English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 22/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.”
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 08/25-30: “They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 21-22/2022/
Death of UNIFIL Soldier Reflects Hezbollah’s Continuing Impunity in Lebanon
Wounded Irish peacekeeper will be evacuated from Lebanon
Dollar surge causes medicine and baby milk shortages at pharmacies
How a year of Lebanon bank hold-ups unfolded
Bassil: No divorce with Hezbollah, army chief is 'coup commander'
Shiite Fascism, Terrorism and Fictitious Statehood/Charles Elias Chartouni/Wed, December 21, 2022
Expect More Violence If Hezbollah Isn’t Held Accountable for Murdering an Irish Soldier/Hanin Ghaddar/The Washington Institute/December 21/2022
New Lebanon Opinion Poll Shows Continued Internal Dissatisfaction and Desire for International Partners/Frances McDonough/the Washington Institute/December 21/2022

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 21-22/2022/
Biden says Iran nuclear deal 'dead' but US won't announce it publicly
Security forces in Iran used unlawful lethal force against protesters in Sanandaj, the regional Kurdistan capital, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday
An Iranian masterwork opens with its director behind bars
Iranian minister says spoke to Saudi counterpart at Jordan conference
Iranian authorities say 2 killed, 2 arrested after attack
U.S. slaps sanctions on Iran officials over protest crackdown
Netanyahu poised to announce Israel government
Israel to hold remains of deceased Palestinian prisoner
Ukraine’s Zelensky arrives in Washington seeking ‘weapons, weapons and more weapons’
Kremlin warning: More US arms to Ukraine will aggravate war
Why Russia Is Terrified of This New U.S. Weapons Delivery
Kremlin says no chance of Ukraine talks as Zelenskiy travels to Washington
Russian mobile calls, internet seen deteriorating after Nokia, Ericsson leave
Russia may finally be getting its act together in Ukraine war as Zelenskyy makes trip to US
Lukashenko jokes he and Putin are the two ‘meanest, most toxic people on the planet’
Xi Tells Russia’s Medvedev That China Wants Talks on Ukraine
UN official warns against new Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 21-22/2022/
The U.S.-Israel Operations-Technology Working Group Gets Busy/Bradley Bowman/Insight/December 21, 2022
“We Are Going to Kill You and Destroy Your Church”: The Persecution of Christians, November 2022/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/December 21, 2022
How the EU arrived at its new Iran policy/Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/December 21, 2022
Palestine on a knife-edge as extremists surge to power/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/December 21, 2022
Saudi Prisoner Diplomacy During the Ukraine War/Bennett Neuhoff/The Washington Institute/December 21, 2022
New UAE Poll Shows Nuance on Domestic Issues; Growing Public Uncertainty over U.S. Relations; Split Views of Iran & Israel/Catherine Cleveland/The Washington Institute/December 21/2022
Iran Is Dazed and Confused/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/December, 21/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 21-22/2022/
Death of UNIFIL Soldier Reflects Hezbollah’s Continuing Impunity in Lebanon
FDD/December 21/2022
Latest Developments
An angry mob near the Lebanese village of Al-Aqbieh shot and killed an Irish soldier serving in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 14. A UNIFIL force of two armored utility vehicles was traveling to Beirut on a road running along the Mediterranean Sea outside of where UNIFIL normally operates.
Expert Analysis
“Hezbollah is making good on its threats in September following UNIFIL’s mandate renewal, enforcing the restrictions and red lines that it has — often in collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces — imposed on the UN force. The arrangement with UNIFIL and the LAF in south Lebanon is a pro-Hezbollah farce. The U.S. government is underwriting this status quo with hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money every year. Congress should act to defund this charade.” — Tony Badran, FDD Research Fellow
Hezbollah Denies Involvement
Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah official, called the incident “unintentional,” and denied any involvement by Hezbollah. However, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he does not accept Hezbollah’s denial. “We don’t accept any assurances until we have a full investigation concluded to establish the full truth,” he said.
UNIFIL Not Fulfilling Mandate to Help Secure Southern Lebanon
The UN Security Council (UNSC) created UNIFIL in 1978 with the mission of supervising the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. After the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006, the UNSC passed Resolution 1701, which expanded the force’s troop limit from 2,000 to 15,000 (reduced to 13,000 in 2020, with almost 10,000 currently deployed). More importantly, the Resolution updated the force’s mission to ensuring that terrorist groups like Hezbollah do not use UNIFIL’s operational area in southern Lebanon as a base for hostilities against Israel.
UNIFIL receives approximately $510 million in funding from the UN, more than a quarter of which the United States contributes. Yet UNIFIL has not prevented Hezbollah from digging tunnels into Israel, smuggling into Lebanon large numbers of Iranian weapons, and amassing approximately 150,000 projectiles.
Hezbollah Objects to UNIFIL Freedom of Movement
Despite asserting that its force has freedom of movement, UNIFIL coordinates patrols and investigations of Hezbollah activity with the Lebanese government and the LAF, which, in turn, coordinate directly with Hezbollah. A November 15 report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the LAF “continued to object to some patrol routes proposed by UNIFIL to expand its presence outside main routes and municipal centres on the grounds that they were either private roads or areas of strategic importance to the Lebanese Armed Forces.”
An August 31 extension of UNIFIL’s mandate by the UNSC included language reaffirming the force’s right to conduct its operations independently, without “prior authorization” from the LAF. The new language received a hostile response from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who said that it would cause “great dangers” in UNIFIL’s area of operation. UNIFIL immediately responded that despite the resolution, it would continue coordinating with the LAF.

Wounded Irish peacekeeper will be evacuated from Lebanon
BEIRUT (AP)/Wed, December 21, 2022
A wounded Irish U.N. peacekeeper in Lebanon was transferred on Wednesday from a hospital to Beirut's international airport to be medically evacuated to Ireland. Unidentified attackers opened fire on 22-year-old Pvt. Shane Kearney and three other Irish soldiers with UNIFIL, the U.N.'s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, last week as their convoy passed near the southern town of Al-Aqbiya. The area is a stronghold of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. Kearney suffered from blunt force trauma to the head in the attack, and is in serious but stable condition. 24-year-old Pvt. Seán Rooney was killed, while the two other soldiers were lightly wounded. Rooney's body was returned to Ireland on Sunday after Lebanon and the U.N. held a memorial for him. A security official told The Associated Press that Rooney was shot in the head. Lebanon, Ireland, and the United Nations are holding separate investigations into the attack, but have yet to share any findings or issue any arrest warrants. The official told the AP that investigators had retrieved seven bullets from the vehicle. The Irish military in a statement Wednesday said Kearney will be evacuated in a “specially equipped medical aircraft” to Casement Aerodrome, a military base southwest of Dublin, and will continue his treatment at Beaumont Hospital. UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after a 1978 invasion. The U.N. expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to deploy along the Israeli border to help the Lebanese military extend its authority into the country’s south for the first time in decades. That resolution also called for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which has not happened. Earlier Wednesday, Israeli troops lobbed smoke bombs at Lebanese soldiers and residents in the southern Lebanese border town of Al-Hamames, as they set up barriers and barbed wires near its frontier.

Dollar surge causes medicine and baby milk shortages at pharmacies
Naharnet/Wed, December 21, 2022 
The head of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Joe Salloum, warned Wednesday that the dramatic surge in the dollar exchange rate on the black market has led to “a near-complete halt of the delivery of medicines and baby milk to pharmacies.”Pharmacies are “gradually running out” of medicines and baby milk, Salloum cautioned. “As the head of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, who is entrusted with the pharmaceutical sector and citizens’ health, I urge politicians in the country and the international community to rescue the patients and the health sector which is breathing its last breaths,” Salloum added. “Rescue starts with the election of a president for the republic to ensure the least level of financial and economic stability,” Salloum went on to say, warning that there could be “an inevitable collapse and a forced suspension of the entire pharmaceutical sector within days.”The black market dollar exchange rate has witnessed a dramatic surge over the past few days, reaching the record level of LBP 46,400 at around 4:30 pm Wednesday.

How a year of Lebanon bank hold-ups unfolded
Nada Maucourant Atallah/The National/December 21/2022
Depositors have managed to retrieve almost half a million dollars, but more than $100 billion remains frozen
Not a week goes by without Lebanese depositors storming their own banks in a desperate attempt to access savings frozen after the country's economy collapsed. Banks began imposing draconian limits on withdrawals and transfers in 2019, leaving depositors able to access only a fraction of their savings in dollars and Lebanese pounds. But since the start of the crisis, Lebanese leaders have done little to implement reforms and torpedoed successive recovery plans aimed at fairly allocating financial losses between the state, the financial sector and depositors.
Some depositors have turned to local courts to contest the restrictions, but without success. Locked out of their life savings, ordinary depositors have grown increasingly exasperated, while the ruling elite was able to move funds in the early days of a crushing crisis that drove most of the population into poverty. Former director-general of the Ministry of Finance Alain Bifani estimated that $6 billion was “smuggled” by bankers outside Lebanon for the political and economic elites while they were blocking transfers abroad for ordinary people.
“These forced withdrawals — we do not call them heists, because this would imply that these depositors are stealing other people's money — are a solution of last-resort after the exhaustion of all possible ways for depositors to recover their money,” said lawyer Fouad Debs, co-founder of Lebanese Depositors
Bank heists in numbers and locations
The National has recorded 27 depositor bank “heists” since the start of the year, including armed and unarmed hold-ups and sit-ins. These operations have allowed depositors to retrieve by force a total of nearly $450,000 — handed back in dollars and Lebanese pounds. s impressive as they are, these withdrawals are tiny when compared to the $6 billion allegedly transferred for the political and economic elites. ore than $100 billion in savings remains trapped in Lebanese banks.

Bassil: No divorce with Hezbollah, army chief is 'coup commander'
Naharnet/Wed, December 21, 2022
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has said that the FPM’s relation with Hezbollah has not been severed while noting that “there is no dialogue at the moment.”Adding that he does not want a divorce with the longtime ally, Bassil told al-Akhbar newspaper that the 2006 memorandum of understanding between the two parties is “no longer sufficient.”“Time and circumstances have surpassed the understanding,” Bassil added. The FPM chief also noted that some articles of the MoU were “totally neglected,” such as “state building and its requirements.”“Some articles need a different approach, such as the defense strategy, which requires a reinterpretation and a review so that it does not stay merely a headline,” Bassil added. He also reiterated that he finds the latest sea border demarcation with Israel as “the best example to put the defense strategy into implementation,” noting that “the roles of each of the state and the resistance were highlighted in dealing with this file and reaching the demarcation.”“Each of them knew the boundaries of their position and their role, as well as who decides and who implements,” Bassil added. Confirming that he has informed Hezbollah of his “categorical rejection” of the election of Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh as president, the FPM chief added that the same stance also applies to Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, whom he described as the “coup commander,” blaming him for the situations in the country during ex-president Michel Aoun’s tenure in the wake of the October 17, 2019 uprising. If they want Franjieh or Joseph Aoun as president, “let them elect them without us. We are not alone in the country,” Bassil went on to say. The FPM chief, however, emphasized that he rejects the election of a president who “does not enjoy a Christian cover.”

شارل الياس الشرتوني: الفاشية الشيعية والإرهاب والدولة الوهمية
Shiite Fascism, Terrorism and Fictitious Statehood
Charles Elias Chartouni/Wed, December 21, 2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/114249/charles-elias-chartouni-shiite-fascism-terrorism-and-fictitious-statehood-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81/
The assassination of the Irish UNIFIL soldier,Sean Rooney, is a deliberate act of terror which testifies to the inability of the Lebanese State to uphold its sovereignty, respect its commitments, improve its credentials within the international community, coordinate transborder stability, and safeguard the chances of peace after decades of security voids on its Southern borders. Lebanon is losing once again its prerogatives, as an independent and sovereign State, to a terror group after forty years of battered Sovereignty and curtailed Statehood, under the Palestinian-Leftist control of South Lebanon and its destructive effects, both actors partake of the same plot and attest to the detracted status of controversial Statehood. What we are confronted with is far from being a subsidiary scenario, it’s a symptom of structural decay which undercuts the very conditions of working Lebanese Statehood. Hezbollah and its Shiite power rival, Nabih Berri, share the same division of labor: the instrumentalisation of State institutions as a platform for sectarian domination, plundering of public and private resources, clientelism and ultimate political subversion, on the crossroads between the inner and regional political realms.
The premeditated assassination of the young peacekeeper highlights their utter disregard for the political and moral responsibilities which attach to our Statehood and UN membership, as a replica to the Islamic dictatorship in Iran and its discretionary belonging and self defeating ambivalence within the international community. We should reckon with the stated facts, as Lebanese, draw a final line on these deliberate departures, and decide whether it makes sense, onwards, to deal with these paradoxes, condone a flaunted mixture of criminality and terrorism, and fake a semblance of normality, at a time when the basics of Statehood, let alone Constitutional Statehood are undermined. One wonders, whether the ongoing political simulations are worth continuing, and to which extent they are helpful salvaging what’s left of Lebanese territorial Statehood.
Our inability to proceed with basic constitutional mandates gives evidence to the destructive equivocations of fictional Statehood and their deleterious consequences, starting with the mortal financial crises and their multiple cascading effects, and ending with the withering international status. Hence, the instrumentalisation of decaying Lebanese Statehood by Hezbollah and its allies, should be rejected as a political scenario and give way to an ultimate questioning, on whether the coexistence with this subversive political faction is worth considering, and whether the Shiites in Lebanon are willing to be part of the Lebanese commonwealth, with its Liberal and pluralistic credos and democratic institutions. We cannot navigate, further down the line, while perpetuating constitutional and political non sequiturs and adhering to fallacies, at a time when National fundamentals are thrashed and basics of livelihood are out of reach.

Expect More Violence If Hezbollah Isn’t Held Accountable for Murdering an Irish Soldier
Hanin Ghaddar/The Washington Institute/December 21/2022
Whether the group is pulling the trigger itself or inciting others to do so, its brazen disregard for Lebanese civil authority, international law, and Israeli redlines has reached a new low.
When Pvt. Sean Rooney, 23, was shot dead while his UN vehicle was being attacked in al-Aqbiyah, Lebanon, last week, the expected response quickly unfolded: Hezbollah denied involvement; the militia’s leaders declared that “the people” were upset with the increased UN presence in the south, including the area where Rooney was killed; and the Lebanese government scrambled to sweep the incident under the rug as quickly and tidily as possible while avoiding an international crisis. The real story behind what happened can only be uncovered via an international investigation—one that covers not only the December 14 attack, but Hezbollah’s escalating pattern of violence in the south and its complete lack of accountability for such actions.
Since its creation in 1982, Hezbollah has avoided investigation or prosecution for almost all of its many crimes inside Lebanon. Perhaps the only time an investigation pinpointed the militia as the perpetrator of a major incident was the tribunal established after the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri—and even then, the resultant trials took more than a decade to conclude and failed to implicate Hezbollah’s leaders. Every other crime has gone unpunished—including the 2020 Beirut port explosion, a catastrophe in which Hezbollah’s potential involvement is still largely opaque due to the glacial pace of the government investigation it has repeatedly obstructed. The group has also managed to evade responsibility when its supporters take matters into their own hands and strike out at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) or other targets, even though their actions are clearly instigated by Hezbollah propaganda and shielded from prosecution.
The timing of the December 14 incident also coincides with other aggressive Hezbollah operations in the south, including provocations against Israel. Taken together, they indicate that the group is determined to remove any obstacle—local or international—to its expanded military entrenchment.
Face-Off Intensifying Since August
Hezbollah escalation against UN peacekeepers is not new, but the group has been sending more aggressive messages since the Security Council extended UNIFIL’s mandate for another year via Resolution 2650. Hezbollah’s main issue with this decision can be found in a passage from the August 31 UN press statement announcing the resolution: “The Council reiterates that UNIFIL does not require prior authorization or permission from anyone to undertake its mandated tasks, and that it is allowed to conduct its operations independently. It calls on the parties to guarantee UNIFIL’s freedom of movement, including by allowing announced and unannounced patrols.” On September 10, Hezbollah official Muhammad Yazbeck responded to this statement by declaring that UNIFIL personnel would henceforth be considered occupying forces. One can safely conclude that Tehran feels the same way given that Yazbeck also serves as Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s main representative in Lebanon.
Since then, threats, hate speech, and intimidation against UNIFIL personnel have escalated, especially after Lebanon and Israel reached a maritime border agreement in October. In Hezbollah’s view, this deal meant that war with Israel had been averted for the time being. Whether that assessment is accurate or not, it served as an internal green light for Hezbollah cadres to accelerate their military preparedness efforts and tighten their grip on the south—goals that necessitate containing UNIFIL even more forcefully than in previous years.
Troubling Details from the Latest Attack
UNIFIL quickly accused Hezbollah of launching the attack that killed Rooney. Amid the resultant foreign pressure, the Lebanese government issued a security report documenting that his vehicle had been hit by twenty-seven gunshots from several angles. Meanwhile, according to local television outlet LBCI, “The bullet that killed the Irish soldier appears to have entered from the car’s back door, which had been opened during the shooting.” This indicates that the assailants went through some effort to open the crashed vehicle and fire into it at point-blank range—in other words, that they killed Rooney deliberately.
According to Nida al-Watan newspaper, such evidence spurred Lebanese officials to reach out to Hezbollah. They told the group’s leaders that “the issue has become embarrassing” for Beirut diplomatically, and that a “suitable way out” must be found urgently before the planned arrival of an Irish government commission in Lebanon on December 19. Afterward, a senior Hezbollah security official reportedly held a Zoom meeting with an unnamed UNIFIL commander to find the most appropriate formula for closing the case. According to Nida al-Watan, “The Hezbollah security official reiterated that the party is keen on maintaining good relations with UNIFIL, and that it had nothing to do with what happened in the town of al-Aqbiyah.” The UNIFIL commander then retorted, “If you are not directly responsible for the incident, you are responsible for inciting the popular environment in the south against us.” Indeed, this hostile climate is growing among a substantial segment of the southern population. Many locals have accused UNIFIL peacekeepers of being Israeli; some have threatened them with violence as well.
Even more troubling, however, is the fact that Lebanese military intelligence has reportedly identified two suspects in the shooting, but no one has been arrested or handed over to the authorities. This type of disconnect is typically seen when Hezbollah is trying to protect a criminal.
As mentioned previously, Hezbollah has been involved in many attacks against UNIFIL over the years, with each incident usually attributed to “the people” and carrying a pointed message to the international community. The most violent attack was a June 2007 convoy bombing in which six Spanish soldiers were killed. Other high-profile attacks included a 2008 bombing against an Irish convoy and two bombings in 2011: against an Italian unit and a French unit. Hezbollah has also blamed “the people” for the ceaseless lower-scale violence and harassment against UNIFIL convoys over the years, which often includes damaging or confiscating the force’s equipment. But the group seemed to purposefully avoid further fatalities after 2007—until now.
Local Redlines and the Iranian Context
In addition to sending a strong message to UNIFIL and the international community, Hezbollah has been busy along the border with Israel, particularly in the Christian village of Rmeich. There, tensions burst between local residents and Hezbollah’s supposed environmental group “Green Without Borders” after the militia decided to confiscate some of their land for road construction. Community members tried to convince the group to halt the project until a solution could be reached, but Hezbollah authorities ignored their pleas and informed the owners that their lands were located in a strategic border area and must therefore be confiscated for military purposes—even though nothing has formally changed on that frontier since the 2006 war with Israel.
Rmeich’s citizens then turned to the government and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), asking the state to preserve their rights, order those who took their property to evacuate it, and deter any actors who try to prevent them from working on their land. Yet no one moved.
Until recently, Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsor were generally more cautious with UNIFIL (mainly its European units), keeping their harassment of the force within careful constraints. The presumed purpose of this calculated approach was to avoid a serious crisis with the international community, which could trigger major restraints or sanctions from Europe. So why have Hezbollah and Tehran seemingly shifted away from this policy of late?
One potential explanation could be the recent mass protests in Iran, which have shifted international public opinion more sharply against the Islamic Republic. Escalation in Lebanon may be Tehran and Hezbollah’s way of warning Europe to ease off such pressure. Notably, local media reports indicate that French president Emmanuel Macron has canceled a planned trip to spend the Christmas holiday with his country’s UNIFIL contingent in south Lebanon.
Conclusion
The current escalation against UNIFIL is in keeping with Hezbollah’s tactics since the 1980s—namely, its tendency to negotiate through violence, whether in the form of kidnappings, assassinations, or even wars. Today, more than 10,000 soldiers from forty-eight countries have essentially become hostages to Hezbollah and Iran, and they will remain so unless a serious and transparent investigation takes place to uncover and prosecute the perpetrators of the December 14 attack. Given the fact that Lebanon’s judiciary is wholly compromised at the moment—due either to corruption or institutional weakness—only an international investigation will do, backed up by serious diplomatic pressure to compel cooperation from local authorities.
The Rooney tragedy is also a good opportunity to assess how Lebanon’s current presidential frontrunner—LAF commander Joseph Aoun—would deal with the issue if he is elected by parliament. That is, if he allows Hezbollah to hide behind the same narrative of impunity in his current capacity as army chief, then the international community will know all they need to know about what his presidency will look like. A leader who does not value accountability and sovereignty will never guide Lebanon out of its ongoing collapse.
**Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Fellow at The Washington Institute and author of Hezbollahland: Mapping Dahiya and Lebanon’s Shia Community.

New Lebanon Opinion Poll Shows Continued Internal Dissatisfaction and Desire for International Partners
Frances McDonough/the Washington Institute/December 21/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/114258/%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%af%d9%88%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b4%d9%86%d8%b7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b7%d9%84/
Lebanese respondents expressed positive views of the maritime deal and World Cup in Qatar, but seemed disappointed by almost everything else.
Anew public opinion poll of Lebanese citizens, commissioned by the Washington Institute and conducted by a regional commercial firm in November 2022, reaffirms ongoing frustrations amidst the country’s political and economic crises. Responses reveal an increased interest in international connections as pessimism on regional issues grows.
Maritime Deal Garners Some Approval, Despite Opinions on Other Israeli Ties
While Lebanese are overwhelmingly negative when it comes to questions of domestic governance, respondents expressed relatively optimistic views regarding one recent Lebanese foreign policy decision: the maritime deal signed between Lebanon and Israel. Sixty-one percent of respondents stated that the agreement on the maritime boundary would have at least a “somewhat positive” effect on the region, a much higher percentage than respondents in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Egypt.
Still, opinions did not change much on other Israel-related questions. Ninety-one percent of Lebanese respondents “somewhat” or “strongly” disagreed with the following statement: “People who want to have business or sports contacts with Israelis should be allowed to do so.” This uniform rejection is consistent with past polling in Lebanon and similar results in Egypt, but differs starkly from the just less than half of Saudi or Emirati respondents who agreed that such informal contacts should be allowed. Likewise, 85% of respondents in Lebanon expressed that the Abraham Accords are having a “somewhat” or “very” negative effect on the region.
Open imageiconNOV22_Lebanon_Business Sports Contact
The respondents in all four countries, however, agreed in their assessment of the outcomes of Israel’s latest national election, in which Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power with a heavily conservative coalition. In Lebanon, an overwhelming 92% of respondents said this outcome would have a “somewhat” or “very” negative impact on the region.
Lebanese Citizens Universally Displeased with Conditions at Home
When asked to assess how their country was dealing with a variety of political and economic issues, an overwhelming majority of Lebanese respondents (97%) said that their government was “doing too little” in response to three key economic concerns. Namely, Lebanese are in agreement that not enough is being done to reduce the level of corruption in economic and public life, meet people’s needs for an acceptable standard of living, or address the burden of taxes and other obligations in a fair way.
A similarly high majority (91%) also said the government was doing too little to pay attention to the opinions of ordinary citizens. Overall, the gloomy outlook was universal—expressed by Sunnis, Shia, Christians, and Druze both young and old—and was noticeably less differentiated than the outlooks conveyed by respondents elsewhere. Of the four countries polled in November 2022, only Egypt had a similarly high majority of respondents (76%) saying their government was doing too little.
Although nations across the Middle East have all suffered varying degrees of complicated economic downturns, these polling results underline the particular urgency of the situation in Lebanon. Lebanon’s poverty and unemployment rates have skyrocketed to alarming levels in recent months, leaving a large chunk of the population unable to pay for essentials like heating or healthcare. This reality is made worse by a lack of government response, as deepening political divisions in parliament have left Lebanon without a president for over a month. Indeed, 91% of respondents disagree at least “somewhat” with the following statement: “It’s a good thing we are not having mass street protests against the government, as in some other countries lately”—with two thirds of respondents stating they strongly rejected such a view.
Open imageiconNOV22_Lebanon_Mass Protests
United States Behind China and Russia in Perceived Importance, but Up from Previous Polls
Consistent with past polling, more respondents tended to rate the importance of good relations with both Russia and China as at least “somewhat important” in comparison to the percentage of respondents who said the same for relations with the United States.
China took the lead with 72% of the Lebanese polled saying good relations are at least “somewhat important,” up from 68% in March. Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017 to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Lebanon has heavily relied on China for economic support.
In second place came Russia (58%), increasing by four points from when last polled in March 2022. Importantly, Lebanese Shia respondents rated Russian relations much higher than their fellow citizens—83% said these ties were at least “somewhat important” in comparison to 46% of Sunnis and 49% of Christians and Druze who said the same. This figure stands at odds with the majority of total respondents (77%) who suggested that Russian military actions in Ukraine had a “somewhat” or “very” negative impact on the region.
And although the perceived importance of relations with the United States doesn’t reach the levels of China or Russia, the number of respondents who rated these relations as at least “somewhat important” demonstrates a gradual shift over the past two years. When first polled in 2017 and until November 2020, only around 31% of total respondents viewed these relations as even somewhat important. In contrast, 41% now state the same, including a notable shift in attitudes from some Lebanese Shia—responses that this relationship is important have jumped from 7% to 23% among Shia respondents over the past two years. This trend suggests that the economic collapse is gradually changing the minds of some Lebanese on the question of relations with the United States.
Open imageiconNOV22_Lebanon_US Relations
Iran Opinions Skewed Along Demographic Lines
The perceived importance of relations with Iran remains in the low forties (44%), with responses to this question differing greatly depending on religious identity. Similar to past years, 83% of Shia respondents rated Iranian relations as at least “somewhat important.” In contrast, the percentage of Lebanese Sunnis, Christians, and Druze who said the same ranged between 20- 39%, in each case representing a lower percentage than those who valued relations with the United States.
Perceptions of the anti-government protests in Iran also unsurprisingly differed based on religious background. Although 54% of total respondents viewed the protests as at least “somewhat positive”—a higher percentage overall than in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE—only 17% of the Lebanese Shia polled had the same positive assessment.
Likewise, 46% of respondents agreed with this purposefully blunt statement, asked for the first time: “Since Iran is now getting so close to having a nuclear bomb, it’s time for an Arab country to get one too.” At almost half, this percentage was the highest among all four countries polled in November 2022.
Lebanese Agree with Region on World Cup, COP 27, OPEC
On other regional events, Lebanese opinions largely mirrored those of Saudis, Emiratis, and Egyptians. For example, 95% of Lebanese assess the recent World Cup in Qatar as having a “somewhat” or “very” positive effect on the region. These and similar responses from Saudis, Emiratis, and Egyptians highlight the widespread popularity and support for the global event.
In contrast, Lebanese and other respondents appeared split on the impact of the UN’s COP 27 Climate Conference in Cairo. In Lebanon, 45% said the conference was positive, 43% said negative, and 11% said they “hadn’t heard enough to decide”—a mix of views echoed elsewhere in the region.
On the recent decision from OPEC+ to cut oil production, more Lebanese respondents voiced negative opinions than any other of the four countries polled, though in some cases only by a few points. For 82% of Lebanese, the decision is having a “somewhat” or “very” negative impact on the region, presumably because this move will raise costs for Lebanon’s essential oil imports at a time when the country is already undergoing a severe energy crisis.
Methodological Note
This analysis is based on findings from a personal interview-survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Lebanese citizens, conducted in November 2022 by a highly experienced, independent regional commercial company. The sampling was done according to standard geographical probability procedures, yielding a statistical margin of error of 3%. Strict quality controls and assurances of confidentiality were provided throughout. Full results can be viewed on The Washington Institute's interactive polling data platform. Additional methodological details, including demographic breaks and other relevant information, are readily available on request.
**Frances McDonough is a research assistant for the Fikra Forum at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 21-22/2022/
Biden says Iran nuclear deal 'dead' but US won't announce it publicly
Jerusalem Post/December 21/2022
The surfacing of the video comes just days after the IAEA - the UN's nuclear watchdog - visited Tehran to try and renew talks regarding a nuclear pact. The Iran deal, known as the JCPOA, is dead, President Joe Biden said last month, but the United States is not going to announce it.
The statement by Biden was recorded in an amateur video that was published Tuesday evening on social media. It was taken during a campaign stop ahead of the midterms in November in California. Biden was shaking hands during a political rally and was asked by an Iranian-American if he would publicly declare that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the official name of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal - is dead. The president said, “no.” Asked why, Biden said: “A lot of reasons.” The JCPOA, he continued, “is dead, but we’re not gonna announce it.” Biden replied: “I know they don’t represent you. But they will have a nuclear weapon that they'll represent."The surfacing of the video comes just days after the International Atomic Energy Agency - the UN's nuclear watchdog - visited Tehran to try and renew talks regarding a nuclear pact. Negotiations have been frozen since September, when the Islamic Republic suddenly hardened its position on resolving the IAEA probes, despite most of the world’s parties believing that a return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear deal, was all but signed. On Monday night, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that now is the time to push Iran towards an improved nuclear deal, but if efforts fail, the world needs to to show and exercise force. "Iran is, first of all, a global and regional challenge, and only then a threat to Israel," he said. "Just as NATO acts in a coordinated manner when it comes to Ukraine, we must push our partners in the international community to deal with Iran in a coordinated manner before it brings itself to act with nuclear power."

Security forces in Iran used unlawful lethal force against protesters in Sanandaj, the regional Kurdistan capital, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday
Arab News/December 21, 2022
LONDON: Security forces in Iran used unlawful lethal force against protesters in Sanandaj, the regional Kurdistan capital, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. In a report containing statements from 14 victims and witnesses, as well as research into social media clips, the organization urged the newly launched UN fact-finding mission into the country’s protests to investigate the use of excessive force by authorities. Throughout September, October, and November, security forces in Sanandaj used weapons including shotguns and assault rifles to fire on demonstrators with bullets, pellets, and tear gas. HRW said that generally peaceful protesters in the city were met with disproportionate force, resulting in the killing of six people. In one case, 24-year-old Peyman Menbari was shot dead after throwing a stone toward Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and plainclothes agents. A witness in a group of 50 protesters said: “I saw that he threw a stone. Then I heard him sigh and fall in front of me.”Others later identified the shooter as a local Basij paramilitary member. In another incident, a man was shot dead in his car after honking the vehicle’s horn in support of nearby protesters. Videos posted to social media showed a group of men armed with rifles approaching the vehicle, with later footage showing the driver slumped dead behind the wheel. A witness who arrived at the scene of the shooting said: “I went closer and saw that the driver was killed. I saw that the windshield was broken.”Another major incident took place on Nov. 17, when large groups of people gathered at a cemetery in the city to mourn four protesters who had been killed 40 days earlier. People present at the ceremony said that Iranian police and IRGC officers arrived and shot at mourners, resulting in two deaths. HRW cited UN guidance on the use of weaponry by law enforcement. It recommends that, “multiple projectiles fired at the same time are inaccurate and, in general, their use cannot comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality. Metal pellets, such as those fired from shotguns, should never be used.”
In its report, the organization also documented serious abuses against detainees in Iran, including denial of medical aid, torture, beatings, and sexual assault. After being arrested in September as protests spread around the country, two women told HRW that they were beaten and sexually assaulted while detained in a police station. Another woman claimed that an officer hit her in the neck, threw her on the ground, and dragged her toward a group of other officers. She was then beaten. Tara Sepehri Far, senior Iran researcher at HRW, said: “Iranian authorities have dramatically escalated abuses against protesters in custody. “Governments seeking to hold Iran accountable for rights violations should pay special attention to the serious abuses against detainees. “The Iranian authorities have unleashed alarming violence against protesters in Sanandaj since September. “Both the protests and the government’s brutal response to them reflect the government’s long-time repression of the Kurdish people’s cultural and political freedoms,” she added.

An Iranian masterwork opens with its director behind bars
NEW YORK (AP)December 21, 2022
After being arrested for creating antigovernment propaganda in 2010, the Iranian director Jafar Panahi was banned from making films for 20 years. Since then, he’s made five widely acclaimed features.
His latest, “No Bears,” opens soon in U.S. theaters while Panahi is in prison. In July, Panahi went to the Tehran prosecutor’s office to inquire about the arrest of Mohammad Rasoulof, a filmmaker detained in the government’s crackdown on protests. Panahi himself was arrested and, on a decade-old charge, sentenced to six years in jail. Panahi’s films, made in Iran without government approval, are sly feats of artistic resistance. He plays himself in meta self-portraitures that clandestinely capture the mechanics of Iranian society with a humanity both playful and devastating. Panahi made “This is Not a Film” in his apartment. “Taxi” was shot almost entirely inside a car, with a smiling Panahi playing the driver and picking up passengers along the way.
In “No Bears,” Panahi plays a fictionalized version of himself while making a film in a rural town along the Iran-Turkey border. It’s one of the most acclaimed films of the year. The New York Times and The Associated Press named it one of the top 10 films of the year. Film critic Justin Chang of The Los Angeles Times called “No Bears” 2022’s best movie.
“No Bears” is landing at a time when the Iranian film community is increasingly ensnarled in a harsh government crackdown. A week after “No Bears” premiered at the Venice Film Festival, with Panahi already behind bars, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died while being held by Iran’s morality police. Her death sparked three months of women-led protests, still ongoing, that have rocked Iran’s theocracy. More than 500 protesters have been killed in the crackdown since Sept. 17, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. More than 18,200 people have been detained.
On Saturday, the prominent Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, star of Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “The Salesman,” was arrested after posting an Instagram message expressing solidarity with a man recently executed for crimes allegedly committed during the protests.
In the outcry that followed Alidoosti’s arrest, Farhadi — the director of “A Separation” and “A Hero” — called for Alidoosti’s release “alongside that of my other fellow cineastes Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof and all the other less-known prisoners whose only crime is the attempt for a better life.”
“If showing such support is a crime, then tens of millions of people of this land are criminals,” Farhadi wrote on Instagram. Panahi’s absence has been acutely felt on the world’s top movie stages. At Venice, where “No Bears” was given a special jury prize, a red-carpet walkout was staged at the film’s premiere. Festival director Alberto Barbera and jury president Julianne Moore were among the throngs silently protesting the imprisonment of Panahi and other filmmakers.
“No Bears” will also again test a long-criticized Academy Awards policy. Submissions for the Oscars' best international film category are made only by a country’s government. Critics have said that allows authoritative regimes to dictate which films compete for the sought-after prize.
Arthouse distributors Sideshow and Janus Films, which helped lead Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Japanese drama “Drive My Car” to four Oscar nominations a year ago, acquired “No Bears” with the hope that its merit and Panahi’s cause would outshine that restriction.
“He puts himself at risk every time he does something like this,” says Jonathan Sehring, Sideshow founder and a veteran independent film executive. “When you have regimes that won’t even let a filmmaker make a movie and in spite of it they do, it’s inspiring.”
“We knew it wasn’t going to be the Iranian submission, obviously,” adds Serling. “But we wanted to position Jafar as a potential best director, best screenplay, a number of different categories. And we also believe the film can work theatrically.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences declined to comment on possible reforms to the international film category. Among the 15 shortlisted films for the award announced Wednesday was the Danish entry “Holy Spider,” set in Iran. After Iranian authorities declined to authorize it, director Ali Abbasi shot the film, based on real-life serial killings, in Jordan.
“No Bears” opens in New York on Dec. 23 and Los Angeles on Jan. 10 before rolling out nationally. In it, Panahi rents an apartment from which he, with a fitful internet signal, directs a film with the help of assistants. Their handing off cameras and memory cards gives, perhaps, an illuminating window into how Panahi has worked under government restrictions. In “No Bears,” he comes under increasing pressure from village authorities who believe he's accidentally captured a compromising image.
“It’s not easy to make a movie to begin with, but to make it secretly is very difficult, especially in Iran where a totalitarian government with such tight control over the country and spies everywhere,” says Iranian film scholar and documentarian Jamsheed Akrami-Ghorveh. “It’s really a triumph. I can’t compare him with any other filmmaker.”In one of the film's most moving scenes, Panahi stands along the border at night. Gazing at the lights in the distance, he contemplates crossing it — a life in exile that Panahi in real life steadfastly refused to ever adopt.
Some aspects of the film are incredibly close to reality. Parts of “No Bears” were shot in Turkey just like the film within the film. In Turkey, an Iranian couple (played by Mina Kavani and Bakhiyar Panjeei) are trying to obtain stolen passports to reach Europe.
Kavani herself has been living in exile for the last seven years. She starred in Sepideh Farsi’s 2014 romance “Red Rose.” When nudity in the film led to media harassment, Kavani chose to live in Paris. Kavani was struck by the profound irony of Panahi directing her by video chat from over the border.
“This is the genius of his art. The idea that we were both in exile but on a different side was magic,” says Kavani. “He was the first person that talked about that, what’s happening to exiled Iranian people outside of Iran. This is very interesting to me, that he is in exile in his own country, but he’s talking about those who left his country.”Many of Panahi's colleagues imagine that even in his jail cell, Panahi is probably thinking through his next film — whether he ever gets to make it or not. When “No Bears” played at the New York Film Festival, Kavani read a statement from Panahi.
“The history of Iranian cinema witnesses the constant and active presence of independent directors who have struggled to push back censorship and to ensure the survival of this art," it said. "While on this path, some were banned from making films, others were forced into exile or reduced to isolation. And yet, the hope of creating again is a reason for existence. No matter where, when, or under what circumstances, an independent filmmaker is either creating or thinking."

Iranian minister says spoke to Saudi counterpart at Jordan conference
Iranian FM Amirabdollahian presser in Tehran
Parisa Hafezi and Aziz El Yaakoubi/DUBAI (Reuters)/Wed, December 21, 2022
Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday he spoke with his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of a conference in Jordan the previous day, the highest-level encounter reported between officials from the rival states since they cut ties in 2016.
The Middle East's leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran have been on opposing sides of conflicts across the region including in Syria and Yemen. Iraq has hosted five meetings between Saudi and Iranian officials since last year in a bid to ease tensions, the last of which was in April.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, tweeting in Arabic, on Wednesday listed his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, as one of several foreign ministers with whom he had the chance to hold "friendly talks" on the sidelines of the Jordan conference.
"My Saudi counterpart assured me of his country's willingness to continue the dialogue with Iran," Amirabdollahian wrote. The Saudi foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have ticked higher since the eruption of protests in Iran, with the Revolutionary Guards telling Saudi Arabia to control its media and the Iranian intelligence minister warning Riyadh there was no guarantee of Tehran continuing its "strategic patience". Iran has accused its foreign foes of fomenting the protests, in which Iranians from all walks have life have taken part. A top general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Esmail Ghaani, on Tuesday referred to Saudi Arabia - a long-standing ally of the United States - as "a scum and not worthy of being an enemy". Iran's disputed nuclear programme has also added to tensions, with talks between Tehran and world powers on reviving Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement at a standstill since September. Prince Faisal said earlier in December that the signs were "not very positive unfortunately", and that Gulf Arab states would act to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons, which Tehran says it is not seeking. The meeting in Jordan, organised by France and Iraq and aimed at supporting stability in Iraq and the wider region, wrapped up on Tuesday with no word of a bilateral meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Amirabdollahian, in his Tweet, said he also spoke with the foreign ministers of Oman, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait.

Iranian authorities say 2 killed, 2 arrested after attack
CAIRO (AP) /Wed, December 21, 2022
Iranian authorities said Wednesday that two suspects were killed and two more were arrested in connection with a shooting that left seven people dead at a bazaar last month in the country's southwest. IRNA, Iran’s official state news agency, said the two suspects killed were among the perpetrators of the market shooting in the Iranian city of Izeh last month. The report said two others accused of being involved in the attack were arrested in the same operation, led by the Revolutionary Guard and the Country's Intelligence Ministry. Iranian authorities provided no further details about when the operation took place. They offered no evidence that the four men were involved in the attack. News of the security operation was first announced by Iran's Revolutionary Guard in a statement published on Tuesday. It remains unclear what motivated the gun attack in Izeh, or if it is linked to the nationwide protests that have rocked the country since late September. Iranian authorities labeled the incident a ''terrorist'' attack but have not accused any particular group of being behind the shooting. Iranian state TV has in the past said that two gunmen on motorbikes opened fire at Izeh’s Bazaar on the evening of Nov. 16. Around the same time, protesters had gathered in different areas of the city, chanting anti-government slogans and throwing rocks at the police, it reported. Nationwide demonstrations ignited across Iran in late September after the death of a 22-year-old woman who was being held by the country’s morality police. The protests have since morphed into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling clerics and an end to the theocracy established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At least 506 people have been killed in the countrywide demonstrations amid the government crackdown, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that’s been monitoring the protests since they began.

U.S. slaps sanctions on Iran officials over protest crackdown
Daphne Psaledakis/WASHINGTON (Reuters) /Wed, December 21, 2022
The United States imposed sanctions on Iranian officials on Wednesday, including the prosecutor general and key military officials, stepping up pressure on Tehran over its crackdown on protests. The move is the latest Washington response to the Iranian crackdown on unrest after the death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody in September. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on Mohammad Montazeri, Iran’s prosecutor general, accusing him of directing courts in September to issue harsh sentences to many arrested during protests.
Also designated was Iranian company Imen Sanat Zaman Fara, which the Treasury said manufactures equipment for Iran's Law Enforcement Forces, including armored vehicles used in crowd suppression. Washington also imposed sanctions on two senior officials of Iran’s Basij Resistance Forces, a militia affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards that has been widely deployed during the crackdown, and two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials. "We denounce the Iranian regime’s intensifying use of violence against its own people who are advocating for their human rights," the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The protests by Iranians from all walks of life mark one of the boldest challenges to the ruling theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran accuses Western powers of fomenting the unrest, which security forces have met with deadly violence. Wednesday's action freezes any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. People who engage in certain transactions with those targeted also risk being hit with sanctions. Other officials targeted were Hassan Hassanzadeh, whom the Treasury said is the commander of the IRGC's forces in Tehran; Moslem Moein, whom Washington accused of overseeing efforts to control and censor Iranians' online activities as chief of the Basij Cyberspace Headquarters; and Deputy Coordinator of the Basij, Hossein Maroufi.

Netanyahu poised to announce Israel government
Agence France Presse /Wed, December 21, 2022
Veteran Israeli hawk Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce Wednesday that he has formed a new government with his far-right allies, but could seek a brief extension for his fraught coalition talks. Following his November 1 election win, Netanyahu secured a mandate to form a government backed by two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and an extreme-right Zionist bloc. The prospective government, expected to be the most right-wing in Israeli history, would replace the ideologically disparate coalition led by centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Some political analysts had forecast that Netanyahu, 73, would be able to announce a new government quickly -- given the ideological common ground between his right-wing Likud party and its partners. But the talks have dragged on, with Netanyahu compelled to juggle demands for senior cabinet posts, some of which he has been compelled to grant. Among his most controversial moves have been promising the national security ministry to the head of the Jewish Power party, Itamar Ben Gvir, who has a long history of using incendiary rhetoric against Arabs. President Isaac Herzog initially gave Netanyahu until December 11 to agree a government. Ahead of that deadline, Netanyahu asked for two more weeks, the maximum allowed. Herzog gave Netanyahu, who has served as premier for longer than anyone in Israeli history, 10 more days, which expire at midnight (2200 GMT). Netanyahu could ask for four additional days, with Herzog having discretion over whether to grant more time.
Unfinished business
Most Israeli media have predicted that Netanyahu will announce an agreement on a new government ahead of the deadline, even if much remains unresolved. The head of ultra-Orthodox party Shas, Aryeh Deri, is a key player in the new parliament who has been promised the interior and health portfolios. But, according to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Deri cannot serve in cabinet due to past convictions for tax offences. Parliament is expected to pass legislation to remove that obstacle, but has yet to do so even though Netanyahu and his allies control 64 of its 120 seats. More sensitive are measures that would give Ben Gvir control over the border police, which assists the army in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Ben Gvir has been widely accused of inflaming tensions and has repeatedly urged Israeli security personnel to use more force when countering Palestinian unrest. The attorney general has issued a stark condemnation of the prospective government's legislative agenda. She said some of the measures threatened to turn Israel into a "democracy in name, but not in essence". "The politicisation of law enforcement will deal a serious blow to the most fundamental principles of the rule of law, that is to say equality, the absence of arbitrariness and impartiality," she said, adding that the proposed legislation could lead to "profound" changes and required further thought. Netanyahu is also juggling cabinet demands from within his own Likud, by far the largest party in parliament. Leading Israeli newspaper Maariv said that remained a major outstanding challenge as the deadline looms. "There are more demands for important portfolios than available jobs," the paper said in a commentary Wednesday.

Israel to hold remains of deceased Palestinian prisoner
JERUSALEM (AP)/Wed, December 21, 2022
Israel's defense minister said Wednesday that the remains of a Palestinian prisoner who died a day earlier from lung cancer would not be released for burial.
Benny Gantz’s office said the body of Nasser Abu Hamid, one of the founders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, would be held as a bargaining chip for the return of captive Israelis and the remains of soldiers held by the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Abu Hamid, 50, was a former leader of the armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party. He had been serving multiple life sentences since 2002 after being convicted in the deaths of seven Israelis during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israel’s occupation in the early 2000s. Palestinians marched and shuttered shops in the West Bank on Tuesday to protest his death. Israel often withholds the remains of Palestinians killed while allegedly carrying out attacks. Israel says the policy serves as a deterrent for future attacks and leverage for prisoner exchanges, while rights groups say the action is a form of collective punishment inflicted on grieving families. Hamas has been holding two Israeli captives and the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed during the 2014 Gaza war. The families of those four Israelis met with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Wednesday, and the pope “expressed deep solidarity with them, especially with the suffering of the mothers,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. Palestinian officials had called for Abu Hamid's release as his health deteriorated in recent months, and on Tuesday blamed Israel for his death. Gantz denied the allegations that Israel had any involvement in Abu Hamid's death. Abu Hamid’s death came as one of the deadliest years in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in recent decades draws to a close and with the prospects of a negotiated two-state solution increasingly remote.

Ukraine’s Zelensky arrives in Washington seeking ‘weapons, weapons and more weapons’
Reuters/December 21, 2022
WASHINGTON/KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington on Wednesday to meet President Joe Biden, address Congress and seek “weapons, weapons and more weapons” in his first overseas trip since Russia invaded Ukraine 300 days ago. Zelensky said ahead of his visit that it was meant to strengthen Ukraine’s “resilience and defense capabilities” amid repeated Russian missile and drone attacks on the country’s energy and water supplies in the dead of winter. His political adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said the visit showed the high degree of trust between the two countries and offered him the opportunity to explain what weapons Kyiv needed. “This finally puts an end to the attempts by the Russian side ... to prove an allegedly growing cooling in our bilateral relations,” Podolyak told Reuters. “This, of course, is not even close. The United States unequivocally supports Ukraine.”
Ahead of Zelensky’s arrival, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the United States would provide another $1.85 billion in military aid for Ukraine including a Patriot air defense system to help it ward off barrages of Russian missiles. “Weapons, weapons and more weapons. It is important to personally explain why we need certain types of weapons,” Podolyak said. “In particular, armored vehicles, the latest missile defense systems and long-range missiles.”Zelensky has made a point of staying close to his people during the war, with daring trips to battlefronts, countless calls with world leaders and videolink speeches to parliaments and international institutions.In Washington, he will meet Biden at the White House at 2:30 p.m. (1930 GMT), participate in a joint news conference with the US president and then go to Capitol Hill to address a joint session of the US Senate and House of Representatives.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told MSNBC that diplomacy would be discussed with Zelensky, but the Ukrainian leader would be put under no pressure for peace talks. Kirby said Washington was seeing no sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to engage in peacemaking.
“Clearly we’re going to make sure that President Zelensky, when he leaves this country, knows that he’s leaving with the full support of the United States going forward,” Kirby told MSNBC in a separate interview earlier.
Fix problems, Putin tells army
Putin was defiant on Wednesday at an end-of-year meeting of top defense chiefs, saying Russian forces were fighting like heroes in Ukraine, would be equipped with modern weapons and would achieve all Moscow’s goals. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 aiming to capture the capital Kyiv in days, a goal that quickly proved out of reach. Moscow then focused on advancing along eastern and southern fronts but has suffered a string of battlefield defeats since the summer — amid widespread reports of disorganization, poor training and shoddy gear — and on Tuesday Putin conceded that conditions in Russian-held areas were “highly complicated.”In his remarks on Wednesday, Putin said there were no financial limits on what the government would provide in terms of equipment and hardware, but the army had to learn from and fix the problems it had experienced in Ukraine. He gave his backing to a plan by his defense minister to boost the size of the armed forces by more than 30 percent to 1.5 million combat personnel. A call-up of 300,000 reservists in September was plagued with problems, with many men physically unfit or too old and lacking basic equipment. Putin also said he still considered Ukrainians — who have been killed in their tens of thousands, forced to flee in their millions, and seen whole towns and cities destroyed — to be a “brotherly” people. He blamed the war on “third countries (seeking) the disintegration of the Russian world,” revisiting a familiar theme. The West has rejected this as nonsense, calling Russian actions in Ukraine an imperial-style land grab. The Kremlin said on Wednesday it saw no chance of peace talks with Kyiv. In a call with reporters, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine would lead to a “deepening” of the conflict.
Zelensky compared to Churchill
The Biden administration has provided about $20 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery ammunition, munitions for NASAMS air defense systems and for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS). Zelensky has repeatedly called on the West to supply more advanced weaponry, ranging from modern battle tanks to missile defense systems. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, likened Zelensky’s quest to Britain’s World War Two leader Winston Churchill, who sought US aid against Nazi Germany. “Where Winston Churchill stood generations ago, so too President Zelensky stands not just as a president, but also as an ambassador of freedom itself,” the top Senate Democrat said. “Now is not the time...to take our foot off the gas when it comes to helping Ukraine.”
“Fortress Bakhmut”
On Tuesday, Zelensky had made a surprise trip to Bakhmut, an eastern frontline city shattered by months of Russian bombardment. He handed out medals to soldiers and underlining the importance of Bakhmut’s defense against Russia’s stuttering but persistent attempts to capture the city.
In his nightly video address, Zelensky called it a trip to “Fortress Bakhmut” in Donetsk, a province Russia claimed to have annexed in September in a move rejected by most countries as an illegal occupation. Video footage released on Ukrinform TV, part of Ukraine’s state news agency, showed servicemen in Bakhmut handing Zelensky a Ukrainian flag with their signatures on it. “We will turn it over to the Congress and to the US president from the guys,” Zelensky said in the video. “We are grateful for the support. But it’s not enough.”

Kremlin warning: More US arms to Ukraine will aggravate war
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)/Wed, December 21, 2022
The Kremlin warned Wednesday that increasing the supply of U.S. arms to Kyiv would aggravate the devastating 10-month war ignited by Russia's illegal invasion and “does not bode well” for embattled Ukraine. “Weapon supplies (by the U.S.) continue, the assortment of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Peskov's comments were the first official Russian reaction to news that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was heading to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. The trip would be Zelenskyy's first known foreign trip since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion triggered a war that has killed thousands and laid waste to towns and cities across Ukraine. Zelenskyy is expected to leave Washington with pledges of a massive $1.8 billion military aid package that would help his country defend itself from Russian aggression. The latest military hardware from the U.S. would include for the first time a Patriot missile battery and precision guided bombs for fighter jets, U.S. officials said Tuesday.Peskov also confirmed media reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not deliver his annual state-of-the-nation address this year. Peskov wouldn’t comment on the reason for postponing the address until next year, saying only that it has to do with Putin’s “work schedule.” Some Russian media have linked the decision to a war in which Russia long lost its momentum. Earlier this year, the Kremlin also canceled Putin’s yearly press conference, which has taken place every December since 2012. As Zelenskyy traveled to Washington, Moscow also was involved in high-level diplomacy. The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, met Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Medvedev, a former Russian president, said in a video statement that he and Xi discussed an array of topics, including “the conflict in Ukraine.” Medvedev didn’t elaborate.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticized sanctions against Moscow. Beijing has only referred to the invasion as the “Ukraine situation” in deference to Moscow, and accused the U.S. and NATO of provoking Putin by expanding into eastern Europe.
In Ukraine, Russian forces pounded populated areas with more missiles and artillery Wednesday. They shelled areas around the city of Nikopol in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, its governor, Valentyn Reznichenk,o said on Telegram on Wednesday morning.
Nikopol is located across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russian forces currently occupy the plant,, Europe's largest nuclear power station. The Ukrainian president's office reported Wednesday that five civilians were killed and a further 17 wounded by Russian attacks on Tuesday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said iRussia unleashed five missiles and 16 airstrikes on Ukrainian territory and 61 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems. General Staff spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun said Ukrainian forces repelled attacks around more than 25 settlements in eastern Ukraine's Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, with the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka continuing to be key targets of Russia’s grinding offensive. Zelenskyy's trip to the U.S. comes a day after he made a daring and dangerous visit to the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s contested Donetsk province, which he called the hottest spot on the 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) front line. Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia provinces, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in September, remain fiercely contested as Ukrainian resistance stalls Russia's campaign. Capturing Bakhmut would sever Ukraine’s supply lines and open a route for Russian forces to press on toward cities that are key Ukrainian strongholds in the Donetsk province. In a video released by his office from the Bakhmut visit, Zelenskyy was handed a Ukrainian flag signed by soldiers and alluded to delivering it to U.S. leaders. “We are not in an easy situation. The enemy is increasing its army. Our people are braver and need more powerful weapons,” the Ukrainian leader said. "We will pass it on from the boys to the Congress, to the president of the United States. We are grateful for their support, but it is not enough. It is a hint — it is not enough.”

Why Russia Is Terrified of This New U.S. Weapons Delivery
Marcel Plichta/The Daily Beast/December 21, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Washington DC to meet U.S. President Joe Biden and address a joint session of Congress Wednesday. The visit is to announce another tranche of aid to his country, but overwhelming focus from American and Russian commentators alike is the announcement that the U.S. will supply PATRIOT air defense missiles to Ukraine. The PATRIOT donation had been rumored for a few weeks, and there is no shortage of speculation about how useful it will be. Reports talking about how it will perform in Ukraine either oversell its capabilities or undersell its value to Ukraine. Proponents argue that the range and proven performance will reduce the effectiveness of Russia’s terror bombing, which has severely degraded the country’s electrical grid and heating in the dead of winter. The PATRIOT’s detractors argue that the missiles are too expensive (over $1 million per shot), require difficulty and time-consuming training, and would not arrive in sufficient numbers. The truth is in the middle. The PATRIOT is indeed expensive, but most Russian attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure so far have been with missiles that cost about as much or more than a PATRIOT interceptor. Russia has also launched cheaper, one way attack drones like the Shahed-136 at Kyiv, most recently on Dec. 19, but their vulnerability to most air defense platforms means that PATRIOTs would not necessarily have to intercept them if less expensive systems can engage.
In either case, the air defense math equation is not as simple as the cost of the interceptor versus the cost of the missile or drone being intercepted. Even in the case of cheap drones like the Shahed, the damage of a successful strike on a power plant or substation is well beyond the cost of a PATRIOT interceptor, not to mention the impact to Ukrainian civilians who need power and heating.
Ukraine’s Zelensky Gets Ammo AND a Ride in Surprise Trip to D.C.
Moscow also has some choice words for the PATRIOT. Russian officials are constantly threatening to strike PATRIOTs should they be sent. Nearly a month ago, former Russian President Dimitry Medyedev claimed that PATRIOT batteries in Ukraine would “immediately become a legitimate target of our armed forces.”For all the bluster, Putin will likely struggle to actually strike a PATRIOT battery. Unlike other U.S.-provided systems, they will be nowhere near the front lines. Poor Russian targeting means that Russia’s focus when bombing Ukraine’s cities so far have been static targets like Power Plants. A PATRIOT battery, which the Ukrainians can move, will be harder for Russia to target. Even if they did manage to hit some part of the battery, it would mostly be a propaganda victory rather than a fatal blow to Ukraine’s air defense. A single PATRIOT battery (up to 8 individual launchers) is not a silver bullet, but Ukraine is short of air defense. While attacks on Kyiv are mostly intercepted, other Ukrainian cities are much more vulnerable. If a PATRIOT battery frees up other air defense systems to protect places like Odessa or the front line, that is extraordinarily valuable. As more Ukrainians are trained on the system, it also opens the door to providing more as the war progresses. The PATRIOT has gotten a lot of fanfare, but Europe is quietly providing an equally capable platform. On Dec. 14, Forbes reported that Italy and France have agreed to provision the clunkily-named Sol-Air Moyenne Portée/Terrestre (SAMP/T) missile defense system. The SAMP/T has a comparable range to the PATRIOT, but is faster to set up and requires just 14 crew members per battery, compared to the PATRIOT’s 90. The Franco-Italian missile system has gotten nowhere near as much press or threats from Russia, likely because Russia is focused on U.S. policy towards Ukraine, and because the PATRIOT is fielded by half a dozen NATO allies. If Ukraine proves that it can operate U.S.-supplied PATRIOTs effectively, non-U.S. PATRIOT operators might consider supplying replacement parts or more interceptors.
Both the PATRIOT and SAMP/T will help alleviate Ukraine’s air defense shortages, but the timelines for their arrival remain unclear. Neither the donated soviet-era air defense systems Ukraine already knew how to operate, nor the simpler air defense systems donated by the U.S. and Europe require the same amount of training to get them up and running. Some systems promised months ago, like the Crotale, have yet to be observed in Ukraine. Regardless of how quickly these systems arrive, American and European willingness to part with sophisticated systems show commitment supporting Ukraine—and confidence that they can be used to defend against Russian aggression.

Kremlin says no chance of Ukraine talks as Zelenskiy travels to Washington
MOSCOW (Reuters)/Wed, December 21, 2022
- The Kremlin said that nothing good would come from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's trip to Washington on Wednesday and that Russia saw no chance of peace talks with Kyiv. In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine would lead to a "deepening" of the conflict - something which could backfire on Kyiv, he warned. "The supply of weapons continues and the range of supplied weapons is expanding. All of this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict. This does not bode well for Ukraine," Peskov said. Zelenskiy was due to meet U.S. President Joe Biden and Congressional leaders on Wednesday in his first foreign trip since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into his country on Feb. 24. Asked whether Moscow had any expectations that something positive could come from Zelenskiy's trip, Peskov answered: "No".During his visit, the United States is also set to approve the delivery of advanced Patriot missile systems to Ukraine as part of the latest multi-billion dollar package of military support for Kyiv.

Russian mobile calls, internet seen deteriorating after Nokia, Ericsson leave
STOCKHOLM/MOSCOW (Reuters)//Wed, December 21, 202
- When telecoms gear makers Nokia and Ericsson leave Russia at the end of the year, their departure could steadily cripple the country's mobile networks over the long-term, setting off a deterioration in communication for everyday Russians. Five senior telecoms executives and other industry sources said Russian mobile phone users will likely experience slower downloads and uploads, more dropped calls, calls that won't connect, and longer outages as operators lose the ability to upgrade or patch software, and battle over dwindling spare parts inventories.
Ericsson and Nokia, which together account for a large share of the telecoms equipment market and close to 50% in terms of base stations in Russia, make everything from the telecom antennas to the hardware that connects optical fiber carrying digital signals.
They also provide crucial software that enables different parts of the network to function together. "We are working towards the end of the year and that's when all exemptions (from sanctions) expire," Ericsson's finance chief Carl Mellander told Reuters. Ericsson received exemptions to sanctions from Swedish authorities.
Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark echoed that sentiment in a interview: "Our exit will be complete. We are not going to deliver anything to Russia."Russia's economy has so far weathered sanctions and export controls put in place by governments after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, but the impending withdrawal of Nokia and Ericsson could have a more profound impact on Russian daily life, eventually making difficult something as simple as a phone call. Russia's digital ministry did not respond to requests for comment, but this week Maksut Shadaev, minister of communications and mass media, said four telecoms operators were signing contracts to spend more than 100 billion roubles ($1.45 billion) on Russian-made equipment. "This will allow us to organise modern production of telecoms equipment in Russia," he said, without naming the operators or producers. Russia's leading telecoms operator MTS declined to comment on this story. Megafon, Veon's Beeline and Tele 2, the other companies making up Russia's Big Four telecoms firms, did not respond to requests for comment. Government programs to promote Russian equipment have helped telecoms operators become less reliant on Nokia and Ericsson over the past several years and Russian producers have increased their market share this year to 25.2% from 11.6% in 2021. But the severing of ties to foreign firms is expected by industry sources to set back Russian communications by a generation as the rest of the world forges ahead with deploying 5G technologies. "If, presumably, this situation lasts for years, Russian cellular networks in terms of coverage may return to the state of the late 1990s, when their coverage was limited to large cities and the richest suburbs," said Leonid Konik, who runs the IT publication ComNews in Moscow. Rural areas will start breaking down first as operators remove equipment to bolster urban networks, the telecoms experts said, while a lack of software updates may lead to network outages, or expose them to cyber attacks. Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei, the biggest vendor in Russia last year with more than a third of the market, will continue to provide software updates and continue maintenance work, but has stopped selling new equipment in Russia, according to sources familiar with the matter.
SOFTWARE UPGRADES END
The biggest hurdle for mobile operators to keep their networks running will be the lack of software upgrades - Nokia and Ericsson said they would cut off software updates by next year - and patches, the sources said. Software unifies a range of equipment that makes up a telecom network, converts analogue and digital signals; monitors and optimizes network traffic; and protects infrastructure against cyber attacks. While mobile operators can hoard hardware parts for future use, they are reliant on a regular schedule of licensed software updates and patches to maintain the integrity of a network. "Unquestionably, software patches are paramount to ensure networks remain operational, safe secure and reliable," said Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight. Russian telecom operators stockpiled foreign-made parts in February and March ahead of sanctions, two of the industry sources said, but inventory will drop after Nokia and Ericsson pull the plug Dec. 31. Consolidation between Russian operators at the behest of the government might also allow them to share equipment and resources to make the networks last longer, industry sources added. Huawei, which stopped selling new equipment in Russia when the United States started sanctioning Russia, has also stopped selling its smartphones in the country, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Huawei has not publicly disclosed its status in Russia and declined to comment.

Russia may finally be getting its act together in Ukraine war as Zelenskyy makes trip to US
Sky News/Wed, December 21, 2022
This will be a big moment in the war in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed world leaders and gatherings by video throughout the conflict but his visit to the US is the first time he has left the country since Russia's invasion. There will be security risks but they should not be overplayed as world leaders have come and gone to Kyiv safely so he can go and come back. Ukraine latest: China delivers message to Russia over war .Yesterday, Mr Zelenskyy visited the most dangerous place on earth, the frontline town of Bakhmut where one of the fiercest battles of this war is raging. Upon meeting frontline troops, Mr Zelenskyy was given a Ukrainian flag signed by soldiers, in which he said he would take it to Washington as a reminder of the help Ukrainians need. There is a keen sense here that the West has underestimated the threat posed by Russia, not so much on the battlefield, but to Ukraine's vital power supply. It has not given Ukraine the means to repel waves of drones and missiles that are wreaking havoc on the country's electricity grid. We have seen the result first-hand. All of the country's cities face power cuts or severely restricted power. If this continues, Ukrainian civilians will freeze to death over the winter, potentially in great numbers. There is also a sense the West is giving Ukraine just enough weapons to continue this war, but not to finish it. The fear remains, that after months of catastrophic blunders, the Russians may finally be getting their act together under a new commander and with tens of thousands of new recruits. The newly mobilised are poorly motivated, equipped and trained. However, Russian commanders have always relied on quantity, not quality. In Bakhmut they are sending waves of troops, who are being slaughtered in their hundreds a day it seems but the relentless assault is taking its toll on Ukraine. If the West wants Russia to lose this war, it will need to do much more. Mr Zelenskyy knows there are grumblings, particularly on the right of American politics, about the amount of help being given to his country. This is his chance to meet American politicians of all stripes, look them in the eye, and say he needs more help - otherwise the freedom they say they value so much is in peril, and not just in Ukraine.

Lukashenko jokes he and Putin are the two ‘meanest, most toxic people on the planet’
Lucy Skoulding/The Independent/Wed, December 21, 2022
The president of Belarus was heard joking with Vladimir Putin that they are the two “meanest, most toxic people on the planet” during a meeting between them in Minsk. The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg tweeted that he overheard Alexander Lukashenko saying “we only argue about who is worse” when referring to his meeting with Mr Putin. Mr Putin travelled to the Belarusian capital to meet with Mr Lukashenko, sparking Ukraine to tighten up its defences on its borders with Belarus over fears Russia could be planning a fresh attack. Rosenberg tweeted on Monday evening: “Sitting next to Putin, Lukashenko jokes (at least I think he’s joking): ‘The two of us are co-aggressors: the meanest, most toxic people on the planet. We only argue about who is worse. Vladimir Vladimirovich says I am. I’ve started to believe he is. We decided we’re equal.’”The Ukrainian advisor to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, shared a video on Twitter showing Mr Lukashenko saying this. It comes as President Putin said the situation in four areas of Ukraine that Moscow has declared are part of Russia was “extremely difficult” and ordered security services to step up surveillance to secure its borders and combat new threats. Mr Putin’s comments made on Security Services Day, widely celebrated in Russia, came as Kyiv renewed calls for more weapons after Russian drones hit energy targets and as fears grow that Moscow’s ally Belarus could open a new invasion front against Ukraine. Mr Putin ordered the Federal Security Services (FSB) to step up surveillance of Russian society and the country’s borders to combat the “emergence of new threats” from abroad and traitors at home. In a rare admission of the invasion of Ukraine not going smoothly, Mr Putin cautioned about the difficult situation in Ukraine’s regions that Moscow moved to annex in September and ordered the FSB to ensure the “safety” of people living there.
“The situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is extremely difficult,” Mr Putin said late on Monday in comments translated by Reuters. In September, a defiant Putin moved to annex a swath of Ukraine, some 15% of the country in a Kremlin ceremony, but earlier this month, he said the war “can be a long process.” Mr Putin’s move to annex the areas was condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies as illegal. On Monday, Mr Putin made his first visit to Belarus since 2019, where he and his counterpart extolled ever-closer ties at a news conference late in the evening but hardly mentioned Ukraine. Kyiv, meanwhile, was seeking more weapons from the West after Russian “kamikaze” drones hit energy targets early on Monday.
“Weapons, shells, new defence capabilities...everything that will give us the ability to speed up the end to this war,” president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his evening address. The Ukrainian military high command said their air defences had shot down 23 of 28 drones most over the capital Kyiv in what was Moscow’s third air strike in six days. Russia has targeted Ukraine’s power grid, causing blackouts amid sub-zero temperatures. The “kamikaze” drones used in the attacks are cheaply produced, disposable unmanned aircraft that fly toward their target before plummeting at speed and detonating on impact.To the northwest of Ukraine, there has been constant Russian and Belarusian military activity for months in Belarus, a close Kremlin ally that Moscow’s troops used as a launch pad for their abortive attack on Kyiv in February. Mr Putin’s trip to Minsk has stirred fears in Ukraine about the broader involvement of Belarusian armed forces in the invasion. Mr Putin and Mr Lukashenko scarcely touched on Ukraine at a post-talks news conference, instead extolling the benefits of defence and economic alignment. Mr Lukashenko has said repeatedly he has no intention of sending his country’s troops into Ukraine, where Moscow’s invasion faltered badly with a string of battlefield retreats in the face of a major counter-offensive. The Kremlin on Monday dismissed the suggestion that Mr Putin wanted to push Belarus into a more active role. The RIA Novosti news agency quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying such reports were “groundless” and “stupid”. Both Mr Putin and Mr Lukashenko were also at pains to dismiss the idea of Russia annexing or absorbing Belarus. “Russia has no interest in absorbing anyone,” Mr Putin said. Asked about this comment, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said it should be treated as the “height of irony”, given it was “coming from a leader who is seeking at the present moment, right now, to violently absorb his other peaceful next-door neighbour”.

Xi Tells Russia’s Medvedev That China Wants Talks on Ukraine
Bloomberg News/Wed, December 21, 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping told former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that his nation would like to see talks on Ukraine, comments that come as Beijing tries to improve ties with Europe. Xi told Medvedev in Beijing that his administration has been “actively promoting peace and talks,” according to state broadcaster China Central Television. “China hopes relevant parties can stay rational and restrained, conduct comprehensive talks, and resolve mutual concerns on security via political methods,” Xi said. Beijing still wants to work with Russia to develop ties, he added.
China has avoided criticizing Russia over the war in Ukraine, blaming the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for Moscow’s actions. Beijing did sign off on a communique at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia in November that said “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine,” but continues to refrain from calling it a war. Since a congress of the ruling Communist Party in October, Xi has been working to prevent already strained relations with the European Union from worsening. Last year, the EU halted an investment agreement with China after both sides traded sanctions over Xinjiang, where the US has accused Beijing of genocide. China denies those allegations. In November, Xi told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he opposed the use of nuclear force in Europe, underscoring Beijing’s desire to keep Russia’s war in Ukraine from escalating. This month, he used talks with visiting European Council President Charles Michel to call for efforts to resolve the crisis.

Analysis-Russian gold removed from some Western funds after Ukraine
Peter Hobson/LONDON (Reuters)/Wed, December 21, 2022
Hidden inside high-security bank vaults in London, Zurich and New York, billions of dollars' worth of gold of Russian origin has quietly changed hands in recent months in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Data from 11 Western investment funds show that Russian bullion worth a total of $2.2 billion at current prices was removed from their accounts between July and November.Funds storing gold have shrunk in recent months as rising interest rates triggered disinvestment from bullion. But the data, compiled by Reuters, shows Russian gold being removed at a significantly faster pace than that from other countries. While a small fraction of the total amount of Russian gold held by wealth managers, this reflects a shift, with some funds saying they no longer want to hold any assets linked to Russia. Two sources at exchange traded funds (ETFs) with hundreds of tonnes of gold said they would like to divest from metal originating in Russia. One said he had asked the bank paid to store his fund's gold to allocate as little Russian metal as possible to it. ETFs are among the biggest holders of bullion and many list publicly the bars they own. This means investors can see whether they have Russian gold as each bar is stamped with its origin. "Some clients click on the bar list, see a lot of Russia and they are like, 'Whoa, what's going on?'," one source said. "Explaining it to them is difficult. We want to make the barriers to entry (to the fund) as low as possible and anything that would make them doubt that this is the right product we try to eliminate," the source added.
'BUSINESS AS USUAL'
In the months after Russia invaded Ukraine, banks resisted requests from funds to remove Russian gold, fearing a sell-off that would disrupt the market. "We didn't want a knee jerk sell-off of all the Russian metal," said an executive at one of the banks storing gold for ETFs, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It's been phased in a controlled, business as usual manner," the executive said of the removal of Russian gold. Funds do not have to sell their holdings as gold produced in Russia before March 7, shortly Moscow began what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine, does not fall under Western sanctions against Moscow, unless it is owned by a sanctioned Russian individual or company. But sanctions do bar funds from holding new gold from Russia, which is one of the world's biggest producers, mining around 330 tonnes a year worth $19 billion at current prices.
Two people at banks which store gold said some funds that publicly reveal the origin of what they own are worried that investors may not want them to hold Russian metal, while other owners of gold who do not publish such data are less concerned. Russian gold removed from such funds was often reassigned to other owners in the same location, the bankers said. But some has been shipped to Asia, where demand has been strong in recent months, according to bankers, analysts and customs data. The amount of gold stored in vaults in London monitored by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) fell by 468 tonnes, or 5%, in the first 11 months of the year. British and Swiss customs data show huge shipments to China, India and other countries in Asia and the Middle East.
GOLD FLOWS
Reuters analysed the holdings of eleven of the biggest ETFs.
These between them held almost 2,300 tonnes of gold in late November worth $130 billion, stored in London, Zurich and New York, around two thirds of all the gold owned by ETFs globally, according to the World Gold Council, which tracks the sector.
Most of the gold held by ETFs is managed by JP Morgan, HSBC and ICBC Standard. ICBC Standard is the smallest, holding around 100 tonnes of gold for the eleven funds tracked by Reuters, and has moved the fastest, reducing Russian gold by 47% in those funds while increasing non-Russian gold by 16% since mid-July. HSBC, which stored around 1,100 tonnes of gold for the tracked funds, reduced Russian gold in their accounts by 20% since July and non-Russian gold by 10%. JP Morgan, which stored around 1,050 tonnes of gold for the funds, trimmed Russian gold by 13% and non-Russian gold by 9%.
All three banks declined to comment. Of the funds, eight had cut the proportion of Russian gold in their stockpiles since July, while two, run by Amundi and WisdomTree, had shed all of their Russian metal. Amundi and WisdomTree did not respond to requests for comment. Since July, the total amount of Russian metal in the 11 funds has fallen 19%, while non-Russian gold has decreased 9%. However, the two largest funds, BlackRock's iShares Gold Trust and the World Gold Council's SPDR Gold Shares, actually increased their proportion of Russian gold. The WGC said its funds were guided by rules set by the London Bullion Market Association, under which pre-war Russian gold is eligible to trade. BlackRock declined to comment. In late November, 7% of the bullion in the 11 funds was Russian, down from 7.8% in mid-July.
The shift by some ETFs away from Russian gold further fragments a market where traditionally all bars were equal. Some funds are already stocking only newer gold bars which they say are more responsibly sourced than older ones.
But not many large funds expect to be able to reliably claim to be free of Russian gold anytime soon because ETFs typically draw metal from the wider market and must take eligible gold even if it is Russian, though they can later seek to remove it.
"In theory they could come to us with 100% Russian bars and we would have to accept them," the ETF executive said. "It's a long journey. I have no expectation that there will be zero Russian gold anywhere in the near future."

UN official warns against new Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
UNITED NATIONS (AP) /Wed, December 21, 2022
A senior U.N. official urged the international community Tuesday to prevent Armenia and Azerbaijan from resuming their conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region as the two countries accused each other of violating a Russian-brokered peace agreement. U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Miroslav Jenča said a renewed conflict would likely impact the wider south Caucasus region and beyond. He urged redoubled diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan “before it is too late.”
The former Soviet countries have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed broad swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories held by Armenian forces. More than 6,700 people died in the fighting that was ended by a Russia-brokered peace agreement.
Jenča said there has been “a glimmer of hope” for progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts following renewed violence in mid-September that killed 155 soldiers from both countries. But regrettably, he said, tensions on the border and around areas put under control of Russian peacekeeping forces in the 2020 peace agreement “have not abated as hoped.”
He pointed to several incidents that have raised tensions, the latest reportedly involving protests near a Russian peacekeeping post on the Lachin road, the only artery between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Jenča said it has been reported that the protests were against what the demonstrators claimed is the illegal exploitation of mineral resources and the environmental impact on the surrounding area. He said the U.N. understands the protests were continuing Tuesday but it is not in a position to verify or confirm the allegations.
In recent days, he said, both Armenia and Azerbaijan have written to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and to the Security Council offering widely differing accounts of the situation, alleging violations of commitments by the other side, and challenging each other’s claims.
The U.N. welcomes the commitment of Russian peacekeeping forces “to facilitate and ensure the safe passage through the corridor,” Jenča said, citing media reports and statements from Russian peacekeepers indicating that some humanitarian and medical supplies have gotten through.
Armenia’s U.N. Ambassador Mher Margaryan told the council his country called the emergency meeting because since Dec. 12, the Azerbaijan initiated “massive campaign of state-sponsored protests along the Lachin corridor” has blocked the only supply route in and out of Nagorno-Karabakh creating “an evolving humanitarian crisis.”At least 1,100 civilians have been stranded along the blocked highway for the past week, and transferring patients for urgent treatment in Armenian hospitals “has become impossible, which has already resulted in fatality of a critically ill patient,” he said.
“By orchestrating an unlawful blockade of the Lachin corridor under the made-up pretext of environmental concerns,” Margaryan said, “Azerbaijan has effectively targeted a population of 120,000 people by isolating them in precarious humanitarian conditions during the winter season.”
Azerbaijan’s U.N. Ambassador Yashar Aliyev told the council that under the November 2020 Russian-brokered deal the Lachin district was returned to Azerbaijan which committed to guarantee the security of people, vehicles and cargo moving along the road.
“Neither the government of Azerbaijan nor the protesting activists have blocked the Lachin road,” he said. “Video clips shared on social media show unimpeded passage of the various types of vehicles, including ambulances and humanitarian convoys,” Aliyev said. “The claims regarding alleged humanitarian consequences of the situation are equally false. This is nothing other than another manifestation of reckless manipulation by Armenia of the situation for obvious malign political purposes.”Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Anna Evstigneeva expressed concern about reports of blockage of the Lachin corridor, saying in recent days Russia “has been taking every effort to ensure prompt settlement of the situation.” As a result, she said, natural gas supplies have been delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh and traffic on the road was partly unblocked. Russia calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to observe the cease-fire and no-use-of-force agreements achieved under its mediation, “to demonstrate restraint, and keep from steps that may escalate tension,” Evstigneeva said.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 21-22/2022/
The U.S.-Israel Operations-Technology Working Group Gets Busy
Bradley Bowman/Insight/December 21, 2022
Leaders from the Pentagon and Israel’s Ministry of Defense convened the second meeting of the U.S.-Israel Operations-Technology Group (OTWG) in Israel last month to advance research and development (R&D) cooperation between the two militaries. If both governments continue to seize the opportunity and Congress holds the OTWG accountable for tangible results, the working group can help ensure that American and Israeli warfighters do not confront adversaries wielding more sophisticated weapons.
With bipartisan congressional leadership by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) as well as Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), and others, Congress authorized the establishment of the OTWG in Section 1299M of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which became law on January 1, 2021.
The Department of Defense and Israel’s Ministry of Defense then developed a memorandum of understanding and established the OTWG on November 1, 2021. The group convened its inaugural meeting in the United States in May 2022.
Following that meeting, the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee both used their respective committee reports for the annual defense bill to applaud the establishment of the OTWG and reiterate the OTWG’s four purposes explicitly. These include:
(1) Providing a standing forum for the United States and Israel to systematically share intelligence-formed military capability requirements;
(2) Identifying military capability requirements common to the Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of Israel;
(3) Assisting defense suppliers in the United States and Israel by assessing recommendations from such defense suppliers with respect to joint science, technology, research, development, test, evaluation, and production efforts; and
(4) Developing, as feasible and advisable, combined United States-Israel plans to research, develop, procure, and field weapon systems and military capabilities as quickly and economically as possible to meet common capability requirements of the Department and the Ministry of Defense of Israel.
In summary, the OTWG seeks to identify vital military requirements shared by both militaries as early as possible, receive proposals from American and Israeli industry to quickly meet those requirements, and then establish combined plans to develop and field those capabilities to both militaries as quickly as possible. That process, spurred by accountability to Congress, can expedite the delivery of game-changing technologies and capabilities.
To be sure, the United States and Israel already enjoy a deep defense partnership. Nevertheless, dangerous military capability gaps continued to emerge in recent years that the OTWG can prevent going forward.
Consider, for example, that it took the Pentagon until 2019 to acquire for U.S. tanks Israeli-made active protection systems that the Israel Defense Forces has used since 2011. Consequently, U.S. soldiers deployed for years lacking this cutting-edge protection against missiles and rockets, subjecting those troops to unnecessary risk.
Given the trajectory of the U.S. competition with China, Americans may pay a higher cost for such delays in the future. The Pentagon’s annual China Military Power Report published last month makes clear that Beijing is sprinting to develop advanced capabilities designed to defeat U.S. forces. The United States often takes far too long to go from concept to fielded combat capability. Working with Israel, a country known for fielding new cutting-edge combat capabilities quickly, can help ensure American warfighters have what they need sooner so they can accomplish their missions and return home safely.
Similarly, when Israel waits for extended periods for U.S. government agencies to approve combined R&D programs, the urgency of the threats often forces Jerusalem to forge ahead on its own. When that happens, the United States misses out on Israeli agility in fielding new weapons, and Israel misses out on American innovations and economies of scale (i.e., lower unit costs based on larger purchases), depriving Israel of precious opportunities to stretch its finite defense budget. That dynamic also prevents the two militaries from fielding the same capabilities simultaneously, which would facilitate more effective combined training and operations.
If the meeting last month in Israel is any indication, the U.S. Department of Defense and Israel’s Ministry of Defense see the opportunity, take the OTWG’s four tasks seriously, and are moving with a sense of urgency. U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu and her Israeli counterpart, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, the head of Defense Research and Development, convened both the May and November meetings.
They have established six sub-working groups: artificial intelligence/autonomy, directed energy, counter-unmanned aerial systems, biotechnology, integrated network systems-of-systems, and hypersonic capabilities. Not surprisingly, these areas of focus mirror some of the Department of Defense’s top R&D priorities.
The OTWG’s early momentum is good news for the security of the United States and Israel. The Biden administration’s next report to Congress on the OTWG’s performance is due on March 15, 2023, according to the 2021 NDAA. Members of the armed services committees will also expect regular updates from Under Secretary Shyu on the OTWG’s progress in fulfilling its responsibilities and delivering on expected results.
*Bradley Bowman is senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Brad and CMPP, please subscribe HERE. Follow Brad on Twitter at @Brad_L_Bowman. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CMPP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

سوف نقتلكم وندمر كنائسكم/ريموند إبراهيم من موقع كايتستون: قائمة مفصلة بحوادث اضطهاد المسيحيين في العالم خلال شهر تشرين الثاني/2022
“We Are Going to Kill You and Destroy Your Church”: The Persecution of Christians, November 2022
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/December 21, 2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/114245/we-are-going-to-kill-you-and-destroy-your-church-the-persecution-of-christians-november-2022-raymond-ibrahim-gatestone-institute-december-21-2022-%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%81-%d9%86%d9%82%d8%aa%d9%84/
Without any prior notice, government authorities bulldozed the church and homes of 200 Christians in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, leaving them homeless. “The timing is particularly concerning, coming so soon after costly and devastating floods, and with winter already here and temperatures plummeting.” — The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, November 26, 2022.
108 Medieval and early modern Armenian monasteries, churches and cemeteries, between 1997 and 2011, have already experienced “complete destruction,” according to Caucasus Heritage Watch. “[N]ew satellite imagery….showed how a monastery, more than 700 years old , was destroyed, then re-erected as a mosque. — theartnewspaper.com, November 25, 2022, Azerbaijan.
“There has been a marked uptick in religiously motivated attacks by Palestinian Muslims on Christians in Bethlehem….. The Palestinian Authority, responsible for security in the area, did nothing.” — Israel365.com, November 21, 2022.
“I want to burn Christianity … we have incinerators and holocausts like Hitler, a lesson from history…. I swear to Allah we will cause chaos and kill the non-believers…. Whoever is not happy, a bullet in their head, I don’t want a single person alive who would oppose Sharia.” — Tarek Namouz, 42, a barber shop owner in London who, on seven separate occasions, sent £25,000 to ISIS fighters in Syria, Daily Mail, December 15, 2022.
“We will escalate the war against you until you submit to Islam… Our desire is to kill you or be killed, for we are martyrs before Allah, so submit or run from us.” — Message on social media addressed to “the Mozambican crusader army,” it also targeted Christians and Jews, whom it offered “three choices: submit to Islam, pay tax [jizya], or accept endless war.” — Zitamar News; November, 18, 2022, Mozambique
“Even when an abducted girl is found by police she will not be returned to her family. Instead she is sent to a Women’s refuge centre that is meant to be impartial but is corruptible. Muslim rapists or their friends gain access to these protective centres and threaten to kill the girl and her family unless she states she willingly married the Muslim man…. Christian children are bullied in school and even killed for their faith. This prevents Christian families sending them to school which perpetuates levels of illiteracy. …. Provincial Curriculum text books caricature and demonize Christians and other minorities.” — British Asian Christian Association, November 27, 2022, Pakistan.
Throughout the month of October 2022, at least 21 Christians were slaughtered by “Islamist extremists” in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique. Pictured: Burned and damaged huts in the village of Aldeia da Paz, Cabo Delgado Province, following an August 1, 2019 attack on the village by an Islamist group. (Photo by Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images)
The following are among the murders and abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians throughout the month of November 2022:
The Muslim Slaughter of Christians
Nigeria: Muslim terrorists slaughtered “at least” 40 Christians in Plateau and Kaduna states alone, according to an end of month report published on Nov. 30. They also wounded at least 20 Christians, burned down a village church and many Christian homes. One of the Christians murdered was originally abducted and held for ransom. His brother shared the treacherous outcome:
“My brother, a father of two children, was kidnapped in early October … The bandits contacted us and demanded that we pay a ransom of the amount of 200 million naira (US$450,418), but after a long process of negotiations, they reduced the ransom to 10 million naira (US$22,520). We were able to raise 3 million naira, but unfortunately after collecting the money from us, they still killed my brother on Nov. 17.”
After breaking their part of the deal by slaughtering their ransomed victim, the Muslim terrorists demanded another ransom merely to return the man’s corpse to his family. The brother continued:
“The bandits said that if we pay them [an additional] 10 million naira [US$22,520], they’ll release my brother’s corpse to us. This is a very sad and depressing situation for us as my brother was tortured to death.”
Mozambique: Throughout the month of October 2022, at least 21 Christians were slaughtered by “Islamist extremists,” a Nov. 9 report revealed:
“The Islamists … announced the killing of 20 Christians [and another in a church-burning incident below] and the displacement of hundreds more in Cabo Delgado between October 3 and 20. The attacks were carried out by an Islamic State (IS)-affiliated organisation Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, known locally as Al Shabaab (not the Somali-based group of the same name). They were announced in al-Naba, the weekly magazine of IS (also known as ISIS, ISIL, Daesh).”
Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches
Mozambique: According to a Nov. 9 report, “Jihadists set fire to a church building and several houses in the Chiure district of Cabo Delgado Province on October 26, killing one person.” Along with the church they torched, the Muslim terrorists said in a communique that they had also destroyed “other church property in Cabo Delgado,” although no details were given.
Uganda: Muslims demolished a Christian church and beat its pastor for reportedly “leading 23 Muslims to Christ in August,” which “angered Muslims,” said Pastor Agaba Ezera. On Nov. 8, during evening prayers:
“From out of nowhere, people came shouting and chanting Islamic words as if they were going to attend Eid prayers. They started beating us and pushing the church building down, as well as pulling off the iron sheets.””‘You brought kafiri [infidels] here and converted our elderly woman by giving her salt and soup,” one of his assailants said, “you must die today.”
The pastor said from his hospital bed:
“I was beaten badly with blunt objects, but glory be to the Lord Jesus because I survived though they thought that they had killed me. This incident happened because of our evangelistic activities in the Muslim community of Katantala and Kapapali villages.”
Separately, in Uganda, Muslims barged into a church meeting, and attacked and stabbed a Christian pastor and his wife, and seriously wounded them. Earlier, in August, five Muslim men between the ages of 19 and 27 had converted to Christianity. Soon after, Pastor Jude Sitaalo, 56, began to receive threatening messages, in person and by phone. “Pastor, let our children come back to Islam, and if not we are going to kill you and destroy your church,” one text read. Then, on the evening of Nov. 18, while holding a Bible study in his church with his wife and 10 other church members, he saw a mosque leader followed by a band of Muslims approach the building: “They got hold of me and started beating me with sticks while one of them cut me with a long knife,” he said. “One member of the church and my wife tried to rescue me, but they were seriously beaten up with sticks.” The rest of the congregation fled for their lives. The pastor sustained knife wounds on his head, hand, and back; his wife was also slashed on the forehead and back. “We are suffering for pastoring converts from Islam,” the pastor concluded.
Pakistan: Without any prior notice, government authorities bulldozed the church and homes of 200 Christians in Islamabad, leaving them homeless. Because they were not given any warning or time to remove their belongings before the demolition, “These Christians have lost everything—their homes and all of their worldly possessions,” said the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS-UK), a human rights group, in a Nov. 26 statement:
“Many of them have lived in the colony for years, raising their families here and investing their life savings into building and maintaining their homes. It is a travesty of justice that their homes have been wiped out without any alternative provision of accommodation. The timing is particularly concerning, coming so soon after costly and devastating floods, and with winter already here and temperatures plummeting.”
In August, monsoon floods killed more than 1,700 people in Pakistan, and left hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed or damaged, prompting the government, which estimated losses to be worth $40 billion, to declare a state of emergency. Sabra Saeed Athwal, whose home was among those bulldozed, called the demolition a “criminal act” and expressed fears that two other Christian neighborhoods could be demolished next. She also indicated that “hardline Muslims” had pressured the authorities:
“This injustice has happened as Christians in Pakistan and around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas in just a few weeks…. The Pakistani government must either rebuild the homes or provide suitable shelter before Christmas as many of the colony’s residents are now living under the open sky or in tents and this is simply unacceptable. It is the state’s responsibility to treat its citizens equally and protect their lives without any distinction of race, religion and colour. The lack of care in this instance simply beggars belief…. Although we are Christian, we are Pakistani citizens too.”
Indonesia: Local officials on Java Island formally added their names to calls by Islamist organizations to block construction of a Christian church, leading to complaints of governmental interference with religious freedom. One Christian leader responded:
“This incident harms the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees equality of every citizen to adhere to a certain religion and to worship freely in accordance to their own religions.”
As is the case for churches in other Muslim nations, according to the Nov. 2 report,
“[R]equirements for obtaining permission to build houses of worship in Indonesia are onerous and hamper the establishment of such buildings for Christians and other faiths…. Such processes typically have to pass through four levels of bureaucracy before reaching the municipal level. Besides the opposition that the church faces, most applications for church construction permits in Indonesia take decades to process without support from high-ranking officials.”
United States (Pennsylvania): On Nov. 12, a 24-year-old Syrian refugee who had plotted to bomb a Pittsburgh church was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment. Citing court documents, the report says,
“[Mustafa Mousab] Alowemer plotted to bomb a church located on the north side of Pittsburgh using an explosive device. His stated motivation to conduct such an attack was to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to join together and commit similar acts…. Alowemer was aware that numerous people in the proximity of the church could be killed by the explosion.”
Azerbaijan: A form of “cultural erasure” progresses as many ancient and medieval churches and monasteries continue to be demolished in the Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan regions, historically Armenian regions now under Azerbaijani control. According to Caucasus Heritage Watch, 108 Medieval and early modern Armenian monasteries, churches and cemeteries, between 1997 and 2011, had already experienced “complete destruction.” More recently, however, according to a Nov. 25 report, “new satellite imagery shows ongoing destruction of Armenian heritage sites. Images show disappearance of churches and cemeteries.” As one example, images showed how a monastery, more than 700 years old, was destroyed, then re-erected as a mosque.
Turkey: On Nov. 15, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Turkey had violated the human rights of a Greek Orthodox church, which it had prevented from registering in Istanbul. According to the report:
“The ECHR said that Turkey’s refusal to the Greek Orthodox Church to declare its property constitutes discrimination and ordered the country [Turkey] to pay 5,000 euros in costs and expenses.”
Before the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, Greeks (or “Rum,” Romans of the “Byzantine” Empire) formed the majority of the population. Since then, they have been dwindling in numbers. According to the report, there were still “nearly 1.8 million [Greeks in Constantinople] in 1910 but the population was devastated following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I.”
“Subsequent Turko-Greek wars, a population exchange agreed upon between Turkey and Greece in 1923, and continuous political pressure on the community have reduced their numbers to several thousand. Their foundations, churches, and their properties have also become a major political topic in Turkey as governments seized, closed or denied them registration.”
Generic Muslim Hostility for Christians
Palestinian Authority: According to a Nov. 21 report,
“There has been a marked uptick in religiously motivated attacks by Palestinian Muslims on Christians in Bethlehem. Just over two weeks ago, a Muslim man was accused of harassing young Christian women at a Forefathers Orthodox Church in Beit Sahour near the city of Bethlehem. Soon after, the church was attacked by a large mob of Palestinian men who hurled rocks at the building while congregants cowered inside. Several of the congregants were injured in the attack. The Palestinian Authority, responsible for security in the area, did nothing.”
United Kingdom: On Nov. 24, a court heard how Tarek Namouz, 42, a Muslim barber shop owner in London and recipient of thousands of pounds in taxpayer-funded Covid grants, had on seven separate occasions sent £25,000 to ISIS fighters in Syria. The court also heard how he had said:
“I want to burn Christianity … we have incinerators and holocausts like Hitler, a lesson from history…. I swear to Allah we will cause chaos and kill the non-believers…. Whoever is not happy, a bullet in their head, I don’t want a single person alive who would oppose Sharia.
Iraq: During a G20 Religion Forum in Bali, Indonesia, that was attended by more than 300 religious leaders around the world, a Christian archbishop from Iraq made several important remarks, including by warning that Christianity is “on the verge of extinction” in Iraq, where it had been for nearly two thousand years. According to Bashar Warda, the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil:
“[W]e Christians of Iraq now find ourselves on the very edge of extinction…. Now we face the end in Iraq, the same end faced by the Iraqi Jews before us, and the same end now being faced by the Yazidis, with whom we have suffered so much pain, alongside us.”
Concerning the source of all this suffering and pain, he said that there is “a fundamental crisis of violence within Islam” that “can no longer be ignored” and which “continues to affect the entire Middle East, Africa, Asia and beyond…”
“And if this crisis is not acknowledged, addressed, and fixed, then there can be no future for Christians or any other form of religious pluralism in the Middle East.
“Indeed, there is little reason to see a future for anyone in the Middle East, including within the Islamic world itself, other than in the context of continued violence, revenge, and hatred…. [Iraqi Christians are] not forgetting, but still forgiving. Can our Muslim brothers and sisters follow us in this, or will their own story of violence continue, destroying themselves eventually?…. Fundamentally, this change in direction can only come about as the conscious work of the Islamic world itself.”
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the number of Christians was decimated, going from about 1.5 million to under 200,000 now. Even though the Islamic State’s stronghold in the Nineveh Plains was overthrow in 2017, the rapidly dwindling Christian population continues to be harried. According to a fact sheet:
“In June 2020, Christian villages were bombed in Turkey’s largest operation in the area since 2015, forcing many Christians to flee. In May 2021, Christian villages were evacuated following Turkish bombing in the region. Christians were not protected by the local government. Many Christians are also seriously affected by intolerance and persecution. This is perpetuated mostly by militant Islamic groups and non-Christian leaders. They also face discrimination from government authorities. In central and southern Iraq, Christians often do not publicly display Christian symbols (such as crosses) as this can lead to harassment or discrimination at checkpoints, universities, workplaces and government buildings. Outspoken believers in the region have frequently become targets. Blasphemy laws can be used against Christians suspected of carrying out outreach among Muslims.”
Mozambique: On Nov. 10, images of a handwritten announcement from the Islamic State in Mozambique (ISM) appeared on social media. Addressing the army, ISM asserts:
“We will escalate the war against you until you submit to Islam… Our desire is to kill you or be killed, for we are martyrs before Allah, so submit or run from us.”
As the message was addressed to “the Mozambican crusader army,” it also targeted Christians and Jews, whom it offered “three choices: submit to Islam, pay tax [jizya], or accept endless war,” said a Nov. 18 report:
“The three choices have appeared across Islamic State propaganda. In August, IS Central African Province released a video addressed to ‘Congolese Christian rulers’ declaring that they would wage war ‘until Allah establishes one of these three for you: Islam, jizya, or [continuous] fighting.’ Jizya refers to a tax levied on non-Muslims in many Islamic societies across history. The previous issue of the IS weekly newsletter Al Naba, published 10 November, also carried the demand that Jews and Christians convert or pay jizya…. [T]he message represents an attempt to adopt the trappings of a ‘caliphate’ in line with the stated objectives of the Islamic State leadership….”
Italy: On Sunday, Nov. 27, as locals were putting up Christmas lights in the city of Sora, a Muslim man “terrorized everyone” by suddenly hollering Islamic slogans, including the jihadist cry, “Allahu akbar!” [Allah is the greatest!” ] According to the report:
“In the historic district of Canceglie, … real ‘moments of fear’ have been experienced. Once he was gone, having literally terrorized everyone present with the equally classic exclamation associated with terrorism, a[nother] young man continued to rail against the lights that are about to grace Sora.”
Sudan: On Nov. 21, Muslim authorities arrested and jailed a church leader on the charge of “witchcraft,” after Muslims began coming to his church for healing. Earlier, Pastor Abdalla Haron Sulieman led a prayer meeting for his ailing mother, and she recovered. On learning of what was deemed a miracle, local Muslims began crowding the church in search of healing, which, according to the report, “angered Muslim extremists who persuaded police to arrest the pastor on charges of claiming to be a witchdoctor (Case No. 6737/2022 under the Sudan Criminal Code of 1991.)”
“Sudanese Christians took to social media, some demanding the pastor’s immediate release, and others terming the jailing more evidence of ongoing and systematic persecution of Christians in Sudan. ‘We need to continue to pray for our brother because he is jail for the sake of the gospel,’ said one Sudanese Christian on his Facebook page.”
Indonesia: After an earthquake that killed at least 321 people, damaged 62,000 homes, and displaced more than 73,000 people, several human rights groups rushed with aid. Native Muslim groups, however, had other concerns. According to a Nov. 29 report, “a conservative Islamist group tore off labels from tents that were donated by a church for survivors of the Cianjur earthquake.” In a Twitter video that went viral, a group of people, who were later identified as members of the Islamic Reformist Movement—which has links to the banned extremist group Islamic Defenders Front, and even ISIS—were seen tearing off labels emblazoned with the words “The Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia” from the blue tents donated by the church to support survivors of the disaster. “Let’s destroy it,” one man can be heard saying in reference to the tents. Another man, wearing a long robe and white cap, can be seen recording while smiling.
“Cianjur police chief Doni Hermawan said the men dismantled the tents donated by the church in four villages, although they were not from the areas. Doni said the police questioned the men in the video, adding that they had been reprimanded. ‘Those who removed it were not the refugees. The refugees accept what is given from any group, regardless of religion,’ Doni said, as cited by CNN Indonesia. ‘So I warned them, I made sure they would not do that again. Every [donation is given out of] humanity.'”
Pakistan: On Nov. 27, the British Asian Christian Association, which tracks the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, published a comprehensive, well documented report. It showed how attacks on Christians are disproportionate compared to attacks on other minorities. For instance, 30 percent of all extrajudicial killings for blasphemy were committed against Christians—though they only form 1.27 percent of the population. Other findings follow:
“Despite [being] a larger demographic than Christians in Pakistan, Hindus seem to have a lot less attacks on their communities… There are rare cases, of course, of Hindu’s being accused of blasphemy. This may be based on the fact that Hindu’s live in large enclaves and would seem more daunting to attack; they are more established as a community and less vulnerable… Christians are more likely to interact with the majority Muslim population and this contributes to their persecution. Hindu and Muslim communities are more likely to segregate themselves from other faiths, something which is mirrored in India… Christians have also faced a large number of terrorist attacks and the twin bomb attack in Peshawar 2012, Lahore Twin Church attack 2013, Easter day attack at Gulshan park 2015, and Quetta church bomb attack 2017 are some of the major ones in recent times. Though Hindus were killed in a bomb attack at Orazaki market in 2018, they were not the main target…. The reason Christians are targeted by Islamist groups on more occasions, is believed to be linked to a perception that they are spies for the west and in retaliation for the war against terror. So you see Innocent Christians in Pakistan are more likely to be persecuted during times when the US, Britain and other Western nations are at war with Islamic nations…Even more galling is the estimated 700 Christians girls abducted, raped and forced into Islamic Marriage. … Even when an abducted girl is found by police she will not be returned to her family. Instead she is sent to a Women’s refuge centre that is meant to be impartial but is corruptible. Muslim rapists or their friends gain access to these protective centres and threaten to kill the girl and her family unless she states she willingly married the Muslim man…. Christian children are bullied in school and even killed for their faith. This prevents Christian families sending them to school which perpetuates levels of illiteracy. …. Provincial Curriculum text books caricature and demonize Christians and other minorities.”
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.
**© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19238/persecution-of-christians-november

سوف نقتلكم وندمر كنائسكم/ريموند إبراهيم من موقع كايتستون: قائمة مفصلة بحوادث اضطهاد المسيحيين في العالم خلال شهر تشرين الثاني/2022
“We Are Going to Kill You and Destroy Your Church”: The Persecution of Christians, November 2022
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/December 21, 2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/114245/we-are-going-to-kill-you-and-destroy-your-church-the-persecution-of-christians-november-2022-raymond-ibrahim-gatestone-institute-december-21-2022-%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%81-%d9%86%d9%82%d8%aa%d9%84/
Without any prior notice, government authorities bulldozed the church and homes of 200 Christians in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, leaving them homeless. “The timing is particularly concerning, coming so soon after costly and devastating floods, and with winter already here and temperatures plummeting.” — The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, November 26, 2022.
108 Medieval and early modern Armenian monasteries, churches and cemeteries, between 1997 and 2011, have already experienced “complete destruction,” according to Caucasus Heritage Watch. “[N]ew satellite imagery….showed how a monastery, more than 700 years old , was destroyed, then re-erected as a mosque. — theartnewspaper.com, November 25, 2022, Azerbaijan.

How the EU arrived at its new Iran policy
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/December 21, 2022
During 2022, the EU has gradually but considerably shifted its position on Iran, from rapprochement to a more realistic position that is closer to that of the US and the GCC. The EU’s push for the resumption of Tehran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal was a main factor in the earlier detente. There was also a desire by some EU member states, including Germany, to engage with Iran politically and economically in the hope such engagement would moderate its behavior. Last week, the European Council announced its strongest “conclusions” or resolutions on Iran, confirming a decisive shift, which started earlier this year, in the group’s Iran policy. The council cited the human rights situation in the country, the repression of the ongoing protests, its military cooperation with Russia — including the delivery of drones deployed by Russia in the Ukraine war — the failure of the JCPOA talks, and Iran’s destabilizing regional conduct. The European Council is the EU’s highest body, consisting of the heads of state or government of the EU’s member states, together with its president and the European Commission president. It defines the EU's general political direction and priorities.
In its newest measure, the council added 20 individuals and one entity to the list of those subject to restrictive measures, “in view of their role in the violent response to the recent demonstrations in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini.” It also added four individuals and four entities to the list for “undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” in a reference to their role in the development and delivery of drones used by Russia in the Ukraine war. “Restrictive measures” include asset freezes, travel bans to the EU and prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed.
At the start of the protests in Iran, the approach the EU took was low-key, perhaps out of fear that any measures it took could jeopardize hopes for the JCPOA or backfire on the protesters, especially if the unrest turned out to be temporary.
On Sep. 25, the EU issued a statement saying that “the widespread and disproportionate use of force against nonviolent protesters is unjustifiable and unacceptable. People in Iran, as anywhere else, have the right to peaceful protest. That right must be ensured in all circumstances.” The statement was adopted by the 27 member states, joined by 10 others (North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
On Oct. 17, the EU issued a stronger statement condemning the “widespread and disproportionate use of force,” which is “unjustifiable and unacceptable.” It also announced that it had sanctioned 11 individuals and four entities, “in view of their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent response to the recent demonstrations in Iran.” By then, the list of those sanctioned in Iran comprised a total of 97 individuals and eight entities. The EU’s Iran sanctions regime was extended to include a ban on exports to Iran of equipment that might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications. Three days later, the EU sanctioned three Iranian individuals and one entity for “undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” in view of their role in the development and delivery of drones used in the Ukraine war. It promised to “respond swiftly and decisively” to further Iran’s actions in the war.
On Nov. 14, the EU sanctioned 29 individuals and three entities “in view of their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent response to the recent demonstrations in Iran,” bringing the list up to a total of 126 individuals and 11 entities.
And then last week, the EU finally announced its new approach to Iran — direct, comprehensive and forceful, and not only about human rights violations but also about Tehran’s malign behavior in the region and beyond.
Starting with the protests in Iran, the EU “strongly” condemned “the widespread, brutal and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian authorities against peaceful protesters, including women and children, leading to the loss of hundreds of lives, in clear breach of the fundamental principles enshrined in international law.” It also condemned “restrictions on communications, including internet shutdowns,” and “persistent impunity for grave human rights violations.”The EU strongly condemned “any type of Iran’s military support,” including drones, for use in the Ukraine war, a violation of international law, the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Last week, the EU finally announced its new approach to Iran — direct, comprehensive and forceful. It reiterated its “determination that Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon,” expressing deep concern about successive International Atomic Energy Agency reports “documenting the alarming acceleration of Iran’s nuclear” program, which “gravely” departs from its JCPOA and Non-Proliferation Treaty commitments.
The EU then condemned “Iran’s continued destabilizing activities in and around the Middle East,” including its activities with ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and the transfer of such advanced weaponry to state and nonstate actors. It urged Iran to cease destabilizing activities in the form of “political, military or financial support, including to nonstate actors, in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon,” and called on Tehran to respect the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors,” citing several UNSC resolutions violated by Iran. It also urged Tehran to “stop all actions or attempts that disrupt or threaten the safety and freedom of navigation in and around maritime routes in the wider Gulf region.”This new approach adopted by the European Council was anticipated by a statement made last month in Bahrain by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She said that Gulf security matters to Europe and stressed the need for a stronger security architecture in the region “against the spread of chaos,” asserting that “Europe is willing to do its part,” including closer cooperation and a coordinated approach to Iran, “with a broader focus than nuclear.”
These robustly worded statements and the tough conclusions adopted last week by the EU provided the background to high-level visits by members of the European Parliament to Riyadh this week. There, it became clear that they are also in sync with the European Council and other European institutions in pushing through with the new, realistic Gulf policy that has been articulated in the EU’s Joint Communication on Strategic Partnership with the Gulf of May 2022. The most important step would be to cement further the EU-GCC strategic partnership, announced earlier this year, as a basis for confronting the regional challenges behind the recent shift in the EU’s Iran policy.
*Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation, and a columnist for Arab News. The views expressed in this piece are personal and do not necessarily represent GCC views. Twitter: @abuhamad1

Palestine on a knife-edge as extremists surge to power
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/December 21, 2022
Last month, 30,000 Israelis descended upon occupied Hebron — where a few hundred radical Zionists live amid 200,000 Palestinians — and proceeded to attack citizens while chanting “death to the Arabs.” Homes of Palestinian activists were singled out for violent assault. When residents called the police, they were frequently beaten up by the police themselves.
Demonstrators provocatively chanted the name of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Hebron resident, leader of the extreme-right Jewish Power party and the incoming public security minister. In one widely circulated video from Hebron, a soldier boasts to a demonstrator: “Ben-Gvir is going to sort things out here. You guys have lost.”Ben-Gvir was also the name on people’s lips during violent demonstrations by ultra-Orthodox extremists in Jerusalem. Protesters denounced Israeli security forces as “Nazis, murderers and terrorists,” and chanted that “Ben-Gvir is going to set things in order here.”
Even notorious far-right MKs were unnerved by the outbursts of violent extremism that Benjamin Netanyahu’s fascist stablemates have unleashed. Outgoing Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned that “there is a strong feeling that ultra-Orthodox rioters are allowed to do anything.”
There is no more eloquent indication of Ben-Gvir’s vision for Arabs than the fact that his home previously conferred pride of place to a large portrait of Baruch Goldstein, who in 1994 massacred 29 Muslim worshippers in Hebron. Ben-Gvir himself was convicted in 2007 of racist incitement and supporting a Jewish terrorist organization.
An unusually strong UN press release condemned the escalating trend of murderous attacks by settlers. “Armed and masked Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinians in their homes, attacking children on their way to school, destroying property, burning olive groves and terrorizing entire communities with complete impunity,” said the UN experts, who noted that security forces often collaborated in these attacks. More than 150 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces this year, including 33 children — like 16-year-old Jana Zakarneh, who was shot dead in recent days while standing on her roof in Jenin.
Palestinians warn that as a result of Ben-Gvir’s appointment, along with that of Bezalel Smotrich as finance minister with responsibility for administration of the West Bank, annexation of much of the West Bank is inevitable. As well as championing full annexation of the Palestinian territories, Smotrich is also an advocate of apartheid in its purest form, right down to suggesting that Arab and Jewish mothers should be separated in maternity hospitals.
Netanyahu granted these quasi-fascists concession after concession, including scandalous proposals for enabling the Knesset to overrule the Supreme Court. Israel’s attorney general — himself a Likud right-winger — warned that “without judicial oversight and independent legal advice, we will be left with just the principle of majority rule and nothing else. Democracy in name, not in essence.” A recent example of such arbitrary exploitation of legal power was the deportation of French-Palestinian human rights lawyer Salah Hamouri, who was also stripped of his Jerusalem residency.
Israel’s governing system has become dangerously skewed under the supremacy of a fundamentalist minority. Although only 15 percent of Israelis define themselves as observant Jews who subscribe to a “Greater Israel,” religious Zionists have heavily infiltrated the senior ranks of the security establishment, police and media. Israel’s governing system has become dangerously skewed under the supremacy of a fundamentalist minority.
Half of Israel’s population — largely ultra-Orthodox and Arabs — do not pay taxes due to poverty and underemployment, meaning that 90 percent of income tax revenue comes from the professionalized 20 percent of the population that is systematically excluded from political influence.
Netanyahu has promised a windfall of additional budgetary benefits and privileges for the ultra-Orthodox, including enhanced funding for educational institutions that do not teach core secular subjects like math, while rolling back initiatives for enforcing ultra-Orthodox participation in military service. The incoming Cabinet also aspires to reform the mainstream education system, imposing hard-line Zionist theology upon everyone.
Due to high birth rates, the ultra-Orthodox’s share of Israel’s population has doubled within a generation, meaning their monopolization of politics will grow. Consequently, the least productive segments of today’s Israel impose their fundamentalist vision on the most economically productive demographics.
Five stalemated rounds of elections have demonstrated that half the electorate passionately loathes Netanyahu. This was amplified in recent days through large demonstrations against his coalition, where one speaker warned that the incoming government would “change the DNA of the state of Israel forever … into a religious, messianic, fundamentalist, Khomeinist country, where the orthodoxy is dictating the lifestyle to us, the secularists.” Many fear that, given Netanyahu’s escalatory rhetoric concerning Iran and his readiness to go to any lengths to secure his position, he could drag Israel into a region-wide war with Tehran and its proxies if he felt his premiership being threatened.
Palestinian citizens are close to becoming a quarter of Israel’s population and many of the best-educated are settling in cities like Tel Aviv and dominating sectors like pharmacies and medicine. The comparison between these highly educated Arab professionals and unemployable ultra-Orthodox radicals with a smattering of basic education is stark. However, brutal intercommunal killings in 2021 highlight the risks of coexistence, particularly in the context of Netanyahu’s denunciations of Arabs as fifth-columnist “traitors.”
Netanyahu fantasizes about peace deals with leading Arab and Muslim states that would “end the Arab-Israeli conflict” and “expand the circle of peace beyond our wildest dreams.” Yet even states that were party to the Abraham Accords stress the necessity of a just and lasting solution. The fact that, during the Doha World Cup, the best-selling flags and paraphernalia were for Morocco and Palestine shows that, under the surface, Arabs have lost none of their ardor for the Palestinian cause.
Netanyahu should acknowledge that none of the civilized world has recognized the illegal concessions made by the Trump administration. Indeed, his highly promoted friendships with the globally unpopular Donald Trump and with Vladimir Putin may see him struggling to make headway internationally. The only parties that benefit from Netanyahu’s maximalist policies are the Iranian proxies that use such travesties to justify their existence.
Human rights cannot just be for Ukrainians and Westerners. Justice is not divisible or amenable to double standards. Palestinians are going nowhere. Jewish Israelis comprise less than 47 percent of Palestine’s current population and demographics are inexorably working against them. If justice, rights and peace are not available today, the steadfast Palestinian people can wait another 10 or 100 years.
A majority of Palestinians have no memory of the optimism of the long-dead Oslo years. Many justifiably feel abandoned by their leaders, the Arab world and the international community. The younger generation largely shuns religious sentiments but is more radical in its nationalist aspirations than any Palestinian generation that went before it.
As Israeli power is consolidated in the hands of a quasi-fascist cabal with a long-standing record of comments about exterminating the Arab population, it is not just the prospect of a peaceful two-state solution that we lose, but also the prospect of any kind of near-term peace.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Saudi Prisoner Diplomacy During the Ukraine War
Bennett Neuhoff/The Washington Institute/December 21, 2022
Washington and Riyadh once again seem unable to keep their misunderstandings private, but the Saudi crown prince has proven his ability to mediate certain U.S.-Russian disputes if called on.
On December 8, Washington and Moscow conducted a prisoner swap in which WNBA star Brittney Griner was returned to the United States in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner had been detained since February for a minor drug offense; Bout was more than a decade into a long U.S. sentence on terrorism, conspiracy, and weapons smuggling charges. After the exchange, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement noting that Griner’s release had been mediated by their respective leaders, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (aka MbS) and President Muhammad bin Zayed (aka MbZ). Yet the White House soon refuted this assertion, raising questions about what actually occurred.
Riyadh’s account of the prisoner negotiations was its latest attempt to leverage its simultaneous partnerships with Washington and Moscow toward a wider goal: getting involved in diplomacy surrounding the Ukraine war. Throughout the conflict, MbS has tried to balance these relations and keep lines of communication open with Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S.-led coalition supporting Kyiv. During phone calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky just one week after Russia’s invasion, MbS offered to mediate between the two nations, and he has repeated that offer on multiple calls since then.
Although the Saudis have little chance of mediating a broader de-escalation anytime soon, MbS has succeeded at prisoner diplomacy. Between April and September, he was personally involved in secret talks surrounding the release of ten prisoners of war detained in Russia, including two Americans. After months of backchannel negotiations between him, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, and Ukrainian parliamentarian Rustem Umerov, these prisoners were sent to Riyadh and then returned to their home countries on a private jet. The backchannel was tied to a separate negotiating track mediated by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Riyadh’s track focused solely on releasing captured foreign fighters, while Ankara’s track encompassed other types of prisoners. Both agreements were implemented on September 21; in all, Ukraine freed 55 prisoners and Russia freed 215.
These mediation efforts earned MbS thank-you messages from Putin and various Western officials, including Zelensky, U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, and U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan. When Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was asked if MbS took part in the negotiations as a way of rehabilitating his reputation in Washington and other capitals, he responded, “That didn’t factor into it. I think that’s a very cynical view.” He added that MbS “was able to convince President Putin that this is a humanitarian gesture.” Regardless of the crown prince’s motivations, the successful prisoner mediation showed that his relationships with all of the parties can pay off in high-stakes negotiations—and enhance his diplomatic standing in the process.
So What Was the Gulf Role in the Griner Swap?
When Griner was freed from Russian captivity, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi’s joint statement noted that “the success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship” their two countries share with the United States and Russia. Yet what was the actual scope of their efforts?
The UAE certainly helped at the implementation stage—the December 8 swap was conducted at an air base in Abu Dhabi. In addition, MbZ reportedly raised Griner’s case when he met with Putin in St. Petersburg on October 11, after Emirati officials consulted with the Biden administration in advance.
Riyadh’s involvement is less clear. The Saudi foreign minister stated that MbS made a “personal intervention to facilitate the release” of Griner, but U.S. statements have cast doubt on that role. And while Saudi officials were present for Griner’s exchange in Abu Dhabi, no other details have been released about the kingdom’s role in implementing the swap. Unlike MbZ, MbS has not met with Putin in person since the start of the Ukraine war.
Meanwhile, when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about Gulf involvement in the deal, she told reporters, “The only countries that negotiated this deal were the United States and Russia...There was no mediation needed.” Similarly, U.S. media coverage of the negotiations did not mention any Saudi or Emirati role outside of Abu Dhabi hosting the swap itself and MbZ visiting Russia. In essence, the Biden administration has framed Riyadh’s involvement in Griner’s release as less significant than its role in the September prisoner release, while the Saudis have depicted themselves as key players in both deals.
Why Does Saudi Mediation Matter?
As with their previous friction over energy production, defense commitments, and human rights issues, the Biden administration and Riyadh once again seem unable or unwilling to keep their disagreements and misunderstandings private. Yet despite their differing public statements on Griner’s release and their broader bilateral difficulties, MbS proved in September that his diplomatic channels with Russia, Ukraine, and the United States can be useful for thorny problems such as prisoner exchanges. He remains one of few world leaders—alongside MbZ and Erdogan—who has both the desire and access needed to navigate the limited diplomatic openings in the Ukraine war. These traits, coupled with his ambitious approach to foreign policy and refusal to overtly take sides in the conflict, make him a potentially effective middleman. The question is whether Washington will need (or want) his help with any future negotiations.
*Bennett Neuhoff is a research associate in The Washington Institute’s Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.

New UAE Poll Shows Nuance on Domestic Issues; Growing Public Uncertainty over U.S. Relations; Split Views of Iran & Israel
Catherine Cleveland/The Washington Institute/December 21/2022
Although many results are consistent with past polling, the most recent Emirati survey reveals interesting perspectives on Iran, the economy, and other issues.
In rare public opinion polling from November 2022, commissioned by the Washington Institute and conducted by a regional commercial firm, Emirati citizens voice their opinions on both the UAE’s key foreign policy issues and domestic concerns.
The views expressed by 1,000 Emirati citizens—out of a citizen population estimated at just around a million total—align with many but not all of the Emirati government’s approaches to regional policies and domestic governance.
Notably, Emiratis increasingly see China and Russia as alternatives to relations with the United States. Emirati citizens hedge on questions regarding internal Iranian unrest and a regional response to Tehran’s nuclear proliferation. And while there is almost universal rejection of the outcomes of the Israeli elections, neither views on the Abraham Accords nor informal relations with Israelis appear to have been impacted.
On domestic issues, a plurality of respondents state national efforts on corruption and maintaining acceptable standards of living are proving sufficient. And while such findings do not mean that every policy has universal approval, most Emiratis reject the idea of mass protests against the government—though this was by no means the prevailing attitude just two years before. Nevertheless, and despite harmony between public opinion and government policy on a number of issues, half of Emiratis are not convinced enough is being done to listen to their voices.
Shifting Attitudes Towards Global Powers
When it comes to bilateral relations, the UAE has engaged in a policy of hedging its bets on maintaining ties with global powers. Public opinion appears to line up with this strategy as more Emirati citizens report being unconvinced by the staying power of the United States’ role in their region. Over the past year, agreement with the statement that “our country cannot count on the United States these days, so we should look towards Russia and China” has increased by ten percentage points, with 61% of Emiratis now concurring. In contrast, just 10% say they “strongly” disagree with this idea.
This shift is also visible in the public’s valuation of Emirati ties with these powers. When asked about the importance of maintaining good bilateral relations, under half of Emiratis (44%) now think this is at least somewhat important when it comes to the United States. In contrast, 56% value good relations with Russia and China respectively. Attitudes towards relations with Russia in particular have improved over the past half-decade: the number of those who state these relations are important has increased by 16 percentage points since the question was first polled in October 2017.
Open imageiconNOV22_UAE_Russia Relations
Such views do not necessarily mean that there is broad-based support among Emiratis for Russia’s policies—namely its military invasion of Ukraine. Just 19% see these military actions in a positive light, a number similar to when first asked in March 2022 in the direct aftermath of the invasion. Yet Russia’s actions do not appear to have made a dent in Emiratis’ valuation of relations with Russia. On the contrary, those who state these relations are important has gone up by seven percentage points since November 2021.
Caution Regarding Iran
In contrast to split views on global powers, most Emiratis (81%) do not say they see relations with Iran as important. Nevertheless, the strength of this disinterest has softened somewhat over time. The percentage of those who classify these relations as “not important at all” has gone from 59% in 2017 to 43% in this latest polling cycle. Moreover, Emirati citizens are by no means united in support of the anti-government protests in Iran that have unfolded over the past several months. While 38% express a positive view of the movement, the majority do not—including around a third who say their attitude is “very negative.”
Open imageiconNOV22_UAE_Iran Protests
Emiratis are likewise split as to how to approach regional nuclear proliferation. Thirty-eight percent agree with the suggestion that “since Iran is now getting so close to having a nuclear bomb, it’s time for an Arab country to get one too.” Meanwhile, 60% disagree. Some of this rejection may be driven by the fact that the question does not specify which Arab country would pursue this course of action.
Pessimism towards Israel—But Support for Relations with Israelis Holds Steady
After an initial bout of positivity among about half of Emiratis (47%) regarding the Abraham Accords in November 2020, just a quarter now see the effects of the agreement on the region in an even somewhat positive light. These current views continue a trend of general pessimism that began in November 2021 and has held steady in subsequent polling. Even fewer express a sanguine view of the results of the most recent Israeli elections: 79% said they felt “very negative” about the outcome, alongside another 12% who saw it in a “somewhat negative” light.
On the other hand, the outcome of the Israeli elections—slated to return Benjamin Netanyahu and his new far-right coalition partners to the government—does not appear to have shifted Emiratis’ attitudes on the Abraham Accords, with percentages remaining effectively unchanged since the pre-election period.
Nor does the change in government appear to have altered attitudes regarding informal contacts with Israelis. 43% of Emiratis continue to say that business and sports contacts with Israelis should be allowed—a number that has held relatively steady since the signing of the Abraham Accords. In contrast, just 14% agreed with such a proposal in July 2020. A similar split appears on attitudes toward the recent maritime boundary agreement between Lebanon and Israel, with 41% expressing a positive view of the matter.
Open imageiconNOV22_UAE_Israel Contacts
Domestic Views Depend on the Issue
Especially relative to other Arab countries, attitudes among Emirati citizens are notably more sanguine on economic opportunities and corruption—and negative towards protest. When first asked in 2018, the plurality of Emiratis (35%) thought their government was doing too little to reduce “corruption in economics and politics.” However, a larger plurality (41%) now believe that the country is doing the right amount to address this key challenge, a ten point increase from 2018. Likewise, when it comes to whether the country is “meeting people’s needs for an acceptable standard of living,” just 19% think the country is not doing enough. Most think what is being done is either the right amount (42%) or even too much (35%) for the country.
Such answers do not mean that there is majority support for all of the government’s economic policies. Perhaps in response to the Emirates’ role-out of tax reforms over the past several years, the majority of Emiratis (57%) think that the government is doing too much when it comes to “sharing the burdens of tax and other obligations to the government in a fair manner.”
And despite a clear alignment between public opinion and government policy on some issues, a significant cohort of Emiratis do not believe their own views are taken into account in a sufficiently meaningful way. Half of Emiratis believe that the country is doing too little to “pay attention to the opinions of ordinary citizens like me.” This view contrasts with the third of respondents who think that there is the right amount of concern for public opinion.
Nevertheless, most Emiratis agree with the statement that it is “a good thing we are not having mass protests.” Trend data demonstrates that significantly more citizens share this attitude than two years ago—42% in July 2020 versus 81% who now express agreement. That July, about half of Emiratis stated that the country was not doing enough to “pay attention to public opinion about its policies,” suggesting views on the relationship between public opinion and policy remain unchanged.
Instead, the violent repression and subsequent fizzling of the dramatic late-2019 and 2020 protests in nearby countries like Iraq and Lebanon—the backdrop of which the question was originally posed—along with better domestic economic outcomes have likely all played a role in souring Emirati respondents on the potential of protest. By way of contrast, half of Egyptians (and almost all Lebanese) remain convinced, highlighting just how widely views on this key question can vary throughout the Arab World.
Methodological Note
This analysis is based on findings from a personal-interview survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Emirati citizens, conducted in November 2022 by a highly experienced, independent regional commercial company. The sampling was done according to standard geographical probability procedures, yielding a statistical margin of error of approximately 3 percent. Strict quality controls and assurances of confidentiality were provided throughout. Full results can be viewed on The Washington Institute’s interactive polling data platform. Additional methodological details, including demographic breaks and other relevant information, are readily available on request.
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/new-uae-poll-shows-nuance-domestic-issues-growing-public-uncertainty-over-us

Iran Is Dazed and Confused
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/December, 21/2022
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s speech at the second Baghdad conference in Jordan made clear to all the countries in the region, as well as those who engage with it, that Iran is dazed and confused.
The foreign minister was giving his speech in French before giving it again in Arabic, unsettling the translators at the summit. Indeed, he behaved as though he did not trust them and wanted to ensure that everyone received his message. He asked attendees to build bridges of trust while he did not even trust the translators.
Abdollahian discussed the dialogue between the countries of the region, countering terrorism, and the role Iraq could play in consolidating this rapprochement. He then brought up Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, calling them martyrs and “mujahideen.”
Everyone knows that the assassinated former head of the Quds Force, Soleimani, led the destruction of the region from Iraq to Syria and Yemen to Lebanon. He led Iran’s terrorist activities in the region until the US killed him and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Iran’s man in Iraq. And so, what we heard in Jordan embodied the mullah regime, which says one thing and does the opposite. The last of these contradictions was the Iranian foreign minister calling on Western leaders to revive the nuclear deal.
Alright, Iran’s hypocrisy is clear, and it has left Iran dazed and confused. The question now is: why? The answer is obvious. First, saying one thing and doing the opposite has come naturally to Iran since Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution. Tehran has always seen deception as part and parcel of diplomacy.
Second, Iran is currently in a difficult position because of the mass protests challenging the regime’s authority domestically. The protests began almost three months ago, and they have begun to rattle the regime. In contrast with previous protests, which the regime managed to suppress in 2009, 2017, and 2019, through repression and violence, these protests continue.
These protests by the people of Iran are different. They are deeper. Iranians of both genders from various segments of society and of all ages have been taking part. It is no easy feat to bring all these groups together under a single demand. Though they do not have a leader, they have been calling for the downfall of the Wilayat al-Faqih regime through demands that undercut its fundamentals.
The mullah regime thus now wants to retrieve the legitimacy and popularity it has lost through dialogue with the countries of the region, the United States and the West. In other words, the regime wants to make up for what it has taken from the Iranian people through foreign relations, and this is a sign of weakness and that its legitimacy has withered away.
Some in both the region and the West could perhaps claim that it is not the time to exploit the weakness of the regime by imposing greater concessions. This is misguided. Neither the region nor the West should become a partner in spilling the blood of the people of Iran. The objective of dialogue with Iran should not be to take the weight off the regime or rehabilitate it. Instead, we should seize this opportunity to clip its claws and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons and clamping down on its people.
We should also have to force it to stop with its ballistic weapons, drones, and proxy militias. Here, one could say that this is impossible. That is true, and we thus argue that dialogue with a dazed and confused mullah regime is pointless.