LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 08/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations
Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour
Peter’s First Letter 5/1-11: ” I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly; neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away. Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you. Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 07-08/17
Arabs and Palestinians should have demanded an international open city status for Jerusalem/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/December 07/17
The World Council of Cedars Revolution Calls on State Department to Reject Issa as US Ambassador from Lebanon/December 07/2017
The Real Palestinian Response to Trump's Jerusalem Speech/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/December 07/17
Homeless Swedes Out in the Cold/Bruce Bawer/Gatestone Institute/December 07/17
Why Trump Is Right in Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's Capital/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/December 07/17
How the Saudis could avoid missing the boat on tourism/Sam Blatteis/Al Arabiya/December 2017
Kuwait’s summit and the axis beyond the GCC/Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/December 2017
On a generation that sought enlightenment beyond clerics’ cloaks/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/December 2017
Fight against corruption: Paving the way to the fourth Saudi state/Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/December 2017

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on December 07-08/17
The World Council of Cedars Revolution Calls on State Department to Reject Issa as US Ambassador from Lebanon
Aoun: Hizbullah Does Not Use Arms inside Lebanon
Berri Calls for Parliament Meeting to Discuss Jerusalem
Hariri in Paris for International Support Group Meeting
Hizbullah on Trump's Move: Resistance is Only Way to Restore Rights
Geagea Says Trump Decision 'Provokes Muslims and Christians'
Geagea Says Maarab Agreement Doesn't Stand for Blind Applause for Bassil
Libanpost Unveils Presidential Stamps Honoring President Aoun
Palestinians in Refugee Camps Enraged by Trump Jerusalem Move
Private School in Lebanon Regrets Showing Israel on a Map
Italian Embassy releases Foreign Minister’s position on US Jerusalem decision: Concerned about ramifications of new American approach
Grand Serail main facade to feature pictures of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Church of Holy Sepulchre in solidarity with Palestinian people
Gemayel calls Abbas, confirms Kataeb's support for right to reject US Jerusalem decision
Nasrallah deems US Jerusalem decision aggression against Muslims, Christians: Holy sites in great danger, Al-Aqsa in jeopardy
8 killed, 4 wounded in fire ravaging refugees camp in Bekaa's Gaza
French Foreign Ministry Spokesman: International Support Group for Lebanon to meet tomorrow in Paris
Hariri via Twitter: I have arrived in Paris to participate in Lebanon Support Group conference
Al Najari meets Dabbour: Egypt is committed to supporting Palestinian people and its just cause
MP Hariri meets British, Australian ambassadors
Mashnouk tackles expatriation affairs with WLCU delegation
Khoury, Ambassador of Armenia tackle economic relations

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 07-08/17
Emergency OIC summit, Arab League meeting called to discuss Jerusalem
Document reveals US asks Israel to restrain response to Jerusalem move
Palestinian official says US Vice President ‘not welcome’
More nations voice protest against Jerusalem as Israel capital
Syrian government delegation to return to Geneva on Sunday for peace talks
With message of peace, London Mayor Khan crosses border from India to Pakistan
Will the Hague convictions bring peace to the Balkans?
20 Houthi gunmen killed, 11 captured in clashes near al-Khoukha
President Putin to visit Egypt next week to discuss expanding ties
Israel Retaliates after Projectiles Fired from Gaza
Erdogan Heads to Uneasy Ally Greece for Historic Visit

Latest Lebanese Related News published on December 07-08/17
The World Council of Cedars Revolution Calls on State Department to Reject Issa as US Ambassador from Lebanon
Washington, DC, December 06, 2017 --(PR.com)
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60895
The World Council of Cedars Revolution (WCCR) is calling for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to reject Gaby Issa as the Lebanese ambassador to the US. Issa was put forward by Michel Aoun, the current President of Lebanon. Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement is allied with the Iranian terrorist organization, Hezbollah. Issa has served as an official in the Free Patriotic Movement and has served as an envoy on behalf of Aoun to President Assad in Syria.
WCCR maintains that Lebanon must be freed from the grasp of Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, and released from Syrian domination in order to be restored as the free and independent state it once was.
"By accepting this ambassador, the US would be strengthening the pro-Hezbollah forces in Lebanon which is contrary to President Trump’s policy," said WCCR's National Director, John Hajjar. "This is the wrong direction for Lebanon and the wrong direction for the United States at a time when the US Congress is in the process of strengthening sanctions against Hezbollah."
Secretary Tillerson, reject the appointment!
http://www.cedarsrevolution.net/
Contact Information:
World Council for the Cedars Revolution
Rebecca Bynum
615-775-6801
Contact via Email
http://www.cedarsrevolution.net/

Arabs and Palestinians should have demanded an international open city status for Jerusalem
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/December 07/17
*Once again Lebanese, and for the 25th time, are working against the interest of their country. They are mobilizing for a demonstration at the US Embassy, the very same country that is arming our Lebanese Army free of charge. Morons.
*O Jerusalem! Que in your name: Jounieh, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen.. that Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian victims in your name, tuees by the wannabe wannabe of Jerusalem.
*Prosecuting people for statements made that can be perceived as humiliating to religions or God etc... is the supreme humiliation of religions and God. It means that religions and God are so weak that they need judge Hammoud to defend them. It seems that Judge Hammoud does not believe in life after death and the divine judgment. And if he does not, why is he prosecuting people in the name of religions he does not believe in?
*Arabs and Palestinians should have demanded an international open city status for Jerusalem rather than demanding it to be capital of Palestine.
Having said this, the US useless and stupid recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel does not change a thing in the status quo of the "peace talks or process". As long as The majority of Palestinians are still dreaming of throwing the Jews in the sea, no Palestinian state will be recognized with borders at few hundred meters from Jerusalem and Israel. They tried Gaza with a unilateral withdrawal and Gaza became a missiles' base launching attacks on Israel.
I am not justifying Israel but rather being realistic in my assessment.

Aoun: Hizbullah Does Not Use Arms inside Lebanon
Naharnet/December 07/17/President Michel Aoun has announced that Hizbullah does not use its controversial arsenal of arms inside Lebanon. “There are political rather than security concerns, because everyone knows that Hizbullah does not use its arms inside Lebanon, and up until now, this has only happened once, when the then Lebanese government took measures against the party,” Aoun said in an interview with RT television, referring to the May 2008 clashes. Separately, the president ruled out an imminent Israeli war on Lebanon.“After the July 2006 war, I believe that Israel will not repeat its aggression against Lebanon, because it will not be able to break the Lebanese front,” Aoun said.

Berri Calls for Parliament Meeting to Discuss Jerusalem
Naharnet/December 07/17/Speaker Nabih Berri called for a parliament meeting strictly dedicated to discuss the developments following US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the National News Agency reported on Thursday. "Berri called for a parliament meeting on Friday to discuss the Jerusalem issue," said NNA. The meeting will be held Friday afternoon, NNA added. Berri's call comes one day after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier on Wednesday, in a historic decision that overturns decades of U.S. policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East.

Hariri in Paris for International Support Group Meeting
Naharnet/December 07/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived Thursday in Paris to take part in a meeting for the International Support Group for Lebanon, which will be held on Friday. He described the meeting as “an important juncture for supporting the Lebanese economy and strengthening its resilience in the face of the refugee crisis.” The decision to hold the meeting came in the wake of Hariri's Nov. 4 shock resignation announcement from Riyadh which had sparked concerns over Lebanon's stability."The aim is to support the political process (in Lebanon) at a crucial moment," the French foreign ministry said on Tuesday, only minutes after Hariri announced he had rescinded his resignation. "It will send a message both to the various parties in Lebanon and to countries in the region," the ministry added. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- will be represented at the meeting, along with Germany, Italy and Egypt. French officials said the goal was to shore up Lebanese institutions, by strengthening the army and supporting Hariri's economic program, with a view to encouraging foreign investment in the country. Hariri's resignation was seen as part of an intensifying power struggle between Saudi Arabia -- which had long backed Hariri -- and its regional rival Iran, which backs Hizbullah.

Hizbullah on Trump's Move: Resistance is Only Way to Restore Rights
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 07/17/Hizbullah said Thursday that the U.S. declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has closed all paths to negotiations, calling it a "treacherous and malicious aggression" against the rights of Palestinians. U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement reaffirms that the only way to restore rights is through armed "resistance," Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting. Lebanon is technically at war with Israel. Hizbullah attacks forced Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000, and the group went to war with Israel again in 2006. The bloc said the decision is likely to have "catastrophic repercussions" on regional and international stability, urging Arabs and Muslims to move fast to respond. It added that Trump's decision "intentionally" bypassed the United Nations and international resolutions and was a "rude belittling of the Arab and Muslim worlds' people and states."Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will deliver a televised speech on the development at 6:00 pm Thursday.

Geagea Says Trump Decision 'Provokes Muslims and Christians'
Naharnet/December 07/17/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a flagrant “provocation for Muslims and Christians,” the National News Agency reported Thursday.“Indeed it's a sad day in the history of the Middle East. I strongly denounce Trump's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This recognition undermines all peace efforts from the Oslo Accords to Camp David,” until the recent negotiations, said Geagea. He added: “The move is a provocation for the entire people in the region, Muslims and Christians alike. I call for a speedy reverse of this step because it could have negative repercussions on the peace negotiations in the foreseeable future.” Geagea added that the decision constitutes a “violation of the United Nations resolutions, particularly Resolution 242, which calls for Israel to withdraw from the parts it occupied in 1967 and subsequent related resolutions."

Geagea Says Maarab Agreement Doesn't Stand for Blind Applause for Bassil
Naharnet/December 07/17/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hit back Thursday at Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil over accusations that the LF has violated the rapprochement agreement with the FPM. “Though I sensed a positive aspect in Minister Bassil's remarks in terms of his adherence to the Maarab Agreement, I cannot but highlight a host of fallacies that he mentioned in his interview. An agreement means partnership and does not mean one party being at the disposal of the other,” Geagea said in an interview with al-Markazia news agency. “If President Michel Aoun and Minister Bassil do not mind, and in light of the false accusations against us, I suggest asking the public opinion to judge our agreement. Let everyone know that the agreement, which was based on our support for the new presidential tenure, was very clear in terms of forming a team of LF and FPM ministers that would outline the presidential term's policies,” Geagea added. “But supporting the presidential tenure does not mean that one party, specifically Minister Bassil, would have the right to outline all policies as the other party claps for him and applauds him,” the LF leader explained.He however added that the LF is still willing to “strictly commit to the agreement should there be a return to coordination in all issues and files.”“Otherwise, our support will only take place when it matches our principles,” Geagea added.

Libanpost Unveils Presidential Stamps Honoring President Aoun
Naharnet/December 07/17/Three new stamps commemorating the assumption of President Michel Aoun to the office of President of the Lebanese Republic were revealed by LibanPost on Wednesday, December 6, 2017, during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. In addition to the president himself, the unveiling was attended by Minister of Telecommunications Jamal Jarrah, General Director of Post in Lebanon Dr. Mohammed Youssef, and from LibanPost Chairman Khalil Daoud, senior marketing manager Ronnie Richa, and counselor Roni Alpha.
Chairman Khalil Daoud expressed to Aoun LibanPost’s pride in producing the stamps that “tell the story of a nation, the dignity of a state, living amid challenges and dangers, and uphold the right to exist, free and independent,” adding that his election after more than two years of vacuum “has restored hope to the citizens and renewed their dreams of a state of institutions and a reformist approach at all levels.”The new stamp releases follow the tradition by which the Council of Ministers commissions LibanPost, Lebanon’s postal operator, to create a stamp celebrating the election of a new president of the republic.
Speaking at Baabda Palace, Minister of Telecommunications Jarrah told President Aoun during the ceremony that stamps are “token gifts from the Ministry of Telecommunications, LibanPost and the Post Office of Lebanon, which is the least we can offer to your Excellency in recognition of your achievements.”Aoun, who was elected to office in October 2016, requested that in addition to a stamp bearing his likeness, two additional stamps be created to mark the occasion. The first of two stamps honors “The Return of the People’s Flag to the People’s Home”. In December 1989, a group of young people staging a sit-in at Baabda Presidential Palace in support of then-General Aoun undertook an initiative in which it asked citizens to add their signatures to a giant specially-created Lebanese flag. Under the slogan “Sign for your identity, sign your flag,” the initiative garnered 126,549 signatures in total. The flag was later presented by demonstrators to General Aoun, who promised that “the national flag will continue to fly over all of Lebanon.”
Following the renewed violence in the country in 1989-90, the flag was smuggled out of the Presidential Palace by a female activist for safekeeping. On November 20, 2016, the first national Flag Day under the presidency of Aoun, the flag was returned to the palace. Upon being presented with the flag for the second time, President Aoun described the artifact as a representation of “the unity of Lebanon, the land of Lebanon, and the people of Lebanon who were imprisoned with us for 15 years. Today, we celebrate its return to its real home, the people’s home.”
The second stamp depicts the “People’s Day of Presidential Congratulations”, during which Baabda Palace opened its doors to Lebanese citizens on November 6, 2016, a week following the election of President Aoun, to congratulate the new president in person. During the event, which saw Lebanese flock to Baabda from all over the country, Aoun reiterated his promise to “build a strong country and a strong state.”The "Return of the People’s Flag to the People’s Home” and the “People’s Day of Presidential Congratulations” stamps, along with the LibanPost stamp bearing of the image of the president, were presented in a commemorative plaque to His Excellency during the meeting at Baabda Palace, along with a jacket detailing a timeline of major events in his political life in Lebanon and descriptions of the three presidential stamps.
While expressing his gratitude for the stamps honoring three important occasions in his past and in the history of Lebanon, Aoun stressed the stamps carry a special significance for him, since they “came in the name of the Lebanese people and under the symbol of Lebanon, the Lebanese flag, which I hope will always fly over all Lebanese territory.”

Palestinians in Refugee Camps Enraged by Trump Jerusalem Move
Naharnet/December 07/17/Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has drawn sharp criticism around the world and in Lebanon, triggering series of denouncing statements and protests mainly in Palestinian refugee camps in the country. People staged angry protests late on Wednesday in al-Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon denouncing US President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the National News Agency reported on Thursday. The crowd chanted slogans denouncing the decision and calling upon the “Palestinian people, Arabs and Muslims to counter the move with practical steps on the ground,” NNA added. A similar protest took place in the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared where Palestinian factions and the popular committees protested against the move.Campaigners marched in the streets chanting slogans and running revolutionary songs. The cheers of the masses called for a public outcry to confront the “American Zionist plan” and the Israeli occupation. Later on Thursday, NNA reported that residents in refugee camps in the southern city of Sidon announced a general strike. “A general strike was declared on Thursday in Ain el-Hilweh and Mieh Mieh camps meeting the invitation of the Palestinian political leadership, factions and popular committees, in condemnation of Trump's decision to make the Palestinian city of Jerusalem the capital of Israel,” said NNA.

Private School in Lebanon Regrets Showing Israel on a Map
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 07/17/A private French school in Lebanon has issued an apology following complaints from the parents of a fourth grader that a map in geography class shows Israel— and not Palestine— as the country's southern neighbor, violating the law.
Lebanon is technically at war with Israel, and Lebanese laws ban dealing with or recognizing Israel, including showing it on maps. The private school issued an urgent statement late Wednesday, saying it respects Lebanon's sovereignty and government school programs. The incident came to public attention when the father of a 9-year-old girl posted the map on his Facebook page, saying "this is what my fourth grade daughter learned in class today." The case gained further attention on the day President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Italian Embassy releases Foreign Minister’s position on US Jerusalem decision: Concerned about ramifications of new American approach
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - The Italian Embassy in Beirut distributed a statement issued by Italian Foreign Minister, Angelino Alfano, on the position of his government over the Jerusalem issue. "The Italian position on Jerusalem remains based on the European stance in this regard and on the international consensus reached in the scope of the United Nations," the statement read. "Efforts must be exerted to solve the issue of Jerusalem, as the future capital of two States, the Israeli and the Palestinian, through negotiations in the context of the two-State peace process, taking into account the legitimate expectations of both. Until that happens, Italy will continue to comply with the relevant United Nations resolutions and keep its embassy to the State of Israel in Tel Aviv," the statement added."We are concerned about the repercussions of the announcement of the new US approach, and we solicit a sense of responsibility from all the concerned parties in Palestine and the region so as to avoid incidents and violence that serve no one." "For Italy, in cooperation with EU partners, and by contacting regional and international actors, it is now necessary to assess the situation and to think of possible European initiatives to contribute to the re-launching of the peace process effectively and from a two-State perspective, for it remains the only realistic option possible," the statement concluded.

Grand Serail main facade to feature pictures of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Church of Holy Sepulchre in solidarity with Palestinian people
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, has ordered to "light the main facade of the Grand Serail in Beirut with pictures of the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and in rejection of any decision that deems Al-Quds Al-Sharif the capital of Israel."

Gemayel calls Abbas, confirms Kataeb's support for right to reject US Jerusalem decision
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - Kataeb Party leader, MP Sami Gemayel, contacted by phone the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stressing "the solidarity of the Kataeb Party and its support for the right to reject the decision to consider Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."He expressed deep concern over "this step and its implications on the right of return for the Palestinian people after decades of suffering and dispersion." The MP called for "strong Arab and international efforts to hinder this step, which undermines the peace process in the region based on the decisions of the Beirut summit and international resolutions."
"Jerusalem, the land of peace and the cradle of the three heavenly religions, must be an open city for all cultures, religions and civilizations," Gemayel said.

Nasrallah deems US Jerusalem decision aggression against Muslims, Christians: Holy sites in great danger, Al-Aqsa in jeopardy
Thu 07 Dec 2017/ NNA - Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, slammed in a televised word “Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Al-Quds as the capital of the Israeli entity.”“We feel as though, 100 years after the first Balfour Declaration, we now face a second Balfour Declaration. I would like to tackle three headlines: realizing the magnitude of the danger, understanding the indicators of such a US decision, and knowing the position that needs to be taken," Sayyed Nasrallah said. "Voices will resonate throughout the Arab world, saying that what has happened is of no value, only to underestimate the seriousness of this decision. We are all aware of how the Israeli entity has no respect for international resolutions or conventions," he said."Sanctities are in serious danger and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is in jeopardy," the Hezbollah Secretary General said. "Do not be surprised if, one day in the near future, you wake up to the news that Al-Aqsa Mosque has been demolished." "Israel is not concerned with what the Arabs, the Europeans, the Russians or the Chinese have to say. What matters to it is the American position. For decades, the governments of Israel have been trying to Judaize Al-Quds, but the US administrations sometimes allowed that and often times prevented the Judaizing steps.""This fact highlights the seriousness of the new US position; Trump has told Israel ‘Jerusalem is yours and under your jurisdiction’. The American tactical barrier has been removed. The enemy government no longer has boundaries to respect, in the wake of the US position. It is now that danger has amplified: What will be the fate of the Palestinian population in Al-Quds and all their property there? Will they be confiscated or destroyed? (...) Settlements will be built with no control whatsoever. Jerusalem will expand towards the West Bank," Nasrallah warned. "There are a number of risks arising from this decision, especially if it is faced with silence. A nation that remains silent over Al-Quds' being forcefully snatched from its history is a nation that can give up anything else coveted by the US administration," Sayyed Nasrallah argued.
"The whole world rejects this decision and stands against it. However, Trump does not listen to anyone neither does he respect anyone." "Where is the USA's respect for the international community? What we have witnessed is utter underestimation to all the governments of the world. Trump realizes that this decision of his is an insult and an aggression against one and a half billion Muslims and hundreds of millions of Christians," he corroborated. "What Trump has done represents a blatant violation of international resolutions. (...) This reflects an administration that has no guarantees, which means that we lack security in a world that is governed by the whims of the man who lives in the White House," Nasrallah said, wondering "what the value of America's allies in the Arab world was."
"Arab peoples must understand that they are worth nothing to Trump and the United States," he stressed.
"We are facing a blatant US aggression against Al-Quds, its people, its sanctities, its civilizational identity and its people. Amidst this aggression, we are asked to shoulder our responsibility." "Condemnation is the least we can do. (...) All forms of protest must be heard by the US administration as they resonate throughout the world," Nasrallah said. "We will not talk much about severing relations with the United States but US ambassadors must be summoned and informed of the official rejection [of the decision].""Measures must be taken so as to solidify the stance and exert pressure on the States to suspend the decision. This is not impossible to achieve; evidence to that is the fact that the country has withdrawn several decisions before. (...) Trump claims that what he did is for Israel's sake and in the interest of the peace process. You must prove him wrong by ending the secret and public contacts with Israel."
Calling for "an Arab summit and a clear and binding decision for all the members of the Arab League that Al-Quds is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine," Nasrallah said "among the repercussions is what senior Palestinian leaders have called for; a new Palestinian 'Intifada' and full support from the Arab and Islamic world to the Palestinian people if they decide to carry out that Intifada.""We must call upon all countries and governments of the Arab and Islamic world to stop the ongoing wars and conflicts, and end the war on Yemen and that in Libya and elsewhere," the Hezbollah leader added.
"In Lebanon, there is a national consensus on the Al-Quds cause for it concerns every Lebanese, Arab, Muslim and Christian," he said, calling in this regard for "a massive popular demonstration to denounce the US aggression and express solidarity with Palestine and its sanctities."
"Let us gather on Monday afternoon in Dahye, at a location to be determined later, to carry the slogan of defending Al-Quds, standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people and expressing our rejection, denunciation and condemnation to the US arrogance," Nasrallah concluded.

8 killed, 4 wounded in fire ravaging refugees camp in Bekaa's Gaza
Thu 07 Dec 2017/ NNA - A fire that broke out inside a camp for displaced Syrians in Gaza - Bekaa killed eight people and wounded four among the camp's residents, the NNA correspondent said. Civil Defense elements who extinguished the fire worked on withdrawing the bodies from the camp and transporting the wounded to the hospital.

French Foreign Ministry Spokesman: International Support Group for Lebanon to meet tomorrow in Paris
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA – A French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said this Thursday that "France will host a meeting for the International Support Group for Lebanon on December 8. The meeting will be opened by President Emmanuel Macron. (...) It will be attended by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, with the participation of Germany, China, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Russia, the European Union, the Arab League, the UNHCR, the UNDP, the World Bank and the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon.""The purpose of this meeting is for the international community to reaffirm its support for Lebanon and its sovereignty, stability and security," he said.

Hariri via Twitter: I have arrived in Paris to participate in Lebanon Support Group conference
Thu 07 Dec 2017/I NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri wrote on his Twitter account: "I have arrived in Paris to participate in the conference of the International Support Group for Lebanon tomorrow, which will be an important step to support the Lebanese economy and strengthen it amid the refugee crisis."

Al Najari meets Dabbour: Egypt is committed to supporting Palestinian people and its just cause
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - Egyptian Ambassador Nazih Al-Najari visited the Palestinian Ambassador Ashraf Dabour, and discussed with him the United States decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transfer its embassy there. Al-Najari stressed the position of Egypt, which was expressed by the Foreign Ministry in its statement yesterday, saying "Egypt has denounced the decision and expressed its rejection of any implications thereof, asserting that it violates international resolutions."Najari underlined Egypt's historic commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and its just cause, stressing "the solidarity of the Egyptian government and people with Palestine in achieving its rights, and ending with the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

MP Hariri meets British, Australian ambassadors
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - MP Bahia Hariri received at her office in Beirut, the Ambassador of Australia to Lebanon, Glenn Miles, with whom she tackled bilateral relations and prospects of cooperation. The general situation in Lebanon and the region was also discussed.Hariri also met with the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter, where issues of mutual concern were discussed as well as developments in Lebanon and the region.

Mashnouk tackles expatriation affairs with WLCU delegation
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Nuhad Mashnouk, received at his office in the ministry a delegation from the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) headed by Consul Ramzi Haidar, with talks touching on an array of issues related to expatriates. Haidar said after the meeting "We are honored to visit the Minister of Interior whom we have thanked for his interest in expatriation affairs, and for his efforts and hard work in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections in which expatriates will participate for the first time."Mashnouk later met with a delegation of officers from the Beirut Fire Department, under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed al-Halabi. Discussions touched on the Beirut Fire Department's conditions.

Khoury, Ambassador of Armenia tackle economic relations
Thu 07 Dec 2017/NNA - Minister of Economy and Trade, Raed Khoury, received at his office in the ministry the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon, Samvel Mkrtchian, with talks featuring high on economic relations between Lebanon and Armenia. Khoury received from his guest an invitation to participate in an economic forum to be held next week in Beirut with the participation of an Armenian economic delegation and a group of Lebanese and Armenian entrepreneurs. The forum aims at introducing the business environment in Armenia, as well as investment opportunities and projects.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 07-08/17
Emergency OIC summit, Arab League meeting called to discuss Jerusalem
Saudi Gazette, Riyadh/December 07/2017 /Jordan and the Palestinians on Wednesday requested an emergency Arab foreign ministers’ meeting to discuss the issue of Al-Quds, the Arab League said. The meeting is likely to be convened on Saturday, a diplomatic source said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Dec. 13, his spokesman said on Wednesday. “In the face of developments that arouse sensitivity over the status of Jerusalem, Mr. President is calling a leaders’ summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in order to display joint action among Islamic countries,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara.Turkey currently holds the chairmanship of the OIC. The Jordanian government also called for an extraordinary meeting of OIC foreign ministers on Sunday to coordinate Arab and Islamic positions on Jerusalem. A man walks by as the Israeli national flag and an American one are projected on a part of the walls surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City on December 6, 2017. (Reuters) Erdogan had warned Tuesday that the status of Jerusalem is a “red line” for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel. In Vatican City, Pope Francis called for Jerusalem’s “status quo” to be respected. In an appeal at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis called for all to honor United Nations resolutions on the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. “I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations,” he said.“There is no way that there can be talks with the Americans. The peace process is finished. They have already pre-empted the outcome,” said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. “They cannot take us for granted.”The US decision “destroys the peace process,” added Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. Britain’s Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, who had already expressed concern about the US decision, on Wednesday said it was now time for the Americans to present their peace plan for the region.

Document reveals US asks Israel to restrain response to Jerusalem move
Reuters, Washington/December 08/17/The United States is asking Israel to temper its response to the US recognition of Jerusalem as its capital because Washington expects a backlash and is weighing the potential threat to US facilities and people, according to a State Department document seen by Reuters on Wednesday. “While I recognize that you will publicly welcome this news, I ask that you restrain your official response,” the document dated Dec. 6 said in talking points for diplomats at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to convey to Israeli officials.“We expect there to be resistance to this news in the Middle East and around the world. We are still judging the impact this decision will have on US facilities and personnel overseas,” the document said. A second State Department document seen by Reuters, which was also dated Dec. 6, said the agency had formed an internal task force “to track worldwide developments” following the US decision on Jerusalem. A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was standard to set up a task force “any time there is a concern about the safety and security of US government personnel or US citizens.” The State Department had no immediate comment on either document. Palestinians react during a protest in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on December 6, 2017. (Reuters)
Talking points
The first document also laid out talking points for officials at the US Consulate General in Jerusalem, the US Embassies in London, Paris, Berlin and Rome and the US mission to the European Union in Brussels. In its message for the European capitals, the document asked European officials to argue that Trump’s decision did not prejudge so-called “final status” issues that Israel and the Palestinians need to hammer out in any peace agreement. “You are in a key position to influence international reaction to this announcement and we are asking you to amplify the reality that Jerusalem is still a final status issue between Israelis and Palestinians and that the parties must resolve the dimensions of Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem during their negotiations,” it said.
A unique administration
“You know that this is a unique Administration. It makes bold moves. But it is bold moves that are going to be needed if peace efforts are finally going to be successful,” it said.The status of Jerusalem, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions, is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of their own to be in the city’s eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally.

Palestinian official says US Vice President ‘not welcome’
AFP, Ramallah/December 08/17/A senior Palestinian official said Thursday that US Vice President Mike Pence was “not welcome in Palestine” during his upcoming regional visit after a White House decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The American vice president is not welcome in Palestine,” Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah, told AFP. Rajoub also signaled that Abbas would not meet with Pence during his planned visit later this month. “And President Abbas will not welcome him because of the statements he made” about Jerusalem. Abbas has not made similar comments and his office could not immediately be reached. The White House warned Thursday that cancelling a planned meeting between Abbas and Pence in the wake of the US policy shift on Jerusalem would be “counterproductive”.
US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday in a move that outraged Palestinian leaders, but which was hailed as historic by Israel. Pence’s trip now risks becoming a lightning rod for Palestinian anger. In an effort to keep the trip on the rails, the White House is likely to only consider the meeting canceled if they hear that from Abbas himself. Pence is due to travel to Egypt and Israel in the second half of December, a visit that has taken on extra significance in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Abbas said Trump has disqualified the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict.

More nations voice protest against Jerusalem as Israel capital
Al Arabiya/December 07/17/Several nations from around the globe have come forward to oppose Donald Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. German Chancellor Angela Merkel “does not support” the decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, her spokesman said Wednesday. The German government “does not support this position because the status of Jerusalem can only be negotiated within the framework of a two-state solution,” spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote on Twitter. German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel, for his part, said he feared Trump’s decision would lead to a “new escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians”. The decision will likely throw “fuel on the fire”, he told public broadcaster ARD.“We hope that (our) worries can be... calmed. But this about face is already a big problem.”
Malaysia calls for strong opposition
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on Muslims everywhere to strongly oppose any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.“I call on all Muslims across the world to let your voices be heard, make it clear that we strongly oppose any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital for all time,” Najib said in his speech at an annual gathering of the ruling party in Kuala Lumpur. Palestinian demonstrators burn the US flag in Bethlehem’s Manger Square in protest to the declaration of the US president declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on December 6, 2017. (AFP)
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Palestinians
Pakistan on Wednesday reaffirmed full solidarity with the Palestinian people and expressed concern over the proposed move by the United States to shift its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, saying “such a step would constitute a clear violation of international law and UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions”.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister Office stated that shifting the US embassy to the “occupied City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif will alter the legal and historical status of the city”. “It would also sidestep decades of global consensus on this issue, undermine regional peace and security as well as derail any prospects for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” the PM Office statement, quoted by The Dawn newspaper said. World’s largest Muslim-majority country. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, on Thursday condemned the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. “Indonesia strongly condemns the United States’ unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and asks the US to reconsider the decision,” Widodo told a news conference. “This can rock global security and stability,” he said.
UAE denounces
The United Arab Emirates has denounced the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, state news agency WAM reported on Thursday, citing a foreign ministry statement. “The ministry expressed deep concern over the repercussions of this decision on the region's stability as it inflames the emotions of the Arab and Muslim people due to the status of Jerusalem in the conscience of Arabs and Muslims,” the statement added.
(With Reuters, AFP inputs)

Syrian government delegation to return to Geneva on Sunday for peace talks
Reuters/December 07/17 /Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s negotiating team is set to arrive in Geneva on Sunday to participate in peace talks, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported on Thursday, quoting a foreign ministry source. The delegation, led by Bashar al-Ja’afari, walked out last week and returned to Damascus. Negotiations resumed on Wednesday without the Syrian government delegation. The talks began last week and after a few days with little apparent progress, the UN mediator Staffan de Mistura said that the government delegation was returning to Damascus to “consult and refresh”. The government delegation blamed its departure on the opposition’s uncompromising stance on Assad’s future. Last month, the opposition drew up a statement in a meeting in Riyadh that rejected any future role for Assad in Syria. During last week’s sessions, de Mistura shuttled between the representatives of the two warring sides, who did not meet face-to-face. He had planned to continue the round until December 15th. The opposition negotiating team arrived at the UN offices in Geneva on Wednesday morning to resume talks with de Mistura. France accused the Syrian government on Wednesday of obstructing the peace talks with its refusal to return to Geneva and called on Russia not to shrink its responsibilities to get Damascus to the negotiating table.

With message of peace, London Mayor Khan crosses border from India to Pakistan
Al Arabiya English/December 07/17 /Mayor of London Sadiq Khan arrived in Lahore on Wednesday via the Wagah border with the message that many Indians wanted good relations with Pakistan, a news report has revealed.
According to a Dawn news report, this is the first time a mayor of London has visited Lahore. Khan is on a six-day mission to strengthen cultural and economic ties with the British capital. He had earlier stayed in India for three days where he met politicians and other prominent personalities in Mumbai, Delhi and Amritsar. From the beauty of India to the vibrancy of Pakistan - today I crossed the border on foot - becoming the first British politician to make this journey in recent history. Khan later called on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at his residence and attended a luncheon there. The mayor was received at the Wagah border by Mayor of Lahore retired Col Mubashar Javed and senior officials of the Punjab government. “I found Lahore as I had heard of it. It is the heart of Pakistan and is certainly the hub of Pakistani culture,” Khan is quoted to have said.

Will the Hague convictions bring peace to the Balkans?
By Francesca Astorri Special to Al Arabiya/ Al Arabiya English/December 07/17 /Over 20 years after the crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian war, two commanders were sentenced by the United Nations-backed International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Many, especially in Europe, felt it as a historic moment, associating it with the Nuremberg trials that brought to justice many Nazi war criminals responsible for the Holocaust and the atrocities of the second world war. “I was in Bosnia in 1995-1996, I was there when those atrocities were committed and I am pleased to see people responsible taken into account for those crimes. I lived through it and I have been following the trial with great interest,” NATO Defense College Commandant, Chris Whitecross, said to Al Arabiya English, talking on the sideline of NATO Defense College Foundation’s conference “The Western Balkans at a crossroads” in Rome, Italy. Ratko Mladić, former Bosnian Serb commander, was known as “the butcher of Bosnia” for the role he had in the siege of Sarajevo and in the massacre of Srebrenica where over 8,000 Muslims were killed. Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the ICTY. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced also commander of Croat forces in the 1990s war in Bosnia, Slobodan Praljak: 20 years in jail for war crimes. The fact that he committed suicide after the panel of judges doesn’t make him less of a war criminal in front of the law. The question now is, are these convictions enough to close that chapter and bring peace to the Balkans?
Too little too late?
As many felt it as an achievement in the name of justice and a fundamental pillar of a successful peace process, others had the impression that two convictions after over 20 years was too little, too late, and that other issues are now threating peace in the area.“I lived through it and I have been following the trial with great interest,” NATO Defense College Commandant, Chris Whitecross, told Al Arabiya English. “Among the historic tensions and regional fragmentations, there are other issues that are summing up. The European Union integration process in the region has been slowing down, radicalization is raising up along with international criminal networks, plus there are many conflicting political agendas from the US, Russia, China, Turkey… just to mention some”. “These factors can be dangerous, considering the situation on the ground, and are surely not helping the peace integration process” Matteo Bressan, Emerging Challenges Analyst at NATO Defense College Foundation, explained to Al Arabiya English.The Balkan region is known for producing more history than it can digest. As the 1990s painful past starts leaving the cities, moving to tribunals to then eventually find its place in history books, the region is far from a stable peace.

20 Houthi gunmen killed, 11 captured in clashes near al-Khoukha
Al Arabiya/December 07/17/Around 20 Houthi militiamen were reported killed and 11 others were captured following violent clashes with the Yemeni army on the outskirts of al-Khoukha city, south of Hodeidah. A military source said the Yemeni army, supported by the popular resistance, purged several areas south of Hodeidah, and attacked the militias’ posts from the three fronts of al-Hameli, Yakhtal and al-Zahari, south of Khoukha. The source added that the army seized the area of Rouwais and the strategic Harzeen mountain. Military sources in the fifth military zone said 15 Houthis were killed in clashes with legitimate forces in the Midi front.
Attack repulsed
They also confirmed that Houthi militias launched an attack on border guards in the southeast of the Midi front early Tuesday morning. The Houthis lost a number of men and ammunition and their attack was repulsed. Sources added that Houthi gunmen involved in the attack fled after suffering these losses and could not even get the bodies of their deceased men from the field. According to some sources, Houthi militias suffered heavy losses during the past month as confrontations with the army and the Saudi-led coalition strikes killed more than 100 and injured hundreds others in the Midi and Harad fronts.

President Putin to visit Egypt next week to discuss expanding ties
The Associated Press/December 07/17 /Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Egypt next week to discuss expanding political, economic, energy and trade ties, officials said on Thursday. During Monday’s trip the Russian leader will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on issues related to stability and security in the Middle East and North Africa, the Kremlin said. The Egyptian government said Putin’s visit reflects the shared commitment to “strengthening the historic and strategic relations” between Moscow and Cairo. Putin’s visit follows the Russian government’s announcement last week that Moscow and Cairo have drafted an agreement for Russian warplanes to use Egyptian military bases. The deal comes as part of Moscow’s efforts to further expand its military foothold in the region following its campaign in Syria. Under el-Sissi, Egypt has expanded military ties with Russia and signed a slew of deals to buy Russian weapons.
Military cooperation
On a visit to Cairo last week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted an increase in military cooperation between the two countries and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in fighting terrorism. An ISIS affiliate based in the northern part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula claimed responsibility for the October 2015 downing of a Russian passenger jet that killed all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists.The bombing prompted Russia to cut commercial flights with Egypt, a heavy blow that decimated the country’s vital tourism industry.
Moscow and Cairo have held talks on boosting airport security and resuming the air link, but no agreement has been reached so far.

Israel Retaliates after Projectiles Fired from Gaza
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 07/17/The Israeli military said Thursday it struck targets in the Gaza Strip in response to projectiles fired at Israel. It said a projectile exploded in southern Israel, in addition to two earlier ones launched from Gaza which fell short and landed in the Palestinian territory.The Israeli army said a tank and aircraft struck two military posts in Gaza, adding that it holds Hamas responsible for any fire emanating from the Gaza Strip. The border violence comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for Palestinians to launch a new uprising against Israel in the wake of Trump's declaration.

Erdogan Heads to Uneasy Ally Greece for Historic Visit
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 07/17/President Recep Tayyip Erdogan begins the first visit by a Turkish head of state to Greece in 65 years Thursday, with concerns over relations as Athens said it was "worried" by his comments perceived as reviving territorial friction. Ties between Turkey and Greece have warmed over the past 20 years, after decades of tension that almost sparked a miltary confrontation in 1996 ended when earthquakes struck both countries in 1999. Relations today are relatively cordial, but a Greek government spokesman expressed concern after the Turkish president called for "improvements" to how airspace and waters between the two states are delineated in the Aegean Sea in a television interview on Wednesday. "The interview today with Erdogan raises serious worries and questions," said Dimitris Tzanakopoulos in a statement, adding that Athens sees the visit as "an opportunity to build bridges, not walls". With Turkey's bid to join the EU at a standstill and relations with much of the West frigid, Erdogan's trip will be only his second visit to an EU member since last year's failed coup, after talks in Poland this October. Turkey's president Celal Bayar visited Greece in 1952, the same year the two countries simultaneously joined NATO with strong American backing. Erdogan visited Greece twice as prime minister in 2004 and 2010, building on a rapprochement between Ankara and Athens that only began in earnest after the destructive quakes.
- 'Wide divide exists' -The two countries have uneasy relations dating back to the creation of the modern Turkish Republic out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.But Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), which came to power in 2002, sought a more pragmatic relationship based on trade and tourism, and Greece became a key backer of the Turkish bid to join the EU. "Erdogan's visit can be seen as part of the long phase of rapprochement between the two countries that began in 1999," Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, director of the Centre for International and European Studies at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, told AFP. But he added that while Greek-Turkish relations can be seen as "relatively robust", none of a whole range of outstanding issues between the two sides have been resolved. "Beyond the pragmatism, a wide divide exists between the two countries," he said. Athens is unhappy over Turkey's upkeep of Byzantine heritage in Istanbul, the former Constantinople, including the Hagia Sophia, which is officially a museum but has seen an uptick in Muslim worship in the last years.
Greece has also been rattled by Erdogan's sometimes angry tirades against the post World War I treaties that set the countries' modern borders and meant almost all the Aegean Sea islands are Greek territory. Erdogan revisited the issue Wednesday in an interview with Greece's Skai TV, saying existing territorial waters were "quite problematic" for Turkish maritime liners plying the Aegean, "and this is not something that we can live with". Ankara, meanwhile, is unhappy that Greece is hosting suspects wanted over the 2016 failed coup and who fled Turkey, notably eight troops who escaped by helicopter on the night of the putsch. Another festering sore is Cyprus, where the northern portion of the island is still occupied by Turkish troops following the 1974 invasion in response to an Athens-inspired coup aimed at uniting it with Greece.
Much-touted peace talks this year that brought together both sides on the divided island as well as Greece, Turkey and colonial power Britain ended without a breakthrough. "While over the last decades economic cooperation and commercial and tourist ties between the two countries have been very active, their relations still get stuck on the same differences," said Jean Marcou, associate researcher at the French Institute of Anatolian Studies. - 'Deep relations' -Athens and Ankara are cooperating over the migrant crisis, following a deal between Turkey and the EU which has significantly stemmed the flow of people to Europe. The Turkish president's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Turkey had "deep" relations with Greece and applauded Athens' support for the embattled Turkish EU membership bid. He confirmed Erdogan would first go to Athens to meet Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and then to the northeastern Thrace region, home to Greece's main Muslim minority. Erdogan has a relatively warm relationship with Alexis Tsipras, the leftist politician who became Greek prime minister in 2015 and generally eschews nationalist rhetoric against Turkey. Tsipras told Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency in an interview ahead of the visit that suspected coup plotters "were not welcome" in Greece and emphasised the importance of dialogue between Turkey and the EU. In a move seen by Turkish commentators as a gesture to Ankara, nine suspected members of the Marxist Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), branded a terrorist organisation by Turkey were last week charged by a Greek prosecutor.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 07-08/17
The Real Palestinian Response to Trump's Jerusalem Speech
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/December 07/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11508/trump-jerusalem-speech-palestinians
By misrepresenting the poster burning "ceremony" as a reflection of widespread Palestinian rage concerning Trump's policy on Jerusalem, the international media is once again complicit in promoting the propaganda of Palestinian spin doctors. The journalists, including photographers and camera crews, have been handed detailed schedules of events that will take place in different parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
When we sit in our living rooms and watch the news coming out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, let us ask ourselves: How many of these "events" are, in fact, media burlesques? Why are journalists allowing themselves to be duped by the Palestinian propaganda machine, which spews hatred and violence from morning until night?
It is high time for some self-reflection on the part of the media: Do they really wish to continue serving as a mouthpiece for those Arabs and Muslims who intimidate and terrorize the West?
The "rivers of blood" we are being promised are flowing as we speak. Yet, it is the knife that Arabs and Muslims take to one another's throats that is the source of this crimson current, not some statement made by a US president. Perhaps that could finally be an event worth covering by the roving reporters of the region?
A short three hours after US President Donald Trump phoned Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to inform him of his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a number of Palestinian photojournalists received a phone call from Bethlehem.
The callers were Palestinian "activists," who invited the photographers to come to the city to document an "important event." When the photographers arrived, they discovered that the "important event" was a handful of Palestinian "activists" who wanted to burn posters of Trump in front of the cameras.
The "activists" waited patiently as the photojournalists and cameramen set up their equipment to get the "important event" on film. Shortly thereafter, the media was abuzz with reports about "angry Palestinian protesters taking to the streets to protest" Trump's intention to move the embassy to Jerusalem and his recognition of the city as the capital of Israel. The handful of Palestinians who were filmed burning the Trump pictures were made to look as if they were part of a mass protest sweeping Palestinian communities.
The handful of Palestinians in Bethlehem who were filmed burning pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump on December 6 were made by the media to look as if they were part of a mass protest sweeping Palestinian communities.
The incident represents yet another example of the collusion between the Palestinians and the media, whose representatives are always more than happy to serve as mouthpieces for the Palestinian propaganda machine and provide an open platform for broadcasting Palestinian threats against Israel and the US.
Had the photographers and cameramen not shown up to the erstwhile "spontaneous" poster-burning event, the Palestinian activists would have been forced to quietly slink back to one of Bethlehem's fine coffee shops.
Yet, there was no worry on that score: the Palestinian activists are well aware that local and foreign reporters are starving for sensationalism -- and what better fits the bill than posters of Trump going up in flames in the middle of the birthplace of Jesus, on the eve of Christmas and as thousands of Christian pilgrims and tourists are converging on the city?
By misrepresenting the poster burning "ceremony" as a reflection of widespread Palestinian rage concerning Trump's policy on Jerusalem, the international media is once again complicit in promoting the propaganda of Palestinian spin doctors. Palestinian leaders and spokesmen strive to create the impression that Trump's policy regarding Jerusalem will bring the region down in flames. They also seek to send a message to the American people that their president's policies endanger their lives. In effect, the media has volunteered to serve the Palestinian campaign of intimidation. And the media convergence on the poster-burning farce in Bethlehem is just the beginning.
Now that the Palestinians have managed, with the help of the media, to burn these images into the minds of millions of Americans, they are planning more staged protests. The goal: to terrify the American public and force Trump to rescind his decision regarding the status of Jerusalem. This tactic of intimidation through the media is not new. In fact, it is something that has been happening for decades, largely thanks to the buy-in of the mainstream media in the West.
Now, Palestinian and Western journalists have been invited to cover a series of protests planned by the Palestinians in the coming days and weeks in response to Trump's policies. The journalists, including photographers and camera crews, have been handed detailed schedules of events that will take place in different parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The journalists have been promised more scenes of burning photos of Trump and US flags. Some of the journalists have even received tips as to the locations where "clashes" are supposed to take place between Palestinian rioters and Israel Defense Forces soldiers. In other words, the journalists have been told precisely where they need to be in order to document Palestinians throwing stones at the soldiers -- and the predicted the IDF response.
Here is the funny part. If, for whatever reason, the cameras are a no-show, the "activists" are likely to be as well. In the Palestinian world, it is all about manipulating the media and recruiting it in favor of the cause. And the cause is always bashing Israel -- with bashing Trump not far behind.
Yes, the Palestinians will protest in the coming days against Trump. Yes, they will take to the streets and throw stones at IDF soldiers. Yes, they will burn pictures of Trump and US flags. And yes, they will try to carry out terror attacks against Israelis.
But when we sit in our living rooms and watch the news coming out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, let us ask ourselves: How many of these "events" are, in fact, media burlesques? Why are journalists allowing themselves to be duped by the Palestinian propaganda machine, which spews hatred and violence from morning until night? And, why are the journalists exaggerating and compounding the Palestinian threats for violence and anarchy?
First, many of the journalists want to appease their readers and editors by offering them stories that reflect negatively on Israel. Second, some of the journalists believe that writing anti-Israel stories paves the way for them to win awards from assorted professed "virtue-signaling" organizations. Third, many journalists believe that writing anti-Israel reports give them access to so-called "liberals" and a supposedly "enlightened" coterie who romanticize being "on the right side of history." They do not want to see that 21 Muslim states have been trying for many decades to destroy one Jewish state; instead, they appear to think that if journalists are "liberal" and "open-minded," they need to support the "underdog," who they believe are "the Palestinians." Fourth, many of the journalists see the conflict as being between bad guys (supposedly the Israelis) and good guys (supposedly the Palestinians) and that it is their duty to stand with the "good guys," even if the "good guys" are engaged in violence and terrorism.
Recently, more than 300 Muslim worshipers were massacred by Muslim terrorists while praying in a mosque in Sinai, Egypt. That tragedy was probably covered by fewer journalists than the orchestrated Trump-poster episode in Bethlehem. Where was the outcry in the Arab and Islamic world? Now, Arabs and Muslims are talking about "days of rage" in protest against Trump. Why were there no "days of rage" in the Arab and Islamic countries when more than 300 worshipers, many of them children, were massacred during Friday prayers?
It is high time for some self-reflection on the part of the media: Do they really wish to continue serving as a mouthpiece for those Arabs and Muslims who intimidate and terrorize the West?
Journalists are actively colluding with the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to create the false impression that World War III will erupt if the US embassy is moved to Jerusalem. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Christians have been massacred since the beginning of the "Arab Spring" more than six years ago. They were killed by Muslim terrorists and other Arabs. The bloodshed continues to this day in Yemen, Libya, Syria, Iraq and Egypt.
So, make no mistake about it: the "rivers of blood" we are being promised are flowing as we speak. Yet, it is the knife that Arabs and Muslims take to one another's throats that is the source of this crimson current, not some statement made by a US president. Perhaps that could finally be an event worth covering by the roving reporters of the region?
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 2017 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.

Homeless Swedes Out in the Cold
Bruce Bawer/Gatestone Institute/December 07/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11503/sweden-homeless
One reason there are so many immigrants in Sweden, both legal and illegal, is that the country's welfare system is a bonanza for foreigners. Far from not being covered by the system, immigrants often enjoy preferential treatment
These Swedes should not be sleeping on the streets. The Scandinavian welfare states were founded on a compact between the citizens and their government: the people would pay outrageously high taxes, and in return their government would guarantee them a magnificent safety net should they get sick or get fired. But ever since these countries chose to open their doors to mass Muslim immigration, that compact has been broken.
A state-employed paper-pusher who gives citizens something for which they have already paid can hardly feel particularly virtuous, whereas handing out free stuff to aliens who have done absolutely nothing to deserve it can make that same government paper-pusher feel like a world-class Good Samaritan.
Even more shattering is that millions of those Scandinavian citizens accept it. Marinated from birth in multiculturalism, millions of them dare not demand what they have coming to them -- what they have paid for, what they deserve -- lest they be viewed by others, and even by themselves, as bigots.
The other day, I reported about the Church of Sweden's strenuous efforts to appease Islam. Now comes the news that from December 15 to March 15, churches in the diocese of Gothenburg will be used at night as shelters for the homeless. Lovely idea. But there is a catch. The only homeless people who will be allowed in are foreigners -- either immigrants from elsewhere in the EU, who are by definition legal, or illegal immigrants from outside the EU. In other words, native Swedes need not apply, even though the initiative is being paid for by taxpayer money.
The argument for this policy -- which represents an expansion and formalization of a practice that began two winters ago -- is that it is designed to help people who are not covered by the Swedish welfare system. But this argument does not hold up. One reason there are so many immigrants in Sweden, both legal and illegal, is that the country's welfare system is a bonanza for foreigners. Far from not being covered by the system, immigrants often enjoy preferential treatment. Last fall, for example, it was reported that several Swedish municipalities were passing over hardworking citizens who had waited several years to rent government-owned housing, and were giving the homes instead -- for free -- to unemployed, newly-arrived immigrants. Some Swedes actually stirred from their torpor and angrily criticized this policy, but the protest was to no avail: the Swedish Parliament had passed a law compelling local governments to put foreigners at the top of their waiting lists.
That the Swedish Parliament could pass such a law is, of course, a scathing indictment of its welfare system's priorities. So is the fact that there are, as it happens, a great many ethnic Swedes living and begging on the streets of its cities, and -- in the winter -- huddling in the doorways of stores and offices, wrapped in layers of blankets at night, in hope of keeping alive in the subfreezing cold. The same disgraceful situation can be observed in the major cities of Norway and Denmark.
These Swedes should not be on the streets. The Scandinavian welfare states were founded on a compact between the citizens and their government: the people would pay outrageously high taxes, and in return their government would guarantee them a magnificent safety net should they get sick or get fired. But ever since these countries chose to open their doors to mass Muslim immigration, that compact has been broken.
Yes, the citizens are still being forced to pay for the welfare system -- but that system no longer has their backs. The people in authority, from the highest-ranking national leaders down to the lowest local bureaucrats, would seem to have forgotten for whom they work. In a way, it makes sense: After all, a state-employed paper-pusher who gives citizens something for which they have already paid can hardly feel particularly virtuous, whereas handing out free stuff to aliens who have done absolutely nothing to deserve it can make that same government paper-pusher feel like a world-class Good Samaritan.
What is even more shattering than this state of affairs is that millions of those Scandinavian citizens accept it. Marinated from birth in multiculturalism, millions of them dare not demand what they have coming to them -- what they have paid for, what they deserve -- lest they be viewed by others, and even by themselves, as bigots.
Fortunately, not all Scandinavians fit this description. When the alternative news website Samnytt reported that the churches in Gothenburg would be turning away homeless people who belong to that church in order to accommodate members of a religion that views Christianity as an abomination, dozens of readers reacted with outrage. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions," wrote one. "The hatred toward ethnic Swedes knows no bounds," wrote another. A third suggested that the churches of Gothenburg will soon, in any case, be converted into mosques -- minarets and all.
At present, alas, that seems like the safe bet.
*Bruce Bawer is the author of the new novel The Alhambra (Swamp Fox Editions). His book While Europe Slept (2006) was a New York Times bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist.
© 2017 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.

Why Trump Is Right in Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's Capital
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/December 07/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11509/trump-jerusalem-israel
President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a perfect response to President Obama's benighted decision to change American policy by engineering the United Nations Security Council Resolution declaring Judaism's holiest places in Jerusalem to be occupied territory and a "flagrant violation under international law." It was President Obama who changed the status quo and made peace more difficult, by handing the Palestinians enormous leverage in future negotiations and disincentivizing them from making a compromised peace.
It had long been American foreign policy to veto any one-sided Security Council resolutions that declared Judaism's holiest places to be illegally occupied. Obama's decision to change that policy was not based on American interests or in the interests of peace. It was done out of personal revenge against Prime Minister Netanyahu and an act of pique by the outgoing president.
It was also designed improperly to tie the hands of President-elect Trump. President Trump is doing the right thing by telling the United Nations that the United States now rejects the one-sided U.N. Security Council Resolution.
So if there is any change to the status quo, let the blame lie where it should be: at the hands of President Obama for his cowardly decision to wait until he was a lame-duck president to get even with Prime Minister Netanyahu. President Trump deserves praise for restoring balance in negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians. It was President Obama who made peace more difficult. It was President Trump who made it more feasible again.
The outrageously one-sided Security Council Resolution declared that "any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem," have "no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law." This means, among other things, that Israel's decision to build a plaza for prayer at the Western Wall — Judaism's holiest site — constitutes a "flagrant violation of international law." This resolution was, therefore, not limited to settlements in the West Bank, as the Obama administration later claimed in a bait-and-switch. The resolution applied equally to the very heart of Israel.
Before June 4, 1967, Jews were forbidden from praying at the Western Wall. They were forbidden to attend classes at the Hebrew University at Mt. Scopus, which had been opened in 1925 and was supported by Albert Einstein. Jews could not seek medical care at the Hadassah Hospital on Mt. Scopus, which had treated Jews and Arabs alike since 1918. Jews could not live in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, where their forebears had built homes and synagogues for thousands of years. These Judenrein prohibitions were enacted by Jordan, which had captured by military force these Jewish areas during Israel's War of Independence, in 1948, and had illegally occupied the entire West Bank, which the United Nations had set aside for an Arab state. When the Jordanian government occupied these historic Jewish sites, they destroyed all the remnants of Judaism, including synagogues, schools and cemeteries, whose headstones they used for urinals. Between 1948 and 1967, the United Nations did not offer a single resolution condemning this Jordanian occupation and cultural devastation.
When Israel retook these areas in a defensive war that Jordan started by shelling civilian homes in West Jerusalem, and opened them up as places where Jews could pray, study, receive medical treatment and live, the United States took the official position that it would not recognize Israel's legitimate claims to Jewish Jerusalem.
It stated that the status of Jerusalem, including these newly liberated areas, would be left open to final negotiations and that the status quo would remain in place. That is the official rationale for why the United States refused to recognize any part of Jerusalem, including West Jerusalem, as part of Israel. That is why the United States refused to allow an American citizen born in any part of Jerusalem to put the words "Jerusalem, Israel" on his or her passport as their place of birth.
But even that historic status quo was changed with President Obama's unjustified decision not to veto the Security Council Resolution from last December. The United Nations all of a sudden determined that, subject to any further negotiations and agreements, the Jewish areas of Jerusalem recaptured from Jordan in 1967 are not part of Israel. Instead, they were territories being illegally occupied by Israel, and any building in these areas — including places for prayer at the Western Wall, access roads to Mt. Scopus, and synagogues in the historic Jewish Quarter — "constitutes a flagrant violation under international law." If that indeed is the new status quo, then what incentives do the Palestinians have to enter negotiations? And if they were to do so, they could use these Jewish areas to extort unreasonable concessions from Israel, for which these now "illegally occupied" areas are sacred and nonnegotiable.
President Obama's refusal to veto this one-sided resolution was a deliberate ploy to tie the hands of his successors, the consequence of which was to make it far more difficult for his successors to encourage the Palestinians to accept Israel's offer to negotiate with no preconditions. No future president can undo this pernicious agreement, since a veto not cast can never be retroactively cast. And a resolution once enacted cannot be rescinded unless there is a majority vote against it, with no veto by any of its permanent members, which include Russia and China, who would be sure to veto any attempt to undo this resolution.
President Trump's decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital helps to restore the appropriate balance. It demonstrates that the United States does not accept the Judenrein effects of this bigoted resolution on historic Jewish areas of Jerusalem, which were forbidden to Jews. The prior refusal of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was based explicitly on the notion that nothing should be done to change the status quo of that city, holy to three religions. But the Security Council Resolution did exactly that: It changed the status quo by declaring Israel's de facto presence on these Jewish holy sites to be a "flagrant violation under international law" that "the U.N. will not recognize."
President Donald Trump displays the signed "Presidential Proclamation Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel and Relocating the United States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem," on December 6, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Image source: White House video screenshot)
Since virtually everyone in the international community acknowledges that any reasonable peace would recognize Israel's legitimate claims to these and other areas in Jerusalem, there is no reason for allowing the U.N. Resolution to make criminals out of every Jew or Israeli who sets foot on these historically Jewish areas. (Ironically, President Obama prayed at what he regarded as the illegally occupied Western Wall.)
After the UN, at the urging of President Obama, made it a continuing international crime for there to be any Israeli presence in disputed areas of Jerusalem, including areas whose Jewish provenance is beyond dispute, President Trump was right to untie his own hands and to undo the damage wrought by his predecessor. Some have argued that the United States should not recognize Jerusalem because it will stimulate violence by Arab terrorists. No American decision should ever be influenced by the threat of violence. Terrorists should not have a veto over American policy. If the United States were to give in to threats of violence, it would only incentivize others to threaten violence in response to any peace plan.
So let's praise President Trump for doing the right thing by undoing the wrong thing President Obama did at the end of his presidency.
**Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Harvard Law School and author of "Trumped Up: How Criminalizing Politics is Dangerous to Democracy."
**Reprinted from The Hill with permission. Copyright 2017 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp.
© 2017 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.

How the Saudis could avoid missing the boat on tourism
Sam Blatteis/Al Arabiya/December 2017
Recently, Saudi Arabia made global headlines when it announced it will start issuing tourist visas. Although visited by 2 million Muslims from around the world making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the country has been notably cautious when it comes to attracting the average tourist. In fact, the Kingdom does not show up on many lists of favored tourism spots. The impression is that it’s easier to book a trip to Tibet than get a tourist visa for Saudi Arabia.
Upcoming mega projects
But among a number of noteworthy changes taking place, the country’s tourism industry is likely to get a face lift. For instance, the government is building a new multi-billion dollar tourism project in several Red Sea islands in which Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group Ltd, is also investing.
Similarly, Saudi leadership is moving on a $20bn plan to expand the Grand Mosque of Mecca and, near the capital city of Riyadh, it envisions an entertainment city nearly the size of Las Vegas (albeit without the gambling). Equally telling, the rollout of tourism visas will open to travelers who aren’t on business trips or visiting family members. Fostering a “sharing” economy might create jobs and spinoff commerce. It might also help put the country on a lot more favorite-destination lists
Sam Blatteis
These moves reveal the urgency with which the leadership plans to expand non-oil industries. Already, travel and tourism pump $21bn into the country’s economy, more than for any other Arab country, including Egypt, with its ancient pyramids, and the United Arab Emirates, with its glitzy malls. Religious tourism has emerged as one of Saudi Arabia’s few booming, non-oil industries. Analysts expect the Saudi travel sector to grow 2.9 percent this year— three times larger than that for the country’s overall economic growth. In the next few years, the government hopes to expand its tourism spending by over 40 percent – to $46 billion – and within a decade to draw 31m visitors annually to sites such as the ancient spice-route city of Madain Saleh. With one in 10 Saudi-based jobs now tied to travel and tourism, it’s easy to envision massive benefits if the country opens and develops this sector.
The missing ingredient
Yet for all the excitement around eye-popping mega-projects, Saudi leaders may be missing a key ingredient—a diversified supply of rentable rooms and hotels—if they hope to meet their tourism targets. A possible answer sits under their noses: the increasingly popular “sharing economy” embodied by companies like Airbnb. The online platforms of such companies allow people to rent out their homes, or just a room and is expanding so rapidly that it is adding the equivalent of an entire Hilton hotel chain’s worth of rentable rooms worldwide each year. But many would-be hosts in Saudi Arabia are reluctant to join the trend because the government hasn’t written rules yet that make it clear whether such rentals would be legal within the heavily regulated state. Turbo-charging such enterprises could unlock huge potential capacity. First, the Saudis could tap into a promising market for home stays. Book Halal Homes and Muzbnb (a Muslim lodging service) prove there’s a market for conservative Muslim families who want to be near mosques or halal eateries, and to have dedicated prayer space and a Koran close at hand. More than 120 million Muslims traveled outside their countries last year; offering them home-like conditions in Saudi Arabia. This makes good business sense and could play to Saudi strengths as famously generous hosts.
Jobs for the youth
Second, the Airbnb experience has shown that hosting is about more than real-estate rental—it often becomes a job. Allowing Saudis to rent parts of their homes could help them convert passions into professions, creating entrepreneurs—hosts, chefs, tour guides—in long-overlooked places, from Tabuk to Asir.
Last, grassroots hosting could help answer the employment needs of a huge segment of Saudi society: young people. Saudis under 30 account for 70 percent of the population and are eager to try new things. Numerous Saudi millennials would be willing to rent a room to lodgers of the same gender, if there was a clear law supporting the arrangement. I got a reminder of this hospitality on a recent, one-day trip to Riyadh. My Airbnb host Mohammed, a 28-year-old PhD candidate, didn’t just drop a key to an empty home. He picked me up in the Saudi equivalent of Uber, introduced me to his friends, and spent two hours chatting and showing me his favorite hangout spots. It was a memorable moment and an inside look into a kingdom. That kind of personal contact goes a long way. Fostering this kind of “sharing” economy in Saudi Arabia might create jobs and spinoff commerce. It might also help put the country on a lot more favorite-destination lists.

Kuwait’s summit and the axis beyond the GCC
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/December 2017
Not much was expected from the Gulf summit in Kuwait. For the Kuwaiti mediator, the meeting alone was an accomplishment regardless of the size of representation. The crisis with Qatar is escalating due to stubbornness and intransigence. What Qatar did during the past five days did not reflect any serious efforts to reach a decisive solution. Qatari platforms are all working against the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen, and there’s fuss regarding its role in assassinating former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which reminds of the same scenario of Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi as they were all killed when they gave up on this statelet. Saleh has talked about the details of his ties with the Qataris and their coup on him through supporting terrorist and radical factions in Yemen, all in the name of the “revolution” after 2011. UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash revealed how Qatar proposed mediation between Saleh and the Houthis when the late leader said he stands with Gulf countries and defies Iran’s proxies while pledging to keep Yemen within the Gulf bosom. Before the summit, Qatar exceeded all boundaries by escalating the situation via its media outlets, causing tensions on the ground in Yemen and supporting Iran’s movements in Lebanon. There was information that Qatari delegates visited Beirut’s southern suburb to meet with Hezbollah political and security officials. This atmosphere made the summit be much less than what Kuwaiti politicians thought it would be. It was a routine summit. The aim of it was to maintain the structure of the Gulf Cooperation Council and revive it as much as possible, and that is according to the classic vision which views the council as one of the constant pillars that cannot be touched or amended or diversified in terms of its formula.
Historical circumstances
The GCC was established within certain historical circumstances when the dust of the Khomeini revolution was a bad omen. Leaders back then feared for their countries from these revolutionary toxins and the GCC helped maintain the deep concept of the state and its entity. However, when a country inside the GCC turns into an entity in support of radical groups and becomes close to the Khomeini revolution, Hezbollah and the Houthis, coordination among the council members will not be flexible as one cannot work with a regime that has two heads, two leaderships and two projects. The recent quick events put the context of the state at stake as the revolutionary invasion and militant culture are steadily expanding. What’s really dangerous is the fact that Qatar is among those supporting this expansion. Therefore, maintaining countries’ entities will only succeed via organized work led by a moderate axis that highly coordinates efforts, like the case is with the moderate axis combating terrorism and which is represented by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. This axis is more reliable for the war on terrorism than the Gulf Cooperation Council which requires reform and needs to be filtrated of impurities.
What the GCC currently lacks is actually what it needs most: trust. Qatar’s participation in the coalition supporting legitimacy and its secret cooperation with the Houthis, as narrated by Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad, had negative catastrophic repercussions. How can the GCC restore its trust in that state? How can Qatar which supports radical projects be part of a project that aims to maintain the state’s entity in the Gulf? This is why Tuesday’s decision by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed to form a joint cooperation committee between Saudi Arabia and the UAE is significant as it is a live model for modern cooperation.
According to the decision, the committee will be headed by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  The decision’s second article stipulates that the committee’s chief “will assign the members who will represent the federal and local governmental sectors.”
The committee “will cooperate and coordinate between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the military, political, economic, commercial and cultural fields, as well as other fields as required by the two countries’ interests.”We live among failed countries which have collapsed on their people’s heads as they have been suffering from bloodshed and destruction for seven years now – countries that produced terrorist organizations, like Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia. This is in addition to partial disintegration of other countries’ structures. Without a model for a new bloc that establishes trust among countries and enhances cooperation on the ground, we will not completely be safe from the winds of revolutionary madness. What the GCC currently lacks is actually what it needs most: trust. Qatar’s participation in the coalition supporting legitimacy and its secret cooperation with the Houthis, as narrated by Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad, had negative catastrophic repercussions. How can the GCC restore its trust in that state? How can Qatar which supports radical projects be part of a project that aims to maintain the state’s entity in the Gulf? It’s much more than what social media romantics echo about a solution being simple and near. There are deep-rooted disputes. It’s a conflict over two different approaches and projects, between a movement that calls for development and combating terrorism and a project that supports terror groups, including al-Qaeda organization (as narrated by Ali Abdullah Saleh in a televised interview when Qatar proposed a mediation between him and al-Qaeda via Seif al-Islam al-Qaddafi). It’s a difficult and historical phase. Cooperation to overcome this must thus be within the framework of renewable entities that go beyond old routine work.

On a generation that sought enlightenment beyond clerics’ cloaks
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/December 2017
Scholars’ discussions, opinions and ideas and the classical history of Shiite religious references were a daily part of our life as children and adults.
‘Resalah Amaliyah’ which is written by Usooli Marja athat contains his practical rulings is only one of the many lessons we interestingly listened to as we were passionate to gain more knowledge and wisdom. A group of us, young men, went to Sheikh Hussein Al-Omran Mosque to attend fiqh, doctrine and religious lessons and to learn about the prophet’s biography. After religious occasions, we used to go to the old Al-Nahash husseiniya where Sheikh Abdulrasoul al-Bayabi was and learnt about the history of the prophet and his family. We used to go from one gathering to another seeking knowledge. My cousin was a religious scholar, so I had a great opportunity to attend the lessons he taught at the family house after Maghreb prayers and the lectures he delivered at Sayyid El-Khoei Mosque in Al-Bustan neighborhood in Qatif where he was an imam. This was one of the mosques that played a significant role in the religious and cultural history of the region.
Rich library
More importantly, there was his library which was rich with all sorts of religious, literary and cultural books. He had books by Islamist, nationalist and secular writers. Students studying religion, such as Sayyid Mounir al-Khabbaz and Sheikh Jaafar al-Rabah, frequently visited our house as well and I used to sit with them for hours to listen to their discussions. As a result, I was exposed to endless debates since my early years and I learnt all about these students’ thinking, methods and terminology. I also attended lessons taught by Sheikh Mohsen al-Moalam at his residence in the town of Al-Jaroudiya as we were family friends. He was a humble and kind teacher who taught religion to dozens of students in Qatif and its surrounding areas. My generation had a special relation with Sayyid Mounir al-Khabbaz as at the time we saw him as a more progressive model of an open-minded religious scholar who has a moderate rhetoric that suits the aspirations of youths and speaks their language. Therefore, we attended his lectures all the time. My favorite lessons were those delivered at Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb Mosque after dawn prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. These lessons tackled Islamic philosophy. Many believers sat around Sayyid Khabbaz as he explained this philosophy to us. These were my favorite because of the untraditional philosophical approach that triggers the mind. At one time, I told Khabbaz that the daily lesson of his was less than hoped for and requires more depth. He went ahead and for the next two days, delivered deeper lessons. During this time I and my friend felt we were gaining a lot more knowledge. However, he adopted an easy approach again and said he had to do so because many of those attending the lessons complained that it was difficult to understand him.
Modern and revolutionary piety
Even after we went beyond classical Shiite thinking methods and opted for more modern and revolutionary piety, we sat for hours during Sayyid Yassin al-Saegh’s lessons at his mosque in al-Sharia neighborhood in Qatif. Saegh was well-known for his strict and comlex language and we had a difficult time at the beginning and struggled to understand the different topics he addressed. The discussion sessions we held at friends’ houses and the books we exchanged were a valuable source of true knowledge that developed one’s limited religious experience and widened our horizons. Some remained as they are out of fear of the socially expensive price which one must pay for change in thought and behavior. These changes often led to many familial and social conflicts but many had the courage to take the risk as they had a firm belief in the importance of certain religious changes. We attended lessons along with many students studying religion and by many preachers and religious intellectuals. We engaged in endless debates and bought books for hefty prices when we were just high school and college students. We were young men passionate about knowledge. Change was our aim. Late thinker Abdul Hadi Al-Fadhli, that humble character who was an expert in fiqh, was a great thinker whose approach satisfied our aspirations for a faith that suits the modern times and that suits a generation which wants to live the future and does not want to live in the depth of the pits. During hajj, we visited missions of religious references’ missions as we learnt a lot from the scholars. The mission of late Sayyid Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah attracted us the most due to its rich knowledge, vital discussions and approach that suited our religious vision that was unlike what was common at the time.
Qom seminaries
During my few visits to the Iranian city of Qom where the seminaries are, we spent plenty of time at the offices of religious references and scholars such as Ayatollah Bahjat, Shahroudi, Al-Haydari, Tabrizi, Al-Rouhani, Al-Shirazi, Al-Haeri, Al-Asfi, Al-Hakim and Al-Youssefi. We either prayed with them or sat with them to make inquiries that only led to more questions.  This was my religious journey, as well as the journey of other young Shiite Saudis, before we moved into more open and mature experiences in terms of critical reading of religious texts. Our piety was pure and we passionately sought knowledge and education. The sky was the limit of our dreams. When we were young, we heard scholars say that God created nothing more honorable than the mind. These young men were afraid that the famous saying of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb “two are harmful, a dissolute scholar and an ascetic fool,” will apply to them. Forethought was thus their habit.
This forethought may not have been as some “clerics” wanted because it meant the mind was the reference that created one’s own vision. I, and others from my generation, may not be “people who seek religious studies,” as virtuous Sheikh Mansour al-Salman explained in his article “Al-Mustafa, and the freedom of thought to attack the sect’s jurists via Al-Arabiya.” The venerate sheikh must thus not waste his time in responding to ideas made by people other than “sheikhs” as they alone possess “knowledge”, as Salman claimed in his article.
According to the traditional and narrow description of what a student of religion is, then yes, we are not jurists and we never claimed we are or sought to assume this role. It’s enough to be educated on the matter and to continuously and humbly seek knowledge without minding these posts and formalities that mean nothing to us. According to the traditional and narrow description of what a student of religion is, then yes, we are not jurists and we never claimed we are or sought to assume this role. It’s enough to be educated on the matter and to continuously and humbly seek knowledge without minding these posts and formalities that mean nothing to us. In an interview, Gaston Bachelard was asked if he should be called Mr. Gaston, so he said: “No, not at all, call me Gaston Bachelard or Bachelard. No more. Don’t call me professor. I am not joking. I am very liberal. Everyone calls me Bachelard.”
Perhaps it’s the desire to control and monopolize that made Salman look at others like they have dysfunctional minds. Perhaps it is due to vanity which those who think suffer from that they are the only ones capable of interpreting “the sacred text”. They monopolize its interpretation and think they are mediators between man and his creator. They forgot that “vanity leads to the states’ demise” as Ali ibn Abi Taleb put it. They forgot that humanity’s education and research tools have developed and there is no longer a need for someone to write letters and send them to heaven!
This generation whose background I just narrated cannot be tamed as they reject others’ tutelage over them for they believe in plurality, tolerance and right to be different and seeks to be a source that creates change in the religious, cultural and social environment in Qatif. It’s working on formulating its own vision about life as it has developed a modern rhetoric and language that is persistent to build and create the future and to be free and strong and not obedient followers like the guardians of the temple want!

Fight against corruption: Paving the way to the fourth Saudi state
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/December 2017
Since the coming to power of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the emergence of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman on the political scene, we are witnessing a new stage, or rather, a new version of the country with attributes of power and dynamism at all levels.
His vision for the management of state affairs during the next phase of the country’s history can be seen by anyone who refers to the content of King Salman’s speech in March 2015 at Al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh. Every paragraph in the speech consolidates foundations of a civil state and promotes values of citizenship through the achievement of social justice and equality, elimination of corruption, enhancement of security, development and welfare. Hence, what we see now is a practical application of King Salman’s ambitious vision, which was translated to Saudi Vision 2030 announced by its mastermind, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. The current anti-corruption drive, represented by the recent royal decree to form a new anti-corruption committee with full power, led by the Crown Prince, is directed at ensuring the realization of Saudi Vision 2030. None of the ambitious projects of Vision 2030, including the National Transformation Program, Fiscal Balance Program and the Public Investment Fund, can be realized unless accompanied by genuine anti-corruption efforts.Without such efforts many of these projects may end up being delayed or hampered by either administrative or financial corruption. According to Nazaha, the National Anti-corruption Commission, 44 percent of government projects are behind schedule. Therefore, the decree contributes to the raising of efficiency and quality of work in accordance with the highest standards through the perfect investment of the available resources without the squandering or abuse of public money. The decree is a quantum leap in transparency and accountability, which contributes to consolidation of citizenship and foundations of a civil state
Vision 2030
Moreover, Vision 2030 is aimed at attracting national investment, encouraging the inflow of foreign capital to the Kingdom and transforming the Saudi investment environment into a healthy one that is globally competitive and attractive. This cannot be achieved without reconsidering the anti-corruption mechanism and verifying that it is not an impediment to internal or external investment. “I am more supportive of Saudi investments today than I was a week ago or a year ago,” said Sam Zell, Chairman at Equity Group Investments, when asked about the recent developments in Saudi Arabia in an interview with Bloomberg.
Such a decisive decree will gain the confidence of local and international investors in the Saudi partnership with heavyweight companies, who will invest in the upcoming large-scale projects including the NEOM project, the Qiddiya project and the Red Sea project, as well as in other fields of technology, military industry and petroleum. The success of these projects requires a transparent and corruption-free investment environment.
Money laundering
Furthermore, many cases of corruption are linked to money laundering, which could threaten the security and stability of the state and its financial system. It is well known that Saudi Arabia is keen to combat this crime through cooperation with the relevant regional and international organizations forefronted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. This led FATF to grant Saudi Arabia an observer seat in 2015. Seeking to win a permanent seat in FATF, Saudi Arabia has started preparations for the third assessment scheduled to take place in June 2018. In addition, Vision 2030 seeks to enhance the international reputation of Saudi Arabia. According to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 2016 issued by Transparency International, Saudi Arabia is ranked 62nd of 176 countries. This is a very low rank that neither reflects the natural position of the Kingdom nor suits the largest Arab economy. Finally, the decree is a quantum leap in transparency and accountability, which contributes to the consolidation of citizenship and the foundations of a civil state in order to achieve development and welfare.