Historic Face-to-Face Talks: Lebanon and Israel Meet After 30 Years

Lebanon and Israel have begun their first direct negotiations in over three decades. The talks are being mediated by the United States. U.S. officials are managing the discussions, which focus on a long-standing sea border dispute. The conflict involves valuable offshore gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea. Senator Marco Rubio, involved in the U.S. effort, tempered expectations for a quick solution. "All of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours," he stated. "But we can begin to move forward to create a framework." The two countries are technically in a state of war and have no diplomatic relations. This makes the direct meeting a significant, though cautious, diplomatic step. The primary goal is to establish a framework for further discussion on the maritime boundary issue.