English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 06/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Heals The Blind Beggar Bartimaeus the Son of
Timaeus
Mark/10/46-52/Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his
disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man,
Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!”Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he
shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said,
“Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s
calling you.”Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said,
“Rabbi, I want to see.””Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on April 05-06/2025
Text & Video/From Blindness to Belief: The Healing Miracle of Bartimaeus/Elias
Bejjani /April 05/2026
Morgan Ortagus Calls for Proposals to Disarm Hezbollah According to Resolution
1701/Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is Beieut/April 05/2025
Berri discusses with US envoy Morgan Ortagus 18 reform laws passed by Lebanese
Parliament
LF leader Geagea tells Morgan Ortagus: Disarming illegal armed groups is a
central Lebanese demand
Lebanese officials discuss south Lebanon with visiting US envoy
Ortagus holds 'constructive' talks with Aoun at start of Lebanon visit
Lebanese Army Deploys Troops Along Border with Syria
Morgan Ortagus and the Politics of Soft Power
FM Youssef Rajji meets US envoy Morgan Ortagus to discuss latest developments in
Israel is trying to destabilize Lebanon and Syria: Arab League chief
IMF deal hinges on reforms: Capital controls, bank restructuring at core of
Lebanon's new reform bill
Buffer zones and bombings: Israel's new strategy to pressure Lebanon
Interior Minister issues circular to promote women's participation in municipal
councils
The Reforms and the Situation at the Borders Are on the Agenda of Ortagus' Talks
in Beirut
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on April 05-06/2025
Iran Says Wants Dialogue 'on Equal Footing' with US
Netanyahu to Visit White House Monday for Crucial Talks with Trump
Netanyahu expected to talk tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, officials
say
Macron to hold Gaza summit with Egyptian, Jordanian leaders
Gaza under fire: Israel's tactic to push between Rafah and Khan Yunis amid
bombardment
Israeli general condemns West Bank settler riot, ‘vandalism’ by troops
Video shows last moments for slain Gaza aid workers, Red Crescent says
Kurdish fighters leave Aleppo as part of deal with Syrian government
Iran president fires deputy over pricey Antarctica trip
18 dead, 61 hurt in Russian missile strike on Ukraine city
Zelensky meets European military leaders to plan for a peacekeeping force
UK’s Starmer and France’s Macron share concerns over tariff impacts
Zelensky Slams 'Weak' US Reply to Russian Strike on His Hometown
French PM brands Trump support for Le Pen 'interference'
Anti-Trump Rallies Draw Thousands Across The US
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on April 05-06/2025
Question: “How could David be considered a man after God’s own heart?”/GotQuestions.org/April
05/2025
Iran's Regime Loves Talks and Talks and Talks: The Path to Nuclear Weapons/Dr.
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 5, 2025
A watershed moment in Israel-Lebanon ties/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 05,
2025
How North Africa is asserting itself in a changing world/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab
News/April 05, 2025
Europe needs to be pragmatic about defense spending/Luke Coffey/Arab News/April
05, 2025
First 100 days highlight prospect of a historic EU term/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/April 05, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on April 05-06/2025
Text & Video/From Blindness to Belief: The Healing Miracle of Bartimaeus
Elias Bejjani /April 05/2026
"I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that
those who see may become blind." - John 9:39
On this sixth Sunday of Lent, our Maronite Catholic Church prayerfully remembers
Jesus' powerful healing of Bartimaeus, the blind son of Timaeus. This
transformative event in Jericho, near the Pool of Siloam, is recorded in the
Gospels of Mark (10:46-52), John (9:1-41), and Matthew (20:29-34).
For Maronites in Lebanon and across the globe, Jesus is the sacred light that
guides believers along God's paths of righteousness. Without His illuminating
presence, the darkness of evil inevitably encroaches upon our hearts, souls, and
minds, leaving us vulnerable to temptation.
"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." - John 9:5
While some in our communities possess perfect physical sight, they may suffer
from a deeper spiritual blindness – a lack of faith, hope, and a life lived in
the shadows due to separation from God and His Gospel. In contrast, true
blindness is not merely a physical ailment, but a condition of the heart:
hardened, the conscience: numbed, and the spirit: defiled by sin.
John's Gospel provides crucial insight into Bartimaeus' life after his
miraculous healing. The scriptures reveal that he and his parents faced
intimidation, fear, threats, and terror for his newfound sight and faith. Yet,
he stood firm, refusing to deny the truth of his experience.
He recounted the miracle with unwavering accuracy, bravely witnessing to the
power of Jesus and proclaiming his strong conviction that the one who healed him
was the Son of God. His faith became his strength, banishing fear and granting
him courage. The Holy Spirit Himself interceded through him.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless
groans." - Romans 8:26
Our modern world often celebrates atheism and secularism, sometimes even
persecuting those who hold faith in God. We see echoes of the crowd who
initially scorned Bartimaeus, hypocritically trying to keep him from Jesus, only
to change their tune when Jesus Himself called for him.
Even today, Christian believers in many nations endure severe persecution from
oppressive regimes, extremist groups, and leaders who reject the truth. Yet,
thanks be to God, countless humble believers like Bartimaeus remain steadfast in
their faith, undeterred by any obstacle.
Lord, shine Your light into our minds and hearts, opening our eyes to Your
loving and merciful nature. Help us to follow Bartimaeus' example of unwavering
faith. Grant us the strength to overcome the sins that lead us away from Your
light, and deliver us from all evil temptations.
Text
& Video/The
Proposal for a “National Defense Strategy”: A Circumvention of International
Resolutions, a Violation of the Ceasefire Agreement, and a Renewed Surrender of
Lebanon to Hezbollah After Its Defeat and the Disasters It Caused
By: Elias Bejjani/April 05/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/141955/
Video links/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epC20HoYsKU&t=37s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6tfpbcvLpM&t=238s
It is both sad and disappointing that President Joseph Aoun proposed from Paris
the revival of the fallacy known as a "National Defense Strategy" that would
discuss the Iranian terrorist Hezbollah's weapons through a so-called
comprehensive Lebanese dialogue. This old-new proposal is the height of
hypocritical cleverness and a blatant attempt to maintain the occupation
hegemony of Hezbollah — a terrorist jihadist group entirely affiliated with the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard and an enemy of Lebanon and its people.
This proposal hands Hezbollah and Iran a political lifeline to escape the
implementation of the ceasefire agreement, which explicitly stipulates the
complete disarmament of Hezbollah across all Lebanese territory and the
exclusive use of force by the Lebanese Army alone.
In reality, this proposal is nothing more than a rescue operation for Hezbollah
from its current predicament — an attempt to legitimize the illegitimate, and a
clear circumvention of the ceasefire agreement signed by the previous Lebanese
government under Prime Minister Najib Mikati, with the participation of
Hezbollah's own ministers. The agreement was also approved and sponsored by
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who is simultaneously the head of the Shiite
Amal Movement, an ally of Hezbollah and its partner in the last war against
Israel — a war that ended with Hezbollah's crushing defeat, the near-total
destruction of the Bekaa, South Lebanon, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, the
killing of most of its leaders, and the displacement of tens of thousands from
the southern suburbs, the South, and the Bekaa.
Presidency and Government: An International Decision Imposed Despite Hezbollah,
Berri, and All Components of Iran’s Axis of Evil
It is necessary to remind both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam that neither of them reached their current positions through the will of
Hezbollah nor with the approval of Nabih Berri. They were imposed by
international and regional consensus following intense pressure to implement
international resolutions — foremost among them the ceasefire agreement and
Resolutions 1559, 1701, 1680, and the Taif Accord. All of these resolutions
clearly call for the disarmament of all Lebanese and Palestinian militias and
the exclusive handover of all weapons to the Lebanese Army without exception.
Therefore, any step taken by President Aoun or Prime Minister Salam that
contradicts these obligations is a rebellion against international will and a
dangerous squandering of the opportunity to rescue the Lebanese state from the
grip of Iranian hegemony.
Aoun and Salam’s Positions: Total Submission to Hezbollah and Sabotage of State
Liberation Efforts
What President Joseph Aoun — backed by Nawaf Salam — is proposing today is
nothing short of a complete surrender to Hezbollah’s will and a humiliating
submission to Nabih Berri. It is a direct obstruction of all international and
regional efforts aimed at ending Hezbollah’s occupation of Lebanon and restoring
the kidnapped state. Therefore, the call for “dialogue” regarding Hezbollah’s
weapons is a misleading tactic that only serves to keep the weapons in place
under the excuse of future agreement.
This position blatantly violates the ceasefire agreement, all international
resolutions, and the Taif Accord. It offers dangerous political cover for the
continued Iranian occupation of Lebanon. If the President and Prime Minister are
either unwilling or unable to implement the commitments that brought them to
power, then they must resign immediately — rather than serving as false
witnesses to the crime of keeping Lebanon hostage to a terrorist,
Iranian-controlled gang that is fully and directly affiliated with the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Nawaf Salam: A Nasserist Leftist Living in the Time of Abdel Nasser
In the context of this rebellion against the ceasefire agreement, it is
important to note that Nawaf Salam is not a sovereign Lebanese statesman. He is
a product of the Nasserist-Arabist school that still lives in the delusions of
Abdel Nasser and his dream of "throwing Israel into the sea." He previously
worked with the Palestinian Liberation Organization and holds a deeply
ideological hatred toward Israel, completely at odds with the new phase of
building peace and stability in the region. This defeated ideological path
followed by Salam and his peers cannot build a functioning state. Instead, it
would drag Lebanon back to the era of occupation, destruction, and militias.
Morgan Ortagus in Beirut: Washington Is Not Pleased
Coinciding with these developments, American envoy Morgan Ortagus has arrived in
Beirut, representing the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. During
her official meetings, she is expected to convey the Trump administration’s
dissatisfaction with the Lebanese state’s failure to implement the ceasefire
agreement and its suspicious hesitation to form official committees to engage in
talks with Israel about peace, normalization, and border demarcation. This
hesitation is a clear evasion of explicit commitments endorsed unanimously by
the previous government when it signed the ceasefire agreement. It also
obstructs the path toward a settlement that aims to dismantle Hezbollah's
Ministate and occupation and to restore a free, sovereign, and independent
Lebanese state.
Israel Is Implementing the Ceasefire Agreement Precisely
In the face of ongoing distortions and a willful blindness toward the terms of
the ceasefire agreement, it must be stated clearly: Contrary to the propaganda
spread by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah’s media, Israel is not waging a
war on Lebanon. Rather, it is strictly implementing the agreement’s provisions.The agreement stipulates that if Israel detects any violation by Hezbollah, it
must notify the Quintet Committee, which in turn informs the Lebanese state. If
the Lebanese Army fails to address the violation, Israel has the right to
eliminate the threat itself. What has been happening since the agreement was
signed is the precise implementation of its articles. Meanwhile, Hezbollah's
repeated violations are a blatant breach that exposes Lebanon to constant danger
due to the absence of state authority and its subjugation to Hezbollah, a group
fully subordinate to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
In Conclusion
What is required of President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam is to act as true
statesmen, not as political cover for Hezbollah's Mini-State Occupation. They
must fully uphold their international commitments without hesitation — or else
resign if they are not up to the historical responsibility for which the
international and regional consensus brought them to power: rescuing Lebanon and
ending the Iranian occupation.
Morgan Ortagus Calls for
Proposals to Disarm Hezbollah According to Resolution 1701
Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is Beieut/April 05/2025
Morgan Ortagus, the US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, surprised
Lebanese officials with a message that was more measured and diplomatic than
anticipated ahead of her visit. Rather than taking a harder line on disarming
Hezbollah, Ortagus approached the issue through the framework of UN Security
Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement. She underscored the need
for concrete proposals, emphasizing that such a process was crucial for any
future progress. Additionally, she made it clear that no reforms nor any
economic or financial recovery could succeed as long as weapons remained outside
the control of the Lebanese state. Ortagus also addressed the potential risks of
disarming Hezbollah, raising concerns with Lebanese officials about the fear
that the process could trigger civil war. The response from the Lebanese side
was unequivocal: such a scenario appeared unlikely. However, the Lebanese
government must demand that Hezbollah disarm within a set timeframe, in line
with an implementation plan yet to be defined. This step is particularly
important given that Hezbollah had accepted both Resolution 1701 and the
ceasefire agreement, neither of which grants the group the right to bear arms.
On the issue of violations of Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement,
Ortagus noted that violations persist on the Lebanese side. She stressed the
importance of intensifying meetings and contacts within the monitoring
commission to address these issues. Lebanon, for its part, reiterated the need
to stop Israeli violations, finalize the Israeli withdrawal, resolve the issue
of prisoners and clarify the disputed points along the Blue Line. Ortagus made
it clear to Lebanese officials that her stance on disarming Hezbollah and
reforms reflects not only that of the United States but also that of its allies,
including Arab countries. She concluded by stating that no progress, investment
or reconstruction could be envisioned as long as Hezbollah remained armed. In
related developments, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has decided to
create three diplomatic working groups to address the issues of occupation,
disputed points and prisoners. However, this decision is contingent upon the
effective implementation of the ceasefire. Once this condition is met, the other
issues can be addressed and the formation of these groups can proceed without
the involvement of diplomats, in line with Lebanon's wishes.
Berri discusses with US envoy Morgan Ortagus 18 reform laws
passed by Lebanese Parliament
LBCI/April 05/2025
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri met with U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to
the Middle East Morgan Ortagus at the second presidency headquarters in Ain
el-Tineh. The meeting was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson
and Speaker Berri's media advisor Ali Hamdan.The talks, which lasted over an
hour and included a one-on-one discussion between Berri and Ortagus, focused on
ongoing Israeli violations and attacks on Lebanese territory. Berri emphasized
that these acts, which continue to result in civilian casualties, constitute a
clear breach of the ceasefire agreement and United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1701. The discussion also covered the need for broad financial,
economic, and administrative reforms. Berri handed the U.S. envoy a list of 18
reform laws already passed by the Lebanese Parliament. He noted that Parliament
is still awaiting the submission of additional key reform bills, including those
related to bank restructuring, banking secrecy, and administrative
reforms—particularly concerning the Council for Development and Reconstruction.
Speaker Berri described the meeting as "positive and constructive."
LF leader Geagea tells Morgan Ortagus: Disarming illegal
armed groups is a central Lebanese demand
LBCI/April 05/2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea received U.S. Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus
at his residence in Maarab for wide-ranging talks on Lebanon's internal and
regional situation. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Natasha Franceschi and
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson accompanied Ortagus. MP Strida Geagea
and Executive Committee member Joseph Gebeily also attended the meeting. The
discussion centered on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and related
arrangements, particularly the full enforcement of U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701. The U.S. delegation and Lebanese officials stressed the need
for the Lebanese state to extend its authority over all its territory, disarm
Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, secure the Syrian border, ensure full
control of air and sea ports, and finalize Israel's withdrawal from remaining
occupied areas in South Lebanon. Talks also covered
reconstruction and economic revival efforts, which participants agreed must be
tied to establishing full state sovereignty and the exclusive possession of
weapons by legitimate state institutions. Geagea reaffirmed that disarming
illegal armed groups is a central Lebanese demand, describing it as the only
viable path toward a functional state. "Without a strong and effective state,
Lebanon will remain stuck in the same cycle it has endured for the past two
decades," he said
Lebanese officials discuss south Lebanon with visiting US envoy
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/April 05, 2025
BEIRUT: Senior Lebanese officials said Saturday’s discussions with the visiting
US deputy special envoy for the Middle East were positive, with talks focusing
on south Lebanon amid a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese
presidency described the meeting held on Saturday between Joseph Aoun and Morgan
Ortagus as “constructive.”It added that the discussion with President Aoun
“covered the situation in southern Lebanon and on the Lebanese-Syrian border, as
well as financial and economic reforms and combating corruption.”Ortagus arrived
in Beirut on Friday evening and held a series of meetings on Saturday with Aoun,
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanese Army
Commander Gen. Rodolph Haykal and Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea.
It marked her second visit to Lebanon, following a trip in early February during
which she made strong statements against Hezbollah. Hezbollah “will not be part
of the Lebanese government and it has been militarily defeated, signaling the
end of its reign of terror in Lebanon and globally,” she said at the time.
Additional meetings this week were scheduled between Ortagus and other
officials, including Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Economy Minister Amer Bisat
and newly appointed Central Bank Gov. Karim Souaid. Th Lebanese officials are
set to leave for New York City for the 2025 spring meetings of the World Bank
Group and International Monetary Fund, taking place from April 21-26.
Ortagus did not deliver a statement following the Lebanon meetings. Natasha
Franceschi, US deputy assistant secretary for the Levant and Syria, and US
Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson joined her during the talks. “Ortagus was
understanding, and the atmosphere of the meeting with her differed from the
previous time,” said a political source familiar with the meetings. Regarding
the disarmament of illegal weapons, the source said that Ortagus commended the
efforts of the Lebanese army in the south and highlighted the importance of
forces continuing their duties. The source added that the official position of
Lebanon, which all officials agreed to present to the American envoy on
Saturday, is that Lebanon is willing to negotiate with Israel on completing the
demarcation of the land border. “However, there will be no negotiations
regarding the release of Lebanese prisoners or Israel’s withdrawal from the five
Lebanese hills it still occupies,” they added. “These two matters are Israel’s
responsibility, and it must fully implement the ceasefire agreement, which
includes halting aggression against Lebanese territories.” The source said that
Ortagus highlighted the importance of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
She was briefed on Lebanon’s position regarding the process for demarcating
maritime borders in previous years, the source said. Led by former US envoy Amos
Hochstein, the process involved a technical-military committee and shuttle
diplomacy.
Ortagus focused her talks on “the issue of withdrawing Hezbollah’s illegal
weapons, linking the significance of this matter to restoring trust in Lebanon
and enabling the country to secure funds for reconstruction.”The prime
minister’s media office said that Ortagus commended the government’s reform
plan. She highlighted several initiatives that had been implemented, including
the abolition of banking secrecy, the proposed legislation for banking sector
reform, the introduction of a new appointment mechanism for state
administrations, and the government’s strategies for administrative and
institutional reform, as well as anti-corruption efforts. There was also an
emphasis on the importance of reaching an agreement with the International
Monetary Fund. The meeting between Ortagus and the prime minister lasted more
than an hour and included a private discussion between the officials.Salam’s
media office said that the meeting was characterized by a “positive
atmosphere.”Regarding developments in the south, the media office said that
discussions focused on the measures being implemented by the Lebanese army to
enforce UN Resolution 1701 and the security arrangements aimed at halting
hostilities, in collaboration with the military monitoring committee. The
process of completing Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory was also
addressed. The US envoy expressed satisfaction with the actions the government
had begun to take at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. Regarding the
situation at the Lebanese-Syrian border, Ortagus highlighted the importance “of
fully securing the area to prevent any tensions or chaos, as well as to
eliminate all forms of smuggling.”The media office of the speaker of the
parliament described the meeting, which included a private session with the
American envoy, as “good and constructive.”
Ortagus holds 'constructive' talks with Aoun at start of
Lebanon visit
Naharnet/April 05/2025
Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Morgan Ortagus held a “constructive”
meeting with President Joseph Aoun on Saturday morning as she kicked off an
official visit to Lebanon, the Presidency said. “Discussions tackled several
files, most importantly the situation in the Lebanese south, the Lebanese-Syrian
border and the financial and economic reforms for combating corruption,” the
Presidency added, revealing that a closed-door meeting was held between Aoun and
Ortagus prior to the official meeting. Ortagus later met with Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam and is scheduled to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri later in the day.
TV networks also described the meeting between Aoun and Ortagus as positive,
with Al-Jadeed TV reporting that the U.S. envoy will also meet with army chief,
the central bank governor and a number of ministers and political forces. Her
talks will focus on security and the reforms demanded by the International
Monetary Fund, Al-Jadeed said. A senior official told al-Joumhouria newspaper in
remarks published Friday that Aoun, Berri and Salam would tell Ortagus that
Lebanon's priority is the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the
withdrawal of Israeli troops from the five points where they are still deployed
in south Lebanon and the cessation of Israeli attacks and violations. The
sticking points between Lebanon and Israel that the U.S. is planning to address
include the 5 points still occupied in south Lebanon and the release of Lebanese
prisoners who were kidnapped during the war. But Washington also wants to
address the remaining disputed points along the Blue Line on the
Lebanese-Israeli border, by "bringing together Lebanon and Israel for talks
aimed at diplomatically resolving" these issues. Lebanon, for its part, has
refused direct negotiations and its leaders have said many times that Lebanon is
not ready for normalizing ties with Israel. The official said that Lebanon wants
the border demarcation to be negotiated through a military and technical
committee and not through direct talks, like in 2022 when Lebanese and Israeli
leaders separately signed a U.S.-brokered maritime demarcation deal after months
of indirect talks.
Lebanese Army Deploys Troops Along Border with Syria
This Is Beirut/April 05/2025
Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal inspected the Lebanese-Syrian border
today, shortly after a meeting with US Deputy Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan
Ortagus, at his Yarzeh office. The meeting, attended by US Ambassador Lisa
Johnson and a delegation, focused on the overall situation in Lebanon and the
region, with particular emphasis on border security. General Haykal visited the
command of the 2ᵉ Land Border Regiment and regimental posts in the al-Qaa
region, and a unit of the 9ᵉ Infantry Brigade in the Hermel region, where he was
briefed on the difficulties faced by the units in their areas of responsibility
and praised the efforts of their personnel to monitor and control the borders,
which contributes directly to preserving Lebanon's security and stability.
He also addressed the soldiers and officers, saying: “The army is the
inclusive national institution that protects our country in all its components,
in which soldiers from different Lebanese regions join to defend the country and
maintain its security within and along the borders. You are fully fulfilling
your duty thanks to your determination, fighting smuggling and playing a
positive role in the border area between Lebanon and Syria, in constant
communication and coordination with the Syrian authorities.”“Lebanon's primary
enemy is the Israeli enemy, which persists in continually violating Lebanon's
sovereignty and the security of its citizens,” he added.
As part of the inspection, the Lebanese Army deployed additional troops
along the northern Lebanese-Syrian border. Ten armored vehicles, along with
military helicopters, were seen arriving in the area. A Cessna aircraft
belonging to the Lebanese Army also patrolled the airspace over Hermel and the
surrounding border villages during the visit. General
Haykal's inspection follows his recent assumption of command amidst pressing
regional issues, particularly in southern Lebanon, where Israel continues to
occupy five locations. There are ongoing internal and international demands for
the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. His visit
also comes in the wake of recent clashes between local tribes and members of the
new Syrian administration, which concluded with a ceasefire agreement between
Lebanon and Syria. The Lebanese leadership, including
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has been discussing border
demarcation issues with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Salam expressed his
intention to visit Damascus to further discuss bilateral matters.
Morgan Ortagus and the Politics of Soft Power
This Is Beirut/April 05/2025
The US President's Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus,
appears to be pursuing a policy of soft power diplomacy in Lebanon, where she
began an official two-day mission yesterday. Arriving in Beirut on Friday, the
American envoy held talks on Saturday morning with President Joseph Aoun, Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. She also met with
the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Rodolphe Haykal, and the head of the
Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea.
Lire aussi
The Reforms and the Situation at the Borders Are on the Agenda of Ortagus' Talks
in BeirutThe Reforms and the Situation at the Borders Are on the Agenda of
Ortagus' Talks in Beirut. Each of her meetings with
the key political figures lasted over an hour and was preceded by a private
tête-à-tête. Ortagus was accompanied by Natasha Franceschi, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Middle Eastern and Syrian Affairs, Lisa Johnson, the US
Ambassador to Lebanon, and a delegation of US officials.Although Ortagus
refrained from making statements to the press following each of her meetings,
information leaked to the media suggests that the American envoy revisited the
issue of disarming Hezbollah. Contrary to previous indications, it seems that
she did not directly call for the establishment of a formal timetable for this
disarmament—which is both an American demand and a Lebanese one. Indeed, many
Lebanese support President Aoun's stance on limiting the carrying of weapons to
official forces only. On the other hand, Ortagus
emphasized the importance of disarmament for Lebanon's reconstruction and
recovery. In other words, she made it clear to her interlocutors that Lebanon
risks losing out access to promised aid if it doesn't take action to collect
weapons still held by Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian groups south and north of
the Litani River. Washington has welcomed measures
taken by Lebanon to control the airport and block the flow of money and weapons
to Hezbollah. However, these efforts are deemed insufficient by the US, which is
urging the Lebanese authorities to accelerate their actions. Otherwise, Lebanon
will not only remain deprived of recovery aid but also continue to face Israeli
interventions targeting Hezbollah or Hamas positions inside the country.
Lebanese officials briefed their American counterparts extensively on the
army's actions to implement the ceasefire agreement. While President Aoun and
Prime Minister Salam reaffirmed their commitment to the objectives outlined in
the Head of State's inaugural speech and the Ministerial Declaration, Speaker
Nabih Berri remained silent on how he responded to Ortagus's remarks. Ortagus
has yet to meet with the Governor of the Banque du Liban, Karim Souhaid, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Youssef Rajji, and other Lebanese politicians. She
did meet early Saturday afternoon with Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese
Forces, one of the leading opposition figures against Hezbollah.
FM Youssef Rajji meets US envoy Morgan Ortagus to discuss latest developments in
LBCI/April 05/2025
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji accepted an invitation from U.S. Deputy
Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus for a working lunch held at the
residence of U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson in Awkar. Discussions during the
meeting focused on the latest developments in Lebanon and the broader region.
Natasha Franceschi, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Levant and
Syria, was also in attendance.
Israel is trying to destabilize Lebanon and Syria: Arab League chief
Arab News/April 05, 2025
CAIRO: Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Saturday accused
Israel of trying to destabilize Syria and Lebanon through military provocations,
in “flagrant disregard for international legal norms.”In a statement, Aboul
Gheit said that global inaction had further emboldened Israel. “(T)he wars waged
by Israel on the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Syria have
entered a new phase of complete recklessness, deliberately violating signed
agreements, invading countries and killing more civilians,” said the statement
carried by the Saudi Press Agency. He said that Israel’s resumption of targeted
assassinations in Lebanon was an unacceptable and condemnable breach of the
ceasefire agreement it signed with Lebanon late last year. Aboul Gheit said that
Israel’s actions were driven by narrow domestic agendas at the expense of
civilian lives and regional peace. “It seems that the Israeli war machine does
not want to stop as long as the occupation leaders insist on facing their
internal crises by exporting them abroad, and this situation has become clear to
everyone,” he said. According to the Gaza Ministry of
Health’s count last week, more than 50,000 people have been killed and more than
113,200 wounded in Israeli attacks on Palestinian territories in retaliation
against the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel. In Lebanon, war
monitors have said that at least 3,961 people were killed and 16,520 wounded in
Israel’s war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement from Oct. 8, 2023 to Nov.
26, 2024. Syria’s new government accused Israel on
April 3 of mounting a deadly destabilization campaign after a wave of strikes on
military targets, including an airport, and a ground incursion that killed 13
people in the southern province of Daraa.
IMF deal hinges on reforms: Capital controls, bank
restructuring at core of Lebanon's new reform bill
LBCI/April 05/2025
As Arab and international delegations continue to press Lebanese officials for
progress, consensus is growing around one clear message: no economic or
financial support can come without an agreement with the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) — and that agreement hinges on sweeping reforms. In that context, the
Lebanese Cabinet on Friday began discussions on a draft law to set the
groundwork for reforming and restructuring the country's battered banking
sector. According to ministerial sources, the bill is expected to be approved
during Tuesday's Cabinet session, giving ministers time to review the text
thoroughly. The official Lebanese delegation will present the draft legislation
during upcoming IMF meetings in Washington on April 21. It includes a crucial
provision granting the central bank the authority to conduct assessments of
commercial banks. These evaluations would determine whether a bank can continue
operating, needs to increase its capital, should consider merging with another
institution, or must exit the market entirely — a process that aligns with the
vision outlined by newly appointed Banque du Liban (BDL) governor Karim Souaid.
The bill also introduces restrictions similar to capital controls. It outlines
how depositors can access recovered funds, including the introduction of
withdrawal ceilings and specific conditions under which withdrawals are
permitted, such as for healthcare and education expenses. Notably, the proposed
law does not specify the size of the financial gap in the banking system, nor
does it address how losses would be distributed or how deposits might be
recovered. Officials say those complex issues require additional time and
consensus-building before being resolved.
Buffer zones and bombings: Israel's new strategy to
pressure Lebanon
LBCI/April 05/2025
Israel is ramping up its pressure campaign on Lebanon, aiming to steer the
country toward political negotiations through the formation of diplomatic
working groups, according to reports in Israeli media. One of the key narratives
promoted by Israel is the creation of a new buffer zone south of the Litani
River, resembling the so-called "security zone" it occupied before withdrawing
in May 2000. That former zone stretched from the Hasbaya region up to Jezzine.
However, analysts say the occupation is part of a larger strategy to amplify
pressure on Lebanon, with the broader goal of securing a normalization or peace
agreement. Experts argue that Israel has little need
for a permanent military presence in that area, given its ability to carry out
airstrikes, raids, and even targeted assassinations in Lebanon—most notably in
the heart of Beirut's southern suburbs—without facing any meaningful deterrence,
either domestically or internationally. Israel currently maintains control over
five contested border points and has already established several buffer zones
along the border where Lebanese civilians are prevented from entering. It also
monitors and controls all movements south of the Litani River. Promoting this
buffer zone is only one component of Israel's broader pressure tactics. Tel Aviv
has also repeatedly hindered reconstruction efforts in southern border villages,
bombing homes rebuilt by civilians after the war. These strikes have targeted
prefabricated housing units installed in place of those destroyed following the
ceasefire agreement. In recent weeks, Israel has escalated its airstrikes and
shelling, often citing vague claims about crude rocket launches by unidentified
groups. Despite its technological capacity to identify attackers in past
instances, including naming individuals responsible for drone or rocket attacks,
Israel has refrained from doing so in these recent incidents. The pressure
reached a peak with an airstrike that killed a target in Beirut's southern
suburbs, widely seen as a message to Hezbollah. According to statistics obtained
by LBCI, the total number of Israeli violations since the beginning of the war
has reached 1,726 airspace breaches and 1,426 land incursions. These attacks
have killed 133 civilians and military personnel and wounded 329 others. The
Israeli pressure campaign is being reinforced by diplomatic efforts, with the
United States reportedly suggesting that the monitoring committee overseeing the
ceasefire implementation may no longer be necessary. U.S. officials are also
said to be implying that Israel could be given a freer hand unless Lebanon
engages diplomatically. Israel's leverage also stems from its continued
occupation of Lebanese territory and the detention of Lebanese nationals. Some
observers believe the recent entry of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters into
the Lebanese border town of Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali was an additional pressure
tactic aimed at both Lebanon and Hezbollah. With mounting military, political,
and economic pressure, questions about Lebanon's ability to resist these
multifaceted challenges are being raised. Will the blows Hezbollah sustained in
the recent war and the absence of an effective deterrent lead Lebanon toward
political and diplomatic negotiations?
Interior Minister issues circular to promote women's
participation in municipal councils
LBCI/April 05/2025
Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar has issued a circular
encouraging the nomination of women for membership in municipal councils across
Lebanon. The directive is part of broader efforts to boost female political
participation at the local governance level.
The Reforms and the Situation at the Borders Are on the
Agenda of Ortagus' Talks in Beirut
This is Beirut/April 05/2025
Morgan Ortagus, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, held talks on
Saturday morning, with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam,
Speaker Nabih Berri, the army chief commander, Rodolphe Haikal, and Lebanese
forces leader, Samir Geagea.
Earlier in the morning, Mrs. Ortagus met with President Joseph Aoun at the
Baabda Palace. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Ortagus was accompanied by
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and Syria,
Natasha Franceschi, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, and their
accompanying delegation. She left the presidential palace without making any
statements to the press. According to sources from Baabda, the discussions
between President Aoun and the US envoy were "positive, frank, and direct." The
talks focused on the situation along the border with Syria and in southern
Lebanon, where the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel is being
violated. Structural reforms that Beirut is expected to implement were also
discussed. During the meeting, President Aoun reaffirmed the state's commitment
to implementing the ceasefire agreement and applying international resolutions,
particularly regarding illegal weapons. The president
assured that the Lebanese army was fulfilling all its duties and coordinating
with the international ceasefire monitoring committee, according to the same
sources. The US envoy confirmed continued US support for Lebanon.
Morgan Ortagus then left to the Serail for a meeting that lasted nearly an hour
with Prime minister Nawaf Salam. The meeting focused on financial and economic
reforms. According to the National news agency, Ortagus praised the government's
reform plan, highlighting the steps related to the bank secrecy, the draft law
for banking sector reform, and the launch of a new mechanism for state
appointments. The government’s plans for administrative and institutional
reform, as well as anti-corruption efforts, were also discussed. The importance
of reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund was emphasized,
according to the NNA. Regarding the situation in the south, Nawaf Salam and
Morgan Ortagus discussed the measures taken by the Lebanese army to implement UN
Security Council Resolution 1701 and the security arrangements to halt
hostilities, and the steps needed. This includes cooperation with the UNIFIL
monitoring committee and the completion of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese
territory. The U.S. envoy expressed satisfaction with the steps the Lebanese
government has begun implementing at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International
Airport. The developments along the Lebanese-Syrian border, were also discussed.
Both parties stressed the importance of full control to prevent tensions, chaos,
and all forms of smuggling. The meeting lasted over an hour and was considered
as “constructive”. Mrs.Ortagus didn’t make any statement to the press, before
heading to Aïn el-Tineh for talks with Speaker Nabi Berri. Journalists were
denied access to Mr Berri’s residency.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on April 05-06/2025
Iran Says Wants Dialogue 'on Equal Footing'
with US
AFP/April 05/2025
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday said his country was willing to
engage in dialogue with the United States as equals, without clarifying whether
Tehran would participate in direct talks. It came after US President Donald
Trump, who has called on Tehran to hold direct negotiations on its nuclear
program, threatened to bomb Iran if diplomacy fails.Iran says it is ready to
engage in dialogue but refuses direct talks under threats and pressure.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran wants dialogue on equal footing,"
Pezeshkian said during a meeting, according to the presidency's website. On
Thursday, Trump said he would prefer to hold "direct talks" with Iran. "I think
it goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go
through intermediaries," the US president argued. But on Saturday, Pezeshkian
asked: "If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?""Today,
America is not only humiliating Iran, but also the world," Pezeshkian added, in
an apparent reference to recent policies adopted by Trump, including imposing
tariffs on imported goods. Western countries, led by the United States, have for
decades accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran rejects these
allegations and maintains that its nuclear activities exist solely for civilian
purposes. In 2015, the country reached a landmark deal with the permanent
members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States, France, China,
Russia, and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, to regulate its nuclear
activities. The agreement provided for sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on
Iranian nuclear activities. In 2018, during Trump's first term in office, the US
withdrew from the agreement and reinstated sanctions. In response, Iran rolled
back on its commitments under the agreement and accelerated its nuclear program.
On Monday, Ali Larijani, a close advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, warned that while Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, it would "have
no choice but to do so" in the event of an attack against the country.
Netanyahu to Visit White House Monday for Crucial Talks with Trump
This is Beirut/April 05/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled for a high-stakes White
House meeting with President Trump on Monday, according to four knowledgeable
sources who spoke with Axios. This potential visit marks Netanyahu as the first
international leader to personally engage with President Trump in an attempt to
negotiate relief from the recently imposed tariffs. The agenda is expected to
encompass several critical issues beyond economic concerns, including the
escalating Iran nuclear situation and ongoing Gaza conflict.
For this visit to proceed as planned, Netanyahu would need to request a
postponement of scheduled corruption trial hearings where his testimony was
expected to continue. Sources indicate the visit remains tentative primarily due
to these legal obligations. Despite Israel's
preemptive effort to eliminate all tariffs on American products, the country was
unsuccessful in avoiding Trump's global tariff policy. The 17% tariff rate
applied to Israel was calculated based on the significant trade deficit with the
United States. "Trump called Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
on Thursday while the Israeli prime minister was visiting Budapest," according
to sources. "The call was prompted by Hungary's decision to withdraw from the
International Criminal Court (ICC), but Netanyahu also raised the newly
announced tariffs."During this conversation, Trump proposed a White House
meeting without specifying its timing. Later, Trump told reporters that
Netanyahu would visit "maybe even next week," catching both Netanyahu's team and
some Trump aides by surprise. While initial
expectations pointed to a late April visit, possibly during Passover week
beginning April 14, Friday discussions between both administrations accelerated
the timeline. Neither the White House nor the Israeli
Prime Minister's Office provided immediate comment when contacted. Beyond
economic discussions, Netanyahu reportedly views the probability of a U.S.-Iran
nuclear agreement as "extremely low" and seeks alignment with Trump regarding
potential military action against Iranian nuclear facilities should diplomatic
efforts fail.
The leaders are also expected to address the stalled negotiations for a new Gaza
hostage and ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu expected to talk tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, officials
say
Reuters/April 05/2025
BUDAPEST/WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to
visit the White House on Monday to discuss recently announced tariffs with US
President Donald Trump, three Israeli officials said on Saturday. The impromptu
visit was first reported by Axios, which said that if the visit takes place, the
Israeli leader would be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in person to
try to negotiate a deal to remove tariffs. Netanyahu’s office has not confirmed
the visit, that would likely also include discussions on Iran and Israel’s war
against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. The surprise invite by Trump
came in a phone-call on Thursday with Netanyahu, who is presently on a visit to
Hungary, when the Israeli leader raised the tariff issue, according to the
Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. As part of a sweeping new
tariff policy announced by Trump, unspecified Israeli goods exports to the
United States face a 17 percent tariff. The US is Israel’s closest ally and
largest single trading partner. An Israeli finance ministry official said on
Thursday that Trump’s latest tariff announcement could impact Israel’s exports
of machinery and medical equipment.
Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on US imports on
Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about
98 percent of goods from the US are now tax-free.
Macron to hold Gaza summit with Egyptian, Jordanian leaders
AFP/April 05, 2025
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said he would hold a
trilateral summit on the situation in Gaza with Egypt President Abdel Fattah
El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.Israel has pushed to seize territory in
Gaza since the collapse of a short-lived truce in its war with Hamas, in what it
has called a strategy to force the militants to free hostages still in
captivity. Simultaneously, Israel has escalated attacks on Lebanon and Syria.
“In response to the Gaza emergency and during my visit to Egypt at
President El-Sisi’s invitation, we will hold a trilateral summit with the
Egyptian president and the King of Jordan,” Macron wrote on X ahead of his trip.
The French president is expected in Cairo on Sunday evening, where he will hold
talks with his Egyptian counterpart on Monday morning.
The trilateral summit will be held the same day in the Egyptian capital,
according to Macron’s office. On Tuesday, Macron will also visit the Egyptian
port of El-Arish, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Gaza Strip, to meet
humanitarian and security workers and demonstrate his “constant mobilization in
favor of a ceasefire.”El-Arish is a transit point for international aid intended
for Gaza.
Gaza under fire: Israel's tactic to push between Rafah and Khan Yunis amid
bombardment
LBCI/April 05/2025
The Israeli army has intensified its military operations in Gaza and along the
border as part of its "Operation Strength and Sword," a campaign to depopulate
large areas of the Palestinian enclave, gaining territorial control and forcibly
displacing residents. The latest escalation has come with increased
bombardments, pushing the Palestinian death toll since the start of the war to
more than 50,700, with over 70 percent of the victims being women, children, and
the elderly. Israeli minister Gila Gamliel, a member of the security cabinet,
publicly lauded what she described as the "cleansing" of areas in Gaza—a term
she used while advocating for the displacement of more than one million
Palestinians. A key objective in the current phase of the operation is the
seizure of the "Morag Axis," a strategic corridor between Khan Yunis and Rafah.
The axis runs parallel to the Philadelphi Corridor and links Gaza's eastern
border to the Mediterranean Sea through the Al Mawasi area, which has served as
a humanitarian zone for displaced civilians. Military experts warn of serious
consequences should the army proceed with its plans to capture this axis. The
objective aims to isolate Rafah and prepare for a ground incursion between the
city and Khan Yunis, in coordination with airstrikes from the Israeli Air Force.
The escalation continues as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares
to visit Washington early next week, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to
arrive in Tel Aviv. Israeli airstrikes and ground offensives in southern Gaza
have intensified amid reports that displacement operations have proven more
"effective" when carried out under heavy shelling. Meanwhile, Hamas has warned
it will not relocate Israeli hostages from areas Israel is targeting for
operations—a warning that families of the hostages have called "a potential
death sentence for their loved ones." As the war drags on, Palestinian civilians
remain the primary victims, caught between military strategy and political
calculations.
Israeli general condemns West Bank settler riot,
‘vandalism’ by troops
AFP/April 05, 2025
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Israeli military’s top commander in the
occupied West Bank condemned recent violence by Israeli settlers against police
and “unacceptable” conduct by soldiers, in a video shared by the army on Friday.
A military statement said that Major General Avi Bluth addressed a “series of
unusual incidents” while visiting Israeli police officers in the West Bank, near
the site of a riot involving settlers earlier this week.
Israeli police said they had arrested 17 suspects over the “violent riot”
on Wednesday near the settlement outpost of Givat Habaladim, northeast of the
Palestinian city of Ramallah, during which Israeli settlers threw stones at
officers and torched a police car. Bluth “emphasized
that these are exceptional incidents that must be addressed with the necessary
severity,” the military statement said. Referring to the settlers’ attack on
Israeli forces, Bluth said in the video: “Beyond the fact that this is a red
line that has been crossed and will be dealt with seriously, there is no greater
act of ingratitude.”Rights groups often accuse the army of protecting Israeli
settlers in the West Bank, and the United Nations has said that settler attacks
against Palestinians are taking place in a climate of “impunity.” In a recent
incident Bluth did not address in the video, the army said that this week
“dozens of Israeli civilians... set fire to property” in the Palestinian village
of Duma, injuring several people. The Israeli general mentioned “vandalism and
graffiti” by reserve soldiers during a military raid on Wednesday, in the
Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. While a major
offensive since January has focused on refugee camps in the northern West Bank,
Dheisheh in the south has seen an uptick in Israeli army raids in recent weeks.
Images shared on social media showed vandalized apartments, where
furniture was broken and Israeli nationalist slogans spray painted on walls.
Bluth said that “the conduct in Dheisheh by our reserve soldiers is not what we
stand for.”“Vandalism and graffiti during an operational mission are, from our
perspective, unacceptable incidents. It is inconceivable that IDF (army)
soldiers do not act according to their commanders’ orders,” he said.
Since war began in October 2023 in the Gaza Strip — a separate
Palestinian territory — violence has soared in the West Bank. Israeli troops or
settlers have killed at least 917 Palestinians, including militants, in the West
Bank since October 2023, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.
Palestinian attacks and clashes during military raids have killed at least 33
Israelis, including soldiers, over the same period, according to official
figures. Israel has occupied the West Bank, home to
about three million Palestinians, since 1967.
Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, around 490,000 Israelis live there in
settlements and outposts that are illegal under international law. Outposts are
also illegal under Israeli law.
Video shows last moments for slain Gaza aid workers, Red
Crescent says
AFP/April 05, 2025
GAZA: A video recovered from the cellphone of an aid worker killed in Gaza
alongside other rescuers shows their final moments, according to the Palestine
Red Crescent, with clearly marked ambulances and emergency lights flashing as
heavy gunfire erupts.
The aid worker was among 15 humanitarian personnel who were killed on March 23
in an attack by Israeli forces, according to the United Nations and the
Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS). The Israeli military has said its
soldiers “did not randomly attack” any ambulances, insisting they fired on
“terrorists” approaching them in “suspicious vehicles.”Military spokesman Lt.
Col. Nadav Shoshani said that troops opened fire on vehicles that had no prior
clearance from Israeli authorities and had their lights off.
But the video released by PRCS on Saturday appears to contradict the
Israeli military’s claims, showing ambulances traveling with their headlights
and emergency lights clearly flashing. The video,
apparently filmed from inside a moving vehicle, captures a red firetruck and
ambulances driving through the night.The vehicles stop beside another on the
roadside, and two uniformed men exit. Moments later, intense gunfire erupts. In
the video, the voices of two medics are heard — one saying, “the vehicle, the
vehicle,” and another responding: “It seems to be an accident.”Seconds later, a
volley of gunfire breaks out, and the screen goes black.
PRCS said it had found the video on the phone of Rifat Radwan, one of the
deceased aid workers.“This video unequivocally refutes the occupation’s claims
that Israeli forces did not randomly target ambulances, and that some vehicles
had approached suspiciously without lights or emergency markings,” PRCS said in
a statement. “The footage exposes the truth and dismantles this false
narrative.”Those killed included eight PRCS staff, six members of the Gaza civil
defense agency and one employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, also
known as UNRWA.Their bodies were found buried near Rafah in what the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described as a mass
grave.This image grab from a handout video reportedly recovered from the
cellphone of an aid worker killed in Gaza alongside other rescuers and released
by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS)on April 5, 2025, shows a fire truck
and rescuers running toward a vehicle in Rafah in the northern Gaza Strip,
according to the PRCS. (AFP)
ATTACK ON AID WORKERS
OCHA has said that the first team was targeted by Israeli forces at dawn on that
day. In the hours that followed, additional rescue and aid teams searching for
their colleagues were also struck in a series of successive attacks. According
to the PRCS, the convoy had been dispatched in response to emergency calls from
civilians trapped under bombardment in Rafah. In the
video, a medic recording the scene can be heard reciting the Islamic declaration
of faith, the shahada, which Muslims traditionally say in the face of death.
“There is no God but God, Mohammed is his messenger,” he says repeatedly, his
voice trembling with fear as intense gunfire continues in the background. He is
also heard saying: “Forgive me mother because I chose this way, the way of
helping people.”He then says, “accept my martyrdom, God, and forgive me.” Just
before the footage ends, he is heard saying, “The Jews are coming, the Jews are
coming,” referring to Israeli soldiers. The deaths of the aid workers has
sparked international condemnation. Jonathan Whittall, the head of OCHA in the
Palestinian territories, said the bodies of the humanitarian workers were “in
their uniforms, still wearing gloves” when they were found. The UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned the attack, raising
concerns over possible “war crimes” by the Israeli military.
“I am appalled by the recent killings of 15 medical personnel and
humanitarian aid workers, which raise further concerns over the commission of
war crimes by the Israeli military,” Volker Turk told the UN Security Council on
Thursday. Turk called for an “independent, prompt and thorough investigation”
into the attack. An Israeli military official said the bodies had been covered
“in sand and cloth” to avoid damage until coordination with international
organizations could be arranged for their retrieval. The military said it was
investigating the attack.
Kurdish fighters leave Aleppo as part of deal with Syrian government
Associated Press/April 05/2025
Scores of U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters left two neighborhoods in Syria's
northern city of Aleppo Friday as part of a deal with the central government in
Damascus, which is expanding its authority in the country. The fighters left the
predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh,
which had been under the control of Kurdish fighters in Aleppo over the past
decade. The deal is a boost to an agreement reached last month between Syria's
interim government and the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country's
northeast. The deal could eventually lead to the merger of the main U.S.-backed
force in Syria into the Syrian army. The withdrawal of fighters from the
U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces came a day after dozens of
prisoners from both sides were freed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city. Syria's
state news agency, SANA, reported that government forces were deployed along the
road that SDF fighters will use to move between Aleppo and areas east of the
Euphrates River, where the Kurdish-led force controls nearly a quarter of Syria.
Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh had been under SDF control since 2015 and remained
so even when forces of ousted President Bashar Assad captured Aleppo in late
2016. The two neighborhoods remained under SDF control when forces loyal to
current interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa captured the city in November, and
days later captured the capital, Damascus, removing Assad from power. After
being marginalized for decades under the rule of the Assad family rule, the deal
signed last month promises Syria's Kurds "constitutional rights," including
using and teaching their language, which were banned for decades. Hundreds of
thousands of Kurds, who were displaced during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war,
will return to their homes. Thousands of Kurds living in Syria who have been
deprived of nationality for decades under Assad will be given the right of
citizenship, according to the agreement. Kurds made up
10% of the country's prewar population of 23 million. Kurdish leaders say they
don't want full autonomy with their own government and parliament. They want
decentralization and room to run their day-to day-affairs.
Iran president fires deputy over pricey Antarctica trip
AFP/April 05, 2025
TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday dismissed his deputy for
parliamentary affairs over a costly trip to Antarctica, as the country grapples
with hyperinflation amid a biting economic crisis. A photo shared on social
media in recent days showed the now former vice president, Shahram Dabiri,
alongside a woman identified as his wife, posing near the Plancius cruise ship.
The Dutch-flagged vessel has offered luxury expeditions to Antarctica since
2009, with one agency pricing an eight-day trip at 3,885 euros per person.
“In a context where economic pressure on the population remains high...
expensive leisure trips by officials, even if paid out of their own pocket, are
neither defensible nor justifiable,” the Iranian president wrote in a letter
published Saturday by the official IRNA news agency, which noted that Dabiri was
dismissed. Dabiri, a 64-year-old physician by profession and a close confidant
of Pezeshkian, had been appointed to the post in August. The government faced
strong criticism after the photo was published, and several of Pezeshkian’s
supporters urged him to remove the official. IRNA late last month cited a source
in Dabiri’s office as saying that he had made the trip before he held a
governmental position. The controversy is another major blow for Pezeshkian, who
was elected last year on a promise to revive the economy and improve the daily
lives of his fellow citizens. In early March, his Economy Minister Abdolnasser
Hemmati was dismissed by parliament amid a sharp depreciation of the national
currency against the dollar and soaring inflation.
18 dead, 61 hurt in Russian missile strike on Ukraine city
Agence France Presse/April 05/2025
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's
home city of Kryvyi Rig killed 18 people, among them nine children, authorities
said. Sixty-one people were injured, the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy
Lysak said Saturday after emergency operations were completed overnight. The
missile struck a residential area near a children's playground on Friday,
according to Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rig's military administration.
Unverified videos on social media appeared to show bodies lying on a street,
while another showed a plume of smoke rising into the evening sky. Social media
video from the scene showed a car in flames, while people could be heard
shouting. "18... that is how many people were killed by the Russians when they
launched a missile at Kryvyi Rig. Among them were nine children," Lysak said on
Telegram. He 12 children were injured in Friday's
attack. "This is the kind of pain you wouldn't wish on
your worst enemy," said Lysak. Russia's defense
ministry said it "delivered a precision strike with a high-explosive missile at
a restaurant" in the city "where commanders of formations and Western
instructors were meeting".It said Saturday that Russian its air defense units
had intercepted and destroyed 49 Ukrainian drones overnight.
'Whole world sees it' -
U.S. President Donald Trump has been pushing for a speedy end to the more than
three-year war since taking office, but his administration has failed to broker
a ceasefire despite talks with both sides. Zelensky said the missile attack on
the city showed Russia had no interest in stopping its full-scale invasion,
launched in February 2022. "There is only one reason
why this continues -- Russia does not want a ceasefire and we see it. The whole
world sees it," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a joint
U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire in March, while
the Kremlin has made a US-proposed truce in the Black Sea dependent on the West
lifting certain sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State
Marco Rubio said earlier on Friday that Trump was not "going to fall into the
trap of endless negotiations" with Russia over the invasion. "We will know soon
enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace
or not," he said. Zelensky accused Russia of regarding diplomacy as an "empty
word" in his evening address."A ceasefire could have been reached by now and it
is Putin who rejects it," he said.
'Deliberate strike' -
Kryvyi Rig, in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, is about 60 kilometers
(37 miles) from the front line, and has regularly been targeted by Russian
drones and missiles. Zelensky was born in the
industrial city, which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people. Andriy
Kovalenko, a Ukrainian official tasked with countering disinformation, described
the missile involved in the attack on Kryvyi Rig as an "Iskander".
The Iskander is a Russian ballistic missile system that can have a range
of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles). "This is a deliberate strike to kill a
large number of people," Kovalenko said.
In separate drone attack on Kryvyi Rig, Lysak said a 56-year-old woman was
killed and seven other people injured.
Zelensky meets European military leaders to plan for a
peacekeeping force
AP/April 05, 2025
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met the leaders of the British and
French armed forces in Kyiv Saturday to discuss the potential deployment of a
multinational peacekeeping force to Ukraine, despite the reluctance of US
President Donald Trump to provide security guarantees. The UK Ministry of
Defense said that officials addressed the structure, size and composition of any
future “reassurance force,” while the chief of the defense staff, Adm. Antony
Radakin, emphasized that the UK would look to “build on the formidable
capabilities of the Ukrainian army and put them in the strongest possible
position to deter Russian aggression.”The weekend discussions are planned to set
the ground for a further meeting between defense ministers in Brussels and the
Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Friday. Britain has been promoting the idea of
a European-led peacekeeping force for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire but it
has said such a force needed a US “backstop” to make it credible in the face of
possible Russian reprisals. Building a force big enough to act as a credible
deterrent — UK officials have talked about possibly 10,000 to 30,000 troops —
would be a considerable effort for nations that shrank their militaries after
the Cold War but are now rearming. Trump, who has been pushing for a ceasefire
in the war in Ukraine, temporarily paused military aid to Kyiv and has
repeatedly said that the country will never join the NATO military alliance.
UK’s Starmer and France’s Macron share concerns over tariff impacts
Reuters/April 05, 2025
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron
shared their concerns over the economic and security impact of US President
Donald Trump’s tariffs when they spoke on Saturday, Starmer’s office said. “They
agreed that a trade war was in nobody’s interests, but nothing should be off the
table,” the statement from Downing Street said. “The prime minister and
president also shared their concerns about the global economic and security
impact, particularly in Southeast Asia.”The pair agreed to stay in close contact
over the coming weeks.
Zelensky Slams 'Weak' US Reply to Russian Strike on His Hometown
AFP/April 05/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday slammed the US embassy for
what he called a "weak" statement that did not blame Russia for a missile strike
on his hometown that killed 18 people, including nine children. In one of the
deadliest strikes in recent weeks, a Russian missile on Friday evening struck a
residential area near a children's playground in the central Ukrainian town of
Kryvyi Rig, followed up by attack drones. Seventy-two people were wounded, 12 of
them children, Dnipropetrovsk governor Sergiy Lysak said after the end of
emergency operations overnight, with city officials declaring three days of
mourning. Zelensky, in an emotional statement on social media, named each of the
children killed in the attack, accusing the US embassy of avoiding referring to
Russia as the aggressor. "Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is
unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people—and such a
weak reaction," Zelensky wrote. "They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian'
when talking about the missile that killed the children."Zelensky singled out
the United States for criticism as President Donald Trump has pushed for a
partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine while seeking a thaw in ties with
Moscow.
'Spade a spade'
The Ukrainian president was taking aim at a message posted on X by US Ambassador
Bridget Brink on Friday evening, which said, "Horrified that tonight a ballistic
missile struck near a playground and restaurant." Brink, who was appointed by
Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, and has been ambassador since May 2022, added
that "this is why the war must end."In recent posts on X, she has not directly
named Russia while referring to attacks on Ukraine, which she did regularly
until mid-February, when Zelensky and Trump had an angry exchange in the Oval
Office. Zelensky wrote Saturday, "Yes, the war must end. But in order to end it,
we must not be afraid to call a spade a spade."Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of
Kryvyi Rig's military administration, said three days of mourning had been
declared on April 7, 8, and 9 in the city. "This is nothing less than a mass
murder of civilians," he said. Pictures circulated by rescue services showed
several bodies, one stretched out near a playground swing. "This is the kind of
pain you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy," Lysak said. Russia's defense
ministry said it "delivered a precision strike with a high-explosive missile on
a restaurant" in the city "where commanders of formations and Western
instructors were meeting."The commander of the Ukrainian army retorted that
Moscow was "trying to cover up its cynical crime" and "spreading false
information" about the target of the strike. He accused Russia of "war crimes."
'Not human'
Trump, who said during his re-election campaign he could end the three-year
conflict within days, is pushing the two sides to agree to a ceasefire, but his
administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both. Zelensky said
the missile attack showed Russia had no interest in stopping its full-scale
invasion, launched in February 2022. "Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we
see it. The whole world sees it," he said. "The missile struck an area near
residential buildings, a playground, and ordinary streets," he said. Then Russia
launched attack drones "right during the rescue operation"."People who are
capable of that kind of thing aren't human," Zelensky said. Kryvyi Rig, in
Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from
the front line and has regularly been targeted by Russian drones and missiles.
The Ukrainian leader was born in the industrial city, which had a pre-war
population of around 600,000 people. He said the children killed by the latest
attack ranged in age from a three-year-old boy, Tymofiy, to a 17-year-old
teenage boy, Nikita. Zelensky on Friday met the heads
of the British and French militaries in Kyiv to discuss a plan by London and
Paris to send a "reassurance" force to Ukraine if and when a deal on ending the
conflict is reached. This is one of the latest efforts by European leaders to
agree on a coordinated policy after Trump sidelined them and opened direct talks
with the Kremlin. Russia and Ukraine have accused each
other of breaking a supposed deal to stop firing on energy sites, though a
formal agreement has not been put in place. Russia on
Saturday once again claimed Ukraine targeted its energy infrastructure, with the
defense ministry saying Kyiv had attacked 14 sites in the last 24 hours.
French PM brands Trump support for Le Pen 'interference'
AFP/April 05/2025
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Saturday slammed as "interference"
U.S. President Donald Trump's support for French far-right figurehead Marine Le
Pen over her embezzlement conviction. Referring to Trump's remark that the case
against Le Pen was a "witch hunt," the centrist premier described it as
"interference" in French affairs, in an interview published in the newspaper Le
Parisien, complaining that "there are no longer any borders" in international
political discourse.
Anti-Trump Rallies Draw Thousands Across The US
AFP/April 05/2025
Thousands of people descended Saturday on Washington's National Mall and rallied
in other cities across the United States and abroad in opposition to the
policies of Donald Trump, in the largest protests since he returned to the
presidency. A big "HANDS OFF!" banner stretched across the stage of an outdoor
theater just a few blocks from the White House, with protesters holding signs
that read "Not My President!", "Fascism has Arrived," "Hands Off Our Social
Security," and "Wake Up and Smell the Coup."Jane Ellen Saums, 66, said she was
dismayed to see the Trump administration dismantling America's long-standing
democratic institutions. "It's extremely concerning to
see what is happening to our government and all of the checks and balances that
have been put in place that are being totally run over—everything from the
environment to personal rights," said the real estate worker who came dressed as
Mother Nature, wrapped in ivy and holding a globe. At a time of spreading global
resentment against the Republican president—heightened by his announcement
Wednesday of sweeping tariffs against scores of countries—demonstrators also
marched in several European capitals.
"What's happening in America is everyone's problem," Liz Chamberlin, a dual
US-British citizen living in England, told AFP at a London rally. "It's economic
lunacy... He is going to push us into a global recession."And in Berlin,
70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said Trump had created "a constitutional
crisis," adding, "The guy is a lunatic."In the US, a loose coalition of dozens
of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women's March organized "Hands Off"
events in more than 1,000 cities and in every congressional district, the groups
said. The unifying theme: the growing resentment of what another organizing
group, Indivisible, has called "the most brazen power grab in modern history,"
led by Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk. Trump has angered many Americans
by moving aggressively to downsize the government, unilaterally impose his
conservative values, and sharply pressure even friendly countries over borders
and trade terms -- causing stock markets to tank.
"People here in the United States are really not cool with what's going on in DC
right now," protester Rachael Nevins told AFP at a rally in New York.
Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses
of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump's aggressive moves. "The
Democrat Party is kind of wimping out... and not actually standing up for our
rights," said Abbott Sherwin, 19, a college student from Raleigh, North
Carolina, who was marching in Washington, adding that "the Republican Party is a
cult around Trump."
Sleeping giant awakened?
Thousands of people convened on the National Mall, just blocks from the White
House, to hear speakers including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who
served as impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment. "They've woken
up a sleeping giant, and they haven't seen anything yet," activist Graylan
Hagler, 71, told the crowd. "We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we
will not go away."Saturday's demonstrations were largely peaceful. A festive
atmosphere prevailed on a mild day in Washington, with protesters ranging from
the elderly to young couples with infants in strollers. A Women's March protest
shortly after Trump's first election in 2016 drew an estimated half a million
people to Washington. Organizers for the latest Washington rally had predicted a
turnout of 20,000 but by Saturday afternoon said the number appeared
considerably larger. As Trump continues aggressively shaking things up in
Washington and beyond, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest since taking
office, according to recent polling. But despite pushback around the globe to
his sweeping imposition of tariffs and bubbling resentment from many Americans,
the White House has dismissed the protests. The Republican president, still
popular with his base, has given no sign of relenting. "My policies will never
change," Trump said Friday.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on April 05-06/2025
Question: “How could David be considered a man after God’s own heart?”
GotQuestions.org/April 05/2025
Answer: To understand why David was a man after God’s own heart, we need to see
what characteristics he had to qualify for such an exalted description. In the
book of Acts, the apostle Paul speaks of God’s feelings about King David: “After
removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have
found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want
him to do’” (Acts 13:22). The answer to why David was considered a man after
God’s own heart is found right in the verse: David did whatever God wanted him
to do. An obvious question is how could God still call David a man after His own
heart when David committed such terrible sins, including adultery and murder?
We learn much of David’s character in the book of Psalms as he opened up his
life for all to examine. David’s life was a portrait of success and failure, and
the biblical record highlights the fact that David was far from perfect. But
what made David a cut above the rest was that his heart was pointed toward God.
He had a deep desire to follow God’s will and do “everything” God wanted him to
do. He was a man after God’s own heart. Let’s look at some characteristics of
David’s life to discover what that entails:
Part of why David is called a man after God’s own heart is that he had absolute
faith in God. Nowhere in Scripture is this point better illustrated than in 1
Samuel 17 where David as a young shepherd boy fearlessly slew the Philistine,
Goliath. Shortly before the duel, we see direct evidence of David’s faith when
David says, “‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the
paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said
to David, ‘Go, and the LORD be with you!’” (verse 37). David was fully aware
that God was in control of his life, and he had faith that God would deliver him
from impending danger. How else would one venture into a potentially fatal
situation with such calm and confidence? David knew early on in life that God
was to be trusted and obeyed. As we see in Scripture, David’s faith pleased God,
and God rewards David for his faithfulness.
Another reason David was a man after God’s own heart is that he absolutely loved
God’s Law. Of the 150 psalms in the Bible, David is credited for writing over
half of them. Writing at various and often troubling times in his life, David
repeatedly mentioned how much he loved God’s perfect Word. We find a beautiful
example of this in Psalm 119:47–48: “For I delight in your commands because I
love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on
your decrees.” It is not hard to see his complete adoration for God’s Word. Also
notice how David “meditates” on God’s statutes. God granted David understanding
and wisdom through daily meditation. We would do well to not only read God’s
Word but also think about it throughout the day, for God loves us to think about
Him. “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways” (Psalm 119:2–3).
David was a man after God’s own heart in that he was truly thankful. “I wash my
hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD, proclaiming aloud your
praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 26:6–7). David’s life was
marked by seasons of great peace and prosperity as well as times of fear and
despair. But through all of the seasons in his life, he never forgot to thank
the Lord for everything that he had. It is truly one of David’s finest
characteristics. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4, ESV). As followers of Jesus
Christ, we would do well to follow David’s lead of offering praise through
thanksgiving to our Lord.
After he sinned, David was truly repentant. David’s sin with Bathsheba is
recorded in 2 Samuel 11:2–5. The mighty fall hard, and David’s fall included
adultery, lying, and murder. He had sinned against God, and he admits it in 2
Samuel 12:13: “David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And
Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.’”
But admitting our sin and asking for forgiveness is only half of the equation.
The other half is repentance, and David did that as well. Psalm 51 is David’s
prayer of repentance to God: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your
steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" (Psalm
51:1–2).
In conclusion, David was a man after God’s own heart because he demonstrated his
faith and was committed to following the Lord. Yes, his faith was tested on a
grand scale, and he failed at times. But after his sin he sought and received
the Lord’s forgiveness. In the final analysis, David loved God’s Law and sought
to follow it exactly. As a man after God’s own heart, David is a role model for
all of us.
Iran's Regime Loves Talks and Talks and Talks: The Path to
Nuclear Weapons
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 5, 2025
The West needs to recognize the intentions of Iran's rulers. The regime has made
it clear that it has no plans to abandon its nuclear or ballistic missile
programs. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has openly stated that Libya's
Muammar Gaddafi made a fatal mistake by giving up his nuclear program.
Each time Iran's regime finds itself under pressure, it calls for talks. The
goal, however, is never to reach a real agreement. The goal is to delay.
Tehran knows that once talks begin, the focus will shift from its nuclear
violations to the negotiation process. This gives the regime heaps of time to
further its nuclear weapons program while diplomats engage in discussions that
lead nowhere.
No negotiation with the Islamic Republic of Iran has ever led to a lasting,
constructive result. Instead, all negotiations have enabled the mullahs to
manipulate the international community under the guise of diplomacy.
This is not the time to sit, even "indirectly," at a table with Iran. It is the
time to recognize the regime's deception and act. Every moment in talks is a
moment wasted -- before the world wakes up to the nightmare of a nuclear-armed
Iran.
The Iranian regime has made it clear that it has no plans to abandon its nuclear
or ballistic missile programs. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has openly
stated that Libya's Muammar Gaddafi made a fatal mistake by giving up his
nuclear program.
Iran's ruling regime is once again resorting to its most effective survival
strategy: pretending to be open to negotiations. As expected, Tehran has
responded to President Donald J. Trump by expressing willingness to engage in
talks, sort of: indirectly.
This move should not be mistaken for a sign of goodwill or a genuine desire to
resolve tensions. Instead, it is a calculated attempt to buy time, deceive the
West, and accelerate the regime's nuclear program.
Iran is at one of its weakest points. It has suffered significant losses on
multiple fronts, from the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria to the
degradation at the hands of Israel of its most powerful proxies, Hamas and
Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iran's economy is crumbling, and its currency has hit
historic lows. These vulnerabilities have left the regime desperate, afraid, and
resorting the same strategy it has used time and again: entering negotiations to
stall for time, while continuing to advance its nuclear weapons program.
This is the moment for the West to be increasing pressure on Iran, not giving it
breathing room through negotiations. By extending an invitation for talks,
however, the U.S. and its allies are doing exactly what the regime wants —
giving it time to regroup and plot its next moves.
The West needs to recognize the intentions of Iran's rulers. The regime has made
it clear that it has no plans to abandon its nuclear or ballistic missile
programs. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has openly stated that Libya's
Muammar Gaddafi made a fatal mistake by giving up his nuclear program. Iran's
ruling mullahs will not repeat that mistake.
Each time Iran's regime finds itself under pressure, it calls for talks. The
goal, however, is never to reach a real agreement. The goal is to delay.
Immediately after Trump was elected, Iran quickly reached out to France, Germany
and the UK, offering to discuss its nuclear program. This move was about
preventing the U.S. from taking action against it. Iran was able to shift the
narrative, by gaining sympathy from European nations that do business with it
and are therefore more hesitant to take aggressive action.
Tehran knows that once talks begin, the focus will shift from its nuclear
violations to the negotiation process. This gives the regime heaps of time to
further its nuclear weapons program while diplomats engage in discussions that
lead nowhere.
No negotiation with the Islamic Republic of Iran has ever led to a lasting,
constructive result. Instead, all negotiations have enabled the mullahs to
manipulate the international community under the guise of diplomacy.
Iran is also doubtless counting on its powerful allies, China and Russia, both
of which are most likely willing to provide Tehran with the technology and
resources needed to complete its nuclear weapons.
This is why negotiations are not just a bad idea — they are a direct threat to
international security. Talks give Iran the time it needs to complete its
nuclear weapons. Every day spent negotiating is a day this dangerous regime
moves closer to achieving its ultimate goal.
There is only one way, unfortunately, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear
weapons: take out the installations and infrastructure of the country's nuclear
program. The world cannot afford to make the same mistake it did with North
Korea, which used negotiations to stall until it successfully developed nuclear
bombs.
Sadly, there is no diplomatic path that will induce Iran to abandon its nuclear
ambitions. Waiting will only make a future military strike more difficult and
costly.
This is not the time to sit, even "indirectly," at a table with Iran. It is the
time to recognize the regime's deception and act. Every moment in talks is a
moment wasted -- before the world wakes up to the nightmare of a nuclear-armed
Iran.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2025 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.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21528/iran-loves-talks
A watershed moment in Israel-Lebanon ties
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 05, 2025
Old habits die hard, they say, and Israel’s modus operandi of using force, often
excessive military force, when there are good enough reasons due to the
complexity of a situation to hold their fire, has become irrepressible. The
current bombardment of targets in Lebanon is a case in point. It does not
necessarily serve Israeli security and economic interests, given that it
threatens to slam shut the small window of opportunity that had opened up for
improved relations between the two countries, and could destabilize Israel’s
nascent attempts to revive its northern neighbor’s political system with reduced
Hezbollah influence.
For years before the Oct. 7 attacks, a violent confrontation between Israel and
Hezbollah was widely regarded as a matter of when, not if, and the only question
was how deadly it would be.
On reflection, given the way in which Israel has conducted its wars on Gaza and
Lebanon, it is obvious that it was much better prepared to deal with its
Lebanese nemesis Hezbollah, as an extension of the perceived existential threat
from Tehran, than with the Hamas threat in Gaza.
By joining the war and forcing tens of thousands of Israelis out of their homes
in the north of the country for nearly a year, Hezbollah provided Israeli
authorities with the perfect excuse to inflict a massive retaliation that
decimated the Iranian-backed movement, its militants, and much of its military
infrastructure.
But it also resulted in the deaths and suffering of many civilians and caused
further devastation to a country that has for so many years suffered immensely
from internal, but externally imposed, conflicts. Yet with the ceasefire deal
and the weakening of Hezbollah’s military power, and consequently its political
influence, new horizons have opened up for peaceful engagement in efforts to
resolve border disputes and security arrangements, and even the prospect of
normalization of relations at some point in the future.
The new leadership in Beirut is tasked with the momentous challenge of
rebuilding the country, but first and foremost with bringing its diverse
communities together and creating a coherent Lebanese identity that takes
precedence over any other domestic or external images. It could be helped in
this by Israeli authorities, were they to minimize the activities and physical
presence of their military in their northern neighbor’s territory. This would
also be in Israel’s best interest.
Certainly, there has been a promising start, in extremely difficult
circumstances, by new President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in
their efforts to restore stability in Lebanon after the war. They have been very
clear that they have no interest in a conflict with Israel, and that their
country had been dragged into it by foreign interests.
But if peace is to prevail, both Hezbollah and Israel must adhere to the terms
of the ceasefire agreement. For now, the weakening of Hezbollah and Iran limits
their capacities to undermine the positive developments in Lebanon, including
the ceasefire agreement. The key objective of any agreement must be to break the
vicious cycle of violence between Israel and Lebanon.
However, Israel’s approach to Hezbollah, and therefore inevitably to Lebanon, is
only complicating relations between the two countries and hampering progress
toward improving them. It exposes the inability of Israeli authorities to
translate tactical achievements on the battlefield into strategic gains. Israel
is constantly focused on threats rather than opportunities, and continues to
search for further tactical objectives. It is obsessed with the constant use of
military force, as evidenced by its habit of reacting to every single incident,
large or small, which in turn emboldens Hezbollah.
After all, Hezbollah’s main raison d’etre for keeping a military force of some
50,000 combatants armed to the teeth has been its claim to be the sole source of
resistance to the Israeli occupation of Lebanese land.
Israel could help to undermine Hezbollah’s posturing as the defender of Lebanon,
and at the same time empower the country’s legitimate government and military,
if it would agree to relinquish the territory it still holds inside Lebanon in
violation of October’s ceasefire agreement, while also insisting that Hezbollah
also does not violate the terms of the deal and remains north of the Litani
River.
Moreover, if Israel would like to make good on its assertion that the current
negotiations between the two countries involve discussions about normalized
relations, something the Lebanese government flatly denies, it must also agree
to negotiate, in good faith, historical claims on disputed areas that have been
within Israel’s borders since the 1948 war, and discuss the possibility of
agreeing on a permanent border. Given the present
political situation in Israel, this is hardly realistic, considering that some
members of the governing coalition are opposed to a complete withdrawal even to
the Blue Line, to which Israel withdrew in 2000, though it is not even the
international border. Any territorial “concession” to
Lebanon would require, according to Israeli law, approval by a supermajority of
80 of the 120 Knesset members, or support through a national referendum. The
current composition of the Knesset would neither allow the ceding of territory
nor a referendum on the matter.
The aim of demarcating an agreed border is to bring an end to territorial claims
by either side and, in doing so, remove any pretext for hostilities. Israel, not
without justification, would like to ensure that Hezbollah and militant
Palestinian elements mainly associated with Hamas adhere to UN Security Council
Resolution 1701. Reaffirmed in the recent ceasefire
agreement, Resolution 1701, adopted by the Security Council in 2006 with the aim
of ending the war that year between Israel and Hezbollah, created a buffer zone
between Israel and Lebanon in which the presence of armed forces would be
restricted to UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army. It also prohibits
incursions into Lebanese territory by Israeli ground troops or the Israeli air
force. In all of this, the peacekeeping operation
along the border, and the international coordination mechanism tasked with
overseeing the present ceasefire and future agreements, are therefore crucial.
It is through sheer luck and the hesitation shown by Hezbollah’s slain leader
Hassan Nasrallah that he didn’t emulate, as his organization had planned for
many years, an attack like the one by Hamas from Gaza, which probably would have
had even worse consequences.
Lebanon has experienced the military might of Israel in the worst possible way a
number of times, including during the First Lebanon War in 1982, the Second
Lebanon War in 2006, and the most recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The country is entitled to guarantees that this will not happen again.
The key objective of any agreement must be to break this vicious cycle of
violence between the two countries and eventually normalize relations. Israel’s
calmest borders are those it shares with Egypt and Jordan, and this was achieved
through diplomatic negotiations, not military force. Moreover, the 2022 maritime
agreement between Israel and Lebanon demonstrated that both sides can, if they
believe it is in their national interests, settle their differences in a
mutually beneficial way. For any long-term resolution of the historically
fraught relations between Israel and Lebanon, their respective leaderships need
to overcome certain domestic objections but, most of all, they must liberate
themselves from the type of rigid thinking derived from being prisoners of
history, ideology and, yes, old (and bad) habits.
**Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House X: @YMekelberg
How North Africa is asserting itself in a changing world
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/April 05, 2025
From Rabat to Cairo, governments in North Africa are shedding old dependencies
and embracing new approaches to foreign policy, rapidly redefining their place
in the world in the process. Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya are
now, after decades of close alignment with the West, pursuing a more pragmatic
form of diplomacy. This is driven by national interests to a greater extent than
was the case in the past, and leverages internal and external pressures to
inform how they engage with their neighbors and the wider world.
The end result is a strategic rebalancing that collectively embraces the
Maghreb’s engagements with external partners on terms that prioritize autonomy
while also delivering tangible benefits. Internal
pressures play a key role in this. Economic strife and youth discontent have
fueled public demands for leaders to prioritize sovereignty and results over
ideological loyalties. Populist currents are channeling anti-colonial sentiment
and frustration with Western-imposed economic models, pushing governments to
assert their independence from international institutions viewed as unfair or
ineffective.
At the same time, security threats from the Sahel to the south are sharpening
the region’s strategic focus. The collapse of order in Mali, Niger, and beyond
has forced North African countries to shore up their defenses and occasionally
step into the role of mediators.
Moreover, the needs of the EU to the north have further empowered Maghreb
governments. Europe’s reliance on North African energy and its anxiety over
irregular migration have given countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco
newfound leverage in negotiations. Notably, EU policies in the region often
center on securing gas supplies and outsourcing migration control, a fact that
is not lost on North African leaders.
Equally important is the surge of interest in the region from competing global
powers — China, Russia, and Gulf Arab states, among others — which has opened up
alternatives to Western partnerships. Beijing and Moscow in particular are
viewed as attractive partners because they offer arms, investments, and loans
without the political strings that typically accompany Western aid. As some
observers note, North African countries view Sino-Russian cooperation as a
preferable model of great-power engagement, one that treats them more as equals.
In contrast, the US and Europe often condition support on reforms, breeding
resentment over time, especially when well-intentioned interventions spawn fresh
crises such as austerity, forced currency devaluations, and uncompromising cuts
to the public sector despite rampant unemployment.
Faced with such realities, North African leaders are now actively adopting a
multivector foreign policy, courting all available sides to maximize their
options (and potentially lucrative returns) while making it clear that loyalty
can no longer be taken for granted: It must be earned or bargained for.
Morocco’s foreign policy best reflects this calculated shift. Frustrated by
European aid that often came laden with conditionality, or simply unfulfilled
promises, Rabat has turned instead to Gulf states for strategic investment and
diplomatic backing.
Concurrently, the country has repositioned itself strategically within Africa.
Since rejoining the African Union in 2017 after a 33-year hiatus, Morocco has
aggressively expanded its economic footprint across the continent, and the
nation’s leading banks, telecom businesses, and phosphate companies now operate
in dozens of African states.
Algeria, buoyed by hydrocarbon wealth and Europe’s heightened demand for
non-Russian gas, is pursuing a newly assertive foreign policy. Given the
disruption to European energy security resulting from the war in Ukraine,
Algiers has positioned itself as a crucial alternative supplier, negotiating
aggressively with Italy and other EU partners to secure favorable agreements
that support domestic economic development.
North African leaders are making it clear that loyalty cannot be taken for
granted: It must be earned or bargained for. President
Abdelmadjid Tebboune has also extended this activism southward within Africa
itself, notably offering mediation services after the 2023 coup in Niger, and
advocating for a revival of Mali’s stalled 2015 peace accords following the
withdrawal of France and the arrival of the Russia-backed Africa Corps (formerly
Wagner Group). Globally, Algeria is actively working to rebalance its
traditional arms relationship with Russia by entering into new defense
agreements with China and Turkiye, while remaining adamant about maintaining its
selective engagement with the West on security matters by rejecting the
establishment of foreign military bases and conditional aid. The pursuit of
observer status in the BRICS group of developing economies, and membership of
the bloc’s New Development Bank, also reflect the efforts by Algeria to
diversify its engagements while shoring up its status as an influential regional
actor and autonomous diplomatic voice. Egypt, under President Abdel Fattah
El-Sisi, has reinvigorated its diplomatic activism, positioning itself as an
indispensable mediator in regional conflicts, including efforts to broker a
ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate talks on Libya and Sudan.
Since rejoining the African Union in 2014, Egypt has boosted its profile on the
continent significantly, notably hosting the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference,
COP27, to help amplify African climate finance demands.
Beyond the continent, Cairo remains a leading recipient of US military aid, yet
collaborates closely with Russia, which is building Egypt’s first nuclear plant.
Meanwhile, ties with China have surged; the value of bilateral trade surpassed
$13 billion in 2023 and Beijing financed Egypt’s new administrative capital.
In addition, Gulf states have funneled tens of billions of dollars into Egypt,
reducing Cairo’s traditional dependence on conditional Western inflows. A
foreign policy shift in Tunisia since 2011 reflects the country’s mounting
economic woes and a pragmatic recalibration under President Kais Saied.
Initially hailed as the democratic success story of the Arab Spring, Tunisia
eagerly embraced European and US support. But chronic economic stagnation,
ongoing instability in neighboring Libya, and democratic backsliding at home
prompted Saied to assert national sovereignty more forcefully. In 2023, he
rejected a critical loan from the International Monetary Fund, despite acute
financial distress, as he refused to impose austerity measures and turned
instead to aid from Algeria and potential investments from the Gulf.
As European influence wanes in Tunis, it is increasingly evident that even
smaller North African states are capable of punching above their diplomatic
weight by deftly managing a litany of external dependencies. Well over a decade
after its 2011 civil war Libya remains deeply divided, with rival factions
independently engaging with foreign allies in an attempt to strengthen their
respective positions. In Tripoli, the internationally recognized government
secured its survival through such pragmatic alliances with foreign patrons.
In the east of the country, Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army relies on the
Russians of the Africa Corps, whose presence provides Moscow with strategic
access on NATO’s southern flank. Haftar also receives critical military and
financial backing from Arab allies.
By engaging with several foreign patrons simultaneously, both of the Libyan
factions effectively balance internal and external pressures, exploiting global
rivalries to maintain relative autonomy and optimize their influence and chances
of survival. In different ways and at different speeds, North African states are
asserting themselves as independent actors in an increasingly multipolar world.
The message is clear: The era of reflexive deference to Western tutelage and
paternalism is over.
**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
Europe needs to be pragmatic about defense spending
Luke Coffey/Arab News/April 05, 2025
The issue of Europe not spending enough on defense has irked American
policymakers for decades. The criticism peaked during President Donald Trump’s
first term and it remains a contentious issue in his second one. When Russia
invaded Ukraine the first time, in 2014, only three NATO members — the US, the
UK and Greece — met the alliance’s target for defense spending by members of 2
percent of gross domestic product. Fast forward more than a decade and 23
members now meet that goal. This is progress but several countries still fall
short. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was supposed to be a
wake-up call for Europe. Across the continent, leaders pledged to do more for
their own defense. Commitments poured in to increase military spending,
modernize armed forces, and arm Ukraine both with existing stockpiles and newly
manufactured weapons. Some of these promises were fulfilled, others ignored or
quietly forgotten. Yes, Europe is in a better place now in terms of defense
spending but the work is far from finished. This is
where the EU is trying to step in. Since the early days of European integration,
defense has been a difficult area in which to build consensus. This is
understandable; the decision to send a country’s young men and women into harm’s
way is one of the most sacred responsibilities of a national government. It
should not be made by distant bureaucrats in Brussels.
Before President Trump came onto the scene, the US was wary of EU-led defense
efforts. Washington feared that scarce European defense funds might be siphoned
away from NATO to support EU initiatives. At a time when most NATO members were
underinvesting in defense, any duplication or dilution of resources was seen as
a threat to alliance capabilities.
The US also did not want its influence within Europe’s security architecture
diminished. This is understandable, considering the economic importance of
Europe to Washington, and America’s substantial contributions to the continent’s
defense since the Second World War.
In the late 1990s, when the EU’s defense ambitions started to gain momentum,
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright outlined the US position with her “three
Ds” policy: no discrimination against non-EU NATO members (who at the time
included the US, Canada, Norway, and Turkiye, later joined by the post-Brexit UK
and others); no decoupling of US security guarantees from Europe; and no
duplication of NATO capabilities. But Trump’s arrival
shifted American attitudes. Some in his orbit are perfectly comfortable with the
idea of the US playing a reduced role in NATO, or even leaving the alliance
altogether. As a result, they welcome the idea of the EU stepping up to carry
more of the defense burden. The EU should pursue an
open defense market, one that maximizes the capabilities available to European
armed forces.
European advocates of deeper integration, such as French President Emmanuel
Macron, have seized on this shift to push for what he calls “strategic
autonomy,” or the idea that Europe should be able to manage its military affairs
without relying on NATO or the US.
While this might be a fashionable idea in Paris and Brussels, it deeply
unsettles many nations in Eastern Europe. These countries, which live under the
shadow of Russian aggression, know firsthand the importance of US military power
in preserving peace and stability. For them, any weakening of transatlantic ties
could be disastrous, if not an existential threat.
In response to Russia’s aggression, the EU launched a €150 million ($164
million) initiative to co-finance defense procurement among member states. But
there was a catch; at least 65 percent of that funding must be spent on products
manufactured within the EU. In other words, the policy explicitly discriminates
against non-EU NATO members, exactly what Madeleine Albright warned against 25
years ago. It is easy to understand why countries
might want to favor domestic defense industries. In times of crisis, it is
reassuring to know that critical military capabilities will be available without
relying on foreign suppliers, even friendly ones. That logic has only been
reinforced by Trump-era threats to withhold military support from allies, and
even the Obama administration selectively restricted arms sales to key American
allies.
But defense policy cannot be reduced to a jobs program. Of course countries will
want to maintain certain key capabilities at home, but in a world defined by
alliances and interdependence it makes sense to share the burden. Governments
should seek the best military equipment at the best price, without compromising
security. The EU’s 65 percent internal defense
spending requirement is counterproductive. It shuts out some of the world’s top
defense producers: the US, the UK, and Turkiye. All three countries offer
proven, high-quality systems, from American and British air-defense platforms to
cutting-edge Turkish drones. These capabilities could significantly enhance
Europe’s defense posture, especially in light of the threats from Russia and
instability in the wider neighborhood.
If the EU truly wants to be taken seriously on defense, it should pursue an open
and competitive defense market, one that maximizes the capabilities available to
European armed forces rather than limiting them in the name of industrial
policy.
Unfortunately, change is unlikely. The recent escalation of Trump’s global trade
war, including new tariffs on EU goods, will only reinforce the protectionist
instincts of Brussels. But the cost of these instincts could be high. After all,
23 of 27 EU members are also in NATO. If Brussels limits their ability to
procure the best hardware from wherever it is produced, it could weaken not only
the EU’s own defense posture but that of NATO as well.
At a time when the future of Ukraine hangs in the balance, and the White House’s
commitment to NATO is being questioned, Europe cannot afford to let ideology or
industrial politics get in the way of military readiness. It must be pragmatic.
That means buying the best equipment available, regardless of whether it is
built in France, the UK, Turkiye, or the US.Anything less would not only
undermine Europe’s ability to defend itself, it would play directly into the
hands of those who want to see the transatlantic alliance fail.
*Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson
Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey
First 100 days highlight prospect of a historic EU term
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 05, 2025
The action-packed first 100 days of Ursula von der Leyen’s second five-year term
as president of the European Commission suggests that the remainder of it could
be one for the history books. Not only is the situation exceptionally turbulent
in a global context, domestic reforms are also urgently needed on the continent.
Von der Leyen’s first term in charge of the commission, from 2019 to
2024, was defined by her responses to the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, and her European Green Deal, which made Europe the first major power to
legislate for climate neutrality by 2050.
Fast forward to 2025, and the pace of events is still lightning fast but the
macro landscape is not exactly the same as it was before.
Perhaps inevitably, it is foreign policy that has dominated the headlines so
far. Not only is the EU seeking to influence the terms of any eventual Ukraine
peace settlement, but on the world stage von der Leyen is also leading efforts
to boost European outreach to key emerging markets such as the Gulf Cooperation
Council, South Africa, the Mercosur bloc in South America, and India. At the
same time, she is coordinating the EU response to Donald Trump’s presidential
blitz, including the “Liberation Day” trade tariffs he announced on April 2.
By any standards this is a huge, and fast-growing, international policy agenda
to tackle. So far, von der Leyen has not only agreed a EU-Mercosur trade deal
and restarted trade talks with India, she has also announced major new defense
and security initiatives, including the multibillion-euro “ReArmEU” plan. Now,
she is thinking through signature initiatives for her second term, which runs
until 2029.
Every commission president seeks to leave a mark on the bloc’s economic and
political trajectory through era-defining initiatives. Perhaps the one who left
the biggest political footprint in relatively recent times was Jacques Delors.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he oversaw the creation of the single market
initiative and laid the foundations for the European single currency.
However, Delors was far from alone among commission presidents in attempting to
make such historic waves. In 2000, Romano Prodi’s “Lisbon strategy” sought to
transform Europe into the world’s most competitive knowledge-based economy. Jose
Manuel Barroso led the Europe 2020 growth plan. And Jean-Claude Juncker
spearheaded an investment plan for Europe. It is in this historical context that
von der Leyen’s second term is now unfolding. While the foreign arena is
important for this, she is also very mindful of the EU’s multiple domestic
weaknesses. These were highlighted last year in a landmark report by Mario
Draghi, the former Italian prime minister and ex-European Central Bank chief. He
called for a new European industrial strategy to address an “existential”
competitiveness challenge, and offered about 170 recommendations to that end.
The action-packed first 100 days of Ursula von der Leyen’s second five-year term
as president of the European Commission suggest that the remainder of it could
be one for the history books.
Draghi advocated that the EU raise investment by €800 billion ($879 billion) a
year to fund huge, and fast, changes to help prevent the 27-member union falling
further behind key competitors. This additional annual investment, equivalent to
about 4.5 percent of EU gross domestic product, would bring the ratio of
investment-to-GDP to a level not seen since the 1970s.
In short, he suggested that three macro themes must be tackled. Firstly, closing
the innovation gap between the EU and other key economies, with special emphasis
on commercializing and scaling up innovation, including in the field of digital
technology. Draghi viewed artificial intelligence as an opportunity “to redress
these failings in innovation and productivity, and to restore its manufacturing
potential.”
The second major theme was the combination of decarbonization efforts with
growth to boost competitiveness. Draghi and von der Leyen want a continuing
shift from fossil fuels toward a cleaner, circular economy, but assert that this
must ultimately result in a lowering of energy costs, to translate the benefits
into economic gains for industry and consumers. The
report highlights the fact that the cost of energy for industry is significantly
higher in the EU compared with the US: 158 percent higher for electricity and
345 percent for natural gas.
Thirdly, in the deteriorating geopolitical context there is a growing need to
derisk supply chains, including those for raw materials and wider critical
minerals, in an effort to build resilience to future shocks following the
effects of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Simultaneously,
European defense industry capacity requires an urgent boost.
Von der Leyen has started to tackle some of this agenda through initiatives such
as the EU-Mercosur trade deal and the ReArmEU defense and security plan.
Her key domestic initiative, however, looks likely to be the potentially
important new Clean Industrial Deal. Unveiled in February, in outline form, it
recognizes that the EU cannot afford to lose a critical mass of its industrial
base, and economic prosperity, in pursuit of bold climate goals. The announced
€100 billion package pools existing funds in an attempt to revitalize the EU’s
clean manufacturing sector. EU climate chief Wopke Hoekstra hinted the
initiative could align with broader net-zero goals and that the initial €100
billion sum aims to leverage €400 billion through private funds, though such
projections hinge on market response and lack a firm deadline.
With lingering uncertainty about the full details of the plan, what is already
clear is that the scale and ambition of the €100 billion in committed public
funds are relatively modest when compared with investments by the US and China.
The figure also falls far short of heeding the warning in Draghi’s report last
year that the EU needs to invest about €800 billion annually to close the
innovation gap and remain competitive.
Therefore this important new EU strategy still risks falling short, which could
put a significant dent in von der Leyen’s broader political legacy. Without even
greater ambition, Europe will struggle to fully realize its Clean Industrial
Deal goals.
*Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the
London School of Economics.