Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 13-14/2023
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates as talks go on in bid to ease tensions
Dispute over Aoun’s Term Extension Opens Door to Search for an Acting Commander of Lebanese Army
Clashes at Lebanon-Israel Border Disrupts Education of Children
The Lebanese Forces Criticize Mikati Over Alleged Unlawful Efforts to Prolong Aoun’s Tenure through Cabinet Decisions
Hezbollah Strikes Israeli Positions; Israel Retaliates with Bombings in Southern Lebanon
Clashes at Lebanon-Israel Border Disrupts Education of Children
French Foreign Minister Colonna Set for Friday Arrival in Lebanon
Israeli officials report intensive contacts for Lebanon 'diplomatic solution'
Cabinet may extend Aoun's term or name Qahwaji as acting chief
Prime Minister Mikati calls for Cabinet session on Friday at 12:30 PM
Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
LF accuses Bassil of obstruction after remarks against army chief term extension
Border skirmishes resume after calm morning
Qassem says border attacks won't stop before Gaza war ends
Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
LF accuses Bassil of obstruction after remarks against army chief term extension
Jumblat says supports Aoun's term extension in cabinet
Jumblat says some ambassadors asked him to remove pro-Oct. 7 tweet
Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
Berri chairs meeting by 'Development and Liberation' parliamentary bloc in Ain al-Tineh
France Calls for Investigation into Lebanon Journalist Attack on October 13
'Now or never': Lebanon seeks to avert another vacancy as end of army chief's term nears
Lebanon’s Hezbollah faces moment of reckoning as Israel-Hamas war in Gaza enters its deadliest phase/Nadia Al-Faour/Arab News/December 13, 2023
Keynote Speech: Beirut's afterlife/afterlives: Heritage, Remembrance and Amnesia by Nelly P. Abboud

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 13-14/2023
US House votes to authorise Biden impeachment inquiry
White House's Sullivan met Saudi crown prince, then to Israel
Biden takes tougher stance on Israel's 'indiscriminate bombing' of Gaza
EU chief urges sanctions on 'extremist' Israeli West Bank settlers
Israel: Colonel Among 10 Soldiers Killed in Gaza on Tuesday
Israel is said to be flooding Hamas tunnels — a tactic Egypt already used in 2013, but with sewage
Tanker in Red Sea targeted by speedboat gunfire and missiles -sources
Missiles from Yemen miss ship near key Bab el-Mandeb Strait
UN Refugee Chief Expects Further Displacement Due to Gaza Conflict
UN warns of rising infectious diseases in Gaza
Wartime Palestinian poll shows surge in Hamas support, close to 90% want US-backed Abbas to resign
Yemeni Naval Forces Ready to Safeguard Red Sea Maritime Security
Where Biden and Netanyahu don’t see eye to eye
Bodies of two hostages recovered in Gaza, says Israel
Hamas is only winning in the minds of idiotic young Westerners
Israeli army opens fire at hospital wards: Gaza health ministry
UNHCR to open office on Lebanese-Syrian border to control refugee movement
Jordan Says One Soldier, Several Drug Dealers Killed in Syria Border Clash
Spanish Foreign Minister Visits Morocco
Iraq parliament postpones speaker election

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 13-14/2023
Woke Cowardice: Wrong University Presidents at the Wrong Time/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/December 13, 2023
Gazans Mass at Border for Safety, but Find Only More Peril/Ameera Harouda, Ben Hubbard and Vivian Nereim/The New York Times/December 13, 2023
Organized Distortion/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
The Truth behind Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to Americans/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/13 December 2023
Vital for Iraq that it maintains stable ties with US/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/December 13, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 13-14/2023
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates as talks go on in bid to ease tensions
Arab News/December 13, 2023
BEIRUT: One person was killed and a building was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kafr Kila in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night, according to local media reports. On Wednesday night two people were killed and one wounded when an Israeli warplane targeted a house in the town of Yater, according to reports. An Israeli shell also hit a house in the town of Aita Al-Shaab, causing it to burn down but no casualties were reported. Hezbollah, which has resumed its operations against the Israeli army as the war in Gaza continues, on Wednesday said it targeted an Israeli military site at Malikia with a Burkan missile, resulting in a direct hit. A similar attack on a military site in Ramya also resulted in a direct hit, it added. In the hours that followed, Hezbollah said it intensified its operations against the Israeli army, including the targeting of a naval site in Ras Al-Naqoura and an attack on the Shomera barracks. The Israeli media also reported the launch of several rockets “from Lebanon toward Ras Al-Naqoura in western Galilee.”Forces from an Israeli military base in Al-Bayada fired on the eastern outskirts of the Lebanese town of Blida with machine guns. They also targeted the nearby areas of Ayta ash Shab with heavy gunfire, as well as the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Tarbikha. Israeli airstrikes hit the outskirts of Naqoura, Al-Bustan and Marwahin, and artillery fire targeted the outskirts of the towns of Aytaroun, Yaroun, and Al-Khiyam. The Israeli army also said its “warplanes attacked military infrastructure and a missile-launching site belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanese territory.”
Hezbollah said on Wednesday one of its fighters was killed as a result of the clashes, raising the total death toll among the group’s forces to 98. Meanwhile, Israeli radio station Kan Reshet Bet said there have been “intensive contacts taking place in the past few days to reach a diplomatic solution to remove Hezbollah elements beyond the Litani River and increase the number of UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) forces in southern Lebanon.”The report quoted unnamed sources as saying that “estimates from various parties involved in the negotiations indicate that the chances of reaching a political solution are currently low. However, despite this, efforts will continue to reach a diplomatic solution.”Media reports in Beirut previously revealed Israeli proposals to remove Hezbollah from border areas through the implementation or amendment of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 with the aim of resolving the war at the time between Israel and Hezbollah. In particular, Israel wants the removal of Hezbollah fighters from the area south of Litani River. Hezbollah responded to Israel’s attempt by intensifying its operations in the past week from positions very close to the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel established by the UN in June 2000. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc, which is allied to Hezbollah, urged the Lebanese government to “appeal to the international community to force Israel to cease its threats and attacks on Lebanon, as well as its encroachment on our land, sea and airspace. We also demand that Israel respects Resolution 1701, which Lebanon is committed to, and rejects any attempt to modify it under any pretexts.”International officials who visited Lebanon in the past two weeks have reported that Israel is attempting to establish a buffer zone along the border with Lebanon. There has been debate in the Beirut media about possible moves such as “increasing the number of the Lebanese Army in the south, especially in the UNIFIL working area, to implement Resolution 1701, enhancing the presence of UNIFIL forces, and increasing their numbers instead of talking about their withdrawal.”

Dispute over Aoun’s Term Extension Opens Door to Search for an Acting Commander of Lebanese Army
Beirut: Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
The extension of the term of Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, who is due to retire in January, has sparked divisions in the political scene and raised talks about appointing an acting army commander, whose term will end with the election of a new president for the country. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was backing the extension of Aoun’s term “without hesitation”, reiterating that this file falls within the government’s duties. “The government’s duty is to resolve the issue, whether by appointing an army commander or postponing the dismissal of the current chief. But if [the government] fails, Parliament will carry out its duties to prevent a vacuum in this sensitive position,” Berri said. “I will not delay [this file] for a single minute, and they [the government] must hurry to assume their obligations”, he added. For his part, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, said in a press conference that the extension of the army commander’s term was an “unnatural and abnormal situation and an insult to every qualified and deserving officer.” Bassil continued: “The person in question [the army commander] betrayed the trust, and has become a symbol of lack of loyalty. He violates the National Defense Law, infringes on the minister’s powers, and brags about breaching the law.” In a normal situation, the Council of Ministers is supposed to have selected a new commander of the army from among the officers of the military institution. But this mechanism is hindered by the failure to elect a new president, who is usually the one who chooses the new commander of the army, and his desire is translated by the government. However, if the government is unable for any reason to appoint a new Army chief, the established mechanism is to delegate the powers of the Army Commander to the Chief of Staff; but this position is also vacant with the retirement of Major General Amin Al-Aram. According to current data, the Army Commander’s term is supposed to be extended through a decision in the Council of Ministers. Nonetheless, the decision can be challenged before the Constitutional Council because it will not bear the signature of Defense Minister Maurice Slim, who is affiliated with Bassil. Another scenario can see the parliament extending Aoun’s retirement age by one year, according to a loose formula, bearing in mind that the political forces are capable of disrupting the meetings of the Constitutional Council by the loss of a quorum, as happened on most previous occasions. In this context, the Lebanese political scene awaits two important dates: the first is Thursday, with a scheduled session of Parliament, in which the extension of Aoun’s term will be placed in Clause No. 17. However, the Christian forces’ boycott of Parliament sessions may reduce the chances of any breakthrough. The second date is Jan. 10, when the Army Commander is set to leave office, if his term is not extended. A well-informed Lebanese source confirmed that things were actually heading towards Aoun returning home on that date, given all the confusion that surrounds the extension of his tenure. This scenario can push towards other options, including the appointment of an acting army commander from among the senior Maronite officers in the military establishment, as stated by the informed source.

Clashes at Lebanon-Israel Border Disrupts Education of Children
Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
Clashes on Lebanon’s southern border against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war have exacerbated an education crisis in country that has been in the throes of a major economic meltdown for the past four years, UNICEF said Wednesday.
A survey of Lebanese as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugee households living in Lebanon conducted by the UN agency in November found that 26% of households had school-aged children who were not attending school, up from 18% in April. Syrians reported the highest prevalence of children out of school, at 52% of households, followed by Lebanese at 13% and Palestinians at 7%.While the “cost of education materials” was the most-cited reason, UNICEF said, thousands of children were also out of education due to disruptions related to ongoing fighting on the border between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The clashes have killed about 130 people in Lebanon, including 17 civilians, according to a tally by The Associated Press, and have displaced nearly 59,000, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The Lebanese Forces Criticize Mikati Over Alleged Unlawful Efforts to Prolong Aoun’s Tenure through Cabinet Decisions
Daily Star/December 13/2023
On Tuesday, the Lebanese Forces highlighted their concerns regarding caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s proposal for a Cabinet session. They interpret this move as a veiled attempt to obstruct the extension of General Joseph Aoun’s term, rather than to facilitate it.
The party, which supports extending Aoun’s term, mentioned that any extension decided in the Cabinet would need the defense minister’s signature. However, it is widely believed that the minister is unlikely to endorse such a decision. The Lebanese Forces warned that a Cabinet-approved extension could be illegal and easily contested, potentially leading to significant disruptions and chaos within the military institution. Mikati expressed his surprise over the Lebanese Forces’ statement, arguing that extending Aoun’s term for six months through the Cabinet and for a year in parliament are complementary actions with the same end goal. The pro-Lebanese Forces newspaper Nidaa al-Watan suggested that Thursday’s parliamentary session is unlikely to resolve the extension issue. This is due to an implied agreement between the Shiite Duo and MP Jebran Bassil, who is against the extension. According to this agreement, the session would be deliberately prolonged and adjourned before addressing the extension matter. Nidaa al-Watan also speculated about an alternative scenario, agreed upon by Mikati, where the Cabinet decides on the extension, only to face a prepared appeal challenging the decision. This tactic, as described by the newspaper, would ostensibly satisfy those advocating for the extension, while simultaneously reneging on previous commitments. Al-Markazia news agency cited sources close to Mikati, currently in Geneva, suggesting he plans to convene a Cabinet session on Friday to discuss Aoun’s extension. This comes despite the same issue being slated for discussion in Thursday’s parliamentary session.

Hezbollah Strikes Israeli Positions; Israel Retaliates with Bombings in Southern Lebanon
Daily Star/December 13/2023
On Tuesday, Israeli artillery launched strikes on the outskirts of Aitaroun and Houla, two southern Lebanese border towns. The area between Beit Leef and Ramia also saw drone activity targeting unoccupied zones. In response, Hezbollah targeted several Israeli positions, including the al-Raheb, Zariit, Khirbet Ma’ar, and Malkia posts, as well as soldiers at the Jal al-Alam post. Hezbollah claims these attacks resulted in direct hits and casualties. Additionally, an Iron Dome interceptor missile mistakenly landed near a school in Yater, fortunately causing only property damage.
During the night, the Israeli military used white phosphorus in their shelling of the Hamoul region near al-Naqoura and al-Khiam, resulting in a house fire. Drone strikes also hit a house in al-Khiam and a building in Odeisseh. The towns of Houla and Mays al-Jabal were bombarded with flare bombs, and a Lebanese army position in the Kfarshouba Heights was attacked with machine gun fire. Hezbollah stated it joined the conflict in solidarity with Hamas on October 8, following the latter’s major attack on southern Israel the previous day. Since October 7, over 120 individuals have died on the Lebanese side of the border, including mostly Hezbollah fighters and several civilians, as per AFP reports. Israel has reported the deaths of six soldiers and four civilians, and Lebanon recently lost its first soldier in these skirmishes.

Clashes at Lebanon-Israel Border Disrupts Education of Children
Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
Clashes on Lebanon’s southern border against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war have exacerbated an education crisis in country that has been in the throes of a major economic meltdown for the past four years, UNICEF said Wednesday. A survey of Lebanese as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugee households living in Lebanon conducted by the UN agency in November found that 26% of households had school-aged children who were not attending school, up from 18% in April. Syrians reported the highest prevalence of children out of school, at 52% of households, followed by Lebanese at 13% and Palestinians at 7%. While the “cost of education materials” was the most-cited reason, UNICEF said, thousands of children were also out of education due to disruptions related to ongoing fighting on the border between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The clashes have killed about 130 people in Lebanon, including 17 civilians, according to a tally by The Associated Press, and have displaced nearly 59,000, according to the International Organization for Migration.

French Foreign Minister Colonna Set for Friday Arrival in Lebanon
Daily Star/December 13/2023
“French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is set to arrive in Lebanon this Friday, as reported by al-Jadeed TV on Tuesday. During her visit, Colonna plans to inspect the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) at Naqoura on Saturday and will conclude her trip the same day. This visit follows her previous trip to Beirut in October, where she met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Army Chief General Joseph Aoun. In a press conference during that visit, Colonna emphasized the need for Lebanese authorities to implement measures to prevent a conflict with Israel. Earlier in the month, Colonna expressed concerns in an interview with Al-Arabiya, cautioning that any misjudgment could lead to Lebanon being drawn into an escalation with potential to extend beyond its southern region.”

Israeli officials report intensive contacts for Lebanon 'diplomatic solution'
Naharnet/13 December 2023
Contacts aimed at reaching “a diplomatic solution regarding Lebanon” have intensified over the past days, informed Israeli officials said. The solution aims to “push Hezbollah’s members to the area beyond the Litani River,” Israeli media reports quoted the officials as saying. “Among the other issues is increasing the number of UNIFIL forces present in south Lebanon,” the officials added. “The evaluations of the various parties engaged in the negotiations indicate that the chances for reaching a political solution are currently low, but nevertheless the efforts will continue in this stage in order to reach a diplomatic solution,” the officials went on to say.

Cabinet may extend Aoun's term or name Qahwaji as acting chief
Naharnet/13 December 2023
Cabinet might decide in Friday’s session to delay the retirement of Army chief General Joseph Aoun for six months or appoint military intelligence director Brig. Gen. Tony Qahwaji as acting army chief, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Qahwaji’s appointment would take place “in the absence of the defense minister and without a suggestion from him, and in both cases any decision will be subject to an appeal before the State Shoura Council,” the daily said. “There will be a problem in the relation between the defense minister and the army chief should Qahwaji be appointed, which would have an impact on the military institution,” the newspaper added.According to the state-run National News Agency, Cabinet will convene Friday at 12:30 pm at the Grand Serail.

Prime Minister Mikati calls for Cabinet session on Friday at 12:30 PM
LBCI/13 December 2023
Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for a Cabinet session scheduled for Friday at 12:30 PM.

Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
LBCI/13 December 2023
The ongoing global refugee crisis has displaced a staggering 114 million people worldwide due to conflicts and crises. Among them, 36 million have sought refuge in foreign countries, highlighting the pressing need for international cooperation and solutions. Filippo Grandi, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), emphasized the significance of aiding refugees where they are. However, he stressed that the optimal solution lies in their eventual return to their home countries. Grandi accused the nations from which they were displaced of insufficient collaboration to facilitate their return. Lebanon, currently hosting the largest number of displaced individuals concerning its land size and population, voiced concerns about the severe repercussions of this influx. During the Global Refugee Forum, Lebanese officials reiterated their plea for support and funding, emphasizing the imperative of facilitating the refugees' return. Lebanon's participation in the Forum signifies a global acknowledgment of the complex challenges posed by the Syrian refugee crisis. While immediate solutions may be elusive, Lebanon aims to benefit from its presence to formulate policies that contribute to eventual resolutions.
Notably, the cooperation between Syria and Lebanon is deemed crucial for the successful repatriation of displaced Syrians. The Syrian refugees face a complex and intricate situation, and Lebanon cannot resolve it alone. The international community's efforts so far have not yielded breakthroughs, leaving the need for collaborative solutions substantial.

LF accuses Bassil of obstruction after remarks against army chief term extension
Naharnet/13 December 2023
The Lebanese Forces accused Wednesday Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil of always obstructing the course of the state, after the latter strongly opposed the extension of the term of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, ahead of his planned retirement in January. "Bassil is under the illusion that Lebanon is divided between those who support him and those who don't," the LF, which supports the extension of Aoun’s term, said in a statement, sarcastically adding that Bassil believes that there is a global conspiracy against him. "The truth is that his policies always make him an obstructor to the course of the state," the statement went on to say. Bassil said Tuesday that Aoun's term extension is "abnormal" and that he is the West's candidate and is "unfit" for the position.
He accused the LF of supporting the extension due to international pressure.

Border skirmishes resume after calm morning
Naharnet/13 December 2023
Hezbollah targeted Wednesday several Israeli posts including Malkia, Naqoura, Shumira, and Ramia after a calm morning in the border area in south Lebanon. The Israeli army meanwhile struck several border towns including Jabal al-Bat, Aitaroun, Mhaibib, al-Labbouneh, al-Naqoura, al-Bustan, Merwahin, Ramia, al-Jebbayn, Yarine, Blida, Kfarshouba, al-Fardis, Rashaya al-Fokhar, al-Khiam and Maroun al-Rass with artillery shelling and warplane and drone missiles. Israeli warplanes had struck overnight the southern border town of Kfarkela, and Hezbollah announced later the death of one of its fighters.
Hezbollah entered the fray in support of Hamas on October 8, the day after the Palestinian militants launched their unprecedented attack on south Israel. More than 120 people have been killed on the Lebanese side of the border since October 7, mostly Hezbollah fighters and more than a dozen civilians.
Israel says six of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed in the area, while Hezbollah always says in daily statements that its attacks on Israeli soldiers are direct hits and claims after most of its attacks having inflicted casualties.

Qassem says border attacks won't stop before Gaza war ends
Naharnet/13 December 2023
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has stressed that Hezbollah is maintaining “very high preparedness” and that “the frontier in Lebanon will remain open as long as the aggression against Gaza continues.”“Neither threats nor temptations are of use with us and we will not link what’s happening on the border to any domestic juncture,” Qassem said. “We will not discuss with anyone any arrangements for the Lebanese south as long as the aggression against Gaza continues,” Hezbollah number two added. “When the aggression against Gaza ends, we will see and evaluate what requires discussion and what is outside of any discussion,” he went on to say. More than 120 people have been killed on the Lebanese side of the border since October 7, mostly Hezbollah fighters and more than a dozen civilians. Israel says six of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed in the area, and Lebanon lost its first soldier in the exchanges earlier this month.

Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
LBCI/13 December 2023
The ongoing global refugee crisis has displaced a staggering 114 million people worldwide due to conflicts and crises. Among them, 36 million have sought refuge in foreign countries, highlighting the pressing need for international cooperation and solutions. Filippo Grandi, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), emphasized the significance of aiding refugees where they are. However, he stressed that the optimal solution lies in their eventual return to their home countries. Grandi accused the nations from which they were displaced of insufficient collaboration to facilitate their return. Lebanon, currently hosting the largest number of displaced individuals concerning its land size and population, voiced concerns about the severe repercussions of this influx. During the Global Refugee Forum, Lebanese officials reiterated their plea for support and funding, emphasizing the imperative of facilitating the refugees' return. Lebanon's participation in the Forum signifies a global acknowledgment of the complex challenges posed by the Syrian refugee crisis. While immediate solutions may be elusive, Lebanon aims to benefit from its presence to formulate policies that contribute to eventual resolutions. Notably, the cooperation between Syria and Lebanon is deemed crucial for the successful repatriation of displaced Syrians. The Syrian refugees face a complex and intricate situation, and Lebanon cannot resolve it alone. The international community's efforts so far have not yielded breakthroughs, leaving the need for collaborative solutions substantial.

Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
LBCI/13 December 2023
The ongoing global refugee crisis has displaced a staggering 114 million people worldwide due to conflicts and crises. Among them, 36 million have sought refuge in foreign countries, highlighting the pressing need for international cooperation and solutions. Filippo Grandi, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), emphasized the significance of aiding refugees where they are. However, he stressed that the optimal solution lies in their eventual return to their home countries. Grandi accused the nations from which they were displaced of insufficient collaboration to facilitate their return. Lebanon, currently hosting the largest number of displaced individuals concerning its land size and population, voiced concerns about the severe repercussions of this influx. During the Global Refugee Forum, Lebanese officials reiterated their plea for support and funding, emphasizing the imperative of facilitating the refugees' return.Lebanon's participation in the Forum signifies a global acknowledgment of the complex challenges posed by the Syrian refugee crisis. While immediate solutions may be elusive, Lebanon aims to benefit from its presence to formulate policies that contribute to eventual resolutions. Notably, the cooperation between Syria and Lebanon is deemed crucial for the successful repatriation of displaced Syrians. The Syrian refugees face a complex and intricate situation, and Lebanon cannot resolve it alone. The international community's efforts so far have not yielded breakthroughs, leaving the need for collaborative solutions substantial.

Jumblat says supports Aoun's term extension in cabinet
Naharnet/13 December 2023
As Parliament convenes Thursday and Cabinet convenes Friday to discuss extending the term of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, ahead of his planned retirement in January, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said he supports Aoun's term extension in the cabinet session on Friday. Jumblat said in remarks published Wednesday in An-Nahar that he prefers that all posts in the army be occupied, including the army command, chief of staff and the military council. "If, for absurd reasons, it is not possible to extend Aoun's term, I nominated, according to seniority, Brigadier General Hassan Aoude to be promoted and appointed as chief of staff so he would become an acting army chief whenever the position is vacant," Jumblat went on to say.

Jumblat says some ambassadors asked him to remove pro-Oct. 7 tweet
Naharnet/13 December 2023
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said he has faced "lame condemnations" because of his support for Hamas' October 7 attack. Jumblat revealed in remarks published Wednesday in An-Nahar that some ambassadors have lectured him over his tweet following the attack. The tweet on the X platform lauded the attack, Hamas, and the Palestinians for breaking "the myth of Israeli superiority.""Some ambassadors have asked me to delete the post, but I refused," Jumblat said. He added that Hamas militants are still Palestinians even if they are part of the Muslim Brotherhood and that they cannot be eradicated. "What the Israelis call kibbutzim are military posts and they hold dance parties there," he said. Jumblat went on to say that the Lebanese have the right to self-defense. "The South is exposed at every moment, it is under bombardment. How can we tell the southerners not to defend themselves?"

Lebanon in focus: Global Refugee Forum addresses urgency of refugee crisis
LBCI/13 December 2023
The ongoing global refugee crisis has displaced a staggering 114 million people worldwide due to conflicts and crises. Among them, 36 million have sought refuge in foreign countries, highlighting the pressing need for international cooperation and solutions. Filippo Grandi, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), emphasized the significance of aiding refugees where they are. However, he stressed that the optimal solution lies in their eventual return to their home countries. Grandi accused the nations from which they were displaced of insufficient collaboration to facilitate their return. Lebanon, currently hosting the largest number of displaced individuals concerning its land size and population, voiced concerns about the severe repercussions of this influx. During the Global Refugee Forum, Lebanese officials reiterated their plea for support and funding, emphasizing the imperative of facilitating the refugees' return. Lebanon's participation in the Forum signifies a global acknowledgment of the complex challenges posed by the Syrian refugee crisis. While immediate solutions may be elusive, Lebanon aims to benefit from its presence to formulate policies that contribute to eventual resolutions. Notably, the cooperation between Syria and Lebanon is deemed crucial for the successful repatriation of displaced Syrians. The Syrian refugees face a complex and intricate situation, and Lebanon cannot resolve it alone. The international community's efforts so far have not yielded breakthroughs, leaving the need for collaborative solutions substantial.

Berri chairs meeting by 'Development and Liberation' parliamentary bloc in Ain al-Tineh
NNA/13 December 2023
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Wednesday presided over a meeting by the 'Development and Liberation’ Parliamentary bloc in Ain Al-Tineh.

France Calls for Investigation into Lebanon Journalist Attack on October 13
Daily Star/December 13/2023
“France Urges Full Investigation into October 13 Lebanon Strike Involving Journalists”
On Tuesday, France emphasized the necessity for a comprehensive investigation into the October 13 incident in southern Lebanon. This event tragically resulted in the death of a Reuters reporter and injuries to six others, including two journalists from AFP. The French foreign ministry stated the importance of thoroughly understanding this incident. The ministry’s statement highlighted the mandatory adherence to international humanitarian law by all combatants, stressing the protection of civilians, especially journalists. These professionals should have the freedom and security to perform their roles without danger. Furthermore, a detailed report by Agence France-Presse, released on December 7, suggested that the strike involved a specific type of tank shell, one typically used by the Israeli military in this volatile border area.

'Now or never': Lebanon seeks to avert another vacancy as end of army chief's term nears
Jamie Prentis/The National/December 13, 2023
Tenure of Gen Joseph Aoun due to expire on January 10 as politicians cannot reach agreement over next steps
“This is now or never in the parliament,” says a representative from the Lebanese Forces, the party with the most seats in Lebanon's bitterly divided legislature. He then explained how the government had delayed tackling a looming vacancy in a crucial Lebanese institution, with the term of Gen Joseph Aoun set to expire in less than a month. “The right way today is to go to the parliament,” insisted the LF source, whose party supports extending the term of the army general by another year. “In the parliament, we believe it's the right place right now to do it. This is the only scenario possible that will save this institution from taking steps similar to other institutions, which means taking the Lebanese Armed Forces to an unsure destiny.”Speaker Nabih Berri has called MPs to parliament on Thursday for a legislative session, a close aide to the powerful chief told The National, with the situation of the army commander due to be discussed. On the agenda is whether to extend Gen Aoun's term by another year, raising his retirement age by 12 months and solving a potential leadership vacuum.
Lebanese authorities did not appear close to extending the terms of embattled central bank governor Riad Salameh or influential General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim when both their remits came to an end earlier this year.
But with Gen Aoun, there appears to be an incentive to keep him in place. The issue is complicated by the absence of a president since October 2022. The head of state is responsible for appointing significant positions including the army commander.
While the Council of Ministers typically takes on head of state powers in the event of a presidential vacuum – common in Lebanon – the cabinet is in a caretaker status and thus severely restricted in its powers.
This comes as Lebanon grapples with its most precarious security situation since 2006, as Hezbollah and Israel engage in daily cross-border strikes on the southern border. The Council of Ministers has appeared to do little to tackle the issue of the impending vacancy, although there are unconfirmed reports that might change. Further complicating the issue is the most vocal opponent to extending Gen Aoun’s tenure, the Free Patriotic Movement, which has a significant number of ministers from or close to the party. Their ministers have been abstaining from the cabinet because they say, given its caretaker status, it is unconstitutional to convene. They have also argued against extending Gen Aoun’s term. The FPM say there are processes in place that mean there would never be a vacuum at the head of the Lebanese Armed Forces. In the case of Gen Ibrahim and Mr Salameh, their deputies took on the top jobs in an acting capacity. However, critics outlined that the position of LAF chief of staff, which is the second most senior army position, is also vacant. They argue that FPM leader Gebran Bassil's vocal opposition to extending Gen Aoun's term is partly due to personal disagreements he has with the army commander, something an aide to Mr Bassil denied. “It's nothing personal, it's related to the constitution,” he said. The approval of Defence Minister Maurice Sleem is also important, but he has signalled his opposition to extending the term of Gen Aoun. Mr Sleem is seen as a close ally of the FPM and was nominated as Defence Minister by former President and the founder of the FPM Michel Aoun.
With only weeks left of Gen Aoun’s term and the looming Christmas slowdown of government business, the appointment has seemingly fallen to parliament. The FPM has insisted there will not be a void, arguing against what it views as an unconstitutional extension of Gen Aoun's term.
Another element to consider is Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group and political party that wields significant influence over the country. A close ally of Mr Berri's Amal Movement and still on good terms with the FPM, the Shiite movement has not publicly made its position clear.
After a period where relations appeared to be strained, the Hezbollah-FPM alliance seems to be strengthening once more. Whether the powerful group backs the FPM remains to be seen, but last month Hezbollah underlined the need to “find an appropriate solution to avoid a leadership vacuum in the army, as its term is approaching”. The political divisions over the army commander are an illustration of the often impossible tasks the 128 MPs face in agreeing in a parliament where no faction holds a majority.
That impasse has meant no one had come close to succeeding Mr Aoun as Lebanon's next president, after his term came to an end in October 2022. Various officials have tried and failed to hold the presidency, leading to international calls for a third way and another person who could reach the required threshold. Among the names discussed is Gen Aoun.

حزب الله اللبناني يواجه لحظة حساب مع دخول الحرب بين إسرائيل وحماس في غزة مرحلتها الأكثر دموية/نادية الفاعور/عرب نيوز/13 كانون الأول 2023
Lebanon’s Hezbollah faces moment of reckoning as Israel-Hamas war in Gaza enters its deadliest phase
Nadia Al-Faour/Arab News/December 13, 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/125141/125141/
DUBAI: Since fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas erupted on Oct. 7, Washington and its European allies have sought to contain the conflict and prevent it from spilling over into the wider region.
As soon as Israel mounted its military assault on the Gaza Strip — from where Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel — Lebanon’s Hezbollah kicked off its own campaign of cross-border strikes. This frustrated the efforts of UN peacekeepers, stationed along the Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon, to dial down tensions.
As a vastly more powerful force than Hamas, with access to sophisticated drone and missile technology supplied by Iran, any full-scale conflict involving Hezbollah would likely be many times more destructive for Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces has responded to Hezbollah’s attacks with air, drone and artillery strikes on southern Lebanon, leaving 120 people, mostly the latter’s fighters, dead. In turn, Israel suffered 10 casualties, including six soldiers.
Although the exchanges are the worst since the 30-day war of 2006, both sides have avoided direct clashes and incursions that could risk a serious escalation.
There is little appetite among lawmakers in Lebanon’s caretaker government, and the wider population, for a war with Israel, especially as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis in living memory.
“Believe me when I tell you, our hearts bleed with Gaza, but we cannot withstand another war on our own soil,” Ali Abdullah, a 37-year-old Lebanese citizen who is jobless, told Arab News.
“Necessities have become luxuries to many of us. To drag Lebanon in its current state into another war would be callous. How can we answer a call to arms on empty stomachs?”
Hezbollah’s hesitation to plunge into a full-blown war is also partly a result of sustained Western military and diplomatic pressure.
Since October, the US has stationed two strike carrier groups and a nuclear submarine in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf to deter escalation by Hezbollah and other groups sympathetic to Hamas.
Amos Hochstein, deputy assistant to US President Joe Biden and a senior adviser for energy and investment, traveled to Lebanon in November to warn Lebanese officials and Hezbollah not to escalate the conflict.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has said that the main goal of his militia’s attacks on Israel is to drain the IDF’s military resources that would otherwise have been used in Gaza.
But as he watches Hamas’ destruction as a military organization, his fighters have a tough choice to make, whether to sit back and watch the Gaza leg of the Iran-backed so-called Axis of Resistance get dismantled, or to throw in their lot with Hamas in an effort to save it.
“I think they wouldn’t. They would stick to the sidelines,” Firas Maksad, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Arab News previously. “Hezbollah and Iran both have a preference to avoid a larger direct confrontation with Israel.”
Maksad and other analysts believe that as the first line of deterrence and defense for the Iranian regime and its nuclear program if Israel decides to strike, Hezbollah is not going to be wasted on saving Hamas.
Even so, as the IDF encircles the last holdouts of Hamas in Gaza and continues to strike targets within Lebanon and Syria, the likelihood of a regional flare-up continues to be strong.
Israeli soldiers take positions near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Dec. 11, 2023, as the war with Palestinian militants continue. (AP Photo)
Defense analysts say Hezbollah has massed much of its elite Radwan fighting force on the border and is using new weapons. This includes the so-called Burkan short-range rockets that can carry more than 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of explosive material, and which inflicted severe damage on an Israeli military outpost last month. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Hezbollah possesses GPS-guided weapons capable of striking the entirety of Israeli territory; highly accurate, heavy-payload SCUD missiles, as well as a version of the lethal Syrian-made Tishreen missile; and plenty of Kornet antitank missiles equipped with laser-guided munitions.
All this is on top of an expanded arsenal of an estimated 150,000 rockets.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning last week that Beirut and southern Lebanon would be turned “into Gaza and Khan Younis” if the fighting was escalated. Israeli troops and Hamas militants are currently locked in deadly combat for control of Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-biggest city.
According to Meir Javedanfar, a lecturer at Tel Aviv’s Reichman University, Israeli tolerance for Hezbollah threats is at an all-time low. “Benny Gantz, the Israeli defense minister, has told the Americans that Israel wants Hezbollah to evacuate the areas adjacent to its borders,” he told Arab News. “This is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which states they are not to be there in the first place. This is what Israel is aiming for.”Resolution 1701 was the agreement that ended the 2006 war. It called for “security arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, including the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani River of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon).” Hezbollah’s continued presence in the area could be provocative enough for the IDF to move against the group once it has finished with Hamas.
Israel has deployed possibly up to 100,000 soldiers along the northern border, evacuated 60,000 local residents, and transformed some border communities into military bases due to the perceived threat of a Hezbollah invasion.
“We saw what happens when you have Hamas on your border,” said Javedanfar. “It led to such a disaster on Oct. 7. “We have a new situation. The Israeli government is going to pressure the Americans and other countries to understand that it will not live with a Hezbollah military presence on its borders anymore. “After Oct. 7, the tolerance for Hezbollah’s threats has become very low. It could be next week, it could be five years from now. Who knows? But Israel will terminate the Hezbollah threat.” Military analysts believe the Israeli security establishment had convinced itself that the threat posed by Hamas had been contained, only to be blindsided by the attack of Oct. 7, which resulted in the deaths of some 1,400 people, primarily civilians, and the taking of more than 240 hostages.
It is a mistake they will not want to make again, Javedanfar suggested.
“We believed they had changed, that they had matured from an extremist military organization into one that is interested in developing Gaza’s economy and becoming more responsible,” he said. “We were proven wrong. All these assumptions were proven wrong. We saw the devastating consequences of being wrong regarding Hamas, and now we are asking the same question regarding Hezbollah. Do we want to live with its threats on our borders? And its 150,000 missiles?“Israel has over 300,000 military personnel in reserve forces and is willing to use them in order to deter Hezbollah away from its borders.”
Tzachi Hanegbi, head of the National Security Council of Israel, recently said that once Hamas is defeated, Israel may have to go to war with Hezbollah or else citizens may not want to return to the northern areas.
Although Israel would prefer not to fight a war on two fronts, Hanegbi said it may have to “impose a new reality” when it comes to Hezbollah.
Not every analyst, though, is convinced that Israel has the means, the will or the international backing to mount a successful military campaign against the formidable Hezbollah.
“A full-scale war with Lebanon will be a burden on Israel,” Nadim Shehadi, a Lebanese economist and columnist, told Arab News. “It will be too costly economically and psychologically for Israel.”
In fact, Shehadi believes even the complete defeat of Hamas is beyond Israel’s means, especially now that global public opinion is shifting against the Israelis. “What Hamas has achieved in terms of victory is destroying Israeli self-perception,” he said.
“Two core beliefs were shattered. One being that the Israeli government created a safe place where Jews can be protected by their state. This has crumbled as citizens don’t feel safe nor secure and have been fleeing the Galilee.
“The second being that the Israeli army is moral, that it abides by international law and humanitarian rules. This has also crumbled. Both the world and Israelis don’t believe that anymore. They have gone mad in Gaza.”
More than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
“These are also gains for Hezbollah,” said Shehadi. “Hezbollah is watching what is being carried out in Gaza now.”
However, Shehadi too does not believe Hezbollah wants a war with Israel — at least not yet.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2425376/middle-east

رابط فيديو محاضرة باللغة الإنكليزية للخبيرة في الأثار نيلي عبود عنوانها: الحياة الأخرى في بيروت: الثراث وفقدان الذاكرة'
Keynote Speech: Beirut's afterlife/afterlives: Heritage, Remembrance and Amnesia by Nelly P. Abboud
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/125134/125134/
ICOM International Committee of Historic House Museums Annual Conference
THEME:: REMEMBRANCES OF THINGS LOST
For more information: visit https://www.belgrademhist.com/.
December 13/2023
Nelly Abboud/My latest presentation as a keynote speaker at the ICOM International Committee for Historic House Museums annual conference, held in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 24, 2023.
The title of the presentation is: Beirut's afterlife/afterlives: Heritage, Remembrance and Amnesia.
Thank you Milja Stijović for a well-organized, inspiring conference 🤩
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0v0C6sx3qs
'The presentation explores the intersection of personal history and Beirut's dynamic past, present, and future. Inspired by the concept of "afterlives" in history (by Professor Priyamvada Gopal), the presentation is structured around three temporal phases. Beginning with the past, it delves into the themes of amnesia and remembrance, using the emblematic Beit Beirut to illuminate the historical fabric of Lebanon's capital. Transitioning to the present, it navigates the complexities of memory loss and examines the evolving definition of museums, emphasizing their social role in shaping collective narratives. By scrutinizing the controversial Barakat Building as a case study, the presentation probes the selective nature of memory and its impact on Beirut's identity. Through personal reflection, the author questions the value of remembering and its contribution to resilience, especially in times of crisis. The presentation prompts contemplation on whether history persists within the present moment and the critical role of memory in forging a path forward. In doing so, Abboud engages with broader societal implications, considering the museum's role as a catalyst for preserving and reshaping the collective memory of Beirut'
#museums
#socialimpact
#memory
#remembrance
#beitbeirut

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 13-14/2023
US House votes to authorise Biden impeachment inquiry
BBC/Wed, December 13, 2023 at 8:19 p.m. EST
The US House of Representatives has voted to formalise its impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Lawmakers voted along party lines to back a resolution that Republicans say will give them more power to gather evidence and enforce legal demands. Three Republican-led House committees allege bribery and corruption during Mr Biden's tenure as vice-president. But they have yet to present evidence of wrongdoing, and Mr Biden says his opponents are "attacking me with lies". The lower chamber of Congress, which Republicans control by a slim eight-seat margin, approved the inquiry on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 221 to 212. Voting to authorise an inquiry is not the same as voting for impeachment, but it advances the likelihood that the House will eventually seek to impeach Mr Biden. In a statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the chamber "will not prejudge the investigation's outcome" but "the evidentiary record is impossible to ignore". A formal impeachment investigation, that leads to a House vote and a Senate trial, could represent a major headache for the president in the midst of an election year. But, even if the House ultimately opts to impeach the president, the Democrat-controlled Senate is all but certain to acquit him. Impeachment probe could be major headache for Biden. What we know about the Biden impeachment inquiry. "The American people need their leaders in Congress to take action on important priorities for the nation and world," Mr Biden said in a statement following the vote. "Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts." In an animated debate ahead of the vote, Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole said his colleagues had been left with no choice but to bring the measure. He said it was a "sad day for myself, the institution and the American people" and accused the White House of "stonewalling" the impeachment inquiry.
But Democrats expressed irritation over what they have dismissed as "an extreme political stunt". Jamie Raskin of Maryland said the investigation "isn't a whodunit, it's a what is it". "It's like an Agatha Christie novel, where the mystery is - what's the crime?" he added. Ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched the inquiry in September and said Republicans had unearthed a "culture of corruption" surrounding Mr Biden. Republicans have held one hearing related to the inquiry, during which two expert witnesses called by Republicans said there was not yet enough evidence to impeach the president. The oversight committee claims the Biden family and its business associates received more than $24m (£19m) from foreign sources in China, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia and Ukraine between 2014 and 2019. Committee chairman James Comer has alleged that Mr Biden's relatives - in particular his son, Hunter - sold access to the then-vice-president and influence-peddled off "the Biden brand". He has further alleged that the president "spoke, dined, and developed relationships with" his son's business partners. Following Wednesday's vote, Mr Comer told reporters that unanimous Republican backing for the inquiry sent a "strong message" to the administration. "We have a simple question that a majority of Americans have - what did the Biden family do to get millions?" he said. Before and during his presidency, Mr Biden has said that he never talked business with Hunter Biden or his associates and that his son made no money off unethical overseas ventures. The White House has also pushed back on the claim it is refusing to co-operate and criticised the inquiry on Wednesday as an abuse of power by House Republicans. Hunter Biden has long been viewed by Republicans as the greatest political liability for his father. If they are able to link his business dealings and personal conduct to the president, and perhaps even if they are not, it has the potential to damage the elder Mr Biden's standing with American voters. As Mr Biden, 81, gears up for re-election, he is likely to face off against Donald Trump, 77, a twice-impeached former president and the current Republican frontrunner, in the November 2024 general election. Mr Trump, who has vowed retribution against his political opponents, has urged his Capitol Hill allies to move quickly to impeach his successor.

White House's Sullivan met Saudi crown prince, then to Israel
WASHINGTON (Reuters)/December 13, 2023
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss the Gaza conflict and other regional issues, two U.S. officials said. Sullivan, who is to visit Israel on Thursday and Friday, discussed with the Saudis "broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from expanding," one official said. U.S. negotiations aimed at reaching a deal normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia were halted by the Hamas militants' attack on Oct. 7 on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. But all sides have said they want to keep the resurrect the effort when the time is right. Sullivan will travel to Israel on Thursday and hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli war cabinet on Thursday and Friday. The U.S. officials said Sullivan would also discuss with the Saudis efforts to deter ongoing Houthi attacks against international commercial vessels in the Red Sea. He will also build upon the work that was under way between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months to create what the officials described as a sustainable peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Sullivan would discuss with the Israelis the need for them to be more surgical and precise with their strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. Gaza's health ministry estimates that more than 18,000 people in Gaza have been killed. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Israel is losing support over its "indiscriminate" bombing of Gaza and that Netanyahu should change, exposing a new rift in relations with the Israeli prime minister.

Biden takes tougher stance on Israel's 'indiscriminate bombing' of Gaza
Associated Press/13 December 2023
President Joe Biden has warned that Israel was losing international support because of its "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza, speaking out in unusually strong language just hours before the United Nations demanded a humanitarian cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. "Israel's security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world supporting them," Biden said to donors during a fundraiser Tuesday. "They're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place," he said. The president said he thought Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu understood, but he wasn't so sure about the Israeli war cabinet. Israeli forces were carrying out punishing strikes across Gaza, crushing Palestinians in homes as the military presses ahead with an offensive that officials say could go on for weeks or months.
Biden offered a harder-than-usual assessment of Israel's decisions since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and the moves by his conservative government. Meanwhile, Biden's top national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is heading to Israel this week to consult directly about timetables for ending major combat.
The president also renewed his warnings that Israel should not make the same mistakes of overreaction that the U.S. did following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He recounted a familiar anecdote about inscribing on a photo with Netanyahu decades ago, "Bibi, I don't agree with a damn thing you have to say." This time, the president added to his retelling of the story: "That remains to be the case." The 2024 campaign fundraiser was part of a gathering of Jewish donors, many of whom attended a White House Hanukkah reception on Monday evening; Biden's fundraisers are open to some reporters on the condition that no audio or video be shared. Hours later, during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden refrained from offering the same public criticism again, but said that he had made it clear to Israel "the safety of innocent Palestinians is still of great concern.""The actions they're taking must be consistent with attempting to do everything possible to prevent innocent Palestinian civilians from being hurt, murdered, killed, lost," Biden said, adding, that it was important to remember "what we're doing here.""We're here to support Israel because they're an independent nation and the way in which Hamas treated Israel is beyond comparison," the president said.
Biden's rhetoric to donors tracks his more candid and private messaging to Netanyahu on their frequent calls, according to two White House officials, where he reasserts U.S. support for Israel before pushing for Israel to do more to help civilians in Gaza.
"Israel has a tough decision to make. Bibi has a tough decision to make. There's no question about the need to take on Hamas. There's no question about that. None. Zero," Biden said. But he added, of Israel's leader, "I think he has to change his government. His government in Israel is making it very difficult."
Biden specifically called out Itamar Ben-Gvir, the leader of a far-right Israeli party and the minister of national security in Netanyahu's governing coalition, who opposes a two-state solution and has called for Israel to reassert control over all of the West Bank and Gaza. Ben-Gvir sits on Israel's security cabinet, but is not a member of the country's three-person war cabinet.
The comments prompted responses from both the Israeli military and also Hamas.
"We know to explain exactly how we operate with precision, based on intelligence, even when we are operating on the ground," said Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari. "We know how to operate against the Hamas strongholds in such a way that best separates the uninvolved civilians from terrorism targets."Asked about Biden's comments, a senior Hamas official said in Beirut that "the resistance and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people have made Biden understand that the Israeli military operation is a crazy act."
"The repercussions (of the war) will be catastrophic on the entity (Israel) and on the results of elections in which Biden might lose his seat in the White House," Osama Hamdan, member of Hamas' political bureau said during a news conference.
During the fundraiser, Biden said that when he has warned Netanyahu of a loss of international support over the bombing, the Israeli leader has mentioned that the U.S. had "carpet-bombed Germany" in World War II and dropped the atomic bomb on Japan. "That's why all these institutions were set up after World War II, to see that it didn't happen again," he said. "Don't make the same mistakes we made in 9/11. There's no reason we had to be in a war in Afghanistan. There's no reason we had to do so many things that we did."
The U.N. General Assembly voted Tuesday on a nonbinding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, days after the U.S. vetoed a similar measure at the U.N. Security Council. The U.K abstained from that 13-1 vote, but France and Japan were among those supporting the call for a cease-fire. Only Security Council resolutions are legally binding under the terms of the international body's charter, but the vote Tuesday sent a strong message on how the conflict was viewed around the world. Before Biden's comments at the fundraiser, Netanyahu said in a statement that he appreciated American support and that he'd received "full backing for the ground incursion and blocking the international pressure to stop the war." "Yes, there is disagreement about 'the day after Hamas' and I hope that we will reach agreement here as well. I would like to clarify my position: I will not allow Israel to repeat the mistake of Oslo. Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan." Speaking at a forum hosted by The Wall Street Journal before either leader's comments, Sullivan reiterated the Biden administration's position that it does not want to see Israel reoccupy Gaza or further shrink its already small territory.
The U.S. has repeatedly called for a return of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority and the resumption of peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Sullivan said he would also speak to Netanyahu about his recent comments that Israel Defense Forces would maintain open-ended security control of Gaza after the war ends. "I will have the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu about what exactly he has in mind with that comment, because that can be interpreted in a number of different ways," Sullivan said. "But the U.S. position on this is clear."

EU chief urges sanctions on 'extremist' Israeli West Bank settlers
Associated Press/13 December 2023
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday backed imposing sanctions on "extremist" Israeli settlers responsible for attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. "I am in favour of sanctioning those involved in the attacks in the West Bank. They must be held accountable. This violence has nothing to do with the fight against Hamas and must stop," the European Commission president told EU lawmakers.

Israel: Colonel Among 10 Soldiers Killed in Gaza on Tuesday
Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
Israel's military said 10 soldiers were killed in Gaza fighting on Tuesday, including a colonel who had commanded a forward base for the Golani infantry brigade. The statement, issued on Wednesday, updated an earlier statement which had put the latest one-day death toll at eight, among them a lieutenant-colonel who had commanded a Golani regiment. Israel faced growing diplomatic isolation in its war against Hamas as the United Nations demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and US President Joe Biden told the longtime ally its "indiscriminate" bombing of civilians was hurting international support. After dire warnings from UN officials about a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the 193-member General Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire with three-quarters of member states voting in favor. Before the resolution, Biden said Israel now has support from "most of the world" including the US and European Union for its fight against Hamas. "But they're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place," he told a campaign donor event in Washington. In the most public sign of division between the leaders so far, Biden also said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to change his hardline government and that ultimately Israel "can't say no" to an independent Palestinian state - something that Israeli hardliners oppose.

Israel is said to be flooding Hamas tunnels — a tactic Egypt already used in 2013, but with sewage
Joshua Zitser/Business Insider/December 13, 2023
Israel is pumping seawater into Hamas' network of underground tunnels, per the WSJ. It's not a new idea. In 2013, Egypt flooded tunnels connecting Gaza to the Sinai, but with sewage. Two years later, Egypt pumped seawater, hoping to stop the movement of weapons and fighters. Israel is said to be pumping seawater into the underground network of Hamas tunnels in Gaza. The tactic may sound shocking — but it isn't new; Egypt did the same thing at least twice, one using sewage instead of water. According to The Wall Street Journal, Israel on Tuesday began flooding the approximately 300-mile-long tunnels with water from the Mediterranean Sea. Its aim appears to be to force Hamas fighters in the tunnels to leave, where Israel can attack them. Israel believes the tunnel system, nicknamed the "metro," is used to transport weapons and fighters into Israeli territory. The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment when Business Insider asked whether it was flooding the tunnels. But the tactic has a history. Egypt, which borders Gaza to the east, had a similar plan in 2013. It flooded smuggling tunnels connecting Gaza to its Sinai Peninsula, using foul-smelling wastewater. Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's president at the time, wanted to shut the tunnels to block the flow of weapons and militants from Gaza into Sinai, where an insurgency was underway, The New York Times reported at the time. The Egyptian military had previously tried pumping gas into the tunnels before switching to sewage, the Times said. It destroyed some two dozen tunnels in the end. A couple of years later, Egypt started flooding tunnels using seawater pumped from the Mediterranean Sea — almost exactly what the WSJ said Israel is now doing. Egyptian officials confirmed to Al Jazeera that the water-pumping was underway, saying the operation was aimed at ending smuggling activities. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi claimed the flooding of the tunnels was being carried out for security reasons. He said it was coordinated with the Palestinian Authority, the entity which governs the West Bank and used to run Gaza until Hamas took over. In a joint statement in September 2015, several Palestinian factions condemned the flooding, raising concerns that it would destroy agricultural land and pollute underground water reserves, according to Middle East Monitor.Similar concerns are being voiced now, with experts saying Israel's seawater tactic could exacerbate water pollution and cause environmental damage in Gaza.
In 2016, Egypt launched another flooding operation. Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli minister at the time, said that the flooding was partly "due to Israel's request," describing it as a "good solution" for tackling Hamas' network of tunnels. This time there is an extra risk to consider — whether the flooding may harm some of the 100 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, who are yet to be freed. In leaked audio recordings of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, freed hostages and the relatives of those still in captivity said they feared their loved ones would be killed by the deluge of water, per the Israeli media outlet Ynet. The Journal reported that the IDF is reluctant to send soldiers underground because of the risk of booby traps. Instead, the paper said, the army intends to use the flooding method along with airstrikes, explosives, robots, dogs, and drones.

Tanker in Red Sea targeted by speedboat gunfire and missiles -sources
DUBAI (Reuters)/December 13, 2023
A tanker in the Red Sea off Yemen's coast was fired on by gunmen in a speedboat and targeted with missiles, maritime sources said on Wednesday, the latest incident to threaten the shipping lane after Yemeni Houthi forces warned ships not to travel to Israel. A second vessel was also approached by the speedboat in the same area but was not attacked, British maritime security firm Ambrey and other sources said. The Iran-aligned Houthi group has sought to support their Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza war by firing missiles at Israel and threatening shipping in the busy Bab al-Mandab Strait, next to Yemen at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest incident in the busy shipping route off Yemen's coast. "Houthis continue to attack international shipping focusing on ships which in their opinion have a link to Israeli interests or nationals. The safety implications to international shipping are considerable and very concerning," Jakob Larsen, head of safety and security at shipping association BIMCO, told Reuters. "It is pure luck no seafarers have been killed yet."Israel said the international community had to protect global shipping lanes. Ambrey said a Marshall islands-flagged chemical tanker reported an "exchange of fire" with a speedboat 55 nautical miles (102 km) off Hodeidah, saying the boat had fired as it approached. It said the tanker was targeted by three missiles.A security source, who asked not to be named, said two missiles were fired, with one of them brought down by an anti-missile battery and the second falling into the sea. Ambrey said the tanker had been hailed by an entity claiming to be the Yemeni Navy asking the ship to alter course but a nearby warship advised the vessel to maintain course. Coalition Task Force (CTF) Sentinel, the operational arm of the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) that includes navies from the U.S., Britain and others, operates in the area to provide reassurance to commercial shipping. Ambrey also said a Malta-flagged bulk carrier was approached by the speedboat. The Houthi group, based in Sanaa, in the north of a country devastated by years of war, has been targeting vessels it says are Israeli-owned or ships it says are heading to Israel. It has obstructed their passage through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. A senior Houthi official on Tuesday warned cargo ships in the Red Sea to avoid travelling towards Israel, after saying they had hit a Norwegian tanker with a missile earlier in the day. Separately, Britain's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that five or six small boats, with machine guns mounted on their bows, followed a ship in the Arabian Sea for about 90 minutes about 90 nautical miles off the Omani coastal town of Duqm. They later left, it said. The UKMTO advised ships to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

Missiles from Yemen miss ship near key Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Associated Press/13 December 2023
Two missiles fired from territory held by Yemen's Houthi rebels missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel near the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, a U.S. official said. An American warship also shot down a suspected Houthi drone flying in its direction during the incident, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. No one was hurt in the attack, the official said. The assault on the tanker Ardmore Encounter further internationalizes a campaign by the Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. That potentially imperils cargo and energy shipments coming through the Suez Canal and further widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was traveling north toward the Suez Canal in the Red Sea, satellite tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed. The vessel had been coming from Mangalore, India, and had an armed security crew aboard it, according to data transmitted by the ship. Ardmore Shipping Corp., which owns and operates the ship, issued a statement to the AP acknowledging the attack.
"No one boarded the vessel and all crew members are safe and accounted for," the statement said. "The vessel remains fully operational with no loss of cargo or damage on board." It added: "Ardmore is in close contact with the relevant authorities and military assistance is now in the area providing support as required."The ship carried a load of jet fuel from Shell MRPL Aviation Fuels & Services Ltd., a joint operation of the oil giant and India's national oil company. The fuel was heading to either Rotterdam in the Netherlands or Gavle, Sweden, Ardmore Shipping said. Shell declined to comment. Ardmore Shipping traded slight up early Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange to $13.64 a share. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, earlier reported an incident in the same area of the Ardmore Encounter. It also reported an incident occurring off the coast of Oman. On Monday night, a missile also fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and launched drones and missiles targeting Israel. In recent days, they have threatened to attack any vessel they believe is either going to or coming from Israel. There was no immediate link found between the Ardmore Encounter and Israel.
Analysts suggest the Houthis hope to shore up waning popular support after years of civil war in Yemen between the rebels and Saudi-backed forces.
France and the United States have stopped short of saying their ships were targeted in rebel attacks, but have said Houthi drones have headed toward their ships and were shot down in self-defense. Washington so far has declined to directly respond to the attacks, as has Israel, whose military continues to insist the ships do not have links to their country. Global shipping has increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even during a brief pause in fighting during which Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The collapse of the truce and the resumption of a punishing Israeli ground offensive and airstrikes on Gaza have raised the risk of more sea attacks. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passes through it. An estimated $1 trillion in goods pass through the strait annually. In November, Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. A separate, tentative cease-fire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen's exiled government has held for months despite that country's long war. That's raised concerns that any wider conflict in the sea — or a potential reprisal strike from Western forces — could reignite those tensions in the Arab world's poorest nation. In 2016, the U.S. launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory to retaliate for missiles being fired at U.S. Navy ships at the time.

UN Refugee Chief Expects Further Displacement Due to Gaza Conflict
Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
The United Nations refugee chief said on Wednesday that he foresees more displacement in the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas that has internally displaced 85% of Gaza's population. "The events that have occurred in Israel and Gaza since the 7th of October are outside the mandate of UNHCR," Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva. "Tragically, however, we foresee more civilian deaths and suffering and also further displacement that threatens the region." Israel forged ahead with its air and ground offensive Wednesday in Gaza. The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in the deaths of over 18,400 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.

UN warns of rising infectious diseases in Gaza
Miranda Nazzaro/The Hill./December 13, 2023
The United Nations (U.N.) on Tuesday warned of rising infectious diseases in Gaza amid overcrowded living conditions and an overwhelmed health system as Israel continues to wage air and ground attacks against Palestinian militant group Hamas. The spread of diseases in Gaza has “reportedly intensified,” according the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which pointed to the Gaza Health Ministry’s estimate of 360,000 cases of infectious diseases in shelters. A spokesperson for the Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said the actual number of cases is believed to be higher. Cases of meningitis, chickenpox and other upper respiratory tract infections have been reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). In remarks over the weekend, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of “worrying signals” of epidemic diseases, including bloody diarrhea and jaundice. The OCHA said the director of the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah — located in southern Gaza — confirmed diarrhea and influenza are spreading among displaced people in the city, including 1,500 cases of intestinal disease due to food shortages. The health crisis is only exacerbated by a crippling health system, which Tedros described as “on its knees” in earlier remarks. The WHO chief said the health system “has been reduced to one-third of what it was.”The influx of displaced civilians — an estimated 80 percent of Gaza’s civilian population — moving into U.N. schools-turned-shelters and already overcrowded hospitals is adding to the crisis as fighting continues across the territory. The OCHA noted that while limited aid is being distributed around Rafah, distribution in the rest of Gaza Strip “has largely stopped” in the wake of hostilities and restricted movement. A week-long cease-fire between Israel and Hamas last month allowed more aid to move into the besieged region, but humanitarian leaders have warned it was not enough for the high demand. More than 18,400 Palestinians have been killed in subsequent attacks since Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, the Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday, per The Associated Press. The U.N. overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for a an immediate cease-fire in Gaza just a day prior, calling for all parties to obey international humanitarian law. The resolution also issues a demand to release the remaining hostages — after 100 of them were released during last month’s temporary cease-fire. Hamas is believed to have kidnapped a total of about 240 during its Oct. 7 assault. The U.S. and Israel were among the 10 countries to vote against the resolution, while 23 countries abstained. The Biden administration has largely supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, but has upped calls for Israel to do better to protect civilian deaths and allow for more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

Wartime Palestinian poll shows surge in Hamas support, close to 90% want US-backed Abbas to resign
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) /Wed, December 13, 2023
A wartime opinion poll among Palestinians published Wednesday shows a rise in support for Hamas, even in the devastated Gaza Strip, and an overwhelming rejection of Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas, with nearly 90% saying he must resign. The findings by a Palestinian pollster signal more difficulties ahead for the Biden administration's postwar vision for Gaza and raise questions about Israel's stated goal of ending Hamas' military and governing capabilities. Washington has called for the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, currently led by Abbas, to eventually assume control of Gaza and run both territories as a precursor to statehood. U.S. officials have said the PA must be revitalized, without letting on whether this would mean leadership changes. The PA administers pockets of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has governed Gaza until a takeover by Hamas militants in 2007. The Palestinians have not held elections since 2006 when Hamas won a parliamentary majority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads the most right-wing government in Israel's history, has soundly rejected any role for the PA in Gaza and insists Israel must retain open-ended security control there. Arab allies of the U.S. have said they’ll only get involved in post-war reconstruction if there’s a credible push toward a two-state solution, which is unlikely under Netanyahu’s government, dominated by opponents of Palestinian statehood. With survey results indicating a further erosion of the PA’s legitimacy, at a time when there's no apparent path toward restarting credible negotiations on Palestinian statehood, the default for postwar Gaza is an open-ended Israeli occupation, said pollster Khalil Shikaki. “Israel is stuck in Gaza,” Shikaki told The Associated Press ahead of the publication of the survey's results by his Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, or PSR. "Maybe the next (Israeli) government will decide that Netanyahu is not right in putting all these conditions, and they might decide to withdraw unilaterally from Gaza. But the default for the future, for Israel and Gaza, is that Israel is in full reoccupation of Gaza.”
The survey was conducted among 1,231 people in the West Bank and Gaza from Nov. 22-Dec. 2, with an error margin of 4 percentage points. In Gaza, poll workers conducted interviews during a weeklong cease-fire that ended Dec. 1. Shikaki, who runs regular polls, said the error margin was one percentage point higher than usual because of war-related mass displacement. The survey provided insights about Palestinian views of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other Gaza militants on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians. Israel's subsequent war on Hamas has killed more than 18,400 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, in a sustained bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, now in its third month.
Despite the devastation, 57% of respondents in Gaza and 82% in the West Bank believe Hamas was correct in launching the attack, the poll indicated. A large majority believed Hamas' claims that it acted to defend a major Islamic shrine in Jerusalem against Jewish extremists and win the release of Palestinian prisoners. Only 10% said they believed Hamas has committed war crimes, with a large majority saying they did not see videos showing the militants committing atrocities.
The videos, along with extensive eyewitness testimony and reporting by The Associated Press and others, show that hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were abducted or gunned down inside their own homes. There have also been accounts of widespread sexual violence.
But while Israeli media coverage has focused intensely on the attack in the weeks since, Palestinian media has been fixated on the war in Gaza and the suffering of civilians there. Shikaki noted that Gaza residents are more critical of Hamas than those in the West Bank, that support for Hamas typically spikes during periods of armed conflict before leveling out, and that even now, most Palestinians do not back the militant group. He said the most popular politician remains Marwan Barghouti, a prominent figure in Abbas' Fatah movement who is serving multiple life terms in an Israeli prison for his alleged role in several deadly attacks during the second Palestinian uprising two decades ago. In a two-way presidential race, Ismail Haniyeh, the exiled political leader of Hamas, would trounce Abbas while in a three-way race, Barghouti would be ahead just slightly, Shikaki said. Overall, 88% want Abbas to resign, up by 10 percentage points from three months ago. In the West Bank, 92% called for the resignation of the octogenarian who has presided over an administration widely seen as corrupt, autocratic and ineffective. At the same time, 44% in the West Bank said they supported Hamas, up from just 12% in September. In Gaza, the militants enjoyed 42% support, up from 38% three months ago. Shikaki said support for the PA declined further, with nearly 60% now saying it should be dissolved. In the West Bank, Abbas' continued security coordination with Israel's military against Hamas, his bitter political rival, is widely unpopular. Netanyahu has attacked Abbas for years, alleging he was enabling anti-Israeli incitement in the West Bank, while at the same time permitting regular Qatari support payments to Gaza that strengthened Hamas. Critics of Netanyahu's overall approach say it was aimed at preventing negotiations on Palestinian statehood. The poll also signaled widespread frustration with the international community, particularly the United States, key European countries and even the United Nations, which has pushed for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire. “The level of anti-Americanism and anti-Westernism is huge among Palestinians because of the positions they have taken regarding international humanitarian law and what is happening in Gaza,” Shikaki said.

Yemeni Naval Forces Ready to Safeguard Red Sea Maritime Security
Aden: Ali RabihAsharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
In the face of mounting Houthi assaults on global maritime traffic in the Red Sea, Yemeni government forces are actively preparing to embark on maritime security missions in the regional waters. This development unfolds in tandem with global initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges presented by the Iran-backed militant group. Houthis recently targeted a Norwegian-flagged ship off the coast of Yemen near the port of Mokha, resulting in damage to the vessel. In another incident, the French military announced intercepting and destroying a Houthi drone, marking the second naval interception operation by the French Navy in the Red Sea. On his part, Brig. Gen. Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), conducted a review on Tuesday of symbolic naval formations from the Coast Guard and the First Marine Brigade in the city of Mokha in the Taiz governorate. According to official media, the review showcased the high readiness of Yemeni forces to carry out their duties in safeguarding peace and security within maritime borders in the western coastal sector. Brig. Gen. Saleh, who also leads the National Resistance forces (NRF) in western Yemen, emphasized “the importance of maintaining high vigilance and remaining in constant readiness to confront any aggressive risks that threaten ports, coasts, liberated islands, and regional waters.”Moreover, he emphasized that achieving stability in Yemen is the primary objective in developing any military force.
Brig.Gen. Saleh asserted that the aggressive actions of Iran’s proxy in Yemen are geared towards harming Yemenis, destabilizing the country, and interfering with regional waters. These activities, he stated, serve to safeguard Iran's interests and its overarching project, which aims to control international waters in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. On Monday, Brig. Gen. Saleh met with a Saudi military delegation led by Brig. Gen. Hussein Awad Al-Harbi. According to state media, the meeting discussed the readiness of the Yemeni naval forces and coast guard to secure and protect Yemen’s maritime borders within the region’s efforts on both banks of the Red Sea to maintain the security and safety of the region. The meeting also explored ways to support and enhance the capabilities of the Yemeni Navy. The aim is to strengthen their role in securing Yemen’s maritime borders and protecting them from terrorist threats along the Red Sea coasts. This aligns with regional initiatives to uphold the security and peace of the area, preventing conflicts and tensions. As reported by the Saba News Agency, Brig. Gen. Saleh and Brig. Gen. Al-Harbi also emphasized commitment to ongoing coordination and collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. They underscored joint efforts to safeguard international shipping routes in the Red Sea, with a shared goal of maintaining the security and safety of the region.

Where Biden and Netanyahu don’t see eye to eye
Daily Star/December 13/2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a stance against allowing the Palestine Authority, currently governing portions of the West Bank, to have any administrative role in the Gaza Strip after conflicts with Hamas conclude. This move is seen as a deliberate effort to undermine the revival of the “two-state solution” peace plan, which has been the cornerstone of efforts to resolve the longstanding conflict in the Middle East. The two-state solution, originating in 1991 and supported by the United States—Israel’s principal ally—envisions the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, coexisting peacefully with Israel. Despite being inactive for a long time, this approach is widely regarded as the most feasible pathway to achieving peace in the region. The administration of US President Joe Biden has suggested that the Palestine Authority should play a pivotal role, potentially even a permanent one, in the establishment of the future Palestinian state. Since the onset of the Gaza conflict on October 7, President Biden has often spoken about this vision, albeit without a detailed plan for its realization. Biden has emphasized the need for a clear strategy post-crisis, advocating for the two-state solution. Echoing this sentiment, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on November 8, reaffirmed the administration’s support for the two-state solution and proposed that Gaza be integrated with the West Bank under the governance of the Palestine Authority. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has consistently opposed these proposals. He has been a critic of the two-state solution since its inception and has avoided directly opposing it in the current context, particularly while Biden supports his military campaign. His strategy involves counteracting a fundamental aspect of the peace plan: the involvement of the Palestine Authority, a successor to the Palestine Liberation Front, which originally negotiated the two-state plan with Israel.

Bodies of two hostages recovered in Gaza, says Israel
The Telegraph/December 13/2023
The Israeli army said on Tuesday that it had recovered during an operation in Gaza the bodies of two hostages taken by Hamas in its October 7 attack. Following a positive identification of the remains, authorities informed their families that the two “bodies had been recovered and returned to Israel”, the army said in a statement. The army had previously confirmed that one of the hostages, soldier Ziv Dado, was killed on the day of the attack, but Israel considers those still held by Hamas to be hostages regardless of whether they are dead or alive. The other hostage, Eden Zecharya, was taken by Hamas from the Supernova music festival near the Reim kibbutz. Before the bodies of Dado and Zecharya were recovered, Israel said it believed 137 hostages were still in Hamas captivity. A statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has helped to coordinate relatives’ outreach efforts, said that Zecharya “was kidnapped while injured in the upper half of her body”, and that her boyfriend was murdered during the attack. The army said that during the operation to recover the bodies, two soldiers “fell in battle and additional soldiers were injured”. Another hostage, Sahar Baruch, was confirmed dead last week after a failed army rescue attempt that left two soldiers wounded. Under a one-week truce deal that ended on December 1, 105 hostages were released from Gaza, among them 80 Israelis - mostly women and children - freed in exchange for 240 Palestinians jailed by Israel. Efforts to revive the deal have stalled, and Hamas warned on Sunday that no more hostages would leave Gaza alive unless its demands for more prisoner releases were met. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.

Hamas is only winning in the minds of idiotic young Westerners
Colonel Richard Kemp/The Telegraph/December 13/ 2023
You may not realise it from social media and much mainstream media, but Israel is winning decisively in Gaza, with Hamas consistently outgunned and outfought. The butchers of 7th October are beginning to lay down their weapons and surrender in droves or just run away.
While still clearing the enemy out of parts of Gaza City, since the ceasefire ended the IDF’s main effort has switched south into Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second largest town and Hamas’s major stronghold. In a stunning operation last week, IDF ground forces rapidly broke through Hamas defences there, encircled the city, drove a wedge between two major fighting formations and are now launching targeted raids into the heart of the terrorist infrastructure. The tunnels are being cleared out by specially trained soldiers and dogs, along with robots, and destroyed using explosives and imaginative techniques, potentially including sea water and sponge bombs. Meanwhile the air force, as well as directly supporting ground troops with attack drones, helicopters and combat planes, has been striking at Hamas leaders, intelligence operatives and munitions. The last few days have seen some of the heaviest fighting so far.
The consequences have been devastating for the terrorists. Many have been killed, including battalion commanders who cannot be replaced. In my experience even some of the most hardcore jihadists are only too willing to spill the beans after being taken captive and therefore the growing number of prisoners will give up critical intelligence on operational plans and the whereabouts of senior Hamas leaders. On top of this military ruination there is a growing resentment within Gaza. Ordinary people know their lives have been devastated and loved ones killed and maimed as a result of Hamas’s actions. Sensing the terrorists’ weakening stranglehold, more and more civilians are speaking out against the oppressive regime in a way that has never before been possible, including, it appears, to TV cameras.
All this signals the beginning of the end for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The fight is not yet over but Israel’s objectives are being met with greater speed and effectiveness than many expected. Wisely, the Israelis took little heed of American and British military experts that urged restraint, advising the IDF not to invade with armoured divisions but instead rely on special forces raids as they themselves had done in Iraq and Afghanistan. That didn’t work there and it wouldn’t have worked in Gaza. Netanyahu was also right about his strategy for preventing a regional war: go strong and Iran’s proxy terrorist groups will waver. Now Hizballah and its masters in Tehran are clearly shaken as they watch their allies in Gaza being eviscerated. Thus Israel has now seized the initiative for unavoidable military action against the enormous threat from Lebanon. With all this plain to see, why is there a narrative in the West, given credence by some mainstream politicians, that Israel is somehow failing? The pernicious impact of TikTok activism as well as prejudice among Gen-Z, and many of their elders that never grew up, have been throwing fuel onto a decades-long propaganda campaign against Israel. Under that agenda, Israel brings on itself whatever is done to it, including the horrors of 7th October, and itself can only do wrong. Those who have been taken in by this propaganda greedily swallow Hamas lies about genocide, indiscriminate IDF killing of civilians and even reject or ignore evidence of mass crimes on 7th October. Refusing to countenance anything outside their social media echo chambers, they don’t want Israel to prevail against one of the greatest evils the world has ever seen and so they won’t accept that it can possibly do so.

Israeli army opens fire at hospital wards: Gaza health ministry
AFP/December 13, 2023
GAZA STRIP: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Wednesday that Israeli forces have opened fire at hospital rooms, raising fears for the safety of 12 children in paediatric care. “The occupation (Israeli) forces have tightened the siege and the targeting of Kamal Adwan hospital, firing at patient rooms and courtyards,” ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said in a statement. “We fear the death of 12 children in paediatric care who are already deprived of milk and are without life support equipment.”The Israeli army did not offer an immediate comment, while AFP was unable to confirm the situation at the hospital independently.On Tuesday Qudra said that Israeli forces had stormed the Kamal Adwan hospital in the north of the Palestinian territory and were rounding up men in the courtyard. The previous day, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said two mothers were killed when the maternity department of Kamal Adwan hospital was reportedly hit. In Wednesday’s statement, Qudra said that Israeli forces had detained hospital director Ahmed Al-Kahlot and other staff members who were “tortured and deprived of food and drink.”Several of them were later released, he said. Qudra said the Israeli forces were also targeting Al-Awda hospital and tightening the siege of the facility, “depriving it of water, food and electricity.”Forces were also “preventing the wounded and sick from reaching” the hospital, he added. Israeli troops have previously raided other medical facilities in Gaza, including Al-Shifa, the territory’s largest hospital. The military accuses Hamas of using hospitals as command centers to plan and launch attacks against Israeli forces, a charge denied by the militant group. There is currently only one hospital in northern Gaza able to admit patients, according to the UN. Just 14 of 36 hospitals across the territory are functioning, providing limited health care while sheltering thousands of displaced people, the World Health Organization said Sunday. More than 18,600 Gazans have been killed and almost 50,600 wounded since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted more than two months ago, according to the health ministry. Around 1,200 people were killed in an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, Israeli officials say, which sparked the blistering military response on Gaza. The majority of war casualties in Israel and Gaza have been civilians.

UNHCR to open office on Lebanese-Syrian border to control refugee movement
IANS/13 Dec 2023
The UNHCR will open an office on the Lebanese-Syrian border to control the movement of refugees, said the Lebanese Council of Ministers. The decision, announced on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum 2023 held on December 13-15 at the UN headquarters in Geneva, was reached between UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the Council said on Tuesday in a statement. During a meeting with Mikati, Grandi noted that the refugee problem constitutes a challenge for the UNHCR due to the shortage of funding, adding he believed that the best solution is to support the displaced in their homeland, which will take some time. For his part, the Lebanese Prime Minister called on the UNHCR to focus its support for refugees on incentive projects in their home country in a bid to encourage their return, Xinhua news agency reported. Mikati noted that Lebanon has received the data related to the displaced from the UNHCR, and is clarifying the status of each case, adding that his country cannot continue to host this large number of refugees. Lebanon, which currently hosts around two million Syrian refugees, remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, according to the government data. It has become an unbearable burden for the country that's suffering an unprecedented financial crisis.

Jordan Says One Soldier, Several Drug Dealers Killed in Syria Border Clash
Beirut: Paul Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
Palestinian officials in Lebanon consider the Hamas movement’s decision to establish a new unit under the name of the Vanguards of the Al-Aqsa Flood, as an effort to increase its popularity in the Palestinian camps and enhance its role at the expense of the Fatah movement, which has long been seen as the most prominent Palestinian faction in the country. Palestinian sources close to Fatah believe that Hamas wants to exploit the war in Gaza to increase its popularity in the Palestinian refugee camps, in light of the great sympathy it enjoys after the Oct. 7. They noted that the primary goal of the Vanguards of the Al-Aqsa Flood was to attract young people and mobilize them intellectually and then militarily to form the nucleus of a military force for Hamas outside Palestine. Early last week, Hamas called on “young and heroic men” to join the “Vanguards of the resistance.” The movement’s sources later explained that the project was linked to Lebanon and “does not aim exclusively to gather more fighters, but rather to include more individuals in Hamas, who are active in more than one segment.”Ghassan Ayoub, a member of the Palestinian Joint Action Committee in Lebanon, told Asharq Al-Awsat that there was “a rush on the part of the movement to search for how to invest in the aggression against Gaza.” For his part, the director of the Development Center for Strategic Studies and Human Development, Palestinian Researcher Hisham Dibsi, pointed to “field data in the camps indicating that [Hamas] wants to invest in this militia formation, by attracting the largest possible number of members, who are dazzled by the acts of violence, fighting, and victories that Hamas claims to have achieved.” According to the Lebanese Central Bureau of Statistics and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there are 230,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon living in 12 camps and 156 Palestinian communities in the governorates of Lebanon. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in a census conducted about 11 years ago, confirmed the presence of more than 483,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Spanish Foreign Minister Visits Morocco
Rabat: Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, will start an official visit to Morocco on Wednesday, his first trip to the North African country since his appointment following Pedro Sanchez’ re-election as Prime Minister. The two-day visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations in various fields, notably political, economic, commercial and linguistic ones, Spanish diplomatic sources told the Moroccan news agency, MAP, on Tuesday. They added that Spain's top diplomat will hold talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita on Thursday morning. Diplomatic sources in Rabat and Madrid told the Spanish news agency EFE that Albares’ visit to the Moroccan capital affirms the Spanish government's determination to strengthen political, commercial and cultural relations with Morocco. The same sources said businessmen from both countries are expected to hold a meeting to strengthen trade relations.
Relations improved between the two countries after Spain announced in a letter to the King in March 2022 its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan “as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for settling the dispute” over the Western Sahara. One month later, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Sanchez met in Rabat, where the two men reaffirmed their will to open a new phase in relations between the two countries based on “a clear roadmap that allows the management of matters of interest in a concerted manner, in a spirit of normality and good neighborliness, without room for unilateral acts.” They also agreed to activate concrete activities within the framework of a roadmap covering all sectors of the partnership and issues of common interest. The roadmap includes 16 points that underline, among other things, the willingness to perpetuate the excellent relations that have always linked the two countries, and reaffirms the determination to constantly enrich them, in a spirit of trust and consultation. Last February, Rabat hosted the 12th high-level Spanish-Moroccan Forum where the two countries expressed their shared commitment to sustaining relations and reviving trade and investments. Following the meeting, Spain renewed its recognition of the autonomy initiative as a solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue.

Iraq parliament postpones speaker election
Agence France Presse/13 December 2023
Iraq's parliament postponed until further notice its planned vote for a new speaker on Wednesday, local media reported, with MPs focused on local elections. The previous speaker, influential Sunni politician Mohamed al-Halbussi, was dismissed last month after accusations of forgery in an arcane dispute with another member of parliament. Official news agency INA reported that lawmakers were too busy with provincial elections due next Monday, and cancelled the vote on a new speaker. Iraq, a mosaic of different ethnic and religious groups, is governed by complex power-sharing arrangements. The largely ceremonial role of president traditionally goes to a Kurd, that of prime minister to a Shiite, while the speaker of parliament is usually Sunni. But parliament is dominated by a coalition of pro-Iran Shiite parties, reflecting the country's largest religious group. Elections and appointments to the highest posts are often arduous affairs that can last months, punctuated by interminable negotiations and fiercely debated agreements. On Monday, Iraq will hold elections for 15 of 18 provincial councils (the three in autonomous Kurdistan operate separately), the first in a decade. Regional governments control budgets for health, transport, education and infrastructure projects in the oil-rich nation. But they are criticised as hotbeds of corruption, and were dissolved in 2019 after mass protests.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 13-14/2023
Woke Cowardice: Wrong University Presidents at the Wrong Time
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/December 13, 2023
As Ecclesiastes observed "to everything there is a season". This seems to be the season for woke cowardice
[These administrators] are also insensitive to civil liberties and the rights of those with whom they disagree. It creates divisiveness on campuses that makes Jewish students and faculty fearful for their safety when their university president seems unwilling to apply the same standard to those who advocate genocide against Jews as they surely would against anyone who advocated genocide against Blacks or the raping of women or the shooting of gay and transgender people.
What these universities need now are principled advocates of a single standard, rather than leaders who base their decisions on outside pressures and the need to pander to extremist students, faculty and administrators.
One thing is clear: [university presidents] should be selected on the basis of relevant, individual meritocratic criteria— not the cookie cutter criteria of the "diversity, equity and inclusion" bureaucracies.
The three university presidents who disgraced themselves and their universities by their abysmal testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce represent a far larger concern.
The forced resignation of the president of the University of Pennsylvania is a good first step in dealing with a far more pervasive problem in higher education.
The three university presidents who disgraced themselves and their universities by their abysmal testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce represent a far larger concern.
In recent years, many universities have selected as their presidents woke, progressive cowards who pander to the most extreme and most vocal left-wing students and professors. They are the wrong people, at the wrong time, to be leading American educational institutions.
When I first came to Harvard in 1964, university presidents all came from the same cookie-cutter. They were white Anglo-Saxon males, who represented the wealthy conservative donors and board members. There were no Jewish university presidents and the then president of Harvard – Nathan Marsh Pusey – made it clear that no Jew need apply for the presidency or deanships.
Within a decade, following the civil rights movement, matters changed considerably. Several years ago, many of the most elite universities had Jewish presidents and Jewish deans.
Now matters have changed again and many of the new presidents represent the current political correctness reflected by the "diversity, equity and inclusion" (DEI) bureaucracies. Many also represent, or are sympathetic to, woke progressive movements that today dominate many campuses.
As Ecclesiastes observed, "to everything there is a season". This seems to be the season for woke cowardice. Many of the current university presidents also seem to come from a cookie-cutter. They are different from previous university presidents but seem quite similar to each other in their pandering to the DEI and progressive woke constituencies on campus.
The recent spate of rabid anti-Semitism on so many campuses has posed enormous challenges to this new breed of university presidents. For the most part they have failed miserably to meet these challenges, as reflected by the big three who testified so ineptly.
A friend of mine, who was the president of a major university during the "Jewish period," told me that the one characteristic which is not a qualification for being a current university president is "courage." To that, should be added a commitment to principle.
Also at fault for the selection of current university presidents are the boards of directors who select them in an effort to pander to current student and faculty demands for DEI. They have ignored the majority of students and faculty, as well as the majority of alumni and donors. This overlooked and large constituency wants to see academic excellence and political neutrality on behalf of university presidents, deans and administrators. Most would prefer what has come to be called "the Chicago principles," which require that the university itself stay out of politics.
Only a handful of universities have accepted these principles even in theory. Most universities pick and choose among the political views they publicly espouse. For example, virtually every university condemned the killing of George Floyd by a policeman -- but many refused to condemn Hamas' October 7 murder of more than 1,200 Israelis (and many Americans) and the kidnapping of more than 240 other Israelis. It is this double standard that has opened these administrators to criticism that they are more sensitive to Black lives than to Jewish lives. They are also insensitive to civil liberties and the rights of those with whom they disagree.
Just as many of these new university presidents were selected for symbolism, so too should they be dismissed for symbolism. What they symbolized during the Congressional testimony does a disservice to their students, their faculty and their alumni. It teaches the wrong lessons to current and future students. It creates divisiveness on campuses that makes Jewish students and faculty fearful for their safety when their university president seems unwilling to apply the same standard to those who advocate genocide against Jews as they surely would against anyone who advocated genocide against Blacks or the raping of women or the shooting of gay and transgender people.
It is not enough that these presidents are constantly forced to apologize for their cowardice because of pressure from the outside. What these universities need now are principled advocates of a single standard, rather than leaders who base their decisions on outside pressures and the need to pander to extremist students, faculty and administrators.
These are the wrong leaders for today's educational challenges. Those who selected them were employing the wrong criteria. It will not be easy to find the correct replacements who can strike the proper balance between responding to the pervasive anti-Semitism and "cancel culture" on current campuses. One thing is clear: they should be selected on the basis of relevant, individual meritocratic criteria -- not the cookie-cutter criteria of the DEI bureaucracies.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
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Gazans Mass at Border for Safety, but Find Only More Peril
Ameera Harouda, Ben Hubbard and Vivian Nereim/The New York Times/December 13, 2023
The last point of refuge for Palestinians fleeing from Israel’s relentless siege of Gaza is collapsing under the weight of tens of thousands of people seeking food and shelter, stirring fears of a potential mass displacement into Egypt, United Nations officials warned on Sunday. Pressure is mounting in the area near Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, Rafah, where many Palestinians have tried to escape Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, only to find more death, hunger and desperation.
“Where should I go? Tell me, where should I go?” said Raif Naji Abu Lubda, 39, a farmer who fled to the border area with his wife and six children.
The family is now sleeping on the ground in the cold and cannot find food or even salty water to drink, he said. Still, Mr. Abu Lubda said, he would rather “go home and die there” than be forced into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula — a scenario that Egypt and other Arab governments in any event have flatly rejected, fearing that if large numbers of Palestinians leave Gaza, Israel won’t allow them to return.
In some wars, civilians can escape the violence by fleeing to neighboring countries, with the understanding that they will return home after the fighting stops. But the displacement of Palestinians surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948 and the decades of conflict since has left Arab governments scared that Israel might use the war to push Palestinians from Gaza permanently. Speaking at a conference in Qatar on Sunday, Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, said that Israel’s military campaign amounted to “a systematic effort to empty Gaza of its people.” Much of Jordan’s population are Palestinians whose ancestors fled or were driven from what is now Israel — an event that Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, and consider a deep historic trauma.
At the same conference in Qatar, the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, raised concerns that the terrible conditions for Palestinians crowded near Gaza’s border with Egypt created the possibility of a “mass displacement” into the Sinai. “There is no effective protection of civilians in Gaza,” Mr. Guterres said. “I expect public order to completely break down soon, and an even worse situation could unfold.”An Israeli government spokesman, Eylon Levy, called the Jordanian foreign minister’s allegations “outrageous and false.”“Israel is fighting to defend itself from the monsters who perpetrated the Oct. 7 massacre, and the purpose of our campaign is to bring those monsters to justice and ensure they can never again hurt our people,” he said at a news conference.
Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt became critical after Israel imposed a siege on the territory in response to the attack carried out by Hamas, which runs Gaza. Hamas forces killed some 1,200 people, according to the Israeli authorities. The Israeli military assault that followed has killed more than 15,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there — a bombing campaign whose intensity has few precedents this century. With Israel largely shuttering its crossings with Gaza, Rafah has become the entry point for the vast majority of aid, and an exit route for a small number of people.
With Israeli forces attacking southern Gaza, Gazans have flocked to the border area in search of safety and supplies. Thousands are arriving daily, following Israeli evacuation orders that described the area as safe.
But relief is in short supply. Aid workers have warned of “extreme” overcrowding and a “dire” situation. Those deteriorating conditions, officials fear, could push Palestinians over the border into Egypt. Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which takes care of Palestinian refugees, said that even if there was no “deliberate policy” to do so, Israel’s military operations were “putting more and more pressure for this type of scenario to unfold.”
“The population has been pushed more and more into tinier and tinier and tinier pieces of land in the Gaza Strip, and there is no way that this piece of land will be able to accommodate such a high number of people,” he said in an interview on Sunday.
Gazans who have fled to the area thinking that the south would be safe have found that Israel is bombing there, too. “We have no other place — and no safe place,” said Ziad Obeid, a Palestinian civil servant.
Mr. Obeid and his family ended up on the outskirts of Rafah after fleeing farther and farther south during the war. “We are fighting day and night just to get some bread, water and vegetables,” he said, recounting failed attempts to find eggs for his elderly mother. The Israeli government has not publicly called for large numbers of Gazans to move to Egypt. But diplomats have said that in private, Israel has pushed for them to be housed there for the duration of the war. Egyptian leaders adamantly oppose the idea, partly out of economic and security concerns.
Today, many Palestinians fear that Israel’s plan since the war began has been to make conditions in Gaza so dangerous and miserable that Gazans are forced to flee into Egypt. “The developments we are witnessing point to attempts to move Palestinians into Egypt, regardless of whether they stay there or are resettled elsewhere,” Mr. Lazzarini wrote in an opinion article this week in The Los Angeles Times.
“We are punished for something that we don’t have any role in,” said Mr. Obeid, the Palestinian civil servant. “The civilians who are being killed day and night all around Gaza should not be punished.” Mr. Abu Lubda, the farmer, lamented that Gazans felt abandoned by the world. “The United Nations doesn’t care about us, the Security Council doesn’t care about us, the Arab League doesn’t care about us, no one cares about us,” he said. “They threw us in the streets.”

Organized Distortion
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/13 December 2023
As usual with crises in our region, and when a war breaks out as a result of a misadventure or in service of regional agendas, the battle has two fronts: one on the ground and another in the public sphere that waged to distort the discourse and divert attention away from the big picture.
This happened after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 by Al-Qaeda and then its terrorism in Saudi Arabia. It happened after the 2006 war in Lebanon, which broke out because of Hezbollah’s adventurism, after the US invasion of Iraq, and with the emergence of ISIS in Iraq and its spread throughout our region.
This organized distortion was also seen during what was falsely called the Arab Spring, and the traditional media also bear responsibility for all of this. Leaked video and audio were used widely during this period, until they were eventually forged. The most glaring is the "Abu Adas" video published to spread misinformation about the assassination of the late Rafik Hariri.
And now the same organized distortion is being seen after the Israeli war on Gaza, with the aim of distracting the public from seeing the big picture and asking serious questions.This distortion is now on the media and social networks, and use of all the latest technology to fabricate and deceive. This happens because there are those who do not want to raise serious questions: What are the objectives of the October 7 operation? What did it want to achieve? What has Hamas achieved so far? And what cost have the people of Gaza paid for the moment, in blood, lives, and savings?
We are facing organized distortion, as they do not want us to ask questions about the timing of the operation. Why was it launched now? It reunified a divided Israeli society that had been split between supporters and opponents of Netanyahu, who is now trying to turn the tables and go from being a washed up politician awaiting prison to a politician vying for a comeback as a national hero.
Facing accusations of corruption, Netanyahu, who had divided the Israeli society with his judicial reforms, and whose ties were tense even with the US president, now says that whoever can't withstand Washington's pressure doesn't deserve to be in office.
How did this political outcast threatened with prison turn into a prime minister leading a war with Washington's support now? Who led us here as a result of a misreading that led to an unexpected, unequal war with unclear objectives?
We are facing organized distortion. The Muslim Brotherhood and Iran don't want serious questions asked about Tehran and Hezbollah abandoning Hamas. Their narrative of a unity of arenas has proved empty.
The most important question now: could Lebanon bear the costs of a new war if one were to break out? Is it acceptable for Israel and Hezbollah to agree on a return behind the Litani River? And if it happens, is it acceptable for Hezbollah to agree to avoid war with Israel, while it rages on in Gaza?
In conclusion, their distortion aims to avert serious questions about the future of Gaza, who will govern it after Hamas, for fear of hearing that "enough means enough" and that Hamas must leave Gaza to avoid further bloodshed.
Thus, this is organized distortion, and those concerned should focus on the big picture, marginal battles and incitement campaigns to paint rivals as traitors carried out by what I call "keyboard jihadists" among the supporters of Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iranian groups.

The Truth behind Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to Americans’
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/13 December 2023
As the war between Israel and Palestinians rages on, an old “Letter to Americans” from terrorist extraordinaire Osama bin Laden recently went viral on Tiktok, where it apparently “opened” many eyes (as discussed here).
What great revelations did the al-Qaeda chief make in this letter from 2002? While justifying the strikes of September 11, 2001, he accused America of any number of crimes—chief among them support for Israel at the expense of Palestinians.
The problem with Osama’s litany list against America (and, in other letters, the West in its entirety) was that none of his accusations were the ultimate reason that al-Qaeda hated the U.S. and Europe. Indeed, merely recalling the little known circumstances that gave rise to Osama’s so-called “Letter to Americans” is enough to prove the great hypocrisy behind it. Background: sometime in February 2002, sixty American thinkers drafted a letter titled “What We’re Fighting For,” wherein they declared America’s resolve to combat Islamic terrorism following the 9/11 strikes.
In response, 153 prominent Saudi scholars drafted their own letter, “How We Can Coexist,” published in May, 2002, in Riyadh. This response, signed by many important figures of the Saudi establishment, incurred the wrath of al-Qaeda, prompting the Saudi bin Laden to write “Al-Qaeda’s Declaration in Response to the Saudi Ulema: It’s Best You Prostrate Yourselves in Secret.”
The whole point of bin Laden’s lengthy essay (translated and annotated in my The Al Qaeda Reader, pp.17-62) was to chastise the Saudis for what he deemed was a theologically invalid and cowardly response, one typified by “prostrations” to the West. To correct the Saudis, he repeatedly emphasized Islam’s “true” position concerning non-Muslims. As such, and because this essay was written to the Saudis (that is, for Islamic eyes only), it is refreshingly honest and straightforward, not unlike the writings of ISIS. For example, the Saudis had written to the Americans that “The heart of the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is justice, kindness, and charity.” Outraged by such a claim, bin Laden reprimanded the Saudis in his declaration:
As to the relationship between Muslims and infidels, this is summarized by the Most High’s Word: “We renounce you. Enmity and hate shall forever reign between us — till you believe in Allah alone” [Koran 60:4].” So there is an enmity, evidenced by fierce hostility from the heart. And this fierce hostility — that is, battle — ceases only if the infidel submits to the authority of Islam, or if his blood is forbidden from being shed, or if Muslims are at that point in time weak and incapable [of waging jihad]. But if the hate at any time extinguishes from the heart, this is great apostasy! Allah Almighty’s Word to his Prophet recounts in summation the true relationship: “O Prophet! Wage war against the infidels and hypocrites and be ruthless. Their abode is hell — an evil fate! [9:73].” Such, then, is the basis and foundation of the relationship between the infidel and the Muslim. Battle, animosity, and hatred — directed from the Muslim to the infidel — is the foundation of our religion. And we consider this a justice and kindness to them. The West perceives fighting, enmity, and hatred all for the sake of the religion [Islam] as unjust, hostile, and evil. But whose understanding is right—our notions of justice and righteousness, or theirs?
Not content with chastising the Saudis, bin Laden then took it upon himself—and here is where it gets interesting—to personally respond to the American letter (“What We’re Fighting For”) by penning a missive titled, “Why We Are Fighting You.” It is this letter that the Guardian published in late 2002, under the title, “Letter to Americans,” and it is this letter that recently went viral. (Though it was recently removed, the letter appears on pp. 196-208.)
Oddly, bin Laden said nothing about those many Islamic doctrines that require Muslims to hate and war against non-Muslims, which he had condemned the Saudis for failing to acknowledge in their “coexist” letter.
For instance, when speaking to the Saudis, bin Laden had written:
There are only three choices in Islam: either willing submission; or payment of the jizya, thereby physical, though not spiritual, submission to the authority of Islam; or the sword—for it is not right to let him [an infidel] live. The matter is summed up for every person alive: either submit, or live under the suzerainty of Islam, or die. Thus it behooves the [Saudi] signatories to clarify this matter to the West— otherwise they will be like those who believe in part of the Book [Koran] while rejecting the rest.
Yet in his letter to Americans, bin Laden portrayed Islam as a “religion of showing kindness to others, establishing justice between them, granting them their rights, and defending the oppressed and the persecuted.” Curiously, he neglects to mention the aforementioned three options that he chided the Saudis for failing to “clarify” to the infidels. Instead, he merely invited Americans to embrace Islam.
In fact, just like the Saudi response to the Americans, al-Qaeda’s letter to the Americans ultimately relies on political, humanitarian, and even emotional arguments as to why al-Qaeda had declared war on the United States (e.g., self-defense, U.S. support for Israel at the expense of Palestinians, U.S. support for oppressive, dictatorial regimes, unjust war in Afghanistan and Iraq, etc.). Even the letter’s opening Koranic verse puts everything in a defensive context: “Permission to fight is given to those who are attacked, for they have been wronged and surely Allah is able to give them victory” [22:39]. Yet when clarifying to the Saudis what Islam really has in store for infidels, he quoted many of the most militant verses, including Koran 9:29:
Fight those among the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] who do not believe in Allah, nor the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and his Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth, until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued. Islam’s classic threefold choice, then — conversion, subjugation, or slaughter— is the ultimate source of problems, including for other terrorist groups, such as Hamas. As the Encyclopaedia of Islam’s entry for “jihad” by Emile Tyan puts it, [The] spread of Islam by arms is a religious duty upon Muslims in general … Jihad must continue to be done until the whole world is under the rule of Islam … Islam must completely be made over before the doctrine of jihad can be eliminated.
In this context, an important though rarely asked question arises: Even if all grievances against Israel and America’s support for it were true, why come to us — your natural-born “infidel” enemies, according to your own worldview — looking for any concessions? Being hated and deemed the enemy for political grievances must be viewed as peripheral to being hated for fundamental differences of an existential nature. When the latter, much more important issue is redressed, then — and only then — should the veracity of the former be open to debate or even consideration. In the meantime, all “political” complaints must be seen as absolutely moot. It’s a simple matter of priorities.

Vital for Iraq that it maintains stable ties with US
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/December 13, 2023
In light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, a series of concerning developments have emerged in Iraq, where Iran-backed militias have launched numerous attacks against the US Embassy in Baghdad and other American facilities accommodating troops.
Beyond the realm of diplomatic representation, the US maintains a presence of about 2,500 troops in Iraq, with its mission being to offer guidance and support to local forces engaged in the ongoing struggle against Daesh.
The US State Department last week strongly condemned the recent rocket attacks, expressing deep concern over the threat these Iran-aligned militias pose to Iraq’s security and stability.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani also denounced the targeting of embassies as an intolerable act, emphasizing the imperative of bringing those responsible to justice. He expressed deep concern over the salvoes of rockets that were launched at the US Embassy and called on the nation’s security forces to exert their utmost efforts in tracking down the perpetrators of this grave offense.
In an ironic move characteristic of successive Iraqi administrations, Al-Sudani initiated a multifaceted response to the situation. Firstly, he ordered a comprehensive investigation into the militias responsible for these attacks. This investigative measure supposedly seeks to identify the individuals and groups involved in orchestrating and executing the rocket attacks and ultimately ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
Furthermore, the prime minister undertook an organizational change by replacing the security regiment within Baghdad’s highly fortified Green Zone. This decision aimed to bolster security measures within this crucial district, which houses diplomatic missions and critical government infrastructure.
The pronouncements and actions undertaken by the Iraqi leader may appear commendable on the surface, as he seeks to project an image of being in command of the security landscape within his nation and to demonstrate his commitment to holding pro-Iran militias accountable for their transgressions against both foreign and domestic interests. However, a closer examination of these measures raises pertinent questions regarding their efficacy and underlying motivations.
The initiation of an investigation, ostensibly aimed at identifying and apprehending those responsible for the attacks, prompts contemplation regarding its significance. It is disconcerting to consider whether such investigative endeavors will yield meaningful outcomes, especially in light of reports that the Iraqi leader already knows the identity of the culprits.
This apparent contradiction raises concerns regarding the efficacy and sincerity of such investigations, as it leads one to question whether they serve primarily as symbolic gestures rather than substantive actions aimed at genuine accountability.
Ironically, the leaders of prominent Iraqi factions, such as the head of the Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada militia, have publicly rejected any notion of ceasing or reducing their operations. Their steadfast commitment to ongoing hostilities is explicitly linked to external events, notably the war in Gaza. These declarations underscore the situation’s complexities and the deeply entrenched motivations that fuel these militias’ actions, rendering it increasingly challenging for investigations alone to effectively address the underlying issues.
Additionally, senior officials within Kata’ib Hezbollah, another influential militia group, have unabashedly vowed to persist in targeting US assets within Iraq. This unyielding stance not only defies the Iraqi leader’s directives but also underscores the persistence of grievances that continue to fuel hostilities.
Perhaps most concerning is the overt challenge issued by these militias to the Iraqi leadership itself. They contend that members of Iraq’s security forces who cooperate with US forces are “accomplices in its crimes.” This audacious assertion not only undermines the Iraqi government’s authority but also serves to exacerbate internal divisions, complicating any prospects for reconciliation or resolution.
A cursory review of Iraqi television broadcasts provides unmistakable evidence that the leaders of pro-Iran militias exhibit a blatant disregard for the authority vested in the prime minister and the rule of law within Iraq. This troubling disregard for established governance structures raises concerns about the potential for these militias to wield considerable influence, to the extent that they could potentially undermine the office of Al-Sudani should Iran choose to exert such leverage. The pro-Iran militia leaders’ actions and rhetoric convey a message that they operate outside of the confines of the law and operate with impunity, challenging the very foundations of democratic governance and the rule of law that Iraq aspires to uphold.
The possibility that Tehran might choose to utilize these militias as instruments of its foreign policy or exert pressure on the Iraqi government through them is a profoundly troubling scenario. It raises pressing questions about Iraq’s sovereignty and its ability to exercise independent decision-making in the face of external pressures. It also underscores the volatile and precarious nature of the political and security landscape in Iraq, where nonstate actors backed by external powers hold the potential to disrupt and challenge the nation’s stability and governance.
Undeniably, the Iranian regime seeks to damage the bilateral relations between Baghdad and Washington. If successful, this would have dire consequences for Iraq, profoundly impacting the country’s political, economic and security dynamics.
The US severing ties with Iraq could lead to heightened political instability in the country, potentially exacerbating internal conflicts and violence as various factions vie for power. Iraq has a fragile political landscape with multiple ethnic and sectarian divisions. US involvement has played a role in maintaining a semblance of stability, with it mediating between different factions. Cutting ties between the two countries could increase political instability, potentially exacerbating internal conflicts and even leading to violence.
The US has also been assisting Iraq in its fight against various extremist groups, including Daesh. A complete disengagement could weaken Iraq’s ability to combat these threats effectively. This could potentially allow extremist groups to regroup and regain strength, posing a danger not only to Iraq but to regional and global security.
The US severing ties with Iraq could lead to heightened political instability, potentially exacerbating internal conflicts.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s economy is closely tied to the US through trade, investment and oil exports. The disruption of this financial relationship could lead to economic hardship in Iraq. The consequences have a humanitarian angle as well. Washington has been providing humanitarian aid and assistance to the central government, including support for displaced populations and reconstruction efforts. Stopping these programs would impact these efforts and potentially worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in some parts of Iraq.
It is imperative for Al-Sudani and other Iraqi political leaders to remain acutely aware of Iran’s ambitions and exercise prudence to prevent any deterioration in relations with Washington. Failure to do so could have dire consequences, with the ultimate losers being the Iraqi people. It is in the best interest of Iraq to maintain balanced and constructive international relationships for the prosperity and stability of the nation.
*Dalia Al-Aqidi is Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy. X: @DaliaAlAqidi