Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 25-26/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Unveiling the Truth Behind Hezbollah's False "Liberation Day" of South Lebanon on May 25, 2000
Liberation of the South By The Terrorist Hezbollah is a Big Lie/Abu Arz- Étienne Sakr/May 25, 2024
From: Author, Writer and Professor Dr. Mordechai Nisan to Colonel Barakat on the 25th Of May Southern Sad Day
From Colonel Charbel Barakat to Author, Writer and Professor Mordechai Nisan
Israeli strike kills two Hezbollah fighters in Syria: monitor
History of Wars in Southern Lebanon: From 1978 to Present
Southern Front: Israeli Army Bombs Two Forests
Southern Front: Tense and Cautious Calm Prevails
Berri to quintet: Help us but don't choose for us
France's diplomatic efforts: Separating Lebanon's presidential elections from Gaza war
Lebanon to Present Unified Stance on Syrian Refugee Crisis at Brussels Conference
Child Protection Measures: Comparing Lebanon's Efforts to Developed Countries
Harassment allegations at Lycée Emmanuel: Principal and others released, investigation ongoing - LBCI sources
Marine Rescue Unit of the Lebanese Civil Defense to LBCI: Bodies of missing citizens found at Kfar Abida beach
Lebanon applauds ICJ ruling on Rafah, urges int'l action
Tripoli Port's security problems: The case of the concealed firearms
Lebanon Nears Completion of Syrian Prisoner Deportation Plan
Hasbani Criticizes Government and UNHCR Inaction on Syrian Migrants
Bou Assi: Hezb Undermines Lebanon’s Security and Political Stability for Iran
Bodies of 2 Missing People Found in Kfar Abida
More Electricity Starting Mid-June
Stéphanie Sayed: “Daring Authenticity Through Streetwear Fashion”
Car bomb in the Syrian capital kills one. Drone strike near Lebanon border targets two vehicles

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 25-26/2024
Pakistani Christian community attacked after blasphemy accusation
Israel official says ‘intention’ to renew Gaza talks ‘this week’
Egypt agrees to send aid trucks through Israeli crossing to Gaza but impact is unclear
Israel strikes Rafah after top UN court orders it to halt offensive
Bashar el-Assad’s Absence Doesn’t Go Unnoticed
Hamas armed wing says fighters captured Israeli soldiers in Gaza fighting, Israeli military denies
Israel's Response to the ICJ Decision on Rafah: Mitigating Strategies and Future Implications
IDF Soldier Threatens ‘Military Coup’ Against Defense Minister, Asks To Stay in Gaza
Israeli army says 'dozens of terrorists' killed during operation in Gaza
Arab Americans disappointed with meeting with US Secretary of State on Israel, Gaza
Zelenskyy says Ukraine has taken back control in areas of the embattled Kharkiv region

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 25-26/2024
The Free World: An Alarming Status Report/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 25, 2024
The US government staffers putting principle over paycheck amid Israel’s Gaza assault/ANAN TELLO/Arab News/May 25, 2024
Gantz puts Netanyahu on a three-week notice/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/May 25, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s message of cooperation to all Iraqis/Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/May 25, 2024
Migration becomes a ‘dirty war’/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/May 25, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 25-26/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Unveiling the Truth Behind Hezbollah's False "Liberation Day" of South Lebanon on May 25, 2000
Elias Bejjani/May 25, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75168/elias-bejjani-hezbollahs-bogus-liberation-resistance-day-3/
May 25, 2000, marked a pivotal moment in the history of South Lebanon, or so it seemed. The Israeli army withdrew, fulfilling a promise made by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in the lead-up to the Israeli elections. However, what ensued was not a liberation but a betrayal orchestrated by a clandestine deal between Israel, Iran and Syria, leaving the Lebanese residents in South Lebanon, and their army, the South Lebanese Army (SLA), at the mercy of the Iranian terrorist armed  Jihadist proxy, Hezbollah.
Ehud Barak's election pledge, while seemingly noble in its intent, was overshadowed by the murky negotiations that preceded the Israeli Army's withdrawal, betraying its Lebanese allies. Through intermediaries from Germany, Sweden, and Jordan, a secretive deal was struck with the Syrian and Iranian dictatorial regimes, effectively handing over South Lebanon and its residents to Hezbollah's grip. This deal included dismantling the SLA and sealing off gates with Israel, leaving the residents defenceless against Hezbollah's aggression.
Contrary to Hezbollah's claims, the withdrawal did not constitute a liberation. Instead, it was a calculated move orchestrated by political treason and deception rather than genuine emancipation. Hezbollah's annual celebration of May 25th as "Liberation Day" is nothing but a charade built on lies, deception and manipulation.
The reality on the ground was far from liberation. Few day before the Israel Army withdrawal, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, openly threatened the residents of South Lebanon loudly and openly through all media facilities, instilling fear with his chilling warnings of cutting heads and slashing throats in their beds. These criminal and terrorist threats forced many residents to flee, seeking refuge in Israel, where they remain to this day, branded as traitors and denied the right to return to their homes.
Moreover, it is crucial to acknowledge the role of Syrian occupation in Lebanon during that period. The so-called "Liberation Day", of the South Lebanon, was not a result of Hezbollah's heroic efforts, but rather a consequence of geopolitical under the table deceptive deals orchestrated by foreign powers. Syrian occupation coerced forced the alleged-false narrative of liberation without any tangible basis in reality.
As we reflect on the events of May 25, 2000, it's imperative to strip away the facade and recognize the truth behind Hezbollah's false narrative of liberation. The residents of South Lebanon deserve justice, not manipulation and coercion. It's time to shed light on the dark realities obscured by political agendas and honour the resilience of those who were unjustly abandoned to the mercy of terrorism.
Hezbollah currently occupies all of Lebanon, including its southern regions, from which it has been attacking Israel since October 8, 2003, one day after Hamas's criminal and terrorist war against Israel on October 7, 2003.
We strongly believe that the so-called "Liberation Day" of South Lebanon by the terrorist Hezbollah must be cancelled and completely wiped from Lebanese memory.
In conclusion, Hezbollah is a terrorist, criminal, and jihadist military corps entirely affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Nasrallah and the rest of the members of this group openly acknowledge this relationship. Hezbollah declared an attrition war against Israel on October 8 last year under Iranian orders. Lebanon and the Lebanese people had no decision or say in this matter. Consequently, Hezbollah is entirely responsible for the killing, destruction, and assassinations carried out by the State of Israel in retaliation.
Hezbollah occupies Lebanon and is neither Lebanese nor a liberator. It does not represent the Shiites Lebanese community in Parliament but instead holds Lebanon and the Shiites hostage, leading to the deaths of many young people. Hezbollah because of its attrition war against Israel has devastated the south Lebanon regions, displaced 100,000 residents, and caused the destruction of 70 towns and villages.
Hezbollah is a humanitarian disaster, specializing in crime and smuggling, and is more dangerous than any mafia. Therefore, there is no salvation for Lebanon until its political, military, and occupational influence is ended, and all UN Resolutions addressing Lebanon are fully implemented by force.
 
Liberation of the South By The Terrorist Hezbollah is a Big Lie
Abu Arz- Étienne Sakr/May 25, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/130103/130103/
The so-called liberation of the South in 2000, is a blatant fabrication perpetuated by Iranian Jihadist proxy, the terrorist Hezbollah. Hezbollah imposed this falsehood on the Lebanese state, which adopted it under duress and falsely commemorated it as an annual official holiday.
We have stated before, and we reiterate now for those who have missed the truth in a country addicted to hypocrisy and political quackery, that what they call liberation of the South was, in fact, a unilateral withdrawal by the State of Israel. The withdrawal was carried out under a bilateral agreement with Hezbollah, mediated by the German government, and at the expense of the South Lebanese Army (SLA).
For a more accurate understanding, we assert that the Free Lebanese Army (South Lebanese Army-SLA) would never have accepted such a withdrawal if it had been led by a commander of the patriotic calibre of General Saad Haddad.
Long live Lebanon.
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)

From: Author, Writer and Professor Dr. Mordechai Nisan to Colonel Barakat on the 25th Of May Southern Sad Day
Dear Charbel,
My memory and heart recall painfully the deception and betrayal in south Lebanon 24 years ago; I don't forget nor forgive. Israel's war is against savage terrorists, but much of the world doesn't want to understand. Maybe Bibi will explain all this to Congress.
Looking forward to our reunion,

From Colonel Charbel Barakat to Author, Writer and Professor Mordechai Nisan
Dear Mordechai
The historical time Israel is going through is very critical. The world needs to understand the importance of defeating terror once for all. Before any real and lasting Peace to maintain there is few conditions to realize on top of all is to accept the fact that Israel is a country to stay and a home to the Jewish People to protect and become the bench mark for prosperity and stability of the region if not the whole world. It is not a matter of local or even worldwide politics or leadership it is a reality to be accepted by the Middle East people once for all and it is up to the Israelis to prove they do not have the option to coexist with terror no matter what is its objective. As for the Arabs they have to understand that wealth and progress will not be there for ever if it is not protected from gangs and terrorists. The example of Lebanon is very clear in this direction. I still hope to witness the end of all the troubles with the less blood shed possible but freedom is a jewel to be protected it can not be left without defense.
Wish you all the best.

Israeli strike kills two Hezbollah fighters in Syria: monitor
AFP/May 25, 2024
BEIRUT: An Israeli drone strike in central Syria killed two fighters from Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement on Saturday, a war monitor said. “An Israeli drone fired two missiles at a Hezbollah car and truck near the town of Qusayr in Homs province, as they were on their way to Al-Dabaa military airport, killing at least two Hezbollah fighters and wounding others,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It was the third strike against Hezbollah targets in Syria in about a week.On Monday, Israeli strikes in the Qusayr area, which is close to the Lebanese border, killed eight pro-Iranian fighters, said Observatory, a Britain-based monitor with a network of sources in Syria. At least one Hezbollah fighter was among those killed, a source from Hezbollah told AFP at the time. Another strike, on May 18, targeted “a Hezbollah commander and his companion,” the Observatory said. It did not report any casualties.
Israel rarely comments on individual strikes in Syria but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence there. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the outbreak of the civil war in its northern neighbor, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters including from Hezbollah. The strikes have increased since Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented attack against Israel. Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions more since it erupted in 2011 after Damascus cracked down on anti-government protests.

History of Wars in Southern Lebanon: From 1978 to Present
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
Since the late 1970s, southern Lebanon has witnessed six wars, five of which ended in negotiations under UN auspices and international resolutions.
The beginning of Israeli wars on Lebanon was with Operation Litani in 1978. On that occasion, Israel attacked Lebanon, targeting factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including Fatah. The fierce war lasted a week and ended with UN Security Council Resolution 425, which called for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory after its invasion. This resolution did not prevent Israel from invading Lebanon again in 1982, culminating in its occupation of Beirut in an operation it named "Operation Peace for Galilee," aimed at expelling the PLO from Lebanon. The conflict ended with PLO forces led by Yasser Arafat leaving Beirut under international protection, and the issuance of UN Security Council Resolution 520, which called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon. However, Israeli forces continued to occupy southern Lebanon.
In 1996, Israel launched a swift military operation called "Operation Grapes of Wrath," which lasted sixteen days and included several massacres, most notably the Qana massacre. This war ended with a truce brokered by late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and sponsored by the United States. The agreement stipulated the non-attack on civilians, Israel's right to self-defense, and the right to resist the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Throughout the years from 1982 to 2000, the national resistance continued its operations against the Israeli occupation until the great liberation on May 25, 2000. Although Israel was expelled from most of the south, its occupation of the Shebaa Farms and the seven villages continued, and Lebanon's dispute with Israel also extended to the thirteen disputed points on land. Israel's aggressions did not stop, and it violated all international resolutions issued to resolve the conflict between the two sides, most notably Resolution 425. The south witnessed a major war again in 2006. This war ended with an agreement to ceasefire, the deployment of UNIFIL forces along the Blue Line separating the two countries and the Lebanese army, leading to the issuance of Resolution 1701.
Since then, calm prevailed on the front until October 8. On that day, Hezbollah opened a supporting front against Israel from Lebanon, bringing Resolution 1701 back to the forefront, especially with the mediation led by US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein to stop the war. The mediation talks about implementing Resolution 1701, with both parties setting their conditions—Israel wants Hezbollah to be pushed north of the Litani River, while Lebanon insists on its full rights to its land.

Southern Front: Israeli Army Bombs Two Forests
This Is Beirut/May 25/2024
The Israeli artillery targeted on Saturday the outskirts of the town of Naqoura and the “Pine Forest” on the outskirts of the town of Kfar Hamam, as well as the forested area of Markaba. Additionally, several shells landed on the outskirts of the town of Rmaeish near Taybeh, causing a fire in the area. Moreover, the outskirts of Zebqine and Labbouneh were subjected to artillery shelling from Israeli positions in Western Galilee, with reconnaissance aircraft flying over the western sector. For its part, Hezbollah retaliated by “targeting and destroying” a Merkava tank with a guided missile in the Marj site, resulting in the death and injuries of members of its crew.

Southern Front: Tense and Cautious Calm Prevails
This Is Beirut/May 25/2024
A tense and cautious calm prevails this morning in the border area of the eastern sector of southern Lebanon. It extends from the Majidiya plain in Ghajar, through the outskirts of Mari in Hasbaya, to the Arqoub and the occupied Shebaa Farms. The clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli Army ceased late Friday night after the latter expanded their attacks against the liberated area in Hasbaya, targeting the outskirts of the Halta, Kfarchouba, and Kfar Hamam farms, and the outskirts of Hebbariyeh with heavy artillery, including incendiary phosphorus shells. Israeli shelling also hit Samaka Hill, Roueissat Al Alam, and the Zibdin barracks within the occupied Shebaa Farms, extending to the heights of Mount Hermon overlooking the Rashaya Al Wadi area in the eastern and western Bekaa, reaching as far as Iqlim al-Tuffah, particularly Mahmoudiya and Jabal Safi. Meanwhile, Israeli sites in the Shebaa Farms and settlements near the Lebanese-Palestinian border in Upper Galilee were directly hit. Amid these heated conditions and escalating Israeli attacks against the Hasbaya area, residents woke up Saturday at dawn to intensive reconnaissance flights of MK drones over the region, conducting numerous exploratory missions at medium altitude, reaching the skies of the Bekaa.

Berri to quintet: Help us but don't choose for us
Naharnet/May 25 May 2024 
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that his approach for dialogue to end the presidential vacuum is "known" by the ambassadors of the five-nation group for Lebanon. "They've heard it from me several times: thank you for your efforts, cooperation and assistance, on the condition that you help us in what we want and choose, not in what you choose for us," al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Berri as saying. "Is the dialogue I'm calling for a horrible crime?" Berri wondered. Stressing that "only dialogue can activate the presidential file," the Speaker noted that an all-party dialogue would be "binding for everyone." "This stance from Berri is a confirmation from him that there will be no presidential election session before reaching consensus on the presidential vote and the candidate," the newspaper said.

France's diplomatic efforts: Separating Lebanon's presidential elections from Gaza war
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
France has been striving to decouple the issue of Lebanon's presidential election from the ongoing war in Gaza and its impact on southern Lebanon. This was conveyed by French President Emmanuel Macron to former Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt during their recent meeting in Paris.
Will France's efforts succeed? French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is set to visit Beirut for the fifth time next Tuesday and Wednesday, aiming to present new proposals to break the deadlock in Lebanon's political crisis. While the details of these proposals remain unclear, there are indications that they might include a suggestion for a Lebanese-Lebanese dialogue hosted by Paris, should it prove difficult to hold such talks in Beirut. Sources indicate that Le Drian supports the Quintet's proposal, which advocates for consecutive sessions and consultations instead of a full-fledged dialogue. Given that Lebanon's crisis is political rather than constitutional, meetings between rival factions within national institutions are considered more effective than external discussions. Le Drian's visit to Beirut, where he will meet with senior officials, key political figures, and parliamentary bloc leaders, follows a phone call between President Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which partially addressed Lebanon's presidential issue. Le Drian is expected to report the outcomes of his visit to President Macron, who will discuss them with US President Joe Biden during Biden's visit to Paris on June 6. Both leaders agree on the need to prevent the escalation of Israel's war on Lebanon and emphasize the importance of electing a president for Lebanon. The return of US envoy Amos Hochstein to the region may also be linked to the outcomes of Le Drian's forthcoming visit to Lebanon. Despite the Quintet raising its voice, there has been no echo of its calls within Lebanon. The discussions focus on qualifications without naming candidates, and a majority of Lebanese MPs lack a clear vision for resolving the crisis, disagreeing on whether to pursue dialogue or consultation. As long as Gaza remains inflamed, the southern front will remain tense, and Lebanon will remain without a president. The issue is on the agenda of the major powers, and the time for a resolution has not come yet, despite denials from Lebanese MPs.

Lebanon to Present Unified Stance on Syrian Refugee Crisis at Brussels Conference
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
On Monday, Lebanon will participate in the eighth edition of the Brussels Conference dedicated to Syria, but this time with a different approach and content. The delegation, led by Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and comprising diplomats and officials from the Foreign Ministry, will present a document detailing the numbers and impacts of displacement on Lebanon. The delegation will convey to the international community Lebanon’s unified stance on addressing the refugee crisis and rejecting their continued stay.
This position is based on:
Recommendations issued by the Parliament and decisions made by the Cabinet since April 2023, including measures taken by the government to distinguish between legal and illegal residents, deport the illegal ones, control the borders, and other actions that the delegation will inform the conference Lebanon is committed to implementing. In addition to Lebanon's file to Brussels, a document prepared by the Prime Minister's economic advisor, Samir Daher, addresses the "refugee issue with the aim of their return to their country and the preservation of Lebanese identity."
This document outlines the severe consequences of displacement on Lebanon with figures and demographic realities, the legal status of Syrians in Lebanon between registered and unregistered individuals, and the required measures from Lebanon: removing the refugee status from those crossing the official borders back and forth, deporting convicts, subjecting those not listed by UNHCR to residency and labor laws and commercial practices, deporting illegal residents, and most importantly, initiating the return of all refugees to their mostly safe homeland. With this summary, Bou Habib will deliver Lebanon's speech, relying not only on internal unity but also on a renewed European stance supported by Cyprus. Eight EU member states—Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Poland—have expressed support for Cyprus's proposal to declare safe zones in Syria and allow the return of refugees to these areas. ased on this foundation, Lebanon might be able to impose its terms, unless it faces rejection from some countries, which is possible given that a solution to the Syrian crisis has yet to be fully developed.

Child Protection Measures: Comparing Lebanon's Efforts to Developed Countries
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
Recently, hardly a day goes by in Lebanon without a new scandal involving child molestation. What if these incidents occurred in a developed country, and what measures do these countries take to protect their children? In the United States, Megan's Law reveals the names of all sex offenders in publicly accessible records, providing detailed information about their identities, addresses, photos, and the nature of their crimes. All schools and universities are subject to Title IX, which requires employees to report any incidents of harassment. It also mandates regular training for staff on how to handle such cases and educates students about it. In the United Kingdom, under Sarah's Law, parents can ask the police about anyone who regularly interacts with their children, such as teachers or other individuals, to determine if they have a history of sexual offenses. In France, electronic bracelets and GPS systems are used to monitor the movements of sex offenders. Authorities can prohibit convicted individuals from visiting public places such as schools and parks. These bracelets issue an alert if the wearer approaches these restricted areas. Does Lebanon have a similar system? In 2018, the Ministry of Education established a policy to protect students in the school environment, focusing on prevention and response. This policy details how to handle cases of violence and harassment and outlines prohibited behaviors for staff. For instance, it forbids covering up any incidents of violence, contacting the perpetrator, or accusing the student of exaggeration or lying. Conversely, the policy encourages reassuring the student that they are not to blame for being a victim. How does the ministry implement this policy? The policy in Lebanon, in theory, could significantly reduce the incidence of child molestation, but what about its full implementation?

Harassment allegations at Lycée Emmanuel: Principal and others released, investigation ongoing - LBCI sources
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
In recent days, reports have surfaced about harassment allegations involving individuals at Lycée Emmanuel in Kfarshima. New details about the case continue to emerge. LBCI sources confirmed that the school's principal was released after being questioned, as it was determined that he was not involved in the harassment incident.  However, he had failed to report to the Ministry of Education about a teacher who was confirmed to have harassed girls, a teacher the principal had subsequently dismissed. Additionally, a third teacher who was summoned for questioning on Friday was also released after it was proven that he was not involved in the offense, and the school guard was released as well. Currently, two teachers remain detained and under investigation. More girls are expected to testify today, Saturday. Based on their testimonies, authorities will decide whether to conclude the investigation or continue it.

Marine Rescue Unit of the Lebanese Civil Defense to LBCI: Bodies of missing citizens found at Kfar Abida beach
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
The Marine Rescue Unit of the Lebanese Civil Defense informed LBCI that at 2 AM on Saturday, they were notified of the disappearance of two individuals after their clothes were found near the Kfar Abida beach. They added that they were found off the Batroun shore on Saturday morning following a comprehensive search from Kfar Abida to Batroun, and are now awaiting the coroner's report. The General Directorate of Civil Defense stated on Friday warning citizens, residents, and tourists to stay away from the beach due to the effects of the low-pressure weather system, which could put them at risk of drowning.

Lebanon applauds ICJ ruling on Rafah, urges int'l action
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
On Saturday, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry praised the International Court of Justice's decision for an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Rafah and the opening of its land crossing to facilitate aid delivery and to allow international committees to enter and investigate Israeli practices and violations. The Foreign Ministry considered this decision as an important step to put an end to Israel's attacks and displacement policies. In addition, this decision, according to the ministry, also aims to initiate a serious political process toward a just solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution, relevant international resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative launched at the Beirut Summit in 2002, which would enhance regional and international peace and security. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community and the United Nations to intensify pressure on Israel to implement this decision and other relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

Tripoli Port's security problems: The case of the concealed firearms
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
A Turkish truck carrying oils would have avoided detection at the Port of Tripoli in Lebanon if it had not caught fire, where customs officials later uncovered 304 smuggled firearms concealed within its chassis. Customs authorities manually inspected the truck at Tripoli's port and initially cleared it without suspicion. The port, which is monitored by three security agencies — General Security, searching people; Customs, overseeing goods; and the Army, in charge of maintaining security — failed to detect the concealed firearms. Customs officials argue that their role is limited to inspecting cargo, not vehicles subject to security checks. Meanwhile, General Security contends that any imported vehicle, like the Turkish truck, should undergo scrutiny similar to cargo inspections. Moreover, security sources point out that shipments from Turkey often bypass rigorous checks at Tripoli's port due to staffing shortages, outdated scanning equipment, and stringent Turkish security measures at border crossings. In contrast, customs sources and port administrators maintain that all goods flagged for the red channel undergo thorough inspections. Additionally, military intelligence has imposed a temporary ban on truck movements pending inspection following the arms smuggling incident. The incident exposes glaring weaknesses in Tripoli's port surveillance system. Despite handling 120,000 containers and 30,000 trucks annually, the port operates with only 12 customs officials and two scanners, far below the required staffing levels of at least 30 customs officers and six scanners. Compounding the issue is the presence of a single antiquated scanner for container and truck inspections, over 25 years old, in a port generating monthly revenues of approximately $3 million. The government, prompted by the Finance Ministry overseeing customs operations, is considering a tender for procuring new scanners. Nonetheless, this initiative, proposed during President Michel Aoun's tenure, has yet to materialize. The story of the Tripoli port shipment raises serious questions about the volume of suspicious cargo entering Lebanon unchecked in a country where security agencies should be vigilant in addressing known vulnerabilities.

Lebanon Nears Completion of Syrian Prisoner Deportation Plan
LBCI/May 25 May 2024
The file concerning the deportation of Syrian prisoners from Lebanon to Syria is now on the verge of completion. The General Security, assigned by the government to coordinate with the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, is close to finalizing a detailed list of these individuals, including their sentences and the crimes they have committed. In Lebanon, there are approximately 2,500 Syrians in prisons, accounting for about 35 percent of the overall inmate population, according to statistics from the Ministry of Interior. Around 1,900 of these individuals have committed criminal offenses, with 82 percent of them yet to be tried. The remaining 600 are political dissidents or accused of terrorist activities and may fall under the United Nations Convention Against Torture of 1984, which prohibits the extradition of individuals who may face torture in their home country. The acting Director General of General Security, Major General Elias Baysari, told LBCI that the file is complex and sensitive. Each name is being scrutinized individually, and the committee assigned to this issue will hold its final meeting next week before preparing a detailed project in cooperation with the Public Prosecutor's Office, after which contact will be made with the Syrian side. “We will abide by the agreements between the two countries and international law. Our aim is not to harm anyone. Convicted individuals have the right to review and reject deportation even in criminal cases, and they can agree to or refuse deportation," Baysari added. Baysari also noted that it is currently impossible to amend any agreement or treaty due to the absence of a president in Lebanon. According to judicial sources, a number of individuals who were previously issued deportation orders by the Public Prosecutor’s Office were not refused by the Syrian side. Therefore, the Lebanese state needs to prepare its official document and discuss it with Syria.

Hasbani Criticizes Government and UNHCR Inaction on Syrian Migrants
This Is Beirut/ 25 May 2024
Lebanese Forces (LF) MP Ghassan Hasbani believes that “the international community is unwilling to tackle the issue of Syrian migrants seriously and find a comprehensive and radical solution to this existential problem.” Speaking on the Voice of Lebanon radio station, Hasbani warned against “the current status quo, which is content in international aid.” He also criticized the State for not taking necessary measures to protect the nation from this danger. According to the LF MP, “The international community must provide financial aid to displaced Syrians in Syria or resettle them in a third country that accepts assistance from the United Nations on its territory.” Finally, Hasbani called on the government to “take measures against the UNHCR, such as closing its offices in Beirut if necessary, as it is violating Lebanon’s sovereignty and signed memorandums of understanding.” One example is the agreement signed in 2003 stating that Lebanon is a country of refuge, not asylum.

Bou Assi: Hezb Undermines Lebanon’s Security and Political Stability for Iran
This Is Beirut/May 25/2024
Lebanese Forces (LF) MP Pierre Bou Assi blamed Hezbollah and its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah for undermining political stability in Lebanon by preventing the election of a president, thus compromising the country’s security and stability. He also blamed the pro-Iranian group for dragging Lebanon into the regional fire without consulting legitimate and legal Lebanese institutions in order to create a front between Israel and Iran, represented by Hezbollah. “Who authorized Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah to drag Lebanon into this furnace and such a war?” he asked. In an interview with “Al Hadath” from Paris, Bou Assi stated that Israel might compensate for its predicament through the Lebanese front. “They will not hesitate to pounce on Lebanon to divert attention from what they have committed in Gaza,” he said. He stressed that “the Strong Republic bloc will not accept Lebanon being dragged into a fire that, once ignited, we do not know when it will end.” “If Iran is so ready to confront Israel, let it do so with its own army and supreme interests and not ask a component like Hezbollah to face it on its behalf,” he added. Bou Assi also pointed out that “political leadership does not surrender to the status quo,” which is our role as the ‘Lebanese Forces’ and the ‘Strong Republic’ bloc. “When the murderous Syrian regime occupied Lebanon and destroyed it for 30 years, we remained steadfast and confronted it,” he said, adding, “Today, we must stand firm as the Lebanese people and as members of the Lebanese Forces.”

Bodies of 2 Missing People Found in Kfar Abida
This Is Beirut/May 25/2024
Civil Defense personnel recovered the bodies of citizens Yahya Ahmed Abous and Walid Yaacoub Sarkis from the sea off the Batroun coast. The members of the marine rescue unit and land centers of the Civil Defense extended their search since 2 AM to find the bodies of the citizens who were reported missing near the Kfar Abida beach. The teams conducted comprehensive field sweeps under extremely challenging weather conditions due to high waves and strong currents. Earlier, the personal belongings and identification documents of Abous and Yaacoub were found in a bag on the beach. Following numerous incidents on the beaches of Lebanon, notably Jbeil last week due to weather instability, and as a precautionary step, the General Directorate of Civil Defense had issued a statement on Friday warning citizens, residents, and tourists to stay away from the beach due to the impact of the low-pressure weather system, which poses a risk of drowning.

More Electricity Starting Mid-June
Christiane Tager/This is Beirut/May 25/2025
For several years, Lebanon has been facing severe electricity rationing in the summer due to increased consumption and the inability of power plants and the grid to handle the load. However, it appears that the Lebanese might hope to benefit from an additional one or two hours of electricity per day starting mid-June. The office of EDL director Kamal Hayek indicated to This is Beirut that, starting from mid-June, an additional gas turbine will be operational either at the Zahrani power plant or at the Dar Ammar plant (the two still functioning plants), which will allow for an increased distribution of electricity and provide subscribers in all regions with a continuous supply of 6 hours of electricity instead of 4. Beirut International Airport and public administrations should be supplied with electricity 24 hours a day.
However, Hayek’s office specified that this improvement in distribution depends on the available gas oil reserves to operate the power plants and, above all, the resilience of the grid. It is noteworthy that Lebanon still has not paid for the fuel supplied by Iraq. Beirut and Baghdad had concluded an agreement on July 23, 2021, under which Iraq supplies fuel to Lebanese power plants on favorable terms for the Cedar country. This agreement came into effect in September 2021, with a set quantity of 100,000 tons per month (80,000 tons usable by power plants due to the swap). Since Iraqi fuel cannot be directly used in Lebanese power plants due to its high sulfur content, Lebanon buys another type of compatible fuel from other suppliers, who receive the Iraqi fuel in exchange.
From 450 to 600 Megawatts
After a meeting with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad revealed that he is working to increase electricity supply. He plans to increase the production of the Deir Ammar or Al-Zahrani power plants from 450 megawatts to 600 megawatts this summer, while also continuing efforts to finalize the restart of the Zouk Mikhael and Jiyeh power plants, which produce cheaper electricity than the one generated from gas oil. The Lebanese surely would have liked to enjoy an uninterrupted power supply, as promised for more than twenty years, but the electricity issue remains the main sore point in Lebanon.

Stéphanie Sayed: “Daring Authenticity Through Streetwear Fashion”
Juliana Breidy/This is Beirut/May 25/2025
In the dynamic world of streetwear fashion, a rising star stands out for her audacity and originality: Sayed. This streetwear brand, created and founded by Stéphanie Sayed, a passionate Franco-Lebanese designer whose identity is intertwined with the intense blue of her creations, defies conventions by offering unisex pieces inspired by both the ’90s hip-hop culture and the art of Yves Klein. The founder of Sayed takes us back to the origins of her brand: inspired by iconic figures such as Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Tupac, as well as the works of Yves Klein, she channeled these influences to create something entirely unique. “90s hip-hop, with its baggy jeans and nonchalant attitude, has shaped my personal and professional style,” she confides. Sayed is not just a clothing brand; it is an invitation to live an experience, to embrace one’s own originality, and to dare to be different. This philosophy is reflected in every piece, handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail and materials. The collaboration between Stéphanie Sayed and Vernis Rouge, a rising Franco-Lebanese singer, showcases this synergy between music and fashion. Although Sayed has not yet created specific outfits for Vernis Rouge, the designer plays a key role in selecting the artist’s outfits, adapting and personalizing pieces for various events and performances. “Music and fashion are art forms that feed off each other,” explains the designer. “Creating for artists is a natural extension of my brand.”Sayed’s future projects are ambitious. After the success of her pop-up in Paris, the brand plans other events and collaborations, including with international artists like Maluma, SCH, and Maître Gims. “The musical environment is the perfect place to convey my message of authenticity and originality,” she affirms with enthusiasm. Sayed is more than just a brand; it is a promise to redefine streetwear fashion norms by promoting an authentic expression of oneself. In these times where individuality is so celebrated, Sayed reminds us that “attitude makes the outfit” and that, in the marriage of attitude and style, lies the true magic of fashion. For more information about the Sayed brand and to discover the latest collections, visit the official website: www.sayedofficial.fr. You can also follow Sayed on Instagram at @sayedofficial__ for live updates and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation process.

Car bomb in the Syrian capital kills one. Drone strike near Lebanon border targets two vehicles
The Associated Press/May 25, 2024
A bomb attached to a car exploded early Saturday in the western part of the Syrian capital that is home to several diplomatic missions, killing one person and causing material damage, state media reported. Damascus’ Mazze neighborhood houses the Iranian consulate, destroyed last month in a strike blamed on Israel. The attack at the time killed seven people including two Iranian generals and a member of Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah, and triggered a direct Iranian military assault on Israel for the first time, sparking fears of a regionwide war. Several airstrikes have hit the tightly-secured neighborhood over the past months, mostly targeting Iranian officials. State news agency, SANA, didn't say who the person killed was but said the blast set two other cars ablaze. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the man killed in the explosion was a Mazze resident who carried a card identifying him as a Syrian army officer. Abdurrahman said the dead man had close ties to the Iranians. Hours after the blast in Damascus, an Israeli drone strike reportedly targeted a car and a truck outside the western Syrian town of Qusair, northwest of Damascus, close to Lebanon's border, the Observatory and a Beirut-based pan-Arab TV station reported. The strike hit the two vehicles near Dabaa air base. Qusair and its suburbs were struck several times over the past months by Israeli drones targeting Hezbollah fighters who have a presence in the area. The Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV didn't say if there were casualties, but the Observatory said two Hezbollah members were killed and several others wounded in the drone strike. Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israeli forces have traded cross-border fire a day after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 on an almost daily basis. Since then, more than 400 people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters, and more than 70 civilians and non-combatants, according to an Associated Press tally. Meanwhile, Israel says at least 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have so far been killed in the clashes. Tehran has been sending advisers to Syria since the country’s conflict, which later turned into civil war, began in March 2011 and has killed half a million people. Iran-backed fighters have helped tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad’s government.
Iran’s military presence in Syria has been a major concern for Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment along its northern border. Syria has accused Israel of carrying out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts in recent years — but Israel has rarely acknowledged such strikes. The war in Gaza started after Hamas led militants in a surprise attack on southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. Israel responded with a retaliatory war that has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 25-26/2024
Pakistani Christian community attacked after blasphemy accusation
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters)/Sat, May 25, 2024
At least five members of a minority Christian community were rescued on Saturday after a Muslim crowd attacked their settlement in eastern Pakistan, police and a community leader said. The crowd, which accused the Christian group of blasphemy, hurled stones and bricks at the police, said Shariq Kamal, the police chief of Sargodha district. A large contingent of police cordoned off the settlement, he said, adding that the crowd had been pushed back and five injured Christians had been taken to hospital. At least one house and a small shoe factory was set on fire by protesters who had gathered after neighbours alleged that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, had been desecrated by a minority community member, according to a police spokesman and Akmal Bhatti, a Christian leader. "They burned one house and lynched several Christians," Bhatti aid. Videos posted on social media showed protesters looting items from burning properties. Others were seen throwing the items in a heap on fire in a street. Bhatti said the videos were images from the scene. Reuters could not independently verify the pictures. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the Christian community was "at grave risk to their lives at the hands of the charged mobs". Blasphemy is a sensitive subject in conservative Muslim- majority Pakistan, where just an accusation can lead to a street lynching. Human rights groups say Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal scores.
While blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, no one has been executed by the state for it, though numerous accused have been lynched by outraged mobs. A Muslim crowd attacked a Christian community in eastern Pakistan last year, vandalising several churches and setting scores of houses on fire after accusing two of its members of desecrating the Koran.

Israel official says ‘intention’ to renew Gaza talks ‘this week’
AFP/May 25, 2024
JERUSALEM: An Israeli official said Saturday the government had an “intention” to renew “this week” talks aimed at reaching a hostage release deal in Gaza, after a meeting in Paris between US and Israeli officials. “There is an intention to renew the talks this week and there is an agreement,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The Israeli official did not elaborate on the agreement, but Israeli media reported that Mossad chief David Barnea had agreed during meetings in Paris with mediators CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on a new framework for the stalled negotiations. Top US diplomat Antony Blinken also spoke with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz about new efforts to achieve a ceasefire and reopen the Rafah border crossing, Washington said. Talks aimed at reaching a hostage release and truce deal in the Gaza Strip ground to a halt this month after Israel launched a military operation in the territory’s far-southern city of Rafah. The Gaza war broke out after Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,903 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to data from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Egypt agrees to send aid trucks through Israeli crossing to Gaza but impact is unclear
AP/May 25, 2024
TEL AVIV, Israel: Egypt said Friday it has agreed to send United Nations humanitarian aid trucks through Israel’s main crossing into Gaza, but it was unclear if they will be able to enter the territory as fighting raged in the southern city of Rafah amid Israel’s escalating offensive there. Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has spiraled as the UN and other aid agencies say the entry of food and other supplies to them has plunged dramatically since Israel’s Rafah offensive began more than two weeks ago. On Friday, the top UN court — the International Court of Justice — ordered Israel to halt the Rafah offensive, though Israel is unlikely to comply. At the heart of the problem lie the two main crossings through which around 300 trucks of aid a day had been flowing into Gaza before the offensive began. Israeli troops seized the Rafah crossing into Egypt, which has been inoperative since. The nearby Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza has remained open, and Israel says it has been sending hundreds of trucks a day into it. But while commercial trucks have successfully crossed, the UN says it cannot reach Kerem Shalom to pick up aid as it enters because fighting in the area makes it too dangerous. As a result, the UN says it has received only 143 trucks from the crossing in the past 19 days. Hundreds of truckloads have been sitting on the Gaza side of the crossing unretrieved, according to Israeli officials, who say UN manpower limitations are to blame. UN and other aid agencies had to rely on the far smaller number of trucks entering daily from a single crossing in northern Gaza and via a US-built pier bringing supplies by sea.
Humanitarian groups are scrambling to get food to Palestinians as some 900,000 people flee Rafah, scattering across central and southern Gaza. Aid workers warn Gaza is near famine. UNRWA, the main UN agency in the humanitarian effort, had to halt food distribution in Rafah city because it had run out of supplies. The Egyptian announcement appeared to resolve a political obstacle on one side of the border. Israel says it has kept the Rafah crossing open and asked Egypt to coordinate with it on sending aid convoys through it. Egypt refused, fearing the Israeli hold will remain permanent, and demanded Palestinians be put back in charge of the facility. The White House has been pressing Egypt to resume the flow of trucks. In a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Friday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to allow trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel to go to the Kerem Shalom crossing until a solution is found for the Rafah crossing, El-Sisi’s office said in a statement. But it remained unclear whether the UN will be able to access additional trucks coming from Egypt. UNRWA did not immediately reply to requests for comment. In a post on social media outlet X on Thursday, it said, “We could resume (food distribution in Rafah) tomorrow if the crossing reopened & we were provided with safe routes.” Mercy Corps, an aid group operating in Gaza, said in a statement Friday that the offensive had caused the “functional closure … of the two main lifelines” of aid and “has brought the humanitarian system to its knees.”
“If dramatic changes do not occur, including opening all border crossings to safely surge aid into these areas, we fear that a wave of secondary mortality will result, with people succumbing to the combination of hunger, lack of clean water and sanitation, and the spread of disease in areas where there is little medical care,” it said.
Fighting appeared to escalate in Rafah. Bombardment intensified Friday in eastern parts of the city, near Kerem Shalom, but shelling was also taking place in central, southern and western districts closer to the Rafah crossing, witnesses said. Israeli leaders have said they must uproot Hamas fighters from Rafah to complete the destruction of the group after its Oct. 7 attack. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others in the Oct. 7 attack. Around half of those hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a weeklong ceasefire in November. Israel’s campaign of bombardment and offensives in Gaza has killed more than 35,800 Palestinians and wounded more than 80,200, the Gaza Health Ministry said Friday. Its count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The Israeli military said its troops overnight found the bodies of three people killed in the Oct. 7 attack and subsequently taken into Gaza and counted among the hostages. The bodies of Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez Radoux were found in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been fighting for the past week with Hamas militants, the military said. The announcement comes less than a week after the army said it found in the same area the bodies of three other Israeli hostages also killed on Oct. 7. Nisenbaum, 59, was a Brazilian-Israeli from the southern city of Sderot. He was killed in his car as he went to get his 4-year-old granddaughter from a site near Gaza that came under attack by the militants. Oryon Hernandez Radoux, 30, and Yablonka, 42, a father of two, were both killed as they tried to escape the Nova music festival, where the attackers killed hundreds of people. Hernandez Radoux had been attending the festival with his partner, German-Israeli Shani Louk, whose body was among those found by the army earlier. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of at least 39 more, while 17 bodies of hostages have been recovered.
The group representing the families of the hostages said the bodies had been returned to their families for burial. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country had a duty to do everything to return those abducted, both those killed and those who are alive. French President Emmanuel Macron gave condolences to the family of Hernández-Radoux, a French-Mexican citizen, saying France remains committed to releasing the hostages. CIA Director Bill Burns was meeting in Paris on Friday with Israeli and Qatari officials in informal talks aimed at getting hostage and ceasefire negotiations back on track, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive discussions. Burns is in close contact with Egyptian officials, who like the Qataris have acted as mediators with Hamas, the US official said.
Ceasefire talks ground to a halt at the beginning of the month after a major push by the US and other mediators to secure a deal, in hopes of averting a planned Israeli invasion of the southern city of Rafah. The talks were stymied by a central sticking point: Hamas demands guarantees that the war will end and Israeli troops will withdraw from Gaza completely in return for a release of all the hostages, a demand Israel rejects.

Israel strikes Rafah after top UN court orders it to halt offensive
Agence France Presse/May 25 May 2024
Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, on Saturday, despite an order from the U.N.'s top court for it to "immediately halt" its military offensive in the southern city. At the same time, renewed efforts are getting underway in Paris aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. In a case brought by South Africa alleging the Israeli military operation amounts to "genocide", the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and demanded the immediate release of hostages still held by Palestinian militants. The Hague-based ICJ, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also instructed Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which Israel closed before sending troops and tanks into the besieged city and crossing earlier this month. Israel gave no indication it was preparing to change course in Rafah, insisting the court had got it wrong. "Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part," National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a joint statement with Israel's foreign ministry spokesman. Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, welcomed the ICJ ruling on Rafah but criticised its decision to exclude the rest of the Palestinian territory from the order.
'Nothing left here' -
In spite of the ICJ ruling, Israel carried out strikes on the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning as fighting raged between the army and Hamas's armed wing. Palestinian witnesses and AFP teams reported Israeli strikes in Rafah and the central city of Deir al-Balah. "We hope that the court's decision will put pressure on Israel to end this war of extermination because there is nothing left here," said Oum Mohammad Al-Ashqa, a Palestinian woman from Gaza City displaced to Deir al-Balah by the war. Mohammed Saleh, also interviewed by AFP in the central Gazan city, said, "Israel is a state that considers itself above the law. Therefore, I do not believe that the shooting or the war will stop other than by force." In its ruling, the ICJ said Israel must "immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part." It ordered Israel to allow U.N.-mandated investigators "unimpeded access" to Gaza to look into the genocide allegations. It instructed Israel to open the Rafah crossing for the "unhindered provision at scale" of humanitarian aid and also called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The Gaza war broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,857 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to data from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The Israeli military said on Friday the bodies of three hostages -- the Israeli Chanan Yablonka, Brazilian-Israeli Michel Nisenbaum and French-Mexican Orion Hernandez Radoux -- were recovered in Gaza's north.
Paris meetings
Israel has come under mounting international pressure over its Gaza offensive.
The ICJ ruling came days after Ireland, Spain and Norway said they would formally recognise a Palestinian state next week and the International Criminal Court prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top Hamas leaders on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On the diplomatic front, efforts have resumed to seek the first ceasefire in Gaza since a week-long truce in November that saw more than 100 hostages released in exchange for 240 Palestinian hostages held in Israeli jails. CIA chief Bill Burns was expected to meet Israeli representatives in Paris in a bid to relaunch negotiations, a Western source close to the issue said.Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron received the prime minister of Qatar and the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers on Friday "to press for a ceasefire," according to Cairo. The French presidency said they held talks on the Gaza war and ways to set up a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Top U.S. diplomat Antony Blinken also spoke with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz about new efforts to achieve a ceasefire and reopen the Rafah border crossing, Washington said. Ceasefire talks involving U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators ended shortly after Israel launched the Rafah operation, though Netanyahu's office this week said the war cabinet had asked the Israeli delegation "to continue negotiations for the return of the hostages."
'End this nightmare'
Israeli ground troops started moving into Rafah in early May, defying global opposition. It has since ordered mass evacuations from Rafah, with the U.N. saying more than 800,000 people have fled. Troops took over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, further slowing sporadic deliveries of aid for Gaza's 2.4 million people. The U.S. military has also installed a temporary jetty on the Gaza coast to receive aid by sea that a U.N. spokesman said had delivered 97 trucks of aid after "a rocky start" a week ago. The security and humanitarian situation in the territory remains alarming, with a risk of famine and most hospitals no longer functioning. U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said on social media site X on Friday that the situation had reached "a moment of clarity." "At a time when the people of Gaza are staring down famine... it is more critical than ever to heed the calls made over the last seven months: Release the hostages. Agree a ceasefire. End this nightmare."

Bashar el-Assad’s Absence Doesn’t Go Unnoticed
This Is Beirut/May 25 May 2024
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad did not attend the funeral ceremony of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions after the crash of the presidential helicopter returning from Azerbaijan.
Assad’s absence raised several questions, especially after his return to the Arab embrace, his participation in the Bahrain summit and before that in the Saudi summit, the tense relations between Iran and the regime, the incidents that led to the withdrawal of several Revolutionary Guards from Syria, as well as the American overture towards Syria. Western diplomatic reports have revealed that security meetings have recently taken place between US and Syrian officials in Damascus, in addition to meetings in Oman and Cyprus. It should be noted that Bashar al-Assad did not take part and that his Foreign Minister headed the Syrian delegation. Informed sources confirm that Syria will have particular positions in the coming phase on regional issues, in particular the Lebanese crisis.

Hamas armed wing says fighters captured Israeli soldiers in Gaza fighting, Israeli military denies
CAIRO (Reuters)/Nidal al-Mughrabi/May 25, 2024
A spokesman for Hamas' armed wing said on Sunday its fighters had captured Israeli soldiers during fighting in Jabalia in northern Gaza on Saturday, though the Israeli military denied the claim. The Hamas armed wing spokesman did not say how many soldiers had been abducted, and showed no proof of the claim. "Our fighters lured a Zionist force into an ambush inside a tunnel ... The fighters withdrew after they left all members of the force dead, wounded, and captured," Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for Al Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded message broadcast by Al Jazeera early on Sunday. The Israeli military on Sunday denied the claim by Hamas' armed wing. "The IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) clarifies that there is no incident in which a soldier was abducted," the military said in a statement. The comments by Abu Ubaida came hours after prospects for a resumption of mediated Gaza ceasefire talks grew on Saturday. An official with knowledge of the matter said a decision had been taken to resume the talks next week after the chief of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency met the head of the CIA and the prime minister of Qatar. The source, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, said it had been decided that "in the coming week negotiations will open based on new proposals led by the mediators, Egypt and Qatar and with active U.S. involvement." A Hamas official later denied Israeli media reports the talks would resume in Cairo on Tuesday, telling Reuters: "There is no date." After more than seven months of war in Gaza, the mediators have struggled to secure a breakthrough, with Israel seeking the release of hostages held by Hamas and Hamas seeking an end to the war and a release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel began the operation in response to Hamas-led militants attacking southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's Response to the ICJ Decision on Rafah: Mitigating Strategies and Future Implications
LBCI/May 25, 2024
In formulating its response to the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which ordered Israel to immediately halt operations in Rafah, Tel Aviv sought to obscure the global and local public opinion. Israel claimed that while continuing the combat there, it would ensure not to kill civilians and to keep them out of the range of its artillery and military machinery. The Israeli response was crafted by the National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after a consultative meeting called by Netanyahu immediately following the decision. It concluded with Israel declaring that its operations in Rafah did not and would not create conditions aimed at exterminating civilians, whether wholly or partially. While stating that its military operations were conducted in accordance with the law and targeted Hamas fighters, Israel emphasized how it had evacuated around 800 Palestinians, attempting thereby to claim its concern for civilians and to promote the idea that the Rafah operation was carried out with US consent. In an attempt to mitigate the impact of the court's decision, Israel asserted that it would continue its efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and work according to the law to minimize damage to civilian populations as much as possible. It also promised to keep the Rafah crossing open for the transportation of humanitarian aid, despite its insistence on preventing Hamas from controlling the crossing. From the battlefield to negotiations, Israel argues that the court's decision will help reduce pressure on Hamas to advance the hostages exchange deal. Regarding the United States, a knowledgeable source about the negotiations stated that Washington currently considers Qatar a better partner for advancing the negotiations than Egypt, following the strained relationship with Israel due to control over the Rafah crossing. Until the resumption of negotiations becomes clearer, various security, military, and civilian groups are intensifying their efforts to expand the call for an immediate halt to the war and the return of hostages at any cost. Amid threats from leadership to intensify and expand the fighting in Gaza and the possibility of escalation in the north, information has revealed that the Israeli army is suffering from a significant shortage of soldiers and field officers, along with a substantial decline in ammunition stocks and a shortage of military equipment. The armored vehicles possessed by the army today, after seven months of the Gaza war, are less than half of what it had ten years ago, and far below the red line drawn by the General Staff.

IDF Soldier Threatens ‘Military Coup’ Against Defense Minister, Asks To Stay in Gaza
Edith Olmsted/The Daily Beast/May 25, 2024
The Israeli Defense Forces will launch an investigation into a video of an Israeli soldier threatening a “military coup” against Israel’s Defense Minister, and calling for Israel to seize control of Gaza. In the first half of the video a masked IDF soldier dressed in full army fatigues, carrying an automatic weapon, addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The soldier argued that laying claim to Gaza is “the opportunity of a lifetime,” and that a group of 100,000 reservists “do not intend to hand over the keys to any Palestinian Authority,” including Hamas, Fatah, or “any Arab entity.”
“We’ve lost everything. We lost our family life. We lost our livelihoods. And we have nowhere to go,” said the Israeli soldier, standing in rubble, the ruins of a building, presumably in Gaza. Israel has waged a massive military campaign in Gaza killing over 35,000 people, and displacing nearly one million more who are trapped in the region, unable to escape.“We’ll stay here. Until victory,” he said. On the cement ceiling above him, burn marks, signs of an explosion, are visible. The second half of the video, the soldier called for the resignation of Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and said the reservists would only answer to Netanyahu. “You cannot win a war. Resign. You cannot win the war, you cannot command us,” he said. “We will listen to one leader, and it is not the minister of defense, and it is not the chief of staff, it is the prime minister. Think carefully to whom you intend to give the keys after this.”
“Change your record, change the record and understand that we want to win, or we will go only with the prime minister,” he continued. “Only with whoever decides that we should win, we will follow him. Here I tell you, did you want a military coup?”
Last week, Gallant challenged Netanyahu to commit to Palestinian rule in Gaza, “even with the possibility of personal or political costs.”Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s 32-year-old son, reposted the video in a Telegram channel, dismissing claims that the video was advocating for a “military rebellion.”“An army that announces that in times of dispute it will obey only the government and the prime minister is not a rebel but on the contrary, it is an army that obeys the law,” he wrote, according to NBC News. On Saturday, the IDF released a statement, saying the chilling video was a “serious violation of IDF orders and IDF values, and constitutes a suspicion of criminal offences.”“In regard to the incident, the Chief of Military Advocate General Corps ordered the opening of an investigation by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division,” the statement said. “At the same time as the investigation, in view of the seriousness of the incident, the Chief of Staff ordered an immediate command dialogue at all levels.”On Friday, the Military Police said that it would investigate social media posts, which allegedly show IDF soldiers burning books in Gaza, including the Quran, according to The Times of Israel. In one video, an IDF soldier tosses a Quran into a flaming pile of wood. In one photograph, reportedly at the library at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, a soldier kneels, pretending to read, as a stack of books goes up in flames behind him.

Israeli army says 'dozens of terrorists' killed during operation in Gaza
Canadian Press Videos/May 25, 2024
The Israeli army said on Saturday that “dozens of terrorists" were killed during its operation in Gaza. The military added that during the operation in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, forces destroyed “terrorist infrastructures, launch sites and military structures and located numerous weapons".

Arab Americans disappointed with meeting with US Secretary of State on Israel, Gaza
Niraj Warikoo, USA TODAY NETWORK/May 25, 2024
Arab Americans who met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a recent meeting at the State Department said they were disappointed he did not offer any commitments to end the conflict in Gaza and other areas in the Middle East.
Leaders with five Arab American groups, including some based in metro Detroit or with other Michigan ties, met last week with Blinken and other officials at the State Department's headquarters in Washington. During the May 17 meeting, the groups called for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. The Free Press spoke with three people who attended the meeting. "It wasn't positive," said Bilal Hammoud, executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, in Dearborn, who attended the meeting. "Ultimately, we're disappointed that the administration didn't make any commitments, or indicate that they had a plan for an immediate resolution to this." The Arab American Institute said this was the first time that Blinken met with an Arab American delegation specifically. Blinken has met before with Arab American advocates, but along with other constituencies, the institute said.
A State Department official told the Free Press on Thursday that Blinken met with representatives of Arab American and Palestinian American communities to hear their perspectives on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the situation in the West Bank. The official said the meeting was in response to a request from several Arab American leaders, adding that Blinken has had numerous meetings with Arab American and Palestinian American leaders since 2021, including after Oct. 7. "It wasn't successful in getting anything," said Hanna Hanania, of Virginia, a member of the Westland-based American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine, who attended the meeting. "We haven't seen any significant change in the policy."
The discussion with Blinken is the latest meeting that President Joe Biden's administration officials have had with Arab American advocates in recent months. In February, several high-ranking security officials in the administration came to Dearborn to meet with local leaders and one of them, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer, apologized to Arab Americans, saying the U.S. government has, at times, dehumanized Palestinians in its public remarks. In addition to Hammoud and Hanania, other Arab American leaders at the meeting with Blinken included Dearborn native Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute; James Zogby, president of the institute; Northville native Warren David, who runs the website Arab America; and John Dabeet, president of the U.S. Palestinian Council. Accompanying Blinken were other State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and Hady Amr, special representative for Palestinian affairs in the State Department. During the meeting, Zogby and others delivered statements, according to a statement released by the Arab American Institute after the meeting. Zogby's statement read: “When we met with Secretary Blinken in October of 2023, I noted that Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza had killed 5,000 Palestinians. I urged an immediate cease-fire to save lives. ... We come back seven months later with over 36,000 dead, most of Gaza’s homes and infrastructure destroyed, millions of Palestinian lives shattered, and Gaza on the verge of starvation." The Gaza Ministry of Health said about 35,000 have been killed since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, reported Reuters.
Hammoud's statement released by the institute said that: "There must be a full stop of U.S. military funding that is threatening the security and stability of the whole region, including the cessation of attacks on sovereign Arab nations."Hammoud said he expressed concern to Blinken about Israel's recent attacks in southern Lebanon, an area that many Dearborn residents have roots in. Wayne County has the highest percentage of Lebanese Americans among all counties in the U.S., according to census data. Hammoud mentioned to Blinken how in 2006, during a war between Israel and Hezbollah, Hammoud and his family were on vacation in Lebanon and struggled to escape as Israel bombed an airport. They eventually left by ship at a port evacuating people, he said. In recent months, Israel and Hezbollah have increasingly attacked each other, leading to a growing number of casualties, Reuters reported. Israel maintains it is defending itself from attacks on northern Israel by Hezbollah. Hanania said that he has met Blinken several times over the years, including before Blinken became secretary of state. He said that in the past, Blinken and Biden have talked about the importance of equal treatment, but have not shown that over the past seven months. During his remarks at the meeting, Hanania said he spoke about Arab Americans who have been targeted by Israeli settlers in areas such as the West Bank. "Justice must be secured for Arab American victims of Israeli violence," Hanania said in his statement to Blinken. "The targeting and killing of American citizens, and the theft of American-owned land by Israel and settlers require independent investigations and full prosecution of the perpetrators."Hanania said he also asked Blinken to recognize a Palestinian state. According to Hanania and Hammoud, Blinken responded to his request by saying that recognizing a Palestinian state could eventually lead to starvation in some poor countries because under U.S. law, if a Palestinian state is recognized, the U.S. has to stop all funding for the United Nations. Since the U.S. is the largest funder of the United Nations, children around the world may starve, Blinken said, according to Hanania and Hammoud. Some Arab American advocates criticized the leaders for attending the meeting. "Those Arab and Muslim Americans who met with Biden's team before and now with Secretary Blinken are wrong," said Imad Hamad, executive director of the Dearborn-based American Human Relations Council. "They bypassed the community's wishes not to meet. Ironic that they run out to meet, then come out expressing their disappointment and frustration."In their statement, the Arab American Institute said the groups at the meeting with Blinken endorsed policy suggestions called “In This Moment: An Arab American Agenda," which calls for equal treatment of Arab Americans and Arabs and Palestinians in the Middle East. Also this week, Detroit businessman John Rakolta, of Bloomfield Hills, co-chair of Michigan's council to improve population growth and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, was in Israel meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported the New York Times and other media outlets. In recent months, some in metro Detroit's Jewish community have visited Israel to show their support.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine has taken back control in areas of the embattled Kharkiv region
Samya Kullab And Elise Morton/AP/May 25, 2024
Ukrainian forces have secured “combat control” of areas where Russian troops entered the northeastern Kharkiv region earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “Our soldiers have now managed to take combat control of the border area where the Russian occupiers entered,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Friday evening. Zelenskyy’s comments appeared to be at odds with those made by Russian officials. Viktor Vodolatskiy, a member of Russia‘s lower house of parliament, said Russian forces now controlled more than half of the town of Vovchansk, three miles (five kilometers) inside the border, Russian state news agency Tass reported Friday. Vovchansk has been a flashpoint for fighting since Russia launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region on May 10. Vodolatskiy was also quoted as saying that, once Vovchansk was secured, Russian forces would target the cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk in the neighboring Donetsk region. No independent confirmation of the claims was immediately possible. Russia’s Kharkiv push appears to be a coordinated new offensive that includes testing Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region further south — where Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that its forces had taken over the village of Arkhanhelske — while also launching incursions in the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Kremlin’s army is attempting to create a “buffer zone” in the Kharkiv region to prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. The city of Kharkiv, which is the capital of the region of the same name, is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border. Moscow’s troops have in recent weeks captured villages in the area as part of a broad push, and analysts say they may be trying to get within artillery range of the city. Ukrainian authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the region since the start of the offensive. The Russian push is shaping up to be Ukraine’s biggest test since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces being pressed at several points along the about 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line that snakes from north to south in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s problems have been mounting in recent months as it tries to hold out against its much bigger foe, and the war appears to be at a critical juncture.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 25-26/2024
The Free World: An Alarming Status Report
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 25, 2024
It seems urgent for the long-term survival of the United States and the Free World – where people enjoy unprecedented freedom of speech, property rights, economic opportunity, religious freedom and other civil liberties – not to accept assaults on these hard-won achievements either at home or abroad.
Adversaries have become increasingly empowered, and allies may well be losing confidence in the West's leadership. This week it was announced that three countries in Europe, Ireland, Norway and Spain – all of which have long, unfortunate histories of antisemitism – plan to recognizing a Palestinian State that will be terrorist.
US President Joe Biden assured Russia in 2022 that a "minor incursion" into Ukraine would be all right. Predators do not "do" minor.
The Biden administration handed over Afghanistan to a terrorist group, the Taliban; now it looks as if the Biden administration and these three racist countries in Europe are determined to hand Gaza to another terrorist group, Iran's proxy, Hamas, which openly says it is more committed than ever to destroying its free, democratic neighbor, Israel.
Israel is trying to protect its citizens and maintain its sovereignty in the face of relentless aggression, while battling not only Hamas but also two illegitimate antisemitic courts (the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice), the antisemitic United Nations, antisemitic European countries, well-funded antisemitic demonstrations in the West, and the Biden administration... [which] for years has been trying to force out Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US would doubtless prefer an Israeli prime minister who would allow Hamas to remain in control of Gaza and reconstitute its military capabilities; who would allow the creation of a terrorist Palestinian state bordering Israel, and who would stand aside as genocidal Iran obtains nuclear weapons.
In addition, the Communist Chinese regime, seeing the Biden administration reward aggression, past, present, and presumably future, is encircling the Philippines and Taiwan and sending tens of thousands of young men of military age in packs across America's southern border, and more than 5,000 over its northern one.
One can only wonder which of the likely leaders of the Free World will permit -- or put a stop to -- these staggering negative trends of geopolitical deterioration in the future.
One can only wonder which of the likely leaders of the Free World will permit -- or put a stop to -- these staggering negative trends of geopolitical deterioration in the future. (Image source: iStock/Getty Images)
In the last few years, we have witnessed a world that has become significantly less safe and secure. American and Western policy failures and strategic missteps appear to have emboldened adversaries and undermined allies. A lack of decisive action and coherent strategy has created power vacuums which have been exploited by hostile actors and resulted in increased instability and threats in the West to both national and global security. It seems urgent for the long-term survival of the United States and the Free World – where people enjoy unprecedented freedom of speech, property rights, economic opportunity, religious freedom and other civil liberties – not to accept assaults on these hard-won achievements either at home or abroad.
Adversaries have become increasingly empowered, and allies may well be losing confidence in the West's leadership. This week it was announced that three countries in Europe, Ireland, Norway and Spain – all of which have long, unfortunate histories of antisemitism – plan to recognizing a Palestinian State that will be terrorist.
Rogue and belligerent states such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, have become more emboldened. In large part, the US has funded and enabled that. The Biden administration handed over Afghanistan to a terrorist group, the Taliban; now it looks as if the Biden administration and these three racist countries in Europe are determined to hand Gaza to another terrorist group, Iran's proxy, Hamas, which openly says it is more committed than ever to destroying its free, democratic neighbor, Israel.
US President Joe Biden assured Russia in 2022 that a "minor incursion" into Ukraine would be all right. Predators do not "do" minor. The result was the largest attack on a European country since World War II. The invasion created a devastating humanitarian crisis, with estimates of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties and hundreds of thousands of military casualties. Additionally, as millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety, the "minor incursion" triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Similarly, any move in maintaining or empowering Hamas, or any of Iran's other proxies, such as Hezbollah, the Houthis or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, will not bring "peace" to the Middle East. On the contrary, a "Palestinian State" will not only explode the conflict even further, it will also threaten the cohesion of the NATO alliance -- the greatest gift that the Free World could give Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On October 7th, 2023, as a newly released video reveals -- a Hamas gunman, deciding whom to murder, says of captive Israeli soldiers, "Here are the girls who can get pregnant." The terrorist group had initiated a devastating coordinated invasion of Israel. The attack began with a massive barrage of rockets. Simultaneously, after systematically disabling Israel's warning systems, roughly 3,000 terrorists crossed the Gaza-Israel barrier, launching attacks on Israeli military bases and 22 civilian communities. The onslaught, which had been planned for years, led to the slaughter on October 7th alone of roughly 1,200 Jews, Muslims and Christians; Israelis, tourists and foreign workers. The attack was characterized by unimaginable acts of brutality -- sustained gang rapes, sexual amputations, beheadings and burning alive even infants.
Hamas terrorists also seized 240 hostages in Israel, forcibly taking them into Gaza's underground city of tunnels, created with international aid money. In the aftermath, Israel, to rescue the hostages and to defend against promised repeated attacks, finds itself engaged in the most unprecedentedly complicated urban warfare. Israel is trying to protect its citizens and maintain its sovereignty in the face of relentless aggression, while battling not only Hamas but also two illegitimate antisemitic courts (the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice), the antisemitic United Nations, antisemitic European countries, well-funded antisemitic demonstrations in the West, and the Biden administration.
The Biden administration not only seemingly whetted the appetite of Iran's regime to attack Israel directly on April 13, 2024, by continually appeasing Iran and failing to veto an anti-Israeli resolution in the UN Security Council, the US has also been trying for years to force oust Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- "Israel's Churchill" -- for being insufficiently subservient.
The US would doubtless prefer an Israeli prime minister who would allow Hamas to remain in control of Gaza and reconstitute its military capabilities; who would allow the creation of a terrorist Palestinian state bordering Israel, and who would stand aside as genocidal Iran obtains nuclear weapons.
Since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979, the regimes, in addition to brutalizing its own people, have called for "Death to Israel," "Death to America," and have called Israel, smaller than New Jersey, a "one bomb" country and threatened to "wipe it" from the map. This situation is compounded by Iran's accelerating advances in its nuclear weapons program, which has surged since the Biden administration assumed office.
Propelled by clandestine activities within its heavily fortified nuclear facilities, Iran's nuclear capabilities have reached a critical point. On Friday, Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani made a chilling declaration, stating:
"In my opinion, we have achieved nuclear weapons, but we do not announce it. It means our policy is to possess nuclear bombs, but our declared policy is currently within the framework of the JCPOA."
It is deeply concerning that the spokesperson representing the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has openly declared Iran's readiness to share its expertise in nuclear weapons with other nations, especially neighboring states.
In addition, the Communist Chinese regime, seeing the Biden administration reward aggression, past, present, and presumably future, is encircling the Philippines and Taiwan and sending tens of thousands of young men of military age in packs across America's southern border, and more than 5,000 over its northern one.
In short, the current US administration, along with its allies, Ireland, Norway and Spain, Europe's racist supporters of terrorism, are widening the window of opportunity for China, Russia, Iran and other malign actors to pursue their objectives with increased confidence. One can only wonder which of the likely leaders of the Free World will permit -- or put a stop to -- these staggering negative trends of geopolitical deterioration in the future.
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
*© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

The US government staffers putting principle over paycheck amid Israel’s Gaza assault
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/May 25, 2024
LONDON: Lily Greenberg-Call recently became the latest Biden administration official to step down in protest over the White House’s handling of the war in Gaza, amid a string of resignations from the US Department of State. Greenberg-Call, who left her position at the Department of the Interior in mid-May, slammed the Biden administration for having “enabled and legitimized” Israel’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip.In her resignation letter she said she “can no longer in good conscience continue to represent this administration amidst President Biden’s disastrous, continued support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”
Biden’s policy in the Middle East has repeatedly come under fire since the onset of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, particularly over the supply of weapons to the Israel Defense Forces, which rights groups say have been used to harm civilians.
The Israeli military’s bombing campaign in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel has killed at least 35,000 Palestinians, razed entire neighborhoods, destroyed the enclave’s infrastructure, and displaced 90 percent of the population. Israel and senior figures in the Biden administration have said Hamas shares in the blame for the high civilian death toll in Gaza. Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, has previously said that Hamas’ tactics have placed “an incredible burden on the IDF, a burden that is unusual for a military in today’s day and age,” by hiding behind civilians as it conducts its war with Israeli forces.
The day Greenberg-Call resigned, the Biden administration told Congress it planned to send $1 billion in new military aid to Israel, despite the president’s opposition to a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, the Associated Press reported. It will be the US’ first arms shipment to Israel since Biden paused the transfer of 3,500 bombs earlier in the month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in April that Israeli troops would expand operations into Rafah — Gaza’s southernmost city. On May 6, Israel mounted a limited operation in Rafah, seizing control of its border crossing with Egypt.
The US government said it had halted the bomb shipment to prevent Israel from using the munitions in its attack on Rafah, an area densely populated with civilians, most of whom have been displaced multiple times.
However, a lower chamber bill on May 16 condemned Biden for the suspension and voted to override it, with Republicans saying the president should not dictate how Israel uses American weapons in its war against Hamas.
But the US Arms Export Control Act of 1961 gives the President the authority to halt — or even terminate — American arms transfers if he finds that the recipient country “has used such articles for unauthorized purposes,” according to a 2020 report by the Congressional Research Service.
The vote prompted some 30 Congressional staffers to march to the base of the steps of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and protesting the vote.
After announcing the halt on the bomb shipment, Biden told CNN that US-manufactured weapons had been used to kill civilians in Gaza.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” he said on May 8.
“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem.”
According to the Washington Post, the US has made more than 100 weapons sales to Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. The sales reportedly included precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms, and more.
In late April, human-rights monitor Amnesty International submitted a 19-page report to US authorities claiming that US weapons provided to Israel had been “used in serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and in a manner that is inconsistent with US law and policy.”
The newly revised US Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, released in February last year, stipulates “preventing arms transfers that risk facilitating or otherwise contributing to violations of human rights or international humanitarian law.”
Hala Rharrit, who stepped down as the Arabic-language spokesperson of the US Department of State in April after 18 years of service over the Biden administration’s policy on Gaza, stressed that the government should “abide by our own laws.”
She told Arab News: “We have systems in place within the State Department to ensure that our weaponry is not used to kill civilians, with requirements put in place requiring recipient countries to limit harm to civilians — to include both civilian populations and civilian infrastructure.
“There are multiple laws on the books that we are ignoring as a State Department — willfully ignoring,” she continued. “There’s the Arms Export Control Act, there’s the Foreign Assistance Act, the Leahy Law — there are multiple regulations that would ensure what’s happening now would never happen.”
Urging the government to follow those laws, Rharrit said: “We would automatically have to condition our aid and, most specifically, cut our offensive military assistance to Israel.”By pausing military assistance to Israel, not only “would we ensure, hopefully, that the IDF does not go into Rafah,” but also “regain credibility amongst Arab states as well — that we’re actually conditioning our aid, we’re standing by our laws, we’re standing by international law. “And that could provide leverage as well, both on the Israeli side and with Arab states to put pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire. We have the ability to use our leverage as the US, but we’re not using it at the moment.”
Asked about her resignation, Rharrit said: “I never anticipated resigning, and I certainly never anticipated resigning in protest of any policy.”
But the human tragedy in Gaza “completely changed that,” she told Arab News. “I could not in good conscience remain in government. After 18 years with the State Department, I decided to finally submit my resignation.”
She added: “I spoke up internally. I made my voice and my concerns heard, not based on my personal opinions, but based on what I was monitoring — and I was monitoring pan-Arab traditional and social media.
“And I was seeing and documenting, and reporting back to Washington, all of the growing anti-Americanism… Nothing was convincing anyone, and we had lost credibility.”Rharrit, who previously served as a human-rights officer, continued: “It’s one of the things that we (the US) are known for and that we stand for, but every day I would see human-rights violation after human-rights violation. And it was clear that we had a double standard, and I could no longer support the policy or the administration.”
Despite their expertise, Rharrit said she and her colleagues were not being heard. “Our concerns, our feedback, our documentation of everything that was happening in the region was being ignored — and that was intensely frustrating.”
She said that US policy in Gaza “is a failed militaristic policy that has achieved nothing — over 35,000 Palestinians killed, over 15,000 of whom are children, the hostages remain in Gaza with their families in Israel protesting against Netanyahu and demanding a ceasefire.”She added: “Despite all this unimaginable suffering and countless attempts by many on the inside to shift policy, it became clear to me that the status quo was resolute.
“Knowing that this policy continued to dehumanize and devastate the Palestinians, generating a vicious cycle of violence, hurting all sides involved, while undermining the US for generations left me no choice but to speak out against the policy from outside government.”Preceding Rharrit in late March was Annelle Sheline, a foreign affairs officer in the department’s human rights bureau, who left after trying to “raise opposition on the inside,” she told ABC News on April 11. “Many of my colleagues, people inside the State Department, are devastated by what US policy is enabling Israel to do to Palestinians inside Gaza,” she said. “They (the Biden administration) continue to send weapons. We’ve seen announcements of new weapons. It’s really shocking that this has been allowed to go on.”In January, former Biden appointee Tariq Habash, a Palestinian-American, resigned from the Department of Education, saying the US administration “turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed against innocent Palestinian lives.”
In his resignation letter, which he shared on the social media platform X, Habash said his government “has aided the indiscriminate violence against Palestinians in Gaza.”
He added: “Despite claims that Israel’s focus is on Hamas, its military actions simultaneously persist across the West Bank, where there is no Hamas governing presence.”
Since Oct. 7, Israeli troops and Jewish settlers have killed at least 502 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli authorities have also arrested more than 7,000 people in the territory, according to prisoners’ affairs groups. Ten days after Israel began its Gaza offensive, Josh Paul, a former director overseeing US arms transfers, quit the Department of State, citing “a policy disagreement concerning our continued lethal assistance to Israel.”
In a letter he posted on LinkedIn, Paul said his government’s “rushing” to provide arms to Israel was “shortsighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse.”He described the Hamas attack on southern Israel as “a monstrosity of monstrosities,” but said he also believed “the response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people.”Protests by US administration staffers against its policy in the Middle East have taken various forms besides public resignations. In November, more than 400 of Biden’s employees signed an open letter calling on him to urgently pursue a ceasefire in Gaza. With the approaching US presidential election complicating Biden’s room for maneuver, the Israeli government committed to continuing its offensive, and with negotiations brokered by Qatar and Egypt making scant headway, such a ceasefire seems unlikely anytime soon.

Gantz puts Netanyahu on a three-week notice
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/May 25, 2024
When he called a press conference at the end of the Jewish sabbath last week, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war Cabinet and leader of the National Unity Party, raised expectations of a dramatic announcement. Many anticipated that he and his party had decided to part company with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, as it has become obvious that the supposedly moderating influence of Gantz on the far-right tendencies of the coalition was no longer able to serve such a purpose, if it ever did. True to his usual, hesitant form, however, Gantz could not find in himself the courage to resign from the government on the spot. Instead, he put Netanyahu on a three-week notice as he issued an ultimatum that included six conditions for their political partnership to continue. If they are not met by June 8, the government will revert to a “pure” far-right version, without the more moderate safety net provided by his party. There was some rationale for National Unity to join the government in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, given the need to respond to the outrage. It quickly became apparent that Netanyahu was barely functioning as a leader as he presided over a government that included far-right messianic-fanatic elements with hardly any diplomatic or military experience. However, it could equally be argued that a decision to remain in opposition, as leader of the opposition Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party did, might have been even more effective. From that position, support for the government could have been provided when merited but, equally, constructive criticism could have been delivered when required.
Either way, when it became apparent that Netanyahu, for his own egotistical reasons, had no interest in ending the war or securing the release of hostages, and that the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza and the utter devastation inflicted on the tiny territory had become reckless, it was surely time for National Unity to leave the government to avoid becoming complicit in its actions and tainted by its disastrous conduct. It was actually Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, from Netanyahu’s own Likud party, who in a televised address this month confirmed what we have all known for some time: that Israel under its current prime minister has no plan for “the day after.”
He urged Netanyahu to make “tough decisions” to advance the non-Hamas governance of Gaza, whatever the personal or political cost, because what he described as the “gains” of the war were being eroded, compromising Israel’s long-term security.
In a rare demonstration of civil courage, which is a characteristic Netanyahu completely lacks, Gallant made it clear in no uncertain terms that he would not allow the establishment of Israeli military rule in the Gaza Strip because “the end of the military campaign must be a political act.”
Astonishingly, he then confirmed: “Unfortunately, no such plan has been brought for debate and, worse yet, no alternative has been presented in its place.”
In other words, straight from the horse’s mouth, more than seven months into the war, the Israeli government still has no plan for the day after.
Netanyahu’s response to Gantz was utterly dismissive, which should be a clear indication to his party that its time is up and that its coalition government has passed its sell-by date. Gantz, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, added his voice to this sentiment several days later when he stated the imperative need to establish a vision for ending the war and for the future of Gaza as one of his conditions for remaining in the government. Another is that the return of all remaining hostages is secured. Gantz knows full well that the chances of bringing any of them back alive are fading, which is something Netanyahu and the far-right elements in his government seem to be completely indifferent about. However, when Gantz claimed that personal and political considerations had “begun to enter the most sacred parts of Israel’s defense,” it was hard to avoid the feeling he was “playing the innocent” on this point. Only someone who has been on a different planet for at least the year-and-a-half since the current Israeli government was formed could try to claim that only now have ulterior motives started to creep into Netanyahu’s decision making.
This government has been one big exercise in serving Netanyahu’s personal and political interests — mainly to help him to avoid justice — and in return for that he has been happy to hand the country’s steering wheel to elements intent on taking Israel on a destructive journey of deadly confrontation with the Palestinians, isolation from the international community, the demolition of its democratic system, and complete moral bankruptcy.
For these elements, Oct. 7 was a blessing; not a curse or a disaster but a sign that Israel must return to Gaza, take complete control of the territory, build Jewish settlements there, and take steps that eventually lead to annexation of the West Bank.
In the absence of any desire by Netanyahu to instantly quash such senseless and dangerous ideas, there was no justification for either Gantz or his most senior political partner, Gadi Eisenkot, to remain in the government, especially since there is no end in sight to the war, the hostages have not returned, and Gaza is becoming yet another failed conflict with no political horizon.
In the meantime, families of the hostages have faced constant, vicious, and sometimes violent attacks from supporters of the government, actively enabled by the police, resulting in ever-deeper divisions within a society more fragmented than ever before.
The situation cries out for a strong opposition that demands a State Commission of Inquiry to investigate the failures that led to Oct. 7 and everything that has followed, and for an election so that the people of the country can choose the kind of government opinion polls suggest they want.
Can anyone still delude themselves into believing that the current Israeli government, given who leads it and who calls the shots, is capable of meeting the challenges the country faces and extricating it from the mess it has got itself into? Of course not; this crass coalition is more likely to further exacerbate Israel’s predicaments than resolve them. Some of the strategic goals Gantz set out in his ultimatum to Netanyahu are unrealistic, and not even compatible with each other, as long as the current government remains in power. The overthrow of Hamas, for example, even if achievable would require many more months, or even years, of Israeli presence in Gaza. This is, therefore, incompatible with his other demands for the establishment of a joint US, European, Arab, and Palestinian administration that would manage Gaza’s civilian affairs, and the repatriation of residents of northern Israel who were evacuated from their homes.
Netanyahu’s response to Gantz was utterly dismissive, which should be a clear indication to his party that its time is up and that its coalition government has passed its sell-by date. The sooner he quits, the better he will serve his people.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Program at international affairs think tank Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg

Saudi Arabia’s message of cooperation to all Iraqis
Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/May 25, 2024
The visit of Saudi Ambassador to Iraq Abdulaziz Al-Shammari to Karbala on May 13 was no ordinary visit. It was considered a significant and historic event. The visit of the Saudi ambassador to the shrine of Hussein bin Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was the highlight. The shrine is a significant pilgrimage destination for millions of Shiites, including Saudi citizens. The visit of the Saudi ambassador to a city revered by Shiites marks an important milestone. By visiting the shrine of Imam Hussein and expressing admiration for its beauty, the ambassador sent a strong message of Saudi Arabia’s inclusivity toward all Iraqi communities, regardless of their sect or cultural background. This visit demonstrates that the Kingdom remains impartial and does not favor any particular sect. Iraqi sources expressed their support for the visit, stating that it reflected a shared desire between Riyadh and Baghdad to enhance cooperation and strengthen official and popular relations. The same sources also indicated that the majority of Iraqis received news of the visit with great joy.
The religious authority in Najaf, which has great influence on millions of Shiite Muslims in Iraq and beyond, also endorsed the visit of Al-Shammari. A reliable source informed me that “the religious authority knew about the visit in advance and gave the green light to the officials at the Al-Husseiniya shrine to arrange the ambassador’s arrival and reception in the best way possible.” The source added: “The religious authority believes that Iraq should have strong relations with the Kingdom because it is in the interest of both peoples and the entire region.”
Al-Shammari’s visit to Karbala was part of the Kingdom’s religious diplomacy, which aims to foster respectful relationships between moderate parties. The visit also conveyed Riyadh’s appreciation for religious diversity, its endorsement of communication between different groups, and its opposition to any extremist sectarian rhetoric that creates problems among Muslims.
The visit of the Saudi ambassador to Karbala marks an important milestone.
This visit was preceded on April 26 by the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announcing a plan for direct flights from Dammam in the east of the Kingdom to the Iraqi city of Najaf, where the headquarters of the “Hawza” (a seminary where Shiite Muslim clerics are trained) and the shrine of Caliph Ali bin Abi Taleb are located. Najaf holds a unique position due to its cultural, religious and historical significance. The intention to operate direct flights via Saudi carriers from Dammam to Najaf comes within the context of strengthening popular relations. It could also boost future trade exchanges.
The first direct Saudi flight to Najaf will be on June 1. Most likely, Al-Shammari will be there to welcome it, which means that the ambassador will visit Najaf. If Al-Shammari were to visit Najaf, it would be a trip to the holiest city in Iraq for Shiite Muslims and would show that he is welcome by the religious authority there. This gesture goes beyond Al-Shammari individually and sends a positive message from the religious authority to the government of Saudi Arabia. It is also possible that Al-Shammari will meet with Sheikh Ishaq Al-Fayyad in Najaf. Al-Fayyad holds a prominent position among Hawza scholars and is considered the second most influential religious authority in Iraq after Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani. If this meeting takes place, it would send a strong message about cooperation between moderate forces that seek to promote the values of civil peace and mutual respect among Muslims. Of course, the extremists in both sects will not be happy with such meetings. However, they are part of a Saudi strategy, not just a temporary stance. This strategy aims to combat violent sectarian rhetoric and increase cooperation with all Iraqis. Riyadh considers this to be in the interests of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the Gulf.
*Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher interested in Islamic movements, the development of religious discourse and the relationship between the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran. X: @Halmustafa

Migration becomes a ‘dirty war’
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/May 25, 2024
In an era marked by geopolitical upheaval and humanitarian crises, the surge in migration from the areas around the Sahara to the southern shores of Europe perfectly encapsulates the distressing narratives of our time: struggle, desperation, and exploitation. The mass movement of people along this migrant corridor, long a subject of international concern, has descended into what might most aptly be described as a “dirty war,” given the convergence of conflict, political autocracy, and geopolitical maneuverings inherent to the issue; especially when we consider Russia’s recent forays into a restless region abandoned by France, and later this year, those of the US. The Sahel, a region that lies between the Sudan’s savannas to the south and the Sahara to the north, and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, remains fraught with multifaceted crises resulting from combinations of environmental degradation, extreme poverty, persistent jihadism, intercommunal violence, and decades of instability.
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso bear the brunt of this, as malign actors continue to exploit local grievances and failures of governance to extend their own spheres of influence, enhance their operations, and entrench themselves in the region’s expansive ungoverned spaces.
Every year, thousands of people die and many more are displaced as a result of violent escalations linked to extremist groups. This persistent human insecurity not only devastates local economies but also uproots communities, compelling vast numbers of people to embark on perilous journeys in the hope of finding refuge or a better life in Europe.
The exodus from the Sahel is intricately linked to shifting regional dynamics, including the political collapse and ensuing chaos in Libya that began in 2011, which has transformed the country into a key transit point for migrants. The International Organization for Migration and other agencies consistently report on migrants in their thousands who attempt to traverse perilous routes via Libya, only to end up facing abhorrent human rights abuses. Many perish along the way.
Critics and humanitarian organizations also decry the fact that official data tends to underreport the severity of an unfolding crisis that is not fueled solely by the quest for better economic opportunities. Between untenable situations in their home countries and the horrific uncertainties about what lies in store at the end of their journeys, for many of the migrants who have already attempted dangerous journeys, and the many more sure to follow, their actions are a desperate bid simply to survive.
Worryingly, Tunisia, once hailed as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world, is now stuck in a seemingly irreversible descent into autocracy. This shift has not only intensified internal dissent but significantly contributed to a worsening migration crisis at its borders and on its shores.
Clampdowns on personal liberties and political opposition, as well as the public vilification of sub-Saharan migrants, mean Tunisia is now both a source and transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe, in search of what they have lost under the ever-tightening grip of the current regime.
This dangerous drift, egregiously compounded by economic miseries and social strife, paints a grim picture of a nation in decline. Tunisia’s embrace of controversial ideologies such as the “great replacement” theory — publicly supported by the current regime, which in February last year accused sub-Saharan Africans of diluting the Tunisian identity — reflects a dangerous trend of scapegoating that inflames social tensions.
The result is that Tunisian authorities are cracking down on migrants, forcibly displacing hundreds of them to desert regions on the nation’s borders with Libya and Algeria, and in doing so displaying a chilling sense of indifference to humanitarian norms. These sweeping actions not only shine a glaring spotlight on a wayward regime’s disregard for its international obligations but place additional burdens on already precarious migrant routes, precipitating a humanitarian debacle with both immediate and long-term implications for the wider Mediterranean migration crisis. Given its historical ties to Europe, Tunisia’s lurch toward autocracy, and its corollary effects on migration, add a layer of complexity to the EU’s engagement with North African states. Europe should approach migration management from the standpoint of regional collaboration. Europe, already struggling with striking a balance between its democratic values and migration control, is increasingly finding its policies tested as the situation in Tunisia continues to worsen. Clearly, the repercussions of the nation’s descent into authoritarianism extend far beyond its shores. This poses challenges to regional stability and procedures for the safe repatriation of migrants that ensure their human rights and dignity are respected, and places a strain on concerted efforts to provide viable pathways for legal migration and asylum.
Additionally, the growing presence of Russia in Libya — and its expanding influence across the Sahel, ostensibly through Moscow-affiliated private military contractors such as the Wagner Group — represents a strategic maneuvering that casts a dark shadow over the deepening migration crisis.
The main aim of Russia’s military and political engagement in these regions is to counter Western influence but it has a more insidious side effect: the further destabilization of already volatile regions.
This not only intensifies local conflicts but also potentially accelerates flows of migrants toward Europe, in a scenario that is eerily similar to the 2015 European migrant crisis, during which Syrians, Iraqis, Libyans, Afghans and Eritreans attempted to reach Europe to escape war, intercommunal violence or severe hardship.
As this disheartening narrative and its wide-ranging implications continue to unfold, Europe appears fragmented and indecisive. A partnership agreement with Egypt to curb migration through North Africa, alongside similar deals with Libya, Morocco, and Mauritania, reflects a strange strategy of externalizing migration controls through the southern extension of Europe’s borders.
Likewise, the relocation of European political discourse on the issue to the other side of the Mediterranean, by political leaders such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is a tactical but potentially futile attempt to manage migration flows at source and transit points.
Such measures are indicative of a broader European retreat from a cohesive policy on migration. This plays into the hands of autocrats and external powers such as Russia, which seem to be a step ahead in their geopolitical calculations.
What Europe should have done, and still could do, is approach migration management from the standpoint of regional collaboration, rather than attempt to compartmentalize engagement. This could help to discourage countries such as Tunisia from pushing migrants toward Libya and Algeria or, as an investigation by the Washington Post discovered was happening, simply abandoning them in the middle of the desert.
By treating migration as the shared challenge it undoubtedly is, Brussels would then be able to speak and engage with one voice, both within the bloc and with nations in North Africa, to help insulate its coordinated efforts on migration from shifting political winds.
In the run up to the European elections in June, the issue of migration and the bumbling responses to it have created a rift between the frontline countries that bear the brunt of the influx and countries in the north of the continent that are wary of funding futile interventions.
The dizzying web of political, military, and humanitarian issues that entangle the issue of migration from areas around the Sahara to Europe paints a very grim picture that is likely to get even worse as clandestine, opportunistic actors continue to capitalize on the collapse of state structures and the weakening of security. Moreover, the decline of European willpower in its efforts to craft decisive policies on migration simply compounds a crisis that is as much about the displaced as it is about the geopolitics on which their fates are dependent.
**Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell