English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 20/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.August20.25.htm
News Bulletin Achieves
Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On
The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط
على الرابط في
أعلى للإنضمام
لكروب
Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click
on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس
بجاني/اضغط
على الرابط في
أسفل للإشتراك في
موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also
Luke 12/32-34: “‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your
Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give
alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in
heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on August 19-20/2025
Nabih Berri
and the Heresy of Dialogue: A Fake Cover for the Iranian Occupation/Elias
Bejjani/August 18/2025
Text and Video: Deconstructing the Deceptions, Foreign Agendas, and Terrorism in
the Speech of Naim Qassem—Iran's Puppet and an Enemy of the Lebanese/Elias
Bejjani/August 15/2025
Video Link Interview From Al Arabiya TV With Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai/Elias
Bejjani/August 19/2025
Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai: Hezbollah must surrender weapons after state
asserts monopoly on arms
Qabalan to Patriarch Al-Rahi: Hezbollah’s Weapons Are “God’s Weapons” and No One
Will Remove Them
Lebanon president urges extension of UN peacekeepers’ mandate
Iraq says its tip to Lebanon leads to the destruction of an amphetamine factory
France leads European pushback against move to end UN Lebanon mission
Aoun stresses importance of UNIFIL's presence in south
Barack and Ortagus leave for Israel after Lebanon's visit
Salam visits Jordan, says Israel 'more isolated' than ever
Israel FM urges US to end UNIFIL mission in Lebanon
UN debates future withdrawal of Lebanon peacekeeping force
Syria says seized Grad rockets headed for Lebanon
Geagea hopes Hezbollah will respect govt. decisions to avoid state's use of
'force'
One of Lebanon's biggest Captagon factories destroyed after Iraqi tip
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 19-20/2025
Mediators await Israeli response to new truce offer
Qatar says most of proposal agreed by Hamas was previously agreed by Israel
Israel demands release of all hostages in any Gaza deal
Israel's Netanyahu says 'weak' Australian PM abandoned Jewish community
US envoy meets top Israeli Druze leader to discuss situation in Syria’s Sweida
Netanyahu slams Macron for fueling ‘antisemitic fire’: Letter
Syria’s top diplomat meets Israeli delegation in Paris
Trump begins arranging Putin-Zelensky summit
Trump says it’s possible Putin doesn’t want to make a deal on Ukraine
Russia’s Putin briefs Saudi Crown Prince on Trump talks
Zelenskyy gifts Trump golf club of Ukraine war veteran
Munition from Israel war explodes in Iran, killing one: Media
Armenia reassures Iran it will control border corridor
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on August 19-20/2025
Is Netanyahu an Isolated Phenomenon?/Abdulrahman al-RashedAl Arabiya English/19
August/2025
Egypt’s War Against the World’s Oldest Christian Monastery/Mariam Wahba/The Free
Press/August 19/2025
Sunni Arab tribes mobilize against the Syrian Democratic Forces/Ahmad Sharawi/FDD's
Long War Journal/August 19/2025
Israel intensifies outreach to Iranians as Tehran anticipates another war/Janatan
Sayeh/FDD's Long War Journal/August 19/2025
Disease, hunger, war: Sudan’s overlooked emergency/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/August 19, 2025
Where did Iran’s Arab supporters disappear?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/August
19, 2025
Why Israel is systematically erasing Gaza’s intellectuals/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab
News/August 19/2025
Selected tweets for 19 August/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 19-20/2025
Nabih Berri and
the Heresy of Dialogue: A Fake Cover for the Iranian Occupation
Elias Bejjani/August 18/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146411/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb2a8NKddKk
For decades, the Speaker of Parliament and head of the Amal Movement, Nabih
Berri, has been selling illusions to the Lebanese people under the banners of
“dialogue” and the so-called “defensive strategy,” as if the Constitution, the
Taif Agreement, and international resolutions were mere opinions or negotiable
papers. In reality, everything Berri does is nothing but a circumvention of the
law, an assault on the Constitution, and a blatant collusion with Hezbollah to
keep Lebanon hostage to illegal weapons and under Iranian tutelage.
Constitutional Heresies in the Name of Dialogue
All that is being called “dialogue” or a “defensive/national strategy” is
nothing but constitutional heresy. Its sole purpose is to jump over clear legal
texts and to justify the continued existence of Hezbollah’s weapons, its
parallel state, and its occupation of Lebanon. Sovereignty is not a matter of
negotiation but a binding duty of the state, one that cannot be subjected to
political bargaining or opportunistic deals.
Berri’s Empty Roundtables
The so-called national dialogue sessions presided over by Nabih Berri in 2006
are the clearest evidence: not a single clause was ever implemented. They turned
into a dull theatrical performance to waste time. President Michel Suleiman
followed the same path, launching a dialogue that ended with the Baabda
Declaration, only to see Hezbollah openly defy it. The group told Suleiman,
“Tear it up and drink its water,” before sending its militias into Syria to help
the criminal Bashar al-Assad massacre the Syrian people demanding freedom.
No Mention of Dialogue in Any Agreement
Neither the Taif Agreement, nor international resolutions 1559, 1701, and 1680,
nor even the most recent ceasefire agreement—signed by Nabih Berri himself with
Hezbollah’s approval to halt the war with Israel—contained a single mention of
“dialogue” or a “defensive strategy.” All of these agreements explicitly
affirmed that weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese
state. Berri signed these clauses, only to betray them later, hiding behind
false slogans to justify Hezbollah’s continued dominance.
No State With Hezbollah’s Weapons
There can be no independent, sovereign state that shares its decision-making in
war and peace with a militia or a party. The use of force must rest solely with
the state and its legitimate army. Any claim to the contrary is high treason and
an assault on national sovereignty.
Berri: Corruption and Betrayal of Sovereignty
Nabih Berri, who has dominated Parliament for decades, is the number one corrupt
politician and the ultimate protector of corruption. He prostituted the
Constitution, dismantled the pillars of the state, and turned it into a personal
fiefdom for himself and his cronies. In fact, he is a million times more
dangerous than Hezbollah, because he provided the group with the political,
legal, and parliamentary cover it needed. Anyone who describes him as “concerned
for the country” is either a fool who understands nothing, or a submissive
lackey who accepts humiliation.
No Legitimacy for Dialogue or Fake Strategies
Nabih Berri’s call for dialogue on disarming Hezbollah is rejected outright:
Because with a President of the Republic in place, Berri has no right to usurp
executive roles that do not belong to him.
Because enforcing the Constitution and the law is not a matter of “opinion” or a
negotiable item.
Because the legislative authority, which Berri chairs, has no executive power,
and any attempt to cross that line is a constitutional crime.
Conclusion
Anyone who boasts about dialogue or defensive strategies as a way to resolve the
issue of Hezbollah’s weapons is nothing but a traitor, a collaborator, and an
accomplice to the Iranian occupation against Lebanon. The Constitution is clear,
the international resolutions are even clearer, and the solution will never come
from new, futile dialogues, but from a sovereign and decisive decision that
enforces the state’s monopoly over arms and permanently dismantles Hezbollah’s
mini-state and Nabih Berri’s corrupt regime.
Text and Video: Deconstructing the Deceptions, Foreign Agendas,
and Terrorism in the Speech of Naim Qassem—Iran's Puppet and an Enemy of the
Lebanese.
Elias Bejjani/August 15/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146313/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUdE7FE6pzc&t=150s
Today’s speech by Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, is a
full-fledged declaration of war. It came just after the visit of the Secretary
of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, to Beirut. Larijani
met with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and he heard
clear, sovereign, and constitutional words from them: no weapons outside state
control, decisions of war and peace are only in the hands of state institutions,
No for foreign interference, and the Lebanese army is the sole guarantor of
national security.
Qassem, hiding in an underground lair—perhaps in Iran or inside the Iranian
embassy in Beirut—gave a recorded, rebellious speech. He confirmed he is nothing
more than a trumpet and a tool for the mullahs of Iran, leaving no doubt that he
was carrying out Larijani’s orders and instructions, both in letter and in
spirit. In his address, Qassem issued a direct threat to the state and the army,
saying: “If you decide to eliminate us, let it be clear that we will fight our
battle to the end, and we will not allow a repeat of Karbala,” adding, “Either
we live together on the terms of the resistance, or farewell to Lebanon.”
These statements are not just emotional rhetoric; they are a clear announcement
that Hezbollah, under direct Iranian orders, will consider any attempt by the
Lebanese state to impose its authority over its weapons a battle for survival,
even if it’s against the Lebanese army itself. He did not stop at threats and
disgusting shrieks. He also resorted to his pathological delusions of grandeur,
claiming that Hezbollah “prevented Israel from achieving its goals” and that the
South is “protected by the resistance’s weapons.”
The reality is quite different: in the last confrontation with Israel, Hezbollah
suffered painful blows, losing most of its leaders commanders and weakening its
military structure. Its weapons couldn’t even protect Hassan Nasrallah himself.
This narrative of fake and false victories is meant to hide the failure and
justify the continued existence of an illegitimate and non-Lebanese weapon that
is an enemy of Lebanon and its people.
In an attempt to give Hezbollah’s weapons popular legitimacy, Qassem cited a
“public opinion poll” that claims the majority of Lebanese support the
“resistance strategy.” However, this poll was conducted by an institution
affiliated with Hezbollah itself, which strips it of any scientific value or
impartiality. The political, electoral, and popular facts confirm that the
majority of Lebanese, including a large segment of the Shia community, reject
the continued dominance, terrorism, Persian influence, and occupation by
Hezbollah, as well as its control over the decision of war and peace and the
dragging of the country into futile and destructive Iranian wars.
The most dangerous aspect of Qassem’s threatening speech today is that it falls
directly under the articles of the Lebanese Penal Code:
Article 329: Armed threat to prevent authorities from performing their duties.
Article 314: Acts that cause public panic and threaten civil peace.
Article 315: Terrorist acts that lead to the disruption of state facilities.
By these standards, what Qassem said with brazenness, immorality, and depravity
constitutes a full-fledged crime, requiring his immediate arrest and
prosecution. He openly incited armed rebellion and announced the readiness of
the terrorist Hezbollah to engage in a civil war if the constitution is applied.
In practice, Naim Qassem’s speech is a literal translation of Iranian orders
carried by Larijani from Tehran to Hezbollah. These positions have nothing to do
with Lebanese sovereignty or civil peace. Rather, it is a declaration of
absolute loyalty to the authority of the mullahs, who see Lebanon merely as a
battlefield for their wars and its people as sandbags, hostages, and their fuel.
The stark difference between the constitutional language of Presidents Aoun and
Salam and Qassem’s response in the language of “Karbala” reveals the clear
difference between those who want a state and those who want a terrorist,
jihadist mini-state loyal to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
In a reading of Naim Qassem’s words, the following eight points can be
highlighted:
First: A Threatening Karbala-Style Speech Against the State and the Army
Naim Qassem’s speech, which came one day after the visit of Iran’s Supreme
National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani to Lebanon and their meeting,
clearly exposes Hezbollah’s complete subordination to Iran and its operation
according to the agenda of the Revolutionary Guard. While Larijani listened to
direct and explicit sovereign and independent stances from Presidents Joseph
Aoun and Nawaf Salam, Qassem chose to respond with a direct threatening tone
against the Lebanese government, describing its decision as the implementation
of “an Israeli and American paper.” Even more dangerous is his implicit and
explicit declaration that Hezbollah is ready to confront the Lebanese army with
a “Karbala concept,” should the state try to implement the constitution and
disarm it. Qassem’s words represent a clear declaration of rebellion against the
state and a readiness to enter into a civil war if Hezbollah’s dominance is
threatened.
Second: The Majority of Lebanese, Including many Shiites, Are Against
Hezbollah’s Weapons
Contrary to the lies and fabricated illusions that Qassem repeats, the popular
and political reality in Lebanon today is clear: the majority of Lebanese,
including many from the Shia community, reject the continued existence of
Hezbollah’s weapons. These weapons have caused Lebanon’s isolation, destroyed
its economy, dragged it into losing wars with Israel, and held it hostage to an
Iranian decision that has nothing to do with the country’s interest. The people
of the South themselves have paid a heavy price with their lives and homes
because of Hezbollah’s adventures, and they realize that Lebanon’s true
protection lies in a strong state with its army and laws, not in a sectarian
Iranian militia.
Third: The Hypocrisy of the Alleged Poll
In an attempt to polish his party’s image, Qassem cited what he called a “public
opinion poll” claiming that the majority of Lebanese support Hezbollah’s weapons
and the defensive strategy it proposes. These are false claims, as the poll was
conducted by the “Consultative Center for Studies,” an institution directly
affiliated with Hezbollah, which robs it of any credibility. The goal of these
lies is to create the illusion of popular support, while the political,
electoral, and street realities prove the opposite.
Fourth: The Lie of Preventing Israel from Achieving its Goals
Qassem’s claim that Hezbollah prevented Israel from achieving its goals,
including establishing settlements in the South, is a distortion of history.
Hezbollah itself failed in the war of support for Gaza, which it began with an
Iranian order. This resulted in the assassination of most of its leaders, field
commanders, the displacement of Shiite people from the South and the southern
suburbs, and the destruction of their areas. Its weapons couldn’t even protect
Hassan Nasrallah personally, let alone Lebanon. This defeat is part of a larger
defeat that Iran suffered during the 12 days when Israel and the United States
destroyed its nuclear facilities and air defense systems, and assassinated
dozens of its military and political leaders and nuclear scientists. The link is
clear: Iran’s defeat is Hezbollah’s defeat, because the militia is nothing but
an Iranian arm in Lebanon.
Fifth: Hezbollah… The Enemy of Lebanon
It is necessary to call things by their names: Hezbollah is not the protector of
Lebanon; it is Lebanon’s primary enemy. Its weapons are not for defending the
borders or confronting Israel, but for dominating national decisions and
maintaining the Iranian occupation of Lebanon. These weapons are a tool to
impose a unilateral political will that contradicts the principles of
sovereignty, the constitution, and living together.
Sixth: Illegitimate Weapons and a Rogue Iranian Gang
Since its establishment in 1982, Hezbollah has been involved in a series of
crimes covered by the Lebanese Penal Code under terrorism, murder, threats, and
restricting freedoms, in addition to engaging in drug trafficking and
manufacturing, money laundering, and arms smuggling etc.
Seventh: The Most Dangerous Threat
Qassem said it plainly: “There is no life for Lebanon if you decide to eliminate
us. Either we live together, or farewell to Lebanon.” This is an existential
threat to the state and the people, and a clear message that Hezbollah considers
Lebanon its private property, and that the survival of the nation is conditional
on the survival of the militia.
Eighth: The Necessity of Arresting and Prosecuting Naim Qassem
Based on the content of this speech and in accordance with the articles of the
laws mentioned at the beginning of the text—which include incitement to
sectarian strife, direct threats to the government and the army, and brazen
boasting of committing acts criminalized by Lebanese laws—the national and legal
duty requires the immediate arrest of Naim Qassem and his prosecution according
to the articles of the Penal Code related to terrorism and armed rebellion.
Video Link Interview
From Al Arabiya TV With
Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai
Elias Bejjani/August
19/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146460/
His Beatitude’s positions today are sovereign and independent, and
clearly so. Yet we must not forget that for years His Beatitude flattered
Hezbollah with submissiveness, while his stances lacked vision and openly
supported the criminal Assad and the axis of evil. His awakening came late—but
better late than never. Repentance remains both desirable and acceptable.
Maronite
Patriarch Bechara al-Rai: Hezbollah must surrender weapons after state asserts
monopoly on arms
Al Arabiya English/19 August/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146460/
Lebanon’s top Christian cleric escalated his criticism of Hezbollah on Tuesday,
saying the Iran-backed group has no right to keep its arsenal after the
government decided that only the state can bear arms. Maronite Patriarch Bechara
al-Rai said there is now a rare political consensus to strip all weapons from
groups outside the Lebanese Armed Forces.“This is the first time there is
consensus among the president, the parliament speaker, and the prime minister to
monopolize weapons under state control. This brings peace to Lebanon. No one can
live without peace,” Rai told Al Arabiya in an interview. His comments come
after months of cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel that
devastated southern Lebanon and large swathes of the country’s capital and Bekaa
Valley and displaced tens of thousands. The Lebanese government announced this
month that it would enforce a monopoly on arms, a move condemned by Iran,
Hezbollah’s main backer. Rai said Hezbollah’s credibility as an armed
“resistance” had collapsed once the state asserted its exclusive authority. “We
cannot accept one person, the secretary-general [of Hezbollah], to decide war
and peace. The constitution says this is a government decision,” he said. The
patriarch accused Tehran of undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty. “Iran crosses red
lines because it stands with one side in Lebanon, the Shia sect and Hezbollah.
It cannot give weapons to one side. This is blatant aggression and intervening
in domestic affairs,” he said.
Rai said he would not visit Tehran right now, citing its “bad policies,”
revealing that he turned down a previous invitation just over four years ago to
visit Iran. Rai urged Hezbollah to embrace its Lebanese identity and stop taking
directions from Tehran. “You are Lebanese. Live as Lebanese and don’t look to
Iran like you used to,” he said, adding that the Shia of Lebanon “were present
in government and parliament long before the resistance” and that their
political role does not depend on weapons. The patriarch recalled comments by
Hezbollah’s former secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, that the group receives
its money, food, weapons and directions from Iran. “Then how are you a Lebanese
citizen? You are Lebanese, just like me. But you need to pledge allegiance to
the Lebanese state, not Tehran.”He dismissed warnings of another civil war as
“an exaggeration,” saying no one was prepared to start another civil war and
that the Lebanese people were fed up with constant wars since 1975. “No one
wants war anymore.” The patriarch also addressed Lebanon’s fraught relationship
with Israel, ruling out normalization for now but leaving the door open in the
future. “In the future, when there is no danger to Lebanon, why wouldn’t there
be a deal?”He acknowledged Israeli aspirations to expand its borders and create
the “Kingdom of David,” but said a strong Lebanese state that asserted its
sovereignty over all its territory was the best way to prevent that from
happening.
Despite his sharp criticism, Rai said dialogue with Hezbollah remains open. “We
still have ongoing dialogue with Hezbollah, and we are honest with them. Bkerki
will not sugarcoat, it will speak for the interests of Lebanon,” he said.
Qabalan to
Patriarch Al-Rahi: Hezbollah’s Weapons Are “God’s Weapons” and No One Will
Remove Them
Nidaa Al-Watan / August 20, 2025
Ja‘fari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan issued a statement addressed directly to
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi, affirming that “peace is the provision of
the prophets, unity and standing against injustice is the religion of the
saints, and the rock of the Church and the mosque can only be established by
defending the oppressed and confronting corruption, tyranny, and arrogance—such
as Israel, its allies, and its project.”He added, “Hezbollah’s weapons are the
weapons of Amal, and their weapons are God’s weapons. No force can take them
away. Behind them stand our lives, our very existence, and all our capabilities
in defense of Lebanon.” He argued that the sacrifices made by the Resistance and
Amal are what defeated Israel and snatched the state from its jaws when it
occupied Lebanon and emptied it of its national character.
He continued, “Talk about a consensus on disarming the Resistance is an
empty decision and a dangerous betrayal that serves Israel’s interests and
carries zero national weight. We will not allow Zionism to reoccupy Lebanon. Our
confidence in God, the people, the army, and the Resistance is unwavering, and
the Shiite community is weary of surrender and betrayal, always prepared to shed
blood in defense of the nation.”He pointed out that “the words of Sheikh Naim
Qassem are stamped with national truth, just like the words of Speaker Nabih
Berri, who reclaimed the nation during the February 6 uprising, led the
Resistance, and remains the shield of Lebanon and the wise guardian of its
sovereignty.”Qabalan added, “Hezbollah means Amal, Amal means Hezbollah, and the
Shiites mean the Resistance. These weapons are what prevented Israel from
occupying Khiam and what toppled the Greater Middle East Project.”
He noted that “the Lebanese state is a sovereign state forbidden to
Zionism and the projects of May 17. The main cause of war is Israel, with all
the aggression and occupation it represents. As for coexistence and sovereignty,
they are the Holy of Holies.”He went on, “The history of Hassan Nasrallah and
Speaker Nabih Berri is a national badge of honor, as are the remains and
sacrifices we present to protect Lebanon. Iran is a pride of the free, and our
trust in it is firm, for it thwarted the project of Greater Israel and toppled
the wagers of Washington and Tel Aviv.”Qabalan stressed that “the decision of
war and peace is not a governmental matter but one of national sovereignty and
the interests of the people. The notion of restricting arms collapsed with the
American paper, which meant nothing but exposing Lebanon within a weak state
that could do nothing but count air raids.”He added, “Those who regained Lebanon
half a century ago will not allow it to fall again into Zionist hands. The war
of support is a service to the oppressed and the testament of the prophets, and
regret will follow everyone who does not stand by Gaza. There will be no peace
with the killers of prophets and occupiers of homelands. Whoever wants Israel
can go live there.” Qabalan concluded by affirming that “there is no value to
any spiritual summit that seeks victory for Zionism or aims to undermine the
weapons of the Resistance. These weapons are the weapons of the prophets in this
age. The community of the Resistance has only one direction: the fronts
defending land, honor, and nation. The moment now is to safeguard the state
project, coexistence, and to uphold the weapons that preserved Lebanon’s
sovereignty.”
Lebanon president urges extension of UN peacekeepers’
mandate
AFP/19 August ,2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned against ending the United
Nations peacekeepers’ mandate in the country’s south, after the UN Security
Council began debating extending their mission. The annual mandate renewal this
year comes after Lebanese authorities, under heavy US pressure, have committed
to disarming Hezbollah by year end, following a November ceasefire deal that
sought to halt more than a year of hostilities between the Iran-backed group and
Israel. Israel and the United States, which wields a veto on the Security
Council, have reportedly opposed the renewal. “Any timetable for the mandate of
UNIFIL that is different from the actual needs will negatively impact the
situation in the south, which still suffers from Israeli occupation,” Aoun told
force commander Diodato Abagnara, according to a presidency statement. The UN
Interim Force in Lebanon has been deployed since 1978 to separate Israel and
Lebanon and counts some 10,000 personnel from around 50 countries. The Security
Council on Monday began debating a resolution drafted by France to extend the
force for a year with the ultimate aim of withdrawing it. Aoun said Beirut “has
begun contacts with Security Council member states, and brotherly and friendly
countries, to ensure the extension” of UNIFIL’s mandate. He cited Lebanon’s need
for the force to help “maintain security and stability in the south” and to
support the army following the government’s decision to increase troop numbers
there to 10,000 personnel. Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw from
near the Israeli border, while the Lebanese army was to bolster its deployment
there. Abagnara said on X that UNIFIL’s “close coordination” with the Lebanese
army was “key to help restore stability.”Last week, UNIFIL said that with its
support, the army had deployed to more than 120 positions in the country’s
south. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, saying it
will do so until Hezbollah is disarmed. Israeli forces also occupy five areas of
the south that it deems strategic. The text of the draft resolution would extend
UNIFIL’s mandate until August 31, 2026 but “indicates its intention to work on a
withdrawal of UNIFIL.” A vote of the 15-member Security Council is expected on
August 25, before the force’s mandate expires at the end of the month.
Iraq says its tip
to Lebanon leads to the destruction of an amphetamine factory
Bassem Mroue/AP/August 19, 2025
BEIRUT (AP) — One of Lebanon's largest factories making the highly addictive
amphetamine Captagon has been discovered and destroyed as part of rare security
cooperation between intelligence agencies in Iraq and Lebanon, Iraq’s Interior
Ministry said. The announcement late Monday came a
month after the Lebanese army issued a statement about the discovery of a drug
factory in Yammoune village in the eastern Bekaa Valley with large amounts of
drugs inside. Iraq’s Interior Ministry said the Lebanese operation in Yammoune
in mid-July came after Iraqi authorities gave Beirut information about the
factory. A senior Lebanese security official on
Tuesday said it was not clear why Iraqi authorities made the announcement
Monday, adding that Lebanon’s security agencies are always in contact with Arab
and international security agencies. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line
with regulations. Regional states are intensifying
efforts to fight the drug trade. The vast majority of
the world’s Captagon is produced in neighboring Syria, with some production in
Lebanon. Western governments estimate that Captagon has generated billions of
dollars in revenue for former Syrian President Bashar Assad, his associates and
allies. The former government in Damascus denied the accusations.
After Assad was removed from power in December when Islamist fighters
took over Damascus, the fight against drug production intensified in Lebanon and
Syria. In February, the interior ministers of Lebanon,
Syria, Jordan and Iraq held talks in the Jordanian capital on ways to combat the
illegal drug trade and agreed to set up a joint telecommunications cell to
exchange information. Smugglers have used Jordan as a corridor to smuggle
Captagon pills out of Syria, mainly to oil-rich Arab Gulf states.
France leads European
pushback against move to end UN Lebanon mission
RFI/ August 19, 2025
France and its European partners are resisting Washington’s push to end the UN
peacekeeping mission in Lebanon – UNIFIL – arguing its presence remains
essential for stability along Israel’s northern border.The United Nations
Security Council began to debate Monday a resolution drafted by France to extend
the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to
withdraw it. The future of UNIFIL has become the latest flashpoint between
Washington and its European allies. While the Trump
administration has been pressing to draw down and shut the operation within
months, France and its European partners are rallying behind it, arguing its
continued presence is vital for stability in the region. Created in 1978 and
expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, UNIFIL has long served
as a buffer force in southern Lebanon. Its 10,000-strong contingent of
international troops patrols a volatile border and supports the Lebanese army as
it works to consolidate authority. For many in Europe, the mission is imperfect
but indispensable.
Macron hosts Lebanon's president, reiterating French support for 'sovereignty'
'Expensive failure'. The White House, however, has made no secret of its desire
to curtail the operation. Senior officials, echoing longstanding Israeli
frustrations, see UNIFIL as an expensive failure that has done little to weaken
Hezbollah’s grip in the south of the country. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
recently endorsed a plan to wind down the mission over six months, part of a
broader retreat from multilateral commitments and UN spending.
But France – backed by Italy and Britain – has mounted a determined
diplomatic campaign to resist an abrupt end. European envoys argue that cutting
short UNIFIL’s work would create a dangerous security vacuum.France has pointed
to the example of Mali, where a premature UN withdrawal left government forces
overstretched and paved the way for extremist groups to expand.
As one French diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned: “If
you leave too soon, others will rush to fill the space – and not the kind of
actors anyone wants.”France's defence minister calls on Gulf states to aid
Lebanese forces. France secures UNIFIL extension.
After a series of negotiations last week, France and its allies secured
provisional US agreement to a one-year extension of the mandate, buying time to
keep the mission alive. Israel, though long hostile to the peacekeepers,
reluctantly accepted the compromise. What happens beyond next year, however,
remains the subject of debate. The French draft resolution, circulated in New
York ahead of an upcoming Security Council vote on 25 August, deliberately
avoids setting a fixed withdrawal date. Instead, it extends UNIFIL’s mandate for
a year while signalling the Council’s “intention to work on a withdrawal”. For
Paris, keeping the mission's closure open-ended is crucial to avoid emboldening
Hezbollah or undermining the Lebanese army before it is ready to assume full
responsibility.
France, contributing states condemn Israeli attacks on peacekeepers in Lebanon
Disarming Hezbollah. Lebanon’s government is itself deeply wary of any rapid
pullback. With only 6,000 troops currently deployed in the south, Beirut says it
needs time and resources to scale up to the planned 10,000. Retired general
Khalil Helou has warned that without UNIFIL, the army would have to divert
soldiers from the Syrian border or other critical posts, risking wider
instability. “For Lebanon, their presence is important,” he said. Even
Washington’s own representatives have softened their tone. Tom Barrack, the US
envoy to Lebanon, this week called on Israel to fully honour its ceasefire
commitments, including withdrawal from five Lebanese border points it still
occupies. He praised Beirut for taking steps to disarm Hezbollah and urged an
“economic plan for prosperity, restoration and renovation” in the country.
Meanwhile, UN officials, have continued to underline the mission’s contribution.
Peacekeepers have uncovered weapons caches and rocket launchers in recent weeks,
sharing intelligence with the Lebanese army. “UNIFIL remains critical to
regional stability,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Financial constraints may
still force adjustments. With UN budgets under strain, diplomats acknowledge
that troop numbers could be reduced, offset by the greater use of surveillance
technology. (with newswires)
Aoun stresses
importance of UNIFIL's presence in south
Agence France Presse/August 19, 2025
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned against ending the United Nations
peacekeepers' mandate in the country's south, after the U.N. Security Council
began debating extending their mission. The annual mandate renewal this year
comes after Lebanese authorities, under heavy U.S. pressure, have committed to
disarming Hezbollah by year end, following a November ceasefire deal that sought
to halt more than a year of hostilities between the Iran-backed group and
Israel. Israel and the United States, which wields a veto on the Security
Council, have reportedly opposed the renewal.
"Any timetable for the mandate of UNIFIL that is different from the actual needs
will negatively impact the situation in the south, which still suffers from
Israeli occupation," Aoun told force commander Diodato Abagnara, according to a
presidency statement.
The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon has been deployed since 1978 to separate
Israel and Lebanon and counts some 10,000 personnel from around 50 countries.The
Security Council on Monday began debating a resolution drafted by France to
extend the force for a year with the ultimate aim of withdrawing it. Aoun said
Lebanon "has begun contacts with Security Council member states, and brotherly
and friendly countries, to ensure the extension" of UNIFIL's mandate. He cited
Lebanon's need for the force to help "maintain security and stability in the
south" and to support the army following the government's decision to increase
troop numbers there to 10,000 personnel. Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to
withdraw from near the Israeli border, while the Lebanese Army was to bolster
its deployment there. Abagnara said on X that UNIFIL's "close coordination" with
the Lebanese Army was "key to help restore stability." Last week, UNIFIL said
that with its support, the army had deployed to more than 120 positions in the
country's south. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has
continued to strike Lebanon, saying it will do so until Hezbollah is disarmed.
Israeli forces also occupy five areas of the south that Israel deems strategic.
The text of the draft resolution would extend UNIFIL's mandate until August 31,
2026 but "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL."A vote of
the 15-member Security Council is expected on August 25, before the force's
mandate expires at the end of the month.
Barack and Ortagus leave for Israel after Lebanon's visit
Naharnet/August 19, 2025
U.S. envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus left Beirut for Tel Aviv to discuss
what Israel is required to do after the Lebanese government’s unprecedented
decisions on arms monopolization, diplomatic sources said. In his meeting with
Barrack, President Joseph Aoun “insisted on the need to reassure the Shiite
community, especially after the political crisis caused by the government’s
latest decisions” on Hezbollah’s disarmament, the sources told Al-Jadeed
television. “Barrack meanwhile appeared to have responded to Hezbollah’s
concerns through clinging to the ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal,” the sources
said. Speaker Nabih Berri for his part insisted in his meeting with Barrack on
“guaranteeing that Israel will abide by the ceasefire and withdraw from occupied
Lebanese territory, which was agreed to by Barrack,” the sources added. “The
army commander is meanwhile keen on the military institution and will not
entangle it in political or sectarian crises, that’s why he is carefully
finalizing the (disarmament) plan ahead of sending it to Cabinet, after which it
will be implemented after winning political unanimity,” the sources said.
Salam visits Jordan, says Israel 'more isolated' than ever
Naharnet/August 19, 2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday during a visit to Jordan that Israel
will get more and more isolated in the world amid the measures it is carrying
out in the West Bank and Gaza. Jordan's Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan said during
the meeting that his country supports Lebanon and backs its sovereignty,
security and stability, lauding a decision by the Lebanese government to disarm
Hezbollah and extend the state's authority over the entire Lebanese territory.
"We are faced with two projects: the first, which we strive for, is based on
extending state sovereignty to reach stability, prosperity and strength. The
second seeks to deepen conflicts," Hassan said. Lebanon has been grappling with
the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah, with the cabinet tasking the army last
week with developing a plan to do so by the end of the year. The decision
angered Hezbollah and its allies, who believe Israel's military should first
withdraw from the five hilltops it has occupied in southern Lebanon since the
end of its 14-month war with Hezbollah last November and stop launching almost
daily airstrikes in the country. Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's
secretary-general, has vowed to fight efforts to disarm the group, sowing fears
of civil unrest in the country. Hassan agreed with Salam that Israel is becoming
isolated "due to the policies of savagery and extremism it pursues." The
comments of the two prime ministers come after recent remarks by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing support for the idea of an expanded
"Greater Israel". The term Greater Israel refers to a biblical interpretation of
the nation's territory during the time of King Solomon, encompassing not only
the present-day Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but
also parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Arab nations slammed Netanyahu 's comments, calling the remarks a threat to
their sovereignty at an especially tense time for the region.
Israel FM urges US to end UNIFIL mission in Lebanon
Naharnet/August 19, 2025
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has told U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has failed in
its mission to prevent Hezbollah's military buildup south of the Litani River,
Israel Hayom newspaper said Tuesday. In his letter to
Rubio, Sa'ar called for the immediate termination of UNIFIL's operations in
south Lebanon. "The force has failed in its fundamental task – to prevent
Hezbollah's deployment south of the Litani River," Sa'ar said, according to the
Israeli daily.The United Nations Security Council began to debate Monday a
resolution drafted by France to extend the U.N. peacekeeping force in south
Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to withdraw it. Israel and the United
States have reportedly opposed the renewal of the force's mandate.
UN debates future withdrawal of Lebanon peacekeeping force
Agence France Presse/August 19, 2025
The United Nations Security Council began to debate Monday a resolution drafted
by France to extend the U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with
the ultimate aim to withdraw it. Israel and the United States have reportedly
opposed the renewal of the force's mandate, and it was unclear if the draft text
has backing from Washington, which wields a veto on the Council. A U.S. State
Department spokesman said "we don't comment on ongoing U.N. Security Council
negotiations," as talks continued on the fate of the U.N. Interim Forces in
Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel.
The text, first reported by Reuters, would "extend the mandate of UNIFIL
until August 31, 2026" but "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of
UNIFIL."That would be on the condition that Lebanon's government was the "sole
provider of security in southern Lebanon... and that the parties agree on a
comprehensive political arrangement." Under a truce
that ended a recent war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese army has been
deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling the militant group's infrastructure
there. Lebanon has been grappling with the thorny
issue of disarming Hezbollah, with the cabinet this month tasking the army with
developing a plan to do so by the end of the year. The Iran-backed group has
pushed back. Under the truce, Israel was meant to completely withdraw from
Lebanon, though it has kept forces in several areas it deems "strategic" and
continues to administer strikes across Lebanon. Israel's forces have also had
tense encounters with the U.N. blue helmets. The draft resolution under
discussion also "calls for enhanced diplomatic efforts to resolve any dispute or
reservation pertaining to the international border between Lebanon and Israel."
Council members were debating the draft resolution seen by AFP Monday ahead of a
vote of the 15-member council on August 25 before the expiration of the force's
mandate at the end of the month.
Syria says seized Grad rockets headed for Lebanon
Naharnet/August 19, 2025
Syrian security forces in the central Homs province have seized a truck loaded
with Grad-type rockets that was headed for Lebanon, Syrian state media reported
on Tuesday.
Syria’s al-Ekhbaria news channel said the truck was intercepted in a
well-planned ambush near the Lebanese border. Syria’s new authorities have
announced the seizure of several arms shipments allegedly headed for Lebanon in
recent months.
Geagea hopes Hezbollah will respect govt. decisions to avoid state's use of
'force'
Naharnet/August 19, 2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has stressed that no one is targeting the
Shiite community in the current period, describing it as “an essential component
of Lebanon.”
“We’ve been living with the Shiite community for hundreds of years and our
relation is good with it, seeing as we are the sons of the same people,” Geagea
added, in an interview on Al-Arabiya television. “Today the Lebanese state is
for all Lebanese, including the Shiite community,” the LF leader went on to say.
As for Hezbollah’s rejection of the government’s latest decisions on its
disarmament, Geagea said “no one can confront an entire state.”He added that
Hezbollah is “totally dependent on Iran.”“If it asks it to hand over (the
weapons), it will do so, and if it tells it not to do it, it won’t do it,”
Geagea suggested. Asked what would happen if arms were not handed over within
the specified timetable, the LF leader said: “If the state carries on with its
decision, most things can be arranged in peaceful ways, but if some obstacles
remain, they can be resolved through small surgical operations when the time
comes.”Noting that the implementation of the disarmament decision “does not
necessarily require force,” Geagea said the step “should take place with the
least possible cost to spare Lebanon any internal fighting.”“I refuse to label
such an operation as internal strife, because it would be an enforcement of the
law by the state and those who stand in its face would be against the law and
should be held accountable,” the LF leader added. “I’m with settling things in a
peaceful manner if possible, but if this approach does not succeed, the state
should act like any state in the world would act,” Geagea added. “Sometimes a
state is obliged to use force, and I hope we won’t reach this stage, and I hope
Hezbollah will cooperate as required,” the LF leader said.
One of Lebanon's biggest Captagon factories destroyed after
Iraqi tip
Associated Press/August 19, 2025
One of Lebanon's largest factories making the highly addictive amphetamine
Captagon has been discovered and destroyed as part of rare security cooperation
between intelligence agencies in Iraq and Lebanon, Iraq's Interior Ministry
said. The announcement late Monday came a month after the Lebanese Army issued a
statement about the discovery of a drug factory in Yammoune village in the
eastern Bekaa Valley with large amounts of drugs inside.
Iraq's Interior Ministry said the Lebanese operation in Yammoune in
mid-July came after Iraqi authorities gave Beirut information about the factory.
A senior Lebanese security official on Tuesday said it was not clear why Iraqi
authorities made the announcement Monday, adding that Lebanon's security
agencies are always in contact with Arab and international security agencies. He
spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Regional states are intensifying efforts to fight the drug trade. The vast
majority of the world's Captagon is produced in neighboring Syria, with some
production in Lebanon. Western governments estimate that Captagon has generated
billions of dollars in revenue for former Syrian President Bashar Assad, his
associates and allies. The former government in Damascus denied the accusations.
After Assad was removed from power in December when Islamist fighters took over
Damascus, the fight against drug production intensified in Lebanon and Syria.
In February, the interior ministers of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq held
talks in the Jordanian capital on ways to combat the illegal drug trade and
agreed to set up a joint telecommunications cell to exchange information.
Smugglers have used Jordan as a corridor to smuggle Captagon pills out of Syria,
mainly to oil-rich Arab Gulf states.
The
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 19-20/2025
Mediators await Israeli response to new truce offer
Agence France Presse/August 19, 2025
Mediators were awaiting an Israeli response Tuesday to a fresh Gaza ceasefire
plan, a day after Hamas accepted the proposal and signaled its readiness for a
new round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. The foes have held
on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war resulting in two short
truces and the releases of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian
prisoners, but they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire.The
efforts have been mediated by Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, with
frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy aiming to break the deadlock. Egypt said
Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding "the ball
is now in its court". According to a report in
Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera, the latest deal proposes an initial
60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian
prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week
that his country would accept "an agreement in which all the hostages are
released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war". Senior
Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had "opened
the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question
remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past".
Hamas's acceptance of the proposal comes as Netanyahu faces increasing
pressure at home and abroad to end the war. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to
the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for the end of the war and a
deal to free the remaining hostages still being held captive. Of the 251
hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are
still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The new proposal also comes after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to
conquer Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, fanning fears the new offensive will
worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir -- who has
staunchly opposed ending the war -- slammed the plan, warning of a "tragedy" if
Netanyahu "gives in to Hamas".
'Unbearable' -
Gaza's civil defense agency reported that 27 people were killed Tuesday by
Israeli strikes and fire across the territory. Agency spokesman Mahmoud Bassal
told AFP the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the Zeitoun and
Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City, where he said "artillery shelling continues
intermittently". The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop
movements, saying only that it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military
capabilities" and took "feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm".Media
restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian
territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details
provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Sabra resident
Hussein al-Dairi, 44, said "tanks are firing shells and mortars, and drones are
firing bullets and missiles" in the neighborhood. "We
heard on the news that Hamas had agreed to a truce, but the occupation is
escalating the war against us, the civilians," he added. Hamas's October 2023
attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has
killed more than 62,004 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to
figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations
considers reliable.
Qatar says most
of proposal agreed by Hamas was previously agreed by Israel
Agence France Presse/August 19, 2025
Mediator Qatar said on Tuesday that a Gaza truce proposal given the green light
by militant group Hamas was "almost identical" to an earlier version that Israel
had agreed to. Hamas gave a "very positive response,
and it truly was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed
to", Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told reporters, without
elaborating on what changes had been made to the accepted proposal.
Qatar, with Egypt and the United States, has been engaged in mediation
for a ceasefire throughout the 22-month war in Gaza but, apart from two
short-lived truces, the talks have failed to stop the fighting. Hopes for a deal
were rekindled on Monday after Hamas said it had accepted a new ceasefire
proposal for Gaza following a push by Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo.
The previous round of mediation for a deal in Doha broke down in July, with
Israel agreeing to a truce proposal but then rejecting Hamas amendments.
"We cannot make any claims that a breakthrough has been made. But we do
believe it is a positive point," Ansari added. "We are at a decisive
humanitarian moment. If we don't reach a deal now, we will face a humanitarian
catastrophe that will make all those that preceded it pale in comparison," the
spokesman added. Negotiations in recent months have focused on a framework for
an initial 60-day truce and the staggered release of Israeli hostages held in
Gaza, which was first proposed by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Ansari confirmed the current proposal included the two-month truce as well as
provisions to allow for the entry of aid.
Israel demands
release of all hostages in any Gaza deal
Agence France Presse/August 19, 2025
A senior Israeli official on Tuesday said the government demanded the release of
all remaining hostages in any future Gaza deal, a day after Hamas accepted a new
truce proposal. Speaking on the condition of
anonymity, the senior official said the government's stance had not changed and
demanded the release of all hostages.
Israel's Netanyahu says 'weak' Australian PM abandoned
Jewish community
Reuters/August 19, 2025
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday
his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese had forsaken Australia's Jewish
community and betrayed Israel, a remark that may further strain diplomatic ties
tested by the war in Gaza.Netanyahu's comment followed Israel's revocation of
the visas of Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority on Monday, after
a decision by Canberra to recognise a Palestinian state and cancel the visa of
an Israeli lawmaker. "History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak
politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews," Netanyahu said
on the official prime minister's X account in English. The Israeli lawmaker had
been due to meet with Australia's Jewish community, which has faced a sharp rise
in antisemitic attacks since the beginning of Israel's war with Palestinian
militant group Hamas in Gaza, almost two years ago. Australian Foreign Minister
Penny Wong on Monday called Israel's visa revocation counter-step an
"unjustified reaction" and said Netanyahu's government was increasing Israel's
diplomatic isolation. Israel has been facing mounting international pressure
over the toll its military offensive has taken on the civilian population in the
shattered Gaza Strip. Albanese said on August 12 that Netanyahu was "in denial"
about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Albanese made his remark a day after
announcing Australia may recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations
general Assembly in September, following France, Britain and Canada. Netanyahu
has said this would serve as a reward for Hamas' October 7 2023 attack on
Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.
US envoy meets top
Israeli Druze leader to discuss situation in Syria’s Sweida
Al Arabiya English/19 August/2025
US envoy Tom Barrack met Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif on
Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria’s Sweida, where recent armed clashes
left hundreds dead and heightened concerns over instability in the south. “Today
I had a warm and informative meeting with Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh
Mowafaq Tarif and his team,” Barrack said in a post on X. “We discussed the
situation in Sweida and how to bring together the interests of all parties,
de-escalate tensions, and build understanding.”Sweida, a majority-Druze region
in southern Syria, has seen rare but deadly outbreaks of violence in recent
months amid deepening frustration over economic collapse, corruption, and local
clashes with armed groups.
Netanyahu slams
Macron for fueling ‘antisemitic fire’: Letter
Al Arabiya English/19 August/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upbraided President Emmanuel Macron in
a letter seen by AFP Tuesday, blaming the French leader’s move to recognize a
Palestinian state for fueling antisemitism. Late last month, Macron said France
would formally recognize a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September,
drawing a swift rebuke from Israel. By announcing the move, France was set to
join a growing list of nations to recognize statehood for the Palestinians since
Israel launched a bombardment of Gaza nearly two years ago in response to Hamas’
shock attack. In the letter sent to Macron, Netanyahu said antisemitism had
“surged” in France following the announcement. “Your call for a Palestinian
state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is
appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’ refusal to free the
hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred
now stalking your streets,” Netanyahu wrote in the letter. The Israeli premier
went on to call on Macron to confront antisemitism in France, saying he must
“replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve, and to do so by a clear
date: the Jewish New Year, September 23.” France slammed Netanyahu’s letter as
“abject” and “erroneous.” France “protects and will always protect its Jewish
citizens,” the Elysee said, adding that the letter “will not go
unanswered.”“This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for
conflation and manipulation,” the Elysee added. France’s minister for Europe
said Paris had “no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism.”“I would
like to say very clearly and very firmly that this issue of antisemitism, which
is poisoning our European societies ... cannot be exploited,” Benjamin Haddad
said on broadcaster BFMTV. With AFP
Syria’s top diplomat meets Israeli delegation in Paris
Al Arabiya English/ 20 August/2025
Syria’s foreign minister met with an Israeli delegation in Paris for talks
focused on de-escalation and non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs,
Syria’s state news agency reported on Tuesday. The talks are being held under US
mediation, according to SANA.
The discussions also touched on the developments in Syria’s Sweida and the
ceasefire.
Trump begins
arranging Putin-Zelensky summit
Associated Press/ 20 August/2025
President Donald Trump said he's begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting
between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss a pathway to end
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while affirming that the U.S. would back European
security guarantees aimed at preventing Moscow from reinvading its neighbor once
the current conflict ends. Details of the security guarantees and Trump's
efforts to arrange peace talks were still evolving as an extended meeting among
Trump, Zelensky and other European leaders wrapped up at the White House. But as
they emerged from their talks, the leaders expressed guarded optimism that Trump
could be finding momentum in his quest to fulfill his campaign promise of ending
the grinding war. The "most important" outcome of the meeting was the "U.S.
commitment to work with us on providing security guarantees," French President
Emmanuel Macron told reporters. Trump said he would forge ahead with
arrangements for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. He spoke by phone with
Putin during Monday's talks with Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, Finland,
France, Germany and Italy as well as the president of the European Commission
and head of NATO. The developments come amid a significant measure of
trepidation on the continent that Trump is pressing Ukraine to make concessions
that will only further embolden Putin after the U.S. leader hosted the Russian
president for an Alaska summit last week. "I called President Putin, and began
the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between
President Putin and President Zelensky," Trump said in a social media post.
"After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two
Presidents, plus myself. Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that
has been going on for almost four years." It was not clear if Putin has fully
signed on to such talks.
Russia state news agency Tass cited Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov
saying Putin and Trump "spoke in favor" of continuing direct talks between the
Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Ushakov said they also discussed "the idea of
raising the level of the direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations."Zelensky told
reporters following the White House meeting that if Russia does "not demonstrate
a will to meet, then we will ask the United States to act accordingly."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an appearance on Fox News that
"if Russia is not playing ball" on direct talks with Ukraine, "the United States
plus Europe will do more when it comes to tariffs and sanctions" on Moscow.
Zelensky previously had said he wanted Russia to agree to a ceasefire before any
meeting between himself and Putin, but he said Monday that if the Ukrainians
started setting conditions, the Russians would do the same.
"That's why I believe that we must meet without any conditions, and think about
what development there can be of this path to the end of war," Zelensky said.
Earlier, Trump said during talks with Zelensky and the European leaders that a
potential ceasefire and who gets Ukrainian territory seized by Russia should be
hashed out during a face-to-face meeting between the warring countries' two
leaders. "We're going to let the president go over and talk to the president and
we'll see how that works out," Trump said.That was a shift from comments Trump
made soon after meeting Putin last week in which he appeared to tilt toward
Putin's demands that Ukraine make concessions over land seized by Russia, which
now controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Questions about US and NATO involvement
Trump stopped short of committing U.S. troops to a collective effort to bolster
Ukraine's security. He said instead that there would be a "NATO-like" security
presence and that all those details would be hashed out with EU leaders.
Zelensky said deep U.S. involvement in the emerging security guarantees is
crucial. "It is important that the United States make a clear signal, namely
that they will be among the countries that will help to coordinate and also will
participate in security guarantees for Ukraine," Zelensky said. Speaking Monday
before the White House meetings took place, Russia's Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Maria Zakharova rejected the idea of a possible NATO peacekeeping
force in Ukraine. She said such a scenario could lead to further escalation and
"unpredictable consequences."Trump's engagement with Zelensky had a strikingly
different feel to their last Oval Office meeting in February. It was a
disastrous moment that led to Trump abruptly ending talks with the Ukrainian
delegation, and temporarily pausing some aid for Kyiv, after he and Vice
President JD Vance complained that Zelensky had shown insufficient gratitude for
U.S. military assistance. At the start of Monday's meeting, Zelensky presented a
letter from his wife, Olena Zelenska, for Trump's wife, Melania. Zelensky faced
criticism during his February meeting from a conservative journalist for
appearing in the Oval Office in a long-sleeve T-shirt. This time he appeared in
a dark jacket and buttoned shirt. Zelensky has said his typically less formal
attire since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 is to show
solidarity with Ukrainian soldiers. European leaders arrived in Washington
looking to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from
Moscow. Ahead of Monday's meeting, Trump suggested that Ukraine could not regain
Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, setting off an armed conflict that led to
its broader 2022 invasion. Zelensky in his own post late Sunday, responded, "We
all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably." He said "peace
must be lasting," not as it was after Russia seized Crimea and part of the
Donbas in eastern Ukraine eight years ago and "Putin simply used it as a
springboard for a new attack."
European heavyweights in Washington
European leaders suggested forging a temporary ceasefire is not off the table.
Following his meeting with Putin on Friday, Trump dropped his demand for an
immediate ceasefire and said he would look to secure a final peace settlement
between Russia and Ukraine — a sudden shift to a position favored by Putin.
German and French leaders on Monday praised Trump for opening a path to peace,
but they urged the U.S. president to push Russia for an immediate ceasefire. "I
would like to see a ceasefire from the next meeting, which should be a
trilateral meeting," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump, for his part,
reiterated that a broader, war-ending peace agreement between the two countries
is "very attainable," but "all of us would obviously prefer the immediate
ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace."
Trump says it’s possible Putin doesn’t want to make a deal
on Ukraine
Al Arabiya English/19 August/2025
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he hoped Russian President Vladimir
Putin would move forward toward ending the war in Ukraine, but conceded that it
was possible the Russian leader didn’t want to make a deal. “I don’t think it’s
going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I
think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said in an interview
with the Fox News program Fox & Friends. “We’re going to find out about
President Putin in the next couple of weeks … It’s possible that he doesn’t want
to make a deal,” Trump added, saying that Putin faced a “rough situation” if
that was not the case. “When it comes to security, they’re willing to put people
on the ground,” he told Fox News, referring to European allies whom he met in
the White House on Monday. “We’re willing to help them with things, especially,
probably, if you talk about by air, because no one has the kind of stuff we
have, really, they don’t,” Trump said. He added his “assurance” that no US
ground troops would deploy to Ukraine, and he categorically ruled out Ukraine
joining the Western military alliance NATO. Post-war security is a key concern
for Kyiv after more than three years of Russian invasion. Moscow has long said
it will not tolerate Ukraine joining NATO and has been hostile to the idea of
Western troops deploying to the former Soviet territory. Trump said that “France
and Germany, a couple of them, UK – they want to have boots on the ground.” “I
don’t think it’s going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think, I think
Putin is tired of” the war, he added. Trump said that following his talks Monday
with European leaders he is pushing to organize a bilateral summit between
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy –
followed by another where he will join. “I called President Putin, and we’re
trying to work out a meeting with President Zelenskyy. We’ll see what happens
there,” he said. “If that works out, if it works out, then I’ll go to the trilat
and close it up.”Saying it was possible Putin would back out, Trump said “I hope
President Putin’s going to be good and if not, it’s going to be a rough
situation.”Zelenskyy “has to show some flexibility also.”In addition to the
question of guaranteeing Ukraine’s future security, the other key sticking point
in ending the war is the status of the huge swaths of land occupied by Russia.
Trump said Ukraine has to accept it will not get its lost territories back –
including the eastern Donbas region – but in return will get peace. “I assume
you’ve all seen the map. You know, a big chunk of territory is taken and that
territory has been taken. Now they’re talking about Donbas, but Donbas right
now, as you know, is 79 percent owned and controlled by Russia,” Trump said. The
US leader said Ukraine was not powerful enough to change the situation. “This
was a war and Russia is a powerful military nation, you know. Whether people
like it or not, it’s a powerful nation. It’s a much bigger nation,” he said.
“You don’t take, you don’t take on a nation that’s 10 times your
size.”“Everybody can play cute and this and that, but, you know, Ukraine is
going to get their life back,” Trump said about a peace deal involving Ukraine
surrendering land. “They’re going to stop having people killed all over the
place and they’re going to get a lot of land.”With agencies
Russia’s Putin briefs Saudi Crown Prince on Trump talks
Al Arabiya English/19 August/2025
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Tuesday
with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
According to SPA, Putin briefed the Crown Prince on the outcome of his recent
talks with US President Donald Trump, and expressed appreciation for the
Kingdom’s “steadfast position” and Prince Mohammed’s “constructive efforts” to
promote peace.
The Crown Prince, for his part, reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s “continued support for
diplomatic dialogue as a means of resolving international disputes,” SPA said.
The pair also discussed existing areas of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and
Russia and ways to strengthen them, the agency added. Earlier on Tuesday, the
Kremlin said Putin updated the Crown Prince in a phone call on Moscow’s recent
contacts with Trump.
Zelenskyy gifts Trump golf club of Ukraine war veteran
AFP/19 August/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave US counterpart Donald Trump a golf
club during his visit to Washington this week that had belonged to a serviceman
fighting Russia’s invasion, Kyiv said Tuesday. Trump, an avid golfer who owns
several courses, accepted the gift and presented Zelenskyy with symbolic keys to
the White House in return, the Ukrainian leader’s office said. The warm exchange
marks a stark turnaround from February, when Zelenskyy left the White House
early following a televised shouting match with Trump and US Vice President JD
Vance. Since that tense encounter, Zelenskyy has sought to repair ties,
flattering Trump in public appearances and praising his efforts to secure peace.
“The president of Ukraine presented the president of the United States with a
golf club,” Zelenskyy’s office said Tuesday. The club previously belonged to
Kostiantyn Kartavtsev -- a Ukrainian soldier who “had lost a leg in the first
months of Russia’s full-scale invasion while saving his brothers-in-arms”, the
office said. Zelenskyy showed Trump a video of Kartavtsev, it said. Later on
Tuesday, Ukrainian veteran organisation United by Golf published a video of
Trump holding the golf club and thanking Kartavtsev. “I just watched your swing.
I know a lot about golf and your swing is great,” Trump said in the video.
“You’re an amazing person, and you just keep playing golf and doing all of the
other things. Your country is a great country. We’re trying to bring it back to
health,” he added. Zelenskyy also brought a letter for Melania Trump from his
wife Olena thanking the US first lady for writing to Russian President Vladimir
Putin and urging him to save children’s lives. Foreign leaders visiting the
White House have been trying to woo Trump with various gifts. In late February,
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought him an invite for an official visit
with a letter signed by King Charles III.
Munition from Israel war explodes in Iran, killing one: Media
Al Arabiya English/20 August/2025
Munition left from Israel’s war with Iran earlier this year exploded on Tuesday
in the Islamic Republic’s west, killing one person, state media said. Official
news agency IRNA said that “unexploded ordnance of the Zionist regime” detonated
near the city of Beyranshahr, in Lorestan province of western Iran. “The
incident left one person dead and nine people injured,” it added, quoting a
statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The 12 days of
fighting in June saw Israel bomb Iranian nuclear and military sites as well as
residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders
and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks that
killed dozens in Israel. The United States, which briefly joined the war by
striking Iranian nuclear sites, announced a halt in fighting on June 24.While
the hostilities ended, there was no agreement formalizing the ceasefire. Iranian
officials have since maintained that Tehran remains ready in case another
confrontation breaks out with its sworn enemy Israel. On Sunday, Yahya Rahim
Safavi, a military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, told local
media the country was “preparing plans for the worst-case scenario.”With AFP
Armenia reassures Iran it will control border corridor
AFP/19 August/2025
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday reassured Iran’s president
that a planned corridor linking Azerbaijan with its exclave will be under
Armenian control, as Iran had voiced opposition to the project. The land
corridor, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”
(TRIPP), is part of a deal signed earlier this month in Washington between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics previously engulfed in
decades of disputes over territory. Under the agreement, the United States will
hold development rights for the proposed route, which would connect Azerbaijan
to its Nakhchivan exclave bordering Iran and Turkey. “Roads passing through
Armenia will be under the exclusive jurisdiction of Armenia, and security will
be provided by Armenia, not by any third country,” Pashinyan said at a meeting
with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He added that the corridor would open
new economic perspectives between the two countries and may offer a railway path
from Iran to the Black Sea coast through Armenia. Iran has long opposed the
planned transit route, also known as the Zangezur corridor, fearing it would cut
the country off from Armenia and the rest of the Caucasus while bringing
potentially hostile foreign forces close to its borders.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on August 19-20/2025
Is
Netanyahu an Isolated Phenomenon?
Abdulrahman al-RashedAl Arabiya English/19 August/2025
Netanyahu’s allies are also his adversaries, both Arabs and Israelis. He spares
no effort in provoking them and stirring enough dust to stay at the top of the
headlines or to distract them from his own issues. The focus on Netanyahu as an
individual is understandable and even justified under the circumstances of the
Gaza war and its horrors. But is he really an exceptional, rebellious figure
within Israel? Some Arab media outlets have portrayed the situation since the
beginning of the crisis by suggesting that Israelis are against Netanyahu and
oppose the war – wishful thinking. The reality is different. Hardline policies
and the iron-fist approach emerged as a response to Hamas’ mistake in October,
and Netanyahu went to the extreme in his retaliation. Netanyahu is not an
exception. Former prime ministers who were no less rigid and aggressive – such
as Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, and Ariel Sharon – all had their
turn as targets of Arab criticism. They represented Israel, not outsiders to the
system, and they reflected the majority. Therefore, trying to separate the
Israeli establishment from the prime minister and directing attacks only at him
is a way of avoiding the real problem: the poor relationship with Israel as a
whole, not just the occupant of the prime minister’s office.
It is natural in an open society to hear dissenting voices. But these voices
should not be overvalued when analyzing Israel’s broader direction or its
handling of the crisis. When some cite criticisms from opposition politicians in
the Knesset, former presidents, or opposition parties within Israel’s political
system, they mislead Arab public opinion. These critics are not the majority. If
they were, Netanyahu – who survives on a slim majority – would have already been
ousted. Similarly, efforts by the families of hostages inside Israel and appeals
from world leaders to pressure Netanyahu have not succeeded. For nearly two
years, reports suggested the war was nearing its end and Netanyahu was in
trouble. Yet, as we see, “the prime minister’s ears are deaf” and the
catastrophe continues. Netanyahu has not fallen because the majority of Israelis
supported him despite suffering the highest human losses on multiple fronts in
Israel’s history. This stance largely reflects a solid bloc across military,
civilian, legislative, and party institutions insisting on eliminating
“Palestinian and regional threats.” That is what has happened, and it seems we
are in the final chapter. A resolution to the Gaza crisis is expected in the
remaining months of the year.
What has disappeared from the scene is Israel’s leftist bloc – traditionally
opposed to wars and sympathetic to some Palestinian rights. This group has
shrunk significantly after the shock of Hamas’ October 2023 attacks, which
destroyed the base of leftists and moderates within Israeli society.
Seeing the whole picture inside Israel and understanding the trends among its
citizens is one of the most important sources for making sense of what is
happening in our region – especially in the multiple conflicts with Israel.
Relying instead on repetitive rhetoric aimed at mobilization creates a distorted
image of reality. Without broad popular support for Netanyahu’s decisions, the
Gaza war would not have started or continued, nor could he have remained in
power despite hundreds of Israelis dead and thousands wounded, both military and
civilian. Nor would he have risked his military adventures against Hezbollah in
Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran. Without public acceptance, it is
difficult to stop the war, achieve peace, or grant Palestinians their rights.
This does not mean there are no political rifts in Israel. There is a spectrum
of opinions and parties, yet most have rallied behind the government in the war
– even as they face a moral and political dilemma following the horrific October
attacks that killed and abducted children and women, and the subsequent brutal
killings of civilians in Gaza, pushing them to the brink of starvation.
Palestinians, more than anyone else, need to build a relationship with Israeli
public opinion – not Arab public opinion. The Arab world does not need
convincing; it already believes in the Palestinian cause. But it does not carry
the political weight needed to sway decisions.
Egypt’s War Against the World’s Oldest Christian Monastery
Mariam Wahba/The Free Press/August
19/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146447/
The state’s suppression of St. Catherine’s is a microcosm of Egypt’s broader
campaign against the country’s Christians—including my family.
St. Catherine’s Monastery, 275 miles from Cairo in the depths of the Sinai
desert, is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. It is
also one of Christianity’s oldest institutions, built at the foot of the
mountain where Moses is believed to have seen the burning bush and subsequently
received the Ten Commandments. Run by Greek Orthodox monks—some 25 of them live
there today—it has served as a sanctuary of worship, refuge, and scholarship for
more than 1,500 years.
I grew up in Egypt’s Coptic Christian community; once a year my church would
pile us into a bus for our annual pilgrimage to the monastery. But the standing
of this holy place is now at grave risk.
In May, an Egyptian court ruled that the monastery’s monks are mere “occupants,”
allowing the state to essentially take control of what is—and is not—allowed at
St. Catherine’s, and stripping the monks of all legal authority. With enough
pressure, they may be forced to abandon the monastery altogether.
When the Greek foreign minister sat down with his Egyptian counterpart earlier
this month, they faced a quiet standoff over exactly this possibility. The
outcome of this fight will signal whether Egypt still makes room for religion
that is outside state control.
Over the last decade, Cairo has steadily chipped away at St. Catherine’s
autonomy—a microcosm of Egypt’s broader campaign against the country’s estimated
10 to 15 million Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim nation.
St. Catherine’s significance lies not just in its history, but in its
unparalleled manuscript collection, which rivals the Vatican’s with a continuous
record stretching back centuries.
For decades, researchers have been able to study its manuscripts with approval
from the monks. The government, however, seized control over academic access to
the site in 2023, revoking the monastery’s long-standing authority to oversee
the research.
Since the government takeover, the new state-run system has yet to approve a
single research request.
Cairo also canceled an important, ongoing project to digitize the manuscripts
that entailed collaboration among the monastery, UCLA, and an American NGO
called the Early Manuscripts Electronic Library. In early 2024, Egyptian
authorities denied a group of visiting scholars entry to the monastery’s
library, including an American who had worked closely with the monks for years.
No explanation was ever given for these steps.
Together, these moves have undermined the monastery’s autonomy and effectively
sidelined the monastic community that has preserved the site for centuries.
Though worship is still allowed, scholarship has stalled, and the government has
hollowed out the monastery’s religious stewardship.
The legal logic for these steps stems from antiquities laws passed in the 1970s
that gave the Egyptian state ownership over archaeological sites. But St.
Catherine’s had long been the exception. A 1974 presidential decree granted
Egyptian citizenship to the monastery’s Greek Orthodox archbishop, giving him
legal standing to represent the monastery and its community in dealings with the
state. The decree also conferred on the monastery a degree of recognition and
protection that endured for decades.
That status is now unraveling.
The Egyptian government insists that the ruling does not affect the site’s
religious function. Foreign Minister Badr Abelatty wrote as much in a June op-ed
in the Greek newspaper Ekathimerini, arguing that the decision “does not in any
way or form infringe on religious freedom nor jeopardize the sanctity of the
Monastery.”
But that’s hardly the point. The state does not need to evict monks or fully ban
prayer to undermine Christians’ religious freedom. By nationalizing the site and
cutting it off from the global research and religious communities that have long
sustained it, the government is effectively severing the monastery from its
identity and function.
The stakes here go well beyond a specific holy site.
St. Catherine’s is a bellwether for a broader trend in Egypt—one in which the
state gradually subsumes non-Sunni religious institutions. If the government can
absorb a monastery with this much history, international standing, and religious
significance, then no independent religious institution is safe.
Technically, Christianity is a protected religion under Egyptian law. Yet Cairo
has failed to shield Christians from attacks and, especially since the Arab
Spring of 2011, has entrenched a culture of impunity. Perpetrators of attacks
against churches or Coptic-owned homes are often not held accountable. State
officials regularly turn a blind eye to the epidemic of kidnappings of Coptic
women and girls.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2025 Egypt report makes
the pattern clear. Cairo has refused to repeal or amend blasphemy laws that it
often uses to target Coptic Christians and other minorities.
For example, in December 2021, the government jailed Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo for
his involvement in a Facebook group for Muslims seeking to convert to
Christianity. His jailers put him in solitary confinement, denied him medical
care and family visits, and barred him from showering after another prisoner
accused him of copying Bible verses in his cell. Abdo was released only after an
international campaign almost four years later.
The Church Construction Law, which passed in 2016, further entrenches
discrimination. Christian churches that need renovation are required to seek
layers of approvals—very few of which are forthcoming. As of December 2024,
roughly 2,300 requests were still pending. By contrast, the government poured
18.6 billion Egyptian pounds ($366,000) last year into building and renovating
thousands of mosques.
The United States has a stake in this issue. For decades, American scholars and
institutions have worked with the monastery to preserve and digitize its ancient
manuscripts, some of the oldest in existence outside the Vatican. These
partnerships are now in limbo. According to Egyptian law, if the monastery is no
longer a recognized legal entity, it cannot contract or partner with foreign
institutions. Centuries of intellectual and religious heritage are at risk of
being lost.
What could compel Egypt to change its policy toward St. Catherine? Military aid,
for one thing. Egypt receives $1.4 billion annually, a portion of which is
legally conditioned on progress in human rights. Under the terms of their
agreement, the U.S. government is obliged to assess whether Egypt is taking
steps to uphold religious freedom and protect minority communities. These
obligations are not symbolic, but codified law meant to reflect U.S. values in
foreign assistance. Quietly nationalizing one of Christianity’s most sacred
sites without consequence calls into question how seriously both Cairo and
Washington take those conditions.In the West, too many Christian so-called
pundits and commentators are quick to express their concern over the diminishing
Middle East Christian community. Especially in the wake of the Gaza war, these
pundits have found endless airtime to moralize about the discrimination against
Christian communities in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet most of them remain utterly
silent on these brazen attacks on Christianity taking place in Egypt and across
the Arab Middle East.
Religious freedom does not vanish overnight. It erodes gradually until sacred
spaces become footnotes to state power. That is the danger at St. Catherine’s.
If the United States is serious about protecting religious pluralism and
preserving Christian cultural heritage, then now is a moment to act. Not to
mourn what is lost, but to defend what remains.
https://www.thefp.com/p/egypts-war-against-the-worlds-oldest
**Mariam Wahba is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies. Follow her on X and Instagram @themariamwahba.
Sunni Arab tribes mobilize against the Syrian Democratic Forces
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD's Long War
Journal/August 19/2025
Several Sunni Arab tribes in northeastern Syria, an area that encompasses 30
percent of Syrian territory and is currently under the control of the
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have called for a general
mobilization against the SDF. Members of the Al Naim, Al Bushaaban, Qais Aylan,
and Al Baqara tribes have explicitly called for a nafeer aam (general
mobilization) against the SDF. These tribes are spread across the governorates
of Deir Ezzour, Raqqa, and Al Hasakah, all of which are under SDF control.
Sheikh Faraj al Salamah, a tribal leader in the region, stated, “Coordination is
underway with all the tribes that have called for mobilization, and everyone is
waiting for the right moment to begin moving.” He described their goal as the
“liberation of the Syrian Jazira,” referring to areas in northeastern Syria.
Relations between Arab tribes and the SDF are complex. After the SDF and an
international coalition defeated the Islamic State (IS) between 2016 and 2019,
the SDF expanded into former IS-held territory, long considered the heartland of
Syria’s Arab tribes. The area’s tribal chiefs fell into three broad categories
at that time: those who worked with the Syrian opposition and Turkey during the
civil war; those who feared the Bashar al Assad regime and formed arrangements
with the SDF; and those who remained loyal to Assad and aligned with
Iranian-backed proxies fighting the SDF.
Of the SDF’s estimated 100,000 fighters, around 65,000 are Arabs, with the
remainder made up of Kurds, Assyrians, and other minorities. However, the SDF’s
core and most influential forces—the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s
Protection Units (YPJ)—are predominantly Kurdish, leaving Arab fighters with
less influence. Many Arabs joined the SDF when Assad was still in power, drawn
by higher monthly salaries and because of mandatory conscription in the
northeast, where Arabs make up roughly 75 percent of the population.
Deir Ezzour Governorate, whose population is entirely Arab, has been a
flashpoint in SDF-Arab tribal tensions for years. Currently, the SDF has
extensive control over the governorate except for the city of Deir Ezzour. In
2023, clashes erupted between the SDF and Arab tribes, many of whose members
were senior leaders in the Deir Ezzour Military Council (DMC), an SDF
constituent military council.
Fighting began after the SDF arrested and dismissed Abu Khawla, the DMC’s
commander. Arab tribal representatives also accused the SDF of stealing oil
resources to fund Kurdish-majority areas. At the time, it was widely believed
that the Assad regime, working with Iran and Russia, stoked the unrest to spark
an uprising against the SDF. Pro-Assad tribal militias joined the clashes in an
unsuccessful bid to retake the governorate for Assad’s government. The SDF
retained control in the end.
The latest clashes erupted on August 14 in the town of Gharanij in eastern Deir
Ezzour, where Arab tribal fighters “surrounded members of the Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) inside a pharmacy they were visiting on an unofficial mission.” The
confrontation escalated into intense clashes, leaving three attackers wounded
and one dead. Six SDF soldiers were abducted; two were later released, while
four remain in captivity. The attackers also seized a military vehicle
accompanying the SDF team.
Since the downfall of the Assad regime and the rise of the new Syrian state
under former Al Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir al Sham commander Ahmad al Sharaa,
integrating Kurdish-held territories into the new government has remained a
challenge. An agreement signed in March between the Syrian government and the
SDF has stalled over fears about the Syrian government’s jihadist origins and
the centralization of power under Sharaa.
While clashes between the new Syrian Army and the SDF have occurred, both sides
have avoided a full-scale confrontation until now. Still, with Arab tribes
calling for mobilization, the risk of renewed fighting grows. The Syrian state
may intervene to protect the tribes if clashes intensify, like its actions in
southern Syria during the Druze clashes with Bedouin tribes in Suwayda
Governorate.
**Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the levant.
Israel intensifies outreach to Iranians as Tehran anticipates another war
Janatan Sayeh/FDD's Long War
Journal/August 19/2025
As many Iranians blame the regime’s policies for deepening the country’s water
crisis, which “[threatens] millions of residents,” Israel is seizing the moment
to voice support for the Iranian public and encourage regime change.
In an August 12 televised speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
vowed to offer water desalination technology to Iranians while calling on the
people to “take to the streets [against the regime],” adding that “Israel stands
with you.” Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Gila Gamliel echoed the
remarks that day and hinted at a regime collapse, writing, “Next year in a free
Tehran!” Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister, delivered a similar
message to Iranians the same day, accusing the Islamic Republic of spending its
money on “bombs, terror, and missiles.” He concluded by pledging that Israel
would help Iran overcome these challenges “in the near future,” suggesting that
the Iranian regime’s days are numbered. These statements are not limited to
Jerusalem’s top leadership; officials with operational responsibilities have
echoed the sentiments. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the chief of the General
Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said on August 14 that the ongoing
threats from the Islamic Republic could be met, if necessary, by Israel
confronting it again and carrying out operations in Iran with full force.
Israeli officials’ remarks drew sharp reactions in Tehran. Iranian President
Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed them as a “mirage,” while Parliament Speaker
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Israel of trying “to deceive the Iranian people
with a glass of treated sewage water.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered a
contradictory response, blaming sanctions for hindering water desalination
progress while also claiming that Iran already has the technology to solve the
crisis.
Tehran is preparing for more than a mere media rebuttal to Israel as it braces
for a new round of escalations. The regime formed a new Defense Council under
the existing Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to centralize wartime
decision-making. Announced on August 3, it differs from the SNSC in its
permanent inclusion of the conventional Army (Artesh) and the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Last formed during the eight-year Iran–Iraq
War, the revival of the Defense Council signals that the regime is preparing for
another conflict.
Leveraging Iranians against the Islamic Republic
Without any reliable nationalist armed opposition to the regime—excluding
sectarian separatist groups or Islamist terror networks—the Iranian people
remain the main leverage against it. This status explains why Israel intensified
messaging campaigns toward Iranians during the 12-Day War, hacked state
television to urge rebellion, and struck law enforcement and military bases
widely seen as part of the regime’s repression apparatus. The June 24 ceasefire
took effect the day after Israel struck these targets, before people could
mobilize.
There is no doubt about the Mossad’s operational capabilities inside Iran, but
Iranian dissidents are carrying part of the weight. Citing anonymous Mossad
officials, ProPublica reported on August 7 that Iranian nationals working with
Israel were pivotal to Israeli successes during the recent conflict. The sources
said their motives were both personal and political: “Some were seeking revenge
against a repressive, clerical regime.” They also noted, “The agents in Iran who
broke into the safes, set up the machine guns, blasted the air defenses and
watched the scientists’ apartments were not Israelis. All were either Iranians
or citizens of third countries.”Israeli officials added that the regime’s
deepening unpopularity has greatly eased the task of enlisting such operatives.
An ongoing shadow-war
Despite a ceasefire and an appearance of calm, a wave of mysterious explosions
and fires across Iran suggests that Tehran and Jerusalem remain in direct
confrontation. Between June 25 and August 7, more than 30 such incidents
occurred in multiple provinces, striking targets that spanned economic hubs and
properties owned by military officials. While it remains unconfirmed whether
these were Israeli sabotage operations, the Islamic Republic has sought to
downplay them, attributing many to gas leaks or other accidents. Jerusalem has
offered no comment but may be orchestrating these incidents to strengthen its
position against the regime in anticipation of another round of fighting.
Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign
influence.
Disease, hunger,
war: Sudan’s overlooked emergency
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/August 19, 2025
The toll of the war in Sudan goes far beyond damaged infrastructure and lost
lives — it has inflicted deep wounds on the dignity of its people. Families are
torn apart, healthcare systems lie in ruins, and routine medical care has become
a distant memory. The conflict has turned everyday survival into a monumental
challenge; civilians face violence, displacement, hunger, and illness without
access to even basic health services.
This unfolding tragedy not only undermines the past sense of normalcy but also
erodes hope. The inability to care for the sick and vulnerable assaults the core
of human dignity. Hospitals have been attacked, clinics looted and occupied, and
health workers have either fled, been threatened, or paid with their lives.
These are not just physical injuries — this is a psychological blow to a
nation’s spirit.
Over the past two years, the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid
Support Forces has turned critical portions of the health system into ghost
towns. Almost 38 percent of health facilities have been rendered nonfunctional,
and just 14 percent of hospitals still operate at full capacity, according to
assessments by the World Health Organization’s HeRAMS monitoring program.
Khartoum — once the heartbeat of Sudan’s health services, providing close to 70
percent of national care — has been particularly devastated. In many areas,
medical facilities lie in ruins, with equipment destroyed or looted, and
essential supply chains severed.
Physical buildings are one thing, but the collapse of system-wide structure is
far worse. Laboratories have shut down, pharmacies stand empty, vaccine cold
chains have failed, and even simple medicines like antibiotics or insulin are
scarce. Without trained staff, even basic functions like triage or sanitation
are impossible. Women face childbirth without skilled attendants; patients with
chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease, are
ignored. The interruption of services for dialysis, antenatal care, and trauma
threatens countless lives every day.
On top of this devastation, Sudan is in the grip of multiple, overlapping
epidemics. Cholera has spread to almost all of the country’s states,
overwhelming treatment centers, particularly in Darfur, where the toll has been
especially heavy. Measles, once controlled through routine immunization, is
surging, with almost 10,000 cases treated by Medecins Sans Frontieres clinics
between June 2024 and May 2025. Hundreds of thousands of children have not
received any vaccines, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases. Malaria
cases are also surging, though true numbers are likely underreported due to
collapsed surveillance systems. Alarmingly, 3.4 million children under five are
at heightened risk from diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, and
measles.
This confluence of disease and conflict is happening alongside a humanitarian
catastrophe. More than two-thirds of the population now needs aid, with millions
facing famine-level hunger. Food shortages, coupled with skyrocketing prices and
population displacement, have left countless Sudanese on the brink of
starvation. Even in areas not directly under fire, malnutrition is causing
immune systems to fail, making people more vulnerable to illness, and more
likely to die of what would, in normal times, be treatable or preventable
ailments.
If current trends continue unchecked, Sudan faces a bleak future. Without
functional health services, disease outbreaks will repeat year after year,
claiming lives in waves. Preventable deaths will climb as complications from
childbirth, infections, and chronic illnesses go untreated. Starvation will
weaken the population further, creating a cycle of suffering that deepens with
each passing season. Deaths will not just be tallied in tolls from violence but
will come quietly, in homes, camps, and the streets.
Moreover, Sudan’s collapse is already spilling beyond its borders. The country
hosts one of the largest internal displacement crises globally, and refugees
fleeing by the hundreds of thousands are crossing into Chad, South Sudan, Egypt,
and beyond. Overcrowded, under-resourced camps have become breeding grounds for
disease, with cholera and measles now spreading across borders. Neighboring
countries, many also with fragile systems, risk being overwhelmed. Healthcare
resources are being diverted, budgets strained, and regional stability is
compromised. Without immediate action, the ripple effects may reach even
further, testing the resilience of health systems across the Horn of Africa,
Sahel, and along vital Red Sea trade corridors.
The need for international intervention is both urgent and obvious. A powerful,
coordinated response could make the difference between controlled recovery and
irreversible collapse. First and foremost, a ceasefire that ensures safe
humanitarian corridors is essential. Without peace, or at least reliable access,
aid cannot reach those in need. Humanitarian pauses would allow for the repair
of water systems, delivery of vaccines, restoration of cold chains, and
evacuation of the critically ill.
Protection of healthcare must be enforced. More than 600 verified attacks on
health facilities since 2023 have destroyed the very structures meant to save
lives. Healthcare deserves the highest levels of international legal protection,
and perpetrators must be held accountable for destroying hospitals and killing
health workers.
Every day of inaction means more children dying.
Donations to support lifesaving health and nutrition interventions are urgently
needed. WHO, UNICEF, MSF, International Rescue Committee, and other front-line
responders are operating with huge funding gaps. Without emergency financing,
services such as oral cholera vaccination, measles campaigns, mobile clinics,
trauma kits, and nutrition support will fail. Fuel for generators and cold
chains, oxygen for acute care, food for malnourished children, and medicines for
chronic patients must be prioritized immediately.
High-impact campaigns such as mass vaccinations, and water, sanitation, and
hygiene interventions can break disease cycles. Mobile outreach services should
follow displaced populations and deliver care even in remote areas. More oral
cholera and measles vaccines, hygiene kits, and water chlorination are proven,
cost-effective tools. For vulnerable border areas, pre-positioned supplies and
technical support can contain the spread of diseases beyond Sudan.
Front-line NGOs deserve both support and freedom to operate. They provide
surgical services, treat cholera and malnutrition, and keep fragile systems
alive in impossible conditions. Unrestricted, flexible funding and eased
logistics are lifelines that save lives.
In sum, Sudan’s health emergency is one of the most urgent global crises of our
time. The world cannot afford complacency or wait for a “window of opportunity”
that may never come. Every day of inaction means more children dying from
preventable illnesses, more mothers perishing in childbirth, and more families
stripped of their dignity. A concerted, compassionate response anchored in
humanitarian principles and fueled by international solidarity still has power
to prevent further catastrophe. But time is running out — and with it, the
chance to preserve the lives and futures of millions.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Where did Iran’s Arab supporters disappear?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 19, 2025
A deathly silence looms over the Arab street, unmoved by the wave of dramatic
events in the region. We have not seen demonstrations, protests, or sit-ins in
the Arab countries, and in my view, this is the first time in seven decades or
more that such displays have vanished.
What has befallen Iran is no small matter; its military losses and nuclear
facilities are immense — facilities that cost billions of dollars, and much
blood and sweat to build. To its ballistic and nuclear losses, we can add the
loss of the popular current it had cultivated across the region, from Iraq to
Morocco.
When the Lebanese government took its bold decision to confiscate Hezbollah’s
weapons, the response was limited to just a few dozen motorcycles roaming
Beirut’s streets in protest. So, what happened to the human waves, the millions
who once flooded the streets at a mere gesture from the party’s leader or from
Tehran?
The collapse of Iranian influence is clear within Arab regions, like the
collapse of Nasserism after its defeat in the 1967 war. It lost the ability to
mobilize the street and resorted to relying on its socialist party members and
labor unions to attend events after the masses — who once filled the squares
with passion and spontaneity in response to radio appeals that dominated
people’s awareness and emotions for nearly two decades — dwindled. In the wake
of that defeat, a sense of shock and betrayal spread across the region, which
had been waiting for the liberation of Palestine.
People do not admire the defeated
Iran, too, once enjoyed dominance and popular support in the region, defying
attempts to block its ideas and curb its activities. It managed to raise
generations of Arabs on its ideas. Tehran opened its doors and arms to extremist
Sunnis, including leaders of Al-Qaeda, overlooking their anti-Shiite ideology,
and supported most Sunni opposition groups and movements against their
governments. It built an organic, deeply coordinated relationship with the
Muslim Brotherhood. It organized nearly annual conferences and seminars for Arab
nationalists and communists.
It spent heavily to woo Arab politicians and intellectuals; books were
published, and odes of praise were written in support of the imam’s regime and
in its defense. Tehran gathered Shiites, Sunnis, and Arab Christians alike —
thinkers from the Gulf, Egypt, the Levant, the Maghreb, Sudan, Yemen, and Arab
diaspora communities. It climbed onto many Arab media outlets to promote Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei’s line. At times, we could hardly understand how it managed
to reconcile all these contradictions.
In Tripoli — a city with tensions against the Shiites of Beirut — there were
Sunni groups that, since the 1980s, continued to pledge allegiance to Tehran. In
Jordan, among the Muslim Brotherhood, some openly declared their affection for
Tehran’s leaders. Numerous works emerged in its defense: in Egypt, for example,
“Iran and Political Islam”; in Kuwait, “Iran and the West: Conflict of
Interests”; in the Gulf, conferences were held under the banner of
“rapprochement” between sects, celebrating the history of Abbasid Caliph Al-Nasir
Li-Din Allah. All these activities might have been laudable, were it not for the
fact that the intentions behind them were not out of love for ending or easing
sectarian strife, but rather as part of a political project of domination.
Tehran was managing elite and grassroots movements in dozens of Arab cities;
protests against novels, films, negotiations, and regimes.
But in the recent wars, following the October 2023 attack, the kind of
mobilization we were used to in every confrontation faded. The first reason:
People do not admire the defeated. The second: The apparatuses that used to
orchestrate these gatherings have lost their connections and their resources
have dried up. The Arab street venerates the victorious hero until he falls,
then replaces him with another hero.
Its believers have been shaken by successive defeats, just as Nasserists were
shattered by the setbacks of the 1960s. The remaining challenge is to hold on to
its supporters within its Shiite popular base; they are the ones most harmed and
who still live the trauma of shock.
With time, the Shiites of Lebanon will come to realize the truth — that they are
victims of Hezbollah and Iran; that it is a burden on them, rather than a
support. For four decades they have borne the confrontation with Israel and the
consequences of ties with Iran: economic and personal sanctions, the destruction
of their areas and neighborhoods, the targeting of their remittances from Africa
and the Americas, and more.
**Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a Saudi journalist and intellectual. He is the former
general manager of Al-Arabiya news channel and former editor-in-chief of Asharq
Al-Awsat, where this article was originally published. X: @aalrashed
Why Israel is systematically erasing Gaza’s intellectuals
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/August 19/2025
The killing of seven Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza last week
has prompted verbal condemnations, yet has inspired little to no substantive
action. This has become the predictable and horrifying trajectory of the
international community's response to the ongoing Israeli genocide.
By eliminating Palestinian journalists like Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqeh,
Israel has made a sinister statement that the genocide will spare no one.
According to the monitoring website Shireen.ps, Israel has killed nearly 270
journalists since October 2023.
More Palestinian journalists are likely to die covering the genocide of their
own people in Gaza, especially since Israel has manufactured a convenient and
easily deployed narrative that every Gazan journalist is simply a “terrorist.”
This is the same cruel logic offered by numerous Israeli officials in the past,
including President Isaac Herzog, who declared that “an entire nation” in Gaza
“is responsible” for not having rebelled against Hamas, effectively stating that
there are no innocent people in the Strip.
This Israeli discourse, which dehumanizes an entire population based on a
vicious logic, is frequently repeated by officials who fear no accountability.
Even Israeli diplomats, whose job in theory is to improve their country’s image
internationally, frequently engage in this brutal ritual. In comments made in
January 2024, Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely callously argued that
“every school, every mosque, every second house has access to tunnels,” implying
that all of Gaza is a valid military target.
This cruel language would be easily dismissed as mere rhetoric except that
Israel has, in fact, according to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reports,
destroyed more than 70 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure.
While extremist language is often used by politicians around the world, it is
rare for the extremism of the language to so precisely mirror the extremism of
the action itself. This makes Israeli political discourse a uniquely dangerous
phenomenon.
There can be no military justification for the wholesale annihilation of an
entire region. But again, Israeli politicians are not shying away from providing
the discourse that explains this unprecedented destruction. Former Knesset
member Moshe Feiglin chillingly said in May that “every child, every baby in
Gaza is an enemy … not a single Gazan child will be left there.”
However, for the systematic destruction of a whole nation to succeed, it must
include the deliberate targeting of its scientists, doctors, intellectuals,
journalists, artists and poets. While children and women may be worst affected
by Israel’s indiscriminate bombing raids, many of its targeted assassinations
appear to be specifically aimed at disorienting Palestinian society, depriving
it of societal leadership and rendering the process of rebuilding Gaza
impossible.
The following figures powerfully illustrate this point. According to a report
released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, based on
a satellite damage assessment conducted in July, 97 percent of Gaza’s
educational facilities have been affected, with 91 percent in need of major
repairs or full reconstruction. Additionally, hundreds of teachers and thousands
of students have been killed.
But why is Israel so intent on killing those responsible for intellectual
production? The answer is twofold: one is unique to Gaza and the other is unique
to the nature of Israel's founding ideology, Zionism.
First, regarding Gaza. Since the Nakba in 1948, Palestinian society in Gaza has
invested heavily in education, seeing it as a crucial tool for liberation and
self-determination. Early footage shows lessons being given in tents and open
spaces, a testament to this community’s tenacious pursuit of knowledge. This
focus on education transformed the Strip into a regional hub for intellectual
and cultural production, despite poorly funded UNRWA schools. Israel’s campaign
of destruction is a deliberate attempt to erase this generational achievement, a
practice known as “scholasticide,” and Gaza is the most deliberate example of
this horrific act. Second, regarding Zionism. For many years, we were led to
believe that Zionism was winning the intellectual war due to the cleverness and
refinement of Israeli propaganda, or hasbara. The prevailing narrative,
particularly in the Arab world, was that Palestinians and Arabs were simply no
match for the savvy Israeli and pro-Israel public relations machine in the West.
This created a sense of intellectual inferiority, masking the true reason for
the imbalance. The Gazan intellectual community managed, in two years, to
reverse most of Zionism’s gains over the past century.
Israel was able to “win” in the mainstream media discourse due to the
intentional marginalization and demonization of Palestinian and pro-Palestine
voices. The latter had no chance of fighting back simply because they were not
allowed to and were instead labeled “terrorist sympathizers” and such like. Even
the late world-renowned Palestinian scholar Edward Said was called a “Nazi” by
the extremist, now-banned Jewish Defense League, which went so far as to set the
beloved professor’s university office on fire.
Gaza, however, represented a major problem. With foreign media forbidden from
operating in the Strip as per Israeli orders, the Gazan intellectual community
rose to the occasion and, in the course of two years, managed to reverse most of
Zionism’s gains over the past century. This forced Israel into a desperate race
against time to remove as many Palestinian journalists, intellectuals, academics
and even social media influencers from the scene as quickly as possible — thus,
the war on the Palestinian thinker.
This Israeli scheme is, however, destined to fail, as ideas are not tied to
specific individuals and resilience and resistance are a culture, not a job
title. Gaza shall once more emerge, not only as the culturally thriving place it
has always been, but as the cornerstone of a new liberation discourse that is
set to inspire the globe regarding the power of intellect to stand firm, fight
for what is right and live with purpose for a higher cause.
**Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine
Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” will be published by Seven
Stories Press. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud
Selected tweets for
19 August/2025
Zéna Mansour
The Swayda massacres are war crimes ðnic cleansing damaging Jolani regime's
legitimacy &Syria's peace efforts.A political system reform is needed, involving
partition, separation, autonomy, or federalism, to achieve stability &
equalRights.
Mike Pompeo
A security guarantee for Ukraine would be a positive step, and the unanimity
with Europe that we saw at the White House yesterday gives us leverage over
Putin.
But Ukraine cannot afford to lay down its arms on the strength of a piece of
paper. Any security assurance must be robust.
Marc Zell
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in an official letter to U.S. Secretary
of State Marco Rubio, urges the closure of UNIFIL. Sa’ar writes in the letter:
“The force was intended to be temporary and has failed in its primary mission—to
prevent Hezbollah’s entrenchment south of the Litani River.” (Ariel Kahana)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський
Today, important negotiations took place in Washington. We discussed many issues
with President Trump. It was a long and detailed conversation, including
discussions about the situation on the battlefield and our steps to bring peace
closer. There were also several meetings in a format with European leaders and
the President of the United States. We discussed security guarantees. This is a
key issue, a starting point towards ending the war. We appreciate the important
signal from the United States regarding its readiness to support and be part of
these guarantees. A lot of attention today was given to the return of our
children, to the release of prisoners of war and civilians held by Russia. We
agreed to work on this. The U.S. President also supported a meeting at the level
of leaders. Such a meeting is necessary to resolve sensitive issues. I thank
President Trump for the invitation and for today’s special format of our
meeting. I also thank all the leaders who were with us today: Emmanuel Macron,
Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni, Alexander Stubb, Ursula von der
Leyen, Mark Rutte. Today was an important step, a demonstration of genuine unity
between Europe and the United States. The leaders personally came to support
Ukraine and to discuss everything that will bring us closer to real peace, to a
reliable security architecture that will protect Ukraine and all of Europe. We
continue our work, coordinating our steps with all allies who strive to end this
war with dignity. I thank everyone who is helping.
wassim Godfrey
When there is no sovreignity when there is no functional system in a failed
state when there is no power of constitution and decision makers those
ideologies will keep on coming to the same sectarians in lebanon must be met
with force not even given air on all media channels
Walid Abu Haya
Never forgive, never forget
A memorial ceremony, few days ago, at the shrine of Prophet Shu’ayb/ Jethro
(peace be upon him) in Israel, for the victims of the massacre committed by Al
Julani terror forces last July against the Druze population in Al-Suwayda
province in Syria.
Youssef Raggi
I accompanied Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on an official visit to the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, a visit that underscored the depth of Jordan’s solidarity
with Lebanon. We held constructive discussions with Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan
on ways to strengthen bilateral relations, during which he affirmed Jordan’s
continued commitment to supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Roger Bejjani
What Geagea said about the heavy (very heavy) Riad Tawk, will not prevent the
latter from running for elections.
However Samir made the mistake of pronouncing the name of this wannabe. It's
like Elon Musk states the name of the kahrabje of the corner m3allem Artine, who
installed a UPS in 2 apartments. This would give an unexpected promotion to
m3allem Artine.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
To understand the gravity of the unprecedented massacre against the Druze:
Islamists killed 1,200 of eight million Jews in Israel. Islamists killed
1,300 of 700,000 Druze in Syria. Then some wonder why Israel’s Druze leadership
is raising hell for alien intervention. Lebanon’s Druze leadership is a complete
failure.