English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 02/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
First Sunday of Great Lent: Wedding in Cana of
Galilee Sunday
Saint John 02/01-11/ On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited
to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They
have no wine.’And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to
me? My hour has not yet come. ’His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he
tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of
purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill
the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now
draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the
steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came
from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the
bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the
inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good
wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and
revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 01-02/2025
Fasting is prayer, contemplation, repentance, forgiveness, and
reconciliation with God/Elias Bejjani/March 02/2025
With flowers, tears and defiance, thousands bury nearly 100 Lebanese in mass
funeral
Lebanon’s president to Asharq Al-Awsat: Decision of war and peace lies solely
with the state
Lebanon seeks resumption of Saudi $3-billion grant to army, Aoun set to meet
crown prince
Suspicious money transfer unveiled: Man arrested in Beirut Airport after
returning from Istanbul with $2.5 million
MP Farid Boustany from Washington: Restoring bank deposits key to Lebanon's
economic recovery, urges reforms
MP Hussein Hajj Hassan says reconstruction cannot afford any delays, should not
be linked to any political conditions
Lebanon's Minister of Administrative Reform Fadi Makki discusses administrative
development cooperation with ESCWA's Rola Dashti
Lebanon's Health Minister pledges support for Bent Jbeil Governmental Hospital
amid reconstruction efforts
‘Rescue, reform and rebuild’: Can Lebanon’s new govt save the economy?/Miguel
Hadchity/Arab News/March 01, 2025
The Alignment of Calendars: Christians and Muslims Will Fast Together This year/Fady
Noun/This Is Beirut/March 01/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 01-02/2025
Trump administration approves major nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel
Israel says ‘will not be deterred’ after Hamas issues hostage video
Hamas reports no progress in talks with Israel on ceasefire’s second phase
Israel and Hamas disagree on next phase as ceasefire deal’s first phase set to
expire
Mourners bury one of the last hostages released from Gaza as talks start for
ceasefire future
Israel pressing US to keep Russian bases in Syria to contain Turkey, keep
country weak
US says killed military leader of Syria Al-Qaeda affiliate
Israel’s military is told to prepare to defend a Druze community outside Syria’s
capital
One killed in Syria clashes near Damascus
Syrians begin fasting during first Ramadan without Assad family rule in decades
PKK declares immediate ceasefire with Turkey, says will ‘implment’ Ocalan’s call
Starmer assures Ukraine’s President Zelensky of Britain’s unwavering support
after White House blowout
Trump-Zelensky clash divides US Republicans, dims aid prospects
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 01-02/2025
Iran's Regime: Why Diplomacy and Deals Always Fail/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/March 01/2025
A Christian town in Syria keeps the biblical language of Aramaic alive. But it
fears for its future/Kareem Chehayeb/The Associated Press/march 01/2025
Will Trump strike gold with wealthy Arabs through new residency program?/Miguel
Hadchity/Arab News/March 01, 2025
Why Riyadh is building bridges between the US and Russia/Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab
News/March 01, 2025
German elections are a final warning to democratic parties/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab
News/March 01, 2025
What will sub-Saharan Africa’s ‘elephant economies’ look like in 2040-50?/Hafed
Al-Ghwell/Arab News/March 01, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 01-02/2025
Fasting is prayer, contemplation, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation
with God
Elias Bejjani/March 02/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/83444/
The Lenten (Fasting) period
begins with the Holy Miracle at the Wedding of Cana and culminates in the
glorious celebration of Easter. In the Maronite Church, Lent starts on Ash
Monday, with the preceding Sunday known as Al-Marfah Sunday (أحد المرفع) or
Forgiveness Sunday (أحد الغفران).
Lent is a sacred season meant to be dedicated to deep contemplation,
self-humility, repentance, penance, forgiveness, prayer, and reconciliation with
oneself and others. It is a privileged time of interior pilgrimage toward Jesus,
the fountain of all love, mercy, and salvation. During this spiritual journey,
Christ Himself accompanies us through the desert of our human frailty,
sustaining us as we move toward the profound joy of Easter.
Lent is a spiritual battle, a conscious choice to resist bodily desires and
earthly temptations, striving instead for purity in thought and deed. It is a
time to fortify our faith and hope, resisting the snares of Satan and keeping
far from the despair and corruption of sin. Through prayer and contemplation, we
affirm that Almighty God is our protector, guiding our steps throughout this
sacred period.
By fasting and praying, we carve out time for God, embracing His eternal truth:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mark
13:31). In this sacred practice, we enter into profound communion with Jesus,
ensuring that no force can shake our faith and hope.
Fasting is a spiritual discipline through which we seek to emulate Christ, who,
during His time of fasting in the wilderness, overcame Satan’s temptations.
Inspired by His victory, we endeavor to purify our hearts, minds, and souls,
striving for holiness and unwavering devotion.
With trust in the Lord as our Shepherd, we hold firm to the words of Psalm
23:4:”Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.”
Reading the Holy Bible and engaging in deep prayer immerse us in the divine Word
of God, strengthening our souls and minds with His truth. By meditating on His
teachings and listening attentively to His voice, we nourish the faith that was
instilled in us at Baptism.
Through fasting and prayer, we gain a renewed understanding of time, redirecting
our steps toward boundless hope, divine joy, and eternal salvation.
With flowers, tears and
defiance, thousands bury nearly 100 Lebanese in mass funeral
Associated Press/Agence France Presse
Thousands of mourners in southern Lebanon attended a funeral for nearly 100
Lebanese killed last year during the war between Israel and Hezbollah. It was
the largest mass burial ceremony in Lebanon since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire
three months ago. It followed last week's burial of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
Hezbollah's former leader, and his top aide in Beirut attended by tens of
thousands. The emotional ceremony was organized to mark the return of the bodies
of those killed to their hometown of Aitaroun, one of the largest villages in
southern Lebanon, which was devastated during the war. The 95 bodies had been
temporarily buried elsewhere and were exhumed for the reburial. Israeli forces
left the border village in early February, allowing thousands of residents to
return. The mourners, some visiting from nearby villages, threw flowers and
sprayed rose water on the trucks carrying the coffins of the 95 killed in the
war. Five others killed were still missing and organizers said they are still
working to find and identify their remains. At least 51 reburied in the village
cemetery were Hezbollah fighters killed in Aitaroun or in other southern
villages. Relatives raised posters of those killed, some as young as 18,
parading them through the streets of Aitaroun, lined with destroyed buildings
and damaged fruit orchards. The killed also included five children, 16 women and
10 civil defense rescuers. "My heart is broken," said Fatima Hejazi, 36, who
came to rebury her younger brother Ali, 29. "Look at all these young men. It is
a big loss. The country lost its young men. But thankfully they were killed on
the path of resistance, and they continued until the end and didn't
surrender."Hezbollah is believed to have lost hundreds of fighters since Israel
escalated its war with the Lebanese militant group in late September. The exact
number of fighters killed has not yet been declared by the group, which had said
until September that more than 500 fighters were killed in a year of
low-simmering war. In the Aitaroun mass funeral, Hezbollah and many of its
supporters struck a defiant tone. "Be prepared to welcome the heroes," one of
the organizers shouted from the podium, rousing the crowd to greet the coffins
carried on four trucks as they drove into the village. A former Hezbollah-allied
minister, Ibrahim Bayram, told the crowd that the militant group has suffered
but is not down. The group is backing the government, he said, but called on it
to act independently. Among the dead was a 10-month-old girl killed in an Oct.
14 Israeli airstrike on a residential building that killed 23 people, all of
them displaced from Aitaroun. At least 32 of those reburied Friday were killed
in two of the deadliest Israeli attacks in Ain el-Delb in southern Lebanon and
Zgharta's Aito, in the country's Christian heartland. They had all been
displaced from Aitaroun. One of the mourners, Atef Khouzeirat, said an Israeli
strike on a building killed his son Hussein, a volunteer with the
Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee. "My son stayed for 56 days inside
the building after his death, without rescuers being able to recover his body,"
Khouzeirat said. "Where is the humanity? Where are the human rights?" Khouzeirat
added that his son had studied radiography at university. "He was not a
terrorist," but a volunteer "in the service of his country." The ceremony was
attended by Iranian, Iraqi and Yemeni delegations. Hezbollah began firing
rockets across the border on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after a deadly Hamas-led
incursion into southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Israel responded
with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon, and the two sides became locked in an
escalating conflict that became a full-blown war in late September. More than
4,000 people were killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million were displaced. Over
100,000 have not yet been able to return home. On the Israeli side, dozens of
people were killed and some 60,000 are displaced.
Lebanon’s president to Asharq Al-Awsat: Decision of war
and peace lies solely with the state
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says he wants to build a state that has
the decision of war and peace and stressed he is committed to implementing
Security Council Resolution 1701. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, his
first since his election in January, Aoun said: “Our objective is to build the
state, so nothing is difficult. And if we want to talk about the concept of
sovereignty, its concept is to place the decisions of war and peace in the hands
of the state, and to monopolize or restrict weapons to the state.”“When will it
be achieved? Surely, the circumstances will allow it,” he told the newspaper.
Asked whether the state will be able to impose control over all Lebanese
territories with its own forces and without any military or security
partnership, he said: "It is no longer allowed for anyone other than the state
to fulfill its national duty in protecting the land and the people ... When
there is an aggression against the Lebanese state, the state makes the decision,
and it determines how to mobilize forces to defend the country."He also stressed
his full commitment to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. “The state
and all its institutions are committed to implementing the Resolution” on the
“entire Lebanese territories,” Aoun said. On the possible adoption of a defense
strategy, Aoun insisted that even if a state does not have enemies on its
borders, it should agree on a national security strategy that not only deals
with military goals but also economic and fiscal objectives. “We are tired of
war,” he said in response to a question. “We hope to end military conflicts and
resolve our problems through diplomatic efforts,” he said. Asked whether he was
surprised that the Israeli army has stayed at five points in south Lebanon, Aoun
said that Israel should have committed to the ceasefire agreement that was
sponsored by the US and France and should have withdrawn from all areas it had
entered during the war with Hezbollah. “We are in contact with France and the US
to pressure Israel to withdraw from the five points because they don’t have any
military value,” he said. “With the emergence of technologies, drones and
satellites,” an army does not need a hill for surveillance, Aoun added. "Saudi
Arabia has become a gateway for the region and for the whole world. It has
become a platform for global peace,” he said when asked why he has chosen to
visit the Kingdom on his first official trip abroad. “I hope and expect from
Saudi Arabia, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that we correct the
relationship for the benefit of both countries and remove all the obstacles ...
so that we can build economic and natural relations between us.”He said that
during his visit he plans to ask Saudi Arabia to revive a grant of military aid
to Lebanon. On relations with the Syrian authorities, Aoun said he intends to
have friendly ties the new Syrian administration and that one of the pressing
issues is to resolve the problem of the porous border between the two countries.
“There are problems on the border (with Syria) with smugglers. Most importantly,
the land and sea border with Syria should be demarcated,” he said. Aoun also
called for resolving the problem of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. “The Syrian
state cannot give up on 2 million citizens who have been displaced to Lebanon.”
The refugees should return because “the Syrian war ended and the regime that was
persecuting them collapsed,” he said.
Lebanon seeks resumption of Saudi $3-billion grant to army,
Aoun set to meet crown prince
Reuters/Saturday 01/2025
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun will ask Saudi Arabia to reactivate a $3-billion
aid package to the Lebanese army in his visit to the kingdom next week, Aoun
said in an interview with Asharq television broadcast on Friday. Aoun, who was
serving as commander of Lebanon’s army before he was elected president on
January 9, is set to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday
in his first trip abroad. He told Asharq he would ask Riyadh “if it is possible
to reactivate the grant” halted in 2016, after Lebanon failed to condemn attacks
on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. Saudi Arabia once spent billions in
Lebanon, depositing funds in the central bank, helping to rebuild the south
after the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war, and supporting a number of Lebanese
politicians, only to see Hezbollah grow more powerful with Iran’s support and
its influence spread across the Middle East.
But recent months have seen seismic political shifts in the region, with Israel
pummelling Iran-backed Hezbollah last year and Hezbollah’s Syrian ally Bashar
al-Assad toppled in December. “I hope and I await from Saudi Arabia – and
especially the crown prince – to correct the relationship in the interests of
both countries,” Aoun said, saying he hoped for strengthened economic and
political ties. Lebanon faces a huge reconstruction bill following a year of
Israeli strikes on the country, but Lebanese officials and diplomats say foreign
support – including from the Gulf – is contingent on Beirut enacting
long-awaited financial reforms. Aoun said Lebanon was committed to those reforms
but hoped that the reconstruction aid in turn would come “step by step” to allow
for rebuilding so that Lebanese displaced from destroyed villages in the south
could return home.
Suspicious money transfer unveiled: Man arrested in
Beirut Airport after returning from Istanbul with $2.5 million
LBCI/Maqrch 01/2025
A man identified as M.H. traveled to Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport
on Thursday night, carrying only his passport and a flight ticket to Istanbul
with Turkish Airlines. He had no checked luggage or even a carry-on bag. Upon
arriving at Istanbul Airport, M.H. proceeded directly to Sabiha Gökçen
International Airport, located in the Pendik district on the Asian side of
Istanbul, about 35 kilometers from the city center. At Sabiha Gökçen, M.H.
collected a carry-on bag containing $2.5 million. He immediately booked a return
flight to Beirut with Pegasus Airlines. According to LBCI, M.H. was monitored by
airport security in Beirut as he prepared to depart for Istanbul. His travel
raised suspicions due to the short duration of the trip—less than 24 hours—and
the fact that he was traveling without luggage, returning with only a carry-on
bag. Upon returning to Beirut, M.H. was inspected by customs officers, who
discovered the money hidden in his bag. The money and the individual were handed
over to General Security, and investigations are ongoing under the supervision
of the Public Prosecutor. LBCI reports that during questioning, M.H. admitted to
being tasked with traveling to Istanbul to pick up money from Sabiha Gökçen
Airport and bring it back to Lebanon. However, M.H. refused to disclose the
identity of the person or group in Lebanon to whom the money was being
delivered. He stated that the money belonged only to Shiite institutions. He
also indicated that he did not know whether the money originated from inside
Turkey or from outside the country, passing through Turkey. The case of
transferring money from Turkey to Lebanon has prompted investigations by both
the Turkish and Lebanese Interpol. LBCI learned that Turkish Interpol had
requested access to the investigation details in order to identify those who
helped M.H. and facilitated the passage of the bag through Sabiha Gökçen Airport
and into Beirut. The accusation that Turkey is cooperating with Iran to smuggle
money into Hezbollah is not new. Two weeks ago, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon
Sa’ar accused Turkey of working with Iran to support Hezbollah and revitalize
its power. Israeli media sources also reported that Iran has used Turkish
airspace to transfer weapons and money to Hezbollah.
MP Farid Boustany from Washington: Restoring bank deposits key to Lebanon's
economic recovery, urges reforms
LBCI/Maqrch 01/2025
MP Farid Boustany, chairman of the National Economy, Trade, Industry, and
Planning Committee, continued his meetings in Washington, where he participated
in a large gathering at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters that
included several executive directors from the IMF and the World Bank. During the
meeting, Boustany presented his vision for Lebanon's economic recovery plan, the
protection of bank deposits, and details of the draft law he recently submitted
to Lebanon's parliament.
Boustany noted that the responsibility for reaching a fair agreement with the
IMF lies with the new government, which won the vote of confidence this week. He
emphasized that the economy committee he chairs is fully prepared to contribute
positively to facilitating any viable and promising economic plan. The meeting
concluded with a constructive discussion on Lebanon's future path.
MP Hussein Hajj Hassan says reconstruction cannot afford any delays, should not
be linked to any political conditions
LBCI/Maqrch 01/2025
MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, a Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc member, stated that the
Lebanese government must immediately begin the reconstruction process without
linking it to any political conditions. During a memorial ceremony marking the
martyrdom of Hezbollah's two former secretaries-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, in Baalbek, Hajj Hassan stressed that
reconstruction cannot afford any delays or extensions, or as some say, political
reforms. He pointed out that reforms take years and that reconstruction should
not be linked to any political conditions. He added that the only condition
should be transparency in reforms and speed without haste. The process should
continue within a very short time frame without any political preconditions.
Hajj Hassan said, "We were subjected to a war aimed at eradicating our
existence, but thanks to our alliance with the Amal Movement and the support of
the environment and the heroic martyrs who continued until the last moments, the
aggression could not crush the resistance and failed to achieve its goals."
MP Hussein Hajj Hassan says reconstruction cannot afford any delays, should not
be linked to any political conditions
LBCI/Maqrch 01/2025
MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, a Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc member, stated that the
Lebanese government must immediately begin the reconstruction process without
linking it to any political conditions. During a memorial ceremony marking the
martyrdom of Hezbollah's two former secretaries-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, in Baalbek, Hajj Hassan stressed that
reconstruction cannot afford any delays or extensions, or as some say, political
reforms. He pointed out that reforms take years and that reconstruction should
not be linked to any political conditions.
He added that the only condition should be transparency in reforms and speed
without haste. The process should continue within a very short time frame
without any political preconditions. Hajj Hassan said, "We were subjected to a
war aimed at eradicating our existence, but thanks to our alliance with the Amal
Movement and the support of the environment and the heroic martyrs who continued
until the last moments, the aggression could not crush the resistance and failed
to achieve its goals."
Lebanon's Minister of Administrative Reform Fadi Makki discusses administrative
development cooperation with ESCWA's Rola Dashti
LBCI/Maqrch 01/2025
Minister of Administrative Reform Fadi Makki received at his Ministry office on
Friday United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Rola
Dashti.
Discussions touched on launching cooperation programs in all areas of
administrative development and capacity building and benefiting from the
expertise available at ESCWA in this regard.
Lebanon's Health Minister pledges support for Bent Jbeil
Governmental Hospital amid reconstruction efforts
LBCI/Maqrch 01/2025
Lebanon's Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine visited Bent Jbeil Governmental
Hospital on Saturday to tour several hospitals in southern Lebanon. He was
accompanied by a delegation and welcomed by MPs Ayoub Hamid and Ashraf Baydoun,
hospital director Lina Bazzi, the town's mayor, the head of the Union of
Municipalities of Bint Jbeil, and various local officials and residents.
Bazzi called on Nassereddine to prioritize rebuilding the hospital’s damaged
sections, noting that the facility has begun reopening departments gradually —
starting with intensive care and dialysis units.
Hamid and Baydoun underscored the importance of the minister’s visit, describing
it as a significant message of support to communities in Lebanon’s southern
border villages.
In his speech, Nassereddine praised the resilience of medical staff who have
remained on duty since the start of the conflict. “I’m not only here as a
minister but also as a doctor standing by your side,” he said. “The scale of
destruction is far greater than what’s being reported. It’s clear that targeting
medical teams and health infrastructure is a deliberate strategy to cripple the
healthcare sector,” he added. Despite the devastation, Nassereddine stressed
that the government's commitment to reconstruction extends beyond rebuilding
damaged facilities. "Reconstruction starts with people — with the medical teams
themselves. Residents cannot be left without healthcare," Nassereddine
expressed. He pledged to work with donor agencies to secure the necessary
support, expressing hope that all departments would soon resume operations. "We
are facing difficult times, but with cooperation and determination, we will
rebuild what was destroyed," he emphasized.
‘Rescue, reform and rebuild’: Can Lebanon’s new govt
save the economy?
Miguel Hadchity/Arab News/March 01, 2025
RIYADH: With a new president and a fresh cabinet, Lebanon stands at a pivotal
moment. Can this government reverse economic collapse and restore trust? The
financial crisis, ongoing since 2019, has caused an $80 billion banking sector
deficit, while debt restructuring remains stalled by political disputes.
The national currency has seen a 90 percent drop in value since 2019, and an
International Monetary Fund delegation in May found Lebanon’s economic reforms
insufficient to warrant financial aid, leading to an overreliance on foreign
reserves.
Nawaf Salam, appointed prime minister in January, used his first speech after
securing the role to pledge to “rescue, reform and rebuild” Lebanon, alongside
the leadership of President Joseph Aoun. Both are facing mounting pressure to
enact deep structural reforms, Fadi Nicholas Nassar, senior fellow at the Middle
East Institute and director of the Institute for Social Justice and Conflict
Resolution at the Lebanese American University told Arab News: “The country is
emerging from financial collapse, the lingering trauma of the Beirut port blast,
and over a year of war, yet time is not on its side. Trust, though quickly lost,
is not so easily restored.” Jassem Ajaka, a Lebanese economist and professor,
argues that full transparency and an independent audit of Lebanon’s financial
sector and public finances are fundamental first steps. “We have not had such an
audit since 2003, which is unacceptable. Without this, it is impossible to
fairly distribute losses,” he told Arab News. “Lebanon’s ability to secure
economic aid and investments is deeply tied to the shifting geopolitical
landscape,” said Ralph Baydoun, founder and director of research and strategic
communications firm InflueAnswers.
Baydoun explained that Lebanon must implement decisive reforms to regain
international trust and reintegrate into the global financial system. Key
priorities include robust anti-money laundering measures to escape the Financial
Action Task Force blacklist grey list, an independent audit of the Banque du
Liban and commercial banks for transparency, and a clear framework for
distributing financial losses. He further added that the country needs a
sustainable economic growth strategy focused on key sectors like technology,
services, and exports.
One early positive sign came when Salam vowed to end sectarian quotas in
financial appointments, a longstanding governance issue.
The financial burden on depositors
Lebanese banks had placed the majority of their funds with the central bank,
whose financial engineering schemes propped up government spending and an
unsustainable currency peg. Disagreements over how to distribute financial
losses have fueled political deadlock.
Ajaka suggested deep restructuring of the banking sector, including mergers
based on economic benefits and asset sales where necessary. “This restructuring
should prioritize both depositors’ interests and the Lebanese economy. However,
we must first determine the financial status of each bank before deciding the
best course of action,” he said. Depositors continue to bear losses while those
responsible remain unpunished, Farida said. In 2023, the adviser proposed an
alternative recovery roadmap outlining a phased approach to restoring
depositors’ savings while holding financial elites accountable for the economic
collapse. The plan prioritizes an immediate payout to small depositors, funded
by a comprehensive audit of bank reserves and the recovery of excessive interest
payments and illicitly transferred funds. Larger deposits would be gradually
restored through a combination of bank bail-ins and legal actions against those
responsible for mismanaging Lebanon’s banking sector. Lebanon’s ability to
secure economic aid and investments is deeply tied to the shifting geopolitical
landscape.
Ralph Baydoun, founder and director of InflueAnswers
Commenting on the reduction in the potential payouts for depositors, Farida
said: “The more time we wait, the less this number is. I expect this number to
be going down with time. Unless there is a complete audit, we can’t really tell
the exact number.”Unlike past government proposals, Farida’s plan rejects the
use of public assets to cover banking losses, aiming instead to shield state
resources from further depletion. However, with deposit values eroding daily, he
warns that delays in implementation will make full recovery increasingly
difficult. The Depositors’ Union welcomed reform pledges but stressed
accountability, rejecting any plan shifting banking losses to public assets. It
called for fair restructuring that prioritizes depositors’ rights and holds
banks accountable. “Accountability is the key for any reform plan. There cannot
be a regain of the trust in the system, in the public sector or in banking
sector, if the ones who were responsible for this crisis were not held
accountable,” Mohammad Farida, the economic adviser to the Depositors’ Union in
Lebanon, told Arab News. One of the greatest obstacles to reform was Hezbollah’s
influence over the state. The group’s political and military entrenchment
continued for years to deter international investment and prevented Lebanon from
fully reintegrating into the regional economy. The damage cannot be undone by
words alone. Only material deliverables can restore trust — locally, regionally,
and globally.
Fadi Nicholas Nassar, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute
For Lebanon to emerge from its crisis, Nassar argued, major structural changes
are needed. “Restoring full sovereignty means dismantling Hezbollah, not just
managing around it. Governance must shift from patronage to competence, with
ministries staffed by professionals, not cronies. Basic services like
electricity cannot remain luxuries,” he said. Baydoun argued that Hezbollah is
now in a more precarious position than in previous years due to financial
strains from war and a decline in Iranian support. He explained to Arab News
that Lebanon’s ties with Iran and Hezbollah have long restricted Western and
Gulf financial support. Baydoun highlighted that the diminishing influence of
Iran’s regional network and the weakening of the Assad regime in Syria have
created an opportunity for Lebanon to move closer to Western spheres of
influence and regain donor confidence. The economic crisis deepened as the
humanitarian situation worsened. The World Bank estimated Hezbollah-Israel war
damages at $8.5 billion, with the economy shrinking 10 percent in 2024 — its
fifth year of contraction, totaling over 34 percent of the gross domestic
product. Over 875,000 were displaced, and key sectors faced billions in losses.
“The estimated $10 billion required for reconstruction in Lebanon will likely
come from international donors, primarily the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council),
rather than from Iran,” Baydoun added. On Jan. 29, President Aoun reaffirmed
Lebanon’s commitment to reforms, stating that the new government’s priority is
drafting necessary legislation. In a meeting with World Bank official Osman
Dion, Aoun said: “The first task of the new government is to immediately begin
drafting the necessary legislation for this purpose.” Accountability is the key
for any reform plan. There cannot be a regain of the trust in the system, in the
public sector or in banking sector, if the ones who were responsible for this
crisis were not held accountable.
Mohammad Farida, economic adviser to the Depositors’ Union in Lebanon
Nassar said that Lebanon’s new government has only one way to prove its
legitimacy – by delivering results. “The damage cannot be undone by words alone.
Only material deliverables can restore trust — locally, regionally, and
globally,” he said. Moody’s has projected that economic activity could begin to
recover later this year, contingent on political stability and the
implementation of reforms. Yet, Lebanon’s road to recovery is far from
guaranteed. International donors — including the Gulf ones — remain skeptical,
demanding real action rather than political rhetoric.“Attracting foreign direct
investments requires two key conditions: Lebanon must implement ceasefire
agreements with Israel and establish an independent judiciary to combat
corruption,” Ajaka stated. He added that Lebanon’s high return on investment
potential could make it a key regional player if these conditions are met. Saudi
Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan underscored this sentiment during a
visit to the country on Jan. 23, saying: “We will need to see real action, real
reform, and a commitment to a Lebanon that is looking to the future, not to the
past.”Baydoun explained that Lebanon’s exclusion from key regional trade routes,
including China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Iraq-Syria-Turkiye-Europe
corridor, stems from both political instability and shifting regional alliances.
To avoid further marginalization, he noted, Lebanon must actively lobby for
integration and position itself as a strategic trade hub. The Beirut Port
explosion accelerated its economic sidelining, making its reconstruction —
aligned with regional trade networks— a priority. “If Lebanon does not
proactively position itself as an indispensable part of one of these networks,
it risks permanent exclusion from the evolving global supply chain,” Baydoun
added.
The energy sector and economic recovery
Addressing the financial crisis, energy policy expert and Middle East and North
Africa director of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Laury Haytayan,
said: “There is a need to encourage the private sector to invest in the
renewable energy sector to go beyond the individual initiatives.”Lebanon’s
offshore gas has often been seen as an economic game-changer, but Haytayan
warned against unrealistic expectations, saying that the nation lacks active
hydrocarbon discoveries, making energy wealth an unreliable recovery catalyst.
The energy expert dismissed the notion of using the country’s underdeveloped oil
and gas sector as a bargaining chip in negotiations with international
stakeholders, while stressing the need to restructure Lebanon’s electricity
sector rather than relying on oil and gas for short-term recovery. Haytayan
urged regulatory reforms, including appointing the long-awaited electricity
regulator and enforcing the 23-year-old electricity law mandating Electricite Du
Liban’s unbundling and private sector involvement. She questioned whether the
new minister would push for privatization, a move which Ajaka argued is crucial
for state-owned enterprises, particularly in the electricity sector.
“Lebanon has spent over $50 billion on electricity with no results. Justice must
investigate these expenditures,” he said, citing the UK’s deregulation success
as a potential model for Lebanon. Looking at regional energy developments,
Haytayan was clear that Lebanon cannot be measured against leading Gulf states,
saying: “There is no country in the Middle East and North Africa that could be
compared to Saudi Arabia and the UAE when it comes to technical and financial
capacities.”Baydoun argued that the Gulf’s dominance in energy does not hinder
Lebanon’s potential but rather offers a strategic advantage. While the GCC
exports to Asia, Lebanon — if it begins oil and gas production — could target
European markets, avoiding direct competition. He added that Lebanon should
leverage the GCC for technical expertise and investment. The economic adviser to
the Depositors’ Union adviser Farida said the primary challenge in implementing
reforms and resolving Lebanon’s economic crisis lies in the need for legislative
updates, including new laws requiring parliamentary approval, stressing that any
plan must first gain parliamentary backing to have a real chance of success. He
said: “It’s still premature to judge whether this administration will be able to
actually produce a new comprehensive plan for the financial gap in the banking
sector and the overall crisis in the public sector and the administration.”
The Alignment of Calendars: Christians and Muslims Will
Fast Together This year
Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/March 01/2025
This year, due to a calendar alignment, Christian and Muslim fasting periods
will overlap during the lunar month of Ramadan, which runs from March 1 to March
29. Their fasts begin just two days apart: Saturday, March 1 for Muslims and
Monday, March 3 for Eastern Christians. For Latin Catholics, Lent starts two
days later, on Wednesday, March 5, known as Ash Wednesday. As in Eastern
Catholic Churches, the season of penance and self-discipline begins with the
priest marking a cross of wet ashes on the forehead, saying, "Remember, man,
that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." However, this ritual is not
observed in Byzantine tradition churches. As Muslims will have fulfilled the
goal of their ascetic pilgrimage with the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Christians
will continue their fast until Sunday, April 20, when they will also rest from
their observance and celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
Outwardly, the fasting rituals of Muslims and Christians are notably different.
Muslims, in practice, observe a complete fast, refraining from eating or
drinking from sunrise until sunset. They break their fast with a substantial
meal, known as iftar, followed by a lighter meal, suhoor, just before dawn.
The Aroma of Coffee at Noontime
In Eastern Christian tradition, Lent lasts for 40 days, but this does not equate
to 40 days of fasting. The 40 days represent a liturgical period that mirrors
Christ's fast. Holy Week is not included in these 40 days. Essentially, Lent is
a time when believers abstain from meat, rich foods, smoking, drinking, and
physical intimacy. The period alternates between total fasting and periods of
abstinence.. Maronites, for instance, fast from midnight to noon, except on
Saturdays and Sundays, with permission to drink water if necessary. While this
may seem manageable, these rules were established in a time when people would
rise before dawn to work in the fields. The daily fast is typically broken
around noon with a cup of coffee, whether at home or at work. On major feast
days, such as the Annunciation (March 25), Maronites are exempt from fasting.
For Orthodox Christians, fasting rules are generally stricter, with abstinence
required throughout the entire 40-day period.
There are no reliable statistics on fasting practices across the various
communities in Lebanon, but it is commonly said that Muslims “take fasting more
seriously.” In fact, the social imperatives of fasting are more strictly
observed among Muslims than among Christians, where the observance tends to be
more lenient, except within certain circles and tight-knit communities
(religious orders, apostolic movements, families, close colleagues).
Mercantilism and Religious Symbolism
However, much like the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter, where the
commercial spirit often overshadows the Christian symbolism, replacing it with a
simplistic consumerist imagery (the Christmas tree, gifts, Santa Claus for
Christmas, and rabbits, chicks, and chocolate eggs for Easter), the Muslim fast
– intended as a time of self-discipline – can sometimes be overshadowed by an
evening routine of family gatherings and feasting, long hours in the kitchen,
and endless television series. In fact, as wholesalers know only too well, there
is typically an increase in consumption during the month of Ramadan, along with
an increase in the price of vegetables such as onions, radishes, tomatoes,
parsley, mint, and more. Fattoush is, of course, a staple salad at any proper
iftar. The meal traditionally begins with a few dates and licorice juice (souss).
While this adds to the charm and revitalizes social life, it can also shift the
focus of the fast, turning it into a series of distractions overshadowed by the
sound of hookah pipes. In addition to this folklore, Catholic Christians observe
the tradition of “Drunken Thursday” (Khamis es-Sakara) on the Thursday before
Lent, indulging in arak while eating raw liver, mint leaves, onions, and
garlic-laden labneh. This mirrors the Western practice of Mardi Gras or
Carnival—a time of indulgence before the fasting period. Clearly, this ritual
distorts the true purpose of fasting. Drunkenness prepares one for abstinence no
better than sobriety does. To further highlight this, consider the Syrian
Orthodox tradition, which prepares for Lent with a three-day total fast known as
the “Fast of Nineveh."
Hidden Differences and Similarities from a Theological Perspective
Theologically speaking, the differences between Muslim and Christian fasting are
clear, though deeper similarities emerge upon closer examination. Ramadan, a
central pillar of Islam, is one of the five fundamental tenets of the faith,
alongside the declaration of faith (Shahada): "There is no god but God, and
Muhammad is His prophet"; the five daily prayers; obligatory almsgiving (zakat);
and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Ramadan is the month of fasting, marking the period
during which the Quran was revealed. The month concludes with Eid al-Fitr, also
known as the Little Feast (Eid al-Saghir), followed by Eid al-Adha (Aïd el-Kébir)
or “the day of sacrifice” (“the Great Feast”) which commemorates Abraham’s
faith. In obedience to God's command, he was prepared to sacrifice his son
(Ishmael for Muslims, Isaac for Christians), but an angel intervened at the last
moment, providing a ram as a substitute.
A Christian might reflect on the virtue of Abraham's faith in God and his trust
in offering what was dearest and irreplaceable to him. Conversely, a Muslim
might see a connection in the Christian understanding of fasting, recognizing
the sacrificial offering of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
In fact, fasting touches the most intimate aspect of the human being: the heart.
A heart that, as philosopher Jean Guitton interprets from Pascal, “embodies
truth through charity.” The transformation of the heart is key to any
conversion, and it occurs only when one encounters God. Sometimes, it takes very
little. For Claudel, in particular, it was enough to be in Notre-Dame de Paris,
among the crowd of worshipers, “next to the second pillar at the entrance to the
choir, on the right side by the sacristy.” “In an instant, I believed,” he said.
For some mystics, this encounter can last for hours, with prolonged moments in
which God works deep within us, transforming us. In this sense, prayer, fasting,
almsgiving, pilgrimages, devotions, and all forms of ascetic practices are meant
to keep this encounter alive, like logs being added to a blazing fire. Without
the heart, however, it would be like trying to warm oneself in front of a cold,
extinguished hearth.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 01-02/2025
Trump administration approves major nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel
Associated Press/March 01, 2025
The Trump administration has approved a major nearly $3 billion arms sale to
Israel, bypassing a normal congressional review to provide the country with more
of the 2,000-pound bombs that it has used in the war against Hamas in Gaza. In a
series of notifications sent to Congress late Friday, the State Department said
it had signed off on the sale of more than 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs and
4,000 Predator warheads worth $2.04 billion. Secretary of State Marco Rubio "has
determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that
requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense
articles and defense services in the national security interests of the United
States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements," the department
said. Deliveries are set to begin next year, it said. Using the same
justification, the department also said Rubio had approved another munitions
sale to Israel worth $675.7 million to be delivered starting in 2028. In
addition, it said Rubio had approved the emergency sale of D9R and D9T
Caterpillar bulldozers worth $295 million.
Israel says ‘will not be deterred’ after Hamas issues hostage video
AFP/March 01, 2025
JERUSALEM: The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed as “Hamas
propaganda” Saturday footage released by the Palestinian militant group showing
what appeared to be Israeli hostages in Gaza. “The Hamas terrorist organization
has, this evening, disseminated another cruel propaganda video in which our
hostages are forced to engage in psychological warfare,” Netanyahu’s office
said. The release of the footage by Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam
Brigades, came as the first stage of the Gaza ceasefire which took effect on
January 19 was due to expire on Saturday with no clarity about what happens
next. The three-minute video shows the emotional farewell between Israeli-Argentinian
Yair Horn and his brother Eitan, suggesting that it was filmed shortly before
Yair’s release on February 15. In the video, Eitan Horn relays a message from
Hamas urging the Israeli government to “sign the second phase of the (ceasefire)
deal and return us home.”“Get everyone out and do not separate families,” he
says. The footage is accompanied by a message from Hamas reading: “Only a
ceasefire agreement brings them back alive.”It is followed by ticking sounds and
an image of an egg timer with the message: “Time is running out.” In a statement
after the video’s release, Netanyahu’s office said: “Israel will not be deterred
by Hamas propaganda. “We will continue to act relentlessly for the return of all
of our hostages and until all objectives of the war are met.” The Hostages and
Missing Families Forum, an Israeli group that campaigns for the release of all
captives from Gaza, said the Horn family had given its permission for the
footage of the two brothers to be published. “It breaks our heart to see Eitan
in this difficult situation, saying goodbye to his brother, (Y)air, who is being
freed while Eitan remains held in Hamas hell for 512 days now,” the Horn family
said in a statement. “We demand from the decision-makers: Look Eitan in the
eyes. Don’t stop the agreement that has already brought dozens of hostages back
to us. They are running out of time! Bring everyone home, now, in one
phase.”Hamas has offered to release all remaining hostages in one go in a second
phase of the ceasefire. Israel has called for releases to continue in batches in
an extension of the first stage of the ceasefire that has been rejected by the
militant group.
Hamas reports no progress in talks with Israel on ceasefire’s second phase
AP/March 01, 2025
Officials from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the US have been involved in
negotiations on the second phase in Cairo
War-weary Palestinians marked the first day of the holy month with fasting and
more worries
CAIRO: The latest round of talks on the second phase of the ceasefire between
Israel and Hamas has made “no progress,” and it’s unclear whether they will
resume on Saturday, a senior Hamas official said. Phase one expires on Saturday,
but under the deal’s terms, fighting should not resume while negotiations are
underway on phase two, which could end the war in Gaza, see Israeli troops
withdraw and see the remaining living hostages returned home. According to
Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead. The first phase, which
paused 15 months of fighting in Gaza, saw the release of 33 hostages, including
eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Hundreds of
thousands of people returned home to northern Gaza, aid into the territory
increased and Israeli forces withdrew to buffer zones. Officials from Israel,
Qatar, Egypt and the US have been involved in negotiations on the second phase
in Cairo. Hamas did not attend, but its position has been represented through
Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau,
told The Associated Press there had been “no progress” before Israeli
negotiators returned home on Friday. It was unclear whether those mediators
would return to Cairo to resume talks Saturday as expected. Naim said he had “no
idea” when negotiations might resume. Hamas started the war with its Oct. 7,
2023, attack that left 1,200 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, and took some 250
hostage. Since then, Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 48,000
Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not differentiate
between civilian and combatant deaths but say more than half the dead have been
women and children. The two sides agreed to the three-phase ceasefire deal in
January. Israelis rallied Saturday night to urge their government to continue
the deal. Hamas has reaffirmed its “full commitment to implementing all terms of
the agreement in all its stages and details” and called on the international
community to pressure Israel to immediately proceed to the second phase. Other
challenges complicate the ceasefire’s future. Israel has said Hamas cannot be
involved in governing Gaza after the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has also ruled out any role in Gaza for the Western-backed Palestinian
Authority, dominated by Hamas’ main rival, Fatah. Hamas leader Mohamed Darwish
on Saturday reiterated the group is willing to hand over power to a Palestinian
national consensus government or an Egypt-proposed body of technocrats not
aligned with Hamas or Fatah. His comments came in an open letter to next week’s
summit of Arab leaders in Cairo. Hamas has dismissed Israel’s suggestion that
its leadership go into exile. Hamas also rejected an Israeli proposal to extend
the ceasefire’s first phase by 42 days, doubling its length, saying it goes
against the truce agreement, according to a member of the group who requested
anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. The Israeli proposal calls
for extending the ceasefire through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which
started Saturday, in return for an additional hostage exchange, the Hamas member
said.
Ramadan in Gaza
In Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, AP video showed a long table set for the
breaking of the day’s Ramadan fast, snaking through the ruins and lit by strings
of lights as the sky darkened.
War-weary Palestinians marked the first day of the holy month with fasting and
more worries. “Today there is a lot of goodness, but there is no money,” said
Huda Matar about the skyrocketing prices, even though more food and other
staples are available compared with last year. Netanyahu’s office said last week
that mediators were “also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of
humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the
suffering of the population and support stability in the region.” The UN food
agency said on social media it reached 1 million Palestinians across Gaza during
the deal’s first phase.
“The ceasefire must hold,” the World Food Program said. “There can be no going
back.”
New video of hostages
Hamas published video footage Saturday showing a group of hostages, including
two brothers embracing before one of them was released from Gaza. The video,
filmed under duress, was likely taken before Feb. 15, when Iair Horn was
released and left his brother, Eitan, behind. The faces of what appear to be
other hostages are blurred. “I am very happy that my brother will be released
tomorrow, but this is not logical in any way to separate families,” Eitan says.
“Sign the second and third phase. enough of war.”
Israel and
Hamas disagree on next phase as ceasefire deal’s first phase set to expire
Reuters/Saturday 01/2025
There is no sign of agreement, either among or between Israelis and
Palestinians, or between Western and Arab governments, over Gaza’s future.
The first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas
will end Saturday without any certainty over the planned second phase, which is
hoped to bring a more permanent end to the Gaza war.
The first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement, which began on January 19,
stipulated a pause in fighting and the release of 33 Israeli hostages in
exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. An
Israeli delegation in Cairo is negotiating to extend the first phase of the Gaza
ceasefire when it expires rather than move to the second phase as originally
planned and as Hamas wants, Egyptian security sources said on Friday. The
ceasefire agreement last month halted 15 months of fighting and paved the way
for talks on ending the war, while also leading to the release of 44 Israeli
hostages held in Gaza and around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held
by Israel.
However, Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire,
casting doubt over the second phase of the deal meant to include releases of
additional hostages and prisoners as well as steps toward a permanent end of the
war.
There is no sign of agreement, either among or between Israelis and
Palestinians, or between Western and Arab governments, over Gaza’s future. That
uncertainty is complicating efforts to negotiate a lasting resolution. Hamas
called on Friday for the international community to press Israel to immediately
enter the second phase without delay. It is unclear what will happen if the
first phase ends on Saturday without a deal. The Cairo talks are being mediated
by Egypt and Qatar with US support. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday
there were “pretty good talks going on”. Asked whether the ceasefire deal would
move into the second phase, Trump said: “Nobody really knows, but we’ll see what
happens”. The ceasefire has mostly held during its first six weeks, although
both sides have accused each other of breaches, particularly in the treatment of
Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and in the handling of releases. The
United Nations has described images of both emaciated Israeli hostages and
released Palestinian detainees as distressing, saying they reflected the dire
conditions in which they were held. Israel is now negotiating to extend the
first phase of the ceasefire deal by 42 days, according to the Egyptian security
sources. Israeli government officials said earlier this week that Israel would
attempt to extend the initial phase with Hamas freeing three hostages a week in
return for the release of Palestinian detainees. Discussions on an end to the
war are complicated by the lack of any agreement over basic questions such as
how Gaza would be governed, how its security would be managed, how it could be
rebuilt, and who would pay for that.
Likely extension
Analysts say that phase is likely to be extended because it is the preferred
scenario for Israel, which has the upper hand in the conflict’s aftermath. “One
thing we can expect is that phase two won’t start tomorrow, but I think the
ceasefire probably won’t collapse also,” Max Rodenbeck, an analyst for the
International Crisis Group, told AFP Friday. Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu on Thursday dispatched a delegation to Cairo, “to take forward
negotiations to get our hostages home”, government spokesman David Mencer said.
The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of
the ceasefire’s first phase, rather than a second phase, Defence Minister Israel
Katz said Thursday. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack,
58 hostages remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Amit Segal, an Israeli commentator close to Netanyahu in an interview this week
said it was likely Israel would favour “prolonging the deal for yet another
week”. Hamas has on several occasions reiterated its “readiness to engage in
negotiations for its second phase”. On Friday, the group said it was not willing
to extend the first phase. A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian militant
group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the
second phase. “Hamas will not be happy to drag on phase one, but it doesn’t
really have the capacity to force Israel to go on to phase two,” Rodenbeck said.
The fragile ceasefire mostly halted fighting in war-ravaged Gaza throughout the
first phase, save for a number of Israeli strikes and live fire on sites and
Palestinians deemed a “threat” by the military.“Even during the ceasefire, Hamas
plotted attacks targeting soldiers and Israeli communities,” Katz said Thursday.
Hamas called the claim “baseless and misleading”.
Threats
Katz, like Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, has repeatedly threatened a
return to fighting and to “exterminate” Hamas, should the Palestinian group
break the ceasefire agreement. For Rodenbeck, the risk is heightened by the fact
that Trump’s administration “sort of have given full license to the Israelis to
resume fighting if they want to”. He said that at the same time, Trump appears
keen “to wrap this up quickly”, and the Israeli public does not want a war that
would jeopardise the lives of hostages still held in Gaza. Even before the
deal’s announcement on January 15, one of the main issues remains the
Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land on the Palestinian side of the Egypt-Gaza
border, which Israel took control of during the war. “Maintaining absolute
control over the Philadelphi Corridor is non-negotiable from a security
standpoint,” Katz said Thursday, particularly to prevent weapons smuggling into
Gaza.
Hamas called it a “clear violation of the ceasefire agreement”. The entry of
humanitarian aid into Gaza, which Israel says could provide Hamas with “dual use
items” that can be repurposed to make weapons, has been another source of
friction since the start of the first phase. But the paramount question remains
the role Hamas will play in post-war governance. Though the group signalled it
would be willing to leave administrative and civil matters to a group of
Palestinian technocrats, it has not committed to giving up its security control
of Gaza, which is unacceptable to Israelis. “The end of the war cannot be
agreed, because Hamas would never agree to be expelled from Gaza and Netanyahu
would never ever whatsoever agree to end the war” under those circumstances,
commentator Segal said.
Mourners bury one of the
last hostages released from Gaza as talks start for ceasefire future
AP/March 02, 2025
JERUSALEM: Mourners in Israel on Friday buried the remains of one of the final
hostages released in the first phase of the ceasefire between Hamas militants
and Israel, as negotiators discussed a second phase that could end the war in
Gaza and see the remaining living captives returned home.
The funeral procession for Tsachi Idan, an avid soccer fan who was 49 when he
was abducted by Hamas militants, began at a Tel Aviv football stadium en route
to the cemetery where he was buried in a private ceremony. The office of Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Idan, taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz
during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 2023 attack that left 1,200 dead in Israel and
sparked the war in Gaza, was killed in captivity. His body was one of four
released by Hamas early Thursday in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners,
the last planned swap of the ceasefire’s first phase, which began in January.
Idan was the only one of his family taken to Gaza. His eldest daughter, Maayan,
was killed as militants shot through the door of their saferoom. Hamas militants
broadcast themselves on Facebook live holding the Idan family hostage in their
home, as his two younger children pleaded with the militants to let them go. “My
brother is the real hero. He held on,” Idan’s sister, Noam Idan ben Ezra, said
in an interview on Israeli radio Friday. She said Idan had been “a pace away”
from being released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023, when more than
100 of the 251 people abducted on Oct. 7 were released.
“Tsachi was forsaken twice. The first time when he was kidnapped from his home
and the second time when the deal blew up,” she added. “The fact that Tsachi is
not standing next to me today is the outcome of the decision-making and the
policy here in Israel. They did not listen to us then, but it’s not too late to
listen to us today.”
Concern for remaining hostages
With the first phase of the ceasefire deal set to end Saturday, relatives of
hostages still held in Gaza are ramping up pressure on Netanyahu to secure the
release of their loved ones. According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in
Gaza are dead, and there has been growing concern about the welfare of an
unknown number who are still alive, particularly after three hostages released
Feb. 8 appeared emaciated. One of the three, Eli Sharabi, said in an interview
with Israel’s Channel 12 Friday that he and other hostages had been held in iron
chains, starved and sometimes beaten or humiliated.
“During the first three days, my hands are tied behind my back, my legs are
tied, with ropes that tear into your flesh, and a bit of food, a bit of water
during the day,” he said, in one of the first interviews by a hostage released
under the current deal. “I remember not being able to fall asleep because of the
pain, the ropes are already digging into your flesh, and every movement makes
you want to scream.”Sharabi found out after his release that his wife and
daughters had been killed during the Oct. 7 attack.
The next phase of the ceasefire
Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States have started “intensive
discussions” on the ceasefire’s second phase in Cairo, Egypt‘s state information
service said Thursday. The agreement calls for those talks to bring an end to
the war, with the return of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of
Israeli troops. Hamas said in a statement released Friday that it “reaffirms its
full commitment to implementing all terms of the agreement in all its stages and
details.” It called on the international community to pressure Israel to
“immediately proceed to the second phase without any delay or evasion.”
Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the first phase by 42 days,
saying it goes against the ceasefire agreement, according to a member of the
group who requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. The
Israeli proposal calls for extending the ceasefire through the Islamic holy
month of Ramadan in return for an additional hostage exchange, the Hamas member
said.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed he had sent a delegation to Cairo.
Mediators in the talks are “also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of
humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the
suffering of the population and support stability in the region,” the statement
from Netanyahu’s office said.
Israel’s negotiators were to return home Friday night, said an Israeli official,
speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the
closed-door talks. Negotiations are set to continue Saturday, the official said.
But it was not clear if the Israeli team would travel back to Cairo to attend
them.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that the coming
days are “critical,” and urged Israel and Hamas to fulfill their commitments.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which paused 15 months of fighting, saw the
release of 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000
Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has vowed to return all the hostages and
destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, which remains in
control of Gaza. But it’s unclear how Israel would destroy Hamas without
resuming the war, and Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages — its
main bargaining chips — without a lasting ceasefire. Israel’s military offensive
has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health
officials, who don’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say
over half the dead have been women and children.
Palestinians prepare for Ramadan amid destroyed homes
Palestinians who returned to destroyed homes in Gaza City started Friday to
prepare for Ramadan, shopping for essential household goods and foods. Some say
the Islamic holy month feels better than one spent last year, but still far from
normal.
“The situation is very difficult for people and life is very hard. Most people —
their homes have been destroyed. Some people can’t afford to shop for Ramadan,
but our faith in God is great as he never forgets to bless people,” said Gaza
City resident Nasser Shoueikh.
Ramadan is a holy Islamic month during which observant Muslims around the world
practice the ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset. It’s often known for
increased prayers, charity and spirituality as well as family gatherings
enjoying different dishes and desserts during Iftar, when Muslims break their
fasting, and Suhoor, the last meal before sunrise.
Israel pressing US to keep Russian bases in Syria to
contain Turkey, keep country weak
Reuters/Saturday
01/2025
Israel is lobbying
the United States to keep Syria weak and decentralised, including by letting
Russia keep its military bases there to counter Turkey’s growing influence in
the country, sources familiar with the efforts told Reuters. Turkey’s often
fraught ties with Israel have come under severe strain during the Gaza war and
Israeli officials have told Washington that Syria’s new radical Islamist rulers,
who are backed by Ankara, pose a threat to Israel’s borders, the sources said.
The lobbying points to a concerted Israeli campaign to influence US policy at a
critical juncture for Syria, as the Islamists who ousted Bashar al-Assad try to
stabilise the fractured state and get Washington to lift punishing sanctions.
Israel communicated its views to top US officials during meetings in Washington
in February and subsequent meetings in Israel with US Congressional
representatives, US sources and another person familiar with the contacts said.
The main points were also circulated to some senior US officials in an Israeli
“white paper”, sources said. All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity due
to diplomatic sensitivities. “Israel’s big fear is that Turkey comes in and
protects this new Syrian Islamist order, which then ends up being a base for
Hamas and other militants,” said Aron Lund, a fellow at US-based think-tank
Century International. It was not clear to what extent US President Donald
Trump’s administration is considering adopting Israel’s proposals, the sources
said. It has said little about Syria, leaving uncertainty over both the future
of the sanctions and whether US forces deployed in the northeast will remain.
Lund said Israel had a good chance of influencing US thinking, describing the
new administration as wildly pro-Israeli. “Syria is barely even on Trump’s radar
now. It’s low priority, and there’s a policy void to fill,” he said. Israel has
publicly declared its mistrust of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist
faction that led the campaign that toppled Assad and which emerged from a group
that was affiliated to al Qaeda until it cut ties in 2016. Israeli Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will not tolerate the
presence in southern Syria of HTS, or any other forces affiliated with the new
rulers, and demanded the territory be demilitarised. Following Assad’s ouster,
Israel carried out extensive airstrikes on Syrian military bases and moved
forces into a UN-monitored demilitarised zone within Syria. Earlier this week,
Israel struck military sites south of Damascus.
Turkey’s role
Now, Israel is deeply concerned about Turkey’s role as a close ally of Syria’s
new rulers, US sources said, describing the messages delivered by Israeli
officials. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who leads the Islamist-rooted AK
Party, said last year that Islamic countries should form an alliance against
what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel. Earlier this
month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was concerned Turkey was
supporting efforts by Iran to rebuild Hezbollah and that Islamist groups in
Syria were creating another front against Israel. Turkey has said it wants Syria
to become stable and pose no threat to its neighbours. It has repeatedly said
Israel’s actions in southern Syria were part of its expansionist and invasive
policy, and showed Israel did not want regional peace. To contain Turkey,
Israeli officials have sought to persuade US officials that Russia should keep
its Mediterranean naval base in Syria’s Tartus province and its Hmeimim air base
in Latakia province, the sources said. When Israeli officials presented Russia’s
continued presence in a positive light in a meeting with US officials, some
attendees were surprised, arguing that Turkey – a NATO member – would be a
better guarantor of Israel’s security, US sources said. Syria’s new leadership
is in talks with Russia over the fate of the military bases. Syria’s
Islamist-led government has sought to reassure Western and Arab states about its
intentions, promising an inclusive Syria and seeking to restore diplomatic ties
with governments that shunned Assad. Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told a group
of foreign journalists in December that Damascus did not want conflict with
Israel or other countries. Israeli officials, however, voiced concern to US
officials that the new government could pose a serious threat and that Syria’s
new armed forces might one day attack, the sources said. Assad kept the
bordervwith the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights quiet for years despite his
alliance with Israel’s arch-foe Iran, which had a dominant role in Syria until
his downfall upended the Middle East’s power balance. Sources said that in the
final weeks of US President Joe Biden’s term, his administration considered
offering sanctions relief to Syria’s new leaders in exchange for closing
Russia’s two military bases. The sources said Biden’s team failed to secure a
deal before Trump took office on January 20 and that they expected the new US
president, who has drawn closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be more
open to Russia staying. Israel’s lobbying to keep Syria weak points to a starkly
different approach to other US-allied states in the region, notably Saudi
Arabia, which said last month it was talking to Washington and Brussels to help
lift Western sanctions. A source in Erdogan’s AK party said Ankara hosted
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday in part as a hedge against the
uncertainty of the new US policy in Syria, and to balance any Israeli measures
there – including with the U.S. – that threaten Turkish interests.
US says killed military
leader of Syria Al-Qaeda affiliate
AFP/March 02, 2025
WASHINGTON: The US Army said Saturday it had killed a top military leader of
Hurras Al-Din, a Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda which announced its dissolution in
January. The US Central Command (CENTCOM), in charge of American forces in the
Middle East, said in a statement that its forces on February 23 “conducted a
precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, targeting and killing Muhammed Yusuf
Ziya Talay, the senior military leader of the terrorist organization Hurras Al-Din.”Since
Hurras Al-Din announced in late January that it was dissolving itself, US air
strikes have killed several of the group’s leaders, according to CENTCOM. On
February 22, it said a “precision air strike” had killed Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar,
a leader of the group which the US classifies as a terrorist organization.
American forces are in Syria as part of an international coalition created in
2014 to fight the terrorists of the Daesh group. After a rebel alliance led by
radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham toppled President Bashar Assad and
took power in Damascus on December 8, Hurras Al-Din said it no longer needed to
exist. The group, including foreign jihadists, was based in mountainous
northwestern Syria.
Israel’s military is told
to prepare to defend a Druze community outside Syria’s capital
AP/March 02, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s defense ministry on Saturday said the military has been
instructed to prepare to defend a Druze settlement in the suburbs of Damascus,
asserting that the minority it has vowed to protect was “under attack” by Syrian
forces. The statement, citing an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and Defense Minister Israel Katz, follows an Israeli warning last weekend that
the forces of neighboring Syria’s new government and the insurgent group that
led last year’s ouster of former President Bashar Assad should not enter the
area south of Damascus. Saturday’s statement indicates that Israeli forces could
push farther into Syria as its new authorities try to consolidate control after
more than a decade of civil war. Israeli forces recently set up posts in a
buffer zone and on strategic Mt. Hermon nearby. There have been no major clashes
between Israeli troops and Syria’s new forces. “We will not allow the terrorist
regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the
Druze, it will be harmed by us,” the statement said. There was no immediate
response from Syria’s government. The Druze are a religious minority who live in
southern Syria and in Israel’s Golan Heights, where they navigate their
historically Syrian identity while living under Israeli rule. Israel’s statement
followed the outbreak of unrest Friday in the Druze settlement of Jaramana, when
a member of the security forces entered and started shooting in the air, leading
to an exchange of fire with local gunmen that left him dead. On Saturday, gunmen
came from the Damascus suburb of Mleiha to Jaramana, where they clashed with
Druze gunmen. That left one Druze fighter dead and nine other people wounded,
according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war
monitor. The Israeli warning last Sunday to Syrian forces and Hayat Tahrir
Al-Sham, the main former rebel group, made clear that Israeli forces would stay
in parts of southern Syria for an indefinite period. “We demand the complete
demilitarization of southern Syria in the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and
Sweida from the forces of the new regime,” that earlier statement said.
“Likewise, we will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern
Syria.” After the fall of Assad in December, Israel seized the UN-patrolled
buffer zone on Syrian territory. The zone was set up under a 1974 ceasefire
agreement. Syria’s new authorities and UN officials have called for Israel to
withdraw. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s government has been under pressure to protect
Israelis living near border areas in the north as it tries to return residents
of the north to their homes.
One killed in Syria clashes
near Damascus
AFP/March 01, 2025
BEIRUT: Clashes between forces affiliated with the Syrian Arab Republic’s new
rulers and local gunmen from the minority Druze community killed one person and
wounded nine near Damascus on Saturday, a monitor said. Since Islamist-led
rebels in December overthrew longtime repressive ruler Bashar Assad, clashes and
shootings have occurred in several areas, with security officials accusing armed
supporters of the previous government. Saturday’s incident occurred in Jaramana,
a densely populated suburb near Damascus that is home to a majority of Druze and
Christian minority residents.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “one person
was killed and nine others from Jaramana were injured during clashes between
security forces affiliated with the new authority and local gunmen tasked with
protecting the area.”It could not specify whether the killed person was a
civilian or a local fighter. Tensions began on Friday when a dispute led to the
killing of one security forces member and the wounding of another in a shooting
at a checkpoint in Jaramana, according to the Observatory. Syria’s official news
agency, SANA, quoted Col. Hossam Al-Tahhan, the local head of security, as
saying the checkpoint had stopped Ministry of Defense personnel as they entered
the area to visit their relatives. After surrendering their weapons they were
assaulted and “their vehicle was directly targeted by gunfire,” resulting in the
casualties, Tahhan said. He warned such incidents could have repercussions on
“Syria’s security, stability, and unity.”Jaramana’s Druze said in a statement
that they would “withdraw protection from all offenders and outlaws” and pledged
to hand over anyone proven responsible to “the relevant authorities to face
justice.”Restoring and maintaining security across Syria remains one of the most
pressing challenges for interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, following about 13
years of civil war. The Druze, who also live in Lebanon, Israel and the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, make up about three percent of Syria’s
population. They largely stayed on the sidelines of the civil war. Sharaa’s
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Islamist group led the offensive against Assad. The group
has its roots in Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and is proscribed as a
terrorist organization by many governments including the United States. HTS has
moderated its rhetoric and vowed to protect Syria’s religious and ethnic
minorities. Israeli defense minister Israel Katz on Saturday warned Syria’s new
rulers not “to harm the Druze,” adding the military has been ordered “to prepare
and to send a firm and clear warning: if the regime harms the Druze, it will
suffer the consequences.” His comment came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu last Sunday demanded “the complete demilitarization of southern Syria”
including Sweida province where Druze Arabs predominate.The same day Assad was
ousted, Israel announced its troops were entering a UN-patrolled buffer zone on
the Golan Heights.
Syrians begin fasting during first Ramadan without Assad
family rule in decades
AP/March 02, 2025
d’s secular government in early December ending the 54-year Assad family dynasty
DAMASCUS, Syria: Some restaurants and coffee shops in Syria were closed during
the day Saturday while others opened as usual as observant Muslims began fasting
during the holy month of Ramadan, the first since the fall of Assad family rule
in the war-torn country. Syria’s interim Ministry of Religious Endowments
reportedly called for all restaurants, coffee shops and street food stands be
closed during the day and that people must not eat or drink in public or face
punishment. Those who violate the rule could get up to three months in jail.
However, it did not appear that any official order had been issued by the
government to that effect. Associated Press journalists who toured Damascus on
Saturday said some coffee shops were opened but had their windows closed to that
people can’t see who is inside. Insurgents led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir
Al-Sham group, or HTS, overthrew President Bashar Assad’s secular government in
early December ending the 54-year Assad family dynasty. Since then, Syria’s new
Islamist government under former insurgent leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa, has been in
control and many fear that the country could turn into an Daesh, although Al-Sharaa
has so far promised to respect religious minorities. Under Assad’s rule during
the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when observant Muslims abstain from eating and
drinking from sunrise to sunset, people were allowed to eat in public. This
year, many people are abstaining from eating in public fearing reprisals.
“Ramadan this year comes with a new flavor. This is the Ramadan of victory and
liberation,” said interim Minister of Religious Affairs Hussam Hajj-Hussein in a
televised statement. Most countries around the world, including Saudi Arabia,
Indonesia and Kuwait began observing Ramadan on Saturday, while a few other
countries such as Malyasia and Japan, as well as some Shiite Muslims, will begin
the fast on Sunday. In many parts of the region, the holy month this year is
bittersweet. Lebanese this year mark Ramadan after the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah
war ended with a US-brokered ceasefire that went into effect in late November.
In the Gaza Strip, a fragile ceasefire deal, which has paused over 15 months of
war between Israel and Hamas, nears the end of its first phase, and many
Palestinians ate their first iftar in the middle of the rubble where their
houses used to be. “This year, after the fall of the regime, there are many
confirmations regarding the prohibition of publicly breaking the fast, with
violators facing imprisonment,” said Damascus resident Munir Abdallah. “This is
something new, good and respectable, meaning that the rituals of Ramadan should
be fully observed in all their aspects.”Ramadan is the ninth month of the
Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons. The start of the
month traditionally depends on the sighting of the crescent moon. The actual
start date may vary among Muslim communities due to declarations by multiple
Islamic authorities around the globe on whether the crescent has been sighted or
different methodologies used to determine the start of the month. The fast
breaking meal is known as iftar and usually family members and friends gather at
sunset to have the main meal. Muslims eat a pre-dawn meal, called “suhoor,” to
hydrate and nurture their bodies ahead of the daily fast. The holy month is also
a time when Islamic and charitable organizations frequently provide meals for
those unable to afford their own. In the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Bashar al
Mashhadani, imam of the Sheikh Abdulqadir al Gailani Mosque in Baghdad said the
mosque was preparing to serve 1,000 free meals per day to people coming to break
their fast. Ramadan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, one of
Islam’s most important feasts.
PKK declares immediate ceasefire with Turkey, says will ‘implment’ Ocalan’s call
Reuters/Saturday 01/2025
Outlawed Kurdish militants on
Saturday declared a ceasefire with Turkey following a landmark call by jailed
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan asking the group to disband. It was the first
reaction from the PKK after Ocalan this week called for the dissolution of his
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and asked it to lay down arms after fighting the
Turkish state for over four decades. “In order to pave the way for the
implementation of leader Apo’s call for peace and democratic society, we are
declaring a ceasefire effective from today,” the PKK executive committee said in
a statement quoted by the pro-PKK ANF news agency, referring to Ocalan. “We
agree with the content of the call as it is and we say that we will follow and
implement it,” the committee said. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by
Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since
1984 with the aim of carving out a homeland for Kurds, who account for around 20
percent of Turkey’s 85 million people. Since Ocalan was jailed in 1999 there
have been various attempts to end the bloodshed, which has cost more than 40,000
lives. After the last round of peace talks collapsed in 2015, no further contact
was made until October when a hardline nationalist ally of President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan offered a surprise peace gesture if Ocalan rejected violence.
While Erdogan backed the rapprochement, his government cranked up pressure on
the opposition, arresting hundreds of politicians, activists and journalists.
After several meetings with Ocalan at his island prison, the pro-Kurdish DEM
party on Thursday relayed his appeal for PKK to lay down its weapons and convene
a congress to announce the organisation’s dissolution. The PKK holds positions
in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, where Turkey also maintains military
bases and often carries out ground and air operations against the Kurdish
militants. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party has led a decades-long insurgency
against the Turkish state, and its presence in Iraq has been a recurrent source
of tension between Baghdad and Ankara. In a statement late Thursday, Iraq’s
foreign ministry said Ocalan’s call for the group to lay down its arms was “a
positive and important step towards achieving stability in the region”. It could
contribute to “enhancing security not only in Iraq… but in the entire region”,
said the ministry. The statement stressed that “political solutions and dialogue
are the best way to resolve differences and end conflicts”. Iraq has welcomed a
call by jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan for the Kurdish militant group to
disband, saying it could improve regional stability and security. In a major
shift, a declaration from Ocalan earlier on Thursday said that “all groups must
lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself”. The call, drawn up in
Ocalan’s cell in a Turkish prison where he has been held in solitary confinement
since 1999, came four months after Ankara offered an olive branch to the
75-year-old militant leader. Baghdad has recently sharpened its tone against the
PKK, quietly listing it as a “banned organisation” last year. However, Turkey
wants Iraq to go further and officially declare it a terrorist group. In August,
Baghdad and Ankara signed a military cooperation deal to establish joint command
and training centres with the aim of fighting the PKK. In its Thursday
statement, the Iraqi foreign ministry expressed hope that the PKK take “rapid
steps” to lay down its weapons and emphasised the government’s commitment to
ensure “strong relations with neighbouring Turkey”. Iran on Friday welcomed a
call by Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Turkish militant Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK), for it to lay down arms as a move that may “stop terrorism and
boost security in Turkey”, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement on
state media. Iran’s security forces have been fighting Kurdish rebels, including
the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an outlawed group that seeks
self-governance for Iran’s Kurds and has links to the PKK.
Starmer assures Ukraine’s President Zelensky of Britain’s unwavering support
after White House blowout
AP/March 02, 2025
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer embraced Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday and told him he had the UK’s unwavering support,
a day after the blowout at the White House with President Donald Trump. Zelensky
arrived to cheers from people who had gathered outside of 10 Downing St., where
Starmer gave him a hug and ushered him inside. The two leaders met on the eve of
a meeting of European leaders in London. Called to discuss how European nations
can defend Ukraine — and themselves — if the US withdraws support, it has taken
on new urgency following Trump’s televised berating of Zelensky. “And as you
heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the
United Kingdom,” Starmer told the leader of the war-torn country. “We stand with
you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take.” Zelensky thanked him and the
people of the UK for their support and friendship. After the meeting, Britain
announced it was extending a 2.26 billion pound ($2.84 billion) loan to Kyiv for
military procurement, with the money coming from the profits on frozen Russian
assets. It’s Britain’s contribution to a $50 billion package of support pledged
by the G-7 group of wealthy industrialized nations. Zelensky thanked Britain in
a statement on X, saying: “This is true justice – the one who started the war
must be the one to pay.” Starmer spoke to both Trump and French President
Emmanuel Macron on Saturday evening after meeting Zelensky, the prime minister’s
office said. The meeting comes the day after an extraordinary diplomatic
meltdown when Trump and Vice President JD Vance blasted Zelensky in the Oval
Office on live television for not being grateful enough for US support. Zelensky
had been poised to ink a deal to give the US access to mineral riches as Trump
pressures Ukraine to reach a deal to end the war with Russia. But he left town
without signing anything. Zelensky had been scheduled to meet with Starmer on
Sunday before the European summit, but the timetable for their bilateral meeting
was apparently sped up in the aftermath of the Washington visit. Zelensky will
meet with King Charles III on Sunday before the meeting at Lancaster House, a
200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.
Trump-Zelensky clash divides US
Republicans, dims aid prospects
Reuters/March 02, 2025
WASHINGTON: An angry White House clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky and Donald Trump divided the US president’s fellow Republicans and
dimmed prospects that Congress will approve any further aid for Kyiv in its war
with Russia. On Saturday, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said there were
“whispers from the White House that they may try to end all US support for
Ukraine... I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking
away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and US values
around the world.”Other Republicans who had long supported Ukraine lashed out at
Zelensky after Friday’s exchange, in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance
berated the Ukrainian leader before the world’s media, accusing him of
disrespect. Senator Lindsey Graham called for Zelensky to change his tune or
resign, just hours after attending a friendly meeting between Zelensky and a
dozen senators. “What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t
know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again,” Graham, a close Trump
ally, told reporters as he left the White House after the clash, which drove
relations with Kyiv’s most important wartime ally to a new low. “He either needs
to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to
change,” the South Carolina senator said. Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, who
was ambassador to Japan during Trump’s first term, posted on X: “The United
States of America will no longer be taken for granted.” But even as most
Republicans rallied behind Trump and Vance, some joined Democrats in defending
Ukraine. New York Representative Mike Lawler, in a post on X, called the Oval
Office meeting “a missed opportunity for both the United States and Ukraine — an
agreement that would undoubtedly result in stronger economic and security
cooperation.”Representative Don Bacon, a moderate Republican from Nebraska,
threw his support behind Kyiv. “A bad day for America’s foreign policy. Ukraine
wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the
West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand
for freedom,” he said in a statement. Neither of the Republican lawmakers
criticized Trump or Vance.
Minerals deal
Zelensky was in Washington to sign an agreement to jointly develop Ukraine’s
rich natural resources with the United States. The Ukrainian leader had seen the
meeting with Trump and Vance as an opportunity to persuade the US not to side
with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war with Moscow’s smaller neighbor.
Instead, Zelensky was told to leave and the agreement was left unsigned. Kyiv’s
backers had hoped the deal would help win more support from Trump’s Republicans
— who hold slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives — for
future aid. Congress has approved $175 billion in assistance since Putin
launched his full-scale invasion three years ago, but the last measure passed in
April, when Democrats controlled the Senate and Democrat Joe Biden was in the
White House. Even then, congressional Republicans slow-walked the bill under
pressure from candidate Trump, who has been skeptical of further military aid to
Ukraine, leading to delays in delivering weapons that put Ukrainian troops on
the back foot in the battlefield. If Trump, the party leader, had skin in the
game and was promoting a “very big” minerals deal he had negotiated, analysts
said, it would likely have rallied Republican support for Ukraine aid. Some
Republicans who have advocated for assisting Ukraine said they hoped relations
could be rebuilt. Representative Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, said he still hoped for a real and lasting peace that
ensures Ukraine would be free from further Russian aggression. “I also urge
President Zelensky to sign the mineral deal immediately,” the Texas lawmaker
posted on X. “It will create an economic partnership between the United States
and Ukraine. It is in both of our interests to get this deal done.”
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 01-02/2025
Iran's Regime: Why Diplomacy and Deals Always Fail
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/March 01/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/140781/
The Islamic of Republic of Iran is a revolutionary state, deeply committed to an
ideological mission that transcends conventional diplomacy. Its very core
identity is rooted in anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and the goal of exporting
its revolutionary ideals worldwide.
This ideological foundation is not just some negotiable policy but an unshakable
pillar of the regime's existence. If the Islamic Republic were to abandon these
principles, it would not merely be modifying its foreign policy — it would be
dismantling its own identity. The regime cannot and will not abandon its
hostility toward the United States and Israel; doing so would strip it of the
very ideology that justifies its rule.
The Western dream has been that economic benefits, integration into the global
system, and negotiations could push Iran to abandon its radical policies and
support for terrorist groups. Iran, however, has mostly used negotiations as a
tool to buy time, secure economic relief, then continue its military buildup.
Iran's regime has never wavered from its core mission, which is to spread its
revolutionary Islamist ideology and challenge the global order that it views as
corrupt and dominated by the West.
Iran's constitution explicitly enshrines its mission to export its revolution
abroad. Article 11 states that the government "considers the continuation of the
Islamic Revolution at home and abroad as its duty." Article 154 states that the
Islamic Republic "supports the just struggles of the oppressed against the
arrogant everywhere in the world." This language is not mere rhetoric; it is the
foundation upon which the entire state apparatus operates.
The regime's founding mullah, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, made clear that the
Islamic Republic's ultimate goal is to unite the Muslim world under its own
Islamist governance: "We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until
the cry 'There is no god but Allah' resounds over the whole world, there will be
struggle." This ideology is the regime's very essence. To abandon it would mean
abandoning the Islamic Republic itself. That is why Iran's rulers will never
truly compromise, regardless of how many sanctions are lifted or how many
agreements are signed.
The world ignored similar signs from Nazi Germany in the 1930s, perhaps in the
wish that appeasement would prevent a greater catastrophe. We know how that
ended. Iran's current regime, sadly, will never be a friend to the United
States, to Israel, or to the free world -- no matter what it is given.
Despite having survived through the presidencies of multiple U.S. leaders — from
Jimmy Carter through Joe Biden — the Iranian regime has never softened its
hostility. Its leaders and supporters continue to chant "Death to America" and
"Death to Israel." Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and proxy militias
target U.S. interests, and are expanding its influence not only across the
Middle East but deeply into Latin America. The exasperating reality is that
every attempt at reconciliation or engagement seems only to embolden Iran's
regime further.
For more than four decades, some policymakers in the United States and the West
have clung to the belief that Iran's regime can be persuaded into cooperation
through diplomatic engagement, economic incentives or strategic deals. This
persistent delusion has driven various US administrations to pursue
negotiations, lift sanctions, shower Iran with cash, and offer it reintegration
into the global financial system -- all in the hope that such gestures would
encourage moderation.
The regime's record, however, has repeatedly proven the opposite. Regardless of
the strategies employed to engage it, Iran's regime remains intractably hostile
to the United States, Israel and the broader Western world.
The reason? Iran's regime does not govern with Western, rational statecraft,
where national interests dictate policy adjustments in response to incentives.
Instead, the Islamic of Republic of Iran is a revolutionary state, deeply
committed to an ideological mission that transcends conventional diplomacy. Its
very core identity is rooted in anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and the goal of
exporting its revolutionary ideals worldwide.
This ideological foundation is not just some negotiable policy but an unshakable
pillar of the regime's existence. If the Islamic Republic were to abandon these
principles, it would not merely be modifying its foreign policy — it would be
dismantling its own identity. The regime cannot and will not abandon its
hostility toward the United States and Israel; doing so would strip it of the
very ideology that justifies its rule.
Despite having survived through the presidencies of multiple U.S. leaders — from
Jimmy Carter through Joe Biden — the Iranian regime has never softened its
hostility. Its leaders and supporters continue to chant "Death to America" and
"Death to Israel." Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and proxy militias
target U.S. interests, and are expanding its influence not only across the
Middle East but deeply into Latin America. The exasperating reality is that
every attempt at reconciliation or engagement seems only to embolden Iran's
regime further. The past decades should have been enough to put to bed any
illusion that Iran's regime is willing even to consider a change -- yet some in
the West appear passionately addicted to their mirages and mistakes.
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Western
governments have operated under the assumption that Iran, like other states, can
be influenced through diplomacy and generosity. The Western dream has been that
economic benefits, integration into the global system, and negotiations could
push Iran to abandon its radical policies and support for terrorist groups.
Iran, however, has mostly used negotiations as a tool to buy time, secure
economic relief, then continue its military buildup. Iran's regime has never
wavered from its core mission, which is to spread its revolutionary Islamist
ideology and challenge the global order that it views as corrupt and dominated
by the West.
The clearest example of this failure is the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the "Iran nuclear deal." Under this agreement,
Iran received massive sanctions relief, gained access to frozen assets worth
billions of dollars, was welcomed into the international financial system – and,
sadly, permitted eventually to acquire as many nuclear weapons as it is able to.
The West's expectation, or really fantasy, was that in return, Iran would curb
its nuclear ambitions and become a more responsible international actor.
Instead, the opposite took place. Iran used the influx of financial resources to
strengthen its military, increase funding for its network of proxy forces across
the Middle East and, unsurprisingly, to accelerate enriching uranium for nuclear
bombs.
Rather than showing gratitude or the slightest "moderation," Iran grew even more
aggressive. It expanded its influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip,
Yemen and Latin America, and intensified its attacks on US interests. In the
years following the deal, Iranian-backed militias targeted American troops more
than 200 times, and Iran showered Hezbollah and other proxies with increased
funding and arms.
Iran's empowerment by the Obama and Biden administrations effectively funded and
enabled Hamas's invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, in which Hamas terrorists
murdered 1,200 Israeli men, women and children in one day, along with mass
rapes, torture, mutilation and burning alive, and kidnapped 251 hostages, of
whom 59, dead and alive, are still being held in Gaza.
That day of slaughter should have been a wake-up call showing that Iran does not
respond to appeasement with moderation — it responds with brutality and
aggression.
Unlike many other authoritarian regimes, Iran's leadership does not operate
based on pragmatism or conventional realpolitik. Its actions are driven by a
rigid Islamist ideology that dictates its policies, foreign and domestic. Iran's
constitution explicitly enshrines its mission to export its revolution abroad.
Article 11 states that the government "considers the continuation of the Islamic
Revolution at home and abroad as its duty." Article 154 states that the Islamic
Republic "supports the just struggles of the oppressed against the arrogant
everywhere in the world." This language is not mere rhetoric; it is the
foundation upon which the entire state apparatus operates.
The regime's founding mullah, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, made clear that the
Islamic Republic's ultimate goal is to unite the Muslim world under its own
Islamist governance: "We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until
the cry 'There is no god but Allah' resounds over the whole world, there will be
struggle." This ideology is the regime's very essence. To abandon it would mean
abandoning the Islamic Republic itself. That is why Iran's rulers will never
truly compromise, regardless of how many sanctions are lifted or how many
agreements are signed.
If diplomacy and deals could work, we would have seen at least some signs of
change over the past 46 years. Instead, the Iranian regime has only grown more
hostile and aggressive. The mullahs have survived through eight U.S. presidents
and remain unwavering in their deepest commitment to opposing the United States,
Israel and the West. Despite repeated overtures from many Western leaders,
Iran's leaders have never shown gratitude or a willingness to change their
behavior toward greater accommodation in any way. Whenever Iran is given relief
or diplomatic opportunities, the rulers exploit them for their own benefit while
continuing their ideological mission unaffected.
After four decades of failure, how many more debacles are needed to prove that
deals and engagement with Iran's regime do not work? The Islamic Republic is not
just another adversarial state that can be influenced by diplomacy — it is an
ideologically driven regime that sees itself as engaged in a revolutionary
Islamic jihad against the West. Concessions do not weaken its resolve; they
strengthen it. The world ignored similar signs from Nazi Germany in the 1930s,
perhaps in the wish that appeasement would prevent a greater catastrophe. We
know how that ended. Iran's current regime, sadly, will never be a friend to the
United States, to Israel, or to the free world -- no matter what it is given.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
*Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21435/iran-regime-diplomacy-deals
A Christian town in Syria keeps the biblical language of
Aramaic alive. But it fears for its future
Kareem Chehayeb/The Associated Press/march 01/2025
Church bells echoed across the rocky slopes of this ancient Syrian town on a
cold Sunday morning. But few families remained.
Maaloula is one of the world's few places where residents still speak Aramaic,
the language that Jesus is believed to have used. The town is also home to
Syria's two oldest active monasteries. But since the fall of former President
Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive late last year, some residents fear their
future is precarious.
After a few dozen people attended Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint George,
some residents sat in its courtyard and spoke of looting and harassment that
they believe were targeted at their religious minority.
Father Jalal Ghazal said he woke one morning in January to a loud sound and ran
outside to find streams of red liquid. He immediately feared the kind of
targeted killing that occurred during the country's 13-year civil war. Instead,
he discovered that some people had broken into apartments where clergy lived,
vandalized them and threw bags of wine bottles from a balcony. Many Christians
in Syria felt they were collectively accused during the long conflict of siding
with Assad, who came from the small Alawite sect and portrayed himself as the
protector of minorities.
Residents of Christian-majority Maaloula, about 40 miles (60 kilometers)
northeast of Damascus, sent a letter last month to Syria’s new Islamist
government under former insurgent leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who has promised to
protect religious and ethnic minorities.
“We want the guaranteed safe return of the Christians of Maaloula," it read.
“Maaloula is a red line. We will not let anyone encroach on its culture,
heritage and sanctities.” Nothing has changed since then, and the clergy of
Maaloula hope for a chance to speak with authorities.
Maaloula still bears the scars of war. What it went through over a decade ago
made global headlines and cast a light on Syria’s minorities at a time when
anti-government rebels largely became more extremist.
In September 2013, rebels including al-Qaida-linked extremists took over the
town. About two-thirds of Maaloula’s estimated 3,300 residents fled while
fighters abducted 12 nuns. The nuns were later freed for ransom, and Assad’s
forces took back the town, banishing some Muslim residents who were accused of
supporting armed opposition groups.
But since Assad's fall, Maaloula's Christians said some of those people have
returned and carried out acts of vengeance including looting and vandalism. No
one has been arrested. Christians say they have lived in peace with local
Muslims and that the perpetrators are unfairly targeting them for what Assad
did. “There are no guarantees,” the priest, Ghazal, said. “What we have to do is
to try to reduce these incidents from happening.” No police officers have been
seen in the town recently. All the weapons and munitions in Maaloula’s police
station were looted in the celebratory chaos following Assad's fall.
Sameera Thabet was among many residents who fled that night to Damascus. “We
were living in fear, wondering if we were going to get slaughtered again,” she
said. “But the next day, we came back after we heard that our houses were being
looted.”Already, the war had left bullet holes in religious symbols and
artifacts. Paintings and mosaics of Jesus and other Christian figures had been
damaged and defaced.
Now residents and clergymen hope that Syria’s new leaders will protect them and
their efforts to pass down Christian tradition and the Aramaic language. Many
people who had fled the town have not returned.
Maaloula's church officials have asked al-Sharaa's government for more security.
In late December, some security forces came from the capital during the
Christmas holiday to protect the Christians who decorated homes and lit a tree
in the town square.
“They didn’t stay long. They came for two or three days then left," a
dejected-looking Ghazal said. "But our voices were heard.”
On a summit overlooking the town, Father Fadi Bargeel of the Church of Saints
Sergius and Bacchus lit a candle before examining the long-damaged ruins. The
church overlooks the abandoned remains of a luxury hotel that became a de facto
military base for armed rebels.
Bargeel said he's trying to look to the future. He wants to encourage more
people, especially children, to learn Aramaic or become more fluent.
“The moment a child is a born, the Aramaic language would be spoken at home.” he
said. “When we started going to school as children, we didn’t know Arabic.” Now
the language is mainly taught at home and is spoken more widely by older
generations.
Though the town is largely empty, remaining residents try to carry on.
The Christmas tree still stood in the square. A few children fed stray dogs and
cats loitering by a bakery. Thabet said she trusts in God that their fate will
be better. Unlike some residents, she has faith that Syria's new leaders will
make the country a civil state that's inclusive of her and other Christians.
“God who put us on this land will protect us,” she said.
Will Trump strike gold with wealthy Arabs through new residency program?
Miguel Hadchity/Arab News/March 01, 2025
RIYADH: US President Donald Trump’s $5 million “gold card” visa is expected to
draw wealthy Arab investors seeking economic stability, US market access, and
residency prestige, experts say. With Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia,
successfully running their own golden visa programs, Trump’s initiative
positions the US as a competitive destination for high-net-worth individuals
from the region, offering them a gateway to business expansion, real estate
investment, and financial security.
Salman Al-Ansari, a geopolitical analyst and former investor in the US, told
Arab News that the initiative could strengthen economic ties between the US and
the Arab world, particularly Saudi Arabia, while driving investments into key
industries.
“Saudi investors have always been keen on expanding into the US market,
particularly in sectors like technology, real estate, and energy. A more
accessible visa process could encourage even greater collaboration and economic
integration between both countries,” Al-Ansari said. The new initiative will
replace the existing EB-5 visa program, which was established in 1990, and is
expected to help reduce the national deficit. The EB-5 program grants foreign
investors a green card for investing around $1 million in a US business that
creates or sustains at least 10 full-time jobs for local workers.
Trump said the initiative will not only bring in revenue but will also lead to
job creation as wealthy individuals establish businesses and expand existing
ventures on US soil.
“A lot of people are going to want to be in this country, and they’ll be able to
work and provide jobs and build companies,” Trump said in the Oval Office
announcement. “It’ll be people with money.”Trump told reporters that investors
could come to the US, obtain a green card through the president’s initiative,
and contribute financially, with the generated funds helping to reduce the
national deficit.
Despite growing global competition, the US remains a uniquely attractive
destination for investors. Julien Hawari, founder and CEO of UAE-based content
monetization platform Million, explained to Arab News what sets the US apart
from similar visa programs worldwide.
“The speed, depth, and range of opportunities are exceptional. I believe the USA
under a Trump administration could become even more attractive, with a
significant number of decision-makers coming from the private sector — people
like (Elon) Musk, for example,” Hawari said. Trump described the program as a
“green card-plus” and a path to citizenship. He expressed confidence in its
appeal, calling it a “treasured” opportunity and noting that sales were expected
to begin within about two weeks.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, standing alongside Trump during the
announcement, said: “Rather than having the EB-5 program, which was full of
nonsense and fraud, we are replacing it with a program that is simple,
straightforward, and brings in direct financial benefits.”
Deemed to be "full of nonsense and fraud" by the Trump administration, the EB
-Visa scheme may soon be replaced. For some, this marks a strategic shift in US
immigration policy. Al-Ansari sees this as an extension of Trump’s “America
First” strategy.
“President Trump has been constant in his ‘America First’ approach, and I see
his golden visa initiative as a case of quality over quantity,” he said.
“The US has always been a magnet for immigrants, and this policy ensures that
those entering contribute meaningfully to the economy. It aligns with the
American ethos — rewarding entrepreneurship, talent, and investment.”
The Trump administration’s gold card initiative represents a major shift in US
immigration policy, focusing on direct financial investment rather than
traditional employment-based or family-sponsored immigration.
Many countries, including Portugal, Canada, and Australia, offer similar
programs, but the high price tag of the US gold card positions it as a premier
option for the global elite.
Hawari noted that the success of golden visa programs in other regions, such as
the Gulf Cooperation Council, may provide insight into how the US initiative
could play out. “Look at the GCC — they have done a phenomenal job,” he said.
“Over the past decade, the number of companies and ultra-high-net-worth
individuals moving to the region has been incredible. This shift has had a
massive impact on their economy and overall transformation, from real estate to
investments and beyond.”
Hawari explained that the US program “could have a similar effect.” However, he
noted that the GCC’s success means the US program will face strong competition
as one of several options. “I think people will end up choosing between these
two, as they are now the most attractive destinations,” he added.
Al-Ansari noted: “Saudi Arabia, where I’m from, has launched a similar
initiative called the Golden Residency. It has successfully attracted thousands
of individuals who have contributed to the Saudi economy, and it continues to
thrive.”
He added that bureaucratic hurdles had previously made obtaining a business visa
challenging and suggested that the new program could simplify the process,
potentially attracting more high-value investments into the American market.
However, he expressed his concern about the linkage between the golden visa and
the green card. “I’m not sure if investors, including myself, would want
permanent residency, as it comes with tax obligations on all global income under
the FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) law. It would be more attractive
if the golden visa were a standalone option, rather than bundled with a green
card,” he said.
If structured correctly, the initiative could lead to a wave of high-net-worth
individuals moving their businesses and assets to the US, benefiting key
metropolitan areas and industries. The success of the golden visa programs in
other regions, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council, may provide insight into
how the US initiative could play out. (Shutterstock)
Al-Ansari said sectors like tourism, manufacturing, and services were likely to
benefit. Hawari echoed this sentiment, pointing out that specific sectors stand
to gain significantly from an influx of high-net-worth individuals.
“If you look at the GCC, almost every industry benefited. Maybe manufacturing
didn’t benefit as much, along with some sectors that require longer-term
investment. But overall, most industries saw a positive impact — and I expect
the same in the US, with real estate, technology, hospitality, and finance
likely leading the way,” he said.
Saudi Arabia introduced its permanent residency scheme, commonly known as the
Saudi Green Card, in 2019 as part of its Vision 2030 plan. The program offers
permanent residency for SR800,000 ($213,000) or an annually renewable residency
for SR100,000. It aims to attract skilled expatriates and investors, boosting
economic diversification and increasing the private sector’s contribution to
gross domestic product.
Similarly, the UAE launched its Golden Visa in 2019, offering renewable 5 to
10-year residency permits for investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals in
fields such as science, technology, and healthcare. The visa allows holders to
live, work, and study in the UAE without a national sponsor and grants them the
ability to sponsor family members
Qatar has also taken steps to attract investors by liberalizing its property
market and expanding foreign ownership opportunities through its Investment
Residence Program. These measures have particularly benefited the real estate
sector, which experienced a boost leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Across
the GCC, these programs are strategically designed to drive foreign investments,
strengthen key economic sectors such as real estate, hospitality, and services,
and support long-term sustainable development.
Similarly, the newly unveiled US “gold card” program aims to attract
high-net-worth individuals by offering a pathway to residency in exchange for
investment.
As details emerge in the coming weeks, the initiative is expected to draw
attention, particularly its potential to bring substantial foreign capital into
the US economy and real estate market while bolstering key industries.
Why Riyadh is building bridges between the US and Russia
Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/March 01, 2025
The initial contacts with the new US administration inspired certain hope,
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the Russian Federal Security
Service board on Feb. 27. He emphasized that “Russia and the US are ready to
resume cooperation,” adding that “the current US partners demonstrate pragmatism
and a realistic view of things, moving beyond stereotypes.”
Putin’s positive stance would not have occurred without a meeting held between
the Russian and US delegations earlier the same month in Riyadh.
The meeting was overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who entrusted the
task to two key figures in the Saudi government: Minister of Foreign Affairs
Prince Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Adviser Minister Musaed Al-Aiban.
Both officials have extensive diplomatic experience and a significant ability to
build bridges between different parties — important skills that led to Putin and
US leader Donald Trump praising the initial results of the dialogue in the Saudi
capital.
Despite the strong strategic relations between Saudi Arabia and the US, Riyadh
has adopted a flexible diplomacy in recent years, during which it diversified
its foreign choices. For instance, it built partnerships with influential
countries, such as China, Russia, and India; strengthened its relations with the
EU; and became more open to regional neighbors, specifically Iran, restoring
diplomatic relations with the latter following the agreement in Beijing in March
2023.
Saudi Arabia recognizes the importance of the US as a significant economic,
political, technological, and military force. There are also mutual commercial
interests, and diplomatic relations spanning nearly a century. Moreover,
Washington considers Riyadh a fundamental partner in combating terrorism and,
therefore, both countries have been keen to strengthen relations and manage any
differing views without clashing or causing rupture. This was especially true
during the tenures of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, when points of
disagreement emerged between both countries, whether regarding the Iranian
nuclear agreement, the Yemen war, or the Israeli aggression against Gaza, as
well as other energy and human rights issues.
The Kingdom worked to address this policy divergence calmly, communicating with
different institutions in the US. Riyadh also strengthened its relations with
Beijing and Moscow, increasing volumes of trade. Furthermore, there was a clear
Saudi-Russian coordination at OPEC+ to maintain energy prices at reasonable
levels, benefiting both producing and consuming countries.
This political and economic balance — coupled with patience and Riyadh’s efforts
to develop state institutions, diversify its economy and modernize society,
along with its active diplomacy in reducing tensions with Iran and the Houthis
in Yemen, supporting the central state in Iraq, dealing realistically with the
new government in the Syrian Arab Republic, and playing active roles during the
Israeli war against Gaza and Lebanon — has elevated its international position
and reputation as a central state capable of promoting peace and reducing
conflicts.
The Kingdom has emerged as a major player in restoring relations between the US
and Russia, earning the respect and trust of both sides.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia worked on condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine,
launching a relief air bridge to the Ukrainian people. It also received
President Volodymyr Zelensky, held a peace conference aiming to stop the war,
and brokered the release of a group of prisoners in both countries, without
adopting a hostile stance toward Moscow or siding with NATO’s escalatory
policies against Russia. This earned Saudi Arabia special respect from Putin.
At the American level, the Saudi government worked to smooth things over with
the administration of former President Biden, who visited Riyadh and was
received by King Salman and the crown prince. At the same time, Riyadh avoided
cutting ties with Trump after he left the White House. Instead, both sides
maintained relations of mutual respect. As a result, when Trump returned to the
presidency, Riyadh was among the first to congratulate him, prompting the new
president to choose Saudi Arabia as a friendly and trusted country in which to
hold the first meetings between the US and Russian delegations.
During the opening session of the Saudi Future Investment Initiative in its
third edition in Miami, Trump said: “Saudi Arabia is a great country with great
leadership.” He thanked the Kingdom for hosting talks between Russian and US
officials, adding that “Riyadh did a great job by hosting these talks.”
For his part, Putin called the crown prince and thanked Saudi Arabia “for
hosting the fruitful talks between Moscow and Washington.” The crown prince
affirmed his country’s commitment to “exerting all possible efforts to enhance
global security and peace, believing that dialogue is the only way to resolve
all international crises.”
In this context, the official visit of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin
Salman to the US can be highlighted, as he met with his US counterpart Peter
Hegseth and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to discuss “regional and
international developments, and the efforts exerted to achieve security and
stability.” According to the US Department of State, both sides explored “ways
to strengthen peace in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.”
Prince Khalid wrote on X: “Pleased to meet my friend (US National Security
Adviser) Michael Waltz. We reviewed the Saudi-US strategic relationship and
explored opportunities to strengthen our bilateral cooperation.”
All these cumulative diplomatic efforts over the years have qualified Saudi
Arabia to be a major player in restoring relationships between the US and
Russia, earning the respect and trust of both sides. Through this mission,
Riyadh is seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, to strengthen mutual
understanding and solve the crises in the Middle East, and to encourage Russia
and the US to actively participate in the process of achieving permanent and
comprehensive peace in the region.
**Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher interested in Islamic
movements, the development of religious discourse and the relationship between
the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran. X: @Halmustafa
German elections are a final warning to democratic parties
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 01, 2025
In December, when the German government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, lost the
confidence of the Bundestag, not only did it spark a general election, it also
provoked the fear of a deepening international crisis on top of the domestic
one.
Between Vladimir Putin’s Russia growing more emboldened in its aggression toward
Ukraine, and the twilight of one US administration and the imminent dawn of a
new and more volatile one with a precarious attitude toward Europe, the news of
another divisive German election was greeted with deep concern.
By the time the election results were announced last Sunday, trans-Atlantic
tensions had heightened as it became increasingly apparent that the view of a
united front between the US and Europe on halting Putin’s aggression was not
shared by the new American president, Donald Trump, who started to inflict
tariffs on European goods, thereby threatening the recovery of an already
underperforming economy.
The results of the German election should be greeted with a mixture of relief
and grave concern. The relief is because despite the rise of the far-right in
the form of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, it is still not in a
position to win elections or make it impossible for the largest parties to form
a governing coalition without it.
On the other hand, the AfD, some of whose members have been associated with
neo-Nazis, and which has normalized and legitimized extreme anti-immigration and
national-chauvinistic rhetoric, received more than 10 million votes,
representing just over 20 percent of the total vote. In light of the country’s
history, this is an uncomfortable development.
For now, this party, along with some of its more repulsive policies, will remain
in opposition. Germany is likely to be governed, once again, by a grand
coalition of the center-right CDU/CSU and the Social Democratic Party, along
with the support of a number of smaller parties. The CDU/CSU, led by the
presumed next German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, won the most seats, with 28.5
percent of the vote. The SDP, led by the current chancellor, Olaf Scholz, came
in third with just 16.4 percent of the vote.
Nevertheless, the sight of the AfD being held at arm’s length from a position of
power should not lull anyone into a false sense of security. The symbolism, let
alone the tangible threat, of the rise of a party with such an overt
anti-minority stance — its co-leader, Alexander Gauland, has vowed, for example,
to fight against “an invasion of foreigners” into Germany — should not escape
us.
It is hardly a consolation that nearly 80 percent of Germans rejected the AfD’s
policies, because the party’s share of the vote continues to increase from
election to election, legitimizing its vile ideas. The fact that it is
disproportionately supported by young, very angry, men (mainly from the former
East Germany) could ensure its longevity in politics, unless the reasons for its
emerging strength are addressed.
Hence, a failure to heed Merz’s warnings that domestically, the rise of the AfD
is a “final warning” to democratic parties — and internationally, that the
continent is facing its “five minutes to midnight” moment, with shifting
geopolitics and a possible weakening of the transatlantic alliance with the US
under Trump — would be at our peril.
It is not enough to be appalled by the AfD’s policies. It is imperative that the
reasons behind the divide between what used to be East and West Germany, and
what angers young men about the establishment, are addressed. To some extent,
this is a matter of “it’s the economy, stupid.” Nevertheless, the ability of the
nationalist-reductionist-nativist right wing to lay almost the entire blame for
their country’s stagnating economy on migrants, and more specifically on Muslim
migrants, has to be challenged.
The results of the German election should be greeted with a mixture of relief
and grave concern.
Germany’s economy has long performed poorly, and after experiencing the economic
“miracle” of the post-war years it now has one of the slowest growth rates in
the EU, which is expected to be a mere 0.7 percent this year after two
consecutive years in which the economy contracted.
Most experts highlight structural weaknesses, such as high energy costs, low
public investment, and an overreliance on exports as the main causes of this
slowdown, in addition to an export-driven economy, an erosion of its industrial
base as a result of relocations to other countries, and an aging population
(much of it due to the low birth-rate) as the underlying reasons for the weak
economy.
None of that is linked to immigration; indeed, in some instances it suggests
there is a need to allow more foreign workers into the country.
The divide between Germany’s east and west also indicates that more than 30
years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and huge investments in efforts to
bring about a more cohesive and equal society across the country, old divisions
continue to run deep and the new government will have to concentrate not only on
improving the economy but equally on improving democratic discourse.
If ensuring the cohesiveness of Germany is a massive job, keeping Europe
together, with a common foreign and security policy, is a mega one. For obvious
historical reasons, but increasingly as a matter of German convenience, when it
comes to foreign and security policies, Germany has punched below its weight.
Its defense expenditure is lower than that of most other NATO and EU countries,
standing at just 1.6 percent of gross domestic product.
If Merz wishes to be true to his commitment that his “absolute priority” is to
strengthen European security, he will have to find the money to do that. This,
by itself, will be a tough task in an economy that is not growing and where
there is the need to work within the country’s budgetary straitjacket, which
limits new borrowing to 0.35 percent of GDP.
The state of the world dictates that “tough times call for tough measures,” and
Merz has made it clear he has two massive battles on his hands. One is to lead
the fightback in his country, and to a large extent across Europe, against the
rise of the far right and the disturbing echoes of inter-war Germany.
The second, equally challenging task is to take the lead on European security in
the face of a US administration that seems prepared to put the continent at risk
in its overtures to Putin’s Russia.
Merz did not wait for the final election results to be announced, or until he
officially became chancellor, before he began to question whether NATO, in its
current form, has a future. He declared that the Trump administration “does not
care much for Europe,” and therefore Europe should take immediate steps to
become independent of Washington.
How his new government manages to cope with these twin challenges will define
Germany, its prosperity, and European security for many decades to come, while
also redefining Europe as an entity quite distinct from its alliance with the US
and at the forefront of efforts to fortify liberal democracies.
**Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg
What will sub-Saharan Africa’s ‘elephant economies’ look like in 2040-50?
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/March 01, 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic future defies simplistic narratives. Today, the
region is a theater of paradoxes: Dynamic growth sectors coexist with systemic
vulnerabilities, and demographic promise is tempered by governance deficits. The
region’s current growth engines — Kenya’s tech-driven services, Ethiopia’s
industrial parks, and Rwanda’s governance reforms — are the more notable
illustrations of how pockets of modernization clash with systemic frailties,
tempering growth and undermining prosperity. Despite GDP growth rates exceeding
5 percent, such gains risk irreversible erosion if energy deficits, youth
unemployment, and reliance on volatile commodity exports go unaddressed.
Clearly, the path forward is neither linear nor guaranteed: Nations prioritizing
institutional transparency, regional trade integration, and skill-based
education could potentially unlock $1.5 trillion in annual GDP by 2040.
Conversely, complacency risks entrenching cycles of informality and political
fragility, crippling the region with self-imposed restraints from the refusal to
make strategic choices today.
One of those choices involves weaning sub-Saharan Africa’s economies off its
reliance on raw material exports — a double-edged sword. Nigeria’s struggle to
reduce oil dependence reveals progress tempered by vulnerability, as non-oil
sectors such as agriculture and tech struggle to fill the gap. Angola and Zambia
face similar risks, with copper and crude oil prices dictating fiscal health
despite efforts to expand mining processing and tourism.
Furthermore, gross infrastructure deficits complicate these challenges. With
just 43 percent of the region’s population connected to reliable power,
industries from textiles in Ghana to automotive assembly lines in Kenya grapple
with productivity losses. Meanwhile, urban centers such as Lagos and Kinshasa,
projected to swell by 5 percent annually, strain under housing shortages and
inadequate transport networks, stifling potential gains from a consumer class
expected to reach more than 1 billion by 2040.
Worst of all, governance remains a wildcard: While Botswana’s diamond revenue
management offers a model for leveraging resource endowments to secure key
reforms, endemic graft in similar resource-rich states deters foreign capital.
Beyond man-made deficits, climate pressures amplify risks too. Erratic rainfall
in Ethiopia’s highlands and cyclones in Mozambique threaten nearly two-thirds of
the workforce which is reliant on agriculture.
On the other hand, a marked rise in green energy investments, such as Kenya’s
geothermal expansion and Nigeria’s solar mini-grid initiatives, signal adaptive
potential. For the region’s economies to shed the “commodity curse,” scaling
value-added industries, modernizing infrastructure, and embedding climate
resilience into policy could unlock some $3 trillion by 2040.
Besides untapped potential, there is palpable optimism in this part of the
world. Sub-Saharan Africa’s youth bulge — with a median age of 19 — positions it
to outpace aging economies, provided education and job creation align. With a
labor force set to exceed China’s by 2040, the region could channel this into
manufacturing or tech-driven sectors, mirroring India’s IT boom. For instance,
mobile money, led by Kenya’s M-Pesa, has already democratized finance, enabling
40 million small businesses to transact digitally, creating new opportunities
and previously unimaginable pathways to prosperity.
With a labor force set to exceed China’s by 2040, the region could channel this
into tech-driven sectors, mirroring India’s IT boom.
By 2040, Africa’s elephant economies could very well eclipse Asia’s historic
growth trajectories if only they manage to consolidate institutional reforms,
industrial ecosystems, human capital, and climate resilience. For instance,
Rwanda’s tech-driven governance — built on digitized land registries and
anti-corruption courts — offers a replicable model for stabilizing institutions,
but systemic enforcement remains a problem.
Secondly, Ethiopia’s Hawassa Industrial Park, despite debt and labor disputes,
shows how state-backed zones can anchor textile and agro-processing exports.
Integrating such hubs with major logistics corridors and significant
infrastructure investments requires synchronized energy grids and port upgrades
to reduce intra-African shipping costs, still 50 percent higher than global
averages.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s tech sector, fueled by ventures such as Flutterwave, taps
into a youth bulge and huge diaspora, but 60 million secondary school-aged
children remain excluded from education. Closing this gap demands hybrid models:
Kenya’s M-Pesa-backed vocational micro-academies, for instance, merge fintech
with skills training. Health systems also need parallel overhauls; reducing
under-five mortality rates — still double the global average — would preserve a
workforce pivotal to sustaining GDP growth rates above 5 percent.
Finally, while Kenya’s geothermal plants now supply 40 percent of its
electricity, scaling climate adaptation requires de-risking investments in
projects such as Zambia’s drought-resistant cassava farms through blended
finance. Without tripling green bond issuances by 2030, climate shocks could
erase 15 percent of regional GDP, jeopardizing the very foundations of these
emerging giants. Success will depend on how well leaders can align fragmented
policies with cross-border pragmatism.
Gulf and North African nations are uniquely positioned to help reshape and
transform sub-Saharan Africa’s economic transitions via targeted investments
that blend strategic necessity with opportunity. Saudi Arabia’s $1 billion
pledge to African agribusiness, part of its Vision 2030 diversification push, so
far targets Senegal and Sudan to guarantee food security at home. Elsewhere, the
UAE’s port expansions in Mozambique and Angola signal Abu Dhabi’s ambitions to
have sizable stakes in key logistics nodes, which ultimately enhance Africa’s
export corridors while securing Gulf supply chains.
Meanwhile, Morocco, leveraging its strategic location as a bridge between Arab,
European, and African blocs, is pursuing policies that display a curious fusion
of regionalism and resource pragmatism. Its rapidly developing solar sector
offers replicable models for the continent’s other sun-rich zones, especially
where energy deficits hinder industrialization.
However, there is also some geopolitical calculus at play here.
As Chinese lending wanes amid debt fears and Western aid stalls, Gulf states are
deploying cultural affinity and project funding as soft power tools. Saudi and
Emirati sovereign funds, eyeing cobalt and lithium reserves, are currently
structuring deals with DRC and Zimbabwe to lock in critical minerals for their
own energy transitions and the future green industries that will power post-oil
economies. Concurrently, North Africa’s technical prowess — Morocco’s
phosphate-based fertilizers, Egypt’s Nile Delta drip irrigation systems — is
being exported to drought-prone regions, blending commercial and developmental
gains.
Yet rival actors continue to complicate this calculus. Foreign mercenary
networks exploit existing governance, while drones and construction firms
entrench external actors in fragile states teetering on collapse. To counter
harmful perceptions of gross opportunism and extractivism, Arab investors must
localize ventures, combining capital with skills and technology transfers to
create export-ready industries.
In sum, sub-Saharan Africa’s 2040 horizon demands hybrid growth strategies —
pairing mobile finance with green hydrogen hubs, regional rail grids with
AI-driven agritech, for instance. For Arab partners, success hinges on equity:
Structuring deals that prioritize value-added processing over raw exports,
aligning with Africa’s shift from mere supplier to stakeholder. This rebalanced
dynamic could redefine enduring South-South collaboration in a deeply fragmented
world that is seeing more countries look inward, eschewing risky overseas
“adventures.”
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa
Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell