English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 24/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.june24.22.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
Circumcision of the child, John: Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free
Luke 01/57-80: Now it was time for Elisabeth to give birth, and she had a son. And it came to the ears of her neighbours and relations that the Lord had been very good to her, and they took part in her joy. And on the eighth day they came to see to the circumcision of the child, and they would have given him the name of Zacharias, his father’s name; But his mother made answer and said, No, his name is John. And they said, Not one of your relations has that name. And they made signs to his father, to say what name was to be given to him. And he sent for writing materials and put down: His name is John; and they were all surprised. And straight away his mouth was open and his tongue was free and he gave praise to God. And fear came on all those who were living round about them: and there was much talk about all these things in all the hill-country of Judaea. And all who had word of them kept them in their minds and said, What will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father, Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free, Lifting up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (As he said, by the mouth of his holy prophets, from the earliest times,) Salvation from those who are against us, and from the hands of those who have hate for us; To do acts of mercy to our fathers and to keep in mind his holy word, The oath which he made to Abraham, our father, That we, being made free from the fear of those who are against us, might give him worship, In righteousness and holy living before him all our days. And you, child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways; To give knowledge of salvation to his people, through the forgiveness of sins, Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us, To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace. And the child became tall, and strong in spirit; and he was living in the waste land till the day when he came before the eyes of Israel.

Titels For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 23-24/2022
Mikati Named PM, Urges Action to Secure IMF Deal
Mikati named PM-designate with 54 votes as Salam gets 25
Mikati says may seek govt. reshuffle and may convene caretaker cabinet
Mikati reassigned as PM, stresses need to cooperate with Parliament to approve required reform projects
Binding parliamentary consultations in details
Bou Saab says Hochstein has informed Israel of Lebanon's proposal
Gantz says Israel to invade Beirut if needed but is ready for peace
Lebanon banking on summer tourism rebound to revive economy
Lebanon expecting over $3 billion from summer tourism
Plan International Lebanon warns escalating economic crisis affecting country’s youth by putting them at great risk of exploitation, abuse
Ministry of Justice, UNICEF, EU inaugurate first child-friendly rooms at six Palaces of Justice in Lebanon to protect children’s rights during...
Berri meets Tenders’ Department Director General, discusses situation with Bar Association delegation, Caretaker Industry Minister
Bou Habib visits UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura
Lebanon appalled by footage of young man beating Lebanese, Syrian workers
The Lebanese state consists of three portraits/Jean-Marie Kassab/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Lebanon’s anti-Hezbollah parties should unite in any way they can/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/June 23/2022

Titles For Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 23-24/2022
Russia Tells Iran it Backs Revival of 2015 Nuclear Deal
Iran Replaces Taeb as Head of Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Unit
Biden Administration Split Over 'Seriousness' of Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
Iran Orders US to Pay Compensation for Slain Nuke Scientists
Lavrov Discusses ‘Regional Security’, ‘Nuclear Deal’ in Tehran
European Union leaders set to grant Ukraine candidate status
Tension in Iraq as Cleric Accuses Iran's Allies of Meddling
Damascus Airport Resumes Operations
Israel Recognizes Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Western Sahara
Saudi Crown Prince, Turkish President Stress Cooperation in All Fields
Aid Groups Warn of Grave Consequences if Syria Mandate Stops
King of Jordan arrives in Abu Dhabi

Titles For LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 23-24/2022
President Biden's Nobel Peace Prize?/Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute./June 23, 2022
Europe's Leaders Must Not Stumble Towards a New Munich/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./June 23/2022
Congress Should Help End UN’s Latest Anti-Israel Waste of Funds/Orde Kittrie/The National Interest/June 23/2022
The Rich-Poor Divide on Clean Power Is Getting Wider/David Fickling/Bloomberg/June 23/2022
Netanyahu, at the Heart of the Game, Wherever he is/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/June 23/2022
How Iran is creating a sanctions-proof economy/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June 23/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 23-24/2022
Mikati Named PM, Urges Action to Secure IMF Deal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Lebanon's Najib Mikati was named prime minister on Thursday, urging fractious politicians to set aside differences to secure an IMF deal which he said was the only chance to save the country from financial collapse. Facing a politically difficult path to agreeing on a new cabinet, Mikati who led three previous governments said Lebanon did not have time for "drowning in conditions and demands" of rival groups over ministerial posts. "We are facing the challenge of either complete collapse or gradual salvation," said Mikati, referring to the IMF deal that promises $3 billion of support, contingent on reforms that have long been put off by Lebanon's political elite. Now in its third year, the financial meltdown has sunk the currency by more than 90%, spread poverty, paralyzed the financial system and frozen depositors out of their savings, in Lebanon's most destabilizing crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
Donor states want Lebanon to enact reforms to address root causes of the crisis, including decades of state waste and corruption, before aid is released. "We have wasted enough time and lost many chances of support from brotherly and friendly countries whose stance has always been clear: 'help yourselves so we can help you'," Reuters quoted Mikati as saying. Mikati remains in charge of a caretaker cabinet until a new government is formed. He urged parliament to approve laws referred to it by the previous government that would pave the way to a final agreement with the IMF, including amendments to banking secrecy rules and capital controls. He was nominated by 54 of parliament's 128 lawmakers, including the Iran-backed Hezbollah, in consultations convened by President Michel Aoun. But with splits running deep among Lebanon's ruling elite, it is widely believed Mikati will struggle to form a government, a process that can drag on for months as factions tussle over posts in cabinet and beyond.

Mikati named PM-designate with 54 votes as Salam gets 25
Associated Press/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati was named PM-designate on Thursday with 54 votes, as former Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Nawaf Salam received 25 votes and 46 MPs abstained from naming any candidate.
MP Jihad al-Samad meanwhile nominated ex-PM Saad Hariri as MP Ehab Matar named Rawaa Hallab and MP Ashraf Rifi boycotted the binding consultations. The country’s two main Christian blocs – led by the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement – were among those who did not nominate any candidate. In a televised address that followed his designation, Mikati thanked both those who named him and those who did not name him, because they “practiced their role with all due democracy.”“We must all cooperate to rescue our country and people,” Mikati urged, while noting that his hand is extended to “everyone without exception.”“The chances are still available to rescue what should be rescued,” Mikati noted, calling on the political forces to put their differences aside. “We no longer have the luxury of time and we have wasted enough time,” the PM-designate warned, cautioning against “drowning in conditions and demands.”“We are now before the challenge of full collapse or gradual salvation,” Mikati went on to say, adding that the government must “cooperate with parliament to pass the needed reforms.”The PM-designate also noted that “without an agreement with the IMF, rescue chances will not be available,” calling on all political forces to show “historic responsibility” and “a constructive spirit.”“I tell my country's sons that my confidence in them is great… We will not allow Lebanon to collapse and we will not waste time. Lebanon will not die and it will overcome its problems,” Mikati added.
Mikati is now supposed to form a new Cabinet that will be in power until the end of October when President Michel Aoun's six-year term expires. Such a short tenure could make it difficult for the billionaire premier to form a Cabinet since it usually takes months to form a government in Lebanon due to political bickering. The new government's main mission will be to continue talks with the International Monetary Fund over an economic recovery plan for Lebanon, which is in the grip of its worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. Mikati has the backing of the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal Movement. Mikati also has the support of the independent Sunni legislators. Mikati's previous government that he formed in September became a caretaker Cabinet after the May 15 parliamentary elections that gave the majority of the legislature's seats to mainstream political groups that are blamed for decades of corruption and mismanagement that led to the economic meltdown. Last month's vote also saw Hezbollah and its allies lose majority seats in parliament that they had held since 2018. Lebanon's economic meltdown that began in October 2019 was described by the World Bank as one of the worst in the world since the 1850s. Since then, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its value, tens of thousands have become jobless, and many have left the small nation of 6 million people, which includes 1 million Syrian refugees. The crisis was made worse by the coronavirus pandemic and a massive blast in August 2020 that killed more than 200, injured thousands and destroyed Beirut's port and damaged parts of the capital.

Mikati says may seek govt. reshuffle and may convene caretaker cabinet
Naharnet/Thursday, 23 June, 2022 
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said that he might seek a minor government reshuffle and that he will activate the caretaker cabinet. In an interview with the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, Mikati said he refuses to be “the captive of a certain stance,” noting that “circumstances and the national interest” are what will guide him in deciding the “nature” of the new government. “That’s why I will not say whether it will be a political or non-political government, and this issue will only happen after consulting with the parliamentary blocs and independent MPs,” Mikati added. And hoping for a “swift” government formation, the caretaker PM also hoped the presidential election will take place on time so that he would cede authority to a new government. Noting that “harmony” has characterized the work of his current government, Mikati revealed that he may “propose a reshuffle of some ministers and portfolios.”Mikati added that he will activate the work of the caretaker cabinet after being designated to form a new government, pointing out that he will convene the caretaker cabinet “if necessary, especially to follow up on the files of energy and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.” Prominent sources meanwhile told al-Akhbar newspaper that “the concerned political forces have in principle reached a confidential agreement to carry out a government reshuffle.”“The first reshuffle will target the Sunni community’s ministerial seats, specifically the health and economy portfolios, amid reports that one of them will be given to Akkar’s Sunni MPs and the other to the Sunni MPs who are loyal to al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri,” the sources added. “The reshuffle might target some names who are loyal to President Michel Aoun or the Free Patriotic Movement should MP Jebran Bassil wish to do so,” the sources went on to say. “Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat will meanwhile demand the Druze seat that is currently occupied by Minister of the Displaced Issam Sharafeddine, who is among Talal Arslan’s share, in return for the Druze MPs granting their votes of confidence to Mikati’s government, so that it secures 65 votes,” the sources added.

Mikati reassigned as PM, stresses need to cooperate with Parliament to approve required reform projects
NNA/Thursday, 23 June, 2022   
After meeting with President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, newly reassigned PM Najib Mikati made the following statement:
“First of all, I say thank you to those who named me. And thank you also to those who did not name me, because they all exercised their role in democracy. This new assignment bears me today a double responsibility, but the binding trust for all without exception remains with one title: cooperation.
Let us all cooperate today to save our homeland and raise our people, because the responsibility to rescue is a collective responsibility and not the responsibility of an individual. With all honesty, sincerity and impartiality, I extend my hand to everyone without exception, with a good and sincere national will.
Today, the country needs all of us. Our accounts, interests and selfishness will not benefit us if we lose the homeland. What is important today is to be aware that there are still opportunities to salvage what must be salvaged. Together, we are able to lift the country out of its crises. The important thing is that we put our differences aside and get down to completing the arduous workshop that requires us to put before us the salvation of our people and our country as one single goal.
We no longer have the luxury of time, delay and drowning in conditions and demands. We wasted enough time and lost many opportunities for support from brotherly and friendly countries, whose position has always been one and clear: Help yourselves, and we will help you.
We are faced with the challenge of complete collapse or gradual rescue, based on a single opportunity that is available to us at the present time. Over the past months, we entered the door to rescue through negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and we signed the preliminary agreement, which constitutes a roadmap for solution and recovery, and is subject to modification and improvement as far as the data available for the commitment of the political blocs, and through them the constitutional institutions, to the structural reform path.
In this regard, we must cooperate as soon as possible with the honorable Parliament to approve the required reform projects before completing negotiations in the next stage to complete the final agreement with the IMF and start the full recovery process.
Today, I reiterate that without an agreement with the IMF, the rescue opportunities we seek will not be available, as it is the main crossing point for rescue, and this is expressed by all Lebanon’s friends who express a sincere intention to help us. We are also in the process of completing the basic steps to solve the electricity dilemma that drains the treasury and people’s energies, and we call on everyone to engage in this workshop away from the preconditions and considerations and the experiences that have proven their failure in the recovery of this sector.
From this very place, I call on all political forces for a moment of historic responsibility, a moment in which we all cooperate to complete the actual rescue process with the utmost speed, and with full confidence from the honorable Parliament to put Lebanon on the threshold of the awaited solutions. I call on everyone to meet us in this workshop in a positive and constructive spirit, to combine all our efforts and search for all the reasons for strengthening national partnership and protecting national stability. Let us overcome all the causes of divisions and stakes that destroyed our societies and our economy and hit our institutions.
In conclusion, a word remains to address the Lebanese. I have great confidence in you who have not been subdued by hardship, and have not been defeated by adversity, despite all that has passed on this country throughout its history. With our cooperation, we make strength out of weakness. Together, we resolve to rise, because we believe that there is no salvation for our country without our solidarity and cooperation. This Lebanon, which deserves every possible sacrifice from us, will not be allowed to collapse. We have a lot of work to do, and no time to waste. One look, even a quick look at some of the positives these days, with the onset of the summer, is enough to restore hope that Lebanon will not die, and that it will overcome its ordeal. I ask God Almighty to direct our steps to what pleases him, and for the good of our beloved country Lebanon. Let peace be upon you”.—Presidency Press Office

Binding parliamentary consultations in details
Naharnet/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Deputy Speaker Bou Saab was the first to meet President Michel Aoun Thursday, as the binding parliamentary consultations kicked off in Baabda. Bou Saab of the Free Patriotic Movement did not nominate anyone, neither did his bloc, except for Akkar MP Mohammed Yehya who named Mikati. The Lebanese Forces MPs did not nominate anyone, as previously announced by the party's leader Samir Geagea. Neither did MPs Neemat Frem, Jamil al-Sayyed, Fouad Makhzoumi, Abdel Rahman al-Bizri, Oussama Saad, Charbel Massaad, Bilal al-Hshaimi and Michel Daher. The Democratic Gathering, the North of Confrontation bloc, al-Kataeb, MP Ghassan Skaff, and ten out of the thirteen Oct. 17 MPs nominated ex-President of the U.N. Security Council Nawaf Salam. MPs Elias Jradeh, Halima Qaaqour and Cynthia Zarazir did not nominate anyone. The Shiite Duo, the Northern Parliamentary Gathering bloc, the Independent National bloc and MP Michel Murr, the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects bloc (al-Ahbash), MP Imad al-Hout, MP Hassan Mrad, MP Jamil Abboud, MP Firas Salloum, MP Jean Talouzian, MP Abdel Karim Kabbara and MP Nabil Badr nominated Mikati. Meanwhile MP Ashraf Rifi boycotted the consultations, while MP Jihad al-Samad named ex-PM Saad al-Hariri, and MP Ihab Matar named Rawaa Hallab.

Bou Saab says Hochstein has informed Israel of Lebanon's proposal
Naharnet /Thursday, 23 June, 2022
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has informed Israel of Lebanon’s proposal regarding sea border demarcation and the response is expected “next week or the week after,” Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab has said. “Hochstein has admitted that this time there is a unified Lebanese stance,” Bou Saab said in an interview on Tele Liban. “We have learned that he has presented the proposal to the Israeli government this week, knowing that he has not visited Israel, and this is what I have been told by the U.S. ambassador,” Bou Saab added.“We are awaiting the response to come through the U.S. mediator, and it is expected either next week or the week after,” the Deputy Speaker went on to say. As for Lebanon’s stance, Bou Saab said the so-called Line 29 was described in the latest negotiations with Hochstein as a “negotiations line.”
“I don’t want to engage in a domestic debate that would weaken our stance, which is strong today,” Bou Saab added. “I will consider that this matter was a tactic and we certainly will not make concessions,” he reassured. Moreover, Bou Saab said he is optimistic that a solution will be reached in the demarcation file, noting that U.S. President Joe Biden will visit the region soon. “I hope that his team has taken into consideration that resolving the demarcation dispute between Lebanon and Israel can be one of the most important achievements,” the Deputy Speaker added.

Gantz says Israel to invade Beirut if needed but is ready for peace
Naharnet/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned Wednesday that “if needed,” the Israeli army “will march once again to Beirut, Sidon and Tyre,” while noting that Israel “does not want a war” and that it is “willing to go very far on the path to peace and settlement.”Speaking at a rally in Kiryat Shmona to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, Gantz said that should Israel need to “carry out an operation in Lebanon,” it will be “powerful and accurate.”“It will levy a heavy price for the Iranian Hezbollah and Lebanese shipments. In the face of a threat to the citizens of Israel, no infrastructure used to harm us will be immune,” he added. “We do not want a war and we are willing to go very far on the path to peace and settlement, such as the maritime border between us and Lebanon, which we must conclude quickly and fairly. For the dying Lebanese economy, it will be a breath of fresh air, and I hope it will also be a significant step in strengthening stability in the region,” Gantz went on to say. He added that Israel’s conflict is “not with the citizens of Lebanon,” noting that Israel has “reached out many times” to Lebanon’s citizens, “including in the past year.”
“There are paths to walk on, the other side should have the courage to start walking,” Gantz said.

Lebanon banking on summer tourism rebound to revive economy
The Arab Weekly/June 23/2022
"This summer is promising. We expect more than a million tourists and income of $3-3.5 billion during this summer season," Minister Walid Nassar said in an interview. Lebanon's ailing economy should receive a welcome injection of more than $3 billion thanks to a rebound in tourist arrivals over the summer, the tourism minister said Wednesday. Lebanon defaulted on its debt in 2020, the local currency has lost around 90 percent of its value on the black market and the UN now considers four in five Lebanese to be poor. While soaring inflation is ravaging households with incomes in Lebanese pounds, the informal exchange rate makes prices attractive to most tourists.  "This summer is promising. We expect more than a million tourists and income of $3-3.5 billion during this summer season," Minister Walid Nassar said in an interview with AFP. Reservations show that three quarters of the arrivals will be Lebanese nationals from the diaspora, he said. "The remaining 25 percent are foreigners hailing mostly from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries," Nassar added. The diaspora had shunned the traditional summer homecoming in recent years, with a deadly 2020 Beirut port blast and biting shortages compounding pandemic-linked restrictions. The sector had been one of the pillars of Lebanon's economy, bringing in around $10 billion annually. Global tourism is roaring back to life after the COVID-19 pandemic, and Lebanon has been keen to draw tourists and their cash dollars. Despite crumbling infrastructure and massive electricity shortages, the tourism ministry launched a large PR campaign to promote the country as a destination. With central bank coffers critically depleted and foreign aid hinging on reforms, a summer tourism windfall could buy Lebanon more time. The country's top political and security brokers "are aware of how important it is for this summer season to be a success", Nassar said.

Lebanon expecting over $3 billion from summer tourism
Agence France Presse /Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Lebanon's ailing economy should receive a welcome injection of more than $3 billion thanks to a rebound in tourist arrivals over the summer, the caretaker tourism minister said Wednesday. Lebanon defaulted on its debt in 2020, the local currency has lost around 90 percent of its value on the black market, and the U.N. now considers four in five Lebanese to be poor. While soaring inflation is ravaging households with incomes in Lebanese pounds, the informal exchange rate makes prices attractive to most tourists. "This summer is promising. We expect more than a million tourists and income of $3-3.5 billion during this summer season," Minister Walid Nassar told AFP in an interview. Reservations show that three quarters of the arrivals will be Lebanese nationals from the diaspora, he said. "The remaining 25 percent are foreigners hailing mostly from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries," Nassar added. The diaspora had shunned the traditional summer homecoming in recent years, with a deadly 2020 Beirut port blast and biting shortages compounding pandemic-linked restrictions. The sector had been one of the pillars of Lebanon's economy, bringing in around $10 billion annually. Global tourism is roaring back to life after the Covid-19 pandemic, and Lebanon has been keen to draw tourists and their cash dollars. Despite crumbling infrastructure and massive electricity shortages, the tourism ministry launched a large PR campaign to promote the country as a destination. With central bank coffers critically depleted and foreign aid hinging on reforms, a summer tourism windfall could buy Lebanon more time. The country's top political and security brokers "are aware of how important it is for this summer season to be a success," Nassar said.

Plan International Lebanon warns escalating economic crisis affecting country’s youth by putting them at great risk of exploitation, abuse
NNA/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
In light of the deteriorating economic situation in Lebanon, data from needs assessment studies conducted by organizations revealed that 3.3 million people are in need (LCRP, 2022). In fact, 2.2 million people in Lebanon, including the Lebanese, migrants, and PRL/PRS are facing food insecurities, 393,000 are facing Gender Based Violence, 334,000 need child protection and 172,000 need access to education (Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, OCHA, 2022) However, as none of these studies reflect the needs of adolescents and youth, particularly young girls and women, Plan International Lebanon conducted a detailed needs assessment and gender analysis to complement the existing research. The assessment focused on collecting data about the issues faced by the youth in education, livelihoods, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and protection, in six specific geographic areas (Akkar, Tripoli, Arsal, Mount Lebanon, Beirut, and Saida), revealed worrying findings. According to the study, adolescent girls and young women are facing common barriers related to education and livelihoods, as well as access to protection and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services.
Precisely, early and forced marriage and gender-based violence are the most reported protection issues by girls and young women, whereas substance abuse and engaging in political conflicts are the highest among boys and young men. Lebanese in Arsal and Syrian refugees across the country expressed being subjected to discrimination resulting in security and psychological implications in addition to limiting education and livelihood opportunities. It is also significant that all participants in the assessment expressed rising fears related to security and safety.
Troubling input from the majority of participants also revealed that, in addition to the financial situation of the household, protection risks, particularly bullying at school and early marriage are the main barriers to continuing education.
“My brother had to drop out of school in order to work in a stone quarry because we needed the money, and if we need more, I will leave school and help my family with the expenses.”
– Arsal, Lebanese woman, 14-17 years old.
“The deteriorating multi-layered economic crisis is affecting everyone in Lebanon, especially the youth, putting them at great risk of exploitation and abuse. We need to pay closer attention to understand and urgently address their unique needs”, Safo Visha, Country Director of Plan International Lebanon.
In light of these findings, Plan International Lebanon calls upon the national and international community to provide urgent support to youth-focused programming and prioritize the specific and unique needs of young girls and boys in any policies, budgeting, and programming. The launch of the needs assessment study was supported with a social media campaign on Plan International Lebanon’s Facebook and Instagram pages, titled “Fhamouna Sa7”, to raise awareness about the issues that are faced by the youth, present the data of the study, and recommendations to address these issues.

Ministry of Justice, UNICEF, EU inaugurate first child-friendly rooms at six Palaces of Justice in Lebanon to protect children’s rights during...
NNA/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
The Ministry of Justice, with support from UNICEF and the European Union joined efforts to protect children’s rights in the justice system. The first child-friendly facility inside the Palaces of Justice was inaugurated today in Saida to provide a safe, confidential and friendly environment for all children involved in judicial proceedings. Currently the Palaces of Justice in Lebanon are adult-oriented and do not provide special consideration for the needs of children who become involved in judicial proceedings. As of today, child-friendly facilities are now available in the courthouses of Baabda, Beirut, Saida, Nabatieh, Tripoli and Zahle. Minister of Justice Judge Henry El-Khoury expressed that “the hearing rooms bears a special importance in establishing an integrated Child-friendly justice system, especially for those who are in contact directly with laws in its various contexts, starting from their first experience until their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Moreover, this system was and still one of the main goals, and one of the most important targets of the Ministry of Justice, based on their vision and beliefs that the children are like a basic and essential building block of any society, and that they have a crucial role in social development”. Access to child-friendly facilities in the Palaces of Justice is central to prevent and respond to all forms of abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect towards children and would mitigate risks that children involved in judicial proceedings may experience, reduce the psychological distress associated with their involvement in these proceedings, and ensure confidentiality. Rein Nieland, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Lebanon said: “The Inauguration of child friendly facilities at Palaces of Justices across Lebanon reflect not only our commitment in promoting the rights of children – but it also displays our unwavering resolve in standing alongside Lebanon amidst the hardships the country continues to endure. The European Union remains committed to working with the Lebanese Ministry of Justice and local stakeholders in strengthening the country’s judicial system, most notably through much-needed reforms that can guarantee the independence of the judiciary and the pre-eminence of the rule of law. The establishment of these rooms went together with multiple efforts starting 2018 to address the needs of children in contact with the law from different angles including policy reform; system strengthening through the capacity-building of justice organizations and professionals, as well as the creation of child-friendly environments and procedures in the justice system; service provision like case management and psycho-social support; and prevention efforts at the community level.
The establishment of the child friendly rooms was coupled with the development of learning resources and the organization of child-sensitive training for relevant staff in contact with children, namely juvenile judges, social workers, law enforcement officers and lawyers.
“The justice system is key to safeguard the rights of children and these new child friendly spaces are one step towards strengthening the justice systems in favour of a child rights approach to ensure children are protected and supported, and their rights granted in fair proceedings,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon. “Vulnerable children rarely have access to child-friendly justice and for the past few years UNICEF has been working with the EU and line ministries to promote a child-friendly response to children who come into contact with the law, and we would like to thank all partners for this positive collaboration, as we continue to work together to protect every child”. UNICEF will continue to work towards a child justice system that is accessible, adapted to and focused on the needs and the rights of children, and that minimizes the risk of harm inflicted on them during justice proceedings.

Berri meets Tenders’ Department Director General, discusses situation with Bar Association delegation, Caretaker Industry Minister
NNA /Thursday, 23 June, 2022
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday welcomed at the Second Presidency in Ain al-Tineh the Director General of the Department of Tenders, Jean Ellieh. Speaker Berri also received Dean of the Beirut Bar Association, Nader Kaspar, accompanied by members of the Bar Association Council, who congratulated Berri on his re-election as House Speaker for a new term. Discussions during the meeting reportedly touched on the current general situation in the country, in addition to syndical affairs and the preservation of the rights of depositors. On the other hand, Berri met with Caretaker Minister of Industry, Georges Bouchkian, with whom he broached the latest developments and the current situation of the Country’s industrial sector.

Bou Habib visits UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura
NNA/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Thursday visited the Naqoura-based headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where he was received by the Head of Mission General Aroldo Lazaro and a panel of senior officers. Both Bou Habib and General Lazaro held a meeting in which they discussed the UNIFIL role and the situation in the southern region, especially the Israeli violations. Talks also touched on the maritime border file.

Lebanon appalled by footage of young man beating Lebanese, Syrian workers
Najia Housari/Arab News/June 23/2022
BEIRUT: Videos circulated by activists on social media on Wednesday showed a young man beating Lebanese and Syrian workers employed to pick cherries on his land in Majdel Akoura, northern Lebanon. The shocking footage also showed evidence of torture on the bodies of the young men, who were filmed as they pleaded for mercy. The families of the abused men from nearby poverty-stricken villages said that the employer accused the workers of stealing money, a wristwatch and sunglasses after four days of working for him so he could get away with not paying their wages. The employer allegedly called in his friends who forced the workers to take off their clothes, placed potatoes in their mouths and beat them with electric wires, then filmed the abuse. Many expressed anger on social media, particularly associations concerned with human rights, workers’ rights and Syrian refugees. Activists demanded that security forces carry out an investigation quickly to hold those who participated to account. The people of Fnaidek blocked the Al-Abdeh road near the police station, denouncing the attack on their sons and demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. Fnaidek officials confirmed that the tortured workers in the videos were young men from the town and Syrians working in Jbeil. After the videos went viral, the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces said that “a person at the Akoura police station had claimed Monday that a number of his workers stole a sum of 100 million Lebanese pounds, and the case was transferred to the judicial police. After the torture videos were circulated, the ISF launched an investigation and issued an order to bring in the concerned person to testify.”Head of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee MP Michel Moussa said: “The abhorrent practices of torture call for absolute condemnation. We demand the arrest of the perpetrators of these acts that violate laws and human norms, and offend people’s dignity.”Future Movement Secretary-General Ahmad Hariri tweeted: “What we saw in Majdel Akoura against the people of Akkar and the Syrian brothers is similar to the actions of the Islamic State.”Hariri called on the authorities “to take prompt action so the perpetrator of this despicable act becomes an example to those who allow themselves to attack people’s dignity and brutally torture others. We appreciate the efforts of the people of the two areas to remain calm.”A statement by the Lebanese Forces revealed that the perpetrator is affiliated with the party. The LF condemned his actions and said that his membership was suspended until official investigations were completed. “We refuse to be linked to this unacceptable individual act,” the LF said. In a statement, Mufti of Jbeil Sheikh Ghassan Al-Luqais condemned the “attack on the people of an area that is considered an oasis of security, peace and coexistence between different sects. They came to the Majdel Akoura area to earn a living, believing that they are the sons of one country.”

The Lebanese state consists of three portraits:
Jean-Marie Kassab/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
The president of the republic,
The Speaker and the Prime Minister.
The third portrait is being drawn today.
All three appointed by a parliament elected or re-elected under Iranian occupation. Same bunch with a few new names.
Don’t expect anything good to happen today: the crisis will sharpen and the occupation getting stronger.
This is what happens in fake democracies in occupied lands unless somebody does something about it except for stupid tweets and statements.
The international community will once more say with harsher words : "You elected them, this is totally your choice so bear the consequences".
The consequences obviously being : Extension of the occupation and deepening to abyss levels of the financial crisis , even a war with Israel for the glory of Iran.
I don’t recognize the current state of Lebanon as an authority.
I am against everything going on.
Something can be done. Something should be done.
JMK

Lebanon’s anti-Hezbollah parties should unite in any way they can
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/June 23/2022
Following the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the political landscape in Lebanon was divided between the March 14 and March 8 movements. March 14 was a gathering of all the political parties and voices standing against the Syrian occupation. March 8 was represented by Hezbollah, Michel Aoun and other pro-Syrian movements. Through violence and assassinations, intimidation and other ruses, the March 14 alliance was beaten. The knockout blow came on May 7, 2008, when Hezbollah invaded Beirut. This was the end of the March 14 alliance.
In reality, March 14 had, from the start, a dysfunctional structure. With no real leadership, structure or capacity, the alliance was imploding from within. It was unable to face the ruthlessness of Hezbollah and the Iranian regime’s takeover of Lebanon. In the face of this violence, it might not have been able to survive even if it was united and in complete solidarity. But we will never know.
And so, as March 14 disintegrated, analysts stopped representing the political struggle in Lebanon as one between March 14 and March 8, or even as a fight for freedom and real independence. This made it seem as if both alliances had dissolved. In reality, March 8 was still alive and kicking and it has been the ruling regime ever since, bringing in the coercion of all others. Even some of its opposition ended up collaborating with it.
As early as 2006, the March 8 alliance had transformed into an iron-clad political agreement. This happened in the form of the Mar Mikhael Agreement. The name is in reference to the first meeting between the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, then-MP Aoun, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in the Mar Mikhael Church in Haret Hreik, south Beirut. This marked the full political alignment between the FPM and Hezbollah. Through thick and thin, international condemnation and sanctions, this political movement has been moving forward. There is no doubt that the leader is Hezbollah and it calls the shots. Nevertheless, it is a unified bloc on all matters. On the other hand, its opposition is a fragmented and diversified group with no coordination or common vision for Lebanon beyond slogans for freedom, sovereignty and independence. As one would say when expecting a payment and instead receiving a compliment: Where do I cash this check? Where does this opposition, with its newcomers, cash the political gains it made in the recent elections? There is, in fact, a greater risk of losing it all.
There is not much difference between these political formations and the leaderless youth that started protesting in October 2019. In the face of the adversity of Hezbollah and the Iranian occupation, they are unable to achieve any real political gains. They do not seem able to disrupt the activities of Hezbollah even in the slightest. I have, unfortunately, little hope of seeing this change in the future. And Hezbollah will continue to use these divisions to further its own interests and continue its control over the country. When it comes to the reasons for these divisions among the remnants of March 14, I am convinced that it is not about religion. It is about too many egos and the lack of a clear vision and strategy for the future. And, as always, a lack of hard power. Let’s face it, even in a democracy, political parties are effectively dictatorships, with leaders having enough muscle to silence any dissent. In Lebanon, besides Hezbollah, no other formation can do this. Saad Hariri could not impose anything on Samir Geagea or Walid Jumblatt. This is still true today with the current actors.
But this fragmentation goes deeper. How can a left-wing political party align itself with a right-wing one? How can political groups fight together for the same platform or agenda when their definitions of sovereignty and freedom are different? This is mission impossible. Indeed, each group has its own view on what the country’s institutions should be and what the meanings of freedom and sovereignty are. More importantly, even the political structure does not allow for a common agenda to be built. It is a political structure of transactions and deal-making, not one of nation-building. The recent events around the central bank are, if needed, further proof of this.
There is the possibility of Hezbollah and its allies either controlling or, in a worst-case scenario, leading the consensus choice for PM.
As President Aoun has started the parliamentary consultations with the objective of naming the next prime minister, it is important to recognize that, if all the opposition to the Iranian regime and the anti-establishment MPs united under the same umbrella, they could probably reach enough seats to propose the next PM. Yet, in reality, there is little chance of this happening, as they will probably be divided on names, details and political influence. This leaves the possibility of Hezbollah and its allies either controlling or, in a worst-case scenario, leading the consensus choice. Once again, they will be controlling the government while making the opposition bear responsibility for all its ills. This is why the opposition to Hezbollah and Iran should in reality be described as a resistance. And the political parties should not enter into any deal-making. They should block every single decision. They might not be able to unite to form a majority that is capable of governing, but they can unite to slow Hezbollah’s advances. However, this should only be seen as a temporary solution.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 23-24/2022
Russia Tells Iran it Backs Revival of 2015 Nuclear Deal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Moscow fully supports the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday after talks in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart. Repeating Iran's stance at a joint news conference with Lavrov, Hossein Amirabdollahian said all sanctions against Iran should be removed to revive the pact and blamed Washington for stalling talks that started over a year ago. "We are pursuing the full re-establishment of the deal with no concession on our position," Amirabdollahian said, adding he hoped to keep negotiations on track and invited the United States to be pragmatic and help the talks enter a final phase. Indirect talks between Tehran and US President Joe Biden's administration to reinstate the pact have been on hold since March, chiefly over Tehran's insistence that Washington remove the Revolutionary Guard Corps from the US list of designated terrorist organizations.

Iran Replaces Taeb as Head of Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Unit
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Iran has dismissed the powerful chief of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence unit, Hossein Taeb, Iranian state TV reported on Thursday, days after Israeli media accused him of being behind an alleged Iranian plot to kill or abduct Israeli tourists in Turkey. The station gave no reason for the change, but said Taeb had been appointed as an advisor to the Guards' Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami. He will be replaced by Mohammad Kazemi, previously head of the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Protection unit, Reuters reported.
Israel raised its Istanbul travel advisory to the highest alert level on June 13 because of what it said was a threat of Iranian attempts to kill or abduct Israelis vacationing in Turkey. Before becoming the Guards Intelligence Chief in 2009, Taeb worked at the office of Iran's top authority Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Biden Administration Split Over 'Seriousness' of Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
Washington - Elie Youssef/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Nearly four months after the nuclear negotiations with Iran were suspended, Tehran still shows a lack of interest in accepting the US offer to return to the nuclear agreement. The Biden administration publicly asserts that it is willing to negotiate a return to the nuclear deal. However, many bipartisan US officials say the Iranian regime's actions make it more difficult, denying any "imminent deal."The Biden administration is divided over the seriousness of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Some current and former officials familiar with US intelligence believe Iran's primary goal is sanctions relief, and its leaders are content to hold the threat of further nuclear development as leverage. Others believe Iran wants to produce a nuclear weapon because the country's leaders have noted how North Korea and Russia, both nuclear-armed states, have managed to avoid direct western interference like invasion and regime change.
Last week, the US Iran envoy Rob Malley testified in the Senate. Malley told lawmakers last month that "nothing is off the table" regarding ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, including military action. But he reiterated that the US position is that "the only real solution here is a diplomatic one."
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated this position last week, saying the US remains committed to diplomacy as the best way to address its concerns about Iran's nuclear program. Some foreign policy experts believe Iran is less desperate for sanctions relief than it was during the Obama administration because it brought significant revenue through oil exports. Last month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that his country's oil exports had doubled since August. The Central Bank of Iran reported in February that it made $18.6 billion in oil sales during the first half of the Persian year, even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent embargo on Russian oil exports, which led to a hike in prices. Senator Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Hill he was not optimistic about such a deal. Menendez indicated that the administration may think it is strategically suitable to keep the offer on the table, but "I don't see the pathway forward." "I'm not optimistic there will be such a deal. The administration believes that strategically it makes sense to keep the offer on the table, but I don't see the pathway forward. That's my own view."But he added that accepting a new accord is a divisive proposition within Iran's political establishment, making it difficult to revive the agreement. Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Jim Risch said the prospects for an agreement were "not encouraging.""I do know where the negotiations stand, and they should've been over. They promised us it was going to end in February if there wasn't a deal," he said, referring to what some senators thought was an assurance by administration officials not to let the talks drag on without buy-in from Iran. Meanwhile, CNN reported that US intelligence and military officials are closely watching for signs of escalation between Iran and Israel ahead of Biden's trip to the region, given that Israel appears to have escalated its targeted killings and other gray-zone operations inside Iran in recent months. Israel does not inform the US of its operations beforehand and often never acknowledges its role, even privately. Biden administration officials, in turn, have taken a broadly hands-off approach to Israel's operations, multiple current and former officials familiar with the discussions between the two countries told CNN, and have not directly asked Israel to knock it off.

Iran Orders US to Pay Compensation for Slain Nuke Scientists
Associated Press/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
A court in Iran on Thursday ordered the United States government to pay over $4 billion to the families of Iranian nuclear scientists who have been killed in targeted attacks in recent years, state-run media reported. The largely symbolic ruling underscores the escalating tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, with negotiations to restore the tattered atomic accord at a standstill, said The Associated Press. Although Tehran has blamed Israel in the past for slayings targeting Iranian nuclear scientists since a decade ago, Iran did not directly accuse its arch-foe Israel in its announcement. Iran has not recognized Israel since the 1979 Iranian Revolution that ousted the pro-West monarchy and brought extremists to power. The court mentioned Israel only in saying the US supported the “Zionist regime” in its “organized crime” against the victims. It's unclear how the court decision, like a raft of previous Iranian cases against the US as the two sides have engaged in a spiraling escalation of threats, would gain traction; there are no American assets to confiscate in the Iranian Republic. Still, the court branch, which is dedicated to the review of Iranian complaints against the US, summoned 37 former American officials, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, as well as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Iran envoy Brian Hook and former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and imposed tough economic sanctions on Iran that severed most of its oil revenues and international financial transactions. President Joe Biden wanted to return to the accord, but talks have stalled in recent weeks over America’s designation of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Iran is enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels under decreasing international oversight. Earlier this month, Iran removed 27 surveillance cameras of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency in what its director warned could deal a “fatal blow” to the nuclear accord. The families of three nuclear scientists who had been killed in targeted slayings, along with one nuclear scientist wounded in an attack, filed the lawsuit in Tehran, the country's state-run IRNA news agency reported, without identifying the plaintiffs. The court ordered that the US pay $4.3 million in total compensation, including fines. Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war across the Middle East and its waters. That conflict has escalated with the recent suspected targeted killings of Iranian nuclear scientists and military officials. In late 2020, Iran blamed Israel for killing its top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, with a remote-controlled machine gun while he was traveling in a car outside Tehran. Iran also has placed sanctions on prominent American political and military officials for alleged “terrorism” and “human rights violations,” in retaliation for the US assassination of Iran’s top commander, Qassem Soleimani, two years ago.

Lavrov Discusses ‘Regional Security’, ‘Nuclear Deal’ in Tehran
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, at the start of a two-day visit, during which he will discuss the war in Ukraine, regional security and the Iranian nuclear talks. In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said that discussions with Iranian officials would focus on the nuclear agreement and the war in Ukraine, Syria and Yemen. The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced Lavrov’s visit on June 13, but Moscow did not confirm the news until the eve of his trip. “Tomorrow, Lavrov will visit Iran,” the permanent Russian representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Twitter. The Russian foreign minister is scheduled to hold detailed consultations with Abdollahian on Thursday. On his agenda are issues pertaining to the signing of a long-term bilateral cooperation agreement and work to expand economic contacts amid the increasing Western sanctions, as well as the developments in the Ukrainian war. Lavrov’s consultations with his Iranian counterpart fall in the context of the nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and the great powers (Russia, the United States, China, France, Britain and Germany). Intermittent 11-month talks to revive the agreement were suspended in Vienna last March after Russia requested US guarantees that its trade with Iran would not be affected by sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. Moscow later said it had received written guarantees that it would be able to assume its role as party to the agreement, which suggests that Moscow may allow the revival of the talks. The Iranian circles in favor of the nuclear agreement criticize Russia for “obstructing” the nuclear talks, but the negotiations became more complicated after Tehran stipulated that the Revolutionary Guards be removed from the list of terrorist organizations. This is the first meeting that brings together Abdollahian with one of his counterparts from the signatory countries to the nuclear agreement, after the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency condemned Tehran’s failure to respond to the IAEA’s questions regarding the presence of traces of enriched uranium in undeclared sites. Russia, along with its ally China, voted against the resolution put forward by the United States, France, Britain and Germany.

European Union leaders set to grant Ukraine candidate status
Associated Press/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
European Union leaders on Thursday are set to make Ukraine a candidate for joining the 27-nation bloc, a first step in a long and unpredictable journey toward full membership that could take many years to navigate. Making Ukraine a contender now seems to be a done deal after national leaders were initially divided on how quickly to embrace the war-torn country's request to become an EU member, which the Ukrainian government submitted only a few days after Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24. According to several diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity before a leaders' summit in Brussels, Ukraine will receive the unanimous approval required for candidate status and the launch of eligibility negotiations. "This is a decisive moment for the European Union," European Council President Charles Michel, the EU summit chair, said, describing the question of Ukraine's candidacy "a geopolitical choice that we will make today." Members of the European Parliament endorsed Ukraine's bid hours before the summit started, voting to pass a resolution that calls EU heads of state and government to "move without delay" and "live up to their historical responsibility."The EU's 27 nations have been united in backing Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion, adopting unprecedented economic sanctions against Moscow. However, leaders were at first split on how quickly the EU should move to accept Ukraine as a member, with the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark among the most skeptical.
But Ukraine's application got a boost last week when the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, gave its seal of approval based on the country's answers to a questionnaire received in April and early May. Ukraine received another shot in the arm when the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visited the country and vowed to back its candidacy. In another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with 11 EU leaders on Wednesday, following calls with nine the day before. He said the meeting in Brussels will be an "historic session of the European Council."EU candidate status doesn't give an automatic right to join the bloc, though, and doesn't provide any security guarantees. It's unlikely that membership talks could start before next year, with the prospect of the war dragging on for a very long time adding to the uncertainty. The beginning of the accession discussions depends on Ukraine meeting essential political and economic conditions. To be admitted, potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and absorb a gigantic corpus of rules. To help countries with candidate status, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance throughout negotiations, but can also decide to revoke the status if the required reforms aren't implemented. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but they also have pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms in the country. "Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law," Belgian Prime minister Alexander De Croo said. "But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward." Leaders will also debate Thursday a recommendation for the European Commission to grant Moldova — a tiny, non-NATO country that borders Ukraine — EU candidate status. A stalled process for moving Western Balkans countries on the membership path is also on the summit agenda.

Tension in Iraq as Cleric Accuses Iran's Allies of Meddling
Associated Press/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Iraq’s Parliament is set to hold a session Thursday to vote in replacements for 73 lawmakers who resigned earlier this month. The collective walkout by followers of Iraq’s most influential Shiite politician threw Iraq into further uncertainty, deepening a months-long political crisis over government formation.
It was not clear whether the extraordinary session requested by 50 members of parliament during a recess would go through. A simple majority of the legislature’s 329 members is required for an electoral session, and al-Sadr urged parliamentary blocs not to succumb to “pressures” from Iranian-backed factions, The Associated Press said. Al-Sadr, a maverick politician with a large following, emerged as the biggest winner in general elections held in October, but has been unable to cobble together a coalition that can form a majority government.
He has been locked in a power struggle with internal Shiite rivals backed by Iran, preventing the formation of a new government. Two weeks ago, he ordered lawmakers from his parliamentary bloc to resign in a bid to break the eight-month impasse. The unprecedented move threw Iraq’s political landscape into disarray. According to Iraqi laws, if any seat in parliament becomes vacant, the candidate who obtains the second-highest number of votes in their electoral district would replace them. In this case, it would make al-Sadr’s opponents from the so-called Coordination Framework, a coalition led by Iran-backed Shiite parties and their allies, the majority. This would allow pro-Iranian factions to determine the makeup of the next government. Even though Parliament is in recess, lawmakers mostly from the Framework alliance called for an extraordinary session Thursday to vote on the new lawmakers. On Wednesday, al-Sadr accused Iranian proxies of political meddling. He also accused them of applying pressure against newly elected political independents and allies of his Sadrist bloc. He called on parliamentarians not to succumb to pressure. “I call on blocs to stand bravely for the sake of reform and saving the nation, and not to give in to sectarian pressures, as they are bubbles which will disappear,” he said in a statement. Munaf Al-Musawi, a political analyst and director of the Baghdad Center for Strategic Studies, said that the statement by al-Sadr against Iran’s proxies also sends a message to his former allies — Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbusi — to avoid holding a parliament session. He said if a session is held, the Coordination Framework and its allies would control parliament and Sadr’s allies would pay the price. Iraq’s election was held several months earlier than expected, in response to mass protests that broke out in late 2019 and saw tens of thousands rally against endemic corruption, poor services and unemployment. The political deadlock has led to concerns of renewed protests and street clashes between supporters of al-Sadr and their Shiite rivals.

Damascus Airport Resumes Operations
Damascus – Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
The Syrian Transportation Ministry announced Wednesday that the Damascus International Airport will resume its operations on June 23, two weeks after Israeli air strikes damaged the airstrip and a terminal, which resulted in halting operations there.
The Syrian authorities had to suspend flights and undertake major repairs after Israeli air strikes on June 10 had damaged the runways, the control tower, reception rooms and hangars, AFP reported. "Damascus International Airport is back in service as of tomorrow," the Syrian Transportation Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that all air carriers can schedule their incoming and outgoing flights via the airport starting Thursday. “The airport will operate with all its capacity to serve passengers and operating companies after finishing repairs of damages caused by the Israeli aggression,” the Ministry added. The airport is located south of the capital Damascus. Besides the extensive damage caused to civilian and military runways, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the strikes had targeted nearby warehouses used as weapons depots by Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah.
It said that since early 2022, Israel has carried out 15 air strikes against its northern neighbor. AFP reported that Israel has staged hundreds of strikes over the years against Syrian government troops as well as allied Iran-backed forces and fighters from the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. A decade of war in Syria has left nearly half a million people dead and millions of internally displaced persons and refugees.

Israel Recognizes Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Western Sahara
Rabat - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Israel recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced during an official visit to the country. Shaked said that "Israel supports the sovereignty of Morocco on the Sahara.” She met the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, in Rabat. “We talked about the close relationship between the two countries, and also the joint projects that we can do together,” announced Shaked. According to a statement issued by her office, Shaked “publicly expressed for the first time Israel’s support of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.” The statement did not include a direct quote and her spokeswoman declined to provide one. Earlier on Tuesday, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit held with his Israeli counterpart a meeting, which was attended by several senior officials of the two countries' interior ministries. A statement by the Ministry of the Interior stated that this meeting falls within the context of the joint declaration between Morocco, the US, and Israel, signed before King Mohammed VI, in December 2020. It also reflects the commitment to resume full official contact between Morocco and Israel. A source explained that the meeting constituted an occasion for a fruitful exchange between the two ministers on issues that fall within the competencies of their respective sectors and the promising prospects for cooperation between the two countries.

Saudi Crown Prince, Turkish President Stress Cooperation in All Fields
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman concluded a regional tour that saw him visiting each of Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey, where he discussed enhancing ties and reinforcing regional stability with the leaders of those countries. Strategic files, development and economic relations were also reviewed.
The Turkish capital, Ankara, was the final leg of the Crown Prince’s tour. He arrived there on Wednesday heading a senior delegation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed at the presidential palace in Ankara with an official ceremony.
The two sides held a bilateral meeting during which the Crown Prince conveyed the greetings and appreciation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz. In turn, Erdogan asked the Crown Prince to convey his greetings and appreciation to the Saudi King. Moreover, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and aspects of cooperation and ways to develop them in various fields, in addition to going over the latest regional and international developments and a number of issues of common interest. In a statement following the talks, the two countries emphasized determination on ushering in a new period of cooperation in bilateral relations. “The two sides discussed ways of developing and diversifying intra-trade, facilitating trade exchange between the two countries, overcoming any difficulties in this regard, and intensifying communication between the public and private sectors in the two countries to discuss investment opportunities and translate them into tangible partnerships in various fields, praising the great economic potentials of the two countries as members of the Group of Twenty (G20),” the statement read. Additionally, the statement highlighted the opportunities being offered by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in the fields of investment, trade, tourism, entertainment, development, industry, mining, construction projects, transportation and infrastructure (including contracting), agriculture, food security, health, communications and information technology, media, and sports. “They agreed to activate the work of the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council, raise the level of cooperation and coordination on issues of common interest, and work on exchanging expertise between specialists in the two countries,” it added. “The two sides also expressed their aspiration to cooperate in the fields of energy, including petroleum, refining and petrochemicals, energy efficiency, electricity, renewable energy, innovation and clean technologies for hydrocarbon resources, low-carbon fuels and hydrogen, and to work on localizing energy sector products and associated supply chains, and developing projects related to these fields.”
Turkey Welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative
In the field of environment and climate change, Turkey welcomed the Kingdom's launch of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) and expressed its support for the Kingdom's efforts in the field of climate change through the application of the circular carbon economy approach, launched by the Kingdom and endorsed by the leaders of the G20 countries. The two sides reiterated the importance of adhering to the principles of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and the need to develop and implement the climate agreement by focusing on emissions without sources. The two sides affirmed their support for the two initiatives launched during the Kingdom's presidency of the G20 summit meetings 2020, namely (the global initiative to reduce land degradation and enhance the conservation of terrestrial habitats) and the initiative (the platform to accelerate research and development in the field of global coral reefs). The two parties agreed to develop productive and investment partnerships in the fields of artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and smart cities, as well as to encourage private sector actors working in these areas to cooperate.
The Turkish side called on investment funds operating in the Saudi entrepreneurship environment to invest in emerging companies in Turkey, and to establish partnerships with them. The two parties agreed to strengthen and continue the relations between the "Turkish Standards Institution" and the "Saudi Standards and Metrology Organization" within the framework of the cooperation agreements signed between the two concerned institutions. The two parties agreed to exchange visits of scientists, within the framework of the cooperation protocol signed between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey “TUBITAK” and “King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology” in 2016. They stressed the need to strengthen and develop cooperation activities between the Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration in Turkey and the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Defense Agreements, Judicial Cooperation
On the defense issue, the two sides agreed to activate the agreements signed between the two countries in the fields of defense cooperation, and to strengthen and develop them in a way that serves the interests of the two countries and contributes to achieving security and stability in the region. They also agreed to enhance judicial cooperation and work on exchanging expertise between specialists in the judicial and judicial fields.
Tourism Cooperation
The two sides stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of tourism, developing the tourism movement between the two countries, exploring the tourism potentials of each country, and strengthening joint work for the benefit of the sector and its development according to the bilateral agreements signed between the two states. The two parties stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation between the national civil aviation authorities and facilitating administrative procedures for the operations of airlines. They also agreed on their intention to develop the existing cooperation between the two countries in the field of health. The two parties will explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of health investments. The Saudi side expressed its gratitude for Turkey’s support for Riyadh's candidacy to host World Expo 2030. The two parties affirmed their endeavor to intensify cooperation, coordination and exchange of views on important issues and issues on the regional and international arenas, in a way that contributes to supporting and strengthening security and stability in the region and support for political solutions to all crises in the countries of the region, while emphasizing not to prejudice the sovereignty of any of them, and seeking everything that would keep the countries of the region away from tensions, and lay the foundations for security and stability of the region.

Aid Groups Warn of Grave Consequences if Syria Mandate Stops
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 June, 2022
Unless the UN Security Council extends its approval of aid deliveries to opposition-held parts of northwest Syria next month, food supplies will be depleted by September in the region that is home to some 4 million people, aid agencies warned Thursday. Concerns have been rising in recent months that the situation will get worse in Syria’s Idlib province because Russia may force international aid for the northwest to be delivered through parts of Syria under the control of its ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. Currently, aid enters the Idlib enclave directly from Turkey via a single border crossing, Bab al-Hawa. The UN mandate allowing deliveries through Bab al-Hawa ends on July 9, and Russia has hinted it will veto a Security Council resolution renewing the mandate, The Associated Press reported. The mandate’s expiry this year comes amid rising tension between Russia and the West over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine four months ago. “This is a moment when it’s absolutely vital that the people of Syria are not forced to pay the price of geopolitical divisions,” David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, said during an online briefing Thursday. A Russian veto would effectively hand Assad control over the flow of aid to the opposition enclave; if that happens, the United States and the European Union have warned they will stop funding. Miliband said cross-border aid to northwest Syria supports 1.4 million people every month and “remains an urgent prerequisite in the Syria conflict.”Tanya Evans, Syria country director for the committee, said the global food crisis “is particularly devastating” on Syria, especially Idlib, which is home to many internally displaced by the 11-year war. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. “If this mechanism is not renewed in July, then it is anticipated that food supplies will be depleted by September,” she warned. Evans said non-governmental organizations are estimating they have the capacity to scale out and reach approximately 300,000 people with food assistance — meaning that more than 1 million will have no access to food in September. Sherine Ibrahim, a Turkey director for CARE, said that if the resolution is not renewed, approximately 80% of protection services provided by the United Nations “will come to a screeching halt.” She warned that the most affected will be women and children.

King of Jordan arrives in Abu Dhabi
Arab News/June 23/2022
DUBAI: Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived in Abu Dhabi on a working visit on Thursday, Emirates News Agency reported. The king was received on arrival by the president of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.King Abdullah and Sheikh Mohamed discussed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing cooperation and joint action in various fields at the Qasr Al-Shati’ Palace. They also reviewed opportunities for developing collaboration in the fields of investment, development, and politics. King Abdullah’s accompanying delegation included Jordanian Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Al Khasawneh and the country’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 23-24/2022
President Biden's Nobel Peace Prize?
Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute./June 23, 2022
As President Joe Biden reportedly prepares to go the Middle East next month, a positive development for him to build on and turn around his poll numbers, and possibly win a Nobel Peace Prize for totally eliminating the threat of Iran going nuclear, is the signing on May 31, 2022, of a groundbreaking trade agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.
[T]here can be no downplaying the importance and scope of this deal or the potential for greater peace in the region without a nuclear Iran destabilizing the area....
The UAE-Israel Business Council expects up to 1,000 Israeli companies may begin operating in Dubai by the end of the year. This is also a major development.
CEPA is a win-win-win accomplishment. The agreement opens a window of opportunity not just for the US, but also for Israeli companies to do business in the UAE, and more importantly, it will serve as a gateway to other parts of the Middle East and Asia.
The announcement of CEPA pointed the way to three real and potential impacts that Biden could have in the Middle East:
A blossoming of bilateral initiatives within the private sector and civil society;
Geopolitical and economic benefits will have spillover effects across the region, and possibly the world; and
Opening channels of communications between the Arab states of the Gulf and Israel to further peace and prosperity in the region, including the Palestinians.
May this work — especially, under the far-sighted leadership of Biden, if he eliminates Iran's nuclear threat — continue to bear more fruit.
As President Joe Biden reportedly prepares to go the Middle East next month, a positive development for him to build on and turn around his poll numbers, and possibly win a Nobel Peace Prize for totally eliminating the threat of Iran going nuclear, is the signing on May 31, 2022, of a groundbreaking trade agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. Pictured: The economy ministers of Israel and the UAE, Orna Barbivai (L) and Abdulla bin Touq al-Marri, at the signing ceremony for the free trade agreement on May 31, 2022 in Dubai, UAE. (Image source: Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry)
As President Joe Biden reportedly prepares to go the Middle East next month, a positive development for him to build on and turn around his poll numbers, and possibly win a Nobel Peace Prize for totally eliminating the threat of Iran going nuclear, is the signing on May 31, 2022, of a groundbreaking trade agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.
The two countries have targeted increasing annual trade to more than $10 billion annually within the next five years. To put this into perspective, from September 2020 until March 2021 there was approximately $2.5 billion in non-oil trade between the two countries. Further highlighting the significance of this trade agreement, current trade between Egypt and Israel, where a peace agreement has been in effect since 1979, is roughly $330 million per year. So, there can be no downplaying the importance and scope of this deal or the potential for greater peace in the region without a nuclear Iran destabilizing the area, followed by installing itself even further in South America, then threatening the United States (for instance here and here) .
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) makes major changes to business and trade between the countries. It removes tariffs on 96% of goods, including food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment and medicine. It clarifies tax rates and intellectual property issues, making the UAE a more desirable place for Israeli companies to establish business operations. The UAE-Israel Business Council expects up to 1,000 Israeli companies may begin operating in Dubai by the end of the year. This is also a major development.
CEPA is a win-win-win accomplishment. The agreement opens a window of opportunity not just for the US, but also for Israeli companies to do business in the UAE, and more importantly, it will serve as a gateway to other parts of the Middle East and Asia. The use of the UAE as a launching point for Israeli companies matches the strategic direction for Dubai to be a connecting point for companies and markets in these parts of the world. Further, increasing the economic interdependence of these countries in the Middle East will heighten prosperity and stability to the region, making this a win for Israel, the UAE, and the greater Middle East – as well as potentially for President Biden.
The announcement of CEPA pointed the way to three real and potential impacts that Biden could have in the Middle East:
A blossoming of bilateral initiatives within the private sector and civil society;
Geopolitical and economic benefits will have spillover effects across the region, and possibly the world; and
Opening channels of communications between the Arab states of the Gulf and Israel to further peace and prosperity in the region, including the Palestinians.
CEPA is the most significant accomplishment to date demonstrating what happens when there is more people-to-people interaction and a focus on building economic ties to bridge gaps. The CEPA negotiations resulted in a trade agreement faster than any trade deal in Israel's history, proving change and progress can be achieved — and achieved quickly.
May this work — especially, under the far-sighted leadership of Biden, if he eliminates Iran's nuclear threat — continue to bear more fruit.
*Peter Hoekstra was US Ambassador to the Netherlands during the Trump administration. He served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the second district of Michigan and served as Chairman and Ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. He is currently Chairman of the Center for Security Policy Board of Advisors.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Europe's Leaders Must Not Stumble Towards a New Munich
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./June 23/2022
Mr Macron, in particular, has emerged as the chief European cheerleader in favour of Ukraine making concessions to Russia to end the fighting, while the leaders of Germany and Italy, which both rely heavily on Russia for their energy needs, are also said to favour Ukraine ceding territory to Moscow – a result that would only whet the appetite of other predators looking on.
Rather than agreeing to their demands, Mr Zelensky responded by pointedly reminding his visitors that the more weapons Ukraine receives from the West, the faster it will be able to liberate its occupied land and end the war.
In this context, plans by the European Union to offer membership to Kyiv represent a welcome gesture of support for the Ukrainian people, one that should provide a much needed morale boost for Ukrainian forces.
In what amounts to a significant geo-political shift in Europe, the European Commission has given its backing to Ukraine's bid to be given candidacy status, the first step towards achieving full EU membership.
The challenge for the EU now will be to make sure priority is given to processing Kyiv's application, and not allow it to become caught up in the stultifying bureaucracy of Brussels.
Any attempt by the EU to delay Ukraine's membership of the bloc will simply be taken as a sign by Mr Putin that Europe is not prepared to defend its allies, and encourage the Kremlin -- and others -- to launch further acts of aggression.
Plans by the European Union to offer membership to Kyiv represent a welcome gesture of support for the Ukrainian people. However, any attempt by the EU to delay Ukraine's membership will simply be taken as a sign by Putin that Europe is not prepared to defend its allies. Pictured (from left): Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hold a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 16, 2022. (Photo by Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
At a time when there is mounting concern that European leaders are suffering from "war fatigue" over the Ukraine conflict, the prospect of Kyiv becoming an official candidate for European Union membership constitutes a much-needed morale boost for the Ukrainian people.
With the conflict now reaching the four-month mark, the early enthusiasm demonstrated by Western leaders for supporting the Ukrainian cause has been replaced by apathy as it becomes clear that the war is likely to drag on for months to come.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson highlighted this general sense of war-weariness among European leaders after he made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital last weekend, and called for the West to demonstrate resolve in its support for the Ukraine cause.
"When Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them the strategic resilience that they need," Mr Johnson said.
"The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch and it is vital for us to show what we know to be true which is that Ukraine can win and will win."
Mr Johnson's rallying cry of support for Ukraine is in stark contrast to the less-than-enthusiastic approach adopted by many other European politicians, which was clearly evident when the leaders of Germany, France and Italy made their own visit earlier this month to the Ukrainian capital.
While Mr Johnson has, rightly, been praised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his unstinting support for the Ukrainian cause, the same cannot be said for the leaders of other major European powers, who appear a great deal more interested in persuading the Ukrainian leader to negotiate a ceasefire with Moscow than helping him to win the war.
Thus, when French President Emmanuel Macron, together with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, took the night train to Kyiv to meet with Mr Zelensky, their thoughts were probably more focused on how they might bring the fighting to an end and getting back to doing business than helping Ukraine to achieve victory.
Mr Macron, in particular, has emerged as the chief European cheerleader in favour of Ukraine making concessions to Russia to end the fighting, while the leaders of Germany and Italy, which both rely heavily on Russia for their energy needs, are also said to favour Ukraine ceding territory to Moscow – a result that would only whet the appetite of other predators looking on.
The willingness of the three European leaders to appease the Kremlin's unprovoked act of aggression against Ukraine has certainly provoked a bitter response from prominent advocates of Ukrainian sovereignty.
As prominent Ukrainian businessman Alexander Temerko has commented, the European leaders' visit to Kyiv this month drew uncomfortable parallels with the 1938 visit to Munich by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his French counterpart, Édouard Daladier, to meet with Adolf Hitler, which resulted in the division of Czechoslovakia in a failed attempt to avert a second world war.
Rather than agreeing to their demands, Mr Zelensky responded by pointedly reminding his visitors that the more weapons Ukraine receives from the West, the faster it will be able to liberate its occupied land and end the war.
"Every day of delay or postponed decisions is an opportunity for the Russian military to kill Ukrainians or destroy our cities," he said. "There is a direct correlation: the more powerful weapons we receive, the faster we can liberate our people, our land."
Mr Zelensky's response sums up the growing frustration of frontline Ukrainian commanders over the failure of Western leaders to fulfil their promises to provide Ukrainian forces with the military supplies they desperately need to defeat the Russians.
The latest military analysis from the front line of the conflict suggests Russia currently outguns Ukraine's forces by a multiple of between 10-15 times.
Moreover, declarations of military support from Washington and Europe have yet to materialise on the Ukrainian front line, so that Ukrainian forces now find themselves in a desperate battle for survival in key battlegrounds in the Donbas region such as the strategically important city of Severodonetsk.
In this context, plans by the European Union to offer membership to Kyiv represent a welcome gesture of support for the Ukrainian people, one that should provide a much needed morale boost for Ukrainian forces.
In what amounts to a significant geo-political shift in Europe, the European Commission has given its backing to Ukraine's bid to be given candidacy status, the first step towards achieving full EU membership.
The decision was immediately welcomed by Mr Zelensky, who predicted Russia would be "very nervous" at the prospect of Kyiv forging closer ties with the rest of Europe. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's main arguments for invading Ukraine back in February was that he wanted to prevent Kyiv from joining Western institutions.
Instead, he has achieved the opposite effect, with Ukraine, together with other former Soviet states like Georgia, seeking to forge closer ties with key institutions such as the EU. As Mr Zelensky commented soon after the Brussels' announcement, "We prove every day that we are already part of a united Europe."
The challenge for the EU now will be to make sure priority is given to processing Kyiv's application, and not allow it to become caught up in the stultifying bureaucracy of Brussels.
Previously, the EU has agreed to consider membership for countries in the Western Balkans, such as Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. But while they continue to enjoy applicant status, years have passed with no progress being achieved towards granting them membership.
The same cannot be allowed to happen to Ukraine. Any attempt by the EU to delay Ukraine's membership of the bloc will simply be taken as a sign by Mr Putin that Europe is not prepared to defend its allies, and encourage the Kremlin -- and others -- to launch further acts of aggression.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Congress Should Help End UN’s Latest Anti-Israel Waste of Funds
Orde Kittrie/The National Interest/June 23/2022
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/congress-should-help-end-un%E2%80%99s-latest-anti-israel-waste-funds-203140
With the UN budget in crisis, it is even more irresponsible than usual to waste precious UN resources on the commission of inquiry or any other Israel bashing exercise.
U.S. ambassador Michele Taylor led twenty-two United Nations (UN) member nations Monday in blasting the recently established UN Commission of Inquiry into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (COI). The COI last week issued a first report which was biased, inaccurate, and designed to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist and to defend its citizens against terrorism.
In a stark signal that key allies are tired of the UN expending scarce resources on unjustified Israel-bashing, the twenty-two countries—including Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—denounced the COI as exemplifying “the long-standing, disproportionate attention given to Israel” by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which created the COI. The joint statement said this disproportionate focus on Israel “must stop.”
The Biden administration criticized the COI and its report for “a one-sided, biased approach that does nothing to advance the prospects for peace.” In March, a bipartisan letter from sixty-eight U.S. senators slammed the COI as “wasteful” and “likely to further fuel antisemitism worldwide,” and urged the administration to spearhead ending it.
Congress should now help the administration and these allies to stop the COI before it causes further harm to the peace process, Israel, and UN institutions whose credibility and resources are needed to address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s grave abuses of the international system, and other top global priorities.
The COI’s chair is Navi Pillay, whose prior record on Israel was so one-sided that the Obama administration had blocked her from being renewed for another UN post. Pillay has wrongly accused Israel of committing the crime of apartheid and called for imposing an arms embargo and other sanctions on it. The two other commissioners have similarly egregious records of anti-Israel bias.
Unlike prior UNHRC commissions of inquiry, which examined specific Israeli-Palestinian clashes in the West Bank and Gaza, this COI was created to exist in perpetuity; is mandated to search for violations in pre-1967 Israel as well as the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem; and appears designed to falsely conclude that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid.
COI Report Unfairly Blames Israel for the Conflict
This first COI report recaps the UN’s myriad past Israel-focused resolutions and analyses. It is a sad reminder of how much UN time and money has been wasted on obsessively and unfairly bashing Israel.
The UNHRC is a particularly egregious Israel-basher. Since its creation, the UNHRC has adopted more resolutions condemning Israel—a robust democracy rated “Free” by Freedom House—than every other country in the world combined. The many UNHRC members with far worse human rights records spotlight Israel because it distracts attention from their own abuses. For example, the UNHRC has adopted zero resolutions on the gross human rights abuses in China, a perennial council member.
The COI report blames the Israeli-Palestinian conflict entirely on Israel. It whitewashes Palestinian terrorism, disregards Israel’s need and right to protect its citizens, omits Israel’s diligent compliance with the law of armed conflict, and ignores Hamas and Iran’s continued genocidal threats.
The report also ignores that Israel has repeatedly offered—in exchange for peace—a Palestinian state in up to 94 percent of the West Bank. Contrary to the COI report, it is Palestinian rejectionism and terrorism, not Israel’s exercise of its right of self-defense, that is the root cause of the conflict.
Report Lays Groundwork for Apartheid Accusation
The report surprised some analysts by not explicitly making the newly-in-vogue false accusation that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid. This accusation seemed likely because the COI’s mandate includes language spuriously redefining that crime to include Israel, and Pillay made that accusation herself prior to becoming COI chair.
The facts in Israel and the territories don’t fit either the actual international law definitions of apartheid or even the COI mandate’s false definition of it. Accusing Israel of apartheid would be tantamount to resurrecting the infamous UN General Assembly resolution—passed in 1975 and rescinded in 1991—that falsely asserted that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”
The COI report repeatedly references its mandate’s spurious definition of apartheid and features false “evidence” of Israeli violations. It simply refrains for now from connecting its own dishonest dots. Given the COI’s mandate, its commissioners’ past statements, and this first report’s groundwork, the COI seems likely to make the apartheid charge in a future report, perhaps as soon as October.
What the United States Should Do
The Biden administration has repeatedly opposed the COI. At the UN in December, the United States voted for an Israeli motion to entirely defund the COI. The United States and its allies succeeded in cutting the COI’s budget by 25 percent. U.S. ambassador Patrick Kennedy said the “United States will continue to oppose this COI and look for opportunities” to “revisit its mandate” and “persuade more Member States that it is inherently biased and an obstacle to the cause of peace.”
The March 2022 bipartisan letter from sixty-eight senators urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to prioritize “leading a multinational effort” to “end” the COI. The letter noted that “[b]y unfairly singling out Israel, the UNHRC undermines its credibility to investigate human rights violations around the world.”
Congress should put teeth in the senators’ request. UNHRC activities are funded by the UN regular budget, 22 percent of which is contributed by the United States.
U.S. law already reduces America’s contribution to the UN by the U.S. share of the budget of other anti-Israel UN bodies. Congress should amend U.S. law to similarly reduce the American contribution by the amount of the U.S. share of the COI budget.
With the UN budget in crisis, stretched by coronavirus and by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is even more irresponsible than usual to waste precious UN resources on the COI or any other Israel bashing exercise. The COI’s unbalanced first report discredited the UN and contributed nothing to the cause of peace. Congress and the Biden administration should work together with U.S. allies to end the COI before it causes even greater harm.
*Orde Kittrie, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and law professor at Arizona State University, is a former U.S. State Department attorney.

The Rich-Poor Divide on Clean Power Is Getting Wider
David Fickling/Bloomberg/June 23/2022
To look at the way richer countries are spending money on the energy transition, you might think we’re within reach of bringing climate change under control.
Investment in clean energy has only accelerated in the years since Covid-19 struck. In the second half of the last decade, it grew at a 2% annual rate. Since 2020, that’s risen to 12% a year. This year, it will hit $1.4 trillion, the International Energy Agency wrote in its annual investment report Wednesday, putting green power comprehensively ahead of the roughly $1 trillion that’s being spent on fossil fuels.
If you assume those trends will continue, it looks even more promising. Just continuing to inflate existing spending at current growth rates would imply that advanced economies and China spend in the region of $650 billion a year on clean power over the remainder of this decade, the IEA wrote — within sight of the $850 billion-odd that’s needed to put the world on track to zero emissions by 2050.
The problem comes when you look elsewhere in the world. In emerging and developing economies (excluding China), clean power investment needs to grow at 25% a year up to 2030 if it’s to hit levels consistent with net zero. In practice, spending remains stuck at the levels it was at in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was first signed.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s a dearth of funds for carbon-free power in developing countries — these nations get too little investment overall, and that lack of physical capital is one reason they’re poor. Since the 1970s, Indian politicians have complained that only rich countries have the money to pay for pollution reductions in their lower-income peers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call last year for a $1 trillion fund from developed countries to finance his nation’s energy transition is merely the latest example of that trend. The true sum could run to $12.4 trillion in India, with $94.8 trillion needed for emerging markets as a whole, according to Standard Chartered Plc. It’s a long-standing problem that will likely worsen in the short term. One of the advantages of renewable power in rich countries is that its expenses are almost all up-front, determined most importantly by the cost of borrowing. Finance represents about 60% of project expenses for renewables, according to the IEA. Consumers of oil, gas and coal, on the other hand, have an ongoing need to buy their fuel in a volatile commodity market, making their long-term profitability highly unpredictable. As interest rates rise, however, the cost of capital for clean power is going up as well. That’s being felt most severely in emerging markets, where the cost of capital is as much as seven times higher as it is in developed countries, and interest rates are likely to climb in tandem with the US Federal Reserve.
Solving that problem is notoriously challenging. International investors remain reluctant to dedicate their cash to countries where the rule of law is often weaker, and where the creaky nature of infrastructure such as power grids risks dooming energy projects before they’ve even been connected. State-owned utilities are often, as with India’s electricity distribution companies, dominant enough to deter private-sector competition but financially too frail to deliver the foundations that a vibrant clean power sector needs.
It has to be solved, however. One of the most troubling aspects of the IEA’s latest report is the extent to which coal, the dirtiest fuel, is still sucking up capital. While oil, gas and clean energy are all receiving less investment at present than most of the IEA’s energy transition scenarios would suggest will be necessary over the rest of this decade, coal is getting substantially more. That’s in large part because the world is now more acutely aware of its energy security, and awash with underutilized coal-fired power stations. In Pakistan, the cost of buying oil and gas from overseas has left the country dependent once again on cash from the International Monetary Fund to meet its international obligations. Domestic coal reserves represent an alluring way to diminish that import dependency, an argument that’s also attractive in Indonesia, Vietnam, and most particularly India and China. The only way to counter the fear of a world where poverty and insecurity are sending globalization into reverse is the opposite: to unleash the flood of capital pent up in developed countries so that it can fund the cheap, clean energy that lower-income nations need to develop. Rich nations can green their own economies all they want. If they don’t provide the funds to repeat the trick around the world, it will all be in vain.

Netanyahu, at the Heart of the Game, Wherever he is
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/June 23/2022
Since the Jewish state was founded and until further notice, no single person has been the center of political life before, whether it is a leader of the government or the opposition. Before Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history and the most powerful and influential opposition figure in the country, that is. Alliances were established to keep the man analysts have dubbed the king of the domestic game in power when he was faced with four corruption cases, allowing him to escape prosecution because the judiciary couldn’t make a conclusive decision.
On the other hand, alliances and coalitions have also been established to topple him. They managed to temporarily remove him from the Prime Minister’s office, but they could evade the influence of his shadow looming over Israeli executive and parliamentary life. Even in the opposition, he had a foot in the door of the Prime Minister’s office, as he won an equal number of seats to his opponents; Netanyahu would have managed to retain his leadership of the country if he had managed to recruit one additional Knesset Member. When his return to office became all but certain, the opposition went into action. What did his rivals do? They opted for early elections that they have no guarantees of winning.
The only program of the coalition concocted to bring him down was this very objective. Netanyahu’s ghost has left it totally paralyzed, rendering the government a fleeting, confusing configuration of political powers that neither has the capacity to force through any serious legislation in the Knesset nor to take worthwhile executive decisions. And when the government formation game in Israel ended with “King Netanyahu” as the leader of the opposition, the anti-Bibi coalition was put in intensive care. It lived on respirators until the coalition’s parties got tired of its brain death and decided to pull the plug on this experiment.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu continues to demonstrate that he doesn’t snooze. He cannot be overwhelmed, and he keeps playing until the last moment. His current scheme is to avoid the dissolution of the Knesset, in what is not a reflection of his fear of early elections in as much as it is a maneuver to buy time that could end with a counter coalition that brings him to power without elections. If he succeeds - despite the difficulty and perhaps impossibility of this task- then he would return to the Prime Minister’s office with minimal losses. In the event that he fails, early elections would not pose a genuine threat to him. Benjamin Netanyahu continues to be a hurdle standing in the way of his opponents and his camp’s only savior. His influence does stem exclusively from his qualities and merits as a politician and ruler but also from the weaknesses and limitations of those facing him.
Naftali followed in Netanyahu’s footsteps as prime minister, and the latter’s power-sharing agreement with Gantz functioned like a game of cat-and-mouse. Netanyahu’s vast, rich experience allowed him to come out on top, with Gantz letting the Premiership slip through his fingers and land in Netanyahu’s hands.
The Israelis monitored Bennett’s performance. Despite everything he did, Bennet couldn’t convince them that he was a prime minister. He ascended to the leadership by virtue of a series of miraculous events, as his is the smallest parliamentary bloc in the Knesset, but the game ended with him on top. Meanwhile, the man with the largest bloc, the most potent force in Israeli politics, ended the game as head of the opposition. This paradoxical state of affairs did not make little Bennet into a towering figure, nor did not make it make the great Netanyahu a puny political force, especially since Bennett was half a prime minister- so to speak- sharing the position with another half prime minister. Both men have less merit than the one standing right outside the door, which forced them to finally drive the government off a cliff.
To sum up, Benjamin Netanyahu, who, by virtue of having been at the heart of Israeli political life for so long, has been branded with every epithet in the book: magician, corrupt, selfish, king, rival, the perpetrator, and the victim, has left Israel shaped by his personal whims. He has reached a situation in which he is either a prime minister or a specter that frightens any rival prime minister. Here he is now, still at the center of political life in Israel, wherever he finds himself. Let us wait and see how the remaining chapters of this Israeli political theater play will end, how it will go on, and where it leads.

How Iran is creating a sanctions-proof economy
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June 23/2022
There was a time when US sanctions against the Iranian regime were extremely effective. However, the latest developments indicate that Washington’s sanctions on Tehran have become less successful in deterring the regime.
Prior to 2015, when the nuclear deal was reached, sanctions against the Islamic Republic were successful for several reasons. First of all, the US was capable of convincing Russia and China to join it in imposing pressure on Tehran. This led to a consensus among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the UK, France, Russia, China and the US) that allowed it to pass several resolutions sanctioning Iran. The first, UNSC Resolution 1696, which was passed in 2006, called on Iran to “suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development,” with the International Atomic Energy Agency tasked with reporting on Iran’s compliance.
The five permanent members of the UNSC also unanimously called on all countries to freeze the financial assets of Iranian entities linked to the nuclear program, as well as to sanction the supply or sale of nuclear-related equipment and technology. Resolution 1803 of 2008 imposed restrictions on Iranian bank transactions and called on countries to inspect Iranian ships and cargo planes where there were reasonable grounds to believe that the regime was smuggling prohibited products.
But there now seems to be too big a gap to bridge between the global powers, with the US, the UK and France on the one hand and Russia and China on the other. For example, the US in 2020 attempted to prevent the 13-year-old arms embargo against Iran from expiring. But the Security Council voted to allow it to expire, with Russia and China exercising their power of veto and another 11 members abstaining. The US also could not garner enough support to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran. As then-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pointed out: “I don't remember (in the past) the US preparing a resolution for months to strike a blow at the Islamic Republic of Iran, and it garners only one vote (of support, from the Dominican Republic).”
To understand how this global division is assisting the Iranian regime in creating a sanctions-proof economy, it is important to examine where the significant portion of Iran’s revenues come from. The Islamic Republic reportedly has the second-largest natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, with the sale of oil accounting for nearly 60 percent of the government’s total revenues and more than 80 percent of its export revenues. Several Iranian leaders have hinted at the country’s major dependence on oil exports. For instance, Rouhani acknowledged in 2019: “Although we have some other incomes, the only revenue that can keep the country going is the oil money.”
In order to further seize the opportunity offered by the current division among global powers, the Iranian regime is signing long-term agreements with its oil clients to permanently insulate its economy from the negative impacts of the US sanctions. For instance, China and Iran announced in January the launch of a comprehensive cooperation plan. This refers to the 25-year deal that was reached between Tehran and Beijing last year. One of its terms is that China will invest nearly $400 billion in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemicals industries. In return, China will have priority to bid on any new project in Iran that is linked to these sectors. China will also receive a 12 percent discount and can delay payments by up to two years. It will also be able to pay in any currency it chooses.
Such a comprehensive deal will clearly help the Iranian regime more easily circumvent US sanctions, gain access to funds, empower its militia and terror groups in the region and continue advancing its nuclear program.
It is worth noting that Iran is currently exporting more than 1 million barrels a day, about 800,000 bpd of which is going to China. In fact, hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi last month boasted about Iran’s increasing oil sales, saying they “have doubled. We are not worried about oil sales.”
There seems to be too big a gap to bridge between the global powers, with the US, the UK and France on the one hand and Russia and China on the other.
And Iran this month also signed a 20-year cooperation agreement with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to expand the ties between their oil and petrochemical industries, as well as their militaries.
In summary, the US sanctions against the Iranian regime have become less effective over time due to the fact that the Iranian leaders are creating a sanctions-proof economy by strengthening their ties with nations like China and Venezuela and ensuring the sale of their oil.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh