English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 19/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
If you abide in my word, you will truly be my disciples and
know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
John 08/31038/Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed in Him, If you abide in
my word, you will truly be my disciples and know the truth, and the truth will
make you free. They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s seed, and were never in
bondage to any man. How sayest thou, ‘Ye shall be made free’?” Jesus answered
them, “Verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of
sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth
ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know
that ye are Abraham’s seed, but ye seek to kill Me, because My Word hath no
place in you. I speak that which I have seen with My Father, and ye do that
which ye have seen with your father.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on November
18-19/2024
Elias Bejjani: Hezbollah in All Its Forms is an Existential Threat to Lebanon
and the Lebanese People
Hezbollah Claims Downing Israeli Hermes 450 Drone
G20 Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon
Netanyahu: Negotiating Under Fire; Hezbollah Still Has Missile Capability
Even with Lebanon truce deal, Israel will operate against Hezbollah: Netanyahu
Lebanon, Hezbollah agree to US proposal for ceasefire with Israel, Lebanese
official says
Public
Health Emergency: 3,516 Martyrs and 14,929 Injured Since the Start of the
Aggression
The cumulative toll since the beginning of the aggression has reached 3,516
martyrs and 14,929 injured.
Foreign Ministry Directs UN Mission to File Complaint Over Army Targeting
Public Health Emergency: Final Casualty Count from Raids on Ras Al-Nabaa and Mar
Elias
Deaths of a Mukhtar and Deputy Mayor in Tyre Amid Ongoing Strikes
Recovery of Six Martyrs from the Islamic Health Authority in Braachit
US envoy heads to Beirut as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire talks gain momentum
US awaits Lebanon response to Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire plan
Israeli airstrike hits central Beirut near key government buildings and
embassies
Lebanon, Hezbollah accept US ceasefire proposal as Israeli strike in Beirut
kills 5
Hezbollah's True Intentions Are Definitely Vicious, Jihadist, and Entirely
Iranian/Lubos El Jerdi/November 18/2024
Israel’s expanding efforts to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply chain/Emanuele
Ottolenghi & Joe Truzman/| FDD's Long War Journal/November 18/2024
The Return of Hochstein and Return of the Lebanese State/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq
Al Awsat/November 18/2028
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November
18-19/2024
Canada foils Iranian plot to assassinate pro-Israel human rights lawyer -
report/Jerusalem post/
Former justice minister Irwin Cotler says RCMP told him Iranian plot to kill him
was foiled
Israeli strikes kill 18 Palestinians in Gaza, some in attacks on tents, say
medics
Five wounded in Tel Aviv area rocket strikes: first responders
Nearly 100 food aid trucks violently looted in Gaza, UN agencies say
Netanyahu says Israel's October attack hit a component in Iran nuclear programme
Latin American nations demand action against Iranian threats, declare solidarity
with Israel
Russia's engagement with the Houthis as they lob missiles at ships is getting
'serious,' US official says
UK announces fresh sanctions against Iran’s air and shipping operators
US sanctions group that builds illegal West Bank settlements, with close ties to
Israeli government
The silenced suffering of Iran’s youth and the deafening silence of the West -
opinion
Zelensky is sure the war will 'end sooner' under Trump admin
Palestinian NGO to ask UK court to block F-35 parts to Israel over Gaza war
Suspected Houthi rebels in Yemen target a ship in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November
18-19/2024
Donald Trump: Back to the Future on Iran Policy/Behnam Ben Taleblu & Janatan
Sayeh/The Algemeiner/November 18/2024
UNRWA Hires Palestinian Terrorists, Glorifies Violence And Terrorism/Bassam
Tawil/Gatestone Institute./November 18/ 2024
Trump’s Return: A Bold Vision to Reshape the Middle East/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al Awsat/November 18/2028
The Riyadh Summit: Regional Security Founded on a Two-State/Sam Menassa/Asharq
Al Awsat/November 18/2028
Hoori or Whore? How Islam’s ‘72 Virgins’ Inspire Muslims to Suicidal
Violence/Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/November 18/2028
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on November
18-19/2024
Elias Bejjani: Hezbollah in All Its Forms is an Existential Threat to Lebanon
and the Lebanese People
November 17, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/136914/
Hezbollah’s Threat to Lebanon Is
Beyond Armed Resistance
Hezbollah, the armed Iranian jihadist terrorist proxy, represents a multifaceted
and existential threat that transcends its military capabilities. It poses a
grave danger to Lebanon, the Arab world, Israel, and the international peace as
a whole—whether it exists as an armed militia or a so-called political entity.
Dismantling Hezbollah, disarming it, and prosecuting its leadership as enablers
of the Shiite political Islamist ideology are crucial steps to preserving
Lebanese, regional, and global stability.
The threat of Hezbollah lies in its religious ideology, which mirrors the Shiite
branch of political Islam and is almost a carbon copy of the Sunni variant, with
its extremist and jihadist organizations like ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and
the Muslim Brotherhood offshoots. Despite sectarian differences, all political
Islamist groups share a unified goal: imposing a totalitarian
religious-political agenda that threatens nation-states, disrupts societal
stability, and causes global unrest. Hezbollah’s Shiite agenda is no less
dangerous or extreme than its Sunni counterparts.
Hezbollah Does Not Represent Shiites in Lebanon or the Arab World
Contrary to the propaganda spread by Iran and its so-called "Resistance Axis" in
Lebanon and beyond, Hezbollah does not represent Lebanese or Arab Shiites.
Instead, it stands as their greatest adversary. In the 1980s, through a
conspiracy between Syria’s Assad regime and Iran’s mullahs, Hezbollah was
created and equipped with extensive military, financial, and sectarian resources
to hijack Lebanon's Shiite community and hold it hostage.
This destructive reality persists today, just last year, Hezbollah launched a
war against Israel under direct Iranian orders, continuing it despite disastrous
consequences on Lebanese Shiites, including destruction, death, impoverishment,
humiliation, and displacement. Despite the devastation and suffering caused by
its policies and wars in its areas of influence, Hezbollah persists in waging
senseless battles solely to serve Iran’s regional agenda, which starkly opposes
the interests of Shiites, Lebanon, and the Lebanese people. These suicidal
policies underscore Hezbollah's loyalty to Iran, surpassing any concern for the
community it falsely claims to defend and represent—its so-called
“supportive-embracing base.”
Hezbollah’s Role in Undermining Lebanon’s Sovereignty
Since 2005, following Syria's forced withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah has
entrenched itself as a "state within a state." It seized control of the
government, coerced or bought off political parties and figures, and transformed
Lebanon into an arms depot, monopolizing decisions of war and peace.
Despite this reality, most Lebanese politicians and leaders of corrupted
political parties, driven by ignorance, opportunism, or betrayal, openly propose
allowing Hezbollah to continue as a political party after its inevitable
military defeat. This servile stance highlights the shortsightedness of these
individuals, serving only Iran’s hegemonic agenda by ensuring Hezbollah's
ideological and cultural dominance and extending its function as Tehran’s tool
in the region.
The Heresy of the “Defense Strategy” Hoax
Amid this political and religious subjugation, calls have emerged to integrate
Hezbollah’s weapons into a so-called “national defense strategy” or to
incorporate thousands of its fighters into the Lebanese Army under the guise of
“border guards.” These proposals are national betrayals designed to cement
Hezbollah’s status as a parallel armed entity dominating the Lebanese Army's
leadership and institutions, effectively creating a state within the state.
This is the same model Iran has promoted through the Popular Mobilization Forces
in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and its militias in Syria, undermining the
sovereignty of these nations’ governments. Hezbollah mirrors this structure in
Lebanon today.
Iran: Chaos, Destruction, and the Fragmentation of States
Iran’s strategy is clear: weaken nation-states, empower sectarian militias loyal
to Tehran, and consolidate its influence. In Lebanon, Hezbollah serves as Iran’s
primary tool for maintaining its grip on the country. The same strategy is
replicated in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, where Iranian militias systematically
dismantle national institutions, replacing legitimate governance with chaos and
mini-states.
The Path to Liberating Lebanon from Iranian Occupation
Dismantling Hezbollah, disarming it, and banning its participation in political
life are essential preconditions for freeing Lebanon from Iranian occupation.
The Lebanese people, alongside political, religious, academic, and partisan
elites, must recognize a crucial truth: Hezbollah, in any form, is incompatible
with sovereignty, constitutional governance, independence, democracy, freedoms,
coexistence, and national unity. The international community must support
Lebanon by exerting maximum pressure on Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsors to
dismantle the group, liberate the Shiites and all Lebanese from its
authoritarian control, and restore Lebanon's sovereignty.
Lebanon’s future hinges on breaking the vicious cycle of occupations and
external dependency that have plagued it since the 1970s. Achieving this
requires the complete eradication of Hezbollah as a military force, its
dissolution as a political entity, and its prosecution as an organization
promoting terrorism and jihadist wars. Only then can Lebanon regain its
sovereignty and lay the foundation for a stable and prosperous future.
Hezbollah Claims Downing
Israeli Hermes 450 Drone
Asharq Al-Awsat – November 18, 2024
The Lebanese Hezbollah group announced early Tuesday that it had downed an
Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile in southern Lebanon. In a statement,
the group said its fighters targeted an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over the town
of Taybeh on Monday evening, shooting it down and observing it engulfed in
flames. On Monday night, Hezbollah also declared it
had launched drone strikes against sensitive military sites in Tel Aviv. The
group stated that the operation, conducted in support of the Palestinian people
in Gaza and in defense of Lebanon, involved a squadron of advanced assault
drones targeting sensitive military points in Tel Aviv, which will be revealed
later. No further details were immediately provided. Earlier, the Israeli
military reported that debris from a rocket fired from Lebanon landed after
being intercepted, causing injuries and material damage in Ramat Gan, near Tel
Aviv. Israeli media reported that five people were injured in the incident.
G20 Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon
Rio de Janeiro – Asharq Al-Awsat, November 18, 2024
The G20 nations issued a joint statement Monday evening at the conclusion of
their summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, expressing unified support for a
ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. The leaders said, “Deeply concerned about the
catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the escalation in Lebanon, we
stress the urgent need to increase humanitarian aid and enhance civilian
protection.” The G20 also welcomed any "constructive initiatives" aimed at
achieving a "comprehensive, just, and lasting peace" in Ukraine. In their
two-day summit's final communiqué, leaders of the world's largest economies,
including Russia, supported efforts aligned with UN principles to foster
peaceful, friendly, and harmonious relations between neighboring states.
Netanyahu: Negotiating Under Fire; Hezbollah Still Has
Missile Capability
Dubai – Al Arabiya Net, November 18, 2024
As hopes for a resolution to Lebanon's crisis dimmed following the postponement
of U.S. Presidential Envoy Amos Hochstein's visit, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that negotiations are ongoing "under fire and
bombardment." Netanyahu explained that Tel Aviv demands Hezbollah be pushed
beyond the Litani River and the group’s rearmament through Syria be halted.
While noting that Israel has destroyed 70–80% of Hezbollah's missile
infrastructure, he acknowledged that the group retains significant missile
capabilities. He also revealed that his government presented three options for
dealing with Hezbollah but ultimately chose a fourth option: "destroying
Hezbollah's missile capabilities." Netanyahu disclosed that the assassination of
former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was approved by an overwhelming
majority in the Israeli cabinet. He warned that if Hezbollah had executed its
plans, the consequences would have been far more severe than the current
situation in Gaza. These developments follow reports from U.S. officials that
Hochstein postponed his trip to Beirut, citing the need for Lebanese clarity on
a proposed ceasefire agreement. The U.S. envoy informed Lebanese Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri of the delay, seeking specific responses from Lebanon before
proceeding. Lebanese Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram, aligned with Hezbollah,
announced after meeting with Berri that the latter would deliver a positive
response to Hochstein regarding the American proposal. However, Bayram insisted
the situation now depends on Israel, which previously rejected a ceasefire and
continued its aggression. The U.S. proposal reportedly includes provisions under
UN Resolution 1701, emphasizing Lebanese Army control in southern Lebanon, the
disarmament of militias, and an initial 60-day truce. Meanwhile, intense Israeli
airstrikes continue across Lebanon, targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs, the
Bekaa Valley, and the south, alongside fierce clashes between Hezbollah and
Israeli forces in multiple border towns.
Even with Lebanon truce
deal, Israel will operate against Hezbollah: Netanyahu
AFP/November 18, 2024
JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel will
continue to operate militarily against the Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement
Hezbollah even if a ceasefire deal is reached in Lebanon. “The most important
thing is not (the deal that) will be laid on paper,” Netanyahu told the Israeli
parliament. “We will be forced to ensure our security in the north (of Israel)
and to systematically carry out operations against Hezbollah’s attacks... even
after a ceasefire,” to keep the group from rebuilding, he said. Netanyahu also
said there was no evidence that Hezbollah would respect any ceasefire reached.
“We will not allow Hezbollah to return to the state it was in on October 6”
2023, the eve of the strike by its Palestinian ally Hamas into southern Israel,
he said. Hezbollah then began firing into northern Israel in support of Hamas,
triggering exchanges with Israel that escalated into full-on war in late
September this year. Lebanon’s government has largely endorsed a US truce
proposal to end the Israel-Hezbollah war and was preparing final comments before
responding to Washington, a Lebanese official told AFP on Monday. Israel insists
that any truce deal must guarantee no further Hezbollah presence in the area
bordering Israel.
Lebanon, Hezbollah agree to
US proposal for ceasefire with Israel, Lebanese official says
Laila Bassam/November 18, 2024
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon and Hezbollah have agreed to a U.S. proposal for a
ceasefire with Israel with some comments on the content, a top Lebanese official
told Reuters on Monday, describing the effort as the most serious yet to end to
the fighting. Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said
Lebanon had delivered its written response to the U.S. ambassador in Lebanon on
Monday, and White House envoy Amos Hochstein was travelling to Beirut to
continue talks. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Hezbollah, a heavily
armed movement backed by Iran, endorsed its long-time ally Berri to negotiate
over a ceasefire. "Lebanon presented its comments on the paper in a positive
atmosphere," Khalil said, declining to give further details. "All the comments
that we presented affirm the precise adherence to (U.N.) Resolution 1701 with
all its provisions," he said. He was referring to U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701, which ended a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in
2006. Its terms require Hezbollah to have no armed presence in the area between
the Lebanese-Israeli border and the Litani River, which runs some 30 km (20
miles) north of the frontier. Khalil said the success of the initiative now
depended on Israel, saying if Israel did not want a solution, "it could make 100
problems". Israel has long claimed that Resolution 1701 was never properly
implemented, pointing to the presence of Hezbollah fighters and weapons along
the border. Lebanon has accused Israel of violations including flying warplanes
in its airspace. Khalil said Israel was trying to negotiate "under fire", a
reference to an escalation of its bombardment of Beirut and the
Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. "This won't affect our position," he
said.
Public Health Emergency:
3,516 Martyrs and 14,929 Injured Since the Start of the Aggression
National News Agency – November 18, 2024
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Ministry of Public Health
released its daily report on the toll and repercussions of the ongoing Israeli
aggression on Lebanon. According to the report, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday,
November 17, 2024, resulted in 35 martyrs and 143 injured.
The cumulative toll since the beginning of the aggression
has reached 3,516 martyrs and 14,929 injured.
Foreign Ministry Directs UN Mission to File Complaint Over Army Targeting
National News Agency – November 18, 2024
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants instructed Lebanon’s Permanent
Mission to the United Nations in New York to file a complaint with the UN
Security Council in response to “Israel’s repeated targeting of the Lebanese
Army.” The latest incident, which occurred on November 17, 2024, involved an
attack on an army post in the town of Al-Mari in the Hasbaya district of
southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of two soldiers and the injury of three
others, one critically. This raises the total death toll among army personnel to
36 since October 8, 2023. Lebanon called on Security Council member states to
“condemn Israel’s repeated attacks on the army, considering them a blatant
violation of international law, the UN Charter, and international resolutions,
particularly Resolution 1701.” The statement emphasized that the Lebanese Army
is the cornerstone of implementing Resolution 1701 and ensuring sustainable
security and stability in southern Lebanon by extending state authority across
all its internationally recognized territories and borders in close coordination
with UNIFIL. Lebanon stressed that “targeting the army undermines international
efforts to implement Resolution 1701” and affirmed that “ensuring the safety and
support of the army to fully carry out its duties is essential for strengthening
security along Lebanon’s borders.”
Public Health Emergency: Final Casualty Count from Raids on
Ras Al-Nabaa and Mar Elias
National News Agency – November 18, 2024
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Ministry of Public Health
announced that the final casualty count from the Israeli airstrike on Ras Al-Nabaa
in Beirut stands at seven martyrs, including a woman, and 16 injured. The final
count from the Israeli airstrike on Mar Elias in Beirut revealed three martyrs,
including a woman, and 29 injured.
Deaths of a Mukhtar and Deputy Mayor in Tyre Amid Ongoing Strikes
National News Agency – November 18, 2024
A correspondent for the National News Agency reported the death of Mukhtar Samer
Chaghri in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Tyre Water Company. The Deputy
Mayor of Burj Al-Shamali was also killed in the strike, with two others injured.
Tyre Municipality appealed to residents to "conserve water consumption until
repairs to the damage caused by the aggression can be completed." The
correspondent also noted an airstrike on the town of Kafra and reported
artillery shelling with 155mm rounds targeting the towns of Mansouri and Bayyout
Al-Sayyad. Both towns were also struck with phosphorus shells.
Recovery of Six Martyrs from the Islamic Health Authority
in Braachit
National News Agency – November 18, 2024
Lebanese Red Cross teams and the International Committee of the Red Cross
managed to enter the town of Braachit in the Bint Jbeil district and recover the
bodies of six martyrs from the Islamic Health Authority. The martyrs were killed
in an Israeli airstrike targeting their center late last night.
US envoy heads to Beirut as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire
talks gain momentum
Tamara Qiblawi, Becky Anderson, Dana Karni and Jennifer Hansler, CNN/November
18, 2024
United States envoy Amos Hochstein is expected in Beirut on Tuesday, according
to two Lebanese official sources, in what is seen as a sign of progress in
ceasefire negotiations for the deadly cross-border conflict between Israel and
Hezbollah in Lebanon. The news comes after Beirut responded “positively” to a
US-backed proposal to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, per Lebanese Prime Minister
Najib Makati. Speaking to Al Araby TV news channel on Monday, Makati said the
Lebanese government had been seeking clarification on some “unclear points” in
the ceasefire proposal, but that large parts of the draft agreement were
resolved. Certain points would “clarification” through a “face to face”
discussions with Hochstein, he added. US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson
relayed the proposal to the Lebanese government via Nabih Berri, the parliament
speaker, on Thursday night, a Lebanese official told CNN earlier. According to
the official, Hezbollah reviewed the proposal and submitted their response to
Lebanese authorities on Sunday evening. The source described the response as
largely “positive.” A source familiar with the situation told CNN that the
negotiations on a diplomatic resolution are continuing and noted that
Hochstein’s trip does not necessarily signal that a deal is imminent.
What’s in the ceasefire proposal
The US-backed proposal aims to achieve a 60-day cessation of hostilities and is
being portrayed as the basis of a lasting ceasefire, according to the Lebanese
official, adding that terms lie within the parameters of UN Resolution 1701
which ended the Lebanon-Israel war of 2006. The resolution stipulates that the
only armed groups in the area south of Lebanon’s Litani River should be the
Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces. The proposal also requires Israeli
ground forces, operating in southern Lebanon since late September, to withdraw
from the country and demands a stricter enforcement of resolution 1701,
according to the Lebanese official. Both Israel and Lebanon have “reacted” to
the proposal, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday. “We have
been sharing proposals, both with the Government of Lebanon and the Government
of Israel. Both sides have reacted to the proposals that we have put forward,”
he said at a press briefing. Miller would not say if the US is optimistic about
the prospects of reaching an agreement, but noted that “when you have a
resolution in the interest of all the relevant parties, we ought to be able to
get to an agreement, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”“We’re going to
continue to stay at that process, because we believe a diplomatic resolution is
key to allowing the fighting to stop, to protecting civilians and allowing the
civilians in both Israel and Lebanon to return to their homes,” said Miller.
Israeli ‘operational freedom’
An Israeli source familiar with the talks however cast doubt on the likelihood
of an imminent deal, noting that while progress has been made, Hezbollah’s
refusal to accept Israel’s demand for the right to strike Hezbollah targets in
the event of a ceasefire violation could jeopardize the process. Without this
clause, the source added, it is uncertain whether Netanyahu can secure cabinet
approval for the agreement. The Israeli source added that Hochstein has not yet
confirmed when he will arrive in the region. Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right
Israeli minister of finance, said on Monday that “full operational freedom” for
the Israeli military in southern Lebanon is “a non-negotiable condition.” “At
the end of the war, we will have operational freedom in Gaza, and so we will
also have operational freedom in Lebanon. We will not agree to any arrangement
that is not worth the paper it is written on,” he said. “We are changing the
security paradigm and will not return to decades of concepts of containment and
threats without response. This will not happen again.”In his interview with Al
Araby TV, Mikati dismissed reports of demands to give the Israeli military
operational freedom in south Lebanon as “speculation,” adding that he hasn’t
seen such a clause in the proposal. Berri, who leads the Hezbollah-allied Amal
party and is an interlocutor in the talks, told Saudi-owned Asharq Al Awsat
newspaper on Friday that the proposal he received from the US does not include
mention of Israeli military operational freedom in Lebanon, adding that the US
knows that such a demand would be “unacceptable.”The Lebanese official who spoke
to CNN also said the proposal does not refer to Israel’s right to continue
striking Lebanon after a truce. The source also said Hezbollah has agreed to
separate its conflict with Israel from Israel’s war in Gaza. Prior to Israel’s
all-out offensive in late September, the militant group had insisted it would
only cease near-daily attacks on Israel’s northern-most territories once a
ceasefire was achieved in Gaza. According to multiple high-level Lebanese
officials, Hezbollah had initially agreed to delink the two conflicts the night
before its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in late
September.Mikati said that his government is in contact with US President-elect
Donald Trump’s team. Another Lebanese source familiar with the ceasefire talks
told CNN earlier that President-elect Trump has endorsed Hochstein’s ceasefire
negotiations track, increasing the chances of its success.
Israel is ‘ready to do’ a deal
Meanwhile, a senior US official told CNN that there is “no stock” in reports
that Israel will try to delay a deal. “The Israelis have confirmed to us they’re
ready to do it,” the source said. A deal with Hezbollah would “send a signal to
Hamas” that Israel and its partners will do their utmost to secure a deal that
brings back hostages held in Gaza, the US official said. “If we have a Lebanon
deal, we’re going to come down like a ton of bricks on Hamas to try to get a
hostage deal,” the official said, adding that Israel needs “to turn this
military success… into a strategic success.” The US official said that the
region was in a deadlock as Hamas refused to strike a ceasefire deal that
returns Israeli hostages, and Hezbollah had vowed to keep fighting until
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza came to an end. While the US is not privy to
all of Israel’s military plans, the official said, “having the degradation of
Hezbollah helps” to strike an agreement. “To get a deal in Lebanon, Hezbollah
has to be put under pressure,” the US official said, adding that “Hezbollah
cannot rebuild its massive military infrastructure” across the border with
Israel.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim and Jenny Hansler contributed to this article.
US awaits Lebanon response to Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire plan
Hugo Bachega - BBC Middle East correspondent/November 18, 2024
Efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified, with
Lebanon's government expected to respond to a draft deal presented by the US,
amid an escalation of Israel’s air attacks across the country. The strikes in
the past week, which have killed dozens of people in Lebanon, appear aimed at
putting pressure on both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government to accept an
agreement to end more than a year of conflict. Details of the proposal remained
unclear, after it was delivered last week by the US ambassador to Lebanese
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has been backed by Hezbollah to negotiate.
Lebanese media reported the text had been received “positively”. Israel has
stepped up its air attacks on Lebanon’s south, where it also appears to be
expanding a ground invasion, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut. In the
capital, it has carried out the most violent wave of strikes yet on the southern
suburbs, known as Dahieh, where Hezbollah is based. On Monday central Beirut was
hit for the second consecutive day and at least five people were killed, the
Lebanese health ministry said. A day earlier, the first air strikes in the area
for about a month killed seven others, including Mohammed Afif, who acted as the
Hezbollah spokesman and was one of the few remaining public faces of the group.
The recent attacks are seen as part of Israel’s strategy to force Hezbollah and
Lebanon to agree to a ceasefire, and an indication that it is prepared to expand
its offensive by killing non-military members of the group and striking places
outside areas where the movement has a strong presence, possibly to stir
anti-Hezbollah sentiment. Mourners carry the body of Hezbollah's spokesman
Mohammed Afif, who was killed by an Israeli strike on a building in central
Beirut, during his funeral in Sidon, southern Lebanon (18 November 2024) A
funeral for Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif was held in the southern city
Sidon on Monday [Reuters]
Since the conflict intensified in late September, Lebanese authorities have said
any deal should be based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701,
which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. The resolution includes
the removal of the group’s fighters and weapons in areas between the Blue Line -
the unofficial frontier between Lebanon and Israel - and the Litani River, about
30km (20 miles) from the boundary with Israel. A potential agreement would
likely include the creation of an international mechanism to monitor its
implementation, and the deployment of thousands of additional troops of the
Lebanese army to southern Lebanon. The deal would also stipulate a timeline for
the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south. A sticking point remains,
however, related to Israel’s demand to have the right to act inside Lebanon if
there is any violation of a deal - something the Lebanese authorities consider
unacceptable. Amos Hochstein, who has led the Biden administration’s diplomatic
efforts, was expected to return to Beirut on Tuesday, but his trip has been
delayed until there are more clarifications about the Lebanese position, the
Axios website reported, quoting unnamed US officials. Israel’s stated goal in
its war against Hezbollah is to allow the return of about 60,000 residents who
have been displaced from communities in the country’s north because of
Hezbollah’s rocket fire. The group launched its campaign the day after the Hamas
attacks on southern Israel last year, saying it was acting in solidarity with
Palestinians in Gaza. In the past year, Israel’s attacks in Lebanon have killed
more than 3,840 people and wounded nearly 15,000 others, according to the
Lebanese health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and
combatants. More than one million people have been displaced, putting more
pressure on a country that was already struggling to cope after years of a
severe economic crisis. Hezbollah’s attacks have killed 31 soldiers and 45
civilians inside Israel, Israeli authorities say. On Monday, a woman was killed
when a rocket hit a building in Shfaram, in the north, according to Israel’s
ambulance service. Another 45 Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting in
southern Lebanon. Israeli air strikes have destroyed large parts of Hezbollah’s
infrastructure and killed many of its leaders, but the group continues to carry
out daily attacks, although not with the same intensity.
Israeli airstrike hits
central Beirut near key government buildings and embassies
Sally Abou Aljoud/The Associated Press/November 18, 2024
An Israeli airstrike slammed into a densely populated residential area in
Lebanon’s capital near key government and diplomatic buildings late Monday,
killing at least five people as the U.S. pressed ahead with cease-fire efforts.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two missiles hit the area of Zoqaq
al-Blat neighborhood – where local U.N. headquarters and Lebanon’s parliament
and prime minister’s office are located. Since late September, Israel has
dramatically escalated its bombardment of Lebanon, vowing to severely weaken the
Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group and end its barrages in Israel that the
militants have said are in solidarity with Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
The U.S. has been working on a cease-fire proposal that would remove Israeli
ground forces from Lebanon and push Hezbollah forces far from the Israeli
border. Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who is
mediating for the militants, is expected to meet with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein
in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday. The White House has not confirmed
Hochstein's visit. Labor Minister Mostafa Bayram, who met with Berri on Monday,
said Lebanon would convey its “positive position” to the latest U.S. proposal.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strike, which also wounded
24 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Many areas in central
Beirut, including Zoqaq al-Blat, have become a refuge for many of the roughly 1
million people displaced by the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon and the
southern suburbs of Beirut. The strike also occurred near a Hussainiye, a Shia
mosque. The target of the airstrike remained unclear, and the Israeli army did
not issue a prior warning. Ambulance sirens echoed through the streets as an
Associated Press photographer on the scene saw significant casualties on the
street. It was the second consecutive day of Israeli strikes on central Beirut
after more than a month-long pause. On Sunday, a strike in the area of Ras el-Nabaa
killed Hezbollah media spokesperson Mohammed Afif, along with six other people,
including a woman. Later that day, four people were killed in a separate strike
in the commercial district of Mar Elias. The Israeli military has not said what
the target of that strike was. Minutes after Monday's strike, Lebanon’s
caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a post on X, “All countries and
decision-makers are required to end the bloody and destructive Israeli
aggression on Lebanon and implement international resolutions, most notably
Resolution 1701.”
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, ended a monthlong war
between Israel and Hezbollah and was intended to create a buffer zone in
southern Lebanon. However, the resolution’s full implementation has faced
challenges from both sides. The resolution is again on the table as part of an
American proposal for a cease-fire deal, aiming to end 13 months of exchanges of
fire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli ground forces, who invaded southern
Lebanon on Oct. 1, would fully withdraw from Lebanon, where the Lebanese army
and the U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL would be the exclusive armed presence
south of Lebanon’s Litani River. Hezbollah would withdraws from the area. A
Western diplomat familiar with the talks told The Associated Press there is a
sense of “cautious optimism.” The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity
to discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations, said a final deal, however, was
“still in the hands” of the warring players. Israel is said to be pushing for
guarantees it can continue to act militarily against Hezbollah if needed, a
demand the Lebanese are unlikely to accept. Israeli government spokesperson
David Mencer said Israel would continue attacking Hezbollah infrastructure while
the US and other countries led negotiations for the ceasefire. “The military
campaign will continue until the immediate threat from Lebanon is removed," he
said.Also on Monday, Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles against Israel. A
rocket that hit the northern Israeli city of Shfaram killed one woman and
injured 10, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services. More then
3,500 people have been killed by Israeli fire, according to Lebanon’s Health
Ministry. In Israel, 77 people, including 31 soldiers, have been killed by
Hezbollah projectiles, while over 50 soldiers have been killed in the Israeli
ground offensive. Israel has said it is targeting Hezbollah in order to ensure
that thousands of Israelis can return to their homes near the border.
Lebanon, Hezbollah accept
US ceasefire proposal as Israeli strike in Beirut kills 5
Riham Alkousaa and Ari Rabinovitch/USA TODAY/November 18, 2024
Lebanon and the militant group Hezbollah have agreed to a U.S. ceasefire
proposal and made some comments on the content, a top Lebanese official told
Reuters on Monday, describing the effort as the most serious yet to end weeks of
fighting and Israeli bombardments. An Israeli airstrike killed five people in
central Beirut on Monday, Lebanon's health ministry said, the second day in a
row Israel hit a target within the capital as it presses its campaign against
the Iran-backed armed group. Smoke was seen rising from the strike in the
densely populated Zuqaq al-Blat neighbourhood, near the central Beirut district
where the Lebanese government is headquartered. Two people were missing after
the strike and another 31 were wounded, the ministry said. Israel has
intensified its bombardment in and around the Lebanese capital over the last
week, and Hezbollah has kept up missile fire into Israel, even as U.S.-led
diplomacy to halt the fighting has progressed. More: Israeli strike on Beirut
kills Hezbollah media head, Hezbollah confirms his death. A diplomat familiar
with the talks cautioned that details still needed to be ironed out and these
could still hold up a final agreement. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was expected in
Beirut soon, a U.S. source told Reuters. Israel has dealt big blows to Hezbollah
since late September, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, pounding wide
areas of Lebanon with airstrikes, and sending troops into southern
Lebanon.Rocket sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and much of central Israel on
Monday evening.More: Iran backs Lebanon in cease-fire talks, seeks end to
'problems'. Falling shrapnel from an intercepted missile hit a main street in a
Tel Aviv suburb, according to the Israeli military, which said it was still
investigating. The blast wounded six people, including a 54-year-old woman who
was in serious condition, according to Israel's ambulance service.
Hezbollah said in a statement it launched a salvo of drone attacks at "sensitive
military sites" in Tel Aviv. Earlier an Israeli woman was killed when a rocket
struck a building in Shfaram, in the north, Israel's ambulance service said. The
Israeli military said about five projectiles were fired from Lebanon.
Since Israel went on the offensive in September, the bulk of its airstrikes in
the Beirut area have targeted the Hezbollah's strongholds in the southern
suburbs. But on Sunday, Israel hit targets in the Beirut city limits for the
first time in more than five weeks, killing 10 people in two separate strikes,
including Hezbollah's top media official. Israel launched its offensive after
almost a year of cross-border hostilities with Hezbollah. Its declared goal is
to dismantle Hezbollah's capabilities and secure the return of tens of thousands
of Israelis who evacuated the north.Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israel in
solidarity with its ally Hamas since the Gaza war began more than a year ago.
Israel's campaign has uprooted more than 1 million people in Lebanon in the last
eight weeks. World powers say a ceasefire must be based on U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701 which ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Its terms
require Hezbollah to move weapons and fighters north of the Litani River, about
30 km (20 miles) north of the Israeli border.
Terms for a truce
Hochstein, who has conducted several rounds of fruitless ceasefire talks over
the last year, expressed hope last week that one could be reached. Ali Hassan
Khalil, an aide to Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said Lebanon had on
Monday delivered its written response to the U.S. ambassador in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, a heavily armed movement backed by Iran, has endorsed its long-time
ally Berri to negotiate about a ceasefire. "All the comments that we presented
affirm the precise adherence to (U.N.) Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,"
said Khalil. The success of the initiative now depended on Israel, Khalil said.
If Israel did not want a solution, "it could make 100 problems," he added. There
was no immediate comment from Israel on Lebanon's latest assessment of the
diplomacy. Berri said earlier on Monday that he saw a positive atmosphere in the
diplomacy but also cautioned against counting chickens before they were hatched,
Labour Minister Mustafa Bayram said, speaking after a meeting with him. Israel's
campaign has killed 3,481 people in Lebanon since hostilities began, most since
late September, Lebanese authorities say. The figures do not distinguish between
combatants and civilians. Hezbollah strikes have killed 43 civilians in northern
Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, while 73 soldiers have been
killed in strikes in northern Israel and the Golan Heights and in combat in
southern Lebanon, according to Israeli figures.
Hezbollah's True Intentions
Are Definitely Vicious, Jihadist, and Entirely Iranian
Lubos El Jerdi/November 18/2024
(Free translation, quotations, explanation and summary by Elias Bejjani, editor
& publisher of the LCCC website)
This analysis written by the Canadian-Lebanese author delivers a scathing
critique of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, jihadist, and terrorist proxy
operating in Lebanon under the guise of a Shiite Islamist political party and
militant group. The author accuses Hezbollah of:
Plotting to establish an Islamic state: Hezbollah harbors malicious intentions
to transform Lebanon into an Islamic state dominated by Shiites, governed by the
Iranian doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).
Exploiting the Palestinian cause: Hezbollah's professed support for Palestine is
a deceptive facade, serving as a cover for its ultimate goal—creating a
sectarian Shiite state loyal to Iran.
Resorting to aggression and land theft: The group employs violence,
intimidation, and systematic land seizures to achieve its jihadist-Iranian
ambitions.
Persecuting non-Shiite communities: Hezbollah is accused of marginalizing and
displacing non-Shiites, particularly Christians, to entrench its sectarian
hegemony.
Subverting state institutions: The group infiltrates and controls Lebanese state
institutions, rendering the government a puppet in its hands and undermining
national sovereignty.
The analysis is aptly titled: "What Are Hezbollah's True Intentions? Vicious,
Jihadist, and Entirely Iranian."
Hezbollah: A Cancer in the Lebanese State
Hezbollah operates like a cancer, spreading its malign influence into every
facet of Lebanon's public and private sectors. The group has effectively
hijacked the country's rulers, officials, and judiciary, leaving no institution
untouched by its sinister grip.
Where is this leading? Ultimately, Hezbollah seeks unchecked power to impose its
rule. The late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was forthright about his goal:
to establish an Islamic state in Lebanon governed by Iran’s Wilayat al-Faqih.
The Palestinian cause served merely as a convenient cover to justify their
agenda. However, the ongoing war with Israel has exposed their true intentions
and derailed their Iranian-inspired scheme. Hezbollah's hubris led its leaders
to believe they could overpower Israel, underestimating its military strength.
The tables have now turned, and Hezbollah’s arrogance has brought its agenda
into sharp focus.
Sectarian Rhetoric and Religious Intolerance
Chillingly, many prominent Shiite figures aligned with Hezbollah openly call for
the expulsion of Christians, declaring Lebanon as an exclusively Shiite domain.
Such hateful rhetoric not only sows division but also threatens Lebanon's
pluralistic identity.
Ironically, while Lebanese citizens fear potential Israeli occupation,
Hezbollah's reckless actions have played directly into Israel’s hands. Israel
has exploited Hezbollah's miscalculations to significantly weaken the group.
Theft and Falsehood
Hezbollah’s aggressive land seizures and confiscation of private and communal
properties expose its disregard for the rights of others. Under the guise of
religious or ideological justifications, the group transforms falsehoods into
“rights.”
A Call for Restraint
To Hezbollah, we say: Enough. Lebanon is not yours alone. Your destructive
dreams are not shared by all Lebanese, and your actions have caused immeasurable
harm. It is time to stop this madness and demonstrate restraint.
Key Takeaways
Strong anti-Hezbollah stance: The author condemns Hezbollah’s actions, exposing
its crimes and destructive agenda. Sectarian and religious tensions: The
analysis highlights Hezbollah's intent to dominate Lebanon at the expense of
other communities, particularly Christians.
Geopolitical implications: Hezbollah’s missteps have inadvertently bolstered
Israel’s strategic position, undermining its own objectives. Threat to
sovereignty: Hezbollah’s control over state institutions erodes Lebanon’s
sovereignty, turning the country into an extension of Iran’s regional ambitions.
Israel’s expanding efforts to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply
chain
Emanuele Ottolenghi & Joe Truzman/| FDD's Long War Journal/November 18/2024
In recent years, Iran steadily built up Hezbollah’s arsenal in Lebanon and Syria
by shipping weapons, flying them in, and transporting them by truck. Weapons
consignments arrived at ports and airports and were stored at warehouses in both
countries before being distributed to Hezbollah units. Israel has sought to
disrupt the flow of weapons, chiefly by bombing raids on targets in Syria
(including the port of Latakia and the airport in Damascus). Since Hezbollah
joined Hamas and opened a second front against Israel on October 8, 2023, Israel
has hit targets in Lebanon as well. But Israel’s efforts to degrade and destroy
Hezbollah’s arsenal and disrupt Iran’s efforts to resupply it have dramatically
increased in tempo since September 28, the day after Israel eliminated
Hezbollah’s late leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
On that day, Israel interdicted an Iranian cargo plane as it made its final
descent into Beirut airport, forcing it to return to Tehran. Following the
interdiction, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Daniel Hagari warned that
the Israeli military would prohibit Iranian weapon transfers to Hezbollah in
Lebanon. The IDF put Hagari’s words into action as Israeli interdictions
occurred twice more before October 5, when Iranian cargo was permanently
diverted to Latakia in Syria.
Supplies are now landing by plane in Latakia and reaching its Syrian port by
cargo ship from Iran, with Israel making no attempts so far to disrupt the air
traffic. Flight tracking data available from the commercial website
FlightRadar24 show that, since September 28, when a cargo aircraft operated by
the US-sanctioned, IRGC-controlled Qeshm Fars Air sought to land in Beirut, the
same cargo plane flew four times to Latakia. Aircraft operated by Mahan Air and
Yazd Airways—both A310 and A342 Airbus passenger planes—have flown to Latakia at
least 17 times since September 28. Nevertheless, once an aircraft lands in
Syria, the goods it carries have an additional hurdle to overcome—supplies must
then safely travel to Lebanon.
Since September, Israel also bombed land border crossings between Lebanon and
Syria more than once and targeted multiple warehouses in Syria. However, what
remains open for weapons transport is the sea.
That’s where a daring naval raid comes in. Snatching a key operative in
Hezbollah’s maritime operation is a sure way to gather critical intelligence
about Iran’s supply chain to Hezbollah and the plans and capabilities of
Hezbollah’s naval unit.
In the pre-dawn hours of November 1, 25 Israeli naval commandos quietly
approached the shore of the northern Lebanese town of Batrun, more than 100
miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border. The moonless night was perfect for a
raid. After the commandos landed on the beach, they were already on their way
out with their target safely in custody within minutes. The prisoner was Imad
Fadel Amhaz, a 38-year-old officer in Lebanon’s navy and a trained pilot. The
commandos seized his electronics and 10 SIM cards from foreign mobile phone
operators as well.
The Israelis were clearly looking for intelligence. Hezbollah’s naval unit may
be small and has seen little action over the years, but size and quality are not
the same. Equipped with Russian-made Yakhont missiles, the naval unit can
inflict serious harm to Israeli maritime forces. It did so in 2006, during the
previous Israel-Hezbollah war, when Chinese-made C-802 anti-ship cruise missiles
hit an Israeli frigate, crippling the boat and killing four crew.
Which brings us to Amhaz. Since his capture, the Hezbollah propaganda machine
has been assiduously denying he had any official role in the terrorist group.
Alongside Lebanon’s Hezbollah-appointed minister of transport, Ali Hamie, who
insisted that Amhaz was a civilian naval officer, Amhaz’s family members
reported the same to Lebanese media. The Israelis, in contrast, have been mum,
other than confirming the raid and identifying Amhaz as a key member of
Hezbollah’s naval unit.
Records obtained from Lebanon’s commercial registry and leaked files from
Hezbollah’s bank, Al Qard Al Hassan (AQAH), do not reveal any direct link
between Amhaz and Hezbollah. However, several members of his family, including
his paternal uncles Ahmad, Jawdat, and Mohamad, are AQAH account holders, while
his paternal uncle Hussein is listed as an account holder and a non-military
Hezbollah member. These ties are not enough to confirm or deny what Israel
claims but sufficient to suggest that his family, several members of which bank
with AQAH, is within Hezbollah’s orbit.
One thing, however, seems beyond dispute. As a naval officer and a ship captain,
Amhaz could be involved in maritime shipping between Syria and Lebanon. Among
friends who liked his social media posts showing a large ship’s command deck (or
bridge), there are several Syrian naval officers based in Latakia and Tartous,
including one who studied at MERSATI, the same maritime school where Amhad
reportedly did his training.
The evidence that has emerged is quite convincing that Iran is exploiting
maritime routes to conceal weapons shipments to Hezbollah, and the port of
Latakia has become a critical part of this strategy. It should not come as a
surprise. Hezbollah has also been using Latakia as a logistics hub for
fenethylline shipments, and what moves illegal drugs can also move weapons.
One scheme involves Iran attempting to evade Israeli intelligence by using
European sea ports to mask weapons shipments, which are subsequently ferried to
Latakia before being transported to Lebanon, The Telegraph reported.
Furthermore, recent Israeli strikes at Latakia port lend credibility to The
Telegraph’s findings.
In October, the IDF launched two strikes against the coastal city. Social media
footage showed secondary explosions when a site was targeted on October 17,
providing strong evidence that weapons were stored there.
While Latakia’s strategic position as a hub for Iranian arms destined for
Hezbollah is evident, other ports, such as Baniyas, have also played a role in
facilitating illicit arms shipments.
Baniyas is a hub for oil imports, with Iranian vessels frequently docking there.
In recent years, Israel has conducted airstrikes at the port, reportedly aimed
at weapons transfers and Iranian military personnel. On July 9, Syrian
state-controlled media reported IDF airstrikes near Baniyas that “caused some
material losses.” The attacks are yet another indication of the ongoing
confrontations between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah over these critical maritime
routes.
Hezbollah’s Unit 4400 is a partner in Iran’s strategy to exploit maritime routes
to arm its Lebanese proxy. Hezbollah established the special division after the
assassination of Imad Mughniyeh in 2008. The unit is primarily tasked with
handling Iranian weapons smuggling, including precision-guided munitions and
long-range rockets. As a part of Israel’s strategy to prevent Iranian weapons
shipments to Hezbollah during the current conflict, the Israeli military has
carried out strikes against Unit 4400’s leadership and infrastructure.
On October 25, 2024, Israeli jets targeted Hezbollah infrastructure at the
Syrian-controlled Jusiyah Border Crossing in the northern Beqaa Valley. This
location had been utilized by Unit 4400 to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.
According to the IDF, the strike was part of a series of attacks that month
aimed at border crossings that Unit 4400 was exploiting along the Syria-Lebanon
frontier.
Several weeks before the strike in Jusiyah, Israel targeted Building 14 in the
al-Sheikh Saad area of the Mezzeh neighborhood in southern Damascus. The attack
eliminated “Hajj Samer,” a commander in Unit 4400.
It’s clear that Iran and its partners in the region are using every method
available to them to transfer illicit weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. This
strategy has been successful. Despite Israel’s efforts to interdict the transfer
of these arms, the current conflict in Lebanon demonstrates that advanced
weapons have still reached Hezbollah. Furthermore, Hezbollah has not been shy
about showing off some of the arsenals it has received from its patron in
Tehran. Ballistic missiles, anti-air defense systems, and drones are just some
of the arms displayed by the group.
It is noteworthy that over the years, Iran has acquired significant expertise in
transferring arms to its proxy in Lebanon through land, air, and sea routes.
These lessons are now being mirrored with other Iranian proxies in regions such
as Iraq and Yemen.Israel’s supply chain disruption is not going to deprive
Hezbollah of access to weapons completely. Hezbollah has also pursued the
capabilities to manufacture advanced weapons on a large scale in Lebanon, with
some measure of success. Regardless, the group remains heavily dependent on
Iranian resupply, and Israel’s interdictions of air and land supply routes to
Lebanon confirm this. What intelligence Israel may be able to extract from Mr.
Amhaz remains to be seen. But the key to starving Hezbollah’s arsenal must
include shutting down its sea lanes, and a pre-dawn raid in Batrun may have
given Israel the knowledge it needs to do it.
*Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies focused on national security and foreign policy. Joe Truzman is a
senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an
editor at FDD’s Long War Journal.
The Return of Hochstein and Return of the Lebanese State
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/November 18/2028
A home is meant to protect you and your children. It is meant to protect you
from rain, storms and fears. It is meant to harbor dreams and safeguard
memories. Homes are meant to be there when children go to school and return.
Home is your nation inside the nation.
But you have grown too comfortable. War has come back as it always does. The
roof of the home is fragile like the nation. Avichay Adraee issues an open
warning: leave or be ground by the rubble. Become displaced or a corpse. Adraee
is backed by a terrible arsenal. The Israeli killing machine doesn’t take long
to arrive with its artificial intelligence and American missiles. You have no
choice but to seek a displacement shelter and await Amos Hochstein’s return.
This has been our case for decades. The Israeli jet and American envoy. Where
can we go?
Luckily, the wounds of the past two decades haven’t erased the Lebanese people’s
sense of national and humanitarian solidarity, despite the deteriorating
relations between various Lebanese “islands”. The “islands” do not hide their
opposition to the “unity of arenas.” They believe that the weapons “must be
limited to legitimate forces alone, as should the decision of war and peace.”
They believe that the “support front did not save Gaza, but rather led Lebanon
to the situation it is in right now.” They believe that “Israel’s hostile
intentions are clear for everyone to see and so, we must not give it any excuse
to act on them.” They also believe that the “unity of arenas is much greater
than Lebanon’s ability to withstand and the same goes for Hezbollah’s regional
role.”
The regular Lebanese citizen knows what Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister
Najib Mikati know: the only number they can call now is Hochstein’s. The same
Hochstein whose proposals Lebanon rejected months ago. There can be no delusions
over this issue. Hochstein is not a representative of a charity or relief
agency. He is the envoy of the American administration that was quick to contain
the repercussions of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and condemned the “support
front” from day one. The Lebanese citizen knows that the US is a partner with
Israel in dismantling the “unity of arenas” and in taking southern Lebanon out
of the Israeli military conflict. The Lebanese people know this, but they have
no choice but to deal with Hochstein.
Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its destructive war. Its goal is clear: make
Hezbollah’s popular support base pay a terrible price for embracing the party,
“unity of arenas” and “support front”. Israel wants the popular base to drown in
rubble and displacement and its ensuing tensions.
Drowning one segment of the population means drowning the whole of Lebanon with
it. No Lebanese segment can abandon the other. The fate of the Lebanese people
is connected no matter how much they are divided. Israel has displaced over a
million Lebanese people. It is as if it wants to destroy the entire popular
environment. Some believe that Israel wants to reignite internal strife in
Lebanon and lead the Lebanese to fight each other amid the rubble of their
country when the war stops.
Lebanon awaits Hochstein as the entire world awaits Donald Trump to officially
assume the US presidency in two months. The fate of the American envoy’s mission
cannot be separated from the discussions going on about what will happen to Iran
during Trump’s second term in office. If the reports are true, Trump will kick
off the term by tightening the grip on the Iranian economy.
There is no doubt that Hezbollah’s agreement to seriously implement Resolution
1701 needs Iran’s approval. The issue may be more complicated than that. The
Trump administration seems unwilling to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear
file alone, like Barack Obama’s administration did. Rather, it wants the
negotiations to cover Iran’s proxies.
Lebanon urgently needs a ceasefire to avert the total collapse. No one can
withstand the consequences of the exchange of blows between Iran and Israel,
especially as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government threatens to expand its targets in
Iran to include highly sensitive locations. So, we must turn to Hochstein who at
the moment holds the only key, which is implementing Resolution 1701.
The implementation of Resolution 1701 is extremely important, but it’s not
enough to save Lebanon. Lebanese official have repeatedly heard from
international parties that rebuilding Lebanon demands the establishment of a
normal Lebanese state and that the world will not offer aid if its results will
turn to dust in the next war. This means that the Lebanese people find
themselves confronted with the need to take bold and painful decisions.
The first decision should be returning decision-making to the Lebanese state and
its institutions. This clearly means returning from the era of arenas to the era
of the state. This means the Lebanese must return to the Taif Accord and return
normalcy to state institutions.
Hochstein may be able to stop the war in southern Lebanon, but rebuilding the
Lebanese home demands that the Lebanese unit under its institutions and that
they overcome the bitter experiences of the past. Hezbollah, which has been
dealt devastating blows to its leadership and popular base, is therefore
demanded to take painful decisions.
The months that separate us from the Trump presidency will be very dangerous.
Israel’s barbarity knows no bounds. We need Hochstein and we need to take
painful decisions. Taking these decisions today is better than taking them after
the total collapse. Hochstein’s return is not enough. We must return to the
state. The state alone can tend to the wounds of the targeted segment and the
tend to the fears of all others.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November
18-19/2024
Canada foils Iranian plot to assassinate pro-Israel human rights lawyer - report
Jerusalem post/November 18/2024
Irwin Cotler is a human rights lawyer, a member of Parliament, and former
justice minister in a Liberal government, serving between 2003 and 2006. Iran
allegedly planned to assassinate Canadian human rights activist Irwin Cotler,
but the plot was foiled by Canadian law enforcement, The Globe and Mail reported
on Monday. A source told The Globe and Mail that the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police (RCMP) informed Cotler in October that he faced an immediate threat of
assassination from Iranian agents within 48 hours. The source said that Canadian
authorities knew of two suspects in the plot, but it remains unknown whether
they were arrested or fled Canada. According to The Globe and Mail, Cotler has
been under constant RCMP protection for over a year since the October 7 attacks,
as Cotler has been active in condemning Hamas, an Iranian proxy. The Canadian
Security Intelligence Service told Cotler that he was a high-profile target of
Iran. RCMP protection included bulletproof vehicles, armed officers, and other
security measures meant to protect Cotler.
Who is Irwin Cotler?
Cotler is a human rights lawyer, a member of Parliament, and former justice
minister in a Liberal government, serving between 2003 and 2006. Since 2008,
Cotler has been part of the global campaign to list the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, the Globe and Mail reported. He
supports Israel and works to counter antisemitism, and has also represented
Iranian political prisoners as a human rights lawyer. Cotler served as Canada's
first special envoy on Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism from
2020-2023, as well as founded and chaired the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human
Rights, the Globe and Mail noted. Cotler has been a vocal critic of Iran and
other authoritarian governments and has criticized the Islamic Republic's
funding of Hamas.
Former justice minister
Irwin Cotler says RCMP told him Iranian plot to kill him was foiled
CBC/Mon, November 18, 2024 at 12:15 p.m. EST·3 min read
The RCMP has told former justice minister Irwin Cotler that a plot by agents of
Iran to assassinate him was foiled. As first reported by the Globe and Mail, the
84-year-old former Liberal MP was informed last month that a plot to assassinate
him within 48 hours had been discovered. Cotler, a human-rights advocate and an
outspoken critic of the regime in Tehran, confirmed the Globe and Mail report
and told Radio-Canada on Monday that he has been under police protection for
over a year. That protection, Cotler said, remains in place 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, and involves the use of an armoured car, armed protection
officers and other security measures. The Globe and Mail reported the threat
level faced by Cotler had been reduced; Cotler himself could not confirm that
part of the report. It's also not known whether suspects have been arrested or
have fled the country. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) issued a
statement on X thanking police for thwarting the assassination plot. "This
should be a wake-up call for anyone who doesn't believe defenders of Israel and
human rights are under threat worldwide," the statement said. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe,
a Bloc Québécois MP and human rights critic, told the House of Commons on Monday
his party will never accept that anyone's life should be endangered over their
opinions."We unreservedly condemn the death threats against Mr. Cotler and we
condemn the growing temptation of foreign powers to commit political
assassinations on Canadian and Quebec soil," Brunelle-Duceppe said Monday. "Mr
Cotler, you are not alone."After question period, Brunelle-Duceppe introduced a
motion to the House asking all MPs to condemn the death threats against Cotler
and recognize his work to promote human rights. The motion was accepted by
unanimous consent.
U.S. linked two Canadians to previous murder plot
Earlier this month, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied U.S. claims
that Tehran was linked to an alleged plot to kill Donald Trump. Washington said
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards engaged in a murder-for-hire plot to kill
Trump. U.S. authorities charged a man connected to the plot before the U.S.
election. Investigators said they learned of the plot from Farhad Shakeri, an
alleged Iranian government asset who authorities say maintains a web of criminal
associates enlisted by Tehran for surveillance and murder-for-hire plots. In
January, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment alleging two
Canadians planned to conduct assassinations in the U.S. on behalf of Iran's
Intelligence services. The indictment identifies one Canadian suspect as Damion
Patrick John Ryan, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels criminal gang who is
accused of assembling a team of gunmen in late 2020 and early 2021. Ryan
allegedly was working with another Canadian, Adam Richard Pearson, who was
living illegally in Minnesota at the time. U.S. authorities say the men were
hired by an accused Iranian drug dealer who operates on the instructions of a
certain officer with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The men are
accused of plotting to shoot a man and woman living in Maryland, one of them a
defector from Iran. According to the indictment, Pearson promised that he would
recruit people and tell them to shoot the victims repeatedly in the head in
order to make an example of them.
Israeli strikes kill 18
Palestinians in Gaza, some in attacks on tents, say medics
Reuters/November 18, 2024
CAIRO: Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed 18 Palestinians on
Monday, including six people who were killed in attacks on tents housing
displaced families, medics said. Four people, two of them children, were killed
in an Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment in the coastal area of Al-Mawasi,
designated as a humanitarian zone, while two were killed in temporary shelters
in the southern city of Rafah and another in drone fire, health officials said.
In Beit Lahiya town in northern Gaza, medics said an Israeli missile struck a
house, killing at least two people and wounding several others. On Sunday,
medics and residents said dozens of people were killed or wounded in an Israeli
airstrike on a multi-floor residential building in the town. The Israeli
military, which has been fighting Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza since
October 2023, said it conducted strikes on “terrorist targets,” in Beit Lahiya.
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza City killed five people and wounded 10
others, medics said. Later on Monday, an Israeli air strike killed four people
in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, they added. There has been no
Israeli comment on Monday’s incidents. In Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis,
relatives of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike on tents housing
displaced families sat beside bodies wrapped in blankets and white shrouds to
pay farewell before walking them to graves. “My brother wasn’t the only one;
many others have been martyred in this brutal way — children torn to pieces,
civilians shredded. They weren’t carrying weapons or even know ‘the resistance’,
yet they were ripped apart into fragments,” said Mohammed Aboul Hassan, who lost
his brother in the attack. “We remain steadfast, patient, and resilient, and by
the will of God, we will never falter. We will stay steadfast and patient,” he
told Reuters.
The Israeli army sent tanks and soldiers into Beit Lahiya and the nearby towns
of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia, the largest of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic
refugee camps, early last month in what it said was a campaign to fight Hamas
militants waging attacks and prevent them from regrouping.
Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, said
the hospital was under siege by Israeli forces and the World Health Organization
had been unable to deliver supplies of food, medicine and surgical equipment.
Cases of malnutrition among children were increasing, he said, and the hospital
was operating at a minimal level. “We receive daily distress calls, but we are
unable to assist them due to the lack of ambulances, and the situation is
catastrophic,” he said. “Yesterday, I received a distress call from women and
children trapped under the rubble, and due to my inability to help them, they
are now among the martyrs (dead).” Israel said it had killed hundreds of
militants in the three northern areas, which residents said was cut off from
Gaza City, making it difficult and dangerous for them to flee. The armed wings
of Hamas and militant group Islamic Jihad said they have killed many Israeli
soldiers in anti-tank rocket and mortar fire attacks during the same period. The
Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 43,800 people have been confirmed
killed since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas militants killed around
1,200 people in attacks on communities in southern Israel that day, and hold
dozens of some 250 hostages they took back to Gaza, ac
Five wounded in Tel Aviv
area rocket strikes: first responders
AFP/November 18, 2024
JERUSALEM: Five people were injured Monday in the suburbs of Israel’s commercial
capital Tel Aviv, including one woman in serious condition, after rocket fire
hit central Israel, first responders said. Air raid sirens had sounded earlier
in Tel Aviv and in several cities of central Israel, Israel’s civil defense
command said. The military said it had “intercepted one projectile” that crossed
from Lebanon while Israeli police said they received reports of rocket debris
falling in the Tel Aviv area. The Magen David Adom service said its first
responders evacuated five injured people to hospitals following rocket strikes
in the Ramat Gan region, near Tel Aviv. AFPTV footage shot in Ramat Gan around
10:00 p.m. (2000 GMT) showed a fire that started on a sidewalk at the base of a
transmission tower, as well as surrounding buildings with blown windows.
Earlier, a spokesman for Israeli firefighters said a rocket strike killed a
woman in the northern Israeli town of Shfaram, east of the Haifa area. The
military said Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, fired
around 100 projectiles from Lebanon toward Israel on Monday, while Israel’s air
force carried out more deadly strikes on Beirut. Israel and Hezbollah have been
at war since September.
Nearly 100 food aid trucks
violently looted in Gaza, UN agencies say
Reuters/November 18, 2024
GENEVA/CAIRO: Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently
looted on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13
months of war in the enclave, where hunger is deepening, two UN agencies told
Reuters on Monday. The convoy transporting food provided by UN agencies UNRWA
and the World Food Programme was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice
via an unfamiliar route from Kerem Shalom border crossing, said Louise Wateridge,
UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer. Ninety-eight of the 109 trucks in the convoy
were raided and some of the transporters were injured during the incident, she
said, without detailing who carried out the ambush. “This ... highlights the
severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza,”
she told Reuters. “The urgency of the crisis cannot be overstated; without
immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further
endangering the lives of over two million people who depend on humanitarian aid
to survive.”The Hamas TV channel Al-Aqsa quoted Hamas interior ministry sources
in Gaza as saying that over 20 gang members involved in looting aid trucks were
killed during an operation carried out by Hamas security forces in coordination
with tribal committees.It said anyone caught aiding such looting would be
treated with “an iron fist.”A WFP spokesperson confirmed the looting and said
that many routes in Gaza were currently impassable due to security issues. An
Israeli official said Israel had been working to address the humanitarian
situation since the start of its war against Hamas, adding that the main problem
with aid deliveries was UN distribution challenges. A UN aid official said on
Friday that access for aid to Gaza had reached a low point, with deliveries to
parts of the Israeli-besieged north of the enclave all but impossible. Israel’s
devastating military campaign in Gaza was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led
attacks in southern Israel.
Netanyahu says Israel's
October attack hit a component in Iran nuclear programme
Reuters/November 18, 2024
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel's air attack on
Iran last month hit an element of Tehran's nuclear programme while degrading its
defence and missile production capabilities. "It's not a secret," Netanyahu said
in a speech in parliament. "There is a specific component in their nuclear
programme that was hit in this attack,"He did not identify the component, but
added that Iran's path to a nuclear weapon had not been blocked. On Oct. 26,
Israeli fighter jets carried out three waves of attacks on Iranian military
targets, a few weeks after Iran had fired a barrage of about 200 ballistic
missiles against Israel. This followed a previous exchange of direct attacks in
April. Netanyahu, in his speech, offered a few more details on what Israel had
targeted. Israel's April strike, he said, was narrower, taking out one of four
Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defence batteries around Tehran,
the Iranian capital. He said that in October, Israel destroyed the remaining
three batteries and caused serious damage to Iran's ballistic missile production
capabilities and its ability to produce solid fuel, which is used in long-range
ballistic missiles.
Latin American nations demand action against Iranian threats, declare solidarity
with Israel
Jerusalem post/November 18/2024
CAM forum in Costa Rica highlights Latin America’s role in combating
antisemitism and supporting Israel’s security. eaders from 19 Latin American
countries signed a joint statement affirming solidarity with Israel and backing
its right to self-defense at the Combat Antisemitism Movement's (CAM) fourth
annual Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism held last week in Costa Rica,
the organization announced on Sunday. The declaration calls for implementing
zero-hate policies, adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
working definition of Antisemitism, developing educational initiatives and
interfaith programming, and demanding accountability for terrorist activities in
the region – including the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos
Aires and the downing of Alas Chiricanas Flight 00901 over Panama in 1994. CEO
of CAM Sacha Roytman Dratwa highlighted that "no region of the world is immune
to the proliferation of antisemitism." She additionally highlighted how Latin
American Jewish communities have historically been targeted by Iranian-backed
terror. "The forum sent a resounding message of regional solidarity and allyship
with the Jewish people and the State of Israel during a time of unprecedented
levels of antisemitism worldwide and rising threats from the Tehran regime and
its terrorist proxies, including in Latin America, where Jewish communities have
already been victimized by Iranian aggression in the past," Dratwa said.
Bring them home
A portion of the declaration centered on the hostages still held in captivity in
Gaza. "We IMPLORE world leaders to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to
immediately release all of the approximately 101 men, women, and children who
remain in captivity in Gaza after being brutally kidnapped from inside Israel on
October 7."Speakers at the forum included Ambassador to Costa Rica Michal
Gur-Aryeh and Chair of the CAM Advisory Board for Latin America Pilar Rahola.
According to Aaron Keyak, the US deputy special envoy to monitor and combat
antisemitism, Latin America has "a crucial role to play in the global fight
against antisemitism." The four-day forum, in partnership with the World Zionist
Organization, featured new research on antisemitism in Latin America since
October 7, a Kristallnacht commemoration ceremony, panels examining the
evolution of antisemitism and discussions on implementing measures to combat
antisemitism in the region. At Costa Rica's legislative assembly, forum
attendees met with Latin American lawmakers who presented initiatives to combat
antisemitism and hate speech. Shay Salamon, the director of Hispanic Affairs of
CAM, said the forum represents a step toward uniting Latin American countries
against rising antisemitism. "The breadth of participation and depth of
commitment demonstrated here shows that Latin America stands ready to act
together against hatred and discrimination," Salamon said.
Russia's engagement with
the Houthis as they lob missiles at ships is getting 'serious,' US official says
Jake Epstein/Business Insider/November 18, 2024
Russia could decide to help the Houthis with their Red Sea attacks and is
engaging with the Iran-backed rebels at a "serious level," a senior US State
Department official said. The Houthis have long received extensive support from
Iran, including weapons and training, which the rebels have relied on over the
past year to carry out attacks on military and civilian vessels transiting key
Middle Eastern shipping lanes. But the State Department has grown increasingly
concerned in recent months that the Houthis could be receiving assistance from
another country: Russia, US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Business
Insider in a recent interview. "It does seem as though there is a fairly serious
level of engagement happening," Lenderking said of the Houthis and Russia. "We
are particularly concerned about the kind of equipment that would really enable
the Houthis to be more accurate in their targeting of US and other ships in the
region — that would enhance the Houthi capability to strike those targets."
Lenderking said the US has discussed the situation at "high levels" with Saudi
Arabia, a partner nation that fought the Houthis for years, and with Russia as
well. The relationship between Washington and Moscow has been fraught with
tension since the latter invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The US has also made
efforts to convey messages to the Houthis. Lenderking said that the Yemeni
rebels appear to be determined to strike the American and European warships that
have spent the past year defending merchant shipping from their relentless
attacks. "The fact that the Russians might assist in this effort is diabolical,"
Lenderking said. "It's a very strong concern." The full scope of Russian support
for the Houthis is unclear. Some Western media reports suggest that Moscow has
already provided the rebels with targeting data and small arms and was
considering supplying them with missiles — a development that could
significantly escalate the conflict. The Houthis are known to have received help
from outside of Yemen. A recent United Nations report found that the rebels have
been getting weapons, training, technical assistance, and financial support from
Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and armed Iraqi groups. Newly affiliated Houthi
fighters shout slogans while attending a demonstration against Israel and in
solidarity with Palestinians in Yemen in October. Newly affiliated Houthi
fighters shout slogans while attending a demonstration against Israel and in
solidarity with Palestinians in Yemen . Russia and Iran have increased their
military ties since the start of the Ukraine war. Tehran has provided Moscow
with lethal aid, including missiles and drones similar to what it has given the
Houthis in previous years. Both countries have been isolated on the world stage
over their malign actions and involvement in Ukraine. The Houthis have used
their arsenal of missiles and drones over the past year to tirelessly carry out
attacks on military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a
campaign that the rebels claim is connected to the Israel-Hamas war. American
forces operating in the region in defense of the merchant shipping lanes are
frequently tasked with intercepting Houthi threats. Just last week, for
instance, two US Navy destroyers had to fend off a complex missile and drone
attack. The US also routinely carries out airstrikes in Yemen, targeting rebel
missile systems, weapons storage facilities, and other sensitive sites in an
effort to curb their ability to carry out the attacks. Lenderking said that the
Houthis still "maintain the ability to launch pretty aggressively at passing
ships," but the US is committed to keeping shipping lanes open in the Red Sea.
UK announces fresh sanctions against Iran’s air and
shipping operators
David Lynch, PA Political Correspondent/PA Media: UK News/November 18, 2024
Iran’s national airliner Iran Air will be subject to an asset freeze in response
to the country’s transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia. Shipping carrier the
Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines has been sanctioned for its role in
transporting Iranian military supplies and the Russian cargo ship Port Olya-3
has been sanctioned for carrying missiles from Iran to Russia. Foreign Secretary
David Lammy is expected to address the new sanctions as he speaks at the United
Nations Security Council in New York on Monday. “Iran’s attempts to undermine
global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” he is expected to say.
“Alongside our international partners, we were clear that any transfer of
ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia would face a significant response.
“That’s why today we are sanctioning Iran Air and the Islamic Republic of Iran
Shipping Lines, in response to Iran’s deliveries of ballistic missiles to
Russia. “We reiterate our call on Iran to cease its support for Russia’s illegal
war in Ukraine which continues to bring devastation to the Ukrainian people. We
will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
It comes after the Government moved in September to halt flights to Iran, which
was attributed to the Middle Eastern nation’s supply of weapons to Russia. At
the G20 summit in Brazil, Sir Keir Starmer will press world leaders about more
support for Ukraine to defend against Russia’s forces as he marks 1,000 days
since the conflict began. The UK has sanctioned more than 450 Iranian
individuals and entities, including those responsible for spreading Tehran’s
influence across the globe. Britain has also sanctioned 2,100 individuals and
entities involved in the Russian regime, with more than 1,900 since the start of
Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion.
US sanctions group that builds illegal West Bank
settlements, with close ties to Israeli government
Fatima Hussein And Julia Frankel/WASHINGTON (AP) /November 18,
2024
The U.S. on Monday imposed sanctions on organizations and firms involved in
illegal settlement development in the occupied West Bank, including a
well-established decades-old group that has close ties with Israeli leadership.
Treasury sanctioned Amana, the largest organization involved in illegal
settlement development in the West Bank, and its subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amana
Ltd. Already sanctioned by Britain and Canada, Amana is one of the major funders
and supporters of unauthorized settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Peace Now, a settlement tracking group, says its assets are valued at around 600
million Israeli shekels, or about $160 million, and that it has a yearly budget
stretching into tens of millions of shekels. Amana, which is based in the West
Bank and has no known connection to the U.S. appliance maker, over the past few
years has underwritten loans, signed contracts, bought equipment and funded
infrastructure projects for new settlements, according to Peace Now. The
settlements, small farming outposts, have become some of the primary drivers of
violence and displacement of Palestinians living in the West Bank. Additionally,
the State Department imposed diplomatic sanctions on Eyal Hari Yehuda Co., which
provides construction logistics to sanctioned groups, as well as company owner
Itamar Yehuda Levi. The co-founder of the already sanctioned nonprofit group
Hashomer Yosh, Shabtai Koshlevsky, and Israeli citizen Zohar Sabah, who has
perpetrated acts of violence on Palestinians, also were hit with sanctions. The
penalties come as settlers in the territory celebrate the incoming Trump
administration, believing it will likely take a more favorable approach to the
settlements. During his first term, Trump took unprecedented steps to support
Israel’s territorial claims, including recognizing Jerusalem as its capital and
moving the U.S. Embassy there, and recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan
Heights. Treasury’s Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the U.S. “remains
committed to holding accountable those who seek to facilitate these
destabilizing activities, which threaten the stability of the West Bank, Israel,
and the wider region.”Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and
firms access to any property or financial assets held in the U.S. and prevent
U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them.
In February, President Joe Biden issued an executive order that targets Israeli
settlers in the West Bank who have been accused of attacking Palestinians and
Israeli peace activists in the occupied territory. That order is used to justify
the financial penalties against the companies and men.
In response, Texans for Israel, a Christian nonprofit, Israeli nonprofit Regavim
and others in August sued the Biden administration in Amarillo, Texas, over its
sanctions against Israeli extremists in the West Bank. Eitay Mack, a human
rights lawyer who has spent years campaigning for the sanctions on violent West
Bank settlers, said the sanctions on Amana were “an earthquake for the
settlement project and especially the shepherds farms.” He called on the U.S. to
extend the sanctions now to firebrand Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich
and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also a far-right settler in
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet.
Amana’s leadership has appeared at pro-settlement events alongside Cabinet
members. Peace Now says the group’s secretary-general, Zeev Hever, was greeted
by Smotrich at a June conference where Smotrich laid out his plans for the West
Bank. Violence against Palestinians and their displacement have only picked up
since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023. Around 8,000 Palestinians have
been displaced in the West Bank during that time and over 700 killed, according
to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Palestinian
health officials.
The Associated Press previously reported that the sanctions measures have had
minimal impact, instead emboldening settlers as attacks and land-grabs escalate,
according to Palestinians in the West Bank, local rights groups and sanctioned
Israelis who spoke to AP. Additionally, Smotrich has previously vowed to
intervene on sanctioned settlers’ behalf. Israel captured the West Bank along
with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians
want those territories for their hoped-for future state. Settlement growth and
construction have been promoted by successive Israeli governments stretching
back decades, but it has exploded under Netanyahu’s far-right coalition, which
has settlers in key Cabinet posts. There are now well over 100 settlements and
500,000 Israeli settlers sprawling across the territory from north to south — a
reality, rights groups say, dimming any hopes for an eventual two-state
solution. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said “we once again call on
the Government of Israel to take action and hold accountable those responsible
for or complicit in violence, forced displacement, and the dispossession of
private land. The United States will continue to promote accountability for
those who further destabilize conditions in the West Bank and support extremist
violence in the region.”
The silenced suffering of Iran’s youth and the deafening
silence of the West - opinion
CATHERINE PEREZ-SHAKDAM/Jerusalem post/November 18/2024
In the end, it is not only Iran’s youth who suffer under this hypocrisy; it is
the integrity of human rights itself.
As six young Iranians now await execution in what is chillingly known as the
“Ekbatan Case,” the Iranian regime once again reveals its brutal commitment to
suppressing dissent.
Their names – Milad Armon, Alireza Kafaei, Amir Mohammad Khosh Ighbal, Navid
Najaran, Hossein Nemati, and Alireza Baramarz Pournak – will likely vanish into
the abyss if the Islamic Republic of Iran has its way.
Their “crime”? Taking part in a movement that demanded nothing more than dignity
and the right to a voice. In the “Woman Life Freedom” movement of 2022, sparked
by the tragic killing of Mahsa Amini, these young Iranians dared to imagine a
future free from the stranglehold of a regime that views every breath of liberty
as a mortal threat. The Islamic Republic’s unyielding response to these protests
is as strategic as it is ruthless. Arrested, paraded before courts notorious for
rubber-stamping sentences of death, and confined in some of Iran’s most infamous
prisons, these young men and women are offered no justice. Trials are mere
formalities, judgments predetermined, and the sentences – death by hanging – are
delivered without a hint of remorse.
As the executions loom, one might expect an outcry from global champions of
human rights and a surge of outrage from those who claim to stand with the
oppressed. But here lies the insidious hypocrisy of the modern-day liberal Left.
Western blindness
In Western capitals, selective blindness has settled over the progressive
movements and voices that proclaim themselves defenders of justice. There is
passion, of course, but only when the cause fits a preferred narrative. Observe
the throngs rallying in European streets in “solidarity” with the Palestinian
cause, voicing calls for “freedom” while aligning with pro-Hamas factions that
openly call for the destruction of Israel. These crowds, with their slogans of
liberation, claim the moral high ground, yet they are conspicuously silent when
it comes to the cries of Iran’s youth, who face not merely political oppression
but the ultimate penalty for daring to speak out. One cannot escape the bitter
irony that those who raise banners of “Freedom for Palestinians” often refuse
even a whisper of solidarity for Iranian citizens who face the noose for daring
to seek freedom in their own homeland. The moral compass of those voices, quick
to castigate Western democracies, grows suspiciously quiet when it comes to the
brutal suppression and state-sanctioned murder carried out by Iran’s ruling
regime.
And so, we are forced to ask: Where are the self-proclaimed champions of human
rights, those tireless voices for “justice”? Where are the mass protests in
London, Paris, and Berlin for these young Iranians who risk everything to break
their chains?
Yet beyond the silence lies an even darker reality. Crowds have been co-opted
into endorsing the regime’s narrative to such an extent that they have become
indifferent, perhaps even blind, to the true implications of their stance. By
aligning themselves with slogans crafted by the Islamic Republic, these
activists and protesters unwittingly lend credibility to a regime that has made
brutality its default policy not only in Iran but throughout the infamous Shia
Crescent.
The cries of “resistance” and “liberation” have become twisted mantras, recycled
and repurposed to veil the suffering inflicted upon Iran’s own people. Such
allegiance, whether given knowingly or ignorantly, supports a narrative that
despises dissent, that brands anyone who dares challenge the regime’s
stranglehold as a heretic to be silenced. IN THEIR eagerness to appear “on the
right side of history,” many in the West have fallen victim to a moral rot that
appears to have spread unchecked. The callous indifference shown to Iran’s
plight is not merely a lapse in judgment but an abdication of the very
principles these voices claim to uphold. By parroting slogans tailored to suit
the regime’s purposes, they forsake the real victims of tyranny and feed a
perverse cycle of support for the oppressor. This is not simply a failure of
activism; it is a grotesque betrayal of those who, unlike the pro-regime crowds,
are not calling for the destruction of others but merely for their own right to
live in dignity.
Until the West wakes up to this hypocrisy and recognizes the moral contamination
at the heart of these selective alliances, the young men and women of Iran – and
indeed, those oppressed across the Shia Crescent – will continue to face their
oppressors alone while those who could have lent them their voices march blindly
in step with the very forces of repression they claim to oppose.
The Left’s enthusiasm for human rights appears to be highly conditional. In
Iran, a theocratic regime perpetuates its grip through sheer terror, stripping
its citizens of their rights and exacting terrible retribution on those who dare
to stand against it.
The Ekbatan case embodies this tactic, as Iran’s judiciary wields capital
punishment to silence the very generation that could envision a future without
such fear. Imprisoning and executing young men for demanding freedom is not just
an attack on individuals; it is a direct assault on the future of the nation.
What is unfolding in Iran is not merely repression but a campaign of terror – an
attempt to obliterate the spirit of youth in order to preserve the twisted
values of a regime that has consistently acted with impunity. And the world,
mesmerized by other agendas, looks the other way.
This willful ignorance from the West is nothing short of complicity. The liberal
Left, which claims to stand for the underdog, seems to have chosen whose
oppression is worth championing and whose suffering is best ignored. It appears
that the Iranian people’s desperate cries for help fall outside this selective
moral compass. If the Left truly champions freedom, democracy, and human rights,
then let them prove it. Let them raise their voices for Iran’s youth, who,
unlike the pro-Hamas crowds, are not calling for the destruction of others but
for the right to live in peace, with dignity, in their own homeland. The
hypocrisy of celebrating “resistance” in Gaza while ignoring genuine bravery in
Tehran is a moral failure that history will not look kindly upon.
As the world stays silent, the Islamic Republic continues to act with impunity,
secure in the knowledge that its crimes will be met with little more than a
passing nod. But for the rest of us, for those who see through this duplicity,
there is a duty to speak out, to demand that these young men and women are not
forgotten. Their names and their courage must not vanish into obscurity simply
because their oppressor does not fit the Western Left’s preferred narrative.In
the end, it is not only Iran’s youth who suffer under this hypocrisy; it is the
integrity of human rights itself. If we fail to raise our voices now, we betray
the very ideals we claim to cherish, leaving Iran’s youth to face the darkness
alone while their persecutors operate in full view of a world that simply cannot
be bothered to care.
**The writer is the executive director of We Believe In Israel.
Zelensky is sure the war will 'end sooner' under Trump
admin
Jerusalem post/November 18/2024
“It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that
will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their
citizens.”
Ukraine must do everything possible to end the war diplomatically, President
Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne
on Saturday. In the interview, Zelensky said he believes that Russian President
Vladimir Putin does not want peace. Instead, he will likely use negotiations to
reintegrate himself with Western countries that have isolated him since the
beginning of the full-scale invasion. "I don't think Putin wants peace at all.
But this does not mean he does not want to sit down with one of the leaders,"
Zelensky said. He also stated that he spoke on the phone with US President-elect
Donald Trump after his victory in the US elections. However, US law prohibits
the two leaders from meeting in person before the inauguration on January 20. In
the interview, Zelensky emphasized that the US cannot remain neutral in the war,
"America must maintain the position that Russia is an aggressor, that it has
violated our territorial integrity and international law." Zelensky said that he
is sure the war will “end sooner” under Trump’s presidential administration. “It
is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will
now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their
citizens.” Following the Republican election win, Zelensky was among the first
world leaders to congratulate Trump, who criticized the scale of US military and
financial support for Kyiv and vowed to end the war with Russia quickly without
saying how. "I know Zelensky very well, and I know Putin very well, even better.
And I had a good relationship, very good with both of them. I would tell
Zelensky no more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin, if you don't make
a deal, we're going to give him a lot. We're going to [give Ukraine] more than
they ever got if we have to. I will have the deal done in one day. One day,"
Trump told Fox News in July. In a message on X/Twitter, Zelensky said he looked
forward to an "era of a strong United States of America under President Trump's
decisive leadership." Both sides expect Trump's assistance. Officials on both
sides of the war between Russia and Ukraine have voiced their optimism in
Trump’s assistance to end the war. Following the US election, Putin
officially congratulated Trump on his victory while speaking at the Valadai
forum in Sochi, praising Trump for behaving “courageously” during the
assassination attempt this summer. “His words about his desire to restore
relations with the Russian Federation and to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis,
in my opinion, deserve attention," Putin said. However, a Russian lawmaker
recently warned that the Biden administration was risking World War Three if it
allowed Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike Russia, but gave hope in
Trump’s ability to intervene. "I have a great hope that (Donald) Trump will
overcome this decision if this has been made because they are seriously risking
the start of World War Three, which is not in anybody's interest."
Palestinian NGO to ask UK court to block F-35 parts to
Israel over Gaza war
Sam Tobin/LONDON (Reuters)/November 18, 2024
Britain is allowing parts for F-35 fighter jets to be exported to Israel despite
accepting they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law in
Gaza, lawyers for a Palestinian rights group told a London court on Monday. West
Bank-based Al-Haq, which documents alleged rights violations by Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, is taking legal action against Britain's Department for
Business and Trade at London's High Court. Israel has been accused of violations
of international humanitarian law in the Gaza war, with the U.N. Human Rights
Office saying nearly 70% of fatalities it has verified were women and children,
a report Israel rejected. Israel says it takes care to avoid harming civilians
and denies committing abuses and war crimes in the conflicts with Hamas in Gaza
and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Al-Haq's case comes after Britain in September
suspended 30 of 350 arms export licences, though it exempted the indirect export
of F-35 parts, citing the impact on the global F-35 programme. Al-Haq argues
that decision was unlawful as there is a clear risk F-35s could be used in
breach of international humanitarian law. British government lawyers said in
documents for Monday's hearing that ministers assessed Israel had committed
possible breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) in relation to
humanitarian access and the treatment of detainees. Britain also "accepts that
there is clear risk that F-35 components might be used to commit or facilitate a
serious violation of IHL", its lawyer James Eadie said.
Eadie added that Britain had nonetheless decided that F-35 components should
still be exported, quoting from advice to defence minister John Healey that
suspending F-35 parts "would have a profound impact on international peace and
security". A full hearing of Al-Haq's legal challenge is likely to be heard
early in 2025.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 43,800 people
have been confirmed killed since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas
militants killed around 1,200 people in attacks on communities in southern
Israel that day, and hold dozens of some 250 hostages they took back to Gaza,
according to Israeli tallies.
Suspected Houthi rebels in Yemen target a ship in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Jon Gambrell/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/November 18, 2024
Suspected attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a commercial ship traveling
through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, though no damage or injuries were
reported, authorities said Monday. The attacks come as the rebels continue their
monthslong assault targeting shipping through a waterway that typically sees $1
trillion in goods pass through it a year over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and
Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon. The ship's captain saw that “a missile
splashed in close proximity to the vessel” as it traveled in the southern Red
Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting to the Gulf of Aden in the first
attack late Sunday night, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Operations center said in an alert. The attack happened some 30 miles (48
kilometers) west of Yemen port city of Mocha. On Monday, another attack some 70
miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Aden in the Gulf of Aden similarly saw a
missile splash down close to the vessel, the UKMTO said. “The vessel and crew
are safe and proceeding to its next port of call,” the UKMTO added. The Houthis
did not immediately claim the attacks. However, it can take the rebels hours or
even days to acknowledge their assaults. The Houthis have targeted more than 90
merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in
October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign, which also
killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a
U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have
included Western military vessels as well. The rebels maintain that they target
ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s
campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little
or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The Houthis
have shot down multiple American MQ-9 Reaper drones as well. In the rebels' last
attack on Nov. 11, two U.S. Navy warships targeted with multiple drones and
missiles as they were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the
attacks were not successful.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November
18-19/2024
Donald Trump: Back to the Future on Iran Policy
Behnam Ben Taleblu & Janatan Sayeh/The Algemeiner/November 18/2024
Tehran’s theocrats must be terrified. That’s a good thing.
Despite the limited and lackluster commentary on Donald Trump’s electoral
victory in the Iranian press and by officials, regime elites must now face the
fact that the candidate they sought to kill is set to re-assume the presidency
on January 20, 2025.
During his first term, Trump functioned like a bull in a china shop on Iran
policy, and it worked. The administration pulled out of the fatally flawed 2015
Iran nuclear deal, designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a
foreign terrorist organization, showed the strength of US unilateral sanctions
against the Iranian economy, and even killed Quds-Force Commander Qassem
Soleimani, Tehran’s chief terrorist-strategist. And for good measure, Trump drew
a sharp contrast with his predecessor by strongly supporting Iranian protestors.
In so doing, he broke long-held taboos among the Washington establishment about
foreign backing being a kiss of death. And he did it all without triggering
World War Three.
A second Trump administration is reportedly set to resume its “maximum pressure”
policy against the Islamic Republic, the broad contours of which are encompassed
by the above moves. Returning to this policy would course-correct the outgoing
Biden administration’s approach, which has been defined by light sanctions
enforcement, a preference for de-escalation over deterrence, and turning a blind
eye to Iran’s growing atomic infrastructure and nuclear saber-rattling.
But the resurrection of this policy cannot be divorced from the challenges of
the present. 2025 will be harder than 2016-2020 were. Iran today is on the
nuclear threshold, with an enriched uranium stockpile and centrifuge capacity
assessed by experts to be able to produce sufficient weapons grade uranium for
one bomb in a week, and up to 15 in five months.
Iran is also increasing its missile capabilities, hinting that it might develop
longer-range projectiles that could threaten the European continent and the
American homeland. It is also relying on trans-national criminal syndicates
rather than traditional proxies, trying everything from Mexican drug cartels to
Azeri gangs to Canadian bikers, to reach onto American soil. Had the Islamic
Republic been deterred or felt it had more to lose than to gain from these
threats and plots, it would not have embarked on them.
For deterrence to work, a credible military threat is needed. Given that
deterrence is first and foremost psychological, threats alone may be
insufficient for an adversary as resolute as the Islamic Republic and one with
the impression of America as a risk-averse power. In order to avoid a larger
conflict with the Islamic Republic, the US will counterintuitively be required
to push back earlier and harder against the full-spectrum of Iran-backed threats
to change the impression of American risk-tolerance for Iranian national
security decision-makers.
A pure “management” approach towards Tehran that aims to contain rather than
roll-back the full-spectrum of these threats will only lead to Washington being
managed by Tehran. Now is the time to push past mere management as a strategy
and work to roll back threats.
The maximum pressure strategy during Trump’s first term began to lay the
groundwork to do precisely that. By targeting Iran’s oil, natural gas,
petrochemical, and industrial metal exports, the administration aimed to put the
macroeconomic squeeze on Tehran, shrinking the overall ability to resource
threats. This campaign reduced Iran’s 2.9 million barrels a day oil exports from
2018 to 775,000 by 2021. Trump’s policies also led to a decline in non-oil
exports, with Iran’s total exports dropping by 12.8% in 2020.
Iran’s oil exports surged under the Biden administration, largely due to a
relaxed sanctions enforcement posture and the prospects for nuclear diplomacy.
As a result, Iran’s annual oil revenue reportedly soared, rising from $16
billion in 2020 to $53 billion in 2023. In August 2023 alone, Iran’s exports to
China peaked at an estimated 1.5 million barrels per day — a sharp increase from
the lower levels seen during the Trump administration’s maximum pressure
campaign. As a reminder, China has been the most importer purchaser of Iranian
oil — increasingly marked as “Malaysian” — for over a decade.
Iran’s petroleum export value and volume under the Biden administration also
drastically increased, countering the sharp decline seen amid Trump-era
sanctions. Between 2021 and 2023, Tehran generated an estimated $144 billion
from petroleum sales, a stark contrast to the mere $16 billion in 2020. The
increase has been substantial across multiple categories, with crude oil and
condensate exports rising over threefold, reaching 1.59 million barrels per day,
while Iranian petroleum product exports expanded over 50% in the same timeframe.
The new administration should work overtime to plug the economic lifelines
Tehran has benefited from in the illicit petrochemical and oil trade. The Trump
administration previously warned of sanctions against Chinese entities involved
in importing Iranian oil, and this stance should be maintained if Beijing
continues enabling Tehran’s sanctions evasion, which in turn underwrites
Tehran’s global terrorist apparatus and regional “ring of fire” against Israel.
Likewise, the next administration must take a firm stand, emphasizing the severe
consequences for any person, bank, or business aiding the Islamic Republic’s
illicit trade.
The United States should marry this economic pressure with a political strategy
that aims to multiliterate maximum pressure with its trans-Atlantic and
five-eyes partners. First and foremost, this must begin by commencing a
diplomatic track on day-one with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to
reinstate UN sanctions on Iran by triggering the snapback mechanism set to
expire this October in UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
The administration should also impress upon its allies to leverage their
individual counterterrorism authorities and designate the IRGC in its entirety
as a terrorist organization. After more than a decade of deliberation, Canada
has done precisely this. Other US partners should be encouraged to follow suit.
Additionally, Washington should impose strict limitations on the entry of
Iranian officials into the US for United Nations-related matters and closely
monitor their movements. To further isolate the Islamic Republic diplomatically,
the US should press its European counterparts to either reduce the size of
Iran’s diplomatic missions or expel Iranian diplomats and shutter these
embassies altogether.
While former US Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, who is reportedly
leading Trump’s transition team at the State Department, claims the incoming
administration isn’t aiming for regime change, the brittleness of the deeply
unpopular regime in Tehran and the impact maximum pressure can have will mean
nationwide anti-regime demonstrations like those seen in 2019 and 2022 are more
a matter of when and not if. To recalibrate US strategy toward Iran, Washington
must find ways to empower the Iranian street against the state, and in a manner
in conjunction with American values and broader regional interests. Marrying
“Maximum Support” for the Iranian people with maximum pressure against the
regime may provide the necessary pincer that can force the Islamic Republic into
settling for suboptimal outcomes or better yet, making mistakes that can be
capitalized upon.
By leveraging enduring internal opposition to the regime, Washington can bolster
the efforts of the Iranian people in their fight for a government that reflects
their views, values, and interests. The next administration must have the
audacity to imagine what a Middle East without the world’s foremost state
sponsor of terrorism looks like, one which distracted time, attention, and
resources away from rising security challenges in the Asia-Pacific.
To assist Iranians in defining their own destiny, the US should provide them
access to free, reliable Internet through the provision of VPNs and
collaboration with private companies like Starlink. Intelligence support can
also help protestors outwit the regime’s forces, enabling them to leverage their
non-violent resistance effectively. Additionally, the US should coordinate with
allies to provide cyber support, targeting regime communications infrastructure,
disabling surveillance systems, and disrupting the security forces’ command and
control. Giving Iranians a tactical advantage ensures they are better equipped
to confront a well-armed authoritarian regime, especially the next time Iranians
take to the streets en masse.
The Islamic Republic is a determined adversary that means what it says when it
chants “death to America” and “death to Israel.” The same applies to its
attempts to take President Trump’s life. Only by building on the successes from
his first term does the incoming president stand a chance at meaningfully
confronting Iran, and maximizing the fears in Tehran about what will come next.
*Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD) in Washington DC, where Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/11/15/donald-trump-back-to-the-future-on-iran-policy/
UNRWA Hires Palestinian Terrorists, Glorifies Violence And Terrorism
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./November 18/ 2024
According to Israeli intelligence, more than 450 terrorists belonging to
terrorist organizations in Gaza, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA.
"By not firing them, the UN Secretary-General and UNRWA's Commissioner General
are brazenly demonstrating their determination to continue employing members of
Hamas and Islamic Jihad even after having been presented with incriminating
evidence to this effect. It is time for donor governments to wake up and stop
funneling their taxpayers' money to members of designated terrorist
organizations." – www.idf.il, August 5, 2024
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini recently told the UN General Assembly that his
agency provides tolerant, respectful and anti-extremist education in Gaza.
However, IMPACT-se's new report unveils institutional teaching material taught
in five UNRWA schools in Gaza, where Hamas commanders have been exposed
masquerading as school principals.
A poem taught to seventh-graders... calls on knights, symbolizing Arab leaders,
to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem "from the fist of unbelief, from
Satan's aides – revenge to the Jews."
What is disturbing is that the UN chief and other donor countries refuse to see
what many Palestinians already see, namely that UNRWA has long been playing a
significant role in inciting hatred against Israel and raising another
generation of Palestinian children on the glorification of violence and
terrorism. It is time for this agency, as well as the entire UN, to be
dismantled and removed, or at least, as suggested years ago, to have nations pay
only for what they want and to get what they pay for.
It is also time for the Palestinian "refugees" to move on with their lives and
stop relying on Western taxpayers' money.
According to Israeli intelligence, more than 450 terrorists belonging to
terrorist organizations in Gaza, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA.
Several terrorists who participated in the October 7 atrocities were officially
employed by UNRWA. Pictured: Israeli soldiers inspect the entrance to a Hamas
terror tunnel directly outside an UNRWA compound in Gaza City, on February 8,
2024. (Photo by Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which terrorists from
Gaza murdered 1,200 Israelis, there has been increased evidence of the role the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) plays in
supporting and funding Palestinian terrorism.
In early November, Israel passed a new law that will ban UNRWA's operations in
Israel, and prevent Israeli officials from cooperating with the agency. Given
UNRWA's longtime support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the ban will benefit not
only Israel, but also those Palestinians who are not affiliated with the
Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist group.
The law came after the discovery that several terrorists who participated in the
October 7 atrocities – which included murder, rape, beheadings and kidnappings
-- were officially employed by UNRWA. The United Nations has even admitted that
nine UNRWA staff members "will be sacked because they may have been involved in
the October 7 Hamas-led attacks against Israel." The accusations surfaced
earlier this year, when Israel presented evidence to UNRWA of the involvement of
12 of its staff members in the atrocities. UNRWA identified and terminated the
employment of ten of them. Two were confirmed dead. "I'm inside, I'm inside with
the Jews"; "We have female hostages, I captured one". These are quotes from
recordings of UNRWA teachers who took part in the October 7 massacre.
In a video caught by a security camera on October 7, two Hamas terrorists are
seen loading onto a truck the corpse of an Israeli civilian they had murdered.
These Hamas terrorists were also employees of UNRWA. They were not the only
UNRWA employees involved in the atrocities.
According to Israeli intelligence, more than 450 terrorists belonging to
terrorist organizations in Gaza, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA.
According to an IDF report:
"The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has gathered substantial evidence of several
other circumstances that reveal the participation of UNRWA staff in the October
7 massacre. This was also confirmed by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight
Services (OIOS): In addition to the nine employees that the UN's investigative
team determined were involved in the October 7 massacre, other workers -- about
whom the team claimed there was insufficient evidence -- were also involved in
the massacre. They are members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and
the UN must fire them immediately, and not sweep the issue under the rug. "By
not firing them, the UN Secretary-General and UNRWA's Commissioner General are
brazenly demonstrating their determination to continue employing members of
Hamas and Islamic Jihad even after having been presented with incriminating
evidence to this effect. It is time for donor governments to wake up and stop
funneling their taxpayers' money to members of designated terrorist
organizations."
A recent report, published by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural
Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), an NGO that analyzes schoolbooks and
curriculum around the world, exposes deep terrorist ties to UNRWA education. The
report highlights five UNRWA schools where Hamas commanders are principals or
senior staff. The report found that more than 10% of UNRWA principals and senior
education staff in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic
Jihad. UNRWA schools, in addition, use class lessons to deny Israel's existence,
promote hostility, and encourage violent narratives.
The report pointed out that at least 12 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip who
hold senior positions (school principals, deputies, directors and deputy
directors of training centers) have been identified as members of Hamas and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
This is far from "a few isolated cases," as UNRWA claims, and instead points to
UNRWA's endemic links to terror. Many of UNRWA's Hamas and Palestinian Islamic
Jihad employees have continued to receive a regular salary funded by
international taxpayers since October 7. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini recently
told the UN General Assembly that his agency provides tolerant, respectful and
anti-extremist education in Gaza. However, IMPACT-se's new report unveils
institutional teaching material taught in five UNRWA schools in Gaza, where
Hamas commanders have been exposed masquerading as school principals. UNRWA
teachers and schools have produced material that glorifies violence and
terrorism and demonizes Israelis. An Arabic language study card produced by an
UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip contains a reading comprehension story that
celebrates an attack on Israeli passengers traveling on a bus, describing it as
a "barbecue party." Another card produced by an UNRWA school includes a reading
comprehension test titled "Hooray for the Heroes." It glorifies figures
associated with war, violence, religious extremism, and even terrorism. The text
encourages young Palestinian students to view these "heroes" as role models. The
study card also encourages students to criticize those who choose a peaceful,
fulfilling life over martyrdom: "Drinking the cup of bitterness with glory is
much sweeter than a pleasant long life accompanied by humiliation." The text's
list of heroes includes: Dalal al-Mughrabi, responsible for the 1978 Coastal
Road Massacre, in which 38 civilians were murdered, including 13 children; Izz
Ad-Din al-Qassam, founder of the Palestinian jihadi movement and namesake of the
Hamas military wing.
A fifth-grade Arabic language summary teaches a text titled: "I Love My
Village," which presents martyrdom in a positive light by praising the fact that
the land – a reference to Palestine – is "mixed with the blood of the martyrs."
It also teaches students that martyrdom and Jihad are "the most important
meanings of life."A poem taught to seventh-graders portrays Arab nations as a
herd of horses – a revered symbol of war in Bedouin Arab culture – that would
fall if not united. The poem calls on knights, symbolizing Arab leaders, to
liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem "from the fist of unbelief, from
Satan's aides – revenge to the Jews." These are only a few examples of how
educational activities organized by UNRWA schools have poisoned the hearts and
minds of many Palestinian children over the past seven decades. The
participation of UNRWA employees in the October 7 atrocities against Israelis
did not come as a surprise. What is disturbing is that the UN chief and other
donor countries refuse to see what many Palestinians already see, namely that
UNRWA has long been playing a significant role in inciting hatred against Israel
and raising another generation of Palestinian children on the glorification of
violence and terrorism. It is time for this agency, as well as the entire UN, to
be dismantled and removed, or at least, as suggested years ago, to have nations
pay only for what they want and to get what they pay for.
It is also time for the Palestinian "refugees" to move on with their lives and
stop relying on Western taxpayers' money.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made
possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to
remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 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.
Trump’s Return: A Bold Vision to Reshape the Middle East
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/November 18/2028
One of the biggest mistakes in dealing with President-elect Donald Trump is
underestimating his capabilities. The fact that he lacks academic jargon,
analyst-style phrasing, or the polished demeanor of traditional politicians does
not diminish his knowledge or awareness of the issues at hand.
Trump faced ridicule from his opponents, both domestically during the electoral
process and from foreign commentators seeking to tarnish his reputation. Trump
is not a Yale graduate like Bill Clinton or someone with 50 years of political
experience like Joe Biden. Yet, his actions during his four years as president
were arguably more successful in addressing key events. For instance, when he
threatened to cancel or improve the comprehensive agreement with Iran, he was
told it was an international deal he couldn’t withdraw from. He canceled it
entirely, altering the course of the region’s history and saving it from the
dangers of that flawed agreement.
Trump may not be as intellectually renowned as Henry Kissinger or as humble as
Jimmy Carter, but his background in business, investment, and real estate gives
him an edge in a capitalist country like the United States, which values hard
work, competition, and success.
Trump demonstrated his leadership abilities, most notably in winning the
presidency not once but twice. His success is attributed to his personal efforts
rather than public relations firms or the Republican Party’s backing, unlike
many previous US presidents who relied on party support. His electoral victory
is a unique testament to his popularity and influence, highlighting his ability
to lead a major power like the United States and make bold decisions that others
might shy away from.
Trump will face multiple domestic battles as he has promised his voters changes
in immigration, the economy, and education. His upcoming four-year term is
expected to be filled with controversy and significant shifts.
What about the Middle East? Let’s recall what he did when he first took office
in 2017. Breaking protocol, Trump chose Riyadh, not London, as his first
international destination, a departure from the tradition of visiting Britain
first. At the time, Saudi Arabia faced harsh criticism from US politicians, with
former President Obama relegating the relationship with the Kingdom to the past.
Trump, who entered office amid allegations of racism against Arabs and Muslims,
surprised everyone by accepting Saudi Arabia’s invitation and making it his
first stop. His trip sent a clear message to his adversaries in Washington and
countries in the region. Over his four years, Trump maintained the relationship
as he envisioned, and even his successor, Biden, initially backtracked on his
promises before eventually following Trump’s approach. When the president-elect
claims he can solve critical crises like those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon,
among others, we should take him seriously. Trump enjoys a majority in Congress
and has already initiated communications before officially assuming office on
January 20.
The final point worth noting is not how Trump sees the world but how the world
sees Trump. Internationally, he is perceived as a having strong personality,
quick to act, and a leader who follows through on his words. This image forces
US adversaries to think twice before engaging in major confrontations with him.
Most would likely prefer to negotiate agreements and political deals with him,
knowing he possesses the willpower and tools, such as Congressional support, to
back his decisions.
It seems clear that Trump intends to reshape the Middle East, and we will
witness this through agreements and sanctions rather than wars. Indeed, as he
often points out, he governed for four years without engaging in a single war,
but he was relentless in enforcing sanctions. For this reason, the region must
prepare and adapt to the upcoming changes.
The Riyadh Summit: Regional Security Founded on a Two-State
Solution
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/November 18/2028
Media outlets are brimming with predictions and analyses about the new US
administration’s Middle East policy. Most of it is wishful thinking, with each
camp making projections according to their political orientation. The key
appointments that President-elect Donald Trump has announced he wants to make so
far suggest that he will choose hawks and loyal, trusted friends. The proposed
figures tow a harder line than Trump himself, and we can only speculate about
how much influence they will yield given his personality and unpredictability.
For the region, what distinguishes this Trump team is its hardline stance
towards Iran, which is matched by its absolute support for Israel, giving
Benjamin Netanyahu the space he needs to complete his wars in Gaza and Lebanon
during the transitional phase that will not end until January 20, by which point
he will have to have catered to Trump’s declared intention to end the ongoing
wars before then.
The risks of Netanyahu exploiting the transitional phase were bolstered by the
despair that has gripped the Biden administration since its resounding defeat at
the hands of Trump and the Republicans- the red wave that swept both houses of
Congress. The current administration’s frustration will hinder any ability to
curb Netanyahu’s adventures in Gaza and Lebanon.
An attack on Iran by Netanyahu is possible despite its repercussions, especially
since there is no end to his ongoing wars on Gaza and Lebanon in sight. The Gaza
war has achieved what it could after Hamas was dismantled and the Gaza Strip was
made all but uninhabitable, and the war on Hezbollah destroyed most of the
party's military capabilities, as well as over a third of Lebanon, displacing
more than a million people from the south, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs
of Beirut. What more does Netanyahu want? Protecting Israel is an ambiguous
slogan that he has been exploited to the last drop, and his military operations
now amount to nothing more than collective punishment.
Will Trump and his team turn a blind eye to the expected Israeli adventures or
will reign in Netanyahu and heedless his government? The first option seems more
likely. In contrast, the Arab Islamic summit held last week in Riyadh sent
several messages to Washington and Israel, all of them unequivocally reflecting
deep anger at Israel's excesses and military actions, and they went as far as to
call for freezing Israel's membership in the United Nations General Assembly.
The summit unequivocally denounced the attacks on Iran, stressing the need to
force “Israel to respect Iran’s sovereignty and not attack its territory,” as
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.
The most important message was a solid commitment to the two-state solution,
which the summit considered the gateway to regional stability. The emphasis on
not making decisions regarding Gaza stems purely from a desire to place this
issue in the hands of the Palestinian Authority alone, according to the
Kingdom’s foreign minister. Highlighting the role of the Palestinian Authority
strips the plans for settlements on the day after in Gaza of any legitimacy.
These schemes disregard the PA’s role. It also pushed back on any attempt to do
away with the idea of establishing a Palestinian state. Here, we are referring
to the rhetoric of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has talked
about Israel re-imposing its sovereignty over the West
Bank, adding that he seeks “a government decision confirming that Israel will
work with the Trump administration and the international community to enforce
sovereignty with US recognition.”
The demand for the establishment of a Palestinian state will undoubtedly lead to
disputes with the Trump administration. The fear is a return to solutions based
on improving the economic and living conditions of the Palestinians that deny
their right to an independent, demilitarized Palestinian state, and live in
peace side by side with Israel. This obstacle the new administration will
probably present is likely to be the main obstacle to broadening Arab-Israeli
normalization, which is supposed to lead to a permanent and just peace in the
region, introducing a phase of prosperity and progress on all levels.
Differences regarding the two-state solution do not mean that the new
administration is not serious about wanting to end wars and conflicts; Trump and
his team could conclude deals and settlements with Arab partners on a whole host
of issues, including matters tied to regional security. Crucially, solutions to
these conflicts must be viable, sustainable, and just, and they must not be made
at the expense of one party over another.
Solutions imposed by force, cosmetic stitch-ups, and agreements meant to satisfy
the powerful at the expense of the weak and their rights, will only fuel new
wars; they may be even more horrific and cruel than those of the past. The final
statement of the Riyadh Summit warns against stop-gap solutions and explicitly
calls for resolving conflicts by creating just and sustained peace. We hope that
Washington will heed this call because it can do more than anyone else to
achieve this difficult task, provided that it uses American lenses, not Israeli
ones.
Hoori or Whore? How Islam’s ‘72 Virgins’ Inspire Muslims to
Suicidal Violence
Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/November 18/2028
https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2024/11/18/hoori-or-whore-how-islams-72-virgins-inspire-muslims-to-suicidal-violence/
A recent report highlights what must surely appear as “fake news” to Western
sensibilities: the fact that “marrying” supernatural women in Islamic paradise —
the notorious hooris — actuates young Muslim men in general, Palestinian suicide
bombers (“martyrs”) in particular.
The examples offered by the report are many.
In one video, the mother of dead terrorist Abd al-Jabbar al-Sabbagh shared their
final moments:
He said to me: ‘Mom, this is the last week you’ll see me. That’s it, bid me
farewell.’ I said: ‘Sweetie, why?’ He said: ‘That’s it, I feel I won’t remain
much longer.’ I’m satisfied, I’m going to the Dark-Eyed Maidens [Hoor al-‘Ayn in
the original Arabic] in Paradise, I want Martyrdom.’ I said: ‘Allah will be
satisfied with you.’ Martyrdom is beautiful, not everyone who seeks it merits
it, but the farewell is difficult.
In another video discussing her “martyred” nephew, Intisar Nafea said of Ashraf
Nafea:
Praise Allah, [teen Martyr] Ashraf [Nafea] raises our heads up high. On Aug. 1,
[2024,] he was supposed to turn 18 years old. I wanted to do a birthday for him.
He said: ‘Get me married.’ I said: ‘[You will have] 72 [Virgins] like your
uncle.’ He said: ‘Right. I don’t want to marry women from this world, I want to
marry [women] from the world to come.’
The brother of terrorist Uday Al-Zayyat said:
I told him: ‘Go on and get married’ … He told me: ‘Actually I want the Dark-Eyed
Maidens of Paradise.’ Praise Allah, Allah granted him Paradise, Allah willing he
will see the Dark-Eyed Maidens of Paradise.
The wives of other “martyrs” posted things like, “All of you make sounds of joy
for him. Don’t cry, he’s a groom and let everyone accompany him to his wedding.”
So who are these “dark-eyed virgins” who “yearn” — as another Palestinian once
phrased it — for martyrs, for those Muslims who, in the Koran’s words, “slay and
are slain” (9:111)?
The proper Arabic term for these entities is hoor al-‘ayn, commonly known by the
English transliteration hoori (also “houri”). They are supernatural, celestial
women — “wide-eyed” and “big-bosomed,” says the Koran (56:22, 78:33) — created
by Allah for the express purpose of sexually gratifying his favorites in
perpetuity.
One of the canonical hadiths — a statement attributed to Muhammad that
mainstream Islam acknowledges as true — has Muhammad saying,
The martyr [shahid, one who dies fighting for Islam] is special to Allah. He is
forgiven from the first drop of blood [that he sheds]. He sees his throne in
paradise…. And he will copulate with seventy-two hooris. (See also Koran 44:54,
52:20, 55:72, and 56:22.)
While the hooris may invoke images of scantily-clad genies and/or other wild
tales from the Arabian Nights to the Western mind — and thus be dismissed as
“fairy tales” with no capacity to inspire anyone — the fact is, desire for these
immortal concubines has driven Muslim men to acts of suicidal terror, past and
present, as recorded in both Muslim and Western historical sources.
“As for religious enthusiasm and ardour for the holy war,” writes historian
Marius Canard, “it is certain that numerous Muslims were moved by this
sentiment… There are numerous accounts [in Arabic sources] describing combatants
going to their deaths with joyful heart, seeing visions of the celestial hoori
who is calling to them and signaling to them.”
Indeed, the hooris are depicted as being ever present on the fields of jihad,
beckoning their would-be lovers to rush to their embraces by engaging in wild
acts of “martyrdom.” This is evident from the West’s first major military
encounter with Islam, the fateful Battle of Yarmuk (636). There, one Muslim came
upon a fallen comrade “smitten on the ground, and I watched as he lifted his
fingers to the sky. I understood he was rejoicing, for he saw the hooris.”
Another Arab chieftain told his men that a headlong charge against the
“Christian dogs” is synonymous with a “rush to the embraces of the hooris!”
“The Muslim preachers did not cease to encourage the combatants [at Yarmuk]:
Prepare yourselves for the encounter with the hooris of the big black eyes!”
explains a medieval Persian historian. “And to be sure, never has a day been
seen when more heads fell than on the day of the Yarmuk.”
Nearly a millennium later, on the night before the sack of Constantinople in
1453, the Ottoman Turks also invoked the hooris to kindle the men’s fighting
spirit. Wandering “dervishes visited the tents, to instill the desire of
martyrdom, and the assurance of spending an immortal youth amidst the rivers and
gardens of paradise, and in the embraces of the black-eyed virgins [hooris].”
At the pivotal battle of Mohacs in 1526, seventy thousand Muslim
invaders—described as devotees of “jihad and martyrdom,” eager for “a
perpetually happy life” with “the hooris”—defeated the hitherto mighty kingdom
of Hungary, built a massive pyramid of heads, and returned to Constantinople
with one hundred thousand slaves.
From the start, Western observers have corroborated the mesmerizing effects of
the hoori’s siren call. Marco Polo (d.1324) explained why after assassinating
their target, the hashashin (whence the English word “assassin”) would not flee
but wait to be hacked down by their victim’s guards or men: They were eager to
enter “paradise, where every species of sensual gratification should be found,
in the society of beautiful nymphs [hooris].”
In an eighth-century “interfaith dialogue” between Caliph Omar II and Eastern
Roman Emperor Leo III, the latter wrote: “We [Christians] do not expect to enjoy
there [heaven] commerce with women who remain forever virgin,” for “we put no
faith in such silly tales engendered by extreme ignorance and by paganism.” But
“for you who are given up to carnal vices, and who have never been known to
limit the same, you who prefer your pleasures to any good, it is precisely for
that reason that you consider the celestial realm of no account if it is not
peopled with [supernatural] women.”
If Muslims venerate and seek to emulate the world of early Islam, it should come
as no surprise that these Sirens of Islam are still working their magic, above
and beyond the opening anecdotes concerning Palestinian indoctrination.
For instance, Naa’imur Rahman, a Muslim man from north London, who was “found
guilty of plotting to blow up the gates of Downing Street and assassinate
Theresa May… was motivated by the idea of being met by virgins in paradise after
the attack, the court heard.” During discussions with an undercover officer,
Rahman said that he was eager to “take her [May’s] head off, yeah”:
I want to go to jannah [heaven] when I’m doing it. I don’t want to come back. I
want them to kill me, but I just want to do my thing before I’m killed…. [I’ve
been] thinking a lot about hur al ayn [hooris]… In sha allah [Allah willing] I
meet them soon.
Prior to the battle for Mosul in late 2016, the Islamic State’s “caliph,” Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, said:
All [who die fighting], without exception, will enter paradise as martyrs.
Moreover, you will enter paradise with four more hooris than other martyrs. For
just as you stand by me now, so will they stand by you—or under you, or above
you—so that you might forget what will happen to you by way of violence, death,
and degradation in this war.
All this is a reminder that the Muslim mindset and the motivations behind it are
many and multifaceted. Few in the West still seem to understand this and see it
as, at best, an aberration. Thus a French reporter who once infiltrated and
spent time with the Islamic State said, “I never saw any Islam. No will to
improve the world,” only “suicidal” men looking forward to being “martyred” on,
as they explained it to him, their “path to paradise,” where “women [hooris] are
waiting for us.”
Until such time that Western secular minds stop projecting their own
materialistic paradigms onto Muslims in general, jihadists in particular, and
start understanding Islam’s paradigms and motivations on their own terms, the
West will continue to ignore the oldest and simplest advice concerning war:
“know your enemy.”