English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For 11 July/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men.
Matthew 15/01-09: Then there came to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, Why do your disciples go against the teaching of the fathers? for they take food with unwashed hands. And in answer he said to them, Why do you, yourselves, go against the word of God on account of the teaching which has been handed down to you? For God said, Give honour to your father and mother: and, He who says evil of father or mother will be put to death. But you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit from me is given to God; There is no need for him to give honour to his father. And you have made the word of God without effect because of your teaching. You false ones, well did Isaiah say of you, These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men.

Titels For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 10-11/2022
Al-Rahi says govt. delay is 'sabotage', calls for 'impartial' president
Al-Rahi refuses any manipulation of presidential elections deadline, deems failure to facilitate government with full powers a...
Hezbollah Continues to Escalate Rhetoric in Maritime Border Demarcation
Presidential elections a major juncture, depending on extent to which opposition can agree on a name," says Geagea
Qaouq says Hezbollah drones had a 'quick effect'
Corona - Health Ministry: 1092 new Corona cases, one death
Lebanon’s Music Festivals Make Modest Comeback After Crisis
Al-Makari says he sees no new government formation, expresses surprise at judiciary's failure to detain anyone in one of the most corrupt countries...
Bayram: We achieved liberation, but did not create the homeland worthy of the sacrifices yet
Abou Faour: A plan by Health Minister Abiad will put an end to the suffering of cancer patients
Lebanese political officials slammed during Eid sermon for ‘moral crisis and love of power/Najia Houssari/Arab News/July 10/2022

Titles For Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 10-11/2022
IAEA: Iran Escalates Enrichment with Adaptable Machines at Fordow
UN nuclear agency sees Iran enrichment advances
Iran slams US regional air defense plan ahead of Biden trip
Israeli PM says countering Iran will top Biden visit agenda
Canada to Release Equipment for Russia-Germany Gas Pipeline
Russian Rockets Wreck Apartment Block in Ukraine’s Donbas, Killing Six
Ukraine Reports Clashes in East as US Presses on Diplomatic Front
Blinken in Thailand to Shore up Regional Support, Counter China Push
Abe Killer Wielded Homemade Gun, Grudge over Mother’s Financial Ruin, Police Say
Awe and Anger in Sri Lanka’s Ransacked Presidential Palace
International Energy Forum Calls For Transparent Disclosure of Nuclear, Gas Holdings

Titles For LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 10-11/2022
Joe Biden: Why I’m Going to Saudi Arabia/Hiba al-Qudsi/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 10/2022
Brussels: Capital of Europe or Eurabia?/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/July 10/2022
Why is the Flawed Palestinian Cause So Prominent on the Hard Left?/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/July 10/2022
The German Trade Deficit Is No Cause for Alarm/Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg/July 10/2022
The American Strategic Compass for the Reconfiguration of the Middle East/Raghida Dergham/The National/July 10/2022
Belgium’s prisoner swap deal with Iran must be stopped/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 10/ 2022
Biden’s devious rhetoric on Saudi Arabia/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/July 10/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 10-11/2022
Al-Rahi says govt. delay is 'sabotage', calls for 'impartial' president
Naharnet/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday warned that "not facilitating the formation of a new government with full constitutional powers" is an "act of sabotage.""Leaving the country without a government at the end of a presidential term and on the eve of the presidential juncture would certainly lead to weakening the representative nature of the Lebanese state in negotiating with the international community," al-Rahi cautioned in his Sunday Mass sermon.Turning to the issue of the presidential vote, al-Rahi warned against any "manipulation." "We insist on the need to respect the constitutional timing of this juncture and we call for the election of a president who enjoys political expertise and who is respectable, brave and impartial," the patriarch urged. He should be a "statesman who is neutral in his impartiality and committed in his patriotism," al-Rahi said. "He should be above alignments, axes and parties and must not represent a provocation to anyone. He must be capable of practicing the role of the national, constitutional and ethical authority and must be able to gather the rivals and begin with putting the country on the path of real salvation and positive change," the patriarch added. Al-Rahi also criticized Hezbollah, without naming it, for sending drones towards the Karish field amid the ongoing efforts to resume indirect sea border negotiations with Israel. "The success of these negotiations hinges in the first place on the firmness of the Lebanese stance's unity behind the state," al-Rahi said. This stance "must not be distorted and subjected to failure amid a very critical situation," al-Rahi added, stressing that "the state cannot negotiate while others are testing the negotiations militarily."

Al-Rahi refuses any manipulation of presidential elections deadline, deems failure to facilitate government with full powers a...
NNA/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, criticized the continuous prevarication and indifference regarding the new government formation issue, stressing that "failure to facilitate the formation of a new cabinet with full constitutional powers, enjoying national, political and charter representation, is an act of sabotage."He added: "Leaving the country without a government at the end of the covenant and on the eve of the presidential elections will inevitably lead to the weakening of the representation factor of the Lebanese legitimacy as a national reference for negotiations with the international community...whereby the de facto forces remain in control of the national decision and the fate of Lebanon."Al-Rahi feared that "this would increase the collapse of the state and anger the people, as it would render the region's conflicts and settlements at the expense of Lebanon, as has been the case in recent decades." The Patriarch's words came in his homily this morning as he presided over the sixth Sunday Mass of Pentecost at the Patriarchal Summer Church in Al-Diman. He went on to underline rejection of any "manipulation of the presidential entitlement," stressing "the need to respect this entitlement at its constitutional deadline, and to elect a president who is politically experienced, respectable, courageous and impartial, a statesman who is neutral in his integrity and committed to his patriotism." Al-Rahi affirmed that all disputants must place the country on the path towards real salvation and positive change, adding that "the conditions of the country require that this president be elected at the beginning of the constitutional period, not at its end, in order to reassure the people, calm souls, and revive hopes."Referring to the negotiations to demarcate the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel, so that Lebanon can extract its rightful oil and gas resources, al-Rahi considered that "the success of these negotiations depends mainly on the strength of the unity of the Lebanese position behind legitimacy." He added: "The state cannot negotiate while others test the negotiations militarily...Despite the international assurances we receive, no one can predict whether the region will be on the eve of military or peaceful events, but it is certainly on the eve of certain developments. Therefore, Lebanon's supreme interest requires that the dossier of border negotiations be neutralized from the political game, internal entitlements, and regional conflicts, as it is time for all parties to rally around Lebanon's interest."

Hezbollah Continues to Escalate Rhetoric in Maritime Border Demarcation
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Hezbollah continued to escalate its rhetoric in Lebanon's maritime border demarcation negotiations with Israel. The Iran-backed party again justified its firing of drones towards Israel’s offshore Karish gas field earlier this month. Hezbollah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq justified the attack, saying the party helped restore momentum to the negotiations and boosted Lebanon’s negotiating position. “The resistance [Hezbollah] is Lebanon’s strategic treasure and shield,” he added. “It carried out its duties to serve the Lebanese people and preserve their dignity and wealth,” he remarked. “The message of the drones took place at the right time and place and its impact was immediate. It was a completely national message and Lebanese in its goals. The message is not tied to the Iranian nuclear negotiations or American visits,” he added. Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said on Saturday that the party is now in a position of strength and it believes it is concerned in protecting all of Lebanon’s wealth. He accused Israel of maneuvering in the negotiations through a dishonest American mediator. The maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel returned to the fore last month after Israel moved a production vessel into Karish, parts of which are claimed by Lebanon. The move forced the Lebanese government to call for the resumption of US-mediated negotiations that had hit a wall last year over demarcation disputes. Hezbollah for its part threatened Israel and the company that owns the production vessel against proceeding with extraction, saying it was ready to stand in the way. Lebanon is now waiting for a response from Israel after relaying its maritime border position to US mediator Amos Hochstein who visited Beirut last month at the request of authorities. Hezbollah’s firing of drones drew criticism from Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib. “Any act that falls outside the framework of the state's responsibility and the diplomatic track within which negotiations are taking place, is unacceptable and exposes (Lebanon) to unnecessary risks,” he said after meeting caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati. Bou Habib on Monday called on “all parties to show a spirit of supreme national interest and commit to... supporting the state in the negotiation process,” in a veiled message to Hezbollah.

Presidential elections a major juncture, depending on extent to which opposition can agree on a name," says Geagea
NNA/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Head of the "Lebanese Forces" Party, Samir Geagea, stressed Sunday that the upcoming presidential elections denote a main crossroad that will determine Lebanon's fate for the next six years. He said: "The pivotal juncture that will determine Lebanon's fate for the next six years is the presidential elections, which are just around the corner, given that the constitutional deadline for electing the president begins on September 1," underlining that "the issue depends on the extent to which the opposition can unite around a certain candidate's name.""Parliament members who were elected as part of the opposition team are required to follow steps that lead to some change, the basis of which at the present time is the battle for the presidency,” he asserted. Geagea's words came during a ceremony to welcome 49 new members into the Party in the region of "Mayfouk-Al-Qattara", where he hailed the spirit of struggle of the Mayfouk-Al-Qattara citizens, noting that "they are the sons of a resistance town since ancient times and are naturally affiliated with the Lebanese resistance." He continued to emphasize that the difficult circumstances that Lebanon is going through and the stifling crisis did not affect the Lebanese Forces, based on the partisans' faith in their cause and willingness to sacrifice for it, when the need arises, considering that their presence in all Lebanese regions and in all countries of the Diaspora is the best proof of that...Addressing the opposition parties, the LF Chief urged them to collaborate efforts in order not to miss the opportunity for change with the approaching presidential elections, saying: "Let us learn from past experiences and, as an opposition, assume our responsibility in this important entitlement.

Qaouq says Hezbollah drones had a 'quick effect'
Naharnet/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Saturday boasted that the three drones that Hezbollah sent towards the Karish gas field last Saturday had a “quick effect” on the course of the sea border demarcation negotiations.
“The resistance today is a strategic treasure, the shield of Lebanon and the title of its glory. It has performed its duty in a manner that serves the interest of the Lebanese and preserves their dignity and resources,” Qaouq, who is a member of Hezbollah’s central council, added, referring to the drones flight. “The drones message took place at the appropriate place and time and it had a quick effect. It was a 100% patriotic message and its objectives were Lebanese and not related to Iranian negotiations nor to U.S. visits,” the Hezbollah official went on to say. “The drones plunged the Israeli enemy into new equations and calculations, and the post-drones period does not resemble the pre-drones one,” Qaouq said. He added: “The stances of the officials should enhance Lebanon’s position in the negotiations and block the interferences and dictations of embassies, because when Lebanon’s resources are threatened by the enemy, it is not acceptable to submit to an ambassador, regardless of the identity of this ambassador.”

Corona - Health Ministry: 1092 new Corona cases, one death
NNAt/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
In its daily report on COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Sunday the registration of 1,092 new Coronavirus infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 1,125,720.
The report added that one death was recorded within the past 24 hours.

Lebanon’s Music Festivals Make Modest Comeback After Crisis
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Lebanon's international music festivals kicked off at the weekend with a performance in the Roman ruins of Baalbek, the first performance there since the country's economic crisis. Under the title of "Baalbek Nights Return," conductor Lubnan Baalbaki – whose first name means "Lebanon" and whose last name means "from Baalbek" - led the orchestra on Friday night alongside his sister, singer Soumaya. The country once held several music festivals every summer, drawing international acts every weekend. This year, the modest reopenings feature almost exclusively Lebanese performers. Members of the audience in Baalbek swayed and sang along as Soumaya crooned Arabic tunes on a stage set up inside the temple of Bacchus, her silver gown glittering under the spotlights. She performed traditional ballads as well as original songs written by Lebanese poets and scored by her brother.
For many, the evening was a welcome escape from the crises that have hit Lebanon over the last three years. A financial meltdown described by the World Bank as one of the worst since the industrial revolution has led to rampant power cuts and medicine shortages across the country.
Lebanese have been further strained by the Beirut port blast of 2020 and several waves of the coronavirus pandemic. "This is an exceptional day," Soumaya told Reuters after the performance. "Despite all the difficulties that have shadowed our work, we put on this festival. It's an act of defiance – an act of faith in this country, in its image as a nation of art, culture and soft power that generates change." It was her first ever performance in her namesake city. Her brother last performed there in 2019, just months before Lebanon's collapse began. "Music and arts were the most hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Artists were the first to stop working and the last to return. This moment is so important for musicians and on a nationwide level," said Lubnan. "The crisis has pushed us to return to Lebanese talent and real Lebanese voices. Tonight, Soumaya's performance on the stage in Baalbek reminded us how important and refined our musical culture is," said Micheline Abi Samra, a member of the audience. "We were so happy and the coming days will be even better," she told Reuters. Upcoming acts at Baalbek include Lebanese rock band Adonis, French-Lebanese pianist Simon Ghreichy, and Iranian dancer Rana Gharghani. "We are living through very difficult circumstance and very dark days," said journalist Ricardo Karam, who attended the Baalbaki performance on Friday. "They made them beautiful, they made them vibrant.

Al-Makari says he sees no new government formation, expresses surprise at judiciary's failure to detain anyone in one of the most corrupt countries...
NNAt/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Al-Makari, considered that "it is not possible to form a new government during this short period, for it is transitional with the approach of the presidential elections and various forces will struggle over it." Hence, he deemed that "reviving the caretaker government and giving it confidence once again is the best solution." The Caretaker Minister's words came in an interview with "Radio Voice of All Lebanon" this morning, where he considered that "it is in everyone's interest to form a government in which each party will have the greatest authority, because everyone is aware that there are no presidential elections."“Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati provoked the Free Patriotic Movement by withholding the energy portfolio from it the cabinet lineup he presented,” Makari said.
On the relationship between the Marada and the Free Patriotic Movements, he considered that it "improved after the meeting that brought together the leaders of both Movements, namely Sleiman Franjieh and Gebran Bassil,” revealing underway contacts between the two sides.
Referring to the presidential elections, he indicated that "Franjieh, as well as Bassil, and Lebanese Forces Party Head Samir Geagea, and Army Commander Joseph Aoun, are all names proposed for presidency."Touching on the prevailing political situation, Makari stressed that "there is a system crisis," explaining that "the Taif Accord may be the most appropriate system, but it has not been fully implemented."Regarding the daily living conditions of citizens, he said: "We would not have reached where we are if the judiciary had been transparent, non-politicized and worked seriously to combat corruption," adding, "Until today, the judiciary has not detained anyone in one of the most corrupt countries in the world!" Al-Makari believed that "the strikes will not reach a result as long as the country is bankrupt and the treasury is empty," blaming the political structure for the current status quo. He regretted that "everyone in Lebanon is waiting for the regional picture and its impact on the interior to crystallize, in addition to the Ukrainian war, which had a negative impact on Lebanon and delayed aid, for the country has become at the bottom of the European priorities."Referring to the Ministry of Information, Makari stressed his focused interest "on modernizing the institutions affiliated with the Ministry, including Lebanon TV, Radio Lebanon and the National News Agency and the Studies Department, especially since there is no possibility of new employment as a number of employees reach retirement age," regretting "the inability to pump new blood into these institutions."In this context, he revealed a written plan that he will present to promote Lebanon TV, strengthen its human apparatus and introduce modern technology to it; however, its implementation is dependent on proper funding. He mentioned herein the efforts he is making with the Gulf countries to broadcast the World Cup match through Lebanon TV, "which will bring in a lot of money to the station." Al-Makari also touched on investing the Ministry of Information's real estate in a number of areas to feed its affiliated institutions, specifically Lebanon TV, with a clear investment plan in place. He commended "the continuous work of the Ministry of Information's team, despite the extremely difficult circumstances," saying: "This team, which I salute for every individual's hard work, has never stopped working, and I see it exerting tireless efforts to ensure the proper functioning of the institutions affiliated with the Ministry since the beginning of the crisis."Prior to his radio interview, Minister Makari toured the various sections and studios of the "Voice of All Lebanon" Radio Station, where he had a closer look at its adopted modern technologies and work methodologies and praised its team for their commendable efforts.

Bayram: We achieved liberation, but did not create the homeland worthy of the sacrifices yet
NNA/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Caretaker Labor Minister Mustapha Bayram considered that liberation of the land has been achieved, yet the creation of a homeland worthy of the rendered sacrifices is yet to be achieved. "Yes, we accomplished the liberation of the land, and today we set the controls for the extraction of oil and gas, which is a strategic opportunity for our generations and for the future of Lebanon, in order to have a breakthrough by transferring it from a country atimes begging its officials to a country worthy of the sacrifices we have lived," Bayram said. He added: "It is our responsibility to build a state worthy of these sacrifices, for it is not reasonable to offer the most precious flowers and roses of our lives on the altar of the homeland, and not have a state worthy of graduates who are heading towards hope." “We are the sons of a moral, human, intellectual and patriotic culture, namely the culture of resistance...a culture of life that rejects submission and humiliation." Bayram's words came in his address at the "Ajyal High School" graduation ceremony organized in the town of Al-Duwair for its students of the intermediate and high school certificates. He hailed the town and its people, especially for its "special symbolism, importance, human capacities, and great scientific qualifications," congratulating the graduating students and the school for its continuous contributions. "Learning is of significant value, and if we want to develop a society or build a society, we must invest in learning and move forward, for the mentor makes the man," he said. Bayram concluded by hoping to have a "strong, capable, and fair state that enjoys pride and dignity," calling for a Lebanon that is "inclusive of all its people and sects" and considering that the success of the Lebanese formula in its plurality is both a "responsibility and an opportunity."

Abou Faour: A plan by Health Minister Abiad will put an end to the suffering of cancer patients
NNA/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Member of the "Democratic Gathering" bloc, MP Wael Abou Faour, disclosed today in an issued statement, following the Democratic Gathering's movement and meeting with PM Najib Mikati: "As a result of the proposals by the Democratic Gathering and after the two meetings we held, Comrade Bilal Abdallah and I, with PM Mikati and Caretaker Public Health Minister Firas Abiad, an effective and practical proposal has been prepared which I am confident will put an end to the suffering of patients with cancer and other incurable diseases." He added that the proposal "ensures that the drug reaches the patient directly and relieves the state and the patient from all forms of exploitation, smuggling and trade." Abou Faour thanked both the Prime Minister and the Health Minister for their positive response, leaving it upto Minister Abiad to announce the details of the plan to be put into effect after finalizing all its requirements.

Lebanese political officials slammed during Eid sermon for ‘moral crisis and love of power’
Najia Houssari/Arab News/July 10/2022
Clerics rip into ruling elite over country’s deterioration and collapse
Tensions arise between PM and president over government formation
BEIRUT: Political officials in Lebanon’s ruling class came under fire on Saturday for suffering from “a moral crisis and the love for power” as the country celebrated Eid Al-Adha.
The officials had apologized for not receiving any well-wishers on the holy occasion “due to the circumstances Lebanon is going through.”
Dar al-Fatwa secretary Sheikh Amin Al-Kurdi condemned them during the Eid sermon.
“The dignified, self-respecting people will not break in front of your corruption, thefts, and complex sick selves. You wasted their wealth and resources,” he said before hundreds of worshippers in the Al-Amin Mosque in the center of Beirut. “There’s no electricity, no water, no medicine, and no bread. Everything is obscenely expensive, and life has become arduous and compelling.
“The people will remain, but the black pages of history will curse you generation after generation,” added Al-Kurdi, who led the Eid prayers instead of Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian.
The grand mufti is in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj.
Al-Kurdi said the Lebanese officials suffered from “a moral crisis and the love for power.”
In his sermon, he asked: “Where is the prosecution of the killers of the martyred Prime Minister Rafik Hariri following the ruling of the international tribunal? Where’s the investigation into the Beirut Port blast? Where are the people’s financial rights lost in banks? Where’s the water, the electricity, the medicine, the food, and the fuel? Where’s the feeling of security and tranquility? When the captain of the ship is troubled, all the passengers will feel insecure.”
Lebanon entered the holiday phase on Saturday ending next Tuesday. Political activities to form a new government were halted, and work on controversial matters was suspended.
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has not visited President Michel Aoun during the past couple of weeks to continue consultations over the draft Cabinet lineup and Aoun has yet to respond to Mikati’s proposed draft Cabinet.
Tensions have emerged between the two men over the government formation process.
Aoun congratulated the Lebanese on Eid Al-Adha on his official Twitter account, expressing his hope that “some people would sacrifice their interests and selfishness for the interest of the country.”
Mikati issued a statement wishing the Lebanese a happy holiday, while also mentioning that he had prepared a Cabinet lineup and submitted it to Aoun.
“Together we discussed its content and he made some remarks, hoping we will resume discussions on the bases of cooperation and respect that were present between us during the past period.”
The grand mufti sent a message from Makkah to the Lebanese, saying that solutions to problems “solely consist of speeding up the government formation process and committing to the constitution to face dangerous internal and external challenges witnessed by Lebanon.”
“Those who set obstacles, barriers, and contradicting conditions impeding the government’s formation are responsible for the country’s deterioration and collapse,” he added. “Some Lebanese officials are in a coma, perhaps suffer from deficiencies, and do not carry out their national responsibilities to protect the state and its institutions.”
Activity was muted on the first day of Eid, especially in butcheries because of soaring livestock prices.
The price of one sacrificial offering is up to LBP6 million ($204 according to the black market rate). One butcher said this sum was equivalent to “a two-month salary of a first-class employee.”
The bread crisis has yet to be solved, with bakeries witnessing long lines of people waiting to get one bundle that is now subject to rationing, similar to electricity, water, and medicine. In a press conference on Friday, caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam talked about the “mafias affecting food security.”
He said: “We imported 45,000 tons of wheat, knowing that what we need for the pita bread amounts to 36,000 tons, meaning that there was an excess of 10,000 tons. But these mafias stole that quantity, and I have reports from the security authorities that include the names of smugglers, traders, bakeries, and mills. It appeared, however, that those arrested have signed a pledge vowing not to repeat their actions and they were discharged. What is this logic? The smuggling of bread to Syria reached about 40 percent. The smuggling is costing the Lebanese wheat subsidies billions of dollars.”He told the press conference about the “professionalism in smuggling and the advanced ways adopted.”
The minister said Lebanon would seek aid from the World Bank to secure an additional safety net. “We asked the World Bank for a loan, not to keep the subsidies going, but to secure the arrival of wheat to the country and to rationalize subsidies so that segments of society are not affected by higher prices because, as a government, we cannot keep securing subsidies.”Salam said the World Bank program would rationalize subsidies for six to nine months.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 10-11/2022
IAEA: Iran Escalates Enrichment with Adaptable Machines at Fordow
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Iran has escalated its uranium enrichment further with the use of advanced machines at its underground Fordow plant in a setup that can more easily change between enrichment levels, the UN atomic watchdog said in a report on Saturday seen by Reuters. Western diplomats have long expressed concern about devices this cascade, or cluster, of centrifuges is equipped with. The use of these so-called modified sub-headers means Iran could switch more quickly and easily to enriching to higher purity levels. While Iran is required to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency about such a switch, if it chose not to, it might escape detection for some time as there is currently a lag between Iran's enrichment and IAEA inspectors' verification of what is produced. "On 7 July 2022, Iran informed the Agency that, on the same day, it had begun feeding the aforementioned cascade with UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235," the confidential report to IAEA member states said. UF6 refers to uranium hexafluoride gas which is fed into centrifuges to be enriched. In a report on June 20 also seen by Reuters, the IAEA said that months after Iran informed it of its intention to use the cascade, Iran had begun feeding UF6 into it for passivation, a process that comes before enrichment. The IAEA verified on July 6 that passivation had ended, Saturday's report said. "On 9 July 2022, the Agency verified that Iran had begun feeding UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235 into the cascade of 166 IR-6 centrifuges with modified sub-headers for the declared purpose of producing UF6 enriched up to 20% U-235," it said. Iran is already enriching to up to 60% elsewhere, well above the up to 20% it produced before its 2015 deal with major powers that capped its enrichment level at 3.67% but still below the roughly 90% of weapons grade. The move is the latest step of many to breach and move well beyond the restrictions which the 2015 deal imposed on Iran's nuclear activities. It comes as talks to revive that deal are at an impasse and Western powers have warned time is running out to reach an agreement. The United States pulled out of the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, re-imposing sanctions against Tehran that the deal had lifted. A year later, Iran began retaliating by breaching the deal's restrictions.

UN nuclear agency sees Iran enrichment advances
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Iran has over the weekend reported new technical advances in uranium enrichment as it pursues its nuclear program with talks blocked to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tehran had started "feeding... a cascade of... centrifuges" at the Fordow fuel enrichment plant which has recently been upgraded. The techniques facilitate the process and would make it easier for Iran to switch to a different level of enriching uranium. In his latest report, the U.N. watchdog's director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said the changes at the plant under mountains south of the Iranian capital had been verified. In January 2021, Iran said it was working to enrich uranium to 20 percent at Fordow, a level well beyond the 3.67 percent agreed under the 2015 deal ز Several months later -- with 90 percent enrichment required to make an atomic bomb -- another Iranian nuclear site reached 60 percent enrichment. Tehran has always denied seeking to produce nuclear weapons. The United States walked out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 under then president Donald Trump, who proceeded to reimpose biting sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to step away from many of the nuclear commitments it made under the accord. Iran has held direct talks with remaining parties to the deal -- and indirect talks with the United States -- in a bid to restore the deal, but the negotiations have been at an impasse since March.
The nuclear deal will be on the agenda for U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel on Tuesday and Saudi Arabia on Friday. "My administration will continue to increase diplomatic and economic pressure until Iran is ready to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, as I remain prepared to do," Biden wrote in Saturday's Washington Post.

Iran slams US regional air defense plan ahead of Biden trip
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Iran has described as a "threat" the United States' plans for enhancing air defence cooperation with its Middle East allies, due to be discussed during President Joe Biden's upcoming regional trip. The White House's National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday said "greater collaboration" on issues such as air defence, particularly with regards to countering Tehran, would be on Biden's agenda as he visits Israel and Saudi Arabia next week. "The proposal of this issue is provocative and the Islamic republic of Iran views these remarks as a threat to national and regional security," foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said late Saturday. "Trying to create new security concerns in the region will have no result other than weakening common regional security and serving the security interests of the Zionist regime," he continued, in reference to Israel. Biden is due to begin on Wednesday his first visit to the Middle East since taking office in January 2021. He is set to meet the leaders of Iran's arch-nemesis Israel and its regional rival Saudi Arabia, as well as those of other countries such as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. The U.S. and its Gulf Arab allies accuse Iran of destabilising the region with its ballistic missile programme and support for armed militias. "We're continuing to work on integrated air defence capabilities and frameworks across the region," Kirby said on Thursday. "The whole region is concerned about Iran and their burgeoning and growing ballistic missile capabilities," he added. Washington raises such issues "with the sole purpose of Iranophobia and creating discord between the countries of the region", Kanani said. "Any groundwork for increasing the presence and role of the U.S. in regional security mechanisms will only lead to insecurity, instability and the spread of terrorism," he added.His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Iran and Western powers as talks in Vienna to revive a 2015 nuclear deal have been stalled since March. Qatar hosted in late June indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran in Doha in a bid to get the Vienna process back on track, but those discussions broke up after two days without any breakthrough.

Israeli PM says countering Iran will top Biden visit agenda
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Expanding joint action to counter Iran will top the agenda during U.S. President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Sunday, urging a "decisive" response to Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Addressing his second cabinet meeting since taking office on July 1, Lapid called Biden -- who is due in Jerusalem on Wednesday -- "one of the closest friends that Israel has ever had in American politics." The visit "will focus first and foremost on the issue of Iran," said Lapid, who is serving as premier and foreign minister of a caretaker Israeli government until elections scheduled for November 1. According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report that emerged over the weekend, Iran has informed the Vienna-based watchdog about enhancements in its uranium enrichment capacity. "Yesterday, it was revealed that Iran is enriching uranium in advanced centrifuges in complete contravention of the agreements it has signed," Lapid said Sunday. "The international response needs to be decisive: to return to the U.N. Security Council and activate the sanctions mechanism at full force," he added. Israel opposes the restoration of a 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers that offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The U.S. walked out of the deal in 2018 under then president Donald Trump, who proceeded to reimpose biting sanctions on Tehran. Many in Israel cheered that development, which prompted Iran to step away from many of the nuclear commitments it made under the accord. Negotiations seeking to restore the deal, including indirect talks with the US, took off in Vienna in April last year, but have been at an impasse since March. Beyond Iran's nuclear program, Israel has sounded growing alarm about Tehran's support for Lebanon's Hezbollah, which this month sent drones towards an Israeli Mediterranean oil rig that Beirut claims is in disputed waters. Israel has also accused Iranian agents of plotting to kidnap or kill Israelis in Istanbul. "Israel will not stand idly by while Iran tries to attack us," Lapid said. "We will discuss with the president and his team expanding security cooperation against all threats."The White House's National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday said "greater collaboration" on issues such as air defence, particularly with regards to countering Tehran, would be on Biden's agenda during the Middle East trip. Biden's tour also includes a stop in Saudi Arabia, Iran's main regional rival.

Canada to Release Equipment for Russia-Germany Gas Pipeline
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
The Canadian government said it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance — equipment the absence of which Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. The return of turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul has been complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Canada's minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that "Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany.”That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support “Europe's ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas.” He said that “absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship.”Siemens Energy said after Gazprom started reducing gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine that powers a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been overhauled after more than 10 years in service, to the customer, Gazprom, The Associated Press reported. German politicians have dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying that equipment shouldn’t have been a significant issue until the fall and the Russian decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices. The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 is due to shut down for annual maintenance on Monday. In previous summers, the work led to a roughly 10-day shutdown, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that Russia may cite “some little technical detail” as a reason not to resume gas deliveries. The reduction in gas flows comes as Germany and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europe’s biggest economy, gets about 35% of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from Russia.
Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germany’s three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europe’s biggest economy faced a “crisis” and storage targets for the winter were at risk. On Friday, energy company Uniper — Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas — asked the government for a bailout to cope with surging gas prices.

Russian Rockets Wreck Apartment Block in Ukraine’s Donbas, Killing Six
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
At least six people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine's Donetsk region, leading to the building collapsing, the region's governor said. Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that the strike took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. He said six people had been confirmed killed and five wounded. According to information from residents, at least 34 people are likely trapped in the ruins' he added, Reuters reported. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine's president, said in a Telegram post that the strike was "another terrorist attack," and that Russia should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism" as a result. A bill to apply this label to Russia has been tabled by two U.S. senators, who expressed their confidence the proposal would be voted through during a Thursday visit to Kyiv. Russia, which says it is conducting a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine, denies targeting civilians.

Ukraine Reports Clashes in East as US Presses on Diplomatic Front
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Ukraine reported clashes with Russian troops on Sunday on fronts in the east and south, with six civilians killed in one rocket attack, as the United States sought to marshal international support in opposing Russia's invasion. Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the eastern town of Sloviansk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraine's military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border. It gave no details of damage or casualties. Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk. "The enemy is ... shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region," he said on the Telegram message channel. "During the last night alone, the Russians launched seven artillery barrages and four rocket strikes."Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts. Russia says it wants to wrest control of the entire Donbas, the eastern industrial heartland made up of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, on behalf of Moscow-backed separatists in two self-proclaimed people's republics. The governor of the Donetsk region said six civilians were killed in a Russian rocket attack on an apartment block in Chasiv Yar town, about 30 km (20 miles) southeast of Sloviansk, with some 30 people believed to be trapped in the ruins. Russia's Tass news agency, meanwhile, cited pro-Russian separatists as saying Ukrainian forces had fired an artillery barrage into residential districts of the city of Donetsk. Ukrainian military spokesman was not immediately available for comment. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday the Russian army had targeted civilians on purpose. Russia, which claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend, denies targeting civilians. Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a "special operation" to degrade its military capabilities and root out what it calls dangerous nationalists. Kyiv and its Western allies call the invasion an unprovoked land grab. Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw.
Focus on diplomacy
In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraine's military command said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Asia, where he has been urging the international community to join forces to condemn Russian aggression. He told journalists on Saturday he had raised concerns with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, over Beijing's alignment with Moscow. The two met for more than five hours on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 foreign ministers on the Indonesian island of Bali. Russia's Sergei Lavrov walked out of a meeting there on Friday, denouncing the West for "frenzied criticism". The Chinese foreign ministry said, without giving details, that Wang and Blinken had discussed Ukraine. It quoted Wang as saying Sino-American relations were in danger of being further led "astray", with many people believing that "the United States is suffering from an increasingly serious bout of 'Chinaphobia'."Shortly before the Russian invasion, Beijing and Moscow announced a "no limits" partnership, although US officials have said they have not seen China evade US-led sanctions on Russia or provide it with military equipment. Blinken was in Thailand on Sunday and due to visit Japan on Monday. Zelenskiy dismissed several of Ukraine's senior envoys abroad, saying it was part of "normal diplomatic practice". He said he would appoint new ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary. Zelenskiy has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and high-end weapons to slow Russia's advance. But Ukraine suffered a diplomatic setback on Saturday, when Canada said it would return a repaired turbine that Russia's state-controlled Gazprom used to supply natural gas to Germany. Ukraine had argued that a return would violate sanctions on Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that the Kremlin was in no mood for compromise, saying sanctions against Russia risked causing "catastrophic" energy price rises. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said sanctions were working, echoing calls for more deliveries of high-precision Western weapons. "Russians desperately try to lift those sanctions which proves that they do hurt them. Therefore, sanctions must be stepped up until Putin drops his aggressive plans," Kuleba told a forum in Dubrovnik by videolink.

Blinken in Thailand to Shore up Regional Support, Counter China Push
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
The United States and Thailand signed agreements on Sunday to deepen the countries' already strong ties as Washington steps up its efforts to counter China's expanding influence in Asia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai pledged to advance partnerships in climate change, law enforcement and security cooperation. Blinken's visit comes a day after he met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Indonesia on the sidelines of the G20 foreign minister's meeting. Blinken will also meet with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. China's Wang has been engaged in intense diplomacy across Asia in recent weeks and met Prayuth on Tuesday. "We are taking the partnership between us fully into the 21st century," Blinken said, adding that Thailand is an important ally "in a region that is shaping the trajectory of the century". Bliken last year postponed a trip to Thailand, the oldest US ally in Asia, after halting a regional tour when a COVID-19 case was found in the press corps accompanying him. The Biden administration has sought to shore up ties with a region that had become uncertain about US commitment during a period of perceived neglect under Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. At that time, China expanded its influence while pushing investment and trade integration. "We have also laid the foundation for the next 190 years," the Thai foreign minister said, as the two countries prepare to mark 190 years of relations next year. Talks with Prayuth will include the crisis in Myanmar and expanding cooperation, the State Department said. Myanmar's military has increased pressure against ethnic minority armies since a coup last year and is encountering resistance on multiple fronts, including militia groups allied with the ousted government. Earlier on Sunday, Blinken met Myanmar youth leaders in the Thai capital, Bangkok. After Thailand, he will make a previously unscheduled stop in Tokyo to offer condolences to the Japanese people after the killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the State Department said.

Abe Killer Wielded Homemade Gun, Grudge over Mother’s Financial Ruin, Police Say
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
The man arrested for Shinzo Abe's killing believed the former Japanese leader was linked to a religious group he blamed for his mother's financial ruin and spent months planning the attack with a homemade gun, police told local media on Saturday. Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 41-year-old, was identified by police as the suspect who approached Japan's longest-serving prime minister from behind and opened fire, an attack that was captured on video and shocked a nation where gun violence is rare. Wiry and bespectacled with shaggy hair, the suspect was seen stepping into the road behind Abe, who was standing on a riser at an intersection, before unloading two shots from a 40-cm-long (16-inch) weapon wrapped with black tape. He was tackled by police at the scene. Yamagami was a loner who did not reply when spoken to, neighbors told Reuters. He believed Abe had promoted a religious group that his mother made a "huge donation" to, Kyodo news agency said, citing investigative sources. He told police his mother went bankrupt from the donation, the Yomiuri newspaper and other media reported. "My mother got wrapped up in a religious group and I resented it," Kyodo and others quoted him as telling police. Nara police declined to comment on the details reported by Japanese media of Yamagami's motive or preparation. Media have not named the religious group he was reportedly upset with. Yamagami jury-rigged the weapon from parts bought online, spending months plotting the attack, even attending other Abe campaign events, including one a day earlier some 200 km (miles) away, media said. He had considered a bomb attack before opting for a gun, according to public broadcaster NHK. The suspect told police he made guns by wrapping steel pipes together with tape, some of them with three, five or six pipes, with parts he bought online, NHK said. Police found bullet holes in a sign attached to a campaign van near the site of the shooting and believe they were from Yamagami, police said on Saturday. Videos showed Abe turning toward the attacker after the first shot before crumpling to the ground after the second.
Hostess bars
Yamagami lived on the eighth floor of a building of small flats. The ground floor is full of bars where patrons pay to drink and chat with female hostesses. One karaoke bar has gone out of business. The elevator stops on only three floors, a cost-saving design. Yamagami would have had to get off and walk up a flight of stairs to his flat. One of his neighbors, a 69-year-old woman who lived a floor below him, saw him three days before Abe's assassination. "I said hello but he ignored me. He was just looking down at the ground to the side not wearing a mask. He seemed nervous," the woman, who gave only her surname Nakayama, told Reuters. "It was like I was invisible. He seemed like something was bothering him."She pays 35,000 yen ($260) a month in rent and reckons her neighbors pay around the same. A Vietnamese woman living two doors down from Yamagami who gave her name as Mai, said he appeared to keep to himself. "I saw him a couple of times. I bowed to him in the elevator, but he didn't say anything."
Navy gun experience
A person named Tetsuya Yamagami served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force from 2002 to 2005, a spokesman for Japan's navy said, declining to say whether this was the suspected killer, as media have reported. This Yamagami joined a training unit in Sasebo, a major navy base in the southwest, and was assigned to a destroyer artillery section, the spokesperson said. He was later assigned to a training ship in Hiroshima. "During their service, members of the Self-Defense Force train with live ammunition once a year. They also do breakdowns and maintenance of guns," a senior navy officer told Reuters. "But as they are following orders when they do it, it's hard to believe they gain enough knowledge to be able make guns," he said. Even army soldiers who serve "for a long time don't know how to make guns". Some time after leaving the navy, Yamagami registered with a staffing company and in late 2020 started work at a factory in Kyoto as a forklift operator, the Mainichi newspaper reported. He had no problems until the middle of April, when he missed work without permission and then told his boss he wanted to quit, the newspaper said. He used up his holidays and finished on May 15.

Awe and Anger in Sri Lanka’s Ransacked Presidential Palace
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
Sri Lankans roamed through a ransacked presidential palace on Sunday as calm returned to the commercial capital, Colombo, a day after protesters stormed the building and forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to announce his resignation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he would step down to allow an all-party interim government to take over, with Rajapaksa scheduled to quit on July 13, according to the speaker of parliament. The political chaos could complicate efforts to pull Sri Lanka out of its worst economic crisis in seven decades, triggered by a severe shortage of foreign currency that has stalled the imports of essentials like fuel, food and medicines.The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has been in talks with the Sri Lankan government for a possible $3 billion bailout, said on Sunday it was monitoring events closely. "We hope for a resolution of the current situation that will allow for resumption of our dialogue on an IMF-supported program," the global lender said in a statement. Frustration with the economic crisis boiled over on Saturday as a huge crowd surged into the presidential palace, some taking the opportunity to frolic in its swimming pool. About 45 people were brought into a main hospital on Saturday, a hospital official said, but there were no reports of any deaths. On Sunday, amazed ordinary folk took the opportunity to inspect the colonial-era building. Members of the security forces, some with assault rifles, stood outside the compound but did not stop people going in.
Among those taking a look was 61-year-old handkerchief seller B.M. Chandrawathi, who sauntered into a first-floor bedroom accompanied by her daughter and grandchildren. "I've never seen a place like this in my life," Chandrawathi told Reuters as she tried out a plush sofa. "They enjoyed super luxury while we suffered," she said. "We were hoodwinked. I wanted my kids and grandkids to see the luxurious lifestyles they were enjoying."Nearby a group of young men lounged on a four-poster bed and others jostled for turns on a treadmill with a view, set up in front big windows overlooking manicured lawns.
'Peaceful handover'
The economic crisis developed after the COVID-19 pandemic hammered the tourism-reliant economy and slashed remittances from overseas workers. It has been compounded by large and growing government debt, rising oil prices and a seven-month ban on importing chemical fertilizers last year that devastated agriculture. Like most Sri Lankans, Chandrawathi said her family was struggling to make ends meet, battered by record inflation, currency depreciation, rolling power cuts and chronic fuel shortages. Headline inflation in the country of 22 million hit 54.6% last month, and the central bank has warned that it could rise to 70% in the coming months. Sprawled on an ornately carved wooden sofa, Wasantha Kumara said he had spent the night inside the president's house, where a section of the main sweeping staircase was damaged. Nearby, a handwritten poster read: "Watch as much as you want. Don't destroy or loot." A smashed vase lay next to it. The pool's water had turned murky by Sunday and no one was seen swimming. Kumara, a 33-year-old government employee, said he was keen to see Rajapaksa keep his promise to step down on Wednesday. "If he doesn't go I will continue to come here and I will continue to sleep here until he does," he said. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said on Saturday Rajapaksa's decision to step down was taken "to ensure a peaceful handover of power". Wickremesinghe, a six-time premier also seen by protesters as part of the ruling elite, also agreed to step down, his office said. A part of his private residence in an affluent Colombo suburb lay in ruins, after protesters attacked it and set on fire late on Saturday. Neither Rajapaksa nor Wickremesinghe were in their residences when the buildings were attacked. Details of a transition of power were not clear. The speaker had outlined proposals from a meeting of political parties on Saturday that would include parliament picking an acting president within a week. In a corner of a darkened hall at Rajapaksa's official residence, audio engineer Sameera Karunaratne sat with two friends playing Sri Lankan pop songs on a large, polished piano."It's a dream to come to a place like this," the 26-year-old said. "We just came to see what's going on."

International Energy Forum Calls For Transparent Disclosure of Nuclear, Gas Holdings
Riyadh - Fatehalrahman Youssef/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 10 July, 2022
The International Energy Forum (IEF) welcomed the European Parliament’s decision to include nuclear and natural gas in the EU classification of environmentally sustainable energy sources, unlocking billions of euros of new investment. In a statement, the IEF also stressed the need to strengthen disclosures of nuclear and gas holdings. “This is a realistic and responsible decision which will bring badly needed investments to vital new nuclear and natural gas projects at a time when Europe urgently needs new and diverse supplies for its energy security,” said Joseph McMonigle, the IEF’s Secretary General.
“The decision does not change climate goals but only increases the options to achieve them.”McMonigle added that natural gas projects “qualify as transitional if they replace coal, obtain construction permits before 2030, comply with CO2 emissions limits and have plans to switch to renewable or low-carbon gases by end-2035.” The IEF is the largest gathering of energy ministers in the world, headquartered in Riyadh. The organization includes participants not only from the International Energy Agency and OPEC countries, but also from major international actors such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Forum countries produce more than 90 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies. “Nuclear is eligible if new plants are granted construction permits by 2045 and avoid significant harm to the environment and water resources. Investment funds need to enhance disclosures to investors on nuclear and gas holdings under the taxonomy,” the statement emphasized.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 10-11/2022
Joe Biden: Why I’m Going to Saudi Arabia
Hiba al-Qudsi/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 10/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/109986/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%86-%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%aa%d8%a8-%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b0%d8%a7-%d8%a3%d8%b0%d9%87%d8%a8-%d8%a5%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d8%b9%d9%88%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%a9%d8%9f-%d8%a7%d9%84/
Forty-eight hours before his visit to the Middle East, US President Joe Biden wrote an op-ed to the Washington Post, “Why I’m Going to Saudi Arabia.”
Published on Saturday, he wrote: “I’ll travel to the Middle East to start a new and more promising chapter of America’s engagement there. This trip comes at a vital time for the region, and it will advance important American interests.”
He explained: “A more secure and integrated Middle East benefits Americans in many ways. Its waterways are essential to global trade and the supply chains we rely on. Its energy resources are vital for mitigating the impact on global supplies of Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
“And a region that’s coming together through diplomacy and cooperation — rather than coming apart through conflict — is less likely to give rise to violent extremism that threatens our homeland or new wars that could place new burdens on US military forces and their families,” he added.
“Avoiding that scenario is of paramount importance to me. I’ll pursue diplomacy intensely — including through face-to-face meetings — to achieve our goals.”
Biden claimed that the Middle East he is visiting “is more stable and secure than the one my administration inherited 18 months ago.”
“One month before my inauguration, our embassy in Baghdad faced the largest rocket attack in a decade. Attacks against our troops and diplomats had increased fourfold over the preceding year.” Referring to former President Donald Trump without naming him, Biden said: “My predecessor repeatedly ordered B-52 bombers to fly from the United States to the region and back again to deter these attacks. But it didn’t work, and the attacks continued.”
Yemen and Iran
Biden noted the war in Yemen, saying it created the “one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with no political process in sight to end the fighting.”
Moreover, he noted Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, saying: “After my predecessor reneged on a nuclear deal that was working, Iran had passed a law mandating the rapid acceleration of its nuclear program. Then, when the last administration sought to condemn Iran for this action in the UN Security Council, the United States found itself isolated and alone.”
“In my first weeks as president, our intelligence and military experts warned that the region was dangerously pressurized. It needed urgent and intensive diplomacy. To restore deterrence, I ordered airstrikes in response to the attacks against our troops and began serious diplomatic outreach to bring about a more stable region,” continued Biden.
He listed what he described as his administration’s successes in handling files in Iraq, Yemen and Iran.
“In Iraq, we ended the US combat mission and transitioned our military presence to focus on training Iraqis, while sustaining the global coalition against ISIS we forged when I was vice president, now dedicated to preventing ISIS from resurging.”
“We’ve also responded to threats against Americans. The frequency of Iranian-sponsored attacks compared with two years ago has dropped precipitously. And this past February, in Syria, we took out ISIS leader Haji Abdullah, demonstrating America’s capability to eliminate terrorist threats no matter where they try to hide.”
Biden noted his appointment of Timothy Lenderking as US envoy to Yemen, adding that he engaged with leaders across the region to lay the foundation for a truce. This has resulted in the delivery of humanitarian aid and “as a result, the past few months in Yemen have been the most peaceful in seven years.”
On Iran, Biden said: “We reunited with allies and partners in Europe and around the world to reverse our isolation; now it is Iran that is isolated until it returns to the nuclear deal my predecessor abandoned with no plan for what might replace it.”
“Last month, more than 30 countries joined us to condemn Iran’s lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency on its past nuclear activities. My administration will continue to increase diplomatic and economic pressure until Iran is ready to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, as I remain prepared to do.
Support for Israel, Palestinians
Turning to the Palestinian Territories, Biden boasted that his administration “helped end a war in Gaza — which could easily have lasted months — in just 11 days.”
“We’ve worked with Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan to maintain the peace without permitting terrorists to rearm. We also rebuilt US ties with the Palestinians.”
“Working with Congress, my administration restored approximately $500 million in support for Palestinians, while also passing the largest support package for Israel — over $4 billion — in history.”
On his visit to Saudi Arabia, Biden attempted to assert that “my aim was to reorient — but not rupture — relations with a country that’s been a strategic partner for 80 years.”
He hailed the Kingdom’s role in several regional files, stressing: “Today, Saudi Arabia has helped to restore unity among the six countries of Gulf Cooperation Council, has fully supported the truce in Yemen and is now working with my experts to help stabilize oil markets with other OPEC producers.
Russia and China
Biden added that his visit also seeks to “counter Russia’s aggression, put ourselves in the best possible position to outcompete China, and work for greater stability in a consequential region of the world.”
“To do these things, we have to engage directly with countries that can impact those outcomes. Saudi Arabia is one of them, and when I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that’s based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values,” he added.
“On Friday, I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. That travel will also be a small symbol of the budding relations and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand. In Jeddah, leaders from across the region will gather, pointing to the possibility of a more stable and integrated Middle East, with the United States playing a vital leadership role.”
Confronting challenges
Biden acknowledged that the Middle East “remains full of challenges”. He pointed the finger at “Iran’s nuclear program and support for proxy groups, the Syrian war, food security crises exacerbated by Russia’s war against Ukraine, terrorist groups still operating in a number of countries, political gridlock in Iraq, Libya and Lebanon, and human rights standards that remain behind much of the world. We must address all these issues. When I meet with leaders from across the region, I will make clear how important it is to make progress in these areas.”
Biden again boasted that his administration’s policy is better than that of his predecessor.
“Compared to 18 months ago, the region is less pressurized and more integrated. Former rivals have re-established relations. Joint infrastructure projects are forging new partnerships.”
“Iraq, which had long been a source of proxy conflicts and regional rivalries, now serves as a platform for diplomacy, including between Saudi Arabia and Iran. My friend King Abdullah of Jordan recently referred to the ‘new vibe’ in the region, with countries asking, ‘How can we connect with each other and work with each other.’”
“These are promising trends, which the United States can strengthen in a way no other country can. My travel next week will serve that purpose.”

Brussels: Capital of Europe or Eurabia?
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/July 10/2022
"Molenbeek would love to be forgotten, because it is the very example of the failure of the multicultural society, which remains an untouchable dogma in Belgium". — Alain Destexhe, honorary Senator in Belgium and former Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders, Le Figaro, May 3, 2022.
"[I]n the Brussels region as a whole only a quarter of Belgians are of Belgian origin.... Molenbeek is in fact only the tip of the iceberg of the progressive Islamization in all the major Belgian cities. Islam is increasingly visible in the public space of Molenbeek, and in the month of Ramadan almost all the shops and restaurants in the city are closed during the day. In many neighborhoods, women are no longer able to dress however they want or go out at night, and homosexuals have no right of citizenship. There are, however, hardly any voices to worry about this development, as if French-speaking Belgium, anesthetized in unison by the multicultural media, had resigned itself". — Alain Destexhe, Le Figaro, May 3, 2022
"Today the Muslim Brotherhood... continues its lobbying and blame games with its imaginary Trojan horse: Islamophobia". — Assita Kanko, Belgian MEP, who fled Burkina Faso to look for freedom in Europe; Euractiv, December 20, 2021
"The aim is clear: normalise radical Islamic codes and ways of life in order gradually to transform our Western societies instead of adapting to our European way of life. As a black woman and a secular Muslim, I know what it is to live under Islamic pressure and I know what it takes to emancipate oneself in order to finally live in dignity.... Europe must urgently pull itself together and reaffirm its commitment to its own values...." — Assita Kanko, Euractiv, December 20, 2021.
"Where will we be in 50 years? All of Europe - inshallah - will be Muslim. So, have children!" — Brahim Laytouss, president of the Islamic Cultural Center of Belgium, dhnet.be, March 5, 2019.
The greatest form of cultural racism in Europe today is that of EU elites who censor or support this spectacular change of civilization.
"Of all the European capitals, Brussels is the one through which the Islamist project intends to spread to Europe. Their lobbies are powerful there, so it is much easier for Islamists to break into the system and gradually transform it". — Djemila Benhabi, Canadian journalist, lecho.com.
"[I]n exchange [for oil], the Saudi king asked the Belgian king Baudouin to grant Arabia a monopoly on representing Islam and appointing imams in Belgium". The Belgian government officially recognized the Islamic religion. It was the first European country to do so. There followed the inclusion of the Islamic religion in the school curriculum. — Alain Chouet, former "number two" of the DGSE, the French counterintelligence service, from his new book: "Sept pas vers l'enfer" ("Seven Steps to Hell").
"Eurabia" was born in those years, the years of an energy crisis, European weakness and the great rise of Islam. Sound familiar?
Riot police guard a road in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, after raids in which several people, including Salah Abdeslam, one of the perpetrators of the November 2015 Paris attacks, were arrested on March 18, 2016.
While Lieven Verstraete, an acclaimed Belgian journalist who hosts the program, "De Zevende Dag" ("The Seventh Day"), was recently interviewing two members of the Green Party, he raised the issue of immigration and called Brussels "the perfect example of a city whose neighborhoods are conquered one by one by newcomers".
Newcomers? Conquered?
"How?" replied Nadia Naji, a politician of Molenbeek's Green party.
"Well," Verstraete, visibly uncomfortable, tried to explain, "more and more people with immigrant origins come to live there and claim their place. Do you feel Belgian in Molenbeek?"
A few hours after the broadcast, he apologized.
"In twenty years", the French newspaper Le Figaro predicted about Brussels, "the European capital will be Muslim".
"Almost a third of the population of Brussels already is Muslim", stated Olivier Servais, a sociologist at the University of Louvain. "Practitioners of Islam, due to their high birth rate, should be the majority 'in fifteen-twenty years'. Since 2001, Mohamed has been the most popular name among babies in Brussels".
Verstraete had told the truth -- but, as is said, in the time of universal deception, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
"Molenbeek would love to be forgotten, because it is the very example of the failure of the multicultural society, which remains an untouchable dogma in Belgium", wrote Alain Destexhe, an honorary Senator in Belgium and former Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders. He was talking about the case of Conner Rousseau, president of Vooruit, the Flemish socialist party, who recently told Humo magazine, "When I drive around Molenbeek, I do not feel [as if I am] in Belgium".
"I no longer dare to walk hand in hand with a man in Molenbeek", Gilles Verstraeten, a gay parliamentarian, confessed.
"[I]n the Brussels region as a whole", Destexhe noted, "only a quarter of Belgians are of Belgian origin, 39 per cent of Belgians are of foreign origin and 35 per cent are foreigners."
"Molenbeek is in fact only the tip of the iceberg of the progressive Islamization in all the major Belgian cities. Islam is increasingly visible in the public space of Molenbeek, and in the month of Ramadan almost all the shops and restaurants in the city are closed during the day. In many neighborhoods, women are no longer able to dress however they want or go out at night, and homosexuals have no right of citizenship. There are, however, hardly any voices to worry about this development, as if French-speaking Belgium, anesthetized in unison by the multicultural media, had resigned itself".
It is true not just Brussels. Antwerp, the country's second-largest city, is now 25% Muslim. Another parliamentarian, Herman de Croo , revealed that 78% of Antwerp's children aged 1-6 are foreigners.
The former Brussels Secretary of State Bianca Debaets recently said, "there are too many areas where it is difficult for women and homosexuals to walk".
The Chief Rabbi of Brussels, Albert Guigui, was attacked by a group of Arabs. They insulted him, spat on him and kicked him. Since then, Guigui has not worn his skullcap in public.
No Jew lives in the Gare du Nord district anymore. "There are hardly any Jews left in this neighborhood," remarked Michel Laub, founder of the Museum of Deportation in Malines. "Yet this part of Schaerbeek near the Gare du Nord was once an important Jewish quarter."
For women, too, Brussels has become dangerous. "The Belgian political-media elites have surrendered in the face of the spread of Islamic fundamentalism", Fadila Maaroufi, a Belgian-Moroccan social worker and founder of the Observatory of Fundamentalisms in Brussels, told the French magazine Marianne.
"I grew up in a Moroccan family in a neighborhood near Molenbeek. In the 1980s, it was still quite cosmopolitan. Then, little by little, we saw the native Belgians leaving. I witnessed the rise of Islam, my sisters veiled while my parents wore flared pants. I myself have come under pressure, including from my family. It had become inconceivable that I did not veil myself .... When I tried to alert public authorities and associations, I found myself facing a wall. There have been attacks in Paris and attacks in Brussels, yet I had the feeling that we still did not grasp the extent of the problem".
In such an environment, freedom of expression also finds itself in dramatic retreat.
Belgian student associations protested the arrival in the capital of the publisher of satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, "Riss", who survived a 2015 Islamist massacre in the paper's office.
The Filigranes bookshop in Brussels, the largest in the country, canceled a meeting with the journalist Éric Zemmour for "security reasons".
Demonstrations against Zemmour had been planned and a group, "Collective Against Islamophobia", had filed a complaint. The Hergé Museum took back its tribute to Charlie Hebdo by censoring itself. An exhibition that had been planned was canceled "for security reasons".
"Today the Muslim Brotherhood, spearhead of political Islam and of the insidious soft Islamisation of Western societies, continues its lobbying and blame games with its imaginary Trojan horse: Islamophobia", wrote a Belgian MEP, Assita Kanko, who fled Burkina Faso to look for freedom in Europe.
"The aim is clear: normalise radical Islamic codes and ways of life in order gradually to transform our Western societies instead of adapting to our European way of life. As a black woman and a secular Muslim, I know what it is to live under Islamic pressure and I know what it takes to emancipate oneself in order to finally live in dignity. The fight to preserve European civilisation is a fight to preserve humanism .... Two stones support the European temple: the Judeo-Christian heritage with the idea of human dignity and the Enlightenment, with the intellectual effervescence that accompanied it. It is from this subtle alchemy that European culture was born. European Judeo-Christian civilisation has created for itself over the centuries the conditions for its intellectual emancipation, and it can be proud of this .... Europe must urgently pull itself together and reaffirm its commitment to its own values...."
Destexhe, in his book "Immigration et Intégration: avant qu'il ne soit trop tard" ("Immigration and Integration: Before it will be too late") , recalled that from 2000 to 2010, Belgium welcomed more than a million migrants into a population of eleven million. It was a demographic tsunami that would forever change the face of Belgian society.
"Belgium was the first to recognize and subsidize Islam; it also elected the first veiled parliamentarian". Canadian journalist Djemal Benhabi told L'Echo,
"Of all the European capitals, Brussels is the one through which the Islamist project intends to spread to Europe. Their lobbies are powerful there, so it is much easier for Islamists to break into the system and gradually transform it".
Journalist Marie-Cécile Royen also described the same collaboration in an article, "How the Muslim Brotherhood took Belgium hostage".
We recently saw what the "left's" alliance with Islam means in Brussels. Socialists and Greens just voted in the Brussels Parliament not to ban the ritual slaughter of animals. Le Monde called it the "community phenomenon": Brussels elects representatives who benefit from the support of one community or another in this highly multicultural region and are sometimes forced to abandon some of their convictions, or a facet of their identity, in order not to alienate voters.
Djemila Benhabib, in Le Point, noted that "in Brussels half of the Socialist electorate is Muslim." "[I]n Brussels now", she reported, "politics is in the hands of conservative Muslims".
As they say: It's the demography, stupid.
According to French demographer Michéle Tribalat, in the Brussels region (1.2 million inhabitants), 57% of those under 18 are of non-European origin; in the city of Brussels 68.4% of those under 18 are of non-European origin and in Antwerp (529,000 inhabitants), 51.3% of those under 18 are of non-European origin.
De-Christianization accompanies Islamization. 36 out of 110 churches in Brussels are destined to change their use in the face of the dramatic decline of the faithful. According to an Rtbf dossier, this is the plan of the archbishop of Brussels: "Homes, museums, hotels, climbing walls... What to do with our deconsecrated churches?"
Jean-Pierre Martin and Christophe Lamfalussy in their book "Molenbeek-Sur-Djihad" disclosed that "in Molenbeek, in an area of ​​just six square kilometers, there are 25 mosques". What is that, if not Islamization?
Professor Felice Dassetto , in his book, "L'iris et le croissant", wrote that with more than 200 organizations that explicitly refer to Islam, it, after football, is the most mobilizing organized reality in Brussels -- more than more than political parties, more than trade unions, more than the Catholic Church. "41 percent of public school students," noted Le Figaro, "take the Muslim religion course".
Welcome to the "European capital .. of the Muslim Brotherhood" -- and the Muslim Brotherhood know it. "Where will we be in 50 years?" the president of the Islamic Cultural Center of Belgium felt free to declare. "All of Europe - inshallah - will be Muslim. So, have children!"
The greatest form of cultural racism in Europe today is that of EU elites who censor or support this spectacular change of civilization.
Meanwhile, discussion of Islam has become a "taboo" in the European capital, Florence Bergeaud-Blackler, CNRS researcher and anthropologist, told L'Express. Certain districts of Brussels have become "a kind of sanctuary of Islam in Europe".
The answer is in Professor Felice Dassetto's book: in the mid-1970s there were only 6 mosques and Koranic schools in Brussels, in the early 1980s there were 38, now they are 80. And so, headlines Le Vif, "mosque projects are flourishing in Brussels".
How did we get here?
In the midst of the 1973 oil crisis, Belgium turned to Saudi Arabia for supplies. Muslims in Belgium were of the first generation: they worked in the mines and wanted spaces to pray. Belgium's King Baudouin, in exchange for oil supplies, offered the Saudis the Pavillon du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, along with a 99-year lease. The building stands two hundred meters from the Schuman Palace and the headquarters of the European Union. Saudi Arabia soon transformed it into the Grand Mosque of Brussels, which has since been the de facto Islamic authority of Belgium.
As Alain Chouet, the former "number two" of the DGSE, the French counterintelligence service, recounted in his newly published book "Sept pas vers l'enfer" ("Seven Steps to Hell"), "in exchange, the Saudi king asked the Belgian king Baudouin to grant Arabia a monopoly on representing Islam and appointing imams in Belgium". The Belgian government officially recognized the Islamic religion. It was the first European country to do so. There followed the inclusion of the Islamic religion in the school curriculum.
"Eurabia" was born in those years, the years of an energy crisis, European weakness and the great rise of Islam. Sound familiar?
*Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author.
© 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.

Why is the Flawed Palestinian Cause So Prominent on the Hard Left?
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/July 10/2022
Why does the Palestinian cause get so much attention, when there are much more compelling causes around the world such as those of the Kurds, Uyghurs, and other stateless and oppressed people? There are more demonstrations on university campuses against Israel than against Russia, China, Belarus and Iran. Why?
The answer has little to do with the Palestinians, and everything to do with Israel, as the nation state of the Jewish people. It is a political manifestation of international antisemitism. It is only because the nation accused of oppressing Palestinians is Israel.
It has little to do with the merits and everything to do with antisemitism. It calls itself anti-Zionism, but it is only a cover for anti-Jewish bigotry.
A recent example is the decision of Ben and Jerry's ice cream to boycott parts of Israel, while continuing to sell to countries in which far greater abuses occur. When asked why Ben and Jerry's limits their boycott only to Israel, its founders admitted they had no idea.
Who is leading the crowd of antisemitic bigots? The movement to single out the nation state of Israel for boycott, known as BDS, was originated by a Palestinian radical named Omar Barghouti, who does not hide the fact that his goal is the destruction of Israel....
Do the Palestinians deserve a state? Yes, but no more so than the Kurds and other stateless people. Why no more so? Because the Palestinians have been offered statehood numerous times and have rejected it.
Palestinians were offered a state on the vast majority of arable land, as part of a United Nations proposed two state solution; the Jews were offered a state on a far smaller area of arable land. The Jews accepted the compromise two state solution. The Arabs rejected it and went to war against the new Jewish state seeking to destroy it. It was this act of unlawful military aggression that resulted in the Palestinian refugee situation, which they call the "Nakba" ("catastrophe"). But it was a self-induced catastrophe. And many current Palestinian leaders and followers fault their predecessors for not accepting the two-state solution offered by the United Nations 75 years ago.
The Palestinians could have had a state in 1948, 1967, 2000-2001, 2005 and 2008. They still preferred no Jewish state to a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. They can have a state now, if they would negotiate a compromise instead of fomenting terrorism.
I wonder how many of those who demonstrate against Israel have any idea of this history.
Palestinians have been offered statehood numerous times and have rejected it. As Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, then leader of the Palestinian people, essentially put it when the two-state solution was first proposed in the late 1930s: We want there not to be Jewish state more than we want there to be a Palestinian state. Al-Husseini, allied himself and his people with Nazi Germany during World War II.
The anti-Israel claims of the Palestinians, though deeply flawed, have become a central part of hard left ideology, especially among those who adhere to so-called intersectionality.
Why does the Palestinian cause get so much attention, when there are much more compelling causes around the world such as those of the Kurds, Uyghurs, and other stateless and oppressed people? There are more demonstrations on university campuses against Israel than against Russia, China, Belarus and Iran. Why? The answer has little to do with the Palestinians, and everything to do with Israel, as the nation state of the Jewish people. It is a political manifestation of international antisemitism. It is only because the nation accused of oppressing Palestinians is Israel.
This is not to say that is wrong to support the Palestinian cause. It is to say that it is wrong — and bigoted — to prioritize that deeply flawed cause over other, equally or more deserving, causes. Not only does the hard left prioritize the Palestinians; it largely ignores other causes, just because Israel is on the other side of the Palestinian issue. The reason really is as simple as that. It has little to do with the merits and everything to do with antisemitism. It calls itself anti-Zionism, but it is only a cover for anti-Jewish bigotry.
A recent example is the decision of Ben and Jerry's ice cream to boycott parts of Israel, while continuing to sell to countries in which far greater abuses occur. When asked why Ben and Jerry's limits their boycott only to Israel, its founders admitted they had no idea. Well, I have an idea. In Ben and Jerry's case, their ignorant founders are simply useful idiots, following unquestioningly the crowd of hard left antisemites. To paraphrase an old expression: bigot sees, bigot does.
Who is leading the crowd of antisemitic bigots? The movement to single out the nation state of Israel for boycott, known as BDS, was originated by a Palestinian radical named Omar Barghouti, who does not hide the fact that his goal is the destruction of Israel and the substitution of a Palestinian state "from the river to the sea," meaning the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea — namely all of current Israel. He and others who lead the BDS movement want to see this entire area judenrein, that is, ethnically cleansed of the more than 7 million Jews who now supposedly "occupy" Muslim and Arab land. These supposed "occupiers" include Jews who are Black and Brown; European, Asian, African, and American; many are descendants of people who have lived there since before Islam began, and certainly before many current "Palestinians" moved there from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, the Gulf and North Africa. Jews are as indigenous to Israel as descendants of immigrants are to America.
Do the Palestinians deserve a state? Yes, but no more so than the Kurds and other stateless people. Why no more so? Because the Palestinians have been offered statehood numerous times and have rejected it. As the former leader of the Palestinian people essentially put it when the two-state solution was first proposed in the late 1930s: We want there not to be Jewish state more than we want there to be a Palestinian state.
This leader, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, allied himself and his people with Nazi Germany during World War II. Al-Husseini spent the war years in Berlin with Hitler, planning to bring the "final solution" to the Jews of what is now Israel. He was declared a Nazi war criminal. Yet his picture was featured in many Palestinian Arab homes, and he was regarded as a hero and leader.
Despite being on the losing side of the war, the Palestinians were offered a state on the vast majority of arable land, as part of a United Nations proposed two state solution; the Jews were offered a state on a far smaller area of arable land. In the area proposed for the Jewish state, the Jews constituted a substantial majority of the population. The Jews accepted the compromise two state solution. The Arabs rejected it and went to war against the new Jewish state seeking to destroy it. It was this act of unlawful military aggression that resulted in the Palestinian refugee situation, which they call the "Nakba" ("catastrophe"). But it was a self-induced catastrophe. And many current Palestinian leaders and followers fault their predecessors for not accepting the two-state solution offered by the United Nations 75 years ago, as several have told me.
Rather than trying to negotiate for a state during the subsequent years, the Palestinian leadership under Yasser Arafat opted for terrorism against Israeli and international civilian targets. The Palestinians could have had a state in 1948, 1967, 2000-2001, 2005 and 2008. They still preferred no Jewish state to a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. They can have a state now, if they would negotiate a compromise instead of fomenting terrorism.
I wonder how many of those who demonstrate against Israel have any idea of this history. Or are they, too, merely serving as useful idiots to those who know the history but want to undo it because it resulted in a nation state for the Jewish people? It does not really matter. The bottom line is that the hard left's irrational opposition to Israel is a modern manifestation of the world's oldest and most enduring bigotry.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of The Price of Principles: Why Integrity Is Worth Its Consequences. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow," podcast.
© 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.

The German Trade Deficit Is No Cause for Alarm
Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg/July 10/2022
In May, for the first time in more than three decades, Germany’s storied trade surplus disappeared. Not only is imported natural gas more expensive, but demand in China is falling — neither of which is good news for Germany. Nevertheless, the fallout will be more manageable than many people expect, the Germans included. For decades there has been too much emphasis on the importance of the German trade surplus to the country’s prosperity. No one claims to believe in the doctrines of mercantilism anymore, yet they reemerge time and again. To the extent Germany has been a wealthy nation, it is due to its productivity and human capital — not any pattern of trade surplus or deficit.
For purposes of contrast, Australia ran a trade deficit for decades, from 1975 to 2019. During those same years, it evolved into one of the finest places to live in the world. The most helpful way to think of a trade surplus is as concomitant of a relatively high savings rate, as for instance more spending on foreign goods eventually will turn a trade surplus into a deficit, as has happened with Germany. But a relatively high savings rate isn’t appropriate for every nation at every point in time. Sometimes a country needs to dip into its reserves, as Germany is now doing to meet its energy needs. Losing the trade surplus has no special meaning beyond illustrating Germany’s need to pay more for natural gas. During the 2011-2012 euro crisis, many commentators viewed the German trade surplus as a virtually automatic source of stable automatic demand, ensuring high employment. But the final determinant of aggregate demand in Germany is the monetary policy of the European Central Bank. If the German trade surplus is high, for instance, but the ECB tightens sufficiently, aggregate demand in the German economy still will fall.
Germany’s move into a trade deficit also induces some offsetting effects, some of which will blunt the initial costs of Germany’s problems. For instance, the value of the euro has been falling relative to the dollar and may soon reach dollar parity. That will make German exports cheaper in many parts of the world, leading to some boost in demand. Those gains probably won’t offset the magnitude of Germany’s energy problems, but they will provide partial insurance for the German economy.
The fall in Chinese demand for German exports, due largely to lockdowns, is unfortunate. But it may be heralding a world that was already on its way. China is a rising manufacturing power at the high end of the quality spectrum, and over time the country will likely be turning to domestic suppliers. China’s Covid Zero policies may have slowed down economic activity and hastened the move away from German exports, but the change is notable more for its timing than its magnitude. Germany now has the chance to adjust sooner rather than later, mostly by cultivating markets in other parts of the world.
And then there is what may be Germany’s biggest problem: complacency. In the last 20 years Germany’s primary education system has had a mixed performance, albeit with some improvements, and its infrastructure is no longer perceived as so efficient or high quality. Yet reform was not imperative, partly because things were going OK enough in Germany.
There is a chance that the current crisis will jolt Germany out of its passivity. Throughout history Germany has managed to reverse some very bad situations, as it did after the devastations of the Napoleonic wars and World War II.
Keep in mind that human capital is the most important determinant of national wealth, much more important than the flows reflected in the trade account in any given month or year. If German reforms boost the ability of the country to train students and to put its people to work, the long-run payoffs could be very high. Right now Germany is facing many problems all at once: extremely high energy prices, the need to bail out some of its energy firms, the conflict in Ukraine and the resulting promise to boost defense spending, and possible troubles with Italy in the Eurozone over rising borrowing costs. Germany is either going to do very, very poorly, or will muddle through and manage a major turnaround. I would bet on the latter.
In the meantime, it would be a mistake to attach too much significance to the country’s crossing the barrier from trade surplus to deficit. The more relevant question is whether Germany will take this opportunity to set its economy on a more sustainable track.

The American Strategic Compass for the Reconfiguration of the Middle East
Raghida Dergham/The National/July 10/2022
The emerging geopolitical alignment in the Middle East is gaining a Ukrainian flavor, as a result of the Russian war and its implications for the energy markets and the arms industry, especially missiles and drones. Yet at its heart, this alignment reflects first and foremost local and security concerns.
The Biden administration is anxious about the implications of the collapse of nuclear talks with Iran. The administration knows fully well that Tehran would then retaliate. Moreover, the failure of the Vienna talks – now in Doha – would be Biden’s own, him having invested so much in reviving the JCPOA torn apart by former President Trump. Worse still for the Biden team, a non-agreement with Iran would give ammunition to Trump and fuel the mutual hatred with the administration.
Washington is thus hedging with a plan for an integrated air defense grid in the Middle East, coinciding with a visit by President Biden to the region. In Riyadh, Biden is set to meet with the Saudi king and crown prince, and attend a GCC Summit where Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq are invited and Israel and Iran are ‘present non-attendees’. President Biden is opening a new chapter in the relations with the Middle East and Gulf, forced to do so by the developments in Ukraine and Iran. That is, the reset is not the result of some friendly initiative on Biden’s part towards the Gulf states, which means the visit will likely be marred by strategic incoherence.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears very assured of himself, or so he wants the world to see him. Putin is proceeding with a plan to engineer a realignment in the Middle East in the context of a Chinese-Russian-Iranian troika and is playing the Israeli card in a calculated gamble.
This week, Putin made an appearance, daring NATO and the United States and mocking their determination to prove Russia lost a strategic bet in Ukraine. Putin, unlike the view prevalent in most of the world, does not see the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as winning the war for Ukraine with massive Western support or even the war of personalities, where he has become for many an icon of leadership, perseverance, and steadfastness. In Putin’s view, Zelensky has lost the war even if he has won some battles, has destroyed his own country with Western encouragement, and will go down in history not for saving Ukraine from Russia but for sacrificing his country for a NATO war on Russia. In Putin’s view, the Russian war in Ukraine will culminate with a victory no matter the cost, including the cost of international isolation.
The situation in Syria is one of the ways Russia could seek to regain the initiative, where the Russian president has in recent times and repeatedly communicated to the Israeli government the seriousness of his warnings and the consequences for ignoring them. Moscow’s move to halt all activities of the Jewish Agency, which is in charge of organizing the emigration of Jews to Israel, has massive political implications. For the first time since its establishment in Russia, Moscow may now shutter the entire organization.
The Russian message to the Israeli government is that Israel must cease its military operations in Syria including those targeting Iran and Hezbollah’s assets or else. If Israel ignores these warnings, this would be “the beginning of a bad story”, according to a Russian expert, with Moscow possibly resorting to using its military capabilities to preclude Israeli strikes in Syria. In Moscow’s view, Israeli governments that took over after Benjamin Netanyahu have not honored their promises. Moscow’s view is that Russia can cause serious harm to Israel’s military operations, if they are not voluntarily suspended in Syria which Russia now considers a red line. The Kremlin wants to flex its muscles in Syria, and does not mind at all if this can help bring back Netanyahu to power, given the longstanding close relationship between the latter and Putin.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are in turn preparing for action out of Syria, believing the latter to be the most ‘legitimate’ front for retaliatory strikes on Israel. If Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah join forces to confront Israel in Syria, it is unclear what the implications would be in Syria and beyond, especially in Lebanon. It will be no small thing, however, for Russia to be implicated in direct military operations against Israel, even if in a limited way to emphasize its prestige and seriousness. Moreover, it will not be easy to rein in the fallout from a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel, even if the ‘truce-like’ historic dynamic between them has never seen a direct war between them.
The broad outline of Russia’s policies in the Middle East is its reliance on the strategic partnership with Iran and the development of Iranian capabilities in the region to become a strong pillar of the Russian-Chinese-Iranian troika. Apart from that, the Kremlin sees good relations with the Arab Gulf states as crucial, but it realizes that the strategic relationship between them and the United States remains the cornerstone of their policies, despite setbacks whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump is in the White House.
To be sure, the Kremlin believes the Ukraine war could oust Democratic control of the White House and Congress come election time, amid popular fury against Biden’s economic policies regardless of his achievements at the level of expanding NATO and standing up to Putin. In the Russian interpretation of the US electoral landscape, Donald Trump will return to the White House, which will be music to the Russian ears.
The Biden administration does not ignore these Russian calculations, but it is intent not to allow them to derail its agenda. In Ukraine, neither the Biden administration nor NATO governments can entertain hesitation in supporting Ukraine, whilst being aware of the risks of slipping into a direct confrontation with Russia. The United States and its allies will not be able to walk back their promises to inflict a strategic failure on Russia, but the developments on the battlefield are causing them to rethink and relent a little. They realize that Putin will not fall into a trap like the one that the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was caught in. Rather, Putin is setting a trap of his own for his foes, refusing to be the only one entrapped.
The Biden administration had probably not had thought of u-turning on its stated policy on the Gulf and former President Barack Obama’s approach to US relations with the Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia. But Putin’s war on Ukraine forced the administration – many of whose officials had served under Obama – to set the clock back in time and seriously revive strategic relations with the Gulf, from economic to energy, political, security, and military ties as well as arms deals. The US military-industrial complex, in rivalry or convergence with other powerful interests such as the oil and gas industry, also have shared interests in both the war in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
President Biden may show confusion when meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and may make a gaffe or two because of his antagonism towards Saudi Arabia and the crown prince following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He will be wary of the campaign in the American liberal media that will watch his every step in Saudi Arabia, and is already pressuring President Biden to keep giving Saudi Arabia and its crown prince the cold shoulder.
The NATO alliance including Turkey has an interest in repairing relations with the Arab Gulf states, not only because of Europe’s need to offset lost Russian oil supplies but also because of the possibility of the collapse of the nuclear talks with Iran which would prevent Europe from importing Iranian oil. Turkey had paved the way for improving its complicated relations with states like Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, opening a new chapter and making a major shift in Middle Eastern reconfigurations. Furthermore, Turkey’s President Erdogan made sure to exploit NATO’s need for his country after the Ukraine war, rehabilitating Turkish membership of the alliance not long after it was ostracized in its ranks due to his purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. The war in Ukraine also brought an opportunity for Turkey to sell its advanced drones to Ukraine, despite Erdogan’s efforts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
The features of the Middle Eastern air defense network or the so-called Arab NATO remains unclear, but the summit in Riyadh that will be attended by Biden will have crucial security and economic significance. The summit will bring together the six GCC states Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain – with GCC Secretary General Nayef Al-Hajraf – alongside Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan. Iran and Israel, however, will be ‘present non-attendees’.
Israel has official diplomatic relations with Egypt and Jordan pursuant to their bilateral peace treaties and has started normalising relations with Gulf states led by the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain. It hopes the Biden administration will continue the work of the Trump administration on the Abraham Accords, with the grand prize being normalisation with Saudi Arabia.
Iran is anxious because of Biden’s visit, which could have implications for the regional security order and overturn Iran’s calculations, especially in the event of US-Arab rapprochement and strengthened strategic partnerships. Tehran had sought repeatedly to be in the driver’s seat of a new security architecture in the region with the GCC states, Yemen, and Iran. Today, Iraq is trying as much as possible to become independent of Iran’s diktats, and its participation in the summit is therefore of extreme importance. However, Iran also knows that the GCC states do not want to be its nemesis and want to normalise their relations based on non-interference. The Saudi-Iranian dialogue is evidence of this, and what the GCC states want is a shift in Iranian foreign policy doctrine. But this today seems completely unlikely because the IRGC will not easily abandon its partners, proxies, and projects in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.
A strategic reconfiguration is afoot in the Middle East. But its outcome will largely depend on which direction the strategic compass of the Biden administration and the United States will settle.

Belgium’s prisoner swap deal with Iran must be stopped
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 10/ 2022
The Iranian regime has a long history of using foreign hostages as political pawns and leverage against other governments in order to extract political and economic concessions. Lately, the theocratic establishment has been trying to carry out a comprehensive swap of prisoners with the West.
Unfortunately, the Belgian government has proposed legislation that will pave the way to the transfer of convicted terrorists back to Iran. This move is very dangerous, as it will embolden and empower the Iranian regime to take more hostages. The foreign relations committee of Belgium’s lower house approved the bill last week, with parliament expected to vote on it in the coming days.
The flawed proposal has created a firestorm on both sides of the Atlantic. US lawmakers, their European counterparts, former senior officials and human rights organizations have all slammed it. More must be done to thwart this kind of move.
The so-called treaty between the Belgian government and the Iranian regime is most likely designed to secure the release of Iranian diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi. Assadi was arrested in 2018 for plotting to bomb a huge rally outside Paris that was organized by Iranian opposition group the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
Assadi was last year convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Belgian court for masterminding the terror plot, which if successful would have been perhaps the worst terrorist incident in Europe’s modern history. Hundreds of parliamentarians and international dignitaries had joined more than 100,000 Iranians at the oppositional group’s rally. The leading opposition figure, Maryam Rajavi, has vowed to continue to campaign against Belgium’s proposed law, including exploring taking the case to the country’s Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
While serving as a diplomat of the Iranian regime in Vienna, Assadi was found to have taken a powerful explosive on a commercial plane from Tehran and personally delivered it to two regime agents, who were tasked with detonating it at the rally. The two associates and another agent are now serving up to 18 years in prison in Belgium.
However, the proposed treaty will make it easier for the Belgian authorities to send these convicted terrorists back to Iran, which will help them escape accountability, the rule of law and justice.
The notion that Brussels is likely considering sending Assadi and three other terrorists back to Iran is mind-boggling and shameful.
The passing of such legislation would also open the door for the Iranian regime to conduct more terrorist acts on European soil with complete impunity. And Tehran would be more emboldened to take European citizens hostage and demand concessions from their governments.
It is nothing less than astonishing that Belgium has prepared a prisoner swap treaty with the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism, whose modus operandi is mass murder and international blackmail.
In addition to violating the basic human rights of the Iranian people on a daily basis, the theocratic regime continues to trample international laws while unleashing a terror machinery in the Middle East whose deadly repercussions have reached the heart of Europe.
The Iranian regime went so far as to task an accredited diplomat with conducting a massive terror operation in France in 2018. The notion that Brussels is likely considering sending Assadi and the three other terrorists back to Iran is mind-boggling and shameful. Belgian court documents clearly show that the Paris terror plot was not a one-man operation. The order came from the highest authorities in Tehran, which were fully aware of the wide-ranging risks. The regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security was mandated to carry out the operation, which is why the EU sanctioned it and a number of its officials.
The disgraceful back-door deal with the regime is doubly dangerous because it encourages and further emboldens Tehran to send deadly operatives and assassins on to Western soil to target citizens and opponents. If a treaty like this one becomes law, such terrorists would enjoy complete impunity, even when arrested or convicted, because they would ultimately be sent back to Tehran without facing justice for their heinous crimes.
If this is not a travesty for Europe’s justice system, it is hard to imagine what is. It also flies in the face of the European security and intelligence services that worked diligently to foil the Paris bombing.
Appeasing bullies and terrorists will only breed more blackmail, death and terrorism. Nothing positive can result from it. On the contrary, the Iranian regime should be made to pay for its crimes by upholding Europe’s revered legal norms and humanitarian ethics. Otherwise, rogue and authoritarian regimes will erode these values from within.
Victims of the Iranian regime’s terrorism in cities across Europe deserve better. Belgian democracy and justice deserve better. Everyone whose conscience does not allow terrorists and mass murderers to get away with their crimes must ensure that this proposed treaty with the Iranian regime is censured and rejected.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.

Biden’s devious rhetoric on Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/July 10/2022
Responding to news indicating that he backed off from his electoral promise to relinquish Saudi Arabia, US President Joe Biden initially replied by saying that he might visit Israel but probably not the Kingdom. Later, following the leak of further confirmed news on a potential visit to Riyadh, he said that he might very well head there but would probably not meet the Saudi King or Crown Prince.
However, a week later, further circulated reports made him confess that he was going to participate in the GCC Consultative Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, and to which the leaders of the US, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan were invited. He added that he will meet the convening leaders there.
President Biden’s evasive replies lack cleverness because they are simply untrue. Nobody believes them. Not even that minority that opposes his visit to Riyadh. The President thinks that by resorting to evasiveness, he can avoid embarrassment, especially since he had made a promise during the elections, which he is now about to break.
Everyone, including his friends and opponents, knows that he will eventually visit Saudi Arabia and meet up with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, probably more than once and in private. Everyone knows that the President is not telling the truth at all. Hence, the question arises of why would he expose himself to such an embarrassing situation again?
While a presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump had said even worse things about Saudi Arabia than Biden or any other previous US president. However, he convened with his administration’s leading figures once he started his presidential term. He quickly decided to make Riyadh the first overseas capital he would visit on a presidential tour.
Compared to Trump, President Biden seems to be a more cautious politician who wishes to get closer to Saudi Arabia, but through evasive rhetoric and lengthy approaches. He dispatched several his acting officials over the last few months to meet with the Crown Prince, including the US Secretary of State and the CIA Director. Similarly, the US Chief of Staff visited Al Diriyah Joint Forces Command in Riyadh. The US Administration hosted Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. He met with the US National Security Advisor and the Secretary of Defense.
Before the recent major global events, President Biden started efforts to mend the relationship with Saudi Arabia early on. In October 2021, he dispatched his National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan to Riyadh, some four months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the price hike of oil barrels to $80. In other words, the US Administration is fully aware of the priorities of its national interests.
However, Biden, who wished to appear with a variant political approach than Trump regarding relations with Saudi Arabia – probably in response to pressure by distinct sides – has wasted his time attempting to appease a minimal sector in the US. Eventually, he ended up prioritizing US’s higher national interests.
Nevertheless, Washington needs to mend its relations with its major partners significantly as the conditions on the global level are worsening rather than improving, particularly with the mounting threatening geopolitical stances of Iran and China, let alone the Russian war in Europe, which revived oil and gas as two effective weapons in the international geopolitical game.
At any rate, Biden is not the first US President to have disagreements with Saudi Arabia, and the history of Washington’s ties with Riyadh has had several electoral thorns. Meanwhile, all US presidents – with no exception to the best of my knowledge – become good friends of Saudi Arabia once they make it to the White House.
It is customary for presidential candidates to try to appease US segments regarding issues such as women’s rights, oil, Israel, or the churches. Even during normal times, when US delegations met with their Saudi counterparts, they suggested to the latter hearing observations made by the former on issues like “reservations on the status of Saudi women” without having to comment on them.
It indicates that such observations are made only to appease sides in the US that later would scrutinize the minutes of such meetings to make sure that these observations were made clear by the US Government to Riyadh. It was the method according to which both parties met up and skipped discussing any controversial issues. Most of the problems that US official delegations had earlier raised have become passe following the critical social and economic shifts in Saudi Arabia.
Amongst other thorny and controversial issues, Riyadh wishes to keep Russia as a significant oil reserve that can guarantee stability in the oil market. It also aspires to preserve China as a primary importer of its oil. Last but never least, it would never accept Iran’s takeover of Yemen, which is situated in its southern backyard, as Tehran already did with Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip.
Hopefully, suppose the two nations’ leaders meet up in mid-July as expected. In that case, they might work together to resolve these disputes and develop a mutual agreement. In the meantime, this should not give the false impression that US-Saudi ties are at their best nowadays.