Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 27-28/2024
The student demonstrations in America are being orchestrated and funded by nefarious groups including the Iranian lobby, the Muslim Brotherhood, and elements of the leftist organizations/Elias Bejjani/April 27/2024
The anniversary of the Syrian army’s Withdrawal from Lebanon, scarring its humiliation, defeat and disappointment/Elias Bejjani/April 26, 2024'
Reports: Hochstein presents new proposal to Israeli officials
Hochstein’s Mission: Separate Gaza From Southern Lebanon
Samir Geagea denounces Hezbollah's role in South Lebanon, says Lebanese army alone can secure the borders
Gaps in Attendance Overshadow Lebanese Forces Opposition Meeting in Maarab
Lebanese Forces leader Geagea voices concern over ‘undesirable’ escalation in south
Southern Front: One Civilian Killed in Raid on Kfarchouba
South Lebanon: Shells Near Mays Al-Jabal Hospital
11 Wounded in Israeli Airstrike on Serbine
Israeli strike in Lebanon's Beqaa region kills Lebanese militants
Three people killed due to Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon
Mahfoud to LBCI: We are not against holding a unified exam for all Lebanese students
Lebanon's Cabinet adopts TNO report on Issam Abdallah's killing, seeks ICC intervention
French Foreign Minister in Beirut as violence between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies
French Foreign Minister Visits Beirut to Advance Diplomatic Efforts
Séjourné Arrives for His Second Visit to Lebanon
Negotiations and Internal Disputes Escalate Between Gaza and Lebanon Fronts in Israel
Will Berri Head to Paris?
Cabinet Session: A President, a Virtual Leader, and Fruit…What's the Story?
Lebanon moves towards accepting ICC jurisdiction for war crimes on its soil
Jerusalem, Through Peace, Not by the Sword/Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
Arabic & English reports covering the political meeting that was held today in Maarab to demand the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 27-28/2024
Bill Maher slams pro-Palestine protesters as ignorant, unemployed narcissists
Abbas, international leaders to hold Gaza talks in Riyadh this week
Hamas says it received Israel’s response to its ceasefire proposal
Ships from Turkiye planning to deliver aid to Gaza were denied right to sail
Gaza aid from Cyprus resumes after pause following aid worker killings, source says
UK officials decline to comment on reports that British troops may be asked with delivering Gaza aid
Hamas releases video of two hostages calling for Gaza deal
Top diplomat Blinken will visit the Mideast again this coming week. What can he achieve this time?
Gaza aid flotilla halted after vessels flag removed, activists say
Israeli foreign minister says hostage deal would defer Rafah operation
Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship to be released
Daughter of prominent Palestinian poet killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza
Iran to release crew members of seized Portugal-flagged ship
Four killed in attack on northern Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field, advisor to Iraqi Kurdish PM says
Alexey Navalny's death wasn't directly ordered by Putin, WSJ reports
China warns US not to step on its 'red lines'
Anti-war protesters dig in as some schools close encampments after reports of antisemitic activity
Russia Extends Requirement for Major Exporters to Convert Revenues into Rubles

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on April 27-28/2024
Iran Mullahs Speeding Up Nuclear Weapons Program: Anyone Interested?/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 27, 2024
Leading from the middle/Borge Brende/Arab News/April 27, 2024
Israel and Iran — between deterrence and destruction/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 27, 2024
Muslim world must take lead in encouraging a more moderate approach by the Taliban/Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Arab News/April 27, 2024
Cameron faces tough battle to repair his tarnished legacy/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 27, 2024
Denial or Punishment? The U.S.-Israel Debate About How Best to Deter Iran/Michael Eisenstadt/The Washington Institute/April 27/ 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 27-28/2024
The student demonstrations in America are being orchestrated and funded by nefarious groups including the Iranian lobby, the Muslim Brotherhood, and elements of the leftist organizations
Elias Bejjani/April 27/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/129236/129236/
The student demonstrations in America are being orchestrated and funded by nefarious groups including the Iranian lobby, the Muslim Brotherhood, and elements of the left. This revelation sheds light on the true nature of these protests, which aim to undermine American values and sow discord.
A glaring example of this manipulation is evident in a widely circulated image depicting a student protester brandishing a guitar while proudly displaying the flag of Iranian Hezbollah—an organization designated as a terrorist group in the United States. The irony is palpable; Iranian Hezbollah, known for its archaic beliefs that reject music and advocate violence, stands in stark contrast to the principles of freedom and tolerance cherished by American society.
These orchestrated demonstrations represent a clear affront to American culture and values. They serve as a false veneer of dissent, incapable of altering the realities of oppressive regimes like the criminal mullahs’ regime in Iran, the jihadist activities of Hamas, the terrorist actions of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the pervasive influence of Iranian aggression across the Middle East.
It is imperative that Americans remain vigilant against the insidious influence of these foreign actors and reject their attempts to subvert the democratic principles. The true spirit of America cannot be swayed by the machinations of those who seek to undermine it.

The anniversary of the Syrian army’s Withdrawal from Lebanon, scarring its humiliation, defeat and disappointment
Elias Bejjani/April 26, 2024'
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/129186/129186/
April 26, 2005, marks not just a commemoration but a pivotal moment signifying the end of a painful era that commenced in 1976 with the Syrian army's incursion into Lebanon, orchestrated by the Syrian dictator's insidious agenda to occupy and dominate Lebanon's decision-making processes. Today, the Lebanese people reflect on the withdrawal of the Assad regime's oppressive army from Lebanon. This retreat carried with it the weight of defeat, disappointment, and humiliation, brought about by the peaceful and civilized pressure of the Cedar Revolution and its allies, with both international and regional backing. However, the void left by the Syrian army has been filled by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a terrorist, sectarian, and expansionist group, perpetuating occupation, suppressing freedom, and subjugating sovereign leaders and citizens.
While the Syrian occupation was executed by a foreign force, the Iranian occupation unfortunately operates through a Lebanese entity, yet entirely beholden to the Iranian mullahs. Hezbollah and its master in Iran and since 1982, have relentlessly sought to dismantle the Lebanese state and replace it with one subservient to the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih. Consequently, the Iranian occupation, facilitated through Hezbollah, poses a greater threat than its Syrian predecessor. Every Lebanese individual committed to Lebanon's coexistence, message, and peace must reject this occupation and tirelessly strive to rid the nation of its shackles. Ultimately, good triumphs over evil, and as Lebanon embodies goodness while the occupiers represent malevolence, Lebanon will inevitably prevail, and all occupying forces are bound for defeat, disappointment, and humiliation.
The most perilous threat among the Syrian and Iranian occupiers, in terms of national, cultural, and future prospects, lies in those Lebanese who, in name only, exhibit ingratitude and hatred. These individuals, reminiscent of the Devil, the epitome of vileness, were once among the most beautiful angels but, through their denial of divine dignity, have fallen from grace into the abyss of hell.
Although the Syrian army withdrew on April 26, 2005, its intelligence apparatus, collaborators, and local mercenaries, under the banner of Hezbollah, persist in their treachery and deceit. They shamelessly contravene Lebanon and its people through coercion, assassination, invasion, hypocrisy, and all manner of criminal, terrorist, and mafia tactics to thwart the restoration of sovereignty, independence, and freedom. Lebanon, with its message of peace, sanctity, and civilization, remains an eternal flame against those who seek to harm it, relentlessly punishing any who dare violate the dignity, freedom, and identity of its people.
On this historic and patriotic day, let us solemnly remember the souls of our beloved homeland's martyrs, yearning for the return of our heroic refugees, despite their forced exile in Israel, and the release of our abducted compatriots languishing in the dungeons of the criminal Assad regime.
In conclusion, sacred Lebanon will endure and triumph despite all tribulations, guarded by angels and embraced by Virgin Mary, who nurtures and safeguards it with her, prayers, intercessions, tenderness and love.

Reports: Hochstein presents new proposal to Israeli officials
Naharnet/April 27, 2024
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on Friday and might visit Beirut to discuss the possibility of “containing the situations on the border with Lebanon, which has recently witnessed a major escalation,” informed sources told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Saturday. According to media reports, Hochstein submitted a new proposal for ending the Israel-Hezbollah escalation during a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The informed sources meanwhile told al-Akhbar that Hochstein is “trying to return everyone to the rules of engagement, amid a U.S. belief that calm in Lebanon will not be achieved before reaching a major agreement that involves Gaza.”

Hochstein’s Mission: Separate Gaza From Southern Lebanon
Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
Everyone in Beirut is anticipating the visit of Amos Hochstein, top advisor to US President Joe Biden, who recently traveled to Israel to continue discussing ceasefire specifics in southern Lebanon and reach a long-term solution based on United Nations Resolution 1701. Based on recent information, Hochstein is once again attempting to separate the trajectory of the war in Gaza from that in southern Lebanon. While he has made significant progress in Israel, he remains doubtful about achieving similar success in Lebanon, particularly with Hezbollah. The pro-Iranian party insists on tying any ceasefire along the southern border to a ceasefire in Gaza. Only then can discussions begin regarding arrangements for southern Lebanon, provided the issue of Hezbollah’s arsenal’s fate is left unaddressed, as it is considered non-negotiable. Some reports relay that both the Americans and Israelis have embraced this strategy, seeing any long-term solution along the Lebanese Israeli border as paralyzing Hezbollah’s arms, rendering it worthless both at military and strategic levels. Furthermore, the Americans have noticed some changes among Lebanese officials. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati is at the forefront, as he is now convinced of the need to separate the trajectory of the war in Lebanon from that in Gaza. He believes that Lebanon’s losses across various levels, coupled with the pressure from the presence of displaced Syrians, require that Lebanon be placed on the path to recovery. This entails ending the war, electing a president and forming a new government to tackle all internal crises. Reportedly, Mikati has communicated this position to Hezbollah, but the pro-Iranian group has rejected it. Moreover, Hochstein will once again convey to the Lebanese, both during his visit to Beirut and through communication with various officials, that the US will support Lebanon if the separation of the two war fronts is approved. The US will primarily focus on boosting the level of aid, both American and non-American, to the Lebanese army (LAF). In addition, Washington holds the authority to provide its partners, including the UK, the European Union and Arab countries, with the green light to secure almost a billion dollars to aid the army and empower it to procure the necessary resources and equipment for strong deployment in southern Lebanon.
However, Hochstein will also issue additional warnings about missing the opportunity to end the war in the South, which may be available now. Failing to do so could lead to further deterioration, translating into a comprehensive Israeli war against Lebanon, the consequences of which nobody, neither in Lebanon nor in Israel, knows.

Samir Geagea denounces Hezbollah's role in South Lebanon, says Lebanese army alone can secure the borders
LBCI/April 27/2024
The Head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, considered that "the Axis of Resistance is attempting to hinder any positivity towards Lebanon." During a meeting held in Maarab under the title "1701: Defending Lebanon," he added: "We are experiencing economic difficulties while state institutions are deteriorating."He said, "Presidential and municipal elections have been obstructed, and Lebanon's problem today lies in the existence of a state within the state, seizing decisions and facilitating smuggling through illegal crossings, which the killers of Pascal Sleiman passed through to Syria."He mentioned that there are approximately 15 to 25 illegal crossings without any state control, adding: "Pascal Sleiman's body went through one of these crossings."Samir Geagea indicated that "obstructing presidential elections has hindered constitutional institutions." On another note, Geagea pointed out that "military operations in southern Lebanon began with a decision from Hezbollah alone and did not assist Gaza in anything."He pointed out that supporting the Palestinian cause is crucial in the region, but it is important to distinguish genuine support from exploitation. Additionally, Geagea held the caretaker government fully responsible for what was happening in southern Lebanon. He further stated: "Hezbollah justifies its presence by claiming to defend Lebanon, contrary to what is evident [...] after the destruction in the south. The party's continued presence could expose our southern borders to infiltration and our southern areas to danger."He believed that "Hezbollah is unable to defend Lebanon, and the solution is for the Lebanese army to be deployed to every point where 'the party' is present, with the latter withdrawing inland as a first step."

Gaps in Attendance Overshadow Lebanese Forces Opposition Meeting in Maarab
LBCI/April 27/2024
The Lebanese Forces sought, through the meeting in Maarab, which it described as a national gathering, to rally opposition forces under the banner of Resolution 1701 in defense of Lebanon. However, the attendance was not entirely complete. Apologies accumulated over the past twenty-four hours, with Deputy Marwan Hamadeh absent, who was supposed to attend personally, and none of the Kataeb deputies were present, represented instead by Vice President Michel Khoury and former Minister Elie Marouni. From the Tajadod bloc, only deputies Fouad Makhzoumi and Ashraf Rifi attended, along with three independent deputies. The Change MPs were also absent, with Waddah Sadek attending on behalf of the three Change MPs alliance, and former Minister Alice Shabtini represented former President Michel Sleiman. "Because we fear the worst in the South, we have convened to discuss how to confront the dangers there," said the head of the Lebanese Forces at the beginning of the meeting, especially since reports speak of escalation and threats, questioning how Hezbollah could defend Lebanon and confront Israel after everything that has happened. In their concluding statement, the participants directed a call to the caretaker government and its Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, to fully implement Resolution 1701 and to deter any aggression on Lebanese sovereignty that Israel might consider. The Maraab meeting was not aimed at establishing a national front, according to Lebanese Forces sources, but rather at rallying opposition forces around a central point, manifested in rejecting linking Lebanon and its southern arena to any other arena. The meeting does not preclude holding any other meetings that serve the same purpose.''

Lebanese Forces leader Geagea voices concern over ‘undesirable’ escalation in south
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/April 27, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea warned on Saturday that violent escalation in southern Lebanon could lead to an “undesirable situation.”His remarks came amid the increase in clashes on the southern front, expanding a domestic rift set against Hezbollah’s support for Hamas in Gaza.
Hezbollah’s opponents accuse it of “usurping” the power to make peace and war from the Lebanese state. Many are demanding the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, adopted during the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which explicitly empowers the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese Army to maintain peace along the so-called Blue Line demarcating the border with Israel.
BACKGROUND
The border between Lebanon and Israel has seen near-daily exchanges of fire since the Israel- Hamas war in Gaza began nearly seven months ago. Geagea was speaking at a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Maarab, which included MPs from the Lebanese Forces, independent politicians, and opposition figures. The meeting concluded with a warning that “weapons outside state institutions are a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and a blatant attack on the security of the Lebanese people and must be immediately withdrawn.”The participants called on the government to “enforce Resolution 1701 and immediately issue orders to deploy the Lebanese Army under the Litani Line in the south and on the entire border, enhance border control with Syria, and implement the agreement on the return of refugees to their country.”Geagea condemned “the presence of a state within the state that confiscates decision-making and facilitates smuggling through illegal crossings.” He pointed out that “a certain group in Lebanon holds onto power and refuses to consider any resolutions. The latest problem is the military operations in southern Lebanon, which began with a decision from Hezbollah alone.”
He asked: “How can Hezbollah call for internal dialogue on the presidency of the republic while avoiding talks with the Lebanese people about dragging them into the war?” Geagea said that Hezbollah “claims that the military operations are aimed at supporting Gaza, but events in southern Lebanon have not helped Gaza in any way but rather has only caused devastation for Lebanon.”He cautioned: “Things are escalating, and we cannot remain spectators to what is happening.”
Geagea pointed out that “the data indicates that if the Lebanese Army deploys to all the points where Hezbollah is present in southern Lebanon, the danger will end, so what is the government waiting for to take action? The people of the south are paying the price for the presence of an Iranian military arm on the borders of Israel.”On Saturday, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, warned that a ceasefire in the south would help Israel, adding that “the ceasefire initiative in southern Lebanon will not be viable if it does not begin with a ceasefire in Gaza.”This came against the backdrop of fears that full-blown war with Israel may break out, and amid US and French diplomatic efforts to avoid escalation, with both Hezbollah and the Israeli military having violated the rules of engagement and expanded hostilities deep into each other’s territory. Qassem addressed the Israeli minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, “who wants settlers to return to their homes in the north,” saying: “War cannot make the residents of the north return to their homes. It will drive them further away and may permanently prevent their return.”He added: “Expanding the aggression against Lebanon complicates their lives further.”
Qassem said: “Hezbollah decided to respond to the Israeli aggression proportionally, ensuring that any expansion of the Israeli attacks will be met with an expanded response. This is a firm decision.”Qassem addressed those opposing linking the Lebanese southern front to the Gaza Strip front, saying that Hezbollah’s support for the Gaza Strip “disrupted present and future Israeli military plans in Palestine and Lebanon.”
He added: “The advantages go beyond supporting Gaza and protecting Lebanon and include forming a real deterrent force able to face Israel and prevent it from overstepping the boundaries.”Hezbollah also announced in a statement that it targeted “new positions of the Israeli soldiers west of the Shomera settlement on Saturday, causing direct hits.”On Friday night it struck “the Haboushit site and the headquarters of the Hermon Brigade in the Maale Golani barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets.”The escalation came after an Israeli military drone targeted a car deep into western Bekaa, killing two Al-Fajr Forces commanders, identified as Musab Said Khalaf and Bilal Mohammed Khalaf. The Israeli military claimed Musab Khalaf had activated numerous “terrorist activities against Israel from Lebanese territory toward Jabal Er Rouss area (Har Dov) and other areas recently, in cooperation with Hamas in Lebanon, and has coordinated and carried out terrorist attacks against Israel.”It said that his elimination “aimed at striking the organization’s capabilities in carrying out terrorist attacks planned recently against the State of Israel on the northern border.”The Israeli military also fired heavy artillery shells on Lebanese border towns, especially Kfarchouba and Shebaa in the Aarqoub area and on the outskirts of the town of Tayr Harfa. These attacks resulted in the killing of Lebanese civilian Qassem Asaad and the destruction of some homes and property in Kfarchouba. The Israeli military said warplanes hit “Hezbollah facilities in the Jabal Al-Rihane area and Kfarkela.”Hezbollah announced the death of one of its members, Rafay Fayez Hassan, 50, from the town of Khiam, who was killed in the shelling on Kfarkela.

Southern Front: One Civilian Killed in Raid on Kfarchouba
This Is Beirut /27 Apr 2024
Israel pursued its air strikes on southern Lebanon from Friday night until Saturday morning. Hezbollah announced in a statement on Saturday morning that its fighter Rafi Fayez Hassan “Nasser Ali” (born in 1974) was killed in an Israeli raid on the town of Khiam. Around midnight on Friday, Israeli warplanes carried out two raids with heavy missiles on Kfarchouba and Shebaa in the Arkoub region. The Kfarchouba raid resulted in the death of civilian Kassem Asaad and destroyed two houses. This comes after two members of Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese Islamist group with close ties to Palestinian Hamas, were killed in an Israeli drone strike on Friday which targeted their car on the Meidoun road in western Bekaa. The individuals killed were identified as Mossaab Khalaf and Bilal Khalaf. The Israeli army had stated that “the Jamaa Islamiya terrorist organization recently planned and promoted a large number of terror attacks from Lebanese territory against Israel in the area of Har Dov, as well as additional areas in northern Israel.”

South Lebanon: Shells Near Mays Al-Jabal Hospital
This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
The area around the government hospital in Mays al-Jabal was targeted early Saturday evening by Israeli artillery bombardment. No casualties were reported. Simultaneously, thermal balloons were launched on wooded areas, causing a fire. In addition, Israeli raids targeted Qouzah, where a house on the outskirts of the village was hit. Ambulances were dispatched to the scene in search of any wounded. Israeli artillery also targeted the outskirts of Yarine, Jebbayn, Dhayra, Blida and Mays al-Jabal. Earlier on Saturday, Bayt Lif was targeted by an Israeli raid. For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had attacked Israeli military positions west of the settlement of Shomera. On the Israeli side, the army announced that “Israeli warplanes bombed a Hezbollah military installation in Rihan and a military building in Kfar Kila.”According to Israeli media, rocket fire from Lebanon towards the Galilee panhandle was reported. Similarly, a suspicious body was intercepted in the skies over Manara in the Galilee, while alarm sirens sounded repeatedly in several settlements in northern Israel. An Israeli army official was quoted by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation as saying that “the way out of the Hezbollah trap is escalation, with a view to appeasement” later.

11 Wounded in Israeli Airstrike on Serbine
This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
On Saturday evening, an Israeli airstrike targeted a house in Serbine, resulting in 11 reported injuries. According to initial reports, the injured include nine Lebanese citizens and two Syrian nationals. Ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene following reports of casualties among the local population.

Israeli strike in Lebanon's Beqaa region kills Lebanese militants
Reuters/April 27/2024
An Israeli strike in Lebanon's Beqaa region has killed two members of a Lebanese militant group that has fired rockets across the southern border at Israel, the group said on Friday. Israel's military said in a statement on Friday that its air force "struck and eliminated Mosab Khalaf in the area of Meidoun in Lebanon," saying he was a member of the Jama'a Islamiya group and had carried out attacks against Israel. In a statement, the Jama'a Islamiya said two of its field commanders - Khalaf and relative of his - were killed in the strike. A security source in Lebanon confirmed that Khalaf was a local official in the group's armed wing, the Fajr forces. The group has previously fired rockets at Israel. It was the first time Israel has confirmed having targeted a member of the Jama'a Islamiya in Lebanon, although more than a dozen members of the group have been killed in strikes in Lebanon, including targeting members of Palestinian faction Hamas in Lebanon.

Three people killed due to Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon
AFP/April 27/2024
Three people were killed, including two Hezbollah fighters, in Israeli strikes targeting several towns in southern Lebanon overnight, according to the party and the official National News Agency on Saturday. Hezbollah has intensified its targeting of military sites since the beginning of last week amid tensions between Israel and its supporter Tehran following the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in early April. Hezbollah mourned the deaths of two of its fighters from the towns of Kfar Kila and Khiam in separate statements, saying that each one "rose as a martyr on the path to Jerusalem," a phrase the group uses to praise its members killed by Israeli fire since the escalation across the border amid the Gaza war. The National News Agency reported that "Israeli warplanes carried out two strikes on the towns of Kfar Shuba and Shebaa" early on Saturday, resulting in the death of a civilian in Kfar Shuba. Several towns in southern Lebanon were hit by Israeli strikes in recent hours, causing damage to homes and property, according to the National News Agency. Hezbollah announced in a statement on Saturday that it targeted "newly established positions of enemy soldiers" west of Shomera in northern Israel. This followed its attack on two military sites with dozens of Katyusha rockets the day before, which was in response to an Israeli strike that targeted two military leaders from the 'Islamic Group' in the western Beqaa region. The Beqaa region, located in eastern Lebanon, is far from the areas affected by the ongoing Israeli bombing since the escalation. The Israeli military said that it ''carried out the strike against a 'prominent terrorist' in the Islamic Group who had 'conducted numerous attacks' against Israel.''

Mahfoud to LBCI: We are not against holding a unified exam for all Lebanese students
LBCI/April 27/2024
Head of the Private Schools Teachers Syndicate Nehme Mahfoud considered that "there is a political decision in the country being made," adding that it is not he who makes decisions. He said: "We acted based on the Minister of Education's decision and we do not object to conducting a unified exam for all students in Lebanon."He added: "We care about the students in the southern region."He stated in an interview on LBCI’s “Nharkom Said” TV show, "We are not against [holding] a unified exam for all students in Lebanon, but it must be at a certain level."He pointed out that "we were not invited to any meeting on Monday," and asked the Minister of Education "to invite the Teachers' Syndicate, teacher associations, and the examining committees to discuss the curriculum that should be included in the unified exam." He blamed the Minister of Education for not inviting the committees for a meeting on Monday since "educators are the ones who make decisions about school subjects, not politicians."

Lebanon's Cabinet adopts TNO report on Issam Abdallah's killing, seeks ICC intervention
LBCI/April 27/2024
After caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makary suggested adopting the "Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)" report on the killing of photojournalist Issam Abdallah, the Cabinet made the decision to officially incorporate it into complaints submitted to international organizations by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, they decided to submit a request to the International Criminal Court to accept its jurisdiction to investigate all crimes committed by Israel against journalists, paramedics, and civil defense volunteers.

French Foreign Minister in Beirut as violence between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies
Nada Maucourant Atallah/The National/Apr 26, 2024
The French Foreign Minister is set to visit Lebanon on Saturday as violence between Israel and Hezbollah along the border intensifies. This is Stephane Sejourne's second visit in the region since February, as part of a western diplomatic push to de-escalate tension on the frontier.
It comes a week after French President Emmanuel Macron's meeting with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati and army chief Joseph Aoun in Paris. “There is renewed momentum for diplomacy on the Lebanese front as the focus has now shifted away from the Iran-Israel escalation,” a western diplomatic source told The National.
France wants to 'preserve' Lebanon: Diplomacy should prevail, says envoy
Iran's unprecedented attack on Israeli soil, in retaliation for a deadly attack on the Iran consulate in Damascus, had sparked fears of regional escalation of the Gaza war. Though Israel's measured retaliation, to which Iran said it has no plans to respond, has soothed fears of a conflagration, tension continues to rise on the Lebanese border. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied with Hamas, has escalated its attacks. This month alone saw the highest Israeli casualties reported in a single attack as well as Hezbollah's deepest strike into Israel. “There is a surge in violence on the Israel- Lebanese front the past 10 days,” the diplomatic source said. Israel has set a deadline of September for tens of thousands of evacuees to return safely to their homes near the northern border, as it is currently impossible due to Hezbollah, a much stronger militia than Hamas, holding positions a few metres away on the other side of the border. “Such a deadline means there's a risk of war in the summer if a diplomatic solution is not found.”Israel has repeatedly threatened a full-scale war if Hezbollah does not move its forces away from the border. Mr Sejourne is set to meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Mr Mikati and Mr Aoun.
French proposal
France in February presented to Lebanese authorities the first written proposal to end border hostilities. The US is also leading a separate initiative spearhead by its envoy Amos Hochstein, who mediated a maritime deal between the two countries.
France is a former colonial power that has maintained a strong influence over the small Mediterranean country. The plan proposes the withdrawal of certain Hezbollah elements along the border to facilitate the safe return of displaced Israelis. In exchange, Israel would cease air and artillery strikes within Lebanon, and, ultimately, halt its flights over Lebanese territory. The Lebanese Armed Forces would be deployed to the area to ensure the creation and maintenance of a buffer zone. Lebanon and Israel would then resume negotiations on delimiting the 13 disputed points along the border. “The main lines remain unchanged, only details are being discussed,” the diplomatic source said. Hezbollah has repeatedly said that there will be no talks to end border hostilities without a ceasefire in Gaza. Diplomatic sources suggest that the French initiative in Lebanon is only intended to lay the groundwork for negotiations once a ceasefire is reached. Peace talks are at a complete standstill as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to soon launch an offensive into Rafah, the southern Gazan city where more than one million displaced Palestinians are estimated to be sheltering. Hezbollah opened a front on the Israel-Lebanon border to divert Israel's military capabilities away from its operations in Gaza on October 8. Since then, at least 382 people have been killed in Lebanon, including dozens of civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israel says 11 soldiers and nine civilians have been killed on its side of the border.

French Foreign Minister Visits Beirut to Advance Diplomatic Efforts
LBCI/April 27/2024
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has arrived in Beirut for the second time this year to continue French efforts, which are running parallel to US endeavors, aimed at calming tensions along the Lebanese border with Israel. The French initiative, introduced last February, aims to establish a diplomatic pathway to prevent any escalation towards a broader war between Lebanon and Israel. Discussions in Paris are currently adjusting the contents of the initiative to align with recent developments before it is delivered to Lebanon soon. Before its delivery, Lebanon will be briefed on the details of the initiative through meetings with Séjourné in Beirut, which will include the Speaker of Parliament, the Caretaker Prime Minister, the Caretaker Foreign Minister, and the Army Commander. This visit follows the meeting between Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris last week at the Élysée Palace. The French initiative may reach Lebanon in the coming phase through envoys rather than directly through the French Foreign Minister. It includes three stages to de-escalate tensions on the southern front: In the first stage, there will be a cessation of military operations by both sides, in exchange for a halt to Israeli air violations of Lebanese sovereignty. The second stage involves the formation of a monitoring committee to ensure the implementation of Resolution 1701, which may include France, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon. This stage also entails the withdrawal of what the initiative terms "armed groups," notably Hezbollah, 10 kilometers from the border, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL along this border.The third stage aims to address disputes between the two countries regarding disputed geographical points. While Séjourné's next stop after Beirut will not be Tel Aviv but Riyadh, the French Foreign Minister's plane will return him to Israel at the conclusion of his Middle East tour, with the focus being on the border with Lebanon.

Séjourné Arrives for His Second Visit to Lebanon
This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné arrived this evening at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport on a private plane for his second visit to Lebanon since assuming his duties at the French Foreign Ministry. The French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, welcomed the French minister and his accompanying delegation. The French minister will hold talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.
In February 2024, the French Minister began visiting Lebanon as part of his first regional tour. He arrived in Beirut at the end of his visit to Israel, where he discussed developments of the war in Gaza and southern Lebanon. He also met with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun.

Negotiations and Internal Disputes Escalate Between Gaza and Lebanon Fronts in Israel
LBCI/April 27/2024
In Israel, negotiations seeking calm are shifting between the fronts of the South with Gaza and the North with Lebanon, accompanied by escalating internal disagreements. On the Gaza front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed reservations about the Egyptian proposal for a prisoner exchange deal, insisting on exploring a comprehensive deal. This stance has led a government official to accuse Netanyahu of obstructing this deal. Netanyahu's position has contributed to increasing Israeli disagreements, especially as it contradicts the stance of security agencies that have approved the Egyptian proposal and have received support from several ministers and members of the security cabinet. Amid growing rifts with Netanyahu, cabinet members Benny Gantz, Yoav Gallant, and Gadi Eisenkot have called for direct communication with Tel Aviv's delegation to the negotiations, expressing distrust in the Prime Minister's information. The three, along with security agencies, are striving towards progress in a prisoner exchange deal, while Netanyahu fears the end of his government if implemented in exchange for delaying the Rafah operation. These disputes themselves pose obstacles to progress in the deal, despite positive negotiations for the release of thirty-three prisoners in exchange for halting the Rafah operation, not the war initially. While awaiting progress on the Rafah front, negotiations or war, the northern borders with Lebanon remain in focus. President Biden's advisor, Amos Hochstein, who made a fleeting visit to Israel, discussed the US proposal for a settlement on the border with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Security officials have ruled out diplomatic progress in negotiations with Beirut amid escalating Israeli threats to intensify attacks on southern Lebanon, given that the security cabinet rejects discussing a war plan against Lebanon.

Will Berri Head to Paris?
This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
A former minister reportedly said that if Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accepts French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to visit Paris, it would constitute a major breakthrough for Lebanon to negotiate a way out of the crisis. A source close to Ain el-Tineh also reported that Berri’s visit to Paris could take place around mid-May. In addition, Western diplomatic sources indicate that, following a Franco-American agreement on the management of the Lebanese crisis, Macron is considering a visit to Lebanon, armed with two proposals: one to resolve the Syrian migrant crisis, and the other to facilitate and accelerate the election of a president.

Cabinet Session: A President, a Virtual Leader, and Fruit…What's the Story?
LBCI/April 27/2024
In a recent session of Lebanon's Cabinet, an unusual mix of elements caught the attention of participants. Amid discussions on pressing national issues, a symbolic gesture by Caretaker Minister of Agriculture Abbas Hajj Hassan, introduced a refreshing touch—fresh bananas and apples, offered as hospitality to colleagues. However, the most intriguing presence was that of a "virtual president," brought to life through artificial intelligence (AI) technology spearheaded by Caretaker Minister of Tourism Walid Nassar. Three key questions were posed to this virtual head of state. Firstly, regarding the adoption of meritocracy over sectarian quotas in public administration hiring practices. The virtual president emphasized the necessity of policies that prioritize transparency and fairness in job processes, while also promoting civil participation and bolstering the Lebanese University. The second inquiry focused on implementing clear mechanisms to combat corruption and prevent the shielding of corrupt individuals. The virtual president suggested the need to revise financial and banking laws to suit the current economic collapse, alongside enhancing oversight of the banking sector.
Lastly, addressing the Syrian refugee crisis was posed as the final question. The virtual president emphasized a multifaceted strategy based on coordination between Lebanon and the international community, combating illegal infiltration, registering refugees, and conducting a study on Lebanon's absorptive capacity.
The use of the term "virtual president" was met with criticism from Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who emphasized that the president should represent the nation, suggesting an alternative title. This event highlights AI's resurgence within Lebanon's most critical governmental institutions, suggesting hope that this technology can be leveraged to develop scientific and effective solutions to pressing challenges.

Lebanon moves towards accepting ICC jurisdiction for war crimes on its soil
Reuters/Sat, April 27, 2024
(Reuters) - Lebanon has moved towards accepting the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction to prosecute violations on Lebanese territory since October, in what Human Rights Watch said on Saturday was a "landmark step" towards justice for war crimes. Lebanon has accused Israel of repeatedly violating its sovereignty and committing breaches of international law over the last six months, during which the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have traded fire across Lebanon's southern border in parallel with the Gaza War. That cross-border shelling has killed at least 70 civilians, including children, rescue workers and journalists, among them Reuters visuals reporter Issam Abdallah, who was killed by an Israeli tank on Oct. 13, a Reuters investigation found. Lebanon's caretaker cabinet voted on Friday to instruct the foreign affairs ministry to file a declaration with the ICC accepting the court's jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes committed on Lebanese territory since Oct. 7. The decree also instructed the foreign ministry to include in its complaints about Israel to the United Nations a report prepared by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), an independent research institute.
That report looked specifically into Abdallah's killing, and was produced by examining shrapnel, flak jackets, a camera, tripod and a large piece of metal that were gathered by Reuters from the scene, as well as video and audio material. Neither Lebanon nor Israel are members of the ICC, which is based in The Hague. But filing a declaration to the court would grant it jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute relevant crimes in a particular period. Ukraine has twice filed such declarations, which allowed for the court to investigate alleged Russian war crimes. "The Lebanese government has taken a landmark step toward securing justice for war crimes in the country," said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, urging the foreign minister to "swiftly" formalise the move by filing a declaration to the ICC. "This is an important reminder to those who flout their obligations under the laws of war that they may find themselves in the dock," Fakih said.

Jerusalem, Through Peace, Not by the Sword
Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/April 27/2024
In the “low-intensity war” it has been waging since October 8 against Israel in support of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah has officially mourned the deaths of 273 of its men. But up until now, these sacrifices have not earned the party any gains, and their impact on what is happening in Gaza is almost nil. On the other hand, they have resulted in enormous and equally pointless destruction in southern Lebanon. Lebanon is divided over this war, which risks destroying the country if it escalates. Hezbollah and the Amal movement see it, in the absence of any questionable military impact, as a “moral duty,” a gesture of essential solidarity toward the Palestinian cause and Gaza. But within these Shiite groups, reliable sources claim that opinions are divided on its suitability. On the ground, each “mission order” is seen as a game of Russian roulette due to the Israeli army’s aerial superiority. It systematically eliminates the leaders of the pro-Iranian group, its observation and surveillance means and the coordination on the ground of its drones and artillery. This is why some Hezbollah leaders would like to expand the conflict in order to inflict decisive losses on Israel with the most sophisticated weapons at their disposal, which could have, in Israel’s eyes, a deterrent value. But this reasoning is clearly flawed, as a devastating bombardment of Israel by medium-range rockets will inevitably result in the devastation of Lebanon as well.
In any case, even if some Lebanese among those who defend Hezbollah’s involvement in the war between Tel Aviv and Hamas recognize the value of the “moral duty” invoked by Hezbollah, many believe that this “duty” could have been expressed differently—without causing unnecessary deaths and incalculable destruction. This is notably the opinion among Christians, particularly within the Free Patriotic Movement founded by former President Michel Aoun, who sealed an agreement with the pro-Iranian group in 2006. According to reliable sources, General Aoun, speaking privately on this issue, essentially believes that “we are heading towards a decisive battle” and that “the United States will not allow Hamas to emerge victorious from the war.” “Lebanon has no interest, in the negotiations that will follow, in standing with the vanquished,” he reportedly emphasized.
But in any case, where will all these deaths, and especially those of Hezbollah fighters, be placed in the national memory if Lebanon wants to remain true to its historical vocation? Some answers to this delicate question have just been provided by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in a lengthy interview with Vatican News on the war in Gaza and the immense drama it has caused in an Israel that it has divided in two.
For the bishop, the war in Gaza has changed and will change all the peoples of this country and all the people in positions of responsibility. “No one can claim to remain the same” after this monstrous conflict, asserts the Latin Patriarch, for whom the two-state solution seems increasingly inevitable and will come not through a solution imposed from above, but “through an outcome coming from the grassroots level,” from the people involved, through a “slow and exhausting” but irreplaceable process of rapprochement.
“In this sense,” emphasizes the Latin Patriarch, “I believe that it is also necessary to examine the Christian narrative, which, as I have said, can only be reborn from an awareness of what truly constitutes our identity, always starting from reality, concrete experience, the reality of our faith. (…) In the past, our presence was manifested by the construction of churches, schools, hospitals. Today, we are no longer called to build structures, but relationships: relationships with our ‘others,’ knowing that we are their ‘others.'”
These suggestions can and should be applied here, and the churches must grasp their essence. After this conflict, they will be called not to stop building structures but to undergo a spiritual revolution that will transform them into “relationship specialists” with others, facilitators of friendship among peoples, in the spirit of service and in fidelity to the Gospel.
For Cardinal Pizzaballa, “There is no need for big speeches, just sharing a meal, a drink together can break down the walls that separate us. A dinner together can do more than a conference or a document on inter-religious dialogue.”
The reconquest of Jerusalem, the “City of Peace,” must be through peace, not through the sword. We are no longer in the time of the Crusades. The consciousness of history has made progress since the Middle Ages. It is not on the corpses of 50,000 dead and 100,000 wounded that the Islamic world, whether Shiite or Sunni, must bridge the distance that separates it from Jerusalem, but through a peace agreement between religions, which Pope Francis is painstakingly building. The Pope is currently preparing a trip to Indonesia, the world’s largest Islamic nation, in the spirit of the Abu Dhabi Declaration (2019). A declaration co-signed by the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayyeb. All the churches are now concerned with this transformation and exclusivity, becoming inclusive. It is no longer enough to lecture Hezbollah every Sunday, reminding them that they are acting outside the constitutional rules freely chosen by the Lebanese. These Lebanese who fall “on the road to Jerusalem” are not strangers but compatriots. To the “moral duty” for which they were pushed to sacrifice their lives, the Church is called to respond with the duty of charity to spiritually care for them and to reiterate that vengeance will only strengthen the camp of their killers, and that the future, sooner or later, lies in mutual forgiveness.

Arabic & English ٌreports covering the political meeting that was held today in Maarab to demand the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.
27 نيسان/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/129245/129245/
LCCC Website/موقع المنسقية

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 27-28/2024
Bill Maher slams pro-Palestine protesters as ignorant, unemployed narcissists
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News/April 27, 2024
Bill Maher isn’t mincing words when it comes to pro-Palestine protesters, who have been demonstrating across the country this week amid the months-long war in Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of Israeli civilians. In Friday night’s “New Rule” segment of HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” the Emmy Award winner dubbed such demonstrators as unemployed and self-involved, claiming their “activism merges with narcissism.”“Yes, I’m sure there are injustices on both sides in the Middle East, as there are injustices all over the world, but I’m going to be late for work!” he said, referencing protesters who have blocked highways and bridges. “(Work is) something you protesters on the bridge seem to have the luxury of not having to worry about, which seems kind of privilege-y.”“I’m not saying there aren’t sincere passions about Gaza, especially among people from the region, but social justice warriors? For a lot of them, it seems like it’s more about the warrior-ing than about whatever the cause is,” he added. “If it makes you feel good to cosplay as revolutionaries, knock yourself out, burn yourself out. Just don’t drag Gaza into it,” the “Religulous” star said, before suggesting protesters ask themselves, “Why do I care so much about this particular cause?”“North Korea starves its people. China puts them in concentration camps. Myanmar brutalizes the Rohingya. .. Nothing?” Maher said, adding that pro-Palestinian protesters don’t seem to have “the slightest idea what kind of fundamentalist a–holes they’re supporting — Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, the Iranian revolutionary guard.”Maher also attempted to correct the belief that genocide is what’s transpiring in the Gaza war, when in fact it’s Hamas who wants to “wipe out an entire people.” He then went on to compare the protesters to former President Donald Trump, “who’s always pretending that he’s all about the cause of making America great again when, plainly, he’s simply history’s greatest attention w—e. He’s always finding some new injustice, from Obama’s birth certificate to rigged elections, learning nothing about it and making it personal.”
“So chew on that, my warrior friends,” Maher concluded his monologue. As of Saturday, the death toll from Israel’s counter-offensive in Gaza has risen to more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, though the count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hamas on Saturday announced it was reviewing a new Israel proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, which would include a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners.

Abbas, international leaders to hold Gaza talks in Riyadh this week
RIYADH (Reuters)/April 27, 2024
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and several international officials will be in Riyadh this week for talks aimed at pushing for a peace agreement in Gaza to be held on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting, the WEF's president said on Saturday. "We do have the key players now in Riyadh and hopefully the discussions can lead into a process towards reconciliation and peace," Børge Brende said at a news conference in Riyadh, adding that Gaza's humanitarian crisis would be on the agenda. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the meetings alongside regional leaders including Qatar's prime minister, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Oman's crown prince and Bahraini officials, Brende said. Egypt's foreign minister, Brende said, would be there to update officials on a round of talks Egyptian negotiators held in Israel on Friday in an effort to restart stalled efforts to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining Israeli hostages. "There is now a bit of momentum for negotiations on the hostages and also a possible ceasefire," Brende said.

Hamas says it received Israel’s response to its ceasefire proposal
REUTERS/April 27, 2024
CAIRO: Hamas said it had received on Saturday Israel’s official response to its latest ceasefire proposal and will study it before submitting its reply, the group’s deputy Gaza chief said in a statement. “Hamas has received today the official response of the Zionist occupation to the proposal presented to the Egyptian and the Qatari mediators on April 13,” Khalil Al-Hayya, who is currently based in Qatar, said in a statement published by the group. After more than six months of war with Israel in Gaza, the negotiations remain deadlocked, with Hamas sticking to its demands that any agreement must end the war. An Egyptian delegation visited Israel for discussion with Israeli officials on Friday, looking for a way to restart talks to end the conflict and return remaining hostages taken when Hamas fighters stormed into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, an official briefed on the meetings said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released by Hamas, instead of the 40 previously under discussion. On Thursday, the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis.
Hamas has vowed not to relent to international pressure but in a statement it issued on Friday it said it was “open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people.”However, it stuck to its key demands that Israel has rejected, and criticized the joint statement issued by the USand others for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday he saw fresh momentum in talks to end the war and return the remaining hostages. Citing two Israeli officials, Axios reported that Israel told the Egyptian mediators on Friday that it was ready to give hostage negotiations “one last chance” to reach a deal with Hamas before moving forward with an invasion of Rafah, the last refuge for around a million Palestinians who fled Israeli forces further north in Gaza earlier in the war. Meanwhile, in Rafah, Palestinian health officials said an Israeli air strike on a house killed at least five people and wounded others. Hamas fighters stormed into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas in an onslaught that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

Ships from Turkiye planning to deliver aid to Gaza were denied right to sail
AP/April 27, 2024
ISTANBUL: A three-ship flotilla planning to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid from Turkiye was prevented from sailing by Guinea-Bissau authorities, which took down their country’s flags from two ships, organizers said. Just before the flotilla was set to sail from Turkiye to Gaza on Friday with 5,000 tons of aid, a surprise inspection by the Guinea-Bissau International Ships Registry resulted in the removal of the flags from two of the Freedom Flotilla ships. A press release by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition described the cancelation of the vessels’ registry as a “blatantly political move,” adding: “Without a flag, we cannot sail.” The organizers blamed Israel for applying pressure to prevent the flotilla. “It is obvious, and I think it is publicly known, that there has been close contact between Israel and the president of Guinea-Bissau,” organizer and steering committee member Torstein Dahle told The Associated Press, without elaborating. He said that hundreds of Turkish and international participants were disappointed by the cancelation. “It is very hard for us, because it takes time to procure a flag. It’s a procedure that can’t be done in a few days. ... But we’re not giving up.” The Freedom Flotilla Coalition includes Turkish and international organizations, among them the IHH and the Mavi Marmara Association from Turkiye, which also organized an ill-fated 2010 flotilla. On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara in international waters, leading to an altercation that left nine people dead and dozens of activists wounded. On the Israeli side, seven soldiers were wounded by activists who attacked them with clubs, knives and pipes.

Gaza aid from Cyprus resumes after pause following aid worker killings, source says
NICOSIA/Reuters/Sat, April 27, 2024
Aid shipments to Gaza from Cyprus resumed late on Friday, a Cypriot source said, with a ship carrying food to the besieged Palestinian enclave after a pause following Israel's killing of seven aid workers. The World Central Kitchen NGO paused aid to review its activity in the territory after the early April attack, halting the direct shipments into Gaza from Cyprus. A small cargo vessel left the port of Larnaca on Friday night with aid donated by the United Arab Emirates, a Cypriot source said. Israel's six-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza, in response to an attack by the militant group in southern Israel, has killed more than 34,000 people, Palestinian health authorities say, and caused a humanitarian disaster for the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants. The U.S. has started construction of a floating jetty on Gaza's Mediterranean coast that will enable aid deliveries pre-screened in Cyprus with Israeli oversight. Once that aid reaches Gaza, it will still need to pass through Israeli checkpoints on land.

UK officials decline to comment on reports that British troops may be asked with delivering Gaza aid
AP/DANICA KIRKA/Sat, April 27, 2024
British troops may be tasked with delivering aid to Gaza from an offshore pier now under construction by the U.S. military, the BBC reported Saturday. U.K. government officials declined to comment on the report. According to the BBC, the British government is considering deploying troops to drive the trucks that will carry aid from the pier along a floating causeway to the shore. No decision has been made and the proposal hasn’t yet reached Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the BBC reported, citing unidentified government sources. The report comes after a senior U.S. military official said on Thursday that there would be no American “boots on the ground” and another nation would provide the personnel to drive the delivery trucks to the shore. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public, declined to identify the third party. Britain is already providing logistical support for construction of the pier, including a Royal Navy ship that will house hundreds of U.S. soldiers and sailors working on the project. In addition, British military planners have been embedded at U.S. Central Command in Florida and in Cyprus, where aid will be screened before shipment to Gaza, for several weeks, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said on Friday. The U.K. Hydrographic Office has also shared analysis of the Gaza shoreline with the U.S. to aid in construction of the pier. “It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza, and the U.K. continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the U.S. and our international allies and partners,” Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement. Development of the port and pier in Gaza comes as Israel faces widespread international criticism over the slow trickle of aid into the Palestinian territory, where the United Nations says at least a quarter of the population sits on the brink of starvation. The Israel-Hamas began with a Hamas-led attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 people as hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Since then, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s air and ground offensive, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, around two-thirds of them children and women.

Hamas releases video of two hostages calling for Gaza deal
AFP/April 27, 2024
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Hamas’s armed wing released video Saturday of two men held hostage in Gaza who are seen alive and urging Israeli authorities to strike a deal for the release of all the remaining captives. Campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum identified the two as Keith Siegel and Omri Miran who were abducted by militants during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. “The proof of life from Keith Siegel and Omri Miran is the clearest evidence that the Israeli government must do everything to approve a deal for the return of all the hostages before Independence Day (on May 14),” the forum said in a statement. “The living should return for rehabilitation, and the murdered should receive a dignified burial.” The latest video comes just three days after Hamas released another video showing hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin alive. Siegel and Miran appeared to speak under duress. “I have been here in Hamas captivity for 202 days. The situation here is unpleasant, difficult and there are many bombs,” Miran, 47, is heard saying in the footage, indicating it was taken earlier this week. “It’s time to reach a deal that will get us out of here safe and healthy... Keep protesting, so that there will be a deal now.” Saturday’s video comes as Hamas says it is studying Israel’s latest counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire after reports that mediator Egypt had sent a delegation to Israel to jump-start stalled negotiations. Siegel, 64, who also spoke in the video, broke down as he talked of their captivity. “We are in danger here, there are bombs, it is stressful and scary,” he said, burying his face in his arms as he cried. “I want to tell my family that I love you very much. It’s important to me that you know that I am fine. “I have very, very beautiful memories of last year’s Passover that we all celebrated together. I really hope that we will have the best possible surprise,” he said, appealing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal soon. Siegel said he seen footage of demonstrations in Israel calling for a deal to secure the release of hostages. “I hope and believe that you will all continue,” he said, addressing the demonstrators who have been holding regular rallies calling on Netanyahu to agree a deal.The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, published some lines in Hebrew in the video. “The military pressure did not succeed in freeing your captive sons,” it said. “Do what you need to do before it is too late,” said another message in Hebrew. Later on Saturday, crowds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv demanding that the authorities strike a deal for the release of the hostages. “A deal now,” chanted demonstrators as they called for Netanyahu and his government to resign. Miran’s father Dani attended the rally and urged Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar to agree a deal. “All the people of Israel and the nations of the world want to see an end to the bloodshed and especially an end to the suffering of your people,” he said. “Please, one request — make a decision now.” Organizers of the rally showed the video as protesters chanted against the authorities, an AFP correspondent reported. “Keith, I love you. We will fight until your return,” said Siegel’s wife Aviv who took part in the protest. Israeli authorities accuse Sinwar of planning the October 7 attack during which Hamas-led militants abducted some 250 people. The military says 129 of them are still held captive in Gaza, including 34 who are dead. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed 34,388 people, most of them women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Top diplomat Blinken will visit the Mideast again this coming week. What can he achieve this time?
WASHINGTON (AP)/April 27, 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to the Middle East on his seventh diplomatic mission to the region since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began more than six months ago, the State Department said Saturday. Blinken is traveling to Saudi Arabia on Monday, just two days since arriving back in Washington after a trip to China. Blinken will attend a World Economic Forum conference and meet with Arab foreign ministers in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. An Israeli foreign ministry official says Blinken will visit Israel on Tuesday, a stop not mentioned in the State Department's announcement about Blinken's itinerary. His latest Mideast trip, on the heels of meetings in China with President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking officials, comes as the war grinds on, with more than 34,000 Palestinians killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and a steadily worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. In the surprise attack by Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered the war, about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 people abducted. U.S.-backed efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the hostages have failed. On Saturday, Hamas said it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire as Egypt stepped up efforts to broker a deal to end the war and avert a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A Hamas official gave no details of the offer. Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week cease-fire plan and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Since mid-October, Blinken has shuttled between Israel and its most of its Arab and Muslim neighbors, trying to boost aid to civilians in Gaza, prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region and build support for plans for the reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza — all while vocally backing Israel’s right to defend itself. Israel's offensive in Gaza has heightened political pressure in the U.S., with pro-Palestinian protests springing up at universities and resulting pushback from some who say the demonstrations have veered into antisemitism. Blinken and other American official have tried to dissuade Israel from mounting a large-scale military operation in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have fled to escape the fighting. He has had limited success. Aid shipments into Gaza have increased but are not at the level to prevent what the United Nations says is looming famine, and Arab nations have agreed to back evolving plans for Gaza’s future. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken “will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages and how it is Hamas that is standing between the Palestinian people and a cease-fire.” Blinken will stress the importance of keeping the conflict from spreading and discuss efforts “to achieve lasting peace and security in the region, including through a pathway to an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.” Israel is plowing ahead with preparations to attack Rafah, and the conflict has escalated, in particular after a suspected Israeli attack on Iran's consulate in Syria. Iran retaliated with drone, ballistic and cruise missile launches, provoking an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran.

Gaza aid flotilla halted after vessels flag removed, activists say
ISTANBUL (Reuters)/April 27, 2024
A humanitarian aid flotilla destined for Gaza was halted after Guinea Bissau decided to remove its flag from two vessels, activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on Saturday. "The Guinea-Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla's ships, one of which is our cargo ship," the activists said. The three-strong flotilla had been due to sail on Friday from ports in Turkey with more than 5,000 tonnes of aid on board, the activists said, and described the inspection and request by Guinea Bissau authorities as unusual and political. GBISR was not immediately available for comment. The Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) is the primary organizer of the civilian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which is comprised of human rights activists, including lawyers, doctors and nurses who came together to deliver aid directly to Gaza. Israel has killed at least 34,305 Palestinians in its assault on Gaza, health authorities in the enclave said on Thursday. Israel is retaliating against an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. On Friday, United Nations experts demanded the safe passage of the flotilla and called on Israel to adhere to international law and orders of the International Court of Justice to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. "Without a flag, we cannot sail. But, this is not the end. Israel cannot and will not crush our resolve to break its illegal siege and reach the people of Gaza," the activists said.

Israeli foreign minister says hostage deal would defer Rafah operation
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/April 27, 2024
Israel's foreign minister said on Saturday that a planned incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah could be suspended should a deal emerge to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The comments came as international mediators push for a deal to achieve a ceasefire in the six months of devastating fighting in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas' Oct. 7 assault that sparked the war. "The release of the hostages is the top priority for us," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said during an interview with local Channel 12 television.
Asked if that included putting off a planned operation to eliminate Hamas battalions in the city of Rafah, Katz answered, "Yes." He went on to say: "If there will be a deal, we will suspend the operation." Though Katz is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, he is not a member of the narrow-forum war cabinet overseeing the Gaza offensive. Israel, which launched its war to annihilate Hamas after the Islamist group's Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli towns, says Rafah is home to four Hamas combat battalions reinforced by thousands of retreating fighters, and it must defeat them to achieve victory. But Rafah, which abuts the Egyptian border, is sheltering more than a million Palestinians who fled the Israeli offensive through the rest of Gaza and say the prospect of fleeing yet again is terrifying. Earlier on Saturday, Hamas said it had received Israel's official response to its latest ceasefire proposal in Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated negotiations and will study it before submitting its reply. On Thursday, the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis. Hamas wants to parlay any deal into a permanent end to the fighting - short of a formal peace, as the Islamist group is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israel plans to pursue the war until Hamas's governing and military capacities are dismantled. More than 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza captivity, including women and children. As Hamas issued a new video showing two of the hostages pleading for their release and sending love to their families, thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv in protest, demanding that the government do more to secure their release. Some 1,200 people were killed on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies, in the deadliest single attack in Israel's history. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship to be released
Reuters/April 27, 2024
Iran’s foreign minister said the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel have been granted consular access and are expected to be freed, Iranian media reported on Saturday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the container vessel MSC Aries with a crew of 25 in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus. Iran had said it could close the crucial shipping route. Recent attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during Israel's war with Hamas, have affected global shipping. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in a telephone call that the “humanitarian issue of the release of the ship's crew is of serious concern to us", Iranian media said. He was quoted as saying the crew would be turned over to their ambassadors in Tehran. The reports did not say when this would occur. Iran’s foreign ministry has said the Aries was seized for "violating maritime laws" and that there was no doubt it was linked to Israel. MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.

Daughter of prominent Palestinian poet killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza
Zeena Saifi, Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman and Sana Noor Haq, CNN/, April 27, 2024
Shaima Refaat Alareer, the daughter of a prominent Palestinian poet, was killed alongside her family in an Israeli airstrike on a house west of Gaza City on Friday, according to multiple sources, four months after her father died in a similar attack. Alareer’s husband and their two-month-old son also died in the strike, according to eyewitnesses and family friends. Eyewitnesses in Al-Rimal neighborhood told CNN that three Israeli missiles struck a home where the family were sheltering. When asked for comment about the strike, the Israel Defense Forces told CNN it follows international law and tries to “mitigate civilian harm,” but was unable to provide further comment without exact coordinates and the time of the strike. Shaima was the daughter of Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, who was killed along with several other family members when an Israeli airstrike hit their home in the Shujayya neighborhood in December. Alareer spoke to CNN in October, when he was deliberating over whether to stay at his home in Gaza City or flee further south with his wife and six children. At the time, the 44-year-old writer and academic said they had no choice but to remain in the north, as they “have nowhere else to go.”
Residents of Al-Rimal neighborhood said Shaima and her family had been displaced from their home in Shujayya nearly four months ago. Video shot for CNN shows residents running towards the house after the strike and gathering around the bodies of those killed. Footage shows the house completely demolished. Residents told CNN the family’s remains were taken to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet from Gaza and friend of Refaat who is now displaced in Cairo, told CNN that Refaat’s brother had informed him of the “devastating news of the killing of Refaat’s daughter, husband and newborn child” on Friday. Shaima had posted news of her motherhood in a recent message on her private Facebook account, according to Abu Toha. He shared a screenshot of her message to her deceased father. “I have a beautiful news for you, I wish I could convey it to you while you are in front of me, I present to you your first grandchild. Do you know, my father, that you have become a grandfather?” Shaima wrote. “This is your grandson Abd al-Rahman whom I have long imagined you carrying, but I never imagined that I would lose you early even before you see him.”
Strike on refugee camp
Overnight Friday into Saturday, at least 15 people were killed after an Israeli strike targeted Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, with at least two children still missing under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza. Video shot for CNN shows a residential block of buildings destroyed, with mounds of rubble piled up around the area. Residents are seen climbing over the debris picking up carpets and salvaging whatever is left of their belongings. Women and children are seen standing inside the remains of what looked like their homes, watching civil defense workers using handheld machinery to dig in the rubble. Young men appear to be helping rescue workers by wrapping bodies in blankets and moving them out of the area. Hafez Abu Shallouf, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, told CNN from the site of the strike that an Israeli bomb was dropped on the refugee camp overnight and caused “mass destruction.”“We rushed here and saw the martyrs, the wounded and the injured. They’re all civilians. Our capabilities are limited … we will help in whatever way we can,” he said. Shallouf pleaded for the international community to supply heavy duty equipment. “We are working with our hands … we use a few tools here and there, but the destruction is too vast, it’s very hard,” he added. A resident of the camp, Salah Al-Saiqaly, told CNN he was sleeping at home with his children when he felt a huge explosion around midnight, causing the walls around him to collapse on top of him. “What have these kids done? What have the people who were safely living in their homes done? Why the injustice? Why the oppression? Do they think we don’t care about our kids and our wives? Our blood is not cheap,” he said. Al-Saiqaly said there was no warning of the strike and criticized the Israeli military for striking an entire residential block rather than targeting its attacks. Another resident, Mahmoud Al-Jid, told CNN he was shocked to learn that his uncle had been killed after his house was unexpectedly struck in the middle of the night. “It felt like an earthquake shook the camp. There were around 15 homes in this block, and now they are in bits and pieces,” he said. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on the target of any airstrikes that occurred in the Nuseirat area overnight Friday into Saturday and whether warnings were provided to civilians. Journalist Mohammad Al Sawalhi contributed reporting from central Gaza, as did Khader Al-Za’anoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency.

Iran to release crew members of seized Portugal-flagged ship
AFP/April 27, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran said on Saturday it would release the crew members of a Portuguese-flagged ship that its forces seized this month in the Gulf. The Revolutionary Guard Corps took over the MSC Aries with 25 crew members on board near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. Tehran later said the ship belonged to its Israel and was being investigated for alleged violations of international maritime law. “The humanitarian issue of the release of the ship’s crew is of great concern to us,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone call with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel.
BACKGROUND
The ship’s seizure took place hours before Iran carried out its first-ever direct attack on Israel, launching hundreds of drones and missiles. “We have given consular access to their ambassadors in Tehran and announced to the envoys that the crew members will be released and extradited,” he was quoted as saying in a statement from his ministry, without elaborating. Following the ship’s seizure, Portugal summoned Iran’s ambassador to demand its immediate release. On April 18, India said one of the 17 Indian crew members had returned home and that the others were granted consular access. “They are in good health and not facing any problems on the ship. As for their return, some technicalities are involved,” an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday. The ship’s seizure took place hours before Iran carried out its first-ever direct attack on Israel, launching hundreds of drones and missiles.
The Israeli military said nearly all of the projectiles were intercepted. Israel and the US have denounced the seizure of the ship as an act of “piracy.”Regional tensions have soared since war broke out nearly seven months ago between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Four killed in attack on northern Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field, advisor to Iraqi Kurdish PM says
BAGHDAD (Reuters)/April 27, 2024
Four expatriate workers were killed in a drone attack targeting the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Friday, an advisor to the Iraqi Kurdish prime minister told Reuters. Production has also been suspended, the advisor to the Iraqi Kurdish prime minister and a senior Kurdish politician said. The four expatriate workers killed in the attack were from Yemen, a statement from the Kurdish regional government said. Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, in a Saturday post on X, condemned the attack that resulted in "multiple deaths and injuries, and has impacted the local electricity supply network."The drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field halted gas supplies to power plants, resulting in a reduction of approximately 2,500 MW of power generation. The Pearl Consortium - which includes United Arab Emirates energy firm Dana Gas, and its affiliate, Crescent Petroleum - has the rights to exploit Khor Mor and Chemchemal, two of Iraq's biggest gas fields. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Alexey Navalny's death wasn't directly ordered by Putin, WSJ reports
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert/Business Insider/Sat, April 27, 2024
Navalny dies suddenly in Russian prison, world leaders blame PutinScroll back up to restore default view. Putin critic Alexey Navalny's death may not have been planned to happen when it did, WSJ reported. The Journal reported that this opinion is shared by several US intelligence agencies. Navalny's supporters insist his death in an arctic gulag was arranged by the Kremlin. Alexey Navalny's February death in a remote Arctic prison camp likely wasn't directly ordered by Vladimir Putin, despite Navalny's outspoken criticism of the Russian president, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Despite the suspicious circumstances of the opposition leader's death, the outlet reported Putin may not have intended Navalny to be killed when he was. The Journal, citing "people familiar with the matter," reported that several US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department's intelligence unit, share this opinion. None of the intelligence agencies cited by the Journal or the Pentagon have responded to requests for comment from Business Insider. While the Journal reported US intelligence sources believe the timing of Navalny's death — which occurred as his staffers claimed he was on the brink of being freed — wasn't specifically intended by Putin, the outlet noted the Russian president is not entirely absolved of responsibility for Navalny's death on the world stage, with analysts in Poland and some European intelligence agencies remaining skeptical of suggestions that Putin wasn't involved, while Navalny's allies remain insistent that the Kremlin orchestrated it. Leonid Volkov, a Navalny ally, told the Journal, "The idea of Putin being not informed and not approving killing Navalny is ridiculous."

China warns US not to step on its 'red lines'
Tom Bateman & Kelly Ng - in Beijing and Singapore/BBC/April 27, 2024
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has cautioned his US counterpart Antony Blinken against stepping on China's "red lines” at a meeting between the two countries' top diplomats in Beijing. Mr Wang acknowledged the China-US relationship was beginning to stabilise, but said it was still being tested by "negative factors". After meeting China's President Xi Jinping, Mr Blinken stressed the need to "communicate clearly about our differences". This was to "minimise the risk of miscalculation and misunderstandings". Mr Blinken's visit, his second to China in less than a year, forms part of a significant increase in dialogue and diplomacy - however frosty - between these rival powers as they attempt to put relations on an even keel after a period of immense tension last year. Ties have been strained by China's claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea, and US export bans on advanced tech. They were further damaged by a row over a spy balloon last February. Then, just a few days ago, the US passed a law that would force Chinese-owned TikTok to sell the hugely popular video app or be banned in America. Antony Blinken tackles a tough China visit. Will it help?
Taiwan just chose a president China loathes. What now?
Mr Blinken said TikTok had not come up in the talks with the Chinese leader, but a number of US concerns had. Washington approved its latest aid package early this week which included military assistance to Taiwan. This drew sharp criticism from Beijing. In Beijing, Mr Blinken reaffirmed US support for the "one-China policy" - a cornerstone of US-China relations under which the US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan. China claims self-governed Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control, but the island sees itself as distinct. At a news conference after meeting Mr Xi, the US secretary of state went on to reiterate the US's "ironclad" support for the Philippines in their dispute over the South China Sea. He also said he had raised concerns about the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy, and human rights abuses in Tibet. Addressing China's role further afield, Mr Blinken said he had urged the Chinese president to stop sending supplies to Russia to be used in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and to discourage Iran and others from escalating tensions in the Middle East. During a call earlier this month, US President Joe Biden and Mr Xi discussed avenues of co-operation, including efforts to combat climate change and narcotics. But they clashed over the US's support for Taiwan and trade restrictions on technology.

Anti-war protesters dig in as some schools close encampments after reports of antisemitic activity
AP/April 27, 2024
NEW YORK: As students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities across US dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, some universities shut down encampments after reports of antisemitic activity among the protesters. With the death toll mounting in the war in Gaza, protesters nationwide are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus. Early Saturday, police in riot gear cleared an encampment on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston while several dozen students shouted and booed at them from a distance, but the scene was otherwise not confrontational. The school said in a statement that the demonstration, which began two days ago, had become “infiltrated by professional organizers” with no affiliation to the school and protesters had used antisemitic slurs.“We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus,” the statement posted on the social media platform X said.
The University of Pennsylvania took similar action Friday when interim President J. Larry Jameson called for an encampment of protesters on the west Philadelphia campus to be disbanded, saying it violates the university’s facilities policies. The “harassing and intimidating comments and actions” by some protesters violate the school’s open expression guidelines as well as state and federal law, Jameson said, and vandalism of a statue with antisemitic graffiti was “especially reprehensible and will be investigated as a hate crime.” “I am deeply saddened and troubled that our many efforts to respectfully engage in discourse, support open expression, and create a community that is free of hate and inclusive for everyone have been ignored by those who choose to disrupt and intimidate,” he said. At Columbia University, where protesters have inspired pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country, negotiations continued with those at the student encampment. The university’s senate passed a resolution Friday that created a task force to examine the administration’s leadership, which last week called in police in an attempt to clear the protest, resulting in scuffles and more than 100 arrests.
Though the university has repeatedly set and then pushed back deadlines for the removal of the encampment, the school sent an email to students Friday night saying that bringing back police “at this time” would be counterproductive. Decisions to call in law enforcement, leading to hundreds of arrests nationwide, have prompted school faculty members at universities in California, Georgia and Texas to initiate or pass votes of no confidence in their leadership. They are largely symbolic rebukes, without the power to remove their presidents. But the tensions pile pressure on school officials, who are already scrambling to resolve the protests as May graduation ceremonies near. California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, gave protesters who have barricaded themselves inside a building since Monday until 5 p.m. Friday to leave and “not be immediately arrested.” The deadline came and went. Only some of the protesters left, others doubled down. After protesters rebuffed police earlier in the week, the campus was closed for the rest of the semester.
In Colorado, police swept through an encampment Friday at Denver’s Auraria Campus, which hosts three universities and colleges, arresting about 40 protesters on trespassing charges. Students representing the Columbia encampment said Friday that they reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue their protest. After meetings Thursday and Friday, student negotiators said the university had not met their primary demand for divestment. In the letter sent to Columbia students Friday night, the university’s leadership said “we support the conversations that are ongoing with student leaders of the encampment.”Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, faced significant criticism from faculty Friday, but retained the support of trustees. A report by the university senate’s executive committee, which represents faculty, found Shafik and her administration took “many actions and decisions that have harmed Columbia University.” Those included calling in police and allowing students to be arrested without consulting faculty, misrepresenting and suspending student protest groups and hiring private investigators.
Also Friday, Columbia student protester Khymani James walked back comments made in an online video in January that recently received new attention. James said in the video that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and people should be grateful James wasn’t killing them.
“What I said was wrong,” James said in a statement. “Every member of our community deserves to feel safe without qualification.”James, who served as a spokesperson for the pro-Palestinian encampment as a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, was banned from campus Friday, according to a Columbia spokesperson. Protest organizers said James’ comments didn’t reflect their values. They declined to describe James’ level of involvement with the demonstration. In France, students at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, which counts President Emmanuel Macron among its many famous alumni, students blocked access to a campus building and classes went online as the wave of protests reached overseas. Police clashed with protesters Thursday at Indiana University, Bloomington, where 34 were arrested; Ohio State University, where about 36 were arrested; and at the University of Connecticut, where one person was arrested. The University of Southern California canceled its May 10 graduation ceremony Thursday, a day after more than 90 protesters were arrested on campus. The university said it will still host dozens of commencement events, including all the traditional individual school ceremonies.
Universities where faculty members have initiated or passed votes of no confidence in their presidents include Cal Poly Humboldt, University of Texas at Austin and Emory University.

Russia Extends Requirement for Major Exporters to Convert Revenues into Rubles
AFP/April 27, 2024
Russia has extended the effects of a decision that requires major exporters to convert the majority of their revenues from foreign currencies into rubles, in support of the national currency. On Saturday, Russia announced the extension of controls on capital to support the ruble for an additional year, amid comprehensive Western financial sanctions imposed in response to Russia's military attack on Ukraine. The Russian government stated on Saturday that it has decided to extend regulations that require 43 major Russian commodity groups to convert at least 80% of their revenues from foreign currencies into rubles until the end of April 2025.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 27-28/2024
Iran Mullahs Speeding Up Nuclear Weapons Program: Anyone Interested?
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 27, 2024
By backing, arming and training Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, Iran launched a proxy war against Israel, leveraging the conflict in part to divert attention from its nuclear ambitions.
The calculated move not only serves Iran's immediate interests in destabilizing its adversaries – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and most of all the United States, which it would like to see out of the region, so Iran could presumably have the Middle East all to itself. The diversion of the Gaza war also aligns with its goal of eradicating Israel.
These barbaric perversions [by Hamas on October 7, 2023] underscore Iran's leaders' comfort, if not pleasure, in employing any means at hand to achieve their objectives. They most likely do not look at their devastation abroad as triggering instability, but, on the contrary, as a means to attaining its hegemony, after which there will be peace -- for themselves, at least.
From Iran's perspective, acquiring nuclear weapons is the easiest way to significantly complete its takeover of the region and "export the revolution": "We shall export the revolution to the whole world. Until they cry, 'there is no god but God [Allah]' resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle."
Unfortunately, the plan poses an existential threat not just to regional stability, but to global security. Iran has been moving into Latin America, possibly to target the "Great Satan," the United States.
In the midst of the Hamas-Israel conflict -- while the world's attention is fixed on the war Iran and Hamas began -- Iran's ruling mullahs have seized the opportunity to advance their nuclear program.
By backing, arming and training Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, Iran launched a proxy war against Israel, leveraging the conflict in part to divert attention from its nuclear ambitions.
The calculated move not only serves Iran's immediate interests in destabilizing its adversaries – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and most of all the United States, which it would like to see out of the region, so Iran could presumably have the Middle East all to itself. The diversion of the Gaza war also aligns with its goal of eradicating Israel.
While the mullahs' proxies wage war on the front lines against the "Little Satan," Israel, Iran has been maneuvering in the shadows, exploiting the chaos to make significant strides in its nuclear capabilities.
Since the outbreak of the war, Iran's nuclear weapons program has surged, propelled by clandestine activities within its heavily fortified facility at Fordow.
Revelations from a recent Washington Post report have revealed that behind Iran's veil of secrecy, its production of enriched uranium has been nearing the 90% level of purity needed for nuclear weapons.
The report illuminates a concerning development: within factory chambers, newly installed equipment, presumably at least partially financed by the US administration, is now humming with the potential to double the facility's output of enriched uranium. This clandestine escalation not only breaches the confines of international agreements but also underscores Iran's determination to build its nuclear weapons as soon as possible.
The Iranian regime's pursuit of nuclear weapons appears driven foremost by a fervent determination to achieve its long-standing goal of annihilating Israel, a country smaller than New Jersey, which former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani effectively called a "one-bomb" country: "the use of a nuclear bomb in Israel will leave nothing on the ground, whereas it will only damage the world of Islam."
Through its support of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, Iran has been orchestrating a "boiled frog" escalation in hostilities against Israel, by gradually stepping its proxy warfare as a means, for a start, as former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put it, to "wipe Israel off the map."
Hamas, on October 7, 2023, initiated its brutal attack by launching thousands of rockets at Israel, while approximately 3,000 terrorists crossed the Gaza-Israel barrier, assaulting Israeli military bases and 22 civilian communities.
That onslaught resulted in Hamas terrorists murdering approximately 1,200 people in Israel -- Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israelis, foreign workers and tourists, alike. Hamas's atrocities included gang rapes, torturing men, women and children, as well as baking a baby to death in an oven. Among other chilling acts were babies beheaded and burned alive. Hamas also seized 240 hostages, who were taken to their tunnels in Gaza.
These barbaric perversions underscore Iran's leaders' comfort, if not pleasure, in employing any means at hand to achieve their objectives. They most likely do not look at their devastation abroad as triggering instability, but, on the contrary, as a means to attaining its hegemony, after which there will be peace -- for themselves, at least.
From Iran's perspective, acquiring nuclear weapons is the easiest way to significantly complete its takeover of the region and "export the revolution:"
"We shall export the revolution to the whole world. Until they cry, 'there is no god but God [Allah]' resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle."
Arming its proxy militias with nuclear capabilities would serve as a lever to reinforce Iran's strategic position in the region while pretending to obscure its direct involvement. By providing nuclear weapons to these extremist groups, and potentially others, Iran would not only amplify the threat to its adversaries, but also try to minimize the risk of direct retaliatory strikes on itself.
Unfortunately, the plan poses an existential threat not just to regional stability, but to global security. Iran has been moving into Latin America, possibly to target the "Great Satan," the United States.
The prospect of nuclear-armed terrorist groups operating with impunity demands urgent attention. Given Iran's reliance on oil and gas revenues to fund its nuclear ambitions, placing and enforcing sanctions against Iran's oil industry and targeting its oil infrastructure could at least delay its nuclear weapons development. There should also be efforts to target Iran's nuclear sites and its brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. There is simply no time for hesitation in addressing this existential threat. The Iranian regime has shown its unwavering determination to acquire nuclear weapons at any cost.
**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.

Leading from the middle
Borge Brende/Arab News/April 27, 2024
Today’s most pressing challenges — as well as the future’s most promising opportunities — are not bound by borders. Strengthening our economies, improving our collective security, addressing climate change, and unlocking the benefits of frontier technologies all depend on cooperative approaches. Yet, the world is at risk of drifting toward a perilous state in which collaborative agendas are replaced by confrontational mindsets. A more contentious geopolitical climate is of such concern that in September 2023, at the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned: “Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond.” Indeed, alarm bells abound; for instance, just 12 percent of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals are on target to be met by the 2030 deadline.
Thankfully, though, there are some bright spots. At the G20 summit last December, India made it a priority to include representation from the Global South in the dialogue and steered leaders of the world’s largest economies to agreement on a joint declaration on climate financing, global debt and other issues — this despite predictions that agreement would be impossible to achieve.
At November’s UN climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, the UAE committed to leading an “inclusive and safe space for all participants,” and parties agreed for the first time to transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable sources of energy.
From April 28 to April 29, Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum will convene leaders from around the world for a special meeting in Riyadh on strengthening cooperation, particularly between the Global North and South.
What these instances have in common is that the successes are due in large measure to an inclusive approach and to the leadership of so-called “middle powers” — countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE that are not global superpowers but are playing an outsized role in moving the global agenda forward. Leadership from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, will be vital in forging paths in two of the most urgent crises: Ukraine and Gaza.
Today, at a time of geopolitical turbulence, middle-power leadership — particularly from the Middle East — will determine whether the world makes progress on critical security, environmental, and technological priorities. This is because the solutions to several of the world’s most pressing challenges not only run through the region but require the type of collaborative approaches that middle powers have championed.
On global security, leadership from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, will be vital in forging paths in two of the most urgent crises: Ukraine and Gaza. In August 2023, Jeddah hosted peace talks for Ukraine that were vital in bringing to the table key parties from the Global North and South. In a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh earlier this year, the two discussed ways to operationalize the Ukrainian peace plan.
Riyadh has also been a critical player in working to bring parties together to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in January, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to formally recognizing Israel if it takes steps toward a two-state solution with Palestinians.
On climate change, the success of a green energy transition that is equitable and fosters growth can only happen if capitals in the Middle East help move it forward. This is because while the region produces about 30 percent of the world’s oil and 23 percent of its natural gas, many countries are poised to become green power leaders of the future. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman recently said that the Kingdom was committed to being the “centerpiece” in the renewable market. Through its Vision 2030 plan, Saudi Arabia is diversifying non-oil exports and aiming to increase its share of non-oil GDP from 16 percent to 50 percent by the end of the decade. And on unlocking new technology opportunities ahead, generative AI has the potential to add between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in economic benefits annually, according to McKinsey & Company. But this can only happen if stakeholders worldwide work together. Here, Saudi Arabia has been building partnerships with countries around the world and has committed to an annual investment of 2.5 percent of GDP in the research, development, and innovation sector by 2040.
At a complex geopolitical moment, when challenges demand collective approaches, if middle powers continue to shape solutions, and do so in a collaborative way, we will be on course toward a stronger future.
**Borge Brende is president of the World Economic Forum, which is convening the Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development from April 28 to April 29, 2024, in Riyadh.

Israel and Iran — between deterrence and destruction
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 27, 2024
Following the first direct military confrontations between Israel and Iran, which have taken place over the past two weeks, commentators have been debating whether the exchanges ended in a draw, or whether one of the nations gained the advantage.
While this question will continue to dominate the headlines for a while, the more pertinent question is whether both sides have, at least for now, saved enough face to step back from the brink, or whether they, and the rest of the Middle East, continue to stare into the abyss of a full-blown war that could drag the entire region into the conflict.
The simple answer is that neither side is interested in such a confrontation, and both are conveying, in their own peculiar ways, this lack of desire or intention to escalate the situation any further, while doing very little to at least de-escalate the rhetorical battle between them.
One consistent aspect of the relations between these two sworn enemies is that neither of them trusts the intentions of the other, and so they continue to send mixed messages through their behavior. Moreover, the events in recent weeks cannot be considered outside the broader regional context, in particular the war in Gaza, the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border, and the destabilizing activities carried out by Iran through its proxies in the region.
The presumed Israeli airstrike that hit an Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus at the start of this month and killed several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers could easily be seen as an act of escalation because of where it took place — after all, embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions are regarded as sovereign territory — and the seniority of those killed.
However, Tehran has held fire on several previous occasions when assassinations of senior Iranian military personnel and leading scientists, in some cases on Iranian soil, were attributed to Israel.
This suggests either that the Iranian regime considered the attack on its consulate in Damascus as the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the pressure within its own ranks not to lose face and to take deterrent action was overwhelming, or that it sensed an opportune moment to catch Israel at the weakest it has been for a long time, as a result of the military and diplomatic consequences of the war in Gaza. In fact, it was most probably a combination of both of these factors that caused Iran to miscalculate.
There is a danger that decision-makers in Israel will similarly draw the wrong conclusions from the international collective efforts to avert the Iranian drone and missile strikes on Israel.
If there is one thing that Iran and Israel have in common, it is an aggressive sense of insecurity that borders on paranoia.
Some have argued, wrongly in my view, that Iran’s decision to launch its attack was no more than an elaborate piece of theater, given that Israel and the US, along with other countries in the region, were informed of the strikes in advance, giving them time to minimize the resulting damage. There is, therefore, a strong sense that this was a drama the script for which was known to all the protagonists.
Even if that were the case, such a scenario can be successful only as long as everyone plays their part to perfection — and the attack on Israel could have ended in a major disaster. The launch of about 350 lethal weapons was not a low-key operation. It is only because, as has been reported, 99 percent of the drones and missiles were intercepted that the damage was minimized, which then allowed Israel to respond in a more measured way, without even explicitly taking responsibility for its response.
There might have been a very different outcome to Iran’s attack, intended or not. It could have resulted in massive damage to Israeli military facilities and might even have erroneously hit a major population center.
The only known serious injury caused during the attack was to a young girl; had there been more casualties, Israel’s retaliation would have been on a much more extensive scale and could have dragged the US, other Western allies, and the entire region into a wider war.
Iran has proved that it can launch coordinated, long-range drone and missile attacks. However, it miscalculated Israel’s air-defense capabilities and, more crucially, underestimated the ironclad support, in the words of President Joe Biden, of the US in the event of such an attack. This was backed by additional support from the UK and France.
In this sense, Tehran handed Israel both military and political achievements. The justified international criticism of the death and devastation that Israel has sown in Gaza for months, and the humanitarian catastrophe it has inflicted on the people of the territory, clearly has not lessened the West’s commitment to the security of Israel; although for some, the motivation for preventing Iran from hitting Israel hard also stems from the great importance attached to ensuring Israel remains a major military and political force to counterbalance Iran and its axis of resistance.
Moreover, it is feared that had Iran managed to cause widespread devastation with its attack, Israel might have retaliated with its full arsenal of military capabilities, resulting in a more widespread conflict that could have shattered the region and probably the global economy.
Israel can be largely satisfied with the international support it received in defense of its skies and for uniting, at least for now, an alliance that is ready to confront Iran and its proxies. Nevertheless, it would be a serious mistake to think that as a result of this the situation in the Gaza Strip, or even the Palestinian issue as a whole, has been sidelined. If anything, it has illustrated just how dependent Israel is on its allies for its security, and that the defiance shown by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some of his mindless ministers toward Washington of late is not only misplaced but a threat to its security.
If there is one thing that Iran and Israel have in common, it is an aggressive sense of insecurity that borders on paranoia. This is partly due to objective historical reasons, some of them tactical, while the rest has more to do with the psychological and domestic considerations of the nations than any sound strategy.
They both see themselves as perpetually facing existential threats and perceive each other as a major source of those threats. As a result, they continually develop capabilities and strategies that instead of de-escalating the tensions between them, simply enhance their mutual image of one another as eternal enemies, which leaves them with almost no space to coexist peacefully in their troubled neighborhood.
Iran continues to develop its military capabilities and a ring of regional proxies, some of which are on Israel’s borders and, therefore, keep Tel Aviv on its toes. Meanwhile, Israel’s strategic DNA is characterized by preemption and proactiveness, anywhere and at any given time. It builds its counter-deterrent capabilities but is over-reliant on military power at the expense of diplomacy.
The result is that both nations constantly walk a tightrope and any misstep could easily set the region on fire; the past few weeks have provided ample evidence of this.
**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

Muslim world must take lead in encouraging a more moderate approach by the Taliban
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Arab News/April 27, 2024
For decades, the plight of women in Afghanistan has served as a poignant symbol of the country's tumultuous political landscape. Despite efforts to encourage the Taliban to adopt more moderate behavior and become more inclusive, the stark reality is that it continues to be the case that women in the country are targeted, denied basic rights, and subjected to systemic discrimination.
As Afghanistan grapples with poverty and instability, the draconian policies of the Taliban have only exacerbated the suffering of the country’s most vulnerable citizens. The relentless Taliban assault on women’s rights is a grim reminder of the group’s regressive ideology. Despite pledges of moderation, they persistently deny women the rights to education and employment, effectively relegating them to the status of second-class citizens in their own country.
Shockingly, Afghanistan is the only nation in which girls are prohibited from attending school beyond the age of 11, plunging countless young women into a cycle of ignorance and oppression.
It is crucial to recognize that the Taliban’s draconian measures are not rooted in Islamic law but rather stem from entrenched cultural biases. As Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, rightly notes, the Taliban’s policies represent a distortion of Islamic teachings that serve as a pretext for the perpetuation of gender apartheid. This distinction is pivotal in understanding that the Taliban’s agenda is not purely religious but rather a product of patriarchal Pashtun culture.
Attempts to encourage a more moderate approach by the Taliban and advocate for women’s rights have yielded limited results, highlighting the futility of traditional diplomatic approaches. Despite international pressure, the Taliban have demonstrated a steadfast refusal to compromise on issues pertaining to women’s rights, leaving little room for meaningful dialogue or progress. Western nations, in particular, have found themselves at an impasse, torn between their principles and pragmatic considerations.
The challenge is compounded by the geopolitical reality that Afghanistan’s neighbors have largely accepted the ascendancy of the Taliban and are engaging with them on pragmatic terms. While Western powers remain steadfast in their demands for inclusivity and respect for human rights, the group’s grip on power remains unyielding. This stark contrast underscores the political impossibility of offering concessions or olive branches to a regime that remains so deeply entrenched in its ideology.
In light of these challenges, the adoption of a more transactional approach toward engagement with the Taliban is imperative. Rather than pursuing lofty ideals of political inclusivity, Western policymakers must prioritize pragmatic solutions that address specific issues incrementally. This necessitates a departure from grandiose demands for wholesale change to instead focus on tangible, achievable goals that benefit Afghan civilians.
Offering scholarships for Afghan women to study in Islamic countries is a practical solution to the education gap in Afghanistan.
It is also increasingly evident that the Muslim world must take the lead in advocating for change within the Taliban regime. With their deep cultural and religious ties to Afghanistan, Islamic nations have a unique opportunity to influence the Taliban and encourage them to modify their policies on female education.
One effective strategy would be to offer scholarships for Afghan women to study in Islamic countries, thereby providing them with access to Islamic education and empowering them to become agents of change within their society.
Since the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021, several Muslim-majority countries and organizations have attempted to persuade the Taliban to moderate their policies, particularly on the issues of women’s rights and inclusivity.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation in particular has taken an active stance, sending delegations of Islamic scholars to Afghanistan to urge the Taliban to lift the bans on the education and employment of women. However, these efforts have yet to bear fruit as the regime remains defiant in the enforcement of its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The quest by the Taliban for international recognition and normalization of relations continues to face significant obstacles because of their oppressive policies, the failure to form an inclusive government, and concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
The US and the wider international community have maintained a unified stance, conditioning any normalization of relations on the Taliban fulfilling their security obligations, respecting human rights, and establishing an inclusive political system.
While the Muslim world’s engagement with the Taliban aims to encourage a more moderate approach by the regime, the group’s unwavering stance on issues such as women’s rights has limited the progress achieved so far. But the prevailing view is that meaningful reforms need to originate from within Afghanistan, rather than being imposed through external pressure.
Despite the lack of success in the efforts so far, engagement by Muslim nations, therefore, seems to be the only realistic avenue for bringing any sense of moderation to the Taliban. After all, these nations share historical, cultural, and religious connections with Afghanistan that transcend geopolitical boundaries.
This shared heritage imbues the Muslim world with a moral imperative to intervene on behalf of Afghan women and advocate for their rights. By leveraging these cultural ties, Islamic countries can establish a rapport with the Taliban and initiate constructive dialogue with the aim of promoting female education as an integral component of Islamic values.
Moreover, offering scholarships for Afghan women to study in Islamic countries is a practical and tangible solution to the education gap in Afghanistan. By providing access to quality education abroad, scholarships would empower women from the country by providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to effect positive change within their communities.
In addition, exposure to diverse cultural and educational experiences fosters critical thinking and resilience, thereby enabling Afghan women to challenge oppressive norms and advocate for their rights upon their return home.
Ultimately, the leadership of the Muslim world in efforts to moderate Taliban policies on the education of women will be essential for fostering sustainable change in Afghanistan. By offering scholarships and promoting educational opportunities for Afghan women, Islamic countries can empower a new generation of leaders who are equipped to challenge entrenched norms and advocate for gender equality.
The Muslim world has a moral obligation to support Afghan women in their pursuit of education and empowerment.
**Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the director of special initiatives at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC. X: @AzeemIbrahim

Cameron faces tough battle to repair his tarnished legacy
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 27, 2024
David Cameron, the former UK prime minister, has repeatedly, and conveniently, stated that “Britain is back” since he returned to government when he was appointed foreign secretary in November. However, his attempts to rewrite the history of the troubled political legacy he left the UK to deal with in 2016 when he resigned as premier is unlikely to succeed.
Six years after leading the Conservatives back to power in 2010, Cameron stepped down as prime minister after his huge political gamble on a referendum about Britain’s membership of the EU backfired. Now, he is energetically seeking to rewrite his political legacy after being given a position in the Cabinet by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Cameron’s appointment as foreign secretary was surprising for several reasons. Firstly, he is only the second former prime minister since the Second World War to later assume another Cabinet post (and only the fifth since 1900). And following his ennoblement as Lord Cameron shortly after his appointment in November, he is only the third Cabinet minister in recent decades to serve from the House of Lords. Secondly, his foreign policy record while prime minister, including his proclamation of a “golden era” of UK-China relations, jars with the significant shift in Western sentiment toward Beijing in recent years. Sunak even referred to Cameron’s approach as being “naive” and said the UK’s approach needs to evolve as China is “consciously competing for global influence using all the levers of state power.”
If anything, Sunak’s view of Cameron’s “golden era” policy on China is mild compared with the thoughts of some other Conservative MPs. Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, for instance, said of Cameron’s return to the Cabinet: “I am astonished at his appointment. It seems to send a signal to China that we are pursuing business with them at all costs and any costs. Those who have been sanctioned (by Beijing) now feel more abandoned than at any time. Those facing genocide and persecution will feel more abandoned than at any time.”
This is the context in which Cameron took office six months ago, seeking to rewrite his own political legacy. On the positive side of the ledger, even some of his critics acknowledge that he has brought a renewed energy to the role of foreign minister compared with his immediate Conservative predecessors in the role.
During his first 100 days in office he made 36 official visits to 26 countries, including Ukraine, Israel, the West Bank, several European capitals, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Brazil and the US, including a stop in New York City to attend the UN. Moreover, the fact he is a former prime minister has also possibly made it easier for him to arrange some meetings than it would have been for his Conservative predecessors as foreign minister, such as James Cleverly. Take, for example, Cameron’s recent meeting with Donald Trump in Florida; the former president might not have been so quick to grant an audience to a UK foreign secretary who had not previously ruled the country.
Some of his critics acknowledge that he has brought a renewed energy to the role of foreign minister compared with his immediate Conservative predecessors in the role. It is also clear that Cameron genuinely enjoys being foreign secretary. As the UK’s former national security adviser, Peter Ricketts, observed: “Frankly, I don’t think Sunak is very interested in international affairs and I think he’s happy to leave that to Cameron, who always found foreign affairs fascinating as prime minister and now he can do it full time.”
Nevertheless, Cameron is unlikely to fundamentally change his political legacy. One of the most famous quotes in UK politics was by controversial former Cabinet minister, Enoch Powell, who said: “All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.”
While that is much too sweeping a statement to be factually accurate, it nonetheless captures the predicament of several recent UK prime ministers, including Cameron. Liz Truss, for example, survived fewer than 49 days in office, the shortest-ever tenure in 10 Downing Street. Her predecessor, Boris Johnson, ultimately limped from office after a series of damning scandals.
So while Cameron has brought more energy to the Foreign Office, he has done little to stabilize the wider sense of strategic drift in UK foreign policy in recent years. Moreover, he appears to still disagree with Sunak on potentially key issues, including the government’s plan to send asylum seekers who enter the UK illegally to Rwanda.
Sunak has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights if judges at the European Court of Human Rights try to thwart his Rwanda policy.
However, Cameron has said: “I don’t think it’s necessary to leave the (convention), I don’t think that needs to happen to make this policy work.” He is acutely aware that only two nations have ever left the human rights convention, Russia and Belarus, and it is not a club he wants the UK to join.
Indeed, Cameron has explicitly stated he favors a return to the pre-Brexit position of a migrant-returns agreement with France, to help break up smuggling gangs and stop people making the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats. Under such a deal, he said, “people land on a beach in Kent, you take them straight back to France, you therefore break the model of the people smugglers. Now, I’d love that situation to be the case again, that’s the most sensible thing.”
However, he concedes that this is “simply not possible” because “the situation we’re in” since leaving the EU means it is not practical.
Taking all of this together, it is therefore unlikely that Cameron will be able to completely shake off the troubled political inheritance he left the UK with in 2016 when he resigned as prime minister in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
While his more energetic approach to foreign affairs compared with recent Conservative predecessors is welcome, there remains a deeper, wider sense of strategic drift in UK foreign policy.
**Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

Denial or Punishment? The U.S.-Israel Debate About How Best to Deter Iran
Michael Eisenstadt/The Washington Institute/April 27/ 2024
Part of a series: Risks and Opportunities in the Post-April 13 Middle East
or see Part 1: The Palestinian Arena in the Shadow of the Iran-Israel Crisis
Experience shows that a balanced strategy that blends deterrence by denial and deterrence by punishment can more effectively contain Iran.
Iran’s decision to launch a direct, state-on-state attack against Israel on April 13 increased the risk of overt conventional conflict in the Middle East. This attack was significant in scope, scale, and complexity, employing hundreds of one-way attack drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Equally significant was the U.S.-organized effort to defeat Iran’s attack, working with Israel as well as European and Arab allies to integrate capabilities and defend the region’s airspace. Although not publicly claimed, the April 19 Israeli response targeted air defenses protecting Iran’s nuclear program deep inside the country, without damage to civilian infrastructure or civilian casualties. And while the April 2024 escalation cycle appears closed, the region has now crossed the threshold for state-on-state attacks, with Israel and Iran both displaying potent capabilities and resolve.
The following article is part of a new series that aims to shed light on the opportunities and risks of the post-April 13 strategic environment.
Differences over how Israel should respond to challenges by Iran following its drone and missile attack of April 13 have become the latest source of U.S.-Israel tensions. Israeli officials pledged—both before and after the strike—to respond by hitting Iran. By contrast, President Biden urged Israel to “take the win” and avoid further action. Israel’s limited strike on an Iranian air-defense site on April 19 shows that it remains determined to deter Iran by denial as well as punishment. (Denial works by convincing the adversary that it will be thwarted, punishment by convincing the adversary that it will incur unacceptable costs.)
The United States has increasingly relied on deterrence by denial in recent years to counter Iran’s destabilizing regional activities. It has bolstered regional air and missile defenses and stood up maritime task forces to persuade Tehran that its attacks will be disrupted and its goals frustrated. Conversely, it has generally eschewed military activities that could impose costs on Iran, but which might be perceived as escalatory. Israel, by contrast, is at greater risk due to its proximity to Iran, and it therefore prefers to include in the mix deterrence by punishment in order to disrupt Iranian activities and impose costs.
Despite Washington’s preference for deterrence by denial vis-a-vis Iran, America’s own experience shows that a balanced strategy that blends both denial and punishment—to thwart Iranian activities and hold at risk or destroy assets that it values—is a more effective way to deter and contain the Islamic Republic.
Denial and Punishment: Historical Insights
The United States has more than forty years of experience trying to deter Iran and disrupt its destabilizing regional activities. These efforts have, however, borne mixed results, highlighting the limitations of deterrence by denial.
Proxy warfare vs. U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria (2003-present). In recent years, U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have relied largely on various defensive measures to enable them to accomplish their mission in the face of attacks by pro-Iran militias. These include passive force-protection measures such as the hardening of facilities and dispersion of forces; rules of engagement that permit forces to return fire when attacked; and ground-based air and missile defenses—augmented by defensive fighter patrols. U.S. forces generally launched offensive airstrikes only after U.S. personnel were killed or wounded, following close calls, or to preempt or disrupt planned attacks.
Thus, since the start of the Hamas-Israel war on October 7, pro-Iran proxies have launched over 170 drone and rocket attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, while the United States responded about ten times—hitting increasingly consequential targets—until three U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone attack on a logistical site in Jordan in late January. This prompted an unusually large U.S. airstrike on proxy facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iraq and Syria and a drone attack on a senior militia commander in Baghdad in early February, leading to a twelve-week halt in attacks in Iraq and Syria that ended last weekend.
In 2019, during the Trump administration, pro-Iran militias attacked U.S. troops in Iraq around twenty-five times without provoking a U.S. military response. Attacks became more frequent and intense until they killed a U.S. military contractor in late December of that year. Thus began a chain of events that culminated in the U.S. drone strike that killed IRGC Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani in January 2020. Retaliation—in the form of an Iranian missile strike on U.S. troops at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and a series of rocket attacks by pro-Iran proxies—was followed by several months of relative quiet.
This echoes the U.S. experience in Iraq from 2003-11, when the IRGC-QF armed, trained, and financed Iraqi militias and insurgents that killed more than 600 U.S. troops. Washington sought to disrupt Tehran’s efforts while avoiding escalation. U.S. and coalition forces regularly interdicted Iranian arms shipments and eventually detained several senior Qods Force operatives, who were subsequently released. The United States also quietly threatened to respond militarily to proxy attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in April 2008 and against U.S. bases in Iraq in June 2011 (the latter actions killed fifteen U.S. troops). In both cases, attacks stopped after the United States issued stern warnings. While U.S. efforts failed to halt proxy attacks entirely, the threatened use of force (when deemed credible) had a salutary, if temporary, effect.
Gulf tanker reflagging operations (1987-88). U.S. efforts during the Iran-Iraq War to counter Iranian small boat attacks by reflagging and escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers (Operation Earnest Will) demonstrated the efficacy of deterrence by denial and punishment. U.S. military planners initially thought that the presence of a carrier battle group in the region would deter Iran—but in the very first convoy, a reflagged tanker hit a mine. The United States chose not to respond, thereby emboldening Iran, which thereafter relied largely on indirect means (naval mines and attacks on unescorted ships) to prosecute the tanker war. Tehran did not pull back until after a series of surface actions in April 1988 (Operation Praying Mantis) resulted in the U.S. Navy sinking several Iranian warships. American intervention thus deterred direct attacks on reflagged tankers, forced Iran to rely on less effective tactics, and—in tandem with a series of devastating Iraqi victories on land—helped end the war.
“Deterrence by detection”—denying Tehran the benefits of surprise and plausible deniability. Tehran has sometimes deferred or canceled attacks when its adversaries demonstrated foreknowledge of them. Thus, in May 2019, Tehran canceled a planned attack using missiles mounted on dhows after the plan was disclosed to the media; instead, an Iraqi proxy group launched a cruise missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline several days later. Likewise, after CENTCOM established a multinational maritime security force in the Persian Gulf in September 2019, attacks on shipping dropped precipitously as increased surveillance reduced the possibility of plausible deniability. And in November 2022, a planned attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure was apparently scotched after U.S. and Saudi forces were alerted and the press was notified of the plot. Thus, Tehran may sometimes be deterred when denied the benefits of surprise and deniability, though when honor and interest are at stake, as on April 13, the need to act may override all other considerations.
In sum, U.S. attempts to deter by denial have often yielded to deterrence by punishment, as restraint frequently emboldened Tehran; by practicing both denial and punishment, Washington might more effectively deter and contain Iran. And while the fear of escalation is understandable, it is overstated. The United States and Israel have sparred with Iran for decades without sparking an “all-out regional war,” and recent exchanges indicate that all parties remain interested in avoiding a broader conflict.
Toward a More Balanced Strategy: Denial and Punishment
Tehran is a determined adversary that relentlessly tests limits and works to erode or circumvent adversary red lines. Though it may back down when dealt with firmly, it often seeks alternative means to achieve its goals. A successful deterrence strategy, then, will oblige Iran to act less often and less effectively. Deterrence strategies that rely solely on denial, however, enable Tehran’s traditionally cautious leadership to better calibrate risks and calculate costs, and to wager only those assets it considers expendable. Because denial imposes no costs on it, Tehran can play this game indefinitely.
A more sustainable approach. Iran has waged a decades-long struggle against the United States and its allies that shows no signs of abating. Deterrence by denial allows Tehran to set the terms of engagement and impose costs on its enemies with impunity. Because the United States is a global power with worldwide commitments, it will always face resource constraints and senior leader bandwidth challenges as it seeks to sustain focus on Iran. Washington should therefore work with Israel and Arab partners to implement a balanced strategy that blends both denial and punishment, leveraging Israel’s greater risk acceptance to advance shared objectives. For such a strategy to succeed, U.S. policymakers will need to overcome their debilitating caution and avoid disclosing Israeli activities that the latter has not acknowledged; Arab policymakers should be strongly encouraged to stay the course regarding their participation in the regional air and missile defense architecture created by CENTCOM; and Israeli policymakers will need to act with greater prudence to avoid provocative moves that could stoke U.S. fears of escalation and undermine its support for a more risk-acceptant deterrence strategy. While deterrence by punishment will sometimes require overt action (such as Israel’s April 19 airstrike), a return to gray zone activities (including sabotage, stealthy strikes, unacknowledged overt attacks, or cyber operations) could limit the potential for escalation.
Back to the gray zone. By operating in the gray zone, the United States and Israel would be giving Tehran a taste of its own medicine, enabling them to test Iran’s risk and response thresholds to see what they can get away with; erode and circumvent the Islamic Republic’s red lines (see below); and create uncertainty in the minds of Iranian decisionmakers about how to respond to ambiguous events (such as industrial accidents that might in fact be acts of sabotage). This would also enable them to counter an increasingly risk-acceptant regime in Tehran that attempted— through the April 13 attack—to establish, according to IRGC commander Hossein Salami, “a new equation” with Israel in which “any attack” on “people, property, or interests” will prompt “a reciprocal response from...Iran.” America’s adversaries are watching how it handles the aftermath of that attack; Washington’s willingness to adopt a strategy based on denial and punishment—demonstrating a degree of risk tolerance—could help dissuade Iran from attempting a nuclear breakout and might have a salutary effect on the military calculations of China, Russia, and North Korea going forward.
*Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of its Military and Security Studies Program.