Report: Israel Plans to Revive 1949 Armistice Commission to Negotiate with Lebanon
Israel is considering negotiating with Lebanon by reestablishing one of the 1949 armistice commissions, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Wednesday.
The newspaper said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the foreign ministry to give its opinion on the matter to the cabinet in the coming weeks.
Israeli officials have been lately discussing the issue with the United States, United Nations and European Union, Haaretz added.
While there have been talks in recent years with Syria and the Palestinians, the Israeli-Lebanese track has remained quiet. Lebanon has repeatedly declared that it would be the last Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel.
The armistice agreement had a clause which provided for the creation of a commission that maintained its headquarters at the Israeli frontier post North of Metula and the Lebanese frontier post of Naqoura. The chairman of the commission was a representative of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.
The 1949 commission regularly functioned until 1967, but was disbanded at Israel”s initiative.
Netanyahu had also asked the foreign ministry to make suggestions on a possible solution to the disputed Shebaa Farms area and on a possible withdrawal from the northern part of the village of Ghajar.