Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 02-03/2023
The President of Israel to the Lebanese: You do not deserve to be destroyed by Iran and the "Hezbollah"!
News Agencies/02 August/2023
Today, Wednesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned Hezbollah against “making mistakes,” stressing that his country’s army is “strong and ready for any scenario.” During a tour of the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Israeli president said: “All over northern Israel, our citizens are at their best, working, building and rooting themselves in the land, developing and dealing with all the problems that the country faces,” noting that “on the other hand, I look across the borders and see Lebanon is collapsing.” Herzog also continued: “I think we all extend our hands to Lebanon, telling the Lebanese citizens that you do not deserve this, and you do not deserve to be destroyed by Iran and Hezbollah, we extend our hands for peace.”

Still no answers three years after Beirut mega-explosion
Agence France Presse/August 02/2023
One of history's biggest non-nuclear explosions rocked Beirut on August 4, 2020, destroying swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring at least 6,500. Three years on, the probe into the traumatic disaster caused by a huge pile of poorly-stored fertiliser remains bogged down in legal and political wrangling, to the dismay of victims' families.
The mega-blast
The massive explosion, heard as far away as Cyprus, destroys much of Beirut port and entire districts of the city in scenes that shock the country and the world.
The blast leaves a 43-meter deep crater and registers as the equivalent of a magnitude 3.3 earthquake. The disaster spreads fear and chaos, with mountains of broken glass littering roads and bloodied survivors flooding overwhelmed hospitals. The blast was caused by a fire in a warehouse where a vast stockpile of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate had been haphazardly stored for years. The tragedy strikes amid a deep economic crisis, almost a year after mass demonstrations erupted against a ruling class deemed inept and corrupt as living conditions worsen. On August 10, Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigns under a barrage of pressure over the explosion.
Probe thwarted
In December 2020, the lead investigator examining the blast, Fadi Sawan, charges Diab and three ex-ministers with negligence. Two of them file a complaint, the probe is suspended, and Sawan is removed from his post by court order.
In July 2021, the new investigating magistrate, Tarek Bitar, moves to interrogate four former ministers but parliament stalls on lifting their immunity. He is forced to suspend the probe following a series of court challenges.
Gun battle
In October 2021, Hezbollah and its ally Amal call for demonstrations to demand Bitar's dismissal. Seven people are killed in gun battles during the rally.At the end of 2021, Bitar resumes his investigation but less than two weeks later is forced to suspend work for a fourth time following more legal challenges.
Silos collapse
On August 4, 2022, several grain silos damaged in the explosion collapse in a cloud of dust, a traumatic reminder of the disaster that struck exactly two years before. Days earlier, other parts of the silos crumbled after a fire broke out when remaining grain stocks fermented and ignited in the summer heat.
Judicial showdown
In January 2023, 13 months after his probe is suspended, Bitar resumes work and charges Prosecutor General Ghassan Oueidat and seven others with probable intent to murder, arson and other crimes. Oueidat in turn charges Bitar with insubordination and "usurping power" but the investigator refuses to step down. Oueidat also orders the release "of all those detained" over the port blast, leaving the investigation stalled and nobody yet held to account. Victims' families and rights groups urge the United Nations to create an independent fact-finding mission.

Beirut's Port: A Tale of Human Expertise and Natural Uniqueness
LBCI/August 02/2023
When we talk about Beirut, its port is always present. The story of human expertise and natural features makes Beirut's port unique. The Pearl of the Mediterranean went through stages of development between 1832 and 1840 when the Egyptians decided to confront the Ottomans in the Levant through economic development. This development and increased trade between Beirut and Damascus motivated the French Comte Edmond de Perthuis, representing a French shipping company in Beirut, to request an Ottoman concession to rehabilitate the Beirut-Damascus overland road. Subsequently, he acquired the concession to invest in the port. Beirut's port was officially inaugurated in 1895 with one basin, followed a year later by the opening of the Beirut-Damascus railway. For a long time, Beirut's port remained the only modern port on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean until Haifa's port opened in 1934.
The direct competition between the French Beirut-Damascus-Baghdad axis and the British Haifa-Amman-Baghdad axis led the French mandate authorities to pressure the port company to build a second basin. Beirut's merchants initiated the establishment of the free zone in 1934 in anticipation of the global financial crisis. The closure of the Suez Canal in 1967 expanded the targeted areas served by Beirut's port to include the Arab Gulf. This necessitated the construction of a third and fourth basin, using pioneering techniques in the region. The Lebanese Civil War in 1975 halted the construction of the fourth basin and, most importantly, deprived Beirut's port of the opportunity to catch up with the containerization revolution instead of the manual handling of goods. With the war's end, the port quickly regained its role until the devastating blow came. The explosion of Beirut's port destroyed a country and left behind a prosperous past, a present marked by an unresolved crime, and hopes for justice to shape the future – a future that history will rely upon to be upright once justice prevails.

New sci-fi movie allegedly incorporates authentic footage of Beirut blast
LBCI/August 02/2023
In a stunning twist that intertwines fiction with reality, the upcoming science fiction action thriller "The Creator" reportedly weaves genuine footage of the tragic August 4, 2020, Beirut Port explosion into one of its scenes. Directed by Gareth Edwards and headlined by esteemed talents such as John David Washington, Gemma Chan, and Ken Watanabe, the film delves into a gripping narrative that unfolds amidst a tumultuous conflict between humanity and artificial intelligence.

Tragedy in Ain el-Hilweh: Destruction and Displacement Amid Recurring Clashes
LBCI/August 02/2023
Nothing remains of the belongings of many families who live in the Taameer neighborhood in Ain el-Hilweh. The shells have destroyed their homes, and today they are displaced. It is a curse of destruction on the homes of both Lebanese and Palestinians due to the recurring clashes in the Ain el-Hilweh camp.
This tragic story of many Lebanese families epitomizes the dozens of homes destroyed along the conflict lines during the four-day violent clashes. Under the cover of calmness, a man managed to pull his car out from inside the camp after it was damaged during the clashes. The calmness in Ain el-Hilweh camp brought some relief and movement to the city of Sidon, and the camp's crossings witnessed movement of people inspecting the situation of their homes and belongings. The calmness has held with very few minor breaches. Inside the camp, everything appears to be cautious. The meeting at the Palestinian embassy on Tuesday, along with the entry of two delegations from the factions into the camp and the efforts of Osama Saad and the Amal Movement, led to an almost final cessation of gunfire. On Tuesday, the head of military intelligence, Tony Kahwagi, played a pivotal role in halting the clashes and informed the concerned Palestinian factions that Sidon and the camp could not endure the draining conflicts and skirmishes that resulted in nine deaths and 74 injuries. It is worth noting that the four-day clashes showed no signs of resolution. During this time, the army dispatched two battalions to reinforce the army units deployed around the camp.

Disabled survivors of Beirut port blast long for support, justice
Agence France Presse/August 02/2023
Dany Salameh was already ill but a blast that devastated Beirut's port three years ago aggravated his condition, leaving him dependent on a walker and feeling abandoned by authorities. People hurt or disabled by the catastrophic explosion told AFP that Lebanon, bankrupt and politically paralysed, has failed to deliver adequate medical care, financial support or justice. "The state forgot about us," said the soft-spoken Salameh from his apartment in a district close to the port, much of which was destroyed along with entire districts of Beirut in one of history's biggest non-nuclear explosions. "I lost my car, my home, my job, my mobility... Yet no one looked after us," he added. The blast on August 4, 2020 killed more than 220 people and injured at least 6,500. Salameh was at his family home in a neighbourhood adjacent to the port when the blast threw him from one side of their rooftop terrace to the other. Formerly a sound engineer, he had been diagnosed in 2015 with multiple sclerosis -- a lifelong condition in which a person's central nervous system is attacked by the body's own immune system. While Salameh escaped bad physical injury in the explosion, the shock had a devastating effect on his illness. He soon found himself struggling to walk. Vital medicine for his disease costs $140 a month, twice-yearly injections cost $1,000, and he said he needs an operation that costs $10,000. But Salameh is unable to afford health care as he survives on family support and limited work opportunities. His head was bandaged after a fall last month requiring stitches, and he said he had gone for months without his regular medication.
'My life has ended' -
The blast came during an economic collapse that has crippled Lebanon's public sector and pushed most of the population into poverty. Amanda Cherri, a former make-up artist, said injuries and constant pain forced her to give up her career. "My life has ended. Someone stole it in only five minutes," said Cherri, 40, from the building overlooking the port where she used to work. At the moment of the explosion, she was near floor-to-ceiling mirrors and two huge vases that all smashed to smithereens. The shards pierced her face and body, leaving her blind in one eye and with one hand paralysed.
Authorities said the blast was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where a stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been haphazardly stored for years. "People who have become disabled have a right to lifelong support," said Sylvana Lakkis, who heads the Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities.
Yet "to this day, many need treatment they cannot afford," she added. Authorities have failed to keep track of the number of people left disabled by the blast, Lakkis said, but her organisation estimates that up to 1,000 people sustained temporary or permanent impairments. At least four people who were disabled have died in the past year because they could not afford treatment, or received improper medical care, Lakkis told AFP. "The explosion did not kill them. Their country did," she said.
'No hope'
Mikhail Younan, 52, needs a prosthetic knee but he cannot even afford a doctor's appointment. He delivers gas tanks to people's homes, in a country where there is no mains gas for cooking or heating and state power cuts last most of the day. His knee was injured in the blast and his other leg now gives him trouble too. He struggles to carry the heavy gas tanks up and down flights of stairs. Younan said he has lost customers and earns just a fraction of what he used to. "If the Lebanese state had helped me... I would have been able to live a somewhat normal life," said Younan, who has a teenage daughter. Instead, "pain has become my daily companion," and he said he has "been living on painkillers and anti-inflammatories that have given me kidney problems."Lack of accountability has long been a hallmark of the Lebanese justice system, which is highly politicised in a country built on sectarian power-sharing. Political and legal challenges have beleaguered the local probe into the blast, with high-level officials filing lawsuits against the investigating judge who charged them. No one has yet been held responsible and the investigation is at a standstill. Younan said he wants his daughter to leave Lebanon as soon as she finishes school. "I have no hope," he said. "Every time the wheel of justice turns, someone tries to break it."

Ceasefire takes hold in Ain al-Helweh after overnight violations
Naharnet/August 02/2023
Calm was engulfing the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday after a ceasefire entered into effect following four days of deadly clashes between the Fatah Movement and hardline Islamist militants. The ceasefire had started on Tuesday evening but was marred by a few overnight violations. “Investigations are underway to hand over anyone proven to be involved in the killing of (Fatah commander Abou Ashraf) al-Armoushi,” the National News Agency reported. The fierce clashes, which had started Saturday night with the killing of an Islamist militant, resulted in the death of ten people and the wounding of more than 60. The fighting also caused extensive material damage in the camp and displaced thousands of refugees while shells and gunshots from the clashes landed in several Sidon neighborhoods.

Mawlawi denies presence of terror plot behind Ain al-Helweh clashes
Naharnet/August 02/2023
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi has denied the presence of a “terror plot” behind the deadly clashes that rocked the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp over the past four days. There is no “terror plot being implemented in Lebanon as some are saying,” Mawlawi said in a TV interview, calling on politicians to “perform their duties to the fullest, especially that security and military forces are carrying out their duties.”“We do not fear for the army in the face of the clashes at the Ain al-Helweh camp and the army is fully performing its duties in this region and elsewhere despite all the difficult circumstances,” Mawlawi added. “The sacrifices that the army is making are highly appreciated and limitless,” the minister went on to say. The clashes stopped on Wednesday morning after a ceasefire took effect. The fighting left ten people dead and dozens injured. Some Lebanese troops were wounded as gunfire from the clashes reached several areas in the southern city of Sidon. The gunbattles pitted members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Movement against hardline Islamist militants. The violence started with the killing of an Islamist on Saturday and escalated Sunday with the assassination of a senior Fatah commander and several of his companions. Outbreaks of violence are common in the camp, but the latest flare-up was the worst in years. Ain al-Helweh is home to more than 54,000 registered refugees. It was created for Palestinians who were driven out or fled during the 1948 war that coincided with Israel's creation. Thousands of Palestinians who sought refuge from Syria's civil war have also joined the camp in recent years. Tiny Lebanon hosts an estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees, according to UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Most live in Ain al-Helweh, one of Lebanon's 12 official camps, and face a variety of legal restrictions, including on employment. By long-standing convention, the Lebanese Army does not enter Palestinian refugee camps, leaving the factions themselves to handle security.

Mikati meets al-Rahi, says Cabinet session to be held in Diman
Naharnet/August 02/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held talks Wednesday in Diman with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. “We discussed the file of the displaced Syrians and Lebanon is suffering a lot because of this issue,” Mikati said after the meeting. As for the controversy over the meetings of the caretaker Cabinet amid an ongoing presidential vacuum, Mikati said: “I stressed to Patriarch al-Rahi that bypassing anyone’s powers is not our objective and that the solution lies in the election of a president.”Mikati also announced that a Cabinet session will be held in Diman on Tuesday. “That session’s topic will revolve around emphasizing the human values and clinging to national unity,” he said. Mikati also revealed that he held phone talks with Central Bank acting governor Wassim Mansouri in the morning. “We are working to approve the reform plan and we must together seek to rescue this country and achieve stability in it,” he added.

Mikati: A cabinet session to be held next Tuesday in Diman
LBCI/August 02/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that his goal is not to exceed anyone's authorities, emphasizing that the solution lies in electing a new president. After meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi in Diman, Mikati announced that a cabinet session would be held next Tuesday at eleven o'clock in the morning in Diman. Regarding the financial file, Mikati threw the ball of legislating government borrowing into the parliament's court, denying that the Banque du Liban Deputy Governor, Wassim Mansouri, was upset by the government's backtracking on its commitment in this regard.

Confusion Surrounds Mikati's Meeting: A Cabinet Session Or A Consultation among Ministers?
LBCI/August 02/2023
Is it a Cabinet meeting, as stated by the Caretaker Prime Minister, or a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the patriarch's residence in Diman? Government sources confirm that it is a consultation session among ministers to discuss important and critical national and social issues. Despite this confirmation, Mikati's statement has caused confusion. Diman sources clarified to LBCI that the meeting between Patriarch Rai and Mikati, with the presence of some ministers, was for discussions on national, social, and livelihood matters and not an invitation to a Cabinet or ministerial meeting. Ministers who were absent from the Diman meeting include Henri Khoury, Maurice Slim, Hector Hajjar, Abdallah Bou Habib, Walid Fayyad, and Walid Nassar. They received a call from the Prime Minister the day before Wednesday's visit, inviting them to join the ministerial delegation accompanying him to Diman. However, they rejected this invitation, stating that they refused to participate in covering up Mikati's attempts to bypass and exclude the Maronite position, acting as if the government had complete authority. Therefore, regardless of whether Mikati intended to call for a ministerial consultation session or a meeting of the Council of Ministers, the stance of these ministers remains the same in terms of non-participation. As for the Minister of Tourism, Walid Nassar, LBCI has learned that he refuses to participate in any ministerial meeting called for by Mikati in Diman.

Berri reportedly upset with Mikati over government debt law
Naharnet/August 02/2023
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is upset by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati's attempt to evade passing a law that would allow the government to borrow foreign currency from the central bank, al-Akhbar newspaper said Wednesday. First central bank vice-governor Wassim Mansouri, who took over as BDL's acting governor on Tuesday, urged parliament and the government to cooperate in order to legalize spending during a transitional period before the central bank stops funding the state completely. In a cabinet session Tuesday, Mikati said he had distributed Monday the indebtedness draft law to the ministers. He said that draft laws must be distributed at least one week before being discussed in cabinet. According to the daily, Berri told his visitors that Mikati has passed to parliament the buck for proposing the law. "Parliament will not renounce its responsibilities but will not accept to take cabinet's role," Berri said. He added that parliament is not against passing the law after cabinet prepares, discusses and refers it to parliament for approval. "Cabinet must pass it first," Berri stressed. "Otherwise, how can parliament guarantee that the government will pay back its loan," he asked. "The government is borrowing the money, and the government must guarantee to pay it back."Mansouri had said that the central bank would only lend the government on condition that a law allowing it be passed and that government pay back the loans through a realistic plan. Berri reportedly described the government's position as "a first negative sign" in its dealings with Mansouri on his first day as BDL's acting governor. Al-Akhbar added that in addition to Berri, Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement would not endorse that parliament proposes the indebtedness law. "Hezbollah is wary of the law and the FPM would not attend a parliamentary session that would pass it," al-Akhbar reported. It added that the FPM would only approve the indebtedness law when reform laws -- the capital control, the bank restructuring, the state budget and the financial regulation -- are passed.

Bassil says decentralization and trust fund demand not a 'bargain or deal'
Naharnet/August 02/2023
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said overnight that his call for broad administrative and financial decentralization and for establishing a trust fund is not part of any “bargain or deal.”“The equation of decentralization at the regional and local level and the trust fund at the national level is an equation for rescuing Lebanon at the financial, economic and social levels, regardless of any constitutional juncture,” Bassil said at a dinner for FPM expats. “It is a vision for the future, not a bargain or deal, and its implementation might cost us political prices, the same as with the previous approval of the electoral law, the law on regaining citizenship and the expat voting law,” Bassil added. Bassil had said Saturday that he is "willing to sacrifice" regarding the next president's identity, clarifying that he will not "sacrifice the presidential post or powers." He said that the "sacrifice" would be in return for "two gains for Lebanon: broad administrative and financial decentralization and the trust fund." He explained that the trust fund had been proposed by then-President Michel Aoun in an economic paper after the October 17 uprising. "It would preserve the state's assets and ownership while they would be managed by the private sector, which would allow for improving the state's revenues, covering some of the financial gap and returning funds to depositors," Bassil clarified. His remarks confirm media reports about the FPM's ongoing talks with Hezbollah. "The two sides exchanged proposals for agreeing on the program and identity of the upcoming president,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Friday. Bassil submitted a “detailed work paper that involves an agenda for the coming period and addresses two main issues,” the daily said. Informed sources meanwhile told the newspaper that Bassil’s new paper focuses on two main elements: passing the broad administrative decentralization law in parliament and the law related to the trust fund. “Bassil requested that the comprehensive agreement be linked to the approval of the two laws and other matters prior to declaring support for a specific candidate,” the daily said.

Lebanon fears price hikes after Russian grain deal collapse
Associated Press/August 02/2023
Russia pulled out of a deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey to allow Ukraine's grain to flow during a global food crisis. It helped stabilize food prices that soared last year after Russia invaded Ukraine — two countries that are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food to developing nations.
Lebanon, Egypt -- the world's largest wheat importer, and other lower-income Middle Eastern countries like Pakistan worry about what comes next. Struggling with economic woes that have driven more people into poverty, they fear rising food prices could create even more pain for households, businesses and government bottom lines. Many have diversified their sources of wheat, the main ingredient for flatbread that is a staple of diets in many Mideast countries, and don't expect shortages. It "is an unnecessary shock for the 345 million acutely food insecure people around the world," said Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s World Food Program. Russia also has launched attacks on Ukrainian ports and agricultural infrastructure following the collapse of the accord, leading global wheat prices to zigzag. Despite the volatility, the costs are below what they were before Russia invaded Ukraine, and there is enough production to meet worldwide demand, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. But for low-income countries like Lebanon or war-torn Yemen that are big wheat importers, finding suppliers that are farther away will add costs, he said. Plus, their currencies have weakened against the U.S. dollar, which is used to buy grain on world markets. "It's one reason why you see food price inflation lingering in a lot of countries — because even though world prices I mentioned are at prewar levels, that's in dollars. And if you put it in, say, the Egyptian pound, you'll see that Egypt wheat prices are actually up," said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "They're certainly as high as they were during the high points of 2022," he said. That packs pressure on governments, which will have to pay more to keep subsidizing bread at the same level and avoid raising costs for households, he said. With many also seeing their foreign currency reserves dwindle, it could put countries in the Middle East and elsewhere in a more precarious financial situation. Local wheat production is expected to remain at 9.8 million tons, while consumption increases by 2% to 20.5 million tons in 2023-2024, according to a USDA report from April. In Lebanon, the grain deal's collapse could be an additional hurdle as the tiny Mediterranean country relies on Ukraine for at least 90% of its wheat, flour millers say. The agreement helped resolve supply shortages that shocked the market during the onset of the war, causing large breadlines and rationing. Caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam said any negative impact on wheat prices following the deal's collapse will "certainly" affect prices at home. The country of some 6 million is in the throes of an economic crisis that has impoverished three-quarters of its population. Its main wheat storage silos were destroyed in the Beirut port blast in 2020, so its grain reserves lie entirely in private mills' storage. "We currently have two months' worth of wheat reserves, and we have one month's worth on the way," said Wael Shabarek, owner of Shahba Mills. "While I expect some price increase, it won't be the same as before — as the beginning of the war — when it was a total shock for us." However, Lebanon's economy keeps shrinking, its currency has lost 90% of its value since 2019 and the World Food Program says local food prices are among the highest in the world.

Lebanese judiciary interrogates Riad Salameh post-Central Bank tenure
LBCI/August 02/2023
On the first day following his departure from the position of Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh underwent questioning before the Lebanese judiciary. The Acting First Investigative Judge, Charbel Abu Samra, began interrogating Salameh in the presence of his attorney, lawyer Hafez Zakhour, and left him under investigation. Salameh arrived at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, accompanied by his brother Raja Salameh and his assistant Marianne Howayek. Judge Abu Samra deferred the questioning of Raja Salameh and Marianne Howayek to Thursday, August 10th, due to the urgent departure of the head of the Cases Authority at the Ministry of Justice, Judge Helena Iskandar. Notably, this session marks the third interrogation session conducted by Judge Abu Samra with the former governor.

Ministry of Environment releases study on waste on Lebanese coastline
LBCI/August 02/2023
The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the World Bank, released the results of a study on the state of waste on the Lebanese coastline titled "Marine Litter Baseline in Lebanon - 2021." The study aimed to identify the sources and pathways of marine litter and the most vulnerable areas. The study was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the data collection was conducted by the Consultative Group of the Resources and Waste Management Union in cooperation with the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Balamand. Four methodologies were used to gather primary data on marine debris in Lebanon: the Smart Cities Tool for Waste Management, the Waste Flow Diagram, the Permanent Sample Plot Survey, and the Accumulation Survey. Two survey rounds were conducted in April and October 2021, providing a close look at marine litter's quantity, composition, and seasonal fluctuations. The survey revealed that marine litter was present all over the Lebanese shores, with 76% of the waste being plastic. The study found that over 82% of marine litter originated from land-based sources. The most common items were single-use plastics, such as bottle caps, beverage bottles, cigarette butts, and cups, often left behind by beachgoers. Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis highlighted an increase in random waste disposal sites near river mouths (with 73 new potential sites since 2017), contributing to transporting marine litter through river basins. The study also identified three primary sources of plastic leakage: direct littering by beachgoers, uncollected waste in urban areas, and haphazard landfills along riverbanks. The report provides recommendations to improve data collection and take action to stop and prevent marine litter. This includes a roadmap by the Ministry of Environment to rescue the solid waste sector in Lebanon, including establishing an integrated management system for the sector and introducing new legislation on plastic use and recycling within the next three years.

Al-Abiad: Finance Ministry to transfer dues to hospitals for kidney dialysis patients
LBCI/August 02/2023
Caretaker Minister of Health Firas al-Abiad announced on Wednesday that the Ministry of Finance will transfer the dues to hospitals today for kidney dialysis patients for the first three months of this year. He pointed out that these funds will enable "hospitals to settle their bills and also relieve the burden on citizens, especially kidney dialysis patients." During the inauguration of the solar energy project for the Governmental Hospital in Tibnin, funded by the Japanese government, al-Abiad also mentioned that there will be openings of departments and services in government hospitals on upcoming occasions. According to al-Abiad, 15 government hospitals and over 150 primary healthcare centers have benefited from solar energy projects.

Empowering Lebanon's economy: MP Ibrahim Kanaan unveils Sovereign Fund for Oil and Gas
LBCI/August 02/2023
Head of the Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, announced on Wednesday the creation of the Lebanese Sovereign Fund for Oil and Gas as a specialized public institution, free from the traditional oversight exercised by governments and the executive authority. This fund holds legal personality, financial and administrative independence, and extensive powers immune from political interference. Speaking at a press conference, Kanaan affirmed that the management of the sovereign fund cannot be entrusted to mere accountants; instead, it requires experts selected by the Civil Service Council and an international recruitment institution based on specific and well-defined qualifications and conditions. Kanaan discussed the "second guarantee provided by the sovereign fund" alongside the gold guarantee, utilizing two portfolios: one for saving and investment and another for development, provided that investment outside Lebanon is not less than 75 percent of the portfolio's assets. "Through the sovereign fund, we aim to secure the management of the state's petroleum resources and their prudent and sound investment, safeguarding them along with their revenues for future generations, all supporting the national economy's development," emphasized Kanaan. He highlighted the importance of execution within the boundaries to present a new model. The Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee viewed the committee's approval of the sovereign fund as a beacon of hope amid darkness. He hoped this move would pave the way for Lebanon's resurgence from its escalating crisis across financial, economic, monetary, livelihood, and social fronts.

Fake WhatsApp Recordings: Causing Harm During Tourism Season
LBCI/August 02/2023
During the peak of the summer season and when flights to Lebanon are overbooked, fake voice recordings spread on WhatsApp.  These recordings are simply fake; none of them are true. The purpose behind spreading them on WhatsApp is to cause harm and damage during the tourism season. Those who share these recordings, intentionally or unintentionally, are causing general anxiety and harming the tourism season that our families and tourists have come to enjoy in Lebanon. It is the responsibility of individuals to verify the accuracy of information before sharing it, as it could cause panic and fear. These recordings claim to be warnings from foreign embassies to their citizens, but did you know that all embassies and foreign ministries publish travel guidelines openly, including any confidential ones? Anyone can visit the French Foreign Ministry website https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/ and access the travel guidelines for French citizens. They can choose Lebanon and notice that on July 30th, with the beginning of the events in Ain el-Hilweh, French citizens were advised to stay in the area around Sidon. However, this is nothing exceptional, as the security map remains the same, with some border areas in the south, Bekaa, and the north being advised against visiting. However, this has been the case for many years. As for the British Foreign Ministry, you can find the same information on Google by searching for "UK Travel Advice Lebanon." The first link will direct you to the official website of the UK government. Like the French, the travel warnings were updated on Tuesday, and the vicinity of Ain el-Hilweh camp was added as an area that should not be visited. The British warning was so accurate that it even specified which routes in Sidon could be taken. The same applies to the US State Department, which also has not updated its travel warnings that already advise against visiting the vicinity of Palestinian refugee camps. In conclusion, do not take news from social media or unreliable sources. Verify information and learn how to do so.

Israel files complaint against Lebanon at UN Security Council
MEM/August 2, 2023
Israel yesterday submitted an official complaint against Lebanon at the United Nations Security Council, demanding the Lebanese government and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) take immediate action to prevent Hezbollah's ongoing construction of military infrastructure on Israel's northern border, Anadolu news agency reported. Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, submitted the complaint with the Security Council, warning of a "catastrophe" if no preventive measures are taken against Hezbollah's actions. "If the Security Council does not condemn Hezbollah's destabilising activities and demand that Lebanon take action against the illegal military build-up on its territories, or at least work to enable UNIFIL to fully carry out its mandate, the situation on the ground will continue to deteriorate and the consequences will be deep and disastrous," Erdan said in the complaint. Israel claims that Hezbollah set up two tents in June. Last week, the border area between Lebanon and Israel witnessed security tension due to the Israeli occupation's attempts to bulldoze land and build a concrete wall in the area. This was rejected by Lebanon since the area is Lebanese territory occupied by Israel. After an occupation that lasted more than two decades, Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, and the United Nations set the Blue Line to confirm the withdrawal, but Lebanon maintains that 13 border points controlled by Israel are within Lebanese territories.

The "Maronite bishops" expressed their concern about the events of Ain al-Hilweh and the "let loose"
NNA/LCCC/02 August/2023
The Council of Maronite Bishops held its regular monthly meeting under the chairmanship of Patriarch Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi and the participation of the General Superiors of the Maronite orders, in the summer patriarchal edifice in Diman. They studied ecclesiastical and national affairs. At the end of the meeting, a statement was issued by the conferees, congratulating the “Fathers of the Marian and Antonine Orders on the convening of their general councils and the election of the two general presidents, Abbot Edmond Rizk and Abbot Joseph Abu Raad, with the two councils of directors, and they ask God to grant them all a spirit of wisdom, discernment, service, brotherly love, and zeal for achieving I called them to strive for perfection and spread the kingdom of God in the world, so that our monastic orders remain an example for all and a source of holiness. The statement added: “After two days, the parents recall with pain and prayer the victims of the Beirut port bombing who fell on that August 4, 2020. At the same time, they demand an end to political interference in the investigations that must be completed by the judicial investigator. They support the demand of the families of the victims for an international fact-finding committee, with approval Compensation for the victims, the injured and the destroyed homes. The fathers thanked Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, "the envoy of the French President, and the countries represented in the five-year special committee, for their efforts to address the crisis of electing a president of the republic, and to proceed with the reforms required to rebuild the state and secure the requirements for its recovery. They urge the request of the representatives to carry out their national and constitutional duty to put an end to the persistence in the presidency's families." The Republic and thus the release of the first position in the state, in which its contract is completed and its work is upright. And the statement continued: “Parents notice with much astonishment the high frequency of political and media talk about the characteristics of governance, while the country is witnessing a collapse of its structure and the relations between its political components. They remind those working on this level that the main reason for what we are in lies in the failure to fully implement the provisions of the National Accord Agreement, text Spiritually, we call for a return to it, as it is a panacea for the turmoil in the affairs of the future of democracy, freedoms, justice and equality in Lebanon.
The parents renewed their wishes for "the commitment of the political and media parties to the principles of discourse away from conflict and violence, which fuel the flames of differences at a time when Lebanon needs a calm atmosphere that contributes to finding solutions to its many problems."
The parents expressed their satisfaction with the "tourist movement that Lebanon is witnessing this summer, whose volumes are increasing week after week. As they welcome the Arab and foreign tourists, they salute from the bottom of their hearts the Lebanese people of spread, whether from the Arab world, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas, as a testimony of their love for their homeland, their attachment to it, and their jealousy." On serving his interests, in addition to providing him with the recovery he desperately needs in his nervous days. And they call on the government and the military and security institutions to take urgent and decisive measures, to put a final end to the lethality of weapons in the camp, hoping for a return to legitimate security alone. The statement concluded: "The Church celebrates during this month the feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary to Heaven with soul and body. It also celebrates the International Youth Days in Orange, and His Beatitude the Patriarch celebrates the Divine Liturgy on this occasion. Fathers wish the success of these 37 international days, and they invite their sons and daughters To revive these feasts with prayer, piety, and good deeds, imploring God, through the intercession of the virgins and saints, to bestow upon them the graces they need and the patience to bear the ordeals under whose weight they are afflicted, and to restore security, intimacy, and peace to Lebanon and the world.

في لبنان، إسرائيل وأمريكا هما على طرفي نقيض .. إسرائيل تتراجع وحزب الله يتجرأ أكثر
طوني بدران/ موقع ذي تابلت/02 آب/2023 (ترجمة موقع غوغل)
*الصورة المرفقة هي لقرية الغجر
In Lebanon, Israel and America Are on Opposite Sides…Israel backpedals, while Hezbollah grows bolder.
Tony Badran/The Tablet/August 02/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/120706/120706/
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s discussion on Sunday with senior IDF officials about Hezbollah provocations on the northern border was preceded by a flurry of press reports claiming that the IDF intelligence division had issued no less than four warnings about eroding Israeli deterrence. Military intelligence officials, we were told, have been warning Netanyahu about how the political crisis at home and fraying ties with the Americans were undermining deterrence of enemies like Hezbollah.
People might differ on how to read such assessments of the impact of Israel’s political crisis on the country’s deterrence posture. One could choose to read it as earnest analysis, or as political messaging whose point was to paint Netanyahu’s judicial reform as harming Israel’s security—a talking point of the prime minister’s opponents. However, in order to weigh the claim that fraying U.S.-Israeli ties are weakening Israel’s deterrence on the northern front, one would first need to examine the assumption that the United States and Israel share the same interests when it comes to Lebanon, and that this common front is being undermined by Israel’s reckless domestic politics. A sound assessment should begin by questioning the premise of U.S.-Israeli alignment in Lebanon—an alignment that demonstrably does not exist.
A year ago, leveraging a mock drone attack by the terror group Hezbollah against an Israeli offshore gas rig at the beginning of July, the Biden administration went to the caretaker Israeli government with an urgent demand: It must sign a maritime boundary delineation agreement with Lebanon within a couple of months, before the parliamentary elections in Israel, giving potentially valuable gas fields to Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon and signaling Israeli willingness to retreat in the face of Hezbollah’s aggressive threats and actions. This matter was a top priority of the president of the United States, the administration made public. Sure enough, the Biden team got its deal.
In the process, the Biden administration broadcast a new American posture in Lebanon. The U.S. now positioned itself between Israel and Hezbollah, taking on the role of protector of and advocate for Lebanon, which now figured in the imagination of U.S. policymakers and diplomats, if not in reality, as an independent country in need of buttressing. The maritime deal, a senior U.S. official explained last year, would serve as a security guarantee not just for Israel, but also for Lebanon—a territory now transformed in the language of U.S. diplomacy from an Iranian satrapy under the political and military control of the terror group Hezbollah to a sovereign state that might be the deserving recipient of nearly a billion dollars a year in U.S. aid.
As it turned out, the maritime deal did not, in fact, enhance Israel’s security, as U.S. negotiator Amos Hochstein and his echo chamber validators in the U.S. and Israeli press all claimed it would. In reality Israel’s security and deterrence has badly deteriorated on multiple fronts since the Biden administration came to office. The deal did enhance Hezbollah’s security, though, and consequently increased the group’s confidence to press its advantage against Israel.
Over the past few months, the terrorist group that rules Lebanon has conducted, in tandem with its auxiliary force the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), a series of border provocations and incursions into Israeli territory. Hezbollah’s moves were part of a larger, concerted campaign. As with the maritime border episode, Hezbollah is now locked in a dance with the Biden team to advance shared objectives and impose them on Israel.
Each time Hezbollah provokes, the U.S. reliably steps in to “mediate” between the terror group and Israel, with the goal of “stabilizing Lebanon.” Needless to say, the Israeli role is strictly to make concessions in the framework of a U.S.-brokered agreement, at the risk of displeasing its American patron. Hezbollah, meanwhile, knows that the structure of this Kabuki performance prohibits Israel from retaliating, making its provocations more or less risk-free—especially given the fact that the “Lebanese state” is a fiction.
In a speech marking the 17th anniversary of the 2006 war, Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, explained exactly how the terror group’s dance with Team Obama-Biden and its emissaries works. Pointedly, his elucidation began with the maritime deal. The way Lebanon got everything it demanded, Nasrallah explained, was when “the resistance” threatened the Karish offshore platform, and when the official and popular supporting cast played their part. That’s when the Americans and Hochstein came and delivered the Israelis.
Having internalized that precedent, Hezbollah then decided it was time to press its advantage on land, where again, Nasrallah’s reading of the American posture had proven correct. The day before the terror leader’s speech, Amos Hochstein, the Biden administration’s special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security, who got the lame duck government of Yair Lapid to concede to all of Hezbollah’s demands in its last days in office, arrived in Israel to discuss tensions along the land border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s provocations on Israel’s northern border had begun months prior to Hochstein’s arrival. On June 21, Israeli media reported that Hezbollah operatives had entered Israeli territory several weeks earlier—the exact date was later said to have been April 8—and set up an outpost in the Mount Dov area, several meters inside Israel. Needless to say, this was months before the passage of Netanyahu’s judicial reform bill.
That Hezbollah’s actions took so long to surface in the Israeli press in part likely reflects the Israeli government’s reluctance to advertise its own weakness. Instead, the government vainly hoped that this sign of its impotence might be quietly resolved through diplomatic channels and UNIFIL. Israel filed a letter of complaint with the U.N. Security Council and then threatened to remove the tents by force after an unspecified deadline—a threat which, as more time passes, appears increasingly hollow.
Israel’s weak response to Hezbollah’s symbolic invasion of sovereign Israeli territory suggests a failure to recognize that Hezbollah’s cross-border encampment is, as Nasrallah explained, part of a systematic campaign. In turn, this failure appears to be embedded in an even larger refusal to comprehend America’s new posture in Lebanon. As a result, Israel is responding piecemeal to a coherent Hezbollah strategy aimed at forcing Israel to make additional concessions, this time on land, while using the new constraints forced on Israel by the new American posture to establish new operational dynamics at the border.
The oddity of this situation, then, is that both Israel and Hezbollah appear to be acting under the assumption that they have U.S. backing. In the case of Israel, however, this assumption is in part a mistake, and in part a bit of public posturing which has failed to convince their enemies to the north, who in fact know better.
Weeks before the story of the Hezbollah encampment came to light in Israel, the pro-Hezbollah press in Lebanon had already documented an episode in late May where Hezbollah had set up an additional outpost in the same region, in the outskirts of Kfar Shouba near the pond of Ba’athael (long a site of tensions involving Lebanese shepherds crossing into the area). Although Nasrallah would later claim that the second encampment was on the Lebanese side of the border, the ambiguity is deliberate. The episode in Kfar Shouba continued a few days later in June when so-called “locals” disrupted IDF fence construction and earthworks, which are aimed at fending off infiltration and livestock entering from the Lebanese side. A person identified as a local farmer who had blocked the IDF excavator in Kfar Shouba went on Hezbollah TV and declared that his actions were an example of Hezbollah’s whole-of-society doctrine, which it dubs the “army, people, resistance” triad.
A couple of days later, the LAF once again crossed the border fence into Israel. The LAF—whose salaries the Biden administration underwrites—posed for pro-Hezbollah TV cameras, and took positions pointing their weapons at IDF soldiers.
As with the farmer in Kfar Shouba, the choreographed LAF deployment was intended to showcase Hezbollah’s doctrine of synergy between the terror group, government institutions, and the citizenry. It underscored that Hezbollah was the spearhead of a position endorsed by the government and the country as a whole. The latter point was showcased further with trips to the outskirts of Kfar Shouba by members of the Lebanese parliament who expressed support for the liberation of “occupied Lebanese lands.” The LAF would participate in another such stunt alongside Hezbollah operatives in the area opposite Menara, west of Kiryat Shmona, where they crossed into Israeli territory to block IDF activity before being pushed back by the IDF.
The choice of the locations is not random. In 2000, Israel withdrew from Lebanon to the border line, known as the Blue Line, which was set by the U.N. based on historical maps. Aside from the northern part of the village of Ghajar, which the Blue Line cuts through, and leaving aside the Shebaa Farms and the Kfar Shouba hills, which are part of the Golan and which no one recognizes as Lebanese, there are a few points along the Blue Line that Lebanon contests.The Hezbollah stunts took place at some of these points along the security barrier in the area between Metula and Zar’it farther west. This is precisely the area where, in 2018, the IDF uncovered multiple Hezbollah cross-border tunnels.
In one instance near Metula in early July, Hezbollah operatives removed a security camera off the smart fence. In recent years, sabotaging surveillance equipment has been routine activity for Hezbollah, often assisted by the LAF. Hezbollah uses the cover of its so-called “environmental NGO” Green Without Borders both to plant trees that obstruct Israeli security cameras and to erect observation towers a few meters from the barrier. This past year, the group has erected 27 outposts along the Blue Line. Of course, Hezbollah also has its LAF auxiliary regularly disrupt the IDF from clearing the trees. In 2010, the LAF shot and killed an Israeli officer in the area west of Metula, as an IDF crew was removing trees.
To block Hezbollah operational plans of entering northern Israel in a future conflict, over the past several years the IDF has been building a concrete barrier and upgrading fortifications along the border with Lebanon, on the Israeli side. This effort has reached the Mount Dov region, opposite Kfar Shouba.
Some in Israel have assessed that Hezbollah’s current campaign is aimed at disrupting the building of this barrier and of the IDF’s security measures altogether. While that’s true, it falls well short of capturing the full picture. In fact, Nasrallah openly clarified the purpose of this choreography when he spoke of the complementary and cooperative roles of the group and the government to obtain territorial concessions from Israel, “as with the maritime deal.”
Hezbollah has been rather open about what it’s looking to achieve. First on the list is the village of Ghajar. The Blue Line cuts through the village located in the Golan, leaving the northern part of it in Lebanon. With Israel having committed to the Blue Line, the U.N. considers the northern section of Ghajar, that’s on the Lebanese side, occupied and the Security Council routinely urges Israel to complete its withdrawal from that part of the village.
In the period following Israel’s withdrawal in 2000 and leading up to the 2006 war, Ghajar and the Mount Dov area were targets of regular Hezbollah attacks, infiltration, and abduction attempts. Most notable was the November 2005 operation that simultaneously targeted an IDF post in nearby Mount Dov, around the spot where Hezbollah pitched its tent, and a post in Ghajar, in a failed attempt to abduct soldiers—in which they used motorcycles and ATV’s, much like what they featured in their recent military display in May and in the video they released in July simulating a cross-border attack by the Radwan special forces. Less than a year after the 2005 attack, a successful abduction operation near Zar’it sparked the July 2006 war. Clearly, Hezbollah is signaling a readiness to reestablish an updated version of the pre-2006 reality at the border.
Right before the maritime deal was signed last year, the local council of Ghajar began constructing a high fence with cameras and sensors along the northern part of the town. Israel then began allowing unrestricted movement and touristic activity in what had formerly been a closed military zone. What existed before the fence was a stretch of barbed wire that made the village a security vulnerability, in addition to being a location of drugs and weapons smuggling from Lebanon.
The decision to build the new security fence has turned out to be a boobytrap for the current government. After waiting almost a year, Hezbollah decided to take advantage of this opening, and set in motion the same play it ran with the maritime deal. “What we did with the oil, gas and maritime border delineation, today also, through complementarity and cooperation between the state and the resistance and with support from the Lebanese people and the political forces in Lebanon, we can recover our occupied land in the town of Ghajar,” Nasrallah explained.
First, Hezbollah fired an antitank missile near the village and a few days later Hezbollah media published footage of Israeli military vehicles at the fence and declared it a “reoccupation” and “annexation” of the Lebanese part of Ghajar. Then it delegated the government to hand a proposal to the Americans: you need to force the Israelis to take down the fence and to withdraw from the northern part of Ghajar. Sure enough, the U.S. appears to have acted on cue as Hezbollah’s messenger.
The reason Hezbollah decided to focus on Ghajar is because it is the spot where it enjoys the strongest footing with the U.S. and the U.N., who have long been fielding proposals to Israel concerning the status of the northern part of the village. If the U.S. pressures Netanyahu to concede, that would be an easy victory for Hezbollah—achieved without the need even for negotiations. If Israel does not agree, but at the same time opts, with U.S. encouragement, not to remove the Hezbollah tents by force, that would also be a win for Hezbollah—an affirmation of the perception that Israel is deterred. The latter point was the central refrain of Nasrallah’s speech: Israel’s hesitation is the direct result of the deterrence that Hezbollah has imposed.
Building on this perception of deterrence, one Hezbollah objective in the Kfar Shouba hills and the Shebaa Farms pertains to deployment and operations. Over the past decade, Hezbollah has been using the Mount Dov region as a theater for retaliation against Israeli strikes in Syria (and, rarely, in Lebanon) that the group deems to be violate the rules of engagement and the deterrence equation. Now it intends to turn the eastern sector of the Shebaa Farms/Kfar Shouba hills into an arena of regular active and visible deployment, much like in border points to the west.
After gauging Israel’s reaction to its activities in June, and especially after Hochstein’s July visit, Hezbollah has doubled down on its activities outside of Kfar Shouba. On July 20, it brought an excavator, removed IDF concrete obstacles, and proceeded to level the ground in front of the border fence. The same intrepid local farmer featured in the previous episodes helpfully explained on Hezbollah TV that the plan was to create a road along the fence that links to the Ba’athael region, so as to “be at the nearest point to the fence with the Zionist enemy.”
Nasrallah added more detail in his speech. The area where Hezbollah set up the tents is Lebanese land, Nasrallah said, indicating he had no intention to take them down. We have the freedom to do and build whatever we wish there, he added. As he mockingly went through the various things Hezbollah might wish to construct there, he included “a tower” in the list. It remains to be seen if we will soon witness new Green Without Borders observation towers go up along the fence in the area, as is the case farther to the west.
To drive home the normalization of the overt presence of Hezbollah operatives along the entire length of the border line, the IDF filmed masked Hezbollah operatives in full gear patrolling openly along the fence near Moshav Dovev in the upper Galilee, and pointedly looking straight at the camera.
It’s worth placing the campaign at the border in the broader context of Hezbollah’s operations against Israel. If the tent was set up in early April, it was in March that Nasrallah set in motion the action by “locals” and the LAF obstructing Israeli “expansion beyond the Blue Line,” namely near Houla, west of Metula. March was also the month when Hezbollah sent a bomber from Lebanon deep into Israel in an attempted attack at the Megiddo Junction, as part of linking the Lebanese front with the Palestinian front backed by Iran. On April 6, Hezbollah orchestrated the launching of 34 rockets from Lebanon. Two days later, according to Israeli sources, the Hezbollah encampment was set up inside Israeli territory.
The signals Hezbollah is sending with its campaign in the Shebaa Farms/Kfar Shouba hills are of a return to a modified pre-2006 status quo in the area. What the 2006 war did was to upend the rules of engagement that had governed the battle with Hezbollah in the previous decade, especially after the 2000 withdrawal. The pre-2006 rules had allowed south Lebanon to be an arena for low intensity warfare with Israel without Hezbollah suffering major consequences.
Ever since the Biden administration came into office, Hezbollah has steadily raised the temperature in south Lebanon: From the rocket salvos of summer of 2021 through the mock drone attack on the Karish offshore rig in July 2022, to the Megiddo Junction bomber and the April 2023 increased rocket launchings, The bottom line here is still that whatever deterrence Israel had established with the 2006 war has now largely eroded.
The bottom line here is still that whatever deterrence Israel had established with the 2006 war has now largely eroded. As Nasrallah underscored in his speech, Hezbollah does not believe Israel is willing to upend the new-old rules of engagement with another major war, certainly not over a tent. What’s more, he has seen, most clearly with the maritime deal, that the Americans oppose Israeli escalation in Lebanon and are actively constraining the Israelis. That is explicitly the way the maritime deal was designed to work. Team Biden was clear about how it viewed the maritime deal: It guaranteed Lebanon’s security and economic prosperity and precluded action that could destabilize it. In other words, it extended a protective umbrella to Lebanon and therefore to Hezbollah, by openly opposing Israeli kinetic action in Lebanon.
Sure enough, Nasrallah linked the American role and Israel’s deterrence in his remarks: “The situation is different now … That’s why the Israelis did not dare to make a kinetic move against the tent. Why? … Because the Israelis understand [that Hezbollah would retaliate]. And because they understand, they brought in mediation.” In other words, Nasrallah recognized that the function of American mediation is to constrain Israel’s actions in Lebanon while delivering wins that supposedly enhance the country’s “stability” by rewarding the terror group.
At the time of the maritime deal last year, most observers, if they even noted it at all, dismissed the notion that Hezbollah could piggyback on the maritime deal and leverage it on land, or that the two issues were intertwined. However, Nasrallah highlighted an additional linkage between the current campaign on the land border and Hochstein’s maritime deal. In laying out Lebanon’s territorial claims in the sector west of Ghajar, Nasrallah made sure to include Point B1 at Naqoura on the coast, as the terminus point of the Lebanese land border. During the maritime negotiations, the Lebanese insisted on Point B1 as the starting point on land from which the line at sea would begin.
Meanwhile, the Lapid caretaker government and its validators touted as a “key” win the maritime agreement’s supposed recognition of Israel’s so-called “buoy line” which extends out to sea from Rosh Hanikra. An anonymous Lapid government official fed reporters the following spin at the time: “The line of buoys is an important Israeli security line, that was never approved by any outside actor … This will allow Israel to treat it as its northern territorial border.”
In fact, the agreement does no such thing and leaves the situation unchanged, “without prejudice” to Lebanon’s claim to the area, which, the agreement says “remains undelimited.” The text further states: “the maritime boundary landward of the easternmost point of the [Maritime Boundary Line] is expected to be delimited in the context of, or in a timely manner after, the Parties’ demarcation of the land boundary.” (Emphasis added.)
As a matter of fact, coupling the maritime border with their claims on land was the Lebanese demand from the outset on which they conditioned their participation in the maritime negotiations. The State Department under Mike Pompeo, in one of its mind-boggling displays of bad judgment, conceded and included a paragraph in the Framework Agreement about the U.S. “looking forward” to separate talks on “unresolved issues related to the Blue Line.” In other words, the current situation on the land border is baked into the maritime deal—and that’s how the Lebanese are treating it.
Echoing what Nasrallah would announce the day after, Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally and U.S. interlocutor, bundled all of Lebanon’s claims on land and told his Western partners that “what is required of the international community is to oblige Israel … to withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar, the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar Shouba hills, and point B1.” An article in the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper, which coincided with Hochstein’s visit to Israel and was echoed elsewhere in the Lebanese press, claimed that “Western countries informed Lebanon that Israel was willing to enter into talks about land border demarcation, despite previously opposing it, and to limit the discussion to the [13] points of dispute [along the Blue Line].” The article then claimed, citing anonymous diplomatic sources, that “the American administration sees in this development an opportunity to complete the land border demarcation which it has been in a rush to achieve ever since it finished the maritime delineation.”
Are these claims true? Who knows. What can be said with some certainty, however, is that the Biden administration has every incentive to try and lock Israel into such processes, as a continuation of the maritime agreement and the overall policy of “de-escalation” it is predicated on. The net result of such a course of action would be a win for Hezbollah: It escalated, Israel balked, the Americans stepped in the middle and discouraged the Israelis from taking forceful action, and instead encouraged them to enter into another process to entertain Hezbollah’s claims. Moreover, Nasrallah never once said anything about taking down the tents, even should Israel withdraw from Ghajar.
Of course, Hezbollah’s demands hardly stop in Ghajar and the 13 points along the Blue Line. Hezbollah is also looking to use the Blue Line to secure additional objectives in the Golan region. “What is the value of the tents? The value of the tents is that they have put the spotlight again on the whole situation on the border,” Nasrallah clarified. “You have seen what the value of the tent is, the value of the tent now is to open this discussion wide. We are a group with a goal.”
Ever since the U.N. and the U.S. began peddling initiatives to resolve the status of northern Ghajar, the Lebanese have been open about that process being the springboard to addressing the status of the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba hills—the Lebanese claim to which is a fiction invented at the time of the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
Curiously, al-Akhbar framed Israel’s fence construction in Mount Dov as an attempt “to take advantage of the American recognition, during the Trump presidency, of Israel’s total sovereignty over the Golan Heights.” The current U.S. position does not recognize the Lebanese claim to the Shebaa Farms and the Kfar Shouba hills. It regards them as part of the Golan Heights. However, Hezbollah is well aware of Team Obama’s support for UNSCR 2334 and its adoption of the 1967 lines, a policy which the Biden administration has followed faithfully in the context of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.
Obama administration officials, most of whom are now in the Biden administration, were never supportive of the recognition of Israeli sovereignty on the Golan. If Hezbollah can manage to induce a comment or introduce the slightest modification in the American position on the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba hills, that would be another significant win.
How Netanyahu will decide to proceed remains to be seen. More than three weeks after Hochstein’s visit, and after months of protestation and appeals through third parties, Israel has largely gone silent on the issue of the tents. Even as it advertised its military preparedness for any scenario, following the security cabinet meeting on Sunday, the IDF continued to send signals of its preference for de-escalation and for avoiding any confrontation with Hezbollah, and that the encampment situation will be resolved “at a place and time of our choosing.”
It is unclear now whether Netanyahu will make good on the threat to use force, with the understanding of the likelihood of conflict with Hezbollah, however limited, or whether he will play along with Team Biden’s initiatives and wind up trapped in a new process in which Washington acts as Hezbollah’s lawyer, like it did with the maritime deal.
What Israel must realize is that the U.S. is not aligned with it on Lebanon. Washington’s policy in Lebanon makes it an amplifier, not a constrainer, of Hezbollah. Israel cannot rely on silly soundbites like demanding the LAF or UNIFIL take action or asking the U.S. to pressure the Lebanese government. All these soundbites advertise is a dated understanding of Lebanon’s reality, and of the actual U.S. posture. The American impulse is to keep Israel off of Lebanon and to promote the latter’s protection and prosperity—as a Hezbollah state.
However the Israeli government decides to deal with the tents—to take them out by force, or simply to do nothing—it therefore needs to stay far away from any U.S. initiative that further enshrines the precedent of the maritime deal that has positioned Washington as a broker between Israel and Hezbollah, and not as Israel’s ally.
*Tony Badran is Tablet magazine’s Levant analyst and a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He tweets @AcrossTheBay.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/in-lebanon-israel-america-opposite-sides

As Bolivia Obtains Iranian Drones, South American News Outlets Affiliated With Iran And Hizbullah Focus On Bolivian Lithium Reserves – A Key Resource For Iran's Nuclear Program
MEMRI/August 02/2023
Iran, Lebanon | Special Dispatch No. 10735
https://www.memri.org/reports/bolivia-obtains-iranian-drones-south-american-news-outlets-affiliated-iran-and-hizbullah
On July 21, 2023, the Lebanese propaganda platform for Iran and Hizbullah, Al-Mayadeen, posted to its Telegram channel an article saying Bolivia has the largest lithium reserve on the planet. The article claimed that "together with Argentina and Chile, Bolivia is home to 85 percent of the world's lithium reserves," stressing that the metal is essential in the development of batteries for mobile phones and other portable devices, as well as electric vehicles. Lithium also happens to be a key strategic metal with applications for nuclear weapons development,[1] a fact carefully not mentioned by the Lebanese news outlet. The article instead focused on lithium's uses in the transition to a global 'green economy.'"[2]
The article was published a day after Bolivia signed an agreement with Iran to obtain Iranian drones, hinting that in exchange Bolivia may have offered Iran access to its lithium. Similar articles were published by Iran-backed outlets HispanTV and Al-Manar in the weeks prior to the agreement.
Bolivia made Iran a "partner" in the mining and exploitation of its lithium in 2010, after a series of cooperation agreements were reached between Tehran and La Paz.[3] Ever since, Bolivia's "white gold" has featured prominently in Iranian-affiliated media outlets' news about the South American country.
Articles published by HispanTV, Al-Manar, and Al-Mayadeen usually focus on Bolivia's agreements with Russian and Chinese companies to mine its lithium,[4] a stealth cover-up for Iran's own interest and agreements with Bolivia. Articles also furtively avoid mentioning any connection to nuclear energy, focusing instead on Bolivia's rejection of the U.S.'s alleged predatory attempts to control and profit from the country's natural resources.[5]
It is worth noting that Bolivia's agreement to obtain Iranian drones, an alleged effort to enhance Bolivia's border security and fight drug trafficking,[6] coincided with the 29th anniversary of the bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, the 1994 terrorist attack which claimed 85 lives. Argentinian authorities have long maintained that Iranian officials, in conjunction with Hizbullah, were the perpetrators of the attack. Nevertheless, Iran has always denied its involvement.
HispanTV Denies Iranian Involvement In 1994 Buenos Aires AMIA Jewish Community Center Terror Attack
On July 26, 2023, HispanTV published an Instagram post stating: "Bolivia confirms its interest in Iranian drones [is] to use them to protect its borders and combat smuggling and drug trafficking." The post's photo features Bolivian Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo Aguilar shaking hands with his Iranian counterpart, Mohamad Reza Ashtiani, holding up the signed agreement.[7] Notably, on Instagram HispanTV only stated that Bolivia had expressed interest in an agreement, while on its more private Telegram channel, HispanTV admitted an agreement had effectively been signed between the two countries.[8]
A few days prior to the signing of the new security agreement with Bolivia, HispanTV published a series of posts denying Iran's and Hizbullah's involvement in the 1994 AMIA bombing. For example, on July 18, HispanTV published an Instagram post titled, "Zionist lobby continues to use AMIA case to politically persecute Iran."[9]
On Jul 19, HispanTV posted an interview on Instagram featuring Abdul Karim Paz, director of the At-Tawhid Mosque and one of Argentina's most prominent Shi'ite sheikhs, speaking on subject of the AMIA bombing.[10] The former director of the same At-Tawhid Mosque, Mohsen Rabbani,[11] was singled out by Argentinian prosecutor Alberto Nisman as the mastermind behind the 1994 AMIA bombings. Nisman described the mosque as the place where Iranian officials plotted the attack, in conjunction with Hizballah. Today, Rabbani's indoctrinated[12] and appointed successor, Abdul Karim Paz, tries to maintain a low profile while still serving as the mosque's director.
A similar interview was also posted by HispanTV on July 20.[13] In both interviews the speakers staunchly affirm Iran had nothing to do with the attack, and that all the evidence was manipulated by the U.S. and Israel, who have been unable to provide proof to back accusations that Iran was responsible.
Another article, posted to Instagram by HispanTV on July 20 was titled: "What did Iran have to do with the attack on AMIA?"[14]
While posting all this content in the week of the 29th anniversary of the AMIA attack, HispanTV continued to openly showcase its connection to the Iran-backed Lebanese Hizbullah, posting a number of articles on the group's recent alleged achievements in its fight against Israel.[15]
Iranian Presence In Bolivia
According to former Argentinian Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie, the Iranian drones given to Bolivia are intended for use by Iran for intelligence activities, not, as alleged, for Bolivia's fight against drug trafficking. These Iranian efforts may impact Argentina again, as in 1994.
In this regard, it is also important to remember that in 2011, Bolivia's President Evo Morales inaugurated an "Anti-Imperialist Military School" in a ceremony reportedly presided over by Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who was accused by the Argentine justice system of being the ideological co-author of the AMIA attack.[16]
In 2012, regional officials estimated that between 50 and 300 Iranian "trainers" were present in Bolivia, carrying out training and indoctrination activities at the facility.[17] The "Regional Defense School" is located outside Santa Cruz, in the region where it is believed Iran is extracting uranium from as many as 11 different sites.[18] Not coincidentally, in 2018 Venezuela's national airline Conviasa inaugurated a direct air route between Caracas and Santa Cruz , which in 2022 was further extended to Teheran.
On March 1, 2019, Al-Manar Español posted on Telegram an image of Bolivian President Morales at the 2011 inauguration ceremony of the Anti-Imperialist International Military School in Bolivia.[19]
[1] Govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112shrg73922/html/CHRG-112shrg73922.htm, Feb 16, 2012.
[2] Tme/almayadeenespanol/57487, July 21, 2023.
[3] En.mercopress.com/2010/10/30/iran-partner-in-the-industrialization-of-bolivia-s-lithium-reserves, October 30, 2010.
[4] T.me/HispanTVcanal/74342, June 29, 2023.
[5] T.me/almanarnewsSP/19899, June 22, 2023.
[6] T.me/HispanTVcanal/74834, July 20, 2023.
[7] Instagram.com/p/CvJ5X--NGeO/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA, Jul 25, 2023.
[8] T.me/HispanTVcanal/74834, July 20, 2023.
[9] Instagram.com/p/Cu2tBT5NAGl/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA, Jul 18, 2023.
[10] Instagram.com/reel/Cu4xsg6gREL/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA, Jul 19, 2023.
[11] Rabbani used to serve as Iran's Principal Proselytizer in Latin America, and was singled out by Nisman for having facilitated two attacks in Buenos Aires in 1994 and 1997. He later returned to Iran, where he remains today, without facing repercussions.
[12] Books.google.com.co/books?id=oqDYBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=santiago+paz+bullrich+iran&source=bl&ots=k7Zqs7-hpq&sig=k3Lmr-dp8oNd_3_A_eqXkhXsDRk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AN3YVKDSNs_5yQSP6oEw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=santiago%20paz%20bullrich%20iran&f=false, accessed August 1, 2023.
[13] Instagram.com/reel/Cu6Z5s9gtoM/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA, Jul 20, 2023.
[14] Instagram.com/p/Cu7VRyctvYn/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA, Jul 20, 2023.
[15] Instagram.com/p/Cupr7uWr61S/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA, Jul 13, 2023.
[16] Infobae.com/america/america-latina/2020/01/18/el-gobierno-de-bolivia-cerro-la-escuela-militar-antiimperialista-creada-por-evo-morales/, Jan 19, 2020.
[17] Govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112shrg73922/html/CHRG-112shrg73922.htm, Feb 16, 2012.
[18] Govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112shrg73922/html/CHRG-112shrg73922.htm, Feb 16, 2012.
[19] T.me/almanarnewsSP/7186, Mar 1, 2019

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 02-03/2023
Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announce separation
CBC/Wed, August 2, 2023
The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau arrive at the Felipe Angeles international airport in Zumpango, Mexico, on Jan. 9. The two issued statements on Wednesday announcing that they are separating. (Eduardo Verdugo/The Associated Press - image credit)
The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau arrive at the Felipe Angeles international airport in Zumpango, Mexico, on Jan. 9. The two issued statements on Wednesday announcing that they are separating. (Eduardo Verdugo/The Associated Press - image credit)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, have decided to separate, according to statements posted online by both of them.
"Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate," Trudeau wrote in a message posted to his Instagram account.
Trudeau, 51, and Grégoire, 48, were married in May 2005 and have three children together: two sons, Xavier, 15, and Hadrien, nine, and one daughter, 14-year-old Ella-Grace.
"As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build," Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau wrote in identical messages. "For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy."
A prominent presence
Grégoire, a former television presenter, has been a prominent presence at Trudeau's side throughout his political career and become a public figure in her own right as an advocate for several charitable and social causes, including mental health and gender equality.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau have "signed a legal separation agreement."
"They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward," Trudeau's office said.
"They remain a close family and Sophie and the Prime Minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment. Both parents will be a constant presence in their children's lives and Canadians can expect to often see the family together. The family will be together on vacation, beginning next week."
As recounted in his autobiography, Common Ground, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau began dating in 2003. Grégoire Trudeau, the daughter of a stockbroker and a nurse, was a former schoolmate of Trudeau's late brother, Michel.
The couple became engaged in 2004 and married each other a year later during a ceremony at Montreal's Sainte-Madeleine d'Outremont church — "by Canadian standards, a sweet and appropriately understated fairy-tale wedding," was how a writer for Maclean's described it.
'Our marriage isn't perfect'
Both Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau spoke at times candidly about their relationship and the challenges of marriage.
"Our marriage isn't perfect, and we have had difficult ups and downs, yet Sophie remains my best friend, my partner, my love," Trudeau wrote in Common Ground, which was published in 2014.
Grégoire Trudeau told an interviewer in 2015 that "no marriage is easy."
"I'm almost kind of proud of the fact that we've had hardship, yes, because we want authenticity. We want truth," she said. "We want to grow closer as individuals through our lifetime and we're both dreamers and we want to be together for as long as we can."
Trudeau launched his political career in 2007, when he decided to seek the Liberal Party nomination in the Montreal riding of Papineau. After winning there in 2008 and 2011, Trudeau began to consider seeking the Liberal leadership. The decision, he wrote, would ultimately come down to "a deeply personal private discussion between Sophie and me."
Justin Trudeau tosses his son Hadrien into the air while Sophie Grégoire Trudeau stands by at a baseball game in Toronto in 2015. Trudeau and Gregoire announced on Wednesday they will both be a constant presence in their children’s lives. (CBC)
"We had many long, honest talks that summer," Trudeau recalled. "I wanted to be sure she knew, from my own experience, just how rough that life can be. I recalled for Sophie that my father had once told me I should never feel compelled to run for office. 'Our family has done enough,' he said."
His father said that, Trudeau noted, "despite having never experienced the incessant, base vitriol of twenty-first-century politics."
"I welcome a good tussle, and my skin is thick, but I had grown up in the reality of public life," Trudeau wrote. "Sophie had not, and our decision would affect our kids, in some ways, more than either of us."
In an interview in 2008, Grégoire Trudeau said that when she met Trudeau, "politics was not impossible, but it was not in the short-term or the mid-term plan."
"But an opportunity came up, and we felt that if we weren't going to embark on this adventure, a part of us would be selfish with the voice that we have and the opportunities that are given to us," she said.
Personal lives generally private matters
In Common Ground, Trudeau credits Grégoire Trudeau with "profoundly" influencing his style of politics and for helping keep him grounded.
"Sometimes it's easy for people who have made politics their livelihood to get caught up in the heat of battle and forget about their personal values. Sophie never does, and no matter how intense things get, she makes sure I don't either," Trudeau wrote.
The personal lives of prime ministers are generally treated as private matters. But Pierre Trudeau's relationship with Margaret Sinclair — including their marriage in 1971 and their separation in 1977 was highly publicized. Trudeau was the first prime minister to get married while in office and also the first to publicly separate from his partner. Margaret Trudeau later disclosed her long struggle with mental illness.
Justin Trudeau, who was born nine months after his parents wed, experienced their divorce as a young child and he wrote at length about those years in Common Ground. Trudeau said that much of what was written about his parent's relationship was "lurid and inaccurate."
"From my perspective today, the commonly held story of my parents' marital breakdown is nothing but a caricature, because my father was not just the tradition-bound diehard he appeared and my mother was not entirely the totally free spirit that her actions suggest," Trudeau wrote.
"Things are never that simple, especially with a couple as complex as my parents, and I remain amused by and exasperated with those who view their relationship — all the passion, triumph, achievements, and tragedy — in black and white, seeing it merely as a flawed union between a cool and aloof man and an exuberant and uninhibited younger woman. It was that, but also much more."

Iran's IRGC holds military drills at disputed UAE islands
Al Monitor/August 02/2023
Iran conducted a naval drill on Abu Musa island — disputed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — on Wednesday, while the country’s oil minister said the country will not relinquish its rights to the likewise disputed Durra gas field, possibly setting the stage for increased tensions with Arab states in the Gulf.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a “naval war game” on the island focusing on the defense of Iran’s islands in the Gulf. The exercise featured the use of combat troops, drones, missiles, vessels and electromagnetic warfare, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The drill also included the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands to the north of Abu Musa, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency. Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji told reporters on Wednesday that Iran will not cede its rights to the Durra gas field, known as Arash in Iran.
“We will not give up one iota of Iran’s right to make use of the Arash field,” said Owji, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. Background: Iran seized control over the islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs on Nov. 30, 1971 — just two days before the UAE became a country. The UAE claims sovereignty over the islands, but Iran administers them and defends its claim. The Durra gas field is claimed by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but Iran claims a northern part of the field. Why it matters: Both disputes have heated up recently. In July, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement calling for a “peaceful resolution” of the Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands dispute. The statement followed a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the GCC. Iran summoned the Russian ambassador in response. Also last month, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak said that Kuwait will start drilling at Durra without waiting for a demarcation agreement with Iran. The dispute escalated in late June when the National Iranian Oil Company said it is preparing to drill in the field. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait condemned the news.
The tensions over the islands and the gas field follow improvements in Iran’s relations with Arab Gulf states. Saudi Arabia and Iran resumed relations in March, while the UAE and Kuwait did so last year.

Iran: Unprecedented heat wave triggers emergency holidays
Al Monitor/August 02/2023
TEHRAN — Iranian authorities declared Tuesday and Wednesday emergency holidays to mitigate the "health" implications of the ongoing heat wave gripping almost the entire nation, with average temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Announced on state television, the decision was made in response to a proposal by the country's Health Ministry, which cited potential health issues based on increasingly grim forecasts for the coming days, advising citizens to remain indoors and hydrated. All medical centers were also placed on a state of high alert in anticipation of overwhelming demands for the treatment of heat-related illnesses. In the capital, Tehran — the country's largest, densest and most populous city — temperatures are expected to hover above 39 degrees Celcius. Meanwhile, in the southwestern, energy-rich province of Khuzestan, the typically scorching weather could go well over 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). With the closures covering both the public and private sectors, the plan will mean four consecutive days of stoppage as the two emergency holidays will be followed by Thursday and Friday, the official weekend in Iran.
The heatwave-triggered holidays were the first of their kind in Iran, an indication of how the country is feeling the pinch of global warming. Yet signs and warnings that Iran is one of the worst affected victims of climate change have long been out there. According to data from the country's meteorological office, the pace of warming per decade in Iran has been 0.4 degrees, twice as intense as that of the global average of 0.2 degrees. That translates into new phenomena and natural disasters that were once unthinkable in the country's diverse climatic conditions. Over the past few years, Iranians have witnessed with alarm lower precipitation, consecutive episodes of droughts, as well as unseasonal and deadly floodings, among other calamities. Across the western Zagros Mountains, one of Iran's greenest forest ranges, repeated wildfires have also proven deadly as unequipped volunteers have been struggling to extinguish stubborn flames in the absence of a government response from local officials.  Government reports also suggest that the soaring temperatures have depleted many water resources, with the most notable case being that of Lake Urmia. And as glaciers on mountains as high as 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) vanish, the strain on the ecosystem is heavier, permanently devastating wider flora and fauna and impacting drinking water. The emergency holidays also come as Iran's power network has lagged behind demand over the past two years. Only on Monday, the country's Energy Ministry advised the public to economize, announcing that the national daily consumption had hit 72,458 megawatts, the highest rate ever recorded in the country's history. The government's perceived failure to tackle the electricity shortages in a country sitting on the world's fourth-largest oil reserves and second-largest natural gas resources has unsurprisingly sparked loud criticism from economists, environmentalists and ordinary citizens. Officials denied that electricity supplies had anything to do with the emergency holidays plan, maintaining that the situation at power plants remains stable. Many media outlets, however, speculated that the strain on the power system, rather than public health, was the key stimulator of the decision. Back in June, the Iranian government set the public service working hours to begin at 6 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. in an effort to reverse the staggering electricity consumption during the peak summer season. The electricity management remained a heated debate on social media as well, where Iranians attacked authorities for their handling of the problem and their alleged refusal to clearly state the reasons behind the emergency holidays. "The closures are not about the heatwaves; the regional superpower is running out of electricity," many wrote in sarcasm, borrowing from the Iranian government's typical term of self-praise. "For the sake of the health and dignity of the public, you had better close down this sitting government altogether for two years," wrote economist and entrepreneur Pedram Soltani below a tweet by Iranian government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi, in which he linked the emergency holidays to public health.

Putin reaffirms Russian stance on grain deal in call to Erdogan
MOSCOW (Reuters)/August 2, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as the West met its obligations with regard to Russia's own grain exports. The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, allowed for the safe export of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports. Last month Moscow exited the deal, accusing the West of hampering Russia's own grain and fertiliser exports. In a statement on Putin's call with Erdogan, the Kremlin said: "It was noted that in the conditions of a complete lack of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the 'grain deal', its further extension has lost all meaning." It added that Russia would return to the deal "as soon as the West actually fulfils all the obligations to Russia" contained within it. Russia's grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. But Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments. The U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday there were "indications" that Russia might be interested in returning to talks about the deal. Asked about those comments on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the need for the West to honour parts of the deal concerning Russian exports.
'BRIDGE OF PEACE'
Erdogan's office said the Turkish leader had emphasised the importance of avoiding steps that could jeopardise the resumption of the Black Sea grain deal, which he described as a "bridge of peace". The two leaders also agreed that Putin would visit Turkey, it said. A senior Turkish official said that discussions between Ankara and Moscow were ongoing for a visit in late August. Earlier on Wednesday, Russia attacked Ukraine's main inland port on the Danube River, sending global food prices higher as Moscow ramps up its use of force to reimpose a blockade of Ukrainian grain exports. The port, across the river from NATO-member Romania, has served as the main alternative route out of Ukraine for grain exports since Russia reintroduced its de facto blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in mid-July. The deal aimed to alleviate a global food crisis, and grain prices have risen since Moscow let it expire on July 17. Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters. Nearly 33 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain was exported while the Black Sea deal was in operation.

Russian drone strikes on the Odesa region cause fires at port
Associated Press/August 2, 2023
Russian troops hit port infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region with Shahed drones overnight, the Ukrainian military reported, damaging a grain elevator and causing a fire at facilities that transport the country's crucial grain exports. Since leaving a deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain to world markets through the city of Odesa, Russia has hammered the country's ports with strikes. Since July 17, Russian forces have fired dozens of drones and missiles at the port of Odesa and the region's river ports, which are being used as alternative routes. "The goal of the enemy was clearly the facilities of the ports and industrial infrastructure of the region," Ukraine's South operational command wrote in an update on Facebook. As a result of the attack, a fire broke out at industrial and port facilities, and a grain elevator was damaged. Ukraine's air force intercepted 23 Shahed drones over the country overnight, mostly in Odesa and Kyiv, according to a morning update. All 10 drones fired at Kyiv were intercepted, said Serhii Popko, the head of Kyiv City Administration. Numerous loud explosions were heard overnight as air defense systems were activated. Debris from felled drones hit three districts of the capital, damaging a nonresidential building, Popko said. "Russian terrorists have once again targeted ports, grain facilities and global food security," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted Wednesday morning on Telegram. "The world must respond." He confirmed that some drones hit their targets, with the most "significant damage" in the south of Ukraine. Two civilians were wounded in shelling of the city of Kherson during the night, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Wednesday. In the eastern region of Donetsk, four people were wounded in Russian shelling over the past day, according to Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. The area around the city of Nikopol, across the river from the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, was shelled three times, Gov. Serhiy Lysak said.

Exiled Wagner mercenaries are training Belarusian troops in what may signal Putin's puppet next door is cutting some of the strings
Jake Epstein,Chris Panella/ Business Insider/ August 2, 2023
Experts have noted that recent training carried out by Wagner is historically done with Russia. The increased military training suggests that Putin's influential grip on Belarus may be waning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has historically sought dominance over Belarus, aiming to pull the neighboring state into Moscow's orbit, and the Belarusian leader has at times been characterized as Putin's puppet.
But in the wake of the Wagner Group's armed rebellion and subsequent exile, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko appears to have found an opportunity to exploit the weakened mercenary organization and partially reduce his country's reliance on Russia by having the ruthless fighters train his military — something in which Moscow's forces have previously been heavily involved. Lukashenko played an important role in bringing an end to the short-lived mutiny in late June, brokering negotiations between the Kremlin and Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. As part of the deal, Prigozhin was seemingly cast into exile in Belarus, where his mercenaries were given the chance to join him as they embarked on an uncertain future together. Eager to take advantage of the situation, Belarus offered to host Wagner fighters at an abandoned military camp in the country's central Asipovichy district so they could providing training to the country's armed forces, and in mid-July, Minsk announced that Wagner had begun training Belarusian territorial defense units.
Wagner fighters are now training Belarusian troops in exercises typically conducted in partnership with Russian soldiers, according to a Monday analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington, DC-based think tank that has followed these developments closely.
Wagner mercenaries recently began conducting "company-level training" elements of multiple mechanized brigades, which covered dismounted infantry maneuvering, drone evasion, and combined arms assault that featured the integration of tanks and artillery support.
"The Wagner Group's new role in Belarusian company-level training is notable," the ISW analysis said. "The Belarusian military typically conducts such exercises with Russian trainers and relies on Russian planners for any multi-brigade exercises, which ISW has not yet observed Wagner Group participating in."
George Barros, an ISW analyst, told Insider that "Wagner's failed rebellion posed a very good opportunity for Lukashenko to potentially open up options to allow the Belarusian military to wean itself, perhaps over the span of a long time, off the structural dependency that the Russian military has developed for the Belarusian military."
ISW also noted recent cooperation between the mercenaries and a Belarusian airborne brigade that typically trains with Russia, adding that this new dynamic suggests Wagner "may seek to supplant legacy Russian-Belarusian unit relationships."
These shifts break from the norms Moscow has sought to create. Over the past decade, "the Kremlin's been wildly successful with their integration campaign," Barros said, especially in their military. Minsk's military is relatively small, and it lacks the "connective tissues," Barros added, because Russian forces have "conducted a successful sort of corporate takeover of the higher function planning and command and control functions of the Belarusian military."
For years, Belarus has been reliant on Russia's economic and security support, especially as the country went through a period of domestic turmoil as a result of pro-democracy protests. In turn, Belarus has supported Russia in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and even agreed to let Moscow store tactical nuclear weapons there. With Moscow's backing, Lukashenko has led Belarus since the mid-1990s, holding onto power despite opposition and amid questionable elections. Given Putin has been a key ally, Lukashenko has long been considered to be under the Russian leader's thumb.
But the aftermath of the Wagner rebellion has exposed some irregularities in the relationship between the two countries. Lukashenko bragged about how he saved Moscow from the mutiny, which experts said was a "humiliating" moment for Putin. But more than that, he appears to be exploiting the situation.
"Perhaps Lukashenko saw the aftermath of the rebellion and realized it failed," Barros said. "Prigozhin needs a lifeline, and Lukashenko has a problem, that is known to everybody, in that my military is systematically and structurally dependent on the Russians. They have a common adversary in Moscow now, and they can actually mutually benefit from each other."
Now, by taking advantage of Wagner's presence and increasing military ties, Lukashenko seems to be weakening the gravitational pull that Russia exerts over Belarus. And the move has been in the works for weeks.
On July 17, Lukashenko signed a law creating a people's militia, likely a group of volunteers who would train under Wagner. Shortly after that, Wagner troops began training internal troops, the Belarusian Deputy Commander of the Internal Troops confirmed on July 25.
Prigozhin said in a video from the Belarus camp in late July that Wagner forces would remain in Belarus "for some time" and prepare to eventually head to Africa, where the mercenary organization already has a footprint in several countries and has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and a laundry list of atrocities.
Lukashenko, meanwhile, has praised the Wagner fighters and welcomed the military training with open arms. According to state-run news site Belta, Lukashenko said Tuesday that the mercenaries will "help us totally for free and pass on their experience."
"I need to train my own military personnel because an army that doesn't fight is half an army. You also understand it perfectly well. I don't want to fight. I don't want our guys to die. This is why they need to be trained," Lukashenko said, according to an English translation of his remarks.
"They will give advice and say something. They are very satisfied with our warriors. They say that they are very well-trained people and, most importantly, they want to learn," he added.
Lukashenko may also be signaling his intent to use Wagner in the creation of some sort of a Belarusian "contract army," which, according to Barros and an ISW's Tuesday update, the Belarusian does not currently have.
But while this may be of great interest to decision-makers in Belarus, these developments likely aren't a priority for Moscow.
"They're prioritizing defeating the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south," Barros told Insider, adding that Russian forces are focused on "reconstituting their forces, preparing for the next subsequent fighting season over the winter, and potentially regrouping for another offensive."
It's unclear exactly how many Wagner fighters are operating in Belarus, but their presence in the Russia-allied state has rattled some in the West, including neighboring countries Poland and Lithuania. Officials in the two NATO countries expressed concerns after Poland said over 100 Wagner mercenaries recently moved into position near its border with Belarus, and that two Belarusian military helicopters even violated its airspace, which Minsk denied.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby downplayed the concern though, saying there's no indication that the mercenaries are an immediate threat to NATO.
"We're not aware of any specific threat posed by Wagner to Poland or to any of our NATO allies, and we're watching that, obviously, closely," Kirby told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the US is still committed to "defending every inch of NATO territory."

Turkey's Erdogan makes no headway in getting Russia back to Ukraine grain deal 
Al Monitor/August 02/2023
The Kremlin showed no signs of returning to a critical Black Sea grain deal that allows Ukrainian grain to be exported to world markets, following a phone call Wednesday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Erdogan pledged, nonetheless, to continue “intense diplomatic efforts” to salvage the deal abandoned by Russia two weeks ago. "President Erdogan expressed the importance of refraining from steps that could escalate tensions during the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasizing the significance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which he described as a bridge of peace," a brief statement from Turkey’s Communication Directorate said after the two leaders’ phone conversation. Erdogan told Putin that a long period of “inactivity” regarding the deal would benefit no one. “[He] pointed out that grain prices, which decreased by 23% during the implementation period, have increased by 15% in the last two weeks,” the Turkish readout said, adding that low-income countries were affected the worst. But a corresponding statement from Moscow reaffirmed Russia’s position that it would not return to the agreement unless sanctions against Russian fertilizer companies were lifted. Russia said it was “taking into account the needs of the countries most in need of food” and was creating “reliable options for the supply of Russian grain, including on a free-of-charge basis.”“This issue was discussed at the second Russia-Africa summit recently held in St. Petersburg,” it said, signaling a “willingness to cooperate in this area with Turkey and other interested countries.” Kremlin Deputy Spokesman Dmitry Peskov made similar arguments Tuesday after Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Representative to the United Nations, claimed there were signs that Russia may be resurrecting the deal. "Russia — and President Putin has said this 100 times already — is ready to immediately return to the deal itself … just the deal must be implemented in the part that concerns the Russian Federation. So far this has not been done, as you know,” Peskov said. "The West imposed sanctions against Russia without taking into account the needs of the world community for food; the UN General Secretariat is well aware of this," Peskov added.
Ankara’s endeavors
For the last two weeks, Ankara has been struggling to get Moscow back into the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which enables Ukraine, dubbed the world's breadbasket, to export its grain by sea despite a wartime blockade by Russia. Nearly 33 million tons of Ukrainian grain have been exported since the signing of the agreement last year at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace, a 19th-century Ottoman palace overlooking the Bosporus, which connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The 2022 deal brought much kudos to Erdogan for getting Russia and Ukraine to resume Kyiv’s grain exports through Black Sea ports and averting a global wheat crisis. While Erdogan failed in his ambitions to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, he remained a crucial actor as sides negotiated the deal's extension in November, March and May. When Moscow extended the accord for another 60 days in May, it warned it would not renew the deal unless Russian demands were met. Moscow’s demands include reconnecting Russia’s agricultural bank to the SWIFT payment system, lifting restrictions on maritime insurance and the supply of spare parts used in agricultural machinery, and, most importantly, ending sanctions against Russian fertilizer companies. In July, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to persuade Moscow to return to the table. The former spy chief turned foreign minister brushed away alternative solutions — such as Kyiv’s offers to ship Ukrainian grain via Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish waters in the Black Sea — as "likely endangering security." Erdogan, who delights in his reputation as one of the few global leaders with a direct line to Putin, wanted to achieve a breakthrough in a presidential phone call. Unlike in the past, however, when telephone calls between the pair were frequent, it took a full week for the two leaders to find a mutually convenient slot.
Putin to visit Turkey?
The statement from the Turkish side said the two leaders had agreed that Putin would visit Turkey but provided no timeframe. The statement from the Russian side was more ambiguous, saying that the two leaders had decided to “continue contacts at various levels, including in the context of preparations for a possible meeting of the two leaders.” Putin’s visit to Turkey has been on the agenda since May. Erdogan had invited Putin to one of the critical events of his presidential campaign on April 27 — the opening of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, the biggest joint Turkish-Russian investment yet. But Putin kept dragging his feet, and Erdogan, who had a health scare on the campaign trail, attended the opening via video conference rather than open it alone. “Erdogan had invited me, but we agreed that it would be better for me to go after the elections,” Putin said last week, ahead of his phone conversation with Erdogan. Turkish and international pundits maintain that the bumpy bromance between Erdogan and Putin is under strain due to a number of factors, including Ankara’s struggle for balance in Russia's war on Ukraine and Erdogan’s recent efforts to cozy up with a West that both leaders often denounce for “greed” and “hypocrisy” — and often in almost identical wording. “While Moscow reacted calmly to Ankara’s willingness to approve Sweden’s NATO accession, Turkey’s transfer of five Ukrainian commanders who had been captured by Russian forces back to Kyiv and Erdogan’s remarks in support of Ukraine’s entry into NATO sparked outrage in the Kremlin,” wrote Ruslan Suleymanov, a nonresident research fellow at the Institute for Development and Diplomacy at ADA University in Baku. After Wednesday’s phone conversation, the statements on both sides were carefully worded to accentuate the positive, such as Turkey’s thanks to Russia for sending firefighting planes to help extinguish forest fires raging along the country’s southern coast and assist the ever-growing number of Russian tourists who holiday there.

Foreign nationals evacuate Niger, as regional tensions rise
Associated Press/August 02/2023
Foreign nationals lined up outside an airport in Niger's capital Wednesday morning waiting for a third evacuation flight, while a regional bloc continued talks about its response to the coup that took place last week. French forces in the capital, Niamey, evacuated hundreds of mostly French nationals to Paris on two flights Tuesday, following concerns that their citizens and other Europeans risked becoming trapped by last week's military coup, which ousted and detained President Mohamed Bazoum. France, Italy and Spain all announced evacuations for their citizens and other Europeans. The United States has yet to announce plans for an evacuation, however some have left the with the help of the Europeans. An Italian military aircraft landed in Rome Wednesday with 99 passengers, including 21 Americans and civilians from other countries, said the Italian defense minister. The first of two French flights that landed in Paris overnight had 12 babies among 262 people aboard, most of them French but including evacuees from Niger, Portugal, Belgium, Ethiopia and Lebanon, France's Foreign Ministry said. Before sunrise Wednesday, hundreds of people lined up outside the terminal at Niamey's airport hoping to leave, after a third flight was canceled the night before. Some slept on the floor, others watched video games or talked on the phone. Some parents tried to shield their children from what was happening. "I haven't told them very much, just that they're going home," said a passenger who did not want to be named for security reasons.
"If ECOWAS (a West African regional bloc) intervenes, populations can attack ECOWAS nationals here. They've already made threats," he said. On Sunday, ECOWAS said it would use force against the junta if it didn't release and reinstate the president within a week. The announcement was immediately rejected by neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, all of which are run by mutinous soldiers who toppled their governments. Mali and Burkina Faso's leaders said a military intervention in Niger "would be tantamount to a declaration of war" against them. Niger was seen as one of the region's last democracies and a partner Western countries could work with to beat back the jihadi violence that's wracked the region. The United States, France and other European countries have poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into the country. On Tuesday, United States said its Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with President Bazoum and underscored that the U.S. rejects efforts to overturn the constitutional order, and stands with the people of Niger, ECOWAS, the African Union and international partners in support of democratic governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights. The defense chiefs of ECOWAS' 15 members will meet in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, from Wednesday to Friday to discuss next steps in resolving the crisis, the bloc said in a statement. At a virtual United Nations meeting on Tuesday night, the U.N. special envoy for West Africa and the Sahel said that efforts other than the threat of force are underway to restore democracy in Niger. "One week can be more than enough if everybody talks in good faith, if everybody wants to avoid bloodshed," said Leonardo Santos Simao. But, he added, "different member states are preparing themselves to use force if necessary." But some in the diplomatic community believe the use of force could be a real option. ECOWAS is resolved to use military force after economic and travel sanctions have failed to roll back other coups, said a Western diplomat in Niamey who did not want to be identified for security reasons. Niamey has calmed after protests supporting the junta turned violent Sunday when demonstrators attacked the French embassy and set fire to a door. But some say the mood is still tense. During Tuesday's evacuation flights at the airport, a passenger who did not want to be named for security reasons said that the Nigerien military, which was escorting an Italian military convoy into the airport, sped off with soldiers who raised their middle fingers at the passengers. That same night, the M62 Movement, an activist group that has organized pro-Russia and anti-French protests, called for residents in Niamey to mobilize and block the airport until foreign military forces leave the country. "Any evacuation of Europeans (should be) conditional on the immediate departure of foreign military forces," Mahaman Sanoussi, the national coordinator for the group, said in a statement.

Some of Niger's neighbors defend military coup
Associated Press/August 02/2023
Not everyone is hostile to the coups in Niger and other African nations in the past few years that have worried the West. In the "family photo" for last week's Russia-Africa Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood next to Ibrahim Traore, the young military officer who seized power in Burkina Faso in September. It was an uncomfortable moment for many leaders elsewhere in Africa. "The normalization and dignifying of military takeovers must trouble our great continent," Kenya's principal secretary for foreign affairs wrote while sharing the photo this week. Now Burkina Faso and another military junta-led country friendly with Russia, Mali, have taken the unusual step of declaring that foreign military intervention in neighboring Niger after last week's coup would be considered a declaration of war against them, too. They are defying the West African regional body known as ECOWAS, which said on Sunday it could use force if Niger's coup leaders don't reinstate the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, within a week. Another coup-affected nation, Guinea, in a separate statement supported Niger's junta and urged ECOWAS to "come to its senses." Their defense of the events in Niger complicates the world's response as the resolve of partners is tested. It also reflects what a United Nations study warned last month after surveying thousands of citizens of African countries that recently went through coups or other undemocratic changes of government. "A possible regional-level scenario might see the military juntas in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso team up" to challenge the region's traditional response to coups, the report said. It warned they could defy sanctions and stand for elections, with help from "new international alliances."
The report said that "paradoxically," popular support for the recent military coups in Africa is "symptomatic of a new wave of democratic aspiration that is expanding across the continent" as overwhelmingly young populations grow frustrated with existing economic and political systems and press for change more rapid than what elections can deliver. Many just want to feel secure as Islamic extremists expand their range in the Sahel, the arid region south of the Sahara Desert. "I think that a military power in Niger will better coordinate its military actions with Mali and Burkina Faso to fight terrorism," Harber Cisse, a Malian citizen living in Guinea, told The Associated Press. He believes Niger's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, had been "turning a blind eye" and allowing extremists to cross into Mali. Those with memories of past coups in the region are not necessarily shocked by the hastily assembled military announcements and unrest in the streets. The U.N. survey found optimism and excitement along with anxiety for the future, plus an impatience that has led to multiple coups within months in more than one country. The four coups in Africa in 2021 were the most in a single year in two decades.
Many people said they believed the army should take over when a civilian government is incompetent. "These findings highlight the risk of a return to an era of close military involvement in African politics," the U.N. report said.
Certain international responses to coups can be seen as an insult, especially if some foreign partners were seen as prioritizing security instead of African governments' accountability for alleged misconduct. "In some scenarios, these geopolitically driven interventions have compounded the very factors that heighten coup risk," the U.N. report said. Niger had been seen by the United States and allies as the last major counterterrorism partner in the immediate region after Mali and Burkina Faso kicked out French troops and Mali ordered a 15,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission to leave, claiming it had failed in its mission.
Post-coup economic sanctions and cuts in assistance programs threaten to worsen the living situation for many in some of the world's poorest countries, while well-off foreigners board evacuation flights to more comfortable places. To help counter the "epidemic of coups," international partners shouldn't downplay people's grievances against national authorities, and their engagement should extend beyond the security sector and "national elites," the director of the Amani Africa think tank, Solomon Dersso, wrote Monday. "There's a small number of people profiting from the riches of Niger," one coup supporter, Seydou Moussa, said in the capital, Niamey. "Nigeriens cannot live like that. It's time that change comes. And change has come." Part of the frustration in Niger and its neighbors over government weaknesses in addressing corruption and the threat from Islamic extremism has been aimed at France, the former colonizer of present-day Mali, Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso and others in west and central Africa. The French embassy was attacked in Niger shortly after the coup, and the one in Burkina Faso was attacked last year.
Some in West Africa have been upset by France's warning shortly after the coup in Niger against those threatening "French interests" in the country, seeing it as an example of the alleged priorities that have long driven outsiders' involvement, notably natural resources. Russia has played into such sentiments by framing itself to African nations as a country that never colonized the continent, winning support in Mali and other vulnerable nations for Moscow and the Russian mercenary group Wagner. The Russian flag has been seen in the streets of Niger's capital in the days after the coup, even as the Kremlin called for Niger "to restore constitutional order as soon as possible."Moscow also has emphasized its role as the top arms supplier to Africa, which Burkina Faso's military leader embraced during the Russia-Africa Summit. "Thank God, Russia is a country that refuses nothing," Traore said in an interview with the Russian media outlet Sputnik, asserting that Moscow imposes no restrictions on weapons purchases and even is ready to deliver some for free to help the fight against extremism. "In fact, everything we want to buy, Russia agrees to sell to us. This is not the case with other countries."

Tunisia’s president appoints new prime minister amid deepening crisis
Al Monitor/August 02/2023
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied dismissed on Tuesday Prime Minister Najla Bouden, the country’s first female premier, the presidency announced in a statement posted on its Facebook page. Saied immediately appointed Ahmed Hachani, a director at Tunisia's central bank, as new prime minister.
The presidency did not provide any explanation for Bouden’s dismissal. Saied has fired a number of ministers in recent months, including Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi in February. Also, no explanation was provided. The shock move comes as Tunisia faces a deepening economic and social crisis. Saied has blamed officials and the government for failing to address the country’s woes. “There are great challenges that we must raise ... to preserve our homeland, our state and civil peace,” Saied told Hachani after he was sworn in. “We will work to achieve the will of our people and the desired justice ... and to achieve national dignity,” Saied added. Hachani, who holds a Masters’ degree in law from the University of Tunis, was director of human resources at Tunisia's central bank up until his appointment on Tuesday. Saied named Bouden as his prime minister in October 2021, just a few months after he seized executive powers and dismissed the government in a power grab that was described by his opponents as a coup. Since then, Saied has taken a series of controversial measures, such as the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council in February 2022, that have fueled popular anger. Meanwhile, dozens of opposition and media figures have been arrested amid a growing crackdown against the president’s critics. Last week, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Tunis to denounce Saied’s policies. They also called for the release of political prisoners. The tense situation in the North African country is further compounded by a mounting economic crisis that has led to high inflation and shortages of basic goods. Talks on a $1.9 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been stalled since October 2022. While Bouden’s government has supported the economic reforms required by the IMF, Saied rejected the terms of the package, describing them as “diktats.” The IMF has required cuts to food and energy subsidies and a reduction of public wages, which Saied says would further fuel anger and lead to popular unrest.

UK formally recognizes genocide against Yazidis by Islamic State
Al-Monitor Staff/August 02/ 2023
The United Kingdom joined the United Nations and 17 other governments and international bodies today in formally acknowledging that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people by the Islamic State in 2014.  The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Tariq Ahmad, announced the decision ahead of the Aug. 3 anniversary marking the jihadis’ killing spree that claimed the lives of at least 7,000 Yazidis, mostly men and boys, as they captured large swathes of Iraq and Syria and declared their now dismantled caliphate. Ahmad said the United Kingdom would “continue to play a leading role in eradicating [the Islamic State], including through rebuilding communities affected by its terrorism and leading global efforts against its poisonous propaganda.” Alongside France, the United Kingdom is among the most active members of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State. It is among a handful of coalition members that has troops on the ground in northeast Syria as part of ongoing efforts to degrade and destroy IS remnants. However, it has been sharply criticized for refusing to repatriate UK nationals who joined the jihadis and are currently held in overcrowded and underfunded prisons and internment camps in northeast Syria and most controversially for stripping Shamima Begum, an IS bride, of her UK citizenship. The UK government’s decision to recognize the mass butchering of the Yazidis as a genocide followed the Nov. 31 ruling by a German Federal Court of Justice, which found a former Islamic State fighter guilty of acts of genocide and crimes against humanity. “The UK’s position has always been that determinations of genocide should be made by competent courts, rather than by governments or non-judicial bodies,” the government statement read. Germany, more than any other state, has worked to help the Yazidis, welcoming more than a thousand women and children abducted and sexually abused by IS and prosecuting and convicting those involved in war crimes against them. Yazidi community leaders are cautiously optimistic that the growing number of foreign countries formally acknowledging the genocide will add pressure on Iraq’s federal government to disburse billions of dollars earmarked for rebuilding their shattered lives and towns.

Struggling Mideast countries fear food price inflation after Russia exits grain deal
Associated Press/August 02, 2023
Ahmed Salah grew anxious when he heard the news that Russia had suspended a crucial wartime grain deal. The bakery owner in Egypt's capital is concerned it could mean global food prices soar. "There mightn't be immediate impact," the 52-year-old said last week as he oversaw workers baking bread in his shop in Cairo, "but if they didn't find a solution soonest, things would be very difficult."Russia pulled out of the deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey to allow Ukraine's grain to flow during a global food crisis. It helped stabilize food prices that soared last year after Russia invaded Ukraine — two countries that are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food to developing nations. Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, and other lower-income Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon and Pakistan worry about what comes next. Struggling with economic woes that have driven more people into poverty, they fear rising food prices could create even more pain for households, businesses and government bottom lines. Many have diversified their sources of wheat, the main ingredient for flatbread that is a staple of diets in many Mideast countries, and don't expect shortages. Pakistan has even seen a bumper crop despite unprecedented flooding last year. But the end of the grain deal is creating uncertainty about price hikes, a major driver of hunger. It "is an unnecessary shock for the 345 million acutely food insecure people around the world," said Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s World Food Program. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Wednesday that he is pushing to extend the grain deal because the long-term cutoff of Ukrainian ports "does not benefit anyone" and low-income countries "will suffer the most," according to a statement from Erdogan's office. Russia, meanwhile, is launching attacks on Ukrainian ports and agricultural infrastructure, leading global wheat prices to zigzag. Despite the volatility, the costs are below what they were before Russia invaded Ukraine, and there is enough production to meet worldwide demand, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
But for low-income countries like war-torn Yemen or Lebanon that are big wheat importers, finding suppliers that are farther away will add costs, he said. Plus, their currencies have weakened against the U.S. dollar, which is used to buy grain on world markets. "It's one reason why you see food price inflation lingering in a lot of countries — because even though world prices I mentioned are at prewar levels, that's in dollars. And if you put it in, say, the Egyptian pound, you'll see that Egypt wheat prices are actually up," said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "They're certainly as high as they were during the high points of 2022," he said. That packs pressure on governments, which will have to pay more to keep subsidizing bread at the same level and avoid raising costs for households, he said. With many also seeing their foreign currency reserves dwindle, it could put countries in the Middle East and elsewhere in a more precarious financial situation. Salah, the bakery owner, fears that if wheat prices spike, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's government could respond by hiking prices of bread. "Such move would have heavy toll on ordinary people," he said.
El-Sissi and other leaders raised concerns about higher food prices at a summit Russia hosted for African nations last week. He called for reviving the Black Sea deal through a "consensual solution" that takes into consideration "all parties' demands and interests and put an end to the continued surge in grain prices."
Homegrown grain doesn't meet even half of Egypt's demand, particularly wheat and corn. It buys over 10 million tons of wheat — mostly from Russia and Ukraine — and that is expected to grow. Local wheat production is expected to remain at 9.8 million tons, while consumption increases by 2% to 20.5 million tons in 2023-2024, according to a USDA report from April. However, the government said the impact of the end of the grain deal is minimal so far. Supply Minister Ali Moselhi said last week that Egypt has diversified its sources of imported wheat and that its stockpile would cover the country's needs for five months. Its wheat purchases from Ukraine have declined by 73.6% over the 2021-2022 period as Egypt tapped other sources, the USDA said. Any increase in wheat prices would further strain Egypt's economy, which has struggled from decades of mismanagement and outside shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine. That could force the government to cut nonsubsidy spending and push up inflation, Capital Economics said. Food costs already are fueling a cost-of-living crisis. Annual inflation hit a record 36.8% in June, with food prices skyrocketing by 64.9%. Pakistan, meanwhile, is a bright spot. It was a major importer of Ukrainian wheat but this year had the highest domestic production in a decade despite disastrous flooding in 2022. The bumper crop is attributed to providing seed and other aid to farmers. The government still calls for restoration of the grain deal to ensure global food security and avoid surging prices. Pakistan, whose ailing economy is getting a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout, was hit hard when food prices surged after Russia's invasion. "The Ukraine conflict has also brought difficulties for developing countries and the Global South, particularly in terms of fuel, food and fertilizer shortages. Pakistan is no exception," Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 02-03/2023
Which Are the Real Racist States?
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/August 02, 2023
In some political circles in the West, there is a popular tendency to consider Israel a "racist " or "apartheid" country.
Israel does indeed have a sizable Arab community... who enjoy rights and liberties that for most other minorities in other countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia are still only a dream.
Unlike many other countries, especially in the area, Israel recognizes and respects the rights of all of these minorities. You are welcome to go to Israel and see for yourself. Most critics of Israel, however, would probably prefer not to be "confused by the facts."
[Congresswoman Pramila] Jayapal, unfortunately, is also totally wrong about Palestinian Arabs' not having a right to self-determination.... Some territory, according to the Oslo Accords, is still waiting to be negotiated, but for several years, the Palestinian leadership has seemed uninclined to come to the table. Israel has offered the Palestinians statehood—not just once, but on at least six separate occasions.... Each time, the Palestinian leadership has rejected all offers -- perhaps because they were only for 97% and not 100% of everything demanded; perhaps out of fear of seeming a traitor; perhaps because there might be a greater preference for a "cause" than for a solution, unless the solution entails the elimination of Israel. Perhaps, also, there is the hope that the international community will simply hand the Palestinians a state, without the need for them to give anything on their end, or perhaps there is just a strong aversion to signing an "end of conflict" resolution. In any event, each time there was an offer, the Palestinians not only rejected it, but did not even propose a counteroffer.
Muslim Arabs in Israel hold senior positions in all walks of life: senior posts in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset); the medical profession; private industry, various government posts, and on the supreme court. There is also no legal obstacle for Israeli Arabs who wish to join the military or the police.
What about the rights of minorities of other nations in the region?
In Lebanon, Palestinian refugees , according to UNRWA, "are socially marginalized, have very limited civil, social, political, and economic rights, including restricted access to the Government of Lebanon's public health, educational and social services and face significant restrictions on their right to work and right to own property." UNRWA also reports that the Palestinians are still prevented from employment in 39 professions such as medicine, law, and engineering.
In Turkey, the Civil Servants Law of 1926 has made it virtually impossible for Christians and Jews to work as civil servants at state institutions. Consequently, thousands of non-Muslims lost their jobs. The law required that civil servants had to be "Turkish" – meaning that the government saw its non-Muslim citizens as "non-Turkish".... As human-rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz noted, "Not even one single non-Muslim army officer, policeman or judge exists in Turkey. Non-Muslims are absent not only from the security and judiciary establishment but from the public sector altogether.
Turkey, a NATO member... appears perfectly comfortable -- as does the rest of the international community –with its hostile 1974 invasion of Cyprus , where the Turks still occupy the north of the island and might be eyeing the south.
Perhaps, if Jayapal genuinely wants to help suffering people, she might focus on the more than 360 million Christians around the world who are being murdered and persecuted on a daily basis.
In Nigeria, "'Schools, clinics, churches, markets etc, have all been destroyed in some areas. Since 2014, when I became bishop, I have lost territory to the Islamic militants masquerading as herdsmen." — Winfred Anagbe of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Benue State, Nigeria, testimony to a U.S. congressional subcommittee, The Christian Post, July 19, 2023
The Palestinian Authority's persecution of Christians also merits urgent attention. "The ongoing international neglect of the plight of the Christians under PA rule," notes Dr. Edy Cohen, "could lead to the disappearance of Christianity in the place where it emerged." — BESA Center, May 17, 2019.
"While ordinary Christians are saying they no longer feel safe living under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, their leaders continue to lie to the world about the predicament of their community. Instead of raising their voices against the persecution of Christians by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, these Christian leaders are busy trying to blame Israel.
"These Christian leaders, possibly to avoid being targeted themselves, seem to want the world to believe that Christians are fleeing Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip because of Israeli security measures against terrorists, and not because of the brutalities perpetrated by the Palestinian authorities and Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If that were true, why aren't Muslims also fleeing as a result of the purported Israeli measures?" — Ramzy Baroud, Counterpunch, October 31, 2019.
"As an Arab pastor, I would prefer to live in Israel. The freedom we have in Israel we don't have in the best Arab countries. We can practice our belief without persecution. And if there is persecution, we can call the police and they will protect us." — Pastor Saleem Shalash from the Home of the Jesus King Church in Nazareth, Fox News, January 18, 2023.
In Iraq, the indigenous Yazidi community are still struggling to return to their native Sinjar region following the 2014 genocide by ISIS (Islamic State).
The flight of Jews from Arab countries and Iran is another case of ethnic cleansing that is meticulously ignored.... "Once upon a time, the Middle East was full of Jews.... Algeria had 140,000 Jews. Algeria, where are your Jews? Algeria had 140,000 Jews. Algeria, where are your Jews??... Iraq, you had over 135,000 Jews. Where are your Jews?" — Hillel Neuer, Director of UN Watch, United Nations, March 21, 2017.
Pakistan is yet another country where the indigenous minorities of Hindus and Christians suffer from exorbitant racism and discrimination.... "Approximately 1000 Hindu and Christian girls in Pakistan are abducted and converted to Islam annually. These girls, stolen from their family, are often forced to marry men twice their age, raped, sold into human trafficking rings, or forced into prostitution. Some Islamic seminaries teach that forcibly converting Hindu girls is equivalent to Haj-e-Akbari, or the greatest religious duty for a Muslim." – Human Rights Watch, Pakistan, Events of 2018
There are many other countries - such as Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Sudan, Indonesia and Ireland -- that could be named, but no discussion of racism can be complete without mentioning:
The Chinese Communist Party. It is not exactly a secret that China has effectively wiped out Tibet and is currently torturing and enslaving Turkic Muslim Uighurs based in Xinjiang, in "modern day slavery," according to a British tribunal, to the point of genocide....
The CCP is reportedly also in the process of gene-splicing to develop a lethal virus for biowarfare to kill people whose DNA is not Chinese while sparing people whose DNA is Chinese (here and here). It would be hard to think of an activity more racist than that.
Israel, of course, like any country, has imperfections, but on the whole, it is a remarkably open and tolerant state that actually tries its best, while under unremitting diplomatic, military and terrorist attacks, to assure the human rights of all its citizens, regardless of religion or race. Parroting false propaganda about Israel being "racist" or "apartheid" does not create better lives for the Palestinians. Why not instead try to encourage freedom of speech, equal justice under the law, or modernizing the economy?
What sort of racism is it to be obsessed only with Israel, where the populations of minorities are vigilantly rising and protected, when, in so many other nations, minorities are systematically murdered, tortured and discriminated against, with no State protection whatsoever?
In some political circles in the West, there is a popular tendency to consider Israel a "racist " or "apartheid" country.
"I want you to know," Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who heads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, recently said during an appearance at the Netroots Nation Conference in Chicago, "that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy, that the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us, that it does not even feel possible."
Jayapal's statement is so far from reality that it makes one wonder if those who have similar thoughts live in a world totally detached from reality. Jayapal's statement is, sadly, filled with falsehoods and smears. Israel does indeed have a sizable Arab community – roughly two million, or 20% of the population -- who enjoy rights and liberties that for most other minorities in other countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia are still only a dream.
In addition to Muslim Arabs, Israel is home to other minorities, including Christians, Circassians, Baha'i and Druze. Unlike many other countries, especially in the area, Israel recognizes and respects the rights of all of these minorities. You are welcome to go to Israel and see for yourself. Most critics of Israel, however, would probably prefer not to be "confused by the facts."
Jayapal, unfortunately, is also totally wrong about Palestinian Arabs' not having a right to self-determination. They have full autonomy in the West Bank near Jordan and the Gaza Strip near Egypt. Some territory, according to the Oslo Accords, is still waiting to be negotiated, but for several years, the Palestinian leadership has seemed uninclined to come to the table. Israel has offered the Palestinians statehood—not just once, but on at least six separate occasions -- most recently, the "Peace to Prosperity" plan outlined by the Trump administration.
Each time, the Palestinian leadership has rejected all offers -- perhaps because they were only for 97% and not 100% of everything demanded; perhaps out of fear of seeming a traitor; perhaps because there might be a greater preference for a "cause" than for a solution, unless the solution entails the elimination of Israel. Perhaps, also, there was -- and is -- the hope that the international community will simply hand the Palestinians a state, without the need for them to give anything on their end; or perhaps there is just a strong aversion to signing an "end of conflict" resolution. In any event, each time there was an offer, the Palestinians not only rejected it, but did not even propose a counteroffer.
Muslim Arabs in Israel hold senior positions in all walks of life: senior posts in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset); the medical profession; private industry, various government posts, and on the Supreme Court. There is also no legal obstacle for Israeli Arabs who wish to join the military or the police.
What about the rights of minorities of other nations in the region?
In Lebanon, Palestinians, according to UNRWA, "are socially marginalized, have very limited civil, social, political, and economic rights, including restricted access to the Government of Lebanon's public health, educational and social services and face significant restrictions on their right to work and right to own property." UNRWA also reports that Palestinians are still prevented from employment in 39 professions such as medicine, law, and engineering.
"Palestinian refugees have been forced into abject poverty by the Lebanese government's denial of their rights to remunerated employment, social security, public health care, public education and property ownership.... The Palestinian refugees are not asking for citizenship; they are simply asking to be afforded the rights given to other refugees around the world," noted The Palestine-Israel Journal in 2008.
In Turkey, the Civil Servants Law of 1926 has made it virtually impossible for Christians and Jews to work as civil servants at state institutions. Consequently, thousands of non-Muslims lost their jobs. The law required that civil servants had to be "Turkish" – meaning that the government saw its non-Muslim citizens as "non-Turkish." The condition of being "Turkish" was changed to "Turkish citizen" in 1965, but the 1926 law has continued unchanged. As human-rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz noted, "Not even one single non-Muslim army officer, policeman or judge exists in Turkey. Non-Muslims are absent not only from the security and judiciary establishment but from the public sector altogether.
Today, only around 0.1 percent of Turkey's population is made up of Christians or Jews. Yet these dying minorities are still exposed to pressures and rights abuses. The Assyrian community is still struggling to open its first primary school in Istanbul, with no support from the government. The first private Kurdish-language primary school, which was inaugurated in 2014, for instance, was closed down by the ministry of national education in 2016. Turkey also refuses to resolve the Kurdish issue through democratic means and instead violently silences, arrests and even kills its own Kurdish citizens that request equal rights. Turkey, a NATO member, still aggressively denies the genocide it committed against Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks from 1913 to 1923, and appears perfectly comfortable -- as does the rest of the international community –with its hostile 1974 invasion of Cyprus , where the Turks still occupy the north of the island and might be eyeing the south.
Perhaps, if Jayapal genuinely wants to help suffering people, she might focus on the more than 360 million Christians around the world who are being murdered and persecuted on a daily basis.
In Nigeria, for instance, according to Open Doors:
"Christians in Nigeria suffer persecution from an ingrained agenda of enforced Islamisation, which is particularly prevalent in the north of the country and has gradually been spreading south.
"Since the northern states declared allegiance to Sharia (Islamic law) in 1999, this enforced Islamisation has gained momentum, by violent and non-violent means. Attacks by Islamic militant groups have increased consistently since 2015... The violence is most pervasive in the north, where militant groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP and Fulani militants inflict murder, physical injury, abduction and sexual violence on their victims. Christians are dispossessed of their land and their means of livelihood. Many live as internally displaced people or refugees.
"In the Sharia states of northern Nigeria, Christians face discrimination and exclusion as second-class citizens...
"The raids on Christian communities, and other forms of violence, lead to large numbers of Christians (and other Nigerians) being forced to live in camps for internally displaced people. Women and children are particularly vulnerable in these camps. Children suffer health issues, and women and girls are vulnerable to human trafficking."
In recent testimony to a U.S. congressional subcommittee, Bishop Winfred Anagbe of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Benue State, Nigeria, decried a "conspiracy of silence" from his government and the international community in response to what he says is genocidal violence targeting Christian communities in the African nation.
"For a long time, attacks by Islamic militants have not only killed thousands but have also displaced millions who now take refuge in camps scattered across the State," he explained in his written testimony. The Christian Post reported on July 19, 2023
'Schools, clinics, churches, markets etc, have all been destroyed in some areas. Since 2014, when I became bishop, I have lost territory to the Islamic militants masquerading as herdsmen. I have had to close 14 parishes because of the danger,' he added.
Anagbe also detailed how Benue state has been greatly impacted by mass killings that have led to "displacement and occupation of lands" since 2009.
But since 2014, he and other bishops in Benue have 'lost parishioners on an almost daily basis.'
'[T]he killings of people, even pregnant women and children, and the occupation of their lands to cause the cessation of all economic activities mirrors the pattern of Jihadi elements like the Boko Haram in other parts of Nigeria,' Anagbe stated.
The Palestinian Authority's persecution of Christians also merits urgent attention. "The ongoing international neglect of the plight of the Christians under PA rule," notes Dr. Edy Cohen, "could lead to the disappearance of Christianity in the place where it emerged."
The Christian population in the Bethlehem area "has dropped from 86% in 1950 to less than 12% today. Across the West Bank, Christians now account for less than 2% of the population...."
While ordinary Christians are saying they no longer feel safe living under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, their leaders continue to lie to the world about the predicament of their community. Instead of raising their voices against the persecution of Christians by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, these Christian leaders are busy trying to blame Israel.
These Christian leaders, possibly to avoid being targeted themselves, seem to want the world to believe that Christians are fleeing Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip because of Israeli security measures against terrorists, and not because of the brutalities perpetrated by the Palestinian authorities and Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
If that were true, why aren't Muslims also fleeing as a result of the purported Israeli measures?
Ironically, Israel is home to the only Christian community in the Middle East that has grown in the last 75 years. While the number of Christians in the region has been dwindlng, the population of Israeli Christians actually grew by 2%. "In Israel," said Pastor Petra Heldt, a leading Christian scholar who has lived there for 40 years, "the Christian number is stable because there is freedom of religion. This is not true of Muslim-majority countries in the region."
"As an Arab pastor," said Pastor Saleem Shalash from the Home of the Jesus King Church in Nazareth, "I would prefer to live in Israel. The freedom we have in Israel we don't have in the best Arab countries. We can practice our belief without persecution. And if there is persecution, we can call the police and they will protect us."
In Iraq, the indigenous Yazidi community are still struggling to return to their native Sinjar region following the 2014 genocide by ISIS (Islamic State). According to the Free Yezidi Organization, around 2,700 Yazidis are still missing after being kidnapped by ISIS, at least 83 Yazidi mass graves are awaiting to be unearthed in Iraq, and around 180,000 displaced Yazidis still live in 15 internally displaced camps in the Kurdistan region there.
In addition, in 2022, the top Iraqi court revoked Yazidi parliamentary representation. The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court issued a verdict declaring the parliamentary representation of Yazidis and two other minority communities (Shabaks and Feyli Kurds) "unconstitutional": minorities lost their quota seats and had to compete within other quotas.
The flight of Jews from Arab countries and Iran is another case of ethnic cleansing that is meticulously ignored.
Until the 1960s, approximately one million Jews lived in Iran and Arab countries, a region where the Jews had arrived roughly 3,000 years earlier. The majority of the Jewish populations in those Muslim countries were forced to flee their homes in the years after the establishment of the State of Israel. However, none of those governments that are responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Jewish people have apologized for this mass expulsion.
Executive Director of UN Watch Hillel Neuer, in his speech at UN in 2017, said:
Israel's 1.5 million Arabs, whatever challenges they face, enjoy full rights to vote and to be elected in the Knesset [Israeli parliament], they work as doctors and lawyers, they serve on the Supreme Court.
Now I'd like to ask the members of that commission, that commissioned that report, the Arab states from which we just heard. Egypt, Iraq, and the others:
How many Jews live in your countries? How many Jews live in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco? Once upon a time, the Middle East was full of Jews.
Algeria had 140,000 Jews. Algeria, where are your Jews?
Egypt used to have 75,000 Jews. Where are your Jews?
Syria, you had tens of thousands of Jews. Where are your Jews?
Iraq, you had over 135,000 Jews. Where are your Jews?
A similar question could be asked regarding all religious and ethnic minorities in countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia: Where are your minorities? And how have those indigenous communities turned into dying minorities under your rule?
Pakistan is yet another country where the indigenous minorities of Hindus and Christians suffer from exorbitant racism and discrimination.
The Hindu American Foundation notes:
Abduction and forced conversion of Hindu girls is rampant.
Approximately 1000 Hindu and Christian girls in Pakistan are abducted and converted to Islam annually. These girls, stolen from their family, are often forced to marry men twice their age, raped, sold into human trafficking rings, or forced into prostitution. Some Islamic seminaries teach that forcibly converting Hindu girls is equivalent to Haj-e-Akbari, or the greatest religious duty for a Muslim.
Minorities live as second-class citizens due to discriminatory laws.
The laws of Pakistan often contradict each other and lead to unequal treatment of religious minorities.
For example, the Pakistan constitution theoretically guarantees religious freedom to all of its citizens under Articles 20-22. However, Islamic law introduced in 1977 imposes regulations and constitutional injunctions that deny equal protection and religious freedom to non-Muslims. Additionally, the Pakistani Constitution states that only a Muslim can be the president of the country and that all high officers must take the oath of office by invoking an Islamic prayer, regardless of their religion.
Ancient temples are disappearing and new ones are under attack.
[S]ince the country's partition in 1947...[t]here have been numerous attacks on temples, pilgrimage sites, religious sites, and religious leaders and the government does little to stop the attacks or protect the sacred places and people.
There are many other countries - such as Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Sudan, Indonesia and Ireland -- that could be named, but no discussion of racism can be complete without mentioning:
The Chinese Communist Party. It is not exactly a secret that China has effectively wiped out Tibet and is currently torturing and enslaving Turkic Muslim Uighurs based in Xinjiang, in "modern day slavery," according to a British tribunal, to the point of genocide – and targeting its citizens by using AI.
The CCP is reportedly also in the process of gene-splicing to develop a lethal virus for biowarfare to kill people whose DNA is not Chinese while sparing people whose DNA is Chinese (here and here). It would be hard to think of an activity more racist than that.
When millions of people are systematically exposed to severe human rights abuses daily across the world for their religion, ethnicity, race, language, political views, or other factors, why are some activists obsessed only with Israel, where minorities do have rights and freedoms that are non-existent in other countries in the region?
What is it that makes them falsely call Israel "apartheid" but completely turn a blind eye to the ongoing genocide of Christians in Nigeria, the slavery of Uighurs by the Chinese Communist Party, the illegal invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, or the kidnapping and forced conversions of Hindu children in Pakistan, not to mention other human rights violations?
Israel, of course, like any country, has imperfections, but on the whole it is a remarkably open and tolerant state that actually tries its best, while under unremitting diplomatic, military and terrorist attacks, to assure the human rights of all its citizens, regardless of religion or race. Parroting false propaganda about Israel being "racist" or "apartheid" does not create better lives for the Palestinians. Why not instead try to encourage freedom of speech or modernizing its economy?
What sort of racism is it to be obsessed only with Israel, where the populations of minorities are vigilantly rising and protected, when, in so many other nations, minorities are systematically murdered, tortured and discriminated against, with no State protection whatsoever?
**Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, a research fellow for the Philos Project, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Islam’s Sexual Fantasies of European Women Come True?
Raymond Ibrahim/August 02/ 2023
It seems that the sexually lurid fantasies of Tarek bin Zayid, a renowned jihadist who spearheaded the conquest of Spain in the eighth century, have finally been fulfilled.
When he and thousands of other North African Muslim marauders first landed on the southernmost tip of Spain in A.D. 711 in search of booty and plunder, Tarek sought to further entice the men by citing the women of Spain—who were supposedly waiting to welcome the Muslims with open arms. They “are awaiting your arrival,” Tarek insisted, “reclining on soft couches in the sumptuous palaces of crowned lords and princes.”
These European women were, moreover, “as beautiful as houris,” said the jihadist leader. (In Islam, houris are supernatural sex-slaves—“big-bosomed” and “wide-eyed” says the Koran (56:22, 78:33)—created for the express purpose of pleasuring Allah’s favorites in perpetuity.)
Of course, the only things to greet the Muslim invaders were Christian swords. Eventually, however, the Muslims conquered Spain, and women “as beautiful as houris” they got—but only by force, enslavement, and rape.
After subjugating and utterly plundering Spain of its wealth, in 715, Tarek and his overlord, Musa, traveled to Damascus to submit vast treasures in tribute—including 30,000 Spanish slaves—to Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid. He, according to al-Maqqari the historian, was so utterly delighted by “the resources of all the people of Spain,” especially, “its riches and the beauty of its young girls.”
Thereafter, and because the “Umayyads particularly valued blond or red-haired Franc or Galician women as sexual slaves,” writes historian Dario Fernandez-Morera, “al-Andalus [Muslim-controlled Spain] became a center for the trade and distribution of slaves [The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise, p. 159].” Christian subjects were sometimes even required to make an annual tribute, “not of money, or horses, or arms, but of a hundred damsels (all to be distinguished for beauty) to ornament the harems [Spain and Portugal, Mercer, p. 132].”
In all cases, however, Spain’s women, far from being found “reclining on soft couches,” as Tarek had said, “awaiting” with open arms the North African invaders, were actually taken by force and enslavement—dragged by their hair screaming. Today, however, it would seem that Tarek’s prophecy was not false but rather premature—finding fulfillment only now.
According to a July 11, 2023 German language report,
The almost 500,000 illegal migrants who are waiting in Libya for their onward journey to Europe are already arriving in droves at the holiday beaches of the Mediterranean. Videos from Italy and now Spain show dinghies reaching the beach and migrants running to the mainland, cheering.
A particularly bizarre scene that is probably unique to the western decline took place in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park in southern Spain [which is geographically very near where Tarek and the first Muslims landed in 711]. Another boatload of illegal immigrants of working age (all men) landed on the beach there over the weekend.
But instead of the police or the military greeting the migrants, they were actually received by topless women and thong bikinis. They even helped them out of the boat. In these scenes, Orientals and Africans must actually think they have landed in the promised land, where milk and honey are flowing and the unbelieving women are willingly waiting for them.
Indeed, the brief video shows a bunch of European women—some topless, all scantily clad if not nearly naked—rushing to greet and help this latest crop of Muslim invaders—the long promised houris!
Not only do such “scenes” confirm to Muslims that they have finally reached the “promised land,” where all manner of goods—including beautiful infidel women—await them; it confirms another ancient Muslim conviction: that European women are “just there for sex,” as a group of Muslim refugees once told a German woman before reaching into her blouse and groping her.
Whatever the motivation of those women on the Spanish beach may have been—perhaps just to help—make no mistake: to the male Muslim mentality, naked and near-naked European women rushing to them is understood in only one way. To quote a Muslim cabbie: “All Australian women are sluts and deserve to be raped.” Or, as another Muslim man explained to a British woman why he was raping her: “you white women are good at it.” (For more on this motif, which has influenced Muslim perceptions of European women, past and present, click here.)
At any rate, such are the signs of the times: for centuries, Europe—often spearheaded by Spain, home of the Reconquista—fought off one Muslim invasion after another; today, however, even more Muslims are illegally flooding into Europe—many thousands to Spain alone, where they have engaged in countless criminal acts, including rape (examples here, here, and here)—but the only thing to greet them upon arrival are eager to help women in the nude.
Who can honestly blame Muslims for their onetime warped, but increasingly confirmed, views of the West?
Note: All quotes in this article, and the story of the Muslim conquest—and Christian reconquest—of Spain are documented in Raymond Ibrahim’s book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam.