English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 11/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The Third Time That Jesus Appeared To The Disciples
by the Sea of Galilee After His Resurrection
John/21/01-14/ Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the
Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as
Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other
disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and
they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that
night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but
the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them,
“Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on
the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were
unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple
whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard
him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had
taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the
boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a
hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with
fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have
just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net
ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not
torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared
ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread
and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time
Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 10-11/2025
May 07, 2008 – The Barbaric Invasion of Beirut and Mount Lebanon/Elias
Bejjani/May 07/2025
A Must-Watch Interview with Dr. Walid Phares
Link to a video interview with Dr. Charles Charouni on Al-Badil website
Lebanon and Syria's moves to centralize power lead to crackdowns on Palestinian
factions
Art expert pleads guilty to selling works to suspected Hezbollah financier
81 Municipalities Elected by Acclamation in the North and Akkar
100 Syrian Families Repatriated Voluntarily from Arsal to Syria
The Sunni Leadership Problem...
US envoy Morgan Ortagus eyes Beirut visit as fears grow over potential Israeli
escalation — details unfold
Judicial reform in motion: Lebanon’s Cabinet approves long-stalled draft law to
curb political interference
Paragliding fatality in Sahel Aalma: Instructor flees after man falls to death —
Here’s what we know so far
Israeli warplanes fly at low altitude over Tyre, South Lebanon: NNA
Could cannabis save Lebanon? Debate reignites amid economic crisis
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 10-11/2025
Pope Leo XIV lays out his vision of the papacy and identifies AI
as a main challenge for humanity
US envoy calls enrichment 'red line' ahead of new Iran talks
Saudi FM receives his Iranian counterpart in Jeddah
India, Pakistan reach ceasefire — but trade claims of violations
Saudi Arabia, Jordan welcome India-Pakistan ceasefire, urge dialogue
Qataris search for bodies of Americans killed by Daesh in Syria
Syrian leader discusses regional affairs with Bahrain’s king
Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages alive in Gaza
Why Israel’s Gaza reoccupation threat is fueling fears of regional spillover
Situation in Gaza ‘unbearable,’ Berlin says
UK pro-Israel group slammed for suggesting war could reduce Gaza obesity
Israel vows forceful response after Yemen missile intercepted
Columbia suspends over 65 students following pro-Palestinian protest in library
European leaders in Kyiv for show of solidarity against Russia
Trump to Putin and Zelensky: ‘Get this war ended’
France in talks with Britain, Ukraine about potential troops, Macron tells paper
Newly elected Reform UK councillors face scrutiny over Islamophobic social media
posts
33 killed in Sudan strikes blamed on paramilitary RSF
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern
Nigeria
Taliban arrest 14 people for playing music and singing
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sourceson
on May 10-11/2025
Iranian Regime's Trojan Horse "Civilian Use" Lie on Nuclear
Weapons/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 10, 2025
The Iranian Nuclear Project: A Reading into its Initial Stages, the Eras it Went
Through, its Current Status, and its Future Under the Trump
Administration/Colonel Charbel Barakat/May 10, 2025
A new pope for unity, peace, and coexistence/Rafael Hernández de Santiago/Arab
News/May 10, 2025
Pope Leo XIV embodies the power of love, not the love of power/Wadie Abunassar/Arab
News/May 10, 2025
New EU roadmap resets energy relationship with Russia/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/May 10, 2025
Israel’s front with Syria might prove to be one of many/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab
News/May 10, 2025
Bread and power: North Africa’s looming food crisis/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab
News/May 10, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 10-11/2025
May 07, 2008 – The Barbaric Invasion of Beirut and Mount Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/May 07/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/118016/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WOToQkmfMU&t=72s
May 7, 2008, is forever etched in Lebanon’s collective memory as a criminal day
of shame—when murderers, invaders, and mercenary militias serving the Iranian
regime launched a barbaric coup against the Lebanese state, its people, and its
sovereignty.
Hezbollah, in collaboration with Amal Movement, the Syrian Social Nationalist
Party (SSNP), and other armed groups loyal to the Syrian-Iranian axis of evil,
invaded the capital Beirut and parts of Mount Lebanon. In this coordinated and
premeditated assault, these militias violated the sanctity of the capital,
terrorized its peaceful civilians, displaced families, looted properties,
tortured innocents, and murdered the defenseless—all under the pretext of
resisting “government decisions” that challenged Hezbollah’s illegal military
communications network.
This day, now known infamously as the "Black 7th of May," marked a turning point
in Lebanon’s modern history—a moment when the mask of so-called "resistance"
fell and exposed the true face of Hezbollah: a terrorist militia acting on
behalf of Tehran to subdue Lebanon through force and intimidation.
Michel Aoun, the political Iscariot of modern Lebanon, opportunistically
justified and later benefited from this criminal invasion. His alliance with
Hezbollah paved his path to the presidency in 2016. During his tenure, Aoun
dismantled the state from within, surrendered its institutions to Hezbollah’s
authority, and contributed to Lebanon’s total collapse—politically,
economically, and morally.
The May 7 invasion was not just a military operation. It was an Iranian-led coup
attempt against the legitimate Lebanese state. It desecrated Beirut’s freedom,
targeted Sunni neighborhoods, occupied media outlets, and left dozens dead. Its
goal: to prove that no Lebanese authority—civil or military—could ever stand
against Hezbollah without paying a deadly price.
To this day, the invasion’s consequences remain: Hezbollah continues to act as
an armed state within a state. Palestinian and Syrian armed elements still
operate freely in their camps. The sovereignty of Lebanon remains hostage to
Tehran's regional ambitions.
Justice Delayed Is Not Justice Denied
This criminal and barbaric invasion must not be forgotten. The
perpetrators—local and foreign—must one day be brought to justice. The Lebanese
people, especially those in the diaspora, must continue to demand
accountability, justice, and full implementation of international resolutions
that uphold Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty.
As the Prophet Isaiah (33:1) warned:
“Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O
traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be
destroyed; when you cease betraying, you will be betrayed.”
What Must Be Done
To ensure May 7 is never repeated, the following urgent measures must be taken:
Full disarmament of Hezbollah and all other Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian
militias operating illegally within Lebanon.
Reclaiming all territories currently run as militia-controlled “mini-states,”
including Hezbollah’s southern stronghold and armed Palestinian camps.
Immediate implementation of all relevant UN Security Council
resolutions—particularly:
Resolution 1559 (2004): Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese
and non-Lebanese militias.
Resolution 1701 (2006): Demands the cessation of hostilities and prohibits the
presence of any armed forces in South Lebanon other than the Lebanese Army and
UNIFIL.
Resolution 1680 (2006): Urges Lebanon and Syria to delineate their border and
establish full diplomatic relations.
The 1949 Armistice Agreement with Israel: Must be revived and fully enforced to
restore border stability and end militia cross-border provocations.
Declare Lebanon a failed state under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, enabling
international intervention to restore state authority and protect civilians.
Empower UNIFIL with an expanded mandate to enforce disarmament and
administrative restoration across all Lebanese territories—not only the South.
A Call to Action
All free and patriotic Lebanese—at home and abroad—must unite to rescue their
homeland from occupation, collapse, and sectarian tyranny. We must raise our
voices at the United Nations, in international forums, and in the global media
to demand an end to Hezbollah’s armed rule and the restoration of Lebanese
sovereignty.
May Almighty God protect Lebanon and its people, and may justice prevail.
A Must-Watch Interview with Dr. Walid Phares
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143192/
A compelling strategic analysis of the current and future regional landscape by
Dr. Walid Phares—addressing the threat of Iran’s taqiyya doctrine, the
destructive agendas of both Sunni and Shia political Islam, the evolving
U.S.-Gulf relations under President Trump, the significance of his visit to the
Gulf, the subservience of Lebanon’s political class as it ties its survival to
the Hezbollah-controlled status quo, and the inevitability of Hezbollah’s
weapons being defeated and handed over to the state—either by force or through
sustained pressure.
May 10/2025
Link to a video interview with Dr. Charles Charouni on Al-Badil
website
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143198/
Hezbollah is an Iranian, ideological, totalitarian, and subversive group that
has placed itself outside all considerations of the state, the law, and Lebanese
national identity. It is regrettable that Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam, and the
government treat it as if it were a normal political party
Below are the Main Headlines Of The Interview with Dr. Charles Chartouni &
Recent tweets
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143198/
The Shiite community must break free from the illusions promoted by Hassan
Nasrallah in service of the Iranian ideological project. The Lebanese
authorities must take clear and firm stances to expose Hezbollah’s delusions and
lift the cover from it if it refuses to abide by international resolutions and
return to the authority of the state and its laws.
Nawaf Salam and Joseph Aoun rose to power through the dynamics of the Israeli
war, and they are now expected to implement international resolutions without
evasion.
Nawaf Salam remains imprisoned by his ideological Arabist and Fatah-aligned
thinking, while Joseph Aoun is trapped in his role as Army Commander for the
past eight years.
It is time to end the farce of Nabih Berri and the lies of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah postures over foreign issues—especially the Palestinian file—only to
turn against the Lebanese interior. The party is finished and must not be
granted any lifeline.
A politics of illusion, deception, and empty bravado is evident in Gaza, Syria,
Yemen, and Lebanon.
Four million euros for a Paris apartment for the daughter of Ali Ibrahim—the
financial prosecutor in the Shiite banana republic. Where did he get this money?
And Nawaf, why don’t you question Nabih Berri and Yassine Jaber? Stop clowning
around.
The mullahs’ terrorism has destroyed Iran and the region, while Joseph Aoun,
Nawaf Salam, and their clique are still figuring out how to deal with Naeem and
Wafiq Qabareh! Carry on your farce all the way to the afterlife.
Nawaf Salam, stop this circus—or step down. You’re nothing more than a judge in
the Shiite banana republic, where Fadi Akiki uses the judiciary as a weapon of
terror. The answer is: no way—not you, nor your mafia boss Nabih Berri. You said
you’d pass the law for judicial independence, remember?
Let us not forget: the upcoming municipal elections are the first step toward
local governance and direct democracy—an opportunity to dismantle the mafias of
centralized power that have robbed us for decades. It’s time to end political
backwardness and the idiocy of dynastic politics.
May 10/2025
Lebanon and Syria's moves to centralize power lead to crackdowns
on Palestinian factions
Associated Press/May 10/2025
Lebanon and Syria are cracking down on Palestinian factions that for decades
have had an armed presence in both countries and which on some occasions were
used to plan and launch attacks against Israel. The crackdown comes as Syria's
new rulers under Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are pursuing officials of
the former government under Bashar Assad, including those in the ousted
president's web of security agencies. Syria's most prominent Palestinian
factions were key allies of the Assad dynasty in both war and peace time and
closely cooperated on security matters.It also comes after Iran's main regional
ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, was weakened after over a year of war with Israel and
as Lebanon's new government vows to monopolize all arms under the government,
including Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa said his government is holding
indirect talks with Israel through mediators, who he did not name. He said the
aim of the indirect negotiations is to ease tensions after intense Israeli
airstrikes on Syria.
A crackdown on hardline Palestinian factions, including the Palestinian Islamic
Jihad, which took part with Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Gaza, is
likely to be welcomed by Israel. A Syrian government official declined to
comment on the matter.
A Palestinian official who had been in Damascus for more than 40 years, and who
recently left the country, said Palestinian factions in Syria were forced to
hand over their weapons and the Palestinian embassy will be the only side that
Syria's new authorities will deal with. The Palestinian groups would only be
limited to social and charitable activities, the official added, who spoke on
condition of anonymity fearing for their safety. Palestinian factions for
decades have lived in refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria and have been involved
militarily both locally and regionally. They closely aligned themselves with the
Assads and later with Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose powerful military arsenal grew
over the past few decades. Over time, many of the leaders of groups like Hamas
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were based in those countries.
However, the regional developments of late 2024 that went against Iran's favor
in the Levant began to take shape in recent weeks among the Palestinian factions
in Lebanon and Syria. "No weapons will be allowed in the (Palestinian refugee)
camps. The Syrian state will protect citizens whether they are Palestinians or
Syrians," said Syrian political analyst Ahmad al-Hamada, whose view points
reflect those of the government. "It is not allowed for Palestinian factions
that were arms for Iran and the Assad regime to keep their weapons."
When asked whether the state will prevent any attacks against Israel, al-Hamada
said Syria will not allow its territories to be used as a launch pad against any
neighbor.
Syrian authorities in Damascus this week detained two senior officials of the
Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group and briefly detained and questioned
the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command,
FLP-GC, that since its founding had been a key ally of Assad. Another
Palestinian official with one of the factions that had been based in Syria said
the developments caught them by surprise, and that regardless of who runs the
country they are keen to have good relations with Syria's new rulers and
maintain the country's stability. "We hope that this wouldn't have happened. But
we don't have a say in this," the official said, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because they are still based in the country. "We are simply guests
here."
The government in Lebanon, which is trying to expand its army's influence in the
south near Israel, has also been reclaiming dozens of informal border crossings
with Syria, which were key arteries for Iran and its allies to transport weapons
and fighters over the years. Many of those crossings were held by PFLP-GC
militants who have given some of those positions up to the Lebanese Army after
Assad's downfall.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who Palestinian factions in Syria oppose,
visited Damascus last month for the first time in more than a decade and he is
scheduled to visit Lebanon on May 21.
After Israel intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon in response to Hamas
allegedly firing rockets from southern Lebanon in late March, the Lebanese
government for the first time called out the Palestinian group and arrested
nearly 10 suspects involved in the operation. Hamas was pressured by the
military to turn in three of their militants from different refugee camps.
Ahmad Abdul-Hadi, a Hamas representative in Lebanon, was also summoned by the
head of one of the country's top security agencies over the incident and was
formally told that Hamas should stop its military activities.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, who is backed by the United States and Arab
countries rather than Hezbollah and Iran, has said armed factions should not be
allowed to "shake up national security and stability." His statement has set a
new tone after decades of tolerating the presence of armed Palestinian groups in
refugee camps which have led to armed conflict in the crowded ghettos.
"I think we're in unprecedented times, politically speaking," said Mohanad Hage
Ali, a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in
Beirut. "The (Lebanese) army is acting out of a political will, with its former
chief now the president. There is a strong political thrust behind the army." A
Lebanese government official familiar with the initiative said that Hamas was
told to hand over wanted militants and end all its military activity in the
country. He added that there is also a plan to gradually give up Hamas' weapons,
which coincides with the visit to Lebanon of Abbas, leader of the rival Fatah
group.
Art expert pleads guilty to selling works to suspected
Hezbollah financier
Associated Press/May 10/2025
A British-Nigerian art expert who appeared on the BBC's Bargain Hunt show has
pleaded guilty to failing to report that he sold pricey works to a suspected
financier of Lebanon's Hezbollah. Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, was charged with
failing to disclose art sales between October 2020 and December 2021. He pleaded
guilty in Westminster Magistrates' Court to eight offences under a section of
the Terrorism Act 2000. Ojiri sold about 140,000 pounds ($185,000) of artworks
to Nazem Ahmad, a diamond and art dealer sanctioned by the UK and U.S. as a
Hezbollah financier. The sanctions were designed to prevent anyone in the UK or
U.S. from doing business with Ahmad or his businesses. U.S. prosecutors said
Ahmad acquired more than $160 million (120 million pounds) in artwork and
diamond services by using a complex web of companies to evade sanctions.
Prosecutor Lyndon Harris said Ojiri knew about the sanctions against Ahmad
because he had searched for news reports about his status and discussed it with
others. "There is one discussion where Mr. Ojiri is party to a conversation
where it is apparent a lot of people have known for years about his terrorism
links," Harris said. Ahmad was sanctioned in 2019 by the U.S. Treasury, which
said he was a prominent Lebanon-based money launderer involved in smuggling
blood diamonds, which are mined in conflict zones and sold to finance violence.
Two years ago, the U.K. Treasury froze Ahmad's assets because he financed
Hezbollah. Ojiri, who also appeared on the BBC's Antiques Road Trip, faces up to
five years in prison when he is sentenced June 6 in the Central Criminal Court.
81 Municipalities Elected by Acclamation in the North and Akkar
This is Beirut/May 10, 2025
81 Municipalities Elected by Acclamation in the North and Akkar
As part of the second round of municipal and mukhtar elections, 81
municipalities were elected by acclamation in the North and Akkar out of a total
of 289. ©This is Beirut
As part of the second round of municipal and mukhtar elections, 81
municipalities were elected by acclamation in the North and Akkar, out of a
total of 289.
The breakdown is as follows:
Akkar: 44 out of 134 municipalities.
Bsharre: 5 out of 12 (Bekaakafra, Qnat, Hasroun, Hadchit and Hadath al-Jebbeh).
Koura: 10 out of 38 (Batroumine, Btaaboura, Bechmezzine, Bsarma, Bkeftine,
Darchmezzine, Rachdebbine, Afsadik, Kfarsaroun and Kousba).
Minyeh-Denniyeh: 13 out of 37 (Bahwita, Afka, Bichnata, Harf al-Siyad, Beit al-Faqs,
Kahf al-Malloul, Al-Rawda, Zgharteghrin, Aimar, Bqaa Safrin, Marah al-Sraj, Burj
al-Yahoudia, Deir Nbouh and Karsita).
Zgharta: 6 out of 32 (Eyaal, Harat al-Fawar, Raskifa, Aarjis, Kfarhata and
Kfarfou).
Batroun: 3 out of 31 (Douma, Beit Chelala and Rachkida).
Tripoli: 0 out of 5.
100 Syrian Families Repatriated Voluntarily from Arsal to Syria
This is Beirut/May 10, 2025
The Lebanese Army, with support from the Bekaa Intelligence Directorate, oversaw
a new voluntary repatriation of displaced Syrians on Saturday. Around 100
families left camps in Arsal and crossed back into Syria via the Zamarani border
point, returning to villages in the western Qalamoun region. This operation is
part of weekly repatriation efforts coordinated by the army from Arsal and
neighboring villages in northern Bekaa. A similar return took place on Friday,
with 50 families crossing through the Jousseh border post toward Qusayr and
Homs. According to Lebanese authorities, these operations continue to involve
direct coordination with displaced Syrians for organized, voluntary returns.
The Sunni Leadership Problem...
Johnny Kortbawi/This is Beirut/May 10, 2025
Lebanon has witnessed three major nationwide Sunni leaderships since
independence.
The first was the leadership of Riad Al Solh, a pillar of the National Pact,
independence, and Greater Lebanon after the French withdrawal. The second was
Saeb Salam, the leading Sunni figure within Lebanon’s Chehabist political
framework and beyond. He was known for his historic positions—from the 1958
uprising against President Camille Chamoun to the eventual decline of his role
as the Sunni presence was overshadowed by the rise of the Palestinian rifle and
Yasser Arafat’s keffiyeh. Some might argue that Rashid Karami belonged to this
same category, but his influence never extended to encompass all Lebanese
Sunnis. The leaderships being discussed here are not merely active ones but
cross-regional in scope. Karami certainly played a key role, but he did not
command the unifying national influence seen in the other cases. The third
leadership was that of Rafik Hariri, who granted the Sunnis in Lebanon their
greatest influence and positions in modern Lebanese history—until his
assassination, which reshaped contemporary Lebanese history. Saad Hariri tried
to continue this path, but regional circumstances worked against him, leading to
his retreat from political life. The current challenge is that recent
developments have opened up opportunities for some aspiring leaders to seek
Sunni leadership. These include the waning dominance of Shia political power
with Hezbollah, the revival of official institutions, the vacuum in the Sunni
arena following Saad Hariri’s withdrawal, and the emergence of many new faces
vying for positions—from Nawaf Salam to Hanin Ghaddar. However, the critical
mistake lies in the approach of some of these actors who are using Beirut’s
municipal elections as a springboard for national Sunni leadership. They are
breaching norms, disturbing civil peace, and destabilizing the political
situation in the city and Lebanon as a whole in an attempt to portray themselves
as protectors of Lebanese independence and the Sunni expression of the national
formula. This issue extends to upcoming parliamentary elections. Some believe
that if they can make a breakthrough in Beirut’s Sunni arena, they can build a
broad, far-reaching electoral list across all of Lebanon’s districts. However,
no one among the current players has been granted this role, and it will not be
given without Saudi and American approval and support, which has not
materialized so far. Unfortunately, those concerned do not understand this
reality or the danger their actions pose to Lebanon’s delicate sectarian
balance. They are manipulating facts on the ground, endangering all minority
groups that see themselves as vulnerable within the broader Sunni environment.
They are creating a governance reality that defies logic, far beyond
municipalities, parliamentary seats, or even supposed parliamentary blocs. It is
regrettable that the prime ministership, or a substantial parliamentary bloc,
has come to demand this level of obstinacy and manipulation of national balance.
US envoy Morgan Ortagus eyes Beirut visit as fears grow over
potential Israeli escalation — details unfold
LBCI/May 10, 2025
In her latest call with Lebanon’s president, U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the
Middle East Morgan Ortagus said she plans to return to Beirut to help defuse
tensions by working with the ceasefire monitoring committee, now led by Michael
Leeney.
Ortagus has not yet set a date for her visit, though she previously expressed
interest in conducting shuttle diplomacy between Beirut and Tel Aviv in an
effort to resolve outstanding issues. Concerns, meanwhile, are mounting in
Beirut over a potential escalation by Israel, following reports from informed
sources pointing to increasingly aggressive Israeli intentions. In response,
Lebanese officials have urged the international community to pressure Tel Aviv
to refrain from carrying out its threats. According to information obtained by
LBCI, Lebanon remains committed to implementing United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1701, calling on Israel to cease hostilities, withdraw from the five
hilltops it has occupied since November, and release Lebanese detainees—steps it
says must precede discussions of Article 4 of the resolution. That article
concerns the demarcation of the land border and resolving disputes over 13
points along the Blue Line. From Tel Aviv's perspective, resolving these border
disputes would strip Hezbollah of any justification for retaining its weapons.
However, Lebanon refuses to discuss the fate of these points until Israel
withdraws from the five hilltops. It does not object to forming technical
committees to examine the disputed areas within the framework of the existing
five-member committee, but only after the land is returned. Lebanese officials
say they have fulfilled their obligations, while Israel continues its violations
and aggression. They are calling on the international community to rein in
Israeli actions and reaffirm their commitment to pursuing all necessary measures
to implement Resolution 1701.
Judicial reform in motion: Lebanon’s Cabinet approves
long-stalled draft law to curb political interference
LBCI/May 10, 2025
Lebanon’s Cabinet has approved a draft law to secure greater judicial
independence, a long-sought reform following years of political interference
that has weakened the judiciary and stalled key appointments.
Passed on May 2, the bill is part of a broader reform package repeatedly delayed
by political and sectarian interests seeking to maintain control over the
courts. The legislation introduces several changes designed to shield judges
from external influence and strengthen accountability within the judiciary.Under
the proposed framework, half of the members of the key judicial council would be
elected, while the remaining five would be appointed through a mix of
ministerial and Cabinet decisions. Specifically, the justice minister would name
two members based on recommendations from senior judges, while the Cabinet would
select the final three from candidates proposed by the Higher Judicial Council.
According to Justice Minister Adel Nassar, this hybrid approach, combining
election and appointment, is meant to strike a balance and promote institutional
stability. The bill also establishes an independent body to evaluate judges
every four years. The aim is to enhance professionalism and transparency through
ongoing training and performance assessments. Still, not everyone is on board.
The Lebanese Judges Association has urged lawmakers to incorporate the
recommendations it submitted on the draft law, warning that gaps remain. The
legislation comes amid pledges by Lebanon’s new leadership to pursue
long-overdue institutional reforms. Whether this draft will clear Parliament and
finally make it onto the books remains to be seen—but if passed, it could mark a
turning point for Lebanon’s long-troubled judiciary.
Paragliding fatality in Sahel Aalma: Instructor flees after
man falls to death — Here’s what we know so far
LBCI/May 10, 2025
A tragic incident occurred during a paragliding session in Sahel Aalma, where a
man fell while flying with an instructor, leading to his death. The deceased,
identified as H.M.M., from Miniyeh, was on a sightseeing trip with instructor
N.A.A., who works with a paragliding company operating in Jounieh and other
areas. According to initial security reports obtained by LBCI, the man, H.M.M.,
was not properly secured after the flight took off from Harissa, causing him to
fall from a high altitude above Sahel Aalma before landing. The instructor fled
the scene, and security forces are actively searching for him, armed with all
the preliminary information related to the incident, including the camera data
that was with him. The owner of the paragliding company, S.M., has been
arrested. Initial reports caused confusion over the victim's identity, as he was
carrying the ID of another person named M.A.
Israeli warplanes fly at low altitude over Tyre, South
Lebanon: NNA
LBCI/May 10, 2025
Israeli warplanes conducted low-altitude flights on Saturday over several towns
and villages in the Tyre district in South Lebanon, according to the National
News Agency.
Could cannabis save Lebanon? Debate reignites amid economic
crisis
LBCI/May 10, 2025
In 2020, Hezbollah rejected a draft law to legalize cannabis, arguing that it
offered no real economic benefit, contrary to popular belief, or that the
frameworks the government intended to adopt were unclear and poorly defined on
the ground. In the group's view, this posed a risk of young Lebanese turning to
unregulated and potentially harmful exploitation of the sector. Hezbollah
lawmakers continue to hold this position. Some observers, however, suggest that
Hezbollah's opposition may be tied to concerns over potential social and
economic changes that could lessen public dependence on the group and other
political actors. If cannabis cultivation were legalized and properly regulated,
Lebanon could generate between $1 billion and $3 billion annually in state
revenue, according to Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani. That would amount to
roughly one-quarter to one-half of the state's projected revenue for 2024. In
that case, cannabis could become a major source of income, more effective than
other alternatives that often result in higher taxes and fees for citizens
without tangible returns. With Lebanon facing a severe economic crisis,
dwindling aid, and vanishing foreign investment, generating income from cannabis
cultivation is no longer just a policy option—it is increasingly viewed as an
economic necessity. The cannabis issue has reemerged on the national agenda,
with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressing it again after it stalled in 2020.
That year, Parliament passed a law legalizing cannabis cultivation for medical
and industrial purposes. However, as is often the case, the law was left
incomplete due to the cabinet's lack of implementing decrees to establish a
regulatory authority. If, as reports suggest, cannabis legalization in Lebanon
is drawing near, this development could open the door to benefits for all—from
the state, which would increase its revenues, to farmers and industrialists, and
to social groups who would gain a legal alternative to illicit crop cultivation
that offers them greater stability.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on May 10-11/2025
Pope Leo XIV lays out his vision of the papacy and identifies AI as a main
challenge for humanity
AP/May 10, 2025
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV laid out the vision of his papacy Saturday,
identifying artificial intelligence as one of the most critical matters facing
humanity and vowing to continue in some of the core priorities of Pope Francis.
In his first formal audience, Leo repeatedly cited Francis and the Argentine
pope’s own 2013 mission statement, making clear a commitment to making the
Catholic Church more inclusive, attentive to the faithful and a church that
looks out for the “least and rejected.”Leo, the first American pope, told the
cardinals who elected him that he was fully committed to the reforms of the
Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church.
He identified AI as one of the main issues facing humanity, saying it poses
challenges to defending human dignity, justice and labor. Leo referred to AI in
explaining the choice of his name: His namesake, Pope Leo XIII, was pope from
1878 to 1903 and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought. He did
so most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed
workers’ rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. The late pope
criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving
shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.
In his remarks Saturday, Leo said he identified with his predecessor, who
addressed the great social question of the day posed by the industrial
revolution in the encyclical.
“In our own day, the church offers everyone the treasury of its social teaching
in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of
artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human
dignity, justice and labor,” he said. Toward the end of his pontificate, Francis
became increasingly vocal about the threats to humanity posed by AI and called
for an international treaty to regulate it. He warned that such powerful
technology risks turning human relations into mere algorithms. Francis brought
his message to the Group of Seven industrialized nations when he addressed their
summit last year, insisting AI must remain human-centric so that decisions about
when to use weapons or even less-lethal tools always remain made by humans and
not machines.
The late Argentine pope also used his 2024 annual peace message to call for an
international treaty to ensure AI is developed and used ethically, arguing that
a technology lacking human values of compassion, mercy, morality and forgiveness
is too perilous to develop unchecked. In the speech, delivered in Italian in the
Vatican’s synod hall – not the Apostolic Palace – Leo made repeated references
to Francis and the mourning over his death. He held up Francis’ mission
statement at the 2013 start of his pontificate, “The Joy of the Gospel,” as
something of his own marching orders, suggesting he intends very much to
continue in Francis’ priorities.
He cited Francis’ insistence on the missionary nature of the church and the need
to make its leadership more collegial. He cited the need to pay attention to
what the faithful say “especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms,
especially popular piety.” Again, referring to Francis’ 2013 mission statement,
Leo cited the need for the church to express “loving care for the least and
rejected” and engage in courageous dialogue with the contemporary world. Greeted
by a standing ovation as he entered, Leo read from his prepared text, only
looking up occasionally. Even when he first appeared to the world on the loggia
of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday night, Leo read from a prepared text that he
must have drafted sometime before his historic election or the hour or so after.
US envoy calls enrichment 'red line' ahead of new Iran talks
Agence France Presses/May 10, 2025
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear talks Sunday in Oman
ahead of a visit to the region by Donald Trump, whose key negotiator staked out
an increasingly hard line on the issue of uranium enrichment. Trump, who will
visit three other Gulf Arab monarchies next week, has voiced hope for reaching a
deal with Tehran to avert an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear program
that could ignite a wider war. Three previous rounds of talks in Oman and Rome
ended with notes of optimism, with the two sides saying the atmosphere was
friendly despite the countries' four decades of enmity. But they are not
believed to have gone into technical detail, and basic questions remain. Steve
Witkoff, Trump's friend who has served as his globe-trotting negotiator on
issues including on Iran, had initially suggested flexibility on Tehran
maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes. But in an
interview published Friday, Witkoff gave his clearest message yet that the Trump
administration would oppose any enrichment. "An enrichment program can never
exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment," he
told right-wing Breitbart News. "That means dismantlement, it means no
weaponization, and it means that Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan -- those are their
three enrichment facilities -- have to be dismantled," he said. U.S. Secretary
of State Marco Rubio earlier raised the possibility of Iran importing enriched
uranium for any civilian energy. Trump in his first term withdrew from a nuclear
agreement with Tehran negotiated by former president Barack Obama that allowed
Iran to enrich uranium at levels well below what is needed for weapons. Many
Iran watchers doubted that Iran would ever voluntarily dismantle its entire
nuclear program and give up all enrichment. But Iran has found itself in a
weaker place over the past year. Israel has decimated Hezbollah, the Lebanese
Shiite militia backed by Iran that could launch a counter-attack in any war, and
Iran's main ally in the Arab world, Syria's Bashar al-Assad, was toppled in
December. Israel also struck Iranian air defenses as the two countries came
openly to blows in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by
Hamas, which is also supported by Iran's clerical state.
'Blow 'em up nicely'
Trump himself has acknowledged tensions in his policy on Iran, saying at the
start of his second term that hawkish advisors were pushing him to step up
pressure reluctantly. In an interview Thursday, Trump said he wanted "total
verification" that Iran's contested nuclear work is shut down but through
diplomacy. "I'd much rather make a deal" than see military action, Trump told
the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt. "There are only two
alternatives -- blow 'em up nicely or blow 'em up viciously," Trump said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Oman, which has been
mediating, had proposed Sunday as the date and both sides had accepted.
"Negotiations are moving ahead and naturally, the more we advance, the more
consultations we have, and the more time the delegations need to examine the
issues," he said in a video carried by Iranian media. "But what's important is
that we are moving forward so that we gradually get into the details," Araghchi
said. The Trump administration has kept piling on sanctions despite the talks,
angering Iran. On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on another
refinery in China, the main market for Iranian oil. Since Trump's withdrawal
from the Obama-era deal, the United States has used its power to try to stop all
other countries from buying Iranian oil.
Saudi FM receives his Iranian counterpart in Jeddah
Arab News/May 10, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday met with his
Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Araghchi was in Jeddah to meet with senior Saudi officials and discuss bilateral
issues and regional and international developments. During the reception, the
two ministers reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations and ways to support them in
various fields. They also discussed the latest regional developments and the
efforts made in this regard, SPA added. Araghchi is expected to later travel to
Qatar to participate in the Iran-Arab World Dialogue summit in Doha, an Iranian
ministry spokesperson said on Friday.The visit also comes ahead of scheduled indirect US-Iran talks in Oman on Sunday
and an expected trip to the region by US President Donald Trump.
India, Pakistan reach ceasefire — but trade claims of violations
AFP/May 10, 2025
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan traded accusations of ceasefire violations early
Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the nuclear-armed
neighbors had stepped back from the brink of full-blown war.
India’s foreign secretary said Pakistan had committed “repeated violations” of
the truce and that it was retaliating, while Pakistan said it “remains
committed” to the ceasefire and that its forces were handling violations by
India with “responsibility and restraint.”
Earlier, AFP staff in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir reported hearing a
series of loud explosions. A senior official in Pakistani-run Kashmir told AFP
that “intermittent exchange of fire is ongoing” across the de facto border in
the contested region, the Line of Control (LoC). More details were not
immediately available, and it was not possible to independently verify the
claims. On Saturday, Pakistan and India had agreed to a full and immediate
ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks
which killed at least 60 people and saw thousands of civilians flee their homes
along their border as well as in divided Kashmir.
The news had been surprisingly announced by Trump.
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to
announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.
Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,”
Trump posted. India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri had said earlier that both
sides would “stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea” with
effect from 5:00 p.m. (1130 GMT). He later accused Pakistan of “repeated
violations” and said the Indian armed forces “are giving an adequate and
appropriate response.”
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry in Islamabad said Pakistan “remains committed to
faithful implementation” of the truce. Accusing India of committing its own
violations, it said Pakistan’s forces “are handling the situation with
responsibility and restraint.”
It called for ceasefire issues to be handled “through communication at
appropriate levels” and urged troops on the ground to also exercise restraint.
On X, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country “appreciates” the
US intervention. “Pakistan believes this marks a new beginning in the resolution
of issues that have plagued the region and prevented its journey toward peace,
prosperity and stability,” he wrote. The conflict was touched off by an attack
last month in the Indian-administered side of Kashmir that killed 26 tourists,
mostly Hindu men, which Delhi blamed on Islamabad. India accused the
Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba — a UN-designated terrorist organization — of
carrying out the attack, but Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for
an independent probe.
Militants have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked its limited
autonomy and took the state under direct rule from New Delhi.
The countries have fought several wars over the territory, which both claim in
full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British
rule in 1947.“The ceasefire is a positive step,” said Bilal Shabbir, an IT consultant in
Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, before the claims the truce had
been violated.
“In war, it’s not just soldiers who die, it’s mostly civilians — and in this
case, it would have been the people of Kashmir.”In Srinagar, resident Sukesh KHajjuria was more cautious.
“The ceasefire is welcome, but it’s difficult to trust Pakistan. We have to be
vigilant,” he said. Both sides will pay a high price economically for the
conflict.
Pakistani military sources claimed its forces had shot down at least 77
Israeli-made high-tech drones — debris from some of them was seen by AFP
reporters — while Indian officials said they had destroyed hundreds of Pakistani
drones, many Turkish-made. Pakistan also says it downed five Indian warplanes —
including three French Rafale fighter jets — although New Delhi has not
confirmed any losses.Independent verification of claims by either side has been difficult.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ceasefire came after he and Vice
President JD Vance engaged with senior officials on both sides.
Rubio also said on X that they had agreed to “start talks on a broad set of
issues at a neutral site.”News of the ceasefire was met with relief
internationally, after increasing calls for both countries to step back from the
brink.
China, which borders India and Pakistan, said Beijing was “willing to continue
playing a constructive role” and remained concerned with any escalation,
according to state-run news agency Xinhua, which said that Chinese Foreign
Minister Wang Yi had spoken to officials in both countries.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan welcome India-Pakistan ceasefire, urge dialogue
Arab News/May 10, 2025
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday welcomed the
US-mediated ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India, expressing hope that
the development will pave the way for restoring security and stability in the
region.
In an official statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the Kingdom
commended both parties for their prudence and self-restraint amid heightened
tensions, and reiterated its support for resolving disputes through dialogue and
peaceful means.
Saudi Arabia emphasized the importance of adhering to the principles of good
neighborliness in a manner that promotes peace and prosperity for both countries
and their peoples. The ceasefire announcement came on Saturday after both
Islamabad and New Delhi confirmed the agreement following a period of escalated
hostilities.
The de-escalation followed US-mediated talks late on Friday night, with
President Donald Trump stating that Washington had played a key role in
brokering the understanding between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also welcomed the ceasefire agreement,
describing it as a key step toward enhancing regional stability, the Jordan News
Agency reported.
Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah emphasized the importance of resolving crises
through diplomatic channels and reiterated Jordan’s support for peaceful efforts
based on the principles of good neighborliness.
He praised both sides for promoting dialogue and exercising restraint.
Qataris search for bodies of Americans killed by Daesh in Syria
Reuters/May 10, 2025
A Qatari mission has begun searching for the remains of US hostages killed by
Daesh in Syria a decade ago, two sources briefed on the mission said, reviving a
longstanding effort to recover their bodies. Daesh, which controlled swathes of
Syria and Iraq at the peak of its power from 2014-2017, beheaded numerous people
in captivity, including Western hostages, and released videos of the killings.
Qatar’s international search and rescue group began the search on Wednesday,
accompanied by several Americans, the sources said. The group, deployed by Doha
to earthquake zones in Morocco and Turkiye in recent years, had so far found the
remains of three bodies, the sources said.
One of the sources — a Syrian security source — said the remains had yet to be
identified. The second source said it was unclear how long the mission would
last.
The US State Department had no immediate comment.
The Qatari mission gets under way as US President Donald Trump prepares to visit
Doha and other Gulf Arab allies next week and as Syria’s ruling Islamists, close
allies of Qatar, seek relief from US sanctions.
The Syrian source said the mission’s initial focus was on looking for the body
of aid worker Peter Kassig, who was beheaded by Daesh in 2014 in Dabiq in
northern Syria. The second source said Kassig’s remains were among those they
hoped to find.
US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were among other Western hostages
killed by Daesh. Their deaths were confirmed in 2014.
US aid worker Kayla Mueller was also killed in Daesh captivity. She was raped
repeatedly by Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi before her death, US officials
have said. Her death was confirmed in 2015.
“We’re grateful for anyone taking on this task and risking their lives in some
circumstances to try and find the bodies of Jim and the other hostages,” said
Diane Foley, James Foley’s mother. “We thank all those involved in this effort.”
The families of the other hostages, contacted via the Committee to Protect
Journalists, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The extremists were eventually driven out of their self-declared caliphate by a
US-led coalition and other forces.
APRIL VISIT
Plans for the Qatari mission were discussed during a visit to Washington in
April by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the
Minister of State for the foreign ministry, Mohammed Al Khulaifi — a trip also
designed to prepare for Trump’s visit to Qatar, one of the sources said.Another person familiar with the issue said there had been a longstanding
commitment by successive US administrations to find the remains of the murdered
Americans, and that there had been multiple previous “efforts with US government
officials on the ground in Syria to search very specific areas.”The person did not elaborate. But the US has had hundreds of troops deployed in
northeastern Syria that have continued pursuing the remnants of Daesh.The person said the remains of Kassig, Sotloff and Foley were most likely in the
same general area, and that Dabiq had been one of Daesh’s “centerpieces” — a
reference to its propaganda value as a place named in an Islamic prophecy.
Mueller’s case differed in that she was in Baghdadi’s custody, the person said.
Two Daesh members, both former British citizens who were part of a cell that
beheaded American hostages, are serving life prison sentences in the United
States.
Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who seized power from Bashar Assad in
December, battled Daesh when he was the commander of another jihadist faction —
the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front — during the Syrian war.
Sharaa severed ties to Al-Qaeda in 2016.
Syrian leader discusses regional affairs with Bahrain’s king
AP/May 10, 2025
BEIRUT: The president of the Syrian Arab Republic flew to Bahrain on Saturday
where he discussed mutual relations and regional affairs with King Hamad bin Isa
Al-Khalifa on his latest trip abroad since taking office in January.
Al-Sharaa’s leadership has been improving ties with Arab and Western
countriesSyria’s state news agency, SANA, said President Ahmad Al-Sharaa was
heading a high-ranking delegation to Bahrain. Bahrain’s news agency said the two
leaders discussed mutual relations and ways of boosting them, as well as
regional affairs and ways of backing Syria’s security and stability. Al-Sharaa’s
visit to Bahrain comes days before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to
visit the region for talks with leaders of Gulf Arab nations. Since taking
office, Al-Sharaa has visited Arab and regional countries including Saudi
Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Turkiye. Earlier this week, he made his first trip to
Europe where he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and announced that
his country is having indirect talks with Israel. After Assad’s fall, Syria and
its neighbors have been calling for the lifting of Western sanctions that were
imposed on Assad during the early months of the country’s conflict that broke
out in March 2011. The lifting of sanctions would open the way for the Gulf
countries to take part in funding Syria’s reconstruction from the destruction
caused by the conflict that has killed nearly half a million people.
The UN in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least $250 billion to rebuild
Syria. Some experts now say that number could reach at least $400 billion.
In April, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they will pay Syria’s outstanding debt to
the World Bank, a move likely to make the international institution resume its
support to the war-torn country. Since the fall of Assad, a close ally of Iran,
Syria’s new leadership has been improving the country’s relations with Arab and
Western countries.
Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages alive in Gaza
AFP/May 10, 2025
JERUSALEM: Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday showing two Israeli
hostages alive in the Gaza Strip, with one of the two men calling to end the
19-month-long war. Israeli media identified the pair in the undated video as
Elkana Bohbot and Yosef Haim Ohana, who were kidnapped during Hamas’s October 7,
2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war. The three-minute video released by
Hamas’s Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades shows one of the hostages, identified by
media as 36-year-old Bohbot, visibly weak and lying on the floor wrapped in a
blanket.
Bohbot, a Colombian-Israeli, was seen bound and injured in the face in video
footage from the day of the Hamas attack. After a video of him was released last
month, his family said they were “extremely concerned” about his health.
The second hostage, said to be Ohana, 24, speaks in Hebrew in the video, urging
the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all
remaining captives — a similar message to statements made by other hostages,
likely under duress, in previous videos released by Hamas.Bohbot and Ohana, both abducted by Palestinian militants from the site of a
music festival, are among 58 hostages held in Gaza since the 2023 attack,
including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas also holds the remains of
an Israeli soldier killed in a 2014 war. Israel resumed its military offensive
across the Gaza Strip on March 18, after a two-month truce that saw the release
of dozens of hostages.
Since the ceasefire collapsed, Hamas has released several videos of hostages,
including of the two appearing in Saturday’s video. Israel says the renewed
offensive aims to force Hamas to free the remaining captives, although critics
charge that it puts them in mortal danger. Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted
in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according
to an AFP tally based on official figures.The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Saturday that at least 2,701
people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the
overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,810.
Why Israel’s Gaza reoccupation threat is fueling fears of regional spillover
Jonathan Gornall/Arab News/May 10, 2025
LONDON: For the people of Gaza, the threat of destruction, displacement and
death at the hands of the Israeli military is nothing new.
But for the next week they will living with a countdown to a threatened
operation that would be unprecedented: the complete and indefinite occupation of
Gaza by Israel, and the forcing of its Palestinian population into a tiny area
in the south of the strip.
If such an unthinkable end-game exercise were to go ahead — and reports that
tens of thousands of Israeli reservists are being called up suggests it might —
critics of the plan say Israel appears to have forgotten the lessons of the
events that led to its own creation in 1948.
According to sources inside the Israeli government, the only thing standing
between the Palestinians of Gaza and this 21st-century Nakba is next week’s
visit to the region by US President Donald Trump, who is due to visit Saudi
Arabia, Qatar and the UAE between Tuesday and Friday.
On Tuesday this week an unnamed Israeli defense official told AP that the
operation would not be launched before Trump had left the region, adding there
was a “window of opportunity” for a ceasefire and a hostage deal during the
president’s visit.
And so, the countdown to the military operation began. On Monday, Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his security cabinet had approved an
“intensive” renewed offensive against Hamas in Gaza, and that Palestinians would
be moved “for their own safety.”“Last night we stayed up late in the cabinet and
decided on an intensive operation in Gaza,” Netanyahu said.
A US-backed truce between Israel and Hamas ended in March, after only two
months, when Israel resumed its attacks. It was, Netanyahu added, seeming to
tether a scapegoat to the decision, “the chief of staff’s recommendation to
proceed, as he put it, toward the defeat of Hamas — and along the way, he
believes this will also help us rescue the hostages.”
News of the plan triggered immediate protests outside Israel’s parliament by
families of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Few among them believe the
plan has anything to do with a genuine desire to see their loved ones freed.
Israelis demonstrate in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on May
10, 2025, calling on the Netanyahu government to end the war and to secure the
release of the hostages held since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas
militants. (AFP)
The chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces is retired
Major-General Eyal Zamir, a favorite of the far-right members of Israel’s
government, who was appointed only last month. His predecessor resigned, after
taking responsibility for Israel’s military failings during the Hamas attack in
October 2023.
“I’m pretty sure Zamir is praying that he will not have to execute this plan,”
Ahron Bregman, a UK-based Israeli historian and senior teaching fellow at the
Department of War Studies, King’s College London, and a former IDF officer, told
Arab News. “He’s experienced enough to know that the operation might well kill
the remaining Israeli hostages, or lead to a situation where the hostages are
left to die in the tunnels without water or food, never to be found.
“As I have always maintained, Israel cannot destroy Hamas. Hamas, weak, bleeding
and exhausted, will still be in the Gaza Strip when this hopeless war is over,”
he added.
Israeli troops, who have evicted Palestinians from so-called security zones,
already occupy about one-third of Gaza. If implemented, the new plan would see
the seizure of the entire territory, with Gaza’s remaining two million
Palestinians forced toward the south. The UN has already expressed alarm at
Israel’s plan to expand its operation in Gaza. “This will inevitably lead to
countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza,” UN deputy
spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Monday. “What’s imperative now is an end to the
violence, not more civilian deaths and destruction.”He added: “Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian
state.”
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s security cabinet has voted to end distribution of aid by
international NGOs and UN bodies, and to give the job to as-yet unnamed private
companies. At the beginning of the month, the UN condemned Israel’s decision two
months ago to halt humanitarian aid as a “cruel collective punishment” of the
Palestinian population. On Friday, Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, said
a US-backed mechanism for distributing aid into Gaza should take effect soon but
he gave few details. Israel and the US have both indicated in recent days that
they were preparing to restore aid through mechanisms that would bypass Hamas.
“The Israeli military plan for Gaza is mainly aimed at satisfying the far-right
elements in Netanyahu’s government,” said Bregman. “The new idea here is seizing
chunks of the Gaza Strip and staying there, not getting out, as used to be the
case.”
Right-wing, pro-settler members of the Israeli Cabinet, including Finance
Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Givr, “hope
that staying inside will eventually lead to the resettling of the Gaza Strip by
Jewish settlers who will resort to the tactics they employ on the West Bank,
building settlements even if ‘official Israel’ opposes it,” he added. “They also
trust far-right elements in the IDF — and the IDF is packed with them,
especially in the ground forces — to turn a blind eye and enable the resettling
of the Strip.”
Situation in Gaza ‘unbearable,’ Berlin says
AFP/May 10, 2025
BERLIN: Germany’s new top diplomat Johann Wadephul called on Saturday for
“serious discussions for a ceasefire” in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation
“is now unbearable.” Ahead of a visit to Israel, Wadephul said it was
“imperative to start” talks “to free all hostages and to ensure that supplies
reach the population of Gaza,” according to comments reported by his ministry.
While reaffirming Germany’s unwavering support for Israel, the official said he
would “inquire about the strategic objective of the fighting that has
intensified since March.” In Israel, Wadephul is expected to meet his
counterpart Gideon Saar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. On
Tuesday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced “considerable concern” about the Gaza
conflict and demanded that Israel “respect its humanitarian obligations.” “In
the West Bank as well, Palestinians need political and economic future prospects
so that hatred and extremism no longer find fertile grounds,” Wadephul said. His
visit comes at a time when Israel and Germany are preparing to celebrate 60
years of joint diplomatic relations. Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected
in Berlin on Monday, while his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier will
visit Israel on Tuesday.
UK pro-Israel group slammed for suggesting war could reduce Gaza obesity
Arab News/May 10, 2025
LONDON: A pro-Israel pressure group in the UK has been condemned for suggesting
that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip may benefit from a reduction in obesity
levels arising from the war, The Guardian reported on Saturday. The comments —
made by Jonathan Turner, head of UK Lawyers for Israel — followed a series of
warnings by the UN and aid agencies that Gaza faces imminent famine. Turner, on
behalf of UKLFI, was responding to a motion set to be debated at the annual
general meeting of the Co-operative Group, a major British retailer. The motion
calls for the Co-operative to stop stocking Israeli products, as part of the
worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. UKLFI urged the
Co-operative council to withdraw the motion.
In doing so, Turner highlighted the motion’s reference to a letter published
last year by The Lancet, a leading medical journal, which said the death toll in
Gaza could be far higher than the 52,000 put forth by the enclave’s Health
Ministry.
Turner said the letter “ignored factors that may increase average life
expectancy in Gaza, bearing in mind that one of the biggest health issues in
Gaza prior to the current war was obesity … These factors include the possible
reduction in the availability of confectionery and cigarettes.”Chris Doyle,
director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, said on X that Turner’s
comments represent “atrocious views,” adding: “How very kind of Israel to put
2.3 million Palestinians on an enforced diet to improve their obesity
levels.”The Lancet has published several studies relating to Israel’s war in
Gaza. One found that life expectancy in the enclave plunged by 34.9 years during
the first year of the war. Gaza’s pre-war life expectancy was 75.5 years.
Since March, Israel has implemented a total blockade on the entry of
humanitarian goods to the enclave. Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine
Solidarity Campaign, said: “As children in the Gaza Strip face the growing risk
of starvation, illness and death, the suggestion by the head of UK Lawyers for
Israel that they might benefit from weight loss is utterly sickening. “These
repulsive comments illustrate exactly what it means to be ‘for Israel’ and how
low its apologists are prepared to sink in their attempts to justify genocide in
Gaza.”UKLFI previously faced controversy over the removal of artwork made by
Palestinian children in a London hospital. The organization submitted a
complaint to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in 2023, claiming that artwork
created by Palestinian children and displayed in the facility made Jewish
patients feel “vulnerable, harassed and victimized.” The hospital removed the
works.
Israel vows forceful response after Yemen missile intercepted
Agence France Presses/May 10, 2025
Israel's defense minister vowed a forceful response after a missile fired from
Yemen was intercepted on Friday, in an attack claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi
rebels. "The Houthis continue to launch Iranian missiles at Israel. As we
promised, we will respond forcefully in Yemen and wherever necessary," Defense
Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X. Earlier, Israel's military said it had
intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, and AFP journalists reported
explosions heard in the Jerusalem area. In a statement, the Houthis, who control
vast swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa, claimed responsibility for
the missile launch. They said they had targeted Ben Gurion International Airport
near Tel Aviv. Friday's launch comes after attacks by the Houthis including a
strike near Israel's main airport on Sunday, in a rare missile attack that
penetrated the country's air defenses. The Israeli military said Friday that "a
missile launched from Yemen was intercepted" after air raid sirens sounded in
several areas. As a result, a flight from Larnaca in Cyprus had to delay its
landing at Ben Gurion, airport authorities said. "Everything is back to normal,"
an airport spokeswoman told AFP. Yemen's Houthis, who say they are acting in
solidarity with the Palestinians, have launched repeated attacks on Israel and
on Red Sea shipping since shortly after the October 2023 war began between
Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Last Sunday's missile struck in the area of the airport, gouging a large crater
near the main terminal building and injuring several people. Israel retaliated
by attacking the airport in Sanaa on Tuesday, and also hit three nearby power
stations. The Israeli strikes, which disabled the airport, followed a U.S.
bombing campaign in response to Houthi threats to renew their attacks on
shipping in the region. The United States and the Houthis reached a ceasefire
agreement later on Tuesday, with mediator Oman announcing the deal to ensure
"freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea. But the Houthis vowed to continue
targeting Israel and Israeli ships in the key waterway, saying that their deal
with Washington does not include Israel.
Columbia suspends over 65 students following pro-Palestinian protest in library
AP/May 10, 2025
NEW YORK: Columbia University has suspended dozens of students and barred alums
and others who participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration inside the
school’s main library earlier this week, a school spokesperson said Friday.
The Ivy League institution in Manhattan placed more than 65 students on interim
suspension and barred 33 others, including those from affiliated institutions
such as Barnard College, from setting foot on campus.
Interim suspension generally means that a student cannot come to campus, attend
classes or participate in other university activities, according to Columbia’s
website. The university declined to say how long the disciplinary measures would
be in place, saying only that the decisions are pending further investigation.
An undisclosed number of alums who also participated in the protest are also now
prevented from entering school grounds, according to Columbia.
Roughly 80 people were arrested in connection with the Wednesday evening
demonstration at the university’s Butler Library. Most face trespassing charges,
though some may also face disorderly conduct, police have said.
The mask-clad protesters pushed their way past campus security officers, raced
into the building and hung Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves.
Some protesters also scrawled phrases on library furniture and picture frames,
including “Columbia will burn.”
New York City police in helmets and other protection broke up the demonstration
at the request of university officials, who denounced the protests as an
“outrageous” disruption for students studying and preparing for final exams.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said his office will be reviewing the visa
status of those who participated in the library takeover for possible
deportation.
The Trump administration has already pulled federal funding and detained
international students at Columbia and other prestigious American universities
over their handling of student protests against the war in Gaza.
European leaders in Kyiv for show of solidarity against Russia
AFP/May 10, 2025
KYIV: The leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Poland were in Ukraine on
Saturday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, vowing to ratchet up
pressure on Russia until it agreed a ceasefire in the three-year war.
The four countries, part of an alliance Britain and France have called “the
coalition of the willing,” said in a joint statement they were “ready to support
peace talks as soon as possible.”The Kremlin has shown no signs of halting its
invasion of Ukraine, despite US President Donald Trump pushing for a ceasefire,
and warned earlier there could be no truce unless the West halted arms
deliveries to Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a 30-day truce
proposed by Washington and Kyiv in March, instead declaring two brief pauses in
fighting that Ukraine has accused Moscow of violating.
On his way to Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron said that once a 30-day
ceasefire was in place, there could be “direct talks between Ukraine and
Russia.”
Both Moscow and Kyiv have hinted they are open to negotiating with each other
but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says this would only be possible once
a ceasefire takes effect. Russia has occupied about a fifth of Ukrainian
territory since February 2022 and intensified deadly attacks on the country this
spring.
The US embassy in Kyiv said on Friday that a “significant air attack” could
occur at some point within the next several days.
Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
arrived together by train from neighboring Poland, where they joined Polish
Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It is the first time the leaders of the four
European nations have made a joint visit to Ukraine. They were seen embracing
Zelensky and joined him in placing lanterns at a memorial for fallen soldiers in
central Kyiv. For Merz, who took office only this week, it will be his first
visit to Ukraine as chancellor. Macron had not been to Kyiv since June 2022,
when he went with the Italian and German leaders of the time. “We are clear the
bloodshed must end. Russia must stop its illegal invasion,” the leaders said in
a joint statement.“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and
unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and
lasting peace.”They warned: “We will continue to increase our support for
Ukraine. Until Russia agrees to an enduring ceasefire, we will ratchet up
pressure on Russia’s war machine.”They are later scheduled to host a virtual
meeting to update other European leaders on moves to create a European force
that could provide Ukraine with security after the war.Such a force “would help
regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence
in any future peace,” the leaders’ statement said. Russia has said it will not
tolerate any Western military presence in Ukraine once the fighting ends and has
warned the proposal could spark war between Moscow and NATO.
PUTIN VICTORY PARADE
The symbolic show of European unity comes a day after Putin struck a defiant
tone at a Moscow parade marking 80 years since victory in World War II.
In an interview with the ABC news channel on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov said arms deliveries from Ukraine’s allies would have to stop before
Russia would agree to a ceasefire. A truce would otherwise be an “advantage for
Ukraine” at a time when “Russian troops are advancing... in quite a confident
way” on the front, Peskov said, adding that Ukraine was “not ready for immediate
negotiations.”
Europe and Ukraine argue more pressure is needed on Russia to respond.
After meeting Tusk in France on Friday, Macron called for the speedy drafting of
a US-Europe plan for the 30-day truce that would be backed by “massive economic
sanctions” if one side “betrays it.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said at a
meeting on Ukraine in Norway on Friday that the “United States has two sanctions
packages on the table” and that countries were discussing action in the “banking
and the energy sector.”A French presidential official, who asked not to be
named, said the visit just four days after Merz took office “demonstrates
Europe’s unity, strength, and responsiveness. And it mirrors Putin’s
celebrations.”
Trump to Putin and Zelensky: ‘Get this war ended’
Reuters/May 10, 2025
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would like Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to “get this
war ended” in Ukraine as he pushes for a 30-day ceasefire.
Trump, who departs on Monday on a trip to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and
Qatar, was asked what his message to Putin is in the wake of a warning from the
US embassy in Kyiv about a “potentially significant” air attack in the coming
days. “I have a message for both parties: Get this war ended,” Trump says of
Ukraine and Russia. “Get this stupid war finished. That’s my message for both of
them,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. The embassy said on its website
that it had received information about an air attack that may occur at any time
over the next several days.
“The Embassy, as always, recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately
shelter in the event an air alert is announced,” it said.
The White House said Trump had a “very good and productive” call with Zelensky
on Thursday and that Trump hopes both Ukraine and Russia will agree next week to
a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, speaking to reporters at a briefing on
Friday, also reiterated that a Trump meeting with Putin next week in the Middle
East was not going to happen. In Kyiv, Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak,
said he spoke by telephone on Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and
other officials about the proposed ceasefire as part of moves toward a peace
agreement.
“The main focus was the question of the ceasefire and prospects for a peace
settlement,” Yermak wrote on Telegram, adding that US envoys Steve Witkoff and
Keith Kellogg had also taken part. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was
also present.“Also discussed was the importance of implementing the points on
which our presidents agreed,” Yermak wrote.
France in talks with Britain, Ukraine about potential troops, Macron tells paper
Reuters/May 10, 2025
PARIS: France is consulting with partners on how to potentially support Ukraine
in its struggle with Russia with troops, French President Emmanuel Macron told
newspaper Le Parisien on Saturday, without elaborating on what such a presence
could include.
“We are working on the presence and strategic footprint of the partner
countries. There have been several exchanges between our British, French and
Ukrainian chiefs of staff, who have coordinated the work with all their
partners, and all this is becoming clearer and making progress,” Macron was
cited in the article. “The key is to have troops in Ukraine,” he added. Major
European powers including France threw their weight behind an unconditional
30-day Ukraine ceasefire, with the backing of US President Donald Trump. Macron
joined the leaders of Britain, Germany and Poland on a visit to Kyiv on Saturday
during which they held a phone call with Trump.
Newly elected Reform UK councillors face scrutiny over Islamophobic social media
posts
Arab News/May 10, 2025
LONDON: Up to a dozen newly elected councillors from Reform UK have been accused
of posting Islamophobic and far-right content on social media, The Guardian
reported on Saturday. It comes a week after the party made a major breakthrough
in local elections across the country, winning 677 of the more than 1,600
contested seats.
Reform UK councillors at three country councils have shared social media content
from Britain First, a far-right party known for its anti-Islam views. Paul
Harrison, who was elected to Leicestershire’s county council, retweeted and
voted “yes” to an X poll asking if the UK should conduct mass deportations. The
post was accompanied by an image, generated by artificial intelligence, of
Muslim men holding Pakistani flags.
Reform UK officials are facing greater scrutiny in the wake of the local
elections, with many of the social media posts being revealed by
counter-extremism campaign group Hope Not Hate. Its director of campaigns,
Georgie Laming, said: “(Party leader) Nigel Farage has claimed that Reform UK
have the ‘most in-depth vetting procedure’ of any party. Our investigation shows
that their processes leave much to be desired.
“Not only have they admitted using ‘AI techniques and other things’ to do the
vetting, but Reform UK continue to shirk responsibility for their candidates’
online behaviour. They have yet to drop any of the candidates that have been
exposed.” The campaign group previously uncovered Islamophobic content posted by
Reform candidates on social media, as well as far-right conspiracies and support
for extremist figures including Tommy Robinson and David Irving.
33 killed in Sudan strikes blamed on paramilitary RSF
AFP/May 10, 2025
PORT SUDAN: At least 33 people have been killed in Sudan in attacks blamed on
the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, at war with the army since April 2023,
first responders said Saturday. The attacks came after six straight days of RSF
drone strikes on the army-led government’s wartime capital Port Sudan damaged
key infrastructure including the power grid. On Friday evening, at least 14
members of the same family were killed in an air strike on a displacement camp
in the vast western region of Darfur, a rescue group said, blaming the
paramilitaries. The Abu Shouk camp “was the target of intense bombardment by the
Rapid Support Forces on Friday evening,” said the group of volunteer aid
workers, which also reported wounded.
“Fourteen Sudanese, members of the same family, were killed” and several people
wounded, it said in a statement. The camp near El-Fasher, the last state capital
in Darfur still out of the RSF’s control, is plagued by famine, according to the
United Nations.
It is home to tens of thousands of people who fled the violence of successive
conflicts in Darfur and the conflict that has been tearing Africa’s third
largest country apart since 2023. The RSF has shelled the camp several times in
recent weeks.
Abu Shouk is located near the Zamzam camp, which the RSF seized in April after a
devastating offensive that virtually emptied it.
The United Nations says nearly one million people had been sheltering at the
site.
On Saturday, an RSF strike on a prison in the army-controlled southern city of
El-Obeid killed at least 19 people and wounded 45, a medical source said.
The source told AFP that the jail in the North Kordofan state capital was hit by
a RSF drone. The war, which began as a power struggle between army chief Abdel
Fattah Al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has
spiralled into what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian
crisis.
It has effectively divided the country in two with the army controlling the
north, east and center while the RSF and its allies dominate nearly all of
Darfur in the west and parts of the south.
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern
Nigeria
AP/May 10, 2025
ABUJA: At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked travelers on a
major highway in the southeastern part of Nigeria, rights group Amnesty
International said. The rights group said more than 20 vehicles and trucks were
set ablaze during the Thursday attack along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo
state. Police confirmed the attack but not the death toll. No group has claimed
responsibility for the attack, but police suspect the Eastern Security Network,
the paramilitary wing of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of
Biafra. The secessionist campaign in southeastern Nigeria dates back to when the
short-lived Republic of Biafra fought and lost a civil war from 1967 to 1970 to
become independent from the West African country. An estimated 1 million people
died in the conflict, many from starvation. The rights group said “international
law requires the Nigerian government to promptly investigate unlawful killings
with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.”One suspect connected to the attack was killed in a joint operation by law
enforcement agencies, police spokesperson Okoye Henry said in a statement.
“An intensive manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring
them to justice,” Henry said. Two of the group’s prominent leaders, Nnamdi Kanu
and Simon Ekpa, are in custody in Nigeria and Finland, respectively. Kanu is
standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable
felony. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Nigerian government said Friday it has not begun extradition proceedings but
is in talks with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held accountable for his
alleged actions.
For many years Nigeria — Africa’s most populous nation with at least 210 million
people — has been wracked by violence related to the activities of armed
extremist groups.
Taliban arrest 14 people for playing music and singing
AFP/May 10, 2025
KABUL: Taliban authorities have arrested 14 people in northern Afghanistan for
playing musical instruments and singing, activities they restricted since taking
power, provincial police said on Saturday. The Taliban government has steadily
imposed laws and regulations that reflect their austere vision of Islamic law
since seizing power in 2021. This includes cracking down on music in public,
from live performances to playing at gatherings, in restaurants, in cars or on
radio and TV.
The police said in a statement that on Thursday night in the capital of northern
Takhar province “fourteen individuals... took advantage of the nighttime to
gather in a residential house where they were playing musical instruments and
singing songs, which caused disturbance to the public.”Those detained were under
investigation, it added.
After their takeover, Taliban authorities shuttered music schools and smashed or
burned musical instruments and sound systems, saying music caused “moral
corruption” and public disturbance. Wedding halls are no longer allowed to play
music, though segregated women’s sections often do so secretly. Many Afghan
musicians fled the Taliban takeover out of fear or in need of work after losing
their livelihoods in one of the world’s poorest countries. The Taliban
authorities have encouraged former musicians to turn their talents to Islamic
poetry and unaccompanied vocal chants — the only forms of music allowed under
their previous rule from 1996-2001.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on May 10-11/2025
Iranian Regime's Trojan Horse "Civilian Use" Lie on Nuclear
Weapons
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 10, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143172/
Any deal that permits Iran to keep centrifuges spinning, continue uranium
enrichment, or store nuclear material is a deal that guarantees a future
nuclear-armed Iran. We cannot afford a disastrous "JCPOA, the Sequel."
Now, after President Trump's return, the world is watching to see whether the
United States really has the backbone to compel Iran completely to dismantle its
nuclear weapons infrastructure – or actually to deliver the alternative.
The Iranian regime is not to be trusted. Its so-called "civilian" nuclear
program is a Trojan horse, a fraud designed to keep the West paralyzed. There
have to be no more talks, no more half-measures, no more inspectors playing cat
and mouse with a regime that lies to their faces with impunity. The only
acceptable outcome is either full dismantlement -- no centrifuges and enriched
uranium for "civilian use", no secret sites -- or unfortunately, the less pretty
"Plan B," if Trump and his administration are to have any credibility.
Any deal that permits Iran to keep centrifuges spinning, continue uranium
enrichment, or store nuclear material is a deal that guarantees a future
nuclear-armed Iran. We cannot afford a disastrous "JCPOA, the Sequel."
For more than two decades, the Iranian regime has played a dangerous and
calculated game of deception with the West by skillfully masking its nuclear
ambitions under the pretense of "civilian use." This is not a new tactic — it's
a time-tested playbook used by rogue regimes to buy time, mislead international
watchdogs, and continue marching in the shadows toward nuclear weapons and the
missiles to them.
Tehran has manipulated global diplomacy by leveraging Western naivety and its
obsession with appeasement and the search for "peace" to keep all the core
elements of its nuclear program intact.
While negotiations and deals were struck in the name of "peace," Iran preserved
and advanced the infrastructure necessary to build nuclear bombs. Preserving its
nuclear programs by proliferating secret sites under the deceitful banner of
civilian energy has allowed the regime to reap the benefits of economic deals
while continuing to lie and manipulate.
US President Donald J. Trump recently signaled a willingness to allow Iran a
"civilian" nuclear program. This is a mind-bogglingly dangerous compromise that
would only serve to catapult Iran's nuclear ambitions into existence. Trump's
negotiating team must recognize that this is not diplomacy — it is surrender
under the illusion of progress. It is being fooled in order not to return to
Washington looking empty-handed.
Let us be honest: Iran does not need nuclear energy. This is a country sitting
on some of the largest reserves of oil and natural gas in the entire world. If
Iran needs energy for civilian purposes, it has enough oil for its domestic
needs to be the cheapest in the world. Instead, Iran is insisting on developing
and enriching uranium — a process that is expensive, technologically complex,
and totally unnecessary for energy needs in a nation overflowing with oil as its
primary natural resource.
The request alone should set off alarm bells. The only purpose for an Iranian
nuclear program of any kind is to develop the capability to produce nuclear
weapons. The longer the US allows Iran to prolong this charade, the closer the
regime gets to its ultimate goal: joining the ranks of nuclear-armed rogue
states and using that power to intimidate, attack, and dominate the region.
Even the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has often bent over backwards
to give Iran the benefit of the doubt, has confirmed that Iran is enriching
uranium to 60% purity—a level absurdly beyond what is needed for civilian energy
use and weeks close to the 90% threshold required for nuclear weapons. There is
no legitimate, peaceful explanation for this level of enrichment. Iran continues
to stonewall inspectors, hide facilities, and test ballistic missiles — all
while claiming it has no intention of building a bomb. These are not the actions
of a peaceful government. These are the moves of a dictatorship that has gulled
many negotiators most of the time while it inched ever closer to its nuclear
weapons breakout while laughing behind the scenes at a West too afraid or too
foolish to stop them.
Despite mountains of evidence, the international response has been pathetic;
Over and over again, the world — especially under weak, liberal leadership — has
settled for deals that leave the core infrastructure of Iran's nuclear program
untouched. Under the Obama administration's JCPOA, Iran was allowed to keep its
centrifuges, its enriched uranium stockpile, and its ballistic missile
development programs. The deal was not a victory for peace — it was a
time-buying scam that not only enabled but legitimized Iran's nuclear progress.
Now, after President Trump's return, the world is watching to see whether the
United States really has the backbone to compel Iran completely to dismantle its
nuclear weapons infrastructure – or actually to deliver the alternative.
Any deal that permits Iran to keep centrifuges spinning, continue uranium
enrichment, or store nuclear material is a deal that guarantees a future
nuclear-armed Iran. We cannot afford a disastrous "JCPOA, the Sequel."
The stakes are not only about the existence of Israel or the United Stares,
which for more than 40 years the regime has been threatening to destroy. Iran
will unleash the threat of "annihilation or submission" across the Middle East,
as well as unlimited nuclear arms races among the countries that feel
threatened. Gulf states, sensibly terrified by the prospect of Iranian nuclear
dominance, will not wait for America's notoriously vacillating promises of
protection. Those nations will seek their own nuclear weapons. The message is
simple: if the U.S. cannot stop Iran, countries of the region will arm
themselves. That will mean a nuclear arms race across one of the most volatile,
conflict-ridden parts of the world. Imagine a Middle East where not only Iran,
but multiple countries, possess nuclear weapons. War will be more likely than
ever.
If the Trump administration fails either to dismantle or destroy Iran's nuclear
infrastructure now — fully, permanently, and without compromise — it will be
remembered as the moment America surrendered its status as a global superpower.
The enemies of freedom — Putin, Xi, Khamenei and others — are watching. They are
probing for weakness. If they see that Washington under Trump willing to accept
another bogus deal or tolerate Iran's lies in the name of diplomacy, they will
know that the era of America as the world's leading superpower is over.
If Trump and his team end up talking tough and then signing a weak deal and
walking away while Iran continues harboring a nuclear program in secret, Trump's
legacy as a tough, America-first leader will effectively be over.
The Iranian regime is not to be trusted. Its so-called "civilian" nuclear
program is a Trojan horse, a fraud designed to keep the West paralyzed. There
have to be no more talks, no more half-measures, no more inspectors playing cat
and mouse with a regime that lies to their faces with impunity. The only
acceptable outcome is either full dismantlement -- no centrifuges and enriched
uranium for "civilian use", no secret sites -- or unfortunately, the less pretty
"Plan B," if Trump and his administration are to have any credibility.
Now is the time for courage. The Trump administration, supported by leaders like
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff need to act with the
resolve of a Ronald Reagan, not the weakness of the presidents who succeeded
him. Iran's nuclear program must not be coddled, but crushed.
**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/21607/iran-lies-nuclear-weapons
The Iranian Nuclear Project: A Reading into its Initial
Stages, the Eras it Went Through, its Current Status, and its Future Under the
Trump Administration
Colonel Charbel Barakat/May 10, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143177/
On March 5, 1957, the Shah announced Iran’s nuclear program as part of
Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” project. Subsequently, the Tehran Nuclear
Research Center was established in 1967, equipped by the United States with a
5-megawatt research reactor. Iran signed the “Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons” in 1968, granting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
the right to monitor and verify the nuclear program starting in 1970.
The Shah envisioned that oil resources might deplete, making it crucial for Iran
to catch up with the development in nuclear energy, especially since it
possessed uranium reserves within its territories that could be utilized in the
Saghand region. Plans were made to construct the first power plant in Bushehr to
supply the city of Shiraz with nuclear power in 1975, with several European
countries contributing to this project.
However, with the fall of the Shah in 1979, work on the nuclear program halted
as the United States ceased supplying Iran with enriched uranium. This situation
persisted until 1988, when the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission
signed an agreement with Iran to supply it with enriched uranium, which did not
materialize until 1993 due to American opposition, despite the Iranians having
begun attempts in 1981 to resume work on the suspended program.
During the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi army bombed the Bushehr reactor, causing
significant damage. However, starting in the early 1990s, the Russians formed a
joint research organization with the Iranians called “Persepolis,” providing
them with Russian nuclear energy experts during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin,
after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In 2002, the establishment of two new nuclear energy sites in Natanz and Arak
was announced. Following the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Mohammad Khatami
presented a “grand bargain” proposal through Switzerland concerning the Iranian
nuclear program and withdrawal from supporting Hamas and Hezbollah in exchange
for security guarantees from the United States and the normalization of
diplomatic relations. However, President Bush’s administration rejected it,
considering it a non-serious maneuver, even though the discussion had the
blessing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Subsequently, on October 21 of
the same year, Iran agreed to cooperate with the IAEA after a visit by a
delegation of foreign ministers from Britain, France, and Germany to resolve
issues related to the nuclear project through what was called the “Tehran
Declaration,” in which it agreed to allow the IAEA to monitor the nuclear
program and halt enrichment.
However, Iran did not adhere to its commitments and violated agreements multiple
times, failing to inform the IAEA about its import of uranium from China or its
enrichment activities, which the IAEA described as part of a “pattern of
concealment” in its report of November 15, 2004. Throughout 2005, problems
between the IAEA and Iran increased regarding numerous violations, especially
after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in Iran, prompting the IAEA, after a
vote on February 4, 2006, to decide to refer the issue to the Security Council.
On April 11, 2006, Iranian President Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had
successfully enriched uranium, stating on television that Iran had joined the
nuclear states club and had succeeded in enriching uranium to 3.5% using more
than 100 centrifuges. On April 13, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said
that the Security Council should take strong steps to stop Iran from proceeding
with its nuclear ambitions. Ahmadinejad responded that Iran would not hold any
talks with anyone about its right to enrich uranium.
From this point, Iran, besieged by the nuclear issue, had to seek a way out on
the international stage. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, with
the assistance of Imad Mughniyeh, implemented a decision to kidnap Israeli
soldiers from within Israeli territory near the Lebanese border. This led to the
“If I Knew” war, which began in July 2006 and resulted in the destruction of
villages in southern Lebanon and the killing of approximately 2,000 of its
inhabitants, with the aim of diverting international public opinion from the
Iranian nuclear issue to focusing on resolving the urgent problem in Lebanon.
Throughout 2007, the Security Council issued seven resolutions under Chapter VII
concerning Iran. Subsequently, annual reports continued to be issued, calling on
Iran to allow the IAEA to monitor its activities. In 2012, the IAEA requested
permission to visit the Parchin military site, which was found to have a large
explosion containment vessel constructed for hydromechanical experiments related
to nuclear weapons, but was denied access. In its 2013 report, Iran had 12,699
centrifuges operating at the Natanz site, as well as at the Fordow site near
Qom, increasing its enrichment capacity by 47% compared to the 2012 report.
Iran’s determination to proceed with the nuclear project was evident in its
distraction of the United States in the war it ignited within Iraq through
al-Qaeda groups, which had sought refuge there after the Afghanistan war and
drained American forces. This led to the failure of President Bush’s policy
domestically and facilitated the rise of President Obama to power in the 2008
elections. Subsequently, Obama gradually withdrew from Iraq, allowing the
Revolutionary Guard to enter and control the Iraqi arena later. During his
second term, Obama’s policy reached towards Syria, directly linking the Lebanese
arena to the borders of the Hebrew state, in implementation of the “export of
revolution” theory launched by Ayatollah Khomeini, which encompasses the entire
Middle East from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to Yemen in the south, while
regaining control over the eastern shore of the Persian Gulf.
In 2013, Hassan Rouhani succeeded Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the Iranian president.
He had served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005.
According to a Reuters report published in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas on
June 19, 2013, more than a month before his election, he had admitted to
concealing his country’s nuclear program. On that day, he said, “When Pakistan
obtained the atomic bomb and Brazil began enriching uranium, the world started
working with them,” referring to the thinking of the Iranian political class,
which in essence was, “The world will eventually accept dealing with us if we
acquire nuclear capability.” Subsequently, President Obama and the P5+1 signed
an agreement with Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland, regarding its nuclear program
after two years of negotiations in 2015. The condition was Iran’s commitment to
peaceful enrichment, i.e., a rate of 3.67%, along with other detailed matters.
In return, economic sanctions on Iran would be lifted.
With the arrival of President Trump in the White House in 2016, talk began about
the 2015 nuclear deal being unacceptable. Concerns in Middle Eastern countries
had already started before the signing, with dissatisfaction emerging over
Iran’s acquisition of nuclear capability in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, and the rest of the neighboring countries. These nations feared
Iranian expansionism, manifested in the proxies operating in all these countries
to destabilize and undermine security, as had occurred in Bahrain, the Saudi
Qatif, and before that in Yemen, then Syria, Iraq, and of course, Lebanon. This
was before Iran possessed nuclear capabilities, so how would it be if it did
acquire them? However, the greatest fear was in Israel, whose Prime Minister
Netanyahu declared that it would not allow another Holocaust and that the
Iranian nuclear project would be a dangerous omen for the future of the Jewish
people there. The fear of the Iranian threat led to talks between Arab countries
and Israel, resulting in an understanding about the future of relations and
cooperation in what were called the Abraham Accords, which was a positive step
for the region.
President Trump halted the implementation of the agreement concluded during
Obama’s term throughout his presidency in 2018 and reinstated some sanctions on
Iran. However, President Biden, who succeeded him four years later, attempted to
reverse the escalation and appease Iran, which had accelerated its threatening
projects in the field of enrichment capabilities. Today, after President Trump’s
success in the recent elections, we face new negotiations regarding the Iranian
nuclear program, which has been surrounded by many changes on the ground,
especially after the war Iran orchestrated in Gaza and Lebanon. Its proxies have
been largely eliminated, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, or Yemen today, particularly
with the fall of its biggest ally, President Assad in Syria. Its arteries
towards the Mediterranean and Israel’s borders have been severed, and threats to
strike its nuclear facilities inside Iran have begun if it does not adhere to
the rules President Trump wants it to abide by. Negotiations are now underway
between the two sides, with all of Iran’s shrewdness and attempts to evade
commitment, while the Israeli and American hammer tries to eliminate the
remnants of its proxies and forces it to reduce its projects of control and
expansion beyond its borders.
Will the world witness a rational bowing of the Iranians that leads to accepting
the dismantling of the centrifuge and enrichment centers established in Iran and
settling for a program whose maximum limit does not exceed the need for peaceful
nuclear programs, i.e., 3.67% enrichment? Or will things move towards a
confrontation in which the mullahs’ regime pays the price for its expansionist
role in the region, allowing the Iranian people to get rid of their butchers who
have impoverished them and dragged them into wars they have no part in, so that
Iran stabilizes and returns to weaving normal relations with neighboring
countries, instead of that expansionist superiority it has practiced since
Khomeini’s success in overthrowing the Shah nearly half a century ago?
Colonel Charbel Barakat
***Colonel Charbel Barakat, a retired Lebanese Army officer, historian,
terrorism expert, and author of numerous works on Lebanon, the Iranian regime’s
schemes, and jihadist movements, has testified multiple times before the U.S.
Congress on critical issues, including Iranian and Syrian terrorism, the Syrian
occupation of Lebanon, jihadist threats, and the pursuit of Middle East peace.
A new pope for unity, peace, and coexistence
Rafael Hernández de Santiago/Arab News/May 10, 2025
The election of Pope Leo XIV marks a decisive moment of renewal for the Catholic
Church. It is not a return to nostalgia, but a living rediscovery of its deepest
identity: to be a missionary Church, always going forth, always in dialogue,
always listening to the cries of the world, and responding with humility, joy,
and hope.From his first words, Leo has expressed a clear desire to return to what is
essential: the simplicity of the Gospel, the centrality of Christ, and a
commitment to the poor and forgotten. He seeks neither power nor prestige, but
witness. And that witness has been shaped over a life marked by mission, study,
service, and communion.
This missionary spirit is not a mere theoretical stance — it is something Pope
Leo embodies. His very identity reflects the universality of the Church: he is
the first US citizen and the first citizen of Peru to be elected pope, shaped by
the Americas, Spain, Italy, and France. He belongs to many cultures and yet is
not bound to any one nation. In him, the Catholic Church reclaims its name in
the truest sense: a Church for all, not defined by borders or flags, but by
Christ alone. His background speaks silently but powerfully of a Church that
excludes no one and walks alongside all peoples.
Before his election, Leo was Superior General of the Order of Saint Augustine.
Deeply rooted in the spiritual and intellectual legacy of Saint Augustine of
Hippo, he helped revitalize the order with a renewed focus on contemplative
interiority, fraternal life, and service to the peripheries. Under his
leadership, the Augustinians became a quiet but bold presence in universities,
in impoverished neighborhoods, and in areas of conflict — living out the
Augustinian conviction that the heart is restless until it rests in God.
His years in Peru were formative, offering firsthand experience of both deep
poverty and vibrant popular faith. There, he worked among indigenous
communities, urban poor, and young intellectuals alike. He listened before
preaching, learned before teaching, and walked humbly among those who bore the
marks of Christ in their suffering. From the Andes to the Amazon, his ministry
in Peru taught him the language of compassion and the wisdom of the margins.
As bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, a diocese modest in size but rich in Christian
history, Leo displayed remarkable pastoral sensitivity and moral clarity. He
strengthened local communities through social outreach, promoted dialogue with
other faiths, and supported initiatives that placed the dignity of the worker at
the center of Church engagement. It was no surprise, then, that upon his
election, he referenced “Rerum novarum,” or “Of revolutionary change,” the
landmark encyclical of Pope Leo XIII issued 134 years ago next week — a timely
reminder that the Church must speak prophetically about justice.
Pope Leo has extended a hand of friendship to the Islamic world and to the
Eastern churches ... he speaks not of confrontation but of hope.
Like Leo XIII, Pope Leo XIV does not fear the truth. He addresses the
inequalities and injustices of the global economy with clarity and conviction.
He speaks of the suffering of migrants, of workers without protections, of
families crushed by economic systems that favor profit over human dignity. For
him, the Church’s social teaching is not a footnote to the Gospel — it is an
expression of it. In speaking truth with love, he reminds us that charity and
justice must go hand in hand. It is no small providence that on Feb. 6 Pope Leo
was assigned the suburbicarian see of Albano, in Rome — the same seat once held
by Leo XIII, linking their pontificates across time in a shared vision of truth,
justice, and renewal.
But his vision does not stop with Latin America. Since his election, Pope Leo
has extended a hand of friendship to the Islamic world and to the Eastern
churches. He speaks not of confrontation but of hope; not of fear but of peace.
He recognizes the deep spiritual heritage of Islam and expresses sincere respect
for its worship of the one God. He understands the Eastern churches not as
fragments, but as treasures — with traditions and insights that the Roman Church
must embrace to truly breathe with both lungs, as Pope John Paul II once said.
This is not a pope who desires to homogenize the Church or the world. Rather, he
seeks to reconcile, to foster fraternity, to build a future where differences
are not threats but bridges. He envisions real encounters — beyond mere protocol
— where truth is spoken and received in love, and where wounds can begin to heal
through trust and grace. In many ways, Pope Leo represents a return to the
beginning: a Church that is small, poor, brave, and passionately in love with
Christ. Yet at the same time, he opens new paths into the future: a Church that
walks with every people and nation, that speaks the language of the heart, and
that dares to hope.
This is not regression. It is rediscovery. And only a Church that remembers
where it came from can truly flourish again. Like his namesake, Leo XIV steps
into history not to preserve comfort, but to stir conscience, drawing from the
wellspring of Saint Augustine, who reminds us: “In essentials, unity; in
non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” And as Augustine also said:
“Do not desert the road of humility if you wish to reach the eternal heights.”
It is along that humble, missionary road that Pope Leo now leads the Church —
toward unity, peace, and coexistence through dialogue and hope.
• Rafael Hernandez de Santiago, Viscount of Espes, is a Spanish national who
lives in Saudi Arabia and works at the Gulf Research Center.
Pope Leo XIV embodies the power of love, not the love of power
Wadie Abunassar/Arab News/May 10, 2025
Last Thursday, the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost
as the new pope, succeeding Pope Francis, who died on April 21. The new pope
chose the name Leo XIV, inspired by his predecessors who bore the same name and
by the symbolic meanings associated with it, which are worth reflecting on.The name “Leo” means “lion.” However, this lion does not represent worldly
power, but the power of love — following the example of Jesus Christ, the
founder and greatest teacher of the church.
It is believed that the new pope chose this name in honor of Pope Leo I, who in
452 met Attila the Hun, the invader of Europe who terrified the Roman emperor.
The pope met him without armies and persuaded him not to attack Rome.
Others believe he was inspired by Pope Leo XIII, famous for his encyclical Rerum
Novarum, issued on May 16, 1891 — a significant document defending the rights of
the working class, which was suffering from exploitation and serious challenges
at that time.Some people fear the new pope because he is American. But this fear
is rooted in superficial analysis. First, it generalizes Americans in a way that
is detached from reality. Second, it overlooks the fact that the elected pope
left the US and served for more than 25 years in Peru, South America, far from
his homeland, dedicating himself to the weak and marginalized.
Notably, in his first speech from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he did
not speak in English or refer to his American roots. Instead, he spoke in
Spanish, addressing the diocese he once led in Peru.
The new pope said in his speech that he is an Augustinian, meaning he belongs to
the Augustinian order, named after St. Augustine, who lived in North Africa
(354–430). A core principle of this order is sharing what you have with others —
unlike many political leaders today, who not only hoard what they have but also
seek to take what belongs to others.
It is worth noting that the new pope was elected relatively quickly, in the
third round of voting by the College of Cardinals and less than 30 hours after
the conclave began. This reflects the strong confidence he enjoyed among the
cardinals, having secured more than two-thirds of their votes.
This may be attributed to his positive reputation during his service in Peru and
his work alongside Pope Francis over the past three years as head of the
Congregation for Bishops.
The pope aims to promote reconciliation — building bridges with and among all
people.Many wrongly see the pope as merely a head of state. This is a common
misconception among politicians who expect the pope to support one side over
another or align with a political faction. Though he leads the smallest state in
the world, the pope is primarily the shepherd of the largest spiritual body on
earth, the Catholic Church.
So, it is inaccurate to focus solely on the Vatican when discussing the pope.
The Vatican is simply the seat of the pope, who leads the Holy See, which holds
spiritual authority over more than 1.3 billion people.
Most of the popes’ positions and actions stem from their pastoral role, not from
political motivations. Though historical context and politics have an influence,
the vast majority of popes have aimed to emulate Christ, each with their own
approach and personality.
I advise anyone looking for a mere “employee” in the pope to look elsewhere. The
pope cannot endorse wrongdoing or stay silent in the face of injustice,
especially in a world increasingly ruled by narcissistic and populist leaders
who endanger not only their people but also global stability.
Pope Leo XIV chose two words as his motto: “Hope and Reconciliation.” In an age
of turmoil, hope still lives. Like Christ, he wishes to offer hope to those
walking in darkness and living in fear and anxiety. He also aims to promote
reconciliation — building bridges with and among all people, fulfilling Christ’s
desire that we love one another as we love ourselves.
I pray to the Almighty to support the pope in his new mission and grant him
success for the good of all people, especially the faithful — that he may face
all challenges with the power of love, not the love of power, which is glorified
by the wicked and, sadly, by some people as well.
• Wadie Abunassar is the Coordinator of the Holy Land Christian Forum, a group
of Christian laity that works for empowering the Christian presence in the holy
land and promoting closer ties with all components of the local society.
New EU roadmap resets energy relationship with Russia
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/May 10, 2025
US President Donald Trump had pledged previously to find a solution to the
Ukraine war within 24 hours of assuming office. Yet, more than 100 days into his
second term, the conflict continues, with no end in sight and key players in
Europe now planning for a potentially “long game” ahead.
This development coincides with the 25th anniversary on Wednesday of Vladimir
Putin’s first election win as Russian president. A quarter of a century on,
Putin’s rule looks likely to continue into the medium term at least, even if his
hold on power sometimes seems fragile. He may even break Joseph Stalin’s record
of around three decades in office during the time of the Soviet Union.
In this context, and with uncertainty over US policy, despite the recently
agreed US-Ukraine minerals deal, Europe is planning with a longer-term horizon.
Not only might the Ukraine war endure for months, possibly even years, there is
also a possibility that Putin could remain Russian president into the 2030s.
Since European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began her second
five-year term in December, some key decisions on Russia have been repeatedly
postponed. Most notably, a plan to end all Russian energy imports to the EU by
2027 was delayed twice this year before its eventual release on Tuesday.
The plan’s release this week may, therefore, prove hugely important. European
Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgenson said “no more will we permit Russia to
weaponize energy against us. No more will we allow our member states to be
blackmailed. No more will we indirectly help fill up the war chest in the
Kremlin.”He highlighted that last year EU countries still paid about €23 billion
($26 billion) to Russia for energy. Moreover, so far in 2025, the EU has
imported over €5 billion of Russian energy, according to the Center for
Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Key measures and time frames, in what is now intended as a big last push to end
the bloc’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels and nuclear materials, are very
ambitious in the period to 2027. The plan rests heavily on the EU’s political
will, and this will be fortified with several legislative proposals for
implementation in coming months.Monitoring and enforcement of measures will also be stepped up with EU
legislation, which will be adopted by qualified majority voting, not unanimity
which would give outsized power to states with sympathy to Moscow, including
Hungary. There will also be new rules to improve traceability and transparency
of Russian energy flows.
Much progress has been made since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
One of the key policies that will help reduce European dependence on Russia is
increasing energy supplies from the Middle East. Since 2022, for instance, 22
European energy deals have been announced with the UAE, 11 with Qatar, four with
Saudi Arabia and two with Oman.
To be sure, much progress has already been made since Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine. This includes the RePowerEU plan by scaling up use of clean energy,
while also saving on energy consumption. This has helped generate, at times,
more EU-wide electricity from wind and solar sources than from gas.
Even within a year of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia had lost its mantle
as the biggest energy supplier to the EU. Moreover, the bloc has since reduced
by two-thirds its dependence on Russian pipeline gas plus ended imports of the
country’s seaborne oil and coal.
However, there has not been close to a clean break yet, hence the perceived need
in Brussels for Tuesday’s plan. The repeated delays to the eventually released
document have been slammed by critics. For instance, MEP Beata Szydło even
asserted that the postponements were “reached without proper inter-service
consultation, and even without the participation of DG ENER management.”
Fast forward from December, and the timing on Tuesday’s announcement coincides
with renewed interest in Russian pipeline gas. This includes speculation that
the Trump team in Washington might lift sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
and other Russian energy initiatives transporting energy to Europe.
So Jorgenson is right that the new roadmap is “not without consequences” and
will need to be delivered “in a coordinated way” across the EU. Policy success
will be a key test now of the second von der Leyen commission’s political will,
while balancing this with much wider strategic goals. This includes an EU desire
not to become over-reliant on any other single energy supplier, including the
US, which, under the Trump administration, is perceived by many in the bloc to
have become a less reliable ally.
There are also wider, key strategic issues. First, a renewed mega-priority for
the commission is enhancing economic competitiveness, including via cheaper
energy costs. Gas prices in Europe are often multiples of those in the US. Yet,
the new plan will completely cut off access to potentially significantly cheaper
Russian energy, at least as long as Putin stays in office.
While Putin holds the reins, which seems possible now till at least the 2030
Russian presidential election, Moscow will be seen by much of Europe as a pariah
state. Of course, this could change dramatically if a new, reforming,
pro-Western leadership comes into power. However, some significant EU sanctions
against Russia may remain for as long as Putin remains in the Kremlin, even if
the Ukraine war ends. Before Russia invaded, Western sanctions were already in
place for violations of international law, including the 2014 annexation of
Crimea.
• Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Israel’s front with Syria might prove to be one of many
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/May 10, 2025
Ever since Israel gained its independence, the country’s strategists have warned
against multifront wars and, worse, ones that drag on for a long time. The need
for decisive and short military campaigns derives from the military’s reliance
mainly on reservists and volunteers, hence for economic and social reasons it
does not have the “luxury” of engaging in a prolonged war, especially for a
small nation.
The Israel Defense Forces — a “people’s army” of conscripts and reservists —
also requires a high level of consensus regarding the objectives of a war and
the means employed, something that the current Israeli government hardly enjoys
among its people. Moreover, being territorially small and having little
strategic depth, where population centers and strategic assets are close to its
borders, is also a source of vulnerability that creates a certain security
mindset.
Israel has now been embroiled in a multifront war, with some fronts more active
than others, for more than 18 months, while the conflict with the Houthis, and
by extension Iran, is heating up again, and there is tense anticipation of a
full-scale assault on Gaza that will have horrific consequences. However, the
front with Syria stands out. Unlike Gaza, Lebanon, or even Yemen, there was no
initial act of aggression by Damascus before Israel took a unilateral step to
take swaths of Syrian land beyond that part of the Golan Heights already
occupied since 1967, in addition to its use of excessive military force
following last December’s revolution which toppled the regime of Syria’s
dictator Bashar Assad.
Since the 2011 uprising in Syria and the ensuing deadly conflict there, Israel
has operated quite freely in Syria, mainly attacking convoys of weapons and
ammunition from Iran on their way to Hezbollah in Lebanon and their depots in
Syria, and targeting Hezbollah and Iranian military personnel who were propping
up the Assad regime until its downfall. Ostensibly the end of the previous
regime in Syria should have been a source of relief for Israel, especially as it
came hard on the heels of Israel’s actions that substantially reduced the
military capabilities of Hezbollah in Lebanon and decimated its leadership in
the autumn of last year, and the end of the Tehran-friendly regime in Damascus.
After all, for years Israel had been concerned over the continuing presence of
Iran and its proxies close to its borders. This is no longer the case now that
Hamas and Hezbollah’s military capabilities have been so badly hit, and with the
change of leadership in Damascus the weapons-supply lifeline to Hezbollah in
Lebanon has been cut, creating a buffer zone between Israel and its number one
regional enemy.
However, the change of leadership in Syria brought to power Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
This is a source of concern for Israel, which took the decision to use military
power to capture land from the new government, not as retaliation for any
hostile act but as a “down payment” to deter a leadership that might or might
not be hostile. Thus far there has been no suggestion that Syria is abrogating
the 1974 disengagement agreement that kept this border quiet. However, it was
Israel that was first to violate the armistice agreement by immediately taking
control of more than 400 sq. km of land that according to the post-1973 war
agreement was a demilitarized buffer zone deep inside Syrian territory.
Security is not the only reason for Israel’s aggressive policies toward Syria.
Initially, the Israeli government claimed that this was a temporary measure,
although any observer of Israel’s past behavior in these circumstances knows
that the notion “temporary” is relative and can mean any length of time. Not
only has the Israeli military set up watchtowers there, along with prefabricated
housing modules, roads, and communication infrastructure — in other words
military outposts — but Israel’s defense minister has said that the Israeli
forces are “prepared to stay in Syria for an unlimited amount of time” to ensure
Israel’s security.
Israel, like many others in the region, has legitimate concerns about what kind
of country Syria will become after Assad, considering that the main armed group
to lead the revolution has emerged from the remnants of Jabhat Al-Nusra,
Al-Qaeda’s former Syrian branch. Unfortunately the Israel of post-Oct. 7 has
only one modus operandi, and it is the use of excessive military force, which
antagonizes even those countries that do not necessarily harbor ill intentions
toward it.
Admittedly, there are genuine worries for the safety of minorities and the
prospect of sectarian violence by the rebels who overthrew Assad, especially
against the Alawite minority, but also against Christians, Druze, and Kurds,
which is inexcusable. Yet, when Israel is bombing targets in Syria — and last
week it hit locations close to Syria’s presidential palace, claiming the strike
to be a warning to the government to protect the Druze minority — we are
entitled to suspect that it is exploiting the predicament of the Druze as a
justification for making the temporary presence of its military deep in Syria a
permanent fixture and to establish a Druze buffer zone, possibly an autonomous
one, on the border with Israel.
Considering Israel’s complete disregard for the lives and human rights of
Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, the Netanyahu government’s claim that
its military actions in Syria are those of a defender of a minority in another
country is bound to be greeted with at least some degree of skepticism, despite
the unquestionable special relations between the Druze community in Israel and
the state, being the only minority that agreed to mandatory military service as
part of its integration into Israeli society.
This still did not give the Druze any dispensation by the controversially racist
Nation State law of 2018, which excludes minorities and omits equality for all,
despite the more than 500 of them who have died while serving in the security
forces in the years since Israel’s independence. With a government led by a
cynical prime minister, and too many ministers with expansionist dreams and who
are even willing to sacrifice its hostages in Gaza after they failed to protect
them on Oct. 7, there is justified suspicion that security is not the only
reason for Israel’s aggressive policies toward Syria.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg
Bread and power: North Africa’s looming food crisis
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/May 10, 2025
For decades, governments in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya have clung to a
simple formula for stability: Keep bread affordable at any cost. In the
post-independence decades, regimes poured oil revenues and public funds into
massive subsidies, fixing the price of flatbread and flour at mere cents. This
“bread-for-quiet” social contract became a pillar of political governance.
In Algiers, a baguette still costs about $0.10 thanks to heavy state subsidies —
a ruinous legacy of leaders who understood that hungry citizens could quickly
become angry citizens. The strategy succeeded in the short term. Even during
wars and uprisings elsewhere, North African populations were mostly insulated
from outright famine or food riots. The region’s rulers ensured supermarket
shelves stayed stocked and staple foods remained within reach. But that apparent
success masked a deeper failure to build anything resembling resilient food
governance systems.
Authoritarian and centralized governance structures have maintained food access
on paper, but often by brute force of spending rather than sound planning.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, many North African states devoted around 5-6
percent of gross domestic product to food and fuel subsidies — a huge fiscal
burden justified as the cost of social peace. Dissent was managed through cheap
calories instead of democratic voice.
Yet, this top-down approach bred complacency and neglect. As regimes fixated on
urban consumers and import supply chains, they paid scant attention to rural
development. Small farmers were left to toil with aging irrigation canals and
little support, and agricultural innovation stagnated. In Tunisia, decades of
urban-first policies drove many youth away from farming; today nearly half of
Tunisian farm laborers are over the age of 60, a grim indicator of a graying
countryside.
Similar trends are visible in Algeria and Morocco, where younger generations see
no future in tilling the soil. The implicit deal — autocratic governments
providing food security in exchange for political quiescence — has proven hollow
in the long run. The fields are full, but the farms are failing.
North Africa’s addiction to imported food is an open secret and a dangerous
Achilles’ heel. More than half of the calories consumed across the Maghreb come
from beyond the region’s borders. Wheat from France, sunflower oil from Ukraine,
sugar from Brazil — the daily meals of Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, and
Libyans are entwined with global supply chains and volatile commodity markets.
This dependence hardly mattered when world prices were low and foreign exchange
was plentiful. But those conditions are vanishing. When drought and geopolitics
upended grain markets in 2022 North African governments were forced to dig deep
into their coffers. That year, Morocco’s worst harvest in decades caused its
cereal output to plummet by over 60 percent, and the entire region had to import
an estimated 51 million tons of cereals to make up the shortfall.
North African countries have talked up grand schemes but progress is slow.
Even oil-rich Algeria felt the squeeze. Algeria consumes roughly 11 million tons
of wheat a year, but grows only a quarter of that on its own soil. The rest must
be purchased abroad, its cost covered by fickle oil and gas revenues. As energy
prices fluctuate and Algeria’s currency weakens, it hampers the government’s
ability to absorb the cost of bread for 45 million. With each dinar devaluation,
imported wheat becomes pricier and the subsidy bill swells. These fiscal cracks
put regimes in a bind: do they dip into dwindling foreign reserves to uphold the
social contract of cheap food, or do they risk an uprising by letting prices
rise?
Underlying this fragility is a deeper environmental and generational crisis in
North African agriculture. The region’s farmlands are literally drying up. North
Africa is one of the driest areas on Earth, and climate change is hitting it
with a sledgehammer. Year after year, temperatures break records and rainfall
grows more erratic. By last summer, reservoirs in parts of Tunisia fell to less
than one-fifth of their capacity, forcing authorities to start rationing water
to households overnight.
Morocco and Algeria have faced successive droughts that turned once-fertile
plains into dust bowls. In Morocco’s once-lush Middle Atlas region, farmers
watch as shrinking snowpacks and erratic rains decimate their harvests; the
country’s ambitious irrigation projects and “Green Morocco” agricultural plan
have struggled to keep pace with the sheer scale of water scarcity. Poor water
management has compounded the pain — decades of over-extraction from aquifers,
inefficient irrigation, and neglect of water infrastructure mean that precious
winter rain often evaporates unused. Now climate models project yet another
brutally hot year ahead, raising fears of a new cycle of crop failures. This
ecological stress intersects with a demographic time-bomb on the farms. Because
government policies historically devalued farming as a livelihood, young people
in Algeria, Tunisia, and beyond have steadily abandoned rural life for the
cities, the civil sector or going abroad. Those who remain tilling the land are
aging fast. The sight of a 70-year-old farmer working alone in his field is no
longer unusual.
In Tunisia, the median age of farmers has drifted upward into the senior years,
leaving fewer energetic hands to adapt to climate challenges or adopt new
techniques. When the old farmers age out, who will replace them? The danger is
that local food production capacity simply withers away through attrition, even
as climate change makes it ever harder to grow crops.
Meanwhile, North African countries have talked up grand schemes — Algeria speaks
of “greening” the Sahara with new farms, Morocco experiments with
drought-tolerant grain varieties, but progress is slow and often superficial.
The hard truth is that it is easier for leaders to import shiploads of wheat
than to undertake the politically thankless work of overhauling irrigation
systems, land policies, and rural investment.
But that easy path is now leading to a dead end, and the signs of strain are
everywhere. The politics of food in North Africa is fast approaching a dangerous
precipice. The old bargain of authoritarian stability in exchange for guaranteed
bread is unraveling under the weight of climate change and economic reality.
If governments in Algiers, Rabat, Tunis, and Tripoli cannot pivot from emergency
measures to genuine reform, they risk a future where they can no longer afford
to feed their people who, in turn, can no longer afford to wait. The cost of
failure will be measured not just in import bills or inflation percentages, but
in upheaval on the streets and empty villages left behind. In a region where
bread has always been political, it may soon become the very currency of
survival — or revolt.
• Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa
Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.
X: @HafedAlGhwell