English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 09/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The Healing Of The Leper Sunday
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 01/35-45/In
the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a
deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for
him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He
answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the
message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout
Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. A
leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you
can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched
him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left
him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once,
saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the
priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to
them.’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word,
so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the
country; and people came to him from every quarter.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 08-09/2025
Statement of Condemnation for the Massacres Committed by Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s
Jihadi Regime in Alawite Areas/Elias Bejjani/March 09/2025
Text & Video: To Hezbollah’s Cymbals and Berri’s Mouthpieces from the Culture of
Shoes—Enough Nonsense!/Elias Bejjani/March 07/2025
Father, Elias Al-Andari, is in the heavenly realms, among the righteous and the
saints/Colonel Charbel Barakat/March 09, 2025
Trump Names Michel Issa As Next US Ambassador to Lebanon
Wave of Israeli airstrikes targets areas across south Lebanon
Lebanese army dismantles Israeli espionage device in southern Lebanon
Ceasefire in question: Israel hits south Lebanon in heaviest attack since
November truce
Israeli Airstrike on Khirbet Selm Results in Casualties
Israel targets Hezbollah member in airstrike in south Lebanon, army spokesperson
claims
Hezbollah member killed in Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon
The Motives Behind the Israeli Civil Incursion at Tel Abbad/Fady Noun/This is
Beirut/March 08/2025
Seventeen Centuries of Maronite Chants/Amine Jules Iskandar/This is Beirut/March
08/2025
Gender Equality in Lebanon: Progress Amidst Obstacles/Sarah Abou Fayssal/This is
Beirut/March 08/2025
Hezbollah refutes claims of involvement in Syria events, warns against
misleading campaigns
Armed clash erupts in Akkar area over coffee stand dispute
Lebanon's First Lady honors women’s contributions on International Women's Day
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 08-09/2025
Syria Church Leaders Condemn ‘Massacres Targeting Innocent Civilians'
The Assad Regime didn't "protect" minorities/Dr Walid Phares/ X site/March
08/2025
2 days of clashes and revenge killings in Syria leave more than 600 people dead
Syria's Sharaa urges insurgents to surrender after deadly clashes
Syria Forces Beef Up Security Amid Reports of Mass Killings of Alawites
France condemns Syria violence targeting ‘civilians’
Iran's Khamenei Slams 'Bullying' after Trump Threats
Ailing Pope Showing ‘Good Response to Treatment’: Vatican
Israeli airstrike kills two in southern Gaza amid push for Gaza ceasefire
extension
Yemen's Houthis give Israel four-day deadline to lift Gaza aid blockage
Hamas says ‘positive’ signs for start of phase two Gaza truce talks
France, Germany, Italy, Britain back Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction
2nd ‘Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought’ conference concludes
in Makkah
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 08-09/2025
Iran Rushing to Build Nuclear Bomb: West, Act NOW/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/March 08/2025
Is Iran and US on track for a nuclear deal? Israel's stance and remaining
options/Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews/March 08/2025
March 8: When Women Shake the World/Bélinda Ibrahim/This is Beirut/March 08/2025
Cairo plan a good start, but not a final destination/Faisal J. Abbas//Arab
News/March 08, 2025
West Bank must not become another Gaza/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 08, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 08-09/2025
Statement of Condemnation for the Massacres Committed by Ahmad
Al-Sharaa’s Jihadi Regime in Alawite Areas
Elias Bejjani/March 09/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/141021/
We strongly condemn the horrific massacres committed by Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s jihadi
regime in Alawite areas along the Syrian coast. Hundreds of civilians were
brutally executed with no respect for human dignity or basic rights. These
crimes add another dark chapter to Syria’s suffering after the fall of the
criminal Assad regime.
Our firm opposition to Assad’s oppressive rule does not mean accepting the
barbaric and extremist alternative represented by Ahmad Al-Sharaa. He took power
through a violent coup and brought even more suffering to the Syrian people. The
horrifying executions of Alawite civilians by bearded jihadi fighters, carried
out for sectarian reasons, are a dangerous development that cannot be ignored.
Syria is a diverse country with many ethnic and religious communities and cannot
be ruled by an Islamist extremist regime that seeks to erase others. Ahmad Al-Sharaa
and his jihadi movement, with their long history of terrorism, cannot succeed in
imposing their rule on Syria. They are not a legitimate alternative to Assad’s
brutal dictatorship.
We strongly denounce these massacres and urge Arab countries and the
international community not to support Al-Sharaa’s regime. Iran’s mullahs are
directly responsible for this destruction, as they have armed and incited
extremist groups, just as they once backed Assad. Their terrorist proxy in
Lebanon, Hezbollah, is sheltering former Assad officials and military officers
while continuing Iran’s agenda of chaos and violence.
What happened in northern Syria is a direct result of Iran’s aggressive
policies. Its leaders, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, have repeatedly
threatened to spread chaos in Syria. The world must take firm action to hold
those responsible accountable and prevent further bloodshed. Syria’s stability
and the safety of its people must be protected from the forces of terrorism and
destruction.
Text & Video: To Hezbollah’s Cymbals and Berri’s Mouthpieces from the
Culture of Shoes—Enough Nonsense!
Elias Bejjani/March 07/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/140983/
All we see on
social media from the hired mouthpieces, thugs, and degenerates of the Axis of
Evil is mindless braying and gutter language like: "What brings you to the
master's shoe, slipper, and sandal?"
You miserable souls—when will you learn? Have you not grasped from your endless
defeats, destruction, and casualties that this absurd "culture of shoes and
sandals" has brought you nothing but disasters, losses, displacement,
humiliation, and utter disgrace?
Look at where your blind idol worship—"For the sake of your sandals, O Sayyed!"—has
led you.
The Sayyed is gone, along with 171 Hezbollah commanders. The south is gone, as
well as the southern suburbs and half of the Bekaa. Your weapons, tunnels, and
stockpiles are gone. You surrendered to Israel and were forced to sign a
ceasefire agreement—whether you liked it or not. And yet, the only thing that
remains… is the sandal.
Calm down, retreat, and stop your pathetic threats, barking, and empty bravado.
In the end, the only cure for you and the cancerous Mullah regime that has
infested you is the cure of justice—through trials and accountability for every
disaster you have inflicted upon yourselves, Lebanon, and the Lebanese people.
Father,
Elias Al-Andari, is in the heavenly realms, among the righteous and the saints.
Colonel Charbel Barakat/March 09, 2025
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/141017/
Father Elias Andari was a towering figure in our most difficult times. His
monastery was not just a place of worship but a sanctuary for heroic fighters
who were cast out by war, abandoned by a country for which they had sacrificed
so much. Their only “crime” was their unwavering determination to lift
humiliation and disgrace from their people. They carried their blood in their
palms, standing for dignity when many others evaded duty, hiding behind fleeting
political interests that quickly crumbled under the shadows of the occupiers,
leaving the nation at the mercy of ruthless enemies.
His monastery’s doors were always open, tables always full, and ever ready to
embrace those in need. But beyond material support, he offered something far
greater—wisdom, faith, and an unshakable belief in the righteousness of the
cause. He debated fiercely, challenged ideas, and tested convictions—not for the
sake of argument, but to affirm the path he had chosen and to strengthen the
resolve of those around him.
Father Elias belonged to a generation of unwavering believers, shepherding his
flock with steadfast faith and a tireless commitment to both spiritual and
national salvation. For him, history was not just a record of the past but a
living lesson—one that taught perseverance, rootedness in the land, and
adherence to truth, even in the face of overwhelming storms. He knew that
sometimes one must bow to the wind, but never surrender to despair.
He returned to the homeland before we could. How we longed to walk beside him
through the sacred valleys, to visit with him the shrines of our martyrs, the
monasteries of our saints, and to reflect together on the sacrifices that shaped
our history. But fate willed otherwise. Yet, how great was our joy when we last
spoke with him, hearing his voice filled with the same unwavering spirit, still
drawing strength from prayer, still committed to his mission without bitterness,
without wavering.
Your departure, Father Elias, is not an end—it is a continuation of the journey.
Now, you stand before the Lord to account for the many talents you cultivated,
the lives you touched, and the mission you carried forward. We have no doubt
that you will hear the words you have long awaited: “Well done, good and
faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things; I will set you over
many things. Enter into the joy of your Master.”
Our deepest condolences to all who loved you.
May God have mercy on your noble soul, Father Elias.
Trump Names Michel Issa As
Next US Ambassador to Lebanon
This is Beirut/March 08/2025
US President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Michel Issa as the next US
ambassador to Lebanon on Friday evening. However, the nomination remains subject
to confirmation by the US Senate, a step that could prove tricky given current
political tensions. “I am proud to nominate Michel Issa as US Ambassador to
Lebanon,” Donald Trump said on his Truth Social network. “Michel is an
outstanding businessman, financial expert, and recognized leader in banking,
entrepreneurship, and international trade. I am confident he will represent our
country with honor and dedication. Congratulations, Michel!”
Michel Issa, based in New York and originally from Beirut, holds a degree in
economics from the University of Paris X. He began his career in banking,
holding senior positions at Union de Banques Arabes et Françaises, Chase
Manhattan Bank, Banque Indosuez, and Crédit Agricole. In 1999, he left the
financial sector to enter the automotive industry, acquiring Porsche, Audi, and
Volkswagen dealerships. His business generated annual sales of $35 million
before he sold the dealerships in 2010. Michel Issa is
also passionate about golf, tennis, and cars. He has a personal relationship
with Donald Trump, with whom he regularly plays golf.
However, confirmation of his nomination by the Senate remains uncertain.
Democrats have already expressed their intention to block certain diplomatic
appointments in response to Trump's decision to reorganize the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) by integrating it into the State Department.
If confirmed, Michel Issa will take over from Lisa A. Johnson, who was
confirmed by the Senate in December 2023 and took up her post in Beirut in
January 2024.
Wave of Israeli airstrikes
targets areas across south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/March 08/2025
A wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Jezzine, Tyre, Bint Jbeil and Sidon
districts in south Lebanon on Friday evening, with the Israeli army claiming
that it hit Hezbollah "combat equipment and rocket launchpads.""A short while
ago, the IDF (Israeli army) conducted intelligence-based strikes on military
sites in southern Lebanon belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in
which weapons and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah were identified," the
Israeli army said in a statement, adding that they "constituted a blatant
violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."
Al-Arabiya television said the "26 airstrikes" were the fiercest since the end
of the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese army dismantles Israeli espionage device in southern Lebanon
LBCI/March 08/2025
In a continued effort to monitor security in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army
discovered and dismantled a third Israeli espionage device on Saturday. The
discovery took place in the same area where two similar devices were found on
February 26, 2025, in the outskirts of Kfarchouba.
Ceasefire in question: Israel hits south Lebanon in heaviest attack since
November truce
LBCI/March 08/2025
Within 20 minutes, the "war atmosphere" returned to southern Lebanon. At around
9:20 p.m. Friday, residents were once again reminded of scenes of war,
destruction, and displacement. It was the most extensive Israeli attack since
the ceasefire agreement took effect on November 27, 2024. Israeli warplanes
carried out about 20 airstrikes on valleys, forests, and the outskirts of Zibqin
and Beit Yahoun, reaching Zeghrine between Aaichiyeh and Rihan and between Rihan
and Sejoud. Strikes also targeted the outskirts of Tebna, Irkay, Ansar, and
Snaiber along the Tefahta road. Except for the strikes on Zibqin and Beit Yahoun
south of the Litani River, all other attacks targeted areas north of the area.
The Israeli military claimed the strikes hit Hezbollah military sites containing
weapons and rocket launchers, alleging they posed a threat to Israel. It vowed
to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding or repositioning its capabilities.Lebanese
sources confirmed that some of the targeted locations were Hezbollah positions.
Others noted that previous inspections of areas such as Zibqin and Beit Yahoun
found no rocket launchers or weapons.Israel escalated tensions following a
series of rapid air and ground violations, mainly focusing on areas north of the
Litani River. Its justification for these attacks remains the same: The Lebanese
army allegedly does not respond to Israeli requests to inspect or destroy sites
in the northern Litani River area. Lebanese sources viewed Friday night's
strikes as an Israeli attempt to demonstrate its ability to resume war at a
time, scale, and justification of its choosing. This comes amid the failure of
the ceasefire oversight committee, the Lebanese state's inability to respond,
and the absence of external deterrence. Israel's intended message was clear: It
will enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 on its own terms,
applying it to all of Lebanon, not just south of the Litani River, and reserving
the right to strike anywhere it deems necessary in the future.
Israeli Airstrike on Khirbet Selm Results in Casualties
This is Beirut/March 08/2025
The Israeli Army carried out a drone strike on a car in South Lebanon’s town of
Khirbet Selm on Saturday, resulting in one dead and one injured. In a statement,
the Israeli Army said it “targeted a Hezbollah member involved in rebuilding
infrastructure to support the group’s activities in southern
Lebanon.”Additionally, reports indicate that a civilian was killed in the
airstrike on al-Sawwaneh. Meanwhile, since Saturday morning, Israeli warplanes
have been flying intensively over Nabatieh and Iqlim al-Touffah at a medium
altitude. In the afternoon, a drone was seen flying over Hermel and the
Syrian-Lebanese border, while in the early evening, Israeli artillery carried
out strikes in the vicinity of Kfarkila. At the same time, the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) announced that they had dismantled an Israeli spy device in
Kfarshouba.
Israel targets Hezbollah
member in airstrike in south Lebanon, army spokesperson claims
LBCI/March 08, 2025
Israel's army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, claimed on Saturday that a recent
airstrike targeted a Hezbollah member "involved in rebuilding an infrastructure
to direct Hezbollah's activities in southern Lebanon."The Israeli army "will
continue to work to eliminate threats to the State of Israel and will prevent
any attempts to rebuild or reposition Hezbollah," Adraee alleged in a post on X.
Hezbollah member killed in
Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/March 08, 2025
BEIRUT: An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed one and critically
injured another person on Saturday. The Israeli drone raid took place between 15
km and 20 km from the Blue Line, along the road connecting Kherbet Selem and
Al-Souwaneh, a town in western Marjayoun. The Israeli army claimed that the
strike was an attack on a “Hezbollah member, who was working on restoring the
infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”The incident came a day after a significant
escalation in the conflict.
BACKGROUND
The economic cost of the conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah is
estimated at $14 billion, according to a World Bank report. Israeli warplanes on
Friday carried out a series of raids on several areas in southern Lebanon,
targeting several locations without prior warning. Over 25 raids were carried
out in 20 minutes, including on valleys and forested areas. The strikes targeted
the outskirts of Zebqine, Yahoun, Aaichiyeh, Rihan, Ansar, and Baisariyeh. The
targeted villages are inhabited and deep in the south, north of the Litani
River, rather than being frontline areas. The Israeli army claimed in a
statement that “it bombed military sites of the terrorist Hezbollah organization
in southern Lebanon, where weapons and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah
were identified.”It added that “the weapons and the rocket launchers in the
military sites posed a threat to Israel and constituted a blatant violation of
the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”The army said that “it will
continue to remove any threats to Israel and block any attempts to restore and
strengthen Hezbollah’s presence.”There was no official reaction from Iran-backed
Hezbollah following the attacks. However, Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine said:
“The resistance remains Lebanon’s first line of defense.
“It is essential, as it constitutes an effective deterrent against any
attempt by Israel to expand its occupation and extend its incursion into
Lebanese territory. “We will remain fully prepared,
and we have the capabilities that qualify us to deter any aggression or any
occupation attempt or expansion.”Ezzeddine stressed that funding for the
reconstruction of the south, southern suburbs, and Bekaa must not come with
political conditions or interfere with Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.
Ezzeddine said: “Any form of extortion, whether from a friendly, allied,
or brotherly nation, or any country in the East or West, is completely rejected.
“We are not willing to be humiliated in rebuilding this nation and repairing
what this enemy has destroyed.”The MP’s warning came as a group of activists
supporting Hezbollah launched a campaign criticizing the “silence of the
Lebanese state” regarding Israeli attacks. The
activists also criticized the “silence of the quintet committee tasked with
monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the enforcement of
UN Resolution 1701.”Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned
that Lebanese infrastructure “will pay a heavy price if Hezbollah continues its
movements.”
Smotrich spoke as Israeli aggression continued on Friday night. He added:
“Tonight will be violent on our northern border, and this is just the
beginning.”The minister hinted at a potential conflict that “this time will
encompass all of Lebanon, not just Hezbollah.”MP Qassem Hashem, a member of the
Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc, criticized the silence
surrounding Israeli attacks and the failure to adhere to the agreement to cease
hostilities. He highlighted concerns over the encroachment on new areas of
Lebanese territory and provocations that included allowing settlers and
religious tourists to enter Lebanese land. Hashem said: “We have not heard of
any swift action despite the expansion of aerial attacks.
“What role is the oversight committee playing in curbing Israeli
aggression, or is it merely providing cover and justifications for the Israelis
to target Lebanon in preparation for imposing conditions aligned with
developments in Syria and the region?”Environment Minister Tamara El-Zein on
Saturday reacted to a World Bank report released the previous day, which
assessed the damage and needs resulting from Israeli action in Lebanon. The
minister said the preliminary report resulted from technical collaboration
between the World Bank and the National Council for Scientific Research over
several months. The council serves as the official representative of the
Lebanese state, monitoring attacks and evaluating their impact.
Data provides an initial estimated overview of the extent of the damage
and allows the Lebanese state to mobilize the necessary international funding
for reconstruction and recovery, the minister said. The economic cost of the
conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah is estimated at $14 billion,
according to the report. The damage to physical infrastructure is about $6.8
billion, while the economic losses resulting from decreased productivity, lost
revenues, and operational costs amount to about $7.2 billion. The housing sector
has been the most affected, with damages estimated at about $4.6 billion. The
report indicated that trade, industry, and tourism had been significantly
affected, with estimated losses amounting to about $3.4 billion.
The Motives Behind the Israeli Civil Incursion at Tel Abbad
Fady Noun/This is Beirut/March 08/2025
After weeks of failed attempts, and under the pretext of praying at the tomb of
Rabbi Rav Achi, a 4th-century scholar from the Babylonian exile period, several
hundred Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jews, escorted by the Israeli military, crossed
the Blue Line (the technical border demarcated by the UN) yesterday at a
location known as Tel Abbad, near the Hounine citadel, in order to reach the
tomb. For the Shiite community, however, the site is
believed to be the burial place of Sheikh Abbad, a 16th-century Shiite Muslim
cleric regarded as one of the founding figures of the Shiite community in Jabal
Amel. The hill where the tomb lies is named after him.
Interestingly, the sanctuary is located on both sides of the Blue Line, within a
militarized zone surrounded by an Israeli army post and a UNIFIL base. This area
is one of the 13 disputed points along the Blue Line established by Terry
Roed-Larsen, for which Lebanon has requested corrections.
When Israel withdrew from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, one of the key
obstacles to the deployment of UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) along the border was
resolving the status of this disputed site. It remained one of the last
unresolved issues between Israel and Lebanon. One proposed solution was to build
a barricade around the tomb to prevent both Jews and Muslims from visiting the
site. Ultimately, when the Blue Line was established by the UN, the border fence
was placed directly through the disputed tomb. The site remained accessible from
both sides of the border, with Israelis continuing to visit and pray there until
2006. Israeli media reports suggest that Tel Aviv has
since made agreements with the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) to allow them to
pray at the site again, after it had been completely sealed off during the
hostilities with Hezbollah. In February of this year, at least 20 ultra-Orthodox
Jews illegally crossed the border from Israel into Lebanon before being stopped
by the Israeli military, which halted their advance.
The Haredim ("God-fearing"), a deeply religious Jewish group, are generally
opposed to military service. According to Israeli reports, out of the ten
thousand conscription orders sent to the Haredim between July 2024 and March
2025, only 177 of them responded to the call. In peaceful times, such a visit
might be viewed as an act of religious devotion. However, given the ongoing
political and military tensions surrounding the site, this incursion can only be
regarded as an unwelcome violation. As the Lebanese military stated in a
communiqué on Friday, it was "a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty," and
the matter will be brought to the attention of the international ceasefire
monitoring commission.
Seventeen Centuries of Maronite Chants
Amine Jules Iskandar/This is Beirut/March 08/2025
The Beit Gazo is a collection of Syriac hymns dating back to the 4th century,
beginning with Saint Ephrem and Saint Jacob of Serugh. Expanded over more than a
millennium, it was compiled by Maronite Patriarch Estephanos Douaihy in the 17th
century. Long preserved solely through oral tradition, it was not until 1899
that Benedictine monk Dom Jean Parisot introduced its first musical notations.
How much do we know today about the musical heritage that emerged from
the Levant and our mountains, enriching the West with its melodies and poetic
depth? These hymns, which still echo beneath the vaulted ceilings of humble
rural churches and in certain urban neighborhoods or suburbs, trace an unbroken
lineage back to the 4th and 5th centuries. Saint Ephrem and Saint Jacob of
Serugh laid the foundations of a tradition that transcended their Eastern world,
leaving a lasting imprint on Christianity as a whole. As André Malraux once
said, “the early Middle Ages is hardly the West; it is the forest of an East
that knew Syriac chants before receiving the Byzantine cloaks.”
The Beit Gazo
This heritage has continuously evolved, giving rise to a melodic universe and an
invaluable treasure. This is reflected in the name of its repertoire, Beit Gazo,
meaning "the treasure." For more than a millennium, it has been passed down
exclusively through oral tradition. As with other cultural domains, it was once
again Patriarch Estephanos Douaihy, in the 17th century, who compiled the first
written collection of Maronite chant lyrics. However, it was not until the late
19th century that the music was notated by the French Benedictine monk Dom Jean
Parisot. The extensive work of both the patriarch and the Benedictine monk was
later expanded upon by Father Louis Hage at the Saint-Esprit University of
Kaslik in the 1980s. Many of the texts in this collection date back to the 4th
and 5th centuries and are masterpieces of Syriac antiquity. They offer insight
into the culture and deep character of these societies. For Dom Jean Parisot,
“these compositions were worthy of preservation as expressions of Eastern genius
and manifestations of popular art, deeply connected to the life of the people
and faithfully reflecting their essence.”Music, poetry, and art are expressions
of identity. They express the imagination and the inexpressible while also
enabling their transmission across generations. As André Malraux once said, “in
the presence of poetry, how could we not acknowledge that the forms of a
civilization, its style, are the embodiment of its imagination?”
Dom Jean Parisot
In 1899, Dom Jean Parisot made the first notations of Syriac chant in Lebanon,
aiming, as he stated, to prevent the distortions of traditional chants. Until
then, several Syriac manuscripts still used musical symbols that, as Father
Louis Hage put it, constituted a system of grammatico-musical marks. Others,
mostly dating from the late Middle Ages, he further noted, “were marked with
symbols similar to those of Old Byzantine notation.”This grammatico-musical
system is known as the Karkaphian Massorah. Some trace its origins to the city
of Karkaph in Mesopotamia, and the Maronite scholar Assemani cites it as
specific to the populations of the mountains of Phoenicia and Mesopotamia. Its
use in Mount Lebanon is documented in several manuscripts, which reveal the
richness and complexity of this notation system, where, as Paulin Martin noted,
“every detail—position, number, color, and even the size of the marks—is
regulated, prescribed, and defined.”Dom Jean Parisot was tasked with collecting
and notating, as he himself stated, Maronite, Syriac, and Chaldean melodies. In
other words, he focused on the Syriac hymns of Lebanon, Christian Syria (between
Edessa and Tur Abdin in present-day Turkey), and Mesopotamia (between Nineveh
and Diyarbakir in present-day Turkey). He carried out
this compilation with the support of Archbishop Debs of Beirut, Archbishop
Boustani of Sidon, and the collaboration of solo singers from Beirut and Sidon,
who were part of the Ain-Warqa seminary. From the beginning, he noted that he
was presented with “a significant number of melodies,” none of which had been
notated, “as the books only contained the text.”
Virtuosity
Syriac chant, in general, shies away from displays of virtuosity. This aversion
to ornamentation is even more pronounced among the Maronites, whose mountain
heritage heightens their sensitivity to structure and the force of rhythm. This
rhythm echoes both the labor of terraced farming and stone carving, as well as
the upward climb in the mountains and the rhythm of the heartbeat.
“Their religious origins and the rugged nature around them have left a
deep imprint—both mystical and austere,” wrote Ambassador René Ristelhueber
about the Maronites. Their chant embodies this duality, blending austerity with
humility. As Dom Jean Parisot observed, “Eastern chant excels at conveying
tenderness, supplication, and restraint.” "It knows how to bow in humility,” he
added. However, this austerity is above all spiritual.
It reflects the fundamental principle of Syriac art, which rejects
ornamentation. Its chant—like its writing and painting—is always connected to
the Melto (the Word), giving it a soteriological dimension. In its purity, this
chant embodies the Incarnate Word of the Savior.
Austerity
“From a melodic perspective, Syriac chants, less impassioned in expression than
the secular songs of the Arabs, have a calm character,” as noted by Dom Jean
Parisot. Musical or vocal virtuosity is seen as an obstacle to the encounter
with the Absolute, which can only be truth in its purest form.
From the Maronites’ Mount Lebanon to the Chaldeans’ Upper Mesopotamia, the
observation remains the same. Dom Jean notes that, “in general, Chaldean
melodies, free from the influence of Arab music, are based on simpler,
distinctly diatonic modes while also possessing a beautifully melodic
character.”
The embellishments found in contemporary Maronite Syriac chant are often a
result of Arab music's influence, which contrasts with the principle of
austerity, restraint, and even abstinence. Sobriety is linked to simplicity, and
by extension, to Truth, leading to the encounter with the Absolute. The vision
is eschatological, and the process remains soteriological across its various
artistic forms, including music, painting, and architecture.
Gender Equality in Lebanon: Progress Amidst Obstacles
Sarah Abou Fayssal/This is Beirut/March 08/2025
Lebanon has made notable advances in gender equality in recent years, yet the
journey toward meaningful and lasting change is still riddled with challenges.
The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW*), established under Law
720/1998, has played a pivotal role in pushing for women’s rights reforms.
However, progress has been inconsistent and often slowed by shifting political
priorities. In 2016, the Lebanese government created
the Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs to focus on legislative
reforms and increasing women’s political participation. Despite these
intentions, the office was dissolved in 2019, only to be replaced by the
Ministry of State for the Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth, which was
itself closed by 2020. This raises an important question: is a dedicated
ministry for women’s rights essential?
The Legal Framework: Progress with Limitations
Lebanon’s Constitution guarantees equality before the law for all citizens.
However, it stops short of explicitly guaranteeing gender equality, meaning
women’s legal rights are not specifically addressed. While women can freely
engage in economic activities, the legal framework does not ensure their equal
treatment in all spheres of life.Women in the Workforce: Advancements but
Persistent Barriers. Lebanon’s Labor Law, enacted in
1946, prohibits gender-based discrimination in the workplace, and a 2000
amendment to Article 26 expanded protections. However, the law lacks penalties
for violations, and hiring discrimination remains unregulated. Furthermore,
women are still excluded from certain industries, such as manufacturing, mining
and construction, due to restrictions outlined in Article 27 of the Labor Law.
While the 2019 amendments to the Lebanese Code of Commerce allow married
women to manage businesses independently, religious courts still influence
commercial law. Despite these legal advances, women still own or manage less
than 9% of businesses in Lebanon, illustrating that legal reforms alone are
insufficient to address the gender gap in entrepreneurship.
Lebanon's International Commitments: Gaps in Legal Reforms
Lebanon ratified CEDAW in 1997 but made reservations on several critical
provisions, including equal nationality rights for women, family law and
international dispute resolution. These reservations have hindered the pace of
legal reforms and undermined Lebanon’s ability to fully uphold its commitment to
gender equality. Religious Influence on Personal
Status Laws: Tradition vs. Equality.While Lebanon’s
Constitution guarantees equality, Article 9 allows religious communities to
apply their own laws on matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. This
has led to the existence of 15 different personal status laws, creating
significant disparities in women's rights based on their religious affiliation.
Domestic Violence and Social Security: Steps Toward Equality, but
Challenges Remain. Lebanon made strides in addressing
domestic violence with the passage of Law No. 293 in 2014, which aims to protect
women and families from abuse. Yet, religious laws often take precedence in
cases of conflict with secular law, leaving women without full protection.
Although a new law passed in 2020 further strengthened protections, challenges
related to the dominance of religious courts persist.
In 2023, Lebanon enacted a law to address gender disparities in its social
security system, offering equal benefits to both men and women, though
enforcement and application remain to be fully realized.
Sexual Harassment, Nationality Rights and Other Persistent Inequalities
Lebanon took a significant step forward in 2020 by criminalizing sexual
harassment with Law No. 205 — one of the first in the Arab world to do so.
However, the law’s focus on penalties rather than prevention leaves gaps in its
implementation, as employers are not required to adopt anti-harassment policies.
Victims of harassment often face the risk of job loss after reporting incidents.
Lebanese women still cannot pass their nationality to their children or
foreign spouses, leaving many children stateless and without access to essential
services like education and healthcare. Moreover,
Lebanon's Penal Code does not explicitly criminalize marital rape, and societal
norms often subject women to harsher punishment than men for adultery, further
exposing gender-based discrimination. Looking to the
Future: The Road Ahead for Gender Equality in Lebanon.
Lebanon's civil society remains a strong force advocating for gender equality,
with over 6,000 organizations dedicated to social issues, many of which focus on
women's rights. Public campaigns and research initiatives have contributed to
legislative progress. In the 2018 parliamentary elections, 113 women ran for
office, a significant increase from just 12 in 2009. While six women were
elected, this still reflects only modest progress.
Despite these advances, Lebanon still faces deep-seated legal and societal
barriers to true gender equality. The critical question remains: will lawmakers
push beyond symbolic gestures and tackle the structural inequalities that
continue to hold women back? As time passes, the future of gender equality in
Lebanon will depend on whether these entrenched obstacles can be dismantled and
whether women’s rights will be fully realized. The
NCLW continues to advocate for gender equality, advising the government,
collaborating with civil society organizations and integrating gender
considerations into national policies. The Commission also compiles gender
statistics for international reports and monitors Lebanon’s adherence to the
United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW). Among its achievements is the National Action Plan for UN
Security Council Resolution 1325 (2019-2022), which seeks to increase women’s
roles in political dialogue, security forces and conflict resolution. The NCLW
has also been instrumental in pushing for laws to address domestic violence and
sexual harassment.
Hezbollah refutes claims of
involvement in Syria events, warns against misleading campaigns
LBCI/March
08/2025
Hezbollah's media relations office has stated that certain parties are
persistently linking the group to the ongoing events in Syria, accusing it of
being a party to the current conflict. The group, on Saturday, firmly denied
these "unfounded allegations," urging media outlets to exercise caution in
reporting and to avoid falling for misleading campaigns that serve "political
goals and suspicious foreign agendas."
Armed clash erupts in Akkar
area over coffee stand dispute
LBCI/March
08/2025
An armed clash broke out Saturday evening at the Wadi el-Jamous junction, Akkar,
between members of the Kassar and Akkari families, resulting in heavy gunfire
and significant material damage, according to the National News Agency.
Preliminary reports indicate that the dispute stemmed from a conflict over
setting up a coffee stand—an issue that has sparked previous altercations in the
area. Lebanese army forces swiftly arrived at the scene, working to contain the
situation and prevent further escalation. Investigations are ongoing to track
down those involved in the shooting and take necessary legal measures.
Lebanon's First Lady honors women’s contributions on
International Women's Day
LBCI/March
08/2025
On International Women's Day, Lebanon's First Lady Nehmat Aoun emphasized that
Lebanon stands strong because of its women and their contributions. During a
gathering at the Baabda Palace with Lebanese women and young women, she said,
"Your presence here is an acknowledgment of your rights, your resilience through
the crises Lebanon has faced, and the real role you played when solutions were
absent and institutions weakened." Following a recent Cabinet decision, she
added, "We will work to activate the observance of November 4 each year as
Lebanese Women's Day. Lebanon stands strong because of you, your dedication, and
your faith. It will continue to stand strong because the heart of citizenship
beats within you."
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 08-09/2025
Syria Church Leaders Condemn ‘Massacres Targeting Innocent Civilians'
This is Beirut/AFP/March
08/2025
The leaders of Syria's three main Christian churches issued a joint statement
Saturday condemning "massacres targeting innocent civilians", following reports
of mass killings of Alawite civilians by the security forces.
Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said
"532 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal regions of Syria and the
Latakia mountains by security forces and allied groups". In recent days, Syria
has witnessed a dangerous escalation of violence, brutality, and killings,
resulting in attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children," the
joint statement said. It was signed by the patriarchs
of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic Churches.
The reported killings on the Mediterranean coast -- the heartland of the
Alawite religious minority -- was gripped by fighting between the country's new
security forces and gunmen loyal to toppled president Bashar al-Assad.
Though the majority of Syria's Christians fled during the civil war that
erupted in 2011, the city of Latakia, which has been hard hit by the latest
violence, is home to a small Christian community. "The
Christian churches, while strongly condemning any act that threatens civil
peace, denounce and condemn the massacres targeting innocent civilians, and call
for an immediate end to these horrific acts, which stand in stark opposition to
all human and moral values," the statement said. The churches also call for the
swift creation of conditions conducive to achieving national reconciliation
among the Syrian people." They urged a "transition to
a state that... lays the foundation for a society based on equal citizenship and
genuine partnership, free from the logic of vengeance and exclusion".The
spiritual leader of Syria's Druze minority, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, also called
for an end to the violence. The flames that burn under sectarian slogans will
burn all of Syria and its people," he said in a statement.
Assad, himself an Alawite who sought to present himself as a protector of
Syria's minorities, was ousted on December 8 in a lightning offensive led by the
Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. he group's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has since
been appointed Syria's interim president. he new authorities have repeatedly
promised an inclusive transition that protects the rights of religious
minorities. The Alawite heartland has nonetheless been
gripped by fear of reprisals for the Assad family's brutal rule.
The Assad Regime didn't
"protect" minorities
Dr Walid Phares/
X site/March 08/2025
The AssadRegime didn't "protect" minorities. They extended their Baathist regime
to any Syrian who became their vassals. Any minority that rose against Assad was
oppressed: ask the Kurds, Assyrians, Syriacs. Their history books were thrown
away.
Assad crushed the Lebanese Christians for 15 years, assassinated their leaders,
bombed their areas in #MountLebanon, killed their youth in the Bekaa. Assad was
no protector of free minorities, he was a mafia acting as a "protector" to those
whom he oppressed. But at the same time the jihadists are worse. They don't
protect, they mass murder all non jihadists, minorities and moderate Muslim. The
choice between jihadists and Baathists is not a real choice. Minorities should
be free from both. Like Israel is, like the Kurds and now the Druse are. And
eventually like Arab reformers should be. People in the Middle East should not
be given a choice between Baathist dictatorships and genocidal Jihadists. Civil
societies, especially ethnic minorities should be supported to achieve self
determination. They want to live in freedom, and if given the chance liberty is
their choice, not al Qaeda, not Baathism. All you have to do is ask them and ask
their youth. The old propaganda slogan of "Assad or the Jihadist" is dead after
what happened in Syria. No Khomeinism, no Salafi Jihadism, only freedom.
2 days of clashes and revenge killings in
Syria leave more than 600 people dead
Bassem Mroue And Sarah El
Deeb/BEIRUT (AP)/March 8, 2025
The death toll from two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of
ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has
risen to more than 600, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of
the deadliest acts of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago.
The clashes, which erupted Thursday, marked a major escalation in the
challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after insurgents took
authority after removing Assad from power. The
government has said that they were responding to attacks from remnants of
Assad's forces and blamed “individual actions” for the rampant violence.
Retribution killings between Sunnis and Alawites
The revenge killings that started Friday by Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the
government against members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect are a major blow to
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction that led the overthrow of the former
government. Alawites made up a large part of Assad’s support base for decades.
Residents of Alawite villages and towns spoke to The Associated Press
about killings during which gunmen shot Alawites, the majority of them men, in
the streets or at the gates of their homes. Many homes of Alawites were looted
and then set on fire in different areas, two residents of Syria’s coastal region
told the AP from their hideouts. They asked that their
names not be made public out of fear of being killed by gunmen, adding that
thousands of people have fled to nearby mountains for safety.
Residents speak of atrocities in one town
Residents of Baniyas, one of the towns worst hit by the violence, said bodies
were strewn on the streets or left unburied in homes and on the roofs of
buildings, and nobody was able to collect them. One resident said that the
gunmen prevented residents for hours from removing the bodies of five of their
neighbors killed Friday at close range. Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident of
Baniyas who fled with his family and neighbors hours after the violence broke
out Friday, said that at least 20 of his neighbors and colleagues in one
neighborhood of Baniyas where Alawites lived, were killed, some of them in their
shops, or in their homes. Sheha called the attacks
“revenge killings” of the Alawite minority for the crimes committed by Assad's
government. Other residents said the gunmen included foreign fighters, and
militants from neighboring villages and towns. “It was
very very bad. Bodies were on the streets,” as he was fleeing, Sheha said,
speaking by phone from nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the city. He
said the gunmen were gathering less than 100 meters from his apartment building,
firing randomly at homes and residents and in at least one incident he knows of,
asked residents for their IDs to check their religion and their sect before
killing them. He said the gunmen also burned some homes and stole cars and
robbed homes.
Death toll has tripled
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said that
428 Alawites have been killed in revenge attacks in addition to 120 pro-Assad
fighters and 89 from security forces. The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman
said that revenge killings stopped early Saturday. “This was one of the biggest
massacres during the Syrian conflict,” Abdurrahman said about the killings of
Alawite civilians. The previous figure given by the
group was more than 200 dead. No official figures have been released. A funeral
was held Saturday afternoon for four Syrian security force members in the
northwestern village of Al-Janoudiya after they were killed in the clashes along
Syria's coast. Scores of people attended the funeral.
Official reports say Syrian forces regaining control
Syria’s state news agency quoted an unnamed Defense Ministry official as saying
that government forces have regained control of much of the areas from Assad
loyalists. It added that authorities have closed all roads leading to the
coastal region “to prevent violations and gradually restore stability.”
On Saturday morning, the bodies of 31 people killed in revenge attacks
the day before in the central village of Tuwaym were laid to rest in a mass
grave, residents said. Those killed included nine children and four women, the
residents said, sending the AP photos of the bodies draped in white cloth as
they were lined in the mass grave. Lebanese legislator
Haidar Nasser, who holds one of the two seats allocated to the Alawite sect in
parliament, said that people were fleeing from Syria for safety in Lebanon. He
said he didn't have exact numbers. Nasser said that
many people were sheltering at the Russian air base in Hmeimim, Syria, adding
that the international community should protect Alawites who are Syrian citizens
loyal to their country. He said that since Assad’s fall, many Alawites were
fired from their jobs and some former soldiers who reconciled with the new
authorities were killed. Under Assad, Alawites held top posts in the army and
security agencies. The new government has blamed his loyalists for attacks
against the country’s new security forces over the past several weeks.
The most recent clashes started when government forces tried to detain a
wanted person near the coastal city of Jableh, and were ambushed by Assad
loyalists, according to the Observatory.
Syria's Sharaa urges insurgents to surrender after deadly clashes
Naharnet/March 08/2025
Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has urged insurgents from ousted president Bashar
al-Assad's Alawite minority to lay down their arms and surrender after the
fiercest attacks on the war-torn country's new rulers yet. The warning came as
Syria's security forces "executed" 162 Alawites on Friday, according to a Syrian
war monitor, in a massive operation in the ethnic group's Mediterranean
heartland triggered by deadly clashes with gunmen loyal to Assad the day before.
"You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has
come, and you have not been able to withstand it," Sharaa said in a speech
broadcast on Telegram by the Syrian presidency. "Lay down your weapons and
surrender before it's too late."More than 250 people have been killed since the
clashes erupted on Thursday along the country's western coast, which followed
other deadly incidents in the area this week, the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said. Restoring security has been one of the most complex tasks for
Syria's new authorities, installed after Islamist-led forces ousted Assad in a
lightning offensive in December. In his Friday address, Sharaa, who headed the
coalition that forced out Assad, also vowed to keep working towards
"monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state". "There will be no more
unregulated weapons," he pledged. Western powers and Syria's neighbors have
emphasized the need for unity in the new Syria, which is seeking funds for
reconstructing a nation ravaged by years of war under Assad.
'Premeditated' -
The Britain-based Observatory said "five separate massacres" left 162 civilians
dead, including women and children, in Syria's coastal region on Friday."The
vast majority of the victims were summarily executed by elements affiliated to
the Ministry of Defense and the Interior," both under the Islamist-led
authorities' control, the rights group said. The
Observatory and activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian
clothing piled outside a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.
Other videos appeared to show men in military garb shooting people at
close range. AFP could not independently verify the
images. The United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, decried "very
troubling reports of civilian casualties".He called on all sides to refrain from
actions which could "destabilize Syria, and jeopardize a credible and inclusive
political transition". An interior ministry source quoted by official news
agency SANA said isolated incidents had occurred on the coast and pledged to put
a stop to them. Authorities launched a sweeping security operation after
Thursday's clashes, which the Observatory said left 78 people dead, including
gunmen, security force members and civilians. Mustafa Kneifati, a security
official in Latakia, said pro-Assad militia fighters carried out "a well-planned
and premeditated attack" on government forces' positions and patrols around the
coastal town of Jableh.
Curfews -
A curfew was imposed until Saturday in the coastal provinces of Latakia and
Tartus, heartland of the ousted president's Alawite religious minority, and
authorities on Friday announced a security sweep in the Jableh area, between the
two provinces. Officials blamed "sabotage" for a power outage that affected much
of Latakia province. A curfew has also been imposed in
Syria's confessionally divided third city Homs. The
security operation "targeted remnants of Assad's militias and those who
supported them", an official cited by SANA said, as he called on civilians to
stay in their homes."All night, we heard the sounds of gunfire and explosions,"
said Ali, a farmer living in Jableh, describing the urban battles in his area.
"Everyone's afraid... we are trapped at home and we can't go out."
'Under attack' -
Earlier in the week, the Observatory reported four civilians killed in a
security operation in the Latakia area, where state media had said "militia
remnants" supporting Assad killed two security personnel in an ambush. "Both
sides feel like they're under attack, both sides have suffered horrific abuses
at the hands of the other side, and both sides are armed," Syria expert Aron
Lund, a fellow at the Century International think tank, told AFP.Forces led by
Sharaa's Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched the offensive that toppled
Assad on December 8, when he fled to Russia with his family.
Syria's new security forces have since carried out extensive campaigns
seeking to root out Assad loyalists from his former bastions. During those
campaigns, residents and organizations have reported executions and other
violations, which the authorities have described as "isolated incidents".
Russia, Assad's main backer that helped turn the tide of the war in his favor
before he was toppled, called on Syrian authorities to "put an end to the
bloodshed as soon as possible".Iran, another major ally of Assad, said it
strongly opposes "harming innocent Syrian people from any group and tribe".
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey have reaffirmed their support for the new
authorities, while Jordan condemned "attempts to drive Syria toward anarchy".
The United Arab Emirates also condemned the attacks by armed groups
against Syrian security forces. Germany meanwhile urged Syria's authorities to
avoid a "spiral of violence". The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation
on Friday readmitted Syria, which was suspended in 2012, early in the civil war
under Assad, following the long-time ruler's toppling. "This decision represents
an important step towards Syria's return to the regional and international
communities as a free and just state," a Syrian foreign ministry statement said.
Syria Forces Beef Up Security Amid Reports
of Mass Killings of Alawites
This is Beirut/March
08/2025
Syrian security forces deployed heavily in the Alawite heartland on the
Mediterranean coast on Saturday, after a war monitor reported that government
and allied forces killed at least 745 civilians from the religious minority in
recent days. Residents of the region continued to report killings of civilians
after deadly clashes broke out on Thursday between Syria's new authorities and
gunmen loyal to toppled president Bashar al-Assad, himself an Alawite. The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "745 Alawite civilians were
killed in the coastal regions of Syria and the Latakia mountains by security
forces and allied groups", revising upwards a previous toll. The Britain-based
Observatory said they were killed in "executions" carried out by security
personnel or pro-government fighters, accompanied by the "looting of homes and
properties". The civilian deaths brought the overall toll since Thursday to
1,018, as fighting killed 125 security personnel and 148 fighters loyal to
ousted president Bashar al-Assad, according to the Observatory's figures. The
official SANA news agency reported that security forces had deployed to Latakia,
as well as Jableh and Baniyas farther south, to restore order. Baniyas resident
Samir Haidar, 67, told AFP two of his brothers and his niece were killed by
"armed groups" that entered people's homes, adding that there were "foreigners
among them". He managed to escape to a Sunni neighbourhood, but said: "If I had
been five minutes late, I would have been killed... we were saved in the last
minutes."Though himself an Alawite, Haidar was part of the leftist opposition to
the Assads and was imprisoned for more than a decade under their rule. Defense
ministry spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani said the security forces had "reimposed
control" over areas that had seen attacks by Assad loyalists.
"It is strictly forbidden to approach any home or attack anyone inside
their homes," he added in a video posted by SANA. In a statement, Hezbollah, an
ally of the deposed dictator, denied any involvement in the clashes, rejecting
accusations that it was involved in the conflict.
Calls to surrender
The agency later reported that "regime remnants" staged an ambush in the town of
Al-Haffah in Latakia, killing one member of the security forces and injuring two
others. Education Minister Nazir al-Qadri meanwhile
announced school closures on Sunday and Monday in Latakia and Tartus provinces
due to the "unstable security conditions", according to SANA. The killings
followed clashes sparked by the arrest of a wanted suspect in a predominantly
Alawite village, the Observatory reported. The monitor
said there had been a "relative return to calm" in the region on Saturday, as
the security forces deployed reinforcements. A defense ministry source told SANA
that troops had blocked roads leading to the coast to prevent "violations",
without specifying who was committing them. Latakia province security director
Mustafa Kneifati said: "We will not allow for sedition or the targeting of any
component of the Syrian people. "We will not tolerate any acts of revenge under
any circumstances," he told SANA. SANA reported a power outage throughout
Latakia province due to attacks on the grid by Assad loyalists. Islamist group
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the lightning offensive that toppled Assad
in December, has its roots in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda and remains
proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many governments including the United
States. Since the rebel victory, it has sought to moderate its rhetoric and
vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities.
'Slaughtered' The Alawite heartland has been gripped by fear of reprisals for
the Assad family's brutal rule, which included widespread torture and
disappearances. Social media users have shared posts
documenting the killing of Alawite friends and relatives, with one user saying
her mother and brothers were all "slaughtered" in their home. AFP could not
independently verify the accounts. The Observatory, which relies on a network of
sources in Syria, has reported multiple "massacres" in recent days, with women
and children among the dead. The Observatory and activists released footage
showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled outside a house, with blood
stains nearby and women wailing. Other videos appeared to show men in military
garb shooting people at close range. AFP could not independently verify the
images.
The leaders of several Christian churches in Syria called for an end to the
latest violence, condemning in a statement "the massacres targeting innocent
civilians". The International Committee of the Red
Cross urged all parties to "ensure umimpeded access to health care and
protection of medical facilities". "First responders and humanitarian workers
must be allowed safe access to provide medical aid and to transport the wounded
and dead," it said in a post on X. Aron Lund of the Century International think
tank said the violence was "a bad omen". The new
government lacks the tools, incentives and local support base to engage with
disgruntled Alawites, he said. "All they have is repressive power, and a lot of
that... is made up of
France condemns Syria violence targeting
‘civilians’
AFP/March 08, 2025
PARIS: France on Saturday condemned violence in the Syrian Arab Republic
targeting “civilians because of their faith, and prisoners,” as a war monitor
said more than 500 Alawites have been killed in recent days. A French foreign
ministry statement called on Syria’s new authorities “to ensure that independent
investigations can shed light on these crimes, and that the perpetrators are
sentenced.”The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday reported that 532
Alawite civilians were killed in Syria “by security forces and allied groups.”
The Alawites are a religious minority to which toppled president Bashar Assad
belongs. The wave of violence targeting them follows a rebel coalition led by
Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) seizing power in December. After its
victory, HTS had vowed to protect Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities.
Iran's Khamenei Slams
'Bullying' after Trump Threats
This is Beirut/March
08/2025
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday slammed what he
described as bullying tactics a day after US President Donald Trump threatened
military action against Iran. "Some bully governments -- I really don't know of
any more appropriate term for some foreign figures and leaders than the word
bullying -- insist on negotiations," Khamenei told officials after Trump
threatened military action if Iran refuses to engage in talks over its nuclear
program. "Their negotiations are not aimed at solving
problems, they aim at domination," Khamenei said. On Friday, Trump said he had
written to Iran's supreme leader, urging new talks on the country's nuclear
program or face possible military action if it refuses.
Khamenei said on Saturday that bullying powers aim to assert their own
expectations. "They are setting new expectations that
they think will definitely not be met by Iran," he said, without naming the
United States or referring to Trump's letter.On Friday, Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi told AFP in an interview that Tehran would not negotiate under "maximum
pressure", although he did not directly address
Trump's letter. Trump reinstated his policy from his first term of maximum
pressure on Iran upon returning to the White House in January.
Under this policy, the United States in 2018 withdrew from the Iran
nuclear accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA, set between Tehran and western powers in 2015, had offered
relief from economic sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran's nuclear
activities. Tehran has in recent months engaged in
diplomatic efforts with three European countries -- Britain, France and Germany
-- aimed at resolving issues surrounding its nuclear ambitions.However on
Saturday, Khamenei also slammed the three European countries for "declaring that
Iran has not fulfilled its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA"."You say that
Iran has not fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA. Okay, have you fulfilled
your commitments under the JCPOA?" he responded.
‘Peaceful nature’ Khamenei said Tehran had abided by its commitments for a year
but there was "no other way" but to roll back from these under the deal
following legislation by the country's parliament. US officials now estimate
that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon within weeks if it chose to do so.
Tehran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, emphasizing the
peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Officials have always cited a religious
decree issued by Khamenei that prohibits the development of such weapons. Last
month, Khamenei reiterated his opposition to negotiations with the United
States, calling this "unwise" just days after Trump called for a new nuclear
deal. Khamenei accused Washington of having "ruined, violated, and tore up" the
2015 agreement. In 2019, more than a year after Trump's withdrawal from the
JCPOA, Japan's then premier Shinzo Abe visited Iran in an attempt to mediate
between Tehran and Washington. But Khamenei firmly rejected the possibility of
talks with the United States, saying he did not "consider Trump as a person
worthy of exchanging messages with".
Ailing Pope Showing ‘Good Response to Treatment’: Vatican
This is Beirut/March
08/2025
Pope Francis, in hospital with pneumonia, is responding well to treatment, the
Vatican said on Saturday, adding that the 88-year-old's condition had seen "a
gradual, slight improvement".The Argentine pontiff has been in Rome's Gemelli
hospital since February 14, and has suffered several respiratory crises since
his admission, but for several days now his condition has been described
"stable". "The Holy Father's clinical condition in recent days has remained
stable and, consequently, testifies to a good response to treatment. There is
therefore a gradual, slight improvement", the Vatican said. hough Francis does
not have a fever and is "stable", his doctors want the same positive results "in
the coming days" before giving a prognosis, the Holy See said in the evening
bulletin.The pope prayed Saturday morning in the chapel belonging to the special
papal suite on the hospital's 10th floor, while in the afternoon he alternated
rest with work, it said. The pope has suffered a series of health issues in
recent years, from colon surgery in 2021 to a hernia operation in 2023, but this
is the longest and most serious hospitalisation of his papacy.
Israeli airstrike kills two in southern Gaza amid push for Gaza ceasefire
extension
Nidal al-Mughrabi/CAIRO
(Reuters)/March 8, 2025
An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
on Saturday, medical sources said, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to
extend a shaky 42-day ceasefire agreed in January between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military said its aircraft struck a drone that crossed from
Israel into southern Gaza and "several suspects" who tried to collect it in what
appeared to be a botched smuggling attempt. The strike
comes one day after an Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza on Friday.
The Israeli military said it attacked a group of suspected militants operating
near its troops in northern Gaza and planting an explosive device in the ground.
The fresh attacks come as a delegation from Hamas engages in ceasefire
talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators who have been helping facilitate the
talks along with officials from Qatar, aiming to proceed to the next stage of
the deal, which could open the way to ending the war.
Hamas said there are "positive indicators" over the possible start of
negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire deal, without giving further
details. "We affirm our readiness to engage in the
second-phase negotiations in a way that meets the demands of our people, and we
call for intensified efforts to aid the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on our
suffering people," the group's spokesman, Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua, said in a
statement. The Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect in
January calls for the remaining 59 hostages in Hamas captivity to be freed in a
second phase, during which final plans would be negotiated for an end to the
war. The first phase of the ceasefire ended last week,
and Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering the enclave,
demanding that Hamas free remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations
to end the Gaza war. Fighting has been halted since
January 19 and Hamas has released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for some
2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe fewer
than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive.
Israel's assault on the enclave has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians,
according to Gaza health authorities. It has also internally displaced nearly
Gaza's entire population and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that
Israel denies. The assault began after Hamas-led
Islamist fighters raided southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around
1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Yemen's Houthis give Israel four-day deadline to lift Gaza aid blockage
Ahmed Tolba and Yomna
Ehab/Reuters/March 08/2025
CAIRO (Reuters) -The leader of Yemen's Houthis said on Friday the group would
resume its naval operations against Israel if Israel did not lift a blockage of
aid into Gaza within four days, signaling a possible escalation from the Houthis
after their assaults tailed off in January following a ceasefire in the enclave.
The Iran-aligned movement launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipping from
November 2023, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's
war with Hamas in Gaza. During that period, it sank two vessels, seized another
and killed at least four seafarers in an offensive that disrupted global
shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around
southern Africa. "We will give a deadline for four days. This deadline is for
the (Gaza ceasefire) mediators for their efforts," al-Houthi said.
"If the Israeli enemy after four days continues to prevent the
humanitarian aid into Gaza and continues to completely close the crossings, we
will resume our naval operations against the Israeli enemy."On March 2, Israel
blocked the entry of aid trucks into Gaza as a standoff over the truce
escalated, with Hamas calling on Egyptian and Qatari mediators to intervene.
Hamas welcomed the Houthis' announcement on Friday.
"The brave decision ... is an extension of the positions of support and
assistance that they (the Houthis) provided over the course of 15 months of war
... in Gaza", Hamas said. The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, also said in
February that they will take military action if the U.S. and Israel try to
displace Palestinians from Gaza forcibly.
Hamas says ‘positive’ signs for start of
phase two Gaza truce talks
Arab News/March 08, 2025
CAIRO: Hamas said on Saturday that there were “positive” signs regarding the
start of negotiations for the second phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, as a
delegation from the Palestinian militant group met with mediators in Cairo. “The
efforts of the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are ongoing to complete the
implementation of the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif
Al-Qanoua said in a statement. “The indicators are
positive regarding the start of negotiations for the second phase,” he added,
without providing further details. The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire ended
on March 1 after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli
hostages for Palestinian prisoners, though widespread hostilities have not
resumed. While Israel has said it wants to extend the
first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the second
phase, which should lead to a permanent end to the war. On Saturday, a
high-level Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian officials over the second
phase of the ceasefire, which largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in
Gaza. In the statement, Al-Qanoua spoke of the “necessity of obligating the
mediators to ensure Israel implements the agreement,” adding that: “Hamas
affirms its readiness to begin negotiations for the second phase to meet the
demands of our Palestinian people.” Under the first
phase, Gaza militants handed over 25 living hostages and eight bodies in
exchange for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Of the 251 captives taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel
that triggered the war, 58 remain in the Palestinian territory, including 34 the
Israeli military has confirmed are dead.
France, Germany, Italy, Britain back Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction
Reuters/March 08, 2025
ROME: The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain said on
Saturday they supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that
would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave. “The
plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if
implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living
conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the ministers said in a joint
statement. The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders on
Tuesday, has been rejected by Israel and by US President Donald Trump, who has
presented his own vision to turn the Gaza Strip into a “Middle East Riviera.”The
Egyptian proposal envisages the creation of an administrative committee of
independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance
of Gaza after the end of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian
militant group Hamas. The committee would be responsible for the oversight of
humanitarian aid and managing the Strip’s affairs for a temporary period under
the supervision of the Palestinian Authority. The statement issued by the four
European countries on Saturday said they were “committed to working with the
Arab initiative,” and they appreciated the “important signal” the Arab states
had sent by developing it. The statement said Hamas “must neither govern Gaza
nor be a threat to Israel any more” and that the four countries “support the
central role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform
agenda.”
2nd ‘Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought’ conference concludes
in Makkah
Arab News/March 08, 2025
MAKKAH: The second “Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought”
international conference concluded in Makkah early on Saturday, with
participants from more than 90 countries adopting the “Encyclopedia of Islamic
Intellectual Harmony.”Held under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the
two-day conference gathered senior muftis, scholars, and thinkers who also
approved the strategic and executive plan for the document “Building Bridges
between Islamic Sects,” a media statement said on Saturday.
The conference was organized by the Muslim World League and held under
the theme “Towards an Effective Islamic Alliance.”The high-level session
dedicated to the recitation of the conference’s final statement, which was
issued at dawn on Saturday, was attended by the Secretary-General of the Muslim
World League, and Chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, Sheikh Dr.
Mohamed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa; Member of the Council of Experts for Leadership
in Iran, Sheikh Ahmed Mobalghi; Adviser at the Royal Court in Saudi Arabia, Imam
and Preacher of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hamid; Head
of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Imam and
Preacher of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais;
Secretary-General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Mustafa Qutb Sano; Member of the Council of Senior
Scholars in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Youssef bin Mohamed bin Saeed; and the Mufti of
Sidon in Lebanon, Sheikh Mohamed Osseiran. The
attendees witnessed the launch of the “Encyclopedia of Islamic Intellectual
Harmony,” which was supervised by the Intellectual Protection Center at the
Saudi Ministry of Defense, and was prepared by 60 scholars over about 1,800
pages. The encyclopedia was refereed by the General
Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Fiqh
Academy, and the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League to be a roadmap for
relations between Muslim sects. Participants also
decided in the final statement to consider the “Document on Building Bridges
between Islamic Schools of Thought” with its 28 articles as the basis and
starting point for the path of joint Islamic action “scientifically” and
“intellectually,” with a view to strengthening brotherhood and solidarity among
the peoples of Muslim nations. The attendees further
extended their sincere thanks to the leadership of the Kingdom for the great
services they are providing to Islam and Muslims. They
also affirmed their pride in the comprehensive Islamic identity, and their
supportive stance toward the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their
land, and their rejection of displacement and destruction projects.
The conference witnessed several sessions addressing developments in
Palestine, Sudan, and Syria, as well as issues concerning Muslim minorities
around the world.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 08-09/2025
Iran Rushing to Build Nuclear Bomb: West, Act NOW
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/March 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/141014/
Iran has also been installing more advanced centrifuges, increasing its capacity
to enrich uranium faster than ever.
The Iranian regime appears to believe that nuclear weapons will give it leverage
to silence opposition at home and deter any foreign intervention that could
threaten its rule.
A nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat not only to the "Little Satan,"
Israel, and the "Great Satan," the US, but to all the oil-rich Gulf countries in
the Middle East.
The task is not just about protecting Israel, Europe and the US; it is about
preventing.... the mother of all arms-races throughout the Middle East.
The least the West can do is help to prevent one of the most dangerous regimes
on Earth from obtaining weapons of mass destruction – before it proceeds to a
nuclear breakout.
Iran is moving at an alarming speed to develop nuclear weapons and advancing its
uranium enrichment at an unprecedented rate. The latest report from the
International Atomic Energy Agency provides a chilling confirmation of Iran's
intentions.
According to the IAEA, Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity — just
a short step away from weapons-grade material — has increased by 92.5 kilograms
since November. This brings its total stockpile of highly enriched uranium to
approximately 275 kilograms, an amount sufficient to produce at least six
nuclear bombs if further enriched to 90%. Iran has also been installing more
advanced centrifuges, increasing its capacity to enrich uranium faster than
ever.
This rapid escalation of Iran's nuclear activities is not a surprise. The
mullahs' most crucial regional ally, the Assad regime in Syria, has collapsed,
significantly diminishing Tehran's strategic influence in the Middle East. The
downfall of Assad in Syria was largely thanks to Israel's successful military
campaigns against Hezbollah, which left the Iranian proxy too weakened to
support the Syrian dictator against opposition forces.
For years, Iran relied on its alliance with Assad to maintain a foothold in
Syria, using the country as a corridor to supply weapons and support to
Hezbollah and other proxies. Now, with Assad gone -- and Turkey and its proxy,
Ahmed Al-Sharaa's HTS -- in control of Syria -- Tehran finds itself increasingly
isolated. So the regime has been working tirelessly to join the exclusive
nuclear club, knowing that possessing nuclear weapons will serve as a powerful
deterrent and guarantee its survival.
Beyond Syria, Iran's other key proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, also suffered
devastating blows from Israel's military operations. Hamas, which launched its
terrorist war against Israel on October 7, 2023, has been crippled by Israeli
airstrikes and ground operations. Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful proxy in
Lebanon, has faced sustained attacks as well, with many of its top commanders
killed or forced into hiding. Without its regional network of militant groups at
full strength, Iran is losing much of the leverage it once had to project power
across the Middle East. In its weakened state, the regime is desperately seeking
an insurance policy: nuclear weapons.
Compounding the regime's strategic desperation is its worsening economic crisis.
US President Donald J. Trump has reimposed the "maximum pressure" policy, which
hits Iran's economy hard. Adding to this is a severe energy crisis. Iran,
despite being rich in oil and gas, is experiencing nationwide electricity
blackouts that have crippled industries and essential services. As of December
2024, nearly 50% of Iran's industrial parks had shut down due to power outages
and causing significant job losses. Due to a lack of electricity, government
offices, banks, and schools in major cities have been forced to close for days
at a time. The government has even begun rationing energy in Tehran and other
urban centers, sparking further frustration among its public. The regime's
mismanagement of resources and corruption has only worsened the crisis.
With its economy in shambles and domestic outrage mounting, Iran's leaders see
nuclear weapons as their best hope for survival. Authoritarian regimes in crisis
often turn to military escalation to distract from internal problems and
consolidate power. The Iranian regime seems to be following that playbook, and
appears to believe that nuclear weapons will give it leverage to silence
opposition at home and deter any foreign intervention that could threaten its
rule.
Given the current trajectory, it is clear that sanctions alone will not stop the
Iranian regime from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. The West must take action.
If no one else steps up, Israel will. Israel has already and bravely
demonstrated in the past—through its successful strikes on Iraq's Osirak reactor
in 1981 and Syria's secret nuclear site in 2007 — that it is willing and capable
of taking out nuclear threats. The Israeli government, as well as Trump and his
team, have made it clear that they will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear
weapons. Their militaries are likely preparing for the possibility of a "visit."
At the very least, the West, including the European Union, must for once stand
firmly behind Israel. The task is not just about protecting Israel, Europe and
the US; it is about preventing a nuclear-armed dictatorship that funds global
terrorism --and sets off the mother of all arms-races throughout the Middle
East. The US and Europe must offer full diplomatic, intelligence, military, and
logistical support. Weakness or hesitation at such a critical moment will only
embolden Iran and other adversaries.
Just like North Korea, Iran's rulers clearly believe that nuclear weapons will
shield them from regime change, and allow them to continue their support for
terrorism with no consequences. The world cannot afford to let this happen. A
nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat not only to the "Little Satan,"
Israel, and the "Great Satan," the US, but to all the oil-rich countries in the
Middle East – in addition to emboldening terrorist groups worldwide. The least
the West can do is help to prevent one of the most dangerous regimes on Earth
from obtaining weapons of mass destruction – before it proceeds to a nuclear
breakout.
*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)
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21458/nuclear-iran-act-now
Is Iran and US on track for a nuclear deal? Israel's
stance and remaining options
Itamar Eichner|/Ynetnews/March 08/2025
For years, Israel opposed an agreement with Iran, highlighting its violations,
but with Trump’s return and engagement with Tehran, Israel now prefers diplomacy
over military action, though its goal remains preventing Iran from acquiring
nuclear weapons
Following months of escalating threats and reports suggesting Israel might
consider major military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel’s
stance appears to have shifted as U.S. President Donald Trump looks to negotiate
a new nuclear deal with Iran. Israel, which had
previously expressed strong opposition to a nuclear agreement with Iran, is now
more open to the possibility of a diplomatic solution. While Israel still
supports a credible military option, officials say they would prefer diplomacy
if an agreement could prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
President Trump, in an interview with Fox Business Network, confirmed
that he is seeking negotiations with Iran. "I hope you're going to negotiate
because it's going to be a lot better for Iran," he said. Iran, in turn, has
approached the United States through Switzerland, signaling its interest in
engaging in talks aimed at advancing a nuclear deal.
Last month, while signing an expansion of sanctions against Iran, an Israeli
official told The Washington Post that Israel had developed plans to carry out
joint military strikes with the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities following an
attack in October. However, as diplomatic talks have gained traction, Israel no
longer rules out a new deal, as long as it prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear
weapons. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear
deal with Iran in May 2018, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
presented what he called "Iran's nuclear archive," demonstrating that Tehran had
been dishonest about its nuclear ambitions. Despite a lack of trust in Iran,
Israeli officials say they are not ruling out the possibility of a new agreement
that would secure Iran's compliance. Israel continues
to prepare for the possibility of military action, including ensuring the
readiness of its forces and weaponry. However, officials also emphasize the
importance of diplomatic solutions. To that end, Israel has increased military
coordination with the U.S., including joint exercises involving Israeli fighter
jets and U.S. bombers. These actions signal a united front between the two
nations, highlighting their shared goal of addressing Iran's nuclear
ambitions.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that a military
strike on Iran's nuclear program would spark a broader Middle Eastern conflict.
"A military attack would lead to a huge escalation in the region," he said in an
interview with AFP.
Araghchi also rejected the possibility of talks under Trump’s "maximum pressure"
sanctions policy, emphasizing that Iran remains open to negotiations but is
committed to defending its nuclear program. He added, “If Iran’s nuclear
facilities are attacked, we will respond immediately and decisively.”
As tensions between Iran and the West continue to rise, Israel appears to be
balancing its preparation for military action with a growing willingness to
pursue diplomatic channels, contingent on ensuring that Iran’s nuclear ambitions
are effectively contained.
March 8: When Women Shake the World
Bélinda Ibrahim/This
is Beirut/March 08/2025
From factories to global networks, International Women's Rights
Day has evolved from a workers' movement to a worldwide feminist strike,
adapting its strategies to contemporary challenges. In
the misty streets of New York in 1908, no one could have imagined that a group
of exhausted, underpaid textile workers were paving the way for a global
movement. As they stood up against inhumane working conditions, they had no idea
they were writing the first chapter of a long history of struggle. Back then,
March 8 was just another date on the calendar. Today, it stands as a powerful
symbol of resistance and hope. The roots of this day
lie in the workers' and socialist movements of the early 20th century. A year
after the historic strike, the American Socialist Party established the first
National Women’s Day. But it was Clara Zetkin, a bold German feminist activist,
who in 1910, at a conference in Copenhagen, proposed making the commemoration
international. Her goal was clear: to unite women worldwide in the fight for
voting rights and economic equality. The fate of March
8 was sealed in 1917 when women workers in Petrograd took a stand against the
tsarist regime. Their cries of anger over war and hunger ignited the spark that
led to the February Revolution. Four days later, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated. In
1921, Lenin officially declared March 8 as Women's Day, tying it to
revolutionary movements.
Silence and Rebellion
For decades, March 8 was caught in the grip of the Cold War. In the East, it was
celebrated as an official holiday, sometimes stripped of its original,
rebellious spirit. In the West, it was largely ignored, viewed as a suspicious
communist invention. It wasn’t until the rise of the second-wave feminist
movement in the 1970s that the day regained its significance.
A turning point came in 1975 in Iceland. On that day, 90% of Icelandic
women stopped all work, both paid and domestic. Their message was clear: without
women, society would collapse. This powerful act of collective resistance showed
the potential of the feminist strike. In 1977, the UN
officially recognized March 8 as International Women’s Day. While this global
recognition was a victory, it also came with the risk of the day being
depoliticized and normalized. Over the following decades, celebrations
fluctuated between militant protests and more formal, institutional events.
The Globalization of Anger
From the 2010s onward, March 8 evolved into a stronger symbol of protest. In
2016, Polish women made a powerful statement by organizing a nationwide strike
against an anti-abortion bill. Dressed in black, they brought the country to a
halt, forcing the government to reverse its decision. This victory sparked a new
wave of global momentum. The following year, the
#MeToo movement erupted, shedding light on the extent of sexual and gender-based
violence. March 8, 2018 took on unprecedented significance: from Madrid to
Buenos Aires, from New York to Delhi, millions of women gathered in solidarity.
In Spain, nearly six million strikers shook the economy with the powerful
slogan, "If we stop, the world stops."In 2019, Switzerland saw a historic
mobilization, with over 500,000 people dressed in purple. Beyond the fight for
equal pay, these feminist strikes also demanded recognition for often-overlooked
domestic labor, condemned violence against women, called for climate justice and
advocated for the rights of gender minorities. What defines these contemporary
movements is their ability to link different forms of injustice, making feminism
a broader fight for equality. It’s no longer just about gender equality; it’s a
global struggle against all forms of injustice, whether based on gender, race,
social class or sexual orientation. However, this
resurgence faces ongoing challenges. The commercialization of March 8 often
reduces the feminist struggle to a marketing tactic. Brands promote women’s
empowerment while exploiting underpaid workers. Meanwhile, some governments show
support for the day while restricting access to contraception and abortion or
staying passive in the face of domestic violence.
More subtly, the focus on individual success weakens solidarity within the
movement. Feminism that emphasizes social mobility and access to power for a
minority risks overshadowing the structural inequalities that affect the
majority of women. Despite these contradictions, March
8 keeps evolving in its approach. Alongside traditional protests, digital
strikes, acts of civil disobedience and impactful artistic performances have
emerged. In many countries, feminist collectives are fostering solidarity by
establishing support networks to address the gaps left by institutions.
A recent example of this solidarity was seen in Latin America, where the
feminist movement has gained significant momentum. In Argentina, the fight for
the right to abortion led to its legalization in December 2020 after decades of
struggle. This victory inspired similar movements in neighboring countries like
Mexico and Colombia, where historic court rulings have supported women’s
reproductive rights (source: Amnesty International, 2021). This momentum
highlights how March 8 plays a vital role in shaping society and driving lasting
change. As long as inequalities persist, this day will continue to evolve,
supporting those committed to creating a fairer society.
Cairo plan a good start, but not a final destination
Faisal J. Abbas//Arab News/March 08, 2025
International analysts would be well advised to keep a close eye on what happens
in Saudi Arabia over the next few weeks, as it seems some of today’s most
pressing global problems might be resolved in the Kingdom.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to arrive in the Kingdom on
Monday for meetings with the Saudi leadership, hopefully to officially
kick-start a series of talks that might put an end to the devastating
Russian-Ukrainian war. This is no coincidence but
rather the direct result of years of trust-building and back-channeling, at
which Saudi Arabia has excelled. While Riyadh condemned the Russian aggression
against Ukraine at the UN, it maintained, and despite criticisms, close and
solid diplomatic relations with Moscow, not just to support the OPEC+ agreement,
which guarantees oil market stability at a time of grave inflation, but because
it knew that at some point the international community was going to need an
adult in the room. Shortly afterward, the Saudi
approach resulted in two prisoner swaps, with both the Russians and Ukrainians
thanking Riyadh for its successful efforts. To
succeed, the Cairo plan will need further refining, ironing out wrinkles and,
most of all, lots of glitter sprinkled over it. Now, building on the trust and
strong relationship it built with President Donald Trump during his first term,
Saudi Arabia is yet again the trusted and impartial facilitator between Russia,
Ukraine, and the US. When it comes to an issue closer
to home — Gaza — and given the rejection (albeit expected) by both Israel and
the US of the Arab League proposal, the world might have to again turn to the
Kingdom for a diplomatic solution.
Just to be clear, the Arab League plan has been endorsed by all the attending
leaders, or their representatives, in Cairo. It has also garnered the support of
the UN secretary-general and a number of European countries.
However, if the atrocities in the war on Gaza have taught us anything, it
is that we should not forget to secure the buy-in of the elephant outside the
room: the US. Trump has clearly signaled that he sees no place for Hamas, and
says he still believes the Palestinians need to be moved out during
reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel, being the
unreasonable player that it is, has predictably rejected any role for Hamas, as
well as any involvement by the Palestinian Authority or the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency. Now, with those conditions,
it is futile trying to convince Israel. Its Prime Minister, or should I say,
Occupier-in-Chief Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition of lunatics clearly want
the status quo to continue till every last Gazan is either displaced or killed
by weapons, malnutrition or illness. At the same time, Israel will continue its
intimidation in the West Bank, which could result in the region reaching a
boiling point, even during the holy month of Ramadan.
People can ridicule Trump as much as they like, but the bottom line is that he
is a businessman and, for him, it is all about the product, the pitch, and the
profit.
Trump, however, is a different political animal and — as unpopular as this
sounds — a lot more straightforward to deal with. For instance, the US
administration has already said it was open to ideas after the controversial
Middle East Riviera plan was floated. The Americans also clarified that they are
not putting boots on the ground, and have also made public that they are having
direct talks with Hamas and are willing to talk to the Iranians. With a bit of
logic, Washington can be convinced that Gazans who want to stay in their land
while it is being rebuilt can do so, and if provided with a face-saving exit,
Hamas could hopefully opt to do what is best for Palestinians, not for
themselves (this will also require serious talks with Hamas, perhaps by Qatar
and Egypt). Meanwhile, as part of the rehabilitation of the Palestinian Police
that Jordan and Egypt has proposed to do, perhaps the Arab League could also
help the Palestinian Authority rebuild its capabilities given that President
Mahmoud Abbas has already signaled that an election can happen within a year.
We should also remember a few things. First, whether the Arab street likes him
or not, Trump effectively has absolute power for at least the next two years,
until the midterm elections. Second, that he can only serve four years in
office, as US presidents cannot run for a third term. Third, Trump has kept the
door open for further discussions to bring peace and prosperity to the region.
This could include possible talks about a two-state solution, a longstanding
condition placed by Saudi Arabia for normalization with Israel.
All of this means two things: Netanyahu can no longer claim that he calls
the shots in Washington or bypass the president and address Congress directly.
It also means that Trump is in a race against time to build a lasting legacy,
and Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world are in a good place to help when
it comes to Gaza compared with Netanyahu, who most likely will let him down — no
matter what Washington offers him. In that sense, I
believe Egypt and the Arab League deserve a round of applause, and that the
Cairo proposal should be seen as a good starting point rather than a final
destination. To succeed, it will need further refining, ironing out wrinkles
and, most of all, lots of glitter sprinkled over it.
People can ridicule Trump as much as they like, but the bottom line is that he
is a businessman and, for him, it is all about the product, the pitch, and the
profit.
With help provided by Riyadh when it comes to Russia and Ukraine, the continuing
stabilization of oil markets, billions of dollars in trade deals and an ability
to help Trump walk out of the White House as the man who achieved what no other
president has done — a lasting peace in the Middle East — we do have a lot to
offer in terms of the profit. However, we need to act quickly in terms of the
pitch and realize it will not be achieved by wishful thinking, but with
political pragmatism, determined diplomacy and skillful salesmanship. As for the
product, if Trump wants to call it the Riviera of the Middle East, then so be
it. I believe it is wrong to argue about packaging when it is the substance that
matters. If this $53 billion Arab Riviera is being built by Palestinians for
Palestinians and as part of an agreed Palestinian state, then the only thing
left to do is to ensure Israel does not destroy it again in a few years.
* Faisal J. Abbas is the editor-in-chief of Arab News. X: @FaisalJAbbas
West Bank must not become another Gaza
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 08, 2025
For a brief moment when the Palestinian-Israel documentary “No Other Land” was
announced as this year’s best documentary at the Oscars ceremony, the spotlight
again shone on the daily hardships of Palestinians in the West Bank, which
otherwise are generally neglected. For most of the past 18 months, for obvious
reasons, the attention had been on the war in Gaza, at least as far as the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is concerned, and there have been many other
headline-grabbing issues on a packed international agenda.
Nevertheless, if there is one thing decision-makers with an interest in this
conflict should have learned from events in Gaza, it is that ignoring and
neglecting this conflict comes at a price — a very heavy one. Throughout the
current extreme hostilities on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border, as well as
the Israel-Lebanon border, the security situation has also been deteriorating in
the occupied West Bank, especially in its northern parts, and thousands of
Palestinians have already been forced out of their homes, raising the fear not
only of escalation, but also of Israeli annexation.
Israel’s playbook regarding the West Bank appears to be similar to the manner in
which it is currently conducting its war in Gaza. It is not necessarily in the
magnitude and intensity of the military operations, but in the disproportionate
use of force in combating militants there while being insensitive to the lives
and human rights of civilians. More recently, Israel has been increasingly keen
to uproot the Palestinians from their houses without setting a time frame for
their return. To make things worse, if in Gaza the far
right is still only fantasising about building Israeli settlements and
resettling there, Israeli settlers are already scattered all across the occupied
West Bank and East Jerusalem, and have an unquenched appetite for more land and
new settlements. The more extreme among them are constantly provoking friction
with the local population, either through violence or through their
representatives in government and the Knesset who have been advancing policies
and legislation that are further entrenching the occupation and leaving little
hope for Palestinians to believe that one day they will be free and independent
on their own land.
There is no denying that Israel is facing increased threats from militant groups
in the West Bank, and this can be backdated to long before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack,
and comes mainly from relatively recently formed groups that are not affiliated
with any of the more established political organizations. They are mainly
composed of a youth that is frustrated by living under an oppressive occupation,
that does not trust its own (Palestinian Authority) leadership and consequently
has been radicalized and has turned to armed resistance. An Israeli government
that was less fanatic, less dogmatic, and capable of more nuanced policies than
those of the current leadership, would have done everything in its power to
reduce tensions in the West Bank, as it is overstretched on a number of other
fronts, with an unfinished war in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, its
efforts to establish a military presence deep inside Syria, and, it has been
suggested, the plans it is hatching to attack Iran’s nuclear installations. But
not this government.
Israeli settlers have an unquenched appetite for more land and settlements.
It did not take long after the ceasefire with Hamas in mid-January came into
effect for Israeli security forces to turn their attention to the northern West
Bank and focus on the towns of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, with many of their
military operations taking place in the refugee camps there. Mind you, these
towns are in Area A, and are supposed to be under full control of the
Palestinian Authority and its own security forces — the very forces that have
assisted Israel in preventing an enormous number of attacks against Israelis
over the years. But this now counts for nothing, because Israel’s government is
driven by an irrational ambition to somehow bring about the collapse of the
Palestinian Authority and, by extension, its security forces, while still
demanding that they keep the lid on militancy, and if such incidents should take
place they are to blame for not doing enough to stop them. What is of particular
concern is that if in the past Israeli security forces’ operations in these
areas were more limited in scope and duration, this no longer seems to be the
case, which suggests that beyond counterterrorism there are other Israeli
objectives.
Last month, Israeli tanks deployed to the West Bank for the first time since
2003, as the Israeli military announced that it was expanding its operations to
include larger parts of the north of the territory. Meanwhile, Defense Minister
Israel Katz admitted he had instructed the military to remain for at least the
next year in West Bank refugee camps that they have taken over, preventing about
40,000 recently displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes. The
displacement of those from three refugee camps — Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams
— is putting extreme pressure on other locations in the West Bank that they flee
to. This is happening at a time when the UN agency that provides humanitarian
aid to Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has been recently outlawed and boycotted by
the Israeli government and is suffering from an acute shortage of funds.
Displacing people who have nothing to do with violence against Israel and
Israelis is an illegal, cruel, and unjust action to begin with, and the mere
suggestion that it is only for a year is an insult to our intelligence, as we
see their homes being leveled to the ground, the camps’ infrastructure being
destroyed, and no one queuing up to rebuild them any time soon. It is more
likely that similar operations will take place in other refugee camps.
As such there is not much new in the brutality of the occupation, only that it
has gradually become worse the more it has become permanent, while the Israeli
military has become subservient to the Israeli settlements and settlers
scattered across the West Bank and particularly to the Jewish supremacists who
have monopolized the settlement project. In the nexus of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s desperate need for the support of the elected
representatives of the settlers in his coalition to stay in power; of his
inability due to pressure from Washington to continue the war in Gaza; and his
tactic of always keeping the security situation on edge to justify his claims
that his appearances in court to give evidence in his corruption trial should
become less frequent; and that this is not the time for a state commission to
investigate the colossal failure of Oct. 7 — the West Bank is becoming the
unfortunate arena of choice for Israel’s use of excessive force against both
civilians and insurrectionists. If this trend is not
stopped, a de facto annexation is just a matter of time, followed by a so-called
“legal” Israeli annexation. For the settlers, as for large parts of the current
Israeli government, this, along with as few Palestinians as possible living in
the West Bank, is their ultimate aim.