As Israel and Lebanon enter into a binding agreement, regulating the issues of their maritime borders and the production of gas and distribution of the economic benefits, one has to ask:  Who comes out the winner in this negotiation? What is in it for Israel, for Lebanon and for Hezbollah? How successful were these negotiations for everyone involved, and will it actually help to bring peace and stability to the region, economic viability to the people of Lebanon, or simply strengthen Iranian-backed Hezbollah?

Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi is the CEO and founder of Alma – a nonprofit and an independent research and education center specialized in Israel’s security challenges on its northern border. Sarit has briefed hundreds of groups and forums, ranging from US Senators, Congressmen/women, and politicians to senior journalists and visiting VIP groups in Israel and overseas. Sarit scripts numerous position papers and updates focusing on Lebanon, Syria and Israel’s national security challenges. She served for 15 years in the Israeli Defense Forces, specializing in Military Intelligence. Sarit holds an M.A. in Middle East Studies from Ben-Gurion University. Sarit Zehavi and her husband Yaron are raising their 5 children in Western Galilee.