English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  December 26/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Mary said: He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 01/46-55/:"Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’"

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 25-26/2025
Dear Family members & Friends...Merry Christmas/Elias Bejjani/December 25/2025
Fear of Saying “Merry Christmas” is a Shame Upon the Peoples, Institutions, and Nations of the Secular West/Elias Bejjani/December 24/2025
Christmas celebrated from Lebanon’s border towns to Gaza despite hardship
Lebanese President: We are Determined to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time
Holiday dining in Lebanon: Restaurants busy, catering thrives on events
An Unprecedented Christmas Message and a Call for Peace in the Levant
Syrian Close to Assad-era Commander Killed in Lebanon
Alma Center: Dismantling Hezbollah Must Include Its Financial Activities
Adraee to Qassem: "What are you bringing to Lebanon this year?"
Israeli Army: IRGC Member Targeted in Northeast Lebanon
Fatalities in Bekaa and South Lebanon Following Air Strikes
IDF and Shin Bet Joint Statement on Unit 840
Haaretz: How the Israel-Lebanon-Syria Triangle Could Change the Middle East
Israeli airstrikes kill 3 on Christmas Day in Lebanon
Hezbollah yields to Israel and must also for Lebanon’s people/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/December 25, 2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 25-26/2025
Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful on Christmas to shed indifference in the face of suffering
Last Christians gather in ruins of Turkiye’s quake-hit Antakya
Syria says it killed senior ISIS leader
Syria Kurds chief says ‘all efforts’ being made to salvage deal with Damascus
Turkey detains dozens of IS suspects planning attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations
Ukraine hits major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, officials say
Saudi Arabia calls on Yemen separatists to leave 2 governorates as anti-Houthi coalition strains
Trump says US struck Daesh targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians
EU backs UN efforts for Yemen peace
Editorial: The threat of Yemen’s fragmentation is far reaching
Saudi Arabia says recent STC military movements in Hadramout, Al-Mahra were unilateral, uncoordinated
Zelenskyy says he had ‘very good’ talks on Ukraine with US envoys

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 25-26/2025
Trump Hands 21st Century to China, Reverses Biden's Ban on Selling Advanced Chips/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./December 25, 2025
Political Logjams and Alternatives/Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/December 25/2025
The Repugnance of Fundamentalism and ‘Insidious Adaptation/
Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 25/2025
Christmas Eve Church Violence Erupts in Egypt/Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/Dec 25, 2025
How shared relief and unity are defining the Christmas season in Syria/ALI HAJ SULEIMAN and HEBAA SHEHADE/Arab News/December 24, 2025
Christianity in Palestine is not separate from Palestinian identity,’ Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac tells Arab News/Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/December 25, 2025
Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 25, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 25-26/2025
Dear Family members & Friends...Merry Christmas
Elias Bejjani/December 25/2025
I extend to you my warmest Christmas greetings, wishing you happy and blessed days with the birth and incarnation of the Lord. I join you in prayer for our beloved Lebanon to reclaim its freedom and independence, and for the peoples of the world to return to the roots of faith so that peace may prevail throughout the earth. Merry Christmas to you all!”

Fear of Saying “Merry Christmas” is a Shame Upon the Peoples, Institutions, and Nations of the Secular West
Elias Bejjani/December 24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150449/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ISc0vPkZw
Remaining silent about saying “Merry Christmas” on the anniversary of the Nativity of the Incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and replacing it with “Season’s Greetings,” is no longer a mere social courtesy. Instead, it has become a malicious, undeclared policy, cultural submission, and a public concession by many Western nations and institutions that claim secularism and courage. In reality, fueled by cowardice, ignorance, and a lack of faith, they practice a form of “Dhimmitude” and deception under the guise of “neutrality.”
What is happening today in secular Western countries is not spontaneous. It is a political decision disguised to empty public opinion of the Name of Christ, to domesticate Christianity, and to turn it into a silent heritage that is forbidden from speaking Christ’s Name or naming Christian feasts openly and without complexes.
What we witness with anger and sorrow is the majority of Western nations disowning their roots—the values, civilization, progress, peace, and coexistence that grew from and with Christianity. They intentionally blind themselves to this history, erasing the mention of Christ Himself. In a cowardly duality, they desire the Christmas holiday while denying the Feast itself; they want the decorations but disown His Name; they want the traditions and the joy, yet they falsify the truth.
This duality regarding Christmas is absolute political hypocrisy and a deep-seated hostility toward Christian values, teachings, and symbols. Certainly, Christian teachings stand against the “fearful state.” What these practitioners of dhimmitude fail to realize is that the Holy Gospel does not know the language of “general greetings,” nor does it recognize the gray, lukewarm, and evasive discourse imposed by governments, corporations, and educational institutions.
In this clear, courageous, and direct context, we highlight the following Gospel verses:
“Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory.” (Luke 9:26)
What we say and believe regarding the absence of the phrase “Merry Christmas” is not just an opinion, but a direct condemnation. The shame Christians feel toward Christ in the public sphere is not “smart policy”; it is spiritual betrayal, ignorance, and a lack of faith. Christianity is not a timid minority, nor is it a guest in the West; it is the force that built its language, civilization, laws, calendar, and ethics.
Treating Christianity as a potential threat is not progress, but civilizational suicide. Therefore, saying “Merry Christmas” is not just a greeting; it is an act of faith, a testimony to the Truth and history, and a moral and political resistance against evil, the misguided, and those institutions that fear the Truth. It is a stand against a distorted discourse that wants a Christianity without Christ.
We call upon Christians, rulers, and institutions in the West to name Christian feasts by their proper names without shame. They should do so just as they interact with all other religions that name their feasts with pride and without restriction:
The Muslim says: “Ramadan Mubarak” “Adha Mubarak.”etc
The Jew says: “Happy Hanukkah” and names all his feasts.
The Hindu says: “Happy Diwali” and names all his feasts.
This is the case for all other faiths, and no one in the West asks them to change their names or apologize for them.
In summary, The fear of saying “Merry Christmas” is a disgrace to a West wrapped in a secularism that is supposed to respect religions. It is shameful that this phrase has become a source of fear in countries that claim freedom and pluralism. Ultimately, these are two simple words that carry no weapons or threats, yet they are avoided and replaced by meaningless phrases like “Season’s Greetings.” This cowardly concealment is not respect for others; it is fear and a lack of faith.
In conclusion, our duty is to reject humiliation and compromise, and to say with absolute freedom: Merry Christmas.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

Christmas celebrated from Lebanon’s border towns to Gaza despite hardship
LBCI/December 25/2025
Amid the festive season, Lebanon welcomed its expatriates for Christmas, with dabke dancing, music, and joyful gatherings. Happiness often mingled with tears as families reunited after long separations. Children surprised their parents with gifts, while others embraced their mothers, sharing moments of warmth and love during the holiday. Families celebrated both at home and in the streets, where presents were distributed to children. In the south, many towns captured scenes of Christmas joy despite past hardships. In Khiam, a border town, life returned on Christmas morning as locals attended mass, choosing to return to their village and pray despite extensive war damage and previous displacement caused by Israeli attacks. In Derdghaiya in the Tyre District, a Christmas mass was held in an intact building next to a destroyed church. Scouts from the Islamic Risala Scout Association joined residents in celebrating the holiday. Similar scenes unfolded in the city of Tyre and other border towns, reflecting hope for an end to suffering in the south. Children in the south had previously been deprived of full holiday celebrations, reminiscent of the faithful in Bethlehem, who celebrated Christmas with renewed hymns after two years of disruption due to the Gaza war. Gaza residents also reclaimed part of the religious and humanitarian symbolism of Christmas, holding mass despite damage from Israeli military operations. In Syria, many cities welcomed the child Jesus with hymns and masses, particularly in Old Damascus, Aleppo, and Qamishli, though heightened security measures remained around entrances and churches. Far from conflicts, in Berlin, Germany, locals maintained a 40-year tradition of taking a dip in a cold lake on Christmas morning. At the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump, instead of sharing holiday cheer, launched attacks on his Democratic opponents, calling them "radical left scum." At the same time, from his Florida resort, he connected with First Lady Melania and children via phone calls.

Lebanese President: We are Determined to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time
Asharq Al Awsat/December 25/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Thursday that the country’s parliamentary elections are a constitutional obligation that must be carried out on time. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency quoted Aoun as saying that he, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, is determined to hold the elections on schedule. Aoun also emphasized that diplomatic efforts have continued unabated to keep the specter of war at bay, noting that "things are heading in a positive direction". The agency also cited Berri reaffirming that the elections will take place as planned, with "no delays, no extensions". The Lebanese parliamentary elections are scheduled for May next year.

Holiday dining in Lebanon: Restaurants busy, catering thrives on events
LBCI/December 25, 2025
During the holidays, people may cook at home, order catering, or go to restaurants. Most restaurants operate year-round and, while affected by crises, still rely on daily customers, whereas catering depends primarily on special events to generate revenue. At the top of the list is the wedding season, the most profitable period, as it is long and usually extends through the summer. After weddings, the catering sector sees a boost during holiday seasons such as Christmas and New Year’s. Religious occasions also drive revenue, including First Communion celebrations for Christians and collective iftars during Ramadan for Muslims. Finally, at the lower end of the scale are somber occasions such as funerals. Despite their sensitive nature, demand for catering during these affairs remains steady. Most Lebanese spend Christmas Eve at home, while restaurants become the preferred choice on Christmas Day. According to Tony Ramy, President of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night-Clubs and Pastries in Lebanon, restaurant bookings accounted for 60 to 80% this year, a figure similar to last year. Despite the economic activity it generates, the holiday is not purely commercial, remaining an occasion that drives spending without diminishing its spiritual significance.

An Unprecedented Christmas Message and a Call for Peace in the Levant
This is Beirut/December 25, 2025
For the first time since returning to office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a Christmas message to Christians around the world last night. Broadcast from Jerusalem, his address carried symbolic weight, signaling a notable shift in rhetoric that extended far beyond a traditional seasonal greeting.
By highlighting the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the freedom of worship guaranteed in Israel, the Israeli Prime Minister sought to situate his remarks within a broader regional framework focused on the protection of religious minorities, interfaith coexistence, and stability in the Levant.
Christians and Jews: A Shared Destiny in the Levant
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Christmas message highlights a reality often overlooked amid conflict: Christians and Jews are native communities of the Levant, deeply rooted in its history, culture, and spiritual geography. Their survival and flourishing are not merely matters of religious concern but a major civilizational and political issue. In a region shaped by wars, radicalism, and state collapse, coexistence between Christians and Jews remains a key indicator of stability. Where these communities can live freely, practice their faith without fear, and participate fully in public life, societies tend to be more open, pluralistic, and resilient.
Lebanon: A Fragile Crossroads of Religious Coexistence
This issue is especially important for Lebanon, a country historically built on religious pluralism and confessional coexistence. The weakening of the state, the large-scale departure of Christians, and the growing influence of military and ideological agendas have deeply undermined this balance.
In this context, regional peace is not a diplomatic abstraction but a vital necessity. For Lebanon, it is essential for restoring sovereignty, achieving economic stability, and safeguarding its pluralistic model. For Israel, it offers a strategic horizon to secure its northern borders and establish durable regional ties.
Why Israeli-Lebanese Peace Has Become Unavoidable
Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, while not mentioning Lebanon directly, comes at a time when diplomatic lines are shifting. Ceasefires, de-escalation mechanisms, and indirect talks have all shown their limits. In the long term, only a negotiated peace based on mutual interests and reciprocal security guarantees can prevent the Levant from falling back into cyclical conflict. For both Lebanon and Israel, the continuation of direct negotiations, even if discreet, gradual, and pragmatic, is essential. They allow security, territorial, and economic issues to be addressed directly, without intermediaries who might be exploited, and help anchor solutions in the realities on the ground. A Religious Statement with Political Consequences
By addressing Christians at Christmas, Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message that goes beyond the religious sphere. He reminded the world that the protection of minorities, religious freedom, and coexistence are not incompatible with security imperatives but can in fact form their very foundation. In a fractured Levant, where communities are too often manipulated by conflict, peace between Israel and Lebanon would be not only a strategic turning point but also a message of hope for Christians, Jews, and all the peoples of the region: that lasting coexistence remains possible, provided it is desired and built through dialogue.

Syrian Close to Assad-era Commander Killed in Lebanon
This is Beirut/December 25, 2025
A former Syrian intelligence officer who was close to one of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad's top army commanders was killed in Lebanon, a judicial official said Tuesday, with the army announcing it had arrested a suspect. It was the first confirmation since Assad's ouster in December last year of a former Syrian government official being present in Lebanon, though many in Syria believe Assad-era figures are hiding in the neighboring country. The judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the body of Ghassan al-Sukhni was found near the house where he was staying in the Kesrwan area, north of Beirut. Lebanon's army announced in a statement on X that it had arrested the alleged perpetrator, who it said killed Sukhni "following a financial dispute."The judicial official said Sukhni "sought refuge in Lebanon after the fall of the Assad regime" and was a former Syrian intelligence officer closely associated with Suhail al-Hassan. Nicknamed "The Tiger," Hassan led Syria's special forces under Assad and was frequently described as the former ruler's "favorite soldier." He was responsible for key military advances by the Assad government in 2015 during Syria's civil war.
The Assad family exercised control over Lebanese affairs for decades and was accused of assassinating numerous officials in Lebanon who expressed opposition to its rule.Lebanon and Syria have committed to turning a new page on ties since his ouster, but issues including Damascus's demand that Beirut release Syrian nationals held in Lebanese jails remain key sticking points. AFP

Alma Center: Dismantling Hezbollah Must Include Its Financial Activities
Al-Modon | December 26, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Israeli "Alma" Research and Education Center published a paper addressing the financial system Hezbollah utilizes for recovery, specifically focusing on the Al-Qard al-Hasan institution. The center, specializing in Israeli national security issues related to Hezbollah, the northern front, and Iran, concluded that dismantling Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure is essential, though it expressed doubts about the Lebanese state’s current ability to achieve this.
The Strategic Importance of "Al-Qard al-Hasan"
The paper argues that Hezbollah’s recovery does not currently depend on military capabilities but largely on its economic and financial infrastructure.
Customer Base: Estimated at 300,000 clients.
Activity Volume: Estimated at over $3 billion.
Function: It serves as a pillar for Hezbollah’s economic activity and its relationship with its Lebanese Shia base.
The paper noted a recent U.S. Treasury delegation visit to Lebanon, which issued firm demands to close the institution. While Central Bank Governor Karim Said reportedly contacted Internal Security Forces to begin a gradual closure, government officials clarified that the Governor lacks the authority to act alone, as Al-Qard al-Hasan is registered as an association, not a licensed bank.
Hezbollah’s Response and "Alternative" Plans
Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad reportedly warned that moves against the institution harm private property rights. He argued that excluding Hezbollah from the official banking system forced its supporters toward a cash-based economy.
Internal Hezbollah measures include:
Forming a special committee to study legal and political responses.
The "Joud" Association: Reports suggest Hezbollah is considering a new entity called "Joud" to operate in "regulatory gray areas." It would focus on buying and selling gold or providing gold-backed loans paid in installments, avoiding traditional banking transfers to evade Central Bank oversight.
Official Denial: Al-Qard al-Hasan issued a statement asserting it continues to operate under its current name and that gold transactions are handled by licensed commercial companies, not the institution itself.
Doubts on Lebanese State Capability
The Alma Center concludes that weakening Hezbollah requires comprehensive political and international pressure targeting its civil-economic dimension. However, due to legal hurdles and Hezbollah’s "red lines," the center believes any government action might remain "largely symbolic." It questions whether the state can take serious steps against the institution any more than it can successfully disarm the group.

Adraee to Qassem: "What are you bringing to Lebanon this year?"
Al-Modon | December 25, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on "X" addressing Naim Qassem (Hezbollah’s Secretary-General): "Papa Naim, what are you bringing to Lebanon this year?" He added, "Should we guess, or is it already clear? Naturally, it’s not their holiday, but they have distorted the Lebanese identity—so is it any surprise they distort the holidays of the Lebanese people? Did the message get through?"

Israeli Army: IRGC Member Targeted in Northeast Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat | December 25, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Israeli army announced on Thursday that it killed a member linked to the IRGC’s Quds Force in a strike in Lebanon, accusing him of planning attacks against Israel. The Target: Hussein Mahmoud Murshid Al-Jawhari, described as a prominent operative in the Quds Force's Operations Unit (Unit 840). The Operation: A joint strike by the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency. Details: An Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the Hosh Al-Sayyed Ali border area near Syria (Hermel district). Two people were killed in the strike. Adraee stated that Al-Jawhari worked under IRGC command and was involved in "terrorist operations" against Israel from both Syrian and Lebanese territories.

Fatalities in Bekaa and South Lebanon Following Air Strikes
Al-Modon & Al-Markazia | December 25, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Military activity intensified across several Lebanese regions on Thursday:
South Lebanon (Safad al-Battikh): An Israeli drone targeted a pickup truck at the entrance of Safad al-Battikh (Bint Jbeil district), killing one person. The IDF claimed it targeted a Hezbollah member in the Jmueijmeh area. Bekaa (Hermel): Aside from the strike on Al-Jawhari, the Ministry of Public Health confirmed two fatalities in the Hosh Al-Sayyed Ali strike. Security Forces Casualty: First Warrant Officer Alaa Kamel Shehadeh of the General Security succumbed to wounds sustained last week in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in Sebline (Chouf district) while he was returning from duty. Ground Activity: Israeli forces conducted sweeping operations near Kfarshouba and carried out a large-scale demolition of a building in Kafarkila at dawn. Airspace Violations: Low-altitude drone flights were reported over the Southern Suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh), Saida, and Ba'albek, where a squadron of eight Israeli jets was spotted.

IDF and Shin Bet Joint Statement on Unit 840
Al-Markazia | December 25, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Israeli military and Shin Bet issued a stern warning following the assassination of Al-Jawhari. They identified Unit 840 as the Quds Force's operations unit headed by Asghar Baqeri and his deputy Mohammad Reza Ansari. The statement emphasized that they "view with extreme gravity any attempt by the Iranian regime and its proxies to carry out operations" and will continue to work to remove threats to the state of Israel.
Summary of other incidents:
A "suicide drone" (loitering munition) hit a house in Blida, causing a fire.
Israeli positions at Hammamats Hill (south of Khiyam) opened machine-gun fire toward the surrounding area.Stun grenades were dropped by drones over the town of Odaisseh.

Haaretz: How the Israel-Lebanon-Syria Triangle Could Change the Middle East
Al-Modon | December 25, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
An analysis in Haaretz by Israeli experts (including Nimrod Goren and Michael Harari) suggests that the blow dealt to Hezbollah and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria have created a rare diplomatic opening.
A New Triple Arena
The authors argue that the opportunity is no longer limited to separate bilateral tracks but involves a "triangular arena" (Israel-Lebanon-Syria):
Syria: The new leadership under President Al-Sharaa, despite an Islamist background, appears interested in international recognition and resources. It is described as hostile to Iran and Hezbollah, potentially acting as a "buffer zone."
Lebanon: Hezbollah is currently weakened and faces a Lebanese leadership seeking to diminish its influence further. Washington’s Role: The U.S. is reportedly ready to lift sanctions on Syria to curb Iranian influence, raising expectations for normalization between Israel and Syria.
Recommendations for Israel
The article urges Israel to prioritize "diplomatic wisdom" over military escalation:
Flexibility Toward Syria: To finalize pending security agreements. Regional Dialogue: Leveraging Syrian developments to improve strained ties with Turkey and Jordan. A "Northern Framework": Creating a coordinated political-security framework involving the U.S., France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the EU. This would allow progress in one area (e.g., Syria) to build momentum in another (e.g., Lebanon). The authors conclude that while the region is shifting from military focus to political-economic engagement, internal Israeli political considerations by the Prime Minister may still favor force over diplomacy, potentially risking this "historic opportunity."

Israeli airstrikes kill 3 on Christmas Day in Lebanon
Najia Houssari/Arab News/December 25, 2025
BEIRUT: Israeli airstrikes killed three people and wounded another in Lebanon on Thursday, as President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed his government’s commitment to disarming Hezbollah and ensuring state control over all weapons in the country. The Israeli attacks hit the eastern Hermel district and the southern town of Janata. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health confirmed the casualties, while the Israeli military claimed the strikes targeted Hezbollah operatives. Aoun said the disarmament process was “ongoing in accordance with circumstances.”Army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal is expected to present a report to the Cabinet early in the new year, confirming the completion of disarmament south of the Litani River and outlining the next phase northward to the Awali River. A formation of eight Israeli warplanes flew at high altitude over Baalbek and its surrounding villages before retreating southeast toward the eastern mountain range. In a series of strikes, an Israeli drone targeted a passenger bus at the Al-Nasseriya–Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali junction, killing two people, including Ali Abdulamir Salman.
Another drone strike hit a car in the town of Janata in the Tyre district, injuring a passerby who was taken to hospital for treatment. In the afternoon, a third Israeli drone targeted a pickup truck at the entrance of Safad al-Battikh in Bint Jbeil district, injuring one person. The Israeli army later confirmed the strike, claiming it had targeted a Hezbollah member. The military then announced it had killed Hussein Al-Jawhari, describing him as a “senior member of the Iranian Quds Force’s operations unit,” in an airstrike in Lebanon. Joseph El-Kosseifi, head of Lebanon’s Editors Syndicate, condemned the Israeli army on Thursday for opening fire on an Al Mayadeen television crew. The team had been filming a report in the southern town of Dhayra with the knowledge and coordination of the Lebanese army. On Wednesday night, Israeli forces demolished several homes in the border town of Kfar Kila. Separately, two Israeli drones dropped explosive devices on the town of Houla, damaging an excavator and several vehicles. Another drone dropped a sound bomb on the town of Odaisseh. Israeli reconnaissance aircraft also flew at low altitude over Beirut and its southern suburbs. In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its raids across the border, averaging around six strikes per day in December — equivalent to one strike every four hours. UNIFIL reported that the ceasefire agreement has been violated more than 10,000 times, or once every 53 minutes on average. The figure includes more than 2,500 ground activities by the Israeli army and more than 7,800 violations of Lebanese airspace, the UN peacekeeping force said. Speaking to journalists during the Christmas celebration in Bkerke, led by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi, Aoun expressed hope for the “birth of a new Lebanon” and a peaceful end to hostilities.
“We are celebrating Christmas while a bleeding wound remains in the south,” he said. “Our people have not yet returned to their villages, our detainees remain in Israeli prisons, and attacks continue, most recently today in the south and the Bekaa. I hope for the end of wars and the beginning of peace.” Aoun said that Lebanese diplomats are working alongside the Mechanism Committee with key international partners, including the US, EU, and Arab states, to prevent violence escalating and support ceasefire efforts. “In negotiations, each side naturally pushes its demands higher, but I remain optimistic,” he said. “God willing, we are heading toward positive outcomes.” The president added that the new year must bring institutional reform.
“We hope 2025 will mark the birth of a new Lebanon, one that is governed by institutions, not parties, sects, or confessional divisions, but a state built on transparency and accountability,” he said. Asked if he was satisfied with the pace of reforms, Aoun pointed to progress in the past year, saying that “we have put things on the right track. The government has signed over 2,000 decrees in the past 10 months. The situation is improving, and I am optimistic.” He reiterated his commitment to holding parliamentary elections on time alongside Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Referring to the electoral law to be adopted, Aoun said that “it is up to MPs to debate and decide in Parliament. Our duty is to ensure a safe and democratic process.” During an exceptional meeting with senior leadership, as well as commanders of operational units and regiments, Haykal said that the army is “nearing completion of the first phase” of its plan to place all weapons under the authority of the state. He said that the next phases are being approached “with precision and deliberation,” and that planning is underway based on evaluation of all relevant data and evolving circumstances. The army chief praised the military’s “professional performance,” which he said, “continues to earn the trust of brotherly and friendly nations,” despite periodic accusations and Israeli “disinformation campaigns” aimed at undermining confidence in the army’s role and doctrine. “One of the key reasons for the confidence and support the army receives is its proven track record in fulfilling its duties across all Lebanese regions, especially in the south, despite limited resources,” he added. .

Hezbollah yields to Israel and must also for Lebanon’s people
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/December 25, 2025
Hezbollah has reportedly conceded to Israel’s demands and is no longer present south of the Litani River, a key condition of the 2024 ceasefire. But this is not enough; if Hezbollah has yielded to Tel Aviv’s will, it is also time to do the same for the Lebanese people and state. Observers consider this the completion of the first phase of the weapons consolidation initiative, which is led by the Lebanese Army, to confiscate all Hezbollah’s arms and place them under state authority. Hezbollah, through leaks to its Lebanese media, has already made it clear that it will not hand over a single bullet north of the Litani River. So Hezbollah, which presents itself as a protector of Lebanon and a resistance movement, will happily execute and abide by the will of its sworn enemy, Israel, but refuses to even listen to the people and state.
This proves — if proof is still needed — that this organization is nothing but a regional, self-interested proxy. It is not a political institution, but simply a military non-state actor that should not be allowed to operate on Lebanese soil.
South of the Litani means nothing to the Lebanese. The Lebanese demand that weapons across the entire country be surrendered. The Lebanese want a state that is sovereign and protects all its citizens. The Lebanese do not want reckless and adventurous terror organizations to push the country into conflict or destruction. Moreover, it is time for Hezbollah to wake up from its delusions following the severe defeat it suffered.
Today the reality is that despite stating for decades that it is a counterweight to the Israelis, it is now clear this was only artifice. I had mentioned this in a previous column in Arab News, years before the capitulation war of 2024.
“The Lebanese do not want reckless and adventurous terror organizations to push the country into conflict or destruction.”The end of the last war was indeed a capitulation. Hezbollah could not hide behind international protection as it did in 2006 and 2024, it capitulated to the Israeli military for the first time. There is no sugarcoating it. So, will it now yield to the will of the Lebanese state?
The answer is simply no. We should remember how Hezbollah assassinated Lebanese free speakers. We can be certain that its weapons are not and were never aimed at the Israelis but at the people of Lebanon. Let us not forget the terrorism of this group since its inception in the 1980s. And how, during every period of domestic or regional political tensions, it killed on its own behalf or for its patrons. It killed opponents, anti-Syrian politicians, journalists, and military figures, to serve and maintain its hegemony on the state and advance its regional status.
It is no longer strong enough to face Israel but has just enough strength to maintain control over Lebanon for now. We also need to remember Hezbollah’s role during the Syrian Civil War. And we must repeat that its weapons are not and were never aimed at the Israelis, but only at the people of Lebanon, the Levant and Arab region. We cannot forget that Hezbollah intervened militarily on the side of the Bashar Assad regime. We cannot forget what they did in Qusayr, Aleppo, and the Damascus countryside. We cannot forget that UN investigations and independent reports have linked Hezbollah and allied pro-regime forces to participation in mass killings, sectarian reprisals, forced displacement of civilians, and the destruction of towns and villages. Moreover, we should remember its role in Iraq, Yemen, and beyond.
Hezbollah is simply a military non-state actor that should not be allowed to operate on Lebanese soil. While military meetings supervised by the US are currently taking place between Israel and Lebanon, these are merely to update Tel Aviv on the disarmament process and to avoid increased pressure on the execution of the disarmament plan. Yet, Israeli strikes continue in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah sites and infrastructure. A few days ago, the Israeli army claimed the targeting of three Hezbollah members, one of whom was a Lebanese soldier.
The Lebanese army has denied this was one of its soldiers and accused Israel of spreading misinformation. It is difficult to imagine, considering the role and dominance of Hezbollah on the military and security levels, that it has no links, influence or sources within these Lebanese structures. The same might be said about the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. This means that beyond the disarmament, Lebanese sovereign institutions will have to undergo an organizational restructure. One that should have taken place immediately after the withdrawal of Syrian troops, but which Hezbollah and its allies prevented.
This situation cannot continue because it is the source of all ills, including corruption in the country. It is high time for the Lebanese people to stop thinking within the framework of international resolutions and start considering the future and well-being of the country. Hezbollah’s disarmament is not about implementing Resolution 1701 or abiding by Israel’s will. It is about building a country from the rubble of destruction. It is about putting forward the foundations of a new state for all citizens. There is no place for any non-state military actor in this roadmap.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 25-26/2025
Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful on Christmas to shed indifference in the face of suffering
Silvia Stellacci And Colleen Barry/December 25/2025
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV during his first Christmas Day message on Thursday urged the faithful to shed indifference in the face of those who have lost everything, like in Gaza, those who are in impoverished, like in Yemen, and the many migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea and the American continent for a better future. The first U.S. pontiff addressed some 26,000 people from the loggia overlooking St. Peter's Square for the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi'' address, Latin for “To the City and to the World,'' which serves as a summary of the woes facing the world. While the crowd gathered under a steady downpour during the papal Mass inside St. Peter's basilica, the rain had subsided by the time Leo took a brief tour of the square in the popemobile, then spoke to the crowd from the loggia.
Leo revived the tradition of offering Christmas greetings in multiple languages abandoned by his predecessor, Pope Francis. He received especially warm cheers when he made his greetings in his native English and Spanish, the language of his adopted country of Peru where he served first as a missionary and then as archbishop. Someone in the crowd shouted out “Viva il papa!'' or ”Long live the pope!'' before he retreated into the basilica. Leo took off his glasses for a final wave.
Leo surveys the world's distress
During the traditional address, the pope emphasized that everyone could contribute to peace by acting with humility and responsibility. “If he would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change,'' the pope said. Leo called for “justice, peace and stability” in Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria, prayers for “the tormented people of Ukraine,'' and “peace and consolation” for victims of wars, injustice, political stability, religious persecution and terrorism, citing Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and Congo. The pope also urged dialogue to address “numerous challenges” in Latin America, reconciliation in Myanmar, the restoration of “the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia,'' and assistance for the suffering of those hit by natural disasters in South Asia and Oceania. “In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent,'' the pontiff said.
He also remembered those who have lost their jobs or are seeking work, especially young people, underpaid workers and those in prison.
Peace through dialogue
Earlier, Leo led the Christmas Day Mass from the central altar beneath the balustrade of St. Peter’s Basilica, adorned with floral garlands and clusters of red poinsettias. White flowers were set at the feet of a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus, whose birth is celebrated on Christmas Day. In his homily, Leo underlined that peace can emerge only through dialogue. “There will be peace when our monologues are interrupted and, enriched by listening, we fall to our knees before the humanity of the other,” he said. He remembered the people of Gaza, “exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold” and the fragility of “defenseless populations, tried by so many wars,’’ and of “young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them, and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths.’’ Thousands of people packed the basilica for the pope’s first Christmas Day Mass, holding aloft their smartphones to capture images of the opening procession. This Christmas season marks the winding down of the Holy Year celebrations, which will close on Jan. 6, the Catholic Epiphany holiday marking the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Last Christians gather in ruins of Turkiye’s quake-hit Antakya
AFP/December 25, 2025
ANTAKYA: Saint Peter’s, one of the world’s oldest rock churches, is a sacred rallying point for the isolated Christians still left in quake-hit Antakya in southeastern Turkiye, the city known in ancient times as Antioch. “Since the earthquake, our community has scattered,” said worshipper Mari Ibri.
“Those who remain are trying to regroup. We each had our own church but, like mine, they have been destroyed.” The landscape around the cave remains scarred by the disaster nearly three years ago, when two earthquakes devastated Hatay province on February 6, 2023 and its jewel, Antakya, the gateway to Syria.Sad fields of rubble and the silhouettes of cracked, abandoned buildings still scar the city — all enveloped in the ever-present grey dust. Since the earthquakes, Antakya city has emptied and the Christian community has shrunk from 350 families to fewer than 90, Father Dimitri Dogum told AFP.
“Before, Christmas at our house was grandiose,” Ibri recalled. “Our churches were full. People came from everywhere.”Ibri’s own church in the city center was rendered inaccessible by the earthquakes. Now she and other worshippers gather at the cave on December 24 — Christmas Eve in some Christian calendars.It is here, they believe, that Peter, the disciple Jesus assigned to found the Christian church, held his first religious service in the 1st century. The rock church was later enlarged and 11th-century crusaders added a pale stone facade. It is now a museum, opened to the faithful only on rare occasions.
Christmas Eve is one. The morning sun was still glowing red in the sky when Fadi Hurigil, leader of Antakya’s Orthodox Christian community, and his assistants prepared the service.
They draped the stone altar and unpacked candles, holy oil, chalices and plastic chairs.Out in front they placed figurines of Christ and three saints near a bottle of rough red wine, bread baskets and presents for the children. The sound system played a recording of the bells of Saint Peter and Paul church, which now stands empty in Antakya city center.“That was my church,” said Ibri, crossing herself. “They recorded the peals.”Around one hundred worshippers soon squeezed into the incense-filled cave and at least as many congregated outside.A large police contingent looked on. Sniffer dogs had already inspected the cave and esplanade.“It’s normal,” said Iliye, a 72-year-old from Iskenderun, 60 kilometers (40 miles) further north. “We’re a minority. It’s to protect us.”The slow chanting of Orthodox hymns heralded the start of the two-hour service, conducted entirely in chants sung in Arabic and Turkish by Dogum and another cleric.“It’s very moving for us to be here in the world’s first cave church, where the first disciples gathered,” the priest said. “There used to be crowds here,” he added. “In 2022, there were at least 750 people outside, Christians and non-Christians alike.”Since the earthquakes, the gathering has been much smaller, although it is now starting to grow again. At the end of the service, when Christmas carols fill the air, Dogum and Hurigil cut a huge rectangular cake. The Nativity scene at its center — Mary, baby Jesus, the ox and the ass — was edged with whipped cream.
“There’s the religious dimension but it’s also important that people can gather here again,” a worshipper said. “After February 6, our fellow citizens scattered. But they’re starting to come back. We’re happy about that.”

Syria says it killed senior ISIS leader
Al Arabiya English/December 25/2025
Syrian authorities on Thursday said they killed a senior leader in the ISIS group in coordination with the US-led coalition, hours after the arrest near Damascus of another leader.Syrian security and intelligence forces, working in coordination with the international coalition, conducted what the interior ministry described as a “precise security operation.”“The operation resulted in neutralizing the terrorist Mohammad Shahada, known as ‘Abu Omar Shaddad,’ who is considered one of the prominent ISIS leaders in Syria,” it added. “This operation comes as confirmation of the effectiveness of joint coordination between the national security agencies and international partners.”Hours earlier, authorities said they captured Taha al-Zoubi, also known as Abu Omar Tabiya, an ISIS leader in Damascus, along with several of his men on Wednesday. A December 13 attack killed two US soldiers and an American civilian. Washington blamed the attack on a lone IS gunman in Syria’s Palmyra. In retaliation, US forces conducted strikes targeting scores of ISIS targets in Syria. The strikes killed five members of the extremist group, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.In November, during a visit by President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington, Syria officially joined the US-led coalition against ISIS.With AFP

Syria Kurds chief says ‘all efforts’ being made to salvage deal with Damascus
AFP/December 25, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said Thursday that “all efforts” were being made to prevent the collapse of talks on an agreement with Damascus to integrate his forces into the central government. The remarks came days after Aleppo saw deadly clashes between the two sides before their respective leaders ordered a ceasefire. In March, Abdi signed a deal with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to merge the Kurds’ semi-autonomous administration into the government by year’s end, but differences have held up its implementation. Abdi said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurds’ de facto army, remained committed to the deal, adding in a statement that the two sides were working toward “mutual understanding” on military integration and counter-terrorism, and pledging further meetings with Damascus. Downplaying the year-end deadline, he said the deal “did not specify a time limit for its ending or for the return to military solutions.”He added that “all efforts are being made to prevent the collapse of this process” and that he considered failure unlikely. Abdi also repeated the SDF’s demand for decentralization, which has been rejected by Syria’s Islamist authorities, who took power after ousting longtime ruler Bashar Assad last year. Turkiye, an important ally of Syria’s new leaders, sees the presence of Kurdish forces on its border as a security threat. In Damascus this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed the importance of the Kurds’ integration, having warned the week before that patience with the SDF “is running out.”The SDF control large swathes of the country’s oil-rich north and northeast, and with the support of a US-led international coalition, were integral to the territorial defeat of the Daesh group in Syria in 2019. Syria last month joined the anti-IS coalition and has announced operations against the jihadist group in recent days.

Turkey detains dozens of IS suspects planning attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations
Associated Press/December 25, 2025
ISTANBUL (AP) — Istanbul police launched scores of simultaneous raids on Thursday, detaining over a hundred suspected members of the militant Islamic State group who were allegedly planning attacks against Christmas and New Year's celebrations, authorities said. A statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said police were tipped off that the extremist group had called for action — particularly against non-Muslims — during the celebrations. The office had issued warrants for 137 suspects, of whom 115 were detained. Officers also seized many firearms, cartridges and documents during the raids. It said 124 locations were raided. The arrests come days after the Trump administration launched widespread military strikes in neighboring Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State fighters and weapons' sites in retaliation for an ambush blamed on the group that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter. Syrian security forces have also launched operations against IS in recent days, including two raids on the outskirts of Damascus, the Syrian capital. In those raids, Syrian officials said Taha al-Zoubi, identified as the IS leader in the Damascus area, was captured and Mohammed Shahadeh, a senior IS commander in Syria, was killed. Top Turkish officials visited Syria earlier this week to discuss counterterrorism efforts against IS, among other issues. At its peak in 2015, IS controlled a swath of territory across Iraq and Syria half the size of the United Kingdom. It was notorious for its brutality against religious minorities as well as Muslims who do not follow the militants' extreme interpretation of Islam. After years of fighting, the U.S.-led coalition broke the group’s last hold on territory in late 2019, but IS cells in multiple countries continue to carry out periodic attacks

Ukraine hits major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, officials say
Sky News/December 25, 2025
Ukraine has hit a major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, Ukrainian military and security officials said on Thursday. The Storm Shadow missiles caused multiple explosions at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Rostov, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. "Multiple explosions were recorded. The target was hit," the General Staff said on ‍the Telegram app on Thursday. The refinery was one of southern Russia's biggest suppliers of oil products and was supplying diesel and jet fuel to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, according to the officials. The UK gave Ukraine permission to use its Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia last year, with the first known strikes happening in November that year. Ukrainian-made long-range drones hit oil product tanks in Russia's Temryuk port in the Krasnodar region ​and a gas processing plant in Orenburg. The Orenburg plant is the largest facility of its kind and is around 1,400km (870 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Russian officials in Krasnodar said two oil product tanks caught fire at the southern port of Temryuk after the drone attack.

Saudi Arabia calls on Yemen separatists to leave 2 governorates as anti-Houthi coalition strains
Jon Gambrell/The Associated Press/December 25, 2025
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Thursday formally called on Emirati-backed separatists in Yemen to withdraw from two governorates their forces now control in the country, a move that threatens sparking a confrontation within a fragile coalition battling the Houthi rebels. The statement from Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry appeared aimed at putting public pressure on the Southern Transitional Council, a force long backed by the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has backed other fighters within Yemen, including the National Shield Forces, in the war against the Iranian-backed Houthis the kingdom launched in 2015. The separatists' actions have "resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of all segments of Yemeni people, as well as the southern cause and the coalition’s efforts,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry warned. It added: “The kingdom stresses the importance of cooperation among all Yemeni factions and components to exercise restraint and avoid any measures that could destabilize security and stability, which may result in undesirable consequences.”
Saudi Arabia says negotiations ongoing
The Council has moved into Yemen's governorates of Hadramout and Mahra. The Saudi statement said meditation efforts were aimed at having the Council's forces return to “their previous positions outside of the two governorates and hand over the camps in those areas” to the National Shield Forces. “These efforts remain in progress to restore the situation to its previous statement,” the ministry added. The local Hadramout governorate's authority said it supported the Saudi announcement and welcomed the arrival of a joint Saudi-UAE delegation to Hadramout. It called for the Emirati-backed separatists to withdraw back to positions outside the governorates. Those aligned with the Council have increasingly flown the flag of the flag of South Yemen, which was a separate country from 1967 to 1990. There were calls for demonstrations Thursday in Aden to support political forces wanting South Yemen to again secede from Yemen, but it wasn't immediately clear if they would go ahead given Saudi Arabia's announcement. Aden has been the seat of power in Yemen for forces aligned against the Houthis. The confrontation also has put pressure on the relationship between neighboring Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which maintain close relations and are members of the OPEC oil cartel but also have vied for influence and international business in recent years. The Council's moves in Yemen follow an escalation of violence in Sudan, another nation on the Red Sea where the kingdom and the Emirates back opposing forces in an ongoing war. It's the latest chaos to grip war-torn Yemen. The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. Tehran denies arming the rebels, although Iranian-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments heading to Yemen despite a United Nations arms embargo.
A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen’s exiled government in March 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting have pushed the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. The Houthis launched attacks on hundreds of ships in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war, greatly disrupting regional shipping. While traffic has inched up recently in the lull in attacks, many shippers continue to go around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Further chaos in Yemen could again draw in the United States. The U.S. launched an intense bombing campaign targeting the rebels earlier this year that President Donald Trump halted just before his trip to the Mideast. The Biden administration also conducted strikes against the Houthis, including using America’s B-2 bombers to target what it described as underground bunkers used by the Houthis. Also Thursday, mourners held a funeral for several Houthi fighters in Sanaa. Crowds gathered as uniformed men carried five coffins draped in Yemen’s flag and topped with flowers. The dead fighters include Maj. Gen. Zakaria Abdullah Yahya Hajar, whom analysts identified as the group’s drone and missile chief. U.S. forces reportedly targeted Hajar, who allegedly received training from the expeditionary Quds Force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, in a strike in March in Sanaa. The Houthis provided no information on how or when he died. Meanwhile, the Houthis have increasingly threatened Saudi Arabia and taken dozens of workers at U.N. agencies and other aid groups as prisoners, alleging without evidence that they were spies — something fiercely denied by the U.N. and others.

Trump says US struck Daesh targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians
AP/December 26, 2025
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he’d launched a “powerful and deadly” US strike against Daesh forces in Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African country’s government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against Daesh Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” the president posted on his social media site. His post did not include information about how the strike was carried out, nor what effects it had. But the US Africa Command posted on X that it had “conducted a strike at the request of Nigerian authorities in Soboto State killing multiple Daesh terrorists.”
“Lethal strikes against Daesh demonstrate the strength of our military and our commitment to eliminating terrorist threats against Americans at home and abroad,” its post said. The Defense Department did not immediately answer requests for comment. In response to Trump’s previous criticisms, Nigeria’s government says that people of many faiths, not just Christians, have suffered attacks at the hands of extremists groups.Still, last month, Trump said he’d ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution. The State Department has also announced it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country. And the US recently designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote in his Christmas night post. He said that US defense officials had “executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing” and added that “our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.” Nigeria’s population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough. But attacks in Nigeria often have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.
The US security footprint has diminished in Africa, where military partnerships have either been scaled down or canceled. US forces likely would have to be drawn from other parts of the world for any military intervention in Nigeria. Trump has nonetheless kept up the pressure as Nigeria faced a series of attacks on schools and churches in violence that experts and residents say targets both Christians and Muslims. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Thursday night on X: “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end.”Hegseth said that US military forces are “always ready, so Daesh found out tonight — on Christmas” and added, “More to come…Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation” before signing off, “Merry Christmas!”

EU backs UN efforts for Yemen peace
Arab News/December 24, 2025
RIYADH: The EU has reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the UN special envoy for Yemen and its commitment to working toward lasting peace and prosperity for the Yemeni people. The bloc has called for de-escalation and encourages enhanced diplomatic efforts by all parties and regional stakeholders. It welcomed the agreement reached in Muscat on a new phase of releasing conflict-related detainees from all sides. It reaffirms its commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen, and to the government of Yemen. The EU also condemned the continued detention of UN staff and NGO workers by the Houthis and called for their unconditional release.

Editorial: The threat of Yemen’s fragmentation is far reaching
Arab News/December 25, 2025
RIYADH: As Yemen’s political landscape continues to shift at a dizzying pace, it is worth pausing to reflect on the official Saudi position — and the commentary of some of our leading Saudi columnists — regarding the recent unilateral moves by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah. These actions, taken without the consent of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) or coordination with the Arab Coalition, represent a dangerous gamble with the future of a fragile nation — one that Saudi Arabia, like its Arab neighbors, wishes only peace, stability, and prosperity. There is no ambiguity in the Kingdom’s stance: it has worked tirelessly to preserve calm in Hadramout and Al-Mahrah, steering both regions away from military escalation and toward peaceful solutions. In a bid to contain the situation, Saudi Arabia, in coordination with its brothers and partners in the United Arab Emirates and the PLC, dispatched a joint team to negotiate with the STC. The goal was clear — facilitate the withdrawal of STC forces and hand over military sites to the National Shield Forces. Yet despite Riyadh’s call for de-escalation and its appeal to the STC to prioritize national interest and social cohesion, the Council has persisted in its confrontational posture, seemingly indifferent to the grave consequences of its actions. Observers in Riyadh will note that the Kingdom remains steadfast in its support for the PLC and Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Its commitment to Yemen’s stability is not rhetorical — it is political, economic, and developmental. Saudi Arabia’s vision is to shepherd Yemen from the shadows of conflict into an era of peace, prosperity, and regional integration. This is not merely a function of geography or shared borders; it is a reflection of the Kingdom’s religious, political, and economic responsibilities in the Arab and Islamic world. From this vantage point, the newspaper firmly believes that the STC’s unilateral actions in Hadramout constitute a blatant violation of Yemen’s transitional framework. They undermine the legitimacy of the recognized government, threaten the fragile peace, and jeopardize the political process. Worse still, they echo the very tactics employed by the Houthi militias — an alarming parallel that should not be ignored. It is therefore essential to reiterate the Kingdom’s position: the STC must withdraw its forces from Hadramout and Al-Mahrah, restoring the status quo ante. This is not a punitive demand, but a necessary step to safeguard national security and prevent further military flare-ups. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has consistently affirmed that the southern issue is a just cause — one that must be addressed in any future political settlement. It is enshrined in the outcomes of Yemen’s National Dialogue and must be resolved inclusively, reflecting the aspirations of all southern Yemenis — not reduced to the ambitions of any single individual, including the likes of Aidarous Al-Zubaidi or other STC figures. Ultimately, we urge the separatists to choose reason over recklessness. Partitioning Yemen will not bring peace — it will sow the seeds of future wars, embolden extremist actors, and pose a threat not only to Yemen’s internal cohesion but to regional and international stability. As Western and American policymakers know all too well: what happens in Yemen never stays in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia says recent STC military movements in Hadramout, Al-Mahra were unilateral, uncoordinated
Arab News/December 25, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday said that recent military movements in the Yemeni governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahra carried out by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) were conducted unilaterally and without coordination with the Presidential Leadership Council or the coalition leadership. “These movements resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of all segments of Yemeni people, as well as the Southern cause and the coalition’s efforts,” read a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency. The statement said Saudi Arabia has always prioritized preserving the unity of Yemen throughout recent developments, and that the Kingdom has spared no effort to reach peaceful solutions to resolve the situation in both governorates. In this context, “the Kingdom worked with the brotherly United Arab Emirates, the president of the Presidential Leadership Council and the brotherly Yemeni government to contain the situation. “A joint military team was sent from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to put the necessary arrangements in place with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden. These arrangements were made to ensure the return of the Southern Transitional Council forces to their previous positions outside the two governorates and hand over the camps in those areas to the Nation Shield Forces and the local authorities, in accordance with organized procedures under the supervision of the coalition forces.” The statement said that “these efforts remain in progress to restore the situation to its previous state.”Saudi Arabia also said it “hopes public interest will prevail through ending the escalation by the Southern Transitional Council and the withdrawal of its forces from the two governorates in an urgent and orderly manner.”It added: “The kingdom stresses the importance of cooperation among all Yemeni factions and components to exercise restraint and avoid any measures that could destabilize security and stability, which may result in undesirable consequences.”

Zelenskyy says he had ‘very good’ talks on Ukraine with US envoys
AFP/December 25/2025
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he had had “very good” talks with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, focused on ending the “brutal Russian war.”“We discussed certain substantive details of the ongoing work,” he said in a post on social media.“There are good ideas that can work toward a shared outcome and the lasting peace,” he added. Zelenskyy thanked the two envoys for their “constructive approach, the intensive work, and the kind words.”“We are truly working 24/7 to bring closer the end of this brutal Russian war against Ukraine and to ensure that all documents and steps are realistic, effective, and reliable,” he added. They had also agreed during the conversation that Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov would speak with the two envoys again Thursday. Zelenskyy’s post came a day after having said that Ukraine had won some limited concessions in the latest version of a US-led draft plan to end the Russian invasion. The 20-point plan, agreed on by US and Ukrainian negotiators, is being reviewed by Moscow. But the Kremlin has previously not shown a willingness to abandon its territorial demands for full Ukrainian withdrawal from the east. Zelenskyy conceded on Wednesday that there were some points in the document that he did not like. But he said Kyiv had succeeded in removing immediate requirements for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk region or that land seized by Moscow’s army would be recognized as Russian.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 25-26/2025
Trump Hands 21st Century to China, Reverses Biden's Ban on Selling Advanced Chips
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./December 25, 2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22148/trump-china-advanced-chips
"Rather than grow dependent, China will take Nvidia chips while they are available, use them to train models to compete with American frontier variants and continue to invest heavily in domestic alternatives like Huawei's Ascend chips. When those are good enough, the firms will drop Nvidia—and quickly." — Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, letter to the Wall Street Journal, December 21, 2025.
Alperovitch believes that America's only advantage in the AI race is its advanced chips. Trump, however, is giving the Chinese better chips than they now have.
"During the height of the Cold War, it was unthinkable for the U.S. to sell supercomputers to the Soviet Union, the equivalent of the GPUs today. We've never won technological competitions by arming our competitors—we've prevailed by preserving a clear and enduring advantage." — Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, referring to Graphics Processing Units, the specialized chips at the core of AI infrastructure, letter to the Wall Street Journal, December 21, 2025.
Whether or not Trump just gave away the century to China, he has definitely given the Chinese military better tools to kill Americans. Although the president in his Truth Social posting stated that licenses would be granted only for "approved customers," these chips will end up with military and other parties that threaten U.S. security. There is no way the U.S. can control their usage once they enter China. In China, Xi enforces "military-civil fusion," so the military has access to everything it wants.
The Trump administration is now conducting an interagency review — State, Energy, War, and Commerce — of the proposed sale of H200 chips to Chinese customers. We can only hope the review reverses an unjustifiable giveaway to China.
President Donald Trump's decision this month to reverse a Biden-era ban on the export to China of advanced chips and approve the sale of Nvidia H200 chips is a grave mistake, wrong both strategically and morally. (Illustrative image generated by Google Gemini).
Nvidia has told Chinese customers that it can start shipping them its second-most powerful chip, the H200, before mid-February.
President Donald Trump's decision this month to reverse a Biden-era ban on the export to China of advanced chips and approve the sale of H200s is a grave mistake, wrong both strategically and morally.
Trump, keeping a pre-election promise to tech billionaires, is giving China the means to surpass the United States in the critical race to dominate Artificial Intelligence (AI). Moreover, China will almost certainly use the chip for military purposes.
Trump, in a December 8 Truth Social posting, announced he had informed Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he would approve the sale of the H200.
"We will protect National Security, create American Jobs, and keep America's lead in AI," Trump wrote.
It is hard to see how both the first and third statements are true.
Those who say the U.S. should sell advanced chips argue that the U.S., with those sales, can keep China addicted to the American technology stack. They apparently imagine that China will keep buying inferior American semiconductors and therefore will slow the development of the Chinese chip industry.
Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, correctly calls this argument "a dangerous myth."
"Rather than grow dependent, China will take Nvidia chips while they are available, use them to train models to compete with American frontier variants and continue to invest heavily in domestic alternatives like Huawei's Ascend chips," he wrote in a December 21 letter to the Wall Street Journal. "When those are good enough, the firms will drop Nvidia—and quickly."
What Trump is actually doing is helping China bridge a crucial gap.
Xi, for more than a decade, has been determined to rid China of American chips. Semiconductors, for instance, were included in his infamous Made in China 2025 initiative.
Alperovitch believes that America's only advantage in the AI race is its advanced chips. Trump, however, is giving the Chinese better chips than they now have.
"During the height of the Cold War, it was unthinkable for the U.S. to sell supercomputers to the Soviet Union, the equivalent of the GPUs today," Alperovitch writes, referring to Graphics Processing Units, the specialized chips at the core of AI infrastructure. "We've never won technological competitions by arming our competitors—we've prevailed by preserving a clear and enduring advantage."
Trump is giving that advantage away. "The move," Reuters reported, discussing the H200 decision, "represents a major policy shift from the Biden administration, which banned advanced AI chip sales to China citing national security concerns." President Joe Biden, beginning in October 2022, imposed those and other needed rules.
"President Trump has fundamentally shifted his stance on China since his first term in office," Brandon Weichert, the National Interest's senior national security editor, told Gatestone this week. "In the first term, he embraced a robust strategy of deterrence, containment, and resistance to China's aggressive rise. In the second term, Trump has opted for a more cooperative rather than competitive framework."
"There are real reasons Trump made the shift, including promises he made to the so-called 'Broligarchs' — those tech titans who switched sides from the Biden-Harris ticket to the Trump-Vance ticket last year and who favor trade rather than conflict with China," Weichert added.
Weichert's explanation also reveals why Trump has allowed Chinese companies to access Nvidia's most advanced chips, based on the Blackwell architecture, in offshore data centers. Chinese internet tech giant Tencent has been using those chips in a data center in Japan's Osaka. Chinese companies Alibaba and ByteDance have accessed advanced Nvidia chips in Singapore and Malaysia.
Trump's Commerce Department in May rescinded the Biden "AI Diffusion" rule, which would have, as a practical matter, stopped Chinese customers from accessing advanced U.S. chips in offshore data centers.
In short, Trump has taken a series of actions that permit China to win the AI race. As is often said, whoever wins AI wins the 21st century.
Whether or not Trump just gave away the century to China, he has definitely given the Chinese military better tools to kill Americans. Although the president in his Truth Social posting stated that licenses would be granted only for "approved customers," these chips will end up with military and other parties that threaten U.S. security. There is no way the U.S. can control their usage once they enter China. In China, Xi enforces "military-civil fusion," so the military has access to everything it wants.
The Trump administration is now conducting an interagency review — State, Energy, War, and Commerce — of the proposed sale of H200 chips to Chinese customers. We can only hope the review reverses an unjustifiable giveaway to China.
Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America, a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board.
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Political Logjams and Alternatives
Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/December 25/2025
The salient geopolitical interdependencies are cumulating over time and seem to characterize the international landscape. From Venezuela to the Middle East, Ariana’s threads are weaving the various theaters around identical strategic plots. The leftist and Islamic dictatorships that were adamantly bent on building international counter-orders and rallying the Russian-Chinese neo-totalitarian axes are struggling to survive in their turfs at a time when their international power game is unraveling.
The Chavez-Ahmadi Nejad intercontinental canopy withered away, and the strategic backyards of Russia and China in the Latin American subcontinent are eroding with the fatal decline of Venezuela, the Cuban power broker, the vassal states (Cuba, Nicaragua…), and the string of narco-states and terrorist panhandles (Hezbollah and the drug cartels). In counterpart, the destruction of the “integrated operational platforms” of Iran throughout the smaller Middle East, the reshuffling of the strategic pillars, and the remapping of coordinates are the new givens that geopolitical actors have to reckon with while plotting their way. The changing strategic landscapes are paired with the rise of liberal and democratic reformist political agendas throughout the Latin American hemisphere and within the Arab region. These changes are echoing each other and arrayed along the same geopolitical and intellectual rationales.
The Venezuelan crisis is coming to a head between the strengthening of the domestic opposition and the open support of the United States for regime change. The handing of the Nobel Prize to Maria-Corinna Machado highlights the power of the lofty political humanism that guided her through and through while confronting the murderous dictatorship that smothered the velleity of political change. The emerging political profile featured by M.C. Machado marks a clear departure from the debunked leftist rhetoric and caudillismo, oligarchic political retrenchments, and Cold War political scenarios.
The wave of liberalization, constitutional governance, and ethical posturing in politics are the hallmarks of a new political era. The totalitarian propensities and organized criminality, which circumscribed the political horizon of the Latin American left and its geopolitical mapping, are merely discredited. The convergence taking place between internal reformists and the conservative revolution in the US is propelling the dynamics of change. The BRICS fallacy and its geopolitical projections have turned awry, and the ongoing changes have brought about a different complexion, which overcomes the binary representations and their mystifications. However difficult and hazardous the transition is, it is unlikely to be reversible.
The view from the Middle East is more complicated because the geopolitics and their shifting tectonics are in full swing. The implosion of the inter-Arab system has not reached its end yet; the reshuffling of the geostrategic chessboard by Israel after October 7th, 2023, and its overall reverberations, and the resuscitation of the inner political dynamics propelled by ethnopolitical grievances are decisively reshaping the geopolitical realm and the categories of political culture.
The regional power players, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, are in a state of open competition over the new configuration of the regional order. The Iranian is overruled, the Sunni power players are leveraging their religious and geopolitical trump cards, and Israel is instrumenting its strategic momentum to counter the relaying Islamic imperialisms and to empower the ethnopolitical grievances and propel its countervailing trajectories.
The Iraqi maelstrom is far from stabilizing as long as the confederation has not yet stabilized around final consensuses and the Islamic competing power politics are operating. Syria still has a long way to go before extracting itself from the pull and sway of the neighboring power players and the Islamic imperialism magnet. The stabilization process should be carefully negotiated before issuing forth working solutions and enduring consensuses.
Lebanon is still hostage to Iranian power politics and its domestic surrogates. One wonders whether Lebanese statehood has a chance to consolidate and set its gravity in the absence of a common political and civic culture. What’s questioned nowadays in Lebanon is its national legitimacy, liberal democracy, and anthropological predicates. The abrasive politics of domination of Shiite militancy are quite compromising internally and externally. The intentional weakening of the constitutionality of political life is the path to the sectarian domination openly advocated by Hezbollah, its clones, and associates.
The Palestinian scenery is still debating the right of Israel to exist after a hundred years of conflictual coexistence, five botched statehood proposals, decades of nihilistic violence, and the latest strategic upheavals induced by the Israeli counteroffensive. The renewed polarization doesn’t seem to subside within and between the two societies, and the chances of Palestinian statehood are relegated to an indeterminate future. Meanwhile, the prospects of democratization, political liberalization, and socio-economic reforms are fading from the political horizon for the sake of the enshrined open-ended conflicts.
We are undoubtedly in a new era that requires critical retrospection on every side of the political landscape, however difficult this might be in societies where the fundamental notions of a liberal democracy and constitutional statehood are either absent or challenged. The dynamics of political change are driven by societal transformations and strategic shifts that are overhauling the respective geopolitical landscapes. The pending question is when effective transformations are going to meet the intellectual and epistemic shifts and create the conditions for a new awareness?

The Repugnance of Fundamentalism and ‘Insidious Adaptation’
Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 25/2025
In biology, the concept of “adaptation” was introduced to describe how human beings adjust to rapid environmental change. The timeline of this adaptation varies from one species to another. It is a useful concept for those interested in animal husbandry, as acclimating animals to a new reality requires training and patience. Adaptation in the natural world has different dynamics from those of humans. The phenomenon must, therefore, be considerably calibrated to go from panic over change toward an advanced stage of harmony and engagement with new realities.
In the wild, adaptation is sincere and practical. In the world of ideologies and totalizing doctrines, however, the concept takes different connotations. We could call this “insidious adaptation,” which we saw, for example, after the gradual decline of communism in the late 20th century and the rise of Western liberalism. The communist universe splintered: some resisted and wept over the ruins, while others, like the European communist parties, adapted and tried, to some degree at least, to align their ideas with Western liberal hegemony.
In our region, after the rise of developmentalism, as well as the criminalization of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliates - from both the Sahwa and Sururi wings - and controls on their funding, a few well-meaning observers heralded “the decline and demise of the Sahwa.” Anyone who understands these movements, however, understands that we are seeing “insidious adaptation.”
Yes, states and governments have done their job, tackling these groups and movements head-on. Ending them, however, will take a long time. This is a long and arduous fight. Fundamentalists rejoice when they encounter talk of their “decline” because it gives them the opportunity to hide, catch their breath, and operate underground. In an interview published a few days ago on Al Arabiya’s website, the researcher Khalid Aloudah explained that these groups “used to operate through hierarchical structures, holding secret meetings and relying on encrypted correspondence, but today, they have adopted more ‘fluid positioning:’ individuals who are merely a digital consumer of the ideology eventually acting on it without ever becoming members.”
I agree with him: “They now rely on ‘networked influence,’ flexible membership and relations that are not built around a hierarchy but rather intellectual bonds and content. There is no longer a need for private meetings and secret gatherings, which have been replaced by encrypted channels, online forums, private broadcast groups on Telegram, for example.”
Fundamentalist movements do not need public visibility. They are not obliged to come out to open and speak in mosques or share cassette tapes as they had in the past. They have far more space to work in than they did in the 1980s and 90s. They have their outfits accordingly. The “Dawah uniform” is no longer necessary; they may dress like ordinary young people, wearing modern, clean clothing, neatly trimming beards, and perhaps even paying lip service to certain projects to divert attention from their ideological background and insidious intentions. That is the Sahwa’s modus operandi, as anyone with even a basic understanding of these movements knows. Thus, fundamentalist groups - the Sahwa and others - are making superficial adaptations, which is a highly cunning and insidious move, I believe. I am convinced that they sound very different in private than they do in the media. Their public rhetoric is merely a mask of adaptation; they are pretending to align with development and the new era, and we must remain vigilant in the face of their intentional obfuscation. They know that the region is gradually prioritizing development, embracing moderate Islam, and respectable religious practice. That is why they avoid publicly stating their convictions and could even say the opposite of what they truly believe to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Every living creature adapts in response to change; that is the law of the universe. However, those who adhere to totalitarian ideologies, including Islamic fundamentalists, resist change. They do not understand that their time is up and that they live in an era that no longer belongs to them, their ideas, or their icons.

Christmas Eve Church Violence Erupts in Egypt
Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/Dec 25, 2025
The church’s great “crime” was to have tried to fix its dilapidated roof, which contradicts the draconian, anti-Christian dictates of Islamic law, sharia, as enshrined in Article 2 of Egypt’s Constitution.
Two years earlier, the roof of the Church of the Virgin and Anba Samuel in Abis al-Thawra, a village in the outskirts of Alexandria, began to crumble and fall through the building. On at least one occasion, portions of the roof, after heavy rains, collapsed in on and injured several congregants (image above). After two years’ worth of appealing to the authorities for a permit to “fix the roof and save the lives of worshippers,” the church finally received approval. This is the only church in an area covering several villages and hamlets to serve some 600 Christian families. Built in 1979, it is already severely overcrowded (and, therefore, a “safety hazard,” like many churches that recently “caught fire” in Egypt.) Hence, during the application process, the Copts had also requested approval to enlarge the church. The authorities refused, granting only approval to fix the roof—and yet even this was too much for the local Muslim populace, which rioted and hurled stones at the church, individual Copts, and the roof workers. They also set fire to a Christian farmhouse adjacent to the church. The reason for Muslim ire is that sharia mandates that, not only can new churches never be built on territories conquered by Islam (such as Egypt), but preexisting churches can never be repaired. Letting nature and time eliminate already existing churches is seen as a form of “tolerance”—one that, nonetheless, must never be interfered with, in this case, by fixing a roof.
Christmas Eve’s mob violence was enough to get police and state security to intervene, disperse the mob, and restore calm. They also left security around the church. As usual, none of the (Muslim) assailants or instigators was arrested. Instead, all roof construction work was halted under the pretext of “calming the situation.” Based on precedent, however, Copts fear that this “temporary” halt will become permanent.
After all, this scenario has played out countless times in Egypt: whenever a church is legalized or repaired—or is merely rumored to be legalized or repaired—local Muslim mobs riot and attack Christians. Authorities frequently respond by appeasing the rioters and permanently sealing up the “offending” churches on the charge that they are “security risks” to the region. Time will tell if the law will, once again, collapse before Muslim mob rule, or if some semblance of justice will prevail for the Church of the Virgin and Anba Samuel in Egypt.

How shared relief and unity are defining the Christmas season in Syria
ALI HAJ SULEIMAN and HEBAA SHEHADE/Arab News/December 24, 2025
DAMASCUS: Twinkling trees, festive markets, and decorations hanging from shop doors and balconies mark the Christmas season this year in Syria’s Christian neighborhoods — though celebrations remain more modest than before the war.
“The atmosphere is better than last year,” said Sahar Safar, a member of the Sisterhood of Our Lady of Damascus Church, recalling the air of uncertainty after the swift and sudden fall of the Assad regime’s 55-year strangle of the country on Dec. 8, 2024. “Back then people were afraid, but this year there is relief and joy.”Opposition factions, followed by the new Syrian government, have repeatedly assured Christian communities of their safety and pledged protection after the 14-year civil war. With that, Christmas festivities spread across Syria, with Muslims and Christians joining together to express a renewed desire for peace and fraternity. A young woman takes a selfie behind the statue of the Virgin Mary atop a hill overlooking the town of Maaloula in the Damascus countryside. (Ali Haj Suleiman)
Safar smiled as she photographed the Nativity scene set up in the basement of St. Elias Church in Damascus’s Dweilaa district, a site struck by a terrorist attack on June 22 that killed 25 people and injured at least 63 others. However, the attack did little to sow sectarian violence among Muslims and Christians. “We celebrate together every year. Muslims visit our church, light candles, and God accepts prayers from everyone,” she told Arab News. At the Greek Orthodox Church, parishioners continued their tradition of building Damascus’s largest Nativity grotto, a project that took two months. “This is our 21st grotto — we make one every year,” said Samir Dieb, a scout group member. Visitors, both Muslim and Christian, flocked to see it. “We were shaken by the bombing, but we must be strong, rejoice, and spread joy,” Dieb added. A visitor to the Nativity grotto in the basement of St. Elias Greek Catholic Church in Damascus’ Douilaa district lights a candle in prayer. (Ali Haj Suleiman) The Syrian government, at the time, condemned the attack and offered condolences. In a statement, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa condemned the “heinous” attack and vowed that those involved would face justice.
“We all stand today as one, rejecting oppression and crime in all its forms, and we pledge to the afflicted that we will work day and night,” said Al-Sharaa. A day after the bombing, two of the suspects were killed and six others arrested in a security operation on a Daesh cell in Damascus. In the months that followed, security forces accompanied Christians during their holidays across Syria to ensure their protection, though their presence left some feeling uneasy. Syria hosts some of the world’s oldest Christian communities, with 11 denominations including Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant, as well as some of the oldest towns and places of worship.
Among the most notable is Maaloula, a town near Damascus where residents who follow Islam and Christianity still speak Aramaic, the language of Christ. Lina Haddad and her sister Nasreen prepared handmade decorations for their small shop on the hillside. “The key elements of Syrian Christmas decor are the grotto and the tree topped with a star,” Lina said, noting that this year’s tree was adorned with butterflies instead of traditional ornaments. “In the past, people cared more about decorations than they do today.” Nasreen recalled how Maaloula once glowed during the holidays, with Muslims and Christians decorating homes together. “The former regime fueled hostility between communities for its own benefit,” she said. The regime had invoked minority protection to justify its crackdown on the reform-driven uprising, using clerics of all faiths to bolster its image as a legitimate ruler — forcing Christians into a position supporting its brutal campaign against the opposition. Since then, economic hardship has overshadowed festivities. “Priorities changed,” Nasreen said. “People focused on food and children’s education rather than decorations.”The World Bank estimates the Syrian pound lost more than 300 times its value between 2011 and 2024, with more than 69 percent of Syrians living in poverty since 2022 and one in four suffering extreme poverty — unprecedented before the war. Each Damascus neighborhood has its own character. Some show no signs of Christmas or New Year, while others sparkle with lights and music.
In Mezzeh, a “Christmas Village” featured fireworks, dance troupes dressed as snowmen and cartoon characters, and bustling crowds shopping and taking photos.
In Bab Touma, Qassaa, and Bab Sharqi, decorations were more traditional, with wreaths, red and white ornaments, and men dressed as Santa greeting families. Aya Al-Mahdi, a Muslim university student, paused with friends near the Roman Catholic Church to admire the lights. “This Christmas feels special — the air even seems cleaner after the regime’s fall,” she said. “We grew up together as Muslims and Christians in Damascus. Our holidays are shared.”Nearby, Siham Shaar enjoyed the charity bazaar organized by the church. “Most of my friends are Christian. I love the atmosphere, the joy, and walking these streets with loved ones,” she said. At the Syriac Catholic Church, Father Boutros Harira spoke of hope for Syria’s future. “The main fear is domination by the Muslim majority without giving the minorities their rights, but we are all citizens of one homeland. Some have stirred sectarianism, but we must live in peace,” he said. He praised President Al-Sharaa’s approach as “excellent,” while stressing the need for patience until security is restored and Christians who emigrated during the war return. “We want those who left to come back so we can build Syria into a modern nation together.”On a hilltop in Saydnaya stands the Church of the Lady of Saydnaya, much of its old halls carved into the stone, beside the town’s grand mosque. The call to Maghrib prayer mingled with church bells and scout music as crowds gathered around the region’s largest Christmas tree.
Sheikh Abdullah Ismail joined Christian clergy and nuns to watch the lighting ceremony. “All believers should rejoice in the birth of Christ,” he told Arab News. “Holding to Muslim identity does not conflict with exchanging greetings during social holidays, especially Christmas.” The evening included a play on Christ’s birth, dances, fireworks, and the tree lighting. Muslims and Christians cheered together. “Our joys and sorrows are shared — we gather out of love and harmony,” Sheikh Abdullah said. “We all pray for peace and security across our land.”

‘Christianity in Palestine is not separate from Palestinian identity,’ Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac tells Arab News
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/December 25, 2025
RAMALLAH: When Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac speaks about resistance, he does not begin with theology. He begins with memory. Growing up in the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, often referred to as the Shepherd’s field, during the First Intifada, Isaac remembers fear and excitement intertwined — the thrill of collective action and the dread of military retaliation. Beit Sahour, a predominantly Christian town southeast of Bethlehem, became known internationally in the late 1980s for its campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience under the slogan “No taxation without representation.”“I was a child,” Isaac recalls. “I remember the excitement of participating in the popular committees — and the fear. Fear of being shot, fear of soldiers coming to the house.”The resistance was not abstract. It reached directly into his family’s life. Israeli authorities confiscated the family car in exchange for unpaid taxes from their pharmacy. Soldiers raided homes across the town, seizing televisions and appliances. When they came to the Isaacs’ house, they found little — the family had hidden their belongings at a relative’s home. “They asked my father where the television was,” Isaac told Arab News. “He told them it was broken.” The Israeli soldiers scoffed, saying it seems “all the televisions in Beit Sahour are broken.”These childhood memories — of curfews, neighbors sharing bread, families running from house to house to survive — would later form the emotional foundation of Isaac’s theology: a faith inseparable from lived reality.
Though young, Isaac remembers clearly the first martyrs of Beit Sahour.
He recalls Edmond Ghanem, who was killed when a stone dropped by Israeli soldiers from a rooftop struck his head, and Iyad Abu Sa’da, who was shot by Israelis and whose death left a deep mark on the community. “These were not distant events,” Isaac said. “They happened in front of our homes, in our streets. Even as children, we felt it.”The First Intifada shaped not only Isaac’s political consciousness, but his understanding of faith as something public, communal, and rooted in responsibility and sacrifice. That understanding would later define his ministry. Long before his sermons reached global audiences, Isaac was known locally for something quieter: music. As a young man, he led the Bethlehem Bible College choir which participated in Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem’s Manger Square. The choir members sang carols wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and traditional embroidered Palestinian dress.
“This was intentional,” he said. “Christianity in Palestine is not separate from Palestinian identity. We are as proud of our nationality as we are of our faith.”
For Isaac, hymn-singing was never escapist. It was rooted in place and history.
“Singing was born here,” he said. “David sang in Bethlehem. The angels at Christmas sang praises for the birth of Christ. So we have been continuing a tradition thousands of years old.”Years later, Isaac would co-lead one of the most consequential faith-based initiatives to emerge from Palestine: the “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference. Launched with Alex Awad, a Palestinian-American pastor and dean of students at the Bethlehem Bible College, the conference posed a deceptively simple question: If Christ were standing at a military checkpoint today, where would he stand?
“The idea was to connect faith to reality,” Isaac said. “To challenge theological interpretations that ignore the lived experience of Palestinians.”
The conference directly confronted Christian Zionism — a theological movement, particularly influential among Western evangelicals, that offers unconditional religious support for Israel. Rather than engaging in abstract doctrinal debates, “Christ at the Checkpoint” focused on consequences: how theology shapes policy, politics, and daily life. Over time, the conference grew beyond evangelical dialogue. It became a platform for Palestinian Christian voices to challenge racism, colonialism, and theological frameworks that sanctify oppression.
“Hundreds participated in each edition,” Isaac said. “And I am convinced it planted seeds. What we see today — cracks in the once-solid wall of evangelical Zionism — did not happen overnight.” If “Christ at the Checkpoint” challenged theology, “Christ in the Rubble” shattered complacency. The phrase emerged from a sermon Isaac delivered in Bethlehem shortly after the Israeli bombing of Gaza’s St. Porphyrius Church, one of the world’s oldest Christian sites, in October 2023. Members of his own congregation were grieving. A woman had lost her sister in the attack.
Isaac turned to the crucifix. “I see God under the rubble, in the operating rooms, with the afflicted,” he told the congregation. The phrase spread rapidly. “God is under the rubble” became a viral expression, adopted far beyond its original context.
When Bethlehem’s churches debated whether to cancel Christmas celebrations amid the devastation in Gaza, Isaac proposed an alternative: a nativity scene made of rubble. The infant Jesus was wrapped in a keffiyeh. “It wasn’t meant as a political provocation,” he said. “It was a message of faith. Christ stands in solidarity with the suffering — because he was born into suffering.”The image reverberated around the world, transforming Isaac into an unexpected global figure. “Suddenly there were cameras everywhere,” he said. “And I remember telling journalists: ‘Why are you here? The story is Gaza. My soul is in Gaza.’” Yet the visibility mattered. For many, the image became an entry point — not only into Gaza’s suffering, but into the existence of Palestinian Christians. “It reached people who had never paid attention before,” Isaac told Arab News. “Unfortunately, an image in Bethlehem moved them more than real images from Gaza.”The response was not limited to the West. Across the Arab world, many expressed surprise — and gratitude — at seeing Palestinian Christian voices so clearly aligned with their people. “There is still a lack of awareness about Palestinian Christians,” Isaac said. “This moment helped change that.”The symbolism drew criticism. During a visit to Bethlehem, Germany’s ambassador questioned Isaac for dressing Christ in a keffiyeh rather than an Israeli flag after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
Isaac’s response was measured but firm.
“When Israeli children were killed, the world showed solidarity. Israeli flags were placed on landmarks across Europe, including the Berlin wall,” he told the diplomat. “Thousands more children have since been killed in Gaza. Where is that solidarity?”
For Isaac, the keffiyeh represented humanity, not exclusion. “I see the image of Christ in every child in Gaza,” he said, invoking the Gospel of Matthew: “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.”The momentum culminated in a landmark collective statement signed by Arab evangelical leaders across the Middle East, rejecting Christian Zionism and affirming Palestinian rights.
The Aug. 5, 2024, document, “A collective call to the global church from Middle East evangelical leaders,” called on Christians everywhere to restore unity in the body of Christ, which has been hurt due to the distorted view of Western church leaders. Isaac insisted that this was not just a Palestinian document. “It was a Middle Eastern evangelical one arguing that Christian Zionism undermines the credibility and safety of Christians throughout the region — and contradicts the Gospel itself.”
Many supporters, Isaac said, were private rather than public. Financial ties, political resentments, and Western institutional influence all play a role, he believes, in silencing dissent. Despite continued high-profile visits by pro-Israel evangelical leaders to Jerusalem, including 1,000 US pastors that came in solidarity with the Israeli government, Isaac sees these as signs of decline rather than strength. “They are trying to salvage what they can,” he said. “But the change is real, especially among young Christians.” The task ahead, he argued, is theological.
“We must provide material for those who feel this alliance is wrong but lack the language to challenge it,” Isaac said. “The Bible does not command Christians to support injustice.”xmas2025Now based in Ramallah, Isaac continues his pastoral work amid new opportunities and challenges. Lighting a red Advent candle as part of a global church campaign, he emphasized continuity and presence. “The message is simple,” he said. “We are still here.”While Ramallah offers greater diplomatic and media exposure, Isaac insisted his priorities remain pastoral — especially youth ministry. “I don’t want to be known only as a public figure.” He said: “What matters to me is being a good pastor.”From Beit Sahour’s nonviolent resistance to Gaza’s rubble, Munther Isaac’s journey reflects a theology forged not in abstraction, but in lived Palestinian reality — a faith that insists God is found not in power, but in solidarity.

Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 25, 2025
Michel Hajji Georgiou
It seems necessary to linger a moment on the cunning game played by Israel, master of puppets, in the context of the geostrategic ambitions of the Islamic Republic of Iran. For half a century, Tel-Aviv has found in the "alliance of minorities" (Alaouites, Christians, Druzes, Shiites from Lebanon, Kurds) a geopolitical stamp to the Sunni hinterland. The Israeli doctrine of the "outskirts" (1950-70s) was indeed based on an axiom: to unite with minorities to break the Sunni siege (... )
The fifth and final article in the series devoted to the collapse of the Iranian Empire - here's the link to the French version
https://levanttime.com/.../8ab67549-3a2a-474c-a2f7...