English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 15/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother
Mark 03/31-35//04/01-09: “Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 14- 15/2021
Health Ministry: 213 new Corona cases, 17 deaths
Austria outlaws Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah
Senior Hizbullah Official Hashim Safi Al-Din Hails 'Missile Storm' Against Israel, Praises Slain Iranian, Hizbullah Commanders For Transferring Military Capabilities To Gaza
On Telegram, Pro-Iran Media Outlets: Hizbullah Transferred Missiles Via 360-Kilometer Tunnels That Will Be Launched Tonight On Israeli Targets
Presidency Press Office says news about President’s interference in State Council’s decisions are fake
President Aoun condemns Israel’s firing at demonstrators on borders, asks Wehbe to take measures
 “We urge everyone to stay peaceful,” UNIFIL spokesperson Tenenti says
Diab calls on International Community to condemn Israel’s crimes in southern Lebanon and Gaza
Lebanese youth killed by Israeli fire on border after trying to cross security fence
“Lebanese issue first and foremost cause today,” tweets Nadim Gemayel
Israel Reportedly Bombs Vehicle on Lebanese-Syrian Border
2 Hurt as Israel Fires at Protesters on Lebanese Border
AL-Kataeb warns against dragging Lebanon into uncalculated adventures
Lebanese in war of words over Palestine action
Al-Rahi discusses with visiting delegations preparations for launching “Peace Day in the Middle East”, Saudi Arabia's decision to stop importing Lebanese agricultural products
Turkey’s Karpowership shutting down electricity generation to Lebanon: Statement
EDL: Turkish power ships stopped producing energy
Reports: Miqati Not Seeking to Replace Hariri as PM-Designate
Judge Abboud addresses Beirut filling stations in a statement
As Poverty Bites, Lebanese Give Up Their Pets

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 14- 15/2021
European intelligence agencies reveal Iran sought nuclear weapons technology in Europe/Four agencies publish reports into Iranian attempts/Benjamin Weinthal/The Jewish Chronicle/May 14/2021
UN Security Council to hold first public meeting on Palestine-Israel violence
Israel fired 450 missiles at Gaza within 40 minutes overnight: Spokesman
Israeli army launches military operation on Gaza Strip
Six Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in West Bank, hundreds injured
Israel Pounds Gaza as Deadly Conflict Intensifies
2 Palestinians Killed, Over 100 Hurt in West Bank Unrest
Netanyahu Says Conflict with Hamas in Gaza 'Not Over Yet'
Russia to restart regular flights with Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and others
U.S. forces leave key Afghanistan military base
Twelve people killed in an explosion at a mosque in Kabul in violation of ceasefire
Putin pledges to respond following Ukraine’s prosecutions against one of his close associates

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 14- 15/2021
Question: "What is Israel’s role in the end times?"/GotQuestions.org/May 14/2021
Sheikh Jarrah, Shimon Hatzadik: A tale of two gravesites in Jerusalem/Jonathan Spyer/Jerusalem Post/May 14/2021
How To Assure Repetition of Hamas Rocket Attacks/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./May 14/2021
Iran’s hand seen in Hamas drone threat against Israel - analysis/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 14/2021
Biden must avoid repeating Obama’s errors on Iran/Luke Coffey/Arab News/May 14/2021
Turkey unlikely to follow trend of normalization with Syria/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/May 14/2021
Is Israel Reaching a Tipping Point with Internal Clashes?/Seth J. Frantzman/The Jerusalem Post/May 14/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 14- 15/2021
Health Ministry: 213 new Corona cases, 17 deaths
NNA/May 14, 202
The Ministry of Public Health announced, on Friday, the registration of 213 new Corona infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 535,181.
It also indicated that 17 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.

Austria outlaws Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah
Agencies/May 14, 202
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/98868/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%b5%d9%86%d9%81-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d8%b1%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d8%b4%d9%82/
Austria has banned Hezbollah in its entirety this week, going farther than the EU policy of outlawing the Lebanese terrorist group’s military arm, The Jerusalem Post said on Thursday. “This is a very clear signal,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said, after parliament approved the proposal to include the militant group in a law debarring the use of certain symbols. “This step reflects reality. The group itself makes no distinction between the military and the political arm,” Schallenberg explained. He pointed out that Hezbollah “poses a serious threat to the stability in the region and to the security of Israel. Israel’s right to exist must not be called into question.” The Austrian foreign minister also said it is unfortunate that there has not been any progress on the UN Security Council’s call to disarm Hezbollah. Austria barred the symbols of other Islamist groups too: the Caucusus Emirate, Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front. The EU outlawed activities by Hezbollah’s military wing, while allowing its political arm, even though the Shi’ite group does not view them as separate. Other European countries that have entirely banned Hezbollah include Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

Senior Hizbullah Official Hashim Safi Al-Din Hails 'Missile Storm' Against Israel, Praises Slain Iranian, Hizbullah Commanders For Transferring Military Capabilities To Gaza
MEMRI/May 14/2021
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
In an interview aired on May 12, 2021 on Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV,[1] Hashim Safi Al-Din, chairman of the Executive Council of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi'ite group, praised the missile attacks launched by "the Palestinian resistance" against Israel. He also praised slain Iranian and Hizbullah commanders for facilitating the transfer of these military capabilities to Gaza. The interview was held to mark the anniversary of the death of senior Hizbullah military commander Mustafa Amine Badr Al-Din, who was killed in Syria in May 2016.[2] Al-Din's nickname was "Dhu Al-Fiqar" after the legendary sword of Imam Ali.
In the interview, Safi Al-Din said: "What is happening today in Palestine indicates the end of one phase and the beginning of a new phase."
On the use of "hundreds" of rockets and missiles to target Israel, Safi Al-Din said: "The missile storm that blew at the Zionist entity tells Israelis first that the resistance is stronger than what they think, and secondly, it tells the Zionists, the Americans, all those who normalized [relations with Israel], the fearful ones, and traitors, that the Palestinian people are very strong and have never abandoned either Palestine or Al-Quds [Jerusalem]."
He further noted that these new developments usher in a new reality that will have consequences, namely "new equations; equations of victory and upcoming conquests, Allah willing."
"Generally, we know that the military capabilities of the Palestinian resistance are very numerous in terms of timing, capabilities, arms, and the ability to engage in confrontation, more than what the Israelis think," he added.
He highlighted that the missiles fired carry the wishes of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Hizbullah military commanders Mustafa Badr Al-Din and Imad Mughniyeh, who worked hard and sacrificed to transfer these capabilities to Gaza. "Thank Allah, they [these capabilities] have reached [Gaza]. And they are growing and increasing."
He further thanked the Palestinian fighters and mujahideen, regardless of faction, noting that these "martyrs and leaders" are the ones who supported and facilitated the transfer of these military capabilities.
In a report published on the Alahed News website,[3] Safi Al-Din described the attack on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport as a "qualitative attack," stating that "what is happening today in Palestine will be the impulse that pushes all parties to join the axis of resistance."
[1] Almanar.com.lb/, May 12, 2021.
[2] Bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36283424, May 13, 2021.
[3] Alahednews.com.lb/, May 12, 2021.

On Telegram, Pro-Iran Media Outlets: Hizbullah Transferred Missiles Via 360-Kilometer Tunnels That Will Be Launched Tonight On Israeli Targets
MEMRI/May 14/2021
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On May 13, 2021, Fatimyoon Electronic Team, a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, claimed that missiles that were transferred through 360-kilometer tunnels would be launched at Israeli targets from South Lebanon tonight.[1]
The post noted that the missiles, which "were transferred through tunnels from southern Lebanon," are called "Emad," after Emad Mughniyeh, the slain Hizbullah commander who, along with IRGC commander Qassim Soleimani, was behind the idea of building the tunnels.
Regarding the 360-kilometer tunnels, the post explained that they were built to prepare for any ground operation launched "by the Lebanese resistance against the Zionist entity."
[1] Telegram, hakc93, May 13, 2021.

Presidency Press Office says news about President’s interference in State Council’s decisions are fake
Agencies/May 14, 202
The Presidency Press Office issued the following statement: “Future Web” and VDLNEWS websites published false news about the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, exerting pressure on Head of the State Council, Judge Fadi Elias, to issue a decision to suspend the implementation of the discriminatory public prosecutor’s decision, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, regarding the redistribution of work in the Public Prosecution Office in Mount Lebanon, etc. This information is false, and falls within the framework of lies which are being promoted to target the President of the Republic, and the effective judicial measures to combat financial crimes. In addition, the position of the President of the Republic is firm not to interfere in the work of the judiciary.”

President Aoun condemns Israel’s firing at demonstrators on borders, asks Wehbe to take measures
Agencies/14 May ,2021
The President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, strongly condemned the crime perpetrated by Israeli forces, by shooting a group of youths who demonstrated at the southern borders in protest against the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip this afternoon, which led to the death of the young man, Mohammad Tahan, and the wounding of another. President Aoun asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Charbel Wehbe, to notify the United Nations about the Israeli attack and its consequences, in order to take necessary procedures.

 “We urge everyone to stay peaceful,” UNIFIL spokesperson Tenenti says
Agencies/14 May ,2021
The UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti issued the following statement : We have noted reports regarding a Lebanese civilian who was killed on the Blue Line near Kfar Kila today during a confrontation with the Israeli Army.
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col contacted the parties directly. Our soldiers are always on site to prevent infringements. We strengthened security in the area with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and UNIFIL opened immediately an investigation into the facts and circumstances. Every death is tragic and we call on everyone to remain peaceful, and avoid escalation not to risk more lives.

Diab calls on International Community to condemn Israel’s crimes in southern Lebanon and Gaza
Agencies/14 May ,2021
The Media Office of the Caretaker Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, issued the following statement: The Israeli enemy consistently keeps showing its brutality. Today, it committed a new crime against unarmed demonstrators in southern Lebanon, which caused the death of the martyr Mohammad Tahan by the bullets of the aggression, not to forget many others who were wounded.This attack is a flagrant breach of Resolution 1701 and we call upon the International Community to condemn the crimes of Israel in Southern Lebanon and Gaza.

Lebanese youth killed by Israeli fire on border after trying to cross security fence
Rawad Taha, Al Arabiya English/14 May ,2021
A 21-year-old Lebanese man, Mohammad Tahhan, died of his wounds on Friday as a result of Israeli fire after he and others in a group of youths had tried to cross a security fence on the border with Israel, Lebanon’s state news agency reported. Hezbollah's media relations later issued statement mourning the death of Tahhan, who was a Hezbollah reserve fighter, adding that “the martyr fighter died during his participation in the demonstrations on the Lebanese-Palestinian borders in solidarity and support for the cause.” Lebanon's President, General Michel Aoun, strongly condemned in a statement "the crime committed by the Israeli forces, by shooting a group of youths who demonstrated at the southern borders in protest against the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip this afternoon, which led to the death of the young man, Muhammad Tahan, and the wounding of another."President Aoun asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Charbel Wehbe, to inform the United Nations of the Israeli attack and its consequences, in preparation for taking the necessary steps as a result. 3 civilians were wounded, while trying to reach the border again from another point opposite to Khiam Plain, amid the throwing of flare bombs by the Israeli army, Lebanese media reported. The media office of the caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, issued a statement saying that the killing of Tahhan constitutes a flagrant violation of Resolution 1701. “The Israeli enemy does not cease to confirm its brutality, and it committed a new crime against unarmed demonstrators in southern Lebanon, so the martyr Muhammad Tahan was killed by the bullets of the aggression and others were wounded,” the statement added. The statement called on the international community to condemn the crimes of Israel in southern Lebanon and in Gaza. UNIFIL spokesperson said the Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col is in direct contact with the parties. “Our soldiers are on the ground to prevent violations. Together with the Lebanese Armed Forces, we strengthened security in the area, and UNIFIL immediately opened an investigation to determine the facts and circumstances. Any loss of life is tragic, and we urge everyone to remain calm and avoid escalating the situation and risking more lives,” the spokesperson added.

“Lebanese issue first and foremost cause today,” tweets Nadim Gemayel
NNA/14 May ,2021
"Lebanon is neither a military base nor a missile platform for Palestinian factions or Iranian militias. The state and security services must act quickly and strike with an iron fist, for Lebanon today is needless of repeating the 1960s experience. The first and foremost cause today is solely the Lebanese,” stressed Resigned MP Nadim Gemayel via Twitter on Friday.

Israel Reportedly Bombs Vehicle on Lebanese-Syrian Border
Naharnet/14 May ,2021
An Israeli airstrike overnight targeted a vehicle on the Syrian side of Lebanon’s border near the Lebanese town of Hermel, media reports said. Al-Jadeed TV said a strong blast was heard at 3:30 am in the Syrian town of al-Jantaliyeh in Qusayr’s countryside after Israeli aircraft bombed a pickup truck.
Residents from the area said the powerful blast echoed across the towns adjacent to Hermel. Quoting Israeli media reports, Sky News Arabia reported that an Israeli strike targeted “vehicles carrying ammunition” on the Lebanese-Syrian border. LBCI TV and Radio Voice of All Lebanon (93.3) meanwhile reported that the strike targeted “a vehicle used in smuggling,” causing only material damage. The development came hours after three rockets were fired from south Lebanon toward northern Israel amid an escalating conflict between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian factions.The Israeli army said those rockets landed into the sea.

2 Hurt as Israel Fires at Protesters on Lebanese Border
Naharnet/14 May ,2021
Two Lebanese protesters were wounded Friday afternoon when two Israeli shells landed near them as they were trying to cross the Lebanese border into the Israeli settlement of Metulla, Lebanon’s National News Agency said. “The Israeli army went on alert, trying to prevent them from advancing towards the fence, which prompted the enemy to fire two shells towards the young men,” NNA added. “A large force from the Lebanese Army and security forces immediately arrived at the site and prevented the young men from advancing, erecting checkpoints to stop any citizen from advancing towards the barbed wire,” the agency said, identifying the two wounded as Hussein. A. S. and Mohammed Q. The Israeli army meanwhile said that its tanks fired warning shots toward “a number of rioters who crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory.” “The suspects sabotaged the fence and set a fire in the area before returning to Lebanese territory,” it added. On social media, other Lebanese and Palestinian activists said that they were heading to the border area to take part in new protests. The protest came in solidarity with the Palestinians who are engaged in a major confrontation with Israel in Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank and several Arab and mixed towns inside Israel. It also comes hours after three rockets were fired from south Lebanon towards the sea off northern Israel and after Israel reportedly carried out an airstrike on a vehicle carrying arms on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

AL-Kataeb warns against dragging Lebanon into uncalculated adventures
Agencies/May 14, 202
AL-Kataeb Party announced that in light of the military escalation taking place between Palestinians and Israelis, three missiles were fired yesterday night from Lebanon, which put the country in the eye of the storm and almost dragged it into dangerous consequences. The party considered that “this step constituted a new evidence of loose weapons’ danger and its abundancy in the hands of the Palestinian factions inside the camps or outside it in the hands of the militias, which are not subject to the Lebanese legitimate forces authority, and allow themselves to use their military capabilities whenever they want and without taking into consideration the repercussions that might drag the country and its people into , ”according to the statement. It warned, “Those who consider themselves responsible from abandoning their responsibilities and ask them to realize the seriousness of the situation and the sin of their abandonment of sovereignty, by handing over the decision of war and peace to the owners of illegal weapons, and obviate any slide, the country and its people could be dragged to.

Lebanese in war of words over Palestine action
Najia Houssari/Arab News/May 15/2021
Former MP warns country ‘is neither a military base nor a missile platform for Palestinian, Iranian factions’
Power shortages add to woes as Turkish firm halts supply
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s response to the violence in Gaza and its relationship with Palestine is the subject of angry debate after rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward Israeli settlements.
Former MP Nadim Gemayel warned that “Lebanon is neither a military base nor a missile platform for Palestinian factions or Iranian militias.”He demanded that “the state and security services act quickly and strike with an iron fist, for Lebanon today cannot afford to repeat the experience of the 60s.”
Gemayel said the “number one cause today is the Lebanese cause only.”
MP Bilal Abdallah said that “Lebanon is facing an economic collapse and a vacuum in its political power, and the Palestine issue should not be put at the forefront.”He told Arab News: “What is happening requires insight and calm.”The remarks of both political figures came as Lebanese and Palestinian youths stormed a fence on the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel on Friday. However, they were unable to cross the Israeli security barrier that stood in their way.
Groups of young men demonstrated near the border area facing the settlement of Al-Mutla, and attempted to cross a barbed-wire fence to gain access, but were met with tear-gas canisters fired by Israeli troops, forcing them to disperse and return to Lebanese territory. The incident came after rockets were launched from southern Lebanon on Thursday toward Israeli settlements.'While Hezbollah denied any connection to the strikes, a statement hinted at the group’s potential involvement in the conflict if violence worsens. The Lebanese army announced on Friday that “military units found three rockets in the vicinity of the Rashidieh refugee camp in the Tire region in southern Lebanon.”At least four Grad missiles were fired from the vicinity of the Rashidieh camp, targeting the Israeli settlements of Shlomi and Nahariya. No party has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Maj. Gen. Subhi Abu Arab, commander of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Lebanon, told Arab News that he visited the Rashidieh camp on Friday morning for an inspection, and that “the situation was normal.”He said: “No rockets were fired from the camp or its surroundings, but rather from an area further away.“We do not know who fired the rockets, and we leave the matter to the Lebanese army, as this area falls under its responsibility, and the army units are carrying out their tasks in search of the rocket launchers. “I have not received any information until now about the matter from Lebanese Army intelligence.”The Lebanese quandary over Palestine is a division that goes back to the demands of the Maronite Patriarchate for Lebanese neutrality. Solidarity with Palestine dominated Friday sermons in mosques, and protests broke out around the country.
MP Bilal Abdallah told Arab News: “Emotionally, we are all in solidarity with the Palestinians and distressed by the killing that is taking place against the innocent. There is no arguing on this matter. But expanding the war zone is a matter that needs to be studied.”
Abdallah said: “If opening the Lebanon front is required, this has its own calculations and consequences.”He added: “Let us look at the prospects of the ongoing clash, whether it is rectified with a cease-fire or if it escalates.”The MP said that Lebanon “cannot afford any involvement in what is happening, so let it be a complete front and not only Lebanon, but rather open the Golan fronts all the way to Jordan.”Abdallah added: “The existing communication in the region involves redrawing their map, and this presupposes the need to avoid rushing to judgment.”
However, another popular sentiment among the Lebanese public is that the issues facing their own country should be dealt with first, before foreign affairs are considered. The Lebanese internal crisis was aggravated by the announcement of the Electricite du Liban (EDL) on Friday that electricity supply has begun to decline after Turkey’s Karpowership, which supplies the country through two floating stations, said it had “suspended supplies due to payment arrears, and after a legal threat to its stations.”A spokesperson said that the company “regretted turning off the generators,” adding that it had “made every effort to avoid taking this decision.”Lebanon receives 370 megawatts of electricity from the company, about a quarter of total supply. The country may face critical electricity problems unless, according to the EDL statement, a speedy decision is made regarding a controversial treasury advance of 300 billion Lebanese pounds ($196 million) for the resumption of tenders for the buying of fuels, especially gas. The EDL has also urged officials to secure hard currencies for production, transportation, and distribution, to ensure a minimum level of stability in Lebanon’s electricity supply.

Al-Rahi discusses with visiting delegations preparations for launching “Peace Day in the Middle East”, Saudi Arabia's decision to stop importing Lebanese agricultural products
NNA/May 14, 202
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, received in Bkirki today a delegation from the Justice and Peace Committee emanating from the Council of Catholic Bishops and Archbishops in Lebanon (APECL), who came to get his blessing regarding the preparations underway for the annual initiative related to launching the “Day of Peace in the Middle East”, during which the Catholic patriarchs will simultaneously pray for peace in this region. The Patriarch then met with the Secretary of the Lebanese Democratic Party, Wissam Sharrouf, who conveyed the greetings of Party Chief Talal Arslan, expressing appreciation for the “great patriotic role played by His Beatitude to preserve the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon,” and affirming support for his stances with regards to fighting corruption, preserving depositors’ money, and keeping the judiciary away from all political tension.
Later, al-Rahi met with the Head of the Economic Committee at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Zahle and the Bekaa, Tony Tohme, accompanied by a delegation who briefed him on "the disastrous outcome following the decision of the Saudi Kingdom to stop importing Lebanese agricultural products." The delegation members asked the Patriarch "to help solve this problem that afflicted the agricultural sector in Lebanon and its people," noting that "the concerned officials did not inform them of any new developments in this regard."The delegation considered that Patriarch al-Rahi remains their hope to get out of this crisis, which if lasts longer, will threaten workers in this sector with their livelihood and daily sustenance that they can hardly secure today with the deterioration of the country’s economic conditions in such a frightening manner.

Turkey’s Karpowership shutting down electricity generation to Lebanon: Statement
Reuters/14 May ,2021
Turkey’s Karpowership, which provides electricity to Lebanon from two barges, said on Friday it was shutting down supplies over payment arrears and a legal threat to its vessels amid the country’s economic crisis. The company, which supplies 370 megawatts (MW), or about a quarter of Lebanon’s supply, had told the government this week it would have to shut down in the absence of moves towards a settlement. The shutdown threatens longer daily power cuts across the heavily indebted nation, which did not have enough capacity to meet demand even before Karpowership’s move on Friday. Many people rely on private generators or struggle for several hours a day without power. In a statement, the company, a unit of Kardeniz, said it was shutting down supplies on Friday. A source familiar with the situation said the step was taken at about 8 a.m. (0500 GMT), as the vessels’ fuel had been running down. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said arrears exceeded $100 million, and added that the government had not reached out for talks or to try and resolve a legal case, despite the firm’s repeated appeals meant to avert a shutdown. Lebanon’s Finance Ministry said it had been notified by the Turkish firm and cited a lawmaker saying that the country could face “total darkness” in case of a shut-off. It has made no public statement about any talks. A Lebanese prosecutor threatened this month to seize the barges and fine the firm after Lebanese TV channel al-Jadeed reported corruption accusations over the power contract.
The firm denies the charges.
At the weekend, it said it had not been paid for 18 months, a period coinciding with the financial crunch, and added that it sought a “reasonable solution” to maintain generation. Each of its barges has capacity of 202 MW, against a contract to supply a total of 370 MW. An industry source said Lebanon’s total capacity was about 2,200 MW, including the barges, but was only generating a total of 1,300 MW, including the Turkish supplies of 370 MW. Lebanon’s peak demand in 2020 was 3,500 MW, the source said.

EDL: Turkish power ships stopped producing energy
Agencies/14 May ,2021
The Electrecite du Liban (EDL) announced in a statement that, at around eight o’clock this morning, Turkish ships in the Zouk and Jiyyeh factories stopped all their reverse generators, which led to a decrease in the total production capacity available on the Lebanese electrical network by about 240 megawatts.
The EDL has worked to operate some production groups in the reverse engine factories in Zouk and Jiyeh, to raise the capacity of the old Zouk plant, and to set up a production group in the Thermal Tire Factory, which will provide an additional 130 megawatts on the network as compensation for part of the shortage caused by the stopping of Turkish ships,”the statement said. “The EDL, in response to its previous statement on 5/6/2021, committed itself to taking precautionary measures by reducing its production capacities in the factories in proportion to the available fuel stocks and in order to preserve the supply of electricity for the longest possible period until the decision is issued regarding the appeal submitted in Law No. 215/2021 (Law granting the EDL a treasury advance of EGP 300 billion to secure its fuel needs), the statement added.
EDL also noted that in the event that the necessary funds allocated to the Institution are secured from the treasury for the year 2021, the institution hopes that bids will be re-offered to buy fuel in its favor, especially gas, which is its main source, as well as assistance in securing hard currency for the sectors of production, transportation and distribution, including the necessary maintenance and the purchase of spare parts and consumables needed for its various production plants, to ensure a minimum level of stability of the electrical current in Lebanon.

Reports: Miqati Not Seeking to Replace Hariri as PM-Designate
Naharnet/14 May ,2021
Reports that ex-PM Najib Miqati has been tipped to replace Saad Hariri as PM-designate are “totally baseless,” sources close to the ex-PM said. “Miqati, along with the ex-PMs, seems to be keen more than ever on continuing to support Hariri in his mission,” the sources added, in remarks to An-Nahar newspaper. “These rumors are a blatant attempt to spark disputes, polarization and divisions in the Sunni community, which is strongly supportive of Hariri,” the sources went on to say. The sources also denied that any efforts or contacts have been made with Miqati in this regard, noting that his stance is “well-known.”Sources from Miqati’s Independent Center Bloc also denied to the al-Anbaa news portal that the ex-PM is seeking to replace Hariri. “This is a cheap attempt to sow discord among the ranks of the former premiers, who support the stances of PM Hariri,” the sources said. MP Nicolas Nahhas of the same bloc also told al-Anbaa that the reports are unfounded. “I have personally refuted the report and it has nothing to do with ex-PM Miqati’s stance,” Nahhas added. Al-Mustaqbal Movement deputy chief ex-MP Mustafa Alloush meanwhile told al-Anbaa that Hariri does not intend to step down in the current period, adding that things will become clearer after the PM-designate’s return from his Eid al-Fitr vacation. Al-Akhbar newspaper had reported Thursday that foreign efforts were underway to find a “replacement for PM-designate Saad Hariri,” adding that there is “French-Saudi consensus” on Miqati. Noting that the efforts were “serious,” al-Akhbar said Miqati has been “communicating” with Washington, Paris and Riyadh.

Judge Abboud addresses Beirut filling stations in a statement
Agencies/May 14, 202
The Governor of Beirut, Judge Marwan Abboud, issued a statement preventing “All owners and workers in fuel stations within Beirut from filling petrol and diesel in gallons or others, which citizens use for storage because they are highly flammable materials that threaten public safety and lead to fires and disasters.”

As Poverty Bites, Lebanese Give Up Their Pets
Agence France Presse/14 May ,2021
Ibrahim al-Dika had raised his Belgian shepherd Lexi since she was a tiny pup, but then Lebanon's economic crisis made him jobless and he had to sell her to repay a bank loan. "It got to the point where I was no longer able to feed her, the bank was pressuring me, and I hit a wall," said the 26-year-old, devastated beside her empty kennel outside his Beirut home. "I didn't sell a car or a telephone. I sold a soul. I sold a part of me." Can you afford to keep your pet? Animal activists say this is a dilemma a growing number of Lebanese owners are facing as their purchasing power nosedives. Tens of thousands of Lebanese have lost their jobs or seen their income reduced to a pittance due to Lebanon's worst economic crisis in decades. As many families struggle to stay afloat, activists say increasingly more pet owners are asking for help to feed or re-home their animals, selling them, or in the worst cases abandoning them. Dika, after losing his father to illness, was laid off last year when his employer, a fashion retailer, closed shop, affecting his ability to support his mother and brother. He had spent around a year caring for Lexi, and training her to sit, heel, give him the paw, and play dead. But when the bank started calling, he saw no option other than to sell her. He drove over a few days later to check in on her, and Lexi thought he had come to take her home. "She leapt straight into my car," he said. "She broke my heart the way she looked at me."
'Children our priority'
With more than half of Lebanon's population now living in poverty, many Lebanese have to depend on non-governmental organizations to get by -- even to feed their pets. Amal Ramadan, 39, said she used to make donations to animal charity PAW. But these days it is her receiving free bags of food from them for her pit bull and bichon, Nelly and Fluffy. Her monthly salary working in car rental, once equivalent to $1,000, is now worth just $120 because of the Lebanese currency's sharp devaluation. "I don't have enough income to feed my pets," said the widowed mother of two, who has taken on extra work to make ends meet. Ramadan said she would rather starve than give up Nelly and Fluffy. But as the price of imported pet food, meat and veterinary care soars, activists said some other animals have not been so lucky. At the Woof N' Wags dog shelter in southern Lebanon, volunteer Ghada al-Khateeb watched a female dog lying on her side, breathing weakly under a grubby white coat, after she was rescued from the local trash dump. She said pet abandonments were on the rise. "Nobody can afford to feed their dogs anymore," said the 32-year-old hairdresser and divorced mother of twins.
"When they come to hand them over, they tell us: 'our children are our priority.'"
- 'A day or two without food' -
The shelter's founder, 28-year-old Joe Okdjian, said he was in desperate need of more donations. "Sometimes they go a day or two without food," he said of the 90 dogs already in his care. As Lebanon's economy crumbles, people's fates are mirrored in those of their pets. In the capital, rescuer Soraya Mouawad said two or three people a week were asking her to re-home their animal. They say they are emigrating, moving into a smaller home, or can no longer look after them "for personal reasons," said the founder of Animals Pride and Freedom. Many young professionals have fled Lebanon since 2019, especially after a massive explosion in Beirut last summer killed more than 200 people and ravaged large parts of the city. Dedicated activists are working to ensure dozens of pets can also emigrate.In one room at the Animals Lebanon shelter in Beirut, two cats lay in their beds.
One of them, Hips, was hit by a car in February and is paralyzed below the waist. The other, Edward, was dumped in a box in the street in November and appears to suffer from an allergy. Soon, the charity said, Hips and Edward are set to travel to a new life in the United States.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 14- 15/2021
European intelligence agencies reveal Iran sought nuclear weapons technology in Europe/Four agencies publish reports into Iranian attempts
Benjamin Weinthal/The Jewish Chronicle/May 14/2021
Iran sought technology for the world’s deadliest weapons in 2020 and continued to work on nuclear devices that year, European intelligence agencies say in newly published reports in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The Islamic Republic of Iran uses “conspiratorial methods” to cover up its illicit activity to obtain weapons of mass destruction technology (atomic, biological and chemical), according to a report last week by the domestic intelligence agency of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Schleswig-Holstein, the formal name for the intelligence agency, is the rough equivalent of the United Kingdom’s MI5. Last week’s Schleswig-Holstein report on the Iranian regime’s “establishment of illegal procurement networks [for weapons of mass destruction technology]” comes on the heels of additional intelligence warnings from Sweden, the Netherlands and the German state of Bavaria. Sweden’s Security Service reported, in the most damning section on Tehran’s work on atomic weapons, that “Iran also conducts industrial espionage, which is mainly targeted against Swedish hi-tech industry and Swedish products, which can be used in nuclear weapons programs. Iran is investing heavy resources in this area and some of the resources are used in Sweden.”The Netherlands’ General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) confirmed the German and Swedish agencies’ findings about Iran’s illicit activities in Europe. According to the Dutch report, the Security Service “investigated networks that tried to obtain the knowledge and materials to develop weapons of mass destruction. Multiple acquisition attempts have been frustrated by the intervention of the services.”The Dutch agency added that the intelligence services in the Netherlands are “investigating how countries try to obtain the knowledge and goods they need to make weapons of mass destruction. Countries such as Syria, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea also tried to acquire such goods and technology in Europe and the Netherlands last year.”Bavaria’s domestic intelligence agency said in its report that Iran’s regime made efforts to expand its “conventional arsenal of weapons through the production or constant modernization of weapons of mass destruction.”The Bavarian document added that to secure the “necessary know-how” and technology, Iran’s regime is “trying to establish business contacts with companies in high-technology countries like Germany.”The United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia are negotiating in Vienna with Iran’s regime in an effort to persuade the US to re-enter the 2015 nuclear accord. Iran has violated the conditions of the 2015 accord, which was designed to provide economic sanctions relief to Tehran in exchange for temporary restrictions on its nuclear program. The Trump administration withdrew in 2018 from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name for the nuclear deal, saying it would not stop Iran’s regime from building nuclear weapons.
*Benjamin Weinthal reports on human rights in the Middle East and is a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @BenWeinthal. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

UN Security Council to hold first public meeting on Palestine-Israel violence
Joseph Haboush & Talal Al-Haj, Al Arabiya English//14 May ,2021
The United States blocked a public UN Security Council meeting scheduled for Friday to discuss and issue a statement regarding the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine before agreeing to hold the meeting on Sunday, sources familiar with the matter said. Days after objecting to a statement on behalf of the Security Council, the US again moved to prevent a meeting from taking place that Tunisia, Norway and China proposed. China, heading the UN Security Council for May, later announced that there would be no meeting on Friday without elaborating. But diplomatic sources told AFP later Thursday that the meeting would be held on Sunday after the US backed down from its opposition. Sources familiar with the US approach said Washington continues to believe that a meeting will not help the ongoing violence. “The US would have to stop the Council from issuing any statement,” as it is widely expected a gathering of the member states would result in a “statement bashing Israel,” one source told Al Arabiya English. US officials have been holding calls with Palestinian and Israeli officials as well as with leaders of regional states that have ties with Palestine and Tel Aviv. Issuing any statement that does not lead to progress in de-escalating violence is considered a waste of time and effort by Washington. Hady Amr, the top US diplomat in charge of Israeli-Palestinian affairs, headed to the region Thursday to meet with Palestinian and Israeli officials. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan all held separate calls with their Israeli counterparts on Wednesday. Biden also sent a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while Blinken spoke to Abbas on the phone. On Thursday, Blinken suggested the US would support an open meeting next week, with the hopes that diplomatic efforts would help ease the violence. “This, I hope, will give some time for the diplomacy to have some effect and to see if indeed we get a real de-escalation and can then pursue this at the United Nations in that context,” Blinken said. The 15-nation Security Council met virtually behind closed doors twice this week as violence spilled over from the Al-Aqsa Mosque with rockets being fired by the Islamist Hamas movement and Israeli forces bombarding Gaza with airstrikes. An initial draft statement by Tunisia and Norway - seen by Al Arabiya English - had language condemning both Palestinian factions and Israel while also condemning Tel Aviv for its excessive force against peaceful protesters. One senior diplomat told Al Arabiya that it was “unacceptable for the Security Council to follow the developments and not to release a statement.”But after one week of fighting, the violence appears to continue escalating and civilian deaths increase by the day.

Israel fired 450 missiles at Gaza within 40 minutes overnight: Spokesman
Joanne Serrieh, Al Arabiya English/14 May ,2021
The Israeli army fired 450 missiles within 40 minutes overnight at 150 “targets” in Gaza, spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a tweet on Friday. The airstrikes have continuously pounded apartments, blown up cars and toppled buildings, with Israel officials claiming to be targeting militants in the area.
As of May 14, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed at least 119 Palestinians, including 31 children, 19 women, and wounded 830 people, according to Palestine’s Ministry of Health. “These raids were to deal a heavy blow to the underground interests, the Hamas metro located under the northern and eastern neighborhoods in the vicinity of Gaza City,” Adraee said. “We enter the fifth day of the process and continue working aggressively.”He also said 160 planes and six air bases were uses during the raid overnight. Missiles have been fired out of Gaza by the Palestinian militant group Hamas; however, most have been intercepted using Israel’s Iron Dome system.In recent days, tensions have soared over Israel’s planned eviction of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah district in east Jerusalem, which Israel sees as part of its eternal capital but is considered occupied by the United Nations.
Israel has prepared combat troops along the Gaza border and was in “various stages of preparing ground operations”, a military spokesman said, a move that would recall similar incursions during Israel-Gaza wars in 2014 and 2008-2009. Health authorities in Gaza said they were investigating the deaths of several people who they said may have inhaled poisonous gas. Samples were being examined and they had yet to draw any final conclusions, they said. With agencies

Israeli army launches military operation on Gaza Strip
Rawad Taha, Al Arabiya English/14 May ,2021
Israeli planes and troops on the ground launched an attack on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said in a brief message. Residents of northern Gaza, near the Israeli frontier, said they had seen no sign of ground troops inside the enclave but reported heavy artillery fire and dozens of air strikes. The Israeli army spokesman later confirmed that the ground forces are only participating in the bombing of the Gaza Strip. Local media in Gaza reported over 450 Israeli strikes in the Northern part of the Strip. More than 50 injuries have reached Beit Hanoun Hospital, as a result of the targeting of al-Baali area.
Ongoing Israeli airstrikes have so far killed 115 Palestinians in Gaza, including 27 children and 11 women, the Ministry of Health reported on Friday. Meanwhile, 621 people have been reported wounded since the strikes began more than three days ago, according to the ministry. Palestinian factions have responded with bombing Ashkelon, Ashdod, Beersheba and Sderot with over 50 missiles. The Israeli Army Radio said that electricity was cut off in several areas of Ashkelon due following the rocket attacks from Gaza. The Israeli army has demanded the residents of the border settlements to remain inside bomb shelters until further notice. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Hamas and the rest of the organizations "will pay a heavy price, and the military operation will continue as needed." Sources confirmed to Al Arabiya that the Egyptian security delegation has left Tel Aviv following Israel’s launch of the major military operation, adding that Israel has rejected the Egyptian requests to have a humanitarian truce. Israel has identified weapons depots and rocket launch sites and put together a list of leaders from al-Qassam Brigades and Hamas to target. The US Department of State recommended US citizens to reconsider travel to Israel due to armed conflict and civil unrest. “Rockets continue to impact the Gaza periphery and areas across Southern and Central Israel, including Jerusalem. Recent incidents of violence include vandalism, rock throwing, burning of vehicles, and attacks on passersby. Protests and violence may continue to occur, some with little or no warning,” the statement added. The statement added that there has been a marked increase in protests and violence throughout Israel. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the conflict can only increase radicalization and extremism in the whole region. "Out of respect for the spirit of Eid, I appeal for an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities in Gaza and Israel. Too many innocent civilians have already died," he added in a Tweet. Israeli army spokesperson announced on Friday morning that about 160 aircraft participated from 6 air bases and used around 450 missiles and shells to raid about 150 targets within 40 minutes. Artillery and armored forces, which have been deployed along the border, attacked targets with hundreds of artillery shells and dozens of tank shells. The spokesperson added that the aim was to strike a heavy blow to the underground infrastructure, “the Hamas metro”, located under the northern and eastern neighborhoods in Gaza. The Israeli air defenses also intercepted a drone that violated Israeli airspace from the Gaza Strip.

Six Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in West Bank, hundreds injured
Al Arabiya English/With AFP & the Associated Press/14 May ,2021
Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank on Friday afternoon, bringing the day’s toll from clashes in the territory to six dead, the health ministry said. “Two citizens who arrived in serious condition at Salfit hospital after being wounded by Israeli army live fire to the chest and stomach... are dead,” the ministry said, after announcing two other deaths earlier in the day. Violence on Fridays in the West Bank is a traditional facet of the long running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the fresh unrest comes amid Israel’s ongoing strikes on Gaza. Israel’s army said it “neutralized” an assailant who attempted to stab at soldier at a military post in Ofra, north of Ramallah. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the man’s death and that of a second man it said was shot dead by Israeli troops near Jenin. There have been daily clashes in the West Bank since Monday, after Israel attacked worshipers at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem following attempts to evict Palestinians from their homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Friday’s West Bank clashes, affecting multiple locations, had left more than 100 people wounded, including from tear gas and rubber bullets. An Al Arabiya correspondent said the Israeli army was using drones to drop tear gas on protesters. Amid the surge in West Bank violence, the Gaza conflict raged on Friday, with Israeli forces continuing a bombing campaign in response to Palestinian rocket fire. Earlier in the day, the Israeli army said it had fired 450 missiles into Gaza within a 40-minute period.

Israel Pounds Gaza as Deadly Conflict Intensifies
Agence France Presse/14 May ,2021
Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday following a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave, intensifying a conflict that has now claimed dozens of lives. Deadly violence meanwhile escalated across the occupied West Bank and has been described as among the most intense since the second intifada that began in 2000. It left seven Palestinians dead from Israeli fire, the Palestinian health ministry said, as overall fatalities from strikes on Gaza rose to 122. Palestinian armed groups in the enclave have launched more than 1,800 rockets at Israel since Monday, killing nine people, with sirens wailing across Israel throughout the week. The Israeli army said its overnight assault on Gaza involved fighter jets and tanks hitting a Hamas tunnel network dug under civilian areas. The bombardment saw huge fireballs turn the night sky orange. Towers and homes were levelled, while rockets tore through the skies towards Israel. Gazan families sought shelter at a school, fearing another barrage. "All the children are afraid and we are afraid for the children," said Kamal al-Haddad, who fled with his family to a U.N.-supported school in Gaza City. Umm Raed al-Baghdadi, who also fled her home, said Gazans "who have been in war since childhood... cannot bear it anymore." Israeli soldiers have massed on the edge of the blockaded territory, but the army's overnight statement that a ground invasion had commenced proved false.
The Gaza death toll includes 31 children, and 900 were injured, authorities said, while the Israeli fatalities count one child and one soldier.
West Bank unrest
Violence on Fridays in the West Bank is a traditional facet of the long running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Friday's escalation appeared linked to the raging hostilities in Gaza and the internal unrest in Israel. More than 150 were injured across the territory occupied by Israel since 1967, with Palestinians hit by Israeli bullets, tear gas and in some cases live fire, said the Red Crescent. A Palestinian security source said Friday's fighting was the "most intense" since the second intifada, or uprising, that began in 2000. The U.N. said the Security Council would meet Sunday to address Gaza. China accused the U.S. of "ignoring the suffering" of Muslims, after Washington stopped the council from meeting Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was "deeply concerned about the violence in the streets of Israel", and his department urged citizens to "reconsider" travel to the country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said rocket fire by Hamas against Israel amounted to "terrorist attacks."Several international airlines -- including British Airways, Lufthansa and Iberia -- canceled flights amid the onslaught.
'Not over yet'
Israel said hundreds of the rockets fired toward its territory, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, had been intercepted. Israel has hit roughly 750 sites it described as military targets such as Hamas bomb-making facilities and the homes of senior militant commanders. Three high-rise buildings were flattened. Israel estimates that more than 30 leaders of Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have been killed. "I said we'd deliver heavy blows to Hamas and other terror groups, and we're doing that," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "They're paying and will continue to pay dearly for that. It's not over yet." The heavy bombardments coincided with the start of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, and saw the faithful pray at mosques and amid the rubble in Gaza. Three rockets were also fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel, landing in the Mediterranean, the military said. A source close to Israel's arch-enemy Hizbullah said the Lebanese group had no link to the incident. The Israeli army also said it "fired warning shots towards a number of rioters who crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory," forcing the suspects back into Lebanon.
'Preventing pogroms'
Within Israel, an unprecedented wave of mob violence has seen Arabs and Jews savagely beat each other and attack places of worship.
More than 750 people have been arrested this week, including more than 100 overnight, police said. In Lod, where an Arab man was shot dead by a Jewish Israeli on Monday, the outside of a synagogue was burnt overnight, they added. Officers had detained Jews "walking around looking for trouble" in Netanya and Beersheba, while Arabs in other towns attacked police and police stations with stones and petrol bombs. Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, who comprise a fifth of the population, say they were enraged by Israeli police storming the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, where police said Palestinians were attacking officers with stones and fireworks. In one of the most shocking episodes of the intercommunal violence, a far-right Jewish mob beat a man they considered an Arab in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, leaving him with serious injuries. "Nothing justifies the lynching of Arabs by Jews, and nothing justifies the lynching of Jews by Arabs," Netanyahu said. Israel's civil aviation authority said it was directing incoming flights to Tel Aviv to circle offshore when rockets are being fired from Gaza, with pilots choosing whether to divert to Ramon airport in the south or wait until runways are checked for ordnance.

2 Palestinians Killed, Over 100 Hurt in West Bank Unrest
Agence France Presse/14 May ,2021
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank on Friday, including one who attempted to stab a soldier, as clashes injured more than 100 people in the occupied territory. Violence on Fridays in the West Bank is a traditional facet of the long running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the fresh unrest comes as Israel is engaged in major hostilities with Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. Israel's army said it "neutralized" an assailant who attempted to stab at soldier at a military post in Ofra, north of Ramallah. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the man's death and that of a second man it said was shot dead by Israeli troops near Jenin. There have been daily clashes in the West Bank since Monday, when the conflict in Gaza escalated after the territory's rulers, Hamas, fired rockets towards Jerusalem. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Friday's West Bank clashes, affecting multiple locations, had left more than 100 people wounded, including from tear gas and rubber bullets. Amid the surge in West Bank violence, the Gaza conflict raged on Friday, with Israeli forces continuing a bombing campaign in response to Palestinian rocket fire. Since Monday, more than 1,800 rockets have been at Israel by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed groups. Israel has responded with air and artillery strikes on more than 600 targets in the blockaded enclave.

Netanyahu Says Conflict with Hamas in Gaza 'Not Over Yet'
Agence France Presse/14 May ,2021
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel had no plans on relenting in its attacks against Hamas in Gaza, after heavy bombardment targeting the group in the Palestinian enclave. "They attacked our capital, they fired rockets at our cities. They're paying and will continue to pay dearly for that," he said following security consultations at the military's headquarters in Tel Aviv.
"It's not over yet," he added.

Russia to restart regular flights with Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and others
Reuters/14 May ,2021
Russia from May 25 will restart regular air travel between Iceland, Malta, Mexico, Portugal and Saudi Arabia, the government’s coronavirus response headquarters said in a statement on Friday. The decision was made with regard to the epidemiological situation in the countries, the government team said, adding the decision was made on a mutual basis.

U.S. forces leave key Afghanistan military base
NNA/CNBC NEWS/14 May ,2021
U.S. forces have left one of the largest military bases in Afghanistan, according to three defense officials.The Kandahar Airfield was turned over to the Afghan National Defense Security Forces earlier this week, the officials said, in a move that signals the urgency of the U.S. effort to fully withdraw from the country by Sept. 1.

Twelve people killed in an explosion at a mosque in Kabul in violation of ceasefire
NNA/14 May ,2021
Twelve people were killed in an explosion inside a mosque on the outskirts of the Afghan capital during Friday prayers, as per the police, in violation of a ceasefire announced for three days on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, according to "Agence France Presse."Kabul police spokesman Firdaus Farmers said: "During Friday prayers, an explosion occurred inside a mosque in the Shukur Durra neighborhood in (the state) of Kabul."

Putin pledges to respond following Ukraine’s prosecutions against one of his close associates
NNA/14 May ,2021
Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that "Moscow will respond after a Ukrainian court imposed house arrest on a close ally in a treason case," according to AFP. "Taking into account all the threats made against us, we will have to respond to this correctly and in a timely manner," Putin said during a Security Council meeting, apparently hinting at the trial of Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian deputy close to the Kremlin.H.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 14- 15/2021
Question: "What is Israel’s role in the end times?"
GotQuestions.org/May 14/2021
Answer: Every time there is a conflict in or around Israel, many see it as a sign of the quickly approaching end times. The problem with this is that we may eventually tire of the conflict in Israel, so much so that we will not recognize when true, prophetically significant events occur. Conflict in Israel is not necessarily a sign of the end times.
Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation. Whether it was the Egyptians, Amalekites, Midianites, Moabites, Ammonites, Amorites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, or Romans, the nation of Israel has always been persecuted by its neighbors. Why is this? According to the Bible, it is because God has a special plan for the nation of Israel, and Satan wants to defeat that plan. Satanically influenced hatred of Israel—and especially Israel’s God—is the reason Israel’s neighbors have always wanted to see Israel destroyed. Whether it is Sennacherib, king of Assyria; Haman, official of Persia; Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany; or Rouhani, President of Iran, attempts to completely destroy Israel will always fail. The persecutors of Israel will come and go, but the persecution will remain until the second coming of Christ. As a result, conflict in Israel is not a reliable indicator of the soon arrival of the end times.
However, the Bible does say there will be terrible conflict in Israel during the end times. That is why the time period is known as the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation, and the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). Here is what the Bible says about Israel in the end times:
There will be a mass return of Jews to the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:3; Isaiah 43:6; Ezekiel 34:11-13; 36:24; 37:1-14).
The Antichrist will make a 7-year covenant of "peace" with Israel (Isaiah 28:18; Daniel 9:27).
The temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 11:1).
The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel, and worldwide persecution of Israel will result (Daniel 9:27; 12:1, 11; Zechariah 11:16; Matthew 24:15, 21; Revelation 12:13). Israel will be invaded (Ezekiel chapters 38-39).
Israel will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10). Israel will be regenerated, restored, and regathered (Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 11:17; Romans 11:26).
There is much turmoil in Israel today. Israel is persecuted, surrounded by enemies—Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, etc. But this hatred and persecution of Israel is only a hint of what will happen in the end times (Matthew 24:15-21). The latest round of persecution began when Israel was reconstituted as a nation in 1948. Many Bible prophecy scholars believed the six-day Arab-Israeli war in 1967 was the "beginning of the end." Could what is taking place in Israel today indicate that the end is near? Yes. Does it necessarily mean the end is near? No. Jesus Himself said it best, "Watch out that no one deceives you. . . . You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come" (Matthew 24:4-6).

Sheikh Jarrah, Shimon Hatzadik: A tale of two gravesites in Jerusalem
Jonathan Spyer/Jerusalem Post/May 14/2021
جوناثان سباير/جيروزاليم بوست: قراءة في مشكلة منطقة الشيخ جراح التاريخية في مدينة القدس بين الإسرائيليين والفلسطينيين
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/98860/jonathan-spyer-jerusalem-post-sheikh-jarrah-shimon-hatzadik-a-tale-of-two-gravesites-in-jerusalem-%d8%ac%d9%88%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b3%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%88/
The current dispute surrounding the Sheikh Jarrah area has deep roots, stretching back to the first years of Arab and Jewish settlement outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, in the 19th century.
The current conflicts in Jerusalem are not traceable to a single source. The always charged period of Ramadan, the cancellation of Palestinian elections, the attacks on ultra-Orthodox Jews and the response to these by Jewish far-right activists, the placing of barriers at the Damascus Gate, and the frustrations born of a year of lockdowns are all important contributory factors.
The long dispute over housing rights in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, however, forms a prominent ingredient in the incendiary mix. The Supreme Court this week was due to rule on the appeal of three Arab families seeking the overturning of an eviction order against them. The ruling has now been postponed.
What is the background to this “real estate dispute between two private parties,” as the Foreign Ministry website refers to it? And why has “Sheikh Jarrah” become a rallying cry for Arabs and their supporters both in Jerusalem and with echoes far beyond it?
First, the origins: the current dispute surrounding the Sheikh Jarrah area has deep roots, stretching back to the first years of Arab and Jewish settlement outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, in the last decades of the 19th century.
The neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah is named after Hussam al-Din al-Jarrahi, the personal physician of Saladin, vanquisher of the Crusaders.
Jarrahi’s grave is located in the neighborhood, which contains also a Sufi shrine to him. The first private houses began to be built in the vicinity of the shrine during the latter third of the 19th century.
Rabah al-Husseini, a scion of the prominent Husseini family, built one of the first dwellings in what was to become Sheikh Jarrah, in 1865. This building is today the location of the American Colony Hotel. Additional members of the family followed him to the area, building houses of their own, and for a time the emergent neighborhood was particularly associated with the Husseinis. Other Arab notables, including members of the rival Nashashibi family, also moved in as Sheikh Jarrah developed.
The Jewish neighborhoods of Shimon Hatzadik and Nahalat Shimon developed coterminously with the Husseini area. The presence, similarly, of a venerated gravesite served as the force of attraction. The gravesite of Shimon Hatzadik, a prominent high priest of the Second Temple period, was in 1876 purchased by two Jewish trusts committed to the development of the Jewish population of Jerusalem. These were the Sephardi Community Council and the (Ashkenazi) General Council of the Congregation of Israel.
The cornerstone for the construction of the Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood was laid in 1890. Construction of neighboring Nahalat Shimon began in 1891. A few dozen Jewish families subsequently took up residence in the area.
These neighborhoods, in contrast to Sheikh Jarrah, were characterized by poverty, difficult conditions and overcrowding.
In 1948, as the British-officered Transjordanian Arab Legion advanced through eastern Jerusalem, the Hagana called on the residents of the Nahalat Shimon and Shimon Hatzadik neighborhoods to leave their homes for safer refuge in the majority Jewish west of the city. As seen in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, it was the practice of the Legion to expel Jewish populations in their entirety from areas it conquered. The residents of Shimon Hatzadik duly fled their homes, and the areas subsequently lay abandoned.
In 1956, the government of Jordan, in cooperation with the United Nations Relief Works Association, arranged for the housing of 28 Palestinian refugee families in the area of the abandoned residential compounds in the Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood. The families leased the apartments subsequently built from the government of Jordan, paying a nominal rent.
In the Six Day War of 1967, the entirety of Jerusalem, including Sheikh Jarrah and the area of the Shimon Hatzadik and Nahalat Shimon neighborhoods, came under the control and jurisdiction of Israel. The properties in this area, including the compound where the refugees and their descendants were dwelling, were transferred to the administrator-general in the Justice Ministry.
The Jewish organizations responsible for the original purchase began proceedings for the return of the areas to them. In 1972, their claims were accepted, and ownership of the areas was transferred to them and recorded in the Land Registry.
In 1982, the two Jewish trusts sought the removal from their property of 23 Arab families that had remained resident in the Shimon Hatzadik area. An agreement was reached, according to which the Arab families recognized the ownership of the trusts, and in return received the status of protected tenants. The agreement was afforded the status of a court ruling, and on the basis of it, the petition by the trusts to remove the families from their property was rejected. As part of the agreement, the families were afforded long-term rental rights, and undertook to pay rent to the owners and to maintain the apartments.
In practice, however, no rents were subsequently paid, and, according to the Jewish trusts, renovations and alterations to the buildings were made by the tenants without a permit. In addition, the trusts claimed, the tenants had damaged and sought to destroy structures of the old Jewish neighborhood, including the synagogue.
In 1993, the trusts initiated further legal proceedings to have the tenants removed because of nonpayment of rent. In 2001, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court accepted the demand of the trusts.
A series of subsequent lawsuits have sought to ensure the expulsion of the non-rent-paying residents, many of whom have become entangled in the appeals process.
The two Jewish trusts subsequently sold their properties in the area to an organization called Nahalat Shimon International, which in 2008 presented a plan for the removal of the non-rent-paying families (now numbering around 500 people) and for the construction in the area of a Jewish neighborhood of 200 housing units.
Subsequently, four of the families were evicted (the al-Kurd, Ghawi, Hanun and Sabbagh families). Eviction notices have been issued for others, but these have not been implemented. An additional 13 households, numbering 300 people, face the prospect of eviction, once all legal avenues of appeal are exhausted.
The issue has returned to prominence in recent days because three families were due to have the Supreme Court rule on their petition of appeal this week. In the event of the Supreme Court dismissing their appeal, no further legal avenues will be available and the way will be cleared for their eviction.
FOR PALESTINIANS and their supporters, the Sheikh Jarrah issue has become emblematic of what they regard as the built-in injustice of arrangements put in place by Israel following the 1948 and 1967 wars.
The Legal and Administrative Matters Law, passed in 1970, allows for Israeli property owners who owned properties that in 1948 were transferred to Jordanian control to claim them back from the Israeli administrator-general. Property abandoned by Palestinian Arabs in the 1948 war was transferred in its entirety to the Custodian of Absentee Property, in line with the Absentee Property Law of 1950. An amendment to the law allows Arab-Israeli citizens and residents of east Jerusalem to claim monetary compensation for properties transferred to the Custodian, on the basis of the properties’ value on November 29, 1947. But no legal path for the restitution of properties exists.
Backers of the Jewish efforts to reclaim property in eastern Jerusalem, meanwhile, maintain that they are following existing legal means in an attempt to right an injustice – namely, the refusal of the protected tenants to pay rent, as required by law. They further assert that this process is being undertaken without reference to any other situation or larger political context.
These legal niceties aside, there is a harsher, less diplomatic reality which is the reason that many Israelis may feel few pangs of conscience with regard to events in Sheikh Jarrah.
Legal discussions regarding restitution of properties lost in the course of the long conflict between Jews and Arabs tend to arise only on the side where Israel has the power.
Where Arab participant countries in the 1948 war had and have jurisdiction, the matter of any claims to properties lost in the 1948 war by Jews expelled from these areas is regarded as closed. With regard to properties lost by Jews to Arab states, the law is the familiar one of greater force. The states in question, all dictatorships, are not interested in discussing the rights and wrongs of the issue. They have the capacity to enforce this preference. Hence no such discussions take place.
During the period of 1948-67, for example, when Jordan ruled east Jerusalem and the West Bank, no legal avenue for recompense was available to Jews who had lost property as a result of their expulsion by Jordanian forces. The combined value of lost Jewish-owned properties in the Arab world and Iran, according to an Israeli investigation carried out in 2019, may amount to $150 billion. But these properties, many of them owned by Jews expelled from Arab participant countries in the 1948 war such as Iraq, remain beyond the reach of their legal owners. No path for compensation is available. An Iraqi Jew seeking to petition, for example, the current government in Baghdad for compensation for loss of property incurred during the expulsion of Iraq’s Jews in 1951 would rapidly discover the futility of any such effort. For anyone with knowledge of the Middle East, the very idea of such an attempt indeed sounds absurd.
From this point of view, the apparent imbalance thus reflects a larger balance. Where Israel is in control, the matter is subject to discussion, and necessarily imperfect but existing legal process. The tenants at Shimon Hatzadik, for example, may find it unfair or unjust that they are required to pay rent to the property’s owners. But should they prove willing to do so, their residence rights will be protected by law. There is no reflection of this on the other side, where the automatic assumption of the absolute justice of the Arab Muslim position translates into a similarly automatic dismissal of any legal process for individuals associated with the enemy camp. This is the harsh, usually unstated accounting of ethno-religious conflict.
As to how the current round of dispute regarding Sheikh Jarrah will play out, Defense Minister Benny Gantz sought and has now achieved the postponement of the Supreme Court ruling this week. His reasoning, presumably, was that in an already very tense Jerusalem, the ruling, if the petition had been dismissed, would have had the effect of pouring petrol on flames. The issue thus continues to await resolution.
More broadly, the dispute over Sheikh Jarrah reflects the fact that the city of Jerusalem remains the focal point for a historic and unresolved battle of wills between the Israeli-Jewish attempt to consolidate sovereignty and normalize the notion of a united city under Israeli rule, and the ongoing efforts of a variety of Arab Muslim (and Muslim but non-Arab) actors to halt and reverse this process.
The Nahalat Shimon International organization and others like it have their parallels and opposite numbers. The government of Turkey, in particular, is busy quietly seeking to grow its influence behind the scenes in Jerusalem. Operating through its TIKA development fund, and through local Muslim Brotherhood-associated bodies, Ankara is busy trying to strengthen and extend its own power, and the power of the Sunni political Islam that it favors, in Arab communities in Jerusalem. Similar funds and foundations are maintained and financed by Qatar, Morocco, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Palestinian millionaires such as Munib al-Masri and the late Abd al-Majid Shuman have been active in efforts to purchase property and support construction for the Arabs in Jerusalem.
This silent war, which has continued for decades and is nowhere near conclusion, follows a grammar different from the normally accepted rules of sovereignty and legal and political norms. Existing balances of power are seen as fluid and temporary, subject to the exercise of the will.
The supporters and backers of the tenants in Sheikh Jarrah, and the forces that want to rebuild Shimon Hatzadik and Nahalat Shimon will continue their contest even when the current tense period in the city has passed. Indeed, one could argue that the very same elements that 150 years ago led to the establishment of distinctive and rival settlements around the graves of Shimon Hatzadik and Hussam al-Din al-Jarrahi remain present, and in conflict, in the city today.

How To Assure Repetition of Hamas Rocket Attacks
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./May 14/2021
There is one sure-fire way of guaranteeing that Hamas will continue to employ terrorism against Israel.... That sure-fire way is to reward the terrorists who employ this tactic and to punish their intended victims who try to fight back.
The real root cause of terrorism is that it is successful -- terrorists have consistently benefited from their terrorist acts. Terrorism will persist as long as... the international community rewards it, as it has been doing for the past [many] years.
Hamas has been greatly rewarded by the international community, by human rights groups, by the media, by many academics and by millions of decent people for its indecent double war crime tactic of firing rockets at Israeli civilians from behind Palestinian human shields. Israel has been significantly punished for trying to protect its citizens from these rockets.
So here... is the twelve-step program that Hamas and the international community should follow if it truly wants to see terrorism become the primary tactic used against democracies by those with perceived grievances.
Step 9: Accuse the democracy of war crimes and bring cases against its leaders and soldiers in courts sympathetic to Hamas around the world. Bringing the lawsuits will create a presumption of guilt, even if the charges are dismissed months or years later.
Step 10: Schedule various United Nations "debates" at which tyrannical dictatorships from around the world line up... to condemn Israel for crimes routinely committed by these dictatorships but not by Israel.
Step 11: Trot out the usual stable of reliable anti-Israel academics to flood newspapers and television shows with some of the worst drivel about international law, human rights and the laws of war -- drivel that would earn students failing grades in any objective law school course on these subjects.
Now here are six steps for those democracies that would actually like to put an end to terrorist attacks against its civilians.
Step 4: Never allow human rights, international organizations or war crime tribunals to be hijacked by the supporters or terrorism and the enemies of democracy to punish only those who seek to protect their civilians against terrorism.
Not only must terrorism never be rewarded, the cause of those who employ it must be made... worse off as a result of the terrorism than it would have been without it.
No wonder Hamas, and other terrorist groups, regard their war crimes tactic as a win-win for terrorism and a lose-lose for democracy.
There is one sure-fire way of guaranteeing that Hamas will continue to employ terrorism against Israel.... That sure-fire way is to reward the terrorists who employ this tactic and to punish their intended victims who try to fight back.
This article was originally published in a slightly different form in 2009. Nothing has changed.
There is one sure-fire way of guaranteeing that Hamas will continue to employ terrorism against Israel and that other terrorist groups will increase the use of terrorism against civilians around the world. That sure-fire way is to reward the terrorists who employ this tactic and to punish their intended victims who try to fight back. This is one of the most important lessons to be learned from the recent events in Gaza, but it is not a new lesson. In 2002, in a book entitled Why Terrorism Works, I made a point that is even more relevant today than it was then:
"The real root cause of terrorism is that it is successful -- terrorists have consistently benefited from their terrorist acts. Terrorism will persist as long as it continues to work for those who use it, as long as the international community rewards it, as it has been doing for the past thirty-five years."
Hamas has been greatly rewarded by the international community, by human rights groups, by the media, by many academics and by millions of decent people for its indecent double war crime tactic of firing rockets at Israeli civilians from behind Palestinian human shields. Israel has been significantly punished for trying to protect its citizens from these rockets. Although Hamas suffered a significant military defeat at the hands of the IDF, it has gained a public relations bonanza. Its status in Europe has been enhanced, as it has at the United Nations and throughout the Arab street. It lost the battle on the ground in Gaza, but may have won the war in the hearts and minds of many decent, and many more indecent, people throughout the world. And it won this war with very little cost. Whether the death toll was 500-600, as Corriere della Sera suggested, or 1300 as Hamas has reported, dead civilians serve the interest of Hamas, which considers them martyrs. They do not belong on the cost side of the ledger, according to the bizarre death culture that Hamas perpetuates, but rather of the benefit side of the ledger.
So here, in simple terms, is the twelve-step program that Hamas and the international community should follow if it truly wants to see terrorism become the primary tactic used against democracies by those with perceived grievances.
Step 1: Use terrorism-rockets aimed at civilians, suicide bombings in pizza parlors and discothèques, bombs planted in school buses, shootings in classrooms... as widely as possible against your enemies, to the point where they have no option but respond militarily.
Step 2: Make sure that the terrorists and their weapons, rockets, explosives... are hidden among civilians in densely populated areas.
Step 3: When the inevitable attacks occur, employ human shields, the younger the better. Recruit them voluntarily, if possible, but commandeer them if necessary, even if they are babies or toddlers.
Step 4: Be certain that your terrorist fighters are wearing civilian clothing. Recruit as many women and teenage youngsters as possible to become terrorists.
Step 5: Be ready with video cameras and sympathetic journalists to videotape every single death and transmit the images as widely as possible to media outlets around the world.
Step 6: Recycle images of dead civilians, especially children, and move them from media to media, thus multiplying the number of apparently dead civilians.
Step 7: Be certain that sympathetic doctors and United Nations personnel overstate the number of civilians killed, counting every person under the age of 18 and every woman as a civilian, even if they are terrorists.
Step 8: Circulate totally false reports about civilian casualties and their location by, for example, claiming that numerous civilians were killed at a United Nations school when you know none of the dead were actually inside the school. You can be confident that the media will put your exaggerated reports on Page 1 and when the truth eventually comes out, after careful investigation days or weeks later, it will be buried in the back pages.
Step 9: Accuse the democracy of war crimes and bring cases against its leaders and soldiers in courts sympathetic to Hamas around the world. Bringing the lawsuits will create a presumption of guilt, even if the charges are dismissed months or years later.
Step 10: Schedule various United Nations "debates" at which tyrannical dictatorships from around the world line up at the podium to condemn Israel for crimes routinely committed by these dictatorships but not by Israel.
Step 11: Trot out the usual stable of reliable anti-Israel academics to flood newspapers and television shows with some of the worst drivel about international law, human rights and the laws of war -- drivel that would earn students failing grades in any objective law school course on these subjects.
Step 12: Make sure that Hamas understands that if it repeats its double war crime strategy, it will once again be rewarded, and if Israel fights back, it will once again be punished.
These twelve steps are for use by terrorist groups, nations, and organizations, such as the United Nations, that seem determined to encourage terrorism.
Now here are six steps for those democracies that would actually like to put an end to terrorist attacks against its civilians.
Step 1: Never, under any circumstances, reward an act of terrorism or a group that employs terrorism to achieve its goals.
Step 2: Always punish terrorists and terrorists' groups that employ terrorism against civilians.
Step 3: Never punish democracies that seek to prevent acts of terrorism against their civilians especially when the terrorists hide among their own civilians in order to provoke democracies into killing civilians.
Step 4: Never allow human rights, international organizations or war crime tribunals to be hijacked by the supporters or terrorism and the enemies of democracy to punish only those who seek to protect their civilians against terrorism. This is especially true when the democracies have been patient in responding and have no reasonable alternative course other than military self-defense.
Step 5: Never manipulate the emotions of decent people by showing only the human shields who have been killed by military self-defense actions of the democracies, without explaining that it was the terrorists who caused these deaths.
Step 6: Make certain that the cause espoused by the terrorists is set back by every act of terrorism.
As I wrote in 2002:
"Not only must terrorism never be rewarded, the cause of those who employ it must be made -- and must be seen to be made -- worse off as a result of the terrorism than it would have been without it. The manner by which calculating terrorists define and calibrate the cost and benefits may be different from the way common criminals decide whether to rob, cheat, or bully, but society's response must be based on similar considerations. Those who employ terrorism have their own criteria for evaluating success and failure, and in implementing the immutable principle that those who employ terrorism must be worse off for having resorted to this tactic, we must make them worse off by their own criteria."
The international community, by and large, has been doing the opposite. The message it has been sending has been: keep it up. It will only help your terrorist cause and hurt your democratic enemy. No wonder Hamas, and other terrorist groups, regard their war crimes tactic as a win-win for terrorism and a lose-lose for democracy.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of the book, The Case Against the New Censorship: Protecting Free Speech from Big Tech, Progressives and Universities, Hot Books, April 20, 2021. His new podcast, "The Dershow," can be seen on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2021 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.

Iran’s hand seen in Hamas drone threat against Israel - analysis
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 14/2021
Why do drone threats matter? Because drones can carry warheads and also move slowly and may maneuver.
Israel has increasingly had to deal with drone threats by Hamas, and said on Thursday that it downed a UAV that crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The new drone threat has also been showcased by Hamas in a video circulated online that shows the Palestinian terror group with several medium-size drones in Gaza. Hamas says its new drones are called “Shehab.”
Drone Experts such as Nick Waters and others have pointed out the close connection between the Hamas “Shehab” and the Iranian Ababil.
The IDF has released video of the drone flying and being shot down. These drones appear to be based on Iranian Ababil drones, models of which have been exported to the Houthis in Yemen, and which the Houthis built and used against Saudi Arabia. The US has warned for years about the Iranian drone threat, including putting Iran drones on display in Washington.
The IDF said on Wednesday that it “struck a squad of terrorists operating explosive UAV launchers belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. The squad was struck while they were preparing to launch the UAV into Israeli territory.”
Israel also said on Wednesday that the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted a Hamas UAV that crossed from Gaza into Israeli territory. Israel’s Defense Ministry has said that the Iron Dome system has new capabilities, developed and made operational over the years, that make it effective against drones.
Why do drone threats matter? Because drones can carry warheads and also move slowly and may maneuver. Most of the Iranian-style drones, which are called “loitering munitions” or “kamikaze” drones, are the kind that can be programmed to fly to a certain destination and then sent on their way.
They are launched from a rail and can be transported on a truck or even a boat and launched that way. They have a propeller at the back, and gyroscope technology used in the drones for guidance links Iran to the drone exports that have gone to Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and even further afield, to be used in places like Sudan, Afghanistan, and Venezuela, according to various reports.
Iran used drones to attack the Abqaiq oil processing facilities in September 2019 that appeared to be a warning to Israel. Iran also used a drone flown from the T-4 base in Syria to attack Israel in 2018. It flew into Israeli airspace and was shot down by a helicopter. Iran also advised Hezbollah to send what Israel called a “killer drone” team to an area near the Golan in 2019. Israel struck that team.
There have been numerous drone incidents on the Lebanese border, and also several on the Syrian border. In addition, Israel’s enemies have tried to shoot down Israeli drones. In March, Israel’s IDF said “during routine IDF UAV activity over Lebanon, anti-aircraft missiles were fired toward the UAV. The aircraft was not hit and continued its mission as planned.”
Last month Israel said that troops downed a drone and located an additional drone “belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli airspace.”
The IDF shot down another drone from Lebanon in January, and shot down a drone that flew from Lebanon in November. Additionally, there were drone infiltrations in July and August.
In addition, Israel said it struck a drone site in September related to Hamas in Gaza. Israel said in September 2019 that “a drone infiltrated into Israeli airspace from the Gaza Strip and dropped an explosive device on a military vehicle.”
All this points to an increasing drone capability by Hamas, and this week’s conflict has seen several references to Hamas’s UAVs.
Israel uses several terms for drones, usually calling the smaller quadcopters rakhfanim, and larger drones malatim, meaning a UAV.
The Hamas drones that resemble the Ababil will likely have a warhead on the front and some sort of guidance system. They have two sets of wings, one toward the rear and a smaller set in the front, looking similar to a flying fish with fins. They are slightly longer than an average person.
Apparently the design is relatively easy to manufacture because the Houthis have become experts at using drones to terrorize Saudi Arabia.
Some of these drones also have increasingly longer ranges. Concern in January pointed to a new drone based in Yemen among the Houthis,which had a 2,000-km. range that could reach Eilat.
Iran has long boasted that it has drones with ranges of thousands of kilometers, and Iran has said it has increased the armaments it can put on the drones. That means Iran has a drone army that combines the kind of smart munition elements that cruise missiles have. The drones can be operationalized in swarms.
Iran has also tried to copy the US Predator and Sentinel as well as other drones, adding munitions to them as has the US Reaper. However, Iran has had mixed success in this.
It also has mixed success supplying the Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah or Iraq-based militias with a way to fly the drones with a live video feed or have them return to base. This means that Iran’s drones are still quite antiquated, and that its allies like Hamas possess drones that have outdated aspects.
Hamas drones are a threat because they can maneuver and fly low, but they still may be a blend between aspects of the V-1, – old Israeli drones from the 1980s – and cruise missiles. However, it is clear Iran is exporting its technology.
Iran first began using Ababils in the 1980s against Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. They were built at a HESA factory that is based on a factory that was once built by Textron, which constructed Bell 214 helicopters prior to 1979.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps today often uses the Ababil drones, and this makes sense because the IRGC’s Quds Force oversees support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
It is believed that pro-Iran militias in Iraq have now used drones several times against US facilities. This points to a wider drone war being waged by Iran against Israel, Saudi Arabia, the US and others.

Biden must avoid repeating Obama’s errors on Iran
Luke Coffey/Arab News/May 14/2021
On the presidential campaign trail last year, Joe Biden pledged to restore America's participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. To this end, indirect talks on reviving the agreement started last month in Vienna. These talks have been brokered by the EU but involve all the parties to the 2015 deal.
There have been four rounds of talks already, but little progress has been made. One of the reasons for this is the unrealistically high expectations both sides had before re-entering talks.
After listening to Biden’s rhetoric on the campaign trail, Tehran probably thought that a Biden administration would immediately jump back into the JCPOA. Conversely, the Biden campaign failed to recognize how much the world has changed since 2015 and how the actions taken as part of the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran have made it difficult to simply rejoin the flawed deal.
Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 was controversial but necessary. Any discussion about reviving the JCPOA deserves a reminder as to why the deal was bad to begin with. First and foremost, the deal could not live up to its original goal of preventing Iran from ever developing a nuclear weapon. Instead, the best-case scenario was that the JCPOA merely delayed Iran’s progress.
Another flaw in the original agreement was the so-called sunset clauses. These allowed key restrictions on items such as uranium enrichment, centrifuge production and international monitoring to expire after a certain number of years, in some cases as early as 15 years. Also, none of Iran’s malign activities outside of its nuclear program, like its support for terrorism around the region, were addressed.
And it is important to remember the circumstances in which the original deal was made. The Obama administration was desperate for a nuclear deal with Iran no matter the cost. This had consequences for the region. For example, the Obama administration turned a blind eye to Bashar Assad’s atrocities in Syria and the support Damascus was getting from Tehran. It also undermined America’s relationship with many Gulf states. By the time Barack Obama’s second term was over, there was a serious lack of trust between much of the Gulf and Washington.
However, perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of the 2015 deal was that it gave Tehran massive sanctions and economic relief up front, while only requiring it to make temporary and easily reversible concessions on its nuclear program. This money has since been used to fan the flames of terrorism across much of the Middle East.
American policymakers cannot pretend that Iran’s nuclear program is in a geopolitical vacuum.
The American public was told that the JCPOA would convince Iran to change its nefarious ways. This has not been the case. Since 2015, Iran has continued its campaign of terror in the region. It has hijacked commercial ships in the Gulf and has fanned the sectarian flames in Iraq. Iran and its proxies were behind a drone and missile attack against Saudi oil facilities in 2019. Tehran still enables the Assad regime to continue its killing in Syria and the Houthis to continue their fighting in Yemen. At every turn since coming to power in 1979, Iran’s extremist leaders have done everything in their power to spread the revolution across the region. The JCPOA did not change this.
However, now that the Biden administration is committed to talks with Iran, it should do the following three things to ensure it does not fall into the same trap as the Obama administration.
First, there should be no sanctions relief until the Iranians show that they are willing to abide by the terms of the JCPOA. To date, this has not been the case. In fact, just this week the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran has enriched uranium to 63 percent purity. The Biden administration should not make the same mistake as the Obama administration by giving Iran up-front sanctions relief. Instead, sanctions relief should be benchmarked to progress made by Tehran.
Secondly, the US should not ignore Iran’s other nefarious activities in the region. American policymakers cannot pretend that Iran’s nuclear program is in a geopolitical vacuum. Iran needs to understand that the price of sanctions relief also includes ending its support for terrorism around the region.
Thirdly, the Biden administration should conduct direct talks with Iran. Currently, the indirect format of the Vienna talks favors Tehran. This is because the other countries of the JCPOA want an unconditional return to the deal. No doubt, they are advocating from a point of view sympathetic to the flawed 2015 agreement. The Biden administration should seek direct talks with Tehran rather than relying on the Europeans, Russia or China to stand up for American interests. As the diplomatic saying goes: If you are not at the table, then you are probably on the menu.
How the Biden administration deals with Iran is one of the biggest and most immediate foreign policy challenges in the Middle East. The situation has moved on since 2015 and it would be unwise for the US to simply return to the existing deal. However, if the White House chooses the path of negotiation, it should be recognized that the pressure Trump placed on the Iranian regime through restored sanctions could create beneficial conditions for talks with Iran, should Biden play his cards right.
Going forward, the Biden administration needs to wake up and deal with the Iran it has and not the Iran it wishes for.
• Luke Coffey is the director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

Turkey unlikely to follow trend of normalization with Syria
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/May 14/2021
Since the Biden administration took office in Washington, a series of reconciliation efforts have started across the Middle East, as the crisis-ridden region’s countries recalibrate their policies. Following the January signing of the AlUla Declaration that ended the Gulf’s almost four-year-long rift with Qatar, another normalization process started between Turkey and Egypt after eight years of tense relations. Meanwhile, through Iraqi mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced that they had begun direct talks that officials hope will diffuse the tensions between them.
The power dynamics in the region have started to shift again as the regional actors seem to be putting aside their differences and de-escalating years-old tensions. Syria also seems to have taken its share from this normalization atmosphere. In recent months, apart from Turkey, all the region’s countries have started to approach Damascus to varying degrees.
Iraq, which had called for a mechanism for dialogue between the influential states involved in Syria, last month announced that it plans to import natural gas via the country. Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar met his Syrian counterpart Bassam Touma and agreed on the possibility of transporting Egyptian gas to Iraq through Syria. The two ministers also talked about strengthening energy cooperation, holding joint training exercises, and sharing information. The meeting was a sign of the improving relations between Iraq and Syria.
Another of Syria’s neighbors, Jordan, last month reopened the Naseeb-Jaber border crossing to restore trade movement. In December 2018, Jordan’s King Abdullah stressed that “Jordan’s relations with Syria will soon return to what they used to be before.” Since then, there have been signs of improving relations between the two.
In March, prior to these two developments, Egypt called for Syria’s return to the Arab League, nearly 10 years after its membership was suspended. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said during the opening session of a March 3 meeting of the Arab League Council: “Syria’s return to the Arab League as a stable and active state would be vital for maintaining Arab national security.”
The regional actors seem to be putting aside their differences and de-escalating years-old tensions.
A few days later, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said: “Syria’s return to the Arab fold is essential and has nothing to do with who wants or who does not want it. It is a matter of public interest and the interests of Syria and the region.”
In fact, efforts to bring Syria back into the Arab fold started before the beginning of this year. As far back as 2018, Bashar Assad stated that Syria had reached a “major understanding” with Arab states after years of hostility. He didn’t mention the names of the countries, but he emphasized that they would soon be reopening their diplomatic missions in Syria.
The UAE and Bahrain reopened their embassies at the end of 2018, while Kuwait has said it would reopen its mission in Damascus if there were agreement among the 22-member Arab League. In October last year, Oman sent an ambassador to Syria, becoming the first Gulf Arab state to do so since they downgraded or shut missions in Damascus in 2012.
Although the US opposes any steps toward normalizing relations with the Assad regime, it was Washington’s plans to pull its troops out of Syria that triggered the regional countries to find a way to bring Damascus back into the Arab fold. Concern over increasing Turkish and Iranian influence in Syria is another driving force behind these countries wanting to have Syria back on their side. Meanwhile, the Gulf states have deepened their relationship with Russia — the Syrian regime’s staunchest supporter — in recent years and have engaged in dialogue with Moscow over the Syrian file.
While circumstances in the region have started to change within a short period of time, it will be interesting to see how Turkey shapes its strategy if Syria does fully return to the Arab fold. Ankara, which hosts millions of Syrian refugees and has conducted three cross-border operations in northern Syria, is actively cooperating with Russia and Iran on the Syrian file through the Astana/Sochi process. It has also recalibrated its regional policy in recent months and has engaged in efforts to mend ties with Egypt and the Gulf countries. Will such a strategy now be implemented for Syria too?
Although Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), argues that establishing direct dialogue with Damascus would be the easiest way to reach a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Syria, it seems unlikely Ankara will make a major shift in its Syria policy for now, despite the changing conditions in the region and internationally. Even if such a door opens for dialogue, it is likely that Russia and Iran would play the leading role, rather than the Western countries, while Turkey would try to secure its own national interests.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkey’s relations with the Middle East. Twitter: @SinemCngz

Is Israel Reaching a Tipping Point with Internal Clashes?
Seth J. Frantzman/The Jerusalem Post/May 14/2021
The battles on Israel's streets, as clashes between mobs of Jews and Arabs have unfolded since the beginning of this Ramadan, poses a significant threat to the country.
The explosion of violence appears to have come from nowhere but has deep roots. This communal violence, or "civil war" as some have described it, often lurks in the background during periods of tension and conflict.
It appears that a dry run for the current clashes took place in late April in Jerusalem after a series of attacks on Orthodox Jews were filmed and posted by Arabs on the TikTok phone app. This led to a far-right demonstration on April 22.
Police managed to keep the hundreds of demonstrators who turned out from clashing with Arabs. This followed two nights of low-intensity attacks and clashes.
The explosion of violence in mixed Israeli cities has deep roots.
However, the message of April 22 was largely lost on the public. On April 19, similar clashes in Jaffa had taken place and several people were injured but the chaos in Jaffa also went largely unnoticed. All this meant that many communities were waiting for the spark to ignite the inferno on May 11 and 12.
That spark came with the end of Ramadan and the al-Aqsa Mosque incidents when Israeli police entered the mosque to disperse protesters on May 10 and 11.
Images shared on social media, including by MK Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List Party, showed Israelis cheering at the Western Wall on Jerusalem Day as a tree burned on the Temple Mount near al-Aqsa. The flames were not directly visible and the video made it appear as if the mosque itself was ablaze.
Tensions have already existed in Israel's so-called "mixed cities" such as Lod, Haifa and Acre. However, across the country, there are often simmering tensions. There are also deep roots of activism and protest in Nazareth and Haifa, where there are usually pro-Palestinian rallies during times of war.
This set the stage for the civil strife in Lod, where the Border Police had to be called in on May 12. It also led to attacks on a synagogue on May 11 and then a spate of revenge attacks and attempted lynchings of people in cars. These attacks spiraled out of control but it isn't the first type of lynching attacks in Israel.
In October 2015, after a terror attack in Beersheba, a crowd lynched a bystander named Haftom Zarhum from Eritrea, claiming they thought he was a terrorist. In 2015, a mob in Majdal Shams attacked an ambulance and lynched a Syrian man who was wounded in fighting across the border and who the IDF was taking to a hospital. Druze accused the man of being a Jihadist involved in attacks on Druze in Syria.
This illustrates that the mobs are often just a heartbeat away from attacks on people. The lack of a police presence and a sense of entitlement to use mob justice, often driven on by social media where people share images of attacks in other cities, leads to the chaos.
For instance, most of the recent attacks in Israel were probably caused by seeing attacks in other places, or wanting "revenge." Each side has its "revenge" narrative. One claims to be defending "al-Aqsa," another is fighting after seeing a boy killed by Hamas rockets, or hearing that synagogues had been attacked.
The mob violence in Israel has now hit a dozen towns and cities from Rahat and Beersheba to Bat Yam and Ramle, Lod, Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem and many other places. Attacks and protests have also taken place in Umm al-Fahm, as well as shooting attacks in the South and Center.
There is now a question whether the country is facing a tipping point in the violence.
The prime minister has called for law and order to be restored and has condemned the attacks, but the widespread violence reveals a society that is deeply divided – and will remain on edge in the future.
*Seth J. Frantzman is a Ginsburg-Milstein Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum and senior Middle East correspondent at The Jerusalem Post.