English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 15/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your
servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all
Mark 10/35-45: "James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward
to Jesus and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of
you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’And they said
to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
glory.’But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you
able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am
baptized with?’They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup
that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you
will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to
grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ When the ten heard
this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said
to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their
rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is
not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your
servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the
Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for
many.’"
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on September 14-15/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video/.The Assassination of Bashir Gemayel Targeted the Entire
Lebanese Nation.
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/.The Assassination of Bashir Gemayel Targeted the
Entire Lebanese Nation
The 9/11 Anniversary and the Willful Blindness to Its Perpetrators: Shia and
Sunni Political Islam and Leftist Complicity
MP Nadim Gemayel: The 42nd anniversary of the assassination of former President
Bachir Gemayel represents actual resistance
Tributes to Bachir Gemayel on the 42nd Commemoration of His Assassination
Israeli military says it has hit Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in several
areas of Lebanon
Israel strikes northern Lebanon in sudden escalation
South Lebanon Front: Military or Political Solution?
Southern Lebanon: Escalating Confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah
Presidential Vacancy: Saudi Arabia’s Stand Remains Unchanged
Qassem: Support Front Will Remain as Long as War Continues
Hezbollah's war with Israel has become existential, 'military source' says
Hezbollah warns Israel against Lebanon border flare-up
Israel refocuses on northern front: Intensified military drills amid growing
threats from Lebanon
Large fire breaks out in Bejjeh, Byblos district
Hezbollah unleashes massive rocket barrages on North after overnight attacks
US envoy Amos Hochstein to meet Netanyahu, Gallant for talks on de-escalation
with Hezbollah
US envoy set for Tel Aviv talks in push to avoid deeper conflict
Beirut-Baghdad… Fate or the Judiciary?
New education policy sparks controversy: Lebanon's approach to illegal Syrian
students
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on September 14-15/2024
IAF strikes terrorists, weapons manufacturing facilities adjacent to Gazan
school
Maj.-Gen. Dan Goldfus: The IDF's hero of Khan Yunis and destroyer of Hamas's
tunnels
Former Delta Force officer: Israel may have to choose between saving hostages
and destroying Hamas
US repositions naval power: Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt departs
Middle East
Iran Says It Is Open to Talks but Rejects Pressure as US, EU Impose Sanctions
Women in Iran are going without hijabs as the 2nd anniversary of Mahsa Amini's
death approaches
Iran says it is open to talks but rejects pressure as US, EU impose sanctions
G7 FMs Condemn Iran's Export of Ballistic Missiles to Russia
Iran says it successfully launched a satellite in its program criticized by West
over missile fears
Iran launches second satellite this year into orbit, state media says
Kremlin says it disagrees with Turkey's Erdogan that Crimea should return to
Kyiv's control
An American activist killed by Israeli fire is buried in Turkey as Israel
strikes Gaza
No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state: Prince Turki
CENTCOM: Four ISIS Leaders Killed in August Iraq Raid
Syria: Assad Names Ex-minister Jalali to Form Cabinet
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on September 14-15/2024
Question: “Why are there so many Christian denominations?”/GotQuestions.org/September
14/2024
Sending International Forces to Sudan is Not a Solution/Osman Mirghani/Asharq Al
Awsat/September 14/2024
To Stop Hamas, Confront Qatar and Iran/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/September 14, 2024
Democratic terrorism: Jamal Khashoggi's vision of political Islam - opinion/YESHAYA
ROSENMAN/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
Why I support Donald J. Trump - opinion/JOSEPH SCUTTS/Jerusalem Post/September
14/2024
How Hamas Uses Brutality to Maintain Power/Julian E. Barnes/The New York
Times/September 14, 2024
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on September 14-15/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video/.The Assassination of Bashir Gemayel Targeted the Entire
Lebanese Nation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rarA0MNV-hc&t=3s
Elias Bejjani/September 14/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/.The Assassination of Bashir Gemayel Targeted the
Entire Lebanese Nation
Elias Bejjani/September 14/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134399/
The Assassination of Lebanon’s President-Elect Bashir Gemayel: A Target on the
Entire Nation
Elias Bejjani/September 14/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134399/
On September 14, 1982, Lebanon was struck by a political earthquake: the
assassination of President-elect Bashir Gemayel that was not merely an attack on
a man; but an evil and Trojan assault on the very soul of Lebanon, a calculated
blow aimed at destroying the fragile dream of an independent and sovereign
nation. Bashir Gemayel was more than a leader—he was the embodiment of hope, a
symbol of escape from the devastation of war of others, and the promise of a
unified Lebanon, free from the iron grip of foreign manipulations. Bashir
Gemayel did not just represent a political faction; he carried the torch of a
national project, a vision to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and place it firmly
in the hands of its people. In the chaos of a Lebanon torn apart by regional and
international powers, Gemayel stood as a bulwark against foreign meddling. As
the leader of the Lebanese Forces, he spearheaded the formation of a military
force with one purpose: to protect Lebanon’s integrity and independence.
Elected on August 23, 1982, Gemayel’s rise to the presidency sparked a renewed
sense of hope in a population battered by civil wars since 1975. For many
Lebanese, his election was a lifeline—an opportunity to rebuild a nation at the
brink of disintegration. His presidency was poised to usher in a new era of
security, sovereignty, and unity, a direct challenge to the factions and foreign
actors who profited from Lebanon's fragmentation. In one of Lebanon’s darkest
hours, just days before assuming presidential office, Bashir was assassinated in
a bomb attack that obliterated the Phalange Party headquarters in Ashrafieh.
This wasn’t just the murder of a man—it was the assassination of a vision and a
dream for a free and independent Lebanon. Those responsible weren’t merely
seeking to eliminate Gemayel; they sought to snuff out the dream of national
sovereignty. His killers sent a brutal message: Lebanon would remain a
playground for foreign interests, and any attempt to wrest control back into the
hands of its people would be met with violence, plots, assassinations, wars and
destruction.
The heinous crime was a calculated move by forces that thrived on Lebanon’s
instability, who saw Gemayel’s vision and dream of a strong Lebanon as a threat
to their grip on power. His assassination was a dagger plunged into the heart of
every Lebanese citizen who longed for a future free from foreign domination and
internal division.
Bashir Gemayel’s assassination sent shockwaves through the country, deepening
the fractures in Lebanon’s social and political landscape. It was a blow not
just to the Lebanese people, but to the very idea of a cohesive, sovereign
state. The murder of Lebanon’s president-elect symbolized the unraveling of a
nation already teetering on the edge of collapse. It opened the door to more
foreign meddling, more chaos, and a renewed cycle of violence that would grip
the country for years to come.
Even today, the reverberations of this assassination are felt across Lebanon.
Gemayel wasn’t just another political leader; he was a unifying force, the
embodiment of a national project to reclaim Lebanon’s independence. His
assassination serves as a stark reminder that Lebanon’s battle for sovereignty
is not merely an internal struggle, but a perpetual fight against external
powers that seek to divide and exploit it.
The assassination of Bashir Gemayel stands as a sobering lesson for all
Lebanese: the road to a truly independent state is long and fraught with danger.
Lebanon’s future can only be secured through unity and an unyielding commitment
to sovereignty. The forces of division are relentless, but the people’s resolve
must be stronger. The murder of Bashir Gemayel was not the end of Lebanon’s
struggle—it marked the beginning of new challenges. Today, remembering this
crime should inspire current and future generations to redouble their efforts in
securing a sovereign, peaceful, and united Lebanon, free from the chains of
foreign control and internal discord.
In conclusion, the assassination of Bashir Gemayel is not merely a chapter in
Lebanon’s history; it is a deep and unhealed wound in the nation’s fabric. His
death was a direct assault on a project of national revival—a deliberate attempt
to crush the possibility of a Lebanon where sovereignty, stability, and peace
could reign. The memory of his assassination should serve as a rallying cry for
all Lebanese, a reminder that the fight for independence is ongoing and must be
pursued with unwavering determination.
The 9/11 Anniversary and the Willful Blindness to Its
Perpetrators: Shia and Sunni Political Islam and Leftist Complicity
Elias Bejjani/September 11, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134323/
On September 11th, we remember one of the most harrowing moments in human
history when Al-Qaeda executed a meticulously planned act of pure evil in the
heart of the United States. This atrocity was not merely about destroying
buildings and killing thousands of innocent people; it was a calculated attempt
to terrorize the world and impose a radical Islamic agenda steeped in violence
and terror. Al-Qaeda’s objective was unmistakable: to spread chaos, dismantle
democratic systems, and replace them with a tyrannical Islamic rule that defies
basic human values, legitimizing murder and the enslavement of Christians and
other "infidels" worldwide.
Today, as we commemorate this tragedy, we are confronted with a disturbing
reality. The current U.S. administration, under Democratic leadership, is taking
steps that not only betray the spirit of the war on terror initiated after 9/11
but actively undermine it. Instead of intensifying the fight against terrorism
in all its manifestations, we witness them extending support and aid to
extremist Islamic factions, both Shia and Sunni. The Biden administration,
following the perilous path charted by Obama, is empowering the terrorist
Iranian regime—a regime that had a hand in the 9/11 attacks and is now on the
brink of acquiring nuclear weapons, posing an existential threat not just to
Israel and the Arab countries, but to the entire civilized world.
As the U.S. administration turns a blind eye to Iran's escalating crimes and its
terrorist proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, it allows the Houthis to
unleash chaos in the region, disrupting maritime transport without consequence.
Simultaneously, we see a troubling alliance with Sunni political Islam, embodied
by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Boko Haram—terrorist organizations
determined to destabilize not just the Middle East, but the world, spreading
chaos and destruction.
Even more concerning is the silent complicity with the Muslim Brotherhood both
within and outside the United States, where they continue their extremist
activities with minimal interference. On the contrary, these groups are granted
the influence to shape U.S. policy from within, an alarming reality that cannot
be ignored.
In conclusion, we must rise against these catastrophic policies. The Biden
administration, much like Obama’s before it, stands as an adversary to the
American people and global peace, bolstering terrorism in both its Sunni and
Shia incarnations. Peace advocates must urgently work to remove Kamala Harris
and any figure behind this destructive agenda. Concurrently, the U.S. must stand
firmly with Israel in its efforts to neutralize Iran's nuclear ambitions and
eliminate the terrorist threat posed by Hamas. Furthermore, a resolute stance
must be taken against Hezbollah in Lebanon by enforcing international
resolutions such as the Armistice Agreement and UNSC Resolutions 1559, 1680, and
1701.
The anniversary of September 11th must not pass without a clear and unyielding
reminder of who the real enemies of peace and stability are: the political
Islamists, both Shia and Sunni, and the radical left, epitomized by the Biden
and Obama administrations. Peace lovers must unite against this
existential threat to ensure a secure and peaceful future for generations to
come.
The intent of this piece is to spotlight the grave dangers posed by destructive
leftist elements across all spectrums and the looming threats from both Sunni
and Shia political Islamists. It also underscores the disastrous impact of
certain political decisions on global stability, urging a steadfast stand
against terrorism in all its forms and the critical need to prevent the Iranian
Mullahs from obtaining nuclear capabilities.
MP Nadim Gemayel: The 42nd anniversary of the
assassination of former President Bachir Gemayel represents actual resistance
LBCI/September 11, 2024
During a commemoration on the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of former
President Bachir Gemayel, MP Nadim Gemayel emphasized the need to build a
country where children are not killed. He pointed out that Lebanon's sovereignty
continues to be violated even after all these years, attributing this violation
to a militia that decided to drag Lebanon into conflict. "This country belongs
to us and will remain as it is—no one can change its identity or turn it into an
Iranian province," he stated. Gemayel added, "Our strength lies in our culture,
while theirs lies in destruction and war." He further explained that this
anniversary represents the actual resistance—resistance against despair, the
resettlement of Palestinians and Syrians, Iranian weapons, corruption, and
involvement in foreign wars.He noted that Lebanese are destined to be defenders
of their homeland, standing as examples of diversity. "We don't have a duo
deciding our fate. Here, we are all Bachir and his comrades, standing against
everyone," he said. Gemayel highlighted the existential threat to Lebanon's
pluralistic identity today, stressing that Lebanon's youth are the true hope and
have a more significant role now than ever in embracing freedom and driving
change.
Tributes to Bachir Gemayel on the 42nd Commemoration of
His Assassination
This Is Beirut/September 14/2024
For the 42nd commemoration of Bachir Gemayel’s assassination on September 14,
1982, a mass in his honor was celebrated on Saturday at Saint Michael Church in
Bickfaya.
In Beirut, in front of the Kataeb house in Ashrafieh, party members paid tribute
to their former leader, killed in a bomb attack. In attendance were his son, MP
Nadim Gemayel, and his sister, Youmna Gemayel, MP Salim Sayegh, party vice
president Bernard Gerbaka, party secretary general Serge Dagher, members of the
political bureau and the Central Council, as well as a host of members,
supporters, and political, military, and spiritual figures. In a speech
delivered on the occasion, Nadim Gemayel expressed his sorrow at the current
situation. “Our children continue to be killed, the destruction of our villages
continues, and our sovereignty remains violated by a militia that seeks to drag
Lebanon into devastating wars”, he said indignantly. Denouncing Hezbollah’s
attempts to “transform Lebanon into an Iranian province, after having tried to
assimilate it to Syria, Gemayel stressed that this commemoration is not just for
prayer, but is a real call to resistance, resistance to the naturalization of
Palestinians and Syrians in our country, to corruption, smuggling, Iranian
weapons, interference, and wars that allow the Israelis to kill our young people
and destroy our villages”.
On his X account, Gemayel wrote: “Forty-two years later, Bachir Gemayel’s
project and his words still constitute a roadmap guaranteeing the salvation of
Lebanon, this country that today finds itself at a crossroads”. To this, he
added, “The responsibility lies with each and every one of us. We must now
unite, unify our ranks, and undertake whatever is necessary to preserve Lebanon,
this nation for which Bachir Gemayel died”.
On Saturday, several political figures also paid tribute to the memory of Bachir
Gemayel.
Samy Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb party and member of Parliament, spoke on the
same platform. “The years go by and your aura only intensifies. Your name is on
everyone’s lips. Your secret is that, through your martyrdom, you have
consecrated an approach to resistance that has been handed down from generation
to generation.” He continues, “Your heroism worries the enemies of Lebanon, who
panic when they hear your name. Your party, however, is always on the lookout,
steadfast and unyielding. The Kataeb are faithful to your sacrifices, clear in
their positions and strong in their determination to realize your dreams.” For
his part, Kataeb MP Elias Hankash declared that “what comforts us most on the
occasion of this commemoration is that 42 years later, photos of Bachir Gemayel
are still in every house and on every street, and his speeches still echo in
public squares.” On his X account, Hankash also wrote, “The criminals who killed
him are still hiding like rats and cowards.”Former Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan
Hasbani wrote on X, “You embodied the values of the Republic. They tried to put
an end to the dream by assassinating you, but that dream remains alive in those
who follow in your footsteps on the path to a strong Republic.” Elias Estephan,
MP for the Lebanese Forces (LF), wrote on X, “We remember a man who was not only
a leader but the symbol of a free and sovereign Lebanon, independent in its
decision-making and strong in its unity. Bachir Gemayel was not only an elected
president, he was the embodiment of the dreams of a homeland founded on national
dignity and justice. His assassination was not the end of the message he carried
but the beginning of a long road of struggle for the good of generations who
believed in his principles and objectives. We must therefore preserve this dream
and commit ourselves to making it a reality.”Paying tribute to Bachir Gemayel,
MP Adib Adbel Massih recalled that “the former President of the Republic, Fouad
Chehab, built institutions that we no longer have today, and that the former
Head of State, Élias Sarkis, watched over this position (of President, editor’s
note), which we are currently deprived of. As for Bachir Gemayel, he sowed a
dream in us that we strive to realize every day”.
Israeli military says it has hit Hezbollah weapons storage
facilities in several areas of Lebanon
Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN/September 14, 2024
The Israeli military says it targeted Hezbollah “weapons storage facilities” in
multiple airstrikes across Lebanon on Saturday. One of the strikes - on the
outskirts of the town of Al-Kawakh, in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate – injured
four people, three of them children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The ministry said all of the injured required hospital treatment. Another of the
strikes hit “empty shops” in the town of Sareen in Baalbek, reported the
state-run Lebanese news agency NNA. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed
carrying out strikes in the Beqaa and Baalbek areas, saying it had targeted
Hezbollah weapons storage facilities. It said it had also struck Hezbollah
weapons storage facilities in seven other areas of Lebanon, in the south. The
strikes follow what the IDF described as a barrage of 55 projectiles being fired
from Lebanese to Israeli territory earlier on Saturday morning. The IDF said the
projectiles were aimed at the Upper Galilee and Galilee areas. The Iran-backed
militant group Hezbollah claimed it had shelled the headquarters of an Israeli
military brigade in Yiftach Eliklit, northwest of Lake Tiberias, “with dozens of
Katyusha rockets.”
Hezbollah also claimed to have carried out several attacks on northern Israel
throughout Saturday with rockets and drones targeting Israeli military sites. It
described those attacks as being “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people
in the Gaza Strip and their valiant and honorable resistance.” There have been
almost daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since war broke
out between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 attack.
Israel strikes northern Lebanon in sudden escalation
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/September 14, 2024
BEIRUT: Israeli warplanes targeted the Qasr-Hermel area in the far northeast of
Lebanon on Saturday evening for the first time in weeks. No deaths were
reported. The warplanes hit the surroundings of the town of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali
in Hermel, a border area between Lebanon and Syria. They also targeted the
Sarein Plain in the Bekaa Valley, 21 km from the city of Baalbek. Loud
explosions were heard in most parts of Baalbek and central Bekaa, causing panic
among residents. Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated, with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing that he “decided to expand
the military operation against Hezbollah … on the border with Lebanon.” Israel’s
Channel 13 quoted him as saying: “We are in the process of a broad and powerful
operation on the northern front, and the Israeli army is seeking a gradual
escalation on the northern front with Lebanon.” Hostilities have reached new
areas over the past 24 hours on both sides of the border. In the evening, Israel
targeted the Sarafand area north of the Litani Line, while Hezbollah targeted
settlements in the Safed, Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot areas in northern Israel.
The Israeli military announced in the evening that “two drones launched by
Hezbollah from Lebanon towards the Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot settlements
exploded, and they fell north of Kiryat Shmona.”
South Lebanon Front: Military or Political Solution?
Beirut: Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al Awsat/September 14/2024
Israeli threats against Lebanon have intensified along with renewed military
tensions with Hezbollah. This escalation comes amid failed ceasefire
negotiations for Gaza, which Hezbollah links to restoring calm on the southern
front—a condition reportedly not accepted by Tel Aviv, according to multiple
Israeli officials. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib has conveyed
through intermediaries that Tel Aviv is not interested in a ceasefire in
Lebanon, even if a truce in Gaza is achieved. This message was communicated by
US envoy Amos Hochstein a few months ago, raising concerns about whether a
military solution will prevail over a political one. While some analysts believe
that a de-escalation in Gaza might lead to heightened tensions in the South,
given Israeli officials’ readiness for a northern conflict following the Gaza
conflict, others argue that escalation is unlikely and that both fronts will
face a similar fate.
Retired Brigadier General Dr. Khalil Helou and Professor of Political Science
and International Relations Dr. Imad Salameh agree that the current situation is
unlikely to change, predicting that the status quo will persist with “no
ceasefire and no expansion of the war.”In contrast, Riad Kahwaji, Head of the
Middle East and Gulf Military Analysis Center – Enigma, sees an increased
likelihood of war expansion in Lebanon due to the failed Gaza ceasefire
negotiations. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Kahwaji said: “With the failure of
negotiations in Gaza, attention is now shifting to the southern front of
Lebanon, which remains in the eye of the storm and within the danger zone.”
For his part, Helou stated: “For 11 months, Tel Aviv has been threatening
escalation and will continue to do so. However, the likelihood of war has
decreased compared to previous months due to internal and external political
factors related to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unlikely
to take actions that would harm US interests, especially before the American
elections.”Helou noted that Israel continues to systematically destroy areas in
the South, over five kilometers from the border, to prevent attacks on northern
regions. Despite this, ongoing shelling and rockets from Hezbollah targeting
northern towns suggest that the situation will remain unchanged. Salameh agreed,
describing the current situation as a media and psychological war with
fluctuating intensity. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Tel Aviv’s renewed threats are
part of this ongoing conflict and do not indicate an imminent large-scale
invasion of Lebanon or a major conflict with uncertain regional and domestic
consequences.”Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has recently announced
shifting military focus northward in preparation for a comprehensive ground
operation. On Tuesday, during a tour of the border area with Lebanon, he stated:
“We are shifting the focus of military operations northward in preparation for
completing tasks in the South.”He urged military personnel to “prepare for a
comprehensive ground operation at all levels to change the security situation
and return residents to their homes.”Gallant’s statement followed Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s instruction for the army to prepare for “changing
the situation in the North.”In contrast, Hezbollah continues to link the
southern front with the developments in Gaza. “The enemy will not be able to
return settlers to their homes except through one way: stopping the aggression
on Gaza,” Deputy Chairman of Hezbollah’s Executive Council Sheikh Ali Damoush
said. He added: “The resistance will not accept changes to the rules of
engagement or breaking existing equations. The more the enemy persists in its
aggression and expands its attacks, the more the resistance will respond and
escalate its operations... Escalation will be met with escalation, and we are
not afraid of threats or intimidation."
Southern Lebanon: Escalating Confrontation between
Israel and Hezbollah
This Is Beirut/14 September/202414 Sep 2024
As concerns about a major escalation in southern Lebanon grow, military
operations between Hezbollah and Israel continue to intensify. On Saturday
evening, Israeli raids targeted several localities in the Hermel region north of
the Bekaa, including Hosh al-Sayyed Ali and the Kawakh area. The Israeli army
claimed to have bombed Hezbollah weapons depots, while local reports indicated
that an abandoned farm was targeted in the raids. The Public Health Emergency
Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health issued a statement announcing
that the Israeli raid on the vicinity of the town of Kawakh led to the injury of
four people, including three children, and all four needed to be hospitalized
for treatment. Meanwhile, intensive reconnaissance flights were reported over
the Bekaa.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli warplanes launched a two-wave air strike on the
outskirts of Tayr Harfa. Raids were also carried out against Taybé and Aïtaroun.
The Israeli army also launched flares over the Khiam plain and the Bab Thania
area on the outskirts of Khiam.
In response to Israeli attacks on villages in the south, Hezbollah launched an
air attack with a squadron of dive-bombing drones on the position of the 769th
Brigade of the Galilee Division at Ein Margaliot, west of Kiryat Shmona. The
drones reportedly “hit their targets with precision”, according to a statement
from the pro-Iranian formation.
Hezbollah also targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the
Mitat barracks with rocket-propelled grenades, the Rweissat el-Alam position in
the Kafrchouba hills and the Zebdin barracks in the Shebaa farms with artillery
shells . It carried out a drone attack on the 810th Brigade headquarters in the
Ma’aleh Golani barracks. It also targeted the base and headquarters of the 282nd
artillery and precision missile brigade in retaliation for Israel’s attack on
Ahmadiyeh and struck weapons depots and logistics warehouses in Yiftah Eliflet,
north-west of Lake Tiberias, using dozens of Katyusha rockets. A Merkava tank
spotted on the road between Rweissat el-Alam and Zebdine, near Kfarchouba, was
the target of a guided missile launched by Hezbollah.
Alarm sirens went off in Safad and other parts of the Upper Galilee in northern
Israel after some 50 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon on Saturday
morning. So far, no casualties have been reported, although, according to the
Israeli media, the attack targeted several residential areas. The scope of the
strikes carried out by the pro-Iranian group extended to reach Lake Tiberias,
the village of Rosh Pinna, and also the Hadab Yaron site with the use of Burkan
missiles, in response to Israeli aggression. In the Kfarchouba hills, the
pro-Iranian formation struck the Ramtha site.
On Saturday evening, Israeli drones targeted a motorcycle in the town of
Sarafand. Ambulance crews immediately headed for the target area, and initial
reports indicate that there were casualties.
In addition, air strikes targeted Chihine and Kafr Kila.
On Friday evening, an Israeli raid targeted a building in Nabatiye, killing
three people, including two Hezbollah fighters and a child, and wounding
thirteen others. The village of Ahmadiyeh, in the western Bekaa region, was also
attacked, killing one person and wounding seven, including four children.
In a statement published on Saturday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an
attack on the base and headquarters of the 282nd artillery and precision missile
brigade, as well as weapons depots and logistics warehouses in Yiftah Eliflet,
northwest of Lake Tiberias, using dozens of Katyusha rockets. A Merkava tank
spotted on the road between Rweissat al-Alam and Zebdine, near Kfarchouba, was
the target of a guided missile launched by Hezbollah. In another statement,
Hezbollah paid tribute to one of its fighters, Abbas Khodr Hamadeh, known as
Jawad Mourad, from Qamatiyeh, Mount Lebanon, who lost his life in the fighting.
For their part, Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Aita al-Chaab and
launched a raid towards the village of Blida. They also fired flares over border
villages adjacent to the Blue Line in the western and central sectors after
Israeli reconnaissance aircraft and drones had flown over the southern sector on
Friday night. In a message posted on Platform X, Israeli army spokesman Avichai
Adraee claimed responsibility for an “attack on the platforms from which
missiles were launched on Friday night and Saturday morning towards the Galilee
and Upper Galilee”.
Presidential Vacancy: Saudi Arabia’s Stand Remains Unchanged
This Is Beirut/14 September/202414 Sep 2024 at 19:43
According to reports on the visit of the French presidential envoy to Lebanon,
Jean-Yves Le Drian, to the Saudi capital Riyadh, and his meetings with the
Minister Counselor at the Royal Court in charge of the Lebanese dossier, Nizar
al-Aloula, and the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, Saudi Arabia’s
position on the presidential crisis in Lebanon remains unchanged: it does not
support a specific candidate, nor does it intervene in the name-selection
process. Saudi Arabia believes that it is up to the Lebanese to assume
responsibility for this choice. Its preference would be for a candidate who
corresponds to the criteria determined by the Quintet composed of the United
States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and Egypt. Nor does Saudi Arabia give
priority to the election or to pre-election dialogue.
Qassem: Support Front Will Remain as Long as War Continues
This Is Beirut/14 September/202414 Sep 2024 a
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem confirmed on Saturday that “the
support front will be maintained in Lebanon as long as the war in Gaza
continues,” adding that the extent of this support will depend on the scale of
Israeli aggression, which is increasingly targeting civilians. He stressed that
settlers will only be able to return to their villages in northern Israel once
the war in the Gaza Strip is over. Qassem’s remarks came as part of a ceremony
in memory of a Hezbollah fighter, Hani Ezzeddine, who died on Wednesday after an
Israeli strike on southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s number two responded to threats
of a possible war that could spread to Lebanon by saying, “This does not
frighten us and will not make us waver in our commitment to end the aggression
in Gaza.”In this context, he stressed that the pro-Iranian group “has no
intention of starting a war, which it deems pointless, especially as the losses
will be enormous on both sides.” He added, “If the Israelis believe that a war
will allow the inhabitants of the north to return to their villages, they are
mistaken. In such a case, they should expect thousands of displaced people to
leave their homes.” He concluded, “Think calmly and make your decision, because
we will be ready for any eventuality.” Qassem also discussed the results of the
strikes that targeted the Galilut and Ain Shimer bases on August 25, in response
to the assassination by the Israelis of Fouad Shokr, one of Hezbollah’s top
commanders, on July 30, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Calling the al-Mayadeen
report, which states that 22 members of Israel’s Unit 8200 intelligence service
were killed and 74 wounded in these attacks, “accurate and reliable,” he asked,
“Why didn’t the Hebrew state send its media or members of its government to the
two targeted bases to deny what the resistance had announced? Why did the head
of Israel’s elite military intelligence unit resign now and not before?” He also
pointed out Israel’s attempts to “conceal the truth by all means, to mask its
defeat.”
Hezbollah's war with Israel has become existential,
'military source' says
SAM HALPERN/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
Hezbollah’s war with Israel has shifted from supporting Hamas to an existential
struggle, a military source told Ad-Diyar. Hezbollah's war against Israel, which
the terror organization began on October 8 of last year, has evolved from
supporting Hamas in Gaza to becoming an existential fight, a "military source"
told the pro-Syrian Lebanese news outlet Ad-Diyar on Friday. The shift
reportedly comes as Hezbollah understands that Israel is pivoting its military
weight from Gaza to the northern front. Earlier this week, speaking to the IDF’s
9th Brigade after it concluded exercises in northern Israel in preparation for
ground maneuvers in Lebanon, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “The center of
gravity is shifting to the north. While we are wrapping up our missions in the
South, an important task remains in the North: to restore security and allow
residents to return to their homes."
Israel expresses readiness for Lebanon action
Gallant went on to emphasize that the rhetoric about the IDF entering Lebanon
was more than just talk, saying that, as Israeli forces entered Gaza weeks after
the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, “the same with happen [in the
North].”Further, Maariv on Saturday published an interview with Col. Itzik
Alfasi, the commander of the 179th Armored Brigade, who stated that the brigade
had, after honing its abilities in Gaza, had trained for and was ready for “the
big event” in Lebanon. Avi Ashkenazi, Maariv’s military correspondent, noted
that this referred to combat in Lebanon. The source that spoke to Ad-Diyar
stated that Israel’s objective in any war against Hezbollah would be to
eliminate the Lebanese terror group completely. The source, however, expressed
skepticism of the IDF being able to achieve that goal, citing Hezbollah’s
military experience. The military source went on to justify Hezbollah’s decision
to launch a war against Israel last October, claiming to the Lebanese news
source that the choice to attack was not a random, hasty decision. Rather, it
was reportedly decided upon after the group’s leadership assessed that the
current Israeli government “came to power on the basis of a final displacement
program that would target the Lebanese as much as it would target the
Palestinians.” Netanyahu’s government assumed office in 2022, roughly one year
before Hamas’s October 7 massacre and Hezbollah’s subsequent decision to start a
war with the Jewish state.
Hezbollah warns Israel against Lebanon border flare-up
AFP/September 14, 2024
BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s second-in-command warned on Saturday that an all-out war by
Israel aimed at returning 100,000 displaced people to their homes in areas near
the Lebanon border would displace “hundreds of thousands” more. Naim Qassem,
number two in the Iran-backed Lebanese group, was speaking after Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was determined to restore security to its
northern front. Gallant told Israeli troops last week that “we are preparing for
anything that may happen in the north.”In a speech in Beirut, Qassem said: “We
have no intention of going to war, as we consider that this would not be useful.
“However, if Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it — and there will
be large losses on both sides,” he said. “If they think such a war would allow
the 100,000 displaced people to return home ... we issue this warning: prepare
to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced.”
Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally
Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel
triggered war in Gaza. Thousands of people living in the border area of both
countries have been displaced by the fighting. The cross-border violence since
early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also
including at least 142 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. Qassem said on Saturday of
those displaced in Israel: “It is impossible to bring them back, no matter the
sacrifices made. “So take your time and think about it before reaching a
decision. We are prepared for any eventuality.”In late August, Israel’s military
said it had foiled a major assault by Hezbollah aimed at avenging a military
commander killed by an Israeli air strike near Beirut. Israel said it destroyed
“thousands” of Hezbollah rocket launchers, while the Lebanese group insisted it
had fired a drone and rocket barrage across the border. It was perhaps the
biggest exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the Gaza war began.
However, the violence has since eased, with analysts believing that both sides
wish to avoid a wider regional flare-up.
Israel refocuses on northern front: Intensified military
drills amid growing threats from Lebanon
LBCI/September 14, 2024
On Saturday, residents of northern Israeli towns awoke to the relentless sound
of sirens and widespread fires engulfing hundreds of acres of agricultural land.
The destruction was caused by over 60 rockets and drones launched in the early
hours, bringing the total number of attacks on the region to 400 in the past
three weeks. This escalation has forced the Israeli government to refocus on the
northern front. For the first time since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Flood, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has scheduled a cabinet meeting, set for Sunday, to
address the situation in the north. The controversial National Security
Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, will be absent from the meeting. The Israeli Cabinet
is expected to discuss budget allocations for the rehabilitation of the northern
region and the necessary steps to ensure the return of its residents. US envoy
Amos Hochstein, who is due to arrive in Tel Aviv on Monday, will be briefed on
Israel's approach to the northern front. In return, the Israelis will hear from
the American diplomat about ongoing diplomatic efforts in the region, a path
Netanyahu continues to favor.Militarily, while senior military officials call
for a war with Lebanon, security and political experts predict no immediate
decision on this matter. However, public sentiment is shifting, with 71%
of Israelis now supporting a full-scale war, while 18% oppose it, and 11% remain
undecided, according to a recent poll. From a security standpoint, the Israeli
army is preparing for another preemptive strike similar to the one three weeks
ago. Reports suggest that due to the potential loss of life, widespread
destruction, and high economic cost. According to Israeli reports, Netanyahu is
hesitant to launch a northern war due to the potential toll it could take on
Israel, both in terms of casualties and economic costs. Nevertheless, there is
speculation that Netanyahu might consider expanding military operations in
December, potentially aligning with his upcoming trial. In the meantime, the
Israeli military is intensifying ground and air exercises, including
unprecedented drills involving the air force landing inside populated areas,
simulating a scenario where the home front faces severe attacks. These exercises
are part of a broader effort by security officials to prepare for a prolonged
battle in the north.
Large fire breaks out in Bejjeh, Byblos district
LBCI/September 14/2024
A massive fire erupted on Saturday in Bejjeh, located in Byblos district. Civil
Defense units from various stations, including Byblos, Bejjeh, Aaqoura, Annaya,
and Jaj, have rushed to the scene to contain the blaze. However, according to
the National News Agency (NNA), firefighters are facing challenges due to strong
winds that are complicating efforts to extinguish the fire.
Hezbollah unleashes massive rocket barrages on North after
overnight attacks
SAM HALPERN/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
Fires erupted in northern Israel's after two rocket barrages pour over the
border.
The IDF's aerial defense array intercepted rockets during two separate Saturday
morning barrages, during which Hezbollah fired a total of over 55 rockets into
Israeli territory from Lebanon, the military stated. Earlier, at 8:17 a.m.,
rocket sirens sounded in a number of Israeli cities and towns in the North,
including Safed, Dishon, Malkia, Hukok, and Kahal. The IDF later confirmed that
during this earlier barrage, some 20 rockets crossed from Lebanon into Israel. A
second, approximately 35-rocket barrage was identified during a second round of
sirens that blared at around 9:00 a.m. in Eifelet, Dishon, Rosh Pnina, and other
locales in the Upper Galilee. While the IDF affirmed that it had intercepted
some of the rockets during both barrages, those that were not intercepted
reportedly fell into open areas. No injuries were reported as a result of the
attacks.
Fires break out in open areas
Israel's Army Radio, however, reported that as a result of the attacks, several
fires broke out in open areas near Safed. In response to the rocket attacks on
the Upper Galilee, the IDF said that Israel Air Force aircraft struck the
launcher from which the rockets had been fired at Israel. Further, the IAF
struck additional targets in southern Lebanon. Additionally, Israeli
aircraft struck the launcher that had fired rockets at Israel's north during the
night as well as a Hezbollah structure in the Kfar Remen area of southern
Lebanon, the military added. Army Radio later reported that Hezbollah's attacks
came as a response to an Israeli strike on one of the terror organization's
command facilities, which was embedded in a building in Nabatieh, in southern
Lebanon. A number of individuals were reportedly killed and wounded during the
Israeli strike. In a later statement, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the
attacks, claiming it had launched dozens of Katyusha into Israel in support of
the Gazan people and Hamas. On Saturday afternoon, the IDF released an update
stating that the IAF had struck more Hezbollah terrorists operating a structure
in the area of Blida in southern Lebanon. In conjunction, Israeli artillery
fired on a target in the Ayta ash Shab area as well, the military added.
US envoy Amos Hochstein to meet Netanyahu, Gallant for talks on de-escalation
with Hezbollah
WALLA/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
White House spokesperson John Kirby noted that Hochstein’s trip is part of the
Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to prevent the opening of a second front.
Amos Hochstein, senior advisor to President Biden, is set to arrive in Israel on
Monday for talks focused on Lebanon. US officials have expressed growing concern
over the increasingly heated rhetoric coming from the IDF, especially in the
Northern Command, about the possibility of war with Lebanon. During his visit,
Hochstein is expected to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister
Gallant, and other top security officials.
White House spokesperson John Kirby noted that Hochstein’s trip is part of the
Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to prevent the opening of a second front.
Earlier this week, a senior American official warned of the potential for an
all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, stating that such an
escalation could result in "catastrophic consequences and unpredictable
outcomes." The American official's comments, made during the MEAD conference in
Washington, coincided with Israel’s increasing preparations for a potential
escalation in Lebanon, including scenarios where forces could be redeployed from
Gaza for a preemptive strike against Hezbollah. “There’s no such thing as a
controlled war. This isn’t a game. I don’t doubt the capabilities of the IDF,
but both sides need to understand that the consequences would be severe,” the
American official warned. He further cautioned that those in Israel advocating
for war with Hezbollah to allow northern residents to return home must recognize
the risks: “In such a scenario, many Israelis could be killed, and many others
might not have homes to return to.”He also challenged the belief that a war
would lead to a quick resolution: “There’s this idea that we can go to war,
eliminate all of Hezbollah’s missiles, and everything will be fine. It’s not
that simple. There’s no magic solution. You can’t obliterate the other side.
Israel could end up paying a heavy price and still not achieve its objectives.”
It all comes back to diplomacy. The official emphasized that a war in Lebanon
would likely lead to international intervention, resulting in a diplomatic
settlement very similar to the one currently under discussion. Last week,
American and Israeli officials held a virtual meeting to discuss efforts to
prevent a war with Hezbollah, even in the event that a ceasefire in Gaza and a
diplomatic resolution in Lebanon cannot be reached.
US envoy set for Tel Aviv talks in push to avoid deeper
conflict
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/September 14, 2024
BEIRUT: US presidential envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv
on Monday as the US pushes to stop violence along Israel’s border with Lebanon
spiraling into a deeper conflict. Hochstein is believed to be carrying a message
from the US urging restraint, and calling on Israel to avoid any large-scale
military action. The Israeli government is due to meet on Sunday to discuss its
response to the escalating conflict with Hezbollah, either through diplomatic
efforts or a large-scale military operation. The meeting comes amid growing
internal pressure to facilitate the return of settlers who were forced to flee
their homes in northern Israel about a year ago. Hostilities continued as
caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makari expressed his support for Lebanese
journalist Amal Al-Khalil in condemning Israel’s “intellectual terrorism and
psychological warfare.” The minister called Al-Khalil, a correspondent for the
pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper, after she received death threats from Israeli
sources via her phone. Hezbollah on Saturday rained dozens of rockets on
northern Israel, mainly in the areas of Rosh Pinna and north of Lake Tiberias,
and carried out attacks with assault drones.
The strikes were in response to attacks by the Israeli military on residential
buildings in southern villages, especially Al-Ahmadiyya in Western Bekaa and
Kafr Rumman in the Nabatieh area. In successive statements, Hezbollah said it
launched an assault drone attack on the headquarters of the 810th Hermon Brigade
at the Ma’ale Golani barracks, and struck the 282nd Artillery and Precision
Missile Brigade headquarters in Yiftah Elifleet, northwest of Lake Tiberias,
with Katyusha rockets. Sirens sounded in Avivim in the Western Galilee. An
Israeli army spokesperson said that 55 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward
the Upper Galilee since early morning. Israeli media reported that Hezbollah was
expanding its range of fire, focusing on Safed, the Tiberias area, and Rosh
Pinna. Sirens were also heard in Safed, Ami’ad, and Dovev in Western Galilee,
and Yiftah. Large explosions rocked the Upper Galilee, and rockets were reported
to have landed in the Kahal area, south of Safed. Explosions were heard in the
artillery bunkers in Zaoura in the Golan Heights after a rocket salvo was
launched from Lebanon. Sirens sounded in several nearby settlements. Hezbollah
said that it hit the Northern Corps reserve headquarters, the Galilee Division
reserve base, and its logistical depots in Ami’ad with dozens of Katyusha
rockets.
The militant group also claimed to have destroyed an Israeli Merkava tank on the
Roueissat Al-Alam-Zebdine road with a guided missile.Lebanon’s Health Ministry
said that an Israeli airstrike on a building in Kfar Rumman, in the Nabatieh
region, on Friday left 13 people injured, with one person requiring hospital
treatment.Hezbollah mourned the loss of one of its members, Abbas Hamada, 34,
from the town of Qammatiyah in Mount Lebanon. The Israeli army carried out a
series of airstrikes and artillery attacks on several border towns in the
southern region. A spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, claimed
that security forces targeted rocket launch sites that were used to stage
attacks on Galilee in the morning and toward Upper Galilee late on Friday.
Adraee said that warplanes targeted a military building in Kfar Rumman, while
Israeli artillery shelled areas in southern Lebanon. Israeli reconnaissance
aircraft and military drones continued to fly over the villages in the south,
reaching the outskirts of the city of Tyre, while flares lit up the skies over
border villages adjacent to the Blue Line in both the western and central
sectors.
Beirut-Baghdad… Fate or the Judiciary?
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al Awsat/September 14/2024
A scheme to steal public and private money, which is known in Baghdad as the
Noor Zuhair heist, and the evaporation of bank deposits and dubious financial
engineering allegedly that former governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon Riad
Salameh has been accused of, pose a challenge to the political forces and
institutions of both countries (Iraq and Lebanon), especially their judiciary.
Practically speaking, the apparent perpetrators, Riad Salameh and Noor Zuhair,
cannot be blamed for the schemes alone. Several parties are implicated in their
crimes, covering up their plunder of public and private funds. They are now
threatened by a historic scandal that will have an impact on the ruling
political class and the future of the political process in both countries if two
requisites are met: first, if the judiciaries of both countries managed to do
what they are supposed to without political pressure getting in the way,
allowing them to get to the bottom of these crimes, and second, if the accused
share what they know and expose their partners. That has led a well-known Iraqi
political figure famous for his prudence and moderation, to demand that Noor
Zuhair be tried publicly, warning that the political process is at risk. Talk of
Iraq’s political process being in peril has resurfaced. That cannot be
attributed to the Noor Zuhair heist alone. It seems that a key catalyst is the
talk of senior officials being wiretapped. Some of the information that has been
attained is being leaked, and it is also being used for blackmail, turning the
head of the Commission of Integrity, Judge Haidar Hanoun, into a "crown
witness." Hanoun has confessed to his own wrongdoing, as well as that of others,
in a government bribery case. However, he recused himself of the decision to
release Nour Zuhair.
In Beirut, a “star witness” has yet to emerge in the case surrounding deposits
and financial engineering. However, the public prosecutor in the Court of
Cassation, who surprised many by ordering the arrest of Riad Salameh over a
minor embezzlement charge, now faces a significant challenge to the integrity
and independence of his institution. The Court cannot try Salameh as the sole
defendant, nor can it prosecute the others implicated as executors of his
decisions. It is equally constrained in releasing him on bail or for lack of
evidence.
In a sectarian and divided country plagued by a constitutional crisis and
widespread paralysis, any political, security, or financial conviction is
inevitably viewed through a sectarian lens. Perpetrators are often perceived as
victims of sectarian bias. Salameh’s predicament is that his detention cannot
last long, as pressure will mount to expose not just the agents acting on his
behalf but also his partners in the larger scheme. These partners, of course,
belong to other sects, and their sectarian leaders must first withdraw their
protection before any charges can proceed, threatening the stability of the
ruling system.
Furthermore, any judge who orders Salameh’s release risks having their own
political and sectarian “cover” called into question, as they could be seen as
protecting Salameh. This could lead to chaos and street protests, further
jeopardizing what little remains of Lebanon’s fragile stability. The ruling
Iraqi "Coordination Framework" is grappling with a range of challenges, from
court disputes to suspicions of surveillance targeting its senior officials. A
key issue it faces is the erosion of trust within its own ranks and in its
government. Open discussions have emerged about how to address these problems
and the future of its leadership. At the same time, the immunity of Lebanon's
ruling system is weakening, both internally and externally. For the first time,
it faces the real threat of losing its cohesion under judicial pressures more
intense than those faced by Salameh and his schemes—pressures that almost seem
inevitable.
The two countries, or two arenas of "liberation and martyrdom," from Baghdad to
Beirut, seem to share the same fate. From Nour Zuhair to Riad Salameh, it
appears that the actions of the Lebanese and Iraqi political classes will not go
without a reaction from their rivals or the masses. In Iraq, the situation is
particularly volatile. It seems that another "October" may be imminent.
New education policy sparks controversy: Lebanon's
approach to illegal Syrian students
LBCI/September 14/2024
As the Lebanese government seeks to regulate the presence of Syrian refugees in
the country, a recent decision has sparked controversy by allowing Syrians
without legal residency or UNHCR registration to enroll in schools. This
decision, enacted through a directive from the Director General of Professional
and Technical Education, Hanadi Berri, contradicts two previous circulars she
issued. In the first, Berri instructed vocational school directors to require
Syrian students' identity cards with photos and residency permits. In the
second, she warned that foreign students who lack the necessary documents will
be removed from registration lists. The Cabinet's decision includes several
noteworthy elements, including granting a one-year grace period for undocumented
Syrian students to enroll and postponing residency permit requirements and UNHCR
registration until the 2025-2026 academic year.
Critics fear this may lead to a new influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, with
some seeking to complete the school year, as the registration deadline is set
for October 14, 2024. In response, officials from the Education Ministry
interpret the policy as a final opportunity to legalize the status of
undocumented Syrians. The ministry plans to provide the General Security with
the names and available documents of Syrian students sitting for official exams,
helping authorities track and count illegal refugees, as per the Cabinet's
decision. The circular has reignited concerns over the large number of Syrian
students living illegally in Lebanon. This year, the Education Ministry
requested the government to issue certificates confirming the success of 24,233
Syrian students who passed official exams in 2024 but could not receive their
diplomas due to lack of legal documentation. Over the years, these diplomas have
been granted through governmental or ministerial decisions, reflecting the
growing number of students who have pursued education in Lebanon without legal
status. However, the decision has faced widespread criticism, prompting a
response from the Education Ministry's media office, which clarified that
issuing certificates does not equate to facilitating residency. The General
Security still holds responsibility for carrying out the necessary legal
procedures. While the Education Ministry defends the policy as a service similar
to those provided by other governmental ministries, officials at the General
Security emphasize that residency permits cannot be issued to individuals who
entered the country illegally. The issue of educating Syrian refugees resurfaces
annually, with Syrian students making up about 7% of vocational education and
approximately 45% of primary education. The Cabinet has yet to approve a related
request concerning primary education, leaving room for further developments.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on September 14-15/2024
IAF strikes terrorists, weapons
manufacturing facilities adjacent to Gazan school
Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
At least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on
Saturday, Palestinian media reported. The IAF eliminated Hamas terrorists
operating from two military structures in the area of Al Furqan in Gaza City on
Saturday, the military announced. Hamas terrorists were using the military
structures to manufacture weaponry and conduct various other military
activities, according to the IDF. The structures were reportedly adjacent to a
school sheltering displaced civilians. The IDF stressed that, despite claims,
the military did not strike a fuel facility in the area. The military noted
that, before the strike, it took numerous steps to mitigate the risk of harming
civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and
additional intelligence. Palestinian reports on the strikes. At least 10
Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Saturday,
Palestinian media reported. The strike hit a residential housing unit in the Al
Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City, according to the official Palestinian
news agency Wafa. Two others were killed by Israeli shelling on Gaza City and
Jabalia in the north, and three in al-Mawasi in the south, the report said.
Maj.-Gen. Dan Goldfus: The IDF's hero of Khan Yunis and
destroyer of Hamas's tunnels
YONAH JEREMY BOB/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
IDF Maj.-Gen. Dan Goldfus considers that his breakthrough in overcoming Hamas’s
tunnel warfare is not about a single moment in which he had an epiphany but the
result of hard, exhaustive work. There is a reason that incoming Northern Corps
and Multi-Domain Joint Maneuver Array Maj.-Gen. Dan Goldfus is considered one of
the rising stars of the IDF. One of the reasons that South African-Israeli
Goldfus – promoted from brigadier general to major general in May – is joining
the high command (others to hold his next post have gone on to become IDF chief,
IDF deputy chief, and IDF intelligence chief) is that he is both the hero of
Hamas’s defeat in Khan Yunis and the general who broke up the terrorist group’s
network of tunnels. How did Dan Goldfus overcome Hamas's tunnel networks and
defeat them in Khan Yunis? The Magazine has learned that Goldfus considers that
his breakthrough in overcoming Hamas’s tunnel warfare is not about a single
moment in which he had an epiphany but the result of hard, exhaustive, and
continuous work. If, at first, the soldiers in his Division 98 – considered
almost a special forces unit – had to slowly and clumsily feel their way around
in the dark of the Hamas tunnels, they eventually became, in his view, the first
army in modern history to carry out large-scale, full-unit invasions,
maneuvering throughout the Hamas tunnel network. The Magazine learned that in
the initial stages of the war, Goldfus’s forces were required to focus on
basics, such as recording the size of the tunnels, their volume, and their
depth. Likewise, they just needed to get used to the aspect of the tunnels and
to dig into them, gather photos, and study them. Over time, this systematic
approach began to help build more confidence. Goldfus and his troops would
slowly explore various tunnel depths and examine the types of equipment Hamas
used in differing tunnels but with very targeted and circumscribed goals and
missions. WHEN HE and his forces went in, Goldfus, being a soldier’s soldier,
insisted on entering a huge number of tunnels himself to see them up close
despite the extra risk to his person, as they usually did not yet know what to
expect.
The Magazine understands that they would have a specific goal for each area in
question, usually starting with tunnels about which Goldfus had received more
extensive pre-operation intelligence from Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and
IDF intelligence sources – particularly if Hamas was putting up a bigger fight
to fend off IDF advances from a particular tunnel shaft. At the outset, neither
Goldfus nor any of the other generals allowed full units to maneuver down into
the tunnels. So, even in early January, three months into the war and a full
month after the then-brigadier general had invaded Khan Yunis, IDF soldiers very
rarely ventured into the tunnels. EVENTUALLY, GOLDFUS realized that the Hamas
tunnels were not separate systems but one massive decentralized network. This
conclusion was reached when he and his top advisers found a convergence of
trends.
The next step, diagnosing the convergence, was reserved for Special Forces.
Division 98 started assuming slightly greater risk by entering the tunnels to
maximize the benefit of taking over given areas above ground. These Special
Forces and engineers then began to diagnose the components of each particular
tunnel on a deeper level. Goldfus would be the first to admit that this stage
also took a long time. Finally, early in January, the Division 98 commander and
his forces had a breakthrough. They had discussed and debated, sometimes through
the night as they sat for their operational situation assessments and
constructed a plan for entering the tunnels. The Magazine understands that
Goldfus and his team asked themselves: What level of risk should we take to
explore the tunnels? What are they worth to the enemy? All levels of command
were involved, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, because going
into the tunnels was taking a big risk. Finally, Goldfus succeeded in
understanding what Hamas was and was not doing. Surprisingly, he realized that
Hamas had not come to fight underground. It just wanted to use the tunnels to
survive and rest.
SUDDENLY, GOLDFUS and his team began to view the issue of the tunnels in another
light.
The Yahalom Special Forces unit, along with various commandos, began entering
the tunnels in larger numbers, with greater frequency, and covering larger
distances. Then, more “regular” infantry units such as the Unit 7 combat team,
the Givati Brigade soldiers, and others went in. In terms of understanding how
the tunnels in various parts of Gaza relate to one another, Goldfus holds that
this is not fully possible until one has seen a large number of different
tunnels in various parts of Gaza. He would point out that every tunnel has
different nuances: For instance, the doors built into the tunnel look different,
and the cement material for framing the tunnel is different. For example, in his
view, anyone who saw the Shifa Hospital tunnels at the start of the war was in
some sense a bit misled or “faked out.”Many in the IDF who focused overly on
Shifa thought that all the tunnels that the military went on to find would be
the same. Goldfus would label this a “substantive error” because many tunnels
are different. In his view, Khan Yunis tunnels are different from Rafah tunnels,
which are different from Jabalya tunnels, which are different from Shejaia
tunnels. And there were different kinds of diggers in Khan Yunis and for each
area.
ACCORDING TO Goldfus, some people thought he was crazy, but he was convinced
that under their feet was a single giant network. These were not separate
strategic tunnels, tactical tunnels, or separate areas. In his narrative, it was
a single giant network from which it was possible to enter around Erez in
northern Gaza and come out at Rafah and Egypt – like the process of water
seeping through and flowing down a mountain. Another analogy for the web of
tunnels and the difficulty in navigating all of it that Goldfus likes to use is
from a scene in the 1987 movie Spaceballs, a spoof on Star Wars, where
Stormtroopers are told to “comb the desert” for escapees. They are then seen,
literally and futilely, “pulling” a giant comb through the vast desert. A recent
operation to retrieve the bodies of hostages took less than 24 hours from start
to finish, partially because Goldfus had acquired enough experience and
intelligence regarding the tunnels to plan all the specifics. In his view, he
could not have done this without everything the IDF had learned along the way.
This was a significant and complex operation, and the major general felt that he
and his team had achieved something unusually significant.
All of this eventually led to IDF’s capability, in mid-and-late January, to
shift to the process of simultaneously attacking above and below ground.
Will all of these breakthroughs help the IDF succeed in destroying all of
Hamas’s tunnels?
Goldfus took into consideration that the IDF would not be able to get to all the
tunnels. Rather, it would succeed in destroying the critical mass of tunnels
that threaten the State of Israel because of their proximity, the Magazine has
learned. Further, the Division 98 commander’s view is that the military will be
able to blow up many kilometers of tunnels – and key connecting tunnels that are
central to the Gaza network – even if it will never be able to destroy them all.
This equation does not disturb Goldfus. He would suggest looking to the
kilometers of Japanese tunnels from World War II in Okinawa, many of them still
there. If no one is using them, he believes that the task is not the tunnels
themselves but for the IDF to kill or wound Hamas terrorists – and to convince
the Gazan population that they have alternatives to being ruled by the terrorist
group, being used as human shields, or working with Hamas out of fear.
Goldfus disapproves of those who lack the patience to utilize a systematic
approach to destroying the tunnels. His approach is that the IDF must be
systematic and produce and utilize deep knowledge to maximize achievements
within the minimum time necessary.
For example, in Shejaia his forces destroyed eight tunnels in just two weeks,
the Magazine has learned. However, his forces were nowhere near that level of
effectiveness in other areas. The major general advocates that the IDF aspire to
continue to up its game to rid the area of as much of the tunnel threat as
possible. IN HIS next challenge in the Northern Command, Goldfus will focus
mainly on a variety of land forces, but he will also work with the Air Force and
others to attempt to improve the holes in the military’s air defense. Although
he has not yet fully assumed his new position, his view on using the older
anti-aircraft Vulcan defense system to protect against drones is that, if used,
it should remain the last line of defense. In a recent interview, former Air
Defense chief Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ran Kochav told the Magazine that on the one
hand, the Vulcan was not a solve-all solution; but on the other hand, he thought
it could have a place in plugging some of the holes in Israel’s current air
defense, which is geared more toward rocket defense and less toward drones.
Goldfus’s approach is that, with the Vulcan systems’ utility limited by their
short-range capabilities, it is impractical to spread them throughout Israel’s
borders. He considers that playing defense is difficult and that part of the
solution is to be increasingly on the offensive against the drone threat.
This is hardly surprising, given that Goldfus began his career in the Shayetet
13 naval commandos.
Former Delta Force officer: Israel may have to choose between saving hostages
and destroying Hamas
NATHAN KLABIN/THE MEDIA LINE/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
High-ranking foreign military officials visited humanitarian and combat zones
along Gaza's Philadelphi Corridor, meeting with the IDF to understand the
conflict's unique challenges firsthand. The war between Israel and Hamas has
emerged as one of the most complex conflicts in modern history, with political
and military leaders often divided on how to end the violence. For the first
time since the fighting began on October 7, a delegation of high-ranking foreign
military officials from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada,
Australia, and Romania visited Israel. The group observed the situation
firsthand, including visits to Gaza and Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
These seasoned veterans, who had served in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Northern Ireland, and Bosnia, gained rare insight into Israel’s military
operations during a tour organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET).
The visit provided them with a direct understanding of the challenges Israel
faces. “There’s no question that this war Israel is fighting in Gaza is probably
the most complex battlefield any army has ever fought on,” said Col. Richard
Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, in an interview with
The Media Line. “You have to consider the dense population and the extensive
preparations Hamas has made over decades, including a vast network of tunnels.
The large number of hostages held by Hamas also complicates the situation.”
Retired Lt. Col. Jeff Tiegs, formerly of Delta Force and now president of the
Skull Games anti-human trafficking organization, described his recent visit to
Gaza. The group moved along the Philadelphi corridor toward Al Qarya as
Suwaydiya, commonly known as the Swedish village, near the Egyptian border. “We
saw some of Hamas’ tunnels and the Israeli Defense Forces’ drilling to uncover
more. What broke my heart was seeing an area that could have been a beautiful
hotel if not for the devastation in Gaza over the last 20 years. It’s a crime
against humanity.”
In addition to observing Israel’s military efforts, the delegation noted the
internal divisions within Israeli society. A major dilemma facing both the
Israeli government and military is how to fight Hamas while simultaneously
rescuing the hostages held in Gaza. Maj. Andrew Fox, a former British Army
officer and now a senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst,
remarked, “The events of October 7 justified the war. But the hostage situation
complicates things. It’s an inherent paradox between defeating Hamas and
rescuing the hostages. It may come down to choosing one.” Adding to the
discussion, Tiegs underscored the urgency of the hostage situation. “There are
two priorities: defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages. But only one has real
urgency,” he said, implying that the time frame for saving the hostages is much
shorter than the timeframe for the military campaign.
Urban warfare in Gaza, compounded by the labyrinth of tunnels Hamas has
constructed, has slowed the IDF’s operational pace. According to Tiegs, the
“violence of action” helps maintain an advantage over the enemy’s
decision-making process, but the complexities of the terrain make it challenging
to push forward. Despite these obstacles, he insisted on the importance of
pressing on. “Just by the mere nature of what’s happening in Gaza, the
complexities of urban combat, and even the tunnels underground, that operation
cycle has been slowed down. But I lean toward keeping the pressure on until you
break through, and then you’re able to recover those hostages.”He further
emphasized the ruthlessness of Hamas’ strategy. “Hamas has made it perfectly
clear: if push comes to shove, part of their atrocity style of warfare involves
the barbarism of assassinating these hostages,” he stated. “It’s like a
‘Sophie’s choice’ for the Israeli army—an impossible decision between two
objectives.”
Looking at Israel's northern border
While Israel contends with Hamas in Gaza, the country is also facing increasing
tensions on its northern border with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. According to
Fox, ground operations in southern Lebanon present significant challenges
compared to Gaza. “The terrain is mountainous compared to the flat sands of
Gaza. Hezbollah’s tunnels are dug into rock rather than sand, making them much
harder to locate and destroy,” he explained. Tiegs echoed Fox’s assessment and
pointed out that while the goal in Gaza is to destroy Hamas’ ability to stage
future attacks, neutralizing Hezbollah is a longer-term objective. He added,
“Right now, the focus is on deterring and disrupting Hezbollah, but completely
defeating them would take more time.”As violence rises in the West Bank, some
military experts are also concerned about the possibility of a third intifada,
allegedly fomented by Iran. “Recent IDF operations uncovered car bombs, IEDs
[improvised explosive devices], and weapons. All of that points toward a
potential bombing campaign within Israel itself,” Fox noted. “If I were an
Israeli planner, stopping a third intifada would be my top priority.”The
delegation also expressed disappointment over the United Kingdom’s recent
decision to halt some arms sales to Israel, a move Kemp called “absolutely
catastrophic.” He lamented the erosion of the historically strong UK-Israel
relationship, especially in areas like intelligence sharing and arms sales. “The
UK has traditionally been a very strong and close ally of Israel. Both sides
have benefited from intelligence exchange, weapon sales, and technology, and I’d
say, if anything, the UK has been the net beneficiary of that. But the new
government now has effectively turned on Israel,” Kemp said. “They’ve carried
out a number of actions against Israel, and this is damaging the relationship.”
The decision, Kemp argued, was based on unproven allegations of war crimes. “The
UK has suspended 30 licenses out of the hundreds that we have. The legal basis
for that suspension is the allegation of a serious risk of war crimes, but
there’s no evidence supporting that,” he continued. Fox was equally critical,
calling the UK government’s decision “performative” and aimed at appeasing
domestic voters. “Israel’s targeting and the UK’s targeting process are
basically identical,” he explained. “So this means this is a performative move
designed to appeal to part of the British government’s domestic voter base. They
are essentially prioritizing their own voters over the UK’s relations with the
State of Israel.” Kemp added that such political moves not only strain
international relations but also embolden Hamas. “By saying the UK is going to
restrict munition supplies to Israel or components, it’s akin to saying Israel
is committing war crimes. The reality is that Israel isn’t committing war
crimes. Actually, Hamas is the one committing war crimes,” Kemp argued. “These
kinds of actions are a boost to Hamas and encourage them to continue fighting.”
The tour’s organizer, Yossi Abravanel, ELNET’s deputy executive director,
highlighted the importance of the visit. He explained that the goal was to give
these military experts firsthand experience of the conflict and Israel’s
challenges, with the hope that they would share their insights when they
returned to their home countries. “Once they understand what is happening here,
the idea is also for them to go back to their country and give their
professional opinion on what they saw as former high-ranking officials, former
generals, or colonels, and explain the specificities of this war in their
country,” Abravanel said.
In a final remark, Fox emphasized Israel’s shortcomings in the international
information war. “There are two wars happening here: One is the physical war
against Hamas on the ground in Gaza, and the other is the war in the
international information space,” he said. “It’s not enough to do good; you must
be seen as doing good.”'
US repositions naval power: Aircraft carrier USS
Theodore Roosevelt departs Middle East
LBCI/September 14/2024
In a notable decision, the US Department of Defense has announced the withdrawal
of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt from the Middle East, despite its
extended deployment to deter Iranian threats toward Israel. The carrier's
departure comes just three weeks after its mission was extended.
Why has Washington decided to pull the aircraft carrier now? According to the
Pentagon, the decision is tied to fleet management and redeployment strategies.
Roosevelt is heading to the Asia-Pacific region to bolster the US presence
there. This move occurs amidst escalating crises in the Middle East, including
ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah alongside Iranian threats of
retaliation following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Despite
this redeployment, the US continues to maintain a significant military presence
in the Middle East, mainly through the Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain. The
fleet plays a critical role, covering a vast operational area stretching from
the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf and beyond into the Indian Ocean. The Fifth
Fleet, established in 1995 after the Gulf War, underscores the United States'
commitment to the security of the region, particularly in facing threats from
Iraq and Iran.
The US maintains a robust maritime force to safeguard regional stability with
more than 20 warships and a network of military bases and logistical centers in
Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. The US has maintained a military foothold in the
Gulf since the mid-20th century, solidifying its presence through defense
agreements following the first Gulf War, which led to a permanent military
presence in several Gulf nations. With rising threats from Iran and ongoing
instability in Yemen and Syria, the US has sought to bolster its regional
military presence to safeguard global trade routes and prevent tensions from
escalating into a broader regional conflict. Does the withdrawal of the
Roosevelt signal a de-escalation of anticipated hostilities in the region, or
are more complex dynamics at play?
Iran Says It Is Open to Talks but Rejects Pressure as US,
EU Impose Sanctions
Asharq Al Awsat/September 14/2024
Iran's foreign minister said that Tehran was open to diplomacy to solve disputes
but not "threats and pressure", state media reported on Saturday, after the US
and three European powers imposed sanctions against the country's aviation
sector. Abbas Araqchi's comments come a day after The European Union's chief
diplomat said the bloc is considering new sanctions targeting Iran's aviation
sector, in reaction to reports Tehran supplied Russia with ballistic missiles in
its war against Ukraine, Reuters reported. "Iran continues on its own path with
strength, although we have always been open to talks to resolve disputes ... but
dialogue should be based on mutual respect, not on threats and pressure,"
Araqchi said, according to the official news agency IRNA. Araqchi said on
Wednesday that Tehran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and
sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and three European powers would
not solve any problems between them. The United States, Germany, Britain and
France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its
national airline Iran Air.
Women in Iran are going without hijabs as the 2nd
anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approaches
Jon Gambrell/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/September 14, 2024
On the streets of Iranian cities, it's becoming more common to see a woman
passing by without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, as the second anniversary of
the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked approaches. There's no
government official or study acknowledging the phenomenon, which began as Iran
entered its hot summer months and power cuts in its overburdened electrical
system became common. But across social media, videos of people filming
neighborhood streets or just talking about a normal day in their life, women and
girls can be seen walking past with their long hair out over their shoulders,
particularly after sunset. This defiance comes despite what United Nations
investigators describe as “expanded repressive measures and policies” by Iran's
theocracy to punish them — though there's been no recent catalyzing event like
Amini's death to galvanize demonstrators.
The country's new reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian campaigned on a promise
to halt the harassment of women by morality police. But the country's ultimate
authority remains the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in
the past said “unveiling is both religiously forbidden and politically
forbidden.”For some observant Muslim women, the head covering is a sign of piety
before God and modesty in front of men outside their families. In Iran, the
hijab — and the all-encompassing black chador worn by some — has long been a
political symbol as well.
“Meaningful institutional changes and accountability for gross human rights
violations and crimes under international law, and crimes against humanity,
remains elusive for victims and survivors, especially for women and children,”
warned a U.N. fact-finding mission on Iran on Friday. Amini, 22, died on Sept.
16, 2022, in a hospital after her arrest by the country’s morality police over
allegedly not wearing her hijab to the liking of the authorities. The protests
that followed Amini’s death started first with the chant “Women, Life, Freedom.”
However, the protesters’ cries soon grew into open calls of revolt against
Khamenei.
A monthslong security crackdown that followed killed more than 500 people and
saw over 22,000 detained. Today, passersby on the streets of Tehran, whether its
tony northern suburbs for the wealthy or the working-class neighborhoods of the
capital's southern reaches, now routinely see women without the hijab. It
particularly starts at dusk, though even during the daylight on weekends women
can be seen with their hair uncovered at major parks.
Online videos — specifically a sub-genre showing walking tours of city streets
for those in rural areas or abroad who want to see life in the bustling
neighborhoods of Tehran — include women without the hijab. Something that would
have stopped a person in their tracks in the decades follwing the 1979 Islamic
Revolution now goes unacknowledged. “My quasi-courage for not wearing scarves is
a legacy of Mahsa Amini and we have to protect this as an achievement," said a
25-year-old student at Tehran Sharif University, who gave only her first name
Azadeh out of fear of reprisal. "She could be at my current age if she did not
pass away.”The disobedience still comes with risk. Months after the protests
halted, Iranian morality police returned to the streets. There have been
scattered videos of women and young girls being roughed up by officers in the
time since. In 2023, a teenage Iranian girl was injured in a mysterious incident
on Tehran’s Metro while not wearing a headscarf and later died in hospital. In
July, activists say police opened fire on a woman fleeing a checkpoint in an
attempt to avoid her car being impounded for her not wearing the hijab.
Meanwhile, the government has targeted private businesses where women are seen
without their headscarves. Surveillance cameras search for women uncovered in
vehicles to fine and impound their cars. The government has gone as far as use
aerial drones to monitor the 2024 Tehran International Book Fair and Kish Island
for uncovered women, the U.N. said. Yet some feel the election of Pezeshkian in
July, after a helicopter crash killed Iranian hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi
in May, is helping ease tensions over the hijab. “I think the current peaceful
environment is part of the status after Pezeshkian took office,” said Hamid
Zarrinjouei, a 38-year-old bookseller. “In some way, Pezeshkian could convince
powerful people that more restrictions do not necessarily make women more
faithful to the hijab.”On Wednesday, Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi
Azad warned security forces about starting physical altercations over the hijab.
“We prosecuted violators, and we will,” Movahedi Azad said, according to Iranian
media. “Nobody has right to have improper attitude even though an individual
commits an offense.”While the government isn't directly addressing the increase
in women not wearing hijabs, there are other signs of a recognition the
political landscape has shifted. In August, authorities dismissed a university
teacher a day after he appeared on state television and dismissively referred to
Amini as having “croaked.”Meanwhile, the pre-reform newspaper Ham Mihan reported
in August on an unpublished survey conducted under the supervision of Iran's
Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance that found the hijab had become one of
the most important issues in the country — something it hadn't seen previously.
“This issue has been on people’s minds more than ever before,” sociologist Simin
Kazemi told the newspaper.
Iran says it is open to talks but rejects pressure as
US, EU impose sanctions
Reuters/September 14/2024
Iran's foreign minister said that Tehran was open to diplomacy to solve disputes
but not "threats and pressure," state media reported on Saturday, after the US
and three European powers imposed sanctions against the country's aviation
sector. Abbas Araqchi's comments come a day after The European Union's chief
diplomat said the bloc is considering new sanctions targeting Iran's aviation
sector, in reaction to reports Tehran supplied Russia with ballistic missiles in
its war against Ukraine. "Iran continues on its own path with strength, although
we have always been open to talks to resolve disputes ... but dialogue should be
based on mutual respect, not on threats and pressure," Araqchi said, according
to the official news agency IRNA. Araqchi said on Wednesday that Tehran had not
delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and sanctions imposed on Iran by the
United States and three European powers would not solve any problems between
them. The United States, Germany, Britain and France on Tuesday imposed new
sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air.
G7 FMs Condemn Iran's Export of Ballistic Missiles to
Russia
Asharq Al Awsat/September 12/2024
The foreign ministers of the Group of the Seven have condemned on Saturday "in
the strongest terms" Iran's export and Russia's procurement of Iranian ballistic
missiles. "Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia's illegal and
unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles,
UAVs and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian
people as well as European and international security more broadly," the G7
ministers said in a statement. G7 groups Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Great Britain and the US. Iran's foreign minister said that Tehran was open to
diplomacy to solve disputes but not "threats and pressure,” state media reported
on Saturday, after the US and three European powers imposed sanctions against
the country's aviation sector. Abbas Araqchi's comments come a day after The
European Union's chief diplomat said the bloc is considering new sanctions
targeting Iran's aviation sector, in reaction to reports Tehran supplied Russia
with ballistic missiles in its war against Ukraine. Araqchi said on Wednesday
that Tehran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and sanctions
imposed on Iran by the United States and three European powers would not solve
any problems between them. The United States, Germany, Britain and France on
Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national
airline Iran Air.
Iran says it successfully launched a satellite in its
program criticized by West over missile fears
Nasser Karimi And Jon Gambrell/TEHRAN, Iran (AP)/September 14, 2024
Iran launched a satellite into space Saturday with a rocket built by the
country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, state-run media reported, the latest
for a program the West fears helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program.
Iran described the launch as a success, which would be the second such launch to
put a satellite into orbit with the rocket. There was no immediate independent
confirmation of the launch’s success. Footage later released by Iranian media
showed the rocket blast off from a mobile launcher. An Associated Press analysis
of the video and other imagery later released suggested the launch happened at
the Guard’s launch pad on the outskirts of the city of Shahroud, some 350
kilometers (215 miles) east of the capital, Tehran. The launch comes amid
heightened tensions gripping the wider Middle East over the ongoing Israel-Hamas
war in the Gaza Strip, during which Tehran launched an unprecedented direct
missile-and-drone attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Iran continues to enrich uranium
to nearly weapons-grade levels, raising concerns among nonproliferation experts
about Tehran's program. Iran identified the satellite-carrying rocket as the
Qaem-100, which the Guard used in January for another successful launch. Qaem
means “upright” in Iran's Farsi language. The solid-fuel, three-stage rocket put
the Chamran-1 satellite, weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), into a
550-kilometer (340-mile) orbit, state media reported. The rocket bore a Quranic
verse: "That which is left by Allah is better for you, if you are believers.” A
state-owned subsidiary of Iran's Defense Ministry and experts at the Aerospace
Research Institute built the satellite with others to “test hardware and
software systems for orbital maneuver technology validation,” state media said,
without elaborating. Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, praised the
launch in a statement and said scientists successfully overcame “the atmosphere
of extensive and oppressive international sanctions."The U.S. State Department
and the American military did not immediately respond to requests for comment
over the Iranian launch.
The United States had previously said Iran’s satellite launches defy a U.N.
Security Council resolution and called on Tehran to undertake no activity
involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. U.N.
sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired last October.
Under Iran’s relatively moderate former President Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic
Republic slowed its space program for fear of raising tensions with the West.
Hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei who came to power in 2021, has pushed the program forward. Raisi died
in a helicopter crash in May. It's unclear what Iran's new president, the
reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, wants for the program as he was silent on the issue
while campaigning. The U.S. intelligence community’s worldwide threat assessment
this year said Iran's development of satellite launch vehicles “would shorten
the timeline” for Iran to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile because
it uses similar technology. Intercontinental ballistic missiles can be used to
deliver nuclear weapons. Iran is now producing uranium close to weapons-grade
levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran has
enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear weapons, if it chooses to produce
them, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly has warned.
Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its space program, like
its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. However, U.S.
intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear
program up until 2003. The launch also came ahead of the second anniversary of
the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, which sparked nationwide protests against
Iran's mandatory headscarf, or hijab, law and the country's Shiite theocracy.
Iran launches second satellite this year into orbit, state
media says
Reuters/September 14, 2024
The launch comes as the United States and European countries accuse Iran of
transferring ballistic missiles to Russia that would be likely used in its war
with Ukraine within weeks. Iran has denied this. The Chamran-1 satellite, which
was launched into space by the Qaem-100 satellite carrier, was put into a
550-kilometre (340-mile) orbit and its first signals had been received, the
media said, adding that the solid fuel carrier was designed and built by the
Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards. The primary mission of the
satellite, which weighs 60 kg (132 pounds), "is to test hardware and software
systems for demonstrating orbital manoeuvring technology in height and phase,"
according to state media. In January, Iranian media reported that the Sorayya
satellite had been launched into a 750 km orbit, the highest by the country so
far.
The U.S. military alleges the long-range ballistic technology used to put
satellites into orbit could also allow Tehran to launch long-range weapons,
possibly including nuclear warheads. Tehran denies its satellite activities are
a cover for ballistic missile development and says it has never pursued the
development of nuclear weapons. Chamran-1's other mission was to "evaluate the
cold gas propulsion subsystem in space systems and the performance of the
navigation and attitude control subsystems", state media reported. Iran, which
has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, has suffered
several failed satellite launches in recent years due to technical issues.
Kremlin says it disagrees with Turkey's Erdogan that Crimea
should return to Kyiv's control
Reuters/September 14/2024
Russia completely disagrees with comments from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
that Crimea should return to Ukrainian control, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said on Friday. Erdogan said this week that Turkish support for Ukraine's
territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence was unwavering, and that the
return of Crimea - which Russia seized from Ukraine and annexed in 2014 - was a
requirement of international law. Asked about Erdogan's comments, Peskov said
the topic of Crimea "falls under the category of disagreements between us and
our Turkish friends. "Here we have completely divergent opinions. At the same
time, we do not abandon our deliberate attempts to explain to our Turkish
friends and colleagues our point of view, our position". Peskov said that
Erdogan was under pressure from the United States over its traditionally close
economic ties with Moscow ."As for Turkey's attempts to mitigate U.S. pressure,
indeed, the U.S. is exerting undisguised pressure on the Turkish Republic, not
shying away from intimidation, with consequences for the Turkish economy," said
Peskov. The Kremlin said this week that President Vladimir Putin may visit
Turkey for talks with Erdogan once preparations are completed. Turkey, a NATO
member, has played a key role as a go-between for Russia and Ukraine during
their 2-1/2-year-old conflict, including arranging an export deal for Ukrainian
grain. Erdogan told Putin at a summit in Kazakhstan in July that Ankara could
help end the conflict, but the Kremlin has not taken the Turkish leader up on
his offer.
An American activist killed by Israeli fire is buried in
Turkey as Israel strikes Gaza
Andrew Wilks And Wafaa Shurafa/ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)/September 14, 2024
A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank was
laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the
streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising from a conflict that
threatens to spread across the region. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old woman
from Seattle, was shot dead Sept. 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration
against Israeli West Bank settlements, according to an Israeli protester who
witnessed the shooting. Thousands of people lined the streets in the Turkish
coastal town of Didim on the Aegean Sea, as Eygi was buried in a coffin draped
in a Turkish flag, which was taken from her family home. A portrait of her
wearing her graduation gown was propped against the coffin as people paid their
respects. Her body was earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and
Didim’s Central Mosque. Turkey’s condemned the killing and announced it will
conduct its own investigation into her death. “We are not going to leave our
daughter’s blood on the ground and we demand responsibility and accountability
for this murder,” Numan Kurtulmus, the speaker of Turkey’s parliament told
mourners at the funeral. On Friday, an autopsy had been carried out at Izmir
Forensic Medicine Institute. Kurtulmus said the examination showed Eygi was hit
by a round that struck her in the back of the head below her left ear. The
Israeli military said Tuesday that Eygi was likely shot “indirectly and
unintentionally” by Israeli forces. Her death was condemned by U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire
in the 11-month-long Israel-Hamas war and the release of the remaining hostages
held by Hamas. Talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas accuse each
other of making new and unacceptable demands. The war began when Hamas-led
fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an Oct. 7 attack on
southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around
100 hostages after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians
imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Around a third of
the remaining hostages are believed to be dead.
Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza
Israeli airstrikes pounded central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday,
killing at least 14 people. The strikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11
people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent
in Khan Younis with Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Civil
Defense said. They followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on
Tuesday and a United Nations school sheltering displaced on Wednesday. The
Israeli army on Saturday ordered Palestinians sheltering in the northern
neighborhoods of Manshiyeh, Beit Lahia and Sheikh Zayed to evacuate south toward
Gaza City. The order came after projectiles were fired from the area, the
Israeli army said in a post on X. It remains unclear how many people are
sheltering in those areas.
First phase of anti-polio campaign ends
Meanwhile, a campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio drew down and
the World Health Organization said about 559,000 under the age of 10 have
recovered from their first dose, seven out of every eight children the campaign
aimed to vaccinate. The second doses are expected to begin later this month as
part of an effort in which the WHO said parties had already agreed to. "As we
prepare for the next round in four weeks, we’re hopeful these pauses will hold,
because this campaign has clearly shown the world what’s possible when peace is
given a chance,” Richard Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in Gaza and the West
Bank, said in a statement on Saturday. The war has caused vast destruction and
displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times,
and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gaza’s Health
Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The
ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count, but
says women and children make up just over half of the dead. Israel says it has
killed more than 17,000 militants in the war.
No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian
state: Prince Turki
Arab News/Arab News/September 14, 2024
LONDON: There will be no normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel
until an independent Palestinian state is established, Prince Turki Al-Faisal,
the former head of the Kingdom’s intelligence services, has warned. During a
talk at London-based think tank Chatham House, the former Saudi ambassador to
the US also discussed Washington’s role in the peace process as the Gaza war
approaches its first anniversary, and how talks before the outbreak of
hostilities had been broadly positive. He said the US is keen on the resumption
of talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia to strengthen regional security and to
forge economic ties, but Riyadh’s position is that “if there’s a Palestinian
state that Israel accepts to come (into) existence, then we can talk about
normalization with Israel.”
The prince added: “Before Oct. 7 … talks not only progressed along those lines,
but also the Kingdom invited a Palestinian delegation to come and talk directly
to the Americans about what it is that might bring about a Palestinian state.
“I’m not privy to those talks so I don’t know what happened between the
Palestinians and the Americans, but the Kingdom’s position has always been we
won’t speak for the Palestinians. They have to do it for themselves.
Unfortunately, of course, the Oct. 7 (Hamas attack against Israel) put an end to
those talks.” Prince Turki said the establishment of a Palestinian state is not
only crucial for Israeli ties with Saudi Arabia but with the rest of the Muslim
world as well.
“A Palestinian state is a primary condition for Saudi Arabia to have
normalization with Israel, but … on the Israeli side, the whole government is
saying no Palestinian state,” he added. Prince Turki said for Saudi Arabia, an
independent Palestine would encapsulate the 1967 borders, including East
Jerusalem.
He added that the Kingdom has led the way in trying to achieve a peaceful
resolution to the conflict, citing the 1981 King Fahd Peace Plan and the 2002
Arab Peace Initiative proposed by King Abdullah. During the current Gaza war,
“the Kingdom led the Muslim world, and not only summits with the Arabs but with
the (rest of the) Muslim world, and also … the diplomatic missions that have
been taking place to convince the world that there must be an end to the
fighting, led by the Saudi foreign minister,” Prince Turki said.
“The Kingdom has been in the forefront of condemning the Israeli onslaught on
the Palestinians, not just in Gaza but equally in the West Bank.” He criticized
the US and other Western nations for not applying more pressure on Israel to end
the war, citing how the UK had only recently begun to suspend certain arms
export licenses to Israel following the election of a new government in July.
“I’d like to see more done by the UK,” he said. “I think, for example, the UK …
should recognize the state of Palestine. It’s long overdue.”
Prince Turki said the US could apply direct pressure on Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu over the actions of his government and military, and should
address funding and lobbying by groups and individuals sympathetic to Israel.“I
think the US has enormous tools to affect Israel which it isn’t using, not just
simply … denial of supply of weapons and material to the Israelis,” the prince
added. “A lot of financial help goes to Israel from the US. If some of the
privileges that (the) Israeli lobby, for example, in America, enjoys — of
tax-free contributions to Israel — can be withdrawn from those Israeli
lobbyists, that will (put) great pressure on Israel.” In the US, “you have to
register as a lobbyist for a specific country, or be prosecuted, if you want to
talk for that country, but a lot of organizations in America do that for Israel
and still enjoy a tax-free status because they’re considered not representing
Israel per se, but simply as philanthropic or humanitarian groupings,” he said.
“There are many tools that are available to the US, not simply harsh talk, which
seems to have gotten us nowhere. But is America ready to do that? As I said, I’m
not too optimistic about that.”
CENTCOM: Four ISIS Leaders Killed in August Iraq Raid
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/September 14/2024
Four ISIS leaders were killed in a joint US-Iraqi raid in western Iraq last
month, including the head of the group's operations in the country, the US
military said Friday. "This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to
disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against
Iraqi civilians, as well as US citizens, allies, and partners throughout the
region and beyond," the United States Central Command, or CENTCOM, said in a
statement about the August 29 raid. A total of 14 ISIS operatives were killed --
revised from the 15 reported previously. Five US troops were wounded, with
another two injured in falls. The four leaders killed were identified as Ahmad
al-Ithawi, the ISIS operations leader in Iraq; Abu Hammam, who oversaw
operations in western Iraq; Abu Ali al-Tunisi, who managed technical
development; and Shakir al-Issawi, who led the group's military operations in
western Iraq, according to CENTCOM. "CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring
defeat of ISIS, who continues to threaten the United States, our allies and
partners, and regional stability," General Michael Erik Kurilla said in a
statement. The operation took place amid ongoing talks between Baghdad and
Washington over the presence of US-led coalition forces in Iraq.
Syria: Assad Names Ex-minister Jalali to Form Cabinet
Asharq Al Awsat/September 14/2024
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree naming former communications
minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali to form a new cabinet, state media said on
Saturday. The new cabinet will replace an outgoing administration which has been
serving in a caretaker role since parliamentary elections in mid-July. Al-Jalali
served as communications minister from 2014-2016. He has been subject to EU
sanctions since 2014 for his "responsibility for the regime's violent repression
of the civilian population.”
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on September 14-15/2024
Question: “Why are there so many Christian
denominations?”
GotQuestions.org/September 14/2024
Answer: To answer this question, we must first differentiate between
denominations within the body of Christ and non-Christian cults and other
religions. Presbyterians and Lutherans are examples of Christian denominations.
Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are examples of cults (groups claiming to be
Christian but denying one or more of the essentials of the Christian faith).
Islam and Buddhism are entirely separate religions.
The rise of denominations within the Christian faith can be traced back to the
Protestant Reformation, the movement to “reform” the Roman Catholic Church
during the 16th century, out of which four major divisions or traditions of
Protestantism would emerge: Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, and Anglican. From
these four, other denominations grew over the centuries.
The Lutheran denomination was named after Martin Luther and was based on his
teachings. The Methodists got their name because their founder, John Wesley, was
famous for coming up with “methods” for spiritual growth. Presbyterians are
named for their view on church leadership—the Greek word for “elder” is
presbyteros. Baptists got their name because they have always emphasized the
importance of believers’ baptism. Each denomination has a slightly different
doctrine or emphasis from the others such as the method of baptism, the
availability of the Lord’s Supper to all or just to those whose testimonies can
be verified by church leaders, the sovereignty of God vs. free will in the
matter of salvation, the future of Israel and the church, pre-tribulation vs.
post-tribulation rapture, the existence of the “sign” gifts in the modern era,
and so on. The point of these divisions is never Christ as Lord and Savior, but
rather honest differences of opinion by godly, albeit flawed, people seeking to
honor God and retain doctrinal purity according to their consciences and their
understanding of His Word.
Denominations today are many and varied. The original “mainline” denominations
mentioned above have spawned numerous offshoots such as Assemblies of God,
Christian and Missionary Alliance, Nazarenes, Evangelical Free, independent
Bible churches, and others. Some denominations emphasize slight doctrinal
differences, but more often they simply offer different styles of worship to fit
the differing tastes and preferences of Christians. But make no mistake: as
believers, we must be of one mind on the essentials of the faith, but beyond
that there is great deal of latitude in how Christians should worship in a
corporate setting. This latitude is what causes so many different “flavors” of
Christianity. A Presbyterian church in Uganda will have a style of worship much
different from a Presbyterian church in Colorado, but their doctrinal stand will
be, for the most part, the same. Diversity is a good thing, but disunity is not.
If two churches disagree doctrinally, debate and dialogue over the Word may be
called for. This type of “iron sharpening iron” (Proverbs 27:17) is beneficial
to all. If they disagree on style and form, however, it is fine for them to
remain separate. This separation, though, does not lift the responsibility
Christians have to love one another (1 John 4:11-12) and ultimately be united as
one in Christ (John 17:21-22).
The Downside of Christian Denominations:
There seem to be at least two major problems with denominationalism. First,
nowhere in Scripture is there a mandate for denominationalism; to the contrary,
the mandate is for union and connectivity. Thus, the second problem is that
history tells us that denominationalism is the result of, or caused by, conflict
and confrontation, which leads to division and separation. Jesus told us that a
house divided against itself cannot stand. This general principle can and should
be applied to the church. We find an example of this in the Corinthian church
which was struggling with issues of division and separation. There were those
who thought that they should follow Paul and those who thought they should
follow the teaching of Apollos, 1 Corinthians 1:12, "What I am saying is this:
each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,” or “I’m with Cephas,”
or “I’m with Christ.”
This alone should tell you what Paul thought of denominations or anything else
that separates and divides the body. But let’s look further; in verse 13, Paul
asks very pointed questions, "Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified
for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?” This makes clear how Paul feels.
He (Paul) is not the Christ. He is not the one crucified, and his message has
never been one that divides the church or would lead someone to worship Paul
instead of Christ. Obviously, according to Paul, there is only one church and
one body of believers, and anything that is different weakens and destroys the
church (see verse 17). He makes this point stronger in 3:4 by saying that anyone
who says they are of Paul or of Apollos is carnal.
Some of the problems we are faced with today as we look at denominationalism and
its more recent history:
1. Denominations are based on disagreements over the interpretation of
Scripture. An example would be the meaning and purpose of baptism. Is baptism a
requirement for salvation, or is it symbolic of the salvation process? There are
denominations on both sides of this issue. In fact, baptism—its meaning, its
mode, who can receive it, etc.—has been a central issue in the separation of
churches and forming of new denominations.
2. Disagreements over the interpretation of Scripture are taken personally and
become points of contention. This leads to arguments that can and have done much
to destroy the witness of the church.
3. The church should be able to resolve its differences inside the body, but
once again, history tells us that this doesn’t happen. Today the media uses our
differences against us to demonstrate that we are not unified in thought or
purpose.
4. Denominations are used by man out of self-interest. There are denominations
today that are in a state of self-destruction as they are being led into
apostasy by those who are promoting their personal agendas.
5. The value of unity is found in the ability to pool our gifts and resources to
promote the Kingdom to a lost world. This runs contrary to divisions caused by
denominationalism.
What is a believer to do? Should we ignore denominations? Should we just not go
to church and worship on our own at home? The answer to both questions is no.
What we should be seeking is a body of believers where the gospel of Christ is
preached, where you as an individual can have a personal relationship with the
Lord, where you can join in biblical ministries that are spreading the gospel
and glorifying God. Church is important, and all believers need to belong to a
body that fits the above criteria. We need relationships that can only be found
in the body of believers, we need the support that only the church can offer,
and we need to serve God in community as well as individually. Pick a church on
the basis of its relationship to Christ and how well it is serving the
community. Pick a church where the pastor is preaching the gospel without fear
and is encouraged to do so. As believers, there are certain basic doctrines that
we must believe, but beyond that there is latitude on how we can serve and
worship; it is this latitude that is the only good reason for denominations.
This is diversity and not disunity. The first allows us to be individuals in
Christ; the latter divides and destroys.
Sending International Forces to Sudan is Not a Solution
Osman Mirghani/Asharq Al Awsat/September 14/2024
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
fact-finding report on Sudan issued a few days ago would not have caused all
this commotion if it had merely documented the human rights violations and
called for holding the perpetrators accountable. However, the report broadened
its recommendations and ventured to controversially call for sending
international forces to Sudan to protect civilians. This opened the floodgates
to debate and accusations that it had overstepped its mandate, politicized the
fact-finding mission and put itself in the middle of disputes and conflicts
regarding the Sudanese war crisis. Even before the
mission got involved in this issue, its work had been the subject of back and
forths since it was endorsed by political and civic forces in the Taqaddum
Coalition and unequivocally opposed by the Sudanese government. Thus, it is
unsurprising that the mission's recommendations have added fuel to the fire and
created a flood of criticism and accusations.
On a personal level, I have never understood the willingness of some people to
undermine their nation's sovereignty by calling for foreign intervention. There
is a massive difference between supporting the work of a fact-finding mission
documenting human rights violations, and calling on international or African
forces to intervene. Documenting these violations is necessary, as is holding
those who have committed them accountable. However, inviting foreign
intervention only complicates things further and creates additional risks, to
say nothing about compromising the country's sovereignty.
The Sudanese government has every right to see calls for the deployment of
international forces as "politicized," and to argue that the political interests
and considerations are always the criteria for implementing such a measure. In
this context, one might ask: Why are such forces not sent to protect civilians
in Gaza, for example? Why didn't the international community intervene and send
forces to Ethiopia during the Tigray war?
The current situation in Sudan is very complicated, making an attempt to send
international forces difficult and dangerous. Unlike the previous war in Darfur,
the current war is being fought in vast and distant regions, creating
significant logistical obstacles that require the deployment of large numbers of
forces. Such deployment may not be feasible given the current regional and
international circumstances. Additionally, the Sudanese government is absolutely
opposed to the idea, adding further complications. True, a precedent was set in
2007, when UN-African forces were sent to Darfur despite the opposition of
Bashir's regime. However, the conditions were different then, and Sudan had been
placed under Chapter VII. Today, passing a Security Council Resolution to send
international forces would be difficult; given their struggle with the West and
their apprehensions about setting new precedents for international military
intervention, Russia and China would oppose it. Beijing is suspicious of the
West’s positions on Taiwan, while Russia is waging a major conflict with the
West in Ukraine.
Moreover, I doubt that Western countries are themselves eager to become more
deeply involved in the Sudanese crisis and go so far as to send forces to Sudan.
These countries are preoccupied with their own crises and domestic concerns, and
they have other priorities in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The fact-finding mission made another controversial recommendation, calling for
broadening the scope of the Security Council's arms embargo in Darfur, which was
never seriously implemented. They recommend that the embargo be applied to all
parties, meaning both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This
recommendation is problematic because it draws an equivalence between the
Sudanese army, a legitimate actor, and the RSF, which has rebelled not only
against the military it had once fought for, but against the entire country. The
RSF has taken the course of destruction. It has devastated the country’s
institutions, infrastructure, factories, and agriculture; it has looted and
destroyed banks, shops, universities, hospitals, museums, archives, and state
documents. It has targeted civilians, invading their homes, looting their
property, displacing, and killing them, and it has systematically weaponized
sexual violence. Under these circumstances, efforts to
weaken the army would necessarily undermine the safety of civilians. Citizens
flee from every area the RSF takes hold of, seeking refuge in army-controlled
areas. If these citizens were asked whose arms supplies they wanted to cut off,
they would undoubtedly give a clear answer. The best
way to protect civilians is to end the war. That could happen if certain
countries and parties ended their interventions, which are fueling the conflict.
They must stop sending arms shipments to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Calls
for added interventions and the deployment of foreign forces, which would
consolidate the RSF control in the areas it currently controls, would only
complicate matters and make Sudan more dangerous.
To Stop Hamas, Confront Qatar and Iran
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/September 14, 2024
The Biden-Harris administration's lifting of sanctions is what enabled Iran to
profit to the tune of an estimated $100 billion, used for waging terror against
Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia -- and the US. Just since
October, Iran and its terror proxies and militias have attacked US troops in the
Middle East more than 160 times, killing three and wounding more than 120...
By turning a blind eye to the actions of the Iranian regime's while releasing
roughly $100 billion to the treasury of the mullahs, the Biden-Harris
administration is responsible for empowering these entities.
This week in Gaza, more deaths were reported after Israel took out a Hamas
command center embedded in what used to function as a school in a "humanitarian
zone." If Hamas cares about the Palestinians and does not want them killed, why
does it deliberately put its terrorist command centers in the middle of crowded
"humanitarian zones"?
"He was murdered by Hamas.... And if you want the hostages home, which we all
do, you have to increase the cost to Iran.... Iran is the Great Satan here.
Hamas is the junior partner.... They [could not] care less about the Palestinian
people." -- US Senator Lindsey Graham, referring to the murdered US-Israeli
hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Fox News, September 1, 2024.
It is a clear call for the Biden-Harris administration to hold Iran accountable
for the remaining hostages, and to target Iran's oil refineries if the hostages
are not immediately released.
So long as the US government continues to sit on the sidelines, the brutality
and savagery of Hamas and their Iranian benefactors will only escalate. It is
high time to confront Iran's regime head-on and stop its spread of barbarity
before more innocent lives are lost -- above all, before the world's "leading
state sponsor of terrorism" produces nuclear weapons.
So long as the US government continues to sit on the sidelines, the brutality
and savagery of Hamas and their Iranian benefactors will only escalate. It is
high time to confront Iran's regime head-on and stop its spread of barbarity
before more innocent lives are lost -- above all, before the world's "leading
state sponsor of terrorism" produces nuclear weapons. Pictured: Sayad 4-B
missile at a military parade in Tehran, Iran on April 17, 2024. (Photo by Atta
Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
It is almost unimaginable that in the 21st century, such horrors would still
take place. The brutal acts of Hamas remind us of the darkest periods in
history, such as the atrocities committed by Hitler's Germany. Yet, the Iranian
regime and its proxies -- particularly terrorist groups like Hamas -- continue
to bring new levels of barbarity into the modern world.
The recent recovery of six executed Israeli hostages, including Israeli-American
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a tunnel in Rafah highlights the extent of this
cruelty. These hostages, four of whom were scheduled to be released in a draft
ceasefire deal, were murdered by Hamas before Israeli Defense Forces could reach
them -- a reminder of the inhumanity and savagery of Hamas, emboldened by their
Iranian backers.
The Biden-Harris administration's lifting of sanctions is what enabled Iran to
profit to the tune of an estimated $100 billion, used for waging terror against
Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia -- and the US. Just since
October, Iran and its terror proxies and militias have attacked US troops in the
Middle East more than 160 times, killing three and wounding more than 120 -- all
while President Joe Biden falsely claimed that under his watch, no US troops
were killed. That does not even include the 13 American troops who were murdered
in Kabul while the Biden-Harris administration surrendered to the Taliban
terrorist group. Anyone with a soul has to be devastated beyond words at the
loss of six innocent lives, whose only crime was being caught in the terror
tunnels of Hamas's violence. Each of these individuals had a life, family and
dreams, only to murdered by Hamas, which is supported by Iran, with funding
enabled by the Biden-Harris team. All of this started with Hamas' invasion of
Israel on October 7, 2023. The barbaric invaders from Gaza claimed murdered more
than 1,200 people in Israel, including at least 32 Americans. These terrorists
tortured and wounded thousands, and abducted 251 people, and dragged them back
to Gaza as hostages -- among them, U.S. citizens.
Most infuriating is the inaction of the Biden-Harris administration. Their
failure to confront Hamas, Iran and Qatar -- the other godfather of Hamas and
all other Islamic terror groups and poisoner-in-chief of the minds of students
in US universities, to which it has donated more than $6 billion -- has
emboldened these forces of terror. By turning a blind eye to the actions of the
Iranian regime's while releasing roughly $100 billion to the treasury of the
mullahs, the Biden-Harris administration is responsible for empowering these
entities.
This cowardice in the face of tyranny has only allowed Hamas, Hezbollah, the
Houthis and Iran to grow bolder, unleashing more terror and destruction upon
innocent civilians.
This week in Gaza, more deaths were reported after Israel took out a Hamas
command center embedded in what used to function as a school in a "humanitarian
zone." If Hamas cares about the Palestinians and does not want them killed, why
does it deliberately put its terrorist command centers in the middle of crowded
"humanitarian zones"?
The world cannot just stand by as these atrocities continue to unfold. What is
urgently needed are decisive economic and military measures against Iran. Both
Iran and Qatar must be made to pay a price for promoting and sponsoring terror.
This means targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, striking Iran's oil
refineries, strictly enforcing sanctions against Iran, countering its nuclear
weapons program and moving US forces out of Qatar's Al Udaid Air Base,
headquarters of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). On January 1, Secretary of
State Antony Blinken fecklessly extended the lease on Al Udaid for another 10
years. This must be immediately rescinded. The enormous airbase is doubtless
thought of by Qatar's ruling Al Thani family as its own private US protection
program.
Countries that choose to violate US sanctions should be held accountable as
well. So far, shamefully, the Biden-Harris administration allowed them to, even
while Iranian forces were killing and wounding the service members of its
benefactor. I do not blame them, I blame us.
Only through strong and resolute action can we hope to cut off the lifeline of
support that fuels Hamas and its barbarity – and especially the imminent jihad
of Iran's nuclear weapons program.
As US Senator Lindsey Graham stated, referring to the murdered US-Israeli
hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin:
"He was murdered by Hamas.... And if you want the hostages home, which we all
do, you have to increase the cost to Iran.... Iran is the Great Satan here.
Hamas is the junior partner.... They [could not] care less about the Palestinian
people."
It is a clear call for the Biden-Harris administration to hold Iran accountable
for the remaining hostages, and to target Iran's oil refineries if the hostages
are not immediately released.
So long as the US government continues to sit on the sidelines, the brutality
and savagery of Hamas and their Iranian benefactors will only escalate. It is
high time to confront Iran's regime head-on and stop its spread of barbarity
before more innocent lives are lost -- above all, before the world's "leading
state sponsor of terrorism" produces nuclear weapons.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Democratic terrorism: Jamal Khashoggi's vision of political
Islam - opinion
YESHAYA ROSENMAN/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
Throughout the saga of Jamal Khashoggi's murder, one thing that never came up
was his beliefs. In short: Yes, Khashoggi advocated for democracy in the Middle
East, but of a very specific kind.
As envisioned by the late Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, supporters of
Islamist and Palestinian terrorist organizations have brought to life an
ecosystem of human rights organizations, think-tanks, lawyers, academics, and
activists advocating for the interests of revolutionary political Islam using
the language of Western liberal values.
The Israeli establishment has yet to take notice.
On October 2, 2018, CCTV camera footage captured the Saudi-born journalist,
activist, and dissident walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He never
walked out, and his body was reportedly dismembered and discreetly disposed of.
When news emerged of his death, Saudi officials initially claimed he was killed
in a brawl at the consulate. Amid mounting outrage in Western media over the
killing of a journalist and political dissident, they later revised the official
statement, admitting he was murdered by a Saudi “rogue operative.”
Then-president Donald Trump tweeted: “America First! The world is a dangerous
place,” and downplayed the event, standing in defense of the Saudi monarchy. But
the reaction of Joe Biden on his 2019 campaign trail was completely different.
He promised to “make them [the Saudis], in fact, the pariah that they are.”Upon
his election, Biden proceeded to make Khashoggi a human rights cause célèbre,
releasing a CIA report that placed the blame for his murder firmly upon the
Saudi monarchy. He repeatedly recalled the affair, including in a 2022
one-on-one meeting in Riyadh with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS), as a
glaring example of the dismal Saudi record on human rights and political
freedom. Throughout the prolonged saga, one issue went almost entirely
unaddressed in the international media: What ideals did Khashoggi believe in?
Was this dissident in a self-imposed exile in the United States for his profound
commitment to democracy and civil liberties? Was he a Saudi Alexei Navalny
assassinated by ruthless autocrats merely for his love of freedom?
In short: Yes, Khashoggi advocated for democracy in the Middle East, but of a
very specific kind.
IN THE months leading up to his death, he was in the process of launching an
organization later known as DAWN – Democracy for the Arab World Now, working in
close collaboration with Palestinian-American Nihad Awad, executive director and
co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and currently a
board member of DAWN. CAIR is a powerful US Muslim advocacy group long known for
its sympathies – and the denial of them – for Global Muslim Brotherhood (GMB)
organizations in the West and in Muslim countries, including murky links to
terrorists and terror funding that garnered public attention during the 2007
Holy Land Foundation trials and the conviction of CAIR affiliate Ghassan Elashi.
Awad was among the participants in the 1993 Philadelphia Meeting: A Roadmap for
Future Muslim Brotherhood Actions in the US – a three-day summit in which ways
to sabotage the Oslo Accords and enhance fundraising for Hamas in the US were
discussed.
Post-Oct. 7, at a speaking event in Chicago, Awad applauded the Hamas massacre
as a paragon of Islamic justice and faith, stating that “The people of Gaza only
decided to break the siege – the walls of the concentration camp – on October
7... Yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege... And yes, the people of
Gaza have the right to self-defense, have the right to defend themselves, and
yes, Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense...
Gaza transformed many minds around the world, including people who are not
Muslim. What kind of faith do these people have? They are thankful, they are not
afraid.” These remarks drew fierce condemnation from the Biden administration
and led to Awad’s disinvitation from all his government-related functions,
severing ties that had grown dramatically under the Obama administration.
HAMAS IS the Palestinian chapter of the GMB.
Other chapters include Ennahda in Tunisia, Al-Islah in Yemen, and the UAE,
Jamaat-i Islami in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, and a long list of unofficial
affiliates in the West, such as the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA),
declared an unlawful association in Israel in 2022.
Former CAIR executive director and Ennahda affiliate Mongi Dhaouadi is a DAWN
board member, as is Tawakkol Karman, the controversial Yemeni activist, former
al-Islah member, and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
DAWN’s ranks are filled with Islamists and fellow travelers. These also include
Jewish anti-Israel activists, such as Adam Shapiro, the organization’s former
director of Advocacy for Israel-Palestine (until May 2024), and co-founder of
the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who gained notoriety in 2002 by
dining on camera with PLO leader Yasser Arafat at his palace in Ramallah while
it was besieged during an Israeli military operation.
Surprisingly, DAWN also employs Israeli citizens, including its director of
Research for Israel-Palestine, Michael Omer Man, the former editor-in-chief of
the radical +972 Magazine and a former staff member of The Jerusalem Post; and
advocate Michael Sfard, a non-resident fellow at DAWN. Their names feature on
its website alongside men such as Awad, who the Biden administration has shunned
as a toxic Hamas-aligned antisemite.
It is no coincidence that Islamists fill the ranks of Khashoggi’s organization.
As British author John R. Bradley pointed out in a 2018 article in The
Spectator, Khashoggi had joined the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1970s. He did not
believe in pluralistic democracy nor in Western values. He was a political
Islamist to the bitter end and was assassinated by the Saudis as such.
Democratic Islamists
DAWN’s signature projects target Israel and the Arab regimes commonly known as
moderate, meaning those that have declared war on the Muslim Brotherhood as a
threat to their regimes and to regional and world peace. Therefore, the
organization focuses on human rights violations in the UAE, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, and Egypt, but not violations by Islamists and their enablers in Qatar,
Iraq, or Algeria.
In essence, the democracy that DAWN advocates follows a simple yet devious train
of thought: Democracy is the rule “of the people, by the people, for the
people,” and since the most authentic representatives of the people in Muslim
countries are the Islamists, they must rule Muslim lands according to their
illiberal totalitarian doctrines, which are the will of the people. Liberalism
is therefore nothing but foreign domination and anti-democratic Western
imperialism.
The traditional monarchs of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are not moderates but
despots; their crackdowns on Islamists like Khashoggi are not security measures
but human-rights violations; and the Abraham Accords normalizing their relations
with Israel are not a nascent inter-civilizational peace but a budding axis of
evil. And, finally, any candid attempt to set the moral record straight on the
violence inherent to political Islam is Islamophobia.
With these simple first principles in mind, the derivation of all of DAWN’s
projects and policy recommendations featuring on their website is now fully
decoded – including defense of the 94 Emiratis accused of supporting the
Yemenite GMB chapter Al-Islah, the denunciation of the Abraham Accords and the
Egyptian government’s crackdown on Islamists, and the calls for stopping the US
government from shipping arms to Israel to battle Hamas. Western allies are the
problem, and political Islamist factions, the solution. The language is that of
human rights, but the policies translate into political Islam – all the way to
Oct. 7.
‘Democratizing’ international institutions
A new report by The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP)
titled “The Palestinians, the Red-Green Alliance, and the legal battle against
Israel – The ICJ case study” shines a spotlight on the web of organizations
involved in the ongoing South African lawsuit against Israel in the
International Court of Justice.
The report highlights a pattern noticeable across the Islamist advocacy
ecosystem: a dense web of recurrent names and organizations connecting through
back doors and revolving doors, in a seemingly deliberate attempt to obscure
trails of collaboration, funding – and possibly, the points where the advocates
connect to designated terrorists.
The report highlights the Palestinian working logic for operating under the NGO
framework as a means for rival Palestinian factions to collaborate on common
causes under a presumably noble banner rather than working directly under the
banner of any Palestinian political organization and its baggage.
The anti-Israel lawfare front has been stressed by the Palestinian Authority
(PA) and Hamas leadership. In a 2005 speech in Qatar at the re-launch of the
Global Anti-Aggression Campaign (GAAC), Khaled Masha’al, then-chairman of the
Hamas politburo, spoke of “resistance” as a “holistic and comprehensive concept,
whose aim is to subdue the enemy in all domains and prevent it from achieving a
breakthrough which will eventually contribute to neutralizing the nation’s
efforts and its willpower.” He stressed the importance of “peaceful resistance
of all forms” in combination with military resistance.
In his 2023 address to the UN Assembly, PA President Mahmoud Abbas declared – in
direct violation of the Oslo Accords – that “For our part, we will persist with
our pursuit of accountability and justice at the relevant international bodies
against Israel because of the continued Israeli occupation of our land, and the
crimes that have been committed and are still being committed against us.”
THE 2020 launch of the Law for Palestine (L4P), registered in London by Ihssan
Madbouh (aka Ihsan Adel) as a “youth-led, nonprofit human rights organization”
aiming to “create, train, and connect jurists interested in Palestine from all
over the world,” was a significant step in coordinating the activist web’s
pro-Palestinian legal efforts. These culminated in the South African petition
against Israel at the ICJ. The head of the South African legal team, Prof. John
Dugard, sits on L4P’s board of trustees.
L4P focuses on conducting research around the Palestinian question and
international law, organizing seminars and webinars, creating online databases
of relevant UN resolutions, and facilitating cooperation with other legal or
human rights bodies across the Middle East and Western countries. These include
DAWN and groups which Israel says are affiliated with the Marxist-Leninist
terror organization, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Ihsan Adel is a Jordanian national who served between 2011 and 2019 in various
roles in the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med
Monitor), which was declared an unlawful association in Israel in 2015. Euro-Med
Monitor’s founder, Ramy Abdu, was listed by the Israeli minister of defense in
2013 as a member of Hamas in Europe. Iman Zueiter, the coordinator of L4P’s
Jurists for Palestine Forum, had also worked at Euro-Med Monitor. She was among
the writers of the 2019 Practical Guidebook for Active and Professional
Participation in the UN Human Rights Council for NGOs. The activist web goes on
and on, but it is worth noting that many of L4P’s staff are past or current
workers in UN agencies.
According to the ISGAP report, in preparing for the ICJ suit L4P reportedly
created a database with over 500 statements of senior Israeli officials
expressing the “genocidal intent with respect to Israel’s conduct of the war in
Gaza.”
DAWN, in cooperation with other groups including L4P, held a roundtable
discussion which concluded that Israel’s assault on Gaza “likely amounts to
genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide.” A statement was issued urging state parties to the Genocide
Convention to submit their own Declarations of Intervention to support South
Africa’s submission to the ICJ.
The future of Western democratic institutions
Given the weak international standing of the ICJ, the suit against Israel may
eventually amount to much ado about nothing. But the underlying trends detailed
above are a grave threat not only to Israel or the Diaspora Jewish communities
but also to Western civilization and civilization at large.
The Orwellian “Newspeak” debuting in the political arena is no longer a baffling
intellectual exercise in radical humanities faculties. We must ask: What will
happen as the Islamist Big Brotherhood gains greater and greater political power
as is currently happening in the UK – and as radical pro-Palestinian graduates
of Columbia University and SOAS fill not only the ranks of human rights
organizations and think tanks but also the seats on the courts and in elected
office? There is no need to imagine the beginning: Lebanese academic and
diplomat Nawaf Salam is president of the ICJ, and Pakistani Karim Khan is chief
prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes
individuals, not countries, for war crimes. On November 23, 2023, US President
Joe Biden nominated Karachi-born Adeel Mangi to serve as a judge on the United
States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. If confirmed despite Republican
opposition, Mangi would be the first Muslim American to serve on a federal
appeals court and the third Muslim-American federal judge.
The fact that Mangi admits to admiring Islamist-aligned, populist, former
Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was deemed by Democrats an obscure factoid
not to stand in the way of diversity and inclusion. What will happen when the
new human rights discourse that prefers the human rights of Islamic terrorists
to those of their victims becomes normalized in Western courts?
How many upcoming progressive icons subscribe to this ideology? Was it not the
logic of Khashoggi and DAWN that guided then-president Barack Obama to support
the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi to be president of Egypt over
secular dictator Hosni Mubarak and to espouse collaborations with CAIR?
PAKISTANIS ARE the largest Muslim ethnicity in the US and the UK, and many are
educated professionals. Although seldom acknowledged, fierce antisemitism is
nearly ubiquitous among both religious and non-religious Pakistanis, in addition
to a widespread hatred of Hindus. Since the outbreak of Operation Swords of
Iron, several unofficial advisory groups to the UK police were revealed, in
which Islamist activists advise the police in real time about slogans and chants
intomed during demonstrations. Will the London Metropolitan Police become
pro-active against the anti-Israel mobs rallying in the streets of London if
those rallies deteriorate into riots as violent as or more violent than the 2022
anti-Hindu riots in Leicester?
Political Islamists in the West are now entering a new phase in their activism:
of direct and aggressive involvement in politics, pushing the “pro-Gaza” ticket.
What will happen to free societies if the emerging Red-Green alliances will play
all the roles of legislators, policemen, reporters, experts, judges, witnesses,
wardens, and executioners? Will dissidents decrying the new moral order be
convicted on newly minted charges of “Islamophobia” (Newspeak for Blasphemy
Laws)? UK Prime Minister Keith Starmer’s new government has already begun a
crackdown on online free speech, to be monitored by police, dubbed by X owner
Elon Musk as being “The Woke Stasi.”
Even in Israel, the establishment not yet determined to call out the moral hoax.
Former Israeli Supreme Court president Aharon Barak is a longtime supporter of
deepening the role of international laws and treaties in Israeli
decision-making. It is therefore not surprising that he not only lent legitimacy
to the ICJ by choosing to sit as a judge on the court on the petition against
Israel but also voted in favor of two of the court’s measures against the Jewish
state.
So unwavering is the trust of the godfather of the Constitutional Revolution in
the language of international law and human rights that he could not doubt the
court’s moral legitimacy and concede that in Newspeak, the words remain the
same, but their meaning has been reversed.
Ehud Rosen is a veteran researcher of the Global Muslim Brotherhood at the
Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), who compiled some of the data
quoted in this article. He laments that “Israel has failed to grasp the nature
of the war waged against its legitimacy to exist as a Jewish state. If at all,
Israel and its allies address this only anecdotally. This war is mobilized by
the ‘Red-Green Alliance’ between Western far-left activists, political
Islamists, and radical Arab nationalists, most of whom are antisemitic to their
core, [and] support and promote terrorism.
“The demonstrations we see on campuses and in the streets of Western countries,
dragging Israel to institutions like the ICJ and ICC, and other phenomena we see
during the Swords of Iron war are the bitter fruit of this alliance, which
operates through global ‘grassroots’, ‘civilian’ networks of NGOs, with
intermittent support by state players,” he said.
“Utilizing the pro-Palestinian ticket, political Islamists are now aggressively
deepening their involvement in European and American politics, which presents a
long-term strategic challenge to the future stability of liberal democracy,”
Rosen warned.
“Groups such as Hamas and the PFLP should be banned in the West,” he urged. “The
discourse on their agents of influence in the West, the effect of their activism
on the sharp rise in antisemitism, [and] the growing physical threat to Jewish
communities and social cohesion should also be brought into the spotlight.”
Why I support Donald J. Trump - opinion
JOSEPH SCUTTS/Jerusalem Post/September 14/2024
Joseph Scutts supports Donald Trump for president for his Pro-Israel stance.
Scutts believes that there has been a shift in the Democratic Party's views and
support on Israel.
When Trump was president, we had the Abraham Accords, the recognition of
Jerusalem as our eternal capital, and the recognition and sovereignty of the
Golan Heights. Last and most importantly, we squashed the Iran deal. A Harris/Walz
administration would continue the Obama and Biden administrations’ disastrous
policies that would put Israel’s very existence at risk. The Democrats are not
the party of JFK anymore, and they’re not even the party of the Clintons.
Instead, the modern Democratic Party is so left-leaning that things just 10
years ago that would have been seen as bipartisan or something that we could
find common ground in have been labeled bigoted. The intersectional coalition of
victimhood, gender-pronoun obsession, abortion until birth, and every other hard
push to the Left across the spectrum have made this a different party than it
was 20 years ago, and certainly 50 or 60 years ago.
Ideologically, the Torah is much more in line with conservative values. It’s
time for the Jewish community to wake up, embrace their faith a bit more, and in
doing so leave the false perspectives touted by the modern American Left.
Acclaimed matchmaker Baila Sebrow from Long Island told me: “As an Orthodox
Jewish woman and leading global matchmaker to over 350 successful marriages, I
proudly state that I am voting for Donald Trump again. I am a child of Holocaust
survivors, and when my parents came to this country it was with the clothes on
their back. My father was a hardworking man who spoke very little English, and
he went to work in a sweatshop factory as a knitter in order to feed his family
in our rent-controlled tiny apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. What Orthodox
Jews fear most is the exponential rise in antisemitism. Law and order must be
restored, and Donald Trump will utilize federal resources to restore order so
that all people, regardless of race, color, or creed can live and raise families
in the United States, envisioned by the founding fathers of this beautiful
country.”
My dear Holocaust survivor friend Sami Steigmann added, “Israel is facing global
Jew-hatred, existential threats from all sides, and we are concerned about the
upcoming elections. Although traditionally Jews have always voted Democratic,
recently there has been a small shift to the Republican side. As a Holocaust
survivor, I feel that we need a president who will stand with Israel. In my
humble opinion and based on his previous actions, that candidate is Trump.”
Opinion of the Democratic party's interests in Israel
Zev Rosenberg, a family friend, stated, “A Biden/Harris Middle East policy has
been a continuation of Obama/Biden, and a Harris/Walz administration will be a
continuation of that – or worse – because they’re surrounded by the same people
proven to be escalating their radical ways. They do not have the best interests
of the Jewish people or even Americans at heart. Donald Trump has proven he
does.”
David Crystal, a political consultant and leader of the South Florida Jewish
community, said: “American Jews have too often prioritized domestic issues over
international issues and those issues pertaining to Zionism and Israel, when the
latter set of issues are far more important, given that they are a matter of
life and death – namely, the life or death of the Jewish race and the Jewish
state. Today’s Democratic Party is marked by radical socialism and radical
anti-nationalism, whereby the majority of its leaders and its activists are
inherently against the mere existence of an ethnocentric nation-state such as
Israel. Their particular animus toward Jews and Israel lies in the fact that
Diaspora Jews and Israel have demonstrated both individual and collective
success in great disproportion to their small numbers and, as such, undermine
the Democratic and socialist argument that all races and cultures are equal.”
In conclusion, the Jewish community must stand strong and unite together for a
greater cause. What’s at stake is the future of the US and Israel, and the vital
relationship between the two great allies. As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated when
he endorsed Trump for president, the Democratic Party of today would not have
been recognized by his father, RFK Sr., or his uncle JFK. As he condemned
Hamas’s murder of the six hostages in an interview with The Hill, Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. said, “Israel right now is in an existential dilemma.”
Trump is the right leader to get Israel out of this dilemma.
How Hamas Uses Brutality to Maintain Power
Julian E. Barnes/The New York Times/September 14, 2024
Early this summer, Amin Abed, a Palestinian activist who has spoken out publicly
about Hamas, twice found bullets on his doorstep in the northern Gaza Strip.
Then in July, he said he was attacked by Hamas security operatives, who covered
his head and dragged him away before repeatedly striking him with hammers and
metal bars. “At any moment, I can be killed by the Israeli occupation, but I can
face the same fate at the hands of those who’ve been ruling us for 17 years,” he
said in a phone interview from his hospital bed, referring to Hamas. “They
almost killed me, those killers and criminals.”
Abed, who remains hospitalized, was rescued by bystanders who witnessed the
attack, but what happened to him has happened to others throughout Gaza. The
bodies of six Israeli hostages recovered last month provided a visceral reminder
of Hamas’ brutality. Each had been shot in the head. Some had other bullet
wounds, suggesting they were shot while trying to escape, according to Israeli
officials who reviewed the autopsy results. But Hamas also uses violence to
maintain its control over Gaza’s population. Some Palestinians have been injured
or killed as Hamas wages an insurgent style of warfare that risks Palestinian
lives to strike the Israeli military from densely populated areas. Others have
been attacked or threatened for criticizing the group. Some Palestinians have
been shot, accused of looting or hoarding aid.
Much international attention has focused on Israeli hurdles to delivering aid to
Palestinians, its military operations that have killed tens of thousands of
people and a bombing campaign that has reduced cities to rubble. U.S. officials
have repeatedly expressed deep frustration with Israel for those failures, too,
as well as for not providing basic security in the territory.
But the reality of the war, according to U.S. officials, is that the Israeli
military and Hamas carry out questionable acts nearly every day. Many of the
reports reviewed by U.S. intelligence analysts involve Israeli actions: military
strikes that kill large numbers of civilians, errant attacks on aid convoys or
other deadly incidents. But a large number of reports involve Hamas, both its
acts of terrorism against hostages and its abuses of Palestinians. Vice Adm.
Frank Whitworth, the head of the U.S. intelligence agency that analyzes
satellite imagery, compared the role of intelligence officials monitoring Gaza
with that of an umpire.
“We also have a responsibility to tell the whole story,” he said at a gathering
of reporters recently. “We certainly are enabling Israel to protect itself. But
we are also calling every ball and strike and balk and foul, and we’re doing so
in a very complete way.”
This article is based on interviews with more than three dozen U.S. and Israeli
officials, Hamas members and Palestinian residents of Gaza. Many of the
officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence
assessments. Many of the Palestinians spoke on the condition of anonymity
because they feared retaliation.
Since the attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 people, Israel’s aim
has been to “destroy Hamas.” In practice, that means that the government of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to end the group’s hold on power in
Gaza. But after 11 months of war, U.S. officials say Hamas’ control has been
loosened but not broken. Palestinians are quick to excoriate Israel for the
deaths and destruction in Gaza. But some Palestinians said in interviews that
Hamas has put Gaza residents in Israel’s crosshairs by launching attacks from
neighborhoods, running tunnels under apartment buildings and hiding hostages in
city centers. And Hamas is still able to inspire fear among the people it rules,
despite the chaos that has taken hold across the territory. “There’s no
international law that justifies Israel killing civilians,” said Mkhaimar
Abusada, a professor of political science who fled Gaza early in the war. “But
Hamas has acted recklessly.”
Putting Civilians in the Line of Fire
Hamas’ practice of operating from civilian areas of Gaza has drawn sharp
criticism from Palestinians. “Those launching rockets and firing bullets from
civilian areas don’t care about civilians,” said Abu Shaker, whose family has
been repeatedly displaced. He asked to be identified by his nickname. “If you
want to fight Israel, you should go do that. But why are you coming to hide
among the civilians?”At the beginning of the war, he said, militants fired
rockets at Israel from the busy towns of Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat in central
Gaza. Residents hurried indoors in anticipation of retaliatory Israeli strikes.
It is notoriously difficult to assess public opinion in Gaza. Mobile phone
networks have been spotty. Polling is extremely complicated. Interviews are
challenging to conduct, especially during a war. And speaking out against Hamas
is risky.
Palestinians interviewed by The New York Times expressed frustration with Hamas,
particularly over its practice of embedding in civilian areas. The Palestinians
interviewed said that while Israel bore enormous responsibility for the
suffering the war has brought upon them, Hamas did too. Hamas built access
points to its extensive tunnel network inside homes. An aerial photo recovered
by the Israeli military from a Hamas commander’s post shows three dozen hidden
tunnel entrances marked with color-coded dots and arrows in one crowded
neighborhood. To some Palestinians, an Israeli airstrike July 13 targeting
senior military commander Mohammed Deif and another Hamas military leader is an
example of the perils civilians face. Israeli officials say that Deif had
entered a villa in a designated humanitarian zone to meet with a Hamas commander
who was hiding there. Some 70 Palestinians were killed in the assault, including
many women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel later
declared Deif dead, but Hamas has disputed the claim. Munir al-Jaghoub, an
official in the Fatah party in the West Bank, blasted Israel for the deaths. But
he also condemned Hamas.“Any soldier who wants to bear arms is required to
protect civilians, not to hide among civilians,” he said in a televised
interview. Hamas officials rejected criticisms that the group put civilians in
harm’s way and suggestions that it should keep its fighters away from towns and
cities. “There’s no such thing as being outside residential areas in Gaza,” said
Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official. “These pretexts, primarily made by the
Israeli occupation army, are meaningless.”
‘Shut Him Up’
Palestinians who protest face the threat of immediate retaliation.
On Saturday, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate blasted the “policy of
intimidation and threat” facing some journalists in Gaza after a group of gunmen
stormed the home of Ehab Fasfous, a reporter and social media activist. While
the syndicate did not explicitly name Hamas, it left little doubt that it was
behind the raid on Fasfous’ home in the southern city of Khan Younis. In its
statement, the organization said that it viewed the raid with “great severity”
and that journalists and their families should be protected.
“Journalists in Gaza are being constantly killed by Israel,” said Tahseen al-Astal,
the deputy head of the group. “When internal Palestinian parties go after them,
too, their work becomes impossible.”
Fasfous, a well-known critic of Hamas, has long been targeted by the group’s
general security service, a secret police force in Gaza that has conducted
surveillance on everyday Palestinians, according to Hamas documents obtained by
the Times.
Weeks before the start of the war, the unit recommended taking action to prevent
Fasfous from reporting as a journalist. “Defame him,” a file from August 2023
read, calling him one of Hamas’ “major haters.”“We advise that closing in on him
is necessary because he’s a negative person who is full of hatred, and only
brings forth the Strip’s shortcomings,” the file said. In an interview with the
Times in May, Fasfous said Hamas held critics in contempt. “If you’re not with
them, you become an atheist, an infidel and a sinner,” he added.
Ismail Thawabteh, the director general of the Hamas-run government media office,
attempted to distance Hamas from the threats and violence waged against Fasfous
and Abed. Without citing any evidence, he suggested that the two men were
victims of personal disputes or street crime that he said had become
increasingly prevalent since the start of the war. The Interior Ministry,
Thawabteh said, has opened investigations into both incidents.
Hamas has paid particularly close attention to journalists and activists who
criticize its rule on social networks and to Western news media, according to
U.S. officials and Palestinian analysts. But other Palestinians have also been
threatened and intimidated.
Earlier this year, Alaa al-Haddad, 28, an activist from Gaza City, began
criticizing Hamas as he watched the news with strangers at a shelter in Rafah.
Soon after, Haddad said that his uncle was approached by a member of Hamas.
“Shut him up,” Haddad said the man told his uncle. “This is the story of the
Palestinian people in Gaza,” said Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian American
who is a fellow with the Atlantic Council. “The powerlessness of being stuck
between a ferocious Israeli war machine and a nefarious Islamist group that
operates among the civilians.” While Hamas officials minimize criticisms of
their conduct, they broadly argue that the suffering of the Palestinian people
is the cost for fighting against the Israeli occupation of Gaza. Hamas
recognizes that “freedom doesn’t come for free,” said Salah al-Din al-Awawdeh, a
member of the group who spent time in prison with its current leader, Yahya
Sinwar. “There is no liberation movement that has freed its people without
paying a big price in terms of civilians,” he said. But some U.S. and Israeli
officials said their intelligence assessments indicate that Sinwar is more
interested in inflicting pain on Israel than uplifting the Palestinian people.
“He’s not calculating the impact on human beings or property,” said Ted Singer,
a recently retired senior CIA official who worked extensively in the Middle
East. “He is calculating on bringing the Israelis down a notch and freeing
Palestinian prisoners.”
‘It Was Horrific’
Hamas also hides hostages among Palestinian civilians, with devastating
consequences.
In early June, Israel planned a mission to rescue four of the dozens of living
hostages who remain in Gaza. But civilians in the densely populated Nuseirat
area proved a complicating factor. The Israelis sent in rescue vehicles June 8,
and when one was damaged, Hamas militants moved in on it. A firefight broke out,
and commandos called in the Israeli air force, which began striking the
neighborhood. The hostages were ultimately rescued. But more than 270
Palestinians were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, though it has
proved impossible to determine with certainty how many were Hamas fighters and
how many were residents or innocent bystanders. Many Palestinians are angry at
Israel for conducting the raid. But others said they knew that Israel would try
to rescue its people, no matter the toll.
“I’m totally against mixing prisoners and civilians,” said Kareem, a lawyer who
spoke on the condition that only his first name be used to avoid retribution
from Hamas authorities. “We saw what the operation resulted in. It was horrific.
A very high price.”
According to Israeli and U.S. officials, intelligence intercepts show that Hamas
leaders have ordered their fighters to kill hostages if it appeared that Israeli
troops were moving in and could potentially rescue them. Earlier this month, Abu
Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, suggested that militants had
been given such orders. Israeli officials said they believed that was what
happened last month. On Aug. 29 or 30, according to an Israeli intelligence
assessment, Hamas militants holding six hostages in the tunnels below the Tel
Sultan area of Gaza detected an Israeli military patrol above them. Israeli
military officials said they believed that Hamas scouts or a camera revealed the
Israeli soldiers’ movements. Acting on the standing orders not to allow hostages
to be liberated, the militants executed their captives and fled the tunnel,
according to Israeli officials. The soldiers aboveground continued their patrol,
not knowing they had come close to the hostages. The Israeli military said that
the entrance to the tunnel was located inside a child’s bedroom. “A military
force doesn’t do” what Hamas did, said Jonathan R. Cohen, a former U.S.
ambassador to Egypt. “They’re a terrorist organization with a military
structure. That’s a terrifying thing.”
A Hold on Power
To break Hamas’ control of Gaza, Israeli officials say they need to destroy not
just its military power but also its ability to function as a government.
Critics of Israel have questioned that strategy, which they say hurts ordinary
Palestinians. But nearly a year into the war, the civilian government still
functions. Thawabteh, the director general of the Hamas-run government media
office, said the government still employs thousands of people, helps distribute
aid and organizes Friday prayers. Security services continue to try to enforce
the law, he added. Government-run emergency committees help secure aid and
maintain order, Thawabteh said. “The government in Gaza is living through a time
of challenges,” he said. “But it’s still in place carrying out its duties every
day.”Hamas is not the only group active in Gaza. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a
Hamas ally that participated in the Oct. 7 terror attacks, remains strong. Armed
gangs and neighborhood committees operate throughout the territory, with some
also making threats and carrying out revenge attacks. U.S. officials say the
groups operate with the implicit blessing of Hamas, though its precise level of
oversight and control of them varies from group to group.
But Sinwar is the unchallenged leader of Gaza. While his day-to-day control of
the government is attenuated as he tries to avoid being captured or killed by
Israel, he still sets the broad goals and policies for Gaza, according to
officials briefed on the intelligence.
Aid agencies trying to deliver humanitarian relief to Gaza acknowledge Hamas’
continued control. Aid convoys must coordinate their efforts with local Hamas
leaders or risk the aid not getting through. Efforts to have Palestinians in
Gaza who are aligned with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority help secure
aid convoys have fallen apart. U.S. officials say Hamas hostility and threats on
those convoys shut down the effort. Looting has afflicted several Gaza cities
after Israeli forces pulled out. Some of the looters may have been hungry people
trying to feed their families. Others may have had more base motivations.
Israeli and U.S. officials say Hamas has tried to stop the looting, but often
with brutal tactics. In some instances, according to U.S. officials, people
accused of looting have been shot in the leg. In one incident, a group of Hamas
members beat people accused of stealing aid and spray-painted the word “thief”
on the back of one of them, according to the Israeli military. To some
Palestinians, the rough justice has added to a climate of fear. Abed, 35, the
Palestinian critic of Hamas who was beaten in July, was attacked after writing
on social media and speaking to news media, including to the Times, and believes
that Hamas’ leaders want to make an example out of him. On Wednesday, Abed left
Gaza for the first time in more than two decades, one of dozens of wounded and
ill people whom Israel permitted to travel to the United Arab Emirates for
treatment. “I feel terrible that I’ve left our family and people behind, but at
the same time, I feel safe for the first time in 17 years,” he said in a voice
message from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi. “There’s no one that wants to kill,
arrest or follow me.”
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