Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 10-11/2024
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says fires rockets at Israel after deadly strike
Israeli strike kills Lebanese technician fixing phone tower, security sources say
Southern Front: Drone Attack Kills Two
Hezbollah says it hit northern Israel in response to the killing of its members
Bkerke Meeting: Draft Formula Regarding Hezbollah’s Weapons Still Hanging
Lebanon's legal response to child abuse: Protection and rehabilitation
Inside Lebanon: Evaluating the European Union's one billion euro aid offer
Attieh to LBCI: Gaza ceasefire results will accelerate presidential election process
Samir Geagea's LBCI interview: Rejects Frangieh's candidacy, slams Hezbollah-Amal duo over presidential elections
Bayssari Reveals New Plan for Syrian Migrants and Detainees
Supreme Shiite Council Files Complaint Against Fakih
Prosecution Intensifies Against Assault Gang: Charges and Investigations Unfold
Crime Rates Surging Amidst State Weakness/Samar Yamout/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
De Waele: Repatriation of Syrians Is an Ambition, Not a Plan/Natasha Metni Torbey/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
Wheat: From a General Subsidy to a Targeted Subsidy/Christiane Tager/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 10-11/2024
UN assembly approves resolution granting Palestine new rights and reviving its UN membership bid
Dozens arrested at Penn, MIT in latest crackdowns on Gaza protests
A West Bank village feels helpless after Israeli settlers attack with fire and bullets
Syria's Kurdish-led force hands over 2 IS militants suspected in 2014 mass killing of Iraqi troops
Iraq requests end of UN assistance mission by end-2025
UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership
Netanyahu vs. Gantz: Israeli government faces crisis amidst stalled prisoner negotiations
UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership
Gaza aid could grind to a halt within days, UN agencies warn
Israel's participation in Eurovision faces criticism amid pro-Gaza protests in Sweden
Spain, Ireland to recognize Palestinian state on May 21 — EU’s Borrell
Hamas says ‘ball is completely’ in Israel’s hands in Gaza truce talks
South Africa asks World Court to order Israel's withdrawal from Rafah
Ireland and Spain to Recognize Palestine on May 21, Says Borell
Israeli demonstrators torch part of UN compound in Jerusalem

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 10-11/2024
Question: “Why pray?”/GotQuestions.org/May 10/2024
Defending Freedom: A Tribute to the Warriors of Israel/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute./May 10, 2024
Green business and communities must partner to save the environment/Raed Albasseet/Arab News/May 10/2024
Navigating the ethical landscape of AI on the road/Rafael Hernandez de Santiago/Arab News/May 10/2024
‘Magnanimous’ Authorities Give Churchless Christians ‘Permission’ to Celebrate Easter in a Home/Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/May 10/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 10-11/2024
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says fires rockets at Israel after deadly strike
AFP/May 10, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group said it fired Katyusha rockets at Israel on Friday in retaliation for strikes, which state media said killed two people in the south of the country. Israel and Hamas ally Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily cross-border fire following the Palestinian group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that sparked war in Gaza. Hezbollah fighters fired “a salvo of Katyusha rockets” at Israel’s north “in response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks on... civilians, most recently in Tayr Harfa,” the group said in a statement. In a separate statement, the group also claimed a rocket salvo on an army base in northern Israel, later saying its fighters launched a second attack with “dozens of Katyusha rockets” at troops who were assessing the damage at the base. Earlier Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said a first responder from a rescue group affiliated with a Hezbollah-allied movement and a telecoms technician were killed “as a result of the Israeli aggression on Tayr Harfa.” The rescuer belonged to the Risala Scout association, affiliated to Shiite Amal movement, while the technician worked for Power Tec, which undertakes maintenance work for private mobile service provider Touch. The technician and colleagues from Ogero telecom provider were carrying out “maintenance on the transmission poles,” the NNA said, adding they had sought permission from the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, or UNIFIL. The Risala Scout association, which operates in south Lebanon, said the rescuer was killed when his team went to a location that had come under Israeli bombardment. “The second strike came quickly, and one of the young men was martyred,” a source from the association told AFP. A source within Touch said the strike hit a team that had been doing maintenance work in Tayr Haifa. “We lost communications with them because the station was hit,” the source told AFP, requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. “There were people from our team and from another company that does maintenance work for us, and there were also paramedics,” the source added. At least 402 people have been killed in Lebanon in seven months of cross-border violence, mostly militants but also including 79 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israel says 14 soldiers and nine civilians have been killed on its side of the border. Three of the soldiers were killed this week, one of them on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides.

Israeli strike kills Lebanese technician fixing phone tower, security sources say
BEIRUT (Reuters)/May 10, 2024
An Israeli strike on a village in south Lebanon killed a Lebanese technician contracted by a telecoms company to fix a phone tower, Lebanon's telecoms minister told Reuters on Friday. The same strike also killed a medic from a civilian rescue force affiliated with the Amal Movement, an ally of the Shi'ite Muslim armed group Hezbollah, the minister and security sources said. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has been running in parallel to the seven-month-long war in Gaza, in the most intense confrontation since the two sides fought a war in 2006. Both sides stepped up their bombardments this week, fuelling concerns of a bigger war between the heavily-armed adversaries. Friday's strike on the village of Teir Harfa hit a team of technicians contracted by Lebanese telecoms company Touch as they were attempting to repair the power generator at a telecoms tower, telecoms minister Johnny Corm told Reuters. They were accompanied by medics and Lebanese army soldiers. Separate strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday killed a fighter from Hezbollah as well as two Palestinian fighters, security sources told Reuters. Several Palestinian factions have armed elements based in Lebanon and have fired rockets at Israel from there.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Friday's strikes. Israel's bombardment of southern Lebanon has killed more than 270 Hezbollah fighters, more than 30 Palestinian fighters and more than 70 civilians, including children, medics and journalists. Rockets from Hezbollah and other groups have killed more than a dozen Israeli troops and about half as many civilians. Hezbollah has repeatedly said it would cease fire when the Israeli offensive in Gaza stopped, but that it was also ready to fight on if Israel continued to attack Lebanon.

Southern Front: Drone Attack Kills Two
This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
Paramedic, Ghaleb Hussein Hajj, from the Civil Defense of the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Message Scouts, and a technician, Youssef-J, were killed Friday, and several others wounded by an Israeli drone attack in Tayr Harfa in the latest violence in south Lebanon. A team of Power tec workers, accompanied by members of the Islamic Message Scouts, were carrying out maintenance work on a transmission station of mobile phone operator, MTC, when the drone attack with two missiles targeted them. Ambulances were seen rushing to the scene immediately. Earlier, Israeli bombardment had targeted Kfarkila and Blida in Marjayoun district, amid reconnaissance flights above Tyre caza. Also Friday, Hezbollah mourned one of its combatants, Hassan Ali Karim, codenamed “Tarek”, the fourth casualty from yesterday’s Israeli drone attack which targeted a “Rapid” car on the Bafley-Arzouniye road. Earlier Friday, Israeli media reported that a fire broke out in the Upper Galilee, caused by anti-tank missiles launched from Lebanon. Israeli warplanes had also raided Kfar Kila, while artillery targeted Khiam and Labbouneh-Naqoura regions. Overnight, Israeli warplanes targeted a house in Aalma al-Shaab, destroying it and causing extensive damage to property, crops and neighboring apartments. The outskirts of Marwahin, Dhayra and Aita al-Shaab were also targets of Israeli artillery shelling, amid reconnaissance flights over Tyre caza and the coastal area. For its part, Hezbollah declared targeting Israeli forces at Malkiya site with artillery shells.

Hezbollah says it hit northern Israel in response to the killing of its members
AFP/May 10/2024
Hezbollah announced on Thursday in a statement that it shelled a military site in northern Israel "with assault drones," as part of "the response" to the killing of its members in an Israeli airstrike by a drone targeting their car in southern Lebanon, a security source told Agence France-Presse. Hezbollah declared in its statement the launching of "an aerial attack with assault drones targeting the military command of the enemy forces in the settlement of Kfar Giladi and its surroundings" in northern Israel, "in response to the assassination of the mujahideen in the town of Bafliyeh." The Israeli army, on the other hand, stated in a statement that its air defenses "successfully intercepted two drones in Lebanese territory," adding that it carried out strikes "at several locations in southern Lebanon to remove threats." A Lebanese security source told Agence France-Presse that "four Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli airstrike by a drone on their car in the town of Bafliyeh," located about 15 kilometers from the southern Lebanese border with Israel. Hezbollah mourned on Thursday three of its fighters while claiming new attacks against Israeli military sites.

Bkerke Meeting: Draft Formula Regarding Hezbollah’s Weapons Still Hanging
Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
Christian forces – notably the Lebanese Forces (LF), the Kataeb and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) – who gathered at the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke on Friday, have tentatively agreed on a draft formula regarding Hezbollah’s weapons. This formula would be part of the national charter that Bkerke is expected to declare in the coming days, pending FPM’s final approval. According to some reports, sovereignty comes first in the formula, which should compel Hezbollah to hand over its weapons to the state. However, the FPM has not given its final approval; MP Georges Atallah, representing the party in the talks, will consult with FPM chief, MP Gebran Bassil, to see if he approves of the formula. Based on the same information, the FPM still refuses the idea of handing in Hezbollah’s weapons to the state and the Lebanese army. In this context, the party’s representative discussed the implementation mechanism of the project, expressing its refusal to confront the pro-Iranian faction. According to reports, the FPM considers Hezbollah’s weapons to have a certain legitimacy, given the “army, people, resistance” formula mentioned in the ministerial statements of several governments. This stance sparked sharp reactions from representatives of the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb, who maintain that this formula is imposed on all governments, deeply harming Lebanon. It allows monopoly over decisions of war and peace and turns the country into a regional battleground. The LF and Kataeb representatives asked Atallah how it is possible to talk about the state and sovereignty while accepting the presence of illegal weapons that are not subject to any control by the authorities. Those gathered at Bkerke hoped that the talks on Friday would be the final step before drafting a final formula, but the FPM’s ambiguous position made it inevitable to hold another meeting in the coming days, during which the party will clarify its final stance regarding Hezbollah’s weapons.

Lebanon's legal response to child abuse: Protection and rehabilitation
LBCI/May 10/2024
In the wake of the recent assault case involving minors, Lebanon grapples with the gravity of offenses ranging from enticement to harassment and rape. The psychological aftermath of these crimes weighs heavily on minors even if they participate in the crime. In Lebanon, where values seem increasingly disregarded, taboos become fodder for bullying, as observed in the exploitation tactics used by the perpetrator of the assault, now trending online. Names and images of the minors involved in the case have circulated widely on social media platforms, contrasting starkly with the need for love and security that these young individuals truly require, according to social workers. Responding swiftly to the broader societal context of danger, Judge Joelle Abou Haidar in Mount Lebanon took proactive steps by convening a hearing to listen to three of the detained minors involved in the assault case. However, this session aims not to condemn or judge but to comprehend the suffering of the minors amid this ordeal. Under Lebanese juvenile law, suspects under the age of majority are not treated as criminals but as individuals vulnerable to societal and psychological pressures that warrant intervention. Thus, follow-up sessions are separate from investigative or trial proceedings and rules, whether before the juvenile court in case of a felony or before the criminal court in case of a crime. Under juvenile law, for detained minors, protection and care are afforded even before and throughout their trial, ensuring a certain level of privacy and sensitivity to their circumstances.  Meanwhile, for the victims, therapy sessions are imperative, overseen by the juvenile court, with periodic visits from juvenile affairs representatives and constant communication channels established, including a dedicated hotline.
Judge Abou Haidar urged the deletion of social media accounts propagating the assault footage with the "do you want to drink something" phrase, alongside the prohibition of sharing the names and images of the minors involved. Additionally, she issued a letter to the Education Ministry to integrate awareness sessions on social media risks into school curricula. Harassment against minors is condemned as a crime tantamount to an attack on their dignity. Therefore, it falls upon families to courageously report any assaults on their children and upon society to uphold awareness, safeguarding the minimum standards of humanity and ethics.

Inside Lebanon: Evaluating the European Union's one billion euro aid offer
LBCI/May 10/2024
The issue of the one billion euro offered by the European Union to Lebanon remains a central topic of internal discussion. After Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed the matter, what does the European Union say? An EU official affirmed to LBCI that these funds are for Lebanon's assistance in enhancing essential services, including healthcare, education, and border control, both maritime and land. During a meeting with journalists, the EU official revealed that discussions are ongoing with officials in Lebanon to identify the projects to which the one billion euro will be allocated. Responding to concerns about EU oversight regarding the expenditure of funds to prevent corruption, the EU official assured that the spending process would undergo monitoring by NGOs and international organizations. This monitoring would involve regular financial reporting, financial audits, and monitoring of implementation. Within Lebanon, there are accusations against the European Union of using these projects to support the continued presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The EU official asserts that all of the EU's efforts at this stage focus on supporting both refugees and host countries alike, noting that a significant number of Lebanese also benefit from these projects. Regarding the issue of seasonal migration for Lebanese to Europe, as mentioned by Mikati, the EU official confirms that this matter will be discussed later.

Attieh to LBCI: Gaza ceasefire results will accelerate presidential election process
LBCI/May 10/2024
MP Sajih Attieh affirmed that the results of the ceasefire in Gaza would serve as a catalyst for expediting the process of electing a president for the republic in Lebanon. On LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, Attieh mentioned that the Saudi side of the Quintet Committee was the most cautious about proposing a candidate for the presidency. He noted that the Quintet is convinced that the presidential issue in Lebanon will not be resolved until after the situation in Gaza is settled. He argued that the situation in Gaza has reached a critical point, suggesting that ''Israel will secure Gaza to allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to achieve final military gains before moving forward with a ceasefire agreement.''He pointed out the possibility of increased Arab pressure on Israel in the coming days. Regarding the financial assistance given to Lebanon, he said, "Everyone will move forward, those who denounced it and those who didn't, during the session." He added, "If the financial aid comes with the condition of keeping Syrian refugees in Lebanon, it's a bribe. If there are no strings attached, then it's a grant. We rely on these grants in Lebanon because we're a country that depends on handouts."

Samir Geagea's LBCI interview: Rejects Frangieh's candidacy, slams Hezbollah-Amal duo over presidential elections
LBCI/May 10/2024
The Lebanese Forces party leader, Samir Geagea, noted: "We forgot that we are a country that has the authority to make decisions due to governmental negligence," adding: "The main problem is that there is neither a government nor a state in Lebanon."He further indicated that "there are remnants of a state that we must activate, and this is what we are doing."On LBCI's "Jadal" talk show, he said: "Until this moment, we are with the 'real' Syrian revolution. However, accepting Syrian presence on our land is another matter."He addressed the claims that some are conveying regarding being late in addressing the Syrian refugee file, saying: "Our adversaries in the Resistance Axis and the Free Patriotic Movement are the 'biggest liars.'"Samir Geagea urged all security agencies to act swiftly because the number of Syrian refugees "is very large," stating that the General Security agency is capable of taking action. "If it needs any assistance, it should declare it," he affirmed. During the interview, he confirmed that about 400,000 Syrians are legally present in Lebanon. "We have no sensitivity towards the Syrian people. It is the responsibility of the state to deport illegal immigrants, who number about one and a half million," he commented. "Today, the government must enforce the law, and the memorandum we submitted to the United Nations does not contain any warnings. If laws are not enforced by international organizations, we will file a lawsuit against them," he added.
He affirmed there are 16 million Syrians in Syria, nine million of them in regime-held areas and seven million in opposition-held areas, and in both cases, "Syrians on our land can leave either towards opposition or regime-held areas."
Regarding the recent aid package offered to Lebanon, the Lebanese Forces party leader said: "We will participate in the parliamentary session on Wednesday to inquire from Speaker Nabih Berri about the details of this assistance, whether it is to keep Syrian refugees in Lebanon or assist Lebanon in carrying out reforms.""We are in favor of opening land routes for the return of refugees to Syria before opening sea routes," he commented during the interview. He affirmed that there will be movements in Brussels soon to pressure the European Union not to grant aid to Syrians in Lebanon but to assist them in Syria.
He stated that the bloc might participate in the parliamentary session on May 15, "but the final decision will be after the bloc meeting. However, I believe we should participate because the issue is urgent. The Prime Minister should clarify the reasons behind European assistance."Regarding the presidential vacuum, Geagea told "Jadal" that dialogue is always ongoing with all parties regarding the presidential file, but "we reject dialogue tables that create customs we do not want."He noted that the Hezbollah-Amal Movement duo obstructs presidential elections and discusses dialogue while opening a front in the south "without speaking with anyone." "The other team asks, 'What do you want to vote for Sleiman Frangieh?' As for us, we demand a third candidate agreed upon by everyone," he stated. Geagea told "Jadal:" "In these circumstances, it is not possible to shorten the term of the Parliament."He further indicated: "We have not and will not accept Sleiman Frangieh's candidacy, and we accepted the third candidate, but the other side did not accept him. We want a president who protects the interests of the Lebanese people."He finished by saying that the impact of Pascal Sleiman's case "has not faded," and the initial outcome is evident in the situation with Syrian refugees.

Bayssari Reveals New Plan for Syrian Migrants and Detainees
This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
General Security Director-General, Major General Elias Bayssari, announced that he is preparing a comprehensive study on the Syrian migrants’ file, “which will be detailed and presented at the conference devoted to address this issue, in Brussels next month.”In an interview with Al-Joumhouriya, Bayssari revealed that he “is in the process of preparing a plan that will pave the way for the deportation of a number of prisoners in coordination with the Minister of Justice and the Court of Cassation and under the supervision of the Minister of Interior.”“An amendment is being prepared by the General Directorate of General Security regarding the residency conditions for residents” he said, stressing that “new amendments will emphasize the need to apply the residency conditions, including applying strict sentences to any Syrian who violates the residency conditions or violates Lebanese laws, including exposing him to immediate deportation if he violates those conditions.” Concerning the date of his visit to Syria, Bayssari pointed out that “the matter needs a suitable timing agreed upon in advance between the Syrian and Lebanese states to prepare the ground and start negotiations on the possibility of deporting prisoners.”In this context, he asserted the need for political calm, political agreement and the importance of respecting international treaties that preserve human rights. As for the need to abide by the treaty between Lebanon and Syria, he noted that “agreements between states are always subject to amendment because treaties are not absolute and are subject to amendment if the parties concerned with the treaty agree on this.”“All files should be thoroughly examined and each file should be studied individually,” Bayssari added. Regarding the cases of those convicted of terrorism, Bayssari concluded that “Lebanese law prevents their return and they must complete their full sentence in Lebanon.”

Supreme Shiite Council Files Complaint Against Fakih
This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council filed a criminal complaint on Friday against comedian Shaden Fakih because of a video clip that was widely shared on social media on Wednesday, in which she jested about Islamic and Christian prayer rituals. Th charges, which were pressed by attorney Prof. Ali Fayez Rahal, came in accordance with provisions of Articles 317, 473 and 474 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which punish the criminal acts of blasphemy in the name of God, denigrating religious rituals and inciting sectarian and racial strife. It is noteworthy that Dar al-Fatwa had also filed a complaint on Thursday against Fakih for “offending Islam,” “the Prophet Muhammad” and “national unity,” as well as “inciting religious and communal discord.”

Prosecution Intensifies Against Assault Gang: Charges and Investigations Unfold
LBCI/May 10/2024
The judiciary wasted no time in prosecuting the gang accused of assaulting minors; instead, the Public Prosecution Office in Mount Lebanon escalated its efforts in light of the gravity of the crimes committed against the victims and society.  On the ninth day of the investigation, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tanios Saghbine filed charges against 12 individuals, including five adults in custody, minors, and a woman identified as G.G., B.N., and B.M., who are abroad and suspected of financing the gang. Additionally, charges were brought against unknown individuals. However, the most important aspect in the case is the alleged crimes. Alongside luring, rape, threats, deception, and robbery, the Public Prosecution Office charged attempted murder resulting from exposing the victims to physical harm and brutality in sexual acts. Furthermore, charges of human trafficking and money laundering were filed based on investigations revealing the movement of funds resulting from illicit activities and used for unlawful purposes. For example, one of the detained minors confessed to receiving $75,000. In the charges, the Public Prosecution Office requested the issuance of Interpol red notices against those abroad as soon as they are released. Concurrently, requests for judicial assistance were sent to two countries where individuals B. M. known as "Jay" and B. N. known as "Steven" are believed to be located. The accused minors, as well as the adults, will be referred to the investigative judge, and after the investigations conclude, the minors will be brought before the juvenile court to seek appropriate penalties. It is noted that the investigations included four minors, a clothing store owner, a barber, a driver, a money changer, and a photographer. Additionally, the Bar Association has initiated an investigation into one of the lawyers based on a request for prosecution authorization issued by the Public Prosecution Office. Following the internal investigation, the Bar Association will make its decision regarding granting prosecution authorization.

Crime Rates Surging Amidst State Weakness
Samar Yamout/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
The surge in crime in Lebanon is no longer an ordinary issue. It has become a major source of concern for Lebanese citizens, especially for those who have always considered the law-governed State of their upbringing as a safe haven.
Samar Yamout from co-sister media, Houna Loubnan, wrote:
Hardly a week passes in Lebanon without witnessing crimes such as murder, rape, theft, kidnapping and stabbing, among others. Perpetrated in cold blood, these acts unfold against the backdrop of decaying State institutions and a failure to enforce proactive security measures. This environment emboldens various gangs and individuals to freely roam, flouting societal security and ethics, bolstered by the State’s weak governance and ineffective judicial system, and confident in their ability to evade accountability. The surge in crime rates in Lebanon is no longer merely an ordinary matter. It has become a major source of concern for Lebanese citizens, especially for those who have always considered the law-governed State of their upbringing as a safe haven. When probing the root causes of Lebanon’s increasing crime rates, it is imperative to delve into all exceptional circumstances the country has endured for years — be they economic, security-related, political or social. This makes the rational question legitimate: What remains from Lebanon to prevent the growth of criminal activity?
Crimes Deemed Easy Under State Weakness
“Lebanon found itself in the throes of an economic crisis, during which the State displayed a lack of responsibility and proved incapable of devising a recovery plan,” noted retired Brigadier General Khaled Hamadeh, an expert in security and political affairs, when asked about the matter. He pointed to “the fragmentation of administrative systems, the decay of the public sector, and the diminishing professional and ethical commitment to public service within the State, all exacerbated by financial pressures.”Hamadeh cited the Beirut port double-explosion crime, in which several officials and ministers were implicated. He lamented the judiciary’s failure in that instance to fulfill its role, which undermined trust in both the State and the judicial authority. As a result, the law has fallen into the hands of all those who seek to vilify it, leading to a surge in security and cross-border incidents between Lebanon and Syria. As the State’s weakness increased, its ability to assert control diminishes, allowing residents to find committing crimes easier, fully aware of the contaminated, corrupt, and complicit State components.”In discussing the presence of Syrian migrants and its correlation with the rising crime rates, Hamadeh maintains, “as the Syrian population exceeds one-third of Lebanon’s inhabitants, it is normal to see crime rates surge. This is especially attributed to the State’s failure to comprehensively address this issue since its inception, to come up with a formula to control this presence, in terms of security, administration, and employment opportunities, and to benefit from the workforce, like Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt.” The retired Brigadier General noted that Syrian migrants came from diverse backgrounds, primarily rural or religious, with the majority holding strong ethics and values. However, some may gravitate towards criminal behavior upon realizing the prevailing security and legal loopholes.
Submissive Political Class
Furthermore, Hamadeh places his confidence in the enduring values of upbringing and moral integrity within Lebanese families, viewing them as crucial deterrents against rising crime. “While discussions of a surge in crime pervade Lebanon, if any other country were to face the same level of State decay, chaos, and dysfunction within its security and judicial systems as we do in Lebanon, the prevalence of crime would undoubtedly be much higher,” he explains. Hamadeh concludes by asserting, “The mounting crime wave is the responsibility of the State and the Parliament. It is the responsibility of the entire political class, which wouldn’t dare to enforce the law while being submissive to local or regional forces at play, and lacks the desire or will to establish a genuine State and safeguard its society.”Absence of ‘Citizenry’ and Disregard for the Law. In turn, social psychologist Dr. Nadia Chahrour asserts, “The surge in crime within any society is the result of a myriad of factors. These include upbringing, social circles, (as the adage goes, ‘tell me who your friends are …’), lack of respect for the law, and the strength of one’s connection to their homeland. The absence of the feeling of citizenry is particularly detrimental, as it reflects the weakening of the societal fabric. Amidst the recent economic crisis, sharp divisions have emerged among citizens, creating significant class disparities between the wealthy and the impoverished. This inequality may lead individuals to justify resorting to crime, feeling undervalued despite their hard work yielding little financial reward.”
Curbing Crime
Discussing the surge in crime rates, especially with a significant proportion attributed to Syrians, Chahrour indicated that “Syrian migrants originate from a different environment, and despite its geographical proximity to Lebanon, their cultures remain distinct, posing challenges in adaptation to the host society. Of particular concern are those lacking in education and social upbringing, who may not be interested in preserving the newfound community as Lebanese citizens do.”Chahrour concluded, “First and foremost, the pivotal role in ensuring security and curbing crime remains that of the State. We cannot solely rely on individual self-control without complementary deterrent measures, ranging from upbringing and behavior to the State’s enforcement of the law on all within its territory.”

De Waele: Repatriation of Syrians Is an Ambition, Not a Plan
Natasha Metni Torbey/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
The European Union (EU) seems to be on the defensive, especially since the uproar caused by the announcement last Thursday of a one-billion-euro aid package to help Lebanon put up with the burden of Syrian migrants. In a second attempt (the first being yesterday, May 9, on the occasion of Europe Day) to justify the granting of this sum over a period of 4 years, the EU Ambassador to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, stated at a press conference on Friday that the European initiative for the return of Syrians to their country cannot be termed a “plan.” Therefore, “no deadline has been set in this regard,” she said. “It is not a ‘voluntary return plan’ per se,” De Waele declared, responding to a question from This Is Beirut (TIB). Rather, she explained, it is “efforts aimed at creating the necessary conditions for it.” That is why “we plan to work with Lebanon to stimulate this process and create all the dynamics for return in collaboration with the security forces,” she noted. “It is in this perspective that we are in the process of studying the report submitted to us by the General Security on the situation of the Syrian presence in Lebanon,” especially those who are in irregular situations, she added. Repatriation should be done, De Waele insisted repeatedly, “in accordance with international humanitarian rules.” In this context, one wonders what status, in the eyes of the EU, the laws stating that Lebanon is a transit country have. “If Lebanon has not ratified the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, this does not mean that it should not adhere to international humanitarian rules. There is a commitment from the Lebanese government to adhere to these principles,” she pointed out in response to another question from TIB. While awaiting a (possible?) repatriation of Syrians, the granted aid will be distributed over approximately 30 projects, mainly targeting the education and health sectors, but also providing access to clean water and ensuring social protection. These programs will be extensively studied with the various relevant ministries, and will benefit both Syrians and a portion of Lebanese citizens. According to figures provided by the EU ambassador to Beirut, “75,000 families will benefit from this aid.” She also indicated that “55% of Lebanese citizens access health centers ‘supported’ by the EU, and in Tripoli, 75% of them turn to these centers for treatment.”
Through this program, the EU intends, still according to De Waele, “to contribute to the fight against corruption, terrorism and human trafficking, and to support the army and security forces in controlling the borders with Syria.” All these projects are, as the EU ambassador stated, in “continuity of our commitment.” However, their funding will not pass through the government (a decision made since the beginning of the crisis in Lebanon in 2019). The money will go directly to the beneficiaries of the projects to be implemented. She also emphasized the need for the Lebanese government and security forces to assume their responsibilities in managing the crisis at all levels. “Political leaders must make efforts to enable Lebanon to overcome its crisis, especially the one related to the banking sector. Hence the importance of implementing the required reforms in this area.” For their part, the army and security forces, who will benefit from European training and logistical support, must also perform their duties and be accountable for the reasons behind infiltration attempts. “Let’s not forget that it is not the EU that is at the borders and conducting control work on the ground.”
Aid within Syria
De Waele affirmed that, contrary to popular belief, the EU provides considerable aid to Syrians in their country, aid that exceeds three times that granted to Lebanon. This statement can however be called into question. According to a diplomatic official within the EU, questioned last Friday by TIB, the aid, although provided to Damascus, is provided “with difficulty,” “because of the regime in power.” It must be said that maintaining Bashar al-Assad and his regime at the helm of the country, along with US sanctions, would also make it difficult to provide aid on the scale described by De Waele.

Wheat: From a General Subsidy to a Targeted Subsidy
Christiane Tager/This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
Two years ago, in May 2022, Lebanon and the World Bank signed an emergency agreement worth a total of $150 million to preserve food security in Lebanon, through support for wheat imports and a subsidy. This agreement expires on May 25. What about the future?
In May 2022, Lebanon and the World Bank (WB) signed an emergency agreement worth a total of $150 million to preserve food security in Lebanon, through support for wheat imports. This agreement expires at the end of May. It was a WB loan to the Lebanese government to subsidize Lebanese white bread. What’s next?
The caretaker Minister of Economy and Trade, Amin Salam, assures This Is Beirut that the quantities of wheat subsidized by the WB are sufficient until October. He explains that after this date, the subsidy will be transformed into support provided by the Lebanese state to the most vulnerable people.
“This will be the end of the generalized subsidy to Lebanese and non-Lebanese alike. Assistance will be targeted,” he asserts. Salam recalls that the agreement was reached almost two months after the start of negotiations with the WB delegation in Lebanon. These had been initiated after the Russian offensive in Ukraine and fears of an international wheat crisis, particularly in the Land of the Cedars, which imports most of its wheat from Ukraine. The war in Ukraine and the economic and financial collapse in which Lebanon finds itself had exacerbated the risk of a local food crisis.
The WB had proposed the subsidy as a first step to “avoid disrupting wheat supplies in the short term and help ensure affordable bread for the Lebanese.”Salam indicates that the new plan is almost ready and that the state is currently studying it. He points out that this new support will be granted to civil servants and the most vulnerable families listed by the Ministry of Social Affairs via the DAEM plan, which benefits the neediest families.
1 kg of bread for a dollar
For his part, Antoine Seif, the President of the Mount Lebanon Bakery Owners’ Union, also assures This Is Beirut that the wheat subsidized by the WB via a loan to the Lebanese government is available until early October. He explains that nothing is certain after this date and that bakeries are awaiting an official decision from the state. What about the price of bread without this subsidy? “One kilogram of bread will cost around a dollar, as it did before the crisis of 2019,” he replies. Noting that the “rabta” represents 800 g of bread. However, he adds, “a study needs to be carried out since the price of bread also includes fluctuations in the price of oil and increases in government taxes.”Head of Millers’ Association Ahmed Hoteit claims that the 40,000 tonnes of wheat that arrived at the Beirut port this week will last for 50 days. He reveals that there is still enough money to order 70,000 tonnes, which will meet the country’s needs for a further 2 months, i.e. until the end of September. After that, he too estimates that the price of a kilogram of bread will be around one dollar.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 10-11/2024
UN assembly approves resolution granting Palestine new rights and reviving its UN membership bid
UNITED NATIONS (AP) /May 10, 2024
The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on Friday to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and called on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.The 193-member world body approved the Arab and Palestinian sponsored resolution by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions. The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood made clear on Thursday that the Biden administration opposed the assembly resolution. The United States was among the nine countries voting against it, along with Israel.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote Friday on a resolution that would grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and call on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.
The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent, and U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood made clear Thursday the Biden administration is opposed to the assembly resolution. Under the U.N. Charter, prospective members of the United Nations must be “peace-loving,” and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for final approval. Palestine became a U.N. non-member observer state in 2012.
“We’ve been very clear from the beginning there is a process for obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and this effort by some of the Arab countries and the Palestinians is to try to go around that,” Wood said Thursday. “We have said from the beginning the best way to ensure Palestinian full membership in the U.N. is to do that through negotiations with Israel. That remains our position.”But unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly and the resolution is expected to be approved by a large majority, according to three Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were private. The draft resolution “determines” that a state of Palestine is qualified for membership – dropping the original language that in the General Assembly’s judgment it is “a peace-loving state.” It therefore recommends that the Security Council reconsider its request “favorably.”The renewed push for full Palestinian membership in the U.N. comes as the war in Gaza has put the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at center stage. At numerous council and assembly meetings, the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians in Gaza and the killing of more than 34,000 people in the territory, according to Gaza health officials, have generated outrage from many countries. The original draft of the assembly resolution was changed significantly to address concerns not only by the U.S. but also by Russia and China, the diplomats said.
The first draft would have conferred on Palestine “the rights and privileges necessary to ensure its full and effective participation” in the assembly’s sessions and U.N. conferences “on equal footing with member states.” It also made no reference to whether Palestine could vote in the General Assembly.
According to the diplomats, Russia and China which are strong supporters of Palestine’s U.N. membership were concerned that granting the list of rights and privileges detailed in an annex to the resolution could set a precedent for other would-be U.N. members — with Russia concerned about Kosovo and China about Taiwan. Under longstanding legislation by the U.S. Congress, the United States is required to cut off funding to U.N. agencies that give full membership to a Palestinian state – which could mean a cutoff in dues and voluntary contributions to the U.N. from its largest contributor.
The final draft drops the language that would put Palestine “on equal footing with member states.” And to address Chinese and Russian concerns, it would decide “on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent” to adopt the rights and privileges in the annex.
The draft also adds a provision in the annex on the issue of voting, stating categorically: “The state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”
The final list of rights and privileges in the draft annex includes giving Palestine the right to speak on all issues not just those related to the Palestinians and Middle East, the right to propose agenda items and reply in debates, and the right to be elected as officers in the assembly’s main committees. It would give the Palestinians the right to participate in U.N. and international conferences convened by the United Nations — but it drops their “right to vote” which was in the original draft. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application for U.N. membership in 2011. It failed because the Palestinians didn’t get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members. They went to the General Assembly and succeeded by more than a two-thirds majority in having their status raised from a U.N. observer to a non-member observer state. That opened the door for the Palestinian territories to join U.N. and other international organizations, including the International Criminal Court. In the Security Council vote on April 18, the Palestinians got much more support for full U.N. membership. The vote was 12 in favor, the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstaining, and the United States voting no and vetoing the resolution.

Dozens arrested at Penn, MIT in latest crackdowns on Gaza protests
Reuters/May 10, 2024
Police dismantled encampments and arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania on Friday morning, in the latest crackdowns on protests roiling U.S. campuses. Philadelphia officers in riot gear pushed reporters away from the encampment at the University of Pennsylvania before tearing down tents and tossing the belongings of protesters in a trash truck, the student newspaper reported. About 33 people were arrested, Penn's public safety department said. A similar scene unfolded simultaneously at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology near Boston, where student journalists reported that riot police arrested at least 10 student protesters before flattening the encampment and discarding their belongings. The dawn raids were the latest efforts by school and local authorities to end such demonstrations at dozens of universities around the country. Students have called for a ceasefire in Israel's incursion into Gaza and have demanded their schools divest from companies with ties to Israel. Many university leaders have called the encampments safety hazards and sought to end them ahead of May commencement ceremonies, which draw large crowds of outside visitors to campuses. MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement on Friday that the 10 individuals arrested on Friday "peacefully" submitted to police, but that the arrests came after escalating clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters. "It was not heading in a direction anyone could call peaceful," she said, adding that "the cost and disruption for the community overall made the situation increasingly untenable." Penn Interim President J. Larry Jameson said in a statement on Monday that "every day the encampment exists, the campus is less safe," citing reports of harassing and threatening speech, the defacement of campus landmarks, and a video of a student being denied entry to the encampment. Since the first mass arrests at Columbia University in New York on April 18, at least 2,600 demonstrators have been detained at more than 100 protests in 39 states and Washington, D.C., according to The Appeal, a nonprofit news organization. Some policing experts say such sweeping detentions can be counter-productive, fueling protests rather than deterring them. Similar protests have sprung up at campuses in other countries as well. In western Canada, local police removed protesters from an encampment at the University of Calgary on Thursday, using "non-lethal munitions," according to a statement from the city, which said the number of arrests would be made public on Friday.

A West Bank village feels helpless after Israeli settlers attack with fire and bullets
JACK JEFFERY/Updated Fri, May 10, 2024
DUMA, West Bank (AP) — Charred homes and cars dotting this hilltop village surrounded by olive groves are a searing reminder of Palestinians' vulnerability to rising violence from Israeli settlers.
The trail of wreckage along Duma's main road is the aftermath of a three-hour attack in mid-April that left 15 homes damaged by arson and six residents injured by bullets, the head of its village council said. It was one of nearly 800 settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, according to the U.N.
The burnt remains in Duma also highlight the village's limited resources to clean up and rebuild, let alone defend itself from future incursions, which seem inevitable as gun-toting settlers patrol the area roughly 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of Jerusalem. “We as the village of Duma ... do not have the power to defend ourselves,” said Suleiman Dawabsha, chairman of the village council for this community of more than 2,000 people. He estimated the attack caused five million shekels ($1.3 million) in damage. The rampage on April 13 echoed a similar event that took place almost a decade ago. In 2015, three Palestinians from Duma were killed, including an 18 month-old baby, after settlers fire-bombed a home there. An Israeli man was later convicted for murder.
The latest attack against Duma was part of a wave of settler violence touched off by the death of a 14-year-old Israeli who went missing on the morning of April 12. Authorities found his body the next day and they have arrested a man from Duma who they say was connected to the boy's alleged murder.
On April 15, two days after the attack in Duma, two Palestinians were shot dead by settlers near the town of Aqraba, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. And in a related spurt of violence, a man was killed by Israeli fire on April 12 in nearby al-Mughayyir, though it remains unclear whether the fatal bullet was fired by a soldier or settler. There have been 794 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank since Oct. 7 — from stones thrown at passing cars to bullets fired at residents, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. At least 10 Palestinians have been killed by settlers in these attacks, it said. Attacks by settlers aren't the only form of violence on the rise in the West Bank. Since the war in Gaza began, nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the territory, according to the Health Ministry based in Ramallah, which says the overwhelming majority have been shot dead by soldiers. Palestinians in the West Bank have killed nine Israelis, including five soldiers, since Oct. 7, according to U.N. data.
The war has undoubtedly heightened tensions between settlers and Palestinians. But Israeli human rights groups blame the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for fueling settler violence by promoting an ideology of total Israeli supremacy in the West Bank. These groups say the Israeli army doesn't do enough to stop the violence, and even facilitates it in some cases by offering the settlers protection. The Israeli army said in a statement it tries to protect everyone living in the West Bank and that complaints about soldiers are investigated.
No one was killed in the attack on Duma, but residents described narrow escapes. Ibrahim Dawabsha, a truck driver and father of four, said most of his family hid in the kitchen as settlers launched firebombs and set part of their home ablaze. “My daughter was at her uncle’s house, there was no one there,” he said. “What they (might) do to her I don’t know.” The heads of Duma and al-Mughayyir said Israeli troops arrived shortly after the attacks on their communities began but did little to intervene. Instead, they fired at Palestinians attempting to confront the settlers, these officials said. A prominent Israeli human rights group, Yesh Din, described it as an “umbrella of security” — a collaboration it says has become increasingly common since Israel's right-wing coalition government came to power in late 2022.
“As soon as the Palestinians try to protect themselves, they’re the ones who the army attacks,” said Ziv Stahl, Yesh Din’s director. The United States has increased pressure on Israel to curb settler attacks in the West Bank, sanctioning some leaders, including a close ally of Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Dawabsha, the chief of Duma, does not believe the pressure campaign will be effective. “I am not pinning my hopes on the American government,” he said. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war, territories Palestinians want as part of a future state. Settlers claim the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians, is their biblical birthright. Around 500,000 Israeli settlers live across hundreds of settlements and outposts in the West Bank. These segregated and tightly guarded communities vary in size and nature. Larger settlements are akin to Jerusalem’s sprawling suburbs, while smaller unauthorized outposts can consist of just a few caravans parked on a hilltop. Outposts often receive tacit government support and sometimes they gain formal recognition — and receive funding — from the Israeli government. Duma's geography makes it uniquely vulnerable to attack.
Overlooking Jordan and Israeli settlements to the east, the village is surrounded more closely by at least three outposts that the head of its council says have expanded gradually over the past decade. Duma is in a section of the West Bank known as Area B: Its civil affairs are governed by the Palestinian Authority, but the Israeli military is in charge of its security. Palestinians largely consider the PA to be ineffective and corrupt, and it rarely opposes Israel's military operations in the territory. Over the past year, settlers have cut off Duma's access to four vital springs and wells that surround the village by sabotaging roads and other infrastructure, according to residents. In the days following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, more than 100 Bedouin Arabs that were living a nomadic lifestyle in the pastures south of Duma relocated to its fringes in search of greater safety and resources.
One of them, Ali Zawahiri, said his extended family relocated after settlers had begun burning their tents and stealing their livestock in apparent revenge attacks. The Bedouin Arabs living near Duma are one of 16 such communities in the West Bank that have relocated because of settler violence or threats since the start of 2023, according to Yesh Din.
"He is armed with a gun and I am just a person with nothing,” Zawahiri said.
An armed unit run by the Palestinian Authority that formerly patrolled the perimeter of West Bank towns at night halted operations shortly after the Gaza war broke out, when members of the force were kidnapped by settlers.
When asked how they might better defend themselves in the future, residents of Duma struggled to answer. “What preparations?" said Ibrahim Dawabsha, whose truck — his main source of income — was burnt to ashes. "There are no preparations.”

Syria's Kurdish-led force hands over 2 IS militants suspected in 2014 mass killing of Iraqi troops
BASSEM MROUE and ABDULRAHMAN ZEYAD/Fri, May 10, 2024
BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s U.S.-backed Kurdish-led force has handed over to Baghdad two Islamic State militants suspected of involvement in mass killings of Iraqi soldiers in 2014, a war monitor said Friday. The report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights came a day after the Iraqi National Intelligence Service said it had brought back to the country three IS members from outside Iraq. The intelligence service did not provide more details. The Islamic State group captured an estimated 1,700 Iraqi soldiers after seizing Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit in 2014. The soldiers were trying to flee from nearby Camp Speicher, a former U.S. base. Shortly after taking Tikrit, IS posted graphic images of IS militants shooting and killing the soldiers. Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said the U.S.-backed force handed over two IS members to Iraq. It was not immediately clear where Iraqi authorities brought the third suspect from. The 2014 killings, known as the Speicher massacre, sparked outrage across Iraq and partially fueled the mobilization of Shiite militias in the fight against IS, a Sunni extremist group. Iraq has over the past several years put on trial and later executed dozens of IS members over their involvement in the Speicher massacre. The Observatory said the two IS members were among 20 captured recently in a joint operation with the U.S.-led coalition in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, once the capital of the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate.
Despite their defeat in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in March 2019, the extremists sleeper cells are still active and have been carrying out deadly attacks against SDF and Syrian government forces. The SDF is holding over 10,000 captured IS fighters in around two dozen detention facilities — including 2,000 foreigners whose home countries have refused to repatriate them. The force says fighters of about 60 nationalities had entered Syria years ago and were captured in battle. Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have said they will put on trial IS detainees, though it is not clear when such trials would begin.

Iraq requests end of UN assistance mission by end-2025
REUTERS/May 10, 2024
BAGHDAD: Iraq has requested that a United Nations assistance mission set up after the 2003 US-led invasion of the country end its work by the end of 2025, saying it was no longer needed because Iraq had made significant progress toward stability. The mission, headquartered in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, was set up with a wide mandate to help develop Iraqi institutions, support political dialogue and elections, and promote human rights. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said Iraq wanted to deepen cooperation with other UN organizations but there was no longer a need for the political work of the UN assistance mission, known as UNAMI. The mission’s head in Iraq often shuttles between top political, judicial and security officials in work that supporters see as important to preventing and resolving conflicts but critics have often described as interference. “Iraq has managed to take important steps in many fields, especially those that fall under UNAMI’s mandate,” Sudani said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Iraq’s government has since 2023 moved to end several international missions, including the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight Islamic State and the UN’s mission established to help promote accountability for the jihadist group’s crimes. Iraqi officials say the country has come a long way from the sectarian bloodletting after the US-led invasion and Islamic State’s attempt to establish a caliphate, and that it no longer needs so much international help. Some critics worry about the stability of the young democracy, given recurring conflict and the presence of many heavily armed military-political groups that have often battled on the streets, the last time in 2022. Some diplomats and UN officials also worry about human rights and accountability in a country that frequently ranks among the world’s most corrupt and where activists say freedom of expression has been curtailed in recent years. Iraq’s government says it is working to fight corruption and denies there is less room for free expression. Somalia’s government also requested the termination of a UN political mission this week. In a letter to the Security Council, the country’s foreign minister called for the departure of the Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), which has advised the government on peace-building, security reforms and democracy for over a decade. He provided no reason.

UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership
REUTERS/May 10, 2024
NEW YORK CITY: The United Nations General Assembly on Friday backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.”The vote by the 193-member General Assembly was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member — a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state — after the United States vetoed it in the UN Security Council last month. The assembly adopted a resolution on Friday with 143 votes in favor and nine against — including the US and Israel — while 25 countries abstained. It does not give the Palestinians full UN membership, but simply recognizes them as qualified to join. The General Assembly resolution “determines that the State of Palestine ... should therefore be admitted to membership” and it “recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably.”The Palestinian push for full UN membership comes seven months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the UN considers to be illegal. “We want peace, we want freedom,” Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly before the vote. “A yes vote is a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state. ... It is an investment in peace.”“Voting yes is the right thing to do,” he said in remarks that drew applause. Under the founding UN Charter, membership is open to “peace-loving states” that accept the obligations in that document and are able and willing to carry them out. “As long as so many of you are ‘Jew-hating,’ you don’t really care that the Palestinians are not ‘peace-loving,’” said UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who spoke after Mansour. He accused the Assembly of shredding the UN Charter — as he used a small shredder to destroy a copy of the Charter while at the lectern. “Shame on you,” Erdan said. The ambassador said on Monday that, if the measure was approved, he expected the US to cut funding to the United Nations and its institutions, in accordance with American law. An application to become a full UN member first needs to be approved by the 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly. If the measure is again voted on by the council it is likely to face the same fate: a US veto.“The council must respond to the will of the international community,” United Arab Emirates UN Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab told the assembly before the vote. The General Assembly resolution adopted on Friday does give the Palestinians some additional rights and privileges from September 2024 — like a seat among the UN members in the assembly hall — but they will not be granted a vote in the body. The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the UN General Assembly in 2012.
US FUNDING
The Palestinian UN mission in New York said on Thursday — in a letter to UN member states — that adoption of the resolution backing full UN membership would be an investment in preserving the long-sought-for two-state solution. It said it would “constitute a clear reaffirmation of support at this very critical moment for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State.” The mission is run by the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007. Hamas — which has a charter calling for Israel’s destruction — launched the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered Israel’s assault on Gaza. The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states. The US mission to the United Nations said earlier this week: “It remains the US view that the path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations.”Under US law, Washington cannot fund any UN organization that grants full membership to any group that does not have the “internationally recognized attributes” of statehood. The United States cut funding in 2011 for the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, after the Palestinians joined as a full member. On Thursday, 25 US Republican senators — more than half of the party’s members in the chamber — introduced a bill to tighten those restrictions and cut off funding to any entity giving rights and privileges to the Palestinians. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, which is controlled by President Joe Biden’s Democrats.

Netanyahu vs. Gantz: Israeli government faces crisis amidst stalled prisoner negotiations
LBCI/May 10, 2024
Negotiations over a potential prisoner exchange deal in Cairo are facing deadlock, placing Israel's War Cabinet, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, at risk of collapse. The threat of withdrawal from the government by the National Unity, led by Benny Gantz, has further escalated tensions as the Cabinet member of the National Unity, Gadi Eisenkot, has resolved the withdrawal issue if the negotiations do not progress. However, disagreements between Netanyahu and Gantz' parties extended beyond the prisoner exchange to issues surrounding the priorities of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and strained relations with Washington, which currently poses a threat to the future of the government more than ever. Despite warnings from Washington regarding the halt of arms shipments in the event of a major operation in Rafah, the Israeli military has expanded its operations in Gaza, surpassing the Rafah area and crossing the border.
While Israeli reports suggest that Tel Aviv cannot sustain its operations in the south and north without American weaponry, the Israeli army maintains that its existing arsenal is sufficient to achieve its objectives in Rafah, even when Israel admitted that most Hamas fighters are not present in Rafah.
The challenge posed by Israel to the United States extends beyond the military. In a display of strength, Prime Minister Netanyahu defied US President Joe Biden, asserting that his army is capable of defeating the enemy without external support, contrary to military and security reports. Netanyahu's stances have been reflected in opinion polls presented by the Israeli media, with 70% of Israelis expressing a loss of confidence in the government. Additionally, Netanyahu's popularity has declined compared to his rival Benny Gantz, with Netanyahu polling 34% against Gantz' 47%. In terms of the coalition's numbers, Netanyahu's party secured 47 seats, while Gantz' coalition and opposition parties garnered 65 seats, excluding potential numbers by Arab members.

UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership
Reuters/May 10, 2024
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council "reconsider the matter favorably." The vote by the 193-member General Assembly was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member - a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state - after the United States vetoed it in the UN Security Council last month. The assembly adopted a resolution on Friday with 143 votes in favor and nine against - including the US and Israel - while 25 countries abstained. It does not give the Palestinians full UN membership, but simply recognizes them as qualified to join. The General Assembly resolution "determines that the State of Palestine should therefore be admitted to membership" and it "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably." The Palestinian push for full UN membership comes seven months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the UN considers to be illegal. "We want peace, we want freedom," Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly before the vote. "A yes vote is a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state. It is an investment in peace.""Voting yes is the right thing to do," he said in remarks that drew applause. Under the founding UN Charter, membership is open to "peace-loving states" that accept the obligations in that document and are able and willing to carry them out.

Gaza aid could grind to a halt within days, UN agencies warn
REUTERS/AFP/May 10, 2024
LONDON: Dwindling food and fuel stocks could force aid operations to grind to a halt within days in Gaza as vital crossings remain shut, forcing hospitals to close down and leading to more malnutrition, United Nations aid agencies warned on Friday. Humanitarian workers have sounded the alarm this week over the closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings for aid and people as part of Israel’s military operation in Rafah, where around 1 million uprooted people have been sheltering. The Israeli military said a limited operation in Rafah was meant to kill fighters and dismantle infrastructure used by Hamas, which governs the besieged Palestinian territory. “For five days, no fuel and virtually no humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip, and we are scraping the bottom of the barrel,” said the UNICEF Senior Emergency Coordinator in the Gaza Strip, Hamish Young. “This is already a huge issue for the population and for all humanitarian actors but in a matter of days, if not corrected, the lack of fuel could grind humanitarian operations to a halt,” he told a virtual briefing. More than 100,000 people have fled Rafah in the last five days
More than 100,000 people have fled Rafah in recent days, said Young. Israel’s military on Monday called for Gazans to leave eastern Rafah, which triggered widespread international alarm. The UN children’s agency UNICEF said more than 100,000 had left, with the UN humanitarian agency OCHA putting the figure at more than 110,000. All eyes have been on Rafah in recent weeks, where the population had swelled to around 1.5 million after hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled fighting in other areas of Gaza. Georgios Petropoulos, head of OCHA’s sub-office in Gaza, said the situation in the besieged Palestinian territory had reached “even more unprecedented levels of emergency.”Countries around the world, including key Israeli backer the United States, have urged Israel not to extend its ground offensive into Rafah, citing fears of a large civilian toll. Hamish Young, UNICEF’s senior emergency coordinator in the Gaza Strip, insisted Rafah “must not be invaded” and called for the immediate flow of fuel and aid into the Gaza Strip. “Yesterday, I was walking around the Al-Mawasi zone, that people in Rafah are being told to move to,” he said, also speaking from Rafah. “Shelters already lined Al-Mawasi’s sand dunes and it’s now becoming difficult to move between the mass of tents and tarpaulins. AFP journalists in the Gaza Strip early Friday witnessed artillery strikes on Rafah on the territory’s southern border with Egypt. Gaza’s bloodiest-ever war began following Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has conducted a retaliatory offensive that has killed more than 34,900 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Israel's participation in Eurovision faces criticism amid pro-Gaza protests in Sweden
LBCI/May 10, 2024
Israeli singer Eden Golan performed her song 'Hurricane' on the Eurovision stage in the Swedish city, Malmö. However, her musical performance was met with a pro-Gaza protest in the streets of Malmö. Golan's journey to Eurovision was marked by numerous objections. These were objections that Tel Aviv is not accustomed to facing in international arenas. The song's title, 'Hurricane,' was not the original one; it was initially called 'October Winter.' Nevertheless, the competition's organizers requested a change to the title and altered several phrases that referenced Hamas' actions on October 7th. Golan's trip from Israel to Sweden was accompanied by security concerns, due to calls for protests against Israel's involvement in the competition. The organizers appeared to take these concerns seriously. Nonetheless, security threats continued to loom over Golan in Malmö, where she was asked to stay in her hotel room after thousands of protesters filled the streets. Golan's performance was met with applause, but it also elicited displeasure from some in the audience. Prime Minister Netanyahu quickly tried to address this discontent. Following the Gaza war, Israel's involvement in this prestigious singing competition encountered numerous obstacles, similar to the student protests it faces at some top Western universities. Will Israel experience comparable pressures during its participation in the Paris Olympics this summer?

Spain, Ireland to recognize Palestinian state on May 21 — EU’s Borrell
REUTERS/May 10, 2024
MADRID: Spain, Ireland and other European Union member countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said late on Thursday ahead of an expected UN vote on Friday on a Palestinian bid to become a full member.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in March that Spain and Ireland, along with Slovenia and Malta, had agreed to take the first steps toward recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, seeing a two-state solution as essential for lasting peace. Asked on local Spanish radio station RNE if May 21 was when Spain, Ireland and other EU countries would recognize a Palestinian state, Borrell said yes, mentioning Slovenia as well.“This is a symbolic act of a political nature. More than a state, it recognizes the will for that state to exist,” he said, adding that Belgium and other countries would probably follow.
Previously, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares had said the decision on recognition had been made, although he did not give a date. International calls for a ceasefire and permanent end to Palestinian-Israeli conflict have grown along with the death toll from Israel’s offensive in Gaza to rout out Hamas after the militants’ deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7. Israel has said plans for Palestinian recognition constitute a “prize for terrorism” that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the Gaza conflict. On Friday the United Nations General Assembly is set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the UN Security Council to “reconsider the matter favorably.” Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE said on Thursday that Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta had been waiting for the UN vote and were considering a joint recognition on May 21. A spokesperson for the Spanish Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There was no immediate comment on the date from the other countries. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said earlier this week his country would recognize Palestine’s statehood by mid June. Since 1988, 139 out of 193 UN member states have recognized Palestinian statehood.

Hamas says ‘ball is completely’ in Israel’s hands in Gaza truce talks
AFP/May 10, 2024
GAZA STRIP: Palestinian militant group Hamas said early Friday that its delegation attending Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Cairo had left the city for Qatar, adding the “ball is now completely” in Israel’s hands. “The negotiating delegation left Cairo heading to Doha. In practice, the occupation (Israel) rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues,” the group said in a message to other Palestinian factions, adding it stood by the proposal. “Accordingly, the ball is now completely in the hands of the occupation.” State-linked Egyptian outlet Al-Qahera News reported Thursday that representatives of both camps left Cairo after two days of negotiations aimed at finalizing a ceasefire deal in the seven-month war in the Gaza Strip. Efforts by Egypt and other mediators, namely Qatar and the United States, “continue to bring the points of view of the two parties closer together,” the outlet added, citing a high-level Egyptian source. Hamas said Monday that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators. The deal, the group said, involved a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of Palestinians displaced by the war, and the exchange of hostages held by militants for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel, with the aim of a “permanent ceasefire.”Netanyahu’s office at the time called the proposal “far from Israel’s essential demands,” but said the government would still send negotiators to Cairo. Israel has long been resistant to the idea of a permanent ceasefire, insisting it must finish the job of dismantling Hamas.

South Africa asks World Court to order Israel's withdrawal from Rafah
Reuters/May 10, 2024
South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah as part of additional emergency measures over the war in Gaza, the U.N.'s top court said on Friday. In the ongoing case brought by South Africa, which accuses Israel of acts of genocide against Palestinians, the World Court in January ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians. In filings published Friday, South Africa is seeking additional emergency measures in light of the ongoing military action in Rafah, which it calls the "last refuge" for Palestinians in Gaza, South Africa asked the court to order that "the state of Israel shall immediately withdraw and cease its military offensive in the Rafah governorate" as well as order Israel to allow unimpeded access to United Nations officials, organisations providing humanitarian aid and journalists and investigators to Gaza.

Ireland and Spain to Recognize Palestine on May 21, Says Borell
This Is Beirut/May 10/2024
Spain, Ireland and other European Union countries will recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, said on Thursday, ahead of an expected UN vote on Palestinian membership on Friday. Borell told a local Spanish radio station that he is expecting Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to recognize a Palestinian state, saying, “This is a symbolic act of a political nature. More than a state, it recognises the will for that state to exist,” he said, adding that Belgium and other countries would probably follow. Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE said on Thursday that Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta had been waiting for the UN vote and were considering a joint recognition on May 21. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said earlier this week that his country would recognize Palestine’s statehood by mid-June. The United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote in favor of Palestine’s right to membership on Friday, in which they will request that the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.” This follows the US’s veto of a previous membership bid on April 18. Palestine currently holds “non-member observer” status, and this new resolution is designed to provide it with enhanced rights in the UN. The text rules out letting it be chosen to sit on the Security Council or to vote in the General Assembly. But it would let the Palestinians submit proposals and amendments directly, without having to go through another country, as is the case now. It would also give them the right to be seated among member states in alphabetical order. Israel opposes Palestinian recognition, saying that it would constitute a “prize for terrorism,” and reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the Gaza conflict.

Israeli demonstrators torch part of UN compound in Jerusalem
REUTERS/May 10, 2024
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, said in a post on the social media platform X that he had decided to close the compound until proper security was restored. He said Thursday’s incident was the second in less than a week. “This is an outrageous development. Once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk,” he said. “It is the responsibility of the State of Israel as an occupying power to ensure that United Nations personnel and facilities are protected at all times,” he said. UNRWA, set up to deal with the Palestinian refugees who fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war around the time of Israel’s creation, has long been a target of Israeli hostility. Since the start of the war with Gaza Israeli officials have called repeatedly for the agency to be shut down, accusing it of complicity with the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, a charge the United Nations strongly rejects. Israel considers all of Jerusalem its indivisible capital, including eastern parts it captured in a 1967 war, which Palestinians seek as the future capital of an independent state. Lazzarini said staff were present at the time of the incident but there were no casualties. However outdoor areas were damaged by the blaze, which was put out by staff after emergency services took time to respond. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli police. Lazzarini said groups of Israelis had been staging regular demonstrations outside the UNRWA compound for the past two months and said stones were thrown at staff and buildings in the compound this week. In footage shared with Lazzarini’s post, smoke can be seen rising near buildings at the edge of the compound while the sound of chanting and singing can be heard. A crowd accompanied by armed men were witnessed outside the compound chanting “Burn down the United Nations,” Lazzarini said.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 10-11/2024
Question: “Why pray?”
GotQuestions.org/May 10/2024
Answer: For the Christian, praying is supposed to be like breathing, easier to do than to not do. We pray for a variety of reasons. For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also.
Another reason to pray is that God intends prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations. We pray in preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers (Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19).
We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God’s promise that our prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive specifically what we asked for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27). He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer (Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8). Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God’s will done on earth. God’s wisdom far exceeds our own.
For situations in which we do not know God’s will specifically, prayer is a means of discerning His will (see James 1:5). Prayer was instrumental in the Spirit's sending of Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–3). Solomon asked for “wisdom and knowledge,” and God gave him that and much more (2 Chronicles 1:10–12).
Prayers un-prayed will be prayers unanswered. If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole (Mark 7:26–30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind (Luke 18:35–43). God has said that we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of answered prayer unless we pray.
A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God’s Word. We pray to demonstrate our faith in God, that He will do as He has promised in His Word and bless our lives abundantly more than we could ask or hope for (Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of “plugging into” God’s power, it is our means of defeating Satan and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves. Therefore, may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in heaven who can identify with all that we go through (Hebrews 4:15-16). We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in prayer.

Defending Freedom: A Tribute to the Warriors of Israel
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute./May 10, 2024
These assaults are not only aimed at Israel and its inhabitants but, ultimately, at the West.
Adversaries of the West -- whether religious fundamentalists or authoritarian states such as China, Russia, and Iran and its allies -- appear intent upon imposing a new totalitarian world order. To do so, they seek destruction of the two main countries standing in their way: United States of America and Israel, the global champions of democracy, freedom, Western values, and human rights.
Regrettably, with freedom often comes the need to protect it, at times by force, from those who would take it away. Sometimes, this requires measures open to criticism by those who may have a different goal....
"Therefore, having judged that to be happy means to be free, and to be free means to be brave, we do not shy away from the risks of war." — Pericles, funeral oration, 432 BCE.
Israel... is fighting for the values of civilization opposing terrorist barbarism so that the rest of us in the West will not have to. We should be sending whatever they need to end the terrorism, not withholding precision-guided weapons -- especially, as we sanctimoniously claim, if we do not want to harm civilians.
"I have faith in the Jewish people. Let Israel be given a chance, let hatred and danger be removed from her horizons, and there will be peace in and around the Holy Land." – Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, December 10, 1986. As people of peace, the warriors and all citizens of Israel long for such a time with all their hearts, but first there are battles to be won.
As with the warriors of King David, the soldiers of Israel are again surrounded by enemies driven by hatred for the values represented by the Jewish nation and seeking their eradication. Once more, Israelis are called upon to resist forces threatening their destiny.
The initial defenders of Jewish destiny -- which later gave birth to the West's Judeo-Christian cultural heritage -- were a rather insignificant Middle Eastern tribe of Hebrews guided by somewhat obscure precepts recounted in five small books, and led in battles by their legendary leader, King David.
These early warriors were not only defenders of an ancient civilization, but early progenitors of the modern Jewish democratic nation and the West's political tradition. Through their priests, kings, and prophets they became custodians of a Holy Writ that provided definitive truths, morality, ethics, freedoms, human rights, and principles of righteousness essential for future generations of humanity.
The motivating factors driving King David and his men apply equally to the current cohort of Israeli warriors, facing lethal attacks by terrorists little different in nature from King David's earliest opponents. These assaults are not only aimed at Israel and its inhabitants but, ultimately, at the West. The underlying cause has not changed much through the ages.
It can be traced to tribes determined to impose their ideals, religion, and ideology on others everywhere. Adversaries of the West -- whether religious fundamentalists or authoritarian states such as China, Russia, and Iran and its allies -- appear intent upon imposing a new totalitarian world order. To do so, they seek destruction of the two main countries standing in their way: United States of America and Israel, the global champions of democracy, freedom, Western values, and human rights.
Regrettably, with freedom often comes the need to protect it, at times by force, from those who would take it away. Sometimes, this requires measures open to criticism by those who may have a different goal, or unable fully to understand the issues at play. Despite dissenting voices of the world, the soldiers of Israel, like the citizens of Ukraine, understand that if they wish to ensure their freedom, they must fight for it.
The Greek leader Pericles, in 432 BCE, declared in his funeral oration for the great Athenian warriors who sacrificed their lives in the first Peloponnesian war: "Therefore, having judged that to be happy means to be free, and to be free means to be brave, we do not shy away from the risks of war."
Even with the risks involved, the soldiers of Israel, as inheritors of King David's indomitable spirit, are, according to Yael Eckstein president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, "more alive now than ever before, more motivated, passionate, and heroic than ever imagined."
Although Israel's soldiers originate from many nations, they possess the same intentions as their predecessors: to retain possession of their ancient homeland, providing a sanctuary for the unwanted Jewish scatterlings of the world in a safe setting they can call home; a shelter from the many nations despising them. To the soldiers of Israel, their country is a "city of refuge," a place where their people can live in peace and, above all, a place they can worship their Creator in freedom.
The land of Israel can therefore be understood as a figurative cave of Adullam – where King David once assembled a motley collection of uprooted individuals of various origins but bound by mutual faith in their people's right to be. As expressed by the ancient prophet Micah, "But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid."
In the spirit of Judas Maccabeus, rebelling against threats to their faith and possession of their land, the soldiers of Israel now fight not only to rid the province of enemies seeking to eradicate them but to ensure peace, freedom of worship, and harmony with all those who call Israel home. The late UK Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, pointed out that although the Maccabees were small in number, they "had a double portion of the Jewish spirit that longs for freedom and is prepared to fight for it."
Israel's soldiers have inherited that same spirit, inspiration and determination, the purpose and faith of a people baptized into battles necessary for survival of their nation. Rabbi Sacks metaphorically describes this continuity as a song where no single note or chord makes the song complete in itself for, "as music connects note to note, so faith connects episode to episode, life to life, age to age, in a timeless melody that breaks into time."
Israel's soldiers remember, perhaps, the fragility of King David's struggles in securing the land from the Philistinian and Amalekite assaults; they might also recall when the tribe's wives and children were abducted by enemies, how the Israelites pursued them and rescued their families. Those events were repeated by the unspeakable acts of Hamas on October 7th 2023 when Israel's men, women, children and infants were beheaded, burned alive, raped, abused and abducted. The soldiers of Israel need to ensure, not out of vengeance but for the nation's survival, that their adversaries can never commit such savage atrocities against their people again.
It is no coincidence that Gaza was the historic home of David's avowed enemies, the Philistines. Goliath was a Philistine; David killed him not far from the caves of Adullam in the Kingdom of Judah, present-day Judea, in Israel's heartland. In similar mode, Israel's enemies invaded Judea in October 7th. Statements by these enemies openly acknowledge that they will continue hostilities and repeat attacks until all Jews are eliminated:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews (related by al- Bukhari and Moslem) – Hamas Covenant, Article 7, (from the Hadith: "The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour," 54:18)
Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has clearly said that the terror group will repeat the October 7 attack, time and again, until Israel is annihilated. He added that "Everything we do is justified."
Clearly, many in Gaza and the West Bank remain enemies of Israel and are little different, if at all, in dedication and purpose, from their forebears. The October 7 massacre and the odious Western response to it has compelled Jews to confront a new generation of enemies determined to eradicate them.
The Israelite warriors of the past trusted the dictates of their leader, King David. Not only was he their commander, he was respected as a man of combat experience, as his encounter with Goliath testified. Similarly, Israel's leaders in the war cabinet, commanders of their forces, are not only men of extensive combat experience in the current confrontation with jihadist terrorists, but, go to unprecedented lengths to honor the laws of ethical warfare as befits a nation dedicated to principles of human rights.
In contrast, Hamas, the instigators of hate, torture and murder, conduct terror operations against civilian targets – including their own (here and here). It is time for Western unity with Israel, which is fighting for the values of civilization opposing terrorist barbarism so that the rest of us in the West will not have to. We should be sending whatever they need to end the terrorism, not withholding precision-guided weapons – especially, as we sanctimoniously claim, if we do not want to harm civilians.
Henry Kissinger noted the importance of supporting a nation's leaders in times of crisis: "Societies become great not by factional triumphs but by common purpose and reconciliation."
As with the warriors of King David, the soldiers of Israel are again surrounded by enemies driven by hatred for the values represented by the Jewish nation and seeking their eradication. Once more, Israelis are called upon to resist forces threatening their destiny. That is the crux of the matter: the battle is both religious and nationalist: a mortal contest between terrorists and a people who insist on the values of individual freedom and the right to think without restriction.
Encouraged by the words of Yitzhak Lamdan, "Never again shall Masada fall," Israel fights for all that is beautiful, free and democratic, and shall protect civilization to the end. It is therefore incumbent upon a new cohort of great men and women, the latest giborei Yisrael - heroes of Israel – to secure the nation so that its hard-won freedoms, values, and moral-ethical precepts, can be enjoyed by subsequent generations.
Finally, Israel's brave warriors might identify with Eli Wiesel's statement in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech of December 10, 1986:
"I have faith in the Jewish people. Let Israel be given a chance, let hatred and danger be removed from her horizons, and there will be peace in and around the Holy Land."As people of peace, the warriors and all citizens of Israel long for such a time with all their hearts, but first there are battles to be won.
Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A lawyer by profession, he is member of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Retired from law, his particular field of interest is political theory interconnected with current events. He holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical Theology. Dr. Haug is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden – the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National Association of Scholars, Israel Hayom, Jewish News Syndicate, Anglican Mainstream, and others.
© 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.

Green business and communities must partner to save the environment
Raed Albasseet/Arab News/May 10/2024
Experts and advanced technologies can only do so much to protect the environment. Effective stewardship of a natural habitat hinges on the involvement of the people who live and work there. Communities understand local environmental issues from firsthand experience. They are personally affected. They are the ones with skin in the game. Red Sea Global, the company I work for, is creating luxury resorts on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, helping to put the Kingdom on the global tourism map. Upon completion, our flagship destinations — the Red Sea and AMAALA — will be powered exclusively by renewable energy, with some 760,000 solar panels already in place. We aim to achieve a 30 percent net conservation benefit at our locations by 2040. We are gardening corals to help replenish reefs and we have planted more than 1 million mangrove tree seedlings, one of nature’s best carbon sinks, out of a planned 50 million by 2030. To sustain and nurture our environment, we need to do much more than obey rules and regulations. We must involve the farmers, fishermen and townspeople who are our neighbors.
Our approach must extend beyond mere engagement with local communities; we must empower them. By helping them find their voice and express their wants and concerns, we can forge the partnerships that are vital for protecting and enhancing our environment, while we also try to improve people’s lives.
It is essential that we empower local communities, enabling them to become our genuine partners in regenerating our natural habitats.
At Red Sea Global, we distill this concept into a core principle that directs all our actions: We aim to serve both people and planet. It is an ambitious goal and we know we cannot achieve it on our own. That is why we advocate for a collective approach and the forging of strong partnerships.
Our collaborations range from grassroots to strategic, involving the private sector, government agencies, such as Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Environmental Compliance, and a broad spectrum of civil society and nonprofit organizations.
Empowering local communities means raising their awareness, building their capacity, and linking them with essential knowledge and resources. A good example of such empowerment is Tamala, the farmers’ co-operative that Red Sea Global co-founded.
In 2021, we approached some of the 2,000-plus farmers in our areas, looking for supplies of fresh vegetables and fruits for our future hotels. These farmers told us about the many challenges they faced, from overpriced fertilizers and a lack of technical expertise, to limited transportation that made it hard for them to sell their produce.
So we stepped in, helping to establish Tamala in 2022. Today, local farms are delivering high-quality cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables directly to The Red Sea destination. Traveling from farm to table, this produce leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than would be the case if we had to truck it north from our supply hub in Jeddah. Tamala also employs an agricultural engineer who advises farmers about producing to higher and more sustainable standards. Going forward, this should help ensure that local farms use water, chemicals and fertilizers more wisely.
Our partnership with local farmers through Tamala is a success because we listened to local communities. We collaborated with them to solve their challenges and mitigate environmental impacts.
A much different example of local empowerment was Red Sea Global’s project in January to restore traditional sailboats in the town of Umluj. Our aim was to help the community revive and preserve its rich maritime heritage.
The month-long event was supervised by local fishermen and their families. We ensured that the boat restorers followed the best environmental practices. A private-sector partner even supplied environmentally friendly paint for the restoration. Yet another initiative for community empowerment is a mobile phone app that we designed for people living near The Red Sea destination. It is an open, two-way communication channel that lets communities share feedback, suggestions and complaints directly with us. The app is called Jewar, which translates roughly as “Good Neighbor.” Even though Jewar is still in its beta phase, almost 17,000 people have already downloaded it. We used this app to notify the Umluj community about our sailboat restoration project. We can also use it to announce environmental campaigns, such as the one we held in December to clean up trash. These diverse examples — a farmers’ co-operative, the restoration of sailboats, and a mobile phone app — show that the only limit to community engagement is imagination.
Yet, to achieve truly outstanding success, we must go beyond the basics. It is essential that we empower local communities, enabling them to become our genuine partners in regenerating our natural habitats.
Like any successful partnership, the grassroots initiatives that can protect the environment develop from trust and respect. Our experience at Red Sea Global has taught us to act with humility and listen to local communities. If more of us can do that, all of us — and our environment — will be better off for it.
• Raed Albasseet is the group chief environment and sustainability officer of Red Sea Global, the developer behind The Red Sea and AMAALA, two tourism projects on the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia.

Navigating the ethical landscape of AI on the road
Rafael Hernandez de Santiago/Arab News/May 10/2024
In the vibrant city of Techville, a new debate has taken center stage: The ethics of artificial intelligence, particularly in the realm of driverless cars.
Picture this: A bustling intersection, a driverless car, and a family of ducks waddling across the road. It’s a dilemma straight out of Punch and Judy.
Punch, the ever-optimistic puppet, argues: “Driverless cars, my dear Judy, are the future! They’ll make our roads safer, reduce traffic jams and maybe even find a parking spot downtown on a Friday night. What’s not to love?”Ah, but Judy, ever the skeptic, counters: “But Punch, what happens when the car faces the classic ethical dilemma? Does it swerve to avoid hitting a group of pedestrians, potentially endangering its passenger, or does it stay the course and risk harming the pedestrians?”But behind the whimsy lies a serious conundrum. Should our autonomous vehicles prioritize the safety of their passengers above all else, even if it means squashing innocent ducklings? Or should they take a more democratic approach, where the needs of the many, or in this case the many webbed feet, outweigh the needs of the few?
In Techville, opinions vary.
“I bought my driverless car to protect me,” argues Mr. Pennyworth, an avid collector of vintage gadgets and frequent patron of the city’s hipster coffee shops. “If it’s not going to prioritize my safety, then what’s the point?”But not everyone is on Team Pennyworth. “We can’t just trample over the little guys,” protests Ms. Haversham, a self-proclaimed environmentalist and founder of the Techville Birdwatchers Society. “If our driverless cars start mowing down wildlife left and right, we might as well go back to riding bicycles.”
Meanwhile, the city’s residents continue to grapple with more practical concerns.
Next time you find yourself behind the wheel of a self-driving car, just remember to keep your eyes on the road — and your heart in the right place.
“I don’t care if my driverless car runs on organic kale smoothies or solar power,” declares Ms. Rodriguez, a wellness influencer with a penchant for Instagram-worthy yoga poses. “As long as it gets me to my juice cleanse appointments on time, I’m golden.”As the debate rages on, one thing becomes abundantly clear: The future of transportation in Techville is anything but predictable.
Will our driverless cars become beacons of ethical virtue, cruising the streets with the grace of a ballerina in a tutu? Or will they succumb to the same moral pitfalls as their human counterparts, engaging in petty road rage and aggressive honking?
Enter the philosophical musings of Immanuel Kant, who once said: “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.”
In other words, if you wouldn’t want everyone else doing the same thing in the same situation, maybe it’s not such a great idea. Apply this to driverless cars and suddenly Punch and Judy are in a full-blown moral quandary.
Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain: The ethical implications of artificial intelligence are never far from our minds. So, the next time you find yourself behind the wheel of a self-driving car, just remember to keep your eyes on the road — and your heart in the right place.
But fear not, dear citizens of Techville, for amid the chaos and confusion, there is hope. Engineers and ethicists are working tirelessly to program AI with a moral compass, teaching it to navigate the murky waters of right and wrong.
In conclusion, let us heed the words of that wise old philosopher Plato, who famously said: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
Let us not be afraid to shine a light on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, for only then can we truly navigate the path to a brighter future — one where Punch and Judy can finally set aside their differences.
*Rafael Hernandez de Santiago, viscount of Espes, is a Spanish national residing in Saudi Arabia and working at the Gulf Research Center.

‘Magnanimous’ Authorities Give Churchless Christians ‘Permission’ to Celebrate Easter in a Home
Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/May 10/2024
Another example—there seems to be no end—of the difficulties experienced by Egypt’s most indigenous inhabitants, the Christian Copts, was on display last Easter (which for the Orthodox world was observed on Sunday, May 5, and celebrated in churches during the night of Saturday, May 4).
As discussed here, less than two weeks earlier, on April 23 in al-Fawakhir village, more than 500 Muslims savagely attacked and torched dozens of Christian homes due to a rumor that a church was to be built in the village. In reality, all that happened was a priest had visited and held a very quiet service in the home of one of the Copts, since the Christians of al-Fawakhir are denied a church. This was enough to provoke local Muslims into paroxysms of fury.
Due to the violence and riots, State Security was called in to restore calm, and the situation remained tense right up to Easter. Assuming that there would be no Resurrection Sunday for them, the Copts of al-Fawakhir were pleasantly surprised to find that Bishop Makarios, the Coptic head of Minya province, where al-Fawakhir is located, had come to their village to hold a service in one of the homes of the Copts. Best of all, the Easter prayer service ended without incident. Clearly, State Security, in a moment of magnanimity, allowed the bishop’s visit and prayers to proceed—perhaps as a signal that “you can pray, if we allow it.”Even so, here is a reminder that what so many in the West take for granted—for example, the ease and security of attending church during Christian holy days—is not quite so easy or secure for others, and in this case, requires approval and security services from the authorities.
Finally, because pictures are indeed sometimes worth a thousand words, below are some more images of al-Fawakhir’s Copts celebrating Easter this last May 4, 2024, in what appears to be an especially “fortified” building.
At least the Christians of al-Fawakhir fared better than their counterparts of Nag Shenouda, who, because Muslims had earlier torched their church, celebrated Easter of 2015 in the streets—again, made possible only due to the “clement” authorities’ permission.