English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 16/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels
Mark 08/31-38: “Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things. ’He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 15-16/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video: The plight of Boutros Khawand and Lebanon’s arbitrarily detained in Assad's jails will never be forgotten.
Elias Bejjani/September 15/2024your lives for the love of others, whoever they may be, because Christ is pleased with this.”
Elias Bejjani/Video/.The Assassination of Bashir Gemayel Targeted the Entire Lebanese Nation./ Elias Bejjani/September 14/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/.The Assassination of Bashir Gemayel Targeted the Entire Lebanese Nation/ Elias Bejjani/September 14/2024
Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz /Lebanon, the Gateway to War and Peace
Israel must occupy southern Lebanon or life in North 'unsustainable' - Likud MK
Israeli flyer calling for evacuation of Lebanon village unauthorized by IDF
Israeli leaflets tell south Lebanon residents to evacuate
Rising Tensions: Increased Bombing in South Lebanon and Upper Galilee
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai: ‘Lebanon’s Survival Depends on Electing a President’
Evacuation orders stir chaos: Israeli leaflets spark displacement and debate in Al-Wazzani area
Hezbollah shells Golan after Israel hits deep in South and Bekaa
Lebanon’s largest solar energy project expands with new phase
New paths or final steps: Government moves to regulate Syrian student enrollment in vocational schools
Hezbollah warns Israel against Lebanon border flare-up
Will new residency rules rob Syrian children in Lebanon of their futures?/Nadia Al-Faour/Arab News/September 15, 2024
Bishop Awdi: Our call today is to carry the cross of love and follow the Lord without shame or restlessness

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 15-16/2024
Who Is Alleged Trump Golf Course Gunman Ryan Wesley Routh?
FBI investigating another apparent assassination attempt against Trump. Here's what authorities say happened at a Florida golf course.
Netanyahu: Israel to exact heavy price from Houthis for attack
Houthi rebels say they struck Israel with a 'new hypersonic ballistic missile' that flew more than 1,200 miles in just over 11 minutes
Houthis say 'new hypersonic ballistic missile' launched at Israel, vows more attacks
Israeli military says 3 hostages were ‘most likely’ killed in November strike
Palestinians to ‘jointly lead post-war Gaza
UAE will not back postwar Gaza plans without Palestinian state
British ministers head to Gulf for talks on new trade deal
Jordan King Abdullah II accepts cabinet resignation, Jaafar Hassan appointed PM

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 15-16/2024
The Only Deal Hamas Wants: Israel's Surrender/Bassam Tawil/ Gatestone Institute./September 15, 2024
How can Christians help Palestine?/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/September 15/2024
A deeper Harris-Trump discussion is needed/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/September 15/2024
STEM skills need blending with critical thinking for career success in a tech-driven future/Arnab Neil Sengupta/Arab News/September 15/2024
Algeria after President Tebboune’s overwhelming election victory/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/September 15/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 15-16/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video: The plight of Boutros Khawand and Lebanon’s arbitrarily detained in Assad's jails will never be forgotten.
Elias Bejjani/September 15/2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhJj88KC4u8&t=11s
On September 15, 1992, Boutros Khawand, a senior official in the Lebanese Kataeb Party, bid farewell to his wife, Janet, and left his home in Hourj Thabet. It was an ordinary morning, but little did he know it would be the last time his family saw him. At 8:30 AM, as Khawand approached his car, a group of eight armed, unmasked men ambushed him. Despite his attempts to resist, they forcibly abducted him and drove off in a van. Since that fateful moment, Khawand’s fate has remained a mystery.

Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: The plight of Boutros Khawand and Lebanon’s arbitrarily detained in Assad's jails will never be forgotten.
Elias Bejjani/September 15/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134486/
Use your bodies for the glory of God
The First Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians /06/18-19): " Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."
On September 15, 1992, Boutros Khawand, a senior official in the Lebanese Kataeb Party, bid farewell to his wife, Janet, and left his home in Hourj Thabet. It was an ordinary morning, but little did he know it would be the last time his family saw him. At 8:30 AM, as Khawand approached his car, a group of eight armed, unmasked men ambushed him. Despite his attempts to resist, they forcibly abducted him and drove off in a van. Since that fateful moment, Khawand’s fate has remained a mystery.
Boutros Khawand’s abduction is not an isolated incident; it is emblematic of a broader human tragedy that has haunted Lebanon for decades because of the Syrian, Palestinian and Iranian evil occupations. Thousands of Lebanese citizens were kidnapped by the Syrian occupation during its presence in Lebanon and imprisoned in Syria’s notorious jails. These individuals were forcibly disappeared, with no official acknowledgment from the Syrian regime regarding their whereabouts. Furthermore, the regime has consistently denied human rights organizations access to investigate their fates. Under both Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian regime has maintained this cruel policy of denial, deepening the wounds inflicted on Lebanon.
Thousands of Lebanese—clergymen, soldiers, political activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens—were abducted by Syrian forces without trial or charges. These victims remain at the mercy of a regime that targeted anyone suspected of opposition or disloyalty. Numerous local, regional, and international human rights organizations have tried to gain access to Syria’s prisons to uncover the truth about these detainees. Yet, the criminal Assad regime has consistently blocked all efforts to shine a light on this dark chapter.
The Assad regime, in the eras of both father and son, late Hafez and the current Bashar, has shown itself to be devoid of humanity. For decades, it has perpetrated acts of repression, terror, torture, and disappearance against thousands of innocent people—both Lebanese and Syrians. What makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking is the regime’s ongoing refusal to acknowledge the existence and fate of these prisoners, as though attempting to erase their memory and silence the calls for justice.
The fate of Boutros Khawand, along with many other Lebanese held in Assad’s prisons, remains unknown. Are they alive? Have they perished under torture? No one knows—except their captors. The Syrian regime, which has ruled with an iron fist for decades, refuses to provide any information about these disappeared individuals, ignoring the desperate pleas of families who have spent years searching for their loved ones.
While the Syrian regime bears much of the blame, the responsibility for the kidnapping and disappearance of Lebanese citizens does not rest solely with them. Many Lebanese political forces, especially those in power during the Syrian occupation, were complicit in these crimes. Numerous parties and figures collaborated with the Syrian regime, handing over Lebanese citizens to Syrian intelligence, betraying Lebanon’s sovereignty and its people’s rights. Some of these collaborators remain in positions of power today, having not only shielded the truth but also exploited the suffering of the families of the disappeared for personal or political gain.
It is tragic that the issue of Lebanon’s disappeared risks fading into obscurity, especially with the lack of political will to pursue justice. However, there is no doubt that this wound will remain etched in the collective memory of the Lebanese people. They will continue to seek the truth and hold those responsible accountable—chief among them the Assad regime’s symbols and every Lebanese figure who played a role in this crime.
Boutros Khawand is one of the most poignant examples of this humanitarian tragedy. More than three decades have passed since his disappearance, yet the question remains: Where is Boutros Khawand? Will he ever return to his family? One undeniable truth is that the Assad regime knows the fate of Boutros Khawand, just as it knows the fates of the thousands of Lebanese who vanished in its prisons.
In conclusion, the Lebanese people will not stop demanding the truth, nor will they forgive those Lebanese Trojans who participated in the abduction of their citizens or in covering up the Assad regime’s crimes. The Assad regime and its local Trojan allies will forever be remembered by the free people of Lebanon as symbols of betrayal and injustice. Meanwhile, the plight of Boutros Khawand and Lebanon’s missing will never be forgotten.

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.

Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz /Lebanon, the Gateway to War and Peace
Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz/September 15, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134504/
Lebanon, the gateway to war and peace.
We have said it before, and we repeat: war and peace begin and end in Lebanon, which serves as the fulcrum in this tumultuous region of the world. If the international community understood Lebanon’s importance and uniqueness, and genuinely sought to restore stability to the Middle East, it would have hastened to save Lebanon first, today rather than tomorrow. What can be addressed now may become impossible to resolve later. In this context, we recall the words of the Greek poet Nonnus in praise of Beirut, the Mother of Laws: "Peace will not prevail among nations until Beirut rules the world."
Here is the roadmap for salvation:
1-Implementing UN Resolution 1559 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, rather than relying solely on Resolution 1701. The illegal weapons of Hezbollah will be the spark that ignites the expected regional fire.
2-Forcing President Assad to accept the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, before their overwhelming presence on our land leads to a Lebanese-Syrian war that no one wants.
3-As for the Palestinian refugees, it is time for them to leave Lebanon for countries that can absorb them, as Lebanon’s small geographic size does not allow it to serve as a country of refuge.
However, if the international community overlooks Lebanon’s role as the gateway to war and peace in this region, and fails to rescue it urgently, as we expect, the Lebanese fire will spread beyond its borders, consuming neighboring countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Persia, and perhaps even further.
Lebanon’s tragedy lies in the fact that international decision-making capitals continue to view it through the lens of its small geographic size, rather than acknowledging its grand historical significance and unique cultural heritage, which has always contributed to enriching human civilization.
Labayka Lebanon! (At your service, Lebanon!)
*(Free translation from Arabic by; Elias Bejjani)

Israel must occupy southern Lebanon or life in North 'unsustainable' - Likud MK
Likud MK Ariel Kellner: Israel's current border with Lebanon is 'unsustainable' • Government 'cannot provide security to northern Israelis'
The IDF must occupy southern Lebanon to establish a "security corridor" against Hezbollah, Likud MK Ariel Kallner demanded in an interview with Maariv on Sunday. The coalition lawmaker called on the government, led by his faction leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to address tensions along the northern border by conquering Lebanese lands, from the border to as far north as the Litani River. "Our reality can no longer continue as is," Kellner told Maariv. "The sole, unavoidable conclusion is that the current border in the North is unsustainable." Kellner further claimed that today's border between Israel and Lebanon is curbing the government's ability to "provide security for residents of northern Israel." Kellner: Life along Israel's northern border can no longer be supported. When asked about the steps Israel's military should take to destroy the threat Hezbollah poses on the North, Kellner argued that Israel has only two options: "We either create a 'security zone' by controlling the Litani River, or life in northern Israel can no longer be supported. "That is our equation; there is no other way around it," he added. Kellner spoke to Maariv while visiting the North as part of a delegation of lawmakers from the Knesset's Eretz Yisrael Lobby, which advocates for expanding settlements in the West Bank. Gallant 'not the same minister who called to bomb Lebanon'. During his visit, Kellner also attacked Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling on him to resign. As per the Likud lawmaker, Gallant is "no longer the defense minister who spoke on bombing Lebanon back to the Stone Age" and must be replaced.However, Kellner stressed his support for Netanyahu, arguing that the prime minister "continues to seek out victory" amid international pressure.

Israeli flyer calling for evacuation of Lebanon village unauthorized by IDF
Jerusalem Post/September 15/2024
The initiative had been reportedly taken by a local brigade of the IDF Northern Command. The IDF's call on residents of the Wazzani village in southern Lebanon to evacuate on Sunday was a local initiative and neither approved by senior IDF officials nor by the political echelon, Israeli media reported on Sunday. The message to evacuate, which was disseminated via leaflets, was an initiative reportedly taken by a local brigade of the IDF Northern Command. According to the reports, the military had opened an investigation into the matter. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli media reported, citing local Lebanese reports, that the IDF called on Sunday morning for the evacuation of the Wazzani village in southern Lebanon by 4 p.m. local time. This comes amid Sunday tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border. In the morning, the IDF said some 40 rockets crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon, following the alerts which sounded in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights starting at 8:19 a.m. local time. Some of the rockets were intercepted while others impacted in open areas, the military added.

Israeli leaflets tell south Lebanon residents to evacuate
AFP/September 15, 2024
BEIRUT: Israel dropped leaflets over a Lebanon border village Sunday urging residents to leave, state-run media said, but Israel’s military told AFP a brigade had taken the initiative without approval. It was the first time Israelis had told residents of south Lebanon to evacuate in 11 months of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel over the Gaza war, triggered by Hezbollah ally Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. “The Israeli enemy dropped leaflets over Wazzani calling on those in the area and its surroundings to evacuate,” the official National News Agency said, referring to a southern border village. Wazzani mayor Ahmed Al-Mohammed shared with AFP a picture of the leaflets that showed a map of the region with the areas marked for evacuation marked in red. The leaflet read in Arabic: “To all residents and refugees living in the area of the camps, Hezbollah is firing from your region. You must immediately leave your homes and head north of the Khiam region before 04:00 p.m. (1300 GMT). Do not return to this area until the end of the war.” It added: “Anyone present in this area after this time will be considered a terrorist.”Wazzani is an agricultural region where Syrians are often hired to work the land.
Asked about the incident, an Israeli military spokeswoman said the leaflets had been dropped by drone in an area from which rockets had been fired into northern Israel. “This was an initiative of the 769 Brigade, it was not approved by the Northern Command. An investigation has been opened,” she added. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli aircraft regularly drop leaflets urging residents to evacuate before an attack. On Saturday, Hezbollah’s second-in-command Naim Qassem warned 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 Israelis. The cross-border violence since early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 141 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.

Rising Tensions: Increased Bombing in South Lebanon and Upper Galilee
This Is Beirut/September 15, 2024
On Sunday, tensions between Hezbollah and Israel escalated on the southern front.
In the early evening, Hezbollah announced that it had launched drones to attack the command headquarters of the Military Gathering Battalion in the Golan Division at the Yarden barracks, resulting in casualties and injuries. However, Israeli media reported that five Israelis were injured, though only slightly, due to a drone from Lebanon falling in the Golan Heights. Earlier on Sunday morning, four people were reported injured in Odaisseh and Rab al-Thalathin. Some residents who had gone to inspect their homes in the area were caught off guard by Israeli artillery shelling. Two houses in Alma al-Shaab and the outskirts of Kfarchouba were targeted by an Israeli Merkava tank. A house in Hula caught fire as a result of Israeli artillery bombardment. Israeli artillery also targeted the localities of Kfar Kila, Shebaa, Kfar Hamam, Markaba, Aita al-Shaab, as well as the region of Marj between Ainata and Kounine in the Bint Jbeil district, Mays al-Jabal, and the surroundings of Naqoura. Additionally, three raids were carried out on Rachaya al-Foukhar. Reports circulated on Sunday morning that Israel had dropped leaflets in the Wazzani region, calling for the evacuation of the area towards northern Khiam. Later in the day, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced that the distribution of these leaflets was “an initiative of the 769th Brigade, which had not been approved by the army or the political authority.” The National News Agency reported that residents of Wazzani refused to comply with Israeli threats, while most displaced Syrians left the area.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on Israeli positions in Malkiya, Metula, Rweissat al-Alam (Kfarchouba hills), Zaoura, and the Rawya barracks. On the Israeli side, media reported that the former commander of the Northern Troop emphasized the need to reach an agreement on hostages before launching a military operation against Hezbollah. According to Israel Hayom, citing the city’s municipality chairman, Hezbollah’s current main target is Safad in the Upper Galilee. In addition, a drone from Lebanon reportedly fell in the Metula settlement, causing material damage but no injuries. Approximately thirty missiles fired from Lebanon towards the Golan and the Upper Galilee triggered alarm sirens in these regions.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai: ‘Lebanon’s Survival Depends on Electing a President’
This Is Beirut/September 15, 2024
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai declared on Sunday that “Lebanon’s survival depends on reversing the downward trajectory that the country is experiencing.” He emphasized that this requires “the election of a president of the Republic who would restore the essence of national partnership,” using the State of Greater Lebanon as a starting point and reference. Rai also found it “strange that the state does not consider the commemoration of the creation of the State of Lebanon on September 1, 1920, as a national holiday.” He made this statement during the Sunday mass held at Our Lady of Ilige in Mayfouk, which was dedicated to honoring the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance.In this context, the patriarch asserted that “without the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance, Lebanon would not be the country it is today.”He called for an “examination of conscience,” believing that some factions within the country seek to transform Lebanon into “real estate rather than a homeland,” aiming to exploit the land for “projects without a state, order, constitution or law.”Rai further explained, “There is a significant difference between recognizing Lebanon and believing in it,” noting that “recognizing is merely acknowledging Lebanon’s existence, while believing involves accepting Lebanon in its essence, its system, its values and its mission.” He concluded by stating, “The Lebanese are enduring an invasion worse than occupation, and this situation has weakened their faith in their homeland.”

Evacuation orders stir chaos: Israeli leaflets spark displacement and debate in Al-Wazzani area
LBCI/September 15, 2024
Along the road to Al-Wazzani, many Syrian families who once worked on agricultural projects in the area were seen unloading their belongings as they sought refuge in the nearby town of Ain Arab. Israeli leaflets, which called on residents and displaced people in the Al-Wazzani region to evacuate by 4 p.m. and move north of Khiam, warning them not to return until the war's end, had a significant impact on those displaced. Agricultural vehicles loaded with women, children, and personal belongings were leaving the area as the evacuation order took effect. In the Al-Wazzani camps, some people were rushing to evacuate before the 4 p.m. deadline. Some took their livestock and departed, others used motorcycles, and many packed their belongings, waiting for transportation to take them to safer areas.
However, the scene changed upon entering the town of Al-Wazzani, which sits directly on the border near Ghajar. The town’s Lebanese residents have refused to leave since the start of the war, and the Israeli leaflets did not sway their decision. This, however, is not the whole story. According to the Israeli occupation leadership, the leaflets were an unauthorized initiative by Brigade 769 of the Northern Command. The Israeli military’s top leadership and political officials did not approve the move, and the Israeli army has launched an investigation into the incident.

Hezbollah shells Golan after Israel hits deep in South and Bekaa
Agence France Presse/September 15, 2024
Hezbollah said Sunday that it fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at the Rawya barracks in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in response to attacks on Lebanese towns, especially on the town of Sarafand which is distant from the border. The group also attacked two Israeli posts near Lebanon’s border with two suicide drones, saying one of them targeted troops and caused casualties. On Saturday evening, the Israeli military said its air force had struck suspected Hezbollah weapons storage facilities at two locations in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, as well as in six locations in the South. Three children were among four people wounded in an Israeli strike in the northern Bekaa's Hermel district, some 140 kilometers from the Israeli border, the Lebanese health ministry said. A source close to Hezbollah said the strike targeted a farm in the area, a stronghold of the militant group. A second strike on the village of Serine, near Baalbek, targeted "warehouses storing food products," the source added. 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.

Lebanon’s largest solar energy project expands with new phase
LBCI/September 15, 2024
Nine years ago, Lebanon completed the first phase of its largest national solar energy project, the "Beirut River Solar Snake," generating 1 megawatt of electricity for Electricité du Liban (EDL) through 3,600 solar panels. The project has been operational since 2014, but due to fuel shortages and electricity rationing, the energy it produced was sometimes wasted because the grid was not always connected to the project, preventing it from supplying power to EDL. Now, plans are underway to continue the project with a second phase, divided into two parts: A and B. The first part is expected to generate 6 megawatts, and the second part will generate 2.5 megawatts. Solar panels will be installed over the Beirut River, and the total 8.5 megawatts could theoretically meet the electricity needs of 8,000 homes. To avoid the issues encountered in the first phase, the project will be equipped with 24/7 power outlets from EDL, allowing it to supply electricity continuously. The project is expected to provide an average of 3 megawatts, factoring in cloudy and rainy days. While 3 megawatts may seem small compared to Lebanon’s total demand of 2,700 megawatts, the importance of this project lies in its environmental impact. It represents a step toward increasing energy supply and reducing electricity costs for individuals. The public tender for the expansion of the solar power plant over the Beirut River is now open and available on the official website of the Public Procurement Authority. The deadline for submitting bids is October 3, with work expected to begin shortly after the review of submissions.

New paths or final steps: Government moves to regulate Syrian student enrollment in vocational schools
LBCI/September 15, 2024
In its latest session, the Cabinet approved a proposal concerning the registration of Syrian students in vocational education, which was submitted by the Caretaker Minister of Education outside the official agenda. The decision, however, did not address general education, which is expected to be the subject of a separate ruling at a later time, as previously confirmed by the minister in an earlier statement. The approved decision allows Syrian students to enroll in vocational education, with the condition that their names be submitted to the General Security for review. It also permits the nomination of students for one of the official vocational certificates for the 2024-2025 academic year. Although these steps are not new, since they have been implemented annually, the difference this year lies in the issuance of an official government directive. The government made it clear that the current academic year will be the last in which Syrian students without legal residency will be allowed to register. Following the government’s directive, the Director-General of Vocational and Technical Education, Hanadi Berri, issued a circular to institute directors, instructing them to begin the registration process. This reversed two previous circulars issued earlier in the year that had prohibited the registration of students lacking residency permits. Berri expressed surprise that the decision focused solely on vocational education as the first step, without extending to other educational sectors. Despite the ongoing debate surrounding the government’s decision, a critical question remains about how the General Security will respond once they receive the lists of students registered at technical institutes. Sources within the Ministry of Education indicated that there is coordination with the General Security to compile lists identifying students that are legally residing in the country and those who are not. The sources added that there is a possibility that the General Security could take possession of the students’ official certificates for legal verification, after which students with legal residency would receive their certificates, while those without would either face deportation or be asked to regularize their status. Meanwhile, sources from the General Security told LBCI that they were not consulted before the decision was issued, and their ability to participate in its implementation requires further review and discussion. As a result, General Security Director-General Major General Elias Al-Baysari is expected to invite key stakeholders to a meeting next week to clarify the decision’s context and implications. Additionally, some ministers have called for the decision to be revisited in the next Cabinet session for further debate and deeper consideration.

Hezbollah warns Israel against Lebanon border flare-up
Agence France Presse/September 15, 2024
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. Sheikh Naim Qassem, number two in the Iran-backed Lebanese group, was speaking after Israeli 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 Lebanon and Israel 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.

Will new residency rules rob Syrian children in Lebanon of their futures?
Nadia Al-Faour/Arab News/September 15, 2024
DUBAI: Authorities in Lebanon are imposing new restrictions that could deny thousands of displaced children access to an education. The measures come against a backdrop of mounting hostility toward war-displaced Syrians who currently reside in Lebanon.
The development comes as hostilities on the Lebanon-Israel border show no sign of abating, deepening sectarian divides and compounding the economic and political crises that have kept the country on hold. This summer, at least two municipalities in Lebanon have announced that Syrian children wishing to enroll at schools in their districts must have a valid residency permit prior to registering for the new academic year. Al-Qaa municipality in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate issued a statement declaring Syrian students were not eligible to register unless they and their families had legal residency permits issued by the Lebanese General Security. In a recent interview with Alhurra news agency, Nabil Kahala, the mayor of Sin El-Fil, a suburb east of Beirut, said the measures prohibit Syrians from registering in schools unless they have legal residency.
“It is not enough for a displaced Syrian to have a document proving his registration with the UN,” said Kahala. “We require a residency issued by the Lebanese General Security in order to be able to rent a home, work, and enroll his children in schools.”Any school that violates this decision “will be reported to the relevant authorities,” he said, stressing that “this measure is not racist, but rather is an implementation of Lebanese laws.”
Due to the red tape and stringent criteria for the renewal of Lebanese residency permits, only around 20 percent of displaced Syrians have valid residency status in Lebanon.
As some 80 percent are unable to obtain these documents, the measures have effectively barred Syrian children in these areas from attending school, depriving them of their right to an education.
Under international law, all children have the right to an education, free from discrimination, irrespective of their immigration or refugee status. In December 2023, foreign donors including the EU gave the Lebanese government 40 million euros to support the education sector and ensure vulnerable children would continue to have access to schools. The conditions of this aid appear to be going unmet. “The Lebanese government should ensure all children, regardless of nationality or status, can register for school and are not denied the right to an education,” Michelle Randhawa of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at Human Rights Watch said in a recent statement. In an interview with L’Orient-Le Jour on Aug. 13, Lebanese Minister of Education Abbas Halabi said his ministry remained committed to the core principle of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and that all children, regardless of nationality or status, would be registered for school.
The Lebanese government has previously imposed laws making it difficult for Syrians to obtain legal status. The UN refugee agency, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, also ceased its formal registration of Syrians in 2015 after complying with a Lebanese government order. New laws include rules imposed on Lebanese citizens not to employ, shelter, or provide housing to Syrians residing in the country illegally. Those found breaking these rules can face arrest. It is not just displaced Syrians who are struggling to access basic services in Lebanon. In the throes of myriad crises and without a functioning government, many Lebanese citizens are unable to obtain a decent education. Since 2019 Lebanese have suffered from a financial meltdown described by the World Bank as one of the planet’s worst since the 1850s. To make matters worse, cross-border skirmishes between Israel and Lebanon-based militant groups have killed at least 88 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah combatants but also 10 civilians, since the eruption of war in Gaza in October last year. With more than 80 percent of the population pushed below the poverty line, initial sympathy for the thousands of migrants and refugees who fled violence, persecution, and poverty in Syria has since waned. The forcible deportation of Syrians has now become commonplace, in defiance of aid agencies who say Lebanese authorities have a duty not to endanger the safety of refugees — a principle known as non-refoulement.
Besides the new set of regulations issued by Lebanese authorities, the increasingly hostile rhetoric of some politicians has also fanned the flames of anti-Syrian sentiment, leading to outbreaks of inter-communal violence.
INNUMBERS
• 470,000 School-aged Syrian refugees in Lebanon registered by the UN.
• 20% Proportion of Syrians living in Lebanon with valid residency status.
In July, Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces political party, called on the Ministry of Education to make schools ask students to provide the appropriate identification papers to register for the new academic year.
Geagea said all foreign students, especially Syrians, should have valid residency permits in order to register.
Dubbing the Syrian children an “existential threat,” the Free Patriotic Movement also issued a statement, saying: “We call on the Ministry of Education and owners of private schools and institutes to immediately stop the registration of any Syrian student in the country illegally.” Faisal, a Syrian living in Lebanon without a residency permit, has been trying to find a way to enroll his 8-year-old son at school. Back in 2014, when he first arrived in Lebanon, he said services were readily available and the atmosphere more welcoming.
“It was a little easier back then,” Faisal, who did not give his full name to avoid legal repercussions, told Arab News. “There was no hostility as you encounter nowadays. It’s a struggle and I am under constant stress of being found out, then getting deported.”
Faisal says he is able to scrape a meager living by working multiple jobs with Lebanese employers who are willing to defy the law and pay cheap Syrian laborers “under the table.”
He added: “I don’t want my son to grow up without an education and have to end up living like me. I want him to speak languages; I want him to know how to read and write properly; I want him to be able to have a chance at a good life.”
There are around 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon, according to Lebanese government figures. Of these, the UNHCR has registered just 800,000.
Every year, local and international humanitarian organizations attempt to put pressure on the Ministry of Education to pass some laws to allow more undocumented Syrian children to obtain an education.
Lebanese law, however, is not the only barrier.
According to the 2023 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, conducted by the UNHCR, the UN Children’s Fund, and the World Food Programme, some of the biggest obstacles to Syrian children gaining an education in Lebanon include the cost of transport, fees and entry requirements, and the impact of poverty on school attendance. Indeed, many Syrian children are forced to drop out of school in order to work to support their families, while daughters are frequently married off at a young age so that households have fewer mouths to feed. Those lucky enough to find a school place and who have the means to attend can face discrimination, taunting and bullying from their classmates. “My son was a joyful, bubbly child growing up, but I noticed he started becoming withdrawn after attending the private school I scrounged to get him enrolled in,” said Faisal. His son was being bullied by his classmates who called him a “lowly Syrian,” he said.
“Syrian has become a slur now.”

Bishop Awdi: Our call today is to carry the cross of love and follow the Lord without shame or restlessness
NNA/September 15, 2024 (Translated from Arabic by Google)
The Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies for the Greek Orthodox, Bishop Elias Awda, presided over the Mass service at the Cathedral of Saint George. After reading the Gospel, he gave a sermon in which he said: “Today we heard a passage from the Gospel of Mark, in which the Lord Jesus calls us to follow Him, and warns us against the consequences of being ashamed of Him and His teachings in this sinful world. This passage is located in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, which begins with the multiplication of the loaves and fish and the feeding of the four thousand who were following the Lord. It also indicates the inability of the disciples to understand or accept it, and reaches the Lord’s call to the crowds and the disciples to follow Him. It is striking that the Lord first asked His disciples to feed the crowds, but they were unable to carry out His request (8:14). After that, the disciples were unable to understand His hints about the teachings of the Pharisees and Herodians (8:1521). Not only did they not understand His teachings, but they also did not accept the image He portrayed of Himself. Despite his healing of the blind man in front of them (8:2233)." He added: "The disciples were expected to understand the Lord's teachings because they were "from within," that is, from his followers, and it was given to them to know the secret of the Kingdom of God (Mark 4:11), in contrast to "those from outside," to whom he gave his teaching in parables "so that they might see and not perceive, and hear and not understand" (4:12). The disciples failed, time and again, to understand the Lord's teachings and know Him for what He really is, so the Lord Jesus was harsh with them, placing them in the category of those from outside, saying: "Do you have eyes and not see? Do you have ears and not hear and do you not remember?" (8:18), rebuking Peter, saying to him: “Get behind me, Satan, for you do not mind the things that are of God, but the things that are of men” (8:33). This means that every disciple who follows the Lord Jesus is not a true disciple of Him unless he accepts Him as He is, that is, as the Son of Man who must suffer and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), but rather becomes one of “those who are from outside” who has eyes but does not see, and has ears but does not hear. He continued: “The matter is not limited to understanding the teachings of the Lord Jesus and accepting them as He declared Himself, because what is required is to follow the Lord, that is, to walk the path that He walked, the path of suffering and crucifixion until the resurrection. That is why the Lord said: “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Living the cross is in self-denial and the believer abandoning everything that connects him to this material world in order to rise towards the heavens. Carrying the cross is in sacrificial love, patience in trials, and enduring hardships, not to subdue the soul but rather in hope for a bright future with the radiant light of the resurrection. There is no way to walk in the footsteps of the Lord except through crucified love for the sake of everyone without exception. This matter cannot be achieved by man in secret, that is, away from the sight of the people around him, but he must show it to the crowd, and not be ashamed of what people may say about him “For whoever “He will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation. The Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father,” as the Lord Jesus says. He said: “Expressing love is not done in words because love is only achieved through actions. Respecting life, giving, forgiveness and compassion, accepting the other as he is, not condemning, oppressing or killing him, not waging wars and exterminating people, all of these are acts of love. Sacrificing oneself for the good of the other is an act of love. In this world, man seeks to fulfill himself, not to deny himself, and following the Lord as He commanded us constitutes an act that is repulsive in the eyes of “this adulterous and sinful generation” (8:38). However, there is no escape from this and no compromise on it, otherwise the consequences will be dire because whoever is ashamed of the Lord and of His word, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (8:38). Is there anyone who denies himself in our days for the sake of others? Is His love without limits as the Lord taught us? Or are the eyes of most people fixed on the ego, on interest, on satisfying vanity and fulfilling desires? “What does it profit a person if “He gained the whole world and lost his soul,” as we heard in the Gospel? Didn’t he ask us to leave everything and follow him? He who was crucified and died for us, will not ignore our pains and needs, but will embrace us with his mercy and let us taste the sweetness of his kingdom.”
He concluded: “Our call today, on this Sunday following the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross, is to carry the cross of love and follow the Lord without shame or restlessness. Many may not accept love for fear that it is false, and they no longer trust the love of anyone from this world, because its basis is personal interests. Our work and duty is to spread true love based on Christ, so that the sinful and corrupt world becomes an earthly paradise. For this, “love one another from the bottom of your heart” (1 Peter 1:22), love to the end, and sacrifice

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 15-16/2024
Who Is Alleged Trump Golf Course Gunman Ryan Wesley Routh?
Zachary Folk/ The Daily Beast./September 15, 2024
The suspected gunman involved in what authorities are calling an apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump was identified by authorities as Ryan Wesley Routh Sunday night. He allegedly carried an AK-47-style rifle with a scope onto the grounds near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He also had two backpacks filled with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera hanging on a nearby fence. Secret Service agents allegedly confronted and shot at Routh after noticing a rifle barrel sticking out of a nearby chain link fence just one hole ahead of the former president as he played a round with real estate developer Steve Witkoff on Sunday afternoon. He was roughly 400-500 yards away from Trump, authorities revealed at a press conference following the incident. Authorities found two black backpacks, a GoPro camera, and AK-47-style rifle and scope after a Secret Service agent foiled what is believed to have been an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Authorities found two black backpacks, a GoPro camera, and AK-47-style rifle and scope after a Secret Service agent foiled what is believed to have been an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
A witness told investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office that they then saw a man leap out of the bushes and take off in a black Nissan. The witness was even able to grab a photo of the car, which helped authorities track the suspect down.
The Nissan was eventually pulled over by deputies in neighboring Martin County, after a license plate reader got a hit on the vehicle while driving on I-95. Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder told Local10 News that the driver was “relatively calm” and “not displaying a lot of emotions.”The alleged gunman who is believed to have attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Sunday fled in a black Nissan that was later stopped by Florida police officers. The alleged gunman who is believed to have attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Sunday fled in a black Nissan that was later stopped by Florida police officers. A man believed to be Routh was arrested in 2002 after an armed standoff with police officers, the Greensboro News & Record reported. The dispute began when Routh put his hand on a gun during a traffic stop, the newspaper reported, before barricading himself for three hours inside United Roofing—a company based in Greensboro that records indicated he owned. Routh eventually surrendered and was charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, which the local paper reported was a fully automatic machine gun. He was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, hit and run, resisting an officer, and driving with a revoked license. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to probation on all charges, according to North Carolina court records. At some point, Routh relocated to Hawaii, where he ran what appears to be a construction firm for shed-like housing units. A phone number listed for the business goes straight to voicemail. John Miller, CNN’s law enforcement analyst, said he was more interested in Routh’s posts on social media—which included countless missives about supporting the Ukrainian forces in their continued fight against Russia’s invasion in 2022.
AK-47 Gunman With Scope Got in Range of Trump as He Golfed
“He goes deep into his his self-proclaimed involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, his efforts to recruit soldiers and bring them into the country, his claims that he has been there possibly as a fighter,” Miller told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Wolf Blitzer. The Daily Beast found two different websites dedicated to the cause of sending foreign fighters overseas—one for Ukraine, and another for a theoretical future conflict between Taiwan and China. Both websites prominently list Routh’s contact information. The phone number posted on both sites also goes straight to voicemail—but mentions his involvement in the Ukrainian and Taiwanese recruitment efforts, as well as his Hawaiian construction company. One of the websites appears to be dedicated to helping volunteer fighters travel to Ukraine and sign up for the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. However, it is currently unclear if Routh’s organization ever helped anyone reach the front lines. The Ukrainian Foreign Legion did not return a request for comment from the Daily Beast. Routh was also interviewed by the New York Times in 2023 about his recruitment efforts, the paper admitted on Sunday. He reportedly had no previous military experience, but told the paper he was trying to recruit Afghan soldiers who fled the Taliban to fight on the Ukrainian side. “I’m just a U.S. citizen that’s helping out,” he said. Oran Routh, the person of interest’s 35-year-old son, told CNN that he was a “loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man.”“I don’t know what’s happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent,” Oran told the network. Among some of the social media posts viewed by the Daily Beast, Routh expressed support for Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii representative, during her long-shot run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2020. A Hawaii-based man with the same name sent multiple small donations to Tulsi’s campaign in 2020, according to FEC records. They have not donated to another candidate’s campaign since.

FBI investigating another apparent assassination attempt against Trump. Here's what authorities say happened at a Florida golf course.
David Artavia/Yahoo News/September 15, 2024
One suspect was in custody, authorities said at a press briefing on Sunday.
Shots fired near Trump; suspect in custody, law enforcement saysScroll back up to restore default view.
The FBI is investigating an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump after a man armed with an AK-style rifle was spotted near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday. The Associated Press reported, citing three law enforcement sources, that the suspect has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. Trump, who was golfing with longtime friend and adviser Steve Witkoff, was unharmed and quickly moved to a secure location. This is the second apparent assassination attempt against Trump’s life within the last nine weeks.
What happened on Sunday, according to authorities
During a press briefing on Sunday, officials said that U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire after spotting the suspect near the golf course's perimeter. It remains unclear if the individual fired any shots before fleeing in an SUV. The suspect was taken into custody in a neighboring county. The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. ET, authorities said. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that the suspect, armed with an AK-style rifle, was positioned roughly 300 to 500 yards away from Trump, concealed in shrubbery that lines the course just a few holes ahead of where Trump was. Because Trump isn't the current president, the entire golf course was not surrounded with security — and an agent was sweeping the grounds just one hole ahead of Trump, Bradshaw said. "If he was [the president], we would've had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he's not, the security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible," he added.
Witness helped authorities track down suspect
The suspect fled in a vehicle but was quickly apprehended on I-95 in Martin County, north of Palm Beach. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the suspect was unarmed at the time of the arrest. Bradshaw said that a witness saw a man fleeing the golf course bushes. The witness took a photo of the suspect's black Nissan, and a license plate reader spotted the vehicle, which was apprehended by police a short while later.
FBI calls it another apparent ‘assassination attempt’ on Trump’s life
The FBI has confirmed it is investigating the incident as a potential assassination attempt. Law enforcement officials recovered the AK-style rifle from the scene and are processing additional items found at the location, including two backpacks and a GoPro camera.
The motive for the attack remains unclear.
After Sunday’s incident, Trump remained at the club for several hours while Secret Service agents double-checked the security at his Mar-a-Lago residence before he returned there safely, according to law enforcement. Trump emailed his supporters: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!" He added, “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, said on social media that the former president is “in good spirits.”Fox News host Sean Hannity said on air that he spoke to Trump and Witkoff after Sunday's incident. According to Hannity, the pair were golfing at the fifth hole when they heard "pop, pop, pop, pop." Witkoff said that within seconds, Secret Service agents "pounced" and "covered" Trump. According to Hannity, Witkoff said that after Secret Service agents protected him, Trump thanked all of them individually before saying: "'I was even. It was the fifth hole. I had a birdie putt. I really wanted to finish the hole.’ So classic Trump, if you ask me.” Vice President Kamala Harris said she was "glad" that Trump was safe. "Violence has no place in America," she posted on X. President Biden in a statement commended the work of law enforcement agencies who protected Trump, and said he was "relieved" that Trump was unharmed. "As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety," Biden's statement read.
Questions about security
On July 13, he was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pa. One rallygoer was killed and two others were injured. Secret Service killed the shooter, identified as a 20-year-old who climbed to the roof of a building nearby. A bipartisan House task force investigating the July assassination attempt requested a briefing from the Secret Service this week about Sunday's apparent assassination attempt. "The Task Force is monitoring this attempted assassination of former President Trump in West Palm Beach this afternoon. We have requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded,” Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado said. After that attack, the Secret Service came under scrutiny. The agency acknowledged denying some requests from Trump's team for increased security at his events in the years leading up to the most recent incident. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned amid scrutiny over the agency's handling of Trump's security. Since July, authorities have increased security measures around Trump. However, because Trump isn't the current president, the entire golf course was not surrounded with security — and an agent was sweeping the grounds just one hole ahead of Trump, Bradshaw said. "If he was [the president], we would've had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he's not, the security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible," he continued. "They provided exactly what the protection should have been, and their agent did a fantastic job," Bradshaw added.

Netanyahu: Israel to exact heavy price from Houthis for attack
Jerusalem Post/September 15/2024
PM: "We are in a multi-front campaign against Iran's evil axis that strives to destroy us. Anyone who attacks us will not escape."Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to exact a heavy price from the Houthis for its missile attack against central Israel on Sunday.
“This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory,” Netanyahu told his government during its weekly meeting. “They should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” he stated. “Those who need a reminder in this matter are invited to visit the port of Hodeidah,” Netanyahu said in a reference to an Israeli reprisal attack in July. “Anyone who attacks us will not escape,” Netanyahu said, explaining that Hamas has already learned this. From Yemen to Israel in under 15 minutes
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group struck with a new hypersonic ballistic missile that traveled 2,040 km (1270 miles) in just 11 1/2 minutes. Israel's military said the missile fell in an open area, and nobody was hurt.
Reuters saw smoke billowing in an open field in central Israel, though it was not immediately possible to determine if the missile or interceptor debris caused the fire. The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group, have fired missiles at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March. Apart from missiles, the Houthis have also attacked Israel with drones, including one that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July, killing a man and wounding four people. That attack prompted Israeli air strikes on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah that killed six and wounded 80. Israel should expect more strikes in the future "as we approach the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 operation, including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah," Sarea said. The deputy head of the Houthi's media office, Nasruddin Amer, said in a post on X on Sunday that the missile had reached Israel after "20 missiles failed to intercept" it, describing it as the "beginning."
The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon on Sunday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas. "No injuries were reported," the military said. The Houthi attack is part of the multi-front war Israel is fighting with Iranian proxy groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah along its northern border. Netanyahu told the government, "We are in a multi-front campaign against Iran's evil axis that strives to destroy us.”He pledged to return the 101 hostages in Gaza. Concerning the north, where there has been a cross-border IDF-Hezbollah war since October 8, he pledged that the residents who have been evacuated since then would return home and that “the status quo would not continue.”“This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.
‘I am committed to it, the government is committed to it, and we will not settle for less than that,” he said. Reuters contributed to this report.

Houthi rebels say they struck Israel with a 'new hypersonic ballistic missile' that flew more than 1,200 miles in just over 11 minutes
Rebecca Rommen/Business Insider/September 15, 2024
The Houthi rebels said they had struck Israel with a hypersonic ballistic missile. They said the missile flew more than 1,200 miles in just over 11 minutes. The prime minister of Israel has said that the group will pay a "heavy price" for the attack. Yemen's Houthi rebels have said that the militant group struck Israel using a "new hypersonic ballistic missile." Yahya Sarea, a spokesperson for the Houthis, said that the missile took just 11 and a half minutes to travel more than 1,200 miles. The Israel Defense Forces said that it had identified a surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen over central Israel. It said that the projectile "most likely fragmented in mid-air" before falling in an open area. "No injuries were reported," the IDF said on X. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since said that the Houthis would pay a "heavy price" for the attack. The Houthis have exchanged air strikes with Israel since October in a show of support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its war with Israel, which began following Hamas' October 7 attacks. Sarea said that as the anniversary of the attacks approaches, Israel should expect more strikes, "including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah," per Reuters. Sarea was referring to Israeli strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in July, which killed at least six people. The Israel-Houthi conflict has also led to chaos around the Red Sea, with the Houthis repeatedly targeting shipping in the region and drawing the US Navy into what one analyst described as the service's most intense combat since World War II. The Houthis have made a notable push to amass a wide range of anti-ship weapons —including cruise and ballistic missiles — in recent years, with Iran acting as its key source of anti-ship missile technology, according to Fabian Hinz, a research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. Hinz said that while the Houthis have pointed to Hamas' October 7 attacks as the reason for its targeting of shipping, Iran's provision of anti-ship weapons to the group began long before then, suggesting a "long-term Iranian focus on strengthening Houthi anti-ship capabilities."

Houthis say 'new hypersonic ballistic missile' launched at Israel, vows more attacks
Jerusalem Post/September 15/2024
The Iranian proxy group claimed that "Israel should anticipate more attacks in the weeks leading up" to the October 7 massacre. Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack that reached central Israel for the first time on Sunday, saying the group employed a "new hypersonic ballistic missile" in a "specific military operation" targeting the Tel Aviv area, in a statement from the group's military spokesperson. The Iranian proxy falsely added that Israel had failed to intercept the missile. While the IDF's Arrow system failed to bring the missile down before entering Israeli airspace, it did ultimately intercept it. "It crossed a distance of 2,040 km in 11 and a half minutes and caused a state of fear and panic among the Zionists, as more than two million Zionists headed to shelters for the first time in the history of the Israeli enemy," the military spokesperson added. The spokesperson continued saying that the attack came as the result of the group's efforts in developing missile technologies capable of bypassing naval, ground, and aerial interception systems. "The geographical challenges, the American-British aggression, and the monitoring, espionage, and interception systems will not prevent beloved Yemen from performing its religious, moral, and humanitarian duty in solidarity with the Palestinian people," the statement added. More attacks to come, spokesperson saysز The spokesperson affirmed that Israel should anticipate more attacks in the weeks leading up to the anniversary of "the blessed October 7 operation," when Hamas and Gazan civilians infiltrated Israeli territory, massacred some 1200 people, and took more than 250 people hostage. The attacks that the Houthis would launch, the spokesperson said, would come in support of the Palestinian people and as a response to the Israel Air Force's July operation, which saw the IAF target Houthi infrastructure in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.

Israeli military says 3 hostages were ‘most likely’ killed in November strike
Dana Karni and Lauren Izso, CNN/September 15, 2024
The Israeli military says that three Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza in December were “most likely” killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike. The hostages were two soldiers - Corporal Nick Beiser and Sergeant Ron Sherman – and and civilian man, Eliya Toledano. Recovering the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7 is one of the main goals of Israel’s campaign in Gaza and the government is under intense domestic pressure to secure their release. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the families of all three were informed Sunday after the conclusion of the investigation, which involved intelligence and operational research efforts and considerations of the security of the hostages. “It is estimated that the three were most likely killed as a by-product of an IDF airstrike, during the assassination of the commander of the northern division of Hamas, Ahmed Andor, on November 10, 2023.”“This is an estimate with a high probability in view of all the data, but it is not possible to determine with certainty the circumstances of their death,” the IDF said. “This determination is based on the location where their bodies were found in relation to the impact of the attack,” as well as intelligence findings and pathological reports. “The investigation shows that the three hostages were held in the tunnel complex where Andor operated. At the time of the attack, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the compound that was attacked, and moreover, there was information that indicated their location elsewhere.”The IDF said that throughout the war, it has not attacked in areas where there are indications or suspicions about the presence of hostages. The bodies of the three hostages were retrieved from the tunnel where Andor had been staying on December 14. Later that month Hamas claimed that the three hostages were “killed by IDF weapons.”A total of 101 hostages are still being held in Gaza, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). 35 of those are believed to be dead. Hostage release efforts are ongoing and gained new urgency earlier this month with the discovery of the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah, including the Israeli-American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. US officials are trying to get both sides to agree to a deal first laid out by US President Joe Biden in May. The three-phase proposal pairs the release of hostages with a “full and complete ceasefire.”
Since then talks have stuttered and both sides have pointed to what they see as glaring holes in the framework, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting that Israel’s forces will never leave the stretch along the Egypt-Gaza border known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

Palestinians to ‘jointly lead post-war Gaza’
AFP/September 15, 2024
ISTANBUL: A senior Hamas official said on Sunday that the group wants “joint Palestinian rule” in Gaza once war ends in the besieged territory. “Clearly, we said that the next day must be Palestinian ... the day after the battle is a Palestinian day,” Osama Hamdan said during an interview in Istanbul. He said that the Palestinian movement had ample resources to continue fighting Israel despite losses sustained over more than 11 months of war in Gaza. “The resistance has a high ability to continue,” Hamdan said. “There were martyrs and sacrifices ... but in return, there was an accumulation of experiences and the recruitment of new generations into the resistance.” His comments came less than a week after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told journalists that Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack triggered the war, “no longer exists” as a military formation in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched retaliatory military operations to destroy Hamas after the group’s surprise attack on southern Israel. The Israeli military campaign has killed at least 41,206 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not provide breakdowns of civilian and militant deaths.Netanyahu is facing mounting domestic pressure to seal a deal in which hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s announcement this month that the bodies of six hostages had been recovered from a tunnel in Gaza after they were “executed’ by Hamas spurred an outpouring of grief and anger, leading to a brief general strike and large-scale demonstrations that continued in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday night. But months of negotiations aimed at securing a truce have apparently stalled. In the interview on Sunday, Hamdan said the US, Israel’s most crucial military backer, was not doing enough to force concessions from Netanyahu that would end the bloodshed. “The American administration does not exert sufficient or appropriate pressure on the Israeli side,” Hamdan said.“Rather, it is trying to justify the Israeli side’s evasion of any commitment.”During two press conferences after officials announced the deaths of the six hostages earlier this month, Netanyahu said it was Hamas who refused to compromise and vowed “not to give in to pressure” on remaining sticking points. He also said Israel’s military campaign had killed “no less than 17,000” Hamas militants.

UAE will not back postwar Gaza plans without Palestinian state
Arab News/September 15, 2024
DUBAI: The UAE is not prepared to support a postwar plan for Gaza that does not include a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on X on Saturday. “The UAE is not ready to support the day after the war in Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state,” his post on X said. Anwar Gargash, an Emirati diplomatic adviser and a former minister of state, said Sheikh Abdullah’s statement made clear that the UAE rejects anything but a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel. “The statement by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed that the UAE is not prepared to support the day after the war in Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state reflects our firm and steadfast position in supporting our Palestinian brothers and our conviction that there is no stability in the region except through a two-state solution,’’ Gargash wrote on X.“The UAE will stand by the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination,” he added. Earlier, the UAE called for a temporary international mission to lay the foundation for a new form of governance in Gaza after the war ends. In a statement, Reem bint Ebrahim Al-Hashimy, the country’s minister of state for international cooperation, reaffirmed the UAE’s support for international efforts to achieve the two-state solution and for the mission that would help establish law and order and respond to the humanitarian crisis in postwar Gaza.

British ministers head to Gulf for talks on new trade deal
Reuters/September 16, 2024
LONDON: Britain’s new trade ministers visited the Gulf region on Monday in a first joint visit for talks on a possible trade deal, the government said. Trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds and minister for trade policy Douglas Alexander will meet their counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trade has been a weak point in Britain’s economy in recent years — with business groups pointing to Brexit as one cause. The government, elected after a landslide win for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in July, is also targeting trade deals with India, Switzerland and South Korea as part of its plan to boost economic growth. “I want to see a high-quality trade deal that supports jobs, helps UK companies sell their products to the region and increases choice for consumers — so it’s great to be here to discuss exactly that,” Reynolds said in a statement. Britain’s Business and Trade Department estimates a free trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council could boost the UK economy by 1.6 billion pounds ($2.10 billion) over the long run. Out of the Group of Seven advanced economies, Britain ranks bottom for growth in goods and services exports since 2019, even when accounting for the country’s large precious metals trade, according to national accounts data.

Jordan King Abdullah II accepts cabinet resignation, Jaafar Hassan appointed PM
Arab News/September 15, 2024
DUBAI: Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh's government, ordering it to stay in a caretaker capacity until the formation of a new cabinet, the Royal Hashemite Court said on Sunday.
The Jordanian King has appointed Jaafar Hassan as prime minister. Hassan, a widely respected technocrat, was Jordan's former planning minster. He recieved his education at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is also the head of King Abdullah's office. He will replace veteran diplomat and former palace advisor Al-Khasawneh, who is considered the longest-serving prime minister during King Abdullah II's reign. Khasawneh, 55, had headed the government since October 2020. He submitted his resignation on Sunday to King Abdullah II after parliamentary elections saw some gains for the Islamist opposition. In last week’s parliamentary election, an Islamic party emerged as the largest faction, in part because of the anger over the war in Gaza. The country's leading Islamist party, the Islamic Action Front, came out top in Tuesday's poll, winning 31 out of the 138 seats in parliament. The IAF is a political offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, and the result gives the Islamists their largest representation since 1989. The cabinet usually quits after a parliamentary election in line with a constitutional custom. Jordan's parliament is bicameral. In addition to the elected parliament there is also a senate with 69 members appointed by the monarch..

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 15-16/2024
The Only Deal Hamas Wants: Israel's Surrender
Bassam Tawil/ Gatestone Institute./September 15, 2024
Abandoning the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would enable Hamas to carry on with its decades-long practice of smuggling weapons into the enclave. It would also allow the new head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, to escape – along with many of the hostages with whom he is thought to be surrounding himself for protection -- through the tunnels into Egypt's Sinai Desert.
The most recent statement from Hamas makes it clear that the terror group wants Israel to leave the Gaza Strip before any hostages are freed.
According to some reports, Hamas has stated that it is willing to free the hostages in stages. It undoubtedly wants to hold on to as many hostages as possible as an "insurance policy" that Israel will not resume the war against the terror group and that the terrorist group will be able to have a free hand to attack Israel in the future. This implies that a large number of the hostages remain captive in the hands of the terror group for years. It is important to note that for the past 10 years, Hamas has been holding hostage two Israeli civilians who are believed to be still alive, as well as the remains of two IDF soldiers.
Hamas is willing to fight to the last Palestinian. The terror group does not care if tens of thousands of its own people lose their lives as a result of the war it began. Its No. 1 priority is to hold on to power after the war. Hamas is evidently hoping that a ceasefire-hostage deal will help it achieve its goal of retaining control over the Gaza Strip.
If the Biden-Harris administration wants to understand the real intentions and aims of Hamas, it just needs to look at what the terror group is saying in Arabic. Hamas and its allies are saying in Arabic that the only deal they would accept is one that results in Israel raising a white flag.
If Hamas is permitted to win the war, Iran and its other terror proxies, such as Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis, will gain confidence and feel more empowered. In addition, this will convey to Muslim Jihadis worldwide that Israel and the West are too weak to protect their people and values against Islamist terror organizations. This weakness will lead to more terrorism not only against Israel, but also the US and most Western nations.
Instead of applying pressure on Israel to end the war, the Biden-Harris administration needs to demand firmly that the Hamas murderers and rapists totally surrender, disarm, cede control over the Gaza Strip, and release all the hostages unconditionally.
All this needs urgently needs to take place before Iran breaks out its nuclear weapons and sets about attacking its oil-rich neighbors, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, again.
Abandoning the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would enable Hamas to carry on with its decades-long practice of smuggling weapons into the enclave. It would also allow the new head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, to escape – along with many of the hostages with whom he is thought to be surrounding himself for protection -- through the tunnels into Egypt's Sinai Desert. Pictured: A large Hamas tunnel between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, beneath the Philadelphi Corridor, discovered by the Israeli military on August 4, 2024. (Photo source: IDF)
The Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has repeated its demand that Israel withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip in order to reach a ceasefire-hostage agreement with Israel. Hamas, in other words, is demanding that Israel lose the war so that the terrorist group can regroup, rearm and prepare for more attacks on Israel like the one it launched on October 7, 2023. In that assault, 1,200 Israelis were murdered, with many raped, tortured and burned alive. Another 240 Israelis were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, where 101 are still being held as hostages, many of them already murdered (see here and here).
In a statement issued on September 12, Hamas said that its representatives informed Egyptian and Qatari mediators of their "positivity and flexibility to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, according to which the Israeli occupation army would withdraw from the entire territory of the Gaza Strip in a way that achieves the interests of the Palestinians and paves the way for a prisoner exchange deal."
A total Israeli withdrawal means that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would abandon the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah border-crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It also means that the IDF would abandon the Netzarim Corridor, which splits the northern part of the Gaza Strip from its south.
Abandoning the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would enable Hamas to carry on with its decades-long practice of smuggling weapons into the enclave. It would also allow the new head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, to escape – along with many of the hostages with whom he is thought to be surrounding himself for protection -- through the tunnels into Egypt's Sinai Desert.
Similarly, a withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor would facilitate the return of Hamas terrorists to the northern part of the Gaza Strip, thus bringing them closer to Israeli communities along the border.
According to Brig. Gen. (res.) Udi Dekel, head of the research program on the Palestinian arena at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS):
"Hamas is focused on survival and trying hard to create a myth whereby it cannot be defeated, in the expectation that domestic and international pressure on Israel will force it to halt the war. IDF chief Herzi Halevy addressed this issue on January 13, saying: 'The Hamas leadership is pinning its hopes on a ceasefire, and is convinced that this moment is near. The goals of the war are complex and hard to achieve and will take a long time – we said this from the first moment. To dismantle Hamas, steadfastness and patience are essential. We completed the dismantlement of Hamas' military framework in northern Gaza, and now the troops are engaged in missions to deepen and maintain these achievements in this area. There are still terrorists out there, there is still some infrastructure. We will continue to attack, to pursue, and to destroy'...
"At the current stage of the war, Israel needs a combination of two approaches: recapturing the northern Gaza Strip (north of the Gaza river) and deepening Israeli control there, and hermetically sealing the Philadelphi corridor, which is used for smuggling, as a practical solution to prevent Hamas and other terrorist groups from rearming."
The most recent statement from Hamas makes it clear that the terror group wants Israel to leave the Gaza Strip before any hostages are freed.
According to some reports, Hamas has stated that it is willing to free the hostages in stages. It undoubtedly wants to hold on to as many hostages as possible as an "insurance policy" that Israel will not resume the war against the terror group and that the terrorist group will be able to have a free hand to attack Israel in the future. This implies that a large number of the hostages remain captive in the hands of the terror group for years. It is important to note that for the past 10 years, Hamas has been holding hostage two Israeli civilians who are believed to be still alive, as well as the remains of two IDF soldiers.
In reality, ending the war now means an Israeli surrender, ensuring that Hamas can continue to control the Gaza Strip. Hamas wants to see Israel defeated and humiliated. The terror group seeks to proclaim victory and send a message to Israel's enemies that the October 7 atrocities were worth the high cost that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have paid.
Allowing Hamas to remain in power means that the terror group will pursue the Jihad (holy war) to murder more Jews and destroy Israel. As senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said shortly after the October 7 Hamas-led attack:
"The Al-Aqsa Flood (the name of the Hamas-led invasion of Israeli communities) is just the first time, and there will be a second, third, and fourth. Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove that country. We are not ashamed to say thus, with full force. We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again."
Hamas is willing to fight to the last Palestinian. The terror group does not care if tens of thousands of its own people lose their lives as a result of the war it began. Its No. 1 priority is to hold on to power after the war. Hamas is evidently hoping that a ceasefire-hostage deal will help it achieve its goal of retaining control over the Gaza Strip.
Mohammed Siam, a Palestinian political analyst closely associated with Hamas, underscored the terror group's disregard for the lives of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip:
"The price of freedom is sacrifices, and more sacrifices. In general, it can be said that the word surrender does not exist in Hamas's dictionary...
"Hamas's calculations come from a desire to sacrifice and die for the sake of God and attain martyrdom. For Hamas members, martyrdom and victory are the greatest goals. Hamas will never surrender."
If the Biden-Harris administration wants to understand the real intentions and aims of Hamas, it just needs to look at what the terror group is saying in Arabic. Hamas and its allies are saying in Arabic that the only deal they would accept is one that results in Israel raising a white flag.
If Hamas is permitted to win the war, Iran and its other terror proxies, such as Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis, will gain confidence and feel more empowered. In addition, this will convey to Muslim Jihadis worldwide that Israel and the West are too weak to protect their people and values against Islamist terror organizations. This weakness will lead to more terrorism not only against Israel, but also the US and most Western nations.
Instead of applying pressure on Israel to end the war, the Biden-Harris administration needs to demand firmly that the Hamas murderers and rapists totally surrender, disarm, cede control over the Gaza Strip, and release all the hostages unconditionally.
All this needs urgently needs to take place before Iran breaks out its nuclear weapons and sets about attacking its oil-rich neighbors, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, again.
If Hamas refuses to comply, the Biden-Harris administration and the rest of the world should fully support Israel's effort to destroy the terror group's military capabilities and remove it from power.
Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. The work of Bassam Tawil is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

How can Christians help Palestine?
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/September 15/2024
Lebanon’s Maronite patriarchate, in its monthly statement, expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine. The statement mentioned the atrocities that the people in Palestine and in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa are being subjected to and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The Maronite patriarchate has a very special position. It is an institution independent from any political body, yet it is very influential on the Lebanese political scene. Because the Lebanese patriarchate is a very important church in the East, it, along with other Christian churches in the East and the Arab world, can play an important role in resolving this conflict. The West and its average citizens have a generally negative image of the Arab world. However, the Western world feels a lot of compassion with Christians in the East, who are viewed as the early Christians in the birthplace of the faith. Hence, their voice will be amplified in the Western world. The church and the Christians can help Palestine by engaging with the Western world. However, by doing so, the Christians will be taking a prominent place in public affairs in the region. We need to remember that Christians were among the pioneers of the Arab renaissance. They have had an enlightening role in our region. The various liberation movements of the 20th century had Christian thinkers behind them. Unfortunately, the role of Christians has been in decline in recent years. Continuous wars and conflict have led to an exodus of Christians from the region. The Western world has been very welcoming to Christian immigration, meaning their numbers and role in the Arab world have diminished.
The Christian exodus has been bad news for the Middle East, as their previous role contributed to the region’s cultural wealth and diversity. Their presence is needed today more than ever. It is needed both in the region and as a bridge to the Western world.
Last year’s Christmas sermon by the Rev. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian pastor and theologian, about Jesus being born under the rubble of Bethlehem had a strong echo in the Western world. The average Westerner tends to listen more to pastors and other clergymen like him than the average Arab or Palestinian. Despite the support the church has shown to the people of Gaza, there has been no organized effort to influence US public opinion. The church could send clergymen to visit churches in the US to discuss the plight of people in Palestine and, more specifically, the plight of Christians in Palestine. Israel has bombed the third-oldest church in the world in Gaza. The settler movement is eyeing Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, which is a revered site for Christians. Christians are being driven from their homes to complete the Judaification of the city.
Though the church does not like to get involved in politics, this is a humanitarian issue that needs to be addressed.
Christians in the East can play an important role in changing the American perspective toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, pushing the US to take a more balanced approach. When the average person sees the suffering of the Palestinian Christians, their view of Israel will change significantly. When their view changes, the salience of the issue will increase and they will start pressuring their elected officials to take a strong position on the issue. This is how policies are formed in the US and this is how lobbying is conducted. You influence public opinion, which then reflects on the political class and on policymaking. Therefore, engagement with the Christian church in the US is key and the Christians from the region are the best emissaries to undertake this task. Israel, for example, has a long relationship with the Christian Zionists. It engages with them despite their antisemitic streak because they constitute a critical mass at the heart of the Republican Party. But who will take the initiative? How can it be done? The starting point is the church. Churches should start a conference to take a formal position on Palestine. The second step would be for each church to designate a number of clergymen to be sent to the US. Those churches should communicate with churches in the US and organize visits. They should engage with American congregations. This would create a grassroots movement in support of a balanced solution to the problem. This would be relatively easy to fund. One hurdle facing Palestinian activism in the past has been the funding. People are worried about being accused of financing terrorism if they fund any activity related to Palestine. However, no one will attack people for donating to a church.
Once the Christian movement proves itself and makes a difference in American policy, it will automatically gain influence at home. It will also create a platform for Christians to have an increased role in the region. Though the church does not like to get involved in politics, this is a humanitarian issue that needs to be addressed. The results might not be immediate, because changing perceptions and creating grassroots movements are long-term processes, but the potential benefits are definitely worth the effort.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

A deeper Harris-Trump discussion is needed
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/September 15/2024
The presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris last week marked a pivotal moment in the 2024 election cycle. With more than 67 million viewers tuning in, it was clear that the stakes were high and both candidates had something to prove. For Trump, it was a chance to reaffirm his leadership credentials after a turbulent presidency and bid for a second term. For Harris, it was an opportunity to assert herself as a worthy successor to Joe Biden and a viable leader in her own right.
The debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia served as a litmus test for the candidates’ ability to engage voters in a highly polarized political environment. The discussion was marked by sharp exchanges, heated rhetoric and strategic maneuvering, particularly on Harris’ part. Her calculated jabs, like calling Trump “weak and wrong,” played into the broader Democratic narrative that Trump’s leadership had faltered on multiple fronts — from his handling of the economy to his foreign policy decisions.
Yet, while the vice president demonstrated a commanding presence on stage, the question that loomed large was whether this performance would translate into tangible electoral gains. Polls conducted immediately after the debate showed Harris outperformed Trump by a significant margin, with 63 percent of viewers declaring her the winner. But despite her strong showing, the polls also revealed a crucial reality: the debate had little effect on shifting voters’ loyalties. Only 4 percent of viewers indicated that they had changed their mind about who to vote for as a result of the debate, underscoring how entrenched partisanship has become. This debate also highlighted a key issue: the role of the moderators and their selective fact-checking. Trump was repeatedly fact-checked during the debate, while Harris’ statements — some of which were equally questionable — were left unchecked. This discrepancy did not go unnoticed by Trump supporters, who saw it as evidence of media bias. One particularly glaring example was Harris’ comments on Trump’s statements following the 2017 Charlottesville protests, which she mischaracterized. Despite her misrepresentation, the moderators chose not to correct her on this point.
These omissions raise concerns about the media’s role in shaping public perception, especially in an environment where trust in institutions is already low. For Trump supporters, this perceived bias only reinforced the idea that their candidate is battling not just Harris but an entire political and media establishment that is aligned against him. On the other hand, Harris’ supporters applauded her performance as evidence of her readiness to lead the country. Her ability to deflect her opponent’s attacks and stay on message was seen as a sign that she could maintain composure under pressure — a critical trait for any presidential candidate. However, this raises a broader question: If Kamala Harris is indeed as capable as she claims, why has she not already implemented the changes she is promising, given her current position as vice president?
In her current role, Harris has had the opportunity to influence major policy decisions over the past four years. From immigration reform to economic recovery, she has been at the forefront of the Biden administration’s efforts to address some of the country’s most pressing challenges. Yet, many of the issues she now pledges to tackle remain unresolved. Her promise to bring new leadership to the White House rings hollow when considering that she has already been in a position of significant power.
The omission of certain topics points to a broader issue with the debate format itself: it often favors style over substance. This paradox did not escape the attention of Trump, who repeatedly emphasized that Harris’ policy proposals lacked credibility. He pointed out that, despite her time in office, she has not pushed through the reforms she now advocates. Instead, Trump portrayed himself as the candidate who has consistently delivered on his promises, citing his economic record before the pandemic and his handling of international affairs as examples of his effectiveness.
In contrast to Harris’ more polished, prepared approach, Trump opted for a more unorthodox style, as he has in past debates. Instead of meticulously rehearsing responses, he focused on broader themes that resonate with his base, such as immigration, national security and economic recovery. In these areas, polls consistently show that voters trust Trump more than Harris, especially in key swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. The dynamic between the two candidates was also reflected in the issues they chose to highlight — or avoid. Harris focused primarily on Trump’s character, attacking his business record and his handling of the presidency. The former president, in turn, questioned Harris’ competence and leadership, emphasizing her lack of experience on the national stage compared to his own. What was notably absent from the debate were discussions on significant recent events, such as the assassination attempt on Trump or Harris’ position on the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The omission of these topics points to a broader issue with the debate format itself: it often favors style over substance. Candidates are rewarded for delivering sharp soundbites and emotional appeals rather than engaging in substantive discussions on policy. This trend is concerning because it leaves voters with little information about the candidates’ positions or future plans. Instead, the debate becomes a spectacle designed to entertain rather than inform.
The race remains tight as the election draws closer, particularly in battleground states, where polling shows a near-even split between the candidates. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin will likely be decisive in determining the election’s outcome, much as they were in 2016 and 2020. Despite Harris’ strong debate performance, both candidates’ path to victory remains uncertain.
Ultimately, the true impact of this debate may not be felt until election day, when voters cast their ballots based not just on what the candidates have said but on how they made them feel. In politics, it is often the tone, the delivery and the demeanor that leave the most lasting impression. As history has shown, voters may forget the specifics of what was said during a debate, but they will always remember how the politician made their case. For Harris and Trump, the legacy of this debate will likely be shaped by how effectively each candidate communicated their vision for the country, not just the words they used.
As the nation reflects on last week’s debate, it becomes clear that a second debate is necessary, even though Trump has apparently ruled out that possibility. Though engaging, the first debate saw personal attacks and accusations overshadow any substantive discussions on the country’s critical issues. Voters deserve an in-depth conversation on policy beyond rhetoric, from the economy to healthcare and foreign affairs. A more focused and respectful debate would allow both candidates to clarify their positions and offer real solutions, ensuring the electorate can make an informed choice in this pivotal election.
• Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.

STEM skills need blending with critical thinking for career success in a tech-driven future
Arnab Neil Sengupta/Arab News/September 15/2024
It may seem impractical, even insensitive, to urge idealistic young men and women in the Middle East and the broader Arab diaspora to prioritize their own futures over those of others. However, if they follow this advice, they may end up advancing not only their own futures but everyone else’s too. In an interconnected world, where goods, services, capital, people, data and ideas flow across borders, a rising tide can lift even distant boats. But how can one plan for a secure future in such a rapidly evolving job market? Gone are the days when careers in engineering, medicine, the military or law guaranteed financial stability and fulfillment. The future of work demands flexibility, adaptability and continuous learning just to stay abreast of new technologies and practices. The alternatives, for individuals as well as entire communities, are falling behind, becoming dependent on social welfare programs or, worse, both.
The future can seem so daunting at times that some young people justifiably wonder if opting out of the rat race altogether might be the wisest choice. Indeed, the concept of “lying flat,” a trend among some young professionals in China, appeals to many of their peers globally, including students who spend months cramming for competitive exams just to gain admission to an engineering college. But alas, there is no turning back the clock to a more relaxed era, just as there is no halting the wheel of social and civilizational progress. If new job opportunities are not emerging in familiar fields or are becoming ever more specialized, the next generation has no choice but to adapt.There is no magic solution to problems like post-interview rejection, career stagnation or redundancy. But one can certainly try to stay informed, be adaptable and recognize the need for some essential skills, namely critical thinking and problem-solving; creativity and innovation; data analysis and interpretation; digital literacy; communication and collaboration; and emotional intelligence and empathy.
Not everyone is cut out for a career in science, technology, engineering and math, but it is undeniable that STEM graduates are more likely to quickly secure jobs and earn a good livelihood. Programming, software development and data structures — core aspects of computer science — are the building blocks of the modern world. Roles like software engineer, developer and systems architect are consistently in demand. In both advanced and emerging economies, skills in data analysis, machine learning and big data are highly sought after in industries like finance, healthcare and retail. Similarly, opportunities in cloud computing are limitless for those with the right training. Mastery of platforms like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure is becoming essential for tech infrastructure roles.
As with data science and analytics, the growing potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning is evident in the exploding demand for AI-related jobs, spanning sectors from healthcare to entertainment. While AI may eliminate about 83 million jobs globally, it is expected to create about 69 million new, high-paying, in-demand roles. The future of work demands flexibility, adaptability and continuous learning just to stay abreast of new technologies and practices. Cybersecurity professionals are also in high demand, particularly in the affluent Gulf countries, notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where oil and gas companies are prime targets for hackers.Beyond the tech sector, specializing in software for industries like automotive, aerospace or manufacturing can open many career opportunities. The classic engineering disciplines — electrical, mechanical and civil — remain essential, especially with the rise of green energy, smart cities and infrastructure development. For those with a natural inclination toward healthcare, biotechnology or life sciences, the prospects are equally promising. Innovation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and genetic research is creating opportunities in bioengineering, research and diagnostics. Expertise in public health and epidemiology has gained increased value, especially post-pandemic. Looking ahead, roles in nursing, medicine and allied health services will be critical, driven by an aging population and the attendant rise in healthcare demand.
Other fields set to grow in importance include sustainability and environmental studies, particularly renewable energy and environmental engineering, as well as urban planning, resource management and environmental policy. Entrepreneurship is also on the rise, with courses in innovation and startup management equipping students to launch businesses, especially in the tech and e-commerce sectors.
Even for those interested in STEM but unsure about mastering it, plenty of career options remain: digital marketing, content creation, logistics and supply chain management, STEM education and training, corporate training and development, technology law, international law and diplomacy, and AI ethics and philosophy. As AI continues to transform industries, economies and governance, it is crucial to develop skills that complement automation and AI technologies. No matter how challenging it seems, embracing lifelong learning and skills aligned with AI may equip young people for long and fulfilling careers.
However, choosing a lucrative career path should not be the sole aim in life. In fact, research from the UAE-based Sawab Center, a think tank focused on countering extremist ideology, suggests that even students enrolled in technical or STEM courses should study social sciences or humanities. These subjects help to cultivate “logic and critical thinking, which discourages closed-mindedness and excessive certainty.”While pursuing low-risk, high-reward educational paths is undoubtedly key to career success, the humanities and social sciences have a vital role to play in fostering the critical thinking and open-mindedness essential for navigating an ever-evolving, tech-driven world of work.
*Arnab Neil Sengupta is a senior editor at Arab News. X: @arnabnsg

Algeria after President Tebboune’s overwhelming election victory
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/September 15/2024
In an election marked by apathy and skepticism, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune secured an overwhelming — albeit predictable — victory, clinching 94 percent of the vote when Algerians went to the polls last week.
Yet the landslide result raises as many questions as it answers. With fewer than 6 million of 24 million eligible voters participating, the abysmally low turnout is a strange contrast to the decisive result, revealing cracks in a facade of democratic legitimacy.
The victor’s reelection campaign, framed nostalgically as a choice for “Uncle Tebboune,” might have struck a chord with some sections of the electorate but the broader narrative here is one of enduring disillusionment.
This was particularly evident given the legacy of his first term in office, a tenure marred by persistent economic challenges, high living costs, severe drought conditions, and wildfires that have compounded the nation’s political difficulties. The 78-year-old president’s personal political journey is closely linked to his nation’s volatile political climate, shaped significantly by the 2019 pro-democracy Hirak protests that led to the ousting of his predecessor, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Despite the impressive vote tally last week, Tebboune’s claim on presidential legitimacy remains contentious. The election process itself, criticized for irregularities by independent observers and even by Tebboune’s own party, has cast a shadow over the authenticity of his mandate.
This skepticism is not unfounded; the electoral exercise was perceived by many as a rubber-stamp operation to reinforce the status quo, rather than as a meaningful democratic endeavor. Activists openly condemned a preelection crackdown that only fueled the narrative that genuine political pluralism in Algeria remains a distant dream.
The existential question for President Tebboune’s second term revolves around his capacity to transition from electoral consolidation to substantive governance. Can he translate the electoral mandate he received into action that addresses Algeria’s pressing socioeconomic issues, while pacifying a populace weary of unfulfilled promises?
During his first term there were attempts to leverage the country’s oil and gas revenues to help ease public discontent through the enhancement of social benefits. However, these measures, while palliative, did little to address the root causes of the unrest that has plagued Algeria and exasperated his administration.
Facing a second term with the weight of public expectation and scrutiny on his shoulders, Tebboune must now navigate a path that not only bolsters his claims of legitimacy but also engenders tangible sociopolitical and economic progress.
Firstly, while the nation’s hydrocarbon windfall can offer some temporary relief, long-term solutions must address systemic economic fragility. Tebboune’s administration faces the monumental task of diversifying an economy in which hydrocarbons constitute 95 percent of export revenues and fund vital social programs.
Ramped-up foreign interest in Algeria’s natural gas, particularly from Europe as an alternative to Russian supplies, underscores this urgency. However, meaningful progress will demand structural reforms, from efforts to attract diversified sources of investment to plans for tackling unemployment, especially among the nation’s youth. Without such actions, economic stability will remain shackled to the whims of volatile energy markets.
Secondly, the geopolitical challenges Algeria faces remain formidable. A growing military entente between Morocco and Israel, following the US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, has strained Algeria’s regional posture and escalated its military preparedness.
The presence of Russian mercenaries in Mali and the continuing political gridlock in Libya increase the burden on the security apparatus, further stretching Algeria’s attention and focus. Meanwhile developments in the Sahel region’s “coup belt,” marked by military takeovers of countries, diminishes the region’s stability, and exacerbates complex cross-border threats.
The real test for the Tebboune administration lies in balancing a growing militarized ethos with genuine democratic engagement.
Moreover, while French and American military withdrawals have been compensated for, in part, by Russian private military company Wagner Group, this represents a delicate balancing act for Algeria, which historically has opposed external interventions.
Tebboune’s administration must navigate these external pressures while addressing internal expectations for democratic reforms that have been stifled by an omnipresent security discourse, creating a virtual tightrope for him to walk in a country that has a history of civil strife, combined with a heightened sense of vulnerability among the populace.
Thirdly, the enhanced prominence and visibility of military institutions exacerbates this fragility. Tebboune has frequently appeared alongside the army’s chief of staff, Said Chengriha, and the increased public presence of the military signals a deviation from its traditional behind-the-scenes influence.
Although this overt association might solidify the regime’s control in the short term, it risks alienating civilian support and perpetuating distrust among the populace. Tebboune’s second term will therefore have to navigate a complex political terrain in which a blurring of the lines between military and civilian governance might spur resistance.
A revised constitutional framework declaring the military to be the protector of the nation’s “vital and strategic interests” portends a scenario in which ambiguous legal language empowers the army to intervene in civilian affairs under loosely defined terms.
This new electoral landscape, coupled with legislative changes that curtail parliamentary oversight, could potentially stifle democratic reforms and catalyze dissent reminiscent of the powerful Hirak movement.
Provisions restricting public discourse on national defense, coupled with legal reforms that broaden the definition of terrorism to include actions perceived as threats to government stability, indicate an institutional clampdown poised to quash opposition.
Amid these measures, the treatment of civilian leaders and activists such as Karim Tabbou, who face stringent penalties for perceived insubordination, serve to accentuate an environment in which the pursuit of a democratic transition might clash forcefully with entrenched military power.
In this delicate dance of power, the real test for the Tebboune administration lies in balancing a growing militarized ethos with genuine democratic engagement, lest it further inflame and radicalize a populace wary of authoritarian overreach.
The persistent lack of new political figures since the Hirak movement underscores a failure to rejuvenate the Algerian political landscape. Previous crises, such as the 1988 riots and the turbulence of the 1990s, yielded new political movements and actors. But in the post-2019 era there has been a stifling rather than a flourishing of political diversity, as evidenced by the minimal success of new candidates in recent elections and allegations of judicial manipulations.
Persistently low voter turnout is increasingly reflective of pervasive skepticism toward supposed reforms, feeding disillusionment and, lately, apathy. With the military still embedded as a key political player in Algeria, fundamental shifts toward genuine democratic governance are likely to remain elusive.
Tebboune’s public reassurances of economic diversification are so far unfulfilled, further entwining the fate of the nation with its volatile hydrocarbon revenues. Meanwhile, the electoral cycle has only tightened the noose on dissent, casting a long shadow over the rule of law as new legislative measures will further suppress political freedoms under the guise of state security.
Meanwhile, integral regional parties, such as the Socialist Forces Front, struggle to mobilize voters who are disenchanted by systemic repression, even within their robust base in regions such as Kabylia.
Tebboune’s second term therefore risks widening the chasm between government proclamations and grassroots realities, a dichotomy that could more deeply entrench national frustration if left unaddressed.
Navigating these issues will require more than governance by decree; it will demand genuine engagement with political pluralism and economic transformation — avenues hitherto blocked but which are imperative for any substantive progress toward Tebboune’s purported vision for a “New Algeria.”
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell