Israel is setting its maritime border. This is incredibly important, because enormous natural gas fields have been discovered in the Mediterranean sea off Israel’s borders. Naturally, Lebanon is already claiming that Israel is violating Lebanese territory. But Lebanon will not negotiate with Israel to set the border, so Israel and Cyprus went ahead and delineated where one nation ends and the other begins. The result? The Lebanese are seething, and the AP presents their side of the story as fact. Note how the headline and lead paragraph make it look like Lebanon is in the right.
Israel draws sea boundary different from Lebanon’s
Israel’s Cabinet has proposed a maritime boundary with Lebanon significantly different from the line that Beirut is seeking.The two countries are racing to stake their own claims for a demarcation line in the Mediterranean Sea, where energy reserves have been found.
The very last paragraph of the story gives a bit more background, but it is still slanted to make it look like Israel is ignoring Lebanese borders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Lebanon’s proposed line falls “significantly south” of the line Israeli ministers agreed on Sunday.
Now let’s look at some background via the Israeli press. Compare the following with the two words that AP pulled from Netanyahu’s statement:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the economic benefits that could come from setting the borders.
“The border delimits the state’s economic rights, including the right to make use of natural resources at sea. The border Lebanon achieved in the UN is set significantly southward of the one offered by Israel, it conflicts with the borders set by Israel and Cyprus and, surprisingly, the borders Lebanon itself has set with Cyprus. Our goal is to set the lines in keeping with the principles of international law,” he said.
That important fact—that Lebanon is claiming Israel is encroaching on borders that Lebanon itself has already set as non-Lebanese—is deemed unimportant by the Associated Press. No need to note a fact like that in the story. No, not when you can make it seem like Israel is stealing energy from its Arab neighbors.
Another day, another anti-Israel story in the media. But don’t worry. That only happens on days that end with a Y.