English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 05/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.".
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 03/01-06/:"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January 04-05/2022
Israel downed a Hezbollah drone from Lebanon: IDF
Lebanese leaders denounce Hezbollah chief’s anti-Saudi speech
Lebanon Records 5,087 Daily Covid Cases and 19 Deaths
Abiad: Covid Hospitalization Situation Still under Control
Aoun Says Keenness on Lebanon-Gulf Ties Must be 'Mutual'
Miqati, Bukhari React after Nasrallah Attacks Saudi King
Lebanese Lira Hits Record Low of 30,000 to a Dollar
Parliament Petition Seeks to Compel Aoun to OK Extraordinary Legislative Session
Hariri Tells Nasrallah History 'Won't be Merciful' on Hizbullah
Hizbullah MPs Slam Miqati for Defending Saudi Arabia
Abu Faour: Hizbullah's Stances Have Become an Unbearable Burden

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 04-05/2022
WHO Says Omicron Affecting Upper Part of Body May be 'Good News'
Drones Downed in Iraq in 2nd Botched Attack in 24 Hours
Navy Helicopter Crashes Off Israeli Coast, 2 Pilots Killed
NATO foreign ministers to hold emergency talks on Ukraine
US, EU sternly warn Sudan’s military against appointing PM unilaterally
With Hamdok out, Sudanese fear return to 'Islamo-military politics of Bashir'
Nearly 200 Dead as Fighting Surges near Yemen's Marib
Prince Andrew Sex Abuse Hearing Starts in New York
China Says U.S., Russia Must Reduce Stockpiles after Nuclear Statement

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 04-05/2022
Solving Syria’s Crisis Starts with Sanctioning Iranian Oil/Andrew J. Tabler and Matthew Zweig/The National Interest/January 04/2022
Palestinians: We Are Proud of Terrorists/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./January 0/2022
Bleak future awaits young Syrians in Turkey/Alexandra de Cramer/The Arab Weekly/January 04/2022
Dbeibah's fait accompli/Habib Lassoued/The Arab Weekly/January 04/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January 04-05/2022
Israel downed a Hezbollah drone from Lebanon: IDF
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/04 January ,2022
Israel downed a drone launched by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group which crossed over into Israel from Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces said on Tuesday. “We downed a Hezbollah drone that crossed from Lebanon into Israel today. The drone was monitored by our soldiers throughout the incident,” IDF said in a tweet. “The IDF will continue to operate against any attempt by terrorists to violate Israeli sovereignty,” it added. Israel considers the Iran-backed Hezbollah an enemy and has long threatened it will respond with extreme counterattacks in “the next war” against threats from Lebanon and its main supporter Tehran. Hezbollah has long enjoyed financial and military support from Iran. Israeli defense officials assess Iran spends nearly $1 billion annually on Hezbollah. Lebanon and Israel are still in a formal state of war and have long contested their land and maritime borders. Israel has also carried out hundreds of air strikes in neighboring Syria in recent years against suspected Iranian military deployments or arms transfers to Hezbollah. With Reuters

Lebanese leaders denounce Hezbollah chief’s anti-Saudi speech
Najia Houssari/Arab News/January 04/2022
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and several politicians have condemned threats made by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah against Saudi Arabia. Nasrallah crossed the red line that Lebanon has drawn to preserve its relations with the Kingdom, and targeted hundreds of thousands of Lebanese working in the Gulf with his attack on the Kingdom. He accused “everyone who befriends Americans in Lebanon and the region of being a co-conspirator.”Aoun said on Tuesday that “the Lebanese people are keen on preserving Lebanon’s Arab and international relations, especially the ones with the Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia at the forefront.” Mikati was quick to react to Nasrallah’s attack on the Kingdom, saying: “His statements do not represent the position of the Lebanese government and the vast majority of the Lebanese people. It is not in Lebanon’s interest to offend any Arab country, especially the Gulf states.”He added: “While we call for Hezbollah to be part of the diverse Lebanese nation and to demonstrate its affiliation to Lebanon, its leadership contradicts this direction with positions that harm the Lebanese and Lebanon’s relations with its fraternal countries.”
Mikati asked everyone to “have mercy on this country, shield it from useless polemics and stop the hateful political and sectarian rhetoric.”
During a meeting with the Lebanese Armed Forces Cmdr. Gen. Joseph Aoun on Tuesday, Mikati said: “The army will be the first defender of Lebanon and the first institution that represents the real fusion between all the Lebanese, since the army is the country’s protector.”
Also in response to Nasrallah’s comments, former president Michel Sleiman said: “Did he take this position on behalf of Iran? The majority of the Lebanese people reject this stance and believe it would cause great damage to Lebanon and ruin the relationship with Saudi Arabia, which selflessly loves Lebanon.”
Former premier Fouad Siniora said: “Nasrallah’s statements represent a crime against Lebanon and its national interests that are being endangered.”
He said that Nasrallah’s speech against the Kingdom was “unjust, predatory and further suffocates Lebanon.”Siniora added: “It is an Iranian speech that reflects Iran’s impatience toward the ongoing conflict and the clash with the US in the nuclear talks in Vienna.”
Former premier Saad Hariri addressed Nasrallah in a tweet: “Your insistence on attacking Saudi Arabia and its leaders is a continuing attack on Lebanon, its role and its people’s interests. Saudi Arabia has never threatened the Lebanese state with the Lebanese who have been working and residing in the Kingdom for decades. “Saudi Arabia, as well as all the Arab Gulf States, have welcomed the Lebanese and provided them with job opportunities and a decent life. It’s those who threaten the Lebanese with their livelihood, stability, and progress that want the Lebanese state to be held hostage to Iran and its proxies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.”He added: “Everyone knows that history will not be kind toward a party that sells its Arabism, its homeland and the interests of its people in exchange for a handful of partnerships in the region’s wars.”
In a statement issued by Dar Al-Fatwa, Lebanon’s highest Sunni authority, Grand Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian described Nasrallah’s speech as “impertinence and offenses directed toward the Kingdom.”
Dar Al-Fatwa reiterated its “support to Mikati’s stance in this regard.”
Future Bloc MP Mohammed Al-Hajjar said: “Hezbollah not only pawns Lebanon, but insists on slaughtering the country.”
Lebanese Democratic Party MP Bilal Abdallah expressed his concern over “using Lebanon on the negotiation table of the powerful forces.”

Lebanon Records 5,087 Daily Covid Cases and 19 Deaths
Naharnet/January 04/2022
Lebanon recorded 5,087 new Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The country has witnessed a major surge in cases in recent weeks, amid the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus and the gatherings that accompanied the holidays period. Health Minister Firass Abiad announced earlier on Tuesday that “the situation is still under control” as to hospitals’ capacity to deal with the current wave of cases. He also noted that the issue of imposing a new lockdown was raised in a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati but added that “all efforts are being exerted to avoid this matter.”

Abiad: Covid Hospitalization Situation Still under Control
Naharnet/January 04/2022 
Health Minister Firass Abiad announced Tuesday that “the situation is still under control until the moment” as to hospitals’ capacity to deal with the current wave of Covid-19 cases. “The numbers of patients in hospitals and in their ICU units have not increased in a significant manner, but we are required to be prepared and ready should these numbers surge,” Abiad said after talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail. “We discussed several measures that the Ministry can take, including the opening of a coronavirus emergency field hospital with the equipment donated by the UAE to Lebanon,” the Minister added. Noting that the field hospital will be set up in the BIEL area, Abiad said it would receive patients suspected of being infected with Covid-19. “This matter would enable us to help the infected patients. This center will be announced within days and I will visit it along with Mr. Prime Minister in order to inaugurate it,” the Minister added. He also noted that the issue of imposing a new lockdown was raised in the meeting but added that “all efforts are being exerted to avoid this matter.”

Aoun Says Keenness on Lebanon-Gulf Ties Must be 'Mutual'
Naharnet/January 04/2022 
President Michel Aoun on Tuesday stressed his adherence to “Lebanon’s official stance” as to “keenness on Lebanon’s Arab and international ties, especially with the Arab Gulf nations, topped by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”“This keenness must be mutual, because it is in the interest of both Lebanon and the Gulf countries,” Aoun added. His remarks come hours after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah verbally attacked Saudi King Salman and said Riyadh helped spread extremist ideology worldwide and is “taking hostage” the thousands of Lebanese who work in the Gulf region.The comments come as Lebanese authorities are trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia that hit a new low in October when the kingdom recalled its ambassador from Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports. The Saudi move followed comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister who said in a televised interview that the war in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition.

Miqati, Bukhari React after Nasrallah Attacks Saudi King
Naharnet/January 04/2022 
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has verbally attacked the king of Saudi Arabia, saying Riyadh helped spread extremist Islamic ideology worldwide and is taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the Gulf region "hostage." Nasrallah's statements during a televised speech came in response to comments by King Salman, who called on the Lebanese in a speech last week "to end the terrorist Hizbullah's control" of Lebanon. The comments come as Lebanese authorities are trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia that hit a new low in October when the kingdom recalled its ambassador from Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports. The Saudi move followed comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister who said in a televised interview that the war in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition. Early last month, Information Minister George Kordahi, who made the comments before he took the job, resigned from his post but the move did not heal the tense relations.The Yemen conflict began with the 2014 takeover of the capital Sanaa by the Houthi rebels, who control much of the country's north. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war the following year, determined to restore the internationally recognized government and oust the rebels.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Miqati issued a statement saying Nasrallah's comments do not represent the government nor the "majority of Lebanese." He called on Lebanese politicians to spare Lebanon from statements "that lead nowhere."
"Your Highness the king, the terrorist is (the side) who exported Wahhabi-Daeshi ideology to the world and they are you," Nasrallah said, referring to the Islamic State group by its Arabic acronym of Daesh. Nasrallah also blamed Saudi Arabia for allegedly sending Saudi suicide attackers to Syria and Iraq as well as for the war in Yemen. "The terrorist is whoever takes hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of Lebanese as hostages and threatens the Lebanese state with evicting them," Nasrallah said during a rally marking the second anniversary of the U.S. killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
There have been concerns in Lebanon that the tension could affect tens of thousands of Lebanese who work in the gulf.
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari responded immediately after Nasrallah's speech with a tweet calling the Hizbullah leader's comments "lies that cannot be hidden in darkness." Bukhari did not name Nasrallah but referred to him as Abu Raghal, a historic Arab personality that represents treason.

Lebanese Lira Hits Record Low of 30,000 to a Dollar
Associated Press/January 04/2022
Lebanon's currency hit a new low Tuesday reaching 20 times its value on the black market since the economic meltdown began in late 2019 and likely throwing more people into poverty. The pound was trading at 30,000 to 1 U.S. dollar on the black market as the economic crisis continues with no solution expected in the near future. The Lebanese currency was pegged at 1,500 pounds to the dollar for 22 years until decades of corruption and mismanagement led to the country's worst economic crisis in its modern history starting in October 2019. The currency crash was made worse by a political crisis over the investigation into the massive August 2020 port explosion at Beirut's port. The government has not held any meetings since Oct. 12, amid calls by some groups led by Hizbullah to remove the judge leading the investigation, describing him as biased and politicized. The World Bank has described Lebanon's economic meltdown as one of the worst in the world since the 1850s. Many people in Lebanon get paid in pounds, leaving them unable to buy many basic goods. The small country of 6 million, including a million Syrian refugees, imports 80% of its goods. More than three quarters of people living in Lebanon live in poverty, according to the United Nations. Prime Minister Najib Miqati said last month he expects a draft deal to be reached with the International Monetary Fund before the end of February.

Parliament Petition Seeks to Compel Aoun to OK Extraordinary Legislative Session
Naharnet/January 04/2022
The issue of launching an extraordinary legislative session seems to be the subject of a major standoff between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri. “Aoun has informed the relevant parties, especially his partner in the jurisdiction to launch an extraordinary legislative session, PM Najib Miqati, that he does not intend to launch a parliamentary session,” al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Tuesday. “Presidential sources say that the President is practicing his constitutional right and does not see a necessity to launch the session, seeing as he does not want to provide a cover for halting the prosecution of MP Ali Hassan Khalil and stopping the execution of the arrest warrant that was issued against him by Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar,” the daily added. The Speakership meanwhile believes that MPs have a constitutional right to launch an extraordinary session through coming forward with a parliamentary petition that carries the signatures of the majority of lawmakers, which would compel the President to launch the session, al-Joumhouria said. The daily added that the petition was prepared in the beginning of the year and has been sent to MPs to win their signatures. Sources from Aoun’s Strong Lebanon bloc meanwhile expressed their rejection of the petition, describing it as “a provocative measure against the President.”“President Michel Aoun remains firm in the face of any provocation and he does not bow to any blackmail,” the sources added. Parliamentary sources hit back, also in remarks to al-Joumhouria, stressing that the petition is “a constitutional right for the MPs.”“Should it win the signatures of the needed parliamentary majority, the President will become compelled to launch the session, and his refrainment from that would be a blatant violation of the constitution,” the sources warned.

Hariri Tells Nasrallah History 'Won't be Merciful' on Hizbullah
Naharnet/January 04/2022
Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Tuesday hit out at Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over his latest anti-Saudi remarks, saying that “history will not be merciful on a party that is selling its Arab identity, its country’s stability and its people’s interests in return for some participation in the region’s wars.”
“Your insistence on antagonizing Saudi Arabia and its leadership is a continuous act of jeopardizing Lebanon, its role and the interests of its sons,” Hariri said in a series of tweets. “Saudi Arabia is not threatening the State of Lebanon with (the Lebanese citizens) who work in it and who have bene living among its people for tens of years,” the ex-PM added. “Saudi Arabia and all Arab Gulf countries embraced the Lebanese and offered them jobs and decent living requirements. He who is threatening the Lebanese in their living, stability and progress is the one who wants the State of Lebanon to be a hostage for the State of Iran and its extensions in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon,” Hariri went on to say. Also addressing Nasrallah, the ex-PM added: “I know that you will not back down from the approach of provocation and slurs against the Arab Gulf countries, but everyone knows that history will not be merciful on a party that is selling its Arab identity, its country’s stability and its people’s interests in return for some participation in the region’s wars.”Nasrallah verbally attacked Saudi King Salman in his speech on Monday, saying Riyadh helped spread extremist ideology worldwide and is taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the Gulf region "hostage." Nasrallah's statements during a televised speech came in response to comments by King Salman, who called on the Lebanese in a speech last week "to end the terrorist Hizbullah's control" of Lebanon. The comments come as Lebanese authorities are trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia that hit a new low in October when the kingdom recalled its ambassador from Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports. The Saudi move followed comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister who said in a televised interview that the war in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition.

Hizbullah MPs Slam Miqati for Defending Saudi Arabia
Naharnet/January 04/2022
Two Hizbullah lawmakers on Tuesday lashed out at Prime Minister Najib Miqati over his criticism of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s latest anti-Saudi remarks.“We were expecting Mr. Prime Minister Najib Miqati to put national belonging first and rebel for the dignity of his country in the face of the repeated insults by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against the Lebanese people, the last of which were the statements of its king against a broad segment of the Lebanese, whom he accused of terrorism,” MP Hassan Fadlallah said. “That represented a major insult to the sanctities of those Lebanese, topped by the blood of their martyrs and the sacrifices of their resistance fighters in the face of the Zionist enemy,” the lawmaker added. MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi for his part said Miqati’s “flattering words” towards the kingdom exclusively represent him and are only binding for him. “They were an insult against you before being an insult against every honorable patriotic Lebanese citizen. It would be better if you preserve some of the country’s dignity and respect,” Moussawi added. Miqati has issued a statement saying Nasrallah's comments do not represent the government nor the "majority of Lebanese." He called on Lebanese politicians to spare Lebanon from statements "that lead nowhere. In a speech Monday evening, Nasrallah had verbally attacked Saudi King Salman and said Riyadh helped spread extremist ideology worldwide and is taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the Gulf region "hostage."

Abu Faour: Hizbullah's Stances Have Become an Unbearable Burden
Naharnet/January 04/2022
MP Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party announced Tuesday that “Hizbullah’s stances and regional policies have become an unbearable burden for Lebanon,” hours after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah launched a blistering attack on Saudi Arabia and its monarch.
“Insulting Saudi Arabia, its leadership and Lebanon’s Arab ties is no longer an occasional stance… It is clear that it has become a premeditated policy aimed at destroying these ties and plunging Lebanon into the Iranian trap,” Abu Faour said. He accordingly criticized Hizbullah for “taking the country hostage to matters that have nothing to do with Lebanon’s belonging, interest or ability.”“It is clear that the promised defense strategy is no longer limited to Lebanese soil and logic requires that it include Hizbullah’s policies in the region,” the lawmaker added. Nasrallah verbally attacked Saudi King Salman in his speech on Monday, saying Riyadh helped spread extremist ideology worldwide and is taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the Gulf region "hostage."Nasrallah's statements during a televised speech came in response to comments by King Salman, who called on the Lebanese in a speech last week "to end the terrorist Hizbullah's control" of Lebanon. The comments come as Lebanese authorities are trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia that hit a new low in October when the kingdom recalled its ambassador from Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports. The Saudi move followed comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister who said in a televised interview that the war in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 04-05/2022
WHO Says Omicron Affecting Upper Part of Body May be 'Good News'
Associated Press/January 04/2022
A top World Health Organization official says low hospitalization and death rates in South Africa due to the omicron variant cannot be considered a template for how the variant will fare as it surges in other countries. Dr. Abdi Mahamud, COVID-19 incident manager at the U.N. health agency, notes a “decoupling” between case counts and deaths in the country, which first announced the emergence of the fast-spreading new variant. He said Tuesday that in terms of hospitalizations South Africa remains "very low, and the death has remained very, very low.”But Mahamud says “it cannot be extrapolated from South Africa to other countries, because each is country is unique on its own.”By its latest count, WHO says 128 countries had confirmed cases of the new variant that first emerged in southern Africa in November, but many other places — which may not have complete testing capabilities — are believed to have it too. Mahamud notes that omicron has shown nearly unprecedented transmissibility for a virus. He notes a “remarkable increase” in cases in the United States, where “we are seeing more and more hospitalizations coming along.” But he did cite an increasing number of studies showing omicron affects the upper part of the body, whereas other versions devastated lung function and caused severe pneumonia that led to many deaths.Mahamud says that could be “good news” but that more studies are needed to get a full picture.

Drones Downed in Iraq in 2nd Botched Attack in 24 Hours
Agence France Presse/January 04/2022
Two armed drones targeting an air base in western Iraq were shot down on Tuesday, an official of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group said. "Two fixed-wing drones rigged with explosives were engaged and destroyed by defensive capabilities at the Iraqi Al-Asad Air Base early this morning," the official said. "The attempted attack was unsuccessful. All forces are accounted for." It is the second such attack in 24 hours targeting the coalition in Iraq. On Monday, the coalition shot down two armed drones targeting its compound at Baghdad airport.The attacks come as Tehran and its allies across the Middle East held emotional commemorations marking the second anniversary on Monday of the assassination of Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant in a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad airport. Coalition troops switched to a training and advisory role with the end of their combat mission early last month. "While we have ended our combat mission, we maintain the inherent right of self-defense," the official said. "These are attacks against Iraqi installations, and an attack against the Iraqi people and the military that protects them. We maintain a minimal footprint on Iraqi bases —- the coalition no longer has its own bases in Iraq."

Navy Helicopter Crashes Off Israeli Coast, 2 Pilots Killed
Associated Press/January 04/2022
Two Israeli pilots were killed when a navy helicopter crashed off Israel's Mediterranean coast late Monday near the northern city of Haifa, the Israeli military announced. The helicopter was conducting a training flight when it crashed. A third crew member, an aerial observer, was moderately injured and evacuated to a hospital, the military said early Tuesday. "After extensive resuscitation efforts, the two pilots were declared dead."The cause of the crash was under investigation. The chief of the Israeli Air Force has ordered immediate suspension of all training flights and the use of helicopters from the same array of the doomed aircraft. The families of the pilots have been notified. "The IDF (Israeli army) expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families and will continue to support them," the statement said.

NATO foreign ministers to hold emergency talks on Ukraine
AFP/04 January ,2022
NATO foreign ministers will hold an emergency videoconference on Friday to discuss Russia's military build-up around Ukraine, after a raft of demands from Moscow, the alliance said. Tensions have soared in recent months as the West has warned that the Kremlin could be planning a full-scale invasion of its neighbor after massing some 100,000 troops at the frontier. High-ranking officials from the US and NATO are set to hold talks with Russia from Sunday after Moscow laid down a list of demands for Washington and the Western military alliance. The Kremlin is insisting NATO must never grant membership for ex-Soviet Ukraine and must roll back its forces near Russia's border. But the West has rejected what it calls a bid by Moscow to dictate the future of independent partners and threatened Moscow with “severe costs” if it launches a fresh incursion into Ukraine. President Joe Biden's administration has sought to reassure wary European allies that it will act in concert with them, dismissing suggestions that it could seek a meeting in Geneva without input from the Europeans. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell -- who is heading to Ukraine for an official visit -- spoke on Tuesday to NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the talks between the alliance and Russia on January 12. Borrell had earlier insisted that the EU must be involved in any talks on European security -- but a statement after the call with Stoltenberg did not repeat the demand. For his part, Stoltenberg tweeted: “I've convened #NATO-#Russia Council meeting on Jan 12 to discuss issues related to European security, esp the situation in/around #Ukraine & issues related to mil activities, reciprocal transparency & risk reduction. An agenda for meaningful dialogue in the interest of all of us.” The last meeting of the NATO-Russia Council was held in 2019 and relations between the two former Cold War foes have been frozen amid deep mutual distrust. NATO says it has remained open for dialogue and previously accused Moscow of spurning its invitation to hold fresh talks. Russia seized the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and is accused of fomenting a bloody conflict in the east of the country that has killed over 13,000.

US, EU sternly warn Sudan’s military against appointing PM unilaterally
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/04 January ,2022
The US and Europe warned Sudan’s military on Tuesday against any attempts to appoint a new prime minister and cabinet without involving “civilian stakeholders.” “The Troika and the European Union will not support a Prime Minister or government appointed without the involvement of a broad range of civilian stakeholders,” a statement from Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union said. This was one of the strongest statements from Western powers since Abdalla Hamdok stepped down as Sudan’s prime minister over the weekend. Despite signing a deal with the military, which arrested him and forced the collapse of his government, Hamdok said that he was “unable to combine all the components of the transition to reach a unified vision.”In their statement Tuesday, the so-called Troika and the EU said Hamdok played a major role in leading Sudan’s democratic and economic reforms. “His resignation as Sudanese Prime Minister, two months after the military’s unconstitutional seizure of power, reinforces the urgent need for all Sudanese leaders to recommit to the country’s democratic transition and deliver on the Sudanese people’s demands for freedom, peace, and justice,” the statement said. The statement also said the Western powers look forward to working with a government and a transitional parliament, “which enjoy credibility with the Sudanese people and can lead the country to free and fair elections as a priority.”They added that this would necessary to facilitate any economic assistance to Sudan. “In the absence of progress, we would look to accelerate efforts to hold those actors impeding the democratic process accountable,” they added, in a sign of potential sanctions. Later Wednesday, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said there was a need for Sudan to remain in a civilian-led transition, “not just a transition that includes civilians.”

With Hamdok out, Sudanese fear return to 'Islamo-military politics of Bashir'
The Arab Weekly/January 04/2022
KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Sudanese security forces have spread out around Khartoum and neighbouring cities ahead of planned anti-coup protests, days after the resignation of the country's civilian prime minister, Tuesday. Pro-democracy activists have stepped up calls for protests against the October 25 military coup led by top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who detained then-prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and cabinet ministers. The coup has triggered mass demonstrations and a violent crackdown that has so far left at least 57 dead and hundreds wounded. On November 21, Burhan reinstated Hamdok in a deal promising elections in mid-2023. The protest movement slammed the deal as "betrayal" and has kept up street pressure. Late Sunday, Hamdok announced that he was stepping down, saying he had tried to prevent the country "from sliding toward disaster" but that it was now at a "dangerous crossroads threatening its very survival". Pro-democracy activists have urged protesters to take to the streets, Tuesday, and to head to the presidential palace in Khartoum "until victory is achieved".Sudan has been navigating a fragile transition towards full civilian rule since the April 2019 ouster of veteran autocratic president Omar al-Bashir following an unprecedented wave of youth-led protests.
Dimming prospects
The resignation of Sudan's prime minister leaves the military in full command and threatens a return to the repressive policies of the regime of ousted strongman Omar al-Bashir, analysts say. Observers fear more bloodshed and instability ahead. "Hamdok's resignation has left the military in sole command of the country," said Magdi al-Gizouli of think-tank the Rift Valley Institute. "Protesters will take to the streets again and will be left to face more violence." Since its independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956, Sudan, now one of the world's poorest countries, has been mostly under military rule with only rare democratic interludes. It has been navigating a fragile transition toward full civilian rule since the April 2019 ouster of Bashir. Following Hamdok's resignation, Burhan on Monday "emphasised the importance of forming an independent government with specific tasks agreed among all the Sudanese", a statement said. Burhan reversed Hamdok's ouster and reinstated him, promising elections in mid-2023 -- but the protest movement had lost all faith in both leaders and kept up their demonstrations. They accused Hamdok, a former international economist, of "betrayal" and "legitimising the coup regime".
In the weeks since, Hamdok had failed to form a new government, and local media reported in recent days that he had not shown up at his office. Gizouli said the parties to Sudan's November deal had hoped it would "reduce the agitation on the streets" and allow them to find a way "to rework the constitutional arrangements"."But all this did not happen."
Facade down
Instead, Hamdok had found himself "paralysed" and "not able to get anything done, neither politically nor administratively", he said. Some observers now fear that Hamdok's resignation signals a return to the kind of rule Sudan saw under the Islamist-backed Bashir regime. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair tweeted that Hamdok's resignation "removes any facade the #SudanCoup generals can enjoy and present this coup as anything other than a reversion to the Islamo-military politics of Bashir. "Though Sudan's future is uncertain, the clarity helps all to see this coup for what it is." UN chief Antonio Guterres "took note" of Hamdok's resignation and "regrets that a political understanding on the way forward is not in place despite the gravity of the situation", his spokesman said. Washington urged Sudanese leaders to "set aside differences, find consensus and ensure continued civilian rule". "Sudan's next PM and cabinet should be appointed in line with the constitutional declaration to meet the people's goals of freedom, peace and justice," the US Bureau for African Affairs said. Activists have stepped up their calls for more anti-military protests from Tuesday and urged demonstrators to again head to the presidential palace in Khartoum "until victory is achieved". Sudan's military rulers have meanwhile granted themselves heightened powers to stop dissent. Burhan last month issued a decree allowing security forces to arrest individuals "over crimes related to the state of emergency" which effectively bans street protests. Security forces are allowed to enter and search "any building or individual" and impose "surveillance of any property and facility"."The stakes are now very high," said Gizouli, who argued Hamdok had been "a possible mediator between all sides". "Now it's an open confrontation between security forces and the old system, excluding Omar al-Bashir, and a leaderless movement on the streets based on the activism of young people." John Prendergast, of The Sentry think-tank, said foreign powers should not stand idly by. "The longer the United States and European Union wait to create consequences for the actions of the military rulers," he wrote, "the more the regime is consolidating its economic and political power, to the great detriment of Sudan's population."

Nearly 200 Dead as Fighting Surges near Yemen's Marib
Agence France Presse/January 04/2022
About 200 fighters have been killed in fresh clashes near the strategic Yemeni city of Marib, military and medical sources said Tuesday, as the seven-year war witnesses a surge in violence. More than 125 Huthi rebels were killed in air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition and clashes with pro-government forces in Shabwa and Al-Bayda provinces, bordering Marib, medical sources told AFP. The pro-government Giants Brigade, backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, also lost 70 fighters, Yemeni government sources said. The clashes took place over the past 24 hours. The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting for nearly seven years in support of Yemen's government against the Huthis, in a conflict that has displaced millions and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. As hostilities escalate, the rebels on Monday said they had seized a military ship flying a United Arab Emirates flag. The coalition insisted it was carrying medical supplies. In September, the rebels intensified their efforts to take Marib, a provincial capital which is the government's last northern stronghold. Recent weeks have seen another spike with Saudi air strikes on rebel territory multiplying, while the Huthis have ramped up missile and drone assaults on the kingdom.n Thirty-nine wounded arrived at Shabwa's Ataq hospital in just one day on Sunday, according to a Medecins Sans Frontieres team that arrived in late December.

Prince Andrew Sex Abuse Hearing Starts in New York
Agence France Presse/January 04/2022
A key court hearing in which Prince Andrew's lawyers will urge a New York judge to dismiss a sexual assault lawsuit brought against the British royal got under way Tuesday. Oral arguments in the civil action filed by Virginia Giuffre, a longtime accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, began shortly after 10:00 am (1500 GMT). Andrew's attorneys are expected to argue that a once-confidential settlement between accuser Giuffre and late disgraced financier Epstein unveiled on Monday protects the prince from litigation. Giuffre's legal team will tell judge Lewis Kaplan that the agreement is irrelevant to her case against Queen Elizabeth II's second son and that the case must proceed. The hearing was being held between the parties' representatives via video conference with press and public able to listen in by telephone. Giuffre alleges that Epstein lent her out for sex with his wealthy and powerful associates, including Andrew, an allegation the prince has repeatedly and strenuously denied. A deal made public for the first time Monday by a New York court shows that Giuffre agreed to drop a civil claim against Epstein for $500,000 in Florida in 2009. The settlement contained a provision that purports to protect "other potential defendants" from being sued related to alleged sexual abuse committed by Epstein, who killed himself in jail two and a half years ago.Giuffre sued the prince for unspecified damages last year, alleging he sexually assaulted her in 2001 when she was 17 and a minor under American law.The 61-year-old Andrew has not been criminally charged. Giuffre says Andrew assaulted her at Epstein's home in New York, and on his private island in the US Virgin Islands. She alleges he also sexually abused her at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was last week found guilty of sex trafficking minors for Epstein.
- Maxwell convicted -
Maxwell, who introduced Andrew to Epstein in the early 1990s, faces life behind bars after being convicted by New York jurors of five of the six counts she faced following a high-profile month-long trial. Epstein died aged 66 in a Manhattan jail in 2019, in what New York's coroner ruled was a suicide, after being charged with child sex trafficking charges. He was convicted in 2008 of paying young girls for sexual massages at his Florida mansion but served just 13 months in jail after striking a deal with the state prosecutor at the time. Andrew has rarely been seen in public since he was forced to quit the royal frontline in 2019 for failing to distance himself from Epstein. In a disastrous interview with the BBC that year, Andrew denied Giuffre's claim that they had shared a sweaty dance at a London nightclub, saying that at the time he could not sweat due to a condition related to having fought in the 1982 Falklands War. Last week, Giuffre's lawyers demanded that Andrew hand over medical records proving that he is unable to sweat. Andrew's legal team has accused Giuffre of seeking to profit from a "baseless lawsuit," which is still in its early days. If the case proceeds and Giuffre and Andrew are unable to reach a settlement then it could go before a jury trial, likely in the latter half of this year. On Friday, Kaplan rejected their attempts to halt progression of the suit on the grounds that Giuffre now lives in Australia.

China Says U.S., Russia Must Reduce Stockpiles after Nuclear Statement
Naharnet/January 04/2022
China said on Tuesday it will continue to "modernize" its nuclear arsenal and called on the United States and Russia to reduce their own stockpiles a day after global powers pledged to prevent such weapons from spreading. In a rare joint statement setting aside rising West-East tensions, the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France reaffirmed their goal of creating a world free of atomic weapons and avoiding a nuclear conflict. The five nuclear powers also committed to full future disarmament from atomic weapons, which have only been used in conflict in the US bombings of Japan at the end of World War II. But squaring that rhetoric with reality will not be easy at a time of spiraling tensions between those same global powers not seen since the Cold War. There are growing global concerns about China's rapid military modernization especially after its armed forces last year announced they had developed a hypersonic missile that can fly at five times the spread of sound. The United States has also said China is expanding its nuclear arsenal with as many as 700 warheads by 2027 and possibly 1,000 by 2030. On Tuesday, China defended its nuclear weapons policy and said Russia and the United States -- by far the world's largest nuclear powers -- should make the first move on disarmament. "The U.S. and Russia still possess 90 percent of the nuclear warheads on Earth," Fu Cong, director general of the department of arms control at the Chinese foreign ministry, told reporters. "They must reduce their nuclear arsenal in an irreversible and legally binding manner."Fu dismissed U.S. claims that China was vastly increasing its nuclear capabilities."China has always adopted the no first use policy and we maintain our nuclear capabilities at the minimal level required for our national security," he said. But he said Beijing would "continue to modernize its nuclear arsenal for reliability and safety issues."
Taiwan, Ukraine
Ties between Beijing and Washington have been strained over a series of issues including China's intentions to take Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory, by force if necessary. Beijing's saber-rattling towards Taiwan has reached new heights under President Xi Jinping, China's most authoritarian leader in a generation. Fu dismissed speculation over the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons near the Taiwan Strait. "Nuclear weapons are the ultimate deterrent, they are not for war or fighting," he said. While the United States and Russia have had a formal strategic stability dialogue since the days of the Cold War, producing several disarmament agreements, that is not the case between Washington and Beijing. In Europe, tensions with Moscow have deteriorated over a Russian troop build-up close to the Ukrainian border. That has raised fears that the Kremlin, worried by the possibility of further eastward expansion of NATO, is planning a new attack on its pro-Western neighbour. Crunch talks between Russia and the U.S. on European security are expected in Geneva on January 10. Against this backdrop, Monday's joint statement on nuclear weapons was a rare moment of consensus between the U.N.'s five permanent Security Council members. "A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," the statement said, adding that "further spread of such weapons must be prevented."The statement was issued after the latest review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) -- which first came into force in 1970 -- was postponed from its scheduled date of January 4 to later in the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement also pledged to abide by a key article in the NPT under which states committed to full future disarmament from nuclear weapons. The joint statement also came as the world powers seek to reach an agreement with Iran on reviving the 2015 deal over its controversial nuclear drive, which was rendered moribund by the US walking out of the accord in 2018.

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 04-05/2022
Solving Syria’s Crisis Starts with Sanctioning Iranian Oil
Andrew J. Tabler and Matthew Zweig/The National Interest/January 04/2022
Rather than rehabilitating the Assad regime through willful negligence in its sanctions policy, the administration should escalate economic pressure on the Assad regime’s Iranian enablers to regain a measure of leverage at the negotiating table. Iran has been openly providing the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and the U.S.-designated Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah with millions of dollars worth of oil. The Biden administration has chosen to look the other way, even though Tehran’s shipments are a flagrant violation of both U.S. sanctions and the administration’s stated policy of securing a solution in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 (UNSCR 2254), which calls for a Syrian-led process that would create a permanent, peaceful, and political end to the conflict. To achieve this and push Assad away from Iran, Biden should impose Syria-related sanctions on the Iranian entities providing oil to Damascus. In October, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to securing a political solution in Syria in line with UNSC 2254. He stated that the administration has not “lifted a single sanction on Syria or changed our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress toward a political solution, which we believe is necessary and vital.” The problem with Blinken’s statement is that the administration claims to have one policy but is seemingly implementing another. Rather than putting Assad in the dilemma of choosing a political settlement under UNSCR 2254 or relying on Iran, Biden’s team is quietly greenlighting the Syrian dictator’s diplomatic rehabilitation without hard incentives. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Biden administration’s refusal to target senior Assad regime financiers with sanctions. From February through December 2020, the prior administration designated over 100 Syrian officials and their enablers, including senior financiers such as Samer Foz, Hussam Qaterji, Yasser Ibrahim, and Mohammed Masouti. That effort ground to a halt as soon as Biden took office. The approval of the regime’s participation in a regional energy agreement that will likely benefit the Syrian government is also an indicator.
If the Biden administration truly wants a political solution in Syria in line with UNSCR 2254, it must constrain Assad’s options, not expand them. To that end, the administration should fully utilize the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (Caesar Act) and other U.S. sanctions targeting the Syrian regime.
There is no better place to begin than by targeting Iran’s oil shipments to Hezbollah via Syrian ports. Caesar Act sanctions are mandatory, so the White House has a statutory obligation to impose them on all who knowingly provide significant material support to the government of Syria. In addition to being legally indefensible, ignoring Iranian oil shipments to Syria removes a powerful incentive for the economically crippled Assad regime to finally make significant concessions at the negotiating table. The public evidentiary record is clear with respect to the application of sanctions to the vessels involved, the originator of the oil, and the organizations providing it. The National Iranian Tanker Company is carrying oil extracted and distributed by the National Iranian Oil Company on a wide scale. These entities should be designated for their conduct not just under Iran authorities, but under Syria or Syria-related sanctions as well. This would send a powerful message to the regime that continued reliance on Iranian energy would come at a cost. Iran is sending fuel to Hezbollah because Lebanon is in the midst of a historic economic crisis that has led to a national energy shortage. The Biden administration says it wants to provide relief to Lebanon while showing Iran is not a true friend of the Lebanese people. Sanctioning Lebanese imports of Iranian fuel via Syria would cut off one source of supply, incentivize Lebanese imports from legitimate sources, and prevent Hezbollah from using the country's energy crisis for its political benefit. Enforcing sanctions on Iranian crude and finished product into Syria would be an important first step to deny the regime its energy lifeline and, combined with other measures, incentivize it to make political concessions as part of UNSCR 2254, including the constitutional committee, release of detainees, and holding free and fair elections.
Rather than rehabilitating the Assad regime through willful negligence in its sanctions policy, the administration should escalate economic pressure on the Assad regime’s Iranian enablers to regain a measure of leverage at the negotiating table.
*Andrew J. Tabler, former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and NSC Syria Director, is the Martin J. Gross Fellow in the Geduld Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
*Matthew Zweig, former Senior Advisor at the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Senior Professional Staff Member at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan think tank focused on national security and foreign policy.

Palestinians: We Are Proud of Terrorists
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./January 0/2022
Last year, Abbas paid the family of a Palestinian terrorist who murdered two Jews 30,000 Jordanian dinars ($42,000).
By rewarding the family of al-Halabi and other terrorists who carried out attacks or murdered Jews, Abbas is also stating that he, too, is proud of those who engage in terrorism.
Some Palestinian parents, however, are proud to see their children carry out terrorist attacks or murder Jews. For these parents, it is more "honorable" if their son or daughter murders a Jew than becomes a doctor, lawyer or engineer.
Abbas and his senior officials have repeatedly made it clear that they will continue to pay monthly stipends to families of Palestinian terrorists.
This is the same Abbas who recently has been telling the Biden administration that he wants to revive the stalled peace process with Israel.
This is also the same Abbas whose government continues to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to families of terrorists and the same Abbas whose media continues to glorify terrorists by describing them as "heroes" and "martyrs" of the Palestinians.
The next time a US official arrives in Ramallah to meet with Abbas or any of his senior aides, he or she should ask them about the wild incitement against Israel and Jews, especially in the Palestinian media. They need to ask the Palestinian leaders why the PA educates its youth to admire terrorist murderers and deny Jewish history. It does not matter what the Palestinian leaders say in response; they need to be told that the indoctrination and violence will not improve the living conditions or boost the economy of the Palestinians.
The top priority of the US officials should be to stop the latest wave of terrorism against Jews in the West Bank and Jerusalem. This can be achieved only if the Americans put pressure on the Palestinian leadership to stop the incitement and glorification of terrorists.
Mahmoud Abbas and his PA officials Palestinian say (in public, at least) that they want a better future for their people. Their actions and rhetoric, however, suggest otherwise. They pay salaries to families of terrorists and glorify murderers, thus encouraging more Palestinians to become terrorists. A Palestinian leader who wants to see children grow up to become doctors and engineers does not glorify terrorists and encourage young men and women to go on television and talk about their desire to murder Jews.
The US officials should then tell the Palestinians that... such statements prove that there is no difference between the Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which also does not recognize Israel's right to exist. They should tell the Palestinian leaders that that the time has come for them to stop the vicious campaign to delegitimize Israel and demonize Jews or else the US will stop providing them with financial aid and suspend all its relations with them.
The Palestinian leaders were happy to resume their relations with the Biden administration earlier this year. The Palestinians want American money. They want the US to be involved in any future peace process with Israel. They know that they cannot ignore the role of the US as a major broker in any deal with Israel.
The Palestinians leaders need to hear these questions.... daily -- not only from the Biden administration, but also from all Western countries that fund the PA.
The Abbas who picks up the phone to congratulate a terrorist upon his release from prison is saying, loud and clear, that murdering or wounding a Jew is a noble act, worthy of the leader's time and attention.
Is it any wonder, then, that not a single Palestinian dares to speak in public against the murder of Jews? Abbas knows very well that if he ever uttered a negative word about terrorism against Israelis, he would be instantly condemned by his people as a traitor.
Last year, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas paid the family of a Palestinian terrorist who murdered two Jews 30,000 Jordanian dinars ($42,000). Abbas and his senior officials have repeatedly made it clear that they will continue to pay monthly stipends to families of Palestinian terrorists. On July 23, 2018, at a ceremony honoring Palestinian terrorists, Abbas said: "We will neither reduce nor withhold the allowances of the families of martyrs, prisoners, and released prisoners... if we had one single penny left, we would spend it on the families of the martyrs and the prisoners."
Normally, parents are proud to see their sons and daughters graduate from high school or university and go on to pursue their lives. This is true of ordinary parents who care about the well-being of their children and want the best for them.
Some Palestinian parents, however, are proud to see their children carry out terrorist attacks or murder Jews. For these parents, it is more "honorable" if their son or daughter murders a Jew than becomes a doctor, lawyer or engineer.
In the past few decades, many Palestinian parents have publicly boasted of the involvement of their children and family members in terrorist attacks against Jews.
Like most Palestinians, the parents consider the terrorists "heroes" and "martyrs" who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Palestinian issue.
Scenes of Palestinians handing out candies to celebrate terrorist attacks against Jews have become the norm in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Additionally, Palestinian groups and social media users praising shooting and stabbing attacks against Jews have become a routine practice.
Etaf Jaradat is the mother of Omar and Gaith, suspected of murdering Yehuda Dimentman, a 25-year-old Jewish man, in the northern West Bank on December 16.
On December 20, the Israeli army mapped the family's house in preparation for demolishing it -- a response, and hoped-for deterrent to future terrorists -- for having murdered Dimentman.
Shortly after the soldiers left the house in the village of Silat al-Harithiya near the city of Jenin, Etaf appeared in a number of Palestinian media outlets distributing sweets in an expression of joy over the murder of the Jew.
"I'm very proud of my sons," the mother said. "I raise my head very high, thank God. I want to tell Omar and Gaith that they are heroes. They brought pride to us. Their jihad [holy war] is honorable and historic."
Earlier, shortly after her sons were arrested by the Israeli security forces, Etaf also expressed pride in what they did. "If my sons did it [murdered the Jew], I raise my head very high," she said. "I pray to God to give us the patience and strength. I hope that they will be honored by God as jihadis. This is a jihad to defend the al-Aqsa Mosque and all Muslims."
Her husband, Mohammed Jaradat, also went on record to praise his sons for their involvement in the murder. "If my sons did it, they made a sacrifice for the sake of Palestine and the Muslims," he said. "If it is proven that my sons did it, I will be proud of them."
The parents of the suspected terrorists are not the only ones who are proud of the shooting attack. Several Palestinians took to various social media platforms to voice their support for the murder by using a hashtag "The Heroes of Silat al-Harithiya." The suspected terrorists are praised as "heroes" who are committed to the jihad against Israel.
Almost immediately after the shooting attack, several Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, applauded the murder of the Jew.
"Hamas welcomes the heroic operation," the Gaza-based Iranian-backed group said in a statement. "Our people in the West Bank will continue their struggle until the expulsion of the occupier from all of our Palestinian land."
In separate statements, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) -- two terror groups that are part of the PLO, which is headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas -- also praised the murder of Dimentman as a "heroic" operation and vowed to pursue the fight against Israel.
Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, needless to say, have not condemned the murder of the Jewish man. Instead, Abbas found time on December 20 to phone Hussein Sulieman al-Zrei, a terrorist who was released from Israeli prison after completing a 19-year prison sentence. Al-Zarei, a former commander of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (the armed wing of Abbas's ruling Fatah faction), was arrested by Israeli security forces in 2002 for his role in terrorist attacks against Israelis.
Last year, Abbas paid the family of a Palestinian terrorist who murdered two Jews 30,000 Jordanian dinars ($42,000). The money was handed to the family of terrorist Muhannad al-Halabi by the Palestinian governor of Ramallah and al-Bireh, Laila Ghannam.
On October 3, 2015, al-Halabi attacked the Benita family in the Old City of Jerusalem as they were on their way to the Western Wall to pray. He fatally stabbed Aharon Benita, the father of the family, and wounded the mother, Adele, and their two-year-old son, Matan. Nehemia Lavi, a Jewish resident who heard the screams and came to help, was also murdered.
By rewarding the family of al-Halabi and other terrorists who carried out attacks or murdered Jews, Abbas is also stating that he, too, is proud of those who engage in terrorism.
Abbas and his senior officials have repeatedly made it clear that they will continue to pay monthly stipends to families of Palestinian terrorists. On September 14, 2021, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said:
"From our perspective, the prisoners are the heart of the Palestinian national movement throughout history. The US is punishing us, and Israel is punishing us because we are taking care of the prisoners' affairs. As President Abbas says: 'Even if we are left with one penny, we will take care of them.' These people are our children, and we will protect them like we protect every central element of the Palestinian public."
This is the same Abbas who recently has been telling the Biden administration that he wants to revive the stalled peace process with Israel.
On December 13, Abbas met with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and again repeated his desire to engage in a "real political process" with Israel.
This is the same Abbas who does not have the courage to condemn the murder of a young Jewish man in the West Bank and the same Abbas who does not have the courage to tell Palestinian parents that it is grossly immoral to express pride in the terrorist attacks carried by their sons.
This is also the same Abbas whose government continues to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to families of terrorists and the same Abbas whose media continues to glorify terrorists by describing them as "heroes" and "martyrs" of the Palestinians.
The next time a US official arrives in Ramallah to meet with Abbas or any of his senior aides, he or she should ask them about the wild incitement against Israel and Jews, especially in the Palestinian media. They need to ask the Palestinian leaders why the PA educates its youth to admire terrorist murderers and deny Jewish history. It does not matter what the Palestinian leaders say in response; they need to be told that the indoctrination and violence will not improve the living conditions or boost the economy of the Palestinians. Abbas needs to be reminded of his repeated statements about opposing violence and being committed to a negotiated settlement with Israel.
The top priority of the US officials should be to stop the latest wave of terrorism against Jews in the West Bank and Jerusalem. This can be achieved only if the Americans put pressure on the Palestinian leadership to stop the incitement and glorification of terrorists.
Recently, Palestine TV hosted a girl who threatened that "we will trample the necks of the Zionists and make a path out of them."
Palestine TV also broadcast home videos of two young girls singing songs that demonized Jews, presenting them as "impure" and the "the world's dogs."
The US officials also need to ask Palestinian leaders about blood libels they spread against Jews. They should ask: "Why are you telling your people that Jews are spreading the coronavirus?"
The Palestinian officials, who are accustomed to spreading such falsehoods about Israel and Jews, are likely to say that this is what they believe and no one is going to talk them out of it. The Palestinians will probably remind the US officials of another libel they have made in the past: that Israel uses wild boars to destroy their crops and drive them out of their lands.
The best reply from the Americans would be to tell the Palestinians to "knock it off " and stop demonizing Israel and Jews: it only encourages Palestinians to carry out more terrorist attacks. This reply should not be seen as an "order" by the US administration, but as a good advice to the Palestinian leadership.
It's possible that the Palestinian leaders will initially comply with the request and "turn down the volume" against Israel. The US administration, however, needs to follow up on its advice and make sure that the Palestinian leaders comply. Failure to do so will allow the Palestinian leadership to return to the incitement and indoctrination after a certain time. The Americans need to understand that what they are demanding from the Palestinian leadership is actually good for the Palestinians themselves, because Palestinian children will no longer be exposed to the poisonous messages that drive them into the open arms of Islamic extremists.
As Palestinian Media Watch revealed last month, Muwaffaq Matar, a senior official in Abbas's Fatah faction, accused Israel of deliberately bringing COVID-19 into the Palestinian communities. "It would not be an exaggeration if we say that the racist occupation government has worked to export the COVID-19 epidemic to us," Matar wrote in the PA's official newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, on November 21, 2021.
The US officials further need to ask: "Why do you continue to deny Jewish history? Why do you keep telling your people that Jews have no rights to the land and that Jerusalem belongs only to Muslims and Christians?"
Again, the Palestinians will probably argue -- regardless of biblical history -- that the Jews have stolen land that belongs to them.
The Palestinians have long been waging a campaign to rewrite history as part of an effort to delegitimize Israel and the Jewish people.
As the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center pointed out in July 2021:
"The Palestinian Authority leadership, led by Mahmoud Abbas, twisted and rewrote history in general and of the Jews in particular. The theme is elaborated upon extensively in one of his books and in his speeches over the years. His main theses are that the State of Israel is a Western colonial settlement, Jesus was a Palestinians, and the Palestinians are the descendants of the Canaanites who came before the Patriarch Abraham."
The US officials should then tell the Palestinians that with messages such as these, the Palestinian leadership is telling its people that Jews are not entitled to have their own homeland -- which means that Israel has no right to exist. The officials should tell the Palestinians that such statements prove that there is no difference between the Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which also does not recognize Israel's right to exist. They should tell the Palestinian leaders that that the time has come for them to stop the vicious campaign to delegitimize Israel and demonize Jews or else the US will stop providing them with financial aid and suspend all its relations with them.
The Palestinian leaders were happy to resume their relations with the Biden administration earlier this year. The Palestinians want American money. They want the US to be involved in any future peace process with Israel. They know that they cannot ignore the role of the US as a major broker in any deal with Israel. The Palestinians leaders need to hear these questions directly from the US officials they meet with in Ramallah and Washington. They need to hear these questions daily -- not only from the Biden administration, but also from all Western countries that fund the PA.
True, the Palestinians may not change overnight, but it is important for them to know that the world is watching their words and actions and is ready every moment to ask hard questions. One can only hope that as the time passes and the American and European pressure grows, the Palestinian leaders will finally realize that they must stop the incitement against Israel if they want a better life for their people.
Mahmoud Abbas and his PA officials Palestinian say (in public, at least) that they want a better future for their people. Their actions and rhetoric, however, suggest otherwise. They pay salaries to families of terrorists and glorify murderers, thus encouraging more Palestinians to become terrorists. A Palestinian leader who wants to see children grow up to become doctors and engineers does not glorify terrorists and encourage young men and women to go on television and talk about their desire to murder Jews.
The US officials additionally need to ask about PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh's recent statement that there are no traces of Jewish history in Jerusalem:
"We are on the outskirts of the eternal capital, the jewel of the crown, the point where the earth meets the sky, the flower of cities and the hearth of the hearts of the believers, Muslims and Christians... Jerusalem, which includes Canaanite, roman, Islamic, and Christian monuments, is for them only, and others [Jews] have no traces in it." (Wafa, November 15, 2021)
The Abbas who picks up the phone to congratulate a terrorist upon his release from prison is saying, loud and clear, that murdering or wounding a Jew is a noble act, worthy of the leader's time and attention.
Is it any wonder, then, that not a single Palestinian dares to speak in public against the murder of Jews? Abbas knows very well that if he ever uttered a negative word about terrorism against Israelis, he would be instantly condemned by his people as a traitor. For the root of that savage reality, Abbas need only look in the mirror.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
© 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.

Bleak future awaits young Syrians in Turkey
Alexandra de Cramer/The Arab Weekly/January 04/2022
Turkey graciously agreed to host its Syrian neighbours as they escaped an atrocious civil war, but a decade later, things are looking very different. This temporary housing arrangement has turned into a permanent stay.
The fear recently shown from Turkey that Syrians are starting to settle-in is not misplaced, almost all of the refugees have already moved into cities from the camps. What is cause for worry, however, is the lack of long-term planning for young Syrians living in Turkey.
According to November data from the Refugees Association, Turkey hosts 3.7 million Syrians and more than 2.6 million of them are aged under 30. More than a million are under ten, born after the conflict first erupted from widespread protests against President Bashar Al Assad.
Turkey has the biggest and youngest refugee population in the world. But what kind of a future awaits them?
The answer is simple: a bleak one.
The truth is Turkey cannot even guarantee its own youth a bright future. The government’s short-fix mentality is leaving a legacy of great debt and dysfunctional institutions, as exemplified by its handling of the current economic crisis. Young Turks are fleeing the country in large numbers. In 2019, 330,000 Turks migrated abroad; half of them were under 30. Those who stay are faced with the third-highest unemployment rate out of 32 European countries, according to August figures from Eurostat.
Turkey’s Youth Unemployment Platform estimated that more than 11 million people aged between 15 and 34 were unemployed in November. For the third quarter of 2021, the official youth unemployment rate was 22 percent.
Hence why, according to a 2020 survey conducted by MAK Consultancy, 76 percent of young people said they wanted to leave Turkey for a better future.
A similar fate awaits young Syrians, who have escaped war but carry the trauma of being part of a refugee population. As a result, they do not have access to basic human necessities such as housing, education and financial security.
Up until now, the state’s refugee-welcoming discourse has not been reflected in its actions. The government, which is run by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, has failed to provide a coherent policy for its Syrian refugees. This was displayed in February when the country’s vaccination programme failed to include Syrians.
Access to education is the primary problem. A deal struck in 2016 between the European Union and Turkey has helped. The EU pledged €6 billion ($6.7), €2.4 billion of which has been spent on education and housing. However, it is not enough.
Systematic changes have been ordered by the education ministry to provide a more inclusive education framework, but the sheer scope of the task makes it extremely complex to implement.
To start with, Turkey’s centralised education system does not allow individual schools to tailor education to the needs of Syrian students. Secondly, there are not enough teachers qualified to teach a curriculum in both Turkish and Arabic. The Education Reform Initiative think tank confirmed that only half of the Syrian children registered are going to school. Out of those aged between 14 and 17, a mere 26 percent are enrolled in school.
Half of the Syrians in Turkey have never attended school or do not know how to read and write. The UNHCR says more than 70 percent of Syrian refugees live in poverty. The chances are that those children not attending school are helping out their families by working, almost all in illegal schemes.
The plunging value of the Turkish lira has led to economic strife across the country and given rise to anti-Syrian sentiment. Political parties have added to the hostility by railing against the refugee population.
In November, three Syrians aged between 17 and 21 came to work in Izmir and were burned to death while sleeping. Turkish human rights groups said it was a xenophobic attack. In the summer of 2020, six children in Hatay were subjected to a racist attack and beaten so badly that they needed hospital treatment. Another incident in 2019, saw a 9-year-old Syrian boy from Kocaeli hang himself due to discrimination in the classroom.
The Platform for Protecting Children and Their Rights found that more than half of Turkish parents interviewed did not approve of their children being friends with Syrians. There are no public opinion campaigns to help change their minds.
Troublingly for Turks, the number of young Syrians is growing rapidly. A 2019 report by German political foundation Konrad Adenauer Stiftung estimated that nearly 500 Syrian babies are born in Turkey each day. Neither Syria nor Turkey grants these newborns citizenship, essentially making them stateless. Undoubtedly, they are the biggest victims of the current situation.
There are many aspects Turkey is grappling with when it comes to the Syrian refugees it hosts, but it is young Syrians who need the most attention now.
The government wants Turks to believe that Syrians will return to their country, but what does going home even mean for these children? Even if the war comes to an end, when will it be safe for them to return?
There have been reports of refugees going back to Syria only to be detained, interrogated, tortured and sexually abused by Assad’s security forces.
What awaits young refugees in Syria are food shortages, persecution and conscription to the military. Compared to those odds, Turkey is a far more attractive offer, but can it not do better?

Dbeibah's fait accompli
Habib Lassoued/The Arab Weekly/January 04/2022
In a tone little short of defiance, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, head of the caretaker administration in Libya, said that his government will not step down until a constitution is drawn up and real elections produce a new leadership for the country. Only at that time, will he hand over the reins of power.
In the wake of such a statement, Libyans will have to wait for a few more years during which a new constitution will be drafted and discussed and then a general referendum is held in which the people will approve or reject the draft. Then, work on holding the election could start.
In light of the inaction and complacency that serve the interests of the political elites and preserve their privileges, the Libyan people can expect the scenario of the former Government of National Accord headed by Fayez Al-Sarraj, to be reenacted. That government, which was supposed to lead to a transitional phase that would not exceed two years, lasted five years, which perpetuated discord instead of reconciliation, war instead of peace and division instead of unity.
On February 5 of last year, it was announced during the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva that Dbeibah was chosen as the head of the new transitional government, in a joint list which included as a candidate for president of the Presidency Council, Muhammad al-Menfi and as candidates for membership in the council, Abdullah al-Lafi and Musa al-Koni. They all signed a commitment not to run for elections, which they were supposed to organise, by last December 24.
Dbeibah felt that getting to rule a rich and influential country like Libya was not difficult and did not cost him much compared to the gains that he could reap for himself and those around him and for those whom he now represented at the head of the executive authority. It was easy to convince the United Nations and its agencies and the major countries not to publish the results of the investigation into suspicions of corruption at the Tunis Political Dialogue Forum of November 2020, where huge sums exchanged hands in a drive to buy members’ votes.
Dbeibah eventually surrounded himself with a professional PR and image-building team. His clear goal was to promote himself as a candidate for the presidency of the country, a country without a constitution.
He launched a wide propaganda campaign targeting most groups in society, such as youth, workers, the poor, the needy, retirees, widows, divorced women, those married to foreigners and stateless persons. Within a few months, he approved unprecedented measures, including subsidies to those wishing to marry and the raising the salaries of employees. He quickly turned into one of the most prominent leaders in terms of voter support and to one of the leading candidates competing for the presidency of the country.
Dbeibah also had to move in another direction, which was to win the support of militias, warlords, militants of the February 17 movement, political Islam groups and others, by expressing hostility to the army leadership in the east of the country and to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
He then set about marginalising members of his government who hailed from the Cyrenaica region, including his deputy, Hussein al-Qatrani and thereafter turned against the provisions of the political agreement. His advisers told him that he should appear as a popular leader able to generate optimism that citizens would benefit, even from the vast looted wealth of their country. He could also present himself as a regional leader, given that Tripoli's demographic concentration guarantees him the majority of votes at the polls.
The presidential elections were postponed for many reasons, most notably the legal and political violations that Dbeibah created with his own candidacy. He thrust the country into a huge controversy over the future of a government that lacked parliamentary legitimacy but could act with the effective approval of international powers which did not object to covering up corruption and legal violations.
Today, Dbeibah says he will not give up his position and that his government will stay in power. This means a definitive departure from legitimacy, but what legitimacy? And when was there any legitimacy to be respected? Everything that has been going on in Libya for ten years was tied to interests, calculations, deals and promises. Just as Sarraj remained in power for five years under the rule of de facto reality, Dbeibah will balance the interests of local and foreign thieves through that same rule. As for the elections, even if they are ever held, their results will only lead to more disagreements as militias continue to roam and the gangs to frolic.