English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 25/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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25.24.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey
it
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11/27-32: “A woman in the
crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and
the breasts that nursed you!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear
the word of God and obey it!’When the crowds were increasing, he began to say,
‘This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be
given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the
people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of
the South will rise at the judgement with the people of this generation and
condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the
wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! The people
of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it,
because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater
than Jonah is here”.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on November
24-25/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Dr. Charles Chartouni, who was forced to
leave Lebanon due to a politicized judiciary, is the voice of every free and
sovereign Lebanese rejecting Hezbollah's occupation
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Independence Day: A Mere Memory for Occupied Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/Walid Jumblat's hypocrisy in politics, his role as a resistance
merchant, and his partnership with Berri in everything must end with Hezbollah
and Berri.
Elias Bejjani: Text and Video/Naiem Qassem’s Speech: A Bundle of Deceit,
Dhimmitude-Taqiyya, and Political Hypocrisy
The Decline of Iranian Influence in Lebanon/Etienne Saqr - Abu Arz/ November 24,
2024
Israel moving towards a ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Axios reports
Report: Israel agrees to Lebanon truce, Netanyahu working on how to present it
to public
Israel launches wave of violent strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs
Fierce Israel-Hezbollah clashes in Khiam
Israeli strike on Lebanese army center kills soldier, wounds 18
Israeli source threatens 'Beirut' after Hezbollah rockets hit near Tel Aviv,
Haifa
Borrell from Beirut: A Ceasefire and the Application of 1701 Are the Only
Solution
Mikati warns Israeli military action in Lebanon a rejection of political
solution
IDF 36th Division raids 150 targets, kill dozens of terrorists in two month
Lebanon operation
Israel moving towards deal with Lebanon - report
Hezbollah Fires about 250 Rockets, Other Projectiles into Israel in Heaviest
Barrage in Weeks
EU Urges Immediate Halt to Israel-Hezbollah War
Lebanon Military Says One Soldier Killed, 18 Hurt in Israeli Strike on Army
Center
Rai: Whoever Negotiates the Ceasefire Is Illegitimate in the Absence of a
President
Bishop Aoudi Emphasizes That Saving and Protecting Lebanon Begins with Electing
a President: “It is Time to End the Gamble with This Country for Irrelevant
Goals and to Stop the Machine of Death and Destruction”
Borell after meeting Berri at Ain el-Tineh: For implementing agreement reached
with US envoy, so that shooting, bombing & loss of lives will stop - Awaiting a
full & final response from Israeli government
Borrell: Implementing international criminal orders is not optional
Army: A soldier was martyred and 18 were injured in the targeting of our al-Amiriya
checkpoint
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November
24-25/2024
UAE arrests three suspects in killing of Israeli-Moldovan rabbi
Israeli Army Orders Gaza City Suburb Evacuated, Spurring New Displacement Wave
For fourth time, Netanyahu asks to postpone testimony
Iran is making nuclear moves in conflict with West - analysis
Iran Is Preparing to ‘Respond’ to Israel, Says Adviser to Supreme Leader
Iran to Hold Nuclear Talks with Three European Powers in Geneva on Friday
Iran Says Could Abandon Nuclear Weapons But Has Conditions
Jordan Army Says It Thwarts Border Infiltration across Syria, One Killed
Gunman shot dead, 3 police injured in shooting near Israeli embassy in Jordan
Ex-Netanyahu chief of staff: Trump's appointees give Israelis reason to be
optimistic
ICC spokesperson explains alleged war crimes arrest warrants
Haaretz publisher calls Palestinian terrorists ‘freedom fighters’ in newly
revealed speech
15 Turkish-backed fighters killed in north Syria clashes with Kurdish-led forces
Donald Trump Jr. Is Helping His Father Pick the Most Controversial Cabinet of
Modern Times
Trumps names two Arab Americans for his Cabinet
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November
24-25/2024
Murder in Dubai: How the murder of a Chabad rabbi reverberates regionally/Hereb
Keinon/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
What early elections would mean for Israel’s future/Susan Hattis Rolef/Jerusalem
Post/November 24/2024
Trump and Biden can forge peace in Israel – and earn Trump the Nobel Prize/Zvika
klein/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
Justice…Then What?/Tariq Al-Homayed/Al Awsat/November 25/2024
Global shifts suggest Syria’s ‘waiting game’ could pay off/Christopher
Phillips/Arab News/November 24, 2024
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on November
24-25/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Dr. Charles Chartouni, who was
forced to leave Lebanon due to a politicized judiciary, is the voice of every
free and sovereign Lebanese rejecting Hezbollah's occupation
Elias Bejjani – October 24, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137231/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0eOyrZSWsc
Our beloved Lebanon is currently
an occupied country, its free citizens are oppressed, its people are crushed and
subdued, its state is failed and rogue, and its rulers, along with the
political, parties, and religious establishments, are mere tools in the hands of
the Iranian occupier and its terrorist jihadist proxy, Hezbollah. As for the
judiciary in Lebanon, it has been transformed under the occupation into a mere
too run by Hezbollah, executing its orders and prosecuting free and sovereign
Lebanese citizens with fabricated charges and cases dictated to it, far removed
from any legality or constitutionality.
This judiciary, controlled by Hezbollah's oppressive, criminal, and Iranian
Mullahs' regime, has been forcibly silenced through intimidation and terror. It
has turned a blind eye to hundreds of crimes, including displacement,
assassinations, oppression, smuggling, money laundering, and property
confiscation, with the Beirut Port explosion being one of the most egregious
crimes.
Because of this politicized, hollow judiciary, stripped of all notions of
justice, law, treaties, and rights, and because its officials, due to their
submission and allegiance to the occupier, lack even a basic understanding of
their constitutional duties, and due to this paralyzed judicial body, Dr.
Charles Chartouni was forced to leave Lebanon today. Lebanon is his beloved
homeland, to which he dedicated his life, knowledge, and talents, serving it,
defending it, and fighting for its people, sovereignty, independence, and
freedoms at home and abroad across all fields.
The charges fabricated by the politicized judiciary against Dr. Chartouni under
the occupier's directives are, in reality, medals of honor on his chest and a
source of pride for every free Lebanese citizen. These accusations stem from his
fierce and relentless defense of sovereignty, independence, the constitution,
freedoms, and dignity. He bore witness to the truth loudly, like John the
Baptist, without fear or compromise. He exposed the lies, heresies, distortions,
and violations of the Iranian occupier embodied by Hezbollah, challenged its
terrorism, and called things by their true names.
Dr. Chartouni, a brave and heroic figure, represents all free Lebanese citizen,
regardless of their sect or affiliation, whether residing in Lebanon or in the
Diaspora. He rejects injustice, occupation, dependency, submission, and bowing
down, and stands steadfastly for the truth and justice.
We stand with Dr. Chartouni, with his struggle for peace, justice, freedoms, the
rule of law, independence, and liberation. We stand with his determination, his
bold voice against the occupation, and his unwavering faith in Lebanon. With all
the components of hope and resilience, we loudly say no—a thousand times no—to
intellectual oppression, to the occupation, to its symbols, and to its tools.
A thousand heartfelt salutes to Dr. Chartouni, the honorable, brave, and
steadfast fighter.
Elias
Bejjani/Text & Video: Independence Day: A Mere Memory for Occupied Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/November 22, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137152/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0WxOm8g2Gc&t=4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYvkf-jZcTo&t=43s
November 22, Lebanon’s Independence Day, was once a
celebration of freedom and sovereignty. However, today, the reality we live
stands in stark contrast to the values of independence. Independence has been
reduced to a mere memory, stripped of its core elements such as free
decision-making, liberty, law, equality, democracy, services, peace, security,
stability, and protected borders—the list goes on, and all are absent.
Today, Lebanon has completely lost its independence and against the will of its
majority, it finds itself under sectarian, jihadist, and terrorist Iranian
occupation. This occupation is enforced through a local armed militia comprised
of Lebanese mercenaries working under the command of Iran’s mullahs, operating
under the blasphemously named "Hezbollah." This armed Iranian proxy, through its
actions of force, terror, assassinations, wars, and displacement, stands against
everything Lebanon represents—justice, rights, love, peace, stability, identity,
and openness to the world.
As a result of this occupation, Lebanon is now witnessing a destructive war
between Iran's Hezbollah and the State of Israel. This is an Iranian-Israeli war
in which Lebanon and its vast majority have no stake. It is not Lebanon's war
while Hezbollah initiated it under direct orders from Iran, serving Tehran's
terrorist, expansionist, and colonial agendas.
There is no independence to celebrate today. Lebanon has effectively become a
Hezbollah state. This failed and rogue state continuously violates the
constitution and paralyzes governance. Hezbollah prevents the election of a
president, shuts down parliament, and dismantles state institutions.
The current parliament, subservient and failing in its constitutional duties,
was formed under an electoral law crafted by Hezbollah to ensure its dominance.
This law predetermined the election results before they even took place.
How can we celebrate Independence Day when state institutions are infiltrated,
the judiciary is controlled, citizens' savings have been stolen from banks,
borders are wide open for smuggling, and chaos reigns? Killings, theft, poverty,
displacement, and humiliation define the daily lives of Lebanese citizens.
The independence we should be celebrating today has become an empty memory. True
independence will not return to Lebanon until it is liberated from Hezbollah's
occupation and Iran's domination. Achieving this liberation requires
implementing all international resolutions pertaining to Lebanon, including the
Armistice Agreement and Resolutions 1559, 1701, and 1680. It also demands
conducting free parliamentary elections under a modern electoral law,
eradicating corruption, and holding the corrupt political class accountable.
Until then, Lebanon remains an occupied state, and Independence Day is but a
painful reminder of a freedom that is no more.
Elias Bejjani/Walid
Jumblat's hypocrisy in politics, his role as a resistance merchant, and his
partnership with Berri in everything must end with Hezbollah and Berri.
Elias Bejjani, November 21, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137135/
Jumblat's heresy in demanding the inclusion of Hezbollah elements in the
Lebanese army turns the Lebanese army into a new Hezbollah—a legal, jihadist,
terrorist party affiliated with the Iranian mullahs and a tool in their hands.
This is a suicidal project that eliminates Lebanon and turns it into a
militarized Iranian state. Walid Jumblat is a political charlatan and hypocrite.
What some call his wisdom and realism is, in reality, nothing more than
stupidity, Dhimmitude-taqiyya, and a murderous cowardice.
Jumblat's talk about the Palestinians' right to eternal resistance and Lebanon's
refusal to make peace with Israel isolates Lebanon and keeps it a
playground-battlefield for charlatans who trade in the Palestinian cause, just
as its fate since the establishment of the Israeli State, while all Arab
countries have made peace with Israel. Enough of these illusory ideologies.
Iran is the enemy.
Iran is a terrorist and jihadist state that occupies Lebanon through its
jihadist, criminal proxy (Hezbollah), the assassination machine, and the Party
of the Devil, which specializes in smuggling, drugs, prostitution, and money
laundering. It has ruined Lebanon, struck the Shiites, displaced them, killed
their youth, and destroyed their areas. Any Lebanese who is Iranian and acts as
a cover for the Iranians can go to the Iran. Dr. Charles Chartouni is a Lebanese
patriot, brave, and truthful. We need peace with Israel and peace treaties like
all Arab countries. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Iran, which has sold
out Hezbollah or failed to protect it and has traded in the Shiites and is
fighting through them. Israel is a neighboring country, not an enemy. Lebanon's
enemy is Iran, its party, Hezbollah and anyone who carries a Lebanese identity
but is loyal to someone other than Lebanon. Enough of the charlatanry and
bravado."
Summary of Key Points:
The statement accuses Jumblat of hypocrisy and a "resistance merchant" who has
partnered with Hezbollah and Nabih Berri.
Hezbollah is portrayed in the statement as a terrorist organization affiliated
with Iran, and its integration into the Lebanese army is seen as a threat to
Lebanon's sovereignty.
Iran is blamed according to the statement for Lebanon's problems and is accused
of occupying the country through Hezbollah.
The statement advocates for peace with Israel and criticizes those who support
the ongoing Palestinian war against Israel, that it has isolated Lebanon.
The statement supports Dr. Charles Chartouni as a true Lebanese patriot and
criticizes those who are loyal to Iran.
Elias Bejjani: Text and Video/Naiem Qassem’s Speech: A
Bundle of Deceit, Dhimmitude-Taqiyya, and Political Hypocrisy
November 21, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137102/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uTOWTIr-AM&t=103s
Anyone who listened to Sheikh Naiem Qassem’s speech yesterday or read its text
would undoubtedly recognize the absolute Iranian identity of Hezbollah. It was
glaringly obvious that the speech was packed with lies, hypocrisy, heresies, and
delusions that tainted every word Qassem uttered in his recorded address.
In his actions and roles, Qassem is no more than a submissive servant to Iran’s
rulers, carrying out their orders without any decision-making power or personal
opinion. He is merely a reader of dictated texts, just like all Hezbollah
members and leaders, who have been completely subservient to the Iranian mullahs
since the organization's establishment in the 1980s as a sectarian, jihadist,
Persian, terrorist, and armed proxy fully controlled by the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Qassem’s speech yesterday was a blatant example of deceit, Dhimmitude-taqiyya,
evasion, and political duplicity. It was summarized in four points, through
which he boasted with deceptive and misleading pseudo-Lebanese rhetoric. He said
verbatim:
1-"We will rebuild together, in cooperation with the state, all honorable
individuals, and the countries and forces that will help, God willing, to
restore Lebanon, making it better and more beautiful."
2-"We will actively contribute to electing a President of the Republic through
the parliamentary process in accordance with the constitution."
3-"Our political actions and state affairs will remain within the framework of
the Taif Accord", in cooperation with political forces."
4-"We will be active in the political arena with our representative and popular
strength and our significant presence, to build and protect the nation
simultaneously."
It is worth recalling that Hezbollah has never adhered to the "Taif Accord",
which explicitly demands the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese
militias and the transfer of their weapons to the state. It also requires the
extension of state authority over all Lebanese territories.
Hezbollah is the antithesis of the "Taif Accord", the constitution, the Lebanese
people, civil peace, and freedom. Hezbollah, like a snake, may change its skin
but remains venomous, treacherous, and dangerous, never to be trusted.
Hezbollah cannot adopt a Lebanese identity, affiliation, culture, or loyalty.
Doing so would nullify its raison d’être as an armed, sectarian, jihadist,
Persian and terrorist tool solely serving Iran’s expansionist and imperialist
project.
The critical conclusion: Every word spoken by Naiem Qassem, from start to
finish, was nothing but bundles of deceit and political duplicity brimming with
evasion and Dhimmitude-taqiyya. Accordingly, No one should be deceived by it.
There is no doubt that Hezbollah, in its military, political, or social form, is
a Persian cancer and a sectarian, jihadist terrorist tool. Lebanon cannot regain
its health, sovereignty, or independence as long as Hezbollah exists. For
Lebanon to survive, Hezbollah must be completely dismantled, its existence
terminated, and its leaders arrested and tried. Hezbollah is the antithesis of
everything Lebanon and Lebanese stand for.
The Decline of Iranian
Influence in Lebanon
Etienne Saqr - Abu Arz/ November 24, 2024
(Free Translation, summary, & quotations from Arabic by: Elias
Bejjani, LCCC website publisher & Editor)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137247/
No sooner had the Israeli army succeeded in carrying out precision strikes that
resulted in the liquidation of first, second, and third-rank Hezbollah leaders
last September, than the repercussions of these strikes began to raise concerns
for the Iranian regime. Tehran’s officials felt that Lebanon, which they had
long considered a strategic arena of influence, was beginning to distance itself
from them and slip from their iron grip.
In response to this critical situation, the Iranian regime moved swiftly and
sent top officials on successive visits to Lebanon. It began with Foreign
Minister Abbas Araqchi, who carried a clear message of support for Hezbollah in
an attempt to contain the crisis. This was followed by a visit from Parliament
Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who emphasized the "depth of the strategic
relationship" between Iran and Hezbollah. And it did not stop there, as Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei sent his senior advisor Ali Larijani to Beirut, in a move
that reflected the severity of the situation for Iranian influence in Lebanon
and the region.
These successive visits aimed to achieve several goals, most importantly to
raise the morale of the remaining cadres and elements of Hezbollah, which had
been shaken by the deadly Israeli strikes. They also involved an attempt to
reorganize its ranks and internal affairs, including reaffirming loyalty to Iran
and its leadership. But despite all these efforts, the results did not meet
expectations. It became clear that the devastating blows suffered by Hezbollah
had led to a destabilization of its internal structure and its relations with
its supportive environment in Lebanon.
In addition, internal and external criticism of Hezbollah escalated as the
Lebanese people began to express their resentment of its policies, which had
made the country a hostage to regional conflicts, and its supportive environment
began to express its outrage at the heavy losses it had suffered in terms of
lives, property, and the unprecedented displacement of its families, which
exceeded one million displaced persons.
Despite Iran's desperate attempts to contain the total defeat of Hezbollah,
indicators suggest that the situation has spiraled out of control and that
Hezbollah is facing an existential crisis that may be difficult to overcome in
the near and far future.
Therefore, Lebanon, which has historically been a graveyard for all those who
tried to occupy or control it, proves once again that the will of its people is
stronger than any external force. All the invaders have left, and it has
remained standing tall, ready to rise from the rubble despite all the hardships
and misfortunes. Today, despite all attempts at Iranian domination and control,
Lebanon is sending a clear message to the world that this nation may weaken at
times but does not fall, it bends but does not break, and whoever tries to
subjugate it will be doomed.
Long live Lebanon
Etienne Saqr - Abu Arz
Free Lebanon Movement of Lebanese Nationalism
**Summary of the Statement
The statement argues that Iran's influence in Lebanon, particularly over
Hezbollah, has been significantly weakened due to recent Israeli strikes.
Despite Iran's attempts to bolster Hezbollah's morale and reorganize its forces,
the party is facing internal and external challenges. The Lebanese people are
growing increasingly discontent with Hezbollah's policies, and the party's
supportive environment has suffered significant losses. Abu Arz, concludes that
Lebanon, despite its challenges, will ultimately prevail over external forces
seeking to control it.
**Key points:
Israeli strikes have weakened Hezbollah.
Iran's attempts to restore Hezbollah's influence have failed.
The Lebanese people are rejecting Hezbollah's policies.
Lebanon will ultimately overcome external interference.
Israel moving towards a
ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Axios reports
Reuters/November 25, 2024
BEIRUT: Israel is moving towards a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon with the
Hezbollah militant group, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X on Sunday,
citing a senior Israeli official. A separate report from Israel's public
broadcaster Kan, citing an Israeli official, said there was no green light given
on an agreement in Lebanon, with issues still yet to be resolved.
Report: Israel agrees to Lebanon truce, Netanyahu working
on how to present it to public
Naharnet /November 24, 2024
Israel's state-run Kan broadcaster said Sunday that Israel has signed off on a
U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is now working on how to present it to the public -- assuming it is
approved by the Lebanese group.
The aim is to present the truce not as a “compromise” but as beneficial to
Israel, Kan reports. The ceasefire allows for Israel to retain the right to
carry out military operations on the Lebanon-Syria border, the report adds.
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said last week that the group had reviewed
the truce proposal and submitted a response and that the ball was in Israel’s
court.
Israel launches wave of violent strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs
Agence France Presse/November 24, 2024
Lebanon's state media reported a slew of Israeli air strikes on Beirut's
southern suburbs on Sunday, after the Israeli military posted evacuation calls
online for parts of the Hezbollah bastion. AFPTV footage showed smoke billowing
above the area on Sunday evening, following earlier raids in the afternoon. AFP
journalists in the city and its outskirts heard loud explosions, with car alarms
going off throughout one Beirut street. "A series of violent strikes are
targeting Haret Hreik, Bir al-Abed and Ghobeiri in the southern suburbs of
Beirut," the official National News Agency (NNA) reported. Earlier in the day,
it had reported two Israeli strikes on south Beirut, about an hour after the
Israeli military issued warnings online. There were no immediate reports of
casualties in Sunday's strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, which have been
largely emptied of their residents during the fighting. The area has been
repeatedly struck since September 23, when Israel intensified its air campaign
also targeting Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon's east and south. It later sent in
ground troops to southern Lebanon. The afternoon raids on Sunday "caused massive
destruction over a large geographical area" of the Kafaat district, the NNA
said. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee had earlier warned on social
media platform X that the military would strike "Hezbollah facilities and
interests" in the Hadath and Burj al-Barajneh districts, also sharing maps of
the areas to be evacuated. In the evening, he repeated the calls to evacuate the
two districts, also listing additional neighborhoods in the area. A military
statement said Israeli "fighter jets... attacked Hezbollah military
headquarters" in south Beirut. The full-blown war since late September came
after nearly a year of limited exchanges of fire between Iran-backed Hezbollah
and Israel. These were initiated by in support of its ally Hamas, after the
Palestinian group's October 7, 2023 attack sparked the Gaza war.
Fierce Israel-Hezbollah clashes in Khiam
Agence France Presse/November 24, 2024
Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops engaged in fierce clashes Saturday at the
key south Lebanon town of Khiam and in the coastal Bayada area several
kilometers north of the border. The official National News Agency (NNA) reported
intense air and artillery bombardment of Khiam, about six kilometers (nearly
four miles) from the frontier. Israel was "attempting to control the town" as it
was "a strategic gateway for a rapid ground incursion," the NNA said. It said
Israeli troops had dynamited houses and were "trying to surround (Khiam) from
all sides using extensive air and ground cover."
Over the past two days, Hezbollah said its fighters had attacked Israeli troops
about 20 times in and around the large town. On September 23, Israel launched an
intense air campaign in Lebanon, mainly targeting Hezbollah bastions in the
south and east and in south Beirut.
A week later it sent ground troops across the border. The NNA said Saturday that
on the south coast, "the areas of Bayada and Wadi Hamoul are witnessing violent
clashes," and also reported air strikes and shelling. It said Israeli troops
tried to penetrate the area in order to encircle the town of Naqoura via Bayada
-- "a strategic location" on the coast between Naqoura and Tyre, 20 kilometers
from the border. Israeli tanks have been operating east of Khiam for more than
three weeks, with the NNA reporting on Tuesday that the tanks had moved north of
the town.
On October 29, the NNA said Israeli tanks entered Khiam's outskirts in their
deepest incursion yet into south Lebanon. Khiam has symbolic significance. It
was the site of a notorious prison run by the South Lebanon Army, an Israeli
proxy militia, during its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon. Israeli forces
withdrew from the region in 2000. The NNA also reported intense Israeli
bombardment along the border, including around 70 shells pounding the town of
Bint Jbeil alone. All-out war erupted in September after nearly a year of
limited cross-border exchanges of fire initiated by Hezbollah in support of
Hamas, following its Palestinian ally's October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the
Gaza war.The health ministry in Beirut says that more than 3,650 people have
been killed in Lebanon since October 2023, with most deaths recorded since
September this year.
Israeli strike on Lebanese army center kills soldier, wounds 18
Associated Press/November 24, 2024
An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center on Sunday killed one soldier and
wounded 18 others, the Lebanese military said. It was the latest in a series of
Israeli strikes that have killed over 40 Lebanese troops, even as the military
has largely kept to the sidelines in the war between Israel and Hezbollah
militants. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has
said previous strikes on Lebanese troops were accidental and that they are not a
target of its campaign against Hezbollah. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister,
Najib Mikati, condemned it as an assault on U.S.-led cease-fire efforts, calling
it a "direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts" to end
the war. "(Israel is) again writing in Lebanese blood a brazen rejection of the
solution that is being discussed," a statement from his office read. The strike
occurred in southwestern Lebanon on the coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura,
where there has been heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah
began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023,
attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the
attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports
both armed groups. Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes since the rocket
fire began, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war, as
Israel launched waves of airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed
Hezbollah's top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his top commanders.
Israeli airstrikes early Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 20
people and wounding 66, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Hezbollah has
continued to fire regular barrages into Israel, forcing people to race for
shelters and occasionally killing or wounding them.Israeli attacks have killed
more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The
fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon's
population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have
been killed by bombardments in northern Israel and in battle following Israel's
ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced
from the country's north. The Biden administration has spent months trying to
broker a cease-fire, and U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was back in the region last
week. The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah
militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in
accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.
Lebanese troops would patrol the area, with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers.
Lebanon's army reflects the religious diversity of the country and is respected
as a national institution, but it does not have the military capability to
impose its will on Hezbollah or resist Israel's invasion.
Israeli source threatens 'Beirut' after Hezbollah rockets hit near Tel Aviv,
Haifa
Agence France Presse/November 24, 2024
Israeli media quoted a security source as threatening that "Beirut will shake
today," after 10 Israelis were wounded by Hezbollah rockets in the Tel Aviv
region and northern Israel.Israel's army said Hezbollah fired around 160
projectiles into its territory from Lebanon on Sunday, with the group saying its
attacks had targeted the Tel Aviv area and Israel's south. The Iran-backed group
said in a statement that it had "launched, for the first time, an aerial attack
using a swarm of attack drones on the Ashdod naval base" in southern Israel.
Later, it said it fired "a barrage of advanced missiles and a swarm of attack
drones" at a "military target" in Tel Aviv, and had also launched a volley of
missiles at the Glilot army intelligence base in the city's suburbs.The Israeli
military did not comment on the specific attack claims when contacted by AFP.
But it said earlier that air raid sirens had sounded in several locations in
central and northern Israel, including in the greater Tel Aviv suburbs. It later
reported that "approximately 160 projectiles that were fired by ... Hezbollah
crossed from Lebanon into Israel." Some of the projectiles were shot
down.Medical agencies reported that at least 11 people were wounded, including a
man in a "moderate to serious" condition.AFP images from Petah Tikva, near Tel
Aviv, showed several damaged and burned-out cars, and a house pockmarked by
shrapnel. The wave of projectiles follows at least four deadly Israeli strikes
in central Beirut in the past week, including one that killed Hezbollah
spokesman Mohammed Afif. In a speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim
Qassem had said the response to the recent strikes on the capital "must be
expected on central Tel Aviv." Since September 23, Israel has intensified its
Lebanon air campaign, later sending in ground troops after nearly a year of
limited exchanges of fire initiated by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas
after the Palestinian group's October 7, 2023 attack, which sparked the Gaza
war. Lebanon's health ministry says at least 3,670 people have been killed in
the country since October 2023, most of them since September this year.
Borrell from Beirut: A
Ceasefire and the Application of 1701 Are the Only Solution
This is Beirut/November 24, 2024
On an official visit to Lebanon on Sunday, European Commission Vice-President
Josep Borrell stressed the need to “put pressure on Israel and Hezbollah” to
“accept the ceasefire offer made by the United States.” President Biden's envoy,
Amos Hochstein, had relayed the offer to both sides during his latest visit to
the two countries, which have been in conflict for over a year. In this context,
Borrell affirmed that “the European Union supports the United States and France
in their efforts to reach a solution.”In Beirut, the European official made
these remarks during a tour where he first met caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister
Najib Mikati at the Serail, before moving on to Ain al-Tineh for talks with
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Following the meeting, Borrell held a press
conference, during which he addressed the Israeli side, saying, “We are still
waiting for a decisive response from Tel Aviv to the proposal by the American
envoy, Amos Hochstein.”He also strongly denounced what is happening in Beirut,
saying that it puts the international community “to the test.” He added that
this conflict has taken on international proportions, making the international
community accountable. “It cannot stand idly by,” he commented. “The cost of the
war is very high, Lebanon is on the verge of collapse, dozens of villages in the
south have been completely destroyed, and there must be an immediate ceasefire
by all parties and the implementation of Resolution 1701,” Borrell went on. He
also reaffirmed the EU's support “for the Lebanese people, the Lebanese Army and
the country's institutions.” Furthermore, he announced that the EU “is ready to
allocate 200 million euros to the Lebanese Army.” “The EU supports the
deployment of the Lebanese Army along the Litani River and the withdrawal of
Hezbollah and Israel from the region,” Borrell stated. With regard to the
presidential vacuum in Lebanon, which has persisted since October 31, 2022, the
European leader urged the Lebanese political parties “to assume their
responsibilities before the people and elect a president.”He also praised the
work of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), while describing
the attacks on the UN force as “absolutely unacceptable.” Additionally, Borrell
called on the international community “to take steps to put an end to the
massacres in Gaza.”
Mikati warns Israeli
military action in Lebanon a rejection of political solution
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/November 24, 2024
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center on Sunday killed a soldier
and wounded 18 others, the Lebanese military said, with the caretaker prime
minister, Najib Mikati, calling the attack “a direct bloody message rejecting
all efforts to reach a ceasefire.”
The attack came as top EU diplomat Josep Borrell called for an immediate
ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to Lebanon. According to
the Lebanese Army Command, the first adjutant, Diab Mohammed Jaafar, was killed
when Israel targeted Al-Amariyeh checkpoint on the road between Tyre and the
town of Naqoura. In a statement, Mikati said: “Israel’s messages rejecting a
solution are ongoing, and just as it turned against the US-French call for a
ceasefire in September, here it is once again responding with Lebanese blood,
blatantly rejecting the solution that is being discussed.”
FASTFACT
Israeli airstrikes on Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 20
people and wounding 66, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. He called on
“the countries of the world and the relevant international institutions to
assume their responsibilities on the issue.”Mikati’s condemnation came amid
growing concerns that the Israeli military is trying to solidify its westward
incursion in the coastal town of Al-Bayada, located between Tyre and Naqoura,
while facing strong resistance from the eastern side of the border area in its
positions in Khiyam. Israeli forces are trying to encircle the South Litani area
from both sides.
Hezbollah said it “targeted a gathering of the enemy army s forces east of the
city of Khiyam with a salvo of rockets,” and “a gathering of Israeli forces at
the Metula site (Israel’s outlet toward Khiyam) was targeted with a volley of
rockets followed by an aerial attack with a squadron of assault drones … hitting
its targets accurately.”The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched 160
projectiles toward Israel on Sunday. Sirens sounded across northern and central
Israel, reaching Tel Aviv at successive intervals, forcing thousands of Israelis
to head toward shelters. Footage from central Israel showed extensive material
damage and fires. The Israeli military issued further warnings to residents of
Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate, targeting Bourj Al-Barajneh and Hadath.
Former Israeli minister Benny Gantz claimed that the Lebanese government “is
leaving Hezbollah unchecked,” adding: “It is time to act against its assets
forcefully.” These developments came during a round of discussions conducted by
Borrell, high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy,
in Beirut with Mikati and Speaker Nabih Berry. In a statement, Borrell stressed
the need for exerting pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to accept the US proposal
for a ceasefire. Borrell emphasized that “the situation in the Middle East,
particularly here in Beirut, presents a significant challenge to the
international community. The international community cannot remain inactive in
the face of these events. The absence of peace in the Middle East has reached an
intolerable level, and people are dying under bombardment.” He added that two
months on from his last visit to Beirut, he now views Lebanon as on the verge of
collapse due to the conflict, which has led to the devastation of numerous
villages, as well as airstrikes aimed at Beirut and Baalbek. He also reiterated
that “the human cost is exceedingly high.”Borrell said Israeli airstrikes had
claimed the lives of over 3,500 people in Lebanon, a figure three times greater
than the casualties recorded in 2006. The only viable path forward, Borrell
said, is an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of Security Council
Resolution 1701. Borrell praised the UNIFIL forces and confirmed the EU’s
readiness to allocate €200 million ($208.3 million) to the Lebanese Armed
Forces. He emphasized the Lebanese need to “assume their political
responsibilities by electing a president and putting an end to this prolonged
power vacuum that has exceeded two years.” Borrell said a ceasefire proposal for
Gaza is pending Israeli government approval, and “we, as the international
community, need to work to ensure the respect of international law, as we see
famine being used as a weapon of war through international law violations, the
complete siege imposed on Gaza and the number of people that are dying in
Lebanon.” He added that in his view the decisions of the International Criminal
Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for Israel’s activities in Gaza were
not politically motivated and had been made under international law, which
applied to everyone. “We strongly support the court,” he said.
IDF 36th Division raids 150 targets, kill dozens of
terrorists in two month Lebanon operation
Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
In additional footage released by the IDF, a soldier from Brigade 188 can be
seen in an underground tunnel, explaining that it was used for Hezbollah
terrorists to live in. The IDF's 36th Divison raided over 150 targets and killed
dozens of terrorists during a two-month operation throughout southern Lebanon,
Israel's military announced on Sunday evening. It said the targets that were
struck and the elimination of the terrorists were conducted through aerial
strikes and close-quarters combat. The 36th Division also located weapons,
rocket launch sites, underground infrastructure, and combat compounds, which,
the IDF emphasized, "posed a threat to the State of Israel."Additionally,
soldiers of the 18th Brigade established operational control of an area that had
a large number of terrorists embedded within it, held dozens of weapons, and
hundreds of buildings were used for terrorist activities. The IDF said it killed
the located terrorists and destroyed the aforementioned findings. In footage
released by the IDF, a soldier from Brigade 188 can be seen in an underground
tunnel, explaining that it was used for Hezbollah terrorists to live in.
Documenting the inside of a Hezbollah tunnel
Pointing to the various objects in the tunnel, the soldier explained," What you
see here is the space for the Hezbollah terrorists to stay. Here are the
mattresses underground." "There is space for cooking, batteries, and charging
phones, allowing a long stay. We found a lot of weapons in this space," he
continued. In additional activities, soldiers of the Golani Bridgae killed
several terrorists in dozens of activities in southern Lebanon, the IDF said. It
also announced that soldiers of the Yahlom Unit located and dismantled central
Hezbollah compounds and targets that were reportedly stocked with weapons and
combat equipment.
Israel moving towards deal
with Lebanon - report
Jerusalem Post/November 25/2024
According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to discuss
the final details during a security assessment. Israel has given the green light
to advance the US-proposed ceasefire deal with Lebanon, Israeli media reported
on Sunday. According to the reports, citing Israeli and US officials, some gaps
still remained. KAN News reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set
to discuss the final details during a security assessment on Sunday night. The
discussions were expected to focus on the IDF's freedom of operations on the
Syrian-Lebanese border, with Israel reportedly receiving guarantees from the US
that it would be able to operate in case of a breach of the agreement.
Hezbollah fires over 250 rockets
On Sunday, Hezbollah fired some 250 rockets at Israel in multiple barrages,
wounding several. Further on Sunday, the IDF carried out two waves of attacks on
Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Yonah Jeremy Bob, Keshet Neev and Reuters contributed to this report.
Hezbollah Fires about 250
Rockets, Other Projectiles into Israel in Heaviest Barrage in Weeks
Asharq Al Awsat/November 24/2024
Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday,
wounding seven people in one of the group's heaviest barrages in months, in
response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with
ceasefire efforts to halt the all-out war.
Some of the rockets reached the Tel Aviv area in the heart of Israel. Meanwhile,
an Israeli strike on an army center killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded 18
others in the southwest between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon's military said. The
Israeli military expressed regret, saying that the strike occurred in an area of
combat against Hezbollah and that the military's operations are directed solely
against the fighters. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since
the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military
has largely kept to the sidelines. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib
Mikati, condemned the latest strike as an assault on US-led ceasefire efforts,
calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts”
to end the war.
Hezbollah fires rockets after strikes on Beirut
Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas'
Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has
portrayed the attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas.
Iran supports both armed groups.
Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Hezbollah, and in September the
low-level conflict erupted into all-out war as Israel launched waves of
airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah's top leader,
Hassan Nasrallah, and several top commanders.
The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some
intercepted. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven
people, including a 60-year old man in severe condition from rocket fire on
northern Israel, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast in the
central city of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, and a 70-year-old woman who suffered
smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire there. In Haifa, a rocket hit a
residential building that police said was in danger of collapsing. The Palestine
Red Crescent reported 13 injuries it said were caused by an interceptor missile
that struck several homes in Tulkarem in the West Bank. It was unclear whether
the injuries and damage elsewhere were caused by rockets or interceptors.Sirens
wailed again in central and northern Israel hours later. Israeli airstrikes
without warning on Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 29 people
and wounding 67, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Smoke billowed above
Beirut again Sunday with new strikes. Israel's military said it targeted
Hezbollah command centers in the southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, where the
group has a strong presence. Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,700 people
in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about
1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population. On the Israeli side,
about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in
northern Israel and in battle following Israel's ground invasion in early
October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country's north.
EU envoy calls for pressure to reach a truce
The Biden administration has spent months trying to broker a ceasefire, and US
envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region last week.The European Union’s top
diplomat called Sunday for more pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to reach a
deal, saying one was "pending with a final agreement from the Israeli
government.” Josep Borrell spoke after meeting with Mikati and Lebanese
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who has been mediating with the
group. Borrell said the EU is ready to allocate 200 million euros ($208 million)
to assist the Lebanese military, which would deploy additional forces to the
south. The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah
and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in accordance
with the UN Security Council resolution that ended the monthlong 2006 war.
Lebanese troops would patrol with the presence of UN peacekeepers.
EU Urges Immediate Halt to Israel-Hezbollah War
Asharq Al Awsat/November 24/2024
Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell called for an immediate ceasefire in the
Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to Lebanon on Sunday, as the group claimed
attacks deep into Israel. The Israeli military said Iran-backed Hezbollah fired
around 160 projectiles into Israel during the day. Some of them were intercepted
but others caused damage to houses in central Israel, according to AFP images. A
day after the health ministry said Israeli strikes on Beirut and across Lebanon
killed 84 people, state media reported two strikes on Sunday on the capital's
southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. Israel's military said it had attacked
"headquarters" of the group "hidden within civilian structures" in south Beirut.
War between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in late September, nearly a year
after the group began launching strikes in solidarity with its Palestinian ally
Hamas following that group's October 7 attack on Israel.
The conflict has killed at least 3,754 people in Lebanon since October 2023,
according to the health ministry, most of them since September. On the Israeli
side, authorities say at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians have been killed.
Earlier this week, US special envoy Amos Hochstein said in Lebanon that a truce
deal was "within our grasp" and then headed to Israel for talks with officials
there. In the Lebanese capital, Borrell held talks with parliamentary speaker
Nabih Berri, who has led mediation efforts on behalf of ally Hezbollah. "We see
only one possible way ahead: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation
of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701," Borrell said. "Lebanon is
on the brink of collapse", he warned. Under Resolution 1701, which ended the
last Hezbollah-Israel war of 2006, Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be
the only armed forces present in the southern border area. The resolution also
called for Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon, and reiterated earlier calls
for "disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon."
Lebanon Military Says One Soldier Killed, 18 Hurt in
Israeli Strike on Army Center
Asharq Al Awsat/November 24/2024
An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center on Sunday killed one soldier and
wounded 18 others, the Lebanese military said.
It was the latest in a series of Israeli strikes that have killed over 40
Lebanese troops, even as the military has largely kept to the sidelines in the
war between Israel and Hezbollah. There was no immediate comment from the
Israeli military, which has said previous strikes on Lebanese troops were
accidental and that they are not a target of its campaign against Hezbollah.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned it as an assault on
US-led ceasefire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all
efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war. “(Israel is) again writing in
Lebanese blood a brazen rejection of the solution that is being discussed,” a
statement from his office read. The strike occurred in southwestern Lebanon on
the coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura, where there has been heavy fighting
between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and
drones into Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip
ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the attacks as an act of
solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups.
Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes since the rocket fire began, and in
September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war, as Israel launched
waves of airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah's top
leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his top commanders. Israeli airstrikes
early Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 20 people and wounding
66, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Hezbollah has continued to fire
regular barrages into Israel, forcing people to race for shelters and
occasionally killing or wounding them. Israeli attacks have killed more than
3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The fighting
has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population. On
the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by
bombardments in northern Israel and in battle following Israel's ground invasion
in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country's
north. Hezbollah fired barrages of rockets into northern and central Israel on
Sunday, some of which were intercepted. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service
said it was treating two people in the central city of Petah Tikva, a
23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast and a 70-year-old woman
suffering from smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire. The first
responders said they also treated two women in their 50s who were wounded in
northern Israel. It was unclear whether the injuries and damage were caused by
the rockets or interceptors. The Biden administration has spent months trying to
broker a ceasefire, and US envoy Amos Hochstein was back in the region last
week. The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah
fighters and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in
accordance with the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.
Lebanese troops would patrol the area, with the presence of UN peacekeepers.
Rai: Whoever Negotiates the
Ceasefire Is Illegitimate in the Absence of a President
This is Beirut/November 24/2024
Maronite patriarch Bechara Rai strongly condemned the fact that the ceasefire
between Hezbollah and Israel is being negotiated in the absence of a President
of the Republic, a position at the head of the State which has been vacant since
October 31, 2022. He stated that this “renders the talks illegitimate,” as it is
an integral part of the prerogatives of a Head of State.“Who is negotiating the
ceasefire? In whose name and for whose benefit? This is the first prerogative of
the President of the Republic, who is intentionally and deliberately absent so
that their work remains incomplete and illegitimate,” the prelate firmly
deplored during his Sunday homily. He remorsefully touched upon all the
devastation that Lebanon is living through, with “a war with deadly weapons,
casualties and destruction as a result, one and a half million people displaced
and sometimes homeless.”The Maronite Patriarch also stated that Parliament had
become “an electoral body” that had lost its role of overseeing a cabinet that
was now “divided and lacking full powers.
Bishop Aoudi Emphasizes
That Saving and Protecting Lebanon Begins with Electing a President: “It is Time
to End the Gamble with This Country for Irrelevant Goals and to Stop the Machine
of Death and Destruction”
National News Agency - November 24, 2024
Metropolitan Elias Aoudi of Beirut and its Dependencies for the Greek Orthodox
Church presided over the Divine Liturgy at Saint George Cathedral, attended by a
large gathering of faithful. Following the Gospel reading, he delivered a sermon
in which he emphasized that the salvation and protection of Lebanon begin with
the election of a president. He stressed that it is no longer acceptable to
gamble with the future of Lebanon for objectives unrelated to its interests. He
called for an immediate halt to the machine of death and destruction, which
continues to devastate the nation. Bishop Audeh urged all political and
religious leaders to assume their responsibilities in this critical period,
emphasizing the urgent need to prioritize national unity and the welfare of
Lebanon over narrow personal or external agendas.
Borell after meeting Berri at Ain el-Tineh: For
implementing agreement reached with US envoy, so that shooting, bombing & loss
of lives will stop - Awaiting a full & final response from Israeli government
NNA /November 24/2024
House Speaker Nabih Berri received today at Ain El Tineh Palace, the European
Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell,
and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Parliament Speaker’s
media advisor, Ali Hamdan.
Talks during the meeting centered on field and political developments in light
of Israel’s continued aggression against Lebanon and its repercussions at
various levels, in addition to the course of political efforts being made to
stop the aggression.
Following the meeting, Borrell said: "I chose to conclude my mandate and mission
here in Lebanon, in Beirut, because what is happening in the Middle East, and
particularly here in Beirut, is putting the entire international community to
the test and we really have to see if we are willing and able to make peace."
Borell added, "This conflict has taken on an international dimension and the
international community cannot remain inactive in the face of what is happening
here. The lack of peace in the Middle East has become very high and unbearable.
People are dying under bombardment."
He continued, “In September, I came to Lebanon and I was still hoping that we
could prevent a full-scale war through an Israeli attack on Lebanon. Two months
later, Lebanon is on the verge of collapse with the war raging in the south,
with dozens of villages completely destroyed, with airstrikes targeting Beirut
and Baalbek, and missiles reaching Tel Aviv. The human price is very high and
costly. The Israeli air strikes have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, a
number that is three times the number of victims in 2006, and a large number of
wounded, including a large number of paramedics and hospital workers who were
injured in the hospitals that were targeted."
In this context, Borell emphasized that "the only way forward is an immediate
ceasefire and full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, immediate
and direct implementation by all parties.”
He continued: "At the same time, to reach this cessation, I commend the efforts
made by America and France, and the European Union supports both sides - the
deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the Litani River, the withdrawal
of Hezbollah fighters, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the redeployment of
full Lebanese sovereignty by air, sea, and land."
Borell went on, "Allow me also to commend the work of the UNIFIL peacekeeping
mission, which plays an important role, with more than 10,000 peacekeepers
deployed in the south, several of whom were also injured, including a number of
Italians a few days ago, due to the attacks that targeted UNIFIL, which are
completely unacceptable," emphasizing that "UNIFIL receives significant support
from the European Union."
“I would also like to reiterate our support for UNRWA, which plays an
unparalleled role in Gaza and Lebanon. Any other party cannot provide the
services UNRWA provides to half a million Palestinian refugees. We also condemn
the role played by Israel and urge the Israeli government not to implement its
decision to ban UNRWA. Coming from Jordan, I have seen the UN agencies trying to
assist the people in Gaza who are facing a tragic situation. I call on the
entire international community to take steps to stop this war and stop the
massacres in Gaza," Borell maintained.
He stressed, "We, as the European Union, support the Lebanese people, the
Lebanese army, and the Lebanese institutions and we are ready to dedicate 200
million euros to the Lebanese army. I informed the Lebanese Prime Minister about
how and in what way to support the Lebanese army financially and technically,
and I will announce that today before the Lebanese army commander.”
Borell considered that the success of the efforts to reach a ceasefire and a
sustainable long-term solution lies in the hands of the parties concerned. "To
resolve this war, the Lebanese leaders must assume their political
responsibilities by electing a president of the republic and ending this long
power vacuum that has lasted more than two years. Today, I discussed this with
the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Mr. Nabih Berri, and I call on all
political parties to assume their responsibilities before the Lebanese people,"
he affirmed.
"There is a lot of work to be done on different fronts, and the Lebanese people
have shown amazing generosity and solidarity internally, not only in sheltering
the displaced from the Syrian war, not only in facing the economic crises and
the port explosion, and now with this large number of Lebanese who have fled the
war in the south...We are providing this support from the European Union and I
leave my mandate and my mission with sadness, seeing this suffering and grief
that is increasing in Gaza and the hostage crisis and the dramatic issues that
we were not able to stop...but we must put an end to this tragedy that happened
in Gaza and Lebanon to avoid further suffering for the people of the region,"
Borell asserted.
"We have to exert pressure on the Israeli government and also put pressure on
Hezbollah to accept the American offer for a ceasefire, and this has been agreed
upon...This agreement is awaiting the pending approval of the Israeli government
and we have to work as an international community to respect international law
because we see famine being used as a weapon of war, through the violation of
international laws, and also through a complete blockade of Gaza with many
people dying in Lebanon," Borell underscored.
"The decisions of the International Criminal Court are not political. They were
taken in accordance with international law and must apply to everyone. We
strongly support the International Criminal Court," he affirmed.
Borell concluded, "This is what I wanted to convey to you today after meeting
with the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Nabih Berri. I hope that the agreement
reached with the US Special Envoy will finally be implemented and we will reach
a ceasefire and a halt to the bombing and loss of life in Lebanon."
Borrell: Implementing international criminal orders is not optional
NNA/November 24/2024
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday that European
Union governments cannot selectively deal with the arrest warrants issued by the
International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, according to "Sky News Arabia."
On Thursday, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against
Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leader Muhammad al-Deif, on charges of “committing
crimes against humanity.”
All EU member states are signatories to the founding treaty of the International
Criminal Court, called the Rome Statute. Several European Union countries said
they would fulfill their obligations under the statute if necessary, but
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Netanyahu to visit his country,
and assured him that he would not face any risks if he did so.
Army: A soldier was martyred and 18 were injured in the targeting of our al-Amiriya
checkpoint
NNA/November 24/2024
The Lebanese Army wrote on its "X" platform account: "One soldier was martyred
and 18 were wounded, including some with serious injuries, as a result of the
Israeli enemy's targeting of the army checkpoint in al-Amiriya on the al-Qlaila-Tyre
road," adding that the "the checkpoint also sustained severe damage."
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November
24-25/2024
UAE arrests three suspects in killing of
Israeli-Moldovan rabbi
Reuters/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
The body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan is expected to be brought back to Israel on Monday.
The United Arab Emirates arrested three suspects in the killing of
Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the UAE's Interior Ministry (MOI) announced
Sunday. Kogan was reported missing by his family on Thursday. A ministry
statement did not give further details on the suspects but said the ministry
would use "all legal powers to respond decisively and without leniency to any
actions or attempts that threaten societal stability." Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s office denounced Kogan's death as a “heinous antisemitic terrorist
act.”
“The murder of the late Zvi Kogan is a criminal antisemitic terrorist attack,”
the PMO said. “The State of Israel will act by all means and bring the criminals
responsible for his death to justice.”Mossad and authorities in the Gulf country
had opened the investigation based on information that Kogan’s disappearance may
be related to “a terrorist. “The Israeli mission in Abu Dhabi has been in
contact with the family since the beginning of the incident and continues to
support them during this difficult time,” the PMO and Foreign Affairs Ministry
stated. “His family in Israel has also been informed.”
How was Zvi Kogan found?
Kogan’s body was found in the Emirati city of Al Ain, which borders Oman and is
about an hour and a half from Dubai, though it is not clear if he was killed
there or elsewhere, former Israeli Druze politician Ayoob Kara said. Kara said
he was waiting for the UAE to finish an investigation but blamed Iran for the
murder. “The one enemy [Israel has] today is the terror and Iran that supports
the terror. The indication that we have now is this is the direction of the
investigation,” said Kara, a Likud member who works to promote economic
relations between Israel and the Arab world. Information in Israel’s possession
indicated that Kogan may have been under Iranian surveillance, reports
said.Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for
comment. Kara said Kogan’s body would be sent to Israel for burial after the UAE
finished investigating. Reports said authorities suspect that he was abducted by
three Uzbek nationals who subsequently fled to Turkey. Emirati and Israeli
officials have not said who was involved in the killing nor what the motive
might have been. The UAE state news agency said on Saturday the interior
ministry was investigating Kogan’s disappearance but the foreign ministry did
not comment on Sunday’s news that the body of Kogan, who also held Moldovan
citizenship, had been discovered.
N12 reported that Kogan had entered the UAE on his Moldovan passport, which left
authorities to contact the Moldovan embassy for support instead of Israel.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, posted on social media
on Sunday that the UAE would remain an “oasis of stability, a society of
tolerance and coexistence,” without making direct reference to Kogan’s murder.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities reissued their recommendation against all
nonessential travel to the UAE and said visitors now there should minimize
movement, remain in secure areas, and avoid visiting places associated with
Israel and Jewish populations.
Maya Gur Arieh and Danielle Greyman-Kennard contributed to this report.
Israeli Army Orders Gaza
City Suburb Evacuated, Spurring New Displacement Wave
Asharq Al Awsat/November 24/2024
The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to residents in areas of an
eastern Gaza City suburb, setting off a new wave of displacement on Sunday, and
a Gaza hospital director was injured in an Israeli drone attack, Palestinian
medics said. The new orders for the Shejaia suburb posted by the Israeli army
spokesperson on X on Saturday night were blamed on Palestinian militants firing
rockets from that heavily built-up district in the north of the Gaza Strip. "For
your safety, you must evacuate immediately to the south," the military's post
said. The rocket volley on Saturday was claimed by Hamas' armed wing, which said
it had targeted an Israeli army base over the border. Footage circulated on
social and Palestinian media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed
residents leaving Shejaia on donkey carts and rickshaws, with others, including
children carrying backpacks, walking. Families living in the targeted areas
began fleeing their homes after nightfall on Saturday and into Sunday's early
hours, residents and Palestinian media said - the latest in multiple waves of
displacement since the war began 13 months ago. In central Gaza, health
officials said at least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the
urban camps of Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij since Saturday night.
HOSPITAL DIRECTOR WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE
In north Gaza, where Israeli forces have been operating against regrouping Hamas
militants since early last month, health officials said an Israeli drone dropped
bombs on Kamal Adwan Hospital, injuring its director Hussam Abu Safiya. "This
will not stop us from completing our humanitarian mission and we will continue
to do this job at any cost," Abu Safiya said in a video statement circulated by
the health ministry on Sunday. "We are being targeted daily. They targeted me a
while ago but this will not deter us...," he said from his hospital bed. Israeli
forces say armed militants use civilian buildings including housing blocks,
hospitals and schools for operational cover. Hamas denies this, accusing Israeli
forces of indiscriminately targeting populated areas. Kamal Adwan is one of
three hospitals in north Gaza that are barely operational as the health ministry
said the Israeli forces have detained and expelled medical staff and prevented
emergency medical, food and fuel supplies from reaching them. In the past few
weeks, Israel said it had facilitated the delivery of medical and fuel supplies
and the transfer of patients from north Gaza hospitals in collaboration with
international agencies such as the World Health Organization. Residents in three
embattled north Gaza towns - Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun - said Israeli
forces had blown up hundreds of houses since renewing operations in an area that
Israel said months ago had been cleared of militants. Palestinians say Israel
appears determined to depopulate the area permanently to create a buffer zone
along the northern edge of Gaza, an accusation Israel denies. Israel's campaign
in Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people, uprooted nearly all the enclave's
2.3 million population at least once, according to Gaza officials, while
reducing wide swathes of the narrow coastal territory to rubble.
The war erupted in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas-led militants on
Oct. 7, 2023 in which gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250
hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
For fourth time, Netanyahu asks to postpone testimony
Jerusalem Post/November 25/2024
The prime minister's request comes after the court refused his first appeal. In
a court filing on Sunday, lawyers representing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
requested to delay his testimony in his criminal trials by 15 days, from
December 2 to December 15. The request was the fourth of its kind, and came
after a previous request a number of weeks ago to delay the testimony by ten
weeks was rejected.
Seeking a postponement
The court gave the state’s attorneys one day to respond to the request.
Netanyahu’s lawyers justified the request by stating that although they made the
utmost effort to prepare the prime minister for the testimony, they did not
finish on time, and the delay was exacerbated by the “cynical and miserable”
decision by the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant against him.
Unless the postponement is granted by the court, Netanyahu is expected to appear
on Monday at 11 a.m. Haaretz reported last week that the Shin Bet (Israel
Security Agency) refused a request by Netanyahu’s office to issue a document
deeming the Jerusalem Regional Court unsuitable due to security concerns. The
prime minister is standing trial for three cases of fraud and breach of trust,
and one case of bribery. In the first case, known as Case 1000, he is suspected
of providing regulatory and other benefits to billionaire Arnon Milchan, after
receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels worth of expensive cigars and
champagne, alongside other gifts. In the second case, known as Case 2000,
Netanyahu is suspected of proposing a deal to Yediot Aharonot owner Arnon (Noni)
Mozes, whereby he would target Yediot’s main competitor, Israel Hayom, in
exchange for positive coverage. In the third case, known as Case 4000, Netanyahu
is suspected of providing Shaul Elovitch, major shareholder of a number of
communications and media companies including Bezek, with regulatory benefits in
exchange for positive coverage from Walla, which Elovitch also owned. In this
case, Netanyahu was indicted for bribery on top of fraud and breach of trust.
Iran is making nuclear moves in conflict with West - analysis
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
"The Western parties that have been trying to push back Iran's nuclear program
will face a different reality: a program that is significantly broader and more
advanced," an Iran spokesperson said. Iranian state media is highlighting
Tehran’s decision to activate centrifuges linked to its nuclear program. Iran
also says it wants to expand enrichment capacity. Both of these moves appear to
be about sending a message to the West. Iran has already enriched a lot of
uranium in recent years. Its real hurdle to nuclear weaponization is to test a
bomb and put it on a missile that can carry it. The regime is moving in that
direction, but it’s making more noise about the enrichment program than the
weaponization. “Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf says the
Islamic Republic began activating its advanced centrifuges in response to a
politically motivated measure by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of
Governors on the country’s peaceful nuclear program,” Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news agency, reported Sunday. “The actions of the
three European states and the US, which are politically motivated and
detrimental, resulted in an unjust resolution regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear
program,” the report said. “The speaker underlined that the three European
countries and the US are using Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities as an excuse
to advance their illegitimate measures, undermining the credibility and
independence of the IAEA and disrupting the constructive collaboration between
Iran and the agency.” “Iran will significantly accelerate its uranium enrichment
activities by installing thousands of new advanced centrifuges over the next few
months, following the Western-backed censure at the International Atomic Energy
Agency,” IRNA reported.
Next steps in Iran's nuclear program
Iran is now positioning itself to enrich more uranium and prepare for the next
steps in its nuclear program. This would likely happen as US President-elect
Donald Trump takes office on January 20. “However, what will happen on the
ground is that in the next 4 to 6 months, with the activation of thousands of
new centrifuge machines, the speed of enrichment will increase, new
infrastructures will be established, and some other actions will take place,”
Kamalvandi said. “Thus, the Western parties that have been trying to push back
Iran's nuclear program will face a different reality: a program that is
significantly broader and more advanced, both quantitatively and qualitatively,
which will certainly not bring them any joy,” he noted.
Iran Is Preparing to
‘Respond’ to Israel, Says Adviser to Supreme Leader
Asharq Al Awsat/November 25/2024
Iran is preparing to "respond" to Israel, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to the
country's supreme leader, said in an interview published by Iran's Tasnim news
agency on Sunday. On Oct. 26, Israeli fighter jets carried out three waves of
attacks on Iranian military targets, a few weeks after Iran fired a barrage of
about 200 ballistic missiles against Israel. Iran has previously vowed to
respond to Isarel's attacks.
Iran to Hold Nuclear Talks
with Three European Powers in Geneva on Friday
Asharq Al Awsat/November 25/2024
Iran plans to hold talks about its disputed nuclear program with three European
powers on Nov. 29 in Geneva, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday, days
after the UN atomic watchdog passed a resolution against Tehran. Iran reacted to
the resolution, which was proposed by Britain, France, Germany and the United
States, with what government officials called various measures such as
activating numerous new and advanced centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium.
Kyodo said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's government was seeking a
solution to the nuclear impasse ahead of the inauguration in January of US
President-elect Donald Trump, Reuters reported. A senior Iranian official
confirmed that the meeting would go ahead next Friday, adding that "Tehran has
always believed that the nuclear issue should be resolved through diplomacy.
Iran has never left the talks".
In 2018, the then-Trump administration exited Iran's 2015 nuclear pact with six
major powers and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to violate
the pact's nuclear limits, with moves such as rebuilding stockpiles of enriched
uranium, refining it to higher fissile purity and installing advanced
centrifuges to speed up output. Indirect talks between President Joe Biden's
administration and Tehran to try to revive the pact have failed, but Trump said
in his election campaign in September that "We have to make a deal, because the
consequences are impossible. We have to make a deal".
Iran Says Could Abandon Nuclear Weapons But Has Conditions
Al Awsat/November 25/2024
Iran on Saturday hinted it would be willing to negotiate on a nuclear agreement
with the upcoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump, but that it
has conditions. Last Thursday, the UN atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of
Governors passed a resolution ordering Iran to urgently improve cooperation with
the agency and requesting a “comprehensive” report aimed at pressuring Iran into
fresh nuclear talks. Ali Larijani, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said
Iran and the US are now in a new position concerning the nuclear file. In a post
on X, he said, “If the current US administration say they are only against
Iran’s nuclear weapons, they must accept Iran’s conditions and provide
compensation for the damages caused.” He added, “The US should accept the
necessary conditions... so that a new agreement can be reached.”Larijani stated
that Washington withdrew from the JCPOA, thus causing damage to Iran, adding
that his country started increasing its production of 60% enriched uranium. The
Iran nuclear accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
was reached to limit the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions
relief. The deal began unraveling in 2018, when Washington, under Trump’s first
administration, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed a sanction
regime of “maximum pressure” on Tehran. In retaliation, Iran has rapidly ramped
up its nuclear activities, including by increasing its stockpiles of enriched
uranium to 60% — close to the 90% threshold required to develop a nuclear bomb.
It also began gradually rolling back some of its commitments by increasing its
uranium stockpiles and enriching beyond the 3.67% purity -- enough for nuclear
power stations -- permitted under the deal.
Since 2021, Tehran has significantly decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by
deactivating surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear program and barring UN
inspectors. Most recently, Iran escalated its confrontations with the Agency by
announcing it would launch a series of “new and advanced” centrifuges. Its move
came in response to a resolution adopted by the United Nations nuclear watchdog
that censures Tehran for what the agency called lack of cooperation. Centrifuges
are the machines that enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very
high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235).
Shortly after the IAEA passed its resolution last Thursday, Tehran spoke about
the “dual role” of IAEA’s chief, Raphael Grossi. Chairman of the Iranian
Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Azizi
said, “The statements made by Grossi in Tehran do not match his actions in
Vienna.” And contrary to the statements of Azizi, who denied his country’s plans
to build nuclear weapons, Tehran did not originally want to freeze its uranium
stockpile enriched to 60% According to the IAEA’s definition, around 42 kg of
uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is
theoretically possible. The 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from
weapons-grade levels of 90%.Spokesperson and deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy
Organization, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on Friday that IAEA inspectors were
scheduled to come immediately after the meeting of the Board of Governors to
evaluate Iran’s capacity, “with those capacities remaining for a month without
any interruption in enrichment at 60% purity.”Iran’s news agency, Tasnim, quoted
Kamalvandi as saying that “the pressures resulting from the IAEA resolution are
counterproductive, meaning that they increase our ability to enrich.” He added:
“Currently, not only have we not stopped enrichment, but we have orders to
increase the speed, and we are gradually working on that."
Jordan Army Says It Thwarts Border Infiltration across
Syria, One Killed
Al Awsat/November 25/2024
The Jordanian army said on Sunday it had killed one person and arrested six
others who tried to cross the border from Syria. Officials say there has been a
spike in such attempts in recent weeks by drug and arms smugglers linked to
pro-Iranian militias who hold sway in southern Syria. The army says they have
also used drones in their operations. Damascus denies any complicity and says it
tries to curb rampant drug and arms smuggling across the border with Jordan.
Gunman shot dead, 3 police
injured in shooting near Israeli embassy in Jordan
Arab News/November 24, 2024
AMMAN: A gunman was dead and three Jordanian policemen injured after a shooting
near the heavily fortified Israeli embassy in the capital Amman in Sunday’s
early hours, a security source and state media said. Police shot a gunman who
had fired at a police patrol in the affluent Rabiah neighborhood of the
Jordanian capital, the state news agency Petra reported, citing public security,
adding investigations were ongoing. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said in
a statement that police pursued the gunman after he opened fire in the area. “He
was chased and surrounded, so he started firing gunshots at the security force,
which in turn applied the rules of engagement, which resulted in the killing of
the perpetrator,” the statement said. Jordan’s communications minister, Mohamed
Momani, described the shooting as a terrorist attack that targeted public
security forces in the country. He said in a statement that investigations into
the incident were under way. “Tampering with the security of the nation and
attacking security personnel will be met with a firm response,” Momani told
Reuters, adding that the gunman had a criminal record in drug trafficking.
Jordanian police cordoned off an area near the heavily policed embassy after
gunshots were heard, witnesses said. Two witnesses said police and ambulances
rushed to the Rabiah district, where the embassy is located. Prime Minister
Jafar Hassan visited the injured officers in hospital, praising their bravery
and swift action during the attack, Petra reported. He commended all security
forces for their dedication to safeguarding the nation and ensuring public
safety. This incident comes two months after a retired Jordanian soldier killed
three Israelis at a border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West
Bank before being shot dead by Israeli forces.
* With Reuters
Ex-Netanyahu chief of staff: Trump's appointees give
Israelis reason to be optimistic
Jerusalem Post/November 25/2024
The Jerusalem Post Podcast with Tamar Uriel-Beeri and Zvika Klein.
Donald Trump's picks for key national security and foreign affairs positions in
his upcoming administration give Israelis reasons to be optimistic for US-Israel
relations, Ari Harrow, former chief of staff of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, told Zvika Klein on The Jerusalem Post Podcast. Harrow touted Trump's
record of supporting Israel during his first administration, and noted that it
is very clear his next term in office is going to be headed in a similar
direction. "I think that any doubt or any questions that existed as to what
direction Trump was going to take the second time around were really quashed
very quickly when he started to announce the people around him," he explained.
Despite some fears that Trump would drift towards the isolationist stance of
some of the fringes of the Republican Party, Harrow noted that any isolationist
appointees were given domestic positions. By contrast, his picks for secretary
of state, secretary of defense, and national security advisor come with strong
pro-Israel records. "I think that when it comes to Israel... these are the
individuals that are going to set a very clear path that we as Israelis will be
very, very happy with," Harrow said. Israel is getting ready for an outsider
leader
Harrow also noted Trump and some of his appointees as having backgrounds outside
of politics, specifically noting Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as entrepreneurs,
as well as other world leaders. "You look at [Javier] Millie in Argentina, you
look at [Emanuel] Macron in France, [Volodymyr] Zelensky in Ukraine. These are
all former entertainment figures that have shifted over to policy and politics,"
Harrow noted, adding that it reflects a global backlash against the
establishment.
Israel could face a similar fate, it just needs a face.
"People want something new. They want something fresh. And we no longer buy into
this template that you have to walk a very specific, predetermined path," Harrow
said. "And I think that while that individual has yet to show his face in
Israel, I definitely think that post-October 7, where most of the country feels
like, you know, we need a fresh start on many different fronts, whether in two
years from now or five years from now, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw
somebody come out of the blue and take control."
To contact us, please reach out at podcast@jpost.com. This podcast is available
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
ICC spokesperson explains alleged war crimes arrest warrants
Jerusalem Post/November 25/2024
“If there are no genuine investigations or prosecutions, then the court has to
investigate and prosecute where the legal conditions are met,” the ICC stated.
"The International Criminal Court (ICC) steps in only when national courts fail
to handle cases properly," the ICC began its announcement on Saturday,
explaining why arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had been issued. “The primary
responsibility is for the national judicial systems,” emphasized ICC
spokesperson Fadil Abdullah, adding, “However, if there are no genuine
investigations or prosecutions, then the court has to investigate and prosecute
where the legal conditions are met.”He added that having a legal system is not
enough, as it must actively address the alleged crimes, stressing, “There is a
need to demonstrate that this legal system is active in relation to crimes or
alleged crimes.” The warrants, according to Abdullah, were issued against
Netanyahu and Gallant - as well as Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, even though he
was eliminated earlier this year in July - since “the judges have decided, based
on the evidence and on the rule of law as they have interpreted them, and we
need to respect that. He further emphasized the importance of ensuring the
people “believe that the law is there for them, and to believe that justice will
be done.” He then suggested that without these beliefs, the ICC is unable to
provide an alternative to “continuing in the cycle of violence and revenge.”
Alleged war crimes in Israel-Hamas War. Recent ICC warrants for alleged war
crimes during the Israel-Hamas War, which began when Hamas invaded Israel on
October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping another 251, suggest
that the judges believe there is evidence linking the suspects to crimes under
ICC jurisdiction, according to the announcement. Defendants or countries can
challenge the ICC’s involvement. However, this requires proof that “genuine
serious prosecutions” are already taking place at the national level, Abdullah
explained. The ICC does not hold trials without the defendants present, as was
stressed in the announcement, which added that all suspects are considered
innocent until proven guilty and are entitled to fair, public trials. If the
case moves forward, the prosecution and defense present their arguments and
witnesses, with the victims’ legal representatives permitted to also share their
views. After reviewing the evidence, the court decides if the defendants are
guilty and, if so, what their sentence will be.
Haaretz publisher calls Palestinian
terrorists ‘freedom fighters’ in newly revealed speech
Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken is facing renewed backlash after a recently
revealed speech in which he referred to Palestinian terrorists as "freedom
fighters" and called for sanctions against Israeli leaders and settlers.
The speech, which was delivered at a conference hosted by the New Israel Fund
and the Berl Katznelson Foundation on October 8 in Israel, was uncovered by
Channel 14 through the New Israel Fund's YouTube channel.
Schocken's comments were described as inflammatory, particularly in light of his
earlier statements at a conference in London, which had already prompted the
Israeli government to cut all ties with Haaretz.
Schocken’s controversial remarks
In his October 8 speech, Schocken stated:
“The Netanyahu government wants to continue and intensify illegal settlement in
the territories that were meant for a Palestinian state. It doesn’t care about
imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population. It dismisses
the costs of both sides for defending the settlements while fighting the
Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls terrorists.”He further argued
that the only way to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state was
through international sanctions:
“A Palestinian state must be established, and the only way to achieve this is by
applying sanctions against Israel’s leaders and settlers in the occupied
territories.”
The audience reportedly applauded his remarks, highlighting the divide between
Israeli and international discourse on the matter.
Government cuts ties with Haaretz
The Israeli government had already moved to sever all ties with Haaretz
following Schocken’s statements at a London conference earlier this year, where
he called for sanctions against Israel’s leaders and accused the government of
perpetuating apartheid policies. At its weekly meeting on Sunday, the
cabinet unanimously approved Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s proposal to
cease all engagement with Haaretz, including halting government advertisements
in the publication. Karhi condemned Schocken’s rhetoric, stating: “It is
unacceptable for the publisher of an official newspaper in the State of Israel
to call for sanctions against it and support the state’s enemies in the midst of
a war.”The government’s decision also cited Haaretz’s role in publishing
articles that allegedly undermined Israel’s legitimacy on the international
stage.
15 Turkish-backed fighters killed in north Syria clashes
with Kurdish-led forces
AFP/November 25, 2024
BEIRUT: At least 15 Ankara-backed Syrian fighters were killed Sunday after
Kurdish-led forces infiltrated their territory in the country’s north, the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said. Fighters from the Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), who controls swathes of the country’s northeast,
“infiltrated positions of the Turkish-backed” fighters in the Aleppo
countryside, said the Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria.
“The two sides engaged in violent clashes” that killed 15 of the Ankara-backed
fighters, the monitor said. An AFP correspondent in Syria’s north said the
clashes had taken place near the city of Al-Bab, where authorities said schools
would be suspended on Monday due to the violence. The SDF is a US-backed force
that spearheaded the fighting against the Daesh group in its last Syria
strongholds before its territorial defeat in 2019. It is dominated by the
Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), viewed by Ankara as an offshoot of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which claimed the attack on Ankara.
Turkish troops and allied rebel factions control swathes of northern Syria
following successive cross-border offensives since 2016, most of them targeting
the SDF.
Donald Trump Jr. Is Helping His Father Pick the Most
Controversial Cabinet of Modern Times
Asharq Al Awsat/November 24/2024
Donald Trump Jr. has emerged as the most influential Trump family member in the
transition as the president-elect builds the most controversial cabinet in
modern US history, according to a half dozen sources with knowledge of his role,
elevating inexperienced loyalists over more qualified candidates for top
positions in his administration. Trump, who fiercely prizes loyalty, has long
relied on family members for political advice, but which relative has his ear is
known to vary. This time, it is Don Jr., who has helped cabinet contenders sink
or rise to the fore - from championing Senator JD Vance as Trump's running mate
to blocking former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from joining the cabinet,
according to the sources, who include donors, personal friends and political
allies. Don Jr. is due to join conservative venture capital fund 1789 Capital,
although one of the sources said he will continue to host his politics-focused
podcast and support candidates that espouse Trump's brand of politics. He will
provide advice to his father in the White House, the source added, although they
cautioned that Don Jr. was unlikely to be involved in day-to-day deliberations.
Don Jr. and the Trump-Vance transition team did not respond to a Reuters request
for comment. In addition to ensuring candidates are loyal to his father, Don Jr.
typically seeks out contenders who embrace an anti-establishment worldview,
including protectionist economic policies, and a reduction in military
interventions and overseas aid, according to a handful of the sources and Don
Jr.'s own comments on social media site X and in public. Two of the candidates
Don Jr. championed may face a rocky confirmation process in the Senate: Robert
F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump plans to nominate as the top US health official, and
Tulsi Gabbard, who Trump plans to nominate as intelligence chief. Kennedy is an
environmental activist who has spread misinformation on vaccines. Gabbard, a
former Democratic congresswoman, implied that Russian President Vladimir Putin
had valid grounds for invading Ukraine and stirred controversy when she met
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the midst of his bloody crackdown on
dissidents in 2017.
INFLUENTIAL - TO A POINT
Don Jr. was also instrumental in lobbying his father to pick his close friend
Vance as Trump's running mate. Vance was popular with Trump's base, but his
anti-corporate rhetoric, opposition to Ukraine aid and past comments panning
some Democratic women as "childless cat ladies" gave some donors and supporters
pause. Trump was ultimately happy with Vance, giving Don Jr. extra political
capital as an adviser during the transition, one of the sources added. Not all
of Don Jr.'s picks have landed jobs. He was keen on Ric Grenell, a personal
friend and former ambassador to Germany, getting secretary of state, according
to a separate source familiar with the matter. His father ended up picking
Senator Marco Rubio, whose views are deemed by Trump's core supporters as too
traditional and internationalist. Two of the sources close to Don Jr. said he
does not weigh in on all personnel decisions and is not working on the
transition process or at Mar-a-Lago full time. He is also not expected to play a
big role in vetting candidates for lower-level jobs, one of the sources close to
him said. "The reality this time is we actually know what we're doing," Don Jr.
told Fox News earlier this month. "And it's about surrounding my father with
people who are both competent and loyal."
FOLLOWING IN HIS SISTER'S FOOTSTEPS
Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were prominent in his 2016
presidential campaign, the subsequent transition and throughout his first term.
This time, they are far less active, although Kushner, formerly Trump's senior
adviser who focused on the Middle East, told Reuters that he is briefing real
estate investor Steve Witkoff on his new job as special envoy to the region. "I
have been working with Witkoff to get him up to speed on Trump's past efforts,"
Kushner said through a spokesperson. A half-dozen sources close to Kushner said
they expect him to be involved in Middle Eastern policy in an unofficial
capacity. Kushner, Ivanka and sibling Eric Trump, who runs the Trump
Organization business, do not plan to join the new administration, according to
their representatives as well as sources.One source close to the transition said
Trump does not appear to need his family for advice as much as in the past
because of aides like Susie Wiles, who helped to run the most disciplined of his
election campaigns to date.Trump has named Wiles as his chief of staff, a
powerful position in Washington. "Stuff is really buttoned down," the source
said of Trump's current team. "He may not need the family this time like he used
to."
Trumps names two Arab Americans for his Cabinet
RAY HANANIA/Arab News/November 24, 2024
CHICAGO: President-elect Donald Trump has named two Arab Americans to serve in
his Cabinet once he is sworn into office in January. Trump nominated Dr. Janette
Nesheiwat to be US surgeon general and Dr. Marty Makary as head of the US Food
and Drug Administration.
The appointments were applauded by Dr. Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab
Americans for Trump, who helped the former president to win nearly half of the
Arab American vote in the Nov. 5 election against US Vice President Kamala
Harris. “We are delighted with President Trump’s nomination of the first two
Arab Americans to be part of his administration,” Bahbah said in a message to
Arab News on Saturday. “This is a testament to the hard work of Arab Americans
for Trump and recognition of President Donald J. Trump of the role Arab
Americans played in his election as the 47th president of the United States.
AAFT looks forward to additional Arab American appointments in President Trump’s
administration, particularly in the political field.”Dr. Makary is a British
American surgeon of Lebanese background. He is a public policy researcher at
Johns Hopkins University serving as a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine and a professor, by courtesy, at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business
School. His current research focuses on the underlying causes of disease, public
policy, health care costs, and relationship-based medicine. Dr. Makary
previously served in leadership at the World Health Organization patient safety
program and has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Clinically,
Dr. Makary is the chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at Johns Hopkins. He is the
recipient of the Nobility in Science Award from the National Pancreas Foundation
and has been a visiting professor at more than 25 medical schools. He has
published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific articles and has served on
several editorial boards. He is the author of two New York Times bestselling
books, “Unaccountable” and “The Price We Pay.” Dr. Makary is also an anti-vaxxer
who refused vaccination for COVID-19, a view shared by many of President-elect
Trump’s conservative and Republican supporters. Dr. Nesheiwat is a double
board-certified medical doctor described on her website as “bringing a
refreshingly no-nonsense attitude to the latest medical news, breaking down
everything you need to know to keep you — and your family — healthy at all
times.” She is also the author of “Beyond the Stethoscope: Miracles in
Medicine.”A graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, UAMS,
Dr. Nesheiwat has been “shaped by her faith and her upbringing.” Born in Carmel,
New York, she is the daughter of Christian Jordanian immigrants and one of five
children raised by her widowed mother, Hayat Nesheiwat. Her siblings are Julia
Nesheiwat, Jaclyn Stapp, Dina Nesheiwat and Daniel Nesheiwat.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November
24-25/2024
Murder in Dubai: How the murder of a Chabad rabbi
reverberates regionally - analysis
Hereb Keinon/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
One thing is clear: this is a critical test for the resilience of the Abraham
Accords.
For an image-conscious country that prides itself as a major tourist hub and
destination, the apparent terrorist murder of Chabad emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan
thrust the United Arab Emirates into international headlines for all the wrong
reasons on Sunday.
The UAE wants to be known for iconic landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, the
Dubai Mall, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It wants to be seen as secure and
stable, not a place where Iran sends a hit squad – as Israeli authorities
suspect – to kill an identifiable Israeli Jew.
The last time Dubai was thrust into the headlines following an assassination was
in January 2010, when Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed in a Dubai
hotel. Back then, Dubai police chief Dhahi Khalfan Tamim gained worldwide
acclaim for cracking the case and linking it to the Mossad by uncovering
passport forgery of multiple Australian and European passports allegedly used by
Mossad agents to kill Mabhouh.
The killing had a chilling effect on Israeli-UAE ties, setting them back a
number of years until they were established under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
It also dismantled perceptions of Dubai as a soft target, signaling the
country’s readiness to defend its sovereignty and keep other countries from
using its territory to settle scores. It will be interesting to see whether
Dubai acts with the same determination and resolve in solving the Kogan murder
case and whether its relations with Iran – which of late it has been trying to
repair – will be set back to the same degree as its ties were with Israel
following the Mabhouh affair. One thing is clear: This is a critical test for
the resilience of the Abraham Accords. Before addressing this test, it’s worth
noting how the war in Gaza, despite inflaming anti-Israel sentiment across the
Arab world, has yet to derail Israel-UAE relations. Calls for the Emirates to
sever ties, even coming from within the UAE, have not fundamentally shaken the
partnership. Take trade, for example. One could imagine that as a result of the
war, trade with the UAE – Israel’s most significant trading partner among the
Abraham Accord countries – would have taken a hit.
On the contrary, trade with the UAE in the first three quarters of 2024 has
outpaced the record-breaking level of 2023, with $2.4 billion of trade from
January through September of this year, compared with $2.3b. for the same period
last year. Interestingly, Israeli exports, which this year make up only 14% of
the mutual trade, are down some 6% since last year. The murder of Kogan,
however, could have dramatic ramifications on the relationship, ranging from
perhaps a chilling effect on the business relationship, on one side of the
spectrum, to bringing the countries closer together on intelligence sharing, on
the other.
Why would Kogan’s murder impact the business relationship?
Concerns over safety, for instance, may deter Israeli businesspeople from
traveling to the UAE, particularly after Israel’s National Security Council
advised on Sunday against nonessential visits to a country that hosted a million
Israeli visitors between 2020 and 2023.
The murder may lead to heightened security concerns for Israeli businesses
operating in the UAE, potentially causing some companies to reassess their
presence or expansion plans in the region.
Beyond tourism and business, the UAE’s burgeoning Jewish community – nurtured
with official encouragement since the Abraham Accords – may retreat from public
visibility. Fear-driven security measures could push Jewish life into private
settings, reversing years of progress in cultivating a vibrant, open community.
Another ripple effect from the murder might be changing perceptions in both
countries about the relationship. Israelis, who were enamored of the “warm”
peace that seemed to develop with the UAE, may conclude that things are not as
warm as they appeared to be, or actually were, just a couple of years ago.
Popular government
And inside the UAE, where the relationship was always much more popular among
the government and the elites than on the street, this attack could embolden
those opposed to ties with Israel to demand a reassessment, saying that the
relationship invites attacks inside the UAE itself and complicates an already
very complicated relationship with Iran. If Iran is indeed implicated in the
incident, Jerusalem will certainly urge the UAE to take significant steps
against Tehran or those responsible. These demands could strain the UAE’s
delicate balancing act with Iran, reawaken domestic debates over the value of
the Abraham Accords, and ripple across the region. Other Arab states weighing
normalization with Israel, such as Saudi Arabia, might see this as a cautionary
tale, reinforcing hesitancy to deepen ties because of the concern that to do so
would be to open their territory up to Iranian operations against Israeli or
Jewish targets.
The incident also could have far-reaching security repercussions. If Iran was
behind it, it would signal an escalation in operations against Jewish and
Israeli targets beyond Israel’s borders, particularly in an area that was
previously considered pretty secure. Israel will have to decide how to respond.
Furthermore, the alleged use of Uzbeks, if this proves to be accurate, shows as
well that the Iranians are interested in using foreign operatives – often
criminal elements – as a calculated strategy to maintain plausible deniability.
Iran’s ability to execute such a high-profile attack inside the UAE also calls
into question the UAE’s internal security capabilities. The upside would be if
this would lead to enhanced Israeli-Emirati intelligence cooperation,
potentially involving the US as a partner.
This type of cooperation could reinforce the Abraham Accords, but it would also
spotlight the complex security challenges that come with these new
relationships.
The murder of Kogan represents not only yet another tragic loss to Israel and
the Jewish community in this multifront war that began on October 7, but also an
incident that could have far-reaching implications for the region.
What early elections would mean for Israel’s future -
opinion
Susan Hattis Rolef/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
How Gaza policies and ICC warrants are reshaping Israel’s political landscape.
I do my weekend shopping regularly on Jerusalem’s Gaza Street. With growing
frequency, part of the street is blocked to traffic on weekends, and sometimes
even on weekdays, because of the emotional demonstrations outside Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence.
Last Friday morning, the section of the street near Netanyahu’s residence was
more hermetically blocked than usual. The reason was a silent, poker-faced
demonstration of several hundred participants in support of the immediate
release of the hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The demonstrators, made up largely of middle-aged Ashkenazi women dressed in
white and holding white parasols, stood or sat on the street to the north of the
intersection of Gaza and Metudela streets. They were surrounded by bored, armed
border policewomen, waiting to go home. When I entered my grocery store on Gaza
Street, one grocer said to me: “Each demonstrator outside received NIS 900 to
participate in the demonstration.”
“Where did you hear this nonsense?” I asked. He looked at me contemptuously, and
said “From people.” The spokespersons of the home being guarded, perhaps?
Political game or humanitarian issue?
This was the first manifestation of dissonance I had experienced that morning,
coming from a man who makes a living from serving residents of my Rehavia
neighborhood, at least some of whom were among the demonstrators.
Sadly, the hostage issue has turned from a tragic and painful humanitarian
problem into a cynical political game. All the polls show that a vast majority
of the population favors the immediate return of the hostages, no matter how
high the price. Even though there are several members of the government who
state that the return of the hostages is of the highest importance, the
government itself, under Netanyahu, seems adamant on leaving the hostage issue
way behind on the agenda, despite the fact that time is running out for the
hostages.
Unless elections are held very soon, so that the feelings of the majority can be
expressed and help decide the issue, the fear is that the majority, or perhaps
all of the hostages, will perish before they are returned.
Elections must also be held to determine the future of the Gaza Strip. At the
moment, it looks as if Israel is moving rapidly, at Netanyahu’s behest, toward
the reestablishment of a long-term Israeli military administration in the Gaza
Strip, which is opposed by former defense minister Yoav Gallant and most of the
IDF top brass. A long-term military administration will not only be exorbitantly
costly in financial and manpower terms but will also act to the benefit of those
who seek to reestablish controversial Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Before any such steps are taken, the people must be able to express their
preferences regarding both issues.
Even though the current government holds a comfortable 68 majority in the
Knesset, there is no chance that such a majority would reemerge if elections
were held tomorrow. All the polls predict that the current coalition might even
lose its majority.
Last Thrusday's decision of the International Criminal Court in The Hague raises
another problem that requires immediate attention, and which is unlikely to
happen without new elections. A vast majority agree that the ICC’s decision to
issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant is outrageous and totally
disproportionate. The fact that Israel refuses to accept the jurisdiction of the
court further complicates Israel’s position, because there are 124 states,
including all the 27 members of the EU, who are signatories of the Rome Statute
that established the court in 1998 and are liable to comply with the ICC’s
arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. The arrest warrants are based on
allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israel in the
Gaza Strip against the Palestinian population there.
However, in addition to the immediate problem of the arrest warrants, with which
Israel will undoubtedly contend successfully, there is another more urgent
problem that could involve some fundamental decisions regarding Israel’s
international modus operandi: Will Israel abide by international law or by God’s
promises?
Beyond the question of how exactly international law relates to some of the
unique features of the so-called “Palestine question,” it should be noted that
the Palestinians never had a state of their own called “Palestine.” They failed
to form a state on the basis of UN General Assembly Resolution 181 of November
29, 1947 concerning the partition of British Mandatory Palestine. Furthermore,
the Palestinian state mentioned in the ICC decision of last Thursday is a rather
enigmatic entity, especially with regard to the Hamas-led Gaza Strip. However,
this does not mean that Israel does not have international law obligations
regarding the Palestinian inhabitants of east Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and
the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, one problem is that parts of Israel’s religious population do
not recognize the validity of much of international law with regard to Israel.
The Zionist movement, from its inception, based all its political activities
regarding the attainment of Jewish national sovereignty in the Land of Israel on
“public law,” and the legal foundations of the State of Israel are grounded in
the 1947 UN Partition Plan. But Orthodox Judaism, and its political
representatives, see the basis of the state’s existence and its territory in
God’s promise to the Jewish people – not in international law.
Most of Israel’s state institutions to the present day, including the IDF, have
legal departments that contain international law sections. However, there are
growing parts of the Israeli population that do not accept this reality.
The question of whether Israel should follow God’s promises and commandments,
rather than the rules of international law in running its international affairs,
should at long last be decided by the public in general elections.
The writer worked in the Knesset for many years as a researcher, and has
published extensively both journalistic and academic articles on current affairs
and Israeli politics. Her most recent book, Israel’s Knesset Members – A
Comparative Study of an Undefined Job
Trump and Biden can forge peace in Israel – and earn Trump
the Nobel Prize - comment
Zvika klein/Jerusalem Post/November 24/2024
Trump has a chance to transcend these odds of winning the Nobel Peace Prize by
joining forces with President Joe Biden to end the war in Israel. Donald Trump,
the former president and now president-elect, has never been shy about his
desire to be recognized on the world stage. A Nobel Peace Prize, he once hinted,
would be the pinnacle of that recognition.
But let’s face it: The skewed global narrative often pits America – and
especially its more conservative leaders – against the odds of such accolades.
Trump, however, has a chance to transcend these odds.
How? By joining forces with US President Joe Biden to end the war in Israel,
forcing Hamas to release the hostages, holding Hezbollah to terms that preserve
Israel’s future, dismantling the Houthis in Yemen, and demonstrating a united
Western front. This idea isn’t far-fetched. It’s bold, yes, but not impossible.
It’s also unprecedented in modern American history – a bipartisan partnership
between two rivals who have more in common than they might admit. Biden, after
all, is a centrist Democrat, not an ideological firebrand. He didn’t even run
for reelection. His approach to foreign policy is pragmatic, driven less by
personal glory and more by the results.
Trump’s unfinished peace legacy
Trump has already laid the groundwork for peace in the Middle East through the
Abraham Accords, a historic agreement normalizing ties between Israel and
several Arab states. The accords marked a seismic shift in regional dynamics,
demonstrating that peace could be achieved through economic and diplomatic
engagement rather than prolonged conflict.
Nevertheless, Trump received little recognition for this monumental achievement.
Despite the transformative impact of the Abraham Accords, the Nobel Committee
did not acknowledge it with a prize. Building on this legacy by partnering with
Biden to resolve the current crisis would not only bring justice to those
achievements but also cement Trump’s status as a peacemaker. The Abraham Accords
showed the world that nations once considered adversaries could become allies.
Now, Trump has the chance to extend that vision to a new chapter in Middle East
diplomacy.
A strong America needs bipartisanship
The war in Gaza has already claimed countless lives and destabilized the region.
The hostages held by Hamas are a painful symbol of the ongoing strife. Forcing
their release would be a victory for humanity – and for America’s moral
authority.
But it won’t be easy. It requires more than military might; it demands
diplomatic finesse, economic leverage, and – most critically – a united front.
In a world where American leadership is often questioned, a bipartisan effort to
resolve the conflict in Israel would showcase a strong and resilient United
States. It would demonstrate that, despite political divisions, America can come
together to uphold its values and commitments.
Trump’s supporters might balk at the idea of partnering with Biden. Biden’s
critics might call it naive. But history remembers the leaders who take risks,
who step outside their comfort zones to achieve greatness.
Let’s not underestimate the ripple effect of such a partnership. Securing peace
in Israel could lead to broader stability in the Middle East. Forcing Hezbollah
into terms that safeguard Israel’s borders would weaken Iran’s regional
influence. Dismantling the Houthi threat in Yemen would disrupt a key Iranian
proxy and secure vital maritime routes. And for Trump, these achievements
wouldn’t just be political victories; they’d be personal triumphs. They’d be the
foundation for his place in history, not just as a divisive figure but as a
unifier, a peacemaker.Is this naive? Perhaps.
I’ll admit: This vision might seem utopian. The idea of Trump and Biden working
together might draw smirks from cynics on both sides. But isn’t that exactly
what America – and the world – needs right now? A break from the toxic
partisanship that has defined the past decades? A reminder that even the most
divided nations can unite for a greater cause?
Trump doesn’t need to fear Biden. Biden has already stepped aside from the
political stage. Instead, Trump can view him as an ally, a partner in a mission
that transcends party lines. Together, they can redefine what it means to lead
in the 21st century.
For Trump, the Nobel Prize might remain an elusive goal. But this is his chance
to prove that he’s more than just a dealmaker or a political disruptor. This is
his opportunity to become a statesman, a leader who puts country – and the world
– above self-interest.
History is watching. The world is waiting. Trump has the chance to show that,
even in the most polarized of times, unity is still possible. As Theodor Herzl
said: “If you will it, it is no dream.”
Justice…Then What?
Tariq Al-Homayed/Al Awsat/November 25/2024
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas
leader Mohammed Deif, for crimes they are accused of committing in Gaza. Will
this achieve justice and help solve the crisis?
The ICC’s decision could bring some joy to certain people. However, it will
certainly complicate matters in Gaza and Lebanon, because Netanyahu will now
feel compelled to escalate further as he had done after the October 7th
operation, which turned him from a man under investigation in Israel into a
"national leader."We are seeing a surge in Netanyahu's popularity in Israel.
Citizens are rallying around him, and he is seen as a man standing alone against
"all of Israel's enemies." Everyone knows that Netanyahu never misses an
opportunity to consolidate his political standing and image as a leader, even if
it costs lives and brings destruction. Nonetheless, the ICC's decision cannot be
implemented and will have no real judicial impact. It will do more to stir
controversy than contribute to solving the crisis in Gaza and Lebanon, as it
equates Israel and Hamas, creating the impression that it is a political
decision seeking to reflect a balanced position. It is embarrassing for
everyone. It embarrasses those who demand the prosecution of Israeli leaders in
defense of Hamas. It embarrasses the West, which welcomed "justice" when the ICC
issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and is now divided
over Netanyahu's arrest warrant!This court previously ordered the arrest of
former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, but he was not arrested when he went
to South Africa. It failed to arrest Muammar Gaddafi and, more recently,
President Putin, who was not arrested when he traveled to Mongolia, also a
member. No one knows how Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, whom Israel previously
declared dead, will be arrested, leading Netanyahu to mock the court's decision
and claim that it had issued an arrest warrant for a corpse!
And no one knows why there is only a warrant for Mohammed Deif. What about the
other Hamas leaders? Is the court certain that Deif is alive? Or does that not
matter? Accordingly, the question arises: What about Yahya Sinwar?
Of course, no one would object to the implementation of justice and severe
penalties for both Israelis and Hamas leaders, because crimes against humanity,
in every sense of the word, have been perpetrated in Gaza. As Prince Turki
Al-Faisal said in his article, The War On Gaza: A Profound Defeat: "To ensure
the success of this new peace initiative, it is imperative to prohibit all
current leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel from holding any
future political positions." I would add the leaders of Hezbollah to this list.
So, how can justice be achieved? Will the ICC's decision contribute to ending
the wars or aggravating the hostilities, especially on the part of Netanyahu?
How can justice be achieved when the United States, China, and Russia do not
recognize the ICC and have veto power in the Security Council?
Accordingly, the ICC's decision has suffered all the cards, raised expectations,
and embarrassed all parties: Hamas supporters, Israelis, and the West,
particularly the United States. Hence, the question remains: Justice... and then
what?
Global shifts suggest Syria’s ‘waiting game’ could pay off
Christopher Phillips/Arab News/November 24, 2024
At the height of Syria’s civil war, Bente Scheller, a political scientist and
former German diplomat, published “The Wisdom of Syria’s Waiting Game.” In it,
she argued that Syrian foreign policy under President Bashar Assad and, before
that, his father Hafez Assad had long followed a strategy of “waiting out”
international difficulties and crises. Damascus would rarely change the policies
that provoked ire from outsiders, but instead waited for former critics to
soften their stance. This has been Assad’s approach since the Syria conflict
exploded in 2011, refusing demands to loosen his brutal grip on power, confident
that, with considerable help from allies Russia and Iran, eventually it will be
his enemies that bend. Thirteen years after many in the international community
cut ties with Damascus and erected sanctions, the regional climate appears to be
shifting, and Assad may believe that Syria’s waiting game is once again paying
off. Syria’s international rehabilitation has already begun. Even during the
civil war, Damascus was never fully isolated. As well as allies Russia, Iran,
and China, significant powers, notably Brazil and India, declined to sever ties.
As it became clear Assad would survive, a trickle of Arab states, such as the
UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, which had called for his overthrow reestablished ties.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia favored Syria’s return to the Arab League after its
suspension 12 years earlier.
But there is still a long way to go. While back in the Arab League and attending
regional events such as the recent Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, Assad is far
from fully reintegrated. Jordan, among others, protests the flow of Captagon
from Syria, allegedly overseen by the Assad regime, while trade and diplomatic
relations with the Arab world remain far below pre-2011 levels. Despite
low-level talks with Ankara, detente with Turkiye appears to have stalled over
continued Turkish control of northern Syria. Meanwhile, relations with the EU
and the US remain severed, with economic sanctions still in place.
However, three recent developments could shift the dial. First, the Lebanon war.
Almost 500,000 people have sought sanctuary in Syria since October, mostly
Syrians who fled war in their own country during the previous decade. This helps
Assad paint a more positive international image of his war-torn state — even if
many refugees are reportedly trying to move on to either Iraq or rebel-held
northern Syria. It also increases Syria’s importance to the international aid
community and raises the, albeit remote, possibility that Damascus might be
included in Lebanese peace talks.
A further benefit is that though the decimation of its ally Hezbollah is a blow,
it shifts the balance in the Hezbollah-Syria-Iran relationship more in Assad’s
favor.
Even during the civil war, Damascus was never fully isolated
Second, the continued rise of populist right-wing parties in Europe increases
the chance that ties with the continent could improve. Populist governments in
Hungary and Italy have already pushed for the EU to loosen sanctions in exchange
for Assad taking back Syrian refugees, and Rome even reopened its Damascus
embassy in September.
A key development could be the German elections in February, should this result
in a far-right Alternative for Germany triumph. Germany and France have led EU
opposition to Assad and pushed against those calling for improving ties. But the
AFD met with Syrian officials in 2019, and has previously mooted collaborating
with Assad to repatriate many of the Syrians living in Germany. Even if the AFD
is frozen out of government by other parties, a strong election performance
might persuade Germany’s leaders to alter their uncompromising stance on Assad.
Finally, there is the reelection of Donald Trump. On the one hand, there are
signs that Trump’s return could benefit Assad. His pick for health secretary,
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently noted how Trump wants to remove US troops from
northeastern Syria. This would likely benefit Assad, who wants to recapture all
this region. Kurdish forces, currently administering there under US protection,
would probably be forced to reconcile with Assad in the face of the alternative:
attack by Turkiye. Such an outcome could also help oil the stalled detente with
Ankara. Neutralizing the Kurdish autonomous region might lessen Turkish security
concerns or, alternatively, Assad might be more open to a phased Turkish
withdrawal from the north, having recently captured the east.
It is also possible that Assad’s relative neutrality during the Gaza war — not
joining its allies Iran and Hezbollah in fighting Israel — may be rewarded with
a less hawkish approach from the Trump administration. Tulsi Gabbard, named as
director of national intelligence, visited Syria and met Assad in 2017 while a
Congresswoman, and her nomination supports the possibility that the new White
House could be less hostile. A softer US view of Russia under Trump might also
benefit Assad. While the lifting of US sanctions on Damascus appears unlikely,
Assad may hope that a less aggressive White House will enforce them less
vigilantly.
Yet, Trump showed during his first term how unpredictable he can be, and his
approach could easily break the other way. Should Trump ramp up his hostility to
Iran, as he did before, Assad is unlikely to cut ties with Tehran, which remains
the cornerstone of Syria’s foreign policy. In such circumstances, Syria could
once again be in Trump’s crosshairs.
However, although the geopolitical wheel appears to be turning, it is far from
clear Assad will seize this opportunity. It requires considerable diplomatic
skill to utilize these changing circumstances effectively. Although the Syrian
leader has followed his father’s “waiting game” diplomacy, it is yet to be seen
if he has inherited Hafez Assad’s ability to navigate a way back into
international favor. Despite more advantageous conditions, Syria could yet
remain a relative pariah.
• Christopher Phillips is professor of international relations at Queen Mary
University of London and author of ‘Battleground: Ten Conflicts that Explain the
New Middle East.’ X: @cjophillips