English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 23/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible
Quotations For today
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,
anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.
Saint John 11/55-57/12,01-11/:”Now the Passover of the Jews
was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover
to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking one
another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? Surely he will not
come to the festival, will he?’Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had
given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so
that they might arrest him. Six days before the Passover Jesus came to
Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they
gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the
table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,
anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled
with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples
(the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold
for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this
not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the
common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her
alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You
always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’ When the
great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only
because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was
on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in
Jesus.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on March 22-23/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video: In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the corrupt
flourish, and immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while
virtues are mocked,
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the
corrupt flourish, and immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is
celebrated while virtues are mocked,/
The Maronite Diocese of Antelias: The Patriarchate is the only reference
concerned with certifying the results of the comprehensive national initiative
Karam: Al-Rahi will place the national document in the hands of the parties, and
whoever obstructs it contributes to obstructing state institutions
With an onslaught march and artillery shells, Hezbollah responds to Israel’s
attacks
An Israeli raid targets the town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon
Israel, Hezbollah Return to Escalation after Days of Limited Clashes
Lebanon to complain to UN, saying Israel disrupts navigation systems
Hezbollah targets Metula with suicide drone
Bkirki Christian meeting: FPM rejects 'instant' disarming of Hezbollah
Arrest warrants issued for 2 Lebanese in connection with targeted Arouri killing
Report: UAE to release Lebanese detainees before Eid
Paris says actively engaged with parties to prevent Lebanon-Israel escalation
EU commissioner to Cyprus: EU migrant deal with Lebanon is possible
Qatar invites Hezbollah to Doha: Decision awaited
Schools signal over 50% fee hikes in 2024-2025
PM Mikati's diplomatic efforts against Israeli aggression and local commitments
in Tripoli
Lebanon's healthcare: Will hospitals adhere to the new tariffs?
IDF: Hezbollah Stores Weapons in Lebanese Civilian Areas
Senior Hezbollah security official makes rare visit to UAE to discuss detained
Lebanese
Hezbollah seeks release of detainees held on security charges in UAE, move could
alleviate tensions
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 22-23/2024
Gunmen kill 40 in attack at concert near Moscow, over 100 injured
Daesh claims responsibility for attack at Moscow concert hall, at least 40 dead
Russia says United States must share any information it has on attack near
UN Security Council fails to pass US draft resolution on Gaza after Russia,
China veto
UN Security Council rejects US-proposed Gaza resolution
Israel Says Spy Chief Going to Doha For Gaza Talks
Israel Says It Will Invade Rafah No Matter What the US Says
Israeli military says troops captured hundreds of fighters in Gaza hospital
Fasting and funerals: Violence darkens West Bank Ramadan
Russia and China veto US resolution calling for immediate cease-fire in Gaza
Israeli military says opening new aid routes into Gaza
France to work on new UN Gaza ceasefire resolution, Macron says
Blinken pushes for more aid for Gaza in talks with Israel’s Netanyahu
Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Jewish Convert in West Bank, Says Spokesman
Close this content, you can also use the Escape key at anytime
Israel announces large West Bank land seizure
US Says Yemen's Houthis Attacked Ships at Least 50 Times
Biden to Host Iraqi PM Sudani on April 15, White House Says
UN Seeks $4B for Aid in Syria as Civilians Face Growing Humanitarian Crisis
Attack on Nigerien forces kills 23 soldiers and underscores continued conflict
with militants
Kremlin: Russia in a ‘state of war’ in Ukraine
Russia says 40 killed and more than 100 wounded in attack on Moscow concert hall
Drones have ushered in a brutal new phase of Syria's civil war
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 22-23/2024
Jew-Hate and 'Inquisitions' in Canada/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./March
22, 2024
From Scarcity to Sustainability: The GCC's Journey Towards Water Security
Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali/World Bank’s Country Director for the (GCC) countries/Asharq
Al-Awsat/March 22/2024
Gaza: Razzia as Political Warfare/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 22/2024
Iran’s ‘Word’ Is Worthless: Islam Permits Strategic Lying/Raymond Ibrahim/The
Stream/March 22/2024
Yes, blame Biden for Afghan fiasco … but learn the lessons too/LUKE COFFEY/Arab
News/March 22, 2024
Economic interests driving Turkiye’s security policy/Sinem Cengiz/Arab
News/March 22, 2024
Microorganisms are the cornerstone of all marine life in the Red Sea/EMAN
SABBAGH/Arab News/March 22, 2024
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on March 22-23/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video: In a time where the
weakest are oppressed, the corrupt flourish, and immorality embodied in the
Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while virtues are mocked,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWGDmKjGqqg&t=29s
Elias Bejjani/March 20/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the corrupt flourish, and
immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while virtues
are mocked,
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/128040/128040/
Elias Bejjani/March 20/2024
The people of Lebanon wander in darkness, Amidst the absence of humane values
and principles, their souls dancing in the winds of despair,And their
consciences drowning in an ocean of betrayal.
In this era of destitution and loss, many of the sycophants and opportunists,
along with the majority of politicians, lawmakers, ministers, and the merchants
of resistance, have become mere tools,
In the hands of the vile merchants of Iran, spreading hypocrisy, chaos,
narcissism, and the culture of lawlessness and barbarity everywhere.
They are nothing but slaves to the enemies of Lebanon and humanity, selling
their nation and its people for profit, denying truth and embracing treachery,
shattering every hope of a dignified life for the Lebanese,
under the guise of a state governed by law and institutions.
They willingly surrender to oppression and oppressors, cheerfully pledging
allegiance to crime and bloodshed, amidst turmoil and chaos, they sway, Between
the values of the nation and the whims of tyrants.
They are mere instruments of corruption, spreading turmoil, anarchy and
injustice on earth, discarding morality into the abyss of oblivion, for the sake
of power and wealth, selling their consciences, and devouring ethics and
principles.
In the face of this bitter, saddening, and tragic reality, we stand with every
free and sovereign individual, guardians of identity, history, existence, and
dignity, shouting loudly for freedom and justice,
Holding high the banners of truth, honesty, and justice.
We, along with all those who reject the Persian occupation, and condemn
terrorism, jihadism, and satanic hypocrisy, of resistance, defiance, and futile
wars, shall not surrender to oppression, corruption, or occupiers, and we shall
remain steadfast like lions in the face of storms, until we rebuild our beloved
homeland. Lebanon, the land of cedars, is a sanctuary of saints, a temple erected for the
divine, therefore, every free, sovereign, independent Lebanese citizen, is a
guardian of this temple, charged with protecting it,
and fighting its enemies relentlessly.
The Maronite Diocese of Antelias: The Patriarchate is
the only reference concerned with certifying the results of the comprehensive
national initiative
NNA/March 22, 2024
The media office of the pastor of the Maronite Diocese of Antelias issued the
following statement:
“Lebanon is going through a fateful historical moment that requires all Lebanese
to rally around the founding values of the State of Greater Lebanon in its
civilizing role, which are freedom, justice, coexistence, and complete
sovereignty, all of this by implementing the constitution, completing the
contract of constitutional institutions and implementing reforms, in a way that
protects the identity of the homeland of the mission.” Hence, His Beatitude,
Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, assigned Bishop Antoine Bou Najm
to launch a consultative process for a comprehensive national rescue initiative
that confirms the constants that the Lebanese believe in, regardless of their
components, while diagnosing the shortcomings and proposing a road map for
solutions. Under the auspices of our Father, His Beatitude the Patriarch, the
consultation began with the Christian political forces as a first stage, after
which the dialogue would expand to include all spiritual leaders, Lebanese
political authorities, and living societal forces as a second stage. Hence, it
is important for us to emphasize the following:
The initiative that is being circulated in the media and in public opinion is a
comprehensive national initiative par excellence, far from any sectarian or
narrow political approach. The initiative referred to above began more than a
year ago, and is being followed up by a working team specialized in the
constitution, law, and public policies. It is far from any bias towards any
political team, but rather intersects in its principles with all the good will
that works to save Lebanon. We regret all the leaks, most of which were far from
the spirit and content of the initiative, and we hope that all parties currently
involved in it, and those invited to participate in it in the future, will
adhere to the Charter of Silent and Quiet Action, which will lead to the
national initiative achieving its desired conclusions. As much as we care about
freedom of the media, we call on all means to approach the initiative with
wisdom that rises to the level of historical responsibility, out of concern for
its primary goal, which is the salvation of Lebanon. In conclusion, we are
interested in emphasizing that the Maronite Patriarchate is the only authority
concerned with approving the attempts and results of this comprehensive national
initiative, at the moment and in the form that it deems appropriate, in
commitment to the National Charter and the general good of the Lebanese people,
and to preserve the Lebanese cause in the process of building a state of free,
sovereign, just and independent citizenship.
Karam: Al-Rahi will place the national document in the hands of the parties, and
whoever obstructs it contributes to obstructing state institutions
NNA/March 22, 2024
Representative Fadi Karam, in an interview with “Voice of All Lebanon,”
expressed “the positivity of the meeting in Bkerke that was held between the
Christian parties yesterday,” noting that “the parties are moving toward
understanding,” revealing that “the paper that the participants are preparing is
national.” He said: “Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara al-Rai will place the
national document in the hands of all Lebanese parties, and the party that
obstructs it contributes to obstructing state institutions.” He believed that
"participants must be principled and patriotic in the interest of the country
and not at the expense of understandings and settlements." Regarding the issue
of illegal weapons and the election of a president of the republic, he pointed
out that “these points are essential, in addition to other points detailed
within the document.”
With an onslaught march and artillery shells, Hezbollah
responds to Israel’s attacks
Al Kalema On Line/March 22/2024
The “Islamic Resistance” issued a series of statements regarding the operations
it carried out, “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza
Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance.”
- At 16:45 on Friday, 03/22/2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance
targeted the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba
with appropriate weapons and achieved direct hits.
- At 16:10 on Friday, 03/22/202, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance
targeted a deployment of enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Jal al-Alam site
with artillery weapons, killing and wounding its members.
- The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance attacked at 1:40 pm on Friday,
03/22/202, the Metulla site with an assault march and directly hit a tank inside
it.
- At 14:35 on Friday, 03/22/202, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance
targeted a deployment of enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Zarait barracks
with artillery shells and directly hit it.
Enemy attacks
Al-Manar reported that enemy warplanes launched an air strike with missiles
targeting the town of Aita al-Shaab, and also launched two raids on the towns of
Taybah and Khiam.
In turn, the National News Agency reported that Israeli artillery shelling
targeted the town of Kafr Kila, Wadi Al-Asafir, in the town of Al-Khiam, the
outskirts of the town of Al-Adisa, Tallet Al-Hamamas, and the outskirts of the
town of Hula.
The Israeli enemy carried out a sweep operation with machine guns towards Kafr
Kila.
Earlier, an enemy Merkava tank in Metulla targeted a house in the city of Khiam
with two shells, and Tallet Al-Hamams and the eastern outskirts of the town of
Al-Adissa were subjected to enemy bombardment.
At approximately one o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy warplanes carried out
an air attack, launching a raid targeting a house in the town of Aita al-Shaab
with two air-to-surface missiles, completely destroying it.
An Israeli artillery bombardment was recorded at dawn on the town of Aita al-Shaab
and Wadi al-Saluki, amid intense drone flights in the airspace of the Nabatieh
region at a low level, as well as over Hasbaya and Arqoub.
A video of the massive destruction in Blida went viral.
An Israeli raid targets the town of Aita al-Shaab in
southern Lebanon
Beirut: “Asharq Al-Awsat”/March 22, 2024
A representative of the National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes
carried out, at around one o'clock in the afternoon, Beirut time, a raid
targeting a house in the town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon with two
air-to-surface missiles, completely destroying it. Since the outbreak of war
between Israel and Hamas on October 7, after the Hamas attack on southern
Israel, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire and bombing, especially along
the border between the two countries.
Israel, Hezbollah Return to Escalation after Days of
Limited Clashes
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/22 March 2024
Hezbollah and the Israeli army resumed border clashes, hours after an Israeli
strike in southern Lebanon killed a member of the Amal Movement. This ended days
of smaller clashes that were limited to sporadic attacks by the party and usual
Israeli responses. The pace of military operations has escalated since Wednesday
night, following Israeli strikes deep inside Lebanon that led to the killing of
an Amal member in the town of Qantara, 7 kilometers away from the nearest border
point. Hezbollah said in successive statements that it had carried out four
military operations, three of which targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers, and
were concentrated in the eastern sector. The party announced on Thursday that it
had “targeted a military intelligence force in Metula, killing and wounding its
members, adding that the Al-Malikiyah site was also hit with artillery shells.
The Israeli army, in turn, said it attacked a party position in the town of Al-Dhahira,
but Lebanese media reported that the raid targeted an uninhabited house, which
led to its destruction and damage to the electricity network.Civil defense teams
rushed a number of citizens from the town to hospitals in Tyre after they
suffered from suffocation. Israel intensified the aerial bombardment, launching
two missile raids targeting the town of Aita al-Shaab, and a third hitting the
town of Yaroun. Two other raids destroyed homes in the town of Mays al-Jabal. At
around 10 pm on Wednesday, Israeli warplanes raided Aita al-Shaab and Marwahin,
causing severe damage to property and crops, and attacked the outskirts of the
town of Yarin. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli
raids “caused air pollution, during and after the bombing, which led to skin
rashes, shortness of breath and suffocation.”
Lebanon to complain to UN, saying Israel disrupts
navigation systems
CAIRO (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
Lebanon will file an urgent complaint with the U.N. Security Council over what
it called Israel's violation of its sovereignty by disrupting its navigation
systems, the foreign ministry said on Friday. In a statement, the foreign
ministry said Israel was affecting the safety of civil aviation in the airspace
of Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport. "Lebanon also holds Israel
internationally responsible for the consequences of any accident or disaster
caused by Israel's deliberate policy of jamming air and ground navigation
systems, and deliberately disrupting signal receiving and transmitting devices,"
the statement read. Lebanon did not provide specific details regarding the
nature of Israel's actions disrupting its navigation systems. "Lebanon enables
and allows Hezbollah to attack Israeli civilians from its territory," an Israeli
foreign ministry spokesperson said. "Lebanon is the last country to discuss
sovereignty while it is harboring a terrorist organization that has displaced
tens of thousands of citizens." The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and
Israel have been locked in hostilities since war broke out in Gaza five months
ago, trading fire across the border. It has marked the worst conflict between
the heavily armed adversaries since a 2006 war, fueling fears of an even bigger
confrontation. The border violence has forced tens of thousands on both sides to
flee and raised fears the conflict in Gaza could spiral into the rest of the
region.
Hezbollah targets Metula with suicide drone
Naharnet/March 22, 2024
The Israeli army and Hezbollah exchanged fire Friday, as tensions seemed to
de-escalate along the Lebanon-Israel border. Hezbollah fired artillery shells at
Israeli troops near the Zar'it barracks and targeted with a suicide drone a tank
in the Metula post. The group had carried out Thursday nine attacks on northern
Israel. Israeli warplanes meanwhile struck the southern border town of Aita al-Shaab
while Israeli tanks and artillery shelled a house in al-Khiam, the Hamames hill
and the outskirts of al-Odaisseh and Kfarkela. Tensions had relatively
de-escalated in the past few days during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan as
international mediators pushed for a truce in Gaza. At least 322 people have
been killed in Lebanon, mainly Hezbollah fighters but also 56 civilians,
according to an AFP tally.
In Israel, at least 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed in the
cross-border exchanges, the military says.
Bkirki Christian meeting: FPM rejects 'instant' disarming of Hezbollah
Naharnet/March 22, 2024
The Bkirki Christian meeting on Thursday witnessed harmony among the conferees
over pluralism, freedom, democracy and the importance of partnership between
Muslims and Christians in public sector jobs, a media report said. The parties,
however, showed differences when the issue of “sovereignty and arms” was
discussed, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday. “Some voiced
reservations when the defense strategy idea was discussed, arguing that the
army, definitely, should be in charge of protecting sovereignty,” the daily
added. “When the discussions tackled distancing Lebanon from conflicts and
reaching its positive neutrality, the Free Patriotic Movement agreed to linking
that to the presence of a strong army, in line with the Swiss model. It also did
not voice reservations over the exclusivity of arms in the hands of the Lebanese
Army, but it rejected demanding an instant handover of Hezbollah’s arms, arguing
that this process should happen gradually and according to a specific program,”
Nidaa al-Watan said. Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is meanwhile expected to
call for another meeting, likely after Easter, to resume the discussions and
approve a unified paper that “addresses all Christian and national concerns,”
the newspaper added.
Arrest warrants issued for 2 Lebanese in connection with targeted Arouri killing
Associated Press/March 22, 2024
Judicial officials in Lebanon said an investigative judge has issued arrest
warrants for two people on suspicion of giving information to Israel including
the digital mapping of a Beirut southern suburb street where a top official with
the Palestinian Hamas group was killed in January.
The officials said Thursday that Fadi Sawwan, the investigative judge at the
military tribunal, issued the arrest warrants earlier this week for the two
Lebanese citizens weeks after they were detained while using sophisticated
digital mapping equipment. The Israeli military did not immediately return
requests for comment. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line
with regulations, said the two men had earlier mapped streets in different parts
of Lebanon including Beirut’s southern suburbs that are home to the leadership
of the militant Hezbollah group. They said the men said they thought they were
sending the information to a U.S.-based company that does virtual tourism
business. The two officials said among the streets that they mapped was the one
where the deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh Arouri, was killed along with six other
militants in a January strike that hit an apartment. They said the street was
mapped nearly two weeks before Arouri was killed. The officials said the two are
in custody and were charged with spying for a foreign country and obtaining
information that should remain secret because of national security. The
officials said the two could get a sentence of up to life in prison.
Report: UAE to release Lebanese detainees before Eid
Naharnet/March 22, 2024
The head of Hezbollah’s Coordination and Liaison Committee, Wafiq Safa, returned
Thursday to Beirut from the UAE after he held talks there related to the
repatriation of a number of Lebanese detainees. “Safa’s return alone to Beirut
does not mean that he has failed in his mission, seeing as the issue is related
to official procedures that must be carried out in order to release the
prisoners,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday. “The UAE is
expected to issue a governmental decree on Ramadan 24 (in two weeks from now)
that will grant these Lebanese a general amnesty that will be implemented within
two days so that these released detainees can be in Beirut during Eid al-Fitr,”
the daily added. The Lebanese nationals had been detained over alleged links to
Hezbollah. The United Arab Emirates, like other Arab gulf countries, considers
Hezbollah a “terrorist” organization and over the years has detained and
deported dozens of Lebanese citizens over alleged links to the group. Lebanese
media outlets reported that Safa's visit followed mediation by Syrian President
Bashar Assad with officials in the UAE. After years of backing the Syrian
opposition, the UAE restored relations with Damascus in 2018 and earlier this
year the first ambassador for the emirates took office in Damascus.
Paris says actively engaged with parties to prevent Lebanon-Israel escalation
Naharnet/March 22, 2024
The French Foreign Ministry has announced its commitment to preventing
escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, stating that it is “actively engaged on
all fronts to achieve this goal.”In an interview with Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath
channel, Christophe Lemoine, deputy spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry,
emphasized France’s efforts “to prevent regional escalation, particularly along
the Lebanese-Israeli border.” Lemoine added that Paris was also “pleased” with
the Lebanese authorities’ “positive” response to its recent paper that is aimed
at easing tensions along the border. At least 323 people have been killed in
Lebanon since the beginning of fighting on October 8, mainly Hezbollah fighters
but also 56 civilians. In Israel, at least 10 soldiers and seven civilians have
been killed in the cross-border exchanges, the Israeli army says. The fighting
has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border
and Israel has warned that it might launch an operation against Hezbollah to
secure its residents’ return.
EU commissioner to Cyprus: EU migrant deal with Lebanon is possible
LBCI/March 22, 2024
EU commissioner Margaritis Schinas said on Friday that the European Union could
strike a deal with Lebanon to stem arrivals of migrants, as Cyprus complained it
was being inundated by a surge in arrivals from the Middle East. The EU has
entered agreements with several countries to help them deal with increased
migration burdens, and, ultimately, prevent a spillover into the 27 member
states of the bloc. Rights groups have sharply criticized the pacts. Schinas,
the European Commission's vice president for promoting the European way of life,
said a deal with Lebanon could be brokered along the lines of one the EU signed
with Egypt on March 17. Considerable preparation was required, he said. "We had
worked with Egypt for quite some time, but I consider that it's absolutely
realistic to move in a corresponding manner with Lebanon," he said during a
visit to Cyprus. Cyprus, the EU's easternmost state, lies just 100 miles (160
km) from Syria and Lebanon, and arrivals of asylum seekers have been rising in
recent months. Lebanon is in economic crisis and also hosts hundreds of
thousands of Syrian refugees. "Our country ... is facing asphyxiating pressure
because of the large number of Syrians arriving in Cyprus," Interior Minister
Constantinos Ioannou said after meeting Schinas. Nicosia wants the bloc to
consider declaring parts of war-ravaged Syria safe, which would allow
authorities to repatriate people arriving from there. UN data shows about 34,000
people have entered the EU through irregular channels so far this year, mostly
across the Mediterranean.
Qatar invites Hezbollah to Doha: Decision awaited
LBCI/March 22, 2024
"Al-Joumhouria" learned that Qatar has invited Hezbollah's representatives to
visit Doha. However, it has been revealed that Hezbollah has yet to decide
whether to accept the invitation.
Schools signal over 50% fee hikes in 2024-2025
LBCI/March 22, 2024
According to Al-Akhbar, schools are using the improvement of salaries, the law
supporting the Compensation Fund in the Parliament (requiring schools to pay 8
percent of salaries in dollars to the Fund), and increasing the cost of living
for administrative staff to "herald" parents of increases exceeding 50 percent
in the upcoming academic year 2024 – 2025. However, this comes before preparing
the budget and knowing the expected number of students this year. Some schools
have started contacting parents regarding the new tuition fees.
PM Mikati's diplomatic efforts against Israeli aggression and local commitments
in Tripoli
LBCI/March 22, 2024
Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated from Tripoli "that the government
continues its diplomatic efforts internationally and within the Arab world to
stop the Israeli aggression against Lebanon." He noted, "The results of these
contacts appear positive so far, without overlooking a fundamental issue: that
no positive stance or guarantee can be relied upon from the Israeli
enemy."Speaking to his visitors in Tripoli today, he said, "Since the first day
of the Israeli aggression, the government has formed an emergency committee to
monitor the situation in the South and for the Southerners, and it continues its
work to provide necessary assistance to the displaced from their villages,
depending on the available resources.''He added, ''In parallel, it is pursuing
the necessary steps to address the repercussions of the Israeli aggression
diplomatically and internationally, primarily through the United Nations and its
organizations."Mikati emphasized, "The Israeli aggression and the destruction of
homes and facilities in the South continue, and it is impossible under these
circumstances to take any steps to assess or determine the damage or its
cost.''He continued, ''Everything being circulated in this context is untrue,
especially since everyone is aware of the limited capabilities of the state,
which can barely provide basic needs and is striving hard to secure the minimum
required support for the displaced from the villages in the South."Additionally,
he said, ''Regarding the controversy surrounding the issue of recruiting customs
officers for the Customs Administration, he said, "This issue dates back to the
days of the previous government, which approved the appointment of successful
customs officers in the competition held to recruit customs officers for the
Customs Administration, according to their success ranking in the competition
and in a manner that takes into account the requirements of national consensus
and coexistence. ''
Mikati further stated, ''This led to the exclusion of about two hundred
successful customs officers from the Islamic sect, and they were replaced by
Christian customs officers who ranked lower in the competition.'' ''Nine
excluded individuals filed an appeal before the State Shura Council, which
accepted their appeal and annulled the Cabinet's decision to exclude them. When
the Ministry of Finance presented the matter to the Cabinet, the Cabinet decided
to implement the State Shura Council's decision,'' he continued. He noted, ''Due
to the disagreement within the Supreme Customs Council over implementing the
appointment decision after one of the members refused to implement the Cabinet's
decision, the matter was raised according to the procedures to the Cabinet to
resolve the dispute."He further stated, "Because I am keen on addressing this
issue out of concern for everyone, for national unity, and to avoid any dispute
at any level within the Cabinet, especially since the issue has sectarian
implications, I requested further examination while emphasizing the previous
Cabinet's decision.''In addition, he remarked, ''I do not allow the disagreement
that occurred in the Supreme Customs Council to be transferred to the ministers'
level. Nor do I allow any party or political faction to exploit this issue in
populist language in pursuit of gains and scoring points.''The Prime Minister
spent Friday in Tripoli, where he held a series of meetings to discuss the
city's affairs and demands. He also dedicated part of his activities to
following up on the social, health, and medical aid provided by the "Azm and
Saade Association." He inspected the Azm Social Health Center in Bab el-Ramel,
emphasizing that despite the numerous national crises, he must be focused on
following up on Tripoli's affairs and the concerns of its people. He reiterated
that "Azm and Saade Association" continues to stand by the people of Tripoli at
all times and under all circumstances, according to the available capabilities.
Lebanon's healthcare: Will hospitals adhere to the new tariffs?
LBCI/March 22, 2024
Patients undergoing treatment at the expense of the Health Ministry in Lebanon
are facing some burdens. Beyond their illnesses, they constantly hear demands to
pay discrepancies exceeding the ministry's allocated funds. The issue stems from
hospitals setting their pricing, which is calculated on a daily basis for bed
occupancy. Regardless of this rate, the Health Ministry only reimburses $4 daily
per bed. Any difference between the hospital's rate and what the ministry pays
is the patient's responsibility. Today, the process is expected to change after
an agreement between the involved parties. The daily bed rate now stands at $50,
with the ministry covering $40 and citizens paying the remaining $10. However,
will hospitals adhere to this tariff? The increase not only affects the daily
bed rate but also extends to surgical procedures. For instance, the fee for
intensive care has risen from approximately $30 (LBP 2,625,000) to $210 (LBP
18,750,000), while the cost of a Caesarean section has surged from about $110 (LBP
9,975,000) to $1060 (LBP 94,450,000). The ministry covers 80% of these fees in
government hospitals and 65% in private ones.
IDF: Hezbollah Stores Weapons in Lebanese Civilian Areas
FDD/March 22/2024
Hezbollah is storing weapons, including explosives, in Lebanese civilian areas,
the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on March 20. The Israeli military released
footage of an explosion from an IDF strike in a Lebanese village. “As can be
seen in the documentation, the size of the attacks, the number of secondary
explosions and the duration of the fire at the property constitute further proof
of Hezbollah’s method of operation in which it stores explosives and dangerous
chemical substances in civilian villages,” the IDF stated.
Hezbollah has carried out thousands of attacks against Israel since it chose to
support Hamas in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Hezbollah embeds itself
throughout civilian areas of southern Lebanon, building tunnels and storing
weapons in villages. Two Israeli soldiers were wounded on March 19 in a
Hezbollah rocket attack on northern Israel. The IDF carried out airstrikes on
Hezbollah operatives spotted near the border.
Expert Analysis
“Hezbollah continues to fire rockets at communities in northern Israel. The
Iranian-backed terrorist group exploits civilian areas in southern Lebanon to
fire its rockets and carry out its threats. The group is also destabilizing
Lebanon and Syria by deploying its terrorists in Beirut and by infiltrating them
into Syria. Hezbollah must be deterred from further threats to Israel and the
region.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow
“The IDF has been warning for years that Hezbollah is hiding rockets inside the
homes of Lebanese citizens. Mirroring tactics employed by Gaza terrorist groups,
Hezbollah is leveraging the civilian population of Lebanon as a shield to
protect its military assets from Israeli attacks.” — Joe Truzman, Senior
Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
Hezbollah Uses Ambulances to Move Terrorists
Hezbollah is using ambulances to move terrorists around southern Lebanon, IDF
Arabic Spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee said on March 19. Adraee further
said: “Analysis of the ambulance’s activity pattern indicates abnormal behavior,
operating between sites associated with Hezbollah even when they’re not under
attack, with no apparent need for evacuating casualties and prolonged stays
after attacks. It’s estimated that these ambulances are utilized by Hezbollah
and Amal to shuttle terrorists between locations under IDF surveillance, as well
as for transporting weaponry or equipment for terrorist activities.”
Hezbollah Deploys Armed Men in Beirut
Hezbollah deployed a “large and unprecedented” number of armed men in the
southern Beirut neighborhood of Dahiya, Lebanon’s An-Nahar newspaper reported.
The neighborhood is a major center of Hezbollah activity. The “terror group
members are masked and are checking the identities of individuals walking on the
streets,” The Times of Israel reported, citing An-Nahar. “In addition to being
dominated by Hezbollah, the neighborhood was home to Hamas deputy leader Saleh
al-Arouri, killed in a January strike widely attributed to Israel.”
Senior Hezbollah security official makes rare visit to
UAE to discuss detained Lebanese
AP/March 22, 2024
BEIRUT: A senior official with Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group made a rare
visit to the United Arab Emirates to discuss the cases of a dozen Lebanese
citizens detained in the oil-rich nation over alleged links to the Lebanese
group, Hezbollah said Thursday. The United Arab Emirates, like other Arab gulf
countries, considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization and over the years has
detained and deported dozens of Lebanese citizens over alleged links to the
group. A Hezbollah statement said Wafik Safa, the head of the group’s Liaison
and Coordination Unit, visited the UAE where he met officials involved in the
cases of Lebanese detained there. It did not give further details, but said
there were hopes of reaching a good outcome. The UAE gave no official comment on
the visit.Lebanese media outlets reported that Safa’s visit followed mediation
by Syrian President Bashar Assad with officials in the UAE. After years of
backing the Syrian opposition, the UAE restored relations with Damascus in 2018
and earlier this year the first ambassador for the emirates took office in
Damascus. Hassan Alayan, who heads a committee of Lebanese deported from the UAE,
told The Associated Press that there are 12 Lebanese citizens held in the UAE,
including three who have not been charged. He said the others are three who were
sentenced to life in prison, four who are serving 15-year sentences and two who
were sentenced to 10 years in jail. Alayan, who was deported from the UAE in
2009 with his wife and four children after he had lived there for 27 years,
charges against Lebanese in the UAE have ranged from being Hezbollah members to
being drug smugglers and money launderers for the Iran-backed group. “All these
charges are fabricated,” Alayan said. In May of last year, the UAE released 10
Lebanese citizens who were arrested there about two months earlier. The release
came after the death earlier in May of a Lebanese man who was detained in the
UAE on unknown charges. Following charges against some Lebanese in the UAE in
2019, Amnesty International said in a statement at the time that the trial of
the men “failed to meet international fair trial standards,” as the evidence
included confessions that were “extracted under duress, and the defendants were
detained incommunicado for months and denied access to lawyers during
interrogation and investigation.”
Hezbollah seeks release of detainees held on security
charges in UAE, move could alleviate tensions
The Arab Weekly/March 22/2024
A senior official from the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has made a
landmark trip to the United Arab Emirates to bring about the release of more
than a dozen Lebanese nationals detained there, sources close to Hezbollah told
Reuters. Sources in Abu Dhabi said the visit has no other purpose than to
discuss the issue of the detainees. But analysts said it could pave the way for
the improvement of relations between Arab Gulf nations and the Iran-backed
Lebanese militant group. A source close to Hezbollah, speaking on condition of
anonymity, described Wafiq Safa’s visit as a “new page” in ties between the UAE
and Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and
its Gulf Arab allies. Safa travelled to the UAE on Tuesday, the sources said. He
runs Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit, responsible for coordinating
with Lebanese security agencies, and is under sanctions by the United States.
The Lebanese detainees, several of whom were serving life sentences, had
originally been arrested on charges including providing support and finance for
Hezbollah. Sources told Reuters the detainees are likely to be released in the
coming days and could accompany Safa back to Lebanon.
One of the sources close to Hezbollah said the visit may help alleviate “some of
the regional tensions”. But he did not elaborate. UAE foreign policy moves in
recent years have included restoring ties with Assad, having once backed the
rebels seeking to topple him, and normalising ties with Israel in 2020. The UAE
began re-engaging Tehran in 2019, while Saudi Arabia re-established ties with
Iran last year. The tensions between Hezbollah and the UAE reflected frosty
relations between Hezbollah and Arab Gulf states. These have had an adverse
effect of Gulf tourism and investment in cash-strapped Lebanon.
The militant Lebanese party is generally seen as a destabilising force and a
component of Iran’s network of proxies in parts of the region including Lebanon,
Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes
Saudi Arabia, declared Hezbollah a terrorist group in 2016. The GCC imposed
sanctions on Hezbollah in 2013. At a high point in regional tensions in 2019
following a drone attack on Saudi oil installations, Hezbollah leader Hassan
Nasrallah warned the UAE and Saudi Arabia that they should halt the conflict in
Yemen to protect themselves. The UAE led Arab moves to re-establish ties with
Assad in recent years. Syria’s membership in the Arab League was restored last
year, after a more than decade-long suspension. The UAE last year released ten
Lebanese nationals who had been detained there for two months, according to
Lebanon’s foreign ministry.
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on March 22-23/2024
Gunmen kill 40 in attack at concert near Moscow, over 100 injured
MOSCOW (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
At least 40 people were killed and over 100 hurt when gunmen in camouflage
clothing opened fire with automatic weapons on people at a concert in the Crocus
City Hall near Moscow on Friday, Russia's FSB security service said. In one of
the worst such attacks in Russia in years, at least five gunmen were shown in
unverified videos firing repeatedly at screaming civilians cowering in the
concert hall as Soviet-era rock group "Picnic" was about to perform. The
6,200-seat concert hall in a suburb west of Moscow, which is near a shopping
mall also called Crocus City, was sold out for the performance. Other video
footage showed the men shooting people below what looked like an entrance sign
to Crocus City Hall. People lying motionless in pools of blood outside the hall
were also visible. "Suddenly there were bangs behind us - shots. A burst of
firing - I do not know what," one witness, who asked not to be identified by
name, told Reuters. "A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator," the
witness said. "Everyone was screaming; everyone was running."Flames leapt into
the sky, and plumes of black smoke rose above the venue as hundreds of blue
lights from emergency vehicles flashed in the night, Reuters pictures and video
showed. Helicopters sought to douse the flames and evacuated around 100 people
from the basement, Russian media reported. The roof of the venue was collapsing,
state news agency RIA said. Russian media reported a second blast at the venue,
and there were reports that some of the gunmen had barricaded themselves in the
building. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were. No group had yet
claimed responsibility. Russia's foreign ministry said it was a "bloody
terrorist attack".
ATTACK WARNING
Two weeks ago, the U.S. embassy in Russia warned that "extremists" had imminent
plans for an attack in Moscow. The embassy issued its warning several hours
after the FSB said it had foiled an attack on a Moscow synagogue by a cell of
the militant Sunni Muslim group Islamic State. President Vladimir Putin, who was
on Sunday re-elected for a new six-year term, sent thousands of troops into
Ukraine in 2022 and has repeatedly warned that various powers - including
countries in the West - are seeking to sow chaos inside Russia. Putin is
receiving regular updates about the incident, the Kremlin said. "Vladimir Putin
was informed about the beginning of the shooting in the first minutes of what
happened in Crocus City Hall," the Kremlin said. "The president constantly
receives information about what is happening and about the measures being taken
through all relevant services. The head of state gave all the necessary
instructions," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
SECURITY TIGHTENED
After the attack, Russia tightened security at airports, transportation stations
and across the capital - a vast urban area of over 21 million people. "A
terrible tragedy occurred in the shopping centre Crocus City today," Moscow
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. "I am sorry for the loved ones of the victims."The
White House said that images of the shooting were hard to watch while Germany's
foreign ministry called the images "horrific.""...Our thoughts obviously are
going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack," White
House spokesman John Kirby said. Germany foreign ministry said on X, "The
background must be clarified quickly. Our deepest condolences go out to the
families of the victims." "The entire world community is obliged to condemn this
monstrous crime," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"All efforts are being thrown at saving people."Ukrainian presidential adviser
Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv "had absolutely nothing to do with these
events" in a video message posted on Telegram while Kirby said there was "no
indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians were involved in the
shooting." Zakharova questioned how the U.S. knew this and said Washington
should immediately pass any information it had to Moscow, or stop making such
statements. "On what basis do officials in Washington draw any conclusions in
the midst of a tragedy about someone's innocence?" Zakharova said.
Daesh claims responsibility for attack at Moscow concert
hall, at least 40 dead
AGENCIES/March 22, 2024
MOSCOW: Daesh has claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a Moscow concert
hall on Friday, which Russian authorities said killed at least 40 people. Daesh
fighters “attacked a large gathering... on the outskirts of the Russian capital
Moscow,” the group said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
The Daesh statement said the attackers had “retreated to their bases safely.”
Russia’s National Guard said it was on the scene and looking for the
perpetrators. Gunmen opened fire at a rock concert leaving dead and wounded
before a major fire spread through the theater, Moscow’s mayor and Russian news
agencies reported. Attackers dressed in camouflaged outfits entered the
building, opened fire and threw a grenade or incendiary bomb, according to a
journalist for the RIA Novosti news agency who was at the scene. Russia’s
foreign ministry called the incident a “terrorist attack” that had to be
condemned. Fire quickly spread through the Crocus City Hall, north of the
Russian capital, where the theater can hold several thousand people and has
staged several concerts by top international artists, according to the reports.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed there were deaths in what he called a
“terrible tragedy” at the concert by Russian rock band Piknik. Automatic gunfire
was used on the audience, the RIA Novosti journalist reported. “People who were
in the hall were led on the ground to protect themselves from the shooting for
15 or 20 minutes,” the journalist was quoted as saying. People started crawling
out when it was safe, the journalist reported, adding that security forces were
at the scene. About 100 people escaped through the theater basement while others
were sheltering on the the roof, the emergency services ministry said on its
Telegram channel. Telegram news channels Baza and Mash, which are close to
security forces, showed video images of flames and black smoke pouring from the
concert hall. Other images showed two men walking through the hall with at least
one person left on the ground near the entrance. Spectators were also seen
hiding behind seats or trying to escape. Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova said it had been a “terrorist attack.” “The whole international
community must condemn this odious crime,” she said on Telegram. Saudi Arabia’s
foreign ministry issued a statement on Friday condemning the attack. The US
presidency called the attack “terrible” but said there was no immediate
indication of any link to the war in Ukraine. “I offer my condolences to the
families of the dead,” said Moscow’s mayor as a major security operation was
launched around the theater and nearby shopping mall. Sobyanin said he had
canceled all public events in Moscow for the weekend. TASS news agency said that
SOBR and special police forces and the OMON anti-riot squad had been sent to the
Crocus hall. It added that all the members of the rock band had been evacuated
safely. Orthodox church leader Patriarch Kirill was “praying for peace for the
souls of the dead,” said his spokesman Vladimir Legoyda.
Russia says United States must share any information it has
on attack near
MOSCOW (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
Russia said on Friday that if the United States knew for sure that Ukraine was
not involved in a mass shooting incident at a concert hall near Moscow
Washington should share any information it had. White House spokesperson John
Kirby said earlier on Friday that there was "no indication at this time that
Ukraine, Ukrainians were involved"."The White House said it sees no signs that
Ukraine or Ukrainians are involved in the terrorist attack in Moscow," Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "On what basis do officials in
Washington draw any conclusions in the midst of a tragedy about someone's
innocence?" She said that if Washington had information, it should be shared and
that if Washington had no information, it should not be talking in such a way.
UN Security Council fails to pass US draft resolution on
Gaza after Russia, China veto
REUTERS/March 22, 2024
NEW YORK: Russia and China on Friday vetoed a US-led draft resolution at the
Security Council on Gaza, with Moscow accusing Washington of a “hypocritical
spectacle” that does not pressure Israel. The US, Israel’s main ally which has
vetoed previous ceasefire calls, put forward the resolution which for the first
time would have supported “the imperative of an immediate and sustained
ceasefire” and condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas. Russia and China
exercised their vetoes, Algeria also voted against and Guyana abstained. The
other 11 Security Council members voted in favor, including permanent members
France and Britain. Russia’s ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia, said that the US was
doing nothing to rein in Israel, mocking Washington for speaking of a ceasefire
after “Gaza has been virtually wiped off the face of the Earth.”“We have
observed a typical hypocritical spectacle,” he said. “The American product is
exceedingly politicized, with the sole purpose being to play to voters and throw
them a bone in the form of some kind of a mention of a ceasefire in Gaza,” he
said. The resolution will “ensure the impunity of Israel, whose crimes are not
even assessed in the draft.”The draft links a potential ceasefire to ongoing
talks, led by Qatar with support from the US and Egypt, to halt the war in
return for Hamas releasing hostages. The US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield,
called the Russian and Chinese vetoes “not just cynical” but also “petty.”
“Russia and China simply did not want to vote for a resolution that was penned
by the United States,” she said. “Let’s be honest — for all the fiery rhetoric,
we all know that Russia and China are not doing anything diplomatically to
advance a lasting peace or to meaningfully contribute to the humanitarian
response effort,” she said.
UN Security Council rejects US-proposed Gaza resolution
Brad Dress/The Hill/March 22, 2024
The United Nations Security Council on Friday rejected a U.S.-backed resolution
that called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and a release of all hostages
held by Hamas, after Russia and China voted against the proposal.
The final vote on the resolution was 11 in favor, three votes against and one
abstention. The resolution was a major shift for the U.S., which had previously
blocked any calls for a cease-fire. But the proposal tied a cease-fire and
humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza to the need for the release of all hostages.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya voiced concerns with the
resolution, saying it would prevent action that would secure an actual and
unconditional cease-fire. “We will no longer tolerate pointless resolutions
which do not contain a call for a cease-fire, which lead us to nowhere,” he
said. “This would free the hands of Israel, and it would result in all of Gaza,
its entire population, having to face destruction, devastation or expulsion.”
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the resolution
would put pressure on Hamas to accept ongoing negotiations to secure a temporary
cease-fire and hostage release. “Every day without a
deal means more needless suffering. This resolution will move us closer to
securing that deal, and help us alleviate that suffering,” she said. “This is a
strong resolution — it’s the byproduct of exhaustive, inclusive negotiations. It
reflects the consensus of this council.
“And it does more than just call for a cease-fire,” she added. “It helps to make
that cease-fire possible. It would be a historic mistake for the council to not
adopt this text.”After the vote, Thomas-Greenfield slammed Russia and China for
voting against the resolution, accusing them both of being “petty.”
“Russia and China simply did not want to vote for a resolution that was
penned by the United States, because it would rather see us fail than to see
this council succeed,” she said, “even after inclusive consultations over weeks
and weeks, even after negotiations and edits produced the draft that received
overwhelming council support.”The U.S. has vetoed three previous resolutions
before the Security Council that called for a cease-fire without any conditions,
such as the release of hostages. Israel is waging a war against Hamas in
retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people. Another roughly
250 people were kidnapped, with 100 believed to still be alive in Gaza. More
than 31,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the ensuing war, and the U.N. is
warning of a famine in the territory’s north, which has been wrecked by the war.
Israel has becoming increasingly isolated internationally over the war, and
tensions are also flaring between its government — led by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu — and Democrats in Washington. Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said this week that negotiations to secure a cease-fire are “getting
closer” but noted there was still a bridge to cross. Hamas wants to see a
permanent cease-fire and an end to the war, but Israel is vowing to fight on
until the Palestinian militant group is destroyed. China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang
Jun said the “overwhelming consensus” of the Security Council is for an
unconditional cease-fire. He also raised concerns about the resolution allowing
Israel to move into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million
Palestinians are sheltered. Israel has accused Hamas of hiding battalions there.
Algeria, which proposed the last unconditional cease-fire the U.S. vetoed, also
voted against the latest resolution Friday. Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar
Bendjama said there was an “urgency” for an immediate and unconditional
cease-fire, arguing the U.S. resolution “does not convey a clear message of
peace.”“We echo the demands of millions of people,” he said. “The draft
resolution falls short of our expectations.”
Israel Says Spy Chief Going to Doha For Gaza Talks
Asharq Al Awsat/22 March 2024
The head of Israel's spy agency is to return to Doha Friday to meet with his US
and Egyptian counterparts and Qatar's prime minister for ongoing Gaza truce
talks, Israel said. Barnea was in Doha Monday but flew back home after talks
were restarted following failed efforts to secure a truce before the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan, which began last week. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
approved an Israeli delegation led by Mossad head David Barnea to go to Qatar"
on Friday, the Israeli premier's office said. Technical teams had remained
behind after Barnea's departure to review details of a potential deal after the
principal negotiators discussed the main issues, AFP reported. Barnea is to meet
CIA director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani
and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, Netanyahu's office said.
Israel Says It Will Invade Rafah No Matter What the US Says
Bloomberg/March 22/2024
A top Israeli official said his country’s military is ultimately going to invade
the southern Gaza city of Rafah and defeat Hamas “even if the entire world turns
on Israel, including the United States.”“We are going to go in and finish this
job, and anybody who doesn’t understand that doesn’t understand that the
existential nerve of the Jews was touched” by the Oct. 7 attack when Hamas
operatives killed 1,200 and abducted 250, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron
Dermer said on a US podcast posted online Thursday. A close confidant of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Dermer is headed to Washington early next week to
listen to concerns from the Biden administration that such an invasion would
cause many more civilian casualties at a time when famine and disease are
spreading in Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region pushing
for a deal between Israel and Hamas that would lead to a six-week cease-fire and
an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners along with a big increase in
humanitarian aid to the more than 2 million Palestinians in the coastal strip.
Never miss an episode. Follow the Big Take podcast on iHeart, Apple Podcasts,
Spotify or wherever you listen. Read the transcript.
“We’ve been very clear — President Biden’s been very clear — that a major ground
operation in Rafah would be a mistake, something we can’t support,” Blinken told
reporters in Cairo Thursday evening after meeting with Arab foreign ministers.
“There is no place for the many civilians who are massed in Rafah to go to get
out of harm’s way, and for those that inevitably remain, it would be a
humanitarian disaster.”
Blinken argued that “Hamas can be effectively dealt with without a major ground
operation in Rafah, and one of the reasons that we have counterparts from the
Israeli government coming to Washington next week is precisely to focus on
that.”European Union leaders issued a new call Thursday for an “immediate
humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable cease-fire” in Gaza, responding to
growing alarm about the risk of famine in the besieged territory. They also
urged Israel not to pursue a ground operation in Rafah. For several months, EU
nations had struggled to agree on language criticizing Israel’s military
operations, but a growing number of countries have been demanding a stronger
stance. Thursday’s statement also said that the EU would accelerate work on
additional sanctions on Hamas. Israel went to war in Gaza right after the Hamas
attack and has killed more than 31,000, according to the Hamas-run Health
Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between fighters and civilians. Hamas is
considered a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Israel says it
has killed 11,000 fighters. Dermer said the US hasn’t categorically rejected any
Israeli military operation in Rafah. “They said without a credible way of moving
a mass of people out of Rafah and surging humanitarian assistance to them they
don’t see how this can be done effectively,” he said. “And we are saying we
agree with you that we have to move the people out, we agree we have to get
humanitarian assistance to them, and we believe we can do it.”
Dermer said he’s going to Washington to listen to US ideas about what to do.
There have been a number of disagreements between the US and Israel over
strategy during the more than five months of conflict, but they worked through
them in the end, he said. “Could you have a breach over Rafah? You could. We
hope we don’t.”Famine Is Imminent in Northern Gaza, UN-Backed Report Warns. In
recent weeks, especially as disease and hunger have spread in Gaza without a
clear plan for aid distribution, Biden and other top US Democrats have openly
criticized Netanyahu and Israeli policies. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
called for Israel to hold new elections, a step that Netanyahu rejected. Just as
Netanyahu faces pressure from his right, Biden faces pressure from his left and
each is fighting for political survival. No invasion of Rafah appears imminent
since the Washington consultations have yet to occur. Other factors such as a
potential truce and the need for Israel to finalize and implement a plan to
remove civilians from harm’s way and call up the thousands of troops needed for
such an operation, will also affect the time-line. Still, Dermer argued that the
Hamas battalions and top leaders thought to be in Rafah — along with possibly
some 100 hostages — need to be defeated so that the Islamist group can be
removed from power in Gaza. Until that happens, he said, other Gazans will be
afraid to step forward as leaders for a post-war enclave.
Israeli military says troops captured hundreds of fighters
in Gaza hospital
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters
including a number of security officials and military commanders during its
extended raid into Gaza's main hospital, the military's main spokesperson said.
Israeli troops entered the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in the early hours of
Monday morning and have been combing through the sprawling complex, which the
military says is connected to a tunnel network used as a base for Palestinian
fighters.It says troops have killed hundreds of fighters in the operation and
also detained over 500 suspects, including 358 members of the Islamist militant
groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the largest number captured at the same time
since the beginning of the war nearly six months ago.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's main military spokesperson, said special
forces units had used "deception tactics" to surprise the fighters and had
severely damaged Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Among the
detainees were three senior Islamic Jihad military commanders and two Hamas
officials responsible for operations in the occupied West Bank as well as other
Hamas internal security officials. "Those who did not
surrender to our forces fought against our forces and were eliminated," Hagari
told a briefing late on Thursday, during which he displayed a composite picture
of what were described as detainees. On Friday, the
military said some of the photographs were of militants who had not been
detained but whose pictures were included through human error.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run government media office,
said the misidentification and the inclusion of pictures of medical staff and
people outside the country showed the Israeli military was spreading false
narratives to justify its assault on the hospital. Al Shifa, the Gaza Strip's
biggest hospital before the war, is now one of the few healthcare facilities
even partially operational in the north of the territory, and had also been
housing displaced civilians. Israel faced heavy criticism last November when
troops first raided the hospital. The troops uncovered tunnels there, which they
said had been used as command and control centres by Hamas. Hamas and medical
staff deny that the hospital is used for military purposes or to shelter
fighters. In recent days, Hamas spokespeople have said
that the dead announced in previous Israeli statements were not fighters but
patients and displaced people and have accused Israel of war crimes.
Fasting and funerals: Violence darkens West Bank Ramadan
Agence France Presse/March 22, 2024
Normally festive Ramadan nights have become rife with danger in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, said hospital director Wisam Bakr, as surging
violence casts a long shadow over the Muslim fasting month. His hospital in the
northern West Bank city of Jenin has been on the front line of the spike in
violence since Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel triggered the
war that is still raging in the Gaza Strip. Instead of breaking the daily
Ramadan fast with family and friends, "at night we try not to go outside...
because the night is not safe," said Bakr. "At any hour there may be a raid" by
Israeli forces, he said.
As Israel pursues its withering military campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza,
violence in the West Bank involving Israeli forces or settlers -- already rising
before the war -- has spiked to levels unseen in two decades. Since October 7,
the Jenin Government Hospital has received 44 people killed and 264 people
wounded in Israeli raids, said the director Bakr. Beyond the casualties and
damage the frequent military operations have caused, residents of Jenin -- a
stronghold of Palestinian armed groups -- said the violence has translated into
quiet streets, subdued celebrations and anxiety.
"There are no people" on the streets, said Mohammed Omar, a sweets vendor who
has spent his whole life in Jenin refugee camp, one of the West Bank's most
crowded and impoverished, and the site of repeated Israeli raids.
'Afraid for my children'
According to Omar, the heavy atmosphere of this year's Ramadan can be felt not
just in the immediate aftermath of raids and strikes, but also on relatively
quiet days. "People are staying in their homes, afraid of the bombing, and they
don't have money to spend," he said. Even if they did, they would likely have
some trouble getting around, as many streets have been damaged and some rendered
impassable by Israeli bulldozers carrying out demolitions. Israel routinely
demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks, arguing
that such measures act as a deterrent, while critics say this policy amounts to
collective punishment. Bakr said the violence and fear had taken a toll on the
hospital's staff and made for a much more reserved Ramadan. Their work is
high-pressure, with casualties often arriving at night and overwhelming
emergency medics. "Nowadays I hurry up" to get home after the daily fast ends at
sunset, "because I'm afraid not only for me, but for my children too," Bakr
said. Last week Israeli forces killed two men inside the hospital, in what the
military described as "counterterrorism activity" against "armed suspects". In
footage stored on Bakr's phone, one of the men, Mahmoud Abu al-Haija, wearing
jeans and a black sweater, is gunned down just outside the emergency ward,
leaving a bright red streak of blood on the floor as others drag him away. The
man's aunt, Farha Abu al-Haija, told AFP that he was "neither a resistance
fighter nor a weapon bearer", and that he had run to the hospital seeking
safety.
Both of the slain men's bodies were draped in green Hamas flags and adorned with
headbands of the militant group's armed wing for their funeral, AFP footage
showed.
'Ramadan wasn't like this'
Farha Abu al-Haija said she usually looks forward to Ramadan, but now her family
and others' "are missing a member"."There is sadness, anger, pain."At least 444
Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers across the West Bank
since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Mokhles Turkman was driving home from work on Wednesday, planning to break the
fast with his family, when he heard a loud explosion -- a strike Israel said had
targeted Palestinian militants. As Turkman, 29, learned that the blast had
killed three men, he abandoned his original plans and decided instead to join
the funeral procession through the streets of Jenin. One of those killed was an
Islamic Jihad "commander", according to the Israeli military, which also accused
him of a deadly attack last year that killed an Israeli civilian. "Ramadan was
never like this," Turkman told AFP, as young men fired automatic weapons into
the sky and others lowered the three bodies into freshly dug graves. He said he
attended the funeral "to stand with the people". "We want to stand with their
families, let them know that we are all united."
Russia and China veto US resolution calling for immediate
cease-fire in Gaza
UNITED NATIONS (AP)/Fri, March 22, 2024
Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for
“an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to
protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2
million hungry Palestinians. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11
members in favor, three against and one abstention. Before the vote, Russia’s
U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate cease-fire,
but he questioned the language in the resolution and accused U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of “misleading
the international community” for “politicized” reasons.
The resolution declared that a cease-fire is “imperative."
The draft that was put to a vote made no direct link to the release of
hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which was in the previous
draft. But it unequivocally supported diplomatic efforts “to secure such a
cease-fire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”The
Security Council had already adopted two resolutions on the worsening
humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none calling for a cease-fire. Russia and
China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in late October calling for pauses in
the fighting to deliver aid, protection of civilians, and a halt to arming Hamas.
They said it didn’t reflect global calls for a cease-fire.
The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has vetoed three resolutions demanding a
cease-fire, the most recent an Arab-backed measure supported by 13 council
members with one abstention on Feb. 20. A day earlier,
the U.S. circulated a rival resolution, which went through major changes during
negotiations before Friday's vote. It initially would have supported a temporary
cease-fire linked to the release of all hostages, and the previous draft would
have supported international efforts for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.
The vote took place as Blinken, America’s top diplomat, is on his sixth urgent
mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war, discussing a deal for a
cease-fire and hostage release, as well as post-war scenarios. Nate Evans, the
spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said the resolution was
"an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy
happening on the ground and pressure Hamas to accept the deal on the
table.”Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been
drafting their own resolution, which demands an immediate humanitarian
cease-fire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that began March 10 to be
“respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable cease-fire.”
It also demands “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages ” and
emphasizes the urgent need to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid
throughout the Gaza Strip. Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the
surprise Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel that triggered the war, and abducted
another 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding some 100 people
hostage, as well as the remains of 30 others.In Gaza, the Health Ministry raised
the death toll in the territory Thursday to nearly 32,000 Palestinians. It
doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says
women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. The international community’s
authority on determining the severity of hunger crises warned this week that
“famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing
catastrophic hunger. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase
Classification initiative, or IPC, warned that escalation of the war could push
half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.
The U.S. draft expressed “deep concern about the threat of
conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population
in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in
Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.”It emphasized “the urgent need to expand
the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip” and
lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians “at scale.”Israel faces mounting
pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the
Gaza Strip and to open more land crossings, and come to a cease-fire agreement.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move the military offensive
to the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians
have sought safety. Netanyahu says it's a Hamas stronghold. The final U.S. draft
eliminated language in the initial draft that said Israel’s offensive in Rafah
“should not proceed under current circumstances.” Instead, in an introductory
paragraph, the council emphasized its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah
“would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement,
potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for
regional peace and security.” For the first time in a
U.N. resolution, the U.S. draft would condemn “all acts of terrorism, including
the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as well as its taking and killing of
hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence, including rape.
Israeli military says opening new aid routes into Gaza
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
Israel's military said it had opened a new entry point for aid to enter Gaza and
was allowing unlimited supplies into the enclave, after a U.N.-backed report
said there was an imminent risk of famine in the north and that it would spread.
After closing off access to Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 that
set off the war, Israel has since allowed in aid convoys amid growing
international pressure to boost the amount of supplies to feed Gaza's 2.3
million people. "As much as we know, by our analysis, there is no starvation in
Gaza. There is a sufficient amount of food entering Gaza every day," Colonel
Moshe Tetro, head of Israel's Coordination and Liasion Administration for Gaza,
told reporters at Gate 96, a new entry point for delivering supplies to the
northern area. A convoy of seven trucks entered through Gate 96 on Thursday,
which he said was the third time the route was used. The plight of Gaza's
population after nearly six months of war has aroused growing international
concern and anger. "We are doing everything that we can to enlarge the capacity
of humanitarian aid going into Gaza," Tetro said, blaming "bottlenecks" on
international aid groups which he said lacked capacity to distribute supplies
inside Gaza, where fighting has left a trail of destruction. U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken, in Israel during his sixth trip to the Middle East since
the war started, said he would push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take
urgent steps to allow in more aid. The U.S. has joined
other nations in using air drops to get aid into Gaza and has said it would
build a pier so aid could also be delivered by sea. Aid agencies say that,
though welcome, such routes are no substitute for bring aid by truck on land.
Aid convoys, which are driven by Palestinian drivers, are cleared by the
military at the southern cross point of Kerem Shalom and drive up on the Israeli
side of the Gaza security fence to Gate 96 where they enter Gaza and turn north.
France to work on new UN Gaza ceasefire resolution, Macron
says
BRUSSELS (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
France will work with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to convince Russia and
China to back a resolution at the United Nations for a ceasefire in Gaza after
the two big powers blocked a text by the U.S., President Emmanuel Macron said on
Friday. "Following the Russian and Chinese veto a few
minutes ago, we are going to resume work on the basis of the French draft
resolution in the Security Council and work with our American, European and Arab
partners to reach an agreement," Macron said at end of a European Union leaders'
summit in Brussels. France's foreign ministry said on Thursday it had started
drafting a resolution with diplomats, saying they would put a draft forward if
the U.S. resolution did not pass. The U.N. Security Council on Friday failed to
pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a
hostage deal, the first time the U.S. has backed such language. The resolution
called for an "immediate and sustained ceasefire" lasting roughly six weeks that
would protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Macron said that the change in tone from Washington meant that he was hopeful a
new resolution with Arab states could succeed if they were able to convince
Russia and China not to oppose. "What is important to note is that the U.S. has
changed its position and has indicated its desire to now very clearly defend a
ceasefire, which is a good thing for us and for the progress of our draft,"
Macron said.
Blinken pushes for more aid for Gaza in talks with Israel’s
Netanyahu
REUTERS/March 22, 2024
TEL AVIV: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday for talks aimed at ensuring more aid flows into
Gaza, amid increasingly tense relations between the two allies over the
six-month-old war. In Gaza, Israel claimed to have killed or captured hundreds
of Hamas fighters in a five-day operation at the Al-Shifa hospital complex, one
of the only medical facilities even partially functioning in the north. Hamas
and medical staff deny fighters were present there. Blinken, on his sixth trip
to the Middle East since the war broke out on Oct. 7, has been engaged in an
intense round of diplomacy since arriving in the region on Wednesday, meeting
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia and foreign ministers and
officials from Arab nations in Cairo on Thursday. Parallel meetings are also
taking place in Doha on Friday aimed at securing a ceasefire in the conflict.
The top US diplomat’s latest visit to Israel comes at a time of strained ties
between the two countries, with US President Joe Biden calling Israel’s campaign
in Gaza “over the top” and saying it has had too great a toll on civilian lives.
Prior to the meeting with Netanyahu, which lasted about 40 minutes, Blinken said
he would address the growing gap between the two countries in his one-on-one
conversation. He also met with the Israeli war cabinet. Blinken said he would
push Netanyahu to take urgent steps to allow more aid into the densely-populated
enclave, where mass death from famine is imminent, according to the United
Nations. The war was triggered by a raid into southern Israel by Hamas fighters
who killed 1,200 and took 253 hostages, by Israeli tallies. More than 32,000
Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli bombardments, with many
more feared dead under the rubble, Gaza health authorities say.
US officials say the number of aid deliveries via land needs to increase fast
and that aid needs to be sustained over a long period. Israel says it is not
restricting aid. “A hundred percent of the population of Gaza is experiencing
severe levels of acute food insecurity. We cannot, we must not allow that to
continue,” Blinken told a news conference late on Thursday.
Israeli Col. Moshe Tetro, head of Israel’s Coordination and Liasion
Administration for Gaza, said the military does not believe there is a food
shortage in the enclave.“As much as we know, by our analysis, there is no
starvation in Gaza. There is a sufficient amount of food entering Gaza every
day,” he told reporters. Blinken is also expected to discuss Israel’s intention
to launch a ground offensive on Rafah, a city on the southern edge of the
enclave where more than half of Gaza’s population is now sheltering in makeshift
accommodation. Washington has repeatedly objected to such a plan. Netanyahu told
Biden in a phone call on Monday that Israel sees no other way to defeat Hamas
fighters it says are holed up there. Last week, the leader of Biden’s Democratic
Party in the US Senate called Netanyahu an obstacle to peace and said Israelis
should vote him out. Biden called it a “good speech“; Netanyahu called it
“inappropriate” and later held a video conference with lawmakers from Biden’s
Republican opposition.
Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Jewish Convert in West
Bank, Says Spokesman
Asharq Al Awsat/22 March 2024
Israeli gunfire killed a Palestinian convert to Judaism in the occupied West
Bank on Thursday, a spokesman said. The Israeli army said it killed a "suspect"
in the same area, without disclosing an identity. "This morning, the life of
David Ben Avraham, a convert, ended tragically," Noam Arnon, spokesman for the
Jewish community in the West Bank town of Hebron, said on local news website
Aroutz 7. Sameh Zaitoun, 62, converted to Judaism in 2020 and took the Hebrew
name David Ben Avraham, said Arnon, who was a friend. Arnon said that "soldiers
found him suspicious and shot him" at the Elazar junction, between Hebron and
Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank. "He died from his wounds," he added, AFP
reported. The Israeli military said "soldiers fired shots toward a Palestinian
who aroused their suspicion at the Elazar Junction".
The Palestinian, whose identity the army did not disclose, then died from his
wounds, and military police opened an investigation into the incident, the
statement added. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request
for comment. Sameh Zaitoun said in media in the past that he had been arrested
by the Palestinian Authority because of his conversion. At least 444
Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers across the West Bank
since the war in Gaza started on October 7, according to the Palestinian health
ministry.
This includes at least eight killed from Wednesday to Thursday, aside from
Zaitoun. At least 17 Israeli soldiers and civilians died in attacks over the
same time period, Israeli authorities said.
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TEL AVIV (Reuters)/March 22, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State of State Antony Blinken shook hands and chatted on
Friday with demonstrators in Tel Aviv demanding Israel focus on the release of
hostages held by Hamas, promising them that he was working to bring them home.
Several dozen people, including some family members of hostages, gathered
outside a Tel Aviv hotel where Blinken's delegation was based, holding banners
calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which has been under bombardment
since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages on Oct. 7. Some
hostages were released in an earlier pause in fighting, but more than 100 are
believed to remain, although some have been reported killed by Israeli
airstrikes. "No more blood, hostage deal now," they chanted. Blinken, who
earlier met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of Israel's war
cabinet, delayed his departure from Israel to briefly greet the demonstrators.
"We're working to bring them home," Blinken said as he shook hands with the line
of demonstrators, hitting his chest with his hand. Blinken also met inside the
hotel with the families of American-Israeli hostages, a U.S. official said. Some
in Israel have criticized Netanyahu for not securing a ceasefire deal with Hamas
and instead focusing on rooting out the militant group from Gaza. Almost 32,000
Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli assault, according to Gaza
health authorities. Tensions between the Biden administration and Netanyahu have
spiked in recent weeks. Washington has implored Israel to do more to allow
humanitarian aid into Gaza, where aid agencies say much of the population is on
the verge of famine, and warned against an offensive on the southern city of
Rafah. “We want to end the war. We don’t want to extend it," said Tom Schapiro,
27, who was among the protesters. He said he opposed an offensive in Rafah, and
urged Washington to use U.S. military support to Israel as leverage over
Netanyahu. "Blinken can press the government to make a deal, I’m sure he has
some leverage. And if it means not sending weapons - he should be doing that. We
think the hostages are the most important thing," Shapiro said.
Israel announces large West Bank land seizure
AFP/March 22, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel reported Friday the seizure of 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of
land in the occupied West Bank, which activists called the largest action of its
kind in decades. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared as “state
lands” the area in the northern Jordan Valley, as US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken arrived in Israel for Gaza war talks. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace
Now said the size of the seized area is the largest since 1993’s Oslo Accords,
and that “2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land.”Israel
captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967
Arab-Israeli war. “While there are those in Israel and the world who seek to
undermine our right over the Judea and Samaria area and the country in general,
we are promoting settlement through hard work and in a strategic manner all over
the country,” Smotrich said, using Israel’s term for the West Bank. Settlements
in the Palestinian territories are illegal under international law. Smotrich,
who heads the extreme-right Religious Zionism party, lives in a settlement.
Despite opposition abroad, Israel has in recent decades build dozens of
settlements across the West Bank. They are now home to more than 490,000
Israelis, who live alongside around three million Palestinians in the territory.
The United Nations human rights chief has reported a drastic acceleration in
illegal settlement building since Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began
months ago, and said this risks eliminating any likelihood of a viable
Palestinian state.
Blinken has described settlement expansion as “counterproductive to reaching
enduring peace” with the Palestinians.
US Says Yemen's Houthis Attacked Ships at Least 50 Times
Asharq Al Awsat/22 March 2024
The Houthis have attacked civilian and military ships sailing off Yemen's shores
at least 50 times since their assaults began late last year, a senior US Defense
Department official said Thursday. "In the Red Sea, the Houthis seek to affect
this vital channel for global trade with at least 50 attacks against commercial
shipping and naval vessels," Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander
told a House Armed Services Committee hearing. The Houthis began attacking ships
in November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with
Palestinians in Gaza. They have vowed to target Israeli, British and American
ships, as well as vessels heading to Israeli ports, disrupting traffic through
the vital trade route off Yemen's coasts. The attacks have sent insurance costs
spiraling for vessels transiting the Red Sea and prompted many shipping firms to
take the far longer passage around the southern tip of Africa instead. The US
and Britain have since January carried out strikes targeting the Houthis, but
the military officer responsible for US forces in the Middle East said Houthi
equipment that has been destroyed can be replaced with relative ease. "Only two
ships can resupply the vast majority of the equipment that we've destroyed so
far of the Houthis," General Erik Kurilla told the same hearing, without
specifying the size of the vessels. "We have to increase the international
effort to be able to do the inspections on the vessels that are going into
Hodeidah," he said, referring to a Houthi-contolled Yemeni port, adding: "We
need to isolate the Houthis in the information environment, and we have to
impose costs on Iran."
Biden to Host Iraqi PM Sudani on April 15, White House Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 22/2024
US President Joe Biden will host Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani at
the White House on April 15, the White House said on Friday. Biden and Sudani
will consult on issues including ISIS, Iraqi financial reforms and energy
independence, the White House said in a statement.
UN Seeks $4B for Aid in Syria as Civilians Face Growing
Humanitarian Crisis
Asharq Al Awsat/22 March 2024
A UN humanitarian official appealed Friday for more than $4 billion in
life-saving aid for more than 10 million Syrians, saying that the country's
largely forgotten crisis remains “one of the most deadly to civilians in the
world.”Adam Abdelmoula, resident coordinator in Syria for the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, made the appeal days after Syria marked
the 13th anniversary of the conflict that has killed nearly a half million
people and left large parts of the country destroyed. “Today, we are facing an
unprecedented situation in Syria -- one that we cannot afford to ignore,”
Abdelmoula told reporters in Geneva. “Inaction will be costly for all of us and
will inevitably lead to additional suffering.” About 16.7 million people require
some form of humanitarian assistance in Syria, an increase from 15.3 million
last year, he said. Over 7 million people are internally displaced and nearly as
many are refugees in other countries, including neighboring Jordan, Lebanon and
Türkiye. The war has left 90% of Syria’s population below the poverty line as
millions face cuts in food aid because of a funding shortfall. The UN World Food
Program ended its main assistance program in the country in January, The AP
reported. “The Syria crisis remains one of the most deadly to civilians in the
world. Hostilities continue to plague various parts of Syria and have recently
seen a sharp spike, especially in the north,” Abdelmoula said. He suggested that
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza had given cover for more military activity in
parts of Syria. “We saw the world’s attention focusing on Gaza, and that
provided some kind of diversion of attention that allowed the significant
escalation of hostilities in the northeast without much attention being paid to
that situation by the international community,” Abdelmoula said.
Attack on Nigerien forces kills 23 soldiers and underscores
continued conflict with militants
NIAMEY, Niger (AP)/March 22, 2024
A militant attack on Nigerien forces in a border region near Mali and Burkina
Faso killed 23 soldiers, the defense ministry said Friday. The soldiers were
taking part in an overnight clearing operation on Tuesday in the country's west
when they were ambushed by armed men on motorcycles equipped with homemade
bombs, the ministry statement said, according to state television. Details of
the attack were previously unreported. The statement by Defense Minister Gen.
Salifou Mody blamed the attack on jihadi fighters, saying the army had killed
about 30 attackers in response. The violence highlighted the troubles facing
Niger and its neighbors. Niger, along with neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, is
battling jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in a
decade-long conflict in the Sahel region that is worsening. The violence killed
thousands of people last year and civilian killings routinely go unpunished.
More than 2 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
The Associated Press on Friday reported on rare first-hand details of a mass
killing at a village in Burkina Faso. Until recently, Niger was a critical
element of U.S. military operations in the Sahel, where Washington has sought to
help local governments beat back militant groups. Some 650 U.S. troops and
hundreds of support staff work at a recently built airbase in Agadez, about 920
kilometers (550 miles) from Niamey. But last week, Niger’s ruling junta said it
no longer recognized the U.S. presence there, casting doubt on the future of
U.S. military operations in the Sahel. The U.S. has said the ruling junta has
not formally asked them to leave, and it is weighing its options. The junta in
Niamey seized control in July when soldiers — including some trained by the U.S.
— ousted the country’s democratically elected president. France completed the
withdrawal of its forces from Niger in December after being asked to leave. Mali
and Burkina Faso are also led by juntas and have experienced two coups each
since 2020. Fed up with the continued violence, both juntas have expelled French
forces and turned to Russian mercenaries instead.
Kremlin: Russia in a ‘state of war’ in Ukraine
AFP/March 22, 2024
MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Friday it is in a “state of war” in Ukraine, escalating
the official language it uses to describe the conflict, now in its third year.
Russia has presented its offensive on Ukraine as a “special military operation,”
banned media outlets from using the word “war” and prosecuted anti-offensive
campaigners for using the word to describe Russia’s military actions. “We are in
a state of war. Yes, it started as a special military operation, but as soon as
this bunch was formed there, when the collective West became a participant on
Ukraine’s side, for us it already became a war,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said in an interview to a pro-Kremlin newspaper published on Friday. Asked to
elaborate, Peskov told reporters later: “De jure it is a special military
operation. But de facto it has turned into a war.”President Vladimir Putin has
previously said the West has unleashed a “hybrid war” against Moscow, but
largely stuck to calling the conflict in Ukraine a “special military operation.”
Peskov also said that when it comes to the prosecution of anti-conflict
campaigners for using the word “war,” the context of his comments was different.
“The word ‘war’ is used in different contexts. Compare my context with those in
the cases you cite,” he said in response to a question about criminal cases
brought against anti-Kremlin protesters. Russia passed sweeping military
censorship laws in the days after it sent troops into Ukraine that allow it to
send critics of the offensive to jail for years if they are found to have spread
“false information” or “discredited” the armed forces. More than 900 criminal
cases have been launched over the past two years for opposing the conflict,
according to the OVD-Info rights group.
Russia says 40 killed and more than 100 wounded in attack
on Moscow concert hall
MOSCOW (AP)/March 22, 2024
Several gunmen burst into a large concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday
and sprayed the crowd with automatic gunfire, killing at least 40 people,
injuring more than 100 others and setting fire to the venue in a brazen attack
just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly
orchestrated electoral landslide. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to
the attackers, and there were no immediate claims of responsibility for the
raid, which Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as a “huge tragedy" and which
state authorities were investigating as terrorism. The attack, which left the
concert hall in flames with a collapsed roof, was the deadliest attack in Russia
in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.
Russia’s Federal Security Service, the main domestic security and
counter-terrorism agency, said 40 people were killed and more than 100 were
wounded in the attack at Crocus City Hall, a large music hall on Moscow’s
western edge. The assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at
the hall, which can accommodate 6,000, according to Russian news outlets. Video
from outside showed the building on fire, with a huge cloud of smoke rising
through the night sky. The street was lit up by the blinking blue lights of
dozens of firetrucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles. The attack took
place as crowds gathered for a performance by the famous Russian rock band
Picnic. Russian news reports said concertgoers were being evacuated, but that an
unknown number could have been trapped by the blaze. The prosecutor’s office
said several men in combat fatigues entered the concert hall and fired on
concertgoers.
Repeated volleys of gunfire could be heard in videos posted by Russian media and
on Telegram channels. One showed two men with rifles moving through the venue.
Another showed a man inside the auditorium and saying the assailants had set it
on fire, as gunshots rang out incessantly in the background.
Other videos showed up to four attackers, armed with assault rifles and wearing
caps, who were shooting screaming people at point-blank range. Guards at the
concert hall didn't have guns, and some could have been killed at the start of
the attack, Russian media reported. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to
the assailants, but some Russian news outlets suggested that they fled before
special forces and riot police arrived. Russian authorities said security has
been tightened at Moscow’s airports, railway stations and the capital's
sprawling subway system. Moscow's mayor canceled all mass gatherings and
theaters and museums shut for the weekend. Other Russian regions also tightened
security. The Kremlin hasn't blamed anyone for the attack, but some Russian
lawmakers were quick to accuse Ukraine of being behind it. Hours before the
attack, the Russian military l aunched a sweeping barrage on Ukraine's power
system, crippling the country's biggest hydroelectric plant and other energy
facilities and leaving more than a million people without electricity.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied
Ukraine's involvement in the concert hall attack. “Ukraine has never resorted to
the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X. “Everything in this war will be
decided only on the battlefield.” John Kirby, spokesman for the White House
National Security Council, said Friday that he couldn’t yet speak about all the
details but that “the images are just horrible. And just hard to watch.”“Our
thoughts are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting
attack,” Kirby said. “There are some moms and dads and brothers and sisters and
sons and daughters who haven’t gotten the news yet. This is going to be a tough
day.”
The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in
Moscow that urged the Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital
in view of “imminent” plans by extremists to target large gatherings in Moscow,
a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies.
Asked about the embassy's notice issued on March 7, Kirby referred the question
to the State Department, adding: "I don’t think that was related to this
specific attack.” Responding to a question about whether Washington had any
prior information about the assault, Kirby responded: “I’m not aware of any
advance knowledge that we had of this terrible attack.”Putin, who extended his
grip on Russia for another six years in the March 15-17 presidential vote after
a sweeping crackdown on dissent, earlier this week denounced the Western
warnings as an attempt to intimidate Russians. Russia was shaken by a series of
deadly terror attacks in the early 2000s during the fighting with separatists in
the Russian province of Chechnya. In October 2002, Chechen militants took about
800 people hostage at a Moscow theater. Two days later, Russian special forces
stormed the building and 129 hostages and 41 Chechen fighters died, most of them
from effects of narcotic gas Russian forces use to subdue the attackers. And in
September 2004, about 30 Chechen militants seized a school in Beslan in southern
Russia taking hundreds of hostages. The siege ended in a bloodbath two days
later and more than 330 people, about half of them children, were killed.
Drones have ushered in a brutal new phase of Syria's civil
war
Business Insider/March 22, 2024
The most widely drones are explosive-laden quadcopters that can be flown into a
target. "When the status quo finally breaks, it could happen very quickly and
dramatically," an expert said. Drones are increasingly shaping warfare in the
Syrian civil war that entered its 14th year in March. Both sides have stepped up
drone attacks on each other in recent months, as the attention and resources of
the regime's backer, Russia, are focused on Ukraine. Since the beginning of
2024, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus reportedly shot down
at least 33 drones launched by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militant group that
controls the northwestern Idlib province. Regime forces have also targeted HTS-controlled
territories with at least 48 single-use exploding drones. The current round of
tit-for-tat drone strikes began in October when an unprecedented drone attack
killed at least 89 and injured as many as 277 at a Syrian military graduation
ceremony in Homs. Damascus responded by striking rebel-held Idlib. It has also
increased the targeting of civilians using drones. "The increasing use of these
drones is likely due to their low prices and high accuracy," Freddy Khoueiry, a
global security analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at the risk
intelligence company RANE, told Business Insider. "They can hover over their
targets before striking, making hits more accurate." The most widely used type
in Syria are first-person view drones, typically quadrotors that cost less than
$1,000 and are remotely piloted into a target via a video feed. While small
compared to more advanced drones like the infamous Iranian-built Shahed-136
loitering munition Russia has used against Ukraine, these inexpensive drones
rigged with explosives are still lethal. "They're still dangerous, especially in
Syria, where both regime and opposition air defenses against these are scarce or
ineffective mostly," Khoueiry said.
Aron Lund, a Syria expert and fellow with Century International, noted that
there has barely been any movement along the Syrian war's frontlines since
spring 2020, a situation he warns won't last forever. "When the status quo
finally breaks, it could happen very quickly and dramatically," Lund told BI.
"Despite the geographic stalemate, all sides still fire at each other every now
and then. Sometimes, there are serious flare-ups." Khoueiry summed up the
current phase in the war as "a continuation of tit-for-tat exchanges we've seen
over the past months and years between regime and opposition forces albeit with
an increase in frequency and intensity, in addition to the use of drones."
"The use of drones falls under the global military trend of increasing loitering
munitions usage due to their wide availability and ease of operation," Khoueiry
said. Unlike the HTS Islamist militants it is fighting, the Syrian military has
other options to strike from a distance, such as artillery and aircraft.
However, unlike drones, Syrian Air Force aircraft require significant support
from Russia. Given Russia's embroilment in Ukraine, Lund suspects Moscow's
"tolerance for escalation" in Syria has decreased. "The Russians might not want
to spend any more jet fuel and Soviet-designed bombs on Assad just to help him
blow up hospitals and marketplaces in Idlib," Lund said. "They now have their
own hospitals and marketplaces to blow up in Ukraine." In addition to being
cheap, the regime can manufacture these drones, or at least many of their
components, locally.
"The Scientific Studies and Research Center, a Ministry of Defense body that
also ran Syria's chemical weapons program, has worked on military drones in the
past, as well as on Iranian-assisted missile production," Lund said. "I would be
surprised if they're not still doing it." The Syria expert also pointed out that
it would make "a lot of sense for Iran to help set up production lines" inside
Syria.
"By supporting local production in Syria, Iran can bypass cumbersome and
insecure smuggling routes," Lund said. "It would be a way of supporting both
Assad's government and Hezbollah — and perhaps other allies, too." RANE's
Khoueiry noted that many reports have detailed that these drones are locally
assembled and built under Iranian and Russian supervision. Furthermore, several
Iran-backed groups — including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and
Iraqi militias — have assembled drones using parts shipped from Iran. "Given the
proliferation of pro-Iran militias in Syria and the Syrian regime's dire
economy, it would be logical to assume that they're likely assembling these
rather than importing them," Khoueiry said. "HTS could be potentially doing the
same, but under Turkish supervision and/or support most likely." A swarm of
drones originating from Idlib targeted Russia's main airbase in Syria, Hmeimim,
in the coastal province of Latakia in January 2018. "It seems well within the
means of Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant jihadi militia in Idlib, to manufacture
and use kamikaze drones," Lund said. "They might not be the most sophisticated
drones around, but I'm sure they can build something good enough to fly to its
target and explode unless shot down." Even though many of these opposition
drones are often described as crude, low-tech, and DIY, Lund also does not rule
out the possibility that Syrian opposition groups have received state backing
for some attacks.
"While there's no real evidence either way, it also seems possible that Syrian
rebels have received under-the-table support from their backer, Turkey," Lund
said. "It may even be that Turkey is behind some of these unclaimed drone
strikes as part of its own tit-for-tat game with Russia."
Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 22-23/2024
Jew-Hate and 'Inquisitions' in Canada
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2024
"I would walk in every single day and I would see 'f–k you Jews,' 'you are not
welcome here,' 'we hate Zionists,' and 'kill yourself.'" — Samantha Kline,
student at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Vancouver Sun, March 6, 2024.
In 2022, the Canadian government invoked the Emergencies Act to shut down the
so-called trucker convoy protests, in which thousands of truck drivers and their
supporters rallied to call for an end to the federal government's COVID-19
vaccine mandates.
Last year, in a move reminiscent of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's
"rehabilitation psychiatric wards," the celebrated psychologist, Professor
Jordan Peterson, was ordered by the College of Psychologists of Ontario to be
"disciplined" in a "Soviet style re-training camp" or lose his license, simply
for having expressed personal opinions about a variety of subjects, from obesity
to transgender ideology.
The same Canadian leaders and officials, however, evidently see no need to
comment on the mobs calling for the genocide of Jews.
As a final blow to Canadian Jews, the Canadian government has decided, at this
time of all times, to implement new standards that will effectively end the
practice of kosher slaughter in Canada.
Is Canada trying to get rid of its Jews? And its freedoms? It might just succeed
in doing both.
Is Canada trying to get rid of its Jews? Since the October 7 massacre in
southern Israel, Jews in Canada have been under constant attack, including
shootings, firebombings, boycotts, vandalism, and intimidation and harassment in
the streets. Few lawmakers are willing to wholeheartedly condemn any of this.
Pictured: Anti-Israel protesters at Dorchester Square in Montreal, Canada, on
November 18, 2023. (Photo by Alexis Aubin/AFP via Getty Images)
Since the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, Jews in Canada have been under
constant attack. Shooting attacks against schools, firebombings of Jewish
institutions, boycotts and vandalism against businesses owned by Jews, imams
inciting and telling their congregations that Jews are "vermin", and the
constant marches of pro-Hamas activists chanting "long live the intifada" and
"from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" -- a euphemism for
annihilating a democratic member of the United Nations, Israel.
In Montreal alone, police recorded 38 reports of hate crimes and other incidents
targeting the city's Jewish community in the weeks following October 7.
According to Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs:
"There is a reason the Jews are being targeted on the streets of Toronto or
Vancouver or Montreal. There's a reason that schools and synagogues are being
firebombed. And it's because the antipathy is for the Jewish people, and the
Jewish state is only an extension of the Jewish people, not something
independent and separate."
In British Columbia, where there are roughly 35,000 Jews, Provincial Premier
David Eby said that he had heard "devastating" accounts of antisemitism from the
Jewish community.
Eby met with leaders of Jewish groups, and said after that antisemitism "exists
in schools, in civil society, in private employers, and I believe that people
have had antisemitism experiences within the government of B.C. public service."
According to Eby, in one incident, a grade-school teacher had asked students to
"self-identify as Jewish" and then demanded they explain to the entire class
"what Israel was doing in Gaza."
In another incident, a student who opposed a teacher's opinion on Hamas and
Israel was accused of "creating a disturbance" and told to sit outside the
class.
In the heavily Jewish Toronto suburb of Thornhill, pro-Hamas protesters
assembled outside two Orthodox synagogues and screamed "From the river to the
sea", "intifada," and "go back to Poland." Jews walking in the street were
intimidated and harassed.
Elsewhere in Toronto, a Jewish-owned delicatessen was set on fire, after "free
Palestine" had been painted on the doors. In Montreal, lists of Jewish
businesses were circulated on social media, asking people to boycott
Jewish-owned establishments and serving as a guide for mobs to gather outside
Jewish establishments to call for boycotts, as they did in front of Toronto's
Jewish-owned Café Landwer.
"I think it would be impossible for our community not to feel nervous and
concerned about safety issues amid the current reality," said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts,
vice president for the greater Toronto area at the Centre for Israel and Jewish
Affairs (CIJA).
"Given the dramatic uptick in hate-motivated crime that we're seeing, given that
visible Jews are being attacked on the street, Jewish businesses being targeted
by boycotts, campaigns of intimidation and now arson, it's only natural the
community is worried."
According to the daily Globe and Mail, in October, police investigated incidents
where "people [were] allegedly banging on doors of Jewish homes and stealing
mezuzahs."
Canadian universities are steeped in antisemitic rhetoric, and Jewish students
are harassed, with some receiving death threats and having to stay away from
campus.
"Jewish students are singled out and demonized for simply being Jewish," said
Jay Solomon of Hillel Canada, a network of Jewish student clubs at universities
across the country, adding that antisemitism is at unprecedented levels.
According to the Vancouver Sun:
"Six prominent Canadian universities, and several student unions, are currently
facing class-action lawsuits from students claiming they have allowed an
environment hostile to Jews to flourish on campus."
One Jewish student, Samantha Kline, received such serious threats that she
stopped going to the campus. She also described seeing antisemitic graffiti
there on a daily basis.
"I would walk in every single day and I would see 'f–k you Jews,' 'you are not
welcome here,' 'we hate Zionists,' and 'kill yourself,'" she said.
Demonstrations feature swastikas and speakers call to "destroy the arrogant
Zionists... kill them all, and do not exempt even one of them," while there are
constant calls for "Intifada", "resistance" and the annihilation of Israel.
Unfortunately, few lawmakers are willing to wholeheartedly condemn any of this.
With a few exceptions, they choose instead to issue half-hearted statements and
do virtually nothing to fight the explosion of hatred against Jews.
In 2022, the Canadian government invoked the Emergencies Act to shut down the
so-called trucker convoy protests, in which thousands of truck drivers and their
supporters rallied to call for an end to the federal government's COVID-19
vaccine mandates.
In 20o8, the author Mark Steyn was prosecuted in Canada for having warned, in
his book America Alone, about the potential consequences of Islam in the West.
Last year, in a move reminiscent of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's
"rehabilitation psychiatric wards," the celebrated psychologist, Professor
Jordan Peterson, was ordered by the College of Psychologists of Ontario to be
"disciplined" in a "Soviet style re-training camp" or lose his license, simply
for having expressed personal opinions about a variety of subjects, from obesity
to transgender ideology.
The same Canadian leaders and officials, however, evidently see no need to
comment on the mobs calling for the genocide of Jews.
Vivian Bercovici, Canada's former ambassador to Israel, wrote on October 21:
"It was well into Sunday, Oct. 8, before Canada's prime minister released a
statement. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attacks but in much more
careful and restrained language than did most western leaders...
"Meanwhile, across Canada, there has been an alarming spike in hate crimes
targeting Jews. In Toronto, word of mouth tells of many Jewish families removing
mezuzot (a symbol that the home is inhabited by Jews) from their external door
frames...
"People are afraid to go to Jewish community centres, Jewish schools, Jewish
areas and Jewish shops. In fact, as a show of understanding and support,
Toronto's chief of police made a point of visiting an iconic Jewish restaurant
in Lawrence Plaza, United Bakers, to demonstrate solidarity and support."
Trudeau's government in October falsely accused Israel of bombing a hospital in
Gaza -- the explosion was quickly proven to have been caused by a rocket
launched by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The incident triggered violent protests
around the world by Hamas supporters, including in Canada. Trudeau refused to
admit the facts of the hospital explosion for a full week, although the truth
was already known worldwide within hours of the attack.
Trudeau did, however, decide to resume funding the UN agency UNRWA, even before
the UN had finished investigating whether UNWRA employees participated in the
October 7 massacre and are members of Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
It turns out at least 30 of them did participate in the atrocities -- and also
"1,468 of UNRWA's 13,000 staff members in Gaza are members of Hamas or
Palestinian Islamic Jihad."
"Canada will be lifting its temporary pause on funding to [UNRWA]," Canadian
International Aid Minister Ahmed Hussen said. "UNRWA plays a vital role in
Gaza."
In addition, the Canadian government this week decided to end arms sales to
Israel, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, following the
passing of a non-binding motion in the Canadian parliament, which called on
Canada to "officially recognize the State of Palestine."
"The reality for Canadian Jews post-October 7 has been an alarming and
unfathomable rise in antisemitism," said Michael Levitt, president and CEO of
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
"Making matters worse, at a time when we need our federal government to be
living up to their pledge of 'We will always have the Jewish community and
Israel's back,' that's not been the case."
As a final blow to Canadian Jews, the Canadian government has decided, at this
time of all times, to implement new standards that will effectively end the
practice of kosher slaughter in Canada.
According to the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR):
"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the regulatory body which governs
animal slaughter in Canada, introduced new guidelines governing animal slaughter
in Canada that in effect - if not intention - place shechita (Jewish ritual
slaughter) in jeopardy."
Rabbi Eric Grossman, headmaster of The Akiva School in Montreal, wrote on March
11:
"This past Friday, a legal Notice of Application was filed on behalf of the
kashrut organizations of Canada against the Attorney General in a last-ditch
attempt to prevent the implementation of new standards that will end shechitah
in Canada within the next two months. The process is well underway and already
one-third of abattoirs in Canada have stopped producing kosher meat. The kosher
certifiers and their representatives had been working with the Canadian
government to find a solution, including a recent meeting in Ottawa, but
according to the application, '...those efforts have proven fruitless.'
The application asserts that ending shechitah violates the rights of Canadian
Jews to practice their faith as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. As such, this new policy is one of the most severe blows ever dealt to
the Canadian Jewish community, which has lived in this land for over two hundred
years."
Is Canada trying to get rid of its Jews? And its freedoms? It might just succeed
in doing both.
*Robert Williams is a researcher based in the United States.
© 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.
From Scarcity to Sustainability: The GCC's Journey Towards
Water Security
Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali/World Bank’s Country Director for the (GCC) countries/Asharq
Al-Awsat/March 22/2024
World Water Day casts a spotlight on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries' journey towards sustainable water security—a remarkable feat given
their extreme water scarcity. The GCC countries face a stark reality: the
absence of surface water and their unsustainable use of groundwater resources
which ranks them among the most water-scarce countries globally. The benchmark
for absolute water scarcity is 500 cubic meters of renewable freshwater per
person annually, a figure that remains a distant aspiration for many of these
countries, some of whose renewable freshwater reserves are below 100 cubic
meters per capita. Despite this scarcity, GCC countries have seen a surge in
water consumption, driven by economic growth, population increase, and
urbanization. Consumption rates often exceed 500 liters per person per day,
dwarfing the figures of countries with comparable income levels, such as
Germany, where consumption is around 120 liters per person per day. This
overconsumption is rapidly depleting the GCC's already limited water reserves.
In response, the GCC countries have embarked on ambitious and innovative
measures to ensure their water future. Leveraging their substantial financial
and human resources, these oil-rich countries have prioritized the development
of desalination technology. Thanks to innovation driven by the GCC countries,
notably advancements in membrane technologies and energy efficiency, the price
of desalinated water has plummeted from US$5.00 per cubic meter in the 1980s to
as low as US$0.40-0.50 in recent projects. This is making desalination
increasingly affordable for countries worldwide.
Beyond desalination, the GCC countries are implementing diversified water
management strategies to manage water demand. One of the most important areas is
the reduction of “non-revenue water” (NRW) — physical and commercial losses of
water. The extraordinary experience of the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA)
deserves mention. The authority reduced NRW from 42% in 1988 to 4.6% by 2023.
The NRW levels in other MENA countries can be as high as 70%; and even in North
America, NRW levels average around 15%.
Circular economy approaches are also increasing the collection, treatment, and
reuse of wastewater, which is proving to be a strategic addition to supplement
diminishing water resources and to increase the value derived from desalinated
water. While some countries have been reluctant to reuse treated wastewater, its
acceptability is growing, in part thanks to successful public outreach
campaigns. The pioneering role of the GCC countries in desalination began in the
1970s, and today they lead the world in desalination capacity. Desalination
plants operate in 186 countries, producing 140 million cubic meters of clean
water daily, with the GCC responsible for nearly half of this output, despite
making up less than 1% of the world's population.
The Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) of Saudi Arabia, the largest
desalination company globally, produces about 20% of the world's desalinated
water. SWCC capitalizes on its vast experience by providing training through its
Water Academy, which has trained thousands of water specialists worldwide, and
by conducting research to improve the desalination process, aiming to increase
efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize waste. Other countries in MENA have
started to develop desalination more recently, benefiting from the technological
and cost-reducing innovations driven by the experience of the GCC countries.
However, in the complex realm of water management, many challenges remain, and
the desalination industry is still seeking a long-term solution for managing
saline brine, the by-product of desalination. The dramatic increase in
desalination has the potential to exacerbate the already naturally high salinity
levels in the Gulf and Red Sea. This can degrade marine biodiversity, species
persistence, fisheries productivity, and affect coastal communities. As the
development of desalination plants increases, there is an increasing need for
cooperation among GCC countries in planning and management to identify potential
cumulative impacts and optimize investment decisions for ensuring
environmentally sustainable regional water security.
In partnership with the World Bank, the GCC countries are working on the
remaining challenges for achieving sustainable water security. Building on over
50 years of partnerships, the World Bank’s global knowledge is combined with
local experience to explore new approaches to valuing water, along with
opportunities to strengthen sustainable practices in desalination and to promote
knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in other countries. This is based on the
expertise and innovation by companies such as SWCC in Saudi Arabia and DEWA in
the UAE, along with taking the World Bank’s development experience from ideas
into action. The decades of investment in innovation in desalination technology
and in good utility management have given the GCC countries a competitive edge
in technology and human expertise to address the looming global challenge of
water scarcity. The research and development efforts spearheaded by the GCC
countries have yielded what economists call a “global public good”, a benefit
for literally the entire planet. Saudi Arabia's upcoming role as host of the
World Water Forum in 2027 underscores the GCC's leadership in water management
and provides a platform to showcase their achievements and share their knowledge
in water security with the world.
Gaza: Razzia as Political Warfare
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 22/2024
Although the tragic narrative that started with Hamas’s October 7 attack on
Israel isn’t yet completed, do-gooders and virtue-signalers are rushing to write
their postscripts. British and European Union leaders say the time has come to
formally accept the creation of a Palestinian state.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU foreign policy tsar Josep Borrel
even suggest that the Security Council pass a resolution to make that mandatory,
adding to the 230 resolutions already passed on the issue.
Meanwhile, Major-General Ismail Qaani, chief of the Quds Corps of the Islamic
Republic in Tehran promises to “rebuild Gaza stronger than before as an advance
post against world Zionism.”
The Biden administration in Washington is making favorable noises about the
two-state “solution” while musing about regime change, albeit in Israel.
Some pundits assert that the Gaza war has already lasted too long and should be
brought to a speedy end before it produces a definite winner and loser.
One pundit wonders what Henry Kissinger, the anointed guru of American
diplomacy, would have done to end the war. He forgets that Kissinger was a
crafty conjurer who turned something into nothing but persuaded the spectators
that the opposite had happened.
Remember his shuttle diplomacy”, each stage of which gave him a photo-op? And
his “confidence building” roadshows to divert attention from the core issue at
hand? Pundits in the Parisian daily Le Monde advocate the two-state solution as
if it were a newly discovered flavor. They forget that the so-called “solution
“has been there since 1947 and has led nowhere because those directly involved
don’t want it.
As a reporter, I covered the so-called “peace talks” from the Madrid Conference
in 1991 until it petered out as a sorrowful farce. For over a decade, the
two-state solution was on the agenda without anyone telling us where those
imaginary states would be located.
British and European pundits are also “concerned” about the length of the Gaza
war and urge unspecified action to shorten it.
They forget that fighting armed groups that wish to impose their agenda by, to
put it in a politically correct manner as the BBC does, “irregular warfare”
cannot be conceived in terms of a short theatrical sketch.
It took the British 11 years to extinguish the fire of “irregular fighters” in
Malaya.
The fight against Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) in Peru took almost 30 years.
In Colombia, the M19 took 20 years to die. The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia” did better by hanging on for almost 40 years. Uruguay managed to
kill the Tupamaros in five years.
India partly calmed down the “freedom fighters” of Nagaland after a 40-year war
while it continues to face an even more tenacious adversary in Kashmir.
Turkey has been fighting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for more than 30
years. In Burma Karen “freedom fighters” have been at war with the Rangoon junta
for almost half a century.
Claiming to be a “freedom fighter” shouldn’t mean a license to kill at will.
Even the “oppressed” have certain duties and must observe some rules while, as
history has shown, the tyranny of the underdog could be as deadly as that of the
oppressor. In 1962 President John F Kennedy identified insurgency as the
predominant threat to American interests.
Kennedy’s National Security Action Memorandum No 124 of January 18, 1962, saw
insurgency as a major form of politico-military conflict equal in importance to
conventional warfare. Kennedy made support for the Algerian National Liberation
Front (FLN) conditional on observing a set of rules, especially by not attacking
civilian targets. The US position was deeply resented by the French but forced
the FLN to stop planting bombs in cafes and start acting like a political party
pursuing its goal through political and diplomatic channels. The question today
is why when no time limit is imposed on conventional war until a victor emerges
should war against an insurgent group be subjected to calendar-based
shenanigans?
The 7 October attack on Israel was a razzia, an Italian word that has entered
most European languages. In fact, the origin of razzia is the Arabic word ghazwa
which means a sudden no-holds-bar attack on a single-set of targets in the hope
of knocking out an adversary.
The sinking of the cruiser Lusitania during the First World War in May 1915 was
a razzia as was the Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941. Those two razzias
pushed the United States into two world wars.
The 9/11 attacks of 2001 on the US were four coordinated razzias
Each of those razzias led to the destruction of perpetrators, sometimes, as in
the case of the August 7 attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the carpet-bombing
of Dresden, with far greater fury.
Payback after those razzias didn’t produce sympathy for the perpetrators. People
in the so-called democracies didn’t march to stop action against those who had
sunk Lusitania, bombed Pearl Harbor, and turned part of London into heaps of
rubble.
Harvard and Princeton luminaries didn’t protest when the US launched its “war on
terror” to avenge 9/11.
No one denies that for over seven decades Palestinians have suffered a great
deal. But is the way to end or a least alleviate their suffering to exempt their
self-imposed political organizations from observing a minimum of ethical rules
even if their adversary didn’t always reciprocate?
Treating the Palestinian issue as if it were an exception to all rules has done
great harm to Palestinians.
They have become the first people in history to have four generations frozen in
the status of refugees. World War II produced over 30 million refugees all of
whom acquired new abodes within a decade. The partition of India produced 14
million refugees, again, seeing all of them re-settled in less than a decade.
Since 1959 more than 10 million Cubans have been driven out of their homeland
and settled in a dozen countries notably the United States.
Does it make any sense to have refugee camps even in Gaza which was free of
Israeli occupation for two decades? Or in the West Bank governed by the
Palestinian Authority? Is it humane to turn being a refugee into a profession
with UNWRA as the franchise holder?
Do those who encourage Hamas by marching in its support know what percentage of
Palestinians it represents and, more importantly, whether those who do support
it also approve of the 7Octiber razzia?
The Biden administration is making a big mistake by implicitly upgrading Hamas
as a legitimate partner through regional allies, thus creating the illusion that
the October 7 razzias like the October 7 one could still produce at least a
lollipop for perpetrators.
Iran’s ‘Word’ Is Worthless: Islam Permits Strategic Lying
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/March 22/2024
Once again, Iran has inadvertently made clear why its true intentions can never
be discerned — why its word can never be taken at face value.
In February, 2024, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadiq al-Shirazi’s delivered a sermon,
which was followed by a Q&A session. One of the questions submitted was whether
it is permissible to break a fast early, “due to taqiyya.”
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to fast during daylight hours,
eating only at sunset. So the question was basically if, out of “fear” (the root
meaning of taqiyya), it is okay for a Muslim to break his fast before sunset.
The End Justifies the Means
As a doctrine, taqiyya, in short, permits Muslims to say or do anything — from
cursing and condemning Muhammad to being baptized and partaking of communion —
so long as they remain committed Muslims at heart, and their deception either
benefits themselves or Islam. (For copious documentation, see here)The grand
ayatollah replied, “Yes,” it is okay to break a fast early, in the context of
taqiyya. He gave several examples of leading Shias throughout history who did
not fast properly due to taqiyya, including Jafar al-Sadiq, the Sixth Imam, a
very import figure in Shiasm. When the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansour proclaimed a
date for Eid al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan and fasting) that differed from
the Sunni date, rather than continue fasting to the Sunni date, the Sixth Imam
broke his fast alongside everyone else, lest he be exposed as a Shia.
His logic: “By Allah, breaking my fast on one day of the month of Ramadan and
doing Qada [making up] of the missed duty is more favorable to me than having my
head decapitated.”
According to one report on the recent sermon,
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi then concluded: Therefore, if a person does not fast at
all, or does not pray at all out of taqiyya, they must do the Qada [make up] of
the missed duties, because they did not fast and did not pray. However, if the
person breaks his fast earlier than Maghrib [sunset], because they have fasted
and only broken the fast before the permissible Sharia-decreed time, the general
principles of taqiyya are applied to their situation and there is no need for
them to do the Qada. The same applies to a person who performs Salaat [prayers]
in a way that is invalid out of taqiyya.
All of this technical wrangling is another way of confirming one thing: Islam is
not a religion of principle; circumstance dictates everything — and not just for
Shia, but for Sunnis as well (see here and here).
Muhammad Approved of Lying
According to the late Sami Mukaram, the world’s leading authority on taqiyya,
Taqiyya is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect
agrees to it and practices it … We can go so far as to say that the practice of
taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it
diverge from the mainstream … Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics,
especially in the modern era.
Moreover, taqiyya is not merely about safeguarding one’s life but can be used to
get an advantage over one’s enemy: “Taqiyya,” writes Mukaram, “in order to dupe
the enemy is permissible.”
One example from the life of Muhammad: A Jewish poet, Ka‘b ibn Ashraf, had
offended the prophet of Islam with his verse, prompting Muhammad once to
exclaim, “Who will kill this man who has hurt Allah and his prophet?” A young
Muslim named Muhammad ibn Maslama volunteered on condition that in order to get
close enough to Ka‘b to assassinate him, he must be allowed to lie to the poet.
Muhammad agreed.
Ibn Maslama traveled to Ka‘b and began to denigrate Islam and Muhammad. He
carried on in this way till his disaffection became so convincing that Ka‘b took
him into his confidence. Soon thereafter, Ibn Maslama appeared with another
Muslim and, while Ka‘b’s guard was down, killed, beheaded him, and took his head
to Muhammad, who praised their deed.
Deceit More Important than Courage
Accordingly, normative Islam teaches that deceit is integral to jihad: Ibn al-Arabi
declares that “in the Hadith [sayings and actions of Muhammad], practicing
deceit in war is well demonstrated. Indeed, its need is more stressed than the
need for courage.”
Ibn al-Munir (d. 1333) writes, “War is deceit, i.e., the most complete and
perfect war waged by a holy warrior [mujahid] is a war of deception, not
confrontation, due to the latter’s inherent danger, and the fact that one can
attain victory through treachery without harm [to oneself].” And Ibn Hajar (d.
1448) counsels Muslims “to take great caution in war, while [publicly] lamenting
and mourning in order to dupe the infidels.” [The Al Qaeda Reader (New York:
Doubleday, 2007), pp. 142-3.]
In short, and to truly understand the impact of taqiyya, consider: If
Christians, past and present, preferred martyrdom over renouncing Christ, to
Muslims this is a no-brainer: Not only are they permitted to renounce Muhammad
and Allah, but they are also permitted to “convert” to Christianity, so long as
they are still Muslims at heart and engaging in this farce for their or Islam’s
benefit over the infidels they seek to deceive and/or subvert.
Similarly, to better appreciate what this leading Shia cleric is advocating,
Western audiences must first appreciate the significance of the examples he
provided. Fasting and prayers are absolute pillars of Islam. If any Muslim duty
is not to be tampered with, it is precisely fasting and prayer. If Muslims are
given a license to compromise these two pillars in the context of taqiyya, then
surely nothing is sacred — including a Muslim’s word to the infidels, or, in the
context of Iran, its word to all non-Muslims.
Yes, blame Biden for Afghan fiasco … but learn the
lessons too
LUKE COFFEY/Arab News/March 22, 2024
Former US generals Mark Milley and Kenneth McKenzie, who were chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff and head of US Central Command respectively when the US
withdrew from Afghanistan, were the star witnesses at last week’s congressional
hearing on the fiasco.
It was the first time either had spoken publicly and on the record about the
events leading up to the Taliban takeover.
Unsurprisingly, what they had to say about the withdrawal was damning for the
White House. Both blamed the State Department for delaying, until the last
minute, the removal of American and qualifying Afghan civilians from the
country. This lack of planning led to the chaotic and dangerous situation at
Kabul airport witnessed by the world — including the Daesh bombing on Aug. 26
that killed 183 Afghans and Americans. The consequences of the State
Department’s lack of planning is still felt today for Afghans who risked their
lives helping US forces for two decades. An estimated 152,000 Afghans who
qualify for refuge in the US are still stuck in Afghanistan. Most of them, along
with their families, remain in hiding and in fear of Taliban retribution.
Congress could pass legislation that would help them, but it has failed to do
so.
The two retired generals made it clear that the White House also ignored their
military advice. Instead of a total US military withdrawal, both suggested that
a small military force of about 2,500 soldiers should remain. This was a telling
admission because at the time of the withdrawal the White House denied that such
a recommendation had been made. Nobody ever claimed that 2,500 troops would have
been enough to help the Afghan government take control of the whole country, but
in retrospect we now know it would certainly have been enough to ensure that the
Taliban could not have seized power.
There was also a political dimension to the congressional hearing that should
not go unnoticed. Since taking over control of the US Congress in 2023,
Republicans have been keen to use their oversight authorities over the executive
branch to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disastrous Afghan
withdrawal. This is especially true in the middle of a presidential election
year. The Republican leadership in Congress had been hoping to impeach President
Joe Biden this year on other issues, but this is now looking unlikely.
Republicans therefore see an opportunity to undermine Biden’s authority by
reminding Americans of the disaster in Afghanistan under his watch as commander
in chief.
However, taking this overtly political approach is a double-edged sword for
Republicans. Democrats at the hearing were quick to point out that the original
ill-fated agreement between the US and the Taliban that led to the withdrawal
from Afghanistan was completed under the Trump administration. As this line of
argument goes, Biden was merely continuing with an agreement reached by his
predecessor.
Republicans have been keen to use their oversight authorities over the executive
branch to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disastrous Afghan
withdrawal.
It is true that Trump made the dodgy deal with the Taliban, but this does not
absolve Biden of his responsibilities as commander in chief. After assuming
office in January 2021, Biden had no problem whatsoever changing hundreds of
other Trump administration executive orders, policies, and initiatives. The
current chaos at the US southern border is an example of this. Had Biden wanted
to change the Afghan strategy he inherited from his predecessor, he had the
power to do so. He chose not to, and now the Taliban are back in power.
Biden was so determined to leave Afghanistan no matter what the costs that he
ignored the advice of his military commanders. Sadly, the Afghans are the ones
suffering the consequences today. The situation in Afghanistan has been bleak
since the Taliban returned to power. The country has been suffering from an
economic and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by natural disasters such as
earthquakes, landslides and droughts. Girls are still banned from attending
school above the age of about 11. The international community hasn’t figured out
a way to get humanitarian aid into the country and directly to the Afghan people
without lining the pockets of the Taliban elites. Al-Qaeda and other
transnational terrorist groups operate freely in the country.
Putting the politics to one side, there is a legitimate need for Congress to get
to the bottom of how the disaster in Kabul unfolded so the same mistakes are not
repeated. From the American point of view, the Afghan withdrawal had disastrous
effects on US prestige and honor on the global stage. After seeing the defeat in
Afghanistan, America’s adversaries were emboldened to test the US in ways they
would never have considered otherwise. And many of America’s friends and allies
started to question US resolve and commitment. Just six months after America’s
withdrawal from Kabul, Russian tanks were rolling into Ukraine.
Of course Biden should be held responsible for what happened in Afghanistan. But
while there is a temptation during an election year to use congressional
hearings for political grandstanding, politicians should ensure that lessons are
also learned from debacle.
This way the same mistakes will not be made again.
• Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey
Economic interests driving Turkiye’s security policy
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/March 22, 2024
In the current geopolitical context, the boundaries between economy and security
are becoming increasingly blurred. Economic interests are never separated from
security considerations and, therefore, the recipe for a secure country is an
integrated economy through cooperation, with any terrorist threats eliminated
from the domestic and external environments.
This approach is driven, to a large extent, by the threats posed by terrorist
elements, which can jeopardize both economic development and security. It
becomes especially relevant when it comes to Turkiye’s relations with countries
where its security and economic concerns are intertwined, such as Iraq.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last week explained the economic-security
approach that Ankara has adopted in its relations with Iraq. Fidan said: “When
you have a relationship based on economic development, you need to eliminate
security issues.” He added that economic development is only possible in a safe
and secure atmosphere.
Fidan emphasized that fostering economic growth necessitates resolving security
issues, indicating Turkiye’s commitment to not only security-based relations but
also broader cooperation, particularly in the defense and energy sectors. This
objective requires a reciprocal approach and Turkiye and Iraq have now, after
months of discussions, reached a common understanding to fight terrorism
together in order to achieve mutual economic interests. This economic-security
engagement is expected to reinforce a mutually beneficial relationship.
Turkiye and Iraq’s economic-security engagement is expected to reinforce a
mutually beneficial relationship
Historically, Turkiye’s counterterrorism efforts in Iraq have strained its
relations with Baghdad. But Fidan’s insistence this week that “we do not want to
become enemies with our allies as we eliminate the PKK” was important. This
indicates that there has been a shift toward strategic planning and
collaboration to combat common threats, such as the PKK, which was last week
banned by Baghdad.
Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin last
week held talks with their Iraqi counterparts during a security summit. This
marked the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations between Ankara and
Baghdad. These talks also aimed to prepare the ground for Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anticipated post-Ramadan visit to Baghdad. Erdogan’s last
trip to Baghdad was in 2012 during his tenure as prime minister. Next month’s
expected visit is considered to be crucial in settling any tensions between
Baghdad and Ankara on political, security and economic issues. A delegation of
high-ranking Turkish officials, business figures and representatives from
various companies are to accompany him.
When states aim to push their relations to another level, heads of state tend to
pay visits, often with large business delegations accompanying them. Although
much of the focus is on what the leaders say during these visits, the most
important task falls to the businesspeople behind the scenes, who drive the
newly restored relations.
Ankara wants to institutionalize its relations with Iraq and plans to ink
various agreements on myriad issues
Iraq and Turkiye have myriad issues to address, including stalled oil exports,
trade and water management. Ankara wants to institutionalize its relations with
Iraq and plans to ink various agreements on these issues. The two countries also
aim to create a strategic framework for all aspects of their relationship and
establish joint standing committees on counterterrorism, trade, energy, water
and transport. Ahead of his visit, Erdogan signaled Turkiye’s intention to
launch a military incursion into Iraq and Syria. He said on Monday that Turkiye
would “complete unfinished business” with the PKK and its offshoot, the YPG, in
northern Iraq and Syria by this summer. Fidan also said that Iran may be
included in the economic and security dimensions of the discussions, as Ankara
often discusses Iraq and the issue of terrorism when holding meetings with
Tehran. Turkish officials have reportedly stated that Ankara’s main purpose in
these operations is to eliminate the presence of the PKK, which has the
potential to seriously threaten the Iraq Development Road Project — a planned
1,200-km highway and railway project that will connect the Arabian Gulf to
Turkiye through Iraq. Turkiye aims to secure the area for the construction of
the project by “killing two birds with one stone.”
Both Turkiye and Iraq, as well as the Gulf states, want to see the project
finalized, as it will allow goods to be carried from Al-Faw port in Iraq’s Basra
governorate to international markets via Turkiye. The primary objective of the
project is to enhance economic cooperation between Iraq, Turkiye, the Gulf
states and Europe. This is in line with Turkiye’s economy-oriented foreign
policy paradigm and makes Iraq a strategic priority for Ankara. This fits in
with the security and economic fields being related when it comes to Turkiye’s
relations with Iraq. Three factors have been motivating Turkiye’s approach.
Domestically, last year’s election victories for Erdogan have given the
government the confidence to focus more on economic gains in foreign policy. The
second factor is related to the regional environment, which is now more suitable
for Turkiye to cooperate with neighboring states. Ankara wants to eliminate
terrorist threats through cooperation with regional countries. In the past,
neither Baghdad nor Tehran were supportive in the fight against the PKK. The
third factor is related to the US’ position on Turkiye’s counterterrorism
operations. Ankara and Washington have been at odds due to the latter’s support
for the YPG in Syria. However, in recent months, a positive track in
Turkish-American relations has emerged.
Overall, the conditions both at home and in the region are pushing Turkiye to
consolidate its policies in Iraq, driven by both security imperatives and
economic interests and underpinned by regional cooperation. Things will become
clearer with Erdogan’s anticipated visit to Iraq.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s
relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
Microorganisms are the cornerstone of all marine life in
the Red Sea
EMAN SABBAGH/Arab News/March 22, 2024
Between the continents of Africa and Asia lies the Red Sea, a semi-enclosed
basin located in oligotrophic (limited in nutrients) tropical and subtropical
regions. Despite its harsh conditions, including elevated temperatures, high
salinities and limited nutrients, it harbors rich diversity.
Within its clear blue waters lies another world, unseen to the naked eye but
which plays a significant role in marine ecosystems.
Microbes are found suspended in the water column, spanning from the surface to
the deep, dark sea. With millions of cells and particles in only one milliliter,
they indeed form the unseen majority of the Red Sea.
Although microbes have often been overlooked, they are an essential component of
the marine ecosystem.
They stimulate nutrient cycling, contribute to oxygen production, promote gas
exchange between the sea and the atmosphere, support fisheries and form
symbiotic relationships with fish and invertebrates to maintain a healthy
balance in this marine environment.
These microbes together form a natural cycle called the microbial food web. It
includes complex trophic interactions, in which energy and matter are recycled
through microorganisms to reach higher levels in the food chain.
Microbial communities are composed of living organisms and nonliving biological
entities such as viruses.
Cyanobacteria, tiny photosynthetic bacteria (0.2 to 0.2 micrometers), form the
base of the microbial food web. Like plants, they perform photosynthesis to gain
energy from sunlight to produce oxygen and organic matter.
Although microbes have often been overlooked, they are an essential component of
the marine ecosystem.
Heterotrophic bacteria (0.2 to 0.5 micrometers), another element in the
microbial food web, rely on the organic matter produced by cyanobacteria as a
source of energy. Another member of the microbial community is zooplankton,
which are slightly larger (2 to 20 micrometers) and mainly predate on bacteria
as their preferred source of food. Viruses, meanwhile, are also important
microbial components of the food web. Although they are very small (0.02 to 0.2
micrometers), they are the most abundant biological entities on the planet.
When we hear the word virus, the first thing that comes to mind is infection and
mortality, but in truth viruses play a far more important role in the health and
balance of marine ecosystems.
The contribution of beneficial microorganisms within the microbial food web, as
well as those forming symbiotic relationships with other marine creatures and
those simply suspended in the water column, serves as the cornerstone of all
forms of marine life and, without it, life in the sea would not exist.
Indeed, these microscopic microbes have revealed some secrets, but much mystery
remains hidden.
In celebration of World Water Day, I hope this article can help raise awareness
about global waters, shedding light not only on the widely seen part but also on
the invisible one.
I also want to take a moment to emphasize the remarkable efforts undertaken by
the National Center for Wildlife in discovering novel habitats, such as blue
holes, which I am sure are full of mystery.
The National Center for Wildlife is also dedicated to protecting marine and
coastal environments in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, including coral reefs,
seagrass and mangroves and the associated biodiversity, from large marine
mammals to tiny algae, aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.
• Eman Sabbagh spent eight years at King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology working in the field of the microbial ecology of the Red Sea. She now
works at the National Center for Wildlife.