Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 16-17/2024
Celebrating Fathers Day: A Biblical Perspective on Duty, Honor, and Sacrifice/Elias Bejjani/June 16/2024
Israel army says eight soldiers killed in Gaza
Israel warns of escalation from cross-border fire from Hezbollah
Patriarch Al-Rahi urges UN Resolutions' implementation, election of a President with integrity
Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi,: The Concept of Victory Varies Among Groups
Hochstein to visit Israel and Lebanon on 'urgent mission'
Hochstein in Israel: A Call for Restraint
UN Special Coordinator, UNIFIL Commander call for peace along Blue Line amid rising tensions
South Lebanon: Death of a Wounded Civilian in Attack on Kafra
Hezbollah Rejects Negotiations Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict: Insights on US Mediator Hochstein's Proposals
Lebanon and Israel's fire warfare: A new dimension of destruction
Woman succumbs to injuries from Israeli airstrike on Kafra, South Lebanon
Michel Aji reveals to LBCI: Restaurant business is booming
Mortada Suspends Conservatory Director’s Decisions
Kfar Abida Residents Protest Encroachment on Public Maritime Property
Druze Sheikh Akl Warns Against Double Allegiance
The Profane Syriac Maronite Literature of the 17th-18th Centuries/Amine Jules Iskandar/This Is Beirut/June 16/2024
Frankly Speaking: Can Lebanon ever have an ‘independent’ president?

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 16-17/2024
Hamas response to Gaza ceasefire proposal 'consistent' with principles of US plan, leader says
Israel's army says it will pause daytime fighting along a route in southern Gaza to help flow of aid
Netanyahu Overturns Army's Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza Amid Internal Disputes and Rising Tensions
Netanyahu denounces tactical pauses in Gaza fighting to get in aid
No joy’: Gazans mark somber Eid in shadow of war
Hezbollah keeps up pressure on Israel days after commander's death
US military targets Houthi radar sites in Yemen after a merchant sailor goes missing
Israel uses UNRWA building as sniper post, report says
Iran rebukes G7 statement over its nuclear programme escalation
Zelenskyy says Western aid not enough to 'win' war
China is not Ukraine's enemy: Zelenskyy
78 countries at Swiss conference agree Ukraine's territorial integrity must be basis of any peace
Russia's war in Ukraine began in Crimea. It could end there, too, defense experts say.
Russian troops surrender to an elite brigade as the Kharkiv front holds, Ukraine says
Russian forces kill Daesh-linked hostage takers at detention center
Sending Canadian vessel to Cuba alongside Russia's was carefully planned: Minister
Nuclear arms more prominent amid geopolitical tensions: researchers
Germany Hopes to Boost Economy Amid UEFA Euro 2024 Excitement

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 16-17/2024
Israel, Free World, in Increasing Danger Thanks to U.S. 'Help'/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute./June 16, 2024
Sanctions … the West’s broken policy tool/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/June 17/2024
The center cannot hold, but the center-right just might/Arnab Neil Sengupta/Arab News/June 16, 2024
New immigration measures unlikely to boost Biden’s approval rating/Dalia Al-Aqidi /Arab News/June 16, 2024
Disunity a major challenge for ‘slow and ineffective’ ASEAN/Ehtesham Shahid/Arab News/June 16, 2024
Peace a must as Sudan crisis threatens regional stability/Maria Maalouf/Arab News/June 16, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 16-17/2024
Celebrating Fathers Day: A Biblical Perspective on Duty, Honor, and Sacrifice
Elias Bejjani/June 16/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/130787/130787/
Today, as we gather to celebrate Fathers’ Day, we are reminded of the pivotal role fathers play in our lives. Fathers, both in their presence and sacrifices, mirror the divine fatherhood of God Himself. This day is not merely about showering our fathers with gifts and words of appreciation but also about reflecting on our duties and obligations towards them, as underscored by biblical teachings.
The Bible provides profound insights into the importance of honoring our fathers. Ephesians 6:2-3 commands, “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—”so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” This directive is clear: honoring our fathers is not just a noble act but a divine injunction that brings blessings.
Furthermore, Proverbs 23:22 instructs us, “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” These verses highlight that respect and obedience to our fathers are lifelong duties. They underscore the need to appreciate the wisdom and experience that our fathers impart, recognizing their efforts and sacrifices in nurturing us.
Fathers, in many ways, emulate God the Father, who is described in Psalm 103:13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” Just as God’s compassion and care are boundless, so too are the efforts of our earthly fathers. They toil and labor, often in silence, to provide for us, ensuring our well-being and success.
In honoring our fathers, we acknowledge the countless sacrifices they have made. From working long hours to provide for the family to making tough decisions for our betterment, fathers constantly put their children’s needs before their own. This dedication is aptly captured in the Lebanese saying, “No one is dear to my heart more than my son, but the son of my son.” It speaks to the enduring love and legacy that fathers build, emphasizing the generational impact of their devotion.
However, it is disheartening to see that not all children recognize or reciprocate this dedication. Some neglect their fathers, disregarding their wisdom and contributions. To such individuals, the biblical admonition in Proverbs 30:17 serves as a stern reminder: “The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.” This vivid imagery warns of the severe consequences of disrespect and neglect towards one’s parents.
As we celebrate Fathers’ Day, let us remember that honoring our fathers is not limited to a single day of festivities. It is an ongoing commitment to show respect, provide care, and express gratitude for all they do. Let us strive to embody the principles of the Bible, ensuring that our fathers feel valued and appreciated every day of their lives.
In conclusion, Fathers’ Day is a powerful reminder of the immense love and sacrifices our fathers have made for us. By honoring them, we not only fulfill our biblical duties but also strengthen the bonds of family and faith. Let us cherish our fathers, acknowledging their vital role in our lives and upholding the respect and honor they rightfully deserve.'

Israel army says eight soldiers killed in Gaza
Agence France Presse/June 16, 2024
The Israeli military said eight soldiers were killed in Gaza Saturday when their armored vehicle was struck by a bomb, in one of the deadliest blows for the Israeli army since the war began in October. Captain Wassem Mahmud, 23, and seven other soldiers "fell during operational activity in southern Gaza," the military said in a statement. "Their families have been notified." The military said the vehicle was hit in the Tal al-Sultan area of Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah, where troops are engaged in fierce street battles with Palestinian militants. Preliminary enquiries suggested the vehicle "got hit as a result of an explosion of a side bomb," the military said in a statement. It said the magnitude of the blast suggested that the bomb had set off a secondary explosion inside the vehicle. "The explosion was significant and may have been caused by the initiation of the explosive material on the vehicle," the military said.
"All this is not supposed to happen and therefore the incident is being examined. "There was a very serious damage to the vehicle and those in it, and a large explosion making it difficult to identify and locate the bodies."Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing later on Saturday that "there was a strong explosion". He said the blast was "apparently from an explosive device planted in the area or from the firing of an anti-tank missile". Thousands of Israelis meanwhile gathered in Tel Aviv for the weekly protest against the hard-right government's handling of the war, an AFP correspondent reported. "Every soldier who dies is like a family member who dies. We experience it as a collective loss," said one of the protesters, Graciela Barchilon, 68. "I feel a lot of anger and disappointment. I believe this government is not working and we have to go to elections now." Saturday's losses were among the heaviest for the military since it began its ground offensive in Gaza on October 27. Twenty-one soldiers were killed on January 22 when rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire hit a tank near two buildings where they were carrying out an operation, the military said at the time. The buildings exploded as troops had planted explosives in them after the structures had been identified as "terrorist infrastructure" in the area, it said. Saturday's deaths take to 306 the military's losses since October 27.The war began with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 which Israeli authorities say resulted in the deaths of around 1,194 people. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,296 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry.

Israel warns of escalation from cross-border fire from Hezbollah
REUTERS/June 17, 2024
JERUSALEM: Intensified cross-border fire from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement into Israel could trigger serious escalation, the Israeli military said on Sunday. “Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region,” Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video statement in English. Iran-backed Hezbollah last week launched the largest volleys of rockets and drones yet in the eight months it has been exchanging fire with the Israeli military, in parallel with the Gaza war. After the relatively heavy exchanges over the past week, Sunday saw a marked drop in Hezbollah fire, while the Israeli military said that it had carried out several air strikes against the group in southern Lebanon. The US and France are working on a negotiated settlement to the hostilities along Lebanon’s southern border. Hezbollah says it will not halt fire unless Israel stops its military offensive on Gaza. “Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians — until security along our border with Lebanon is restored,” Hagari said.

Patriarch Al-Rahi urges UN Resolutions' implementation, election of a President with integrity
LBCI/June 16, 2024
During Sunday mass, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi called for the election of a President with the qualities of morality, patriotism, courage, balance, and maturity. He emphasized the need for this President to uphold legitimacy, defend the state against any encroachments, and ensure the proper functioning of authorities, the constitution, and national balance. He demanded the "serious implementation" of international resolutions, particularly those of the UN Security Council—1559, 1680, and 1701—"which guarantee Lebanon's independence and sovereignty."On Sunday, the Maronite Patriarch emphasized the need for a new national constitutional authority to lead political and economic reforms and to work towards declaring Lebanon's neutrality. Additionally, he urged both Arab and international communities to provide financial assistance proportional to Lebanon's economic collapse. In conclusion, he called for "the revival of the banking system and the gradual return of depositors' money, as they are crucial for revitalizing the private sector and boosting economic, financial, and real estate activity."

Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi,: The Concept of Victory Varies Among Groups
This Is Beirut/16 Jun 2024
During his Sunday sermon at St. George’s Cathedral, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi, pointed out that the concept of victory varies significantly among different groups, creating a gap in how events and historical figures are judged. The metropolitan was mainly referring to the concept of victory, frequently emphasized in Hezbollah’s rhetoric regarding its conflict with Israel, despite Lebanon enduring systematic destruction, because of this conflict. “The concept of victory differs between one group and another, which creates a distance between them and a difference in judging the events of history and its men,” he said. This disparity, he noted, hampers the objective writing of history and reconciliation with the past. Metropolitan Audi’s sermon delved into the longstanding issues of truth and interpretation in Lebanon’s history. Drawing parallels between the past and the present, he highlighted how differing perspectives on historical events have perpetuated division within the country. “Doesn’t each side see things according to its own inclinations and interests? That is why we always hear different interpretations of the same event,” he added, referencing the various conflicts Lebanon has endured. He urged that, similarly, Lebanon’s wise and moral leaders, free from hidden interests, must come together to agree on clear principles and objective interpretations of disputed matters, including constitutional articles. “The wise men of this country and its elders in soul, morals, humanity, science, and specialization, who are far removed from any hidden interest or purpose, must meet and agree on clear principles and objective interpretations of all that the Lebanese disagree on,” Audi continued.

Hochstein to visit Israel and Lebanon on 'urgent mission'
Naharnet/June 16, 2024
The fears that Israel “might expand the war in south Lebanon” have prompted U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein to plan an urgent visit to Tel Aviv and Beirut, a media report said. Delegated by “the U.S. administration,” Hochstein will be on “an urgent mission aimed at containing the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah and keeping it under control,” Asharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted a Western diplomatic source as saying. “The U.S. mediator’s visit to Tel Aviv on Monday, from which he will move to Beirut, was not on his agenda and had been related to the ceasefire in Gaza that is still faltering,” the source added. “But he was obliged to return hurriedly, because the U.S. efforts to prevent Israel from expanding the war to include south Lebanon have so far run into the rejection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war aides of Washington’s desire not to expand the confrontation that is ongoing with Hezbollah,” the source went on to say. Asharq al-Awsat also noted that Hochstein’s upcoming visit to Beirut has coincided with U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson’s return to Beirut. The ambassador “met with caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Thursday night and evaluated with him the raging situation in the south, which reached its peaks over the past hours, and what can be done to keep it under control and preventing it from descending into an expanded war, especially that Washington says that it will not provide a political cover for its expansion,” the daily added.

Hochstein in Israel: A Call for Restraint
Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is Beirut/16 Jun 2024
Both Israel and Hezbollah are aware that any escalation of the war between them would be highly costly for both sides, and could potentially set the entire region ablaze. Indeed, the Islamic Republic of Iran will surely not stand idly by in the face of a serious threat to its main ally in the Arab world and the region, Hezbollah. According to relevant sources, Israeli authorities firmly believe that initiating a full-scale conflict with Hezbollah would result in a significant regional escalation. Every scenario they have devised has led them to this conclusion, whether it’s an attack on Hezbollah resulting in massive destruction of Lebanon, an offensive against Hezbollah on Syrian territory, or a direct strike against Iran. Americans have conveyed to Israeli authorities through diplomatic channels the danger of any large-scale military operation or broad military attack against Hezbollah. The escalation of events along the Israeli-Lebanese border has heightened American concerns, as actions and reactions seem to be spiraling out of control. Consequently, the decision was made to dispatch Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden, to Israel as a first step. The American envoy is expected to urge Israelis to exercise restraint, promising in return additional assistance and technological cooperation to counter Hezbollah’s missiles and drones. However, Hochstein will not present any new proposals regarding the situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border. The ceasefire issue remains unresolved as it is tied to the one in Gaza, which is unlikely to be resolved in the near future despite efforts from American and international parties. This issue will not stop the American envoy from engaging in discussions with Israelis about suggested options to address the border situation with Lebanon, including both diplomatic and military solutions.
Americans believe that a long-term solution in southern Lebanon is still possible through negotiation, albeit delayed. Israelis share this view, but there is concern that the time needed for a Gaza ceasefire may be extended, potentially escalating the risk of a widespread conflict – one that could surpass all efforts at de-escalation if linked to a significant military event. According to American sources, discussions regarding the Israeli-Lebanese border dossier are currently limited to Israelis authorities. Engaging with official Lebanese authorities is deemed ineffective due to their lack of decision-making power. Additionally, direct communication with Hezbollah is not possible and is unlikely to yield results at this time. Finally, indirect communication with Iran has also shown that the Islamic Republic cannot be relied upon to rein in Hezbollah.

UN Special Coordinator, UNIFIL Commander call for peace along Blue Line amid rising tensions
LBCI/June 16, 2024
In a joint statement on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro urged all sides along the Blue Line "to put down their weapons and commit to a path of peace." The statement read: "Since October, we have seen too many lives lost, families uprooted, and neighbourhoods destroyed. We are deeply concerned about the escalation we have seen recently."It added that miscalculation might lead to a "sudden and wider conflict," posing a real danger. "We continue to engage with the parties and urge all actors to cease their fire and commit to working toward a political and diplomatic solution - which is the only lasting solution," the joint statement affirmed.

South Lebanon: Death of a Wounded Civilian in Attack on Kafra
This Is Beirut/June 16/2024
Ghada Abadi died on Saturday night after being critically injured in an Israeli raid on the outskirts of Kafra, a few days ago. Both she and her husband were wounded in the attack. Around 3:00 p.m on Sunday, the Israeli army shelled the town of Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as the outskirts of Naqoura, and the village of Kfar Kila. Additionally, incendiary bombs were thrown toward Naqoura, and shells were fired toward Wadi Hamul in the western sector. The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, wrote on ‘X’ that Israeli warplanes attacked a Hezbollah military building in Yaroun using two air-to-surface missiles around 1:30 p.m. Additionally, artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Kfarchouba and Kfar Kila. A suspicious aerial target was also intercepted in Al-Amra.

Hezbollah Rejects Negotiations Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict: Insights on US Mediator Hochstein's Proposals
LBCI/June 16, 2024
US mediator Amos Hochstein brought to Lebanon ideas to stop the confrontation in the south. However, the principle that Hezbollah has adhered to since the beginning of the war will not be changed by any current equations, and its title is: "The confrontation in the south will not stop as long as the war continues in the Gaza Strip." This stance, which sources repeated to LBCI, was added upon to say: "The ideas that Hochstein brought to Speaker Nabih Berri in previous rounds and which the party heard have not received answers from the Lebanese side and will not receive them, nor will they undergo any modification."The sources explained that Hochstein initially spoke about a readiness to discuss the issue of Ghajar and its northern part, and the 13 disputed points. However, he overlooked Point B1 in Naqoura and the Israeli aerial violations of Lebanon, and certainly kept the Shebaa Farms out of the discussion.
This proposal evolved later, as Hochstein realized that for Lebanon, the 13 reserved points had been previously settled, and that it was Israel that re-encroached on them after the July 2006 war. Lebanon will not accept anything less than the cessation of aerial violations of Lebanon or from it. Despite Hochstein informing Berri that Israel does not accept this demand because it needs wide airspace and considers itself surrounded by enemies in the north, he presented a compromise: Israel would transfer its aerial violations of Lebanon or from it to Syria at an altitude of 5000 meters to 10000 meters. "In other words, Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and Resolution 1701 continue, and the danger of reconnaissance and assassination continues, but the only change would be that the roar of Israeli aircraft and sonic booms are not heard or visible. In the end, it remains a violation and aggression against Lebanon," the sources commented. As for the Shebaa Farms, which Lebanon insists on their Lebanese identity, they remain absent from Hochstein's ideas for a solution and out of the discussion. According to American logic, the farms are not Lebanese; Israel occupied them from Syria, and any solution regarding them involves Syria and Israel as partners. "It is true that Hezbollah has heard about the proposal, and certainly has responses," the sources clarified. But the party reiterates: No responses or negotiations before the war in Gaza stops. In Hochstein's return to the region today, he saw an US need to de-escalate the tension that the Hezbollah-Israel front witnessed since the assassination of the Hezbollah commander in charge of the Victory Unit, Talib Sami Abdallah, known as Abou Talib, and the ignition of several fronts in the north and the occupied Golan in response to this assassination.

Lebanon and Israel's fire warfare: A new dimension of destruction
LBCI/June 16, 2024
The residents of southern Lebanon are increasingly fearful for their lands as sporadic fires have transformed into a full-scale fire war.
The use of incendiary weapons, particularly phosphorus bombs, by Israel since the onset of the conflict has intensified over the past week. This escalation coincides with Hezbollah's increased involvement, resulting in large-scale fires in significant areas across the Galilee, including Kiryat Shmona, Safed, Mount Meron, Misgav Am, and surrounding areas near Metula and the occupied Golan Heights.  The total burnt area in Israel is expected to exceed 10,000 dunams. Using phosphorus bombs, Katyusha rockets, and 120mm Katyusha shells, Hezbollah said these actions are in retaliation for Israel's burning of large southern territories. As a result, both sides have been exchanging incendiary fire in recent days. In the past two days, vast fires have devastated areas in Rmeish, Shebaa, Khallet Warde on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, Markaba, Odaisseh, and the plains of Marjayoun-Khiam. Fires also ravaged the outskirts of Deir Mimas and Wazzani.  Despite being accompanied by UNIFIL, civil defense teams struggled to reach and extinguish the flames due to Israeli targeting of firefighting teams with phosphorus bombs and the use of traditional methods like slingshots and crossbows to ignite the forests. Why has the method of forest burning reached such a critical point?  There is no doubt that the fire war initiated by Israel is taking on a new military dimension, emerging as a tactic that imposes itself at the expense of property, agricultural lands, and the green environment. Southern Lebanon has already lost 1695 hectares of its land to these fires.

Woman succumbs to injuries from Israeli airstrike on Kafra, South Lebanon
LBCI/June 16, 2024
According to the state-run National News Agency on Sunday, Ghada Mohammad Abbadi passed away due to injuries sustained from an airstrike carried out by Israeli aircraft on the outskirts of Kafra, a village in the Bint Jbeil District of southern Lebanon, several days earlier.

Michel Aji reveals to LBCI: Restaurant business is booming
LBCI/June 16, 2024
Member of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafés, Night-Clubs, and Pastries in Lebanon, Michel Aji, explained that restaurant activity is increasing and has become essential in the daily life of Lebanese citizens, as travel and other costs have become high. He affirmed that the country offers a variety of restaurants, and customers can choose what suits them based on quality and cost. On LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, he pointed out that the dollarization process has facilitated matters in some ways. On the other hand, people have started turning to the tourism sector to invest their money, as the real estate sector, banks, and other sectors have come to a halt. However, Aji considered this matter a "double-edged sword," as some have no experience in the field. He noted that tourists from distant countries are hesitant to decide about visiting Lebanon due to the ongoing security crisis.

Mortada Suspends Conservatory Director’s Decisions
This Is Beirut/June 16/2024
Caretaker Minister of Culture Mohammad Mortada has frozen all decisions by the Acting Director of the National Conservatory of Music, Hiba Kawas, to “put an end to her unilateral whimsical practices,” according to a statement issued by his press office on Sunday. The text explains that the decision was taken following numerous complaints against Hiba Kawas, “who takes decisions without the approval of the Board of Directors and the Minister in charge,” Mohammad Mortada. The latest incident relates to the organization of music exams. According to the press release, Kawas has “decided to organize in Beirut, the ensemble music exams, the instrument exams and the music theory exams, for students enrolled in the institute’s regional branches from the fourth year onwards.”Normally, “these examinations should have been organized in the regions, but taking into account the security conditions and economic constraints to which the students and their respective families are subject,” the text explains, noting that Kawas “took the decision unilaterally without referring it to the Board of Directors, which was supposed to adopt it for subsequent ratification by the Minister of Culture.”This affair, the press release continues, “led to the resignation of three members of the Board of Directors, who wished to protest against the whimsical and individualistic policy pursued in general, contrary to the rules and laws in force” by the interim director. The minister also considered that the call for exams “contradicts the government’s guidelines for official exams, in the circumstances the country is currently experiencing.”He therefore decided to cancel the decision taken by Hiba Kawas, and deemed “null and void all decisions she has taken following the same procedure, whatever they may be, notably those relating to commitments made by the Conservatory or the release of funds.”

Kfar Abida Residents Protest Encroachment on Public Maritime Property
This Is Beirut/June 16/2024
Residents of Kfar Abida organized a protest on Sunday in front of the house of journalist R.D., condemning her encroachment on the village’s maritime public property.The journalist is restricting free access to the sea, and filed a complaint against residents who advocated for the enforcement of laws to preserve their right to access the beach. The demonstrators once again demanded the enforcement of the law to secure their right to access the sea, calling on authorities to intervene and remove the encroachments that they claimed were violating legal norms.

Druze Sheikh Akl Warns Against Double Allegiance
This Is Beirut/June 16/2024
The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Muna, regretted the fact that “today we are faced with a state of anxiety about our destiny,” stressing the need to “transcend rivalries and work for the supreme national interest.”Sheikh Akl spoke on Sunday morning during a prayer on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. He argued that “true strength is nothing other than loyalty to the country and solidarity for its protection and development.” According to him, the majority (that counts) is none other than that of those whose allegiance is solely to the country, all groups or parties included.”He added that “strength sometimes lies in the ability to dialogue and adapt to reality, or in intransigence in defending the country against aggressors.” “However, he added, it is never a question of intimidation, blocking or putting forward sectarian dreams.”Lastly, the Druze spiritual leader criticized Lebanese officials who, instead of finding “realistic” solutions to the country’s problems themselves, “expect magical solutions from abroad.” “Solutions that take into account the concerns and demands of the main components of the Lebanese people,” he added.

The Profane Syriac Maronite Literature of the 17th-18th Centuries
Amine Jules Iskandar/This Is Beirut/June 16/2024
Literature upholds its rights against the myth behind the notion that Syriac died out after the Middle Ages, or was never more than a liturgical language confined to a few solitary monks in Mount Lebanon. The 17th, 18th and even the 19th and 20th centuries uncover a vast wealth of Syriac Maronite literary production, encompassing both the profane and sacred realms. The alleged absence of profane Maronite literature in Syriac is often cited as proof that this language was never used beyond liturgical purposes. Some frequently point to the 11th-century translation of the Maronite Nomo-Canon into Arabic by Bishop David as proof that Mount Lebanon was Arabic-speaking ever since that time. However, this work is an exception in the history of Maronite religious literature, one which was followed by a second millennium of Syriac-language productions. This literary activity was clearly never confined to the ecclesiastical realm.
Sleiman Achlouhi, 1270-1335
A significant collection of zajal has been passed down to us from a Maronite cleric of the 15th-16th century, Bishop Gabriel Barcleius (1447-1516). However, it is essential not to overlook Sleiman Achlouhi (1270-1335), the distinguished secular poet from Akkar. His works, comprising about 60 verses, are preserved within Manuscript 214 of the Vatican Library. Additionally, Sarguis of Smar-Jbeil is another prominent zajal composer from the 16th century. Their enduring recognition is attributed to their dedication to documenting this supposedly spoken and improvised literature. Faced with surprising claims regarding the nonexistence of Maronite literature beyond religious or liturgical contexts, a young scholar, Joseph BouCharaa, embarked on a quest to uncover manuscripts in various libraries across Lebanon and occasionally in the West. He discovered around 60 Maronite authors, many of whom used the Syriac language to compose secular-themed texts, both in verse and prose. This count grows even further when including the texts by anonymous authors that he also successfully compiled. Yet even more astonishing is the extending vitality of this language up until the mid-20th century (as we will see in the next article). Outside the realm of the Church and its liturgy, Maronites actively learned and used Syriac until Arabic was declared the official language in 1943 by Bechara el-Khoury. However, the teaching of the Syriac language went on in schools until the last teachers retired in the 1960s. They took with them the last writers and poets who were the bearers of a language that had survived two millennia and resisted the greatest invaders. Their language died of civilizational suicide, as Arnold Toynbee would say.
Joseph Dahdah, 1670
Moving on to the 17th century, during the 1670s the writer and poet Yaoseph Dahdoho of Ain-Qoura (Joseph Dahdah of Aqoura) made his mark. His poem on knowledge and teaching was found in Manuscript 191 of the Deir-el-Banet monastery. The author identifies himself as hailing from Ain-Qoura (the cold spring), which was the name of present-day Aqoura. Although his text is written without vowels, he made sure to include them in his name, which he distinctly pronounces as Dahdoho.
It should be noted that in his manuscript, the introductory or explanatory information about the year, author and content is all in Syriac.
Joseph de Ban, 1679
The same pattern emerges in the introduction of the book by Faustus Nairon (Maronite scholar from Rome), titled Dissertatio de origine, nomine, ac religione Maronitarum. The author introduces the content of his work by mentioning in Syriac, “History of Saint Maron, the Maronites and their nation.” He identifies himself forthwith as hailing from Qrito Ban dab Touro de Levnon (the village of Ban in the mountains of Lebanon). He also attributes the authorship of the introductory poem to a bannoyo (a person from Ban).
The year is 1679, and the author of this poem is Yaoseph Issaoui Bannoyo (Joseph of Ban). A passage from this long eulogy to Saint Maron specifically praises the cedars and mountains of Lebanon. The rhyme leverages the similarity between the words Moroun and mouroun (Maron and muron). The translation of these Syriac verses, based on the metric of Saint James, evolves into the following:
Among the cedars of Lebanon, Maron grew up,
Eloquent and spiritual cedars, watered by muron. Between cedars and eloquent cedars Maron grew up
Marvel not that cedars exhale muron’s scent,
For among those fragrant cedars, Maron grew up
The country of the cedars is indeed muron’s country
And the country of muron is indeed Maron’s country.
Patriarch Joseph Estephan, 1766-1793
Yoseph Estephan of Ghosta, elected to the Syriac Maronite patriarchal seat of Antioch in 1766, is celebrated for his exceptional mastery of the Syriac language. He is credited as the author of the history of Saint Marina of Qannoubine, printed out in 1905 by Léon Clugnet in Paris. His text, which is entirely in Syriac, is characterized by a fluid style and a rich vocabulary. This proves that 18th-century inhabitants of Mount Lebanon were still raging and understanding this skillfully penned language.
While being a hagiographic literature, this text is neither liturgical nor theological and falls within the realm of history. Therefore, the Syriac language was not only used for prayer but also for spreading knowledge and heritage.
Bishop Joseph Estephan, 1761-1822
Yaoseph Estephan (18th-19th century) was a master of the Syriac language and the nephew of the patriarch bearing the same name. Despite being a bishop, his writings were secular and included, among other things, praises for the Prince of Lebanon, Bashir II the Great. He wrote a poem entitled Wolito (Lamentation), dedicated to his uncle, the patriarch, who passed away in 1793. This poem is found in manuscript Syr.058 of the Bibliothèque Orientale at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. The following can be read in folios 59 to 64:
The sound of Lebanon’s tears reaches me,
In the heart of Ghosta, lamentations fill that day.
Better than incense and beautiful flowers, the ashes are honored.
Sprinkled and scattered on the heads of men and women.
And even more so, beyond any variety of species, they are honored.

Frankly Speaking: Can Lebanon ever have an ‘independent’ president?
ARAB NEWS/June 16, 2024
DUBAI: People familiar with Lebanon’s sectarian politics and power camps are typically skeptical about the likelihood and success of a truly independent candidate for the presidency — a position that has been vacant since October 2022.
However, Ziad Hayek, who claims to be an independent, says that the current parliamentary climate makes it possible to stand successfully and work effectively as a president representing none of the main political camps.
“The makeup of parliament for the first time in Lebanon is such that it allows us to do that,” said Hayek during an appearance on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking.”“The two general factions that are defined by either pro-Hezbollah or against Hezbollah and pro-Western camp or pro-East, these two larger factions are almost equally divided in parliament. And neither side is able or has been able for the past year and a half to get their candidate elected.
“And so I think that they need to come to terms with that situation. They need to focus on finding a president, a candidate that they can both feel comfortable with, and yet does not belong to either side.”Challenged by “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen on whether he really stands a chance of success without aligning himself with Hezbollah, Hayek said only an independent could help the country to break with the past.“The focus that I have today is on making sure that I’m an acceptable candidate to all sides, because all factions have to be comfortable, and I wouldn’t want to be the candidate of either side. That’s why I’m running as an independent candidate,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are not going to move Lebanon from the mud … unless we really get to understand the issues that all the parties face and air concerns and allay their concerns. So that applies to Hezbollah and it applies to all the other parties.”
Hezbollah has significant support among the Shiite population of Lebanon and even among many Maronite Christians, including presidential contender Gebran Bassil — the son-in-law of former President Michel Aoun, who took office thanks to his backing of Hezbollah. Given the political clout of Hezbollah and Lebanon’s other big parties, can an independent hope to break through? Hayek says it is precisely because these big hitters have consistently failed to get their own candidates elected that an independent can break the deadlock.
“Of course, I do understand that Hezbollah has an influential role in this election,” he said. “I don’t discount that. But so do other parties. Hezbollah has not been able to get its candidate elected so far, and neither have the other parties.
“Yes, I do understand that people may think that my position is a bit unrealistic simply because Lebanon has not had this type of situation before. But I think it is in this situation that we have the opportunity to break away from the past and look to Lebanon’s future in a different way.”
Hayek is not new to Lebanese politics. In 2006, he joined the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, becoming secretary general of the Republic of Lebanon’s High Council for Privatization and PPP until he was nominated to be president of the World Bank in 2019.
Having witnessed the devastating 2006 war, the financial crash of late 2019, the economic toll of the pandemic, the destruction of the Beirut port blast of Aug. 4, 2020, the government’s paralysis since October 2022, and now a low-intensity conflict on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, one has to wonder: Why on earth would he want to be president?
“I want this job because I really feel that this place is one of the best countries in the world with so much potential,” he said. “And yet the political discourse in it has been going in the wrong direction. And I would like to change that.
“I’m hoping to be able to change the political dialogue, focus more on socio-economic matters, how to develop the country, how to develop its economy, rather than continuing the conversation that usually takes place about ‘this faction wants this guy’ and ‘this faction wants that guy.’
“None of these candidates have presented any program, any vision for the future. So I would like to change the way that the Lebanese public looks at politics in general, and focus on policies.”Bridging the political divide in Lebanon’s multi-confessional system that emerged after the civil war would be a tall order for any experienced politician with a party machine to back them up.
Hayek is confident that his background in finance, helping governments balance their books and facilitate reform, makes him ideally suited to getting even the bitterest of rivals to work together for the public good. “I have made a career of being able to work with people that everybody else said: ‘No, you cannot work with this guy. You cannot work with this group,’” he said. “The Lebanese public in general is really yearning for somebody that can address the needs that it has and the daily needs of the Lebanese citizen, not just the geopolitics of America and Iran and all this conversation that really leads nowhere at the end of the day for the common person on the street.”Like it or not, Lebanon’s destiny is tied up in geopolitics. In fact, Hezbollah’s Iranian backers and their Israeli rivals have turned the country into a battlefield in their ongoing shadow war.
Since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza, Hezbollah has launched daily rocket and drone attacks against Israel’s northern territories to draw fire away from its Hamas allies. Israel has retaliated with its own air and artillery strikes against southern Lebanon, leading to fears of an escalation that could drag the wider region into a major confrontation. Asked whether a full-scale war can be averted, sparing Lebanon a devastating Israeli invasion it can ill afford to fight, Hayek said he was hopeful “cooler heads will eventually prevail.”
“Both the Israelis and the Lebanese, including Hezbollah, have to realize, all of us, that these wars lead nowhere,” he said. “It’s just destruction on both sides. And at the end of the day, this conflict has gone on for decades. And all these wars end with some compromise and some agreement on a ceasefire that lasts for a certain period of time.
“We need to move towards finding a lasting peace. And the makings of that were already starting to happen when Lebanon reached an agreement on the delineation of the maritime borders with Israel. There was work that was continuing, helped along by the Americans. “Unfortunately, this Gaza situation came up and changed things. But I think when the dust settles, we do need to go back to working on the task of making sure that we build a lasting peace. “For now, it is a terrible situation. There is no doubt about it. I think that cooler heads will eventually prevail as they always do in every conflict. And we will see some agreement between the parties.”
Nevertheless, the rhetoric from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has continued to grow more hostile and the spate of cross-border attack more deadly, leaving some to conclude a full-scale war seems inevitable. “Israel knows that it is in its best interest not to engage in a war in Lebanon that it cannot win,” said Hayek. “Lebanon is not Gaza. It’s going to be a lot more difficult. It’s something that Israel has experienced in the past, and I don’t think the Israelis wish to escalate the war in Lebanon.
“But continuing to play with fire, tit for tat and all of that, is not helpful because we are a hair trigger away from an escalation. I mean, any day there can be a strike that goes wrong beyond the normally accepted, currently accepted type of trading fire between the two parties. “And such a situation can lead to a very fast escalation that may draw even regional powers into the equation. And I think that nobody wants that, really.”
Even if the region is spared a major war, Lebanon still has to contend with a broken economy, rampant corruption, shattered infrastructure, mass unemployment, extreme poverty, and a generation of young people who have fled abroad. If he becomes president, how would Hayek go about untangling such a colossal mess?
Asked during his appearance on Frankly Speaking whether a full-scale war can be averted, sparing Lebanon a devastating Israeli invasion it can ill afford to fight, Hayek said he was hopeful “cooler heads will eventually prevail.”
“I have presented a plan specifically for Lebanon to get out of its financial crisis,” he said. “It is built on converting the bank deposits into tradeable CDs (certificates of deposit) on the Beirut Stock Exchange to enable the capital markets to come back to life again. “It involves using some of the gold reserves to create funds for social development and for economic development. It includes regaining the ability of the government not to raise taxes but to collect taxes in order to pay for the services it needs to deliver to the Lebanese public. So I do have some ideas.
“I think that the International Monetary Fund’s approval is very important because we do need the seal of approval of the IMF to regain the confidence of investors. But I think there are many ways to discuss with the IMF what could be acceptable to them as well as taking the Lebanese reality into consideration.”
Hayek also wants to see Lebanon revive its economic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council bloc, allowing Lebanese companies to prosper from investment opportunities, in particular Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda.
“The relationship with the GCC is crucial,” he said. “Those countries are the hosts of hundreds of thousands, or tens of thousands of Lebanese that are working there. So they are very important currently to our economy with the remittances of these people. “But also, of course, the Lebanese are contributing to the growth and development that is happening in the region because the Lebanese working there are highly educated, highly skilled, able to contribute in a big way.
“This mutual relationship of benefits needs to be strengthened. I think that with Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia and other plans in the UAE and other countries, these are big opportunities for the Lebanese, big opportunities for Lebanon to solidify its relationships with those countries and governments and projects and as well as for them to see that they already know that Lebanon has much to offer to contribute towards their success.”

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 16-17/2024
Hamas response to Gaza ceasefire proposal 'consistent' with principles of US plan, leader says
Reuters/Sun, June 16, 2024
Hamas' response to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal is consistent with the principles put forward in U.S. President Joe Biden's plan, the group's Qatar-based leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a televised speech on the occasion of the Islamic Eid al-Adha on Sunday. "Hamas and the (Palestinian) groups are ready for a comprehensive deal which entails a ceasefire, withdrawal from the strip, the reconstruction of what was destroyed and a comprehensive swap deal," Haniyeh said, referring to the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. On May 31, Biden laid out what he called a "three-phase" Israeli proposal that would include negotiations for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as phased exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Egypt and Qatar - which along with the United States have been mediating between Hamas and Israel - said on June 11 that they had received a response from the Palestinian groups to the U.S. plan, without giving further details.While Israel said Hamas rejected key elements of the U.S. plan, a senior Hamas leader told Reuters that the changes the group requested were "not significant".

Israel's army says it will pause daytime fighting along a route in southern Gaza to help flow of aid
Josef Federman, Wafaa Shurafa And Lee Keath/JERUSALEM (AP)/June 16, 2024
Israel's military announced on Sunday that it would pause fighting during daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to free up a backlog of humanitarian aid deliveries for desperate Palestinians enduring a humanitarian crisis sparked by the war, now in its ninth month. The “tactical pause," which applies to about 12 kilometers (7 1/2 miles) of road in the Rafah area, falls far short of a complete cease-fire in the territory that has been sought by the international community, including Israel's top ally, the United States. It could help address the overwhelming needs of Palestinians that have surged in recent weeks with Israel's incursion into Rafah. The army said that the daily pause would begin at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and last until 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) and continue until further notice. It's aimed at allowing aid trucks to reach the nearby Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, the main entry point, and travel safely to the Salah a-Din highway, a main north-south road, the military said. The crossing has had a bottleneck since Israeli ground troops moved into Rafah in early May. COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees aid distribution in Gaza, said the route would increase the flow of aid to other parts of Gaza, including Khan Younis, the coastal area of Muwasi and central Gaza. Hard-hit northern Gaza, an early target in the war, is served by goods entering from the north. The military said that the pause, which begins as Muslims start marking the Eid Al-Adha holiday, came after discussions with the United Nations and other aid agencies.
A U.N. spokesperson, Jens Laerke, told The Associated Press that Israel's announcement was welcome but “no aid has been dispatched from Kerem Shalom today," with no details. Laerke said that the U.N. hopes for further concrete measures by Israel, including smoother operations at checkpoints and regular entry of fuel. Israel and Hamas are weighing the latest proposal for a cease-fire, detailed by U.S. President Joe Biden in the administration’s most concentrated diplomatic push for a halt to the fighting and the release of hostages taken by the militant group. While Biden described the proposal as an Israeli one, Israel hasn't fully embraced it. Hamas has demanded changes that appear unacceptable to Israel.
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to press ahead with the war and many members of his far-right government opposed to the cease-fire proposal, news of the military's pause triggered a minor political storm.An Israeli official quoted Netanyahu as saying the plan was “unacceptable to him" when he learned of it. The official said that Netanyahu received assurances that “there is no change” in the military's policy and “fighting in Rafah continues as planned.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak with the media. Israeli television stations later quoted Netanyahu as criticizing the military: “We have a country with an army, not an army with a country.”But neither Netanyahu nor the army canceled the new arrangement. While the army insisted “there is no cessation of fighting” in southern Gaza, it also said the new route would be open during daytime hours “exclusively for the transportation of humanitarian aid.”The fighting continued. Nine people, including five children, were killed Sunday when a house was struck in Bureji in central Gaza, according to AP journalists who counted the bodies at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. A man wept over the small sheet-wrapped bundle in his arms. Two of the children had been playing in the street.
“What did this girl do to you, Netanyahu? Isn’t this forbidden for you?” a woman cried, holding a dead child. Israel’s military didn’t respond to questions about the strike. Israel announced the names of 12 soldiers killed in recent attacks in Gaza, putting the number killed since Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza last year at 309. Hamas killed around 1,200 people during its Oct. 7 attack and took 250 hostage, Israeli authorities say. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed. Israel’s military offensive has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, with the U.N. reporting hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine. Hamas' supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, called for more pressure to open border crossings. Another crossing, the Rafah terminal between Gaza and Egypt, has been closed since Israel moved into the city. Egypt has refused to reopen the crossing as long as Israel controls the Palestinian side. The flow of aid in southern Gaza has declined just as need grew. More than 1 million Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced, fled Rafah after the invasion, crowding into other parts of southern and central Gaza. Most languish in tent camps, with open sewage in the streets. From May 6 until June 6, the U.N. received an average of 68 trucks of aid a day. That was down from 168 a day in April and far below the 500 a day that aid groups say are needed. COGAT says there are no restrictions on the entry of trucks. It says more than 8,600 trucks of all kinds, aid and commercial, entered Gaza from all crossings from May 2 to June 13, an average of 201 a day. But much of that aid has piled up at crossings. A COGAT spokesman, Shimon Freedman, said it was the U.N.’s fault that its cargo stacked up on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom. He said its agencies have “fundamental logistical problems,” especially a lack of trucks. The U.N. denies such allegations. It says the fighting often makes it too dangerous for U.N. trucks inside Gaza to travel to Kerem Shalom. It also says the pace of deliveries has slowed because Israel's military must authorize drivers to travel to the site, a system Israel says was designed for drivers’ safety. The new arrangement aims to reduce the need for coordinating deliveries by providing an 11-hour uninterrupted daily window .Because of a lack of security, some aid trucks have been looted by crowds as they moved along Gaza’s roads. It wasn't immediately clear whether the army would provide security to protect trucks moving along the highway.

Netanyahu Overturns Army's Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza Amid Internal Disputes and Rising Tensions
LBCI/June 16, 2024
In a decision reflecting the disagreements and lack of coordination between the military and political institutions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the army's decision to halt fighting daily from Karem Abou Salem to Salah al-Din and northward in Gaza from 8 AM to 7 PM to allow for the entry of humanitarian services. Netanyahu, who claimed he learned about the decision through the media, immediately overturned it, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant preceding him in the decision, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the decision-makers as foolish. The cancellation of the decision came alongside continued and intensified fighting in Rafah, following the announcement of the death toll from the explosion of a Namer armored vehicle rising to eleven soldiers. The Namer is considered the most advanced Israeli armored vehicle, and the army had added sensors and advanced equipment to prevent it from being hit. Netanyahu addressed the Israelis amid growing protests and calls for the government to move towards a prisoner exchange deal, reaffirming the correctness of his policy to continue fighting and pressuring Hamas until achieving absolute victory.
On the northern front, where Hezbollah rockets and drones continue to fall, causing more destruction and damage and increasing the number of injuries, the war cabinet announced the postponement of the decision regarding it until the start of US envoy Amos Hochstein's talks in Tel Aviv on Monday, in addition to the outcome of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's visit to Washington this month at the invitation of his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, where developments on the northern front will be central to their meeting.The US-Israeli talks, including meetings of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi in Washington, come amid American fears of a war breaking out between Israel and Lebanon, leading to a full-scale war involving the United States. Efforts are being made by various parties to prevent such escalation, aiming to ensure a solution between the two sides that guarantees what Israel calls the security of its borders and residents and changes the current situation on the northern border.

Netanyahu denounces tactical pauses in Gaza fighting to get in aid
REUTERS/June 16, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized plans announced by the military on Sunday to hold daily tactical pauses in fighting along one of the main roads into Gaza to facilitate aid delivery into the Palestinian enclave. The military had announced the daily pauses from 0500 GMT until 1600 GMT in the area from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah Al-Din Road and then northwards.“When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him,” an Israeli official said. The military clarified that normal operations would continue in Rafah, the main focus of its operation in southern Gaza, where eight soldiers were killed on Saturday. The reaction from Netanyahu underlined political tensions over the issue of aid coming into Gaza, where international organizations have warned of a growing humanitarian crisis. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads one of the nationalist religious parties in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, denounced the idea of a tactical pause, saying whoever decided it was a “fool” who should lose their job.
DIVISIONS BETWEEN COALITION, ARMY
The spat was the latest in a series of clashes between members of the coalition and the military over the conduct of the war, now in its ninth month.It came a week after centrist former general Benny Gantz quit the government, accusing Netanyahu of having no effective strategy in Gaza. The divisions were laid bare last week in a parliamentary vote on a law on conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voting against it in defiance of party orders, saying it was insufficient for the needs of the military. Religious parties in the coalition have strongly opposed conscription for the ultra-Orthodox, drawing widespread anger from many Israelis, which has deepened as the war has gone on. Lt. General Herzi Halevi, the head of the military, said on Sunday there was a “definite need” to recruit more soldiers from the fast-growing ultra-Orthodox community.
RESERVISTS UNDER STRAIN
Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, an agreement to halt the fighting still appears distant, more than eight months since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel triggered a ground assault on the enclave by Israeli forces.
Since the attack, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners in Israeli communities, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health ministry figures, and destroyed much of Gaza.
Although opinion polls suggest most Israelis support the government’s aim of destroying Hamas, there have been widespread protests attacking the government for not doing more to bring home around 120 hostages who are still in Gaza after being taken hostage on Oct. 7. Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials said seven Palestinians were killed in two air strikes on two houses in Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. As fighting in Gaza has continued, a lower level conflict across the Israel-Lebanon border is now threatening to spiral into a wider war as near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia have escalated. In a further sign that fighting in Gaza could drag on, Netanyahu’s government said on Sunday it was extending until Aug. 15 the period it would fund hotels and guest houses for residents evacuated from southern Israeli border towns.

No joy’: Gazans mark somber Eid in shadow of war
AFP/June 16, 2024
GAZA STRIP: In tents in the stifling heat and bombed-out mosques, Gazans on Sunday marked the start of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, devoid of the usual cheer as the Israel-Hamas war raged on. “There is no joy. We have been robbed of it,” said Malakiya Salman, a 57-year-old displaced woman now living in a tent in Khan Younis City in the southern Gaza Strip. Gazans, like Muslims the world over, would usually slaughter sheep for the holiday — whose Arabic name means “feast of the sacrifice” — and share the meat with the needy. Parents would also give their children new clothes and money for the celebration. But this year, after more than eight months of a devastating Israeli campaign that has flattened much of Gaza, displaced most of the besieged territory’s 2.4 million people, and sparked repeated warnings of famine, the Eid is a day of misery for many.“I hope the world will put pressure to end the war on us because we are truly dying, and our children are broken,” said Salman. Her family was displaced from the far-southern city of Rafah, a recent focus of the fighting which began after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. The military on Sunday morning announced a “tactical pause of military activity” around a Rafah-area route to facilitate the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gazans. AFP correspondents said there were no reports of strikes or shelling since dawn, though the Israeli military stressed there was “no cessation of hostilities in the southern Gaza Strip.”The brief respite in fighting allowed worshippers a rare moment of calm on holiday. Many gathered for the Eid Al-Adha morning prayer in the courtyard of Gaza City’s historic Omari Mosque, which was heavily damaged in Israeli bombardment, placing down their frayed prayer mats next to mounds of rubble. The sound of prayers traveled down some of the city’s destroyed and abandoned streets. “Since this morning, we’ve felt a sudden calm with no gunfire or bombings ... It’s strange,” said 30-year-old Haitham Al-Ghura from Gaza City. He hoped the pause meant a permanent ceasefire was near, though truce mediation efforts have stalled for months. In several areas of the war-battered territory, especially in Gaza City, young boys were seen manning roadside shops selling perfumes, lotions, and other items against the backdrop of piles of rubble from destroyed buildings and homes. Many vendors used umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching sun as they sold household items on Gaza City’s main market street. But there were few buyers. Food and other goods can reach four or five times their usual price, but those who cling to the holiday traditions can still afford them. In Khan Younis, displaced man Majdi Abdul Raouf spent 4,500 shekels ($1,200) — a small fortune for most Gazans — on a sheep to sacrifice. “I was determined to buy it despite the high prices, to perform these rituals and bring some joy and happiness to the children in the displacement camp,” said the 60-year-old, who fled his home in Rafah. “There is sadness, severe pain, and suffering, but I insisted on having a different kind of day.”The deadliest-ever Gaza war began after Hamas’s unprecedented Oct. 7 attack. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,337 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Health Ministry in the territory. For many, a halt in fighting can never bring back what has been lost. “We’ve lost many people, there’s a lot of destruction,” said Umm Mohammed Al-Katri from Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. “This Eid is completely different,” she said, with many Gazans forced to spend the holiday without their loved ones killed or displaced during the war. Grieving families on Sunday flocked to cemeteries and other makeshift burial sites, where wooden planks marked the graves. “I feel comfort here,” said Khalil Diab Essbiah at the cemetery where his two children are buried. Even with the constant buzzing of Israeli drones overhead, visitors at the cemetery “can feel relieved of the genocide we are in and the death and destruction,” he said. Hanaa Abu Jazar, 11, also displaced from Rafah to the tent city in Khan Yunis, said: “We see the (Israeli) occupation killing children, women and the elderly.”
“How can we celebrate?” asked the girl.

Hezbollah keeps up pressure on Israel days after commander's death
Agence France Presse/June 16, 2024
Hezbollah kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel Saturday, days after a strike killed one of its top commanders, while a Palestinian group said one of its fighters was killed in south Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel which triggered war in the Gaza Strip. Senior Hezbollah military commander Taleb Abdallah was killed in an Israeli strike in the village of Jwaya on Tuesday, with the Israeli army describing him as "one of Hezbollah's most senior commanders in southern Lebanon."On Saturday, Hezbollah said it targeted the Meron base in northern Israel with "guided missiles," and sent "attack drones" towards another Israeli base "as part of the response to the attack and assassination carried out by the enemy in Jwaya." The Israeli army said "two projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward the IDF (Israeli army) Aerial Control Unit in the area of Meron in northern Israel," reporting "no injuries or damage to the unit's capabilities."It also said "several aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory" and striking in the Goren area. It said there were no reports of casualties but that "a fire broke out.""Aircraft struck a Hezbollah terrorist" in south Lebanon's Aitaroun area, the Israeli military said, adding that "artillery fired to remove a threat," also in the Aitaroun area. The armed wing of Palestinian militant movement Islamic Jihad later said one of its fighters had been killed in south Lebanon.
Also Saturday, two United Nations officials said they were "deeply concerned" about the recent escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border. "The danger of miscalculation leading to a sudden and wider conflict is very real," said U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and head of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Aroldo Lazaro. In a joint statement, they urged "all actors to cease their fire and commit to working toward a political and diplomatic solution."On Wednesday, top Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine vowed the group would "increase the intensity, strength, quantity and quality of our attacks," in an address at Abdallah's funeral. A Lebanese military source said Abdallah was the "most important" Hezbollah commander to have been killed since the start of the war. The cross-border violence has killed at least 471 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 91 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israeli authorities say at least 15 Israeli soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.

US military targets Houthi radar sites in Yemen after a merchant sailor goes missing
Jon Gambrell/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/June 16, 2024
The U.S. military unleashed a wave of attacks targeting radar sites operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels after one merchant sailor went missing and the vessel he was on caught fire in the latest Houthi strike on shipping in the crucial Red Sea corridor, authorities said Saturday. The attacks come as the U.S. Navy faces the most intense combat it has seen since World War II in trying to counter the Houthi campaign — attacks the rebels say are meant to halt the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. However, the Iranian-backed rebel assaults often see the Houthis target ships and sailors who have nothing to do with the war while traffic remains halved through a corridor vital for cargo and energy shipments between Asia, Europe and the Mideast. U.S. strikes destroyed seven radars within Houthi-controlled territory, the military's Central Command said. It did not elaborate on how the sites were destroyed and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. “These radars allow the Houthis to target maritime vessels and endanger commercial shipping,” Central Command said in a statement. The U.S. separately destroyed two bomb-laden drone boats in the Red Sea, as well as a drone launched by the Houthis over the waterway, it said. The Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014, did not acknowledge the strikes, nor any military losses. That's been typical since the U.S. began launching airstrikes targeting the rebels. The Central Command said one commercial sailor from the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk cargo carrier Tutor remained missing after an attack Wednesday by the Houthis that used a bomb-carrying drone boat to strike the vessel. “The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by USS Philippine Sea and partner forces,” Central Command said. The “Tutor remains in the Red Sea and is slowly taking on water.” The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said Saturday afternoon that the Tutor was “still on fire and sinking.” The missing sailor is Filipino, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency, which cited Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac. He said most of the Tutor's 22 mariners were from the Philippines. "We’re trying to account for the particular seafarer in the ship and are praying that we could find him,” he said Friday night. Also on Saturday, Central Command said the vessel M/V Anna Meta rescued crew members from the cargo carrier M/V Verbena, which was struck Thursday in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen in two separate missile attacks by the Houthis.
The crew abandoned ship after being unable to bring fires on the vessel under control. One mariner was severely wounded. CENTCOM said the Verbena is a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated bulk cargo carrier that had docked in Malaysia and was on its way to Italy carrying wood. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, killed three sailors, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say. The war in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians there, according to Gaza health officials, while hundreds of others have been killed in Israeli operations in the West Bank. It began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. “The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza,” Central Command said. “The ongoing threat to international commerce caused by the Houthis in fact makes it harder to deliver badly needed assistance to the people of Yemen as well as Gaza.”The attacks continued early Sunday as two explosions struck in close proximity to another ship in the Red Sea, though the ship and crew were safe, the British military said.

Israel uses UNRWA building as sniper post, report says
Adam Schrader/June 16 (UPI)/June 16, 2024
Israel has allegedly raided a building owned by the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the West Bank and used it as a sniper post.
The official state-run Palestinian News Agency, known as WAFA, reported that Israeli forces detained a Palestinian person and injured a minor with shrapnel in the Far'a refugee camp, northeast of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, during the operation. The arrest comes as nearly 9,300 Palestinian prisoners have been arrested and are currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centers, according to the Palestine Prisoner's Society. Around 250 prisoners are children. More than 3,400 Palestinians are currently under "administrative detention," which allows Israeli officials to hold them without charge or trial. The human rights group Amnesty International has said the practice has "dramatically increased" since the war. Palestinians and their supporters often equate this practice to kidnapping. Meanwhile, Israeli forces frequently raid Palestinian homes in the West Bank without the need of search warrants. The Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a Palestinian NGO based in Ramallah, said in a 2017 report that more than 800,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned or detained by Israel in the past 50 years. According to data from the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, some 4,764 Palestinians were being held by Israel as of September, before the latest violence broke out.

Iran rebukes G7 statement over its nuclear programme escalation
Reuters/DUBAI (Reuters) /Sun, June 16, 2024
Iran called upon the Group of Seven on Sunday to distance itself from "destructive policies of the past", the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said, referring to a G7 statement condemning Iran's recent nuclear programme escalation. On Friday, the G7 warned Iran against advancing its nuclear enrichment programme and said they would be ready to enforce new measures if Tehran were to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia. "Any attempt to link the war in Ukraine to the bilateral cooperation between Iran and Russia is an act with only biased political goals," Kanaani said, adding that some countries are "resorting to false claims to continue sanctions" against Iran. Last week, the U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution calling on Iran to step up cooperation with the watchdog and reverse its recent barring of inspectors. Iran responded by rapidly installing extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its Fordow site and begun setting up others, according to a International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. Kanaani added Tehran would continue its "constructive interaction and technical cooperation" with the IAEA, but called its resolution "politically biased."
Iran is now enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% of weapons grade, and has enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for three nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.

Zelenskyy says Western aid not enough to 'win' war
AFP/June 16, 2024
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that the current level of Western military aid being sent to his country is not enough to ensure Kyiv wins the war against Russia. "There is aid. There are serious packages. Is it enough to win? No. Is it late? Yes," Zelenskyy told reporters at a press conference in Switzerland following a major diplomatic summit on Kyiv's plan to end the conflict.

China is not Ukraine's enemy: Zelenskyy
AFP/June 16, 2024
China is not Ukraine's enemy despite its close ties with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, as he called for Beijing to seriously engage in developing peace proposals. "China could help us," Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Switzerland after a summit to discuss the path to peace in Ukraine, which China did not attend. "Ukraine never said that China is our enemy," he added.

78 countries at Swiss conference agree Ukraine's territorial integrity must be basis of any peace
Jamey Keaten/OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland (AP)/June 16, 2024
Nearly 80 countries called Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The way forward for diplomacy remains unclear. The joint communique capped a two-day conference marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited. Many attendees expressed hope that Russia might join in on a road map to peace in the future. The all-out war since President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed or injured hundreds of thousands of people, unsettled markets for goods like grain and fertilizer, driven millions from their homes and carved a wedge between the West — which has sanctioned Moscow — and Russia, China and some other countries. About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries, attended the conference that was billed as a first step toward peace. They included presidents and prime ministers from France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Ecuador, Kenya and Somalia. The Holy See was also represented, and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for the United States.
India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates — represented by foreign ministers or lower-level envoys — were among countries that did not sign the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners. Brazil, an “observer,” did not sign on but Turkey did. China did not attend.
The final document signed by 78 countries said the U.N. Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty … can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” That has been a nonstarter for Putin, who wants Ukraine to cede more territory and back away from its hopes of joining the NATO military alliance. Viola Amherd, the Swiss president, told a news conference the “great majority” of participants agreed to the final document, which “shows what diplomacy can achieve." Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Switzerland would reach out to Russian authorities but did not say what the message would be. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the “first steps toward peace” at the meeting and said Ukraine was in talks with some countries, which he did not name, that had offered to host a “second peace summit.” No timetable was laid out. Zelenskyy earlier this month accused China, backed by Russia, of attempting to undermine the Swiss conference, a claim denied by Beijing.
Allies of Ukraine now face the task of trying to keep up momentum toward peace. Zelenskyy said national security advisers would meet in the future, and “there will be a specific plan" afterward. Testifying to war fatigue and other preoccupations, only about half of U.N. member countries took part. It's a far cry from March 2022, when condemnation of Russia’s invasion led to passage of a non-binding resolution at the U.N. General Assembly by 141 countries calling for Russian troops to leave Ukraine.
It wasn’t clear why some developing countries attending didn’t line up behind the final statement, but they may be hesitant to rankle Russia or have cultivated a middle ground between Moscow, its ally China and Western powers backing Kyiv.
“Some did not sign — even though very few — since they are playing ‘Let’s have peace based on concessions’ game, and they usually mean concessions by Ukraine, and basically accommodating Russian demands,” said Volodymyr Dubovyk, a Ukraine expert and senior fellow at Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank. “They also like this 'neutrality' positioning.”
Dubovyk said the way forward for Ukraine was to receive aid — weapons and humanitarian assistance — that could improve its situation on the ground and thus give it a better negotiating position. At the Swiss event, the challenge was to talk tough on Russia but open the door for it to join a peace initiative.
“Many countries ... wanted the involvement of representatives of the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said. “At the same time, the majority of the countries do not want to shake hands with them (Russian leaders) ... so there are various opinions in the world.”Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive Commission, said peace won’t be achieved in a single step and asserted that Putin isn't serious about ending the war. “He is insisting on capitulation. He is insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory -- even territory that today is not occupied by him,” she said. “He is insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.”Analysts suspected the conference would have little concrete impact toward ending the war because Russia, was not invited. China and Brazil have jointly sought to plot alternative routes toward peace. Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said Saturday that his rich Gulf country hosted talks with both Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families. It has so far resulted in 34 children being reunited. The Ukrainian government believes that 19,546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova previously confirmed that at least 2,000 were taken from Ukrainian orphanages. In Kyiv, at a regular demonstration by relatives of soldiers captured by Russia, the response to the Swiss gathering was muted. “I would really like to believe that this (conference) will have an impact, but some very important countries did not sign the communique,” said Yana Shyrokyh, 56, whose army serviceman son has been in captivity since 2022. “I would really like them to find powerful levers of influence on Russia."

Russia's war in Ukraine began in Crimea. It could end there, too, defense experts say.
Cameron Manley/Business Insider/June 16, 2024
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Crimea in recent months and looks set to hit the Kerch Bridge later this year. The peninsula, and the bridge, are crucial for Russian military logistics. A Ukrainian success in Crimea could mark the end of the war, experts say. If there is one place Ukraine is winning in the war against Russia, it's Crimea, experts say. At the start of the year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that the battle for Crimea and the Black Sea would play a central role in the coming months.Ukrainian success in Crimea would be a major blow for Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Russia's defeat in Crimea would be not just a defeat, but a humiliation," according to Olga Khvostunova, a fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In February 2014, unmarked Russian forces, dubbed "little green men," stormed Crimea, taking control of key buildings and raising Russian flags above them. By the end of March of that year, Russia's Federal Assembly had formally ratified the peninsula's annexation. The war in the Donbas began just a month later. Ukrainians have since referred to the Black Sea peninsula as "occupied Crimea," and Zelenskyy has continually stated that any peace agreement must see it returned to Ukraine. In the last few weeks, Ukraine has launched a series of successful attacks on the region, taking out multiple Russian air defense batteries and striking Balbek Airfield near Sevastopol. Ukrainian attacks on the peninsula "are proving successful due to thorough preparation and systemic work, better opportunities for defense forces, satellite and aerial intelligence provided to Ukraine by NATO allies," Elina Beketova, a democracy fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, told Business Insider.
Meanwhile, Ukraine, which lost its traditional naval fleet during the annexation of Crimea, has targeted Russia's Black Sea fleet with great success using sea drones. The attacks have allowed Ukraine to resume grain shipments through the Black Sea, which is vital for its economy, and forced Russia's Black Sea Fleet to move some operations away from its naval home base in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula.Ukraine even claimed to have sunk the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the Moskva.
Crimea "is the key to Russia's Black Sea access and operations," Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, said. "Crimea allows for power projection over the rest of the Black Sea. Accordingly, deterring Russian naval positions in Crimea is critical for Ukraine," she continued. Attacks on the peninsula and on the Black Sea Fleet are therefore aimed at depriving "Russian forces of the opportunity to use the peninsula for attacks on mainland Ukraine," as well as disrupting the support for Russian troops in the occupied territories in the south of Ukraine, Beketova added. One of the most hated symbols of Russia's illegal annexation .The 12-mile-long Kerch Bridge links mainland Russia to the eastern coast of Crimea.
For Putin, the bridge is one of his greatest achievements, symbolizing what he believes is the "return" of Crimea to Russia. Its destruction would, therefore, be both a strategic and symbolic victory for Ukraine and a major blow to Putin. Ukraine has already struck the bridge twice since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, but it has thusfar failed to destroy it. Flames and smoke rising up after an explosion at the Kerch bridge in the Kerch Strait, Crimea. Earlier this year, officials from Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence told the Guardian that Ukraine would target the bridge for a third time before the year was up. Its destruction is "inevitable," they said. There are already signs that Russia, too, fears Ukraine may make another attack on the bridge. Last week, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an update on the conflict that Russia had installed eight barges on the southern side of the bridge to reduce "the angles of approach for Ukrainian unmanned service vehicles."
Russia has also begun taking measures to reduce its dependence on the Kerch Bridge. The MoD said in an update in March that Putin had announced the construction of a railway line from Rostov-on-Don in the south of Russia to Crimea. The department said Putin had claimed the line would stretch as far as Sevastopol and would "provide redundancy" for the Kerch Bridge. Some in Ukraine have taken this as a sign of Putin's recognition of Ukraine's threat to the bridge. "The railway along the land corridor is recognition on the part of the Russian occupiers that the Crimean Bridge is doomed,Dmitry Pletenchuk, a spokesman for Ukraine's southern military command, told The Economist. Former Russian Empress Catherine the Great annexed Crimea in 1783, and the territory has been militarily and symbolically important to Russia ever since.
It holds a special place in the nation's collective memory of the Soviet era, when it became a popular vacation destination for generations of workers due to its warm climate, Snegovaya said. In 2022, massive explosions at the Saki Airbase, which Ukraine claimed to be behind, brought the war to vacationing Russians, who filmed the attack from beach huts. Alexei Volkov, the president of the National Union of Hospitality Industries, told Reuters in 2023 that tourist numbers in Crimea were expected to be down 20-30% to between 6 and 6.5 million people. Frederik Mertens, a Strategic Analyst at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, told BI that by targeting the peninsula, especially Russian ground-based air defense (GBAD) systems, Ukraine is "preparing the ground" for future air strikes once F-16 fighter jets arrive. "Crimea is vulnerable," he said. "The Russians have relatively limited maneuver space on the peninsula.""Putin has a lot to lose both politically and militarily. So if a limited number of fighters can have a real impact, it is here — and above the Black Sea that becomes fully accessible once the GBAD on Crimea is dealt with," he added. Russia has relocated its most advanced S-500 air defense system to the peninsula, likely to protect the region from jets, Ukraine's spy chief Budanov has previously stated. "Russia cannot afford to lose Crimea," Snegovaya said. "This offers Ukraine an opportunity to use threatening the status of Crimea as a bargaining chip in future negotiations." If Ukraine can regain control of the Black Sea and take back the peninsula — or simply put enough pressure on these areas to threaten Putin — "it will mark the end of the war," Beketova added.

Russian troops surrender to an elite brigade as the Kharkiv front holds, Ukraine says
Cameron Manley/Business Insider/June 16, 2024
Russian troops surrender to an elite brigade as the Kharkiv front holds, Ukraine says
Dozens of Russian soldiers have surrendered in Vovchansk in recent weeks, Ukraine claims. A video released by Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade appeared to show Russian POWs. The Russians reported major losses, poor conditions, and lack of support from senior officers. Russian soldiers have been surrendering to an elite Ukrainian combat brigade in the northern town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, reports say. A video released on Wednesday by Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade appears to show Russian troops emerging from a trench with their hands raised above their head or tied behind their backs. The video appeared to confirm recent reports that dozens of Russian soldiers had been surrendering around Vovchansk, where heavy fighting has raged since Moscow launched a cross-border offensive towards Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, last month. The POWs were later filmed and interviewed, sitting in what appeared to be a school classroom. Business Insider could not independently verify the video. Several of the captured soldiers said they had been forced into the Russian army due to financial or legal trouble. Some said they had received as little as one week of training before being sent to the front. Food and water were limited, and often, they had to buy supplies with their own money. Almost all the prisoners said their units had suffered severe losses during attacks against Ukrainian positions. "We received an order to attack positions inside a chemical factory. I don't know, maybe there were 70 of us. We drove there at night," one POW said.
"The drones came out of nowhere and wiped almost everyone out. Most of us were hit. Only seven of us survived and we were wounded. Then we were taken prisoner," he said. Another soldier said he had been taken prisoner after being the "only survivor" in his unit. Many complained about the leadership of their officers, who, they said, did not participate in the costly assaults. Captured Russian troops are interviewed by Ukraines 3rd Assault Brigade. Russian troops that Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade say they captured in recent fighting.Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade. The video appeared to confirm major Russian losses and surrenders in the region, revealing that Russia's attempt to open a second front in Ukraine's north has stalled. Last week, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortitsiya Regional Command, which is responsible for ground operations in the area, claimed that "close to 60 Russians" were captured in a single day of combat. Vovchansk, three miles from the Russian border, was 70% under Ukrainian control, Voloshyn said. An earlier video published on June 6 by Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, appeared to show two Russian soldiers, both wounded, being captured during a Ukrainian counterattack in Vovchansk. In February, some 30,000 Russian troops began pouring over Ukraine's northern border into the Kharkiv region, opening up a new front for Ukraine's already-stretched defenses.Yet four weeks later, Russian forces have stalled, and White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby declared the offensive "all but over."The Institute for the Study of War said that Putin may have rushed the offensive in an attempt to get ahead of incoming Western aid — fielding "an understrength force" in the process. RAND geopolitical strategist Ann Marie Dailey previously told BI that Putin likely never had the means to capture Kharkiv city but hoped to create a buffer zone to shield the border region of Belgorod from Ukrainian attacks. Nonetheless, Dailey told BI: "I think that there's a broader offensive effort that you'll see from Russia later in this summer."

Russian forces kill Daesh-linked hostage takers at detention center
REUTERS/June 17, 2024
MOSCOW: Russian special forces freed two prison guards and shot dead six inmates linked to the Daesh militant group who had taken them hostage at a detention center in the southern city of Rostov on Sunday, Russian media said. State media said that some of the men had been convicted of terrorism offenses and were accused of affiliation with the Daesh militant group, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. The six hostage takers, one of whom wore a headband with the flag used by the Daesh that bears an Arabic inscription, knocked out window bars and climbed down several floors by rope before taking the guards hostage with a knife and fire axe. In video published by the 112 Telegram channel, one was shown brandishing a knife beside one of the bound guards in Rostov-on-Don. In negotiations with the authorities, they demanded free passage out of the prison. But Russian special forces decided to storm the prison. Intense automatic gunfire could be heard in footage published on Russian Telegram channels. Video published by the 112 Telegram channel showed the six dead men in pools of blood. “The criminals were eliminated,” Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement, which said a “special operation” had taken place to free the hostages. “The employees who were being held hostage were released. They are uninjured,” the prison service said. Ambulances were seen entering the complex. Daesh, a Sunni Muslim militant group, was defeated in Iraq and Syria by a combination of US-led forces, Kurdish fighters, and Russian, Iranian, Syrian soldiers. It splintered into different regional groups that have claimed a number of deadly attacks across the world. Daesh, named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the March attack on the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow in which 145 people died. According to Russian media, the hostage takers were from Russia’s southern republic of Ingushetia and three of them had been detained in 2022 for planning an attack on a court in another Russian republic, Karachay-Cherkessia.

Sending Canadian vessel to Cuba alongside Russia's was carefully planned: Minister
Stephanie Taylor/The Canadian Press/June 16, 2024
OTTAWA — National Defence Minister Bill Blair's office is defending the decision to send a Canadian ship to Cuba where it docked alongside some of Russia's fleet, calling it a "carefully" planned move to increase its presence in the region. Spokesman Daniel Minden issued a statement on Sunday saying the visit to Havana's port "was carefully and fulsomely planned," and the minister authorized it on the advice of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Joint Operations Command. "We've made the smart choice to boost our naval presence in the region this week," the statement reads. "We believe that this marked an especially important time to show a Canadian presence." The Opposition Conservatives took to social media to criticize the move after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC News during a recent interview she was unaware that one of Canada's patrol vessels was docked in Havana at the same time as Russian warships. "This is information that is news to me," the minister told host David Cochrane. Michael Chong, the Conservatives' foreign affairs critic, questioned why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government sent a Canadian ship to "celebrate" relations "with a communist dictatorship at all," referring to Cuba. "Let alone while Russian warships are docked there?" Chong posted on X. James Bezan, the partys critic for national defence, said the decision warrants a probe by the parliamentary committee on defence, saying he wants to hear Joly and Blair testify. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, describing the visit as "reckless, radical and dangerous." "While our troops are starved of resources, Trudeau spends defence budget sending a Canadian naval ship to Cuba alongside the Russian navy to honour Cuba's brutal communist government," it reads. The visit to Havana marks the first for Canada's navy since 2016 and comes at a time when Canada has sent billions in aide and military equipment to Ukraine to help it fight off Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was himself travelling back to Canada on Sunday following a summit staged in Switzerland to help advance peace in Ukraine. While there, Trudeau pledged a $52 million package to assist Ukraine and co-chaired a session for leaders where he discussed the need for the international community to call for the return of the close to 20,000 Ukrainian children forcibly removed from their homes by Russia. In his statement on Sunday, Minden said HMCS Ville de Quebec, one of Canada's warships, and a CP-140 patrol plane had been tracking the Russian flotilla, adding the military publicized the port visit. In its post on X, the Canadian Joint Operations Command said the port visit by Canada came in recognition "of the long-standing bilateral relationship" between Canada and Cuba. The visit by HMCS Margaret Brooke is set to last from June 14 to 17. Joly's office deferred to Blair's when asked to respond. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2024.

Nuclear arms more prominent amid geopolitical tensions: researchers
AFP/June 17, 2024
STOCKHOLM: The role of atomic weapons has become more prominent and nuclear states are modernizing arsenals as geopolitical relations deteriorate, researchers said Monday, urging world leaders to “step back and reflect.” Diplomatic efforts to control nuclear arms also suffered major setbacks amid strained international relations over the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its annual yearbook. “We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War,” Wilfred Wan, director of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme, said in a statement. The research institute noted that in February 2023 Russia announced it was suspending participation in the 2010 New START treaty — “the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty limiting Russian and US strategic nuclear forces.”SIPRI also noted that Russia carried out tactical nuclear weapon drills close to the Ukrainian border in May. Russian President Vladimir Putin has upped his nuclear rhetoric since the Ukraine conflict began, warning in his address to the nation in February there was a “real” risk of nuclear war.
In addition, an informal agreement between the United States and Iran reached in June 2023 was upended after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, SIPRI said. According to SIPRI, the world’s nine nuclear-armed states also “continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals and several deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.” The nine countries are the United States, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. In January, of the estimated 12,121 nuclear warheads around the world about 9,585 were in stockpiles for potential use, according to SIPRI.Around 2,100 were kept in a state of “high operational alert” on ballistic missiles. Nearly all of these warheads belong to Russia and the United States — which together possess almost 90 percent of all nuclear weapons — but China was for the first time believed to have some warheads on high operational alert.“While the global total of nuclear warheads continues to fall as Cold War-era weapons are gradually dismantled, regrettably we continue to see year-on-year increases in the number of operational nuclear warheads,” SIPRI director Dan Smith said. He added that this trend would likely continue and “probably accelerate” in the coming years, describing it as “extremely concerning.” Researchers also stressed the “continuing deterioration of global security over the past year,” as the impact from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza could be seen in “almost every aspect” of issues relating to armaments and international security.
“We are now in one of the most dangerous periods in human history,” Smith said, urging the world’s great powers to “step back and reflect. Preferably together.”

Germany Hopes to Boost Economy Amid UEFA Euro 2024 Excitement
LBCI/June 16, 2024
As much as German fans want their team to win the UEFA European Championship this year, the host country, Germany, expects that this important global athletic event would benefit its economy. But how? According to the German Ifo Institute, over 600,000 foreign tourists will visit Germany, spending more than $1.07 billion. This will boost tourism, particularly in locations with stadiums, during the four-week competition. Restaurants, pubs, guesthouses, and hotels, with 1.5 million booked nights, will benefit. Certain sectors will see improved sales, such as new televisions, food, and beverages purchased by fans to watch the matches. Local beer sales, for instance, increased by 5% during the 2006 World Cup, which was also held in Germany. Hosting such a large event successfully can enhance Germany's image abroad and create a sense of optimism among local consumers and investors looking to invest in the country. However, the positivity brought by the Euro Cup remains limited compared to the economic challenges and growth issues facing the German economy. Germany was the only G7 country that did not grow last year, according to the IMF, and it now needs many laws and reforms to help drive growth, such as reducing taxes, cutting bureaucracy, and stimulating investments. So, even if Germany doesn't achieve significant growth from the Euro Cup, at least it will have brought joy to its people, visitors, and the world.

Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 16-17/2024
Israel, Free World, in Increasing Danger Thanks to U.S. 'Help'
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute./June 16, 2024
Hamas not only uses its civilians as human shields, but may be the first government in history that wants to see its own people killed in order to blame another country, Israel, for their deaths. Meanwhile, Israel goes out of its way – seriously risking the lives of its soldiers – not to commit any crimes against humanity or indiscriminately bomb, as Russia does in Ukraine.
"Israel implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties than any nation in history," wrote John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
For decades, many of the countries of the Arab world have wanted to erase Israel from the map. Each time, they have failed. Their project consists of trying to destroy the Jewish state and kill every Jew, as Hamas' 1988 Charter requires. No one in a Western country could support it without being seen as an anti-Semite.
A radical change occurred, however, in 1964. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded and the myth of "Palestinian cause" invented. Zuheir Mohsen (زهير محسن) a leading PLO member responsible for Damur massacre, admitted:
"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese.
"Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism. For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva, and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."
A "national liberation struggle" was, in fact, fabricated by Soviet Union's KGB, according to Ion Mihai Pacepa, who served from 1972-1978 as deputy chief of Romania's foreign intelligence service and advisor to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Pacepa said:
"The PLO and the Palestinian Narrative was dreamt up by the KGB, which had a penchant for 'liberation' organizations."
"First, the KGB destroyed the official records of Arafat's birth in Cairo, and replaced them with fictitious documents saying that he had been born in Jerusalem and was, therefore, a Palestinian by birth."
"According to [Soviet leader Yuri] Andropov, the Islamic world was a waiting petri dish in which we could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred, grown from the bacterium of Marxist-Leninist thought. Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep... We had only to keep repeating our themes — that the United States and Israel were "fascist, imperial-Zionist countries" bankrolled by rich Jews."
Israel was no longer described as a small Jewish state besieged by much larger, powerful Arab countries filled with despicable intentions. Israel was suddenly presented as an "imperialist" power oppressing a small deprived people and supposedly having stolen their land. Anti-Israeli terrorist acts were presented as "resistance". The aim was to seduce the West; and quickly seduced it was.
An illusory "peace process" began. In reality, it was a war process. The PA areas became a base for bloody anti-Israeli attacks which did not diminish in intensity until a security barrier, begun in 2002, was mostly completed in 2007.
Called by Andrew Roberts "The Churchill of the Middle East," [Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] evidently sees that Israel has no "partner for peace".
"Palestine" became a member of UNESCO in 2011, even as the Palestinian Authority continued supporting terrorism and is therefore a terrorist entity. This reward for terrorism marked the first time that a terrorist entity was granted a seat in an organization purporting to promote world peace.
So-called human rights organizations, as well as the media and so-called educational institutions, have been complicit.
American universities and colleges have received donations "that have no recorded nor reported dates of receipts" currently estimated at $22 billion. ["More than 50% of this has come from authoritarian and antidemocratic Middle East governments..."]
After these billions, in almost all universities in the US, the history of the Middle East is taught in accordance with the "Palestinian cause". No one says that this "cause" was invented in 1964.
The Biden administration rarely, if ever, criticizes the Palestinian Authority, nor Hamas and its sponsors Qatar and Iran.
The Biden administration also leaves aside that the Palestinian Authority -- which pays its people for life if they murder Jews – is still a terrorist entity, and instead treats it as if it were a legitimate interlocutor.
As the State of Palestine does not actually exist, deciding to "recognize" it will not bring it into being. On the contrary, the announcement will reinforce the belligerent actions of the Palestinian Authority and the leeriness of the Israelis. The Israelis clearly saw the Palestinians violate an official ceasefire on October 7; murder, rape, torture, kidnap and start an unprovoked war; then complain to the international community when the Israelis were inconsiderate enough to fight back.
The haste of Spain, Ireland and Norway can only lead Hamas leaders and their supporters to think that terrorism works and achieves results. Just wait until they try it again in Europe, especially after Iran has its nuclear bomb.
If Hamas manages to survive the current war – as its patrons, Qatar, Iran and the Biden administration apparently wish -- Hamas will be able to continue organizing terrorist acts. In fact, Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has vowed to do exactly that:...
Currently, despite pressures, betrayals and attempts at destabilization, Netanyahu stands firm and fights. He appears under no illusion about what will happen if Hamas, after the fighting is over, is allowed to continue as a terrorist threat.
Of course, Hamas, Qatar and Iran do not want to stop; they want to have the international community and America tell Israel to stop -- permanently -- and leave them free to continue their attacks.
Hamas is interested only in a "permanent ceasefire" by Israel, not a temporary pause. Why should they agree to a pause when they see the whole world attacking Israel? To them, everyone is roughing up Israel: it looks as if they are winning. Now the US is reportedly trying to cut a separate deal to release the five American hostages, leaving the other 120 hostages, and Israel, high and dry. Some believe that at least a third of them have been killed. That would be the ultimate triumph: having the US grant the aggressor, the terrorist group Hamas, a big reward for its massacre, to induce it to go to sleep before the November election.
As far as the Saudis are concerned, the last thing they want is a Palestinian state. They just cannot say so publicly.
For four years, Israel's enemies were largely powerless and silent. It would be so helpful for the Free World, the US, and even the indoctrinated, abysmally governed Palestinians, to have those policies back.
Hamas not only uses its civilians as human shields, but may be the first government in history that wants to see its own people killed in order to blame another country, Israel, for their deaths. Meanwhile, Israel goes out of its way – seriously risking the lives of its soldiers – not to commit any crimes against humanity or indiscriminately bomb, as Russia does in Ukraine.
Last month, a video clip showing the capture of five female IDF soldiers by Hamas terrorists was released along with all the brutality of the terrorists, their intentions to rape and abuse these women, laid bare to see. Even so, the video is far less gruesome than other images of Hamas's murders, torture, rapes and innumerable acts of barbarity on October 7, 2023. Those show what Hamas really is.
Hamas did shock the Western world for a few weeks, but the West quickly forgot. Demonstrations in support of Hamas began the day after the massacres, October 8, before the victims' bodies were cold, and swept across the US, Australia and Europe. A wave of anti-Semitism not seen since World War II has accompanied the protests.
The attention of the mainstream media and Western politicians quickly turned from the slaughtered wounded and kidnapped Israelis to the Palestinian inhabitants of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to the massacre of 1,200 of his people and the abduction of 240 more – which he called "equivalent to 29 9/11s in one day and the equivalent of 50,000 Americans slaughtered — burned, maimed, raped, beheaded — and 10,000 Americans taken hostage, including mothers and children" -- was immediately treated as unacceptable and unjustified.
The death figures given by the "Gaza Ministry of Health" under the rule of Hamas -- and which Hamas was soon forced to "correct" -- were quoted by many journalists as if they did not come from a terrorist group.
That Hamas used human shields, deliberately placing their own civilians in harm's way to increase Gaza's death toll -- a strategy which Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar admitted -- was left aside.
"We have the Israelis right where we want them," the Wall Street Journal reported Sinwar writing, calling the Gazans' deaths "necessary sacrifices."
Instead, as Sinwar planned, the Israeli army was accused of deliberately killing women and children.
Israel's war goals were portrayed as impossible to achieve, as if to encourage Israelis to give up defending themselves.
After initially showing support for Israel and supplying weapons to its army, the US, after grumblings from Democrat anti-Israel activists in Michigan, quickly slid towards open hostility to the Israel's defense.
Prominent European leaders, faced with street protests, expressed hostility to Israel and began delivering slanderous accusations against it. "These babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed... there is no reason for that," French President Emmanuel Macron said on November 11, 2023. He knew perfectly well, as did the world, that Hamas was responsible for those deaths. He chose not to say that.
On November 16, European Union foreign policy representative Josep Borrell scandalously tried to establish an equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas, who were the aggressors, and the Israeli Defense Forces trying to defend against them. "One horror does not justify another horror", he said.
"We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am secretary-general", UN Secretary-General António Guterres inaccurately intoned on November 21. He avoided talking about the more than 34,000 civilian deaths caused by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, the hundreds of thousands of deaths in the war in Syria or the ongoing civil war in Sudan, also leaving thousands dead. He wanted to target only one country: Israel.
Soon, false accusations against Israel became even more odious. On March 21, 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken implied that Israel could become "indistinguishable" from Hamas.
On March 25, Macron was the first to accuse Israel of a "war crime."
Borrell, again, although he could not have ignored that there is and has been no shortage of food in Gaza, just corruption in distributing it, accused Israel of using "hunger as a weapon of war. "Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people", Guterres said, pointing at Israel instead of the Hamas, who were shooting at civilians trying to take the aid for whom it was intended.
By having said that Gaza's people are experiencing "severe levels of acute food insecurity", but without accusing Hamas, Blinken rustled up an unfounded accusation against Israel. Having said in a recent interview that it is "uncertain" whether Israel commits war crimes, Biden suggested that Israel might be committing war crimes.
The accusations made by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were also totally unfounded. A war crime is the use of cruel treatment, torture or intentional attacks against a civilian population. Israel's actions do not fall into those categories. A crime against humanity is a widespread attack launched against an entire civilian population.
Hamas not only uses its civilians as human shields, but may be the first government in history that wants to see its own people killed in order to blame another country, Israel, for their deaths. Meanwhile, Israel goes out of its way – seriously risking the lives of its soldiers – not to commit any crimes against humanity or indiscriminately bomb, as Russia does in Ukraine.
"Israel implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties than any nation in history," wrote John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. How come no one takes any notice?
The demands of Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice, saying that "Israel must... immediately stop its military offensive" in the name of the "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" are also unfounded. A genocide is the deliberate mass killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group. Israel is not committing any genocidal actions; in fact it goes out of its way and endangers the lives of its own soldiers not to.
Behind this massive Jew-hate and outright lies appears to be a propaganda operation which has continued to gain ground for several decades.
For decades, many of the countries of the Arab world have wanted to erase Israel from the map. Each time, they have failed. Their project consists of trying to destroy the Jewish state and kill every Jew, as Hamas' 1988 Charter requires. No one in a Western country could support it without being seen as an anti-Semite.
A radical change occurred, however, in 1964. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded and the myth of "Palestinian cause" invented. Zuheir Mohsen (زهير محسن) a leading PLO member responsible for Damur massacre, admitted:
"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese.
"Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism. For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva, and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."
[James Dorsey, "Wij zijn alleen Palestijn om politieke reden", Trouw, 31 March 1977]
A "national liberation struggle" was, in fact, fabricated by Soviet Union's KGB, according to Ion Mihai Pacepa, who served from 1972-1978 as deputy chief of Romania's foreign intelligence service and advisor to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Pacepa said:
"The PLO and the Palestinian Narrative was dreamt up by the KGB, which had a penchant for 'liberation' organizations."
"First, the KGB destroyed the official records of Arafat's birth in Cairo, and replaced them with fictitious documents saying that he had been born in Jerusalem and was, therefore, a Palestinian by birth."
"According to [Soviet leader Yuri] Andropov, the Islamic world was a waiting petri dish in which we could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred, grown from the bacterium of Marxist-Leninist thought. Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep... We had only to keep repeating our themes — that the United States and Israel were "fascist, imperial-Zionist countries" bankrolled by rich Jews. Islam was obsessed with preventing the infidels' occupation of its territory, and it would be highly receptive to our characterization of the U.S. Congress as a rapacious Zionist body aiming to turn the world into a Jewish fiefdom."
So, the "Palestinian people" appeared. Israel was no longer described as a small Jewish state besieged by much larger, powerful Arab countries filled with despicable intentions. Israel was suddenly presented as an "imperialist" power oppressing a small deprived people and supposedly having stolen their land. Anti-Israeli terrorist acts were presented as "resistance". The aim was to seduce the West; and quickly seduced it was. The "struggle of the Palestinian people" quickly became a sacred cause for many political parties and movements in Western Europe.
Egypt and Syria, with their large armies launched a war against Israel in 1973. It was the last large-scale conventional war for Israel. Afterwards, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) took center stage. The group, benefitting from the support of the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, used terrorism and waged a war of influence. The "Palestinian cause" gained ground.
Western European leaders, then some American leaders, said that the Palestinian people deserve a state. Israel had refused to negotiate with a terrorist PLO. But finally in 1993, yielding to mounting pressure, the Israeli government under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin began secret negotiations with the PLO, in order to reach an agreement.
In 1993, the Oslo Accord was signed. Israel recognized the PLO as the "legitimate representative" of the "Palestinian people" and agreed to give to transfer authority over parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the PLO, which became the Palestinian Authority (PA).
An illusory "peace process" began. In reality, it was a war process. The PA areas became a base for bloody anti-Israeli attacks which did not diminish in intensity until a security barrier, begun in 2002, was mostly completed in 2007.
Two Israeli prime ministers proposed the creation of a Palestinian state: Ehud Barak in 2000, Ehud Olmert in 2008. Each time, the leaders of the Palestinian Authority refused, without so much as a counteroffer. In 2005, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon unconditionally donated the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority, in the hope that they would build a "Singapore on the Mediterranean". Two years later, Hamas forcibly ousted the PA from power and seized control of Gaza.
Since 2009, with the exception of an 18-month period from June 2021 to November 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu has been prime minister of Israel. Called by Andrew Roberts "The Churchill of the Middle East," he evidently sees that Israel has no "partner for peace". Netanyahu has stated that any resumption of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority would need to be conditioned on the Palestinians recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, which the PA does not seem particularly eager to do. International attempts to relaunch negotiations have led nowhere.
During that time, the PA successfully used international institutions to delegitimize Israel and disseminate an extremely falsified version of the history of the Middle East. In 2011, "Palestine" became a member of UNESCO in 2011, even as the PA continued supporting terrorism and is therefore a terrorist entity. This reward for terrorism marked the first time that a terrorist entity was granted a seat in an organization purporting to promote world peace.
A year later, "Palestine" was granted "non-member observer state" status at the United Nations: the first time that a terrorist entity achieved such status.
By 2012, Hamas had transformed the Gaza Strip into another terrorist entity.
In 2015, the Palestinian Authority became a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) -- the first time a terrorist entity was admitted into an institution established to combat war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include not just terrorism, but also support for it. Although there is no Palestinian state, the PA nevertheless joined the ICC under the name of the "State of Palestine".
So-called human rights organizations, as well as the media and so-called educational institutions, have been complicit.
American universities and colleges have received donations "that have no recorded nor reported dates of receipts" currently estimated at $22 billion. University World News reported in December 2023:
"More than 50% of this has come from authoritarian and antidemocratic Middle East governments, according to the veteran accountant hired on the recommendation of international accounting firm KPMG..."
After these billions, in almost all universities in the US, the history of the Middle East is taught in accordance with the "Palestinian cause". No one says that this "cause" was invented in 1964.
Even though the Palestinian Authority is still a terrorist entity, its president, Mahmoud Abbas, now in the nineteenth year of his four-year term, is received in the Western world as if he were a legitimate political leader.
Although PA officials have never said that they are ready to live in peace alongside Israel, and have even affirmed their support for the atrocities committed on October 7, most leaders in the West continue insist that they want the creation of a Palestinian State entrusted to the PA.
The Biden administration rarely, if ever, criticizes the Palestinian Authority, nor Hamas and its sponsors Qatar and Iran.
The Biden administration also leaves aside that the Palestinian Authority -- which pays its people for life if they murder Jews – is still a terrorist entity, and instead treats it as if it were a legitimate interlocutor.
Three European countries, Spain, Ireland and Norway, recently decided to recognize a "State of Palestine" and joined the 143 countries which already do. As the State of Palestine does not actually exist, deciding to "recognize" it will not bring it into being. On the contrary, the announcement will reinforce the belligerent actions of the Palestinian Authority and the leeriness of the Israelis. The Israelis clearly saw the Palestinians violate an official ceasefire on October 7; murder, rape, torture, kidnap and start an unprovoked war; then complain to the international community when the Israelis were inconsiderate enough to fight back.
Ironically, Europe's insistence that Israel accept an openly seething, genocidal state on its doorstep will understandably delay the existence of such a state.
These countries in Europe will not have to live with the consequences of such a state next to them. On top of that, to insist that Israel fight under rules more appropriate for gin rummy than for combat, has caused a war that would have ended weeks ago to be dragged out interminably. More importantly, their stance has made their real motivations look distastefully suspect.
If Spain, Ireland or Norway actually had to live next door to a Hamas or an ISIS or an Al Qaeda, their recognition of a state might not have been as fast or enthusiastic. Recognizing a terror state as supposedly legitimate will simply delay that state being born.
"I personally favor the creation of a Palestinian state as a consequence of making best efforts to end terrorism, not as a reward for increasing terrorism as a carefully calculated tactic to achieve statehood", wrote the great lawyer Alan Dershowitz, in The Case for Israel.
The haste of Spain, Ireland and Norway can only lead Hamas leaders and their supporters to think that terrorism works and achieves results. Just wait until they try it again in Europe, especially after Iran has its nuclear bomb.
A recent poll shows that 71% of Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank support the October 7 massacre. If elections were held today in the territories governed by the Palestinian Authority and in the Gaza Strip, Hamas would win triumphantly.
The 2017 revised Hamas charter, rumored to be less anti-Semitic than its 1988 Hamas charter, nevertheless states that the Zionist entity must be destroyed by the "armed resistance". That, ostensibly, is supposed to be an improvement.
If Hamas manages to survive the current war – as its patrons, Qatar, Iran and the Biden administration apparently wish -- Hamas will be able to continue organizing terrorist acts. In fact, Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has vowed to do exactly that:
"Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove that country, because it constitutes a security, military, and political catastrophe to the Arab and Islamic nation, and must be finished. We are not ashamed to say this, with full force.... We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The Al-Aqsa Flood is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve, and the capabilities to fight. Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.
Currently, despite pressures, betrayals and attempts at destabilization, Netanyahu stands firm and fights. He appears under no illusion about what will happen if Hamas, after the fighting is over, is allowed to continue as a terrorist threat.
The Biden administration, meanwhile continues to betray and defame Israel, and is evidently either unwilling to pressure Qatar and Iran to get Hamas to lay down their arms, return the hostages, and stop.
And Hamad disclosed this month that Egypt and Qatar have exerted no pressure on Hamas whatsoever to accept Biden's proposed ceasefire, and that media reports about threats to expel Hamas leaders from Qatar are false.
Of course, Hamas, Qatar and Iran do not want to stop; they want to have the international community and America tell Israel to stop -- permanently -- and leave them free to continue their attacks.
Biden now seems to want an end to the war as quickly as possible, any end. A war apparently does not correspond to his election campaign agenda. On May 31, he presented a plan, falsely calling it "Israeli", which was actually a Hamas-Qatari-Egyptian plan, calling for the complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the release of "a number of hostages" (not all) in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian terrorists by Israel, and a full and complete ceasefire.
The following day, Netanyahu had to clarify on X:
"Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed: The destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel".
On June 3, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller had to admit that the plan was "almost identical" to Hamas's proposals. On June 6, Hamas rejected it.
Biden's determination to end the war without letting Israel win continues. His apparent plan to increase pressure on Netanyahu and bring down his government is in full swing. This week, an opposition party that was part of the Israeli war cabinet resigned, with its leader and calling for "new elections", professedly because there was no day-after-the-war plan. You could probably bet there is, but thank goodness that Netanyahu knows better than to talk about it, so that the jackals currently interfering in the Middle East will not be able to start interfering in that too.
Israel is in major danger from Lebanon, where Iran would like one of its other proxies, Hezbollah, to finish what Hamas could not. Iran doubtless sees a closing window of opportunity from a US administration that has rescued it from impoverishment and is not remotely a threat. It is likely also trying to achieve nuclear weapons breakout before the US election as well. For the moment, Israel can no longer consider the United States, distracted as it is by a well-funded and well-radicalized base that is anti-Jew, anti-Israel and anti-American, as a reliable ally.
America's November 5 election will be particularly crucial for the future of Israel and the Middle East, as well as for the survival of the US against adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
There are those in the US administration who say that even if Hamas is dismantled militarily, Palestinians will still remain indoctrinated. One might have said the same after World War II about the populations of Germany and Japan. There are probably still Nazis in Germany but they are not able to do much about it. After ISIS was defeated, the ideology of its former members probably remained the same, but they are no longer a physical threat.
Currently, Biden is trying to "sell" his Hamas-Qatari-Egyptian plan back to Hamas through pressure from the UN. Hamas, unsurprisingly, refused for the umpteenth time, to accept its own plan.
Hamas is interested only in a "permanent ceasefire" by Israel, not a temporary pause. Why should they agree to a pause when they see the whole world attacking Israel? To them, everyone is roughing up Israel: it looks as if they are winning. Now the US is reportedly trying to cut a separate deal to release the five American hostages, leaving the other 120 hostages, and Israel, high and dry. Some believe that at least a third of them have been killed. That would be the ultimate triumph: having the US grant the aggressor, the terrorist group Hamas, a big reward for its massacre, to induce it to go to sleep before the November election.
As far as the Saudis are concerned, the last thing they want is a Palestinian state. They just cannot say so publicly.
The Trump administration crafted the biggest step toward peace in the Middle East in decades: the Abraham Accords. It was expected, before the election of Biden, that the Abraham Accords would lead to the signing of more new peace treaties between Israel and countries of the Sunni Arab world.
By 2021, the mullahs' regime in Iran had been economically asphyxiated and could no longer finance Hamas and Hezbollah, and those two terrorist groups would not have been able to carry out an attack against Israel. For four years, Israel's enemies were largely powerless and silent. It would be so helpful for the Free World, the US, and even the indoctrinated, abysmally governed Palestinians, to have those policies back.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
© 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.

Sanctions … the West’s broken policy tool
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/June 17/2024
On paper, Iran and Russia are crushed under a mountain of sanctions that grows daily. In reality, rogue states are running rings around enforcement efforts, prompting questions about whether Western leaders are serious about implementing their own policies. The kneejerk resort to sanctions as the West’s sole meaningful policy tool in an era when their impact has been fatally compromised is a depressing symptom of the malaise in international leadership. Despite the Biden administration claiming that “extreme sanctions” had brought Tehran’s energy sector to a halt, the US Department of Energy estimated that Iranian oil sales between 2020 and 2022 mushroomed from $17 billion to $54 billion. A Financial Times investigation in February showed how a state-owned Iranian petrochemicals company, based in the heart of London, had used two of the UK’s biggest banks for a vast globe-straddling sanctions evasion scheme. A New York Times exposé revealed how a fleet of tankers, operating in plain sight, succeeded in obtaining insurance cover from a US company while running a major operation to smuggle a sizable portion of Iran’s oil overseas. These are part of a “ghost fleet” of about 400 foreign-owned oil tankers illegally transporting Iranian hydrocarbons.
Throughout 2022-2023 the US slow-pedalled on sanctions enforcement as it unsuccessfully sought to entice Tehran back into a nuclear deal. As a sign of goodwill, the US naively released $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil money to facilitate the return of five American hostages. The administration feared that cracking down on illicit sales to China could push up oil prices, at a time when it was trying to reduce inflation and living costs ahead of the presidential elections. Despite the forest of US Treasury sanctions, Iran sends hundreds of millions of dollars every year to regional proxies, and supplies Russia with Shahed-136 drones. Sanctions have also utterly failed to slow inexorable Iranian progress toward developing nuclear weapons. In recent days there were angry Western reactions to Iran installing new cascades of advanced centrifuges at its nuclear sites: expect obligatory announcements of new sanctions to follow. Russia today is the most heavily sanctioned country on Earth, but its economy in 2024 is forecast to grow faster than those of most Western countries. Semiconductors, advanced technology and luxury goods from Western companies flood into Russia through intermediaries in Central Asia, Turkiye and the UAE. German vehicle exports to impoverished Kyrgyzstan have increased by more than 5,000 percent since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict. According to a Royal United Services Institute report, over 450 foreign-made components were discovered in Russian munitions in Ukraine.
After the outbreak of the Ukraine war, sanctions on Russian exports impacted Western consumers by driving up oil and gas prices and fueling inflation, while Moscow laughed all the way to the bank as it profited from soaring prices of the oil it sold to other buyers. While Russia has become China’s top oil supplier, Chinese exports to Russia including military dual-use technology soared. Within one year, Chinese vehicle sales to Russia ballooned from $6 billion to $23 billion.
However, Washington can hardly lecture China about arming Russia’s blood-soaked war machine while it continues to be the biggest arms supplier to a state accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. America’s use of sanctions against a handful of Israeli settlers is another almost comically crass example of the wrong tool for the wrong problem.In the absence of vigorous, comprehensive enforcement, sanctions are mere bundles of paper in the US Treasury’s archives
With China, Russia and Iran jointly under sanctions, these states have been drawn closer together, establishing networks of companies and financial institutions with zero exposure to Western markets, and shunning trade in the dollar. Iran and China recently moved forward with a series of deals for operationalising their 2021 economic cooperation agreement.
So, just as indiscriminate overuse of antibiotics has produced new generations of super-bacteria with immunity to science’s most potent medical weapons, overreliance on under-enforced sanctions has given birth to a bloc of states comprising a substantial proportion of the world’s population and land mass which are largely immune from sanctions. These states have commensurately sought to attract sizable parts of the developing world under their coat tails. Given worsening US-China tensions, this polarizing trend is set to continue.
In the past 20 years there has been a retreat from alternative diplomatic tools that could have allowed Western nations to exert their overseas influence more strategically. For example, development assistance to the world’s poorest nations has plunged while the number of failing states has increased and the number of displaced people globally has tripled to 120 million since 2012.
While the US was enthusiastically supporting its Israeli ally, billions of dollars earmarked for Ukraine were unedifyingly held up by a gridlocked, dysfunctional Congress, enabling jubilant Russian forces to make unprecedented territorial gains. The US State Department scarcely possesses the mental bandwidth to consider the Iranian nuclear threat, the Sudan conflict, and the firestorm of other concurrent global crises. The inability of US and British forces to prevent ragtag Houthi militias menacing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes is a perfect example of this planetwide haplessness and impotence.
Whereas in the past Western states collaborated to assertively address global challenges, today a sizable proportion of foreign policy efforts and funds are focused on the reductive goal of defending national borders. Failures to defend and uphold the mechanisms of international law and conflict resolution have consigned us to a lawless global arena. In the absence of vigorous, comprehensive enforcement, sanctions are mere bundles of paper in the US Treasury’s archives: in a deteriorating international environment, they have become an excuse to refrain from taking real action.
For Western democracies, with their rhetoric about enshrining international justice and human rights and halting overseas aggression, it’s time to responsibly practice what they preach and add pragmatic new solutions to their diplomatic toolbox.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

The center cannot hold, but the center-right just might
Arnab Neil Sengupta/Arab News/June 16, 2024
On the face of it, the results of the recent general elections in three important democracies — India, Mexico and South Africa — had nothing in common. In the first, voters re-elected a Hindu nationalist for a third consecutive term as prime minister but denied his party a coveted majority in parliament. In the second, the ruling leftist party and its allies clinched the presidency and large majorities in both chambers of Congress. In the third, Africa’s oldest liberation movement lost its majority in parliament for the first time in 30 years and is being compelled to form a coalition government.
However, the reactions of the financial markets to the outcomes of these three elections in three different parts of the world had a common important message in a time of democratic decline — but more about that later.
While there is no denying the truth of the Latin phrase “vox populi vox dei” in a democracy, in all honesty no serious political party can afford to ignore the verdict of investors once it assumes responsibility for governance, be it for the first time or the umpteenth time. Even when voters choose to send a purely political signal via the ballot box, the onus is on the people who hold the reins of power to manage the economy intelligently, albeit in a manner that accords with the will of the people.
Indian voters replaced, by accident or design, a government led by a prime minister who was aiming for a parliamentary supermajority with a coalition dependent on the support of allies. Although stocks fell precipitously on the news that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was falling way short of a single-party majority, calm returned when it became clear that Narendra Modi would be able to form the next government at the helm of a stable coalition.
According to a Reuters report of June 7, “Indian benchmarks closed at record highs, erasing election day-related losses, on political continuity and a projection of faster economic growth … The (Mumbai stock exchange index) Sensex rose 3.7 percent, recouping all losses made after Modi’s alliance won the general elections by a surprisingly slim majority.”
The coalition government can be described, for all practical purposes, as right of center. The BJP’s reduced majority means that it cannot issue any diktat or ram through any policy without the backing of its allies. Some Indian analysts believe that, despite renewed worries about political fragmentation, the new government has a better chance than its predecessor of getting vital reforms passed to loosen labor and land-acquisition laws.
The immediate future of both Mexico and South Africa, however, looks considerably more uncertain because there is no guarantee that the incoming governments will be reformist and fiscally prudent. Long after voters delivered the final verdict, equity and currency traders were still voting, but with their wallets.
“Mexican stocks fell over 6 percent on Monday and the peso closed at its weakest to the dollar since November after the country’s ruling party scored a surprisingly strong election result and looked poised for a supermajority in Congress that markets fear might bring constitutional change and diminish checks and balances,” said a Reuters report of June 3.
The immediate future of both Mexico and South Africa looks considerably more uncertain than India.
Wrong exit-poll predictions of a new government with an even bigger majority had triggered a brief stock market rally in India, if only because of the Modi government’s pro-business credentials. But halfway across the globe, the prospect of an incoming government with a bigger parliamentary majority has had the opposite effect. Even an announcement by the incoming Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, that the current finance minister, who is seen as a safe pair of hands, will stay in the job has failed to calm the markets, which suspect that she will carry on the policies of her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He built his popularity by doubling the minimum wage over the past six years and handing out cash to everyone from the young to the old. “In the volatile days following the election, investors’ alarm has been on full display, with Mexican stocks battered and the peso suffering its worst week since the pandemic,” said a New York Times report from Mexico City on June 9.
According to a recent CNN story, a combination of general violence, lack of jobs and kidnapping threats is pushing a new wave of Mexican asylum seekers to the US border. The report described Mexico as a country where, “in addition to the high homicide rate, more than 100,000 people have gone missing with no explanation of their fate.” Only time will tell how far President-elect Sheinbaum can shift the government’s economic program from the left toward the center without provoking a political backlash.
Unlike Mexicans, South Africans emphatically voted for change despite their emotional attachment to the governing African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, which had led the struggle against the apartheid system and ended white minority rule. “The result is widely seen as a strong rebuke for years of corruption scandals and an inability to deliver jobs, housing and security for large parts of the electorate,” said a report of June 7 in The Wall Street Journal. However, the verdict was not clear-cut enough to give other political parties a shot at governing Africa’s most industrialized country.
The ANC is hardly the first national liberation movement in Africa to fall out of favor with Black voters. Its decline mirrors the reversal of fortunes of political parties in five other countries — Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe — that once fought colonial rule, but which have subsequently been associated with corruption, cronyism and poor governance in general. But not all is lost for the ANC perhaps if it heeds the message from the electorate — “gravitating to the center,” as Fikilie Mbalula, the party’s secretary-general, bluntly put it.
Last week, the ANC held talks with such rivals as the pro-free-market Democratic Alliance, the centrist Inkatha Freedom Party, and the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters. According to reports from South Africa’s auditor-general, the Western Cape, which the Democratic Alliance party governs at the provincial level, is the best-run region in the country. The proposed government of national unity, despite the wildly different visions of its constituent parties, is therefore likely to be welcomed by both the domestic private sector and foreign investors as a dire political necessity.
Although it is still early days for the new dispensations in South Africa, Mexico and India, the hope is that, even if “the center cannot hold” in the midst of democratic erosion and rising populism worldwide, the center-right just might.
• Arnab Neil Sengupta is a senior editor at Arab News.
X: @arnabnsg

New immigration measures unlikely to boost Biden’s approval rating
Dalia Al-Aqidi /Arab News/June 16, 2024
Immigration has long been a central issue for American voters, consistently ranking among the top three concerns according to numerous polls. Since May 2022, data from Harvard/Harris has indicated that President Joe Biden’s approval rating on immigration has been persistently low, reflecting widespread public dissatisfaction. RealClearPolitics’ polling averages currently place the president’s approval rating on immigration at 32 percent, underscoring a critical area of discontent among voters. This sustained low approval rating is indicative of the public’s concern over immigration policies and the ongoing situation at the southern border. American concern over the country’s border with Mexico has been unwavering for the past three years. This period has seen significant increases in the number of migrants attempting to enter the US, creating substantial challenges for both border enforcement and humanitarian efforts. The public’s apprehension is primarily fueled by the perception that the southern border is inadequately secured, leading to uncontrolled migration and potential security risks.
In response to mounting political pressure and the persistent influx of migrants, Biden this month signed an executive order designed to temporarily halt asylum requests once the average number of daily encounters exceeds 2,500 at official ports of entry. According to the Department of Homeland Security, this measure is intended to provide temporary relief to overwhelmed border facilities and staff, who currently handle an average of more than 4,000 daily encounters. The executive action aims to address the immediate logistical challenges posed by the high volume of migrants, while also signaling a shift toward more stringent border control measures.
US Customs and Border Protection reported 179,725 encounters along the southern border in April alone. This is a slight decrease from previous months but remains very high, reflecting the ongoing pressures on border security and immigration management. More than 1.5 million encounters have been recorded for the current fiscal year, meaning it is likely to surpass the total number of encounters recorded in fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021. This trend highlights the escalating scale of migration and the increasing complexity of the issues at hand.
The president’s executive action has drawn various responses from different stakeholders. Advocates for more robust border security have welcomed the move, viewing it as a necessary step to control the flow of migrants and reduce the burden on border facilities. They argue that temporarily suspending asylum requests is critical for managing the surge and maintaining national security. On the other hand, immigrant rights groups and some political opponents have criticized the measure, arguing that it may violate international asylum obligations and undermine the rights of individuals seeking refuge from persecution and violence. They contend that the policy could deny protection to vulnerable populations and exacerbate humanitarian crises. The administration has acknowledged these concerns and emphasized that the executive action is a temporary measure intended to address the immediate crisis at the border. The US president has stated that his administration is committed to a comprehensive approach to immigration reform, which includes addressing the root causes of migration, such as poverty, violence and corruption in the migrants’ countries of origin. The White House has outlined plans to work with international partners, including governments in Central America and Mexico, to mitigate the conditions that drive migration and to create legal pathways for individuals seeking to enter the US.
Biden has stated that his administration is committed to a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.
However, many Americans remain skeptical, as similar promises have been made in the past, with little to show for them. Upon taking office, Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with spearheading the White House’s efforts to address illegal immigration. Her role included collaborating with Central American countries to tackle the root causes of migration. Despite these initiatives, the mission of the first female vice president in the nation’s history has failed. In addition to immediate border control measures, the current administration announced its intention to focus on reforming the asylum process to make it more efficient and fairer. Efforts are underway to streamline the adjudication of asylum claims, reduce backlogs and ensure that individuals with legitimate asylum claims can receive protection in a timely manner.
The liberal Biden administration has highlighted its commitment to bolstering border security through a multifaceted approach that includes increased funding for advanced technology, expanding personnel and making significant infrastructure improvements. It claims that this comprehensive strategy aims to enhance the effectiveness of border controls and address the complex challenges associated with illegal immigration and national security threats.
Despite these statements, federal authorities last week conducted a significant operation that led to the arrest of eight foreign nationals suspected of having ties to the terrorist group Daesh. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out these arrests, apprehending the Tajikistani nationals in various locations across the country, including Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. The individuals were allegedly involved in activities that raised serious concerns about national security and public safety. The arrest of these individuals underscores the persistent and evolving nature of security threats. It also highlights the need for ongoing vigilance and stricter border management policies. The presence of foreign nationals with alleged connections to a terrorist organization within the US serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by immigration and law enforcement agencies. These agencies must continually adapt their strategies to effectively counter sophisticated and transnational threats. In addition to these arrests, FBI Director Christopher Wray, in an address in April, expressed grave concerns about people-smuggling operations at the southern border. Wray warned that these operations might be facilitating the entry of individuals with affiliations to terrorist groups. This statement drew attention to the broader implications of human trafficking networks that exploit weaknesses in border security, posing significant risks to national security. The warning from the FBI underscores the complexity of border security challenges and the need for a coordinated response that addresses both immediate and long-term threats. The smuggling of individuals with potential terrorist connections not only endangers public safety but also complicates the broader efforts to manage and secure the border. These concerns are particularly relevant in the context of the increasing number of migrants attempting to illegally enter the country, which has been a focal point of national debate and policymaking.
President Biden’s new measures are unlikely to improve his approval rating. Many Americans view his decision as a case of too little, too late.
• Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.

Disunity a major challenge for ‘slow and ineffective’ ASEAN
Ehtesham Shahid/Arab News/June 16, 2024
Southeast Asia faces unprecedented challenges in the rapidly changing global geopolitical and economic environment and the evolving dynamics between significant powers. Political divisions, territorial disputes and spillover effects from conflicts remain uncertainties facing the region. The winds of uncertainty bring unemployment and economic recession to the forefront of regional concerns, alongside the relentless impact of climate change and intensifying economic tensions between major global powers. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded in 1967 to promote regional cooperation and stability amid Cold War tensions. The launch of the ASEAN Free Trade Area in 1992 marked a significant step toward economic integration, while the ASEAN Regional Forum came into being in 1994 to foster dialogue on political and security issues. However, as the region strides through an era of rapid change, the labyrinth of geopolitical and economic challenges tests its resilience and unity. According to the “State of Southeast Asia: 2024” survey, the region’s top concerns include unemployment and economic recession (57.7 percent), climate change (53.4 percent) and economic tensions between major powers (47 percent). These uncertainties persist due to political divisions, territorial disputes and conflicts’ spillover effects, sometimes from age-old conflicts. A case in point is the Indonesia-Malaysia “Konfrontasi” (confrontation) of the 1960s, a significant regional conflict marked by political, economic and military tensions. It profoundly impacted Southeast Asian regional dynamics, ultimately contributing to the establishment of ASEAN.
The circumstances necessitate that the region embraces and nourishes diversity, which is one of the unique characteristics of ASEAN and a substantial investment promoting unity. Unfortunately, the survey claims that the region continues to be concerned about a “slow and ineffective” ASEAN that cannot cope with fluid political and economic developments. Pundits surmise that ASEAN’s consensus-based decision-making process, which fosters unity and mutual respect among member states, can inadvertently lead to delays. It also often leads to watered-down agreements, especially when member countries have divergent interests or conflicting priorities. Most people would agree with a consensus-based decision-making approach for any multilateral platform. Such an approach ensures that all member states have a say and that decisions are made collaboratively, which helps maintain regional harmony. However, it can also lead to slow decision-making and compromise solutions that may not be effective in addressing pressing issues.
ASEAN comprises 10 countries with varying political systems, economic development levels and strategic priorities. This diversity can lead to differing perspectives on trade, security and relations with major powers. An ASEAN leaders’ declaration emphasized its “vision to be an epicenter of growth,” conditional upon its openness to cooperation and collaboration with dialogue partners and engagement with external partners. It seeks this objective “while maintaining ASEAN centrality and unity.” As the region grapples with external pressures, nearly half its populace advocates for greater ASEAN unity and resilience, a testament to the enduring spirit of cooperation and solidarity. Pundits surmise that ASEAN’s consensus-based decision-making process can inadvertently lead to delays.
Member states of any multilateral platform are bound to have conflicting strategic interests. Some ASEAN members, like Vietnam and the Philippines, have territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea. On the other hand, countries like Cambodia have closer ties with Beijing, leading to a lack of a unified stance on the issue. Differences in economic policies and development goals can also create friction within ASEAN, affecting the organization’s ability to implement cohesive economic strategies.
ASEAN’s response to the Myanmar crisis following the military coup in 2021 is a case in point. It highlighted the challenges of maintaining unity. The organization’s mediation attempts have been criticized as ineffective, partly due to differing views among member states on handling the situation. Understandably, the region has made efforts to enhance unity and effectiveness, such as establishing a legal and institutional framework for greater integration. Efforts have also been made to create a more integrated political-security, economic and sociocultural community and promote informal, nonconfrontational dialogue, respect for sovereignty and noninterference in internal affairs.
China’s shadow looms large over the region, with many Southeast Asians acknowledging its substantial economic and political influence. China’s strategic relevance to ASEAN surpasses that of the US, echoing a shift in regional dynamics. Interestingly, while China is seen as a dominant force, Japan emerges as the most trusted major power, indicating a nuanced perspective on global partnerships. China’s strategic relevance to ASEAN is the highest among its dialogue partners. While disunity can make ASEAN appear slow and ineffective, the organization’s structure and approach are also geared toward maintaining regional stability and inclusiveness. Balancing these competing demands is a significant challenge and efforts to strengthen unity and effectiveness are ongoing. The path forward for ASEAN involves bolstering its resilience and unity to withstand pressures from major powers, ensuring the bloc remains a stable and prosperous entity amid global uncertainties. The complex interplay of power dynamics, economic interests and geopolitical tensions in Southeast Asia reminds us of the delicate balance required to navigate these uncertain waters. As the region charts its course through this challenging landscape, the emphasis must remain on fostering unity, resilience and strategic foresight to secure a stable and prosperous future.
• Ehtesham Shahid is an Indian editor and researcher in the UAE.
X: @e2sham

Peace a must as Sudan crisis threatens regional stability
Maria Maalouf/Arab News/June 16, 2024
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month held a hearing titled “Conflict and Humanitarian Emergency in Sudan: A Call to Action,” attended by US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. He began his testimony by expressing regret over the catastrophic situation in Sudan, warning of famine, ongoing ethnic and regional fighting and the potential collapse of a state with a population of 50 million. The Sudanese people have endured death, crimes against humanity, sexual violence, famine and ethnic cleansing, with 8 million people displaced and 3 million children fleeing the country since the outbreak of war in mid-April last year. Twenty-five million people need food and medicine, with 4.9 million on the brink of famine. Women and girls face continuous violations from both warring factions.
The escalating humanitarian crisis stems from conflict and the obstruction of humanitarian aid. Eighteen million people face severe food insecurity, with 5 million on the verge of famine. Three million children are severely malnourished and the crisis is expected to worsen during the summer.
Sudan faces famine due to blatant violations of international humanitarian law by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The prevention of access to and disruption of humanitarian aid have exacerbated the crisis. In refugee camps in Chad, food resources have dwindled, prompting the US Congress to approve additional humanitarian funding. The US has provided more than $1 billion in aid since the beginning of the war but still faces challenges in pressuring the Sudanese forces to allow aid access.
The only solution to the crisis is to end the war, which is not a civil war, but a conflict waged by two generals and their followers against the Sudanese people. In December, Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the actions of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to both sides.
This is how the divided political scene looks like in Sudan today. The Rapid Support Forces militia controls most of Khartoum, the nation’s capital, and has done so since April last year. It has also been able to capture Darfur. This is where the leaders of that movement come from.
In December, the Rapid Support Forces also seized Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah state. However, things have not gone well for the group since. In February, the Sudanese army took back the center of Omdurman, which is the second-largest urban area in the country. Then the army consolidated its gains in most of western and northern Sudan, especially in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.
International efforts are needed to enforce a peace agreement that meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people.
It is relevant to mention Darfur, as the peace calls have been renewed to stop the vicious and devastating rivalry between the two contending Sudanese armed factions. Had there been more government responsibility toward the Darfur crisis, the fighting in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities would not have happened. Worse, atrocities are still unfolding in Darfur, the western region that has been plagued by a war that started early in the new millennium. The Darfur crisis now runs parallel to the fighting that has been taking place around the country since April 2023.
The fighting in Sudan is also burdening neighboring countries. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have fled to Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan and many other countries. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur alone. There is a military campaign about to take place around the besieged city of Al-Fashir. The horrible scenes of the killings in Darfur have been seen by millions of people around the world. Paramilitaries are opening fire on the village. The civilian population are the victims and many children are counted among the dead. Darfur used to be the breadbasket of Sudan. Not anymore, for sure.
The war could escalate into a regional conflict if the situation is not addressed. The Biden administration must elevate its leadership and focus on Sudan. The US Treasury Department could play a crucial role by expanding sanctions on the perpetrators of atrocities. The US Agency for International Development and the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration also support calls for humanitarian access and aid to civil society groups.
International efforts are needed to enforce a peace agreement that meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people, as this crisis poses a threat to regional stability. All actors, even those who have played a negative role, must be invited to become partners in a peace agreement to prioritize stability.
The resilience and unity of the Sudanese people reflect their desire to end the war, achieve full humanitarian access and have a professional, unified army under a unified government authority. Sudan faces two different paths: famine and state failure or peace and a democratic future. The international community must strive to impose peace by any means necessary.
• Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher, and writer.
X: @bilarakib