Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 19-20/2024
Russian envoy visits Lebanon, calls for restraint on all sides as Israel launches more strikes
Israeli military says Tel Aviv blast apparently caused by drone
Tensions on the Rise in Southern Lebanon
Tensions boil after Israeli strikes kill at least four in Lebanon
'No dialogue, no president,' Berri says
Israeli airstrike kills several elite Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon
Raad says war's course to become clear within days
Mouawad to Craft the Miss Lebanon 2024 Crown: A Tribute to Resilience, Unity, and Optimism
Global Tech Outage: Situation in Lebanon ‘Under Control’
Dialogue Undermines Election Process: Constitution vs. Heresies
No Subsiding of Confrontations in South Lebanon
The Killers of the AMIA Still Walk Free/Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD Insight/July 19/ 2024
An Israel-Hezbollah war could send shockwaves through the energy market/Saeed Ghasseminejad/Washington Examiner/July 19/2024
Hezbollah is afraid of starting a war and not for the reason we thought/MAARIV/Jerusalem Post/July 19/2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 19-20/2024
Donald Trump vows to end wars, restore US power if elected again
Biden's campaign faces critical moment, as Democrats encourage him to exit race
US says Iran moving forward on a key aspect of developing a nuclear bomb
Iran can produce fissile material for bomb in ‘one or two weeks’: Blinken
Tel Aviv Attack: Luck or New Military Technology?
Israel-Hamas ceasefire close to the goal line, Blinken says
‘He was a pious man’: The Gaza neighborhood shocked to find Israeli hostages in their midst
Top UN court says Israel's settlement policy in occupied territories violates international law
UK Resumes UNRWA Funding as Lammy Urges Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
A week of indirect talks involving Sudan's warring parties wraps up in Geneva
Yemen Houthis claim responsibility for drone attack on Tel Aviv
Turkey to send navy to Somalia after agreeing oil and gas search
One dead, ten wounded after Houthi-claimed drone attack strikes Tel Aviv
During searches by emergency services, the body of a lifeless man was found in an apartment near the location of the explosion.
Exhausted migrants arrive on beach in Spain’s Canaries

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 19-20/2024
Media Cover Up the Jihad on French Churches/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/July 19/2024
Palestinian Leaders Prefer Murderers and Rapists Over Reforms/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/July 19, 2024
The War on Trump Is a War on Millions/Lee Smith/The Magazine/July 19/2024
How Kyiv drove Russia’s fleet out of Crimea/Luke Coffey/Arab News/July 19/2024
Why Turkiye is overlooking the European Political Community/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/July 19/2024
Saving money and the planet with solar leasing/Khaled Chebaro/Arab News/July 19/2024
Israel and the ICJ: Comparing International Court Cases During the Gaza War/Alexander Loengarov/The Washington Institute/19 july/2024
Disagreements on Hostages Loom Over Netanyahu’s Washington Trip/David Makovsky/The Washington Institute/19 july/2024
Question: “Is the United States of America in Bible prophecy?”/GotQuestions.org/19 july/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 19-20/2024
Russian envoy visits Lebanon, calls for restraint on all sides as Israel launches more strikes
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/July 19, 2024
BEIRUT: Russian diplomat Vladimir Safronkov held talks with Lebanese officials in Beirut on Friday during which he emphasized “the need for all parties to exercise restraint in preparation for reviving the peace process.”After a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Safronkov, the Russian foreign minister’s special envoy to Lebanon, stressed the importance of strengthening relations between their nations. He also met the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, whose office said: “The discussions focused on the developments in Lebanon and the region in light of Israel’s continued aggression against Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.”Safronkov’s visit was part of a regional tour. It was preceded by a stop in Saudi Arabia and followed by a trip to Israel, a government source in Lebanon said. Prime Minister Mikati is worried about the “deteriorating situation on the southern front, like other Lebanese officials, despite external reassurances that the situation is under control,” the source added. Safronkov’s visit came amid an escalation of the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli army along their shared border, as the former deploys new types of heavy missiles to the battlefield. The government source said an Israeli assault on the village of Jmaijmeh in the Bint Jbeil District of southern Lebanon on Thursday night did not bode well for the prospects of peace. An airstrike destroyed a three-story building, killing four people and injuring 14. Among the dead was Ali Ahmed Maatouk, from the village of Sir El-Gharbiyeh, who was said to be a leader in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.
Hezbollah responded on Thursday night and Friday morning with an aerial attack by “a squadron of assault drones on the Filon base (the headquarters of Brigade 210) and its warehouses in the northern region southeast of the occupied city of Safad, targeting the positions and accommodations of its officers and soldiers.”The group said it carried out another aerial attack “with a squadron of assault drones on the newly established headquarters of the Western Brigade … south of the Ya'ara settlement, and targeted the positions and accommodations of its officers and soldiers.”
Israeli media reported that dozens of rockets were launched from Lebanon toward Western Galilee while Safronkov was holding talks in Beirut.Hezbollah said it had targeted the settlements of Neve Ziv, Abirim, and Manot with dozens of Katyusha rockets “for the first time” since hostilities began nine months ago. It said the assaults were in response to “attacks on civilians on Thursday in southern Lebanese towns,” and vowed that “any attack on civilians will be met with a response against new Israeli settlements.”Amid the threats, Israeli forces carried out attacks on several locations along the border. Warplanes targeted the village of Hula, and shortly after paramedics arrived at the scene there a second attack took place nearby, injuring some members of the emergency crews and narrowly missing others. Hezbollah’s attacks on Friday included one it said targeted the “Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfarchouba with a heavy Wabel rocket, manufactured by Islamic Resistance fighters, which directly hit the site, partially destroying it and causing fires.” The group also used a Burkan missile and anti-tank missiles in its assaults. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday that about 70 rockets had been launched by Hezbollah at Israel since that morning. Hezbollah reportedly struck Israeli artillery bunkers in Khirbet Ma’ar and soldiers in their vicinity with dozens of Falaq and Katyusha rockets. The group also targeted the Metula military site with artillery shells, and Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Ramim barracks were attacked with a Burkan missile, Hezbollah said. The Lebanese Resistance Brigades said it took part in military operations against Israeli positions and had targeted “Al-Raheb site with guided missiles and artillery shells, hitting it directly.”On Friday, Hezbollah mourned the death of member Mohammed Hassan Mostapha, 37, from the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army said on Thursday night that a 25-year-old officer serving at its Ma'aleh base had died of injuries caused by a drone explosion in Golan.

Israeli military says Tel Aviv blast apparently caused by drone
Reuters/July 18, 2024
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - The Israeli military said it was investigating an apparent drone attack that hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday but which did not trigger the air raid sirens. The explosion occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon."An initial inquiry indicates that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the falling of an aerial target, and no sirens were activated. The incident is under thorough review," the military said in a statement. It said air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace but said it had not ordered new civil defence measures. The military spokesman of Yemen's Houthi militants, which like Hezbollah are backed by Iran, said on the X social media website that the group would reveal details about a military operation that targeted Tel Aviv. Police said the body of a man was found in an apartment close to the explosion and said the circumstances were being investigated. Footage from the site showed broken glass strewn across the city pavements as crowds of onlookers gathered near a building bearing blast marks. The site was sealed off by police tape. Hezbollah and the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel.

Tensions on the Rise in Southern Lebanon
This Is Beirut/July 19/2024
Clashes escalated in southern Lebanon on Friday morning following Thursday’s attack on the al-Radwan force headquarters in Jmaijmeh, which killed the head of operations, Jaafar Maatouk, and another commander and resulted in several injuries. Israeli artillery fired towards Hula, while the area around Kfar Hamam was hit with phosphorus shells. Israeli artillery shelling also targeted Wadi Shabaa in the Arqoub region, where a number of houses were damaged. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacking the Roueissat al-Alam site, using a new type of heavy-caliber rocket and destroying its target. The Raheb site was also struck with guided missiles and artillery fire. In response to Israeli attacks on civilians in Safad el-Battikh, Majdel Selm and Chaqra, the pro-Iranian group launched Katyusha rockets at the Abirim settlement for the first time. Israeli media also reported alarm sirens sounding in Meron, northern Israel.

Tensions boil after Israeli strikes kill at least four in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/July 19/2024
Israeli artillery shelled Friday the southern border town of Houla and the outskirts of Kfarshouba and Kfarhamam, a day after Israeli strikes killed at least five people in Lebanon. Hezbollah for its part attacked Friday, for the first time since war broke out, Abirim, Neve Ziv and Manot in north Israel in response to Israeli attacks on civilians in south Lebanon. Hezbollah vowed in a statement that it would attack new settlements in the event of any attack on civilians. The group also targeted a post in the occupied Kfarshouba Hills with a heavy rocket it said was made by Hezbollah fighters, and later targeted a group of soldiers in the Ramim barracks with a Burkan rocket, Metula with artillery shells and Israeli artillery positions in Kherbet Ma'er. An Israeli strike on a house near the southern village of Jmaijmeh had killed two people and wounded eighteen Thursday, hours after two separate drone strikes in southern Lebanon and in the eastern Bekaa Valley killed a Hezbollah member and a commander of Hamas-allied al-Jamaa al-Islamiya. Hezbollah said two of its members were among the dead in the Jmaijmeh strike, including Ali Jaafar Maatouq. A source close to the group described him as a commander of its elite Al Radwan operational unit. The Israeli army said it killed another Al Radwan commander in Majdal Selm, near Jmaijmeh, which was not immediately confirmed by Lebanese sources. It announced Friday the death of a senior officer who was wounded in a Hezbollah strike on the Golan Heights two weeks ago.
Retaliation -
Hezbollah carried out Thursday 9 attacks on Israeli positions in north Israel and the occupied Kfarshouba Hills, two of them in retaliation to the morning strikes on Bekaa's Ghazzeh and Tyre's Jbal el-Botm. The group attacked with suicide drones a military base near Safad and a command center near Ya'ara in north Israel. The cross-border violence since October has killed 516 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally. Most of the dead have been fighters, but they have also included at least 104 civilians. On the Israeli side, 18 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, according to authorities. The violence has raised fears of all-out conflict between the two foes, who last went to war in the summer of 2006.

'No dialogue, no president,' Berri says
Naharnet/July 19/2024
"Without dialogue, there will be no president," pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Speaker Nabih Berri as saying. The daily reported Friday that Berri thinks that "it's much easier today" as all parties, except one - the Lebanese Forces -, have agreed to participate in his dialogue initiative, including the Free Patriotic Movement. "MP (and FPM leader) Jebran Bassil has finally said he supports dialogue after having refused it. I know that he opposes the election of (Marada leader and Hezbollah and Amal's presidential candidate) Suleiman Franjieh but this did not prevent him from vowing to attend the dialogue," Berri told al-Akhbar, adding that he still supports Franjieh. The dialogue would be held for ten days, Berri explained, during which parties would agree on one candidate or suggest two or more candidates, and then they would go to vote in parliament. "On the tenth day we will have a President," he vowed. Sixteen MPs would be invited to the dialogue, Berri added. These sixteen are the heads of the parliamentary blocs and not the parties' leaders. LF leader Samir Geagea had said Thursday that he hopes Berri is following what is happening in France. French parliamentarians at the National Assembly had re-elected Thursday a speaker after three rounds of vote. "I hope you followed how voting at the National Assembly happened in an open session with successive rounds," Geagea told Berri, apparently blaming Berri for not calling for a session and his camp's MPs for leaving previous sessions before the second round of voting.

Israeli airstrike kills several elite Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon
Associated Press/July 19/2024
An Israeli airstrike killed a commander and other militants from Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force late Thursday in southern Lebanon, according to the group and Israel's military. Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its commanders, Ali Jaafar Maatouq, also known as Habib Maatouq. Israel said in a statement it had killed Maatouq and another Radwan Force commander, as well as other members of Hezbollah's secretive special forces, which operate along the border. Earlier in the day, two separate drone strikes in southern Lebanon and another in the eastern Bekaa Valley killed a Hezbollah member and an official of the Sunni Muslim al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, which has close links to the Palestinian group Hamas and is also allied with Hezbollah. The three separate targeted killings in one day were a rare spike in violence on the Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah and Israel have been fighting for more than nine months. Hezbollah began firing rockets shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, saying it aimed to ease pressure on Gaza. Since then, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed over 450 people, mostly Hezbollah members but also around 90 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 21 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed.

Raad says war's course to become clear within days
Naharnet/July 19/2024
Hezbollah’s top lawmaker Mohammad Raad on Friday noted that the “course” of his group’s conflict with Israel will become clear “within a few days,” in an apparent reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. “Let us be patient for a few days to see the prospects and the atmosphere that we will move forward in. We will not hesitate or give up our resistant choice and we will not weaken in the face of the arrogance of tyranny and occupation,” Raad added. “In the end the enemy will be forced to accept its situation and its major disappointment and failure,” Raad went on to say. The cross-border violence since October has killed 516 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally. Most of the dead have been fighters, but they have also included at least 104 civilians. On the Israeli side, 18 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, according to authorities. The violence has raised fears of all-out conflict between the two foes, who last went to war in the summer of 2006.

Mouawad to Craft the Miss Lebanon 2024 Crown: A Tribute to Resilience, Unity, and Optimism
LBCI/July 19/2024
Mouawad, the globally renowned luxury jeweler, in partnership with Miss Lebanon, is honored to announce the crafting of the exquisite crown for Miss Lebanon 2024 and entrusting her with the role of an ambassador of hope. Inspired by the enduring spirit of the Lebanese culture, the ‘Cedar of Hope’ embodies resilience, unity, and unwavering optimism. Designed by Robert Mouawad, the crown is a vibrant tribute to the Lebanese spirit of perseverance. The meticulous selection of red, white, and green gemstones poetically reflects the colors of the Lebanese flag. The design draws inspiration from the majestic cedar tree, a revered national emblem that has stood tall for millennia in the Lebanese landscape. “Lebanon has a long and rich history, and we are committed to crafting a crown that reflects the country's strength, beauty, and enduring hope for a brighter future. The crown will be bestowed upon the winner, who will then become an ambassador for the nation, carrying the hopes and dreams of the Lebanese people with her.” - Robert Mouawad, 3rd generation co-guardian of Mouawad. The ‘Cedar of Hope’ is a unique expression of Mouawad’s deep admiration for the Lebanese spirit and serves as a powerful symbol of national pride, crafted with Mouawad's signature artistry and coupled with a profound admiration for the nation’s heritage. The crown’s centerpiece features a scrupulously crafted cedar tree which evokes strength and unwavering optimism. Upward-pointing gem-set motifs delicately surround the cedar, representing the boundless aspirations and desires of the Lebanese society. Through the captivating language of gemstones, the crown reflects the innate power within every Lebanese – the strength to shine, inspire, and lead with unwavering determination. This collaboration is a testament to the enduring spirit to overcome all challenges and obstacles. It also serves as an inspiration for the nation to persevere through challenges and the spirit to dream boldly.
About Mouawad
Mouawad is a renowned luxury jewelry brand recognized for its timeless elegance, exceptional craftsmanship, and rich heritage. With a legacy spanning over a century, Mouawad has epitomized excellence in jewelry, crafting the extraordinary with artistic mastery and trusted expertise. From its exquisite diamond creations to its iconic world records, Mouawad continues to captivate discerning individuals worldwide, embodying the pinnacle of luxury and artistry. Guided by the endeavors and visions of five generations, Mouawad’s heritage spans more than a century of creations and traditions in masterful jewelry design and watchmaking. Since its inception in Lebanon in 1890, the revered values of the brand have been revived over the years to offer true luxury and refinement to a discerning clientele, penetrating continents across the world.

Global Tech Outage: Situation in Lebanon ‘Under Control’
This Is Beirut/July 19/2024
Following the worldwide tech outage that disrupted airports, hospitals and banks, the situation in Lebanon appears to be “under control.”The Director of Civil Aviation, Fadi Hassan, told the National News Agency (NNA) that the outage had only minor effects on Beirut International Airport (BIA), lasting no more than 30 minutes. He assured that “no flights will be delayed or canceled” and that operations have resumed normally at the airport. Ogero Managing Director Imad Kreidieh posted on X that the public fixed telephone and internet provider is monitoring local systems to ensure smooth operations, noting that “no problems have been reported so far.”The global outage, observed in several countries, is believed to be due to an update to the CrowdStrike antivirus software for Microsoft systems. Microsoft has since stated that an investigation is underway.

Dialogue Undermines Election Process: Constitution vs. Heresies
Carole Salloum/This Is Beirut/July 19/2024
It is a battle between strict adherence to the Constitution and attempts to overturn it and establish new conventions, whereas electing a new president requires, first and foremost, an unwavering commitment to the text.
While opposition forces remain committed to a clear, constitutionally-based roadmap for the presidential election, the Hezbollah-led camp, or “moumanaa” forces, are countering this strategy with criticism, skepticism, misinformation, fabrications and heresy. The Shiite duo’s (Amal/Hezbollah) insistence on a dialogue led by Speaker Nabih Berry as a prerequisite for the election is driving the entire process into uncertainty and jeopardizing the election itself. Their aim is to impose the “moumanaa” candidate and control the process in line with their own agenda.
It is a battle waged by the opposition to assert the Constitution as the rightful framework unequivocally. If the Constitution is clear, why is there a need to seek consensus that could undermine it? It is known that the opposition’s proposal has consistently focused on parliamentary consultation and has not abandoned it. The real issue is the rejection of dialogue, which the “moumanaa” forces risk exploiting to their benefit, thus blatantly violating constitutional texts. Consequently, the opposition will reject this approach under any circumstances, though it prefers avoiding unnecessary disputes. It is clear that adherence to the Constitution is the only choice for the opposition, and it is reflected in their roadmap. It is the most effective weapon against any other form of constitutional heresy.
What does the Constitution say about making dialogue a prerequisite for electing a president of the Republic? Why break the fundamental constitutional principle in this context? According to constitutional expert Professor Said Malek, in an interview with sister company Houna Loubnan, it is well-established that constitutional conventions (or customs) consist of behaviors and practices that become integral to constitutional considerations. Some scholars define the customary as the repetition of certain practices in a specific way, with the expectation that such practices become legally binding in similar situations. Therefore, if the requirement for dialogue before any presidential election is recognized and applied, it will become a constitutional consideration and would be deemed constitutionally binding with every electoral process. Professor Georges Vedel, a prominent constitutional scholar and leading doctrinal authority in France, contends that precedents diverging from the statutory law, or the Constitution, constitute a breach of written legal norms. According to Vedel, a convention is a concession to the traditional notion of the Constitution, bearing in mind that scholars, specialized in constitutional law, went as far as to believe that conventions can override constitutional texts.
Consequently, a convention today is the product of both material and moral elements, emerging when a community perceives that a particular practice is essential for resolving issues. In this context, constitutional conventions can complement the role of the Constitution, reflecting a collective sense of necessity to adhere to the conventional norm and to act accordingly, driven by the principle of commitment. Malek argues that imposing dialogue as a prerequisite for elections establishes a new constitutional norm that amends and contradicts the written Constitution. He warns that this practice could, in the future, evolve into a new convention that amends the constitutional provisions and undermines the mechanism of electing a president, stipulated in the constitutional provisions. MP Gebran Bassil’s proposal to overturn conventions with a written paper signed by the relevant parties is a constitutional heresy, as a convention is established first through the community’s conviction that dialogue should precede any election. A written paper or document does not prevent the emergence of a convention that amends constitutional provisions. We must either acknowledge that the Constitution is to be applied and its constitutional norms respected, or succumb to proposals and heresies aimed at creating new conventions that contradict the text provisions and spirit. Thus, it is a battle between strict adherence to the Constitution and attempts to overturn it by establishing new conventions. The path to electing a new president requires, first and foremost, unwavering commitment to the Constitution, with consensus achievable once this commitment is in place.

No Subsiding of Confrontations in South Lebanon
This Is Beirut/July 19/2024
Tensions increased on the southern front on Friday afternoon after a civil defense volunteer was injured and another was suffocated in an Israeli strike while putting down a fire resulting from an earlier raid on houses in Bir Al Muslabiyat and Al-Abbad Junction. Israeli artillery hit the center of Hula, and Wadi Al Bayad, before targeting Markaba, next to the municipality building. The Dabaka neighborhood, northeast of Mays al-Jabal, was also hit by Israeli artillery. Moreover, Israel bombarded the town of Mays al-Jabal with phosphorous artillery shells. Dhayra, Yarine and Majdel Zoun were targets for Israeli warplanes, in addition to Aita al-Shaab which was hit by two consecutive air-to-surface missiles. For its part, Hezbollah targeted, for the first time, three new Israeli settlements. The pro-Iranian formation announced in a statement “shelling Israeli artillery positions, north of Ain Yaacoub and Malkiya with artillery and achieving direct hits.”In a second statement, Hezbollah announced “targeting Ruwaisat Al Qarn base in the Shebaa Farms with rockets and hitting accurate targets.”Earlier, Hezbollah declared “targeting Al-Sammaqa base with rocket weaponry and a technical system at Al-Abbad site with a swooping drone.”In another statement, Hezbollah claimed “hitting buildings used by Israeli soldiers in Manara settlement and Al-Marj position with artillery fire.” Afterwards, Israeli media reported that “around 65 rockets were launched from Lebanon to the north of Israel.”Earlier today, Hezbollah had declared “launching Katyusha rockets at the Abirim settlement for the first time.”

The Hezbollah terrorists who bombed the Jewish Cultural Center in Buenos Aires in 1994 are still free
The Killers of the AMIA Still Walk Free
Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD Insight/July 19/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/07/132243/
On July 18, 1994, at 9:53 am, a Hezbollah suicide bomber, Ibrahim Berro, drove a car laden with explosives in front of the AMIA, the Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, and pressed the detonator, ripping the edifice apart, killing 85 people and wounding more than 200. The regime in Iran ordered the terror attack, and Hezbollah, Tehran’s proxy in Lebanon, took it upon itself to execute it.
Today, Argentina marked the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing. All the perpetrators are still alive, except for Berro and Hezbollah’s senior commander, Imad Moughniyeh, who died in a car bombing in Damascus in 2008. The wily paymasters in Tehran who ordered the attack will no doubt continue to shield from justice the handful of their senior colleagues hit by international arrest warrants and Interpol red notices.
But what of the lesser known, yet no less lethal, Hezbollah subordinates who, back in the early 1990s, spent months in Brazil and Argentina, working every detail of the elaborate plot to murder Jews in the heart of Buenos Aires? They still walk free. And many of them never even left Latin America, having mostly been ignored by the very authorities who should have jailed them long ago. As Argentina remembers its dead, it is not too late to trace back the steps of the assassins and renew the case for their arrest.
Consider, for example, the last hours in the life of Berro.
According to two 2022 declassified Mossad reports, whose accuracy has never been questioned, Berro landed in São Paulo, Brazil, only two days before the attack. To make his way to Buenos Aires, he had to rely on several local operatives. One was Brazilian-born Khaled Mohamad Kazem Kassem, who was in Brazil working undercover for a Hezbollah front company. Kassem picked Berro up at the airport and took him to the Tri-Border Area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, or TBA, where two other Hezbollah operatives, brothers Fouad and Abdallah Ismail Tormos, hosted him overnight before smuggling him across the border into Argentina.
Kassem, who played a key role in the attack’s planning stages, later rose through Hezbollah’s ranks, becoming the second-in-command of the group’s unit in charge of planning terror attacks. He is presumed to be in Lebanon, but his siblings and mother live in São Paulo. The Tormos siblings have also moved on, as if nothing happened. One is still in Paraguay, and the other lives in England. As for the now-defunct front company that gave Kassem his cover, its former co-owners are still in Brazil. Thirty years later, they both run a business in São Paulo, have built families, and in one case helped siblings migrate to Brazil.
None of these people paid any price. Nobody bothered them. In fact, they seemed to have thrived.
Even more shocking is that much about their identities and roles in the plot is public knowledge, thanks both to the investigation that the late Argentinian prosecutor Alberto Nisman conducted prior to his murder in 2015 and, more recently, to the declassified Mossad reports published in 2022.
You’d think these people, named in the voluminous documents of criminal investigations and intelligence reports, would have left the scene of the crime long ago and left the thinnest of paper trails.
You’d expect them to live as fugitives, leading a shadowy existence, sheltering in hospitable lands where their crime is praised as heroic, not decried as a mortal sin.
You’d think that if they were still living in Brazil, where they plotted a mass atrocity, local authorities would take action, not let them roam free.
Yet a few perfunctory searches in publicly available documents reveal that they never worried too much about the consequences of their actions. They are unencumbered by their past, left alone by the powers that be.
Perhaps it is too much to hope that Iran, at long last, will turn in the plot’s leaders to Argentina’s justice system for prosecution. But that is no excuse to leave alone all others, especially those who, if there were any political will, could easily be turned over to Argentina for further investigation.
Argentinian authorities, accompanied by Jewish leaders and foreign dignitaries, are gathering today to remember the victims and renew their annual request for justice. It is time to heed it.
**Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Emanuele and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Emanuele on X @eottolenghi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

An Israel-Hezbollah war could send shockwaves through the energy market
Saeed Ghasseminejad/Washington Examiner/July 19/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/07/132250/
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate. Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Should war erupt, its effects could reverberate through the energy market.
What happens in southern Lebanon will not stay in southern Lebanon. Iran would likely come to Hezbollah’s aid even more vociferously than it did Hamas. After all, Hezbollah is Shi’ite, the Islamic Republic’s original proxy, and its insurance policy against an Israeli attack on the regime’s nuclear program. Tehran also values Hezbollah’s strategic geography astride both Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. Iranian strategists may seek to disrupt the regional energy trade in order to amplify pressure on Israel, moderate Arab states, and their Western supporters. Indeed, there is precedent. On Sept. 14, 2019, Houthi rebels attacked Saudi Aramco’s oil processing facilities at Abqaiq, temporarily halving Saudi output and reducing global production by 5%. While Hezbollah can theoretically target Israeli gas production in the eastern Mediterranean, such attacks would have a negligible effect on global prices. Offshore Israeli gas facilities are hard to hit, even if Hezbollah drones or rockets could penetrate their defenses. Should they go offline, the effect on global prices would be small. Simply put, Israel’s Leviathan field is not Abqaiq. A collective response by the so-called “axis of resistance” would be more dangerous. Disrupting Eastern Mediterranean gas fields and transport routes, striking ships transiting the Bab el Mandeb Strait, and seizing tankers in the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt global supply. As risk heightens, speculative trading and insurance hikes could amplify prices higher.
Already, the components of such a strategy are in place. Houthis harass ships and tankers transiting the Red Sea between the Bab el Mandeb and Suez Canal, the main route for Middle Eastern oil and East Asian goods to Europe. In 2023, around 9 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products traversed the Bab el Mandeb. The Suez Canal corridor handles 15% of global maritime trade. Some tankers have altered their routes, opting for the longer passage around the Cape of Good Hope. Others weather higher insurance premiums. Any targeting of tankers going to or leaving the Ceyhan oil terminal could affect Iraqi, Iraqi Kurdish, and Azerbaijan oil transiting Turkey for European markets. The regime would likely not do so directly for the sake of its own plausible deniability and relationship with Turkey, but it could green-light such actions by Hezbollah or Syria-based militias. Tehran has already equipped Hezbollah with anti-ship missiles, drones, and remote-controlled vessels that it could use to target oil destined for countries it deems unfriendly.
Iranian authorities could ratchet up pressure further by disrupting the transit of nearly 21% of global petroleum products that transit the Strait of Hormuz, which is destined for India, China, and Japan. Even if Iran did not close the strait with mines, missiles, or drones, the Revolutionary Guards’ confiscations of foreign tankers disrupt trade. While Iranian diplomats’ claims of innocence and suggestion that such moves are rogue actions have little merit, they are often sufficient for conflict-averse Western diplomats to counsel against retaliation. In recent months, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei has railed against the Abraham Accords and the supposed betrayal by Arab leaders they represent. The regime in Tehran and its proxies have a history of targeting critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. While both countries have moved to improve their relations with the Islamic Republic, Tehran may still target its production facilities if Khamenei believes Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are aiding Israeli efforts. With such threats possible to the global energy trade, how should the United States react? It might be tempting to pressure Israel to tolerate the growing Hezbollah threat on its border, but demanding democracies stand down in the face of terrorism does not win peace. It only encourages further terrorist aggression.Rather, the path to peace lies with strength and a realistic assessment of enemy strategy. If the U.S., Europe, and moderate Arab states wish to neutralize the threat the “axis of resistance” poses to the global economy, it is essential to unravel its growing stranglehold. This will require extricating the Houthis from the Red Sea coast, creating a permanent task force to protect facilities in the Sixth Fleet area of operations, and augmenting security for shipping at risk of hijacking in the Persian Gulf. The cost for the U.S. and Europe may be high, but it pales in comparison to what the West will pay if it allows Tehran and its proxies to threaten global energy markets.
**Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior Iran and financial economics advisor at FDD specializing in Iran’s economy and financial markets, sanctions, and illicit finance. Follow him on X: @SGhasseminejad.

Hezbollah is afraid of starting a war and not for the reason we thought - analysis
Each round of regional instability and conflict provided Hezbollah with new opportunities to expand its range of activity.
By MAARIV/Jerusalem Post/July 19/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/07/132230/
One of the reasons why the US is working so hard to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza is to prevent the exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah from expanding into a full-scale war.
Arman Mahmoudian, a researcher of Russia and the Middle East at the University of South Florida and the "Global National Security Institute" (GNSI) explained that at the beginning in 1982, Hezbollah's main mission was in southern Lebanon, populated mostly by Shiites, against the IDF and the Free Lebanese Army.
However, over time, Hezbollah became the strongest player in Lebanon in particular, and in the region in general. Hezbollah grew as a result of the United States' war on terror, specifically the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq.
The American presence in Iraq, strategically located between Iran and Syria, increased the sense of vulnerability of both countries, leading them to increase their ability to attack the US.
Syria has allowed Ba'athists and former al-Qaeda operatives to carry out operations against the US from its territory, while Iran has increased its network of regional proxies with Hezbollah at the forefront.
He further explained that immediately after the US invasion of Iraq, Hezbollah created a new force known as Unit 3800 to oversee operations against the US military. A small number of elite forces trained Iraqi fighters to carry out kidnappings and tactical operations. They also learned to use sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs), incorporating lessons learned from operations in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah provided funds and weapons to these fighters. He also quickly expanded ties with Iraqi militias, including the Badr Brigade, Saraya Al-Khorsani, and al-Mahdi.
In addition to military aid, Hezbollah supported Iraqi Shiite militias and political parties through a large media presence.
The second phase of Hezbollah's expansion came during the Arab Spring, starting at the end of 2010. The chaos and instability allowed Hezbollah not only to increase its presence in Iraq and Syria but also to expand into Yemen and Bahrain. As the civil war raged in Syria, Hezbollah deployed thousands of fighters to support Bashar al-Assad. Hezbollah fighters played a decisive role in major battles, such as the Battle of Qusayr in 2013, which recaptured territory from rebel forces.
Hezbollah also provided training and strategic advice to Syrian government forces, leveraging expertise in urban warfare and guerrilla tactics. According to regional sources, at least until 2021, Hezbollah was operating in 116 sites, from the deep south of Syria in Daraa to the north in Aleppo.
In Yemen, Hezbollah smuggled dismantled weapons and trained Houthi fighters in guerrilla warfare, logistics, and the use of advanced weapons, including missile technology. Hezbollah's Radwan force also directed attacks on Saudis.
The leadership of Hezbollah, including Hassan Nasrallah, participated in propaganda campaigns to strengthen the cause of the Houthis and against the Saudi narratives.
In Bahrain, Hezbollah's activities were more covert and focused on supporting Shiite opposition groups. According to sources, Hezbollah collaborated with Iran to establish a Shiite militia known as the al-Ashtar Brigades, which, since its establishment in 2013, has carried out more than 20 attacks against the security forces and police of Bahrain.
In Iraq, Hezbollah's role expanded significantly even during the Arab Spring. In 2014, Hezbollah established a command center to oversee and plan all operations in Iraq. Hezbollah also expedited the supply of weapons and provided extensive training and support to Iraqi Shiite militias, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Hezbollah Brigades, and the Badr Brigade. Hezbollah operatives participated in combat operations alongside Iraqi militias against ISIS.
Three major game-changers
According to Mahmoudian, the 21st century was another transformative period for Hezbollah marked by three major events: the killing of the head of the Quds Force Qassem Soleimani, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, and October 7. Soleimani's death had profound consequences for Hezbollah's operations in Iraq. Soleimani was a key figure coordinating Iran's courier network. Fearing to lose its grip on Iraq after his death, Iran tasked Hezbollah with filling this gap.
Hezbollah has increased its training of Iraqi militias, focusing on advanced military tactics, urban warfare, and the use of sophisticated weapons. Hezbollah has also taken on the role of providing strategic guidance for operations against US and coalition forces, including planning and executing attacks on bases and military convoys. At the same time, Hezbollah increased its influence on pro-Iranian factions in the Iraqi government, which called for the expulsion of the 2,500 remaining US troops in the country.
The war in Ukraine also gave Hezbollah a boost by undermining Russia's role in Syria. Moscow withdrew troops from Syria, leaving a power vacuum that was filled by both the IRGC and Hezbollah. This not only gave Hezbollah an opportunity to expand its presence but also allowed the militia to present itself as a valuable player capable of protecting Russian interests.
While the chaos abroad allowed Hezbollah to expand its regional influence, the internal chaos serves the same purpose. Over 80% of Lebanese live in poverty due to the financial turmoil in the country and the devaluation of the Lebanese pound. These difficult circumstances helped Hezbollah.
Its financial backbone, the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association (AQAH), offered personal loans to Lebanon in exchange for gold and foreign currency, making Hezbollah the holder of the country's largest gold reserves.
In addition, Hezbollah, through its global financial network, including gold mines in Venezuela, transferred foreign currency and gold to Lebanon. Given the weak value of the Lebanese currency, this gave Hezbollah enormous purchasing power and allowed the militia to expand its economic presence by purchasing many construction and solar energy projects.
The funds gathered by Hezbollah may make it wary of escalating the current exchange of fire with Israel. Over the past four decades, Hezbollah has demonstrated a remarkable ability to exploit regional instability and conflict.
Whether during the US war on terror, the Arab Spring, or the tumultuous events of 2020, each round provided Hezbollah with new opportunities to expand its range of activity.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 19-20/2024
Donald Trump vows to end wars, restore US power if elected again
AFP/July 19, 2024
MILWAUKEE: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump promised Thursday to bring an end to raging international crises and restore American prestige on the world stage, saying he could “stop wars with a telephone call.” The former president sought to paint a dire picture of the world under his successor Joe Biden, telling the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee that the planet is “teetering on the edge of World War III.”“We will restore peace, stability and harmony all throughout the world,” Trump said, without giving any detail on how he might do that. “Under our leadership the United States will be respected again. No nation will question our power, no enemy will doubt our might, our borders will be totally secure.” Trump placed the blame for conflicts around the world squarely on Biden — even those with roots stretching back far before the Democrat took office. “There is an international crisis the likes of which the world has seldom been part of... war is now raging in Europe, in the Middle East, a growing specter of conflict hangs over Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines and all of Asia,” he said. He vowed to change all that if he is elected to a second term in the White House.“I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said. But “to achieve this future, we must first rescue our nation from failed and even incompetent leadership.” He also said he wanted Americans held abroad to be released — or else. “The entire world, I tell you this: we want our hostages back and they better be back before I assume office or you will be paying a very big price,” said Trump — again failing to give any specifics. He pledged to build a version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system for the United States, ignoring the fact that the system is designed for short-range threats and would be ill-suited to defending against intercontinental missiles that are the main danger to the country. And he suggested that Kim Jong Un — the reclusive North Korean dictator whom he met in person during his presidency, and whose country possesses a nuclear arsenal — longed to see him back in the White House. “I get along with him, he’d like to see me back too. I think he misses me, if you want to know,” Trump said.

Biden's campaign faces critical moment, as Democrats encourage him to exit race
Associated Press/July 19, 2024
Critical days ahead, President Joe Biden is facing the stark reality that many Democrats at the highest levels want him to consider how stepping aside from the 2024 election to make way for a new nominee atop the ticket could be the party's best chance of preventing widespread losses in November. Isolated as he battles a COVID infection at his beach house in Delaware, Biden's already small circle of confidants before his debate fumbling has downsized further. The president, who has insisted he can beat Republican Donald Trump, is with family and relying on a few longtime aides as he weighs whether to bow to the mounting pressure to drop out. The Biden For President campaign is calling an all-staff meeting Friday. At the same time, the Democratic National Committee 's rulemaking arm expects to meet Friday, pressing ahead with plans for a virtual roll call before Aug. 7 to nominate the presidential pick, ahead of the party's convention later in the month in Chicago. "President Biden deserves the respect to have important family conversations with members of the caucus and colleagues in the House and Senate and Democratic leadership and not be battling leaks and press statements," Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, Biden's closest friend in Congress and his campaign co-chair, told The Associated Press. It's a pivotal few days for the president and his party: Trump has wrapped up an enthusiastic Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. And Democrats, racing time, are considering the extraordinary possibility of Biden stepping aside for a new presidential nominee before their own convention. Amid the turmoil, a majority of Democrats think Vice President Kamala Harris would make a good president herself.
A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don't believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don't know enough to say. Democrats at the highest levels have been making a critical push for Biden to rethink his election bid, with former President Barack Obama expressing concerns to allies and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately telling Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he doesn't step away from the 2024 race.
Late Thursday, Montana Sen. Jon Tester became the second Democrat in the chamber — and now among nearly two dozen in Congress — calling on him to bow out, saying, "Biden should not seek reelection to another term."Campaign officials said Biden was even more committed to staying in the race even as the calls for him to go mounted. And senior West Wing aides have had no internal discussions or conversations with the president about Biden dropping out.
But there is also time to reconsider. Biden has been told the campaign is having trouble raising money, and key Democrats see an opportunity as he is away from the campaign for a few days to encourage his exit. Among his Cabinet, some are resigned to the likelihood of him losing in November. The reporting in this story is based in part on information from almost a dozen people who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive private deliberations. The Washington Post first reported on Obama's involvement. Biden, 81, tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling in Las Vegas earlier this week and is experiencing "mild symptoms" including "general malaise" from the infection, the White House said. The president himself, in a radio interview taped just before he tested positive, dismissed the idea it was too late for him to recover politically, telling Univision's Luis Sandoval that many people don't focus on the November election until September. "All the talk about who's leading and where and how, is kind of, you know — everything so far between Trump and me has been basically even," he said in an excerpt of the interview released Thursday. But in Congress, Democratic lawmakers have begun having private conversations about lining up behind Harris as an alternative. One lawmaker said Biden's own advisers are unable to reach a unanimous recommendation about what he should do. More in Congress are considering joining the others who have called for Biden to drop out. Some prefer an open process for choosing a new presidential nominee. "It's clear the issue won't go away," said Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, the other Senate Democrat who has publicly said Biden should exit the race. Welch said the current state of party angst — with lawmakers panicking and donors revolting — was "not sustainable." However, influential Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are sending signals of strong concern. To be sure, many want Biden to stay in the race. But among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. That sharply undercuts Biden's post-debate claim that "average Democrats" are still with him.

US says Iran moving forward on a key aspect of developing a nuclear bomb
Ellen Knickmeyer/ASPEN, Colo. (AP) / July 19, 2024
Iran is talking more about getting a nuclear bomb and has made strides in developing a key aspect of a weapon since about April, when Israel and its allies overpowered a barrage of Iranian airstrikes targeting Israel, two top Biden administration officials said Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking at separate panels during a security forum in Colorado, said the United States was watching closely for any signs that Iran had made a decision to pursue actual weaponization of its nuclear program. However, Sullivan said, “I have not seen a decision by Iran to move” in a way that signals it has decided to actually develop a nuclear bomb right now. “If they start moving down that road, they'll find a real problem with the United States,” Sullivan said at the Aspen Security Forum, which draws U.S. policymakers, journalists and others. Iran resumed progress on its nuclear program after the Trump administration ended U.S. cooperation with a 2015 deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for allowing tougher oversight of the program. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. The U.S. and others in the international community believe Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei long has held off from giving any final go-ahead for Iranian scientists to develop a nuclear weapon. But Iran's poor performance with conventional weapons on April 13, when it launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel as part of a dayslong exchange of strikes, has had observers watching for any increased Iranian interest in pushing forward with a nuclear weapon. At the time, Israel said it, the United States and other allies shot down 99% of about 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran following an alleged Israeli strike that killed two Iranian generals. “What we’ve seen in the past weeks and months is Iran is actually moving forward” on developing fissile material, Blinken said Friday. Fissile material could be used to fuel a bomb.He blamed the decision by the Trump administration to pull out of the nuclear agreement. Trump called the deal “defective at its core” when he ended U.S. participation in 2019. “Instead of being at least a year away from having breakout capacity to produce fissile material for a nuclear weapon, they're probably one or two weeks away from doing that," Blinken said, adding that “where we are now is not a good place.”“Now, they haven't produced a weapon itself, but ... you put those things together, fissile material, an explosive device, and you have a nuclear weapon,” he said. The United States was watching “very, very carefully" for any sign that Iran was working on the weapon side of producing a bomb, he said. The U.S. is also working on the diplomatic side to contain any further effort, Blinken said. Meanwhile, Sullivan said, the U.S. has noted “an uptick of public commentary from Iranian officials musing about that possibility” since the April attacks and counterattacks between Iran and Israel and its allies.“That was new. That was something that got our attention,” he said.

Iran can produce fissile material for bomb in ‘one or two weeks’: Blinken
AFP/July 19, 2024
WASHINGTON: Iran is capable of producing fissile material for use in a nuclear weapon within “one or two weeks,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday. The details on Iran’s capabilities emerged following the recent election of President Masoud Pezeshkian. He has said he wants to end Iran’s isolation and favors reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers. Blinken said, however, that “what we’ve seen in the last weeks and months is an Iran that’s actually moving forward” with its nuclear program. In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal, which was designed to regulate Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Speaking at a security forum in Colorado, Blinken blamed the collapse of the nuclear deal for the acceleration in Iran’s capabilities. “Instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, (Iran) is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that,” Blinken said. He added that Iran had not yet developed a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last month that Iran is further expanding its nuclear capacities, with Tehran informing the agency that it was installing more cascades — or series of centrifuges used in enrichment — at nuclear facilities in Natanz and Fordow. According to the IAEA, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapons state to enrich uranium to the high level of 60 percent — just short of weapons-grade — while it keeps accumulating large uranium stockpiles, enough to build several atomic bombs, the agency says. Following the US withdrawal, the Islamic republic has gradually broken away from its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. But the country’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri told CNN earlier this week that Iran remained committed to the accord, known as the JCPOA. “We are still a member of JCPOA. America has not yet been able to return to the JCPOA, so the goal we are pursuing is the revival of the 2015 agreement,” he said. “We are not looking for a new agreement.”Bagheri said no one in Iran had talked “about a new agreement. We have an agreement (signed) in 2015.” Blinken was speaking just days after reports that the US Secret Service had increased security for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump weeks ago, after authorities learned of an alleged Iranian plot to kill him.
Tehran has denied the allegations.

Tel Aviv Attack: Luck or New Military Technology?
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/July 19/2024
After nine hours and 2,000 km, the “Jaffa” drone, launched at dawn toward Tel Aviv in an attack claimed by the Yemeni Houthis, evaded interception. Was it luck or new military technology? It is 3:10 AM. An explosion occurred at Hayarkon, at the corner of Ben-Yehuda Avenue and Shalom-Aleichem Street, near the local branch of the US consulate, the embassy being relocated to Jerusalem in 2019. According to preliminary reports, one person has been killed and about ten others injured, six 0f them sustaining psychological chocs. The Samad-3 drone, an Iranian-made model with a declared range of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers, was detected but not intercepted. It seems to have been developed to evade the interception systems of the Hebrew State. According to Mohammed el-Bacha, a researcher at the Navanti Group, the distance between Saada, the Houthi stronghold in Yemen, and Tel Aviv is about 1,850 kilometers. The Houthis confirmed on Friday that the drone, named Jaffa, was undetectable by radar and flew at low altitude over the sea. “The fact that it traveled nearly 2,000 kilometers without being intercepted is a significant military achievement for the Yemeni ‘Resistance’ Axis,” notes El-Bacha. Retired General Raouf Sayah agrees, highlighting that “Houthi weaponry, primarily sourced from Iran, has seen considerable advancements.” He adds that it’s not surprising a drone like the Samad-3 could reach its target. Advanced technology means that even a detected drone can achieve its mission. How? It might not have been classified as “hostile” or “intrusive,” possibly providing misleading information about its trajectory or nature, explains General Sayah. Since no warning sirens were triggered, Israeli forces, who have ruled out a malfunction in detection systems, suggest a “human error” despite the drone being spotted. An investigation is now underway by Israeli authorities to clarify the matter and “hold those responsible accountable.”
A Stroke of Luck?
If the Houthis are talking about a so-called “victory” it is because one of their drones had reached Tel Aviv for the first time. However, some observers believe it may be due to hazard. Israeli defense systems have intercepted thousands of projectiles since the Gaza war began. According to Jean Sebastien Guillaume, founder of Celtic Intelligence, it was a “stroke of luck” for the Houthis, who, with Iranian encouragement, attempted a failed coordinated attack with Iraqi militias. Moreover, it is noteworthy that on July 15, “Iran’s new president Massoud Pezeshkian, contacted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the following day, reached out to Mehdi Machat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, to assure Iran’s proxies of the continuity of the ‘axis of resistance’ after the election of the Iranian president,” Guillaume added. Additionally, a drone from Iraq was downed outside Israeli airspace on the night of Thursday to Friday, which could support the theory of a coordinated attack. “I believe it is nearly impossible that the attack came from Yemen,” says retired General Maroun Hitti, who suspects the drone was launched from Iraq, Lebanon or Syria. “The Houthis claimed responsibility to mislead and avoid retaliation against any of these countries,” he explains. According to an Israeli military official, “It is unlikely the attack originated from northern Israel,” thus ruling out Lebanon as a source. The official added, “We are not, however, dismissing any possibilities.”When asked if this attack will represent a turning point in the October 7 ongoing conflict, General Sayah anticipates that similar attacks may reoccur. He attributes this potential escalation to the parties involved seeking to apply greater pressure to secure more favorable terms in the ongoing negotiations.

Israel-Hamas ceasefire close to the goal line, Blinken says
Daphne Psaledakis and Phil Stewart/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S/July 19, 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday a long-sought ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was within sight, saying negotiators were "driving toward the goal line."The United States has been working with Qatar and Egypt to try to arrange a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict in order to free hostages held since Oct. 7 and get more humanitarian aid into the enclave. Blinken told the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado that Hamas and Israel had agreed to the ceasefire framework outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden in May after a lot of pushing and diplomacy, but said that some issues needed to be resolved. "I believe we're inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability," Blinken said. "There remains some issues that need to be resolved, that need to be negotiated. We're in the midst of doing exactly that." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington next week and address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on July 24. Biden expects to meet him, depending on the president's recovery from COVID-19, the White House said on Thursday. Blinken, asked about Netanyahu's visit, said Washington wants to bring the ceasefire agreement over the finish line. He added that it was critical there was a clear plan for what follows and that discussions with Netanyahu would likely center around that. Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after the group's fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage in an Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies. At least 38,848 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive since then, Gaza health authorities say.

‘He was a pious man’: The Gaza neighborhood shocked to find Israeli hostages in their midst
Florence Davey-Attlee, Ibrahim Dahman, Eyad Kourdi, Jeremy Diamond and Avery Schmitz, CNN/Fri, July 19, 2024
The Aljamal family was widely respected in Gaza’s Nuseirat camp. They were known as pious and prominent members of the community. While people knew they had connections to Hamas, neighbors say no one could have guessed how deep those links truly went. When Israeli forces stormed the Aljamals’ building on June 8 they found Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv, hostages who had been captured from the Nova music festival on October 7, cowering in a darkened room. The experience of the three men – alongside that of Noa Argamani who was held in another house nearby, belonging to the Abu Nar family – echoes testimony from previously released hostages. They describe being confined among the civilian population, rather than in Hamas’ vast tunnel network under Gaza. In the aftermath of last month’s rescue, neighbors in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza, told CNN they were shocked to learn that Ahmed Aljamal, a physician, and his family had kept hostages in their midst. “Had we known, had he told us, we would have taken safety precautions, hide or move to somewhere else,” one neighbor, Abu Muhammad El Tahrawi, said. Dr. Aljamal, 74, was a general practitioner and also led the call to prayer at the local mosque, waking early every day to get there before dawn. “He was a pious man,” neighbor Abdelrahman El Tahrawi said. “He leads the prayer, then he goes back to his home. He didn’t mix with people, didn’t complain about other people, and no one complained about him. He was a man who minded his own business.” Dr. Aljamal’s son Abdallah, 36, was a freelance journalist who most recently wrote for the US-based Palestine Chronicle, for which he filed regular dispatches on the war in Gaza. Neighbors told CNN it was no secret that the family had links to Hamas. “We were worried about the Aljamal house. They are with Hamas,” said a neighbor and family acquaintance. Abdallah had served as a spokesman for Gaza’s Ministry of Labor as recently as 2022, a position entrusted only to Hamas members, according to political analysts. He also showed his support for the group on social media. On Facebook, he posted pictures of his young son dressed in the fatigues of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and on October 7 openly praised the group’s attack on Israel. In a 2022 video post, Abdallah commended the Hamas operation to kidnap Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held in Gaza between 2006 and 2011, and proclaimed: “Brothers, all of us are prepared to die for the resistance.”
Public support for Hamas as a political movement in Gaza has ranged from 34 to 42% over the past seven months, according to polls by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. Polling in Gaza faces multiple challenges, including population displacement, people’s reluctance to criticize Hamas publicly and the risks to personal safety in war time. The true level of support for Hamas may be lower, according to Dr. Mkhaimar Abusada, associate professor of Political Science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, who is now based in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
A higher proportion of Gazans are more broadly supportive of armed resistance, the polling suggests, despite more than nine months of war that has obliterated the strip. Some people who were not affiliated with Hamas or other Palestinian militant groups took part in the October 7 incursion into southern Israel, streaming through the border fence after it was breached by fighters – some stealing from Israeli communities and others taking hostages back into Gaza. At least 1,200 people were killed and some 250 people in total were taken from Israel into the strip, according to Israeli authorities. A senior Hamas official last month told CNN the group does not know how many hostages are still alive, suggesting it may not have full oversight of their whereabouts. Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz told an Israeli TV channel that Israel knows to a “very close number” how many hostages remain alive. Despite the level of support in Gaza for Hamas, which has governed the territory since 2007, far fewer people would be accepted into the trusted inner circles of the Islamist movement. Hostages being held by civilians under the direction of Hamas is unlikely unless they have very strong ties to and are well trusted by the group, according to Abusada. “Hamas only trusts Hamas when it comes to those very sensitive issues such as Israeli hostages,” he said. There may be other reasons why Hamas chose to house hostages in civilian homes, however. Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said that approach fits Hamas’ strategy to get Israel “bogged down in the urban centers of Gaza and push them into a counterinsurgency that cannot end, which is the perpetual war Hamas says it wants.”
‘Creative punishment’
The three hostages who were held in the Aljamal family building were kept there for around six months, according to Andrey Kozlov, who spoke last week to CNN. Kozlov described physical and psychological abuse he received at the hands of his guards. One in particular, he said, “was a big fan of creative punishment” who on one occasion forced him to spend two days on a mattress without moving or talking as a penalty for standing near an open window, and on another occasion covered him with blankets in the summer heat for washing his hands with drinking water. “I was trying to breathe through the space between the mattress and blankets,” he said. During that time the hostages could hear the family, including children, going about their daily lives on the floor below, according to Aviram Meir, the uncle of Almog Meir Jan. In the weeks before Israel’s hostage raid, the Aljamal family had been continuing as usual, outwardly at least, and Abdallah’s most recent article for the Palestine Chronicle was published just the day before. Then, on the morning of June 8, Israeli forces stormed Nuseirat. Zainab Aljamal, Abdallah’s sister, who was in the family house at the time of the raid, wrote a Facebook post that day describing what happened. The Israeli soldiers entered and shot Abdallah’s wife Fatima first, before killing Ahmed and Abdallah, she wrote. Zainab hid with Abdallah’s children under a bed, according to the now-deleted Facebook post which was shared with CNN by independent open-source researcher Thomas Bordeaux. Zainab said in the post that the family had been waiting for the moment they would be killed by Israeli forces. “Since the start of the war, we have been waiting for this moment. We did not know how it would come and in what horrific way it would happen, but we were aware that it would inevitably come.”As the three hostages were rescued from the Aljamal house, around 200 meters (650 feet) away Israeli forces carried out a simultaneous raid on a second apartment block – which was home to the Abu Nar family, according to Israeli officials – to retrieve Argamani. Argamani had become one of the most recognized Israeli hostages when widely circulated footage showed her being hoisted onto the back of a motorcycle and driven away from the Nova music festival on October 7 as her partner was seized and made to walk with his hands behind his back. Less is known about Argamani’s captors. Her family members told Israeli media she had been held by a relatively well-off family who made Argamani wash dishes for the household, reportedly telling her she was lucky to be held by them as other hostages were experiencing much worse. In a video released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that shows Argamani’s rescue, troops are seen inside an apartment on the upper floor of a building, passing a small kitchen.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office told CNN she was held by the Abu Nar family but did not provide further details.
According to unofficial lists of those killed circulated on Arabic-language media and social media, Mohamed Ahmad Abu Nar died alongside his wife and child in Israel’s Nuseirat operation last month. Three relatives of Abu Nar also posted on social media announcing he had been killed by Israeli forces that day.
CNN cannot independently confirm whether Abu Nar was involved in holding Argamani and his relatives have not responded to requests for comment.
‘A normal man’
Neighbors of the Abu Nar house in Nuseirat told CNN they saw Israeli special forces enter and leave the building without much of a fight. Bilal Mazhar, a 16-year-old student, said his window was opposite the window of the apartment in which Argamani was being held, just half a meter away, but he never saw any sign of her presence until Israeli forces brought her out. “They pulled her out normally and no one intervened, and there was no shooting at them,” Mazhar said. Mohamed Ahmad Abu Nar seemed to share very little online about his life, and local people were reluctant to share many details about the Abu Nar family, but they did express surprise and concern that a hostage had been held in their midst. “He had young children at home,” said Khalil Al-Kahlot, a civil servant in Gaza. “No one would expect him to hold a hostage like this, in homes and among people.”Al-Kahlot, who told CNN he’d been in Nuseirat for the past four months, said Mohamed Ahmed was “ordinary” and “a normal man,” adding that he had never suspected he was affiliated with Hamas. “They are people in Hamas, but we did not know that,” said another neighbor of the Abu Nar family. “If we had known there was something there, no one would have stayed in the area.” After Israeli forces evacuated the hostages, airstrikes hit both of the buildings they were rescued from and now only rubble remains at each site. More than 270 Palestinians were killed in Nuseirat on June 8, according to Gaza health ministry officials, which doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians, and hundreds more were injured. Israel puts the number of deaths at under 100. CNN cannot independently confirm the figures. Many locals questioned why so many Palestinians had to die for the Israeli forces to rescue just four hostages. Al-Kahlot said: “People died because they were freeing her, and no one was looking at us.”
CNN is not identifying some interviewees for their own security.
CNN’s Bianna Golodryga, Eugenia Yosef and Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed to this report.

Top UN court says Israel's settlement policy in occupied territories violates international law
Mike Corder/THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)/July 19, 2024
The top United Nations court has ruled that Israel's settlement policy and use of natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territories violate international law. The panel of 15 judges from around the world at the International Court of Justice said "the transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence, is contrary to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”It also said the use of natural resources was “inconsistent” with its obligations under international law as an occupying power. The court's president, Nawaf Salam, was reading out the court's full opinion in a Friday session, which is expected to take about an hour.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
The top United Nations court has opened a hearing to deliver a non-binding advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, a ruling that could have more effect on international opinion than it will on Israeli policies. International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam is expected to take about an hour to read out the opinion of the panel that is made up of 15 judges from around the world. Friday’s hearing comes against the backdrop of Israel’s devastating 10-month military assault on Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel. In a separate case, the International Court of Justice is considering a South African claim that Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide, a claim that Israel vehemently denies. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state.
Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory, whose future should be decided in negotiations, while it has moved population there in settlements to solidify its hold. It has annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not internationally recognized, while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but maintained a blockade of the territory after Hamas took power in 2007. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory. At hearings in February, then-Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki accused Israel of apartheid and urged the United Nations’ top court to declare that Israel’s occupation of lands sought by the Palestinians is illegal and must end immediately and unconditionally for any hope for a two-state future to survive. Israel, which normally considers the United Nations and international tribunals as unfair and biased, did not send a legal team to the hearings. But it submitted written comments, saying that the questions put to the court are prejudiced and “fail to recognize Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens,” address Israeli security concerns or acknowledge Israel-Palestinian agreements to negotiate issues, including “the permanent status of the territory, security arrangements, settlements, and borders.”The Palestinians presented arguments in February along with 49 other nations and three international organizations. Erwin van Veen, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael think tank in The Hague, said that if the court rules that Israel’s policies in the West Bank and east Jerusalem breach international law, that is unlikely to change Israeli policies but it would “isolate Israel further internationally, at least from a legal point of view.”He said such a ruling would “worsen the case for occupation. It removes any kind of legal, political, philosophical underpinning of the Israeli expansion project.”
It would also strengthen the hand of “those who seek to advocate against it” — such as the grassroots Palestinian-led movement advocating boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. He said it also could increase the number of countries that recognize the state of Palestine, in particular in the Western world, following the recent example of Spain and Norway and Ireland.”It is not the first time the ICJ has been asked to give its legal opinion on Israeli policies. Two decades ago, the court ruled that Israel’s West Bank separation barrier was “contrary to international law.” Israel boycotted those proceedings, saying they were politically motivated. Israel says the barrier is a security measure. Palestinians say the structure amounts to a massive land grab because it frequently dips into the West Bank. The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin in December 2022 to ask the world court for the advisory opinion. Israel vehemently opposed the request that was promoted by the Palestinians. Fifty countries abstained from voting.
Israel has built well over 100 settlements, according to the anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now. The West Bank settler population has grown by more than 15% in the past five years to more than 500,000 Israelis, according to a pro-settler group.
Israel also has annexed east Jerusalem and considers the entire city to be its capital. An additional 200,000 Israelis live in settlements built in east Jerusalem that Israel considers to be neighborhoods of its capital. Palestinian residents of the city face systematic discrimination, making it difficult for them to build new homes or expand existing ones. The international community considers all settlements to be illegal or obstacles to peace since they are built on lands sought by the Palestinians for their state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government is dominated by settlers and their political supporters. Netanyahu has given his finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a former settler leader, unprecedented authority over settlement policy. Smotrich has used this position to cement Israel’s control over the West Bank by pushing forward plans to build more settlement homes and to legalize outposts.
Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, a strategic piece of land deep inside the West Bank, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

UK Resumes UNRWA Funding as Lammy Urges Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
Ellen Milligan/Bloomberg/July 19, 2024
The UK will resume funding to the United Nations Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, as part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first intervention on the conflict in Gaza since winning a landslide UK election this month. “Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the House of Commons on Friday. “No other agency can deliver aid at the scale needed. It will be vital for future reconstruction and it provides critical services to Palestinian refugees in the region.”The UK’s previous Conservative administration had suspended funding to UNRWA — along with some other nations — over allegations that some of the agency’s employees were involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Lammy said he remains “appalled” by the allegations but that UNRWA had strengthened its vetting. The UK will provide £21 million ($27 million) in new funds, he said. The move comes after Labour’s election victory was tempered by some shock losses, including two members of Starmer’s top team, as the party hemorrhaged votes to candidates who campaigned over Gaza. The premier’s stance angered some voters demanding a more full-throated call for a ceasefire. The early step to restore UNRWA funding shows Labour is keen to win back those votes in areas the party would typically expect to win comfortably. In his statement, Lammy said he had used a visit to Israel to urge leaders to end the fighting and allow more aid into Gaza. “Britain wants an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop, the hostages must be released, much much more aid must enter Gaza,” Lammy told members of Parliament. “Israel promised a flood of aid back in April but imposes impossible and unacceptable restrictions.”

A week of indirect talks involving Sudan's warring parties wraps up in Geneva
BERLIN (AP)/July 19, 2024
A week of indirect talks involving Sudan's warring parties ended in Geneva on Friday, the U.N. secretary-general's personal envoy said. He described the discussions as an “encouraging initial step” in a complex process.
Representatives of the Sudanese army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces accepted invitations to meet separately with the envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, who started the talks on July 11. He said in a statement that his team held a total of about 20 sessions with the parties' delegations. Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023 when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions including Darfur. The U.N. says over 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured. Rights activists say the toll could be much higher.
The war has also created the world’s largest displacement crisis with over 11 million people forced to flee their homes as well as allegations of rampant sexual violence and possible crimes against humanity. International experts recently warned that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months. Talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces broke down at the end of last year. The Geneva talks centered on measures to ensure the distribution of humanitarian aid and to protect civilians across Sudan. Lamamra said he was “encouraged by the willingness of the parties to engage with me on these critical matters, as well as by the commitments made to respond to some specific requests we presented to them.” He didn't elaborate. “The discussions held in Geneva are an encouraging initial step in a longer and complex process,” Lamamra said.
The Associated Press

Yemen Houthis claim responsibility for drone attack on Tel Aviv
AFP/July 19, 2024
TEL AVIV: A long-range Iranian-made drone hit the center of Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday in an attack claimed by the Yemen-based Houthi militia that killed one man and wounded four others, the Israeli military and emergency services said. The explosion, which footage shared on social media suggested came from the sea and did not trigger air raid alarms, occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. Chief spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military assessed that the drone, which hit a building near the beachfront close to US Embassy premises in Tel Aviv, was an upgraded Iranian-made Samad-3 model. “Our estimation is that it arrived from Yemen to Tel Aviv,” he told a press briefing. A spokesman for the Houthis, which like Hezbollah are aligned with Iran, said the group had attacked Tel Aviv with a drone and would continue to target Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. The attack, which took place ahead of a visit to Washington by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week, is likely to fan fears about further fallout from the Gaza war as the Houthis and other Iranian proxies side with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met military commanders to review air defenses and said the country had to be ready for all scenarios. “We must be prepared for defensive and offensive actions,” he said, according to a statement from his office. An Israeli official said the military was still investigating why the drone did not trigger the alarm, but initial reports suggested the aircraft was identified but the sirens were not sounded due to human error. “We’re talking about a large UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) that can fly large distances,” the military official told journalists after the strike. The military said air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace but said it had not ordered new civil defense measures. The mayor of Tel Aviv said the city, Israel’s economic center, had been moved to a state of heightened alert.In the hours following Friday’s attack, sirens sounded repeatedly in areas close to the border with Lebanon and Israeli air defenses intercepted at least one aerial target that crossed into Israel.
“Operation achieved its goals”
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree called Tel Aviv a primary target “within the range of our weapons.”He said the strike was carried out using a new drone called “Yafa,” which he said was capable of bypassing interception systems and undetectable by radars. “The operation has achieved its goals successfully,” Saree said in a televised speech. Israel’s emergency services said the body of a 50 year-old man was found in an apartment close to the explosion and four people were taken to hospital with slight shrapnel injuries. Four others were treated for shock. All of them were later released, health services said. Israel has been exchanging daily missile and artillery fire with Hezbollah along its northern border and in southern Lebanon since the start of the war in Gaza, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict if the situation escalates. The Houthis have also stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following last year’s attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel. Hamas-led fighters stormed Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Turkey to send navy to Somalia after agreeing oil and gas search
Reuters/July 19, 2024
Turkey is set to send navy support to Somali waters after the two countries agreed Ankara will send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia to prospect for oil and gas. President Tayyip Erdogan submitted a motion to the Turkish parliament late on Friday, seeking authorisation for the deployment of Turkish military to Somalia including the country's territorial waters, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The move came a day after the Turkish energy ministry announced that Turkey will send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia later this year to search for oil and gas as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation deal between two countries. Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement during Somali defence minister's visit to Ankara. Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years. Ankara has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey.In 2017, Turkey opened its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu. Turkey also provides training to Somali military and police.

One dead, ten wounded after Houthi-claimed drone attack strikes Tel Aviv
During searches by emergency services, the body of a lifeless man was found in an apartment near the location of the explosion.
By YUVAL BARNEA, MATHILDA HELLER
 JULY 19, 2024
A drone attack was carried out on Ben Yehuda Street on the corner of Shalom Aleichem near the US Consulate after loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv early Friday morning. Yemen's Houthis subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. During searches by emergency services, the body of a lifeless man, later named as Yevgeny Perder, 50, with shrapnel marks on his body was found in an apartment near the location of the explosion. Ten people were taken to hospital with minor wounds, according to Israeli media. Police, fire, and rescue services were deployed to the area and told Israeli media that there was no fire. The source of the explosion is not yet known. An IDF spokesperson announced that a preliminary investigation shows that the explosion in Tel Aviv "was caused by the fall of an aerial target, which did not trigger a warning." According to the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya/al-Hadath channel, the United States intercepted a ballistic missile and three drones launched by the Houthis at Israel on Friday night, but the fourth managed to hit Tel Aviv. The IDF is continuing to investigate the explosion. Residents who live near the place of the explosion say that objects were shattered in their houses as a result of the blast. Soon after the attack, a leader of Yemen's Houthis, Hezam al-Asad, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Tel Aviv" with a burning emoji. No official statement has been made by Israel regarding this connection. The spokesman of Yemen's Houthis, Yahya Sarie, said on X that the group will reveal details about a military operation that targeted Tel Aviv.
Several wounded
Magen David Adom reported that a 37-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were slightly injured, and they are fully conscious and were taken to the Ichilov Hospital with shrapnel injuries to their limbs and shoulder. In addition, four were being treated for shock at the scene. MDA Spokesperson Zaki Heller later said, "Following a search of the area, an unconscious male was found in one of the nearby buildings with penetrating injuries. EMTs and Paramedics treated eight casualties, including four with shrapnel and blast injuries, and four with anxiety symptoms." The Home Front Command stated, "No aerial intrusion into the country's central area was detected, and therefore, no alarm was triggered - the incident is under investigation." The police said: "A short time ago, a report was received at the police headquarters about hearing an explosion in a building in Tel Aviv. Large forces of the Tel Aviv District Police and police engineers arrived at the scene."The Mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Huldai, posted on X: "The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo is on heightened alert in light of the severe UAV incident tonight, in which one person was killed and others were injured. The war is still here, and it is hard and painful. The municipal forces arrived at the spot quickly and dealt with the incident, and we are prepared for developments, if any. I call on the public to obey gov't instructions."The head of the Golan Regional Council, Ori Kallner, according to Ynet, commented on the explosion in Tel Aviv and said that "there is no difference between a drone strike in the heart of Tel Aviv and incessant firing on the north of the country. The State of Israel must restore deterrence in the north, south and center."Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritch said: "The war we embarked on was forced upon us by the monsters of Hamas and brought out the metastases of Iran from their hiding places."Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir added that "When you contain the fire on Kiryat Shmona and Sderot, you receive fire on Tel Aviv."
Israel police
Israel police stated that they rushed to the area after receiving hundreds of reports at around 03:00 am.  They reported that the commander of the Tel Aviv District, Superintendent Peretz Omar Kaim, together with the commander of the Yarkon Region, Yehiel Bohdana, assessed the situation in the field with all the emergency and rescue forces. They called on the residents to obey the directives of the Home Front Command, to not touch the remnants of rockets that may contain explosives, and to report this without delay to Moked 100.

Exhausted migrants arrive on beach in Spain’s Canaries
REUTERS/July 19, 2024
MADRID: Dozens of exhausted migrants arrived in a wooden boat on a beach in Spain’s Canary Islands early on Friday amid a sharp rise in perilous crossings from Africa, with emergency personnel and a few stunned beachgoers rushing to help.
The boat carrying 64 people made it to the Las Burras beach on the island of Gran Canaria by its own means, authorities said. Eleven migrants were taken to hospitals, some by helicopter, as four were in critical condition. The number of migrants arriving irregularly by sea to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean soared by 160 percent between January and July 15 from a year ago, totaling almost 20,000 people, according to Spain’s interior ministry. Overall arrivals by sea to Spain, including across the mainland, grew by 88 percent to around 25,300 people.
FASTFACT
The route from Africa to the Canary Islands is the fastest-growing migration route in Europe. After reaching the beach lined with hotels, many migrants lay on the sand, looking frail and exhausted. One lay flat and almost motionless. Many struggled to walk. Emergency personnel handed the migrants yellow foil blankets while some were on stretchers. A police officer held a baby in his arms as he stood next to a woman being attended by medics. Beachgoers, including children, looked on while one tourist handed her water bottle to a migrant. The route from Africa to the Canary Islands is the fastest-growing migration route in Europe, with irregular crossings up 303 percent from January to May from a year ago, according to the latest data from European border control agency Frontex.Another boat, carrying 145 migrants, was rescued on Friday near Gran Canaria, authorities said.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 19-20/2024
Media Cover Up the Jihad on French Churches
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/July 19/2024
Yet another fire has broken out in a French church, and the “mainstream media” are doing everything to prevent people from connecting the dots — quite literally, as shall be seen — concerning its significance.
On July 11, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Rouen, a twelfth-century landmark in Normandy, caught fire. Authorities managed to extinguish the flames, but the cathedral’s spire — which makes it one of the tallest and most iconic buildings in Europe — was severely damaged.
Although this is the latest of countless churches and cathedrals to “catch fire” in France, France 24 used the incident as a springboard to engage in Islamic damage control. During a segment titled “Truth or Fake,” British-Indian journalist Vedika Bahl argued that the very idea that there is some nefarious campaign against churches in France, as this latest fire might suggest, is nothing but — wait for it — …“misinformation.”
Bahl’s immediate target was a 2019 map (below) that had “resurfaced” and was making people connect the dots. (I first wrote about it last year.) It “set an insinuation that churches in France are under attack,” said Bahl, prompting “thousands of incendiary comments” from social media users, many against Muslims and Muslim migrants.
No photo description available.
Published by the Observatory of Christianophobia, a French website dedicated to documenting incidents of anti-Christian hate crimes, the map marks every area a church has been attacked in France with a red pin. As a result, virtually the entire map of France appears covered in red. highlighting the ubiquity of church attacks.
Outdated Data
Bahl tried to discredit the map any way she could, including through barefaced ad hominem attacks: She described the Observatory of Christianophobia’s publication director as a “far right Catholic activist” (as if that tells us anything about the map’s veracity).
But because it is accurate, the best Bahl could do was to repeatedly and dismissively stress that it’s “outdated,” and therefore in no way representative of the current situation in France.
This is a ludicrous defense: If anything, the age of the map indicates that the situation in France is much worse now than it was in 2019. As Bahl herself stressed, it shows where churches were attacked in just 2018. Although only one year’s worth of church attacks is documented, the map is almost entirely red. How would it look if it showed all the church attacks that took place over the last nearly seven years, from 2018 to 2024? It would be scarlet red — a bloody war zone.
Short List of 2024 Attacks
Churches are under attack all throughout France (once known, rather ironically, as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church”). This is an indisputable fact, irrespective of France 24’s sorry attempts at damage control.
As investigative journalist Amy Mek tweeted on July 1, 2023:
Attacks on Churches are the norm in France; two Churches a day are vandalized — they are being burned, demolished, and abandoned, and their adherents are being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. Priests are under constant threat. At what point will France’s open border politicians be held responsible?
That last question inadvertently identifies the primary culprits — namely, migrants from the Muslim world, where attacks on churches are routine. Whoever doubts this can consult my monthly series, “Muslim Persecution of Christians,” which collates various instances of anti-Christianism (including attacks on churches) that surface every month. Below are some entries from March-June 2024 in France:
On March 5, police foiled an Islamic plot to bomb the Notre Dame Cathedral(much of which “inexplicably” went up in flames in 2019). A Muslim man of Egyptian origin, 62, was arrested. The report notes that this was just the latest terror attack to be foiled in the previous three weeks.
On Easter Eve, March 30, an illegal Muslim migrant from Senegal with a previous crime record was “arrested for advocating terrorism and for threatening to burn down the Notre Dame de la Voie church, in Athis Mons, in Essonne.”
On March 28, a Muslim man of Albanian origin entered a church while mass was in progress and began hollering “Allahu akbar.”
On Sunday, March 10, the Notre Dame de Partout chapel in Saint-Mesin was discovered spray painted with several Islamic slogans, including “convert,” “Last warning,” and “the cross will be broken.” A cross outside the chapel was also vandalized.
On March 11, a cemetery in the commune of Clermont d’Excideuil, home to just a few hundred people, was savagely desecrated. According to one report, “Inscriptions with Islamic references were found on graves, the war memorial, the church door, a calvary memorial, and a fountain. Some of the tags read ‘France is already Allah’s,’ ‘Isa [Jesus] will break the cross,’ and ‘Submit to Islam.’ Altogether, more than 50 graves were smeared.” At least five other large, public crosses (calvaries) were tagged with similar Islamic warnings and threats since the start of the year in France.
On March 1, about 40 tombstones and crosses in another cemetery in Fresselines were desecrated and vandalized.
On March 26, an important public cross which had stood for many generations in the village of Lias—of which the mayor said “was more than a religious symbol, was the soul of our village”—was found broken up into four pieces.
According to a March 15 report, a Muslim woman “was planning to attack the faithful of a church in Béziers on Easter Day with a sword when she was arrested. She is on trial in Paris for conspiracy to commit terrorist crimes.”
On March 12, another woman, aged 39, barged into a church during morning mass, where she made threats while waving a knife around. She was diagnosed as schizophrenic and hospitalized. The church has already suffered an arson attack, and stands near an area where three teenagers once violently attacked two other teens while callingthem “dirty Christians,” nomenclature regularly employed by Muslims.
On Sunday, Apr. 14, five Muslim teenagers bargedinto the Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Metz and interrupted a concert in progress by hollering “Allahu Akbar” before fleeing.
On May 29, after knocking down a large public cross with his van, a Muslim man of Turkish origin emerged from his van and, after shouting out a few “Allahu akbars,” began to perform Muslim prostration prayers at the scene.
On May 14, the St. Thérèse Church was set on fire in Poitiers (ironically, where Muslim invaders were first defeatedin 732). A large statue of the Virgin Mary inside the church was also found beheaded. This was the second such attack on the church in two years. In 2022, the nativity figures near the same Mary statue were found smashed to pieces.
On two other separate occasions in May, another Virgin Mary statue was similarly beheaded (here) and another riddled with bullets (here).
Incidentally, for every church incident in which the culprit is clearly Islamic, there are dozens more in which the assailant’s identity is unknown (or unpublished). Thus, there were many other “anonymous” attacks on churches in March — two of which were known to be arson. In April, many other churches — including another Notre Dame, built in the 1600s — went up in flames (see here, here, here, here, here, and here for more examples). The same thing happened in May — (see here, here, here, here, here), general desecrations (see here, here, here, here), desecrations of cemeteries (see here and here), defecations in churches and urinating in their baptismal fonts (see here and here), and bomb threats (see here).
Minimizing the Severity
In short, it would seem that a full-blown jihad has been declared on the churches of France, and its godless leadership is looking the other way when not actively providing cover.
For example, even before “Truth or Fake” tried to debunk the aforementioned map, Snopes, which presents itself as the final arbiter on what is real or fake news, was also forced to admit the map is accurate, while trying, as Bahl did, to minimize its findings:
[W]hile this map does document some relatively serious crimes, such as arson or the toppling of church statues, many of these pins correspond to graffiti-related incidents. We also found one pin related to a person’s simply interrupting a church service.
In other words, having jihadist, anti-Christian graffiti spray-painted on a church, or having intruders interrupting a church service by screaming, “Allahu akbar!” is not really all that “serious” or worth documenting.
One wonders if Snopes and France 24 would be so casual if mosques all throughout France were being vandalized and interrupted by Christians screaming “Christ is King”? Would they try to debunk maps showing where these attacks occur?
Scratching Their Heads
The lying and hypocrisy is hardly limited to French mainstream media. Even in the U.S., the response to the jihad on French churches is one of feigned ignorance, as captured by a somewhat surreal Newsweek title from 2019: “Catholic Churches Are Being Desecrated Across France — and Officials Don’t Know Why.”Although the report does a decent job of summarizing the “spate of attacks against Catholic churches” — including through “arson,” “vandalism,” and “desecration” — the words “Muslim,” “migrants,” or even “Islamists” never appear in the report. Rather, they mention “anarchist and feminist groups” who are angry at churches because they are “a symbol of the patriarchy that needs to be dismantled.”
Meanwhile, even deductive reasoning makes clear that Muslims own the lion’s share of attacks on churches. According to a 2023 report,
France is in the top five European countries with the most recorded anti-Christian hate crimes. The other countries in the top five are Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
There is something else that these top five nations all have in common: the largest Muslim populations in Europe. Put differently, while Eastern European nations have their share of “anarchist and feminist groups,” they also have much fewer attacks on churches — and, rather tellingly, much fewer Muslims.
There are, of course, “practical” reasons why all these Muslim attacks on French churches are massively obfuscated and dissembled. Imagine, for instance, how the most iconic and tragic torching of a French church in recent years — that of the Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019 — might be understood if it was common knowledge that countless churches in every corner of France have been and continue to be attacked by that nation’s significant Muslim population (hundreds of whom made it a point to gloat as Notre Dame went up in flames).
At any rate, one wishes to thank France 24 and Ms. Bahl for reminding everyone that the above map of church attacks is, indeed, “far outdated” and limited to 2018. As such, here’s hoping that the Observatory of Christianophobia updates the map to include the last six years (2019-2024), thereby documenting the bloody war zone that the “Church’s Eldest Daughter” has truly become.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Palestinian Leaders Prefer Murderers and Rapists Over Reforms
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/July 19, 2024
The Biden administration's plan to "revitalize" the Palestinian Authority (PA) is being interpreted by Palestinian leaders as permission to form an alliance with the murderers and rapists of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas.
Instead of starting a "reform process" within the PA, as the Biden administration has demanded, Abbas and his top officials are still pursuing unity and reconciliation with Hamas, whose members carried out the October 7 atrocities against thousands of Israelis. It is hard to see how such an alliance between the two Palestinian parties would even begin to benefit the Palestinians or advance peace and security in the Middle East.
The Biden administration has so far refrained from demanding that the PA halt its efforts to form a partnership with Hamas, which is designated by the US as a foreign terrorist group.
Such statements show why there is basically no difference between the PA and Hamas. Both organizations believe that murdering Jews helps the Palestinians and advances their objective of preventing Israel and the Arab states from normalizing relations with each other.
The PA is lying when it states that it supports a two-state solution.
The PA has always stated that it prefers a one-state solution: a state of Palestine replacing all of Israel.
The Biden administration's plan to "revitalize" the Palestinian Authority (PA) is being interpreted by Palestinian leaders as permission to form an alliance with the murderers and rapists of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas.
In November 2023, the Biden administration called for "revitalizing" the PA in the hopes that it would be able to oversee the Gaza Strip once the Israel-Hamas war ends.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US looks forward to working with the new PA government headed by Mohammed Mustafa, which was established last April, "to deliver on credible reforms."
"A revitalized PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza and establishing the conditions for stability in the broader region," Miller said.
According to Yohanan Tzoreff, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies:
"President Biden coined the term 'revitalized Palestinian Authority' as a linchpin of a two-state vision, which he continues to view as the exclusive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
"The PA, under Abbas, has faced substantial challenges, including a loss of trust among its people and governmental ineptitude manifested by constant decline in provided services. Abbas, himself, is increasingly perceived as an autocrat determined to reject vital reforms, and the authority of the courts has diminished, with their rulings constrained by the Chairman's decrees, sparking growing unrest among lawyers' groups and trade unions...
"Mahmoud Abbas and his fellow PA leaders refrained from condemning the massacres carried out by Hamas on October 7. Some even justified the acts. The PA also continues to pay monthly allowances to the families of Palestinians who perpetrated attacks against Israelis, a move perceived in Israel as encouraging terrorism."
Instead of starting a "reform process" within the PA, as the Biden administration has demanded, Abbas and his top officials are still pursuing unity and reconciliation with Hamas, whose members carried out the October 7 atrocities against thousands of Israelis. It is hard to see how such an alliance between the two Palestinian parties would even begin to benefit the Palestinians or advance peace and security in the Middle East.
Palestinians living under the rule of the PA and Hamas have long been complaining about financial and administrative corruption, as well as repression and human rights violations. Here is what Human Rights Watch had to say about the status of human rights under the PA and Hamas:
"Both the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza have in recent years carried out scores of arbitrary arrests for peaceful criticism of the authorities, particularly on social media, among independent journalists, on university campuses, and at demonstrations. As the Fatah-Hamas feud deepened despite attempts at reconciliation, PA security services have targeted supporters of Hamas and vice versa. Relying primarily on overly broad laws that criminalize activity such as causing 'sectarian strife' or insulting 'higher authorities,' the PA and Hamas use detention to punish critics and deter them and others from further activism. In detention, security forces routinely taunt, threaten, beat, and force detainees into painful stress positions for hours at a time."
Since October 7, Abbas's ruling Fatah faction and Hamas have been holding talks to discuss ways of achieving unity and reconciliation. Most of the negotiations have been taking place in China, which appears to be vying for a bigger role in the Middle East.
The Biden administration has so far refrained from demanding that the PA halt its efforts to form a partnership with Hamas, which is designated by the US as a foreign terrorist group.
The Biden administration should instead be encouraging Palestinians to get rid of Hamas rather than seeking unity and reconciliation with a terrorist group responsible for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
In mid-July, China again invited Fatah and Hamas officials to pursue the unity and reconciliation talks in Beijing. Fatah and Hamas representatives welcomed the Chinese invitation.
Senior Hamas official Hussam Badran stated that his group "dealt with this invitation in a positive spirit and with national responsibility in order to achieve national unity."
The Hamas delegation will be headed by Ismail Haniyeh, while the Fatah team will be headed by Mahmoud al-Aloul, Deputy Chairman of Fatah.
In a statement carried by the PA's official news agency Wafa, Fatah renewed its "great appreciation for China, which hosted the national dialogue between Fatah and Hamas, and its desire to ensure the success of the Chinese efforts."
Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Fatah Central Committee, told the Turkish Anadolu Agency that his faction "will participate in the China meeting, and is serious about ending the dispute [with Hamas]."
Another Fatah official, Abdel Fattah Dawla, said:
"We in Fatah are open to resolving and removing all obstacles in the way of reconciliation in light of the difficult circumstances that the Palestinian cause is going through."
On the eve of the resumption of the Fatah-Hamas unity talks, Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah, justified Hamas's October 7 attack during which 1,200 Israelis were murdered, raped, tortured and burned alive, and more than 240 others were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip.
Rajoub, who previously served as head of the PA's Preventive Security Force in the West Bank, described the atrocities as a "defensive operation." He boasted that the October 7 attack had "thwarted attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue, as well as efforts to achieve normalization [between Israel and Saudi Arabia]." Hamas and its patrons in Iran have previously stated that one of the goals of the October 7 massacre was to thwart US efforts to achieve normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Such statements show why there is basically no difference between the PA and Hamas. Both organizations believe that murdering Jews helps the Palestinians and advances their objective of preventing Israel and the Arab states from normalizing relations with each other.
The PA is lying when it states that it supports a two-state solution. How can the PA advocate for a two-state solution while its leaders are praising the October 7 atrocities and working to form an alliance with Hamas, an Islamist terrorist group whose charter openly calls for the elimination of Israel?
The PA has always stated that it prefers a one-state solution: a state of Palestine replacing all of Israel.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. The work of Bassam Tawil is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 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.

The War on Trump Is a War on Millions
Lee Smith/The Magazine/July 19/2024
Democratic Party officials and media deny that there’s any connection between their inflammatory rhetoric labeling Donald Trump a fascist, would-be dictator, and even Adolf Hitler and the attempt on the 2024 Republican candidate. But media executives must believe Trump supporters have a point or MSNBC wouldn’t have given Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski a 24-hour timeout Monday to put some distance between the shooting and the fare that Morning Joe has been dishing out for nearly a decade. Same with music industry executives who canceled Jack Black’s worldwide music tour after the funnyman’s bandmate told an Australian audience that his birthday wish was “Don’t miss Trump next time.” Politics aside, no concert promoter was going to pay the insurance premium required to host a band that celebrated attempted murder.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are angry at The New Republic after a recent issue put an image based on a Hitler campaign poster on its cover. The editors claim they weren’t entirely committed to the Trump=Hitler formula, but, as they wrote, “he’s damn close enough, and we’d better fight.”
In a way, left-wing journalists who say it’s not their fault the 20-year-old man whose adolescence was saturated with murderously anti-Trump rhetoric tried to kill Trump have a point. The media is reactive, not creative. Democrat-aligned media didn’t invent the idea that the Democratic Party’s 2020 candidate was, despite massive video and audio evidence to the contrary, cognitively 100%. They just sang from the sheet they were handed.
And when Joe Biden proved incapable of finishing a sentence without devolving into gibberish during his debate with Trump last month? It wasn’t the media that left him out there to melt like a Madame Tussauds simulation of a living person. In fact, the media was embarrassed by Biden’s performance—and in front of the people they hate most, Trump supporters, who have been saying for four years that Biden is in obvious decline. So, the media reacted—Joe must go! But that’s not their call. If media personalities had real power, no one would have dared muzzle Joe and Mika, not even for 24 hours. So, who created the climate of political violence?
Some propagandists lay the blame squarely on Trump. After pro forma denunciations of the attempted public execution of the opposition leader, a chorus of establishment stalwarts, like George Stephanopoulos, and David Rothkopf, and others argued that Trump and his aspiring assassin were cut from the same cloth: “The gunman and Trump, at their opposite ends of a bullet’s trajectory,” wrote David Frum, “are nonetheless joined together as common enemies of law and democracy.”
In other words, not only is Trump responsible for inciting Jan. 6—the gravest threat to our democracy since the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11, etc.—but he has polarized the country so profoundly that he is ultimately responsible for the attempt on his life. That’s Hamas logic: The violence of our victims drove us to burn them alive. Thus, the left is laying down the predicate for future violence against Trump and the half of the country that supports him: It’s OK to target them because being “at both ends of the bullet’s trajectory,” they brought it upon themselves.
No, the violence came from the left. The question is, who from the left is responsible for cultivating it? It’s not the media, and it’s not Joe Biden, either.
With the Democratic Party’s internal upheavals about replacing the incumbent, the left has openly acknowledged that the shadow presidency isn’t a MAGA conspiracy but fact. All the party’s chatter centered on Obama, identifying him as the man holding the party’s reins and directing its messaging: Did he sign off on George Clooney’s op-ed calling for Biden to step down? What was the true meaning of Obama aide David Axelrod’s tweet that the debate over Biden’s candidacy should have happened a year ago? Or when another Obama hand, David Plouffe, said it was DEFCON-ONE moment for Biden? Who did Obama prefer for 2024: his former vice president he made the 2020 candidate or the unelectable also-ran he slipped into the No. 2 slot to sneak her past the electorate when Biden’s malfunctions proved, finally, irreparable? Was the moment ripe for Operation Kamala?
As it happens, the timing backfired on Obama. The attempt on Trump’s life leaves him holding the bag. If Obama is responsible for calling the shots, then he must also be held accountable for them.
It’s no surprise that the left’s investigation into the roots of our current round of political violence has carefully avoided mention of the riots that filled college campuses across the country and the streets of American cities with Palestinian terror advocates. Indeed, the fascist-fighting New Republic now employs a pro-Hamas reporter. “Good morning,” Talia Jane tweeted over a picture of Israel’s border being overrun on Oct. 7. This wasn’t terrorism, she explained, rather it was “state oppression vs rebellion against state repression.” In an article for TNR, Jane defended: antisemitic protesters at a Manhattan exhibit commemorating the hundreds killed by Hamas at the Nova festival; vandals targeting the homes of Brooklyn Museum administrators for calling the police on violent protesters; attacks on pro-Israel Columbia University professor Shai Davidai; and terror supporters filling a subway car asking other riders to “raise your hand if you’re a Zionist.” It could have been dictated from a Doha hotel hosting Hamas leadership.
But Jane’s ideology is not that different from the message Obama pushed into the mainstream of the Democratic Party. “The occupation, and what is happening to Palestinians, is unbearable,” is how he framed the Oct. 7 massacre for his former staffers during a Pod Save America panel in November.
And this wasn’t just talk. How did 2024 Brooklyn come to look and sound like 1938 Berlin? In part, according to U.S. intelligence officials, it’s because Iran funded and incited the pro-Hamas demonstrations. Where would the regime that arms and pays for anti-American terror and embodies Jew hatred get the idea that it’s OK to participate in the American political system by creating the conditions for a nationwide pogrom?
In 2015 the Obama White House struck an agreement with the Islamic Republic, legalizing its nuclear weapons program and thereby legitimizing the tactics it employs to accomplish its strategic goals—political violence, i.e., terrorism. The Iran nuclear deal was the instrument with which Obama normalized political violence.
Another Obama instrument cultivated it. Shortly before leaving office in 2017, Obama instructed his CIA Director John Brennan to produce an intelligence community assessment claiming that Vladimir Putin helped put Trump in the White House. The purpose of the official assessment wasn’t just to undermine his successor’s presidency and hobble his administration with phony investigations sourced to the perverted fantasies of an FBI informant once employed by British intelligence. No, lending the U.S. government’s executive authority to an information operation contending that one half of the electorate supported a foreign agent to govern the country was designed to destabilize America. Its purpose was to drive its citizens against each other.
That’s where we are today, still. These are the signs of a destabilized polity: the widespread prosecution of political opponents that was normalized in the wake of Jan. 6; mandating vaccines and villainizing those who resisted experimental medical treatments; recasting Trump supporters as domestic terrorists; opening borders to usher foreign criminals into middle-class communities; convicting elderly women for praying in front of abortion clinics; dispatching the FBI to raid the home of the opposition leader, unlawfully deputizing an officer to prosecute him, and most recently, but likely not summarily, the attempt on his life.Trump said that, after what he went through, he couldn’t very well say the same words he’d planned to say Thursday night in a broadside attacking Biden. Rather, he needed to send a message of unity—which in this case is a story about redemption.
Americans know how to hear those stories because we’ve been telling them to ourselves and others from the beginning, starting with George Washington himself. The narrative thread goes through the Civil War, catching Lee as well as Grant, and up to the present. It seemed once that Obama, too, having attached himself to the mythography of Lincoln, was part of that story as America’s first Black president—and maybe he will reappear there in the future, rather than leave his mark in the book of America where it is now, in the chapter of Ahab, the maniacal completionist. The best stories we invent about ourselves all partake of the same longing, from Shane and Gatsby to Rocky and the Hunger Games. May this latest and perhaps most improbable protagonist of the great American story continue to draw on the source of redemption granted him by providence.
**Lee Smith is the author of The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President (2020).

How Kyiv drove Russia’s fleet out of Crimea
Luke Coffey/Arab News/July 19/2024
A significant development in the war in Ukraine is not getting much attention. The last Russian warship departed occupied Crimea last week, according to the head of the Ukrainian Navy. While the peninsula remains under Russian control, its ports have not been safe for Vladimir Putin’s warships for months.
The first reports of military vessels departing Crimea for safer ports inside the Russian Federation came this year. After months of airstrikes and naval drone attacks, it seems that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has moved for good.
There is no doubt Ukraine is winning the battle for the Black Sea. The numbers speak for themselves. The first major blow to the Russian Navy came in the early months of the war. In April 2022, Ukraine sank the Moskva, the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship. In October 2022, Ukraine used unmanned naval drones to severely damage a Ropucha-class landing ship in Novorossiysk, the first time in the history of naval warfare that a drone had struck an enemy vessel. Last September, Ukraine used British air-launched cruise missiles to destroy a Russian attack submarine worth $350 million in a drydock in Crimea. The list goes on. In total, Ukraine has damaged or destroyed at least a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
With the departure of Russian warships from Crimea, there are four important geopolitical observations. First, Ukraine has rewritten the rules of naval warfare. Most of its navy was destroyed during Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, and what remained was taken when Russia invaded again in February 2022. Without a conventional navy, the Ukrainians had to be bold and creative if they were to take on the Black Sea Fleet. Their repeated use of naval drones is a pivotal moment, in the same way an aircraft was first used to bomb targets in combat during the Italo-Turkish War in the early 20th century.
There is no doubt Ukraine is winning the battle for the Black Sea. The numbers speak for themselves. Unmanned systems are sure to play an important role in naval warfare in the future. As the world is witnessing in the Black Sea, both sides are racing to improve their technology. The Ukrainians are routinely unveiling more modern and capable drones while the Russians are continuously improving their defensive capabilities to counter this threat. Other countries are learning lessons from the Black Sea, especially in regions with naval competition such as the Gulf, the Caspian Sea and the South China Sea. The second observation regards the global significance of the Black Sea. It is a regional body of water, but control of it has global implications. Before the invasion in 2022, Ukraine was the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil, the fourth-largest exporter of corn, and the fifth-largest exporter of wheat. When the fighting broke out the future of those agricultural exports was placed in doubt. Many countries in North Africa and the Middle East were particularly concerned about food security. Thanks to Ukraine’s naval success in the Black Sea, its agricultural exports are now at pre-war levels. Third, Türkiye has emerged as another winner in the battle of the Black Sea. For centuries the Russian empire and the Ottomans were either in conflict or competition for influence and control of the Black Sea region. Since the late 16th century, Türkiye and Russia have fought at least 12 major wars. Depending on how one counts, at least nine of them were over Crimea.
After the Second World War, Stalin’s designs on eastern Anatolia and the old Soviet Union’s wish to control the Turkish Straits were what originally drove Türkiye into NATO’s arms. Publicly, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan performs a balancing act when it comes to engagement with Ukraine and Russia. However, even if Türkiye’s national security establishment won’t admit it publicly, they know that a weaker Russia in the Black Sea means a stronger Türkiye. This explains why Türkiye has closed the straits to Russian warships trying to enter or leaving the Black Sea, has been an outspoken critic of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and is building Ukrainian warships in Turkish shipyards. Even if Türkiye’s national security establishment won’t admit it publicly, they know that a weaker Russia in the Black Sea means a stronger Türkiye
Luke Coffey
Finally, the Caspian Sea is increasing in strategic importance. Russian warships operating from there routinely launch cruise missiles against Ukraine. As Russia is squeezed more in the Black Sea, the Caspian will become even more important. Its use for cruise missile launches gives Russia a strategic depth and a degree of protection not found in more contested areas, such as the eastern Mediterranean or the Black Sea. The Caspian is connected to the Black Sea by the Volga-Don Canal, and ships from Russia’s Caspian Flotilla have played a direct role in supporting the invasion of Ukraine since 2022. With Türkiye’s closure of the straits entering the Black Sea, the flotilla is the only means of reinforcing the Black Sea Fleet. Furthermore, Iran has delivered drones that Russia has used against Ukraine either via the Caspian and Volga-Don Canal or an air corridor over the sea. Until recently, few global policymakers appreciated the geopolitical importance of the Caspian Sea but the war in Ukraine is changing this. For Russia, control over Crimea was the main reason it attacked Ukraine in 2014. For Ukraine, it will be hard to ever be truly secure and safe from Russia without regaining control of the peninsula. As the battle for the Black Sea rages, lessons are being learned all over the world and the nature of naval warfare has changed for ever. The Black Sea Fleet’s retreat from Crimea marks an important point in the war. Whether it marks a turning point remains to be seen.
• Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey.

Why Turkiye is overlooking the European Political Community
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/July 19/2024
The European Political Community, an initiative launched in 2022, held its fourth summit in the UK on Thursday, drawing leaders from about 45 European countries. For the first time, representatives from NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe were also present, highlighting the urgent need for unity in addressing conflicts and instability within and around Europe.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend the summit, which was held at Blenheim Palace and hosted by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, due to his demanding travel schedule. Erdogan, who attended the inaugural summit in Prague in October 2022, also missed the two summits in 2023, which were intended to show solidarity against Russia. His absence in May last year was due to his country’s presidential elections, while in October it was due to illness.
In Prague, Erdogan clashed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during an end-of-summit dinner. The third summit in Granada last October took place amid tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. Following Erdogan’s announcement of his absence, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also declined to attend, citing an “anti-Azerbaijani” and “pro-Armenian” atmosphere in Europe. These high-profile absences significantly impacted the summit.
Established as a political response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the community, which is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, is a multilateral diplomatic forum aimed at promoting political dialogue and security cooperation in Europe. The first meeting achieved some practical results, in particular an EU-led civilian mission to Armenia and Azerbaijan to monitor the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, which later led to the creation of the EU Mission in Armenia. However, the political achievements were even more substantial: the inclusion of 47 European countries in the new structure, with the only exceptions being Russia and Belarus, sent a strong message of political unity.
The European Political Community was initiated to fill the political and institutional void at the heart of the existing European security architecture that was created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It aimed to be a forum capable of gathering diverse actors that are eager to play a central role in the European strategic security discourse.
Turkiye is reluctant to be part of an initiative that does not yield concrete results for its relations with Brussels
However, the limitations of the initiative, both institutional and political, became more evident at the Granada summit, which sent ambiguous indications over its logic and objectives. The involvement of key external partners, such as Turkiye, was limited and discussions focused primarily on issues related to the EU’s interests and concerns, such as the Ukraine war and irregular migration. The lack of an institutional framework, absence of key leaders and the topics discussed brought to the surface the limitations of the community. How should we read Turkiye’s absence from the latest summit and its perception of the initiative within the framework of Ankara-EU relations? The answer is threefold. Firstly, established with a security-oriented aim, Turkiye is reluctant to be part of an initiative that does not yield concrete results for its relations with Brussels. Relations between Turkiye and the EU are complex and have been difficult for years, with structural problems persisting. The accession process continues formally, but the rhetoric and climate surrounding it continue to negatively affect relations. Secondly, the European Political Community is openly against Russia, with which Turkiye maintains cordial relations. Ankara’s foreign policy remains a fundamental issue in EU-Turkiye relations. Its refusal to join the sanctions regime targeting Russia and its deepening economic and energy ties with the country amid the war in Ukraine are contentious points for the EU. Turkiye seeks strategic autonomy in its foreign policy-making toward Russia and resists EU pressure. For Turkiye, the EU’s expectations are practically impossible to meet, as they would undermine the stability of its state system and require it to revise its policies toward the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, Russia and Syria. Turkiye’s absence from the community is a loss for EU countries concerned about Russian aggression, but it does not have the same significance for Ankara, as is evident from its approach to the initiative. In the near term, tensions over at least three regions of overlapping interest will persist and are likely to increase
Thirdly, Turkiye has criticized the hypocritical stances of some EU states over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Turkiye expects EU states to take a firm stance against Israeli aggression and to consider the security of the Middle East to be as important as Europe’s security. In the near term, tensions over at least three regions of overlapping interest — Russia, the South Caucasus and, in particular, the Middle East — will persist and are likely to increase. It remains unclear how the situation will develop and how the EU and Turkiye will respond, as the potential for both cooperation and rivalry remains high. The Syrian crisis, which brought a significant refugee problem for the EU, shifted Turkish-EU relations to a security-based logic. The 2016 agreement on migration and the creation of the European Political Community show that their relations are evolving from political to more security-dominated cooperation, which benefits Brussels more than Ankara. Beyond symbolic photos of the leaders and being a forum for informal crisis talks, the European Political Community faces significant challenges, complexities and skepticism as to what it aims for, given its lack of institutionalization. Turkiye’s absence from the last three summits also underscores the ongoing problems in EU-Turkiye relations, driven by Ankara’s desire for concrete benefits from its cooperation with the bloc, its strategic autonomy in terms of foreign policy-making and its criticism of EU stances on broader geopolitical issues, particularly the Israeli war in Gaza.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkey’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz

Saving money and the planet with solar leasing
Khaled Chebaro/Arab News/July 19/2024
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its pursuit of a cleaner, greener tomorrow, positioning itself as a global energy leader championing climate action.
Under the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives, the Kingdom is implementing more than 80 projects in the public and private sectors with investments worth more than SR705 billion ($188 billion) to build a more sustainable future for all.
Furthermore, COP16 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification will be held in the Saudi capital Riyadh in December. Another important step is Saudi Arabia’s intention to reach net-zero by 2060, which requires an annual emission reduction of 278 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.To achieve this goal, the Kingdom is targeting 130 GW of renewable energy production capacity by 2030, increasing its share in the energy mix to 50 percent. Tapping into its immense solar power potential, the country more than doubled its renewable energy capacity last year from 700 MW in 2022 to more than 2.2 GW. With the growing importance of solar, companies are looking for innovative ways to switch to clean energy while reducing their electricity costs. Solar leasing, also known as a solar power purchase agreement, or PPA, is the preferred option among multinational companies and large family-owned businesses. This solution is now widely available through leading sustainable energy developers in Saudi Arabia.
With a solar lease, companies can enjoy immediate savings with no upfront investment, while focusing on their core business and transferring the entire construction and operational risk to developers such as Yellow Door Energy. The savings can be substantial, significantly reducing operating costs. Solar leasing offers a cost-effective way to adopt renewable energy, lowering operational costs and enhancing an organization’s green credentials without the burden of initial capital investment.
With diesel pricing going up, businesses are looking to solar leasing to reduce diesel consumption and reliance on diesel generators. Additionally, the widespread adoption of solar leasing can enhance energy grid stability and resilience by diversifying the energy supply and reducing peak demand pressures. Solar leasing offers a cost-effective way to adopt renewable energy, lowering operational costs and enhancing an organization’s green credentials without the burden of initial capital investment.
In addition to the cost savings, this approach is hassle-free, as the operations and maintenance are entrusted to an expert with a proven track record.
Yellow Door Energy has more than 90 customers and 240 MW of awarded solar projects in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Jordan and South Africa.
The company implements strict health and safety standards on all its 100-plus project sites and has a robust sustainable energy asset management system to live-monitor all its operating projects and maximize clean energy production.
With its desert climate, characterized by high temperatures and water scarcity, Saudi Arabia faces several environmental challenges, including desertification and land degradation. The country is also highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change.
Innovative technologies, such as solar PV, combined with the solar lease financing solution, along with traditional efforts such as land restoration, are an integral part of a holistic approach to environmental protection, climate action and achieving the Kingdom’s net zero 2060 target. Additionally, the expansion of solar leasing can drive job creation and economic growth in the renewable energy sector, supporting overall national development. In summary, with the Saudi government drafting regulations to advance a just energy transition, the Kingdom’s companies have a prime opportunity to amplify their contributions to a more sustainable future through the adoption of renewable energy solutions.
• Khaled Chebaro is the Saudi Arabia country director at Yellow Door Energy

Israel and the ICJ: Comparing International Court Cases During the Gaza War
Alexander Loengarov/The Washington Institute/19 july/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/07/132266/
The current cycle of legal actions involving Israel is unprecedented in scope and politicization, but governments are still better off engaging with the process and lodging their objections there than dismissing it outright.
On July 19, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver an advisory opinion on the “legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” The opinion was requested by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) more than a year and a half ago—well before the Gaza war broke out—in the context of efforts to increase awareness of the Palestinian issue at various international forums, as well as more specific concerns about escalating “tensions and violence” with Israel. The timing of this week’s opinion might seem incongruous given how much has taken place since it was first requested in January 2023. Yet it is in keeping with a wartime trend in which more new cases are being brought before international courts, and pending cases are being rekindled and amplified. Distinguishing between these cases is instructive.
The ICJ’s Jurisdiction
This PolicyWatch deliberately focuses on ICJ cases, not those brought before the International Criminal Court. Although both bodies are based in The Hague, the ICC has jurisdiction over persons while the ICJ settles disputes between states.
On paper, ICJ rulings are legally binding. Yet if the disputant states choose not to comply with them, they can only be enforced through a decision by the UN Security Council (UNSC). The UN Charter also authorizes the UNSC and UNGA to ask the ICJ for nonbinding advisory opinions on matters of international law.
Comparing Previous Cases and Opinions
The first time the Israeli-Palestinian conflict came before the ICJ directly was in the context of the UNGA’s 2003 request for an advisory opinion on the “legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel…in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” Even the phrasing of the request illustrated the complex array of legal and political questions that the court had to untangle to reach a conclusion, including the status of West Bank territory, the rights of its Palestinian inhabitants, and Israel’s need to protect its citizens following the second intifada. When the ICJ issued its response in 2004, it argued that the barrier was being constructed illegally. Yet the opinion was nonbinding and therefore had little impact on the ground, so construction continued.
In 2018, the ICJ saw its first contentious case on such matters when the Palestinian Authority—acting as the “State of Palestine,” a non-member observer state at the UN—challenged the Trump administration’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Again, the court was essentially being asked to rule on a core legal question underlying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (sovereignty over Jerusalem) in the context of a U.S. political decision to move the embassy at that particular juncture. After setting deadlines for written pleadings in 2019, however, the ICJ did not release any public information, which usually indicates that the claimant and defendant have agreed to suspend proceedings.
As mentioned above, this week’s advisory opinion stems from a 2023 UNGA request regarding Israeli activities in “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” a phrase that would appear to exclude Gaza given Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from the Strip. Yet Gaza was mentioned extensively throughout the UN resolution in question (77/247), indicating that the states supporting the ICJ request were seeking something broader: namely, confirmation of the alleged illegal character of all Israeli activity beyond the Green Line (i.e., the armistice line demarcated before the 1967 war), which would give them a basis for pressuring international actors to take action against the country.
Following the request, Israel, the PA, and the five permanent UNSC members submitted an unusually high number of written statements (57) to the court even before the October 7 Hamas attack, reflecting a prewar atmosphere fraught with multiple rounds of violence and a new Israeli government that included far-right ministers in prominent posts. Most of these statements took one of three approaches: (1) emphasizing the alleged illegality of Israel’s actions, (2) acknowledging this illegality but calling for a political process to end such actions, or (3) arguing that legal action outside a mutually agreed framework would be inappropriate and demanding direct negotiations between the parties.
Regardless of what the court concludes this week, its ability to restrain Israeli activity will likely be limited given the nonbinding nature of its advisory opinions and the purely legal framing of the UNGA’s questions. In fact, the opinion might even spur the Israeli government to double down on its controversial recent policies in the West Bank by extending its civil and military activity further beyond the Green Line or even instituting de jure annexations in that territory.
Despite its presumably limited impact on the ground, however, this week’s opinion will have notable implications for how the ICJ handles related cases going forward. This includes the tough task of balancing its 2004 opinion (which established the illegality of certain Israeli activity in the eyes of the court) with the realities of today’s political context (in which the legitimacy of Israeli security interests has become glaring post-October 7 and direct negotiations remain the best path toward resolution).
The South African and Nicaraguan Cases
The most high-profile ICJ case initiated during the Gaza war is South Africa’s December 2023 filing against Israel for allegedly violating the 1948 Genocide Convention—a case that some observers have linked to the country’s close diplomatic and financial links with Iran. Besides seeking an ultimate judgment on Israeli actions in Gaza, the filing also requested that provisional measures be imposed in the meantime due to urgent humanitarian concerns. In January, the court imposed a few such measures on Israel related to enabling the provision of humanitarian aid, preventing and punishing domestic incitement to genocide, and similar issues. Israel also agreed to report directly to the court about its adherence to these orders; these reports have not been made public.
Later, South Africa submitted three more requests to impose additional provisional measures and modify existing ones, citing Israel’s military campaign in Rafah and other new developments. The court dismissed these requests, however, noting that Israel had complied with the original reporting request. As for the wider question of whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide in the court’s legal view, final judgment is unlikely to be delivered anytime soon.
Shortly after the South African case emerged, Nicaragua initiated similar proceedings against Germany, accusing it of failing to comply with the 1948 Convention’s obligation to “do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide” during the Gaza war. The filing emphasized Germany’s “political, financial, and military support to Israel” and its decision to suspend funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Nicaragua also requested provisional measures, but the court ruled in April that these were unnecessary given the measures already established in the South African case. Yet a final judgment on the merits can still be expected at some point, despite Germany’s request to dismiss the case.
Law or Lawfare?
Taken together, these ICJ cases and the host of other proceedings before the ICC and various national courts represent a major increase in international legal involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian arena. These cases also seem more heavily politicized than in the past—hardly surprising given the lack of meaningful Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations for a decade, worsening conditions on the ground for Palestinians, and Israel’s expanding settlement policy (facilitated in previous years by the Trump administration’s proposals regarding future disposition of the West Bank). The parties bringing these cases tend to frame them with abstract legal concepts, expecting that universal opposition to practices like genocide will help garner international support. Clearly, this approach does not account for the many complexities on the ground, but the claimants seem well aware of this fact—more often than not, they appear to see ICJ proceedings as a lever for swaying global political opinion rather than a means of affecting Israel’s actions in any immediate sense.
Even so, it would be unwise to dismiss these legal developments in The Hague as irrelevant or fatally politicized. Instead, officials should follow the model established by the United States and other actors: continuing to engage with international legal proceedings while simultaneously exposing their limits. If governments acknowledge the reasoning behind a given ICJ complaint or judgment and then explain their reasons for opposing it, they can boost perceptions of their policies both abroad and domestically. In contrast, simply discarding the concept of global justice is risky—not only because it could lead to an (even more) unruly world, but also because most states will likely find themselves in future situations where they need to refer cases of their own to international judges.
In this respect, Nicaragua’s case against Germany is remarkable. Berlin has previously accepted the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction as part of its post-World War II adherence to international law, yet it now finds itself being singled out and sued for discretionary foreign policy choices that other parties to the Genocide Convention have made toward Israel. Those who initiated the case may be more interested in eroding the ICJ’s legitimacy than winning a judgment against Berlin. If so, the correct reaction is to avoid the trap by participating in the case and explaining why the accusation is without merit.
Of course, efforts to address the problems facing Israelis and Palestinians on the ground are still paramount. Despite making headlines and convincing Israel to comply with certain provisional measures during the Gaza war, the ICJ’s proceedings are unlikely to have much effect on this primary mission. Advisory opinions like the one issued this week are nonbinding, and the United States would presumably veto any attempt to enforce judgments against Israel through the UNSC. Yet the debate surrounding how international courts engage with the Israeli-Palestinian question could easily exacerbate polarization worldwide if governments mishandle or ignore it.
*Dr. Alexander Loengarov is a visiting fellow with the international law department at KU Leuven (Belgium) and a former official at the European Economic and Social Committee. This PolicyWatch solely expresses his views and does not reflect in any way the opinion of the above committee or the European Union, which cannot be held responsible for any use made of it.

Disagreements on Hostages Loom Over Netanyahu’s Washington Trip
David Makovsky/The Washington Institute/19 july/2024
Given the tense U.S. election cycle, Biden and Netanyahu will likely keep their policy disagreements within careful bounds, but the visit is unlikely to see immediate progress on the hostage deal or other key issues.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s latest Washington visit will center around a July 24 speech to a joint session of Congress and a meeting with President Biden two days earlier, marking their first White House encounter since Netanyahu formed his current government in December 2022. Although the prime minister will set a record for the most addresses to Congress by a foreign leader—surpassing no less than Winston Churchill—the long gap since his previous visit is a telling illustration of Jerusalem’s tensions with the Biden administration, first over a controversial judicial overhaul program and now over certain aspects of the Gaza war. What will their discussions focus on, and how will Netanyahu navigate a Capitol Hill appearance that has proven to be politically tricky terrain for him in the past?
Netanyahu’s Risky Hostage Gamble
Biden administration officials have indicated that the White House meeting—which is still expected to take place despite the president’s recent COVID diagnosis—will focus on the latest negotiations to release the remaining 116 hostages taken on October 7, eight of them American citizens (though some reports suggest that less than half of them are still alive). In line with this theme, some hostage families are accompanying Netanyahu to Washington, though others refused. Yet the prime minister has reportedly hardened his position in recent days, seeking to extract further concessions from Hamas. Biden disagrees, preferring to strike a deal soon rather than risk it collapsing under additional demands. Sources say he may publicly express this stance after he meets with Netanyahu.
Indeed, the administration has devoted considerable resources to securing a hostage deal, with CIA director William Burns and National Security Council coordinator Brett McGurk frequently attending talks in Egypt and Qatar. U.S. officials see the deal as not only a moral imperative in itself, but also a potential off-ramp from the Gaza war and the escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, thereby reducing the administration’s deep fears of a regional war with Iran. They believe Netanyahu opposes a larger war as well, so Biden will likely press him on this account. Moreover, the administration still holds faint hopes that a pause in Gaza could advance Israeli-Saudi normalization.
In a July 17 Knesset speech, Netanyahu reiterated his view that the Israel Defense Forces have seriously damaged Hamas’s military capabilities—a stance bolstered by the recent strike that reportedly killed the terrorist group’s shadowy military mastermind Muhammad Deif. Netanyahu has argued for months that Hamas will only concede more under pressure, and he now believes he can extract fresh concessions on a multiphase hostages-for-prisoners deal.
Specifically, he is demanding that Israel maintain an open-ended military presence in two key areas:
The Philadelphia Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, to stop Hamas from rearming itself through its tunnel network (Netanyahu visited this area on July 18)
The Netzarim Corridor just above Wadi Gaza, to prevent Hamas fighters from returning to northern Gaza.
When these demands were issued, Hamas had just agreed to de-link the phases of the hostage release, sparking hope that the first phase could be finalized within weeks.
The Israeli security establishment disagrees with Netanyahu’s open-ended proposal. On July 16, Mossad director David Barnea told the security cabinet that it would take “weeks” to establish a mechanism on Netzarim, and the hostages “do not have time.” IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have likewise argued for prioritizing hostage releases, which they see as the state’s core duty after the failure of October 7.
To be sure, Netanyahu’s concerns about the complex threat of Gaza border smuggling are legitimate, so emphasizing them in conversations with U.S. officials is understandable. Some observers believe that his hardened stance is mostly intended to establish a tough opening position for future bargaining.
In any case, the Biden administration appears more aligned with Barnea’s view that the hostages have little time. Sources expect the president to publicly voice the need to eschew brinksmanship and go forward with the deal as is—while simultaneously reassuring Netanyahu that Washington and Cairo can establish a solid trilateral arrangement on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border, employing special sensor technology and giving Israel constant, real-time access to its output. Halevi has suggested that similar means could enable Israel to control the Philadelphia Corridor without a physical presence. In place of Israeli forces, the United States and other actors favor a symbolic Palestinian Authority border force—perhaps with European backing, building on the short-lived EU security initiative established after Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
Critics claim that Netanyahu’s brinksmanship stems from Israeli domestic politics rather than Hamas’s weakness. Far-right cabinet members such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to bring down the government if Netanyahu pursues a hostage deal that gives Hamas room to revive itself. Yet Netanyahu may gain a temporary reprieve from such pressure as soon as July 28, when the Knesset begins its three-month recess and can no longer hold a no-confidence vote against him. At that point, he may be more willing to make concessions on hostages and other matters.
Netanyahu’s Speech and U.S. Politics
Both the hostage negotiations and Netanyahu’s trip plans are clearly being affected by America’s upcoming election. According to Israeli media, Netanyahu hopes to meet with Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has not spoken to the prime minister since he congratulated Biden for winning the 2020 election. At the same cabinet meeting where Barnea warned about time constraints, Ben-Gvir reportedly declared that a hostage deal would be a “slap” to Trump and help Biden win in November, implying that the deal should be pushed to January. Although this is an extreme view that does not align with widespread Israeli public support for an immediate deal, Netanyahu may have assessed that Trump will win the election and hopes to return to his good graces—perhaps by making (or withholding) high-profile gestures while in Washington. The prime minister is certainly aware of the growing U.S. calls for Biden to withdraw from the race. Notably, he plans to hold a separate meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, an unusual move during such a visit.
The tone of Netanyahu’s congressional address will be a key indicator of his calculations on these matters. Some U.S. officials expect that he will express gratitude toward the Biden administration for its large-scale assistance since October 7 and stick to themes that underscore bilateral consensus. According to this argument, Netanyahu does not want to create further divisions with the Democrats, as seen when numerous party members boycotted his polarizing 2015 speech to Congress at the height of debates over the Iran nuclear deal.
Yet other officials worry that Netanyahu will use this platform to appeal to his supporters in America and back home, in part by doubling down on opposition to Palestinian statehood following a symbolic Knesset vote to that effect on July 17. This would likely eliminate the short-term possibility of a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has seemingly demanded little from Netanyahu on the Palestinian issue, but one of its few clear asks is that he publicly and explicitly promise to support the possibility of a two-state solution, not just a “political horizon.” He is unlikely to do so while in Washington, however.
Regarding key regional security issues, Netanyahu could remind Congress about how Iran and its proxies have stepped up their attacks against Israel. He might also convey the widespread Israeli belief that the world has forgotten about the Iranian nuclear threat.
Working With—and Around—Netanyahu?
In describing the personal history and policy differences between Biden and Netanyahu, one U.S. official told the author, “I wouldn’t say trust has been lost. The president is clear-eyed about who Netanyahu is and how far he thinks Netanyahu can go.” Likewise, Netanyahu still appears to trust the president’s commitment to Israel.
That said, policy differences persist in four key areas, albeit to varying degrees: hostage negotiations, humanitarian aid, U.S. weapons deliveries, and Israel’s lack of a “day after” plan for governing Gaza, despite the shared goal of removing Hamas from power. The differences on aid have narrowed, with new northern crossings opened and the flow of assistance increasing. Yet disagreements over the “day after” persist.
On weapons, officials have been careful to explain the differences between delivery delays for certain systems. To wit, the administration deliberately withheld 2,000-pound bombs for fear Israel would use them in densely populated areas. Yet the delay in smaller munitions stems from the expiration of an emergency authorization that was established after October 7 to fast-track deliveries and cut out Congress. Such transfers must now go through the regular, slower process. Administration officials argue that extending the emergency authorization would risk backlash from progressive Democrats and a potential transfer freeze; in their view, a slower arms supply is better than a stalled one.
Despite such differences, the administration believes it has very strong relations with the Israeli defense establishment and has successfully worked with security officials on contentious points such as the invasion of Rafah and arms delays. Predictions of a major surge in casualties during the Rafah phase did not materialize, as Israel moved slowly with the operation and nearly all civilians were evacuated.
This cooperation cannot extend to political matters, however. U.S. officials are well aware of Netanyahu’s dispute with the Israeli defense establishment over hostage terms with Hamas. It remains to be seen who will blink first: Hamas due to weakness, or Netanyahu once the Knesset recess removes the immediate threat of his government collapsing.
**David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of its Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.

Question: “Is the United States of America in Bible prophecy?”
GotQuestions.org/19 july/2024
Answer: The United States of America is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible, and there are no biblical prophecies that point with certainty to the United States. As far as we can tell, the United States of America is not mentioned in biblical prophecy.
The Bible tells the story of God’s plan to save the world, and so the Bible’s natural focus is on the people of God, from the patriarchs to the Hebrew people to the Jewish nation. “Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah” (Romans 9:4–5). Other nations mentioned in the Bible are usually considered in terms of their relation to Israel, God’s chosen people. The biblical focus on Israel holds true in end-times prophecy, too. The book of Revelation does not mention any countries or nations other than Israel (Revelation 7:4; 21:12) and Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2,10,21), but the “Babylon” in Revelation is most likely a symbolic reference to the Antichrist’s evil kingdom.
Various groups try to find the United States in prophecy, and some of their interpretations show great creativity. Some see the United States as the second beast that rises from the earth in Revelation 13. Others see the “people tall and smooth-skinned, . . . feared far and wide” in Isaiah 18:2 as a reference to Americans, although the context is an oracle against Cush (verse 1). Still others point to Ezekiel 38:13, which, in describing the Battle of Gog and Magog, refers to “the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages”: according to this theory, “Tarshish” is Britain, and the “villages” are the English-speaking colonies such as the United States of America. And then there’s the reference to the “great eagle” that protects the woman/Israel in Revelation 12:14—another reference to the United States’ role in the end times, according to some.
The problem is that the above interpretations require a good amount of speculation and seem to come from an Anglo-centric (or at least an America-centric) perspective. The fact remains that the United States of America is not clearly specified in any end-times prophecy in the Bible. We assume that general prophecies that pertain to all the nations of the world will include the United States: if the U.S. is still in existence in the end times, it will be one of the “all nations” judged by God (Isaiah 34:2–3; Haggai 2:7; Joel 3:2) and one of the “all nations” that flow to Zion to worship the True King (Isaiah 2:2).
Why is the United States of America not clearly mentioned in Bible prophecy? There could be several reasons:
1) Perhaps in the end times the United States will be weakened to the extent that its influence in the world suffers, and America does not play an important role in end-times events.
2) Perhaps in the end times the United States has ceased to exist altogether.
3) Perhaps the United States is simply one of the other nations of the world that reject God in the end times (Revelation 10:11; 11:18; 12:5; 14:8; 15:4; 16:19; 17:15; 18:3,23; 19:15).
We consider option (3) as the most likely answer. The United States of America has historically been one of Israel’s most faithful allies, and God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you” (Genesis 12:3a), has surely contributed to America’s success. But if America turns its back on Israel, it will lose God’s favor: “Whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3b).