English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 25/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit
John 12/20-28: “Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus. ’Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 24-25/2020
Hezbollah’s bogus Liberation & Resistance Day/Elias Bejjani/May 25/2020
Lebanon records 17 new COVID-19 cases bringing total to 1114
This Is when he Region Will celebrate The Jerusalem Day/Dr. Walid Phares/May 24/2020
Lebanon denies rumoured death of ageing President Michel Aoun
Qabalan calls for dropping sectarian formula, holding accountable those who stole public money, and opening a channel with Damascus regarding the displaced
Rahi: How can we ask for help from the international community, without security, political and judicial stability in the country?
Eid Al-Fitr holiday extends till Tuesday
Grand Mufti Derian on Eid Al-Fitr: We refuse to violate the constitution, marginalize the premiership
Hariri performs Eid prayers in Tarik Jdide and visits his father’s grave
Daher: For an in-depth discussion of the Capital Control Law in Parliament
Approval of general amnesty law an urgent necessity," says Abdallah
Hawat: To compensate farmers for the losses in their agricultural produce
Druze Sheikh Aql in his Fitr Eid sermon: To initiate radical reform, ensure judiciary's independence
Some of Israel's Lebanon Veterans Still Searching for Help
20 Years On, Israel's Lebanon Pullout Inspires New Hizbullah Recruits
Social Distancing Rule Breached as Hariri Prays in Tariq al-Jedideh
Egypt Pardons ex-Cop Jailed for Lebanese Singer's Murder
After Ghosn and Coronavirus, Renault and Nissan Weigh Future
Modest Eid celebrations take place in Lebanon amid coronavirus restrictions/Najia Houssari/Arab News/May 24/2020
Lebanon reforms lacking despite PM Hassan Diab’s positivity/Randa Takieddine/Arab News/May 24, 2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 24-25/2020
We can see a peaceful Middle East in our time
The Netanyahu trial adjourned until July 19. Witnesses forbidden to talk to media
Netanyahu: Khamenei is putting himself in danger by threatening Israel
Iran celebrates tankers arriving in Venezuela amid US tensions
Netanyahu to be Israel's first sitting PM on trial - case opens today
Netanyahu Lashes Out at 'Ludicrous' Graft Charges as Trial Begins
Thousands Protest in Hong Kong over China Security Law Proposal
Virus Lockdowns Stifle Eid Celebrations as Infections Rise
U.S., China at 'Brink of New Cold War', Says Chinese FM

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 24-25/2020
Epidemic Prevention" Chinese Communist Party Style: Persecute Religious Minorities/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 24, 2020
Israel's annexation plan is exactly what Iran wants right now/Raghida Dergham/The National/May 24/2020
Iran must put fighting virus above military adventurism/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 24, 2020
Anarchy loosed upon the region as Iran’s client states fall apart/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/May 24, 2020
Turkey, Egypt would have much to gain from detente/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/May 24, 2020
The Age of Bicycles and Internet/Najib Saab/Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2020
Why Boris Johnson Is Stuck in Lockdown Mode/Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/May 24/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 24-25/2020
Hezbollah’s bogus Liberation & Resistance Day
Elias Bejjani/May 25/2020
Believe it or not, on May 25 each year since 2000 Lebanon has been celebrating the so-called “Liberation & Resistance Day.”
Sadly, this celebration commemorates a bogus event, and a phony heroism that did not actually take place.
On May 22, 2000 the Israeli Army unilaterally and for solely Israeli domestic reasons withdrew from the security zone of South Lebanon in accordance with UN Resolution 425.
This miscalculated and hasty withdrawal was a fatal Israeli decision that has inspired the Hamas terrorism acts and the on-going havoc in the Palestinian Gaza strip.
During the last 19 years many Israeli officials and politicians from all parties openly and harshly criticized Barak’s Government (Barak was PM at that time) hasty and unwise decision through which Israel’ abandoned its ally the South Lebanon Army (SLA) and gave Hezbollah all south Lebanon and the entire Lebanon on a plate of sliver.
The unilateral Israeli withdrawal created a security vacuum in south Lebanon.
The Syrians who were occupying Lebanon at that time and fully controlling its government, did not allow the Lebanese Army to deploy in the south and fill this vacuum after the Israeli withdrawal.
Instead Syria helped the Hezbollah militia to militarily control the whole southern region, and even patrol the Israeli-Lebanese border.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli army’s withdrawal was executed without any military battles, or even minor skirmishes with Hezbollah, or the Lebanese and Syrian armies.
The Syrian regime, in a bid to justify both its on going occupation of Lebanon and the avoidance of disarming Hezbollah, came up with the “Shabaa Farms occupation big lie” and declared Hezbollah a Liberator, alleging it had forced Israel to withdrawal from South Lebanon.
Syria, in the same camouflaging and devious context, dictated to both its puppet Lebanese parliament and government to declare May 25th a National Day under the tag of “Liberation & Resistance Day”.
In reality Hezbollah did not force the Israeli withdrawal, and did not play any role in the Liberation of the southern Lebanese region.
In fact both Hezbollah and Syria deliberately hindered and delayed the Israeli withdrawal for more than 14 years.
Every time the Israelis called on the Lebanese government to engage in a joint, serious effort under the United Nations umbrella to ensure a safe and mutually organized withdrawal of its army from South Lebanon, the Lebanese government refused to cooperate, did not agree to deploy its army in the south, and accused the Israelis of plotting to divide and split the Syrian-Lebanese joint track.
This approach to the Israeli calls was an official Syrian decision dictated to all the Lebanese puppet governments during the Syrian occupation era.
Since then, Hezbollah has been hijacking Lebanon and its people, refusing to disarm and advocating for the annihilation of Israel.
This Iranian mullahs’ terrorist army stationed in Lebanon, is viciously hiding behind labels of resistance, liberation and religion.
Hezbollah has recklessly jeopardized the Lebanese peoples’ lives, safety, security and livelihood.
It has been growing bolder and bolder in the last 19 years and mercilessly taking the Lebanese state and the Lebanese people hostage through terrorism, force and organized crime.
Sadly, Hezbollah is systematically devouring Lebanon day after day, and piece by piece, while at the same time marginalizing all its governmental institutions in a bid to topple the Lebanese state and erect in its place a Shiite Muslim regime, a replica of the Iranian Shiite mullahs’ fundamentalist republic.
Meanwhile the free world and Arabic countries are totally silent, indifferent, and idly watching from far away the horrible crime unfolding without taking any practical or tangible measures to put an end to this anti-Lebanese Syria-Iranian scheme that is executed through their spearhead, the Hezbollah armed militia.
Who is to be blamed for Hezbollah’s current odd and bizarre status?
Definitely the Syrians who have occupied Lebanon for more than 28 years (1976-2005).
During their bloody and criminal occupation, Syria helped the Iranian Hezbollah militia build a state within Lebanon and fully control the Lebanese Shiite community.
But also the majority of the Lebanese politicians, leaders, officials and clergymen share the responsibility because they were subservient and acted in a dire Dhimmitude, selfish and cowardly manner.
If these so-called Lebanese leaders had been courageous and patriotic and had not appeased Hezbollah and turned a blind eye to all its vicious and human rights atrocities, intimidation tactics, crimes and expansionism schemes, this Iranian Shiite fundamentalist militia would not have been able to erect its own mini-state in the southern suburb of Beirut, and its numerous mini-cantons in the Bekaa Valley and the South; nor would Hezbollah have been able to build its mighty military power, with 70 thousand militiamen, or stockpile more than 200 thousand missiles and force the Iranian “Wilayat Al-Faqih” religious doctrine on the Lebanese Shiite community and confiscate Lebanon’s decision making process and freedoms.
Since Hezbollah’s emergence in 1982, these politicians have been serving their own selfish interests and not the interests of the Lebanese people and the nation. They went along with Hezbollah’s schemes, deluding themselves that its militia and weaponry would remain in South Lebanon and would not turn against them. This failure to serve the people of Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to make many Lebanese and most of the Arab-Muslim countries through its terrorism propaganda to blindly swallow its big lie of theatrical, faked resistance and Liberation.
Hezbollah would not have been able to refuse to disarm in 1991, like all the other Lebanese militias in accordance to the “Taef Accord,” which called for the disarmament of all militias.
Hezbollah would not have become a state inside the Lebanese state, and a world-wide terrorism Iranian-Syrian tool which turned against them all after its war with Israel in year 2006 and after the UN troops were deployed on the Lebanese – Israeli borders in accordance with the UN Resolution 1701.
On May 7, 2008 Hezbollah invaded Sunni Western Beirut killing and injuring in cold blood hundreds of its civilian citizens, and too attempted to take over by force Mount Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s General Secretary Sheik Hassan Nasrallah called that day (May 7, 2008) a great and glorious victory for his resistance, and keeps on threatening the Lebanese that a replicate of that day will take place if they do not succumb and obey his Iranian orders.
Hezbollah is a deadly dragon that the Lebanese politicians have been allowing him to feed on sacrifices from the southern Lebanese citizens, especially on those who were living in the “Security Zone” and who fled to Israel in May 2000 after the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon.
This dragon who enjoyed devouring his southern sacrifices has now turned on all the Lebanese and if they do not stand for their rights and dignity, he will keep on devouring them all one after the other.
We call on the Lebanese government, the Lebanese Parliament and on all the free and patriotic Lebanese politicians and leaders to cancel the May 25 National Day, because it is not national at all, and also to stop calling Hezbollah a resistance, put an end for its mini-state, cantons and weaponry, and secure a dignified, honorable and safe return for all the Lebanese citizens who have been taking refuge in Israel since May 2000.
N.B: The original version of the above article was first published in 2010..It is republished with minor changes

Lebanon records 17 new COVID-19 cases bringing total to 1114
Annahar/May 24/2020
Out of the 17 cases, 12 are locals and five are from the Lebanese repatriates.
BEIRUT: 17 new coronavirus positive cases have been recorded Sunday, the Ministry of Public Health announced Sunday. This brought the total number of registered cases in the small Mediterranean country to 1114. Out of the 17 cases, 12 are locals and five are from the Lebanese repatriates. Additionally, no new deaths were registered in the past 24 hours.Seven planes were expected to land at Rafic Hariri Airport starting at 2 pm, from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Frankfurt (Germany), Paris (France), Brussels (Belgium), Abu Dhabi, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and London (United Kingdom). To report a COVID-19 case, Lebanese are urged to call the 1214 hotline or (+961)-01-594459.

This Is when he Region Will celebrate The Jerusalem Day
Dr. Walid Phares/May 24/2020
On the Day When the Iranian people are liberated from Khomeinism and the Arab people from their militias.
The region will celebrate The Jerusalem Day when the people of Iran are liberated from The Khomeinism.
And when the people in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon are liberated from the militias.
And when, the Palestinian-Israeli are at peace.
And when the reforms in the Saudi. Kingdom are completed.
And when Egypt, The Emirates, Libya and Adan defeat terror.
And when Turkey and Tunisia are free from extremism and are re-secularized
And when the MENA minorities are protected.

Lebanon denies rumoured death of ageing President Michel Aoun
The New Arab & agencies/May 24/2020
Lebanon has denied rumours of the death of ageing President Michel Aoun, the Arab world's oldest president. The National News Agency (NNA) said on Sunday that rumours circulated on the popular WhatsApp messaging app were "false and unfounded". Messages shared on WhatsApp had attributed news of Aoun's death to the state-owned news agency. "The agency categorically denies that it posted such news, and asserts that it has absolutely nothing to do with the fabricated accounts attributed to it, the purpose of which is to cause confusion," the NNA said in a statement. Aoun, 85, is the oldest president in the Arab world. The founder of the Free Patriotic Movement party was elected president by the Lebanese parliement in 2016, breaking a 29-month deadlock. The veteran politician has been the target of public ire over the past few months as Lebanon became engulfed in both political and economic upheaval.Protests began in October last year after the government proposed a tax on WhatsApp calls and messages. The mass protest movement soon grew to target the entirety of Lebanon's sectarian political elite, demanding a complete overhaul of a class protesters decried as corrupt. The demonstrations prompted the resignation of former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, with protesters calling for a new technocratic government. The new administration led by Hassan Diab and inaugurated in January has failed to impress critics.

Qabalan calls for dropping sectarian formula, holding accountable those who stole public money, and opening a channel with Damascus regarding the displaced
NNA/May 24/2020
In his religious sermon marking the Fitr Eid on Sunday, the Grand Mufti Al-Jaafari, Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, denounced injustice, corruption and persecution, and categorically refused to accept a corrupt form of rule, unjust compromises, and power based on sectarianism and political opportunism.
Qabalan called for dropping the sectarian formula, saying: “We confirm that Lebanon’s origin was on a sectarian basis, with the function of serving the colonial and monopolistic project, and this formula has ended, and what Bchara Al-Khoury and Riyadh Al-Solh did is no longer suitable for the state of the individual and the citizen; it is a phase that has come to an end.”“In order to protect the country and break political paganism, and in order to save Lebanon, and affirm its mutual coexistence and civil peace, we are required to drop the sectarian formula in favor of a citizen state, a non-sectarian state, a human state, a state of law that informs the citizen of what citizenship denotes,” Qabalan underlined. “No to the Taef, no to the quota state and no to the quota system,” he added, reiterating the need for a just state of law and strong institutions, far from sectarianism and monopolies. Over the looted funds, Sheikh Qabalan called for holding accountable all those who stole public funds and exploited power, stressing the need to restore all public money. As for the Syrian refugees issue, the Mufti emphasized the need to open a channel with Syria to address this matter. “Finally, on God’s Day and Eid, we affirm that the greatest greatness is to return to God…Blessed is the month of God, blessed is His glorious feast, of goodness, mercy and forgiveness, and may it return every year with a thousand blessings to Lebanon and the Lebanese,” Sheikh Qabalan concluded.

Rahi: How can we ask for help from the international community, without security, political and judicial stability in the country?
NNA/May 24/2020
"The difficult situation in the Middle East does not allow anyone to drag Lebanon into external conflicts that undermine its sovereignty and independence, or turn it into a battlefield...How do we knock on the door of the international community and ask it to save the country economically and financially without ensuring security, political, and judicial stability?" Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi, asked the political class in Lebanon, during Sunday Mass service in Bkirki this morning. Rahi added: "Lebanon, which is going through the most serious economic and financial crisis in 30 years, will not be drawn into external conflicts." The Maronite Patriarch also warned about the situation of private Catholic schools as being "on the verge of closure, which threatens the educational system in Lebanon."

Eid Al-Fitr holiday extends till Tuesday
NNA/May 24/2020
The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers reminded, Sunday, of the content of the issued memorandum by the Prime Minister No. 14/2020, which indicates that the official holiday on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr includes Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, according to the declarations of Dar Al Fatwa and the Supreme Shiite Council on the beginning of the month of Shawwal and the days of the Eid.

Grand Mufti Derian on Eid Al-Fitr: We refuse to violate the constitution, marginalize the premiership
NNA/May 24/2020
Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian, delivered the sermon of Eid Al-Fitr at the Mohamed Al-Amin Mosque in the Downtown Beirut this morning, in the presence of Prime Minister Hassan Diab and MPs Fouad Makhzoumi and Adnan Traboulsi.
"The month of Ramadan this year was very harsh on all people due to the Corona epidemic, the economic and financial collapse, and the difficult social and living conditions," Derian said in his sermon.
Mufti Derian held the political forces, the central bank, and the banking system responsible for the country's financial collapse, and asked: Who is responsible for the bankruptcy of the state, and for the destruction of the citizens’ livelihood? Where did all these billions go, which should have been spent on safeguarding the interests of citizens, on supplying them with electricity and water, addressing the waste crisis, improving communications, promoting agriculture, industry and services, and why did the public debt accumulate ninety billion dollars, of which fifty billion were wasted on permanent power cuts...and who is responsible for holding depositors ’money?He also emphasized that corruption cannot be combated except through the judiciary, so he questioned about the judicial formations? The Mufti called on the government to "speed up taking firm measures and stopping the collapse of the national currency, because people are tired, and are unable to secure their livelihood with dignity, and cannot get their savings whenever they want."Derian stressed that society "does not accept violating the constitution, nor marginalize the premiership or infringing upon the powers of the prime minister, not because it ignores the hierarchy of constitutional institutions and the rights of one of the main components in Lebanon, but because violating the constitution creates a political crisis," pointing out that Lebanon has always been a pioneer in the coexistence of Christian-Muslim dialogue and cooperation for peace and security. The Mufti concluded by saying that "our economic and national crisis must not distract us from delivering the message of goodness, hope and initiative."

Hariri performs Eid prayers in Tarik Jdide and visits his father’s grave
NNA/May 24/2020
Former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, performed Eid Al-Fitr prayers today at Imam Ali Mosque in Tarik Jdide, in the presence of former MP Ammar Houry and a number of religious figures, dignitaries and a crowd of worshipers.
The Eid sermon was delivered by the Assistant Inspector General of Dar al-Fatwa Sheikh Dr. Hassan Merheb, who spoke about the meanings of the Eid and the importance of rejoicing after completing a ritual of Islam despite all the hardships and tribulations. He said: “We will remain noble and steadfast. We are not a sect but a nation. We offered martyrs for the sake of this country and their blood were shed to preserve it.”He added: “On this blessed morning, despite our joy and happiness, we remember our martyrs, and we can never forget martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and his role, and that he is the one who said: No one is greater than his country. He died as a martyr to preserve Lebanon and its security. What is being fought today under the title “political harirism” is a path of moderation and constructing a country. He is the one who built the roads, bridges and buildings. This is why Beirut will remain faithful to Rafic Hariri and to those following his path. We cannot give up on Rafic Hariri nor on his son. We will maintain this approach and remain loyal, to prevent discord and preserve Lebanon, its security, safety and moderation.”
Upon leaving the mosque, worshippers and a large group of people from Tariq Jdide gathered around Hariri and reiterated their support to him and to his national approach. After that, Hariri visited the grave of his father Martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in downtown Beirut. Alongside Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulatif Derian and a number of Sheikhs, he prayed for his soul and the souls of his fellow martyrs. —Hariri Press Office

Daher: For an in-depth discussion of the Capital Control Law in Parliament
NNA/May 24/2020
"Finally, the Free Patriotic Trend and the Development and Liberation blocs have agreed on presenting the belated ‘Capital Control Law’ to be discussed in next Thursday's session, and I was the first to demand it since last November…This submitted law may require an in-depth discussion, and amendments consistent with the goal for which it was proposed," tweeted MP Michel Daher on Sunday.

Approval of general amnesty law an urgent necessity," says Abdallah
NNA/May 24/2020
MP Bilal Abdallah tweeted Sunday on the amnesty law issue, saying: “Far from the sectarian calculations, the approval of the General Amnesty Law is an urgent national, social and health necessity...We hope that we can accomplish, within the General Assembly, what we failed to achieve in the joint committees...We are all required to show understanding and strengthen our sense of patriotism over anything else.”

Hawat: To compensate farmers for the losses in their agricultural produce
NNA/May 24/2020
"The daily tragedy experienced by farmers is the best proof of their sufferings. Therefore, we call on the government and the High Relief Commission to compensate them for the losses that affected their agricultural produce, especially apples, as a result of snowballs…Agriculture is the backbone of the economy and we must preserve it," tweeted MP Ziad Hawat on Sunday.

Druze Sheikh Aql in his Fitr Eid sermon: To initiate radical reform, ensure judiciary's independence
NNA/May 24/2020
Druze Unitarian Sect Sheikh Aql, Naim Hassan, wished the Lebanese a blessed Fitr Eid on Sunday, deeming in his sermon that the holy religious teachings and values are foundationally linked to the structures of societies seeking to have a decent living and to guarantee a constitutional human commitment to the spirit of laws, i.e. justice, equality, preserving rights, respecting duties and safeguarding liberties and order.
“We, in Lebanon, must activate efforts and revive all the components to rise from the hotbeds of weariness and slump, abolishing narrow political investments, eradicating areas of private gains, holding the illicit wealth accountable, as well as the use of power to possess influence and leverage tools,” said the Druze Sheikh Aql. “Lebanon, which is in a state of emergency, is at a critical, worrisome level that requires every official to rise above the stagnation, negligence and narrow gains, to a state of positive alert and awareness, starting immediate and fruitful initiatives…and truly tending towards reviving the will of national solidarity and transcending beyond the barriers of factional fragmentation,” he added.
Sheikh Hassan underlined the need to “ensure the judiciary’s complete independence, because it is the conscience of the nation and because there can be no accountability or real anti-corruption steps except through an impartial judiciary, independent of any political interference.”
In light of the challenges witnessed in the country during this critical stage of socio-economic life, the Druze Sheikh Aql urged officials to “stop exploiting the state and its institutions for private and factional interests or for settling accounts and for malicious ends…in addition to ceasing the exchange of accusations and throwing responsibilities at each other.” He called on officials to begin an immediate and radical reform workshop that would reflect on all sectors that are filled with waste and corruption, and to set an economic vision based on understanding and deliberation with all productive sectors, economic bodies, labor unions, employee associations and trade unions, so that it would be a well-thought out plan, socially just and applicable, and accepted by the International Monetary Fund to assist Lebanon.
Furthermore, Sheikh Hassan urged the Lebanese government to implement effective measures to prevent the rise in consumer prices, regulate the exchange rate of the national currency, change the applied working methods in the electricity sector, and put an end to the smuggling, customs and tax evasion dossiers. He also stressed the need to reactivate public administrations on the basis of efficiency in appointments and rationalization in spending; in addition to implementing social, educational and health policies, with continuous care and support for needy and underprivileged families, whose numbers will increase successively due to the rise in unemployment and economic deadlock.
Meanwhile, the Druze Sheikh Aql expressed a word of praise for the relentless efforts, sacrifices and the national role played by the Lebanese Army, hailing its great performance in all the tasks assigned to it at all levels.
“Our historical and political heritage teaches us that what made it possible to achieve a homeland on this earth is the spirit of partnership and convergence, with the strength of a collective will to live together, whose contents intersected to form what was called the National Charter,” Sheikh Hassan corroborated.
“We ask God Almighty to bless our people with His generosity, mercy, grace, acceptance and forgiveness, and to grant those working to serve the people success in their endeavors for all good, and to bless the nation and its people with relief, comfort and peace,” the Druze Sheikh Aql concluded.

Some of Israel's Lebanon Veterans Still Searching for Help
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
Two decades after the end of the war in Lebanon, Israeli veterans still deal with dark memories of the conflict, arguing that many comrades were denied the help they needed. "When we were in Lebanon, we counted on each other. Today as well we need to support each other," said Avi Maier, 50, at a veterans' march in Tel Aviv, marking two decades since the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israel does not officially consider as a "war" its 1982-2000 occupation of southern Lebanon where thousands of its troops battled the Iran-backed Hizbullah Palestinian forces and other guerrilla groups.
That means Israeli veterans were not systematically offered support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other scars left by the bloody 18-year-long conflict. "They were sent to psychiatric hospitals, which is not appropriate," said Maier, a man with long, graying hair who spent 11 year in the army and carried out multiple missions in south Lebanon. Maier is now seeking to set up a support center for former soldiers suffering from PTSD, together with Oshrit Shtark, whose brother Erez died at age 21 along with 72 others when two Israeli military helicopters collided en route to Lebanon.
"These are people who saw death close up, their friends dying, or got wounded -- for them life is not simple," Shtark told AFP, wearing a t-shirt bearing a picture of her late brother's face. "We want to help them have a better life," added Maier, clutching the Israeli flag. "We are alive thanks to them, the people owe them."
'Need to share'
The Israeli army first invaded Lebanon in March 1978, citing the need to stop attacks by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which it pushed back several dozen kilometers to the north before withdrawing in June. Four years later the Israeli army again invaded, besieging the Lebanese capital Beirut, where the PLO was headquartered, before eventually retreating to a "security zone" in the south of the country. In all, by the end of 1982, the operation had left 20,000 dead and 30,000 wounded, according to an official Lebanese report. More than 1,200 Israeli soldiers died during the 18 years of occupation, and thousands more were wounded. On the Israeli side, "at a certain point there was a death nearly every four days," said director Eyal Shahar, 32, who was a child during the conflict but has been collecting testimony on the era via a Facebook discussion group with more than 35,000 members. "They feel the need to share and are looking for an outlet," he explained. "It was very hard, physically and psychologically."
'A good idea?' -
The mounting Israeli death toll and confusion about the purpose of the occupation, which some labelled "Israel's Vietnam", led then prime minister Ehud Barak to pledge to withdraw back to the border in 2000. On the night of May 23-24, 2000, the final Israeli convoy crossed the frontier, sparking joyous celebrations in southern Lebanon. The last commander to leave was Benny Gantz, who is now the defense minister and is scheduled to switch roles with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 18 months under their unity government deal. The 20th anniversary of the withdrawal comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between Israel and Hizbullah, whom Israel accuses of planning attacks from Lebanon and war-torn Syria. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Hizbullah and other pro-Iranian groups operating in Syria since that country descended into civil war in 2011. Gantz, speaking at a cabinet meeting Sunday, recounted that "today marks 20 years since the IDF (Israeli army) left Lebanon. Many of us sitting here today served there. "We are still keeping a close watch on the military fronts in Lebanon and Syria ... We will, naturally, follow developments closely, acting when needed, preparing ourselves as necessary," he added. For many Israelis, the Lebanon war and retreat represent a mixed legacy. Shahar, the director, said that "we left, and the Jewish people are still living, maybe leaving was a good decision.
"But was it a good idea to go there? I can't say," he added.

20 Years On, Israel's Lebanon Pullout Inspires New Hizbullah Recruits
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
Jalal was barely three years old when Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon two decades ago, but he speaks fondly of the Hizbullah "victory" that shaped his allegiance to the group. "I feel honor and pride in this historic victory," said the 23-year-old who was brought up on stories of Hizbullah-led guerrilla operations leading to the Israeli pullout. Founded in 1982 with backing from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hizbullah touts the 2000 pullout as the first Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab land under military pressure. Today Hizbullah, which means "Party of God", is both a militant group with involvement in several regional countries and a major political force in Lebanon. The group remains an archfoe of Israel. Its military wing is blacklisted as a "terrorist" organization by many Western governments but, to the dismay of Israel and its close ally the United States, its political wing is blacklisted by rather fewer.
Twenty years after the Israeli withdrawal, Hizbullah still enjoys wide support among Lebanese youth who grew up with tales of the group heroically ending 22 years of Israeli occupation. Also popular for its social services helping the poor, it continues to leverage the memory of this era to mold a new generation of loyalists gearing up to join its regional operations. "We all wish we were there standing beside (Hizbullah) during the liberation war," Jalal told AFP over the phone, asking to use a pseudonym. We wish we had been "fighting on their side and offering ourselves for our country," said the young man, whose brother has since fought with Hizbullah in neighboring Syria. Bashir Saade, author of a book on Hizbullah, said "the party always needs to jump back into the past... to make sense of its political presence and vision."
War stories
The main site where Hizbullah celebrates its historical legacy is a memorial and museum in the hilltop bastion of Mleeta, built in 2010 to commemorate Israel's withdrawal. At the former Hizbullah launchpad for operations, an Israeli Merkava tank is displayed in a pit with its barrel twisted into a knot, next to a mock grave for Israeli soldiers. Under oak trees, a mannequin representing a Hizbullah fighter in military fatigues lies on a stretcher with a cast around his neck, while two similar figurines are seen carrying a heavy case of equipment. Below them, visitors can walk through a 200 meter (220 yard) long tunnel that Hizbullah fighters built over three years to combat Israeli forces. "The objective of the museum is to give the coming generations tangible proof of what happened," said tour guide Mohammad Lamah. It shows them that "the struggle is worth it," he said. But unlike most memorial landmarks, he said, the former Hizbullah outpost does not "immortalize a resolved case."On the other side of the border, "Israel is still here."
- 'Defend the oppressed' -
Israel's pullout from Lebanon was celebrated as a major achievement both inside Lebanon and across the Arab world, gaining Hizbullah regional acclaim. Its popularity further surged among supporters after it fought a 33-day war against Israeli forces in Lebanon in 2006. Hizbullah has since evolved into a regional Iran-backed military force, operating in Syria and supporting groups in Yemen and Iraq, leading some to criticize it for turning its guns away from Israel and towards fellow Arabs. Hizbullah is today the only Lebanese group not to have handed over its heavy arms after the country's 1975-1990 civil war and commands a military arsenal that rivals that of Lebanon's own army. At home, cross-sectarian support for the group dwindled after an armed faceoff with fellow Lebanese during a political crisis in 2008. Nonetheless Hizbullah, which entered the political scene after Israel's withdrawal, has become a dominant political player in Lebanon. Together with its allies it commands a majority in parliament and the cabinet. The movement also runs a TV channel and an extensive social services network -- complete with schools, hospitals and charitable organizations. Since 2006, Hizbullah and Israel have avoided all-out conflict, but Israel routinely targets Hizbullah positions in Syria. Both sides have exchanged sporadic gunfire and endless threats, but analysts say a new conflict is not in the interest of either side. But if there were a return to full hostilities, the 2000 Israeli pullout would likely provide inspiration for many young Hizbullah loyalists. "I was young on the day of liberation and didn't understand what was going on, but I understood from my parents that it was something great," another Hizbullah supporter, aged 24, told AFP by phone. "It is now the ambition of every one of us to take up arms to defend the oppressed," he said.

Social Distancing Rule Breached as Hariri Prays in Tariq al-Jedideh
Naharnet/May 24/2020
nt leader ex-PM Saad Hariri performed the Eid al-Fitr prayer Sunday at the Imam Ali Mosque in Tariq al-Jedideh, in the presence of former MP Ammar Houry and a number of religious figures and dignitaries and a crowd of worshipers. Upon leaving the mosque, worshipers and a large group of people from Tariq al-Jedideh – a Mustaqbal bastion -- gathered around Hariri and reiterated their support for him. The breach of coronavirus social distancing rules drew criticism from some media outlets and on social networking websites, although Hariri and many bodyguards and worshipers wore medical masks. Hariri later visited the grave of his father, slain ex-PM Rafik Hariri, in downtown Beirut.

Egypt Pardons ex-Cop Jailed for Lebanese Singer's Murder
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
Egypt's president has pardoned thousands of prisoners including a former policeman jailed over killing a Lebanese pop diva more than a decade ago, according to the official gazette. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi granted clemency to a total of 3,157 people jailed on different cases on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Among those pardoned was former policeman Mohsen al-Sukkari, sentenced in 2010 to 25 years for the murder of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim. The court had found that Sukkari acted on instructions from Egyptian real estate tycoon Hisham Talaat Moustafa for a payment of $2 million. The 2008 killing of Tamim, Moustafa's lover, sparked public outcry across the Arab region. Moustafa, a well-known businessman, was sentenced to 15 years for his part in the crime, but he was granted a presidential pardon in 2017 on health grounds.
He was close to Gamal Mubarak, son of the ousted president Hosni Mubarak who was overthrown in the 2011 mass uprising triggered in part by police brutality and rampant corruption.

After Ghosn and Coronavirus, Renault and Nissan Weigh Future
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
For automakers Renault and Nissan, the world is currently a very different place to what it had been just a few short months ago. In 2017 and 2018, the Franco-Japanese industrial alliance had ranked the world's biggest automaker with sales of 10.6 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. But by the end of 2019, if the wheels have not quite come off, the two have nevertheless had a bumpy ride, after the man who oversaw that achievement, Carlos Ghosn, fled a trial in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct, and surfaced in Lebanon. Digesting that scandal was one thing. Coping with the economic mayhem wrought by the coronavirus pandemic was a task of a completely different dimension. Ghosn's expansion strategy of the past now appears to hail from a galaxy millions of light years away. Today, the alliance is looking to cut back production capacity in view of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as the two carmakers -- which had previously accounted for some 10 percent of the global auto market -- realign themselves to the new reality. The outlook already looked bleak enough last year, after Renault recorded its first loss in a decade on sagging sales. Then along came the novel coronavirus that all but paralyzed the production line and sales points, particularly in Europe. In the words of the French finance ministry, Renault is now "fighting for survival."
- Cutting costs -
Nissan too, in which Renault holds a 43-percent stake, is set to reveal heavy losses when it publishes its 2019/2020 results on Thursday. Ghosn had been targeting sales of 14 million by 2022, including five million for Renault. But that now looks ambitious.During the course of this week, the alliance will lift the veil on its strategic plans for the future.Another member of the alliance, Mitsubishi Motors, one-third owned by Nissan, has similarly hit hard times and is preparing to reveal its own plans in late July or early August. Nissan sees its priorities as centered firmly on its core markets -- Japan, China and North America, an informed source told AFP. It is losing "a lot of money" in Europe. That could spell danger for the Nissan factory at Barcelona, judged as being over-capacity, although the source indicated the future of the Sunderland plant in northeast England looks assured despite Brexit. The name of the game is "cut fixed costs everywhere," which means trimming production capacity from seven million units a year -- two million more than current annual sales. Japanese media reports say the group could slash its worldwide workforce by 15 percent by early 2023.
- Defending French jobs -
At least the coronavirus shockwaves have pushed the Ghosn controversy off center stage. For Nissan, any negative feelings towards Renault and the French state in the wake of the Ghosn saga have been put aside "because the coronavirus is a much more important problem," notes Tatsuo Yoshida, auto sector analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. "Nissan, Mitsubishi and Renault don't have any time to lose if they want to survive this crisis," he told AFP. Renault needs to plot a route back into the black if it is to keep the French government onside amid concern over the potential direct or indirect fallout from the virus on jobs. With Paris voicing fears that Renault could disappear without state support -- France retains a 15-percent stake in the carmaker -- the government is set to approve a five-billion-euro ($5.4 billion) loan package, although environmental strings will be attached. Paris will also want guarantees on keeping maximum production within France -- several models are currently produced in lower-cost countries abroad, such as the Clio in Turkey. Responding to media reports of possible closures in France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned last week that the government would be "intransigent" on the issue of keeping production on home soil. But the challenge is a sizable one. Renault said in February, before the pandemic really took hold, that it was targeting two billion euros in savings over three years and would not rule out site closures. Or, as interim CEO and former financial officer Clotilde Delbos put it: "No taboos."

Modest Eid celebrations take place in Lebanon amid coronavirus restrictions
Najia Houssari/Arab News/May 24/2020
BEIRUT: Eid prayers were held in Lebanon’s mosques, as people celebrated the end of Ramadan amid measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Movement in Beirut was limited to family visits, with parks and other entertainment facilities remaining closed. Most people refrained from visiting restaurants because of the ongoing economic crunch. Families with properties in the mountains preferred to spend their Eid holidays there in order to protect themselves against the virus. Eid prayers were held in mosques, and the number of worshippers varied region-wise. Mosques abided by the decision of the Islamic Dar Al-Fatwa to maintain distance between worshippers, ensure that everyone wore masks, have worshippers bring their own prayer mats, and prevent handshakes and hugging.
Doctors expressed fears that social mixing during the holidays might boost the number of infections. On Sunday the Health Ministry confirmed 17 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number to 1,114. But economic concerns overshadowed other worries during Eid, and shopkeepers complained of a significant drop in purchasing activity.“Business activities in markets before Eid remained minimum due to a decline in people’s purchasing power and the pandemic,” Tony Eid, head of the Beirut Traders Association, told Arab News. “Reopening markets gradually is better than continuous closure. We are facing several issues such as banks not issuing US dollars, and forex dealers are still on a strike forcing us to resort to devious ways to buy dollars. If we don’t do that the commercial sector will suffocate.”The third phase of the repatriation of Lebanese expatriates ended on Sunday. Citizens arrived on Sunday at Rafik Hariri International Airport from Riyadh, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and London. On Saturday night, flights from Moscow, London, Abidjan, and Mozambique arrived. The government is currently not planning to start the fourth phase of the operations. The next phase will be based on the pandemic situation. According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of COVID-19 cases among those coming from abroad is 193, while 6,393 people are in quarantine centers.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab offered Eid prayers at the Al-Amin Mosque in central Beirut. Former prime ministers, who oppose the current government, were absent from the scene.
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri participated in Eid prayers at Imam Ali Mosque in Beirut’s Jdeideh Road district, which is loyal to the Future Movement. Many of the district’s people came out to greet Hariri and expressed their support for him. In his Eid sermon Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian criticized “the destruction and sabotage of public institutions” and called on the government to stop the country’s financial, banking, and economic collapse.
“Where have the billions (of liras) gone?” he said. “These should have been spent on safeguarding the interests of citizens, supplying them with power and water, on addressing the waste crisis, improving communications, and promoting agriculture, industry, and services. Why has the country accumulated public debt of $90 billion, $50 billion of which were wasted on electric power that is always out? Who is responsible for holding the depositors’ money? The ones who drained this money inform us every day that it has been lost forever.”
He said Lebanon should reach out to its Arab brothers, who were keen on the country’s safety, stability, and prosperity. “We will not abandon our Arab nationalism,” he added. Sheikh Hassan Merheb, assistant general inspector at Dar Al-Fatwa, criticized those attempting to undo the policies of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He said Beirut would remain faithful to him and to those following in his footsteps. Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan said that the Lebanese formula, which was established on a “sectarian and tyrannical basis to serve the colonial and monopoliztic project,” had ended.He also said that what the post-independence president, Bechara El-Khoury, and former Prime Minister  Riyad Al-Solh did was no longer suitable for a state of citizenship because the country had collapsed due to the “corrupt constitution.”He said that Lebanon must not listen to “the lying international community” and that “the International  Monetary Fund is neither a charity nor independent from politics.”The Lebanese head of the Maronite Catholic Church, Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi, used his Sunday sermon to condemn attempts to involve Lebanon in the region’s wars. He said these destroyed Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, or turned it into a battlefield. He declared his refusal for “changing the face and heart of Lebanon and its pluralistic characteristic in order to preserve our identity.”

Lebanon reforms lacking despite PM Hassan Diab’s positivity
Randa Takieddine/Arab News/May 24, 2020
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab last week celebrated the first 100 days of his government with a self-promoting speech claiming that it had hit 97 percent of its targets. In a striking, self-satisfied description of his achievements, he compared the Lebanon of before he became prime minister to a sinking ship unable to be saved. He claimed that, 10 days after his government got the vote of confidence from parliament, the country was saved due to his courage in refusing to honor its debt and his ability to deal with the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The reality, however, is totally different. Lebanon is on the brink of a popular explosion. The economic and social situation is disastrous and the corruption continues as before. Powerful politicians supporting the government, from Hezbollah and its Christian allies in the party of President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil, are continuing with business as usual, not realizing that the Lebanese people last year took to the streets to ask all of them to leave the political scene due to their corruption and failures.
France’s officials are very worried about the Lebanese situation. They are adamant they want to help Lebanon because they still think it is a strategic country for them, but more than one French official believes that an explosion there would result in a very dangerous escalation in the region. French diplomacy pushed the Diab government to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Paris’s ambassador to Lebanon urged it to make rapid progress in those talks. The Lebanese situation is being very closely followed by French diplomats and politicians, from President Emmanuel Macron and his advisers to Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire. The top diplomats in France have a deep knowledge of the Lebanese internal situation, as well as that of the region. The chief diplomat among Macron’s advisers is a former ambassador to Lebanon and No. 2 in the French Embassy in Riyadh. The diplomat heading French external intelligence also happens to be a former ambassador to Lebanon. The disastrous current situation in Lebanon is very well analyzed and followed in France — to the extent that it has become a tradition that senior American officials consult with them on matters concerning the country.
French diplomats want to offer some positive approval of the Diab government’s plan, but they always add that they want to see action.
Officially, the French diplomats want to offer some positive approval of the Diab government’s plan, but they always add that they want to see action and that no checks will be written if reforms are not carried out and corruption is tackled. They see that, so far, no reforms have been taken — despite Diab’s self-congratulatory speech. French officials reckon that the Diab government has been too slow to act. The prime minister has so far been unable to reform the electricity sector, which is a main contributor to the country’s budget deficit, or even appoint someone to manage the sector. He has also been unable to reach an internal political agreement on the number of power plants needed. Bassil, the ghost president and also the behind-the-scenes power minister in the Diab government, is insisting on having a third power plant in his region of Batroun, whereas a majority in the government voted for only two.
Foreign diplomats insist on the necessity of having a unified Lebanese stand if they are to support and implement the IMF plan that aims to save Lebanon. They also stress the much-needed fight against corruption. However, the key question one can ask is how can Hezbollah and its allies accept this fight against corruption when the state’s revenues from ports and border crossings are controlled by Hezbollah, whose Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah recently stated that its control can be carried out in coordination with Syria’s regime — its partner in corruption?
US dollars were leaving Lebanese banks, thanks to Hezbollah agents and their Christian allies, to finance Bashar Assad and his Iranian protectors. So the banks were financing the failed Lebanese state and the criminal Syrian regime, while Lebanese depositors had their savings taken hostage. Bassil was traveling the world trying to convince the Lebanese diaspora to invest in Lebanon: A safe haven that he and his Hezbollah allies have turned into hell. The main conditions of any IMF plan to save Lebanon would be transparency and anti-corruption measures. The fear is that any corruption investigation would become a tool for Hezbollah and its allies, who control the Justice Ministry, to go after their political enemies and anyone who is against the Hezbollah-Iran-Syria alliance.
Corruption has characterized the state and the political class generally, and it has peaked with Hezbollah’s increasing power. But corruption is entangled in such a way that all of the accused politicians have a lot against each other. So how is the corrupt state going to open its books to the IMF, which is ready to help if an agreement is concluded? Also, with the ongoing worldwide health, social and economic hardships caused by the coronavirus, it might be mission impossible for France to convince the international community to help Lebanon if no real reform is carried out.
*Randa Takieddine is a Lebanese journalist based in France.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 24-25/2020
We can see a peaceful Middle East in our time
The National/May 24/2020
The pandemic is giving the Middle East lessons on what really matters, and the region should never forget them
The Middle East and North Africa is often unfairly characterised in other parts of the world as being a region that only knows conflict. As this newspaper’s coverage has shown, this is a place where innovation and collective achievement – in science and medicine, the arts, sport, business and other areas of civil society – thrive. And as the world continues to reel from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, progress can be found in every corner of Mena, from locally designed healthcare robots in Tunis to the development of laser-based Covid-19 tests here in Abu Dhabi. At the same time, a disproportionately large number of countries in the regional map are embroiled in one form of armed conflict or another. Separatist militants continue to destabilise the Sahel. In Libya, the civil war grows increasingly brutal. In Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, a combination of jihadists, Iranian proxies, weak institutions and external powers launch wave after wave of assaults upon one another. In the eastern wing of this map, ISIS’s influence resurges in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while at the very heart of the region, Israel prepares for an unprecedented annexation of Palestinian territory.
Yet for the first time in a very long time, as coronavirus continues to wash through every country on the map, there is a growing sense that the conflicts plaguing Mena pale in comparison to the actual plague brought on by the pandemic. This is especially the case today, when the nations of the region mark Eid Al Fitr, a time that would any other year be celebrated with family reunions and public feasts. No war in the history of the Middle East has ever quieted Eid across the entire Muslim ummah the way the pandemic has. It is a force no army or band of militants can reckon with, and a lesson that the well-being of everyone in the region relies on seeing the larger picture. The United Nations is just one of many voices that have repeatedly called for the nations of the world to use the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity for a total ceasefire. The benefits of such actions to the Middle East and North Africa would be immeasurable.The political aspirations that fuel the region’s wars are not trivial, nor would they be resolved through a ceasefire alone. But ending wars has little to do with either side’s desires, and more to do with what it can realistically achieve. Should the Mena region be completely overrun by a highly contagious and, in some cases, deadly virus, little will be achieved for anyone.  Now is the time for the region to rest, convalesce and to take stock of what really matters. Co-operation in health care and economic recovery, and the exploration of political solutions to old conflicts are the wisest courses of action. With a bit of space for these considerations, at least some of the actors in the region’s many conflicts might find that their aspirations can be more aligned than they had previously thought.

The Netanyahu trial adjourned until July 19. Witnesses forbidden to talk to media
DebekaFile/May 24/2020
The trial of PM Binyamin Netanyahu and his three co-defendants will continue on July 19, the three-judge panel of the Jerusalem District Court announced at the opening session on Sunday, May 24. The charges of bribery, fraud and breach of faith were read out to the defendant, the prime minister, and he confirmed, “I have read and I understand the charges.” Netanyahu’s co-defendants are Yediot Aharonot chief editor, Arnon Mozes, the controlling shareholder of Bezeq telecom, Shaul Elovitch and his wife, Iris. All four lawyers asked for enough time before the next session to study the mountainous volume of investigative material on their cases. The judges agreed to schedule the next session on July 19. The added that the defendants were not required to attend, only their attorneys. The Elovitch’s lawyer, Jack Chen asked the court to caution the witnesses against conducting a parallel trial through the media. “We want the trial to go forward before this court. If prosecution witnesses give press interviews, it will be a circus,” he said.At the end of the session, Prosecutor Liat Ben Ari promised to caution the witnesses against granting press interviews.
Binyamin Netanyahu delivered his j’accuse outside the Jerusalem District Court minutes before the opening of his trial on three counts of corruption. Repeating the demand for the live broadcast of the proceedings (which the court had already denied) “to prevent editorial distortions and censorship,” he also called for the publication verbatim of the investigation conducted against him. This would expose what he called the illegal practices of “intimidation and threats against witnesses’ families,” which were used to extract evidence against him. Failing to bring the “right down in election after election, Netanyahu, said, they resorted to foul methods to remove the national camp from power for years to come. “I go into court with a straight back and a head held high,” said Netanyahu, “because I know that the people are with me and I’m not alone.” Outside the court, several hundred flag-waving, shouting demonstrators showed their support for the prime minister, who arrived in court from the first cabinet meeting of the new unity government over which he presided. A large group of Likud ministers and lawmakers in face masks took seats in the public gallery.

Netanyahu: Khamenei is putting himself in danger by threatening Israel
Jerusalem Post/May 24/2020
PM spoke with leaders of Sudan and Chad, and expressed wish to increase ties
with more Muslim countries. Anyone who threatens Israel is in danger, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned, responding in his comments at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting to remarks by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the weekend. Announcing the formation of the new government’s Diplomatic and Security  Cabinet, Netanyahu warned: “The threats haven’t stopped. You hear Khamenei threaten us with destruction. Anyone threatening us with destruction won’t succeed, and puts himself in great danger. “It is our policy to oppose Iranian aggression everywhere,” Netanyahu said. “We are blocking them from establishing bases in Syria and… developing weapons in Syria that can endanger the State of Israel.”On Friday, Khamenei said: "The Zionist regime [Israel] is a deadly, cancerous tumor in the region. It will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed."Khamenei confirmed that the Iranian mullahs’ regime had been arming terrorists in Gaza. "Iran realized Palestinian fighters' only problem was lack of access to weapons," he said. "With divine guidance and assistance, we planned – and the balance of  power has been transformed in Palestine... today the Gaza Strip can stand against
the aggression of the Zionist enemy and defeat it."Iran marked “Quds Day” – a holiday in honor of Jerusalem and against Israel – on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In the same cabinet meeting, Netanyahu mentioned that he had spoken to the leaders of Chad and  Sudan in recent days, and wished them a happy Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.Netanyahu met with Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Uganda in February, where they agreed to move towards normalization. Netanyahu visited Chad in early 2019, where he and Chadian President Idriss Deby announced a resumption of diplomatic relations for the first time since 1972. Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who is also alternate prime minister, pointed out that Sunday marked 20 years since the IDF left Lebanon, adding that he and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi were among the final IDF officers there.
"We are still keeping a close watch on the military fronts in Lebanon and Syria," he said. "The security problems that could happen in the North have not passed."“We have to stretch our hand out to peace on every front – and have the military strength that can ensure we will reach peace and preserve it,” he added.Gantz also wished a happy Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, to all of Israel’s Muslim citizens and friends. Both the prime minister and his alternate mentioned the economic impact of coronavirus, and the need for the new government to help people and businesses recover from the shutdown, which was imposed to curb the disease’s spread.

Iran celebrates tankers arriving in Venezuela amid US tensions
Jerusalem Post/May 24/2020
Tasnim media in Iran, which is close to the IRGC, celebrated the great victory on Sunday with coverage across its homepage. “A turning point for Venezuela’s sovereignty and independence,”
Iran celebrated the arrival of the first of five tankers arriving in Venezuela amid tensions with the US. Iran is supposedly under sanctions but it sent five tankers filled with gasoline to Venezuela to help bolster the regime of Nicolas Maduro. The US has sought to support the opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaido. Iran sending tankers to Venezuela was heralded as a great success by the Iranian government and media, a clear desire to humiliate US policies and show that Iran can do as it wants. Tasnim media in Iran, which is close to the IRGC, celebrated the great victory on Sunday with coverage across its homepage. “A turning point for Venezuela’s sovereignty and independence,” the reports said. Venezuela’s regime also said it was a victory, with its UN office celebrating how the Trump administration had been beaten. Tasnim reported that Trump and “his servants” had considered a military strike on the tankers. But the first tanker arrived safely, escorted by the Venezuelans. Iran warned the US not to interfere. Iran now celebrates its “brotherhood” with Venezuela as its gasoline is taken off. Venezuela is an oil producing state but Iran has refining abilities for gasoline and Venezuela needs the gas. Venezuela’s economy has been ruined by the socialist government and US sanctions and the thuggish ruling party. There are still chances for the US to make trouble for Iran’s tanker fleet. More ships will arrive in the coming days and then they have to go back to Iran. The port they came from was sabotaged by a cyber attack recently. US media pointed the finger at Israel for that incident. It’s unclear what the ships will do next. Furthermore, Venezuela is holding two Americans it accuses of being part of an ill-planned coup.

Netanyahu to be Israel's first sitting PM on trial - case opens today
Jerusalem Post/May 24/2020
Key to Sunday's hearing is how quickly or slowly the judges decide to move the trial forward. After years of probes, immunity battles, High Court decisions and a corona delay, Benjamin Netanyahu will go down in history on Sunday at 3 p.m. as the first sitting prime minister to go on trial for public corruption.Just as the indictment against Netanyahu, represented by Amit Hadad and Micha  Feitman, was a major cause of the 18-month-long election deadlock, the trial will hover as a cloud over virtually all major government decisions for the foreseeable future. On Saturday night, Netanyahu’s lawyers filed a complaint with the state prosecution against Channel 13’s Raviv Drucker. They said that by interviewing witnesses for the prosecution and presenting a threatening narrative of the legal consequences against any of those witnesses who recant their accusations against Netanyahu, Drucker is interfering with the legal proceedings and potentially impacting the judges. The complaint, like more than 100 others against the media, is not expected to lead to a criminal probe due to concerns for freedom of the press, though Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit has criticized leaks to the press from law enforcement. Key to Sunday’s hearing is how quickly or slowly the judges decide to move the trial forward. The trial schedule could have a huge impact on Netanyahu’s transfer of power to Blue and White’s Benny Gantz in November 2022, as well as what Netanyahu’s status will be after that transfer. The other defendants are Bezeq and Walla owner Shaul Elovitch and his wife, Iris (represented by Jacques Chen), as well as Yediot Ahronot owner Arnon “Noni” Mozes (represented by Navit Negev). Netanyahu himself must physically attend after a court order regarding the issue on Wednesday, despite his request for an exemption from attending until a more
substantive hearing. The main courtroom at the Jerusalem District Court will be presided over by Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham, and is also expected to include Deputy State Attorney Liat Ben Ari and senior prosecutor Yonatan Tadmor, the four defendants, one defense lawyer for each defendant and security for Netanyahu.Ben Ari has also been given extra security protection due to threats against her and to the prosecution in general. In two adjacent courtrooms, there will be additional defense lawyers for the defendants, media and other related professionals involved. Netanyahu’s legal team has not formally announced whether Hadad or Feitman will take the lead at Sunday’s hearing, but the speculation is that it will be Feitman.Hadad has been with Netanyahu since the start of the case, back when the lead lawyer was Hadad’s then-boss, Jacob Weinroth, but many other lawyers have been on and off of the team since Weinroth passed away in 2018. Feitman was added to the team relatively recently, but has more years of  experience than the telegenic Hadad. Mandelblit announced on November 21 that he would indict Netanyahu for
bribery in Case 4000 (the Bezeq-Walla Affair), for breach of public trust in Case 1000 (the Illegal Gifts Affair) and for breach of public trust in Case 2000 (the Yediot Aharonot-Israel Hayom Affair). Due to fights over potential immunity, the Netanyahu indictment was not filed until
January 28 – and due to the election and the coronavirus crisis, the trial’s start date was delayed by several months. In Case 4000, Netanyahu is accused of involvement in a media bribery scheme in  which Walla owner Shaul Elovitch allegedly gave him positive coverage in exchange for the prime minister making government policies favoring Elovitch’s Bezeq Company to the tune of around NIS 1.8 billion. This is the hardest case for Netanyahu since he faces accusations by two close former aides turned state witnesses, Shlomo Filber and Nir Hefetz. In Case 1000, Netanyahu is accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of  shekels in gifts from rich tycoons, mostly from Arnon Milchan, in exchange for  help with business and personal-legal initiatives.The charge itself is for acting in situations in which the prime minister had a conflict of interest, since no actual quid pro quo can be proven. The absence of a quid pro quo makes this case much weaker than Case 4000, but it is still viewed by most legal scholars as having at least a 50/50 chance. Regarding Case 2000, Netanyahu was accused of working with Yediot and Israel Hayom to reduce the latter’s competition with the former in exchange for positive  coverage of Netanyahu.The deal never went through, but the law has crimes of attempted bribery and breach of trust which can apply nevertheless. Mandelblit was never a fan of Case 2000, but decided he needed to charge Netanyahu with something once they indicted Yediot owner Arnon “Noni” Mozes with bribery. Sunday’s hearing will be mostly technical, with the lawyers fighting over whether the prosecution must transfer more documents to the defense, but the judges will

Netanyahu Lashes Out at 'Ludicrous' Graft Charges as Trial Begins
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at a Jerusalem court Sunday for the start of his long-delayed corruption trial, rejecting the "ludicrous" charges against him and declaring he was facing the hearing "with my head held high."
The veteran premier, who has just forged a unity government after over a year of political turmoil, now faces the next challenge -- being the country's first premier to face criminal charges while in office. Flanked by ministers and bodyguards, Netanyahu addressed reporters before entering the Jerusalem District Court where he was to face charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He condemned the "fabricated and ludicrous" allegations and declared: "I'm here with a straight back and my head held high."The longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history has long claimed to be the victim of a witch-hunt and again suggested the charges were trumped up to stop him continuing in office. "When you need to take me down, a strong prime minister from the right, everything is possible," he said. Netanyahu also requested "for everything to be broadcast live and uncensored so that the public will know".
- 'Foundations of democracy' -
The 70-year-old was indicted in January for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a series of cases. Among the charges he faces is seeking to illegally trade favors in exchange for positive media coverage. He is also accused of accepting cigars, champagne and jewelry worth 700,000 shekels (180,000 euros) from wealthy personalities in exchange for favors. During Sunday's court session he was expected only to confirm his identity. His lawyers began the court session by arguing for a delay to the trial, which is expected to last months if not years. Small demonstrations of both supporters and opponents gathered in Jerusalem. "I came to demonstrate against the accused prime minister who uses his power to destroy the foundations of democracy," said Yoav Eitan, 39, at a rally of around 800 people outside Netanyahu's residence. Elsewhere, Mali, an elderly woman in a pro-Netanyanu protest of more than 200 people, said "Benjamin Netanyahu is pure and clean. We will fight to ensure a just trial."
- Political 'death warrant' -
Among the most serious allegations against Netanyahu is the claim that he offered media mogul Shaul Elovitch regulatory changes worth millions of dollars to his telecom giant Bezeq in exchange for favorable reporting on the Walla! news website. That charge is also the most complex, said Amir Fuchs, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, who argued it differs from "classic" bribery cases where money changes hands. In this case, Fuchs said, the allegation is that Netanyahu "is getting only media coverage," rather than cash. "It is unprecedented," he told reporters. But in the Bezeq case, Fuchs added, Netanyahu is accused of doing far more than to seek flattering write-ups. "It was actually complete editorial control of this site even on the specifics of which posts to make, or which pictures". After months of suspense and repeated police questioning of Netanyahu, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in January filed charges against the premier. Many commentators considered this the premier's political death warrant. But Netanyahu retained the Likud party leadership and after three inconclusive general elections managed to hammer out a power-sharing deal with his chief election rival Benny Gantz. Under the agreement, Netanyahu will continue to lead the government for 18 months before handing over the premiership to Gantz.
- 'Conflict of interest' -
Netanyahu's trial had been due to open in mid-March, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to a postponement to May 24, and the proceedings will be marked by social distancing and other hygiene measures. The premier's lawyers unsuccessfully requested that he be excused from appearing in person at the opening of the trial. They argued that his attendance, to hear the formal reading of the charges against him and confirm that he has read and understood them, was merely technical. Under Israeli law, a sitting prime minister does not have automatic immunity from prosecution but also is not obliged to resign when charged, only when convicted and after all avenues of appeal have been exhausted. Yuval Shany, law professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argued that there is "a basic incompatibility" between Netanyahu's role as head of the government and his status as a criminal defendant. In the latter role, Shany said, the premier will be "fighting very aggressively and maybe effectively to weaken the government authorities that are prosecuting him"."There is a very serious conflict of interest situation," he said. also set a case schedule, which will signal how fast the case will proceed.

Thousands Protest in Hong Kong over China Security Law Proposal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
Police fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters who gathered Sunday against a controversial security law proposed by China, in the most intense clashes for months. As the demonstrators and police were facing off in the semi-autonomous financial hub, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi insisted in Beijing that the proposed law must be imposed "without the slightest delay."The planned legislation -- expected to ban treason, subversion and sedition -- comes after Hong Kong was shaken last year by months of massive, often-violent protests, and repeated warnings from Beijing that it would not tolerate dissent. With campaigners warning the proposal could spell the end of the city's treasured freedoms, thousands gathered and chanted slogans in the busy Causeway Bay and Wan Chai districts, while some masked protesters set up makeshift barricades to stop police vehicles.
"People may be criminalized only for words they say or publish opposing the government," 25-year-old protester Vincent told AFP.
"I think Hong Kongers are very frustrated because we didn't expect this to come so fast and so rough. But... we won't be as naive as to believe that Beijing will simply sit back and do nothing. Things will only get worse here."Riot police were deployed after protesters ignored earlier warnings from authorities against unauthorized assembly and violated the city's current coronavirus-linked law banning public gatherings of more than eight people. As the number of protesters swelled, police fired tear gas and pepper spray to try and disperse the crowd, and later deployed water cannon and armored vehicles against pockets of protesters. At least 120 people were arrested, police said, as attempts to clear the roads in the area continued into the evening. The scenes on Sunday were the most intense in months.
The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement had fizzled at the beginning of 2020 as arrests mounted and, later, large gatherings were banned to stop the coronavirus. More than 8,300 people have been arrested since the protests erupted last year. Around 200 were detained during small rallies at malls on Mother's Day earlier this month.Hong Kong residents enjoy rights -- including freedom of speech -- unseen on the Chinese mainland, as well as its own legal system and trade status. Fears had been growing for years that Beijing was chipping away at those freedoms and tightening its control on the city, and campaigners have described the new proposal as the most brazen move yet.
- 'I'm very scared' -
Of particular concern is a provision allowing Chinese security agents to operate in Hong Kong, and that they could launch a crackdown against those dissenting the mainland's communist rulers. "I'm very scared, but I still have to come out," said protester Christy Chan, 23. "Aside from being peaceful, rational and non-violent, I don't see many ways to send out our messages."
Despite the alarm in Hong Kong and in some Western capitals, Chinese and city officials have insisted the proposed law is needed to prevent unrest and protect national security. A top pro-Beijing official claimed Saturday that mainland Chinese law enforcement would not operate in the city without "approval" from local authorities. But there is deep mistrust of China's opaque legal system in Hong Kong and of how Beijing might use the proposed regulations in the city.
The massive protests last year were sparked by a now-scrapped bill that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland, and there are fears the new motion would be even more wide-ranging. China's legislature is expected to rubber-stamp the draft resolution on Thursday, before the details are fleshed out at another meeting at a later date. Officials have said the law would then be implemented locally.

Virus Lockdowns Stifle Eid Celebrations as Infections Rise
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
Muslims around the world began marking a somber Eid al-Fitr Sunday, many under coronavirus lockdown, but lax restrictions offered respite to worshipers in some countries despite fears of skyrocketing infections. The three-day festival, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is traditionally celebrated with mosque prayers, family feasts and shopping for new clothes, gifts and sweet treats. But this year, the celebration is overshadowed by the fast-spreading coronavirus, with many countries tightening lockdown restrictions after a partial easing during Ramadan led to a sharp spike in infections.Further dampening the festive spirit, many countries -- from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Turkey and Syria -- have banned mass prayer gatherings to limit the spread of the disease. Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, began a five-day round-the-clock curfew from Saturday after infections more than quadrupled since the start of Ramadan to over 70,000 -- the highest in the Gulf. Mecca's Grand Mosque has been almost devoid of worshipers since March, with a stunning emptiness enveloping the sacred Kaaba -- the large cube-shaped structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.
But on Sunday, an imam stood on a podium while Saudi security forces, some wearing masks, positioned themselves between rows of worshipers who gathered before the Kaaba for Eid prayers.
Scuffles in Jerusalem -
At Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina, prayers were not permitted inside, although the site is expected to reopen after the Eid holiday. At dawn, small scuffles broke out between Israeli security forces and worshipers gathering around the mosque, although prayers eventually went ahead outside, an AFP photographer said. In Gaza, Hamas authorities allowed prayers in mosques despite the enclave's first coronavirus death on Saturday, but worshipers mostly wore masks and placed their prayer mats far apart.
"Eid is not Eid with the atmosphere of corona -- people feel a sense of fear," worshiper Akram Taher said. mIn Afghanistan, the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire to mark Eid al-Fitr in a surprise move following months of bloody fighting with Afghan forces after the signing of a landmark agreement with the United States. The streets of Kabul were mostly empty as part of a strict lockdown, but some people did venture out and greet each other -- some from a distance and others hugging and shaking hands despite calls for social distancing.
- Fears of 'new peak' -
Muslims across Asia -- from Indonesia to Pakistan, Malaysia and Afghanistan -- have thronged markets for Eid shopping, flouting coronavirus guidelines and sometimes even police attempts to disperse large crowds."For over two months my children were homebound," said mother of four Ishrat Jahan at a bustling market in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. "This feast is for the kids, and if they can't celebrate it with new garments, there is no point in us working so hard throughout the year."The holiday began on a somber note after a Pakistan International Airline flight crashed Friday in the southern city of Karachi, killing 97 people including many who were travelling to see family for the holiday. The English daily Dawn said the crash, along with the pandemic, had robbed Pakistan of "whatever little joy had been left at the prospect of Eid festivities".In Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim nation -- people have turned to smugglers and fake travel documents to get around bans on the annual end-of-Ramadan travel that could send infections soaring. In the conservative province of Aceh, large groups prayed together with few masks and little social distancing, and the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the provincial capital was packed."I did feel worried but as a Muslim, I still had to perform mass Eid prayers as a form of gratitude to Allah," one worshiper, Arsi, said. COVID-19 death tolls across the Middle East and Asia have been lower than in Europe and the United States, but numbers are rising steadily, sparking fears the virus may overwhelm often underfunded healthcare systems.
- Frugal celebrations -
Iran, which has experienced the Middle East's deadliest outbreak, has called on its citizens to avoid travel during Eid as it battles to control infection rates. Health Minister Saeed Namaki said the country was focusing hard on avoiding "new peaks of the disease" caused by people "not respecting health regulations".
The United Arab Emirates has tightened its lockdown which had been relaxed during Ramadan, but that has not stopped some families from planning getaways to luxury beachfront hotels. However, Muslims in many countries are set for frugal celebrations amid growing financial distress. The twin shocks of coronavirus restrictions and falling oil prices have plunged the Gulf region into the worst economic crisis in decades. The lockdowns have hit businesses hard, including retailers who would normally be preparing for the festive rush, as Muslims save their money for masks, gloves and other COVID-19 protective gear. In the Syrian capital Damascus, Eid shoppers rummaged through flea markets for clothes at bargain prices as the war-ravaged and sanctions-hit country grapples with a much more entrenched economic crisis. "The flea market is the only place I can buy something new to wear for the Eid holidays," 28-year-old Sham Alloush said."Had it not been for this place, I wouldn't have been able to buy new clothes at all."

U.S., China at 'Brink of New Cold War', Says Chinese FM
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/2020
The United States is pushing relations with China to "the brink of a new Cold War", the Chinese foreign minister said on Sunday, with tensions soaring over coronavirus, Hong Kong's status and other issues. "It has come to our attention that some political forces in the U.S. are taking China-U.S. relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War," foreign minister Wang Yi told reporters. Longstanding friction between the two powers over trade, human rights and other issues have been pushed to new heights since the COVID-19 outbreak. Wang did not identify what "forces" he was referring to, but U.S. President Donald Trump has led world criticism of China's initial response to the pandemic, which has caused more than 330,000 deaths and economic carnage worldwide. The introduction in China's legislature on Friday of a proposal to impose a security law in Hong Kong to suppress the semi-autonomous city's pro-democracy movement has further raised the temperature, drawing U.S. and world condemnation. But Wang hit back at Washington, accusing it of seeking to repeatedly "attack and smear" China. "Aside from the devastation caused by the novel coronavirus, there is also a political virus spreading through the U.S.," Wang said at a press conference on the side of the annual legislative meeting. "This political virus is the use of every opportunity to attack and smear China. Some politicians completely disregard basic facts and have fabricated too many lies targeting China, and plotted too many conspiracies."

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 24-25/2020
Epidemic Prevention" Chinese Communist Party Style: Persecute Religious Minorities
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 24, 2020
One member of [The Church of Almighty God], who had been released, said that the police had "threatened to send her to the coronavirus epicenter in Hubei Province to be infected if she continued practicing her faith." — From Bitter Winter, May 6, 2020.Members of CAG are imprisoned in education camps alongside Uyghurs and other Muslims, Christians and Falun Gong practitioners. One CAG member said that the Xinjiang camp she was sent to had 400 inmates, mostly Uyghurs, Christians and Falun Gong members. She was beaten, nearly raped and subjected to all sorts of torture as part of the indoctrination effort. — From Bitter Winter, March 18, 2020.When the elderly man in charge of the church asked why the government had destroyed it, the police viciously beat him. In April, authorities demolished a Three-Self church in Xining for being "illegal". Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese regime continued to remove crosses from Three-Self churches in Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, and other provinces. — From Bitter Winter, April 11 and 23, 2020. "Independent experts estimate that between 900,000 and 1.8 million Uighur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Muslims have been detained in more than 1,300 concentration camps in Xinjiang." — United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCRIF), April 28, 2020."Meanwhile, authorities in Xinjiang and other parts of China have destroyed or
damaged thousands of mosques and removed Arabic-language signs from Muslim businesses." — United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, April 28, 2020. "Human rights advocates and scientists presented evidence that the practice of  harvesting organs from prisoners—many of whom are believed to be Falun Gong practitioners— continued on a significant scale." — United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, April 28, 2020. China's regime continues its crackdown on The Church of Almighty God, a group China banned as a "dangerous cult". In February and March, authorities arrested at least 325 members of the church "as a result of investigations in the name of  epidemic prevention". One member said that the police had "threatened to send her to the coronavirus epicenter in Hubei Province to be infected if she continued practicing her faith". Pictured: Members of The Church of Almighty God commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, on June 4, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Since early 2020, China has been doubling down on its already extreme suppression of religious freedom, and the Covid-19 outbreak has done nothing to curb the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) enthusiasm. If anything, the virus outbreak has served as an excuse to crack down even more on freedom of
religion.In February, for instance, officials came to inspect whether a church in Henan province was implementing lockdown instructions, but, according to one church member interviewed by Bitter Winter, "seeing some bible verses written on a blackboard they said, 'China is the land of the Communist Party, and we are not allowed to hold religious beliefs'". The officials then "smashed everything in the venue and left, locking the door..."The CCP also continued its crackdown on The Church of Almighty God (CAG), a group China banned and that it considers a "dangerous cult". Between February
and March, authorities arrested at least 325 members of the group "as a result of investigations in the name of epidemic prevention". One member of the group, who had been released, said that the police had "threatened to send her to the coronavirus epicenter in Hubei Province to be infected if she continued practicing her faith". At the height of the epidemic in early February, authorities in the province of Shanxi "launched a special crackdown campaign against the CAG, encouraging masses to report on its members". A government employee from Anhui province said that he had been instructed "not to delay investigations into CAG members because of the pandemic: On the contrary, government personnel should use preventive measures as a pretext to enter residents' homes". Members of CAG are imprisoned in "re-education" camps alongside Uyghurs
and other Muslims, Christians and Falun Gong practitioners. One CAG member said that the Xinjiang camp she was sent to had 400 inmates, mostly Uyghurs, Christians and Falun Gong members. She was beaten, nearly raped and subjected to all sorts of torture as part of the indoctrination effort. Elderly
members of CAG have been imprisoned and subjected to beatings and torture, despite being frail and ill. They are subjected to hours of indoctrination to make them sign papers saying that they will relinquish their beliefs. Protestant house-churches have also been demolished. In February, a house-
church in Guangdong province, which had been built mainly by seniors, was demolished and police arrested an elderly woman for five days for opposing the demolition. In April, officials demolished a church in Jiangxi province. Before the demolition, local Communist Party members told the congregation, "coronavirus was introduced from overseas, and the United States is China's enemy." In early April, police arrested a pastor, Zhao Huaiguo, in the central province of Hunan, who founded the Bethel Church, on suspicion of "inciting subversion of state power" for using a virtual private network (VPN) to access foreign news websites that are blocked by Chinese government censors. In early May, police raided a church service in the southeastern province of Fujian and violently beat many worshippers.
In 2019, according to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which published its Annual Report 2020 on International Religious Freedom on April 28: "Chinese authorities raided or closed down hundreds of Protestant house churches... including Rock Church in Henan Province and Shouwang Church in Beijing. The government released some of the Early Rain Covenant Church congregants who had been arrested in December 2018, but in December 2019, a court charged Pastor Wang Yi with 'subversion of state power' and sentenced
him to nine years imprisonment. Local authorities continued to harass and detain bishops...who refused to join the state-affiliated Catholic association. Several local governments, including Guangzho city, offered cash bounties for individuals
who informed on underground churches. In addition, authorities across the country have removed crosses from churches, banned youth under the age of 18 from participating in religious services, and replaced images of Jesus Christ or the
Virgin Mary with pictures of President Xi Jinping".
The CCP is even targeting the state-run "Three-Self" Protestant churches, which have already been forced to incorporate CCP propaganda in their sermons. In March, more than 200 officials and police officers showed up at a Three-Self church in Henan province and demolished it. When the elderly man in charge of  the church asked why the government had destroyed it, the police viciously beat  him, fracturing two of his ribs. They threatened to kill him if he "challenged the Communist Party again". In April, authorities demolished a Three-Self church in Xining for being "illegal". Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese regime continued to remove crosses from Three-Self churches in Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, and other provinces. The Communist regime also continues its destruction of Buddhist temples, such as one in Hebei province, in early March. The temple was destroyed for lacking "a
religious activity venue registration certificate" even though the temple director had never been asked by authorities to obtain such a certificate. According to the Annual Report 2020 on International Religious Freedom of the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom, in 2019: "The Chinese government continued to pursue a strategy of forced assimilation and suppression of Tibetan Buddhism, as demonstrated by the laws designed to control the next reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and those of other Tibetan eminent lamas. Monks and nuns who refused to denounce the Dalai Lama have been expelled from their monasteries, imprisoned, and tortured. During the summer of 2019, authorities demolished thousands of residences at the Yachen Gar Tibetan Buddhist center in Sichuan Province, displacing as many as 6,000 monks and nuns. In April [2019], authorities closed the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy to new enrollment. Authorities also intensified a crackdown on possessing or displaying photos of the Dalai Lama, continued to monitor religious festivals, and, in some areas, banned students from attending festivals
during their school holidays".One of the members of USCRIF wrote in the report that, "Tibet is second only to Syria in terms of religious freedom and human rights violations. The situation in Tibet is worse than in North Korea..."In addition to the demolitions of places of worship, arrests and general harassment of religious minorities, the CCP regularly imprisons members of religious faiths, alongside dissidents and a variety of other unwanted people in psychiatric hospitals for "treatment", where they are forced, frequently through torture, to take medication. One staff member in a psychiatric hospital in the
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region said that when members of The Church of Almighty God are brought in, the hospital starts the "treatment" immediately, without any tests or examination. A church member who spent 157 days in a psychiatric hospital said, "A doctor told me that because of my faith, I was a
mental patient, and there was no need for further tests".
According to the Annual Report 2020 on International Religious Freedom: "Independent experts estimate that between 900,000 and 1.8 million Uighur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Muslims have been detained in more than 1,300 concentration camps in Xinjiang— an estimate revised upward since the previous reporting period. Individuals have been sent to the camps for wearing long beards, refusing alcohol, or other behaviors authorities deem to be signs of  'religious extremism.' Former detainees report that they suffered torture, rape, sterilization, and other abuses. In addition, nearly half a million Muslim children have been separated from their families and placed in boarding schools. During 2019, the camps increasingly transitioned from reeducation to forced labor as detainees were forced to work in cotton and textile factories. Outside the camps, the government continued to deploy officials to live with Muslim families and to
report on any signs of 'extremist' religious behavior. Meanwhile, authorities in Xinjiang and other parts of China have destroyed or damaged thousands of mosques and removed Arabic-language signs from Muslim businesses".In addition to all of the above, the United States Commission on International  Religious Freedom concluded in its "Key Findings" for China: "According to reports, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners were arrested  during 2019 for practicing the movement's meditation exercises or distributing literature about their beliefs. Human rights advocates and scientists presented evidence that the practice of harvesting organs from prisoners — many of whom  are believed to be Falun Gong practitioners — continued on a significant scale. In addition, there were widespread reports that authorities across China demolished Mahayana Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian statues they claimed were 'unauthorized'".It is positive that the coronavirus outbreak has focused attention on China's irregular international behavior. The world, though, also needs to muster the courage and the will vehemently to protest the unspeakable human rights abuses that the Chinese Communist regime inflicts on its own population on a daily basis.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.© 2020 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.

Israel's annexation plan is exactly what Iran wants right now
Raghida Dergham/The National/May 24/2020
Tehran has prepared a launch pad in Lebanon from which to champion the Palestinian cause in the event that others won't.
Washington's blessing of Israel’s determination to annex the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, has given ramifications beyond Israeli and Palestinian borders.
It has given Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a pretext to use Lebanon as a launch pad for retaliation against Israel by shoring up the military capabilities of Iran's Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. This ultimately serves two purposes for Tehran: consolidating Iranian dominance over Lebanon and using it as a forward base for a ‘controlled war’ (consisting mainly of skirmishes) with Israel.
Lebanon plays a key role in Iran's broader confrontation with Israel. Beirut has been rocked by economic collapse, popular protest and – more recently – coronavirus for months, but in Tehran's view Lebanon only requires as much internal stability as Iranian leaders see fit. At the moment, it seems this involves preserving the current government led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab for as long as possible.
In Washington, it seems that the administration of President Donald Trump – particularly his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and his team – is convinced that endorsing Israel’s provocations against Palestinians will not be met by any response from Arab states, even though its illegal annexation plan carries grave risks for US allies such as Jordan. Mr Kushner’s team is also convinced that the US should not worry about Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s announcement that the Palestinian Authority is absolved of all agreements with the US and Israeli governments, including the security coordination accords that have made the PA a guarantor of Israeli security.
Mr Kushner, with support from Mr Trump, has concluded that the Mr Abbas would not deliver on this announcement because it would, in practice, result in the dissolution of the PA and the return of the Palestinian Territories Israeli administration. This would, however, be a negative outcome for Tel Aviv and the Washington, too, as it create a security meltdown or even an armed uprising that could even bleed into Israel.
The Trump administration is betting that neither the PA nor Arab states will respond seriously enough to Israel’s annexation move, and that Jordan would accept whatever loose guarantees it is offered.
This is where Iran comes in, and where the Trump administration's calculations become vague. Either the US administration has factored the annexation issue into its broader carrot-and-stick equation with Tehran, or it has dismissed the IRGC’s ability to use Hezbollah in Lebanon for retaliation because it has calculated that this would mean suicide for Hezbollah and Lebanon in the event of a military confrontation with Israel.
Iran is making preparations for either scenario. For this reason, it is currently focusing its efforts on Lebanon, developing both military and diplomatic options, with the latter developed behind the scenes.
High-level conversations are happening between the IRGC and the Iranian army, about Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the Gulf. The purpose is to ensure Iranian preparedness for all scenarios, including a US-Iranian confrontation, especially in light of Washington’s determination to impose a new wave of sanctions that would further diminish Iran’s ability to export its oil.
Iran is also less concerned about the prospect of Israeli action against Hezbollah and Lebanon than Washington might think. It has its own cost-benefit analysis. One clear benefit is that Iran would be the unambiguous champion of the Palestinian cause at a time of Arab complacency, and this would help Tehran rally support on the ground level throughout the Arab world, including with Hamas in Gaza. Second, Iran believes that any war between Hezbollah and Tel Aviv would be one of attrition or limited surgical strikes, in which Hezbollah's total destruction is not in the cards.
Walid Jumblatt, one of Lebanon's most influential politicians, speaking at the third e-policy circle of the Beirut Institute Summit in Abu Dhabi, said, “nothing will happen here [in Lebanon]." He added, “I see basically Jordan in danger. This is why Jordan should be helped by what is left of the Arab world…economically and socially."
Mr Jumblatt has backed Mr Abbas's desire to tear up any agreements that would result in a two-state solution because he hopes that the PA does indeed dissolve itself and ultimately “accept the occupation”.
Mr Jumblatt has also credited “Arab failure” on the Palestinian cause for Iran's empowerment, including within Lebanon. But the larger blame for Lebanese struggles, he believes, lie in Washington. Lebanon is torn, according to Mr Jumblatt, by an economic battle between the US and Iran, in which the US mistakenly believes that its sanctions will weaken Hezbollah. “Either we allow the Lebanese – I mean the Lebanese who believe in Lebanon – to become collateral damage because of [US] sanctions against Iran," he said, "or we consider how to actually help this part of Lebanon.”
This more accommodating view towards Iranian influence represents a remarkable about-face for Mr Jumblatt. It could be because of either his fear of Hezbollah or his keenness to preserve his interests by appeasing them.
If it is the latter, then Mr Jumblatt is not alone. Other attendees alongside Mr Jumblatt at the Beirut Institute event – including a former Iraqi minister, an ex-UN undersecretary general for political affairs and an Iranian journalist – believe that military confrontations are unlikely at the time being, especially between the US and Iran ahead of American elections. However, some observers believe the opposite is true. We should therefore wait and see, because when it comes to the struggle between Iran, the US and their respective allies and proxies, there is always the possibility of a surprise looming on the horizon.
*Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute

Iran must put fighting virus above military adventurism
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 24, 2020
Coronavirus disease cases are spiking again in Iran after the regime loosened restrictions. According to official figures, there have been more than 133,000 coronavirus cases and 7,000 deaths in Iran due to the virus. But a recent report by the research arm of the regime’s own parliament estimated that the true number of infections is likely “eight to 10 times” higher than reported. And, based on the latest report by opposition group the National Council of Resistance of Iran, coronavirus had claimed the lives of more than 41,200 people across the country as of May 13.
Even though Iran is among the hardest-hit countries in the world, the regime seems to be furthering its aggression and military adventurism in the region rather than protecting its citizens with appropriate measures, such as assisting hospitals and advancing the country’s health care system. For example, a satellite image and report this month revealed that the Iranian regime is building an underground advanced weapons facility at the Imam Ali military base in Al-Bukamal, Syria, which is near the Iraqi border. Al-Bukamal has become a center for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force and various Shiite militias.
Iran’s move to strengthen its stranglehold in Syria is a serious military provocation. It is also aimed at increasing its presence near Israel in order to undermine the latter’s national security. As Abbas Nilforoushan, IRGC deputy commander of operations, threatened in an interview with the Iranian news agency Tasnim last year: “Israel is not in a position to threaten Iran. Iran has encircled Israel from all four sides.”
Israel has become increasingly concerned about Iran’s growing influence in Syria. Tehran’s military provocations have ratcheted up instability in the region and Israel has responded by launching cruise missiles toward Iranian and Syrian military positions. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria, reportedly killing or wounding several Iranians.
Tehran’s military provocations have ratcheted up instability in the region.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the regime has also been engaging in military posturing in the region, particularly near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil passes. During one of its most recent military exercises, a missile struck a support ship, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others. This was the second time this year that people have been “accidentally” killed due to the regime’s militaristic actions. In January, amid overwhelming evidence and pressure, the regime admitted it shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet. It said that it was due to “human error,” but both incidents most likely occurred due to the regime’s military adventurism and recklessness.
The naval training incident occurred less than a month after six US ships were harassed by a flotilla of armed speedboats. The boats, which belonged to the IRGC Navy (IRGCN), circled the US ships in a dangerous manner, as described by the US Navy: “The IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the US vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of the Puller with a 50-yard closest point of approach and within 10 yards of Maui’s bow.” The US Navy last week warned it would take “lawful defensive measures” against any vessels that come within 100 meters of its warships in the Gulf.
The regime needs to listen to its health practitioners, doctors and nurses rather than continuing to hemorrhage a significant amount of money on its pursuit of military adventurism. Many hospitals have reached their capacity, doctors and nurses are exhausted, their salaries have been delayed, and there is a shortage of personal protective equipment. As one nurse at the Razi University Hospital in Rasht complained: “Unfortunately, we have very little equipment. The gown I’m wearing is not adequate at all. In every shift, I must give a new mask to my patient. I must give a mask and gloves to his companion. Unfortunately, gowns and personal protective equipment are very scarce.” Another nurse working at a hospital in Qazvin said: “The medical staff are exhausted… We are getting sick one after the other and going out of work, leaving the burden of work on others. We may again have a very severe peak. This is serious. All beds have been full since the day I came here.” It is worth noting that the average monthly salary of a nurse in Iran is only about $220.
In conclusion, instead of ratcheting up its military adventurism in the region, the Iranian regime must de-escalate tensions and focus on protecting its citizens from the coronavirus pandemic.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Anarchy loosed upon the region as Iran’s client states fall apart
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/May 24, 2020
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is like a hunter who shoots animals for the purpose of stuffing them and nailing them to his wall. Today Beirut, Damascus, Sanaa and Baghdad are the dying trophies on display above Khamenei’s fireplace.
Khamenei may brag that he has severed these heads from the bleeding corpse of the Arab world, but Tehran is incapable of causing these states to prosper and flourish under its hegemony. Some finance ministers have the “Midas touch” in stimulating economic growth. Some gardeners have “green fingers” in making flowerbeds explode with color. Everything Tehran touches dies.
Iraq, Lebanon and Syria have endured periods of turbulence, but for much of their proud history they enjoyed prosperity and cultural florescence, with world-class education systems and a rich heritage lending itself to tourism — showcasing the Arab world at its best.
Under Iranian tutelage these nations rapidly unraveled into impoverished, marginalized and backward basket cases where humiliated citizens will struggle even to feed themselves in the coming months. First the middle classes were decimated; then there was no work for the working classes; now even bloated state sectors have ceased paying their coddled and corrupted civil servants. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt warns of the impending “hunger revolt,” with nation states disintegrating as “every chief of tribe, every chief of community is trying to satisfy his own people.”
Iraq’s GDP is projected to contract by 5 percent in 2020, requiring an estimated $40 billion injection of foreign cash to remain afloat. Lebanon’s economy is expected to shrink by at least 12 percent this year, meaning that its current $90 billion debt burden will continue to escalate beyond its current world-beating level of 170 percent of GDP. Iran’s GDP has declined by about 10 percent over the past year. Official unemployment statistics soared to 26 percent (the actual level is certainly much higher). The economies of Yemen and Syria are in such a woeful state as to defy meaningful statistical representation.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah scorns IMF bailouts and foreign aid. Instead, he sees these “resistance” states thriving as an economic bloc: Lebanon’s financial woes will be alleviated by opening its doors wide to Syria and the “vast” markets of Baghdad. In reality, these miserable states are each poorer than one another. Nasrallah’s vision means slamming Lebanon’s doors to the wider world. He proclaims Lebanon and Syria’s Arab identity, while shutting them off from the wealthier Arab states that could offer a genuine economic renaissance.
Iran’s proxies once enjoyed a modicum of support, notably within Shiite communities. But corruption, economic collapse, criminality and global marginalization have erased any figleaf of popular legitimacy; meaning that, just as in Syria, Tehran must resort to naked coercion to retain its Arab colonies. I suspect even Nasrallah now realizes that his rhetoric about liberating Palestine and “next year we’ll be praying in Jerusalem” nowadays mostly provokes laughter. The millions of protesters recently marching throughout Lebanon and Iraq offer a foretaste of the turbulence to come.
Arab states should take the lead in helping victims of theocratic colonialism extract themselves from Tehran’s grip, demonstrating what is on offer if long-suffering client states rediscover their Arab identity and plug their economies back into global financial and trading networks.
Through superficial demonstrations of flexibility, Tehran’s puppets are frantically buying time at a moment when the crippled Islamic regime is weaker than it has ever been: European leaders behave with shocking intellectual dishonesty in touting prospects of IMF bailouts, knowing there is no possibility of the radical institutional reforms required to roll back the clientelistic, kleptocratic governing model upon which Hezbollah and its cronies thrive. An impotent Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi tells everybody what they want to hear, guaranteeing that weapons will be monopolized by the Iraqi state, while hailing Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi’s “essential” role. Such glaring contradictions can be ignored only for so long.
Israel is trying to declare victory in its air campaign against Iran-aligned targets through spurious claims of Iranian withdrawals from Syrian soil. There is some evidence of Iran redeploying its assets to reduce exposure and costs, while making increased use of local militias and foreign fighters. Khamenei would rather lose control of Mashhad and Shiraz before loosening his grip on Damascus and Baghdad.
Donald Trump lacks the vision or courage of his convictions to capitalize on the successes of his own policies; notably his “maximum pressure” strategy, which in tandem with COVID-19, collapsing oil prices and other factors has dragged Iran to the brink of financial ruin. Even Joe Biden’s foreign policy advisor, Jake Sullivan, recently acknowledged that Trump’s “sanctions have been very effective.”
A genuinely audacious diplomatic strategy would seize this opportunity to radically cut Iran down to size across the region. Trump prefers to avoid any pre-election boat-rocking, but whoever is in the White House in 2021 will have Iranian militancy, terrorism and nuclear proliferation at the top of their in-tray.
After neglecting Lebanese politics for three years, there are indications that US efforts to pull Gebran Bassil away from Hezbollah’s embrace are bearing fruit. Nevertheless, Trump’s strategic confusion is evidenced by the dithering over how to react to the sanctions-busting flotilla of Iranian ships transferring fuel to Venezuela.
Why are there no attempts to seek common ground with Vladimir Putin, who has soured against his erstwhile allies in Damascus and Tehran? Whether Washington likes it or not, Moscow is now a Middle East power. Why not exploit this in a combined effort to expel Iran, particularly given the warm ties that Russia and America jointly enjoy with both Israel and the GCC states?
We mistake Iran’s weaknesses for strengths. This farcical regime limps from one day to the next and, even when it showcases military exercises and missile prowess, it ends up slaughtering its own soldiers in friendly-fire debacles or blowing up civilian aircraft.
It often feels as if Khamenei will live forever (just to spite us), yet the question of his successor is unresolved. Iranians will be reluctant to accept the hated hard-liners whose names have been circulated, and an attempt by the Revolutionary Guards to impose their own formula risks triggering civil disorder. If the regime falls, Hezbollah, the Hashd, the Houthis, and all Tehran’s other mercenaries will be scattered like origami models in a hurricane.
Arab states should take the lead in helping victims of theocratic colonialism extract themselves from Tehran’s grip, demonstrating what is on offer if long-suffering client states rediscover their Arab identity and plug their economies back into global financial and trading networks.
Unfortunately, it will probably fall to historians to lament that this moment of maximum Iranian weakness coincided with a period when the international community lacked the foresight and courage to resuscitate these moribund states with a financial and political kiss of life. All the while, Tehran’s kiss of death leaves a relentless trail of anarchy and failed states in its wake.
*Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.
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Turkey, Egypt would have much to gain from detente
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/May 24, 2020
Mohammed Sabreen, the managing editor of Cairo’s Al-Ahram newspaper, on May 13 wrote an article for the United World International website saying that the time had come for Turkey and Egypt to normalize their relations. My memories of the time that I served as Turkish ambassador in Cairo make me think that a person in Sabreen’s position would not venture to write such an article without sensing what the key decision-makers in Egypt were thinking. Similar hopes have been voiced for several months by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s adviser Yasin Aktay, so something must be brewing on both sides.This is a long-awaited good sign. Turkey and Egypt must have finally come to the conclusion that they have nothing to lose by initiating the normalization of their relations. Both parties will draw enormous advantages from it — especially if such an opening is followed through with concrete cooperation on various projects. One of Egypt’s expectations from Turkey is to cease its support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is heavily inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood’s practices. This was the reason for its strong support of late Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and its opposition to Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s military coup in 2013.
Sabreen quoted, among his suggestions, the cooperation that Egypt might extend to Turkey in its fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). In 1998, then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak helped Ankara persuade Syrian President Hafez Assad to expel PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who was dispatched to Moscow, then Rome, and was eventually captured in the Greek Embassy in Nairobi. This may be a fair quid pro quo for Turkey’s help on the Muslim Brotherhood issue, as the two subjects are equally sensitive in both capitals. Turkey may be hoping that the two countries can cooperate on a new delineation of their maritime jurisdiction zones
Another area of cooperation is the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey may be hoping that the two countries can cooperate on a new delineation of their maritime jurisdiction zones. Ankara has the longest coastline in the region, but several Mediterranean countries have already partitioned the sea, leaving Turkey nothing but its territorial waters. When the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was being negotiated, no agreement could be reached on whether the Mediterranean islands should each have the full extent of their continental shelf. The archipelagic states were considered an exception.
Turkey says that, if the multitude of Greek islands close to its coastline are each allowed to have its continental shelf, the huge Anatolian land mass would be locked down to its territorial waters. This anomaly was described in this column on Dec. 22 last year. If Kastellorizo, a tiny Greek island of 7.3 square kilometers with fewer than 500 inhabitants, is allowed to have its continental shelf, a maritime jurisdiction area more than 2,000 times bigger than its own surface would have to be allocated to it.
Similarly, Turkey believes that the islands of Cyprus and Crete should not have their continental shelf according to the UNCLOS. Therefore, the line that divides Turkey’s and Egypt’s continental shelves has to be the median line in the Eastern Mediterranean. This would enable Egypt to gain 15,000 square kilometers of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from Greece and 11,500 square kilometers from Cyprus. We do not know whether Egypt will revise the agreement it has signed with Greece and Cyprus in order to gain such a huge additional EEZ, with promising prospects for the discovery of oil and gas reserves.
Another area of cooperation between Turkey and Egypt may be Libya. Turkey’s military cooperation with the UN-backed Government of National Accord has produced tangible results in the fight against the Libyan National Army of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The final outcome of the Libyan crisis is still uncertain, but now is the time to search for cooperation because, when the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen, the winning side will have less incentive to make concessions.
If successful, this may become a prestige project for Turkey and Egypt. These two countries are in an exceptionally strong position to end the Libyan crisis, perhaps with some assistance from Russia, which maintains Wagner mercenaries on Haftar’s side.
Turks and Egyptians have a long common history that goes back more than a millennium, to when Ahmad ibn Tulun, a 9th century Abbasid governor of Egypt, brought tens of thousands Kipchak Turks to Egypt from his ancestral Central Asia. Turks and Egyptians were also citizens of the same Ottoman state for four centuries, while the Ottoman Empire was ruled by an Egyptian Grand Vizier, Said Halim Pasha, from 1913 to 1917. There is huge potential for cooperation between Egypt and Turkey. It would be a pity if this potential was left unexplored.
* Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar

The Age of Bicycles and Internet
Najib Saab/Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2020
When people went back to work in Geneva recently, breaking weeks of lockdown, they were surprised by unusually crowded roads. They first attributed that to an increase in the use of private cars, to avoid catching viruses due to close contact in public transport. However, they soon discovered that the congestion was actually due to allocating a lane of the road for bicycles.
Geneva is not alone in changing its habits. London and Paris have already allocated billions in funds to build special bicycle lanes. Paris has already embarked on building a bicycle network of 650 kilometers. The trend has also spread to Latin America and several US cities, from Bogota and Lima to New York and Washington. The bicycle movement has attracted official support from many European countries and cities, with pledges to build assigned lanes most recently coming from London, Milan and Barcelona. These cities are seeking to reduce congestion in public transportation, such as trains, buses and the metro, while at the same time maintaining the low levels of air pollution that have been achieved during these past months, albeit as a byproduct of the lockdown.
Whereas using a bicycle to go to work or school was a well-established way of life in countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, bicycles were used only for sports and leisure in most rich countries. The attempts of some Arab cities in the past years to introduce bicycles as means to commute in cities have failed, as was the case in Beirut, because they did not include building special lanes. Attempting to cycle between cars in the busy streets of Beirut was a sort of suicidal endeavor.
While some countries have found in the slowdown of business and emerging habits triggered by coronavirus an opportunity to transform into a diversified, low-carbon economy, other countries have already taken active measures in that direction, years ago. This wave had also reached the Arab region, as manifested in the Saudi National Transformation Program and the Green Growth Strategy of the UAE. It was striking, in the midst of such a gloomy situation, to learn that Dubai Roads and Transport Authority could achieve huge savings in energy and water consumption during the past year, whether by using solar panels on its buildings to produce electricity, introducing electric buses and cars as major part of its fleet, or reusing bigger portions of treated water. While Abu Dhabi has dedicated bicycle lanes for the safety of users, these remained restricted to sport and leisure, falling short of serving schools, offices, factories or shopping centers.
Twitter has announced that its employees, currently working from home, could choose not to go back to their offices indefinitely, as productivity was not seriously affected during lockdown. If this approach is understandable from a company whose work is based on building a virtual world communicating via the internet, it acquires added value when it comes from an organization whose presence is actually based on commuting on wheels in the real world. For when OPEC ministers held their most recent meeting, they did not arrive, as usual, in planes and cars to the organization’s headquarters in Vienna, but “met” through a video conference.Under the weight of the pandemic, the world discovered that developing communication programs to facilitate online meetings and conferences is just as important today as developing efficient engines and fuels for transportation. While airlines teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, and the revenues of plane and car manufacturers and public transport operators have collapsed, the profits of telecommunications software developers have swelled. It is almost certain that this sector will evolve rapidly, in response to the emerging needs that virtual communication requires.
Some believe that the advent of mass remote communication will completely eliminate the need for personal contact in the future. But this assumption is unrealistic, because face-to-face contact, be it in small meetings or large conferences, will remain inevitable. Twitter will come to discover the significance of face-to-face group meetings to stimulate innovation and creative ideas, even if office presence becomes limited to two or three days per week instead of five. However, the current experience should lead to reduced travel and replacing many personal meetings with remote communication.
It is inevitable that physical commuting will resume, as humans are not introvert creatures by nature. But this will happen at a different pace and in a different manner. Factories will equally go back to production to meet people’s needs. This means that oil and gas will remain, in the next few decades, an essential part of the energy mix, but for more efficient and less polluting uses. With shale oil losing its competitiveness due to the high cost of extraction, especially in the US and Canada, the demand for oil and gas from traditional fields will rise.
We end with bicycles, where we started. It is startling to see that most of those who work for international organizations in Geneva, calling for sustainable development and the transition to a green economy, as part of their mandate, commute to work in their private, tax-free cars. In contrast, the friend who relayed the news on the onset of the age of bicycles in the streets of Geneva, is manager of a financial company, who commutes to work every day on his bike, dressed in a business suit.
Not every official of an organization whose terms of reference are about environment and sustainable development is environmentally-conscious, nor is every banker or businessman an enemy of the environment. People can only be trustworthy when they practice what they preach.
*Najib Saab is secretary-general of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) and editor-in-chief of Environment & Development magazine

Why Boris Johnson Is Stuck in Lockdown Mode
Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/May 24/2020
Rival soccer teams in Germany’s Bundesliga clash in an empty stadium, Italians meet for socially distant restaurant dining and tourists are visiting the Acropolis again. Things are reopening in Europe.
Not so much in Britain. Here, the lifting of restrictions has been a source of bitter controversy, confusion and nervousness. Britons may be pouring into parks and hitting the roads again, but 46% say the recent limited changes to lockdown rules go too far. Just 1 in 10 says the lifting of restrictions doesn’t go far enough. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have refused to follow England’s reopening plans.
For some Conservatives, the public’s hesitation is out of all proportion to the risk. “Why, when other European countries are firing up their economies, do we remain the most timorous of all the electorates polled?” lamented writer and former Tory politician Daniel Hannan. Whether he’s sympathetic to that viewpoint, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is more inclined to listen to the public.
It wasn’t obvious that Britain should become one of the most pro-lockdown nations. Like the US, it was late to see the coronavirus threat as a national emergency, a major reason the virus spread so fast and at such great human cost. Government advisers initially fretted that citizens wouldn’t accept restrictions and so they looked to avoid a lockdown. Now they worry that they can’t get Britain out of it.
One explanation is fear. So far, more people in the UK have died of Covid-19 than in any other country except the US. The death toll is read out during daily news conferences; newspapers and media websites publish running tallies. Television has been an amplifier, too. The stories of grieving family members are part of the evening and late-night news watched by millions each day.
And yet, that doesn’t quite explain it. Britain isn’t the only country that has suffered gravely or whose media reports every detail.
Some members of Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party have argued that the reluctance to leave lockdown owes much to the government’s “whatever it takes” rescue package, which includes paying people most of their wages for staying home. The funds are generous, but they aren’t extravagant and they won’t last forever. Other countries emerging from lockdown have ample social safety nets, too, or they’re putting new measures in place. Spain is even launching a monthly basic income scheme for the neediest.
Johnson’s own serious illness was certainly a watershed in the public’s embrace of lockdown measures, as James Johnson, a political adviser and pollster, says. “When your leader falls, that does much more to the national psyche than anything else,” he told me. Journalist Matthew d'Ancona, writing when the prime minister was still in the hospital, described the public mood as “a wave of profound empathy, matched by profound anxiety.”
When Johnson was taken to intensive care, it didn’t just remind Britons that Covid-19 could be deadly. It reinforced powerfully his core message that by staying home, Britons were protecting the hallowed National Health Service and saving lives. The prime minister’s message and his own experience had a unifying effect, but also a clarifying one. There appears to be no contest in the British public’s mind when it comes to the trade-off between avoiding a recession and containing the spread of the virus.
After four years of Brexit divisions, the UK is conditioned to expecting intergenerational divides (older people tended to vote for Brexit while younger ones wanted to stay in the European Union). But that split hasn’t been apparent during the pandemic. Lockdown support has spanned all age groups, even though retirees are 34 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than working-age Britons.
“There has been a broader social consensus on the short-term public and policy response to the pandemic in Britain than in Donald Trump’s America — and, maybe less predictably, than in Germany too,” Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, has written. Indeed, more respondents in Britain than in Germany, Japan, Sweden or the US said the highest priority after the pandemic should be looking after the most vulnerable.
That social values are the paramount driver of public opinion in Britain should perhaps come as no surprise. Boris Johnson’s Brexiters won the 2016 referendum campaign with a spurious claim that leaving the EU would free up money to be invested in the NHS. To many Britons, this current shutdown is an act of solidarity with the health service, while the premature lifting of restrictions is seen as posing a danger to medical workers and the fragile care system.
Covid-19, of course, doesn’t lend itself to a simple “lives versus the economy” choice. There are enormous personal costs from shutting down a society: serious illnesses that go untreated, education foregone and mental illness. The idea of “quality-adjusted life years” — an attempt at working out whether living longer is always such a good thing — may be useful to economists, but it’s not going to change many British minds about lockdown.
Having so closely associated the economic shutdown with protecting the NHS and saving lives, Johnson’s challenge now is to back out of that cul de sac. Perhaps if the rates of infection and death continue to drop, and if the government’s plans to radically increase testing and introduce contact tracing prove successful, people may have greater confidence about circulating, shopping and traveling. The tapering of the UK’s generous furlough scheme, along with the expected spike in unemployment and bankruptcies, will also force Britons to take a harder look at the cost of prolonged closures.
More likely, Johnson will need much better communications and a clearer vision for the future than his government has provided since it sent the country into lockdown. The prime minister will have to find a new Conservative narrative that emphasizes the link between economic growth and the provision of first-rate public services.
First, though, he still has a health crisis to manage. Without adequate testing and contact tracing, most Britons are likely to conclude it’s too early to unlock further.