We built the agreement with the Americans so that the money will not reach the hands of Hezbollah. Now that the negotiations have been completed and it has been presented to the Knesset for review for 14 days, the Committee of the Knesset will also be presented with the secret parts of the agreement. When it is presented to the public, each and every one of you would be able to see what an historic agreement achievement is there for the state of Israel and how much the propaganda that is so disconnected from the reality and only is used for political needs by people who did not see the agreement and have no idea what's in it. I invited the head of the opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu, to meet so that he can learn of the agreement and we can present the heads of the opposition to the agreement. It is an agreement that is congratulated. It brings Israel income of billions and energetic safety of for many years. I thank the Defense Minister, the Alternate Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett and the Energy Minister, the head of the National Security, and all the office of the Prime Minister. This is a good agreement for the state of Israel, for the security of Israel, for the economy of Israel and to the people of Israel. Thank you very much. Defense Minister Ben-Gantz. First, I would like to share my condolences with the families of Noa al-Azhar and Idor Baruch. We extend our operation against terrorism in the West Bank. We will put our hands, get our hands on the terrorists and we are more determined than the terrorists and we will defeat them. People of Israel, the state of Israel stands in front of a variety of complicated security challenges from the Iranian threat through the needed fight against terror and the operative reality in the north and in the south. We will need to continue and deal with them also in the near future. We must not forget, on our northern border, stands a murderous terrorist organization supported by Iran that holds tens of thousands of missiles. The IDF and all of the security forces will continue to stand, still will not enable Iranian entrenchment and transfer of weapons to Lebanon. We will do whatever is needed to provide security for the people of Israel. I wish to speak as a person who started most of his military service in Lebanon over 40 years ago. I know the security situation and the price of war and, if I may, also the Lebanese people. The agreement we're dealing with, even if it is not a historic agreement, as I see it, is still an important and right agreement. It serves the deepest interests of the state of Israel. The agreement ensures the freedom of action of Israel along the coast and anywhere needed. It puts a new equation with regards to the sea and Israel's strategic needs and has the potential of lowering the impact of Tehran on Lebanon. I wish to stress that we would not give up one millimeter of security. Next to the security aspect, the agreement also expresses an important economic agreement and gives a solution to both sides. It is good both for the people of Lebanon and enables the strengthening of stability in the entire region. The time of the agreement next to the elections is not preferable, but it is necessary because this is a window of opportunities that may be closed. This is the interest of the state of Israel. To my regret, we are being faced by political criticism by the head of the opposition Netanyahu that could hurt Israel's interests for political benefits. Netanyahu's objection is saddening and shows of his interest at this time. It would have been better if he would have acted with responsibility and would have helped to assist the agreement with political consensus as I did with regards to the Abraham Accords. Finally, I wish to thank our American partners and partners from other countries in the region and to the heads of the security establishment that have operated intensively over the past few months. I thank the Prime Minister who leads and manages together with me and the cabinet this important issue. Thank you very much. Energy Minister Karin Elharar. Thank you. A few more remarks. This is an agreement that includes strategic security and economic achievements. It found a solution not only to the buoy line and to the maritime border, but also for financial issues with regards to future development of the gas rigging in dispute. We are seeing a major energy crisis in the world and there is an importance of developing other sources that would provide gas to the entire world. It enables us to use our nature resources. We maintained our rights and that we will receive the full financial solution to our needs. It should be clear that without the agreement the chances of developing this gas rig would have been none. Setting the maritime border would enable regional stability and the arrival of other international companies for search and production of natural gas in our economic waters. In negotiations we speak about settlement, but this is an agreement of win-win in terms of fulfilling the Israeli interests and also the interests of Lebanon. This agreement is a result of hard work of an inter-ministerial office of the energy foreign national security and other bodies. I would like to thank the Prime Minister. Questions. A lot of criticism from the opposition about the fact that this agreement is not being approved by the Knesset, not only from the opposition, but also from within your own government. Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett himself, even the AG herself, recommended to approve this agreement at the Knesset. Don't you think this is the right thing to do three weeks before elections, particularly when you have a majority in the Knesset with the Arab parties and a question about the security situation, very tense situation, three Israeli soldiers that have fallen, will we see an increased idea of presence in the West Bank? I will answer the second question that's got nothing to do with the elections. We will manage the security of Israel without any political considerations. There is an ongoing effort, particularly in Genine and Nablus, but not only there. We made sure that life will continue as usual at this time. We saw the blessing of the Qa'anim in the Kotel. We are spread out. The IDF, the Shin Bet, and the security forces are doing every effort since our very existence. We're fighting against terror and we'll continue to fight against terror. But for this we have the IDF, we have the Shin Bet. For this we have the police. We need to support the security forces. We're holding regular assessments with all the security officials. As far as the agreement, those, the person who is responsible for international agreements is the government. And that who is responsible for the safety and security of the state of Israel is myself and the Minister of Defense. This is the law. We will not avoid the responsibility. We are the ones who are managing international agreements. The Knesset indeed, we are, indeed we are ahead of elections. It is not as if we brought an agreement before the elections. We worked on this agreement and then the elections came by surprise. And then they met. This is a window of opportunity here. And there are arguments that have led us to this decision. The window of opportunity is with the fact that at the 31st of October, Michel Aoun will no longer be in office as the President of Lebanon. I do not see another opportunity in which we could bring together all the leaders of Lebanon to sign this agreement. This is something that is happening now. The second thing is the extension of gas from Karish. We will pull out the gas from Karish. Nobody, we don't ask for anyone's approval, but we do not pretend that it's not creating a risk. And we do not want to see an escalation. All of the, all of these things that come together make us understand that this is the right timetable. I would have preferred not to sign this agreement in times of elections, but given that this is the time, this is what we'll do. And also with the behavior of the opposition, we didn't think it is right to bring it to the Knesset. After we will give the Knesset to fulfill its role to supervise and will provide all the information. There will be an open discussion, a closed discussion, and also a discussion at the ministerial committee. We will make sure that the Knesset has all the opportunities to supervise the government. Well, we have just heard Israeli Prime Minister Yeleipi, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Energy Minister Karin El-Harrar discuss the, certainly if a landmark or unprecedented agreement with Lebanon, establishing a fixed maritime border between those countries, still with me, our senior correspondent Owen Altman and Sam Hurl Rothman of the Religious Alliance of the Party. I should say opposition since that was addressed in this. By the way, he does not establish the fixed maritime border. And the blue line specifically in the agreement is not fixed at the very time. And the status quo. And that's a fair point. There's arguing about the definition. Speaking of definitions, Owen, I just want to raise one point. I'm not going to recap everything we said here. An interesting point by Defense Minister Benny Gantz when he said, I wouldn't describe this as a historic agreement, but an important one. Interesting because that is in contradiction to the rhetoric used by Prime Minister Lapid. Well, as said, it's an historic agreement. It's only somewhat as if the Defense Minister is somewhat, I won't say hedging his bets, but sort of downplaying the significance of the agreement and perhaps telling of how they are approaching it. Well, he's running against Lapid in a sense. Obviously not surprising, 20 days to go until Election Day. Gantz, as we all know, as he himself says, wants to be the next Prime Minister. He does not want Lapid, he ear Lapid, to be Israel's next Prime Minister. He wants to get that job himself. So surely he wants to put some distance between himself and Lapid, but certainly doesn't necessarily want to take an opposition attack to this. He wants to be seen as responsible, but as he would say, not necessarily at Lapid's side. So this is his way of triangulating, if you will, and Caleb, I do think it's all about politics. Although, of course, on the substance itself, obviously reasonable people can disagree about whether this is a good move for Israel or not. As for your ear Lapid's comments themselves, I was a bit surprised. I would have expected, in Israeli Prime Minister, in a primetime news conference, timed, of course, as always in Israel, for that eight o'clock news hour, to use the opportunity to go harder on the politics. Obviously, yes, to defend the substance of the deal. Although, I have to say, we didn't really hear any messaging that was new, at least not new to those of us who have been watching this closely over the course of the past 24, 48, or 72 hours. But I would have expected him to elegantly, to elegantly use the opportunity to tack more politically. He didn't do it. Maybe he's counting on the fact that he has 19 more nights. So I both said that the danger to Israel is not the Hezbollah who has just gave the guess, and the border, it's the opposition who criticized that's the danger to Israel. I guess, but I do want to interject. There are laws or regulations that limit to what even a Prime Minister can say in this period before the election and use that opportunity for electioneering. The Central Election Committee does look at that kind of thing, and he may want to stay in certain parameters. True, but I think he's still going to come closer to the line. I want to simply somewhat disagree with you, certainly there. I want to give you a chance, simply to respond. But I also want you to, also to respond, Karina Harar raised an interesting point we haven't touched. You say it's not a fixed border, but certainly international energy companies want to see some kind of agreement on a line or a border between Israel and Lebanon, or else they are not going to develop beyond a certain point those gas fields, including, for example, potentially a pipeline to Europe. But she's saying this agreement is going to open up those possibilities. But just very quickly, that part of the boundary line, according to the agreement, is a permanent boundary line of the economic terms. Yes, that's on that, on that exclusive economic also. But again, if it's a good deal, bring it to the parliament, make the discussion, make the decision. This government, this prime minister was never elected. He was sworn in on a different date. He was not supposed to be a prime minister now. He's the only reason he's a prime minister is because he lost the confidence of the Knesset. Now, it's very nice that he says, oh, look at me. I'm the prime minister and I'm in charge. No, you're not in charge. You lost. You weren't able to hold your coalition. We are going to elections because you lost the confidence of the Knesset and you lost in many votes in the Knesset. And the reason you are not bringing this agreement to the Knesset is because you know you are going to lose. That's an undemocratic act by someone who knows his time is up. And one major part of the propaganda of Lapid and Gantz is that if the right will win the elections in Israel, it's the end of democracy. That's what they talk. See how they behave. They're going against the Knesset. They're not going to vote to the Knesset. I heard reports. They didn't let Channel 14 go inside and ask questions. They're trying to close down a television. What I'm saying, they're acting in the most undemocratic way you can imagine and they're afraid of the decision of the parliament. And they are doing an agreement with a terrorist organization transferring money to them and they used the time that they got to attack the opposition in Israel for criticizing the document that they signed and that international players that looked at it says, what happened to Israel? How did you cave so much? I just want to say Israel does have a legal system that allows recourse for the Supreme Court, which is the arbiter of those questions inside. It should be, but yes, it might be. There is a rule of law in this country. I'm just saying that there is an aspect. No, I'm saying yes. Fair enough. Does this need a referendum according to the law? Yes, I think that's the decision for the Supreme Court and it's sitting there waiting for a decision. Okay, well, we'll see what the decision is. Just to flesh it out. There ain't a law requiring this to go to the Knesset, but there is a norm. And that's essentially what the Attorney General said, that he doesn't have to go to the Knesset, but it should. Right. Okay, that's that's And in past in past situation, they government committed that if any agreement will be reaching this kind of time that has implication on the border, something of significance, something of historical significance, as Lapid says, it should go to the Knesset. And when Gunn spoke about the Abram Accords, Abram Accords was brought to the Knesset and got more than 80 Knesset members to support them. You cannot compare yourself to what happened in the Abram Accords, which did not give away any land, but Netanyahu brought it to the Knesset, even though it was very, it was very problematic time politically, and he knew that it's a good agreement. Therefore, it will go and pass in the Knesset. They're afraid of the people. So that certainly that point will be debated over the next two weeks for sure.