English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 04/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going
John 12/31-36: “Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’ After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 03-04/2025
President Aoun’s appointment of former minister Ali Hamie—a Hezbollah loyalist in ideology, thought, and allegiance—as a presidential advisor is a disturbing and suspicious move that raises serious doubts/Elias Bejjani/May 03/2025
Iranian minister says Tehran backs Lebanon in its push to end Israel's military presence
Iran FM visits Lebanon, hopes for 'new chapter' in relations
Lebanon wants 'state-to-state' relation with Iran, Aoun tells Araghchi
Araghchi reportedly tells Rajji Hezbollah disarmament a 'Lebanese decision'
Bitar sets June 13 session for interrogating Zoaiter
Another UNIFIL patrol intercepted in south Lebanon
Ex-Hezbollah minister reportedly named as president's reconstruction adviser
Arida border reopens, offering Syrian families a way home after months of closure
Uncertainty looms over fate of Lebanon’s central bank vice governors
IMF challenges Lebanese bank law over unequal payouts and public sector favoritism
Lebanese army says raid kills 'dangerous fugitive' in Brital shootout
Lebanon on bumpy road to public transport revival
Lebanon faces mounting pressure from Hezbollah over war response/Lior Ben Ari/Ynetnews/June 03/2025
Lebanon embraces digital transformation as key to reform and recovery/Miguel Hadchity/Arab News/June 03, 2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 03-04/2025
Iran says US nuclear proposal ‘contains many ambiguities and questions’
Trump says Iran deal would not allow ‘any’ uranium enrichment
Bolton says US-Iran nuclear talks are ‘fruitless’
Top Republican lawmaker pushes Muslim Brotherhood terror designation in US Congress
Israel army says shelling Syria after projectiles launched
UN Security Council likely to vote Wednesday on Gaza action
US-backed Gaza aid group names evangelical as chairman
Israel’s actions ‘constitute elements of most serious crimes under international law’: UN
Hamas likely strikes rival Palestinian armed group amid mounting internal pressure
Israel army vows to ‘protect maritime space’ as aid boat sails for Gaza
Israel army confirms shot Palestinian teen in West Bank
What future awaits Gaza’s children under airstrikes and aid embargo?
Jordan condemns Israeli settler incursion into Al-Aqsa, reaffirms responsibility for mosque
Bahrain elected to UN Security Council for 2026-2027 term, vows to be ‘voice for peace’
UN chief urges Yemen’s Houthis to release aid workers
Houthis abduct 4 journalists, jail another for criticizing leader, says watchdog

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 03-04/2025
Lifting Sanctions on the Syrian Regime is a Grave Mistake/Sinan Ciddi/19FortyFive site/June 02/2025
A reformed Voice of America is worth saving/Ivana Stradner and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery/Washington Examiner/June 03/025
Turkey and Qatar Are Buying Into Syria. The US Should Be Wary of Their Motives/Sinan Ciddi and Natalie Ecanow/FDD/June 03/2025
Brussels: The Muddy Mirror of a Europe in Crisis/Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/June 03/2025
Kazakhstan positions itself as major player with key partners in Middle East/Tamara Aboalsaud/Arab News/June 03, 2025
What is the ‘New Middle East’ ... the real one this time?/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awast/June 03, 2025
The opportunity for a reimagination of GCC-Africa economic ties/Matthew Miller/Arab News/June 03, 2025
COP30: Brazil’s diplomatic challenge of a lifetime/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/June 03, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 03-04/2025
President Aoun’s appointment of former minister Ali Hamie—a Hezbollah loyalist in ideology, thought, and allegiance—as a presidential advisor is a disturbing and suspicious move that raises serious doubts
Elias Bejjani/May 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/143891/
In a move that can only be described as baffling, disgraceful, and deeply disappointing, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has today appointed former minister Ali Hamie as presidential advisor for reconstruction affairs. This decision flagrantly disregards all principles of sovereignty, politics, and constitutional integrity, while sending a dangerous signal about the direction of Aoun’s presidency and the nature of those surrounding him. It also reflects a gross misunderstanding—or willful ignorance—of the existential threat posed by Hezbollah, the Iranian-controlled terrorist group whose ideological foundation is rooted in the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih.
Who is Ali Hamie? Simply put, he is a partisan figure wholly committed—intellectually, ideologically, and culturally—to Hezbollah's system and worldview. This means his loyalty lies not with Lebanon, but with an external power, as dictated by the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih, which rejects national allegiance in favor of religious obedience to the Iranian Supreme Leader. Within this framework, no Shiite adherent to such ideology can be truly independent in thought, honest in counsel, or patriotic in orientation, because his compass always points to Qom and Tehran—not to Beirut.
So by what logic, with what understanding, and in pursuit of what reform agenda, does the president appoint such a figure as an advisor on national reconstruction? What meaningful contributions can Ali Hamie make to Lebanon in this capacity? Will his counsel be sovereign and patriotic? Of course not. Even if he desired to serve Lebanon, his ideological chains bind him, preventing him from acting outside the parameters of the Iranian agenda.
Even more alarming is the nature of the post itself: “Reconstruction Affairs.” As if reconstruction were even remotely feasible in a country still under Hezbollah’s security and military occupation. Which international, regional, or Gulf donor would finance reconstruction while the Iranian militia-state remains intact? Who would fund rebuilding under the shadow of a group answerable to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, executing a sectarian expansionist agenda fundamentally at odds with Lebanon’s national identity and the very concept of a sovereign state?
This appointment doesn’t just raise questions—it sounds the alarm about the troubling direction of President Aoun’s tenure. Since the very day he was named president—imposed on Lebanon through international and regional arrangements over the heads of both the corrupt political class and Hezbollah’s own preferences—Aoun has consistently sought to appease Hezbollah, turning a blind eye to the central crisis: its weapons and parallel state.
Now, by naming Hamie as advisor, Aoun sends a clear message: he either does not understand—or chooses to ignore—the foundational tenets of Hezbollah’s ideology, which neither respects concessions, nor acknowledges goodwill, nor reciprocates leniency with anything but manipulation. Hezbollah does not make decisions—it merely executes them. And executioners do not return favors. They exploit, consume, and discard.
The timing of the appointment is also troubling: it coincides with the visit of Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Lebanon. This can only reinforce suspicions that this move is part of a broader orchestration—or at the very least, a calculated alignment with the preferences of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" inside Lebanon. At a time when the Lebanese president should be spearheading the implementation of international resolutions demanding the disarmament of all militias, this step instead legitimizes them by inviting them into the very heart of the presidency as "advisors" and "experts."
Social media erupted today with scathing criticism and widespread condemnation of the decision. The Lebanese sovereign public expressed deep disappointment and outrage—few imagined that Joseph Aoun’s presidency would begin with such a dangerous and misleading signal. Instead of appointing independent, competent, and ideologically neutral advisors, Aoun has opted for one of the worst—and most alarming—choices possible: a figure ideologically aligned with a supra-national sectarian project that has turned Lebanon into a battlefield for Iran’s regional ambitions.
What happened today is not merely a mistake—it is a full-fledged political transgression that signals this presidency is, from the very start, headed down a dangerous and declining path that could lead Lebanon into disaster. Unless this course is corrected immediately—unless the presidency breaks free from the urge to appease Hezbollah and restores the values of statehood, sovereignty, independent decision-making, and constitutional legitimacy—there is little hope for redemption.
In conclusion, many Lebanese were stunned, overcome with doubt, and deeply disappointed by the caliber of advisors President Joseph Aoun has chosen. If this is the path he intends to follow—one rooted in the same failed concepts and practices—then the momentum of his presidency has ended before it even began… unless he swiftly changes course and reclaims his authority before he is consumed by the serpents of hesitation, fear, submissiveness, and foreign dependency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ThpNmDOkM&t=11s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-21Pfj4ppDE&t=128s

Iranian minister says Tehran backs Lebanon in its push to end Israel's military presence
Bassem Mroue/AP/June 3, 2025
BEIRUT — Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran supports Lebanon’s efforts to pressure Israel to end its military presence in parts of the country, including diplomatic moves “to expel the occupiers.”Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added on Tuesday that Iran looks forward to relations with Lebanon based on mutual respect under the new circumstances in the country following the Israel-Hezbollah war. Araghchi’s visit comes after Iran’s main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by the 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group’s political and military leadership dead. Araghchi’s visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction.
Since the war ended, army commander Joseph Aoun was elected president and prominent jurist and diplomat Nawaf Salam became the country’s prime minister. Both Aoun and Salam have repeatedly said that only the state will monopolize the use of weapons in Lebanon.
The visit also comes after the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December by insurgent group’s opposed to Iran’s influence in the region. Assad was one of Tehran’s closest allies in the Arab world and his country was a main link for the flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. Aoun told the visiting Iranian official during their meeting that Beirut wants “to strengthen relations from state to state with Iran.” Aoun’s comments were released by his office. Over the past decades, Iran funded Hezbollah with billions of dollars and sent all types of weapons to the Lebanese group enjoying wide influence in the small Mediterranean nation through. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Lebanese authorities have taken tight measures at Beirut’s airport to prevent the flow of funds from Iran to Hezbollah and flights by Iranian companies have been suspended to Beirut. “We look forward to having relations (with Lebanon) based on mutual respect and non-interference in each country’s internal affairs,” Araghchi told reporters after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He added that Iran backs a national dialogue in Lebanon between rival groups. Iran condemns the occupation of Lebanese territories “by the Zionist entity and supports all efforts exerted by the Lebanese government and people to expel the occupiers through any way including diplomatic methods," Araghchi said, referring to five posts Israel refused to withdraw from earlier this year. Iranian companies are ready to take part in Lebanon’s reconstruction if the Lebanese government wants that, Araghchi said. Earlier Tuesday, Araghchi held talks with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, and discussed Iran’s ongoing negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran FM visits Lebanon, hopes for 'new chapter' in relations
Associated Press/03 June ,2025
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived Tuesday in Beirut on an official visit and met with President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri. “We respect Lebanon’s internal affairs and do not interfere in them, and we support Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Araghchi said at Beirut’s airport. “We hope to open a new chapter in the relations with it based on mutual respect,” the minister added. “My visit is part of my regional tour after my trip to Cairo … and our relations with Lebanon are historic and deep-rooted,” Araghchi added, noting that Tehran is “determined to develop these relations.”Araghchi’s visit comes after Iran’s main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group’s political and military leadership dead. Araghchi’s visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction. Since the war ended, army commander Joseph Aoun was elected president and prominent jurist and diplomat Nawaf Salam became the country’s prime minister. Both Aoun and Salam have repeatedly said that only the state will monopolize the use of weapons in Lebanon. The visit also comes after the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December by insurgent groups opposed to Iran’s influence in the region. Assad was one of Tehran’s closest allies in the Arab world and his country was a main link for the flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. Over the past decades, Iran funded Hezbollah with billions of dollars and sent all types of weapons to the Lebanese group enjoying wide influence in the small nation through. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Lebanese authorities have taken tight measures at Beirut’s airport to prevent the flow of funds from Iran to Hezbollah and flights by Iranian companies have been suspended to Beirut.

Lebanon wants 'state-to-state' relation with Iran, Aoun tells Araghchi
Associated Press/03 June ,2025
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday told visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that “Lebanon is looking forward to enhancing state-to-state relations with Iran.”“Domestic dialogue is the gateway for resolving all the disputed issues, as well as dialogue between nations, away from violence,” Aoun added. “Reconstructing what was destroyed by the Israeli war on Lebanon is among the priorities we’re working on with the government, in cooperation with the brotherly and friendly countries and according to the applicable laws,” the president said. Araghchi for his part expressed his country’s support for “Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for the efforts it is exerting to end Israeli occupation.” “Iran’s support for Lebanon falls under the good ties between the two countries and the principle of noninterference in domestic affairs,” Araghchi added. He also voiced Iran’s support for “national dialogue in Lebanon between the various sects, groups and orientations.” Araghchi’s visit comes after Iran’s main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group’s political and military leadership dead.
Araghchi’s visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction. Since the war ended, army commander Joseph Aoun was elected president and prominent jurist and diplomat Nawaf Salam became the country’s prime minister. Both Aoun and Salam have repeatedly said that only the state will monopolize the use of weapons in Lebanon. The visit also comes after the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December by insurgent groups opposed to Iran’s influence in the region. Assad was one of Tehran’s closest allies in the Arab world and his country was a main link for the flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. Over the past decades, Iran funded Hezbollah with billions of dollars and sent all types of weapons to the Lebanese group enjoying wide influence in the small nation through. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Lebanese authorities have taken tight measures at Beirut’s airport to prevent the flow of funds from Iran to Hezbollah and flights by Iranian companies have been suspended to Beirut.

Araghchi reportedly tells Rajji Hezbollah disarmament a 'Lebanese decision'
Associated Press/03 June ,2025
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday told his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji in a meeting in Beirut that the issue of disarming Hezbollah is a decision that is up to Lebanon to take, sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel.
Araghchi also told Rajji that, in his personal opinion, “diplomacy alone might not be sufficient” to end Israel’s occupation of parts of south Lebanon, MTV reported. Rajji meanwhile told the Iranian visitor that “there will be no reconstruction funds without disarming Hezbollah.”He also told him that “coordination between the two countries should pass through the state” and that “solutions should come through diplomacy,” the sources told Al-Hadath. Rajji added that “military adventures” had not ended Israel’s occupation and that “they have put Lebanon in a difficult situation,” the sources added.
Araghchi also met with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. “We look forward to having relations (with Lebanon) based on mutual respect and non-interference in each country’s internal affairs,” Araghchi told reporters after meeting Berri. He added that Iran backs a national dialogue in Lebanon between rival groups. Iran condemns the occupation of Lebanese territories “by the Zionist entity and supports all efforts exerted by the Lebanese government and people to expel the occupiers through any way including diplomatic methods," Araghchi said, referring to five posts Israel refused to withdraw from earlier this year. Iranian companies are ready to take part in Lebanon’s reconstruction if the Lebanese government wants that, Araghchi added. Araghchi’s visit comes after Iran’s main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group’s political and military leadership dead. Araghchi’s visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction. Since the war ended, army commander Joseph Aoun was elected president and prominent jurist and diplomat Nawaf Salam became the country’s prime minister. Both Aoun and Salam have repeatedly said that only the state will monopolize the use of weapons in Lebanon. The visit also comes after the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December by insurgent groups opposed to Iran’s influence in the region. Assad was one of Tehran’s closest allies in the Arab world and his country was a main link for the flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. Over the past decades, Iran funded Hezbollah with billions of dollars and sent all types of weapons to the Lebanese group enjoying wide influence in the small nation through. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Lebanese authorities have taken tight measures at Beirut’s airport to prevent the flow of funds from Iran to Hezbollah and flights by Iranian companies have been suspended to Beirut.

Bitar sets June 13 session for interrogating Zoaiter
Naharnet/03 June ,2025
Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar on Tuesday scheduled a June 13 interrogation session for former public works minister Ghazi Zoaiter, an Amal Movement member who is one of the accused in the case, the state-run National News Agency said.
Bitar “sent the summoning notice through the public prosecution,” NNA added. Al-Jadeed television said Zoaiter is yet to decide whether to attend the interrogation or not. Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported in min-May that Bitar was on the verge of issuing his indictment in the case, after he “reached a complete conclusion about the issue of the ammonium nitrate shipment -- where it came from, how it entered the port and how it exploded.”“He will complete his interrogations before issuing the indictment, which will likely be released on the disaster’s fifth anniversary on August 4,” the daily added.
Zoaiter is among several officials charged in connection with the Aug. 4, 2020 blast that killed over 220 people, injured more than 6,000 and and devastated large swaths of the capital. The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, caused billions of dollars in damage and sent shockwaves through the nation's capital. Following years of political obstruction, Bitar resumed the stalled investigation in mid-January, questioning port and customs employees, retired military officials, the former head of port security, the former army intelligence director, and 12 witnesses.
The progress in the probe coincides with significant political changes in Lebanon, including the election of Joseph Aoun as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister. Both are perceived as outside the traditional political establishment, which includes many figures charged in the port explosion case. Several officials implicated in the investigation have accused Bitar of bias, refused to testify, and filed legal complaints against him.

Another UNIFIL patrol intercepted in south Lebanon
Naharnet/03 June ,2025
Young men from the Tyre district town of Siddiqin on Tuesday intercepted a UNIFIL patrol that was trying to enter the Grand Mountain area, the state-run National News Agency said. “The situation escalated into a clash between UNIFIL troops and some young men from the town after the patrol tried to enter the town without being escorted by army troops, which prompted the intervention of the army,” NNA added. “The patrol returned to its base after the army restored normalcy in the area,” the agency said. Such incidents have increased in recent weeks, with residents insisting that any UNIFIL patrol should be accompanied by Lebanese Army troops. UNIFIL had recently called on Lebanon to "ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction."Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission -- which was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion -- of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to alleged Hezbollah military activities in southern Lebanon.

Ex-Hezbollah minister reportedly named as president's reconstruction adviser
Naharnet/03 June ,2025
Former public works and transportation minister Ali Hamie, who was named by Hezbollah to the previous government, has been appointed as President Josep Aoun’s adviser for reconstruction affairs, media reports said on Tuesday. The president had told a Hezbollah delegation last week that “there is no link between (Hezbollah’s) weapons and reconstruction, explaining the role of a ministerial committee tasked with preparing a reconstruction study,” sources told Al-Jadeed television. Aoun added that he was seeking to hold an international conference with the participation of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., France and Egypt to rally support for Lebanon’s reconstruction process. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji reportedly told visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday that “there will be no reconstruction funds without disarming Hezbollah.”Araghchi for his part said after meeting Speaker Nabih Berri that Iranian companies are ready to take part in Lebanon’s reconstruction if the Lebanese government wants that.Araghchi’s visit comes after Iran’s main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group’s political and military leadership dead. Araghchi’s visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction.

Arida border reopens, offering Syrian families a way home after months of closure
LBCI/03 June ,2025
The reopening of the Arida border crossing between Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday offered a long-awaited chance for Syrian families to return home, more than six months after Israeli airstrikes forced its closure. In the dusty strip of land separating the two countries, scenes of reunion and anticipation played out as families gathered on their way back to Syria. Arida, the second-largest land crossing between Lebanon and Syria, had been closed since November 26 following Israeli strikes on the area. At 7 a.m. Tuesday, traffic resumed—and quickly picked up speed in both directions.
The crossing is a crucial route for Syrians seeking to return home while avoiding lengthy and costly detours. It’s also essential for Lebanese travelers heading between northern Lebanon and Syria’s coastal towns. The road damaged in the November strikes has been patched with compacted earth, and Syrian authorities have outfitted the crossing with temporary facilities to welcome travelers returning for the Eid holidays. Passenger halls on the Syrian side saw steady movement, with border officials processing entries and exits throughout the day. Though the reopening went smoothly overall, at least one woman was unable to complete her journey due to issues with her paperwork. Reconstruction efforts at the site are ongoing, and the crossing will remain open through the holiday period. Of the three border posts linking northern Lebanon and Syria, Arida is currently the only one in operation.

Uncertainty looms over fate of Lebanon’s central bank vice governors
LBCI/03 June ,2025
The terms of Lebanon’s four central bank vice governors end on June 9, sparking debate over whether to appoint new officials or renew the current vice governors for another full five-year term. Despite confirmation from political circles involved in nominating or endorsing candidates for each of the four vice governor positions—Shiite, Sunni, Druze, and Armenian—the prevailing view is to renew the term of Shiite Vice Governor Wassim Mansouri, whom both the president and the speaker of parliament want to keep in place, as well as the renewal of Armenian Vice Governor Alexander Mouradian.
Although there had been reports of a possible replacement for Sunni Vice Governor Salim Chahine, the option of renewing his term has also been reconsidered.  However, it remains undecided whether Druze Vice Governor Bachir Yakzan will be renewed or replaced by Makram Bou Nassar, the preferred candidate of the Progressive Socialist Party. Sources told LBCI that Finance Minister Yassine Jaber sent a letter to Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid to consult on the appointments of the vice governors. The consultation, as proposed by the finance minister, is understood to focus on renewing the terms of the four current vice governors, especially since the president, the speaker of parliament, and the prime minister do not oppose this. Pending the governor’s response and further consultations, the finance minister will submit his proposal to the cabinet. Meanwhile, the finance minister is also reviewing nominations for the Banking Control Commission, which includes a Sunni president and four members representing the Maronite, Orthodox, Catholic, and Shiite sects.  According to established procedures, the Maronite nominee is proposed by the Association of Banks, which has yet to finalize its candidate, while the finance minister proposes the other nominees. All of these decisions are expected to be submitted before the end of the vice governors’ and the Banking Control Commission’s terms. However, informed sources say the cabinet may extend the deadline if more time is needed to reach a broader consensus among stakeholders.

IMF challenges Lebanese bank law over unequal payouts and public sector favoritism
LBCI/03 June ,2025
If you have three frozen bank accounts in three different Lebanese banks, each holding $100,000 or more, how much can you expect to recover? According to the Lebanese government’s proposed bank restructuring plan, a single recovery cap would apply across all your accounts—meaning you would be eligible to reclaim a set amount from only one account. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) takes a different view. It recommends that the compensation cap apply to each account, not a consolidated total. If the government decides to reimburse $100,000, you will receive just that amount under its plan—while the IMF believes you should get $300,000. In its feedback, the IMF criticized the government’s approach of aggregating accounts across banks, calling it “not adequate.” The fund argues this method fails to meet international standards and undermines fairness. The IMF also raised concerns over the government’s proposal to repay public sector deposits ahead of those of private depositors. Such preferential treatment, the fund warned, would violate global norms and disproportionately disadvantage individual account holders. Another key recommendation from the IMF is that the bank restructuring law must take precedence over all other legislation in Lebanon. Without that, the fund cautioned, the country risks facing legal and procedural challenges when the law is implemented. These are just a few of the 20 observations submitted by the IMF regarding the draft bank restructuring law, which was approved by the Cabinet and is now under review by Parliament. A subcommittee of the Finance and Budget Committee is currently studying the law in detail. The IMF’s comments also addressed the proposed structure of the Higher Banking Commission, the role of Lebanon’s Banking Control Commission, and the technical processes for assessing the financial standing of banks. The fund shared its observations directly with the Finance Committee, emphasizing that these changes are essential to restoring confidence in the banking system and ensuring long-term stability in Lebanon’s financial sector. It remains to be seen whether lawmakers will incorporate the recommended amendments and whether the IMF will ultimately approve a revised version of the law—or if Lebanon will still face a long road to financial recovery.

Lebanese army says raid kills 'dangerous fugitive' in Brital shootout
LBCI/03 June ,2025
The Lebanese army said a wanted suspect was killed Tuesday during a raid in the town of Brital, Baalbek. In a statement, the army said intelligence officers were conducting a raid on the home of a man identified by his initials, W.T. when he opened fire on the patrol. The officers returned fire, wounding him. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died. The suspect was described as a dangerous fugitive wanted on multiple charges, including leading an armed gang responsible for kidnappings, thefts, and robberies, in addition to document and currency forgery, drug and weapons trafficking, and previous attacks on army personnel. The army said it seized forgery equipment, counterfeit documents and cash, drugs, military gear, and live ammunition from the suspect’s home, according to the army. The items were confiscated and handed over to the judiciary as investigations proceeded under the supervision of the relevant authorities.

Lebanon on bumpy road to public transport revival
Agence France Presse/03 June ,2025
On Beirut's chaotic, car-choked streets, Lebanese student Fatima Fakih rides a shiny purple bus to university, one of a fleet rolled out by authorities to revive public transport in a country struggling to deliver basic services. The 19-year-old says the spacious public buses are "safer, better and more comfortable", than the informal network of private buses and minivans that have long substituted for mass transport. "I have my bus card -- I don't have to have money with me," she added, a major innovation in Lebanon, where cash is king and many private buses and minivans have no tickets at all. Lebanon's public transport system never recovered from the devastating 1975–1990 civil war that left the country in ruins, and in the decades since, car culture has flourished. Even before the economic crisis that began in 2019 -- plunged much of the population into poverty and sent transport costs soaring -- the country was running on empty, grappling with crumbling power, water and road infrastructure. But public buses, now equipped with GPS tracking, have been slowly returning. They operate along 11 routes -- mostly in greater Beirut but also reaching north, south and east Lebanon -- with a private company managing operations. Fares start at about 80 cents.
Pre-war tram, trains -
Passengers told AFP the buses were not only safer and more cost-effective, but more environmentally friendly.They also offer a respite from driving on Lebanon's largely lawless, potholed roads, where mopeds hurtle in all directions and traffic lights are scarce.
The system officially launched last July, during more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that later slammed the brakes on some services. Ali Daoud, 76, who remembers Lebanon's long-defunct trains and trams, said the public bus was "orderly and organized" during his first ride. The World Bank's Beirut office told AFP that Lebanon's "reliance on private vehicles is increasingly unsustainable", noting rising poverty rates and vehicle operation costs. Ziad Nasr, head of Lebanon's public transport authority, said passenger numbers now averaged around 4,500 a day, up from just a few hundred at launch. He said authorities hope to extend the network, including to Beirut airport, noting the need for more buses, and welcoming any international support.
France donated around half of the almost 100 buses now in circulation in 2022.
Consultant and transport expert Tammam Nakkash said he hoped the buses would be "a good start" but expressed concern at issues including the competition. Private buses and minivans -- many of them dilapidated and barreling down the road at breakneck speed -- cost similar to the public buses. Shared taxis are also ubiquitous, with fares starting at around $2 for short trips. Several incidents of violence targeted the new public buses around their launch last year.
Environment -
Student and worker Daniel Imad, 19, said he welcomed the idea of public buses but had not tried them yet. People "can go where they want for a low price" by taking shared taxis, he said before climbing into a one at a busy Beirut intersection.
Public transport could also have environmental benefits in Lebanon, where climate concerns often take a back seat to daily challenges like long power blackouts. A World Bank climate and development report last year said the transport sector was Lebanon's second-biggest contributor to greenhouse gas and air pollution, accounting for a quarter of emissions, only behind the energy sector. Some smaller initiatives have also popped up, including four hybrid buses in east Lebanon's Zahle. Nabil Mneimne from the United Nations Development Program said Lebanon's first fully electric buses with a solar charging system were set to launch this year, running between Beirut and Jbeil (Byblos) further north. In the capital, university student Fakih encouraged everyone to take public buses, "also to protect the environment". Beirut residents often complain of poor air quality due to heavy traffic and private, diesel-fueled electricity generators that operate during power outages. "We don't talk about this a lot but it's very important," she said, arguing that things could improve in the city "if we all took public transport".

Lebanon faces mounting pressure from Hezbollah over war response
Lior Ben Ari/Ynetnews/June 03/2025
State scrambles to rebuild after Israeli strikes and seeks global support, but internal unrest grows; as government aims to disarm Hezbollah, terror group tightens its grip; army enters IDF-vacated zones, and suspected Israeli collaborators detained. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met on Monday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and informed him that the government required over $7 billion to rebuild the country following the damage caused by the latest war with Israel. Salam said his government is committed to rebuilding "what had been destroyed in the Israeli attacks." The meeting with the Shiite speaker from the Amal Party, an ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, was held after weeks of criticism levied against the prime minister by the terrorist group. Hezbollah leaders are conditioning any future dialogue with Salam’s government on a series of demands, a senior party official said Monday. Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah outlined four preconditions, including a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, a halt to IDF strikes on Lebanese targets, the release of all Lebanese prisoners of war held in Israel and a national plan to rebuild infrastructure damaged in the fighting. "We will not discuss anything further with anyone before our demands are met," Fadlallah said, adding that Hezbollah tried to do its part and stand by Lebanese citizens, but as far as the group is concerned, it is the government's responsibility to rebuild. The campaign against the prime minister was evident last month when Beirut's Camille Chamoun Sports stadium was reopened. During the ceremony, crowds were heard calling Salam a "Zionist." Tensions later simmered after he mentioned a potential normalization of relations with Israel in an interview with CNN. Hezbollah-aligned media took Salam's quotes out of context, using only part of his answer to allege that he was in support of normalization, but without his demand that any such policy shift would be made only after the establishment of a Palestinian State. The online responses prompted the prime minister's office to issue a clarification. In the statement, the government urged the public to view the entire interview. "Salam repeated his clear position that the only acceptable peace is one based on the Arab Peace Initiative and a two-state solution," the statement read, referring to a Saudi-backed 2002 outline charting a path toward normalization of ties between Israel and the Arab world. "Salam's positions are clear and cannot be subverted. Lebanon is committed to the Arab position. Normalization can only come after a Palestinian state is established." A day after the prime minister's meeting with Berri, Salam said he had invited Hezbollah's parliament faction leader Mohamed Raad to meet with him at any time. "My door is always open," he said, but repeated the government's decision to disarm Palestinian refugee camps throughout Lebanon, as well as Hezbollah. Lebanon was also trying to enlist Arab financial support. President Joseph Aoun visited Baghdad on Sunday and thanked the Iraqi government for providing his country with oil. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is due to arrive in Beirut on Tuesday, after a visit to Cairo and U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus is also expected to arrive in the region after rumors spread that she would soon be leaving her post.  Meanwhile, the IDF continued striking Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. Local outlets reported a strike on a vehicle and in a separate incident, at least one person was killed when his motorbike was attacked. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar newspaper posted a video showing Lebanese army troops removing a flag of the IDF's Golani brigade, hung in the south. Lebanese security services were also arresting suspected collaborators with Israel, according to reports in the Saudi press, including a hospital administrator in Nabatieh who was arrested by military and Hezbollah forces after allegedly providing Israel with names of the terror group's operatives.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syi5nw2mgg#autoplay

Lebanon embraces digital transformation as key to reform and recovery
Miguel Hadchity/Arab News/June 03, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon has pledged to pursue comprehensive digital transformation, with President Joseph Aoun framing it as the nation’s best hope to tackle corruption, moderne governance, and engage its skilled diaspora in rebuilding efforts. Speaking at the “Smart Government, Diaspora Experts for Lebanon” conference in Beirut on June 3, Aoun described the initiative as a “sovereign decision to build a better future.”The event, organized by the Lebanese Executives Council, aimed to connect Lebanon’s global talent pool with efforts to revitalize both public and private sectors.
The conference’s core themes included smart governance, public sector reform, and private sector collaboration, all driven by digital innovation. Aoun emphasized that Lebanon must abandon outdated and corrupt administrative structures in favor of efficient, transparent systems. “Digital transformation is not a technical choice. Digitalization is not just a government project; it is a national project.” He also announced Lebanon’s application to join the Digital Cooperation Organization, a global body founded in 2020 to promote inclusive growth in the digital economy.
Aoun criticized systemic corruption that forces citizens to navigate bureaucracy through bribery or political favors. He highlighted the need for a government that serves all Lebanese equally, free from sectarian or partisan influences.
“We want Lebanon to open up to regional and international partnerships and to be eligible for foreign investments. This goal is an absolute necessity, indispensable and unavoidable,” Aoun said. “The time has come for them (the diaspora) to achieve it for their homeland and in their homeland.”
The day-long conference brought together ministers, private sector leaders, and diaspora experts for panel discussions on digitizing Lebanon’s institutions. Topics included the creation of a national digital ID, policy harmonization, and leveraging technology to reconstruct public services. In an interview with Arab News, LEC President Rabih El-Amine highlighted the importance of engaging the Lebanese diaspora.
“We know by fact that diaspora is willing to help, but they don’t have the medium to offer this help, and we know by fact that the government needs this help, but they don’t know how to reach the diaspora,” he said.
El-Amine stressed that despite weak governance, Lebanon’s private sector and diaspora have helped sustain the country. However, implementing modern laws and digital systems is now critical. He called the digital ID system a foundational step toward enabling services like passport renewals and license issuance.“This is probably the starting point. But I think the biggest challenge for us is how we can make the government and the parliament work together in order to issue modern laws for this system to take place,” he added. Hajar El-Haddaoui, director general of the DCO, expressed strong confidence in Lebanon’s digital potential, citing the country’s talent pool and expansive diaspora.“We trust that Lebanon does have all the ingredients to succeed during this digital economy transformation,” she told Arab News.
She said the DCO’s support will focus on investment, public-private partnerships, and capacity-building, including the Digital Economy Navigator program, which helps countries assess and close gaps in digital readiness. El-Haddaoui underscored the importance of aligned policies, strong infrastructure, and openness to international cooperation.“Any digital economy or digital transformation needs harmonization of policies. That’s really important and critical. Working on a regulation and standard of regulation is really one of the pillars of successful digital transformation,” she said.
Speaking to Arab News, Fadi Makki, Lebanon’s minister of state for administrative development affairs, outlined key reforms to upgrade the country’s administrative structures. “We’re far behind in digital readiness. We’re trying to catch up through digital transformation, skilling, and reskilling programs,” he said.
Makki explained that Lebanon lacks planning and performance monitoring units that are standard in functional governments. He proposed modernizing human resources and encouraging the private sector to deliver services, while the government ensures oversight.
“We don’t want to compete with them (the private sector), but at the same time, we want to create opportunities for them while ensuring we provide the necessary oversight like any government,” he told Arab News..“One of the missing functions in government is planning and performance monitoring. We don’t have that. So, part of our work is creating these basic units, not just centrally but eventually in every ministry. Without them, we’re building on weak foundations,” he added. The event also featured remarks from Lebanese American University’s Chaouki Abdallah and panels with Minister of Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadi, along with global figures like Jad Bitar of the Boston Consulting Group. In closing, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam thanked all participants for their contributions and reaffirmed the government’s resolve.
“Digital transformation in Lebanon is not a luxury but a necessity and a reform,” he said. “It directly serves the citizens, reduces corruption, and enhances the quality of life. It is also a prerequisite for economic growth.”Salam called for full inter-ministerial coordination, asserting, “Lebanon cannot remain outside the digital world or on its margins.”He concluded: “We are determined to be part of the regional and global digital economy and to reconnect Lebanon with the chains of knowledge and production in the 21st century.”As Lebanon continues to navigate a complex political and economic crisis, the conference marked a clear call for reform. The message from both domestic and diaspora leaders was unambiguous: digital transformation is not only possible—it is imperative.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 03-04/2025
Iran says US nuclear proposal ‘contains many ambiguities and questions’
AFP/03 June ,2025
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that a US proposal for a new nuclear agreement submitted through mediator Oman has “many ambiguities and questions.” “The written proposal we received from the US contains many ambiguities and questions. Many issues in this proposal are not clear,” Araghchi said while on a visit to Lebanon. On Saturday, Iran said it received “elements” of a US proposal for a nuclear deal following five rounds of talks that started in April and were mediated by the sultanate of Oman. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention between Washington and Tehran in the talks to seal a nuclear deal, with Iran defending what it says is its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear energy program and the US calling it a “red line.”US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that Iran will not be allowed any enrichment of uranium under a potential deal with Washington. “Continuing enrichment on Iranian soil is our red line,” Iran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday. He added that his country would submit a response to the proposal in the coming days, based on Iran’s “principled positions and the interests of the Iranian people.”“We will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium in Iran. However, we are ready to take steps ... to ensure that this enrichment will not lead to the production of nuclear weapons,” he said.Araghchi was visiting Beirut following a stop in Cairo on Monday, where he met with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had increased production of highly enriched uranium. The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity – close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Trump says Iran deal would not allow ‘any’ uranium enrichment
AFP/03 June ,2025
US President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes, as Tehran defended what it said was its “peaceful” pursuit of fuel for power generation. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. “Under our potential agreement – WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” Trump said on his Truth Social network after the Axios news outlet said Washington’s offer would let Tehran enrich some of the nuclear fuel. Republican Trump also blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the impasse, saying the Democrat “should have stopped Iran a long time ago from ‘enriching.’”Axios said the latest proposal that Washington had sent Tehran on Saturday would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, for an amount of time that has yet to be determined. Iran has insisted that it has “nothing to hide” on its nuclear program. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog’s chief Rafael Grossi, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached.”The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent—close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. “There is a need for more transparency—this is very, very clear—in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities,” Grossi said ahead of meeting Araghchi.
Grossi added that some of the report’s findings “may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticized.”Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions “exploit” it. “Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap,” Araghchi said of the IAEA. Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with Trump’s administration.
Araghchi said on Saturday that he had received “elements” of the US proposal for a nuclear deal following the five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman. Both Araghchi and Grossi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who praised the US–Iran talks and called for “de-escalation in order to prevent a slide into a full-fledged regional war.”On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: “We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted.” “So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue,” he said.
The US envoy in the nuclear talks said last month that Trump’s administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment. “An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That’s our red line. No enrichment,” Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News. Following a phone call with Witkoff the day before about the ongoing nuclear talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution and a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, saying in Monday’s press conference that “the region is already experiencing enough problems and crises.”He warned that military confrontation would create “a state of chaos from which no one will be spared.” Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium “with or without a deal” on its nuclear program. The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called “acceptable” and in Tehran’s “best interest” to accept, US media reported on Saturday. The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power.

Bolton says US-Iran nuclear talks are ‘fruitless’
Filip Timotija/The Hill/May 31, 2025
Former national security adviser John Bolton argued during a recent interview that nuclear deal negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are “fruitless” and Israel’s potential strikes against Tehran’s nuclear facilities are entirely “warranted.”
“I think we’re really at a very important point here, whether, whether Trump is going to try and continue these negotiations, which I think are going to be completely fruitless, or whether Israel is going to do what it has to do to protect its very existence,” Bolton said Friday evening in an appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance.”The U.S. and Iran’s officials have sat down for five rounds of talks regarding Iran’s expanding nuclear program, with the most recent meeting taking place in Rome last week. There, both sides indicated that they are moving closer to forging a new deal.
President Trump withdrew from the Obama-negotiated deal with Iran in 2018, during his first White House term, and imposed sanctions on Tehran. Trump has warned Iran that if ongoing diplomatic talks go sideways, military action could take place.
The president earlier Friday signaled that the two countries are “fairly close” to reaching a new agreement. “I think we have a chance of making a deal with Iran,” Trump told journalists at the White House. “They don’t want to be blown up,” he added. “They would rather make a deal, and I think that could happen in the not-too-distant future.”Israel has reportedly been preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if U.S.-led talks go nowhere. Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from striking Tehran as it could jeopardize ongoing discussions.
“It’s not a warning. I said, ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate.’ I just said I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Trump said. “We’re having very good discussions with them, and I don’t think it’s appropriate right now.”Bolton, a defense hawk and a frequent critic of the president’s approach to foreign policy, said the “actual opinion in Israel is overwhelmingly in favor of taking military action against Iran’s facilities.”An Israeli Democracy Institute poll, released in late April, found that 45 percent of Israelis are in favor of striking Iran, while 41.5 percent are against it. Just over half of the respondents, 52 percent, of Jewish Israelis are in favor of strikes, while 34.5 percent oppose them. Among Arab Israelis, a large majority, 76 percent, are against military strikes, while only nine percent said the opposite, according to the survey. “I think a preventive attack is entirely warranted. The US should support it. In fact, if asked, or if asked, we should help them and in fact we should volunteer to help them,” Bolton told host Leland Vittert on Friday. “It’s unfair to say that the Iran nuclear program is only Israel’s problem, let’s face it, it’s our problem, too,” he added.Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman also warned Iranian officials during a closed-door meeting on April 17 that Tehran should take up Trump’s opportunity to negotiate a deal or the Islamic republic would risk military strikes from Israel, Reuters reported on Friday, citing two Gulf sources and two Iranian officials.

Top Republican lawmaker pushes Muslim Brotherhood terror designation in US Congress
Al Arabiya English/03 June ,2025
A senior US lawmaker said Tuesday that he would look to introduce legislation aimed at designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. “In the coming days, I will be circulating and re-introducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career,” Senator Ted Cruz said in a post on X. Cruz went on to say that the Muslim Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen its influence. “But the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security,” he added. US President Donald Trump’s senior director for counterterrorism, Sebastian Gorka, called the Muslim Brotherhood “the progenitor of all modern” terror groups. Earlier this year, Jordan became the latest Arab country to ban the Muslim Brotherhood following a sabotage plot by the group that Jordanian security agencies foiled. Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE have all banned the group. The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the region’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements, currently led by Mohamed Badie in Egypt, who is currently serving jail time after he was sentenced in 2017 to life in prison and a death sentence for planning violent attacks. Badie and 37 others were accused of conspiring to stir unrest during protests that followed the July 2013 military overthrow of Egypt’s former president Mohamed Morsi, who was a part of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Israel army says shelling Syria after projectiles launched
AFP/June 04, 2025
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it was shelling targets in Syria on Tuesday in response to a pair of projectile launches, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying he held Syria’s leader “directly responsible.”A military statement said that “two projectiles were identified crossing from Syria into Israeli territory, and fell in open areas,” adding in a subsequent statement that its “artillery struck in southern Syria” following the launches. Syria’s official news agency SANA reported shelling “targeting the Yarmuk Basin, in the west of Daraa” province. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said bombardments had hit farmland in the province, without reporting casualties. “Violent explosions shook southern Syria, notably the town of Quneitra and the Daraa region, following Israeli aerial strikes” overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, the monitor said in a statement. Israel said it had targeted weapons belonging to Syrian authorities following the launch of the projectiles. There were no reports of casualties or damage on the Israeli side due to the projectiles, which the military said triggered air raid sirens in parts of the southern Golan Heights, a territory Israel conquered from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Katz, the Israeli defense minister, said in a statement released by his office that “we view the president of Syria as directly responsible for any threat or fire directed at the State of Israel.” “A full response will follow shortly,” he added. Syria’s interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, led the Islamist group that spearheaded the offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December. Israeli media said Tuesday’s projectiles were the first fired from Syria into Israeli territory since Assad’s fall. Following his overthrow, Israel moved its forces into the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights, and has carried out hundreds of strikes against military targets in Syria. Israel says the strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria’s new authorities, whom it considers jihadists. In a statement on Sunday, Israel’s military said its troops were continuing “defensive operations in southern Syria” to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure and protect the residents of the Golan Heights.”Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948.

UN Security Council likely to vote Wednesday on Gaza action
Reuters/June 04, 2025
NEW YORK: The ten elected members of the UN Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties,” said diplomats. The draft text, seen by Reuters, also demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its safe and unhindered distribution at scale, including by the UN throughout the enclave. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France — to pass.

US-backed Gaza aid group names evangelical as chairman
Reuters/June 04, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Tuesday named as its executive chairman an American evangelical Christian leader who has publicly backed President Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take over the Palestinian enclave.
The appointment of Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore, a former evangelical adviser to the White House during Trump's first term in office, came as health officials said at least 27 people died and more than 150 were injured trying to reach a GHF aid site.
"GHF is demonstrating that it is possible to move vast quantities of food to people who need it most — safely, efficiently, and effectively," Moore said in the foundation statement. "GHF believes that serving the people of Gaza with dignity and compassion must be the top priority."
HIGHLIGHTS
• GHF says it has delivered some 7 million meals in Gaza
• UN refuses to work with GHF, says aid distribution militarized
• Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, Hamas denies it
The GHF began operations one week ago under a distribution model criticized by the United Nations as the militarization of aid. The GHF says so far it has given out seven million meals from so-called secure distribution sites. It uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to get aid into Gaza.
The U.N. and aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say it is not a neutral operation. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher has said it "makes aid conditional on political and military aims" and uses starvation as "a bargaining chip."
The appointment of Moore could fuel U.N. concerns, given his support for the controversial proposal Trump floated in February for the U.S. to take over Gaza and develop it economically. After Trump proposed the idea, Moore posted video of Trump's remarks on X and wrote: "The USA will take full responsibility for future of Gaza, giving everyone hope & a future."
'BAD GUYS'
The U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appointment of Moore, who has accused the U.N. of ignoring "bad guys" stealing aid in Gaza. The U.N. has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for impediments getting aid into Gaza and distributing throughout the war zone.
Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies. In a reference to the new GHF-led aid model, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week said Israel was "taking control of food distribution" in Gaza.
"The @UN & others should clean up their act & work with America," Moore posted on May 26. "Surely, these old U.S. & E.U.-funded humanitarian orgs won't let people starve in exchange for being 'right' when they know what they have done hasn't worked & has, in fact, made a terrible war worse?"
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, and Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.Moore visited Israel about three months after the 2023 Hamas attack and wrote: "Never have I seen such horror."Just a couple of weeks later, he posted a video titled "Come visit beautiful Gaza," which sought to portray Gaza as a tourist destination if it wasn't for Hamas militants. Trump has said Gaza has the potential to be "The Riviera of the Middle East."The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with neighboring Arab states.

Israel’s actions ‘constitute elements of most serious crimes under international law’: UN
Ephrem Kossaify/Arab News/June 03, 2025
NEW YORK: Israel’s actions in Gaza “constitute elements of the most serious crimes under international law,” the UN human rights chief warned on Tuesday. “The willful impediment of access to food and other life-sustaining relief supplies for civilians may constitute a war crime,” Volker Turk said. “The threat of starvation, together with 20 months of killing of civilians and destruction on a massive scale, repeated forced displacements, intolerable, dehumanizing rhetoric and threats by Israel’s leadership to empty the strip of its population, also constitute elements of the most serious crimes under international law.”For the past three days, scores of starved Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire as they were attempting to procure food at an aid point run by the controversial, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the “paltry amounts” of food aid in Gaza are “unconscionable,” said Turk, calling for a “prompt and impartial” investigation into each of these attacks, and for the perpetrators to be held to account. “Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law, and a war crime,” he said, adding that Palestinians have been presented “the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available through Israel’s militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism.” This militarized system to distribute aid, which is meant to circumvent the UN mechanism in Gaza, “endangers lives and violates international standards on aid distribution,” he said. Turk recalled that in 2024, the International Court of Justice “issued binding orders on Israel to take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical care to Palestinians throughout Gaza. There is no justification for failing to comply with these obligations.”
* WATCH *
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday slammed as “unacceptable” the deaths of Palestinians seeking food aid in Gaza, a spokesman said, calling the loss of life in the territory “unthinkable.”

Hamas likely strikes rival Palestinian armed group amid mounting internal pressure
Joe Truzman/ FDD's Long War Journal/FDD's Long War Journal
Hamas published a propaganda video on May 30, claiming it had attacked an undercover Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unit in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. However, the video shows members of the alleged clandestine IDF unit with their weapons in plain view, which would be highly unusual for such a force, and analysts have argued that the individuals Hamas attacked were likely members of Yasser Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces (PF) militia. Hamas’s attack and publication of the video may have served as a warning to the nascent militia despite Hamas describing the armed men in the video as Israeli troops. In addition, the event would be the first time Hamas has published evidence demonstrating that it deliberately targeted an armed Palestinian organization in Gaza during the current war. Any such conflict underscores the growing internal challenges Hamas faces, not only from an increasingly frustrated civilian population but also from a rival armed group. The incident suggests that Hamas’ authority in Gaza is being tested on multiple fronts, revealing fractures within the broader network of Palestinian armed organizations that may no longer be fully aligned with Hamas’s leadership or strategic objectives.
The PF is a recently established militia in southern Gaza led by Yasser Abu Shabab, who has been accused of looting aid trucks in the past. Haaretz reported that Shabab is a well-connected figure and a member of a powerful clan. The PF has been accused of collaborating with Israel and the Palestinian Authority’s security services, but no evidence has emerged to prove the allegations. Conversely, the PF has rejected claims that it is a militia or a newly formed faction, asserting instead that its members were compelled to take up arms in response to the security vacuum and lawlessness in Gaza triggered by the war. In a statement released on May 28, the group emphasized that its primary objective is to restore order, notably by safeguarding humanitarian aid deliveries. The PF pledged that each family would receive a bag of flour without facing humiliation or being subjected to political coercion, an implicit critique of Hamas’s previous control over aid distribution. Michael Milshtein, the head of the Palestinian Studies Forum, noted that Hamas’s attack on elements of the PF should be viewed as the opening shot in a potentially bloody conflict between the rival Palestinian organizations, which Israel should avoid getting drawn into. Hamas is currently fighting on several fronts. It has the Israeli military to contend with, an increasingly hostile civilian population, and an emerging armed group. Israeli security officials likely view this dynamic as a positive development in the war against the terrorist group.
A senior Israeli defense official told reporters on May 30 that Hamas is losing its grip over the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The official said that the newly established Israeli-supported aid mechanism is expanding efforts to prevent Hamas from seizing humanitarian assistance.
As a potential ceasefire between Hamas, its allies, and Israel looms, it remains premature to assess whether the PF will achieve any meaningful gains against Hamas. While the group has emerged as a local force amid the war-induced power vacuum, its long-term trajectory depends on several unresolved variables. Additionally, the PF’s influence may diminish if Hamas regains the capacity to reassert control during a ceasefire or if external actors begin to intervene in the postwar power landscape.
**Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/06/analysis-hamas-likely-strikes-rival-palestinian-armed-group-amid-mounting-internal-pressure.php

Israel army vows to ‘protect maritime space’ as aid boat sails for Gaza
AFP/June 04, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said it was ready to “protect” the country’s maritime space on Tuesday, after a boat organized by an international activist coalition set sail for Gaza aiming to deliver aid. The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily on Sunday and is carrying around a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Israel has come under increasing international criticism over the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, where the United Nations warned in May that the entire population was at risk of famine. “The (Israeli military) is prepared to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts — in the north, the south, the center and also in the maritime arena,” army spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. “The navy operates day and night to protect Israel’s maritime space and borders at sea,” he added at a televised press conference. “For this case as well, we are prepared,” he said in response to a question about the Freedom Flotilla vessel, declining to go into detail. “We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly.”The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, launched in 2010, is a non-violent international movement supporting Palestinians, combining humanitarian aid with political protest against the blockade on Gaza. The “Madleen” is a small sailboat reportedly carrying fruit juices, milk, rice, tinned food and protein bars. “Together, we can open a people’s sea corridor to Gaza,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition wrote on X on Tuesday. In early May, a Freedom Flotilla ship called the “Conscience” was damaged in international waters off Malta as it headed to Gaza, with the activists saying they suspected an Israeli drone attack. Israel recently eased a more than two-month blockade on the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, but the aid community has urged it to allow in more food, faster.

Israel army confirms shot Palestinian teen in West Bank
AFP/June 04, 2025
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s military confirmed on Tuesday it had “neutralized” a Palestinian who threw rocks in the occupied West Bank, where authorities said the slain victim was 14 years old. In a statement on Monday, the Palestinian Authority announced “the martyrdom of 14-year-old boy Yousef Fouad F aqha, who was shot by Israeli forces in the town of Sinjil” in the central West Bank. A statement from the local municipality also said Faqha died after being shot by Israeli forces.Asked about the incident, the Israeli military told AFP on Tuesday that during an operation around Sinjil a day earlier, its forces had “identified a terrorist who had hurled rocks toward a transportation route and thrown two bottles containing hazardous material toward the forces.”“Immediately after identifying the threat, the forces opened fire and neutralized the terrorist,” it added. The military later confirmed to AFP that the target was Faqha. Sources close to the family said that Israeli authorities were still holding onto the body.In a similar incident in April, a teenager who held US citizenship was shot dead in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, with the Israeli military saying it had killed a “terrorist” who threw rocks at cars.Sinjil and Turmus Ayya are located next to each other on either side of a main road running through the West Bank. The Israeli military has recently surrounded Sinjil with a large metal fence that cuts the town off from the road.Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence there has soared since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The West Bank is home to about three million Palestinians, but also some 500,000 Israelis living in settlements that are illegal under international law. Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 938 Palestinians — many of them militants, but also scores of civilians — in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to Palestinian health ministry figures. At least 35 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.

What future awaits Gaza’s children under airstrikes and aid embargo?
Jumana Khamis/Arab News/June 03, 2025
DUBAI: “Where is the world?” That was the chilling closing caption shared by 11-year-old Yaqeen Hammad in one of the final videos she posted on social media, just days before she was killed on May 23 by an Israeli airstrike on Deir Al-Balah in Gaza.
Yaqeen’s story has been thrown into particular focus this week as the world marks International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression on June 4, a reminder not only of those lost but of the futures stolen.
As Gaza’s youngest social media influencer, Yaqeen was known for the uplifting videos she created and her work alongside her brother at Ouena, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to humanitarian relief and development.
Yaqeen’s followers will remember her for her infectious optimism and volunteer work with displaced families. Just days before she died, she posted survival tips to help others endure life under siege. Now she has become a haunting symbol of the toll the war between Israel and Hamas is taking on young people.
More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the latest conflict began, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. Thousands more have been orphaned or displaced by the ongoing violence.
Israeli authorities launched military operations in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, during which 1,200 people were killed, the majority of them civilians, and about 250 were taken hostage, many of them non-Israelis.
Despite repeated international efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, the continuing conflict has devastated the Palestinian enclave, creating one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.
FASTFACT
Every year on June 4, International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression acknowledges the pain that children around the world suffer. Many of these children are victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse.
For those children who survive long enough to see an enduring ceasefire, what kind of future awaits them?
“We are losing a generation before our eyes, condemning patients to die from hunger, disease and despair — deaths that could have been prevented,” American trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa told the UN Security Council on May 28.
He delivered a searing account of what he witnessed during two volunteer missions in Gaza, the first in 2024, the second in March and April this year, at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Sidhwa said he has worked in several conflict zones, including Haiti and Ukraine, but nothing compared to what he witnessed in Gaza. “I operated in hospitals without sterility, electricity or anesthetics,” he told council members. “Children died, not because their injuries were unsurvivable but because we lacked blood, antibiotics and the most basic supplies.”
He stressed that during his five weeks in Gaza he had not treated a single combatant.
“Most of my patients were preteen children, their bodies shattered by explosions and torn by flying metal,” he said, describing six-year-old patients with bullets in their brains, and pregnant women whose pelvises had been shattered by airstrikes.
“Civilians are now dying not just from constant airstrikes, but from acute malnutrition, sepsis, exposure and despair,” he added, noting that in the time between his two visits he had observed a sharp decline in the general health of patients, many of whom were too weak to heal as a result of hunger.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, almost 71,000 cases of acute malnutrition, including 14,100 severe cases, are expected in Gaza between April 2025 and March 2026. As of May 29 this year, about 470,000 people in Gaza were facing imminent famine, the UN said, and the entire population was suffering from severe food insecurity. One in five children under the age of 5 years old is severely malnourished, and more than 92 percent of infants and pregnant or breastfeeding women are not receiving adequate nutrition. Despite global pressure on Israeli authorities to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, access for relief workers remains limited. The UN Relief and Works Agency said deliveries are sporadic and some areas are unreachable as a result of fighting. The day after Yaqeen was killed, Gaza was struck by another tragedy. On May 24, an Israeli airstrike hit the home of Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, a pediatrician in Khan Younis who had long devoted her life to saving children, while she was on duty treating the wounded at Nasser Medical Complex.
Nine of her 10 children were killed in the blast. The youngest was just 7 months old, the eldest only 12. Her husband Hamdi, also a doctor, and their 11-year-old son, Adam, were pulled from the rubble with critical injuries. Hamdi died in hospital on May 31.
The Israel Defense Force said in response to initial reports of the strike that “an aircraft struck several suspects identified by IDF forces as operating in a building near troops in the Khan Younis area, a dangerous combat zone that had been evacuated of civilians in advance for their protection. The claim of harm to uninvolved individuals is being reviewed.” Two days later, another child’s face captured the attention of the world. Ward Jalal Al-Sheikh Khalil, 7, emerged from the flames alone when Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City, a shelter for displaced families, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on May 26.
Her mother and two siblings were killed and her father is fighting for his life. In a now-viral video, Ward whispers through tears: “There was a shooting and all my siblings died.”
The Israeli military and Shin Bet, the country’s internal security service, issued a statement about the bombing of the school, in which they claimed the strike had targeted a compound used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
“The command and control center was used by the terrorists to plan and gather intelligence in order to execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the army said. “Numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.”
Illustrations of a little girl surrounded by flames, inspired by Ward’s escape from the school, quickly spread across social media, capturing the sense of grief and outrage over the suffering of children in Gaza.
INNUMBERS
1,309 children killed and 3,738 injured since the collapse of Gaza ceasefire on March 18.
50,000 children reportedly killed or injured since latest conflict began in October 2023.
(Source: UNICEF)
“In a 72-hour period this weekend, images from two horrific attacks provide yet more evidence of the unconscionable cost of this ruthless war on children in the Gaza Strip,” UNICEF’s regional director, Edouard Beigbeder, said on May 27. “On Friday, we saw videos of the bodies of burnt, dismembered children from the Al-Najjar family being pulled from the rubble of their home in Khan Younis. Of 10 siblings under 12 years old, only one reportedly survived, with critical injuries. “Early Monday, we saw images of a small child trapped in a burning school in Gaza City. That attack, in the early hours of the morning, reportedly killed at least 31 people, including 18 children. “These children — lives that should never be reduced to numbers — are now part of a long, harrowing list of unimaginable horrors: the grave violations against children, the blockade of aid, the starvation, the constant forced displacement, and the destruction of hospitals, water systems, schools and homes. In essence, the destruction of life itself in the Gaza Strip.”Beyond the physical destruction, an invisible crisis is escalating. According to the War Child Alliance, nearly half of children in Gaza now exhibit suicidal thoughts as a result of the sheer weight of grief, trauma and loss. Aid workers report children as young as 5 years old asking why they survived when their siblings, parents or even entire families did not. During his address to the UN Security Council, Dr. Sidhwa described the despair he witnessed among young patients during his time in Gaza, and asked: “I wonder if any member of this council has ever met a 5-year-old who no longer wants to live — let alone imagined a society in which so many young children feel that way. “What astonishes me is not that some children in Gaza have lost the will to live, but that any still cling to hope.”Mental health professionals warn that many children in the territory display symptoms of complex trauma, including persistent nightmares, bed-wetting, social withdrawal, and panic attacks triggered by the sound of planes or ambulances. But with even the most immediate, basic means of survival out of reach for many in Gaza, mental health support remains a more distant concern, leaving an entire generation to navigate profound psychological scars alone. “How many more dead girls and boys will it take?” asked Beigbeder, the UNICEF chief. “What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?”

Jordan condemns Israeli settler incursion into Al-Aqsa, reaffirms responsibility for mosque
Arab News/June 03, 2025
LONDON: The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli settlers, describing the action as provocative. On Monday and Tuesday, hundreds of Israeli settlers entered the compound in the Old City, which is part of occupied East Jerusalem. The ministry described the setters’ behavior as “inflammatory acts that aim to impose new temporal and spatial divisions at the mosque.”Settlers regularly tour the site under the protection of Israeli police and are often accompanied by government officials and far-right ministers.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah said that the settlers’ incursion “would not be possible without the protection and facilitation of the Israeli police,” demanding that the Israeli authorities “halt their irresponsible and dangerous practices.”On Tuesday, some settlers performed Talmudic rituals in Al-Aqsa compound known as “epic prostration,” in which the worshipper bows low to the ground in a display of humility and reverence, the Petra news agency reported. Qudah emphasized that the 144-dunam area of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. He highlighted that the Jerusalem Endowments Council, which operates under Jordan’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, is the only legal authority responsible for managing and regulating Al-Aqsa’s affairs, Petra added.

Bahrain elected to UN Security Council for 2026-2027 term, vows to be ‘voice for peace’
Ephrem Kossaify/Arab News/June 03, 2025
NEW YORK CITY: The UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected Bahrain to serve as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2026-2027. The country was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia, all of which will serve two-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The 15-member Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consists of five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — plus 10 nonpermanent members elected by the General Assembly to serve staggered, two-year terms. The newly elected nations will therefore join five existing nonpermanent members whose terms conclude at the end of 2026: Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia. The elections for nonpermanent members are conducted annually by secret ballot, with the seats distributed according to regional groupings. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority of votes from the 193-member General Assembly to be elected. Bahrain’s election was said to reflect the Gulf state’s expanding diplomatic profile and signal its readiness to contribute to efforts to address global and regional security challenges. Following the announcement, the country’s foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, expressed his gratitude and emphasized the commitment of his country to the goals of the UN. “The results of today’s election reflect the unwavering trust and confidence member states have placed in Bahrain’s diplomatic efforts, underscoring our steadfast commitment to fostering peace, stability and collaboration on the global stage,” he told reporters in New York. He thanked the leadership of Bahrain, including King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, and the people of the country for their support, and said Bahrain aims to promote the values of dialogue, coexistence, mutual respect and consensus-building during its stint as a member of the Security Council. “We will continue to be a voice for peace, a bridge for understanding and an advocate for solutions that resonate with the aspirations of all peoples seeking a peaceful and prosperous future,” Alzayani said. Asked about Bahrain’s approach to regional issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, he reaffirmed his country’s commitment to support for negotiations that aim to achieve peace and security. “The region seeks, and needs, to have peace and security,” Alzayani said. “We will work towards supporting successful negotiations and talks happening right now with the support and coordination of countries in the region.” Bahrain envisions a region free of nuclear weapons, in which peoples of all religions and sects can live side by side in peace and prosperity, he added.
On the specific issue of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, Alzayani stressed that his country remains dedicated to the pursuit of a two-state solution. “Our priority is peace,” he said. “We firmly believe that the cornerstone for achieving peace in the region is resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”
He called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and detainees, and humanitarian access to the territory. He also called for all parties to work toward a two-state solution that includes “a secured Israel and a viable Palestinian state.”Bahrain will continue its diplomatic efforts to increase international recognition of Palestine and support the upcoming summit on the implementation of the two-state solution that will be co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, he added. “If the world unites in supporting a peaceful, political, diplomatic solution, it will be a great gift for humanity,” Alzayani said.

UN chief urges Yemen’s Houthis to release aid workers
AFP/June 03, 2025
DUBAI: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday demanded Yemen’s Houthi militants release dozens of aid workers, including UN staff, a year after their arrest. The Iran-backed militants, who control much of the war-torn country, detained 13 UN personnel and more than 50 employees of aid groups last June.“I renew my call for their immediate and unconditional release,” Guterres said in a statement issued by the office of his special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg.“The UN and its humanitarian partners should never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their mandates for the benefit of the people they serve,” he added.A decade of civil war has plunged Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than half of the population relying on aid. The arrests prompted the United Nations to limit its deployments and suspend activities in some regions of the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country. The Houthis at the time claimed an “American-Israeli spy cell” was operating under the cover of aid groups — an accusation firmly rejected by the UN. Guterres also lamented the “deplorable tragedy” of the death in detention of a World Food Programme staffer in February. The Houthis have kidnapped, arbitrarily detained and tortured hundreds of civilians, including aid workers, during their war against a Saudi-led coalition supporting the beleaguered internationally recognized government.

Houthis abduct 4 journalists, jail another for criticizing leader, says watchdog
Arab News/June 03, 2025
LONDON: At least four journalists have been abducted and another jailed for criticizing the Houthis’ leader, media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. Local reports claim freelance photographer Abduljabbar Zayad, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reporter Hassan Ziyad, Soorah Media Production Center director Abdulaziz Al-Noum and deputy head of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate Walid Ali Ghalib were abducted between May 21-23. On May 24, the Specialized Criminal Court in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa sentenced Yemeni journalist Mohamed Al-Miyahi t0 18 months in prison for criticizing Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi online. Al-Miyahi was also ordered to sign a pledge not to resume his journalistic work and to pay a guarantee of SR5 million ($20,500), which he would forfeit if he continued to publish material critical of the state. Regional director of the CPJ, Sara Qudah, condemned the actions and said: “The kidnapping of at least four Yemeni journalists and media workers and the sentence issued against Mohamed Al-Miyahi exemplify the Houthis’ escalating assault on press freedom. “We call on Houthi authorities to immediately release all detained journalists and stop weaponizing the law and courts to legitimize their repression of independent voices.”The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate also condemned the kidnapping, calling it an “arbitrary campaign targeting journalists and freedom of opinion and expression.”
A statement released by the organization said: “The syndicate considers these abductions a continuation of the approach of repression and targeting of journalists and opinion holders, and a hostile behavior towards freedom of opinion and expression, holding the Houthi group fully responsible for the lives and safety of the detained colleagues.”Al-Miyahi has criticized the Iran-backed Houthis in a series of articles, broadcasts and social media posts. In his last article, prior to his abduction in September 2024 and enforced disappearance for more than a month, he accused the group of suppressing freedom of expression and “not respect(ing) people and treat(ing) them like mindless and unconscious herds.”In January he appeared in court accused of “publishing articles against the state.” The YJS called the trial a “sham (…) where the verdict was read aloud by the judge from a mobile phone inside the courtroom, violating the most basic standards of fair trial procedures.”The CPJ accused the Houthis, who control Sanaa and govern more than 70 percent of Yemen’s population, of running a “parallel justice system (…) widely seen as lacking impartiality” and argued Al-Miyahi’s prosecution violated Article 13 of Yemen’s press law, which protects journalists from punishment for publishing their opinions.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 03-04/2025
Lifting Sanctions on the Syrian Regime is a Grave Mistake
Sinan Ciddi/19FortyFive site/June 02/2025
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/05/lifting-sanctions-on-the-syrian-regime-is-a-grave-mistake/
At a future point, many will ask an obvious question: why did the United States and Europe lift sanctions on Syria? The question will come after the likely fall of the Ahmed al Sharaa regime when the mirage of a unified Syria governed by a central government gives way to renewed civil war by competing jihadist factions and militias. At the highest levels of European and American governance, decision-makers want world audiences to believe that Syria’s new government must be given all the support it can get if Syria has a chance of succeeding following the fall of the Bashar al Assad regime in December 2024. Without lifting sanctions, the logic goes that Syria has no hope of economically recovering and risks becoming a failed state. Syria was designated by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, which was further compounded by Congress’ Caeser Act of 2019, which economically ruined the Baathist regime’s economy. The argument by proponents of Sharaa states that the sanctions in place were directed against Syria’s old regime, which is now gone, and to keep them in place is not only wrong, but maintaining them would be the practice of collective punishment against the Syrian people.
Syria’s New Leadership
Questioning this logic should not be frowned upon. To be clear, sanctions are not being lifted on a state governed by benign rulers who value the sanctity of human life. Syria is now led by Ahmed al Sharaa, a jihadist with previous ties to Al Qaeda, presiding over a cabinet, most of whom also had ties to violent extremist organizations, including Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Many, including al Sharaa, had bounties on their heads. Since Sharaa and Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS)—the Al Qaeda entity he led that toppled the Assad regime—Europe and Washington have been willing to take Sharaa (and his followers) at his word that he has abandoned his lifelong violent quest to pursue jihadist causes. Verifying his word or intention is not part of the West’s calculation in dealing with Sharaa for one simple reason: both the Trump administration and Europe do not want to explore more direct or alternative ways to stabilize Syria’s unified future. The West does not want to commit any resources. There simply is no resolve or patience. The Assad regime was overthrown, and one must simply make do with what there is, and that is a self-avowed ‘former’ terrorist and his alleged transitional government. To ensure that Sharaa’s government succeeds, the West has accepted the enthusiastic support of Turkey and the Gulf monarchies, which are keen to shape and influence Syria in their own image. Since 2011, Ankara has been determined to overthrow the Assad regime and install a new government that is directly affiliated or ideologically adjacent to the Muslim Brotherhood. Its support of the Mohammed Morsi regime in Egypt and Hamas in Gaza is clear proof of Erdogan’s ideological desires for the region. Ankara greenlit HTS’ military campaign to topple the Assad regime in December 2024, as seen when HTS fighters draped Turkish flags on the walls of Aleppo following the city’s capture.
A New Syria, or Puppet State
Having displaced Iran’s influence and presence in Syria, Erdogan now intends to expand Turkey’s power throughout the region. Turkey seeks to utilize Syrian territory to establish a permanent military presence through bases, forward positioning its military, and playing a primary role in building Syria’s military capability under Sharaa. Turkey also seeks to gain economically out of Syria: Turkish construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, and service firms stand ready to rebuild the war-torn state, all to be financed with capital flowing from the Gulf.
But these lofty goals are dangerous and unlikely to succeed. By lifting sanctions on the Sharaa government, Western powers are providing the basis of empowering future jihadist pursuits. At present, Sharaa has professed moderation. He has visited Western capitals, shaken hands with United States President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, and promised to build an inclusive Syria for all Syrians. Institutionally speaking, it is unclear if the new regime is interested in providing a governance structure that will satisfy the needs and wants of the country’s heterogeneous population. We simply have no idea if elections and participation by Syrians in Syria’s future will ever be witnessed. Sharaa has already declared that elections will not be held for at least five years.
Rule in Syria
This is not the sign of a leader interested in building an inclusive rule but rather amassing personal power. There have been strong expressions that Sharia law will be the basis of Syrian law, which is unlikely to sit well with the country’s minority components, especially its sizeable Kurdish population, which are both militarily well equipped, capable of resisting Sharaa, and abundantly skeptical of Sharaa’s ability to preside over a central government for a meaningful length of time. Representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), have made little secret of their desire to push for a decentralized government in Syria. They do not trust Sharaa. The biggest threat to Syrian unity comes from the jihadist factions/militias, now being mobilized to supposedly create the new Syrian Army, Syrian law enforcement, and staff institutions of the new Syrian state. Succeeding in this area is the greatest challenge, and it may be a bridge too far. Asking jihadist militias to renounce their ambitions for holy jihad, to support and defend the creation of a Weberian administrative state, is simply a fantasy. There is a credible concern that Sharaa may struggle to convince the various components of this governing coalition to support his moderate intentions. Take the multiple militias that comprise the so-called “Syrian National Army.” An umbrella organization consisting of numerous opposition Syrian jihadist groups formed by Turkey in 2011, dedicated to the overthrow of the Assad regime. They are largely responsible for the violence against Syrian Alawites following the overthrow of the regime. They are not entirely under the control of the so-called central government of Sharaa. Turkey has mobilized them to attack SDF forces, which Turkey wants to be disbanded and dissolved into the new Syrian army. Ankara has been providing material support to the SNA in terms of weapons, salaries, training, and equipment for years. It is difficult to gauge whether the SNA would now be willing to take orders from the Sharaa government, or from the hand that feeds it: Turkey. Suppose Sharaa fails to reach a negotiated settlement with the SDF or continues to elicit the SNA’s obedience. In that case, it is conceivable that its constituent militias could begin fighting anyone they deem to be their enemies: the Sharaa government, Kurds, Druze, Alawites, or Christians, and threaten the security of all states that bordering Syria. Even if Sharaa is sincere and pragmatic in intent, there is little guarantee that those in government around him will support his program of moderation. For years, violent militias have been armed and supported by a number of state actors, including Turkey, Iran, and Russia. Sharaa’s HTS was one such entity, likely receiving support from Turkey. The likelihood of building an inclusive and stable Syrian government for all Syrians, presided over by a jihadist-Salafist leader, is more likely to come to a terrible end than not. And this is not because doubters are pessimistic detractors who do not want to see peace and stability reign in post-Assad Syria. It’s because this is the most likely scenario. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio couldn’t have been clearer when stating Syria’s government “maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse.” The most troubling aspect of the West’s championing of the Sharaa government rests in the fact that in the event of its collapse, whom does Europe and Washington after Sharaa?
**Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at FDD and an expert on Turkish politics.

A reformed Voice of America is worth saving
Ivana Stradner and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery/Washington Examiner/June 03/025
Voice of America requires reform, not dismantlement.
The Trump administration fired nearly 600 contractors who worked for the outlet, a decision that came after the government cut federal funding for its parent company, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Despite VOA’s shortcomings, President Donald Trump should make VOA great again.
Both Trump and former Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, whom Trump appointed to lead the USAGM, have had VOA in their crosshairs. They have accused VOA of broadcasting “radical propaganda,” pointing to past stories that they said reflected “leftist” viewpoints. Lake also accused VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which also operates under USAGM’s aegis, of harboring “spies and terrorist sympathizers.” She suggested it was squandering taxpayer funds and ultimately “not salvageable.”
Like any media entity, VOA has numerous flaws, but the decision to gut it is a self-inflicted attack on America’s ability to combat foreign disinformation and advance American exceptionalism. With appropriate corrective action, VOA can be a powerful tool in Washington’s arsenal. For one, VOA’s reach extended to over 350 million people in 49 languages.
To be sure, Trump and Lake are correct when they criticize VOA for going outside its lane. VOA says it was founded to “exemplify the principles of a free press” by “providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth.” Its charter calls for news coverage that “presents a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.”
Today’s VOA needs to recenter around these principles. Through straightforward structural and functional reforms, the Trump administration can reignite VOA to amplify pro-American narratives and counter information warfare.
VOA has long operated via a notional firewall to prevent U.S. government meddling in its output. This should be kept intact so that people trust VOA’s reporting is not being shaped by any president. Nevertheless, VOA should have closer access to the Trump administration for its reporting to advance its mission. VOA should amplify the vision and preferences of whoever is in the White House. It should strengthen its editorial and opinion departments and invite administration officials to regularly appear on VOA shows and contribute opinion pieces.
In addition, VOA should refrain from promoting polarizing news and should stick to objectively informing audiences about domestic and international news. It should also tell the American story, which entails promoting and safeguarding freedom and democracy globally, as VOA has done successfully for decades.
Compared to what Russia and China are spending on their information warfare, $1.42 billion and multiple billions, respectively, VOA is run on the cheap with its budget of $267.5 million. Still, the White House has an opportunity to further reduce costs in line with budget priorities by eliminating some redundant management positions and marketing acquisitions.
The Trump administration should also facilitate greater cooperation between VOA and other outlets under the aegis of USAGM, such as RFE/RL and Radio Free Asia. These outlets should coordinate their stories to promote a coherent narrative of American exceptionalism. Moreover, increased cooperation would better enable these entities to share best practices and together engage external consultants to root out inefficiencies and gather fresh programming ideas.
As VOA refreshes its programming, it should exploit opportunities to appeal to younger audiences, such as by working with social media influencers. VOA should also prioritize reporting about issues relevant to Middle America to bolster buy-in for its mission from all Americans.
Washington established VOA during the geopolitically fraught 20th century, and it was a key pillar of U.S. power projection during the Cold War. Today, the United States finds itself in a new era of strategic rivalry, with Moscow and Beijing waging an information war against it. If the Trump administration destroys VOA, the only winners are America’s authoritarian adversaries.
*Ivana Stradner is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery is a senior director at its Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/3425564/reformed-voice-of-america-worth-saving/

Turkey and Qatar Are Buying Into Syria. The US Should Be Wary of Their Motives
Sinan Ciddi and Natalie Ecanow/FDD/June 03/2025
With Washington’s blessing, Qatar and Turkey are cementing their role in post-Assad Syria. On May 29, Syria signed a $7 billion memorandum of understanding with the United States, Qatar, and Turkey to construct four combined-cycle gas turbine power plants and one solar farm. Qatar’s UCC Holding is leading the international consortium, which also includes Power International USA, and Turkish energy companies Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari and Cengiz Enerji. Both Turkish companies have close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Once completed, the five installations are expected to satisfy more than 50 percent of Syria’s electricity needs. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said the agreement “marks a crucial step in Syria’s infrastructure recovery plan” and will “help meet growing demand through partnerships that combine international expertise with local priorities.”
The energy deal landed days after the Trump administration began lifting sanctions on Syria and signals that Washington is at ease with Qatar and Turkey embracing Syria.
Qatar is Bankrolling Post-Assad Syria
Qatar has emerged as a leading financier of post-Assad Syria. In March, the Trump administration gave Qatar the green light to supply natural gas to Syria via Jordan. The next month, Qatar and Saudi Arabia jointly announced their intention to settle Syria’s outstanding debt to the World Bank. The World Bank confirmed on May 16 that Doha and Riyadh had cleared Syria’s $15.5 million debt, allowing “the World Bank Group to reengage with the country and address the development needs of the Syrian people.” Prior to providing sanctions relief, Washington also approved a three-month, $87 million Qatari grant to subsidize public-sector salaries.
Evidently, Doha’s dollars will continue to flow. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack — who Trump also appointed as his Special Envoy to Syria — posted on X that “the $7 billion energy deal is just the beginning — Qatar plans to invest in a Syria that is now open for business.”
Turkey Seeks Leadership Role in Syria
Turkey forcefully inserted itself into Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, hoping to leverage economic, military, and strategic gains. Turkey’s military has offered to rebuild the Syrian army with equipment and training, providing Ankara with a platform to position its own military assets inside Syria and project power into the region. This development presents security concerns for Israel and Syria’s Kurdish minority — a key U.S. partner, represented under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — both of whom remain apprehensive about Turkey’s expansionist aims in the Middle East.
Erdogan is also seeking ways to reward allies in Turkey’s business community by offering them investment opportunities in Syria. Following the Trump administration’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria, 180 Turkish firms appeared in a Damascus trade fair, showcasing the Turkish private sector’s interest in rebuilding Syria’s housing market and public infrastructure.
Washington Should be Wary of Turkish and Qatari Influence in Syria
Qatar and Turkey share more than an interest in Syria. Both countries champion the Muslim Brotherhood and are key sponsors of Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestinian offshoot. Their growing influence in Syria could pave the way for the emergence of an Islamist state — a future not difficult to imagine given the new Syrian leadership’s jihadist past. Washington may be keen to view Syria’s new government as moderate but with Doha and Ankara jockeying for influence, it would be a mistake to take that as a foregone conclusion.
*Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst. For more analysis from Natalie, Sinan, and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Sinan on X @SinanCiddi. Follow Natalie on X @Natalie Ecanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.

Brussels: The Muddy Mirror of a Europe in Crisis
Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/June 03/2025
Brussels, the self-proclaimed capital of the European Union, is no longer the beacon of a united Europe, but an advanced symptom of its disintegration.
The normalization of radical Islamic and anti-Semitic discourse we are witnessing in Brussels is the result of 15 years of leaders abrogating their responsibility. Brussels, through its inability -- or unwillingness -- to make unpleasant but necessary choices, is setting itself up as the first potential locus of protracted European unrest. The Islamist Team Fouad Ahidar party embodies a new situation: a political Islam that no longer hides its identity. Instead, it advocates that a religious identity be the underpinning of national cohesion. This fragmentation reflects a profound breakdown in the social contract, between the old European society, which confines religion to the private sphere, and the "new Europeans" (Muslims), who want everything to be subject to their religious doctrine.
Crime rates are rising everywhere in Brussels, particularly in an area in the spotlight for its frequent shootings: the Bruxelles-Midi Zone (Saint-Gilles, Forest, Anderlecht). Between 2022 and 2023, notes the newspaper L'Echo, robberies and extortion rose by 23%, robberies without weapons by 34%, pickpocketing by 27%, and armed robberies by a staggering 53%.
The Brussels-Capital Region is not merely on the brink of bankruptcy; it is already at the bottom of a financial abyss.
Jew-hatred, often marketed in unconvincing, transparent disguises as "anti-Zionism," flourishes in many other Islamic-centered and radical left-wing circles.... in Brussels, Jew-hatred enjoys almost total impunity.
As of 2023, 74% of Brussels' population is of foreign background, compared to a European average of 10%.... This demographic transformation or "great replacement," far from being accompanied by an effective integration policy, has saturated Brussels -- overcrowded schools, overwhelmed hospitals, sorely inadequate housing -- and exacerbated communal tensions. In 2022, a report revealed that 35% of young people with an immigrant background in Brussels were living in households where nobody has a job -- a breeding ground for delinquency and radicalization.
Brussels is not only a city in crisis, it is a city on the brink of implosion. Brussels, the self-proclaimed capital of the European Union, is no longer the beacon of a united Europe, but an advanced symptom of its disintegration. For the past 15 years, the signs of a deep crisis -- political paralysis, an explosion in crime, fiscal bankruptcy, the rise of Islamism and migratory engulfment -- have been piling up, heralding an inevitable tipping point.
The normalization of radical Islamic and anti-Semitic discourse we are witnessing in Brussels is the result of 15 years of leaders abrogating their responsibility. Brussels, through its inability -- or unwillingness -- to make unpleasant but necessary choices, is setting itself up as the first potential locus of protracted European unrest. Even Politico recognizes the scale of the problem. The only question is: When will the Belgian state recognize the failure of a society that has given up on governing itself according to a common law?
1. Structural political paralysis
Almost a year after the regional elections of June 2024, the Brussels-Capital Regional Parliament has yet to produce a governing majority. The traditional parties such as the Socialist Party (PS), the Reformist Movement (MR) and Open VLD - are bogged down in fruitless negotiations, unable to overcome their ideological differences and their fear of offending the different factions of their electorates. The PS, openly Islamized, refuse any agreement with the centrist parties, preferring to ally itself with the Islamist Team Fouad Ahidar (TFA), a party founded in 2024 by Ahidar, a politician of Moroccan descent who has been a member of the Brussels parliament since 2004, previously representing the PS. The marxist Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB), with 16.1% of the vote in Brussels in 2024, also allies itself with TFA.
TFA embodies a new situation: a political Islam that no longer hides its identity. Instead, it advocates that a religious identity be the underpinning of national cohesion. This fragmentation reflects a profound breakdown in the social contract, between the old European society, which confines religion to the private sphere, and the "new Europeans" (Muslims), who want everything to be subject to their religious doctrine.
Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the center-right MR, has warned that alliances with forces such as the PTB and the Islamist TFA are "undermining the foundations of liberal democracy."The paralysis in the government deprives Brussels of any capacity to deal with the crises that are fast piling up.
2. Endemic crime, the result of a failing state
Crime rates are rising everywhere in Brussels, particularly in an area in the spotlight for its frequent shootings: the Bruxelles-Midi Zone (Saint-Gilles, Forest, Anderlecht). Between 2022 and 2023, notes the newspaper L'Echo, robberies and extortion rose by 23%, robberies without weapons by 34%, pickpocketing by 27%, and armed robberies by a staggering 53%. This area is home to five of Brussels' 15 drug-trafficking "hot spots."
The Bruxelles-Midi zone therefore unsurprisingly suffers from a severe shortage of police officers -- 20% of positions remain unfilled -- mainly due to major recruitment difficulties. The reason: the high level of crime. Districts such as Molenbeek, Schaerbeek and Anderlecht have become places where the lack of security is a life-threatening reality, marked by assaults, drug trafficking, shootings and clashes between gangs.
The murder of a police officer, Thomas Montjoie, on November 10, 2022 in Schaerbeek by Yassine Mahi, an Islamist who had telegraphed his intention to attack police officers on social networks, sparked a deep anger within the police force. Days later, thousands of police officers demonstrated outside the Palais de Justice in Brussels to denounce the absence of both security and any judicial action in the face of violent radicalization.
These failures are, as they say, just the tip of the iceberg: the Belgian justice system releases multi-recidivist delinquents and jihadists. In May 2025, not for the first time, riots involving "youth gangs" rocked several communities. Vehicles were set on fire along with countless attacks on police. The inability to restore law and order has been transforming entire neighborhoods into enclaves where Belgian law no longer applies, and foreshadows their balkanization into Islamic no-go-zones.
3. Inevitable bankruptcy
The Brussels-Capital Region is not merely on the brink of bankruptcy; it is already at the bottom of a financial abyss. In 2024, the regional government's revenues amounted to €5.69 billion, while expenditures reached €6.99 billion euros -- a deficit of more than 20%. Public debt exceeded €10 billion—a staggering 300% of annual revenue -- for a city of just 1.1 million inhabitants.
This situation, compounded by decades of government hand-outs -- subsidies to community associations, ill-targeted social programs and chaotic management of infrastructure (the roads in Brussels are notoriously the worst maintained in Europe) -- makes bankruptcy imminent. Public services, such as transportation, schools and hospitals, are deteriorating, while dependence on federal transfers of money exposes Brussels to systemic risk. If civil servants' salaries or social benefits, which support 30% of Brussels households, were to be suspended, social anger, already seen in recurrent demonstrations, could turn into widespread insurrection.
4. The seemingly unstoppable rise of Islam and anti-Semitism - for the simple reason that no one is stopping them or even trying to
In 2024, Team Fouad Ahidar, driven by Islamic doctrines, achieved significant electoral success, winning three seats in the Brussels-Capital Regional Parliament. Ahidar, who advocates a Muslim identity ahead of any national allegiance, embodies the emergence of an uncomplicated political Islam. "Fouad Ahidar is a proven pro-Hamas and anti-Semitic figure who served as a member of parliament in Brussels for twenty years," notes Claude Moniquet, a retired journalist and former French intelligence agent.
Ahidar represents only a small part of the wave of antisemitism in Brussels. Jew-hatred, often marketed in unconvincing, transparent disguises as "anti-Zionism," flourishes in many other Islamic-centered and radical left-wing circles. In 2023 alone, anti-Semitic incidents in Belgium -- including physical assaults and vandalizing synagogues -- rose by 65%, mainly in Brussels and Antwerp.
After Hamas's Iranian-backed invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, many of Brussels' elected representatives made speeches on the "Palestinian resistance", while others denounced "the barbarity of the terrorist state of Israel". In Brussels, the Islamically-inspired terrorist organization Samidoun was still well established, even though it had already been banned in several European countries, including Germany. In short, in Brussels, Jew-hatred enjoys almost total impunity.
5. An uncontrolled flood of migrants
For the past decade, Brussels has been under immigration pressures unparalleled in Europe. As of 2023, 74% of Brussels' population is of foreign background, compared to a European average of 10%. In areas such as Molenbeek, the proportion reaches 86%. This demographic transformation or "great replacement," far from being accompanied by an effective integration policy, has saturated Brussels -- overcrowded schools, overwhelmed hospitals, sorely inadequate housing -- and exacerbated communal tensions.
In 2022, a report revealed that 35% of young people with an immigrant background in Brussels were living in households where nobody has a job -- a breeding ground for delinquency and radicalization. Immigration flows, fed by clandestine people-smuggling networks by way of Turkey and North Africa, continue to expand, while reception centers for "asylum seekers" are already full. The 2015-2016 jihad attacks in Paris (130 murdered) and Brussels (32 murdered), by Muslims radicalized in neighborhoods such as Molenbeek, revealed the consequences of Europe's lax immigration policy. The Belgian authorities, and Brussels in particular, seem to have learned nothing.
Prognosis: Imminent uprisings
Brussels is not only a city in crisis, it is a city on the brink of implosion. The convergence of political paralysis, the disintegration of law and order, budgetary bankruptcy, Islamist sectarianism, Jew-hatred and uncontrolled immigration mark a slippery slope toward violence and chaos. Military intervention, as a desperate response to uncontrollable unrest, might eventually be needed. On that day, the globalist elites, who have turned a blind eye to so many signals, will bear responsibility for a disaster they could have prevented. Brussels, far from being an isolated case, is a small mirror of a Europe that is faltering.
**Drieu Godefridi is a jurist (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain), philosopher (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain) and PhD in legal theory (Paris IV-Sorbonne). He is an entrepreneur, CEO of a European private education group and director of PAN Medias Group. He is the author of The Green Reich (2020).
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Kazakhstan positions itself as major player with key partners in Middle East
Tamara Aboalsaud/Arab News/June 03, 2025
ASTANA: As Kazakhstan positions itself to be a major player in the logistical, technological, and energy sectors, the Middle East could be a key partner for riding that train forward.
The Astana International Forum took place in May, hosting dialogue on critical global issues. On the sidelines of the forum, Arab News spoke to several high-level Kazakh officials to discuss the country’s collaboration with Middle Eastern countries in finance, energy and foreign policy.The largest economy in Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s geopolitical profile provides immense global transit potential.
With abundant natural and agricultural resources and a growing middle class, the nation has all the fundamentals for further growth and diversification, according to Nurlan Zhakupov, chief executive officer of sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna.
Kazakhstan has attracted over $24 billion in foreign direct investment from strategic partnerships around the world, including Qatar and the UAE.
In addition to being key partners in the oil and gas sectors, Middle Eastern countries provide opportunities in a range of other areas.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov said: “In general, GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries are very important to (us). “We have a lot of productive talks about mutual projects, from Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabian investors to Kazakhstan.”Earlier this year, Mobile Telecom-Service LLP, one of two mobile communications subsidiaries of Kazakhstan’s largest telecom company Kazakhtelecom, was acquired by Qatar’s Power International Holding for $1.1 billion.
Samruk-Kazyna is also in close talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, “and we hope that soon these discussions will materialize into concrete projects,” Zhakupov said. The Kazakh fund’s next big focus is logistics and transportation, aiming to double its cargo volume. Kazakhstan is additionally expanding its international transit capacity by building more ports across parts of Asia and Europe, including one in Abu Dhabi.
Together with Abu Dhabi Ports, Samruk-Kazyna’s subsidiary oil and gas company, KazMunayGas, operates a fleet of vessels in the Caspian Sea.
This partnership is part of a bigger goal to expand China-Europe trade capacity through the Trans-Caspian Trade Route that connects Central Asia to the Caspian Sea; a path similar to the ancient Silk Road and through which 90 percent of Chinese cargo passes Kazakhstan. The Central Asian nation also has a strong focus on digitalization and renewable energy. Zhaslan Madiyev, the minister of digital development, innovation, and aerospace industry, said that a new artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency committee has been established. Kazakhstan is also one of the world’s top 10 countries in crypto mining, with 60 operating mining firms and several mining pools.
By amending laws and adding crypto ATMs, exchange shops and cards, “the president’s idea is to define a crypto city that will be completely crypto friendly,” the minister said.
One of the major projects the ministry is working on is an International AI Center, a location for excellence focused on talent development, innovation, and economic growth in AI.The 20,000 sq. meters sphere-shaped center will be a regional hub for attracting international technological collaboration.
The project will be part of a bigger ecosystem hoping to replicate the success of Astana Hub, an international technology park with 1,500 startups under its belt and an outreach across 20 cities worldwide, including a joint innovation hub in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh’s Al-Farabi Innovation Hub opened in March 2024 with the intention of bridging startups from Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the Caucasus with the Middle East and North Africa markets. That same month, Kazakhstan’s ed-tech startup CodiPlay partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Artificially Intelligent Learning Assistant to bring digital education solutions to 200 Saudi schools, an initiative that aims to enhance IT literacy among students.
Madiyev said: “I believe there is a huge potential for bringing Saudi investments here and expanding Kazakhstan innovative startups and technologies to Saudi as well.
“With their startups and technologies, Saudi can access the whole Central Asia region through Kazakhstan, and we will be glad to access the Saudi market and the broader Middle Eastern region.”He also noted that another hub and acceleration program is set to open in Dubai in the fall of this year. When asked about plans to balance the environmental effects of AI and technology, the president’s special representative on the environment told Arab News that nuclear power was a potential solution. “It’s really a big question of where your energy comes from. If it comes from coal, then there will definitely be a huge impact on the environment,” said Zulfiya Suleimenova, special representative of the president on international environmental cooperation. The country aims to have its share of nuclear in the national generation mix hit 5 percent by 2035. The first plant, expected to be completed in eight years, will be built in the Almaty region and is one of three planned nuclear power plants.
One of the largest projects Kazakhstan has in the Middle East is an agreement with Masdar, the Emirati state-owned renewable energy company, signed between Samruk-Kazyna and the UAE’s Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in May this year. The agreement is two-fold. It will include the development of a 1 gigawatt wind farm in the Jambyl Region with a 600 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, positioned to be one of the largest wind initiatives in Central Asia.
Additionally, a 24/7 renewable energy project plans to provide up to 500 megawatts of baseload renewable energy with a capacity of up to 2 gigawatts.
Kazakhstan aims to generate 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 50 percent by 2035. Other opportunities for joint environmental efforts in the Middle East are in water cooperation, Suleimenova said. The idea of the One Water Summit which took place in Riyadh last year was to drive more political momentum around water-related issues that otherwise do not get the same attention as other climate concerns.
At the summit, nine international development banks committed to increase financing into water infrastructure and water-related projects — particularly in vulnerable regions — including the European Investment Bank. “Back in 2023 when I was minister of ecology, I had the pleasure of meeting the Saudi minister of water, environment and agriculture, and am very (much) looking forward to continuing these discussions and cooperation and hopefully joint efforts,” said Suleimenova. The president’s special representative noted that falcon and eagle diplomacy and the protection of these species was another key focus of collaboration between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, and added: “We hope to further our efforts and cooperation in biodiversity … including the preservation of eagles. They are the pride of our country and our people but also of your countries, of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others.”Discussions with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power over the possibility of developing a 1GW wind energy and battery storage plant in Kazakhstan are also ongoing.

What is the ‘New Middle East’ ... the real one this time?
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awast/June 03, 2025
There is hardly a journalist or political analyst, or even an amateur posing as either, in the Arab world who has not, at some point in recent decades, written or spoken at length about the “New Middle East.” And yet, the Middle East we see today is something altogether different from what we were told to expect, both in substance and in the circumstances surrounding it. Our region has become, much like our lives and our sociopolitical imaginaries, untethered from familiar coordinates. One could even say it is now open to all possibilities. To be clear, this is not a veiled swipe at our political elites, nor at the political consciousness of our peoples or their capacity to learn from past mistakes and, from there, to choose a better path forward.
Not in the slightest.
Today, we are in the same boat with the most politically sophisticated and institutionally entrenched societies on Earth. We are all grappling with similar complexities and facing threats that do not discriminate by region or political tradition. There is no longer any guarantee that words like “democracy” or “good governance,” even in countries with rooted democratic traditions, will mean much if they are voided. Thus, such concepts will not, on their own, save societies from the turmoil they now face or the turmoil we will face. Just yesterday, I heard a leading expert say that the widespread use of artificial intelligence in the basic, everyday infrastructures of human life is now only a few months away. That is on the technological front. On the political front, Portugal has just joined a growing list of European countries betting, through the ballot box, on the radical far right. In last month’s snap election, the populist, quasi-fascist Chega party surged to second place, just behind the center-right Democratic Alliance and ahead of the formerly ruling Socialist Party. Chega’s recent rise in Portugal will embolden the broader spread of neofascist populists across Western Europe: the likes of National Rally in France, Vox in Spain, the Brothers of Italy, Reform UK, the Freedom Party in the Netherlands and Alternative for Germany. But this is no longer merely a Western European problem. Far-right populism is now well entrenched in countries across Northern and Eastern Europe, most prominently Hungary.
Of course, of all Western democracies, the US presents the bleakest example. A historical rupture with few parallels anywhere else is underway in Washington, and it threatens not only the two-party system that has long been the pillar of American representative politics, but also the very principle of the separation of powers. The same single popular and populist political movement has taken control of all three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. To this, we can add the unofficial “fourth branch,” the media. While it was once largely free of partisanship, the media has now become a central weapon in the ruling movement’s arsenal thanks to the rise of new media: online platforms, AI and the oligarch-owned newspapers and television networks, not to mention the suspension of public funding for state media.
We may be faced with even graver challenges than others amid Washington’s shifting definitions of its allies and enemies.
There is no doubt that the institutions owned by figures like Rupert Murdoch (Fox News), Elon Musk (X), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) and Jeff Bezos (The Washington Post) are shaping what may become America’s new (and perhaps enduring) political culture. It speaks volumes that nearly every one of the 30 members of President Donald Trump's administration were in Fox News’ orbit. Meanwhile, the world apprehensively follows the sweeping shifts underway in the US landscape. Economic wars are no trivial matter, nor is the fact that the man in the White House has upended notions of who is a US ally or an enemy and who its partners or competitors are. However, in light of the rapid and ongoing developments, it has become increasingly difficult for any single country to directly influence the global economic players or military and political forces. As a result, everyone is watching, hoping, anticipating — quietly, of course — either searching for alternatives or trying to limit the damage. As for the Middle East and the Arab world, we may be faced with even graver challenges than others amid Washington’s shifting definitions of its allies and enemies. The US is a global power with interests and priorities everywhere. Accordingly, there is little room for sentimentality. There are no permanent interests in a world whose rules are evolving and being redefined. In our region, Washington maintains a strong strategic relationship with Israel, which is widely regarded as the most influential foreign actor in the halls of American politics. Its lobby groups fund many key figures in Congress and exert a lot of political influence. Then there is Turkiye, a pivotal NATO member and a regional power with immense religious, ethnic and geographic clout, allowing it to shape US decisions. And last but not least, Iran also has a significant say in American policy circles. Like Turkiye, it is seen as a crucial link in the Middle Eastern chain. In every round, experience suggests, Washington’s goal is to win over Iran, not destroy it. In this landscape of uncertainty and rapid change, one must ask: Are we, as Arabs, still capable of influencing the regional climate and shaping the priorities of major players?
*Eyad Abu Shakra is managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat

The opportunity for a reimagination of GCC-Africa economic ties
Matthew Miller/Arab News/June 03, 2025
The election last week of Dr. Sidi Ould Tah as the new president of the African Development Bank is more than a leadership succession at Africa’s most important financial institution. It also marks a potential moment for geopolitical realignment, one that could finally realize deeper financial cooperation between Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as an opportunity for GCC states to take a leadership role and reinvent development finance. Tah, the former finance minister of Mauritania and, for the past decade, president of the now Riyadh-based Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, steps into this role with a unique and timely experience to leverage. At the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, he oversaw the transformation of the bank from a modest Arab-funded institution into a strategic regional lender. During his tenure, it quadrupled its capital base and earned an AAA rating, placing it among the top tier of global development institutions. In 2023, it pledged $50 billion in financing to Africa during the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference — a signal of rising Saudi and GCC interest in African development.
Tah’s election — making him only the fourth leader from an Arab African country to hold the post in the African Development Bank’s 61-year history and the first in 20 years — comes at a time when the continent needs a catalyst for fresh financing models, including development, philanthropy and impact investment. As traditional donor countries tighten aid budgets and with major shifts underway globally with development finance, African economies are looking east and south for capital, cooperation, investment and leadership.
The prospect of closer GCC-African cooperation is not novel, but it has rarely been bolstered with sustained political will and institutional follow-through. Tah’s appointment changes that equation. He brings with him credibility in African policy circles and long-standing ties to Gulf financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds and Arab development agencies.African economies are looking east and south for capital, cooperation, investment and leadership.
Under his leadership, the African Development Bank could serve as a bridge between the GCC countries’ economic diversification and Africa’s need for reliable, large-scale financing for infrastructure, energy and digital transformation. Tah has already proposed a continental guarantee agency, designed to reduce both political and commercial risks that often deter private investment on the continent. Such a mechanism, if backed by Gulf capital and implemented effectively, could unlock billions in infrastructure investment across Africa. At the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Tah also helped coordinate more than $835 million in co-financed projects with the African Development Bank. That experience is a strong foundation for what he is now poised to build: a long-envisioned Arab-Africa Financial Consortium. The goal will be a formal platform for institutions from both regions to collaborate, co-finance and de-risk development projects. Under Tah’s leadership, this idea, long conceptual, could finally coalesce — especially since it is precisely what he was working toward at the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa over the past decade.
The African Development Bank, with its pan-African mandate and strong credit rating, is uniquely positioned to coordinate projects involving emerging powers, including the BRICS nations and partners in the GCC. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are both long-standing members of the African Development Bank and the African Development Fund, the latter being a critical source of concessional finance, administered by the African Development Bank, for the continent’s poorest countries. The UAE is also a donor to the African Development Fund.
South-South cooperation is critical. Earlier this year, the new US administration proposed cutting $555 million from its contribution to the African Development Fund. In his new capacity, Tah will be charged with raising capital from myriad sources beyond African member states, including a fresh appeal to the US and shareholders and donors including the BRICS, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all in exchange for greater influence.
GCC countries may find renewed incentives to deepen their engagement. Beyond capital, these nations bring project management capabilities, climate adaptation technologies and a strategic interest in economic diversification that aligns with Africa’s own transformation goals. This could become the moment for GCC countries to expand both their soft power and impact across the continent. Tah’s development priorities have consistently emphasized access to energy, climate resilience, youth employment and gender inclusion. These are not abstract policy goals — they are preconditions for the economic transformation of the continent. This could be the moment for GCC countries to expand both their soft power and impact across the continent.
A case in point is youth employment: almost 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is under the age of 30. That represents both a significant challenge and an opportunity. Without strategic investments in education, skills development and job creation, this demographic wave could overwhelm already-strained labor markets. But with the right policies, Africa could harness this youth bulge to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth.
Tah’s call for better land transport corridors and logistics infrastructure to support the African Continental Free Trade Area also reflects a strategic enabler for intracontinental growth and ambitious infrastructure projects. One example is the Egypt-Saudi Arabia causeway linking Africa and Asia that would certainly contribute to the realization of greater and more sustainable growth for Africa, as well as Saudi Arabia and the GCC.
Africa’s development financing challenges are vast and urgent, with a widening gap, and GCC-Africa relations have historically lacked institutional depth. Moreover, while South-South partnerships offer potential to close the gap, they are largely based around geopolitical calculations rather than the opportunity to create partnerships that are win-win. From a GCC perspective, this moment of transition for the African Development Bank presents a unique opportunity for its decision-makers to take a greater global leadership role and enhance their influence not only through development finance, but also through investment and economic transformation benefiting both donors and recipients alike. Matthew Miller is a Vice Chair and member of the Advisory Board of the Maryam Forum Foundation (UK). He advises clients at the nexus of policy, strategy and communications. Miller is also a Senior Managing Director at Teneo. Previously, he was the Managing Director of Richard Attias & Associates and an Associate Director and Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum.

COP30: Brazil’s diplomatic challenge of a lifetime
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/June 03, 2025
Much of the global climate agenda in 2025 is focused on November’s COP30 summit, which has the potential to be the most important climate event since the Paris summit in 2015. However, before then, a series of stepping-stone events are being held, including Monday’s Heat Action Day. Coinciding with this event, a study was released by World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre that asserts human-caused climate change has added an average of 30 days of extreme heat for about half of the world’s population over the past 12 months. That amounts to 4 billion people exposed to prolonged, dangerous temperatures. The report singles out emissions from the burning of fossil fuel as the cause of the blistering heat.
The report examined temperature data from almost 250 countries and territories between May 2024 and May 2025. It found that, in 195 of them, climate change at least doubled the number of days classified as “extreme heat,” which are defined as days when temperatures exceeded the 90th percentile of the averages between 1991 and 2020.
The climate change diplomacy agenda has been firmly on the back foot since at least last November’s US election
Heat Action Day is a global event aimed at raising awareness and promoting actions that protect communities from heat-related illnesses. One of the goals is to reboot the climate change diplomacy agenda that has been firmly on the back foot since at least last November’s US presidential ballot, which saw the reelection of Donald Trump.
It is not just developments on the political right, including the reelection of Trump, that are helping shatter the previous political consensus on tackling climate change. There is wider alarm, as highlighted by a recent report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Diplomacy. As much as ex-UK Prime Minister Blair was a champion of climate diplomacy when he was in office as leader of the left-of-center Labour Party from 1997 to 2007, he warned in the study that today’s policy strategies have become disconnected from political, public and economic reality, and that the debate is “riven with irrationality.”
While climate activism has succeeded in raising awareness, Blair argues that the result is a widening credibility gap between policy and delivery. He highlights that global trends that undermine today’s Western climate approach include the fact fossil fuel use is set to rise further up to 2030, airline travel is to double over the next 20 years and, by 2030, almost two-thirds of emissions will come from China, India and Southeast Asia.
Add to this the setback of last year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan, which is widely seen as the least successful annual climate conference since Copenhagen in 2009. The event largely kicked the can down the road, if not going backwards, with the summit threatening to collapse several times. So, with the entire Conference of the Parties process now in growing jeopardy, Brazil has the diplomatic challenge of a lifetime as it seeks to make its event one that helps ensure long-lasting and transformative climate outcomes.
With Trump having already started the clock on a four-year US withdrawal process from the 2015 Paris Agreement, as he did during his first presidency from 2017 to 2021, other major nations will probably dust off the playbook they used during that period. This saw other powers, including Europe, Japan and China, seek to advance climate diplomacy in the hope that the next US president would recommit to the Paris process.
Fortunately, this happened upon the election of Joe Biden. However, whether it happens a second time will depend on whether a Democrat can win the 2028 election against Trump’s successor as the Republican standard-bearer.
Brazil seeks to make its summit one that helps ensure long-lasting and transformative climate outcomes. At the same time, world powers will be aware that American corporations, states and cities will continue with the clean energy revolution that has been underway for many years across the world’s largest national economy. Trump’s policies may blunt this tide of investment in the short to medium term, but it is likely to prove unstoppable in the longer term. It is not just America’s liberal and centrist politicians who favor remaining in Paris, but also much of the nation’s business community. Many US multinationals — including in the energy sector — argue that it is better for Washington to keep a seat at the table and influence an accord that big US-headquartered businesses may ultimately have to abide by anyway. The business community is aware that the Paris deal retains significant support across the world. In addition, it intentionally has a flexible “bottom-up” approach and this greater decentralization and suppleness provides resilience, as was shown from 2017 to 2021.
So, as deeply damaging as Trump’s presidency will be to the climate agenda, the Paris framework could still provide a resilient, flexible framework for action that remains a lasting foundation for future sustainable development across the world. The best way to tackle climate change will continue to be a flexible approach to meeting targets in innovative ways.
*Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics