Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 30-December 01/2023
I'm alive, says pope after flu scuppers COP 28 plans
House passes resolution to block Iran's access to $6 billion from prisoner swap
Le Drian Urges the Lebanese to Elect a President
Israeli Army Intercepts Target from Lebanon, Israel Says
US expresses concern about further spread of Gaza conflict to Lebanon
Le Drian resumes meetings in Lebanon over presidential file
Report: Le Drian urges pressing Hezbollah on 1701 as Israel seeks 'buffer zone'
Israel says downed 'suspicious target' that crossed from Lebanon
Berri rejects any modification of Resolution 1701
Govt. approves $10 million for southerners affected by Israeli shelling
Sami Gemayel urges Hezbollah to prioritize Lebanon's interests over candidate disputes
Geagea: Ministers should be pay south compensations from their own pockets
Port of Sidon welcomes first-ever wheat shipment of over 5000 tons, marking inaugural step for future arrivals
When Authorities are Reassured By the Maintenance of 'Rules of Engagement'/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 30-December 01/2023
More Israeli hostages released in extended Gaza truce
10 Things to Know About Hamas and Turkey
Three dead after Hamas gunmen open fire at Jerusalem bus stop
Blinken tells Netanyahu 'imperative' to protect Gaza civilians
Hamas claims responsibility for Jerusalem shooting that killed 3
Israel, Hamas extend Gaza truce by one day in last-minute deal
Global leaders pay tribute to Henry Kissinger, but his record also draws criticism
Khamenei: Al-Aqsa Flood Operation Aims to ‘Eradicate America’
Israel Shoots Down Two Palestinians in Jerusalem
Israel gunned down two Palestinians on Thursday after claims the two had opened fire at a bus stop killing at least three.
Blinken Wants Gazans' Safety Assured Before Israel Resumes Attacks
Israel's mosaic of Jewish ethnic groups is key to understanding the country
Israel’s Herzog meets UAE counterpart to push for hostage release
Jordan’s king calls on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza
Wartime Israel shows little tolerance for Palestinian dissent

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 30-December 01/2023
Hamas Also Slaughters Muslims/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./November 30, 2023
Terrorist Use Of Crowdfunding/Nicki Kenyon and Josh Birenbaum/Memo/November 30, 2023
France: Jihad on the Church’s Eldest Daughter/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/November 30, 2023
Europe at risk due to its two-tiered defense hierarchy/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/November 30, 2023
HomeAction must be taken to address Middle East’s record drought/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/November 30, 2023
The Hamas-Iran Relationship/Washington Institute/Matthew Levitt/The Washington Institute/November 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 30-December 01/2023
I'm alive, says pope after flu scuppers COP 28 plans
AFP/ Pope Francis joked on Thursday that he was still alive, after cancelling a trip to United Nations climate talks in Dubai due to the flu, saying doctors were worried about the heat there. "As you can see, I am alive," the 86-year-old pontiff told an audience at the Vatican, according to an official transcript. "The doctor didn't let me go to Dubai because it's very hot there and you go from the heat to air conditioning. And when you have bronchitis...""I thank God it wasn't pneumonia. It's very acute infectious bronchitis," the Argentine pope said in Spanish. Francis, who had part of a lung removed when he was younger, on Tuesday cancelled his trip to the COP28 climate summit, which he had planned to attend from Friday to Sunday following advice from his doctors. The Vatican said he was on antibiotics for a lung inflammation that has caused him breathing difficulties but added in an update on Wednesday that he did not have a fever. Francis, who has made protecting the environment a cornerstone of his 10-year papacy, had hoped to become the first pontiff to attend the UN event since the process began in 1995. Instead, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will lead the Holy See's team at the climate talks, which began on Thursday.

House passes resolution to block Iran's access to $6 billion from prisoner swap
WASHINGTON (AP)/November 30, 2023
The House passed a bipartisan measure Thursday that would block Iran from ever accessing the $6 billion recently transferred by the U.S. in a prisoner swap, a step Republicans pushed in response to the nation's alleged role in the deadly attacks last month by Hamas on Israel.
The measure — titled the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act — passed 307-119 as Republicans sought to hold the Biden administration accountable for what they call their complicity in funding Iranian-backed terrorism in the Middle East.
“With such instability in the region, the last thing we need to do is to give access to $6 billion to be diverted to more Iranian-sponsored terrorism,” Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a debate. U.S. officials have rebuffed this criticism, noting that not a single dollar has yet to be made available to Iran and insisting that when it is, it can only be used for humanitarian needs. Republican critics like McCaul say that despite the money being restricted to aid, it is fungible, and could free up other funds for Tehran to provide support to Hamas like they believe it did before it attacked Israel in early October. The U.S. and Iran reached the tentative agreement in August that eventually saw the release of five detained Americans in Tehran and an unknown number of Iranians imprisoned in the U.S. after billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets were transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar. But days after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, the U.S. and Qatar agreed that Iran would not be able to access the money in the meantime, with officials stopping short of a full refreezing of the funds. The GOP-backed resolution, which now goes to the Senate where it is unlikely to be supported by the Democratic majority, would impose new sanctions on the funds to prevent the transfer of any monies to Iran. It also threatens to sanction any government or individual involved in processing the transfer of the funds. Several Democrats who opposed the measure defended the Biden administration's decision to transfer the money in exchange for American hostages, especially in light of the American hostages now being kept by Hamas in Gaza. “Iran, of course, as Hamas, is a murderous and corrupt regime. They’re not pleasant. And this isn’t easy,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during the floor debate. “But thanks to this agreement, five American families are now home again.” He added, “And Iran has lost the leverage of holding these American hostages.”
The complex deal between Washington and Tehran came together over the summer after months of indirect negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials. But the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas has inflamed criticism of the deal as Iran has historically maintained strong ties with both Hamas and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. High-ranking U.S. officials have sought to defend the decision to negotiate with Iran despite its track record of supporting terrorism against the U.S. and its allies. But officials have also conceded that Iran's influence over the various militant groups is undeniable. “Hamas wouldn’t be around in the way that it is without the support that it’s received from Iran over the years,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during interviews after the attack. But he acknowledged that “we have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack.”

Le Drian Urges the Lebanese to Elect a President
Beirut: Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian has held meetings with Lebanese politicians during his fourth tour to the country despite not having any new initiative to resolve Lebanon’s political crisis. He started his round of meetings on Wednesday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to whom he reiterated the position of the Quintet Committee on Lebanon, which calls on the Lebanese to unify their stance and accelerate the election of a president. During his meeting with the Army commander, General Joseph Aoun, Le Drian praised the army for dealing with the challenges facing the country, stressing France’s support for the military institution. Aoun, for his part, expressed appreciation to Paris’ continued assistance, pointing to the recent French delivery of medical supplies. While the French envoy did not make any statement after his meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that he reiterated the importance of electing a president and ending the presidential vacuum, without mentioning any particular candidates. However, Le Drian stressed the need for reaching a consensus, which the opposition saw as a renewed call to go for a third option, away from the current candidate of Hezbollah, the head of Al-Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, and the opposition candidate, former minister Jihad Azour. While the French official warned of the vacuum extending to the army leadership, especially at this stage, he renewed the possibility of working to hold a consultative meeting that would include the different Lebanese components. The sources added that Le Drian emphasized that the continued failure to elect a president would negatively affect Lebanon, especially in light of the regional developments and the post-Gaza stage. Following his talks with the French envoy, the head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, said: “Le Drian confirmed the presence of a serious danger to Lebanon and considered that the government must shoulder its responsibilities, implement Resolution 1701, withdraw the militias from the South, and go to a third option in the presidential file.”The French official’s visit to Beirut comes hours after Mikati received a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron warning of the extension of the conflict to Lebanon, which he said would have dire consequences for the country and the people. The French president added: “During our discussions, I emphasized to the Israeli Prime Minister the interest we have in your country and expressed my concerns about the risks of escalation and the extension of the conflict to Lebanon.”

Israeli Army Intercepts Target from Lebanon, Israel Says
Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
The Israeli military said it intercepted an "aerial target" that crossed from Lebanon on Thursday, in an incident that jolted the calm prevailing at the frontier since the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel agreed a temporary truce. Reuters witnesses heard blasts along the southeastern Lebanese frontier. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for any attacks from Lebanon. Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, had been trading fire across the border for weeks following the eruption of the Hamas-Israel war on Oct. 7, in their worst fighting since a 2006 war. Other groups, including Hamas and the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, also launched attacks from Lebanon against Israel during the conflict. The Israeli army said on Thursday it had "successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory". A spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) told Reuters a launch was detected from Lebanon towards Israel, followed by Israeli retaliation. Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their ceasefire for a seventh day, and Washington said it hoped the truce could be extended further to free more hostages and let aid reach Gaza.

US expresses concern about further spread of Gaza conflict to Lebanon
Arab News/November 30, 2023
BEIRUT: The US Embassy in Lebanon said on Thursday that the administration in Washington is concerned about “the possibility of a further spillover” of the conflict in Gaza. A message posted by the embassy’s official account on social media platform X said the US “does not want to see conflict in Lebanon, where escalation would have grave implications for regional peace and security and for the well-being of the Lebanese people.”It also stressed that “restoring calm along the Israel-Lebanon border is of utmost importance, and fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is a key component of this effort.” Resolution 1701 was adopted 17 years ago with the aim of resolving the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The embassy added that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon plays a vital role in keeping the peace along the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel established by the UN in June 2000, and “we expect all parties will ensure the safety of peacekeepers.”The message came after the Israeli army approved military plans for the next phases of its ground operations in the Gaza Strip. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israeli air, ground and naval forces are prepared to resume operations as soon as the current truce ends. On the second day of his visit to Lebanon, meanwhile, French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian visited the southern suburbs of Beirut where he held talks on various issues with Lebanese politicians in an attempt to help break the long-running political deadlock in the country. Those he met included Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad; Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement; Sami Gemayel, head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, MPs from the Change coalition; and independent MPs. The president’s office has been vacant for more than a year since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022, and Gemayel blamed Hezbollah for obstructing the election of a successor. He urged Hezbollah and its allies to reach a consensus on candidates who can be trusted and supported by all parties, rather than trying to impose their own choices. In addition, he called for the retirement of army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun to be postponed during this critical period for the country. The general will reach the retirement age of 60 on Jan. 10.
Gemayel also said he rejects any settlement in the region that would come at the expense of Lebanon, and emphasized the need to “implement Resolution 1701 and international resolutions, and limit weapons to the Lebanese Army” because “today, there is no state in Lebanon; Hezbollah is the state.”The main topics Le Drian discussed with politicians reportedly included the urgent need to elect a president and form a government, the full implementation of Resolution 1701, and ensuring stability is maintained in the south of the country. Lebanese Forces MP Georges Okais, one of those who met Le Drian, said the envoy had emphasized the importance of implementing Resolution 1701 and extending Gen. Aoun’s term as army chief, given the current need to maintain Lebanon’s security. Hezbollah opened a second front in southern Lebanon on Oct. 8 in the name of of “supporting the resistance in the Gaza Strip.” It has carried out many operations targeting the Israeli army, which in response launched several similar attacks against the southern border region. Israeli shelling has on occasion targeted towns deep inside southern Lebanon, killing more than 100 people including more than 80 members of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad in Lebanon. Though the truce in the wider conflict in Gaza that took effect last Friday has been breached more than once, Hezbollah has largely adhered to the agreement. However, further violations of the truce were reported on the southern Lebanese front on Thursday. Israeli military officials said two missiles were intercepted by their Iron Dome system on the outskirts of Rmaich, a village near the border with Israel. “Our air-defense fighters have successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” they added.

Le Drian resumes meetings in Lebanon over presidential file
Naharnet/November 30/2023
French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian met Thursday with Hezbollah top MP Mohammad Raad, Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil and Kataeb leader Sami Gemayyel. The meeting with Raad was also attended by French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro and Hezbollah’s Arab and international relations officer Ammar al-Moussawi. Le Drian had arrived in Beirut on Tuesday night and held a series of meetings Wednesday with Lebanese political and religious officials.Lebanon’s presidential vacuum and the situation in south Lebanon are the focus of his visit. After meeting Le Drian, Gemayyel called for the implementation of U.N. Res. 1701 and the withdrawal of all armed groups from the south to be replaced only by the Lebanese Army. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who had met Le Drian on Wednesday, also said after the meeting that Le Drian supports the withdrawal of all "militias" from the south and the implementation of 1701.

Report: Le Drian urges pressing Hezbollah on 1701 as Israel seeks 'buffer zone'
Naharnet/November 30/2023 
French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is currently visiting Lebanon, has expressed Western desire to “press Hezbollah to commit to the implementation of Resolution 1701,” a media report said. “A Lebanese political leader has been informed by Western sides that the Israeli enemy is facing the dilemma of the refusal of the residents of the northern settlements to return to them, and that Israel has discussed with Western and Arab countries the possibility of pressing Lebanon to establish a buffer zone inside its border, which would allow for the return of settlers,” informed sources told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Thursday. “The Western countries that responded to the Israeli desire modified the suggestion, considering that the buffer zone should be on the two sides of the border, something that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refused,” the sources added. “Nevertheless, talk has started with the Lebanese political forces, topped by the government, to work on establishing a buffer zone south of the Litani River and pushing Hezbollah’s elite force away from it, while Hezbollah’s local rivals have been asked to launch a political and media campaign in this regard,” the sources went on to say.

Israel says downed 'suspicious target' that crossed from Lebanon
Naharnet/November 30/2023 
The Israeli army said Thursday that its air defenses "successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target" that crossed from Lebanon into Israel. Al-Manar had earlier reported two missiles fired by Israel's Iron Dome that exploded in the air facing the border region after alert sirens were activated in the Dovev, Sa'sa' and Mattat settlements in the Upper Galilee. The Israeli army also fired artillery shells at the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and Ramia, LBCI said. Hezbollah's al-Manar TV later reported that a Tamir-type missile from Israel's Iron Dome interceptor system had landed in the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of Rshaf, which lies around eight kilometers away from the nearest border point.

Berri rejects any modification of Resolution 1701
Naharnet/November 30/2023 
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that Lebanon “has been and is still committed to Resolution 1701 and its implementation.”But “Israel has violated this resolution thousands of times,” Berri lamented, in remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Thursday. Rejecting any modification of the resolution, Berri added: “No one can impose conditions, amendments or new arrangements on Lebanon, and any step in this direction would be rejected and confronted by us.”“What’s only needed is for them to implement the resolution and nothing other than that,” the Speaker went on to say.
“Whenever someone raises this issue with us, our answer would be clear and unequivocal: the international border is known and clear. There are 13 (border) points of which some have been settled and some other points remain to be settled, all the way to the Shebaa Farms, the Kfarshouba Hills, the northern part of the town of al-Mari and the B1 point,” Berri added. As for the army chief file, the Speaker said that his “active intervention” in this file “will begin as of December 1.” “I will call for a legislative session before December 15,” he added.Berri also called for electing a new president as soon as possible, reiterating that “inter-Maronite disagreement” is behind the protracted delay, in reference to the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces.

Govt. approves $10 million for southerners affected by Israeli shelling
Naharnet/November 30/2023 
The Council for South Lebanon will pay around $10 million in compensations to the south Lebanon residents affected by the Israeli bombardment that has taken place since October 8.The move was approved during Wednesday’s caretaker Cabinet session.
The decision came after two-day communication between caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah, al-Akhbar newspaper said. According to the decision, owners of totally destroyed homes will get $40,000 each (paid in three installments) and owners of partially damaged homes will get $11,000 each while the wounded and the families of the dead will get sums ranging between $10,000 and $20,000. The owners of damaged cars, livestock and agricultural crops will also be compensated, according to the head of the Council for South Lebanon, Hashem Haidar.

Sami Gemayel urges Hezbollah to prioritize Lebanon's interests over candidate disputes
LBCI/November 30/2023
Lebanese Kataeb Party leader, MP Samy Gemayel, confirmed that Thursday's meeting with the French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian was positive, explaining that "our goal is the interest of Lebanon and telling the truth to the people." He considered that "the problem is not with the opposition but with Hezbollah, which insists on its candidate and rejects any talk about another name. The source of obstruction has become clear."Gemayel called on Hezbollah and its allies to rise above the logic of imposition, emphasizing that there is no choice but to consensus candidates who enjoy the trust and support of all parties. He emphasized the need for a unified national and military institution in implementing Resolution 1701 and consolidating the state's sovereignty over all Lebanese territories. He underscored the importance of not destabilizing the army's leadership during this critical period. He stated, "We cannot appoint a new army commander, and we call for postponing the dismissal of the army commander in this decisive period." He added, "The structural change that will happen in the region will be profound, and Lebanon is at the heart of the storm. We urgently need unity to face the upcoming phase, critical decisions, and major settlements. There should be no settlement in the region at the expense of the Lebanese state, as we have paid the price for the breakdown in the south and the failure to impose the state's sovereignty." Gemayel called for the implementation of Resolution 1701 and international decisions. He stated that there is no state in Lebanon today, as Hezbollah acts as the state.

Geagea: Ministers should be pay south compensations from their own pockets
Naharnet/November 30/2023 
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday criticized government’s decision to pay $10 million in compensations to southern residents affected by Israeli bombardment. “The $10 million that the government has promised in compensation for the damages inflicted on citizens and properties in the South due to the exchange of rocket and artillery shelling between Hezbollah and Israel should be paid from the pockets of the ministers who voted in favor of this decision,” Geagea said in a a post on the X platform, formerly Twitter. “A large majority of the Lebanese people has not authorized anyone to fire rockets from Lebanon at Israel to preserve their own regional role,” Geagea added. He also noted that “the exchange of shelling is not at all in support of Gaza,” arguing that “the biggest evidence is that the aggression against Gaza continued and is still continuing.”“Can more destruction be inflicted on Gaza?” Geagea wondered, noting that Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel from the south “are only aimed at keeping Iran in the equation of the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Port of Sidon welcomes first-ever wheat shipment of over 5000 tons, marking inaugural step for future arrivals
NNA/November 30/2023 
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transportation on Thursday announced the arrival of a ship carrying more than 5000 tons of wheat to the port of Sidon for the first time. The ship is expected to dock at 12:30 pm on Friday, in the presence of Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Ali Hamieh. This arrival serves as an inaugural step for future commercial vessels expected to arrive in the upcoming weeks, culminating the joint efforts between the ministry and other departments at the port of Sidon.

When Authorities are Reassured By the Maintenance of 'Rules of Engagement'
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/124823/124823/
It is though Israel's criminal war on Gaza and Hezbollah turning south into a "base of support," has given the officials running the country an open-ended vacation and exempted them of the responsibilities theoretically on their shoulders... It has given them excuses to ignore the critical obligations, from filling the vacant presidential seat to containing the country's financial, economic collapse. And when the authorities took a political stance, it leaped over the general widespread and the suffering of the Southerners who had been displaced after the south was turned into scorched earth, making these authorities seem subordinate to Hezbollah!
The scandal is not only that the decision to endanger this region was taken by a militia whose decisions are made in Tehran, simultaneously taking part in running the country and hijacking the decision-making of the caretaker government, deciding the course that must be taken in accordance to the dictates of its foreign backers. The scandal is that state bodies have provided political cover for all of this.
Sheikh Naim Qassem's fleeting remark that "the south will continue to be a front of support for Gaza" betrays contempt for the peoples' right to and aspirations for lasting security. He did not bother explaining, to those who have been forcibly displaced, who had appointed him to rule over the south and its people. Hezbollah's unprecedented trivialization of war and its horrors, as well as citizens' desire for the restoration of stability, are evident in its sermons about war.
According to Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, "Khomeini affirmed that this enemy must be erased"... War was never the stroll in the park they make it out to be, certainly not for a bankrupt and broken country like Lebanon. It is an unmitigated disaster. The official's complicity culminated with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressing that he had been reassured by the fact that 'the rules of engagement on the southern borders between Lebanon and Israel have not changed(!), and he adds that 'there are no international guarantees that can reassure us!"
Lebanon's catastrophe has many dimensions, from the political class normalizing with the national power imbalance - which has left the state covering for those who have hijacked it by force of arms, in exchange for factional gains - to the political parties losing their legitimacy because they owe their seats in power to foreign occupation and dependency. Consequently, violations of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the military operations after the 2006 war on Lebanon and guaranteed sovereignty through the UNIFIL, have become part of the natural course of things. Despite the fact that Resolution 1701 afforded the South a period of prosperity and stability it had not seen in decades, the "rules of engagement" are prioritized!
If we slip into a war, everyone knows how it would end! Thus, we must prioritize the implementation of Resolution 1701 because it paves the way for peace in the South and Lebanon. This is what Joanna Wronecka, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, tried to make clear. She demanded the implementation of the international resolution on the ground to protect Lebanon from war in the region and confirmed, after participating in discussions about Resolution 1701 at the UN, that the Security Council is united regarding Lebanon.
Since the 7th of October, the interconnectedness in the region has become more apparent. The war on Gaza strongly affects Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, and to varying degrees, the region's other countries. But does this interconnectedness and impact mean that the Lebanese must be left exposed as they await regional solutions? Where will we end up if we do not see an end to the ruling clique's subordination to Hezbollah and if Lebanon remains a decapitated state, with its government a facade for decisions made elsewhere and unconcerned by the state's abduction and even its negation? They are making a mockery out of Lebanon's legitimacy and international legitimacy.
The Lebanese political class, which shares power within the framework of the county's sectarian-quota-based spoils-sharing political system, chose to wait and see where the genocidal war Gaza leads us, thereby turning a blind eye to the interests and aspirations of the Lebanese.
Everything we can see on the surface indicates that the neglect of the financial, economic, and social crises is becoming entrenched. The ruling elites are deliberately impoverishing and plundering Lebanon, ignoring all the major issues and failing to do the minimum to reinforce stability. They behave as though time is not of the essence in ending the presidential vacancy, which has gone for 13 months, though they acknowledge that naming a president is key to the normal functioning of the executive authority and institutions. Moreover, they have turned the fate of the army's command into a bazaar despite 40 days separating us from the end of the current commander Joseph Aoun's term!
The persistence in ignoring the desires and concerns of the people, as expressed in the ballot boxes when voters denied Hezbollah its parliamentary majority, is astonishing. Thus, no political party in the "opposition" has shown itself to be ready to engage in a battle of questioning and accountability dictated. Some "opposition forces" who reject the spoil-sharing system were content with occasionally raising the banner of liberating the republic and the presidency from perpetual vacancy. They added these calls to messages sent to foreign actors intended to make a statement or plead innocence.
Time and again, these forces raise catchy slogans about sovereignty. These slogans are mere smokescreens covering up their history of prioritizing their narrow, factional interests over building the state. The chronic lack of strategic vision is evident when they prioritize their minor internal disputes and the protection of their positions in the regime. Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to move further with its project to establish "a different Lebanon" over the rubble of legitimacy and its institutions. It is promoted that "things will not be the same after the war in Gaza" and that stances on all domestic matters will harden!
It would not be surprising if Hezbollah claims credit for defending the Lebanese (...) thus, the time has come to settle accounts and allow key positions to fall into its grip. Hezbollah will claim the right to 'choose' the president and army commander for the Lebanese, after having defined the essence and role of these positions! This suggests that Lebanon's ordeal is going to be long, and it is challenging to discern how to begin overcoming the deadly crises and rescue the country from the militia-mafia alliance.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 30-December 01/2023
More Israeli hostages released in extended Gaza truce
AFP/November 30, 2023
GAZA: Militant group Hamas released Thursday two Israeli women, with further Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed under an extended truce that has paused weeks of deadly fighting. With the current truce set to expire early Friday, international bodies have called for a lasting halt to the war, sparked by deadly Hamas attacks on Israel that prompted it to mount a devastating assault on the Gaza Strip. The delicate truce held through its seventh day after a 24-hour extension, marred by a shooting claimed by Hamas militants that killed three people in Jerusalem.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as Washington and foreign mediators seek a longer pause that would allow further prisoner-hostage exchanges and more aid into Hamas-ruled Gaza. After Thursday’s release of two women facilitated by the Red Cross, the Israeli military said more hostages were expected to be transferred “in the next few hours.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office named the two as French-Israeli dual national Mia Shem, 21, and Amit Soussana, 40. A video shared on social media showed Shem’s mother Keren crying with joy and hugging relatives after receiving the news of her daughter’s release on the phone, saying: “She’s coming home.” She had called on world leaders to help free her “baby” in a press conference on October 17, days after the Hamas attacks.
Israel is due to release more Palestinian prisoners in turn, after the sides agreed to extend the pause in combat operations until Friday morning. Only hours after the latest truce extension, Islamist militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting in Jerusalem that killed three people and called for an “escalation of the resistance.” The two gunmen, who police said hailed from annexed east Jerusalem, were shot dead at the scene, a bus stop in the western part of the city. Separately, two Israeli soldiers were slightly injured in a ramming attack on a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the army said, adding the assailant had also been “shot and neutralized.” United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and other international figures have called for more time to allow medical supplies, food and fuel into Gaza after fierce combat and bombardments sparked by Hamas’s bloody October 7 attacks on Israel. “We have seen over the last week the very positive development of hostages coming home, being reunited with their families,” Blinken said at a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.
“It’s also enabled an increase in humanitarian assistance to go to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it desperately. So this process is producing results. It’s important, and we hope that it can continue.” Blinken later told Netanyahu it was “imperative” to protect civilians in southern Gaza “before any military operations there.” The latest extended truce had been due to end at 0500 GMT Thursday, but the Israeli army said the “operational pause” would continue as international mediators negotiate the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israel has vowed to continue with its offensive to destroy Hamas once the truce process has run its course. “We swore... to eliminate Hamas, and nothing will stop us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video released by his office, after meeting with Blinken. Fighting began on October 7 when Hamas militants broke through Gaza’s militarised border into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas and unleashed an air and ground military campaign that the Hamas government says has killed more than 15,000 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians.
Herzog, in the United Arab Emirates for a UN climate summit, appealed on Thursday to his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to help “free the Israeli hostages held captive by the murderous terrorist organization Hamas,” a statement from his office said.
In a separate statement on X, formerly Twitter, Herzog said he would hold “a series of diplomatic meetings” in Dubai to push for the hostages’ release. The truce agreement, mediated by Qatar with Egypt and the United States, allows for extensions if Hamas can continue to release 10 hostages per day, but both sides have warned they are ready to return to fighting. Since the truce began on Friday 72 Israeli hostages have been freed and 210 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails under the terms of the deal. At least 24 foreigners, most of them Thais living in Israel, have been freed outside the scope of the agreement. Before the truce Israeli ground and air forces had pounded Gaza, forcing an estimated 1.7 million people — around 80 percent of the Hamas-run territory’s population — to leave their homes and limiting the entry of food, water, medicine and fuel, according to the UN. Conditions in Gaza remain “catastrophic” and the population faces a “high risk of famine,” the World Food Programme has said. “We are afraid that the truce will end, so the problems and the bombings will start again,” Gaza City resident Mohamad Naasan told AFPTV on Thursday.
“I hope that the truce resumes... so peace prevails, and we all go back home.”The violence in Gaza has also raised tensions in the West Bank, where nearly 240 Palestinians have been killed by either Israeli soldiers or settlers since October 7, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry. International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan visited Israel on Thursday at the invitation of survivors and families of the victims of Hamas’s attacks, the court said on Thursday, adding that the visit was “not investigative in nature.”Khan is also due to travel to Ramallah where he will meet with senior Palestinian officials, the ICC said. The ICC is an independent world court set up to probe genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

10 Things to Know About Hamas and Turkey
FDD/November 30/2023
The terrorist organization Hamas receives significant funding, materiel, and political support from Turkey. For decades, Turkey and Israel enjoyed a productive partnership. However, since 2009, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has diminished relations between the two countries while increasing support to Hamas. Most recently, Erdogan’s public support for Hamas’s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians has terminated Turkey-Israel diplomatic associations.
1. Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization
Following Hamas’s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “Hamas is not a terrorist organization” but “a liberation group, ‘mujahideen’ waging a battle to protect its lands and people.”
2. Turkey provides Hamas a safe haven
Hamas established a presence in Turkey in 2011 at the direct invitation of the Turkish government. The move was part of an Egyptian-brokered deal that saw Israel release more than one thousand Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile Hamas figures, in exchange for Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Gilad Shalit. Since then, Turkey has provided a safe haven for senior Hamas leadership. Saleh al-Arouri, currently Hamas’s deputy political chief, temporarily relocated from Damascus to Turkey following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war to establish a Hamas branch there. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned al-Arouri in 2015.
3. Previously, Turkey and Israel shared a strong partnership
Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize the State of Israel in 1949. Successive Turkish governments maintained strong ties with Israel, in part due to Turkey’s sizeable Jewish minority. Israeli-Turkish ties were based on security and defense cooperation. In 1996 and 1998, Turkey awarded Israel contracts to upgrade the Turkey’s fleet of fighter jets. Ankara also awarded Israel a $700 million contract in 2002 to upgrade Turkish tanks. The two countries conducted frequent military exercises together and shared intelligence with one another until the early 2000s.
4. Turkey-Israel relations deteriorated under Erdogan
At the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos, then-Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Israeli President Shimon Peres over the 2008-2009 war with Hamas that began with heavy rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Erdogan accused Israel of killing Palestinian babies before storming off the stage. In 2010, a flotilla of ships, encouraged by the government of Turkey, attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. This resulted in the military altercation known as the Mavi Marmara incident. Mavi Marmara led to a significant downgrading of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Jerusalem. Upon assuming the Turkish presidency in 2014, Erdogan strongly sided against Israel during the Israel-Gaza conflict that year, leveling accusations of terrorism. Turkey and Israel reestablished diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level in September 2022. However, after Turkish President Erdogan delivered a vitriolic speech about the war in Gaza on October 28, 2023, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen publicly stated that he “ordered the return of diplomatic representatives” from Ankara “in order to conduct a reevaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey.”
5. Turkey supports Hamas leaders by providing intelligence, Turkish passports
Hamas maintains offices in Turkey, although these locations are not publicly known. In 2015, Jihad Yaghmour, a Hamas operative who played a role in the abduction of IDF soldier Nahshon Waxman, became Hamas’s representative to the Turkish government. According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Yaghmour “liaises between Hamas and the Turkish government and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT).” Erdogan openly takes meetings with senior Hamas leadership, most recently in July 2023, when he hosted Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. Ankara granted Haniyeh Turkish citizenship in 2020. His deputy, Saleh al-Arouri, also received a Turkish passport.
6. Turkey supports Hamas financially
In 2012, the Turkish government reportedly donated $300 million to Hamas as the group set up shop in Turkey. A Turkish nongovernmental organization with ties to the government, the Foundation for Human Rights (IHH) [which also organized the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla], has transferred cash payments to its branch in the Gaza Strip since 2010. Hamas uses these payments to fund terrorism. Jihad Yaghmour leads another Turkish NGO that raises money for Hamas. In 2020, a U.S. District Court identified Yaghmour as a financier of a 2015 Hamas terrorist attack that killed two Israelis in the West Bank. The court explicitly ruled that the Turkish bank Kuveyt Turk Bank “helped finance the Hamas.”
7. Turkey supports Hamas militarily
In 2018, Israel arrested and deported Kamil Takli, a Turkish law professor and Hamas financier. Takli admitted during an interrogation with Israeli officials that Hamas operates in Turkey and receives military support from Ankara. Turkey-Hamas collaboration is facilitated by SADAT, a private military contractor in Turkey led by an Islamist general with close ties to Erdogan. Israeli security officials believe that SADAT is responsible for supplying Hamas with weapons and materiel. In July 2023, Israeli authorities seized 16 tons of explosive material that originated in Turkey and were bound for Gaza, apparently intended for Hamas rockets.
8. Erdogan’s political views align with Hamas
In 2017, Erdogan directly quoted verses from Hamas’s founding charter calling for the destruction of Israel. The next year, he publicly accused Israel of carrying out a “cultural genocide” and claimed Israeli policy was “no less grave than the oppression done to the Jews during WWII.” Erdogan’s worldview is shaped by the National Outlook Movement, the founding movement of political Islam in Turkey, which harbors deep anti-Western and antisemitic beliefs.
9. Erdogan refused to condemn Hamas after October 7
Hamas committed clear war crimes on October 7 by murdering and kidnapping Israeli civilians. However, at a pro-Hamas rally on October 28, Erdogan called Israel’s defensive actions in the Gaza Strip a “massacre” and said that Turkey is preparing to “tell the whole world that Israel is a war criminal.” He also appeared to threaten military action against Israel, saying that Turkey can “come at any night unexpectedly.” On November 15, Erdogan called Israel a “terror state” and accused Israel of committing “the most treacherous attacks in human history.”
10. Turkey is coordinating its response to the Hamas-Israel war with Iran, Hamas’s primary patron
Since October 7, Turkish officials, including Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, have openly met with their Iranian counterparts to coordinate an anti-Israel response. A meeting on November 1 resulted in both officials advocating for “peace” while threatening Israel with a broader regional war.

Three dead after Hamas gunmen open fire at Jerusalem bus stop
Verity Bowman/The Telegraph/November 30, 2023
Three people were killed and 13 others injured after Hamas gunmen opened fire on a Jerusalem bus stop at rush-hour on Thursday. An off-duty soldier reportedly intervened and shot and killed the attackers, who arrived in a vehicle and opened fire with an M-16 rifle and a handgun, Israeli police said. Imagery from the scene showed bodies strewn across Weizman Boulevard, a main road leading into the city, as police searched the area for any other attackers. Hamas on Thursday claimed responsibility for the shooting, and called for “an escalation of the resistance”.The terror group said in a statement: “This operation is a natural response to the unprecedented crimes of the occupier in the Gaza Strip and against children in Jenin,” in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Itamar Ben Gvir, Benjamin Netanyahu’s firebrand coalition partner, said the incident supported his policy of arming civilians.
“This type of incident proves again how much we can’t show weakness, how much we have to speak to Hamas only through intentions, only through the war,” he said at the scene. Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency identified the attackers as brothers Murad and Ibrahim Namr, Hamas members who had previously been jailed for terror offences.
The two attackers “were neutralised on the scene shortly after the attack by two off-duty IDF soldiers and another civilian who fired at them”, the police said.
“A police search of the terrorists’ car revealed ammunition and weaponry,” they said, adding that three of the wounded were in a serious condition.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Jerusalem’s deputy mayor, said the gunmen were probably from “sleeper cells” in the area. “People just going about their day, waiting for the bus, got cruelly shot by two gunmen with long guns, indiscriminately, and the hospital is now full of injured as well,” she said.
The three people who died were identified in local media as 24-year-old Livia Dickman, Hanna Ifergan, a headteacher in Beit Shemesh said to be in her sixties, and Elimelech Wasserman, 73, who was a retired rabbinical judge.
Wasserman and Shemesh died of their wounds in the Shaare Zedek Hospital, while Dickman died at the scene. The wounded are being treated in two hospitals in the Jerusalem area, with at least five people described in reports as having serious injuries. Jack Lew, the US ambassador to Israel, condemned the shooting. “Abhorrent terrorist attack in Jerusalem this morning. We unequivocally condemn such brutal violence,” he said. Tensions have risen in the West Bank following the October 7 attacks and bombardment of Gaza.
More than 240 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 others injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry. On Thursday, forty-five Palestinians were detained by Israel following overnight raids in the West Bank. The majority were arrested during raids in Biddu, near Jerusalem. It is thought that the total will rise as raids are ongoing in Tubas, Jericho, Bethlehem and Tulkarem.

Blinken tells Netanyahu 'imperative' to protect Gaza civilians
Agence France Presse/November 30, 2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv early Thursday for talks with Israeli leaders on the truce with Hamas and the provision of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. It is Blinken's third visit to the Middle East since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel by the militant group which left more than 1,200 dead. Blinken said that a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was "producing results" and should continue. "We have seen over the last week the very positive development of hostages coming home, being reunited with their families," he said at a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv. "It's also enabled an increase in humanitarian assistance to go to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it desperately. So this process is producing results. It's important, and we hope that it can continue."In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken emphasized the need to protect civilians in southern Gaza, where many have fled, the State Department said. Blinken "stressed the imperative of accounting for humanitarian and civilian protection needs in southern Gaza before any military operations there", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement, adding he "urged Israel to take every possible measure to avoid civilian harm".

Hamas claims responsibility for Jerusalem shooting that killed 3
Agence France Presse/November 30, 2023
Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed three people on Thursday, shortly after the extension of a truce between Israel and the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip. Police said the two gunmen who carried out the attack were from annexed east Jerusalem and were shot dead at the scene, near a bus stop on the western side of the city, where there are no checkpoints controlling entry. "Two terrorists arrived in a car, one of them armed with an M-16 and the other with a pistol," and opened fire, Jerusalem police chief Doron Torgeman told reporters at the scene. The two gunmen were shot dead "after the attack by two off-duty IDF (Israeli army) soldiers and another civilian who fired at them", police said in a statement. "A police search of the terrorists' car revealed ammunition and weaponry," it added. A police spokesman identified those killed as a 73-year-old rabbi, Elimelech Waserman, along with Hana Ifergan, 67, and Livia Dikman, 24. In a statement issued hours later claiming responsibility, Hamas called the attack "a natural response to the unprecedented crimes of the occupier in the Gaza Strip and against children in Jenin", in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, at a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said the shooting was an example of the "endless war that we are fighting against terror organisations, especially Hamas". Blinken similarly called it another reminder of the threat "Israelis face every single day". Hamas identified the attackers as brothers Murad Nemr, 38, and Ibrahim Nemr, 30, saying they were members of its armed wing based in east Jerusalem. Police said the attackers had been jailed by Israel in the past. Footage circulating on social media and broadcast on Israeli television showed two men emerging from a white car and opening fire on people waiting for a bus, before security personnel and bystanders intervene and return fire. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage. In a statement posted on Telegram, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the swift action of the off-duty soldiers and civilians had "prevented an even more serious attack". "My government will continue to expand the distribution of weapons to citizens," he added. Meanwhile, two Israeli soldiers were slightly injured in a ramming attack at a checkpoint in the West Bank, the army said, adding "soldiers at the scene shot and neutralised the assailant". "The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment," it said in a statement, noting forces were "searching the area for additional suspects". Violence has surged in the West Bank since the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, and Israel's retaliatory assault on the group in the Gaza Strip. Two weeks ago an Israeli soldier died after being shot in an attack on a checkpoint at the entrance to a tunnel linking the Israeli-occupied West Bank with Jerusalem. Another five Israeli security personnel were also wounded, with Israeli police shooting dead all three assailants. That attack was also claimed by the armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.

Israel, Hamas extend Gaza truce by one day in last-minute deal
Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem and Humeyra Pamuk/Reuters/November 30, 2023
Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their ceasefire for a seventh day, while mediators pressed on with talks to extend the truce further to free more hostages and let aid reach Gaza. The truce has let some humanitarian aid into Gaza after much of the coastal territory of 2.3 million people was reduced to wasteland by seven weeks of Israeli bombardment in retaliation for a deadly rampage by Hamas militants on Oct. 7. However, a deadly shooting in Jerusalem was a potent reminder of the potential for violence to spread. Israel, which has demanded Hamas release at least 10 hostages per day to keep the ceasefire going, said it received a list at the last minute of those who would go free on Thursday, allowing it to call off plans to resume fighting at dawn. "In light of the mediators' efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue," the Israeli military said in a statement, released minutes before the truce was due to expire at 0500 GMT. Hamas, which freed 16 hostages on Wednesday while Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners, also said the truce would continue for a seventh day.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel during his third visit to the Middle East since the war began, said the truce was "producing results. It's immportant, and we hope it can continue". "We have seen over the last week the very positive development of hostages coming home, being reunited with their families. And that should continue today," he said. "It's also enabled an increase in humanitarian assistance to go to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it desperately."
Egypt's state media body said
Egyptian and Qatari mediators
were working to negotiate a further extension of the truce for two days. So far militants have released 97 hostages during the truce: 70 Israeli women and children, each freed in return for three Palestinian women and teenage detainees, plus 27 foreign hostages freed under parallel agreements with their governments. With fewer Israeli women and children left in captivity, extending the truce could require setting new terms for the release of Israeli men, including soldiers.
TWO KILLED IN JERUSALEM ATTACK
Shortly after the agreement, two Palestinian attackers opened fire at a bus stop during morning rush hour at the entrance to Jerusalem, killing at least three people. Both attackers were "neutralised", police said. "This event proves again how we must not show weakness, that we must speak to Hamas only through (rifle) scopes, only through war," said hard-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the site of the attack. Hamas said the attackers were its members, acting "as a natural response to unprecedented crimes conducted by the occupation", but did not explicitly claim to have directed the attack. There were no signs of the attack interrupting the functioning of the truce in Gaza or planned releases of hostages and detainees. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza, in response to the Oct. 7 rampage by the militant group, when Israel says gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Until the truce, Israel bombarded the territory for seven weeks. Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 Gazans have been confirmed killed, around 40% of them children. A further 6,500 are missing, many feared still buried under rubble.
According to the United Nations, up to 80% of Gazans have been forced from their homes, including nearly all residents of the northern half, which Israel ordered completely evacuated. Once the truce is over, Israel is expected to extend its ground campaign into the south. Gazans have been able to use the week-long truce to venture out, visit abandoned and destroyed homes, and dig scores more bodies out of the wreckage. But residents and international agencies say the aid that has arrived so far is still trivial compared to the besieged enclave's vast humanitarian needs.
Those who fled the north of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, have still been blocked from returning. Many thousands of families are sleeping rough in makeshift shelters with only the belongings they could carry.
"What is a truce that doesn’t bring us back home? Israeli soldiers on tanks fired at us when we tried to go back to check on our homes in Gaza City after we heard it was bombed," said Mohammad Joudat, 25, a displaced business administration graduate, speaking in Deir al-Balah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The United States, which has strongly backed its ally so far, is urging Israel to narrow the zone of combat and clarify where Palestinian civilians can seek safety during any Israeli operation in southern Gaza, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, to prevent a repeat of the massive death toll so far. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday the Gaza Strip was in the midst of an "epic humanitarian catastrophe", and he and others called for a full ceasefire to replace the temporary truce. Israel rejects a permanent ceasefire as benefitting Hamas, a position backed by Washington. Jordan was hosting a conference attended by the main U.N., regional and international relief agencies on Thursday to coordinate aid to Gaza. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Mohammed Salem and Roleen Tafakji in Gaza, Humeyra Pamuk in Tel Aviv, Emily Rose in Jerusalem and Reuters bureaux Writing by Grant McCool, Lincoln Feast, Peter Graff Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Gareth Jones)

Global leaders pay tribute to Henry Kissinger, but his record also draws criticism
TOKYO (AP)/November 30, 2023
Global leaders paid tribute to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Thursday, but there was also sharp criticism of the man who remained an influential figure decades after his official service as one of the most powerful diplomats in American history. Kissinger, who died Wednesday at 100, drew praise as a skilled defender of U.S. interests. On social media, though, he was widely called a war criminal who left lasting damage throughout the world. “America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices” on foreign affairs, said former President George W. Bush, striking a tone shared by many high-level officials past and present. “I have long admired the man who fled the Nazis as a young boy from a Jewish family, then fought them in the United States Army,” Bush said in a statement. “When he later became Secretary of State, his appointment as a former refugee said as much about his greatness as it did America’s greatness.”Kissinger served two presidents, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and dominated foreign policy as the United States withdrew from Vietnam and established ties with China. China’s President Xi Jinping sent President Joe Biden a message of condolence Thursday. “Dr. Kissinger will always be remembered and missed by the Chinese people,” the message said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Further, “China is ready to work with the United States to carry on the cause of friendship between the Chinese and American people, to promote the healthy and stable development of China-United States relations for the benefit of the two peoples, and to make due contributions to world peace and development.”Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called Kissinger an “old friend and good friend of the Chinese people, and a pioneer and builder of China-U.S. relations.”
Many on social media in China mourned his passing. CCTV shared on social media an old segment showing Kissinger’s first secret visit to China in 1971, when he broached the possibility of establishing U.S.-China relations and met then-Premier Zhou Enlai.
Kissinger exerted uncommon influence on global affairs long after he left office. In July, for instance, he met Xi Jinping in Beijing while U.S.-Chinese relations were at a low point. Criticism of Kissinger, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating a cease-fire in Vietnam in 1973, was especially strong on social media, where many posted celebratory videos in reaction to his death.
A Rolling Stone magazine headline said, “Henry Kissinger, war criminal beloved by America’s ruling class, finally dies.”“Henry Kissinger’s bombing campaign likely killed hundreds of thousands of Cambodians — and set (a) path for the ravages of the Khmer Rouge,” Sophal Ear, a scholar at Arizona State University who studies Cambodia’s political economy, wrote on The Conversation. “The cluster bombs dropped on Cambodia under Kissinger’s watch continue to destroy the lives of any man, woman or child who happens across them,” Sophal Ear wrote.
The head of the independent Documentation Center of Cambodia, Youk Chhang, described Kissinger’s legacy as “controversial” though not widely debated in the country. Well over half of the population was born after the Khmer Rouge were ousted in 1979, and even those who lived through the civil war and the group's brutal rule recall the U.S. involvement and its B-52 bombers, “but not Henry Kissinger,” he said. Kissinger initiated the Paris negotiations that ultimately provided a face-saving means to get the United States out of a costly war in Vietnam.
Nixon’s daughters, Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, said their father and Kissinger enjoyed “a partnership that produced a generation of peace for our nation.”“Dr. Kissinger played an important role in the historic opening to the People’s Republic of China and in advancing détente with the Soviet Union, bold initiatives which initiated the beginning of the end of the Cold War," the Nixon daughters said in a statement. "His ‘shuttle diplomacy’ to the Middle East helped to advance the relaxation of tensions in that troubled region of the world,” the Nixon daughters said in a statement.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was “in awe” of Kissinger. “Of course, like anyone who has confronted the most difficult problems of international politics, he was criticized at times, even denounced," Blair said. But I believe he was always motivated not from a coarse ‘realpolitik,’ but from a genuine love of the free world and the need to protect it. He was a problem solver, whether in respect of the Cold War, the Middle East or China and its rise."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said as he met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv that Kissinger “laid the cornerstone of the peace agreement, which (was) later signed with Egypt, and so many other processes around the world I admire.”
Blinken said Kissinger “really set the standard for everyone who followed in this job" and that he was “very privileged to get his counsel many times, including as recently as about a month ago.”“Few people were better students of history,” he said. "Even fewer people did more to shape history than Henry Kissinger.”Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message to Kissinger's wife that he was “a wise and far-sighted statesman” and his name “is inextricably linked with a pragmatic foreign policy line, which at one time made it possible to achieve detente in international tensions and reach the most important Soviet-American agreements that contributed to the strengthening of global security.” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “Henry Kissinger was a giant of history. His century of ideas and of diplomacy had a lasting influence on his time and on our world."
Leaders of Kissinger's native Germany paid tribute to the former diplomat, a Jew who fled Nazi rule with his family in his teens. “His commitment to the transatlantic friendship between the USA and Germany was significant, and he always remained close to his German homeland,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X. In a message of condolences to Kissinger’s family, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote that “with his détente and disarmament policy, Henry Kissinger laid the foundation for the end of the Cold War and the democratic transition in eastern Europe” which led to Germany’s reunification.

Khamenei: Al-Aqsa Flood Operation Aims to ‘Eradicate America’
Tehran: Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation ostensibly targeted the “Zionist occupation entity”, but in reality its goal was to “eradicate America.”Fars News Agency quoted Khamenei as saying: “These operations have been able to confuse the agenda of US policies in the region, and they will continue, God willing.”He added that the attacks committed by Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza have unveiled the true image of the West. “The brutal and inhumane operations committed by the Zionist entity against the people of Gaza did not only expose this entity and America, but also exposed well-known European countries and Western civilization and culture.”Khamenei went on to say: “[...] When the Zionists kill 5,000 Palestinian children by throwing phosphorus bombs, the Westerners support this crime and say: Israel has the right to defend itself. This is Western culture.”
Khamenei also pointed to the American position on Lebanon, stressing that the US plans have failed. “They were saying that they wanted to create a new Middle East... They failed to achieve this goal... They wanted to eliminate Lebanon’s Hezbollah, but their plan has led to increasing Hezbollah’s strength tenfold.”On Iraq and Syria, the Iranian leader noted that the US administration was far from reaching its objectives. “The Americans wanted to swallow Iraq, but they failed to do so, and they wanted to seize Syria by sending their elements to fight against ISIS and Al-Nusra... and they provided all kinds of support to them over 10 years... but could not achieve this goal...” he stated.

Israel Shoots Down Two Palestinians in Jerusalem
Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
Israel gunned down two Palestinians on Thursday after claims the two had opened fire at a bus stop killing at least three. Israeli police said the two Palestinians opened fire at a bus stop during the morning rush hour at the entrance to Jerusalem. The shooters came from East Jerusalem and were stopped by off-duty soldiers and another civilian who was nearby, police said. Security camera footage aired by Israel's Channel 12 television showed the moments of the attack. A white car is seen stopped beside a crowded bus stop. Two men then step out, guns drawn, and run at the crowd as people scatter. Shortly afterwards the two Palestinians are gunned down. A large number of first responders and security forces converged on the area that was crowded with morning commuters, and police said they were working to reopen the street. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was visiting Tel Aviv, said Thursday's shooting was a reminder "of the threat from terrorism that Israel and Israelis face every single day ... My heart goes out to the victims of this attack."The violence came as Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their six-day ceasefire in Gaza by one more day to allow negotiators to keep working on deals to swap hostages held in the coastal enclave for Palestinian prisoners.

Israel gunned down two Palestinians on Thursday after claims the two had opened fire at a bus stop killing at least three.
Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
Israeli police said the two Palestinians opened fire at a bus stop during the morning rush hour at the entrance to Jerusalem. The shooters came from East Jerusalem and were stopped by off-duty soldiers and another civilian who was nearby, police said.
Security camera footage aired by Israel's Channel 12 television showed the moments of the attack. A white car is seen stopped beside a crowded bus stop. Two men then step out, guns drawn, and run at the crowd as people scatter. Shortly afterwards the two Palestinians are gunned down. A large number of first responders and security forces converged on the area that was crowded with morning commuters, and police said they were working to reopen the street. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was visiting Tel Aviv, said Thursday's shooting was a reminder "of the threat from terrorism that Israel and Israelis face every single day ... My heart goes out to the victims of this attack." The violence came as Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their six-day ceasefire in Gaza by one more day to allow negotiators to keep working on deals to swap hostages held in the coastal enclave for Palestinian prisoners

Blinken Wants Gazans' Safety Assured Before Israel Resumes Attacks
Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel on Thursday it must ensure that Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza are safe and their humanitarian needs are met before resuming military operations there, his spokesperson said.
Blinken met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet in Jerusalem before heading to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He said a 7-day-old truce between Israel and Hamas had produced results and the United States hoped it would continue. In the Jerusalem meetings, Blinken reaffirmed US support for Israel’s right to protect itself, spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Blinken urged Israel to take every possible measure to avoid civilian harm, Miller said. "The secretary stressed the imperative of accounting for humanitarian and civilian protection needs in southern Gaza before any military operations there," Miller said. Washington has urged Israel to narrow the zone of combat and clarify where Palestinian civilians can seek safety in southern Gaza, US officials said on Wednesday, to prevent a repeat of the massive death toll from Israel's northern Gaza attacks. In a statement following the meeting, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister reaffirmed Israel's commitment to wiping out Hamas, which rules Gaza. Health authorities in Gaza say Israel's bombardment has so far killed more than 15,000 people. Miller said Blinken urged immediate steps be taken to hold settler extremists accountable for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and reiterated that Washington remains committed to tangible steps to advance a Palestinian state "living in peace, freedom and security alongside Israel." The US top diplomat said Washington was focused on helping to secure freedom for more hostages held in Gaza. At a meeting in Tel Aviv with Israeli President Isaac Herzog earlier in the day, Blinken said: "We have seen over the last week the very positive development of hostages coming home, being reunited with their families. "And that should continue today. It's also enabled an increase in humanitarian assistance to go to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it desperately," Blinken said.

Israel's mosaic of Jewish ethnic groups is key to understanding the country
David L. Graizbord, University of Arizona/The Conversation/November 30, 2023
Some 16 million people worldwide identify as Jewish – and more than 7 million of them live in Israel. The country is home to more than 2 million people who are not Jewish, as well – primarily Arab Israelis, who make up 20% to 25% of the population, and more than 100,000 foreign workers. Most Arab Israeli citizens are Muslim, but small minorities adhere to various Christian denominations, as well as the Druze religion. Even within Israel’s Jewish population, however, there is dizzying diversity. As a historian of Jewish identity, I believe that understanding that diversity is key to understanding Israelis’ behavior amid the current war in Gaza, as well as the country’s long-term resilience.
Many cultures, one people
Jews are not a “race,” but constitute a people or nation. Traditionally, Jewish texts often refer to the Jewish people as “Israel.”DNA studies and archaeological evidence show that the Jewish people originated in the Middle East. Owing to Jews’ historical dispersion around the world however, Jews also belong to several Jewish ethnic groups, all of which are represented in the modern state of Israel. The largest Jewish ethnic group in Israel, about 40% to 45% of the country’s total population, is called Mizrahi, or “Eastern” in Hebrew. Mizrahi Jews’ ancestors hailed from Jewish communities in the Middle East, including Israel itself. The word Mizrahi often describes Jews from North Africa, too. However, these Maghrebi Jews descend from different groups than other Mizrahi Jews. Some North African Jews’ ancestors came from local communities. Others migrated there from the Iberian Peninsula after Spain expelled its Jewish population in 1492. The expulsion of these Sephardic communities, as Iberian Jews are called, scattered Sephardi culture throughout areas such as Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, Italy and Morocco. Thus, many Jews whose families came to these regions are genealogically and culturally Sephardi. Yet, Sephardi Jews also include people whose Jewish ancestors adopted the traditions of Iberian Jews. The Israeli government’s record-keeping tends to lump Sephardi Jews under the Mizrahi category as well. The second-largest ethnic Jewish group in Israel, about 32% of the population, is Ashkenazi. Ashkenazi Jews trace their ancestry to central Europe, most often via Eastern Europe. Alongside these two dominant groups – Mizrahi and Ashkenazi – are Jews from unique communities that do not fit neatly into the two major subdivisions, yet sometimes find themselves included under the Mizrahi umbrella.
These include the Bene Israel of India; several groups of Kavkazi, or Caucasus Jews, referring to their origins in the Caucasus region of Central Asia; and Bukharan Jews of Uzbekistan. Other unique groups include Italian Jews and Ethiopian Jews.
Modern migrations
Modern times have witnessed sweeping migrations of Jews across the diaspora – and also migration to modern Israel.
For example, many Jews migrated from Europe and the Ottoman Empire to the Americas before and after the world wars: not only to the United States, but Latin America, especially Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Since the state of Israel’s founding in 1948, migration has flowed the other way as well. Today in Israel there are approximately 200,000 Jews from English-speaking countries and some 100,000 from Latin American countries. Since the final years of of the Soviet Union, about 1 million people with Jewish roots have immigrated to Israel from Russia and the former Soviet bloc countries. They and their children now make up about 15% to 18% of the Israeli population. As regards their approach to Jewish traditions and rabbinic law, Israelis range from the ultrasecularist to the Haredi, whose name means “trembling” before God – often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. There is no hard-and-fast correspondence, though, between Israelis’ ethnic identity and their level of traditional observance. Some 50% of Israeli Jews may belong to ethnically mixed families. Nevertheless, in an age of identity politics, a trend toward ethnic tribalism has gripped Israel, complicating an older divide between left and right. Although the center-right Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been led mostly by Ashkenazi Jews, it openly appeals to Sephardi and Mizrahi pride, as does the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. Appeals to Mizrahi and Sephardi voters reflect a long-standing sense of discrimination among non-Ashkenazi Israelis. In Israel’s first few decades, predominantly Ashkenazi, socialist governments channeled hundreds of thousands of Mizrahi and Sephardi immigrants toward unskilled labor and peripheral development towns.The phrase “The Second Israel” refers to the idea that non-Ashkenazi citizens are still marginalized by an Ashkenazi cultural establishment.
Tensions – and unity
Tribal factionalism, however, has a countervailing force: Zionism, the cultural and political ideology on which the country was founded. As an ideology of national liberation, Zionism advocates Jews’ collective sovereignty and cultural renaissance in their ancestral homeland. Despite its diversity of political beliefs, ethnicities and religious observance, Jewish Israeli society ultimately holds together because of a widely shared Zionist patriotism. This is expressed in what Israeli scholars Shmuel Rosner and Camil Fuchs call the civic culture of “Jewsraelis”: a largely secular yet semitraditional Jewishness that shapes public life in Israel. Jewsraelis, they argue, are proud citizens who are comfortable mixing Jewish tradition and modernity – from family meals on the Jewish Sabbath and Passover to beach barbecues and serving in the Israel Defense Forces, which is mandatory for most citizens. Before the current war, Jewish Israelis by the hundreds of thousands had marched in the streets for nearly a year over government proposals to curtail the power of Israel’s Supreme Court. In the wake of Hamas’ horrific attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, however, those considerable tensions have been tabled. High numbers of Israelis have volunteered to go to the front or assist each other in other ways, such as donations or working on farms. Notably, Jewish commandments and traditions put an emphasis on freeing Jewish captives, such as the people held hostage in Gaza. Sharp debate continues among Jewish Israelis over the goals and scope of the war in Gaza. Nevertheless, as has been true in other moments of national crisis, they have largely banded together for what they perceive to be the common national good. Although diverse and often divided from within, most Israeli Jews embrace the idea expressed in a popular song penned in the 1980s: “Ein li eretz aḥeret” – “I have no other (home)land.” This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: David L. Graizbord, University of Arizona.

Israel’s Herzog meets UAE counterpart to push for hostage release
AFP/November 30, 2023
DUBAI: Israeli President Isaac Herzog met his Emirati counterpart on the sidelines of UN climate talks on Thursday as part of a diplomatic push to release hostages held by Hamas. Herzog’s visit to the United Arab Emirates comes nearly eight weeks into the Israel-Hamas war and coincides with a day-long extension to a truce that has seen Israeli hostages freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. During his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Herzog underlined “the necessity to act in any way possible to free the Israeli hostages held captive by the murderous terrorist organization Hamas,” a statement from his office said. He “appealed” to his Emirati counterpart “to employ his full political weight to promote and speed up the return home of the hostages,” the statement said. In a separate statement on X, formerly Twitter, Herzog said he would hold “a series of diplomatic meetings” in Dubai to push for the release of hostages. More than 140 heads of state and government are due to address COP28 on Friday and Saturday, including Herzog, who is scheduled to make a speech lasting three minutes on Friday. “In my meetings with world leaders I intend to raise the firm demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,” Herzog said. “In addition, I will detail and emphasize efforts to provide more and more humanitarian aid to the civilians of Gaza,” he added. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was also scheduled to speak at COP28 but his office said he was no longer going and his foreign minister would take his place. Since the truce began on November 24, 70 Israeli hostages have been freed in return for 210 Palestinian prisoners. Around 30 foreigners, most of them Thais working in Israel, have been freed outside the terms of the deal. Israel has made clear it sees the truce as a temporary halt intended to free hostages, but there are growing calls for a more sustained pause in the conflict. Fighting began on October 7 when Hamas and other militants from the Gaza Strip poured over the border into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and unleashed an air and ground campaign that the Hamas government in Gaza says has killed nearly 15,000 people, also mostly civilians. The war has cast a shadow over the UN climate talks in Dubai with activists demanding a permanent cease-fire and an end to Israel’s 17-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. The UAE is one of the few Arab states to recognize Israel, having established ties in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. But it is at pains to show solidarity with Palestinians. It has dispatched a 150-bed field hospital to Gaza and has pledged to take in 2,000 Palestinians, including 1,000 children and an equal number of cancer patients, for treatment.

Jordan’s king calls on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza
Reuters/November 30, 2023
AMMAN/RAFAH: Jordan’s King Abdullah on Thursday urged UN aid officials and international groups to pile pressure on Israel to allow more aid into the beleaguered Gaza enclave where the humanitarian situation is worsening, officials and aid workers said. They said the monarch told an emergency meeting in Amman of UN officials, heads of Western non-governmental organizations and representatives of Arab donors it was unacceptable that Israel continued to hold back sufficient aid flows. “The monarch urged the international aid community to do their bit and save Gazans who have endured a brutal war that has turned their land into an unliveable place,” said one delegate who requested anonymity since deliberations were taking place confidentially as requested by the royal palace organizers. A temporary truce between Israel and Hamas built around hostage and prisoner releases has allowed substantially more aid into the densely populated territory of 2.3 million people in the past six days. But deliveries of relief including food, water, medical supplies and fuel remain far below what is needed, aid workers say. “People in Gaza need a sustained cease-fire now. It is the only way to stop indiscriminate killings and civilian injuries and allow for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid on a meaningful scale,” Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) international president Christos Christou said. “We are already witnessing a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions and it will get worse if the violent onslaught resumes,” he told reporters in Amman. With Israel refusing to allow any aid in through its borders, supplies have been flown and driven into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula for delivery to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Red Crescent workers unloaded and sorted the latest deliveries of aid at Al Arish airport in northern Sinai on Thursday. A Reuters reporter saw long lines of container and flat bed trucks queued up on the side of the road to Rafah. Israel has bombarded Gaza in response to an Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed some 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage.
Gaza health authorities say more than 15,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel’s attack, about 40 percent of them children, with many more feared dead and lost under rubble. The Israel-Gaza border is inoperable following the Oct. 7 attack from Gaza, an Israeli official said. Israel had previously called for increasing the amount of aid taken into Gaza from Egypt, including shipments provided by Jordan, said the official, who requested anonymity.
BORDER BLOCKAGE
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths and senior UNRWA officials attending the Amman conference told delegates it was crucial Israel reopens the Kerem Shalom border crossing that before the war handled more than 60 percent of the truckloads going into Gaza. Bottlenecks and capacity limitations at the Rafah crossing mean it cannot handle more than 200 trucks a day. “Before the war Gaza used to receive 500 trucks every day. We have never come close to that figure since October 7,” said UNRWA director of communications Juliette Touma, the UN aid agency providing aid to Palestinians. Trucks carrying aid through Rafah have to first go through Israeli inspections at the crossing between Nitzana in Israel and Al-Awja in Egypt, to ensure that only limited supplies of fuel are allowed and prevent what they term dual usage goods from entering. Israel’s control of the amounts and type of goods entering Gaza has curtailed the aid effort, and its acceptance of only limited supplies of fuel was hampering the health system’s recovery, according to health and aid workers. Truck drivers on the Egyptian side of the border said they sometimes faced days-long waits at the Nitzana crossing before inspections were completed. NGOs and UN officials also heard appeals from the monarch to accelerate delivery of aid in Gaza’s north, where the United Nations says access remains limited and most water production plants remain shut due to lack of fuel.

Wartime Israel shows little tolerance for Palestinian dissent
JERUSALEM (AP)/Thu, November 30, 2023
Bayan Khateeb knows she's a terrible cook. So when she managed to pull off a dish of cooked tomatoes and eggs, she took a photo to show friends on social media. “Soon we shall eat the Shakshouka of victory!” crowed her caption, which included an emoji of the Palestinian flag. Khateeb intended the Oct. 8 Instagram post as a joke, she said. But in the fraught atmosphere that has gripped Israel since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, statements that might have once sounded innocuous have taken on more sinister meaning and resulted in scores of arrests. A classmate saw the post and thought Khateeb, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was cheering on Hamas. When the post was shared more widely, Khateeb suddenly found herself accused online of supporting terrorism. The next thing she knew, she was suspended from her studies at a prestigious university, ejected from her dorm, fired from her two jobs and interrogated in shackles by Israeli police. “I felt like I was in a nightmare. You're arresting me, after I was subjected to two weeks of political persecution?" she said. "How did I end up in this situation?”She was among more than 270 Palestinian citizens who have been arrested in an Israeli crackdown on free speech and political activity since the Hamas attack, according to Adalah, an advocacy organization for Palestinians inside Israel. Palestinian citizens have also reported intimidation, firings and expulsions from universities, as well as surveillance of their online speech by other civilians.
“People are arrested for anything expressing sympathy for the civilian victims in Gaza,” said lawyer Abeer Baker, who represents another woman who was arrested. “Everything that was not in favor of attacking Gaza as such actually puts you in danger of being arrested.”The arrests go to the heart of the dual identity of Palestinian citizens as they struggle to navigate a Jewish-majority society. Palestinian citizens have equal rights on paper but have historically suffered from discrimination in job opportunities, housing, health care and education. The community is one of Israel’s poorest.
The arrests also raise questions about Israel’s commitment to free speech and the rights of its Palestinian minority, which accounts for a fifth of the country’s nearly 10 million people. “We have undergone many wars. Never was such suppression ever declared before,” said Hassan Jabareen, the director general of Adalah. “People among themselves speak about living under a dictatorial regime. A Jewish, racist dictatorship.”
Police did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Some of the Palestinian citizens arrested over the past five weeks allegedly expressed outright support for Hamas and its onslaught. “There is nothing better than to wake up to the terror and fear of the Zionists, and missiles falling on their heads,” a preschool aide is accused of posting. But others have been detained because authorities either misinterpreted posts or conflated support for the people of Gaza with support for terrorism, critics say. Prominent Arab leaders in Israel have been arrested for challenging a ban on anti-war protests, and two Arab lawmakers were sanctioned for remarks related to the Hamas attack. Baker's client, singer and neuroscientist Dalal Abu Amneh, didn't expect to find herself behind bars when she went to Israeli police to file a complaint about threats she received in response to an online post. But like Khateeb, she found herself in shackles and in jail after posting “No victor but God” on social media, with an emoji of the Palestinian flag, on the day of the Hamas attack.
“Dalal believes in God. It means he is the only one who can bring justice, who can bring peace,” Baker said. “This sentence was interpreted wrongly as if she said Palestine will win.”Jews aren’t immune from punishment, although it is rare. Earlier this month, a court extended the remand of a Jewish teacher who posted anti-war and anti-occupation messages on Facebook and was fired from his job, the Haaretz daily newspaper reported. Videos posted on social media by Israeli police delivered an unmistakable message: There will be zero tolerance for any identification with the Gaza Strip and the enclave’s Hamas rulers. “We are at war and the orders are unequivocal: There will be zero tolerance for any incident,” Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said in one video.
“Anyone who wants to be a citizen, ahlan wasahlan,” Shabtai said, using the Arabic phrase for welcome. “Anyone who wants to identify with Gaza is also welcome — I’ll put them on a bus and send them there.”
Danny Danon, a lawmaker in the ruling Likud Party, said only a small number of Israel's Arab minority have crossed the line. "But when you see those incidents of radicals trying to promote violence, I think it’s necessary to stop it at the initial stages,” he said.
Asked whether officials may have gone too far in their crackdown, he said: “I trust our legal system.”The arrests have unfolded under the most right-wing government in Israel's history and amid the trauma of the Hamas attack, which killed at least 1,200 people and resulted in over 240 others being taken hostage.
The violence has not spared Israel’s Palestinian citizens: At least 21 were killed in the initial attack and by rocket and mortar fire launched by Hamas and its Lebanese Hezbollah ally, said Atta Abu Mtegem, mayor of the Bedouin city of Rahat. Seven are missing, and possibly captured by Hamas, he said. Others, including soldiers, have died in the fighting. At the same time, the images of devastation coming out of Gaza have been wrenching for a community with close ties to Palestinians there and in the West Bank. The death toll from Israel’s assault on Gaza has topped 13,000, according to health authorities there. Airstrikes have leveled wide swaths of the territory and displaced more than two thirds of its 2.3 million people.
Following the Hamas attack, some Palestinians have been afraid to go to work or mix with Jews, and lawyers and professors are afraid of running afoul of undefined new limits on speech, Jabareen said. More than 100 Palestinian citizens have been suspended or expelled from universities and colleges over posts, according to Adalah. Arab students at one college had to be extricated from their dormitory after hundreds of Jews, some chanting “Death to Arabs,” protested outside, accusing them of disrupting a Sabbath prayer service and hurling eggs, Israeli media reported.
Many Palestinian citizens are afraid to post messages online for fear they will be detained.“The reality is so bleak that if you call for a cease-fire, you must be a supporter of terrorism,” Hanin Majadli, a journalist and editor at Haaretz, wrote in an Oct. 29 opinion piece. “This is the way they continue to deepen the idea of ‘the enemy within us.'More than 50 of the Palestinian citizens who have been arrested have been indicted. Indictments have also been filed against eight Jewish defendants alleging racially motivated violence, but not for online behavior or the dorm incident.
Lawmakers have also entered the fray with new legislation criminalizing the “systematic consumption of terrorist content” and allowing the government to block or shutter foreign media deemed hostile to the state.Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, meanwhile, has instructed authorities to look into stripping a Palestinian actress of her Israeli citizenship for posting material that included laughing emojis on a photo of an elderly woman being taken into captivity by Hamas militants, with the caption, “She is going on the adventure of her life.”For now, Khateeb is living in limbo. Her suspension from her data science and engineering program is open ended. She's unemployed, living with her parents and waiting to see if she gets indicted. “Besides the war that we are experiencing right now," she said, “I am personally experiencing another war — a war between us, between the citizens of Israel.”

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 30-December 01/2023
Hamas Also Slaughters Muslims
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./November 30, 2023
Awad Darawshe, 23, an Arab-Israeli paramedic, remained behind, refusing [on October 7] to abandon the wounded. "I speak Arabic. I think I can manage," Darawshe said, supposing that he could reason with the terrorists. Perhaps he thought they would not harm a fellow Muslim Arab. He was wrong.
"I never felt that I'm deprived in any way.... Stop the nonsense. It is empty whining. I don't believe in that. Everyone here can get where they want. What – the country doesn't let them study? Y'allah, be a lawyer, be a teacher. Does anyone stop you? Even in prayer. Does anyone stop you praying? We pray five times a day, five times no one stops us. Whoever wants to be successful can be successful. Whoever doesn't want to be successful blames the country, the government." — Ibrahim, an Arab-Israeli citizen, YouTube, February 23, 2014.
Where in the Middle East are Arabs thriving throughout society, not just in a privileged world of favors and nepotism? Israel.
"We are very proud of his actions... This is what we would expect from him and what we expect from everyone in our family — to be human, to stay human and to die human." — The family of the paramedic Awad Darawshe, apnews.com, October 15, 2023.
"People from all over the country come to hug and support the family. The entire nation is one family now." — Ali Alziadna, an Arab-Israeli whose four family members are currently held hostage by Hamas, haaretz.com, November 13, 2023.
Hamas has repeatedly demonstrated that it cares nothing for the well-being of Arabs and Muslims. From their luxury homes and hotel rooms in the safety of Qatar and Turkey, Hamas leaders give the orders to attack Israel and then sit back and let the world weep over the destruction they wrought upon their own people. Perhaps the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip should look at the Arab citizens of Israel and note how they enjoy equal rights, democracy, freedom of speech and a free media. If Palestinians wish to live well, like the Arab-Israelis, this is the time for them to get rid of Hamas and all the terror leaders who, for seven decades, have brought them nothing but one disaster after another.
The Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 did not slaughter Jews alone. The terrorists also murdered and kidnapped scores of Muslim citizens of Israelץ The terrorists' murder spree made zero distinction between young and old, Muslim and Jew. Pictured: Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists share a moment of friendship for the crowds in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Stripת on November 28, 2023.
The Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 did not slaughter Jews alone. The terrorists also murdered and kidnapped scores of Muslim citizens of Israel, including members of the Bedouin community. The terrorists' murder spree made zero distinction between young and old, Muslim and Jew.
More than 1,200 Israelis were murdered in the massacre, while another 240 were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip as hostages. Of these, scores of Arab Israelis were murdered, wounded or taken hostage. Among the kidnapped is Aisha al-Ziadna, a 16-year-old Muslim citizen of Israel.
The first wave of Hamas's attack hit a music festival at Kibbutz Re'im which had an estimated 3,500 young people in attendance.
The magnitude of the onslaught became apparent as bloodied and panicked people staggered into the medical tent screaming for help.
Finally, the medical staff was ordered to flee along with everyone else.
Awad Darawshe, 23, an Arab-Israeli paramedic, remained behind, refusing to abandon the wounded. "I speak Arabic. I think I can manage," Darawshe said, supposing that he could reason with the terrorists. Perhaps he thought they would not harm a fellow Muslim Arab. He was wrong.
Hamas mercilessly beat, humiliated, abducted, and murdered their fellow Muslims, including Darawshe as he was bandaging the wounded. After Darwashe was murdered by the Hamas terrorists, his ambulance was stolen and driven into the Gaza Strip.
Abed al-Rahman Alnasasrah, 50, was murdered by Hamas terrorists when he attempted to rescue people from the music festival. He was married and a father of six children.
Fatima Altallaqat, 35, from the Bedouin village of Ar'ara, was also murdered while working with her husband near the city of Ofakim in southern Israel. She was a mother of nine children, the eldest nine years old and the youngest six months. Her brother said that Hamas terrorists shot 40 bullets into Altallaqat.
Her husband, Hamid, recounted:
"We're a religious Muslim family and she wore the traditional headdress of a devout woman. It is inconceivable they [Hamas terrorists] could not see who was inside [the car]. They were five meters away from her as they passed. She said she could not feel her legs. Her head was opened and I could see her brain. I knew she was close to death."
Suleiman Zayadneh, brother and uncle, respectively, to four of the Arab-Israeli hostages, describes himself as proud to be a Palestinian and Muslim. He vehemently rejects what he views as Hamas's negation of both identities:
"What national pride? What religion? The people who came to shoot and kill — they know nothing of religion. These [Hamas] people came and killed left and right."
Lieutenant Colonel Wahid al-Huzeil, an IDF liaison with the Bedouin community, notes:
"The fact that Hamas abducted innocent civilians, including women and children, shows that this organization doesn't represent Islam... [which] opposes the murder of women, children and the elderly....this incident shows how much... their struggle isn't a religious one.... Israeli society must realize that its struggle isn't against Arabs, it's against Hamas."
Asked in early 2023 about their general quality of life in Israel, many Arab Israelis responded positively. A hijabed young woman replied:
"We live in a country that gives us many things, from the perspective of the laws, benefits, and everything else. It is the best. In comparison to other countries, it is really good. I study, I work, I enjoy life."
Ibrahim, a middle-aged man, was unequivocal when interviewed in 2014: "I never felt that I'm deprived in any way." Asked if he felt inequality in treatment between Arabs and Jews, he retorted:
"Stop the nonsense. It is empty whining. I don't believe in that. Everyone here can get where they want. What – the country doesn't let them study? Y'allah, be a lawyer, be a teacher. Does anyone stop you? Even in prayer. Does anyone stop you praying? We pray five times a day, five times no one stops us. Whoever wants to be successful can be successful. Whoever doesn't want to be successful blames the country, the government."
Where in the Middle East are Arabs thriving throughout society, not just in a privileged world of favors and nepotism? Israel.
Two days after the October 7 massacre, Nuseir Yassin, a video blogger with 65 million followers, posted:
"I realized that... to a terrorist invading Israel, all citizens are targets. More than 40 of them [the murdered] are Arabs. Killed by other Arabs. And I do not want to live under a Palestinian government. Which means I only have one home, even if I'm not Jewish: Israel.... So from today forward, I view myself as... Israeli first. Palestinian second. Sometimes it takes a shock like this to see so clearly."
There have been many stories about reciprocal inter-communal generosity and heroism in the aftermath of this national tragedy, and they create hope for the future.
The family of Darwashe, the paramedic who would not abandon the wounded, stated:
"We are very proud of his actions... This is what we would expect from him and what we expect from everyone in our family — to be human, to stay human and to die human."
Ali Alziadna, whose four family members are currently held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, is touched by the outpouring of support:
"People from all over the country come to hug and support the family. The entire nation is one family now."
Many Arab citizens of Israel serve as IDF officers and policemen, risking their lives for their fellow Israelis. Many have created life-saving medical innovations. Many are serving at the front lines, saving lives.
Undoubtedly, one of the objectives of the Hamas massacre, in addition to slaughtering as many Israelis as possible, was to thwart normalization between Israel and Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Hamas may also have aimed to damage relations between Jews and Arabs inside Israel.
The terror group was, without doubt, hoping that we would witness another cycle of violence between Jews and Arabs inside Israel, similar to that which erupted in May 2021. Then, Hamas succeeded in inciting a large number of Arab citizens of Israel to take to the streets and attack their Jewish neighbors and Israeli police officers. This year, however, the Arab-Israelis have not heeded the calls by Hamas. One reason is that Arab-Israelis saw, with their own eyes, how Hamas terrorists make no distinction between Jews and Muslims.
Hamas has repeatedly demonstrated that it cares nothing for the well-being of Arabs and Muslims. From their luxury homes and hotel rooms in the safety of Qatar and Turkey, Hamas leaders give the orders to attack Israel and then sit back and let the world weep over the destruction they wrought upon their own people. On October 7, Hamas metaphorically shot itself in the foot by showing the world, with unfathomably ghoulish pride, by way of Go-Pro cameras and other self-documentation, that it has neither a religious nor a secular-humanist set of values. Perhaps the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip should look at the Arab citizens of Israel and note how they enjoy equal rights, democracy, freedom of speech and a free media. If Palestinians wish to live well, like the Arab-Israelis, this is the time for them to get rid of Hamas and all the terror leaders who, for seven decades, have brought them nothing but one disaster after another.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Terrorist Use Of Crowdfunding
Nicki Kenyon and Josh Birenbaum/Memo/November 30, 2023
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist finance watchdog. It consists of representatives from 39 national governments and regional organizations and sets international standards for financial integrity.1 In October, FATF released its report on the use of crowdfunding platforms by terrorist and extremist organizations.2 This memo summarizes the report’s key findings and provides recommendations to make them accessible to a wider audience.
Crowdfunding involves raising money for a project or venture, often via small amounts from large numbers of contributors and through dedicated platforms on the internet. This activity is legal, and numerous worthy causes, startups, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations have used crowdfunding to obtain critical resources. However, the lack of transparency on certain platforms and fragmented data about who is sending and receiving money make these platforms attractive to terrorist organizations and other illicit actors.
As the landscape of global payment and financial technologies continues to evolve, so do the mechanisms through which crowdfunding is possible. This presents new challenges for oversight and requires firms, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies to keep abreast of rapid changes that will facilitate the use of crowdfunding platforms by both legal and illicit actors.
Charities and Nonprofits
Terrorists and violent extremists often raise funds via charities and nonprofits that use crowdfunding platforms to exploit humanitarian causes, taking advantage of donors’ compassion while using their contributions to fund illicit operations. The nominal goals of such deceptive crowdfunding may be to support sporting events, social or medical support, humanitarian aid, or building infrastructure
Charities that serve as fronts for terrorist organizations may undertake humanitarian relief while diverting a portion of the funds for terrorist activities. For example, the Bush administration in 2001 designated the Holy Land Foundation — the largest Islamic charity in the United States — a terrorist organization and seized its assets.3 A federal grand jury in 2004 charged the organization and five former officers and employees with providing material support to Hamas by distributing funds through charity committees in the West Bank that paid stipends to the families of suicide bombers and Hamas prisoners. The defendants were convicted in 2008.4
Nonprofit organizations may also unwittingly be exploited by terrorist organizations, especially if they operate in high-risk locations, by becoming victims of extortion or skimming.
The Crowdfunding-Social Media Nexus
More than 1,400 crowdfunding platforms operate globally, and many of them provide donors with the option of giving on a subscription basis in addition to one-time donations. Users can also custom-build their own crowdfunding platforms or websites by using online applications or open-source code. Social media sites and messaging apps enable users to connect with local or global communities, amplify their message, and generate momentum for their causes, reaching a far greater number of potential donors.
Some social media sites and messaging apps offer encrypted messaging services to secure conversations and documents, which terrorists may employ to share financial data, campaign information, and donation instructions. Social media sites may also allow donors to contribute directly through their platforms, including in-platform instant messaging applications or in-app gift donation features, which the organizers of the crowdfunding initiative may redeem for cash.
The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate noted in 2022 that fundraising loopholes on social media include “super chat” features, such as YouTube’s dollar bill symbol in the chat screen.5 Viewers can click on this symbol and use a slider to send a specified dollar amount to the YouTuber, enabling users to donate during livestreams.
Virtual Assets
Twelve out of 40 FATF members noted in replies to questionnaires that terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, have increasingly employed virtual assets in crowdfunding efforts, especially during the past three years.6 Services such as tumblers and mixers, which commingle potentially identifiable virtual currencies with others to obscure the trail back to the source, provide an extra measure of anonymity, making tracing the origin and destination of funds more challenging.
However, the use of new payment technologies is not without risk for terrorists. Converting virtual assets to fiat currencies may not always be convenient. In addition, the volatility of virtual assets may introduce additional risks, such as the potential for rapid depreciation, which are not a concern for those who rely on major fiat currencies.
Detection
Detection of terrorist crowdsourcing requires an understanding of the evolving threat landscape and the actors involved in it. With some forms of terrorism, detection may be triggered by specific jargon or symbolism that may not be familiar to an average user. Terminology, symbols, and even names of groups can evolve, merge, and change over time, making continuing education and monitoring vital to detecting possible terrorist or extremist activity.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, white supremacists in 2017 introduced three extremist-oriented crowdfunding platforms: GoyFundMe, Hatreon, and RootBocks.7 In February 2021, a fourth platform, OurFreedomFunding, was established and served as a haven for deplatformed extremists’ crowdfunding campaigns in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol in Washington, DC.
The Goyim Defense League (GDL) is a loose network of antisemites who conduct harassment campaigns targeting Jewish people online and in the real world. A GDL connection to crowdfunding campaign would be an immediate source of concern.
Extremist crowdfunding campaigns often allude to the possibility of violence or violent intentions. One example was a campaign hosted on GoyFundMe by a group called the Nationalist Defense Force that described itself as “the only NS [National Socialist] security task force in Weimerica.” The campaign sought to raise funds for “equipment such as, uniforms, (more) shields, pepper spray, helmets, goggles, gas masks, batons, and much more.”
Many aspects of a crowdfunding campaign may point toward the possibility of terrorism or extremism. These include campaign user profiles, the names of campaigns and platforms themselves, and comments posted by donors on crowdfunding sites. All of these may contain language and symbols used by terrorist groups and violent extremists. The online activities of fundraiser organizers may also raise concern.
Fundraisers may also present false or incomplete information about the campaign, its goals, or beneficiaries to mislead donors into supporting terrorist or extremist groups. Furthermore, legitimate funding campaigns are not always easily distinguishable from illegitimate fronts that benefit terrorist groups and causes. Funds for illicit purposes may be commingled with legitimate donations and are not readily detectable by regulatory and/or law enforcement bodies.
The example of Gaza Now, an online media outlet, illustrates the need to conduct research on crowdfunding campaign sponsors. Gaza Now celebrated the recent Hamas attacks in Israel and the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Israelis, according to a recent report by risk and compliance firm Kharon.8 The group launched several fundraising campaigns on social media following the attacks and solicited donations in U.S. dollars, euros, and cryptocurrencies. In addition to soliciting donations online, Gaza Now and its founder Mustafa Ayyash have expressed their support of Hamas and its militant leaders on social media. Ayyash in 2017 was arrested by the Austrian authorities for his links to Hamas. He denied the charge and possibly still lives in Austria, managing the Gaza Now account on X (formerly Twitter).9
Information Sharing With Law Enforcement
The operators of most crowdfunding platforms are not regulated by anti-money laundering or counter-terror finance (AML/CFT) regimes. As a result, they do not have reporting obligations or sophisticated monitoring and/or reporting mechanisms like established financial institutions. This lack of effective information-sharing between the public sector and private entities involved in crowdfunding may embolden terrorist groups to continue abusing these platforms.
There is also a need for greater information sharing across jurisdictions. Intelligence services and law enforcement agencies may not have insight into foreign groups and individuals and their links to possible terrorist organizations. That said, coordination and information sharing between jurisdictions is often time-consuming and can delay the investigation process, highlighting the need to develop more efficient mechanisms.
Finally, online fundraising platforms may not require identification verification of the fundraisers and rely on payment processors to perform that function, hampering law enforcement investigations.
FATF Highlights Red Flags Associated With Exploitation of Crowdfunding
The FATF report identifies a number of “red flags” that may reflect the exploitation of crowdfunding platforms, including:
The use of dedicated payment and crowdfunding platforms that have explicitly declared their willingness to offer services in connection with extremist or terrorist groups;
The use of crowdfunding platforms with weak project review policies, whose terms of service do not specifically prohibit incitement or support for terrorism, or platforms or intermediaries that host or enable other projects related to violent extremism or terrorism;
The use of crowdfunding or financial technology platforms, and/or virtual asset wallet addresses associated with individuals or groups linked to terrorism;
A reliance on donations made through mechanisms used to obscure the donor’s identity or source of funds or that are routed in an overly complex manner;
The encouragement of donations via anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies, such as Monero, Bytecoin, or Zcash; and
The use of platforms that enable or require payments through unregulated financial institutions.
Legitimate crowdfunding companies should consider campaigns that obscure their purpose, goals, and ultimate beneficiaries as suspicious. In addition to researching organizers’, intermediaries’, and donors’ online rhetoric, platforms should examine the average amount of campaign contributions and determine whether the fundraising goal is unusual or inconsistent with other projects of the same type.
Banks and financial institutions should also ask additional questions and examine those involved in a suspicious campaign, such as:
Have the organizers or others involved in the crowdfunding campaign been subject to investigations and prosecutions for crimes related to terrorism or violent extremism?
Do the receipts, amounts sought, or other components of the crowdfunding campaign contain symbols used extensively by known terrorist or violent extremist organizations?
Does the campaign aim to support a particular group of people, such as relatives of terrorists or foreign fighters, rather than helping a wider community?
Project promoters should also face scrutiny. A closer look may be warranted if the promoter does not appear to be familiar with the project or appears to be a third party unrelated to the fundraiser’s purpose. If additional red flags are present, such as the project promoter seeking contributions exclusively in virtual currencies — particularly privacy coins — or if the project promoter closes the crowdfunding page very quickly after the fundraising goal is met, FATF recommends additional due diligence.
Deposits originating from crowdfunding sites followed by speedy structured cash withdrawals should be flagged. Funds received or pooled from multiple accounts and then immediately submitted to crowdfunding campaigns should also result in enhanced due diligence screening.
FATF also recommends closely examining the donors and the geographic risks associated with the crowdfunding campaign. A campaign may represent a more significant jurisdictional risk if the crowdfunding campaign is based in countries (or benefits countries) that do not have strong terrorism financing and/or crowdfunding legislation; countries with poor implementation of FATF standards related to virtual assets, non-profit organizations, or financial transfer services; poor oversight of the crowdfunding industry; or regions where terrorist organizations are known to operate or that are under comprehensive sanctions.

France: Jihad on the Church’s Eldest Daughter
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/November 30, 2023
Christian churches are under attack all throughout Western Europe, with recent examples from Austria, Germany, Italy, and Sweden.
No Western nation, however, seems to experience as many attacks on its churches as France, once known as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church.”
As investigative journalist Amy Mek tweeted on July 1, 2023:
Attacks on Churches are the norm in France; two Churches a day are vandalized — they are being burned, demolished, and abandoned, and their adherents are being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. Priests are under constant threat. At what point will France’s open border politicians be held responsible?
That last question inadvertently identifies the culprits—namely, migrants from the Muslim world, where attacks on churches are common.
In July, 2023, for example, Muslims attacked and desecrated several churches in France, including by breaking the doors and windows of one church and spray-painting pro-Muhammad, anti-Jesus graffiti on its walls. They also torched at least two historic churches—a sixteenth century church in Drosnay, and the twelfth century Saint-Georges De La Haye-Descartes church—following general riots prompted by the June 27 police shooting of Nahel Merzouk, a Muslim lawbreaker.
Twelfth century Saint-Georges De La Haye-Descartes Church
Not only did French authorities pretend that these two heritage churches simply “caught fire”—including “probably due to a storm”—but they insisted that it was the police killing that prompted otherwise peaceful Muslims to riot at all.
If this was the case, what does one make of the fact that Muslims have been attacking churches in France for decades? Below is a sampling of attacks that occurred before the June 27 shooting of Merzouk:
June 26: Saint-Lazare church, which stands near another church that was heavily vandalized by Muslims on July 5, was desecrated and robbed.
June 20: A “gang of college students” barged into the Saint Roch Church in Nice, mockingly doused themselves with holy water, and began shouting “Allahu akbar,” which the report correctly notes is “regularly heard during Islamist attacks.” In a letter to his apparently indifferent higher ups, the first deputy mayor of Nice, Anthony Borré, responded by urging them to take such matters seriously:
Since October 29, 2020 and the Islamist attack on the Notre-Dame Basilica in our city [when another “Allahu akbar” yelling Muslim slaughtered two French women—one by beheading—and a man inside a church], you are not unaware of how traumatic it can be for our fellow citizens to hear such remarks within a church and the painful memories that they can revive. Faced with these attempts to destabilize society and with the attacks on our secular Republic, we must provide a strong and collective response.
June 23: Three Muslims, aged between 12 and 13, barged into Saint Joseph Church in Nice, during an afternoon mass, and also began hollering “Allahu akbar.” Nice, it bears remembering, is also where another Muslim murdered 84 people in 2016.
June 12: After breaking into church property, a gang of Muslims—described only as a “group of young people”—savagely beat and called Fr. Joseph Eid of Notre-Dame-du-Liban parish a “dirty Christian.” While fleeing intervening passersby, they spewed other “anti-Christian insults.”
Muslims also thrashed the 80-year-old Catholic priest of Saint Vincent de Paul in Saint-Étienne. After knocking Fr. Francis Palle to the ground, they continued beating and kicking the octogenarian, until he fell unconscious (last reported he was in critical condition). Although this attack occurred on June 30, three days after the police killing of Nahel Merzouk, the diocese said that it had nothing to do with the riots, but was rather standard fare.
June 3: The Church of Mailhac was heavily vandalized.
May 28: Several “unidentified” people broke into and vandalized the Saint-Laurent church in Cugnaux, which has a large Muslim presence: they defaced a crucifix, overturned candles onto the ground, and damaged icons—before setting the church aflame. A passerby, however, quickly intervened, including by calling the fire department which arrived swiftly and put out the flames. In response, Albert Sanchez, the mayor of Cugnaux, called for more “dialogue and understanding between the different religious and cultural communities of our city,” since “diversity is our strength and our pride.”
Sixteenth century church in Drosnay
May 4: “Long live Islam,” as well as Arabic writing, were found spray painted on the walls of a church in Lieusaint in Seine-et-Marne. The report adds that “This is not the first time this church has been vandalized… Several statues had been damaged and knocked over.”
March 16: A man, previously “on file for his Islamist radicalization,” stormed the Saint-Hippolyte Church in Paris and disrupted its service. He also stole the church’s six foot tall Plexiglas cross, which had supported a 400-year-old wooden Christ. It was later found nearby “smashed into many pieces,” said police.
March 8: A Muslim migrant entered into the Saint-Louis church cemetery in Évreux and proceeded to break off and desecrate the crucifixes affixed to some 30 graves.
March 2: A man described as of an “African type,” vandalized Saint-Eustache, one of the largest churches in Paris, including by smashing the protective glass of an altar with a fire extinguisher. The report notes that “The suspect’s modus operandi … [is] comparable to that of the Saint-François-Xavier church [vandalism], where damage had been committed on Tuesday, February 28.”
While discussing these Paris church attacks, a March 17 report notes that a total of eight Parisian churches were vandalized or set aflame during the ten weeks between January and mid-March of 2023.
As mentioned, the above are just a very few examples (most attacks on churches in France are not even reported by local media). Investigative journalist Sonja Dahlmans offers more details in a recent report:
Crucifixes, organs, altars and other religious symbols are regularly destroyed or stolen [from the churches of France]. Statues of saints also suffer. In the church of Angers, seven statues of saints were beheaded or amputated in April this year. A statue of Mary was beheaded in the St. Martin’s Church in Choicy-le-Roi. Stained glass windows of old churches are also regularly smashed by vandals, such as in Guerlesquin. Extreme violence was used last October in the Saint-Joseph Chapel in Saint-Pol-de-Léon. There, vandals smashed the church doors with an ax and smashed all the church windows. All crucifixes and other religious symbols were destroyed by the perpetrators.
Church cemeteries and graves cannot escape vandals. In Velsy, this involved damaging and robbing 150 graves in June 2022. The crosses on the graves and other religious symbols were taken or destroyed by the perpetrators. Eighteen graves of the church in Rocquemont were destroyed in May of the same year. A statue of Mary at the Guignicourt-sur-Vence cemetery was stolen in August 2022.
In short, it would seem that a full blown jihad has been declared on the churches of France, and its godless leadership is looking the other way—when, perhaps, not secretly applauding.
A map (above), published by Christianophobie.fr, that marks every spot where a church in France was attacked between 2017-2018 with a red pin looks like a war zone. Virtually the entire map of France is covered in red. Even Snopes, which presents itself as the final arbiter on what is real or fake news, admitted the accuracy of the map, while trying to minimize its findings:
While this image [the map] is often shared as if it shows all of the churches that were ‘destroyed’ in France, this map actually documents a wide range of nefarious activity, such as vandalism, theft, and arson, that occurred at both churches and cemeteries over an apparent span of two years (not four), covering 2017 and 2018.
It should also be noted that while this map does document some relatively serious crimes, such as arson or the toppling of church statues, many of these pins correspond to graffiti-related incidents. We also found one pin related to a person’s simply interrupting a church service.
In other words, according to Snopes, having jihadist, anti-Christian graffiti spray-painted on a church, or having a church service interrupted by an “Allahu akbar” screaming Muslim intruder is not really all that “serious.”
One wonders if they would be so casual if a Christian vandalized a mosque, or broke into a mosque while screaming Christian slogans?
It should, incidentally, be unsurprising that the official mainstream response to the jihad on French churches is one of feigned ignorance, as captured by one somewhat surreal Newsweek title: “Catholic Churches Are Being Desecrated Across France—and Officials Don’t Know Why.”
While this report does a decent job of summarizing the “spate of attacks against Catholic churches”—including through “arson,” “vandalism,” and “desecration”—the words “Muslim,” “migrants,” or even “Islamists” appear nowhere in the report. Rather, “anarchist and feminist groups,” angry at churches because they are “a symbol of the patriarchy that needs to be dismantled,” are alluded to.
Meanwhile, even deductive reasoning makes clear that Muslims have the lion’s share of attacks on churches. Dahlmans reports that, “according to a 2022 OSCE report, France is in the top five European countries with the most recorded anti-Christian hate crimes. The other countries in the top five are Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden.”
There is something else that these top five nations all have in common: the largest Muslim populations of Europe. Put differently, while Poland, Hungary, and other Eastern European nations have their share of “anarchist and feminist groups,” they have very few attacks on churches—and, rather tellingly, even fewer Muslims.
Notre Dame
There are, of course, “practical” reasons why all of these Muslim attacks on French churches are massively obfuscated and dissembled. Image, for instance, how the tragic burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019 might be understood if it was common knowledge that countless churches in every corner of France have been and continue to be under constant attack, including through arson, by that nation’s significant Muslim population (hundreds of whom made it a point to gloat as Notre Dame went up in flames)?
Note: Although this article was written over two months ago, it was only recently published. Below are a few more incidents to occur in the interval:
Sunday, Sept. 17: A Muslim migrant stormed into the Basilica of Notre-Dame in Nice; there, a 46-year-old Senegalese man interrupted morning mass by shouting “Allah” and other, “incoherent,” words. Police forcibly hospitalized the man.
Oct. 7: Three Muslim men (described in reports only as “North Africans”) entered into the Saint Christophe church in Tourcoing while a wedding was being conducted and began to disrupt the service. When a woman asked them to “respect the religious service” or else she would call police, they threatened her with “death by decapitation,” says the report, before fleeing. Discussing this incident, a police source said that “The parish priest regularly receives threats without reporting them to the police.”
Oct. 31: A beloved Christian statue of Beatrice of Savoy in Echelles, which depicts her holding a cross, was found decapitated on Oct. 31. The head was nowhere to be found. Beatrice, a thirteenth century countess, is renowned for her charitable disposition and generous donations to the poor. According to the report, “The case remains mysterious.”
Sunday, Nov. 5: A Muslim man barged into a church during mass and disrupted the Lord’s Prayer by yelling “Allahu akbar” (Allah is greater).

Europe at risk due to its two-tiered defense hierarchy
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/November 30, 2023
This week, the presidents of Czechia, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia found common ground on supporting Ukraine, despite their differing views on military assistance. While Czechia and Poland have been strong supporters of Ukraine, Hungary has refused to supply weapons and has accused Kyiv of violating the rights of its ethnic Hungarian minority. Slovakia, while it has ended its military aid, remains committed to offering humanitarian assistance. Despite these differences, the leaders agreed on the importance of Ukraine’s success and the need to provide various forms of support.
Their unanimous consensus opposes allowing Russia to prevail in the war in Ukraine. This meeting and its declarations signal a more decisive approach by Central and Eastern European countries toward defense matters.
These countries, collectively known as the Visegrad Group, seek to further their integration with the EU while promoting cooperation in military, economic, cultural and energy-related areas. The four states are all members of the Bucharest Nine, the EU and NATO. The war in Ukraine has given this group a broader outreach and, despite its members’ differing views, it has been broadly aligned on the military side, especially thanks to NATO.
Central and Eastern European countries are increasingly vocal and assertive in influencing the future of the continent’s defense. If the Europeans consider that Russia is their greatest military threat, then these countries are the first line of defense. This is why, earlier this year, a coalition of Eastern European countries led by Poland and Estonia urged NATO members to increase their defense spending benchmark from 2 percent to 2.5 percent or even 3 percent of gross domestic product.
Poland’s previous government, in particular, had been pushing for this increase and it committed to spending 4 percent of its GDP on the military, making it NATO’s biggest spender in terms of percentage of GDP. Moreover, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia also meet or surpass the recommended minimum of 2 percent of GDP. This surge in defense spending is a response to the war in Ukraine and represents a shift in the center of security power in Europe toward the east.
These countries are also seeking to modernize their militaries and are dependent on foreign suppliers for their military buildup. Their increased spending has implications for NATO’s strategic focus and could lead to Eastern European states gaining a stronger voice on defense matters within NATO and the EU. However, concerns exist about how these enlarged defense budgets will be spent and whether European security concerns will become purely continental, primarily focused on countering threats from Russia.
Despite the push for greater European self-reliance in defense, the need for US power remains acknowledged and Eastern European countries are generally more accepting of Washington’s role as a security guarantor. Poland, in particular, is seeking a permanent American military presence on its soil. There are underlying issues on how Europe analyzes threats and it is very clear that these countries do not feel that their Western European neighbors are listening or are even concerned about the threats they have determined. This shows a two-tiered European defense hierarchy. The western one with France and Germany, which follow their own paths, and the central and eastern countries that feel left as the first line of defense without real support. In short, there is more talk than action. One of the clear pieces of evidence of the war in Ukraine is that Europeans have been underspending and underinvesting in their military capacity. Declarations, for now, are showing a will to go back to a more traditional war positioning, with tanks and heavy artillery. However, one key point is the supply chain and sheer military industrial capacity.
And here, in reality, there is a lack of contracts. There are encouraging signs and funds that are being set up to create this development, both at the national and European levels. Yet, the untapped capacity of developing an industrial output throughout Central and Eastern Europe and mutualizing efforts and resources does not seem to be at the top of the agenda. This is why these countries understandably feel more fulfilled with the transatlantic alliance than with the European Defence Agency. In order to put things into perspective, the budget of the latter is only €43.5 million ($47.5 million) and was increased by 15 percent this year. This is not much to support the development of capacity and new initiatives.
Despite the push for greater European self-reliance in defense, the need for US power remains acknowledged.
There is no doubt that the EU needs to stay strongly anchored within the transatlantic alliance. However, it also needs to put forward a clear and consistent long-term vision that supports all its members in developing stronger military capacity, as well as ensuring their protection. It is very clear that this dual sovereignty — of Europe-wide and national level — is a major obstacle to this future development. This becomes especially true as the EU faces diverging views on key issues such as migration and border control.
It is also clear that Central and Eastern European countries will not stay silent and, even if they have different views on the war in Ukraine and how to face or mitigate the Russian risk, the last Visegrad Group meeting showed they are increasingly in alignment about having their voices heard at the highest level of European decision-making when it comes to military affairs. In the meantime, they are forging stronger links with the US, which is in turn empowering positive capacity-building developments for these countries. One thing is clear: divisions and a two-tiered European defense are a bigger threat to Europe’s security than Russia.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is chief executive of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

HomeAction must be taken to address Middle East’s record drought
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/November 30, 2023
The drought that has significantly impacted Iraq, Syria and Iran for the last three years is affecting millions of people. It is critical for the international community, particularly developed countries, to take immediate action.
This drought, which began in 2020, is considered the second-worst on record anywhere in the world. Two factors — higher temperatures and lower levels of rain — have played key roles in the intensity of the drought. A study published this month by World Weather Attribution, following work by scientists from Iran, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, highlighted: “From boreal winter 2020 onwards, a large region in West Asia, encompassing the Fertile Crescent around the rivers Euphrates and Tigris as well as Iran has suffered from exceptionally low rains and elevated temperatures.”
The drought has affected millions of people in the region. In Iran, seven provinces — Sistan and Balochistan, South Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, Kerman, Hormozgan, Khuzestan and Isfahan — have been significantly impacted by water shortages. This has forced many people to leave villages in rural areas. And it has been particularly impacting the most vulnerable groups in society, including women and children. In 2021, water shortages compounded Iran’s other problems and led to a series of protests, which initially broke out in Khuzestan province before spreading to other parts of the country. Chants such as “I am thirsty” became popular.
Extended droughts have a significant impact on the agricultural industry, turning arable lands into barren desert, forcing farmers to move to cities in search of other jobs and subsequently leading to a food security crisis, hunger and large-scale displacement in the country.
For example, in 2021, Syria was only able to harvest 25 percent of the wheat that it used to grow before the civil war erupted. More than 12 million people have been forced to leave their homes in Syria since the outbreak of war in 2011, including nearly 2 million living in rural areas who have been displaced by drought, according to MedGlobal.
In Syria, access to water has become one of the greatest challenges in some parts of the country, including Suwayda. This has exacerbated people’s dire economic situation due to the fact it has contributed to higher costs for obtaining basic needs such as food, water and energy.
In Iraq, the drought caused a 29 percent drop in water flow in the Tigris River in 2020-21 and a 73 percent drop in the Euphrates flow. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in a speech to open the two-day Iraq Climate Conference in Basra in March, warned that “more than 7 million citizens have been affected in Iraq ... and hundreds of thousands have been displaced because they lost their livelihoods that rely on agriculture and hunting. The most disheartening aspect is the severe drought that harmed our beautiful marshes.”
It should be noted that, if water scarcity continues to increase to the extent that freshwater resources are depleted in West Asia, this would have an impact on national security and political stability as well.
Unfortunately, droughts of such longevity and severity have become common in the region. One of the main causes is human-made, as climate change and global warming are causing temperatures to increase and rainfall to decrease. This is making Syria, Iraq and Iran hotter and drier. As temperatures continue to rise, the situation is unfortunately only going to get worse. The World Weather Attribution report stressed that, if the world had not warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, “it would not be a drought at all” in Syria, Iran and Iraq.
The Middle East and North Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions when it comes to climate change because of its dry or semi-dry environment. Temperatures in MENA are rising almost twice as quickly as in other parts of the world, according to a 2022 report by the Cyprus Institute’s Climate and Atmosphere Research Center and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. This is why countries such as Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Iran have witnessed such significant desertification. The region is already characterized as the most water-scarce in the world. Water scarcity is a critical factor for the Middle East because of its rising population growth.
The world ought to take action in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water and adopt more sustainable strategies. This human-made crisis can be resolved if we pursue and implement greener policies in order to reduce global warming, such as adopting more efficient and sustainable practices.
Climate change and global warming are causing temperatures to increase and rainfall to decrease.
Unfortunately, developing countries, as well as communities with lower socioeconomic classes, such as a high population of older people, women and children, disproportionately experience the impact of losses and damages caused by global warming. According to a 2022 Dartmouth College study, global warming caused by only five countries has caused $6 trillion in global economic losses. And these losses have not been “suffered equally. The burden has fallen disproportionately on low-income countries that have contributed the least to the problem.”
Other steps to take include addressing unsustainable agricultural practices and the mismanagement of water, such as diverting rivers for manufacturing purposes. As Kaveh Madani, former deputy head of the Iranian Environment Department, has pointed out, the problem is “rooted in decades of bad management, poor environmental governance and lack of foresight.”
In summary, global warming is the main cause of the three-year-long drought that has hammered Syria, Iraq and Iran. To tackle this issue, all countries, particularly those in the developed world that are contributing the most to global warming, must take action in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh

The Hamas-Iran Relationship/Washington Institute
Matthew Levitt/The Washington Institute/November 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/124829/124829/
In the weeks since the Hamas massacre on October 7, pundits have debated whether or not Iran helped Hamas develop the plan for the terrorist assault and if Iran had foreknowledge of the attack. Citing a Hamas source, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran helped plot the attack and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp gave it the go-ahead at a meeting in Beirut. Another Journal report claims that in the weeks leading up to the assault, hundreds of Hamas and other Islamist militants received specialized training in Iran. Iran, for its part, denied playing any role in the attack, and US intelligence suggests that Hamas attack surprised Iran, undermining the theory it played a direct role planning or training operatives for the plot.
As early as August, Hamas deputy leader Salah Al-Arouri publicly acknowledged, “We are preparing for an all-out war, and we are discussing the prospects of this war with all relevant parties.” Such discussions surely included the IRGC and Hizbullah, with whom Hamas leaders met regularly in a “joint war room” in Beirut.
Ultimately, the details of Iran’s role in the plot itself will emerge. But this much is already clear: Iran has funded, armed, trained, and provided intelligence to Hamas for decades. Though Hamas has multiple income streams, funding from Iran has been especially important for the group’s military and terrorist structures. As US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan concluded when asked about Iran’s role in the Hamas attack, “We have said since the beginning: Iran is complicit in this attack in a broad sense because they provided the lion’s share of the funding for the military arm of Hamas.”
Iranian Startup Funds
Since its formation in late 1987, Hamas has received and continues to receive significant financial and other support from Iran. By 1994, Palestinian author-turned-legislator Ziad Abu-Amr wrote that Iran “provides logistical support to Hamas and military training to its members,” estimating Iranian assistance to Hamas “at tens of millions of dollars.”1 Over time, this figure would rise steadily. According to a Canadian report, “in February 1999, it was reported that Palestinian police had discovered documents that attest to the transfer of $35 million to Hamas from the Iranian Intelligence Service (MOIS), money reportedly meant to finance terrorist activities against Israeli targets.”2 Iran also trained Hamas operatives to carry out attacks targeting Israel. For example, Hassan Salamah, the Hamas commander who was the mastermind behind the string of Hamas suicide bus bombings in February and March 1996, told Israeli police—and reiterated later in interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes”—that after undergoing ideological indoctrination training in Sudan he was sent to Syria and from there to Iran. Osama Hamdan, Hamas’s representative to Iran at the time, met Salamah in Tehran, after which Salamah underwent three months of military training at the hands of Iranian trainers.3
Khaled Mashal, former leader of Hamas, meets with former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in Tehran, October 2000. Photo credit: REUTERS.
Iranian funding for Hamas increased around the time U.S.-led Coalition forces deposed Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, drying up the generous Iraqi grants to families of Palestinians killed, wounded or jailed in the course of attacking Israelis, as reported in May 2004 by the late Israeli national security reporter Zeev Schiff. “Intelligence information also suggests that Iran is passing over millions of dollars to Palestinians via Hezbollah contacts,” Schiff wrote. “Iran, in effect, is a replacement for former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who subsidized families of Palestinian suicide bombers or those injured in the fighting. In the [Palestinian] territories, the funding is being managed by various Islamic welfare organizations.”4
For a time, Hamas accepted Iranian support but tried to guard its operational independence. Hamas was reluctant in its early years to accept too much money from Iran for fear of being bound to the expectations and instructions of Tehran. But the increase in Iranian funding for Hamas in May 2004 came just weeks after the assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi. Rantissi’s death—itself coming on the heels of the assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin—made Hamas look weak and left the organization with no clear leadership. In Damascus, Hamas leader Khaled Mishal reportedly sought increased funding from Iran and a direct channel to the IRGC in an effort to contain the impact of the loss of Yassin and Rantisi and reinvigorate Hamas operational cells.
Iran’s provision of support to Hamas has continued to grow over time, especially after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip by force from fellow Palestinians in 2007. According to a 2010 U.S. Department of Defense report on Iran’s military power, Iran provided Hezbollah and several Palestinian terrorist groups—including Hamas—“with funding, weapons, and training to oppose Israel and disrupt the Middle East Peace Process,” noting that such assistance was at that time smuggled into Gaza through tunnels under the Philadelphi corridor (which runs along the Gaza-Egypt border). The State Department parsed no words in 2012 explaining Hamas used smuggling tunnels from Egypt and maritime smuggling routes to import weapons from Iran into Gaza. Since 2007, State noted, Hamas “dedicated the majority of its activity in Gaza to solidifying its control, hardening its defenses, building its weapons caches, tightening security, and conducting limited operations against Israeli military forces.”
Despite Syrian Civil War, Iranian Funds Flow
Relations between Hamas and Iran soured over Hamas’ decision to break with the Assad regime over the Syrian civil war and the Assad regime’s targeting of fellow Sunni Muslims. For years, ever since Jordan expelled the Hamas leadership from Amman, Jordan, in 1999, Hamas had maintained the headquarters of its external leadership in Damascus. But in January 2012, Hamas leader Khaled Mishal abandoned the group’s Damascus base. By February 2012, Hamas deputy leader Mousa Abu Marzouk, then located in Egypt, commented that “The Iranians are not happy with our position on Syria, and when they are not happy, they don’t deal with you in the same old way.”
And yet, Iranian funding for Hamas never completely stopped. While the group’s rift with Tehran affected funding for Hamas’ political activities, Iran continued to fund the group’s military activities. Moreover, by early 2014, relations between Hamas and Iran started to get back on track.
In 2014, when Hamas fought a rocket war with Israel and demonstrated to Iran that it could effectively target Israel, Iran took notice. According to the Congressional Research Service, “Since the 2014 Hamas-Israel conflict, Iran has apparently sought to rebuild the relationship with Hamas by providing missile technology that Hamas used to construct its own rockets and by helping it rebuild tunnels destroyed in the conflict with Israel.”
Such conclusions are supported by evidence that became public in several prominent cases. For instance on March 5, 2014, the Israeli Navy intercepted the Klos-C, a commercial ship flying a Panamanian flag, in the Red Sea off the Eritrean coast. According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when the Israeli Navy boarded the ship and examined its cargo, they found a variety of weapons, including: 40 M-302 surface to surface rockets manufactured in Syria, with a range of 90-200 km; 181 122mm mortar shells; and 400,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition.
M-302 rockets found aboard the Klos-C ship are displayed at an Israeli navy base, March 2014. Photo credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
In a sign that Iranian funding to Hamas was back in full swing, in September 2015, the US Treasury Department designated a dual British-Jordanian citizen based in Saudi Arabia who was coordinating the transfer of tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Saudi Arabia to fund Hamas’ Qassam Brigades and Hamas activities in Gaza.
From 2012 through 2016, Hamas finance operatives in Lebanon helped facilitate the flow of funds from Iran’s IRGC, through Lebanese Hezbollah, to Hamas. Consider the case of Beirut-based Mohammad Sarur, who is tied to both Hezbollah and Hamas. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, “Sarur served as a middle-man between the IRGC-QF and Hamas and worked with Hezbollah. operatives to ensure funds were provided to [Hamas’] Izz-Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades.
By August 2017, newly elected Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahye Sinwar, stated that Iran was once more “the largest backer financially and militarily” of the Hamas military wing.
Shortly thereafter, authorities noticed significantly ramped up Iranian efforts to fund the group. For example, in November 2018, the Treasury Department uncovered a complex “oil-for-terror” network that benefited Hamas, among others. The scheme involved the shipment of Iranian oil, with the help of Iranian operatives and Russian companies, to the Assad regime in Syria, who would then hand over the hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in profits to the IRGC. From there, the IRGC would distribute the funds to two of Iran’s most important proxies – Hezbollah and Hamas.
In June 2022, Hamas and Syria announced their decision to restore ties.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, October 14, 2023. Photo credit: Iran’s Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS.
Iran’s Ongoing Support for Hamas
Today, US and Israeli officials estimate that Iran provides Hamas at least $70m-$100m a year. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh claimed in a 2022 interview with Al Jazeera that his group receives $70 million a year from Iran.
In October 2023, following the Hamas invasion of southern Israel, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Muhammad Nasrallah, a veteran Hamas operative based in Qatar with close ties to Iran who was involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, including the Qassam Brigades.
Iranian funding of Hamas has over time sustained the group and built up the group’s terrorist capabilities. Iran’s terrorist training programs, and its consistent effort to arm Hamas over the years, are the reason Hamas has been able to carry out attacks targeting Israel including the October 7 massacre.
For decades, Iran, a US-designated state sponsor of terrorism, has provided a wide range of material support to Hamas, without which Hamas could never have become the capable and deadly terrorist organization it is today. Jake Sullivan is right. “They have provided training, they have provided capabilities.” Tehran played a critical role in creating the monster that is Hamas, which is why Iran shares the blame and responsibility for the brutal attack.
Ziad Abu-Amr, Islamic Fundamentalism in the West Bank and Gaza: Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic Jihad (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994), p. 88
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“Terrorist Group Profiler,” Canadian Secret Intelligence Service (CSIS), June 2002, Author’s personal files; See also Stewart Bell, “Hamas May Have Chemical Weapons: CSIS Report Says Terror Group May be Experimenting,” National Post (Canada), December 10, 2003 ↩︎
Transcript of “Suicide Bomber: The Planning of the Bloodiest Suicide Bombing Campaign in Israel’s History,” CBS 60 Minutes, October 5, 1997. ↩︎
Zeev Schiff, “Iran and Hezbollah Trying to Undermine Renewed Peace Efforts,” Haaretz, May 12, 2004. ↩︎
Matthew Levitt
*Dr. Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler fellow and director of the Reinhard program on counterterrorism and intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Dr. Levitt is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, and previously served in counterterrorism positions at the FBI, State Department, and Treasury Department. He is the author of Hamas: Politics, Charity and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad.