Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 03-04/2024
8 Syrian troops hurt in Israeli strike on 'Hezbollah building'
Israel Conducts Surprise Military Exercises on the Southern Front
Berri says will respond Friday or Saturday to French paper
Zafer Nasser discusses Jumblatt-Macron meeting
Joseph Gebeily to LBCI: Maarab meeting was a success
President Macron receives Walid Jumblatt, discusses Lebanon's political situation
Abou Nader: Lebanese people reject European aid as a bribe to contain refugees
Lebanon ranks 140th in World Press Freedom Index amid economic and political crisis
EU Aid: an Attempt to Bribe Lebanon?
Mikati’s Billion Euro Deal Selling off Lebanon
ISF: New Hotline to Report Digital Abuse and Blackmail
Salloum prohibits pharmacists from promoting any product under prosecution penalty
Qatari Prime Minister meets with Salam, talks emphasize strong Lebanese-Qatari relationship, Qatar's role in boosting stability
Makhzoumi salutes media, press professionals on World Press Freedom Day
€1bn EU ‘bribe’ over Syrian refugees stirs anger in LebanonEuropean
Hamas and Hezbollah: How Iran Is Secretly Infiltrating Europe/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./May 03/2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 03-04/2024
Rafah incursion would put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk, UN aid agency says
CIA director in Cairo for meetings on Gaza conflict, Egyptian sources say
Hamas: Netanyahu seeks to undermine truce prospects by threatening to attack Rafah
Prisoner deal hangs in balance: Israeli Cabinet deliberates next steps as anticipation builds for Hamas response
UN agencies prepare for Rafah incursion, warn of 'slaughter'
Amid protests and police raids, US schools try to keep the peace at graduation
A new sea route for Gaza aid is on track, USAID says. Treating starving children is a priority
Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship freed
Iraqi militant group claims missile attack on Tel Aviv targets, source says
Universities take steps to prevent pro-Palestinian protest disruptions of graduation ceremonies
Biden says 'order must prevail' on US campuses amid protests
Here's what's on the table for Israel and Hamas in the latest cease-fire talks
Pro-Palestine encampment remains at University of Toronto despite safety concerns
A suspected Islamic State group attack on pro-government force in east Syria kills at least 13
Austin: No indication Hamas planning attack on US troops
Normalization agreement nears: Will Saudi-Israeli normalization materialize soon?
Yemen's Houthis say they will target ships heading for Israel anywhere within range
Russia says U.S. secondary sanctions aim to 'contain' China
Attack on ICRC convoy in Sudan's South Darfur kills two drivers, injures three
Violence shuts crucial aid corridor into Sudan's Darfur, UN agency says

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 03-04/2024
Haunted by their colleagues’ deaths: The journalists risking their lives to report on Gaza/Antoinette Radford, Sana Noor Haq and Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah/CNN/May 03, 2024
Question: “Who killed Jesus?”/GotQuestions.org//May 3, 2024
US media experts demand review of New York Times story on sexual violence by Hamas on Oct. 7/RAY HANANIA/Arab News/May 03, 2024
New NATO chief must work with Turkiye on Middle East file/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/May 03, 2024
Global elections in the shadow of neoliberalism/Joseph E. Stiglitz/Arab News/May 03, 2024
How the Ukraine war has affected ex-Soviet bloc states/Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/May 03, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 03-04/2024
8 Syrian troops hurt in Israeli strike on 'Hezbollah building'
Agence France Presse/May 03/2024
Syria's defense ministry on Friday said eight soldiers had been injured in Israeli air strikes near Damascus. On Thursday night, "the Israeli enemy launched air strikes from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting a site near Damascus... injuring eight soldiers," the ministry said in a statement. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Israel had struck a government building in the Damascus countryside that has been used by Lebanon's Hezbollah group 2014. The Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the outbreak of a civil war in its northern neighbor in 2011, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters. But the strikes increased after Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group launched a deadly attack against Israel. On April 19, Israeli strikes targeted a Syrian army position in the country's south, Syria's government and the Observatory said, as U.S. media reported Israel had hit Iran. Overnight on April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel in an unprecedented attack that came in retaliation for a deadly strike -- widely blamed on Israel -- on Tehran's consulate in Damascus. Syria's war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions more since it erupted in March 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

Israel Conducts Surprise Military Exercises on the Southern Front
This Is Beirut/May 03/2024
Israeli army spokesperson, Avichae Adraee, revealed on Friday that “the 282nd Brigade carried out a surprise exercise to simulate an offensive operation on the northern front”. In a tweet on X, Adraee indicated that troops of the brigade have been conducting offensive and defensive missions on the Lebanese borders for the past three months. “During the past week, a surprise exercise was conducted in which various scenarios were practiced, including the rapid deployment of artillery for offensive purposes” he added. “The aim is simulating fighting in various combat scenarios on the Lebanese border against the terrorist organization Hezbollah” Adraee continued. He also affirmed that “Since the outbreak of the war, artillery forces on the northern border have fired thousands of rounds of ammunition at thousands of terrorist targets as part of an ongoing series of operations targeting subversive cells and planned attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure and targets in the border area”.Earlier at around noon, the Israeli army announced intercepting a drone launched from southern Lebanon towards their northern front. At the same time, Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Naqoura, with no casualties reported.

Berri says will respond Friday or Saturday to French paper
Naharnet/May 03/2024
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he will respond “Friday or Saturday” to the French paper proposing a solution for the Lebanon-Israel border conflict.Berri, who had received the paper from the French ambassador to Lebanon, told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that it included “acceptable and other unacceptable points that should be modified.” Berri added that a ceasefire in Gaza would “automatically apply to south Lebanon.” A prominent source from the Shiite Duo meanwhile told the daily that Berri’s response will enjoy unconditional support from Hezbollah and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Zafer Nasser discusses Jumblatt-Macron meeting
LBCI/May 03/2024
The Progressive Socialist Party's Secretary General, Zafer Nasser, confirmed that France is attempting to play a role in solving southern Lebanon, particularly after the French document that was presented to Lebanon through the French Foreign Minister last week. There have since been meetings with directly concerned Lebanese leaders. Regarding the meeting between the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, Nasser said, "The invitation came from the French presidency," noting that communication with the French leadership had not ceased during the past period. In an interview on LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, Nasser mentioned that "the main topic of the meeting was the war in southern Lebanon, UN resolution 1701, and France's role in this regard, as well as the French initiative." He pointed out that "the coordination between the Americans and the French does not seem consistent."Nasser added, "Lebanese political forces should not obstruct the government so it can negotiate the Syrian refugees issue with the Syrian government."He noted that "we disagree with Hezbollah on many issues, and we were the first to urge them not to expand the scope of the war on the southern border. However, the situation in the south requires a different evaluation by political forces, as the problem lies with Israel, not with Hezbollah."Nasser revealed that "during our meeting with Hajj Safa, we did not discuss the Maarab meeting but focused on the issue of refugees and the southern front."

Joseph Gebeily to LBCI: Maarab meeting was a success
LBCI/May 03/2024
Joseph Gebeily, a member of the Executive Committee of the Lebanese Forces, affirmed that the Maarab meeting was successful, noting that a large segment of Lebanese people participated in the event. During an interview on LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, Gebeily mentioned that the meeting, which was held under the title "1701 in Defense of Lebanon," addressed the concerns of the Lebanese people, including the security and economic situation, the situation in the south, the situation of Syrian refugees, and resolution 1701 as a solution to the crisis in the south. He added: "Those who did not participate in the meeting, such as President Fouad Siniora, share the same stance against the opposition group, Hezbollah's weapons, and the meeting's statement.''

President Macron receives Walid Jumblatt, discusses Lebanon's political situation
LBCI/May 03/2024
President Emmanuel Macron of France received the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt at the Élysée Palace in Paris, where they discussed the political situation in Lebanon. According to a statement from the Élysée, Macron emphasized that France remains fully committed to finding a solution to the crisis that weakens the country through its envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in close cooperation with Lebanese officials and in coordination with international partners. Macron renewed his call for all Lebanese political parties to take responsibility for resolving the current impasse. He also affirmed France's full commitment to preventing the risk of escalation due to the rising tensions along the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, and France's historical adherence to Lebanon's security and stability. In this context, Macron highlighted France's ongoing support for UNIFIL and its participation in it. He reiterated that France will continue to provide the Lebanese army with the support it needs to ensure Lebanon's stability.

Abou Nader: Lebanese people reject European aid as a bribe to contain refugees
LBCI/May 03/2024
Fouad Abou Nader announced that Lebanese people have significant doubts regarding the EU's financial package for Lebanon, estimated at a value of one billion euros over four years. He said: "If it is a veiled bribe intended to task the government with containing Syrian refugees and keeping them in Lebanon, then this assistance is to be returned to the givers with thanks." He added: "The assistance that Lebanon was expecting from Europe is the regular repatriation of refugees to their country by giving them direct incentives in Syria. They can start by repatriating about 200,000 refugees who freely move between Lebanon and their country and have participated in the recent elections, which means there are no problems between them and the regime." He asked: "Lebanese people were promised the transfer of Syrian prisoners to their country to complete their sentences there, so where is this promise now?"

Lebanon ranks 140th in World Press Freedom Index amid economic and political crisis
LBCI/May 03/2024
Lebanon's ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has seen a concerning decline, dropping to 140th in 2024 from 119th in 2023, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This drop reflects the challenging environment for journalists in the country, where the economic and political crisis has deepened restrictions on the media. The situation for journalists has been exacerbated by the conflict between Israel and Gaza, particularly in South Lebanon. Since October 7, 2023, three journalists have been killed by Israeli strikes while covering tensions on the border. Issam Abdallah, Farah Omar, and Rabih Me'mari lost their lives in attacks that were reportedly deliberate. Lebanon's legal framework criminalizes defamation, slander, and the spread of false information, allowing journalists to be fined or imprisoned. Lebanon's media sector struggles with the severe financial crisis, including impacts from the 2020 Beirut port explosion that forced budget and staff cuts. Fuel shortages and blackouts further hinder reporting. Conservative public opinion and political pressures complicate coverage of sensitive topics like LGBTQ+ rights and Syrian refugees. Proposed laws to penalize journalists for covering these issues lead to harassment and intimidation. Safety remains a significant concern for journalists in Lebanon. In addition to the recent deaths from Israeli strikes, journalists continue to face threats, attacks, and legal proceedings for their coverage of the economic crisis and the Beirut port explosion. Despite these risks, many journalists persist in their work, striving to shed light on critical issues affecting the country.

EU Aid: an Attempt to Bribe Lebanon?
Natasha Metni Torbey/This Is Beirut/May 03/2024
Financial aid allocated by the European Union to Lebanon is known only by its amount. However, questions arise about whether the one billion euros (granted until 2027) is sufficient to “counter” the Syrian crisis and what will become of the plans proposed by the Lebanese government for the repatriation of Syrians from Lebanon. The announcement on Thursday of the granting of one billion euros to support “socio-economic stability” in Lebanon has sparked many questions and, above all, a great deal of controversy. It must be said that the statements made by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, from the Grand Serail, where she met on Thursday with the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, in the context of a tripartite meeting also involving Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, are not insignificant. They come in a context where Europe fears the phenomenon of illegal immigration to the continent, particularly from the Lebanese coast. It is in this perspective that the agreements concluded last March between the EU and Tunisia, Egypt, and Mauritania, aiming to “compel” these countries to keep Syrian displaced persons on their soil in exchange for a package of financial “aid,” can be understood. It should be recalled that a similar agreement had previously been concluded in 2016 with Turkey. Today, Lebanon is added to this list of countries. Moreover, von der Leyen did not hide on Thursday her desire to be able to count on “good cooperation” from Beirut to combat illegal immigration to Europe. Hence, according to some political officials and experts, the one billion euros unlocked by the EU and distributed between 736 million intended to address the Syrian crisis and 264 million to be granted to help security forces, particularly for border control. Is it an attempt to bribe Lebanon? This is what is denounced, at least, by those who contest this new aid program.
A Sum Far Below the Real Needs
Interviewed by This is Beirut, former Interior Minister Marwan Charbel estimated that this initiative aims to “silence Lebanon by pouring in a sum far below the real needs in this matter.” “No less than 2 billion dollars per year are needed to cope with such a presence of displaced persons,” he said. A crisis that, according to him, will only be definitively resolved when US sanctions on Syria are lifted. These figures were confirmed by Samir Daher, the economic advisor to Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. According to the latest figures from a recent study (not yet published) by the World Bank, provided by Daher to This is Beirut, the annual cost of the presence of Syrians in Lebanon amounts to $1.5 billion (bearing in mind that the World Bank takes into account one and a half million displaced persons). However, according to statistics from the General Security, Lebanon hosts 2.08 million displaced Syrians, between those registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and those who are not. Therefore, if we do the calculation, there is an annual need of about $2 billion in this regard. The one billion euros in aid allocated over a period of four years (the European financial package extending until 2027) consists of about 250 million euros per year. This figure is significantly lower than the real need of $2 billion annually.
Arab Countries Called Upon to Mobilize
“It is not surprising that a large part of the Lebanese political class is not satisfied with this aid,” says a diplomatic source from the EU. “Those in power always seek to ask for more funds to be able to steal, as they have always done,” the source added in an interview with This is Beirut. “All those who criticize our initiative are lying about the facts or do not want to understand the motives behind this approach,” the same source stressed. “All the EU is seeking to do is help Lebanon overcome the difficulties posed by the Syrian crisis. However, it is the duty of Arab countries, which are normalizing their relations with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to mobilize in order to support Lebanon in this regard. The entire responsibility does not fall on the EU. To all those who ask why we do not grant this aid to Syrians in their country, we answer that we do, with difficulty, because of the regime in power, but we unquestionably help internally displaced Syrians.”“It is true that Lebanon’s needs exceed those granted, but do not forget that the country benefits economically from the presence of the displaced, since the contributions (in foreign currencies) that we pour out to Syrians are confined within the territory,” insist the same circles. “This, not to mention the workforce they represent, as many Lebanese do not engage in the work that Syrians do.”
Unfair Competition
To these remarks, Daher responds, “Syrians are currently engaging in unfair competition with the Lebanese workforce. Assuming that the economy in Lebanon lacks workers in certain areas, it certainly does not need two million individuals.”
“The aid from the EU is a rightful thing,” he insists. “In general, any host country that welcomes refugees is considered to be contributing effectively to a global public good.” According to Daher, this contribution “must be paid, since there is a cost that comes from the presence of refugees on its territory.” “It is in no way an advance to prolong the stay of the displaced in Lebanon or prevent their repatriation, especially since this aid does not pass through the government. It is done rather by direct financing from the EU to the beneficiaries of the projects in question.”Asked whether the government will approve this aid in the Council of Ministers, Daher asked, “Why would we refuse this allocation if it is not subject to conditions relating to the presence of Syrians? This assistance is owed to us to defray a portion of the costs associated with their presence on our territory.” And he certifies that the government will inevitably continue its plan for the repatriation of Syrians.“The situation would not have been so dramatic if the Lebanese state assumed its responsibilities,” says a diplomatic source from the EU in response.
Voluntary Return
According to the EU source, the international community is engaging in talks to facilitate the voluntary return of Syrians to their country. “This is not an easy task given the number of political refugees who would face great danger in returning home and the great difficulty of coordinating with the Assad regime.” The number of these political refugees varies, according to Daher, between 50 and 100,000 people. “And the rest?” he wonders. And he specifies that it is up to the UNHCR to take charge of Syrians who fear returning to their country by relocating them to a host country. This is not the case with Lebanon, which is a transit country, according to the laws. Returning to the numbers, Daher explains that Lebanon currently has less than 4 million Lebanese, more than 2 million Syrians, nearly 270,000 Palestinians, and other foreign nationals. Hence, there is an approximate total of 6.5 million people on a territory of 10,450 km², with a density of around 620 people per km² compared to 4 in Canada, 3.5 in Australia, and 35 in the United States. This raises questions about the future of Lebanese identity…

Mikati’s Billion Euro Deal Selling off Lebanon
This Is Beirut/May 03/2024
“He went straight for the jugular.” That is how one can summarize the position of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, following his meeting with the Cypriot President and the President of the European Commission on Thursday. Mikati is seemingly preparing a deal to sell Lebanon off for a billion euros “at the expense of the Lebanese.” Come the evening, the caretaker Prime Minister took yet another despicable stance in a televised interview, paving the way for the Lebanese people to go on “seasonal immigration trips” to EU countries and work there. Does that mean that the Lebanese should now travel “seasonally”, while Syrians get to stay in Lebanon and enjoy all four seasons? Europe’s financing of the refugee initiative has become a shameful act, one that is equally shameful for the entire international community. In fact, the Lebanese people did not have time to forget the cost imposed by Syrian refugees – a minimum of 30 billion euros, and as much as 50 billion euros according to some sources. This most recent “blasphemy” approved by Mikati was criticized by a number of MPs, including George Okais, member of the Strong Republic bloc, who deemed the matter “worrying”. In an interview with This is Beirut, Okais maintained that a deal is being made to undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and disregard the country’s higher interest that lies in the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. Supposing that such fears are unfounded, the caretaker Prime Minister ought – for the sake of his own reputation – to come clean and tell the people what really happened. Is the assistance aimed at facilitating the Syrian refugees’ stay in Lebanon and lifting the burden off Europe? Or is there a different reason altogether? According to Okais, the move in question is suspicious, so are its objectives. Activating the Beirut port and promoting tax collection – given the frequency of tax evasion, bad spending, and corruption – will pour over 250 million euros into the coffers of the Lebanese state yearly. Therefore, compromising Lebanese sovereignty is simply inconceivable. Okais concluded by emphasizing that the matter has escalated to an existential level, lamenting the absence of decisive measures to address the situation, repatriate refugees, and adopt strategies akin to those implemented by countries such as Turkey and Jordan. Instead, Lebanon appears to be exacerbating the problem, potentially leading to “the end of the Lebanese people”.
As for MP Elias Hankach, representing the Kataeb party, emphasized the party’s 5513 martyrs who fell in defense of Lebanon, so that the country does not turn into a refuge for any other people, with the blessing of the international community.
In an interview with This is Beirut, Hankach expressed his concern over the deteriorating state of Lebanon, asserting that the implementation of this scheme is imminent. He emphasized its objective of plunging the country further into despair and devaluation. Describing the officials involved as “irresponsible,” the Kataeb MP lamented the lack of trust from both the Lebanese people and Parliament. Evidently, the Lebanese did not task Mikati with selling off Lebanon at their expense.
Hankach added: “We want one of two things: for the Syrians to return to their home country, or for the European Union to show generosity by hosting them on its territory; they only make up 0.04% of its total population, after all. In Lebanon, they’ve reached 40%.” The Kataeb party representative also expressed his total rejection of the initiative, stating that what occurred is a deal aimed at selling off a country that sacrificed so much. “More importantly, we will not stand idly by and will continue to pressure the international community,” he declared.
Hankach also went over his meeting in Cyprus with the President of the Cypriot foreign affairs parliamentary commission, during which the two agreed on mutual cooperation regarding this issue that has become a threat for both countries. And given Cyprus’ membership in the EU, it can become Lebanon’s ally and therefore contribute to the establishment of joint delegations to refer the matter – no country in the world is capable of managing such a crisis on its own – to the international community.
In turn, change MP Firas Hamdan told This is Beirut that the refugee issue requires a clear strategy and steps to be taken either locally or with the international community – through government policies – which still hasn’t occurred since 2011. According to him, chaos and anarchy stand in the way of the strategy’s implementation, and some people are benefitting from the assistance at the expense of refugees. Additionally, Hamdan believes that a billion euros cannot be the solution; what is required is a clear joint strategy to be put together by Parliament and the Cabinet, but the former has no vision in this regard. Not to mention that no mechanism exists that would monitor the way the money is spent, and the organisms that would allocate the funds have not been determined yet. By law, all spending must be decided upon by the Parliament, and the Cabinet is powerless without parliament’s approval, be it a loan or a donation.
Hamdan also added that the matter requires a decision from the top authority, which is why electing a President is imperative. A new government must also be formed to that end in order to negotiate with the international community and the European Union. A caretaker government is simply not the way to go, its methods even less. “This no simple trade-off,” Hamdan stressed. The issue needs to be solved politically and technically, and the sides standing in the way of the presidential election – responsible as they are for the crisis – must be pressured into facilitating the process instead.

ISF: New Hotline to Report Digital Abuse and Blackmail
This Is Beirut/May 03/2024
The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced on Friday that a hotline has been set up to report cases of digital abuse or blackmail. The telephone assistance service (dial 112) and the online service (https://isf.gov.lb/ar/report) are now available.
The Directorate also released two main recommendations for individuals to follow online, namely to “not communicate with strangers via social media” and to not send “private photos.” This service comes as a reaction following the “TikTok gang” incident that occurred just 48 hours ago. The ISF announced on Wednesday that they had arrested six individuals accused of soliciting children for sexual purposes through the TikTok app.

Salloum prohibits pharmacists from promoting any product under prosecution penalty
NNA /May 03/2024
Head of the Pharmacists Syndicate, Joe Salloum, banned pharmacists from “promoting any product under penalty of prosecution." In an issued statement on Friday, Salloum underlined the need to adhere to the laws of practicing the pharmacy profession, which stipulate that "it is prohibited to advertise any pharmacy, or promote any medicinal product, food supplement, or medical item."This comes in wake of the recent increase in violations of all kinds on social networking sites, which undermine the image and role of the pharmacist and the patient’s health, Salloum explained. He urged all pharmacists to immediately refrain from all forms of advertising and promotion of any product, under any circumstances, and to close all pages designated for that, as well as to refrain from advertising or partaking in media appearances, under penalty of accountability and prosecution according to the laws of practicing the pharmacy profession.

Qatari Prime Minister meets with Salam, talks emphasize strong Lebanese-Qatari relationship, Qatar's role in boosting stability
NNA /May 03/2024
Caretaker Minister of Economy and Trade, Amin Salam, met today in a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, in the presence of Lebanese Ambassador Farah Berri, in the capital, Doha. Salam first thanked the Qatari state, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the government and the Qatari people for their generous hospitality and reception of the activities of the Arab Economic and Cooperation Forum with the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Talks during the encounter touched on the outcome of the meetings of the five-year special committee for Lebanon, especially since Qatar playa a primary role, and is the active driver in the committee. Ways to support and facilitate its work to produce positive results that help Lebanon and restore its political cycle to its usual regularity were also reviewed. Salam also thanked the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar for his “moral support to Lebanon by facilitating the travel of Qataris to visit Lebanon and enjoy their stay there, and supporting Qatari investors to invest in several sectors in our country, out of the belief of the Qatari people in Lebanon’s ability to emerge from its crisis as a result of the skills and creativity of the Lebanese.”Both parties also discussed developments in the situation in the Middle East region and ways to calm and reduce escalation, especially putting an end to the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip and the ongoing aggression against Lebanon, in view of the role of the Qatari state as an effective supporter, especially since Sheikh Mohammed, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, is in charge of completing the negotiation processes regarding the Palestinian issue and stopping the aggression. They also touched on the 33rd Arab Summit, scheduled to be held on May 16th in the Bahraini capital, Manama, where the eyes of the Arab street are pinned on the decisions that will emerge from the meeting of Arab leaders, in light of these tense conditions. Salam and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed “the strength of the relationship between Lebanon and Qatar, its role in enhancing regional security and stability, and its lasting success in producing positive results in the files it undertakes.”The meeting concluded by affirming that "Qatar's vision for peace in the region stems from peace in Palestine and Lebanon."

Makhzoumi salutes media, press professionals on World Press Freedom Day
NNA/May 03/2024
MP Fouad Makhzoumi wrote today on his “X” platform account: “On World Press Freedom Day, an affirmation that freedom of the press is equal in importance to the freedom of individuals and society alike, especially when freedom of expression is one of the most prominent and essential freedoms guaranteed and protected by the constitution and may not be restricted by any means or for any reasons....A tribute goes to all members of the media and journalism body, which is considered the beating heart of Lebanon and is characterized by a pioneering and effective movement in its surroundings."

€1bn EU ‘bribe’ over Syrian refugees stirs anger in LebanonEuropean
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/May 04, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday vowed to step up deportations as part of a crackdown on illegal residents in the country. “This matter is not up for debate, and orders have been given to the relevant authorities to implement what is necessary,” he said. Mikati’s comments came after the EU on Thursday announced a €1 billion ($1.07 billion) aid package for Lebanon, mostly to boost border control in a bid to curb refugee flows across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy. Lebanon hosts more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees. In a television interview, Mikati said: “Any Syrian residing in Lebanon illegally will be deported, and a different approach will be taken toward all registered individuals compared to unregistered ones.” While Mikati welcomed the announcement of increased European aid, some political and religious figures described the package as a “bribe” to resettle Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and warned that Lebanon is “not for sale.” Local newspaper headlines highlighted the objections, which follow increasing numbers of murders, thefts, and kidnappings in recent months carried out by Syrians who entered Lebanon illegally. Syrian inmates now make up 35 percent of Lebanon’s prison population, according to Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi.
Cyprus recently complained about the increasing number of boats arriving on its shores carrying Syrians who traveled via Lebanon. Dozens remain stranded on the island, which refuses to accept them as refugees, and wants to return them to Lebanon. Mikati said that there is “a European division” on the issue of safe areas in Syria for the return of refugees. “We will undertake a campaign in this context to push the EU to take a decision that there are safe areas in Syria,” he added. The announcement of the EU package was made as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Lebanon on Thursday with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. However, Nicolas Sehnaoui, a member of the Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc, said: “Keep the billion euros, and take an additional billion in exchange for taking all the Syrian refugees to European countries.” Razi Al-Hajj, a member of the Strong Republic bloc, described the presence of Syrian refugees in the country as a “ticking time bomb.”
He said: “If Mikati wants to dispel the doubts of the Lebanese about the EU’s agenda in Lebanon, and the government’s true intention, he must begin implementing what he promised, which (means) deporting anyone residing illegally on Lebanese territory.”Change party MP Waddah Sadek said: “Those who are residing illegally in Lebanon — the number of whom is significant — should be deported. An appropriate solution should then be reached regarding those who sought refuge in Lebanon for fear of getting killed or persecuted.” Jaafari Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan said in his Friday sermon: “We don’t want to slaughter Lebanon with 1 billion poisoned euros. “Europe is Washington’s partner in the devastation in Syria and the siege on Lebanon. I warn those in charge against assuming the role of Europe’s security and political guard. The Syrian refugees’ case requires an urgent resolution. We ran out of time, and our country’s demography, stability, security, economy and livelihood are threatened.” Maroun Al-Khawli from the National Campaign for the Return of Syrian Refugees, said: “Lebanon will not be for sale under any circumstances.”
He said the aid package “is a humiliating deal for Lebanon’s dignity and sovereignty, and a dark spot in the history of the caretaker government.”
Shiite cleric Ali Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said in his Friday sermon: “The European Union resorts to the financial aspect to persuade the Lebanese when it comes to the Syrian refugees’ file. “However, this matter is not limited to the financial dimension. It requires us to address its root causes and organize the Syrian presence in a way that doesn’t cause any internal repercussions, concerns and tensions that might affect the relationship between Lebanese and Syrian refugees.” In a statement, the Progress Party said: “The European countries’ policy ensures that the Syrian refugees’ boats don’t reach their shores. This is what made them offer Lebanon €1 billion to make up for their presence in the country. “The governing system accepted the bribe to recycle itself at the expense of the accumulating crises without organizing this file.” The party proposed setting up camps for Syrian refugees on the border, and securing their needs through international support.

Hamas and Hezbollah: How Iran Is Secretly Infiltrating Europe
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./May 03/2024
"Hamas sees Western countries such as Germany as a refuge in which the organization can concentrate on collecting donations, recruiting new supporters, and spreading its propaganda." — Germany's domestic intelligence service, apnews.com, November 23, 2023.
In February, Belgium's justice minister confirmed that Hamas operates in Brussels... through a network of front companies raising funds for the terrorist organization... Belgian authorities nevertheless continue to allow Hamas to operate there.
"Hamas has been in Europe for about 30 years. It's an open secret. Of course, they don't call themselves Hamas... They will have names like Conference of Palestinians Abroad, Palestinians in (country name), Palestinian Students Abroad, and so on. But when you dig a bit, you find out who the people are behind these associations, and what their connections are back home. It's always the same cluster of 20-25 people. Their propaganda, their social media patterns, everything is Hamas." — Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at George Washington University, April 12, 2024.
"This is a typical Muslim Brotherhood tactic. They come up with a million different names for their organizations, for two reasons: Firstly, they want to give the impression that it's a broad movement, so that when they organize a public event, there will be 50 participating organizations, or if they publish a public letter, there will be 50 signatory groups. Secondly, if one of these groups is taken down by law enforcement, well, there's all the other ones." — Lorenzo Vidino, April 12, 2024.
In all of this, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a central actor. As stated by the US Congress, the IRGC "trains, funds, arms, and shares intelligence with dangerous proxy forces throughout the Middle East and abroad" and has targeted both European and American civilians.
The US Congress, Israel and thousands of Iranians have urged the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Last year, by an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament passed a resolution to that effect, but the EU nevertheless refuses to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell claims there are legal obstacles; however, that claim has been refuted as a lie.
Iran has ballistic missiles that can reach Europe, and is one minute away from nuclear weapons capability, if not already there.
The terrorist threat to Europe from the Islamic Republic of Iran -- and Hamas and Hezbollah, its proxies -- is growing. European leaders, however, are absorbed with trying to prevent Israel from eliminating the military capabilities of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, even though that would diminish the ability of these terrorists to operate in Europe.
Even before the October 7 massacre in Israel by Hamas, Mossad Director David Barnea said in September 2023 that Israel's intelligence services, in cooperation with their foreign partners, had prevented 27 terrorist attacks orchestrated by the Iran just over the last year, "all over the world, in Europe, Africa, the Far East and South America."
Only three months later, in December, terrorists from Hamas-affiliated cells in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands were arrested after planning to attack Jewish targets in Europe. Weapons linked to the arrests in Germany and the Netherlands were found in Bulgaria. According to German prosecutors, the four men arrested in Germany had been gathering weapons to be "kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe."
There are, it is estimated, 450 Hamas operatives in Germany alone, according to 2023 numbers released by Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution. In 2022, the agency warned:
"Hamas sees Western countries such as Germany as a refuge in which the organization can concentrate on collecting donations, recruiting new supporters, and spreading its propaganda."
In addition, Germany is home to at least 1,900 members of the Muslim Brotherhood network. Qatar's Al Jazeera, the Muslim Brotherhood's main media sponsor and promotor, says of the movement: "Throughout they have always adhered to their ideal of a society governed by Islamic laws and morals." The motto of the Muslim Brotherhood is:
"Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
In February, Belgium's justice minister confirmed that Hamas operates in Brussels -- the de facto capital of the European Union -- through a network of front companies raising funds for the terrorist organization, along with activities aimed at improving Hamas's image in Europe. Belgian authorities nevertheless continue to allow Hamas to operate there.
Belgian MP Michael Freilich recently said:
"Why would you admit [that Hamas is active in the country], and then say, well, we're allowing them to operate, because in Belgium they are not doing anything extreme? You just said they are fundraising, and that is supposed to be illegal for such an organization. It doesn't make sense to me."
Hezbollah has its own organization in Europe. According to a 2022 report by Europol:
"The network of collaborators built by Hezbollah in the EU is suspected of managing the transportation and distribution of illegal drugs into the EU, dealing with firearms trafficking and running professional money laundering operations."
Hezbollah has been active in Europe for quite a while. In 2012, the terrorist network bombed a bus transporting Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing six people and wounding dozens of others. In Germany, there are around 1,250 Hezbollah members.
Europe, according to experts, has simply been ignoring Iran's infiltration of the continent with terrorist proxies.
"Hamas has been in Europe for about 30 years. It's an open secret," commented Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at George Washington University and an expert on the Muslim Brotherhood. "Of course, they don't call themselves Hamas," Vidino added. (Hamas has been banned in the European Union.)
"They will have names like Conference of Palestinians Abroad, Palestinians in (country name), Palestinian Students Abroad, and so on. But when you dig a bit, you find out who the people are behind these associations, and what their connections are back home. It's always the same cluster of 20-25 people.
"Their propaganda, their social media patterns, everything is Hamas. And it's very public and visible. This is a typical Muslim Brotherhood tactic. They come up with a million different names for their organizations, for two reasons: Firstly, they want to give the impression that it's a broad movement, so that when they organize a public event, there will be 50 participating organizations, or if they publish a public letter, there will be 50 signatory groups. Secondly, if one of these groups is taken down by law enforcement, well, there's all the other ones."
The European authorities' investigations of Hamas in Europe, Vidino added, have been a complete failure.
"We looked at investigations conducted against Hamas's funding networks in the West over the last 25-30 years, and we found that it's basically been a complete disaster. Investigations have been, for the most part, unsuccessful.
"Some of these key individuals have been investigated. At times, they get arrested, they get charged, but then it never sticks – with a few exceptions...
"The main issue is that Hamas has not really been a priority for European law enforcement. Security forces have limited resources. A country like Belgium would rather invest its resources in tracking down ISIS members, who pose a more direct security threat."
According to Danny Citrowicz, a research fellow at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies and a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council:
"In Europe, the main terror threats are considered to be Sunni groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. You don't really see them acting against Shiite radicalism. They think they have bigger fish to fry."
In the past five years, Iran has been behind at least 33 terrorist plots in Europe alone, including against targets in Sweden and the UK, according to Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
In all of this, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a central actor. As stated by the US Congress, the IRGC "trains, funds, arms, and shares intelligence with dangerous proxy forces throughout the Middle East and abroad" and has targeted both European and American civilians.
The IRGC, as described by the Wall Street Journal, prepared and trained Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists for the October 7 massacre in Israel.:
"Officers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions... Details of the operation were refined during several meetings in Beirut attended by IRGC officers and representatives of four Iran-backed militant groups, including Hamas, which holds power in Gaza, and Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group and political faction in Lebanon..."
The US Congress, Israel and thousands of Iranians have urged the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Last year, by an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament passed a resolution to that effect, but the EU nevertheless refuses to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell claims there are legal obstacles; however, that claim has been refuted as a lie.
In April 2023, a bipartisan group of more than 130 US Congress members signed a letter calling on the EU to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The IRGC, they wrote, "has freely and openly carried out plots targeting citizens in countries across the EU."
"Given the growing threat Iran poses to EU member states and their citizens, we urge you to treat this issue with the utmost urgency," the letter stated.
European leaders are clearly not treating the issue with any urgency, which is a disaster in the making for all Europeans. As Iran continues to supply Russia with military equipment, Iranian-made drones have been raining destruction on Ukraine. Iran has ballistic missiles that can reach Europe, and is one minute away from nuclear weapons capability, if not already there.
When will the EU start to take this threat seriously?
**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.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20612/hamas-hezbollah-europe

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 03-04/2024
Rafah incursion would put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk, UN aid agency says
REUTERS/May 03, 2024
GAZA: The United Nations humanitarian aid agency says hundreds of thousands of people would be “at imminent risk of death” if Israel carries out a military assault in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The city has become critical for humanitarian aid and is highly concentrated with displaced Palestinians. Leaders internationally have urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be cautious about any incursion into Rafah, where seven people — mostly children — were killed overnight in an Israeli airstrike. On Thursday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said any US response to such an incursion would be up to President Joe Biden, but that currently, “conditions are not favorable to any kind of operation.”Turkiye’s trade minister said Friday that its new trade ban on Israel was in response to “the deterioration and aggravation of the situation in Rafah.”The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes, caused vast destruction in several towns and cities, and pushed northern Gaza to the brink of famine. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials, and the territory’s entire population has been driven into a humanitarian catastrophe. The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, abducting about 250 people and killing around 1,200, mostly civilians. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Dozens of people demonstrated Thursday night outside Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv, demanding a deal to release the hostages. Meanwhile, Hamas said it would send a delegation to Cairo as soon as possible to keep working on ceasefire talks. A leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of talks languishing in a stalemate. Across the US, tent encampments and demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war have spread across university campuses. More than 2,000 protesters have been arrested over the past two weeks as students rally against the war’s death toll and call for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza.

CIA director in Cairo for meetings on Gaza conflict, Egyptian sources say
CAIRO (Reuters)/Fri, May 3, 2024
CIA Director William Burns arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Friday for meetings about the conflict in Gaza, an Egyptian security source and three sources at Cairo airport said. Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been leading efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas to broker a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. The CIA declined to comment, reflecting its policy of not disclosing the director's travel. Egypt made a renewed push to revive negotiations late last month. Cairo is alarmed by the prospect of an Israeli ground operation against Hamas in Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than one million people have taken shelter near the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Mediators say they have been waiting on Hamas to deliver its response on the latest version of a proposal for a truce and for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Hamas: Netanyahu seeks to undermine truce prospects by threatening to attack Rafah
AFP/May 3, 2024
A top Hamas official accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday of issuing statements intended to torpedo prospects for a truce in the nearly seven-month war in Gaza. Hossam Badran told AFP that Hamas was in the process of conducting internal dialogues within its leadership and with allied militant groups before negotiators return to Cairo to continue negotiations towards a truce. But he warned that Netanyahu’s repeated statements insisting he will send troops into the territory’s far southern city of Rafah were calculated to “thwart any possibility of concluding an agreement.”“Netanyahu was the obstructionist in all previous rounds of dialogue and previous negotiations, and it is clear that he still is,” he said in a telephone interview. “He is not interested in reaching an agreement, and therefore he says words in the media to thwart these current efforts.”

Prisoner deal hangs in balance: Israeli Cabinet deliberates next steps as anticipation builds for Hamas response
LBCI/May 3, 2024
As anticipation mounts for Hamas' response, Israel's War Cabinet and the mini-security cabinet have convened to discuss developments in the prisoner exchange deal. Both bodies unanimously rejected halting hostilities and refrain from allowing Hamas to procrastinate in its response. According to informed Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations, Egypt, with American assistance, is attempting to reach a settlement on three key points:
-Hamas insisted on including an item in the agreement regarding negotiations for a permanent ceasefire from the 16th day of the deal's initiation, with the agreement encompassing a guarantee of ceasefire without any conditions.
-Hamas rejecting Israel's demand to retain what it describes as its right to choose the security prisoners whom it refuses to return to their hometowns in the West Bank.
-Israel's third point, rejected by Hamas, demands the prevention of the entry of materials and equipment into Gaza during its reconstruction period that could be used for military purposes, weapons manufacturing, and tunnel construction. Hamas requests that this item include details of the materials Israel refuses to allow entry. Meanwhile, military and security experts consider Israel's insistence on continuing the war a significant risk to the lives of the prisoners. In response to the Israeli plan, which revolves around finalizing the deal or invading Rafah, protesters gathered in the area where the War Cabinet and the expanded ministerial council were meeting Thursday evening, demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of the prisoners, even through deception. On the ground, preparations to continue the war are underway. The Mossad has deployed AI-based devices in the Gaza Strip in an attempt to locate Israeli prisoners held there and identify Hamas fighters. This move leaves Gaza residents at the mercy of artificial intelligence, which Israel has substituted for its soldiers after failing, after 210 days of war, to achieve its objectives: the release of 133 prisoners and the elimination of Hamas

UN agencies prepare for Rafah incursion, warn of 'slaughter'
GENEVA (Reuters)/Emma Farge/May 3, 2024
An Israeli incursion in Rafah would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of Gazans at risk and be a huge blow to the aid operations of the entire enclave, the U.N. humanitarian office said on Friday, as the World Health Organization announced contingency plans for an incursion. Israel has repeatedly warned of an operation against Hamas in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where around a million displaced people are crowded together, having fled months of Israeli bombardments triggered by Hamas fighters' deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7. "It could be a slaughter of civilians and an incredible blow to the humanitarian operation in the entire strip because it is run primarily out of Rafah," said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA), at a Geneva press briefing. Israel has said it will work to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians from Rafah. Aid operations in Rafah include medical clinics, warehouses stocked with humanitarian supplies, food distribution points and 50 centres for acutely malnourished children, Laerke said. OCHA would do everything possible to ensure aid operations continued, even in the event of an incursion, and was studying how to do that, he added.
A World Health Organization official said at the same briefing that a contingency plan for Rafah had been prepared, which included a new field hospital, but said it would not be enough to prevent a substantial rise in the death toll. Already, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly seven months of conflict, according to Gaza's health ministry. "I want to really say that this contingency plan is a band-aid," said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory via video link. "It will absolutely not prevent the expected substantial additional mortality and morbidity caused by a military operation." Other preparations include pre-positioning medical supplies at hospitals further north in case Rafah's three hospitals become non-functional, as has happened multiple times in the seven-month conflict due to Israeli raids and bombings. WHO data shows that just a third of the strip's 36 pre-war hospital are partially operational. Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and says its operations against them have been justified by the presence of fighters. Hamas and medical staff deny the allegations. Peeperkorn added that he was "extremely concerned" that any incursion would close the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt which is currently being used to import medical supplies. "We are pushing and lobbying that, whatever happens, that it remains open," he added, saying WHO had raised this issue with Israeli authorities.

Amid protests and police raids, US schools try to keep the peace at graduation
Julia Harte/Reuters/May 3, 2024
Ahead of the University of Michigan's commencement on Saturday, the school has trained staff volunteers in how to mitigate disruptions: a change from the usual duties of guiding guests around campus and showing them to their seats. Everyone facilitating the University of Illinois' commencement the following weekend will have undergone similar special training. At schools like the University of Southern California and Cal Poly Humboldt in northern California, leaders have canceled or moved key events off campus altogether. What are typically joyful ceremonies in which robed students cross stages to accept diplomas will have a different feel this month at many universities where pro-Palestinian protests and police crackdowns have upended the final days of the school-year. In recent days, students across the U.S. have rallied or set up tents at dozens of universities to protest Israel's war on Gaza. Demonstrators have called on President Joe Biden, who has supported Israel, to do more to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and demanded schools divest from companies that support Israel's government. Reuters asked 20 U.S. colleges and universities where major protests have ensued how the demonstrations had affected commencement plans. Of the 11 that responded, only three did not expect to alter their security protocols for the event. Some university leaders have called in riot police wielding batons and flash bangs to disperse and arrest hundreds of protesters, citing a paramount need for campus safety, even as civil rights groups have decried such tactics as unnecessarily violent free speech violations. The anti-war protests have taken place in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza, which it launched after a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that Israel says killed 1,200 people. Israel has killed over 34,000 people in retaliation, according to Gaza health authorities, and flattened the Palestinian territory. At Columbia University, the epicenter of the student protest movement, where New York police cleared a two-week-old encampment by arresting dozens of peaceful protesters on Tuesday, President Nemat Minouche Shafik acknowledged in a Wednesday statement that many were concerned about the university's plans for its May 15 commencement. "We look forward to sharing more information about preparations that are underway soon," her statement said. Meanwhile, schools that have avoided more explosive confrontations with protesters by allowing encampments to remain on campus or agreeing to consider divestment demands are under less strain ahead of their graduation celebrations. University of Minnesota Interim President Jeff Ettinger announced on Thursday that protesters had agreed to end their encampment in exchange for an opportunity to discuss divestment with the Board of Regents and a promise that the school will not pursue disciplinary action against them. "The student coalition has agreed they will not organize disruptions at upcoming final exams and commencements, allowing those activities to continue as planned," Ettinger said in a campus-wide email.
DISRUPTION MITIGATION
For some schools, the additional security measures for graduation ceremonies have invited yet more controversy. More than 300 University of Michigan faculty, staff and alumni signed a letter protesting the disruption-mitigation training for commencement volunteers from the school's Student Life department, saying staff should not be asked to quell "people trying to express free speech in a place where free speech is permitted."The volunteers have been trained to identify and de-escalate "problematic behavior," including "prolonged yelling, stomping," "random yelling/shouts against someone or about current issues," and "holding signs (silently) that block the view of others," according to a copy of the training slides seen by Reuters. The training instructed volunteers to issue two verbal warnings to hecklers, and then have public safety and security officers escort them from the event if they persist. Anne Elias, a training manager for the university's library services, was not asked to complete the training but helped write and collect signatures for the letter protesting it. "I have real concerns with asking any staff member to engage in any type of policing behavior... even gently reminding people when they are allowed to speak and how they are allowed to speak," she said. A spokesperson for the university said the school's aim was not to suppress free expression or peaceful protest, but rather to "limit significant disruptions, ensure safety and support a successful event worthy of the achievements of the university’s extraordinary graduates."
USC'S CONTROVERSIAL CANCELLATION
The University of the Southern California has gone further than any other U.S. university surveyed by Reuters, calling off its main-stage graduation ceremony last week after canceling the valedictorian speech by a Muslim student who said she was silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred. The school said new safety measures this year, such as additional screening, would increase the processing time for guests "substantially." That would make it impossible to host the ceremony that typically brings 65,000 students, families and friends to the Los Angeles campus, the school said. "They weren't very clear at any point with what the exact security concerns were," said student Jaden Ackerman in an interview shortly after USC called off the ceremony. William Kimber, another student, expressed sympathy for all the graduates, especially since many would have missed their high school ceremonies in 2020 due to the pandemic. He was also unconvinced by the school's rationale for canceling the ceremony. "We've provided a lot of funds and stuff before to protect, like, [Barack] Obama," Kimber said, referring to the former U.S. president. "And now they can't provide the same protection for the students? It's kind of stupid."

A new sea route for Gaza aid is on track, USAID says. Treating starving children is a priority
WASHINGTON (AP)/May 3, 2024
The United States expects to have on-the-ground arrangements in Gaza ready for humanitarian workers to start delivering food, treatment for starving children and other urgent assistance by early to mid-month when the American military expects to complete a floating pier for the aid, an official with the U.S. Agency for International Development said. But aid coming through the new U.S.-led maritime route still will serve only a fraction — half a million people — of those who need help in Gaza, the USAID official stressed to The Associated Press. They are some of the agency's first comments on the status of preparations for the Biden administration’s $320 million Gaza pier project, for which USAID is helping coordinate on-the-ground security and distribution. Meanwhile, at a factory in southern Georgia, USAID Administrator Samantha Power is due later Friday to announce a $200 million investment to ramp up U.S. production of emergency nutritional treatment for starving children under 5, as conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and elsewhere drive up the need. USAID made one of the officials working on humanitarian operations in Gaza available for an interview ahead of Power’s announcement on the condition the official not be identified, citing security concerns given the person's work in conflicts. With the Israel-Hamas war stretching close to seven months and Israel restricting humanitarian aid, half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are at imminent risk of famine, international health officials say. Under pressure from the U.S. and others, Israeli officials in recent weeks have begun slowly reopening some border crossings for relief shipments.
Children under 5 are among the first to die when wars, droughts or other disasters curtail food. Hospital officials in northern Gaza reported the first deaths from hunger in early March and said most of the dead were children. USAID is coordinating with the U.N. World Food Program, Israel and many others on security and distribution for the pier project, while U.S. military forces finish building it for the aid deliveries by ship. President Joe Biden, under pressure to do more to ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as the U.S. provides military support for Israel, announced the pier project in early March.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement Friday that the offshore assembly of the floating pier has been temporarily paused due to high winds and sea swells, which caused unsafe conditions for the soldiers. The partially built pier and the military vessels involved have gone to the Port of Ashdod and will continue the work there. A U.S. official said the high seas will delay the installation for several days, possibly until later next week. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operation details, said the pause could last longer if the bad weather continues because military personnel and divers have to get into the water to do some of the final installation. The United Nations has been muted about its role in the aid deliveries. “We want to see more land operations. This is a sea operation," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday. "We are working with them, but obviously we have certain parameters that need to be respected, notably the basic humanitarian principles that we have of independence and being free from all sorts of military.”
The struggles with the first aid delivery through a newly reopened land corridor into north Gaza on Wednesday underscored the uncertainty about security and the danger still facing relief workers. Israeli settlers blocked the convoy before it crossed, and then Hamas militants diverted a World Food Program truck inside Gaza before it made it to its destination. Power was at a factory in Fitzgerald, Georgia, one of only two in the U.S. making a nutrient-packed paste. The ready-to-use therapeutic food, known as RUTF, is designed as a life-saving treatment to be given in a controlled clinical setting for starving children under 5. In Gaza, the paste is most urgently needed in the northern part of the Palestinian territory. Civilians have been cut off from most aid supplies, bombarded by Israeli airstrikes and driven into hiding by fighting. Acute malnutrition rates among children under 5 have surged from 1% before the war to 30% five months later, the USAID official said. The official called it the fastest such climb in hunger in recent history, more than in grave conflicts and food shortages in Somalia or South Sudan. One of the few medical facilities still operating in northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan hospital, is besieged by parents bringing in thousands of children with malnutrition for treatment, the official said. Aid officials believe many more starving children remain unseen and in need, with families unable to bring them through fighting and checkpoints for care.Saving the gravely malnourished children in particular requires both greatly increased deliveries of aid and sustained calm in fighting, the official said, so that aid workers can set up treatment facilities around the territory and families can safely bring children in for the sustained treatment needed.

Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship freed
Reuters/Fri, May 3, 2024
Iran has released the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel, but remains in control of the vessel itself, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said. Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the container ship MSC Aries, with a crew of 25, in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus. Iran had said it could close the crucial shipping route. “The seized ship, which turned off its radar in Iran's territorial waters and jeopardized the security of navigation, is under judicial detention,” Amirabdollahian said, according to a foreign ministry post on X late Thursday night. He said the release of the crew was a humanitarian act and they could return to their countries along with the ship’s captain. Iran’s foreign ministry had earlier said the Aries was seized for "violating maritime laws" and that there was no doubt it was linked to Israel. MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. Recent attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis, claiming solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war on Gaza, have affected global shipping.

Iraqi militant group claims missile attack on Tel Aviv targets, source says
REUTERS/May 03, 2024
BAGHDAD: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of Iran-backed armed groups, launched multiple attacks on Israel using cruise missiles on Thursday, a source in the group said. The source told Reuters the attack was carried out with multiple Arqub-type cruise missiles and targeted the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for the first time.The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed dozens of rockets and drone attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria and on targets in Israel in the more than six months since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7. Israel has not publicly commented on the attacks claimed by Iraqi armed groups.

Universities take steps to prevent pro-Palestinian protest disruptions of graduation ceremonies
AP/May 03, 2024
MICHIGAN, USA: With student protests over the Israel-Hamas war disrupting campuses nationwide, several major universities are intent on ensuring that commencement ceremonies — joyous milestones for graduates, their families and friends — go off without a hitch this weekend.
It won’t be easy. Colleges are hiring extra security, screening attendees at venues and emphasizing that significant disruptions by pro-Palestinian protesters won’t be tolerated. At the same time, they’re pledging to honor free-speech rights by designating protest zones.
Students booed and yelled “free Palestine” while the University of Utah president spoke Thursday night at commencement. He paused his speech to ask those who were protesting to leave or be removed. Outside the ceremony in Salt Lake City, a group of about 50 people were rallying. There was one arrest.
“Milestone is a perfect word,” said Ken Burdick of Tampa, Florida, describing his daughter’s graduation Saturday at the University of Michigan. He hopes the big day goes untarnished. “People can exercise their First Amendment rights without disrupting or creating fear,” Burdick said of protesters. Here’s how some schools are planning to balance things:
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
More than 8,000 graduates — and 63,000 spectators — are expected for Saturday’s festivities inside Michigan Stadium, known as The Big House. There will be security screening, and disruptive protesters could be subject to removal. Public safety officers and staff who commonly monitor major events, such as fall football games, will be present. Author and historian Brad Meltzer is the featured speaker. In March, an annual event recognizing students with high academic achievement ended early when pro-Palestinian protesters raised provocative signs and drowned out remarks by President Santa Ono, yelling, “You are funding genocide!” The university subsequently drafted a policy that could lead to student expulsions and staff dismissals for event disruptions, though it hasn’t been finalized. “It was painful for everyone who had gathered — and especially so for members of our Jewish community,” Ono said two days later.
Protesters have erected dozens of tents on the Diag, a historic space for campus activism more than a mile away from the stadium. They’re demanding that Michigan cut financial ties with companies connected to Israel. There has been no effort to break up the encampment and no arrests.
“We respect and uphold the principles of free expression, and also recognize that no one is entitled to disrupt university activities,” Laurie McCauley, Michigan’s chief academic officer, said in an email to students and staff about commencement. Blake Richards, 25, is earning a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Richards plans to be at the football stadium Saturday after participating in a smaller ceremony Thursday for chemistry students. “It could take away some great feelings, muddle them,” Richards said of any disruptions. “But truth be told, I’m not bothered. I know others have different opinions; I’m just happy to be here.”
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
The Bloomington, Indiana, campus is designating protest zones outside Skjodt Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium, where ceremonies will be held Friday for graduate students and Saturday for undergraduates. Nearly 10,000 students are eligible to attend. A social media post circulating on Instagram urged protesters to wear “your keffiyeh along with your cap and gown” and walk out during Saturday’s remarks by President Pamela Whitten. Roughly 20 tents set up by protesters remained in place this week in an area known as Dunn Meadow, a mile from the stadium. Dozens of protesters have been arrested there recently, according to the Indiana Daily Student. Maya Wasserman, a 22-year-old senior in management who is Jewish, said she and her family feel uncomfortable about the prospect of pro-Palestinian protests disrupting commencement. She expressed special concern for her mother and grandmother, who are Israeli. “It’s unfortunate because we want this event to be about graduating, not politics,” Wasserman said. At Dunn Meadow, students in lawn chairs or on blankets worked on their final assignments. Jessica Missey, a 20-year-old protester and senior, said she boycotted final exams; some professors, she said, simply canceled them. She has enjoyed the camaraderie at the encampment.
“Commencement is kind of just taking almost a little sidestep for me,” said Missey.
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
A week after police arrested nearly 100 protesters at Northeastern University, the school is holding its commencement exercises Sunday at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, for the fourth consecutive year. The venue will help security officials monitor the crowd and limit what people can bring. Signs, banners, balloons and full-size flags are prohibited in the stadium, along with most bags. Renata Nyul, vice president for communications, said public safety staffing will be strengthened. All those entering Fenway will need to pass through metal detectors. About 50,000 graduates, family and friends are expected.
Northeastern is one of several universities in the Boston area that have had pro-Palestinian encampments. Some have let the protests continue, though Northeastern’s camp was broken up. “While we realize that issues in the world prompt passionate viewpoints, the focus this weekend should be on our graduates and their remarkable achievements,” Nyul said.

Biden says 'order must prevail' on US campuses amid protests
Agence France Presse/May 3, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden insisted Thursday that "order must prevail" on college campuses after weeks of turmoil, clashes with police and mass arrests involving student protests against Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. Biden, who had remained tight-lipped as the student unrest expanded, spoke just hours after hundreds of police moved in to forcibly clear a sprawling encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, tearing down barriers and detaining more than 200 protestors. For weeks, authorities on campuses from New York to California have tried to thread the needle between the right to protest and complaints of violence and hate speech, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests in two weeks as university terms end. "We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent," Biden, who has faced criticism from all sides of the political spectrum over the demonstrations, said in a televised statement from the White House. "But neither are we a lawless country. We're a civil society, and order must prevail," he added. Earlier, UCLA students clad in white helmets linked arms and formed a line facing off against officers, who were detaining protesters and leading them away. "About 300 protesters voluntarily left, while more than 200 resisted orders to disperse and were arrested," UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said. Police used flashbangs to disperse the crowds gathered outside the encampment who chanted "Let them go!" as helicopters hovered overhead.
Officers blocked stairs accessing the site, with students dressed in yellow jackets and serving as medics telling AFP they were being largely prevented from reaching the area. In another part of the encampment, students carrying umbrellas, helmets and plastic shields squared off against police in mostly tense silence, with sporadic chants of "Free Palestine!" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" The large police presence, including LAPD and California Highway Patrol officers, came after law enforcement were criticized for being slow to act during violent clashes late Tuesday, when counter-protesters attacked the encampment of pro-Palestinian students. UCLA said classes would be remote on Thursday and Friday due to the "emergency on campus," and warned students to avoid the protest area.
Wave of unrest
Demonstrators have gathered on at least 40 US university campuses since last month, often erecting tent camps to protest the soaring death toll in the Gaza Strip. Officers detained several people at Fordham University in New York and cleared a protest set up inside a school building, officials said. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, protesters dug in, blocking an avenue near the center of the campus in Cambridge during the height of Wednesday afternoon's rush hour commute. The University of Texas at Dallas saw police remove an encampment and arrest at least 17 people for "criminal trespass," the school said. Police said about 300 arrests were made at Columbia and another New York university this week. The mayor's office said Thursday night that almost half of those arrested at the two schools Tuesday night were people unaffiliated with the schools.
Balancing act
Like university leaders, Biden's administration has also tried to walk the fine line between free speech and complaints of intimidation. Republicans have accused him of being soft on what they say is anti-Semitic sentiment among the protesters, while he faces widespread opposition in his own party for his strong support for Israel's war on Gaza. "There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism, or threats of violence against Jewish students," Biden said Thursday. Biden's Republican election rival Donald Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly praised the police response and called for a full crackdown, denouncing "radical left lunatics" in comments from the New York courthouse where he is on trial over a hush money scheme. "To every college president, I say remove the encampments immediately, vanquish the radicals and take back our campuses for all of the normal students," he told a rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday. The Gaza war started when Hamas militants staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that allegedly left around 1,170 people dead according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
The militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 34,500 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Here's what's on the table for Israel and Hamas in the latest cease-fire talks
Associated Press/May 3, 2024
Israel and Hamas appear to be seriously negotiating an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli captives. A leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of stalemated talks.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week praised Israel for offering what he described as significant concessions and saying "the time is now" for Hamas to seal the deal. Hamas leaders, meanwhile, say they are reviewing the proposal in a "positive spirit" and sending a team to Egypt in the coming days to continue the talks. Here's what we know so far about the current proposal, confirmed by Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations.
WHERE THE TWO SIDES STAND -
Israeli leaders are weighing whether to accept a deal that would delay or prevent their planned ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah — a scenario that falls short of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledges of "total victory" and the destruction of Hamas. Hamas' militant leaders must decide if giving up the captives, the group's biggest bargaining chip, is worth securing a long-term truce but not necessarily a permanent end to the war. The plan offered by Egyptian mediators aims to stave off Israel's Rafah offensive, which the U.S. says would have devastating consequences for over a million displaced Palestinians crowded against the border with Egypt. The Egyptians have also warned Israel against the operation, fearing a flood of Palestinian refugees driven into its territory.
DE-ESCALATE IN PHASES -
The initial stage of the deal would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. After this first batch, Israeli troops would withdraw from a coastal road in Gaza and head inland to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid. This would also allow displaced civilians to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas would provide a list of captives who are still alive during that time. Israel estimates that Hamas is holding about 100 captives and the remains of 30 others either killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war or who have died in captivity. Within the third week, both sides would start indirect negotiations that aim to restore permanent calm. Three weeks into the first phase, Israeli troops would withdraw from central Gaza.
NEXT STEPS TOWARD PEACE -
The second six-week phase would seek to finalize arrangements for a permanent calm, the release of all remaining captives held by Hamas, both civilians and soldiers, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. The soldier captives would not be released before the start of the calm. The third and final stage would include the release of the remains of deceased captives still in Gaza, more prisoners held by Israel, and the start of a five-year reconstruction plan. The plan says that Hamas would agree not to rebuild its military arsenal.
STICKING POINTS
Both sides want to end the war on their own terms. Hamas leaders have for months refused anything short of a full Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip and a permanent end to the fighting. Hamas negotiators will be seeking clarification on these issues when they return to Cairo. Israel wants to see all remaining captives home safe, with Hamas and other militant groups crushed on the battlefield and expelled from power in Gaza — unable to launch another attack like the one on Oct. 7 that sparked the war. Israel says the Rafah invasion is critical for these goals. Netanyahu says Israel will invade the town with or without a hostage deal. Netanyahu also faces heavy domestic pressure. Thousands of people have joined weekly demonstrations calling on him to reach a prisoner deal immediately. At the same time, hard-liners in his Cabinet have threatened to bring down the government if he ends the war. The Biden administration, which provides Israel crucial military and diplomatic support, says it opposes a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a "credible" plan for protecting civilians there.
POST-WAR UNCERTAINTY -
It is not clear whether the cease-fire proposal addresses key questions about what happens in Gaza once the current round of fighting ends. The United States has called for a plan that includes a return of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in 2007 and now administers parts of the occupied West Bank. The Biden administration seeks eventual Palestinian governance in Gaza and the West Bank as a precursor to Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu and his right-wing government reject a role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and say they will never allow a Palestinian state. Israel wants open-ended freedom of action for its military in Gaza, while the Biden administration says it won't accept a return of Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip. It also remains unclear who will run Gaza during the five-year reconstruction phase, what will happen to Hamas during that time and who will pay for the daunting job of rebuilding. The stakes were underscored in a new U.N. report Thursday that estimated damage caused by the war in Gaza at over $18.5 billion. It said it would take until 2040 to rebuild all of the homes destroyed in nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives. Gaza was already grappling with a 45% unemployment rate before the war, according to the U.N. Development Program.

Pro-Palestine encampment remains at University of Toronto despite safety concerns
The Canadian Press/May 3, 2024
TORONTO — An encampment erected by pro-Palestinian student protesters at the University of Toronto's downtown campus is still standing. The university has said the tents, banners and flags that cropped up after students breached a fence installed around an area on campus known as King's College Circle early Thursday morning are a safety concern. "Engaging in activities that contravene law or policies – such as remaining on grounds or in buildings after notice to leave, or erecting structures or barriers in outdoor spaces – can have potential consequences," U of T warned in a statement on Thursday.
The university had told protesters they needed to vacate the encampment by 10 p.m. Thursday, however, it went on to say that if protesters' activities remained peaceful, it didn't intend to remove them. Erin Mackey, one of the protest organizers, said Thursday demonstrators were joining students at other universities in Canada and the United States in setting up encampments in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to call on their schools to disclose ties with the Israeli government and divest from Israeli companies. "We are all standing together in solidarity, demanding that our university, that we all attend, that we are all part of it, is no longer complicit in this genocide." The International Court of Justice is investigating whether Israel has committed acts of genocide in the ongoing war in Gaza, with a ruling expected to take years. Israel has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and accused the court of bias.
Israel's campaign in Gaza was launched after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 men, women and children hostage. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Mohammad Yassin, a fourth-year student with relatives in Gaza and a refugee camp in Lebanon, said while at the encampment on Thursday that the students, faculty, and members of the public who are participating in the protest plan to stay until their demands are met.
"What we're doing here is basically nothing compared to what the people in Palestine are going through," he said Thursday. "This is not just some childish thing – we're here just to make our voice heard and we're standing firm and we want our demands to be heard."
Prior to their statement Thursday, University of Toronto leadership provided a separate note to protesters saying while it respects members rights to protest, unauthorized activities like encampments "are considered trespassing."This encampment is one of many in Canada, as pro-Palestinian activists have also set up tents at McGill University in Montreal, the University of Ottawa and the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2024.

A suspected Islamic State group attack on pro-government force in east Syria kills at least 13
BEIRUT (AP)/May 3, 2024
Suspected members of the Islamic State group attacked three posts for Syrian government forces and pro-government gunmen early Friday killing at least 13, an opposition war monitor and pro-government media reported. The attack wounded others who were taken to hospitals in the central province of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said 15 were killed in the attacks on three posts near the central town of Sukhna and blamed IS. The conflicting casualty counts could not immediately be reconciled.Athr Press and Sham FM, both pro-government media outlets, said 13 soldiers and pro-government gunmen were killed in the attacks and that IS gunmen were behind it. They gave no further details. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but the area was once a stronghold of the extremist group that was officially defeated in Syria in March 2019. However, IS sleeper cells have been blamed for deadly attacks against both Syrian government forces and against members of the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria. In 2014, IS declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq, where they attracted thousands of supporters from around the world to join them. An attack by IS on pro-government Palestinian fighters near Sukhna killed 22 last month.

Austin: No indication Hamas planning attack on US troops
REUTERS/May 03, 2024
WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not see any indication Hamas was planning any attack on US troops in Gaza but added adequate measures were being put in place for the safety of military personnel. “I don’t discuss intelligence information at the podium. But I don’t see any indications currently that there is an active intent to do that,” Austin said during a press briefing. “Having said that ... this is a combat zone and a number of things can happen, and a number of things will happen.”Austin’s remarks came as the US military said it was temporarily pausing the offshore construction of a maritime pier because of weather conditions and instead would continue building it at the Israeli Port of Ashdod.
FASTFACT
The US military says it is temporarily pausing the offshore construction of a maritime pier because of weather conditions. The maritime pier, once built, will be placed off the coast of Gaza in a bid to speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave. “Forecasted high winds and high sea swells caused unsafe conditions for soldiers working on the surface of the partially constructed pier,” the US military said in a statement. “The partially built pier and military vessels involved in its construction have moved to the Port of Ashdod, where assembly will continue,” it added. Earlier this week, the Pentagon said about 50 percent of the pier had been constructed. Israel has sought to demonstrate it is not blocking aid to Gaza, especially since President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Washington’s policy could shift if Israel fails to take steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.US officials and aid groups say some progress has been made but warn it is insufficient, amid stark warnings of imminent famine among Gaza’s 2.3 million people. The humanitarian situation in Gaza — which has been devastated by more than six months of Israeli operations against Hamas — remains dire, with a senior US administration official saying last week that the territory’s entire population of 2.2 million people is facing food insecurity.

Normalization agreement nears: Will Saudi-Israeli normalization materialize soon?
LBCI/May 3, 2024
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the agreement is reportedly close to fruition. Under its terms, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would receive security assurances from the United States and assistance in the nuclear field for civilian purposes. In return, diplomatic relations with Israel would be established, as reported by Reuters. The proposed agreement, expected to be presented by Washington to Benjamin Netanyahu, leaves the Israeli Prime Minister with the option to either join or remain outside the accord. While discussions of impending normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel are not new, the current context differs significantly. However, the events before October 7 were a lot different such as the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and the Israeli offensive on Gaza, which have reignited negotiations, nullifying a previously prepared agreement. What is being discussed now represents a new formulation of terms. The old and new formulations of the agreement are shrouded in secrecy, with neither side officially commenting on its items. Saudi Foreign Minister's previous statement links any agreement with Israel to a two-state solution and the protection of the Palestinian people. The proposed normalization agreement between Riyadh and Tel Aviv primarily serves American strategic interests. President Biden seeks to notch a diplomatic victory ahead of the upcoming challenging elections in November, as emphasized by the recent visit of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu aims to secure for Israel what it has long awaited: relations with the largest economy in the Middle East and the mother of Arab and Muslim nations. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia exhibits less enthusiasm for this agreement. According to Bloomberg, the Saudi Crown Prince is wary of its potential impact on relations with Donald Trump, should he win the presidency again, given his pivotal role in the initial steps of normalization between Israel and Arab states—the Abraham Accords. Meanwhile, concerns within certain sides in the US Congress persist regarding Saudi Arabia's human rights record, particularly concerning the Crown Prince, and allegations of human rights violations in the Jamal Khashoggi case, among others. Additionally, there are fears about US commitment to an agreement that Israel might not join, placing the Biden administration in a precarious position. While the details remain elusive, several indicators suggest the agreement's proximity. Analysts believe such an agreement could significantly alter the political landscape in the Middle East and reshape alliances.

Yemen's Houthis say they will target ships heading for Israel anywhere within range
Reuters/May 3, 2024
Yemen's Houthis will target ships heading to Israeli ports in any area that is within their range, military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Friday. "We will target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach," he said. The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched repeated drone and missile strikes on ships in the crucial shipping channels of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden since November to show their support for the Palestinians in the Gaza war. This has forced shippers to re-route cargo to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa and has stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and destabilise the Middle East.

Russia says U.S. secondary sanctions aim to 'contain' China
MOSCOW (Reuters)/May 3, 2024
The United States is using the threat of secondary sanctions against Chinese businesses seen as engaging with Russia as a "pretext" to try and contain Beijing, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday. Zakharova was answering a question about U.S. sanctions issued on Wednesday on nearly 300 targets - including Chinese companies - seen as helping Moscow to circumvent existing Western sanctions. "China's economy irritates the U.S. to an extreme degree, so U.S. sanctions should be seen as an attempt to hold onto (its) economic leadership in the absence of any real opportunity to do so legally," Zakharova told a weekly press briefing. "Russia is just a pretext," she said. The new Treasury sanctions specifically targeted firms in countries including China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates that it accused of enabling Moscow to acquire dual-use technologies and equipment from abroad. The State Department also imposed sanctions on four China-based companies it accused of supporting Russia's defence industrial base, including by shipping critical items to entities under U.S. sanctions in Russia. Asked to comment on the U.S. sanctions, Zakharova said: "You know, this is a trade war that is going at full speed for the redistribution of the market, for the United States to maintain its own pace of development. "Their lack of resources pushes them to such aggressive actions", she added, referring to secondary sanctions.

Attack on ICRC convoy in Sudan's South Darfur kills two drivers, injures three
Reuters/May 3, 2024
An attack by gunmen on a humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sudan's South Darfur killed two drivers and injured three other staff on Thursday, the ICRC said in a statement. The team was on its way back from Layba to assess the humanitarian situation of communities affected by armed violence in the region when the incident occurred, the ICRC said. More than a year of war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has driven at least 8.5 million people from their homes. Fighting tore through the capital and has unleashed waves of ethnically-driven violence in the western region of Darfur. The ICRC did not say who was to blame for the deaths and called for the immediate protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel. "Reports today of the deaths of two ICRC staff members and the injury of three staff members in South Darfur is further evidence of this war's horrific cost. These dedicated employees became victims of the violence and suffering they were working to mitigate," U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, said on X on Friday.

Violence shuts crucial aid corridor into Sudan's Darfur, UN agency says
Reuters/May 3, 2024
Violence around the city of al-Fashir in Darfur, Sudan, has blocked a recently opened humanitarian corridor from Chad and time is running out to prevent starvation in the vast region, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Friday. Attacks around al-Fashir, the Sudanese army's last holdout in Darfur and home to some 1.6 million residents, have led to dire warnings of a new wave of mass displacement and inter-communal conflict in Sudan's year-old war. The conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has also led to worsening hunger, with some people eating soil or leaves as famine looms. Aid officials say both sides have been looting aid or blocking it from reaching areas where starvation is taking hold, contributing to a humanitarian crisis. The latest violence around al-Fashir halted aid convoys coming through Chad's Tine border crossing, while restrictions by authorities aligned with the army were preventing deliveries of assistance through the only other aid corridor from Chad at Adre, WFP said. Only small quantities of aid have entered al-Fashir during the war, the sole army-approved conduit for shipments to other parts of Darfur. Since the end of March, 23 villages near al-Fashir have been razed, potentially by the RSF, according to a study of satellite imagery by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab published on Thursday. In the city itself, more than 600 buildings have been damaged by burning during the same period, including in areas where the army is reportedly carrying out bombardments, the study said. Analysis of whether the RSF was responsible for widespread damage inflicted on a single area on April 28-29 was ongoing, it added. In the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur, where there have been no official food distributions since May 2023, 30% of at least 46,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition "revealing a massive crisis in the making", medical charity MSF said on Thursday. "Despite being aware of the severity of the situation, and despite famine alerts coming from U.N. agencies themselves, the U.N. are doing far too little to prevent the malnutrition crisis in Zamzam from falling further into catastrophe," MSF said in a statement.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 03-04/2024
Haunted by their colleagues’ deaths: The journalists risking their lives to report on Gaza
Antoinette Radford, Sana Noor Haq and Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah/CNN/May 03, 2024
“Whoever stays until the end, will tell the story. We did what we could. Remember us.”
Dr. Mahmoud Abu Nujaila scrawled these farewell words in blue ink on a whiteboard in Al-Awda Hospital, in Jabalya, on October 20, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
When Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, many local journalists did stay – risking their lives to tell the stories of their people. After more than 200 days of fighting, Israeli bombardment has turned neighborhoods into rubble. Families have been torn apart by deaths and forced displacement; the threat of starvation looms. At the same time, 129 of the more than 250 hostages seized from Israel by Hamas remain captive in the territory, of whom at least 34 are thought to be dead.
Trapped in the strip alongside their fellow Gaza residents, Palestinian reporters have become the eyes and ears of those suffering under the shadow of war. And with foreign media largely unable to enter, it is their photos, footage and reporting, often gathered at great personal risk, that have shown the world what is happening.
At least 97 journalists and media workers have been killed since October – 92 of whom were Palestinian – according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This makes it the deadliest period for journalists since 1992, when the CPJ started collecting data. Gazan journalists told CNN they are haunted by their colleagues’ deaths, as they balance the emotional labor of covering the war with trying to protect their families.
Displaced reporters working in makeshift tents risk exposure to Israeli strikes. Some say they were forced to flee their homes without equipment or protective gear, instead relying on mobile phones to show the world what is happening. Others must travel to higher ground when uploading footage, in an effort to bypass power outages and communications disruptions as Israeli shelling persists.
Images of Al-Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Al-Dahdouh shaking with grief after 12 family members were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza last October became symbolic of the plight of journalists there.
“We are covering the war on Gaza because this is our journalistic duty. It is entrusted upon us,” said 31-year-old Mariam Abu Dagga, a photojournalist for the Independent Arabic displaced in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. “We challenged the Israeli occupation. We challenged the difficult circumstances and the reality of this war, a genocidal war.”
Human rights agencies have repeatedly called for the protection of journalists in the enclave. In February, UN experts warned that “targeted attacks and killings of journalists are war crimes.”
Releasing its annual Press Freedom Index on Friday for World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders warned the past year marked “a clear lack of political will on the part of the international community to enforce the principles of the protection of journalists.” The war in Gaza saw “a record number of violations against journalists and media” since October, according to the report. Palestine - the term the organization uses for the Palestinian territories, and which is ranked 157th out of 180 countries and territories surveyed - is the deadliest region for journalists. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not answer CNN’s questions regarding the allegations made by several journalists over threats to the safety of reporters working in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF told CNN it could not comment on allegations of targeted attacks without geographic coordinates and the specific time, but provided CNN with a statement it has often used during the war in Gaza. CNN provided names, locations and dates for the strikes in question.
“In response to Hamas’ barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities,” the IDF said in a statement. “In stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm including journalists. The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target journalists.“Given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks. The IDF will continue to counter threats while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians,” the statement added.
Israel launched a military assault on Gaza on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, killed at least 1,200 people in Israel and abducted more than 250 others. Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed more than 34,600 Palestinians and injured more than 77,800 people as of May 1, according to the Ministry of Health there. Of those killed, about seven in 10 are women and children, the ministry said. CNN cannot independently confirm the figures due to the lack of international media access.
“Whenever a journalist is targeted, we ask ourselves who among us will get their turn of being targeted tomorrow,” said Abu Dagga. “We don’t have cover and we don’t have security.”
‘The war is the only thing that separated me from my son’
Since October, Abu Dagga has spent every day in Gaza wondering if it will be her last. Still, she does not leave, despite making the gut-wrenching decision to send her 12-year-old boy to live with his father in the United Arab Emirates. “The war is the only thing that separated me from my son,” she told CNN.
Abu Dagga says she sent him away for his safety after documenting the deaths of children killed by Israel’s bombardment. As of April 30, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 14,100 children, the Ministry of Heath said.
Palestinian media workers provide a critical window into the horrors of Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The few foreign journalists who have been allowed to enter the enclave have primarily embedded with the IDF and may have had to submit their footage to the military for security review, although maintaining editorial control. Both Israel and Egypt, which control Gaza’s borders, have so far refused to give international journalists unfettered access to the strip, saying that they cannot guarantee their safety. Abu Dagga says her parents in northern Gaza worry for her survival when she goes out to work, after hearing about the many colleagues she has lost during the war. Others have evacuated, grappling with the heartbreak of leaving relatives behind, while still working to tell Gaza’s story.
After nearly seven months of war, Abu Dagga told CNN that she, too, wants to leave. “There is no place for us to live,” she said. “We have been subjected to repeated shelling and we are still being targeted.”
Little time to grieve
Like Abu Dagga, local photojournalist Mohammad Ahmed treads the line between life and death. Shrapnel pierced his leg following an Israeli attack on a building in Jabalya, in northern Gaza, on December 17, Ahmed recalls. Clouds of dust filled the air, as people screamed frantically. The photojournalist for Turkish state broadcaster TRT told CNN he had been traveling through the neighborhood, after being displaced from the local refugee camp. His protective press vest absorbed a hit to his stomach, he says. But doctors could not remove the shrapnel lodged in his upper right thigh. “I started to shout that I had been injured. Nobody was able to hear me,” said Ahmed. “I saw people lying on the street… parts of dead bodies were scattered around.”
The father-of-three says he is tormented by repeatedly documenting scenes of war, whether it be children calling for help from under the rubble, or injured Palestinians flooding into a hospital following an Israeli strike. Sometimes, he says, he must stop filming and let his emotions out.
“I am also a human,” Ahmed said. “I would stop filming and try to find an empty place to cry… These scenes affect us immensely because those are our people, and they are human, and they are like our children.”
He has not yet met his two-month-old son, Adnan. His wife, then pregnant, and two daughters fled first to Rafah and then to Egypt in November. His parents and siblings have been displaced across the strip, he says. But there is little time to grieve for what’s been lost.
“Given the nature of my job, I knew I wouldn’t be available beside my family during the war… I was sure this war was going to be bigger than us all,” he said.
Saying goodbye
For others, the risk of losing their family meant they felt no choice but to leave Gaza. Ibrahim Dahman and his young family were displaced multiple times as bombardment intensified around their home in Sheikh Radwan, northern Wadi Gaza. The CNN producer drove desperately further south along with his pregnant wife, Rasha, and two children – Zeid, now 11, and Khalil, 7 – under the distant echo of Israel’s aerial campaign.
“This was a huge burden on me,” Dahman, 36, told CNN last month.
In November, he and his family evacuated to Cairo, in neighboring Egypt. “When we hear the sounds of civilian aircraft in Cairo, we panic,” he said. “I was forced to leave to protect my children and my wife. We left the rest of my family in Gaza, who are still suffering every day.”
As Dahman continues to document the war for CNN, more than 40 relatives from his mother’s and father’s families have been killed by Israeli strikes. His apartment in Sheikh Radwan has been reduced to debris – erasing precious memories, including photographs of his grandparents and gifts from friends.
“What motivates me to cover the war in Gaza is that I was born in Gaza. I am a son of Gaza. I lived there, studied there, and worked in Gaza for years,” he told CNN.
‘Immense loss’
Surviving journalists told CNN they are determined to honor the legacy of their colleagues who have been killed. The editor-in-chief of Al-Khamsa news website, Saeed Al-Taweel, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on October 10, in the west of Gaza City, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. A colleague who had sheltered with Al-Taweel on the night he was killed, Alaa Abu Mohsen, said Al-Taweel had gone to film the Hajja tower in Gaza when it was hit by a strike.
“I walked to find Saeed, and he was lying on the ground at the crossroads that connects to Phoenix and Hajja… After that, I transferred his body to his family in Rafah,” Mohsen said.
Al-Taweel was famed among Palestinians in Gaza for his morning show, “Akhabr ’Arrei,” meaning ‘news on an empty stomach’, according to Saba Al-Jaafrawi, 32, a close friend and journalist. She described him as a “kind and generous person who took the initiative to do God’s deeds and help people in need.”
“We used to go to work early in the morning and hear people talking about his morning news show… You would hear people say, ‘Saeed wrote” and ‘Saeed said,’” Al-Jaafrawi told CNN. “Losing Saeed was an immense loss both on the journalistic level and on the societal level.
The fate of at least two other Palestinian journalists remains unknown, according to the CPJ.
Thirty-one-year-old Nidal al-Wahidi, a photojournalist, has not been heard from since he was detained by Israeli forces alongside fellow photojournalist Haitham Abdelwahed, 25, while reporting on the Hamas-led October 7 attacks into southern Israel, according to a report by Amnesty International in December and testimony from his cousin provided to CNN. Israeli authorities have refused to disclose their location or the legal grounds for their arrest, Amnesty said, adding that it was not known whether they were dead or alive.
Al-Wahidi had travelled to the Erez/Beit Hanoun checkpoint to film the attacks, Amnesty International said. Major international news organizations, like Getty Images, purchased his photos.
CNN asked the IDF to disclose the whereabouts of Al-Wahidi and Abdelwahed, the reasons for their arrest and their current condition. The IDF did not provide a response.
Al-Wahidi’s cousin, Fadi Wael Abdel Karim Al-Wahidi, who is also a journalist still working in Gaza, said the family had identified Nidal based on photos released by the IDF of people detained on October 7.
“So, we went back to the Red Cross and told them: ‘This is a picture of Nidal, and his family recognized him,’” Fadi told CNN. He said the Red Cross told them the IDF had not provided information about people detained on October 7.
CNN reached out to the IDF about the allegations made by Fadi.
Fadi, 24, described Nidal as a “family figure” who was “very kind.” He had worked alongside his cousin, he said, recalling that Nidal was dedicated to his job and knew “the time for laughter was for laughter, and the time for work was for work.”Speaking to CNN, Fadi had one message for his cousin. “I swear to God, we missed him. We missed him so much. Not only me, but my entire family hopes that Nidal will return because we are very fond of him. We hope that God will bring him back to us safely.”Whether they report from within the enclave, or elsewhere, Palestinian journalists told CNN they could not turn away from the horrors unfolding in Gaza. Instead, they do as Nujaila, the doctor at Al-Awda hospital, asked at the beginning of the war — telling the stories of besieged Palestinians inside the territory so they are not forgotten.
CNN’s Zeena Saifi contributed to this report.

Question: “Who killed Jesus?”
GotQuestions.org//May 3, 2024
Answer: Who killed Jesus? Who is responsible for Christ’s death? Is it the Jews who condemned Jesus for blasphemy and had Him arrested? Or was it the Romans who physically tortured and crucified Him? What about God the Father or all of sinful humanity? The answer to this question is multi-faceted and involves more than just one particular group bearing the responsibility for Christ's death.
Undoubtedly, the Jews, especially the scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees, greatly opposed Jesus (Matthew 21:15; Luke 11:53; John 5:18; 7:45–52; 12:37). They accused Him of blasphemy on multiple occasions and sought to stone Him for it (Matthew 9:3; Mark 2:6–7; John 8:52–58; 10:31–33). The chief priests and elders accused Jesus (Matthew 27:12), mocked Him (Matthew 27:41), and held council to have Him arrested and to condemn Him to death (Mark 15:1). Judas, a Jew, betrayed Him (John 18:2). The Jews shouted, “‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’” as He stood trial before Pilate (Luke 23:21), and they asked for Barabbas, a thief, to be released instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:21). The Jews wanted to kill Jesus (Matthew 12:14).
Paul writes that the Jews bear part of the blame in killing Jesus: “For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone” (1 Thessalonians 2:14–15, emphasis added). Who killed Jesus? Part of the blame falls on the Jews who plotted against Him.
However, the blame does not just fall on the Jews. In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter indicates that the Jews alone did not kill Jesus: “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:22–23, emphasis added). The Romans were the “wicked men” by whom Jesus was killed. The Romans also share the blame in killing Jesus.
Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it and the torture that came along with it. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to be flogged and crucified (Matthew 27:26; John 19:1). Roman soldiers “stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said” (Matthew 27:28–29). The Roman soldiers drove the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet on the cross (John 19:23) and pierced His side with a spear to make sure He was dead (John 19:34). The Romans killed Jesus.
What was God the Father’s role in Jesus’ death? Romans 3:25 says that “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood,” and Romans 8:32 says that God “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.” Isaiah 53:10 also reveals that it was God’s will for Christ to die: “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and . . . the Lord makes his life an offering for sin.” It’s not that God actually put Jesus on the cross or pounded the nails, but the cross was God’s plan to redeem humanity. Peter preached that Jesus’ betrayal and death was according to “God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23). Jesus’ death was God’s will (see Luke 22:42).
God willed to save His people, and salvation required a payment for sin. Jesus had to die. God could not spare Him. In Genesis 22, Abraham, in obedience to God’s command, was about to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. The angel of the Lord stayed Abraham’s hand and provided a ram as a replacement sacrifice. In the death of Jesus on the cross, God the Father did not spare Him because Jesus was the substitute. Jesus dying in our place as our substitute was the only way God could spare us (Romans 3:25–26). Jesus’ death satisfied God’s holy wrath against sin and allowed God to bring sinners to heaven without violating His justice.
Jesus willingly laid down His life to save us from our sins (John 10:17–19), took the punishment we deserved for our sin, and reconciled us to God (2 Corinthians 5:21). The atonement of Christ was prophesied in Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Because of God’s great love, He provided the only way to redeem all who would believe in Him. Yet God did not allow death to have the final say, but He raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24; Psalm 16:10). Ultimately, all of humanity is guilty of killing Jesus. It was our sin that put Him on the cross. Because of our sin, God sent Jesus to save us. Humanity is both the cause and beneficiary of Jesus’ death. God can use even the wickedest of actions to bring about His perfect plan (see Genesis 50:20). Sinful people killed Jesus, but God used that unlawful killing as the means of our salvation. God’s response to evil is redemptive and shows His great love for us: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8).

US media experts demand review of New York Times story on sexual violence by Hamas on Oct. 7
RAY HANANIA/Arab News/May 03, 2024
CHICAGO: Sixty-four American journalism professionals signed a letter sent to New York Times bosses expressing concern about a story published by the newspaper that accused Palestinians of sexual violence against Israeli civilians during the Oct. 7 attacks.
It concerns a story headlined “Screams Without Words: Sexual Violence on Oct. 7” that ran on the front page of the newspaper on Dec. 28 last year.
In the letter, addressed to Arthur G. Sulzberger, chairperson of The New York Times Co., and copied to executive editors Joseph Kahn and Philip Pan, the journalism professionals, who included Christians, Muslims and Jews, demanded an “external review” of the story.
It is one of several news reports by various media organizations that have been used by the Israeli government to counter criticisms of the brutal nature of its near-seven-month military response to the Hamas attacks, during which more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and most of the homes, businesses, schools, mosques, churches and hospitals in Gaza have been destroyed, displacing more than a million people, many of whom now face famine.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Arab News, states that “The Times’ editorial leadership … remains silent on important and troubling questions raised about its reporting and editorial processes.”
It continues: “We believe this inaction is not only harming The Times itself, it also actively endangers journalists, including American reporters working in conflict zones, as well as Palestinian journalists (of which, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports, around 100 have been killed in this conflict so far).”
Shahan Mufti, a journalism professor at the University of Richmond, a former war correspondent and one of the organizers of the letter, told Arab News that The New York Times failed to do enough to investigate and confirm the evidence supporting the allegations in its story.
“The problem is the New York Times is no longer responding to criticism and is no longer admitting when it is making mistakes,” he said. The newspaper is one of most influential publications in the US, he noted, and its stories are republished by smaller newspapers across the country.
This week, the Israeli government released a documentary, produced by pro-Israel activist Sheryl Sandberg, called “Screams Before Silence,” which it said “reveals the horrendous sexual violence inflicted by Hamas on Oct. 7.” It includes interviews with “survivors from the Nova Festival and Israeli communities, sharing their harrowing stories” and “never-before-heard eyewitness accounts from released hostages, survivors and first responders.”
In promotional materials distributed by Israeli consulates in the US, the producers of the documentary said: “During the attacks at the Nova Music Festival and other Israeli towns, women and girls suffered rape, assault and mutilation. Released hostages have revealed that Israeli captives in Gaza have also been sexually assaulted.”Critics have accused mainstream media organizations of repeating unverified allegations made by the Israeli government and pro-Israel activists about sexual violence on Oct. 7, with some alleging it is a deliberate attempt to fuel anti-Palestinian sentiment in the US and help justify Israel’s military response. Some suggest such stories have empowered police and security officials in several parts of the US to crack down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations, denouncing the protesters as “antisemitic” even though some of them are Jewish.
New York Mayor Eric Adams, for example, asserted, without offering evidence, that recent protests by students on college campuses against the war in Gaza had been “orchestrated” by “outside agitators.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the protests against his country’s military campaign in Gaza are antisemitic in nature.
Jeff Cohen, a retired associate professor of journalism at Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, told Arab News The New York Times story was “flawed” but has had “a major impact in generating support for Israeli vengeance” in Gaza.
He continued: “Israeli vengeance has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians. That’s why so many professors of journalism and media are calling for an independent investigation of what went wrong.
“That (New York Times) story, along with other dubious or exaggerated news reports — such as the fable about Hamas ‘beheading babies’ that President Biden promoted — have inflamed war fever.”
Cohen said the US media “too often … have promoted fables aimed at inflaming war fever,” citing as an example reports in 1990 that Iraqi soldiers had removed babies from incubators after their invasion of Kuwait. The assertions helped frame anti-Iraqi public opinion but years later they were proved to be “a hoax,” he added. “On Oct. 7, Hamas committed horrible atrocities against civilians and it is still holding civilian hostages,” Cohen said. “Journalists must tell the truth about that, without minimizing or exaggerating, as they must tell the truth about the far more horrible Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians.
“The problem is that the mainstream US news media have a long-standing pro-Israel bias. That bias has been proven in study after study. Further proof came from a recently leaked New York Times internal memo of words that its reporters were instructed to avoid — words like ‘Palestine’ (‘except in very rare cases’), ‘occupied territories’ (say ‘Gaza, the West Bank, etc.’) and ‘refugee camps’ (‘refer to them as neighborhoods, or areas’).”
Mufti, the University of Richmond journalism professor, said belligerents “on both sides” are trying to spin and spread their messages. But he accused Israeli authorities in particular of manipulating and censoring media coverage, including through the targeted killing of independent journalists, among them Palestinians and Arabs, and said this was having the greatest impact among the American public.
“Broadly speaking, a lot of the Western news media, and most of the world news media, do not have access to the reality in Gaza,” he said. “They don’t know. It is all guesswork.
“They are all reporting from Tel Aviv, they are reporting from Hebron, they are reporting from the West Bank. Nobody actually knows what the war looks like. It is all secondhand information.
“Most of the information is coming through the Israeli authorities, government and military. So, of course, the information that is coming out about this war is all filtered through the lens of Israel, and the military and the government.”
Mufti said the story published by The New York Times “probably changed the course, or at least influenced the course, of the war.”
He said it appeared at a time when US President Joe Biden was pushing to end the Israeli military campaign in Gaza “and it entirely changed the conversation. It was a very consequential story. And it so happens it was rushed out and it had holes in it … and it changed the course of the war.”
Mohammed Bazzi, an associate professor with the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, told Arab News the letter demanding an “external review” of the story is “a simple ask.”
He added: “This story, and others as well, did play a role” in allowing the Israeli military to take action beyond acceptable military practices “and dehumanize Palestinians.” Such dehumanization was on display before Oct. 7, Bazzi said.
“In the Western media there seemed to be far less sympathetic coverage of Palestinians in Israel’s war in Gaza as a consequence of these stories,” he continued. “We have seen much less profiles of Palestinians … we are beyond 34,000 Palestinians killed but we don’t have a true number or the true scale of the destruction in Gaza — there could be thousands more dead under the rubble and thousands more who will die through famine and malnutrition. This will not stop, as a consequence of what Israel has done.”
Bazzi said the Western media has contributed to the dehumanization of Palestinians more than any other section of the international media, while at the same time humanizing the Israeli victims.
“The New York Times has a great influence on the US media as a whole and sets a standard” for stories and narratives that other media follow, which is “more pro-Israel and less sympathetic to Palestinians,” he added.
Bazzi, among others, said The New York Times has addressed “only a handful of many questions” about its story and needs to do more to present a more accurate account of what happened on Oct. 7.
The letter to New York Times bosses states: “Some of the most troubling questions hovering over the (Dec. 28) story relate to the freelancers who reported a great deal of it, especially Anat Schwartz, who appears to have had no prior daily news-reporting experience before her bylines in The Times.”
Schwartz is described as an Israeli “filmmaker and former air force intelligence official.”Adam Sella, another apparently inexperienced freelancer who shared the byline on the story, is reportedly the nephew of Schwartz’s partner. The only New York Times staff reporter with a byline on the story was Jeffrey Gettleman. Media scrutiny of the story revealed that “Schwartz and Sella did the vast majority of the ground reporting, while Gettleman focused on the framing and writing,” according to the letter. The New York Times did not immediately respond to requests by Arab News for comment.

New NATO chief must work with Turkiye on Middle East file
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/May 03, 2024
NATO is set to appoint a new secretary-general this year. Turkiye, a member of the alliance, announced on Monday its support for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s candidacy, marking a significant step toward securing him the top position after Jens Stoltenberg’s term expires on Oct. 1. Rutte gained Turkiye’s support following a visit to the country a few days earlier, when he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish president is a notoriously tough leader within the alliance.
A tough task certainly awaits the next NATO chief, who will be confronting two major challenges stemming from wars in Turkiye’s immediate neighborhood, namely the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel’s war on Gaza. Ankara’s stance on both of these wars has not been aligned with those of its fellow NATO allies. Turkiye’s relationship with NATO is complex. On several occasions, it has clashed with its allies, yet it remains embraced because it is a country regarded as too significant to lose. Turkiye has been a crucial member since joining in 1952, with it today having the second-largest military in the alliance after the US. Its Incirlik airbase serves as a vital launching point for Western operations in the Middle East, including for flights over Syria and Iraq during counterterrorism campaigns. Beyond its military significance, Turkiye’s strategic significance to NATO extends to regional security, given its proximity to Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran, as well as its role in energy transit. For instance, while Ankara’s relatively close relations with Russia have disturbed some of its NATO allies, it has helped broker agreements such as the Black Sea grain deal and prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. There is no other NATO member that could assume such a role. Ankara’s stance on both of the wars in its neighborhood has not been aligned with those of its fellow NATO allies
Although NATO still holds significance in Turkiye’s foreign and security policymaking, it is also true that this is not to the extent it was during the Cold War era. While Ankara historically aligned its foreign and security policies with NATO, it has adopted a more critical position toward the alliance in the past decade or more, particularly due to its members’ stance on certain crises.
For instance, there is divergence within the NATO allies when it comes to the Israeli war against the Palestinian people. This has been highlighted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who criticized the Western states’ contradictory positions on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. So, NATO serves as a platform for Ankara to exert pressure on Western states on several international issues.
While the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the top security issue on the international agenda, the Red Sea security crisis has significantly alarmed NATO members due to their interests in the Middle East. Israel’s aggression on Gaza has expanded and become internationalized to the extent that it has reached the Red Sea. Alliance members have had varied responses to the Houthi attacks, with some advocating a militaristic approach and others being more cautious, warning against escalating tensions further. Turkiye has adopted an antimilitaristic approach and refrained from joining the new US-led maritime coalition in the Red Sea. Erdogan went as far as accusing the states that retaliated against Houthi targets in Yemen of “trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood.” Turkiye wants to play an active role in NATO’s outreach efforts in the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf region. From the very beginning, it has actively supported initiatives such as the alliance’s Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. These aim to improve NATO’s relationship with states in the Middle East, address pertinent threats to the region and enhance regional security through military cooperation. While the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, launched in the early 2000s, aims for a closer relationship with the Gulf states, the Mediterranean Dialogue, which dates back to the 1990s, seeks to promote a common sense of security in the region.
Although Turkiye has lent its support to NATO’s efforts to develop lasting security cooperation with regional states, doubts persist regarding the alliance’s true ambitions for the Middle East. This is due to its members’ stances on the latest regional crises.
Turkiye’s NATO allies are trying to ignore the elephant in the room by remaining distanced from the Israeli-Palestinian war
NATO allies could be more active in ending the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. However, what has been seen so far is that they basically prefer to turn a blind eye to the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza. While Turkiye’s NATO allies express a desire for increased engagement with regional states, they have largely remained distant from the conflicts that pose a threat to these states.
They are trying to ignore the elephant in the room by remaining distanced from the Israeli-Palestinian war. This raises questions about NATO’s effectiveness in forming stronger relations with regional states, while ignoring the available mechanisms to put pressure on Israel. Moreover, Arab states and Turkiye are concerned about the potential inclusion of Israel in NATO, despite assurances from alliance officials that partnership with any country through the Mediterranean Dialogue or Istanbul Cooperation Initiative does not pave the way to membership.
Despite differences among its members and the obstacles to its role in the Middle East, NATO’s enduring security interests in the region underscore Turkiye’s importance as a pivotal partner. The next secretary-general will have to address two conflicts, namely Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine. In navigating these challenges, Turkiye and NATO should seek to improve their relations. Achieving this requires managing their differences and identifying common interests and approaches toward the issues in the Middle East.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz

Global elections in the shadow of neoliberalism
Joseph E. Stiglitz/Arab News/May 03, 2024
Around the world, populist nationalism is on the rise, often shepherded to power by authoritarian leaders. And yet the neoliberal orthodoxy — government downsizing, tax cuts, deregulation — that took hold some 40 years ago in the West was supposed to strengthen democracy, not weaken it. What went wrong? Part of the answer is economic: neoliberalism simply did not deliver what it promised. In the US and other advanced economies that embraced it, per capita real (inflation-adjusted) income growth between 1980 and the COVID-19 pandemic was 40 percent lower than in the preceding 30 years. Worse, incomes at the bottom and in the middle largely stagnated, while those at the very top increased, and the deliberate weakening of social protections has produced greater financial and economic insecurity.
Rightly worried that climate change jeopardizes their future, young people can see that countries under the sway of neoliberalism have consistently failed to enact strong regulations against pollution (or, in the US, to address the opioid crisis and the epidemic of child diabetes). Sadly, these failures come as no surprise. Neoliberalism was predicated on the belief that unfettered markets are the most efficient means of achieving optimal outcomes. Yet, even in the early days of neoliberalism’s ascendancy, economists had already established that unregulated markets are neither efficient nor stable, let alone conducive to generating a socially acceptable distribution of income.
Neoliberalism’s proponents never seemed to recognize that expanding the freedom of corporations curtails freedom across the rest of society. The freedom to pollute means worsening health (or even death, for those with asthma), more extreme weather and uninhabitable land. There are always trade-offs, of course, but any reasonable society would conclude that the right to live is more important than the spurious right to pollute.
Any reasonable society would conclude that the right to live is more important than the spurious right to pollute
Taxation is equally anathema to neoliberalism, which frames it as an affront to individual liberty: one has the right to keep whatever one earns, regardless of how one earns it. But even when they come by their income honestly, advocates of this view fail to recognize that it was made possible by government investment in infrastructure, technology, education and public health. Rarely do they pause to consider what they would have if they had been born in one of the many countries without the rule of law (or what their portfolios would look like if the US government had not made the investments that led to the COVID-19 vaccine).
Instead, those most indebted to government are often the first to forget what government did for them. Where would Elon Musk and Tesla be if not for the $465 million lifeline they received from President Barack Obama’s Department of Energy in 2010? “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society,” the Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously observed almost a century ago. That has not changed: taxes are what it takes to establish the rule of law or provide any of the other public goods that a 21st-century society needs to function.
Here, we go beyond mere trade-offs, because everyone — including the rich — is made better off by an adequate supply of such goods. Coercion, in this sense, can be emancipatory. There is a broad consensus on the principle that if we are going to have essential goods, we have to pay for them, and that requires taxes.Of course, advocates of smaller government would say that many expenditures should be cut, including government-managed pensions and publicly provided healthcare. But, again, if most people are forced to endure the insecurity and fear of not having reliable healthcare or incomes in old age, society has become less free. Even if multibillionaires’ well-being would be crimped somewhat if each were asked to pay a little more in taxes to fund a child tax credit, consider what a difference it would make in the life of a child who does not have enough to eat or whose parents cannot afford to visit the doctor. Consider what it would mean for the whole country’s future if fewer of its young people grew up malnourished or sick. All these issues should take center stage in this year’s many elections. In the US, the upcoming presidential election offers a stark choice not only between chaos and orderly government, but also between economic philosophies and policies. The incumbent, Joe Biden, is committed to using the power of government to enhance the well-being of all citizens, especially those in the bottom 99 percent, whereas Donald Trump is more interested in maximizing the welfare of the top 1 percent. Trump, who holds court from a luxury golf resort (when he is not in court himself), has become the champion of crony capitalists around the world. Trump and Biden have vastly different visions of the kind of society we should be working to create
Trump and Biden have vastly different visions of the kind of society we should be working to create. In one scenario, dishonesty, socially destructive profiteering and rent-seeking will prevail, public trust will continue to crumble and materialism and greed will triumph. In the other, elected officials and public servants will work in good faith toward a more creative, healthy, knowledge-based society built on trust and honesty.
Of course, politics is never as pure as this description suggests. But no one can deny that the two candidates hold fundamentally different views on freedom and the makings of a good society. Our economic system reflects and shapes who we are and what we can become. If we publicly endorse a selfish, misogynistic grifter — or dismiss these attributes as minor blemishes — our young people will absorb that message and we will end up with even more scoundrels and opportunists in office. We will become a society without trust and thus without a well-functioning economy.
Recent polls show that, barely three years after Trump left the White House, the public has blissfully forgotten his administration’s chaos, incompetence and attacks on the rule of law. But one need only look at the candidates’ concrete positions on the issues to recognize that, if we want to live in a society that values all citizens and strives to create ways for them to live full and satisfying lives, the choice is clear.
• Joseph E. Stiglitz, a former chief economist of the World Bank and former chair of the US President’s Council of Economic Advisers, is University Professor at Columbia University, a Nobel laureate in economics and the author, most recently, of “The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society.” Copyright: Project Syndicate

How the Ukraine war has affected ex-Soviet bloc states
Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/May 03, 2024
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, many countries in regions that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, particularly Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Georgia, have taken neutral stances and carefully calibrated their diplomatic actions between Russia and the West, although maintaining a position that is closer to the Kremlin’s agenda. At the same time, they have developed their ties with other states that have offered neutral responses to the Ukraine crisis, such as those in the Middle East.
Uzbekistan has taken a balanced position on the Ukraine crisis. Relations between Tashkent and Moscow are strong and have developed through multilateral engagements such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the UN.
The impact of Western sanctions on the Russian economy directly affected the Uzbek economy, as the country relies on high-tech imports from Russia. Uzbekistan is now a key link in the logistics chain for goods from states that have imposed sanctions on Russia. In 2022, the volume of goods and services supplied from Uzbekistan to Russia increased by nearly 50 percent, to $3.06 billion.
At the same time, Uzbekistan has tried to balance relations with the West, rather than circumvent restrictive measures against Russia. In April 2023, Brussels provided the Uzbek authorities with a list of goods that are subject to EU sanctions, including microchips and optical equipment. The European authorities paid special attention to this, as they had noticed a significant increase of 126 percent in the export of such products through Uzbekistan.
Just as the Ukraine war pushed states toward alternative logistics arrangements, it also contributed to the importance of geopolitical reality, particularly the growing importance of the trans-Caspian international transport route linking the EU and China via Central Asia, Turkiye and the Caucasus. Connectivity is another field where most of the former Soviet space benefited: in September 2022, an agreement was signed between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and China to develop a feasibility study for a trilateral railway project.
The war has both required and offered opportunities for engagements with the EU and other Western partners, especially those based on soft power. At an Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies forum on UK-Uzbek ties last month, Sodiq Safoyev, the first deputy chairman of the Senate of Uzbekistan, expressed the idea of broadening relations with the UK based on soft power elements. He took into consideration how historical details and trajectories in the evolution of their civilizations offer the possibility of new research to study different civilizations.
In 1994, the British-Uzbek Society was formed, which in the current geopolitical reality serves as a useful soft power tool. The idea of collaborating on climate change was also discussed at last month’s forum, including the potential of Central Asia as a logistics hub, offering new routes between China, Central Asia and the UK. There has been much speculation regarding Russia’s diminished influence on Kazakhstan. In 2022, the Kazakhstan government prepared to accommodate Western sanctions, while carefully aiming to mitigate their impact. Nonetheless, statistics show that, since then, Astana’s economic ties with Russia have only grown. The years 2022 and 2023 saw record trade between the two countries of $26 billion and $27 billion, respectively, including the export of dual-use goods.
Russia also controls Kazakhstan’s main export route, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which exports 79 percent of Kazakh crude oil. In 2023, a $6 billion deal was signed that will increase bilateral energy interdependence, as seen with Russia’s attempts to build three coal plants in Kazakhstan.
Maximilian Hess of the Foreign Policy Research Institute wrote in 2022: “Kazakhstan has attempted to placate Western concerns while also showing no serious signs of disloyalty to Moscow.” In 2024, Kate Mallinson nonetheless stressed in an analysis for Chatham House: “An arch-diplomat, the Kazakh president will continue to attempt to balance: refraining from showing support for Russia’s actions while not being accused by Moscow of acting against Russia.”
She concluded that Western countries might play a key role by providing young Kazakhs with technology, education, independent media and Western values. However, “geography, economic and cultural ties matter, and Russia looks set to remain a key strategic partner for Kazakhstan over the next difficult decade of geopolitics.” These analyses might be useful with regards to most post-Soviet states — the Baltic countries excepted — and offer a good explanation of their current standings.
Georgia, as a small state, has also taken a neutral stance, rejecting economic sanctions against Russia. With limited security guarantees, the country still has aspirations of joining the EU and NATO. However, in 2023, Giorgi Kandelaki wrote an analysis for the Atlantic Council titled “Russia is losing in Ukraine but wining in Georgia.” He gave the example of the absence of then-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili from last year’s NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
These states are arguably seeking a safe haven for their foreign policy away from toxic great power competitions
Weeks before the summit, Garibashvili attracted global attention by suggesting NATO shared responsibility for the start of the Ukraine war. The war has clearly polarized the internal dynamics of the country, including ongoing clashes amid a so-called foreign agents law debate, which has a direct impact on Georgia’s path of balancing between the West and Russia.
In the case of Georgia, and potentially other post-Soviet spaces, another interesting trend is that of diversification efforts with other actors, principally those that have also expressed neutrality and prioritized their national interests over the Ukraine war. For example, in 2022, bilateral nonoil trade between Georgia and the UAE reached $468 million, an increase of 110 percent over 2021, and constituted 63 percent of Georgia’s trade with the entire Arab world. In March 2022, the two countries signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, particularly motivated by the strategic importance of Georgia, as it acts as an east-west corridor to boost connectivity and trade.
After the official visit of Garibashvili to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Georgia became an area of special interest. As 85 percent of Georgia’s electricity comes from renewable sources, renewable energy — including its related technologies and expertise — is a strategic priority for the country and an important tool in its cooperation with the energy-rich Gulf states amid their efforts to diversify. In addition to renewables, relations with Saudi Arabia are economically strategic, especially in agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.
Therefore, the states of the post-Soviet space are carefully balancing their ties with Russia, while also seeking to widen the windows of opportunity with Western states. They are also aiming to diversify their links with other neutral states, given the current geopolitical transformations, arguably seeking a safe haven for their foreign policy away from toxic great power competitions.
• Dr. Diana Galeeva is an academic visitor to Oxford University. X: @Dr_GaleevaDiana