English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 13/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
John 12/12-23/Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him. 3 Therefore Mary took a pound† of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4 Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, 5 “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii‡ and given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it. 7 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.” 9 A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. 12 On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna!§ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,* the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, 15 “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”* 16 His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him. 17 The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. 18 For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.” 20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. 21 Therefore, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 12-13/2025
Video & Text/April 13, 1975 – April 13, 2025: From Wounds to Victory, From Wars to Liberation and Peace/Elias Bejjani/April 13/2025
Palm Sunday ...The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem./Elias Bejjani/April 13, 2025
Lebanon’s Liberation from Hezbollah’s Occupation needs the following steps/Elias Bejjani/April 12, 2025
The most important highlights from Dr. Charles Charouni’s interview with Al-Badeel TV
President Joseph Aoun marks 50th anniversary of Lebanon's civil war outbreak with call for national unity
Report: Lebanese Army starts entering Hezbollah bases north of Litani
Most Hezbollah military sites ceded to army in south Lebanon: source
Israel-Hezbollah war cost Lebanon agriculture $700 million
On the path to reform: Beirut Airport undergoes major upgrades ahead of summer season
Multi-front tensions: Israel eyes US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman while expanding Gaza occupation
Upcoming IMF, World Bank Spring Meetings: Lebanon finalizes bank reform bill ahead of talks
Gemayel marks 50 years since launch of Lebanese Resistance, calls for an end to illegal arms
Lebanese Cabinet approves bank restructuring bill
Bitar requests documents from Abbas Ibrahim, Tony Saliba

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 12-13/2025
Iran, US end talks in Oman, agree to resume ‘next week’
US says Oman talks with Iran were 'positive, constructive and a step forward'
What are US troops doing in the Middle East and where are they?
Israel says intercepts drone claimed by Houthis
Israel takes control of key Gaza corridor, to expand offensive
Hamas expects ‘real progress’ in Cairo talks to end Gaza war
Hamas releases video showing Israeli-American hostage alive
Gazans struggle to find water as clean sources become increasingly scarce
Israel’s army says it will fire air force reservists who condemned the war
Syria seizes millions of captagon pills
Syrian forces deploy at key dam under deal with Kurds
Iraqi markets a haven for pedlars escaping Iran’s economic woes
UAE president meets with US Congressional delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss ties and regional stability
Jordanian food manufacturers to showcase products at Saudi Food Manufacturing expo in Riyadh

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on April 12-13/2025
Don’t Waste Your Time: Iran’s Mullahs Will Not Abandon Their Nuclear Program/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 12, 2025
Germany needs a ‘game-changer’ government/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 12, 2025
Resurgent GCC-Central Asia partnership defies superpower rivalries/Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/April 12, 2025
Israel’s democratic gatekeepers hit back against Netanyahu’s assaults/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 12, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 12-13/2025
Video & Text/April 13, 1975 – April 13, 2025: From Wounds to Victory, From Wars to Liberation and Peace
Elias Bejjani/April 13/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142208/
On this very day, April 13, 1975, Lebanon entered one of the darkest chapters in its history. What took place was not merely the start of a civil war—it was the launch of a sinister and calculated scheme designed to destroy Lebanon’s identity, shatter its national unity, and transform it into a battlefield for foreign powers and their agendas.
This day marked the beginning of a period of blood and fire. Lebanon was dragged into long, devastating conflicts that violated its sovereignty, spilled the blood of its people, and opened the gates to foreign interventions. The state collapsed, its institutions crumbled, and its independence was hijacked by occupation plots, regional conspiracies, and internal betrayals.
But the most important truth remains: that dark day in Ain El-Remmaneh area was not simply the outbreak of civil war—it was the launch of an evil masterplan to annihilate Lebanon’s very existence, dismantle its society, and erase its unique identity. The plotters, both domestic and foreign, believed they could engulf our small nation. But they were met by a people of unwavering resilience and a sacred land that cannot be desecrated.
The crisis began with the cold-blooded assassination of Lebanese citizen Joseph Abu Aasi in Ain El-Remmaneh area and the attempted assassination of Sheikh Pierre Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Party. This was no random incident—it was the opening move in a deliberate conspiracy led by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Backed by jihadist, leftist, Ba'athist, and Arab nationalist movements, and aided by certain Arab regimes, the PLO aimed to turn Lebanon into an alternative homeland for Palestinians at the expense of the Lebanese people.
Yet, the free Lebanese rose up—Christians and sovereign-minded patriots from all sects united in resistance. Despite massacres, betrayals, and isolation, they endured. The PLO was expelled. The project of turning Lebanon into a substitute Palestinian homeland was defeated. And the right to national decision-making was reclaimed by the Lebanese people. Lebanon proved then, as it does now, that it is immune to foreign domination and cannot be ruled by the axes of political Islam—be they Sunni, Shiite, or the demagogic left in all their branches.
With the collapse of the Palestinian scheme, the Syrian Ba'athist regime stepped in. Under the false banner of the “Arab Deterrent Force,” President Hafez al-Assad’s Syrian army invaded and occupied Lebanon. It spread terror, imposed a reign of assassinations, arrests, massacres, and forced displacements. Freedoms were crushed. The state was suffocated. And Lebanon entered a long, dark tunnel of Ba'athist tyranny.
But Lebanon is no ordinary land—it is a divine endowment. The Syrian occupation eventually collapsed under the weight of its crimes. The Cedar Revolution of 2005 forced Assad’s army into a humiliating retreat. Hope was rekindled that Lebanon could rise again.
Yet that hope was short-lived. In place of the Syrian occupier came a more insidious and dangerous one: the Iranian occupation, imposed through Hezbollah—the Khomeinist, jihadist, terrorist militia. Cloaked in the false garb of “resistance” and “liberating Palestine,” Hezbollah hijacked the state, usurped the right to war and peace, and bound Lebanon to the Iranian regime’s expansionist “Wilayat al-Faqih” project.
Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into needless wars, filled the graves of honorable Shiites with its victims, and shattered the dreams of a generation. It severed Lebanon’s ties with its Arab brothers and the world. On October 8, 2023, it opened a reckless war front with Israel under direct orders from Tehran—another war Lebanon never asked for. Thousands of lives were lost, homes destroyed, and regions devastated. In the end, Hezbollah suffered a historic and crushing defeat.
Now, on April 13, 2025, hope is reborn. The era of Hezbollah’s occupation and Iranization is nearing its end. After its catastrophic failures, Hezbollah has lost most of its leaders, strongholds, and legitimacy. Across the region, Iran’s militias in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Gaza are collapsing. The Assad regime has fallen. The Iranian expansionist project is in ruins. And the clerical regime in Tehran is now retreating, exposed and disgraced.
The Lebanese have always been a people of dignity and resistance—armed not with weapons of destruction, but with faith, hope, and a righteous cause. Their land is sacred. Their history is deeply rooted in the soil. Lebanon is not just a country; it is a divine inheritance. As the Old Testament says, it is the land of prophets, saints, and martyrs—protected by God. Those who seek to conquer it are destined to fall, because divine justice does not sleep.
We proclaim, with pride and certainty, that we have seen this divine justice with our own eyes. The PLO was expelled. The Syrian Ba’athists were humiliated and driven out. The Iranian regime and its militias are crumbling. Those who funded and abetted the occupations—whether in Yemen, Libya, or Somalia—have been scattered and broken. But Lebanon remains, sustained by its martyrs, its righteous people, and its unshakable faith.
To Hezbollah—the Persian, jihadist, terrorist militia—we say: your occupation has failed. Your weapons are a curse upon you. You are not a resistance but a mercenary militia in the service of a foreign regime. Lebanon is not yours. It never was, and it never will be.
In conclusion: because Lebanon is a sacred endowment to God, it will be liberated from the Iranian occupation. The Lebanese people, by God’s will, will prevail. The future belongs to them—not to any occupier, invader, or internal traitor. Eternal glory to our righteous martyrs who offered their lives with faith on the altar of freedom.

Palm Sunday ...The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Elias Bejjani/April 13, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/107794/
(Psalm118/26): "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh! We have blessed You out of the house of Yahweh".
On the seventh Lantern Sunday, known as the "Palm Sunday", our Maronite Catholic Church celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The joyful and faithful people of this Holy City and their children welcomed Jesus with innocent spontaneity and declared Him a King. Through His glorious and modest entry the essence of His Godly royalty that we share with Him in baptism and anointing of Chrism was revealed. Jesus' Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, the "Palm Sunday", marks the Seventh Lantern Sunday, the last one before Easter Day, (The Resurrection).
During the past six Lantern weeks, we the believers are ought to have renewed and rekindled our faith and reverence through genuine fasting, contemplation, penance, prayers, repentance and acts of charity. By now we are expected to have fully understood the core of love, freedom, and justice that enables us to enter into a renewed world of worship that encompasses the family, the congregation, the community and the nation.
Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time to participate in the Jewish Passover Holiday. He was fully aware that the day of His suffering and death was approaching and unlike all times, He did not stop the people from declaring Him a king and accepted to enter the city while they were happily chanting : "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”.(John 12/13). Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19/39-40). Jesus entered Jerusalem to willingly sacrifice Himself, die on the cross, redeem us and absolve our original sin.
On the Palm Sunday we take our children and grandchildren to celebrate the mass and the special procession while happily they are carrying candles decorated with lilies and roses. Men and women hold palm fronds with olive branches, and actively participate in the Palm Procession with modesty, love and joy crying out loudly: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21/09).
On the Palm Sunday through the procession, prayers, and mass we renew our confidence and trust in Jesus. We beg Him for peace and commit ourselves to always tame all kinds of evil hostilities, forgive others and act as peace and love advocates and defend man's dignity and his basic human rights. "Ephesians 2:14": "For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us"
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus' story into Jerusalem appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). The four accounts shows clearly that the Triumphal Entry was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history.
The Triumphal Entry as it appeared in Saint John's Gospel, (12/12-19), as follows : "On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ”His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him. The multitude therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it. For this cause also the multitude went and met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.” Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus."
The multitude welcomed Jesus, His disciples and followers while chanting: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”.(John 12/13). His entry was so humble, meek simple and spontaneous. He did not ride in a chariot pulled by horses as earthly kings and conquerors do, He did not have armed guards, nor officials escorting him. He did not come to Jerusalem to fight, rule, judge or settle scores with any one, but to offer Himself a sacrifice for our salvation.
Before entering Jerusalem, He stopped in the city of Bethany, where Lazarus (whom he raised from the tomb) with his two sisters Mary and Martha lived. In Hebrew Bethany means "The House of the Poor". His stop in Bethany before reaching Jerusalem was a sign of both His acceptance of poverty and His readiness to offer Himself as a sacrifice. He is the One who accepted poverty for our own benefit and came to live in poverty with the poor and escort them to heaven, the Kingdom of His Father.
After His short Stop in Bethany, Jesus entered Jerusalem to fulfill all the prophecies, purposes and the work of the Lord since the dawn of history. All the scripture accounts were fulfilled and completed with his suffering, torture, crucifixion, death and resurrection. On the Cross, He cried with a loud voice: “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.(John19/30)
The multitude welcomed Jesus when He entered Jerusalem so one of the Old Testament prophecies would be fulfilled. (Zechariah 9:9-10): "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth".
The crowd welcomed Jesus for different reasons and numerous expectations. There were those who came to listen to His message and believed in Him, while others sought a miraculous cure for their ailments and they got what they came for, but many others envisaged in Him a mortal King that could liberate their country, Israel, and free them from the yoke of the Roman occupation. Those were disappointed when Jesus told them: "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom" (John 18/36)
Christ came to Jerusalem to die on its soil and fulfill the scriptures. It was His choice where to die in Jerusalem as He has said previously: "should not be a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem" (Luke 13/33): "Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem".
He has also warned Jerusalem because in it all the prophets were killed: (Luke 13:34-35): "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! "behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord".
Explanation of the Palm Sunday Procession Symbols
The crowd chanted, "Hosanna to the Son of David" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21/09), because Jesus was is a descendant of David. Hosanna in the highest is originated in the Psalm 118/25: "Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success". It is a call for help and salvation as also meant by the Psalm 26/11: "But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me". Hosanna also means: God enlightened us and will never abandon us, Jesus' is a salvation for the world"
Spreading cloth and trees' branches in front of Jesus to walk on them was an Old Testament tradition that refers to love, obedience, submission, triumph and loyalty. (2 Kings 09/13): "They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, "Jehu is king!". In the old days Spreading garments before a dignitary was a symbol of submission.
Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, and the "Daughter of Zion" is Jerusalem. The term is synonymous with "paradise" and the sky in its religious dimensions.
Carrying palm and olive branches and waving with them expresses joy, peace, longing for eternity and triumph. Palm branches are a sign of victory and praise, while Olive branches are a token of joy, peace and durability. The Lord was coming to Jerusalem to conquer death by death and secure eternity for the faithful. It is worth mentioning that the olive tree is a symbol for peace and its oil a means of holiness immortality with which Kings, Saints, children and the sick were anointed.
The name "King of Israel," symbolizes the kingship of the Jews who were waiting for Jehovah to liberate them from the Roman occupation.
O, Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith to feel closer to You and to Your mercy when in trouble;
O, Lord Jesus, empower us with the grace of patience and meekness to endure persecution, humiliation and rejection and always be Your followers.
O, Lord Let Your eternal peace and gracious love prevail all over the world.
A joyous Palm Sunday to all

Lebanon’s Liberation from Hezbollah’s Occupation needs the following steps
Elias Bejjani/April 12, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142221/
Lebanon’s salvation lies in liberating its Shiite community from Hezbollah’s grip.
Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a failed, isolated, and impoverished state.
The resistance narrative is fraudulent and has served only Iran’s expansionist agenda.
The state cannot coexist with a militia that operates above the law and constitution.
There can be no reform without restoring Lebanese sovereignty and dismantling Hezbollah’s parallel state.
International intervention under Chapter VII is necessary to enforce UN Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
The current ruling elite is complicit and benefits from the existing corrupt and criminal system.
Lebanon’s Shiites are victims of Hezbollah’s destructive ideology and policies.
A new national pact must be founded on state legitimacy, civil peace, and full independence.
Dialogue is futile when conducted under the intimidation of illegal weapons.
The path forward requires courageous leadership that prioritizes national interest over sectarian alliances.
The collapse of Hezbollah’s hegemony is the beginning of Lebanon’s rebirth.

The most important highlights from Dr. Charles Charouni’s interview with Al-Badeel TV
Transcription, formulation, and texts by Elias Bejjani – Full editorial freedom
April 12, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142214/
*Charouni: I will not seek any form of mercy or appeal from the Lebanese rulers regarding the fabricated judicial case against me, because I am a citizen with full civil rights. I have my own opinion and my right to express my beliefs and choices, as guaranteed by the constitution to every citizen. My opinion is mine, and I will not allow the state or the rulers to impose on me opinions that violate the constitution.
*Charouni: Israel changed the situation that had been imposed on Lebanon. It defeated Hezbollah and imposed a new reality, as a result of which Aoun became president and Salam was tasked with forming the government. So far, Aoun and Salam’s approaches revolve around a prolonged truce, which is unacceptable because it lays the groundwork for endless future wars.
*Charouni: If Hezbollah continues down its Iranian path, it must realize that the rest of the Lebanese have their own choices too.
*Charouni: Hezbollah is an Iranian army in Lebanon. It is a coup-like and jihadist entity that threatens not only Lebanon, but all countries in the region.
*Charouni: Hezbollah and its masters, the Iranian mullahs, are the ones responsible for the wars with Israel. They bear full responsibility for the catastrophic consequences of these wars. Israel was threatened with annihilation and with the destruction of its very existence by Nasrallah and Iran. It defended itself and won… Peace with Israel is inevitable. Israel’s wars—especially the current one which is still ongoing—are not against Lebanon, but against Hezbollah.
*Charouni: The political mafias, the rulers, the occupying powers, and their local agents are the ones who stole people’s money. Judicial accountability is essential, and the stolen funds must be returned to their rightful owners.
*Charouni: Lebanon’s rulers, officials, and politicians must understand that sovereignty is not something to be negotiated with anyone—not with Hezbollah nor with anyone else.
*Charouni: All the plans and choices of Hezbollah and its mullah masters are unviable.
*Charouni: President Aoun, Nawaf Salam, and the government must clarify their positions and commit to the constitution and to all that sovereignty and independence require of them—or else they must resign. Until now, their approaches remain stuck within the framework of an extended truce, not a permanent peace.
*Charouni: The rhetoric and positions of some ministers are disgraceful—particularly the recent statements uttered by Ghassan Salamé. I advise him to return to France and leave the sovereign Lebanese people to reclaim their independence without his constitutional nonsense and sycophantic acrobatics.
*Charouni: There is no doubt that if it weren’t for the deep and existential disagreements among the Lebanese regarding national, sovereign, and independent choices, the foreign powers—Syrian, Iranian, Palestinian, Arabist, and leftist—would not have been able to destabilize the country, turn Lebanon into a battlefield for their wars, and launch their terrorist operations from its soil.
*Charouni: Parliament has been sidelined, and Nabih Berri has hijacked it and paralyzed its work for years by usurping powers that do not belong to him.
Lebanon’s Liberation from Hezbollah’s Occupation needs the following steps
Elias Bejjani/April 12, 2025
Lebanon’s salvation lies in liberating its Shiite community from Hezbollah’s grip.
Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a failed, isolated, and impoverished state.
The resistance narrative is fraudulent and has served only Iran’s expansionist agenda.
The state cannot coexist with a militia that operates above the law and constitution.
There can be no reform without restoring Lebanese sovereignty and dismantling Hezbollah’s parallel state.
International intervention under Chapter VII is necessary to enforce UN Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
The current ruling elite is complicit and benefits from the existing corrupt and criminal system.
Lebanon’s Shiites are victims of Hezbollah’s destructive ideology and policies.
A new national pact must be founded on state legitimacy, civil peace, and full independence.
Dialogue is futile when conducted under the intimidation of illegal weapons.
The path forward requires courageous leadership that prioritizes national interest over sectarian alliances.
The collapse of Hezbollah’s hegemony is the beginning of Lebanon’s rebirth.

President Joseph Aoun marks 50th anniversary of Lebanon's civil war outbreak with call for national unity
LBCI/April 12, 2025
President Joseph Aoun marked the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of Lebanon's civil war on Saturday with a heartfelt message to the Lebanese people, urging reflection, unity, and a renewed commitment to the state as the sole protector of the nation. Aoun addressed citizens "who are still suffering from the aftermath of the war, whose dreams have been lost" and called on the country to remember "those who died, those whose wounds still bleed, and those still waiting for their missing loved ones."Reflecting on the causes and legacy of the conflict, Aoun questioned, "Why couldn't we have developed our system without resorting to war? Our war, and those of foreign actors, converged only on our land."The president emphasized that violence and hatred are not solutions and called on all Lebanese to recognize the state and its institutions as the only legitimate reference for governance. "We must understand that the Lebanese state, through its institutions, is the only framework where we can all be equal despite our differences," he said. In a veiled message to political factions aligned with foreign powers, Aoun warned that any party seeking support from abroad ultimately destroys Lebanon. "There is no refuge for the Lebanese other than the institutions of their state," he said. Concluding his remarks, Aoun said the time has come for all Lebanese to unite behind a strong, sovereign, just, and present state that reflects its people's will.

Report: Lebanese Army starts entering Hezbollah bases north of Litani
Naharnet/April 12, 2025
The Lebanese Army has started entering certain Hezbollah bases in several areas north of the Litani River, sources close to the Baabda Palace and the Grand Serail have told Lebanon’s L'Orient Today news portal. According to the report, the process would happen “slowly and discreetly.”No details were provided on the exact areas in which these camps are located or how the army was deploying there, with the exception of one site in the Bekaa previously targeted by the Israeli army and where Lebanese Army seized ammunition. It was not clear what exactly happened after the Lebanese Army entered the camps but L'Orient Today said it did not receive reports of any clash between the army and Hezbollah.

Most Hezbollah military sites ceded to army in south Lebanon: source
AFP/April 12, 2025
Beirut: Most military sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have been placed under Lebanese army control, a source close to the group said on Saturday. A November 27 ceasefire that ended more than a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, including two months of full-blown war, stipulated that only United Nations peacekeepers and Lebanon’s army should be deployed in the country’s south. The deal required the Iran-backed militant group to dismantle its remaining military infrastructure in the south and move its fighters north of the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Israeli border. “Out of 265 Hezbollah military positions identified south of the Litani, the movement has ceded about 190 to the army,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Under the ceasefire, Israel was to complete its troop withdrawal from Lebanon by February 18 after missing a January deadline, but it has kept troops in five places it deems strategic. Israel has continued to strike what it says are Hezbollah infrastructure or members of the group in Lebanon. The United States deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, discussed disarming Hezbollah with senior Lebanese figures during her visit to the country a week ago, a Lebanese official said. In an interview with Lebanese television channel LBCI, Ortagus said that “we continue to press on this government to fully fulfill the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias.”She said it should happen “as soon as possible.”
The United States chairs a committee, which also includes France, tasked with overseeing the ceasefire. Following the attack against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza in October 2023, Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel in support of the Palestinians.
Months of cross-border exchanges with Israeli forces degenerated into full-blown war last September, leaving Hezbollah severely weakened. According to Lebanese authorities, more than 4,000 people were killed in the hostilities.

Israel-Hezbollah war cost Lebanon agriculture $700 million
Agence France Presse/April 12, 2025
The conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah caused more than $700 million in agricultural damage and losses, a report from the United Nations and Lebanese authorities said. "The agriculture sector in Lebanon has incurred an estimated $118 million in damages and $586 million in losses," said the assessment by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization with Lebanon's agriculture ministry and the National Council for Scientific Research. The most affected areas are south Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, said the report, which covers the period from October 2023 to November 2024, adding that "the most affected subsector is crops, followed by livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture." More than a million people were displaced during the war, with many farmers unable to tend to their lands or harvest crops in the affected areas. The report said the agricultural sector needed an estimated $263 million "for reconstruction and recovery," with $95 million "prioritized" for this year and next. "Immediate support is needed to restart farming, livestock, fisheries, and aquaculture activities," a statement said, alongside efforts to restore crops, livestock and agricultural infrastructure. According to the report, olives were the most affected crop, with 814 hectares of olive groves burnt, $12 million in damage and $237 million in losses.Other crops impacted include citrus, bananas, potatoes and other vegetables, and wheat and barley, noting $19 million in damage, and $28 million in losses to livestock, with poultry and beehives also affected. Almost 5,000 hectares of pine forests were also damaged, the report said. Last month, a World Bank report estimated Lebanon's reconstruction and recovery needs at $11 billion. The report put the war's total economic cost at $14 billion, including $6.8 billion in damage to physical structures and $7.2 billion in economic losses from reduced productivity, forgone revenues and operating costs. The Lebanese housing sector was the hardest hit, with losses estimated at $4.6 billion, while tourism lost $3.6 billion, it said.

On the path to reform: Beirut Airport undergoes major upgrades ahead of summer season
LBCI/April 12, 2025
Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport is undergoing logistical and technical upgrades to enhance its image as the face of Lebanon and restore confidence among international travelers and airline operators. Lebanese authorities, driven by a renewed focus on preventing smuggling and illegal financial transfers, are now prioritizing adherence to international aviation standards. This shift has already generated positive local and international impressions, encouraging hopes that a more efficient and secure airport could reflect broader national progress. Among the improvements is the creation of a fast-track line dedicated to business travelers, which is expected to reduce congestion for regular passengers by more than 15%. The upgrades, partly financed by the national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA), include restored and fully functioning baggage belts in arrival halls and plans to expand certain areas to accommodate incoming travelers better.Changes are not limited to the inside of the airport. Along the main airport road, advertising contracts that previously featured images of political figures and martyrs—mostly from Hezbollah—have been replaced with scenic photos of Lebanon, projecting a more welcoming and apolitical message to visitors. The government aims to complete most of the current improvement phase by mid-June, before the busy summer travel season. Notably, more than 90% of the international airlines that halted operations in Lebanon after 2019 have expressed interest in returning, including several low-cost carriers. Officials view the airport rehabilitation as a symbolic and practical entry point to broader national recovery, with hopes that these visible efforts will mark the beginning of much-needed reform across other sectors.

Multi-front tensions: Israel eyes US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman while expanding Gaza occupation
LBCI/April 12, 2025
Israeli attention is turning sharply toward Oman, where U.S.-Iranian negotiations have quietly begun to reach a new agreement over Tehran's nuclear program. Despite hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough, multiple Israeli security and political sources have expressed skepticism over Iran's intentions. Analysts warn that any deal lacking stringent economic sanctions could eventually allow Tehran to resume and expand its nuclear capabilities. While awaiting the outcome of the talks, Israeli officials have renewed threats to carry out a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities—even if they must act alone.
Still, despite the nuclear issue's significance, it remains third on Israel's priority list, following the war in Gaza and developments in Syria. In Gaza, the Israeli military has claimed control of Rafah and says it is nearing domination of 30% of the enclave. Despite increasing international calls for a ceasefire, especially from families of hostages and peace advocates, Israeli defense officials remain adamant about not withdrawing. A recent Israeli intelligence report heightened fears, stating the military will not pull out from Gaza and reiterating demands to amend the Egyptian ceasefire proposal to guarantee the release of at least eight hostages believed to be alive. If Hamas does not comply, Israel has threatened to occupy up to 50% of the territory. The report outlines a strategy focused on taking full control of Rafah, aimed at severing Hamas' territorial grip and forcing the displacement of Palestinians in the area.
Strategic goals, as detailed in the report, include shrinking Gaza's total land area, cutting off smuggling routes from Egypt, permanently shutting down the Rafah crossing, and facilitating Israeli operations to locate tunnels. Officials also view the control of Rafah as a potential bargaining chip in future negotiations for hostage releases.

Upcoming IMF, World Bank Spring Meetings: Lebanon finalizes bank reform bill ahead of talks
LBCI/April 12, 2025
Days before a Lebanese delegation is set to participate in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Washington on April 21, the Lebanese government has finalized a long-awaited bank restructuring bill. The draft law, which was completed after four intensive Cabinet sessions, addresses one of the IMF's key reform demands and sets a framework for handling future financial crises in Lebanon. Despite the progress, the bill is not expected to pass in Parliament before the Washington meetings, raising questions about its impact on upcoming negotiations. According to Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, the proposed legislation regulates banking operations and outlines procedures to address failing banks—a critical component of Lebanon's broader economic recovery plan. The government is also preparing a set of key appointments, starting with the Council for Development and Reconstruction, as part of a broader effort to demonstrate its commitment to reforms. Over 300 applications are currently under review as part of a new selection mechanism. However, the real test lies in the Parliament, which has repeatedly delayed or shelved reform bills. The bank restructuring law is considered a precursor to the even more contentious financial gap legislation, which will determine the scale of Lebanon's economic losses and how they will be distributed. In parallel, proposed amendments to the banking secrecy law are expected to be reviewed during a joint committee session on Wednesday—another key condition for IMF assistance. LBCI has learned that the Lebanese delegation plans to request an extension until the end of May to pass the restructuring bill in Parliament and will await the IMF's response during the Washington meetings.

Gemayel marks 50 years since launch of Lebanese Resistance, calls for an end to illegal arms
LBCI/April 12, 2025
Lebanese Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Lebanese Resistance with a call to reinforce state sovereignty and end the era of non-state weapons, asserting that "the resistance's cause has triumphed" five decades on.
Speaking at a party ceremony commemorating the anniversary, Gemayel said the occasion symbolizes "the ultimate victory of the Lebanese entity over attempts at annexation, occupation, and settlement plans.""We are gathered today to renew our oath and affirm that Lebanon's sovereignty comes first," he said, emphasizing that the event was not meant to "reopen the wounds of war" but to "tell our story as it happened and honor our heroes."Gemayel recalled that the Kataeb Party lost 5,513 members during the civil war and reiterated that their resistance was defensive. "We did not seek war. The war came to us. When the Lebanese state told us it could not defend us, we defended ourselves," he said, referring to battles fought in Achrafieh, Zahle, Ain El Remmaneh, and Chekka.He framed the early conflict as a battle against foreign military organizations, specifically Palestinian factions and the Syrian army. "We faced a real plan to replace occupied Palestine with Lebanon as an alternative homeland," he said. "We stood our ground and blocked that plan."Gemayel stressed that the Lebanese resistance was never a campaign of brutality. "Our resistance was not savage. It was a last resort."In a pointed message to Hezbollah, Gemayel said, "The presence of illegal weapons was the core cause of war, and it is time we all learn that only the state can protect its people." He added, "I say to Hezbollah: you have tried, you fought, and we have seen the result."He reiterated that the disarmament of non-state actors is not a topic for debate, but a legal obligation. "There is no future for weapons outside the framework of the state. Hezbollah must hand over its weapons like others did," he said, calling for direct talks between the party and the Lebanese government on the handover process. Gemayel continued by saying, "We are ready to hear the stories of others and to acknowledge each other. That's how we build a shared narrative for Lebanon." Ending on a personal note, he said Kataeb leaders have always stood on the frontlines. "We do not hide and send others to die. Our leaders were martyred before our youth."

Lebanese Cabinet approves bank restructuring bill
LBCI/April 12, 2025
Lebanon's Cabinet approved a draft law to restructure the country's banking sector during a session on Saturday, marking a key step in efforts to revive the ailing financial system. Information Minister Paul Morcos announced that the government is working to implement a broader package of economic and financial reforms "within a few weeks," with a particular focus on protecting small depositors. Morcos said the Cabinet is also preparing a draft law to address the financial gap—a crucial measure to restore balance to the country's fiscal framework. He noted that the government had previously approved a draft amendment to the banking secrecy law, calling it a necessary condition for accountability and transparency. Highlighting a key feature of the restructuring bill, Morcos emphasized that depositors' funds—especially those of small account holders—would be prioritized and protected under the proposed law.

Bitar requests documents from Abbas Ibrahim, Tony Saliba
Associated Press/April 12, 2025
The Lebanese judge investigating the massive 2020 Beirut port explosion questioned two former security chiefs on Friday, including former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who appeared in court for the first time since being summoned nearly four years ago, according to four judicial and two security officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The hearings mark a rare breakthrough in the long-stalled probe. Ibrahim and former head of State Security Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba are among several officials charged in connection with the blast that killed over 220 people. The specific charges have not been disclosed. Ibrahim appeared in court for the first time, where Judge Tarek Bitar questioned him about the operations of the General Security Directorate during his tenure and requested related documents, which Ibrahim's lawyer is expected to submit next week. Ibrahim, who headed the General Security Directorate between 2011 and 2023, is known for wide connections with local, regional and international figures, including Iran-backed Hezbollah, the former Syrian government and Western nations, making him a key political mediator.
Ibrahim's attorneys said in a statement that the former General Security chief appeared in court despite having previously filed a legal challenge against Judge Bitar and despite claiming that he was immune from prosecution. His attorneys said he appeared as a "mark of respect for the families of the martyrs and victims, his belief in justice and truth, and his commitment to upholding legal procedures and the course of justice."Saliba, appearing in court for the fourth time, cooperated with the hearing, providing documentation pertaining to his role at State Security. After the hearing, Saliba described the proceedings as "positive" in a statement. On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a Beirut Port warehouse, killing at least 218 people, injuring more than 6,000 and devastating large swaths of the capital. The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, caused billions of dollars in damage and sent shockwaves through the nation's capital. Following years of political obstruction, Bitar resumed the stalled investigation in mid-January, questioning port and customs employees, retired military officials, the former head of port security, the former army intelligence director, and 12 witnesses. This development coincides with significant political changes in Lebanon, including the election of Joseph Aoun as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister. Both are perceived as outside the traditional political establishment, which includes many figures charged in the port explosion case.
Several officials implicated in the investigation have accused Bitar of bias, refused to testify, and filed legal complaints against him.Next week, Bitar is expected to question top former political leaders. Former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who was in office at the time of the port explosion and is among those charged by Bitar, is scheduled to appear in court in May. His hearing will be followed by the questioning of four judges. Meanwhile, a French delegation is expected to submit their findings from their investigation into the explosion later in April. France initiated its own probe into the explosion in 2020 after three French nationals were killed in the blast. However, French judges have faced obstacles accessing documents from the Lebanese investigation, which has been hindered by political interference.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 12-13/2025.
Iran, US end talks in Oman, agree to resume ‘next week’
AFP/April 12, 2025
MUSCAT: The United States and Iran held “constructive” talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Saturday and agreed to meet again as President Donald Trump threatens military action if they fail to reach a deal. Oman’s foreign minister acted as an intermediary in the high-stakes talks in Muscat, Iran said. The Americans had called for the meetings to be face-to-face. However, the negotiators also spoke directly for “a few minutes,” Iran’s foreign ministry said. It said the talks were held “in a constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere.”Disagreement over the format indicated the scale of the task facing the long-term adversaries, who are seeking a new nuclear deal after Trump pulled out of an earlier agreement during his first term in 2018. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the talks took place in a “friendly atmosphere,” adding: “We will continue to work together.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a seasoned diplomat and key architect of the 2015 accord, led the Iranian delegation while Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate magnate, headed the US team. “Our intention is to reach a fair and honorable agreement from an equal position,” Araghchi said earlier in a video posted by Iranian state television.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei earlier told the broadcaster that the negotiations were “just a beginning.” The two parties were in “separate halls” and were “conveying their views and positions to each other through the Omani foreign minister,” he posted separately on X. Iran, weakened by Israel’s pummelling of its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, is seeking relief from wide-ranging sanctions hobbling its economy. Tehran has agreed to the meetings despite baulking at Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign of ramping up sanctions and repeated military threats.
Meanwhile the US, hand-in-glove with Iran’s arch-enemy Israel, wants to stop Tehran from ever getting close to developing a nuclear bomb. There were no visible signs of the high-level meeting at a luxury hotel in Muscat, where there were no flags or unusual security measures and little traffic on the streets. Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal earlier that the US position starts with demanding that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear program — a view held by hard-liners around Trump that few expect Iran to accept.
“That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries,” Witkoff told the newspaper.
“Where our red line will be, there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability,” he added. The talks were revealed in a surprise announcement by Trump during a White House appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Hours before they began, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country. But they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s adviser Ali Shamkhani said Iran was “seeking a real and fair agreement.”Saturday’s contact between the two sides, which have not had diplomatic relations for decades, follows repeated threats of military action by both the US and Israel. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked what would happen if the talks fail. The multi-party 2015 deal that Trump abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear program. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is only for civilian purposes, stepped up its activities after Trump withdrew from the agreement. The latest International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, nearing the weapons grade of 90 percent.
Karim Bitar, a Middle East Studies lecturer at Sciences Po university in Paris, said a deal could be a matter of the government’s very survival.
“The one and only priority is the survival of the regime, and ideally, to get some oxygen, some sanctions relief, to get their economy going again, because the regime has become quite unpopular,” he told AFP. Mohamed Al-Araimi, ex-head of the official Oman News Agency, said the highest-level talks since the last deal crumbled indicate “a strong desire to reach a resolution.” But he added: “Personally, I don’t believe that today’s meetings in Muscat will resolve all of these files. These matters require technical teams.”

US says Oman talks with Iran were 'positive, constructive and a step forward'
Agence France Presse/April 12, 2025
U.S.-Iran talks on Saturday in Oman marked a "step forward" between the two adversaries, the White House said, describing discussions including President Donald Trump's regional envoy as "positive and constructive."
"These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy (Steven) Witkoff's direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome," the White House said in a statement, adding the sides agreed to "meet again next Saturday."
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei earlier told the broadcaster that the negotiations were “just a beginning.”The two parties were in “separate halls” and were “conveying their views and positions to each other through the Omani foreign minister,” he posted separately on X. Iran, weakened by Israel’s pummelling of its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, is seeking relief from wide-ranging sanctions hobbling its economy.Tehran has agreed to the meetings despite baulking at Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign of ramping up sanctions and repeated military threats. Meanwhile the US, hand-in-glove with Iran’s arch-enemy Israel, wants to stop Tehran from ever getting close to developing a nuclear bomb.
There were no visible signs of the high-level meeting at a luxury hotel in Muscat, where there were no flags or unusual security measures and little traffic on the streets. Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal earlier that the US position starts with demanding that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear program — a view held by hard-liners around Trump that few expect Iran to accept.
“That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries,” Witkoff told the newspaper. “Where our red line will be, there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability,” he added. The talks were revealed in a surprise announcement by Trump during a White House appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Hours before they began, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country. But they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s adviser Ali Shamkhani said Iran was “seeking a real and fair agreement.” Saturday’s contact between the two sides, which have not had diplomatic relations for decades, follows repeated threats of military action by both the US and Israel. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked what would happen if the talks fail. The multi-party 2015 deal that Trump abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear program. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is only for civilian purposes, stepped up its activities after Trump withdrew from the agreement.
The latest International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, nearing the weapons grade of 90 percent. Karim Bitar, a Middle East Studies lecturer at Sciences Po university in Paris, said a deal could be a matter of the government’s very survival. “The one and only priority is the survival of the regime, and ideally, to get some oxygen, some sanctions relief, to get their economy going again, because the regime has become quite unpopular,” he told AFP. Mohamed Al-Araimi, ex-head of the official Oman News Agency, said the highest-level talks since the last deal crumbled indicate “a strong desire to reach a resolution.”But he added: “Personally, I don’t believe that today’s meetings in Muscat will resolve all of these files. These matters require technical teams.”

What are US troops doing in the Middle East and where are they?
Reuters/April 12, 2025
WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran are set for talks this weekend in Oman as President Donald Trump reiterated this week threats of military action against Tehran if it does not agree to limits on its nuclear program. Western countries suspect Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, which Iran denies. If Iran does not make a deal, Trump has said, “There will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
Here is what we know about the US military presence in the Middle East:
WHERE ARE US BASES IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
The US has operated bases around the Middle East for decades and the largest is Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, built in 1996, based on the number of personnel. Other countries where the US has troops include Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. There are normally about 30,000 US troops across the region, down sharply from when US forces were involved in major operations. There were more than 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan in 2011 and over 160,000 in Iraq in 2007. The US has roughly 2,000 troops in Syria at small bases mostly in the northeast. About 2,500 US personnel are stationed in Iraq including at the US Union III site in Baghdad.
WHAT REINFORCEMENTS HAS TRUMP SENT?
The Pentagon has said that it surged additional forces to the Middle East in recent weeks.
It also relocated as many as six B-2 bombers in March to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, which experts said would put them in an ideal position to intervene quickly in the Middle East. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that it was up to Iran to decide whether to interpret this as a message to Tehran. The Pentagon has also sent other aircraft and more air defense assets including a Patriot missile defense battalion. Two US aircraft carrier ships are in the Middle East, and each carries thousands of troops and dozens of aircraft.
WHY ARE US TROOPS STATIONED IN THE REGION?
US troops are stationed in the Middle East for a variety of reasons.
In some countries like Iraq, US troops are fighting Daesh militants and local forces. But over the past several years Iran-backed fighters have attacked US personnel who have struck back.Jordan, a key US ally in the region, has hundreds of US trainers and they hold extensive exercises throughout the year. US troops are in other countries such as Qatar and the UAE as a security assurance, for training and to assist in regional military action as needed. The United States is undertaking a bombing campaign against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
DO US BASES IN THE REGION GET ATTACKED OFTEN?
US bases are highly guarded facilities, including air defense systems to protect against missiles or drones. Facilities in countries like Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait are not usually attacked.But US troops in Iraq and Syria have come under frequent attack in recent years.Since 2023, the Houthi movement has launched more than 100 attacks on ships off Yemen’s coast, which they say were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war in Gaza with Iran-backed Hamas militants. These include drone and missile strikes on US Navy ships in the region. So far, no Houthi attack is known to have damaged a US warship.

Israel says intercepts drone claimed by Houthis
AFP/April 12, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Friday it had intercepted an incoming UAV while a military source in Jordan said another drone had crashed there, as Iran-backed Houthis claimed the attacks. “A short while ago, a UAV (drone) that was on its way to Israeli territory from the east was intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force),” the Israeli military said in a statement, without elaborating. Since the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks at Israel, many of which have been intercepted before entering Israeli airspace.
The Houthi militia in Yemen, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, stated on their official website that they had launched two drones “targeting two Israeli military targets in the occupied Jaffa area” south of Tel Aviv. The Houthis “assure to the oppressed Palestinian people that they are committed to their pledge of support and assistance, will not retreat, and will not stop,” the statement said. In Israel’s eastern neighbor Jordan, several media outlets reported that Israel’s military had intercepted a Yemeni drone over the Dead Sea. A Jordanian military source said an unidentified drone breached the country’s airspace and crashed in the Ma’in area of Madaba Governorate, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the capital Amman. No casualties were reported, but falling debris ignited a fire in the wooded area where it came down. Jordanian military personnel and civil defense teams extinguished the blaze.
Besides the Houthis, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, another pro-Iran group, has also claimed being behind a number of attacks targeting Israel since the Gaza war began.

Israel takes control of key Gaza corridor, to expand offensive
AFP/April 12, 2025
GAZA CITY: Israel announced on Saturday that its military had completed the takeover of a new corridor in southern Gaza, advancing its efforts to seize large parts of the war-battered Palestinian territory. The announcement from Defense Minister Israel Katz came as Hamas expected “real progress” toward a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, with senior leaders from the Palestinian movement scheduled to hold talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Saturday. “The IDF (military) has now completed its takeover of the Morag axis, which crosses Gaza between Rafah and Khan Yunis, turning the entire area between the Philadelphi Route (along the border with Egypt) and Morag into part of the Israeli security zone,” Katz said in a statement addressed to residents of Gaza. “Soon, IDF (military) operations will intensify and expand to other areas throughout most of Gaza, and you will need to evacuate the combat zones. “In northern Gaza as well — in Beit Hanoun and other neighborhoods — residents are evacuating, the area is being taken over and the security zone is being expanded, including in the Netzarim corridor,” he added.
Hope of 'real progress'
Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza has displaced hundreds of thousands of people while the military has seized large areas of the war-battered territory. Top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly said that the ongoing assault aims to pressure Hamas into freeing the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Hamas on Saturday said that the offensive not only “kills defenseless civilians but also makes the fate of the occupation’s prisoners (hostages) uncertain.” Katz’s announcements came ahead of a meeting between Hamas and Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Saturday. The scheduled talks also came days after US President Donald Trump suggested an agreement to secure the release of hostages was close to being finalized. A Hamas official told AFP that the group anticipated the meeting in Cairo would yield significant progress. “We hope the meeting will achieve real progress toward reaching an agreement to end the war, halt the aggression and ensure the full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza,” the official familiar with the ceasefire negotiations said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
According to the official, Hamas has not yet received any new ceasefire proposals, despite Israeli media reports suggesting that Israel and Egypt had exchanged draft documents outlining a potential ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
“However, contacts and discussions with mediators are ongoing,” he added, accusing Israel of “continuing its aggression” in Gaza. The Times of Israel reported that Egypt’s proposal would involve the release of eight living hostages and eight bodies, in exchange for a truce lasting between 40 and 70 days and a substantial release of Palestinian prisoners.
Projectiles fired
President Trump said during a cabinet meeting this week that “we’re getting close to getting them (hostages in Gaza) back.”Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was also quoted in an Israeli media report as saying “a very serious deal is taking shape, it’s a matter of days.”Since Israel resumed its Gaza strikes, more than 1,500 people have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory to which Israel cut off aid more than a month ago. Dozens of these strikes have killed “only women and children,” according to a report by UN human rights office. The report also warned that expanding Israeli evacuation orders were resulting in the “forcible transfer” of people into ever-shrinking areas, raising “real concern as to the future viability of Palestinians as a group in Gaza.”
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported an Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City on Saturday morning. AFP footage of the aftermath of the strike showed the bodies of four men, wrapped in white shrouds, at a local hospital, while several individuals gathered to offer prayers before the funeral. The Israeli military, meanwhile, said its air force intercepted three projectiles that were identified as crossing into Israeli territory from southern Gaza on Saturday. The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. It resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Gaza’s health ministry said on Friday that at least 1,563 Palestinians had been killed since March 18 when the ceasefire collapsed, taking the overall death toll since the war began to 50,933.

Hamas expects ‘real progress’ in Cairo talks to end Gaza war
AFP/April 12, 2025
CAIRO: Hamas expects “real progress” toward a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, an official said, as senior leaders from the Palestinian movement hold talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Saturday. The scheduled talks come days after US President Donald Trump suggested an agreement to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza was close to being finalized. A Hamas official told AFP that the Palestinian group anticipated the meeting with Egyptian mediators would yield significant progress. “We hope the meeting will achieve real progress toward reaching an agreement to end the war, halt the aggression and ensure the full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza,” the official familiar with the ceasefire negotiations said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The delegation will be led by the group’s chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, he said. According to the official, Hamas has not yet received any new ceasefire proposals, despite Israeli media reports suggesting that Israel and Egypt had exchanged draft documents outlining a potential ceasefire and hostage release agreement. “However, contacts and discussions with mediators are ongoing,” he added, accusing Israel of “continuing its aggression” in Gaza. The Times of Israel reported that Egypt’s proposal would involve the release of eight living hostages and eight bodies, in exchange for a truce lasting between 40 and 70 days and a substantial release of Palestinian prisoners.
EVACUTAIONS CONTINUE
President Trump said during a cabinet meeting this week that “we’re getting close to getting them (hostages in Gaza) back.”Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was also quoted in an Israeli media report as saying “a very serious deal is taking shape, it’s a matter of days.”Israel resumed its Gaza strikes on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. Since then, more than 1,500 people have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory to which Israel cut off aid more than a month ago. Dozens of these strikes have killed “only women and children,” according to a report by UN human rights office. The report also warned that expanding Israeli evacuation orders were resulting in the “forcible transfer” of people into ever-shrinking areas, raising “real concern as to the future viability of Palestinians as a group in Gaza.”On Saturday, Israel continued with its offensive. Gaza’s civil defense agency reported an Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City on Saturday morning. AFP footage of the aftermath of the strike showed the bodies of four men, wrapped in white shrouds, at a local hospital, while several individuals gathered to offer prayers before the funeral. The ceasefire that ended on March 17 had led to the release of 33 hostages from Gaza — eight of them deceased — and the release of around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. It resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 58 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Gaza’s health ministry said on Friday that at least 1,542 Palestinians had been killed since March 18 when the ceasefire collapsed, taking the overall death toll since the war began to 50,912.

Hamas releases video showing Israeli-American hostage alive
AFP/April 12, 2025
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday showing an Israeli-American hostage alive, in which he criticizes the Israeli government for failing to secure his release. Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum identified him as Edan Alexander, a soldier in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border when he was abducted by Palestinian militants during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. AFP was unable to determine when the video was filmed.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, published the more than three-minute clip showing the hostage seated in a small, enclosed space.
In the video, he says he wants to return home to celebrate the holidays.
Israel is currently marking Passover, the holiday that commemorates the biblical liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Alexander, who turned 21 in captivity, was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in the US state of New Jersey, returning to Israel after high school to join the army. “As we begin the holiday evening in the USA, our family in Israel is preparing to sit around the Seder table,” Alexander’s family said in a statement released by the forum. “Our Edan, a lone soldier who immigrated to Israel and enlisted in the Golani Brigade to defend the country and its citizens, is still being held captive by Hamas.
“When you sit down to mark Passover, remember that this is not a holiday of freedom as long as Edan and the other hostages are not home,” the family added. The family did not give a green light for the media to broadcast the footage. Alexander appears to be speaking under duress in the video, making frequent hand gestures as he criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to secure his release. The video was released hours after Defense Minister Israel Katz announced military control of what it called the new “Morag axis” corridor of land between the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis. Katz also outlined plans to expand Israel’s ongoing offensive across much of the territory. In a separate statement earlier Saturday, Hamas said Israel’s Gaza operations endangered not only Palestinian civilians but also the remaining hostages. The offensive not only “kills defenseless civilians but also makes the fate of the occupation’s prisoners (hostages) uncertain,” Hamas said. During their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian militants took 251 hostages. Fifty-eight hostages remain in captivity, including 34 whom the Israeli military says are dead. During a recent ceasefire that ended on March 18 when Israel resumed air strikes on Gaza, militants released 33 hostages, among them eight bodies. Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Gaza’s health ministry said Saturday at least 1,563 Palestinians had been killed since March 18 when the ceasefire collapsed, taking the overall death toll since the war began to 50,933.

Gazans struggle to find water as clean sources become increasingly scarce
Reuters/April 12, 2025
GAZA/CAIRO: Hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents have lost their main source of clean water in the past week after supplies from Israel’s water utility were cut by the Israeli army’s renewed offensive, municipal authorities in the territory said.
Many now have to walk, sometimes for miles, to get a small water fill after the Israeli military’s bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza City’s eastern Shejaia neighborhood, in the north of the Strip, damaged the pipeline operated by state-owned Mekorot.
“Since morning, I have been waiting for water,” said 42-year-old Gaza woman Faten Nassar. “There are no stations and no trucks coming. There is no water. The crossings are closed. God willing, the war will end safely and peacefully.”Israel’s military said in a statement it was in contact with the relevant organizations to coordinate the repair of what it called a malfunction of the northern pipeline as soon as possible. It said a second pipeline supplying southern Gaza was still operating, adding that the water supply system “is based on various water sources, including wells and local desalination facilities distributed throughout the Gaza Strip.”Israel ordered Shejaia residents to evacuate last week as it launched an offensive that has seen several districts bombed. The military has said previously it was operating against “terror infrastructure” and had killed a senior militant leader. The northern pipeline had been supplying 70 percent of Gaza City’s water since the destruction of most of its wells during the war, municipal authorities say. “The situation is very difficult and things are getting more complicated, especially when it comes to people’s daily lives and their daily water needs, whether for cleaning, disinfecting, and even cooking and drinking,” said Husni Mhana, the municipality’s spokesperson.“We are now living in a real thirst crisis in Gaza City, and we could face a difficult reality in the coming days if the situation remains the same.”
Worsening water crisis
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have become internally displaced by the war, with many making daily trips on foot to fill plastic containers with water from the few wells still functioning in remoter areas — and even these do not guarantee clean supplies. Water for drinking, cooking and washing has increasingly become a luxury for Gaza residents following the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose fighters carried out the deadliest attack in decades on Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and taking some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 50,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, Palestinian authorities have said. Many residents across the enclave queue for hours to get one water fill, which usually is not enough for their daily needs. “I walk long distances. I get tired. I am old, I’m not young to walk around every day to get water,” said 64-year-old Adel Al-Hourani. The Gaza Strip’s only natural source of water is the Coastal Aquifer Basin, which runs along the eastern Mediterranean coast from the northern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, through Gaza and into Israel. But its salty tap water is severely depleted, with up to 97 percent deemed unfit for human consumption due to salinity, over-extraction and pollution. The Palestinian Water Authority stated that most of its wells had been rendered inoperable during the war. On March 22, a joint statement by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics and the Water Authority said more than 85 percent of water and sanitation facilities and assets in Gaza were completely or partially out of service. Palestinian and United Nations officials said most of Gaza’s desalination plants were either damaged or had stopped operations because of Israel’s power and fuel cuts. “Due to the extensive damage incurred by the water and sanitation sector, water supply rates have declined to an average of 3-5 liters per person per day,” the statement said.That was far below the minimum 15 liters per person per day requirement for survival in emergencies, according to the World Health Organization indicators, it added.

Israel’s army says it will fire air force reservists who condemned the war
AP/April 12, 2025
TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel’s military said Friday it will fire air force reservists who signed an open letter that condemns the war in Gaza for mainly serving political interests while failing to bring home the hostages. In a statement to The Associated Press, an army official said there was no room for any individual, including reservists on active duty, “to exploit their military status while simultaneously participating in the fighting,” calling the letter a breach of trust between commanders and subordinates. The army said it had decided that any active reservist who signed the letter will not be able to continue serving. It did not specify how many people that included or if the firings had begun. Nearly 1,000 Israeli Air Force reservists and retirees signed the letter, published in Israeli media Thursday, demanding the immediate return of the hostages, even at the cost of ending the fighting.
The letter comes as Israel has ramped up its offensive in Gaza, trying to increase pressure on Hamas to return the 59 hostages still being held. More than half are presumed dead. Israel has imposed a blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle. It has pledged to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor through it.
While those who signed the letter did not refuse military service, they are the latest in a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the prolonged conflict, some saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines. “It’s completely illogical and irresponsible on behalf of the Israeli policy makers … risking the lives of the hostages, risking the lives of more soldiers and risking lives of many, many more innocent Palestinians, while it had a very clear alternative,” Guy Poran, a retired Israeli Air Force pilot who spearheaded the letter told The AP. He said he’s not aware of anyone who signed the letter being fired, and since it was published, it has gained dozens more signatures. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downplayed the letter on Friday, saying it was written by a “small handful of weeds, operated by foreign-funded (non-governmental organizations) whose sole goal is to overthrow the right-wing government.” He said anyone who encourages refusal will be immediately dismissed. Soldiers are required to steer clear of politics, and they rarely speak out against the army. After Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel quickly united behind the war launched against the militant group. Divisions here have grown as the war progresses, but most criticism has focused on the mounting number of soldiers killed and the failure to bring home hostages, not actions in Gaza.
Advocates for hostage return keep up the pressure
Freed hostages and their families are doing what they can to keep attention on their plight and urge the government to get everyone out. Agam Berger, a military spotter who was taken hostage and freed in January, plans to join an upcoming March of the Living Ceremony at the sites of former Nazi concentration camps in Poland. Berger, playing a 130-year-old violin that survived the Holocaust, will be accompanied by Daniel Weiss, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri whose parents were killed by Hamas. But the war ignited by that attack shows no signs of slowing.
Since Israel ended an eight-week ceasefire last month, it said it will push farther into Gaza until Hamas releases the hostages. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed, according to the United Nations. The Israeli military on Friday issued an urgent warning to residents in several neighborhoods in northern Gaza, calling on them to evacuate immediately. At least 26 people have been killed and more than 100 others wounded in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Palestinians lined up at a charity kitchen Friday in central Gaza said shortages of food, fuel and other essentials are worsening. “There is no flour or gas or wood. Everything is expensive and there is no money,” said Reem Oweis, a displaced woman from Al-Mughraqa in south Gaza, waiting in line for a serving of rice, the only food available. “I completely rely on charity kitchens. If those charity kitchens close, my children and I will die,” said another displaced woman, Nema Faragallah. Brazil pushes for the release of body of teen who died in Israeli custodyز Also this week, Brazil’s Embassy in the West Bank said it had requested the immediate release of the body of a 17-year-old Palestinian prisoner who died in Israeli custody. A representative from Brazil’s office in Ramallah, told the AP it was helping the family speed up the process to bring Walid Ahmad’s body home. Ahmad had a Brazilian passport. According to an Israeli doctor who observed the autopsy, starvation was likely the primary cause of his death. Ahmad had been held for six months without being charged. He was extremely malnourished and also showed signs of inflammation of the colon and scabies, said a report written by Dr. Daniel Solomon, who watched the autopsy conducted by Israeli experts at the request of the boy’s family. Israel’s prison service said it operates according to the law and all prisoners are given basic rights.

Syria seizes millions of captagon pills
AFP/April 12, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities on Saturday announced the seizure of around four million pills of the illegal drug captagon that had been readied for export through the port of Latakia. The interior ministry said the pills had been “professionally hidden inside 5,000 metal bars” and were seized from warehouses at the port. “The pills were seized and the necessary legal procedures have begun,” the ministry’s anti-narcotics department posted on Telegram. Latakia is in the coastal heartland of deposed president Bashar Assad’s Alawite minority. Under his rule, captagon became Syria’s largest export during the civil war that began in 2011. Following Assad’s ouster last December, the new authorities discovered millions of captagon pills in warehouses and on military bases.

Syrian forces deploy at key dam under deal with Kurds
AFP/April 12, 2025
DAMASCUS: Security forces from the new government in Damascus deployed on Saturday around a strategic dam in northern Syria, under a deal with the autonomous Kurdish administration, state media reported. Under the agreement, Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces will pull back from the dam, which they captured from Daesh in late 2015. The Tishrin dam near Manbij in Aleppo province is one of several on the Euphrates and its tributaries in the Syrian Arab Republic. It plays a key role in the nation’s economy by providing water for irrigation and hydro-electric power. On Thursday, a Kurdish source said the Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria had reached an agreement with the central government on running the dam. A separate Kurdish source said on Saturday that the deal, supervised by the US-led anti-terror coalition, stipulates that the dam remain under Kurdish civilian administration. Syria’s state news agency SANA reported “the entry of Syrian Arab Army forces and security forces into the Tishrin Dam ... to impose security in the region, under the agreement reached with the SDF.”The accord also calls for a joint military force to protect the dam and for the withdrawal of factions “that seek to disrupt this agreement,” SANA said. It is part of a broader agreement reached in mid-March between Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, aiming to integrate the institutions of the Kurdish autonomous administration into the national government.
The dam was a key battleground in Syria’s civil war that broke out in 2011, falling to Daesh before being captured by the SDF. Days after Al-Sharaa’s coalition overthrew Syrian leader Bashar Assad in December, Turkish drone strikes targeted the dam, killing dozens of civilians and Kurdish officials, as Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Iraqi markets a haven for pedlars escaping Iran’s economic woes
AFP/April 12, 2025
BASRA: Every Friday, Alawi crosses the border from Iran into Iraq to sell his produce in the markets of Basra, which serve as a haven for Iranians grappling with economic sanctions. He is just one of many Iranian pedlars who endure the arduous journey into southern Iraq through the Chalamja border crossing. They bring essential goods such as chicken, eggs, cooking oil and household items to sell at low prices, hoping for a profit that would be unimaginable back home due to sharp currency depreciation and soaring inflation.
“The situation is difficult due to the embargo,” Alawi said, referring to Western sanctions against Iran. Asking to withhold his surname for fear of repercussions back home, the 36-year-old said he had not given up easily on his country, and had tried to sell his produce in a market there. “There were no customers, and the products would spoil, so we had to throw them away and end up losing money,” he told AFP. Instead, for the past seven years, he has been traveling to Iraq where he sells okra in summer and dates in winter, earning between $30 and $50 a day — much more than he could make at home. “When we exchange Iraqi money” for Iranian rials, “it’s a lot,” the father of two said. “We can spend it in five days or even a week,” he added.
'A lifeline'
After a brief period of relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear program, US President Donald Trump reimposed the biting measures during his first term in 2018. Ever since, the value of the Iranian rial has plunged, fueling high inflation and unemployment. Prices soared last month by more than 32 percent compared to March the previous year, according to official figures. Trump announced this week that his administration would restart negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, with talks to take place in Oman on Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country’s chief aim is for US sanctions to be lifted. In the meantime, Basra’s markets continue to bustle with Iranian vendors. At the Friday market, bags of rice were stacked on plastic crates next to bottles of detergent. While some vendors chatted with customers, others dozed off beside their shopping bags, rubbing off the weariness of a long journey. Hayder Al-Shakeri of the London-based Chatham House think-tank’s Middle East and North Africa program said informal cross-border trade “has expanded significantly over the past decade as sanctions on Iran have increasingly impacted everyday life.”Basra’s proximity to Iran’s Khuzestan province, where many residents speak Arabic and share cultural values with Iraq, makes it a primary target for mostly working-class Iranian vendors, Shakeri said. Among them are women and elderly men whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by inflation, he said, calling the cross-border trade “a vital lifeline.”“Earning in more stable currencies like the Iraqi dinar or even US dollars provides a financial buffer” against the devaluated rial, he added.
Better and cheaper
Iran wields considerable political influence in Iraq and is a major trade partner for the country, the second-largest importer of non-oil Iranian goods. Trade between the two countries amounts to tens of billions of dollars. Milad, 17, and his mother have been selling household essentials in Basra for the past two years. Fearing a worsening situation back home, they recently rented a small shop. In Iran, “finding work is hard, and the currency is weak,” said curly-haired Milad, who declined to give his last name, adding that his cousin has been looking for a job since he graduated. Iraqi maths professor Abu Ahmad, 55, strolls to the market every Friday, looking for fresh Iranian goods. “Their geymar is better than ours,” he said, referring to the cream Iraqis have with honey for breakfast. It is also cheaper. “They sell it for 12,000 dinars ($8)” compared to an Iraqi price of 16,000, he added. Shakeri from Chatham House warned that local vendors “resent the competition,” and Iraqi security forces sometimes remove Iranians, though they know they will eventually return. Umm Mansur, a 47-year-old Iranian mother of five, has had a bitter experience since she joined other pedlars six months ago. At the border, “they insult and mistreat us,” she said. Other pedlars have described similar experiences, saying they were held up for hours at the crossing. Umm Mansur said she is willing to overlook the mistreatment to earn four times what she would at home.“In Iran, there is no way to make a living,” she said.

UAE president meets with US Congressional delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss ties and regional stability
Arab News/April 12, 2025
ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met with a delegation from the US Congress at Qasr Al-Shati in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Emirates News Agency reported. The American delegation included Senator Joni Ernst and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both prominent members of the US legislative branch. The meeting focused on enhancing the strategic partnership between the two nations across a range of sectors and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing mutual interests for the benefit of both peoples. Discussions covered key regional and international issues, particularly efforts to bolster security and stability in the Middle East. Both sides emphasized the importance of continued collaboration to promote peace, development, and prosperity across the region and beyond. The meeting was also attended by senior UAE officials and Yousef Al-Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to the US.

Jordanian food manufacturers to showcase products at Saudi Food Manufacturing expo in Riyadh
Arab News/April 12, 2025
AMMAN: Jordanian food manufacturing companies will take part in the Saudi Food Manufacturing 2025 exhibition, which opens on Sunday in Riyadh, Jordan News Agency reported. Organized for the second time by the Jordan Exporters Association, the kingdom’s participation highlights efforts to boost national exports and explore new opportunities in one of the region’s most dynamic sectors, JNA added. The three-day event will feature more than 550 international brands, with national pavilions representing countries such as France, the Netherlands, the UK, Turkiye, India, Switzerland, Spain, Pakistan, Egypt, China and Italy. JEA Chairman Ahmed Khudari said that Jordan’s involvement in the exhibition is part of broader efforts to diversify export markets and keep pace with global advancements in food manufacturing technologies and innovations. “This is a key opportunity for Jordanian companies to promote their products, forge international partnerships and explore new marketing avenues,” Khudari said in a statement on Saturday. “The Saudi market is one of the most important destinations for Jordanian industrial exports, thanks to the strong bilateral relations and geographic proximity between the two kingdoms,” he added. Khudari highlighted the significant progress made by the Jordanian industry in recent years, citing improvements in product quality and competitive pricing that have enabled exports to reach more than 150 markets globally. He added that growing industrial exports play a pivotal role in driving economic development, attracting investment, generating employment and boosting the kingdom’s foreign currency reserves. Khudari also urged Jordanian food manufacturers to capitalize on the exhibition’s expected high turnout of international exhibitors, brand owners, experts and traders. The JEA’s participation is supported through collaboration with the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, as well as Export House, as part of a joint effort to strengthen Jordan’s presence in strategic international markets and expand the global footprint of its food manufacturing sector.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on April 12-13/2025
Don’t Waste Your Time: Iran’s Mullahs Will Not Abandon Their Nuclear Program
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 12, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142230/
Tehran has played this game before: Agree to talks. Make vague promises. Extract sanctions relief. Then quietly continue nuclear development under the radar. This formula has worked for more than two decades. Right now, the only reason Iran is talking is to stall, to promise just enough to prevent America from striking it — “We are almost there!” — to keep its regime and avoid seeing its uranium centrifuges and enrichment sites blasted to rubble. The regime does not want war — but it also cannot accept total nuclear disarmament.
The Islamic Republic has smoothly outmaneuvered every administration. It has accepted deals to avoid confrontation, then quietly violated them. With each round of negotiations, Iran gained what it needed — time, money, legitimacy — and gave away nothing it could not reverse.
Worse, Iranian officials have themselves confirmed what skeptics have long argued: that the regime’s nuclear program was always military in nature. Former parliamentary speaker Ali Motahhari openly admitted in an interview that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities were initially designed to build weapons, not generate electricity. That was not a slip of the tongue. It was a rare moment of honesty from a system built on lies.
[W]orse yet, [the regime] could announce one day that it already possesses several nuclear bombs — and that there is nothing anyone can do about it. Will the world then be forced to live with a nuclear-armed theocracy that sponsors terrorism, oppresses its people, and seeks to export its ideology across the region? That does not sound like a cheery future to accept.
The Islamic Republic has demonstrated that it cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. It has lied, manipulated and deceived at every turn. Hoping for a different outcome, unfortunately, is self-deceptive make-believe.
Negotiations only serve to give Iran what it wants: time and space to complete its nuclear project. Axios reported on April 10 that “sources said the Iranians think reaching a complex and highly technical nuclear deal in two months is unrealistic and they want to get more time on the clock to avoid an escalation.”
After watching what happened to Libya after it gave up its nuclear weapons program, and to Ukraine when it gave up its warheads. Iran’s regime could hardly have any intention of abandoning their quest for the bomb. Diplomacy will not stop them. Appeasement will not deter them. The only solution, sadly, seems to be force. If the US and Israel fail to act now, we will soon be facing a world where the Islamic Republic of Iran has crossed the nuclear threshold and commands its bombs. Then what?
Negotiations for Iran’s mullahs are simply a sign of strategic necessity. The regime needs breathing room — and, most importantly, it needs to preserve what it sees as its ultimate insurance policy: a nuclear arsenal.
The Trump administration is once again engaging with the Iranian regime, this time in Oman, to encourage it to end its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs the way Libya’s late leader Muammar Ghaddafi did. As US President Donald J. Trump transparently put it: “I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them.”
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has called for direct talks with Iran, in the apparent belief that a fresh deal — tougher, broader and more binding than the Obama administration’s 2105 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — could prevent Iran from an imminent nuclear weapons breakout.
Unfortunately, the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been thrillingly honest about its nuclear ambitions, although, in fairness, an Iranian “senior aid” has already let it be known that the regime might “expel UN inspectors if the threat persists” and transfer “stocks of enriched uranium to secret locations.”
Iran’s acceptance of talks is a tactic, not a transformation. Cornered by growing U.S. and Israeli threats, as well as unprecedented isolation, the mullahs seem, as always, to be seeking to buy time and ease the pressure. Tehran only negotiates when it is desperate.
The regime’s back is now against the wall.
Tehran understands full well that refusing to talk, especially with a Trump administration that has shown a willingness to escalate militarily, could invite devastating consequences. That is why the regime is willing to engage — out of fear of military strikes, fear of economic collapse and fear of regime change.
Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself at one of the most vulnerable points in its 45-year history. In December 2024, the Assad regime in Syria — Tehran’s most crucial Arab ally — collapsed after years of civil war and sustained Israeli strikes. On top of that, Iran’s regional proxies — from the Houthis in Yemen to Hamas and Hezbollah — have been severely degraded thanks to a reinvigorated Israeli military campaign. Tehran’s hold over the region has been weakening. Internally, the economy is near collapse. The regime is reeling. Under these conditions, who would refuse to talk? Especially when the alternative is an Israeli-American air campaign targeting one’s nuclear facilities?
Negotiations for the mullahs are simply a sign of strategic necessity. The regime needs breathing room — and, most importantly, it needs to preserve what it sees as its ultimate insurance policy: a nuclear arsenal.
Tehran has played this game before: Agree to talks. Make vague promises. Extract sanctions relief. Then quietly continue nuclear development under the radar. This formula has worked for more than two decades. Right now, the only reason Iran is talking is to stall, to promise just enough to prevent America from striking it — “We are almost there!” — to keep its regime and avoid seeing its uranium centrifuges and enrichment sites blasted to rubble. The regime does not want war — but it also cannot accept total nuclear disarmament.
It is naive, even dangerous, to believe that Iran will dismantle its nuclear program. This is a regime that has spent decades investing billions of dollars, building secret facilities and deceiving international inspectors. Since the early 2000s, when Iran’s clandestine program was first exposed during the Bush administration by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, U.S. presidents have tried every approach imaginable. George W. Bush pursued harsh sanctions and isolation. Barack Obama chose appeasement, bribes and diplomacy. Joe Biden returned to the JCPOA framework in the hope of resurrecting some deal. None of these efforts worked. The Islamic Republic has smoothly outmaneuvered every administration. It has accepted deals to avoid confrontation, then quietly violated them. With each round of negotiations, Iran gained what it needed — time, money, legitimacy — and gave away nothing it could not reverse.
Tehran is no longer trying to get to the nuclear weapons threshold — it is there. According to recent intelligence assessments, Iran could produce weapons-grade uranium in a matter of weeks. It already most likely possesses the technological know-how to assemble multiple nuclear warheads. The West allowed this crisis to happen by trusting in a process that was flawed from the outset. Worse, Iranian officials have themselves confirmed what skeptics have long argued: that the regime’s nuclear program was always military in nature. Former parliamentary speaker Ali Motahhari openly admitted in an interview that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities were initially designed to build weapons, not generate electricity. That was not a slip of the tongue. It was a rare moment of honesty from a system built on lies.
For the United States, the window for diplomacy has already closed. Further talks will only serve Iran’s interests. Tehran, playing a long game, appears to be willing to wait out the Trump administration, or, worse yet, could announce one day that it already possesses several nuclear bombs — and that there is nothing anyone can do about it. Will the world then be forced to live with a nuclear-armed theocracy that sponsors terrorism, oppresses its people, and seeks to export its ideology across the region? That does not sound like a cheery future to accept.
Iran has already stepped up executing its citizens. In just eight months, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, “Among those executed were five political prisoners and three women…. brings the total number of executions under Pezeshkian’s term, which began in August 2024, to 995.”
The only viable path forward is to destroy Iran’s nuclear and missile programs — completely and without delay. Precision airstrikes, sabotage operations, cyberattacks — whatever it takes. The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of confrontation. The Islamic Republic has demonstrated that it cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. It has lied, manipulated and deceived at every turn. Hoping for a different outcome, unfortunately, is self-deceptive make-believe.
Negotiations only serve to give Iran what it wants: time and space to complete its nuclear project. Axios reported on April 10 that “sources said the Iranians think reaching a complex and highly technical nuclear deal in two months is unrealistic and they want to get more time on the clock to avoid an escalation.”
After watching what happened to Libya after it gave up its nuclear weapons program, and to Ukraine when it gave up its warheads. Iran’s regime could hardly have any intention of abandoning their quest for the bomb. Diplomacy will not stop them. Appeasement will not deter them. The only solution, sadly, seems to be force. If the US and Israel fail to act now, we will soon be facing a world where the Islamic Republic of Iran has crossed the nuclear threshold and commands its bombs. Then what?
**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)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21546/iran-will-not-abandon-nuclear-program

Germany needs a ‘game-changer’ government
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 12, 2025
The origin of the phrase “necessity is the mother of invention” is often attributed to the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. However, it has assumed a much more modern relevance in 2025 for Germany.
Relatively few observers expected the incoming German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, leader of the right-of-center Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union bloc, to meet his pledge in February that he would finalize a coalition agreement with the left-of-center Social Democrats before Easter.
However, in the midst of much policy turbulence, he announced his new government on Wednesday, more than a week ahead of his deadline, and with a huge in-tray awaiting his attention. In 2017, it took Angela Merkel more than 170 days to finally agree the previous “grand coalition” between the CDU/CSU and the Social Democrats, so the latest negotiations delivered a deal much more quickly.
The fact that Merz managed to form his coalition on time reflects not only his personal desire to assume power as quickly as possible; the need for expedient compromise was necessitated by a challenging external context, from the ongoing developments in Ukraine to the uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. On the issue of Ukraine, Merz might be more helpful to Kyiv than his predecessor as chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who was hesitant to supply advanced weaponry that could be used to attack Russian territory. In contrast, Merz conditionally supports equipping Ukraine with longer-range Taurus missiles. This might prove important in the coming weeks, given the present European engagement with the Trump team in Washington over an eventual “end game” for Ukraine.
Outside of the foreign context, part of the reason for the sense of urgency from Merz has been the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, which received backing during the election campaign from the Trump team, including US Vice President J.D. Vance, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been heading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative.
There was a big turnout for the election in February, with 82.5 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot, the most since German reunification in 1990. The AfD finished a strong second, with about twice the number of votes it secured at the previous election, and the far-right party might not have lost its momentum just yet, especially if the issue of immigration becomes more politically salient. The key test of Merz’s chancellorship on the domestic policy front will be his efforts to boost the German economy. Merz will therefore be thinking about how best to attempt to halt the rise of the AfD. He has already pivoted to the political right on law and order, including a call for tougher immigration policies, including an accelerated process for deportation of noncitizens with criminal records, and efforts to reverse the flows of undocumented migrants.
At the same time the AfD surged to claim almost 21 percent of the vote in February, the CDU/CSU only managed to win 28.5 percent. This was its second-worst performance in the post-war era, after the 24.1 percent it received in 2021. To contextualize this, it was significantly less than the 42 percent share the bloc won in 2013 during Merkel’s chancellorship. Immigration policy aside, the key test of Merz’s chancellorship on the domestic policy front will be his efforts to boost the German economy, which shrank for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, experiencing a double dose of stagnation for only the third time since the 1950s.Merz champions a reformist policy platform called “Agenda 2030.” It was originally focused around efforts to rejuvenate growth through tax cuts but Merz hopes to trigger investment-led stimulus that can help make Germany a more attractive business destination.
Following the election, however, the big economic news in Germany was that legislators voted last month to dilute the 2009 constitutional balanced budget amendment (the so-called “debt brake”), a move that could free up more than €1 trillion ($1.1 trillion) for new German spending over the next decade on defense and infrastructure. At least €100 billion will be spent on a green-transformation fund. Merz has pledged to scale back dependence on Russian gas, and renewables now produce 60 percent of German energy. He has also proposed a reduction of the tax burden on energy by at least 5 cents per kilowatt hour by lowering the electricity tax and grid fees; a lifting of the ban on combustion engines to strengthen Germany’s automobile industry; and an expansion of charging infrastructure for e-mobility.
While the new spending is surely affordable for Berlin, there is potential for significant political backlash, especially if inflation is reignited. The AfD opposes the new fiscal plans. Moreover, the Left Party has criticized them too, for different reasons, given the big German military build-up that is on the horizon.
Merz’s focus on Agenda 2030 is timely given the possibility of a tariff war with the US, despite Trump’s U-turn on Wednesday. Moreover, China is an increasingly prominent economic competitor, including in the production of electric vehicles.
Merz has previously warned German companies against any deepening of economic ties with China, including bigger investments in the country. He said: “If you take this risk, do it in such a way that it doesn’t endanger the entire company group if you have to write off this investment from one year to the next. Under no circumstances should you turn to the state, to the federal government of the Federal Republic of Germany, to help you economically in such a situation.”
His comments might signal a big change in policy. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Scholz’s coalition government began to implement a so-called “derisking” strategy as part of broader efforts to reset relations with Beijing. However, many large German firms have yet to fundamentally change their investment strategies in China. Germany’s domestic and foreign policy state of flux therefore calls for a game-changer government. But it might not become clear for many months whether Merz can deliver on his goals.
**Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

Resurgent GCC-Central Asia partnership defies superpower rivalries
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/April 12, 2025
Early next month, the Uzbek city of Samarkand will host the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asian Summit, the second such gathering in the space of two years. The Saudi city of Jeddah hosted the first meeting of the heads of state of the 11 participating countries in July 2023. The two resource-rich regions have been seeking to rebuild their historical economic and cultural ties for some time now. For more than a thousand years, from the 8th to the 19th centuries, they were closely integrated, connected by trade routes and a shared culture. In the 1860s, the region came under Russian and then Soviet rule until 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved. Since gaining independence, the five Central Asian republics — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, known informally as the C5 — have sought to reestablish themselves as economic hubs and trading partners, as well as reliable sources of energy.They are landlocked countries, so they need to stay on friendly terms with their neighbors to gain access to the sea and to faraway land-trade routes. During more than 120 years of Russian rule, their economic orientation was toward the north. While maintaining ties with Russia over the past three decades, they have nonetheless managed to stay clear of superpower competition, and this neutrality has served them well.
Americans, Chinese and Russians have coexisted in the region. They have naturally competed but their local hosts have ensured that the competition remains within acceptable bounds, and the region has benefited from this foreign attention.
While they welcome foreign investments and trade, the five nations jealously guard their newfound independence and cringe at any attempts to control their political or economic decisions. Recent events, however, are testing Central Asia’s ability to remain neutral. Both sides in the Ukraine war have put pressure on the nations in the region to take sides, and the rivalry between the US and China has made it difficult at times to engage with either of them. This rivalry has now morphed into open economic warfare in the form of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs. Some in this region believe the Trump administration’s tariffs have the potential to redraw geopolitical lines, if in fact it goes ahead with them, as seems likely. There was a hopeful sign this week when the administration paused some of the newly announced tariffs for 90 days but the damage is already done and the broader strategic and regional effects might be already in motion. Central Asian nations have all been hit by the new US tariffs: 27 percent for Kazakhstan and 10 percent for the other four. Deterred from trading with the US, they might turn to China, which has been much more severely affected by the duties. Beijing might find it more profitable to step up its economic engagement in the region to make up for losses in the American market. Aside from the tariffs, geography also makes such trade diversions sensible.
There is one area in which it has been evident that China is gaining the upper hand in Central Asia, even before the rising tariffs. While Chinese electric vehicles face formidable barriers in the US and EU, Central Asians are embracing these imports through tax breaks and duty-free schemes. As states in Central Asia expand their export capacities, as has been seen in recent years, they will seek safe and open markets. As states in Central Asia expand their export capacities, as has been seen in recent years, they will seek safe and open markets. High tariffs could become a barrier for trade with the US and so the Chinese market might become more inviting. In an attempt to avoid overreliance on a single export market, however, they are seeking to diversify their export destinations, thus reviving older trade routes with the Middle East, including Gulf countries.
GCC member states are natural partners for Central Asian nations because both groups seek profitable engagements but neither has any political ambition to interfere in the internal affairs of the other. The two regions enjoy close relations with global superpowers and share the goal of neutrality. Their partnership is all the stronger because its deep roots lie in a shared culture and values.
Their reengagement with each other is a fairly recent development but it is growing rapidly. Nearly all GCC states are already investing in Central Asia. Trade between the regions has grown tenfold over the past eight years, although the volumes remain modest.
Since their first summit in Jeddah two years ago, the two groups of countries have been discussing a long list of transportation and connectivity projects that would enable them to trade with each other in more economically beneficial ways.
Iran’s geographical location between the two regions makes it a natural partner in these projects. However, its hostile policies narrow the options. Both the GCC and Central Asian nations are engaging diplomatically with Tehran in an attempt to encourage the regime to emerge from its ideological bubble. If the Iranians agreed to try a more peaceful approach to regional integration, through trade and diplomacy instead of violence and intimidation, both regions would benefit and so could Iran in the middle.
Such an outcome should not be considered so far-fetched. The two regions, Iran included, were once integrated and thrived together for millennia. If Iran continues on its current path, there are alternative trade routes. Transportation officials from GCC and Central Asian countries have met a number of times over the past year to evaluate the options. Either way, the two regions are determined to continue to reengage and the summit in Samarkand next month will reveal some of their options.
*Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the GCC. X: @abuhamad1

Israel’s democratic gatekeepers hit back against Netanyahu’s assaults
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/April 12, 2025
Only in recent years has it been allowed for the full name of the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, to be in the public domain while they are still serving. Before this, they were traditionally referred to only by the first letter of their name.
These people operated in the shadows and often inhabited the most shadowy areas of society. They were not widely discussed in the media and simply allowed, for better and worse, to get on with their job. Not anymore. In the new-reality, upside-down and destructive world of Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right and populist sixth government, Ronen Bar, the current head of Shin Bet, has become a major story in his own right, and not through his own fault.
He is increasingly accused by Netanyahu, and other members of the governing coalition and their allies in the media, of being one of the main culprits responsible for the disastrous security failures of Oct. 7, 2023.
Not only that but he is, incomprehensibly, portrayed as a traitor who deliberately neglected to warn Netanyahu of an imminent Hamas attack, as part of a supposed conspiracy to smear and oust the Israeli prime minister orchestrated by the “deep state,” of which Bar, according to this version of events, is a leading member. Needless to say, such claims about the existence of a “deep state” are figments of the political right’s imagination.
Bar, unlike Netanyahu, has accepted his personal share of responsibility for the colossal catastrophe of Oct. 7, and has repeatedly stated he will resign from his post before the end of his term, most probably when the war is over and the organization he heads is rehabilitated. However, Netanyahu wants to appoint as Bar’s replacement someone more “convenient,” whose first loyalty is to him, personally, rather than to the country. Someone who will ignore the corrupt deeds and unlawful behavior of politicians, and turn a blind eye to Israeli settler terrorism in the West Bank. Moreover, as was revealed this week in the Supreme Court by the government’s own legal representative during deliberations about the dismissal of Bar, Netanyahu was unhappy with the security chief’s refusal to deploy the resources of Shin Bet against those who refused to volunteer for army reserve duty in protest against the government’s judicial overhaul. In other words, by the admission of his own legal team, Netanyahu was angry with the internal security services for refusing to act, within a democratic system, against those who had legally expressed views that differed from those of the government.
Netanyahu’s attempt to get rid of the country’s democratic gatekeepers by smearing them is a sign of weakness, and probably panic.
This should be enough to end Netanyahu’s political career, never mind his position as leader of the executive branch. While it is within the power of the government to fire the chief of the internal security service, his position as head of one of Israel’s seven senior services means any attempt to remove him must be referred to the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which by law has the power to prevent a hiring or a firing if it finds an ulterior motive or conflict of interest.
And if ever there was a situation that loudly cries conflict of interest and foul play, it is the attempts to sack two of the main gatekeepers of Israel’s democratic system, Bar and Attorney General Gali Bahrav-Miara, especially during a Shin Bet investigation into several of the prime minister’s closest advisors.
Yet Netanyahu’s attempt to get rid of the country’s democratic gatekeepers by smearing them is a sign of weakness, and probably panic, as the investigations are getting too close for comfort to his inner circle of advisors.
Did the prime minister really think that Bar would go quietly, meekly accepting the allegation that he is someone who cannot be trusted, without exercising his legal rights as an employee? Does Netanyahu, in his growing detachment from reality, already believe that he is omnipotent, invincible and accountable to no one?The answer, of course, is yes, to both questions. But Netanyahu and those around him — lawyers, political advisors and general panderers — might have underestimated Bar and all those others who have responded by coming to the defense of this fragile Israeli democracy.
In a shocking revelation in his letter of appeal to the court challenging his dismissal, Bar said that the prime minister repeatedly demanded that he inform judges that Netanyahu should not be required to regularly testify during his corruption trial because of security reasons related to the war against Hamas.
If this is true, and there is no reason to doubt Bar, then a defendant in a criminal case clearly abused his power to delay giving evidence in court. This explains why Bar has claimed all along that the attempt by the government to dismiss him was “not about distrust but rather an improper perception of personal loyalty replacing loyalty to the public.”It adds to a recent allegation by a former head of Shin Bet, Yoram Cohen, that during his time in charge of the security service he was asked by Netanyahu to “disqualify” a political rival, Naftali Bennett, from his security cabinet by revoking his security clearance, on the grounds of an unspecified “loyalty problem” while Bennett was serving in the army.
The very fact that a prime minister would approach Shin Bet chiefs with such requests is disturbing in the extreme, as is the fact that neither of them spoke up about it earlier.
The response from Netanyahu loyalists, as expected, was to spout a series of half-truths and total lies about Bar, including the debunked claim that he knew in advance of the Oct. 7 massacre and intentionally avoided waking Netanyahu up in the middle of the night to warn him about it.
Things got worse during deliberations at the High Court of Justice over the appeals against Bar’s dismissal, when supporters of the government, including two members of the Knesset, had to be removed from the court for shouting and screaming abuse, creating an atmosphere of intimidation against those who were appealing, their legal representatives and the judges. It is frightening to witness how rapidly Israel’s democracy is deteriorating. While one can trace more than one reason for what is happening, there is one person who has deliberately, shamelessly and, above all, cynically unleashed these demons of division, incitement and hate against his critics, political opponents and, most recently the gatekeepers of his country’s democratic system.
That person is none other than Benjamin Netanyahu. He has done this in an attempt to derail his corruption trial, and to save his own skin and, potentially, the skins of those close to him — and who knows how many more skeletons are hidden in his and his family’s closet?
**Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House X: @YMekelberg