Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara recommends to Prime Minister Yair Lapid that he bring the maritime border agreement with Lebanon before the Knesset for approval, but does not obligate him to do so.
In an opinion sent to the cabinet ministers in preparation for the discussion on the agreement, it was clarified that a basic condition for promoting the agreement close to an election is the existence of a professional factual infrastructure, which shows the special importance and urgency that justify the promotion of the agreement now.
Regarding the agreement that is taking shape, she said, the most senior security officials and the rest of the professionals presented a factual picture according to which there is a crucial importance to the advancement of the agreement, and that at this time a short and unique window of time will be opened for this purpose.
"On the aforementioned side, the Attorney General clarified that under the circumstances, the government must ensure even more strongly that the procedures for approving the agreement are done in a manner that is consistent with the exceptional circumstances of the case, with an emphasis on the proximity to the election date," the legal opinion said.
"Accordingly, to the extent that the government does seek to advance the agreement, it must first hold a discussion and decide whether it is sufficient to submit it to the Knesset in accordance with the normal rule set forth in the Knesset's statutes, or whether it should be brought to a vote and approval by the Knesset, even though there is no legal obligation to do so," added Baharav-Miara.
It was also stated that the position of the Attorney General is that, even though there is no legal obligation to bring the agreement to the Knesset for approval, in light of the closeness of the election date and in light of the election laws, it is appropriate for the government to act in this manner.