English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 17/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
If the part of the dough offered as first
fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the
branches also are holy
Letter to the Romans 11/13-24: “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry. in
order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their
rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but
life from the dead! If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy,
then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also
are holy. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive
shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, do
not vaunt yourselves over the branches. If you do vaunt yourselves, remember
that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. You
will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’
That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you
stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God
did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. Note then the
kindness and the severity of God: severity towards those who have fallen, but
God’s kindness towards you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you
also will be cut off. And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in
unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For
if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted,
contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these
natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
December 16-17/2025
The Necessity of Severing Diplomatic Relations Between Lebanon and the
Islamic Republic of Iran and Expelling the Iranian Ambassador/Elias Bejjani/December
13/2024
Lebanon says two dead in Israeli strikes
Lebanon approves release of former minister accused of corruption
US State Department backs potential $34.5 million military vehicle sale to
Lebanon
Seeing Is Believing: Army Unveils Realities South of the Litani
Hezbollah or Iran: Who Will Fall First?
Military maneuvers and reports: Israel criticizes Lebanese Army demonstration
Foreign diplomats inspect Lebanese Army's progress in South Lebanon—Highlights
of the tour
UK police charge two men with belonging to Hezbollah, attending terrorism
training
Sources to LBCI: Companies at Tripoli Port failed to pay state dues since 2010,
employees summoned for questioning
Renewed global backing: Paris talks test international will to support Lebanese
Army
Israel, US discuss 'expanded' talks with Lebanon, return of displaced Lebanese
Senior Lebanese official: We're ready for a security agreement with Israel
Barrack and Netanyahu agree to 'continue dialogue' over Lebanon
Geagea says Berri 'gives no weight' to Constitution, MPs and Lebanese people
Senior Lebanese official rules out Israeli escalation
Political Tensions between Lebanon and Iran Reach New Heights
America Lebanon Peace Advancement Council
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
December 16-17/2025
Iran: IAEA Has
No Right to Inspect Nuclear Sites Attacked in June
13 perish in highway bus crash in central Iran
Gaza families struggle to recover from days of torrential rains that killed 12
people
Israel blocks a Canadian delegation from visiting the occupied West Bank
Israeli authorities demolish two Palestinian homes near Ramallah and Jerusalem
Israeli settler kills 16-year-old Palestinian in West Bank, mayor says
‘Stay out of our politics,’ Australia’s former PM tells Netanyahu
Australian Police Say Bondi Beach Mass Shooting Was Inspired by ISIS Group
Australian PM Visits Bondi Beach Hero in Hospital
Family of Bondi hero Ahmed Al-Ahmed say he made Syria proud
Syria says caught Daesh-linked cell behind shooting attack in northwest
Trump expands travel ban, adding 5 more countries and imposing new limits on
others
Turkiye intercepts uncontrolled drone over Black Sea
US again warns air traffic over military activity around Venezuela
US Military Says Strikes on 3 Boats in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Kill 8 People
Taiwan Says Its Military Can Respond Rapidly to Any Sudden Chinese Attack
As Indian PM concludes visit to Jordan, the countries agree to strengthen
cooperation
Zelenskyy Says Peace Proposals to End War in Ukraine Could Be Presented to
Russia within Days
Sudan general ready to talk to Trump for peace
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on
December 16-17/2025
Migrating to
History in the Era of Defeats/Hazem Saghieh/ASharq Al-Awsat/December 16/2025
The West Fixes Its Problems… At Others’ Expense!/Eyad Abu Shakra/ASharq Al-Awsat/December
16/2025
Barrack Presses Netanyahu to Accept a Turkish Role in Gaza/ Nazir Magally/ASharq
Al-Awsat/December 16/2025
Australia's Government: 'Moral Bankruptcy on Parade'/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone
Institute/December 16, 2025
World order can be remade on civilizational peace, not clashes/Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab
News/December 16, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on
December 16-17/2025
The Necessity of Severing Diplomatic Relations Between Lebanon and the Islamic
Republic of Iran and Expelling the Iranian Ambassador
Elias Bejjani/December 13/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150192/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKHFG0jauY&t=4s
What is known as the “Islamic Republic of Iran” is not the name of a normal
state seeking balanced relations with its surroundings, but rather a mullah-led,
expansionist, sectarian, and terrorist regime that, since its establishment in
1979, has been built on exporting Shiism, chaos, violence, sectarianism, and
fanaticism under the slogan of “exporting the revolution.” This regime has never
recognized the borders or sovereignty of states, but instead has treated the
countries of the region as open arenas of influence. Lebanon has been—and
continues to be—one of its most prominent victims.
Thus, Lebanon does not suffer from Iran’s criminality and terrorism as a
geographically distant regime, but rather suffers from it as a regime
effectively residing within its territory, imposing its decisions, paralyzing
the state, confiscating the future, security, and coexistence of its people, and
assassinating sovereignists and free individuals through its military,
sectarian, terrorist arm, falsely and deceitfully called Hezbollah.
It is necessary to recall that Lebanon and the Lebanese people—particularly the
Shiite community—did not choose the Iranian regime, nor were they behind the
emergence of the Iranian terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. Iranian hegemony over
Lebanon never came with the consent of the Lebanese people, nor even with the
consent of the Shiite community itself, which has been abducted, confiscated,
and turned into a hostage in the hands of Hezbollah, along with the Lebanese
state and the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah was born under the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, with the direct
sponsorship of the Hafez al-Assad regime, which facilitated and sponsored the
violation of Lebanese land, institutions, and security agencies by the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard. At that stage, Hezbollah was not merely a resistance
organization, but a closed ideological project whose goal was first to fully
control the Shiite community, then to use that control to dominate the Lebanese
state and transform Lebanon into an arena and base for Iran’s expansionist wars.
Under the false slogan of “resistance,” pluralism within the Shiite community
was abolished, the community was politically, militarily, and financially
subjugated, and turned into a human reservoir for an Iranian project that has
nothing to do with its people, Lebanon, or Lebanese interests.
In 2005, the Syrian occupation army was forced to withdraw from Lebanon under
the pressure of the Independence Intifada and international resolutions.
However, the Lebanese did not regain their sovereignty, because the occupation
did not end—it merely changed its form and tools. Instead of the state returning
to its people, guardianship was transferred from Damascus to Tehran.
At that pivotal moment, Hezbollah replaced the Syrian army—not merely as a
military force, but as a direct instrument of Iranian occupation. It gradually
transformed from an armed militia into a state within the state, then a state
above the state, and finally the state itself.
Since then, Hezbollah—composed of Lebanese mercenaries—has decided war and
peace, paralyzed the parliamentary system in all its forms, imposed or toppled
governments, dominated security and military decision-making, paralyzed the
judiciary, and used state institutions as a superficial façade for its external
project. Thus, Lebanon is no longer a partially hijacked state, but a fully
confiscated one.
More dangerous than the occupation itself is the arrogance of Iranian rhetoric.
Senior Iranian officials, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have never
attempted to conceal their interference in Lebanese affairs. On the contrary,
they have openly boasted that Lebanon is part of their “axis,” that its decision
is not independent, and that Hezbollah’s weapons are a red line decided in
Tehran, not Beirut. These are not verbal slips, but a systematic official policy
reflecting a condescending view of Lebanon, its people, constitution, and
institutions, as if the Lebanese are incapable of governing their own country
and in need of a “Supreme Jurist” to rule them from abroad.
Today, after Hezbollah’s military and political defeat, and after the issuance
of clear international resolutions aimed at ending the state of illegal weapons
and restoring Lebanese sovereignty, Iran insists on rejecting the new reality.
Iran is not defending Lebanon, nor the Shiite community, but rather its last
foothold on the Mediterranean coast. Therefore, it refuses to hand over
Hezbollah’s weapons—which are, in reality, its own—refuses to return
decision-making to the state, refuses to abide by international resolutions, and
insists on keeping Lebanon, through Hezbollah, hostage to its regional project,
even at the cost of what remains of the country.
Accordingly, there is no meaning or legitimacy for any diplomatic relations
between Lebanon and a state that occupies its political decision, possesses an
armed militia on its territory, openly interferes in its internal affairs, and
treats its institutions with contempt.
Since diplomatic relations between states are based on parity and mutual
respect—not on a relationship between a sovereign state, a regional master, and
an affiliated militia—severing Lebanese–Iranian relations and immediately
expelling the Iranian ambassador becomes an obvious sovereign step, not
provocation or hostility, but a national rescue duty. There can be no liberation
of the state while the embassy of an occupying power remains, and no sovereignty
with a militia obeying foreign orders.
Lebanon will not be a state as long as Hezbollah is the state. It will not be
independent as long as decisions of war and peace are made in Tehran. It will
not rise as long as it remains occupied by weapons, terrorism, and Iran’s
sectarian ideology. Therefore, cutting relations with Iran is not the end of the
problem, but its correct beginning.
What is required, clearly and without hesitation, is: to prosecute Hezbollah’s
leaders as war criminals and traitors, to completely disarm this Iranian
terrorist proxy, to dismantle all its security, social, cultural, intelligence,
and financial institutions, to officially designate it as a terrorist
organization, as it is classified in dozens of countries around the world, and
most importantly to prevent any ideologically indoctrinated Hezbollah member
from entering state institutions, especially security and military ones.
Without this, Lebanon remains merely a name on a map, not a truly sovereign,
free, and independent state.
Lebanon says two dead in Israeli strikes
AFP/December 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday killed two people, one of them
near Beirut, the Lebanese health ministry reported, with Israel saying it had
targeted Hezbollah operatives. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was
supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed
militant group Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also
maintained troops in five southern areas it deems strategic. Lebanon’s health
ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike on a vehicle on the Jadra-Siblin road in
the Shouf district killed one person and wounded five others.”The area is around
30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital. An AFP photographer saw a damaged
goods truck with emergency workers and army personnel deployed at the scene.
Earlier, the ministry said one person was killed in an Israeli strike on a
vehicle in Odaisseh near the border with Israel. In separate statements, the
Israeli army said it targeted two Hezbollah members, without providing further
details. On Sunday, Israeli strikes killed three people in separate parts of
Lebanon according to the health ministry, with Israel saying it killed Hezbollah
members. Around 340 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon since
the ceasefire agreement went into force, according to an AFP tally of health
ministry reports. Israel usually says the strikes target Hezbollah members and
infrastructure, and aim to stop the group from rearming. Tuesday’s attacks come
as the ceasefire monitoring committee, which includes France and the United
States, is set to meet later this week. According to the ceasefire, Hezbollah
was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers
(20 miles) from the border with Israel, and have its military infrastructure in
the vacated area dismantled. Under a government-approved plan, Lebanon’s army is
to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani by the end of the year, before tackling
the rest of the country.
Lebanon approves release of former minister accused of corruption
AFP/December 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s judiciary approved the release on bail of former economy
minister Amin Salam on Tuesday after six months of detention over corruption
linked to contracts deemed suspicious, a judicial official said. Salam, who
served in the cabinet of former prime minister Najib Mikati from 2021 to 2025,
is the only ex-minister to be arrested since the start of Lebanon’s economic
crisis in 2019. The official, who requested anonymity, told AFP Lebanon’s
judiciary “agreed to release former economy minister Amin Salam on bail of nine
billion Lebanese pounds, equivalent to $100,000” and a travel ban. The official
added that the bail was paid, with procedures ongoing to secure his release from
prison. In June, another judicial official said Salam had been arrested in
connection with alleged “falsification, embezzlement and suspicious
contracts.”Salam’s adviser Fadi Tamim was sentenced in 2023 to one year in
prison for blackmail and personal enrichment at the expense of insurance
companies. The former minister’s brother Karim Salam was also arrested earlier
this year in a “case of illicit enrichment, forgery and extortion of insurance
companies,” committed “under cover of the minister himself,” the official said
in June. Many in Lebanon attribute the economic crisis to mismanagement and
corruption that has plagued state institutions for decades. President Joseph
Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who both took office this year, have vowed
to make the fight against endemic corruption a priority, as part of the reforms
demanded by international donors. Both have vowed to uphold the independence of
the judiciary and prevent interference in its work, in a country plagued by
official impunity. In September, former central bank governor Riad Salameh, who
faces numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax
evasion, was released after being detained for over a year by paying a record
bail of more than $14 million.
US State Department backs potential
$34.5 million military vehicle sale to Lebanon
LBCI/December 16, 2025
The U.S. State Department has approved support for a potential sale to Lebanon
of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (M1151A1) and related equipment,
at an estimated cost of $34.5 million. The proposed deal aims to enhance the
Lebanese Army's capabilities by improving its mobility and operational
readiness.
Seeing Is Believing: Army Unveils Realities South of the Litani
Natasha Metni Torbey/his Is Beirut/December 16/2025
On Monday in southern Litani, the Lebanese army went beyond a routine field
visit, staging a carefully orchestrated tour for its ambassadors, chargés
d’affaires, and military attachés to showcase its operations. From the sector
command in the southern city of Tyre, the army’s commander-in-chief, General
Rodolph Haykal, outlined to foreign representatives the first phase of the plan
deployed in the South, in line with the decisions of political authorities and
Lebanon’s international commitments. The presentation was technical rather than
rhetorical, focusing on completed missions, operational constraints, and
realities on the ground. According to a military source interviewed by This is
Beirut, the initiative serves a dual purpose. On one hand, it allows the
diplomatic community to see firsthand what is being done on the ground. On the
other, it counters a persistent narrative that the Lebanese army remains
inactive south of the Litani River. “There is a battle of narratives underway.
Some seek to justify Israeli strikes by claiming that nothing is being done on
the Lebanese side. The army has chosen to respond with transparency, but a
controlled transparency,” explains the source.
Targeted Inspections, Sector by Sector
On the ground, diplomats were taken to multiple positions and sensitive areas,
particularly those heavily impacted by last year’s Israel-Hezbollah war. They
observed unit deployments, the close proximity to Israeli lines, and the
complexity of terrain shaped by valleys, steep slopes, and wooded areas.
According to a military source, the army’s operations are conducted within the
framework of the ceasefire supervision mechanism. When intelligence is received,
whether from Israel, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) or the
mechanism itself, reporting an arms cache or suspicious installation, units are
immediately dispatched. “If the site exists, it is inspected. Anything the army
can seize is collected; the rest is neutralized or destroyed,” the source told
This is Beirut. The source also highlighted that many operations take place in
open areas such as mountains, valleys and rugged terrain, historically used to
conceal military infrastructure. Southern Litani is divided into successive
geographic sectors, which are systematically combed. Once a zone is fully
inspected, it is declared secure and reported to the international mechanism
before the army moves on to the next sector.
Constant Caution on Hazardous Terrain
The tour also highlighted a rarely seen reality: the risks faced by units in the
field. Some of the inspected sites pose serious dangers, particularly due to
caches that may be booby-trapped or have deteriorated over time from humidity
and poor storage conditions. “Explosions can occur without it being immediately
clear whether they are the result of sabotage, a trap, or a technical failure,”
said the military official. Regarding private homes, the source emphasized a
sensitive point: the army does not intervene systemically. “Searches are carried
out only based on precise intelligence. They are neither routine nor an
objective in themselves.” Recent operations, particularly in certain southern
localities, involved targeted searches, none of which led to the discovery of
weapons.
Showing Rather Than Broadcasting
A key moment of Monday’s tour was the visit to a former Hezbollah facility now
under the army’s control. Unlike the previous media-focused tour in November,
this was a deliberate choice. “This time, it was not simply about responding to
public criticism. The goal was to equip foreign capitals with factual
information so they could assess the situation for themselves,” said the source.
All operations carried out by the Lebanese army since the 2024 ceasefire are
documented, filmed, and archived, but their release remains deliberately
limited. “The priority is to protect residents and their families, and to avoid
providing information that could be exploited by the enemy. Showing does not
necessarily mean exposing,” said the military official.
The army has therefore chosen an indirect approach, allowing foreign
representatives to observe the situation firsthand and relay a more accurate
picture to their capitals. Several diplomats privately praised the
professionalism of the units and the clarity of the explanations provided.
A Message Ahead of Upcoming Milestones
The tour comes at a particularly busy moment on the diplomatic calendar, ahead
of critical meetings, starting with the Paris session on December 18, which will
focus on supporting the Lebanese army and the next steps of the mechanism.
Attendees will include the army’s commander-in-chief, US envoy Morgan Ortagus,
Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan, and France’s Middle East advisor,
Anne-Claire Legendre. For the military, the tour also underscored a central
point: consolidating state control south of the Litani is a gradual process
requiring time, resources, and clear political backing. “The army is carrying
out its assigned tasks with limited resources and under constant pressure,” said
the military official. “The rest will depend on whether the international
community chooses to support this effort rather than judge it from afar.”
South of the Litani River, the army has laid bare its positions. Whether what
the diplomats witnessed will shape decisions made far from the field in the days
and weeks ahead remains to be seen.
Hezbollah or Iran: Who Will Fall First?
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/December 16, 2025
In recent weeks, a central question has dominated diplomatic and security
circles: where will the next major shock occur? Will Israel move first against
Hezbollah in Lebanon, or against Iran, its strategic godfather? And if Iran were
struck before Hezbollah, what consequences would that carry for the movement and
for Lebanon’s fragile balance? Repeated Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon,
increasingly explicit warnings of war, signals exchanged between Tel Aviv,
Tehran, and Hezbollah, and seemingly peripheral events, such as the Sydney
terrorist attack and renewed scrutiny of Iran, may appear disconnected. Viewed
together, they form a coherent sequence. The real issue is not escalation
itself, but the order in which it unfolds. Will Israel strike Iran or Hezbollah
first, and with what strategic repercussions? Without succumbing to speculation
or hasty scenarios, This is Beirut offers an analysis of recent developments
grounded in established facts, aiming to uncover deeper logics and plausible
outcomes. Strike the “Nest,” Not the Wasps Lebanese retired General Maroun Hitti
suggests Israel may be rethinking its strategy: instead of wearing itself down
by attacking Hezbollah, the wasps, it could seek to strike the “nest,” Iran, the
strategic hub behind its regional proxies. From a military standpoint, Israel
considers this approach both reasonable and logical.
However, the central question is whether a strike against Iran would truly
destabilize Hezbollah. Recent experience suggests caution. Israeli strikes last
June against Iranian targets weakened the regime and its networks, but did not
dismantle its structures or its regional proxies. “If Iran becomes the next
target, and if the strikes resemble those carried out during the 12‑day war
between Iran and Israel, one can expect further weakening without
destabilization that fundamentally undermines the regime’s capabilities or its
regional networks,” notes Hitti.
The military expert also highlights the constraints. Iran is no peripheral actor
but a vast state of more than 1.5 million square kilometers and nearly 85
million people, with multiple centers of power that are dispersed and heavily
secured. Identifying the true centers of gravity whose neutralization could
topple the regime would require deep analysis. “Militarily, it is possible.
Politically, it is entirely another matter,” he concludes, rejecting hasty
speculation. And what about Hezbollah? The pro‑Iranian militia insists it is
ready for any eventuality. Yet behind this posture lie vulnerabilities.
Militarily, the movement is weakened, even if partially rebuilding. Politically,
it is increasingly isolated in a Lebanon on the brink. Socially, its base bears
the cost of a prolonged, low‑intensity confrontation. Strategically, its
dependence on Iran remains absolute. “This is where the knot tightens: Hezbollah
can absorb limited Israeli strikes as long as Tehran remains a stable pillar,”
explains a security source. If that pillar falters, the entire architecture of
regional deterrence is shaken. The key question is not whether direct strikes on
Hezbollah can weaken it, but how attacks on its strategic patron would
reverberate through the movement itself.
An Opportunity for the Lebanese State: The Last One?
Hitti believes that Lebanon now faces a decisive moment. He describes it as a
strategic turning point and perhaps the final opportunity for the Lebanese state
to confront a reality long deferred. He insists that Lebanon’s problem is
primarily internal rather than regional, rooted in the presence of a non‑state
armed actor, Hezbollah, which operates outside the authority of the state. In
his view, if the Lebanese state adopts a clear and deliberate position toward
Hezbollah, the confrontation could still be politically managed. If not, he
warns, clarity will be imposed from outside. Should conflict erupt, it would not
take the form of open war or a symbolic exchange of strikes. It would be limited
in duration but designed to produce maximum impact, with a precise objective: to
settle the Hezbollah question once and for all.
From this perspective, the international strategic goal in Lebanon would shift
from immediate stability to the establishment of a new balance of power, from
which stabilization could eventually follow. The risk of escalation is high, and
the window for negotiation is short, concludes Hitti. In his view, the
possibility of containing the situation in the long term is unlikely. He
foresees that the first weeks of January could bring one of two outcomes: either
major political concessions from Hezbollah, which he considers unlikely, or a
violent military escalation, limited in time but intense in effect. In the
meantime, negotiations will continue under heavy pressure, strikes will persist,
and the failure of the ceasefire agreed in November 2024 will be confirmed.
Military maneuvers and reports: Israel criticizes Lebanese
Army demonstration
LBCI/December 16, 2025
Hours after the Lebanese Army organized a field tour for a group of ambassadors
and military attachés in the southern Litani region to showcase its plan for
consolidating weapons, Israel announced it was raising its operational readiness
at the five positions it occupies in Lebanon and along the border, assigning the
task to the 91st Division. In response to what Israel viewed as a display of the
Lebanese Army's successes, it circulated a report claiming that the mechanisms
for implementing the ceasefire agreement were failing. According to the report,
the Lebanese Army responded to only two-thirds of the notifications sent by
Israel to the mechanism committee regarding Hezbollah's attempts to strengthen
its capabilities. The report also alleged that the army took no action in
response to 352 ceasefire violations, according to Tel Aviv. The report further
claimed that Lebanese Army operations were limited to open areas rather than the
heart of villages, and that the army refrained from accessing several tunnels
and complexes. Meanwhile, as Israel attempts to increase tensions along the
border with Lebanon, northern towns have witnessed protests against local
security policies. The measures have left the region largely depopulated, with
few shelters and secure rooms, raising the risk in the event of renewed clashes.
Foreign diplomats inspect Lebanese Army's progress in South
Lebanon—Highlights of the tour
LBCI/December 16, 2025
The Lebanese Army has sought to counter long-standing criticism of its silence
by opening its operations in the south to foreign diplomats, a move that left
officials with what they described as a markedly positive impression following a
detailed tour of the area south of the Litani River. The visit, organized at the
army's sector command headquarters, lasted more than 90 minutes and included a
documented presentation using figures and photographs outlining how the army is
implementing its plan to restrict weapons in the area. Army Commander General
Rodolph Haykal attended the briefing and was described by several participants
as calm and composed despite pointed questions from diplomats. Asked by one
ambassador about the number of weapons seized compared with what was originally
present, Haykal said the army does not know the total number of firearms,
facilities, or ammunition that existed beforehand. He said the army's task is to
sweep, control, and confiscate, adding that once operations are completed, the
area can be declared free of weapons. Another Western ambassador asked whether
Israeli military actions were helping the army's mission. Haykal responded that
the opposite was true, saying Israeli violations must stop for the military to
complete its work, after which it can be held accountable.
Egypt's ambassador, Alaa Moussa, said the army's presentation offered an
important opportunity to counter Israeli narratives and provided diplomats with
a clearer picture of realities on the ground. The visit continued with a second
field tour lasting about an hour and a half in a rugged valley area. Diplomats
were transported in army Humvees through muddy terrain and forested roads to
reach a tunnel carved into a mountainside. An Arab diplomat, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said accessing such sites would usually require large
military formations. The tunnel was one of several that had previously been
inaccessible except by rope. During the field inspection, diplomats observed
firsthand the obstacles facing the army, including Israeli threats and
logistical shortages. According to the same Arab source, the tour underscored
the need to support the army, warning that local militias tend to emerge when
the military is perceived as unable to carry out its duties. Saudi Arabia's
ambassador also joined the tour, arriving late and receiving a separate briefing
from the commander of the South Litani sector. Haykal also addressed sensitive
legal issues related to house searches, noting the particular cultural and
religious sensitivity of entering bedrooms in Muslim homes, a point that drew
appreciation from several ambassadors. Moussa added that such sensitivities
apply to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Among Haykal's key messages,
Moussa said, was that the army is proceeding strictly according to the plan laid
out for it. When U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa asked about the next phase of the
disarmament plan, Haykal replied that the decision rests with the government,
stressing that preserving civil peace remains the army's top priority. Following
the tour, Issa issued a statement saying he had observed the army's continued
progress and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to supporting Lebanon along this
path. The visit by diplomats and military attachés was the second such tour
after an earlier one organized for journalists. Its significance lay in both the
impressions it left and its timing, coming just hours before Haykal's
participation in a Paris meeting with officials from France, the United States,
and Saudi Arabia.
UK police charge two men with belonging to Hezbollah,
attending terrorism training
LBCI/December 16, 2025
British police said on Tuesday they had charged two men with belonging to the
banned Iran-backed group Hezbollah and attending terrorism training camps in
Lebanon. The men were arrested at their home addresses in London in April and
rearrested last week when they were subsequently charged with a total of nine
terrorism offences. "These arrests and charges follow a painstaking
investigation by detectives of Counter Terrorism Policing London, who have
worked closely with a number of overseas law enforcement colleagues," said
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London's Counter Terrorism Policing. "I want
to reassure the public that I do not assess there is an ongoing threat to the
wider public as a result of the activities of these two individuals."Reuters
Sources to LBCI: Companies at Tripoli Port failed to pay state dues since 2010,
employees summoned for questioning
LBCI/December 16, 2025
Several companies operating at the Port of Tripoli have failed to pay financial
dues owed to the state since 2010, according to information obtained by LBCI,
prompting the summoning of port employees for questioning. The developments come
after investigations conducted by Lebanon's State Security agency into companies
operating at the Port of Beirut revealed unpaid financial obligations to the
port authority. The probe was subsequently expanded and uncovered similar
violations involving companies active at the Port of Tripoli. Based on the
findings, employees working at the Port of Tripoli have been summoned for
questioning as part of the ongoing investigation into the file.
Renewed global backing: Paris talks test international will
to support Lebanese Army
LBCI/December 16, 2025
The Lebanese Army has faced mounting challenges since the onset of the country's
economic crisis in 2019, through the start of the war in 2023, and up to the
present phase of implementing its plan to consolidate weapons in stages
beginning south of the Litani River. These pressures have pushed the army to
seek assistance from friendly nations to ensure it can continue its role as a
guarantor of national stability. Against this backdrop, the army is heading to a
meeting in Paris, which an international conference could follow to mobilize
support. The army had already outlined its needs during a Paris conference a
year ago, identifying requirements ranging from personnel to equipment across
several areas. On land, the army says it needs to strengthen rapid deployment
units, maintain tanks and armored vehicles, and secure ammunition and individual
equipment. In the air, it has called for aircraft and unmanned aerial
vehicles for surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as air support for ground
units during operations. At sea, the army is seeking naval patrols to protect
the coastline and ports, prevent smuggling and infiltration, and deploy maritime
units capable of conducting search-and-rescue missions. Logistical needs include
fuel supplies, spare parts, regular maintenance, and transportation and supply
capabilities to ensure rapid deployment. Human and morale stability remain
critical concerns, with the army stressing the need for sustainable salaries,
comprehensive social care, and measures to maintain troop morale and prevent the
loss of skilled personnel. According to army estimates, meeting these needs
would cost about $1 billion annually over 10 years. Army Commander General
Rodolph Haykal is expected to present these details at the Paris meeting
scheduled for December 18, along with an account of what the army has achieved
south of the Litani in consolidating weapons and north of the river in
containing them. Both the Lebanese Army and France, the host country,
acknowledge that there is no certainty that the Paris meeting will result in
setting a final framework or timeline for an international support conference.
The United States, represented by Morgan Ortagus, and Saudi Arabia, represented
by Prince Yazid bin Farhan, are not enthusiastic about fixing a date for such a
conference before the completion of weapons consolidation, particularly the
disarmament of Hezbollah across Lebanese territory.
Israel, US discuss 'expanded' talks with Lebanon, return of displaced Lebanese
Naharnet/December 16, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. envoy Tom Barack discussed in
their meeting on Monday a framework to “continue civil dialogue with Lebanon,
with expectations that it will soon expand to additional areas,” diplomatic
sources told the Israel Hayom newspaper. Two weeks ago, a first meeting took
place between Israeli and Lebanese civilian representatives, laying the
groundwork for ongoing talks concerning both “preventing Hezbollah's re-armament
and issues related to the border line and IDF (Israeli army) activity in
Lebanese territory,” Israel Hayom said.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for December 19 and at the Netanyahu-Barack
meeting they agreed on “a framework for talks and topics to be discussed between
the sides, including coordination on the return of residents from southern
Lebanon to their homes, specifically those not from pro-Hezbollah villages,” the
Israeli daily added. According to the sources, the meeting reinforced
coordination between Israel and the U.S. on Syria and Lebanon issues. They say
there is a consensus that Israel “has the right to defend itself actively,
meaning to strike terrorist organizations and terrorists wherever they pose a
real threat.”“On the Lebanese front, discussion focused on tightening
coordination with the Lebanese army to enable it to fulfill its mission of
uncovering Hezbollah's weapons and ammunition stockpiles in the country's south.
Barack was presented with data and intelligence showing that the Lebanese are
not sufficiently determined in this mission and that the IDF (Israeli army),
therefore, needs to conduct strikes on sites where the Lebanese army cannot or
does not want to operate,” the sources said.
Senior Lebanese official: We're ready for a security
agreement with Israel
Naharnet/December 16, 2025
A senior Lebanese official has announced that Lebanon is “willing to reach a
security agreement with Israel that would be based on the Lebanese principles on
which the president, the speaker and the premier agree.”In remarks to al-Joumhouria
newspaper, the official said the principles are “abiding by the cessation of
hostilities agreement, halting the Israeli attacks, the Israeli army’s
withdrawal from the points it occupies in south Lebanon, the release of the
Lebanese captives, and full commitment to U.N. resolution 1701.”The senior
official, however, lamented that “Israel does not want to reach any agreement”
and is rather “not concealing its main objective which is torpedoing Resolution
1701 and establishing a new situation near the border under the buffer zone
label, which means maintaining the state of war.”
Barrack and Netanyahu agree to 'continue dialogue' over
Lebanon
Naharnet/December 16, 2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
their meeting on Monday to “continue the dialogue regarding Lebanon,” diplomats
told the Israel Hayom newspaper. In a post on the X platform, Barrack said the
meeting involved “constructive dialogue working towards regional peace and
stability.”
Geagea says Berri 'gives no weight' to Constitution, MPs
and Lebanese people
Naharnet/December 16, 2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Tuesday Speaker Nabih Berri of
bypassing 65 MPs who demanded to amend the electoral law in order to allow
expats to vote for all 128 seats. "Berri's call for a legislative session next
Thursday is a bypass and a slight against the opinion of the 65 MPs who
boycotted it."The MPs had boycotted the latest session after Berri refused to
discuss the draft law proposed by the 65 MPs in parliament. The current
electoral law only allows expats to vote for six newly-introduced seats in
parliament. "Speaker Berri's actions show that he gives no weight to the
Constitution, the Internal Regulations of Parliament, or the MPs themselves. He
also shows no regard for the Lebanese people who voted for these MPs," Geagea
said.
Senior Lebanese official rules out Israeli escalation
Naharnet/December 16, 2025
Despite the alarming reports published in the Israeli press, senior Lebanese
officials do not seem to be worried, with “credible sources” telling al-Joumhouria
newspaper that Lebanon is receiving many foreign signals that are downplaying
the possibility of an Israeli strike. Quoting a Western diplomat, the sources
told the daily that “the Americans in specific do not want the situation in the
Lebanon to slide into an escalation, at least in the current period.”A senior
Lebanese official meanwhile told al-Joumhouria that Lebanese figures are taking
part in an “intimidation” campaign. “I do not see on the horizon any possibility
for a broad escalation or war as some are promoting and nothing calls for
concern, neither during the remaining period of the army’s mission that precedes
the year’s end nor afterwards,” the official added.
Political Tensions between Lebanon and Iran Reach New Heights
Beirut: Youssef Diab/ASharq Al-Awsat/December
16/2025
Tensions between Lebanon and Iran have reached unprecedented levels, reflecting
a shift in how Beirut views its ties with Tehran, especially when it comes to
Hezbollah’s arsenal and Iranian meddling in Lebanese internal affairs. The
tensions are not just playing out in the media, but in official positions taken
by Lebanon’s top officials. The latest example was Lebanese Foreign Minister
Youssef Raggi’s announcement last week that he was declining an invitation by
his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi to visit Tehran. He instead proposed
meeting in a neutral country. An official Lebanese source told Asharq Al-Awsat
that Raggi’s position does not stem from his personal views, but from a “clear
political stance that Lebanese-Iranian relations cannot go back on track if they
are not based on equality. Iran must only limit its dealings in Lebanon to the
state and no other party, namely Hezbollah, it added. The root of the crisis
lies in Iran’s absolute support for Hezbollah and how Tehran views it as an
extension of its Revolutionary Guards Corps, an entity that exists parallel to
the Lebanese state and even violates its jurisdiction in taking decisions of war
and peace. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source warned that Iran
maintaining this position towards Lebanon, “complicates the situation inside
Lebanon and exposes the country to a new war with Israel.”
Lebanon cannot withstand such a new conflict, it added.
Araqchi on Thursday said he would visit Lebanon after Raggi issued a formal
invitation. Raggi was not the only senior Lebanese official to take issue with
Iran. Earlier this year, President Joseph Aoun refused to meet with Secretary of
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani while he was visiting
Beirut. The source said the refusal was a “direct message that the Lebanese
state no longer tolerates parallel channels or relations that go beyond formal
and constitutional levels.”“This is the Lebanese state’s official position,” it
stressed. “Iran will be welcomed if its changes the way it approaches Lebanon,
whereby relations should be between official and constitutional institutions.
Both countries should be equals, not with one being subordinate to the
other.”Earlier in 2025, Aoun received Iranian Speaker of the Shura Council
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, informing him that Lebanon has “grown weary” of other
countries “waging their wars on its territory.” “It is about time that the
Lebanese people are relieved of wars and tragedies,” he said, referring to the
“support war” Hezbollah had launched in 2023 in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza
with Iran’s backing.
On Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei renewed Tehran’s
call on Beirut to hold dialogue. “Iran would rather avoid making statements that
would distract Lebanon from focusing on its sovereignty and territorial
integrity. The real danger against Lebanon’s sovereignty and dignity are
Israel’s ambitions and hegemony,” he remarked. Meanwhile, a senior adviser to
Iran's supreme leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, declared that Tehran will continue to
support Hezbollah. Meeting with Hezbollah representative in Tehran, Abdullah
Safieddine, he described the party as one of “the most important pillars of the
Resistance Axis.”Hezbollah is playing a “fundamental role in confronting
Zionism,” he added. Such statements demonstrate how Iran views Hezbollah’s
arsenal as part of Tehran's regional security system, not as an issue related to
Lebanon’s sovereignty. The Lebanese government earlier this year took a landmark
decision to impose state monopoly over arms, which effectively calls on
Hezbollah to lay down its weapons. Another adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali
Shamkhani, had previously openly declared that efforts to disarm Hezbollah “will
fail.”“These arms are those of the Lebanese people to defend their territory
against Israel,” he added, rejecting any discussions about handing them over to
the Lebanese state. The official Lebanese source stressed that “there can be no
going back” from the decision to impose state monopoly over arms. “The internal
and external objections will not change the state’s policy that has taken the
decision to impose its authority throughout Lebanon,” it continued.
America Lebanon Peace Advancement Council
Toufic Baaklini/Face Book/December 16/2025
ALPAC’s strategy focuses on 5 pillars of civic and political engagement to
re-claim Lebanon for the Christians and for all its citizens:
Peace: Leverage President Trump’s influence to broker peace between Lebanon and
Israel and normalize Lebanon–Syria relations, ending decades of conflict and
weakening extremist movements.
Security: ALPAC urges continued U.S. operational support to the LAF as it
disarms militias and builds the foundations of a U.S.–Lebanon defense pact,
alongside U.S. pressure to repatriate displaced Syrians and resolve the
Palestinian refugee issue.
Prosperity: The Trump administration should negotiate a framework enabling U.S.
companies to compete in Lebanon’s offshore natural gas sector, helping rebuild
infrastructure and revive the collapsed economy.
Reform: U.S. assistance to Lebanon and the LAF must be conditioned on measurable
progress in transparency, accountability, justice, and judicial independence.
Revival: ALPAC will channel public and private investment toward Lebanon’s
Christian communities and encourage the diaspora to return and reclaim their
homeland.
WWW.ALPAC.US
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
December 16-17/2025
Iran: IAEA Has No Right to Inspect Nuclear Sites Attacked in June
Asharq Al Awsat/December 16/2025
The UN atomic watchdog has no right to demand inspections of sites attacked by
the United States and Israel during the June war, said head of the Atomic Energy
Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, stressing the need for a clear
protocol to allow UN inspectors in such facilities. Speaking to reporters in
Tehran, Eslami criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) call
for renewed inspections of three nuclear sites hit during the 12-day war, saying
Tehran had already allowed inspectors to visit undamaged sites. On Monday, IAEA
chief Rafael Grossi reiterated that Iran must allow inspectors access to the
three key nuclear facilities that enrich uranium and that were hit by the US and
Israel. Speaking to RIA Novosti, Grossi said: “The agency’s activities in Iran
are very limited. We are only allowed to access sites that were not hit.”“The
other three sites, Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, are even more significant since
they still contain substantial amount of nuclear material and equipment, and we
need to return there,” he urged. In another interview with Radio France
International (RFI), Grossi said: “Contact with Iran remains in place. We
haven’t yet been able to restore cooperation to the required level, but I
believe it is critically important.”The dialogue continues through
behind-the-scenes negotiations and confidential contacts, he added. In response
to Grossi’s demands, Eslami emphasized that inspections of facilities hit during
the June war require a clear and defined protocol, reported the state-run ISNA
agency. “The UN agency, which has issued no condemnation [regarding Israel and
US attacks on Iran in June] and has no established guidelines, has no right to
claim it intends to conduct inspections,” he added. “Pressure exerted on us
under the influence of Israel, three European countries, and the United States
has no impact on Iran. It is the agency that must answer to Iran and to the
world,” he stressed. Eslami also said that all of Iran’s nuclear facilities are
fully registered with and have been under IAEA supervision. “The current
situation demands accountability from the agency, not further questioning of
Iran,” he said, calling on the IAEA to clarify its position, explain why no
condemnation was issued, and specify what procedures it intends to follow. Also
in Tehran, AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said there are currently no IAEA
inspections under way, adding that inspections carried out in recent weeks were
conducted with the permission of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran
and in line with the law on suspending cooperation with the IAEA. He said all of
those inspections were related to industrial matters at the sites that had not
been attacked in June. “Measures must definitely be considered regarding
facilities that have been attacked,” he said, stressing that the safeguards
agreement does not contain provisions for wartime conditions, and therefore, an
understanding must be reached on this issue. In such circumstances, he added,
security becomes the most important matter and negotiations must be conducted
with a security-oriented approach.
13 perish in highway bus crash in central Iran
AP/December 16, 2025
TEHRAN: A passenger bus overturned, killing 13 people and injuring over a dozen
others on a highway in central Iran, state-run IRNA news agency reported. The
bus was traveling late Monday from Isfahan to the northeastern city of Mashhad
when it struck the highway’s central guardrail, crossed into the opposite lane
and collided with a taxi before flipping over, police said. Eleven bus
passengers and two people who were in the taxi were killed in the crash, while
six women and seven men were hospitalized, IRNA said. Emergency teams, including
ambulances and rescue units, were dispatched to the site shortly after the
crash. Iran has one of the world’s worst traffic safety records, with some
20,000 deaths annually.
Gaza families struggle to recover from days of
torrential rains that killed 12 people
AP/December 16, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Palestinians in Gaza struggled to recover Tuesday
from torrential rains that battered the enclave for days, flooding camps for the
displaced, collapsing buildings already badly damaged in the two-year war and
leaving at least 12 dead, including a two-week-old baby. The downpour, which
dumped more than 150 milliliters (9 inches) of rain on some parts of Gaza over
the past week, turned dirt lanes to mud and flooded tents in camps for displaced
people. The Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, said Tuesday
the two-week-old died of hypothermia as a result of the weather. The baby was
brought to the hospital a few days ago and was transferred to intensive care but
died on Monday. In Gaza City, a man died Tuesday after a home already damaged
during Israeli strikes, collapsed because of the heavy rainfall, according to
Shifa Hospital.
Members of the Al-Hosari family said 30 people lived in the building, but just
nine were home when it collapsed. The man who was killed was a worker who had
come to fix the walls, they said. Five people were injured. The Health Ministry
said the remaining 10 people were killed last week, also from buildings
collapsing from the rain and heavy winds. Emergency workers warned people not to
congregate in damaged buildings due to concerns of collapse, though so much of
the territory has been reduced to rubble, there are few places to escape the
rain. In July, the United Nations Satellite Center estimated that almost 80
percent of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged. “When we hear
the news that there is a storm, our whole lives change, we start thinking about
where to stay, to go, where to put our mattresses and blankets, and where to
keep our children safe and warm,” said Mohammed Gharableh, a father displaced
from the southern city of Rafah. “During every storm like this, water penetrates
our tents, and our mattresses and blankets get soaked,” he added. In Israel,
areas near Gaza received between 60 mm to 160 mm (2 to 6 inches) of rain in the
past week, according to the Israel Meteorological Service, which in some cases
is more than twice the average amount of rain for this time of year. Aid groups
say despite two months of a ceasefire, not enough shelter material has been
getting into Gaza to help Palestinians deal with the winter. Recently released
Israeli military figures suggest it hasn’t met the ceasefire stipulation of
allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, though Israel disputes that finding.
The vast majority of Gaza’s 2 million people have been displaced, and most
people live in vast tent camps stretching along the coast, or set up among the
shells of damaged buildings. The buildings lack adequate flooding infrastructure
and people use cesspits dug near tents as toilets. The Israeli military body in
charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, called COGAT, said close to 270,000 tents
and tarps have entered Gaza over the past few months as well as winter items,
shelter equipment, and sanitation supplies. But some aid groups disputed the
figures and said more supplies, especially winter items, are desperately needed.
Shelter Cluster, an international coalition of aid providers led by the
Norwegian Refugee Council, last week said it has tracked just 68,000 tents that
have entered Gaza via the UN, non-governmental organizations, and various
countries. Many of the tents aren’t properly insulated for winter, it says.
Israel blocks a Canadian delegation from visiting the
occupied West Bank
AP/December 17, 2025
OTTAWA, Ontario: Israel on Tuesday blocked a private Canadian delegation that
included six members of Parliament from entering the occupied West Bank. The
Israeli Embassy in Canada said the group was denied entry because of its links
to Islamic Relief Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization that Israel lists as
a terror group. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a post on social
media that Canada has expressed its “objections regarding the mistreatment of
these Canadians.”Ontario Member of Parliament Iqra Khalid, from Prime Minister
Mark Carney’s Liberal party, said she was part of the delegation and was shoved
several times by Israeli border officials. She said she was pushed after trying
to check on a member of the roughly 30-person delegation who was pulled aside
for additional questioning after the group had been at the Allenby border
crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Khalid said the
border officials were able to see she was a lawmaker as they had taken her
special passport, which looks different from a standard Canadian document. The
Israeli Embassy statement said Israel “will not allow the entry of organizations
and individuals who are associated with designated terror entities.” The
delegation, sponsored by the group The Canadian-Muslim Vote, had planned to meet
with displaced Palestinians in the West Bank, where the Israeli government
recently approved the construction of 764 new homes in Jewish settlements. The
Israeli statement said The Canadian-Muslim Vote receives the vast majority of
its funding from Islamic Relief Canada, a subsidiary of Islamic Relief Worldwide
that is listed as a terror entity by Israel. In Ottawa, the National Council of
Canadian Muslims said the Israeli government’s refusal to allow Canadian
parliamentarians into the country raises serious concerns about transparency and
accountability. British Columbia New Democrat Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan
said the entire delegation had electronic travel authorizations to enter the
West Bank but they were revoked “on the day of our arrival.”In September, Canada
joined several other countries in recognizing a Palestinian state, a significant
shift in its policy and a move that came despite opposition from the United
States. At the time, Canada said it hopes the recognition paves the way for
peace based on two states living side by side.
Israeli authorities demolish two Palestinian homes near
Ramallah and Jerusalem
Arab News/December 16, 2025
LONDON: Israeli authorities demolished two houses in Ramallah and East Jerusalem
in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday. Israeli forces demolished a house in Deir
Qaddis village, west of Ramallah, using a military bulldozer after storming the
area. The two-story house, home to more than ten residents, belonged to Nader
Khawaja and was built 15 years ago, according to the Wafa news agency. In Rafat,
a town located northwest of Jerusalem, Israeli bulldozers demolished a house
that a Palestinian owned. On Monday, the Israeli army announced plans to
demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the northern
West Bank later this week. Since late 2023, Israeli authorities have conducted
more than 1,014 demolitions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, targeting more than
3,679 buildings, including 1,288 inhabited homes, 244 uninhabited homes, and 962
agricultural and other structures.
Israel’s home-demolition policies aim to forcibly displace Palestinians and
expand Israeli settlements in Jerusalem, in violation of international and
humanitarian laws that guarantee the right to housing, Wafa added. The Israeli
government faces charges of war crimes and genocide in the occupied Palestinian
territories at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of
Justice.
Israeli settler kills 16-year-old Palestinian in West Bank,
mayor says
Reuters/December 16, 2025
RAMALLAH: An Israeli settler shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian in Tuqu’ on
Tuesday after the funeral of another teenager, the town’s mayor said. Violence
has escalated in the West Bank since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October
2023. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have
increased sharply, with the UN reporting the highest number of attacks on record
in October. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for
comment on Muheeb Jibril’s death on Tuesday. “Today, after the funeral of
16-year-old Ammar Sabah, who was killed yesterday by the Israeli army in the
town center, a number of youths were gathered by the main street when a settler
shot 16-year-old Muheeb Jibril in the head,” Tuqu’ Mayor Mohammed Al-Badan told
Reuters by telephone. Israeli forces killed Sabah on Monday during a military
raid on the town, the Palestinian health ministry said. The military said the
incident was under review. It said rocks were thrown at soldiers who used riot
dispersal means and later responded with fire. The West Bank is home to 2.7
million Palestinians who have limited self-rule under Israeli military
occupation. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled there.
Most world powers deem Israel’s settlements, on land it captured in a 1967 war,
illegal, and numerous UN Security Council resolutions have called on Israel to
halt all settlement activity.
‘Stay out of our politics,’ Australia’s former PM tells
Netanyahu
Arab News/December 16, 2025
LONDON: Australia’s former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told Benjamin
Netanyahu to “stay out of our politics” after the Israeli leader linked the
recognition of Palestine to the Bondi Beach mass shooting. Fifteen people were
killed when a father and son opened fire on people celebrating the Jewish
festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening. Netanyahu said Australia’s decision to
recognize Palestinian statehood earlier this year had poured “oil on the fire of
antisemitism” in the weeks leading up to the attack. When asked about the
comments on “Channel 4 News” in the UK, Turnbull said: “I would respectfully say
to ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu, please stay out of our politics. “If you’ve got that kind
of commentary to make, you are not helping … and it’s not right.”Turnbull backed
the current Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government for
recognizing Palestinian statehood in August — along with many other Western
nations — as international pressure grew over the war in Gaza. In a speech after
the Bondi attack, Netanyahu said: “A few months ago I wrote to the Australian
prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism.”He
added: “Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent.”Turnbull
said the vast majority of countries in the world recognized Palestine as a state
and supported a two-state solution to the conflict.He said Australia was a very
successful multicultural society that could not allow foreign conflicts to be
imported. “We need to ensure that wars in the Middle East or wars in any other
part of the world are not fought out here,” he said. “Trying to link them, which
is what Netanyahu has done, is not helpful and that’s exactly the reverse of
what we want to achieve.”Albanese also rejected Netanyahu’s comments when asked
whether there was a link between his approach to Palestine and the Bondi attack.
“Overwhelmingly, most of the world recognizes a two-state solution as being the
way forward in the Middle East,” he told broadcasters. “This is a moment of
national unity where we need to come together … We need to wrap our arms around
members of the Jewish community who are going through an extraordinarily
difficult period.”Albanese has visited in hospital the man hailed as a hero for
disarming one of the attackers. Ahmed Al-Ahmed, a shopkeeper who moved to
Australia from Syria in 2006, is recovering after tackling the gunman. Albanese
said on Tuesday that the attackers Sajid Akram and his son Naveed were driven by
Daesh ideology.
Australian Police Say Bondi Beach Mass Shooting Was Inspired by ISIS Group
Asharq Al Awsat/December 16/2025
A mass shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at
Sydney’s Bondi Beach was “a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS,” Australia’s
federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday. The suspects were a
father and son, aged 50 and 24, authorities have said. The older man was shot
dead while his son was being treated at a hospital on Tuesday. A news conference
by political and law enforcement leaders on Tuesday was the first time officials
confirmed their beliefs about the suspects' ideologies. Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese said the remarks were based on evidence obtained, including “the
presence of ISIS flags in the vehicle that has been seized.”There are 25 people
still being treated in hospitals after Sunday’s massacre, 10 of them in critical
condition. Three of them are patients in a children's hospital. Also among them
is Ahmed al Ahmed, who was captured on video tackling and disarming one
assailant, before pointing the man’s weapon at him and then setting it on the
ground. Those killed ranged in age from 10 to 87 years old. They were attending
a Hanukkah event at Australia's most famous beach Sunday when the gunshots rang
out.
Calls for stricter gun laws
Albanese and the leaders of some of Australia's states have pledged to tighten
the country's already strict gun laws in what would be the most sweeping reforms
since a shooter killed 35 people in Port Arthur, Tasmania in 1996. Mass
shootings in Australia have since been rare. Officials divulged more information
as public questions and anger grew on the third day following the attack about
how the suspects were able to plan and enact it and whether Australian Jews had
been sufficiently protected from rising antisemitism. Albanese announced plans
to further restrict access to guns, in part because it emerged the older suspect
had amassed his cache of six weapons legally. “The suspected murderers, callous
in how they allegedly coordinated their attack, appeared to have no regard for
the age or ableness of their victims,” said Barrett. “It appears the alleged
killers were interested only in a quest for a death tally.”
Authorities probe suspects' trip to Philippines
The suspects traveled to the Philippines last month, said Mal Lanyon, the Police
Commissioner for New South Wales state. Their reasons for the trip and where in
the Philippines they went would be probed by investigators, Lanyon said. He also
confirmed that a vehicle removed from the scene, registered to the younger
suspect, contained improvised explosive devices.“I also confirm that it
contained two homemade ISIS flags,” Lanyon said. Groups of separatist militants,
including Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines, once expressed support for the
ISIS group and have hosted small numbers of foreign militant combatants from
Asia, the Middle East and Europe in the past. Decades of military offensives,
however, have considerably weakened Abu Sayyaf and other such armed groups, and
Philippine military and police officials say there has been no recent indication
of any foreign militants in the country’s south.
Albanese visits man who tackled shooter
Earlier, Albanese visited al Ahmed in hospital. Albanese said the 42-year-old
Syrian-born fruit shop owner had further surgery scheduled on Wednesday for
shotgun wounds to his left should and upper body. “It was a great honor to met
Ahmed al Ahmed. He is a true Australian hero,” Albanese told reporters after a
30-minute meeting with him and his parents. “We are a brave country. Ahmed al
Ahmed represents the best of our country. We will not allow this country to be
divided. That is what the terrorists seek. We will unite. We will embrace each
other, and we’ll get through this,” Albanese added.
Lifeguards praised for actions during massacre
The famous blue-shirted lifeguards of Bondi Beach attracted praise as more
stories of their actions during the shooting emerged. One duty lifeguard,
identified by the organization’s Instagram account as Rory Davey, performed an
ocean rescue during the shooting after people fled, fully clothed, into the sea.
Another lifeguard, Jackson Doolan, posted to his social media a photo taken as
he sprinted, barefoot and clutching a first aid kit, from Tamarama beach a mile
away towards Bondi as the massacre continued. “These guys are community members
and it’s not about the surf,” Anthony Caroll, one of the stars of a popular
reality television show called “Bondi Rescue,” told Sky News on Tuesday. “They
heard the gunshots and they left the beach and came right up the back here into
the scene of the crime, into harm’s way while those bullets were being
shot.”Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon visited the scene of the
carnage on Tuesday and was welcomed by Jewish leaders. “I’m not sure that my
vocabulary is rich enough to express how I feel. My heart is torn apart because
the Jewish community, the Australians of Jewish faith, the Jewish community is
also my community,” Maimon said. Thousands have visited Bondi from all walks of
life since the tragedy to pay their respects and lay flowers on a mounting pile
at an impromptu memorial site. One of the visitors on Tuesday was former Prime
Minister John Howard, who was responsible for the 1996 overhaul of gun laws and
an associated buy-back of newly outlawed weapons. In the aftermath of the
shooting, a record number of Australians signed up to donate blood. On Monday
alone close to 50,000 appointments were booked, more than double the previous
record, the national donation organization Lifeblood told The Associated Press.
Almost 1,300 people signed up to donate for the first time. Such was the
enthusiasm at Lifeblood’s Bondi location that appointments to give blood were
unavailable before Dec. 31, according to the organization’s website. A total of
7,810 donations of blood, plasma and platelets were made across the country on
Monday, spokesperson Cath Stone said. Australian news outlets reported queues of
up to four hours at some Sydney donation sites.
Australian PM Visits Bondi Beach Hero in Hospital
Asharq Al Awsat/December 16/2025
Australia's prime minister visited Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed in
hospital on Tuesday, lauding his efforts to help stop the nation's deadliest gun
attack in decades. A father and son killed 15 people at Bondi Beach on Sunday,
targeting a Jewish festival that marked the start of Hanukkah. Footage showed
the fruit seller ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then
wresting a gun from one of the assailant's hands. "He was trying to get a cup of
coffee and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of
him," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said after a bedside visit with heavily
bandaged Ahmed. "He decided to take action and his bravery is an inspiration for
all Australians," Albanese added. Ahmed was shot several times in the shoulder
after tussling with one of the gunmen. Albanese said he would "undergo further
surgery" on Wednesday. "At a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he
shines out as an example of the strength of humanity," the prime minister said.
"We are a brave country. Ahmed al Ahmed represents the best of our country."
Bedbound and with tubes in his nose, Ahmed briefly thanked well-wishers in
Arabic in a video circulating on social media on Tuesday morning. "I appreciate
the efforts of everyone," he said, according to an English translation provided
by Turkish public broadcaster TRT World. "May Allah reward you and grant you
wellbeing," he said. "God willing, we will return to you with joy. Thank you for
your efforts."The father-of-two came to Australia from Syria almost 10 years
ago, local media reported. His mother told Australian broadcaster ABC on Monday
that she kept "beating myself up and crying" when she received the call that her
son had been shot in "an accident". "He saw they were dying, and people were
losing their lives, and when that guy ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but
he was hit," she said. "We pray that God saves him." There has been a global
outpouring of support for Ahmed, including from US President Donald Trump who
praised his incredible courage. An online fundraiser has received more than
Aus$1.9 million ($1.2 million) in donations for Ahmed's medical fees.
Family of Bondi hero Ahmed Al-Ahmed say he made Syria
proud
Reuters/December 16, 2025
NAYRAB, Syria: As Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years unfolded, a
Sydney shopowner was captured on camera charging at one of the gunmen and
disarming him. Halfway around the world in Syria, a group of men watching the
footage recognized a familiar face. Ahmed Al-Ahmed, 43, left his hometown in
Syria’s northwest province of Idlib nearly 20 years ago to seek work in
Australia. On Sunday, he was wounded after wrestling a rifle away from a man
attacking a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, in which 15 people
were killed. His uncle, Mohammed Al-Ahmed, recognized him from footage
circulating online. “We learned through social media. I called his father and he
told me that it was Ahmed. Ahmed is a hero, we’re proud of him. Syria in general
is proud of him,” the uncle told Reuters. The family hails from the town of
Nayrab, which was bombed heavily during Syria’s nearly 14-year war, which ended
when longtime leader Bashar Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive launched from
Idlib last year. Ahmed said his nephew left Syria in 2006 after completing a
degree at Aleppo University. He hasn’t been back since. “Since he was young, he
was gallant and a hero,” his uncle said, describing him as a happy and
passionate person. “He acted impulsively without thinking who the people were
that were being killed — without knowing their religion, if they were Muslim or
Christian or Jewish. That’s what made him jump up and carry out this heroic
act.” Ahmed, who now holds Australian citizenship and has two daughters, remains
in a Sydney hospital with gunshot wounds. He has been hailed as a hero around
the world, including by US President Donald Trump. A GoFundMe campaign set up
for him has raised more than A$2.2 million ($1.5 million). Back at home, the
Ahmed family home remains in ruins. Piles of smashed cinderblocks ring the
concrete carcass of the two-story house, whose walls are punctured by shelling.
“This is Ahmed’s father’s home. It got destroyed during the war. Bombing,
bombing from planes, missiles — every type of weapon,” Ahmed’s cousin, who is
also named Mohammad Al-Ahmed, told Reuters. He said his cousin “was the reason
that many innocent people who did nothing wrong were saved.”“He will prove to
the world that Muslims are peacemakers, not warmongerers,” said Ahmed.
Syria says caught Daesh-linked cell behind shooting attack
in northwest
AFP/December 16, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria’s government on Tuesday said its forces killed the leader of a
cell linked to Daesh and arrested eight of its members believed to be behind a
deadly attack on security personnel last week. Daesh claimed responsibility for
Sunday’s shooting, which authorities had said killed four Syrian security
personnel on patrol on the Maaret Al-Numan road in northwest Idlib province.
Security forces “arrested a terrorist cell affiliated with Daesh” that carried
out attacks “targeting security and military patrols in the Idlib and Aleppo
provinces,” an interior ministry statement said. “The operation resulted in the
arrest of all eight members of the cell, and the ninth member, the cell leader,
was neutralized,” it added. “During the investigations, those arrested admitted
their responsibility for carrying out three terrorist attacks, including
targeting a road security patrol in Maaret Al-Numan,” it said, adding that
weapons and explosive belts were among the items seized. Sunday’s attack came a
day after an assault on a joint US-Syrian patrol in Palmyra in central Syria
killed two American soldiers and a translator. Washington and Damascus blamed
Daesh for the attack, though it has not claimed responsibility. Syria’s new
authorities are trying to stabilize the country after more than 13 years of
civil war. The Idlib region was a bastion of rebel and extremist groups
including foreign fighters before opposition forces overthrew longtime ruler
Bashar Assad in December last year in a lightning offensive. A US-led coalition
has at times carried out strikes on the Idlib region, usually saying it is
targeting Daesh officials. The new authorities have announced operations against
Daesh, including one launched on Sunday alongside the coalition to target
“sleeper cells” in the desert following the Palmyra attack. Daesh once
controlled swathes of Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019. Its fighters
still maintain a presence in the country, particularly in its vast desert.
Trump expands travel ban, adding 5 more countries and
imposing new limits on others
AP/December 16, 2025
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is expanding its travel ban to include five
more countries and impose new limits on others. This move Tuesday is part of
ongoing efforts to tighten US entry standards for travel and immigration. The
decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two
National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend. In June, President Donald Trump
announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United
States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The decision
resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term. At the time the ban included
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,
Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and heightened restrictions on
visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and
Venezuela. On Tuesday, the Republican administration announced it was expanding
the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the US to Burkina
Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. The administration also fully
restricted travel on people with Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents.
An additional 15 countries are also being added to the list of countries facing
partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire,
Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga,
Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Trump administration said in its announcement of the
expanded travel ban that many of the countries from which it was restricting
travel had “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and
criminal records” that made it difficult to vet their citizens for travel to the
US. It also said some countries had high rates of people overstaying their
visas, refused to take back their citizens who the US wished to deport or had a
“general lack of stability and government control,” which made vetting
difficult. “The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are
necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States
lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation
from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other
important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,”
reads the White House proclamation announcing the changes. The Afghan man
accused of shooting the two National Guard troops near the White House has
pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges.
Turkiye intercepts uncontrolled drone over Black Sea
Reuters/December 16, 2025
ANKARA: Turkiye shot down an uncontrolled drone approaching its airspace over
the Black Sea, the defense ministry said. The incident follows Turkiye’s warning
last week of Black Sea escalation after Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports that
damaged three Turkish-owned cargo vessels. In a statement, the ministry said
Turkish and NATO F-16 jets were put on alert to ensure the security of Turkish
airspace after the detection of the drone. It was determined that the drone was
out of control and it was shot down in a safe area, the ministry added in
Monday’s statement, but did not elaborate on its type or origin. The attacks on
Ukrainian ports came days after Moscow threatened to “cut Ukraine off from the
sea” following Kyiv’s attacks that damaged three ‘shadow fleet’ tankers heading
to Russia to export its oil in the Black Sea.
US again warns air traffic over military activity around
Venezuela
AFP/December 16, 2025
WASHINGTON: The US aviation regulator issued a renewed warning on Tuesday to
civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace, citing the dangers of
military activity. The Federal Aviation Administration urged aircraft to
“exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened
military activity in or around Venezuela” — the same wording used in a previous
warning issued last month. The new warning came days after a pilot for JetBlue
said his aircraft came close to colliding with a US Air Force refueling plane
near Venezuela — an incident the airline said it had reported to American
authorities. The United States has amassed a huge flotilla of warships in the
Caribbean and has repeatedly flown military aircraft along Venezuela’s coast as
Washington seeks to pressure leftist leader Nicolas Maduro to leave power.
Washington accuses Maduro of leading the alleged “Cartel of the Suns,” which it
declared a “narco-terrorist” organization last month, and has offered a $50
million reward for information leading to his capture. US forces have also
carried out a series of strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the
Caribbean and eastern Pacific — a months-long campaign that has left at least 95
people dead and sent regional tensions soaring.
US Military Says Strikes on 3 Boats in the Eastern Pacific
Ocean Kill 8 People
Asharq Al Awsat/December 16/2025
The US military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling
drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people as scrutiny
over the boat strikes is intensifying in Congress. The military said in a
statement on social media that the strikes targeted “designated terrorist
organizations,” killing three people in the first vessel, two in the second boat
and three in the third boat. It didn't provide evidence of their alleged drug
trafficking but posted a video of a boat moving through water before exploding.
President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to
stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the US is engaged in
an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. But the Trump administration is facing
increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign, which has
killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes since early September, including a
follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat
after the first hit. The latest boat strikes come on the eve of briefings on
Capitol Hill for all members of Congress as questions mount over the Trump
administration’s military campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of
State Marco Rubio and other top national security officials are expected to
provide closed-door briefings for lawmakers in the House and Senate. The
campaign has ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has
been charged with narcoterrorism in the US. In a sharp escalation last week, US
forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration has accused
of smuggling illicit crude. Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the US
military operations is to force him from office. The US military has built up
its largest presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly
strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific
Ocean. Trump says land attacks are coming soon but has not offered any details
on location.
Taiwan Says Its Military Can Respond Rapidly to Any Sudden
Chinese Attack
Asharq Al Awsat/December 16/2025
Taiwan's military can respond rapidly to any sudden Chinese attack with all
units able to operate under a decentralized mode of command without awaiting
orders from above, Taipei's defense ministry said in a report to lawmakers.
Democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, has
repeatedly warned that China could try to suddenly shift its regular drills into
active combat mode to catch Taiwan and its international supporters off guard.
China's military operates around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, in what Taipei
says is part of a "grey zone" harassment and pressure campaign that stops short
of actual combat but is designed to wear out Taiwan's armed forces by putting
them constantly on alert. The defense ministry said in its report that the
frequency and scale of China's military activities have increased year by year,
including their regular "joint combat readiness patrols".The military has a
standard operating practice on how to raise its combat alert level in case
Chinese exercises move "from drill to war", the ministry added. "If the enemy
suddenly launches an attack, all units are to implement 'distributed control'
without waiting for orders and, under a 'decentralized' mode of command, carry
out their combat missions," it said, without giving details. Defense Minister
Wellington Koo is scheduled to take questions from lawmakers on the report on
Wednesday.
PRACTICE ATTACKS
China has also been practicing how to attack Taiwan, and sending its warships
further and further out into the Pacific and down towards Australia and New
Zealand, the ministry added. "The Chinese communists have never renounced the
use of force to annex Taiwan and continue to intensify joint training across
services, shifting from purely military drills to routine, multi-service,
real-combat-oriented exercises."Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's
sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future. On
Monday, China's defense ministry said Taiwan President Lai Ching-te was "hyping
up" the threat from China and "peddling war anxiety"."We hope that the broad
mass of Taiwan compatriots will clearly recognize the extreme danger and
harmfulness of the Lai authorities' frantic 'preparing for war to seek
independence'," the ministry said in a statement.
As Indian PM concludes visit to Jordan, the countries
agree to strengthen cooperation
Arab News/December 16, 2025
ng Abdullah as their countries celebrate 75th anniversary of diplomatic
relations,
LONDON: Jordan and India agreed on Tuesday to enhance cooperation in various
sectors, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day official
visit to the Middle Eastern country. Modi’s trip coincided with the celebration
of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries, and he
held expansive talks with King Abdullah. On Tuesday, the leaders attended the
India-Jordan Business Forum in Amman, an event organized by the Jordan Chamber
of Commerce that included representatives from more than 20 leading Indian
companies. In a joint statement, the countries affirmed their commitment to the
strengthening of cooperation in the political, economic, defense, security,
culture and education sectors, among others. Trade between Jordan and India was
valued at $2.3 billion in 2024, ranking India as Jordan’s third-largest trading
partner. The countries agreed to convene the 11th Trade and Economic Joint
Committee in early 2026 to monitor progress in economic relations, and
facilitate information sharing to ensure proper enforcement of customs laws and
tackle offenses. They emphasized Jordan’s strategic geographic location and its
advanced logistics capabilities, and agreed to collaborate in a number of
fields, including education, digital public infrastructure, healthcare,
pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food security. Modi and King Abdullah welcomed
the signing of memorandums of understanding on the management of water resources
and new and renewable energy. They discussed the enhancement of collaboration on
issues such as climate change, sustainable development and renewable energy, the
Jordan News Agency reported. They also hailed the increasing cultural exchanges
between India and Jordan, and the renewal of the bilateral Cultural Exchange
Programme for the period from 2025 to 2029.
Zelenskyy Says Peace Proposals to End War in Ukraine Could
Be Presented to Russia within Days
Asharq Al Awsat/December 16/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says proposals negotiated with US
officials on a peace deal to end his country’s nearly four-year war with Russia
could be finalized within days, after which American envoys will present them to
the Kremlin before further possible meetings in the United States next weekend.
Zelenskyy told reporters late Monday that a draft peace plan discussed with the
US during talks in Berlin earlier in the day is “very workable.” He cautioned,
however, that some key issues — notably what happens to Ukrainian territory
occupied by invading Russian forces — remain unresolved. US-led peace efforts
appear to be picking up momentum. But Russian President Vladimir Putin may balk
at some of the proposals thrashed out by officials from Washington, Kyiv and
Western Europe, including postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. American
officials on Monday said there's consensus from Ukraine and Europe on about 90%
of the US-authored peace plan. US President Donald Trump said: “I think we’re
closer now than we have been, ever” to a peace settlement. Plenty of potential
pitfalls remain, however. Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv rules out recognizing
Moscow’s control over any part of the Donbas, an economically important region
in eastern Ukraine made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. Russia's army doesn’t fully
control either. “The Americans are trying to find a compromise,” Zelenskyy said,
before visiting the Netherlands on Tuesday. “They are proposing a ‘free economic
zone’ (in the Donbas). And I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’
does not mean under the control of the Russian Federation.”The land issue
remains one of the most difficult obstacles to a comprehensive agreement. Putin
wants all the areas in four key regions that his forces have seized, as well as
the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognized
as Russian territory. Zelenskyy warned that if Putin rejects diplomatic efforts,
Ukraine expects increased Western pressure on Moscow, including tougher
sanctions and additional military support for defense. Kyiv would seek enhanced
air defense systems and long-range weapons if diplomacy collapses, he said.
Ukraine and the US are preparing up to five documents related to the peace
framework, several of them focused on security, Zelenskyy said. He was upbeat
about the progress in the Berlin talks. “Overall, there was a demonstration of
unity,” Zelenskyy said. “It was truly positive in the sense that it reflected
the unity of the US, Europe, and Ukraine.”
Sudan general ready to talk to Trump for peace
AFP/December 16, 2025
PORT SUDAN: Sudan’s de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, is ready to
work with US President Donald Trump to resolve the conflict splitting his
country, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The ministry released a statement
after the army chief visited Riyadh as a guest of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, who recently presented Trump with a proposed Sudan peace
plan during a Washington visit. According to Sudan’s statement, Burhan hailed
Trump’s “determination to engage in efforts to achieve peace and end the war in
the country, with the participation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “He affirmed
Sudan’s keenness to work with President Trump, his secretary of state, and his
envoy for peace in Sudan to achieve this unquestionably noble goal,” it said,
referring to Marco Rubio and US envoy Massad Boulos. International peace efforts
led by mediators from the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates have been at a standstill since Burhan rejected Boulos’s last suggested
framework. The RSF says it supports the international ceasefire plan, but heavy
fighting continues, notably in the southern region of Kordofan. For the moment,
no new date has been announced for talks, neither under the US-led mediators nor
a parallel United Nations’ led effort. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped
by a war pitting the army, which controls the north and east of the country,
against the RSF, dominant in the west and certain areas of the south. The
conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and triggered
what the UN calls “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published
on
December 16-17/2025
Migrating to History in the Era of Defeats
Hazem Saghieh/ASharq Al-Awsat/December
16/2025
Why were the forces of the “Axis of Resistance” defeated in the war triggered by
the October 7, 2023, operation? Why have the regimes of the Arab Levant, along
with their societies, been dragged, as a result of this defeat, into a second
defeat that could prove even more bitter and cruel? Why has this region been
defined by a level of misery, humiliation, bankruptcy, and disintegration that
very few nations have ever known?
How did we end up where we are today, with no choices and limited agency? How
can we avert the catastrophes that could be averted in the political, economic,
and social realms? Which ideas have been discredited after this experience
exposed their flaws and the peril of embracing them? Which ideas and practices
have we learned we lack and could benefit from? What should we say to ourselves,
to Israel, and to the world?...
It is these questions and others like them that contemporary and sound minds
want to see Arab thought devote itself to. We can couple this focus, for
tradition’s sake, with the occasional invective against Israel or brief
recapitulations of the conflict’s history, though neither would add much to the
unfathomably repetitive and tedious vast literature on the subject.
It seems, on the other hand, that efforts to address these pressing questions
are swiftly dissipated and foiled by the overwhelming prevalence of mocking
Israel, the US, Orientalism, and Orientalists, etc., plunging, despite having
done so a million times, into the deep waters of history.
As for those on the more fundamentalist side of the spectrum, they are also the
most fundamentalist in invoking history, or what they believe is history, to
claim that eternal righteousness and innocence are, by definition, part of us.
Moreover, the only thing worse than thinking of the past with the mind and
standards of the present is thinking of the present with the mind and standards
of the past.
Sheikh Maher Hammoud, the President of the World Union of Resistance Scholars,
published an op-ed in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar on December 8, “Who Are
the Children of Abraham?” in which he sought to unpack President Joseph Aoun’s
reference to Prophet Abraham when he received Pope Leo XIV.
The deeper goal of the piece was to provide us, the defeated, with some relief
from the strains of our defeat. “Justly or unjustly,” some have claimed that
“the balance of power overwhelmingly favors the enemy;” in response, we have a
duty to remind them that “the balance of power favored the Persians and the
Byzantines when Islam arose, and yet Islam prevailed because of the unity behind
its stance and its profound creed.”
He says this at a time when denial of the defeat remains louder than its
acknowledgement, and when the calamitous conclusions drawn from this denial,
such as the insistence on maintaining the arms of the resistance, continue to
threaten the national and physical existence of the region’s inhabitants.
As he makes his way to these grand conclusions, however, Sheikh Hammoud also
comments on other matters. “Not all of Abraham’s descendants are counted among
his children; today’s Zionists cannot be considered Abraham’s children.” Sorting
religious history in this way, and at a foundational moment, imbues the conflict
with an innate essence that can never change nor wither. It also does not
deviate from the split that renders “us” the only “children of Abraham” and
“them” the “children of apes and pigs.”
His fervor and self-assuredness then immediately compel Sheikh Hammoud to stress
that Abraham can never be transformed into “a symbol of global and regional
Zionist control, and this great icon can never be a false witness to the
perpetuation of occupation and Zionism’s injustice.”
Israel and Zionism are almost certainly not very focused on this issue that
Sheikh Hammoud is preoccupied with, using it to draw conclusions that boost
morale, both his and ours. If nothing brings the defeated back to reality and
the present like defeat, then in the case at hand, it is the season to migrate
to a distant past in which we achieve victory by making an exclusive claim to
Abraham.
If defeat ought to precipitate reflection that allows us to identify what we had
missed, and to find alternative means that prevent the repetition of actions we
had taken when we were misinformed, then in our case, it encourages absolving
ourselves of blame and denying our mistakes, thereby reaffirming that we are the
ontological equivalent of justice and truth just as much as it is ours.
True, some believe that such archaic and marginal texts are not worth our
attention or engagement and that we should focus our critiques on “modern”
partisan or academic works instead. As many experiences in our countries and
others have shown, however, the influence of these texts - and by extension the
need to repudiate them - peaks in times of despair. It is precisely these kinds
of marginal texts that become “mainstream” when the supposedly mainstream
discourse becomes marginal. In the minds of the men behind October 7 and the
“support war,” the most fundamentalist texts, so to speak, have been and
continue to be the most consequential, and we are addressing one such text.
The West Fixes Its Problems… At Others’ Expense!
Eyad Abu Shakra/ASharq Al-Awsat/December
16/2025
What does it feel like to constantly wake up to news that makes you feel like
you belong to a bygone era, and that the principles you had lived by and
believed in for decades have become obsolete?
Millions, tens of millions, of us have realized that it had been a mirage. The
ideals ingrained into us, the values we were raised on and learned at different
stages of our lives, have become frail.
These are horrific times. The future we are promised is even more horrifying. As
of tomorrow, all our private data will be accessible to the latest models of
artificial intelligence; none of us will have any privacy left. There will be no
more red lines for the tech “oligarchs” spying on us and freely using our data
to serve their objectives or those of “intelligence–political” apparatuses they
serve.
Here we stand, powerless before a brutal, unelected clique that has effectively
risen above the law, which now applies only to those who are too weak to defend
themselves and “foreigners” who are perpetually threatened with arbitrary arrest
or deportation on mere suspicions. Meanwhile, the two safeguards of justice have
been made helpless or besieged: First: the judiciary has been marginalized,
weakened, and called into question. Some judges, political appointees in some
democratic states, have become false witnesses who rubber-stamp whatever they
receive, while dignified judges now fear for their lives or their families’
safety amid the rampages of extremist, racist mobs.
Second: the media, which is supposed to be the “fourth estate” in so-called
democratic states, has been co-opted and gagged. Mergers have engendered
monopolies and thinkers, writers, and researchers have been stifled. Outlets are
being blackmailed and bypassed through artificial intelligence, which becomes a
substitute for experienced professional journalists. The judiciary does not
ensure a bulwark against abuses of power, and the media does not play the role
of a watchdog, which had long served as an engine for dialogue and a safety
valve preventing political gridlock from deteriorating into clashes, strife, and
violence. In Britain, alarming reports that go beyond the political and military
roles London is now playing in support of Israel on Gaza were published this
week. Indeed, they go beyond the Labor government’s adoption of Likud-style
terminology and characterizations of developments in occupied Palestinian
territories, raising existential alarm bells around the future of certain
migrant communities in Britain.
And while the racist right in France, the Netherlands, and Germany has openly
pursued its anti-immigrant policies in recent years, the reports from London
revealed plans to strip millions of naturalized citizens and residents of
migrant origin of their nationality and deport them.
These plans bear the fingerprints of former Labor prime minister Tony Blair,
whose government (1997–2007) expanded the “framework” for denaturalization and
the revocation of residency. As a result, no one of migrant origin (especially
from the Islamic world and the Global South) is safe from deportation. Making
things even more dangerous, these revelations come at a time when the racist
right is gaining ground, with the two traditional parties of government, the
Conservatives and Labor, seeking to court these voters by adopting its demands.
In the United States, the situation is no less alarming. The White House is
beating the drums of war against Venezuela under the cover of the “Monroe
Doctrine” (1823), which turned Central and South America into the United States’
“backyard.”Indeed, Washington has begun the countdown to occupying Venezuela.
Home to the largest proven oil reserves in the world, the US is threatening the
country under the pretext of “combating drug trafficking.”
Preparations for an invasion of Venezuela follow President Donald Trump’s demand
that Canada join the United States and his threat to occupy Greenland, which is
formally linked to Denmark. At the same time, it is trying to pull four European
countries (Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Austria) out of the European Union. As
invading Venezuela and toppling its leftist regime is justified on the grounds
of “mismanaging the economy,” President Trump decided to support Argentina with
$40 billion. It should be noted that Argentina is currently ruled by far-right
president Javier Milei, who would have faced a humiliating electoral defeat were
it not for generous US backing.
It is also worth noting that Trump’s multibillion-dollar support for Argentina
comes amid mounting domestic criticism of the White House from Democrats and
liberals, who are racing to share economic statistics and Trump’s declining
approval ratings.
In near-daily tweets, former Secretary of Commerce Robert Reich (1993–1997) has
been drawing attention to the accelerating chasm between the wealth of the few
and the vast majority of citizens. One problem he pointed to is that 70 percent
of the economy depends on domestic consumer spending, but with wealth piling up
in the hands of just 10 percent of the richest segment, the rest of the country
can no longer consume enough to keep the wheels of the economy turning. The
importance of Venezuelan oil to Washington becomes clearer with the economic
background in mind. Indeed, we are seeing increasing numbers of statements by US
officials about the “importance” of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina as key sources
of lithium. Naturally, the 2025 “National Security Strategy,” which explicitly
frames migration as a “threat to Western civilization,” is also part of this
picture. On the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, left-wing
Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders recently noted that the fortunes of major
billionaires have risen dramatically since Trump’s election to a second
presidential term. According to Sanders, Elon Musk’s (Tesla) wealth rose by $187
billion, Larry Ellison’s (Oracle) by $78 billion, Jeff Bezos’s (Amazon) by $36
billion, and Mark Zuckerberg’s (Meta) by $25 billion; meanwhile, 60 percent of
Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Moreover, as artificial intelligence
continues to eliminate more jobs, the cost of food and housing continue to rise
steadily. As for medical and healthcare expenses, 530,000 Americans go bankrupt
each year because they are unable to bear these costs, while this problem is
virtually nonexistent in the vast majority of European countries and other
advanced nations.
Barrack Presses Netanyahu to Accept a Turkish Role in Gaza
Nazir Magally/ASharq Al-Awsat/December 16/2025
Hebrew-language media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
met on Monday in Jerusalem with US envoy Tom Barrack, amid what were described
as unusually blunt private messages from the administration of President Donald
Trump ahead of a planned US–Israel summit later this month in Florida. According
to the reports, the talks focused on three files: Gaza, Syria and Netanyahu’s
expected meeting with Trump.
On Gaza, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said Barrack sought to allay Netanyahu’s
concerns about a Turkish role in any international force deployed to the enclave
during a prospective second phase of a fragile ceasefire that began in October.
Barrack, the paper reported, argued that Türkiye has the greatest leverage over
Hamas and is best placed to persuade the group to disarm. The newspaper said
Barrack reminded Netanyahu that Ankara had endorsed the Trump administration’s
ceasefire framework for Gaza and had pledged, on Hamas’s behalf, to provisions
related to weapons handover. He reportedly said that Turkish participation would
also encourage other hesitant countries to join an international force.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Barrack warned that excluding Türkiye would cause
those states to step back, adding that Trump would not allow the initiative to
fail. Netanyahu’s public statements questioning whether Hamas would ever
relinquish its weapons — and his assertion that only Israel could enforce that
outcome — were described by Barrack as “unacceptable” and as jeopardizing the
plan. Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that the White House delivered a
“private and sharp” message to Netanyahu, asserting that the killing of a senior
Hamas military figure, Raed Saad, constituted a breach of the ceasefire brokered
with Trump’s mediation. The channel cited growing tension between the Trump
administration and Netanyahu’s government over moving to the deal’s second phase
and over Israel’s broader regional policies. Two US officials were quoted as
saying that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, were “deeply frustrated” with
Netanyahu’s conduct.
One senior US official was quoted as telling Israeli media that the message to
Netanyahu was explicit: if he chose to damage his own credibility, that was his
decision, “but we will not allow you to damage President Trump’s reputation
after he mediated the Gaza agreement.”
US officials were also cited as expressing rising concern over settler violence
against Palestinians in the West Bank and what they termed Israeli
“provocations” that undermine Washington’s efforts to expand the Abraham
Accords. The United States, one official said, was not asking Israel to
compromise its security, but to avoid steps perceived in the Arab world as
inflammatory. On Syria, Israeli assessments quoted in the press said Barrack
outlined US “red lines,” stressing Trump’s desire to see stability there and
warning that frequent Israeli operations could risk destabilizing the country.
Reports added that Washington favors reaching a security understanding and wants
to avoid actions it views as undermining the Syrian leadership.
Regarding Lebanon, Trump was said to support continued pressure on Hezbollah
through limited operations, while opposing a broader escalation. Despite recent
criticism by Netanyahu of Barrack — including remarks questioning his
impartiality — the envoy’s visit went ahead. Columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in
Yedioth Ahronoth that US officials increasingly believe Netanyahu is not serious
about advancing Trump’s peace plan and is intent on prolonging the war, language
he said has sparked intense anger inside the White House.
Israeli analysts suggested Netanyahu is unlikely to reject all US requests
outright, instead seeking partial accommodation to ensure a successful meeting
with Trump on December 29. Yet, in a show of independence, Israeli forces
reportedly carried out an airstrike in Syria shortly before Barrack arrived.
Netanyahu also announced a trilateral summit with Greece and Cyprus, a move
widely interpreted in Israel as a political signal directed at Türkiye. At the
close of the meeting, Barrack was quoted as saying the talks were a
“constructive dialogue aimed at achieving regional peace and stability.”
Australia's Government: 'Moral Bankruptcy on Parade'
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/December 16, 2025
The situation could have been worse but for the actions of Sydney's police force
and the quick work of a very brave unarmed bystander, Ahmed El-Ahmed, a Muslim
man who tackled and disarmed one of the terrorists.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar reveals that Australia was "warned about
potential attacks on Jews" -- to no avail.
Even before this week's slaughter of innocent Jewish families in Sydney, several
terrorist acts recently had been perpetrated against Australian Jews. The
consequences of widespread social discord and anti-Semitic acts from Islamist
immigrants in Western nations are well-documented; it is a mystery why
Australia's government apparently believes their nation would be an exception.
On December 14, on the holiday of Hanukkah -- a time of celebration -- a
slaughter of innocent Jewish families took place at Australia's famous Bondi
Beach, in Sydney. Fifteen victims were murdered and 40 more wounded. One of the
attackers, a Muslim immigrant named Sajid Akram, was killed by police; his son
Naveed, the second attacker, was shot by police before being arrested.
The situation could have been worse but for the actions of Sydney's police force
and the quick work of a very brave unarmed bystander, Ahmed El-Ahmed, a Muslim
man who tackled and disarmed one of the terrorists.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar reveals that Australia was "warned about
potential attacks on Jews" -- to no avail. Some Israeli officials, therefore,
are "blaming Canberra for not doing enough to combat antisemitism." Sa'ar wrote:
"I'm appalled by the murderous shooting attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney,
Australia. These are the results of the anti-Semitic rampage in the streets of
Australia over the past two years, with the anti-Semitic and inciting calls of 'Globalise
the Intifada' that were realized today. The Australian government, which
received countless warning signs, must come to its senses!"
Australia is generally a peaceful country – or at least it was until the Labor
Party government decided to import thousands of Islamist asylum-seekers from
Gaza and elsewhere.
Millions of unvetted migrants have arrived in Australia, Europe and the United
States in recent years. Much of this activity has gone unmentioned by the media,
and governments have seemed to be endeavouring to minimize the exposure of their
counterproductive, catastrophic policies.
Australia's fantasy of "social cohesion" has long been shown for what it is – a
utopian construct without roots in reality. Similarly, the government's
affection for multiculturalism has long been discredited by realism. The
indicator of the success or lack of it in these two ideologies is the treatment
and well-being of Australia's small Jewish community, who have been the victims
of a virulent and often violent form of hatred.
Several terrorist acts have been perpetrated against Australian Jews in recent
times (see here and here). After the home of Alex Ryvchin, an official of the
Executive Council of Australian Jewry, was subject to anti-Semitic vandalism, he
stated that "evil is at work in this country," and predicted that such acts
would escalate. The consequences of widespread social discord and anti-Semitic
acts from Islamist immigrants in Western nations are well-documented; it is a
mystery why Australia's government apparently believes their nation would be an
exception.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government alienates Australia's Jewish
community by favoring the Palestinian cause – never mind that no one ever
advocates for those living under the rule of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority
to have freedom of speech and of the press, and freedom from arbitrary arrests,
torture and extrajudicial executions.
The Australian government has been fast-tracking hundreds of potentially
dangerous Palestinians and other Islamists into the country without proper
vetting. Meanwhile, many of Israel's official representatives are regarded as
'personae non gratae' and barred entry to countries in the West that should know
better.
Australia's government has been accused of executing a plan to accept radical
"ISIS brides" into the country. When the plan for importing a third cohort of
brides was exposed, influencer Scott Driscoll said, "no one else wants them,
certainly not other Muslim states." Driscoll further wrote:
"It's absolutely treacherous that any Australian government claiming to have the
interests of Australians, Australian values, or our national security front and
centre would ever let these 'ISIS brides' anywhere near Australia ever again!
Our country needs to stop being used as some sort of sick Looney Left social
experiment to find out just how messed up things need to get before the final
breaking point and the complete collapse of our society as we know it!"
There were early warning signs of the Australian government's casual attitude
towards growing Jew-hate following the horrendous events on October 7, 2023.
When Hamas and many "ordinary" Palestinians invaded peaceful southern Israel on
October 7, they slaughtered all Israelis they came across – men, women,
children, babies – torturing, raping, burning and beheading, then dragging 251
people off to Hamas's tunnels in Gaza as hostages, for further abuse and
leverage. A few weeks later, the Biden administration produced a document
condemning Jew-hatred, signed by "nearly three dozen countries." The November
2023 statement referred to Hamas's assault on innocents as "barbaric," adding
that it was "the most lethal assault against the Jewish people since the
Holocaust," and foreseeing it would have "an immense impact on Jewish
communities worldwide."
The US State Department's special envoy on anti-Semitism urged the Australian
government also to sign the statement. The suggestion was rejected. In August
2025, a former senior State Department official explained:
"We definitely asked the Australians, and they didn't.... It was a huge sign
that even though the United States pushed them to sign onto this statement—it's
not like we are committing them to anything.... They refused. It's like the top
country that should be on there is not on there."
What a sorry indictment of Australia's government.
It is quite understandable, therefore, that at a Gold Coast conference against
antisemitism in September 2025, child Holocaust survivor Suzi Smeed scathingly
described the Albanese government as an "enemy of the Jews".
Subsequent to the October 7 atrocities, vocal anti-Israel demonstrations in
Australia escalated.
"David May, research manager and senior research analyst at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies, told JNS that 'it is no coincidence that a dramatic rise
in antisemitism is gripping Australia, while its government is reversing decades
of balanced policy on Israel.'"
Co-opting iconic public settings such as Sydney's Opera House, Harbour Bridge
and Bondi Beach for their purposes, tens of thousands of anti-Israel acolytes
supported by masses of "far-leftists" brought abrupt attention in Australia to
the potential for escalating Jew-hate.
Unsurprisingly, at a July 2025 demonstration in Canberra, several Senators from
the Green Party "gathered alongside anti-Israel activists in a wild protest
outside Parliament House with demonstrators displaying Hitler posters."
"The protest was organised by members of the Palestine Action Group outside the
lawn of Parliament House and followed a joint international call for a
ceasefire, with Australia joining 25 other nations in a statement demanding an
immediate end to hostilities in Gaza....
"Israel has responded with sharp criticism of the statement, accusing the 26
countries of misrepresenting the situation.
"'All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible
for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which
started this war and is prolonging it,' said the Israeli foreign ministry."
In an article titled "Moral Bankruptcy on Parade," Iranian-born Australian
commentator Pouria Mehrani wrote of the protests against Israel:
"The politics of protests, such as we observed lately, thrives on blind
emotion, especially in complex conflicts like this. Left-leaning groups
capitalize on such emotions to advance their agendas..."
The silent majority of Australians finally have had enough of this nonsense and,
in major cities, organized well-attended demonstrations, supporting Australia
and its traditional Western values.
The government, in character, criticized one of these events in Sydney by
claiming that it was run by neo-Nazis. According to the Times of Israel:
"'We absolutely condemn the March for Australia rally that's going on today. It
is not about increasing social harmony' Murray Watt, a senior minister in the
Labor government, told Sky News television... 'We don't support rallies like
this that are about spreading hate and that are about dividing our community,'
Watt said, asserting they were 'organized and promoted' by neo-Nazi groups."
Nevertheless, the same government permitted an anti-Israel march across Sydney
Harbour Bridge attended by 90,000 people, many waving PLO, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and
Taliban flags, indicating support for terrorism and, by deduction, endorsing
Jew-hate.
On September 7, so-called "pro-Palestinians" -- who have never suggested that
the Palestinian Authority and Hamas governments provide their citizens with
freedom of speech or end arbitrary detentions and torture, not to mention epic
corruption -- clashed with Israel supporters at Sydney's Bondi Beach, with the
police intervening more than once. Rabbi Yossi Friedman posted footage of a
scuffle in which police can be seen separating protesters. "They have come to
Bondi Beach," he commented, "where there's a lot of Jewish people, specifically
they've come here to bring their hate."
Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) elaborated, "Bondi
is home to many synagogues, Kosher restaurants and Jewish businesses, some of
which have been targeted in recent antisemitic incidents. With more than 100
beaches across Sydney, the decision to choose Bondi was calculated to cause
division and disturbance."
These types of acts, however, should not be surprising to Australia's Jewish
community. It was probably, after all, inevitable that Jew-hate would filter
down despite the continent's remoteness. Islamism can be a hate-driven ideology,
acted out through a contrived "Palestinian cause" to reach all sectors of
Western societies. The more members of the extremist Islamist cohort are
imported into a country, the more attacks on Jews -- and others --will escalate.
At present, Australia has naïve policies that allow significant immigration of
Islamists from war zones. Despite what the government claims, most of these
immigrants do not intend to integrate, assimilate or contribute towards "social
cohesion" – as the well-attended marches against Israel and Jews reveal. Many
newcomers are ideological enemies of the Western democratic tradition and
forthrightly plan to dominate open societies through imposition of Islamic
Sharia law.
Their plan is actualized in pro-Islamist demonstrations at Australia's iconic
sites. It was Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who pointed out: "When
your enemies vow to destroy you, believe them." Australia's Labor government has
yet to grasp the magnitude of this statement.
As a result, the Australian government's stated emphasis on social cohesion is,
unfortunately, an illusion that is sadly detached from reality. It might well
have been attainable to some degree prior to the mass arrival of extremist
fanatics, and Australia's decision -- in contravention of international law
governing the definition of nations -- to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian
state.
In a March 1977 interview with the Dutch newspaper Trouw, PLO official Zuheir
Mohsen stated:
"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is
only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our
Arab unity. In reality, today there is no difference between Jordanians,
Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese."
It is past time, therefore, that Australia's government awakened to the reality
of Jew-hating Islamists and supporters in their midst, and applied appropriate
remedial action before such disruptions spread further to the rest of society.
Failing that, Australia will soon reflect increasing social turmoil as
experienced in Europe and the UK. With the current "leftist-socialist"
government in power, Australians are unfortunately paying a heavy price for
their government's irresponsible, catastrophic policies.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22125/australia-moral-bankruptcy
**Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member
of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the
Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical
Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden –
the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning
in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The
American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National
Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring
Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document Danmark, Zwiedzaj Polske,
Schlaglicht Israel, and many others.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
World order can be remade
on civilizational peace, not clashes
Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/December 16, 2025
In his famous book “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order,”
Samuel P. Huntington argued that future global conflicts would not be driven by
economic necessities, but rather that cultural and religious identities would be
the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world. One of the examples
used to back up this theory is the Iraq War of 2003 to 2011 following the US-led
invasion. Saturday’s visit to Iraq by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
marked the end of the 22-year mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.
Arguably, this is a historic milestone that ends the epoch of “clashes” and
allows us to consider the possibilities for peace among civilizations to remake
the world order.
The peace agenda was key to the discussions Guterres held with the leaders of
three Middle Eastern countries — Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq — during visits
over the last week. During Guterres’ meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, the two sides discussed “ways to support efforts to enhance global
security and stability.” The head of the UN stressed the importance of the
organization’s long-standing partnership with the Kingdom and his hosts’ support
of multilateralism.
Among the examples of the need for diplomatic collaboration, Guterres mentioned
the conflicts in Yemen and Sudan. “The war in Sudan is horrific and must stop,”
he concluded. The UN warned this month that “war-torn Sudan is in the midst of
arguably the gravest human rights crisis of our time.” This conflict has already
resulted in the displacement of more than 12 million people.
It is time to turn this region’s trauma and its order of violence into a
successful story of peace and prosperity
During his meeting with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Guterres reportedly thanked
Oman for its constructive and balanced foreign policy and its efforts in
promoting dialogue, meditation and diplomatic solutions regionally and
worldwide. The secretary-general was conferred with the Oman Civil Order (First
Class) in recognition of his well-recognized political and diplomatic role.
Prior to the meeting, it was expected that the conflict in Yemen would be on the
agenda, as it has escalated since the beginning of December. In May, Oman
mediated a de-escalation agreement between the US and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
Muscat has also been mediating with the Houthis over the release of UN staff
held by the rebels. Oman, with its quiet diplomacy, has been called “the
Switzerland of the Middle East” by the Harvard International Review, while its
mediation efforts were acknowledged internationally at the time of the 2015 Iran
nuclear deal.
Both Saudi Arabia and Oman deeply understand the conflicts in Yemen and Sudan
and, without their diplomatic efforts and mediation, it seems impossible to end
these two wars. Nobody better understands this than the people of Iraq, where
tragic times of violence have been left in the past. As Guterres ended the
mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq in Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister
Fuad Hussein stressed that the mission’s conclusion illustrates the country’s
ability to manage its national policy and boost its constitutional institutions
and sovereignty. Guterres promised that the UN would continue to support Iraq
through new engagements aligned with the next stage, prioritizing sustainable
development and increasing global collaboration. The UN chief also recommended
former Iraqi President Barham Salih for the post of head of the UN Refugee
Agency. If approved by the organization’s executive committee, he will become
its first non-Western leader in half a century. The leaderships of Saudi Arabia,
Iraq and Oman can benefit their foreign policies by bringing peace to ‘their’
Islamic civilization
The Iraq War is one of the most catastrophic case studies of violence in recent
history. Within the last 80 years, the Middle East has experienced so many
heartbreaking conflicts and wars. These include the Arab-Israeli conflict, the
North Yemen civil war (1962-1970), the Dhofar War (1962-1975), the Lebanese
Civil War (1975-1990), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War (1990-1991),
the 2006 Lebanon War and the Syrian Civil War (2011-2024). It is time to turn
this region’s trauma and its order of violence into a successful story of peace
and prosperity. This can be done by revising Huntington’s well-known argument,
which has become outdated as it described the process rooted in the end of the
Cold War more than 30 years ago. The cure for modern politics can also be in
civilizations. The urgent conflicts in Yemen and Sudan both involve the Middle
East, which was included in Huntington’s “Islamic civilization.” He allocated to
this Islamic civilization, which is defined by a shared heritage of Islam, an
ability to influence social and political processes in the Middle East, parts of
Asia and even Europe. Key regional actors that are familiar with the region’s
dynamics can become strategic players in finding solutions to conflicts. In
other words, the leaderships of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman can benefit their
foreign policies by bringing peace to “their” Islamic civilization.
Also, in comparison to Huntington’s argument, rather than “clash” with other
civilizations — e.g., Western, Sinic, Hindu-Buddhist, Orthodox, Latin American
and sub-Saharan Africa — the key regional players can collaborate with the
international community and “other” civilizations, especially under the UN
agenda, to solve painful conflicts. This can be done either at the state level
(through mediation) or individually (by bringing representatives of the region
to top global positions, giving them the ability to make changes toward peace in
the region and worldwide).
Rather than waiting for a cure from the international community — which is still
thinking based on realist foundations, prioritizing violence — the Middle East’s
leaders can use the formula of “the peace of civilizations,” in contrast to
Huntington’s “clash of civilizations.” The region’s countries can become
pioneers by implementing this revised logic in their foreign policies. The
coming year can be a fresh start for remaking the world order based on peace.
*Dr. Diana Galeeva is an academic visitor to the Center of Islamic Studies at
the University of Cambridge.
Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 16, 2025