English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 29/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons
First Letter to the Corinthians 10/14-24/:”Therefore, my dear
friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge
for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a
sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in
the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel; are not
those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?What do I imply then? That
food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply
that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not
want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and
the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of
demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? ‘All
things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful’,
but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of others.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on October 28-29/2024
Elias Bejjani / Video: Arab and Israeli Reports Confirm the Beginning of
Hezbollah’s Collapse and Disintegration Amid a Wave of Defections and
Desertions/October 28-29/2024
A perspective on the Israeli strike on Iran: a victory for all who value peace
and stability/Elias Bejjani/October 26/2024
The Dual Ordeal of the Shiites, with
a Third on the Way/Dr. Harith Suleiman/Janoubia website/October 28/2024
If Avichay Adraee’s warnings mean catastrophe, destruction, displacement, and
death, then Hezbollah’s copied warnings are a mockery/Marwan Al Amin/Face
Book/October 28/2024
Hezbollah beginning to crack: Wave of desertions threatens Lebanese terror group
- report
Hezbollah targets Israeli troops in south Lebanon
Hochstein to visit Tel Aviv, Qatari envoy to visit Beirut
Hezbollah targets Yodfat near Akka as Israel pounds south Lebanon
Lebanon Says Number Killed in Israel-Hezbollah Conflict Surpasses 2,700 in a
Year
Britain’s Top Diplomat Says Israeli Govt Has Told Him Its Military Operation in
Lebanon Will End Soon
Israel strike on Lebanon-Syria crossing hampers key escape route
Israel launches fresh strikes on Tyre after 7 killed in earlier raid
Buildings along Tyre waterfront destroyed by Israeli airstrikes
EU renews call for 'immediate ceasefire' in Lebanon
Lebanon complains to UN over latest deadly Israel strike on journalists
Is targeting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon a war crime? Here’s what international
law says
Lebanon Says Five Dead in Israeli Strike on Tyre City Center
Israeli forces maintain military pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza
Israeli campaign leaves Lebanese border towns in ruins, satellite images show
In Beirut, a photographer's frozen moments slow down time
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on October 28-29/2024
Netanyahu says ready to accept Egypt's proposal for Gaza ceasefire
Israel wants more peace deals with Arab countries after war, Netanyahu says
Iranian-German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd, who lived in US, executed in Iran over
terror conviction
Netanyahu vows to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons following IDF
strikes
Radar systems in Iran breached prior to Israel's Saturday counter-strike -
report
Barnea held talks in Doha on ‘new framework’ for hostage Gaza deal
Israel Says It Will Continue Talks with Mediators on Potential Hamas Ceasefire
Palestinians Say 100,000 Residents Trapped in Israel’s North Gaza Offensive
Israel wants to shut down the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. What would
that mean?
More than 43,000 Palestinians Killed in Yearlong War in Gaza, Palestinian Health
Ministry Says
South Africa Submits Its Main Legal Claim to the Top UN Court Which Accuses
Israel of Genocide
Israel to pursue new talks on Gaza hostage deal
Israel Passes Legislation That Restricts UN Agency That Is a Lifeline for Gaza
US Jewish support for Democrats hits lowest point in four decades, but most
still back Harris
UK anti-Islam activist 'Tommy Robinson' jailed for breaching injunction
Middle East latest: Social platform X suspends new account on behalf of Iran's
supreme leader
NATO confirms that North Korea has sent troops to join Russia's war in Ukraine
Ship comes under a suspected Yemen Houthi rebel attack in Bab el-Mandeb Strait
off Red Sea
Middle East Aid Workers Say Rules of War Being Flouted
Iran Guards chief warns Israel of ‘bitter consequences’ after attack
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on October 28-29/2024
Who Is Actually Running the Country?/John Richardson/ Gatestone
Institute./October 28, 2024
Israel was right to restrain Iran strike before US elections/Susan Hattis Rolef/Jerusalem
Post/October 28/2024
Israel expects counterattack after hitting Iranian missile production sites/Tovah
Lazarof/Reuters/Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
Israel’s precision strike leaves Iran defenseless/Yossi Aloni/Israel
Today/October 28/2024
The Election Is Happening Too Soon/The New York Times/Asharq Al Awsat/October
28/2024
Hochstein Races against Time and Mines/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/October
29/2024
A Window to a Complemental Arab Role/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/October 29/2024
US Election: On 6 November Skies Won’t Fall/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/October
29/2024
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on October 28-29/2024
Elias Bejjani / Video: Arab and Israeli Reports
Confirm the Beginning of Hezbollah’s Collapse and Disintegration Amid a Wave of
Defections and Desertions/October 28-29/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/136259/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQP0BJ0u4eg&t=210s
A perspective on the Israeli strike on Iran: a victory for all who value
peace and stability
Elias Bejjani/October 26/2024
Today’ Israeli military operation against Iran exposed a critical truth: the
Iranian regime, despite its grandiose threats and relentless propaganda, is a
paper tiger. Over four hours, 100 advanced Israeli jets—equipped with
state-of-the-art American technology—conducted precision strikes on key Iranian
military sites, achieving their objectives without resistance. Iran, which
claims it can "annihilate Israel" and "drive the Jews into the sea," could not
even down a single Israeli jet, revealing its military weakness for all to see.
Israel’s operation didn’t target civilians; instead, it focused on destroying
missile production facilities, air defense systems, and critical military bases.
This precise strike underscored a reality that every Arab nation should take to
heart: Iran’s power is illusory, based on empty rhetoric rather than real
military capability. For decades, Iran’s leaders have been the loudest opponents
of Israel, but their primary targets are the Arab nations themselves,
destabilizing the region through armed proxies and aggressive meddling in
neighboring countries.
The Iranian regime has always relied on its militia networks and terrorist
proxies like Hezbollah to carry out its agenda. This regime’s tactics have
consistently placed Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen in the line of fire,
sacrificing countless Arab lives. By using these militias, Iran avoids direct
confrontation with Israel while continuing its destabilizing actions against
Arab nations, risking “the last Lebanese, Palestinian, and Arab” in a
never-ending quest for dominance.
It’s baffling, therefore, that some Arab countries condemned Israel’s actions
today. They must realize that their true security lies in a Middle East free
from the influence of Iran’s mullahs, who pose an existential threat to regional
peace. These Arab nations have far more at stake in seeing the mullahs’ power
weakened, if not dismantled, than Israel does alone.
Israel acted fearlessly, proving once more that it won’t hesitate to counter
threats directly. The United States, though influencing certain boundaries,
allowed Israel’s operation to proceed, making it clear that the global community
is unwilling to turn a blind eye to the destructive ambitions of Tehran’s
regime.
Iran will not retaliate directly because it knows it lacks the power to do so.
Instead, it will persist in its hollow threats, leaving real combat to its
proxies. Israel's resolve against Iran should be seen as a beacon of strength,
protecting not only its own citizens but also advancing the cause of peace and
stability in the entire region.
In conclusion, Arabs' actual enemy is not the State Of Israel, but rather the
Iranian Mullahs' terrorist regime. And if the Middle East is to see stability,
the Iranian regime must be dismantled, its militias and proxies neutralized, and
its leaders brought to justice. For the Arab world, the Israeli strikes are a
necessary step toward exposing and weakening a regime that endangers all who
hope for a secure, peaceful future. Israel’s efforts against Iran should be
applauded as a force for regional security.
If Avichay Adraee’s warnings mean catastrophe,
destruction, displacement, and death, then Hezbollah’s copied warnings are a
mockery
Marwan Al Amin/Face Book/October 28/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/136253/
(Free translation & quotation by Elias Bejjani/October 28/2024
Journalist, Marwan El Amine criticized Hezbollah’s attempt to mimic Israeli
warnings, the map, and even the use of red markings. He began by highlighting a
few critical points:
Hezbollah considers all Israelis as Zionist occupiers and legitimate targets, so
why to warn them?
He noted, “or a year now, most of Hezbollah’s strikes on Israel have been
random, with missiles landing in fields, hitting roads, homes, cars, and farms,
tragically killing Israeli civilians, including some Arab Israelis. Not once has
Hezbollah admitted these incidents were accidental. So, why the sudden concern
for Israeli civilians?
He ridiculed Hezbollah’s inconsistency, remarking, Hezbollah touts any civilian
casualties or property damage inflicted as ‘achievements’ in this conflict. Why
issue warnings now that could reduce these so-called ‘achievements’?
El Amine pointed out, When Israel targets an area marked in red, it is often
reduced to ashes. Yet, we haven’t seen similar scenes within Israel from
Hezbollah’s strikes. Does marking Kiryat Shmona in red mean it’ll suffer the
fate of towns like Kfar Kila, Blida, or Aita al-Shaab—or like so many
neighborhoods in Dahiyeh?
Most importantly, he argued, Israel’s Iron Dome and defense systems have
intercepted around 70% of Hezbollah’s rockets and drones. They have sirens and
shelters, limiting civilian deaths to under 100 since the war began. Meanwhile,
Lebanese citizens are left homeless, without shelters or protection, receiving
no warnings of danger except from Avichay Adraee.
El Amine ended on a sarcastic note: It’s unfortunate that Avichay Adraee has
become the most followed source for Hezbollah, its supporters, and all Lebanese.
We live on the timing and geography of his tweets. If Adraee’s warnings bring
catastrophe, displacement, and death, then Hezbollah’s copycat warnings are
nothing but a farce
The Dual Ordeal of the Shiites, with a Third on the Way
Dr. Harith Suleiman/Janoubia website/October 28/2024
(Translated and quoted freely from Arabic by Elias Bejjani, Publisher and Editor
of the LCCC website
eliasbejjaninews.com)
Not all Lebanese Shiites support the so-called "Shiite Dualism" of the Amal
Movement and Hezbollah, nor do they align with its Iranian-driven agenda. In
reality, the Shiite community in Lebanon has been taken hostage and hijacked by
these two entities, which have imposed their influence through intimidation and
force. Dr. Harith Suleiman’s insightful piece is a powerful testament to this
truth, showing that Lebanese Shiites are patriotic citizens who value national
unity over sectarian division. This article underscores that the Shiite
community deserves to be embraced and protected by the Lebanese state, which
must stand as a safeguard for all its people against foreign manipulation and
domestic intimidation.
Dr. Harith Suleiman wrote in Arabic "the above Arabic editorial" and was
published on the "Janoubia Website". He begins by expressing the overwhelming
sense of loss and devastation that the Lebanese Shiite communities in South
Lebanon, the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Baalbek, and Hermel now face. He states,
"The people of these regions have woken up to a tragic reality of displacement,
destruction, injury, and death within their families, something they never
anticipated."
He continues, explaining how many believed Hezbollah’s promises of protection,
security, and the defense of their homes. "For years, Hezbollah’s slogan—‘We
Protect and Build’—gave many false hope that their villages and families were
secure," he remarks. But now, he argues, this trust has shattered in the face of
an unanticipated war.
Suleiman goes on to describe the mass exodus forced by Israeli attacks, stating,
"Over a million Lebanese, innocent civilians who accepted Hezbollah’s identity
over their national one, have been driven from their homes, becoming refugees
overnight in areas they once viewed with mistrust." He suggests that Hezbollah’s
branding of them as “The Resistance Environment” may have served Israel’s
interests, exposing these communities to collective punishment.
Despite years of Hezbollah’s sectarian rhetoric, Suleiman says, “These displaced
people were welcomed as family by Lebanese from all sects.” This, he explains,
reveals a powerful truth that Hezbollah’s propaganda could never erase: Lebanese
unity transcends religious and political divides. He adds, "Sunni, Druze, and
Christian families opened their doors to the displaced Shiites, showing
solidarity, compassion, and brotherhood."
In his piece, Suleiman also contrasts Hezbollah’s narrative with the reality on
the ground. He observes, “Lebanese from diverse backgrounds, even those once
labeled ‘enemies’ by Hezbollah, have acted with humanity and kindness,
dismantling Hezbollah’s divisive language of betrayal and conspiracy.” He
acknowledges that, for many Shiites, this crisis has shed light on the duplicity
of Hezbollah and Amal, known as the "Shiite dualism," who have failed to shield
them from both internal corruption and external threats.
Suleiman concludes by urging Lebanese from all communities to sustain this
newfound spirit of unity, "The Hezbollah propaganda that once fueled arrogance,
threats, and accusations of treachery has been replaced by gratitude and
acknowledgment." He calls on all Lebanese to reject any return to incitement or
sectarian provocations, recognizing the shared bonds that the crisis has
illuminated.
Looking ahead, he emphasizes the importance of dismantling the myths surrounding
Hezbollah and Amal’s so-called "Resistance" stance. He asserts, “The entire
narrative of a strong, united resistance is nothing but empty rhetoric and
hollow bravado. The promises of a ‘unified front’ and tickets to Jerusalem have
proven to be fantasies.”
Dr. Suleiman closes with a stark warning: "Lebanon cannot bear more than it is
capable of, nor should it be a scapegoat for the region's conflicts. To protect
its future, Lebanon must say 'enough,' rejecting both Iranian dominance and
Israeli aggression."
Hezbollah beginning to crack: Wave of desertions
threatens Lebanese terror group - report
Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
Since Israel began ground operations in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah terrorists
have reportedly begun to abandon their posts and flee to Syria.
After over a year of launching aerial attacks against northern Israel, Hezbollah
has reportedly begun to crack as the Iran-backed terror group has experienced a
wave of desertions, sources told the Arabic independent online newspaper Elaph
in a report published Sunday.
Hezbollah’s membership was reportedly shaken after pager explosions saw 1000s of
its members wounded, its leadership eliminated in Israeli airstrikes, including
Hezbollah head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and now an Israeli ground operation into
southern Lebanon.
Those defecting, according to the source, are not reporting when summoned by
senior terrorists and not waiting in their assigned locations. Other terrorists
have reportedly fled to Syrian territory with their families, attempting to
avoid any confrontation with Israel at close range. Trying to survive its
members’s abandonment, sources told Elaph that the terror group has begun
sending reinforcements to southern Lebanon to confront Israeli soldiers. As a
result of combatants abandoning their posts, Hezbollah is now reportedly
struggling to communicate with its men on the ground. There are also fears that
the defections, now mainly a phenomenon in southern Lebanon, will spread to
terrorists throughout the country, the source claimed. The confrontations on the
southern border and escape by Hezbollah combatants have reportedly left the
group struggling to recruit new terrorists to fuel its fight against Israel.
Hezbollah's attacks on Israel
Hezbollah began firing on Israel only a day after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in
southern Israel - forming part of Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance.’ In addition to
some soldiers, the rocket fire has killed a number of civilians, including 12
Druze children in Majdal Shams, and forced tens of thousands of Israelis to
evacuate their homes. The constant fire and increasing civilian toll
eventually pushed the war cabinet to expand the goals of the Israel-Hamas War to
include the safe return of Israel’s northern residents. The ground operations,
which were not without controversy from Israel’s Western allies and the United
Nations, have seen numerous Hezbollah structures destroyed - including tunnels
that would have enabled the terror group to reenact their own October 7 attacks
in the North.
Hezbollah targets Israeli troops in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/October 28/2024
Hezbollah said its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon on
Monday, after earlier claiming repeated attacks on troops in the same area near
the border.
Hezbollah fighters targeted "an Israeli enemy troop gathering" near Wazzani
village "with a rocket salvo", the group said in a statement. Hezbollah also
ambushed Israeli troops near the nearby village of KfarKila on Monday. The
Iran-backed group said it "ambushed... the Israeli enemy's vehicles and soldiers
as they advanced towards" the outskirts of the border village of KfarKila ahead
of deadly clashes. It had earlier claimed four attacks with rockets and
artillery on Israeli troops at Fatima's Gate, a shuttered border crossing in
Kfarkila.
Hochstein to visit Tel Aviv, Qatari envoy to visit Beirut
Naharnet/October 28/2024
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein will meet Monday in Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the the possibility of halting the ongoing war
on Lebanon, media reports said.
Hochstein will later visit Beirut if he receives a positive response from
Netanyahu, the reports added. A senior Qatari security official will meanwile
visit Beirut in the coming days to discuss Lebanon’s demands and concerns, with
a diplomatic source saying that Speaker Nabih Berri has informed Egypt and Qatar
that Hezbollah has agreed to separate Lebanon’s front from Gaza and to implement
Resolution 1701. Berri’s press office however said the remarks attributed to
Berri about the negotiations were inaccurate. Informed sources meanwhile told
al-Joumhouria newspaper that “the U.S. mediator has been tasked by the U.S.
administration to exert extraordinary efforts to convince Israel to agree to the
ceasefire according to Resolution 1701’s stipulations, as long as the Lebanese
side has declared its commitment to it and as long as the Israeli army has said
that it has pushed most of Hezbollah’s fighters away from the border.” “The U.S.
side wants to swiftly reach an understanding between Israel and Lebanon over
this issue, prior to the date of the U.S. elections if possible,” the sources
added. Ad-Diyar newspaper for its part said that Hochstein will carry a proposal
for a two-month truce on the Lebanese border in order to “begin implementing
1701.”
Hezbollah targets Yodfat near Akka as Israel pounds south
Lebanon
Naharnet/October 28/2024
Hezbollah targeted Monday a military industrial company in Yodfat in northern
Israel, southeast of Akka, with a suicide drone, in tribute to slain Hezbollah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah later fired a barrage of advanced
rockets towards a naval base in the area of Haifa, with the Israeli military
saying Hezbollah launched more than 100 projectiles into Israel on Monday. The
Lebanese group also targeted Kiryat Shmona with a salvo of rockets as Israel
pounded south Lebanon. The Israeli army struck towns and villages in thew south
including Batoulay, Beit Leef, al-Henniyyeh, Byout al-Siyyad, al-Shaaytiyeh,
Borj Qalaway, al-Khiam, Loueizeh, Sarafand, Rihan, Ramadieh, Borghlieh, Qlayleh,
al-Ayshiyeh, Arab Salim, al-Hallousiyeh, Maaroub, Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, and
Kfarhouna. In the city of Tyre, an Israeli strike killed at least seven people
and wounded 10 others. Hezbollah said it launched "a rocket barrage at...a naval
base" in the Haifa area, after the strikes on Tyre. Israeli soldiers also
dynamited buildings in the border towns of Yarin, Marwahin, Dhayra and Em
el-Tout. On Saturday, strong explosions caused by the Israeli army in southern
border villages triggered earthquake warnings in large parts of Israel.
Meanwhile near Beirut, a drone targeting a car on the Araya main road in Baabda
missed its target, causing no casualties.
Lebanon Says Number Killed in Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
Surpasses 2,700 in a Year
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported Monday that 38 people were killed and 124
wounded over the past 24 hours, bringing the total toll from a year of conflict
between Hezbollah and Israel to 2,710 killed and 12,592 wounded. One quarter of
those killed were women and children.
The highest number of casualties has been recorded in the South province,
followed by Nabatiyeh, the Baalbek region and Bekaa Valley. The health ministry
reported that over the past year, 2,041 men have been killed and 9,881 wounded.
Women account for 532 fatalities and 2,351 injuries, while 157 children have
been killed and 1,129 injured. In the health care sector, the ministry said that
168 health workers have been killed, 232 wounded and 239 medical vehicles
damaged since Oct. 8. Additionally, 79 medical and ambulatory centers have been
affected, along with 38 hospitals. On Monday, intense airstrikes have continued
to pummel various villages across South Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. In one
case, two Israeli strikes killed six members of a single family in the town of
Bodai in the Baalbek province, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Britain’s Top Diplomat Says Israeli Govt Has Told Him
Its Military Operation in Lebanon Will End Soon
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers on Monday that he spoke to his
Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, on Sunday and “he sought to reassure me that
the operation that is currently under way, the targeted operation by the
Israelis, would come to an end shortly, as he put it.”Britain has called for
ceasefires in Israel’s campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
Lammy conceded that peace efforts had failed so far, but said “it is never too
late for peace, never too late for hope. This government will not give up on the
people of the region.”He urged Israel to let more aid into Gaza, saying “there
is no excuse for Israel’s government’s ongoing restrictions on humanitarian
assistance.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer was meeting Lebanese caretaker Prime
Minister Najib Mikati at 10 Downing St. on Monday to express UK support for
Lebanon.
Israel strike on Lebanon-Syria crossing hampers key
escape route
AFP/October 28, 2024
AL-QUSAYR: The flow of displaced families crossing from Lebanon into Syria via a
secondary crossing has slowed to a trickle after an Israeli strike there last
week, a local official told AFP on Monday. The land crossing on Lebanon’s
northeastern border, known as Jousieh on the Syrian side, connects to Qusayr in
Syria’s Homs province. It was put out of service last Friday when the Israeli
strike created a large crater that blocked vehicle traffic. The raid came after
the main land border with Syria, known as Masnaa on the Lebanese side and which
lies between Beirut and Damascus, was forced to close by an Israel strike on
October 4. The attacks have heavily constrained the ability of people to flee
Lebanon overland at a time when all airlines except the national carrier have
suspended flights. “The movement of displaced people has dropped by 90 percent
since the (Jousieh) crossing was targeted,” said Dabbah Al-Mashaal, a Syrian
official who oversees the crossing. “We used to receive about 1,500 people a
day, but today the number does not exceed 150,” he told AFP. Lebanese
authorities said on Friday that more than half a million people, mostly Syrians,
had crossed into Syrian territory since Israel began heavily striking Lebanon
late last month at the start of its all-out war with Hezbollah. Six official
land crossings connect the two countries, although there are many unofficial
routes along the porous border. Four connect Lebanon to Homs province to the
northeast. The province is home to the city of Qusayr, which became a major hub
for Hezbollah when it intervened in the Syrian civil war in support of President
Bashar Assad. At the Jousieh crossing on Monday, people were seen crossing into
Syria on foot, carrying their belongings in plastic bags and pushing buggies,
according to an AFP correspondent. The Israeli army said on Friday that it had
destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure at the crossing. Israel has repeatedly
accused the Iran-backed group of transferring weapons into Lebanon from Syria.
Since September 23, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 1,672
people, according to an AFP tally of nationwide health ministry figures though
the real number is likely to be higher due to data gaps.
Israel launches fresh strikes on Tyre after 7
killed in earlier raid
Agence France Presse/October 28, 2024
Israel launched fresh strikes Monday on Tyre, Lebanese state media said,
following an earlier raid that killed seven people. The National News Agency (NNA)
reported "a series of strikes" on the ancient coastal city, beginning with a
raid on a residential apartment. An AFP video journalist reported thick clouds
of smoke covering parts of Tyre, including rising from a building along the
seafront. The Israeli army had earlier told residents in parts of central Tyre
to leave immediately, warning it would attack Hezbollah targets there.
"Hezbollah's activities force the (Israeli military) to act against it
forcefully," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, urging
residents to "head north".An accompanying map showed large swathes of the city
marked in red, including an area abutting a UNESCO World Heritage site. The
union of Tyre municipalities received a phone call in Arabic, apparently from
the Israeli military, urging residents to evacuate several streets in the area,
a municipal source told AFP. The NNA said the union instructed the civil defense
and emergency personnel to use loudspeakers to urge residents to leave, "which
created a state of panic". Adraee said that Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in
Tyre, including “weapons and anti-tank missile depots, military buildings and
reconnaissance sites of various Hezbollah military units, including the Aziz
unit.” The Aziz unit is one of Hezbollah’s three military units and is
responsible for the western sector in southern Lebanon. The fresh strikes came
after a raid early on Monday in the center of the city killed seven people and
wounded 17 others, according to a health ministry statement. The AFP video
journalist saw emergency personnel rush a survivor to an ambulance on a
stretcher, while other rescuers worked to put out a fire at the site, where a
residential apartment block had collapsed. Israel last month escalated air
strikes on Hezbollah strongholds and sent ground forces into Lebanon, following
a year of cross-border exchanges of fire with the Iran-backed group over the
Gaza war. Tyre was subjected to heavy Israeli strikes last week, leaving parts
of the center in ruins.
Buildings along Tyre waterfront destroyed by Israeli
airstrikes
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/October 28, 2024
BEIRUT: Israeli attacks on targets in southern Lebanon escalated on Monday, with
the Lebanese army, paramedics and civilians among those caught in the firing
line. Clouds of smoke hung over the coastal city of Tyre. It was subjected to
the fiercest aerial bombardment, which destroyed or damaged large numbers of
residential, commercial and educational buildings, including dozens of
properties along the seafront. On Monday morning, Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson
for the Israeli military, displayed a map indicating large parts of the city he
said would be targeted and warned residents to leave immediately. It coincided
with a call from Israeli authorities to the Union of Tyre Municipalities
demanding that some parts of the city be evacuated. Civil Defense officials
immediately issued warnings over loudspeakers urging people in those areas to
leave.
Minutes later, Israeli warplanes carried out initial raids ahead of the main
strikes, including one that targeted the Raml neighborhood in the heart of Tyre,
in which an entire family, the Muslimanis, was reportedly killed. The Ministry
of Health said five people were killed and 10 injured on Monday. The total death
toll from Israeli attacks on the country now exceeds 2,670, and 12,490 people
have been injured. Few villages in southern Lebanon have been spared from
Israeli airstrikes on homes and civilian infrastructure. The Lebanese Army
Command said an army bulldozer was fired upon while it was being used to help
clear and reopen the Borj Qalaouiye to Kfar Dounine road. A soldier was injured
in the attack. Israeli artillery targeted members of the Lebanese Civil Defense
while they were fighting a fire in olive groves in the town of Burj Al-Malouk,
forcing them to abandon their attempts and withdraw.
The Israeli army also reportedly attacked ambulances and fire engines to prevent
them from accessing certain areas, on the grounds that they might be “carrying
Hezbollah members or weapons.”Political observers in Lebanon interpreted the
latest Israeli escalation as a tool for leverage in negotiations with Lebanese
authorities. It coincided with a visit by US special envoy Amos Hochstein to Tel
Aviv for talks on a ceasefire proposal he discussed in Beirut last week with
Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, and Najib Mikati, the
caretaker prime minister. Hezbollah authorized Berri to lead the negotiations.
No part of southern Lebanon has escaped the Israeli aerial onslaught. Fighter
jets twice targeted the outskirts of the town of Qatrani in the Jezzine
district. The bodies of five people were found in the rubble of houses in the
town of Shaqra, which was hit by airstrikes in the past week. Seven people were
killed and 24 injured in an assault on the town of Ain Baal, including a nurse
and three paramedics. Attacks on the Kfar Jouz region of Nabatieh using
concussion missiles caused significant damage to numerous buildings and shops.
The Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital and the Lebanese Popular Secure Hospital,
close to the targeted zone, also suffered considerable damage. Civil defense and
medical teams continued to search the rubble for survivors on Sunday, despite
the ongoing risk of further Israeli strikes.
There was a lull in the airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday
night, and some residents took the opportunity to return to their homes there on
Monday morning to salvage what they could of their possessions. Several people
spoke of “smells of death emanating from the rubble.”A young man named Hussein,
who was checking his family’s home, said: “It is the scent of corpses.” A
building in Beirut damaged by airstrikes collapsed on Monday. Residents of
targeted neighborhoods said they fear other buildings will fall, particularly as
winter approaches, due to “the extent of the damage inflicted on the buildings
from the bombardment.”Elsewhere, an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle on the Aria
Road with a missile. The driver survived. Remote villages in the Bekaa region
were hit by airstrikes that killed two people and injured four in the town of
Al-Halaniya. Also on Monday, an air raid on the periphery of the town of
Chmestar killed resident Ali Samaha and injured three children.
Hezbollah again warned residents to evacuate settlements in northern Israel, and
fired rockets at Israeli forces around the settlements of Manara, Margaliot and
Kiryat Shmona. Confrontations were also reported along the border to prevent
Israeli incursions. Hezbollah also said it targeted an Israeli military gatherng
at Fatima Gate. The Israeli army said 15 soldiers were killed and 88 injured
over the past two days in southern Lebanon. Attacks by Israel on media
facilities and journalists in Hasbaya in southern Lebanon, and the Ouzai area of
the southern suburbs of Beirut, prompted Lebanese authorities to register a
formal complaint with the UN Security Council. Photographers Wissam Qassem and
Ghassan Najar and technician Mohammed Reda were killed in the attacks, and
several journalists and photographers were injured. Fifty Lebanese MPs,
representing various parliamentary blocs, gathered on Monday at the parliament
to discuss the mass displacement of residents from southern regions, the Bekaa
and southern suburbs of Beirut as a result of the conflict. The meeting took
place against a backdrop of political divisions over whether to continue the
conflict or pursue a ceasefire. In a joint statement, the participating MPs
highlighted the importance of recognizing “displacement as a national concern
that affects everyone, necessitating an approach based on the principles and
rules of national solidarity.”They urged “security, military and municipal
authorities to ensure the safety of displaced people and local populations and
to enforce laws rigorously,” and called for action to be taken to prevent any
armed presence, whether among displaced communities or residents, and discourage
people from taking the law into their own hands. The MPs emphasized “the
necessity for all residents and displaced people to adhere to the law and
public-order regulations, and to respect private properties and refrain from
encroaching upon them or utilizing them without the consent of their owners.”
They called for “the registration of displaced people” and urged those wishing
to engage in any form of commercial or professional activities “to obtain the
necessary permits from the relevant authorities and the municipality.”
EU renews call for 'immediate ceasefire' in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/October 28, 2024
The EU foreign policy chief on Monday renewed calls for an "immediate ceasefire"
in Lebanon and condemned Israel's "unacceptable attacks" on U.N. peacekeepers.
The offensive against Hezbollah has thrust the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission to
the forefront of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. UNIFIL, deployed in
southern Lebanon since 1978, has reported several injuries and damage to its
facilities since Israel launched its ground offensive at the end of September.
The European Union calls "for an immediate ceasefire across the blue lines"
UNIFIL monitors and the respect of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions,
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a forum in Barcelona. Only U.N.
peacekeepers and the Lebanese army should be deployed in southern Lebanon,
according to a 2006 Security Council resolution agreed after the last
Israel-Hezbollah war that year. Borrell also spoke of "condemning the
unacceptable attacks" by Israeli forces against UNIFIL structures and personnel.
Referring to U.N. warnings that Gaza's humanitarian crisis was the worst since
World War II, Borrell said the forum gathering leaders from the Mediterranean
region must do more than "just expressing concern"."The way this war is being
taken against civilians has grave concerns and put too many unanswered
questions."
Lebanon complains to UN over latest deadly Israel strike
on journalists
Agence France Presse/October 28, 2024
Lebanon said Monday it had submitted a complaint to the United Nations Security
Council over an Israeli strike last week that killed three journalists in the
country's south. The strike early Friday hit a complex in the Druze-majority
town of Hasbaya in south Lebanon where more than a dozen journalists from
Lebanese and Arab media outlets were sleeping. The Israeli army said Friday that
the strike was "under review", maintaining it had targeted Hezbollah militants.
Lebanon submitted "a complaint to the Security Council regarding the latest
Israeli attacks that targeted journalists and media facilities in Hasbaya in
south Lebanon, and the Ouzai area" in Beirut's southern suburbs, a statement
from the foreign ministry said on social media platform X. "The repeated Israeli
targeting of media crews is a war crime" and Israel must be "held to account and
punished", the statement added. Cameraman Ghassan Najjar and broadcast engineer
Mohammad Reda from pro-Iran, Beirut-based broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, and video
journalist Wissam Qassem from Hezbollah's Al-Manar television, were killed in
the strike on the complex in Hasbaya, relatively far from the Israel-Hezbollah
war's main flashpoints.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the attack was deliberate and both he and
Information Minister Ziad Makary labelled it a war crime. Days earlier, Al-Mayadeen
said an Israeli strike hit an office the broadcaster had vacated near Ouzai in
south Beirut. Israel launched an intense air campaign in Lebanon last month and
later launched ground incursions following a year of cross-border clashes with
Hezbollah. In October last year, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed by
Israeli shellfire while he was covering southern Lebanon, and six other
journalists were wounded, including AFP's Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, who
had to have her right leg amputated. Last November, Israeli bombardment killed
Al-Mayadeen correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari, the channel
said. Lebanese rights groups said five more journalists and photographers
working for local media had been killed in Israeli strikes on the country's
south and Beirut's southern suburbs.
Is targeting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon a war crime? Here’s
what international law says
Giacomo Biggio, Lecturer in Law, University of Bristol Law School, University of
Bristol
The Conversation/October 28, 2024
Recent incidents involving the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the United
Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (Unifil) have raised an important question.
Can Israel lawfully target UN peacekeepers and premises in Lebanon, or would
that constitute a war crime? To answer that question, it’s worth looking at the
rules of International Humanitarian Law and how they relate to these apparent
attacks by the IDF. First though, some background. Since Israeli troops entered
Lebanon on October 1, there have been a number of incidents where IDF units have
apparently targeted Unifil positions in southern Lebanon. This happened most
recently on October 20, when the UN reported that “an IDF bulldozer deliberately
demolished an observation tower and perimeter fence of a UN position” in
Marwahin, near Lebanon’s border with Israel.
Israel has repeatedly called for Unifil units to withdraw from the area. But,
according to a UN statement of October 22: “Despite the pressure being exerted
on the mission and our troop-contributing countries, peacekeepers remain in all
positions.” The UN statement added that: “breaching a UN position and damaging
UN assets is a flagrant violation of international law and Security Council
resolution 1701. It also endangers the safety and security of our peacekeepers
in violation of international humanitarian law.”
Getting to grips with the legal position involved here begins by looking at the
principle of “distinction”. This requires a party to the conflict to distinguish
at all times between civilian and combatants, and between civilian objects and
military objectives.
A combatant is everyone who is a member of the armed forces of a party to the
conflict, with the exception of medical and religious personnel. In turn, the
notion of armed forces comprises all organised armed forces, groups and units
which are under a command responsible to that party for the conduct of its
subordinates. Everyone who falls outside this category is considered a civilian.
It’s a fundamentally important distinction. Combatants can be killed unless they
are hors de combat (captured, trying to surrender or incapacitated). Civilians,
meanwhile, enjoy absolute protection from attack and cannot intentionally be
targeted unless they take a direct part in hostilities.
Civilians or combatants?
So, are Unifil peacekeepers combatants or civilians? Despite Unifil being armed
and under military command, it is a peacekeeping force and not a party to the
conflict. Unifil is mandated by UN security council resolution 1701. It operates
with the consent of its host state, Lebanon, and in accordance with the
principles of neutrality, impartiality and limited use of force. Since the war
between Israel and Hezbollah ended in 2006, its job has been to confirm Israel’s
withdrawal from southern Lebanon, ensure that the government of Lebanon
exercises effective authority in the area and prevent the entry of weapons into
the region. Crucially, Unifil is not engaged in hostilities with either the IDF
or Hezbollah. So it is not a party to the conflict. From this it follows that
Unifil peacekeepers must be considered civilians and enjoy protection from
attack. So they cannot be intentionally attacked by the IDF unless they engage
in conduct amounting to “direct participation in hostilities” (DPH). For conduct
to qualify as DPH, it must either kill or injure a party to an armed conflict,
or destroy or damage a protected object. This must be deliberate, intentional
and result directly from the action of the person accused.
In practice, this means that a peacekeeper would be committing DPH by, for
example, shooting on IDF soldiers with the intent of affecting their military
operations. If that was the case, a peacekeeper would lose protection from
attack, but only for the time they engage in the conduct amounting to DPH. After
this conduct has ended, they would regain protection from attack. Crucially,
Unifil peacekeepers have never fired on IDF soldiers. If they did perhaps return
fire from IDF soldiers, they would acting in self defence, rather than with the
intention of affecting the IDF’s military operations. So their actions would not
be sufficient for them to be regarded as combatants and they’d still be
protected as civilians.
What is a legitimate military target?
The same conclusion can be reached with regards to IDF attacks on Unifil’s
premises. These qualify as civilian objects and are protected from direct
attack. Only military objectives are legitimate targets because, according to
IHL, they make “an effective contribution to military action” and their capture,
destruction or neutralisation offers a definite military advantage. Clearly,
that is not the case for Unifil posts. So attacking Unifil peacekeepers and
premises would violate the principle of distinction and qualify as a war crime
under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. So, intentionally
demolishing a Unifil watchtower with an IDF bulldozer, as happened recently,
appears to qualify as a war crime, despite the claim that there was a Hezbollah
weapons cache near the watchtower. It’s worth adding that peacekeepers and their
premises must be the intended target of the attack for it to be a violation of
the principle of distinction. If the IDF’s target was – as claimed – a nearby
Hezbollah weapons cache, which clearly qualifies as a military objective, any
resulting damage to peacekeepers or their premises must be evaluated under the
principle of “proportionality” and must not exceed the military advantage
anticipated from the attack. Once again, launching an attack with the knowledge
it would cause excessive incidental damage would amount to a war crime. In the
confusion of an IDF offensive in southern Lebanon it’s impossible to ascertain
all the details beyond reasonable doubt. Knowing what actually happened is one
thing. But once the fog of war lifts and the details become clear, so will the
judgment of international law.
*This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons
license. Read the original article.
*Giacomo Biggio does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding
from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has
disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Lebanon Says Five Dead in Israeli Strike on Tyre City
Center
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Lebanon's health ministry said Israel struck the southern city of Tyre on
Monday, killing at least five people and wounding 10 others. An "Israeli enemy
strike this morning on a building" in the center of the coastal city "led to a
provisional toll of five dead and 10 wounded", a health ministry statement said.
It added that "work is ongoing to remove the rubble". An AFP video journalist
saw emergency personnel rush a survivor to an ambulance on a stretcher, while
other rescuers worked to put out a heavily smoldering fire at the site, where a
residential apartment block had collapsed like a pancake.
Tyre, an ancient coastal city which boasts a UNESCO World Heritage site, was
subjected to heavy Israeli strikes last week, leaving swathes of the center in
ruins. Israel last month escalated air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds and sent
ground forces into Lebanon, following a year of cross-border exchanges of fire
with the Iran-backed group over the Gaza war.
Israeli forces maintain military pressure on Hezbollah in
Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza
Paul Godfrey/United Press International/October 28, 2024
The Israeli military said Monday it took out at least one cell of Hezbollah
fighters in southern Lebanon amid tactical advances in both its northern theater
and in the south in Gaza.
As part of operations targeting "terrorist" infrastructure and confiscating
weapons, territorial units of the Israel Defense Forces 91st Division identified
a Hezbollah military structure in the early hours "that posed a threat to our
forces," and called in airstrikes to destroy the facility, the IDF wrote in a
post on X. "In a quick closing of the circle and in cooperation with the Air
Force, the cell was eliminated," it said in the post which was accompanied by
night vision footage of a structure being targeted with a guided bomb and then
obliterated.
Separately, IDF said forces of its 146th reserves division had located and
destroyed infrastructure and accommodation facilities "where terrorists of the
Hezbollah terrorist organization have fortified themselves in southern Lebanon
for the purpose of harming our forces."
Air Force fighter jets also "eliminated dozens of terrorists" in strikes on
dozens of targets, including a launcher the IDF said was being used to fire
rockets into northern Israel. In Gaza, meanwhile, the IDF's Southern Command
claimed to have scored at least three tactical victories over Hamas in the past
day across the strip. Soldiers of the 252nd "Sinai" division killed "terrorists"
and took out a military structure in targeted raids in central Gaza while troops
in Rafah in the south near the Egyptian border called in airstrikes after
spotting militants in a building that had been booby-trapped, killing the
occupants. An operation by armored divisions focused on the Jabalia district in
the north continued "eliminating dozens of terrorists" from the ground and from
the air, with the help of the Air Force. They also conducted reconnaissance,
locating and destroying shafts below ground and uncovering large numbers of
weapons.
The military stressed troops had continued to do the best they could to move
civilians out of harm's way. "The forces continue their efforts to evacuate the
citizens to safe areas, despite Hamas' efforts to prevent the citizens from
doing so," said the IDF.
As events on the battlefield continued to unfold, Israeli intelligence chief
David Barnea arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, joining CIA Director Bill
Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to try to get
some movement on an agreement to free the 100 or so hostages still being held in
Gaza. The trio will hold talks on "various possibilities to restart negotiations
for the release of hostages from Hamas captivity, based on recent developments,"
The Times of Israel quoted Al Thani's office as saying. The "recent
developments" refer to the killing by the IDF of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar whose
hardline stance was thought a key factor in the lack of progress. Hostages have
been periodically rescued in operations by Israeli special forces but none have
been handed back for the past 11 months. Hamas is not party to the discussions
but may be involved down the line -- at arm's length -- with Qatari mediators
acting as go-betweens between the Israelis and Americans and Hamas as the two
principals cannot talk to Hamas directly as they consider it a terror
organization and have banned it. Israel is said to be looking at a pilot
mini-deal -- as a way of figuring out where things stand within the post-Sinwar
Hamas -- which could serve as the foundation for a comprehensive deal. Another
possibility is a proposal from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for a
two-day cease-fire in Gaza at the end of which four Israeli hostages would be
swapped for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Barnea has reportedly been instructed to try to push for better terms while
Hamas will lay out a comprehensive deal to end the conflict immediately by the
withdrawal from Gaza of all Israeli forces and the release of all hostages in
exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Israeli campaign leaves Lebanese border towns in ruins,
satellite images show
Maya Gebeily and Milan Pavicic/Reuters/October 28, 2024
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel's military campaign in southern Lebanon has caused
vast destruction in more than a dozen border towns and villages, reducing many
of them to clusters of grey craters, according to satellite imagery provided to
Reuters by Planet Labs Inc.
Many of the towns, emptied of their residents by the bombing, had been inhabited
for at least two centuries. The imagery reviewed includes towns between Kfarkela
in southeastern Lebanon, south past Meiss al-Jabal, and then west past a base
used by U.N. peacekeepers to the small village of Labbouneh. "There are
beautiful old homes, hundreds of years old. Thousands of artillery shells have
hit the town, hundreds of air strikes," said Abdulmonem Choukeir, mayor of Meiss
al-Jabal, one of the villages hit by Israeli attacks. "Who knows what will still
be standing at the end?"
Reuters compared satellite images taken in October 2023 to those taken in
September and October 2024. Many of the villages with striking visible damage
over the course of the last month sit atop hills overlooking Israel. After
nearly a year of exchanging fire across the border, Israel intensified its
strikes on southern Lebanon and beyond over the last month. Israeli troops have
made ground incursions all along the mountainous frontier with Lebanon, engaging
in heavy clashes with Hezbollah fighters inside some towns. Lebanon's disaster
risk management unit, which tracks both victims and attacks on specific towns,
said the 14 towns reviewed by Reuters had been subject to a total of 3,809
attacks by Israel over the last year. Israel's military did not immediately
respond to Reuters questions about the scale of destruction. Israel's military
spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Oct. 24 that Israel has struck more than 3,200
targets in south Lebanon. The military says it is attacking towns in southern
Lebanon because Hezbollah has turned "civilian villages into fortified combat
zones," hiding weapons, explosives and vehicles there. Hezbollah denies using
civilian infrastructure to launch attacks or store weapons, and residents of the
towns deny the assertion. A person familiar with Israel's military operations in
Lebanon told Reuters that troops were systematically attacking towns with
strategic overlook points, including Mhaibib. The person said that Israel had
"learned lessons" after its last war with Hezbollah in 2006, including incidents
in which troops making ground incursions into the valleys of southern Lebanon
were attacked by Hezbollah fighters on hilltops. "That is why they are targeting
these villages so heavily - so they can move more freely," the person said. The
most recent images of Kfarkela showed a string of white splotches along a main
road leading into a town. Imagery taken last year showed the same road lined
with houses and green vegetation, indicating the houses had been pulverized.
Further south, Meiss al-Jabal, a town 700 meters (yards) away from the
U.N.-demarcated Blue Line separating Israeli and Lebanese territory, suffered
significant destruction to an entire block near the town centre. The area,
measuring approximately 150 meters by 400 metres, appeared as a swatch of sandy
brown, signalling the buildings there had been entirely flattened. Images from
the same month in 2023 showed a densely packed neighbourhood of homes.
'ANY SIGN OF LIFE'
At least 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israel's strikes and more
than 2,600 have been killed over the last year - a vast majority in the last
month, Lebanon's government says.
Residents of the border villages have not been able to reach their hometowns in
months. "After war came to Meiss al-Jabal, after the residents left, we no
longer know anything about the state of the village," Meiss al-Jabal's mayor
said. Imagery of the nearby village of Mhaibib depicted similar levels of
destruction. Mhaibib is one of several villages - alongside Kfarkela, Aitaroun,
Odaisseh, and Ramyeh - featured in footage shared on social media showing
simultaneous explosions of several structures at once, indicating they had been
laden with explosives. Israel's military spokesman said on Oct. 24 that a
command centre for Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit lay under Mhaibib, and that
Israeli troops had "neutralised the main tunnel network" used by the group, but
did not give details. Hagari has said that Israel's goal is to "push Hezbollah
away from the border, dismantle its capabilities, and eliminate the threat to
northern residents" of Israel."This is a plan you take off the shelf," said Jon
Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) in Washington. "Militaries plan, and they're executing the
plan."Seth Jones, another senior vice president at CSIS, had earlier told
Reuters that Hezbollah used frontline villages to fire its shorter-range rockets
into Israel. Lubnan Baalbaki, the conductor of Lebanon's philharmonic orchestra
and son of late Lebanese artist Abdel-Hamid Baalbaki, said his family had been
purchasing satellite imagery of their hometown of Odaisseh to check if the
family house still stood.
The house had been transformed by Abdel-Hamid into a cultural centre, full of
his art works, original sketches and more than 1,000 books in an all-wood
library. Abdel-Hamid passed away in 2013 and was buried behind the house with
his late wife. "We're a family of artists, my father is well-known, and our home
was a known cultural home. We were trying to reassure ourselves with that
thought," Baalbaki, the son, told Reuters. Until late October, the house still
stood. But at the weekend Baalbaki saw a video circulating of several homes in
Odaisseh, including his family's, exploding. The family is not affiliated to
Hezbollah and Baalbaki denied that any weapons or military equipment were stored
there. "If you have such high-level intelligence that you can target specific
military figures, then you know what's in that house," Baalbaki said. "It was an
art house. We are all artists. The aim is to erase any sign of life."
In Beirut, a photographer's frozen moments slow down
time
Associated Press/October 28, 2024
We watch video after video, consuming the world on our handheld devices in bites
of two minutes, one minute, 30 seconds, 15. We turn to moving pictures — "film"
— because it comes the closest to approximating the world that we see and
experience. This is, after all, 2024, and video in our pocket — ours, others',
everyone's — has become our birthright. But sometimes — even in this era of live
video always rolling, always recording, always capturing — sometimes the frozen
moment can entrance the eye like nothing else. And in the process, it can tell a
larger story that echoes long after the moment was captured. That's what
happened this past week in Beirut, through the camera lens of Associated Press
photographer Bilal Hussein and the photographs he captured. When Hussein set up
his camera outside an evacuated Beirut apartment building Tuesday after Israel
announced it would be targeted as part of military operations against Hezbollah,
he had one goal in mind — only one. "All I thought of," he says, "was
photographing the missile while it was coming down." He found a safe spot. He
ensured a good angle. He wasn't stressed, he said; like many photographers who
work in such environments, he had been in situations like this one before. He
was ready. When the attack came — a bomb, not a missile in the end — Hussein
swung into action. And, unsurprisingly for a professional who has been doing
this work for two decades, he did exactly what he set out to do.
Time slowed down
The sequence of images he made bursts with the explosive energy of its subject
matter.
In one frame, the bomb hangs there, a weird and obtrusive interloper in the
scene. It is not yet noticed by anyone around it, ready to bring its destruction
to a building that, in moments, will no longer exist. The building's balconies,
a split-second from nonexistence, are devoid of people as the bomb finds its
mark. These are the kind of moments that video, rolling at the speed of life or
even in slow motion, cannot capture in the same way. A photo holds us in the
scene, stops time, invites a viewer to take the most chaotic of events and break
it down, looking around and noticing things in a strangely silent way that
actual life could not. In another frame, one that happened micromoments after
the first, the building is in the process of exploding. Let's repeat that for
effect, since even as recently as a couple generations ago photographs like this
were rare: in the process of exploding. Pieces of building are shooting out in
all directions, in high velocity — in real life. But in the image they are
frozen, outward bound, hanging in space awaiting the next seconds of their
dissolution — just like the bomb that displaced them was doing milliseconds
before. And in that, a contemplation of the destruction — and the people it was
visited upon — becomes possible.
Tech gives us new prisms to see the world
The technology to grab so many images in the course of little more than one
second — and do it in such clarity and high resolution — is barely a generation
old. So to see these "stills," as journalists call them, come together to paint
a picture of an event is a combination of artistry, intrepidity and technology —
an exercise in freezing time, and in giving people the opportunity to
contemplate for minutes, even hours, what took place in mere seconds. This holds
true for positive things that the camera captures — and for visitations of
violence like this one as well. Photography is random access. We, the viewers of
it, choose how to see it, process it, digest it. We go backward and forward in
time, at will. We control the pace and the speed at which dizzying images hurtle
at us. And in that process, something unusual for this era emerges: a bit of
time to think.That, among many other things, is the enduring power of the still
image in a moving-picture world — and the power of what Bilal Hussein captured
on that clear, sunny day in Beirut.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on October 28-29/2024
Netanyahu says ready to accept Egypt's proposal for Gaza ceasefire
Associated Press/October 28, 2024
Israel is discussing an Egyptian cease-fire proposal that would see four
hostages released in exchange for a two-day halt to the fighting in Gaza, an
Israel official said Monday. The official said the discussions were both
internal and with Egyptian officials. “We are examining every possible option to
advance a deal,” the official said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed
enthusiasm for the deal in a meeting with his Likud party on Monday, according
to another official. The official, who attended the meeting, said Netanyahu told
lawmakers that he would immediately take the Egyptian proposal. He quoted
Netanyahu as saying, "I am ready, even now.”Both officials spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations
about the proposal with the media. Hamas has yet to formally respond to the
plan. Netanyahu's office later issued a statement saying the head of Mossad Dedi
Barnea returned today from Doha from his meeting with the head of the CIA and
the Prime Minister of Qatar. "At the meeting, the parties discussed a new
unified outline that combines previous proposals and also takes into account the
main issues and recent developments in the region," Netanyahu's office said. "In
the coming days, the discussions between the mediators and Hamas will continue
to examine the feasibility of talks and continuing to try to promote a deal,"
the office added.
Israel wants more peace deals with Arab
countries after war, Netanyahu says
Reuters/October 28, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he hopes to reach peace
deals with more Arab countries once the war against Iranian proxies Hamas and
Hezbollah is complete. "The day after Hamas no longer controls Gaza and
Hezbollah no longer sits on our northern border, we are working these days on
plans to stabilize those two fronts. But the day after includes something else
of utmost importance," Netanyahu said in a speech to parliament. "I aspire to
continue the process I led a few years ago of the signing of the historic
Abraham Accords, and achieve peace with more Arab countries," he said. Israel,
under the U.S.-brokered 2020 accords, normalized relations with four Arab
countries - the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Since then,
Israel, with U.S. support, has sought to also include other nations,
particularly Saudi Arabia. Riyadh says it will not recognise Israel without the
creation of a Palestinian state. "These countries, and other countries, see
clearly the blows we are landing on those who attack us, the Iranian axis of
evil," he said. "They aspire, like us, for a stable, secure and prosperous
Middle East."
Iranian-German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd, who lived in US,
executed in Iran over terror conviction
Jon Gambrell/The Associated Press/October 28, 2024
Iranian-German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd, who was kidnapped in Dubai in 2020 by
Iranian security forces, has been executed in Iran after being convicted on
terror charges disputed by his family, the country's judiciary reported Monday.
The judiciary's Mizan news agency reported his execution took place Monday
morning. Iran accused Sharmahd, who lived in Glendora, California, of planning a
2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200 others, as
well as plotting other assaults through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of
Iran and its Tondar militant wing.His family disputed the allegations and had
worked for years to see him freed.
Netanyahu vows to prevent Iran from
acquiring nuclear weapons following IDF strikes
Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
The Biden administration had been very public in its insistence that Israel not
strike Iran's nuclear facilities or its oil fields. Israel is determined to stop
Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the
Knesset as he touted the IDF's successful strike against the Islamic Republic's
conventional military targets, including its production of anti-ballistic
missiles. "Stopping the Iranian nuclear program is at the forefront of our
minds, and for obvious reasons, I cannot share with you all our plans and
actions in this regard," Netanyahu said as he addressed the opening plenum of
the Knesset's winter session. "Our long-term strategy, which I hope will be
achieved in the near future, is to dismantle the axis of evil, cut off its arms
in the south and in the north" and "to exact a heavy price from Iran and its
proxies, and to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," Netanyahu stated.
"I have not given up, and we will not give up on this central goal," he
stressed. Netanyahu had been under pressure to order an IDF strike on Iranian
nuclear facilities as part of Israel's retaliatory strike against the Islamic
Republic on Saturday morning.
Security decisions amid US pressure
The Biden administration had been very public in its insistence that Israel not
strike Iran's nuclear facilities or its oil fields. His opponents have accused
him of caving to US pressure and not taking into account Israel's strategic
needs. What is Outbrain
Netanyahu defended himself against such charges during his speech, "We
maintain a continuous dialogue with our American friends, but the fateful
decisions concerning our security, including the choice of goals and objectives,
we make ourselves, according to our interests and considerations," he stated.
Radar systems in Iran breached prior to Israel's Saturday counter-strike -
report
Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
Due to this possible breach, Iran's ability to intercept targets was limited and
allowed the Israeli air force to penetrate Iranian airspace.
Shortly before Israel launched its retaliatory attack on Iran on Saturday, radar
systems in the Iranian defense systems were breached, and the radar screens
froze, KAN reported on Monday, citing Iranian sources. Due to this possible
breach, Iran's ability to intercept targets was limited and allowed the Israeli
air force to penetrate Iranian airspace, Iranian sources were cited by the
Israeli state broadcaster as saying. Prior to launching the attack on Iran on
Saturday, Israel conducted a preliminary strike on radar targets in Syria aimed
at "blinding" Iran's capabilities. Shortly before Israel launched its
retaliatory attack on Iran on Saturday, radar systems in the Iranian defense
systems were breached, and the radar screens froze, KAN reported on Monday,
citing Iranian sources. Due to this possible breach, Iran's ability to intercept
targets was limited and allowed the Israeli air force to penetrate Iranian
airspace, Iranian sources were cited by the Israeli state broadcaster as saying.
Prior to launching the attack on Iran on Saturday, Israel conducted a
preliminary strike on radar targets in Syria aimed at "blinding" Iran's
capabilities.
Iran's military later said that Israeli warplanes used "very light warheads" to
strike border radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and around
Tehran. Amir Bohbot and Reuters contributed to this report.
Barnea held talks in Doha on ‘new framework’ for hostage
Gaza deal
Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
The talks marked the first high-level discussion on a hostage deal that has been
held since Hamas executed six of the captives, including Israeli-US citizen
Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
Mossad Chief David Barnea returned from Doha, where he held talks on a new
framework for an agreement to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages
there. He met in Doha with CIA Director William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister
Mohammed Al-Thani. “The sides discussed a new unified framework that integrates
previous proposals and also takes into account the main issues and recent
developments in the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. “The discussions
between the mediators and Hamas will continue in the coming days in order to
evaluate the feasibility of talks and the continued effort to advance a deal,”
it added.
High-level talks on hostage deal
The talks marked the first high-level discussion on a hostage deal that has been
held since Hamas executed six of the captives, including Israeli-US citizen
Hirsch Goldberg-Polin. They took some two weeks after the IDF assassinated Hamas
leader Yahya Sinwar, whom the US and Israel viewed as a stumbling block to
achieving a deal. Qatar and Egypt, with the help of the US, have been the main
mediators for talks. Egypt was not present for the initial Dohan discussions but
is expected to join future talks.
Israel Says It Will Continue Talks with Mediators on
Potential Hamas Ceasefire
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Israel’s government said it would continue its discussion with international
mediators about a potential ceasefire deal in its war with Hamas, as the head of
the Mossad spy agency returned from Qatar on Monday after taking part in the
latest round of in-person talks. David Barnea met with the head of the CIA, Bill
Burns, and the Prime Minister of Qatar in Doha, Israel’s prime minister’s office
said in a brief statement. “In the coming days, the discussions between the
mediators and with Hamas will continue to examine the feasibility of talks and
the continuation of attempts to advance a deal,” the statement said. Washington
and Qatar have been key mediators in the stalled negotiations between Israel and
Hamas. The new round of talks was announced by the US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken last week. Neither Hamas nor Israel has shown any sign of softening
their demands since the negotiations sputtered to a halt over the summer.
Palestinians Say 100,000 Residents Trapped in Israel’s
North Gaza Offensive
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Israeli tanks thrust deeper on Monday into two north Gaza towns and a historic
refugee camp, trapping around 100,000 civilians, the Palestinian emergency
service said, in what the military said were operations to eliminate regrouping
Hamas fighters. The Israeli military said soldiers captured around 100 suspected
Hamas fighters in a raid into Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Jabalia camp. Hamas
and medics have denied any militant presence at the hospital. The Gaza Strip's
health ministry said at least 19 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and
bombardment on Monday, 13 of them in the north of the devastated coastal
territory. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said around 100,000 people
were marooned in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun without medical or food
supplies. Reuters could not verify the number independently. The emergency
service said its operations had come to a halt because of the three-week Israeli
assault into the north, an area where the military said it had wiped out Hamas
combat forces earlier in the year-long war. Talks led by the US, Egypt and Qatar
to broker a ceasefire resumed on Sunday after multiple abortive attempts, with
Egypt's president proposing an initial two-day truce to exchange four Israeli
hostages of Hamas for some Palestinian prisoners, to be followed by talks within
10 days on a permanent ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said
on Monday the latest meetings in Doha focused on a new outline that takes into
account previous proposals and regional developments.He said mediators would
resume talks in coming days "in a continued attempt to advance a deal", without
elaborating. To date, Israel has repeatedly said the war will go on until Hamas
is eradicated while the movement has ruled out end to fighting until Israeli
forces leave Gaza. Gaza's war has kindled wider conflict in the Middle East,
raising concern about global oil supplies, with Israel carrying out bombings
across Lebanon and sending forces into its south in an offensive to disable
Iran-backed Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. It has also triggered rare direct
clashes between regional arch-foes Israel and Iran. At the weekend, Israeli
warplanes pounded missile production sites in Iran in retaliation for an Oct. 1
Iranian missile volley at Israel. Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday Tehran
would "use all available tools" to respond to Israel's weekend attack.
'NONSENSE TALK OF CEASEFIRE'
North Gaza's three major hospitals, whose officials refused Israel's orders to
evacuate, said they were hardly operating. At least two had been damaged by
Israeli fire during the assault and run out of medical, food and fuel stocks. At
least one doctor, a nurse and two child patients had died in those hospitals due
to a lack of treatment in the past week. North Gaza residents said Israeli
forces were besieging schools and other shelters housing displaced families,
ordering them out before rounding up men and pushing women and children to leave
the area for Gaza City and points in the south.Only a few families headed toward
southern Gaza as the majority preferred to relocate temporarily in Gaza City,
fearing they could otherwise never regain access to their homes. Some said they
had written their death notices in case they died from the constant bombardment.
"While the world is busy with Lebanon and new nonsense talk about a few days of
ceasefire (in Gaza), the Israeli occupation is wiping out north Gaza and
displacing its people," a resident of Jabalia told Reuters by a chat app. The
Israeli military says its forces operate in keeping with international law and
accuses fighters of hiding fighters and weaponry in civilian areas including
hospitals and schools, a charge Hamas denies. North Gaza was the first part of
the enclave to be hammered by Israel's ground offensive after Hamas'
cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, with intensive bombing largely flattening
towns. Nevertheless, Hamas-led fighters continue to attack Israeli forces in
hit-and-run operations. Hamas' 2023 attack killed 1,200 people and resulted in
more than 250 hostages being taken into Gaza, per Israeli tallies. The death
toll from Israel's retaliatory air and ground onslaught in Gaza has reached
43,020, the Gaza health ministry said in an update on Monday.
Israel wants to shut down the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees. What would that mean?
Joseph Krauss, Julia Frankel And Mel Lidman/The Associated
Press/October 28, 2024
Israel's parliament is considering severing ties with the U.N. agency for
Palestinian refugees, a move that could cripple the distribution of humanitarian
aid in the Gaza Strip. It's the culmination of a long-running campaign against
the agency, which Israel contends has been infiltrated by Hamas. But supporters
say Israel's real aim is to sideline the issue of Palestinian refugees. The
agency, known as UNRWA, is the main provider and distributor of aid in Gaza and
provides education, health and other basic services to millions of Palestinian
refugees across the region, including in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“If it passes and if it’s implemented, it’s a disaster,” said Juliette Touma,
communications director for the agency. “UNRWA is the largest humanitarian
organization in Gaza ... Who can do its job?”
Israel accuses the agency of turning a blind eye to staff members it says belong
to Hamas, divert aid and use UNRWA facilities for military purposes. Israel says
around a dozen of its 13,000 employees in Gaza participated in the Oct. 7, 2023
attack on southern Israel. The agency denies it knowingly aids armed groups and
says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants among its staff.The bills
would largely shut down UNRWA in the Palestinian territories
The two bills, which have wide support in Israel, would sever Israeli ties with
UNRWA and nullify legal immunities long-held by UNRWA’s staff in Israel. They
would effectively bar the agency from operating in Israel and the Palestinian
territories, because Israel controls access to both Gaza and the West Bank. It
could force the agency to relocate its headquarters from Israeli-annexed east
Jerusalem. If passed, the bills would come into effect 60 to 90 days after
Israel’s Foreign Ministry notifies the U.N., according to the spokesperson of
parliamentarian Dan Illouz, one of the co-sponsors. UNRWA's
commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini, warned earlier this month that
humanitarian operations in Gaza “may disintegrate” if the legislation passes,
disrupting the provision of food, shelter and health care as winter sets in.
Gaza's population of some 2.3 million is almost entirely dependent on aid to
survive. Around 90% of the population has been displaced. Hundreds of thousands
live in tent camps and schools-turned-shelters, most run by UNRWA. Experts say
hunger is rampant. Israel’s campaign in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7
attack has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry,
whose count does not differentiate between civilians and militants. Israel is
reportedly considering taking over aid distribution itself or subcontracting it,
but it has yet to put forth a concrete plan. Any such effort would likely
require a large number of troops and other resources at a time when Israel is at
war on two fronts in Gaza and Lebanon. Other U.N. agencies and aid groups say
there is no substitute for UNRWA, which also runs 96 schools hosting around
47,000 students, three vocational training centers and 43 health centers in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank.
A decades-old mission rooted in the conflict’s bitter history
The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East was
established to help the estimated 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven
out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation,
UNRWA supporters say Israel hopes to erase the Palestinian refugee issue by
dismantling the agency. Israel says the refugees should be permanently resettled
in other countries, and Israeli opponents of the agency have suggested ending
UNRWA services would force them to do so. Palestinians say refugees and their
descendants, who now number nearly 6 million, should be allowed to exercise
their right under international law to return home. Israel refuses, saying the
result would be a Palestinian majority inside its borders.
The issue was among the thorniest in the peace process, which ground to a halt
in 2009.
UNRWA operates schools, health clinics, infrastructure projects and aid programs
in refugee camps that have grown into urban neighborhoods in Gaza, the West
Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
A long-running dispute over UNRWA’s neutrality
Israel says hundreds of Palestinian militants work for UNRWA, without providing
evidence, and that more than a dozen employees took part in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023
attack.
UNRWA immediately fired the employees accused of taking part in the Oct. 7
attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted
around 250. An independent investigation earlier this year found that UNRWA had
“robust” mechanisms to ensure its neutrality but pointed to gaps in
implementation, including staff publicly expressing political views and
textbooks with “problematic content” in UNRWA-run schools. UNRWA says it
thoroughly investigates any allegations of wrongdoing and holds staff
accountable, and that it provides lists of all of its staff to Israel and host
countries. It says Israel has largely ignored its requests to provide evidence
for its claims against staffers. Israel has repeatedly struck U.N.
schools-turned-shelters, claiming Hamas fighters operate inside them. It also
says it has uncovered tunnels running near or under UNRWA facilities. UNRWA has
long been the biggest single employer in Gaza, where the population has been
impoverished by years of Israeli and Egyptian blockade. Hamas has ruled the
territory since 2007, and it has civilian political operations alongside its
armed wing.
The militant wings of Hamas and other groups are highly secretive, their members
virtually unknown outside of intelligence agencies. That complicates efforts by
civilian organizations to vet employees.
Fatah Sharif, an UNRWA teacher in southern Lebanon, was killed last month along
with his family in an Israeli airstrike. It then emerged that he was a senior
Hamas commander, something he had kept secret. Lazzarini, UNRWA's head, said
Sharif was suspended without pay in March after the agency learned he belonged
to Hamas’ political party, and that an investigation had been launched. He said
he didn’t know Sharif was a militant commander until after his death.
UNRWA has strong international support
Several Western countries suspended funding for UNRWA after the allegations
related to the Oct. 7 attack. All except the United States, which had been its
biggest donor, have since restored it.
The Biden administration recently warned Israel that if it did not allow more
aid into Gaza it could lose out on some of the crucial American military
assistance it has relied on throughout the war.
The letter sent by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin to their Israeli counterparts said they shared Israeli concerns about
“the serious allegations” of UNRWA employees taking part in the Oct. 7 attack
and of “Hamas misusing UNRWA facilities.”
But it said enacting the bills’ restrictions “would devastate the Gaza
humanitarian response at this critical moment ... which could have implications
under relevant U.S. law and policy.”
A joint statement from Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea
and Britain last week expressed “grave concern” over the legislation. It said
the agency provides “essential and life-saving humanitarian aid,” the provision
of which would be “severely hampered, if not impossible” without it.
*Frankel and Lidman reported from Jerusalem.
More than 43,000 Palestinians Killed in Yearlong War in
Gaza, Palestinian Health Ministry Says
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
The number of Palestinians killed in the yearlong war in Gaza has passed 43,000,
more than half of them women and children, the Palestinian Health Ministry said
Monday. The tally includes 96 dead who arrived at hospitals in Gaza over the
past two days, the ministry said. Israeli troops have launched an ongoing
operation in northern Gaza that included a raid on a hospital over the weekend.
The military said it detained 100 suspected Hamas militants in a raid on Kamal
Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya on Friday. The World Health Organization accused
Israel of detaining 44 male hospital staff. Palestinian medical officials said
the hospital, which was treating some 200 patients, was heavily damaged in the
raid, Reuters reported. Israel has raided several hospitals in Gaza over the
course of the yearlong war, saying Hamas and other militants use them for
military purposes. Palestinian medical officials deny those allegations and
accuse the military of recklessly endangering civilians. An Israeli military
official, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with regulations, said
there was heavy fighting around Kamal Adwan Hospital, though not inside it, and
that weapons were found inside the facility.
The official said medical staff were detained and searched because some of the
militants had disguised themselves as medics. According to the official, the
military had helped international organizations relocate 88 patients and medical
staff to other hospitals in the weeks leading up to the raid, and that during
the raid itself, troops had brought 30,000 liters of fuel and medical supplies
from international organizations to help keep the facility running. The Israeli
military has called on Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza, where it has been
waging a large offensive for more than three weeks. The official said the
operation in the northern Gaza city of Jabaliya would last “several more
weeks.”The UN said earlier this month at least 400,000 people are still in
northern Gaza and hunger is rampant as the amount of humanitarian aid reaching
the north has plummeted over the past month. The Gaza Health Ministry said at
least 43,020 people have been killed and 101,110 others wounded since the war
started on Oct. 7, 2023.
South Africa Submits Its Main Legal Claim to the Top UN
Court Which Accuses Israel of Genocide
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
The South African legal team delivered a nearly 5,000-page document to the
United Nations’ top court on Monday, the latest step in a case the country
brought accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The
document, which the International Court of Justice will not make public until a
later stage in the proceedings, puts forth the “main case” that Israel has a
“special intent to commit genocide,” according to a statement from South
Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. Israel has fiercely denied the allegations.
The government called the case “blood libel” when South Africa launched the
complaint in Dec. 2023. On Monday a court official at the ICJ confirmed that
they had received the document. The filing takes place as the Israeli military
has called on Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza, where it has been waging a
large offensive for more than three weeks. The UN said earlier this month at
least 400,000 people are still in northern Gaza and hunger is rampant as the
amount of humanitarian aid reaching the north has plummeted over the past month.
The Hague-based court has so far issued three rounds of emergency measures,
ordering Israel to halt a military offensive in Rafah and open more land
crossings for aid into Gaza. South Africa says Israel has refused to comply.
“Israel’s continued shredding of international law has imperiled the
institutions of global governance that were established to hold all states
accountable,” the president’s statement said. Palestine, Spain, Chile and seven
other countries have petitioned the court to join the case. Israel now has until
July 2025 to reply. Israel launched its military action in Gaza after Hamas-led
fighters on Oct. 7, 2023, attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people — mostly
civilians — and abducting 250 others.
Israel to pursue new talks on Gaza hostage deal
AFP/October 28, 2024 17:14
JERUSALEM: Israel said Monday it had discussed with international mediators the
outline of proposed talks with Hamas on a deal to release Israeli hostages held
in Gaza, as its forces pounded both Lebanon and the Palestinian territory. Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Mossad intelligence chief David Barnea
had met US and Qatari officials in Doha and agreed they should talk to Hamas
about a deal to free Israelis seized in last year’s October 7 attack. The
statement came two days after Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi proposed a
two-day truce and limited hostage-prisoner exchange that, he said, could lead to
a permanent ceasefire. “During the meeting, the parties discussed a new unified
framework that combines previous proposals and also takes into account key
issues and recent developments in the region,” Netanyahu’s office said. “In the
coming days, discussions will continue between the mediators and Hamas to assess
the feasibility of talks and to further efforts to promote a deal.”US President
Joe Biden, asked about the possibility of a ceasefire just over a year after
Hamas’s cross-border attack triggered the Gaza war which has spread to Lebanon
and threatened to draw in Iran, said he would talk to Israel immediately to push
for a ceasefire.“My staff is talking to them right now,” Biden said, after
casting an early ballot in the race for his successor. “We need a ceasefire. We
should end this war. It should end, it should end, it should end.”The United
States is Israel’s top military supplier and a mediator in the Doha talks. Biden
has stood by the country’s right to defend itself despite international outrage
at the mounting death toll in both Gaza and Lebanon, where for the past month it
has engaged in a ground and air war against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israel Passes Legislation That Restricts UN Agency That Is
a Lifeline for Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Israeli lawmakers on Monday passed legislation that could threaten the work of
the main UN agency providing aid to people in Gaza by barring it from operating
on Israeli soil. The bill bans the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA,
from conducting “any activity” or providing any service inside Israel. The
legislation, which wouldn’t take effect immediately, risks collapsing the
already fragile aid distribution process at a moment when the humanitarian
crisis in Gaza is worsening and Israel is under increased US pressure to ramp up
aid. The vote passed 92-10 and followed a fiery debate between supporters of the
law and its opponents, mostly members of Arab parliamentary parties. A second
bill severing diplomatic ties with UNRWA was also being voted on later Monday.
Taken together, these bills would signal a new low in relations between Israel
and UNRWA, which Israel accuses of maintaining close ties with Hamas. The
changes would also be a serious blow to the agency and to Palestinians in Gaza
who have become reliant upon it for aid throughout more than a year of
devastating war. The bills risk crippling the flow of humanitarian aid into
Gaza. More than 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced from their homes and Gaza
faces widespread shortages of food, water and medicine. Israel has alleged that
some of UNRWA’s thousands of staff members participated in the Oct. 7, 2023,
Hamas’ attacks that sparked the war in Gaza. It also has said hundreds of its
staff have militant ties and that it has found Hamas military assets near or
under UNRWA facilities. The agency denies it knowingly aids armed groups and
says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants from its ranks. The bills,
which do not include provisions for alternative organizations to oversee its
work, have been strongly criticized by international aid groups and a handful of
Israel's Western allies. UNRWA provides education, health care and other basic
services to millions of Palestinian refugees across the region, including in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank. The bills would go into effect 60 to 90 days after
Israel’s Foreign Ministry notifies the UN, according to the spokesperson of
lawmaker Dan Illouz, one of the co-sponsors of one of the bills.“If it passes
and if it’s implemented, it’s a disaster” said Juliette Touma, communications
director for the agency. “UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza
... Who can do its job?”
US Jewish support for Democrats hits lowest point in four
decades, but most still back Harris
Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
The survey highlights a marked divide in voting priorities, particularly around
Israel and antisemitism.
Support for the Democratic Party among Jewish Americans has reached its lowest
point in four decades, with only 63% expressing intent to vote for Kamala
Harris, according to a survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI).
Despite declining support, Harris retains the backing of the majority, while a
notable 24% plan to vote for Donald Trump, largely due to his stance on Israel.
The survey highlights a marked divide in voting priorities, particularly around
Israel and antisemitism. Among Jewish Americans who firmly support Trump, 95%
cite Israel as a primary factor influencing their vote, compared to only 31% of
strong Harris supporters.
The difference is similarly striking for concerns over antisemitism: 89% of
Trump supporters see it as central to their voting decisions, while only 39% of
firm Harris supporters agree.
“American Jewry is not monolithic,” said JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern.
“Conservatives who support Trump view Israel and antisemitism as primary
factors, while liberal Harris supporters – the majority – do not see Israel as
central to their voting decisions. A strong focus on Israel could benefit Harris
in a close race, particularly among swing voters who see the Biden-Harris
administration’s support for Israel as lacking.” A significant portion of Jewish
Americans doubts that US-Israel relations would improve under a Harris
administration. More than 90% of Trump supporters believe his presidency would
strengthen relations with Israel, whereas only 10%-14% of Harris’s most liberal
supporters anticipate better ties with Israel under her leadership.
Harris supporters divided on US-Israel policy
Even within her base, a slim majority (51%) of strong Harris supporters believe
current US support for Israel is “at the right level,” but 28% feel it is
insufficient. These views are echoed across religious lines, with a majority
(56%) of Jewish Americans indicating that the US does not sufficiently support
Israel. The undecided Harris supporters – 60% of whom also believe US support
for Israel is inadequate – may be swayed by a clearer stance on Israel policy.
Survey editor Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at JPPI, explained, “While Harris
is expected to secure the majority of Jewish American votes, her support may dip
slightly from Biden’s 2020 levels. The bottom line is that most Jews still lean
Democratic, despite concerns that a Harris administration may strain US-Israel
relations.”Many Harris supporters prioritize domestic issues over Israel, with
Rosner noting, “Nearly all firm Trump voters (95%) view Israel as ‘one of the
main voting issues,’ while only a third of strong Harris supporters feel
similarly.”
UK anti-Islam activist 'Tommy Robinson' jailed for breaching injunction
Reuters/October 28/2024
He was also made subject to an injunction preventing him from repeating the
libel, which Yaxley-Lennon admitted repeatedly breaching between February 2023
and this July.
British anti-Muslim activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known by the pseudonym Tommy
Robinson, was jailed for 18 months on Monday after he admitted contempt of court
by breaching an injunction made after he was successfully sued for libel. Yaxley-Lennon
was sued for libel at London's High Court by Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi and in
2021 was ordered to pay 100,000 pounds ($129,885) in damages. He was also made
subject to an injunction preventing him from repeating the libel, which Yaxley-Lennon
admitted repeatedly breaching between February 2023 and this July. Sentencing
Yaxley-Lennon at London's Woolwich Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Johnson said, "The
breaches were not accidental or negligent or merely reckless. "Each breach of
the injunction was a considered and planned and deliberate and direct and
flagrant breach of the court's order." Britain's Solicitor General took legal
action against Yaxley-Lennon over comments in online interviews and a
documentary titled 'Silenced,' which has been viewed millions of times and was
played in London's Trafalgar Square in July. The Solicitor General's lawyer
Aidan Eardley said Yaxley-Lennon had been found in contempt on three separate
occasions and was jailed for it in 2019. He also has separate criminal
convictions. Yaxley-Lennon was accused by some media and politicians of
inflaming tensions which led to days of rioting across Britain in late July
after the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport. He has
accused the media of lying about him.
'Above the law'
Yaxley-Lennon's lawyer, Sasha Wass, said of his libelous remarks: "He acted in
the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability because he passionately
believes in free speech, a free press, and the overwhelming desire that he has
to expose the truth."Wass also said that 'Silenced' had been "effectively
commissioned" through US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's Infowars company.
Johnson sentenced Yaxley-Lennon to 18 months, less three days spent in custody
after he was arrested on Friday. He will spend half in custody. The judge said
four months could be cut from the sentence if Yaxley-Lennon tried to "purge" his
contempt, including by taking down copies of 'Silenced'. As Johnson spoke,
Yaxley-Lennon could be seen mouthing "nah" to the public gallery. The judge said
of Yaxley-Lennon that "all his actions so far suggest that he regards himself as
being above the law."
Middle East latest: Social platform X suspends new account on behalf of Iran's
supreme leader
The Canadian Press/October 28, 2024
The social platform X has suspended a new account on behalf of Iran’s Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that posted messages in Hebrew.
The account was suspended early Monday with a brief note appended to it
saying: “X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules.” It wasn’t immediately
clear what the violation was. The Elon Musk-owned social media company did not
respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The move came after
Israel openly attacked Iran for the first time this weekend. Khamenei said in a
speech on Sunday that Israel’s strikes — in response to Iran’s ballistic missile
attack this month — “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping
short of calling for retaliation. The X account opened Sunday with a message in
Hebrew reading: “In the name of God, the most merciful,” a standard Islamic
greeting. Khamenei’s office has maintained multiple accounts for the 85-year-old
supreme leader on X for years and has sent messages in a variety of languages in
the past. A second message corresponded to a speech Khamenei gave on Sunday and
was sent on his English account as: “Zionists are making a miscalculation with
respect to Iran. They don’t know Iran. They still haven’t been able to correctly
understand the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people.” The
message referred to Israel’s attack Saturday on Iran.
This isn’t the first time Khamenei has seen a suspension or removal from social
media. In February, Meta removed Facebook and Instagram accounts for the supreme
leader over his support of the militant group Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023,
attack on Israel. Social media platforms like X and
Facebook have been blocked in Iran for years, requiring Iranians to use virtual
private networks to access them.
Here’s the latest:
Head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard calls Israeli attack ‘illegitimate and
illegal’
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary
Guard made his first public comments Monday after Israel’s weekend attack on the
country. Gen. Hossein Salami, in a condolence message
to Iran’s regular military, called Israel’s strike “illegitimate and illegal.”
Four soldiers in Iran’s air defense network were killed in the attack on
Saturday, as was one civilian, Iranian state media say.
The attack was “a sign of miscalculation and the inability” of Israel on
the battlefield with Iranian-backed militants “particularly in Gaza and
Lebanon.”The “bitter consequences will be beyond the imagination of the
occupiers,” Salami added, referring to Israel. Iraq submits protest to UN saying
Israel violated its airspace in Iran attack.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq has submitted a memorandum of protest to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council saying
Israel violated its airspace in carrying out its attack on Iran over the
weekend, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said in a statement.
The statement said that Israeli “aggressor aircraft violated Iraq’s
airspace and sovereignty and used Iraqi airspace to carry out the attack on the
Islamic Republic of Iran on Oct. 26.”It added that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani had directed Iraq’s foreign minister to discuss the matter with
the United States. The two countries recently reached an agreement to begin
winding down the mission of a U.S.-led coalition formed to fight the Islamic
State militant group and to withdraw many of the U.S. troops who remain in the
country. On Sunday, the Iran-backed Iraqi militia
Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement accusing the U.S. of coordinating with
Israel to use Iraqi airspace to launch the attack on Iran and threatening
retaliation against U.S. forces.
UN Security Council schedules emergency meeting at Iran's request
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Monday
afternoon at Iran’s request on Israel’s air strikes against the country.
Switzerland, which holds the council’s rotating presidency, announced the
meeting on Sunday and said the Iranian request was supported by Russia, China
and Algeria, the Arab representative on the council. Iranian president vows to
respond ‘appropriately’ to Israeli strikes
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will respond
to Israel “appropriately," after Israel openly attacked Iranian military sites
for the first time this weekend. “We are not seeking
war, but we will defend the rights of our nation and country and will respond
appropriately to the Zionist regime’s aggression,” Pezeshkian was quoted by
state TV on Sunday as saying. Pezeshkian also said the U.S. had promised Iran to
stop the war in Gaza and Lebanon if Iran restrained. “They had promised to end
the war in response to our restraint, but they did not keep their word,” he
said.
The Iranian president also warned tensions will escalate if Israel’s aggression
continues, adding, “We know that the United States is encouraging Israel to
commit these atrocities.”
Iran says a civilian was killed in Israel's attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran announced Sunday that a civilian had been
killed in Israel’s attack on the country, without offering any details on the
circumstances of his death. The state-run IRNA news
agency identified the dead man as Allahverdi Rahimpour and said he lived in a
suburban area of southwestern Tehran.While offering no details on what he was
doing or where he was killed, IRNA made a point to say he was not a member of
Iran’s armed forces. Iran has offered few details on
the attack and the damage caused by them so far.
NATO confirms that North Korea has sent troops to join
Russia's war in Ukraine
Lorne Cook/BRUSSELS (AP)/October 28, 2024
NATO on Monday confirmed that North Korean troops have been sent to help Russia
in its almost three-year war against Ukraine and said some have already been
deployed in Russia’s Kursk border region, where Russia has been struggling to
push back a Ukrainian incursion.
“Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and
that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” NATO
Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters. Rutte said the move represents “a
significant escalation” in North Korea’s involvement in the conflict and marks
“a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war.”Adding thousands of North Korean
soldiers to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II will pile more pressure
on Ukraine’s weary and overstretched army. It will also stoke geopolitical
tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the wider Indo-Pacific region, including
Japan and Australia, Western officials say. Russian President Vladimir Putin is
keen to reshape global power dynamics. He sought to build a counterbalance to
Western influence with a summit of BRICS countries, including the leaders of
China and India, in Russia last week. He has sought direct help for the war from
Iran, which has supplied drones, and North Korea, which has shipped large
amounts of ammunition, according to Western governments. Russia’s Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov shrugged off Rutte’s comments and noted that Pyongyang
and Moscow signed a joint security pact last June. He stopped short of
confirming North Korean soldiers were in Russia. Lavrov claimed that Western
military instructors already have been covertly deployed to Ukraine to help its
military use long-range weapons provided by Western partners. “Western military
personnel long have been working in Ukraine,” Lavrov said after a meeting with
the Kuwaiti foreign minister in Moscow. Ukraine, whose defenses are under severe
Russian pressure in its eastern Donetsk region, could get more bleak news from
next week’s U.S. presidential election. A Donald Trump victory could see key
U.S. military help dwindle. In Moscow, the Defense Ministry announced Monday
that Russian troops have captured the Donetsk village of Tsukuryne — the latest
settlement to succumb to the slow-moving Russian onslaught. Rutte spoke in
Brussels after a high-level South Korean delegation, including top intelligence
and military officials as well as senior diplomats, briefed the alliance’s 32
national ambassadors at NATO headquarters. Rutte said NATO is “actively
consulting within the alliance, with Ukraine, and with our Indo-Pacific
partners,” on developments. He said he was due to talk soon with South Korea’s
president and Ukraine’s defense minister. “We continue to monitor the situation
closely,” he said. He did not take questions after the statement. Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing intelligence reports, claimed last Friday
that North Korean troops would be on the battlefield within days. He previously
said his government had information that some 10,000 troops from North Korea
were being readied to join Russian forces fighting against his country.Days
before Zelenskyy spoke, American and South Korean officials said there was
evidence North Korea had dispatched troops to Russia.
The U.S. said around 3,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia for
training.
Ship comes under a suspected Yemen Houthi rebel attack
in Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Red Sea
Jon Gambrell/The Associated Press/October 28, 2024
A ship traveling through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea came
under attack Monday in an assault likely carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels,
authorities said. The attack probably marks the end of an 18-day lull in
reported assaults attributed to the Houthis, who have been attacking ships
traveling through the Red Sea corridor for nearly a year now over the Israel-Hamas
war raging in the Gaza Strip. The violence has disrupted international shipping
through the region, once valued at $1 trillion in goods annually. The vessel
passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Red Sea from the
Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Peninsula from East Africa, reported the attack,
the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The
ship's captain reported two explosions near the ship, though “the vessel and all
crew are reported as safe,” the UKMTO added. The private security firm Ambrey
also described the attack as involving “two close proximity explosions.” It said
the vessel wasn't transmitting its position at the time, and it had a private
armed security force on board, which many ships have chosen to do amid the
Houthi attacks. The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack. However, it
can take hours or even days before they acknowledge their assaults. The last
Houthi attack came Oct. 10, targeting the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker
Olympic Spirit. It's unclear what led to the pause, which has happened multiple
times in the Houthi campaign. On Oct. 17, the U.S. military unleashed B-2
stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the rebels. The Houthis
have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the
war in Gaza started in October last year. They seized one vessel and sank two in
the campaign which also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have
either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to
reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well. The
rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to
force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the
ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some
bound for Iran. The Houthis have shot down multiple American MQ-9 Reaper drones
as well.
Middle East Aid Workers Say Rules of War Being Flouted
Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
Flagrant violations of the laws of war in the escalating conflict in the Middle
East are setting a dangerous precedent, aid workers in the region warn. "The
rules of war are being broken in such a flagrant way... (it) is setting a
precedent that we have not seen in any other conflict," Marwan Jilani, the vice
president of the Palestine Red Crescent (PCRS), told AFP. Speaking last week
during a meeting in Geneva of the 191 national Red Cross and Red Crescent
societies, he lamented a "total disregard for human life (and) for international
humanitarian law".Amid Israel's devastating retaliatory operation on October 7
in the Gaza Strip , local aid workers are striving to deliver assistance while
facing the same risks as the rest of the population, he said. The PCRS has more
than 900 staff and several thousand volunteers inside Gaza, where more than
43,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory's health
ministry, and where the UN says virtually the entire population has been
repeatedly displaced.
'Deliberate targeting' -
"They're part of the community," said Jilani. "I think every single member of
our staff has lost family members."He decried especially what he said was a
"deliberate targeting of the health sector". Israel rejects such accusations and
maintains that it is carrying out its military operations in both Gaza and
Lebanon in accordance with international law. But Jilani said that "many of our
staff, including doctors and nurses... were detained, were taken for weeks (and)
were tortured". Since the war began, 34 PRCS staff and volunteers have been
killed in Gaza, and another two in the West Bank, "most of them while serving",
he said. Four other staff members are still being held, their whereabouts and
condition unknown. Jilani warned that the disregard for basic international law
in the expanding conflict was eroding the belief that such laws even exist. A
"huge casualty of this war", he said, "is the belief within the Middle East that
there is no international law".
'Unbelievable'
Uri Shacham, chief of staff at the Israeli's emergency aid organization Magen
David Adom (MDA), also decried the total disregard for laws requiring the
protection of humanitarians.
Gaza scenario looming -
The Red Cross in Lebanon, where for the past month Israel has been launching
ground operations and dramatically escalating its airstrikes against Hezbollah,
also condemned the slide. Thirteen of its volunteers have been recently injured
on ambulance missions. One of its top officials, Samar Abou Jaoudeh, told AFP
that they did not appear to have been targeted directly. "But nevertheless, not
being able to reach the injured people, and (missiles) hitting right in front of
an ambulance is also not respecting IHL," she said, stressing the urgent need to
ensure more respect for international law on the ground. Abou Jaoudeh feared
Lebanon, where at least 1,620 people have been killed since September 23,
according to an AFP tally based on official figures, could suffer the same fate
as Gaza. "We hope that no country would face anything that Gaza is facing now,
but unfortunately a bit of that scenario is beginning to be similar in Lebanon,"
she said. The Lebanese Red Cross, she said, was preparing "for all scenarios...
but we just hope that it wouldn't reach this point".
Iran Guards chief warns Israel of ‘bitter consequences’
after attack
Reuters/October 28, 2024 07:09
TEHRAN: The top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has warned Israel it
would face “bitter consequences” after its attack on Iranian military sites,
local media said on Monday. Guards chief Hossein Salami, quoted by Tasnim news
agency, said Israel had “failed to achieve its ominous goals” with its air raids
on Saturday. Israel struck military sites in response to Tehran’s October 1
missile attack, itself retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed militant
leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander. Salami said the Israeli attack was
a sign of “miscalculation and helplessness” as Israel battles Tehran-aligned
militants in Gaza and Lebanon. “Its bitter consequences will be unimaginable”
for Israel, Salami warned according to Tasnim. Iran will ‘use all available
tools’The nature of Iran’s response depends on the nature of the Israeli attack,
Baghaei added, without elaborating. Scores of Israeli jets completed three waves
of strikes before dawn on Saturday against missile factories and other sites
near Tehran and in western Iran, Israel’s military said. Iranian media have
played down the severity of the Israeli operation, signalling what analysts say
is the Islamic republic’s reluctance to escalate further. Iran’s supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday said that Israel’s attack which killed four
soldiers “should neither be exaggerated nor minimized.”He described it as a
“miscalculation” on Israel’s part. President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “We do not
seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country.”Iran “will
give an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime,”
Pezeshkian added. Also on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
reiterated Iran’s “right to respond,” also saying that Tehran had “received
indications” hours before Israel’s attack.US news website Axios on Saturday said
Israel has “sent message to Iran” ahead of its attack and warned it “against a
response.”
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on October 28-29/2024
Who Is Actually Running the Country?
John Richardson/ Gatestone Institute./October 28, 2024
Members of both American political parties and other concerned observers have
been asking for a while now, "Who's actually running the country?"
More often it seems as if is a cadre of unelected bureaucrats – a faceless
politburo – who uphold the law or not, according to political expediency or
whim.
American author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has called this group "a
machine."
Are "open borders" legal or not? Are immigration laws being violated or not? Are
illegal aliens legal or not? Are prosecutions of presidential candidates within
a month of a presidential election "election interference" or not? Were the
deliberate lies of former US intelligence officials to the US public about the
authenticity of Hunter Biden's laptop actionable "election interference" or not?
What we should probably be asking, as we head to November, is: "Do we really
want to go on living like that?"
Members of both American political parties and other concerned observers have
been asking for a while now, "Who's actually running the country?" Pictured:
President Joe Biden is accompanied by Jill Biden, President Barack Obama and
Michelle Obama at the White House on September 7, 2022. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty
Images)
Members of both American political parties and other concerned observers have
been asking for a while now, "Who's actually running the country?"
Answers include:
Former President Barack Obama, who, in November 2020, said on The Late Show with
Stephen Colbert:
"People would ask me, knowing what you know now, do you wish you had a third
term? And I used to say, "You know what? If I could make an arrangement where I
had a stand-in, a front man or front woman, and they had an earpiece in, and I
was just in my basement in my sweats looking through the stuff, and then I could
sort of deliver the lines, but somebody else was doing all the talking and
ceremony, I'd be fine with that."
George Soros, of whom the journalist Wayne Allen Root wrote: "Obama take his
marching orders from George Soros."
The Chinese Communist Party, about whom Root wrote:
"[T]he real power behind the throne. The boss of bosses. The capo di tutti.
China and the Chinese Communist Party. Everyone is taking orders from China and
the CCP. China bribes all the politicians in America and around the world with
billions in offshore bank accounts. China owns Biden and his family. China owns
virtually the entire leadership of the Democratic Party -- and quite a few
establishment RINO Republicans, too.... It's easy to see China is the top dog.
You'd have to be blind, deaf or really dumb to not see that. Everything
happening ... just happens to weaken and divide America while benefiting China."
And of course Jill Biden, who was recently asked by the president to chair a
Cabinet meeting.
More often, it seems, it is a cadre of unelected bureaucrats – a faceless
politburo – who uphold the law or not, according to political expediency or
whim.
American author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has called this group "a
machine."
Are "open borders" legal or not? Are immigration laws being violated or not? Are
illegal aliens, then, legal or not? Are prosecutions of presidential candidates
within a month of a presidential election "election interference" or not? Were
the deliberate lies of former US intelligence officials to the US public about
the authenticity of Hunter Biden's laptop actionable "election interference" or
not?
What we should probably be asking, as we head to November, is: "Do we really
want to go on living like that?"
*John Richardson is based in the United States.
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Israel was right to restrain Iran strike before US elections - opinion
Susan Hattis Rolef/Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
The government was right to restrain the attack. We cannot risk a full-scale war
with Iran at the moment. I happened to wake up just before 2 a.m. last Saturday
and switched on the radio to Reshet Bet’s hourly news broadcast. A sleepy news
presenter reported that we were finally on our way to attack Iran, in
retaliation for the 180 missiles it launched at Israel on October 1. “We,” of
course, referred to the Israel Air Force, and 100 fighter planes were on their
way to attack 20 targets in Iran, traveling more than 1,600 km. away from their
bases in Israel. By the 7 a.m. news, a more alert news presenter stated that all
our planes had returned home safely after completing their mission
successfully.Apparently, the planes only attacked military installations and
weapons-manufacturing facilities, since Israel is reported to have responded
positively to the US administration’s prodding (apparently resulting from the
approaching general elections) that nuclear and energy installations be avoided.
In time, we shall undoubtedly learn more details regarding what was destroyed
and where, while the Iranians will report on any coincidental destruction
caused, and innocent civilians killed.
In such cases, these are usually minimal, because of the nature of the targets
and their locations.
In the current war, the air force has been engaged in daily direct strikes that
are carried out in mostly civilian areas, where the targets are specific
persons.
These are invariably military and political leaders of the two terrorist
organizations we are fighting – Hamas and Hezbollah, or weapons caches and/or
the headquarters of these organizations.
According to Palestinian sources 42,000 Gazan men, women, and children have been
killed and 10,000 are missing under rubble that has not been cleared since
October 8, 2023.
The number of children killed is reported to be anywhere between 11,000 and
19,000. Whatever the exact numbers actually are, aerial attacks have been
involved in many of the incidents in which not only Hamas and Islamic Jihad
terrorists were killed, but also innocent civilians.
It should, however, be pointed out that the IDF usually calls on the Palestinian
inhabitants of buildings that are about to be attacked from the air or by ground
forces, to evacuate the designated locations.
THESE FIGURES are behind the latest “scandal” in Israel concerning presidential
candidate Kamala Harris’s comments during a closed election rally she held with
students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on October 17. Harris told the
students that she is committed to their interests and welfare.
A pro-Palestinian protester then hurled back at her: “What about the genocide,
billions of dollars? 42,000 people are dead, 19,000 children are dead, and you
won’t call it a genocide.”
Harris’s impromptu response was “What he’s talking about, it’s real. That’s not
the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real, and I respect his
voice”.The argument that erupted in Israel around this exchange concerned
whether Harris meant that she respected what the protester had said about
genocide, or what he had said about the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza in
general, and that of children in particular. Undoubtedly, Harris could have
dealt much better with the issue in real time, had she specifically rejected the
claim of genocide. But she didn’t.
Nevertheless, Harris has never claimed Israel is committing genocide – the
systematic extermination of a whole people or race. However, she has often
claimed that too many innocent people are being killed in the Gaza Strip, and
that there is an unbearable humanitarian problem developing in the Gaza Strip
that Israel ought to address. Journalist Chen Liberman, appearing on Niv
Raskin’s morning news show on October 20, was scolded by the host and silenced
by the other participants on the show’s panel, for justifying Harris’s comments.
Channel 14’s Patriots, a current affairs show, openly supports Donald Trump’s
candidacy for president and has called on Israelis with American citizenship to
register and vote for Trump. It also attacked and demeaned Liberman for her
left-wing “treachery.”
REGARDING THE number of Palestinians killed by our forces, and especially the
number of children killed: If a similar proportion of Israeli children (in
proportion to the total Israeli population) were killed in the war, the figure
would be 95,000 children.
To put this figure in perspective, according to the figures published every
Independence Day by the Defense Ministry, from 1960 to May 2024 some 25,000
Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed in Israel’s wars as well as in
other incidents of violence between Arabs and Jews. These are figures worth
thinking about. I am not accusing Israel’s Air Force pilots of being directly
responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians, though perhaps greater efforts
should be made by the IDF to try to avoid such occurrences. A sincere discussion
on the issue isn’t made any easier with Israelis who argue that there is no such
thing as an “innocent Palestinian,” not even a child – just as there are many
Palestinians who view Israeli children as nothing more than future IDF soldiers
raised to fight the Palestinian people and deny their rights.
BUT REGARDING the successful attack by the Israel Air Force on Iran in the early
hours of Saturday morning: Many Israelis were disappointed that Israel had not
hit Iran much harder “to teach the Iranians a lesson,” and that we had conceded
to the prodding of the Biden administration to avoid hitting any nuclear or
energy installations.
The government was right to restrain the attack. We cannot risk a full-scale war
with Iran at the moment. Refusing to submit to the US administration’s prodding
at this stage would be viewed as a rebuff to President Joe Biden and evidence
that Trump’s claim that “Bibi doesn’t listen to Biden,” is true. Something like
this just isn’t done 10 days before a presidential election.
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, was published by Routledge.
Israel expects counterattack after hitting Iranian missile production sites
Tovah Lazarof/Reuters/Jerusalem Post/October 28/2024
PM at Mount Herzl: "Air force severely harmed Iran's defense capabilities and
its ability to produce missiles that would be launched at us."
Israel expects that Iran would launch a counterattack against the Jewish state
in repose to its successful strike against Iranian military targets including
missile production facilities, security sources told the Jerusalem Post on
Sunday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei threatened Israel in a post on X,
written first in English and then repeated in Hebrew.
“Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran,” Khamenei wrote.
“They don't know Iran. They still haven't been able to correctly understand the
power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people. We need to make them
understand these things.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli Air Force struck
Iranian missile targets early Saturday morning in a public address he gave at a
state ceremony to mourn the fallen soldiers in Israel’s wars on its southern and
northern borders in the last year. Exacting a price from Israel's enemies
“In the early hours of Saturday morning” the IAF “hit areas in Iran, severely
harming its defense capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that would
be launched at us,” Netanyahu said at the ceremony in Mount Herzl.
“The attack on Iran was precise and powerful” and “achieved all its objectives,”
he said. He thanked the United States for its close cooperation and assistance.
The Biden administration has clarified that it was not involved in the attack,
although it was given advance notice that it would take place. It was
Netanyahu’s first public comments on the attack, which he placed within the
larger context of the Swords of Iron War. At the Mt. Herzl ceremony, Netanyahu
recalled how in the last year, Israel had risen above the losses it had suffered
during that initial Hamas-led invasion on October 7.
Israel has battled Iran and its proxies as it has rewritten history in its war
of resilience, which has been an existential battle, Netanyahu explained.
The Swords of Iron War, he said, has taken place on seven fronts, and the IDF
exacted a heavy price from its enemies.He recalled how Iran had launched a
ballistic missile attack against Israel at the start of October in response to
Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, almost a year into
the IDF war with the Iranian proxy group. On Saturday, in its response to that
Iranian ballistic missile attack, Israel decided to go after “the head of the
octopus” after hitting at its tentacles for months.
“Those who strike us, we will strike. This is a tenet that has accompanied us
all this time and will accompany us going forward,” he said.
Gallant at the same ceremony said that in the last year, the IDF turned the tide
of the war, chalking up security up “unprecedented achievements, in all sectors
of combat.” “In the south, Hamas ceased to function as a military framework, in
the north, Hezbollah continues to suffer a series of blows, the chain of command
was eliminated, most of its rocket and missile power was destroyed,” Gallant
stated.“Hamas and Hezbollah which Iran had built up as proxy groups that would
act as its long arm against the State of Israel, “are no longer an effective
tool in the hands of Iran,” he said.
In addition, he stressed, Saturday morning’s “precise, deadly” strike on Iran
“conveyed a clear message - the long arm of the State of Israel will reach
anyone who tries to harm us. No place is too far for us.”The US and the
international community have urged both Iran and Israel to halt their rounds of
attacks and counterattacks. US President Joe Biden had already said on Saturday
he hoped the IDF strike on Iran ended the direct exchange of fire between the
two arch-foes.
The United Nations Security Council is expected to meet Monday to discuss the
IDF’s Saturday morning attack.Britain's foreign minister David Lammy said he had
spoken to his Israeli and Iranian counterparts in separate calls on Sunday
seeking to avoid escalation into a "catastrophic" regional war after Israel
struck Iranian military sites.
"Today I held important calls with Israeli FM (Israel Katz) and Iranian FM (Abbas
Araghchi). The UK continues to press for de-escalation and an end to the
conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza," Lammy said in a statement after an Israeli air
attack early on Saturday against Iranian targets.
"A regional war would be catastrophic and is in no one's interests," he said.
An American researcher said an Israeli airstrike on Saturday hit a building that
was part of Iran's defunct nuclear weapons development program, and he and
another researcher said facilities used to mix solid fuel for missiles were also
struck. The assessments based on commercial satellite imagery were reached
separately by David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth,
an associate research analyst at CNA, a Washington think tank.
They told Reuters that Israel struck buildings in Parchin, a massive military
complex near Tehran. Israel also hit Khojir, according to Eveleth, a sprawling
missile production site near Tehran.
Reuters reported in July that Khojir was undergoing massive expansion.
Eveleth said the Israeli strikes may have "significantly hampered Iran's ability
to mass produce missiles."Iran's military said the Israeli warplanes used "very
light warheads" to strike border radar systems in the provinces of Ilam,
Khuzestan, and around Tehran.
In posts on X, Albright said commercial satellite imagery showed that Israel hit
a building in Parchin called Taleghan 2 that was used for testing activities
during the Amad Plan, Iran's defunct nuclear weapons development program.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and US
intelligence say Iran shuttered the program in 2003. Iran denies pursuing
nuclear weapons.
Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security research
group, was given access to the program's files for a book after they were stolen
from Tehran by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in 2018.
On X, he said the archives revealed that Iran kept important test equipment in
Taleghan 2.
Iran may have removed key materials before the airstrike, he said, but "even if
no equipment remained inside" the building would have provided "intrinsic value"
for future nuclear weapons-related activities. Albright told Reuters that
commercial satellite imagery of Parchin showed Israel damaged three buildings
about 350 yards (320 m) from Taleghan 2, including two in which solid fuel for
ballistic missiles was mixed.
He did not identify the commercial firm from which he obtained the images.
Eveleth said an image of Parchin from Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm,
showed that Israel destroyed three ballistic missile solid fuel mixing buildings
and a warehouse in the sprawling complex. Planet Labs imagery also showed that
an Israeli strike destroyed two buildings in the Khojir complex where solid fuel
for ballistic missiles was mixed, he said.
According to the image reviewed by Reuters, the buildings were enclosed by high
dirt berms. Such structures are associated with missile production and are
designed to prevent a blast in one building from detonating combustible
materials in nearby structures.
"Israel says they targeted buildings housing solid-fuel mixers," Eveleth said.
"These industrial mixers are hard to make and export-controlled. Iran imported
many over the years at great expense and will likely have a hard time replacing
them."
With a limited operation, he said, Israel may have struck a significant blow
against Iran's ability to mass-produce missiles and made it more difficult for
any future Iranian missile attack to pierce Israel's missile defenses.
Israel’s precision strike leaves Iran defenseless
Yossi Aloni/Israel Today/October 28/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/136264/
In a long-planned operation, the Israeli Air Force destroyed critical air
defense systems and ballistic missile production facilities in Iran.
For three hours, the Israeli Air Force dominated Iranian airspace, leaving Iran
exposed, helpless and unable to defend itself. The Israeli operation had been
meticulously planned over a period of years. Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked
the targets in several waves: first, the Iranian S-300 batteries and the
infrastructure of the S-400 system that was to be deployed in the future were
destroyed. These are sophisticated air defense systems that Russia had sold to
Iran.
Israel has destroyed the ballistic missile production facilities, the Iranian
counterpart to the Israeli “Rafael” factories. This is a strategic strike that
deprives Iran of the ability to produce new missiles. It is now left with only
its existing missile stocks. If you add to that the strike against the air
defense systems, which leaves Tehran defenseless, then everyone understands the
message: If Iran attacks, it risks an even stronger strike without being able to
defend itself. “We will destroy anything we want. They are completely exposed,”
says an Israeli source familiar with the details.
During the attack, Israel destroyed several ballistic missile factories in
different locations in three waves. They hit and destroyed twelve “planetary”
mixing machines necessary for the production of the missiles. These machines are
expensive – each costing two million dollars. This makes it impossible for Iran
to continue producing ballistic missiles. There is no replacement for these
mixing machines. They were all destroyed. It is as if someone in Israel shut
down the Rafael missile production line. It will take at least a year, if not
two years, before the Iranians can buy new mixing machines from China, and it is
not certain that they will be able to do so. Long-range missile storage
facilities were also destroyed.
An Israeli source familiar with the details said: “The Israeli attack was by no
means a ‘derdela’ (light blow). It was a strategic blow and proof that time of
fearing Iran is finished. It is a paper tiger. Israel did not warn Iran about
the attack. Israel hit Iran strategically, and Iran is afraid to react because
it understands that it is completely unprotected. For one thing, it no longer
has air defenses, and for another, it can no longer produce missiles.
Israel was ready for escalation, and the Iranians have chosen to retreat. The
Iranian regime is cowardly, and is now trying to downplay the Israeli attack.
Now they will try to tell stories, but they know the truth.
The name of the operation suggests that it was planned for the days between Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur – but was postponed. In Israel, they say the delay had
nothing to do with the leak in the Pentagon, but primarily with operational
readiness.
There was maximum coordination with the Americans. Israel complied with Biden’s
demand not to attack oil and nuclear facilities. There was an agreement between
Israel and the US to attack military targets. The US also benefited from this
attack, as Iran will no longer be able to manufacture and supply missiles to
supply Russia against Ukraine. The US also had squadrons on standby in case it
became necessary to rescue Israeli pilots whose planes were shot down.
Through intelligence work like reminiscent of a science fiction movie, we have
destroyed the Iranians’ missile production capabilities. This is a strategic
shift and is changing the Mid East reality. The attack required “insane”
intelligence. What the IDF Intelligence Unit 8200 did in is science fiction
beyond imagination. It is no coincidence that Prime Minister Netanyahu visited a
8200 base, that the unit provided precise information on the factory for which
there is no substitute, and that the Air Force flew a precise attack.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant spoke with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on
Saturday, briefing him on the details of the attack and discussing with him how
to prepare for a possible Iranian counter attack should it occur.
A senior Israeli official summed up the results of the attack:
“Israeli intelligence operates in Iran as it pleases. The Air Force operates in
Iran as it pleases. Tehran woke up this morning without air defense and without
the ability to produce ballistic missiles. And how did it react? Will the
boastful Ayatollah regime end? This is the new reality: Iran is a paper tiger.
So, What now? An agreement in Lebanon based on Resolution 1701, would make it
clear that the era of exporting revolution by proxy is over. A ceasefire with
Iran. Continued fighting in Gaza until the hostages are returned, and the
formation of an international coalition for the reconstruction of the Gaza
Strip. Then we will discuss everything we have learned this year.”
Senior Israeli sources on the Iran operation indicate there was exceptional and
excellent cooperation between the Israeli Air Force and the intelligence
capabilities and the exceptional penetration capabilities of Mossad and General
IDF intelligence. There was deep, far-reaching penetration into Iran. Mossad and
AMAN prepared precise targets by means of exceptional personnel and
technological capabilities.
The combination of the Air Force’s strength with the precise targeting and
intelligence penetration created the enormous capabilities and precision of the
targets. We hit the targets precisely and without misses.
The Iranian attack was the latest in a string of targets Israeli intelligence
has been working on for years, starting with the elimination of Ismail Haniye,
the “Pager” operation, and the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah. We knew how best
to hit their radar systems, their ballistic missiles, their hangars. We knew
when there were people there and when there weren’t. There was tremendous
control through the Air Force’s cooperation with the Mossad and the IDF
intelligence. These were things that had been planned for years.
Senior American officials believe that Iran will not attack Israel and that
after the precise Israeli strike, Iran will understand that Israel can target
pretty much anything in Iran – and that therefore it is likely Iran will stand
down.
“Nothing will happen before the elections,” the senior officials added. “We have
stood by Israel’s side all along. There was and is a massive defense operation
to protect Israel – including the most modern defense system brought to Israel.
I don’t think there is any question – we are here to support Israel and both
Israel and the Iranians know that.”
The officials further stated that Israel has every right to defend itself and
attack Iran. “What Iran did to Israel on October 1 (2024 with firing missiles at
Israel) – no country in the world can allow such a thing to happen.”
The senior officials expressed the view that Iran has no interest in war with
Israel. “They understand very well that Israel can go wherever it wants. I don’t
see any reaction from them to the Israeli response. I don’t think they will
attack, but we will see.”
As for the chances of an agreement – here too, the senior officials estimated
that nothing will happen before the presidential election.
Iran now faces the dilemma of how to respond to the Israeli attack. It could try
to convince the Iranian people that this is an Israeli defeat. Or it could admit
that this was a heavy blow and threaten to respond. If Iran reacts, it risks a
confrontation with the Americans, who want to close the “case.” The US has also
announced that it will continue to defend Israel. If Iran attacks Israel, it
risks an even harsher Israeli response – this time perhaps against nuclear and
oil facilities. With one big difference: it no longer has air defense systems.
It is noteworthy that the cabinet unanimously approved the attack, although some
ministers, including Itamar Ben Gvir, said Israel should have struck harder.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid and the chairman of Israel Beitenu, Avigdor
Lieberman, also see a missed opportunity and believe that they should have gone
further.
Netanyahu himself remained unusually silent. He published neither a video nor a
reaction to the attack in Iran. Perhaps he wants to give Iran leeway to downplay
the attack. Perhaps he also wants to wait for the election results in the US.
There are increasing signs that US President Joe Biden could choose the military
option to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities after the elections. Biden doesn’t
owe anyone anything after the election. Maybe he would even want to make life
easier for Kamala Harris if she were to win. And also for Trump, who would then
not be able to boast about the success of destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities.
By fulfilling the American demand for a measure of restraint, Israel has bought
international and American legitimacy for tougher action in the event of a
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/israels-precision-strike-leaves-iran-defenseless/?mc_cid=d83a893979&mc_eid=3ece879aa9
The Election Is Happening Too Soon
The New York Times/Asharq Al Awsat/October 28/2024
I had hoped this election would be a moment of national renewal. I had hoped
that the Democrats could decisively defeat MAGA populism and send us down a new
national path.
That’s clearly not going to happen. No matter who wins this election, it will be
close, and this is still going to be an evenly and bitterly divided nation.
In retrospect, I think I was expecting too much of politics. When certain
sociological and cultural realities are locked in, there is not much politicians
can do to redirect events. The two parties and their associated political
committees have spent billions this year, and nothing has altered the race. The
polls are just where they were at the start. If you had fallen asleep a year ago
and woke up today, you would have missed little of consequence, except that it’s
Kamala Harris leading the blue 50 percent of the country now and not Joe Biden.
It’s clearer to me now that most of the time politicians are not master
navigators leading us toward a new future. They are more like surfers who ride
the waves created by people further down in the core society. Let’s look at
America between 1880 and 1910. In the early years of that period, American
society had been thrown into turmoil by industrialization and uncontrolled
capitalism, which produced awesome economic growth and untold human misery.
Waves of immigration swept across the country, transforming urban America.
Political corruption was rampant in cities, and political incompetence was the
norm in Washington, D.C.
America faced a core civilizational challenge: How do we harness the energy of
industrialization to build a humane society?
American renewal began in the hearts of the people at all layers of society.
People were desperate for change. “All history is the history of longing,”
Jackson Lears writes in his book about this era, “Rebirth of a Nation.” He
argued that during these decades a “widespread yearning for regeneration — for
rebirth that was variously spiritual, moral and physical — penetrated public
life, inspiring movements and policies that formed the foundation for American
society in the 20th century.”
Some of the movements that sprang from this longing were evil. Some people
believed that they could impose order on an unruly society through bogus race
science and white supremacy. This was the era of lynching and racial terrorism.
But other movements did indeed produce rebirth. First there was a cultural
shift. The cutthroat social Darwinist philosophy was replaced by the social
gospel movement, which emphasized communal solidarity and service to the poor.
After the cultural shift, there was a civic renaissance fueled by its ideals.
For example, the Settlement House movement, led by women like Jane Addams of
Chicago, eased the plight of poor immigrant families. The temperance movement,
also led mostly by women, sought to curb drinking and spousal abuse. Unions
arose to demand fair wages and an eight-hour workday. The environmental movement
spread, not only to protect the wilderness but also to nurture the kind of human
vitality that comes through contact with nature. At the top of society, moguls
like J.P. Morgan imposed order on the corporate world to reduce boom and bust.
Philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller built libraries,
museums and universities.
By the time Theodore Roosevelt came to the presidency in 1901, society was
heaving with change. The pattern was cultural change first, then civic revival,
then political reform.
Today we face another great civilizational question: How can we create a morally
cohesive and politically functional democracy amid radical pluralism and
diversity?
I don’t see any cultural movement akin to the social gospel movement of the
1890s. The libraries groan with books diagnosing our divisions, but where is the
new social ideal? Where is the set of values that will motivate people to put
down their phones and dedicate their lives to changing the world? Some days I do
think the civic revival part of the formula is coming along nicely. Through my
work at Weave: The Social Fabric Project, I meet local leaders who are striving
to rebuild solidarity and serve the marginalized at the neighborhood level. But
so far these kinds of efforts have not been able to reverse the catastrophic
decline of social trust. Our nation still lacks the sense of social and psychic
safety that would allow us to have productive conversations across partisan
difference. We still lack a national creed or a national narrative that would
give us common ground among competing belief systems.
A few years ago, there did seem to be a social movement that could bring about
fundamental change, which I guess I’ll call the New Progressivism. Groups like
Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter burst to the fore. Racial equity
programs were sweeping across corporations and campuses. Politicians offered
ambitious agendas — the Green New Deal, Medicare for All. Presidential
candidates vowed to decriminalize border crossings.
But the New Progressivism turned out to be a dead end. D.E.I. programs are in
retreat — or, as at the University of Michigan, in turmoil. Democrats don’t talk
much about the radical proposals like Medicare for All that seemed à la mode in
early 2020. The country is moving rightward on issues like immigration and
economics, and Kamala Harris is moving with it.
This election is happening too soon. It’s happening before cultural and civic
preconditions are in place that might turbocharge political and legislative
reform. It’s simply unfair to ask Harris, who has been a presidential candidate
for all of three months, to lay out a vision for comprehensive national renewal
under these conditions. Politicians, especially when running for office, are
professional opportunists, trying to please voting blocs. They are rarely
visionaries.
Hochstein Races against Time and Mines
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/October 29/2024
Amos Hochstein, the American envoy to Lebanon, is in a race against time. A
handful of days separate the world from the US presidential elections. The US
and the whole world are awaiting the name of the new master of the White House.
The world reads about the weakening of the West and reduced role played by the
United States. It reads about the rise of China and the BRICS group and their
economic weight and population. It reads about China’s rise and the diminishing
role played by the West.
However, as the US elections draw near, the world begins to realize that America
is still America and that it is the key, even when many claim that it is the
problem. The people of the Middle East know this truth. The region cannot end
its wars without the US having its say. Vladimir Putin is embroiled in the war
in Ukraine. His military intervention in Syria did not increase his role in
resolving regional crises. The need remains for the man seated in the White
House, even if he is not running for re-election and as he counts his final days
in office.
Hochstein is now on his final attempt. He will inform Netanyahu of Washington’s
relief that Israel’s retaliation against Iran reflected a desire to not expand
the war. He will reiterate that the US stands by the Jewish state, citing how
President Joe Biden was at ease with the cooperation with Netanyahu in setting
the list of targets in Iran after months of misunderstandings and frosty
relations between them.
Hochstein may be banking on a temporary ceasefire as a gesture from Netanyahu
towards Kamala Harris and the possibility of her electoral victory after he
sensed that Donald Trump may win the race. Hochstein will inform Netanyahu that
Israel made strategic gains in its war that it must invest at the negotiations
table. It weakened Hamas’ capabilities and killed Yahya al-Sinwar. It dealt huge
blows to Hezbollah and killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah. He will encourage
Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and to keep the enclave out of a
military confrontation, at least in the long-term. On the Lebanese front,
Hochstein will say that the southern Lebanese front must be removed from the
military aspect of the conflict, at least in the long-term.
He will also say that Israel’s latest attack on Iran demonstrated its ability to
reach any point there. This means that Israel has restored its deterrence and
now is the time to return to the negotiations table. I recalled comments by a
European diplomat, who has close work ties to the American envoy. He told me
that Hochstein will stress to Netanyahu that there can be no end to the war on
Lebanon without the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701. He
will propose to him the idea of “international monitoring” of the implementation
to ensure that Hezbollah does not establish military infrastructure south of the
Litani River. The diplomat acknowledged that the hopes are low that Hochstein
will be successful, but the idea of ending the “unity of arenas” between Lebanon
and Gaza may be tempting to the Israelis, who will seize their one-time
opportunity to do so should the Lebanese side be unresponsive to suggestions.
The diplomat added that Hochstein will inform Netanyahu that a long war on
Lebanon could undermine the cohesion of his security institutions, which Iran
would happily exploit, making the “next day” scenario for the war on Lebanon as
difficult as it is in Gaza. Hochstein will advise Netanyahu to build on the
Lebanese government’s vow to implement resolution 1701 and send the army to the
South.
The diplomat noted that CIA Director William Burns is also making a last-ditch
visit to Doha to discuss the issue of hostages held in Gaza. He will meet with
Mossad chief David Barnea and stress to him that the time is now to agree to a
ceasefire in Gaza, even if it is a small deal that would pave the way for a
broader one. Will Hochstein’s talks in Netanyahu give him enough hope that he
would visit Beirut? It is hard to tell given how complicated the wars and cards
are. We must wait and see what Iran’s real reading of the Israeli strike is.
Supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s comments were general and open to interpretation:
“We mustn't underestimate or exaggerate the Israeli attack.” Others have said
Tehran reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time. Reading Iranian
signals is difficult at the best of times, so how about now?
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards are right to feel provoked when Israeli fighter
jets flew over Iran. The hovering of jets means that they are capable of
targeting oil and nuclear facilities, which Netanyahu, at Biden’s insistence,
kept off the hit list. Will the latest Israeli strike embarrass the Iranian
authorities in front of their people and allies or will they be able to avoid a
direct response that will inevitably be met with America deciding to defend
Israel?
If Iran opts against falling into the trap of a direct clash with the US, does
it have any option other than replying through Hezbollah in Lebanon? Can Iran
agree to take the Lebanese front out of the conflict through the implementation
of resolution of 1701 and effectively end the “unity of arenas”? Can Hezbollah
return to resolution 1701 and acknowledge that the “support front” for Gaza was
a costly and hasty move on its part?
This is why Hochstein’s visit appears very difficult. We may learn the name the
new master of the White House amid the Israeli raids and Hezbollah drone and
rocket attacks. Moreover, it won’t be easy for Hochstein to remove mines in a
handful of days. As we await the emergence of the right conditions for a
ceasefire, Netanyahu’s government will not hesitate in wiping out more southern
Lebanese villages. It has not learned lessons from the past.
A Window to a Complemental Arab Role
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/October 29/2024
It was broadly assumed that, with Sinwar and Nasrallah out of the picture, it
could become easier to reach a deal that would end the war in both Lebanon and
Gaza and allow the 101 hostages still held by Hamas to return to their homes.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly
demonstrated his talent for foiling settlements, is showing no signs of changing
his military-annihilative approach. Rather, he has pledged more military action,
as have his far-right coalition partners, while the Likud party went even
further, organizing an event titled “Preparing To Settle in Gaza.”
The efforts to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon are not progressing because, on
the one hand, Israel cannot achieve a decisive military victory, and on the
other, Hamas and Hezbollah are not willing to acquiesce to Israel’s terms amid
internal leadership struggles. Israel’s limited retaliation against Iran, the
day before yesterday, could complicate things further and give rise to new
obstacles that make a deal in Gaza and Lebanon less likely.
In light of the absence of serious and credible US pressure, such as an arms
embargo on Israel, Netanyahu does not feel compelled to change his policies in
any of these conflict zones. Bolstered by the assassination of senior leaders
from both groups and a surge in domestic support in recent polls, he is going to
press forward with his mission to change the “strategic reality” in the Middle
East, as he puts it, and dictate the final outcome in Gaza and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Hezbollah, both with the backing of Iran, are fighting for
survival. Their aim is not to achieve outright military victory but to maintain
some political legitimacy by inflicting as much damage on Israel as possible.
An additional impediment to agreements in Gaza and Lebanon is that the
legitimacy of those speaking on behalf of Hamas and Hezbollah is tenuous. It
appears that Iran is now overseeing Hezbollah operations directly, and its
influence over Hamas was evident from the visits of senior Hamas leaders to
Tehran immediately after Sinwar’s death. Both organizations’ chain of command
has been undermined adding to the significance of Iran’s role, which is now
calling the shots.
Meanwhile, Washington continues to push for a ceasefire in both Gaza and
Lebanon. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently made his eleventh visit
to the region, presenting new proposals for a hostage deal and ceasefire. More
than anything else, he sought to convince Israel to turn its military victories
into strategic gains and to present a plan for the "day-after" for Gaza. He
wants to see an end to the war, the release of the hostages, the disarmament of
Hamas, a decision on the fate of its leaders- both political and military- and
reconstruction in Gaza, while he firmly opposed the idea of Israeli occupation
or settlement in the territory. This framework for the “day-after” must also
include a role for the Palestinian Authority and lay the groundwork for a
settlement that ends the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all.
On the Lebanese front, the solution entails disarming Hezbollah, equipping the
Lebanese armed forces so that it can take control of the southern border
alongside the UNIFIL forces (who are to be granted greater freedom of
operation), and securing other border crossings. It also entails the Lebanese
state imposing its sovereignty across the country and filling institutional
voids, as the US opposes annexation and the idea of dividing southern Lebanon
like the Netzarim corridor split Gaza.
In sum, the US expects the successes that Israel's military has achieved thus
far to open the door to strategic success. However, the failure to do so is a
real risk. As US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on October 7, "It
takes real discipline, it takes courage, it takes foresight to match the conduct
of war to a clear and sustainable set of objectives and to turn tactical
advantage into enduring strategic gains”.
This course could enable Arab actors to play a role in Gaza and Lebanon after
the war. The meeting between Blinken and his Arab counterparts in London last
Friday could open a window, allowing Arab states to play a role that complements
US mediation. The hope is that we could soon see initiatives by moderate Arab
states, for both Gaza and Lebanon, that move along three tracks: politics,
security, and reconstruction. Initially, the aid would seek to fill the vacuum
left by the weakening of Hamas and Hezbollah and the incapacity of legitimate
authorities.
There are vacuums in Lebanon’s institutions, and Gaza is languishing under
Israel’s brutal occupation. In both places, a tragic humanitarian crisis has
emerged, and it must be addressed. Arab pressure on Washington and European
partners, with the aim of pushing them to help, is crucial for stabilizing the
situation and saving what remains of both Lebanon and Gaza from further
occupations and inevitable death.
US Election: On 6 November Skies Won’t Fall
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/October 29/2024
It is late night in Paris when the phone jolts me out of my pre-sleep
somnolence. It is a fellow-Iranian who wants to know who I think would be the
United States’ next president.
As I mumble in search of an answer the distant caller darts: So who will win?
“The winner will be the American system,” I say and immediately realize that
this might sound more like a dodge than a proper answer. Nevertheless, I stick
with my answer because I know that citing either Donald J. Trump or Kamala
Harris as the possible winner will lead to an avalanche of speculation about
what will happen if he or she ends up in the White House. The avalanche has been
sliding down for weeks as pundits across the pond project contradictory
predictions. The Washington Post, a Harris cheer-leader, claims that Trump’s win
will push the world back into the 1930s when the slogan “Might is Right” led to
the Second World War. At the other end of the spectrum, Max News supporters of
Trump claim that a Harris win could transform the United States into an upmarket
version of the Third World. The belief that the US is in decline has been the
theme of several TV talk shows where in Paris here I currently spend time. The
talking heads differ on whose tenure would slowdown or accelerate the decline.
But they all agree that the future belongs to China as leader of a new world
order in which the US should be thankful if it is casts as a bridesmaid. The
idea that the US is on the way of becoming a “has-been” superpower isn’t new.
In the 1920s, people like Armand Hammer believed that the future belonged to the
emerging Soviet power. And the “new Socialist man” it was creating. In the
1930s, of which we are now reminded, people like Charles Lindbergh saw Germany
as the future global power and arbiter of human destiny. In the 1960s all bets
were on Japan and in the 1970s futurologists put their chips on France.
Some pundits speak of a new multipolar world order in which the US will be a
pole among many poles. That such an analysis is defective in its very nature
only if because poles are supposed to be two opposite points that balance each
other to give the system stability.
In other words, you can’t have many poles here and there and everywhere, at
times even attached to each other like Siamese twins. At any rate, the fact is
that the US remains the “indispensable nation” it has been at least for the past
century or so. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East won’t be ended without
Washington offering the necessary guidance and inspiration backed by military,
economic and soft power of a class no other nation can offer at present. The
same is true when we come to major reforms needed in the very structure of the
United Nations and its agencies along with an overdue review of global trade
rules. As far as the November 5 election is concerned the question is what the
two candidates offer on those issues.
The answer is: not much.
US presidential elections, indeed as General D Gaulle once noted presidential
elections everywhere, are seldom about concrete policies.
“It is a rendezvous between a man and a nation,” he insisted. (Now we must say a
man or a woman.) The current US presidential campaign has been focused on the
personalities of the candidates rather than policies. Republican nominee Trump
has always projected himself as a personality rather than a policy wonk. His
campaign has amounted to a long monologue in which he reveals himself, warts and
all, inviting the voters to judge him as a person. Interestingly, his opponents
including Ms. Harris have danced to his music by making him the target of ad-hominem
attacks never before seen in the rough-and-tumble of American elections.
This doesn’t mean that Trump has avoided tackling all issues. He has done so in
an oblique way, by telling a story that draws attention to an issue without
subjecting it to classical analysis. His opponents have dubbed the method as
telling lies pretending that the truth, their truth, trumps the Republican’s
narrative.
That attitude has helped Trump by persuading his supporters that he is“One of
us,” an anti-establishment candidate who shares our sufferings and aspirations.
Harris, on the other hand, has been caught in a web of contradictions. She has
been unwilling to assume President Joe Biden’s full record without being able to
reject it. She has flirted with the idea of casting herself as a policy wonk but
has been forced to backtrack because she tries to constitute a coalition of
minorities with diverse if not contradictory interests and aspirations. By
continuing his never ending monologue Trump tells the voters more and more about
himself. Harris, in contrast, talks to hide herself.
The more you listen to her the less you know about her.
Trump’s opponents castigate his egocentrism and praise Harris’s altruism.
However, Trump’s egocentrism is authentic while Harris’s altruism is ersatz.
Barak Obama’s intervention in the campaign has hurt rather than helped Harris by
causing confusion about the new-old persona she has tried to construct.
The current election has not escaped the usual clichés of “historic” or “epoch-making.”However,
it is unlikely that whoever wins the United States’ broad strategic positions
will change on major issues. On November 6, the Wall Street indexes will rise
and the skies won’t fall.
The real issue in this election is which of the two candidates Americans, or at
least the 50 percent who vote, will feel more akin with. And that in itself is a
huge question, huge enough to make this election historic.