Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 21-22/2024
Elias Bejjani/Arabic Video: Saint Helena: A Pillar of Christian Legacy/Elias Bejjani/May 21/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text& Video: Saint Helena: A Pillar of Christian Legacy
Video/No tears to be shed for the killing of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi,"the Butcher"/Elias Bejjani/May 20, 2024
Text & Video/No tears to be shed for the killing of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi,"the Butcher"/Elias Bejjani/May 20, 2024
IDF eliminates terrorist Qassem Saqlawi, Commander of the Rocket and Missile Array in Hezbollah’s Coastal Sector.
Israel-Hezbollah border clashes: Latest developments
Army seizes truck carrying guns in Batroun after it catches fire
Quintet to meet in coming hours as Jumblat lauds Qatar's role
UNHCR withdraws memo sent to interior ministry after Bou Habib summons representative
Geagea calls for declaring Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon a national holiday
British-Lebanese Amal Clooney helped ICC weigh Gaza war crimes evidence
Southern Lebanon Seeks Support: Nawraj NGO and Mayors Call for Urgent Aid
Residents Intercept UNIFIL Vehicle in Southern Suburbs
Joumblatt in Qatar: Consensus and Dialogue Inevitable to Elect a President
Second Truck Loaded with Weapons Seized at Tripoli Port
Secretary-General Appoints New Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Presidential Election: US ‘Shortlist’ of ‘Plausible’ Candidates
Procrastination That Obstructs the Future
From Mount Hermon’s Slopes to Naqoura, the “Sacred Cause” of Reconstruction
Restoring the State Sovereignty is the Pillar to Save Lebanon’s Identity!

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 21-22/2024
Israeli forces raze parts of Gaza’s Jabalia, hit Rafah with airstrikes
WHO chief asks Israel to ease curbs on Gaza medical aid
UN halts all food distribution in Rafah after running out of supplies in the southern Gaza city
Israeli army raids West Bank's Jenin, Palestinians say seven killed
Israel tries to contain the fallout after some allies support ICC prosecutor's request for warrants
ICC prosecutor's move not a political risk for Netanyahu, other problems are
Trudeau mum on International Criminal Court prosecution request as MPs react
UNRWA says food distribution in Rafah suspended due to insecurity
Israeli Government Shuts Down AP Live Feed From Gaza, Seizes Equipment as New Media Law Takes Effect
Blinken questioned by Senate over Gaza. Protesters call him 'butcher' and 'war criminal'
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim they shot down another US drone
Iranians pay last respects to President Ebrahim Raisi
Flight PS752 families say Iran president's death robs them of chance for justice
Iranian President Raisi's memorial muted amid public discontent
Mourners begin days of funerals for Iran's president and others killed in helicopter crash
Ukraine says it may have destroyed Russia's last cruise missile carrier based out of Crimea
Russia starts exercise with tactical nuclear weapons
Syrian first lady Asma Assad has leukemia, presidency says
Daesh attack in Syria kills three soldiers: war monitor
France begins its first war crime trial of Syrian officials
Saudi Prince MBS ‘Reassures’ Cabinet on King’s Health

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 21-22/2024
Analysis: Iran's nuclear policy of pressure and talks likely to go on even after president's death/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/May 21/2024
Arab leaders in Bahrain: No peace without Palestinian state/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/May 21, 2024
Saudi Arabia is a model of sustainable aviation practices: ICAO/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/May 21, 2024
Biden’s middle-of-the-road approach to Israel is misguided/Kerry Boyd Anderson/Arab News/May 21, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 21-22/202
Elias Bejjani/Arabic Video: Saint Helena: A Pillar of Christian Legacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATTsma-C6P4&t=188s
Elias Bejjani/May 21/2024

Elias Bejjani/Text& Video: Saint Helena: A Pillar of Christian Legacy
Elias Bejjani/May 21/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/129982/129982/
On May 21 each year, the Church remembers Saint Helena on Her Remembrance day.
Who was Saint Helena
In the tapestry of Christian history, few figures shine as brightly as Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Born around 250 AD in the modest town of Drepanum in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Helena’s life and legacy have left an indelible mark on the Christian world. Her contributions during the pivotal era of the Roman Empire not only fortified the foundations of Christianity but also transformed the religious landscape of the time.
A Journey from Modesty to Majesty
Helena’s early life was unremarkable; she hailed from a humble background and married Constantius Chlorus, an ambitious Roman officer. Together, they had one son, Constantine, who would later become one of Rome’s most significant emperors. Despite her divorce from Constantius, Helena remained a profound influence on Constantine, whose rise to power in 306 AD paved the way for Christianity to flourish within the Roman Empire.
Embrace of Faith
It is widely believed that Helena converted to Christianity following Constantine’s historic Edict of Milan in 313 AD, which granted religious tolerance throughout the empire. Her conversion marked the beginning of a fervent devotion to her faith that would guide her actions and endeavors for the rest of her life.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
In 326 AD, driven by her profound faith and an insatiable desire to uncover the roots of her religion, Helena embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This journey, undertaken in her late seventies, was more than a personal quest; it was a mission to discover and preserve the sacred sites of Christianity. Her pilgrimage is legendary, particularly for her search for the True Cross, the very instrument of Christ’s crucifixion.
The Search for the True Cross
Helena’s dedication bore fruit when, according to tradition, she discovered three crosses at a site believed to be Golgotha. To identify the True Cross, she brought a dying woman to touch each one; upon touching the third cross, the woman was miraculously healed. This event cemented Helena’s place in Christian lore and significantly bolstered the veneration of the cross in Christian worship.
Architectural Contributions
Saint Helena’s legacy is also immortalized in the numerous churches she commissioned in the Holy Land, which stand as testaments to her faith and vision. Among the most renowned are:
*The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem: Constructed on the site where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, buried, and resurrected, this church remains a focal point of Christian pilgrimage.
*The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem: Built over the cave that tradition holds as the birthplace of Jesus, this church is a vital link to the Nativity story.
*The Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives: Commemorating the site where Jesus is said to have ascended into heaven, this church reflects the culmination of Christ’s earthly ministry.
A Saintly Status
Helena’s devout actions and her patronage of Christianity earned her sainthood in both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Celebrated on May 21, her feast day honors her unwavering faith, her pivotal role in discovering Christianity’s most sacred relics, and her contributions to the spread and institutionalization of the Christian faith.
Legacy Through Constantine
Helena’s influence extended through her son, Emperor Constantine, whose own conversion and support for Christianity were undoubtedly shaped by his mother’s profound faith. Constantine’s reign marked the beginning of Christendom as a powerful force in the Western world, a transformation significantly credited to Helena’s guidance and devotion.
Conclusion
Saint Helena’s life is a beacon of faith and perseverance. Her contributions during a transformative era for Christianity laid the groundwork for the religion’s future growth and reverence. As we reflect on her legacy, we honor a woman whose devotion not only uncovered the sacred relics of the Christian faith but also built enduring monuments that continue to inspire and draw pilgrims from around the world. Helena’s story is a testament to the power of faith to move mountains, both literal and metaphorical, and to leave an everlasting impact on the world.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com

Video/No tears to be shed for the killing of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi,"the Butcher"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx7bLz7nA0E
Elias Bejjani/May 20, 2024

Text & Video/No tears to be shed for the killing of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi,"the Butcher"
Elias Bejjani/May 20, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/129948/129948/
Isaiah 01/33/ Our enemies are doomed! They have robbed and betrayed, although no one has robbed them or betrayed them. But their time to rob and betray will end, and they themselves will become victims of robbery and treachery
On a momentous day, justice manifested itself to the entire world with the death of the Iranian President, a notorious figure who presided over a throne of corruption and oppression.
It was a dark end for a high-ranking Iranian official who held multiple positions in the dictatorial and religious regime that governs Iran with injustice, terrorism, and iron-fisted control.
Throughout his tenure in power and through every position he held, President Ebrahim Raisi, was complicit in countless crimes against his people, reaching its peak when he served as a judge overseeing the judicial system, where he sentenced thousands of innocent Iranian citizens who opposed the oppressive The whole world knows that the Iranian Mullahs' criminal, sectarian, oppressive, dictatorial, and destabilizing Mullah regime, is responsible for terrorist and mafia operations that have targeted dozens of countries worldwide.
President Ebrahim Raisi's criminal history paints a bloody picture of cruelty and persecution, as he committed the most heinous crimes against innocent Iranian citizens seeking freedom, justice, and basic rights.
His actions bore the marks of tyranny and injustice, as he sentenced more than 33,000 Iranian opposition members, mostly Mujahideen-e Khalq members, who were advocating peacefully for real change in their country, to execution.
What adds to the horror in Raisi's profile is his extremist Islamic Jihadist ideology, which he promoted with fanaticism and zeal in both words and deeds.
His ideas fueled the culture of bigotry, extremism, and harshness in the hearts and minds of extremists and radicals and paved the way to justify violence and repression under a false, populist, and deceitful religious guise.
He served as a soldier in the battles of the Mullahs, and was very close to Iran's Supreme Leader, Khamenei, who spread chaos, injustice, oppression, and poverty in Iran and all Middle East countries.
The so-called Butcher President was not far from political ambition, as he was one of the potential candidates to succeed Khamenei.
In this context, doubts arise that Khamenei's ambitious son might have been behind the helicopter crash that killed him, perhaps to get rid of his dangerous rival for power.
However, regardless of the circumstances that led to the Butcher's death, we must not allow ourselves to mourn or be affected by the demise of this murderer and terrorist.
No sadness, no tears should be shed for someone who did not spare his own people, and did not adhere to the most basic human rights standards.
No doubt that Raisi's departure was a natural end to a tyrant and dictator, and a lesson to all who seek to seize power, suppress freedoms, practice injustice, terrorism, and disregard people's lives and rights.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com

IDF eliminates terrorist Qassem Saqlawi, Commander of the Rocket and Missile Array in Hezbollah’s Coastal Sector.
Uzi Baruch/May 21, 2024,
On Monday, in the area of Tyre in Lebanon, an IAF aircraft struck and eliminated the terrorist Qassem Saqlawi, the Commander of the Rocket and Missile Array in Hezbollah’s Coastal Sector. Saqlawi was responsible for planning and executing numerous rocket attacks against the Israeli home front. As part of his role, he promoted and planned rocket and anti-tank launches toward the State of Israel from the coastal area in Lebanon. On Monday night, a number of rockets fired by Hezbollah toward the western Galilee fell in open terrain.IDF fighter jets struck a Hezbollah launcher in the area of Ramyeh in southern Lebanon.

Israel-Hezbollah border clashes: Latest developments
Naharnet/May 21, 2024
Hezbollah targeted Tuesday a group of Israeli soldiers in the al-Raheb post, a day after four of its fighters were killed in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon. The group later targeted a group of soldiers in the occupied Shebaa Farms. Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has traded near daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces since the Palestinian group's October 7 attack on southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. On Monday, a fifth Hezbollah fighter was killed in an Israeli strike on Syria, and an Israeli soldier was "lightly injured" in a Hezbollah attack on the Biranit barracks in north Israel. Hezbollah announced Tuesday the death of one of its fighters, Qassem Saqlawi, "on the road to jerusalem." The Israeli army said he was killed in an Israeli strike on Tyre. It claimed that Saqlawi was a "commander of the rocket and missile array in Hezbollah’s Coastal Sector and was responsible for planning and executing rocket attacks and anti-tank launches toward Israel from the coastal sector in Lebanon. Meanwhile Israeli artillery shelled the southern town of al-Wazzani and al-Khiam with phosphorus bombs. The fighting has killed at least 426 people in Lebanon, mostly militants but also including 82 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israel says 14 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed on its side of the border. The violence has raised fears of all-out conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which went to war in 2006.

Army seizes truck carrying guns in Batroun after it catches fire
Naharnet/May 21, 2024
A truck carrying oils went up in flames Monday in the Batroun town of Basbina after which it turned out that it was also carrying 304 smuggled pistols, the army said on Tuesday. The guns were hidden above the engine along with a quantity of magazines, the army said in a statement, adding that it has arrested a number of individuals suspected of being involved in the smuggling operation. “The army searched the other trucks that had arrived along with this truck aboard a ship to the Port of Tripoli,” the statement said, adding that no arms or contraband material were found in the other trucks. A senior judicial source had told Agence France Presse on Monday that the truck belongs to a Palestinian resident of the Mieh Mieh Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon. The source added that the guns arrived aboard a ship that came from Turkey.

Quintet to meet in coming hours as Jumblat lauds Qatar's role
Naharnet/May 21, 2024
The five-nation group on Lebanon, which comprises the U.S., France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, will meet in the coming hours, ad-Diyar newspaper said. The daily said Tuesday that the quintet has received positive feedbacks from the Lebanese blocs, except for some trivial remarks. The meeting will likely be held at the Egyptian embassy, sources said. The sources told ad-Diyar that the Vatican is pressuring domestic and foreign forces especially the U.S. to take the Christian forces' concerns into consideration and to open the door for a third candidate. The sources said that Hezbollah and Amal are insisting that if parliament convenes to elect a president, the second round of voting would still require a two-third quorum and that Hezbollah is still standing firm on prioritizing the Gaza war over any other file. Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat meanwhile discussed with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Qatar the situation in Gaza and south Lebanon, as he praised Qatar's efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and to end the presidential crisis in Lebanon.

UNHCR withdraws memo sent to interior ministry after Bou Habib summons representative
Naharnet/May 21, 2024
Based on a request from caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, the U.N. Refugee Agency said it has withdrawn a memo it had sent to the Interior Ministry on Friday. “UNHCR wishes to clarify that the letter addressed to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities last week, including a proposal to meet, was sent as per standard practice in line with UNHCR’s mandated responsibilities when there are issues related to vulnerable communities in Lebanon, including refugees,” UNHCR said in a statement. “UNHCR remains a supportive, transparent and constructive partner in Lebanon. In that regard, we will continue to advocate for increased assistance to Lebanon and help mobilize resources to cater to the pressing needs of the most vulnerable. UNHCR also continues to emphasize the importance for the international community to prioritize durable solutions for refugees to help alleviate the pressures in Lebanon, including through supporting more conducive return conditions in Syria,” it added. Bou Habib had summoned UNHCR representative Ivo Freijsen and asked him to “withdraw the memo and consider it null and void,” stressing “the need to respect the norms of communication with the competent Lebanese ministries and administrations,” and pointing out that the memo should have been sent via the Foreign Ministry as per the law. UNHCR “should not interfere in Lebanon’s sovereign jurisdiction and should abide by Lebanese laws for all the individuals and organizations that reside in Lebanon, in line with all the international legislation.” Bou Habib also called on UNHCR to “deliver the refugee data, fully and without delay, within a period not exceeding the end of the current month, as per the memorandum of understanding signed with the Foreign Ministry on August 8, 2023.”

Geagea calls for declaring Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon a national holiday
Naharnet/May 21, 2024
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday called for declaring the anniversary of the Syrian army withdrawal from Lebanon as a “national holiday.”Geagea’s suggestion comes four days before Lebanon celebrates the Resistance and Liberation Day, which marks the withdrawal of the Israeli army from south Lebanon in May 2000. “If it is normal to list the occasion of the Israeli army’s withdrawal from the border area as one of the national holidays, it would be also normal to list the occasion of the Syrian army’s withdrawal from the heart of Lebanon as one of the national holidays, seeing as occupation is occupation, whether it comes from an enemy or a ‘friend,’ especially that the Syrian regime through its army was in full control of the state and its institutions while practicing hegemony over most of the Lebanese soil,” Geagea said in a statement. “It is unacceptable to continue to deal selectively with issues related to Lebanon’s sovereignty,” Geagea added. He also said that the government’s request that schools, institutes and universities dedicate the first session on Monday to explain the importance of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon requires “dedicating a session related to the national occasion represented in the withdrawal of the Syrian army.” “In both cases, there should be an agreement on the content of these sessions with the aim of upbringing the generations in a correct patriotic way,” Geagea added, stressing that the state should be the sole authority in the country and that the army should be the exclusive implementer of its decisions in what relates to “protecting sovereignty and defending Lebanon.” The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted from 1976, beginning with the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War, until April 30, 2005. This period saw significant Syrian military and political influence over Lebanon. The occupation ended following intense international pressure, the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and the protests that followed.

British-Lebanese Amal Clooney helped ICC weigh Gaza war crimes evidence
Agence France Presse/May 21, 2024
Amal Clooney helped the International Criminal Court weigh evidence that led to the decision to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders, the human rights lawyer said. The high-profile British-Lebanese barrister posted a statement on the website of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which she founded with her husband, American actor George Clooney. Both she and the foundation had previously been criticized on social media for not speaking out over the civilian death toll in Gaza. Clooney said she was asked by prosecutor Karim Khan to join an expert panel to "evaluate evidence of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and Gaza."The statement came the same day Khan said he was seeking arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as top Hamas leaders."Despite our diverse personal backgrounds, our legal findings are unanimous," Clooney said, adding there were "reasonable grounds to believe" that Hamas' Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh engaged in "hostage-taking, murder and crimes of sexual violence."With Netanyahu and Gallant, meanwhile, there are "reasonable grounds to believe" the two have engaged in "starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and extermination."Khan thanked Clooney in his statement announcing the decision to seek the arrest warrants. Clooney and other members of the panel also wrote an opinion piece in the Financial Times on Monday supporting ICC prosecutions for war crimes in the conflict. As Hamas, Israel and top ally the United States all denounced the move, the experts wrote that they "unanimously agree that the prosecutor's work was rigorous, fair and grounded in the law and the facts." Clooney, in her statement, said that "my approach is not to provide a running commentary of my work but to let the work speak for itself.""I served on this panel because I believe in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives," she added. "The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict."

Southern Lebanon Seeks Support: Nawraj NGO and Mayors Call for Urgent Aid
Lyne Sammouri/This Is Beirut/21 May 2024
Nawraj NGO and the mayors of the border strip municipalities held a press conference at the Catholic Information Center, during which they launched an appeal for help and support to the people in the South.

Residents Intercept UNIFIL Vehicle in Southern Suburbs
This Is Beirut/May 21/2024
A vehicle of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was intercepted near the Ain al-Dalba intersection in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday evening.Residents in the Hezbollah-controlled area stopped the vehicle, considering that the route is “outside UNIFIL’s zone of operations.”

Joumblatt in Qatar: Consensus and Dialogue Inevitable to Elect a President
This Is Beirut/May 21/2024
The former head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Joumblatt, said from Doha on Tuesday that it is “inevitable for the (Lebanese) political forces to agree, with the help of the Quintet (USA, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar) to elect a president on the basis of dialogue and consensus.”
Joumblatt made his remarks during a meeting with the Lebanese diaspora at the Lebanese Embassy in Doha, in the presence of Ambassador Farah Berry. The Druze leader is currently visiting Qatar at the invitation of the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad ben Abdel Rahman al-Thani, who received him on Tuesday morning. He is accompanied by his wife, Nora, his son MP Teymour Joumblatt, current leader of the PSP, and MP Hadi Abou el-Hosn. Joumblatt also praised the role played by Qatar within the Quintet, tasked with helping Lebanon break the deadlock on the presidential elections. Discussions with the Qatari officials covered the entire regional situation, in particular the war in Gaza and South Lebanon, as well as current political developments in Lebanon. The meeting took place against the backdrop of several recent visits to Doha by Lebanese officials to discuss the presidential elections, which are becoming increasingly urgent after more than 18 months of vacancy at the top post. These visits fueled speculation about a possible Doha 2 conference, similar to the one held in 2008, which gave General Michel Sleiman access to the presidency. Joumblatt expressed his “attachment” to the Doha conference (2008), as well as to the Taif agreement (1989), pending “a possible opportunity to improve the provisions of this agreement, particularly with regard to administrative decentralization.” In this respect, he specified that he was “in favor of decentralization, not federalism or partition.”He also praised the role played by the head of parliament, Nabih Berri, in dissociating the fate of Lebanon from that of Gaza. In his opinion, the war between Hamas and Israel “is only in its early stages,” estimating that it might last until the end of 2024 or even longer.”He also addressed the question of the massive Syrian presence in Lebanon, reiterating his call to “categorize” it, i.e. to classify Syrians residing in Lebanon into categories, with a view to settling this issue. He called for a distinction to be made between migrants for “economic or humanitarian reasons, and the Syrian workforce needed for the Lebanese economy.” In his view, this would be a more judicious approach to avoid “random and hateful campaigns” calling for the repatriation of Syrians.
[readmore url=”https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/255015″

Second Truck Loaded with Weapons Seized at Tripoli Port
This Is Beirut/May 21/2024
In less than 24 hours, the army seized two trucks loaded with weapons in northern Lebanon. The first truck was intercepted Monday afternoon in the Batroun district, and the second on Tuesday afternoon in Tripoli. This immediately raises critical questions: How many similar trucks are circulating freely in the country, and more importantly, to whom is their cargo destined? The second truck, also originating from Turkey and this time loaded with iron rods instead of oils, was intercepted within the premises of Tripoli Port. Its cargo reportedly included 400 pistols and empty gun magazines, similar to the load seized on Monday, according to sources cited by local agency al-Markaziya. The army promptly established a security cordon in the area but did not immediately disclose details on the quantity of weapons seized, likely for investigative purposes. The truck driver was arrested.
Reactions to weapon-laden trucks crossing Lebanon
Reacting to the news of trucks loaded with weapons traveling across Lebanon from north to south, Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel questioned on his X account, “To whom does their cargo belong and to whom is it destined?” He also questioned the motives behind this trafficking. “As long as Lebanon is governed by militias with which the state coexists, or to which it submits, the Lebanese will only know war, death and trucks loaded with weapons,” he denounced. He added, “But we will not accept living this way, and we will continue to fight for Lebanon to become a sovereign and free state again.” Member of the Renewal Bloc, MP Adib Abdel Massih, demanded “the whole truth about this story of trucks loaded with weapons.” He commented on his X account, “I have seen the photos, and they are terrifying. These cargoes must be intended either to arm illegal Syrians and organized crime mafias, or to undermine civil peace.” He also questioned “how these weapons could have entered the Port of Tripoli and, above all, how they managed to get out.”

Secretary-General Appoints New Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Hussein Faleh/AFP/This Is Beirut//21 May 2024
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Monday the appointment of Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands as his new Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL). She succeeds Joanna Wronecka of Poland, who held this position since 2021. “Currently serving as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (since 2018), Hennis-Plasschaert brings over 25 years of experience in diplomacy, international security and Middle East affairs to this position,” read the statement. Prior to that, “She was Minister of Defense of the Netherlands (2012-2017)—the first woman to hold this position. She previously served as a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands (2010-2012) and as a member of the European Parliament (2004-2010). Hennis-Plasschaert has also worked for the European Commission in Belgium and Latvia, as well as for the City of Amsterdam and in the private sector,” the statement continued. Hennis-Plasschaert is proficient in English, French and German and is a native Dutch speaker.

Presidential Election: US ‘Shortlist’ of ‘Plausible’ Candidates
Philippe Abi-Akl/This Is Beirut/21 May 2024
US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, who recently returned from Washington after consultations with her administration, reportedly carried a shortlist of highly qualified presidential candidates, carefully kept under wraps and numbering no more than a select few. These candidates are expected to meet political parties at a strategically chosen moment. Meanwhile, the Quintet’s ambassadors, including France, US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, are expected to contact Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and other key political figures in this regard.
The Quintet’s statement, issued following their recent meeting at the US embassy, underscored the pressing need to elect a President to ensure Lebanon’s active participation in an international peace conference on the region before July, and to secure a future diplomatic agreement regarding its southern borders.
The statement, deemed by informed sources as a “roadmap to meet the electoral deadline,” provides for specific consultations to determine a widely accepted candidate or agree on a shortlist of candidates, followed by an open election session with consecutive rounds until a new head of state is elected.
But the pro-Iranian party will not move a finger on the presidential file before receiving the greenlight from Iran following an agreement with Washington. Thus, the election hinges on an American-Iranian consensus, a process initiated last week in the Sultanate of Oman and ongoing with meetings in Doha between officials from both countries.
Hezbollah is overtly serving the Iranian agenda and that of the obstructionist axis, also known as the “Moumanaa,” and putting Tehran’s interests ahead of Lebanon’s national interests, destiny and future. The country is effectively coerced by Iran’s ambitions and regional strategy seeking to engage in negotiations with Washington, where the “decisions” regarding the region are made. For this reason, the Shiite duo Amal-Hezbollah –especially the latter–, have thwarted several French attempts to end the presidential deadlock.
Hezbollah used every possible means to prevent the election of a president, putting the blame on the opposition forces and Christian leaders. It also obstructed French, Qatari and other initiatives, awaiting Washington to step in to help resolve the crisis. In the meantime, the Shiite party remains adamant: there will be no discussions on any issue until a ceasefire agreement is reached in Gaza. According to political sources close to Hezbollah, Lebanon’s southern front will remain “active” (against Israel) pending a ceasefire. A Hezbollah official was quoted as saying, “The only way for Lebanon to have a President is in the event of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.”Meanwhile, and despite failed negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, diplomatic efforts are persisting in Cairo and Doha. Washington’s efforts, as well as attempts by Western capitals, proved unsuccessful in convincing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adhere to a ceasefire. The Israeli premier rejected Egypt’s ceasefire proposal, which was endorsed by Hamas, claiming that it overly favors the Palestinian movement’s conditions. Instead, he went ahead with an offensive in Rafah, aiming to secure a strategic advantage (by exerting significant pressure on Hamas) and bolster his position in advance of a potential military reprieve, which would ultimately lead to talks regarding the situation in Gaza. This tactic intensified divisions within the Israeli public, with growing opposition to Netanyahu’s policies. In fact, there are increasing calls for his resignation and the formation of a moderate government that would endorse a two-state solution, deemed as a crucial step towards normalization and comprehensive peace.

Procrastination That Obstructs the Future
Johnny Kortbawi/This Is Beirut/21 May 2024
A few months ago, when conditions could lead to the election of a president of the republic, the obstinacy of the political parties in Lebanon sabotaged the opportunity. Each faction adamantly stuck to its candidate, rejecting any negotiations or changes in its position.
With time, and with the eruption of the crisis in Gaza on October 7 and its unabated escalation, negotiations became illogical and irrelevant to Lebanon. Those engaged in the regional crisis (Hezbollah) are now interested in Gaza above anything else. The Lebanese presidency has become a bargaining chip, firmly held by Iran for negotiations aimed at ending the battles and serving its own interests through Hezbollah. The latter has become a pivotal player after opening the South Lebanon front, its so-called “support” for Gaza, thereby establishing itself as an essential participant in the ongoing conflict. Although months have passed, Lebanon failed to resolve its presidential crisis or find a way to distance itself from the ongoing conflicts. In the meantime, the US became engulfed in its own presidential election turmoil, leaving both parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, unable to effectively control the situation in the region amidst the ongoing strife. Iran favors Biden’s return to the presidency, yet it cannot give up on the Palestinian card, nor that of Lebanon, among others. Should Biden’s return to the White House be jeopardized, Iran will risk all negotiation power, leaving it empty-handed. On the other hand, Iran needs to maintain bargaining chips in case of Trump’s return to the White House, as his administration could escalate sanctions and adopt a more aggressive policy towards Tehran. Therefore, Iran must retain its grip on key assets to alleviate pressure. Among these assets is its influence over the Lebanese presidency and the situation in Lebanon’s southern region, which could serve Trump’s interests in securing Israel’s northern front. On top of the existing complexities, the deaths of the Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in a helicopter crash has deepened the state of confusion. It is not mainly due to the absence of the president, since the Supreme Leader holds the ultimate decision-making power and no change is expected in general politics, but because the late Minister of Foreign Affairs was the linchpin of Iranian diplomacy. His absence could trigger shifts in perspectives and dynamics, as diplomacy heavily relies on personalities and personal interactions. Consequently, changes in personalities could alter diplomatic dialogues. We are grateful that the helicopter incident was not a criminal act, or orchestrated, which would have plunged the world in a prolonged crisis, and potentially into a world war. However, the repercussions of the recent changes in Iran suggest that we are entering a new and enduring phase of uncertainty. Complications in Lebanon are compounding and problems are aggravating, implying that the Lebanese presidential deadlock may not be resolved in 2024.

From Mount Hermon’s Slopes to Naqoura, the “Sacred Cause” of Reconstruction
Fady Noun/This is Beirut/May 21/May/2024
Nawraj sets up a crisis cell comprising architects and agronomists, led by Jean Chamoun. In the absence of any clear prospect for an end to hostilities in southern Lebanon, the Nawraj association, led by Fouad Abounader, has decided to take action and start assessing the losses and needs of the localities subjected to Israeli bombardments. In a press conference held at the Catholic Information Center (CCI), Abounader explained the reasons for this initiative, while the President of the Municipal Council of Rmeich, Milad Alam, reviewed the damages caused by the ongoing violence in the south, providing an initial estimate (see table). “No school should close, and no dispensary, job, or source of livelihood should disappear.” This is the declared goal of Nawraj, which has asked the Lebanese people to make the strip extending “from the slopes of Mount Hermon to Naqoura” their “sacred cause,” with the primary concern of keeping the populations of south Lebanon, especially Christians, rooted in their lands. “All Lebanese institutions, both social and religious, must be made aware of the suffering of the population in this part of the country, and mobilize to provide effective and sustainable aid and subsidies that will allow its population to hold on,” said Abounader. It is known that tens of thousands of Lebanese have chosen to take refuge inland, and the initial hopes of a quick return are increasingly dimming and difficult to envision as the conflict drags on.
Delays in reconstruction
For Abounader, even if the fighting stops soon, the economic and social crisis will continue well beyond, if only because of the time it will take to rebuild and recover the losses suffered in agriculture and livestock (poultry, cattle, or bee farming, olive and vine cultivation, other fruit trees, cereals and tobacco). Nawraj, as its president specified, has established, with the participation of a university engineering faculty, a cell composed of architects and agronomists, led by Jean Chamoun. It aims to support this phase of the crisis and provide the population with essential basic materials such as diesel, medicines and medical supplies, food and sterilization products, milk for children, etc. The cell will work in coordination with the relevant ministries, local and international associations and embassies, to prioritize and distribute resources equitably. At the same time, the association urges state relief organizations to also take responsibility in this area “fairly and without forgetting anyone.”Beyond this immediate short- and medium-term aid, Nawraj has asked leaders “to think about sustainable solutions and revive development projects that have been suspended due to the war.”
“A free and decent life”
On behalf of the municipalities of south Lebanon, the President of the Municipal Council of Rmeich, Milad Alam, then outlined the “tragic situation” of the localities in the border area bombarded by Israel. He spoke on behalf of the localities of Rmeish, Ain Ebel, Debel, Qaouzah, Yaroun, Alma al-Shaab, Bourj al-Moulouk, Deir Mimas, Qlaya, Jdeidet Marjeyoun, Bouwayda, Ebel al-Saqi, Kawkaba and Rachaya al-Foukhar. “We seek peace and a free and decent life like all the peoples of the earth!” he exclaimed, before drawing his listeners’ attention to the “enormous structural and economic destruction, which has led to the displacement of a large number of residents, the disappearance of their livelihoods, and the annihilation of lifelong efforts.” “The exodus that some have been forced into has exhausted all their savings,” he added. Furthermore, the impact of the war is not limited to the physical health of the Lebanese who suffer from it, but also includes psychological dimensions: homelessness and lack of permanent housing, loss of loved ones, continuous fear and wartime violence.
Two priorities: olive cultivation and tobacco
Alam called on the state to compensate the population for the material damage caused by the bombings, particularly in the three agglomerations of Alma al-Shaab, Qaouzah and Deir Mimas, without neglecting the cracks that have appeared in dozens of houses in all villages. The border area, he said, should be declared a “disaster zone,” with special attention from the Ministry of Agriculture to the olive and tobacco sectors, which are sources of livelihood for all Lebanese “from the slopes of Mount Hermon to Ras Naqoura.”

Restoring the State Sovereignty is the Pillar to Save Lebanon’s Identity!
The Coordinating Committee of Lebanese-Canadians (CCLC) strongly condemns the ongoing assassination of Lebanon's sovereignty and its national independence. These vicious acts pose severe existential threats to Lebanon's sovereignty and identity, endangering Lebanese security and the rule of law, as evidenced by recent criminal acts, notably the assassination of Lebanese national figure Pascal Suleiman in Byblos. These crimes undermine Lebanon's stability and the principles of justice and accountability.
The CCLC closely monitors, with concern, the escalating roots of wars and tragedies in Lebanon, including kidnappings and assaults on the nation's sovereignty. In light of this, the following points are emphasized:
The necessity of upholding the framework of law and justice, ensuring that only legitimate authorities have control over the country's civil, military, and security affairs, emphasizing the duty to protect sovereignty over all territories without external interference.
The urgent return of the Syrian Refugees to Syria, ensuring security against any aggression that could threaten national unity and the safety of the Lebanese people, safeguarding Lebanon's national interests, and protecting its humanitarian values against imposed threats.
The deployment of civil, judicial, and military security state control along Lebanon's borders, including land, air, and sea, to block routes used by criminal syndicates and prevent the escalation of the organized crime.
The CCLC, and in response to recent Lebanon critical accidents, is reaffirming Lebanon's determination to preserve its sovereignty and safeguard its people from external threats. The CCLC is deeply committed to addressing the urgent and profound challenges facing Lebanon, from its political factions and powerful entities, to the family of the late Pascal Suleiman, all of whom have shown unwavering support for Lebanon's sovereignty by standing firm against complete oppression, justice, and achieving full truth in revealing the intense pressure being felt during these critical times. Lebanon's free, independent, and dignified national sovereignty is emphasized.
In conclusion, with great condemnation for this profound crime, the Committee warns against any exploitation of the current crises, threats, and assassinations that jeopardize Lebanon's national security, and calls for the restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty through the application of international resolutions such as Resolution (1559,1680,1701) to restore stability.
Organizations Member:
Al Ahrar - Canada
Kataeb Libano – Canada (KLC)
Lebanese Diaspora Exchange – Ottawa (LDX)
Lebanese Friends of Canada (LFC)
Our New Lebanon – Canada (ONL)
World Lebanese Cultural Union – Canada (WLCU)
Lebanese Advisory Organization:
Civic Influence Hub (CIH)

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 21-22/2024
Israeli forces raze parts of Gaza’s Jabalia, hit Rafah with airstrikes
REUTERS/May 21, 2024
GAZA STRIP: Israeli forces thrust deeper into Jabalia in northern Gaza on Tuesday, striking a hospital and destroying residential areas with tank and air bombardments, residents said, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in Rafah in the south. Simultaneous Israeli assaults on the northern and southern edges of the Gaza Strip this month have caused a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes, and sharply restricted the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine. In Jabalia, a sprawling refugee camp built for displaced civilians 75 years ago, the Israeli army used bulldozers to clear shops and property near the local market, residents said, in a military operation that began almost two weeks ago. Israel said it has returned to the camp, where it had claimed to have dismantled Hamas months ago, to prevent the militant group that controls Gaza from regrouping.In a roundup of its activity over the past day, the Israeli military said it had dismantled “about 70 terror targets” throughout the Gaza Strip, including military compounds, weapon storage sites, missile launchers and observation posts. Palestinian medics said Israeli missiles struck the emergency department of Jabalia’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, prompting panicked staff to rush patients on hospital beds and stretchers to the rubble-strewn street outside. “The first missile when it hit, it hit the entrance of the emergency department. We tried to enter, and then a second missile hit, and the third hit the building nearby,” said Hussam Abu Safia, the head of hospital.
“We cannot go back inside to them ... The emergency department provides a service for children, the elderly and people inside the departments of the hospital.”Residents and medics said Israeli tanks were besieging another Jabalia hospital, Al-Awda Hospital, for the third day. In Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said northern Gaza’s sick and wounded were running out of options. “These are the only two functional hospitals remaining in northern Gaza,” Tedros said. “Ensuring their ability to deliver health services is imperative.”More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, which is now in its eighth month, according to the Gaza health ministry. At least 10,000 others are missing and believed to be trapped under destroyed buildings, it says. Israel is seeking to eradicate Hamas after militants from the group stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, by Israeli tallies. The war has devastated the overcrowded coastal enclave, destroying houses, schools and hospitals and creating a dire humanitarian crisis. Aid from a US-built pier resumed moving into warehouses in Gaza on Tuesday using alternative routes, the Pentagon said. The distribution was halted for three days after crowds of needy residents intercepted trucks.
AIRSTRIKES
In the south, airstrikes killed three children in a house in Khan Younis and at least five people including three children in a home in Rafah, health officials said. East of Khan Younis, residents said they were fleeing Khuzaa town after Israeli troops began an incursion on the eastern edge of the territory, bulldozing across the border fence.“Bombing everywhere, people are leaving in panic. It was a surprising incursion,” one resident from Khuzaa told Reuters by phone as he and his family were leaving. Israel is pushing on with its operations in Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, where more than half of the territory’s 2.3 million population had sought refuge after being displaced from areas further north. UNRWA, the main United Nations agency in Gaza, estimated as of Monday that more 800,000 had fled since Israel began targeting the city in early May, despite international pleas for restraint over concern about civilian casualties.On Tuesday, the agency said food distributions had been suspended in Rafah due to lack of supplies and insecurity. Israel has pledged to continue with the Rafah assault to root out what it says are four remaining battalions of Hamas fighters holed up there. Tanks made incursions into the eastern Rafah suburbs of Jeneina, Al-Salam, and Brazil, according to residents. The Israeli military said over the past day it had “identified a terrorist shooting mortar shells at IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) troops,” though no injuries were reported. It said it had taken out the enemy with an airstrike and had located rockets and additional military equipment in the area.

WHO chief asks Israel to ease curbs on Gaza medical aid
GENEVA (Reuters)/May 21, 2024
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Tuesday for Israel to lift restrictions on aid into Gaza, saying that the primary pipeline for emergency medical aid into the enclave from Egypt had been cut off. Israel seized and closed the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on May 7, disrupting a vital route for people and aid into and out of enclave. "At a time when the people of Gaza are facing starvation, we urge Israel to lift the blockade and let aid through," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Geneva, describing the situation in the Palestinian enclave as "beyond catastrophic". "Without more aid flowing into Gaza we cannot sustain our lifesaving support of hospitals and populations," he said. Israel says U.N. agencies are to blame for not distributing aid more efficiently within the enclave, creating backlogs of supplies. Tedros said Israel's move had impacted six hospitals and nine primary health centres and caused 70 shelters to lose their medical facilities. "Daily consultations have fallen by close to 40% and immunization by 50%," he said. "Approximately 700 seriously ill patients who would have otherwise been evacuated for medical care elsewhere are stuck in a war zone." Gaza's healthcare system has essentially collapsed since Israel began its military offensive there after the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas militants. Tedros said that Gaza's Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza remained under siege since Sunday, with 148 hospital staff and 22 patients and the people accompanying them trapped inside. He said that fighting near Kamal Adwan Hospital, also in northern Gaza, had jeopardised its ability to care for patients. "These are the only two functional hospitals remaining in northern Gaza," Tedros said. "Ensuring their ability to deliver health services is imperative."

UN halts all food distribution in Rafah after running out of supplies in the southern Gaza city
CAIRO (AP)/May 21, 2024
The United Nations says it has suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah due to lack of supplies and insecurity. It also said no aid trucks entered in the past two days via a floating pier set up by the U.S. for sea deliveries. The U.N. has not specified how many people remain in Rafah after the Israeli military launched an intensified assault there on May 6, but there appears to be several hundred thousand people. Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the U.N’s World Food Program, warned that “humanitarian operations in Gaza are near collapse.” If food and other supplies don’t resume entering Gaza “in massive quantities, famine-like conditions will spread,” she said. The warning came as Israel seeks to contain the fallout from a request by the chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, a move supported by three European countries, including key ally France. The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged "use of starvation as a method of warfare,” a charge they and other Israeli officials angrily deny. The prosecutor accused three Hamas leaders of war crimes over killings of civilians in the group's Oct. 7 attack. The crisis in humanitarian supplies has spiraled in the two weeks since Israel launched an incursion into Rafah on May 6, vowing to root out Hamas fighters. Troops seized the Rafah crossing into Egypt, which has been closed since. As of May 10, only about three dozen trucks made it into Gaza via the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel because fighting makes it difficult for aid workers to reach it, the U.N. says. The main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, announced the suspension of distribution in Rafah in a post on X, without elaborating beyond citing the lack of supplies. Etefa said the WFP had also stopped distribution in Rafah after exhausting its stocks. It continues passing out hot meals in central Gaza and “limited distributions” of reduced food parcels in central Gaza, but “food parcel stocks will run out within days,” she said. Etefa said 10 trucks entered through the U.S.-made pier on Friday and were taken to its warehouse in central Gaza. But a delivery Saturday of 11 trucks was stopped by crowds of Palestinians who took supplies, and only five trucks made it to the warehouse. No further deliveries came from the pier on Sunday or Monday, she said. The U.N says some 1.1 million people in Gaza – nearly half the population -- face catastrophic levels of hunger and that the territory is on the brink of famine. Until early May, some 1.3 million people were crowded into Rafah after fleeing Israel’s offensive elsewhere in the territory. At least 810,000 of those have fled since Israel launched its incursion into the city. Those fleeing have scattered across southern Gaza, erecting sprawling tent camps or crowding into U.N. schools already heavily damaged from Israel’s previous offensives.
While no one faces imminent arrest from the ICC move, the announcement deepens Israel’s global isolation at a time when it is facing growing criticism from even its closest allies over the war in Gaza. Belgium, Slovenia and France each said Monday they backed the decision by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan. Their support exposes divisions in the West's approach to Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz headed to France on Tuesday in response, and his meetings there could set the tone for how countries navigate the warrants — if they are eventually issued — and whether they could pose a threat to Israeli leaders.
Israel still has the support of its top ally, the United States, as well as other Western countries that spoke out against the decision. But if the warrants are issued, they could complicate international travel for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, even if they do not face any immediate risk of prosecution because Israel itself is not a member of the court. The prosecutor also requested warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas is already considered an international terrorist group by the West. Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region. Qatar, like Israel, is not a member of the ICC.
As Israeli leaders came to grips with the prosecutor's decision, violence continued in the region, with an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank killing at least seven Palestinians, including a local doctor, according to Palestinian health officials.
In a statement Monday night about the warrant requests, France said it “supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations.”“France has been warning for many months about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and in particular about the unacceptable nature of civilian losses in the Gaza Strip and insufficient humanitarian access,” said the statement from France, which has a large Jewish community and close trade and diplomatic ties with Israel. The war between began on Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostage. Khan accused Hamas’ leaders of crimes against humanity, including extermination, murder and sexual violence. Israel responded with an offensive, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between noncombatants and fighters in its count. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis that has displaced much of the coastal enclave’s population and driven parts of it to starvation, which Khan said Israel used as a “method of warfare.”
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said Monday in a post on social media platform X that “crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of the perpetrators.”Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the prosecutor's move as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. The United Kingdom called the move “not helpful,” saying the ICC does not have jurisdiction in the case, while Israeli ally Czech Republic called Khan's decision “appalling and completely unacceptable.”
A panel of three judges will decide whether to issue the arrest warrants and allow a case to proceed. The judges typically take two months to make such decisions. Experts warned that any warrants could complicate relations between Israel and even allies that condemned the move. Yuval Kaplinsky, a former senior official in Israel’s Justice Ministry, said countries that are party to the court would be obliged to arrest Netanyahu or Gallant if they visit, although he said some of those countries might find legal loopholes that could help them avoid that. “They would prefer (that) Netanyahu does not visit rather than have him visit in London and have the entire world watch him avoid extradition,” Kaplinsky said. Since the war began, violence has also flared in the occupied West Bank. On Tuesday, an Israeli raid into the Jenin refugee camp and the adjacent city of Jenin killed at least seven Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The military said its forces struck militants during the operation while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said its fighters battled the Israeli forces. However, according to Wissam Abu Baker, the director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, the medical center’s surgery specialist, Ossayed Kamal Jabareen, was among the dead. He was killed on his way to work, Abu Baker said.
Jenin and the refugee camp, seen as a hotbed of militancy, have been frequent targets of Israeli raids, long before Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza broke out. Since the start of the war, nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank fighting, many of them militants, as well as others throwing stones or explosives at troops. Others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. Israel says it is cracking down on soaring militancy in the territory, pointing to a spike in attacks by Palestinians on Israelis. It has arrested more than 3,000 Palestinians since the start of the war in Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with east Jerusalem, which it later annexed, and the Gaza Strip, which it withdrew troops and settlers from in 2005. Palestinians seek those territories as part of their future independent state, hopes for which have been dimmed since the war in Gaza erupted.

Israeli army raids West Bank's Jenin, Palestinians say seven killed
Ali Sawafta/JENIN, West Bank (Reuters)/May 21, 2024
-Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing seven Palestinians, including a doctor, during a major operation that involved dozens of vehicles, witnesses and Palestinian health authorities said. The Israeli military said the operation targeted armed militants in the city, a longstanding centre for militant groups including Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad, and it said a number of Palestinian gunmen were shot. "Undercover forces raided the area suddenly and they were firing at any moving body in the street," said ambulance driver Hazim Masarwa. "They were targeting anything moving." Heavy-tracked armoured bulldozers tore up streets near the centre of the city, protected by Israeli forces in at least 20 vehicles, as the sound of gunfire and a drone flying overhead could be heard, hours after the start of the operation, during the morning rush hour. A teacher and a doctor, both of whom were on their way to work in the city, were among seven people killed, authorities said. There was no immediate information on the identity of the other dead or the nine wounded, as the operation continued throughout the morning. "Jenin hospital is the main governmental hospital in Jenin and it is surrounded now," said hospital director Wissam Baker. "It looks it will be tough hours ahead because the occupation is gathering more forces." He said the hospital's specialist surgeon was among the dead after being shot while on his way to work. The occupied West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state along with Gaza, has seen a surge in violence since the start of the war in Gaza last year, and a major crackdown by Israeli security forces which have made thousands of arrests. In the seven months since the start of the war, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, many of them armed militants fighting Israeli forces but others including stone-throwing youths or uninvolved civilians. Several have also been killed in clashes with Israeli settlers. At the same time, Palestinians have killed more than a dozen Israelis.

Israel tries to contain the fallout after some allies support ICC prosecutor's request for warrants
TIA GOLDENBERG/JERUSALEM (AP)/May 21, 2024
Israel sought Tuesday to contain the fallout from a request by the chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, a move supported by three European countries, including key ally France. Belgium, Slovenia and France each said Monday they backed the decision by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan, who accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel. While no one faces imminent arrest, the announcement deepens Israel's global isolation at a time when it is facing growing criticism from even its closest allies over the war in Gaza. Support for the warrants from three European Union countries also exposes divisions in the West's approach to Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz headed to France on Tuesday in response, and his meetings there could set the tone for how countries navigate the warrants — if they are eventually issued — and whether they could pose a threat to Israeli leaders. Israel still has the support of its top ally, the United States, as well as other Western countries that spoke out against the decision. But if the warrants are issued, they could complicate international travel for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, even if they do not face any immediate risk of prosecution because Israel itself is not a member of the court.
The prosecutor also requested warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas is already considered an international terrorist group by the West. Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region. Qatar, like Israel, is not a member of the ICC. As Israeli leaders came to grips with the prosecutor's decision, violence continued in the region, with an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank killing at least seven Palestinians, including a local doctor, according to Palestinian health officials. In a statement Monday night about the warrant requests, France said it “supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations.”“France has been warning for many months about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and in particular about the unacceptable nature of civilian losses in the Gaza Strip and insufficient humanitarian access,” said the statement from France, which has a large Jewish community and close trade and diplomatic ties with Israel. The war between began on Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostage. Khan accused Hamas’ leaders of crimes against humanity, including extermination, murder and sexual violence. Israel responded with an offensive, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between noncombatants and fighters in its count. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis that has displaced much of the coastal enclave’s population and driven parts of it to starvation, which Khan said Israel used as a “method of warfare.”
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said Monday in a post on social media platform X that “crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of the perpetrators.”Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the prosecutor's move as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. The United Kingdom called the move “not helpful,” saying the ICC does not have jurisdiction in the case, while Israeli ally Czech Republic called Khan's decision “appalling and completely unacceptable.”
A panel of three judges will decide whether to issue the arrest warrants and allow a case to proceed. The judges typically take two months to make such decisions. Experts warned that any warrants could complicate relations between Israel and even allies that condemned the move. Yuval Kaplinsky, a former senior official in Israel’s Justice Ministry, said countries that are party to the court would be obliged to arrest Netanyahu or Gallant if they visit, although he said some of those countries might find legal loopholes that could help them avoid that. “They would prefer (that) Netanyahu does not visit rather than have him visit in London and have the entire world watch him avoid extradition,” Kaplinsky said. Since the war began, violence has also flared in the occupied West Bank. On Tuesday, an Israeli raid into the Jenin refugee camp and the adjacent city of Jenin killed at least seven Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The military said its forces struck militants during the operation while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said its fighters battled the Israeli forces. However, according to Wissam Abu Baker, the director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, the medical center’s surgery specialist, Ossayed Kamal Jabareen, was among the dead. He was killed on his way to work, Abu Baker said. Jenin and the refugee camp, seen as a hotbed of militancy, have been frequent targets of Israeli raids, long before Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza broke out. Since the start of the war, nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank fighting, many of them militants, as well as others throwing stones or explosives at troops. Others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. Israel says it is cracking down on soaring militancy in the territory, pointing to a spike in attacks by Palestinians on Israelis. It has arrested more than 3,000 Palestinians since the start of the war in Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with east Jerusalem, which it later annexed, and the Gaza Strip, which it withdrew troops and settlers from in 2005. Palestinians seek those territories as part of their future independent state, hopes for which have been dimmed since the war in Gaza erupted.

ICC prosecutor's move not a political risk for Netanyahu, other problems are
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/May 21, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has in the past week faced a request by the ICC prosecutor for an arrest warrant to be issued against him over the Gaza war, public rebukes by cabinet partners and a threat by one to quit.The decision by the International Criminal Court's prosecutor is unlikely to do Netanyahu much harm among voters, and has for now rallied many Israelis behind him. But problems are piling up for Netanyahu on multiple fronts and his coalition government's long-term political prospects are widely seen as receding. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister and the leader of the right-wing Likud party, has come out fighting. "I'm not concerned with my future, I'm concerned with Israel's future," Netanyahu told CNBC on Wednesday. "I'm going to do what I have to do to finish this war." He has dismissed ICC prosecutor Karim Khan's assertion on Monday that as Israel's prime minister he bears responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza as a "complete distortion of reality". He has also shrugged off criticism by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who urged him last week to forswear any military reoccupation of Gaza, and his office has brushed aside a threat by war cabinet minister Benny Gantz to quit if Netanyahu does not commit to an agreed vision for post-conflict Gaza.Khan's announcement has temporarily rallied Israelis in defence of the prime minister against what President Isaac Herzog described as a "one-sided move" taken in bad faith.But the solidarity may not stretch far. Although opposition Head Yair Lapid condemned the ICC statement, he also made clear he would keep working to bring down Netanyahu's government. While Gantz also came to Netanyahu's defence over Khan's announcement, two of Gantz's aides said the retired general's threat to quit the cabinet if Netanyahu does not commit to a six-point plan for Gaza and Israel by June 8 still stands.
THREAT TO COALITION
If Gantz quits, Netanyahu would lose the backing of his most formidable political rival and his centrist bloc, which has helped broaden support for the government in Israel and abroad. The prime minister would still command a majority in parliament with the backing of ultra-nationalist parties, who angered Washington even before the war and have since called for a return to a complete Israeli occupation of Gaza. This would put new pressures on Netanyahu, could increase strains already apparent in relations with the United States and would be likely to raise new questions about how long such a government could survive. "Parliamentarily speaking, it can survive for a while, and it will. But it won't last," said political analyst Amotz Asa-El. "Wars anywhere in democracies demand consensus, they demand a government that is followed by the social mainstream, and by a clear majority of the political system.""A narrow government, like the one Israel will be left with after Gantz's departure, will not deliver this," said Asa-El, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. The government also faces difficulties in a row over a new military draft bill. Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners are determined to keep religious seminary students exempt from conscription, while Gallant and Gantz want more equitable national service for all Israelis. Failure to reach an agreement could, political analysts say, bring down the government over what has long been a hot-button issue for Israelis and has become even more sensitive during the Gaza war. One minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he does not expect the government to survive. Netanyahu's popularity has also been damaged by security failings in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year, which prompted the Israeli military offensive against Hamas in Gaza in response. Some analysts see a possible political lifeline for Netanyahu in the possibility of a deal that he would prize being reached on normalising ties with Saudi Arabia. The White House said on Monday the United States and Saudi Arabia were close to a final agreement on a bilateral defence pact that once completed would be part of a broad accord presented to Netanyahu to decide whether to make concessions to the Palestinians to secure normalising ties with Riyadh. A spokesman for Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trudeau mum on International Criminal Court prosecution request as MPs react
The Canadian Press/May 21, 2024
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not yet weighed in on a push from the International Criminal Court to prosecute his Israeli counterpart and others over the war in the Gaza Strip. The court's chief prosecutor requested arrest warrants Monday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence minister and senior Hamas leaders. The U.S. rejected the move to implicate Israel alongside Hamas, while France and Belgium supported the decision and Germany said it respects the court's independence. Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly have yet to comment, but some vocal Liberal MPs are issuing statements. Iqra Khalid, who spearheaded a parliamentary motion condemning Islamophobia, says Canada must respect the ICC and its independence. Anthony Housefather argues the decision is drawing a moral equivalency "between the leaders of a recognized terrorist organization and the elected leaders of a democratic state." Their colleague Salma Zahid says Ottawa should support the ICC's legal process, arguing its role is "not to judge moral equivalence, but to impartially consider the evidence."The Liberals and NDP passed a parliamentary motion in March that calls on Canada to "support the work of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court." NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says that Trudeau "must respect his promise to Canadians."Trudeau is slated to speak with media Tuesday afternoon in Philadelphia.

UNRWA says food distribution in Rafah suspended due to insecurity
Jana Choukeir/DUBAI/Reuters/May 21, 2024
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday that food distribution in Gaza's southern city of Rafah were currently suspended due to lack of supplies and insecurity. UNRWA said in a statement on X that only seven out of its 24 health centres were operational and that it had not received any medical supplies in the past 10 days due to "closures/disruptions" at the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings into Gaza. Israel mounted a new push in central Gaza on Monday, bombarding towns in the north of the Palestinian enclave and saying it intended to broaden operations in Rafah despite U.S. warnings of the risk of mass casualties in the southern city. Simultaneous Israeli assaults on the southern and northern edges of Hamas-ruled Gaza this month have caused a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, and sharply restricted the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine.

Israeli Government Shuts Down AP Live Feed From Gaza, Seizes Equipment as New Media Law Takes Effect
Natalie Korach/The Canadian Press/May 21, 2024
Israeli government officials seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press on Tuesday, shuttering the outlet’s live stream from Gaza, citing the nation’s new media law. Passed in April, the law allows the shuttering of outlets which the government deems a threat to national security. Officials from the Communications Ministry arrived at the AP location in Sderot on Tuesday, seizing equipment and handing over a piece of paper signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, alleging that the outlet was violating the new foreign broadcaster law, according to the AP. After the seizure took place, the AP released a statement condemning the move, in the “strongest terms.”“The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law,” AP spokesperson Lauren Easton wrote. “We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world,” the statement concluded. The foreign broadcaster law was passed in Israel in April, with its first target being Al Jazeera’s Israel operations. Israeli officials used the law to close down the offices of the Qatar-based broadcaster on May 5 and confiscated its equipment, banned the channel’s broadcasts, and blocked its websites.

Blinken questioned by Senate over Gaza. Protesters call him 'butcher' and 'war criminal'
Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY/May 21, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken's testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday to condemn the Biden administration's support for Israel in its war against Hamas. Blinken was giving his opening statement at the hearing, on the Biden administration's foreign policy, when demonstrators interrupted him. One protester shouted at Blinken that he "will be remembered" as a "butcher" and for "murdering innocent Palestinians," as he was led out of the hearing by law enforcement. Another shouted repeatedly: "He is a war criminal." At least one demonstrator carried a homemade sign bearing the name of progressive, anti-war activist group CODEPINK. "We're standing with Israel in its efforts to ensure that what happened on Oct. 7 never happens again, as we do everything, we can to bring an end to the terrible human suffering in Gaza and prevent the conflict from spreading" Blinken said moments later, as he continued with his prepared remarks. Blinken is expected to come under forceful questioning from senators about President Joe Biden's pause on some offensive weapons to Israel, the State Department's report on Israel's conduct in the war and humanitarian aid to Gaza in marathon testimony on Tuesday. He's appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Appropriations committees at back-to-back hearings on the Biden administration's annual budget request. He'll come under questioning again on Wednesday from House members.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim they shot down another US drone
Samy Magdy/CAIRO (AP)/May 21, 2024
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed on Tuesday they shot down an American drone over the country on the Arabian Peninsula. The U.S. military acknowledged reports but didn't comment. If confirmed, it would be the second MQ-9 Reaper drone downed by the Houthis over the past week as they press their campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Last Friday, the Houthis claimed downing an American drone over the province of Marib, hours after footage circulated online of what appeared to be the wreckage of an MQ-9 Reaper. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said Tuesday the latest drone was shot down with a locally made surface-to-air missile. He did not say when it occurred but alleged the drone “was carrying out hostile missions” over Yemen’s southern province of Bayda. Responding to an Associated Press inquiry, the U.S. military’s Central Command acknowledged reports about the downing but declined to comment. Since Yemen's civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis seized most of the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels. Reapers cost around $30 million apiece. They can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The Houthis in recent months have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. The rebels claimed last week that they fired a missile towards a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Red Sea. However, the U.S. military said the warship intercepted the anti-ship ballistic missile.

Iranians pay last respects to President Ebrahim Raisi
AFP/May 21, 2024
TEHRAN: Tens of thousands of Iranians gathered Tuesday to mourn president Ebrahim Raisi and seven members of his entourage who were killed in a helicopter crash on a fog-shrouded mountainside in the northwest. Waving Iranian flags and portraits of the late president, mourners set off from a central square in the northwestern city of Tabriz, where Raisi was headed when his helicopter crashed on Sunday. They walked behind a lorry carrying the coffins of Raisi and his seven aides. Their helicopter lost communications while it was on its way back to Tabriz after Raisi attended the inauguration of a joint dam project on the Aras river, which forms part of the border with Azerbaijan, in a ceremony with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev. A massive search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday when two other helicopters flying alongside Raisi’s lost contact with his aircraft in bad weather. State television announced his death in a report early on Monday, saying “the servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom,” showing pictures of him as a voice recited the Qur’an. Killed alongside the Iranian president were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, provincial officials and members of his security team. Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash as Iranians in cities nationwide gathered to mourn Raisi and his entourage. Tens of thousands gathered in the capital’s Valiasr Square on Monday. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until a presidential election can be held. State media later announced that the election would will be held on June 28. Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who served as deputy to Amir-Abdollahian, was named acting foreign minister. From Tabriz, Raisi’s body will be flown to the Shiite clerical center of Qom on Tuesday before being moved to Tehran that evening. Processions will be held in in the capital on Wednesday morning before Khamenei leads prayers at a farewell ceremony. Raisi’s body will then be flown to his home city of Mashhad, in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites. Raisi, 63, had been in office since 2021. The ultra-conservative’s time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel. Raisi succeeded the moderate Hassan Rouhani, at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear activities.
Condolence messages flooded in from Iran’s allies around the region, including the Syrian government, Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. It was an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the devastating war in Gaza, now in its eighth month, and soaring tensions between Israel and the “resistance axis” led by Iran. Israel’s killing of seven Revolutionary Guards in a drone strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 triggered Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel, involving hundreds of missiles and drones.
In a speech hours before his death, Raisi underlined Iran’s support for the Palestinians, a centerpiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Palestinian flags were raised alongside Iranian flags at ceremonies held for the late president.

Flight PS752 families say Iran president's death robs them of chance for justice
The Canadian Press/AP/May 21, 2024
Members of a Canadian group representing families of those killed when Iran's military shot down a commercial jetliner in 2020 say the death of Iran's president means he will never face justice for his alleged role in their loved ones' deaths. President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's foreign minister were found dead Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in fog. Iran has offered no cause for the crash nor suggested sabotage brought down the helicopter, which fell in mountainous terrain in the country's northwest. Kouroush Doustshenas, whose fiancée was among the 176 people killed when Flight PS752 was shot down on Jan. 8, 2020, said in an interview Monday that Raisi played a role in keeping skies open to civilian aviation as tensions flared in the region just before the plane was hit with missiles, Doustshenas said. Fifty-five Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents were among the 176 people killed on the Ukrainian International Airlines flight that was shot down by Iran's Revolutionary Guard shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport. Doustshenas said Raisi, known to many as the “butcher of Tehran," was also tied to the 1998 mass killings of peaceful protesters, the 2019 Bloody November massacres, and a vicious crackdown on the Woman, Life, Freedom movement that began in September 2022. "Within days he is going to be replaced with another hardliner. And same with the Iranian foreign minister, he is going to be very soon replaced with another person who has the same record as he had of four decades of serving the same system," Doustshenas said. "So I didn't feel any happiness that he is dead, or anger," because the deaths will likely have no impact on the Iranian regime, Doustshenas said. Raisi, 63, had been discussed as a possible successor for Iran's supreme leader, the 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His death now throws that selection into question, particularly as there is no heir-apparent cleric for the presidency ahead of planned June 28 elections. In a statement Monday, the Association of Flight PS752 Victims said, “We vehemently sought to bring (Raisi) to justice for his crimes in a fair trial so that he could face the consequences of his heinous actions. We feel that we are robbed of such an opportunity, but we are not sorry about his death."Across Iran, its rural population often more closely embraces the Shiite faith and the government. However, Tehran has long held a far different view of Raisi and his government's policies as mass protests have roiled the capital for years. The most recent involved the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a woman detained over her allegedly loose headscarf, or hijab. The months-long security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw more than 22,000 detained. In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death.

Iranian President Raisi's memorial muted amid public discontent
Parisa Hafezi/DUBAI (Reuters)/May 21, 2024
Thousands of Iranians turned out to mourn President Ebrahim Raisi in the city of Tabriz on Tuesday, after he was killed in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border at the weekend along with his foreign minister and seven others. State TV broadcast live images of mourners, many of them dressed in black, beating their chests while a truck covered in white flowers carrying the caskets wrapped in the national flag was driven slowly through the crowd. "Everyone has come to bid farewell to the martyred president and his companions regardless of their faction, ethnicity or language," said Tabriz lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian. However, although state TV said a large crowd appeared in Tabriz, some insiders see a stark contrast in public grief compared with past commemorations for the deaths of other senior figures in the Islamic Republic's 45-year history. While Iran proclaimed five days of mourning for Raisi, there was little of the emotional rhetoric that accompanied the death of Qasem Soleimani, a senior commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards killed by a U.S. missile in 2020 in Iraq, whose funeral drew huge crowds of mourners, weeping with sorrow and rage.Raisi's body was flown from Tabriz, the closest major city to the remote crash site, to Tehran airport before heading to the holy Shi'ite Muslim city of Qom. From there, it will return to the capital to lie at Tehran's Grand Mosalla Mosque before being transferred to his hometown of Mashahd, in eastern Iran, for burial on Thursday. Mourners carried posters bearing images of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz city and other officials who were also killed in the crash.
DEEPENING CRISIS
The death of the president came at a time of deepening crisis between the clerical leadership and society at large over issues from tightening social and political controls to economic hardship. To restore damaged legitimacy following a historic low turnout of around 41% in March's parliamentary election, Iran's rulers must stir up public enthusiasm to secure high participation in the early presidential election that will be held on June 28. But Iranians still have painful memories of the handling of nationwide unrest sparked by the death in custody of a young Iranian-Kurdish woman in 2022, which was quelled by a violent state crackdown involving mass detentions and even executions. Widespread public anger at worsening living standards and pervasive graft may also keep many Iranians at home. Some analysts say that millions have lost hope that Iran's ruling clerics can resolve an economic crisis fomented by a combination of U.S. sanctions, mismanagement and corruption. Raisi enacted the hardline policies of his mentor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aimed at entrenching clerical power, cracking down on opponents, and adopting a tough line on foreign policy issues such as the nuclear talks with Washington to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear pact. Any candidate entering the race must first be vetted by the Guardian Council, a hardline watchdog that has often disqualified even prominent conservative and moderate officials, meaning the broad direction of policy is unlikely to change. While widely seen as a leading candidate to take over from the 85-year-old supreme leader when he dies, two sources said Raisi's name had been taken off a list of potential successors some six months ago because of his sagging popularity. Raisi's death has introduced "great uncertainty" in the succession, analysts said, stirring rivalries in the hardliners' camp over who will succeed Khamenei as the country's ultimate authority.

Mourners begin days of funerals for Iran's president and others killed in helicopter crash
The Associated Press/Jon Gambrell/ May 21, 2024
Mourners in black began gathering Tuesday for days of funerals and processions for Iran's late president, foreign minister and others killed in a helicopter crash, a government-led series of ceremonies aimed at both honoring the dead and projecting strength in an unsettled Middle East.
For Iran's Shiite theocracy, mass demonstrations have been crucial since millions thronged the streets of Tehran to welcome Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution, and also attended his funeral 10 years later. An estimated 1 million turned out in 2020 for processions for the late Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was slain in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. Whether President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others draw the same crowd remains in question, particularly as Raisi died in a helicopter crash, won his office in the lowest-turnout presidential election in the country's history and presided over sweeping crackdowns on all dissent. Prosecutors already have warned people over showing any public signs of celebrating his death and a heavy security force presence has been seen on the streets of Tehran since the crash.
But Raisi, 63, had been discussed as a possible successor for Iran's supreme leader, the 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His death now throws that selection into question, particularly as there is no heir-apparent cleric for the presidency ahead of planned June 28 elections. “Raisi’s death comes at a moment when the Islamist regime is consolidated,” wrote Alex Vatanka, an Iran expert at the Middle East Institute. “In short, there will be no power vacuum in Tehran; nonetheless, post-Khamenei Iran suddenly looks far less predictable than it did just a few days ago.” A procession Tuesday morning led by a semitruck carrying the caskets of the dead slowly moved through the narrow streets of downtown Tabriz, the closest major city near the site of the crash Sunday. Thousands in black slowly walked beside the coffins, some throwing flowers up to them as an emcee wept through a loudspeaker for men he described as martyrs. On Wednesday, a funeral presided over by Khamenei will turn into a procession as well. The caskets later arrived in Tehran to an honor guard at the airport and then went onward to the holy Shiite seminary city of Qom. There, a semitruck surrounded by soldiers in fatigues at one point was swarmed by a crowd of mourners. Some beat their chests and wailed. The truck later picked up speed while others stood alongside the road, watching. The bodies will return to Tehran on Tuesday night for services Wednesday. It remains unclear what international presence that funeral will draw, as Raisi faced U.S. sanctions for his part in mass executions in 1988 and for abuses targeting protesters and dissidents while leading the country's judiciary. Iran under Raisi also shipped bomb-carrying drones to Russia to be used in its war on Ukraine. “I don’t feel comfortable sending condolences while Iran is sending drones that are used against civilians in Ukraine,” wrote Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on the social platform X.
United Kingdom Security Minister Tom Tugendhat echoed that in his own message on X: “President Raisi’s regime has murdered thousands at home, and targeted people here in Britain and across Europe. I will not mourn him.” On Thursday, Raisi's hometown of Birjand will see a procession, followed by a funeral and burial at the Imam Reza shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, the only imam of the Shiite's faith buried in Iran. That shrine has long been a center for pilgrims and sees millions visit each year. Over the centuries, its grounds have served as the final burial site for heroes in Persian history. It's an incredibly high, rare honor in the faith. Iranian President Mohammad-Ali Rajai, the only other president to die in office when he was killed in a 1981 bombing, was buried in Tehran. Iran's theocracy declared five days of mourning, encouraging people to attend the public mourning sessions. Typically, government employees and schoolchildren attend such events en masse, while others take part out of patriotism, curiosity or to witness historic events. Across Iran, its rural population often more closely embraces the Shiite faith and the government. However, Tehran has long held a far different view of Raisi and his government's policies as mass protests have roiled the capital for years.
The most recent involved the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a woman detained over her allegedly loose headscarf, or hijab. The monthslong security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained. In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death. Meanwhile, Iran's rial currency has cratered after the collapse of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, destroying people's savings and pensions. On Sunday night, as news of the helicopter crash circulated, some offered anti-government chants in the night. Fireworks could be seen in some parts of the capital, though Sunday also marked a remembrance for Imam Reza, which can see them set off as well. Critical messages and dark jokes over the crash also circulated online. Iran's top prosecutor has already issued an order demanding cases be filed against those “publishing false content, lies and insults” against Raisi and others killed in the crash, according to the semiofficial ISNA news agency. No cause has yet been offered by Iran's government for the crash, which took place in a foggy mountain range in a decades-old helicopter. Iranian presidents including hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Abolhasan Banisadr both survived their own helicopter crashes while in office. Iran's military, not its civil aviation authority, will investigate and later offer a report, authorities say. Iran's civil air crash investigators faced widespread international criticism over their reports on the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane by an air defense battery in 2020 after Soleimani's killing. Meanwhile Tuesday, Iran’s new Assembly of Experts opened its first session after an election that decided the new assembly, a panel of which both Raisi and the late Tabriz Friday leader Mohammad Ali Ale-Heshem were members. A flower-ringed portrait sat on the seat Raisi would have occupied at the meeting of the 88-member panel, which is tasked with selecting the country's next supreme leader. Also attending was Iran's acting President Mohammad Mokhber.

Ukraine says it may have destroyed Russia's last cruise missile carrier based out of Crimea
Mia Jankowicz/Business Insider/May 21, 2024
Ukraine's navy is trying to verify whether it destroyed the Tsiklon, a Russian missile carrier. If confirmed, it would mean Russia has no more missile carriers in Crimea, a naval spokesperson said. Details of the claimed strike and its exact casualties are still emerging. Ukraine's navy claims it has likely destroyed the last of Russia's cruise missile carriers operating out of the crucial Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. In remarks made to Radio Free Europe, Ukraine's navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said the navy was currently trying to verify whether or not it had destroyed the small missile carrier "Tsiklon" on Saturday. If confirmed, it would mean there is no longer a Russian missile carrier based out of the key peninsula, he told the outlet. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and it is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters at Sevastopol. According to KCHF.ru, a Russian site that closely follows news of the Black Sea Fleet, the Tsiklon only entered into service in July. The vessel's launcher enables cruise missile strikes against ground targets at a distance of up to 1,500 miles, it said. Pletenchuk, in his interview with Radio Free Europe, said that the Tsiklon may have been hit in addition to the Russian minesweeper "Kovrovets." The Ukrainian navy earlier claimed to have destroyed the minesweeper in Saturday's attack, hailing it as "another bad day for Russia's Black Sea Fleet." Ukraine has not provided further details of the attack, such as where it took place or what weaponry was used. However, subsequent reports have noted the ships were based out of Sevastopol. Russia has not commented on any damage to its ships, saying on Saturday only that it shot down nine ATACMS missiles and one drone over Crimea. Business Insider was unable to independently confirm the claims. Crimean Wind, a pro-Ukrainian group that monitors information in Crimea, noted on Telegram that on the night of the claimed attack a ship of similar length to the Tsiklon disappeared from satellite imagery at Sevastopol. Pro-Russian Telegram channel Spy Dossier, citing its own sources, also said the Tsiklon had been struck. Separate analyses of open-sourced social media posts by Radio Svoboda, published on Monday, raised the possibility that the Tsiklon, and not the Kovrovets, was hit. The Ukrainian navy did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment. If the Tsiklon was destroyed, it would be a blow to Russia, with the rest of its missile carriers now based at Novorossiysk, Pletenchuk said. Last year, Russia relocated much of its Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol, its home port, to Novorossiysk, hundreds of miles away on the Russian coast. The move came amid Ukraine's ongoing campaign against Russian Black Sea ports and warships, using cruise missiles and drones. In April, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed or damaged a third of the Russian fleet.

Russia starts exercise with tactical nuclear weapons
Reuters/May 21, 2024
MOSCOW-Russian forces have started the first stage of exercises that involve "practical training in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons", the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month. Moscow has linked them to what it calls "militant statements" by Western officials which it said created security threats for Russia. Russia's Foreign Ministry has cited comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who floated the possibility of sending European troops to fight Russia in Ukraine, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said Ukraine had the right to use weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia. Security analysts say the exercise is designed as a warning signal by Putin to deter the West from wading more deeply into the war in Ukraine, where it has provided weapons and intelligence to Kyiv but refrained from sending troops. The Defence Ministry said the first stage of the exercise involved Iskander and Kinzhal missiles. It is aimed at ensuring that units and equipment are ready for "the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to respond and unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation", the ministry said. The drills involve missile forces in Russia's Southern Military District, which lies adjacent to Ukraine and also includes parts of Ukraine that Russia now controls.
Belarus, where Russia said last year it was deploying tactical nuclear weapons, will also be involved in the exercises, the two countries have said. Tactical, or non-strategic, nuclear weapons are less powerful than the strategic arms designed to wipe out whole enemy cities, but they nevertheless have vast destructive potential.

Syrian first lady Asma Assad has leukemia, presidency says
REUTERS/May 21, 2024
DUBAI: Syria’s first lady, Asma Assad, has been diagnosed with leukemia, the Syrian presidency said on Tuesday, almost five years after she announced she had fully recovered from breast cancer. The statement said Asma, 48, would undergo a special treatment protocol that would require her to isolate, and that she would step away from public engagements as a result. In August 2019, Asma said she had fully recovered from breast cancer that she said had been discovered early. Since Syria plunged into war in 2011, the British-born former investment banker has taken on the public role of leading charity efforts and meeting families of killed soldiers, but has also become hated by the opposition. She runs the Syria Trust for Development, a large NGO that acts as an umbrella organization for many of the aid and development operations in Syria. Last year, she accompanied her husband, President Bashar Assad ,on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, her first known official trip abroad with him since 2011. She met Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Emirati president’s mother, during a trip seen as a public signal of her growing role in public affairs.

Daesh attack in Syria kills three soldiers: war monitor
AFP/May 21, 2024
BEIRUT: Daesh group militants killed three Syrian soldiers in an attack Tuesday on an army position in the Badia desert, a war monitor said. The militants “attacked a site where... regime forces were stationed,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that a lieutenant colonel and two soldiers died.The Syrian army had sent forces to the area, where Daesh attacks are common, ahead of an expected wider sweep, said the Britain-based Observatory which has a network of sources inside the country. In an attack on May 3, Daesh fighters killed at least 15 Syrian pro-government fighters when they targeted three military positions in the desert, the Observatory had reported. Daesh overran large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a so-called caliphate and launching a reign of terror. It was defeated territorially in Syria in 2019, but its remnants still carry out deadly attacks, particularly against pro-government forces and Kurdish-led fighters in Badia desert. Syria’s war has claimed more than half a million lives and displaced millions more since it erupted in March 2011 with Damascus’s brutal repression of anti-government protests.

France begins its first war crime trial of Syrian officials
Associated Press/May 21/2024
The Syrian soldiers came first, at night, for the son, Patrick, a 20-year-old psychology student at Damascus University, and said they were taking him away for questioning.
They came back the next night for his father, Mazen.
Five years later, in 2018, death certificates from Syrian authorities confirmed to the Dabbagh family that the French-Syrian father and son would never come home again.
In a landmark trial, a Paris court will this week seek to determine whether Syrian intelligence officials — the most senior to go on trial in a European court over crimes allegedly committed during the country's civil war — were responsible for their disappearance and deaths.
The four-day hearings, starting Tuesday, are expected to air chilling allegations that President Bashar Assad's government has widely used torture and arbitrary detentions to hold on to power during the conflict, now in its 14th year.
The French trial comes as Assad has been regaining an aura of international respectability, starting to shed his long-time status as a pariah that stemmed from the violence unleashed on his opponents. Human rights groups that are parties to the French case hope it will refocus attention on the alleged atrocities.
Here's a look at those involved:
THE ACCUSED
— Ali Mamlouk, former head of the National Security Bureau overseeing Syrian security and intelligence services. Allegedly worked directly with Assad. Now in his late 70s.
— Jamil Hassan, former Air Force intelligence director. Survivors testifying in the case allege having seen him at a detention center in the capital, Damascus, where the Dabbaghs are thought to have been held. In his early 70s.
— Salam Mahmoud, in his mid-60s, a former investigations official at a Damascus military airport believed to house the detention center. Mahmoud is alleged to have expropriated the Dabbaghs' house after they were taken away.
The three men are accused of provoking crimes against humanity, giving instructions to commit them and allowing subordinates to commit them through the alleged arrest, torture and killing of the father and son. They also are accused of confiscating their house and of putting Air Force intelligence services at the disposal of people who allegedly killed them. The accused are being tried in absentia. French magistrates issued arrest warrants for them in October 2018, despite acknowledging that there was little likelihood of their extradition to France. Defense lawyers will not represent them and French magistrates determined they don't have diplomatic immunity. "The three people accused are very senior officials of the Syrian system of repression and torture. This gives a particular tone to this trial. They are not small fish," said Patrick Baudouin, a lawyer for rights groups involved in the case. "The legal file is very detailed, full of evidence of systematic, very diverse and absolutely monstrous torture practices," Baudouin said.
WHY IS THE TRIAL IN FRANCE?
Patrick and Mazen Dabbagh had dual French-Syrian nationality, which enabled French magistrates to pursue the case. The probe of their disappearance started in 2015 when Obeida Dabbagh, Mazen's brother, testified to investigators already examining war crimes in Syria. Obeida Dabbagh lives in France with his wife, Hanane, and is also a party in the case. According to the trial indictment, seen by The Associated Press, he told French investigators that three or four soldiers came for Patrick around 11 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2013, during the height of Arab Spring-inspired anti-government protests that were met by a brutal crackdown. The soldiers identified themselves as members of a Syrian Air Force intelligence branch. Obeida also testified they searched the house, taking cellphones, computers and money. They came back the next night for Mazen Dabbagh, who was 54 and worked as a counselor at a French high school in Damascus, and also took his new car, the brother said. Their death certificates said Patrick died Jan. 21, 2014, and Mazen on Nov. 25, 2017, but didn't say how or where.
THE TRIAL EXPECTED TO EXPOSE TORTURE
French investigating magistrates collected evidence from those who deserted the Syrian government and military, and prison survivors as they built the case. Testifying anonymously, survivors' accounts speak in the indictment of rape and of being denied food and water; of beatings on the feet, knees and elsewhere with whips, cables and truncheons; of electric shocks and burnings with acid or boiling water; of being suspended from the ceiling for hours or days. Investigators also studied images provided by a Syrian policeman, who anonymously turned over photographs of thousands of torture victims. Cameras are generally banned from French criminal trials, but this one will be filmed for historical record.
ANOTHER FRENCH PROBE TARGETS PRESIDENT ASSAD
In a separate investigation, French magistrates have also targeted President Assad himself but face questions about whether he benefits from presidential immunity. Magistrates are investigating chemical weapons' attacks that killed more than 1,000 people and injured thousands of others in the suburbs of Damascus in 2013. They issued international arrest warrants for Assad, his brother Maher Assad, commander of the 4th Armored Division, and two Syrian army generals — Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan — for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The French probe was opened in 2021 in response to a criminal complaint by attack survivors. The investigation is being conducted under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which argues that in some cases, crimes can be pursued outside the countries where they take place. The Syrian government and its allies have denied responsibility for the attacks. The French warrants, very rare for a serving world leader, were seen as a strong signal against Assad's leadership at a time when some countries have welcomed him back into the diplomatic fold. Victims' lawyers hailed the warrants as "a crucial milestone in the battle against impunity."The Paris appeals court is weighing whether Assad has absolute immunity as head of state. French prosecutors asked it to rule on that question at a closed hearing May 15. That procedure does not impact the warrants for Assad's brother and the generals.
OTHER COUNTRIES ALSO TAKING ACTION
In March, Swiss prosecutors indicted Rifat Assad, the president's uncle and a former Syrian vice president, for allegedly ordering murder and torture more than four decades ago to crush an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement, in the city of Hama, where thousands were killed. A court in Stockholm put a former Syrian army general who lives in Sweden on trial in April for his alleged role in war crimes in 2012. Courts in Germany found two former Syrian soldiers guilty in 2021 and 2022 of crimes against humanity. One was sentenced to life imprisonment, the other to 4 1/2 years for complicity. They had claimed refugee status in Germany before former detainees recognized them there. They were tried under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Saudi Prince MBS ‘Reassures’ Cabinet on King’s Health
(SAUDI PRESS AGENCY / AFP)/This Is Beirut/May 21/2024
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler offered reassuring words on Tuesday about the health of the Gulf kingdom’s aging monarch, who has a lung infection, state media said. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, first in line to the throne, “reassures everyone about the health of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,” the official Saudi Press Agency said on social media, referring to the prince’s father, King Salman. Prince Mohammed also voiced “gratitude to everyone who inquired about King Salman’s health” and prayed for his “speedy recovery.”His comments came at the weekly cabinet meeting that King Salman usually attends, though he was absent on Tuesday. On Sunday, the Royal Court said that the king had a lung infection and was undergoing a treatment program involving antibiotics. A statement earlier that day said that he was suffering from a high temperature and joint pain. Prince Mohammed cancelled a planned trip to Japan “due to the health condition of King Salman,” Japan’s top government spokesman said on Monday. King Salman has been on the throne since 2015, although 38-year-old Prince Mohammed was named crown prince in 2017 and acts as day-to-day ruler. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter, sought for years to quell speculation about King Salman’s health, which is rarely discussed. But the Royal Court disclosed in April that the monarch had been admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital for “routine examinations.” He left the hospital later the same day. Before that, his most recent hospitalization had been in May 2022, when he was admitted for a colonoscopy and stayed for just over a week.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 21-22/2024
Analysis: Iran's nuclear policy of pressure and talks likely to go on even after president's death
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/May 21/2024
While Iran's nuclear program stands at the precipice of tipping over into enriching uranium at weapons-grade levels, Tehran has held quiet, indirect talks with the United States and invited the head of the United Nations' atomic watchdog into the country for negotiations.
While seemingly contradictory, the move follows Iran's strategy since the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018. Tehran is attempting to exert its own version of Trump's “maximum pressure” on the international community to see the economic sanctions that have crippled the country's economy and currency lifted in exchange for slowing down its program.
The Islamic Republic also appears to be trying to contain the risk it faces from the U.S. after launching an unprecedented attack on Israel amid its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The assault — a response to a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 which killed two Guard generals and others in Damascus, Syria — has pushed a yearslong shadow war between Israel and Tehran out into the open.
All this is unlikely to change for the time being, even with the helicopter crash Sunday that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials on a foggy mountain. That's largely due to the fact that all matters of state rest with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei, 85, has led Iran since 1989 as only its second supreme leader since the country's Islamic Revolution. Under Khamenei, Iran has seesawed between subtle outreach to outright hostility with the U.S. and other Western powers.
Those cycles include reformist President Mohammad Khatami's “ Dialogue Among Civilizations ” efforts that hit a wall as the U.S. suffered the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 and soon began its decadeslong wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who came to power in 2005 — cheered the country's nuclear program and defied the West. Relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani ultimately got the 2015 nuclear deal across the line, ending sanctions for greatly limiting its atomic program.
Then came the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Iran in the waning days of the Rouhani administration began a series of attacks targeting shipping in the Middle East while dialing down its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s watchdog. It ultimately began enriching uranium up to 60% purity — a step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Then Raisi, a protégé of Khamenei, won the 2021 presidential election in a vote that saw his main rivals barred from running and a record-low turnout for the race. Those policies continued — as did Iran's support for regional militias like Yemen's Houthi rebels, now attacking ships moving through the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war. Those groups have long provided Iran with a means to challenge its regional archenemy Israel, as well as the U.S., without a direct military confrontation.
Through all of this turmoil, the one constant has been Khamenei. As the supreme leader, he's further empowered the country's Revolutionary Guard, whose all-volunteer Basij forces have been crucial in putting down widespread protests that have struck the nation in recent years. And by ensuring Raisi's election, he narrowed the country's political field to only hard-liners who have embraced that policy of pressure.
The Israel-Hamas war, as well as the risk of it expanding into a regional confrontation, has changed some of this calculus, however. The survival of the “nezam,” or “system” as Iran's Shiite theocracy is known, remains the paramount concern. The risk of open warfare, as well as the economic pressure squeezing Iran and its people, have made efforts to try to restart the diplomacy — or at least alleviate the risk of things getting even worse — that much more important. The late Amirabdollahian, as well as the country's now-acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, had been fierce critics of the negotiations as run under the Rouhani administration. But in the time since, they moved to reach a détente with Saudi Arabia last year. Then they've continued indirect talks with the U.S. in Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that's been a key interlocutor between Tehran and the West. The full extent of the talks remains unclear, as does what will come from them. However, Iran even reached out to the U.S. government after the helicopter crash for assistance, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists Monday.
“We did make clear to them that we would offer assistance, as we would do in response to any request by a foreign government in this sort of situation," he said. "Ultimately, largely for logistical reasons, we weren’t able to provide that assistance.”
That help was finding the crash site, The Washington Post reported. And such an ask wouldn't have come without Khamenei's approval.

Arab leaders in Bahrain: No peace without Palestinian state
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/May 21, 2024
Whether in US campuses, Western capitals or Arab streets, we have been swamped with overheated rhetoric about the Gaza situation — with very little done in practice to ameliorate the situation. That is why last week’s Manama Arab League Summit represented a victory for reason over rhetoric — a united effort by Arab states to exploit their combined weight to wield a constructive influence upon the current catastrophic situation.
Consequently, the unanimously agreed Manama Declaration represented a gesture of intent by the bloc of Arab nations, including the demand for an immediate ceasefire and a role for international troops to protect Gazan civilians; the implementation of a two-state solution; unification of Palestinian factions; and a halt to attacks on Red Sea shipping. The communique also called for “an immediate and sustainable ceasefire” in Sudan, as well as addressing a multitude of other regional challenges.
Opening the conference, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia and the Arab League’s long-standing position of advocating “a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue based on UN legitimate resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.” Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa demanded “full recognition of the state of Palestine” and led the call for “an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution,” hosted by Bahrain, which holds the Arab League presidency over the coming year.
Youthful leaders constructively exploited the event for a plethora of discussions on the full spectrum of crucial issues
Speaking from Manama, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the Gaza conflict as “an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region,” while stressing that “the only permanent way to end the cycle of violence and instability is through a two-state solution.” This comes in a context where multiple European states, such as Ireland, Spain, Greece, Norway and Slovenia, are considering the immediate recognition of Palestine as a sovereign, independent state.
Emphasizing progress toward the recognition of a Palestinian state, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit noted how dramatically “the compass of international public opinion has shifted,” while denouncing Israel’s “violations as nothing short of ethnic cleansing.” King Abdullah of Jordan urged the world to “shoulder its moral and humanitarian responsibility to end an ongoing conflict that is over seven decades old.”The 33rd Arab Summit was the first such event since the eruption of hostilities in Gaza, with participation by all key expected leadership figures and a record 20 foreign ministers. It was also the first time that the Kingdom of Bahrain had hosted an Arab League summit. The event ran like clockwork, including regarding the pragmatic manner in which youthful leaders and officials constructively exploited the event for a plethora of side meetings and discussions on the full spectrum of crucial issues. As one of the attendees, it struck me that a major factor in the successful dynamics of this summit was its being hosted on the islands of Bahrain; the tranquil environment facilitating productive dialogue concerning highly emotive and traumatic issues. In the event’s corridors, there were fertile debates over the Gaza issue — between audience members who supported the Oct. 7 attack and those who viewed it as bringing about a disaster for Palestinian civilians, while questioning Hamas’ motives. Many attendees expressed anger at the manner in which the US and multiple European states had reflexively supported Israel, while expressing concern at the polarized situation between global powers, particularly in the context of the Ukraine war, which contributed to the closing off of international mechanisms for conflict resolution and led to geopolitical paralysis. Among attendees, frustration was repeatedly expressed toward entities like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis
Among attendees, frustration was likewise repeatedly expressed toward entities like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, whose rhetoric and use of violence have gratuitously inflamed the situation. There was particular concern at how Jordan was being destabilized by pro-Iran militias trying to flood the country with arms and narcotics, using Gaza as a pretext. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas furthermore criticized Hamas for giving Israel the “pretext” to attack Gaza, while calling on regional states to “activate the Arab safety net” in implementing programs of practical support for Palestinians.
Even the attendance of Bashar Assad failed to act as a significant spoiler, particularly as he abandoned his planned delivery of a speech at the last minute; likely a tacit recognition that his pledges to Arab leaders — such as cracking down on the narcotics trade, distancing himself from Iran, facilitating the safe return of refugees and normalizing the Syrian domestic environment — had not come to fruition. Among the Manama Declaration’s many priorities were providing educational services and improving healthcare for those affected by conflicts in the region. These are hugely important aspirations in a region plagued by wars, where millions of children have not been granted regular access to schooling or where those with life-changing medical challenges have no recourse to assistance. In particular, we think of thousands of orphans in Gaza who have not only lost entire families, but also have to cope with the loss of limbs and little prospect of a meaningful future. Nobody expects the Manama Declaration to change everything overnight. But it does provide an important framework for lobbying Western diplomats, providing funding for educational and health initiatives and compelling Israel to acknowledge that, if it desires a meaningful and comprehensive peace with regional states, the facilitation of a sovereign Palestinian state is paramount. Past Arab League summits have often offered little to meet the aspirations of Arab citizens. However, Bahrain has a distinguished record in bringing different faiths and cultures together and brokering understanding and agreement. Now it is more crucial than ever that leaderships energetically follow through on the promises and ambitions of the Manama Declaration in pursuit of peace for Palestine and the region.
**Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Saudi Arabia is a model of sustainable aviation practices: ICAO
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/May 21, 2024
Israel is in turmoil. It has been in chaos since before Oct. 7. Its war on Gaza has turned into a stigma, haunting the country, its government, and its standing among nations. This has turned out to be Israel’s longest, most horrific, and most controversial conflict. The declared goals of the war have not been fulfilled as the war enters its eighth month with no visible finishing line. Inside Israel, the debate is not about the calamitous outcome of the Israeli onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza — more than 35,000 dead and 10,000 missing and counting — but over two main issues: returning the Israeli captives alive, and agreeing on a post-war plan that excludes a Hamas role. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been wavering on both issues. He has rejected last-minute deals to end the fighting and retrieve all hostages, and failed to deliver a pragmatic plan for the day after that is acceptable to all stakeholders, mainly Israel’s political and military bodies, the US, and the rest of the world. So he has sanctioned — against US warnings — an onslaught on heavily populated Rafah, believing that he can deliver a decisive victory against Hamas and force his obscure vision for a post-war plan. That is not working well for him and an exhausted Israeli military. Instead, he faces an enduring insurgency, to quote a beleaguered US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In recent days, the fight in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, has been the fiercest since the early days of the war.
This prompted War Cabinet member and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz to issue an ultimatum to Netanyahu on Saturday: He will leave the government on June 8 if it does not formulate a new war plan, including an international, Arab, and Palestinian administration to handle civilian affairs in Gaza. He called on Netanyahu to put Israel’s interests ahead of his own.
This has become a political earthquake for Israel and its foreign allies
It is unclear what a Gantz withdrawal from the Netanyahu coalition would do. Netanyahu had become dependent on his far-right partners to the extent that he had become a hostage to their will. But Gantz’s threat must be taken seriously. His departure would weaken the coalition and could bring the government down. If that happened, an early election would be called, and Gantz and his broad coalition would likely emerge winners.
Gantz is seen as a more “moderate” replacement to Netanyahu and his radical partners in the eyes of the Biden administration, which has given up on the current premier.
That was the calculus, at least before the shocking declaration by the International Criminal Court announcement on Monday that the prosecutor, Karim Khan, was seeking arrest warrants against senior Israeli and Hamas officials, including Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The proposed arrest warrants include Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and other key Hamas military leaders.
Khan has been under pressure for months to take action in response to documented Israeli atrocities, including crimes against humanity. Ignoring intimidation by US lawmakers, Khan has finally made his move, saying there are reasonable grounds to believe that both Netanyahu and Sinwar bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from the day of Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7 onwards.
ICC judges will now decide whether they believe the evidence is sufficient to issue arrest warrants, a process that could take weeks or months.
Regardless of the outcome, this has become a political earthquake for Israel and its foreign allies. Once such warrants are issued, the top political leaders of Israel will become wanted men. But the international and domestic reverberations will go deep.
Already, top US leaders have attacked and attempted to discredit the ICC. President Joe Biden called the ICC move “outrageous.” Other lawmakers threatened to take action against the court and its judges. Israeli politicians moved together to condemn the ICC decision. They looked to the US to adopt measures to discredit the ICC, where the US and Israel are not even members.
Israel will show unity regarding the ICC move, but that will not last long
Gantz has attacked the ICC and its equivalence between Israel and Hamas. So did Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who nevertheless hinted that Israel has reached this point because of Netanyahu’s policies.
For now, Israel will show unity and solidarity regarding the ICC move. But that will not last long. There is a belief that Israel would not have reached such a devastating milestone without Netanyahu. The conclusion will be that he must go.
How Gantz will use this significant development to his advantage remains to be seen. Regardless of how the US reacts to the ICC’s next move, Israel now confronts a dire challenge unlike any it has faced in its short history. The ICC, with 124 members, also faces an existential challenge. Since it was established in 2002, it has overseen more than 30 cases involving war crimes and crimes against humanity. Failure to address the carnage in Gaza would mean its demise. Doing so would restore credibility to the rules-based order and international law covenant. Away from all this, can Gantz use the overwhelming international pressure on Israel to dismantle the Netanyahu government? That will not be an easy task. Netanyahu will fight until the end to keep his government alive. He will use the ICC indictments to stir emotions that Israel is now under attack by an antisemitic conspiracy. But it is worth mentioning that while he may disagree with Netanyahu’s tactics, Gantz is no dove. Israeli society has become anti-Palestinian in recent years and more so since Oct. 7. Gantz may support the existence of a Palestinian Authority, but only as a proxy of an extended Israeli control of the West Bank. He will not risk supporting a two-state solution.
We could see an attempt to dethrone Netanyahu, opening the path for a Gantz rise, but that will not be good news for the Palestinians. The project that Netanyahu has launched will go on: total annexation of Palestinian territories and a derailment of a Palestinian state project.
**Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010

Biden’s middle-of-the-road approach to Israel is misguided
Kerry Boyd Anderson/Arab News/May 21, 2024
On Friday, aid deliveries began via the US-constructed floating pier connected to Gaza’s coast. While any aid reaching Gaza is helpful, the pier is emblematic of the Biden administration’s efforts to show concern for Palestinian civilians, while maintaining support for Israel. President Joe Biden’s attempts to take a middle-of-the-road position on the war in Gaza expose him to political attacks from all sides.
Nuanced approaches to policy that recalculate in response to new information or events are often commendable. Indeed, some supporters of Biden’s approach argue that that is exactly what the US leader is trying to do — listen to all sides and adjust policy as needed, while holding firm to core principles.
However, Biden and his foreign policy advisers face intense polarization in American responses to the war in Gaza. Pro-Israel Republicans and many older Democrats view anything short of absolute support for Israel, especially in the aftermath of the horrific Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, as a betrayal. Democratic critics, who are mostly younger, see US military support for Israel as directly contributing to the death of many thousands of Palestinian civilians and growing famine; for them, such support equals complicity in severe human rights violations, at a minimum.
In the immediate wake of the October attack, Biden and his senior officials doubled down on support for Israel. However, as Israel pursued an intensely destructive form of warfare in the crowded and isolated Gaza Strip, the US administration faced growing demands to use its leverage to mitigate or stop the violence. To Biden’s frustration, however, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unwilling to cooperate. The current Israeli government either does not care if it faces consequences in Washington, or is calling Biden’s bluff and simply does not believe that the US government will take serious action against Israel. Provision of weaponry is perhaps Washington’s greatest source of leverage with Israel
The Biden administration has shifted its rhetoric and tinkered with some elements of policy in an effort to respond to criticisms that it is too willing to support Israel. During a speech on Sunday, Biden called for an “immediate ceasefire,” a demand he had been unwilling to make earlier in the war. The president and his officials have frequently repeated a call for a two-state solution. Over the past few months, Biden increasingly has criticized Netanyahu, while maintaining his overall support for Israel.
The US provides support for Israel in many forms, but its provision of weaponry is, perhaps, the most important, and is Washington’s greatest source of leverage with Israel. For critics of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, it is essential to place conditions on or altogether halt deliveries of US offensive weapons. For many supporters of Israel, threatening to limit or cut off arms supplies — let alone actually doing it — would be a betrayal. The US government process of providing or approving the sale of weapons to other countries can be complex — involving multiple funding streams, approval processes, and timelines — which makes it difficult to properly analyze US funding and approval for sending weapons to Israel. Nonetheless, the Biden administration has taken some steps that suggest increased scrutiny of which weapons it sends to Israel.
On May 8, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the administration had paused a specific shipment of particularly large bombs to Israel, citing the “context of unfolding events in Rafah.” In a CNN interview that aired the same day, Biden said that his administration would stop sending certain types of weapons if Israel pushed into “population centers” in Rafah, though he said that Washington would still provide defensive weapons. He acknowledged that some civilians have been killed by US-provided bombs. In a statement that seemed stunning to many observers, the US leader said: “We’re not walking away from Israel’s security. We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”
Shifts in US policy that might seem huge to Biden’s team seem completely insufficient to critics
However, the Biden administration has continued to actively supply weapons to Israel. In March, the Washington Post reported that the administration had approved more than 100 military sales to Israel since the war in Gaza began. On May 14, the administration informed Congress that it plans to proceed with the sale of more than $1 billion in weapons to Israel. Under a 2016 agreement, the US provides $3.8 billion per year to Israel in military aid, and Congress in April approved an additional $17 billion in defense aid for Israel.
The Biden administration has tried to provide aid to Gaza, including via airdrops and now the pier, but has been unwilling to use its full leverage with Israel to allow sufficient amounts of aid into the enclave by road. Biden also suspended funding for UNRWA in January after Israel accused UNRWA employees of supporting Hamas; since then, Congress has ensured that no US aid will resume to the agency until at least March 2025. It appears that the Washington administration has not come to terms with the fact that some small shifts in US policy that might seem huge to Biden’s team seem completely insufficient to critics. For officials who come from traditional Washington foreign policy circles, pausing even one delivery of weapons to Israel, calling for a ceasefire, or acknowledging that US-provided weapons have killed civilians can feel like enormous changes, but to younger Americans who have a fundamentally different view of the conflict, these barely make a dent. At the same time, for those who unconditionally support Israel, these policy adjustments appear to be an abandonment of Israel. Biden’s efforts to find a compromise position risk angering everyone, while reassuring no one.
**Kerry Boyd Anderson is a professional analyst of international security issues and Middle East political and business risk. X: @KBAresearch