English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 17/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2023/english.may17.23.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006 

Click On The Below Link To Join Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group so you get the LCCC Daily A/E Bulletins every day
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط على الرابط في أعلى للإنضمام لكروب Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group وذلك لإستلام نشراتي العربية والإنكليزية اليومية بانتظام

Elias Bejjani/Click on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس بجاني/اضغط على الرابط في أسفل للإشتراك في موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
15 آذار/2023

Bible Quotations For today
Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth.
Saint John 11/32-44:”When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”
.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 16-17/2023
The nineteenth anniversary of the announcement of His Holiness Mar Nematallah Al-Hardini / May 16th
Lebanon receives 'letter' threatening EU sanctions on vote boycotters
France seeks arrest of central bank chief
LF tells Berri not to interfere in opposition's affairs
Opposition nomination delayed as Bassil agrees to back Frem
Bassil-Geagea talks in 'final stages', new president after Arab Summit
Lebanon on Arab League's agenda in Jeddah
Jumblat says Mallat best candidate, slams LF, FPM
Bukhari broaches situation with Caretaker Minister Nassar, meets Apostolic Nuncio
Mikati ready to lead ministerial delegation to Syria, minister says
Berri meets Presidency Director General, delegation of families of Lebanese detainees in UAE, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Romania
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon visits Civic Influence Hub – CIH: Ensuring the collaboration towards empowering the Citizenship Sovereign State...
Touch, Alfa employees rally outside both companies’ headquarters to demand rights
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry condemns storming of Jordanian mission building in Khartoum
Fuel prices drop in Lebanon
Mikati discusses with Bou Habib preparations underway for Lebanon’s participation in Arab Summit, briefed by Makary on outcome of BAU conference in...
Canadian Ambassador visits parliament, explores bilateral relations and refugee crisis
Hospital Owners Syndicate warns of major problem regarding dialysis starting June
Salameh accuses Judge Buresi of legal violations, announces plan to challenge arrest warrant decision
Sheikh Akl Al-Muna receives Japanese Ambassador
Unleashing the potential: Cannabis plant's impact on Lebanon's economy

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 16-17/2023
Jordan’s King Abdullah to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Rise Is Important for Countries of the Region
Jeddah Summit Preparatory Meetings Begin, Aboul Gheit Points to Positive Developments
Returning to the Arab fold, Syria's president invited to UAE-hosted COP28 climate
Syria's return and regional unity: The 32nd Arab Summit in Jeddah
Russia launches 'exceptional' air attack in Kyiv with drones, missiles
Leaders of wider Europe unite against Russia
Europe Pushes Iran Deal at Ukraine’s Expense
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Accused of Intentionally Downing Ukrainian Plane
US charges Chinese National with Providing Weapons Materials to Iran
Israeli foreign minister makes first visit to Sweden in two decades
Libya parliament votes to replace appointed PM Fathi Bashagha, spokesperson says
Concerns over Turkish economy ahead of presidential runoff
EU’s Borrell Calls on Türkiye to Fix Shortcomings in Election Process
Sudan’s capital rocked by airstrikes, artillery fire
Sudan’s Burhan Boosts Position with Police, Foreign Affairs Appointments

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 16-17/2023
The Palestinians' Other Jihad Against Israel/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./May 16, 2023
Fusion: The Worldwide Race to Capture the Power of the Sun/Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/May 16, 2023
Amid Escalation in Gaza, Tunisian Soldier Murders Local Jews/David May/The Algemeiner/May 16, 2023
Erdogan scents victory as Turkish presidential election goes to a runoff/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/May 16/2023
China and the US, Tense Cohabitation or More?/Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 16-17/2023
The nineteenth anniversary of the announcement of His Holiness Mar Nematallah Al-Hardini / May 16th
Saint Of The Day Web Site/May 16/2023
St. Nimatullah al-Hardini
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/114042/%d8%aa%d8%b0%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%82%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d9%86%d8%b9%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d9%83%d8%b3%d9%91%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d9%8a/
"Nimatullah Youssef Kassab Al-Hardini" was born in the Emirate of Mount Lebanon, in 1808. He was the son of George Kassab and Marium Raad. His mother was the daughter of a Maronite priest. As a boy, he attended a religious school, studying under the monks of the Lebanese Maronite Order at the Monastery of St. Anthony, in Houb. He completed his studies there in 1822. In 1828, he entered the monastery of St. Anthony in Qozhaya. He took the name, "Nimatullah," which means "God's grace."
Nimatullah spent long hours in prayer, often staying awake all night to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He made his vows in 1830, and was sent to the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justinian to study for ordination. He was ordained on Christmas Day, 1833. He was then sent to teach at the order's seminary and became the director of the seminarians. However, he was reluctant to accept positions of leadership due to his humility. Once, when offered a post as Superior General of his order, he declined saying, "Better death than to be appointed Superior General."
Throughout his career, he was observed to be strict with himself and his own observance of the rules. However, he was remarkably lenient with the other monks. In fact, he was reprimanded for showing so much leniency. He remarked that his first concern should be to do no harm, or trouble his bothers.
There were two civil wars in the region, during 1840 and 1845. These were occasions of great suffering for Nimatullah and the people. One of his biological brothers, who had also entered the monastery and become a monk, advised him to become a hermit as well. But Nimatullah dismissed this suggestion, explaining that the true challenge of being a monk involved communal life.
Nimatullah was well-known for his spirituality, and is said to have performed many miracles. On one occasion, he ordered his students to move away from a wall, because he had a premonition that the wall was going to collapse. The wall subsequently fell, but thanks to his vision, the students were kept safe. He miraculously cured an alter boy who was deathly ill, and when his monastery's donation box was nearly empty, he prayed and soon it was found to be overflowing with food. In the late fall of 1858, Nimatullah fell ill with a high fever while teaching. He remained in bed for two weeks, holding tightly an icon of the Blessed Virgin, and entrusting his soul to her. He died on December 14, 1858. In 1864, his tomb was opened for reburial and his body was discovered incorrupt. His body was venerated by the public until 1827, when he was finally reburied in a chapel.
His case for canonization was opened on September 7, 1978, and he was declared venerable. In 1997, a miracle was attributed to him. Pope John Paul II beatified him on May 10, 1998. He later canonized Nimatullah on Sunday, May 16, 2004.

Lebanon receives 'letter' threatening EU sanctions on vote boycotters
Naharnet/May 16/2023
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has received a letter threatening European Union sanctions against MPs who fail to attend presidential election sessions, an official source told MTV on Tuesday. Media reports have said that foreign threats to impose sanctions on vote obstructors are what pushed Speaker Nabih Berri to say that “the presidential election should be finalized before June 15 at the latest.” Other reports said that Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari has called on Lebanese officials whom he met in recent days to elect a president as soon as possible or “face international sanctions.”

France seeks arrest of central bank chief
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/May 16/2023
A French investigating magistrate on Tuesday issued an international arrest warrant for Lebanon's central bank chief Riad Salameh, a source close to the case said. Salameh earlier failed to appear for questioning by French investigators who suspect him of using fraud to amass sizeable assets across Europe. A European judicial team from France, Germany and Luxembourg is conducting a corruption probe into an array of financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and alleged laundering of $330 million, implicating Salameh. Salameh, 72, who has held his post for almost 30 years, has repeatedly denied all allegations against him. He has insisted that his wealth comes from his previous job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments.

LF tells Berri not to interfere in opposition's affairs
Naharnet/May 16/2023
The Lebanese Forces urged Tuesday Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to call for an open-ended election session, instead of obstructing the election of a president. In a statement, the LF told Berri that, as a speaker, he doesn't have the right to interfere in what the opposition is doing. "The opposition is capable of managing its own affairs and is ready to go to an electoral session," the statement said, adding that Berri is not calling for a session because he hasn't secured enough votes for his candidate. According to al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri had said that he will only call for a session when the opposition agrees on a candidate. "Let them agree on a candidate and I'm ready to call for a session," he was quoted as saying.

Opposition nomination delayed as Bassil agrees to back Frem
Naharnet/May 16/2023
The opposition has intensified its meetings to pick a presidential candidate from the nominees who enjoy Bkirki’s approval: Joseph Aoun, Jihaz Azour, Ziad Baroud, Neemat Frem and Salah Honein, informed political sources said.
“Azour and Frem are in the lead over the other candidates,” the sources told the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal in remarks published Tuesday. The sources also attributed the delay in announcing the name of the candidate who enjoys the support of the opposition Christian blocs to “the ongoing contacts behind the scenes with MP Jebran Bassil, after he informed them of his agreement to back Frem’s nomination.”“But Bassil is linking this stance to knowing whether Hezbollah is willing to withdraw Franjieh from the race,” the sources added. “This means that the declaration of the opposition’s candidate will be delayed to next week, contrary to what was suggested over the past hours,” the sources went on to say.

Bassil-Geagea talks in 'final stages', new president after Arab Summit
Naharnet/May 16/2023
The presidential negotiations between Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea have entered their “final stages,” a media report said on Tuesday. Bassil and Geagea are in a “race against time, seeing as the Lebanese parties have been informed that the presidential election session should be held shortly after the Arab Summit,” informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper. The session might be held “in the first week of June,” the sources added. Al-Liwaa meanwhile reported that it has obtained “certain information” suggesting that the new president will be elected one week or two weeks after the Arab Summit.

Lebanon on Arab League's agenda in Jeddah
Naharnet/May 16/2023
An Arab league summit in Saudi Arabia will discuss Friday the Lebanese crisis, media reports said. "The Lebanese file will be one of the main items on the summit's agenda," a diplomatic source told al-Joumhouria, in remarks published Tuesday. A final statement will include a decision on Lebanon that would stress the Arab countries' keenness on Lebanon's security and stability, the source said. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will address the Arab countries in the summit in Jeddah and is expected to urge them to help crisis-hit Lebanon. The source expected practical Arab initiatives after the summit in an attempt to help the country overcome its crisis and swiftly elect a president. Nidaa al-Watan newspaper also said Tuesday that it has learned from credible sources about a Syrian-Saudi coordination regarding Lebanon. On Monday, an economic conference was held ahead of the league summit. Syria, now again a member of the Arab League, participated in the conference. Caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam represented Lebanon in the conference in Jeddah. "Lebanon is looking for the support of the Arab countries and invites them to invest in promising opportunities that would both benefit Lebanon and the Arab countries," Salam said, as he called for the repatriation of the Syrian refugees.

Jumblat says Mallat best candidate, slams LF, FPM
Naharnet/May 16/2023
Lebanese international lawyer Chibli Mallat is the best presidential candidate to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, who says he refuses to endorse a "confrontational" candidate. "To some Lebanese leaders, the principle of settlement does not exist," Jubmlat said in a televised interview, as he criticized Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Free Patriotic leader Jebran Bassil for "vetoing" certain presidential candidates. "When Geagea and Bassil came to an agreement, they elected (former President) Michel Aoun," Jumblat said. The LF and the FPM have been holding talks over the presidential file, and MPs from both parties have said talks are in an advanced stage. The FPM reportedly vetoed MP Michel Mouawad, Army Chief Joseph Aoun and former MP Salah Honein, while the LF refused former Minister Ziad Baroud. The name with no vetoes is former finance minister Jihad Azour who has also been proposed by Jumblat.

Bukhari broaches situation with Caretaker Minister Nassar, meets Apostolic Nuncio
NNA/May 16/2023
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, on Tuesday, received at his residence in Yarzeh, Caretaker Minister of Tourism, Walid Nassar.
Discussions between the pauir reportedly touched on the current local and regional developments, bilateral relations between the two countries, and an array of issues of common interest. Ambassador Bukhari later received the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Monsignor Paolo Borgia.

Mikati ready to lead ministerial delegation to Syria, minister says
Naharnet/May 16/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati is willing to lead a ministerial delegation to Syria, Caretaker Minister of the Displaced Issam Sharafeddine said. Sharafeddine said that Mikati has informed the ministers about his willingness to visit Syria during a consultative ministerial meeting and that the date of the visit will be decided on Monday. Mikati will likely meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the Arab League's summit in Jeddah.

Berri meets Presidency Director General, delegation of families of Lebanese detainees in UAE, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Romania
NNA/May 16/2023
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Tuesday welcomed at the Second Presidency in Ain El-Tineh, the Director-General of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair. Speaker Berri also met with the family of the late Ghazi Ezzeddine, along with a delegation of the families of Lebanese detainees in the United Arab Emirates. This afternoon, Berri received Lebanese Ambassador to Romania, Rana El-Mokaddam.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon visits Civic Influence Hub – CIH: Ensuring the collaboration towards empowering the Citizenship Sovereign State...
NNA/May 16/2023
The Special Coordinator of the United Nations in Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, visited the Civic Influence Hub - CIH in its offices in Beirut.  Mrs. Wronecka was welcomed by CIH’s President, Faysal Al-Khalil, and the members of Board of Directors, Youssef Al-Zein, Fady Rahme, Mu’taz Al-Sawaf, and the Executive Director, Ziad El-Sayegh. The meeting revolved around the Lebanese cause and the structural role that civil society plays in Lebanon in order to push towards building a free, just, and sovereign State of Citizenship that respects constitutional entitlements, committed to good governance and public policies in order to serve the common good, as well to preserve the Lebanese identity as a model of diversity and living together. CIH emphasizes on Lebanon’s Neutrality as a matter of its historical role. The CIH thanked the Special Coordinator and the United Nations for the tremendous efforts they are exerting in supporting the Lebanese people at all levels, and it was a discussion on the coordination mechanisms with the United Nations in a way that respects the aspirations of the Lebanese people. -- Civic Influence Hub

Touch, Alfa employees rally outside both companies’ headquarters to demand rights
NNA/May 16/2023
Touch and Alfa employees carried out a protest stand in front of the headquarters of the two companies to demand their rights, NNA correspondent reported on Tuesday. The Union had announced earlier that it had given the Ministry of Communications a deadline until today to respond to the employees' demands, otherwise it would announce suspension of work operations.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry condemns storming of Jordanian mission building in Khartoum
NNA/May 16/2023
Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants condemned, in a statement, yesterday’s attack on the Jordanian Embassy in Khartoum, strongly denouncing "the storming of the Jordanian mission building and the acts of vandalism that took place". The Ministry called on all parties "to respect international conventions and norms, in terms of not attacking diplomatic headquarters and preserving their sanctity". The Ministry also expressed its "solidarity with the brotherly government and people of Jordan.”

Fuel prices drop in Lebanon
NNA/May 16/2023
Fuel prices have dropped in Lebanon, with the price of a canister of 95-octane gasoline decreasing by LBP 18,000, that of 98-octane gasoline by LBP 18,000, that of diesel by LBP 13,000, and that of LP gas by LBP 24,000.
Consequently, prices are follows:
95-octane gasoline: LBP 1,617,000
98-octane gasoline: LBP 1,659,000
Diesel: LBP 1,386,000
LP gas: LBP 889,000

Mikati discusses with Bou Habib preparations underway for Lebanon’s participation in Arab Summit, briefed by Makary on outcome of BAU conference in...
NNA/May 16/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday met at the Grand Serail with Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, with whom he discussed preparations underway for Lebanon's participation in the thirty-second regular session of the Arab League Council’s meeting at the Summit level, which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 19. On emerging, Caretaker Bou Habib said he will leave on Tuesday for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to represent Lebanon in the meetings of Arab foreign ministers ahead of the summit.
The Lebanese delegation to the Summit includes Caretaker Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, Industry Georges Bouchikian, Trade and Economy Minister Amin Salam, Tourism Walid Nassar, and Agriculture Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, in addition to Premier Mikati’s Diplomatic Adviser, Ambassador Boutros Asaker. The delegation will be joined by the Lebanese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fawzi Kabbara, and the Lebanese Ambassador to the Arab League, Ali Al-Halabi. On the other hand, Prime Minister Mikati met at the Grand Serail with Caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, who said on emerging that he briefed the Premier on the situation of the Ministry of Agriculture in terms of plans and projects implemented with donor agencies and other ministries, as well as on agricultural sector related affairs. Mikati later welcomed at the Serail Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, in the presence of President of the Economic and Social Council of Lebanon Charles Arbid, President of Beirut Arab University, Dr. Amr El-Adawi, Vice President of Tripoli-branch Beirut Arab University, Dr. Khaled Baghdadi, and President of the Lebanese-French Businessmen Association in France, Antoine Manasseh, and others. Following the meeting, Minister Makary said that the delegation briefed the Premier on the outcome of the recent conference held by the Beirut Arab University in Tripoli, and its issued recommendations that contribute to improving the conditions of the northern city and helping it regain its historic role. For his part, Manasseh thanked, on behalf of the French-Lebanese businessmen, Beirut Arab University for hosting the conference. The PM also received MP Haider Nasser, with whom he discussed developmental affairs related to the city of Tripoli.

Canadian Ambassador visits parliament, explores bilateral relations and refugee crisis
LBCI/May 16/2023
The Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon, Stefanie McCollum, accompanied by Chargé d'Affairs, Consul Joel Monfils, visited the parliament, where general conditions and the development of bilateral relations between the two countries were presented, as well as ways to promote diplomatic work.
The visit was at the invitation of the Chairman of the Lebanese-Canadian Parliamentary Friendship Committee, MP Asaad Dergham, who praised McCollum's visit "for being the first time that a Canadian ambassador has visited the Friendship Committee in the parliament." The situation of the Lebanese in Canada, who number half a million, was also discussed, as well as the relations that unite them with their second country, Canada, according to a statement by Dergham's office. The meeting also discussed the issue of Syrian refugees and their financial burdens. Dergham explained "the demographic threat as a result of a large number of births in Lebanon," stressing that "for every six Syrian children, a Lebanese child is born, which now threatens the Lebanese society and leads to an imbalance in the demographics." In turn, McCollum presented the type of support Canada provides to donors through international organizations that care for the refugees, including various economic, health, and social aspects. Additionally, the deputies presented the problems facing the Lebanese and called for "facilitating the conditions for obtaining entry visas to Canada."

Hospital Owners Syndicate warns of major problem regarding dialysis starting June
LBCI/May 16/2023
Lebanon's Hospital Owners' Syndicate issued a statement, pointing out that after raising the tariff for the dialysis session to be in line with the actual cost, a new problem arose related to securing the necessary funds for the Ministry of Public Health so that it can pay the bills that will be required for hospitals.
"The financial ceilings currently in force are not sufficient beyond May, and therefore we are facing a big problem starting from June," said the statement.  The Syndicate also appealed to the government to work quickly to secure the necessary funds for the Ministry of Public Health to avoid a major crisis that may result if the ministry is unable to pay the bills on the dates agreed upon between the ministry and the hospitals, as the latter will not be able to secure medicines and medical supplies for patients.

Salameh accuses Judge Buresi of legal violations, announces plan to challenge arrest warrant decision
LBCI/May 16/2023
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Governor of Lebanon's Central Bank, Riad Salameh, expressed his concerns over the conduct of the French investigative judge, Ms. Aude Buresi. Salameh argues that her decision blatantly violates basic laws, as she did not respect the legal deadlines stipulated in French law, despite being informed of them. Consequently, he plans to challenge this decision, which he sees as a clear violation of legal norms. Salameh highlights how the judge has ignored the United Nations agreement of 2003 and internationally recognized procedures, specifically those applied in the context of international judicial assistance. He questions the legitimacy of a judge who seems to apply international agreements in a unilateral manner. He also emphasizes that the French investigation has violated a fundamental principle concerning the confidentiality of investigations. “This has become evident from recent journalistic articles, particularly those published by Reuters on April 21, 2023, showing that news agencies are freely gaining access to confidential investigation documents and are being informed in advance about the intentions of investigators and judges.”
From all the events accompanying the French investigations, Salameh asserts that they contradict the principle of presumption of innocence through their selective application of texts and laws. He believes that it is apparent that Judge Aude Buresi has made her decision based on preconceived notions, without attributing any value to the clear documents presented to her. “This is also evident in her recent disregard for the procedures stipulated in French law and international treaties.”“Another instance of this is Judge Aude Buresi's involvement in the appointment of French lawyers representing the Lebanese state. This matter has been published in several Lebanese newspapers and has led to a last-minute postponement of the appeal session he submitted.” Finally, Salameh laments that while the investigation in France, triggered by systematic complaints filed by his opponents, is progressing rapidly, the lawsuit he filed in the French courts concerning the Crystal Credit case (which he argues is baseless) has remained stagnant for three years, despite his due diligence. Concluding his statement, Salameh criticizes what he sees as the double standard justice system that is being applied to him.

Sheikh Akl Al-Muna receives Japanese Ambassador
NNA/May 16/2023
Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze Community, Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, on Tuesday welcomed at the Druze Community House in Beirut, the Japanese Ambassador to Lebanon, Magushi Masayuki. Discussions reportedly touched on general issues and the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Unleashing the potential: Cannabis plant's impact on Lebanon's economy
LBCI/May 16/2023
How small is the cannabis plant, and significant is its effect. This seedling is capable of opening job opportunities, developing industries, producing medicines, and moving the economic wheel, all of which Lebanon desperately needs. Unfortunately, we are still stuck in our place... We plant it in the hidden, and it goes to smuggling for unhealthy purposes. In Lebanon, there are two types of hashish, cannabis sativa, and cannabis indica; there is also a third type, which is a hybrid of cannabis. All of them contain different percentages of the two substances necessary to manufacture the medicine: CBD and THC. According to a study conducted by the Lebanese American University, it turns out that Lebanese hashish is one of the most important in the world. However, some experts consider that Lebanese seedlings contain a high percentage of THC, i.e., a psychotropic drug, which is why it is of no medical use. But others, including farmers, say that Lebanese hashish, which is characterized by a mixture of THC and CBD, can be useful for treating diseases and can be used as an anti-inflammatory and cortisone, or it can even be a pain reliever, especially for cancer patients. With the aim of completing a study on the economic feasibility of growing cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, the Lebanese American University and the Regie will, through a memorandum of understanding between them, plant different types of cannabis from around the world with two plots of land in the Bekaa, and they will conduct studies on them to know their importance in each sector and come up with feasibility.  However, when this study concludes on non-Lebanese types of cannabis and submits it to the state, will those concerned be encouraged to form a regulatory body and put in place implementing decrees to facilitate this law? to remain under control?

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 16-17/2023
Jordan’s King Abdullah to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Rise Is Important for Countries of the Region
Amman: Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023
Jordan’s King Abdullah II expressed his confidence that the upcoming Arab League summit in Jeddah will be a success, expecting that it will “kick off a new phase of Arab work based on a solid foundation of economic cooperation that seeks the interests of all parties.” He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the “priority lies in confronting the political challenges facing our nation,” starting with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and ensuring that an independent Palestinian state is established based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. “I am confident that the efforts exerted by my brother Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will ensure the success of the summit” that will be held on Friday.
He said his confidence is doubled with the developments that have taken place in recent months that have reflected a conviction of the need to strengthen intra-Arab relations based on firm economic cooperation.
“Our countries are confronting a series of challenges that need to be tackled through close and deep cooperation based on mutual benefits,” stated King Abdullah. He cited problems such as stimulating and developing the economy and providing job opportunities for new generations. He spoke of the need for general reforms and combating corruption. “There are also the problems of refugees, water, drugs and the environment and improving levels of education and health services,” he remarked. “Deepening economic cooperation gives hope for the young generations and provides a solid base for stability and prosperity. I am confident that with the readiness to cooperate and with good planning, change can be achieved in the living conditions in this region, which has paid the heavy price of conflicts,” he stressed.
‘Strategic’ relations with Saudi Arabia
Commenting on Jordanian-Saudi relations, King Abdullah said: “The ties with Saudi Arabia are strategic and historic. They are based on cooperation and consultations and the need to achieve stability based on responsible policies related to regional and international affairs.”“I enjoy excellent relations with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” he continued. “Every Arab is proud when they observe the changes that have been taking place in Saudi Arabia in recent since years since the launch of the reform and development process under Crown Prince Mohammed,” he noted. “It wouldn’t be exaggeration to say that the current Saudi rise is an inspiration for the region,” King Abdullah told Asharq Al-Awsat. “Modernizing the economy, the use of technology, allowing youth to take part in the modernization process and focusing on culture, the arts and tourism will have a positive impact on the country and its surroundings.” Moreover, he expressed his happiness with the ties of friendship and cooperation between Crown Prince Mohammed and his Jordanian counterpart Al Hussein bin Abdullah. “This generation of Arab youth has hopes, aspirations and abilities that will build a better future for our countries,” he remarked. “I hope that we will have a new opportunity for our countries and region where we can mobilize energies in service of a development project and pave the way for prosperity and stability for our peoples.”

Jeddah Summit Preparatory Meetings Begin, Aboul Gheit Points to Positive Developments
Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023
The ministerial meetings of the Arab Economic and Social Council kicked off on Monday in Jeddah. Speaking on behalf of Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Ambassador Hossam Zaki said that the meetings were taking place “amid positive developments in the Arab region.”
Syrian participation after a 12-year absence A Syrian delegation, headed by Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammad Samer Khalil, participated in the meeting, following a decision to accept Syria’s return to the Arab League after 12 years of isolation. President Bashar al-Assad has also received an official invitation from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to participate in the Arab Summit, which will be hosted in Jeddah on Friday. “Syrian government delegations will resume their participation in the meetings of the Arab League, in implementation of the decision of the Arab foreign ministers at their meeting last week,” the Arab League secretary general said, noting that this “atmosphere would prompt us to renew the determination to revive the principle of Arab solidarity.” Despite his optimistic tone, Aboul Gheit warned: “This positive atmosphere should not push us away from the reality that the Arab region has been witnessing for years, namely the accumulation of challenges...”He continued: “These challenges are deeply intertwined... and have produced a new wave of displacement in the Arab region, casting a shadow over various aspects of life, in a way that still poses serious threats to Arab national security in its various security, economic and social pillars.”
Promoting Arab economic action
Aboul Gheit called for joining efforts to find “sustainable Arab political solutions and strengthen economic and social action.” In this context, he urged the participants to “intensify work in order to develop action plans” with a clear timeframe, with the aim to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable groups in Arab societies. He also expressed the readiness of the “League of Arab States to facilitate these efforts, bring paths closer, and coordinate movements.” According to the Secretary-General, the agenda of the current meetings deals with Arab agreements and strategies that were reached after strenuous efforts and approved by the ministerial councils. Those mainly include the Arab Strategy for Tourism, the Arab Strategy for Communications and Information, known as the “Arab Digital Agenda” and the Arab Covenant for Persons with Disabilities. Aboul Gheit also stressed that food security was one of the most important and urgent Arab priorities, referring to the diminishing food stocks at the global level, as well as high prices, limited resources, and the continued population growth.
The need for economic integration
For his part, Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan welcomed the return of Syria to the Arab League, saying: “I take this opportunity to welcome the return of the Syrian Arab Republic to the League of Arab States, looking forward to working with everyone to achieve the aspirations of the leaders and the people.”Al-Jadaan explained that the successive global crises resulted in common development and economic challenges, which highlighted the importance of economic integration among Arab countries, and the need to develop sustainable economic and financial models that contribute to enhancing flexibility to face upcoming challenges and risks. The minister underlined the need to redouble efforts to ensure the implementation of the decisions issued by the previous Arab summit in Algeria, in a way that benefits the Arab countries and reflects positively on their peoples. He expressed hope that the Jeddah summit would be crowned with success and help push joint Arab action forward, to achieve the aspirations of the leaderships of Arab countries and their people. Meanwhile, Syrian Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammed Samer Khalil encouraged Arab countries to invest in Syria, pointing to the presence of promising opportunities and new laws that attract investments in profitable and economically feasible sectors for all sides.

Returning to the Arab fold, Syria's president invited to UAE-hosted COP28 climate
Associated Press/May 16/2023
Syria's embattled President Bashar Assad received an invitation to attend the upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year, even as the yearslong war in his country over his rule grinds on. Assad's invite, late Monday, to the climate talks comes as the Syrian president already is scheduled to attend the Arab League summit this Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, years after being frozen out of regional politics. A brutal crackdown by Assad's government on demonstrators in a 2011 Arab Spring uprising challenging his rule descended into a civil war and consequently became a regional conflict. The war has killed half a million people and displaced half of its population. Assad's invitation came in a letter from Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported. The agency published images of Assad reading the letter alongside an Emirati diplomat in Damascus. The UAE similarly had cut ties with Assad, only to slowly restore them in recent years. Asked for comment, the Emirati office organizing the upcoming climate conference said in a statement that the event marked "a milestone opportunity for the world to come together, course correct, and drive progress towards keeping the goals and ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement alive." "COP28 is committed to an inclusive COP process that produces transformational solutions," the statement added. "This can only happen if we have everyone in the room."Syria is both a party to the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as the Kyoto Protocol. Scientists have linked a drought in Syria that began in 2007 to climate change, saying that it likely played a part in the conflict. However, Assad's invitation will probably heighten scrutiny of the Emirates ahead of hosting the talks. Already, activists have criticized the UAE for nominating the head of its dominant state oil company as the president of the talks. That company has plans to boost its production of both crude oil and natural gas, fossil fuels that produce more of the heat-trapping carbon dioxide that the U.N. negotiations hope to limit. But the oil chief, Sultan al-Jaber, has also helped oversee the Emirates pledging tens of billions of dollars toward renewable energy projects worldwide. The Conference of the Parties — where COP gets its name — will be held at Dubai's Expo City from Nov. 30 through Dec. 12.

Syria's return and regional unity: The 32nd Arab Summit in Jeddah
LBCI/May 16/2023
In one of the halls of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, all Arab leaders will gather in the city of Jeddah on Friday. After a 12-year hiatus, Syria is returning to the Arab fold through Saudi Arabia's gateway as it participates with high-level delegations in the 32nd Arab Summit in Jeddah. So far, Syrian Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, has arrived in Jeddah, leading a high-level delegation to participate in the summit. The delegation attended the Economic Ministerial Council on Monday, and the Syrian delegation also participated in the meeting of the Permanent Representatives at the Arab League on Tuesday. Undoubtedly, the head of Syrian diplomacy will attend the meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday. Thus, Thursday, when Arab leaders arrive in Jeddah, remains the center of attention for observers. Will President Bashar al-Assad participate in the summit? If he does, will the countries objecting to normalizing relations with Syria, namely Qatar, Kuwait, and Morocco, withdraw from the sessions? In the face of this scenario, the presence of Assad at the summit may be replaced by a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The definitive answer to all these matters remains subject to the summit. The summit's focal point is resolving crises and Arab reconciliation, in addition to enhancing economic and security cooperation among Arab countries, including the reconstruction of Syria and facilitating the return of Syrian refugees worldwide. Another significant issue is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which threatens water security in Egypt and Sudan. Economic topics also rank high on the priority list, notably Lebanon's unprecedented economic and financial collapse. According to analysts and observers, the summit will seek to address and assist in Lebanon's recovery in all areas. Undoubtedly, the importance of holding the summit lies in its symbolic location, and the attendees list more than the agenda itself. Will Saudi Arabia succeed in the Arab reconciliation on its soil and open a new chapter in the region?

Russia launches 'exceptional' air attack in Kyiv with drones, missiles
Associated Press/May 16/2023
Loud explosions sounded above Kyiv early Tuesday as Russia launched an intense air attack on the capital using a combination of missiles launched from the air, sea and land. Russia's latest attack on Kyiv was "exceptional in its density — the maximum number of attacking missiles in the shortest period of time," said Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration. It is the eighth time this month that Russian air raids have targeted the capital, a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive. It also comes as President Volodymyr Zelenksy concludes a whirlwind European tour to greet Ukraine's key wartime allies, which spurred an additional tranche of pledged military aid. "According to preliminary information the vast majority of enemy targets in the airspace of Kyiv were detected and destroyed," said Popko. Ukraine's Air Force said 18 missiles of various types were launched, including drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. All were intercepted and shot down, said Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. Six "Kinzhal" aero-ballistic missiles were launched from MiG-31K aircraft, nine cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three land-based S-400 cruise missiles targeted the capital, said Ihnat in a statement on Telegram. After the first onslaught, Russia also launched Iranian-made Shahed attack drones and conducted aerial reconnaissance, Ihnat said. Debris fell across several districts in the capital. In the Solomyansky district, causing a fire in a non-residential building. The fire was extinguished. Debris set cars on fire and fell on the grounds of a zoo, but no losses were reported, said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Leaders of wider Europe unite against Russia
Agence France Presse/May 16/2023
A year after kicking Russia out of the Council of Europe (CoE), the leaders of the 46-nation pan-continental rights body gather Tuesday in Iceland to show a united face against Moscow. Firming up ways to hold Russia legally responsible for the death and destruction it has wrought in Ukraine will dominate the summit in Reykjavik, only the fourth to be held in the CoE's seven-decade history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was to address the opening of the summit by videolink, according to British officials who hosted him on the last leg of a whirlwind tour he made of major European capitals. During Zelensky's trip, Berlin, Paris and London all pledged to step up arms deliveries to Kyiv, deepening a military arrangement between the West and Ukraine that has helped put Russia on the back foot. Ukraine is expected to mount an offensive against Russian forces in the east of its territory in coming weeks. Zelensky tweeted on Monday that he was "returning home with new defence packages". The Council of Europe's mission is to promote human rights, democracy and rule of law in its member states, which include all 27 European Union nations plus Britain, Turkey, Western Balkan countries, Georgia and Armenia. Russia was kicked out of the CoE in March 2022, because of its invasion of Ukraine, just ahead of its plan to withdraw from the Strasbourg-based body. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who is attending the summit, said on Monday the EU will "keep supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes". She said that, "in Reykjavik we will discuss how to hold Russia accountable" and "I will support the creation of a dedicated tribunal to bring Russia’s crime of aggression to trial". Von der Leyen, Britain and the United States -- which holds observer status in the CoE -- all voiced backing for a new register of damage in The Hague that would record harm and destruction wrought by Russia for the mooted future court.
Russia isolated
The commission and EU countries are in favour of setting up a special tribunal, likely in The Hague in the Netherlands where the International Criminal Court already sits, to judge Russian leaders and commanders. That prospect, though, is pushed off to after what looks like it will be a long war, with Russia digging in and perhaps preparing its own spring attack on Ukrainian positions. The two-day Council of Europe summit will be an opportunity for almost the entire European community to portray Russia as isolated on its own continent. Emmanuel Macron of France, Rishi Sunak of Britain and Olaf Scholz of Germany are among the heads of state and government set to attend. But for all the projected unity there are fissures in the European community. Britain, for instance, is antagonistic towards the CoE's European Convention of Human Rights, which is a barrier to its plans to stem the irregular arrival of asylum-seekers by deporting them to Rwanda or returning them to transit European countries. The convention is backed by a European Court of Human Rights which has made rulings that have already stymied Britain's efforts in that direction. "It is clear that our current international system is not working, and our communities and the world's most vulnerable people are paying the price," Sunak said late Monday. Britain's ruling Tories, who took their country out of the European Union after a Brexit referendum, are determined to fight what they describe as "the scourge of illegal migration". The leaders' gathering is also a key moment for the heads of European heavyweights Germany, France, Italy and Britain to meet before a G7 summit starting Friday in Japan.

Europe Pushes Iran Deal at Ukraine’s Expense
FDD/May 16/2023
Latest Developments
European governments are reportedly pressuring the Biden administration to revive efforts to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran despite a deepening of Iranian-Russian strategic relations and ongoing protests throughout Iran. Russia’s deputy prime minister is expected to visit Iran on May 16 to meet with the Central Bank of Iran and the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum. Meanwhile, Kyiv reported shooting down four Iranian-made kamikaze drones overnight. Senior Biden administration officials are expected to brief U.S. senators on Iran on May 16 following Washington’s May 12 announcement that America will be increasing its naval presence near the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of Iran’s seizure of a U.S.-bound oil tanker.
Expert Analysis
“Russia sees the regime in Iran as an invaluable ally in its war against Ukraine — not just for drones and potentially missiles but for economic sanctions evasion. Lifting sanctions on Tehran as part of a nuclear deal would be a massive boon to Moscow’s efforts to circumvent Western sanctions and provide it the money to fund its continued slaughter of Ukrainians.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO
“Given Iran’s ongoing military and economic support to Russia, its sponsorship of terrorism, and the continued plight of Iranian women, making the case on Capitol Hill for a nuclear deal involving U.S. sanctions relief will prove extraordinarily challenging. That means the Biden administration still needs a Plan B for dealing with Iranian escalation both in the nuclear and conventional domains — a plan based on pressure and deterrence, not carrots and more carrots.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor
“America’s allies and partners across the Atlantic are in an awkward position, simultaneously seeking to offset Russia’s Iranian-aided offensives in Ukraine while beseeching Washington to get back into an accord that would underwrite more Iranian drone sales, potential missile transfers, and increased Russo-Iranian coordination on sanctions evasion.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow
Russia-Iran Ties Continue
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak will reportedly meet with Iran’s oil minister and central bank governor during a two-day stay in Tehran starting May 16. Russia and Iran have previously announced efforts to evade U.S. energy sanctions, including recent Russian fuel deliveries to Iran by rail, a claimed oil product swap agreement, and a linking of the two countries’ banking systems. Iran continues a steady supply of drones to Russia, while Moscow may reportedly supply Iran with sanctioned missile fuel. Iranian media last week reported a first shipment of Russian Su-35 jet fighters may soon arrive.
What Could a Nuclear Deal Look Like?
Last year, the Biden administration offered to provide Iran upfront, non-statutory sanctions relief in exchange for Iran halting its enrichment of uranium to 60 percent purity, which is close to weapons-grade. Washington also proposed lifting sanctions imposed by executive order on Iran’s petrochemical, automotive, construction, iron, steel, aluminum, copper, mining, manufacturing, and textiles sectors while also removing 17 Iranian banks from the U.S. sanctions list. Many of these sectors are tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. FDD previously estimated that rescinding these executive orders could provide Iran with sanctions-free access to least $30 billion in annual export revenue.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Accused of Intentionally Downing Ukrainian Plane
Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023
rieving father of two individuals who tragically lost their lives in the Ukrainian plane crash, a harrowing incident that occurred near Tehran two years ago and was attributed to the actions of the Revolutionary Guards, has come forward with a troubling assertion. According to Mohsen Asadi-Lari, compelling evidence exists to support the claim that the intentional targeting of the aircraft took place. Furthermore, he expressed his concern that the main suspect in this case might potentially be released without the knowledge or involvement of the grieving families who have suffered immeasurable loss. Asadi-Lari, who lost both his children, Mohammad-Hossein and Zeinab, in the downing of the Ukrainian plane on January 8, 2020,told Didbaniran website Sunday that, according to the law, any prisoner can be released under certain conditions if they have served one-third of their sentence. “Therefore, Mehdi Khosravi, who fired two missiles at a civilian aircraft resulting in the death of 176 passengers, including 27 children and one unborn child, could potentially be released under the law, but subject to conditions,” warned Asadi-Lari. The military court in Tehran had sentenced the primary suspect in the downing of the Ukrainian plane to three years in prison for “semi-intentional homicide of passengers.” This individual, identified by Iranian media as the commander of the “Tor-M1” air defense system, was also convicted of “failing to follow orders,” leading to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The military court also sentenced several other military personnel to imprisonment for several years. Asadi-Lari emphasized that Khosravi deliberately targeted the plane, stating that one flaw in the case is its classification as “unintentional killing.” “We have presented evidence from the testimonies of the accused and other available documents, which the judges are aware of, stating that these documents prove the intentional nature of targeting the place.

US charges Chinese National with Providing Weapons Materials to Iran
Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023
The United States has charged a Chinese national with violating US sanctions by providing to Iran materials used to produce ballistic missiles, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Tuesday. Xiangjiang Qiao works at Sinotech Dalian Carbon and Graphite Manufacturing Corporation, a China-based company which the US Treasury Department placed on a sanctions list in 2014 for helping Iran buy parts to produce ballistic missiles. Sanctions bar companies from using the US financial system. Qiao between 2019 and 2022 helped supply Iran with isostatic graphite, an ultra-fine grain used to make rocket nozzles, and set up a bank account in the name of a front company to receive $15,000 in transfers from a US bank in connection with the transactions, prosecutors said. Qiao, 39, is in China and has not been arrested, prosecutors said. He faces charges including sanctions evasion, bank fraud and money laundering.

Israeli foreign minister makes first visit to Sweden in two decades
Associated Press/May 16/2023
Israel's foreign minister has paid a visit to Sweden in a new sign of warming ties between the two nations. Eli Cohen said his visit to Stockholm was the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Sweden in 22 years. "We are opening a new page in relations between Israel and Sweden after years in which Sweden took a critical line against Israel," he said in a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He said his meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom, signaled a "change in direction" of ties. Billstrom called the meeting "very good and productive" in a statement on Twitter. "The first one in 20 years, so long overdue," he added. Sweden's previous Social Democratic government had a rocky relationship with Israel after recognizing a Palestinian state in 2014, a move that prompted Israel to temporarily recall its ambassador to Sweden. Two years later, Israel said Sweden's foreign minister at the time was "not welcome" after critical comments of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. But relations have begun to thaw. In October 2021, Sweden's foreign minister at the time visited Israel in an attempt to mend ties. Those relations are expected to improve further under Sweden's new center-right government, which took office last October.

Libya parliament votes to replace appointed PM Fathi Bashagha, spokesperson says
Reuters/May 16/2023
Libya’s eastern-based parliament voted on Tuesday to replace Fathi Bashagha as prime minister, its spokesperson said, after he failed to take office in Tripoli where the incumbent Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah has refused to cede power. The parliament assigned Bashagha’s finance minister Osama Hamad to take over his duties, parliament spokesperson Abdullah Belhaiq said, part of an apparent new push to oust Dbeibah and install a new government in Tripoli. Bashagha was appointed in March 2022 but his efforts to enter Tripoli and take office ended in battles between factions aligned with him and others aligned with Dbeibah, and he has had to operate outside Tripoli with no control of state finances.--

Concerns over Turkish economy ahead of presidential runoff
Arab News.May 16, 2023
ANKARA: As the Turkish presidential elections head for a runoff between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu on May 28, the country’s weak economy continues to be the main focus of domestic and international attention. Staggering inflation over the last two years, which stood at around 44 percent in April, and skyrocketing food prices have considerably increased the cost of living crisis in Turkiye.  Turkiye’s sovereign dollar bonds and equities have also plummeted, and key economic players at home and abroad are anxious and uncertain about what awaits them next.

EU’s Borrell Calls on Türkiye to Fix Shortcomings in Election Process
Reuters/16 May 2023
The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, on Tuesday called on Türkiye to address shortcomings in its election process that have been identified by European observers. "We note the preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and call on Turkish authorities to address the shortcomings identified," Borrell said in a statement. "The EU attaches the utmost importance to the need for transparent, inclusive and credible elections, in a level playing field."

Sudan’s capital rocked by airstrikes, artillery fire
Reuters/16 May ,2023
Airstrikes and artillery fire intensified sharply across Sudan’s capital early on Tuesday, residents said, as the army sought to defend key bases from paramilitary rivals it has been fighting for more than a month. The airstrikes, explosions and clashes could be heard in the south of Khartoum, and there was heavy shelling across the River Nile in parts of the adjoining cities of Bahri and Omdurman, witnesses said. The fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered unrest in other areas of Sudan, especially in the western region of Darfur, but is concentrated in Khartoum. It has caused a humanitarian crisis that threatens to destabilize the region, displacing more than 700,000 people inside Sudan and forcing about 200,000 to flee into neighboring countries. Those who have remained in the capital are struggling to survive as food supplies dwindle, health services collapse and lawlessness spreads. Officials have recorded 676 deaths and more than 5,500 injuries, but the real toll is expected to be far higher with many reports of bodies left in the streets and people struggling to bury the dead. “The situation is unbearable. We left our house to go to a neighbor’s house in Khartoum, escaping from the war, but the bombardment follows us wherever we go,” said Ayman Hassan, a 32-year-old resident. “We don’t know what the citizens did to deserve a war in the middle of the houses.”
Jeddah Talks
Fighting has surged both in Khartoum and in Geneina, capital of West Darfur, since the two warring parties began talks in Jeddah brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States more than a week ago. The talks have produced a statement of principles about providing access for aid supplies and protecting civilians, but mechanisms for setting up humanitarian corridors and agreeing to a ceasefire are still being discussed. Both sides had previously announced several ceasefires, none of which stopped the fighting. The army has relied largely on airstrikes and shelling, only occasionally engaging in ground fighting, as it seeks to push back RSF forces that took up positions in neighborhoods across Khartoum soon after the fighting erupted on April 15. The RSF attacked major military bases in northern Omdurman and southern Khartoum on Tuesday in an apparent attempt to prevent the army from deploying heavy weaponry and fighter jets, residents and witnesses said. The RSF also said in a statement that it had captured hundreds of army troops in a counterattack in Bahri, releasing a video of rows of men in uniform sitting on the ground as RSF fighters celebrated around them. Reuters could not immediately verify the claim, which the army denied. The army has been trying to cut off RSF supply lines from outside the capital and to secure strategic sites including the airport in central Khartoum and the major Al-Jaili oil refinery in Bahri, where fighting flared again on Tuesday.
Homes destroyed
The war began after disputes over plans for the RSF to join the army and the future chain of command under an internationally backed deal for a political transition towards civilian rule and elections. Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, took the top positions on Sudan’s ruling council following the 2019 overthrow of former leader Omar al-Bashir during a popular uprising. They staged a coup two years later as a deadline to hand power to civilians approached, but both sides began to mobilize their forces as mediators tried to finalize the transition plan. Both sides courted foreign backing from regional states attracted by Sudan’s mineral and agricultural wealth, and its strategic location between the Sahel and the Gulf. Most of those fleeing Sudan have headed north to Egypt or west to Chad, which borders Darfur. Others have headed to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, hoping to catch boats to Saudi Arabia. “We came from war, we lost our husbands, our homes were destroyed,” said Reem, a student camped out in scorching heat in Port Sudan with hundreds of others. “Even if there were peace, where are we going to live if we go back?”

Sudan’s Burhan Boosts Position with Police, Foreign Affairs Appointments
Khartoum: Mohammed Amin Yassin/Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023
Sudanese Sovereign Council leader General Abdel Fattah al Burhan sacked on Monday acting interior minister Anan Hamed Mohammed Omar, who is also the general director for the police. A military statement said that Omar was replaced by Lt.-Gen. Khaled Hassan Mohiuddin as police chief.
Additionally, Burhan issued a decision terminating the services of Ambassador Abdel-Monem Osman Mohamed Ahmed Al-Beiti and Ambassador Haydar Badawi Sadik from their positions at the Foreign Ministry. Omar has close ties to Burhan and both hail from the same region in the state of River Nile in northern Sudan. Thousands of police forces withdrew from their posts, departments, and streets across the capital city, Khartoum after clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April. Later, military leaders deployed many Central Reserve Police forces to secure residential areas and streets, but they ended up embroiled in fighting with the RSF. Burhan had sacked central bank governor Hussain Yahia Jankol on Sunday. Borai El Siddiq, who is one of Jankol’s deputies, was named as his replacement, Burhan’s office said in a statement. Burhan also issued another decree targeting the official accounts of the RSF in Sudanese banks, as well as the accounts of all companies belonging to the group. Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that healthcare facilities in Sudan are facing imminent “collapse” because of the ongoing intense fighting between the military and RSF. In a tweet, the organization highlighted the severe shortages of supplies and treatment that healthcare facilities have been enduring for weeks, revealing that more than 70% of hospitals are non-operational. Since mid-April, the Sudanese army, led by Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, have been locked in a power struggle that has forced thousands to flee to neighboring countries.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 16-17/2023
The Palestinians' Other Jihad Against Israel
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./May 16, 2023
The Palestinian Authority (PA) wants the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and punish them for speaking out against, or combatting, terrorism.
Instead of demanding that ICC punish the terrorists -- who are intentionally firing rockets at Israeli civilians -- the PA is asking the court to prosecute Israelis for launching operations to counter terrorism.
The PA... according to the Oslo Accords is officially supposed to be Israel's peace partner and to prevent terrorism and violence....
At the heart of the PA's campaign against Israel is the argument that Israel has no right to target terrorists... involved in terrorism against Jews. Instead, Israel should agreeably allow its citizens to be killed.
Mahmoud Abbas and his associates, instead of denouncing the terrorists for indiscriminately firing rockets at Israeli civilians, is actually supporting the terrorists -- both financially in a pay-for-slay "jobs program," as well as verbally. In this regard, the PA is not only abrogating its commitments under the Oslo Accords and international law, but is acting as an enemy of Israel -- not a peace partner.
The Palestinian Authority has proven that it cares more about the terrorists than about the civilians they injure and kill.
Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a spokesperson for Mahmoud Abbas... described the airstrike that killed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commanders -- who had instigated the attacks against Israel -- as a "crime" ... His complaint, in other words, is that "It all started when he hit me back."
Abu Rudaineh, however, "forgot" to mention that the Israeli airstrikes had come in response to more than 100 rockets that terrorists had fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel a few days earlier. He also "forgot" to mention that the three commanders belonged to PIJ, a group that rejects Israel's right to exist and is opposed to any peace process.
The goals of PIJ are: "The liberation of the whole of Palestine and the liquidation of the Israeli entity, and the establishment of Islamic rule on the land of Palestine which guarantees the achievement of justice, freedom, and equality."
PIJ aims to "inspire and mobilize the masses of the Islamic nation everywhere and urge them to fight the decisive battle with the Israeli entity."
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also joined the chorus of senior Palestinian officials who chose to blame Israel for the fighting rather than the terrorists who had begun the conflict by firing more than 100 rockets at Israeli towns and cities the week before.
Shtayyeh, too, "forgot" to mention that the Israeli operation was directed not at civilians, as the Palestinian operation had been, but specifically against commanders of an Iranian-backed, designated terror group, PIJ.
Abu Rudaineh and Shtayyeh then called on the "international community," the United Nations and the Biden administration to hold Israel to account as a rogue state in the international arena for being so inconsiderate as to defend itself against the rocket attacks of PIJ and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
It is no surprise that the UN, which has a long record of bias against Israel, would hold an event that calls the establishment of Israel a "catastrophe."
By hosting Abbas and organizing such an event, the UN is essentially complicit in the Palestinian Authority's war on Israel.
So is the European Union, which came out against the Israeli military operation that was countering the terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and described Israel's actions as "intolerable." Instead of calling on the Palestinian terrorists to stop targeting Israeli civilians, the EU urged the two parties to "exercise maximum restraint."
The EU actually tried to put a democratic country, Israel, and Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip, on equal footing.
Iran and its Palestinian terror proxies, meanwhile, proclaim that Israel should be destroyed – through a nuclear bomb, or Jihad, or rockets, or other forms of terrorism, such as suicide bombings, shootings, stabbings and car-rammings.
The latest round of fighting shows that the terrorists in the Gaza Strip have not even remotely relinquished their dream of eliminating Israel and killing Jews. Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority – Israel's "peace partners" – are working to achieve the same goal through legal and diplomatic warfare and incitement against Israel.
It is time for the Biden administration and the international community to wake up and see that there is no real difference between PIJ, Hamas, Hezbollah – and the Palestinian Authority. They all share the same aspiration of seeing Israel wiped off the map. They only differ regarding the best means to accomplish that. Iran's terror militias are convinced this goal can be achieved through terrorism and rockets, while the Biden administration's friends in the PA believe that with the help of the UN, EU, ICC and other international parties, they can finally exterminate Israel by delegitimizing it through the legal and diplomatic route. The Palestinian Authority (PA) wants the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and punish them for speaking out against, or combatting, terrorism. PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his associates, instead of denouncing the terrorists for indiscriminately firing rockets at Israeli civilians, is actually supporting the terrorists.
The latest attempt by Iran and its Palestinian terror proxies to kill as many Jews as possible just ended with another "ceasefire" between Israel and the Palestinians that was brokered by Egypt. During the five days of fighting, the Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip, in particular Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), fired more than 1,200 rockets at Israel -- a country the size of New Jersey -- killing two people and damaging several homes and other buildings.
Yet, while the Jihad (holy war) waged by the Iranian-backed terror groups against Israel may have ended for now, Israel continues to face another type of war that is not less dangerous than the rockets and projectiles that are periodically fired into the country. This war is being waged by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas, with the aim of vilifying and isolating Israel in the international community.
The PA wants the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and punish them for speaking out against, or combatting, terrorism.
Instead of demanding that ICC punish the terrorists -- who are intentionally firing rockets at Israeli civilians -- the Palestinian Authority is asking the court to prosecute Israelis for launching operations to counter terrorism.
The war the PA is waging against Israel is not new. It is, in fact, a war that has been fought since the establishment of the PA, which followed the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO in 1993-1995.
In this war, the Palestinian Authority is not using rockets and missiles to attack Israel. Instead, the PA, which according to the Oslo Accords is officially supposed to be Israel's peace partner and to prevent terrorism and violence, is using various platforms, especially the media, to spew hatred against Israel and level all manner of libel against it, such as false accusations that it is practicing "apartheid" and committing "massacres" against the Palestinians.
While the rockets were raining down on Israel from the Gaza Strip this month, Palestinian Authority leaders and spokesmen were using every available platform to spread lies and delegitimize Israel. At the heart of the PA's campaign against Israel is the argument that Israel has no right to target terrorists in the West Bank or Gaza Strip who are directly and indirectly involved in terrorism against Jews. Instead, Israel should agreeably allow its citizens to be killed.
As far as the PA is concerned, Israel should have no right to defend itself against a radical Islamist jihadi group that rejects Israel's right to exist and has been responsible for countless terror attacks against Jews for decades.
A series of statements made by senior Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians, illustrate that Mahmoud Abbas and his associates, instead of denouncing the terrorists for indiscriminately firing rockets at Israeli civilians, is actually supporting the terrorists -- both financially in a pay-for-slay "jobs program," as well as verbally. In this regard, the PA is not only abrogating its commitments under the Oslo Accords and international law, but is acting as an enemy of Israel -- not a peace partner.
The Palestinian Authority has proven that it cares more about the terrorists than about the civilians they injure and kill. Shortly after Israel eliminated three top PIJ commanders in the Gaza Strip on May 9, Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a spokesperson for Mahmoud Abbas, was quick to condemn Israel for "the dangerous escalation against our people." Abu Rudaineh described the airstrike that killed the PIJ commanders -- who had instigated the attacks against Israel -- as a "crime" and warned that Israel was "dragging the region toward tension, violence and instability." His complaint, in other words, is that "It all started when he hit me back." Abu Rudaineh, however, "forgot" to mention that the Israeli airstrikes had come in response to more than 100 rockets that terrorists had fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel a few days earlier. He also "forgot" to mention that the three commanders belonged to PIJ, a group that rejects Israel's right to exist and is opposed to any peace process.
PIJ openly states that "Palestine, from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, is an Arab Islamic land." According to the group, it is forbidden to give up any part of this land, and Israel has no right to exist on any part of it. The goals of PIJ are:
"The liberation of the whole of Palestine and the liquidation of the Israeli entity, and the establishment of Islamic rule on the land of Palestine which guarantees the achievement of justice, freedom, and equality."
PIJ also says it seeks to mobilize the Palestinians and prepare them for jihad against Israel, and aims to "inspire and mobilize the masses of the Islamic nation everywhere and urge them to fight the decisive battle with the Israeli entity."
The same Palestinian official, Abu Rudaineh, issued another statement on May 13 in response to Israeli counterterrorism operations in the West Bank and Gaza strip, claiming that Israel's retaliatory strikes on PIJ targets and terrorists in the Gaza Strip and the killing of terrorists are "dangerous crimes."
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also joined the chorus of senior Palestinian officials who chose to blame Israel for the fighting rather than the terrorists who had begun the conflict by firing more than 100 rockets at Israeli towns and cities the week before.
Commenting on the killing of the three PIJ commanders, Shtayyeh denounced the Israeli military strike as a "horrific massacre" and an "aggression." Shtayyeh, too, "forgot" to mention that the Israeli operation was directed not at civilians, as the Palestinian operation had been, but specifically against commanders of an Iranian-backed, designated terror group, PIJ. He even went on to praise the slain terrorists and other Palestinians killed in the Israeli airstrikes as "martyrs."
Abu Rudaineh and Shtayyeh then called on the "international community," the United Nations and the Biden administration to hold Israel to account as a rogue state in the international arena for being so inconsiderate as to defend itself against the rocket attacks of PIJ and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
As part of the anti-Israel campaign, Mahmoud Abbas last week arrived in New York to participate in a United Nations event marking "Nakba Day" on May 15. "Nakba" ("catastrophe") is the term Palestinians and other Arabs use to describe the establishment of Israel in 1948, after a war again initiated by the armies of five Arab states -- Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq -- to try to destroy Israel on the day of its birth, and which the Arabs then lost.
It is no surprise that the UN, which has a long record of bias against Israel (here, here and here), would hold an event that calls the establishment of Israel a "catastrophe."
By hosting Abbas and organizing such an event, the UN is essentially complicit in the Palestinian Authority's war on Israel.
So is the European Union, which came out against the Israeli military operation that was countering the terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and described Israel's actions as "intolerable." Instead of calling on the Palestinian terrorists to stop targeting Israeli civilians, the EU urged the two parties to "exercise maximum restraint." The UN endorsed the Palestinian narrative that the establishment of Israel was a "catastrophe."
The EU actually tried to put a democratic country, Israel, and Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip, on equal footing.
Iran and its Palestinian terror proxies, meanwhile, proclaim that Israel should be destroyed – through a nuclear bomb, or Jihad, or rockets, or other forms of terrorism, such as suicide bombings, shootings, stabbings and car-rammings.
The latest round of fighting shows that the terrorists in the Gaza Strip have not even remotely relinquished their dream of eliminating Israel and killing Jews. Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority – Israel's "peace partners" – are working to achieve the same goal through legal and diplomatic warfare and incitement against Israel. It is time for the Biden administration and the international community to wake up and see that there is no real difference between PIJ, Hamas, Hezbollah – and the Palestinian Authority. They all share the same aspiration of seeing Israel wiped off the map. They only differ regarding the best means to accomplish that. Iran's terror militias are convinced this goal can be achieved through terrorism and rockets, while the Biden administration's friends in the PA believe that with the help of the UN, EU, ICC and other international parties, they can finally exterminate Israel by delegitimizing it through the legal and diplomatic route.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Fusion: The Worldwide Race to Capture the Power of the Sun
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/May 16, 2023
For decades it has been the modern version of turning lead into gold but its promise of clean inexhaustible energy is coming closer every year.
The atomic process that powers the sun has the means to alter how we harness energy to power our world, but conquering the physics of containing a fusion reaction has proven to be enormously difficult. Yet the nation that creates a genuine, sustained, fusion reaction will own the future.
Not to be confused with a fission hydrogen bomb (that splits the nuclei of atoms into smaller atoms), physicists explain that a controlled fusion reaction (that combines the nuclei of atoms) creates temperatures up to one hundred million degrees Celsius. It is difficult to conceive of mastering a reaction that is almost ten times the temperature at the Sun's center. However, researchers in multiple nations have created what is called a tokamak reactor that uses enormously powerful magnetic fields to contain the reaction for milliseconds of time. Part of the challenge is how to use less energy to create that reaction than the energy required to sustain it. The short, "non-physicist" explanation of this process is that it allows nuclear fusion to heat hydrogen at extraordinary temperatures that, in turn, create a superheated plasma gas. The energy and heat produced by this reaction can ultimately be used to generate steam that turns turbines of any size for any purpose. The amount of fusion fuel needed to produce enormous amounts of energy is a mere fraction of what fossil fuels would require and creates no pollution in the atmosphere or radioactive waste. Nor, to create fusion, would we have to depend on hostile nations to ensure supplies of that ever-abundant element, hydrogen.
The Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Germany are among the European leaders in this field. They have built their tokamak reactors to probe how best to harness this science for the betterment of the world. The Czechs in particular have welcomed members of the public to their tokamak to broaden a better public understanding of its enormous importance for the future. One can safely assume that the Chinese, far from public scrutiny, are intent on making progress with their tokamak research: they know the free world is rightfully wary of their current dominance of the materials for green energy technology that we in the West wish for, even as they continue to keep building their coal-power plants . Already it is reported that the Chinese are claiming a record in sustaining the length of a fusion reaction inside their reactor.
Other nations pursing tokamak reactor research include India, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
The United States has not been idle. The U.S. Department of Energy has claimed a significant breakthrough in how fusion reactions are ignited, a critical part of the process. Their press statement says it is a historic milestone that "that will pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean power." There are a handful of inventions that have allowed civilization to claim the future – the use of fire, the wheel, and the printing press among them. Harnessing fusion, however, could make all of those a mere footnote in advancing benefits (and possibly, unfortunately, non-benefits) for humankind. The question we should be asking ourselves now is: Which nation will hold the key to that future, and by doing so, what will they demand from those who failed to unlock the unlimited power of the sun?
*Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Amid Escalation in Gaza, Tunisian Soldier Murders Local Jews
David May/The Algemeiner/May 16, 2023
A Tunisian national guardsman murdered two Jewish cousins and three Tunisian officers last Tuesday, turning a festive occasion into a tragedy. Aviel and Benjamin Haddad were among thousands of Jews visiting Djerba island to celebrate the holiday of Lag Ba’Omer. This appears to be the most recent case of how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict spills over into antisemitic violence abroad.
Lag Ba’Omer celebrations draw large crowds to Djerba because of a legendary local figure associated with the holiday. US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, US ambassador to Tunisia Joey Hood, and Tunisia’s former tourism minister were among the roughly 6,000 attendees at this year’s celebration. That is roughly four times the number of Jews who live in Tunisia, most of whom are in Djerba.
Tunisia was once home to more than 100,000 Jews, but heavy persecution — government-sanctioned and otherwise — following Israel’s independence in 1948, and Tunisia’s independence in 1956 convinced most of the country’s Jews to flee. Once a year, Jews flock to Djerba, breathing life back into this 2,500-year-old community. This year, however, the line between joy and sorrow was painted with blood. A Tunisian national guardsmen stationed on the island shot his partner, seized his weapon, and set out to murder Jewish revelers at El Ghriba synagogue, the focal point of the pilgrimage. The gunman killed four more, including two soldiers and the Jewish cousins, before security forces killed him. Tunisia’s interior minister named the assailant and called it a premeditated attack, though he said nothing about the attacker’s motive.
The same week as the Djerba attack, the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad terror group launched more than 1,200 rockets at Israel from Gaza. This flare-up came after more than a year of increased tensions in the West Bank, including violent confrontations at the al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan last month. There has been no evidence of any link between the rocket fire and the Djerba murders, but the timing suggests they might be related.
This is also not the first time El Ghriba has been targeted. An al-Qaeda operative carried out a suicide bombing there in 2002 that left 19 dead. The exact motive for that bombing, which took place during the Second Intifada and within a year of the 9/11 attacks, is unclear.
In events eerily similar to this week’s attack, in 1985, a Tunisian guard who was supposed to be protecting the site killed four worshipers and a police officer. The gunman claimed to be taking revenge for an Israeli raid a week earlier on the Palestine Liberation Organization headquarters near Tunis.
Given these precedents, security at El Ghriba was tight, with metal detectors and armed guards, a familiar sight at synagogues in numerous countries these days. Many congregations require visitors to submit information and have their identities verified before gaining entry. Jewish buildings have security cameras, security personnel, and security barriers. Attending a prayer service can feel like going into battle, and many Jews have war stories.
I have never been at a synagogue under attack, but there was a moment last October, following evening prayer services, when I was not so sure. Along with a few dozen congregants outside our synagogue, I was schmoozing in the sleepy twilight of Georgetown’s cobblestone streets. Shattering our tranquility, a car zoomed by with passengers displaying Palestinian banners and shouting “Free Palestine.” They kept on driving, but their attempt at intimidation was jarring.
In recent years, synagogues, Jewish student buildings, and Jewish schools have been defaced with anti-Israel graffiti. During the 2021 war between Israel and Hamas — the latter armed and funded by Iran — American Jews were frequently the victim of anti-Israel hatred. Antisemites beat Jews in the streets of New York, assaulted Jewish diners in Los Angeles, and hurled profanities, threats of violence, and garbage at a Jewish family out for a stroll near Miami.
During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, three individuals torched a synagogue in Wuppertal, Germany, a few days after unknown vandals scrawled “Free Palestine” on the building. Shockingly, the judge in the case ruled that the firebombing was an act of protest against Israeli actions, not a form of antisemitism. Though it seems obvious that attacking Jews and Jewish institutions over grievances in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is antisemitic, the German courts and others need reminding.
Fortunately, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries, mainly European, have drafted a widely endorsed working definition of antisemitism. The definition helps explain how hatred of Israel spills into antisemitism. “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel” is one of IHRA’s examples of antisemitism. It is too early to be certain that the Djerba attacker murdered Jews because of anti-Israel sentiments. But if this is the case, this would be far from the first time Jews have been summarily executed over perceived Israeli crimes. Regardless, the violent spillover of anti-Israel animosity is a threat to all Jews around the world.
*David May (@DavidSamuelMay) is a research manager and senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Erdogan scents victory as Turkish presidential election goes to a runoff
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/May 16/2023
Of total bank deposits, about 40 percent are held in foreign exchange and gold accounts, while the one-year foreign trade deficit stands at a record high of $120 billion. Some experts say Erdogan’s economic policy agenda will be based on continuation of the status quo with unorthodox policies that use several tools to keep the economy afloat. They also warn, though, that Turkiye’s economic situation cannot be sustained and a rethink is necessary.  A likely victory by Erdogan in the runoff vote means that his current economic policies will continue, and only partial adjustment steps such as appointing new officials to key economic positions to regain the trust of the markets are expected in case of increased financial instability. The presence of the former economy tsar, Mehmet Simsek, on Erdogan’s electoral campaign trail sparked questions about whether Erdogan will revert to orthodox policies if he wins. Central Bank governors in Turkiye have repeatedly been replaced over recent years as part of a strategy of not increasing interest rates. A win for Kilicdaroglu, a former civil servant and economist, is expected to boost the economy with foreign investment flows.
For this to happen, though, the 74-year-old challenger has to widen his pool of allies in two weeks to attract more voters and re-energize his base to go to ballot box. Timothy Ash, an economist and a strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, said the Turkish Central Bank, or CBRT, would hold the lira steady through to elections, likely below 20 lira against the dollar.
“Credit markets will be weak and vulnerable with foreign selling. After elections, I think the lira has to weaken significantly and we will see how the CBRT reacts in terms of hiking policy rates, or not,” he told Arab News.
In case Erdogan wins and continues with his existing economic policies, the demand for hard currencies is expected to increase sharply and trigger a real currency shock, which would require alternative sources of external financing.
Emre Peker, Europe director for Eurasia Group, thinks that Erdogan’s team is likely to support stability in Turkish markets in the lead-up to the runoff, where he is likely to secure re-election. “After taking office for a third term, Erdogan is likely to stick to his current policy framework of low interest rates. Ankara may, however, unwind its years-long lira defense to allow for some currency weakness,” he told Arab News. As Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party and its People’s Alliance secured an outright majority in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, they are expected to continue with the current economic policies. According to Peker, this is likely to stoke inflationary pressures and exacerbate economic imbalances, as Erdogan aims to instate an export-driven growth model. “But a U-turn to a policy of orthodoxy will be unlikely unless the risk of a massive shock materializes. Parliament will have no say in economic policy, which will be controlled fully by the presidency,” he said.
Experts warn that insistence on low interest rates could push the lira further down, but on the other hand, any meaningful hike in interest rates to curb inflation would also bring recession to the economy. Ash thinks that foreign investors will continue to reduce exposure to Turkiye until the CBRT clearly indicates how it will react on the rate front. “It is unlikely that Erdogan will allow policy rate hikes after the election unless forced by a brutal market sell-off. He has made his views on interest rates clear in the past. He does not believe that rate hikes reduce inflation and will try to keep policy rates very low,” he added.
Enver Erkan, the chief economist at Dinamik Yatirim in Istanbul, said the expectation of two more weeks of uncertainty until the runoff may put pressure on the lira. “The results of these policies so far have been in the form of inflation that has put more and more strain on household budgets. Controlling inflation and the exchange rate with low interest rates is very costly for the economy, and the growth is only provided by an economic support/incentive mechanism and a debt chain that creates further inflation,” he told Arab News. According to the April budget data announced by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the central government budget had a deficit of 132.5 billion lira compared to 50.2 billion lira a year ago.

China and the US, Tense Cohabitation or More?
Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/16 May 2023
With last week’s diplomatic tango between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China and the US took their first step towards putting an end to the hostile rhetoric that has marked disputes between the two countries in recent years. They have begun directly engaging with one another and pledged to establish a stable framework for managing their political relationship, which is crucial for global stability.
Over their twelve-hour discussions, the two men took the gloves off and put all the thorny disagreements between the two great powers on the table, from Taiwan to Ukraine, to how each country sees the other, their aspirations, and the strategies they have adopted to achieve these goals. These talks were enough to pour cold water over talk of a new Cold War, which has become a popular characterization of Sino-American relations.
Beyond a doubt, the success of the meeting in Vienna will introduce a new stage in the relations between the two countries. It will precipitate a shift in the US stance on China and its rise on the global stage. This comes after the Biden administration took its attempts to mobilize the world against China too far, and it failed to frame their dispute as an ideological struggle between democracies and totalitarian regimes.
Washington was surprised to see the countries of the world, from the Middle East to Asia, Africa, and Europe, deliberately avoid falling into the traps they had faced because of the rivalry and cosmic drama engendered by the clash between the US and the Soviet Union. In fact, nothing shapes contemporary international relations more than the efforts of countries across the world to establish pragmatic and fruitful relations with both China and the US and to avoid falling into the trap of choosing one over the other as they did during the Cold War.
Most of these countries are skillfully managing their economic interests and hedging against potential economic, environmental, and technological risks. Complex dynamics determine their policies, which leaves Washington little room to engender acute political polarization.
None of Washington’s allies attests to the crystallization of this trend in international relations better than French President Emanuel Macron. After his trip to China with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he called for European “strategic autonomy.”
“The question Europeans need to answer ... is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction.” Macron then added that Europe should avoid getting “caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy!” He also voiced concerns regarding Europe’s increasing dependence on US arms, energy, and the Dollar, stressing that there is now an urgent need to strengthen Europe’s defense industry and reduce dependence on the US dollar for trade outside the region.
Macron made these statements as China was trying to persuade the continent to turn away from the US project of confrontation, as shown by the first visit of its kind by the Chinese foreign minister. France has not taken such positions since De Gaulle was in power (between the late 1950s and the late 1960s), and Marcon’s statements coincided with a very difficult European Union reassessment of how to develop its China policy.
For his part, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel says that their ties are three-dimensional. Europe sees China as a rival, partner, and competitor, and this view has been made even more complicated by the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and China aligning closer to Moscow than Kyiv. While Europe seeks to develop a strategy that hedges against risks by making it less excessively dependent on China to avoid falling into the same pitfalls of Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, it is also mindful of the significance of its economic ties with China. Moreover, Europe is weary of the excesses of US protectionism and subsidies.
Indeed, these measures undermine European companies at a time when they are already struggling as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the pandemic. All these complications mean Europe has no easy options in balancing its ties with China and the US. This is an opportunity China can make use of, as it means the US cannot count on the kind of unconditional European backing seen during the Cold War when Western economic interests and values were coherent and clear.
Like Europe, the Global South is also largely aware of the need to maintain strategic flexibility in dealing with China and the US. Nothing speaks to this fact and undermines the American position more than the position of India. Indeed, the largest democracy in the world has hesitated to condemn the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Instead, India has managed to turn the conflict into an economic opportunity by making Russia, which offers it discounted prices, its largest crude oil supplier.
India has also succeeded in presenting itself as a neutral mediator in the Ukraine crisis, though its efforts to establish a consensus on condemning the Ukrainian crisis, during last March’s G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, failed due to the unresolved disagreements among great powers. Its diplomatic efforts seem to be geared more towards carving out a space for India in international politics than taking sides in a complex geopolitical arena.
In turn, the countries of Southeast Asia are also showing great confidence in recalibrating to accommodate the escalating competition between the United States and China through bilateral relations amongst themselves and their ties to China and the US, or their efforts to build strong inter-governmental international organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which benefits from attractive economic and financial indicators at a time when a global recession seems a real threat.
Most African countries did not react differently to those of Europe and the Middle East or India. In fact, they share the grievance of Russia and China regarding the global order to a greater extent than most other actors, and they have backed calls for restructuring global institutions to make them more fair and inclusive. No place on Earth suffered more from the injustices of the international order than Africa. It has been denied serious and sustainable development policies and has borne the brunt of the colonial legacy of the West.
This trend in international politics, as well as the ease with which countries can avoid choosing between Washington and Beijing, is reinforced by the West’s massive crisis of credibility. The rules it has set for the global system are seen as unfair, and it is seen as taking an irresponsible approach to the financial, economic, and environmental crises facing humanity.
It was extremely disappointing (and this is just one of many examples) to see the West ideologize climate issues and employ them politically to gain an economic edge over China and pit countries against China, even if this comes at the expense of these countries’ interests. Meanwhile, the West has done nothing to recognize or pay for its historical responsibility for today’s environmental conditions.
The pretext of “complying with international law” cannot stand alone. It must be accompanied by a historical awareness of the need to address the implication of the liberal West’s colonial past, efforts to build more just and robust alliances and partnerships across, and recognition of and respect for changing power dynamics. The fact that China and the US have begun to engage in dialogue is good news for everyone betting on global political stability, which is a necessary condition for prosperity. Understanding the dynamics of the triangular relationship between the US, China, and the rest of the world - in isolation of the norms, rules, and polarizations of the Cold War - heralds the emergence of a new approach in international relations rooted in justice, diversity, and interdependence.