English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 11/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 13/31-35:"When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come."I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 10-11/2024
Text and Video: Rise Up to Congratulate Dr. Geagea for Dropping the Terrorist Label from Hezbollah/Elias Bejjani/September 8, 2024
Riad Salameh and the Ruling Mafia/Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz / September 10, 2024
Lebanon Ready for Indirect Negotiations with Israel to End the War
Israel close to completing Gaza missions, focus on north, defense minister says
Top US official warns Israel of 'catastrophic consequences' to war in Lebanon
Israeli report warning: Attention turns to Al-Aqsa provocations, West Bank, north front with Lebanon
Report: Israeli threats against Lebanon aimed at intimidation
Gallant says temporary Gaza deal can restore calm with Hezbollah
Halevi says Israeli army 'prepared to carry out any mission' in Lebanon
Israel briefs US general on 'operational plans for Lebanon'
EU High Representative travels to Egypt and Lebanon
Egyptian ambassador: Our focus has returned to the presidential file
Israeli strike kills Hezbollah commander in Lebanon
Israel strike on Lebanon kills Hezbollah commander: source, army
Final toll: 12 injured in Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh, South Lebanon
Israel breaks sound barrier over Beirut and South Lebanon
US devises Lebanon solution as Israel says patience running out
Israel strikes Nabatieh building, kills Hezbollah fighter in W. Bekaa
Bassil says FPM 'emerged stronger' after 4 MPs' departure
Cabinet session postponed after retired servicemen surround Grand Serail
Syrian-Lebanese trade: Syria reduces transit fees for Lebanese trucks
Lebanon’s FM blasts Israeli aggression as new form of terrorism at Arab League session
Salaries: The Enduring Struggle of Retired Military Personnel/Liliane Mokbel/This Beirut/September 10/2024
Lebanon’s Presidency Between Gaza Talks Failure and Southern Escalation/Philippe Abi-Akl/This Is Beirut/September 10/2024
On the Absence of Accountability in Lebanon and its Dire Consequences/Rami al-Rayes/Asharq Al Awsat/10 September 2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 10-11/2024
AMCD: Left-Wing Protests Empower Jihadist Agendas/EIN Presswire/September 9, 2024
E3 and US slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia
At least 19 killed and more feared buried in Israeli airstrike on Gaza humanitarian zone targeting Hamas militants
UN spokesman says vaccination convoy held at gunpoint by Israeli army
At least 40 dead, 60 hurt in Israeli strike on crowded Gaza camp
EU fears Israeli-occupied West Bank becoming a ‘new Gaza’
Israel releases video of a Gaza tunnel where it says Hamas militants killed 6 hostages
The Israeli military says it likely killed a US activist unintentionally
Jordan reopens West Bank crossing after deadly attack
Saudi-Egyptian cooperation continues to maintain stability in the region, FM says
The US and Britain accuse Iran of sending Russia missiles to use against Ukraine
Germany, France, UK slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia
Ukraine targets Moscow in biggest drone attack yet
South African farmers are accused of killing 2 women and feeding them to pigs
North Korea's Kim vows to make his nuclear force ready for combat with US
Patrick Maisonnave, France’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 10-11/2024
Bridge attack underlines Jordan’s thorny peace with Israel/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/September 10, 2024
France gets new PM, awaits formation of a government/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat./September 10, 2024
UK: Starmer's Dictatorship?/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/September 09/2024
Reason and mystery in Israel’s defense posture/Louis Rene Beres/JNS/September 10, 2024
Restating the obvious: Hamas isn’t negotiating/Ruthie Blum/JNS/September 10, 2024
America Is Losing the Battle of the Red Sea/Bloomberg/Asharq Al Awsat/10 September 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 10-11/2024
Text and Video: Rise Up to Congratulate Dr. Geagea for Dropping the Terrorist Label from Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/September 8, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134178/
We were not at all surprised when Dr. Samir Geagea refrained from labeling Hezbollah as a terrorist organization during his interview with the Saudi journalist Tariq Al-Hamid on September 5th of this month, conducted via the “Al-Arabiya FM” website. In the interview, Al-Hamid asked Geagea about his reason for silencing his supporters who were loudly chanting “Hezbollah is a terrorist” during the speech he delivered at the martyrs’ mass celebration last week in his Maarab Headquarter. This  pro Hezbollah stance is not new or unexpected from Dr. Geagea; due to the fact that it is consistent with his long-standing position, which he frequently expresses, as do all the representatives and leaders of his party, most notably MP Melhem Riachi. They consider Hezbollah to be a Lebanese entity, represented in parliament, and reflecting its Shiite base. They even recognize Hezbollah's role in the 2000 liberation of the south and regard its killed members as martyrs of Lebanon, on par with the martyrs of the Lebanese Forces Party.
Furthermore, Geagea's MPs and officials often, and foolishly, boast about Israel being an enemy, whether prompted or not. We question whether such non-Lebanese positions are driven by Dhimmitude, cleverness, complicity, esotericism, or genuine convictions?. The answer is simple: they are bundles of hypocrisy, self-deception, and deceit of others, because Hezbollah openly and proudly declares its Persian identity, its Iranian project, and its absolute allegiance in doctrine, thought, belief, funding, and armament to the mullahs of Iran. The sad and ironic aspect of these submissive approaches is that they are gratuitous; Hezbollah does not pay any attention to them, and instead, accuses, demonizes, and despises their proponents and all its opponents. Mr. Nasrallah has repeatedly and publicly stated that those who do not support his so-called “resistance” and wars are not human beings.
How can we expect the world to help us liberate our country from the occupation of the terrorist and Iranian Hezbollah when we are afraid to call it what it openly declares itself to be?
Here, we must draw Dr. Geagea’s attention, as well as others who are immersed in slanderous, esoteric, and surrenders positions, to the fact that many Arab and Western countries classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and have placed it on their terrorism lists. Do we expect these countries to help us while we continue to flatter Hezbollah and drop the terrorist label from it?
We ask, is he not a “terrorist” who assassinated Pascal Sleiman and Elias al-Hasrouni, among hundreds of others before and after them, invaded Ain al-Rummaneh, Beirut, and the Mountain, declared war on Israel, suspended the constitution, stole property, dismantled the state, and prostituted its institutions?  Hezbollah is a professional in manufacturing and exporting all things forbidden and prohibited, carries out terrorist operations in many countries, fights in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, blew up the port of Beirut, stole the money of the Lebanese—and the list goes on and on.
The writer is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Contact: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com

Riad Salameh and the Ruling Mafia
Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz / September 10, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134280/
The Lebanese were surprised by the decision to arrest Riad Salameh, welcoming it with cautious optimism. They were surprised because this "bold" decision came in the midst of a collapsed state—or rather, a quasi-state—with fragmented institutions, a hijacked decision-making process, and a judiciary that is both blind and deaf.
The caution stems, first and foremost, from the Lebanese people's lack of trust in this failed state and everything it issues in terms of decisions and stances. This is the same state that has let them down in every aspect of life, be it their livelihood, dignity, or daily bread.
The second reason for caution is the ambiguity surrounding the arrest of Riad Salameh. Questions arise: Who is behind this "bold" decision? Why now? And is the judiciary capable of seeing this case through to its conclusion—revealing the details of the financial collapse and the names of all those involved?
The third reason is that fully opening the Riad Salameh file and expanding the investigation into all the financial crimes he committed over decades will inevitably lead to the opening of many other files related to the leaders of the ruling regime who were involved with him in "financial engineering" and organized looting, which led to the draining of the treasury, the bankruptcy of the state, the collapse of the banking system, and the theft of depositors' money.
It is highly likely that the decision to arrest Salameh at this particular time was the result of pressure exerted by Western countries pursuing this man... and that the ruling mafia will strive to limit the ongoing investigations to Salameh alone, placing the entire blame for the financial collapse and general bankruptcy on him and some of his close associates.
This ruling mafia may succeed in making Riad Salameh a scapegoat to absolve itself of responsibility for the bankruptcy and destruction of this nation... but for how long?
We promise we will not forget you when the hour of reckoning comes.
Labbaik Lebanon
(Free Translation by: Elias Bejjani)

Lebanon Ready for Indirect Negotiations with Israel to End the War
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/10 September 2024
The Lebanese government has said it was ready to engage in indirect negotiations with Israel to establish a ceasefire and bring an end to the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli army in South Lebanon. This comes amid intensifying exchanges of fire and Israel’s threats to escalate the war. During a meeting with ambassadors and representatives from United Nations Security Council member states, Prime Minister Najib Mikati emphasized the need for the Security Council to take “more decisive and effective measures” in addressing Israeli violations and attacks on the Lebanese population. He stressed that the Security Council’s response must be “swift and robust, aiming to protect innocent lives and civil defense personnel working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of the people.”Mikati also condemned “Israel’s continued targeting of Lebanese civilians, a clear violation of international law and a threat to the safety and security of the country’s population.”He expressed gratitude to Security Council members for their support in renewing UNIFIL’s mandate and their commitment to maintaining stability in Lebanon. Following the meeting, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib noted that the ambassadors affirmed their support for the protection of civilians and international laws, including the Geneva Conventions, which safeguard individuals during conflicts. He said: “Most ambassadors indirectly condemned these attacks and emphasized their opposition to targeting civilians. We agreed to avoid the term ‘de-escalation’ and instead focus on halting the attacks.”“As a government, we seek a ceasefire and an end to the war. We have informed the relevant parties of our willingness to engage in indirect negotiations with Israel to achieve this,” Bou Habib added. He mentioned that the prime minister has instructed Lebanon’s UN mission to consult with Security Council members about convening a session on Lebanon, particularly regarding the targeting of the population. He also highlighted “strong support for Lebanon from all sides, which is preventing a full-scale war in the South.” “Israel is refusing negotiations, and Hezbollah may also oppose them, but Hezbollah is not a state. It is the Lebanese state that decides. If a viable resolution is proposed, we will accept it as a government and work to convince Hezbollah to agree. This is the responsibility of the Lebanese state, as Hezbollah is not a member of the United Nations—Lebanon is,” Bou Habib remarked.
In response to a question, the foreign minister stressed that any ceasefire resolution would be a new one, not an amendment to Resolution 1701.
Israeli Threats
Lebanon’s call for negotiations comes amid growing threats from Israel. Former Israeli war cabinet member and leader of the National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, said Israel should consider launching a war against Lebanon if no ceasefire agreement or prisoner exchange with Hamas is reached soon. Speaking at the Middle East American Dialogue (MEAD) conference in Washington, Gantz stated: “It’s time to focus on the North. We are behind schedule, and I believe we must strike a deal to bring back the hostages, even if it comes at a painful cost. However, if no agreement is reached in the coming days or weeks, we should escalate the war in the North and ensure the safe return of our citizens to their homes.” He added: “We can achieve this, even if it requires targeting the state of Lebanon itself. I see no other way forward.”
Military Developments
On the ground, the Israeli army announced that its warplanes and helicopters targeted Hezbollah military facilities and launch sites in Kfar Kila, Taybeh, Hanin, and Yaroun on Sunday night. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported that an Israeli airstrike on Hanin injured four people, who were taken to the hospital for treatment. In response, Hezbollah claimed to have launched drones targeting the headquarters of the Israeli Golani Brigade and the 621st Egoz Unit at the Shraga barracks near Acre. The group also reported attacking the Jall Al-Alam site with drones, stating they directly hit their targets. Israeli media reported that Hezbollah’s drone strike caused damage to a residential apartment on the 14th floor of a new building in north Nahariya.

Israel close to completing Gaza missions, focus on north, defense minister says
Reuters/September 10, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israeli forces are near to fulfilling their mission in Gaza and their focus will turn to the country’s northern border with Lebanon as daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah take place, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday.“The center of gravity is moving northward, we are near to completing our tasks in the south, but our mission here is not yet done,” Gallant told troops on Israel’s northern border in a video sent by his office. Gallant was attending a ground combat drill, his office said. “These instructions that you are waiting for here today, I gave in the south and saw the forces operate,” Gallant said referring to Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip three weeks after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that triggered the war. The Lebanese group Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on Oct. 8 and the two sides have been trading fire since, with tens of thousands of civilians displaced on both sides of the border.Israeli leaders have said they would prefer to resolve the conflict through an agreement that would push Iran-backed Hezbollah away from the border. Hezbollah has said that it will continue fighting Israel as long as the war in Gaza is ongoing. In separate remarks to journalists on Tuesday, Gallant said: “While we pursue an agreement, I have directed the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) to prepare for every scenario, including directing our attention to the northern arena. We are committed to changing the security situation on the northern front and to bringing our citizens home safely.” The Israeli military on Tuesday said it killed a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. The group confirmed his death but not his role and said it fired rockets at Israeli army targets across the border in retaliation.

Top US official warns Israel of 'catastrophic consequences' to war in Lebanon
Naharnet/September 10/2024
A full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon could have “catastrophic and unforeseen consequences,” a senior U.S. official has said at the Middle East America Dialogue (MEAD) summit in Washington. “There is an idea of ‘Let’s go to war and then we will destroy all the missiles Hezbollah has and everything will be fine.’ It’s not that simple. There is no magic solution. The other side cannot be annihilated. At the end of the war, Israel may pay a heavy price and not achieve its goals,” the official was quoted by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid as saying, while recommending a diplomatic rather than military solution to calm the border tensions. “There is no war in lab conditions. It’s not a game. I don’t doubt the capabilities of the IDF (Israeli army), but we have to think about the fact that there will be serious consequences for both sides,” the U.S. official added, speaking on the second day of the two-day Washington conference chaired by two former senior U.S. administration officials, Dennis Ross and Elliot Abrams, and two former American ambassadors to Israel, Tom Nides and David Friedman. The official argued that if a war were to break out, the international community would intervene to reach a diplomatic solution that would be similar to what can be clinched now. In quotes from the conference published by Hebrew media sites, the U.S. official warned that thousands, or even tens of thousands, of people could be killed if the tensions escalated into an all-out war, along with heavy damage to both Israeli and Lebanese infrastructure. Speaking Sunday at the same conference, former Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel should shift its focus away from Gaza toward the Lebanese border, declaring that “we are late on this,” while also warning that a war with the Iran-backed group is imminent if Israel does not soon strike a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas. While Gantz and other Israeli officials say that a major military operation against Hezbollah is the only way to allow the tens of thousands of Israelis who have been evacuated from their homes on the northern border since October to return safely, the U.S. official warned that many civilians could be killed in the fighting and would not have homes to return to, according to the Israeli journalist Ravid. However, according to quotes published by the Israel Hayom daily, the official also supported Israel’s position that it can no longer tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its border following the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7.

Israeli report warning: Attention turns to Al-Aqsa provocations, West Bank, north front with Lebanon
LBCI/September 10/2024
Following the failure of US efforts to propose a revised prisoner exchange deal and Egypt's refusal to host a new round of negotiations at the request of the US and Israel, Israeli security agencies have prepared a report to calm tensions in the West Bank and preventing the expansion of Al-Aqsa Flood war across multiple fronts. Before the report was presented to the Israeli Cabinet, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar sent a message to Jordan's King Abdullah. In the letter, they assured the Jordanian monarch that Israel would prevent provocative visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and maintain the status quo at the holy site. In parallel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an order preventing members of his government from visiting Al-Aqsa compound. The security report warned that any provocation at Al-Aqsa, such as plans by Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to establish a synagogue or continue provocative visits, could ignite a third Intifada, with car bombings and suicide attacks posing more significant risks than those previously experienced by Israel. It also stated that escalation in the West Bank could force Israel to divert military forces from Gaza, undermining its war objectives. Delaying efforts to calm the situation in the West Bank could open a new and potentially more dangerous front. In addition to these warnings, the security agencies recommended expanding Israeli prisons, as they are struggling to accommodate the growing number of Palestinian detainees. They also called for intensifying efforts to arrest wanted individuals in the West Bank and issuing work permits for tens of thousands of Palestinian workers, allowing them to enter Israel while increasing penalties for those entering illegally. The report emphasized the need to deploy advanced surveillance technology at key intersections and checkpoints in the West Bank and suggested the immediate building of a barrier along the Jordanian border to prevent further infiltrations. While concerns about a West Bank flare-up continue to grow, the northern front with Lebanon remains a critical dilemma in Al-Aqsa Flood war. Additionally, northern towns mayors press the government to make decisive military moves against Lebanon. Some have even called on the Israeli army leadership to bypass political decision-makers and approve military operations against Lebanon, viewing this as a crucial step toward resolving the situation on that front.

Report: Israeli threats against Lebanon aimed at intimidation
Naharnet/September 10/2024
The latest flurry of Israeli threats regarding an imminent military operation in Lebanon are only aimed at “intimidation,” diplomatic sources said. “They are also aimed at blocking the latest Iranian-American rapprochement, whose first signs have appeared in the agreement reached in Iraq, which would not have happened without an Iranian green light,” the sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Monday. Iraq and the United States have agreed on a phased pullout of the U.S.-led anti-jihadist coalition but have yet to sign a final agreement, the Iraqi defense minister said Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that he had instructed the army and security forces to prepare to change the situation on Lebanon’s border, where Israel has been engaged in near-daily clashes with Hezbollah since October 8 last year. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents on both sides of the border and Israel has repeatedly vowed to act to return its citizens through war or diplomatic action. The cross-border violence has killed some 614 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including 138 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians. Israel and Hezbollah had on August 25 exchanged heavy fire that briefly raised fears of an all-out war. On that day, Israel said around 100 warplanes launched airstrikes targeting hundreds of rocket launchers across southern Lebanon to thwart an imminent Hezbollah attack. Hezbollah for its part said it launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israeli military and security bases, including at a key intelligence base in Tel Aviv’s suburbs.
Hezbollah called the attack a response to the killing of one of its top commanders, Fouad Shukur, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs in July.

Gallant says temporary Gaza deal can restore calm with Hezbollah
Naharnet/September 10/2024
Israel's defense minister said Tuesday that the window is closing on an opportunity to reach a temporary cease-fire deal with Hamas that he believes could also bring calm to Israel's volatile northern border with Lebanon.
Speaking to reporters, Yoav Gallant said that conditions are ripe for at least a six-week pause in fighting that would include the release of many of the hostages held in Gaza. However, he would not commit to a permanent end to the fighting, as Hamas has demanded, raising questions about the feasibility of a deal. "Israel should achieve an agreement that will bring about a pause for six weeks and bring back hostages," he said. After that period, he said, "we maintain the right to operate and achieve our goals -- including the destruction of Hamas." The United States, along with mediators Egypt and Qatar, has been working for months to broker a cease-fire to end the devastating war between Israel and Hamas. A main area of disagreement has been Hamas' demand for an end to the nearly year-old war and a full withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised a new sticking point in recent weeks, saying that Israel must remain stationed in a strategic corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt indefinitely. Gallant has been quoted in Israeli media as saying that Israel could withdraw from the corridor for six weeks -- to allow hostages to go free without risking Israel's security. The two men reportedly got into a heated shouting match at a recent Cabinet meeting where ministers overwhelmingly sided with Netanyahu.
During Monday's meeting with foreign journalists, Gallant was asked about his relationship with the prime minister.
"As defense minister, my first priority is the state of Israel and those who protect her, and then everything else," he said. The current U.S.-led proposal calls for a three-phase plan, beginning with a six-week pause in fighting during which Hamas would release some of the roughly 70 hostages who are still believed to be alive and held by the militants.
In exchange, Israel would free dozens of Palestinian prisoners, withdraw troops from Palestinian population centers, allow displaced Gazans to return to their original place of residence and facilitate the influx of large amounts of badly needed humanitarian aid.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that Hamas had sought changes to the evolving proposal, calling it the "main obstacle" to a deal. Hamas rejected Kirby's allegations as "baseless" and again accused the U.S. of hindering an agreement by siding with Israel.
Gallant cast doubt on Hamas' intentions and was skeptical about whether the deal's second phase -- which is to include the release of the remaining hostages and a complete halt to the fighting -- could be implemented.
He said repeatedly that Israel remains committed to its "war goals" -- bringing home all hostages, destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities, and making sure the group can never threaten Israel again. With Hamas repeatedly regrouping in areas of Gaza that Israeli troops have left, and with no plan for an alternative postwar government, it remains unclear when or if these goals can be fully achieved.
Gallant accused Hamas of intransigence in the talks and called for more international pressure on the militant group. Still, he said that after inflicting heavy damage recently on Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, there is an opportunity for at least the first phase of the deal.
He said he believed a truce with Hamas could also lower tensions with Hezbollah and allow displaced Israelis to return to their homes in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border. "We are committed to changing the security situation on the northern front and to bringing our citizens home safely," Gallant said.
Hezbollah began striking Israel immediately after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack ignited the war. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border fire daily, coming close on several occasions to a full-blown war. The fighting has forced tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese to flee their homes near the volatile border.
"Achieving an agreement is also a strategic opportunity that gives us a high chance to change the security situation on all fronts," Gallant said.
It seems unlikely that Hamas would accept a partial deal in which it would give up the hostages -- its most valuable bargaining chips for only a brief pause in the Israeli onslaught. But international mediators have been working on a bridging proposal that they hope could meet the demands of all sides. U.S. President Joe Biden said last week he was "optimistic" that a deal was within reach. At home, the Israeli government faces significant domestic pressure to reach a deal as well, particularly after the deaths of six hostages it says were killed by their Hamas captors earlier this month as troops approached the area where they were being held. Gallant described the current situation as a "strategic junction" -- where Israel can reach a deal with its adversaries or risk fighting a broader war that could draw in Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran. Gallant said he prefers a deal, but that Israel is ready for all scenarios. "We are capable of defending ourselves and we can also retaliate if necessary," he said. "We have the ability to hit any strategic goal in Iran."Israel's offensive in Gaza has forced hundreds of thousands of people into squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters, gutted the health system and contributed to widespread hunger. Israel has been working with international aid workers in recent weeks on a mass vaccination program to prevent a polio outbreak in the territory from spreading. As for the dire humanitarian situation, Gallant said he has assembled an advisory group of experts to focus on five areas of need. They include improved medical care, aid deliveries, energy, water and sanitation and better communications with aid workers. "We discuss and hold situation assessments on this issue twice a week," he said.

Halevi says Israeli army 'prepared to carry out any mission' in Lebanon
Naharnet/September 10/2024
Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi has conducted an assessment of the situation on Lebanon’s border with members of the General Staff Forum, addressing the incident of the Hezbollah drone that hit a tall building in Nahariyya on Monday morning, the Israeli army said. "Hezbollah's targeting of a residential building this morning is a serious incident, and the same applies to the targeting of residents of the northern region," Halevi said. The Israeli army is "operating forcefully in the northern arena, is on alert, has operational plans ready, and is prepared to carry out any mission it will be assigned," Halevi added.

Israel briefs US general on 'operational plans for Lebanon'
Naharnet/September 10/2024
U.S. Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla has met in Israel with Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi for a situational assessment, the Israeli army said. The general's visit focused on “current threats, with an emphasis on threats from Lebanon and Iran in the northern arena,” the army said. Kurilla visited the Northern Command near Lebanon’s border with Northern Command chief Ori Gordin, where they conducted a situational assessment and received an operational briefing, during which Kurilla was presented with the Israeli army’s “operational plans for Lebanon,” the Israeli military said.
The Israeli army added that it “will continue to deepen its relationship with the U.S. Armed Forces,” due to their “commitment to strengthening regional stability and the coordination between the militaries.”

EU High Representative travels to Egypt and Lebanon
Naharnet/September 10/2024
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, will travel to Egypt and Lebanon from 8 to 12 September, the EU Delegation to Lebanon said. “The visit takes place against the background of the war in Gaza, where the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the fate of hostages make an urgent ceasefire ever more critical. The mission forms part of the EU’s continuous regional outreach to prevent further escalation,” the Delegation said in a statement. On Monday, the HR/VP visited Cairo for official meetings, including with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He will also travel to Rafah (Egyptian side) for meetings with representatives of the U.N. agencies on the ground and of the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC). The HR/VP will also inaugurate an EU-funded project to help Gazan children and those who take care of them in Egypt.
“Mediation efforts, undertaken by Egypt, the U.S. and Qatar, will feature high on the agenda, as will the EU’s role in alleviating human suffering in the Strip. The two sides will also discuss the regional situation,” the statement said. On Tuesday, the HR/VP will meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The HR/VP will also attend a Ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States in Cairo. On Wednesday and Thursday, the HR/VP will be in Lebanon where he will meet – among others -- caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, and Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun. The HR/VP will also have a meeting with caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdallah Bou Habib. “The EU’s support to Lebanon’ resilience and stability, as well as its regional role will be reviewed with a range of domestic and international stakeholders, including the U.N.,” the statement said. The mission will be an opportunity to discuss all aspects of the situation in and around Gaza and wider political issues with regional leaders, notably the impact of the conflict on neighboring countries and their respective contributions to peace and stability efforts, the EU statement added.

Egyptian ambassador: Our focus has returned to the presidential file
Naharnet/September 10/2024
Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa has said that the attention of the five-nation group for Lebanon is now focused on resolving the country’s lengthy presidential crisis.“We all went to deal with an urgent situation, which was the latest escalation that we witnessed” between Israel and Hezbollah following the deadly Majdal Shams incident and the assassination of Hezbollah military chief Fouad Shukur, Moussa told al-Jadeed TV. “Today we are focusing again on the presidential file and on giving it impetus and the meeting of the Quintet’s ambassadors will be held when all ambassadors return to Beirut,” the ambassador added. “The French drive and the meeting in Riyadh (between French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian and Saudi Royal Court adviser Nizar al-Aloula) are an important step that reflects a desire to move forward,” Moussa went on to say. He added: “The issue is not in the quantity of initiatives, but rather in seeking common denominators in the proposed ideas in order to achieve a progress in the presidential file.”

Israeli strike kills Hezbollah commander in Lebanon
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/September 10, 2024
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on Tuesday in eastern Lebanon killed a Hezbollah commander, with the group retaliating by firing rockets at Israeli army targets. Mohammed Qassem Al-Shaer, 47, was targeted as he rode a motorcycle on the Saghbine road in Western Bekaa. A civilian car passed at the time of the drone strike, leading to one death and two injuries from the attack, according to the Ministry of Health. Al-Chaer, aged 47, was from Sohmor, Western Bekaa. Israeli raids also targeted cities and villages that until now had fallen outside the conflict zone, with southern Lebanon facing intense attacks since the morning. A military drone targeted one of five floors of a building in Nabatieh with more than four missiles, injuring eight civilians, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The identity of the injured and those targeted is still unknown. An Israeli military drone later raided an area between Jouaiyya, Wadi Jilou and Mahrouna, targeting it with three missiles and igniting a massive fire. A drone also targeted the center of Houla’s square. An Israeli missile struck Khiam in the morning — but failed to detonate — following an Israeli raid at midnight on Monday. The Israeli army is targeting border villages daily, usually at night, destroying roads and empty residential neighborhoods. A security source told Arab News that Israel “seeks to form a fire belt in the border region to slow down Hezbollah’s combat movement.” The source added: “Israel’s hostilities reached 15 km deep into Lebanese territory, targeting villages like Srifa, Froun, Ghandouriyeh and Wadi Al-Houjeir, and focusing its attacks on forest areas and valleys.”Israel also targeted Lebanese Civil Defense fire brigades, as well as fire services associated with Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement. The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, said that the party opened a support front in Lebanon “in solidarity with Gaza and its people as a preemptive measure to protect Lebanon from Israeli aggression on its land, its sovereignty and its people.”He added: “The sacrifices and losses we have endured in this regard are far less than the costs we would have faced if the enemy had achieved its goals in Gaza.” Raad said that Israel had “reached a point where it can penetrate Gaza and destroy it, but it cannot achieve its objectives, establish its presence, or set up the alternative situation it seeks.”Israel is “aimlessly circling and deteriorating internally at the security, economic, financial and displacement levels,” Raad said. He highlighted the “burden of exceptional expenses” on Israel’s economy and the “ugly image that has rendered it a pariah entity worldwide.”Raad said that Israel was now “operating in lost time, perhaps extending to the US elections and their scheduled date. “This is why we see it moving from northern Gaza to the south, then turning to the West Bank to ignite a fruitless battle, and then threatening to expand northward toward southern Lebanon,” he added. “However, it cannot meet its commitment to returning all northern residents to their homes.”At about 2 a.m., Israeli raids hit the town of Aita Al-Shaab in the central sector, causing material damage to property and infrastructure, particularly to electricity and water networks.The Israeli army also launched flares at night over border villages adjacent to the Blue Line. Reconnaissance and drone flights continued throughout the night until morning over the towns of Naqoura, Yarine, Jebbayn, Dhayra, Aita Al-Shaab, Beit Lif and Rmeish. On Tuesday, Hezbollah’s military media also released a video showing footage of its fighters targeting settlements and army bases in northern Israel.

Israel strike on Lebanon kills Hezbollah commander: source, army
AFP/September 10, 2024
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike Tuesday on eastern Lebanon killed a Hezbollah commander, a source close to the group and the Israeli military said, the latest in near-daily exchanges throughout the Gaza war. The Iran-backed Lebanese group has traded fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack triggered war in the Gaza Strip, with repeated escalations during more than 11 months of the cross-border violence. A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that Mohammad Qassem Al-Shaer, “a field commander” in the group’s elite Radwan Force, “was targeted in an Israeli strike on a motorcycle in the Bekaa” Valley in Lebanon’s east, far from the Israeli border.Hezbollah earlier announced Shaer had been killed by Israeli fire, but did not refer to him as a commander. The Israeli military said its air force had “eliminated the terrorist Mohammad Qassem Al-Shaer in the area of Qaraoun,” in the Bekaa Valley. It referred to Shaer as “a Hezbollah Radwan Force commander.”Elsewhere in Lebanon, the health ministry said an “Israeli enemy” strike on a building in the southern city of Nabatiyeh “caused light injuries to nine people.”The cross-border violence since early October has killed some 615 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including 138 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.

Final toll: 12 injured in Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh, South Lebanon
LBCI/September 10/2024
On Tuesday, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center confirmed the final toll: 12 people were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

Israel breaks sound barrier over Beirut and South Lebanon
LBCI/September 10/2024
Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier in two waves over many regions, including Beirut and South Lebanon, causing loud sonic booms on Tuesday.

US devises Lebanon solution as Israel says patience running out
Naharnet /September 10/2024
The U.S. administration has started to prepare an “alternative plan” for a diplomatic solution between Israel and Lebanon in light of the “dead end” that the Israel-Hamas negotiations have reached, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV reported. Israeli officials meanwhile told U.S. counterparts that “Israel cannot wait any longer to begin a military campaign against Lebanon,” Kan TV said. Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said Monday that his army is "operating forcefully in the northern arena, is on alert, has operational plans ready, and is prepared to carry out any mission it will be assigned."

Israel strikes Nabatieh building, kills Hezbollah fighter in W. Bekaa
Naharnet/September 10/2024
An Israeli drone on Tuesday fired several missiles at a five-story building in the Ksar al-Zaatar neighborhood in the southern city of Nabatieh, wounding nine people according to the Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear whether there were any Hezbollah members in the building but a Hezbollah drone had struck a tall building Monday in Israel’s Nahariyya, with Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi calling the event a “dangerous incident.”Another drone meanwhile assassinated a Hezbollah fighter riding a motorbike on the Bab Mareaa-Saghbine road in West Bekaa, with Hezbollah identifying him as Mohammad Qassem al-Shaer and the Israeli army claiming he was a commander in Hezbollah’s elite al-Radwan Force. Two civilian passersby were meanwhile wounded in the strike. Israeli warplanes later fired three missiles on an open area between the southern towns of Jwaya, Wadi Jilou and Mahrouna.
In the afternoon, heavy rocket fire from Lebanon targeted Israel's Meron area, in an apparent Hezbollah response to the latest strikes. An Israeli strike meanwhile destroyed a house in the southern town of Rshaf. Hezbollah for its part announced an artillery attack on an Israeli post in the occupied Kfarshouba Hills. Israeli fighter jets had overnight attacked Hezbollah “military buildings” in the southern border towns of Aita al-Shaab, Khiam and Naqoura, the Israeli army said. The cross-border violence has killed some 615 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including 138 civilians. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians. The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents on both sides of the border and Israel has repeatedly vowed to act to return its citizens through war or diplomatic action.

Bassil says FPM 'emerged stronger' after 4 MPs' departure
Naharnet/September 10/2024
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has explained the course of disagreements with the four MPs who have resigned or been expelled from the FPM, noting that “a lot of attempts were made for them to stay while guaranteeing their commitment.”“The FPM will be stronger and will continue to carry the grand Lebanese causes,” Bassil said in an interview on OTV. “The four MPs deliberately showed solidarity among each other, which harmed the FPM’s unity,” Bassil added, noting that “things started to take the form of a grouping after the 2022 elections, when they did not commit to the electoral requirements and when this group was given a name.”Bassil also stressed that any of the four lawmakers had not nominated himself for the FPM’s presidency in 2019 nor in 2023. “If they don’t like my performance, one of them should have nominated himself. If there is a problem in the system, then why no request for amending the system was made?” Bassil wondered. He added that “all the known names who resigned from the FPM did so because they had wanted posts that they failed to attain.” As for the decision-taking mechanism in the FPM, Bassil said “the FPM’s system is truly presidential, but all decisions are taken after consultations and with full consensus.” “As for the presidential file, I told them that I would consult with them and share the decision with them, and the decision was taken through consensus,” the FPM chief added. “The four MPs did not confront during (the) October 17 (anti-government uprising) and what happened inside the FPM was part of the campaign against it,” Bassil charged, noting that “today there is another type of October inside the FPM.”“I reassure that the FPM has emerged stronger from this ordeal and commitment does not eliminate the diversity of opinions and ideas,” Bassil said. “Chaos must stop, because discipline is what leads to achievements, without being an iron-fisted party,” the FPM chief added. Separately, Bassil responded to Lebanese Force chief Samir Geagea’s announcement that “the FPM’s disintegration would be in the interest of entire Lebanon.”“There is an interest in the continued presence of the LF, regardless of Samir Geagea, and the opinion of (LF founder) Bashir (Gemayel) about him is well-known,” Bassil added.

Cabinet session postponed after retired servicemen surround Grand Serail
Naharnet/September 10/2024
A cabinet session scheduled for today, Tuesday was postponed due to lack of quorum, after retired servicemen blocked the entrances of the Grand Serail -- the government’s headquarters.Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the caretaker ministers of interior, industry, telecommunications and sport were present at the Grand Serail when the session was postponed. The session was supposed to discuss the 2025 draft state budget.The retired servicemen for their part announced that they will not halt their protests until the government puts the “correction of wages” on the top of its agenda. They also demanded the approval of their demands, calling on the government to secure funds through “combating waste and corruption and imposing fees on seaside properties” instead of “slapping further taxes on the poor under the excuse of funding the state budget.”

Syrian-Lebanese trade: Syria reduces transit fees for Lebanese trucks
LBCI/September 10/2024
Since 2015, Syria has imposed steep transit fees on Lebanese trucks crossing its territory, a move aimed at generating foreign currency for its economy. This policy has significantly impacted Lebanese farmers, traders, and truck owners, leading to financial losses.
The fee is calculated based on the truck's weight and the distance it travels within Syria. For example, the distance between Masnaa and the Al-Bukamal crossing on the Iraqi border is approximately 800 kilometers, with fees reaching up to $5,000 per truck, depending on the cargo load. An additional $1,000 is charged by Iraqi authorities. As a result, many Lebanese traders opted to transport goods by sea from the port of Tripoli to the Turkish port of Mersin, where the trucks continue by land to Iraq, significantly reducing the costs. On Monday, the Syrian Transport Ministry announced a 50% reduction in transit fees for Lebanese trucks carrying various goods to and from Iraq. The decision followed extensive negotiations between the Lebanese and Syrian Transport Ministries. In addition to lowering fees for Lebanese trucks, the Syrian government also introduced a reduced cost for Syrian trucks crossing into Iraq after previously exempting them entirely. The Syrian Transport Ministry will review the economic impact of this decision after three months of implementation, with the possibility of maintaining, further reducing, or increasing the fees based on the results. This decision is expected to benefit multiple sectors in Lebanon and bolster Syria's treasury, with the actual impact to be evaluated after the trial period.

Lebanon’s FM blasts Israeli aggression as new form of terrorism at Arab League session
LBCI/September 10/2024
On Tuesday, caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib affirmed at the 162nd session of the Council of the Arab League at the ministerial level that since the events of October 7, Lebanon has been subjected to systematic destruction by Israel.
The Foreign Minister confirmed that Israel's aggression aims to create a "lifeless border strip of destruction for decades to come. This type of behavior represents a new form of terrorism—environmental terrorism, which seeks to destroy the foundations of life, ultimately leading to the extinction of human life." He added: "We suffer in silence, and we need the Arab support we are missing—a protective Arab cover during these difficult times. The absence of Arab presence in Lebanon is destructive to the identity [...] of the nation."Regarding the situation in Gaza and its regional implications, Minister Bou Habib urged the attendees to "seriously consider what we will do if a ceasefire in Gaza is not reached." He asked: "Will we continue to sit idly waiting for a ceasefire, despite the continuous efforts by Egypt and Qatar, and the historical role of Algeria in the UN Security Council? Isn't it time to collectively consider a 'Plan B' or alternative strategy to prevent our region from becoming a swamp of blind extremism, filled with hatred, destruction, and ruin?" Bou Habib also noted, "Despite the positive atmosphere during this morning's meeting of the Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee on Syria, and the Arab League's proactive and realistic approach to addressing the Syrian crisis, we now see eight European countries calling on the EU to rethink its policy towards Syria.""Additionally, meetings are currently being held in Europe to discuss this issue, as some European countries have begun rebuilding bridges with Syria, while our Arab group has refrained from communication and dialogue, having met only once before today's meeting to follow up on this matter," he stated. Bou Habib emphasized that the Palestinian issue will "remain the central cause for all Arab countries."He emphasized that: "We need to work together to use the Arab world's influence and our political, economic, and financial resources to find a fair solution to the Palestinian issue quickly. This would restore rights to those who deserve them and bring peace and stability to the Middle East."Lebanon's Foreign Minister concluded by saying: "If we don't address the current situation, it could have a negative impact not only on neighboring countries but eventually on all of us, like a chain reaction."

Salaries: The Enduring Struggle of Retired Military Personnel
Liliane Mokbel/This Beirut/September 10/2024
The government failed to fulfill its commitment to provide a decent salary for public sector employees, especially retired army personnel, who once again took to the streets on Tuesday to express their outrage.
The decline in purchasing power of wages and pensions of military personnel, veterans and public sector employees is not a new issue. Since the onset of the multidimensional crisis in 2019, all public employees have faced severe hardship. The average monthly salary for an active public sector worker is around $300, while retirees receive just $150. End-of-service benefits are minimal, averaging about $4,000 after 27 years of service.
Public sector salaries were first affected by the removal of the fixed exchange rate between the Lebanese pound and the dollar, then by the devaluation of the national currency, the “dollarization” of the economy, and ultimately by the rising inflation of both domestic and imported goods. This inflation has a direct impact on consumption, savings and investment.
No salary adjustments
Retired military personnel have been disappointed by the government’s failure to keep its promise of a salary adjustment last June. Their anger on Tuesday was fueled by the absence of allocated funds for a salary increase in the 2025 draft budget. Meanwhile, taxes on low-income individuals have been raised by approximately 30%. The projected VAT revenue in the draft budget stands at 140 trillion Lebanese pounds, an increase of 40 trillion pounds from 2024. This substantial figure raises doubts, particularly given the country’s recession and the lack of expected growth in imports or exports.
In this context, why is the government, which claims to aim for a balanced budget in 2025, not exploring options like settling maritime areas to boost revenue, instead of taxing employees’ salaries?
Inequality
The protesters are not asking for anything unreasonable. They are merely seeking fairness and the correction of inequalities in the distribution of social benefits as outlined by the government. Currently, these benefits are nearly fifteen times the salary of public sector workers deemed “productive” in 2019, while retirees receive only four additional salaries. As a result, the protesters will not be content with a salary adjustment of less than 40% of their 2019 earnings.
Gradual adjustment
In this context, the Civil Service Council has devised a plan for a phased adjustment of salaries and pensions over the next four years, along with reforms to the retirement system, end-of-service benefits and an increase in the retirement age, among other measures. However, the implementation of this plan depends on the approval of a law by Parliament following a government proposal. According to the plan, public sector employees will initially receive around 20 times their 2019 salary, with an annual increase of eight salaries, reaching 46 times their 2019 salary in four years. The plan is set to be implemented on January 1, 2026, when state revenues are expected to integrate all additional compensations within salaries. From that point on, it will be up to the government to manage the finances.

Lebanon’s Presidency Between Gaza Talks Failure and Southern Escalation
Philippe Abi-Akl/This Is Beirut/September 10/2024
As Washington and other global actors push for a ceasefire in Gaza, striving to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas amid the devastating conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives so far, tensions between Israel and Lebanon are dangerously close to escalating. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his threat of military action on Sunday, directing the Israeli military and security forces to brace for a shift in the situation. In this intricate landscape, the Paris Quintet (which includes France, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Egypt and Qatar) has re-engaged in efforts to reconcile Lebanon’s political divisions, aiming to broker an agreement on a third candidate for the presidency and secure international backing. Will they succeed, or is this effort simply a way to fill the gap and highlight international concern?
The Quintet’s efforts come as the Biden administration seeks to implement a ceasefire in Gaza before the US elections, presenting a new, revised proposal that includes a hostage release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the administration aims to finalize a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia before Biden’s term ends, with reports suggesting that 90% of the agreement has already been completed. Blinken is therefore urging both Israel and Hamas to “collaborate” on resolving the remaining issues, including the Israeli military’s presence at five sites along the Philadelphi Route and the terms for withdrawal after an initial 42-day phase, as well as finalizing the specifics of a prisoner exchange involving Hamas hostages and Israeli detainees. Biden has criticized Netanyahu for obstructing the hostage release deal, while the latter remains opposed to a permanent ceasefire. The US has shifted from negotiation to imposition with its new proposal, after Hamas accused Israel of sabotaging Biden’s plan. As for the Lebanese presidential election, according to diplomatic sources, “it will remain stalled as long as there are no new developments in the region, no significant changes in Lebanese positions and no ceasefire in Gaza. The situation is further complicated by ongoing military actions, with Hezbollah opening a supportive front for Hamas and distracting Israel.”
In response to these developments, the Quintet members have assigned their roles accordingly. The Americans, Egyptians and Qataris are working towards a ceasefire before the US elections, in line with Biden’s wishes. However, according to sources aligned with the Republican Party, achieving a ceasefire before the US elections is challenging, as it could lead to the downfall of Netanyahu’s government and his prosecution, and to the collapse of his strategic positioning between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Netanyahu is determined to avoid a repeat of the 2016 scenario. Back then, he was fearing a Clinton victory and a Trump defeat – Trump’s win was an unexpected outcome. Consequently, Netanyahu aims to keep his strategic options open. Meanwhile, French and Saudi officials in the Quintet have focused on the stalled Lebanese presidential election, which has been deadlocked since June 14, 2023. This follows Iran’s assurance to France that it “does not interfere in the election, as it is within the purview of the ‘Sayyed,’ and is best understood by the Lebanese people themselves.” Their efforts are being conducted under an unofficial mandate from Washington and Cairo.
The Quintet ambassadors’ meetings with various political forces and officials have sparked a sense of relief and readiness to elect a president. The Quintet is urging action, warning that missing this crucial window could delay the election until the summer of 2025. There are also growing fears that Lebanon could be adversely affected by ongoing conflicts in Gaza, the West Bank and southern Lebanon if a ceasefire isn’t reached. These concerns have intensified following the United Nations Security Council’s unanimous renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate, with Russia abstaining.
The positions revealed by the Quintet ambassadors during their meetings were particularly notable. One Quintet member noted that “progress is being made in the negotiations, and the Biden administration is pushing for a ceasefire to leverage in the election campaign. The renewal of UNIFIL depends on having a president in place to implement Resolution 1701, address the 13 disputed points and finalize border delineations. Lebanon needs a president who can actively engage in regional negotiations, ensuring the country is a participant at the table rather than merely a topic of discussion.”
A Western diplomat wonders what French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian brought back from Saudi Arabia, and what he would return with if he chose to revisit Lebanon. This will be decided at the Quintet’s meeting on September 14, according to one of its members. Moreover, the Quintet’s efforts are set to resume in conjunction with US pressure for a ceasefire and efforts to create a positive climate. Arab sources indicate that “the Riyadh meeting was promising and could help shift the presidential election process from stagnation to actionable progress, with an emphasis on softening the positions of all parties, particularly the obstructionist axis, ‘Al-Mumanaa.’ Following this, Le Drian is expected to continue his diplomatic efforts with visits to Egypt and Qatar.”
According to Quintet sources, their efforts alone will not resolve the presidential vacuum unless political forces are willing to compromise. While Amal and Hezbollah remain committed to supporting Sleiman Frangieh, Hezbollah has shown notable flexibility, influenced by concerns about the “day after,” the potential settlement deal and the possibility of a Trump presidency. Amal and Hezbollah have acknowledged the potential for a ceasefire and a deal being negotiated between Washington and Tehran, which has led them to show greater flexibility with external actors to advance the presidential election.
Since June 14, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has suspended calls for an election session due to a lack of consensus and the opposition bloc’s rejection of his three-point approach, “dialogue, consensus and election,” calling instead for adherence to constitutional procedures to elect a president. Consequently, the Moderation Bloc has renewed its efforts to resolve the presidential impasse, seeking to form a new government capable of making crucial decisions to address the crisis and to provide the Quintet with a revised draft of the bloc’s initiative.
One Quintet ambassador reveals that there is broad agreement on pursuing a settlement that respects the existing power dynamics and aligns with the criteria established by the group for the future president, so that his appointment to Baabda represents neither a victory for one political faction, nor a defeat for another. Instead, the president should maintain positive relations with all political parties and act as an impartial mediator in conflicts, rather than taking sides. The ambassador adds that “the presidential impasse is now a critical matter for the political factions, and they cannot avoid their responsibility by pointing to disagreements among the Quintet ambassadors over specific mechanisms or candidates. Moreover, the Quintet ambassadors agree on allowing the Lebanese people to select their president independently, with international and Arab stakeholders avoiding involvement in the naming process.” If domestic efforts to elect a president fail, the focus may shift to the army commander-in-chief. In this scenario, external actors, particularly Washington, could impose a candidate once a deal with Iran is finalized and after ensuring the new administration’s support under the banner of “Lebanon’s revival and its reintegration into regional and international spheres.”

On the Absence of Accountability in Lebanon and its Dire Consequences
Rami al-Rayes/Asharq Al Awsat/10 September 2024
One of the key flaws in the Lebanese political system, alongside its deeply rooted sectarian and religious divisions that have obstructed any real progress toward equality among its citizens, is the absence of constitutional, political, and judicial accountability in all its forms.
This critical weakness traps the political process in a vicious cycle, allowing the political class to reproduce itself, thus preventing meaningful change. Even when breakthroughs occur, they remain incapable of altering political equations.
This crisis, rooted in the lack of accountability, is compounded by the “consensual” nature of Lebanon’s fragile democracy. This consensus-driven approach has made political decision-making increasingly difficult and complex, requiring broad national agreement even on the simplest matters. (One glaring example of this dysfunction is the suspension of forest ranger appointments due to an imbalance in sectarian representation among candidates.)
While the consensual nature of Lebanese politics has historically prevented any single group or coalition from monopolizing power, the excessive and distorted application of this principle—blocking decisions rather than contributing to their formation—has pushed Lebanon into a series of largely artificial and avoidable crises. These crises are solvable if political will exists among the country’s key players.
One of the most significant examples of this deadlock is the vacancy in the Lebanese presidency since October 31, 2022, following parliament’s failure to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun within the constitutional timeframe. For months, debate shifted from electing a president to whether dialogue should precede the election itself. Meanwhile, as time passes, the country remains without a head of state, as some insist on a blind adherence to the constitution, while others act as though it doesn’t exist.
Nothing is more dangerous than tampering with the core pacts that hold a nation together. Adherence to a constitution requires a deep-rooted political and constitutional culture, one that respects the rule of law as a fundamental value. Unfortunately, in recent decades, Lebanon’s political landscape has deteriorated. The path forward lies in raising awareness, allowing the Lebanese to exercise their freedoms with greater rationality, responsibility, and objectivity.
This freedom, Lebanon’s defining feature, remains a beacon of hope amid the bleak authoritarianism dominating the region, where democracy has historically failed to take root and dictatorships have flourished. However, maintaining this atmosphere of freedom and stability in Lebanon is not only a Lebanese interest but also a regional one. Tampering with it will have severe and far-reaching consequences for the entire region, with the costs of preserving stability being far lower than the costs of an explosion.
Ultimately, the responsibility for resolving this crisis lies with the Lebanese themselves. The path out of this impasse must be a Lebanese initiative. The time has come for the country to reach political maturity, a long-overdue step whose delay continues to generate crisis after crisis, destabilizing the nation.
While Lebanon’s civil war (1975-1990) ended with the country maintaining its territorial integrity, it would be a mistake to assume that a future conflict would yield the same result. The nature of the conflict and the identity of the warring parties may differ, but with the growing voices calling for division and fragmentation, the risks are higher than ever. Lebanon deserves better than its current state or the dangerous path it is on. Without a shift towards reconciliation, stability, and civil peace, the country risks further
deterioration.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 10-11/2024
AMCD: Left-Wing Protests Empower Jihadist Agendas
EIN Presswire/September 9, 2024
Instead of pressuring Israel to abdicate to Hamas, pressure Qatar to force Hamas to release the hostages ”— Dr. Walid Phares, foreign policy expert and AMCD advisor
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy deplores the surge in far left-wing, pro-Hamas demonstrations which blames the Jewish state of Israel for everything, including the death of six hostages just found executed by the terrorist organization–the same terrorist organization which had kidnapped and held them for almost eleven months before shooting them all in the head when it appeared they might be rescued.
"Many people feel more in control and safer if they can blame a democratically elected government which will respond to pressure, rather than facing the cold ruthlessness of the enemy directly," said AMCD co-chair Tom Harb. "The same thing happened after 9/11 when many Americans preferred to blame the U.S. itself for being attacked. U.S. policy can be influenced; the jihadi fanatics cannot."
"It's extremely disturbing how many western students and intellectuals swallow Hamas' propaganda whole," added AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. "They seem to have no historical knowledge of the rise and spread of that conquering faith nor any knowledge of the history of antisemitism and its consequences. The ignorance of these so-called educated elites is shocking."
"A deal was put forward and rejected by Hamas, but even if they had accepted it, Hamas, for all practical purposes, was only obligated to release corpses in exchange for Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza," added said Gazelle Sharmahd, daughter of German-American Journalist Jimmy Sharmahd, who was kidnapped to Iran and is being held hostage since 2020. "This means Hamas could (and would) simply retake the areas they have already lost, re-arm, and re-supply with the promised financial aid in phase 3 (of the deal) and then launch yet another terrorist attack as they have promised their base. Every time a cease-fire has been negotiated, it has always led to more civilian deaths, more hostages, and more destabilization for the state of Israel."
"Leftist groups which have allied with jihadists in the past, for example, communists who allied with the Ayatollah prior to the Iranian revolution, were quickly liquidated upon the assumption of power by the Islamists," said former AMCD executive director, Rebecca Bynum. "Islamists, like the communists before them, view these naïve left-wingers as ‘useful idiots.' "
"In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we've seen other actors use over the years," said U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines in a statement. "We have observed actors tied to Iran's government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters."
"Instead of pressuring the government of Israel to abdicate to Hamas, demonstrations should pressure Mr. Netanyahu to end the jihadi militias, said AMCD senior advisor, Dr. Walid Phares. "More importantly, they should focus their demands on the U.S. Administration and international community to pressure Qatar to force Hamas to release the hostages and even deter the Islamic Regime from incentivizing Hamas to seize hostages by stopping any transfer of money to the Ayatollahs. In this way, progress might actually be made toward peace."
Rebecca Bynum
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
+1 615-775-6801
rebecca@americanmideast.com
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E3 and US slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia
Agencies/September 10, 2024
BERLIN: Germany, France and Britain on Tuesday condemned what they said was Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war and declared new sanctions targeting air transport. “We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,” they said in a joint statement, adding that they would also “work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air.”US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said earlier, on a visit to London, that Russia had received shipments of the ballistic missiles and “will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine.”London, Paris and Berlin said that “we now have confirmation that Iran has made these transfers.”“This is a further escalation of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and will see Iranian missiles reaching European soil, increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” they said. “This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security.”The three countries said they “will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran.”“In addition, we will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran’s ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia. “We will also work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air,” they said, echoing a step also taken by Washington. Blinken said Washington had privately warned Iran that providing ballistic missiles to Russia would be “a dramatic escalation” and said new sanctions would be imposed later on Tuesday. The US later identified nine Russian-flagged vessels it said were involved in the delivery of weapons from Iran to Russia, designating them as “blocked property” under Washington’s sanctions regime, according to the Treasury Department’s website. It also imposed additional measures on previously sanctioned airline Iran Air, the department said in a statement. Blinken said Iran has trained dozens of Russian military personnel to use its Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles (121 km). The UK also said on Tuesday it had started terminating “all direct air services between the UK and Iran” as part of the new sanctions. London said it was acting alongside international partners to “cancel its bilateral air services arrangements with Iran,” which would “restrict Iran Air’s ability to fly in to the UK.” Iran Air operates direct flights between London and Tehran three days a week, according to the schedule listed on its website.* With AFP and Reuters

At least 19 killed and more feared buried in Israeli airstrike on Gaza humanitarian zone targeting Hamas militants
Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kareem Khadder and Irene Nasser, CNN/ September 10, 2024
‘They told us this area was safe’: Israeli-designated humanitarian safe zone in Gaza targeted by strikeScroll back up to restore default view. An overnight Israeli airstrike on an area that Israel itself had designated as a humanitarian zone for displaced people in southern Gaza killed and injured dozens of Palestinians, according to local officials in the besieged enclave. Israel said the operation targeted Hamas fighters there. At least 19 bodies arrived at hospitals from the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 60 people were wounded, it said, as rescuers raced to recover victims buried under sand and debris. Eyewitnesses said at least five missiles struck the area, according to the group. The explosion created three large craters, Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said. The group said its crews were facing “great difficulty” in retrieving victims – many of whom were believed to have been sleeping at the time of the strikes – due to a lack of resources. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday evening it “struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command-and-control center embedded inside the humanitarian area” in Khan Younis, Gaza. Among those targeted were Samer Ismail Khadr Abu Daqqa, whom the IDF says was the head of Hamas’ aerial unit in Gaza, Osama Tabesh, whom was “the head of the observation and targets department in Hamas’ military intelligence headquarters,” and Ayman Mabhouh, whom it said was “another senior Hamas terrorist.” The targets were “directly involved in the execution” of the October 7 attack on Israel and had been planning to “carry out terror activities” against the IDF and Israel, the IDF statement on Tuesday added. The IDF provided no more information about the alleged militants. CNN is working to independently verify the claims. Hamas denied it had placed fighters in the area. In a statement, it called Israel’s claims that its fighters were in the area “a blatant lie, through which it (Israel) seeks to justify these heinous crimes.” The strike hit Al-Mawasi, a coastal region in Khan Younis where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled Israel’s bombardment from other parts of Gaza. Many are living in tents in an area with sparse infrastructure, scant access to shelter or life-saving humanitarian aid.
Earlier, Gaza’s Civil Defense said 40 people had been killed, though the reason for the discrepancy in the two figures was not immediately clear. Human rights agencies have repeatedly criticized Israeli attacks in designated safe zones. On Tuesday, the Norwegian Refugee Council accused Israeli forces of “forcing Palestinians in Gaza to flee from place to place without offering them genuine assurances of safety, proper accommodation or return once hostilities end.” The Israeli offensive in Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel has flattened neighborhoods, wiped out families and created a humanitarian disaster across the enclave. Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed 41,020 Palestinians and injured another 94,925 people, according to the Ministry of Health there. CNN footage from the aftermath of the strike on Al-Mawasi showed dozens of people trying to recover the remains of their belongings. Poles that used to hold up tents protruded from the sand, but the material that covered their inhabitants was buried. Mattresses, blankets and clothes were scattered around another much bigger crater on the other side of the camp. Some survivors pulled canned food from under the sand and a girl with an injured hand watched as those around her attempt to rebuild their tents. “We were sleeping peacefully in our homes when, suddenly, rockets started falling heavily on us,” one survivor, Salem Abu Jara, told CNN. “Why are people being burned here?”
Families ‘disappeared in the sand’
Israel’s military said the operation was carried out with the direction of the Israel Security Agency and the Air Force, and that steps were taken to mitigate civilian harm “including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional means.” The military did not say whether it warned civilians in the area. Hamas said “dozens of unarmed civilians, most of whom were children and women” were killed in the strike. Gaza Civil Defense’s Bassal said Palestinians in the area were not warned of the strike in advance. There were more than 200 tents of displaced people at Al-Mawasi area, Bassal said, adding about 20 to 40 tents were destroyed and “entire families have disappeared in the sand.” Two weapons experts told CNN the visual evidence from the scene of the assault in Al-Mawasi suggests 2,000-pound bombs were used. “The significant damage and the size of the craters align with the expected effects of aerial bombs weighing several hundred kilograms,” Patrick Senft, a research coordinator at Armament Research Services (ARES), said on Tuesday. CNN footage from the aftermath showed emergency crews wearing bright orange vests and scouring dense, blown-out debris for survivors. Rescue personnel could be seen hauling large pieces of barbed wire and dusty mattresses in the dark. The IDF has accused Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip of continuing to “systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, including the designated Humanitarian Area, to carry out terrorist activity against the State of Israel and IDF troops.”Israel has previously struck Al-Mawasi in its pursuit for Hamas commanders and previous strikes have caused significant civilian collateral casualties. In mid-July, a strike aimed at Hamas’ military chief Mohammed Deif killed at least 90 Palestinians.
The following month, Israel said its intelligence community had confirmed that Deif, one of the reported masterminds of the October 7 attacks, was killed in that attack. Israel says it has killed or captured half of Hamas’s commanders and more than 14,000 combatants since the war began. However, there are clear signs of the group’s resurgence in parts of the strip previously cleared by Israeli forces, who devastated large swathes of the area in the process. Palestinians gather their belongings at the site of Israeli strikes on a makeshift displacement camp in Mawasi, Khan Younis on Tuesday. - Bashar
Palestinians gather their belongings at the site of Israeli strikes on a makeshift displacement camp in Mawasi, Khan Younis on Tuesday. -
Surrounded by fire ‘from every side’

UN spokesman says vaccination convoy held at gunpoint by Israeli army
AFP/September 10, 2024 
A UN convoy carrying workers for a polio vaccination in Gaza was held at gunpoint at an Israeli military checkpoint, a UN spokesman said Tuesday, adding that shots were fired and its vehicles were rammed by a bulldozer. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called the incident, which occurred Monday, "the latest example of the unacceptable dangers and impediment that humanitarian personnel in Gaza are experiencing" by Israeli forces.

At least 40 dead, 60 hurt in Israeli strike on crowded Gaza camp
Naharnet/September 10, 2024 
An Israeli strike on a crowded tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the war in Gaza killed at least 40 people and wounded 60 others early Tuesday, Palestinian officials said. Israel said it targeted "significant" Hamas militants, allegations denied by the militant group. It was among the deadliest strikes yet in Muwasi, a sprawl of crowded tent camps along the Gaza coast that Israel designated as a humanitarian zone for hundreds of thousands of civilians to seek shelter from the Israel-Hamas war. Gaza's Civil Defense said its first responders recovered 40 bodies from the strike and were still looking for people. It said entire families were killed in their tents.An Associated Press camera operator saw three large craters at the scene, where first responders and displaced people were sifting through the sand and rubble with garden tools and their bare hands by the light of mobile phones. They pulled body parts from the sand, including what appeared to be a human leg. Attaf al-Shaar, who was displaced from the southern city of Rafah, said the strike happened just after midnight and caused a fire. "The people were buried in the sand. They were retrieved as body parts," she told an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, one of three hospitals to receive casualties, said around two dozen bodies were brought in from the strike. The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas militants who were operating in a command-and-control center. It said its forces used precise munitions, aerial surveillance and other means to avoid civilian casualties. Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians throughout the war, which was ignited by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. It blames Hamas for their deaths, arguing that the militants often operate in residential areas. Hamas released a statement denying any militants were in the area. Neither Israel nor Hamas provided evidence to substantiate their claims.
The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Israeli evacuation orders, which now cover around 90% of the territory, have pushed hundreds of thousands of people into Muwasi, a sprawling line of squalid tent camps along the coast. Aid groups have struggled to provide even basic services in Muwasi, and Israel has occasionally struck targets there despite designating it as a humanitarian zone. Gaza's Health Ministry says over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began.
Hamas-led militants allegedly killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in their Oct. 7 attack. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker an agreement for a cease-fire and the release of the hostages, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas have accused each other of making new and unacceptable demands. The war has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, and humanitarian groups have struggled to provide aid because of ongoing fighting, Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order. The international authority on the severity of hunger crises said in June that the territory is at high risk of famine. The main United Nations agency providing aid to Palestinians said Israeli troops stopped a convoy taking part in a polio vaccination campaign for more than eight hours on Monday, despite it coordinating with the military. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said the staffers who were held had been taking part in the campaign in northern Gaza and Gaza City. "The convoy was stopped at gun point just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint with threats to detain UN staff," he wrote on the social platform X. "Heavy damage was caused by bulldozers to the U.N. armored vehicles."
He said the staff and the convoy later returned to a U.N. base, but it was unclear if a polio vaccination campaign would take place Tuesday in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The vaccination drive, launched after doctors discovered the first polio case in the Palestinian enclave in 25 years, aims to vaccinate 640,000 children during a war that has destroyed the health care system.

EU fears Israeli-occupied West Bank becoming a ‘new Gaza’
AFP/September 10, 2024
CAIRO: The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell warned on Tuesday that increased violence in the occupied West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war erupted meant it risked becoming “a new Gaza.” Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and is separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory, has flared alongside the war that began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Borrell said Israel was opening “a new front... with a clear objective: to turn the West Bank into a new Gaza — in rising violence, delegitimising the Palestinian Authority and stimulating provocations to react forcefully.” Israel was also “not shying away from saying to the face of the world that the only way to reach a peaceful settlement is to annex the West Bank and Gaza,” Borrell added at a ministerial meeting of the Arab League in Cairo. He accused “radical members of the Israeli government” of trying to make it “impossible to create a future Palestinian state,” which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several cabinet members have painted as a threat to Israel. Some Israeli ministers have recently called to increase military operations in the West Bank. “Without action, the West Bank will become a new Gaza,” Borrell said. “And Gaza will become a new West Bank, as settlers’ movements are preparing new settlements,” he told the meeting. “The international community deplores, feels, and condemns, but finds it hard to act.”Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank hit a record in 2023, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din, and the European Union has said last year saw the most settlement building permits issued in decades. Some 490,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, in settlements which are illegal under international law, alongside three million Palestinians. Since the Gaza war began on October 7, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 662 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry. At least 23 Israelis, including members of the security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank during the same period, Israeli officials say. On Tuesday, Israel’s military said it was “highly likely” that its forces “unintentionally” shot dead a US-Turkish activist last week, during a protest in the West Bank against settlement expansion.Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was killed on Friday in the town of Beita, the site of weekly demonstrations against Israeli settlements.

Israel releases video of a Gaza tunnel where it says Hamas militants killed 6 hostages
Natalie Melzer And Josef Federman/JERUSALEM (AP)/September 10, 2024
The Israeli military on Tuesday released video footage of a Gaza tunnel where it says six hostages were recently killed by Hamas. The video shows a low, narrow passageway deep underground that had no bathroom and poor ventilation.The discovery of the hostages’ bodies last month has sparked a mass outpouring of anger in Israel and the release of the new video could add to the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas to bring the remaining hostages held by Hamas home. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday the footage of the Gaza tunnel had been shown to the hostages’ families, and that it “was very hard for them to see how their loved ones survived in those conditions.”Hagari revealed the video in a nationally televised press conference after visiting the tunnel himself. He said the tunnel was reached by a shaft buried under a child's bedroom in a home in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. The tunnel was about 20 meters (70 feet) underground and stretched about 120 meters (yards). In the video, a hunched-over Hagari, unable to stand upright in the narrow arched passageway, describes the conditions as extremely humid and difficult to breathe. He showed bottles of urine, a bucket that appeared to have served as a makeshift toilet, a chess board and ammunition for an automatic rifle believed to have been used by the captors. “They were here in this tunnel in horrific conditions, where there's no air to breathe, where you cannot stand," he said. The six included Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, a native of Berkeley, California, whose parents led a high-profile global campaign seeking his release. Goldberg-Polin lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza. In April, Hamas issued a video that showed him alive, sparking protests in Israel. The army identified the others as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alexander Lobanov, 33; and Carmel Gat, 40.
Three of the six – including Goldberg-Polin – had reportedly been scheduled to be released in the first phase of a cease-fire proposal discussed in July, further fueling anger when they were found dead. Pathology tests on the bodies of the six, who were found by the military in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Saturday, Aug. 31, showed they had been killed sometime on the night of Aug. 29, Hagari told reporters. Hagari said Israeli soldiers found evidence indicating the hostages and at least two captors had been there for more than a few days. Mattresses, clothes, assault rifle magazines and shells were also found, as was some food, mainly energy bars and tuna. There were blood stains on the floor, he said. Hagari said the army had killed two militants trying to run away from a complex of tunnels on Friday near where the hostages were found and that there was “a probability” that the two had been those who killed the hostages. DNA tests were being carried out to verify this, he added. Hamas kidnapped about 250 people during the Oct. 7 attack. More than 100 were released during a brief cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Eight have been rescued by Israeli forces, while Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages who had escaped captivity in December. Israeli authorities say 101 hostages remain in captivity, including 35 who are believed to be dead. Shai Dickman, the cousin of Gat, one of the hostages who was found dead in the tunnel, told Israel's Channel 13 TV that the government should move immediately to reach a deal to bring home the remaining hostages. “There are still people living like this,” she said, holding back tears. “If there had been a deal on time, Carmel would be sitting here.” Hamas has offered to release the hostages in return for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants. But negotiations on a cease-fire have failed to produce any deal.

The Israeli military says it likely killed a US activist unintentionally
Jack Jeffery/RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)/September 10, 2024
— The Israeli military said Tuesday an American activist killed in the West Bank last week was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by its soldiers, drawing a strong rebuke from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the activist's family. Israel said a criminal investigation has been launched into the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old activist from Seattle who was taking part in a demonstration against settlements. Doctors who treated Eygi, who also held Turkish citizenship, said she was shot in the head. Blinken condemned the “unprovoked and unjustified” killing when asked about the Israeli inquiry at a news conference in London. “No one should be shot while attending a protest,” he said. “The Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank.”Eygi's family in the U.S. released a statement saying “we are deeply offended by the suggestion that her killing by a trained sniper was in any way unintentional. The disregard shown for human life in the inquiry is appalling.”During Friday's demonstration, clashes broke out between Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli troops firing tear gas and ammunition, according to Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting of Eygi. Pollak said the violence had subsided about a half hour before Eygi was shot, after protesters and activists had withdrawn several hundred meters (yards) away from the site of the demonstration. Pollak said he saw two Israeli soldiers mount the roof of a nearby home, train a gun in the group’s direction and fire, with one bullet hitting Eygi. Israel said its inquiry into Eygi’s killing “found that it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by (Israeli army) fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot.” It expressed its “deepest regret” at her death.
International Solidarity Movement, the activist group Egyi was volunteering with, said it “entirely rejects” the Israeli statement and that the “shot was aimed directly at her.”
The killing came amid a surge of violence in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, with increasing Israeli raids, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis, attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and heavier military crackdowns on Palestinian protests. Israel says it thoroughly investigates allegations of its forces killing civilians and holds them accountable. It says soldiers often have to make split-second decisions while operating in areas where militants hide among civilians. But human rights groups say soldiers are very rarely prosecuted, and even in the most shocking cases — and those captured on video — they often get relatively light sentences. The Palestinian Authority held a funeral procession for Eygi in the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday. Turkish authorities said they are working on repatriating her body to Turkey for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim, as per her family’s wishes.
Eygi's uncle said in an interview with the Turkish TV channel HaberTurk that she kept her visit to the West Bank secret from at least some of her family members. She said she was traveling to Jordan to help Palestinians there, he said. "She hid the fact that she was going to Palestine. She blocked us from her social media posts so that we would not see them,” Yilmaz Eygi said. The deaths of American citizens in the West Bank have drawn international attention, such as the fatal shooting of a prominent Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in 2022 in the Jenin refugee camp. Several independent investigations and reporting by The Associated Press determined that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli fire. Months later, the military said there was a “high probability” one of its soldiers had mistakenly killed her but that no one would be punished. In January 2022, Omar Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American, died of a heart attack after Israeli troops at a checkpoint dragged him from his car and made him lie facedown, bound, temporarily gagged and blindfolded. The military ruled out criminal charges and said it was reprimanding one commander and removing two others from leadership roles for two years. The U.S. had planned to sanction a military unit linked to abuses of Palestinians in the West Bank but ended up dropping the plan. The deaths of Palestinians who do not have dual nationality rarely receive the same scrutiny. Human rights groups say Israel military investigations into Palestinians' deaths reflect a pattern of impunity. B’Tselem, a leading Israeli watchdog, became so frustrated that in 2016 it halted its decades-long practice of assisting investigations and called them a “whitewash.” Last year, an Israeli court acquitted a member of the paramilitary Border Police charged with reckless manslaughter in the deadly shooting of 32-year-old Eyad Hallaq, an autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City in 2020. The case had drawn comparisons to the police killing of George Floyd in the United States. In 2017, Israeli soldier Elor Azaria was convicted for manslaughter and served nine months after he killed a wounded, incapacitated Palestinian attacker in the West Bank city of Hebron. The combat medic was caught on video fatally shooting Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, who was lying motionless on the ground. That case deeply divided Israelis, with the military saying Azaria had clearly violated its code of ethics, while many Israelis — particularly on the nationalist right — defended his actions and accused military brass of second-guessing a soldier operating in dangerous conditions.

Jordan reopens West Bank crossing after deadly attack
AFP/September 10, 2024
AMMAN: Jordan reopened a border crossing with the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday, two days after a truck driver shot dead three Israeli guards in a rare attack. The Jordanian national carried out his attack at the Allenby Crossing on Sunday nearly a year into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which has also seen a spike in violence in the West Bank. Israel’s military shot dead the attacker, saying that he had killed three Israelis working as “security guards” who were not in the army or police. Jordan’s authorities closed the crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, after the attack. The shooting was the first such incident in the area since the 1990s. The crossing, in the Jordan Valley, is the only international gateway for Palestinians from the West Bank that does not require entering Israel, which has occupied the territory since 1967. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Jordanian security source said Jordan had reopened the crossing to passengers, but that it would remain closed to freight traffic. The reopening came as Jordan held a parliamentary election Tuesday, with the Israel-Hamas war weighing heavily on voters’ minds. Analysts predicted a high abstention rate, with Islamist candidates struggling to harness public anger over the devastating war sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the assailant as a “despicable terrorist” inspired by “a murderous ideology” which he said was fueled by Israel’s regional arch-foe Iran. Hamas praised the attack but did not claim responsibility for it, adding it “affirms the Arab peoples’ rejection of the occupation, its crimes, and its ambitions in Palestine and Jordan.”

Saudi-Egyptian cooperation continues to maintain stability in the region, FM says
Arab News/September 10, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi-Egyptian cooperation continues to maintain stability in the region and the world, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday. Speaking during a press conference in Cairo, Prince Faisal said a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday confirmed the Kingdom’s sincere desire to deepen its bonds with Egypt. “We anticipate the launch of the Saudi-Egyptian Coordination Council in the coming days,” Prince Faisal added according to Al-Ekhbariya. He said the Kingdom appreciated Egyptian efforts to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza and that the continued obstruction of aid by Israel is a war crime. “The delay in reaching a ceasefire in Gaza is repeated evidence of the failure of the international security system,” Prince Faisal said. “We are not asking for the impossible… We are only asking for the implementation of international law,” the Kingdom’s foreign minister added. Speaking about the war in Sudan, Prince Faisal said that it had “gone on for too long and we must double our efforts.”During a meeting with Abdelatty, Prince Faisal discussed intensifying work on regional and international issues of common interest, most notably the crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The US and Britain accuse Iran of sending Russia missiles to use against Ukraine
Matthew Lee And Jill Lawless/LONDON (AP)/September 10, 2024
The United States and Britain formally accused Iran on Tuesday of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine, announcing new sanctions on Moscow and Tehran before a joint visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said Iran had ignored warnings that the transfer of such weapons would be a profound escalation of the conflict. He told reporters that dozens of Russian military personnel had been trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles (120 kilometers). “Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians,” Blinken said. “The supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets that are further from the front line.” The West's allegations about the missile transfers come as the Kremlin is trying to repel Ukraine’s surprise offensive, which has claimed hundreds of square miles of territory in Russia’s Kursk region. The accusations could embolden Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to further ramp up pressure on the U.S. and other allies to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles to strike deep inside Russia and hit sites from which Moscow launches aerial attacks.
Iran's foreign ministry denies providing ballistic missiles to Russia, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported. “Publishing wrong and misleading reports about transferring Iranian weapons to some countries is merely an ugly propaganda and lie aimed at hiding illegal massive size weaponry support by the U.S. and some Western nations for genocide in the Gaza Strip," it quoted ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as saying. The U.S., U.K. and other Western allies are pressing for a cease-fire to end the devastating war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and avoid attacks from Iranian proxies in the region escalating into a broader war. Britain, France and Germany announced new sanctions Tuesday against Iran and Russia, calling the missile transfers “a direct threat to European security.” The penalties include the cancellation of air services agreements with Iran, which will restrict Iran Air’s ability to fly to the U.K. and Germany. Britain also said it and the United States were sanctioning those involved in sending Iranian drones and missiles to Russia. They include two senior officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a senior defense ministry official, as well as several businesses and four Russian cargo ships alleged to have transported supplies from Iran to Russia. Three Russian military units involved with aviation and aerospace also were sanctioned.
The U.S. Treasury and the State Department in the past few years have imposed economic sanctions on people and companies based in Iran, China, Russia, Turkey and other nations who officials allege are connected with the development of Iran’s drone program. The sanctions on Iranian drone production tied to Russia’s invasion, dating to November 2022, were issued despite Iranian leaders’ denials that the country had sent them. Sanctions, among other things, bar people and businesses from accessing property or financial assets held in the U.S. and prevent U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them. The announcement precedes a Blinken and Lammy visit Wednesday to Kyiv, where they will meet Zelenskyy and other officials to discuss bolstering the country's defenses. The rare joint visit was unusually announced in advance — a public signal of U.S-.U.K. support for Ukraine ahead of what’s likely to be a brutal winter of Russian attacks. Asked whether the U.S. would allow weapons it supplied to be used to strike targets deeper inside Russia, Blinken said all use of weapons needed to be allied to a strategy. He said one goal of the visit this week “is to hear directly from the Ukrainian leadership, including … President Zelenskyy, about exactly how the Ukrainians see their needs in this moment, toward what objectives, and what we can do to support those needs.”President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense but largely limited the distance over concerns about further escalating the conflict. Blinken met Tuesday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will sit down with Biden at the White House on Friday.
“We will be listening intently to our Ukrainian partners, we will both be reporting back to the prime minister, to President Biden in the coming days, and I fully anticipate this is something they will take up when they meet on Friday,” Blinken said. In the meantime, Ukraine is using its own weapons to hit targets deeper in Russia, launching on Tuesday one of the biggest drone attacks on Russian soil in the 2 1/2-year war to target multiple regions including Moscow. Word of the alleged transfers from Iran began to emerge over the weekend. Lammy called them part of “a troubling pattern that we’re seeing. It is definitely a significant escalation.”The U.S. and its allies have been warning Iran for months not to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia. CIA Director William Burns, who was in London on Saturday for a joint appearance with his British intelligence counterpart, warned of the growing and “troubling” defense relationship involving Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, which he said threatens both Ukraine and Western allies in the Middle East. The White House has repeatedly declassified and publicized intelligence findings that show North Korea has sent ammunition and missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine, while Iran also supplies Moscow with attack drones and has assisted the Kremlin with building a drone-manufacturing factory. China has held back from providing Russians with weaponry but has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry, according to U.S. officials.

Germany, France, UK slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia
Agence France Presse/September 10, 2024
Germany, France and Britain on Tuesday condemned what they said was Iran's delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war and declared new sanctions targeting air transport. "We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran," they said in a joint statement, adding that they would also "work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said earlier, on a visit to London, that Russia had received shipments of the ballistic missiles and "will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine." London, Paris and Berlin said that "we now have confirmation that Iran has made these transfers." "This is a further escalation of Iran's military support to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and will see Iranian missiles reaching European soil, increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people," they said. "This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security."The three countries said they "will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran." "In addition, we will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran's ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia. "We will also work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air," they said, echoing a step also taken by Washington.

Ukraine targets Moscow in biggest drone attack yet
Reuters/September 10, 2024
-Ukraine targeted the Russian capital on Tuesday in its biggest drone attack so far, killing at least one and wrecking dozens of homes in the Moscow region and forcing around 50 flights to be diverted from airports around Moscow. Russia, the world's biggest nuclear power, said it had destroyed at least 20 Ukrainian attack drones as they swarmed over the Moscow region, which has a population of more than 21 million, and 124 more over eight other regions. At least one person was killed near Moscow, Russian authorities said. Three of Moscow's four airports were closed for more than six hours and almost 50 flights were diverted. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the drone attack was another reminder of the real nature of Ukraine's political leadership, which he said was made up of Russia's enemies. "There is no way that night time strikes on residential neighbourhoods can be associated with military action," said Peskov. "The Kyiv regime continues to demonstrate its nature. They are our enemies and we must continue the special military operation to protect ourselves from such actions," he said, using the expression Moscow uses to describe its war in Ukraine. Kyiv said Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, had attacked it overnight with 46 drones, of which 38 were destroyed. The drone attacks on Russia damaged at high-rise apartment buildings in the Ramenskoye district of the Moscow region, setting flats on fire, residents told Reuters. A 46-year-old woman was killed and three people were wounded in Ramenskoye, Moscow regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said. Residents said they awoke to blasts and fire. "I looked at the window and saw a ball of fire," Alexander Li, a resident of the district told Reuters. "The window got blown out by the shockwave."Georgy, a resident who declined to give his surname, said he heard a drone buzzing outside his building in the early hours. "I drew back the curtain and it hit the building right before my eyes, I saw it all," he said. "I took my family and we ran outside."The Ramenskoye district, some 50 km (31 miles) southeast of the Kremlin, has a population of around a quarter of a million people, according to official data. More than 70 drones were also downed over Russia's Bryansk region and tens more over other regions, Russia's defence ministry said. There was no damage or casualties reported there. As Russia advances in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has taken the war to Russia with a cross-border attack into Russia's western Kursk region that began on Aug. 6 and by carrying out increasingly large drone attacks deep into Russian territory.
DRONE WAR
The war has largely been a grinding artillery and drone war along the 1,000 km (620 mile) heavily fortified front line in southern and eastern Ukraine involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Moscow and Kyiv have both sought to buy and develop new drones, deploy them in innovative ways, and seek new ways to destroy them - from using shotguns to advanced electronic jamming systems. Both sides have turned cheap commercial drones into deadly weapons while ramping up their own production and assembly to attack targets including tanks and energy infrastructure such as refineries and airfields. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sought to insulate Moscow from the grinding rigours of the war, has called Ukrainian drone attacks that target civilian infrastructure such as nuclear power plants "terrorism" and has vowed a response. Moscow and other big Russian cities have largely been insulated from the war. Russia itself has hit Ukraine with thousands of missiles and drones in the last two-and-a-half years, killing thousands of civilians, wrecking much of the country's energy system and damaging commercial and residential properties across the country. Ukraine says it has a right to strike back deep into Russia, though Kyiv's Western backers have said they do not want a direct confrontation between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about Tuesday's attacks. Both sides deny targeting civilians. Tuesday's attack follows drone attacks Ukraine launched in early September chiefly targeting Russia's energy and power facilities. Authorities in the Tula region, which neighbours the Moscow region to its north, said drone wreckage had fallen onto a fuel and energy facility but that the "technological process" of the facility was not affected.

South African farmers are accused of killing 2 women and feeding them to pigs
Mogomotsi Magome/JOHANNESBURG (AP)/September 10, 2024
Three men in South Africa are accused of killing two women and feeding their bodies to pigs on their farm in a case that has outraged the public. The men appeared in court Tuesday in the northern province of Limpopo. The state wants them to remain behind bars until their trial is concluded. Farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, supervisor Andrian Rudolph de Wet and employee William Musora face two counts of premeditated murder, one count of attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Musora, a Zimbabwean national, also faces charges of being in the country illegally. It is alleged that in August, a truck belong to a dairy company dumped potentially expired goods at Olivier's farm, prompting the women, Locadia Ndlovu and Maria Makgatho, to trespass and try to collect the products. Both were shot and killed. A man with them was injured and crawled to a nearby road to scream for help. He told police, who found the women's decomposed bodies in a pigsty. Several political parties protested outside Mankweng Magistrates Court, calling for the men to be denied bail and face the harshest possible sentence. The South African Human Rights Commission called on the public not to take the law into their hands in retaliation. Violent crimes on South Africa's farms have been a concern for years, including the killing of farmers by criminals and farmers' abuse of workers. The case will continue next month.

North Korea's Kim vows to make his nuclear force ready for combat with US
Hyung-jin Kim And Kim Tong-hyung/SEOUL, South Korea (AP)/ September 10, 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to redouble efforts to make his nuclear force fully ready for combat with the United States and its allies, state media reported Tuesday, after the country disclosed a new platform likely designed to fire more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the mainland U.S. Kim has repeatedly made similar pledges, but his latest threat comes as outside experts believe Kim will perform provocative weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. In recent days, North Korea has also resumed launches of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea. In a speech marking the 76th founding anniversary for his government on Monday, Kim said North Korea faces “a grave threat” because of what he called “the reckless expansion” of a U.S.-led regional military bloc that is now developing into a nuclear-based one. Kim said such a development is pushing North Korea to boost its military capability, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Kim said North Korea will “redouble its measures and efforts to make all the armed forces of the state including the nuclear force fully ready for combat,” KCNA said.
North Korea has been protesting the July signing of a new U.S.-South Korean defense guideline meant to integrate U.S. nuclear weapons and South Korean conventional weapons to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats. North Korea said the guideline revealed its adversaries’ plots to invade the country. U.S. and South Korean officials have repeatedly said they don't intend to attack the country. Since 2022, North Korea has significantly accelerated its weapons testing activities in a bid to perfect its capabilities to launch strikes on the U.S. and South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding military drills that North Korea calls invasion rehearsals. Many analysts believe North Korea has some last remaining technological barriers to overcome to acquire long-range nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland, though it likely already possesses missiles that can hit key targets in South Korea and Japan. South Korean officials and experts say North Korea could conduct nuclear tests or ICBM test-launches before the U.S. election to increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S. Observers say North Korea likely thinks a greater nuclear capability would help it win U.S. concessions like sanctions relief. North Korea as of Tuesday morning did not appear to have staged any major military demonstration to mark this year’s anniversary. But the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday published a photo of Kim inspecting what appeared to be a 12-axle missile launch vehicle, which would be the largest the country has shown so far, during a visit to a munitions plant. This sparked speculation that the North could be developing a new ICBM that is bigger than its current Hwasong-17 ICBM, which is launched on an 11-axle vehicle. When asked about the photo on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder refused to provide a specific assessment of North Korea’s missile capabilities and reiterated that Washington was working closely with Seoul, Tokyo and other partners to preserve regional security and deter potential attacks. “It’s not unusual for North Korea to use media reports and imagery to try to telegraph, you know, to the world,” he said. North Korea flew hundreds of huge balloons carrying rubbish toward South Korea for five straight days through Sunday, extending a Cold War-style psychological warfare campaign that has further stoked animosities on the Korean Peninsula. The balloons largely contained waste papers and vinyl, and there has been no repots of major damage. North Korea began its balloon campaign in late May, calling it a response to South Korean civilians flying propaganda leaflets across the border via their own balloons. South Korea later restarted its anti-Pyongyang propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the rivals' tense land border. Observers say North Korea is extremely sensitive to South Korean leafleting activities and loudspeaker broadcasts as they could hamper its efforts to ban foreign news to its 26 million people.

Patrick Maisonnave, France’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Arlette Khouri/Arab News/September 10, 2024
PARIS: Patrick Maisonnave took up his post as the new French ambassador to Saudi Arabia last week. Paris’s former envoy to Greece presented his credentials to Saudi Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs Abdulmajeed Al-Smari on Sept. 1. Born in September 1963, Maisonnave is a graduate of the prestigious National School of Administration. Prior to his posting to Riyadh he held a number of prominent diplomatic positions, as French ambassador to Israel from 2013 to 2016, then envoy for counter-terrorism at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs until 2019. Then from 2019 to 2023, he was France’s ambassador in Athens. In his new role, Maisonnave will hope to coordinate French and Saudi efforts in a regional context weakened by Israel’s war in Gaza, which will enter its second year in October. Maisonnave will bring his considerable experience, as a former ambassador in Tel Aviv, to his new role in Riyadh. He will also seek to strengthen economic cooperation and contribute to the pursuit of cultural partnerships between France and Saudi Arabia, notably within the framework of the major development of the AlUla archaeological site, which has been entrusted to France. Maisonnave’s wife, Nadia Al-Sartawi, also works as a diplomat. In Athens she held the position of cultural attache at the French Embassy, where she made a major contribution to the promotion of French culture and language. Al-Sartawi is the daughter of a leading member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Issam Al-Sartawi, who was engaged in dialogue with Israel in the years prior to the signing of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 10-11/2024
Bridge attack underlines Jordan’s thorny peace with Israel
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/September 10, 2024
Managing the 30-year-old Jordan-Israel peace treaty has never been easy for Amman. The 1994 “Wadi Araba” peace deal was supposed to end decades of hostilities. The two countries fought bloody wars in 1948 and 1967 and, in both, the Hashemite Kingdom lost men and territory and had to welcome hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. But in 1968, at the Battle of Karameh, the Jordanian army and the Palestinian resistance were able to push back an Israeli incursion into the East Bank of the River Jordan. A political and military stalemate ensued and Jordan and Israel found themselves enmeshed in a “no peace, no war” situation.
That remained until 1994, when the late King Hussein decided to sign a peace treaty with Israel’s Yitzhak Rabin after the Palestinians secretly negotiated their deal with the Israelis at Oslo. But the majority of Jordanians, many of whom are of Palestinian origin, never really appreciated the fruits of that peace. For the Jordanian negotiators, the treaty delineated the final borders between the kingdom and Israel, while designating the West Bank as occupied territory, the future of which would be negotiated separately between Israel and the Palestinians. Jordan would reap other benefits, like an annual share of water from Lake Tiberius and a recognized “special role” for the Hashemites over Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which the Jordanian Waqf would administer. One of the bilateral understandings in the treaty was to maintain the policy of open bridges, adopted in 1967, which allowed West Bank Palestinians to cross into Jordan and back. The treaty was ratified by the Jordanian parliament, but most Jordanians never fully embraced it. It was often described as a cold peace, one between states rather than people. Most Jordanians never fully embraced the deal. It was often described as a cold peace, one between states rather than people
Challenges to the treaty soon materialized. Rabin was assassinated by a radical Jew in 1995, paving the way for a young and fiery right-wing politician, Benjamin Netanyahu, to form his first government in 1996. From then on, King Hussein and Rabin’s vision for a bright and peaceful cooperation between the two neighbors began to disintegrate. Much has happened since then to mar ties between the two countries. Ironically, most incidents took place on Netanyahu’s watch, including on Sunday morning, when a Jordanian truck driver shot and killed three Israeli border guards on the Israeli side of the King Hussein Bridge, aka Allenby Bridge. The assailant was shot dead by Israeli soldiers.
The timing, identity of the attacker and incident location are important. It happened after 11 months of Israel’s genocidal war — which is still raging — on the people of Gaza and two weeks after Israel launched a brutal military campaign against Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank. Jordanians have been protesting across the kingdom for most of this period, while demanding the abrogation of the peace treaty. The location, a pivotal border point between Jordan and the West Bank, which is under complete Israeli military control, symbolizes the complexity of relations between Jordan and Israel. The bridge is used exclusively by Palestinian travelers but is also a key commercial passageway. Hours after the attack, it was revealed that the Jordanian attacker, 39-year-old Maher Al-Jazi, hailed from a prominent tribe in southern Jordan with a history of fighting Israel and supporting the Palestinians. On Monday, Jordan confirmed the identity of the attacker but underlined that Al-Jazi was acting alone. Israel was quick to shutter all crossing points with Jordan. Netanyahu blamed Iran’s “evil axis” for instigating the attack. One far-right member of his Cabinet urged him to annex the Jordan Valley and crush Palestinian armed resistance in the West Bank. For Jordan, the incident occurred two days before crucial legislative elections, in which political parties were competing, including the Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front. The Islamists were quick to celebrate the killing of the Israelis, holding rallies honoring Al-Jazi and praising armed resistance against Israel. How Sunday’s incident affected voters’ choices in Tuesday’s poll remains to be seen.
A few months ago, Jordanian officials castigated Hamas for calling on Jordanians to become active in confronting Israel, warning the Islamist movement against interfering in domestic affairs. And Jordanians expressed their anger when Amman actively intercepted Iranian missiles heading toward Israel during an attack in April. But the national euphoria that followed Al-Jazi’s bold action underlined people’s growing animosity toward Israel and their disgust at its war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. This is something that Jordanian officials should take note of as they manage their ties with an Israeli government that openly and publicly provokes Jordan on a daily basis. Sunday’s incident also brought back bitter memories of when a Jordanian judge, Raed Zeiter, was gunned down by an Israeli soldier on King Hussein Bridge in 2014. Also, in 2017, an Israeli security guard shot and killed two Jordanians at Israel’s Amman embassy compound and was allowed to leave for Israel. Netanyahu welcomed him as a hero. No one was punished for either incident.
The national euphoria that followed Al-Jazi’s bold action underlined people’s growing animosity toward Israel
Netanyahu’s provocation of Jordan includes allowing Jewish worshippers, and later Cabinet ministers, to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on an almost weekly basis in a clear violation of the status quo proclamation.
Jordan’s links to the Palestinians in general and the West Bank in particular are both historic and unique. Until 1967, the West Bank was administered by Jordan and tens of thousands of its residents still retain their Jordanian citizenship.
King Abdullah took the lead in warning of the dire humanitarian catastrophe that Israel was creating in Gaza. The Jordanian army carried out dozens of humanitarian air drops over the enclave. He has pressed the US and other Western governments to enforce a ceasefire.But in response, Israeli officials have attacked the kingdom and its leadership, all while fanatics in Netanyahu’s government openly talk about annexing the West Bank to kill the prospect of a Palestinian state and hinting that Palestinians will eventually be expelled to Jordan. The “Jordanian option” has been supported by the Likud and other right-wing Israeli parties. At the same time, Jewish ultranationalists speak of Greater Israel extending its borders to Jordan as well.
For Jordanian officials, managing peace with Israel is becoming a risky business. On more than one occasion, they have declared that the forced transfer of Palestinians from the West Bank would be tantamount to a declaration of war.
At the same time, the same officials are realizing that the kingdom is finding itself between a rock and a hard place. The demise of the two-state solution, which Amman backs wholeheartedly but is becoming dubious, delivers an existential threat to Jordan. Jordan’s closest allies, the Americans, have proven weak and indecisive before Netanyahu and his gang. While Jordan is wary of its citizens becoming radicalized as a result of Israel’s war crimes and direct threats, it can only tighten its internal security while looking for ways to manage what has become a thorny and complicated relationship with Israel.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010

France gets new PM, awaits formation of a government
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat./September 10, 2024
The deadlock in France has been broken, at least temporarily. The first step of forming the next government was taken after a prime minister was tasked with forming it.
In principle, there is nothing problematic about choosing Michel Barnier, a seasoned politician and diplomat who has distinguished himself in the corridors of French and European politics and who played a pivotal role in the negotiations between the UK and EU over Brexit.
Barnier is a man of the traditional right, which is currently represented by The Republicans party, today the fourth-largest parliamentary bloc in France. The traditional right had exerted great influence and enjoyed remarkable support for decades. Indeed, it had been the dominant force in French politics since the emergence of the Fifth Republic, which Gen. Charles de Gaulle founded on the ruins of political anarchy and the frailty of some socialist and centrist leaders in the post-Second World War era.
France notably lost its former colonies during this period, first with the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Indochina, then the Algerian War of Independence and finally the independence of France’s remaining colonies in West Africa.
De Gaulle had laid the foundations for this movement, which was later modified by its members, with some ambitious leaders, such as Valery Giscard d’Estaing, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, creating their own “schools” and naming them after themselves.
For the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, both the far right and the far left now find themselves in the back seat
Indeed, after De Gaulle’s success in building the Fifth Republic through the traditional right-wing Gaullist movement, the traditional left managed to regroup under the leadership of another remarkable figure, Francois Mitterrand. Mitterrand achieved this by rebuilding the Socialist Party and then gradually increasingly benefiting from an alliance with the communists, whom he eventually tamed, co-opted and ultimately marginalized almost completely by the time the Berlin Wall fell, and with it the Warsaw Pact and European communism under the shadow of the former Soviet Union.
France has always been home to second-rate forces — from the far right to the far left — that operate outside of the two traditional “tents” of Gaullism and Mitterrandism. These forces’ fortunes would wax and wane depending on the circumstances, the quality of their leadership, the forms of the challenges they faced and the alliances they made. However, for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, both now find themselves in the back seat. Neither of them ever imagined they would become extras in a play whose producer, director and scriptwriter they have no influence over. However, that has been true in France since Emmanuel Macron upended the political landscape after he turned on Socialist President Francois Hollande and founded a new party in his own image — a pragmatic, ambiguous, enigmatic movement that is only loosely committed to traditional principles.
In the 2017 presidential election, voters did not see Macron’s break with the Socialists as a betrayal, but rather a natural course of action for an ambitious and intelligent young leader who saw Hollande’s approval rate collapse (it was as low as 4 percent by the autumn of 2016). Thus, they also voted for Macron’s newly formed party, En Marche! — now part of the Ensemble coalition — in the subsequent general election. They put their faith in him despite his party being in its infancy, the inexperience of its leaders and its “gray” slogans.
In the 2022 presidential election, when voters extended Macron’s mandate, the outcome was more of a rejection of the far-right Marine Le Pen than it was an endorsement of Macron. The electorate no longer believed that he had magical solutions for the problems of this “country with 258 varieties of cheese,” as is often said to highlight the difficulty of satisfying the French people.
In recent weeks, the burning question has been what Macron’s priorities are and which forces he will seek to isolate
The outcome of this year’s snap parliamentary elections not only demonstrated that Macron’s party is incapable of governing on its own; it also underscored the gravity of France’s governance crisis. Political and parliamentary power in France is currently shared among four forces, none of which have much in common with any of the others. That will not change unless Macron succeeds in leveraging the immense powers of the presidency in France’s current presidential system to undermine the solidity of these blocs and exploit their contradictions.
The largest of the four political forces is the New Popular Front, a coalition with 182 seats that brings together most of France’s left-wing parties. Macron’s presidential coalition is the second largest with 168 seats. Then comes the far-right National Rally with 143 seats. The Republicans are in last place and by a large margin. In recent weeks, the burning question has been what Macron’s priorities are and which forces he will seek to isolate, break apart or create rifts within. It is no secret that Macron was never comfortable with the left having a strong parliamentary presence and he was betting that the New Popular Front would splinter. However, he also understands the risks of betting on a direct alliance with the far right. Accordingly, Macron concluded that the best and safest approach was to call on a well-known and trusted figure from one of the smaller blocs — someone who he could come to an understanding with and who would be acceptable to the far right. At the same time, he has left the door open to any left-wing faction that is tempted by the idea of joining a coalition government, impelling them to break with the New Popular Front.
Barnier meets the criteria. Thus, he was appointed before complex questions regarding the formation of the government were resolved.
At the heart of the Elysee’s considerations were timing, shifting priorities, personal ambitions and room for maneuver ... why not, so long as Macron has the final say?
*Eyad Abu Shakra is managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat. X: @eyad1949
This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.

UK: Starmer's Dictatorship?
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/September 09/2024
Britain's new leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in the tried-and-true way of Communist dictators, has begun his first term by initiating a great purge of British dissidents.
British protesters, denounced as "far right thugs," are being put behind bars faster than the prison services can absorb.... The youngest child arrested and charged is just 11 years old.
Because the prisons, already overflowing, cannot handle the sudden influx of mass-sentenced wrongthinkers, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that to make room for the dissidents, it will be freeing early roughly 5,500 criminals... who "will include criminals convicted of violence..."
The mass arrests and trials are occurring at the same time as "Police are increasingly letting knife and sex offenders escape prosecution if they say sorry," according to an August 26 report by The Telegraph.
Peter Lynch, 61, a grandfather in Rotherham, a place where children have for decades been experiencing rape, other sexual abuse, and torture at the hands of mainly Muslim grooming gangs while police and the city council looked the other way, shouted at police, "you are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them" and "scum". Judge Richardson told Lynch: "You did not yourself attack any police officer, as far as can be detected, but what you did was encourage by your conduct others to behave violently and you were part of this mob. What a disgraceful example you are as a grandfather"... [and] sentenced him to two years and eight months.
Lynch was simply telling the truth: In cities such as Rotherham, Telford, Rochdale, Oxford, Peterborough, Keighley, Newcastle and Birmingham local police and councils knowingly allowed mostly Muslim grooming gangs to rape, abuse, torture and even murder thousands of little children and teenagers for decades because they said that if they stopped the crimes, they might appear "racist".
Does the Starmer government really have so much contempt for the British? They are not even allowed to protest the rape of their children.
"At least one murder, sex assault or crime of violence is committed every two days by convicted criminals under supervision of the probation service after being released from jail, research has revealed." — The Telegraph, July 1, 2024.
"Ideas are more powerful even than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas," said Josef Stalin. Those words appear to have become Starmer's motto...
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle recently made it clear that he thinks everything with which the government disagrees should be banned on social media. There seems to be no awareness of the essential problem: who chooses what is misinformation?
Starmer's methods were once exclusively reserved for dictatorships such as China, Russia and North Korea; Western democracies did not used to sentence people to long prison sentences for speech crimes.
Britain's new leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in the tried-and-true way of Communist dictators, has begun his first term by initiating a great purge of British dissidents. British protesters, denounced as "far right thugs," are being put behind bars faster than the prison services can absorb... The youngest child arrested and charged is just 11 years old. Pictured: His Majesty's Prison Wandsworth, in London, England, photographed on July 12, 2024. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Britain's new leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in the tried-and-true way of Communist dictators, has begun his first term by initiating a great purge of British dissidents.
British protesters, denounced as "far right thugs," are being put behind bars faster than the prison services can absorb. More than 1,000 people who have been arrested and more than 500 charged, are waiting for their court appearances in police holding cells: prisons have run out of space. As in the most expert dictatorship, even children and grandfathers have been arrested by the police for "rioting". The youngest child arrested and charged is just 11 years old.
Because the prisons, already overflowing, cannot handle the sudden influx of mass-sentenced wrongthinkers, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that to make room for the dissidents, it will be freeing early roughly 5,500 criminals from prison this month. The released prisoners "will include criminals convicted of violence who have been jailed for less than four years but exclude those serving longer sentences for more serious violence," according to The Telegraph.
The mass arrests and trials are occurring at the same time as "Police are increasingly letting knife and sex offenders escape prosecution if they say sorry," according to an August 26 report by The Telegraph, which continued:
"More than 147,000 people accused of offences including sex crimes, violence and weapons possession were given community resolutions in the year to March instead of being prosecuted. Such resolutions do not result in a criminal record. Police guidance says community resolutions should be restricted to low-level crimes, with offenders required to apologise to the victim, accept 'responsibility' for their crime and offer some form of recompense. But the resolutions, which are issued at the discretion of individual officers, have increased by 40 per cent since 2019 – when 102,574 were recorded – and are now nearly twice as likely as a criminal charge, according to an analysis of Ministry of Justice data."
British wrongthinkers guilty of expressing their anger on the internet or hurling obscenities at police officers are held to a completely different standard, as the following selected list of Britons recently sentenced at record speed shows:
Julie Sweeney, a 53-year-old grandmother and caretaker of her husband from a village in Cheshire posted angry words on the internet after the murder of the three little girls in Southport by Axel Rudakubana, the teenage son of Rwandan migrants. "Don't protect the mosques. Blow the mosques up with the adults in it," she wrote in a local online community group. Calling Sweeney a "keyboard warrior", Judge Steven Everett Branding told her that "even people like you need to go to prison".
In 2022, the same judge, in a case of a 76-year old pedophile who had downloaded child porn, ruled that "It would be unconscionable to send him to prison."
Sweeney's husband described how numerous police had arrived in three police cars just to arrest his wife, who had never before had anything to do with the law and lived a "sheltered and quiet life." Sweeney told the police that she had posted the comment in anger following the murder of the three little girls and had "no intention to put people in fear." She also apologized, telling police her comment had been unacceptable and that she would be deleting her Facebook account. The British justice system had no mercy: She was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Unlike Sweeney, Rudakubana, charged with the murder of the three girls and attempted murder of ten people, mainly children, will only go on trial in January 2025.
A spokesman for Cheshire police thoughtfully notified the public that the grandmother had been thrown in jail to serve as a stark warning to other wrongthinkers:
"As this case demonstrates, there is nowhere to hide. If you choose to engage in this behaviour, whether in person or online, we will find you and you will be held responsible."
Jordan Parlour, 28, was also sentenced for writing on a Facebook post: "Every man and their dog should be smashing fuck out Britannia Hotel", a hotel in Leeds housing migrants that was reportedly being pelted with stones at the time by protesters. Parlour's post received just six likes with one Facebook user asking "why?" Parlour replied:
"They are over here given a life of Riley off the tax of us hard-working people earn when it could be put to better use... come here with no work visa, no trade to their name and sit and doss and then there's more people being put out homeless each year, they get top band priority on housing and many more other reasons."
Judge Guy Kearl said in his sentencing remarks:
"You were arrested in the early hours of 5th August and interviewed by the police. Your motivation became clear when you informed the police that you had promoted the idea of attacking the Britannia Hotel as a result of anger and frustration at immigration problems in the country. You went on to say that you did not want your money going to immigrants who 'rape our kids and get priority'.
"Although you said that you had no intention of carrying out any act of violence, there can be no doubt that you were inciting others to do so, otherwise, why post the comment? You expressed remorse but by that time it was too late....
"[T]his offence is so serious that an immediate custodial sentence is unavoidable. The sentence that I pass has been reduced by 1/3 to reflect your guilty plea. The sentence is 20 months imprisonment."
In 2021, Judge Guy Kearl ruled that a pedophile, who was found guilty of downloading "hundreds of vile child sex abuse images" on his computer, did not have to serve any time in jail.
Pensioner David Spring, 61, recently retired, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, "as a deterrent to others" for making threatening and hostile gestures towards police. He had called officers "c*nts" and joined in chants of "you're not English any more" and "who the f*** is Allah."
Judge Benedict Kelleher was asked to consider Spring's caring duties for his sick wife. Instead, he told Spring that "severe" sentences were needed to deter others. So the pensioner was sent straight to prison. The judge said:
"At that point you did that [the shouting and swearing at police] you must have been well aware it was a particularly volatile situation and police were doing their best to keep order. Your actions showed a complete contempt for the police at that time... What you were doing could and, it appears, did encourage others to threaten the police and add to the disorder."
Gary Harkness, 51, was handed a 12-month prison sentence even though the judge did not appear to quite think that he had committed any crime. What his "crime" was is still not clear. Apparently, he admitted to being "part of" a disorder, but seems to have done nothing criminal, apart from being extremely drunk, which is not a crime. Handing out his sentence, Judge Linford said:
"Of the people I have thus far sentenced you are the person who provides me with the most difficulty because it cannot be levelled at you that you hit anyone, neither have you thrown anything, neither is it said that you spat at anybody.
"But it is accepted by you that you were a party to this disorder and I have to sentence you on the basis, and you also know that anyone party to it has to receive a custodial sentence."
Harkness, had apparently drunk quite a bit on the day of the "disorder" and "was seen making lewd gestures and swearing during the evening and at another point pushes or is pushed by a police officer." He was sentenced anyway.
William Nelson Morgan, 69, a grandfather, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after he was arrested for refusing to move as police pushed back a crowd of rioters where he was present. The court was shown body-worn-camera footage of Morgan being arrested with him saying: "I'm English, I'm 70, all right – leave me alone!" He can also be seen to shout: "Get off me, I'm fucking 70, you pricks." He was carrying a small wooden truncheon, which the judge called a "serious aggravating factor."
Peter Lynch, 61, a grandfather in Rotherham, a place where children have for decades been experiencing rape, other sexual abuse, and torture at the hands of mainly Muslim grooming gangs while police and the city council looked the other way, shouted at police, "you are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them" and "scum". Lynch was charged with violent disorder, an offence under section 2 of the Public Order Act 1986 which requires that 3 or more persons are present together, that unlawful violence is used or threatened, and that the conduct of the persons would "cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety".
Judge Jeremy Richardson told Lynch:
"You did not yourself attack any police officer, as far as can be detected, but what you did was encourage by your conduct others to behave violently and you were part of this mob... What a disgraceful example you are as a grandfather."
Lynch suffers from diabetes, thyroid issues, angina and has recently had a heart attack, but none of this evidently was of concern to the judge who sentenced him to prison for two years and eight months for the "crime" of disagreeing with the Starmer regime.
Lynch was simply telling the truth: In cities such as Rotherham, Telford, Rochdale, Oxford, Peterborough, Keighley, Newcastle and Birmingham local police and councils knowingly allowed mostly Muslim grooming gangs to rape, abuse, torture and even murder thousands of little children and teenagers for decades because they said that if they stopped the crimes, they might appear "racist". These crimes not only continue to this day, but Starmer's new government is knowingly facilitating more of them. Even before the protests began, Starmer set out to make room in the overcrowded prisons by freeing, among other criminals, members of the grooming gangs. GB News reported in early July
"A vile ringleader of a Rotherham child sex abuse gang will be freed after serving just seven years of a thirteen-year sentence. Pedophile Matloob Hussain was jailed in February 2017 but now he's been referred for release by the Parole Board, meaning he is likely to be back out on the streets in a matter of days."
The early release of rapists, pedophiles and violent criminals is especially concerning because the Starmer government doubtless knows that this policy will lead to a spike in those crimes. The Telegraph reported in July:
"At least one murder, sex assault or crime of violence is committed every two days by convicted criminals under supervision of the probation service after being released from jail, research has revealed. An analysis of Ministry of Justice data shows that 3,540 serious further offences (SFOs) – which include murder, kidnap, rape, arson and other sexual or violent crimes – were carried out by criminals released from between 2010 and 2022 and placed under the supervision of the probation service. They included 762 murders, 220 attempted murders and more than 1,000 serious sexual crimes including rape, sexual assault, and rape of children under 13 since 2010. It equated to one offence every 30 hours over the 12-year period."
Does the Starmer government really have so much contempt for the British? They are not even allowed to protest the rape of their children.
An additional injustice is that the law on "racial incitement" is not applied equally to everyone in Britain. For more than ten months, weekly incitement across the UK in support of the terrorist group Hamas has had no legal consequences whatsoever for those involved. These groups, orchestrated by Hamas-affiliated organizations, wave jihadist and Al Qaeda flags; call for "Jihad!" and for Israel to be cleansed of its Jews "from the river to the sea," celebrate terrorists who murder, rape, mutilate and burn innocent people alive. They are allowed to continue their incitement, even though, in the UK, both Hamas and Al Qaeda are proscribed terrorist organizations and supporting them can carry a prison sentence up to 14 years.
This encumbrance does not appear to be the last liability that Starmer has in store for the British, whom, it seems, he aims to silence completely. Government advisor John Woodcock, to crack down on the protests, actually called for "Covid-style lockdowns":
"New ministers in office will understand that the British public will back them in whatever measures they feel are necessary to get this situation under control. We should cast our minds back to the days of Covid where the public accepted an emergency situation that we prepared to back and lawmakers were prepared to support....
"In Covid the [British public was] able to back measures that were needed in that situation. They would take a similar approach to keep rioters off the streets to see the scale of damage being done to communities."
The government is preparing even more censorship. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, according to the Guardian, has been vowing "to crack down on promotion of 'hateful beliefs'" to address "gaps in the current system" that "leave the country exposed to hateful or harmful activity that promotes violence or undermines democracy."
The government is reportedly also considering a proposal by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate to grant government regulator Ofcom "emergency powers that would momentarily allow it to demand action taken by online platforms" against unwanted speech or information.
In addition, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle recently made it clear that he thinks everything with which the government disagrees should be banned on social media. There seems to be no awareness of the essential problem: who chooses what is misinformation? Hoyle said:
"Misinformation is dangerous. Social media is good, but it is also bad when people are using it in a way that could cause a riot, threats, intimidation, actually suggesting that we should attack somebody - you know, it's not acceptable. What we've got to is make sure it's factual, correct, what's up there. If not, I think the government have really got to think long and hard about what they're going to do with social media and what are they going to put through parliament as a bill to act....It doesn't matter what country you're in, the fact is that misinformation is dangerous. And no misinformation or threat or intimidation should be allowed to be carried out on social media platform. This should be for good, not for bad." "Ideas are more powerful even than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas," said Soviet dictator and mass murderer Josef Stalin. Those words appear to have become Starmer's motto, as he ruthlessly purges the British population of those who disagree with him, having the courts hand them all massive prison sentences in overcrowded jails to "deter" anyone who might even think of dissenting in the future. Starmer's methods were once exclusively reserved for dictatorships such as China, Russia and North Korea. Western democracies did not used to sentence people to long prison sentences for speech crimes. Judging by the silence of Western political and media elites in the face of this Orwellian crackdown in the country that gave the world the magna carta, we would be wise to remember that this chilling reality could soon be ours.
*Robert Williams is a researcher based in the United States.
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Reason and mystery in Israel’s defense posture
Louis Rene Beres/JNS/September 10, 2024
Israel’s jihadist enemies draw palpable power and purpose from a literally primal loathing of reason and rationality.
“There is something inside us that yearns not for reason, but for mystery … for whisperings of the irrational.”
— Karl Jaspers, Reason and Anti-Reason in Our Time (1952)
In complex matters of national defense, truth is sometimes counterintuitive. While for Israel, the most tangible source of power is its military, this source should never be considered in isolation.Because jihadist adversaries often regard personal death avoidance as more rewarding than anything else, their highest form of power is never just a matter of military assets, strategy or tactics. Rather, it is a matter of “power over death.”
For Israeli strategists, there can be no more urgent matter for systematic analysis. There will be associated ironies. By definition, the promise of immortality must be drawn from religious faith rather than science. Nonetheless, the philosopher’s “whisperings of the irrational” have never impaired this promise as a key factor in Israeli diplomacy or deterrence. Portentously, for assorted Islamist aggressors and terrorists, siding with anti-reason has routinely been celebrated.
Pertinent survival imperatives are not ambiguous. Israel’s jihadist enemies draw palpable power and purpose from a primal loathing of reason and rationality. If this unpredictable power should ever be joined with weapons of mass destruction, most ominously nuclear weapons, Israel could have to face a uniquely bitter triumph of anti-reason. In any such confrontation, the illogical but compelling promise of “power over death” could easily prove determinative. For Jerusalem to adequately safeguard its national survival, a more detailed and nuanced understanding of defense is needed. Any further triumphs of delusion and anti-reason by the enemy could substantially enlarge coinciding threats from Iran, Hezbollah, Fatah and Hamas, among others. More precisely, these “victories” would be accomplished via war, terrorism and/or genocide. Accordingly, the expected human costs on all sides would be unacceptable.
On this matter of world-historical urgency, Israeli scholars and policy-makers should think creatively beyond any intuitive parameters of weapons, strategy and tactics. Their guiding question ought to be expressed as follows: How can Israel best convince Iran and its relevant proxies that the faith-based murder of “unbelievers” could never offer the perpetrators “power over death?”
Though all Iranian surrogates regard war, terror and genocide against Israel as ennobling expressions of “religious sacrifice,” they will need to acknowledge that such thinking is destined to fail. Still, securing enemy acknowledgment could prove excruciatingly difficult because of Islamist “whisperings of the irrational.”
What should Israel do as it finds itself confronted with religion-driven enemies who are captivated by doctrinal “whisperings” and seek immortality by way of “martyrdom?” Before answering, three logically prior questions should be raised:
• What sort of religious faith can ecstatically encourage the rape, torture and murder of criminally abducted hostages, some under three years of age? • Can any decent and thinking human being wittingly accept that such codified “crimes against humanity” are actually intended to ensure Palestinian statehood?
• Were the post-Oct. 7 Hamas rapes of Israeli children, male and female, a rational and reason-based political tactic to gain Palestinian “liberation?”
In law, there is a simple and incontestable answer to all these questions.
In all law, rights can never stem from wrongs. Ex injuria jus non oritur.
For Israel’s enemies, irrationality does not signify weakness. Though it is a lascivious faith, jihadism is still capable of inflicting overwhelming human harm. To prevent such harm, Israel’s decision-makers ought never to forget that the true object of Islamist terror sacrifice is never “The Israeli.” Always, it is “The Jew.” The difference couldn’t possibly be more important.
On particulars, Israel’s most immediate policy concern is the war with Hezbollah. Here and elsewhere, dynamics of anti-reason will continue to hold a place in Islamist policies. In his Will Therapy and Truth and Reality (1936), psychologist Otto Rank explained these dynamics at a general and timeless level: “The death fear of the ego is lessened by the killing, the sacrifice, of the other. Through the death of the other, one buys oneself free from the penalty of being killed.”
In such existential matters for Israel, there are variously coinciding matters of law and justice. Under authoritative jurisprudence, Hezbollah and other jihadist perpetrators must be distinguished from counterterrorist adversaries by their willful embrace of mens rea or “criminal intent.” Though Israel correctly regards the harms it is forced to inflict upon noncombatant populations as unavoidable costs of counter-terrorism—costs mandated by lawless Palestinian tactics of “human shields” or “perfidy”—Iran and its sub-state proxies target Israeli civilians with unmistakably criminal intent.
On this increasingly imperiled planet, Israel coexists with other states in an international “state of nature.” Despite being subject to wholly irrational promises, Islamist states and their proxies uniformly accept the proposition that “sacrificing” specific “others” (most plainly, Jews) offers “medicine” against their own deaths. Prima facie, this dreadful presumption reflects a grim and steadily growing “triumph” of anti-reason.
For the foreseeable future, such triumph, though intolerable, becomes more and more probable. For Iran and its obeisant proxies, attempts to avoid personal death by killing designated “others” (“unbelievers” and “apostates”) will remain futile but consequential. The legacy of Westphalia, the 1648 treaty creating modern international law, codifies reason and rejects anti-reason. But let us finally be candid about such codification: Almost no one pays any attention.
There is background. Scholars and policy-makers can discover potentially murderous endorsements of anti-reason in the writings of Hegel, Fichte, von Treitschke and other classical thinkers. There have also been voices of a very different sort. For Friedrich Nietzsche, the state is “the coldest of all cold monsters.” It is, he remarks prophetically in Zarathustra, “for the superfluous that the state was invented.”
The 19th-century philosopher could have been writing about present-day Iran or Iran’s ally North Korea. Regarding Pyongyang, an already-nuclear North Korea could come to the aid of a still pre-nuclear Iran. Years back, lest Israeli analysts forget or disregard, it was North Korea that built a nuclear reactor for another Iranian ally, Syria. This reactor was subsequently destroyed by Israel’s September 2007 “Operation Orchard,” an operation of “anticipatory self-defense” under international law.
As the foremost state mentor to jihadist forces, Iran represents the juridical incarnation of anti-reason. A state of Palestine would add tangible power to these already-dissembling forces. Considered together, as “synergistic”—as an interaction in which the whole is actually greater than the sum of its parts—Iran-Palestine could present Israel with an irremediable hazard.
To deal successfully with primal jihadist foes, enemies who seek “power over death,” Israel’s only prudential strategy should be based on a deeper understanding of the “whisperings of the irrational.” Though Israel should never submit to siren calls of anti-reason, its own rationality-based posture of security and defense ought never to be projected unthinkingly on its adversaries. To be sure, Iran and its proxies are apt to act rationally in most military decision-making processes, but even a rare or occasional embrace of anti-reason could prove intolerable for the Jewish state.
In part, Israel’s only defense lies in operationally deeper understandings of such a predatory embrace.
The opinions and facts presented in this article are those of the author, and neither JNS nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.

Restating the obvious: Hamas isn’t negotiating
Ruthie Blum/JNS/September 10, 2024
“Unfortunately, many people repeat the narrative that in fact we are the ones preventing a deal,” said Gal Hirsch. “But this is a lie.”
Protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheva, Netanya and other locations across Israel on Saturday night in what is being reported as one of the largest demonstrations in the state’s history. According to some figures, there were some 500,000 people at the main rally in the White City and an additional 250,000 spread out elsewhere.
Whether or not these numbers are accurate, anybody observing the crowds in person or on TV could see that they were massive. The explanation for the exceptional turnout was twofold. First, the entire country was reeling from the recovery the previous weekend of the bodies of six hostages who had been executed in cold blood by their Hamas captors a mere two days or so before they were discovered by Israel Defense Forces troops. The victims of the barbarians who abducted them 11 months ago were identified as 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 25; Alexander Lobanov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and IDF Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25.
It was believed by the families of these and other hostages that the first stage of a rumored deal for their release would have seen at least three of the above on the list to return home.
The second reason for the increase in participants in the otherwise waning anti-government protests—the key goal of which all along has been to topple Prime Minister Benjamin (“Bibi”)Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition—is the looming one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre. Not a single Israeli is apathetic to the terrifying plight of the 101 remaining captives, and all can only imagine with horror what the spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings and children of the captives are going through every minute of every hour of every day.
To make matters worse, the war against terrorists in Gaza is continuing and claiming the lives of heroic soldiers, while the north is being bombarded by Hezbollah rockets and drones.
IDF Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the captives and missing, set two records straight on Sunday at the Middle East-America Dialogue (MEAD) summit at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C.
“Unfortunately, many people repeat the narrative that … we [Israelis] are the ones preventing a deal,” he told Israel Hayom senior diplomatic correspondent Ariel Kahana, who interviewed him on stage at the event. “But this is not the truth. It is a lie. We have never stopped a deal that was on the table.”
That was one necessary restating of the obvious. Another related to domestic protests and foreign treatment of the Jewish state.
“Hamas learns what is happening in Israeli society and wants to divide it by using the issue of the hostages,” Hirsch said. “And I have to put it on the table; for them, this is an achievement. There is a direct connection between the international pressure on Israel and the desire of Hamas to be part of the negotiations. When [it sees] that Israel is under enormous pressure from our best allies, or from the United Nations or Great Britain, or decisions by some and others in the international courts, they say to themselves that they are in no hurry.”
He pointed out that “since November, there have been virtually no negotiations, and they don’t seem to want a deal. Since December, Hamas is not really in the picture. In March, they came for a few days to negotiations in Doha and then disappeared.”
That Hirsch was forthcoming with such an unpopular view among those Israelis whose desperation has blinded them to reality was welcome. Yet it wasn’t actually surprising coming from him.
Far more jaw-dropping—and irresponsibly late in coming—was a similar admission from Benny Gantz, of all people. The former IDF chief of staff, defense minister and War Cabinet member who resigned from the emergency unity government when he saw polls that indicated he might beat Netanyahu in a non-existent election, has been putting stokes in the wheels of the effort to defeat Hamas by siding with the “anybody but Bibi” crew’s claims that the prime minister isn’t doing enough to “bring the hostages back home.”
Furthermore, Gantz is a member of the choir claiming that Netanyahu’s political considerations are causing him to cater to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—going as far as to use the inexcusable expression that he’s “held hostage” by the extremist elements in his coalition.
Still, after attending and addressing the MEAD summit, he wrote a post on X indicating his realization that all his maneuvering hasn’t gone over well with the bulk of the Israeli public.
“I met today with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington,” Gantz tweeted on Monday. “I thanked him for the administration’s deep involvement in efforts to return the hostages, and noted that the proposal for their return [to] the table has broad support both in the Knesset and among the Israeli public, and that Netanyahu will also have a political safety net to advance it.” He followed this expression of gratitude with the following uncharacteristic punchline: “At the same time, I emphasized that after months of Hamas not accepting the proposal, the world is expected to support Israel in increasing civilian and military pressure on Gaza—this is what led to the first hostage deal, and it is also what will expedite Hamas’s decision.”
It’s probably too much to ask of Hirsch or Gantz to make their declarations to the throngs at Hostage Square on Saturday night. But their doing so would send a message to Hamas’s Gaza chief, Yahya Sinwar, that his ploys are failing and that his end is near.

America Is Losing the Battle of the Red Sea
Bloomberg/Asharq Al Awsat/10 September 2024
Even by the Middle Eastern standards, the past year has been full of surprises. A bolt-from-the-blue attack by Hamas produced the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. The resulting Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has now lasted longer than nearly anyone first imagined. Iran launched perhaps the largest drone and missile strike in history against Israel, which was blunted by unprecedented cooperation. Yet the biggest surprise is also the most ominous for global order. A radical, quasi-state actor most Americans had never heard of, the Houthis of Yemen, have mounted the gravest challenge to freedom of the seas in decades — and arguably beaten a weary superpower along the way.
The Houthis began their campaign against shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, in late 2023. They are nominally attacking out of sympathy for the Palestinian people, but also to gain stature within the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, a group of Middle Eastern proxies cultivated by Iran.
In January, Washington responded with Operation Prosperity Guardian, which features defensive efforts (largely by US destroyers) to shield shipping from drones and missiles, and also airstrikes against Houthi attack capabilities within Yemen. The results have been middling at best.
This saga combines dynamics old and new. The Bab al-Mandeb, Arabic for “gate of tears,” has long been a locus of struggle. This chokepoint is surrounded by instability in the southern Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa. That situation has invited conflict and foreign intervention for decades, but the Houthis’ campaign also displays newer global troubles.
One is the falling cost of power-projection. The Houthis aren’t a traditional military juggernaut; they don’t even fully control Yemen. Yet they have employed drones and missiles to control access to vital seas. The Houthis have had help in doing so: Iran has provided weapons and the know-how needed to manufacture them. But the Red Sea crisis still shows how seemingly minor actors can use relatively cheap capabilities to extend their destructive reach.
The second feature is strategic synergy among US foes. The Houthis became more fearsome thanks to mentorship by Iran and Hezbollah. Since October 2023, they have allowed most of China’s shipping to pass without harm. The Houthis have also received encouragement — and, it seems, direct support — from a Russia that is eager to exact vengeance on Washington. Beijing and Moscow reap geopolitical rewards when America is burdened by Middle Eastern conflicts, so both are willing to let this crisis fester, or even make it worse. Further inflaming matters is a third factor: America’s aversion to escalation, which is rooted in military overstretch. A global superpower has been reduced to an inconclusive tit-for-tat with a band of Yemeni extremists.
The core issue is that Washington has hesitated to take stronger measures — such as sinking the Iranian intelligence ship that supports the Houthis, or targeting the infrastructure that sustains their rule within Yemen — for fear of inflaming a tense regional situation.
That approach has limited the near-term risk of escalation, but allowed Tehran and the Houthis to keep the showdown simmering at their preferred temperature. It also reflects the underlying fatigue of a US military that lacks enough cruise missiles, laser-guided bombs, strike aircraft and warships to prosecute the campaign more aggressively without compromising its readiness for conflicts elsewhere.
Thus a fourth feature: The rotting of norms the international community has taken for granted. The global commercial damage caused by the Houthis has actually been limited, thanks to the adaptability of the shipping networks that underpin the world economy. But the precedent is awful: The Houthis have upended freedom of the seas in a crucial area and paid a very modest price.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is simultaneously stressing another bedrock principle, the norm against forcible conquest. Revisionist actors are challenging the global rules that underpin the relative affluence, security and stability of our post-1945 world.
A dramatic course correction by the US probably isn’t imminent. President Joe Biden is still chasing that elusive Israel-Hamas cease-fire; this would at least deprive the Houthis and other Iranian proxies of their pretext for violence, even if no one is really sure whether it would end the Red Sea shipping attacks. He hopes to get through the presidential elections without more trouble with Tehran.
But this muddle-through approach may not survive for long after that. Whoever becomes president in 2025 will have to face the fact that America is losing the struggle for the Red Sea, with all the pernicious global implications that may follow.