English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 11/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew 16/11-20: “How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 10-11/2023
Two suspected Hezbollah members arrested in Germany
Report: Grillo tells al-Rahi Paris no longer backing any candidate
Franjieh chances decline as France, US change stance
Qassem says rival camp has zero chance to 'impose president'
FPM rejects approaches of 'confrontation and defiance candidates'
FPM, LF discuss Baroud, Azour, Honein for presidency
Bou Habib says Mikati might meet Assad in Jeddah
Ambassador Bukhari reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s neutrality in Lebanese presidential election
Lebanese Depositors Resume Sit-Ins Demanding their Money Back
Lost and found: The dilemma of depositing fresh dollars at Lebanon's Central Bank
EU Ambassador to Lebanon emphasizes urgent reforms needed amidst multiple crises
Captive to Captagon: The story of manufacturing and exporting in Syria
Lebanon's olive oil shines again on the global map with three international awards
Potato crisis in Akkar: Farmer's losses and unanswered questions
Mikati meets with Ministers of Information, Industry and Social Affairs, discusses with Bou Habib preparations underway for Lebanon's participation...
Russian Embassy in Lebanon shares remarks on article authored by Ukrainian chargé d’affaires and published by NNA on May 8
Bou Habib urges local banks to release funds of embassies, foreign diplomats accredited to Lebanon
Rivals within Lebanon need to unify to finally pick a president/Michael Young/The National/May 10/2023
Lebanon’s long search for a governable republic goes on/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/May 10, 2023

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 10-11/2023
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman invites Syria president to attend upcoming Arab League summit
Over 200 rockets hit Israel, 20 Palestinians killed in Gaza escalation
Israel, Palestinian militants trade fire over Gaza
Israel strikes Gaza again as militants fire rockets
Israeli-Palestinian fighting intensifies as Egyptian cease-fire efforts falter
Israeli security agency defends use of threatening messages
Car explosion wounds five members of Syrian police in Damascus suburb
US, UK oppose Syria's re-admission to Arab League
Two Possibilities: Will Assad Visit Saudi Arabia Before or During the Arab Summit?
Tunisian policeman kills five in synagogue shooting spree
Observers: Rapid Support Forces Control the Ground, Sudanese Army the Skies
Blinken: We Work with Saudi Arabia to Extend Sudan Ceasefire
US negotiators at Sudan talks in Jeddah are ‘cautiously optimistic’: Nuland
Moscow Hosts Landmark Türkiye-Syria Rapprochement Talks
Russia offers roadmap to mend Syria-Turkey ties
Houthis abduct at least 40 people from Yemeni village
Canada, Latvia to jointly train Ukrainian soldiers starting Monday
Turkey's economy faces 'lost year' no matter who wins election, insiders say
As more women forgo the hijab, Iran's government pushes back

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 10-11/2023
A Global Pandemic: The Jihadist Rape of Christian Women/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/May 10, 2023
What is propelling Iran's soft diplomacy in Syria?/Raghida Dergham/The National/May 07, 2023
What’s Behind Reports of a ‘Rampant Rise’ of Necrophilia in Muslim Nations?/Raymond Ibrahim/May 10, 2023
Sudan: The Role of Parties, Ideas, and the Models in Military Coups/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/May 10/2023
The Return Syria Needs/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/May 10/2023
World can start stabilizing Syria without involving Assad/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/May 10, 2023
The changing US-Israel relationship ....There is a deep partisan split on the issue of Israel/James J. Zogby/The Arab Weekly/Wednesday 10 May 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 10-11/2023
Two suspected Hezbollah members arrested in Germany
Agence France Presse/May 10/2023
German federal prosecutors announced the arrest of two alleged members of Hezbollah on Wednesday suspected of recruiting and organizing activities for the Lebanese group. Named only as Lebanese national Hassan M. and German-Lebanese dual citizen Abdul-Latif W. the pair were detained in northern Germany, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement. It said Abdul-Latif W. joined the organization "at the latest" in 2004 and Hassan M. in 2016. They are both now facing charges of "membership of a foreign terrorist organization." The pair are alleged to have represented Hezbollah in the Bremen region of northern Germany, handling organization and logistics for the group. The two suspects were to appear later Wednesday before a judge "who will decide whether to remand them in custody." Hezbollah's military wing is classed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, Britain and a majority of member states of the Arab League. Germany banned the activities of the group's political wing, which regularly organizes anti-Israeli demonstrations, in 2020.

Report: Grillo tells al-Rahi Paris no longer backing any candidate
Naharnet/May 10/2023
French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo has tried to mend the relation with Bkirki by telling Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi that her country is “keen on the centuries-long, historic relation between Paris and the patriarchate,” a media report said. Paris “highly appreciates the national role that is being played by Bkirki,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper quoted Grillo as telling al-Rahi. The ambassador also told the patriarch that Paris no longer backs any presidential candidate and that it “will not take any step that harms the Christian and national interest,” effectively announcing the end of French support for Suleiman Franjieh’s nomination, the daily added.

Franjieh chances decline as France, US change stance
Naharnet/May 10/2023
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea is urging the Lebanese opposition to agree on an opponent to presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Wednesday. The daily said that a grace period given to Paris to reach a consensual candidate has ended and that Shea has said that there is a chance to "break" Franjieh. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and his adviser Patrick Durel are facing criticism and opposition over France's stance "that might cause problems between France and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and prominent Lebanese parties," al-Akhbar claimed, adding that the French opposing Macron's stance are pressuring him to stop backing Franjieh. Another local media also said on Wednesday that French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo has told Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi that Paris no longer backs Franjieh and "will not take any step that would harm the Christian and national interest." Locally, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces and other opposition and independent MPs have reportedly made progress and agreed on three potential candidates, former ministers Ziad Baroud and Jihad Azour, and former MP Salah Honein, while Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab ended a presidential initiative to break the impasse, by calling for dialogue. "The first step of the initiative has been agreed upon and accepted by everyone. We must see a result within 10 days," Bou Saab said. Democratic gathering bloc MP Hadi Abu el-Hosn told al-Anbaa news portal that all parties have accepted Bou Saab's initiative but that it still needs crystallization. "It is not clear until now what form the dialogue will take and whether it will include consultations between political parties, or a national dialogue table," the lawmaker said, adding that the initiative still needs a framework and a deadline.

Qassem says rival camp has zero chance to 'impose president'
Naharnet/May 10/2023
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has stressed that the rival political camp “does not have any chance to impose a president” and is “gradually deteriorating.” “In return, our camp started with a promising chance when it supported the nomination of (ex-)Minister (Suleiman) Franjieh, because he is the man of patriotic characteristics who shows openness towards everyone locally and at the Arab and regional levels,” Qassem added. “The votes that support Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh are substantial, firm and can be increased, while there is no other candidate until the moment,” Qassem went on to say, noting that there is a “very big margin” between Franjieh and “the names contained in the list comprising 16 candidates.”“Our hope in the leading chance for the election of our pick has increased and the other parties almost have no chances due to their fragmentation and inability to present a unifying national candidate,” Hezbollah’s number two added. He also said that the “bet” on Hezbollah’s abandoning of Franjieh has fallen, stressing that “this has not and will not happen.”MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc for his part said that “Hezbollah is carrying out contacts to pave the way for the election of a president.” “Hezbollah has the right to support the candidate in whom it sees the needed characteristics and our backing for Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh has not changed,” Fadlallah added.

FPM rejects approaches of 'confrontation and defiance candidates'
Naharnet/May 10/2023
The Free Patriotic Movement on Wednesday stressed the "independence" of its decision in the presidential file, saying it rejects the approaches of both the "confrontation" and "defiance" camps, in reference to the camps that support rival candidates Michel Mouawad and Suleiman Franjieh. “The Movement calls on parliamentary blocs to draw lessons from the foreign stances on the presidential issue and to return the juncture to its domestic aspect,” the FPM’s political council said in a statement after a periodic meeting. “Accordingly, they should quickly agree on a reformist program whose implementation would be overseen by the new president in agreement with the government and parliament,” the statement added. Moreover, the FPM underscored the need for “dialogue with everyone so that a reformist president enjoying popular and parliamentary Christian legitimacy can be elected,” whole noting that the new president certainly should enjoy “the broadest national acceptance from the parliamentary blocs.”“The FPM emphasizes its responsiveness to a lot of initiatives that are aimed at agreeing on acceptable candidates who have the ability to succeed in a reformist plan,” it added.

FPM, LF discuss Baroud, Azour, Honein for presidency
Naharnet/May 10/2023
Presidential consultations between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces have made progress, ending up with three candidates accepted by both parties, Nidaa al-Watan newspaper said Wednesday. According to the daily, both the LF and the FPM have no veto on the names of former ministers Ziad Baroud and Jihad Azour, and on former MP Salah Honein. The consultations also include other opposition and independent MPs, including the Progressive Socialist party MPs and the Sunni MPs.

Bou Habib says Mikati might meet Assad in Jeddah
Naharnet/May 10/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati might meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the sidelines of the Arab League's summit in Jeddah this month, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said. Bou Habib told al-Jadeed that Lebanon would welcome Syria for a visit but cannot economically cooperate with it for fear of U.S. sanctions. "Lebanon is followings a dissociation policy," he added.

Ambassador Bukhari reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s neutrality in Lebanese presidential election
Saudi Gazette/May 10, 2023
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari reaffirmed the Kingdom’s neutral position with regard to the Lebanese presidential election. He expressed the Kingdom’s confidence in the will of the Lebanese people for a change toward a better future. Bukhari made the remarks during a visit to former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora as part of his meetings with senior Lebanese politicians and officials since last week. During the meeting, they reviewed the current situation in Lebanon and the region as a whole. They also discussed relations between the two countries, according to a statement from Siniora’s media office. Bukhari said in a statement: “We are confident in the will of the Lebanese people to change toward a better tomorrow.” Meanwhile, representatives of the National Moderation bloc visited the Saudi ambassador at his home. Their discussions focused on the general political situation in the country, especially the process of the presidential election. According to a statement of the bloc, Ambassador Bukhari reaffirmed the neutral position of Saudi Arabia. On their part, the members of the bloc stressed the need for holding the election in the near future. They also emphasized the need for not boycotting elections by any bloc or deputy as it is the duty of the representatives to attend the election process and express their opinion in a democratic and transparent way.

Lebanese Depositors Resume Sit-Ins Demanding their Money Back
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 10/2023
A number of Lebanese depositors on Tuesday resumed their sit-ins in front of the Central Bank building in Beirut and the residence of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to demand the recovery of their deposits, frozen by banks more than three years ago. The depositors destroyed a bank ATM, and they damaged the building of the Association of Banks. In the past months, sit-ins staged by depositors in Lebanon showed a downturn following attempts exerted by the government and parliament to find solutions to the economic crisis that has been going on since October 2019.
Three years ago, banks imposed unilateral control on what most depositors can withdraw each week in US dollars or the Lebanese lira, which has lost more than 95% of its value. Sources accompanying Tuesday's movements said that the sit-ins were not linked to any political event. They said the movement came after authorities failed to find solutions to the economic crisis. Early this week, the Association of Depositors in Lebanon called for a sit-in facing the Parliament building on Tuesday to demand their money back from the banks. The movement later expanded after angry depositors gathered in front of Mikati's residence, throwing firecrackers and trying to cut the barbed wires amid stringent security measures. A group of depositors also blocked the way in front of Parliament amid heavy deployment of the army and security forces. Tens of protesters then marched in the streets of Downtown Beirut, carrying banners expressing their protest against financial policies, demanding the return of their deposits, and calling for the overthrow of the “banking authority.” They said “the movement is only the beginning of a spark,” asking that the political class, the banks, the Association of Banks, and the Governor of the Banque du Liban be held accountable. They also called on the Arab League summit to “bring down the corrupt system,” and also rejected the decisions of Parliament and the government, which they accused of stealing their money. “We, lawyers, engineers, and university students, are not thugs and thieves,” they said, warning that “depositors would become a ticking bomb.” The sit-in in Beirut was attended by MPs Najat Aoun and Melhem Khalaf. Later, another group of depositors stormed a bank in the area and smashed its ATM. They also burned tires. Reports also said that angry protesters marched to the Association of Banks headquarters in Beirut, and they caused damage to parts of the building. Bank branches in and around Downtown Beirut were forced to close their doors.

Lost and found: The dilemma of depositing fresh dollars at Lebanon's Central Bank
LBCI/May 10/2023
Will banks resume depositing fresh dollars at the central bank? Before the crisis, dollar cheques were deposited into banks' accounts at the Central Bank.  These deposits became lost deposits during the crisis. Banks continued to deposit dollar cheques into their accounts at the central bank, while they placed fresh dollars into their accounts abroad. The Central Bank has resumed demanding that banks deposit fresh dollars into their accounts. However, banks are afraid of losing these amounts again, while banks and the central bank are discussing the matter to clarify it.

EU Ambassador to Lebanon emphasizes urgent reforms needed amidst multiple crises
LBCI/May 10/2023
In a speech, H.E. Ralph Tarraf, Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon, stated that Europe Day 2023 comes at challenging times for Europe, which is facing the Russian war on Ukraine, shaking the foundations which peace was built after two World Wars, and Lebanon, with its many crises.
According to the speech, Lebanon faces socioeconomic and financial crises driving many Lebanese into poverty or exile amid the inability to implement reforms, as well as a political vacuum that is now in its seventh month. Tarraf affirmed that the focus had been mainly on three fronts, including restoring the country's capacity to implement both political and administrative decisions. "There is a common understanding that this requires at least the election of a President, the establishment of a fully empowered Government, and agreements regarding the nominations of other high-ranking officials [...] also the need to remunerate properly the Civil Service, including the Security Forces, to ensure its functioning and stop the brain drain," said Tarraf. Second, the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon stated that the country needs to find an answer to the "economic crunch," as reforms could bring much-needed liquidity into the economy and reconstruct the country's "dysfunctional banking system.""Implementing the measures agreed with the International Monetary Fund more than a year ago would open the way for a program of economic recovery, assisted by the IMF and the international community, Europe included," he affirmed. He highlighted that economic and fiscal reforms, macroeconomic guidance, and governance-related reforms must go hand in hand, as "Lebanon's friends, the European Union and its Member States included, continue to stand ready to support Lebanon on this path."Third, the Lebanese people need to understand how to deal with the presence of many Syrian refugees in the country. He stated that decision-makers in Lebanon and Europe need to find a balance between the concerns of citizens and humanity, saying that the focus of public debate in Lebanon recently described problems that come with the Syrian refugee population. "This is certainly understandable, given the very large number of refugees in Lebanon. But I believe it is time that decision-makers focus on what can be done and implemented, in concrete and specific terms, to address the challenges at hand. The safety, dignity, security, and well-being of all people in Lebanon are at stake here," he confirmed. During the occasion, H.E. Ralph Tarraf revealed that the European Union remains ready to commit to a constructive dialogue on all issues within limits imposed by the respect for Lebanon's sovereignty. Affirming: "It is up to the Lebanese to decide on their destiny, and not to us to impose solutions from outside."

Captive to Captagon: The story of manufacturing and exporting in Syria
LBCI/May 10/2023
We have told you about Captagon after the Jordanian strike that targeted smugglers on the Syrian-Jordanian border. Captagon is also one of the main items in the reconstruction of Syrian-Gulf, specifically Syrian-Saudi relations, so let's see where Captagon is manufactured in the region. There are about 15 major Captagon factories in Syria, spread from the west to the south, such as the coast of Latakia, al-Qusayr, al-Qalamoun, the outskirts of Damascus, and Daraa.  According to Western sanctions, this substance was initially manufactured in areas controlled by militias during the war. It later became associated with the pillars of the Syrian regime, especially the Fourth Division. There are also accusations of involvement by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in this industry, which the latter denies. One of the most prominent accused of involvement in this industry, either in manufacturing or facilitating, is Maher al-Assad, the brother of the Syrian president and commander of the Fourth Division.  Other relatives of the al-Assad family, such as Samer Kamal al-Assad and Wasim Badih al-Assad, have also recently been added to the sanctions list. According to Western sanctions, all of them are accused of dealing with Lebanese smugglers and manufacturers, such as Nouh Zoaiter and Hassan Dakkou. Let's move to Lebanon, where there are approximately 20 small Captagon factories, primarily located in the Baalbek-Hermel district and the surrounding mountains, according to the former head of the drug control office, Colonel Adel Mashmoushi. It should be noted that the number of manufacturers was 60 and decreased after many of them were transferred to Syria. 80% of all Captagon pills worldwide are manufactured in Syria, with its market estimated at $5.7 billion in 2021, while all the legitimate Syrian industry's export volume is approximately one billion. Reuters also reported that a regional source close to Damascus and a Syrian source knowledgeable about communication with Saudi Arabia said that the kingdom proposed compensation of $4 billion that could serve as an aid to Syria if it stopped exporting Captagon, a claim that Saudi foreign ministry sources denied. What will be the fate of manufacturing and exporting in Syria as it returns to the Arab League and restores its relations with Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia?

Lebanon's olive oil shines again on the global map with three international awards
LBCI/May 10/2023
Lebanon has shined once again as one of the most prominent countries producing extra virgin olive oil, as Bustan El Zeitoun got recognized, winning three international awards this year. Bustan El Zeitoun's story started back in 2011 in a beautiful land that was endangered by urbanization when Walid Mushantaf decided to save the land by growing more than 25 hectares of olive trees. The olive oil brand was recently ranked among the top 100 producers around the world. A success story that once again consolidates Lebanon's leadership in a highly competitive sector and consolidates its position on the international map as one of the major producers of the finest types of olive oil.  From the southern town of Abra, Bustan El Zeitoun scored big wins for 2023, as it won a gold award at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, which is held in New York, in the EVOOLEUM Top 10, scoring 91/100, and won a gold medal award at OLIVE JAPAN International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition . The selection of the winners in the three competitions was based on arbitration committees consisting of international experts specializing in tasting olive oil, known for their global reputation and credibility.
The evaluation stage included specific criteria and specifications, as the olive oil samples were subjected to numerous physical, chemical, and microbiological examinations, passing through testing their sensory properties, to assessing their quality and uniqueness, in terms of aroma, flavor, taste, and acidity.
On an area of approximately 500,000 square meters in Abra, Bustan El Zeitoun trees extend, which include 12 different Italian varieties, in addition to local olives, in harmony with their distinctive taste and flavor with the Lebanese taste. The importance of the awards won by Bustan El Zeitoun lies in its international classification and exceptional status in terms of its high reliability and the experience of its arbitration committees. It is worth noting that the three awards won add to a record of more than 20 prestigious local and international awards, including the United States of America, Italy, Japan, Greece, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon.

Potato crisis in Akkar: Farmer's losses and unanswered questions
LBCI/May 10/2023
Walid is one of the potato farmers in the Akkar plain, and for a long time, he and his family live off this farming. What happened is the following: Usually, at the end of March, it is forbidden to import potatoes, to make room for Lebanese potatoes in the market. However, a shipment of potatoes weighing 6,000 tons was ready to be launched from the port of Port Said in Egypt on March 27, i.e., within the legal deadline. However, due to the bad weather conditions at that time, the port of Port Said was closed from March 28 until the 30th, and on the 31st, the ship set off, and it arrived in Lebanon on April 1. Here, the Lebanese state had two options, either to return the shipment to Egypt or to receive it. However, pursuant to the agricultural cooperation agreement between Egypt and Lebanon, and because the shipment took prior approval, the prime minister decided to allow the ship to enter, especially since Egypt had taken from Lebanon at the time of the apple crisis, 110,000 tons of the crop that had accumulated. This decision, taken by the government, sparked a wave of anger among potato farmers in the Akkar plain, who announced that they would stop working until Friday to demand a solution to the problem. Currently, the farmer is caught between two "bittersweet" choices, because the loss is occurring; either they leave their goods on the ground to perish or sell them cheaply and incur losses that they cannot bear. The question is, is there anyone who will compensate the farmer for his loss for an entire season?

Mikati meets with Ministers of Information, Industry and Social Affairs, discusses with Bou Habib preparations underway for Lebanon's participation...
NNA/May 10/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Wednesday welcomed at the Grand Serail Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, with whom he discussed the latest developments, as well as preparations underway for Lebanon's participation in the thirty-second regular session of the Arab League Council’s meeting, which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 19. The Prime Minister then welcomed Caretaker Information Minister, Ziad Makary, with whom he discussed an array of ministerial affairs.
Mikati then met with Caretaker Minister of Industry, George Boushikian, who said in the wake of the meeting: "I’ve discussed with the Prime Minister industry-related issues, especially with regard to exports, as well as the positive developments in the sector, which will be a strong catalyst for the Lebanese economy in the next stage."Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs, Issam Charafeddine, also had an audience with the Prime Minister. On emerging, Charafeddine said that the Syrian refugee dossier and their return to their homeland “is a basic item” on the agenda of the cabinet session, which is scheduled for May 22. The Premiere then received a joint delegation including head of land transport federations and unions, Bassam Tlais, the representative of fuel distributors in Lebanon, Fadi Abu Shaqra, and head of the truck drivers' union, Shafiq al-Qassis.

Russian Embassy in Lebanon shares remarks on article authored by Ukrainian chargé d’affaires and published by NNA on May 8
NNA/May 10/2023
The Russian Embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday shared the following remarks on an article authored by the Ukrainian chargé d’affaires in Lebanon and published by NNA on May 8, 2023: “The article authored by the Ukrainian chargé d’affaires in Lebanon and published by the NNA on the eve of Victory Day reflects the ongoing effort of the Kiev regime in rewriting and obliterating its own history. Contrary to the Ukrainian diplomat’s insinuations, the Soviet Army did indeed play a decisive role in defeating Hitler’s Germany. Millions of Soviet soldiers – among whom Russians, Ukrainians and dozens of other nations – died fighting for their country. While other states contributed as well, the USSR undeniably paid the harshest price. By some estimates, Soviet Union accepted up to 95% of the military casualties of the three major powers of the Grand Alliance.
Even though decades have passed since the end of World War II, the sacred memory of our ancestors’ heroic Victory is what unites people on May 9. That is precisely why many of our allied countries joined the parade in Moscow: leaders of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were all present in Moscow at the Victory Day parade. This respectable participant list serves to prove that this memorable day is not “monopolized” by Russia but is indeed monumental to the overwhelming majority of the former USSR members.
In a pitiful attempt at tarnishing the role of the USSR in defeating Nazism, the author is conveniently omitting the undisputable abundance of neo-Nazist ideology in his own home country. It is obvious that the Kiev regime, guided by its aspiration to build a mono-ethnic Neo-Nazi State, is attempting to “cleanse” Ukraine from the Russian language, culture and our common heritage. Russian books are being burnt, monuments destoryed, monasteries attacked. The current state of the now openly facsist-sympathizing Ukriane begs for a rhetorical question: is this the renowned “European solidarity” that the country is striving towards? Not long ago, in 2010, Ukrainian soldiers marched in a parade on the Red Square alongside the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Poland, and they took pride in doing so. But times have changed. Ukrainian authorities chose to completely falsify their nation’s identity and submit its sovereignty to the “collective West”. Once a prosperous country with significant economic potential, it is now nothing more than an anti-Russian project, kept alive by Western taxpayers’ money and NATO weapons.
The recent move by Kiev denouncing the Victory Day and substituting it with an alienating “Remembrance and Reconciliation Day” is apparently supposed to symbolize the country’s solidarity with the “European approach”. In reality, it is an insult to the dignity of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, who gave their lives liberating the entire continent.
Evidently, this is yet another attempt at appearing more “democratic”, “progressive” and “free”. Let us not forget that German Nazism was once also trying to bring “democracy”, “progress” and “freedom” to the world. The US and NATO are especially keen on exporting their own “democratic values”, recent examples being Yugoslavia, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Needless to say, the true price of such “values” is extremely dubious. We are adamant in our belief that for the majority of Ukrainians Victory Day remains the one true holiday. Regardless of the war waged against Russia by Zelensky and his Western supervisors, it is ultimately up to every individual to decide the meaning of this day. Time will pass, and surely, this idiotic absurdity currently taking place in Ukraine will be nothing but a shameful incident of the past. Thankfully, the people of Lebanon are immune to Ukrainian propaganda and have an adequate understanding of world history. This solidarity with the objective historical truths is visible to the naked eye: the billboards commemorating Victory Day in the Lebanese Republic are entirely privately funded, and the Embassy has not paid a single lira for their installation.”

Bou Habib urges local banks to release funds of embassies, foreign diplomats accredited to Lebanon
NNA/May 10/2023
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, on Wednesday called on the Association of Banks to release the funds of embassies and foreign diplomats accredited to Lebanon, as soon as possible, stressing that such measures constitute a flagrant violation of “Vienna Convention” and diplomatic relations, and thus puts bilateral relations between Lebanon and these countries in danger. Bou Habib added that the continued seizing of said funds could lead to the loss of the possibility of having foreign embassies and their diplomatic staff to deposit their funds in Lebanese banks in the future, which would damage the reputation of the Lebanese banking sector.

Rivals within Lebanon need to unify to finally pick a president
Michael Young/The National/May 10/2023
Michel Aoun's term ended in October. Since then, Hezbollah's opposition has not united around a candidate
It’s an unfortunate aspect of Lebanese political culture that whenever the country is in a deadlock, the political actors tend to wait for a solution that comes partly from the outside. It has been more than six months since Michel Aoun left the presidency, and still Lebanon's political forces are waiting for regional and international powers to reach a consensus on a successor.
One thing that has thrown a spanner in the works is the recent Saudi-Iranian reconciliation. Because of this, the Lebanese have assumed that an improvement of relations between Riyadh and Tehran would facilitate the election of a compromise candidate by Lebanon’s parliament. But in reaching this conclusion, they have had no incentive to push the process forward themselves.
Reportedly, this passive attitude has caused displeasure among countries with a stake in Lebanon, particularly those who support parties opposed to Hezbollah. There is some justification in this, insofar as Hezbollah and its main Shiite ally, the Amal Movement, anticipated the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement by endorsing a candidate for the presidency, namely the former parliamentarian and minister Suleiman Franjieh, who is also close to the regime in Syria.
It’s not clear where Lebanon stands today. The view among some observers is that only once the Saudis speak to Hezbollah will we see a breakthrough.
In doing so, Hezbollah and Amal probably assumed that because the Saudis and Iranians were moving closer, they would try to find middle ground over Mr Aoun’s successor. In that case, it made sense for them to have a negotiating card in hand, namely Mr Franjieh, in order to demand more to give him up. At the same time, by uniting over a candidate, when their opponents have failed to agree on one of their own, they would have an advantage as the deadlock persisted.
The disarray among the parliamentary blocs opposed to Hezbollah has been flagrant. While a number of these blocs initially supported Michel Mouawad as candidate, he never managed to rally all of Hezbollah’s opponents or secure the two-thirds vote he needed to win in a first round of voting. Indeed, as parliament went through consecutive rounds over successive weeks, Mr Mouawad gradually lost votes, even those of the key bloc of Walid Joumblatt.
In what is effectively a hung parliament today, the support of Mr Joumblatt’s bloc is necessary for anyone who seeks a majority. Mr Franjieh cannot hope to win without his backing, nor could anyone who stands against Mr Franjieh. That is why Mr Joumblatt sought to position himself as a kingmaker in February, making it clear that the next president could be neither Mr Franjieh nor Mr Mouawad.
Yet, all Mr Joumblatt’s move did was to reinforce the vacuum existing today in the ranks of the opposition. With Mr Mouawad having been undermined, the opposition finds itself united around no one, allowing Hezbollah and Amal to portray Mr Franjieh as the only serious candidate in the arena.
Mr Joumblatt is not alone in being responsible for the opposition’s disorder. Two other problems have also stood out: the inability of the so-called "change bloc", made up of independent reformist parliamentarians, many from civil society, to agree to a candidate who reflects their worldview; and the fact that many of those opposed to Hezbollah refuse to follow the lead of the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, whose Christian bloc is Hezbollah’s major foe in parliament.
Hezbollah's dominance in Lebanon is not as assured as you might think
Mr Geagea was very much behind Mr Mouawad, but his efforts to position himself as the organiser of those challenging Hezbollah has rubbed many of his potential allies the wrong way. Mr Joumblatt has taken a less antagonistic attitude towards Hezbollah and refuses to follow Mr Geagea’s lead. As for the change bloc, many of its members regard Mr Geagea as another representative of the corrupt political class they reject, while some of their members come from political backgrounds that have traditionally opposed the Lebanese Forces.
The change bloc has had significant problems of its own. In the past year, it has faced internal disagreements and reflected ineffectiveness. Moreover, it is embarrassing that it has been unable to identify a single reformist candidate for the presidency that it could endorse and around which it could unify.
Part of the problem is outside the bloc’s control. Some serious candidates have asked the bloc not to publicly endorse them for fear that it would undercut their chances later on when there is a search for a compromise candidate. However, all this means is that the bloc has been willing to appear irresolute and divided on a vital national issue over which reformists cannot afford to remain silent.
It’s not clear where Lebanon stands today. The view among some observers is that only once the Saudis speak to Hezbollah will we see a breakthrough. There have been reports in the Lebanese media lately that Iraqi mediators, namely former prime minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi and Ammar Al Hakim, have sought to bring the two sides together. Little has filtered out on these mediation efforts, but in the same way that the Saudis have talked to the Houthis in Yemen, it is conceivable that they may agree to do the same in Lebanon.
In light of this, it makes sense for Hezbollah’s adversaries to come together around a candidate to ensure they are not circumvented by a Saudi-Hezbollah negotiation. In early May, there were reports that such an initiative was under way, thanks to independent parliamentarian Ghassan Skaff. Whether this can succeed is questionable, however, as more profound rifts persist among Hezbollah’s opponents.

Lebanon’s long search for a governable republic goes on
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/May 10, 2023
During a recent visit to Lebanon, I was alarmed to hear more talk that the only option left is for each community to run its own internal affairs. This would be a form of devolution, or decentralization, permitting each community or locality in this small country to govern its territories and people, including power generation, water distribution and some form of local security. It would be a snub to the ever-dysfunctional central state, its failing institutions and the corrupt elite dominating its affairs.
I was astonished to hear that some have been toying with the idea of seceding from the unruly elite and their regional backers in the hope of ensuring access to various amenities, such as water, electricity, fuel and bread, for the inhabitants of these self-styled cantons. Maybe services could be delivered at a price, moving away from the corruption, waste and shortages witnessed on the state level, where whole regions of the country have, for years, tended to excuse themselves from paying taxes or for the utilities they consume.
Pessimism is the name of the game in Lebanon. There is nothing to base any positivity on amid the current stalemate, where the country remains without an elected president, a prime minister and a working parliament.
To some Lebanese, seeing the return of Syria to the Arab League is a sign that Lebanon’s political and economic stalemates might soon ease as a result of some form of regional settlement, especially if the Syrian refugees living and working in Lebanon are able to return to their country. But this and the unattainable dream of dividing the country are far-fetched and naive bets. Who says that the dominant force politically and militarily in Lebanon — that is Hezbollah and its allies — would condone such a demarche?
For all its history, Lebanon has had a precarious political system in constant need of intensive care to hold it together
In the minds of some in Lebanon, the country’s uncertain existence goes back to the many failed attempts to constitute a nation state, as nothing has really evolved and provided permanence in terms of governability and stability since the creation of Lebanon, based on the infamous Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. This was when the French and the British carved up between them many parts of the Middle East that had been ruled for centuries by the Ottomans, placing them under a direct French or British mandate in preparation for their future self-rule.
The Lebanese state that won independence in 1943 failed to cement a national identity and it needed a covenant brokered between its Christian and Muslim leaderships to creak through the first years of its existence. Then it survived a mini-civil war at the end of the 1950s, prior to feeling the full brunt of rising Arab nationalism and anti-Israeli alignment before succumbing to yet another civil war in 1975. This ended with a rejigging of the constitution and the old national covenant formula in the 1989 Taif Agreement. That deal, brokered by Saudi Arabia, redistributed power among the Lebanese based on parity between Christians and Muslims. The Doha agreement of 2008, born from yet another stalemate, enshrined a new form of quasi-consociationalism, whereby nothing could be achieved short of a consensus among the forever conflictive ruling elites in the country. One group even managed to justify keeping its weapons independently of the national security apparatus, under the loose justification of resisting Israel.
Parallel to the calls to divide the country, others have been calling for a review of the current Lebanese constitutional formula, which sees the power shared between Christians and Muslims.
For all its history, Lebanon has had a precarious political system in constant need of intensive care to hold it together. But the recent collapse of the value of its currency, the scale of the damage the country’s economy has suffered, its bankrupt state finances, its damaged banking system (once a jewel in the Lebanese economic crown), the near-nonexistent basic services, withering education system, and overloaded and starved healthcare system, to mention just a few adversities, all topped off by a lack of accountability, show that Lebanon has entered a long, dark tunnel that could lead to its extinction.
I cannot blame some Lebanese for thinking about desperate measures to preserve their existence and the well-being of their communities
The recent fortunate gas and oil discoveries in its national waters could offer the country a lifeline, but only if the corrupt ruling elite tame their greed and comply with calls to carry out major reforms that would see international organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, in addition to regional donors, ready to help bail Lebanon out. But in the absence of legislation and the implementation of reforms crucial to its recovery from one of the world’s worst ever financial crises, Lebanon’s economy is sinking further into uncertainty. The Lebanese currency has already lost more than 98 percent of its value against the US dollar since 2019, leaving the country at the mercy of triple-digit inflation, which is spreading poverty and leading to waves of emigration.
With the continued intransigence of the ruling elite — which is blockading the political arena, holding the Lebanese hostage and showing no willingness to allow different players to find solutions to the country’s existential crisis — I cannot blame some Lebanese for thinking about desperate measures to preserve their existence and the well-being of their communities, even through embarking on futile ideas such as dividing the country. Lebanon, we were told long ago, is too big to be swallowed up by another country and too small to be carved up. But apparently no one would mind if it fails or if it ceases to exist. Lebanon has, since its inception, remained a creation unable to shield itself from regional discord or find consensus among its many people for an identity that unites them and could lead them to a more peaceful and prosperous future.
*Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist, media consultant and trainer with more than 25 years of experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 10-11/2023
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman invites Syria president to attend upcoming Arab League summit
Arab News/May 10, 2023
RIYADH: King Salman has invited Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad to attend an upcoming Arab League meeting that will take place on May. 19 in the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. The invitation to the meeting was handed over by the Kingdom’s ambassador to Jordan, Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, during a meeting with the president in Damascus. Al-Sudairi conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Al-Assad and their wishes for security and stability for the Syrian government and people. In return, Al-Assad conveyed his greetings and appreciation to the king and crown prince. The Arab League restored Syria’s membership into the organization during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday. Syria’s membership was suspended for brutally cracking down on mass protests against Assad in 2011. Since then, the uprising turned into a civil war that killed nearly a half million people and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.

Over 200 rockets hit Israel, 20 Palestinians killed in Gaza escalation
Al Monitor/May 10/2023
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians continue to increase as salvos of rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza since Wednesday afternoon, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) striking dozens of rocket launchers and positions of the Islamic Jihad across the Strip. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 20 people were killed in the Gaza Strip in the latest IDF attacks and at least 37 people were injured. Israeli authorities reported that 11 people were injured so far from the rockets either when running to a shelter or from trauma.
What do we know: Alert sirens warning of rocket fire have been sounding in Israeli communities near the Gaza border as well as in several cities in the center of the country, including Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ramat Gan and Giv’atayim, since 1:30 p.m. Israel time. The municipalities of Tel Aviv, Rishon Letzion and other cities have asked parents to come and get their children from kindergartens and daycare centers and take them home.  By late Wednesday afternoon, the IDF estimated the number of rockets launched toward Gaza on Wednesday afternoon to be 270, with 150 of them exploding in the Strip’s skies or falling into the sea, failing to cross the border into Israel’s airspace. In parallel, an IDF spokesperson said that air force jets and helicopters had struck some 40 rocket launchers and Islamic Jihad positions across the Strip.
Gaza factions announced on Wednesday a revenge operation in response to the Israeli airstrikes. The groups said they fired hundreds of rockets at Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel as part of the operation, according to the Hamas-affiliated Safa news agency. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other like-minded groups typically refer to themselves as “the resistance.”
Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanoua released Wednesday afternoon a statement saying the strikes from Gaza are part of the "unified resistance" to Israel. Still, even if Hamas supports the operation against Israel, it is not clear if it is taking an active part in launching the rockets. An Israeli security source told Haaretz the IDF had not detected active participation of the Hamas group in the rocket fire launched by the Islamic Jihad group, at least not in the first phase of the attack. The Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas, with Islamic Jihad being the second-largest Palestinian organization in the region.
That being said, according to Haaretz, Gaza sources said that at least some of the rockets used against Israel on Wednesday were of the Ayash type often used by Hamas, suggesting that the group is involved to some degree in the current conflagration.
How it started: The latest conflagration of violence broke out early Tuesday morning when Israel targeted and killed three senior Islamic Jihad operatives who were responsible for more than 104 rockets fired at Israel the week before. At least 10 Palestinian civilians, including children, were killed in the airstrikes.
Anticipating a strong reaction by the group, thousands of Israeli civilians including elderly from communities near the Gaza border left the area on Tuesday. Speaking on the phone with mayors of towns and villages in the south of Israel Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the expected conflagration of violence could last several days, with strong attacks by the IDF against Gaza targets. Tensions are also increasing on the West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday that the Israeli army fatally shot two Palestinian men during a raid in Qabatia south of Jenin. Hamas vowed revenge for their deaths, saying “the blood of our martyrs will not go wasted.” What is next: Reuters cited an Islamic Jihad spokesperson as saying that Egypt is in contact with both Israelis and Palestinians to secure a truce in Gaza. Israeli authorities have not confirmed for the moment such contacts are taking place.  According to Ynet, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has asked for the government to expand the Israeli area under special safety measures along the Gaza border from 40 to 80 kilometers (24 to 49 miles). Safety guidelines include, for example, prohibitions on large gatherings, the closure of public sites, natural reserves and beaches to civilian entry, and the closure of main roads to traffic. The involvement or not of Hamas in the firing is very significant from Israel’s point of view. After the killing of the three Islamic Jihad operatives, Israel transferred messages to Hamas, emphasizing that Operation Shield and Arrow did not target Hamas and that it was not seeking to escalate tensions with the group, only to retaliate against Islamic Jihad rocket fire from a week earlier.

Israel, Palestinian militants trade fire over Gaza
Agence France Presse/May 10, 2023
Israel and Gaza militants traded cross-border fire Wednesday, renewing deadly violence a day after Israeli strikes killed 15 people in the Palestinian territory. Smoke billowed from the densely-populated coastal territory after Israel announced it was targeting rocket launching infrastructure held by Islamic Jihad militants. Sirens warning of incoming fire then blared in the Tel Aviv area, an AFP journalist reported, as well as in communities close to the border, according to the army. A Gaza health ministry official told AFP one person was killed in the Israeli strikes, while another was seriously wounded. An AFP journalist in Gaza saw dozens of rockets fired by Palestinian militants, while a senior Israeli security official told journalists "more than 60 rockets" were launched. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said it received no immediate reports of casualties from the rocket fire. The latest violence comes a day after Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three top Islamic Jihad militants and 12 others, including four children, according to a health ministry toll. Israel's military said Wednesday's strikes included firing on militants "who were travelling to a rocket launch site in the city of Khan Yunis" in southern Gaza. Islamic Jihad had vowed Tuesday to retaliate, with Israel warning its residents near the border to stay near bomb shelters. Ahead of Wednesday's fire, Gaza's usually bustling shops were closed, as resident Monther Abdullah said people "expect the worst". "Everyone feels anxious and people aren't on the street much. I definitely feel like there's a war coming, and there's tension and fear, whether here or there (in Israel)," the 50-year-old told AFP. The latest violence comes on the second anniversary of a devastating 11-day war fought between Gaza militants and Israel.
West Bank deaths
The senior Islamic Jihad operatives killed Tuesday were named as Jihad Ghannam, Khalil al-Bahtini and Tareq Ezzedine. Although based in Gaza, the last was a militant leader in the West Bank. Earlier Wednesday, Israeli troops raided the West Bank town of Qabatiya, killing two people who the army accused of firing at soldiers. The Palestinian health ministry identified the two men as Ahmed Jamal Tawfiq Assaf, 19, and Rani Walid Ahmed Qatanat, 24. The Israeli military said troops detained one person during the raid, when soldiers were shot at from a vehicle. "The soldiers responded with live fire toward the two assailants and killed them," the army said. Mourners including armed militants later carried the two men's bodies through the streets in a funeral procession. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967 and its forces regularly operate in Palestinian cities.
'Out of control'
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, whose Islamist movement rules Gaza, said Tuesday "assassinating the leadership" in Gaza would bring "greater resistance". Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist organizations by Israel and the United States. Washington called Tuesday for "all parties to de-escalate the situation". While Hamas has fought multiple wars with Israel in recent years, the group stayed on the sidelines of a three-day conflict fought between the country and Islamic Jihad in August. Following Tuesday's air strikes, Egypt -- a longtime mediator in Gaza -- said such actions "inflame the situation in a way that could get out of control". The latest violence brings to 126 the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year. Nineteen Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed over the same period, according to an AFP count based on official sources from the two sides. These figures include combatants as well as civilians, and, on the Israeli side, three members of the country's Arab minority.

Israel strikes Gaza again as militants fire rockets
Arab News/May 10, 2023
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s air force hit Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza for a second day on Wednesday. At least one Palestinian was killed in an airstrike east of Khan Yunis and several others were wounded, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Agricultural land close to the border areas in the strip was also hit. The Israeli army claimed that its jets targeted a Palestinian cell preparing to fire missiles at Israeli towns. Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets at Israeli towns following Israel’s assassination of three Islamic Jihad leaders 36 hours earlier. On Tuesday, Israel killed three prominent members of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement. Ten civilians, including the leaders’ wives, children and neighbors, were also killed. The increased violence has added to Gazans’ daily suffering. Rami Lubbad, 33, said: “I have been waiting for more than an hour to get some bread. We don’t know how long this situation will last.”Gaza has been under an Israeli lockdown since Tuesday. With the Erez crossing closed, patients cannot reach hospitals in the West Bank and Jerusalem.  Israel also closed the only commercial crossing, Kerem Shalom, halting the entry of fuel and goods. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that closure of the Erez crossing stopped 142 patients, most undergoing cancer treatment, from reaching hospitals in the West Bank and Jerusalem. “The occupation prevents patients from reaching specialized hospitals in violation of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and deliberately deprives patients of their treatment rights,” it said in a statement. “The occupation was not content with confiscating the diagnostic medical devices for more than 18 months and obstructing the entry of medicines. Today it completed the third aspect of its crime against the patients of the Gaza Strip.” Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas took control in mid-2007. Palestine’s electricity provider said that power generation at Gaza’s only station had been cut because industrial fuel was unable to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Gaza Strip has witnessed a string of military confrontations with Israel, including four wars since 2008 resulting thousands of casualties. Mustafa Ibrahim, a political analyst, said: “Israel is seeking to impose a policy of assassinations again, and this is what Hamas and Islamic Jihad will not allow. “Israel does not seek a long-term war in the Gaza Strip. They needed to deal a strong blow to Islamic Jihad to address Israel’s internal issues, but the scene remains open to all possibilities.”

Israeli-Palestinian fighting intensifies as Egyptian cease-fire efforts falter
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)/Wed, May 10, 2023
Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 21 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians. A state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But the truce efforts appeared to falter as fighting intensified late Wednesday, with neither side showing any sign of backing down. In a prime-time TV address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants. But he cautioned: "This round is not over.” “We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you,” he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored. Throughout the day, rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Residents had been bracing for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes early Tuesday.
It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007. Late Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, said it had brokered a cease-fire. Egyptian intelligence frequently mediates between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Israeli officials confirmed that Egypt was trying to facilitate a cease-fire. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes diplomacy, they said Israel would evaluate the situation based on actions on the ground, not declarations. Islamic Jihad said it would continue firing rockets. Mohamad al-Hindi, an official with the group, said a sticking point in the talks was that the Palestinians wanted an Israeli commitment to stop targeted killing operations, such as the ones that killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders early Tuesday. As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover. The Israeli military said that for the first time, an air-defense system known as David’s Sling intercepted a rocket. The system, developed with the U.S., is meant to intercept medium-range threats and is part of a multi-layered air defense that also includes the better-known Iron Dome anti-rocket system. Israeli media said a previous attempt to use the system several years ago had failed. In a move that could further raise tensions, Israeli police said they would permit a Jewish ultranationalist parade to take place next week. The parade, meant to celebrate Israel's capture of east Jerusalem and its Jewish holy sites, marches through the heart of the Old City's Muslim Quarter and often leads to friction with local Palestinians. Israeli officials said over 400 rockets had been fired as of Wednesday evening. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas, but Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said about one-quarter had been misfired and fallen inside Gaza. Israeli rescuers said three people were hurt running for shelter, and four homes in southern Israel were damaged by rocket strikes.
The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters. Eden Avramov, a 26-year-old resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, described the 24 hours since Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza as terrifying. “We are all traumatized from this routine — the waiting, the booms, the alarms.” Israeli aircraft hit targets in Gaza for the second straight day, killing at least five Palestinians. The Israeli military said its warplanes targeted dozens of rocket launchers, arms warehouses and other targets across the enclave. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said four of the dead were militants.
A 10-year-old Palestinian girl named Layan Mdoukh was killed in a blast at her home in Gaza City in unclear circumstances on Wednesday.
The initial Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at least 10 civilians — most of them women and children. The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave. Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody. Israel says it is trying to avoid conflict with Hamas, the more powerful militant group that rules Gaza, and limit the fighting to Islamic Jihad.
“Our actions are meant to prevent further escalation," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman. "Israel is not interested in war.” In a statement, an umbrella organization of Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, said the campaign against Israel — which it dubbed “Avenging the Free” — involved firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation for Israel's killing of the three Islamic Jihad commanders as well as several civilians. “The resistance is ready for all options," the factions said. “If (Israel) persists in its aggression and arrogance, dark days await it."Still, it remained unclear whether Hamas had joined the fray. If the ruling militant group enters the fighting, the risk of a full-blown conflict would increase. Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll Tuesday, which included wives of two of the militant commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son. In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the military said that Palestinian gunmen opened fire at troops in the Palestinian town of Qabatiya in the northern West Bank during an army raid. Troops returned fire, killing the two men, and confiscated their firearms, it said.
Islamic Jihad later claimed the two men as its members.
Israel has been conducting near-daily military raids in the occupied West Bank for over a year to detain suspected Palestinian militants, including many from Islamic Jihad. At least 107 Palestinians, around half of them militants, have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, according to an Associated Press tally. At least 20 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three territories for a future independent state.

Israeli security agency defends use of threatening messages
Associated Press/May 10, 2023
Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency is defending its use of a sophisticated surveillance tool that was used to send threatening text messages to Palestinian protesters during unrest at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site two years ago. A leading civil rights group has asked Israel's Supreme Court to halt the practice, saying the threatening messages exceeded the authorities of the Shin Bet. It has also noted that the messages were sent erroneously to people uninvolved in the unrest. In a May 4 submission, the Shin Bet asked the court to dismiss the case. It said the tracking technology was a legitimate tool within the scope of its authority. It described the misfired messages as an isolated error, said it had identified "several specific flaws in the manner of sending the messages" and updated its guidelines to prevent similar mistakes in the future. It described the tool as "proportionate, balanced and most reasonable."The messages were sent to hundreds of Palestinians in May 2021 at the height of one of the city's most turbulent periods in recent years. At the time, Palestinian protesters were clashing with Israeli police at the Al Aqsa Mosque in violence that helped fuel an 11-day war between Israel and the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. Using mobile-phone tracking technology, the Shin Bet sent a text message to people it believed were involved in the clashes and told them "we will hold you accountable" for acts of violence. The recipients included both Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem, who hold Israeli residency rights, as well as Palestinian citizens of Israel. While some recipients had participated in the clashes, others, including people who lived, worked or prayed in the area, received the message erroneously and said they were surprised or scared. Jewish Israelis in the area are not known to have received the message. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has warned that such mass messages could have a "chilling effect" on Israel's Palestinian minority and says the Shin Bet should properly investigate anyone suspected of breaking the law. Two of the group's attorneys, Gil Gan-Mor and Gadeer Nicola, issued a joint statement accusing the Shin Bet of using "intrusive surveillance tools" to intimidate citizens and convey that they are under surveillance."Sending a threatening text message to a citizen is not an option in a democratic country," they said.

Car explosion wounds five members of Syrian police in Damascus suburb
DAMASCUS (Reuters)/Wed, May 10, 2023
Five members of Syria's police force were wounded when a car exploded at their station in the Barzah suburb of the capital Damascus on Wednesday, state media reported. The wounded, including one with the rank of officer, were taken to hospital with varying degrees of injuries, state news agency SANA said, quoting the interior ministry. It said investigations into the source of the blast were still ongoing, and did not say whether explosives had been placed in the car or were targeting anyone in particular. Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad wrested control of Barzah and adjacent districts in Damascus's northeast from rebel fighters in 2017, ending several years of opposition control of the zone. Opposition militants were bussed out of the district, mostly to the northwestern province of Idlib - which largely remains under opposition control to this day. In 2018, U.S.-led air strikes hit a scientific research facility in Barzah that Western countries say was part of a covert Syrian government chemical weapons program.

US, UK oppose Syria's re-admission to Arab League
Associated Press/May 10, 2023
The United States and Britain voiced dissatisfaction Tuesday with the weekend decision by the Arab League to re-instate Syria as a member. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said they opposed the move. But they also allowed it was up to the Arab League to determine its membership. At the same time they said their countries would not normalized relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government unless it accepts and complies with a U.N. plan to restore peace to the country after a brutal 13-year civil war. "We do not believe that Syria merits re-admission to the Arab League," Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference with Cleverly at the State Department. "It's a point we have made to all of our regional partners, but they have to make their own decisions," Blinken said. "Our position is clear: We are not going to be in the business of normalizing relations with Assad and with that regime."
Cleverly said the British government agreed with the U.S. stance. "This is an occasion where the U.S. and the U.K. share very, very similar views," he said. "The U.K. is very uncomfortable with the re-admission of Syria in the Arab League, but as Secretary Blinken said, ultimately it is a decision for the membership of the Arab League.""The point that I have made is that there needs to be conditionality if they choose to take this course of action," he said. "It needs to be conditional on some fundamental changes from Damascus and the Assad regime."Blinken and Cleverly said any solution to the crisis in Syria must be based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, which was adopted in 2015 and lays out steps, including a permanent cease-fire, humanitarian assistance and progress toward free and fair elections, measures the Arab League also backs. "I think the Arab perspective as articulated through the Arab League is that they believe they can pursue these objectives through more direct engagement," Blinken said. "We may have a different perspective when it comes to that, but the objectives that we have I think are the same." Both men said it was critical for Syria to never again become a haven for the Islamic State group, which occupied large portions of the country and neighboring Iraq before being largely driven out. Syria was reinstated in the 22-nation Arab League on Sunday after a 12-year suspension. It was a symbolic victory for Assad, who can join the group's May 19 summit, though Western sanctions will continue to block reconstruction funds to the war-battered country.

Two Possibilities: Will Assad Visit Saudi Arabia Before or During the Arab Summit?
LBCI/May 10, 2023
Both Saudi Arabia and Syria will exchange the resumption of their diplomatic missions. This news is no longer surprising after a series of developments in the recent period, starting with the humanitarian aid sent by the Kingdom to Syria after the devastating earthquake, and ending with the visit of the Syrian foreign minister to Jeddah, followed by the visit of the Saudi foreign minister to Damascus, and passing through an essential and fundamental station represented by the decision of the Arab League to restore Syria's membership and resume its participation in its meetings. At this time, the Russian TASS agency reported, citing a political analyst, that he has reliable information from Riyadh and Damascus that the Syrian president may visit Saudi Arabia before the Arab summit scheduled to be held on May 19 in the Kingdom. Afterward, news spread that the visit might take place next Monday. Information on this subject conflicted, with some sources confirming the visit while others denying it. A source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry told LBCI that the news of Assad's visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday is untrue. Two analyses emerge from this issue.

Tunisian policeman kills five in synagogue shooting spree
Agence France Presse/May 10, 2023
Tunisian authorities were Wednesday investigating a shooting spree by a police officer that claimed five lives and sparked mass panic during a Jewish pilgrimage at Africa's oldest synagogue. Security forces threw a tight cordon around the site on Djerba island as officials probed whether Tuesday's shootings were a random killing spree or an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. The police officer first killed a colleague and took his ammunition, then went to the Ghriba synagogue and opened fire, sparking terror on the final day of the annual pilgrimage. Wearing his uniform and a bulletproof vest, he shot dead two visitors and injured two more. In the ensuing gun battle, he also wounded six police officers, two of whom later died, hospital sources said. The assailant was then shot dead himself, the interior ministry said, without identifying him. "Without the rapid intervention of the security forces, there would have been wider carnage" because hundreds of people were at the site, said Rene Trabelsi, a former tourism minister, speaking on Mosaique FM radio. Trabelsi, who was at the synagogue during the shootings, named the visitors killed as Tunisian Aviel Haddad, 30, and his France-based cousin, dual national Benjamin Haddad, 42. The killing spree was Tunisia's first deadly attack on foreigners since 2015, and the first to target the Ghriba pilgrimage since a suicide truck bombing killed 21 people in 2002.
'Cowardly aggression' -
"Investigations are continuing in order to shed light on the motives for this cowardly aggression," the interior ministry said, refraining from referring to the shooting as a terrorist attack. France "condemns this heinous act in the strongest terms," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller earlier said: "The United States deplores the attack in Tunisia coinciding with the annual Jewish pilgrimage that draws faithful to the El Ghriba Synagogue from around the world. "We express condolences to the Tunisian people and commend the rapid action of Tunisian security forces." According to organizers, more than 5,000 Jewish faithful, mostly from overseas, participated in this year's event. The annual pilgrimage only resumed in 2022 after two years of pandemic-related suspension.
Dwindling Jewish community
Coming between Passover and Shavuot, the pilgrimage to Ghriba is at the heart of Jewish tradition in Tunisia, where only about 1,500 members of the faith still live -- mainly on Djerba -- compared with around 100,000 before independence in 1956. Pilgrims travel from Europe, the United States and Israel to take part, although their numbers have dropped since the deadly bombing in 2002. Tuesday's shooting came as the tourism industry in Tunisia has finally rebounded from pandemic-era lows, as well as from the aftereffects of a pair of attacks in Tunis and Sousse in 2015 that killed dozens of foreign holidaymakers. Tunisia suffered a sharp rise in Islamist militancy after the Arab Spring ousted longtime despot Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, but authorities say they have made significant progress in the fight against terrorism in recent years. The Ghriba attack also comes as Tunisia endures a severe financial crisis that has worsened since President Kais Saied seized power in July 2021 and rammed through a constitution that gave his office sweeping powers and neutered parliament.

Observers: Rapid Support Forces Control the Ground, Sudanese Army the Skies
Asharq Al Awsat/May 10/2023
Nearly a month since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), neither side has been able to achieve a decisive victory to end the battle. According to witnesses, while the RSF has control on the ground, the army controls the sky, and each side has asserted that they can defeat the other and assume sole authority over the conflict zone. Amid these allegations, a fierce psychological war is taking place through various media platforms. However, most of the propaganda is being exposed as false by “young activists” who are working to uncover fabricated information that is creating confusion among the people. Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to several journalists, most of whom agreed that the RSF controls the ground, contrary to claims by the army’s war propaganda. In northern Khartoum, a journalist said the RSF were still holding areas under their control and were expanding their deployment. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a journalist working for a prominent satellite channel, said: “There has been no real change on the ground since the first days of the war.” “The RSF still control the area extending from Al-Mek Nimr Bridge to the South, including the outskirts of the oil refinery in Qarri, about 50 kilometers from the city center,” he added. In southern Khartoum, a female journalist said the RSF still control most of the areas, especially Al-Sittine Street, the airport neighborhood, the buildings of the Security and Intelligence Service, and part of the General Command of the Army. She added that the forces took almost complete control over the neighborhoods of Khartoum 2, Al-Sahafat, and Jabrat. “There are no real battles between the RSF and army. Skirmishes only take place here and there, but they do not change the situation,” she noted. The army has acknowledged – based on previous statements by its commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan - that the RSF control the presidential palace, the cabinet, central Khartoum, and a number of other locations. Since the eruption of the fighting on April 15, army warplanes regularly attacks the sites and control centers of the RSF in spite the military’s announcement that it had destroyed them and cut off the lines of supply and communication. The journalists interviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat expressed their surprise at the continuation of the fighting throughout this period, and the failure of the two parties to find a solution. While they stressed that a successful settlement in favor of any of the two parties was no longer “possible”, they called them to return to reason and reach a settlement through the Jeddah negotiations in order to protect the country’s remaining people and resources.

Blinken: We Work with Saudi Arabia to Extend Sudan Ceasefire
Asharq Al Awsat/10 May 2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that his country and Saudi Arabia were working to extend a ceasefire in Sudan and reach a deal on the provision of humanitarian assistance. “Together now, we are pressing the warring parties in Sudan to put down their guns and allow life-saving aid to reach the Sudanese people,” Blinken said on Tuesday, during a joint press conference with his British counterpart James Cleverly. He added that the US and Saudi diplomats were “deeply engaged in talks”, working with the UK, the UAE, the African Union and other partners. “The collective aim that we have is to lay the foundation for further negotiations between the parties that we hope can lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities,” he said. Blinken continued: “But in the first instance, we’re working in Jeddah to extend the ceasefire and get agreement on the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan. We continue to engage directly with Sudanese civilian leaders, with Sudanese civilian society with the goal of putting their nation back on the track to civilian democratic governance. That’s the goal that we share and the goal that we will not give up on.”Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the number of internally displaced (IDPs) in Sudan has more than doubled in just the last week, since the eruption of armed clashes across the country. Speaking at a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, IOM’s spokesperson Paul Dillon said that according to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, more than 700,000 people were now internally displaced by the fighting, which began on 15 April. The number of IDPs increased in many areas, including the capital, where clashes were continuing. Dillon said: “Last Tuesday, the figure stood at 340,000. And, of course, prior to the fighting, an estimated 3.7 million people were internally displaced in Sudan.”

US negotiators at Sudan talks in Jeddah are ‘cautiously optimistic’: Nuland
Reuters/May 10, 2023
WASHINGTON: US negotiators taking part in talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at extending a cease-fire between rival armed forces in Sudan are “cautiously optimistic,” US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said on Wednesday, as she faced criticism from senators over the administration’s handling of issues in Sudan. Testifying at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Nuland said she had spoken on Wednesday morning with US officials at the talks that began on Saturday between the army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah.
Both sides have failed to abide by repeated truce deals. “Our goal for these talks has been very narrowly focused: first securing agreement on a declaration of humanitarian principles and then getting a cease-fire that is long enough to facilitate the steady delivery of badly needed services,” Nuland said. “If this stage is successful — and I talked to our negotiators this morning who are cautiously optimistic — it would then enable expanded talks with additional local, regional and international stakeholders toward a permanent cessation of hostilities, and then a return to civilian-led rule as the Sudanese people have demanded for years.”The fighting in Khartoum, which erupted April 15, has prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes and triggered an aid crisis. The people internally displaced within Sudan more than doubled in a week to 700,000, the United Nations’ migration agency said.
Republican and Democratic senators at the hearing questioned Nuland on Washington’s policy toward Sudan, raising the evacuation of Americans since fighting broke out last month and why sanctions were not imposed following the 2021 coup. The army, under General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, and the RSF under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had joined forces in the military coup, reconfiguring a planned transition to civilian rule. But the rival military factions fell out over the transition terms and timing, leading to the sudden explosion of fighting in Khartoum in April.
Nuland said Washington did institute harsh penalties against Sudan that were internally controversial, including suspending bilateral aid and debt relief and imposing sanctions last year on Sudan’s Central Reserve Police. Neither Burhan nor Hemedti are under US sanctions. Nuland added that Washington was looking at appropriate targets, particularly if the generals do not agree to allow humanitarian aid and a cease-fire, after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order last week laying the groundwork for potential Sudan-related sanctions. “We have the sanctions tool now that can allow us to continue to pressure them,” she said.

Moscow Hosts Landmark Türkiye-Syria Rapprochement Talks
Asharq Al Awsat/10 May 2023
Russia’s foreign minister on Wednesday hosted his counterparts from Türkiye, Syria and Iran for talks that marked the highest-level contact between Ankara and Damascus since the start of the Syrian war over a decade ago. In his opening speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed hope that the meeting would pave the way to drafting a road map for normalizing Turkish-Syrian relations. Lavrov said he sees Moscow’s task as “not only in consolidating politically the progress that has been made, but also in determining general guidelines for further movement.”Russia has spent years trying to help Syrian President Bashar Assad rebuild ties with Türkiye and other countries that were fractured in the war, which killed nearly 500,000 people and displaced half of Syria’s prewar population of 23 million. Russia intervened militarily in Syria starting in September 2015, teaming up with Iran to help Assad’s government to reclaim most of the country. Moscow has maintained a military presence in the Mideast country even as the bulk of its forces are busy fighting in Ukraine. Throughout the 12-year conflict, Türkiye has backed armed opposition groups seeking to remove Assad from power. The Syrian government has frequently denounced Ankara's hold over parts of a northwest enclave previously seized by Assad’s opponents. Türkiye captured the territory through several military incursions since 2016 against US-backed Kurdish forces. The efforts toward a Turkish-Syrian reconciliation come as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under intense pressure at home to send Syrian refugees back amid a steep economic downturn and increasing anti-refugee sentiment. He is seeking reelection on Sunday, when Türkiye also holds both presidential and parliamentary elections. Syrian state media quoted Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad as saying during Wednesday's meeting that Syria and Türkiye “share goals and common interests.” He said that “despite all the negatives over the past years,” Damascus saw the talks as an opportunity “for both governments to cooperate with the help and support of our friends Russia and Iran.”Yet Mekdad added that the Syrian government’s “main goal” was to end all “illegal” military presences in the country, including that of Turkish forces. “We will continue to demand and insist on the subject of withdrawal,” he was quoted as saying. Following a deadly earthquake in February that killed tens of thousands of people in Syria and Türkiye, regional normalization with Damascus began to accelerate. In April, Moscow hosted the defense ministers of Türkiye, Syria and Iran for talks that it said focused on “practical steps to strengthen security in the Syrian Arab Republic and to normalize Syrian-Turkish relations.” In a separate development, the Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension that followed Assad’s brutal crackdown on initially peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced alongside Syria on Tuesday that the countries would reopen their respective diplomatic missions.

Russia offers roadmap to mend Syria-Turkey ties
Agence France Presse/10 May 2023
Russia on Wednesday proposed a roadmap to normalise ties between Syria and Turkey at the first meeting of their foreign ministers since the start of the Syrian civil war over a decade ago. "Our task is to determine the general guidelines for further progress," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the meeting that also included Iran's top diplomat. "The best result of our discussion today would be an agreement to instruct experts to prepare a draft roadmap for Syrian-Turkish normalization for the next ministerial meeting," he said. Lavrov said this proposal could then be put to the leaders of Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey. Turkey supported early rebel efforts to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, keeping a military presence in northern stretches of the war-torn country that angers Damascus. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made up with former rivals across the region and is now courting a presidential summit with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad. Lavrov also said Syria and Turkey should begin discussions on repairing transport and logistics "and resuming trade and economic cooperation without any barriers". Kremlin mediation would give President Vladimir Putin diplomatic clout with Russia isolated internationally over Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. Damascus is a staunch ally of Moscow, which intervened in the civil war in 2015, launching air strikes to support the government's struggling forces.

Houthis abduct at least 40 people from Yemeni village
Arab News/May 10, 2023
AL-MUKALLA: Heavily armed Iran-backed Houthis on Tuesday attacked a Yemeni village and abducted more than 40 people for refusing to attend the militia’s summer camps. Yemeni government officials and rights groups said a senior tribal chief was among those kidnapped from Al-Khadher in the central province of Al-Bayda. Dozens of Houthi fighters in military vehicles, including tanks, stormed the village and took guns, personal property, and locals including tribal leader Hussien Al-Khader Abdu Rabbo Al-Sawadi. According to Al-Sawadi tribesmen, the attack was launched because they had failed to send their youngsters to the yearly Houthi summer camps and had rejected the group’s military activities in the area. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Sawadi, a local who earlier relocated to government-controlled Marib, told Arab News: “The attack is motivated by their animosity for the area as a result of past conflicts we fought with them. “The Houthis do not forget to settle old scores. In addition, the residents in the area refused to attend the summer camps.” Residents believe the camps are being used to indoctrinate and recruit children before sending them to fight against Yemeni government forces.
Brig. Abdullah Al-Humaiqani, a native of the province, told Arab News that the Houthis had brutally punished the villagers to send a warning message to other communities. “The enraged Houthis have made it their goal to humiliate the tribe’s members in order to set an example for anyone who disobeys their orders,” Al-Humaiqani said. In a tweet, Faisal Al-Majidi, undersecretary at the Yemeni Ministry of Justice, said: “The assaults, plundering of residences, and arrests of citizens in the village of Al-Khadher and Al-Sawadea in Al-Bayda are evidence that the Houthis cannot survive without violence and disorder.”
He described Al-Bayda as “a resistance province” that had long refused to capitulate to the Houthis. Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani also criticized the Houthis for attacking the village and called on the international community and mediators working to settle Yemen’s conflict to protect Yemenis from further militia assaults. He said: “This is not the first terrorist act committed by the Houthi militia against the people of Al-Bayda province since its coup d’etat. “It has previously attacked dozens of villages in the province’s various districts and committed the most egregious crimes and violations against their inhabitants,” he added.

Canada, Latvia to jointly train Ukrainian soldiers starting Monday
Reuters/May 10, 2023
Canada and Latvia will jointly train Ukrainian soldiers on Latvian soil starting May 15, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday.  The training program will complement other Canadian efforts to train Ukrainian soldiers in the United Kingdom and in Poland, said Anand, speaking to reporters along side her Latvian counterpart Inara Murniece in Ottawa.

Turkey's economy faces 'lost year' no matter who wins election, insiders say
LBCI/May 10, 2023
Turkey's economy is bracing for a "lost year" no matter who wins landmark elections on Sunday, political insiders say, even if the opposition pledges to tear down President Tayyip Erdogan's unorthodox policies.
The main opposition alliance, which is leading in some opinion polls, promises to free up the economy and financial markets from state controls and return independence to a central bank that would then aggressively raise interest rates to cool inflation. Erdogan's ruling party said it would press on with its low-rates and high-growth programme despite inflation at 44% and depleted FX reserves after years of authorities stabilising the lira currency. An opposition government could face economic and market instability as an overvalued lira weakens and as monetary stimulus is removed, analysts say. On the other hand, they say the current government could face its own volatility as its policy programme runs out of steam and could need a revamp. An official from Erdogan's ruling AK Party (AKP) said the economy, especially the cost-of-living crisis facing Turks, presented difficulties for its election campaign. "I admit, the budget is not doing great. Election years are difficult. It will be like a lost year," the AKP official said, adding stronger economic growth would be expected in 2024. The official noted that the AKP could pivot to a more balanced programme if it wins the vote, given Erdogan's recent comments that former finance minister Mehmet Simsek could return to help shape policies. Simsek, who is well known internationally, also worked as a banker at UBS on Wall Street and Merrill Lynch in London. "I believe that Simsek will come and provide support...and there would be a very serious forex inflow if he comes," the official said. Simsek could not be reached for comment. Erdogan's office did not respond to a query about a "lost year" for the economy. Financial markets are bracing for volatility after the presidential and parliamentary votes on May 14. A runoff between Erdogan and opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu is likely on May 28, polls show. A senior opposition official said it would inherit the "wreckage" of Erdogan's economy that would take time to fix because "there is no magic wand". A second opposition official said the new government would reform the bureaucracy as it seeks to understand the economic problems.
"It has become clear that 2023 will be a lost year but 2024 is not a year we can lose," the official said, adding that 5% growth is expected in the next two years before it rises.
POTENTIAL 'CHAOS'
The stakes are high after Erdogan's drive to cut rates sparked a historic currency crisis in late 2021, and sent inflation as high as 85.5% last year. Economists expect inflation to rise from a low of 44% last month. The election "will make or break macroeconomic stability in Turkey," said Liam Peach, senior EM economist at Capital Economics. An Erdogan victory raises the risk of "simultaneous currency, banking and sovereign debt crises down the line," he said, while a Kilicdaroglu win provides a challenging route to "sustainably lower inflation in the future." Erdogan has prioritised growth, investments and exports by cutting rates and stabilising the lira currency via regulations and foreign reserves. The heavy-handed approach send foreign investors fleeing in recent years, though many say they are preparing to return if Erdogan is ousted and interest rates are hiked. "If the government changes hands, the ones who come will take over this terrible picture. And if they cannot explain this situation to the people, they will think that they created this wreckage," said economist Mahfi Egilmez on his blog. Wall Street bank Citi said a return to orthodox policies could attract $45-50 billion of foreign capital in 12 months.
Bilge Yilmaz, head of opposition IYI Party's economy policies and a likely minister if it prevails, said the new government would take predictable steps including an independent central bank and an inflation-fighting regime with three-month targets. "It is highly likely that there will be chaos in the debt and FX markets on May 15 (after the vote). So we need to pre-empt that and make it clear who is leading the new economy team and what is the policy. We can't have uncertainty," he said. "Once the monetary policy looks credible, there will be a rush to Turkish assets."

As more women forgo the hijab, Iran's government pushes back
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)/Wed, May 10, 2023
Billboards across Iran's capital proclaim that women should wear their mandatory headscarves to honor their mothers. But perhaps for the first time since the chaotic days following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, more women — both young and old — choose not to do so.
Such open defiance comes after months of protests over the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police, for wearing her hijab too loosely. While the demonstrations appear to have cooled, the choice by some women not to cover their hair in public poses a new challenge to the country’s theocracy. The women's pushback also lays bare schisms in Iran that had been veiled for decades. Authorities have made legal threats and closed down some businesses serving women not wearing the hijab. Police and volunteers issue verbal warnings in subways, airports and other public places. Text messages have targeted drivers who had women without head covering in their vehicles. However, analysts in Iran warn that the government could reignite dissent if it pushes too hard. The protests erupted at a difficult time for the Islamic Republic, currently struggling with economic woes brought on by its standoff with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Some women said they've had enough — no matter the consequence. They say they are fighting for more freedom in Iran and a better future for their daughters.
Some suggested the growing numbers of women joining their ranks might make it harder for the authorities to push back. “Do they want to close down all businesses?" said Shervin, a 23-year-old student whose short, choppy hair swayed in the wind on a recent day in Tehran. "If I go to a police station, will they shut it down too?”Still, they worry about risk. The women interviewed only provided their first names, for fear of repercussions. Vida, 29, said a decision by her and two of her friends to no longer cover their hair in public is about more than headscarves. “This is a message for the government, leave us alone,” she said.
Iran and neighboring Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are the only countries where the hijab remains mandatory for women. Before protests erupted in September, it was rare to see women without headscarves, though some occasionally let their hijab fall to their shoulders. Today, it's routine in some areas of Tehran to see women without headscarves. For observant Muslim women, the head covering is a sign of piety before God and modesty in front of men outside their families. In Iran, the hijab — and the all-encompassing black chador worn by some — has long been a political symbol as well. Iran's ruler Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1936 banned the hijab as part of his efforts to mirror the West. The ban ended five years later when his son, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, took over. Still, many middle and upper-class Iranian women chose not to wear the hijab.
By the 1979 Islamic Revolution, some of the women who helped overthrow the shah embraced the chador, a cloak that covers the body from head to toe, except for the face. Images of armed women encompassed in black cloth became a familiar sight for Americans during the U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis later that year. But other women protested a decision by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordering the hijab to be worn in public. In 1983, it became the law, enforced with penalties including fines and two months in prison.
Forty years later, women in central and northern Tehran can be seen daily without headscarves. While at first Iran's government avoided a direct confrontation over the issue, it has increasingly flexed the powers of the state in recent weeks in an attempt to curb the practice . In early April, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that “removing hijab is not Islamically or politically permissible.”Khamenei claimed women refusing to wear the hijab are being manipulated. “They are unaware of who is behind this policy of removing and fighting hijab,” Khamenei said. “The enemy’s spies and the enemy’s spy agencies are pursuing this matter. If they know about this, they will definitely not take part in this.”Hard-line media began publishing details of “immoral” situations in shopping malls, showing women without the hijab. On April 25, authorities closed the 23-story Opal shopping mall in northern Tehran for several days after women with their hair showing were seen spending time together with men in a bowling alley. “It is a collective punishment," said Nodding Kasra, a 32-year-old salesman at a clothing shop in the mall. "They closed a mall with hundreds of workers over some customers' hair?”Police have shut down over 2,000 businesses across the country over admitting women not wearing the hijab, including shops, restaurants and even pharmacies, according to the reformist newspaper Shargh. “This is a lose-lose game for businesses. If they warn (women) about not wearing the hijab as per the authorities' orders, people will boycott them,” said Mohsen Jalalpour, a former deputy head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce. “If they refuse to comply, the government will close them down.” Bijan Ashtari, who writes on Iranian politics, warned that business owners who had remained silent during the Mahsa Amini-inspired protests could now rise up.Meanwhile, government offices no longer provide services to women not covering their hair, after some had in recent months. The head of the country's track and field federation, Hashem Siami, resigned this weekend after some participants in an all-women half-marathon in the city of Shiraz competed without the hijab. There are signs the crackdown could escalate.
Some clerics have urged deploying soldiers, as well as the all-volunteer Basij force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, to enforce the hijab law. The Guard on Monday reportedly seized an Iranian fishing boat for carrying women not wearing the hijab near Hormuz Island, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency. Police also say that surveillance cameras with "artificial intelligence" will find women not wearing their head covering. A slick video shared by Iranian media suggested that surveillance footage would be matched against ID photographs, though it's unclear if such a system is currently operational .
“The fight over the hijab will remain center stage unless the government reaches an understanding with world powers over the nuclear deal and sanctions relief,” said Tehran-based political analyst Ahmad Zeidabadi. But diplomacy has been stalled and anti-government protests could widen, he said. The hijab "will be the main issue and the fight will not be about scarves only.” Sorayya, 33, said she is already fighting for a broader goal by going without the headscarf. “I don’t want my daughter to be under the same ideologic pressures that I and my generation lived through,” she said, while dropping off her 7-year-old daughter at a primary school in central Tehran. “This is for a better future for my daughter.”

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 10-11/2023
جائحة عالمية: الاغتصاب الجهادي للنساء المسيحيات/ريمون إبراهيم/معهد جيتستون/10 آيار 2023
A Global Pandemic: The Jihadist Rape of Christian Women
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/May 10, 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118090/118090/
The top five "pressure points" Christian women experience are: 1) sexual violence; 2) forced marriage; 3) physical violence; 4) incarceration or house arrest by male family members; and 5) psychological violence.
"Faith-based sexual violence is recorded as a risk for Christian women and girls in 86% [of the top 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted in general]. Sexual violence is consistently chosen time and time again to target Christian women and girls across the globe...." [Emphasis in original] — Open Doors, A Web of Forces: The 2023 Gender Report.
Of the top 20 nations where gender most shapes the experience of persecution for female Christians, 18 are either Muslim-majority or have a significant Muslim population.
Pakistan: " [I]t is becoming the norm to rape Christian children [some as young as three].... Many families never see their girls again, partly because the authorities rarely take meaningful action to bring perpetrators to justice.... There are also reports of Christian boys being subject to sexual abuse. Experts indicate that instances of rape and murder of young boys are on the rise in Pakistan..." — Open Doors, A Web of Forces: The 2023 Gender Report.
Saudi Arabia: "[R]ape and sexual assault are commonplace across Saudi Arabia for the thousands of non-Saudi (especially Asian and African) housemaids across the country who are Christian (or non-Islamic), a position in which they are commonly abused and virtually treated as slaves." — Open Doors, A Web of Forces: The 2023 Gender Report.
"House-maids working in the UAE often face sexual harassment or slave-like treatment." — Open Doors, A Web of Forces: The 2023 Gender Report.
Among other sad conclusions, these disturbing trends make one thing clear: the notorious sexual abuses that the Islamic State ("ISIS") committed against Christians, Yazidis, and other non-Muslim minorities—which the world heard of, but was also reassured had "nothing to do with Islam" — are, in fact, part and parcel of Muslim societies, rich or poor, whether African, Arab, or Asian.
The global targeting of Christian women for rape and sexual violence, according to a new study, appears to be at an all-time high, especially in the Muslim world. (Image source: iStock)
The global targeting of Christian women for rape and sexual violence, according to a new study, appears to be at an all-time high, especially in the Muslim world.
Open Doors, a human rights organization that tracks the global persecution of Christians, recently published reports examining the role of gender. One of these, "A Web of Forces: The 2023 Gender Report," ranks nations based on the category of "gender-specific religious persecution" and shows how a victim's gender shapes their respective persecution. According to the report:
"Globally, Christian women and girls often find themselves caught in a particularly complex web of compounding vulnerabilities. They are not only vulnerable as Christians ... but their additional gender-determined vulnerabilities overlap and interact to a greater extent than for Christian men and boys in the same contexts. These are environments where all females experience a disadvantaged status as women before the law or in society, bias against their lack of education or an elevated risk of poverty. These multiple vulnerabilities compound one another – like the multiplying forces of compound interest in a bank. Religious persecution exploits the existence of these many interlinking and compounding forces, aggravating the damage to individual women and girls, their families and their communities."
The top five "pressure points" that Christian women experience are: 1) sexual violence; 2) forced marriage; 3) physical violence; 4) incarceration or house arrest by male family members; and 5) psychological violence.
Although all five pressure points are often interconnected, the first — "sexual violence" against Christian women because of their faith — is by far the most common and widespread. The report emphasizes that:
"Faith-based sexual violence is recorded as a risk for Christian women and girls in 86% [of the top 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted in general]. Sexual violence is consistently chosen time and time again to target Christian women and girls across the globe.... The physical and psychol-emotional severity of sexual violence is considerable and well-understood, but the effectiveness of sexual violence is also due to the myriad of damaging consequences that can ensue. A web of complicit forces can worsen its impact and lead to loss of shelter, food, future opportunities and community." [Emphasis in the original]
Of the top 20 nations where gender most shapes the experience of persecution for female Christians, 18 are either Muslim-majority or have a significant Muslim population (the other two are India and Columbia). The 20 are ranked as follows: 1) Nigeria, 2) Cameroon, 3) Somalia, 4) Sudan, 5) Syria, 6) Ethiopia, 7) Niger, 8) India, 9) Pakistan, 10) Mali, 11) Iran, 12) Mozambique, 13) Eritrea, 14) Burkina Faso, 15) Central African Republic, 16) Afghanistan, 17) Democratic Republic of the Congo, 18) Colombia, 19) Egypt, 20) Tunisia.
A representative sampling of the African, Arab, and Asian nations follows in no particular order:
Nigeria:
"[Christian] Women and girls have been raped, forced into sexual slavery, kidnapped for ransom and killed.... Abduction is used regularly to depopulate Christian-dominated territory and impoverish Christian families. Most commonly, Christian girls are abducted and have been known to be trafficked by radical Islamic religious leaders for the purpose of forced marriage and forced conversion – even women who are already married.... Of late, Emirs have provided a special covering for abductors of minors, they collect the minors from the abductors and convert them to Islam then marry them off to willing Muslims, who often rape the minors to impregnate them. The emirs act like their parents, while their biological parents are denied access to them. When parents try to rescue their child, they commonly face resistance from the community, police and judiciary, who argue the marriage is legitimate under Islamic law and the girl has accepted Islam. In addition to being "married," girls abducted by militants have reportedly been used as suicide bombers, human shields or as leverage in negotiations with the government or their families.... Violence against women is also used as a weapon to harm Christian men. Men and boys have been forced to watch their wives, mothers, daughters and sisters be raped in front of them, or abducted, causing deep trauma and feelings of helplessness, as they feel they should have been able to protect them."
Syria:
"Christian women and girls regularly experience harassment and acts of discrimination in the public sphere, even being seduced deliberately in an attempt to convert them to Islam. For example, if a Muslim shop owner sees a woman in a hijab and another who is wearing a cross, she might well keep the Christian waiting and potentially even raise the price for her. Women have also reported being spat at in the street and discriminated against in the workplace. Christian women are most vulnerable to persecution in areas controlled by Islamist groups. For female converts (particularly those from a Muslim background), violence can come from their own families and communities."
Somalia:
"Young female converts to Christianity remain one of the most vulnerable populations. Commonly, a woman suspected of Christianity will be humiliated in public, kept under strict house arrest, raped, abducted, forcibly married to a radical sheikh or killed. For example, when a female convert to Christianity was this year discovered by her family, [she was] arrested in her room and tied on her bed with a chain for six months until another believer was able to come to the rescue. If already married, she will likely be divorced and have her children taken away to ensure that they are raised in an Islamic way."
Pakistan:
"Christian women and girls are at risk of sexual violence in the public sphere, including in the workplace and in schools. Many of them are maids, or cleaners, and are targeted for sexual exploitation. .... [I]t is becoming the norm to rape Christian children [some as young as three].... The psychological trauma and abuse continues even if a case is brought to bring back the girl.... [One Christian woman] committed suicide because of abuse and sexual harassment, departmental negligence and religious oppression.... Many families never see their girls again, partly because the authorities rarely take meaningful action to bring perpetrators to justice.... The legal system repeatedly fails these young women. Many between the ages of 8-18 are being abducted, raped and married to older men. Some of them over 50 years old.... There are also reports of Christian boys being subject to sexual abuse. Experts indicate that instances of rape and murder of young boys are on the rise in Pakistan..."
Yemen:
"[A female convert to Christianity] might be isolated in the home, physically and mentally abused, and possibly given in marriage to a devout Muslim, raped or even killed to 'restore the honor' of the tribe or family.... Christian women and girls also risk being sexually abused at the hands of militias due to the concept of 'anfal' [Arabic for "spoils"], which permits non-Muslims in some circumstances to be treated as slaves as part of the spoils of war (Quran, Surah Al-Anfal). According to local experts these groups are running prostitution rings in the country." [For more on the topic of slavery and concubinage in Islam see here, here, and here.]
Chad:
"Christian women in Chad face both violent and non-violent persecution for their faith. Christian women are also vulnerable to sexual violence at the hands of Islamic militants. ... Women and girls who have been raped and consequently impregnated typically suffer ongoing psychological distress and low self-esteem. Traumatized rape victims sometimes view their children as a perpetual reminder of the crime committed against them. Local sources report that the wider society around them, too, is unsympathetic to their plight, viewing them as tarnished."
Egypt:
"Christian women are targeted for marriage by grooming, rape and forced conversion by Islamist networks... Police response has been often complicit or apathetic and many women remain missing. The psychological toll is high, and many women live in fear..."
Democratic Republic of Congo:
"Christian women are vulnerable to abduction, rape, trafficking, and sexual slavery, especially by ADF [Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic terror group]... Women and girls are raped, forced to marry ADF soldiers and others are trafficked. Sometimes these women and girls are killed. Many Christian women who are spared are reportedly kept as a kind of 'trophy.' ... These forced marriages are often early marriages, as sources report that elderly Muslim men often prefer young Christian girls."
Saudi Arabia:
"[R]ape and sexual assault are commonplace across Saudi Arabia for the thousands of non-Saudi (especially Asian and African) housemaids across the country who are Christian (or non-Islamic), a position in which they are commonly abused and virtually treated as slaves."
Tunisia:
"As conversion from Islam is forbidden, converts from Islam face the greatest breadth of persecution if their faith is discovered. ... They may be physically beaten, expelled from their home, put under house arrest, threatened with death and/or raped. If already married, she will likely be divorced, have her children taken away and have her financial support withdrawn. Some Christian women have been separated from their children for prolonged periods due to disputes related to their new Christian faith."
United Arab Emirates:
"A female convert to Christianity will face immense pressure from her family to force her to convert back to Islam. If she does not, an imam may be called in to convince her of her sin, or she could be placed under house arrest. Even if a Christian man were willing to marry her, women who come from a Muslim background are legally restricted from marrying a non-Muslim... [F]or Christian women who are married to a Muslim man, the law grants custody of children of non-Muslim women to the Muslim father in the event of a divorce.... House-maids working in the UAE often face sexual harassment or slave-like treatment."
Among other sad conclusions, these disturbing trends make one thing clear: the notorious sexual abuses that the Islamic State ("ISIS") committed against Christians, Yazidis, and other non-Muslim minorities—which the world heard of but was also reassured had "nothing to do with Islam" — are, in fact, part and parcel of Muslim societies, rich or poor, whether African, Arab, or Asian.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19640/jihadist-rape-christian-women

What is propelling Iran's soft diplomacy in Syria?
Raghida Dergham/The National/May 07, 2023
There are economic and geopolitical incentives for Tehran to appear conciliatory with the Arab world
Under President Ebrahim Raisi’s leadership, Iran has launched a new tactic involving a softer presence in Syria, as part of its rebranding effort aimed at improving its image while simultaneously deepening its influence and expanding its web of power, pursuant to its "spider strategy". This newfound pragmatism includes moving away from the old language of destruction and chaos and replacing it with a language of adaptation and reconstruction.
Mr Raisi visited Damascus earlier in the week to present his credentials to the Arab world, which intends to revive relations with the Assad regime and reconstruct Syria. His message was clear and two-fold: Iran is staying put in Syria; and Tehran is a partner in rebuilding Syria and its future.
The Iranian regime has realised that its interests require it to abandon its belligerent methods, as they have not served its purposes well. It has concluded that it needs to refine its political discourse and reinforce its economic presence, but silently consolidate its security and military presence as well.
Iran's policy of duplicity has been imposed by the developments resulting from domestic protests that began last year, and which the regime intends to continue to suppress. There has been no change in its conduct towards its domestic affairs. Externally, however, it realises it needs to alter its image.
Mr Raisi's Syria trip underscores Iran's determination to burnish its image as a trading partner and ally of Syria, but with an insistence on remaining deployed there militarily, security-wise, and as a sponsor of its proxies operating there, from Hezbollah to various Palestinian factions.
What’s new is its tactic to reduce the visibility of Hezbollah and of the other factions in order to render their activities less prone to international backlash.
Ending Syria’s regional isolation is a shared quest for both Iran and some Arab countries
Strategically, Iran's influence is not set to decrease in Syria, which both Tehran and Damascus need. Their joint decision is rooted in a long-term vision for Syria, where Iran's presence is long-lasting, going beyond military presence to include expansion in trade and economic ties.
This astuteness in Iranian diplomacy stems from a shift in its policies in the wake of its China-brokered rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. While Yemen sits at the forefront of regional issues being discussed by both sides, with Tehran pledging to co-operate in resolving the conflict by encouraging the Houthis to engage in the peace process, Iran has placed Syria at the top of its own regional priorities.
Tehran considers the Arab rehabilitation of Syria to be a valuable opportunity. If the Arab countries succeed in overcoming the sanctions imposed on Syria and initiate a reconstruction process, Iran will benefit as a partner in this project, particularly as its own economy has been crippled by sanctions. All of this can be achieved through soft diplomacy.
Ending Syria’s regional isolation is a shared quest for both Iran and some Arab countries, albeit for reasons that are not necessarily identical or compatible. Still, conditions exist, the details of which range from the straightforward to the near intractable. If some Arab countries are resolved to get Damascus to halt the trafficking of Captagon pills, then who will compensate them for a trade reported to be worth $10 billion annually, and how? If Iran is determined to keep its secret bases in Syria, then who will guarantee Israel would ever tolerate them?
The other countries involved in Syria are monitoring the situation with varying degrees of interest, too.
Turkey is waiting for the outcome of its presidential election this month. I am given to understand that Ankara and Damascus have agreed to delay discussing normalisation until after the vote. Russia appears content with the current Arab engagement of Syria and the Iranian diplomatic pivot, as long Tehran's presence in Syria remains or even expands, including economically.
The US, meanwhile, is preoccupied with other issues that it considers more pertinent than Syria, such as the Ukrainian conflict, its debt crisis, and the Taiwan question. China, on the other hand, is satisfied with the results of its sponsorship of the Saudi-Iranian agreement, and with anything that could facilitate the implementation of its Belt and Road Initiative – including Iran's diplomatic outreach in the region.
What is Iran's latest game plan in Lebanon?
Re-integrating Syria into the region will require complex feats of diplomacy
'Strategic trust' forms the basis of China's relationship with the Arab world
The Arab League has granted Syria a conditional return to the alliance after more than a decade of isolation. There is a roadmap in place that involves mutual commitments and gradual implementation. The Assad regime will send messages that signal flexibility and domestic change. It will not base its outreach on existing international calls for a power-sharing roadmap, which it has rejected and will continue to oppose, but it might be willing to cede a small degree of power.
Damascus will probably respond positively to the Arab proposals and Iranian positions, to appear as though it is compromising and co-operating for the sake of Syria. However, it will not make radical reforms to the system, but rather will soften its own behaviour – an approach consistent with the Iranian strategy.
The Assad regime will not sever ties with Iran or Hezbollah, and their strong relations will remain intact. Any change will be in approach, not in substance. But if good behaviour and performance somehow lead to a gradual change in substance, then it would be a pleasant surprise that time may well bring.
Today, Iran's "spider strategy" is weaving threads through which the principles and doctrines of its regime are to be executed. It is doing this without openly resorting to its usual methods such as threats and provocations.
Some see dissimulation as worse than open belligerence because it can cover up the regime’s deep-rooted transgressions. Others argue that acquired habits in today's era might come to overshadow inherent ones due to their benefits and how entrenched they could eventually become. Either way, it is premature to determine whether Iran and its partners will make this dissimulation approach the foundation of their deep strategy, or whether acquired habits will gradually refine their mindset – and perhaps even reform it.

What’s Behind Reports of a ‘Rampant Rise’ of Necrophilia in Muslim Nations?
Raymond Ibrahim/May 10, 2023
Connections between the disturbing practice of necrophilia and Islam are back in the news.
“In a shocking revelation,” starts one Apr. 29 report, “parents in Pakistan now guard their dead daughters against rape by putting padlocks to their graves. … [N]ecrophilia cases are on the rise in the country.”
Addressing this same phenomenon, another report states:
That a woman is raped every two hours in a country [Pakistan] taking great pride in its family-oriented values has been hammered to the point of repetition in our collective conscience. But the heart-wrenching sight of padlocks on the graves of females is enough for the entire society to hang its head in shame and never dare to look at the so-called vessels of honour. This is being done as a desperate bid to ensure the sanctity of dead bodies in case some randy monsters cherry-pick them to satiate their lust. Considering the rampant rise in necrophilia, one can’t help but understand the urge to protect loved ones.
This issue is not limited to Pakistan. According to an Aug. 22, 2022 report, a female Afghan refugee to India “revealed that the Taliban has sex with dead bodies.”
What to make of these macabre revelations? Is Islam really to blame?
As usual, when determining whether a practice is or is not Islamic, one must turn to the prophet of Islam: Muhammad. According to a bizarre hadith (a recorded tradition concerning his sayings and doings) that exists in six of Islam’s classical reference texts (including the important Kanz al-‘Umal and al-Hujja fi Biyan al-Mahujja), Muhammad once took off his shirt, placed it on a dead woman, and then descended into her grave to “lay with her.”
As they hurled dirt atop the corpse and Muhammad, the grave diggers exclaimed, “O Prophet, we see you doing a thing you never did with anyone else,” to which he responded: “I dressed her in my shirt so that she may be dressed in heavenly robes, and I lay [myself] with her in her grave so that the pressures of the grave may be alleviated from her.”
Clearly, this hadith leaves much room for interpretation, and there is no reason to insist that Muhammad was actually copulating with the corpse. There are, however, some hurdles:
First, the two Arabic words (ataja’ ma’ha اضطجع معها) translated above as “lay with her,” are also used in Arabic to mean “intercourse.” This is similar to the English idiom “to lie with her,” which can literally mean nothing more than lying down with a woman but often is an indirect reference to sex. More than a few Muslim clerics have made this linguistic observation.
Second, Sunni Islam’s four orthodox schools of jurisprudence (or madhahib al- fiqh) — namely, al-Hanafi, al-Hanbali, al-Maliki, and al-Shafi’i — implicitly permit necrophilia. None of them actually addresses it on its own; rather, all of them give it a nod whenever it comes up in the context of other topics. Thus, in the section on adultery, the Maliki teaching is that “[i]f a husband enters his dead wife — any which way, from front or behind — there is no penalty for him” (Sharh Mukhtasar al-Khalil fi al-fiqh al-Maliki).
Similarly, Shafi’i rulings on ablution point out that it is unnecessary to rewash the body of the dead — male or female, adds the Hanbali madhhab — after penetrating it, though the penis of the penetrator does require washing.
Regardless of all the above, it is not for the non-Muslim — certainly not for me — to tell Muslims what their texts are really saying and teaching. That is the job of their ulema: scholars and clerics devoted to learning the deep truths of Islam. Thus, the real question remains: do modern-day ulema permit necrophilia?
The lamentable answer is yes. For instance, in 2011, a leading Moroccan cleric and founding member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Abdul Bari Zamzami, issued a fatwa permitting the Muslim husband to copulate with his dead wife. He prefaced his decree by saying that, although he does not necessarily approve of this act, it is not for him to ban what Islam permits. As proof, he cited the aforementioned rulings of Islam’s schools of jurisprudence.
Soon thereafter, in April 2012, when the Muslim Brotherhood held the presidency of Egypt in the person of Mohamed Morsi, news that Islamist Egyptian parliamentarians were trying to pass a law legalizing necrophilia appeared. Although Al Ahram, Egypt’s most reputable paper, reported the story, it was quickly dismissed as a hoax in Western media (which often happens whenever Islam makes the news in ways that do not comport with Western sensibilities). As one journalist argued, “[t]his ugly rumor and hoax, thought to originate in a fatwa by [the aforementioned] sheikh Zamzami, a noted Moroccan cleric, should be doubted for the simple reason that no Egyptian Islamist sheikh, or any other Imam, has ever been reported to approve of necrophilia.”
An Egyptian cartoon pokes fun at the proposed “farewell intercourse” law of 2012. As the spirit of the deceased woman ascends, and as her husband lustfully eyes her corpse, she remarks: “O please, man—where were you when I was alive!”
If that was true in 2012, it wasn’t in 2017, when necrophilia was yet again mentioned and legitimized, this time by Sheikh Sabri Abdul Raeuf, a professor at Egypt’s Al Azhar — the Islamic world’s most prestigious university (which Pope Francis considers an ally). During a televised show in Egypt, the sheikh and professor was asked if it is permissible for a husband to penetrate his wife after death. He replied, “It is not favorable in Islam; however, Islamic law considers it as halal” — that is, permissible, not a crime or sin deserving of punishment in the here or hereafter.
A subsequent Youm7 Arabic report, titled (in translation) “The Books of al-Shafi’i, al-Hanbali, and al-Hanafi Reveal that Sex with a Dead Wife is Not Adultery,” verified the Al Azhar professor’s claims.
Muslim necrophilia has, incidentally, also made it to the West. In the U.K., late one night in 2019, a Muslim man, Kasim Khuram, broke into a funeral home, opened several coffins, and, having made his “selections,” proceeded to yank out and “rape” two female corpses. When police arrested him, Khuram explained his actions by laughingly saying, “Every hole is a goal.”
Despite all the above, necrophilia should not be seen as widespread among Muslims. Indeed, whenever it makes the news in the Arab world, most Muslims — as can be expected of most decent people of whichever creed — respond with incredulity and revulsion.
Rather, the point here is that Islamic jurisprudence is so legalistically slavish to old, sometimes bizarre, texts and often ambiguously worded as to legitimize much that is repugnant to modern sensibilities. Not only does this provide a moral — sometimes even pious — cover for deviants, but it also may attract them to Islam. Just as pedophiles, rapists, sex-slavers, misaogynists, psychotic mass murderers, extortionists, and those eager to be “breastfed” by women or drink camel urine can find support in the teachings of Islam — in ways that the followers of other religions simply cannot — so too can those with depraved proclivities for the dead.

Sudan: The Role of Parties, Ideas, and the Models in Military Coups
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/May 10/2023
Armies and security services doubtlessly bear primary responsibility for the military coups in Sudan, as they do in the other Arab countries that have been subjected to military coups. They are also primarily responsible for the dictatorial regimes created by these coups.
With that, they had many partners, especially within party and cultural circles. After doing everything they could to undermine the old civilian regimes that had only been established a few years prior, they advocated for the coups, and their military elements took part in them.
When Sudan witnessed its first coup in 1958 (just two years after gaining its independence) under the pretext that “democracy has failed miserably,” these parties, ideas and models were pushing it, strongly and persistently, to hell.
Ibrahim Abboud’s coup, like the Iraqi coup led by Abd al-Karim Qassem and Abd al-Salam Aref that same year, was more than a little influenced by the Egyptian July coup that had succeeded six years earlier.
Indeed, the Egyptian “Free Officers,” through one of their members Salah Salem, who was tasked with managing Sudanese affairs, went the distance in their intervention in Sudan. In their efforts, through which they were hoping to generalize their model and to ensure Sudan’s officers help furthering the interests of Cairo, they benefited greatly from the traditional ties that linked Egypt to the Khatmiyya sect in Sudan.
It is in this context that the Sudanese “Free Officers” were brought together under the leadership of two officers, Mahmoud Haseeb and Yaqoub Kubaida, who were known for their ties to Egypt and their visits to Cairo.
Another relevant fact is that many Sudanese officers had been in Egypt since the “Anglo-Egyptian Sudan” era, and the majority of those who returned to Khartoum joined this Nasserite army group.
However, the Sudanese “Free Officers” who had embraced Nasserism were in a hurry, and they wanted to take power without Abboud as a partner. And so they tried to beat him to it, carrying out a failed coup attempt in 1957. They then almost immediately turned on the new military regime, launching another failed coup attempt in 1959 that was led by the fervent pan Arab Mahmoud Hasib, who was thus imprisoned until 1964.
One of the officers who had taken part in the 1958 coup and had been appointed secretary of the military council by the conspirators, Colonel Hussein Ali Karrar, was dazzled by a visit to Cairo. What impressed him most was “the army’s place in society.” There, he found “a climate suitable for coups, as the people want the army to intervene so that they can enjoy the benefits that the people of Egypt have enjoyed under the rule of the army.”
Another conspiracy was launched by Nasserite officers in 1964, and among those who had been arrested for their role was a Nasserite officer named Jaafar Nimeiri, who had previously been questioned for his role in the 1957 attempt. Because the Nasserites had been on bad terms with the Communists at the time, they only realized the need for an understanding with them after their coup attempts had failed. Thus, they decided to join forces in the next one. Indeed, Nimeiri then launched a successful coup in 1969, less than three months before the Libyan coup led by another Nasserite officer, Mpammar al-Gaddafi.
As for the men behind Sudan’s coup, they were Nasserist officers, Arab Nationalists, and Communists who had formed an army organization five years earlier that joined Free Officers and used to report directly to the Communist Party Secretary-General Abd al-Khaliq Mahjoub.
Thus, Sudan’s second democratic experiment was overthrown, though it rested on an alliance between the Khatmis and the Mahdists, which was manifested in the power-sharing arrangement of Ismail al-Azhari and Sadiq al-Mahdi.
In its first statement, the military regime announced that power was now in the hands of “the workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals, and national capitalists who are not affiliated with imperialism.” As for the Communists, whose language the military regime spoke, they called on all the “revolutionary elements” in the army to support the movement and ensure its success. Three Communist officers sat on the Revolutionary Command Council, and four were made ministers.
Nonetheless, the Communists turned against yesterday’s partners in 1971, and so Nimeiri executed their leaders and went from a Nasserite to a Sadatist and from an ally of Moscow to an ally of Washington. Then, in 1983, he announced that the Sharia Islamic law would be applied in Sudan. In turn, the Islamist Sheikh Hassan al-Turabi had become his advisor. The darkest tendencies of the Nimeiri era have been attributed to Turabi’s influence, from the re-inflammation of the war on the South to the thinker Mahmoud Muhammad Taha’s execution in early 1985. However, after Nimeiri was toppled that year and Sudan began its third democratic phase, it was Islamist officers who launched the coup. Led by Omar al-Bashir, one of Turabi’s students, they took power in 1989.
They left the worst aspects of the Nimeiri regime in place. In fact, power became more centralized, and the role of security apparatuses became more prominent, so much so that Turabi himself was sidelined by his military students in 1999, just as the Baathist officers ruling Syria had done to their guru, Michel Aflaq. This is how the dagger of military coups became entrenched in Sudan’s body politic, through the efforts of the Nasserists, the Communists, and then the Islamists. As for the battles unfolding between two armies today, their deep roots lie only there. The fact that all we can do is forget makes what is horrible in this modern history more horrible and the terrible more terrible.

The Return Syria Needs
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/May 10/2023
Syria has returned to its position as an ordinary member of the Arab League. The question, which we have been contemplating since it was expelled, of whether the decision to exclude Syria was the proper course of action, has become irrelevant.
Similar cases have occurred in the past. Indeed, even the historical headquarters of the Arab League Egypt had been expelled once before Syria. Indeed, the Arab League relocated its headquarters from Egypt, only to eventually return despite the fact that the reasons for Egypt’s expulsion remained.
With the full reinstatement of Syria to the Arab League, it will now play a role in all of the League’s institutions and attend upcoming summits.
This raises several questions. How much will Syria benefit from its reinstatement? Could this be the beginning of the end of Syria’s complex crisis, after it turned into a battleground in which an array of foreign powers fight it out to further their agendas? These forces are unlikely to sacrifice the influence that they have garnered. Indeed, their involvement in Syria has come at a heavy price and has become a pillar of their current and future policies.
Unfortunately for Syria, the Arab states hold the least influence among the powers grappling for control over the country. Israel and the United States maintain a significant presence on the ground and in the air. Russia has achieved its longstanding goal of securing a foothold in warm waters. Iran is pursuing an expansive agenda that goes far beyond Syria. Türkiye, which shares history, geography, and the challenges of earthquakes, security, and refugees, with Syria, plays a pivotal role in Syria.
And all of these actors, especially Russia and Iran, see their involvement in Syria as a strategic investment. They believe that everyone must live with, as they are partners in everything, the regime only survived because of their support. And in politics, everything comes at a price!
However, the most important thing to keep an eye out for, the most significant factor for Syria’s future, is the Syrian people themselves, who wreaked more havoc on the country than anyone else. This resilient nation has been torn apart. Millions of refugees have been forced to flee their homeland and millions more, with nowhere else to go, are trapped within its borders.
There is no computer on the planet that can give an accurate tally of the number of homes destroyed, lives lost or destroyed, and citizens imprisoned and displaced. No computer currently at our disposal can tell us how many years Syria has been taken back or how many years it will take for the country to go back to where it had been before the war. Looking at the current state of affairs in Syria as the war continues to rage on, we cannot avoid skepticism about how useful bringing Syria back to the “Arab fold” will be for resolving this dire situation. The Arab fold, in its present form, does not have the capacity to comprehensively address and resolve the multifaceted crisis plaguing Syria.
While Syria’s reinstatement into the Arab League was a positive step. However, what the country truly needs to do to overcome its tragedy is look inward. It must bid farewell to the old Syria, which has just undergone the worst calamity in its history. There can be no hope of overcoming it, replicating the old way of doing things and presenting its previous approach as a victory.
The resolution will not be Russian, Iranian, American, or even Arab. We must learn the lessons of the Arab Spring. It demonstrated that those who managed to evade its calamities were the countries with a national fabric stronger than those who tried to break it.
Could we see the birth of a new Syria at the hands of the Syrian people? A democratic Syria with a political system that satisfies all of its citizens through free and fair elections in which no one receives 99.9% of the vote is pivotal.
Having someone representing Syria at Arab meetings and discussions does not hurt. However, it only can become genuinely beneficial if it gives rise to a new Syria. Although the path to change may seem difficult because old habits die hard, it is the best way to allow a new Syria to rise.
Only strong national fabrics and institutions can close the door to foreign agendas. This can only be achieved when every Syrian citizen feels a sense of belonging to the state and society. Are we witnessing the beginning of a journey in this direction?

World can start stabilizing Syria without involving Assad
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/May 10, 2023
The Arab League announced on Sunday that it had readmitted Syria. Two days earlier, the US State Department’s regional spokesperson Hala Ghrait announced that the White House was against normalization with Bashar Assad as long as the regime refused to change its behavior. However, the Arab overture is far from normalization. At best, it can be described as conditional engagement.
So far, Assad has only shown rigidity. He thinks that the Arab Gulf states will just acknowledge him as the winner of Syria’s war and give him billions of dollars for reconstruction.
Saudi Arabia issued a communique following last month’s visit to Damascus by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in which countering the trade in narcotics was highlighted. Shortly after this visit, and while the Syrian foreign minister was meeting with Arab counterparts in Amman, Jordan, the Saudi authorities busted a shipment of Captagon in Jeddah. If this means anything, it is that Assad has no control over what happens on the ground.
Even if he was unwilling to change his behavior, Assad would not have sent the shipment so soon. He would have waited until he got something from the deal. This episode shows that, in all likelihood, the step-by-step process linked to Assad’s readmission to the Arab League will not work. Even if he is willing, which is highly doubtful, he is incapable of fulfilling the basic conditions to stabilize Syria and secure the safe return of refugees.
Hence, a parallel track should be adopted. The EU, which is most concerned about Syria because it does not want another wave of refugees heading toward its borders, should make a serious effort to stabilize the country — and this definitely does not mean talking to Assad. The international community should speak to Assad’s patrons, Russia and Iran. In order to do that effectively, the international community should work with Saudi Arabia. Europe, because of the sanctions, cannot talk to Russia, but Saudi Arabia can. And regarding Iran, Saudi Arabia is working on a rapprochement. Syria can be an area for cooperation.
Even if Assad is willing, which is highly doubtful, he is incapable of fulfilling the basic conditions to stabilize Syria
The goals should be stabilizing the security situation, ensuring the safe return of refugees and jumpstarting the local economy so that people can sustain themselves.
The low-hanging fruit is Deraa in the southwest. The Russians did try to establish local reconciliation in Deraa in order to stabilize the area, but it failed due to the regime reneging on all its commitments. In 2018, a deal was brokered between the regime and the opposition, driven by the Russians and approved by the Americans. The agreement consisted of the opposition forces reconciling with the regime and becoming a legion in the army named the 8th Brigade. It joined the 5th Corps, which is under Russian control, in return for the regime giving its fighters amnesty and reinstating those who were government employees to their jobs. The settlement included 12 points, but the regime did not commit to any of them.
Young men who had been given amnesty were stopped at a checkpoint on the way to Damascus and tortured and killed, with their bodies sent back to their families. So, the Russian effort failed because of Assad. Nevertheless, Russia has no choice in Syria but to back Assad as he is guaranteeing Moscow’s jurisdiction over its only naval base on the Mediterranean. Throughout history, Russia has waged wars to reach warm waters. Syria is Russia’s only foothold on the Mediterranean.
Russia and Iran were banking on the international community accepting Assad and giving him funds for reconstruction, from which they would benefit. They are now realizing this is not the case and Assad is more likely to face the same destiny as Omar Bashir. The Caesar Act sanctions are unlikely to be removed and he is unlikely to be accepted by the international community. Hence, their hopes of a comprehensive solution are fading away.
A deal with Russia should be clinched by bypassing the regime. The deal should include international recognition of Moscow’s jurisdiction over the Tartus naval base. Though the international community is working on delegitimizing Russia and curbing its presence worldwide, it needs to make this compromise in order to get the Kremlin on board with ending the conflict. The agreement should also include the involvement of Russian companies in the redevelopment of Deraa, along with local councils and in the presence of international observers. Russia should then guarantee the safe return of those internally displaced people who are from Deraa but are currently in Idlib.
It is in Hezbollah’s interest to withdraw from the areas it occupies in Syria in order to facilitate the refugees’ return
Another deal should be struck regarding the areas around Lebanon, where the main actors are Iran and Hezbollah. Most of the refugees in Lebanon come from areas that are occupied by Hezbollah, such as Qalamoun, Qusayr, Harasta and Zabadani. Basically, Iran is in Syria to secure the “useful Syria,” which is a term to describe the land bridge that links Iraq to Lebanon and the Mediterranean. Iran has secured this, but at a high cost. Iranian forces are facing regular bombing raids from Israel and these strikes are likely to increase as Tel Aviv feels more insecure. This means their presence is not sustainable.
Internally, in Lebanon, there is a huge campaign against Syrian refugees. The public discourse is asking for their return to Syria. Hezbollah is worried about their presence in Lebanon. According to a Hezbollah source, 80,000 of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are armed. This a ticking time bomb for the group because, if the refugees do ever use these arms, it will be mainly against those who drove them out of their homes in the first place.
So, it is in Hezbollah’s interest to withdraw from the areas it occupies in Syria in order to facilitate the refugees’ return; but it would need to cover its back. It would not want any hostile armed group crossing from Syria and targeting them in Lebanon. Zabadani, for example, is a strategic point in Syria overlooking the Beqaa Valley, which is a stronghold of Hezbollah.
The withdrawal should be coupled with the deployment of a joint Islamic force, including Arab deterrence troops as well as Iranian ones. Israel is unlikely to strike any units that include Arab Gulf forces. On the other hand, Israel will be appeased, as the Iranian forces would be operating within a framework, keeping their hostile activities toward Israel under control. The international community should give legitimacy to such a force.
These two deals would be a stepping stone to a more localized agreement across the country. They would also make Assad irrelevant in the eyes of his patrons. This is much better and more effective than clinching a deal with the brutal dictator, who will use any funds to reconstruct his regime.
*Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

The changing US-Israel relationship ....There is a deep partisan split on the issue of Israel.
James J. Zogby/The Arab Weekly/Wednesday 10 May 2023
Three April visits to Israel by prominent US political leaders revealed a lot about the evolving US-Israel relationship. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries visited with a delegation of 11 Democratic members of Congress. The Republican governor of Florida Ron
DeSantis led a delegation on a four-nation tour promoting Florida business. And Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy came calling. No one was fooled by the stated purpose of the DeSantis visit. Testing the waters to challenge Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, his visit was seen through that lens.
Shortly after arriving, DeSantis signed an anti-hate crime bill passed by the Florida legislature. While the bill imposes penalties for harassing individuals for their religion or ethnicity, in his public comments DeSantis made clear that, in his mind, anti-Semitism includes criticism of Israel and
support for pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).
In his remarks, DeSantis was careful to endorse former President Trump’s policies toward Israel: moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, ending the Iran nuclear deal and promoting the Abraham Accords. And DeSantis criticised President Biden for “butting into Israel’s internal affairs” by
cautioning the current Israeli government to rethink its radical “judicial reform.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met DeSantis but kept it low-key and without official comment, most likely to avoid provoking a reaction from Trump.
Speaker McCarthy’s time in Israel had an official visit’s formal trappings, including a Knesset address and sit-down with the prime minister. McCarthy also endorsed the Trumpian Middle East agenda and followed the well-worn script of “unwavering support,” military aid, attacks on Iran and support for Abraham Accords expansion. Unlike DeSantis, McCarthy was largely ignored by the press, only making news by inviting Netanyahu to Washington, an obvious criticism of President Biden’s failure to do so. (It would be the third time a Republican House Speaker invited Netanyahu to address Congress in order to attack a sitting US Democratic President.)
The least publicised visit was Minority Leader Jeffries and delegation. The same meetings and talking points, it differed only in “raising concerns about the proposed judicial reforms that hundreds of thousands have protested in the streets”, not exactly a headline maker.
Clearly, Israel remains a central issue in US politics, but its role has fundamentally shifted. Polls show that Democrats now favour Palestinians over Israelis by a 49% to 38% margin and American Jews, the vast majority Democrats, are increasingly alienated from the Netanyahu government’s
policies. So, the targets of the DeSantis and McCarthy visits were not Jewish voters, but pro-Israel right-wing Christian evangelicals (40% of the Republican vote).
Recall that two years ago Israeli ambassador to the US Ron Dermer advised Israel not to rely on American Jews’ support, as they are too small in number and deeply divided on Israel. Instead, he said, Israel’s strongest supporters were right-wing Christians, who are greater in number and uncompromising devotees of Israel. This rock-solid, religiously-motivated GOP base are also Trump supporters, leading DeSantis and McCarthy to painstakingly endorse the former president’s
agenda. The purpose of Jeffries’ visit was more complicated. He pledged his commitment to bipartisan support for Israel by keeping Democratic members of Congress in line. But as the party’s progressive base moves in a different direction, his caucus is increasingly restive, with critical views of Israeli policies.
If the overwhelming majority of American Jews will vote for Democrats and are not wedded to Israel, what is Jeffries’ purpose? A recent article in Jewish Currents quotes a New York Jewish Democratic operative’s answer: “You need a lot of money to stay in power” and “Jeffries is out re-establishing his
credentials with Jews, particularly donors.”
Pro-Israel PACs and “dark money” groups spent tens of
millions in recent election cycles and Jeffries does not want to risk losing their support.
The three recent visits to Israel reflect the changing dynamic in US politics and the policy debate.
There is a deep partisan split on the issue of Israel. Republicans are of one mind, with Trump and his religiously-conservative pro-Israel voters in control. Democratic leaders are stuck between courting pro-Israel big donors and appealing to their more progressive voters. Despite Jeffries’ pledge of bipartisan support for Israel, both Democrat/Republican inter-party and Democrats’ intra-party
tensions are real and growing.
*Dr James J. Zogby is President of the Washington-based Arab American Institute.