English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 11/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in
by another way is a thief and a bandit.
John 10/01-06: “‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the
sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The
one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens
the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them,
and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a
stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of
strangers.’Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not
understand what he was saying to them.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on November 10-11/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Heavenly Justice Takes Vengeance on
Hezbollah’s Terrorist Mastermind, the Criminal Salim Ayyash
Elias Bejjan/Video & Text: Hezbollah: Neither Lebanese Nor Resistance, But an
Iranian Armed Jihadist-Terrorist Proxy Imposed on Lebanon and Its Shiite
Community
The Killing of Salim Ayyash, Convicted of Hariri’s Assassination, in Israeli
Airstrikes on Syria
In a First, Israel Strikes Syrian, Hezbollah Positions in Idlib
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Lebanon and isolated northern Gaza while
Netanyahu and Trump speak
Israel strike on Syria kills 9 including Hezbollah commander: monitor
Syria says seven civilians killed in Israeli strike near Damascus
Israeli strike near Damascus kills seven: war monitor
53 Killed in Israeli Strike North of Beirut
Israel Defense Minister Katz Says Israel Has Defeated Hezbollah
At Least 40 Killed as Israel Pounds Lebanon
IDF reveals Hezbollah missile arsenal severely depleted since beginning of
operations
IDF troops find a ready-for-launch missile system in Lebanon
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November 10-11/2024
Trump wants Israel to defeat Hamas,
Hezbollah, and Iran by Jan. 20
The US president-elect believes this is the dawn of a new Middle East,
Evangelical advisor Mike Evans tells Israel Today.
Trump to tighten the screws on Tehran
Trump in phone call advised Putin not to escalate in Ukraine, says Washington
Post
Iran calls to expel Israel from UN after Syria strike
Netanyahu says spoke again with Trump about Iran ‘threat’
Saudi crown prince receives call from Iran president
Arab, Muslim leaders to meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on Gaza, Lebanon wars
Druze Maccabi TLV fan misleads Amsterdam attackers by speaking Arabic
This is how UNRWA is involved in Palestinian terrorism against Israel
'Should I wait until everybody’s dead?': ICC's Khan defends warrants against
Netanyahu, Gallant
British journalist and political commentator Douglas Murray: Trump can
'clean-up' Biden's mess by supporting Israel, defunding Iran
US, Britain launch raids on Yemeni capital Sana'a, Houthi TV says - report
Fifteen Chad soldiers killed in operation against Boko Haram, army says
UN nuclear head to visit Iran for talks on country's nuclear program as next
Trump presidency looms
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November 10-11/2024
Defying the mullahs, Iranians resist
antisemitic doctrine/SHAYAN SAMII/THE MEDIA LINE, SHAHRAM KHOLDI/THE MEDIA
LINE/November 10/2024
Trump 2.0 will again bring normalization to the Middle East/Yoel Guzansky/Jerusalem
Post/November 10/2024
Hamas Must Be Defeated, Not Legitimized/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/November 10, 2024
How will the recent US election affect Iran, Russia, and North Korea?/Louis Rene
Beres/Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
Iran has developed fentanyl-based chemical weapons/Michael Peck/Business
Insider/November 10, 2024
Reading In the Amsterdam Terrorist Attack On The Israeli soccer fans/Yair Ravid
(Abu Daoud)/November 10/2024
Pressure on Israel crucial to Middle East peace/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab
News/November 11, 2024
A new era of hope: Trump’s return and the promise of stability/Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab
News/November 11, 2024
A diversifying Europe mustn’t tear itself apart/Baria Alamuddin/Arab
News/November 11, 2024
Iran-Trump… Why Now?/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
Sistani and the State Authority/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on November 10-11/2024
Elias
Bejjani/Text & Video: Heavenly Justice Takes Vengeance on Hezbollah’s Terrorist
Mastermind, the Criminal Salim Ayyash
Elias Bejjani, November 11, 2024
Isaiah 33/01/Woe to you destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you
betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be
destroyed; when you stop betraying you will be betrayed.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/136707/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p_aitt-Cv8
Isaiah 33/01/Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been
destroyed! Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop
destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betrayingyou will be betrayed.
In an act of divine justice, Hezbollah security leader Salim Ayyash—convicted
for the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri along with multiple
Lebanese MPs, journalists, and security figures—was reportedly killed by an
Israeli airstrike in the town of Qusayr, Syria. Alongside three bodyguards,
Ayyash met his fate, fulfilling the adage, “The killer will be killed, even if
delayed.” This reflects the concept that God grants time but does not neglect
justice. Such outcomes bear testimony to divine intervention in eradicating
high-ranking Hezbollah terrorists, figures steeped in the corruption and heresy
that Hezbollah’s Iranian-driven mission has wrought on Lebanon and beyond.
Yesterday, Israeli Channel 12 announced the airstrike, marking the end of
Ayyash’s long, murderous career, which inflicted terror on opponents of
Hezbollah’s occupation and malign objectives.
***
Lebanese journalist, Jean Faghali, commented aptly in Nidaa Al-Watan newspaper
today is an admonishing critics to refrain from disparaging the Lebanese Army,
which he defended by contrasting Hezbollah’s failure to protect its own, leading
to the assassinations of its key figures like Imad Mughniyeh, Qassem Soleimani,
Mustafa Badreddine, and others—most of whom perished in Israeli strikes with no
Hezbollah reprisal demanded against Syria or Iran.
He writes: “Raise your voices against Hezbollah’s shortcomings, not the Lebanese
Army.”
In his piece, Jean Faghali draws attention to the series of high-profile
Hezbollah figures who have been assassinated, often under puzzling
circumstances.
He highlights the lack of accountability within Hezbollah for the repeated
breaches in security that allowed these targeted killings. Figures like Imad
Mughniyeh, who was assassinated in Syria within a tightly secured diplomatic
zone managed by Syrian intelligence, raise serious questions. How did Israel’s
Mossad penetrate such highly secured areas to eliminate Mughniyeh? Faghali asks
why Hezbollah never issued a statement demanding Syria to account for this
security breach.
He continues, noting similar cases, such as the assassination of Mustafa
Badreddine, also in Syria, and others like Hajj Hassan Nasrallah and top
Hezbollah operatives who were struck within Hezbollah-controlled territories in
Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Faghali criticizes Hezbollah for its failure to demand explanations or accept
responsibility for these losses. Instead, he argues, critics fixate on perceived
flaws within the Lebanese Army while overlooking the severe lapses in
Hezbollah’s own security network.
He emphasizes that Hezbollah’s critics only focus on “the splinter in the eye”
of the Lebanese Army, while ignoring “the plank in the eyes” of those
responsible for guarding Hezbollah’s operatives. Even regarding recent
incidents, such as the kidnapping in Batroun, Faghali raises questions: if the
kidnapped individual was not affiliated with Hezbollah, why did Sheikh Naim
Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, take a significant interest in the
matter? And if he was indeed affiliated, why did Hezbollah fail to protect him?
Faghali concludes that Hezbollah, by refusing coordination with the Lebanese
Army and acting unilaterally, has no grounds to question or challenge the Army’s
stance.
He asserts that the Lebanese Army remains the entity with the authority to ask
questions—not Hezbollah. As he firmly states, “Raise your voices away from the
Army.”
Elias Bejjan/Video & Text: Hezbollah: Neither Lebanese Nor
Resistance, But an Iranian Armed Jihadist-Terrorist Proxy Imposed on Lebanon and
Its Shiite Community
Elias Bejjani/November 09/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/136656/
The Shiite community in Lebanon has been held hostage by Hezbollah since 1982.
This group did not emerge as a voluntary choice for the Shiites, but rather was
imposed upon them by armed force during the 1980s under Syrian occupation. This
imposition was a calculated agreement between the Iranian regime and the Assad
Ba'athist regime, aimed at controlling Lebanon through a proxy force. Hezbollah
completed its domination over Lebanon’s Shiite community in 1988, following the
battles of Iqlim al-Tuffah, which forced the Amal Movement into submission and
transformed it into a symbolic facade that carries out orders without any
genuine decision-making power.
From the start, Hezbollah has systematically isolated Lebanon’s Shiites from the
rest of the Lebanese people, from the state, and from Arab identity, cementing
its control over their representation, education, religious institutions, and
social frameworks across all areas of Shiite presence in Lebanon. The group’s
MPs do not serve the community; they serve Hezbollah’s command and agenda, which
aligns solely with Iran’s interests. Hezbollah has militarized the youth,
deploying them in battlefields across Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the Gulf, and even
Western countries, all to serve the expansionist ambitions of the Iranian
regime.
Hezbollah openly declares that it operates within the structure of Iran’s "Army
of the Guardianship of the Jurist" (Wilayat al-Faqih), boasting that all its
resources—financial, military, and operational—are provided by Iran and
dedicated to advancing Iran’s agenda. From its inception, Hezbollah has never
been a true resistance force for Lebanon. It is not concerned with liberating
Palestine or defending Lebanese sovereignty. Instead, it functions as an
obedient arm of Iran, carrying out Iran’s regional strategies with absolute
loyalty to Tehran.
Hezbollah is not Lebanese; it is an Iranian military force in Lebanon. Its
presence undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty, holds the Shiite community hostage,
and drags Lebanon into wars that only serve Iranian interests, particularly the
ongoing confrontation with Israel.
The ongoing current war, that Hezbollaha waged against Israel under the guise of
"resistance," has nothing to do with Lebanon’s interests or its people’s safety.
Hezbollah’s existence in Lebanon as well as its wars serve only the Iranian
regime, and its loyalty lies entirely with Tehran—not with Lebanon.
The Lebanese people, and particularly the Shiite community, deserve freedom from
this forced allegiance. They deserve a future where they can engage with the
Lebanese state and the broader Arab community without the chains of Iranian
control. The dismantling of Hezbollah’s hold over Lebanon and its people is
imperative for reclaiming Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, and peace.
The Killing of Salim Ayyash, Convicted of Hariri’s
Assassination, in Israeli Airstrikes on Syria
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/136695/
Images circulating on social media displayed Israeli airstrikes on two buildings
in Sayyida Zaynab, in the Damascus countryside.
Al Arabiya Net, Agencies, November 10, 2024 (Google Translation)
Sources from Al Arabiya and Al Hadath confirmed the death of Hezbollah leader
Salim Ayyash, who was convicted of assassinating Rafik Hariri, in an Israeli
airstrike in Syria. Ayyash, along with three other Hezbollah members, was
convicted in absentia by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in December 2020 for
his involvement in Hariri’s assassination on February 14, 2005. Born in 1963 in
Harouf, southern Lebanon, Ayyash was accused, along with Hussein Oneissi, Hassan
Habib Merhi, and Assad Sabra, of participating in a conspiracy to carry out a
terrorist act.
Unconfirmed reports indicate Ayyash was killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting a
Hezbollah facility near the town of Qusayr, close to the Lebanese border, on
November 9. At least nine people were killed and over 15 wounded in Israeli
airstrikes on Sayyida Zaynab, south of Damascus. A medical source in Sayyida
Zaynab noted that "at least eight people were killed and more than 15 others,
mostly women and children, were injured" in initial tallies from Israeli
airstrikes that struck three areas around Sayyida Zaynab.
Local residents reported that the Israeli strikes targeted two buildings,
demolishing several apartments and trapping people inside. Survivors carried
injured family members to hospitals before rescue teams, civil defense, the
army, and police arrived. A resident shared that an apartment on the third floor
was entirely destroyed, killing everyone inside. The Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights reported that three Hezbollah members died in the Israeli
airstrikes on Sayyida Zaynab.
The official Syrian news agency (SANA) confirmed explosions in Damascus. The
Observatory’s Director, Rami Abdulrahman, stated that "three people were killed
in an Israeli airstrike on Sayyida Zaynab," adding that the airstrike targeted
an apartment housing Hezbollah members. The Observatory indicated that the
attack aimed to target individuals in the building, which was occupied by
Hezbollah personnel near the Sayyida Zaynab Municipality.
The targeted area includes the Sayyida Zaynab shrine, a significant site for the
Shiite community that has drawn fighters loyal to Tehran, notably Hezbollah, who
have fought alongside Syrian government forces. This incident follows the deaths
of five people in Israeli airstrikes on northern and northwestern Syria early
Saturday, which reportedly included four pro-Iranian Syrian fighters.
Additionally, the Israeli army confirmed on Monday that it had bombed
Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Syria. Since Syria’s conflict began in
2011, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes on Syrian military targets and
Iranian-allied factions supporting the Assad regime, with Hezbollah being a
primary target. The frequency of these Israeli strikes has increased since the
Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in Gaza on October 7.
Israel has recently intensified strikes on points near border crossings between
Syria and Lebanon, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from transferring weaponry from
Syria to Lebanon. The Israeli army has consistently targeted weapons transfers
from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Two of these border crossings
have been rendered non-functional due to Israeli airstrikes last month. Israel
rarely comments on its operations in Syria but has stated that it will not allow
Iran to establish a foothold in the neighboring country.
In a significant incident in early April, an airstrike attributed to Israel
struck the Iranian consulate in Damascus, dealing a serious blow, as claimed by
both Iran and Syria. Approximately 3,000 Revolutionary Guard fighters and
military advisors are stationed in Syria, per the Syrian Observatory. Iran has
reduced its military presence in Syria following repeated Israeli strikes that
targeted its senior military personnel.
In a First, Israel Strikes Syrian, Hezbollah Positions
in Idlib
Damascus: Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
Israeli jets carried out on Saturday strikes against joint positions held by
Syrian forces and Hezbollah in the Saraqeb region in Syria’s northwestern Idlib
province. This is the first time that Israel targets regions held by the regime
and opposition factions. Israel also struck a scientific research center in the
vicinity of the city of Al-Safira near Aleppo. The Syrian Defense Ministry
confirmed the strikes that took place overnight on Friday. It said the attacks
left several military personnel wounded and caused material damage. The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli jets flew over the international
coalition base in the al-Tanf region on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border after
flying over Syria’s Sweida and Daraa regions. Syrian government radars detected
the jets without intercepting them, added the rights monitor. Local media
sources said the strikes on Saraqeb targeted positions held by Hezbollah and the
Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Seven people were killed and 15 injured in the
attack. The attack took place hours after a meeting between Turkish and Russian
officials at a position held by Russian forces in the village of al-Tronba near
Saraqeb. Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in
Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by
armed group Hamas on Israeli territory.
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Lebanon and isolated
northern Gaza while Netanyahu and Trump speak
Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy And Kareem Chehayeb/AP/November 10, 2024
Israeli strikes killed dozens of people including children on Sunday in Lebanon
and isolated northern Gaza, as the world watched for signs of how the U.S.
election might affect the war against Iranian-backed militant groups Hamas and
Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has spoken three
times with Donald Trump since Tuesday’s election and they “see eye-to-eye
regarding the Iranian threat and all of its components.” Israel’s president,
Isaac Herzog, is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday. The
Israeli airstrike in Lebanon killed at least 23 people including seven children
in Aalmat village north of Beirut, far from the areas in the east and south
where Hezbollah militants have a major presence. Lebanon's Health Ministry said
another six people were wounded. There was no Israeli evacuation warning. There
was no immediate Israeli comment. Hezbollah began firing rockets, drones and
missiles into Israel after war broke out in Gaza, in solidarity with the
Palestinians and Hamas. Israel retaliated, and a series of escalations have led
to all-out war. In northern Gaza, an Israeli strike on a home sheltering
displaced people in the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya killed at least 17 people
including nine women, according to Dr. Fadel Naim, director of Al-Ahly Hospital
in Gaza City. Israel's military said it targeted a site where militants were
operating, without providing evidence. It said the details of the strike are
under review. A separate strike hit a house in Gaza City, killing Wael al-Khour,
a minister in the Hamas-run government, as well as his wife and three children,
according to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the
government.
Israel strikes deeper into Lebanon
Israel has struck deeper inside Lebanon since September, when it killed
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as well as most of his top commanders.
Hezbollah has expanded its rocket fire from northern to central Israel. The
fighting has killed over 3,000 people in Lebanon, according to the Health
Ministry, and more than 70 people in Israel. After Israel's strike in Aalmat,
some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Beirut, legislator Raed Berro denied that
any Hezbollah personnel or assets were in the building that was hit, adding:
“The important people are on the front line resisting … It is impossible for
them to be among people in civilian life." Hassan Ghaddaf, who lived next door
and was lightly wounded, said displaced people were in the house that was
struck. “I had seen them and got to know them the other day,” Ghaddaf said.
“They were peaceful. On the contrary, they had someone from the Lebanese
Internal Security Forces that works for the state, and we saw their garb and
clothes in the rubble.”In Syria, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building
in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab and the Defense Ministry said seven
civilians were killed, state news agency SANA reported. Britain-based opposition
war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested Hezbollah was
targeted. Israel did not immediately comment.
Fears of famine in northern Gaza
The mid-month deadline is approaching for an ultimatum the Biden administration
gave Israel to allow more aid into Gaza or risk possible restrictions on U.S.
military funding. Israeli forces have encircled and largely isolated Jabaliya
and the nearby northern Gaza towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun for the past
month, allowing only a trickle of humanitarian aid. Experts from a panel that
monitors food security say famine is imminent or may already be happening. The
northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, has suffered the heaviest
destruction of the 13-month war that was triggered by Hamas' attack into
southern Israel. Israel has sent forces back in after repeated operations,
saying Hamas has regrouped. Israeli strikes often kill women and children. The
military says it only targets militants, whom it accuses of hiding among
civilians. Also Sunday, Israel's military released what it said was video
footage of Hamas abusing detainees. The soundless footage, dated from 2018 to
2020, appears to show hooded detainees chained in stress positions. In some
clips, men beat or poke them with batons. It was not possible to independently
verify the videos, which the military said it recovered during operations in
Gaza. Rights groups have long accused the Hamas-run government in Gaza and the
Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank of abusing
detainees and violently quashing dissent. Israel has been accused of similar
abuses, especially since the start of the war. Israeli prison authorities say
they follow relevant laws and investigate any allegations of wrongdoing.
The toll of war
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on
Oct. 7, 2023. They killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted
around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, about a third believed to
be dead. Israel's offensive has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, according to
local health authorities who do not distinguish between civilians and militants
in their count but say over half the dead were women and children. Israeli
bombardment and ground invasions have left vast areas of Gaza in ruins and
displaced around 90% of the population of 2.3 million people, often multiple
times. Hundreds of thousands of people live in tent camps with few if any
services. Cease-fire talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have
repeatedly stalled, as have parallel efforts by the U.S. and others to halt the
fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, said
Saturday it had suspended its efforts and would resume them when “the parties
show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war.”
Israel strike on Syria kills 9 including Hezbollah
commander: monitor
AFP/November 10, 2024
BEIRUT: Israel struck an apartment belonging to Hezbollah in a stronghold of
pro-Iran groups south of Damascus on Sunday, killing nine people including a
commander, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one
of the dead was a Lebanese commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in
Syria. Israel has increased strikes on Syria since an all-out war with Hezbollah
in Lebanon erupted on September 23. Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the
Britain-based monitor, told AFP that the commander “was active in Syria and held
Lebanese nationality.” The man’s name is not yet known.
The monitor, which has a network of sources inside Syria, said that “nine people
lost their lives — four civilians (a woman and her three children) of Syrian
nationality, and five others, including a Hezbollah commander.”It said the
strike hit “an apartment in a building in the Sayyida Zeinab area” south of the
Syrian capital. According to the monitor, 14 others were wounded in the strike
which “targeted individuals in an apartment inhabited by Lebanese families and
Hezbollah members.” Some of those killed in the strike “remain unidentified,”
the Observatory said. Syria’s official SANA news agency reported an “Israeli
aggression targeting a residential building in the Sayyida Zeinab” area, home to
a major Shiite shrine. It later reported a death toll of “seven civilians,
including children and women,” and 20 wounded. On Saturday, four pro-Iran
fighters were among five people killed in Israeli strikes in north and northwest
Syria, the Observatory reported. Since Syria’s civil war broke out in 2011,
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria, mainly targeting army
positions and fighters including from Hezbollah. Israeli authorities rarely
comment on the strikes, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy
Iran to expand its presence in Syria.
Syria says seven civilians killed in Israeli strike near
Damascus
Reuters/November 10, 2024
An Israeli strike on a residential building in the Sayeda Zainab district south
of the Syrian capital Damascus killed seven civilians on Sunday, the Syrian
defence ministry said, in the second such attack in less than a week. The
fatalities included women and children, with 20 people also injured, the
ministry said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which
said last week that its air force had struck intelligence assets of the
Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in the same area. Sayeda Zainab, a
stronghold of Hezbollah and the site of a major Shi'ite shrine, has been the
target in previous strikes. The heavily garrisoned area near the shrine is also
a well known stronghold of Hezbollah, which is one of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad's chief allies. Israel has ramped up strikes in Syria since the Oct. 7
attack by militant group Hamas on Israel in 2023 and particularly since the
escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Syrian and Western intelligence
sources say Israeli attacks in Syria have killed scores of Hezbollah and
pro-Iranian militia fighters based around the eastern outskirts of Damascus and
to the south of the city.
Israeli strike near Damascus kills seven: war monitor
AFP/November 10, 2024
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on an apartment belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah
group killed seven people Sunday in a stronghold of pro-Iran groups south of
Damascus, a war monitor said. “An Israeli strike killed seven people and wounded
14, including women and children, in the Sayyida Zeinab area,” Rami Abdel Rahman,
who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP, revising an earlier
toll of three dead. The Britain-based monitor, which has a network of sources
inside Syria, earlier said that “the Israeli attack targeted (Hezbollah) figures
in the building where Lebanese families and members of the movement
live.”Syria’s official SANA news agency reported an “Israeli aggression
targeting a residential building in the Sayyida Zeinab” area, home to a major
Shiite shrine, that killed and injured an unspecified number of people. On
Saturday, four pro-Iran fighters were among five people killed in Israeli
strikes in north and northwest Syria, the Observatory reported. Since Syria’s
civil war broke out in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in
Syria, mainly targeting army positions and fighters including from Hezbollah.
The strikes have increased since Israel entered an all-out war with Hezbollah in
Lebanon on September 23. Israeli authorities rarely comment on the strikes, but
have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence
in Syria.
53 Killed in Israeli Strike North of Beirut
Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike on Sunday killed 53 people,
including seven children, in the village of Almat north of the capital Beirut.
AFPTV footage showed rescuers rummaging with their bare hands through the
wreckage of a house that had been completely razed, pulling out bodies wrapped
in blankets while an excavator moved the rubble. The Shiite Muslim majority
village of Almat, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Beirut, is located in a
mostly Christian Jbeil region. It is outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds
of south Beirut and south and east Lebanon, which Israel has heavily bombed
since late September in its war against the Iran-backed movement. It also said
body parts had been recovered from the site and were being identified. A pile of
broken concrete and the twisted metal structure that made up the roof lay at the
bottom of a staircase leading to the destroyed house, AFP images showed.
Hezbollah lawmaker Raed Berro, one of the members of parliament representing the
Jbeil district, was at the site of the strike and denied Israeli claims that
Hezbollah members or weapons were embedded among civilians. "Important
military and security figures are usually on the frontlines... not at the rear,"
he told AFP. "Under the rubble, there are only children, elderly men and
women," he said. Facebook user Ali Haydar posted a picture of the home, which he
said belonged to his family, before it was destroyed. He added that people
displaced from the eastern Baalbek region had sought refuge there. "There were
35 relatives of ours from Baalbek in the house" including women and children, he
said. "Most of them have been martyred" in the strike, Haydar added.
Fleeing
The area was cordoned off by Lebanese security forces and Hezbollah members in
civilian clothing, an AFP correspondent at the scene saw. Dozens of people
packed their belongings in their cars and fled the village, the correspondent
said. The health ministry also said Israeli strikes killed three
Hezbollah-affiliated rescuers in south Lebanon. Earlier, Lebanese official media
reported an Israeli strike on a house in the main eastern city of Baalbek, which
was not preceded by an Israeli army evacuation warning. "Enemy aircraft launched
a strike on a house in the Al-Laqees neighborhood" of the city, the state-run
National News Agency said. Israel intensified its air campaign mainly targeting
Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon on September 23 and a week later sent in ground
troops. The escalation came after nearly a year of low-intensity,
cross-border attacks by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas following the
Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza
war. More than 3,186 people have been killed in Lebanon since the cross-border
exchanges began, according to Lebanon's health ministry, most of them since
September 23.
Israel Defense Minister Katz Says Israel Has Defeated
Hezbollah
Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that his country has defeated
Hezbollah and that eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah was the crowning
achievement. "Now it is our job to continue to put pressure in order to bring
about the fruits of that victory," Katz said during a ceremony at Israel's
foreign ministry. Katz said Israel is not interested in meddling in internal
Lebanese politics as Israel has "learned our lessons", but that he hoped an
international coalition would capitalize on this opportunity politically and
that Lebanon would join other countries in normalizing relations with Israel.
At Least 40 Killed as Israel Pounds Lebanon
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/November 10, 2024
Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon over the last day have killed at least 40 people
including several children, Lebanese authorities said on Saturday, after heavy
Israeli bombardment pounded the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut
overnight. At least seven people were killed in the coastal city of Tyre late on
Friday, Lebanon's health ministry said. The Israeli military has previously
ordered swathes of the city to evacuate but there were no orders published by
the Israeli military spokesperson on social media platform X before Friday's
strikes, Reuters said. The ministry said two children were among the dead.
Rescue operations were ongoing and other body parts retrieved in the aftermath
of the attack would undergo DNA testing to identify them, the ministry added.
Strikes in nearby towns on Saturday killed 13 people, including seven medics
from rescue groups affiliated to Hezbollah and its ally Amal, the health
ministry said. At least 20 more people were killed in Israeli strikes on
Saturday across the eastern plains around the historic city of Baalbek, the
health ministry said. The Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah
infrastructure sites in the areas of Tyre and Baalbek, including fighters,
"operational apartments," and weapons stores. The Lebanese health ministry said
Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,136 people and wounded 13,979 in Lebanon
over the last year. The toll includes 619 women and 194 children. Israel has
been locked in fighting with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since October 2023,
but fighting has escalated dramatically since late September of this year.
Israel has intensified and expanded its bombing campaign, and Hezbollah has
ramped up daily rocket and drone attacks against Israel. The Iran-backed group
announced more than 20 operations on Saturday, as well as one that it said
fighters carried out the previous day against a military factory south of Tel
Aviv. More than a dozen Israeli strikes also hit the southern suburbs of Beirut
overnight, once a bustling collection of neighborhoods and a key stronghold of
Hezbollah. Now, many buildings have been almost entirely flattened, with
Hezbollah's yellow flags jutting out from the ruins, according to Reuters
reporters who were taken on a tour of the area by Hezbollah. Some buildings were
partially damaged by the strikes, leading some floors to collapse and sending
furniture and other personal belongings spilling onto parked cars below. Men and
women were picking through the rubble for their belongings, shoving blankets and
mats under their arms or into black plastic bags. "We are trying to gather as
many (of our possessions) as we can, so we can manage to live off them, nothing
more," said Hassan Hannawi, one of the men looking for his belongings.
IDF reveals Hezbollah missile arsenal severely depleted
since beginning of operations
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
The IDF estimates that “80% of Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal within a range of up
to 40 kilometers has been destroyed.”The IDF recently presented data to Israel’s
government showing damage to Hezbollah's forces and munitions. According to the
data, over 2,550 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed and more than 5,000
wounded in the conflict. Hezbollah attacks in Israel have killed 110 soldiers
and civilians. The IDF estimates that “80% of Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal within
a range of up to 40 kilometers has been destroyed.” Initially, Hezbollah had
around 5,000 medium-range rockets, but fewer than 1,000 remain. The group’s
stockpile of over 44,000 short-range rockets has also been reduced, with only
about 10,000 still operational. Defense sources estimate that Hezbollah entered
the conflict with hundreds of precision-guided missiles and now has fewer than
100, including a limited number of coastal missiles. The IDF believes
Hezbollah’s capacity for daily rocket launches has been severely impacted by
sustained Israeli airstrikes over the past 18 months. “This difficulty is due to
not only destroyed weapons depots and launch sites but also command and control
issues resulting from the loss of fighters and commanders,” defense officials
said, adding that “Hezbollah’s reluctance to use cellular devices, pagers, and
radios” has further disrupted their operations. Most Hezbollah terrorists now
launch rockets from vehicles, leading to “less accurate and unsynchronized
targeting on a large scale.” The IDF cites dismantling Hezbollah’s
infrastructure in “jump villages” within three kilometers of the border as one
of its main accomplishments in southern Lebanon. These villages were meant to
serve as staging points for Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, which is tasked with
entering Israel’s rear areas to conduct massacres, destruction, and kidnappings.
Defense sources say that Hezbollah, central to Iran’s regional strategy, has
been notably absent from anticipated retaliatory action. Ahead of a possible
Israeli strike on Iran, Hezbollah’s response has not been included in a
comprehensive “axis of evil” retaliation plan due to the damage the group has
sustained. While Iran initially created Hezbollah as a deterrent against Israeli
attacks, the group has “failed to deliver a strong response” to Israeli actions,
defense officials said, suggesting a weakened state.
IDF troops find a ready-for-launch missile system in
Lebanon
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
In a raid on a weapons stockpile in southern Lebanon, the IDF discovered a
missile system aimed at the Galilee. The IDF discovered a mobile missile system
aimed at the Galilee Panhandle during raids in southern Lebanon this past week.
The ready-for-launch missile system containing 24 rockets was discovered
connected to a civilian structure in southern Lebanon by IDF Brigade 769 under
the 91st Division. It was brought back to Israel, along with other pieces from a
weapons stockpile concealed in the nearby forest. In the course of Operation
Northern Arrows, the IDF has said it has destroyed around 300 terrorist
infrastructures, eliminated a number of terrorists, and uncovered underground
Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon. The IDF also said it had found
stockpiles of weapons and ammunition that included equipment such as Kornet
missiles and RPGs
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November 10-11/2024
Trump wants Israel to defeat Hamas,
Hezbollah, and Iran by Jan. 20
The US president-elect believes this is the dawn of a new Middle East,
Evangelical advisor Mike Evans tells Israel Today.
Yossi Aloni/Israel Today/November 10/2024
“Donald Trump wants Israel to finish the job from now until January 20th,
eliminate Iran’s two proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, and end the war. I also
believe he wants Israel to deal with Iran by January 20th. Israel cannot strike
Iran’s nuclear facilities because they are hidden underground, so Israel should
target Iran’s oil facilities and, by doing so, bankrupt Iran. If Israel hits
Iran’s refineries located on a single island, it would lead to Iran’s
bankruptcy.”That according to American Evangelical leader Mike Evans in an
interview with Israel Today. Evans is among a small group of prominent
pro-Israel Christian leaders who advised Trump during his first presidency.
Evans emphasized that Trump’s election victory is a gift to Israel from God:
“Trump has moral clarity. He sees things simply. Good versus evil. In his eyes,
Israel is good, and its enemies are evil. Under Biden, it was the opposite. They
viewed Israel’s enemies as victims and Israel as the aggressor. They repeatedly
pushed for concessions...
Trump to tighten the screws on Tehran
Israel Today/November 10/2024
The president-elect reportedly plans punishing sanctions, including the
targeting of Iran’s oil industry. President-elect Donald Trump plans to renew
his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran when he returns to the White House on Jan.
20, including issuing punishing sanctions and targeting Tehran’s oil income.
Sources briefed on Trump’s early plans told The Wall Street Journal on Friday
that the harsh measures against the regime are part of an aggressive strategy to
weaken the Islamic Republic’s support for its regional terrorist proxies and
significantly harm its nuclear ambitions. Former Trump officials said that his
approach to Iran will likely be influenced by its attempt to assassinate him.
The US Department of Justice charged three men on Friday who it said were
involved in the Iranian plot. “People tend to take that stuff personally,” Mick
Mulroy, a top Pentagon official for the Mideast in Trump’s first term, told the
Journal. “If he’s going to be hawkish on any particular country, designated
major adversaries, it’s Iran.”Trump’s team will move swiftly to try to strangle
Iran’s oil industry, including targeting foreign ports and people who buy and
sell Iranian oil. “I think you are going to see the sanctions go back on, you
are going to see much more, both diplomatically and financially, they are trying
to isolate Iran. I think the perception is that Iran is definitely in a position
of weakness right now, and now is an opportunity to exploit that weakness,” said
a former White House official. The Iranian rial reportedly fell to a historic
low following Trump’s election. During his first term in the White House, Trump
imposed sanctions on Iran for its pursuit of nuclear weapons and took the United
States out of an agreement in 2018 with the Islamic Republic forged three years
earlier by his predecessor, Barack Obama. At an election rally on Tuesday, Trump
said that he wants Iran “to be a very successful country,” but that it “can’t
have nuclear weapons.”*With reporting by JNS.
Trump in phone call advised Putin not to escalate in
Ukraine, says Washington Post
Reuters/November 10, 2024
WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Russian
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and discussed the war in Ukraine, the
Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of
“Washington’s sizeable military presence in Europe,” the Post reported. During
the election campaign, Trump said he would find a solution to end the war
“within a day,” but did not explain how he would do so. Trump had also spoken to
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, according to media reports.
On Friday, the Kremlin said Putin was ready to discuss Ukraine with Trump but
that did not mean that he was willing to alter Moscow’s demands. On June 14,
Putin set out his terms for an end to the war: Ukraine would have to drop its
NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from all of the territory of four
regions claimed by Russia. Ukraine rejected that, saying it would be tantamount
to capitulation, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has put forward a
“victory plan” that includes requests for additional military support from the
West.
Iran calls to expel Israel from UN after Syria strike
AFP/November 11, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry called Sunday for an arms embargo on Israel and
the expulsion of its arch-foe from the United Nations, following a deadly strike
in Syria. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran “strongly
condemned the aggressive attack carried out today by the Zionist regime against
a residential building” in the Damascus area. The strike on an apartment
belonging to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, killed
nine people including a Hezbollah commander, the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights war monitor said. Baghaei called for measures against Israel, including
“an arms embargo” and its “expulsion from the United Nations.”Regional tensions
have soared since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, triggered by the
Palestinian Hamas militant group’s unprecedented attack on Israel. The conflict
has drawn in Tehran-aligned militants in the region, and included rare direct
attacks between Iran and Israel. Since Syria’s civil war broke out in 2011,
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria, mainly targeting army
positions and fighters including from Hezbollah.Israeli authorities rarely
comment on the strikes, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy
Iran to expand its presence in Syria.
Netanyahu says spoke again with Trump about Iran ‘threat’
AFP/November 10, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Sunday he had
spoken three times with US president-elect Donald Trump over the past few days
about the “Iranian threat” to Israeli security. “In the last few days, I have
spoken three times with President-elect Donald Trump... Talks designed to
further tighten the strong alliance between Israel and the US,” Netanyahu said,
quoted in a statement issued by his office. “We see eye to eye on the Iranian
threat in every aspect,” he added during a weekly cabinet meeting, according to
the statement. Netanyahu also said he had talked to Trump about “great
opportunities before Israel in the field of peace and its expansion.” The United
States is Israel’s top ally and military backer, and the election came at a
critical time for the Middle East amid wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Analysts
believe Netanyahu had hoped for a Trump return to the White House, given the
longstanding personal friendship between the two as well as the former
president’s hawkishness on Israel’s arch-foe Iran. During his first term, Trump
moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the
occupied Golan Heights and helped normalize ties between Israel and several Arab
states under the so-called Abraham Accords.
Saudi crown prince receives call from Iran president
Arab News/November 10, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call
from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the phone call, Pezeshkian praised the Kingdom’s initiative to host a
joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit to discuss continued Israeli aggression on
Palestinian territories and Lebanon. The president expressed his wishes that the
summit would be a success. Arab and Muslim leaders will convene in Riyadh for
the summit scheduled for Monday, focusing on Israel’s wars in Gaza and
Lebanon.On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan chaired the
preparatory ministerial meeting, where officials reviewed the latest
developments and outlined the summit’s agenda. Earlier on Sunday, the chief of
staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces visited Tehran to meet with his Iranian
counterpart and discuss defense ties, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said. Fayyad
Al-Ruwaili and Iran’s Major General Mohammad Bagheri discussed opportunities to
develop relations between the two countries in the military and defense fields.
Arab, Muslim leaders to meet in Saudi Arabia for talks
on Gaza, Lebanon wars
Arab News/November 10, 2024
RIYADH: Arab and Muslim leaders will convene in Saudi Arabia for a summit
scheduled for Monday that will focus on Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the
Saudi Press Agency reported. “The escalating violence in the Palestinian and
Lebanese territories, including the brutal Israeli aggression, has compelled
Arab and Islamic leaders to take urgent action,” read a statement on SPA. The
summit builds on the earlier Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh on Nov. 11,
2023, to address the dangerous and unprecedented developments in Gaza and the
rest of Palestine. “This requires solidarity among Arab and Islamic nations to
confront these challenges and mitigate their consequences,” SPA added. The
foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, Indonesia,
Nigeria, and Palestine, along with the secretaries-general of the Arab League
and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, aim to initiate immediate
international action to halt the war on Gaza and achieve a lasting,
comprehensive peace. The Saudi state news channel Al-Ekhbariya broadcast footage
on Sunday of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib
Mikati landing in Riyadh.
Druze Maccabi TLV fan misleads Amsterdam
attackers by speaking Arabic
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
When the violent attacks erupted on the city’s streets, Asad
spoke fluent Arabic to mislead attackers and protect Israeli fans. A Druze
Maccabi Tel Aviv fan protected fellow Israelis during the Amsterdam attack by
speaking Arabic, Mako reported on Saturday. Melhem Asad, from Kasra-Samia,
northern Israel, had traveled with friends from Madrid to Amsterdam to attend
the Maccabi Tel Aviv match and support the Israeli team. Directly after the
game, Israeli fans of the soccer team were severely attacked across Amsterdam on
Thursday night in several incidents and locations. Some fans said that as they
left metro stations on their way to the hotels where they were staying, groups
of rioters ambushed and attacked them violently. In some incidents, fans were
run over, and in others, they were even stabbed. Others were thrown to the
ground with violent punches and kicks, while the attackers demanded that the
Israelis recite pro-Palestinian slogans for them to stop. When the violent
attacks erupted on the city’s streets, Asad spoke fluent Arabic to mislead
attackers and protect Israeli fans. "They thought I was one of them. I told them
the Jews were already gone, and they went the other way," Mako reported.
No security Asad recounted his experience, stating that fans were escorted
into the stadium by police before the game due to recent pro-Palestinian
demonstrations in the nearby areas. They felt safe enough during the game, but
afterward, everything went wrong. "The fans were left unprotected. We boarded
trains heading to our hotels, but the local police completely mishandled the
situation. There was no security. We felt totally exposed," Asad told Mako. As
the pogrom against Israelis broke out, Asad explained how he overheard the
attackers discussing in Arabic how they’d ambush fans. "Taking advantage of my
knowledge of Arabic, I shouted to them, and they believed I was one of them."
Asad told them the Jewish fans had already fled the area. “I did everything I
could to confuse them, knowing exactly where our fans were. It worked. I led
them in the opposite direction and ran to warn groups of Israelis that dangerous
groups were looking to hurt us.”He explained how he told fellow Israeli fans to
remove Maccabi Tel Aviv jerseys and blue and yellow shirts. Asad also ran
between bars and restaurants, trying to warn whoever he saw. "My goal was to
save as many as I could.” Asad said that what he saw in Amsterdam reminded him
of the violent October 7 attacks. ”I believe that God placed me there at the
right time to save those I could." he told Mako. Following the incident,
emergency flights were sent from Israel, with over 2,000 citizens brought back
on El Al planes. Additionally, newly appointed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar
urgently flew to the Netherlands on Friday morning, where he met with Dutch
Prime Minister Schoof and Ambassador Caspar Veldkamp to discuss the horrific
incident. "There is no justification for this violence," Vedlkamp said. "It was
a blatant, unacceptable display of antisemitism."
This is how UNRWA is involved in Palestinian terrorism against Israel
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
Israel’s Operation Swords of Iron in the Gaza Strip following the terrorist
attack on October 7, 2023, revealed the involvement of UNRWA employees in
terrorism. On October 7, 2023, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) acknowledged the involvement of
“some” of its employees in the terrorist attacks executed by Palestinian groups
against Jewish communities in the Western Negev, specifically those orchestrated
by the Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Mujahideen
Battalions, and Martyrs of Al-Aqsa Battalions, among others. In a statement
released on August 5, 2024, Philippe Lazzarini, who has served as UNRWA
commissioner-general since 2020, indicated that an internal investigation
carried out by UNRWA, prompted by information received, uncovered details
concerning “nine cases [of UNRWA field staff], the evidence – if authenticated
and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been
involved in the attacks of October 7.” Based on these findings, Lazzarini wrote:
“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they
cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated
in the interest of the Agency.”
'Should I wait until everybody’s dead?': ICC's Khan defends warrants against
Netanyahu, Gallant
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
“We have failed to live up to the promise of Never Again that was made in
Nuremberg,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan told reporters in the German city.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan defended his decision to pursue warrants against
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of Israeli leadership in an
interview with German paper Der Spiegel, published last week. At a meeting with
journalists in Nuremberg, where Nazis were tried for crimes they committed
during the Holocaust nearly 80 years earlier, Khan commented, “The International
Criminal Court is a child of Nuremberg.”
Continuing to draw on the history of Germany and European Jewry, Khan claimed,
“We have failed to live up to the promise of Never Again that was made in
Nuremberg” - adding, “People around the world are crying, they are in agony not
just in Palestine and Israel. After referencing Israel and the Palestinian
territories, Khan was asked if Netanyahu’s accusations of antisemitism had any
effect on Khan. “I’m not that thin-skinned, Khan responded. “There is a lot of
abuse and threats and games going on between political leaders, intelligence
agencies, and interest groups. But I know who I am." “The first time I went to a
synagogue was with my late father and my mother when I was about six, in Leeds.
Last year, I held the Elie Wiesel lecture in Ottawa. I don’t think the Raoul
Wallenberg Center would have invited an antisemite to give such an important
lecture. The Jewish religion is the great teaching of the Prophet Moses, and I
have a lot of respect for the Jewish people and the Jewish faith."“We are seeing
an increased tendency of sidelining people by simply labeling them as an
antisemite. Quite frankly, I think what is of more concern is what victims
expect from the law and their demand that the law be applied equally everywhere
around the globe.”Khan explained that his predecessor had left him responsible
for investigating the Palestinian territories, but no resources could be spared
until Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel, which saw terrorists invade
from Gaza and butcher over 1200 innocent Israelis and take over 250 people
hostage. “My predecessor opened an investigation three months before she left. I
came in with no team and no resources but still tried to move things forward,”
Khan defended. “Then came the events of October 7, an awful hemorrhage for the
Jewish people. But the response of the Israeli government also set off the alarm
bells – and not just for me, but for the secretary general of the United
Nations, the high commissioner of human rights, the World Food Program.”
Without addressing the ongoing hostage crisis, Khan proceeded to criticize a
lack of movement towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“Except for Canada, every other ICC member state accepted the state of Palestine
as a state party. Judges, after considering the matter, said we had
jurisdiction,” he asserted. “ The question should be: Why shouldn’t we
investigate? Is it right for a particular geographical region to be outside the
law? Do Palestinians and Israelis not deserve the same legal protection as the
people of Ukraine or Sudan or the Rohingya?”
When questioned on the double standards of the ICC for failing to investigate
acts of torture conducted by Britain during the Iraq war, Khan responded that it
was before his time. “Unfortunately, crimes are committed in every jurisdiction
of the world. Our job is to make sure that there isn’t any free pass. Palestine
is a state party to the ICC. What we’ve done is a function of jurisdiction,” he
insisted, refusing to comment on cases predating 2021.
Despite Khan’s insistence that there were no free passes, Der Spiegel reporters
noted that one of Khan’s first acts was to suspend investigations into US
activities in Afghanistan. Khan denied this, arguing that the investigation was
“deprioritized,” not suspended. “I simply made a decision based on my resources
that I would give more attention to ongoing violations than historical ones –
such as the activities of the Taliban or of Islamic State in Khorasan,” he
argued. “It’s not the case that anybody was given a certificate of
immunity.”Mentioning the criticism that surrounded Khan’s decision to seek
warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the same
time as Hamas leadership, Der Spiegel asked if it was “wise” to give the
impression of equating “democratically elected politicians with
terrorists.”Failing to address the criticism, Khan stated, “Every victim is
equal. I have as much regard, attention, and love for a Jewish child as for a
Palestinian child, or any other person anywhere in the world, regardless of the
color of their skin, religion, age, or sexual orientation.”Der Spiegel reporters
later brought up that Russian President Vladimir Putin was able to visit ICC
member Mongolia with no recourse. “Once we came to the conclusion that the
evidence justified arrest warrants – for members of Hamas and for Israeli
officials – I was compelled to move forward. I would ask your readers to think
about what the alternative might have been,” Khan said.
Prompted on what the alternative might have been, Khan responded, “Imagine I had
only applied for an arrest warrant for Israeli nationals. People would say: What
a fanatic. What an antisemite. He is refusing to apply the law to the vile acts
of October 7, killing babies and taking Holocaust survivors as hostages. If I
had only moved against the Hamas members, imagine them saying: What a
disreputable court in the pocket of the US, Germany, and all these powerful
countries. “what about the 30,000 or 40,000 people dead in Gaza, mothers giving
birth to stillborn children, famine, and starvation? So those who are accusing
me of equating Israel with Hamas should ask themselves: What were the options?
Or is there a complaint that the law is blind and that we have independent
courts?” As Israel has pursued the end of Hamas’s reign over the Gaza Strip and
the return of the remaining 101 hostages over the past year, Hamas-run health
ministries have claimed that over 40,000 Palestinians were killed. The figure
provided does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. As repeatedly
referenced by Israel’s supporters, Israel has been responsible for a remarkably
low number of civilian casualties when compared to similar conflicts.
When asked why the ICC, intended as a last resort, should intervene when Israel
has a functioning judicial system, Khan answered, “Israel has very capable
lawyers and judges. The question is: Is the law being applied in the occupied
territories? If you read what experts are writing and look at what’s happening
on the ground, we don’t see investigations. We don’t see accountability. Again,
What is the complaint? Is it simply that there should be no justice because a
country is an ally?”Khan continued to defend the timing of the warrants,
responding to reporters, “Should I wait until everybody’s dead? If your father,
your mother, your grandfather was a hostage, would you really want me to wait?
If this was your child or your sister blown to bits, would you want me to wait?
We shouldn’t indulge ourselves in thinking that the suffering of people is
something to comment on in the future. The law must be felt in real time. If you
are a firefighter, you don’t wait until the house is burned down and the
neighborhood is in flames.”
Accusations against Karim Khan
As Khan continues to investigate accusations, the ICC has launched its own into
him following reports of sexual misconduct. The ICC’s governing body will launch
an external investigation into its chief prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged
sexual misconduct, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The alleged victim is a well-respected lawyer in her 30s who worked directly for
Khan, according to The Guardian. Documents seen by the British paper show an
accusation of unwanted touching by Khan and “abuse” from April 2023 until April
2024. In one incident listed in the document seen by The Guardian, Khan is
alleged to have “pressed his tongue” into the woman’s ear, and a source reported
groping incidents. The alleged victim also told colleagues that Khan had
attempted to hold her hand while on a trip to London. During another work trip,
according to whistleblower documents seen by the Associated Press, Khan
allegedly asked the woman to lay with him in his hotel bed and then 'sexually
touched her.' He allegedly later knocked on her hotel room door for 10 minutes
at 3 am. While Khan’s office has repeatedly been targeted by threats and
misinformation, the alleged victim was reportedly reluctant to file an official
complaint - instead, alarm bells were raised by fellow colleagues. Two employees
reported the alleged harassment weeks before Khan announced he was looking into
warrants against Netanyahu, the Associated Press reported. “She never wanted any
of this,” one person close to her said. “But the complaint filed against her
wishes, followed by Khan’s denials and attempts to suppress the allegations, has
forced her into a very difficult position.”
British journalist and political commentator Douglas
Murray: Trump can 'clean-up' Biden's mess by supporting Israel, defunding Iran
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
Murray wrote regarding the US and Iran that Biden-Harris "turned the money
spigots on for the mullahs the minute they came into office." British journalist
and political commentator Douglas Murray offered his perspective on what
President-elect Donald Trump could do to "clean up" after the current Biden-Harris
administration leaves the White House, a Thursday New York Post piece revealed.
Murray pointed out ten things the Trump administration could improve in
countries abroad, emphasizing supporting Israel and defunding Iran. According to
Murray, Trump would rectify the "chaos" caused by US President Joe Biden's
administration. Murray has openly expressed his pro-Israel views following the
October 7 Hamas attacks and throughout Israel's multifront war. In the Post, he
wrote that the Biden administration "was wet and leaky as hell," as it only
"talked a strong game on Israel."He continued that while Israel does not require
America to fight its wars for it, it needs the US as "a resolute ally while it
finishes off Hamas and Hezbollah."Regarding the hostages kept in Hamas
captivity, he noted that America must assert the pressure that he claimed the
Biden-Harris administration "never did" to free the hostages. Murray moved on to
address Iran, stating that dealing with the country was the most important thing
Trump could do in the Middle East. He then emphasized that the Biden-Harris
administration was the only reason Iran was capable of fighting a "seven-front
war" against Israel. According to him, Biden and Harris "turned the money
spigots on for the mullahs the minute they came into office." "With Trump on the
way back, Israel should be confident that its responding counter-strike destroys
the mullahs and wipes away their nuclear ambitions once and for all," he wrote.
What else could Trump repair?
Among Murray's list of the ten things the Trump administration should repair was
also negotiating a settlement to the war in Ukraine, returning the trade war
against China, and sanctioning Qatar. Additionally, regarding the Middle East,
Murray's list included Turkey. He wrote that Trump would force the country,
which has extensively expressed support for Hamas, to choose a side. "Hamas or
NATO. You can have one, but not both," he wrote.Murray also addressed Saudi
Arabia and claimed that the Abraham Accords, which were formed during Trump's
first term in office, "should have won him the Nobel Peace Prize."
"Now that Trump is back, he can add Saudi Arabia, and who knows how many other
countries will be involved in the deal?" Maurry wrote.
US, Britain launch raids on Yemeni capital Sana'a, Houthi TV says - report
Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
US defense officials told Saudi news site Al Arabiya that the strikes had
targeted Houthi weapons facilities holding advanced conventional weapons. The
United States and Britain launched raids on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, the Amran
governorate, and other areas, Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run
by the Houthi movement, reported on Sunday. US defense officials told Saudi news
site Al Arabiya that the strikes had targeted Houthi weapons facilities holding
advanced conventional weapons. The weapons had been used to target ships in the
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Houthi media and residents said about nine raids had
targeted Sanaa, its suburbs, and the Amran governorate. “Eyewitnesses said they
heard intense flying, along with explosions in different parts of the capital
Sanaa,” Houthi-run media Al Masirah said. Iran-aligned Houthi terrorists have
launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November last year
in solidarity with the Palestinians in Israel's war with Hamas. The attacks have
drawn US and British retaliatory strikes and disrupted global trade as ship
owners reroute vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to sail the longer
route around the southern tip of Africa.
Fifteen Chad soldiers killed in operation against Boko
Haram, army says
Reuters/November 10, 2024
At least 15 Chadian soldiers were killed and 32 others wounded in clashes
between the army and Boko Haram fighters on Saturday, the army's spokesman said,
adding that 96 Boko Haram members were also killed. General Issakh Acheikh on
Sunday did not say where the operation took place or provide any details on the
circumstances. He said on national television that the army also wounded 11 Boko
Haram members, and seized arms and equipment."The army assures the population
that the situation is under control and that actions to track down residual
elements continue as part of Operation Haskanite," Acheikh said, referring to a
military operation launched to dislodge Boko Haram militants from Lake Chad. The
region has been attacked repeatedly by insurgencies including Islamic State in
West Africa and Boko Haram, which erupted in northeast Nigeria in 2009 and
spread to the west of Chad. Around 40 soldiers were killed in an attack on a
military base in Chad's Lake region at the end of last month, after which
interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby threatened to withdraw the Central African
country from a multinational security force. Chad is an important ally for
French and U.S. forces seeking to help fight a 12-year jihadists insurgency in
West Africa's Sahel region. Military juntas that seized power in recent years in
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - whose shared borders have become epicentres of
jihadist violence - have turned their backs on the West in favour of Russian
support.
UN nuclear head to visit Iran for talks on country's
nuclear program as next Trump presidency looms
The Associated Press/November 10, 2024
The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Sunday he will travel to
Iran in the coming days to hold talks regarding the country's nuclear program.
The visit comes amid wider tensions gripping the Mideast over the Israel-Hamas
war and uncertainty over how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will approach
Iran after his inauguration in January. Specifically, the Director General of
the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mariano Grossi, will have high level
meetings with the Iranian government and will hold technical discussions on all
aspects related to the joint statement agreed with Iran in March 2023. It is
intended as a path forward for cooperation between the IAEA and Iran on how to
expand inspections of the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing atomic program.
The 2023 statement included a pledge by Iran to resolve issues around sites
where inspectors have questions about possible undeclared nuclear activity, and
to allow the IAEA to “implement further appropriate verification and monitoring
activities.”The meetings in Tehran will build on Grossi's discussions with
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the United Nations
General Assembly in September, a statement by the IAEA said. “It is essential
that we make substantive progress in the implementation of the joint statement
agreed with Iran in March 2023," Grossi said. “My visit to Tehran will be very
important in that regard.”Iran is rapidly advancing its atomic program and
continues to increase its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade
levels in defiance of international demands, according to recent reports by the
IAEA. Grossi, has warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to
near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to do so.
He has acknowledged the U.N. agency cannot guarantee that none of Iran’s
centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment. Iran’s 2015
landmark nuclear deal with world powers had put limits on its nuclear program —
which the West fears could be used for making nuclear weapons although Tehran
insists is only for peaceful purposes — while lifting punitive economic
sanctions imposed on Iran.But the deal collapsed after the Trump administration
in 2018 pulled the United States out of the agreement, leading Iran to abandon
all limits the deal had put on its program and enrich uranium to up to 60%
purity. That is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of
90%. By IAEA’s definition, around 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched
to 60% is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically
possible. As Trump is to take office again in a few weeks, Iranians are divided
on what his next presidency will bring. Some foresee an all-out war between
Tehran and Washington, particularly as other conflicts rage in the region.
Others hold out hope that America’s 47th president might engage in unexpected
diplomacy as he did with North Korea.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November 09-10/2024
Defying the mullahs, Iranians resist antisemitic doctrine - opinion
SHAYAN SAMII/THE MEDIA LINE, SHAHRAM KHOLDI/THE MEDIA
LINE/November 10/2024
Now is the time for peace advocates to educate Iranians worldwide on Israel’s
importance to the global Jewish community.
With the recent escalation in the Iran-Israel confrontation, including Israel’s
October 25 strike on Iran’s air defense system and military infrastructure,
analysts are divided over whether this will fuel nationalist anti-Israel
sentiment in Iran. We contend that for generations, Iranians have resisted the
regime’s persistent efforts to instill antisemitic and anti-Israel hatred. We
call on the global community to help Iranians in eradicating the remaining
antisemitic sentiments in Iranian society, both domestically and abroad. For
more than 45 years, the Islamic Republic has adhered to an ideology blending
radical Shiite Islamism with antisemitic fanaticism, often masked as
anti-imperialist anti-Zionism.
The regime has waged its war on Israel and the broader Jewish community through
a growing network of armed, cultural, and religious state and quasi-state
entities. The armed manifestations of this campaign are vividly evident in the
regime’s cultivated proxies across the region, now assembled as the so-called
Axis of Resistance: The Lebanese Hezbollah, various armed Shiite factions in
Syria and Iraq, and the Yemeni Houthis. The regime’s campaign goes beyond armed
conflict; mullahs claim to export their revolution “peacefully” and to merely
defend against “the occupying Zionist regime.” With a network spanning from
Oceania to the Americas, the regime spreads antisemitic and anti-Zionist
propaganda reminiscent of interwar European fascists, infiltrating Iran’s
education system and broadcasting thousands of hours of anti-Zionist programming
worldwide.
Multiple objectives at play
This extensive propaganda campaign has multiple objectives. Within Iran, the
regime’s primary aim has been to indoctrinate each new generation, seeking to
create an ideologically unified, self-policing, anti-Israel society. In times of
conflict, this serves as a source of loyal combatants for the Axis of Resistance
against Israel. Regionally and internationally, the regime aims to amplify both
latent and overt anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiments in Arab and global
public opinion. Iran’s small but enduring Jewish community, with a lineage
stretching back centuries, has weathered numerous political and cultural
upheavals. This history, deeply intertwined with Jewish culture, is recognized
and respected by many Iranians. Iranian Jews face restrictive policies that
expose the hollowness of the regime’s claims of religious tolerance. Public
prayers like Shema Yisrael are banned due to their mention of “Israel,” while
Jewish citizens are pressured to denounce Zionism and the Jewish state. These
denials of basic rights are deliberate attacks on the identity and dignity of
Iranian Jews. This helps explain why Iran’s once-thriving Jewish community of
100,000 has dwindled to barely 20,000.
Iranian media actively spreads disinformation, fueling conspiracy theories about
Jewish control of world events and tainting public discourse with unfounded
suspicions. Indoctrinating children From early schooling, Iranian children
are exposed to the regime’s toxic narrative against Jews.
Textbooks, rather than educating, portray Jews as conspirators and enemies of
Islam, sowing seeds of suspicion that deepen as students advance. By high
school, Iranian students are taught to view Israel as an illegitimate state, a
global threat, and to see Zionism as a blight, implicating all Jews in alleged
crimes against humanity. State-run television and conservative media in Iran
continue to spread antisemitic content, deny the Holocaust, blame “influential
Jews” for global problems, and promote crude stereotypes to shape public
opinion. Despite the extensive antisemitic propaganda campaign, many Iranians
hold attitudes toward Jews and Israel that differ widely from the regime’s
doctrine. Although the Islamic Republic maintains a narrative of anti-Israel and
anti-Zionist vitriol, many Iranians, particularly those beyond state influence,
hold very different, less hostile views. A significant portion of Iranians,
especially the younger generation, rejects this propaganda, driven by a desire
for peace, coexistence, and stability.
An antisemetic, oppressive rule
For regime opponents, rejecting antisemitic rhetoric is part of a broader
condemnation of its oppressive rule. The image of Iranian university students
and the public sidestepping Israeli flags painted on sidewalks symbolizes quiet
defiance of the regime’s push to demonize Israel.
With these simple yet defiant gestures, Iranians convey disdain for symbols the
regime tries to force underfoot. Through these actions, Iranians courageously
signal their resistance to regime propaganda, choosing dignity and respect over
hate. Recognizing the gap between government propaganda and the convictions of
ordinary Iranians is essential. A 2015 Anti-Defamation League study found that
Iranian respondents held the lowest level of negative views toward Jews among
surveyed Middle Eastern nations—56%—compared to 69% in Turkey and 93% in the
Palestinian territories.
These numbers reveal a population capable of independent thought, often
contradicting state doctrine. Iranian skepticism toward state narratives
strengthens this independent thought, as many question the motives behind
propaganda and seek their own truths. In 2015, some level of public tolerance
for the regime still existed. Since the November 2019 protests and the “Woman,
Life, Freedom” uprising in 2022, Iranians appear to be taking their struggle to
a new level, hinting at calls for regime change. Given Iranians’ resistance to
regime propaganda, especially during Israel’s recent precision strikes, now is
the time for peace advocates to educate Iranians worldwide on Israel’s
importance to the global Jewish community. There is an urgent need to counter
this antisemitic campaign through digital and traditional media, emphasizing the
dangers of dehumanization and creating accessible, interactive materials for
young Iranians and the Muslim world. Shahin Modarres contributed to this
article. Shayan Samii is a national security and international affairs analyst
with teaching expertise on Middle Eastern matters and has served in a multitude
of roles for various US government intelligence and foreign policy
organizations.
*Dr. Shahram Kholdi has been a lecturer of record in Middle East history and
politics since 2009 and has acted as a Middle East specialist for various G7
countries for decades.
Shahin Modarres is an international security analyst.
Trump 2.0 will again bring normalization to the Middle East -
opinion
Yoel Guzansky/Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
There is an expectation, especially among Gulf states, that Trump would adopt a
tougher stance on Iran than his predecessor, Joe Biden. The election of Donald
J. Trump to the presidency brought relief to many Arab regimes. Before the
elections, senior Arab officials were cautious about expressing a preference for
any candidate, for obvious reasons, but it is believed that many favored Trump
over Kamala Harris. Trump’s re-election is good news for Arab states but in many
ways also for Israel. Here is why. First, several key Arab leaders had prior
familiarity with Trump and his team. Strong personal ties were formed with
leaders like Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab
Emirates, and Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto
ruler. Throughout his campaign, Trump referred to bin Salman as a “friend” and
showered him with praise. Second, during his previous term, Trump had a clear
policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of foreign countries.
Notably, he once referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my
favorite dictator.” It is anticipated that a second Trump administration would
continue this approach, refraining from criticizing regimes on issues like
political freedom and human rights, aligning with these regimes’
preferences.Third, there is an expectation, especially among Gulf states, that
Trump would adopt a tougher stance on Iran than his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Iran’s growing confidence and that of its proxies – as evidenced by Hamas’s
attack on October 7– are viewed by many in the Gulf as linked to the relatively
lenient approach the US took toward Iran under the Biden administration.
Additionally, regional states view Trump as having close ties with Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, more importantly, as having significant
influence over him, to the extent of potentially swaying his decisions. Israel’s
neighbors hope for a swift end to the Gaza war, which has heightened pressures
on them from both their citizens and radical elements in the region. They hope
Trump will press Netanyahu to conclude the war even before Trump takes office.
Policy will not differ from Biden
Trump’s future Middle East policy will probably not differ much from that of his
predecessor, but he potentially carries much more influence on Arabs and
Israelis alike. Israeli-Saudi normalization is again on the table. Saudi Arabia
anticipates that a Trump 2.0 administration would be more generous than Biden in
terms of incentives offered to the kingdom in exchange for normalization with
Israel, adopt a tougher line on Iran, and pressure Netanyahu. Trump’s
personal ties to key regional leaders and his influence over Netanyahu –
potentially leading to Israeli concessions aligned with the kingdom’s
expectations, such as advancing a two-state solution with the Palestinians –
increase the likelihood of renewing and even accelerating the normalization
process. **The writer is a Gulf expert, and a senior fellow at the Institute for
National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University, and at the Middle East Institute
in Washington. He has previously served in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Hamas Must Be Defeated, Not Legitimized
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/November 10, 2024
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21106/hamas-must-be-defeated
Hamas should not be permitted to play any role in the Gaza Strip after the war.
This would allow the terror group to rearm and regroup and prepare for another
October 7-style attack on Israel.
By negotiating with Hamas about the future of the Gaza Strip, Abbas is
legitimizing the Iran-backed terror group and sending a message to the
Palestinians and the rest of the world that he sees no problem with dealing with
murderers and terrorists who committed the most horrific crimes... As we have
seen most recently in the Chinese Communist Party, Iran and Afghanistan,
negotiating with terrorists and their equivalents simply does not work.
Ever since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, thousands of
Palestinians have been killed in wars they initiated with Israel. With the help
of Europe, Qatar and Iran, Hamas transformed the Gaza Strip, home to two million
Palestinians, into one of the largest bases for Islamist terrorism in the Middle
East.The assumption that Hamas would voluntarily give up its control of the Gaza
Strip because of any unity agreement with Abbas is just laughable.
The Biden administration chose to turn a blind eye to Abbas's efforts to
legitimize Hamas. The US offered it a lifeline. A terror group committed to the
elimination of Israel should have no role in any Palestinian government -- not
in the West Bank and certainly not in the Gaza Strip. Such a group should be
completely destroyed militarily and politically, and not invited to join any
Palestinian government. As long as Iran's regime remains in place, torturing
both its own people and others... there regrettably will be no peace. That is
the only way to secure a truly peaceful future, not only for Israelis but for
Palestinians and the Free World. By negotiating with Hamas about the future of
the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is legitimizing
the Iran-backed terror group and sending a message to the Palestinians and the
rest of the world that he sees no problem with dealing with murderers and
terrorists who committed the most horrific crimes.
More than a year after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the
Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to view the Iran-backed Islamist movement
as a legitimate partner.
Last week, representatives of the PA's ruling Fatah faction (headed by PA
President Mahmoud Abbas) and Hamas held talks in the Egyptian capital of Cairo
to discuss establishing a joint administration to rule the Gaza Strip. An
Egyptian source confirmed that the Fatah-Hamas discussions aim at to create a
committee to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip, in addition to pursuing
efforts to reach a ceasefire there. Another Egyptian security source was quoted
as saying that the talks "aim to unify the Palestinian ranks and alleviate the
suffering of the Palestinian people." According to the source, the Fatah and
Hamas negotiators "showed more flexibility and positivity towards establishing a
committee to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip."
Tayseer Nasrallah, a senior Fatah official who participated in the talks with
Hamas, expressed "optimism" that the talks with Hamas would lead to the
formation of a committee for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The talks, he
said, "aim to unify visions regarding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip" in
the aftermath of the current Israel-Hamas war, which erupted after the October 7
attack that resulted in the murder of 1,200 Israelis and the injury of
thousands. During the attack, many Israelis were beheaded, raped, tortured, and
burned alive. In addition, more than 240 others were kidnapped to the Gaza
Strip, where 101 – alive and dead – remain in captivity. Hamas, for its part,
said: "We held a meeting with our brothers in the Fatah faction, and the
atmosphere of the meeting was positive and frank." The terrorist group added
that the two sides discussed "the formation of a body to follow up on the
affairs and needs of the Gaza Strip," and noted that the meetings with Fatah
will continue.
Last month, Fatah and Hamas representatives held similar talks in Cairo to
discuss ways of ending the rivalry between the two parties and establishing a
Palestinian unity government. Senior Hamas official Taher a-Nunu said that the
purpose of the talks was to "achieve Palestinian national unity and strengthen
security and political coordination between the two sides." Unnamed Fatah
officials were quoted as saying that their faction has agreed to the formation
of a joint committee to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip. By negotiating
with Hamas about the future of the Gaza Strip, Abbas is legitimizing the
Iran-backed terror group and sending a message to the Palestinians and the rest
of the world that he sees no problem with dealing with murderers and terrorists
who committed the most horrific crimes against Jews since the Holocaust. As we
have seen most recently in the Chinese Communist Party (for instance here, here
here, here, here here, and here), Iran and Afghanistan, negotiating with
terrorists and their equivalents simply does not work. Abbas should, instead, be
condemning Hamas and distancing himself from the terror group rather than
sending his officials to hug and kiss its representatives in Cairo. He should be
holding Hamas fully responsible for the destruction of the Gaza Strip as a
result of the war the terror group started when it sent thousands of its
terrorists to attack Israeli civilians in their homes on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, Abbas should be urging Hamas to relinquish control over the Gaza Strip
instead of begging it to agree to the formation of a joint Fatah-Hamas committee
to manage the affairs of the coastal enclave. Hamas should not be permitted to
play any role in the Gaza Strip after the war. This would allow the terror group
to rearm and regroup and prepare for another October 7-style attack on Israel.
Ever since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, thousands of
Palestinians have been killed in wars they initiated with Israel. With the help
of Europe, Qatar and Iran, Hamas transformed the Gaza Strip, home to two million
Palestinians, into one of the largest bases for Islamist terrorism in the Middle
East. All three invested hundreds of millions of dollars into building a vast
network of tunnels, and into manufacturing and smuggling weapons, including
rockets and missiles. The assumption that Hamas would voluntarily give up its
control of the Gaza Strip because of any unity agreement with Abbas is just
laughable. Abbas's efforts to reach a deal with Hamas will only embolden and
reconstitute the terror group and incentivize it to pursue its Jihad (holy war)
to destroy Israel. These efforts send a message to Hamas that, despite the
crimes it committed against Israelis on October 7 and the Nakba (catastrophe) it
brought on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, it can still play a key role in
Gaza after the war. Since 2007, Hamas has demonstrated that it does not care
about the well-being of the Palestinians living under its rule. The only thing
Hamas cares about is remaining in power and continuing the fight against Israel
to satisfy its patrons in Iran. The Biden administration chose to turn a blind
eye to Abbas's efforts to legitimize Hamas. The US offered it a lifeline. A
terror group committed to the elimination of Israel should have no role in any
Palestinian government -- not in the West Bank and certainly not in the Gaza
Strip. Such a group should be completely destroyed militarily and politically,
and not invited to join any Palestinian government. Since the beginning of the
war, Israel has destroyed most of Hamas's military capabilities and killed many
of its top leaders, including arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the
October 7 atrocities. The US and the rest of the world should encourage Israel
to continue its efforts to eradicate Hamas. They should also urge Abbas and the
PA leadership to immediately cut off all contacts with the terror group. There
is no alternative to a total victory over Hamas and Iran's other terror proxies,
as well, ultimately of the toxic Islamist regime in Iran. As long as Iran's
regime remains in place, torturing both its own people and others -- as far away
as Argentina -- there regrettably will be no peace. That is the only way to
secure a truly peaceful future, not only for Israelis but for Palestinians and
the Free World.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 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.
How will the recent US election affect Iran, Russia, and
North Korea? - opinion
Louis Rene Beres/Jerusalem Post/November 10/2024
Russian and/or North Korean threats of support for Iran could lay the groundwork
for a multi-state nuclear conflict, one that could come to involve the United
States and/or China.
The Middle East strategic landscape remains unchanged by the US presidential
election. A pre-nuclear Iran could still bring Israel to the point where
Jerusalem’s only strategic options would be capitulation or nuclear escalation.
By definition, this second option would represent a one-sided or “asymmetrical
nuclear war.”But how could such an unprecedented impasse arise? In one view,
Iran would target Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor and/or employ radiation
dispersal weapons against Israeli civilians. A limited Israeli nuclear response
could also follow in the wake of extensive Iranian resort to biological or
electromagnetic pulse (EMP) ordnance. Most worrisome for Jerusalem would be
direct interventions by nuclear state allies of Iran. Here, the Jewish State
could be deterred from striking preemptively against Iranian targets by Russian
and/or North Korean nuclear threats.
Where should Israel do about such ignored but formidable nuclear foes? Looking
toward expanding conflict with Iran, any “one-off” preemption against enemy
weapons and infrastructures (an act of “anticipatory self-defense” under
international law) would be perilous. At this late stage, defensive action
against Iranian assets would need to be undertaken in calculated increments and
amid ongoing war. As to direct Israeli actions against North Korean assets,
these would be ruled out ipso facto.
During intersecting and possibly synergistic interactions, a coherent dialectic
would need to guide Israel’s strategic policy. As part of its escalating war
against Iran, Israel could sometime calculate that it had no choice but to
launch multiple and mutually-reinforcing preemptive strikes against certain
specific nuclear-related targets. Simultaneously, Russian and/or North Korean
threats of support for Iran could lay the groundwork for a multi-state nuclear
conflict, one that could come to involve the United States and/or China.
This concerning narrative ought never to be dismissed out of hand in Jerusalem.
To be sure, it could be tempting to regard such jaw-dropping interventions as
“speculative” or “unlikely,” but there would remain no science-based way to
estimate pertinent odds. True probabilities, Israeli planners should
continuously keep in mind, are never determinable for unique (sui generis)
events. There will be multiple and nuanced details. Israel’s “high thinkers”
will have to make useful decisions based on long-established logical standards
of valid deduction and internal consistency. Though there exists no actual data
on a nuclear war, a deductive analytic apparatus could still be constructed. The
core object of such an apparatus would be the systematic derivation of logically
entailed and policy-relevant conclusions from variously interconnected
assumptions. Without such an effort, Israeli strategic decisions would be based
on more-or-less disconnected assessments or “common sense.” There could be no
more valueless decision-making standard than “common sense.”
THERE IS more. To the extent that they might be estimated, the risks of an
Israel-Iran nuclear war will depend on whether such a conflict would be
intentional, unintentional, or accidental. Apart from applying this three-part
distinction, there could be no adequate reason to expect any
operationally-gainful analytic judgments. To best ensure existential protections
from openly-declared Iranian aggressions, Jerusalem should bear conscientiously
in mind that the Jewish State’s physical survival ought never to be taken for
granted. At some point of accumulating conflict, even a nuclear weapons state
could be left with only militarily irrelevant options. That point would
reference residual options for revenge, but not for safety and security.
An unintentional or inadvertent nuclear war between Jerusalem and Tehran could
take place not only as the result of misunderstandings or miscalculations
between rational leaders, but as the unintended consequence of mechanical,
electrical, or computer malfunction. This should bring to mind a further
distinction between unintentional/inadvertent nuclear war and accidental nuclear
war. Though all accidental nuclear wars must be unintentional, not every
unintentional nuclear war must be created by accident. On one occasion or
another, an unintentional or inadvertent nuclear war could also be the result of
fundamental human misjudgments about enemy intentions. This result would be
catastrophic.
History matters
An authentic nuclear war has never been fought. There are no possible experts on
“conducting” or “winning” a nuclear war. In Jerusalem, this understanding should
be considered axiomatic and overriding. There is another critical axiom. Israel
needs “high thinkers” for strategic calculations and calibrations. Who should be
the appropriate models for such extraordinary thinkers? One should think here of
such figures as Leo Szilard, Enrico Fermi, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert
Einstein, Niels Bohr, and assorted others. Such thinking will need to be
initiated and expanded at advanced theoretical levels. This task could never be
fulfilled at normal operational levels. For Israel, much more will be needed
than capable and industrious professionals. Refined deductive theory will be
indispensable. Without a systematic and theory-based plan in place, Israel would
render itself unprepared for an Iranian nuclear conflict that is deliberate,
unintentional or accidental. At every stage of its self-propelling competition
with Tehran, Jerusalem should remember that the only acceptable rationale for
national nuclear weapons and doctrine is stable war management and comprehensive
nuclear deterrence.
IMMEDIATELY, ISRAEL should initiate a conspicuous policy shift from “deliberate
nuclear ambiguity” to “selective nuclear disclosure.” The driving logic of this
shift would not be to restate the obvious (i.e., that Israel is an operational
nuclear power), but to remind all would-be aggressors that Jerusalem’s nuclear
weapons are usable at every level of possible warfare. Nonetheless, even with
optimal prudential planning, Russian and/or North Korean threats to Israel could
become overwhelming.
A worst case scenario for Israel would commence with progressively explicit
threats from Moscow or Pyongyang about Israeli preemption costs. Israel, aware
that it could not reasonably expect to coexist indefinitely with a nuclear Iran,
would proceed with its planned preemptions in spite of dire Russian or North
Korean warnings. In subsequent response, North Korean military forces would
begin to act directly against Israel, thereby seeking to persuade Jerusalem that
Iran’s nuclear state surrogates are in a position to dominate all imaginable
escalations. Unless the United States were willing to enter the already-chaotic
situation with openly unrestricted support for Israel, Moscow would have no
foreseeable difficulties in establishing “escalation dominance.”
Correspondingly, well-intentioned supporters of Israel could over-estimate the
Jewish State’s relative nuclear capabilities and options, a judgment that
Sigmund Freud would likely have called “wish fulfillment.”In war, even
state-of-the-art military operations would have determinable limits. In essence,
there is no clear way in which the capabilities and options of a state smaller
than America’s Lake Michigan could “win” at competitive risk-taking vis-à-vis
Russia or North Korea. Israel ought always to avoid armed struggle against a
vastly superior nuclear adversary. Plausibly, this imperative would not pose
problems with regard to a newly-nuclear Iran, but it would present a very
serious problem if it concerned an already “mature” North Korean nuclear
adversary.
What about the United States? Would newly reelected president Donald J. Trump
honor alliance commitments to Israel that could place millions of American
citizens in existential vulnerability? Would Trump reliably accept such a
law-based commitment under any circumstances? Considering Trump’s history with
the Russian president, he would likely do as little as possible to offend
Vladimir Putin. This would include “letting him do whatever the hell he wants,”
Trump’s published comment on Putin and Ukraine declared February 10, 2024. With
a resolutely pro-Putin Trump back in the White House, Jerusalem will need to
take seriously the prospect of American “nonintervention.” This realistic
prospect would mean nothing less than witting Trump abandonment of Israel to
nuclear harms being threatened by North Korea. Though counterintuitive for those
Israelis who gratefully regard President-elect Trump as “pro-Israel,” such an
abandonment would still be plausible (and perhaps even expected) were Putin to
be involved.
**The writer is emeritus professor of international law, Purdue University.
Iran has developed fentanyl-based chemical weapons
Michael Peck/Business Insider/November 10, 2024
Iran is believed to have weaponized pharmaceutical agents to kill or
incapacitate.
These chemical weapons affect a victim's central nervous system.
These are especially a problem if Iran supplies them to militant allies like
Hezbollah and Hamas.
Iran has developed chemical weapons based on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl,
warns a US expert, powerful agents that could incapacitate soldiers or civilians
when added to grenades or artillery.
Pharmaceutical-based agents, or PBA, are essentially weaponized medicines that
incapacitate or kill their victims depending on the exposure. Iran may have
given PBA to its proxies such as Hezbollah, which could use them to kidnap
Israeli troops and civilians.
"At a time of growing regional instability in the Middle East, largely the
result of the militancy of Iranian proxies, the threats posed by Iran's
weaponized PBA program can no longer be overlooked," wrote Matthew Levitt in an
article for the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office defines PBAs as "chemicals based on
pharmaceutical compounds, which may or may not have legitimate medical uses, and
can cause severe illness or death when misused." They include opioids such as
fentanyl and tranquilizers for animals.
These drugs affect a victim's central nervous system. "Once inhaled, these
agents cause victims to lose full consciousness and enable the forces deploying
them to advance quickly and quietly and/or take captive the unconscious
victims," Levitt wrote.
Iran was a victim of chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s,
when Iraqi chemical attacks — including nerve gases such as Sarin, and mustard
gas — contributed to as many as 1 million Iranian casualties. But Iran employed
its own mustard gas on a few occasions during the war. Israel believes Iran used
PBAs against rebels in the Syrian Civil War, while there are reports that
pro-Iranian militias in Iraq may have unleashed them against anti-government
protestors.
"The problem is that Iran is right when they said they've been victims of
chemical weapons in terrible ways during the Iran-Iraq war," Levitt, a senior
fellow at the Washington Institute think tank, told Business Insider. "But the
reality is they themselves have been using these as well."
The US and its allies have warned for years that Iran is developing
pharmaceutical-based weapons in breach of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention,
which bans the manufacture and use of "toxic chemicals," defined as "chemical
action on life processes [that] can cause death, temporary incapacitation or
permanent harm to humans or animals." Treaty signatories — including Iran — are
obligated to destroy existing stockpiles.
Still, evidence suggests Iran is pursuing PBAs. "In 2014, Iran's Chemistry
Department of IHU [Imam Hossein University] sought kilogram quantities of
medetomidine — a [veterinary] sedative it has researched as an aerosolized
incapacitant — from Chinese exporters, according to a 2023 US State Department's
report. "The Chemistry Department has little history of veterinary or even
medical research, and the quantities sought (over 10,000 effective doses) were
inconsistent with the reported end use of research."
In September 2023, Iranian anti-government hackers "posted confidential
documents detailing an Iranian military university's development of grenades
meant to disseminate medetomidine," the State Department said.
Of particular concern were references in Iranian literature to the 2002 Dubrovka
incident, when Russian security forces pumped pharmaceutical-based gas —
probably fentanyl or carfentanyl, another synthetic opioid vastly more potent —
into a crowded Moscow theater to subdue Chechen rebels who had taken almost a
thousand hostages. Commandos then stormed the building and killed the
incapacitated rebels — but the gas also killed more than 130 hostages.
Yet restricting PBAs is difficult because they overlap with products used for
legitimate law enforcement and medical purposes. For example, tear gas has been
used by law enforcement as a riot control agent since the First World War, while
US troops used it in the Vietnam War to smoke out enemy tunnels. Tear gas is
still legal when employed for riot control, but not as a battlefield weapon.
Stopping nations from manufacturing PBAs is " very, very difficult, which is why
you've seen such a focus on diplomatic efforts, sanctions and some law
enforcement actions," said Levitt.
Iranian PBAs are a particular problem if Tehran has supplied them to proxies
such as Hezbollah. "Deploying weapons produced with dual-use items, and then
providing said weapons to proxies, provides Iran with multiple layers of cover
and reasonable deniability for having done so at all," the CTC article noted.
Israel feared that Hezbollah would use PBA weapons as part of an alleged plan to
seize the Galilee region of northern Israel and kidnap Israeli citizens. "Maybe
you just use them to incapacitate the border guards and reach the now
unprotected civilians," Levitt said. "Or, you actually target and incapacitate
the soldiers so you can kidnap or capture them."
Israel's recent military offensives in Lebanon have badly hurt Hezbollah,
including its huge arsenal of missiles. But PBAs can be added to hand grenades
and mortar shells, of which Hezbollah still has ample stocks. And there remains
a possibility that US forces could clash with Iran and its allies and encounter
pharmaceutical-based agents. (The US, in contrast, completed the destruction of
its chemical weapons in 2023.)
However, Levitt emphasizes that PBAs are not in the same league as weapons of
mass destruction such as nerve gas, which is potent enough to kill widely across
exposure areas. "This is not a strategic threat. It is a tactical weapon."
Nonetheless, chemical weapons do have a frightening aura, even if fentanyl gas
is nowhere near as deadly as nerve gas. "I think that many, many people would
see it that way because you're talking about chemical weapons," Levitt said.
Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense
News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in
political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Reading In the Amsterdam Terrorist Attack On The Israeli soccer fans
Yair Ravid (Abu Daoud)/November 10/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/136681/
Arab rioters burn Paris, their brothers kill a Jewish teacher in the south of
France, other brothers behead a policeman, Arab immigrant riots in England,
Italy and Sweden. And at the end of the week, an attempt to pogrom the fans of a
football team from Tel Aviv who came to watch the game of their beloved team,
became routine acts. The events I mentioned were held in different countries and
at different times. But one thing unites them all.
All the rioters are Arabs and Africans who fled from backward countries of
distress and poverty, and who were welcomed in the West with open arms, with the
desire to take them in and help them rebuild their lives and build a new and
promising future for themselves and their children. Instead of embracing the
opportunities presented to them, they preferred to gather and shut themselves in
the ghettos they had established, to preserve their previous ways of life and
customs, to adhere devoutly to the ways of their Muslim religion, and to develop
ideas about Sharia control over the countries they arrived as destitute
immigrants. The people of the Western countries and the United States and Canada
in the content, do not understand this. Their leaders understand, but are
ignored for electoral reasons, but one fact cannot be ignored.
The West is in the midst of a physical and cultural world war against the Muslim
world. The sooner they understand this and fight back, and at least defend
themselves, if not attack, the greater their chances of winning this war, and
succeeding in preserving their religion, traditions, and customs. For those who
wonder where the murderousness of parts of this public stems from, I would like
to clarify that beyond the religious brainwashing in which the adults among the
immigrant communities, and especially among the younger ones, there is a strict
and strict separation in the relationship between the sexes. Any contact with
females is prohibited. And since we are talking about young people in their full
power and at the peak of their hormonal flowering, the promise to every martyr
killed in the Jihad war, to have the services of 72 virgins, puts the young
people on their minds.
I doubt whether most of the public or the leaders in Europe, (and also in
Israel) have taken these phenomena into account. In conclusion, if the West does
not. He will come to his senses and fight for his life and culture, a world
different from the one we are familiar with is expected for our grandson. One
comfort in my mouth to the citizens of France, Spain and Italy, when you are
banned from producing wine, you can always turn to the State of Israel, the wine
produced here is wonderful. I also have good news for the citizens of Lebanon. .
When the Iranians close your Arak factories, you are invited to us. The Arak
which is produced in Israel by our Lebanese brothers from the SLA, does not fall
short of Zahala's Arak
Pressure on Israel crucial to Middle East peace
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/November 11, 2024
A preelection campaign video released by Donald Trump’s team showed the former
president at a Lebanese restaurant in Michigan. One person asked him about peace
in the Middle East. Trump responded that peace would not be possible without a
change of leadership in America. He added: “You have people in the Middle East
who aren’t doing their job. You have people in the US who aren’t doing their
job.”One of the Trump campaign’s commitments, as highlighted to the Arab
American community in Michigan, was to end the war in Gaza. He made a firm
commitment, while his defeated Democratic rival Kamala Harris only promised to
do her best. However, bringing peace to the Middle East will have to involve
pressuring Israel, so will Trump do that?
The only president who has previously dared to confront the Israelis was George
H.W. Bush. He confronted them on the issue of settlements and it did not go well
for him. Bush was challenged by Congress, which is well funded by the pro-Israel
lobby. Bush had a famous quote: “There are 1,000 lobbyists up on the Hill today
lobbying Congress for loan guarantees for Israel and I’m one lonely little guy
down here asking Congress to delay its consideration of loan guarantees for 120
days.” The “lonely little guy” lost the 1992 election despite the success of the
Gulf War.
This defeat was a lesson for every president that came after him. Will Trump be
different? It is hard to tell. However, Trump always talks about being the man
who keeps his word. His slogan in his 2020 campaign was “promises made, promises
kept.” He will begin his second and final term in January. He is also not
committed to the Republican Party. He is an outsider. On the other hand, the
Republican Party is committed to him being a Republican president. He has the
Senate behind him and may well have the House of Representatives too. Hence, he
has a window if he wants to take drastic action.
Trump was perhaps the most pro-Israel president in US history during his first
term. He gave Israel everything it wanted. He recognized Jerusalem as its
capital and moved the US Embassy there. While a resolution confirming this move
was passed by Congress in 1995 with a five-year grace period, the move was
repeatedly delayed by Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Trump, however, did not care about upsetting anyone and the US Embassy moved to
Jerusalem in 2018. The only president who has previously dared to confront the
Israelis was George H.W. Bush. He confronted them on the issue of settlements.
He also recognized the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory, even though,
according to international law, it belongs to Syria. He turned a blind eye to
the expansion of settlements. His secretary of state even refused to call the
settlements illegal. Having said this, Trump is not ideological. Unlike Biden,
who is a committed Zionist, Trump is committed to his own interests. So, his
previous pro-Israel course will not necessarily be repeated.
Jared Kushner was the favorite son-in-law last time. Now, we hear about a new
favorite — Michael Boulos, the husband of Trump’s other daughter, Tiffany. His
father, Massad Boulos, helped Trump win Arab votes in Michigan during the recent
campaign. According to an interview given to Israeli TV by Walid Phares, who is
in the Trump court, he could not have won Michigan without Massad. The
interviewer then asked Phares if Boulos might make Trump steer in a different
direction. However, it might not be the new son-in-law that does so, but the
realities on the ground.
Trump is a transactional person. In his first term, he wanted an achievement.
The Palestinian issue seemed very complex. He thought he would bypass it and go
directly to Arab-Israeli normalization by giving countries in the region the
perks they needed to make such a concession. The US recognized Moroccan
sovereignty over Western Sahara, for example. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s project is clear: it is one of ethnic cleansing. He is acting as if
he already has carte blanche from Trump. On the same day Trump was elected, he
fired his defense secretary and replaced him with an even more radical figure,
Israel Katz. Katz has already suggested the “temporary evacuation” of
Palestinians in the West Bank. The Knesset last week issued a law allowing
Israel to deport anyone, including citizens, with any connection to terrorism.
All this is a prelude to ethnic cleansing. Can there be peace when there is
another wave of ethnic cleansing? Trump may have a terrible track record when it
comes to Palestine. He even used the word “Palestinian” as a slur during his
debate with Biden. And he also said that Israel is “so tiny” during one speech
and asked “is there any way of getting any more?” Yet there is nothing
preventing him from changing course if he really is committed to peace. After
all, this will be his second term, the term in which he will create his legacy.
He has ties to Israel. However, Arab Gulf states also managed to build good
relations with him. Will he now listen to them and work with them on building a
sustainable peace? If this is the plan, he has to pressure Israel.
**Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace
Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
A new era of hope: Trump’s return and the promise of
stability
Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab News/November 11, 2024
The reelection of President Donald Trump heralds a new era of optimism and
possibility for both the US and the global community. His impending return to
office signals a steadfast commitment to revitalizing the US economy and
prioritizing the well-being of the American people. As a businessman with a
proven track record, Trump brings a practical approach to governance, focusing
on economic prosperity and tangible results. During his previous term, Trump’s
policies spurred economic growth, reduced unemployment and created a favorable
environment for businesses. His emphasis on deregulation and tax reforms
breathed new life into various sectors, fostering investment and job creation.
The American people can expect a continuation of these strategies, aimed at
further strengthening the nation’s economic foundation. Beyond the economy,
Trump has consistently championed traditional family values and has made it
clear he intends to protect the youth from harmful ideologies. His stance
against the “woke” movement demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding cultural
values and shielding younger generations from agendas that threaten to erode
societal foundations. This form of leadership is not only crucial for the US but
also serves as an example for young people around the world. On the
international front, Trump’s approach to foreign policy is characterized by a
focus on peace and stability. His administration’s success in brokering
agreements in the Middle East, such as the Abraham Accords, underscored his
commitment to fostering dialogue and reducing tensions. As the conflict between
Ukraine and Russia continues to claim lives and create global instability, I am
confident that Trump will leverage his diplomatic acumen to facilitate
negotiations that could bring an end to this crisis.
Trump’s commitment to addressing the Middle East’s unique security challenges is
clear. A renewed US-Gulf Cooperation Council partnership under his leadership
would reinforce stability across the Gulf states. His strategic alliance with
the GCC nations reflects a shared commitment to countering common threats and
promoting regional security. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan
last week extended his congratulations to Trump and emphasized the importance of
this collaboration by stating: “The UAE and US are united by our enduring
partnership based on shared ambitions for progress. The UAE looks forward to
continuing to work with our partners in the US toward a future of opportunity,
prosperity and stability for all.”
Trump’s commitment to addressing the Middle East’s unique security challenges is
clear.
In a Middle East where stability is paramount, Trump’s focus on strengthening
alliances and curbing extremist forces offers a path forward. His leadership is
an encouraging sign for all those invested in a secure and prosperous future for
the region.
Trump’s foreign policy extends beyond the Middle East, reaching key players in
Asia. His diplomatic engagements with North Korea and China signaled a shift
from military confrontations toward economic cooperation. His landmark meetings
with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though met with skepticism by some, opened
channels of communication that had long been dormant, while his firm stance on
trade imbalances with China sought to establish a more equitable economic
relationship.
As Trump once said, “sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the
war.” This sentiment captures the resilience and adaptability that characterize
his approach to leadership — qualities that will undoubtedly serve him well in
navigating both domestic and global complexities.
World leaders have expressed optimism regarding their renewed collaboration with
Trump. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Trump’s “historic victory,”
highlighting the enduring UK-US alliance, while European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the “true partnership” between the EU and the
US, emphasizing a strong transatlantic agenda to address shared challenges
during Trump’s presidency. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, recognizing
the significance of Trump’s reelection, expressed hope for “strong bipartisan
support for Ukraine in the United States.” His message reflects the optimism
felt by nations worldwide that Trump’s leadership will contribute to a more
peaceful and balanced international order. Reflecting on my endorsement of Trump
during his first campaign, I believed that his background as a businessman would
bring a refreshing change to American politics. While some people, including
celebrities, opposed him, it was crucial to set aside personal biases and offer
him the chance to implement his vision. His subsequent achievements demonstrated
the effectiveness of a pragmatic, business-oriented approach.
Today, with his reelection, we are presented with an opportunity for a brighter
future. I urge all stakeholders to put personal differences aside and engage
constructively, listening to the voices of the American people who have chosen
this path.
As we look ahead, the alliance between Trump’s incoming administration and the
Gulf nations will be instrumental in countering the threats posed by those who
seek to destabilize our region. With a renewed focus on economic and security
cooperation, we can achieve a prosperous future that reflects the values we hold
dear. In conclusion, Trump’s reelection is not just a victory for the US but a
beacon of hope for the world. His leadership, grounded in practical experience
and a results-oriented mindset, is poised to address both domestic and
international challenges. As we move forward, let us seize this moment to build
a future of stability, security and growth for all.
• Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor is a prominent UAE businessman and chairman of the Al-Habtoor
Group and Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance Company. He formerly held the
posts of chairman of the Commercial Bank of Dubai and vice chairman of Al-Jalila
Foundation Board of Trustees and was a member of the UAE’s Federal National
Council, the Board of Directors of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was the
only non-US member of the World Board of Governors of the American United
Service Organizations (USO) from 1994 to 1997.
X: @KhalafAlHabtoor
A diversifying Europe mustn’t tear itself apart
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/November 11, 2024
Initial reports from Amsterdam last week described horrific scenes of Israeli
football supporters being beaten up in violent clashes that the authorities
condemned as antisemitic.
A more nuanced version of events gradually emerged: extremist fans of Maccabi
Tel Aviv had been creating chaos before and during the match against Ajax, with
anti-Arab chants and the championing of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Houses bearing
Palestinian flags had been attacked. Among a relentless succession of racist
chants, supporters sang: “There are no schools in Gaza, because there are no
children left.” All hell broke loose after the match, with violent clashes
between Maccabi fans and local people, many of whom are of North African origin.
Gangs of youths attacked Israeli football fans.
The Maccabi Ultras have a shameful history of racist violence and agitation,
with strong connections to Israel’s extreme right. Fans are notorious for
shouting racist slogans at players of various ethnicities, including members of
their own team — such as the Ethiopian Jewish player Baruch Dego, who routinely
has to put up with monkey noises from the crowd. During the 2020–2021
anti-Netanyahu protests, Maccabi fans attacked protesters with sticks and broken
bottles.
This all raises the question of why European states let them in in the first
place, and why pre-emptive measures weren’t taken to prevent violence. Indeed,
the controversial decision has been taken to proceed with a Maccabi match in
Paris this week, despite everything that occurred.
We should condemn violence of all kinds. But this is just one example of
thousands of such tumultuous incidents since the eruption of Middle East
violence in October 2023, giving rise to mass demonstrations around the world by
supporters of both sides, a sharp rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks,
and a tsunami of online hate speech, misinformation and incitement.
Much of this exacerbation in worldwide civil tensions, such as the rioting that
erupted across Britain last summer after three children were stabbed to death at
a dance class, has been deliberately engineered by various entities with
specific antisocial agendas. Fake online claims that the perpetrator of the
Southport stabbing was a Muslim immigrant led to far-right and neo-Nazi
organizations organizing several nights of violent Islamophobic rioting. Hostels
housing immigrants, and people of ethnic minorities, were attacked. The rioting
subsided only after huge nationwide anti-racism rallies, along with a robust
government response. Such events occur in the context of years of whipping up
anti-immigrant sentiments by right-wing politicians and the populist media,
normalizing increasingly draconian political measures to curb immigration, often
with the shocking outcome that thousands of those fleeing war and persecution
are abandoned to drown at sea. The real threat to Europe from within is not from
North Africans, Turks and Afghans, but from the narrow-minded xenophobes and
hatemongering media organs that aspire to tear their own societies apart. Europe
plays host to huge populations of multiethnic origin, including North Africa and
the Middle East. While such xenophobia is frequently focused against recent
migrants and refugees, the extreme right has also sought to foment hatred of all
those of non-European origin. The Gaza conflict has contributed to this
polarization, with the far right seeking to demonize Arabs and Muslims as
“terrorism supporters” while huge numbers of white Europeans have become
increasingly outspoken in support of the Palestinian cause.
In France alone, over 10 percent of the population are immigrants born outside
the country, with a significantly wider proportion of citizens with parentage of
various ethnic origin. Many other European states enjoy comparable levels of
diversity. The reality is that immigration into Europe will continue increasing,
because the economies of aging Western nations with plunging birth rates are in
dire need of foreign workers and the number of people displaced by conflict and
instability worldwide has soared. Over the coming century we will probably reach
a point at which a majority of European citizens at least in part claim descent
from immigrant origins. Entire economic sectors these days are dominated by
people of a broad spectrum of ethnicities.
Thus, the racist panic of the extreme right arises from recognition that their
hateful cause is already lost. When I moved into my current home many years ago,
the previous owner remarked that in this “really nice neighborhood” I wouldn’t
come across anybody else from other nationalities. Nowadays a significant number
of my neighbors are of South Asian origin.
But we mustn’t ignore the genuine social challenges of large-scale immigration.
Refugees are often traumatized by the horrific experiences they fled from. The
children of immigrants often feel a sense of dislocation, of not properly
fitting into either culture. Too many immigrant districts have become
ghettoized, as impaired access to quality education, services and career
opportunities create a vicious circle of deprivation. It is also vital that
immigrants themselves strive to integrate with their new culture,
conscientiously learning the language and not behaving in ways that will
alienate and antagonize.
With the pre-eminence of the European extreme right over the past decade, there
have been consolidated efforts to weaponize cultural differences. Too often the
populist media, instead of enlightening and informing, has founded its business
model on playing upon people’s prejudices and preconceptions — hyping fake and
exaggerated stories to whip up animosity toward all those who are different.
Cultural diversity is already wholly inherent to contemporary Europe, and
managed immigration is a prerequisite for its continued economic vigor. The
world’s greatest cities, such as London, New York and Paris, are the most
diverse. Newly arriving cultural influences immensely enrich Europe: music, art,
literature, food and other cultural practices have immeasurably broadened the
quality of life of communities that were previously rather more parochial,
conservative and homogenous. Governments must take the lead in encouraging
societies to celebrate and champion this diversity, which enriches us all.
The real threat to Europe from within is not from North Africans, Turks and
Afghans, but from the narrow-minded xenophobes and hatemongering media organs
that aspire to tear their own societies apart.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle
East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has
interviewed numerous heads of state.
Iran-Trump… Why Now?
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
Last Friday, when the US Justice Department presented details of a failed
Iranian conspiracy to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump before the
presidential election, my initial, spontaneous reaction was: "What timing!"
Yes, the timing of the announcement is politically explosive, especially with
Trump winning the presidential election by a landslide amid a red wave that
granted him a historic mandate.
To understand why the timing is so crucial, we need look no further than
yesterday’s Washington Post article about Silicon Valley executives’ position on
Trump's re-election.
"Silicon Valley protested Trump in 2016, and now wants to work with him," the
headline reads. "Donald Trump’s first White House win triggered public outcry
from tech executives and employees but this week, industry leaders were
friendlier," reads the subheading.
These business leaders contribute to shaping public opinion through social media
and the internet in general, and they are also influential technological and
economic actors. However, today they are focused on their interests and do not
want to repeat the mistakes of 2016 when Trump won the first term.
These influential American companies have now chosen not to clash with the
president-elect. Imagine, then, the stance of foreign countries, specifically
Iran, which denied the claims made by the US Justice Department. However, denial
is not the story here; the timing and President Trump are.
The timing is critical because Trump, as the Wall Street Journal reported last
Friday, plans to resume the maximum pressure campaign on Iran we saw during his
first term once he returns to the White House.
The WSJ says that Trump hopes this will achieve two goals: first, ensure that
Iran cannot afford to rebuild Hezbollah, Hamas, and its other regional proxies,
and second push Iran into serious negotiations to abandon its nuclear project.
With the announcement that Tehran had been planning to assassinate him made
before Trump even entered the Oval Office, things have become personal, and this
is a president who openly values personal relationships and stances.
The timing, here, is everything. Is making the announcement now an attempt by
the Biden administration to embroil Trump in direct escalation with Iran before
he enters the White House? I don't think so, not on this point; they are all
conspiracy theories.
I believe that the timing is tied to the timing of the planned assassination,
which Iran denies. However, this is not the first time we have seen an
announcement of an Iranian plot to carry out assassinations (whether against
Trump or other officials or Iranian dissidents) in the United States.
Thus, the volatility of the timing cannot be underestimated, be it the result of
misjudgment or a deliberate decision. It came as President-elect Trump won his
second term and achieved an astonishing comeback and landslide victory.
Another reason is that Israel is fighting fierce battles against Iran's proxies
in the region, and it is actively seeking to involve the United States in it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not have been given a better
gift than this assassination plot.
Sistani and the State Authority
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al Awsat/November 10/2024
The world’s highest Shiite Muslim authority, Ali al-Sistani, has sounded an
alarm, which seems like the last warning before Iraq faces a critical turning
point that neither the state nor its people may be able to withstand.
These potential dangers have compelled Sistani to break his long silence,
expressing dissatisfaction and disapproval of Iraq’s political experiment since
the 2003 regime change, which now finds itself at a crossroads: either undergo
radical reform or descend into deadly chaos.
During his meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General’s representative
and head of the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Mohammad Hassan, the Grand Ayatollah
called for the monopoly of arms by the state, the rejection of all foreign
interference, and the fight against corruption.
Sistani’s calls are not new; they are principles he consistently upholds and
reiterates to his influential visitors, excluding Iraqi politicians whom he has
refused to meet for the past decade. He also emphasizes these principles to his
followers, the majority of whom belong to the Jaafari Shiite sect worldwide. His
recent reassertion of these positions, following a long period of political
silence, was made at a crucial juncture in Iraq’s and the region’s history.
The timing of his statement, then, is what makes Sistani’s stance remarkable,
even if it repeats past messages. The reiteration itself signals a warning about
what the religious authority in Najaf perceives as an imminent threat to Iraq
and the post-2003 system, and it delivers a sharp, direct message to the
so-called political houses produced by this system. These houses have been
responsible for creating power structures but have failed to establish a stable
state, which is the primary motivation behind Sistani’s warning.
The location of this message, Najaf, is also significant. It is the spiritual
heart of the global Shiite community and plays a general pastoral role, serving
as an advisor, not a ruler. Najaf advocates for the protection of individuals
and the national community, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or sectarian
identity, from the perspective of the state alone. In this view, the nation’s
welfare, whether in Iraq or Lebanon, is the concern of individuals, the
citizens, and only the state—fair or flawed—bears the ultimate responsibility
for national security.
Political forces, particularly the ruling Coordination Framework, were quick to
affirm Sistani’s words. However, this moment requires actual commitment and
action, something that appears difficult or nearly impossible under the current
circumstances. Despite the risks, Sistani’s words remove any religious or legal
justification for the power-and-arms duality that has ruled and influenced Iraq
since Saddam’s fall—and similarly, Lebanon. His statement is a clear call for
these groups to abandon their illicit gains and relinquish their influence over
the state and society, while also holding them accountable for the consequences
of weakening the state and monopolizing its decision-making.
Sistani’s message resonates not only in Baghdad and Beirut but also in other
capitals concerned with his stance. It represents a measure of national interest
that transcends transnational ideological affiliations, affirming that loyalty
to the state supersedes all other allegiances, and that the safety of nations
and lives ensures the security of faith, sect, and belief.
Sistani’s straightforward words to the Iraqi people were sobering. He said:
“Iraqis face a long path to achieve this; may God help them on this
journey”—referring to the fight against financial and administrative corruption
and the effort to centralize arms under the state’s control. This message
applies to Lebanon as well; it is not merely a historical statement but one
intended for the future. As a prominent figure from the modern historical school
once said: “History is not the science of knowing the past; it is the science of
human beings within historical time—past, present, and future.”