English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 28/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For
today
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I
am gentle and humble in heart
Matthew 11/25-30: “‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have
revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All
things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son
except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to
whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and
are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on November 27-28/2023
Lebanese leadership faces challenges of regional developments
Le Drian Scheduled for Wednesday Meetings with Berri and Mikati
Al-Rahi Cautions Against Undermining the ‘Army’s Cohesion and Stability
Lebanese Residents Come Back to Discover Their Homes Destroyed Near the Israeli
Border
UN Special Coordinator stresses importance of implementing Resolution 1701 in
Meeting with Lebanon's PM
Hezbollah initiates compensation for victims of Israeli 'aggression,' says MP
Fadlallah
Mikati to Al-Joumhouria: Lebanon relies on friendly countries' efforts to
restore calm in the south
Abou Faour: The solution lies in extending the army commander's term; the next
president must be 'consensual'
Hezbollah to compensate Lebanese whose homes were damaged by Israel
Lebanese trailblazers shine in BBC's 100 Women of 2023: Aziza Sbaity and Amal
Clooney make their mark
Cautious calm prevails over south on last day of truce
Mikati won't call for session on army chief before Hezbollah announces stance
Reports: Lebanon asked to prepare for negotiations over southern border
Report: Hezbollah still opposed to 'third choice' presidential candidate
Le Drian 'visited Qatar and KSA', will carry 'new proposals' to Lebanon
Mikati relies on 'friendly countries' to restore calm in Lebanon
UfM Foreign Ministers discuss critical situation in Gaza-Palestine, Israel at
8th UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona
Sheikh Al-Khatib broaches general situation in Lebanon and region with EU
Ambassador
MP Khazen visits Patriarch Rahi in Bkerke, underlines necessity of accelerating
election of president
Wronecka visits Mikati, says Security Council “highly concerned about Lebanon
due to its strategic regional
Berri summons parliamentary committees for joint session on Wednesday
MoPH-MoE joint official release towards a climate resilient and environmentally
sustainable Healthcare System
Israel-Lebanon border: The Irish troops watching Israel’s hidden
conflict/Nafiseh Kohnavard, Middle East correspondent – BBC Persian
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November 27-28/2023
Qatari mediator announces extension
of Israel-Hamas truce for two days
Israel and Hamas agree to extend truce for two more days, exchange more hostages
and prisoners
Gaza humanitarian pause should evolve into permanent ceasefire - EU top diplomat
The military branch of Hamas has verified the deaths of the commander of their
northern brigade and three other senior leaders
US welcomes Gaza truce extension, hopes it will be further prolonged
Russia condemns 'provocative' Israeli attack on Damascus airport
Palestinian diplomat appeals for Gaza truce to be extended as EU and Arab
nations meet in Spain
Israel grants Musk approval to turn on Starlink internet access in Gaza
Israel’s hard-Right finance minister in row over refusing to divert settlement
money to war effort
UN spokesperson: Gaza-Israel conflict takes appalling toll; praises hostage
releases
US, partners announce task force aimed at countering flow of money to Hamas
First testimonies shed light on the conditions endured by Hamas’ Israeli
hostages
Released Israeli hostage ‘escaped for four days’ before recapture in Gaza
Companies face delicate decisions on weighing in on Israel-Hamas conflict
Walid Phares to Newsmax: Biden Signals Mixed on Israel, Hamas
Yemen govt calls for global designation of Houthis as terrorist organization
following
French navy ship arrives in Egypt to treat Gaza wounded
First human infection with swine flu variant detected in UK
Germany to help reconstruct southern Israel settlements
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on November 27-28/2023
Why the Arabs 'Betrayed' the Palestinians/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/November 27, 2023
US interfaith communities draw on decades-long bonds to navigate Israel-Hamas
War/Brammhi Balarajan, CNN/November 27, 2023
Iran’s Implausible Deniability/Jay Mens/The Tablet/November 27/2023
America’s Islamic Ribat Problem/Raymond Ibrahim/November 27, 2023
Time for world to stand up to Taliban’s gender apartheid/Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Arab
News/November 27, 2023
Wilders’ victory shows Europe must stand up to far-right threat/Chris Doyle/Arab
News/November 27, 2023
Gaza is forcing the West to abandon its old illusions/Ramzy Baroud/Arab
News/November 27, 2023
Gaza not the only place where the fires of injustice burn/Baria Alamuddin/Arab
News/November 27, 2023
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on November 27-28/2023
Lebanese leadership faces challenges
of regional developments
Arab News/November 27, 2023
BEIRUT: The UN Security Council is very concerned about Lebanon because it has a
strategic role in the region, UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon Joanna Wronecka
said on Monday. She made the remarks during a meeting with caretaker Prime
Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Wronecka also said the
UNSC’s position on Lebanon was unified, highlighting the need for the country’s
early election of a president and implementing reforms. Wronecka said she
emphasized those points in her recent speech before the council in New York last
week. She also stressed the need to adhere to Resolution 1701 and implement it
on the ground. Wronecka met the Lebanese leaders a year and two months on from
the presidency becoming vacant. On Jan. 10 the position of army commander will
also become vacant — as regional tensions ramp up with Israel — in addition to
the vacant governorship of the Central Bank since last August, which has been
filled temporarily. The caretaker government has failed multiple times in recent
weeks to make a decision regarding the expected vacancies in the army
leadership, whether it be extending, appointing, or delaying retirements.
French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is scheduled to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday,
amid growing concerns about the developments in the region. It is rumored that
the purpose of the visit is to address the stalled issue of the presidency. The
leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, expressed his concern on
Monday that the French envoy’s goal might be to exchange the implementation of
Resolution 1701 by Hezbollah and its military withdrawal from southern Lebanon —
in return for giving the party the presidency of Lebanon.
Geagea said that the presidency is not for exchange or bargaining over.
On Monday, the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahhi reiterated the need to
expedite the election of a president and find ways to protect the military. The
three vacant positions are from the Maronite community’s share of power in
Lebanon. On Monday he was quoted as being open to all possibilities that serve
the interest of the military, except for appointing a new commander, as this
should happen in the presence of the president, who is the supreme commander of
the Armed Forces under the constitution.
As per the defense law, the chief of staff is the only one capable of assuming
the duties of the army commander in his absence. But this position has also been
vacant for over a year. The Military Council — led by Defense Minister Maurice
Slim — is also suffering from vacancies in the positions of the army’s inspector
general and the general manager of administration. The caretaker government is
not authorized to make these appointments. A legitimate government needs to be
formed to elect a president.
It also means that the Supreme Defense Council, which includes the prime
minister, is also inactive due to the absence of a president. Only the president
has the right to convene the council and preside over its sessions according to
Article 49 of the constitution. According to one political observer, the
Maronite patriarch insists on keeping the current commander, Gen. Joseph Aoun,
in his position until a president is elected, as his leadership “cannot be
exercised collectively through the council of ministers.”Al-Rahi accused
politicians in his Sunday sermon of deliberately not electing a president. He
said the highly delicate regional conditions required state protection, and the
winds headed toward regional arrangements. “We do not accept that the
president's election be subject to a person, a project, or a goal related to
influence, and we do not accept depriving the state of its head.
“We do not accept attempts to undermine the army’s unity, stability,
self-confidence, and leadership, especially since the country and its security
are on the verge of a volcano eruption.”The Free Patriotic Movement proposes
appointing a new commander through a decree between ministers, while the
Lebanese Forces party proposes extending the current commander’s term. There is
also a proposal to delay his retirement by the speaker, the Progressive
Socialist Party, and Sunni deputies through a government decree that includes
extending the term of the General Director of Internal Security Forces Brig.
Gen. Imad Osman, who will also be retired, and appointing a military council.
The deadline given by Berri to the government to resolve the ongoing crisis will
end in two days. Slim, of the Free Patriotic Movement, can propose an extension
to the army commander’s tenure. If he refuses to do so by absenting himself from
the government session, parliament will be approached. However, Berri has
refused to invite the divided house to a session to approve the extension for
Gen. Aoun for another year. The political observer said the Free Patriotic
Movement “will consider any decision made by the defense minister of defense
invalid and will challenge it legally. “The defense minister will refuse to work
with the extended commander without his approval, which means the military
institution will be involved in a crisis and consequently paralyzed.”
Le Drian Scheduled for Wednesday Meetings with Berri and
Mikati
The Daily Star/November 27/2023
Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Presidential Envoy for Lebanon, is set to arrive
in Beirut next week to focus on the presidential election process, as reported
by the media on Sunday. Le Drian’s agenda includes appointments with key
Lebanese political figures. He is scheduled to meet with Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Wednesday, according to
information provided to ad-Diyar newspaper by a knowledgeable source. The source
also mentioned that the lead-up to Le Drian’s visit doesn’t seem to indicate any
new initiatives being brought forth.
Additionally, the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, informed the
Lebanese-French Parliamentary Friendship Committee about France’s coordination
with Saudi Arabia and Qatar regarding the presidential file. Magro highlighted
that Le Drian’s visit is backed by the five-nation group on Lebanon, which
includes the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt.
Al-Rahi Cautions Against Undermining the ‘Army’s Cohesion
and Stability
The Daily Star/November 27/2023
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, speaking on Sunday, expressed his
disapproval of limiting the presidential election to a specific individual,
agenda, or influence-driven reason. Al-Rahi also emphasized his objection to any
actions that could damage the unity, stability, and self-confidence of the army
and its leadership. He stressed the critical nature of this issue, especially
given the precarious security situation the country is facing. Highlighting the
constitutional mandate, al-Rahi referred to Article 49, which designates the
President of the Republic as the head of the armed forces. He questioned the
efforts of some to appoint a chief of the army in advance, thereby potentially
influencing the choice of the new president. The patriarch urged for a simpler
constitutional approach: electing a president to resolve political issues and
ensure the integrity of all state institutions.
Lebanese Residents Come Back to Discover Their Homes
Destroyed Near the Israeli Border
The Daily Star/November 27/2023
Lebanese farmer and part-time minibus driver, Abdallah Abdallah, returned to his
village near the Israeli border on Saturday, only to find his house heavily
damaged and his tractor destroyed due to the recent bombing. Abdallah, 50,
lamented the destruction, citing Israel’s history of targeting civilian areas.
His home in Aitaroun, located near an Israeli military post, now bears the scars
of conflict, with significant damage evident in its structure. The
Lebanon-Israel border has been a hotspot of intensified conflict since October
7, primarily involving Israel and Hezbollah, but also Palestinian groups. This
has raised concerns about the possibility of a wider conflict. Having fled the
area when the skirmishes started, Abdallah and others cautiously returned to
assess the damage, amidst the continuous presence of Israeli surveillance
drones. Most residents in the border area expressed reluctance to stay, fearing
a resurgence of violence after the recent four-day ceasefire between Israel and
Hamas. A source close to Hezbollah stated that the group would respect the
ceasefire as long as Israel did. Abdallah’s losses include not only his tractor
but also a van he used for transporting local children to school. The conflict
has inflicted severe damage across south Lebanon, with homes showing broken
windows, damaged walls, and uprooted doors. Hezbollah has honored its fallen
fighters in some villages with banners. In the recent cross-border exchanges, at
least 109 people have died in Lebanon, including 77 Hezbollah fighters and 14
civilians, as per an AFP tally. The International Organization for Migration
reports that more than 55,000 people, primarily from south Lebanon, have fled
their homes since the hostilities began. In Mays al-Jabal, resident Fatima Taha
was relieved to find her home mostly intact, though she shares the widespread
fear of renewed conflict. She noted that some people returned only for the olive
harvest but are hesitant to stay permanently. Authorities have advised against
using roads close to Israeli positions and warned farmers about the dangers of
harvesting olives near the border, citing concerns about Israel’s alleged use of
white phosphorus. In Kfarkila, Yahya Ahmad, 62, plans to repair his cafe, which
sustained significant damage. Despite the risks, he is determined to stay,
asserting his connection to his homeland. In one village, visitors posed for
photos against a backdrop that reflects the tense border situation. Abdallah
Quteish, a retired school principal, and his wife Sabah, returned to their home
in Houla after staying with their daughter in the north. They missed the olive
harvest but are grateful to be safe and hope to stay in their home if the
situation remains stable. Others, like Khalil Ghanam from Marwahin, are less
optimistic. Ghanam has decided to move his cafe’s remaining stock to Beirut,
anticipating a prolonged difficult period ahead. In Kfarkila, iron worker
Hussein Fawaz is staying put despite the destruction of his home by an airstrike.
He has sent his family away for safety but remains to care for his elderly
parents.
The ceasefire, while generally calm, has seen moments of tension, with the
Israeli military reporting the interception of an aerial target from Lebanon and
the downing of a missile launched at an Israeli drone.
UN Special Coordinator stresses importance of
implementing Resolution 1701 in Meeting with Lebanon's PM
LBCI/November 27, 2023
Lebanon's Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with the United Nations
Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, on Monday at the Grand Serail.
After the meeting, Wronecka announced, "I came to inform Prime Minister Mikati
about the Security Council meeting in New York and what I mentioned in my speech
regarding Resolution 1701 and the necessity of adhering to and implementing it
on the ground."
She affirmed: "We also discussed how to protect Lebanon from war in the region,
in addition to the topics of reforms, the role of state institutions, and the
election of a president." She noted that the Security Council "is very concerned
about Lebanon because it plays a strategic role in the region," its position on
Lebanon "is unified."
Hezbollah initiates compensation for victims of Israeli 'aggression,' says MP
Fadlallah
LBCI/November 27, 2023
Member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, MP Hassan Fadlallah, called for
the cessation of war and "aggression."He expressed the hope that the ceasefire
would last and that the war would stop. He said: "If this aggression continues,
our position is determined on the ground."Fadlallah announced that "Hezbollah
has started paying compensation directly to those affected by the Israeli
aggression on the border villages."
Mikati to Al-Joumhouria: Lebanon relies on friendly countries' efforts to
restore calm in the south
LBCI/November 27, 2023
Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his hope for the continuation of the
ceasefire in Gaza "to keep Lebanon safe and calm" during a visit to Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. In an interview with "Al-Joumhouria"
newspaper, Mikati emphasized Lebanon's reliance on friendly countries' efforts
to work towards peace and restore calm in southern Lebanon.
*This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper
Al-Joumhouria.
Abou Faour: The solution lies in extending the army
commander's term; the next president must be 'consensual'
LBCI/November 27, 2023
MP Wael Abou Faour revealed that international parties informed Lebanon that
things are not positive and was asked to open a discussion about Resolution 1701
to avoid sliding into an open war with Israel. In an interview on LBCI's "Nharkom
Said" TV show, Abou Faour believed that the war will continue in Gaza and will
last. He noted that it is evident that Hezbollah does not want to rush into a
"comprehensive" confrontation, but the Israelis are pushing towards an open
clash with Lebanon, which is in extreme danger. He pointed out that the idea of
"uniting the battlefields" contradicts the idea of a "defensive strategy,"
noting that Hezbollah is still evaluating a balance between the two. He believed
that Hamas is a resistance movement that cannot be avoided in any future
arrangements, and the Palestinian side is the most capable of facing and
resisting in this war. Regarding the presidential file, Abou Faour considered
that the next president must be consensual and enhance consensus among the
Lebanese. He mentioned that discussions before the war in Gaza about the
presidency led to a quasi-general conviction that the only way out of the crisis
is to search for a consensual president. He confirmed that the Lebanese people
were not divided in facing Israel, ruling out that anyone could exploit what is
happening in the region to gain advantages in the presidential file. He
indicated that the name of the army commander is "advancing" in the presidential
discussions. As for the vacancy in the army leadership, Abou Faour emphasized
that the military institution cannot tolerate any vacuum, and the solution lies
in extending General Aoun's term and appointing a military council until a new
president is elected. He noted that the government's path to addressing the file
does not seem viable at the moment, and the parliamentary path is linked to the
parties' positions, emphasizing that political parties need to show more
flexibility in this regard. He said, "There are several proposals, and a
consensus formula can be found and pursued." Regarding the budget, Abou Faour
considered that there cannot be financial regularity without constitutional
regularity, and even if the budget is approved, it will not be implemented.
Hezbollah to compensate Lebanese whose homes were damaged
by Israel
Associated Press/November 27, 2023
A senior Hezbollah legislator said Monday that the Iran-backed group will
compensate Lebanese whose homes along the Lebanon-Israel border were damaged by
Israeli shelling and strikes. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have
clashed along the border since Oct. 8, stoking fears that the Hamas-Israel war
in the Gaza Strip will spill over into the rest of the region. Though the
clashes have been intense, with both combatants and civilians killed on both
sides, they have remained largely contained to areas near the border. Hezbollah
was not officially a party to the four-day truce between Hamas and Israel that
took effect Friday, but calm has largely prevailed on the Lebanon-Israel border
since then. “What we are offering those affected is money and the efforts and
capabilities of Hezbollah, and that is part of our battle,” said parliament
member Hassan Fadlallah, who made the announcement at an event honoring a slain
Hezbollah militant in the border town of Aita al-Shaab. Fadlallah said the group
surveyed most of the damaged areas in southern Lebanon, widely seen as a
political and military stronghold for the group. Israel and Hezbollah fought a
monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a draw. Israel sees Hezbollah as its most
direct threat and estimates that the group has about 150,000 precision-guided
missiles pointed at it.
Lebanese trailblazers shine in BBC's 100 Women of 2023:
Aziza Sbaity and Amal Clooney make their mark
LBCI/November 27, 2023
For 2023, the BBC announced its list of 100 influential women worldwide,
including former US First Lady Michelle Obama, Hollywood celeb America Ferrera,
and beauty tycoon Huda Kattan. Among BBC's 100 Women 2023, which also features
women working to address climate change, are two Lebanese, sprinter Aziza Sbaity
and Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
Aziza Sbaity
Known as "the fastest Lebanese woman in history" after breaking the 100m record,
Lebanon's sprinter Aziza Sbaity made headlines as one of the first black
athletes from her country to take gold at the West Asian and Arab
championships.With a Liberian mother and a Lebanese father, she moved to Lebanon
at 11. She "uses her position to talk about racism in the country and champion
inclusivity and equality, and she collaborates with schools and universities to
inspire Lebanon's youth," said the BBC.
Amal Clooney
Award-winning human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has spent years supporting
victims of injustice, leading important cases concerning crimes against humanity
in Armenia and Ukraine, sexual violence against women in Malawi and Kenya, and
helping secure journalists' freedom targeted by oppressive regimes. "Recent
successes include representing victims of an Islamic State fighter and of a
Darfur warlord," it added. Amal Clooney, née Alamuddin, also serves as an
adjunct professor at Columbia Law School and co-founder of the Clooney
Foundation for Justice, providing free legal support to victims of human rights
abuses in over 40 countries. In the midst of prevailing regional challenges,
this news comes as a glimmer of hope, showcasing Lebanese women's power in
building a good reputation for Lebanon around the world and making the Lebanese
proud in each step they take.
Cautious calm prevails over south on last day of truce
Naharnet/November 27, 2023
Cautious calm prevailed over the border area in south Lebanon Monday, the last
day of a four-day cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. The calm was interrupted
overnight by Israeli shelling on the southern border town of Marwahin. While
Lebanon and Hezbollah weren't officially parties to the cease-fire between
Israel and Hamas, it has brought at least a temporary halt to the daily
exchanges of rockets, artillery shelling and airstrikes. On Sunday, Israeli
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited north Israel and vowed to allow residents
of the region to return home safely. Gallant said that the Israeli troops have
struck and killed over 100 Hezbollah fighters and destroyed "dozens of
observation posts, warehouses, bunkers, and command centers.""Here in the
eastern sector of Lebanon, overlooking Syria, the soldiers are doing excellent
work," he said. "The result is the pushing back of Hezbollah forces from the
front line to deeper into the territory, which will allow the return of the
residents."The cross-border exchanges have killed 109 people in Lebanon, at
least 77 of them Hezbollah fighters and 14 civilians. More than 55,000 people
have fled their homes. Six Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed
on the Israeli side.
Mikati won't call for session on army chief before Hezbollah announces stance
Naharnet/November 27, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will not call for a cabinet session that
would discuss the term extension of the army chief before Hezbollah announces
its stance, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said. The daily reported Monday that
Mikati needs to know whether Hezbollah would support its ally, the Free
Patriotic Movement, and refuse the extension of Gen. Joseph Aoun's term ahead of
his planned retirement in January. Aoun's retirement would add another gap to
crisis-hit Lebanon's withering and paralyzed institutions as the tiny
Mediterranean country has been without a president, while its government has
been running in a limited caretaker capacity. Lebanon has also been without a
top spy chief to head its General Security Directorate since March, and without
a central bank governor. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had hoped for the
extension to take place in Cabinet, but vowed to discuss Aoun's term extension
in parliament if Cabinet fails to take this step before the end of this month.
Mikati, who has meanwhile been discussing the issue with Hezbollah
secretary-general's political aide Hussein Khalil and Berri's aide Ali Hassan
Khalil, hasn't yet received a final answer from Hezbollah, Asharq al-Awsat said.
Berri has said he will call for a legislative session during the first half of
December and that there are only two options, either the extension of Aoun's
term or the appointment of a new army chief. "There is no third option and no
assignment (of the highest ranking officer)." The Free Patriotic Movement
reportedly has three candidates for the army chief post, Intelligence
Directorate chief Tony Qahwaji, Elie Akl and Maroun Qbayati.
Reports: Lebanon asked to prepare for negotiations over southern border
Naharnet/November 27, 2023
Lebanon must prepare for negotiations over Resolution 1701 that “will certainly
take place” and “the presidential vacuum cannot continue,” French sources said.
“The issue of the Lebanese south will be soon on the table, along with the
negotiations over the land border and Resolution 1701,” the sources told Annahar
newspaper in remarks published Monday. And in remarks to al-Liwaa daily, French
sources said “the upcoming negotiations over the fate of the situations in Gaza
will involve south Lebanon, and this requires the election of a new president so
that Lebanon can be ready to sit around the table.” Israeli Defense Minister
Yoav Gallant meanwhile received a phone call from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin, who reminded him that the United States does not want to see the Gaza
conflict spreading to Lebanon.
Report: Hezbollah still opposed to 'third choice'
presidential candidate
Naharnet/November 27, 2023
The idea of electing a “third” presidential candidate other than Suleiman
Franjieh and Jihad Azour is “still running into Hezbollah’s stance” and there
are no indications that a president will be elected anytime soon, a media report
said. “Hezbollah is still putting the Lebanese, the French and the various
foreign envoys before the same equation: electing its candidate or no
presidential elections,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper added. “Hezbollah
considers that there is still time before having to lean towards a third choice,
on the hope that the war might offer it a chance, knowing that the internal
balance of power did not change prior to October 7 and will not change after
this date,” the daily added.
Le Drian 'visited Qatar and KSA', will carry 'new
proposals' to Lebanon
Naharnet/November 27, 2023
French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian will arrive in
Beirut Tuesday evening on an official visit that will last until Friday, al-Joumhouria
newspaper reported on Monday. “He will meet with a number of state officials and
parliamentary bloc chiefs in a bid to revive dialogue over his previous
proposals regarding the presidential juncture,” the daily said. “Le Drian is
confident that the answers he had received to the questions that he had raised
with MPs in mid-August are still valid for discussion,” sources told the
newspaper. Quoting informed sources, al-Binaa newspaper meanwhile said that Le
Drian has visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia prior to his expected visit to Lebanon
and that is in “constant contact” with the Americans and Egyptians for
consultations over the crisis in Lebanon. The sources added that the French
official will likely carry new proposals to Lebanon after his consultations with
the capitals of the five-nation group on Lebanon. “He will discuss them with the
political leaders with the aim of revitalizing the presidential election file
and ending vacuum as soon as possible,” the sources said.
Mikati relies on 'friendly countries' to restore calm in Lebanon
Naharnet/November 27, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has stressed Lebanon’s reliance on the
efforts of friendly countries for restoring peace in south Lebanon. In an
interview published Monday in al-Joumhouria newspaper, Mikati hoped that
friendly countries would succeed to restore peace and calm along the southern
border.
Mikati had also condemned Israel's brutality in an interview with the Turkish
national radio and television corporation TRT. "We don't have any guarantees,"
Mikati said, stressing the Israeli killing of children, women and elderly. "No
one cares and there are no international reactions to what's happening in
Gaza."The caretaker PM went on to say that although Lebanon fully supports
Palestine, he is trying to spare Lebanon from entering the war. "We do not want
war and we are seeking peace," he said. "But at the same time we do not want
anyone to desecrate Lebanese land," he added.
UfM Foreign Ministers discuss critical situation in
Gaza-Palestine, Israel at 8th UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona
NNA/November 27, 2023
The 8th Union for the Mediterranean Regional Forum took place today at
Barcelona’s Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. This year’s event centred around the
critical situation in Gaza- Palestine and Israel, and its consequences across
the region. The 43 UfM Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the dramatic
situation on the ground and the way forward. The 8th UfM Regional Forum took
place in the framework of the 15th anniversary of the organisation, built on the
acquis of the Barcelona Process and its goals of shared peace, stability and
prosperity in the Euro- Mediterranean area.
“[These goals] can only be attained through a well-rooted peace in the Middle
East, built only and exclusively on the two-state solution,” UfM Secretary
General Nasser Kamel underlined. The UfM has established itself in the last
decade as the leading multilateral institutional framework for dialogue and
cooperation in the Mediterranean, with projects and initiatives ranging from
fostering women’s empowerment, job creation, trade facilitation to urban
development, climate action and environmental protection.
UfM SG further added: “There is definitely a before and an after the 7th October
for Mediterranean cooperation and for the Union for the Mediterranean: Israel
and Palestine are founding members of our organisation, and this leads us to
actively reflect on the role of the UfM in building a long-lasting peace for
these two independent states, based on the promotion of concrete projects and
initiatives that would help consolidate this peace. The UfM, as a regional
framework, can and should be, the keystone in shaping the future of the region.”
Sheikh Al-Khatib broaches general situation in Lebanon and
region with EU Ambassador
NNA/November 27, 2023
Deputy Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council, Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, on
Monday received at the Council's headquarters, the Ambassador of the European
Union to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, who came on an acquaintance visit.
Discussions during the visit reportedly touched on the general situation in
Lebanon and the region, as well as on the developments in Gaza. According to a
statement by the Council, Sheikh Al-Khatib welcomed the European Union
Ambassador, wishing her good luck and success in strengthening the bilateral
relations between Lebanon and the European Union countries.
MP Khazen visits Patriarch Rahi in Bkerke, underlines necessity of accelerating
election of president
NNA/November 27, 2023
MP Farid Haikal Al-Khazen visited the Patriarchal edifice in Bkerke, where he
met with the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, and discussed
with him the exploratory visit made by the Qatari envoy, Abu Fahd Jassim Al
Thani, to Lebanon, as well as the upcoming visit by the French presidential
envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to Lebanon. During the meeting, there was an emphasis
on the necessity of accelerating the election of a President of the Republic,
and finding ways to protect the military institution, so that Al-Khazen stressed
his openness to all possibilities that serve the interest of the military
institution, with the exception of appointing a new commander of the army,
especially since this must happen with the President of the Republic, who is the
commander of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in accordance with the
provisions of the Constitution.
Wronecka visits Mikati, says Security Council “highly concerned about Lebanon
due to its strategic regional
NNA/November 27, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Monday held a meeting with Joanna
Wronecka, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, at the Grand
Serail. Following the meeting, Wronecka conveyed, "I apprised Prime Minister
Mikati about the Security Council's recent session in New York. I emphasized the
points highlighted in my address, particularly focusing on Resolution 1701 and
the crucial need to observe and enforce it on the ground."She reiterated,
stating, "Our conversation also delved into strategies aimed at safeguarding
Lebanon from regional conflicts. Moreover, we explored matters concerning
reforms, the pivotal role of state institutions, and the imperative presidential
election."Wronecka highlighted the Security Council's profound apprehension for
Lebanon's situation, emphasizing its pivotal role in the region. She also
emphasized the unified stance of the Security Council towards Lebanon.
Berri summons parliamentary committees for joint session on Wednesday
NNA /November 27, 2023
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Monday has summoned the parliamentary committees
of Finance and Budget, Administration and Justice, Public Health, Labor and
Social Affairs, National Economy, Trade, Industry, and Planning, as well as
Women and Children for a joint session on Wednesday, the 29th of November 2023,
at 10:30 am.
MoPH-MoE joint official release towards a climate resilient and environmentally
sustainable Healthcare System
NNA/November 27, 2023
Lebanon has been experiencing increased temperatures, as well as increasingly
frequent and severe natural disasters related to climate change, which not only
has direct impact on human health but also threatens the capacity of health care
delivery services in managing and protecting population health. Preliminary
assessments found that the overall adaptive capacity of healthcare institutions
in Lebanon is low, as many of them lack the capacity and resources needed to
prepare for and respond to this climatic challenge. Therefore, and consistently
with its commitment to the Paris Agreement, Lebanon has announced its commitment
to building a climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare
system as part of the UK COP26’s Initiative “Alliance for Transformative Action
on Climate Health (ATACH)”. This initiative, launched by the UK COP26 Presidency
in 2021, calls on countries to take bold action to address the intersection of
climate change and health. Lebanon, in partnership with the World Health
Organization (WHO), is committed to developing a comprehensive and integrated
approach to climate change and health. Both the Ministries of Public health (MoPH)
and the Environment (MoE) have expressed commitment to the Health and
Environment Strategic Framework 2021-2026 launched on the World Health day 2022,
in line with the Arab Health and Environment Strategy Framework 2017-30 adopted
by the Summit of the Arab League on April 15, 2018. The strategy focuses on
healthcare facilities in areas of water and sanitation, chemical safety,
management of healthcare waste, environmental preparedness in health care,
vulnerability of health care facilities to climate change, emergency
preparedness, and greening of the health sector.
In addition, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has endorsed COP26
proceedings in an official letter signed and dated March 26, 2023. As part of
this initiative, Lebanon will prioritize the health needs of its population,
while simultaneously addressing the environmental and sustainability challenges
facing its healthcare facilities. Lebanon will be working to strengthen its
healthcare infrastructure, increase its capacity for emergency preparedness and
response, and improve its ability to monitor and respond to emerging health
threats. The most recent cholera outbreak is an example of the significant
impact of deterioration in infrastructure and neglect of climate change. Lebanon
is also committed to reducing the environmental impact of its healthcare system,
particularly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation.
Moreover, Lebanon’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) has emphasized on
increased adaptation action, prioritizing action to ensure public health’s
safety, well-being, and safety of all communities through climate resilient
systems. All of which is aligned and builds up on the MoPHs efforts to increase
climate-resilient systems as per Lebanon’s National Health Strategy: Vision
2030. Lebanon did initiate climate friendly actions, including investing in
solar energy in healthcare facilities, with the support of several UN agencies,
and integration of telehealth. On the other hand, a recent report by the MoE, in
collaboration with UNDP, GEF, and the MoPH has highlighted further the need for
progressive adaptive measures to increase the climate resilience of public
health infrastructure, facilities, and capacities.
Therefore, Lebanon commits to continuously improve its health system to be
resilient to climate change impacts through:
• Updating the climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment
(V&A) that was conducted in the latest Fourth National Communication Report and
highlighted even further in the Vulnerability and Adaptation of Healthcare
Service Providers Report; officials will continue to assess vulnerability to
climate change in an iterative way, and inform health policies and programs.
• Developing a health component in the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) based on
updated evidence from the updated climate change and health vulnerability
assessments.
Lebanon will use its abundant research and reports (Vulnerability of Health Care
Facilities to Climate Change 2022 Report; Lebanon’s 4th National Communication
on Climate Change; Lebanon’s National Health Strategy: Vision 2030; upcoming
NAP) to identify needs and priorities that may facilitate access to climate
change funding for health, including the climate change multilateral funding
mechanisms (e.g., project proposals submitted to the Global Environmental
Facility (GEF), Green Climate Fund (GCF) or Adaptation Fund (AF) or GCF
Readiness Programmes). As a nation that has struggled with environmental and
public health challenges, Both the Lebanese Ministers of Public Health and
Environment believe that this initiative is a crucial step towards building a
more climate resilient and sustainably healthy future for the nation, and are
keen on addressing the gaps identified at the levels of policy, infrastructure,
and prevention.
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Israel-Lebanon border: The Irish troops watching Israel’s hidden conflict
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/124754/124754/
Nafiseh Kohnavard, Middle East correspondent – BBC Persian/November 27, 2023
Dozens of Irish peacekeepers have been killed since the UN force was deployed in
1978 “If you hear an alarm sounding it means you need to run to the nearest
bunker,” says Captain Aódhan McGuinness as we arrive at Camp Shamrock.
He is the tactical operations director for the Irish troops who run this UN
peacekeeping base close to the Lebanon-Israel border.
We can hear the buzz of Israeli drones hovering overhead. They sound like hair
dryers or electric razors, and are now a constant presence day and night above
towns and villages in southern Lebanon. A loud explosion nearby interrupts
Captain McGuinness’ safety briefing. “Ok, today’s round has started,” he says.
The blast is yet another sign of escalating tensions in the area since Hamas
launched its unprecedented assault on Israel back in October.
The UN peacekeeping mission, known as Unifil, is responsible for monitoring the
Blue Line, the unofficial frontier between Lebanon and Israel.
During the last four decades the area has witnessed on and off clashes between
the Lebanese Shia Muslim militant group, Hezbollah, and the Israeli army.
While Hezbollah is labelled a terrorist organisation by the UK, US and others,
it is a mainstream political party in Lebanon, leading an alliance which fell
just short of a majority in the national parliament in elections last year.
What is Hezbollah and will it go to war with Israel?
Wearing body armour and helmets we join a group of heavily armed peacekeepers in
a convoy of armoured vehicles for a 20-minute drive to another base that is just
500m (1,600ft) from the Blue Line.
With Israeli military installations visible across the frontier, the commander
of the outpost, Lieutenant Dylan Cadogan, says they often have to take shelter
in bunkers during strikes, sometimes for hours.
“We have seen houses destroyed and we have seen civilians caught in crossfire
that needed our help.”A pink building damaged by shellfire and stained by black
smoke
The Irish UN force has helped civilians whose homes have been hit by shellfire
From the base’s watchtower he points at a pink house in the distance: “There was
a mother and a child in that building only 400m (1,300ft) from us.
“Their house was shelled, and they had to run here to take refuge and we
provided them with medical support and took them to safety.”
The Unifil troops have recovered the bodies of people killed in the fighting but
cannot say how many were Hezbollah fighters due to the sensitivity of their
mission and the need to remain neutral between the warring parties.
“It is not our job to comment on these, just observe, monitor and report what we
see to our headquarters,” Lieutenant Cadogan says.
Since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza following Hamas’s attack on 7
October, Hezbollah has regularly carried out rocket and drone attacks from
southern Lebanon, some aimed at military targets, others fired more
indiscriminately into northern Israel.
Israeli forces have retaliated with heavy air strikes and artillery fire.
Due to the fighting 60,000 people have been displaced from the border area on
the Lebanese side, while thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from northern
Israel.
Monitoring groups say that in the first week following Hamas’s attack in October
there were around 70 reported incidents near the Blue Line, and by mid-November
it had risen to about 250 attacks a week.
The peacekeeping force was first deployed in 1978 after Israel invaded southern
Lebanon in response to cross border attacks by the Palestine Liberation
Organisation.
Since then, more than 300 peacekeepers have been killed, 48 of them Irish,
something which is on the minds of the troops’ families.
Captain Tony Smith says his family fears for him but is supportive of his work
Captain Tony Smith, 27, on his second deployment, regularly reassures his
relatives back home in Wexford, in south east Ireland. “Of course my mother
wants me to go home now, which eventually I will, but she knows why we are here
and despite her concerns she supports that.”
Approaching the nearby town of Tebnine, posters of Hezbollah leader Sheikh
Hassan Nasrallah and fallen Hezbollah fighters line the road.
It’s 10km (6.2 miles) from the Blue Line and has been heavily damaged in
previous conflicts. Like most of the towns and villages in southern Lebanon,
Hezbollah is very influential here and controls security in the area.
Bassima and Ali have lived through several wars on the Lebanon-Israel border
One of the local residents, 57-year-old Ali Saad, says he grew up with the Irish
Unifil soldiers. Speaking with a distinctive Irish accent, Ali says one
peacekeeper helped teach him English when he was a young boy.
That soldier was one of three generations of the same Irish family to serve with
Unifil. His father also served several decades ago, and his son is currently
stationed in Lebanon. Ali credits the Irish troops with helping to save his life
when they picked him up from school and took him to one of their bunkers during
an air strike.
In the years since, he has worked as a translator for Unifil and a group of
Irish soldiers even attended his wedding to his wife, Bassima, who also helps
the peacekeepers with language services.
But while Ali values the troops’ presence, he is sad that the conflict they are
there to monitor has dragged on so long.
“To be honest we never thought this mission would last for over 44 years,” he
says.
For Bassima the current fighting has brought back painful memories of earlier
conflicts, like the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.
“I was putting my younger son inside an empty washing machine because I was
hoping that it could project him,” she says.
“Now, we keep hearing all these sounds of explosions and I just can’t take it.”
She believes that growing up surrounded by conflict has affected her son, who is
now 23. He still gets nervous when Unifil helicopters fly overhead.
“We can’t go back to where we were,” she adds. “We are wasting our life from one
conflict to another, I just cannot go through another war.”
Lieutenant Colonel Cathal Keohane facing the camera with barbed wire behind him
Back at the base, Unifil commander Lieutenant Colonel Cathal Keohane is
concerned that the level of violence in the area has been increasing. “We have
seen an expansion and more attacks deeper inside to Lebanon, we have seen a
wider range of weapons being used,” he says, worrying that the situation could
escalate. “Whether it arises deliberately from one side, or some inadvertent
circumstances precipitate the outbreak of all-out war, that is a serious concern
for us.”
He hopes that the ceasefire in Gaza will lead to an easing of tensions around
the Blue Line, but says it could take displaced people some time to return to
their homes, even if the cross border fire ends.
https://ca.yahoo.com/news/israel-lebanon-border-irish-troops-103935560.html
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on November 27-28/2023
Qatari mediator announces extension
of Israel-Hamas truce for two days
AFP/November 27, 2023
The Qatari mediator announced on Monday the extension of the humanitarian truce
between Israel and Hamas for an additional two days, as the effects of the
previous truce, which lasted for four days, come to an end today. The
spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed Al-Ansari, stated on X, "The
State of Qatar announces that, within the framework of ongoing mediation, an
agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian ceasefire for an
additional two days in the Gaza Strip."
Israel and Hamas agree to extend truce for two more days, exchange more hostages
and prisoners
AP/November 27, 2023
GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel and Hamas agreed to extend their cease-fire for two more
days past Monday, the Qatari government said, bringing the prospect of a longer
halt to their deadliest and most destructive war and further exchanges of
militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The announcement, made by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al Ansary in a
post on X, came on the final day of the original four-day truce between the
warring sides. A fourth swap of hostages for prisoners under that deal was
expected later Monday. Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day
for every 10 additional hostages released. After the announcement by Qatar — a
key mediator in the conflict, along with the United States and Egypt — Hamas
confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension “under the same terms.”But Israel
says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ military capabilities and ending
its 16-year rule over Gaza after its Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. That
would likely mean expanding a ground offensive from devastated northern Gaza to
the south, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have crammed into United
Nations shelters, and where dire conditions persist despite the increased
delivery of aid under the truce. Israel will resume its operations with “full
force” as soon as the current deal expires if Hamas does not agree to further
hostage releases, with the goal of eliminating the group and freeing the rest of
the captives, government spokesperson Eylon Levy told reporters on Monday.
So far, 58 hostages have been released during the current truce, including 39
Israelis. Before the truce, four hostages were freed, another rescued and two
were found dead inside Gaza. After weeks of national trauma over the around 240
people abducted by Hamas and other militants, scenes of the women and children
reuniting with families have rallied Israelis behind calls to return those who
remain in captivity. “We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep
pushing,” two relatives of Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual
Israeli-American citizen who was released Sunday, said in a statement.
Hamas and other militants could still be holding up to 175 hostages, enough to
potentially extend the cease-fire for two and a half weeks. But those include a
number of soldiers, and the militants are likely to make much greater demands
for their release. On Sunday, Hamas freed 17 hostages, including 14 Israelis,
and Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners — the third such exchange under the
truce. Most hostages appeared to be physically well, but 84-year-old Elma
Avraham was airlifted to Israel’s Soroka Medical Center in life-threatening
condition because of inadequate care, the hospital said. Avraham’s daughter,
Tali Amano, said her mother was “hours from death” when she was brought to the
hospital. Avraham is currently sedated and has a breathing tube, but Amano said
she told her of a new great grandchild who was born while she was in captivity.
Avraham suffered from several chronic conditions that required regular
medications but was stable before she was kidnapped, Amano said Monday. So far,
19 people of other nationalities have been freed during the truce, mostly Thai
nationals. Many Thais work in Israel, largely as farm laborers. The Palestinian
prisoners released were mostly teenagers accused of throwing stones and
firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces, or of less-serious
offenses. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those
implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation. The freed hostages have
mostly stayed out of the public eye, but details of their captivity have started
to trickle out. Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released Friday, said
they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread
and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages
sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said.
RESPITE IN GAZA
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly two
thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled
Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than
1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in
the initial attack. At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground
offensive. The calm from the truce allowed glimpses of the destruction wreaked
by weeks of Israeli bombardment that leveled entire neighborhoods. Footage
showed a complex of several dozen multistory residential buildings that had been
pummeled into a landscape of wreckage in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.
Nearly every building was destroyed or severely damaged, some reduced to
concrete frames half-slumped over. At a nearby UN school, the buildings were
intact but partially burned and riddled with holes.
The Israeli assault has driven three-quarters of Gaza’s population from their
homes, and now most of its 2.3 million people are crowded into the south. More
than 1 million are living in UN shelters. The Israeli military has barred
hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled south from returning north. Rain
and wind added to the hardship of displaced Palestinians sheltering in the
compound of Al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza. Palestinians in coats baked
flatbreads over a makeshift fire among tents set up on the muddy grounds. Alaa
Mansour said the conditions are simply horrendous. “My clothes are all wet and I
am unable to change them.” said Mansour, who is disabled. “I have not drunk
water for two days, and there’s no bathroom to use.”The UN says the truce made
it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest
volume since the start of the war. But the 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less
than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, even as humanitarian
needs have soared. Long lines formed outside stations distributing cooking fuel,
allowed in for the first time. Fuel for generators has been brought for key
service providers, including hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, but
bakeries have been unable to resume work, the UN said. Iyad Ghafary, a vendor in
the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, said many families were still
unable to retrieve the dead from under the rubble left by Israeli airstrikes,
and that local authorities weren’t equipped to deal with the level of
destruction. Many say the aid is not nearly enough. Amani Taha, a widow and
mother of three who fled northern Gaza, said she had only managed to get one
canned meal from a UN distribution center since the cease-fire began. She said
the crowds have overwhelmed local markets and gas stations as people try to
stock up on basics. “People were desperate and went out to buy whenever they
could,” she said. “They are extremely worried that the war will return.”
Gaza humanitarian pause should evolve into permanent
ceasefire - EU top diplomat
Euronews/Mared Gwyn Jones/November 27, 2023
"The pause should be extended to make it sustainable and long-lasting while
working for a political solution," Borrell said during a meeting of Union for
the Mediterranean foreign ministers in Barcelona. "A prolonged ceasefire that
allows more hostages to be released, and that evolves towards a permanent
ceasefire linked to a political process, is something we have consensus on," he
further explained to reporters. Borrell also outlined his vision for a political
resolution to the conflict based on the so-called two-state solution where a
reinforced Palestinian Authority would take control of the Gaza Strip with the
backing of the European Union. He told reporters failing to do so would make
Gaza "fertile ground" for violence and extremism that would not be in Europe's
interest. The meeting marked the start of a two-day forum of the Union of the
Mediterranean, which will focus on the conflict engulfing the Gaza Strip with an
aim to boost political efforts to work towards a peaceful solution. Israel has
not sent a representative, despite it being one of the founding members.
Borrell's remarks come as the four-day pause in hostilities, mediated by Qatar,
Egypt and the US to allow the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian
prisoners, and the entry of aid into the Gaza strip, entered its final day.
Hamas said on Sunday it would be willing to extend the truce, while Israel
suggested an extension would be conditional on the release of more of its
civilians held captive in Gaza. Earlier on Monday, NATO secretary-general Jens
Stoltenberg also called for the pause in fighting in Gaza to be extended to
allow the flow of further aid and the release of more civilian hostages. In late
October, European Union leaders issued a joint call for "humanitarian pauses" to
relieve human suffering in Gaza, stopping short of calling for a humanitarian
ceasefire despite calls from a handful of member states.But statements made by
some heads of EU governments in recent days have sparked Israeli outrage and
threatened to fracture the EU’s hard-fought united stance on the conflict.
EU leaders reprimanded by Israel
During their joint visit to the region last week, Spanish and Belgian prime
ministers Pedro Sánchez and Alexander De Croo denounced Israel for
indiscriminate killings of civilians as they spoke to reporters at the Rafah
crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
Israel’s foreign minister Eli Cohen condemned what he described as the “false
statements” of Sánchez and De Croo, claiming that their comments “support
terrorism.”Sánchez, whose newly reinstated government holds the rotating
presidency of the Council of the EU, said Madrid was open to unilaterally
recognising the state of Palestine, even without the broader support of the
European Union. Hamas congratulated both leaders Saturday for their “clear and
bold stance,” further inflaming Israeli indignation. But Spanish foreign
minister José Manuel Albares, who hosts the two-day Union for the Mediterranean
forum, has rejected Israel’s accusations against Sánchez and De Croo as
"completely false and unacceptable," saying his government was mulling its
response. In a further escalation, Israel also accused Irish Taoiseach Leo
Varadkar of losing his "moral compass" over the weekend, after Varadkar
described nine-year-old Irish-Israeli hostage Emily Hand as being “lost” before
her release by Hamas on Saturday. "Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children
were taken hostage by Hamas, and you Leo Varadkar are trying to legitimise and
normalise terror. Shame on you!" Cohen said in a statement on social media
platform X, formerly Twitter. Varadkar later released a formal statement which
said Hand had been "snatched", "held captive" and "a hostage." "I have always
been consistent in my unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and hostage-taking," the
taoiseach told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ. The ambassadors of Spain, Belgium
and Ireland have been summoned by the Israeli foreign ministry, in a clear sign
of escalating diplomatic tension. "The latest issues between Israel and Spain
and Belgium are purely bilateral and they are not for us to comment," a
spokesperson for the European Commission said earlier on Monday.
Borrell "appalled" by plans to fund settlements
Borrell also said on Monday he was "appalled" by reports that the Israeli
government would allocate further funds for illegal settlements in occupied
Palestinian territories. "I was appalled to see that the Israel government plans
to allocate another $43 million to increase the settlement activities, and I
have condemned it," he said ahead of the meeting. "The violence spread by
extremist settlers in the West Bank, many times under the protection of Israeli
police and military, does not make Israel safer. The settlements are Israel’s
greatest security liability," he added. His comments came as Israel’s war
cabinet is expected to discuss an amended wartime budget. Proposals made by
finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to continue to funnel funds towards settlement
development have highlighted deep rifts in the cabinet, with some ministers
criticising the plans for diverting finances from war efforts. A presidential
spokesperson on behalf of the Palestinian Authority also said earlier on Monday
that the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, was planning to allocate
funds in the 2023 budget to “entrench colonisation in the Palestinian
territories.” According to the United Nations, attacks by Israeli settlers in
the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem have surged at an unprecedented rate
since the conflict erupted on October 7th. Far-right security minister Itamar
Ben Gvir has announced days following Hamas’ attack that his government would
purchase 10,000 rifles for civilian security squads in West Bank settlements.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, widely considered one of the
most pro-Israeli voices in Brussels, joined calls on Friday for an end to
settler violence. "Unacceptable violence by extremists in the West Bank has to
stop," she said during a press conference in Canada.
The military branch of Hamas has verified the deaths of
the commander of their northern brigade and three other senior leaders
The Daily Star/November 27/2023
On Sunday, the military division of Hamas announced the deaths of Ahmed Al-Ghandour,
the commander of its northern brigade, and three other high-ranking leaders, as
a result of the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian group. The Ezzedine Al-Qassam
Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, released a statement acknowledging Ghandour’s
role as a member of its military council. They also identified three additional
leaders who perished, including Ayman Siyyam, reportedly the head of the
Brigades’ units responsible for launching rockets, as noted by Israeli media.
US welcomes Gaza truce extension, hopes it will be
further prolonged
Agence France Presse/November 27/2023
The United States welcomed an agreement Monday to extend a truce between Israel
and Hamas by two days, saying it was hopeful the humanitarian pause would
continue for longer still. "Of course we welcome the announcement," White House
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters after mediator
Qatar said the initial four-day truce was to be lengthened. "We would of course
hope to see the pause extended further, and that will depend upon Hamas
continuing to release hostages." Hamas had committed to releasing another 20
women and children held hostage in the Gaza Strip over the next two days, he
added. Kirby held out little hope however that the truce could become a more
permanent ceasefire in Gaza. "I won't speak for the Israeli Defense Forces, but
when these pauses are over, they have made it very clear that they're going to
continue to target Hamas leadership," Kirby said. Biden nevertheless believed
that his approach was "getting results" both in terms of freeing hostages and
getting aid to civilians enduring dire conditions in Gaza, Kirby said. The US
president had been "personally involved" in getting the truce deal in place,
resolving a "snag" over the weekend, and getting the extension of the pause, he
added. Hamas staged the deadliest attack in Israel's history on October 7 when
it broke through Gaza's militarized border on October 7. Israel says the attack
killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 240 more were taken hostage,
among them elderly people and children. In response, Israel launched a
relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which the
Hamas government says has killed 15,000 people, thousands of them children.
Russia condemns 'provocative' Israeli attack on Damascus
airport
MOSCOW (Reuters)/Mon, November 27, 2023
Syria's ally Russia on Monday condemned Israeli air strikes on Damascus
international airport, describing them as provocative and dangerous. Russian
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Sunday's strikes could
aggravate tensions in the region, already inflamed by the Gaza war."We strongly
condemn Israel’s latest provocative attack on an important Syrian civilian
infrastructure facility," Zakharova said in a statement. "We are convinced that
such a vicious practice is fraught with extremely dangerous consequences,
especially in the context of a sharp aggravation of the situation in the zone of
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the resulting increase in regional
tension." Russia intervened in Syria's civil war in 2015 on the side of
President Bashar al-Assad, and also has ties to Israel's other enemies in the
region including Iran and Hamas. Relations between Russia and Israel have
deteriorated since the start of the Gaza war as Moscow has repeatedly
highlighted the suffering of Palestinian civilians under siege by Israel, as
well as hosting a delegation of senior Hamas officials. The Syrian army and a
pro-government newspaper said Sunday's Israeli air strikes put Damascus airport
out of service and forced incoming flights to be diverted elsewhere.
Palestinian diplomat appeals for Gaza truce to be extended
as EU and Arab nations meet in Spain
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) /November 27, 2023
The top Palestinian diplomat made a plea to extend the fragile cease fire in
Gaza that is hours from expiring at a meeting of European Union members and
Middle Eastern and north African countries that focused on diplomatic efforts to
stop the Israel-Hamas war.
“We have to find how to apply the necessary pressure so that the Israeli
government does not continue killing innocent people, so that we can continue
counting cadavers,” Riad al-Malki said in Spanish during a news conference
during the gathering of diplomats in Barcelona, Spain.
Israel is not attending the meeting hosted by the Union for the Mediterranean
and chaired by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and Jordanian
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Many of the 42 delegations were represented by
their foreign ministers.
The event in past years has largely become a forum for cooperation between the
EU and the Arab world. Monday’s gathering was supposed to focus on the role of
the union 15 years after its founding, but it has taken on new significance
since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war in the Gaza
Strip. Borrell said he “regretted” the absence of Israel. He repeated his
condemnation of the Hamas attack, while calling on Israel to permanently end its
assault, which he said has claimed the lives of over 5,000 children.
“One horror cannot justify another horror,” Borrell said. “Peace between Israel
and Palestine has become a strategic imperative for the entire
Euro-Mediterranean community and beyond."Jordan’s Safadi, who told The
Associated Press on the eve of the event that he hopes the talks will help
“bridge a gap” between Arab and European countries, urged the officials
attending the meeting to back a two-state solution that would recognize a
Palestinian state.“My friends, Europe has a crucial role to play,” Safadi said.
“The two-state solution cannot remain a talking point.”
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, was invited
to the event. Israel had been close to normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia
before the Hamas attack. “Continued escalation will produce no severe pain for
any party,” Prince Faisal said. “The only sure result is more destruction,
radicalization and further conflict at the expense of Palestinian lives, as well
as regional security, including that of Israel. Since this crisis erupted, we
have been clear on condemning all the targeting of civilians in any form. On
both sides.”
Borrell said he wants the focus of the gathering to be on how to manage the
humanitarian crisis in Gaza once hostilities finally stop. The EU would want the
United Nations to take a leading role in establishing how best to fill any
security vacuum should Israeli forces defeat Hamas, according to a senior EU
official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of
anonymity. Borrell mentioned in his opening remarks that there were Arab
partners who "don’t want to talk about the day after in Gaza without having a
clear and credible political prospect. That is why we should agree today to work
together to build such a political horizon.” A small pro-Palestinian group
rallied before the gathering at the art nouveau building that once housed
Barcelona's Sant Pau Hospital. German Foreign Minister Annalena Barbock told
reporters Monday that the “fact that Israel has to fear one-sided hostility here
and is therefore not taking part today shows how deep the rifts are at the
moment.”“That is precisely why I am here today, even though these meetings were
not previously given a high profile by Germany,” she added. “Precisely because
the rifts are getting deeper.”The pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas
continued Sunday with a third day of releases of hostages and Palestinian
prisoners. It was scheduled for four days and neither side has made fully clear
what comes after Monday.
Spain is one of the EU countries that has called for Israel to cease its
assault, while also condemning the Hamas attack. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro
Sánchez said the time has come for the international community and the EU to
recognize a Palestinian state during a trip with his Belgian counterpart to
Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt last week. That prompted Israel to
summon the Belgian and Spanish ambassadors. Speaking alongside Al-Malki, Spanish
Foreign Minister José Albares said that Hamas cannot be part of the solution.
Al-Malki is the foreign minister for the internationally recognized Palestinian
Authority, whose forces were driven out of Gaza by Hamas when it seized power in
2007. The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental organization
formed by the 27 members of the EU and 16 from the southern and eastern
Mediterranean including Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Lebanon and
Jordan. The EU is the world’s biggest provider of assistance to the
Palestinians. Almost 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) has been earmarked for
2021-2024. The EU is Israel’s biggest trade partner, accounting for 28.8% of its
trade in goods last year.
Israel grants Musk approval to turn on Starlink internet
access in Gaza
James Titcomb/The Telegraph/November 27, 2023
Israel has agreed to allow Elon Musk’s Starlink system to provide satellite
internet to Gaza, weeks after warning that it would be exploited by Hamas.
Shlomo Karhi, Israel’s communications minister, said Mr Musk’s SpaceX had agreed
that Starlink would only operate with approval from Israel’s government.
Gaza has faced repeated communications blackouts since the Hamas attacks on
Israel last month, and aid organisations say this has made it more difficult to
provide humanitarian support. “Starlink satellite units can only be operated in
Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including
the Gaza Strip,” Mr Karhi said on Monday.“Elon Musk, I congratulate you for
reaching a principle understanding with the Ministry of Communications under my
leadership.”Mr Musk, who is visiting Israel partly in an attempt to combat
accusations of anti-Semitism, was criticised by Israel for pledging to turn on
Starlink in the region last month. After Mr Musk tweeted that Starlink would
provide access to “internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza,” Mr
Karhi responded: “Israel will use all means at its disposal to fight this. Hamas
will use it for terrorist activities. There is no doubt about it, we know it,
and Musk knows it.”Starlink uses constellations of thousands of low-earth-orbit
satellites to beam internet to receivers on the ground, meaning it can bypass
traditional telecoms networks. It has become a vital lifeline for Ukraine in
responding to Russia’s invasion, although Mr Musk has been criticised for
raising concerns over the cost of providing the service and for not activating
it in certain areas such as off the coast of Crimea. Mr Musk is visiting Israel
on Monday in an effort to defuse an anti-Semitism row that has earned him a
rebuke from the White House and led advertisers to suspend spending. Earlier
this month he was accused of endorsing an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on
Twitter. In response to a tweet claiming that Jewish people were encouraging
“hordes of minorities” to come to the US, Mr Musk wrote: “You have said the
actual truth”. The White House accused Mr Musk of “abhorrent promotion of
anti-Semitic and racist hate”. Mr Musk has said he is against anti-Semitism of
any kind. On Monday morning Mr Musk visited Kfar Aza, one of the sites attacked
by Hamas on October 7. He is later due to hold talks with Israel’s Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
Israel’s hard-Right finance minister in row over refusing
to divert settlement money to war effort
Nataliya Vasilyeva/The Telegraph/November 27, 2023
Israel’s hard-Right finance minister has landed himself in a row with his
coalition partners over his refusal to divert funds for West Bank settlements to
the war effort. A coalition party leader has told Benjamin Netanyahu that his
five ministers would vote down a new budget unless more money is dedicated to
the war, according to a letter quoted by Israeli state media. The current 900
million shekels (£191 million) portion of the budget pledged to the coalition to
distribute earmarks 300 million shekels for the development of illegal
settlements in the West Bank, as well as 200 million for education and cultural
projects for the country’s ultra-Orthodox community. The opposition has accused
Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister known for his hard-Right views, of
reckless spending. They have cited his funding for yeshiva students who refuse
to serve in the army, and investments in illegal Israeli settlements in the West
Bank.
War Cabinet minister Benny Gantz in a letter to the prime minister, Mr
Netanyahu, said spending such large sums on controversial projects “will harm
national resilience and unity of Israeli society.”‘Settlements are Israel’s
greatest security liability’ Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said
on Monday he was “appalled” to learn that the Israeli government is committing
new funds towards West Bank settlements in the middle of a war. “This is not
self-defence and will not make Israel safer,” he said on Twitter. “The
settlements are a grave breach of international human rights law, and they are
Israel’s greatest security liability.” Mr Smotrich, who urged the government
this year to prepare to double the settlements’ population to one million, came
under fire from more moderate members of the cabinet earlier in the war when he
refused to transfer tax revenues that Israel collects for the Palestinian
Authority to the West Bank. Israeli politicians and officials from across the
political spectrum including the defence minister urged Mr Smotrich to unfreeze
the funds, warning that the move risks further igniting smouldering tensions in
the West Bank. Mr Smotrich responded in an open letter on Monday morning,
claiming that the contentious 900 million shekels in the budget would go towards
teachers’ salaries, “security needs” in the West Bank and other expenses. He
added that the government will allocate three and half billion shekels towards
funding hotel stays for over 100,000 people evacuated from border towns and
villages in the country’s north and south. Another two billion shekels was
expected to go to the National Security Ministry, led by another far-Right
politician, to arm the police and establish an armed community defence team in
illegal West Bank settlements. In recent weeks, the Biden administration raised
the possibility of imposing sanctions on settlements for the violence in the
West Bank. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The
Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive
offer.
UN spokesperson: Gaza-Israel conflict takes appalling
toll; praises hostage releases
LBCI/November 27, 2023
A statement attributed to Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General, said that weeks of conflict in Gaza and Israel has taken an
"appalling toll that has shocked the world," adding: "We have seen the release
of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas and others since 7 October, and
the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails."The statement
reiterated the Secretary-General's praises to Qatar, Egypt, and the United
States for enabling this deal, recognizing the International Committee of the
Red Cross' essential role. "The United Nations will continue to support these
efforts in every possible way."It added that the "United Nations scaled up the
entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and sent aid to some northern areas that
have been largely cut off for weeks. But this aid barely registers against the
huge needs of 1.7 million displaced people. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza
is getting worse by the day."The statement reaffirmed that the dialogue leading
to the agreement must resume, resulting in a humanitarian ceasefire that
benefits the people of Gaza, Israel, and the region. "The Secretary-General once
again calls for the remaining hostages to be released immediately and
unconditionally," it said. He calls on all States to utilize their leverage to
end the conflict and support irreversible steps towards a "sustainable future
for the region: a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by
side, in peace and security."
US, partners announce task force aimed at countering
flow of money to Hamas
WASHINGTON (Reuters)/November 27, 2023
- The U.S. said on Monday that after Hamas' assault on Israel last month, it and
several allied nations established an international task force aimed countering
the flow of money to the militant Palestinian group and supporting
anti-terrorism efforts.
THE TAKE
Since 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack, the U.S., UK and allies
have sought to cut off funding for Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist
group by Washington and other governments.
CONTEXT
The task force will enhance sharing of financial intelligence on
terrorist-financing related matters and will discuss best practices and
opportunities for additional actions and partnerships, the U.S. Treasury
Department said in a statement. It will also strengthen relations between the
financial intelligence units, public authorities and the private sector to
address the threat, the statement said. The task force is made up of financial
intelligence units from Australia, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK and
the U.S. as well as other units. Since the Oct. 7 attack, Washington has imposed
several rounds of sanctions on Hamas. It has targeted the group's investment
portfolio and issued an alert to financial institutions on countering Hamas
financing while senior officials have discussed the group's access to funds on
trips abroad.
KEY QUOTE
"The Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel served as a grave reminder of a core
mission of our FIUs: to detect, disrupt and prevent the financing of terrorism,"
the statement said.
First testimonies shed light on the conditions endured
by Hamas’ Israeli hostages
Rob Picheta, Joseph Ataman and Amir Tal, CNN/November 27, 2023
For more than six weeks, the conditions in which the Israeli hostages captured
by Hamas were being held in Gaza were virtually unknown to the outside world.
But testimony from some of the hostages released by the militant group in recent
days is now beginning to emerge, giving a glimpse into their lives in captivity
following Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7. Those who have spoken of
their experiences described living off limited supplies, as bombs rained
overhead. Some knew throughout their time as hostages that family members or
friends had died on the day of Hamas’ assault, while others were left without
clues as to their safety. Adva Adar, whose 85-year-old grandmother Yafa was
among those released in the first exchange of hostages for Palestinian
detainees, said her family “were asked to let (Yafa) share whatever she feels
comfortable sharing, and not to ask a lot of questions so she wouldn’t feel
obligated (to answer) or that it wouldn’t be too much for her.”Adva said her
grandmother had lost weight during the ordeal, and other hostages have revealed
that little food was available for those in captivity.
Rice and bread
Freed hostages Keren Munder, her mother and her 9-year-old son endured days with
only pita bread to eat during their captivity, her cousin Merav Mor Raviv told
journalists Sunday. Munder and her mother both lost between six and eight
kilograms in weight due to the lack of regular nutrition, Mor Raviv said,
adding: “They were eating, but not regularly.”Their diet in captivity included a
lot of rice and bread, she added. Following the Israeli military’s strikes and
ground offensive on Gaza, the Strip has been gripped by a humanitarian crisis.
Most people in the territory have been focusing on the basics: finding shelter,
fleeing the fighting and getting access to food and water. Over the first three
days of the truce, Hamas released a total of 58 hostages, primarily women and
children, and Israel freed 117 Palestinian prisoners. For some of them, the
conditions were manageable. Roongarun Wichanguen, the sister of released Thai
hostage Vetoon Phoome, said Saturday that her brother seemed healthy after he
was released by Hamas in a separate deal. “His face was very happy, and he
seemed OK. He said that he was not tortured, or assaulted, and had been fed good
food,” she said in a video interview. “He was taken care of very well. It looks
like he just stayed in a house, not the tunnel,” she added. But a number of
hostages have been admitted to hospital with serious injuries or medical
conditions. Eighty-four-year-old Alma Avraham, who was among the Israeli
hostages freed from Gaza on Sunday, has been admitted to the intensive care
unit, Israel’s Soroka Medical Center said. “She is in critical condition, she is
(being) treated in the emergency department after significant medical neglect
for the past several weeks while being held by Hamas. She is currently in
unstable condition with risks to her life,” Dr. Shlomi Codish, chief executive
of Soroka Medical Center, said in a video statement Sunday.
Escape attempt thwarted
Yelena Magid, an aunt of freed Russian-Israeli hostage Roni Kriboy, on Monday
told Israeli radio station Kan Reshet B about her nephew’s ordeal in Gaza.
Kriboy is the first adult Israeli male captured on October 7 to be released by
Hamas; his release was not officially part of the hostages-for-detainees deal
between Israel and Hamas. Magid said in a phone call that Kriboy, 25, had told
her how he was held in a building that collapsed while being bombed, and he
managed to escape, he told his aunt. But after hiding for a few days, he was
caught and returned to Hamas captivity.
“He tried to reach the border. I think that because he didn’t have the means to
understand his whereabouts and where to run away, he probably got into a bit of
disorientation there in the area. He was alone for four days,” Magid told the
radio station. Kriboy suffered from a head injury in the building collapse, but
is now doing fine, his aunt added. Meanwhile, some hostages were aware during
their captivity that loved ones been killed on October 7. Omri Almog, the
brother of an Israeli hostage who was released Sunday together with two of her
children, described on Monday how his sister knew that her husband and daughter
had been slaughtered. “I’m very happy to inform everybody that my sister Chen
Goldstein-Almog and the three kids Agam, Gal and Tal are back with us and they
(are) feeling good and well,” Almog said in a short video released by the
Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. “They knew the whole time that
Nadav and Yam were murdered in the house… they went to Gaza as hostages,
kidnapped, with this idea,” he said. Chen Goldstein-Almog’s daughter Yam was 20
when she was killed, while her husband Nadav was 48. More than 40 of the
hostages taken from Israel into Gaza on October 7 are not currently held by
Hamas, the group that launched the attack, a diplomatic source briefed on the
negotiations told CNN Monday. That creates a complication in potentially
extending the length of truce, because the agreement calls for Hamas to hand
over the hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel – so
Hamas must have the hostages to hand over. CNN has previously reported that an
estimated 40 to 50 of the hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or
other groups or individuals. That was before the handover of hostages began on
Friday. CNN’s Richard Greene, Radina Gigova, Michael Rosenblatt, Alex Stambaugh
and Becky Anderson contributed reporting.
Released Israeli hostage ‘escaped for four days’ before
recapture in Gaza
The Telegraph/November 27, 2023
Roni Krivoi was seen arriving at the Rafah border with Egypt as part of a
hostage-prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel. An Israeli hostage freed
this week under the ceasefire deal had earlier managed to escape Hamas for four
days, his family said. Roni Krivoi, 25, was seized after Hamas attacked the
Re’im music festival, where he had been working as a sound engineer. He was held
in a residential building, but when fierce Israeli bombing caused the building
to collapse, he took advantage of the chaos by forcing himself out of the rubble
and fleeing. It was the second time Mr Krivoi managed to escape the gunmen - on
the day of the attack itself, he had run from the music festival and taken cover
in a ditch. He was later caught and dragged to Gaza with the other hostages.
“Due to the bombings, the building collapsed and he managed to escape the rubble
and break free,” Yelena Magid, his aunt, told Israeli media.
“He managed to escape and to hide out, alone, for four days. He tried to reach
the border.”But Mr Krivoi was unable to navigate the area and he was eventually
retaken by his Palestinian captors. “He tried getting to the border. He did not
have the capacity to understand where he was and where he needed to go, so he
could not navigate the open field. He was alone,” his aunt said. “In the end,
the Gazans caught him and returned him to the terrorists’ hands.”Roni Krivoi,
who was seized at the Re'im music festival, fled captivity as Israel bombed
where he was being held
Mr Krivoi, who was seized at the Re'im music festival, fled captivity as Israel
bombed where he was being held - HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM
Mr Krivoi was reportedly not an Arabic speaker and this may also have hindered
his efforts to stay undetected during his escape bid. His prospects looked grim,
but then on Sunday, Mr Krivoi, a Russian-Israeli dual citizen, was released
after the intervention of the Russian government. He was freed alongside 13
other Israeli hostages and three foreigners as part of a ceasefire agreement
that is due to expire at the end of Monday, though it can be extended with the
agreement of both Hamas and Israel. Ms Magid said she had the opportunity for a
30-minute conversation with her nephew once he was set free in which he
recounted his story. He is currently receiving medical checks from Israeli
doctors, having suffered a head wound during captivity. “He has some other
injuries, he is OK. He is being checked,” she said. For now, freed hostages like
Mr Krivoi are being kept away from the media in the interest of helping them
focus on their emotional and physical recovery. Mr Krivoi told his aunt he was
having nightmares about the massacre and his captivity, which he felt was a good
sign as it showed he was processing the trauma of the experience. “I asked him
today: ‘How are you feeling? Do you have nightmares?’” Ms Magid told Israeli
broadcaster Kan. “He answered, ‘Yes, I have nightmares from the party and
captivity, but that is good, it means I am handling it well’.”The family says
the bombing that caused the building where he was held to collapse killed six
Palestinian terrorists. A further six hostages with Russian citizenship are
still being held in Gaza, according to Russian authorities. Hamas said it freed
Mr Krivoi as a gesture of gratitude to Moscow for engaging directly with the
Islamist group. Also on Monday, photographs were published of the poignant
moment when Abigail Idan, four, was reunited with relatives after being
released.
Both of Abigail’s parents, Roee and Smadar, were murdered during the October 7
attack. “It was just wow. I didn’t believe it until I saw it,” Carmel Idanm, the
girl’s grandfather, told Israeli reporters of the moment he saw her. “Now I’m
calm, but not completely calm because there is happiness, but there is also the
absence of Roee and Smadar.”He added, in comments reported by the Times of
Israel: “There are many people who haven’t yet come back. I greatly want them to
be returned and that the IDF finish what it has promised: All the hostages
[back] and Hamas [destroyed].”Separately, a 15-year-old Israeli hostage who was
also released from Gaza over the weekend, said she had been separated from her
mother two days before being set free.
Companies face delicate decisions on weighing in on
Israel-Hamas conflict
The Canadian Press/November 27, 2023
TORONTO — Corporations are under increasing scrutiny for where they stand on the
Israel-Hamas conflict as protesters push for peace. Numerous international
brands including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Disney have attracted boycotts, while
in Canada, Scotiabank in particular has been targeted by protesters for
investments in Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems Ltd. With so much
polarization around the conflict, experts say companies need to be especially
careful with their actions, including how they respond to criticism. Consumers
generally react more to negative perceptions they have of companies than
positive ones, said Saeid Kermani, an assistant marketing professor at Trent
University. “The negative impact is going to be a lot worse than any positive
impact you'll get from supporters.”Not only do the negative perceptions stick,
but they get shared online faster and more widely, and get more people involved,
he said. Criticizing companies can also work well to generate attention for an
issue, said Kermani. “Some of the activism that we're seeing, or the backlash
that we're seeing, it seems like brands are the easy targets in a lot of these
situations.”A temporary truce between Israel and Hamas will be extended for
another two days, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday, the final day of a
four-day truce between the warring sides. So far, Hamas has released 58
hostages, including 39 Israelis, during the current truce, while Israel has
released 117 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas, which Canada deems a terrorist
organization, and militants from the group Palestinian Islamic Jihad captured
about 240 hostages when militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200
people, including hundreds of civilians. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been
killed, roughly two thirds of them women and children, according to the Health
Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Companies have faced backlash for varying levels
of perceived involvement or support. Canadian National Railway faced an
hours-long blockade in Winnipeg a week ago by protesters pushing for a
ceasefire, saying they targeted the company in part because it has a partnership
with Israeli cargo shipping company ZIM. Disney faced calls for boycotts after
it condemned the Hamas terrorist attack and pledged to donate US$2 million to
humanitarian relief organizations in the region.
Many companies have chosen to stay silent, but more than 200 major corporations
did condemn the initial terrorist attack by Hamas, according to a list
maintained by Yale University professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. The list includes
several Canadian banks, which issued statements against the violence. “We are
horrified by the murder and deaths of civilians and families. We must unite in
our shared hope for peace, healing and the end of violence in the region,” said
RBC chief executive Dave McKay in a statement on Oct. 12. The bank announced a
$250,000 donation, to be divided between the Canadian Red Cross Middle East
Humanitarian Crisis Appeal and the United Jewish Appeal. Other banks also put up
similar donations, including Scotiabank. “These violent attacks are
unconscionable, and against the very grain of what we value as a society — the
ability to live in peace and security, and with respect of each other," said
Scott Thomson, chief executive of Scotiabank. Companies should weigh in on
issues when they’re linked to the company’s core values or mission, said Paul
Dunn, a professor of business ethics at Brock University’s Goodman School of
Business. “If a company does come out with a value statement, then it's
ethically obligated to follow through on its values or else it just looks
hypocritical,” he said. Corporate values are typically broad in scope, using
such words as respect, integrity, and accountability, so there’s little limit to
what a company could legitimately comment on. As the Israeli response to the
attack ramped up, companies with links have faced more attention, and said less.
Protesters crashed the Scotiabank Giller Prize on Nov. 13 carrying signs that
read “Scotiabank Funds Genocide,” and then days later pro-Palestinian protesters
staged a sit-in at the bank’s head office in Toronto. Scotiabank hasn’t
commented publicly on the protests, but has noted that the investment in Elbit
Systems by its 1832 Asset Management portfolio managers are done independent of
the bank, unless there are specific investment policies that restrict those
decisions. In an internal memo to staff, Thomson emphasized support measures for
staff, while noting the indirectness of the investment. “I understand and
respect that employees across the bank hold a range of views on the ongoing
conflict, and I know that all of us agree that hatred and discrimination have no
place at our bank. My intention with this message is to provide background and
facts surrounding these protests to help bring some clarity during these
especially difficult times.”Kermani at Trent said there’s been an increasing
expectation in recent years for companies to weigh in on issues as people see
them more as social and cultural institutions, but that there'salso evidence of
that appetite waning.
Research also indicates that bigger companies with diverse customer bases put a
lot at more at risk by speaking out, than by saying nothing. “You’re not really
going to gain from it, you might actually end up losing a lot more customers.”
— With files from The Associated Press
Walid Phares to Newsmax: Biden Signals Mixed on Israel,
Hamas
Michael Katz/ Friday, 24 November 2023
President Joe Biden sent mixed messages during a news conference Friday on the
first release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, foreign policy analyst Walid Phares
told Newsmax. Biden backs Israel's right to defend itself following Hamas'
terrorist attack Oct. 7 and Israel's stated goal to eliminate Hamas as a threat.
But he said Friday he has encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
to do what he can to reduce the number of casualties and that he hopes pressure
rises across the Middle East "to slow this down to bring this to an end.""It's
like you have two lobbies in the White House or in the administration," Phares
told "American Agenda." "When you hear the president saying, 'Well, they have a
legitimate right to destroy or dismantle Hamas,' that's one pressure group."Then
he says, 'But we have to slow down.' How can you dismantle Hamas and you want to
slow down? I think he has two types of advisers. Each one has an interest."Biden
also brought up he had been working on a peace deal with Saudi Arabia and
"others in the region" to recognize Israel's right to exist. "He said he was
trying to help between the Saudis and the Israelis, and [on] the other hand, he
is sending $10 billion to Iran," Phares said. "It doesn't match up, so there is
something not resolved within the administration. And they have not made [up]
their mind with regard of who's the enemy, who's your friend, who are we going
to send money to? "And because of that, Iran pushed Hamas when they saw
indecision in Washington to do what they've done since Oct. 7."Biden also
stressed the importance of returning to negotiations for a two-state solution
when Israel's war against Hamas is over. But Phares said that issue is
irrelevant now. "... Now Hamas and Iran and Hezbollah and all these militias all
the way down to the Houthis in Yemen, they don't want [a] two-state solution,"
Phares said. "In the past, you had the Palestinians arguing, 'We want a
two-state solution.' The Israelis were hesitant. "Now, Hamas is saying it's
one-state solution. And it has been chanted in New York and Gaza 'From the river
— the Jordan River — to the ... sea,' which means one-state solution. Even that
state that Hamas wants, it wants to make it into a caliphate. We're going to
have another Taliban regime on the Mediterranean."
Yemen govt calls for global designation of Houthis as
terrorist organization following
Arab News/November 27, 2023
AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s internationally recognized government has requested the US
and international community to label the Houthis as terrorists for jeopardizing
shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
During a meeting with foreign diplomats in Riyadh on Sunday, Yemen Interior
Minister Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Haidan said America should reinstate the Houthi
militia as a terrorist organization not only for threatening maritime traffic
off Yemeni shores, but also for killing Yemeni children, abusing human rights,
and acting as a proxy group for Iran.The plea came as the US Central Command
said on Monday that the Houthis had launched two ballistic missiles at American
destroyer USS Mason soon after it had intervened to prevent the attempted
hijacking of Israeli-linked tanker Central Park in the Gulf of Aden.
The missiles fell short of their target. In 2016, the same naval ship was
targeted by Houthi missiles in the Red Sea. On Nov. 19, the Houthis seized the
vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea and pledged to capture and launch
missile and drone strikes on Israeli-owned or controlled ships in revenge for
Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Yemeni government said that the latest
Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea had bolstered its long-standing
requests for the group to be blacklisted. Faisal Al-Majidi, undersecretary at
the Yemeni Ministry of Justice, told Arab News that the Houthis had been
eligible for categorization for years, ever since they began planting thousands
of landmines around the country, laying siege to cities, recruiting minors,
blowing up opponents’ homes, and kidnapping people. The Houthi missile strike on
Aden International Airport in December 2020, that targeted an aircraft carrying
Yemeni government ministers, was “enough to classify them as a terrorist
organization not only by the United States of America but also by international
institutions such as the United Nations, and the whole globe,” Al-Majidi said.
Last week, White House national security spokesman, John Kirby, said that the US
considered reclassifying the Houthis as terrorists after the Galaxy Leader
incident. The Yemeni government said the classification would prevent Houthi
officials from traveling around the world, put a squeeze on their financial
resources, and hamper their aims to gain international legitimacy. “The world
would recognize that the Yemeni government is fighting a terrorist
organization,” he added. But critics claim that designating the group as
terrorists would force the Houthis to reject peace talks and would impede the
delivery of humanitarian aid and supplies to more than 70 percent of Yemen’s
people who live in Houthi-controlled regions. The same humanitarian concerns,
raised by international aid groups, prompted US President Joe Biden’s
administration to delist the Houthis as a terrorist organization in early 2021.
French navy ship arrives in Egypt to treat Gaza wounded
AFP/November 27, 2023
A French warship arrived Monday in the Egyptian town of El-Arish near the border
with the conflict-torn Gaza Strip to serve as a hospital for wounded civilians,
a port source said. The Dixmude ship is expected to accomodate two operating
rooms and around 60 beds. Hundreds of critically wounded Palestinians have
crossed into Egypt in recent weeks with special exit permits, after the majority
of hospitals in Gaza were forced out of service, according to the United
Nations.
First human infection with swine flu variant detected in
UK
LBCI/November 27, 2023
A first human infection of a mutated strain of swine flu has been identified in
the United Kingdom, as announced by British health authorities on Monday. The UK
Health Security Agency stated in a release that they "identified a confirmed and
isolated human case of influenza virus A(H1N2)v," noting that it is a
"precedent" in the United Kingdom.
Germany to help reconstruct southern Israel settlements
Associated Press/November 27, 2023
Germany says it will provide financial support for the reconstruction of
communities destroyed during Hamas' October 7 attack in southern Israel. During
a visit on Monday to Kibbutz Beeri, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
said his country would provide 7 million euros ($7.6 million) for the kibbutz in
2024. The money is for reconstruction of a cultural center and a meeting center
for senior citizens, German news agency dpa reported. “It is far too early to
think about reconstruction now,” Steinmeier said during his visit, adding that
nonetheless many residents who are currently staying elsewhere in Israel are
already thinking about returning to Beeri. “Beeri and the many other kibbutzim
deserve not only to be part of Israeli history, but above all to be part of
Israel’s future,” the German president said.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
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on November 27-28/2023
Why the Arabs 'Betrayed' the Palestinians
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/November 27, 2023
The stance of the Arabs and Muslims is yet another indication of their
disillusionment with the Palestinians in general and Iran's proxies -- Hamas,
Hizballah and the Houthis -- in particular.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and
Jordan are as opposed to Hamas as they are to Israel. Hamas is another branch of
the Muslim Brotherhood organization, which has long posed a threat to their
national security.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with
Qatar after accusing it of providing support for Islamist terrorists, including
Hamas and the Taliban, as well as Iran.
Now that their eyes have been once again forced open, the Palestinians should
distance themselves from Hamas and other terrorist groups and join forces with
those Arabs and Muslims who recognize that to create a better future for their
people, it would benefit them immeasurably to recognize the legitimacy of the
State of Israel.
Now that their eyes have been once again forced open, the Palestinians should
distance themselves from Hamas and other terrorist groups and join forces with
those Arabs and Muslims who recognize that to create a better future for their
people, it would benefit them immeasurably to recognize the legitimacy of the
State of Israel. Pictured: A Hamas terrorist holds two of the many Israeli
children that Hamas abducted and brought as captives to the Gaza Strip on
October 7, 2023. (Image source: Hamas/X)
The Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group and its supporters are once again
disappointed that the Arab countries did not come to the rescue of the
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the current war which erupted after the
October 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis. At least 1,200 Israelis were murdered and
more than 4,500 wounded in the massacre. Another 240 Israelis, including
toddlers, children, women and the elderly were kidnapped to the Hamas-ruled Gaza
Strip.
This is not the first time that the Palestinians have voiced disappointment with
their Arab brothers. In all previous rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas,
the Palestinians have claimed that the Arab and Islamic states were not doing
enough to help them. In fact, Palestinians have over the past few decades
accused the Arabs of "betraying" them by signing normalization agreements with
Israel and refusing to provide them with financial aid. The Palestinians receive
lip service from the Arabs and Muslims, but that is all.
True, some Arab countries did dispatch humanitarian and medical aid to the Gaza
Strip during the current Israel-Hamas war. The Arab and Islamic countries also
held a summit in Saudi Arabia during which they expressed solidarity with the
Palestinians and strongly condemned Israel. Yet, for Hamas and many
Palestinians, this support was insufficient and showed that their Arab and
Muslim brothers had once again turned their backs on them.
While anti-Israel protesters have taken to the streets of American, Canadian and
European cities to voice support for Hamas and the Palestinians of the Gaza
Strip, most of the Arab and Islamic heads of state and governments have limited
their reactions to statements of condemnation against Israel's war, which has
two objectives: to eliminate Hamas and to free the Israeli hostages held in the
Gaza Strip. The stance of the Arabs and Muslims is yet another indication of
their disillusionment with the Palestinians in general and Iran's proxies --
Hamas, Hizballah and the Houthis -- in particular.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and
Jordan are as opposed to Hamas as they are to Israel. Hamas is another branch of
the Muslim Brotherhood organization, which has long posed a threat to their
national security.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with
Qatar after accusing it of providing support for Islamist terrorists, including
Hamas and the Taliban, as well as Iran. Saudi Arabia said the decision to cut
diplomatic ties was due to Qatar's "embrace of various terrorist and sectarian
groups aimed at destabilizing the region," including the Muslim Brotherhood,
al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS) and militants supported by Iran in the Saudi
Arabia's Eastern Province. Egypt's Foreign Ministry said, "all attempts to stop
it [Qatar] from supporting terrorist groups failed."
In 2021, a Saudi court sentenced 69 Hamas members to prison terms ranging from
three to 21 years. The Hamas members were accused of affiliation with a
terrorist organization.
In 2014, an Egyptian court banned all activities of Hamas in Egypt. Reuters
reported at the time:
"Egyptian authorities see Hamas as a major security threat, accusing it of
supporting al-Qaeda-inspired fighters in the Sinai Peninsula." The court also
ordered the closure of all Hamas offices in Egypt.
In 2012, Hamas leaders were forced to leave Syria after they were accused of
failing to support the Syrian regime against its opponents during the civil war.
Syrian state TV launched a scathing attack on Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who
had moved to Syria after being expelled from Jordan. "Remember when you were a
refugee aboard planes. Damascus gave you mercy," the station said. "No one
wanted to shake your hand as if you had rabies."
In 1999, the Jordanian authorities expelled Mashaal and other Hamas leaders and
shut their offices in the Kingdom. The move came after the authorities accused
the Hamas leadership of meddling in Jordan's sensitive relations with its
Palestinian population.
Dr. Fayez Abu Shammala, a Hamas-affiliated Palestinian academic from the Gaza
Strip, wrote on November 22:
"We used to sing: The Arab countries are my homelands. After they failed the
Gaza Strip, we began to sing: The Arab countries have failed us."
Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups have criticized the Arabs and Muslims
for refusing to be more hostile towards Israel since the beginning of the war in
the Gaza Strip. "The Arab and Islamic position is weak, and the diplomatic
efforts [of the Arabs and Muslims] are hesitant in the face of America and the
West," PIJ said in an October 23 statement.
In interviews with the Arab media outlet Arabi 21, Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip further complained about the failure of the Arabs and Muslims to come to
their rescue. Umm Mohammed, a 64-year-old woman from the city of Khan Yunis in
southern Gaza, condemned the position of Arab rulers, presidents and kings "who
failed to protect the Palestinian people." She added: "They [Arab and Muslim
leaders] watch our children die and do nothing."
Nael, a Palestinian father from Gaza City, also denounced the "weakness and
betrayal by the Arab rulers with regard to supporting the Palestinian cause and
defending the people of Gaza. We did not expect the Arab rulers to let us down.
We cannot rely on the Arab rulers, but our hope is in God first, and then in the
free Arab peoples, that they will move and stand with us."
The Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan expressed "deep
dissatisfaction with the official Arab position and its extreme weakness in
taking serious steps to curb the mad, rampaging [Israeli] machine of death and
to support our people in the Gaza Strip."
Yemeni political analyst Mutee al-Mekhlafi remarked:
"It is a shame that the US moves aircraft carriers to the Middle East to support
[Israel], and that Western countries and allies of the Zionist entity support
the continuing attacks and crimes of the Zionist occupation forces against the
Palestinian people, at a time when the Arab and Islamic governments have
abandoned their religious, national and moral duty to support and aid the
oppressed Palestinian people... History will immortalize all the hypocritical
and cowardly Arab and Islamic leaders' positions in ink of disgrace,
humiliation, and subservience."
Once again, Hamas and its supporters have seen that their Arab and Muslim
brothers are disgusted with them. Once again, Palestinians have seen that Iran
and its proxies are the enemies of not only Israel, but a growing number of
Arabs and Muslims. Undoubtedly, Hamas and other Palestinians were hoping that
Arab and Islamic armies would march on Israel and destroy it after the October 7
carnage.
Now that their eyes have been once again forced open, the Palestinians should
distance themselves from Hamas and other terrorist groups and join forces with
those Arabs and Muslims who recognize that to create a better future for their
people, it would benefit them immeasurably to recognize the legitimacy of the
State of Israel.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
US interfaith communities draw on decades-long bonds to navigate Israel-Hamas
War
Brammhi Balarajan, CNN/November 27, 2023
In the days following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Lisa Kaplan-Miller’s
WhatsApp group fell uncharacteristically silent. Kaplan-Miller said she first
joined the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, an interfaith organization that was
founded by a Muslim and a Jewish woman in suburban New Jersey, shortly after the
2016 election. She wanted to discover similarities between the two religions and
combat her own misconceptions, she said.
Members of the sisterhood meet regularly to learn about one another’s cultures,
work on volunteer projects for Muslim and Jewish charities and plan trips around
the world.
But the war, Kaplan-Miller said, has shifted their normally lively dynamic,
morphing their collective grief into a heavy silence. For Kaplan-Miller,
conversation – and perhaps confrontation – felt unavoidable.
“We truly had no choice if we wanted the chapter to continue,” she said.
As the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza rages, many interfaith groups in the
US – whose members have spent years building lasting friendships across
religious divides – tell CNN the conflict has renewed their determination to
draw closer together.
“It’s just like in a marriage. When you have a relationship, you make a promise
you will stay with your partner forever,” said Mohammed Alhomsi, the Muslim
chair of the North Jersey chapter of the Interfaith Encounter Association.
“In that same way, we have devoted ourselves together as human beings.”
Crossing divides
For years, members of the Interfaith Encounter Association have celebrated
holidays together and learned about each other’s traditions. Alhomsi said he can
comfortably eat at the homes of his Jewish friends, knowing everything will be
Kosher.
Joan Goldstein, the Jewish chair of the group’s chapter in North Jersey, has
attended Ramadan celebrations throughout the years — although she said she
hasn’t been able to do the full fast yet and still drinks water.
“At the end of the day, Jews and Muslims are cousins,” Alhomsi said.
After learning about the October 7 Hamas attack, Goldstein said she felt
overwhelmed and confused at how communities could see the Hamas attack in such
different lights.
In that moment, she realized she wanted to talk to someone she knew and loved.
So, she called her “sister,” Btissam Alhomsi, Mohammed’s wife.
“If we didn’t have the connection we had, we would keep walking around in the
world with this assumption that was a little misguided and a little incorrect
and a little one sided,” Goldstein said.
“We don’t always see eye-to-eye,” she added. “But that doesn’t diminish our love
for each other.”Btissam said she also felt drawn to Goldstein in the days after
the war began. “We worked with one thing – and it’s very important that a lot of
people miss – the love and respect between a Muslim and a Jew,” she said. “I
don’t care where she comes from. She loves me. She doesn’t care where I come
from and what I believe.”
In the weeks since the attack, Goldstein and Mohammed Alhomsi have also attended
Zoom meetings with members of the organization from all around the world.
Alhomsi said although there are a range of ethnicities, languages and religions
on the call, he saw a sense of shared grieving. “We feel so weak that there’s
not much more we can do for our communities,” he said. “We don’t want hate
crimes. We don’t want them to drag here into the United States where we live,
where our children go to school.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has reported an “unprecedented” surge
in reported anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias incidents since October 7. The
organization said it has received 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias in
the first four weeks after the attack, compared with an average of 406 in a
29-day period last year.
Similarly, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 832 antisemitic incidents between
October 7 – November 7. The group recorded 200 incidents during the same period
last year. Goldstein said she felt inspired to speak out about the surge in hate
crimes at a recent city council meeting in her hometown of Fair Lawn, New
Jersey, after listening to her Muslim friends discuss the importance of
denouncing Islamophobia.
She used her allotted time to reflect on the Torah and described the moment when
the reader is first introduced to Abraham. “Where are you?” God asks. “I am
here,” Abraham responds. Goldstein urged the council to look past the war’s
bitter divides and pass two resolutions denouncing both antisemitism and
Islamophobia.
“People of faith, we’re all hurting right now,” Goldstein said. “And by passing
these two resolutions, we show that not only is the diversity of Fair Lawn being
recognized but that people of faith have a place in Fair Lawn as well.”
Understanding each other’s pain. For many of the women in the Sisterhood of
Salaam Shalom, the Israel- Hamas war is deeply personal. One member has a nephew
who’s in the Israeli army. Others have Palestinian friends whose families are
struggling to survive in Gaza. Kaplan-Miller said everyone feels like they have
something at stake in the violence that’s unfolding.
Afroz Rasheed, a Muslim member of the group’s New York chapter, said their
shared concern for each other has kept the community bonded together.
For years, the women avoided discussions about politics. Instead, they had
picnics at the park and met for coffee dates. They brought religious items and
pictures of their families to share in meetings. They discussed every topic that
came to mind – except for the ongoing conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians.
But all that changed in 2021, when violence erupted at the Al Aqsa Mosque after
Israeli police raided the compound. In response, members flooded the group chat
with videos and links about the bombing, but a pattern emerged – they weren’t
communicating with each other. So, the group partnered with New Ground, a
Jewish-Muslim organization that specializes in interfaith discussions, to train
members on how to moderate conversations. Members of the Sisterhood of Salaam
Shalom prepare donations for a local charity. - Lisa Kaplan-Miller/Western
Nassau Chapter/Sisterhood of Salaam ShalomÒ Members of the Sisterhood of Salaam
Shalom prepare donations for a local charity. - Lisa Kaplan-Miller/Western
Nassau Chapter/Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
Kaplan-Miller said many of those early conversations in 2021 revolved around
understanding why each side had such a visceral reaction to the conflict.
The Jewish members learned what the Al Aqsa Mosque – a holy site where Muslims
believe the Prophet Mohammed was transported during the Night Journey – meant
for Muslims. Muslim members learned how their Jewish friends often grew up with
the fear of the Holocaust at the back of their minds – a fear that reignites
when conflict erupts in the region. “I really grew up steeped in the Holocaust
in a way that I don’t think I brought to my consciousness,” Kaplan-Miller
explained. “And so, Israel had become a more powerful symbol to me than I
realized in terms of safety.”
But the conversations weren’t for everyone. Kaplan-Miller said the last time
they spoke about Israel-Gaza violence, one member became so distressed, she
stopped returning to the group. The October 7 attack brought a rush of those
feelings back for Muslim and Jewish members alike – feelings of anger, grief and
fear. Now, Kaplan-Miller said the conversations they’re having are a “different
animal” because the violence is only getting worse.
Still, she said, the group is more determined than ever to bridge divides for
the sake of their friendships. Despite their differences, group members have
also found a unique understanding of each other’s pain.
Instead of talking about the politics of war, members of the sisterhood focused
on their collective grief. Rasheed said the members can all agree on one thing:
no one wants innocent people – regardless of background – to be hurt.
“I believe in my religion, and I believe in one thing, that any innocent life
killed is a crime,” she said. “Regardless of who does it, we have no right.”
As the women shared their fears, they spoke to each other with gentleness,
dedicated to being able to hold two truths and narratives at once. Tears,
Kaplan-Miller said, were free-flowing. “There’s no healing from this,” she said.
“But, we were maybe soothed for the moment. A little less raw walking out than
we had walked in.”Although the war has tested friendships, Kaplan-Miller said
she believes those who have embraced the challenge of communication through the
conflict have found a sense of peace. “We had an island in this ocean of tumult.
It was a quiet little island we created for each other that just felt safe and
calming,” she said. “This intractable problem has been going on for 70 years –
we’re not going to solve it.”“But we can maintain relationships and not lose
sight of each other’s humanity.”
Iran’s Implausible Deniability
Jay Mens/The Tablet/November 27/2023
The terror state and its various proxy militias—including Hamas—are obviously
acting in concert. Why won’t the U.S. admit it?
The Biden administration came into office with the pledge to take the U.S. off a
“war footing” with Iran, which the incoming team said had characterized the term
of its predecessor. “De-escalation,” as the administration called it, is the way
we would achieve peace in the region. Tehran would not be held to account for
its malign activities, whether they were conducted directly or through its
extensive regional network of proxies. If anything, the Biden team telegraphed,
Iran would be rewarded.
As recently as September, the administration was congratulating itself on its
approach: “the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two
decades,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan famously declared. The
slaughter of at least 1,200 Israelis, and more than 30 Americans, at the hands
of Iranian proxies has not made a dent in the administration’s worldview. On the
contrary, the White House’s overriding concern over the last month has been to
artificially distance Iran from the Oct. 7 massacre and the subsequent attacks
on U.S. bases and personnel in the region.
The separation is absurd on its face. This year alone, before and after Oct. 7,
there have been dozens of meetings, in Lebanon and Iran, between Hamas,
Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Iranian command. These
groups, in addition to the Houthis in Yemen, and a host of Iraqi Shiite militias
all belong to what they call the “axis of resistance.” The axis is an Iranian
creation: ideologically, financially, operationally, and strategically. Iran is
the state power that undergirds this network of armed groups, providing them
with funds, weapons, and guidance in the service of Iranian geopolitical
interests. Tehran does not merely back these militias. To a huge degree, it
controls them.
By obfuscating Iran’s role, the Biden administration is validating Tehran’s
regional strategy, thereby shielding it against retaliation.
And yet, the administration has been at pains to deny Iran’s involvement in the
Oct. 7 massacre, pushing back against a series of media reports that highlighted
Iran’s role in the planning, training, and timing of the attack. The reports
make clear that coordination between Iran and its so-called “joint operations
room” in Lebanon (which includes Hamas, Hezbollah and PIJ) was constant, a fact
made evident by the frequent visits to Beirut by top Iranian officials,
especially Esmail Qaani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s (IRGC) Quds
Force, in the months and weeks before Oct. 7. Hamas and PIJ leaders like Saleh
al-Arouri and Ziad Nakhaleh, both of whom are based in Lebanon under Hezbollah’s
protection, held regular meetings in Beirut and in Tehran with Hezbollah’s
Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and the Iranian leadership.
Since then, Tehran’s direct involvement has been even more visible. Qaani has
been in Lebanon almost continuously since Oct. 8, overseeing the joint
operations room. But none of that matters to the Biden administration. When
asked about Iranian communication with Hezbollah during the ongoing attacks on
Israel from south Lebanon, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said
he wasn’t “aware of anything overt.” Apparently, the commander of the Quds Force
camping out in Lebanon for the past month doesn’t count.
To justify this posture toward Iran, administration officials insist they are
preventing a “broader regional escalation” which would encompass Iran and
Hezbollah, and thereby draw in the U.S., endangering American personnel in the
region. The problem is that, since Oct. 17, Iranian-controlled militias have
conducted more than 60 attacks against U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. At least 62
American soldiers have been injured in these attacks.
It should come as no surprise that the Iranians have primarily targeted American
forces. Iran views Israel as an American proxy: Take away American backing and
Israel collapses. Hence, while most observers have been focused on the
possibility of Iranian action against Israel, Iran’s strategy has been to turn
up the heat on the United States, in order achieve the objective of forcing a
permanent cease-fire in Gaza. That would entail Hamas’ survival, and,
consequently, a humiliating defeat for Israel. Iran also wants Washington to
restrain Israeli action against Hezbollah, which is Tehran’s main point of
leverage over Jerusalem. It’s a risky proposition for
Iran to target the U.S. itself. Regional proxies offer Iran a degree of
separation. This façade—known as “plausible deniability”—allows Iran to wage
cost-free proxy warfare. But for it to work, the U.S. must play along and
subscribe to the fiction that Iran and the militias it arms, funds, and trains
are totally distinct. By obfuscating Iran’s role, the
Biden administration is validating Tehran’s regional strategy, thereby shielding
it and its key assets against retaliation. Hence, Washington has publicized its
opposition to any Israeli “preemptive strike” against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
President Biden has sent his special envoy, Amos Hochstein, to Israel and
Lebanon to confirm that Beirut enjoyed an American protective umbrella. The
administration also signaled that it would hold Israel responsible for any
conflagration in the north, leaking that Israel was “trying to provoke”
Hezbollah. Should that happen, the administration was hinting, Israel would be
blamed for any subsequent attacks on U.S. assets.
The White House publicly demonstrating that it can curb Israeli action against
Iranian interests validates Iran’s view of Israel as an American proxy. At the
same time, the administration reserves the right to be selective in its approach
to Iran’s proxies—but always in a manner that benefits Tehran. On the one hand,
the Biden team signals its commitment to Iranian interests in Lebanon by
shielding Hezbollah’s base of operations from any Israeli action. On the other
hand, when Shiite militias attack U.S. bases and personnel in Syria and Iraq,
the administration upholds the fictional distinction between these groups and
Iran. Whenever it retaliates, the U.S. only strikes the militiamen and their
facilities. Iran is off-limits. And even then, the administration is quick to
reassure Iran that it was acting only in “self-defense” using “discrete,
precision strikes,” and that U.S. action is “separate and distinct” from
Israel’s war in Gaza. At a recent briefing, Kirby was asked if containment of
Iran was working. The NSC spokesman rejected the term itself: “we wouldn’t
associate ourselves with the word containment.”
True to form, Tehran is rubbing it in. The head of the IRGC’s aerospace wing,
Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, mocked the administration saying: “The Americans don’t
threaten us.” Instead, “They sometimes have three rounds of correspondence with
Iran in one night … all in a tone of begging.” The administration’s weak,
pleading language suggests he might be telling the truth.
*Jay Mens is Ernest May Fellow for History and Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
and a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, a British think tank.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/iran-deniability
America’s Islamic Ribat Problem
Raymond Ibrahim/November 27, 2023
We were recently introduced to the Arabic term ribat. Historically, it referred
to those areas where invading Muslims, having been halted or pushed back to,
maintained a presence and created a base whence they continued waging jihad on
the non-Muslim frontier.
Gaza can be seen—and indeed portrays itself—as a modern day manifestation of the
ribat: bordering against Israel, Hamas and other jihadists use it as a frontier
base from which to attack the infidel.
Embryonic ribats also proliferate all across Western Europe: in several major
cities, Muslim enclaves have formed. There, Islamic culture and “radicalization”
prevail—including forms of sharia; there, the European infidel host society and
their ways are unwelcome.
It is, in short, a takeover by a militant demographic that has absolutely no
intention of assimilating but rather in forming Islamic outposts—ribats—in the
heart of Europe.
What about America? Is this same ribatist dynamic evident?
In fact, it is, even if at a slower—and therefore intentionally downplayed—rate
than in Europe.
There currently exist a number of Muslim-majority enclaves all throughout the
U.S. One site purports to list 35 “Muslim enclaves in America.”
Nor is this a new situation. Since 2004, Daniel Pipes has been keeping track of
the establishment, and troubling aspects, of these Muslim neighborhoods.
Over 13 years ago, researcher Ryan Mauro gave several examples, including Gwynn
Oak, which was “created in Baltimore, Maryland, consisting of Muslim immigrants
and African-American converts.” According to its Muslim leader, this and other
enclaves are solutions to the problem that “Muslim communities are ruled by
Western societal tenets, many of which clash with Islamic norms.” Accordingly,
“the Gwynn Oak enclave follows specific moral rules based on Islam and people
there speak Arabic.”
After mentioning a few more seemingly innocuous examples, Ryan adds that “Far
more radical groups than these are now taking the lead in promoting and creating
Islamic enclaves on U.S. soil.” One of these is Muslims of the Americas, which,
as of 2010, admitted
to owning at least 22 “villages” around the country that are dozens of acres
large and operate under names like “Islamberg,” “Holy Islamville,” and “Aliville.”
These Muslim-only lands are open to outsiders solely during planned outreach
events and sometimes to journalists.
This group has received considerable media attention due to allegations that its
isolated compounds are used for paramilitary training, an accusation bolstered
by a videotape released by the Christian Action Network. On that tape, a speaker
is seen declaring the U.S. a Muslim country and pledging that Muslims of the
Americas will defend American Muslims from foreign and domestic enemies.
Another collective aspiring to create autonomous Muslim regions in the U.S. is
called the Ummah. On October 28, 2009, the FBI tried to arrest one of its
leaders, Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, for his involvement in criminal activity
alongside some of his followers. A shootout ensued that took the life of
Abdullah and one police dog. Like Muslims of the Americas, Abdullah offered his
flock martial arts training and, in some cases, firearms instruction. He also
had his own armed security team and preached war against the U.S. government and
solidarity with bin Laden, the Taliban, and Hezbollah.
Not only do these all sound like ribats on U.S. soil, but the clannish hostility
seems only to have worsened since. Written in 2017, one article laments how,
By now, many Americans have heard the horror stories coming from certain areas
in Michigan, specifically Dearborn and Hamtramck, which have become inundated
with Islamic migrants and communities.
In fact, Hamtramck is listed as a majority-Muslim city, and is governed by only
Muslims, while Dearborn is considered the “Muslim capitol of the US,” at over
50% Islamic, and is home to America’s biggest Mosque.
The annual Arab-American Festival in Dearborn was permanently cancelled a few
years ago after Christians were beat up and had rocks thrown at them by Muslims
at the festival. The lawsuit that resulted from the attack rendered the festival
impossible to insure after that and forced its cancellation.
While trying to give the rosiest spin possible to Hamtramck—which is more than
half Muslim and has an all Muslim city council—even a politically correct BBC
report from 2021, admits, at the very end, to certain “conflicts” between the
city’s Muslims and non-Muslims. These include loud, public calls to Muslim
prayers; a ban on bars and alcohol near mosques; lack of female participation in
politics; public segregation of the sexes; and the one thing the BBC found most
“alarming”: a rejection of homosexual flags and events.
Most recently, and rather unsurprisingly, the Muslim mayor of Hamtramck declared
“no peace” with Israel.
The ribat phenomenon naturally goes hand in hand with Islam’s growing presence
in America. As of 2020 there were about 4.5 million Muslims. As for mosques in
America, they have gone from 1,209 in 2000, to 2,106 in 2011, to 2, 769 in 2020.
But if America is a great melting pot, why should any of these findings be
troubling? Because of all groups, Muslims do not “melt” into the greater
mass—meaning that Muslims are especially prone against assimilating. Why?
Because Muslims have a very distinct worldview, in many ways antithetical to the
modern West’s. A 2015 poll, for example, revealed “ominous levels of support”
among American Muslims for jihad and Islamic law, sharia:
[O]f 600 Muslims living in the United States, of those polled a significant
minority embraces the supremacist notions that could pose a threat to America’s
security and its constitutional form of government…. [A] majority (51%) agreed
that “Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to
shariah.” …. More than half (51%) of U.S. Muslims polled also believe either
that they should have the choice of American or shariah courts, or that they
should have their own tribunals to apply shariah… [N]early a quarter of the
Muslims polled believed that, “It is legitimate to use violence to punish those
who give offense to Islam by, for example, portraying the prophet Mohammed.”…
Nearly one-fifth of Muslim respondents said that the use of violence in the
United States is justified in order to make shariah the law of the land in this
country.
In short, America, like Europe, has a growing, if more subtle, ribat problem.
Time for world to stand up to Taliban’s gender apartheid
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Arab News/November 27, 2023
It has been more than two years since the return of the Taliban to power in
Afghanistan and the nation continues to plunge further into a profound human
rights crisis, marked by the stark entrenching of gender apartheid. This
oppressive ideology, rooted in a distorted interpretation of Islamic
jurisprudence, has catalyzed a systematic dismantling of the rights and freedoms
of Afghan women, creating an atmosphere of fear and despair. The international
community must not turn a blind eye to this unfolding tragedy, as it poses a
threat not only to the women of Afghanistan but also diminishes any chances of a
bright future for the country at large. The term “gender apartheid” aptly
describes the Taliban’s approach to women’s rights. With echoes of their
oppressive rule in the 1990s, the Taliban’s draconian interpretation of Shariah
law seeks to confine women to a restricted, subservient role. This manifests
itself in the denial of education, employment and participation in public life.
Women are being pushed to the margins of society, silenced and rendered
invisible, reinforcing an insidious gender-based hierarchy. Highlighting the
gravity of the situation, a survey by Gallup this month showed that “nearly all
the country’s women continue to suffer.”Denying opportunities to women is a
self-inflicted impediment to a country’s success. When women are sidelined from
education, employment and public life, a nation forfeits the vast potential,
creativity and diverse perspectives this half of the population can contribute.
Gender equality is not just a moral imperative, it is an economic and social
necessity. Studies consistently show that empowering women leads to increased
productivity, innovation and economic growth.
By shackling women’s potential, a country limits its ability to thrive, stifles
progress and perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality. True success requires
unlocking the full spectrum of human talent and ensuring opportunities are
boundless for all. And no country needs to fully exploit all opportunities and
resources more than Afghanistan, where poverty remains a pervasive challenge,
exacerbated by decades of conflict and instability.
Perhaps the most damaging consequence of the Taliban’s return is the erosion of
educational opportunities for Afghan girls and women. More and more schools are
closing their doors to female students and teachers every month. In March 2022,
the Taliban prevented 1.1 million secondary school-aged girls from attending
school indefinitely. The Taliban have also banned women from attending
university. According to UNESCO, 80 percent of school-aged Afghan girls and
young women are currently out of school. This is 2.5 million people.
The Taliban’s oppressive policies extend beyond denying women access to
education; they also seek to strip away economic autonomy. Women who were once
active contributors to the workforce are now facing the threat of unemployment
and economic marginalization. This deliberate economic oppression not only
exacerbates poverty but also perpetuates a cycle of dependence that further
entrenches gender-based discrimination, ensuring women are lifelong aid
recipients and fully dependent on men for even the most basic necessities of
life.
The imposition of strict dress codes, restrictions on movement and limitations
on public appearances constitute a suffocating web of constraints on Afghan
women. The freedom to express oneself, to move through the world with agency, is
a basic human right. The Taliban’s attempts to curtail these freedoms amount to
a violation of the very essence of what it means to be human and they are
fundamentally against the tenets of Islamic doctrine. Perhaps most distressing
is the culture of impunity that the Taliban’s resurgence has fostered. Reports
of violence against women, forced marriages and even executions remain
unaddressed, creating an environment where perpetrators go unpunished. This
culture of silence not only emboldens those who seek to subjugate women, but it
also perpetuates a cycle of fear that stifles any form of dissent.
In the face of this unfolding tragedy, the international community must stand
united in condemning the Taliban’s blatant disregard for human rights.
Diplomatic pressure from nations that the Taliban view favorably and targeted
interventions are essential tools for holding the Taliban accountable for their
egregious actions. The voices of Afghan women must not be silenced; they must
resonate across international platforms, demanding justice, equality and the
restoration of their basic human rights.
Women are being pushed to the margins of society, silenced and rendered
invisible.
Moreover, humanitarian organizations and neighboring countries should
collaborate to provide support for Afghan women who find themselves trapped in
this quagmire. This includes offering refuge, educational opportunities and
avenues for economic empowerment to mitigate the adverse effects of the
Taliban’s oppressive policies. The Taliban are heavily dependent on
international aid. Such assistance should come with clear quantifiable
conditions to dilute their policies toward the marginalization of women and
girls. The gender apartheid and human rights crisis in Afghanistan demands
urgent and concerted action from the international community. The repressive
policies of the Taliban are not only a threat to Afghan women, but to the
principles of justice, equality and humanity that we collectively hold dear. It
is time for the world to stand up to this gross violation of human rights and
work toward a future in which every individual, regardless of gender, can live a
life free from oppression and fear.
To witness Afghanistan emerge as a resilient, self-reliant nation, it is
imperative to compel the Taliban to reverse their policies toward women. There
is no alternative path toward building a strong, stable and confident
Afghanistan.
**Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the director of special initiatives at the Newlines
Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington DC. X: @AzeemIbrahim
Wilders’ victory shows Europe must stand up to far-right threat
Chris Doyle/Arab News/November 27, 2023
What has happened to the Netherlands? This is a country that once ruled the
seas, that founded an empire that stretched from the Caribbean to Indonesia and
that founded New Amsterdam, which became New York. It was the Netherlands that
gave us Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh and that invented the CD and the DVD. But
now it has plumbed the depths of the political ecosystem to favor a man, Geert
Wilders, who for a long time has ranked as one of the world’s worst Islamophobes
and Muslim haters. This is a country known for its extraordinary liberalism in
nearly everything; and yet so many voters have chosen a man who wants to ban the
Qur’an and mosques.
So, will Wilders, the leader of the Freedom Party, which is known as the PVV,
become the next Dutch prime minister at the head of arguably the most far-right
government in Europe? In last week’s elections, he shocked European politics by
getting 37 seats, comfortably ahead of the other parties and more than double
the PVV’s existing tally of 17. Somehow, Wilders will have to cobble together a
coalition of 76 seats to achieve a majority in the 150-seat Dutch parliament. It
may take a long time. It was almost a year before a coalition was formed after
the last elections in 2021.
To what extent did others act as enablers for Wilder’s ascent to possible power?
Some blame Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, who leads the conservative-liberal VVD. By
stating that she could work with the PVV, she legitimized the party and made it
worthwhile voting for them as an avenue to influence government policy. The VVD
came third with 24 seats, so it could be a coalition partner. However, beyond
the VVD, things look tough for Wilders. He needs at least three other parties to
join him to make it over the line. There is a possibility that the PVV might
become the junior partner in a coalition.
Dutch politics used to be so dull. It was all about building consensus. Nobody
ever seemed to be too controversial. But like all major populists, Wilders
embraces controversy. He craves it even. He has that populist charisma and the
ability to bring slogans and soundbites into every speech. Should he take up a
post in government, he will revolutionize Dutch politics, not just on the EU and
immigration, but also by ripping up key climate change pledges.
His success is further evidence that the Dutch are more concerned about
immigration than any other EU nation.
Being anti-immigration and anti-Muslim is at the core of everything Wilders
stands for. His success is further evidence that the Dutch are more concerned
about immigration than any other EU nation, as polls indicate. He has even been
in legal trouble for his vicious attacks on Moroccan immigrants. The
Netherlands, for him, is divided into the indigenous population and those of
immigrant stock. He wants “zero asylum-seekers.” During the 2017 election
campaign, he labeled some Dutch Moroccans “scum.” In 2016, he was convicted of
discrimination for claiming that, if he won, there would be “fewer
Moroccans.”What does this mean for Dutch Muslims? They constitute about 5
percent of the Dutch population. Muslim women wearing headscarves fear
discrimination. Wilders pledged to ban women wearing hijabs from entering public
buildings. But more than that, he also had in the PVV’s manifesto a ban on all
Islamic schools, Qur’ans and mosques. Dutch Muslims will have to work with the
allies they have.
Wilders is not adored internationally, beyond states with far-right leaders. The
UK banned him from entering the country in 2009 due to his extreme views on
Islam. Many in Europe will be alarmed. Some will see this as a warning to be
more anti-immigrant, whereas others will escalate their political attacks on
far-right parties. Arab states were rightly quick to condemn Wilders’ statement
that the Palestinian people should be relocated to Jordan. The Netherlands could
now have a challenging relationship with such states, as well as the wider
Islamic world.
Wilders has adopted some horrifying rhetoric toward Palestinians. He backs
illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He implies that he would support
the forced transfer of millions of Palestinians. Alarmingly, Wilders seems to
have had a Gaza poll bounce. Between Oct. 7 and the elections, support for him
rose from 12 percent to 23 percent. The far right in Europe is anxious to
ingratiate itself with Israel’s leaders. They love this form of crude identity
politics. It also plays to the dominant trend of anti-Muslim prejudice.
The Netherlands could now have a challenging relationship with Arab states, as
well as the wider Islamic world
Many see this as a sign that Europe is heading into the grip of the far right.
This certainly looks like it will please President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who
is always happy to see the EU and NATO divided and undermined, as Wilders wants
to end military support to Ukraine. Many far-right European politicians, such as
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Marine Le Pen in France and Matteo
Salvini in Italy, could not wait to congratulate their fellow Islamophobe. Le
Pen might fancy her chances in the next French presidential election in 2027.
Elsewhere, the Freedom Party of Austria is faring well. However, only last
month, the Polish elections saw the ejection of the far-right Law and Justice
party. In Britain, the current right-wing government looks likely to lose the
coming general election. What this perhaps indicates is the dangerous degree of
polarization in many democracies — and not just in Europe. In those democracies
that depend on the building of consensus, such as the Netherlands, this poses
huge challenges for the stability of governments.
Is Wilders going to do a Meloni? The neo-fascist Italian prime minister, while
still extreme and hostile to immigrants, is widely viewed as having moderated
her tone since coming to power. If Wilders wishes to govern, he has to hold a
coalition together. He accepts he may not be able to do everything he would
like. He would like a “Nexit” — for the Netherlands to join Britain in leaving
the EU. This is unlikely. He also wants to end the free movement of labor, which
EU membership does not allow.
Many will hope Wilders cannot form a coalition. This may be the case and he
could end up playing the political martyr from the sidelines, proclaiming that
he has had victory stolen from him and the people. Yet, even if he does not
become prime minister, he has still shaken Dutch and European politics to the
core.
European politicians need to wake up to this far right-threat — it is no longer
fringe. They must challenge it, not cave into it. This brand of politics is not
based on solutions to the continent’s challenges, but rather on appealing to
base emotions. True leaders need to stand up and be counted. Anti-Muslim parties
and politicians should be shunned in just the same way as politicians who
espouse anti-Black or antisemitic messages are.
*Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in
London. X: @Doylech
Gaza is forcing the West to abandon its old illusions
Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/November 27, 2023
Shortly after the start of a four-day ceasefire in the war on Gaza on Friday,
the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium, Pedro Sanchez and Alexander De Croo,
appeared in a joint press conference at the Rafah crossing. Sanchez described
what was happening as “a disaster,” while De Croo called for a “permanent
cessation of hostilities” and for an end to the killing of children. Just as
significantly, the two European leaders declared that they may decide to
recognize the state of Palestine, even if the EU does not.
Coupled with the strong position of Ireland, some in Europe seem to be waking up
to the fact that the Israeli occupation is the primary cause of the recent Gaza
“hostilities.”
Israel was not pleased by this evolving European position. It immediately
summoned the ambassadors of both countries and sharply rebuked them, according
to reports. This exaggerated response shows that Israel is not willing to give
Europe even the narrowest of margins — such as condemning the killing of
children or expecting some kind of a peaceful settlement centered on Palestinian
sovereignty.
Spain and Belgium’s indication that they may decide to recognize Palestine even
without EU consensus is indicative of a foreign policy schism within Europe. It
turns out that not all European governments have the same tolerance of the
genocide in Gaza as, for example, Germany and Britain.
Palestinians have succeeded, through their resistance and steadfastness, in
reasserting Palestine on the global agenda
Interestingly, other EU officials are also calling for a Palestinian state,
though their intention is neither to ensure Palestinian freedom nor to safeguard
Palestinian rights. The bloc’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell, for example, argued
last week that “the best guarantee for Israel’s security is the creation of a
Palestinian state.” Even David Cameron, the former UK prime minister and now
foreign minister, used similar logic. Israel will not have security unless it
guarantees “long-term safety, security and stability” for the Palestinian
people, Cameron said.
Regardless of the reasoning behind the growing emphasis on a “solution” and
rights for the Palestinians, this language was almost entirely absent from the
Western political discourse prior to Oct. 7.
The truth is that Palestinians have succeeded, through their resistance and
steadfastness, in reasserting Palestine on the global agenda. But how did
Palestinians succeed in doing so despite the utter marginalization of their
cause before the war?
Firstly, unlike during previous wars, especially those that preceded the
so-called Unity Intifada of May 2021, this time around the Palestinians spoke in
unison. Without rehearsing or even coordinating, it felt as if the Palestinian
message flew seamlessly, when all Palestinians, regardless of their ideological
background, placed the focus on the Israeli atrocities without falling into the
trap of the typical factional blame game.
Even children who had lost members of their families in Gaza would stand bravely
in front of cameras and state that they would never weaken and that nothing
would remove them from their homeland. Young and old repeated the same logic and
used similar language, even from their hospital beds.
This led Israel to do everything in its power to cut off the 2.3 million
Palestinians in Gaza from the rest of the world, shutting down the internet,
electricity and any form of communication, even among Palestinians themselves.
Yet, somehow, a clear and united Palestinian message continued, amplified
countless times by an army of social media activists that impressively helped
balance out the mainstream media bias and eventually overpowered the corporate
media’s control of the war narrative. The Palestinians did this, and more,
without powerful lobby groups, media consultants or a hasbara machine, like that
which attempted, to no avail, to sway public opinion in favor of Israel.
Secondly, the factional Palestine suddenly disappeared. For years, factional
narratives, which divided Palestinians into conflicting interest groups,
thwarted the Palestinian people’s attempt to unify behind a single leadership —
one capable of conveying, representing and defending Palestinian political
aspirations.
All the Fatah-Hamas talks and agreements failed, leaving the people with no
alternative but to explore different manifestations of unity that go beyond the
interests of politicians. This unity is now on display, compelling everyone,
including those affiliated with the Palestinian Authority itself, to adhere to
the line of the people. While Gazans fought to free prisoners in the West Bank,
West Bankers rose up in defense of Gaza.
This popular unity must continue, so that it will eventually be harnessed in the
form of political unity. This popular unity must continue, so that it will
eventually be harnessed in the form of political unity, which will bring all
Palestinian groups together under a single leadership. This is the only way to
ensure the tremendous Palestinian sacrifices and precious blood that has been
spilled in Gaza eventually translate into the freedom that all Palestinians
covet.
Thirdly, unity beyond Palestine has also proved critical. Arabs and Muslims have
served as the core of Palestinian solidarity throughout the Israeli war on Gaza.
They have protested, boycotted, fought and mobilized. Moreover, tens of millions
of people, beyond the confines of the Arab and Muslim worlds, have marched in
favor of Palestinian rights and priorities.
Indeed, whole new conversations on Palestine are now occupying public spheres
around the world. The Global South is once more embracing the struggle for
Palestine, while the Global North is challenging governments, big corporations
and the mainstream media for justifying, supporting and financing the Israeli
genocide.
The Palestinian people now have to lead and direct this momentum of solidarity
so that it serves their righteous objectives; those of equality, justice and
freedom — all enshrined in international law.
No public space should be left without engagement, no audience should be
overlooked or neglected and no stone should be left unturned in the search for
the critical mass needed to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.
Western leaders and officials are speaking out now because they understand that
the Palestinian cause has become a global one and that the prolonging of Israeli
occupation and apartheid will not bode well, either for Tel Aviv or for the
West.
It is time for Palestinians to utilize this significant moment. It is time for
them to lead the process of their own liberation. In fact, in Gaza, Jenin and
elsewhere, this process has already begun.
*Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for over 20 years. He is an
internationally syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author of several
books, and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. X: @RamzyBaroud
Gaza not the only place where the fires of injustice burn
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/November 27, 2023
It is easy to think nothing is going on in the world aside from the Gaza
slaughter, given the media’s justified focus on this tragedy. At the IISS Manama
Dialogue this month it was virtually the only subject political leaders and
delegates wanted to discuss. However, that shouldn’t blind us to the fact that
other momentous events are in play around the world that demand our urgent
attention.
The xenophobic extreme-right continues its remorseless advance throughout
Europe, not least with the shock win in the Dutch elections by Geert Wilders’
Freedom Party. Among his anti-immigrant comments, Wilders demonized Moroccan
immigrants as “scum” and warned of an “Islamic invasion.” He also denounced the
Qur’an as a “fascist book,” and has called for Palestinians to be forcibly
relocated to Jordan.
Under Giorgia Meloni, Italy has its farthest-right regime since Mussolini, and
like-minded entities constitute core parts of governing coalitions in Finland
and Sweden. Far-right parties are surging in popularity in Germany, Austria and
Greece, and Marine Le Pen is currently ahead in the French polls. Hungary’s
Viktor Orban has been a prominent cheerleader and patron for these
anti-immigrant authoritarian tendencies. In South America, radical far-right
candidate Javier Milei has just been elected president of Argentina.
Poland’s nationalist Law and Justice party came top in the last elections, but
may be shut out of government by a coalition of centrist parties, while the
populist Robert Fico won the Slovak elections in September. The Portuguese far
right hopes to capitalize on this momentum in elections this March, although
Spain bucked the trend with the right-wing Vox party suffering setbacks in the
July vote. With elections probably a year away in Britain, rabble-rousing
populist right tendencies have set the ruling Conservative party on course for
abject defeat. And in America, heaven alone knows whether by late 2024 Donald
Trump will be on course for the White House, a prison cell — or both.
Wilders’ rhetoric about quitting the EU is causing sleepless nights for European
politicians, still traumatized by the self-defeating wrangling of Brexit. Gaza
is an additional factor in fomenting European divisions, between staunchly
pro-Israel leaderships in Germany and Britain, set against pro-Palestinian
sentiments in Ireland, Belgium and Spain. Vast pro-Palestine demonstrations
throughout Western capitals further up the ante.
The Gaza crisis has also had significant knock-on effects for Western efforts to
curtail Iran’s nuclear program. As one senior diplomat disturbingly commented:
“There is no appetite to provoke a reaction in Iran in the context of the war in
the Middle East.” This is despite the latest IAEA report showing that Tehran now
has enough 60 percent-enriched uranium to manufacture three bombs. Following the
detection of modified centrifuges allowing enrichment to 84 percent, Iran
removed accreditation for a number of IAEA inspectors — eliminating transparency
at a critical moment.
Vast Iranian proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen not only are a
symptom of the international community’s failure to crack down on glaring
manifestations of instability and disorder, but also make it far more likely
that the Israel-Gaza conflict will become regionalized. Iran feels further
emboldened because of the diplomatic cover it receives from a comparably
emboldened and confrontational Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, can’t believe his luck at how the Gaza carnage has
played out. Not only has coverage of the Ukraine war evaporated from the media
agenda, but America and its allies are diverting critical weapons supplies to
Israel — raising the question of whether further territorial gains are possible
for an equipment-starved Ukraine, and making it more likely that there will be a
peace deal fudge. It likewise suits China that the US is distracted with Middle
Eastern flareups. Some observers raise concerns about whether Beijing could
seize the moment for further expansionary activity in the South China Sea, or
strengthening its military posture toward Taiwan.
Gaza is an additional factor in fomenting European divisions, between staunchly
pro-Israel leaderships in Germany and Britain, set against pro-Palestinian
sentiments in Ireland, Belgium and Spain.
There are also so many other simmering conflicts and crises that receive zero
sustained global attention: Nagorno-Karabakh, Myanmar, Venezuela, Libya, Syria,
Ethiopia, Yemen — not to mention the turmoil in the occupied West Bank. Africa’s
entire Sahel belt is a calamity of coups, insurgencies and war, with Darfur’s
population again facing extermination at the hands of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid
Support Forces, and large areas of Somalia, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are
under jihadist control. Meanwhile international pressure on the Taliban over its
gender apartheid policies against Afghan women has entirely dissipated.
Superpower rivalry between China, Russia and the West has paralyzed and
discredited the UN Security Council, and neutralized international law
institutions, rendering global momentum to resolve these disputes all but
impossible. These divisions likewise neutralize cooperation around massive
efforts required to reduce carbon emissions and stop the planet boiling — green
policies which the ascendant populist right suicidally opposes. It shouldn’t
need saying — but the international community should be capable of grappling
with more than one crisis at a time. That the world’s diplomatic capabilities
are so constrained is largely due to the absence of capable and visionary global
leadership. The prevailing domestically focused tenor of Western politics over
the past decade left so little bandwidth for planet-wide challenges that Putin
sincerely believed he could devour Ukraine in its entirety without suffering
adverse consequences.
When civilized nations fail to defend international law, they encourage pariah
states and hostile actors to seize the advantage and wreak further mayhem. A
vicious circle is thus perpetuated in which injustice breeds injustice.
That 14,500 people have been killed in Gaza, 70 percent of them women and
children, with a further 7,000 probably buried under the rubble, speaks volumes
about the criminal levels of global lethargy, inaction and inhumanity.
Ukraine and Gaza are wake-up calls. Global leaders must collectively up their
game on the international arena. According to numerous metrics, stability,
standards of governance and social justice are all in steep decline in any part
of the world you care to look. As Martin Luther King said: “Injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere.” As chaos besets us on all fronts, only by
taking a stand on behalf of the Palestinians, the Ukrainians, Sudanese, Syrians
and other oppressed peoples can we expect to enjoy long-term stability and
justice ourselves.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle
East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has
interviewed numerous heads of state.