Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 13-14/2024
The sarcastic Iranian show is over/Elias Bejjani/April 14/2024
The date of April 13, 1975, is inscribed in letters of fire and deeply etched into the conscience of the Lebanese nation./Etienne Sakr-Abu Arz/April 13, 2024
Lebanon temporarily closes airspace from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM, subject to review amid regional developments
Hezbollah Targets Iron Dome Launch Pads
Israel strikes deep in south after Hezbollah launches rockets, drones
Early-Morning Israeli Strike on a Hezbollah Position in Rihan
US Embassy in Lebanon to US citizens: Reminder of travel recommendations
LBCI Exclusive: More details on Mohammad Sarour’s assassination
Apostolic Nuncio: Circumstances Not Conducive to the Transfer of Displaced Syrians
Mikati Announces International Contacts on Syrian Refugee Issue
Geagea: Resolving the Issue of Displaced Syrians Is a Sovereign Decision
Nicolas Chikhani Withdraws His Candidacy From the Order of Engineers Elections
Damour 1976: Psychoanalytic Deep Dive into the Memory of a Massacre/Bélinda Ibrahim/This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024
Mikati condemns Pascal Sleiman’s murder, calls for reform and unity
April 13, 1975: A Tipping Point/Michel Touma/This Is Beirut/April 13/2024
The Looming Presence of April 13/Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/April 13/2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 13-14/2024
Sirens and blasts sound across Israel after Iran launches drone attack
Iran launches direct drone strikes at Israel
Israeli Channel 12: Iran launched 100 drones and missiles, some striking Syria and Jordan
Jordan's air defence ready to shoot down any Iranian aircraft that violate its airspace
Security sources to Reuters: Drones seen flying from direction of Iran over Iraq’s Sulaymaniya
RAF jets deployed to shoot down Iranian drones heading to Israel
Israel closes schools over security concerns: army
Biden Rushes Back to White House as Iran Launches Drones at Israel
US says Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles for possible strike on Israel, reports say
Iran says Israel ‘in complete panic’ over Syria attack response
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seizes a container ship near Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Israel
Israelis rally against government amid deadlock on Gaza hostages
Hamas says submitted response to Gaza truce mediators
'Multiple people' reportedly stabbed at Sydney shopping center
Ukraine says situation in east has 'deteriorated significantly'

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on April 13-14/2024
Israel: Standing Alone Against Multifaceted Threats, Thanks to the Biden Administration/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 13, 2024
Will the UN Ultimately Recognize Palestine?/Marie de La Roche Saint-André/This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024
Germany’s quandary shows that China ‘de-risking’ is hard to do/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 13/2024
After 6 months of tragedy in Gaza, is there any hope of an end in sight?/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 13/2024
Israeli intelligence failed, but not for the reasons you think/Daoud KuttabArab News/April 13/2024
GCC-EU ties are improving, but obstacles remain/Christian Koch/Arab News/April 13/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 13-14/
The sarcastic Iranian show is over
Elias Bejjani/April 14/2024
The Iranian air attack on Israel was a scandal and a failed Hollywood drama. The attack ended and Israel would not respond and requested a Security Council session following a call between Biden and Netanyahu.
Hezbollah's attacks  targeted the Golan and not Israel, as well all the 500 drones and tens of missals that were launched from Iran. The whole parade is a mere theatrical play no more no less. It will not be a surprise to discover very soon that this carnival attack is fully pre agreement with USA and Israel

The date of April 13, 1975, is inscribed in letters of fire and deeply etched into the conscience of the Lebanese nation.
Etienne Sakr-Abu Arz/April 13, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/128783/128783/
April, 13, 1975... is a date that was written in letters of fire, and deeply engraved in the conscience of the Lebanese nation. A historic date in which the Lebanese Resistance confronted the most dangerous international plot hatched against Lebanon with the intention of abolishing its entity and replacing it with a Palestinian state, as an alternative homeland...
This conspiracy was imitated by the American administration under the auspices of Henry Kissinger at that time, and was supported by all the Arab regimes, and by most governments of the East and West.
After only two years on the Palestinian invasion of Lebanon, the Lebanese resistance was able to defeat it, as well defeating all the international terrorist organizations and thousands of mercenaries who came  to Lebanon from the Arab countries.
Meanwhile the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, eliminated what remained of the Palestinian organizations in the south and West Beirut and expelled Arafat, along with thousands of his Palestinian cadres... Thus, the end of those organizations was simply because they committed the crime of attacking Lebanon.
On April 13, 1975, a new political movement was born on the soil of Lebanon called "The Guardians of the Cedars", to join the Lebanese resistance in fighting the Palestinians on all fronts.
"The Guardians of the Cedars" Party, became well known for its ferocity of fighting, integrity, honesty, farsightedness, sound opinion, and truthfulness of its national rhetoric in accordance of its famous slogan: "The word was married to the rifle, and the Guardians of the Cedar were born".
It was also greatly honored for its secularism. Members of various Lebanese sects joined its ranks, and what was also striking in its march is that all of its martyrs fell on the battlefield of honor and not in internal conflicts.
The American administration did not stop there at that time, but rather continued its conspiracy against Lebanon, paving the way for the entry of Syrian forces to Lebanon based on an agreement with the "League of Arab States", under the deceptive slogan of the "Arab Deterrence Forces", and for the cunning goal of restoring peace to the Lebanese territories.
This trick fooled all Lebanese authorities, including the "Lebanese Front", except for the "Guardians Of The Cedars Party", which announced a sit-in in the mountains of Lebanon in rejection of replacing the hateful Palestinian occupation with a hateful Syrian one.
Lebanon's bad luck, the shallowness of its politicians, and the absence of its visionary leaders made Lebanon a loose land for those who covet and attack it.
As soon as the Syrian occupation army left in the year 2005, it was replaced by an Iranian occupation with a Lebanese mask that had crouched on Lebanon's chest for more than two decades, destroying what remained of its freedom. 
Lebanon's sovereignty and well-being, then being dragged into bloody internal conflicts and destructive external wars made the Lebanese have compassion for the previous occupations.
It is true that Lebanon today is in the eye of the storm and its fate is at stake, and also it is true that Lebanon is currently badly suffering, but definitely it shall not die, because the will to live among its people is stronger than the will to die.
Long Live Lebanon
Etienne Sakr-Abu Arz
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)

Lebanon temporarily closes airspace from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM, subject to review amid regional developments
LBCI/April 13, 2024
In response to recent regional developments, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced an immediate and temporary closure of the nation’s airspace. The decision, effective from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM on Sunday, April 14, encompasses all incoming, outgoing, and transit flights over Lebanon. As a result, all air traffic at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport has been suspended for the duration mentioned. The Lebanese authorities have promised to review the airspace closure continuously and adjust measures based on the developments.

Hezbollah Targets Iron Dome Launch Pads
This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024 
Hezbollah retaliated on Saturday afternoon to the Israeli strike which in the morning had targeted a large military complex and a post belonging to Hezbollah in the Rihan area in southern Lebanon. In the afternoon and through the evening, Hezbollah carried out a series of attacks on Israeli positions, targeting, with drones, Iron Dome launch pads—Israel’s air defense system. In a series of press releases, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on the Israeli position at Ruwaisat al-Alam (Kfarchouba Hills) and a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Hanita and Adather woods. A military building in the settlement of Even Menachem (northern Israel) and spy equipment at the Raheb site were also targeted by Hezbollah. The pro-Iranian group also announced that it had used drones and artillery shells to target a building used by the Israeli army as a military post in the Hanita settlement. An Israeli army reservist, a member of the Hanita security team, was seriously injured in these attacks. He was taken to the hospital, according to the Israeli army. For its part, the latter reported the explosion of two drones from Lebanon in the Hanita settlement in the Upper Galilee. In addition, the Israeli media reported that four missiles were fired from Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee, causing no injuries. Israeli raids retaliated by targeting the Jezzine and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas, as well as the villages of Taybeh, Hula, Tayr Harfa, Alma al-Shaab and Odaisseh, the area between Deir Siriane and Taybeh and another between Dhayra and Alma al-Shaab. No injuries were reported. The Israeli army also opened fire on farmers on the outskirts of Abbassiyeh and al-Majidiyeh, without causing any injuries. Shepherd Taysir al-Ahmad survived after being hit by three Energa missiles while tending cows opposite the village of Ghajar in the eastern sector. A three-story house was also completely flattened by Israeli aircraft in the area between Ramya and Bayt Lif (Bint Jbeil caza). Meanwhile, a missile launched by the Israeli air force near the Yarine sports ground failed to explode. Against the backdrop of this heated situation, the US Embassy in Beirut advised its citizens to “avoid travel to the Lebanon-Israel border area, the Lebanon-Syria border area and refugee settlements.” In a new security warning published on Saturday on the Embassy’s website and on platform X, US citizens residing in Lebanon were advised to “enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier for us (the US Embassy) to locate you (citizens) in an emergency.”

Israel strikes deep in south after Hezbollah launches rockets, drones
Agence France Presse/April 13, 2024 
Israel on Saturday said its fighter jets attacked a "major Hezbollah military complex" in the al-Rihan area in Jezzine, deep in south Lebanon, after Hezbollah launched "40 rockets" and two suicide drones from Lebanon. Hezbollah for its part said it fired "dozens of Katyusha rockets" at Israeli artillery positions Friday, a bombardment it said was in response to Israeli strikes in the south. Hamas ally Hezbollah has exchanged near-daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army since the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7 triggering war in Gaza. Hezbollah fighters targeted "enemy artillery positions... with dozens of Katyusha rockets," the group said in a statement, adding it was "in response to the enemy's attacks on... southern villages and civilian homes." The Israeli army said "approximately 40 launches were identified crossing from Lebanese territory, some of which were intercepted.""No injuries were reported," it said, adding that it had earlier intercepted two Hezbollah attack drones that had crossed from Lebanon. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported Israeli bombardment of several villages near the border. The violence has so far killed at least 363 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally. In Israel, the military says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes on both sides of the border.

Early-Morning Israeli Strike on a Hezbollah Position in Rihan
This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024 
Early on Saturday morning, the Israeli Army announced that it had “struck a large military complex belonging to Hezbollah, housing installations, and a military post in the Rihan region” in southern Lebanon. Exchanges of fire continued throughout the night between the pro-Iranian group and the Israeli Army in southern Lebanon against a backdrop of fears of a widening conflict due to a potential Iranian attack on Israel. Shortly after midnight, Hezbollah fired “dozens of rockets” at Israeli positions in response, it claimed, to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Army reported that “around 40 shots were detected coming from Lebanese territory, some of which were intercepted.” “No injuries were reported,” the Army added, pointing out that it had previously intercepted two “Hezbollah explosive drones.”

US Embassy in Lebanon to US citizens: Reminder of travel recommendations
LBCI/April 13, 2024
The US embassy in Beirut reiterated its calls for caution for US citizens in Lebanon.
It mentioned "due to high tensions in the region, the security environment remains complex and can change quicky. We remind US citizens of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments." It added, "We recommend that US citizens in Lebanon monitor Travel.State.Gov for alerts and the news closely for breaking developments that could affect internal security.""As advised in the Travel.State.Gov Lebanon Travel Advisory , US citizens should avoid travel to the Lebanon-Israel border area, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements. In all parts of Lebanon, you should avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests," the embassy stated. The US embassy concluded, "We also recommend that US citizens enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier for us to locate you in an emergency."

LBCI Exclusive: More details on Mohammad Sarour’s assassination
LBCI/April 13, 2024 The assassination case of Mohammad Sarour, a former employee of the Hezbollah-affiliated Qard al-Hasan Association, has been veiled in security and judicial secrecy since 2019 when he was added to the US sanctions list. He was accused of transferring funds from Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) to Hamas in Gaza through Hezbollah. However, new information obtained by LBCI suggests that Sarour received a call on Monday, two days before his disappearance, to deliver a remittance to a woman Z.J. in Beit Meri. Accompanied by his nephew, he arrived at the villa and handed over the amount from the villa's window. The woman informed him that another remittance would arrive in a week, but he received a call on Wednesday about its arrival. He went alone to deliver it, but this time he was lured inside the villa and killed. Security analysts believe that Mohammad Sarour was lured by someone outside Lebanon, trusted by him, who deceived him into delivering money to this woman, while he was actually being set up. The perpetrators of the crime likely left Lebanese territory immediately after its execution using foreign passports. According to two forensic reports, as well as criminal evidence, Sarour was shot seven times with a pistol, and bruises and rope marks were found on his body, suggesting that he may have been subjected to physical pressure and interrogation to disclose information about the network he was communicating with abroad for money transfers. The planning for Sarour's assassination appears to have taken months and been executed with high precision. Sources indicate that the villa was rented for one year, and the elderly owner was tempted with $48,000 cash as rent payment. Furthermore, the line used by the woman to contact Sarour was new and had only been used to contact him, complicating matters further for the Intelligence Branch, which operates with absolute secrecy.

Apostolic Nuncio: Circumstances Not Conducive to the Transfer of Displaced Syrians
This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024
The Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari, declared on Saturday that “circumstances are not favorable” for the return of displaced Syrians while acknowledging that “Lebanon is no longer in a position to support the massive presence of Syrian refugees on its territory.”Speaking at a Caritas bishops’ conference in Grado, in the Italian province of Gorizia, he justified his reservations about Syrians returning home by pointing to the difficult socio-economic conditions in Syria, where “90% of the population now lives below the poverty line.”On this occasion, Zenari recalled the “alarming” figures provided by the United Nations, namely 16.7 million people living in poverty, i.e. three-quarters of the Syrian population. “The number of people in need of humanitarian aid has increased by 9% compared to the previous year,” he noted. This proportion and these figures are similar to those in Lebanon, where 80% of the population lives in poverty, according to UN agency estimates, and where the socio-economic situation is worsening due to inflation, a lack of reform, and, in some regions, particularly rural areas, unfair competition. For the Nuncio, the Syrian refugee issue requires “a political solution, which unfortunately, according to analysts, is still a long way off.” At a time when “90% of the (Syrian) population now lives below the poverty line,” the problem cannot be solved “by charity alone,” he said. These remarks come against the backdrop of efforts by the Lebanese government, in collaboration with the international community, to find a solution to the situation of displaced Syrians in Lebanon. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed the issue with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Bkerke on Saturday morning. To help Syria, “the next European elections will indeed be crucial.” “It is essential to choose people capable of bringing about a change in what is happening in the world,” concluded Cardinal Zenari.

Mikati Announces International Contacts on Syrian Refugee Issue
This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024 
After a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai at Bkerke, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati emphasized the need to announce that international contacts are underway regarding the Syrian refugee issue in Lebanon, stressing that “the main solution is to consider most areas in Syria safe to deport the Syrians who came to Lebanon under the title of refugees.”He condemned once again the murder of Lebanese Forces coordinator for Jbeil, Pascal Sleiman, who was abducted and killed by a so-called car theft last Sunday, pointing out that “lessons must be learned from the lebanese war.” In a call for national unity and the need for reform, Mikati emphasized the need to “elect a president and form a government.” He added, “No Lebanese can win on the ruins of another Lebanese, and the state is the rescue boat that we must hold on to.”“We are not interested in power and do not want to monopolize or take anyone’s place, and we will continue our governmental work and try to preserve the pillars of the state,” Mikati stated.

Geagea: Resolving the Issue of Displaced Syrians Is a Sovereign Decision
This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024
Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea stressed that “resolving the issue of displaced Syrians lies solely in the hands of the Lebanese government.”In a statement issued on Saturday, Geagea responded directly to the announcement made by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday, in which he stated that a government plan for resolving the crisis of displaced Syrians would be unveiled to the public at the end of April, and that he was making arrangements with the international community to this end. According to the LF leader, this move is “a waste of time,” as “under international law, Lebanon is not an asylum country, and the application of laws on its territory is a sovereign decision,” which he believes is in the hands of the government. In this sense, the solution to the problem of displaced persons “does not require discussions, neither with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nor with agencies affiliated to the United Nations, nor with other international associations concerned with humanitarian affairs,” Geagea noted. “The resolution of the refugee question is in your hands and in the hands of your government—in accordance, at least, with the multiple circulars issued by the caretaker Minister of the Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, on this subject,” he directed to Mikati. For Geagea, “The time has come, albeit late, for the government to assume its responsibility in this area” through “the strict application” of the aforementioned circulars by the municipalities. “The caretaker Minister of Defense, Maurice Slim, should ask the military and security departments to ensure the immediate application of these circulars,” he added. “If the government does not undertake such measures and follow them through to full execution, it will be held fully responsible for all the damage caused to Lebanon and the Lebanese; the current chaos, under the pretext of the presence of displaced Syrians, is a glaring example of this,” he concluded.

Nicolas Chikhani Withdraws His Candidacy From the Order of Engineers Elections
This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024 
Nicolas Chikhani, engineer and economist, announced on Saturday his decision to withdraw his candidacy from the Order of Engineers elections, to be held on Sunday. He said he will not take part in the elections “until all the conditions guaranteeing the democracy of the ballot are met and the rights of engineers are preserved. All our supporters are completely free to make the decision that suits them,” he stated in a press release. As a reminder, Chikhani’s candidacy, supported by right-wing civil society and numerous independents, was initially blocked by a decision of the Order’s council due to a question of dues and was then validated by a court decision. According to internal regulations, engineers who have not paid their dues in full are not entitled to vote or stand for election. However, at the end of 2023, the Order imposed the payment of dues in dollars, creating confusion among Order members. As a result, “Almost 11,000 members did not pay the full amount set and were deprived of their right to vote. These people constitute 20% of the electoral base in the Order of Engineers,” Chikhani claimed. Believing that this situation “runs counter to the democratic process and exposes the results of the elections due to take place this Sunday to an appeal for invalidation,” he asked the Order’s Council to postpone them to a later date, but in a short timeframe. The purpose of this postponement, he added, is “to enable all engineers who are members of the Order to exercise their legitimate and democratic right to vote, irrespective of the recent dues issue, thus treating them fairly.” Chikhani pointed out that he had already submitted a request to this effect on April 5, a request that he said had not been processed by the Beirut Council of the Order of Engineers.

Damour 1976: Psychoanalytic Deep Dive into the Memory of a Massacre
Bélinda Ibrahim/This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024
48 years later, the deadly attack launched against the town of Damour in January 1976 is still a gaping wound in the Lebanese collective subconscious. Zeina Zerbé, clinical psychologist and psychotherapeutic psychoanalyst, courageously dives into this profound trauma in her book Damour L’assaut, le massacre et la chute de la ville. A compendium of interviews with actors and witnesses from the time, this long-reaching investigation plunges readers into the heart of one of the darkest episodes of the Lebanese civil war. Beyond fact-based reconstitution of the events, Zerbé’s work is a psychoanalytic approach to deep soul-searching, an unprecedented and crucial deciphering of the reasons behind violence. An effort that helps mend wounds and promote national reconciliation. Zeina Zerbé chronicles the inevitable rise in tensions that led to the Damour attack perpetrated by a number of Palestinian and Lebanese left-wing factions. A magnifying glass to better understand the psychological mechanisms at play, from the residents’ all-pervasive anguish vis-à-vis external threats to the trauma sustained by survivors forever haunted by the atrocities. Their blood-curdling testimonies, gathered empathetically and with analytic rigor, explode in the faces of readers. Scenes of sheer horror, devastating accounts of families torn apart by lead and flame… These individual memories help draw a portrait of this murdered town, the sacrificial victim of internal rapture, and the Syrian regime’s Machiavellian machinations.
Zerbé does not simply examine wounds; she traces responsibility to their source, questioning the motives of executioners and their ties to Damascus. Therefore, her psychological analysis of group dynamics sheds light on the impact left by orders issued from above on the fall into barbarity. A study that contests the dominant narrative and seeks the causes of violence beyond the sectarian divide. The author seems convinced: Syria’s cynical instrumentalization of sectarian hatred has played a major role in the Damour events.
But this is no mere history and psychology book; it is, first and foremost, a tool for resilience, a soothing balm delicately applied to a gaping wound. By letting the victims’ voices be heard, by exploring obscure areas relentlessly, and by linking disparate memories together, Zeina Zerbé executes masterful stitching work. She draws the outlines of an indispensable collective catharsis, the only means for the exorcism of old demons.
When asked about the therapeutic impact of her work, the author stressed that “one of the goals is for us Lebanese to step away from the unspoken and the weight of the morbid silence dictated by the current political system.” Providing a psychoanalytic study of the debilitating effect of lawlessness and the subtle fall into hatred, cruelty, and barbarity, Zerbé allowed for the history of the Damour massacre to be “recognized as having, indeed, taken place the way victims lived it.” As for the healing effect for victims and their progeny, “it is up to the residents of Damour and the people who partook in the attack to judge,” she added. Zeina Zerbé’s subliminal message is a vibrant call for the mutual recognition of suffering as an essential component of national reconciliation. Here lies the challenge of memory: to free long-suppressed emotions, archive memories to better surpass them, and allow victims to finally mourn. For it is only by looking candidly into the past that one can build a peaceful future. It is worth noting that, to this day, no investigation has been made by the Lebanese state over the Damour massacre. As Zerbé writes in her book, “Even though the parents and descendants of victims now know vaguely where their loved ones were buried — with no DNA testing or identification of the bodies — they still cannot, 48 years later, bring them justice, dignity, and a tomb, in order to mourn fully.” Today, in the mass grave of Damour, “the unidentified corpses of the people killed lie collectively. The despondent cries of Damour’s ghosts emanate from under the soil, whispering above the town the terrifying story of their killing.”
But should one be surprised by the glaring absence of the state? After all, the government has always been quiet about it, paying no heed to its role as guardian of justice and collective memory. It is to compensate for this total lack of work that people like Zeina Zerbé take such personal initiatives.
Can another similar event occur given the current context of turmoil in Lebanon? Is history bound to repeat itself? For Zeina Zerbé, it is crucial to understand that “the history of Damour is still happening in Lebanon repeatedly today.” Zerbé evokes the multiple aspects of this perpetual repetition: impunity, political crimes, assassinations of politicians and journalists, intimidation of activists, Hezbollah’s violation of territorial integrity, paralysis of the judicial system, the port of Beirut explosion, the deliquescence of the Lebanese State, and the undermining of laws and institutions.
By telling the unspeakable and scouring the black miasma of the human soul, Zeina Zerbé lays the foundation of a shared memory, a redeeming “ne’ermore.” Her book is a weapon against oblivion, a wake-up call so that the shortcomings of the past don’t spill over the present, a timeless message in a country plagued by its demons. Enriched with the poignant pictures taken by a German reporter on site in 1976, the book’s blunt messaging deals a definitive blow to platitudinous sensationalism. The author stated she had enough material for a second book about the long-term repercussions of the tragedy. May she garner the energy she needs to continue this essential work and shed more light on the impact of the Damour massacre in a still-convalescing country.
**Damour. L’assaut, le massacre et la chute de la ville de Zeina Zerbé, Saër el-Mashreq, 2024, 180 p.

Mikati condemns Pascal Sleiman’s murder, calls for reform and unity
LBCI/April 13, 2024
Following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi in Bkerke, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the murder of Pascal Sleiman, asserting that "lessons must be learned from April 13th." He stated, "No Lebanese should benefit from the suffering of another Lebanese," underscoring the crucial role of national unity in the country's reconstruction. Regarding the government's role, Mikati compared it to a "rescue boat," emphasizing the importance of preserving its institutions. He expressed, "The government serves as the rescue boat we must hold on to." Moreover, he highlighted the significance of electing a president, forming a government, and implementing reforms. Addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, Mikati mentioned ongoing international engagements, indicating efforts to seek solutions for the safe repatriation of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Editorial – April 13, 1975: A Tipping Point
Michel Touma/This Is Beirut/April 13/2024
April 13, 1975, will be forever ingrained in the collective memory of the Lebanese people (at least those of a ‘certain age,’) as the outbreak of the never-ending Lebanese war. However, this perception is somewhat biased, as April 13 was more accurately a tipping point (rather than the onset) of a profound and chronic existential crisis. Rooted in the geopolitical situation of the Middle East during the 1950s, this crisis has persisted since the post-independence period, starting in 1943. To wisely gauge the real dimension of the events faced by the Lebanese population from that fatal April day to the present, a quick exploration of contemporary history is essential. The first major ‘existential’ tremor to undermine ‘independent’ Lebanon dates back to 1958. This was when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser emerged as the leading figure of Arab nationalism against the backdrop of the Cold War between the Soviet bloc and the Western camp. During the same period, President Camille Chamoun, in office as president, aligned himself with the Eisenhower doctrine, advocating for a pro-Western front under the auspices of the US to counter Soviet influence in the region.
This global bipolarization, compounded by the Nasserist wave, directly influenced the situation in the country, which was already weakened by another internal form of bipolarization, defined by sectarian divisions: A segment of the Lebanese population was swayed by the pan-Aabist appeals of the Egyptian “rais,” while another, led by President Chamoun and the Kataeb, rather leaned towards Western alignment. This situation culminated in the first “clash” of 1958.
Following the events of 1958, General Fouad Shehab was elected President of the Republic. With his wisdom and foresight, he pursued a policy of regional neutrality — a principle inherent in the National Pact of 1943, albeit not universally adhered to by all segments of the population. President Shehab’s adherence to neutrality provided Lebanon with a period of stability that lasted until the late 1960s. However, the Arab debacle in the June 1967 war brought forth new challenges for Lebanon. Its aftermath would sow the seeds for the events of April 13, 1975, and the subsequent developments that followed.
After the Arab defeat in the 1967 war against Israel, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat, decided to pursue complete autonomy from the Arab states. To achieve this, armed Palestinian organizations sought to control a territory where they could operate freely. This led to the emergence of what became known as “Fatehland” in the Arkoub region, a portion of South Lebanon bordering Israel. This marked the onset of a never-ending period of recurring violations of national sovereignty, concurrent with the incursions of Palestinian militants into the capital and its surroundings. The situation, characterized by abductions, vexations, and road identity checkpoints, heightened tensions to the extent that Christian leaders initiated a sustained campaign to demand the restoration of state sovereignty.
As time passed, the PLO asserted itself as a quasi-state, eroding the authority of the central government. The signing of the Cairo Agreement in 1969 between the army and the PLO, under the auspices of Nasser, was intended to result in organizing and channeling the armed Palestinian presence. However, the terms of this agreement were never effectively implemented. Tensions continued to mount as a portion of the population solidarized with the Palestinian resistance, at the detriment of the state. This paralleled the situation in 1958, when certain Lebanese supported the pan-Arab Nasserist movement, disregarding the foundational principles of the neutral-oriented National Pact.
Within this particularly tense context, the events of April 13, 1975, occurred, and represented the culmination — a true tipping point — of a lengthy conflictual process between the state and armed Palestinian organizations. On April 13, the country became embroiled in an endless war, marked by numerous bloody episodes, internal murderous struggles, and a succession of occupations. Initially sparked by Palestinian incursions, the conflict later witnessed interventions by Syria and Israel and, currently, Iranian influence through Hezbollah.
Lebanon finds itself today deeply sapped by over fifty years of multi-faceted conflicts, originating from the establishment of the PLO in the South. This existential crisis, compounded by ongoing violations of sovereignty, shows no resolution in sight yet. The assassination circumstances of Pascal Sleiman, coordinator of the Lebanese Forces (LF) in Jbeil, have brought to light the deep vertical divide that continues to fracture the country between, on one side, a diverse sovereigntist camp and a sectarian faction advocating for a transnational agenda tightly bound to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, on the other.
However, at the same time, this tragedy has been a resurgence of both popular and political determination to overcome the burdens of recent decades and preserve, against all odds, Lebanon’s particularities and its authentic image.

The Looming Presence of April 13
Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/April 13/2024
Machiavelli said it, yet any sailboat owner will confirm it: “One can initiate a war (or set sail) at will, but concluding it whenever desired is not always within reach,” nor is returning to port. The Lebanese Civil War, ignited on April 13, 1975, evidently lingers unresolved. Following the incidents in Tayouneh (October 14, 2021) and Kahaleh (August 9, 2023), the recent death of Pascal Sleiman, the coordinator of the Lebanese Forces (LF) in the Jbeil region, is further proof. Without conscious party leadership and clear directives from representative Christian parties, certain areas of the country were on the verge of violence.
Marwan Chahine, a Franco-Lebanese author poised to publish an investigative book on April 13, 1975, through Belfond in September, notes that “many Lebanese youth, regardless of their background, continue to live immersed in the mythology of war and the culture of heroism, lacking any hindsight.”
Chahine, whose book was the product of more than a decade of arduous investigation, clearly recalls that some of those who were involved in the events of April 13, 1975, sought “to settle old scores dating back to the inter-Lebanese confrontations of… 1958.” “Is it then normal, he wonders, to leave the chabeb or youth with no memory beyond that of their familial home or community? Is it healthy to allow them to develop a taste for checkpoints and feel entitled to engage in warfare?”
“Between the Worst and the Lesser Evil”
In politics, as Machiavelli says elsewhere, “the choice is rarely between good and evil, but between the worst and the lesser evil.” Certainly, it is natural for Salim Sayegh, Vice President of the Kataeb Party, to immediately think about the term “Lebanese resistance” when April 13 is mentioned. However, if we want to avoid the confusion and stagnation triggered by fragmented historical narratives, shouldn’t we confront and transcend the conflicting consciousness surrounding our civil war and strive towards a vision of our common historic vocation?
Preserving memory is one of the National Education’s great missions. In France, the armistice of the First World War (1914–1918), signed between the Allies and Germany, is commemorated on November 11, with its history taught in schools and high schools.
As part of an educational project, students are actively engaged in ceremonies paying tribute to the combatants and victims of the war. This activity serves as a reminder that the memory of the two major global conflicts contributes to building a Europe founded on tolerance and peace.
It is Lebanon’s responsibility to recognize and choose what defines its heritage, to reconcile seemingly contradictory narratives, and to transmit them with respect for a well-assimilated pluralism. Today, as we navigate a new situation, a critical examination of our past is indispensable. The article “Two negations do not make a nation,” which led to Georges Naccache’s imprisonment, was written in 1948. It underscores the mismanagement of the country since its inception. Undoubtedly, Lebanon faced the hazards of history upon gaining independence, particularly the seismic event known as the partition of Palestine. But must the political class languish in infantilism, relying on a quintet to shape our future? These remarks are general. Numerous personalities draw comparisons between the breakdown of the current political authority and the state of affairs before 1975. The bombardment of southern Lebanon, which undoubtedly contributes to this breakdown, must cease as swiftly as possible to prevent further disintegration and collective impunity. In his book “La vérité, même si ma voix tremble” (The truth, even if my voice trembles), Assaad Chaftari, a repentant warrior and former right-hand man of ex-Lebanese Forces leader Elie Hobeika, expresses astonishment. He questions why, despite having a date to commemorate the outbreak of the 1975 war, the Lebanese people lack one to celebrate its end. A long-winded work of reflection and memory is urgently required to restore trust among the Lebanese people. We must put an end to the pattern of nearly sliding into civil war with each serious incident, only averting it at the eleventh hour.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 13-14/2024
Sirens and blasts sound across Israel after Iran launches drone attack
REUTERS/AP/April 13, 2024
JERUSALEM/DUBAI: Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged “ironclad” backing for Israel. Sirens wailed and journalists in Israel said they heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media called aerial interceptions of explosive drones. The ambulance service said there was no immediate word of casualties. Israel’s military said more than 100 drones were launched from Iran, with security sources in Iraq and Jordan reporting dozens seen flying overhead and US officials saying the US military had shot some down. Israel’s Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a “significant response” to the attack. Iran’s state news agency cited a source saying its military had also launched a wave of ballistic missiles. Israel’s military also said missiles were fired, but there was no immediate report of these striking in Israel. Iran has vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Guards officers including two senior commanders and said its strike was a punishment for “Israeli crimes.” Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. “Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the US to “stay away.” However, it also said Iran now “deemed the matter concluded.”
US President Joe Biden, who on Friday had warned Iran against an attack, cut short a visit to his home state of Delaware to meet national security advisers in the White House Situation Room, an official said. He pledged to stand with Israel. The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has driven up tensions in the region, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. British maritime security company Ambrey said in a statement that drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group. Those clashes now threaten to morph into a direct open conflict pitting Iran and its regional allies against Israel and its main supporter the United States, with regional power Egypt urging “utmost restraint.”US and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Channel 12 reported. Three US officials said the US military had shot down drone aircraft without saying how many.
Escalation
“This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran,” said Israel’s military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose official jet took off shortly after the attack began, convened the war cabinet at a military headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. Israel’s military said sirens would sound in any threatened areas and that its defenses were poised to deal with the drones, which it said were “explosive.” “We are used to having around 20 seconds to get to shelters when missiles come in. Here, the warning comes hours ahead of time. It naturally raises the anxiety level among the Israeli public,” said Nir Dvori, a Channel 12 TV correspondent on social media. Israel’s military told residents of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to stay close to bomb shelters, putting the area on standby for possible impact from drone strikes. Israel and Lebanon said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defenses to intercept any drone or missile that violated its territory, two regional security sources said. Residents in several Jordanian cities said they heard heavy aerial activity. Syria, an ally of Iran, said it was putting its ground-to-air defense systems around the capital and major bases on high alert, army sources there said.
Condemnation
The European Union, Britain, France, Mexico, Czechia, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands all condemned Iran’s attack. Israel has been bracing for an Iranian response to the Damascus consulate strike since last week, when Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel “must be punished and shall be” for an operation he called equivalent to one on Iranian soil. Biden said on Friday that his only message to Iran was “Don’t,” but added that “we are devoted to the defense of Israel.” Iran’s main ally in the region, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah that has been exchanging fire with Israel since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7, said early on Sunday it had fired rockets at an Israeli base. Earlier on Saturday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that a Guards helicopter had boarded and taken into Iranian waters the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries. MSC, which operates the Aries, confirmed Iran had seized the ship and said it was working “with the relevant authorities” for its safe return and the wellbeing of its 25 crew. MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, Zodiac said in a statement, adding that MSC is responsible for all the vessel’s activities. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of piracy.
'IRGC seize commercial ship'
For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to “slap” Israel for its Syria strike. Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran’s atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war. Flight-tracking data showed the airspace over Jordan empty, while few flights continued on their north-south routes over Iraq. A sole Middle East Airlines flight from Dubai to Beirut remained airborne over Syria. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following the launch of drones from Iran. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been clashing with Israeli forces in the border area for more than six months. Earlier Saturday, commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Iran’s state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard’s navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime.
Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel,” MSC said. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel’s deck. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used before to raid ships. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization. Iran “is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’ crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said. The US, Israel’s main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel’s war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel’s war began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. The Pentagon said Saturday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies.” National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington’s “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.”

Iran launches direct drone strikes at Israel
Agence France Presse/April 13, 2024
Iran launched drones toward Israel late Saturday, the Israeli military announced, and Iran's state-run media reported that dozens had been fired. The Israeli army's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said it would take several hours for the aircraft to arrive and that Israel was prepared. Iran had been threatening to attack Israel since an airstrike last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. Israel has not commented on that attack, but Iran accused it of being behind it. Israeli aviation authorities said they were closing Israel's airspace to all flights as of 12:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. EDT). The drone attack late Saturday marked the first time Iran had ever launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. In a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching "dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime." The statement did not elaborate. The White House said it would provide unspecified support for Israel's defense against the ongoing attack. "The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. President Joe Biden was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. Biden had cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation. Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military said it was canceling school and limiting public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people as a precaution.
Hagari said Israel is "prepared and ready" with defensive and offensive actions. He also said there was "tight" cooperation with the U.S. and other partners in the region. The head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, has been in Israel in recent days to coordinate with Israel about the Iranian threats. Israel has a number of layers of air defense capable of intercepting everything from long-range missiles to UAV's and short-range rockets. Hagari said Israel has an "excellent air defense system" but stressed it is not 100% effective and urged the public to listen to safety announcements. For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to "slap" Israel for its Syria strike. Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran's atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war.
Flight-tracking data showed the airspace over Jordan empty, while few flights continued on their north-south routes over Iraq. A sole Middle East Airlines flight from Dubai to Beirut remained airborne over Syria. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following the launch of drones from Iran. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has been clashing with Israeli forces in the border area for more than six months. Earlier Saturday, commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime.
Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. "We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel," MSC said. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used before to raid ships.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization. Iran "is a criminal regime that supports Hamas' crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law," Katz said. The U.S., Israel's main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel's war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel's war began after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. The Pentagon said Saturday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart "to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies." National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's "ironclad commitment to the security of Israel."

Israeli Channel 12: Iran launched 100 drones and missiles, some striking Syria and Jordan
Reuters/April 13, 2024
Israeli Channel 12 reported that Iran launched a total of about 100 drones and cruise missiles at Israeli targets on Saturday, and clarified that some of them were shot down over Syria or Jordan.

Jordan's air defence ready to shoot down any Iranian aircraft that violate its airspace
AMMAN (Reuters)/April 13, 2024
Jordan's air defences were ready to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace, two regional security sources said. They said the army was also in a state of high alert and radar systems were monitoring any drone activity coming from the direction of Iraq and Syria. Residents in several cities in the northern part of the country near Syria and central and southern areas heard heavy aerial activity. A security source said the country's air force was intensifying reconnaissance flights. Jordan had earlier said it closed its airspace starting on Saturday night to all incoming, departing and transiting aircraft in what officials told Reuters were precautionary measures in the event of an Iranian strike across its border. Jordan neighbours Syria and Iraq – both countries where Iranian proxy forces operate – and also sits next door to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It has watched Israel’s war against the Palestinian group Hamas, another Iranian ally, with rising alarm fearing it gets caught in a crossfire. Late last year, Amman asked Washington to deploy Patriot air defence systems to Jordan to bolster its border defences. Officials say the Pentagon had since increased its military aid to the kingdom, a major regional ally, where hundreds of U.S. troops are based and hold extensive exercises with the army throughout the year.

Security sources to Reuters: Drones seen flying from direction of Iran over Iraq’s Sulaymaniya
Reuters/April 13, 2024
A number of drones were seen flying from the direction of Iran over Iraq's Sulaymaniya province; three security sources told Reuters on Saturday. "Dozens of drones were spotted flying from Iran in the direction of Israel over Iraqi airspace," two Iraqi security sources also told Reuters. Iraq also announced shutting down its airspace and suspending all air traffic on Saturday, Iraq's transport ministry told the country's state-owned news agency.

RAF jets deployed to shoot down Iranian drones heading to Israel
Nina Lloyd, PA Political Correspondent
PA Media: UK News/Sat, April 13, 2024
RAF jets are being used to shoot down Iranian drones after Tehran announced it had launched an attack on Israel in what threatens to become a major regional escalation. Aircraft in Iraq and Syria have been deployed to intercept “any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions,” the Ministry of Defence said. Officials in Jerusalem said the drones, which Iraqi security sources said were seen flying over the country, would take hours to reach their targets. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned “in the strongest terms” Iran’s “reckless attack” as he pledged to “continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners.” Reports in Israel suggested RAF and US warplanes had shot down some Israel-bound Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area. It brings the two archenemies to the brink of all-out conflict as the war in Gaza inflames decade-old tensions in the Middle East, with the US vowing to back Israel. In a late-night statement on Saturday, the MoD said: “In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks. “We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UK’s existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. “In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.”
Tehran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has not commented on that attack. Following Saturday’s development, Prime Minster Mr Sunak said: “I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel. “These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. “Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. “The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. “Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No-one wants to see more bloodshed.” US President Joe Biden has pledged to stand with Israel against Iran, the White House said. Tehran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran’s atomic sites, instead targeting Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. But it vowed retaliation for what it said was an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party supported all measures “designed to restore calm” and prevent a wider regional war. In a statement, he said: “We condemn the Iranian regime’s decision to subject Israelis to these unacceptable attacks. “The international community has been united in urging restraint and we regret that yet again Iran has chosen a different, dangerous path.
“Our thoughts are with all those in the region who want peace and security, not the fear and instability being generated by Iran. “We continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of our other partners in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. We support all measures designed to restore calm as we must do all we can to prevent a wider regional war.”

Israel closes schools over security concerns: army
AFP/April 13, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel is closing schools nationwide over security concerns, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday, after Iran threated to retaliate for a deadly air strike on its Damascus consulate. There will be “no educational activities” when the school week begins on Sunday “in light of the security situation,” he said in a televised statement. The measure is set to last two days, according to online army guidelines. Iran has vowed retaliation after the presumed Israeli strike on April 1 which levelled its consulate in Damascus, killing seven members of the Revolutionary Guards including two generals. US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he expected Iran to retaliate “sooner (rather) than later.” Earlier on Saturday Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a container ship “related to the Zionist regime (Israel)” near the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz postponed a planned visit to Hungary and Austria which had been scheduled to begin on Sunday “due to the security situation,” his spokesman said.

Biden Rushes Back to White House as Iran Launches Drones at Israel
Shannon Vavra/The Daily Beast/April 13, 2024
On Saturday evening, Iran appeared to launch a barrage of dozens of drones towards Israel, CNN reported, citing an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson as well as U.S. and Israeli officials. The IDF’s Daniel Hagari announced that Israel was tracking the drones, which he said could take hours to arrive over the country. GPS would not be available in certain areas, Hagari noted, and Israelis were warned to be “vigilant.” On Saturday, hours before reports of the drone attack surfaced, U.S. President Joe Biden hurried back to Washington, DC from Delaware to “consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East,” the White House announced. White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Axios and CNN analyst Barak Ravid, “Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House. His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.” Tehran has promised for days that it would seek to punish Israel for an attack against an Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus that killed a top Iranian commander and other Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officials earlier this month. Experts warn that Iran’s attack could be the spark that ignites another all-out war in the Middle East.
Biden’s ‘Very Dangerous’ Race to Avert All-Out War With Iran
Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the Syria assassination, the Israeli military has been preparing for the Iranian counterstrike in recent days. Last week, the IDF canceled leave for soldiers in the combat unit and boosted air defenses.
Multiple reports had emerged earlier this week citing anonymous U.S. officials warning that an Iranian attack on Israel was “imminent.” A senior U.S. military commander had arrived in Israel on Thursday to help coordinate preparations for an attack. A day after the Pentagon official landed, the U.S. issued a security alert prohibiting embassy personnel from leaving the major regions of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva. The dramatic escalation threatens to send the region into a tailspin. In advance of the attack, Israel had vowed to respond in kind. “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack in Iran,” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own warning in response to the threat. “Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” he said. “We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively.” It was not immediately clear what Israel’s response would be to the drones. U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, had promised “ironclad” support for Israel in advance of the attack. “Our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We're gonna do all we can to protect Israel's security,” the president said.

US says Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles for possible strike on Israel, reports say
Nathan Rennolds/Business Insider/April 13, 2024
The US expects Iran will carry out a number of strikes on Israel.
President Joe Biden issued a warning to Iran, advising them against attacking.
It comes after Israel killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp officials in an airstrike in Syria.
The US expects Iran will carry out a number of strikes on Israel as tensions rise in the Middle East, a senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence said, per CNN. One of the people said that US officials believe Iran could be readying as many as 100 cruise missiles for an attack, the report said. ABC News carried a similar report. Both sources said Iran had been moving military assets, including drones and missiles, in preparation for a possible attack on the Jewish state. Iran's Revolutionary Guard also seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, adding to the tensions in the region. It comes after Israel killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) officials in an airstrike earlier this month. "There is a real risk that Iranian-backed groups will intensify their targeting of US forces and Israel in response to this latest attack, leading to heightened escalations in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and possibly Jordan," Haid Haid, a consulting fellow in the think tank Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme said in a report. On Friday, the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah fired 40 rockets into Israel from its Lebanon base, some of which were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome defenses, reports said. President Joe Biden issued a simple but stark warning to Iran following the reports, saying: "Don't," while also warning that he expected an attack "sooner than later.""We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel," he added. "We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed." The US has responded to the latest threat with plans to dispatch its warships, including the aircraft carrier the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, a cruiser, and two destroyers, closer to Israel, reports said. Tensions between Israel and Iran have ramped up since Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, following the October 7 terrorist attacks, when Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel. The Israeli counteroffensive has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Iran says Israel ‘in complete panic’ over Syria attack response
AFP/April 13, 2024
TEHRAN: An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said Saturday that Israel is panicking over a possible retaliatory response from Iran after a strike in Syria which killed members of its Revolutionary Guards. “It has been a week that the Zionists are in complete panic and are on alert,“ Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. “They don’t know what Iran wants to do, so they and their supporters are terrified,” ISNA quoted him as saying. Tehran has blamed Israel and vowed to avenge the April 1 air strike on Damascus that levelled the Iranian embassy’s consular annex, killing seven members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals. Following the strike, which Israel has not commented on, its army announced a leave suspension. It also said officials decided to increase manpower and draft reserve soldiers to operate air defenses. “This psychological, media and political war is more terrifying for them than the war itself, because they are waiting for an attack every night and many of them have fled and gone to shelters,” Safavi added. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the April 1 strike killed 16 people. Among the dead were generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Hajji Rahimi who were senior commanders in the Quds Force, the IRGC’s foreign operations arm. Zahedi, 63, was the most senior Iranian soldier killed since a United States missile strike at Baghdad airport in 2020 killed Quds Force chief General Qasem Soleimani. The strike in Damascus took place against the backdrop of the Gaza war which began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel which killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians. Tehran backs Hamas but has denied any direct involvement in the attack which triggered relentless bombardment and a ground invasion as Israel vowed to destroy Hamas. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory says at least 33,686 people have been killed there during six months of war. Iran does not recognize Israel, and the two countries have fought a shadow war for years. The Islamic republic accuses Israel of having carried out a wave of sabotage attacks and assassinations targeting its nuclear program.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seizes a container ship near Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Israel
AP/April 13, 2024
TEHRAN/DUBAI: Commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled down from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks between the two countries. The Middle East had braced for potential Iranian retaliation over a suspected Israeli strike earlier this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general who once commanded its expeditionary Quds Force there. The Israeli war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip meanwhile is now 6 months old and is inflaming decades-old tensions across the whole region. With Iranian-backed forces like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels also involved in the fighting, any new attack in the Mideast threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war. Iran’s state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard’s navy carried out the attack on the vessel, the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC later acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew had been aboard the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. Earlier, a Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared a video of the attack with The Associated Press. In it, the Iranian commandos are seen rappelling down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel. A crew member on the ship can be heard saying: “Don’t come out.” He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship’s bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The helicopter used also appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis of Yemen have used in the past to conduct commando raids on ships. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, without elaborating.
The MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The ship had turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization.
Iran “is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’ crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said. Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures and attacks on vessels have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Since November, Iran had dialed back its ship attacks as the Houthis targeted ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Houthi attacks have slowed in recent weeks as the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan ended and the rebels have faced months of US-led airstrikes targeting them.
In previous seizures, Iran has offered initial explanations about their operations to make it seem like the attacks had nothing to do with the wider geopolitical tensions — though later acknowledging as much. In Saturday’s attack, however, Iran telling offered no explanation for the seizure other than to say the MSC Aries had links to Israel.
For days, Iranian officials up to and including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been threatening to “slap” Israel for the Syria strike. Western governments have issued warnings to their citizens in the region to be prepared for attacks. However, Iran in the past largely has avoided directly attacking Israel, despite it carrying out the targeted killing of nuclear scientists and multiple sabotage campaigns against Iran’s atomic sites. Iran has however targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces over the decades. Earlier this week, Guard Gen. Ali Reza Tangsiri, who oversees its naval forces, criticized the presence of Israelis in the region and in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE reached a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020, something that long has enraged Tehran. “We know that bringing Zionists in this point is not merely for economic work,” Tangsiri reportedly said. “Now, they are carrying out security and military jobs, indeed. This is a threat, and this should not happen.” The US, Israel’s main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel’s war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel’s war began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. On Friday, President Joe Biden warned Iran not to attack Israel and said he felt an Iranian attack on Israel likely would happen “sooner than later.” “We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed,” Biden added.
The Gulf of Oman is near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Arabian Gulf through which a fifth of all globally traded oil passes. Fujairah, on the United Arab Emirates’ eastern coast, is a main port in the region for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew.
Since 2019, the waters off Fujairah have seen a series of explosions and hijackings. The US Navy blamed Iran for limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers. The UAE meanwhile has sought to mend ties with Iran and issued a statement condemning the suspected Israeli attack in Syria.

Israelis rally against government amid deadlock on Gaza hostages
Rami Amichay/Reuters/April 13, 2024
Thousands of Israelis rallied against their government on Saturday, with some demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu call off the half-year-old war in Gaza amid a deadlock in diplomatic efforts to retrieve hostages held there by Hamas. Hamas-led gunmen seized 253 people during an Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 others, according to officials. Some hostages were freed in a November truce but Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated efforts to secure another deal appear to have stalled. As concern mounts in Israel for the wellbeing of the 129 remaining hostages, who cannot be contacted, their families and friends have organised increasingly vocal demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightist government. They have dovetailed with activists who have long called for Netanyahu's ouster given his trial on graft charges - which he denies - and his attempts to overhaul the judiciary last year. "Our country's near the abyss. We've already started to drive down and we must stop it. I'm here to gather the force to tell the people that they need to come out and they need to tell our government that it's time to stop," said Marva Erez, 45, who was among demonstrators in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu said he will continue with the war to dismantle Hamas, despite alarm in Washington and other Western capitals at the civilian toll in Gaza, where medical officials say more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas has said any new hostage deal must bring about an end to the Gaza war and withdrawal of all Israeli forces. "There will be a (hostage) deal," Culture Minister Miki Zohar, a senior member of Netanyahu's Likud party, told Channel 12 TV. "But not at any price." The anti-government protest in Tel Aviv was held separately to a smaller vigil for the hostages. Many of those taking part in the latter event soon merged with the bigger demonstration. Michael Levy, whose brother Or is among the hostages, said he was protesting because "we have no time for the talks". "We need actions. We need to get them home," he said.

Hamas says submitted response to Gaza truce mediators
AFP/April 13, 2024
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Hamas said Saturday it had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on a proposed truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, insisting on a “permanent ceasefire.”Truce talks started on April 7 in Cairo but have so far brought no breakthrough on a plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators. In a statement, the Palestinian militant group said it “reaffirms adherence to its demands” including “a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction.”Hamas said it was also ready “to conclude a serious and real prisoner exchange deal between the two parties.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed a permanent ceasefire and vowed to send ground troops into Rafah, ignoring an international outcry against it, including from the United States. Netanyahu’s office said Saturday “the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the abductees is Hamas and not any factor on the Israeli side.”“Among other things, Hamas demands an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip. “The cabinet and the security forces are united in their opposition to these unfounded demands.”“Hamas to this day has refused any deal and any compromise proposal,” it said.

'Multiple people' reportedly stabbed at Sydney shopping center
Agence France Presse/April 13, 2024
Australian police on Saturday said they had received reports that "multiple people" were stabbed at a busy shopping centre in Sydney. The incidents occurred at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, which was packed with Saturday afternoon shoppers. The mall has been locked down and police have urged people to avoid the area. New South Wales Ambulance told AFP one man had been shot dead by police. He is believed to be one of the attackers.The motive was not immediately clear. Eyewitnesses said there was panic at the scene, with shoppers running to safety and police trying to secure the area. Several people took shelter in a supermarket, where they remained for about an hour. The sound of police sirens and helicopters filled the air. Security camera footage broadcast by local media showed a man running around the shopping centre with a large knife and injured people lying on the floor.

Ukraine says situation in east has 'deteriorated significantly'
Agence France Presse/April 13, 2024
"The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated significantly in recent days," Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Saturday. "This is primarily due to a significant intensification of the enemy's offensive after the presidential elections in Russia," he said, adding that decisions were "made to strengthen the most problematic defence areas with electronic warfare and air defense."

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 13-14/2024
Israel: Standing Alone Against Multifaceted Threats, Thanks to the Biden Administration
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 13, 2024
Israel is currently facing a multi-front war for its survival, with Qatar, Iran and Iran's proxies, which are encircling Israel, leading the charge. The gravity of this aggression cannot be overstated: not just for the existence of Israel, but also for that of the US, Europe and the West.
Israel's struggle for survival is not solely a regional conflict; it is a battle between civilization and those who think international law, human rights and the rules of war are a Western joke. Since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, its rulers have been calling for "Death to America" – now also demanded in Dearborn, Michigan.
Which side is the US on? President Joe Biden's legacy, especially after surrendering Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, will be "Biden, friend of the Terrorists."
All the US would have to do to stop much of Iran's bellicosity is take out the bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inside Iran -- so there is a direct cost to Iran, not just to its human shields.
Iran, on the way to having nuclear bombs, has provided support to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the Houthis, all of which have vowed to annihilate Israel. Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, boasts an arsenal of an estimated 150,000 missiles, many precision-guided, aimed at Israel's population. Meanwhile, Hamas has demonstrated its willingness to commit a genocide, launching more than 12,000 indiscriminate rocket attacks just since October at civilian targets in Israel, a country the size of New Jersey.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has outlined his vision for Israel's demise in his book, Palestine, a 416-page "guide to destroying Israel," and railing against "The Great Satan," the United States. This is not a hypothetical scenario; it is a meticulously planned campaign of annihilation.
While the Biden administration is threatening to withhold life-saving arms from Israel, the Biden administration just rewarded both of its chief attackers, Iran and Qatar.
The Biden administration just actually invited Hamas's main funder, Qatar, to operate a planned pier in Gaza to bring in humanitarian aid. All of it will certainly end up with Hamas, not Gazan civilians -- and, one can imagine what else Qatar will allow in, from heavy weapons to more terrorists.
A Hamas "victory," incentivizing aggression, cannot be rewarded; it must be stopped.
Israel is currently facing a multi-front war for its survival, with Qatar, Iran and Iran's proxies, which are encircling Israel, leading the charge. If the Biden administration abandons Israel now, it would not only betray a steadfast ally, it would seriously jeopardize the entire region and the Free World. (Image source: iStock)
In the tumultuous landscape of the Middle East, Israel stands as a beacon of freedoms, human rights and democracy amid a sea of terrorist organizations and authoritarian regimes seeking its destruction.
Israel is currently facing a multi-front war for its survival, with Qatar, Iran and Iran's proxies, which are encircling Israel, leading the charge. The gravity of this aggression cannot be overstated: not just for the existence of Israel, but also for that of the US, Europe and the West.
To prevent Israel's adversaries from escalating – which, of course, is what they do when they receive US support, the Biden Administration needs to show Israel and other US allies unwavering support – just as the US did this week with Japan.
If the Biden administration abandons Israel now, it would not only betray a steadfast ally, it would seriously jeopardize the entire region and the Free World.
A victory for Qatar and Iran will unavoidably whet the appetite of other authoritarian regimes, including China, Russia, North Korea and assorted terrorist organizations. Venezuela, slyly, while no one was looking, has already set about seizing part of its oil-rich neighbor Guyana.
Israel's struggle for survival is not solely a regional conflict; it is a battle between civilization and those who think international law, human rights and the rules of war are a Western joke. Since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, its rulers have been calling for "Death to America" – now also demanded in Dearborn, Michigan.
Which side is the US on? President Joe Biden's legacy, especially after surrendering Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, will be "Biden, friend of the Terrorists."
Iran is clearly terrified of any military confrontation with Israel or the US, which is why the mullahs use proxies -- their human shields -- in the first place. All the US would have to do to stop much of Iran's bellicosity is take out the bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inside Iran -- so there is a direct cost to Iran, not just to its human shields.
ael's adversaries is the Iranian regime, a brutal theocracy which the US labeled in 2023 the world's "leading state sponsor of terrorism," with ambitions that extend far beyond its borders. Iran's population, roughly 90 million, dwarfs that of Israel, roughly 9 million, and its substantial military capabilities are rapidly on the way to including nuclear weapons to take out not just the "Little Satan," Israel, but also the "real" target, the "Great Satan" United States. As for Israel, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami has openly declared Iran's intention to erase it from the global political map. Such rhetoric is not just bluster; it is an honest proclamation of Iran's genocidal intent. Salami said:
"Today, more than ever, there is fertile ground -- with the grace of God -- for the annihilation, the wiping out, and the collapse of the Zionist regime. In Lebanon alone, more than100,000 missiles are ready to be launched. If there is a will, if it serves [our] interests, and if the Zionist regime repeats its past mistakes due to its miscalculations, these missiles will pierce through space, and will strike at the heart of the Zionist regime. They will prepare the ground for its great collapse in the new era".
Salami's words are backed by concrete actions. Iran, on the way to having nuclear bombs, has provided support to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the Houthis, all of which have vowed to annihilate Israel. Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, boasts an arsenal of an estimated 150,000 missiles, many precision-guided, aimed at Israel's population. Meanwhile, Hamas has demonstrated its willingness to commit a genocide, launching more than 12,000 indiscriminate rocket attacks just since October at civilian targets in Israel, a country the size of New Jersey.
The October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel by launched by Hamas serves as a serious reminder of the constant threat faced by the Israeli people. The raw savagery and brazenness of Hamas's atrocities that day underscores the urgency of the situation. Israel is fighting for its very survival against countries and terrorists who seek its total demolition.
Iran's belligerency towards Israel is not limited to "just" rhetoric and proxy warfare. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has outlined his vision for Israel's demise in his book, Palestine, a 416-page "guide to destroying Israel," and railing against "The Great Satan," the United States. This is not a hypothetical scenario; it is a meticulously planned campaign of annihilation.
Despite these openly existential threats, Israel finds itself increasingly isolated on the international stage. The Biden administration's approach to Hamas's war on Israel, which started out supportive of the Jewish state, has since shown that support dwindling after a few Muslims, at the urging of US Rep. Rashida Tlaib, refused to vote for him in the primary race.
Onlookers can only assume that if the Biden administration is threatening its democratic ally, Israel, instead of the Hamas terrorists and their backers -- Qatar and Iran -- it is clearly better to be an enemy of the United States, and, above all, for your security, never to take America's word that it will protect you. While the Biden administration is threatening to withhold life-saving arms from Israel, the Biden administration just rewarded both of its chief attackers, Iran and Qatar. The US just handed Iran – which attacked US troops in the region more than 150 times since October -- yet another $10 billion in sanctions waivers. The Biden administration just actually invited Hamas's main funder, Qatar, to operate a planned pier in Gaza to bring in humanitarian aid. All of it will certainly end up with Hamas, not Gazan civilians -- and, one can imagine what else Qatar will allow in, from heavy weapons to more terrorists.
Meanwhile, Israel is being ordered to begin a ceasefire immediately – never mind that there was already a ceasefire in place on October 6, 2023. Any ceasefire, of course, will simply allow Hamas to rearm, regroup and claim victory for not having been eradicated. Israel will be expected to abide by the ceasefire, Hamas not. The most recent ceasefire proposal was just scuttled again by Hamas, which could not come up with 40 Israeli hostages -- women and children -- that Hamas holds, to exchange for 900 Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. Presumably those hostages are dead.
To abandon Israel now would not just be a betrayal of the values of freedom and democracy that the United States claims to hold dear, it would be a signal for all the enemies of the West now to move in.
It is urgent that the Biden administration and all democracies stand firmly with Israel against terrorism. This means providing unwavering political, diplomatic, and military support to ensure Israel's ability to defend itself against this aggression, often backed by well-funded organizations such as Code Pink.
These predators not only pose a threat to Israel, but to the United States, its allies, and the security of democracies worldwide. Undermining Israel will only accelerate the triumph of terrorism over civilization, extremism over moderation, and tyranny and over democracy.
A Hamas "victory," incentivizing aggression, cannot be rewarded; it must be stopped. **Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2024 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.

Will the UN Ultimately Recognize Palestine?
Marie de La Roche Saint-André/This Is Beirut/April 13, 2024 
On Tuesday, April 2, the Palestinians renewed their demand to join the United Nations. In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour renewed a longstanding petition dating back to 2011. “We hope that the Security Council, convening at the ministerial level on April 18, will take decisive actions,” asserted Riyad Mansour on Wednesday, April 3, hinting at an upcoming session focused on the situation in Gaza. “We want this admission. It’s our legitimate and legal right,” he added, asserting that given the number of supporting countries, this membership should be “easy.”“Everybody is exploring the two-state solution. In that case, what is the rationale behind stopping us from becoming a member state?” he asked, in response to the possibility of a US veto on this issue. This petition arises amidst the backdrop of heightened tensions following the Hamas attack on October 7, which triggered a disproportionate Israeli response, leading to the loss of countless civilians in Gaza.
A Specific Procedure
The process of admitting a new state to the UN is “both simple and complicated,” explains Romuald Sciora, Director of the United States Political and Geostrategic Observatory at IRIS, speaking to This Is Beirut. “To seek recognition from the UN, the entity should boast the resources that are proper to a State.”
The request is sent to the UN Secretary-General, who then forwards it to the Security Council. The Council must then decide whether it can submit the entity’s request to the UN General Assembly. “This is where the problem lies,” explains Sciora, “as the Security Council will most likely reject the request due to a US veto. Therefore, the request is unlikely to progress, despite potential support from the UN General Assembly for recognizing the Palestinian state.” In September 2011, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, initiated a procedure to secure Palestine’s membership to the UN. However, this procedure did not materialize. Yet through persistent diplomatic efforts, Palestinians earned the status of a non-member observer state at the United Nations in 2012, granting them access to UN agencies and international treaties. In 2015, they joined the International Criminal Court (ICC), allowing for investigations into a few Israeli operations in Palestinian territories. In 2011, they were also allowed as members of UNESCO, a decision that sparked outrage from both Americans and Israelis.
Major Changes?
In fact, 140 out of the 193 UN member states have unilaterally recognized the State of Palestine. Consequently, Palestinians enjoy broad international recognition. However, most Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France, do not acknowledge the Palestinian state. Aside from being able to speak out and vote at the UN, membership of the Palestinian state in the organization “would be a major game changer for Palestine,” analyzes Romuald Sciora. “Palestine would have all the rights of a state within international organizations and among other states overall, thus Israeli occupation would constitute a violation of a sovereign territory.” This would definitively establish the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
A recognition of their state would also facilitate economic growth and grant access to financial loans and to international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). “This would also be a highly symbolic act, marking the acknowledgment of a struggle spanning nearly 80 years,” adds Romuald Sciora. As the situation in Gaza worsens, the renewal of the Palestinian petition to the UN is quite significant. Undeniably, the Palestinian cause has resurfaced after years of being sidelined. “This is the right time to revive the initiative,” Sciora says. “Even though we expect it to fail, nevertheless it remains extremely symbolic. The international community finds itself closer than ever to recognize a Palestinian state. Surely, the mounting civilian casualties among Palestinians has swayed international opinion, initially shocked by the Hamas attack on October 7. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hardline strategy is encountering growing resistance from the international community.” Several European countries, including Spain and France, are pondering the possibility of recognizing a Palestinian state. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently expressed his determination to accelerate the process, aiming for Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state by summer. Additionally, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia announced at the end of March their readiness to recognize Palestine “if the circumstances are favorable.” Since early April, France has been advocating for a resolution at the UN Security Council with the aim of revitalizing the two-state solution. However, without American endorsement, the initiative for a Palestinian state could fail to materialize. Furthermore, international developments could significantly impact the overall situation. “Unfortunately, I fear that a potential conflict between Israel and Iran, if it were to escalate into direct confrontation, would lead the United States to align with Israel, thereby sidelining the Palestinian cause,” confirms Romuald Sciora. As their land continues to be occupied year after year, Palestinians are determined not to sink into oblivion.

Germany’s quandary shows that China ‘de-risking’ is hard to do
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 13/2024
De-risking has perhaps become the key buzzword in European policy on China in recent years. Yet, attempts to deliver on this ambition have been very uneven. Take the example of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will pay his latest visit to China on Sunday, accompanied by a big business delegation that includes representatives of leading brands such as Siemens, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Bayer. Last year, his government drew up a strategy on Beijing that called for reduced dependence on China. Yet a recently published report by the German Economic Institute revealed there is still a mountain to climb in achieving this. German direct investment in China has risen to a record €11.9 billion ($12.7 billion), and the report highlights the ways in which the nations’ economies remain deeply intertwined in relation to a wide range of products and raw materials. It found Europe’s largest economy still relies heavily on the Asian giant for about 200 commodities, only a small decrease from an initial 213 during the period covered by the study. While total German imports of Chinese goods fell by almost 20 percent between 2022 and 2023, the overall percentage of product groups for which Germany relies on China for more than 50 percent of its imports, including chemicals, computers, and solar cells, has not changed significantly. Moreover, in some categories, such as pharmaceuticals and rare earth elements such as scandium and yttrium, Germany’s dependence on China has increased.
Unsurprisingly, the conclusion of the study is that “a clear structural de-risking — in the sense of a continuing trend toward further significant declines in imports — is therefore not yet apparent.”The key challenge is perhaps that the German policy on “de-risking” is vague on specific measures or binding targets. Scholz might contemplate this core point during his trip. He will visit Chongqing, which is located on the Yangtze River in central China and widely considered to be the largest city in the world, with about 32 million people living in its greater administrative area; Shanghai in southeastern China, the nation’s most important economic and financial center; and Beijing, where he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
There is no question that Germany, and other European nations, increasingly feel cross-pressured over engagement with China, which they variously view as both a partner and a systemic rival. However, it is difficult, in practice, for states to straddle these competing viewpoints, especially nations such as Germany that have a longstanding and deep economic dependence on the Asian giant. The context in which to consider this is the attempts by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other top EU officials, including foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, to try to enforce a stronger, bloc-wide stance on China. Given the differing views among the 27 member states, Brussels is struggling to find much common ground on Beijing.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay his latest visit to China on Sunday, accompanied by a big business delegation. Leading EU officials have also become increasingly concerned in recent years about whether the nature of China’s external interventions in Europe might represent a divide-and-rule strategy designed to undermine the collective interests of the continent. Borrell has even asserted that Beijing is a “systemic rival that seeks to promote an alternative model of governance” to that of Europe. The background to this is that Europe is becoming an increasingly important foreign policy focal point for Beijing, including its role as an economic market. China, a rising superpower, had, until recently at least, generally enjoyed growing influence across much of the continent. In the aftermath of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Brussels has therefore sought to unite the bloc around a stronger policy on China. Even on issues in which breakthroughs have been made with Beijing in recent years, such as the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, the “long grass” of Brussels has prevented ratification of the deal in the European Parliament owing to EU concerns about China’s behavior.
A central challenge for von der Leyen and Borrell, however, is the divisions within the 27-member bloc in their views on Beijing. It is too simplistic to refer to an East-West dichotomy on the continent in this respect, in part because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban favors strong ties with China.
Nonetheless, there are clear differences in outlook between the more hawkish Eastern European nations, such as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Lithuania, and Western counterparts, such as France, Spain, and Germany that do much more bilateral business with China. Perceptions of a divided EU have been publicly highlighted by several Chinese officials, including EU ambassador Fu Cong, who has questioned whether all 27 member states back the agenda set by Borrell and von der Leyen. He said: “Europe has not formulated a coherent policy toward China” and that it felt like “people quarreling with each other.”
The positions of Western European nations such as Germany and France are particularly problematic for Brussels given that both of them want to continue to engage extensively, economically, with China.
Berlin’s deep and longstanding business ties with Beijing are widely documented so it is no surprise that Scholz is more equivocal than von der Leyen and Borrell on the issue of China. However, what has surprised many people is the relatively soft stance adopted by French President Emmanuel Macron. During a joint visit to Beijing last year with von der Leyen, the French president, remarkably, took a business delegation that was estimated to number about 50, and deployed the language of economic reciprocity rather than de-risking.
Taking all of these things together, this challenging background explains why so many European eyes will be on Scholz’s latest visit to China. While Germany is walking a political and economic tightrope in terms of bilateral relations, overall EU relations with Beijing remain frozen and could yet go from bad to worse this year.
• Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

After 6 months of tragedy in Gaza, is there any hope of an end in sight?
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 13/2024
Eid Al-Fitr was a very sad occasion in Gaza this year, during which people mainly celebrated the fact that they had managed to survive the bloodiest war this tiny enclave has ever experienced — and it is no stranger to conflict and the deaths and devastation that come with it.
It is six months since the latest war began. Six months ago, I did not think we would reach this tragic landmark. Although the intensity of the fighting has lessened recently, still there is no end to it in sight, and the fear of regional escalation continues to loom.
At best, the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas that are taking place in Cairo might yield a temporary ceasefire and the release of 40 hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. But following the assassination this week of three of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s children and several of his grandchildren, the possibility of such a deal is an even more remote possibility. To say “at best” is not to belittle the importance of securing any cessation of hostilities during this devastating war, or the release of even some of the hostages; after all, it is the Gazan people and those from Israel taken captive by Hamas who are paying the price for the iniquitous decisions taken by their respective leaderships. This has always been the case throughout history: Those who are least to blame are those who suffer the most.
Whatever the leadership of Hamas hoped to achieve through the brutal and inexcusable manner of their Oct. 7 attacks remains a mystery.
Yet for all the understandable shock and trauma that Israel suffered on that fateful day, and the anger that followed and continues to linger, the response by the Israeli government was nothing short of a deadly lapse of judgment that cannot be justified, morally or ethically, and has been politically disastrous for the country. No one expected that Israel would not respond to the attacks by Hamas and go after the organization with great force, as the “casus belli,” or the provocation for war, was clear. However, instead of thinking strategically about an aftermath in which peace negotiations with the Palestinians were still possible, relationships with friends and allies were undamaged, regional stability was not jeopardized, and they had ensured that by the end of this extremely difficult episode the country would be more secure, politically ascendant and hold the moral high ground, but instead of all this a red mist descended on the entire country.
The anger and outrage among the people was understandable. But for those at the helm of government, and especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was not only anger and a thirst for vengeance that took over, there were also personal considerations about attempting to redeem themselves after a colossal failure to defend their people from being murdered or taken hostage, and recognition that only by continuing the war would they stand a chance of remaining in power. For some in the government, the primordial response of revenge coalesced with the political-ideological motivation of imposing a “new order” in Gaza, including building Jewish settlements there. There is only one way out of these dire straits and it is for alternative leaders to emerge who recognize that without peace and reconciliation, death and misery will continue to reign supreme. The devastating consequences to Gaza and its people are clear for all to see. Tens of thousands of people of all ages, most of them innocent civilians with no ties to militancy, have been killed. Many more are either already suffering from starvation or on the verge of it. Meanwhile, Israel is nowhere close to achieving its stated war objectives of “destroying Hamas” and bringing the hostages home, let alone bringing them home alive. Netanyahu continues to maintain that victory is within reach but given his credibility deficit there is hardly anyone, at home or abroad, who believes a word he utters. From the very beginning there was a complete misunderstanding of the consequences of a war between a state, especially one that defines itself as a liberal democracy, and a movement that is defined by armed resistance and an extremist ideology, with little consideration of, or sense of obligation to, international conventions, the rules of war or international humanitarian law.
Moreover, Israeli authorities fell into the trap set by Hamas. They overreacted, handing other forces in the region an opportunity to join the war against them and to radicalize the population in Gaza, particularly the young. They lost the initial sympathy and worldwide support they had enjoyed. They walked into this trap with their eyes wide open.
Israel has lost support even among its closest friends and allies. It stands accused in the International Court of Justice of genocide. Some countries have already imposed on it arms-supply bans. Relations with the US, its main ally and backer, are at an all-time low. And Israeli society is deeply polarized.
Not only is there no victory in sight but Israelis in the northern and southern parts of the country have had to evacuate their homes for security reasons during the past six months. Hamas does not seem ready to lay down its arms, and the hostages continue to languish in captivity.
And yet still there is hardly any reflection on the damage caused by Israel in conflating the culprits of Oct. 7 with the entire population of Gaza, either by treating them as collateral damage in the war against Hamas or, even worse, by judging them deserving of collective punishment.
A limited military operation, in terms of time and scope, with the required patience to target those behind the Oct. 7 attacks, one that avoided hurting the rest of the population in Gaza, would have enabled a more successful response, built trust with the local population for the day after the war, prevented the deterioration of regional security, and kept allies on side instead of alienating them.
Among the less rational members of Israel’s war Cabinet, there is a rejection of the notion that international support is crucial and that it depends upon adhering to standards of behavior in line with international humanitarian law. As a result, that support has evaporated, which has played right into the hands of Hamas but also provoked Iran and its proxies. As a result, Hamas is emboldened as it attempts to drive a harder bargain during the indirect negotiations with Israel, while Tehran, sensing Israel’s weakening position among its traditional allies, might yet retaliate with excessive force to the killing of Iranian military commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi in Damascus this month. After six months of war, with no end in sight, it is apparent that the damaging consequences of the conflict, the psychological as much as the material, will take many years to repair. Relations between the Israelis and the Palestinians have reached rock bottom and will not, cannot, return to their prewar, so-called status-quo. There is only one way out of these dire straits and it is for alternative leaders to emerge who recognize that without peace and reconciliation, death and misery will continue to reign supreme.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Program at international affairs think tank Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg

Israeli intelligence failed, but not for the reasons you think
Daoud KuttabArab News/April 13/2024
There is no doubt that the once-powerful, seemingly omnipotent Israeli intelligence services failed the country on Oct. 7. But the failures are not limited simply to the fact that they were unable to predict and prevent the attacks by Hamas; the biggest failure has been what has happened since then.
The first failure following the attacks was their inability to correctly survey and assess the likely results of a war on Gaza, in particular the ability to ensure the conflict would be a short one and would secure a decisive win.
Having seen the results of the attacks on Oct. 7, all that the Israeli intelligence services needed to do was listen to and analyze what the leaders of Hamas were saying at the time. Those leaders made it clear that they knew Israel would react harshly, and stated publicly that they were ready for all possible retaliatory action. It has not been publicly revealed whether the Israeli intelligence services were aware, or believed, that the Hamas leadership would be able to survive nearly six months of devastating war in Gaza. But if they did, and made any effort to warn the political leadership, it is clear that the Netanyahu administration paid little or no attention to it. Most likely, though, Israeli arrogance and exaggerated self-confidence blinded them to the benefits of adopting a cool, level-headed approach instead of diving into the heavily populated Gaza Strip and taking on what we now know to be a ready Palestinian resistance to the Israeli invaders. The failures of Israeli intelligence were also evident in the mistaken belief that if Gaza and its people were hit very hard militarily, Hamas would simply lay down its arms, release the hostages and surrender.
It is true that Palestinians did indeed leave their land and homes once before, in 1948, falsely believing that they could later return home. It is also true that Israel was able to defeat a coalition of Arab countries in six days in 1967. But the Israeli intelligence services clearly failed to see a major change among the Palestinian people in more modern times; they learned their lessons about the futility of ever leaving their homes, preferring to die there than become refugees for, in some cases, a second or third time. Simple historical research into the modus operandi and ideological beliefs and practices of fundamentalists in general, and Islamists in particular, would have revealed many examples of how extremists might react when under attack. All Israeli Jews needed to do, for example, was look to the historical example of the Jewish zealots who became trapped in the desert enclave of Masada in the 1st century. Unable to repel their attackers and under siege, these fundamentalists choose mass suicide rather than surrender. Similar examples of religious fundamentalists refusing to capitulate abound throughout history.
Therefore the idea, repeatedly stated by Israeli authorities and their supporters, that Hamas should simply surrender reflects a lack of understanding of the lessons of history and the ideological thinking of people who not only do not fear death but even welcome it in accordance with their ideological beliefs.
Israel's so-called 'defensive' war is in reality a war of revenge which quickly became an absolutely chaotic military operation. Another major failure of Israeli intelligence was the belief that the international narrative about the war could be controlled simply by preventing journalists from entering Gaza. The impact of social media, and the work of the Palestinian journalists inside Gaza, clearly did not factor into the Israeli calculus, and not even the systematic killing of journalists and the bombing of media offices, or attempts to cut internet connections to Gaza, could prevent damning reports and photographs getting out.
The inability to predict or control worldwide reactions to the war represents another major failing by Israeli authorities. As US Sen. Tim Kaine pointed out, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have succeeded initially in pulling the wool over the eyes of the Biden administration and many other world leaders. Eventually, however, they began to realize they were being taken for a ride by the smooth-talking Netanyahu and started to change course.
The initial carte blanche Israel was granted by its allies for its response to Oct. 7 remained in place for a while but eventually was withdrawn. Expecting that this wave of worldwide support from the media and politicians would continue indefinitely was a major error in judgment.
In fact, countries that once opposed recognition of Palestinian statehood are now ready to do so. Even the US, which repeatedly used its power of veto within the UN Security Council to block resolutions that Israel did not want in the aftermath of Oct. 7, eventually ran out of patience after continually going to bat for the country while its leaders continued to ignore, or even defy, advice from their allies in Washington. Of course, one should not lay all of the blame at the feet of the Israeli intelligence services. The failures that led to Oct. 7, coupled with the concerns of Netanyahu and his allies about loss of their political power — and in the case of the prime minister, possible jail time in the fraud and corruption cases he faces — appear to have resulted in Israel’s political leaders ignoring the advice of friends, allies and, most likely, their own intelligence services.
Netanyahu and his ultraright-wing, racist Cabinet have dug themselves into a big hole they are unable to get out of. The tragedy is that while they continue to attempt to do so, the military operations that they ordered continue to kill innocent Palestinians and others. This so-called “defensive” war is in reality a war of revenge and it quickly became an absolutely chaotic military operation with no goals that could realistically be achieved and no political horizon for what happens next, as Israeli authorities continue to go from one mistake to another without any coherent plan or proper, intelligent thinking. The most sane and smart advice from the intelligence services now should simply be a call for authorities to cut their political losses, and the human cost, by ending this ill-advised campaign in Gaza.
• Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and a director of Community Media Network.
X: @daoudkuttab

GCC-EU ties are improving, but obstacles remain
Christian Koch/Arab News/April 13/2024
Relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU are on a positive trajectory, in general. The points of contact between the two have intensified markedly in recent years on both the governmental and institutional levels, guided by a Strategic Partnership Document proposed by the EU in May 2022.
Europe has underlined its determination to play a stronger role in regional security by contributing to the deescalation of tensions in the wider Middle East, among other things. An example of this was the participation of 19 EU member states in the recent Aspides naval operation to help safeguard shipping in the Red Sea. The partnership agreement represents the key policy guidelines from the European side for enhancing its relationship with the GCC, with a focus on six main areas: trade and investment; the green transition and energy security; regional security and stability; humanitarian and developmental issues; governance, reform, and human rights; and institutional cooperation.
There has been particular improvement in the field of institutional relations over the past two years. In addition to the 27th GCC-EU Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting that took place in Muscat on Oct. 9-10 last year, the two sides reached an agreement on a number of other institutional mechanisms, including a work plan covering the years 2022 until 2027 that is continuously updated; a mechanism for regular, structured GCC-EU regional security dialogue, involving four working groups; and a high-level forum on regional security and cooperation to complement the work that is done during official GCC-EU meetings.
The first of the structured regional security talks took place in Riyadh in January, and a high-level forum will convene on April 22 in Luxembourg.
Other recent gatherings include the 31st meeting of the GCC-EU Joint Cooperation Committee, in February 2023; the 24th meeting of the Political Committee (January 2023); the 12th GCC-EU Macroeconomic Dialogue (November 2022); the fifth Trade and Investment Dialogue (March 2023); and the inaugural meeting of the GCC Aid and EU Services Committee (September 2023). In addition, the seventh GCC-EU Business Forum took place in November 2023 in Bahrain. During the past two years there has also been an increase in the number of official visits by high-level European officials to the Gulf, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; European Council President Charles Michel; and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who has, in fact, visited GCC member countries several times. Such high-level visits have become the norm rather than the exception, as was the case in the past. In addition, numerous EU commissioners have visited GCC countries to hold talks, highlighting a determination to build closer relations across a variety of policy issues. In return, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi has traveled to Brussels several times, most recently last month.
GCC-EU relations remain a work in progress, in which ties must continually be reassessed and adjusted.
In terms of fostering closer ties between the EU and GCC, the appointment of Luigi Di Maio, an Italian former foreign minister, as the new EU special representative for the Gulf region has been particularly important. Since taking up the position in June 2023, he has engaged with all sectors in the GCC, making it clear from day one that his first task was to listen to regional stakeholders, and gain their insights and perspectives, before deciding on a clear plan of action for the EU.
Writing in a regional newspaper in November, Di Maio wrote: “We can write the perfect strategy in Brussels, but we need to work together (on) how we can converge and execute our shared ambitions and priorities. The real point is now to prioritize with the countries of the GCC … a common map to go ahead.”
His approach has, on the whole, been well received within GCC states and, as a result, it can be argued that he has been able to overcome any initial skepticism about his appointment and gain a high degree of acceptance among Gulf policy leadership.
Closer institutional relations between the EU and GCC provide an important foundation for more substantive and broader ties. Equally relevant has been the EU’s acknowledgment of the active role the GCC states are playing in their neighborhood, characterizing them as “emerging players on the international stage,” and underlining their growing influence, regionally and globally.
As the Gulf experiences unparalleled levels of economic and societal change, combined with a volatile regional security climate, Europe must continue to acknowledge the new dynamics in play in the region or risk seeing its interests fail to receive proper consideration.
Regarding the war in Gaza, the initial position taken by European nations of unconditional support for Israel met with deep disappointment inside the GCC, leading to charges of hypocrisy, double standards, and moral failure, in particular when compared with the contrasting EU position on Ukraine.
Only as the Israeli onslaught in Gaza intensified and public protests across the continent increased did the European position begin to shift. Calls for an immediate ceasefire began to gain momentum by the end of last year, but some would argue this was too little, too late in terms of preventing the greater calamity of dragging the entire Middle East, once again, into a period of prolonged instability and uncertainty.
There is, therefore, a lot of work to be done. In terms of the current crisis in the Middle East, it is to be hoped that the upcoming EU-GCC high-level forum in Luxembourg will serve as a further step in developing a common plan of action for the two sides to follow.
Of equal importance, however, is progress on the many other issues contained in the Strategic Partnership Document, including the revitalization of EU-GCC Free Trade Area negotiations; the establishment of a dedicated EU-GCC expert group on energy and the climate; and an EU-GCC ministerial meeting on humanitarian assistance. Particular emphasis must be placed on increased mobility of Gulf residents at the youth, cultural and educational levels. This includes the provision by European nations of visa services for all GCC countries as soon as possible.
What all this suggests is that GCC-EU relations remain a work in progress, in which ties must continually be reassessed and adjusted according to the demands of changing circumstances.
There has, indeed, been a greater degree of convergence of late on key policy issues and the two sides have reiterated their shared interests in a wide variety of areas.
Yet, while a degree of momentum in cooperation between the GCC and EU has been apparent, there is at the same time a sense of deja vu, given the fact that numerous pronouncements in the past either failed to materialize in practice or did not live up to expectations.
Europe remains the partner of choice for GCC states in many domains. The more effective the ties between them, and the ways in which they can be structured, the more sustainable the relationship will prove to be.
*Christian Koch is director of research at the Gulf Research Center.