English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 14/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The loaves and two fish Miracle: Jesus took the
loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were
seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
John 06/01-15: "After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee,
also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they
saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat
down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was
near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to
Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’He said this to test
him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.Philip answered him, ‘Six
months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’One
of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy
here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many
people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of
grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus
took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who
were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied,
he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may
be lost.’So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley
loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people
saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet
who is to come into the world.’When Jesus realized that they were about to come
and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by
himself.
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 13-14/2025
Mother’s Day: The Sacredness of Giving, the Embrace of Nations, and the
Guardian of Family Unity/Elias Bejjani/May 11/2025
Dr. Youssef Touq and The Cedar Lilies Blooming/Milad Touq/Facebook/ May 13, 2025
Video Link To an Interview with Journalist Ali Hamadeh on "Al-Badeel" Platform
A Discussion Space with My Partner Back Home/Dr. Charbel Azar/Al-Liwaa
Newspaper/May 13, 2025
Lebanese PM reviews security measures at Beirut airport
Trump says US wants to help Lebanon
Trump Pledges Support for a Peaceful and Prosperous Future in Lebanon
US State Department: Supporting LAF Remains a Priority
One killed in Israeli drone strike on motorcycle in Houla
US says stability in Lebanon affects entire region
Report: Berri's advice to Hezbollah to talk to Aoun dispelled its concerns and
suspicion
Calm in Tripoli after protests, gunfire over counting of municipal poll votes
UN says Israeli forces continue to cross Lebanon border
Lebanon appoints new head of Beirut Airport
Lebanon's PM meets UK defense official, stresses need for full Israeli
withdrawal
President Aoun and PM Salam Welcome US Decision to Lift Sanctions on Syria
Municipal race heats up in Lebanon's Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel—An overview
Lebanon Is Finally on the Right Track/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This is Beirut/May
13/2025
Lebanon Border Deal Nears Under US, French and Saudi Mediation/Philippe Abi-Akl/This
is Beirut/May 13/2025
The Never-Ending Debate on the Independent Municipal Fund/Johnny Kortbawi/This
is Beirut/May 13/2025
Naim Qassem encourages voting in upcoming Lebanese municipal elections/David
Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/May 13/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 13-14/2025
Trump lays out Mideast vision as he looks to revamp US approach in Iran,
Syria and beyond/Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani And Jon Gambrell/
"Mohammed bin Salman, Trump Sign Economic Strategic Partnership Agreement/
Saudi Arabia, US Ink Largest Defense Sales Agreement in History as Trump Visits
Riyadh/
Trump in Saudi Speech Urges Iran Toward a ‘New and a Better Path’ as He Pushes
for Nuclear Deal
Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour
Saudi Arabia signs deals worth more than $300 billion with US, crown prince
confirms
Trump Says He Will Ease Sanctions on Syria, Moves to Restore Relations with New
Leader
Netanyahu says army entering Gaza 'with full force' in coming days
Hamas Rejects Netanyahu’s Claim Military Pressure Helped Secure Hostage Release
Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Insists on Face-to-Face Talks with Putin in Istanbul
PA Reportedly Halts ‘Pay-to-Slay’ Payments to More Than 1,600 Palestinian
Prisoners
Syrian president will not attend Arab summit in Baghdad after invitation
triggers divisions
Turkey says it is closely monitoring PKK disbandment to secure peace
UK High Court hears challenge to British government's role arming Israel
Netanyahu says there is ‘no way’ Israel halts the war in Gaza until Hamas is
defeated
Gaza photojournalist Hassan Aslih killed in Israeli strike on hospital
Iran says it’s open to temporary uranium enrichment limits
Uruguay’s ex-president Jose 'Pepe' Mujica dead at 89
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sourceson
on May 13-14/2025
Papal Election and Contemporary Challenges/Dr.Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is
Beirut/May 13/2025
How to Warm the Cold Peace Between Egypt and Israel/Haisam Hassanein/The
Jerusalem Strategic Tribune/May 12, 2025
Qatar Continues To Finance Terror With U.S. Consent: Will Fund Syria's New
Regime, Led By HTS Terror Organization, Just As It Funded Hamas/MEMRI/May 13,
2025
Are We Ready to Accept Our Alternative History? /Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/May
13/2025
Trump’s Visit to Saudi Arabia is Anything but Ordinary/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al Awsat/May 13/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 13-14/2025
Mother’s Day: The Sacredness of Giving, the Embrace of Nations, and the
Guardian of Family Unity
Elias Bejjani/May 11/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143234/
Every year, we celebrate Mother’s Day, a moment of reverence for the greatest
calling entrusted to a woman: motherhood. This is not just a date on the
calendar—it is a time for reflection on the mystery of boundless giving,
unconditional love, and tireless devotion. The mother is the beating heart of
the family—the pillar that links the past to the present and paves the way for
the future.
From the very first moment she holds her child, a mother embarks on a lifelong
journey of sacrifice and nurturing. With sleepless eyes and a restless heart,
she plants in her children the seeds of values, confidence, and security. A
mother’s role goes far beyond physical care; she is a moral guide, a behavioral
compass, and the silent architect of her children’s identity.
And when we look for the highest example of motherhood, our hearts and eyes turn
to the Virgin Mary, who humbly accepted the message of the Archangel Gabriel.
She embraced her divine calling, gave birth to the Lord Christ, and devoted her
life to raising the incarnate Word. Her motherhood was not ordinary—it was
adorned with patience, obedience, and total selflessness. She bore unimaginable
sorrow for the sake of humanity’s salvation.
A mother gives without waiting for anything in return. Her love forgives
endlessly. Her sleepless nights come without complaint. Her tears are hidden,
and her strength often goes unseen. She is the symbol of sacrifice, the
embodiment of unconditional love, and the living image of divine compassion on
earth. No one can carry the burdens of a child’s pain, the confusion of
adolescence, or the fatigue of a father, like a mother can. She is the living
memory of the family—the eternal embrace that never fails.
The family is more than a social unit—it is the core building block of a healthy
society. It is the first school where a human being learns to love, to respect,
to share, and to face life’s challenges. For the family to succeed in this
mission, both mother and father must dedicate their lives to their children. The
balance between fatherhood and motherhood is essential to raising generations
who are confident, grounded, and morally anchored.
Sadly, our world today is witnessing a dangerous shift. In the name of “freedom”
and “modernity,” the definition of family has been distorted in many countries.
We now see the legalization of same-sex unions—man with man, woman with
woman—and even the normalization of gender reassignment and identity confusion.
These corrupt ideas, championed by the destructive radical left, seek to
dismantle the sacred concept of family, strip societies of their values, and
produce rootless individuals with no identity or direction.
In an age of growing confusion, motherhood remains a radiant flame that never
dims. It is the secret of life’s continuity, the source of true peace in our
homes and communities. No law or ideology can erase the primal image of a child
resting peacefully in a mother’s arms. As the poet once said:
"The mother is a school—if you prepare her well, you prepare a people of noble
character."
So on Mother’s Day, let us pause to honor this sacred mission. Let us protect
its dignity and stand against all attempts to corrupt or devalue it. For where
there is motherhood, there is homeland. And without it, even nations can fall.
Dr. Youssef Touq and The Cedar Lilies Blooming
Milad Touq/Facebook/ May 13, 2025
(Freely translated from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143268/
It is unfortunate that political parties across Lebanon continue to share the
same toxic traits: unilateralism, obscurantism, and exclusion—isolating anyone
who dares to be different, and besieging those who do not submit to the blind
loyalty of party, sect, or clan.
Let us return to Dr. Youssef, whose candidacy for the municipal elections I was
among those who opposed—not out of disregard, but because I believed he was far
greater than any local position. In the end, I said, "Let it be a moral
referendum."
But what has become clear is this: the decaying machinery of obsolete political
parties is grinding down our morals, values, and humanity—dancing and singing
atop their ruins, as we all witnessed on television screens, with the excessive
display of fireworks.
For the cost of those fireworks, Youssef could have planted hundreds of cedar
trees. For the price of that so-called “victory lighting,” he could have lit
dozens of lamps on the darkened streets of Bsharri.
And so we continue to live as exiles in our own homeland—divided, fragmented,
and suffocated by societies that reek of backwardness and denial.
Every day, these parties prove they are raising slaves—like chickens in rooftop
cages—docile, dependent, and voiceless.
As for Youssef, he will continue to fulfill his humanitarian mission. Wherever
his hand touches, it will bloom with cedar lilies—a living testament to beauty,
resilience, and hope.
Video Link To an Interview with Journalist Ali Hamadeh
on "Al-Badeel" Platform
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143273/
A bold exposé of the corruption, criminality, terrorism, and Persian ideology of
Hezbollah — and a clear denunciation of the MPs and ministers who serve its
schemes, work for its agenda, and whose interests align with its goals in
regards to targeting the Central Bank Governor, enabling money laundering,
dominating the banking sector, and protecting the criminal Al-Qard Al-Hassan
network.
The interview strongly affirms that Hezbollah is Lebanon’s core problem and
calls on Nawaf Salam to toughen up, abandon his failed academic-style approach,
and learn how to act like a real statesman.
May 13, 2025
A Discussion Space with My Partner Back Home
Dr. Charbel Azar/Al-Liwaa Newspaper/May 13, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143261/
(Free Translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
We all remember the bombastic slogans from a past era—catchphrases that once
defined a regional narrative:
“The axis of resistance”
“Unity of the arenas”
“We can destroy Israel in seven minutes”
“We will strike beyond Haifa”
“We will rub America’s nose in the mud”
“Iran controls four Arab capitals, including Beirut”
“Iran has seized the Lebanese parliament with 74 seats”
“Iran commands six foreign armies in the region, the strongest being Hezbollah”
“The borders of the Islamic Republic now stretch to the Mediterranean”
“Drug trafficking is a legitimate source of funding for the resistance”
“Hezbollah must fight in Syria as a preemptive defense for Lebanon”
“Weapons protect weapons”
“One hundred thousand fighters and one hundred fifty thousand missiles”
and the infamous: “Behave.”
Today, everyone agrees that these slogans have become relics of the past—not
because of any internal Lebanese awakening, but due to dramatic geopolitical
shifts across the Middle East following the October 7, 2023, "Al-Aqsa Flood"
operation launched by Hamas, and the so-called “support and distraction” war
initiated by Hezbollah a day later in its name.
As Yemen's isolated missiles stumble toward groves near Ben Gurion
Airport—perhaps singeing a tree—the Israeli response is to set fire to the port
of Hodeidah and destroy Sanaa Airport. These retaliations have hastened the
collapse of the so-called resistance regime in Syria and sidelined Iraq’s
Popular Mobilization Forces, stripping them of much of their Iranian leverage.
We are witnessing a seismic geopolitical shift whose consequences will echo for
decades. It is now clear that the role envisioned for Iran—since Shah Reza
Pahlavi’s summons to Washington and his eventual replacement by Imam Khomeini,
who returned to Tehran aboard a Boeing 747, the pride of American industry,
flying out of Paris’s Orly Airport with American, French, British, and perhaps
other intelligence backing—has either ended or been fundamentally altered. The
unraveling of Iran’s foreign military arms is not incidental; it is proof of a
deep recalibration.
Back to the core: all the catastrophes unleashed since the “Al-Aqsa Flood” have
had nothing to do with the people of Tripoli, Bsharri, Keserwan, Chouf, Beirut,
or any Lebanese citizen—from the furthest corners of Akkar to the southernmost
villages. No one in Lebanon bears responsibility for these developments.
Therefore, no Lebanese should be treated as if they are victorious over their
fellow citizens simply because they reject foreign entanglements. What has
happened is the direct result of the so-called "axis policy" that has devastated
the region—and Lebanon along with it.
And yet, of all the outdated slogans, one remains, echoed by Hezbollah’s top
leadership:
“The hand that reaches for our weapons—we will cut it off.”
But hasn’t Israel already reached for those weapons—without consequence? No hand
was cut off. So, whom do these threats truly target? The Lebanese people? The
Lebanese state—struggling to heal its wounds, mend its institutions, and begin
the long road of reconstruction?
Isn’t it time for Hezbollah’s so-called “incubator” to ask it to show
mercy—toward its own children and toward the nation? Isn’t it time for Hezbollah
to surrender what remains of its weapons to the Lebanese state—the only
legitimate authority capable of protecting this incubator and all Lebanese? The
state is ready and able.
It’s time to turn the page—not just politically, but morally. Let us open a new
chapter entitled:
“The Return of All to the Homeland”
Let us live not as warring factions, but as equal citizens—brothers and sisters
united under one roof: the state, the constitution, and the rule of law. Let us
pass on to our children a legacy not of despair, but of justice, peace, harmony,
and prosperity… not a nation trapped in an endless descent into hell, but one
rising toward the promise of tomorrow.
Lebanese PM reviews security measures at Beirut airport
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/May 13, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made an unexpected visit to Beirut’s
Rafic Hariri International Airport on Tuesday to review flight and safety
measures. The premier highlighted his commitment to maintaining the facility as
a bright gateway for Lebanon to the world. Salam, accompanied by Minister of
Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny, held a meeting with airport security
chief Brig. Gen. Fadi Kfoury and other officials. According to Salam’s media
office, the airport officials briefed him “on the measures implemented to
enhance security and safety at the airport, facilitate the entry and exit of
travelers, expedite transit operations, reduce waiting times and improve the
overall travel experience.” The visit fulfilled a request by the ambassadors of
Gulf countries to Lebanon, who held a meeting with Salam last week to encourage
the return of Gulf tourists to Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun concluded
his visit to Kuwait on Monday, which included discussions with Emir Sheikh
Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace. The emir highlighted Kuwait’s
commitment to strengthening Lebanese-Gulf and Arab relations. Lebanon has a
historic opportunity to define its future and overcome all past challenges, he
said. According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, the Kuwaiti emir
expressed “Kuwait’s satisfaction with the results of the meeting of the
ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries with the Lebanese prime
minister, which discussed the return of GCC citizens to Lebanon.”Al-Sabah also
praised the security cooperation between the two countries and condemned Israeli
attacks on Lebanon. Meanwhile, UNIFIL forces on Monday announced the discovery
of more than 225 weapon caches south of the Litani River. All weapons were
transferred to Lebanese military authorities. A UNIFIL statement said that the
Lebanese Armed Forces have reestablished a presence at more than 120 permanent
positions throughout southern Lebanon with peacekeeping support. However,
complete border deployment remains hindered by Israel’s “military presence on
Lebanese territory.”
Trump says US wants to help Lebanon
LBCI/May 13/2025
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that Saudi Arabia will soon sign
a normalization agreement with Israel, as part of ongoing American efforts to
reshape the region's political landscape. Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment
Forum in Riyadh, Trump addressed Lebanon's deepening crisis, stating that the
United States is committed to helping the country overcome its current
challenges."What happened in Lebanon is terrible. Lebanon is a victim of
Hezbollah and Iran," he noted.
Trump Pledges Support for a Peaceful and Prosperous Future
in Lebanon
This is Beirut/May 13/2025
United States President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that Lebanon has fallen
victim to Hezbollah and Iran, accusing the militant group of having “plundered
the state” and brought suffering to the Lebanese people. Speaking at the
US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, Trump dedicated part of his speech to
addressing the situation in Lebanon. He expressed Washington’s readiness to
support the country in “building a future based on economic development and
peace with its neighbors” – a clear reference to Syria and Israel. “I hear that
the new administration in Lebanon is professional and wants the best” for the
country, Trump said, while sharply criticizing the “destructive” role played by
Hezbollah and Iran. “Hezbollah has brought misery to Lebanon and its people. It
looted the state,” Trump stated, describing the country as a “victim of
Hezbollah and Iran.” He argued that the crisis could have been avoided. “Iran
could have chosen to focus on development instead of opting for destruction
across the region,” he said. Trump went on to accuse Tehran and its regional
allies of sowing chaos and hardship. “Those who claim to be nation-builders have
destroyed more countries than they have built,” he said, adding that “terrorism
in Gaza and Lebanon has cost many lives.” Trump’s speech reiterated his
criticism of Iran’s influence in the region and positioned his administration as
a potential partner for Lebanon’s stability and economic recovery.
US State Department: Supporting LAF Remains a Priority
This is Beirut/May 13/2025
US State Department spokesperson Sam Warburg emphasized on Tuesday the United
States’ commitment to supporting the Lebanese Army (LAF), stressing that it must
“extend its control over every inch of Lebanon.”In an interview with LBCI,
Warburg noted that Washington is actively discussing with the Lebanese
government the types of economic assistance required to bolster state
institutions. He highlighted that “radical changes” are underway in Lebanon with
the arrival of a new president and a new government, adding that the US
maintains constant communication with Lebanese officials to stay updated on
their needs and challenges. Turning to broader regional developments, Warburg
pointed to President Donald Trump’s ongoing visit to Gulf nations, which
includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. He indicated that the visit
aims to reinforce cooperation on key issues, such as regional security, economic
development and social initiatives. Furthermore, Warburg confirmed that Trump
will discuss the Gaza war with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and that
US envoy Steve Witkoff will continue negotiations with Qatar and Egypt to work
toward a ceasefire.
One killed in Israeli drone strike on motorcycle in Houla
Naharnet/May 13/2025
An Israeli drone strike on Tuesday targeted a motorcycle in the southern town of
Houla, killing one person, the Health Ministry said. Israel's military still
carries out regular strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah
operatives and infrastructure despite a ceasefire deal reached in November
following a 66-day war. The ceasefire deal was based on U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701 that says Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers should be the
only forces in south Lebanon, and that calls for the disarmament of all
non-state groups. Under the deal, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north
of Lebanon's Litani River and Israel was to pull all its forces from south
Lebanon, however it has kept troops in five areas it deems "strategic".
US says stability in Lebanon affects entire region
Naharnet/May 13/2025
A U.S. State Department official told Al-Arabiya TV on Tuesday that stability in
Lebanon affects the entire region. “There is a historic chance for Lebanon to
move forward and we will support that,” the official added. U.S. State
Department Arabic-language spokesman Sam Werberg meanwhile told LBCI television
that Washington is committed to supporting the Lebanese Army to enable it to
extend its control across Lebanon. He added that the U.S. is open to discussing
means to economically support the new government, saying that the U.S.
administration is following up on the developments in Lebanon on daily basis and
that it is listening to its officials around the clock.
Report: Berri's advice to Hezbollah to talk to Aoun
dispelled its concerns and suspicion
Naharnet/May 13/2025
President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah “have started to exchange positive messages”
aimed at reassuring the group and “dispelling its concerns as well as its
suspicion over the election of Aoun as president,” Lebanese political sources
said. In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the sources attributed the
progress in Aoun’s relation with Hezbollah to a “positive role” played by
Speaker Nabih Berri. “Speaker Berri, being Hezbollah’s big brother as described
by Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem, had advised it to position itself behind
the state,” the sources said. Berri also “advised Hezbollah to prepare for a
dialogue with Aoun over the monopolization of arms and absorbing them within a
national security strategy for Lebanon,” the sources added.
Calm in Tripoli after protests, gunfire over counting of
municipal poll votes
Naharnet/May 13/2025
Calm returned gradually to the northern city of Tripoli after a tense night that
witnessed protests and shooting in the air over a delay in the release the
results of the municipal elections that were held on Sunday. The protests lead
to the closure of a number of key roads in the city, prompting the army and
security forces to send major reinforcements to pursue shooters and restore
order. The developments also pushed Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar and
Justice Minister Adel Nassar to visit Tripoli’s Justice Palace to oversee the
counting of votes and resolve any obstacles.
UN says Israeli forces continue to cross Lebanon border
Associated Press/May 13/2025
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon has reported that armed
activities by Israeli forces north of the Blue Line -- the U.N.-drawn boundary
-- violate a Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah
war.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in the latest incident a peacekeeping
patrol reported that 10 Israeli soldiers crossed north of the Blue Line on
Monday near Alma al-Shaab. Dujarric said peacekeepers from the U.N. force known
as UNIFIL also continue to discover unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches.
On Friday, he said, they found a suspected rocket launching site near the
village of Kfar Hammam and reported it to the Lebanese Army. Since November’s
cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, peacekeepers have
detected about 240 sites with unauthorized weapons and ammunition, Dujarric
said.
Lebanon appoints new head of Beirut Airport
LBCI/May 13/2025
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamni appointed Ibrahim Abou Alayoui
as the new head of Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. The move comes
just two days after Kamel Nasreddine submitted his resignation from the role.
His resignation was accepted by the minister, who assigned him to a new post as
"Director of Airports." Nasreddine will continue in his long-held position as
Head of Air Navigation, a role he has occupied for 14 years. The appointments
were part of a broader reshuffling within the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation aimed at streamlining responsibilities and reinforcing management at
Lebanon's primary aviation hub.
Lebanon's PM meets UK defense official, stresses need for
full Israeli withdrawal
LBCI/May 13/2025
On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with British Deputy Chief of
Defense Staff for Strategy and Military Operations, Air Marshal Harv Smyth, at
the Grand Serail in Beirut. British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell and a
delegation of UK officials also attended the meeting. Discussions focused on
strengthening bilateral relations, notably cooperation in the security and
military sectors. The situation in South Lebanon and broader regional and
international developments were also on the agenda. During the talks, Salam
emphasized the necessity of a full Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese
territories, reiterating Lebanon’s position on the matter.
President Aoun and PM Salam Welcome US Decision to Lift Sanctions on Syria
This is Beirut/May 13/2025
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the decision by
United States President Donald Trump to lift sanctions on Syria, calling it a
crucial development. President Aoun attributed it to the “valued efforts” of
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. “I welcome President Donald Trump’s
announcement of lifting the sanctions on Syria, a move made possible thanks to
the valued efforts of His Royal Highness Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, Prince Mohammad bin Salman,” Aoun stated. He added, “This courageous
decision will hopefully be another step toward Syria’s recovery and stability,
with positive repercussions for Lebanon, our entire region and its peoples.”In a
statement, Salam said, “I extend my congratulations to Syria, both the state and
its people, for this decision, which represents an opportunity for progress and
recovery.”He emphasized that the decision would have a positive impact not only
on Syria but also on Lebanon and the wider region, stating, “This decision will
have positive implications for Lebanon and the broader region.”Salam also
expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its role in facilitating
the process, saying, “I thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its initiative and
ongoing efforts in this regard.” Earlier, President Trump declared the lifting
of all sanctions on Syria, citing the request and mediation of Crown Prince bin
Salman. Trump emphasized that while the sanctions had served their purpose, it
was now time to move forward.
Municipal race heats up in Lebanon's Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel—An overview
LBCI/May 13/2025
As Lebanon heads toward municipal elections, the vast Bekaa region—divided
administratively into the governorates of Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel—emerges as a
major electoral battleground in terms of geography and political influence.
In Baalbek-Hermel, the region comprises 74 municipalities in Baalbek and 8 in
Hermel. Four key municipalities—Hermel, Baalbek, Chmistar, and Aarsal—each have
21 council members, highlighting their electoral significance.
In the Bekaa governorate, 88 municipal councils and 251 mukhtars are distributed
across 21 municipalities in the central Bekaa district, or Zahle, 31 in West
Bekaa, and 26 in Rachaiya. The political weight in Baalbek-Hermel predominantly
lies with the Shiite community, where the region's two leading Shiite
parties—Hezbollah and the Amal Movement—are working to avoid electoral clashes
by forming uncontested lists. In several towns, they have secured victories by
acclamation, and their efforts are ongoing. However, in the city of Baalbek, a
competitive race is underway between two main lists: one backed by the Amal-Hezbollah
duo and another led by civil society activists running under the banner "Baalbek
Madinati" (Baalbek is My City). In Zahle, political divisions are also
prominent. The current mayor, Asaad Zoghaib, heads a list supported by MP Michel
Daher and the Kataeb Party. Facing them is a rival list led by Salim Ghazaly,
backed by the Lebanese Forces. A potential third, incomplete list by the Free
Patriotic Movement (FPM) has yet to be formed. The Future Movement's failure to
directly participate in the elections has left Sunni towns and villages confused
amid the large number of candidates.
In the two Bekaa governorates, the clan dimension cannot be overcome in several
towns, as disputes can easily be ignited, which hinders the formation of
electoral lists.In conclusion, although elections in Bekaa are considered easy,
their family-clan structure makes the electoral reality more difficult.
Lebanon Is Finally on the Right Track
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This is Beirut/May 13/2025
A glimmer of hope can finally be seen in the Middle East and is emanating,
surprisingly, from Lebanon, where the state is restoring its sovereignty and
shrinking the Hezbollah tumor. More needs to be done. For now, however, the
country is on the right track. “It has only been six or seven months,” a senior
U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal, “and we have stepped to a place that
I am not sure I thought was achievable back in November.”But all is not done
yet, and Lebanon’s journey to peace and normalcy can be derailed at any minute,
for many reasons. The malicious Islamist Iranian regime is weakened, but not
dead. It is lying low and biding its time, certain that America does not have
enough patience to see the Middle East cross the finish line and move to a
post-Islamist Iran future. American officials are aware that change has a window
that will eventually close. Lebanese officials know that, too, but are not
moving at full speed, for two reasons. First, America’s talks with Iran are
putting every anti-Iran government in the region on the edge. Should a deal be
cracked and Tehran receive tens of billions of dollars, Iran’s newfound wealth
could revive its proxy militias, first and foremost Lebanon’s Hezbollah. If
Hezbollah gets a second lease on life, Lebanese officials do not want to be
caught on the wrong side of things. Second, Beirut must grapple with another
problem. The Lebanese military is patriotic and competent, but is thinly
stretched, policing the borders with Syria, the seaports, and the airport, and
performing domestic security duties. Salaries in the Lebanese Army are
relatively low, prompting many of its troops to take second jobs to make ends
meet. Lebanon has been asking for material support for its military. Beirut is
not asking for supersonic jets or advanced artillery. It only wants enough fuel
to operate the army’s vehicles, potable water, and other logistic needs for its
battalions, and enough cash to keep the force from want.
Hezbollah knows that the Lebanese Army is capable and has thus been threatening
civil war should the military make a move to disarm the militia. The same excuse
Hezbollah used to warn against the ejection of the military of Syrian President
Bashar Assad from Lebanon in 2005. That year, Assad withdrew, and the country
never plunged into civil war. In the case of the Lebanese military versus
Hezbollah, several troops, especially the Shia, might have mixed feelings when
taking on the pro-Iran militia. But it is likely that these troops, even if they
desert, will not affect the capabilities of the army. Furthermore, it is very
likely that in the event of escalation between the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah,
the majority of the Lebanese population will side with and support their
national army, making Hezbollah’s position increasingly untenable.
Hezbollah is certainly planning a comeback. It has been trying to smuggle money
and gold into the country to fund its hefty rehabilitation bill. But the militia
are not certain how to proceed. Should it lie down and pretend to be dead until
the storm passes? Or should it threaten the Lebanese preemptively, like how
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned that the militia would treat any party that
tries to disarm it like Hezbollah treats Israel? By putting the Lebanese state
on par with Israel, Hezbollah finally showed its true face: its arms are not
really to defend Lebanon against Israel but to dominate the Lebanese state by
provoking Israel and scaring the Lebanese of imaginary Israeli schemes against
their northern neighbors. Lebanon is enjoying a streak of luck. Israel tipped
the military balance against Hezbollah. A new style of U.S. diplomacy that says
it like it is has also prompted the Lebanese state to sober up and pursue real
goals, instead of rehashing the same old tired talking points.But luck is not
enough, and Lebanon is not out of the woods yet. A lot of hard work remains to
be done. Once Hezbollah’s military command is dismantled, its arms surrendered,
the Lebanese Shia must stand up to the pro-Iran militia and face them in the
2026 election. For these elections, Hezbollah has been allocating resources that
dwarf any of its opponents. The militia should not be allowed to maintain its
monopoly over the 27-seat Shia bloc in Parliament.Lebanon is on the right track,
finally, but not irreversibly. If the Middle East teaches us anything, it is
that nothing is done until it is done. The Lebanese would be well advised to
stay focused until they help their country across the finish line.
Lebanon Border Deal Nears Under US, French and Saudi
Mediation
Philippe Abi-Akl/This is Beirut/May 13/2025
The border demarcation issue between Lebanon and its neighbors—Syria to the
north and Israel to the south—is progressing, with France, Saudi Arabia and the
US playing key mediating roles. The situation is now more favorable, as
long-standing internal and external obstacles have largely dissipated, creating
a better climate for finalizing Lebanon's borders. On March 28, in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, Lebanese Minister of Defense General Michel Menassa and Syrian Minister
of Defense Marhaf Abu Qusra signed an agreement to reaffirm the importance of
border demarcation and activate joint committees to address security and
military challenges, particularly along the porous border. The two sides agreed
to hold a follow-up meeting in Saudi Arabia, contingent on progress in border
control, reducing cross-border clashes and halting smuggling. France has been
playing a more prominent role in the talks now that Syria's previous
obstruction, driven by self-interest and support for Iran’s agenda of
facilitating weapons transfers to Hezbollah, has been removed. French President
Emmanuel Macron raised the matter with Syrian President Ahmad el-Chareh during
his visit to Paris, emphasizing France’s commitment to countering Hezbollah's
influence and improving conditions along the Lebanese-Syrian border. He also
signaled France’s readiness to begin formal demarcation talks. France, in
response to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s request, provided Lebanon with
detailed maps from the 1943 French Mandate era, which clearly delineate the
shared border, including the contested Shebaa farms. Macron pledged further
cooperation to resolve the issue. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam recently visited
the border region, underscoring the importance of secure border crossings for
Lebanese sovereignty and internal stability. He stressed that the Masnaa
crossing should be transformed into a symbol of the state's vitality, with
advanced security systems now being installed.Since the Jeddah Agreement,
technical committees have been working to close illegal crossings and halt
hostilities, contributing to a more stable border environment. A follow-up
meeting in Saudi Arabia later this month will assess progress, with Prime
Minister Salam expected to lead Lebanon's delegation. Demarcating the
Lebanon-Syria land border is crucial for ending smuggling and illegal crossings
and for resolving the maritime border dispute. The US is also pushing for
renewed indirect talks in Naqoura to finalize Lebanon’s land border with Israel
and address disputed maritime zones. US envoy Amos Hochstein made progress in
talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, following the maritime border deal
with Israel. However, there are concerns that Israel may have encroached on
sections of Lebanon’s maritime territory. Lebanon’s border demarcation is part
of a broader regional peace plan being developed by the Trump administration,
with the president’s upcoming visit expected to outline the next steps toward
achieving stability in the Middle East.
The Never-Ending Debate on the Independent Municipal Fund
Johnny Kortbawi/This is Beirut/May 13/2025
In Lebanon, no conversation about municipal elections seems complete without
mentioning the Independent Municipal Fund. Whether in political discourse or
campaign rhetoric, the fund remains at the heart of debate—and controversy.
Established with the noble aim of supporting municipalities and municipal
federations, especially those with limited resources, the Fund was meant to
drive balanced development across Lebanon. Administered by the Ministry of
Interior, it was once seen as a cornerstone for empowering local governance.
Today, however, its mechanisms have turned it into a source of frustration—and
in some cases, a threat—to towns, villages, and cities alike. The Fund’s
revenues come from a mix of taxes and fees: telephone charges, construction
permits, public property dues, real estate registration, and municipal
violations. But the core issue is not how the money is collected—it’s how it’s
distributed. Instead of transferring funds directly to municipalities, the
Ministry of Interior retains control, allocating them for development projects
as it sees fit. This centralization undermines the very principle of
administrative decentralization.
Supporters of the current model argue that direct distribution risks misuse,
especially if municipal leaders act in bad faith or pursue projects disconnected
from their community’s real needs. Yet, this same concern applies to the
Ministry of Interior itself—whose large-scale projects and sweeping ambitions
often result in inefficiency and overspending. In contrast, smaller
municipalities may be better positioned to use funds judiciously, with less room
for grand-scale corruption. What’s missing is not central control, but genuine
accountability. Both municipal heads and the ministry should be held equally
responsible for the management of public funds. This debate is less about who
spends the money and more about who ensures transparency in its allocation.
Without a serious push toward decentralization, the Fund will remain under a
central authority overwhelmed by the task of managing over a thousand
localities, a matter that stifles development and deepens inequality. Real
justice demands equitable distribution—empowering municipalities to lead their
development efforts, backed by effective oversight. The muhafezin (governors),
alongside the Ministries of Interior and Finance, must enforce rigorous audits
to ensure responsible spending. Failure to adopt this model would impede
attempts to institute financial decentralization that would benefit the
population in Akkar, the Bekaa, and the South, who are neglected by the central
authority. Had municipalities been granted proper access to their share of the
Fund, Lebanon might have avoided decades-long crises, including garbage piling
up on streets, crumbling village roads, and outdated infrastructure in remote
rural areas.
Naim Qassem encourages voting in upcoming Lebanese
municipal elections
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/May 13/2025
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gave a speech on Wednesday, April 28,
addressing Lebanon’s upcoming municipal elections. The fate of Hezbollah’s arms
is now the top question occupying the Lebanese political conversation. To fend
off potential forcible disarmament efforts by the government, the group has
sought to demonstrate its retention of the overwhelming support of the country’s
Shiite community.
Hezbollah has already passed several public milestones where its followers
turned out in force: the entry of the November 27, 2024, ceasefire into effect,
the February 18 deadline for Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon, and the
February 23 funeral of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. The municipal
elections in the Beqaa and Baalbek-Hermel, scheduled for May 18, and South
Lebanon and Nabatieh, planned for May 25, will be the latest points where
Hezbollah must demonstrate that it remains unchallenged in the Shiite community
if it wishes to survive.
Beyond speaking about the municipal elections, Qassem called on the Lebanese
government to prioritize two issues that would greatly benefit Hezbollah: ending
Israel’s attacks and the presence of its ground forces in Lebanon, and pursuing
post-war reconstruction, which will impact predominantly Shiite areas of the
country.
Qassem divided his speech into two main themes. The first was “Lebanon’s
renaissance,” and the second was focused on the municipal elections. His full
speech is summarized below:
Qassem: Lebanon must prioritize ending Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah
Qassem began his speech by listing preconditions to a Lebanese renaissance.
First and foremost among them were “ending the Israeli aggression, [Israel’s]
withdrawal from south Lebanon, and the release of [Lebanese] detainees [held by
Israel],” all factors that directly affect the group. “No other priorities can
precede this,” Qassem stressed, without which he said it was impossible “to
build a country amidst constant pressure.” Stopping Israeli offensives must
constantly be at the top of the government’s daily agenda, he said.
Qassem once again claimed Hezbollah had adhered entirely to the November 27,
2024, Israel-Lebanon ceasefire “in all its terms,” including facilitating the
deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to the country’s south. In
contrast, he stressed that Israel had violated the deal “an unbearable three
thousand-plus times,” acknowledging France’s criticism of these Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, he said that the United States was using these Israeli operations to
achieve its own goals, and was, therefore, “entirely complicit, covering, and
excusing Israel’s continued acts of aggression.”
Now, Qassem said, Lebanon was responsible for pressuring Paris, Washington, the
United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) to halt these Israeli attacks. “The [Lebanese] State has unacceptably
only applied minimal and slight pressure so far,” he said. Qassem demanded
Beirut “act more, daily, actively” through diplomatic means, including by
lodging complaints with the UN Security Council or “constantly” summoning the US
ambassador to Lebanon, “who acts improperly, is biased towards Israel, while the
United States fails in its oversight” of the ceasefire deal “and is a partner
with the Israeli entity.” Here, Qassem was likely implicitly criticizing
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji for summoning the Iranian ambassador to
Lebanon Motjaba Amani over comments opposing Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Referencing the prior day’s Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah missile storage
facility in south Beirut, Qassem denied that Israel “had any justification, even
an imaginary one,” to launch the attack, except for seeking to unilaterally set
new rules of engagement. “This is a very dangerous and great matter,” he said,
falsely claiming that most of the casualties from Israel’s strikes in Lebanon
since the ceasefire have been civilians. He praised President Joseph Aoun’s and
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s condemnations of Israeli actions, including the
April 27 airstrike in south Beirut, but again stressed that more was needed from
Beirut to ensure the full, bilateral implementation of the ceasefire deal.
Qassem continued arguing that the relationship between the Lebanese state and
“the resistance” must be a mutual give-and-take, rather than one where Hezbollah
merely adheres to Beirut’s orders. “The resistance has adhered 100%,” he said,
questioning “what more does the state need” before it acts. “Nothing,” Qassem
stressed, “should be considered before Israel implements all its obligations,
withdraws, ends its aggression, [and] releases the detainees,” implicitly
rebuffing Lebanese officials seeking to discuss the fate of the group’s arms.
Conceding it was the Lebanese State’s right to “spread its sovereignty” over
south Lebanon, Qassem nevertheless insisted, “You can’t take everything while
doing nothing.”
Qassem also called out Lebanon’s political factions for their silence, saying
some were even “acting against us, against the resistance, against Lebanon’s
future,” without criticizing Israel’s actions.
Qassem: Israel seeks to occupy Lebanon
Qassem once again stressed that Israel needed no excuses to attack Lebanon and
would do so “even if Lebanese chicken crossed near the border.” This situation,
he argued, is because Israel has far-reaching ambitions in Lebanon, including
controlling the country and weakening it to the point where Israel can freely
build settlements and naturalize displaced Palestinians within it.
“America also wants this,” Qassem stressed, again linking Israel and the US in
alleged crimes, a typical tactic of Hezbollah’s propaganda. He then adduced the
group’s typical proofs of Israel’s intentions, which he has repeated in almost
every speech since Hassan Nasrallah’s September 27, 2024, assassination. “It’s
sufficient [for Israel] to say there’s a Hezbollah storage facility or
installation,” he said. “What kind of excuses are these? There’s a deal that
must be implemented.” Here, Qassem suggested that the ceasefire deal should have
granted the group immunity from continued Israeli military actions.
Qassem: Hezbollah will not disarm
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qassem claimed, is currently
domestically weak and beset by political crises. Therefore, now was not the time
for continued Lebanese concessions, he argued, especially at Hezbollah’s
expense, which, in turn, only weakens Lebanon by “abandoning its strength.”
Qassem stressed that Hezbollah “will not give up its strength, Lebanon’s
strength, the Lebanese Army’s or the state’s strength,” questioning why Lebanon
was capitulating “even though we have young men, women, and many capabilities.”
To the contrary, he said, “Lebanon must remain strong and will remain strong
through its resistance, army, and people,” referencing Hezbollah’s so-called
“golden tripartite equation” through which it justifies retaining its private
arsenal and militia. Qassem stressed that “there was no going back to the
situation that existed over 40 years ago” (prior to Hezbollah’s rise), when
“Israel and America were in control.”
Qassem admitted Hezbollah was now going through “a phase of patience, of
suffering,” but expressed his confidence that ultimately, “We will come out on
top, God willing.”
Qassem: Lebanon must also prioritize reconstruction
Lebanon’s second priority, Qassem said, must be post-war reconstruction—another
Hezbollah interest. The group wants to prevent the damage it had invited upon
Lebanon, particularly upon its Lebanese Shiite base, amidst which its military
assets are entrenched, from sparking a wholesale rebellion by its supporters.
Qassem beratingly questioned the government’s delay in beginning reconstruction
efforts, saying that even if the needed funds had to come from abroad, Beirut
could still proceed with preliminary steps, like laying out a reconstruction
plan. He even hinged the ceasefire deal on reconstruction, saying “no deal
exists without reconstruction.”
Qassem accused the government of “impoverishing the people, creating
discriminatory [classes] of citizenship, and targeting a critical component of
the country [the Shiites],” by delaying reconstruction. Here, the Hezbollah
secretary-general was predictably seeking to shift responsibility—and anger—for
continued Shiite suffering from the group to the Lebanese state.
Hezbollah, Qassem claimed, had already done its part on reconstruction and moved
350,000 people back to their homes, an effort he said was globally unique for a
resistance movement. He thanked Iran for its support, saying the Lebanese should
question what others have done for their country. Qassem also said that if some
individuals were intending to pressure Hezbollah by denying its base
reconstruction aid, then “the country will not be stable or rise again.
Qassem: Building the Lebanese state must be the country’s third priority
Qassem claimed that Hezbollah supports building a strong Lebanese state, had
already contributed much to this effort, and was ready to support further laws
and reforms toward that goal. However, he said it must be done along certain
“principles” that sideline “those trying to create problems between the
resistance and the army”—hinting at Lebanese figures and political factions
calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Lebanon, he said, must withhold discussing
full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 until after Israel
abides by the ceasefire agreement.
Hezbollah and municipal elections
Qassem said Hezbollah is competing in the upcoming municipal elections to serve
their people. The group, he said, sought to accomplish certain objectives
through these elections, including “raising up our downtrodden people, watching
out for their interests, developing their areas, ending poverty among them, and
seeking their advancement by all means available.”
Hezbollah’s second goal, he said, was to pursue municipal reforms, and, finally,
to present “an excellent model of good governance.” The group, he said, would
pursue a policy of unity and cooperation between and within rural and urban
areas, rather than encourage competition. To that end, Hezbollah was running
joint municipal lists with the Amal Party and is also ready to cooperate with
figures outside of the two major Shiite parties, “because they, too, are from
our environment.”
Hezbollah, he said, has no objection to any figure or party running in the
elections so long as they have public legitimacy, approach their work with clean
hands, prioritize the needs of the people, and seek to act in the spirit of
cooperation that the group aims to promote.
Qassem called for “heavy participation” in the upcoming municipal elections,
saying this was necessary to rebuild the country but likely hoping to encourage
a strong showing for Hezbollah.
Quick concluding points
Qassem concluded his speech by addressing four points. First, he extended his
condolences “to the Christian world” over the passing of “his holiness Pope
Francis,” hoping “his ideas stemming from the Gospels and Christ, peace be upon
him,” would positively impact all of humanity.
Qassem then also extended condolences to Iran over the Bandar Abbas Port
explosion, hoping “this crisis will pass without impacting” Tehran. He then
turned to address the people of Gaza, expressing his sorrow that “this world is
tyrannical, criminal— the Western world, the American world, the Israeli world.”
Qassem encouraged Gazans to remain steadfast, saying, “This endurance will
preface certain victory.”
Qassem ended by once again saluting the Houthis for “confronting the
American-Israeli-British enemy” on behalf of Palestine. This fight, he said, was
a globally distinguishing honor, and he called on God to “grant victory and
success, and extract us from these crises.”
*David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on May 13-14/2025
Trump
lays out Mideast vision as he looks to revamp US approach in Iran, Syria and
beyond
Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani And Jon Gambrell/The Associated Press/May 13, 2025
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — President Donald Trump on Tuesday held out Saudi Arabia
as a model for a reimagined Middle East, using the first major foreign trip of
his term to emphasize the promise of economic prosperity over instability in a
region reeling from multiple wars. Offering partnership to longtime foes, Trump
said he would move to lift sanctions on Syria and normalize relations with the
new government led by a former insurgent, and he touted the U.S. role in
bringing about a fragile ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis. But Trump also
indicated his patience was not endless, as he urged Iran to make a new nuclear
deal with the U.S. or risk severe economic and military consequences. With his
carrot and stick approach, Trump gave the clearest indication yet of his vision
for remaking the region, where goals of fostering human rights and democracy
promotion have been replaced by an emphasis on economic prosperity and regional
stability. Trump also made a pitch to Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords
started in his first term and recognize Israel. And he envisioned a hopeful
future for the people of Gaza — emphasizing they must first cast off the
influence of Hamas. “As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past
conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if
our differences may be profound,” Trump said as he laid out his outlook for the
region in a speech at an investment forum.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, welcomed Trump to
the kingdom with royal flourishes and lavished attention on him at every turn.
It was a stark contrast to the crown prince’s awkward fist bump in 2022 with
then-President Joe Biden, who tried to avoid being seen on camera shaking hands
with him during a visit to the kingdom. Trump shows disdain for
‘nation-builders’ and interventionists. The Republican president made the case
for a vision centered in pragmatism. It's something he sees as a necessity for
the U.S., which he believes is still feeling the ill effects of 20 years of
"endless war" in Iraq and Afghanistan. “In the end, the so-called nation
builders wrecked far more nations than they built, and the interventionists were
intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves,"
Trump said.
Trump used the moment to extend an olive branch to Iran and urge its leaders to
come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program. But
he also warned that this opportunity to find a diplomatic solution “won't last
forever.”
“If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch ... we will have no choice but
to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero,” he
said.
The latest entreaty to Tehran comes days after Trump dispatched special envoy
Steve Witkoff to meet with Iranian officials for a fourth round of talks aimed
at persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear program. Trump, in his speech, also
said he hoped Saudi Arabia will recognize Israel “in your own time.”Saudi Arabia
long has maintained that recognition of Israel is tied to the establishment of a
Palestinian state along the lines of Israel’s 1967 borders. Under the Biden
administration, there was a push for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel as part of
a major diplomatic deal. However, the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel
upended those plans and sent the region into one of the worst periods it has
faced.Trump moving to restore relations with new leader of Syria. Separately,
Trump announced he was lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria. He is expected to meet
Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime
insurgent who last year led the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar Assad. The
U.S. has been weighing how to handle al-Sharaa since he took power in December.
Gulf leaders have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and want Trump
to follow suit, believing it is a bulwark against Iran’s return to influence in
Syria, where it had helped prop up Assad’s government during a decadelong civil
war. Trump said calls from Gulf leaders as well as Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan shaped his surprise announcement.
“So I say, good luck, Syria, show us something very special like they’ve done,
frankly, in Saudi Arabia,” Trump said. Prince Mohammed carefully choreographed
the visit as he looked to flatter Trump. The de facto Saudi leader greeted Trump
warmly as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport. The
two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump
and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants
wearing ceremonial gun belts. The leaders signed more than a dozen agreements to
increase cooperation between their governments' militaries, justice departments
and cultural institutions. The crown prince has already committed to some $600
billion in new Saudi investment in the U.S. And Trump teased $1 trillion would
be even better.
Fighter jet escort. The pomp began before Trump even landed. Royal Saudi Air
Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the
kingdom’s capital — an exceptionally rare sight. Trump and Prince Mohammed also
took part in a formal greeting and lunch at the Royal Court at Al Yamamah
Palace, gathering with guests and aides in an ornate room with blue and gold
accents and massive crystal chandeliers. As he greeted business titans with
Trump by his side, the crown prince was animated and smiling. Biden's 2022 visit
was far more restrained. At the time, Prince Mohammed’s reputation had been
badly damaged by a U.S. intelligence determination that he had ordered the 2018
killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But that dark moment appeared to be
distant memory for the prince on Tuesday as he rubbed elbows with high-profile
business executives — including Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman,
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — in front of the
cameras and with Trump by his side. Trump slammed Biden for “spurning” a “most
trusted and long-standing partner."
“We have great partners in the world, but we have none stronger and nobody like
the gentleman that’s right before me,” Trump said of the prince. “He’s your
greatest representative.”Later, the crown prince feted Trump with an intimate
state dinner at Ad-Diriyah, a UNESCO heritage site that is the birthplace of the
first Saudi state and the location of a major development project championed by
the crown prince. Qatar and UAE next. The three countries on Trump's itinerary —
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — are places where the Trump
Organization, run by Trump's two oldest sons, is developing major real estate
projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel in Dubai and
a golf course and villa complex in Qatar.Trump planned to announce deals at all
three stops during the Mideast swing, initiatives that will touch on artificial
intelligence, expanding energy cooperation and beyond. .And Trump believes more
deals with Saudi Arabia should be in the offing. “I really believe we like each
other a lot,” Trump said at one point with a smiling crown prince sitting
nearby.
"Mohammed bin Salman, Trump Sign
Economic Strategic Partnership Agreement
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US
President Donald Trump chaired in Riyadh on Tuesday the Saudi-American summit
that reviewed several joint files. The leaders then signed an economic strategic
partnership agreement. They also oversaw the signing of several agreements
between their countries in various fields. They include:
A memorandum of understanding for energy cooperation between the Saudi Ministry
of Energy and US Department of Energy, exchanged by Saudi Minister of Energy
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and US Secretary of Energy Chris
Wright. A memorandum of intent for the modernization and development of the
capabilities of the Saudi Armed Forces through future defense capabilities
between the Saudi Ministry of Defense and US Department of Defense, exchanged by
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and US
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Speaking at the Saudi-US investment forum
later, Crown Prince Mohammed said: “What we have signed today is part of larger
ambition.”“We hope to continue to build with you President Trump,” he added to
the US leader who was among the guests. “We hope for $600 billion investments
opportunities and hopefully raised to $1 trillion.”
Also announced were the following agreements:
A memorandum of cooperation in the field of mining and mineral resources between
the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and US Department of
Energy. A letter of intent to complete work and enhance joint cooperation on
ammunition, training, support services, maintenance, systems modernization,
spare parts, and education for the Saudi Ministry of the National Guard's land
and air systems. A memorandum of understanding between the International
Partnership Program of the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) of the US Department of Justice. A letter of intent between
the Saudi Ministry of Defense and US Department of Defense regarding the
development of the health capabilities of the Saudi Armed Forces. A memorandum
of understanding for judicial cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Justice
and the US Department of Justice. An executive agreement between the Saudi Space
Agency and NASA for cooperation on the Space Weather CubeSat on the Artemis II
Mission. A Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement. A Protocol of Amendment to the
Saudi Arabia-US Air Transport Agreement. A memorandum of understanding for
cooperation between the Saudi National Institute of Health Research and US
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the field of medical
research on infectious diseases. A collaboration agreement between the Royal
Commission for AlUla and the Smithsonian Institute through its National Zoo and
Conservation Biology Institute. A collaboration agreement between the Royal
Commission for AlUla and the Smithsonian Institute through its National Museum
of Asian Art.Prior to the meeting, Crown Prince Mohammed had welcomed Trump at
the Royal Court in the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. An official reception
ceremony was held, featuring an Arabian horse escort for the presidential
motorcade, a trumpet fanfare, as well as the rendition of the American and Saudi
national anthems. Following the ceremony, the Crown Prince escorted the
president to the main reception hall, where both leaders enjoyed traditional
Saudi coffee and exchanged greetings with members of each other’s delegations.
The Crown Prince then hosted an official luncheon in honor of Trump. Trump had
arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Tuesday on his first overseas trip since his
reelection. He will later visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Saudi Arabia, US Ink Largest Defense Sales Agreement in
History as Trump Visits Riyadh
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
Saudi Arabia and the United States signed on Tuesday the largest defense sales
agreement in history, worth nearly early $142 billion, as President Donald Trump
visited Riyadh.The agreement will provide Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art
warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defense firms, said a
White House statement. The sales that the US intends to complete fall into five
broad categories: air force advancement and space capabilities; air and missile
defense; maritime and coastal security; border security and land forces
modernization; and information and communication systems upgrades.
The package also includes extensive training and support to build the capacity
of the Saudi armed forces, including enhancement of Saudi service academies and
military medical services, added the statement. “This deal represents a
significant investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense and regional security, built on
American systems and training,” it stressed. “Our defense relationship with the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever under President Trump’s
leadership, and the package signed today, the largest defense cooperation deal
in US history, is a clear demonstration of our commitment to strengthening our
partnership,” it said. “The agreement opens the door for expanded US defense
industry participation and long-term sustainment partnerships with Saudi
entities.”“The deepening United States-Saudi Arabia partnership reflects a joint
vision for long-term prosperity and employment opportunities in both nations,”
said the statement. Trump had arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Tuesday on his
first overseas trip since his reelection. He was received by Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The leaders later chaired the
Saudi-American summit that reviewed several joint files. They then signed an
economic strategic partnership agreement and oversaw the signing of several
agreements between their countries in various fields.
Trump in Saudi Speech Urges Iran Toward a ‘New and a Better Path’ as He Pushes
for Nuclear Deal
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
President Donald Trump in a speech in Saudi Arabia urged Iran to take a “new and
a better path” as he pushes for a new nuclear deal. Trump said at the US-Saudi
investment conference, during a four-day Middle East trip, that he wants to
avoid conflict with Tehran. “As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end
past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world,
even if our differences may be profound,” Trump said. The comments came as Trump
kick off the Middle East trip on Tuesday with his visit to Saudi capital. The
latest entreaty to Tehran comes days after Trump dispatched his special envoy
Steve Witkoff to meet with Iranian officials for a fourth round of talks aimed
at persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear program. “As President of the United
States, my preference will always be for peace and partnership, whenever those
outcomes can be achieved,” Trump said.
Trump Secures $600 Billion
Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
US President Donald Trump secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia on
Tuesday to invest in the United States as he kicked off a Gulf tour in Riyadh
where he was welcomed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and
Prime Minister. The leaders signed an agreement on energy, defense, mining and
other areas, which the White House said will “build economic ties that will
endure for generations to come.”“The deals celebrated today are historic and
transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership
between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” it added in a statement. Among the
agreements secured on Tuesday: Saudi Arabian DataVolt is moving forward with
plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the
United States. Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber are
committing to invest $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in
both countries, said the White House. American companies including Hill
International, Jacobs, Parsons, and AECOM are building key infrastructure
projects like King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault,
Qiddiya City, and much more totaling $2 billion in US services exports.
Additional major exports include GE Vernova’s gas turbines and energy solutions
totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft for AviLease totaling
$4.8 billion. Investment partnerships include several sector-specific funds with
a strong emphasis on US deployment, such as the $5 billion Energy Investment
Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund, and the $4
billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund. Trump had arrived in the Kingdom
earlier on Tuesday on his first overseas trip since his reelection. He will next
visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the United States
also signed the largest defense sales agreement in history, worth nearly early
$142 billion.
Saudi Arabia signs deals
worth more than $300 billion with US, crown prince confirms
Arab News/With AFP and AP/May 13/2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has signed deals with the US worth more than $300 billion,
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh
on Tuesday. During an address at the event, Prince Mohammed said the Kingdom was
looking at $600 billion of investment opportunities, adding that he hoped this
would raise to $1 trillion. He noted that the US was among the largest partners
of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform agenda, adding that joint investments were one
of the most important pillars of the economic relationship between the two
countries. “The US is a major destination for the Public Investment Fund,
accounting for approximately 40 percent of the fund's global investments,” he
said. He also said that cooperation with Washington was not limited to economic
cooperation, but also extended to “establishing peace in the region and the
world.”
Also speaking at the event, US President Donald Trump praised the transformation
underway in Saudi Arabia, as he attributed it to the leadership of King Salman
and the crown prince. Trump described the crown prince as a “very great man like
no other” and “the greatest representative of his people,” and highlighted the
role of Saudis in driving development in their own country and the region as a
whole.
Trump pointed to Riyadh’s rise as a global business hub and noted that the
Kingdom’s non-oil sector revenues had now surpassed those of the oil sector. He
said Saudi Arabia deserved praise for preserving its culture and tradition while
also embracing its forward-looking, modern Vision 2030 reform agenda.
During his speech, Trump criticized the Biden administration for removing the
Houthis from the US terrorist list, calling it a serious mistake. He contrasted
regional developments, stating: “Some (in the Gulf) have turned deserts into
farms, while Iran has turned its farms into deserts,” and warned that if Iran
rejected Washington’s outreach, the US would be forced to impose maximum
pressure.Condemning Hezbollah for destabilizing the region and looting Lebanon,
Trump said: “The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in
Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq,
Yemen and beyond.”He described Lebanon as a victim of Hezbollah and Iran and
expressed a desire to help the country. Trump also praised Saudi Arabia’s role
in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and affirmed US support for the Kingdom, saying it
has “a great future.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the two leaders signed a strategic economic partnership
agreement in Riyadh, the first leg of Trump’s regional visit. The partnership
included the signing of Memorandums of Understanding in the energy, mining, and
defense sectors. Defense cooperation between the two countries centered on the
modernization of the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces, along with an
agreement between the Saudi Space Agency and NASA. Other agreements included an
MoU on mineral resources; an agreement with the Department of Justice; and
cooperation on infectious diseases. Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday on
what he called a “historic” tour of the Middle East that will mix urgent
diplomacy on Gaza with huge business deals. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid
International Airport in the Saudi capital and kicked off his Middle East tour.
The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where
Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants
wearing ceremonial gun-belts. Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary
escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital. Trump and
Prince Mohammed also were taking part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering
with guests and aides. Later, the crown prince will fete Trump with a formal
dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a US-Saudi investment
conference.
Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates — and possibly talks in Turkiye on the Ukraine war.
Trump Says He Will Ease Sanctions on Syria, Moves to
Restore Relations with New Leader
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will move to normalize relations and lift
sanctions on Syria's new government to give the country “a chance at peace."
Trump was set to meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa,
who last year led the overthrow of former leader Bashar Assad. He said the
effort at rapprochement came at the urging of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi
Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria,
adding, “I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”The developments
were a major boost for the Syrian president who at one point was imprisoned in
Iraq for his role in the insurgency following the 2003 US-led invasion of the
country. Sharaa was named president of Syria in January, a month after a
stunning offensive by opposition groups led by his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS
that stormed Damascus ending the 54-year rule of the Assad family. The US has
been weighing how to handle Sharaa since he took power in December.
Then-President Joe Biden left the decision to Trump, whose administration has
yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on
Damascus under Assad also remain in place. “The President agreed to say hello to
the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” the White House said
before Trump's remarks. The comments marked a striking change in tone from
Trump, who had until now been deeply skeptical of Sharaa. Formerly known by the
nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaeda
insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 and
still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq. Sharaa, whom
the US once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of
his links to al-Qaeda, came back to his home country after the conflict began in
2011 where he led al-Qaeda’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front. He
later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and cut links
with al-Qaeda. Sharaa is set to become the first Syrian leader to meet an
American president since the late Hafez al-Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in
2000.
Netanyahu says army
entering Gaza 'with full force' in coming days
Agence France Presse/May 13/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would enter Gaza
"with full force" in the coming days, a statement from his office said Tuesday.
"In the very coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the
operation. Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying
Hamas," Netanyahu said during a meeting with injured reserve soldiers in his
office late Monday. "There will be no situation where we stop the war. A
temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way," he added.
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how
to proceed with a January 19 ceasefire that had largely halted the war with
Palestinian militant group Hamas. Earlier this month, Israel's government
approved plans to expand its Gaza offensive, with officials talking of retaining
a long-term presence there. Israel's military said the planned broader
operation, which has drawn international condemnation, would include displacing
"most" residents of the Palestinian territory. Nearly all of the Gaza Strip's
2.4 million people have been displaced at least once during the war, sparked by
Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. Israel has pushed for Palestinians to
leave Gaza, with a senior security official saying that a "voluntary transfer
program... will be part of the operation's goals". Israeli ministers have seized
on a proposal initially floated by U.S. President Donald Trump for the voluntary
departure of Gazans to neighboring countries such as Jordan or Egypt. Cairo and
Amman, along with other Arab allies, governments around the world and the
Palestinians themselves, have flatly rejected the proposal. During the meeting
with soldiers, Netanyahu said Israel was working to find countries that may be
willing to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. "We've set up an
administration that will allow them (Gaza residents) to leave but... we need
countries willing to take them in. That's what we're working on right now," he
said, adding that he estimated "over 50 percent will leave" if given the option.
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which
resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP
tally based on official data. In addition, militants abducted 251 people, of
whom 57 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli
army. The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation for the October 7 attack has
killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from
the Hamas-run health ministry, which is considered reliable by the U.N.
Hamas Rejects Netanyahu’s Claim Military Pressure Helped
Secure Hostage Release
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
Hamas on Tuesday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that
military pressure had helped secure the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan
Alexander from Gaza a day earlier. "The return of Edan Alexander is the result
of serious communications with the US administration and the efforts of
mediators, not a consequence of Israeli aggression or the illusion of military
pressure," Hamas said in a statement, adding that "Netanyahu is misleading his
people".Hamas released Alexander who had been held hostage in Gaza for more than
19 months, offering a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that
could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel. Alexander, 21, was the
first hostage released since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas
in March and unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds of
Palestinians. Israel has promised to intensify its offensive, including by
seizing Gaza and displacing much of the territory's population again. Days
before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the
Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about
the risk of famine if the blockade isn’t lifted. Israel says the steps are meant
to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel’s terms.
Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
Türkiye is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative
with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday, following the militant Kurdish
group’s announcement that it is dissolving and ending its decades-long armed
conflict with the Turkish state. The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization
by several, announced the historic decision on Monday months after its
imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm — a move
that could bring an end to one of the Middle East’s longest-running
insurgencies.In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the need for securing
Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed struggle. Previous peace
efforts with the group have failed, most recently in 2015. Given the past
failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed determination
to uphold the current initiative and prevent any disruptions.
“We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow
anyone to test our state’s determination in this regard,” Fahrettin Altun, the
head of the Turkish presidential communications office said. The PKK initially
launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish
state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater
Kurdish rights within Türkiye. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring
Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the
1980s. The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled “Terror-Free
Türkiye” was launched in October, after a key ally of Erdogan suggested parole
for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence and disbands.
Officials have not disclose details about the process that will follow the PKK’s
decision. Media close to the government have reported that the PKK’s disarmament
process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons being collected
at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision. According
to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Türkiye and
the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission involving
Türkiye, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq. The newspaper also
suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to third countries,
while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could return to Türkiye
once a legal framework is established to facilitate their reintegration. Turkish
officials have not responded to requests for comment on the report. Analysts
expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following the PKK's disbandment.
Erdogan said Monday the PKK’s declaration should apply to all PKK-affiliated
groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria.
The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in
intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the US-backed
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan’s call for a
dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria. The group then reached an
agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and
its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria
later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the
Syrian government.
Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s
government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him
to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Insists on Face-to-Face Talks with Putin in Istanbul
Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will only attend talks on Ukraine if Russia's
Vladimir Putin is also there, the Ukrainian leader's top aide said on Tuesday,
challenging the Kremlin to show it is genuine about seeking peace.US President
Donald Trump has offered to attend Thursday's proposed meeting in Istanbul,
which has become the focus of his attempts to end the deadliest conflict in
Europe since World War Two. Putin has yet to say if he will take part. Both
Russia and Ukraine have sought to show they are working towards peace after
Trump prioritized ending the war, but they have yet to agree any clear path.
Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine after ignoring a Ukrainian
proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Trump then publicly told
Zelenskiy to accept. "President Zelenskiy will not meet with any other Russian
representative in Istanbul, except Putin," Ukrainian presidential adviser
Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said
Zelenskiy's trip to Türkiye showed Kyiv was ready for talks but repeated
Ukraine's stance that any negotiations must come after a ceasefire. "Our
position is very principled and very strong," Yermak said during a visit to
Copenhagen. Moscow has not said if Putin will travel to Türkiye. "We are
committed to a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement,"
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday but would not comment
further on the talks. Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in
February 2022, unleashing a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of
soldiers on both sides. Most of Europe has rallied around Kyiv providing arms
and financial aid, while Russia has turned to Iran and North Korea for support.
Trump has demanded the two nations end the war, threatening to walk away from
efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon.
TRUMP GOES TO ISTANBUL?
If Zelenskiy and Putin, who make no secret of their mutual contempt, were to
meet on Thursday it would be their first face-to-face meeting since December
2019. Trump, who is in Saudi Arabia, and later due in the United Arab Emirates
and Qatar this week, unexpectedly offered on Monday to travel to Istanbul, which
straddles the divide between Europe and Asia. "I was thinking about actually
flying over there. There's a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can
happen, but we've got to get it done," Trump said before leaving for Riyadh.
"Don't underestimate Thursday in Türkiye," he added. Following the offer, US
Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the "way forward for a ceasefire" in
Ukraine with his Ukrainian, British, French, Polish, German and EU counterparts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, held talks with his Turkish
counterpart Hakan Fidan.
FAR APART
Reuters reported last year that Putin was open to discussing a ceasefire with
Trump, but that Moscow ruled out making any major territorial concessions and
insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO. Ukraine has said it is ready for
talks but a ceasefire is needed first, a position supported by its European
allies. Kyiv wants robust security guarantees as part of any peace deal and
rejects a Russian proposal for restrictions on the size of its military.
Territorial issues could be discussed once a ceasefire is in place, it says.
Putin has repeatedly referred to a 2022 deal which Russia and Ukraine negotiated
shortly after the Russian invasion but never finalized. Under the draft
agreement, a copy of which Reuters has reviewed, Ukraine should agree to
permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the
five permanent UN Security Council members: Britain, China, France, Russia and
the United States. Ukraine and its European allies have told Russia that it
would have to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from Monday or face new
sanctions. The Kremlin replied, saying it would not respond to ultimatums.
France said on Monday European leaders, who met in Ukraine over the weekend, had
asked the European Commission to put together new "massive" sanctions targeting
Russia's oil and financial sector if Russia failed to agree a ceasefire.
Russia's forces control just under a fifth of Ukraine, including all of Crimea,
almost all of Luhansk, and more than 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson
regions, according to Russian estimates. It also controls a sliver of Kharkiv
region. Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international affairs committee of
the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, told the
Izvestia media outlet in remarks published on Tuesday that the talks between
Moscow and Kyiv can move further than the 2022 negotiations. "If the Ukrainian
delegation shows up at these talks with a mandate to abandon any ultimatums and
look for common ground, I am sure that we could move forward," he said.
PA Reportedly Halts ‘Pay-to-Slay’
Payments to More Than 1,600 Palestinian Prisoners
FDD/May 13/2025
Latest Developments
Some Prisoners Lose Pay-to-Slay Stipend: The Palestinian Authority (PA) has
reportedly ended “pay-to-slay” payments to the families of at least 1,612
Palestinians serving jail sentences in Israel for terror-related offenses. The
halt in payments is the result of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s February decree
to cancel the controversial program, which pays a monthly stipend to the
families of slain or imprisoned Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis.
Abbas’s decree called for the establishment of a new non-governmental body that
would distribute payments based on economic need to all Palestinians, including
the families of prisoners.
Payments Halted For Small Proportion of Prisoners: For now, the move only
impacts a small number of the Palestinians currently receiving “martyr”
payments. PA official Qadura Fares, who is responsible for prisoner affairs, has
stated that between 35,000 and 40,000 families could be impacted if the
pay-to-slay program were cut entirely. The Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas
said the move amounted to abandoning the cause “of the prisoners, the wounded,
and the families of the martyrs.”
U.S. Law Blocks Aid Going to ‘Pay-to-Slay’ Stipends: In 2018, the United States
adopted the Taylor Force Act — named after an American veteran killed in a
Palestinian terror attack — barring the PA from using U.S. financial assistance
to fund terrorist stipends. In April, Abbas’s newly appointed deputy, Hussein
al-Sheikh, wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio inviting Trump administration
officials to visit Ramallah after June 1 to certify that the PA has implemented
reforms necessary to lift the act’s restrictions. The PA has previously dangled
pay-to-slay reform as a negotiating tactic in its bid to remove the Palestine
Liberation Organization and its affiliates from the U.S. list of designated
terrorist organizations.
FDD Expert Response
“While a suspension of payments to some pay-to-slay recipients marks a step in
the right direction, it falls short of dismantling the program. Genuine reform
by the PA will only be demonstrated through a complete termination of the
program and a sustained period in which no alternative or disguised mechanism
replaces it. Without these conditions, any pause risks being viewed as a
tactical delay rather than a substantive policy shift by the PA.” — Joe Truzman,
Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal
“The PA is making a determined effort to demonstrate to the Trump administration
that it is able to change its ways. The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh to
serve as Abbas’s deputy, the apparent reform of the pay-to-slay program, and the
willingness of Palestinian officials in Ramallah to meet with Trump, whom they
had boycotted in his previous term, point to changes within the PA. One can hope
that these changes show the PA is moving in the right direction, but as the key
players remain the same, this development may amount to little more than a
tactical shift in funding mechanisms. It remains unclear if the PA is a credible
partner for peace and if it has the domestic legitimacy to deliver meaningful
change.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National
Security Network
“The PA has played this game many times before, saying it would end pay-to-slay
only to direct the payments from a different account. Hopefully, this time is
different, but we should exercise extreme caution before concluding that the PA
has reformed. Even if it has dropped pay-to-slay, the PA still has much to do in
terms of stopping corruption and incitement to violence.” — David May, Research
Manager and Senior Research Analyst
Syrian president will not attend Arab summit in Baghdad after invitation
triggers divisions
Ghaith Alsayed/The Associated
Press/May 13, 2025
DAMASCUS, Syria ) — Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will not attend an Arab
League summit in Iraq this week and the country’s delegation will be headed by
the foreign minister, the president’s office said Tuesday.
A short statement released by the office of President Ahmad al-Sharaa did not
give a reason why he will not attend the summit but an invitation by the Iraqi
government last month trigged sharp political divisions in Iraq. The summit is
scheduled to be held in Baghdad on Saturday. Al-Sharaa and his interim
government in Syria have been scrambling to establish ties with countries across
the Middle East in a bid to ease skepticism about his former ties to al-Qaida
and to convince Washington to lift crippling economic sanctions on the battered
country. Attending the Arab Summit would have been a major symbolic diplomatic
victory for Damascus as well, as Al-Sharaa struggles to deal with opponents in
the countries, largely from non-Sunni Muslim minority groups, as he tries to
exert state authority across Syria. Al-Sharaa took power after leading a
lightning rebel offensive that unseated his predecessor, Bashar Assad, in
December. Since then, he has positioned himself as a statesman aiming to unite
and rebuild his country after nearly 14 years of civil war, but his past as a
Sunni Islamist militant has left many — including Shiite groups in Iraq — wary.
Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, al-Sharaa joined the
ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.S.-led
invasion in 2003 and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges
in Iraq. During Syria’s conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shiite
militias fought alongside Assad’s forces, making al-Sharaa a particularly
sensitive figure for them.
Turkey says it is closely monitoring PKK disbandment to secure peace
Suzan Fraser/The Associated
Press/May 13, 2025
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its
peace initiative with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday, following the
militant Kurdish group’s announcement that it is dissolving and ending its
decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state. The PKK, designated as a
terrorist organization by several, announced the historic decision on Monday
months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and
disarm — a move that could bring an end to one of the Middle East’s
longest-running insurgencies. In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the
need for securing Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed
struggle.Previous peace efforts with the group have failed, most recently in
2015. Given the past failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
expressed determination to uphold the current initiative and prevent any
disruptions.
“We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow
anyone to test our state’s determination in this regard,” Fahrettin Altun, the
head of the Turkish presidential communications office said. The PKK initially
launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish
state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater
Kurdish rights within Turkey. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring
Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the
1980s.The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled “Terror-Free
Turkey” was launched in October, after a key ally of President Recep Tayyip
suggested parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence
and disbands. Officials have not disclose details about the process that will
follow the PKK’s decision. Media close to the government have reported that the
PKK’s disarmament process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons
being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official
supervision. According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen
jointly by Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a
commission involving Turkey, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq.
The newspaper also suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to
third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could
return to Turkey once a legal framework is established to facilitate their
reintegration. Turkish officials have not responded to requests for comment on
the report. Analysts expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following
the PKK's disbandment. Erdogan said Monday the PKK’s declaration should apply to
all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria.
The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in
intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the U.S.-backed
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan’s call for a
dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria. The group then reached an
agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and
its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria
later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the
Syrian government. Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for
Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would
allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.
UK High Court hears challenge to British government's role arming Israel
Sylvia Hui/The Associated Press/May
13, 2025
LONDON — Human rights groups launched a court fight Tuesday challenging the U.K.
government's decision to supply parts for F-35 fighter jets, saying they are
being used by Israel in Gaza in violation of international law. The legal
challenge in the High Court alleges that the government is breaking domestic and
international law and is complicit in atrocities against Palestinians by
allowing essential components for the warplanes to be supplied to Israel.
“There’s such clear evidence of the use of weapons parts from the U.K. being
used in war crimes, including in genocide," Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of
Amnesty International UK, said at a rally outside the Royal Courts of Justice in
London. “Until this case reaches its judgment, right now as we speak, there are
significant human rights violations being delivered by British-made weapons and
bombs.”The government said in September that it was suspending about 30 of 350
existing export licenses for equipment deemed to be for use in the conflict in
Gaza because of a “clear risk” that the items could be used to “commit or
facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Equipment
included parts for helicopters and drones. But an exemption was made for some
licenses related to components of F-35 fighter jets, which have been linked to
Israel’s bombardment campaign in the Gaza Strip. Rights groups argue that the
United Kingdom shouldn't continue to export parts through what they call a
“deliberate loophole” given the government's own assessment of Israel’s
compliance with international humanitarian law. Palestinian human rights
organization Al-Haq and the U.K.-based Global Legal Action Network, which
brought the legal challenge, say the components are indirectly supplied to
Israel through the global spare parts supply chain. U.K. officials have argued
that stopping the export of F-35 fighter jet components would endanger
international peace and security. Compared to major arms suppliers such as the
U.S. and Germany, British firms sell a relatively small amount of weapons and
components to Israel. The Campaign Against Arms Trade nonprofit group estimates
that the U.K. supplies about 15% of the components in the F-35 stealth combat
aircraft, including its laser targeting system. “British-made F-35s are dropping
multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza, which the U.N. secretary-general has
described as a ‘killing field,’” said Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for
the Global Legal Action Network. “The U.K. government has expressly departed
from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel. This decision is of
continuing and catastrophic effect," she added. The hearing is expected to last
four days and a decision is expected at a later date. Israel resumed its
bombardment in Gaza in March, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. More
than 52,800 people, more than half of them women and children, have been killed
in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry’s count
doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has
killed thousands of militants, without giving evidence. The war began on Oct. 7,
2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and
taking 251 hostages. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest
warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas’ military
chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in
Gaza.
Netanyahu says there is ‘no way’
Israel halts the war in Gaza until Hamas is defeated
AP/May 13, 2025
TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is “no way”
Israel will halt its war in Gaza, even if a deal is reached to release more
hostages. His comments are likely to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that
had seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living American
hostage on Monday in a gesture to US President Donald Trump, who is visiting the
region but skipping Israel. They pointed to a potentially widening rift between
Netanyahu and Trump, who had expressed hope that Monday’s release of
Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander would be a step toward ending the
19-month war. In comments released by his office Tuesday from a visit to wounded
soldiers the previous day, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were just days away
from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza “with great strength to
complete the mission. ... It means destroying Hamas.”Any ceasefire deal reached
would be temporary, the prime minister said. If Hamas were to say they would
release more hostages, “we’ll take them, and then we’ll go in. But there will be
no way we will stop the war,” Netanyahu said. “We can make a ceasefire for a
certain period of time, but we’re going to the end.” Hamas has said it will only
release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a
lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The dispute over whether
to end the conflict has been the main obstacle in negotiations going back more
than a year. Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with as many as 23 of
them said to be alive, although authorities have expressed concern about the
condition of three of them. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led
militants in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that started the war were freed in
ceasefire deals.
Gaza photojournalist Hassan Aslih killed in Israeli strike on hospital
Rushdi Abualouf - Gaza
correspondent, Cairo/BBC/May 13, 2025
An Israeli air strike on the emergency department of Nasser Hospital in southern
Gaza has killed a well-known Palestinian photojournalist, medical sources and
eyewitnesses say. Hassan Aslih, who was being treated for injuries from a
previous Israeli strike, was targeted in what witnesses described as a drone
attack on the hospital's surgical wing. A doctor there confirmed that Aslih had
been at the hospital for nearly a month after surviving an air strike on the
same facility in April.
The Israeli military had previously accused Aslih of involvement in the 7
October Hamas attack on Israel. The strike in April killed Aslih's colleague
Helmi al-Faqawi and wounded several other journalists.
At the time, Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run government media
office, said Israel's accusations against Aslih were "false", adding that Aslih
had no political affiliation. "The occupation's claim that Aslih crossed into
the occupied land and took part in the 7 October incidents is part of a policy
to discredit and fabricate that the occupation adopts to justify attacks on
journalists and media personnel," Thawabta told Reuters agency on 7 April. Aslih
had published dozens of photos and videos documenting the 7 October Hamas
assault from inside Israeli territory.
Aslih worked for years as a freelance photojournalist with both international
and local news agencies. He was widely respected in Gaza for his extensive
coverage of the conflict, often documenting events from the front lines. He has
more than half a million followers on Instagram, where he documents the war.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement it had attacked Nasser Hospital in
what it said was "a targeted attack on key terrorists", but did not name Aslih.
It said the hospital was being used by Hamas to "carry out terrorist plots
against Israeli forces and citizens".The Israel-Gaza war is the deadliest
conflict for journalists in history, according to Brown University's Watson
Institute for Public Affairs, with more than 232 journalists killed in Gaza
since the 7 October attacks.
Iran says it’s open to
temporary uranium enrichment limits
AFP/May 13, 2025
TEHRAN: Iran is open to accepting temporary limits on its uranium enrichment,
its deputy foreign minister said Tuesday, while adding that talks with the US
have yet to address such specifics.Tehran and Washington on Sunday held their
fourth round of nuclear talks, which kicked off last month, marking their
highest-level contact since the US in 2018 pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.
“For a limited period of time, we can accept a series of restrictions on the
level and volume of enrichment,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Majid
Takht-Ravanchi. “We have not yet gone into details about the level and volume of
enrichment,” he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency. Iran currently enriches
uranium to 60 percent purity — far above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015
deal but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material. US Secretary of
State Marco Rubio said Monday that Iran was the only country in the world
without nuclear weapons that enriches uranium to that level.Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi said at the latest talks that the right to enrich
uranium was “non-negotiable,” while US chief negotiator Steve Witkoff called it
a “red line.”The Islamic republic began rolling back its commitments to the deal
a year after the US withdrawal. Since returning to office in January, Trump has
revived his “maximum pressure” approach against Tehran. While backing nuclear
diplomacy, he also warned of potential military action if it fails. Iran
described Sunday’s talks as “difficult but useful” while a senior US official
said Washington was “encouraged” and both sides confirmed plans for future
negotiations. The talks are being held in “full coordination” with the supreme
leader, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to a presidency
statement on Tuesday. “In the negotiations, we will not retreat from our
principles in any way, but at the same time, we do not want tensions,” he added.
Also on Tuesday, Iran’s atomic energy agency chief, Mohammad Eslami, described
the country’s nuclear industry as its “wealth and strength,” according to ISNA
news agency. Despite the talks, Washington has continued to impose sanctions
targeting Iran’s nuclear program and oil industry, with the latest announced on
Monday. “There is no doubt that there is a lot of pressure on us,” said Ali
Larijani, a close adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, while noting that not all of
Iran’s problems were due to the sanctions.
Uruguay’s ex-president Jose 'Pepe'
Mujica dead at 89
AFP/May 13, 2025
MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay’s former president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, a guerrilla fighter
and hero of the Latin American left, has died at the age of 89, the government
in Montevideo said Tuesday. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our
comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you
greatly, old friend,” the country’s current president, Yamandu Orsi, said on X.
Mujica won fame as the “world’s poorest president” for giving away much of his
salary to charity, during his 2010-2015 presidency. In May 2024, he was
diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, which later spread to his liver.His wife
Lucia Topolansky said this week he was receiving palliative care. The man who
made Uruguay into a paragon of progressive politics by legalizing abortion, gay
marriage and the use of recreational cannabis, campaigned for the left until the
end. In a November 2024 interview with AFP he described the presidential victory
of his political heir, history teacher Orsi, as “a reward” at the end of his
career. The blunt-spoken, snowy-haired politician was a fierce critic of
consumer culture. As president he walked the talk by actively rejecting the
trappings of office. He attended official events in sandals and continued living
on his small farm on the outskirts of Montevideo, where his prized possession
was a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. In the 1960s, he co-founded the Marxist-Leninist
urban guerrilla movement Tupamaros, which started out robbing from the rich to
give to the poor but later escalated its campaign to kidnappings, bombings and
assassinations. During those years, Mujica lived a life of derring-do. He
sustained multiple gunshot wounds and took part in a mass prison breakout. But
when the Tupamaros collapsed in 1972, he was recaptured and spent all of
Uruguay’s 1973-1985 dictatorship in prison, where he was tortured and spent
years in solitary confinement. After his release, he threw himself into politics
and in 1989 founded the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP), the largest
member of the leftist Broad Front coalition. Elected to parliament in 1995, he
became a senator in 2000 and then agriculture minister in Uruguay’s first-ever
left-wing government. He served just one five-year term as president, in line
with Uruguay’s term limits. Mujica had no children and is survived by fellow
ex-guerrilla Topolansky.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on May 13-14/2025
د. شارل الياس شرتوني/انتخاب قداسة البابا والتحديات
المعاصرة
Papal Election and Contemporary Challenges
Dr.Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/May 13/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143266/
The election of Robert Francis Prevost as bishop of Rome is a powerful indicator
of the Catholic Church's ability to reform its bi-millennial odyssey and
reinterpret its ecclesiology to make it adjust to the challenges of contemporary
ministries in a global world. The changing of the theological and
ecclesiological paradigms is a Church history constant that was abundantly
documented throughout the bi-millennial: starting with the founding kerygma
(faith proclamation) and its intertextual references (the Hebraic Bible in its
first and second testaments) and various hermeneutical interpretations (Greek
and Latin philosophy, the Church Fathers writings—Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic,
Armenian…); the Medieval scholastics; the Protestant Reformation and its
antecedents; the Counter-reformation, the Aufklärung and the Romantic
narratives; the contemporary deconstructionism and the post-metaphysical
theology, and their incidence on the understanding and practice of Church
ministries.
The six councils around which the various churches unite resulted from
systematic theological elaboration upon which they draw in their pastoral work.
The very notion of church is ecumenical by definition on account of its
civilizational and cultural pluralism, missionary nature and universality. “As
the Father sent Me, I am also sending you. Go into all the world and preach the
gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). “They were all filled with the Holy
Spirit, and they began to speak different languages” (Acts 2:4-28).
The dialectical relationship between Gospel universalism and its various
ecclesiological modulations has changed over time, and doctrinal consensuses
have been shaped and reshaped throughout history by the intellectual work of the
Church Fathers, various theological traditions and Church ministries that
reflected the historical idiosyncrasies of the individual churches.
The Church of Rome, which counts among the various historical churches, has
enjoyed a certain primacy since it is the See of St. Peter, which was entrusted
by Jesus. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew, 16:15).
Peter answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” to which Jesus
replies, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you
by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Matthew 16:17-18). This
statement is a foundational proclamation.
The primacy of the Church of Rome is kerygmatic and should not be confounded
with accidental historical features. The federating status of the Church of Rome
is definitional, despite the fluctuating fortunes and historical prevarications
of the Roman See. Otherwise, the Church of Rome, like other churches in their
own right, has played a pivotal role in the formation of European civilization
and its normative, cultural and political identity. One cannot understand
medieval, modern and contemporary Europe without relating it to the foundational
role of the Church of Rome (political configurations, legal traditions,
philosophical and theological traditions, educational systems, universities,
geopolitics, artistic, literary and scientific traditions, social and economic
systems and ministries…).
It’s no surprise that the contemporary papacy elicits such an interest, despite
the systemic flaws of the clerical system and its drawbacks. The papacy and the
Catholic Church have a federating role within the West and the global ecumene.
This is amply highlighted through the late decades, whereby the modern Church
plays a major role in international social, economic and educational
development, conflict mediation, the promotion of professional and ecological
ethics and awareness, interreligious dialogue and the defense of international
human rights and justice.
The death of Pope Francis was a time of profound introspection elicited by his
global ministry of compassion, empathy, justice and ecological wholesomeness,
and so is the inquisitiveness around the election of Robert Francis Prevost as
bishop of Rome. The Church of Rome has played a pivotal role in the formation of
the European idea and its materialization, the formation of its nation-states
and the building of the international federating orders and institutions. We
have to recall the names of Popes Leo XIII (1878-1903), Benedict XV (1914-1922),
Pius XI (1922-1939), Pius XII (1939-1958) (however controversial), John XIII
(1958-1963), Paul VI (1963-1978), John Paul II (1978-2005), Benedict XVI
(2005-2013) and Francis (2013-2025) to understand the central role of the papacy
in the highly tormented 20th and 21st centuries.
The election of US-Peruvian Pope Robert Francis Prevost is a continuation of the
dynamics engineered by the Vatican II council, its inclusive synodality and the
innovative theological embedding of contemporary ecclesiology (paradigmatic
shifts, Hans Küng, Karl Rahner, Yves Congar, Henri de Lubac, Edward
Schillebeeckx, Avery Dulles, David Tracy…). Pope Leo XIV had already defined his
intellectual genealogy when he chose the name of Leo as a successor of Pope Leo
XIII, who pioneered a new pastoral tradition impelled by the structural
transformations of the industrial age and its legacy of economic, social and
normative dislocations.
The role of the Catholic Church was central to the definition of the reformist
social and economic policies of the modern age and the institutionalization of
the developmental concerns at the core of international politics and economics.
Its input was essential in the fields of economic justice, ecology and
developmental ministries throughout the world. Aside from intellectual
genealogy, the ministry of Pope Leo was spent in various missionary assignments
in his homeland and his adoptive land, Peru, as the president of the Pontifical
Commission for Latin America (2023-2025), parish priest, educator and bishop of
Sufar and Chiclayo (2014-2015, 2015-2023) dioceses. Otherwise, his long tenure
as the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine (2001-2013), the prefect of
the bishops' dicastery in Rome (2023-2025) and his appointment as a cardinal
deacon in 2023 were the established credentials that made the college of
cardinals elect him as the 267th successor of Peter.
Moreover, his deep spirituality, meekness, compassionate character and
well-honed missionary and pastoral skills displayed throughout his various
ministries have prepared him for the papal ministry. He is a true pontiff since
he spent his life as a servant and a bridge builder between continents, cultures
and human realities. His choice by Pope Francis was not an arbitrary one, he was
one of those who were groomed to lead the papacy in this era of profound
transformations.
Pope Leo XIV's vast worksite includes major Church reforms: reforming the
ministries, pursuing the theological reflection in sync with the major
anthropological transformations elicited by the scientific and philosophical
worldviews of late modernity and their incidence on Church ministries, refining
the modulations of synodality, addressing the systemic issues of sexual and
financial delinquency, and redefining the scope and the questions of peace,
social and environmental justice, education and health ministries, and the
ethics and politics of difference and their incidence on Church ministries…
The beauty of the Roman liturgy that we attended lately was a metaphor for this
deep quest for meaning in a world where reification has engulfed the lives of
individuals and societies: “There are contexts where it's not easy to preach the
Gospel and bear witness to its truth. There are settings where other securities
are preferred, like technology, money, success, power or pleasure. Believers are
mocked, opposed, despised or, at best, tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for
this reason, they are the places where our missionary work is desperately
needed. Pope Leo continues, “A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by
the loss of the meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violation of
human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict
our society” (Pope Leo's first homily as a pope, May 9, 2025).
The death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV are quite symptomatic
of these deep yearnings and the spiritual tradition that vehicles them. The
ministry of Pope Francis and the incoming ministry of Pope Leo are echoing each
other and setting the tone for another innovative ministry, recapitulating the
missionary narratives of an Augustinian relaying those of the Jesuit and their
contextual embeddings.
In his first address after the election, Pope Leo XIV greeted St. Peter’s
congregation with a warm wish, “Peace be with all of you!” “Dearest brothers and
sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who
gave his life for God's flock. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to
enter your hearts, to reach your families and all of the people, wherever they
are, all of the people all over the earth.” (May 8, 2025). The mass has ended.
Go into the world to love and serve.
How to Warm the Cold Peace Between Egypt and Israel
Haisam Hassanein/The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune/May 12, 2025
As the Trump administration considers its Middle East peace strategy, one target
should be a deeper relationship between the Arab world’s most populous nation
and the Jewish state, one that advances beyond diplomatic formalities to include
greater economic cooperation and cultural exchanges.
Since the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Cairo and Jerusalem have
maintained formal diplomatic channels and coordinated effectively on security
matters and more recently on natural gas trade. These official ties have proven
resilient, but other interactions remain sparse. Israelis travel to Egypt during
stable periods, but the reverse is uncommon. Egyptians seeking to visit Israel
(for instance, Coptic Christians pilgrims) face administrative barriers and the
potential for scrutiny by Egyptian security forces.
Civil society engagement is also underdeveloped. Egyptian artists, academics,
and public figures often observe an informal boycott of Israel, and those who do
not, frequently face social and professional consequences. According to a 2024
poll survey, only eight percent of Egyptians favor normalized ties with Israel.
This sentiment has only hardened in the aftermath of the war in Gaza following
Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, with Egypt’s state-aligned media amplifying
anti-Israel narratives.
The Egyptian government, with Washington’s encouragement, must work to
discourage any backsliding so improvement in Egyptian Israeli relations do not
permanently stall. A change in tone in the state-controlled Egyptian media would
be a good start, followed by broadening cultural, economic and political
engagement. As US officials continue their discussions with Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi—particularly in the context of post-conflict planning for
Gaza—there is a critical opportunity to elevate the conversation. The question
is not whether peace between the two countries can be preserved, but whether it
can be deepened and diversified into a more inclusive and sustainable model.
One of the most persistent challenges lies in religious messaging. Antisemitic
rhetoric continues to circulate within influential institutions. In a recent
television appearance, Sheikh Ashraf al-Feel, a prominent cleric affiliated with
state-funded Al-Azhar University, described Jews as “killers of the prophets.”
Al-Feel, with millions of followers, plays a powerful role in shaping public
opinion.
President Sisi has spoken on multiple occasions about the need to reform
religious discourse. Early in his presidency, he warned against dogmatic
thinking and called for a renewal of ideas. More recently, he emphasized that
genuine reform must go beyond correcting misconceptions and instead reflect the
inclusive, humane essence of religious teachings. These words must now be
matched with action. The United States should encourage Cairo to hold religious
institutions accountable and to support messages of tolerance and interfaith
coexistence.
Restrictions on travel further inhibit the potential for mutual understanding.
Israel remains among a list of countries Egyptians cannot visit freely; any
travel requires special authorization from national security bodies. These
restrictions send a powerful signal that normalization is neither welcome nor
safe. Easing these policies—even incrementally—could allow new forms of
interaction that humanize the “other” and begin to reverse long-held
misperceptions.
Academic exchange represents another underutilized avenue. Thirteen Egyptian
universities offer Hebrew-language programs, yet graduates of these departments
are prohibited from studying or conducting fieldwork in Israel. Establishing an
Egyptian academic center in Tel Aviv, mirroring the Israeli Academic Center in
Cairo, would help foster scholarly dialogue. Complementing this with targeted
student exchange programs could cultivate a generation of thought leaders who
understand and respect one another’s societies.
Economic cooperation also remains underdeveloped. With Egypt facing a prolonged
economic downturn and growing challenges related to water scarcity,
collaboration with Israel in areas such as irrigation, desalination, and
agricultural innovation could yield significant benefits. Yet business ties
remain heavily restricted, with only a small number of Egyptian companies
permitted to operate across the border—typically under strict oversight.
Removing these constraints would not only improve livelihoods but also serve as
a confidence-building measure between the two nations.
Peace is not defined solely by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of
dialogue, cooperation, and trust. Advancing Egypt-Israel normalization will not
happen overnight, but with consistent encouragement and strategic incentives, it
is possible to move from cold peace to enduring partnership.
If the Trump administration aims to leave a lasting legacy in the Middle East,
there is no better place to start than by turning a decades-old treaty into a
fully realized model of reconciliation.
*Haisam Hassanein is an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies specializing in Arab politics and Arab-Israeli relations.
Qatar Continues To Finance Terror With U.S. Consent: Will
Fund Syria's New Regime, Led By HTS Terror Organization, Just As It Funded Hamas
MEMRI/May 13, 2025
Qatar, Syria | Special Dispatch No. 11975
Qatar, the world's greatest financer of extremist Islamist elements such as the
Muslims Brotherhood and jihadi terror organizations, is now mobilizing to
support the new Syrian regime headed by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, until recently known as
Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, leader of the Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) terror
organization. Starting next month (June 2025), Qatar, with U.S. approval, will
help pay the salaries of the Syrian public sector, thus enabling HTS to retain
its control of Syria amid the deep economic crisis in the country. This move is
reminiscent of Qatar's provision of billions of dollars to Gaza under Hamas,
with Israel's consent, which enabled the terror organization to survive and to
build up its military strength.
HTS, which headed the Syrian rebel forces that toppled the Assad regime on
December 8, 2024, grew out of the ISIS and Al-Qaeda terror organizations. It was
established in 2012 by Al-Sharaa (then known as Al-Joulani) at the behest of Abu
Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who would soon become the founder of ISIS. In 2013 the group
became the official branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria after Al-Joulani broke with
Al-Baghdadi and swore allegiance to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. In 2016,
Al-Joulani severed his ties with Al-Qaeda as well, and his group merged with
several other Syrian Islamist groups to become the umbrella organization Jabhat
Fath Al-Sham. In 2017, after merging with additional Syrian groups, it changed
its name to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham. HTS was designated as a terrorist organization
in the U.S. and several other countries.
In January 2025, immediately after taking control of Syria, HTS officially
announced its dissolution, along with other military, political and civil
organizations in Syria, and declared they would be integrated in the state
institutions.[1] This move was intended inter alia to distance the new regime
from accusations of involvement in terror. But in practice, many former HTS
officials hold key positions in the regime, chief of them Al-Sharaa himself,
formerly the leader of HTS. Despite the involvement of terrorist elements in the
new regime, several countries, including the U.S., are currently considering
lifting the sanctions that were imposed on Syria under Assad. Among those
pushing to lift the sanctions is Qatar, which President Trump is scheduled to
visit soon.[2]
In the recent years, Qatar remained the only Arab state that continued to
support the Syrian rebels, including terror organizations like HTS. Qatar's
present move of bankrolling the Syrian civil sector, greenlighted by the U.S.,
effectively continues the Qatari support for HTS, and allows this organization
to hold on to power despite the sanctions still imposed on it.
Moreover, this move is designed to position Qatar as a philanthropist country
that assists and mediates in global crises. It repeats a familiar Qatari tactic:
of leveraging its status as the patron and financer of anti-Western terror
organizations to promote its global status in times of crisis. The same tactic
was evident when Qatar was promoted from the role of Hamas' patron to the role
of a key mediator between Hamas and Israel during the current war in Gaza.
This report reviews Qatar's pledge to assist the new Syrian regime – which
mirrors the assistance it extends to Hamas – and its ties with this regime.
Syrian Finance Minister: Qatar Has Pledged $87 Million For Syrian Civil Sector
Salaries, With U.S. Consent
Syrian Finance Minister Muhammad Bernieh announced on May 8, 2025 that Qatar
would provide $29 million a month for three months, subject to extension, to
help cover the public sector salaries. The grant, he specified, would fund the
salaries of employees in the healthcare, education, and social affairs sectors,
and those of non-military retirees. Bernieh added that the Qatari funds would be
managed by UNDP and cover around 20% of the current salaries and pensions.[3]
According to Reuters, the funding is conditional upon the exclusion of the
interior and defense ministries as recipients.[4] Bernieh clarified further that
these funds would not be subject to the U.S. sanctions on Syria, and thanked the
U.S. for this exemption. [5] It should be noted that the initiative was
suggested by Qatar already in January 2025, but uncertainty about the
possibility of avoiding U.S. sanctions delayed its implementation.[6]
The sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad's rule remained in place after his
downfall, although the U.S. and Europe did ease them to some extent.[7] At the
Ninth International Conference in Support of Syria in May 2025, the U.S.
presented the Syrian administration with a document specifying eight conditions
it must fulfill for partial sanctions relief. They included making sure that
foreign fighters were not appointed to sensitive command positions in the Syrian
armed forces, and allowing U.S. miliary activity in Syria, among other demands.
It should be noted that, despite HTS' past, the list made no mention of human
rights issues or constitutional reforms.[8]
The sanctions seriously hamper the efforts to rebuild Syria after years of war.
Syria's new administration under Al-Sharaa has admitted to difficulty in meeting
the basic needs of the population, including the regular supply of power, water
and fuel and curbing food prices, as well as paying the civil sector – a problem
Qatar will now help with.[9]
Syria's New Regime, Headed By Al-Sharaa, Was Sponsored By Qatar Already In Its
Permutation As A Terror Organization
As part of its support for the uprising against Assad since its outbreak in
March 2011, Qatar sponsored many of the rebel groups, including terror
organizations like HTS, headed by Al-Sharaa (then known as Al-Joulani).[10]
According to reports, HTS' status as a designated terror organization in the
U.S. and in other countries did not deter Qatar from supporting it politically
and financially, including by funding its fighters[11] and bankrolling large aid
projects in Idlib in northwestern Syria when HTS was in control of the area.
In fact, an HTS official known as Abu Obeida Al-Shami told the Qatari daily Al-Quds
Al-Arabi in June 2017 that Qatar was the main supporter of the people of Al-Sham
(Greater Syria) in times of need, and added that it faced pressures for "its
position on the revolution and the jihad in Al-Sham."[12]
Naturally, after the rebel groups, headed by HTS, ousted the Assad regime on
December 8, 2024, Qatar became a strong ally of the new Syrian regime, alongside
Turkey, also a sponsor of HTS. Immediately upon the advent of the new regime,
Qatar hurried to embrace it, despite the world's concerns regarding HTS'
jihadist past. Already on December 23, only two weeks after Assad's downfall and
with the initial consolidation of the new regime, a high-level Qatari delegation
arrived in Damascus, headed by Qatar's health minister, Muhammad Al-Khalifi. In
his meeting with Al-Sharaa, Al-Khalifi expressed Qatar's willingness to help the
new administration in every domain.[13] Al-Sharaa, for his part, thanked Qatar
and praised it, saying that it had "always been a partner of the Syrian people
and it adhered to its positions until the revolution triumphed." Qatari Emir
Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani was the first head of state to make an official visit
to the new Syria, on January 30, 2025, during which he pledged that his country
would continue to support the new regime.[14]
Qatar's support of the new regime gives it a considerable foothold in the
country. It is involved in many areas, including construction projects,[15] the
rebuilding of the Damascus international airport[16] and the provision of
natural gas to Syria's power stations.[17] Additionally, Qatar's Al-Jazeera
network is involved in providing training for government officials, journalists
and communications students in Syria.[18]
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Qatari Emit Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani
during the latter's visit to Damascus (Image: X.com/SyPresidency, January 30,
2025)
Qatar also has considerable political influence over Al-Sharaa's administration.
The new Syrian government, appointed by Al-Sharaa in late March 2025, includes
four ministers with close ties to Qatar: Information Minister Hamza Al-Mustafa,
who is considered a protégé of the Qatari Emir's senior advisor and former
Israeli MP Azmi Bishara[19]; Culture Minister Muhammad Yasin Saleh, who from
2012 until his appointment as minister worked as a presenter on Qatar's
Al-Jazeera network[20]; Tourism Minister Mazen Al-Salhani, who directed a series
of tourism, trade and infrastructure projects in Qatar, including hotels,
shopping centers and the Doha Metro[21], and Endowments Minister Muhammad Abu
Al-Khair Shukri, a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS),
which is based in Doha and is sponsored by the Qatari establishment.[22]
The Similarity Between Qatar’s Funding Of The New Syrian Regime And Its Funding
Of Hamas' Military Buildup
As stated, Qatar's provision of funds to the new Syrian regime to pay public
sector salaries is part of a familiar Qatari strategy: a strategy that involves
supporting and funding terrorist elements hostile to the West in order to
promote the country's role as a provider of international aid and as a mediator
with these elements. Another prominent example of this was Qatar’s funding of
the regime of the Hamas terrorist organization with billions of dollars.
Starting in 2018, Qatar sent approximately two billion dollars to the Gaza
Strip, with the approval and consent of the Israeli government. Some of the
money was used to pay the salaries of Hamas' bureaucracy. A significant part of
the funds was transferred in cash, specifically in U.S. dollars, making it
difficult to track. However, whether provided to Hamas directly or indirectly,
these Qatari funds filled Hamas' coffers with foreign currency, enabling it to
make purchases outside Gaza.
Starting in 2007, when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from the
Palestinian Authority, Qatar financed its government there, at first mostly
through Qatari charitable organizations and later also directly, by the Qatari
government. Qatar claimed that these funds were not meant to bolster Hamas’
military power, but were intended only for “urgent” humanitarian needs and
civilian infrastructure such as establishing hospitals, operating power plants
and aiding disadvantaged families – just as it now stipulates that its aid to
the Syrian regime is not intended for the interior or defense ministries.
However, in practice the Qatari payments considerably aided Hamas in building up
its military strength. In addition to funneling funds to the organization's
military wing, Qatar aided Hamas by paying for some of the needs of the civilian
population, thus freeing up ample funds for its military buildup.
In this context, it is important to note Qatar's cooperation with UN agencies in
the Gaza Strip, which is similar to its current cooperation with the UN in
Syria. Over the years Qatar has transferred tens of millions of dollars to UN
institutions, including ones operating in Gaza, chief of them UNRWA, essentially
creating a dependency of these organizations on Qatar. During the current war in
Gaza, which broke out following Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, UNRWA
employees have been implicated in direct involvement in Hamas' terrorism. In
addition, Hamas tunnels were discovered directly beneath UNRWA facilities, with
electric cables and other infrastructure connecting the two, a situation that
cannot have arisen without the knowledge of elements within UNRWA. This
connection between Hamas and UNRWA on the one hand, and between Qatar and UNRWA
on the other, at the very least gives rise to suspicion that UNRWA has served as
another conduit for transferring Qatari funds to Hamas.
[1] T.me/G_CSyriaa/400, January 20, 2025.
[2] Reuters.com, edition.cnn.com, May 12, 2025.
[3] Sana.sy, May 8, 2025.
[4] Reuters.com, May 8, 2025.
[5] Sana.sy, May 8, 2025.
[6] Al-Arab (London), February 27, 2025.
[7] Skynewsarabia.com, January 7, 2025; syria.tv.com, February 24, 2025.
[8] Majalla.com, April 19, 2025.
[9] Asharqbusiness.com, April 26, 2025; syria.tv. April 10, 2025; enabbaladi.net,
March 31, 2025, Al-Arabi Al-Jadid (London), March 25, 2025.
[10] Qatar's support for HTS began already during the organization's early
permutation as an Al-Qaeda affiliate known as Jabhat Al-Nusra. Besides providing
the organization with funds and gear for its military activities, Qatar granted
impunity to charities that raised funds for Jabhat Al-Nusra, and some of them
even operated under the umbrella of a quasi-governmental Qatari institution.
According to many reports, Qatar also funded Al-Nusra indirectly by ransoming
hostages it had captured. Fdd.org, December 11, 2019.
[11] See for example a October 2018 report in the Emirati daily Al-Arab that
Qatar provided some $800 a month to every fighter in the organization (alarab.co.uk,
October 8, 2018).
[12] Alquds.co.uk, June 15, 2017.
[13] Al-Watan (Qatar), December 24, 2024.
[14] Syria.tv, December 23, 2024; raya.com, January 30, 2025.
[15] Al-Raya (Qatar), January 30, 2025.
[16] Al-Watan (Qatar). December 24, 31, 2024.
[17] T.me/damascusv011, March 18, 2025.
[18] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11887, Qatar's Al-Jazeera Network Provides
Media Training For Officials Of New Syrian Government, Syrian Journalists, And
Syrian Communications Students, March 24, 2025.
[19] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11912 - Appointment Of Hamza Al-Mustafa As
Syria's New Information Minister – Another Step In Qatar's Takeover Of Syria's
Media – April 3, 2025.
[20] Aljazeera.net, al-sharq.com, March 30, 2025.
[21] Snacksyrian.com, al-sharq.com, March 30, 2025.
[22] Rocham.org, April 1, 2025.
Are We Ready to Accept Our Alternative History?
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
Whenever I am feeling nostalgic, I listen to the remarkable late Iraqi poet
Lamia Abbas Amara’s poem about Beirut... a city she came to adore after residing
there for a time. Beirut loved her back, even more.
The poem begins with this beautiful verse:
"I focus my eyes in doubt to ask them:
Has Beirut left me so that I return?
Where do I begin? There are heaps my lips,
Brimming with chaos... that cannot be sequenced."
Two entire generations of Lebanese citizens have no memories of this Beirut that
Lamia loved with a passion decades ago. Two generations who physically escaped
the monstrous war that devoured tens of thousands, but who remain culturally and
psychologically scarred to this day. Memory, along with truth and innocence, was
among the first casualties of this war. And today, the truth lies in shame as
Lebanese people from all walks of life complain, trade suspicions and
accusations, and find comfort in blaming all these sins on the politicians of
the past.
There is no doubt that politicians bear much of the blame for the calamities
that have unfolded in Lebanon since 1975. Nonetheless those same politicians, in
one way or another, were also victims, or rather products, of a culture shaped
by deals bigger than them and their small country located in a region that has
long been - and remains - among the most volatile in the world. In Lebanon,
contradictory identities and allegiances are evident even in casual
conversations and turns of phrase. Conceptions of nationalism, extremism,
consensus, sovereignty, and coexistence remain contested, with interpretations
diverging in accordance with the values and conditions of the community one was
raised in. I would argue that this state of affairs is by no means unique to
Lebanon, although it is most apparent there because Lebanon has never been
subjected to the kind of "totalitarian rule" seen for decades in neighboring
countries. Totalitarian regimes became accustomed to suppressing diversity and
silencing dissent with iron and fire and in the dark dungeons of intelligence
services!
I recall, for instance, that when former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
criticized the "sectarianism" of Lebanese society, fools applauded him and the
wise were left stunned because they knew that a volcanic eruption had been
awaiting him. The sectarianism of the Lebanese was "visible" because of their
excessive indulgence in freedom, which went so far as to engender chaos.
Meanwhile, millions of their Arab brothers, especially in Syria, knew that every
breath they took was being accounted for so much so that they came to lose trust
in even their closest relatives. That all belongs in the past, which must be
remembered if we are to avoid repeating it. In theory, this is a valid claim.
However, the present and future have not been guaranteed...Most Arab countries
have young populations. Our people are still new to managing differences,
dealing with diversity, and navigating responsible and mature democracy.
However, if we examine what the "social media revolution" has done (and the
challenges that artificial intelligence could present) we might find that, even
in the most advanced countries with long-established democracies, things are not
necessarily going much better. The rules of the game have changed entirely.
We are not the only ones who have to contend with the attacks of bots and trolls
that spread disinformation, twist concepts, fuel the fires of fanaticism and
racism, and poison the relationship among the communities of our society, using
anonymous accounts, propaganda tools, and dangerous campaigns run by
intelligence agencies. In the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany,
and elsewhere, the past decade has made the dangerous role that social media can
play in spreading lies, fabrications, slander, incitement, and character
assassination, strengthening extremist and racist political parties.
In Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and several other Arab countries, unrestrained (there
is no effective legislation) social media websites have effectively become tools
of sedition and civil war.
Yet even so, it seems that our journey has just begun! Artificial intelligence
could present even more insidious and terrifying threats, not only in terms of
shaping the present and manipulating the future, but also in rewriting the past.
In its January 28, 2024 issue, The New York Times published an investigative
piece under the striking headline: "AI Is Coming for The Past Too!"
On March 12, American website "The Hill" reported that the American Edge Project
had released a report warning that China could manage to rewrite history through
artificial intelligence in order to dominate the world. Former US Congress
members Loretta Sanchez and Greg Walden introduce the article with a warning:
"Imagine waking up to a world where entire chapters of history have quietly
disappeared and key facts about important news are simply nowhere to be
found..."
"Fortunately for those of us living in the United States, such a scenario
remains a catastrophic nightmare - but for hundreds of millions living under
authoritarian regimes, it is a daily reality," they then add. The authors go on
to unpack the study’s findings. China is currently seeking to harness artificial
intelligence to rewrite history, erasing its human rights violations and any
criticism of the Chinese Communist Party. Elsewhere, an April 10 Australian
report explains that AI-generated images by "Facebook/AAP" can blend reality and
fiction. That is, it can be used to rewrite history and manipulate images of
everything from the Nazi Holocaust to the September 11 attacks and the events in
Gaza and Ukraine.Now, can we imagine what this means for us in the Levant? Can
we wrap our heads around what Israel, a technologically and cybernetically
advanced state, could do to "rewrite" our history and tailor this history to its
narrative, as it is already doing? It knows far more about us than we know about
ourselves or it. Are we not, we who know so little about ourselves (to say
nothing about other citizens) easy prey? What protects us from being chewed up
and discarded without even noticing?
Trump’s Visit to Saudi Arabia is Anything but Ordinary
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/May 13/2025
A Saudi nuclear program, military deals, a defense agreement, ending the Gaza
war, a pathway to the two-state solution, negotiations with Iran, and a trillion
dollars in trade and investment—this momentum will all be part of US President
Donald Trump’s visit. He is expected to be accompanied by a brigade of top tech
executives, including Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk, along with leaders from
OpenAI, Meta, Alphabet, Boeing, and Citigroup. These big promises make President
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia an extraordinary one. It will also be his first
official foreign trip, marking the start of his international diplomatic
agenda.Preparations for Trump’s visit have been underway for more than two
months, an effort of unprecedented scale for both the US and Saudi governments.
Multiple discussions took place during the preparations, laying the groundwork
for agreements across all relevant political, economic, and defense issues. The
visit has been preceded by trips from several regional and global politicians to
Riyadh to add more items to the discussion table. According to US State
Department records, twelve US presidential visits to Saudi Arabia have taken
place in the past fifty years before Trump’s. All were significant in their
historical and political contexts. In today’s historical context, President
Trump’s visit coincides with the broadest regional and international shifts
since the end of the Cold War.
Regarding bilateral relations, Trump’s visit lays the foundation for a new
chapter, considering the nature of the topics under negotiation - some already
initiated, others to be finalized later. One is the Saudi nuclear project, which
Washington had been reluctant to negotiate over in previous decades. An
announcement is likely, as the administration previously leaked details.
Interestingly, Saudi Arabia discovered uranium in its deserts during mineral
exploration efforts - central to its massive Vision 2030 development plan -
propelling its civil nuclear ambitions forward.
Politically, while the US-Saudi relationship is strong, it remains in need of
restructuring and clarity. The strategic Quincy Agreement signed by Saudi
Arabia’s founding King Abdulaziz and US President Roosevelt after World War II
is now considered obsolete. Trump and the Saudi leadership are exploring a new
strategic agreement format that accounts for recent developments - America’s
transformation into an oil exporter, Saudi Arabia’s growing markets in China and
India, and its ambitious Vision 2030 plan to position itself among the world’s
top 20 economies.
Trump’s second visit to Riyadh is different, and observers are well aware of
today’s shifting political climate: the fall of the al-Assad regime, the
collapse of Hezbollah’s strength, the destruction of Houthi capabilities, and,
for the first time in a decade, Iraqi militias halting attacks on US and
international forces. The agenda itself also makes this summit distinct from his
first presidential visit. Trump has reshaped Washington’s stubborn stance and
launched a sweeping domestic and foreign policy transformation, with just under
four years remaining to try and complete it.
In my opinion, the most important achievement of this summit for Saudi Arabia
would be laying the foundation for a long-term, positive working relationship
with Trump and the United States. Over the past eight years, the relationship
has been successful. Even former critics now see the results. Built on mutual
interests, it’s a relationship that can endure. Many countries around the world,
including in Europe, are following Saudi Arabia’s lead in managing their affairs
with Trump. The era of relying solely on political and military alliances with
Washington is over; the focus now is on forging shared interests.
The trillion-dollar relationship that Saudi Arabia pledged to Trump over a
ten-year investment span is not a basket of gifts. It consists of mega projects
and investments. This is evident from the signed agreements and the delegation
accompanying Trump on this trip. It reflects Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s
vision and approach: focusing on development and the economy, and overcoming
political and security challenges to make the relationship productive and
sustainable.