English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 17/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
When Peter noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, You of little faith
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14/22-33: "Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’"”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 16-17/2025
The May 17, 1983, agreement between Lebanon and Israel was a fair opportunity for peace that Lebanon lost/With the Agreement/Elias Bejjani/May 17/2025
On May 16 We Remembering Saint Hardini, and the Criminals Nasser and Hafez Al-Assad Who Assassinated Mufti Hassan Khaled and Journalist Kamel Mrowa/Elias Bejjani/May 16, 2025
Passing of Mrs. Nihad El-Chami: The Lord Gave, and the Lord Has Taken Away—Blessed Be His Name/Elias Bejjani/May 14/2025
The 21th anniversary of the announcement of His Holiness Mar Nematallah Al-Hardini
A video Link/documentary telling the life story and death of journalist Kamel Mrowa, who was assassinated by Gamal Abdel Nasser's intelligence on May 16, 1966 in Beirut.
UN peacekeepers attacked by civilians in Lebanon, no casualties reported
UNIFIL condemns attack on patrol in southern Lebanon
Army intervenes after UNIFIL-residents clash causes injuries
Ortagus to visit Beirut in a week, says occupation doesn't justify Hezbollah arms
Report: No reconstruction funds before reforms and Hezbollah disarmament
Hezbollah will 'go far' in the issue of arms handover
Berri blames US not Israel for ongoing ceasefire violations
Lebanese and Iraqi Prime Ministers Discuss Closer Ties Before Summit
Salam says 'no turning back' in plans to monopolize arms
MP Ghayath Yazbek tells LBCI: No alliance with Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon needs a unified state strategy
Lebanon left waiting amid shifting regional dynamics: Has Beirut fallen off the US priority list?
Lebanon’s deadly tradition: Stray bullets and lost lives in the 'epidemic' of celebratory gunfire
Lebanon Seeks World Bank Loans to Boost Energy, Water Sectors
Follow the money: corruption, immorality, and the leitmotif of the art trade/Valeria Rando/Now Lebanon/May 16/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 16-17/2025
Israeli and Syrian official hold rare direct talks, Israeli source says
Syria and DP World ink $800 million deal for port development
World Bank says Syria eligible for new loans as arrears cleared
Trump wraps up Gulf tour, says wants to meet Putin soon
Trump says Iran wants to trade with US
Iran denies receiving US proposal, says it won’t give up right to enrichment
Iranian officials confirm Iran, European leaders held nuclear talks in Istanbul
Trump Tells Gulf Hosts He’s ‘Not Thrilled’ With Their Gift
Trump says 'people are starving' as Israeli strikes pound Gaza
Trump says journalist Austin Tice has not been seen in many years
US developing plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya, NBC News reports
Deadly Israeli strikes pound Gaza, Trump says ‘people are starving’
Palestinian death toll tops 53,000 after Israel airstrikes pummel Gaza overnight
France says conference on two-state solution to Mideast conflict set for June
Israel threatens Houthi leaders after striking Yemen ports
Israel attacks Yemeni ports, warns that Houthi leader could be target
Israeli proposal details possible plan to rule Gaza after Hamas
Israel blasts UN aid chief over call to prevent Gaza genocide, UN says 'let us do our work'
NYU withholds diploma from student who denounced war in Gaza during graduation speech
Lammy visits Pakistan in push for ‘durable peace’ with India
European leaders consult Trump, then agree joint response to Russian foot-dragging in truce talks
Russia, Ukraine agree prisoner swap, fail to reach truce in first talks since 2022

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sourceson on May 16-17/2025
Remembering the Truth behind Columbus Day/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/May 16/2025
Trump Lets China Win in Tariff War — First Round, Anyhow/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/May 16, 2025
Pope Leo Sets Up Trump Showdown With Demand About Migrants/Janna Brancolini/The Daily Beast/May 16, 2025
Trump eager to get home, see ‘beautiful grandson,’ Tiffany's new baby/May 16, 2025
Kinsey Crowley and Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK/Palm Beach/Post:/May 16, 2025
Question: “What is sola scriptura?”/GotQuestions.org?May 16, 2025
What the end of US sanctions means for Syria and the region/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/May 16, 2025
A historic opportunity for a positive upheaval in the Levant/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/May 16, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 16-17/2025
The May 17, 1983, agreement between Lebanon and Israel was a fair opportunity for peace that Lebanon lost/With the Agreement
Elias Bejjani/May 17/2025
Today, we recall the May 17 Agreement, signed between the Lebanese Republic and the State of Israel on May 17, 1983, after months of difficult negotiations in Naqoura under American sponsorship. The Lebanese negotiating delegation, with remarkable national skill and professionalism, succeeded in asserting all elements of Lebanese sovereignty and rights, and in securing a full, peaceful, and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories.
The agreement was approved by Parliament by a majority (65 votes) on June 14, 1983, and was cancelled on March 5, 1984, after President Amin Gemayel refused to sign it out of fear of Assad and as a result of his lack of vision for the future. His action was the greatest sin committed against Lebanon.
At the time, the agreement received widespread support from the Presidency, the Parliament, and the Cabinet, and was welcomed by the majority of the Lebanese people. It was also endorsed by most Arab countries and all nations of the free world, who saw it as a bold and realistic step on the path to peace. In truth, it represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lift Lebanon out of the cycle of war, occupation, and proxy conflicts, and to put it on the track of peace and stability—just as Egypt had done in 1979, and Jordan would later do in 1994.
However, the Syrian Baathist regime, which had effectively occupied Lebanon since 1976, rushed to sabotage the agreement by force through its local proxies—mercenaries, fake “resistance” profiteers, extremist Islamists, and leftist chameleons who wore a thousand disguises but had no loyalty to Lebanon’s identity, history, or sovereignty. These groups served hostile regional agendas and were merely tools of Syrian influence. The Syrian regime and its agents resorted to assassinations, terrorism, and defamation campaigns to silence those who supported the agreement and to block its implementation.
The May 17 Agreement was a golden key to restoring sovereignty and ending the crime of “Lebanon the battlefield.” It could have brought an end to the destructive myths of “resistance” and “defiance,” which produced nothing but ruin, collapse, poverty, isolation, and chaos for Lebanon. Instead of embracing the opportunity, Lebanon surrendered to the will of the Syrian regime and its apparatuses, forfeiting a rare and invaluable chance for peace, development, and prosperity.
Ironically, President Amine Gemayel—under pressure from his father, Sheikh Pierre Gemayel, certain Kataeb leaders, and Arab states that feared early normalization with Israel—ultimately decided to suspend, and later cancel, the agreement. This was despite the fact that international powers did not pressure him to reverse course, as he himself confirmed in his memoirs. Sheikh Pierre Gemayel was known to repeat his famous phrase: “We don’t want to close 21 doors (Arab countries) just to open one (Israel),” reflecting the fear of Arab isolation—a fear that heavily influenced the cancellation decision.
But today, after Israel has dismantled Iran’s military arm in Lebanon—namely the terrorist group Hezbollah—eliminated its commanders, and forced it to sign a humiliating ceasefire… After the fall of the Assad regime… After the empty slogans of “resistance and defiance” were exposed as tools of destruction, takfir, and displacement… After Iran’s agents were expelled from several Arab countries… The time is ripe for Lebanon to reassess its strategic choices with a realistic and patriotic mindset.
Lebanon must sign a full peace agreement with the State of Israel—an agreement that ends the chronic state of war and grants the Lebanese people their rightful chance to live in peace and dignity, just as Egypt, Jordan, and most Arab nations have already done.
Enough hypocrisy. Enough trading in innocent blood. Enough gambling with Lebanon’s future in the name of a false and imaginary resistance that has brought nothing but devastation. Enough hollow slogans that have proven to be mere delusions, hallucinations, and fantasies.
The time has come for Lebanon to break free from the rule of the mini-state, from Iranian occupation, and to build a future that reflects the hopes and aspirations of its people.

On May 16 We Remembering Saint Hardini, and the Criminals Nasser and Hafez Al-Assad Who Assassinated Mufti Hassan Khaled and Journalist Kamel Mrowa
Elias Bejjani/May 16, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143385/
On May 16, the Lebanese memory stands at a crossroads marked by three defining events—each reflecting the eternal battle between light and darkness, between the sanctity and deep faith of Lebanon, and the savagery of tyranny and the terror of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” which has only ever waged war on its own people, their dreams, and their freedoms.
On May 16, 1989, Lebanon was blessed with the beatification of Saint Nehmetallah Kassab Al-Hardini, the humble Maronite monk who embodied the pinnacle of holiness in his silence and seclusion. He dedicated his life to prayer, piety, and service—quietly and lovingly living out the Gospel through devotion and forgiveness. In the sanctity of Saint Hardini, we see the true face of Lebanon: a land of saints, a homeland of faith and renewal that refuses to bow to ugliness or falsehood, no matter how fierce the storms.
On May 16, 1984, the bloody hand of the Syrian Baathist regime assassinated Mufti Sheikh Hassan Khaled, the voice of wisdom and moderation. He stood firmly against the domination of Lebanon by the Assad regime, calling for sovereignty, independence, and coexistence. His pure blood became a deafening cry against occupation and subjugation. He gave his life for his unwavering national and unifying stance.
On May 16, 1966, the intelligence services of Gamal Abdel Nasser assassinated Kamel Mroueh, a pioneering Arab journalist and writer. Mroueh bravely rejected the lies of totalitarian pan-Arabism, exposed the hypocrisy of military regimes and their fake revolutions, and paid with his life for his commitment to free speech and independent thought. He became a martyr for journalism and freedom of opinion, silenced by bullets of ideological tyranny.
Three scenes from three different worlds:
– A silent saint consecrating Lebanon as a land of faith.
– A courageous Mufti defending the dignity of his nation with word and deed.
– A free journalist gunned down by murderous totalitarianism.
In each of these scenes, the enemy remains the same, though the faces change: the same forces of darkness. From Nasser to Hafez and Bashar Al-Assad, from Sunni and Shiite political Islam, to the idiotic and mob-like radical left, to the fake Arab nationalists—and at the center of them all, Hezbollah, the spearhead of the Iranian Mullah regime’s project and one of the most dangerous instruments of terrorism disguised as religion and resistance.
Today, Hezbollah stands exposed. It has been defeated on the battlefield, disgraced before its own people, and its falsehood of “resistance” has been unmasked as nothing but a cover for Iran’s occupation of Lebanon and a license to eliminate the free and the brave.
But Lebanon—this ancient land that has resisted massacres, occupations, and betrayals for centuries—still believes in its mission. Its people rise from the rubble, exposing the tyrants, and preparing to surgically remove the last cancer from the nation’s body: Hezbollah’s occupation.
This day, May 16, is not just another date. It is a living chapter in the ongoing story of the struggle between good and evil, between a nation yearning to rise and satanic gangs determined to drag it into hell.
Free Lebanon will prevail—because its saints walk beside it, and the martyrs of truth, courage, and faith bless its every step.

Passing of Mrs. Nihad El-Chami: The Lord Gave, and the Lord Has Taken Away—Blessed Be His Name
Elias Bejjani/May 14/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143294/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42FM09tY-HY&t=59s
With deep reverence and steadfast faith in the promise of eternal life, it was announced this morning that Mrs. Nihad El-Chami has passed away. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ may grant rest to her soul in His eternal peace, and may her memory be everlasting and blessed.
With her passing today, a radiant chapter of divine grace and unwavering faith in Lebanon comes to a close. Chosen by the Lord to be a living testimony of His power and miracles, Mrs. El-Chami received a miraculous healing through the intercession of Saint Charbel, Lebanon’s beloved saint. Now, she has departed to enjoy eternal rest alongside her heavenly intercessor, the saints, and the righteous in the holy dwellings of paradise. Mrs. Nihad El-Chami was a symbol of unshakable faith and absolute trust in God’s might. Her miraculous healing stands as living proof of the power of prayer and the nearness of God to those who call upon Him with sincere hearts. Her story, marked by divine intervention through the intercession of Saint Charbel, stirred hearts and rekindled faith in many, bearing witness to the greatness and mercy of our Lord.Her departure in the flesh is not the end of her story, but a passage into a greater, holier realm. Her memory will remain alive in the hearts of all who knew her or heard her story. It will continue to be told to generations as a testament to the power of faith and the efficacy of the saints’ intercession. Saint Charbel, the great Lebanese saint, awaits her, joined by the angels and the righteous, ready to welcome her into the heavenly kingdom where there is no sorrow, no pain, and no mourning—only everlasting joy and light. Let us hold firmly to our belief that God is capable of all things and hears the heartfelt prayers of His faithful. In a moment of weakness and hope, Mrs. El-Chami sought the intercession of Saint Charbel, and the Lord, in His mercy, granted her a miraculous healing. This truth remains a beacon that lights our path, reminding us that heaven is open to our prayers, and that God’s mercy knows no bounds.May the Lord have mercy on the soul of Mrs. Nihad El-Chami. May heaven receive her with open arms. And may Saint Charbel be her intercessor and companion on this sacred journey. Her memory will endure forever, a living witness to the greatness of God and the holiness of His saints.

The 21th anniversary of the announcement of His Holiness Mar Nematallah Al-Hardini / May 16th
St. Nimatullah al-Hardini
Saint Of The Day web site/May 16/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/114042/
"Nimatullah Youssef Kassab Al-Hardini" was born in the Emirate of Mount Lebanon, in 1808. He was the son of George Kassab and Marium Raad. His mother was the daughter of a Maronite priest. As a boy, he attended a religious school, studying under the monks of the Lebanese Maronite Order at the Monastery of St. Anthony, in Houb. He completed his studies there in 1822. In 1828, he entered the monastery of St. Anthony in Qozhaya. He took the name, "Nimatullah," which means "God's grace."
Nimatullah spent long hours in prayer, often staying awake all night to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He made his vows in 1830, and was sent to the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justinian to study for ordination. He was ordained on Christmas Day, 1833. He was then sent to teach at the order's seminary and became the director of the seminarians. However, he was reluctant to accept positions of leadership due to his humility. Once, when offered a post as Superior General of his order, he declined saying, "Better death than to be appointed Superior General."
Throughout his career, he was observed to be strict with himself and his own observance of the rules. However, he was remarkably lenient with the other monks. In fact, he was reprimanded for showing so much leniency. He remarked that his first concern should be to do no harm, or trouble his bothers.
There were two civil wars in the region, during 1840 and 1845. These were occasions of great suffering for Nimatullah and the people. One of his biological brothers, who had also entered the monastery and become a monk, advised him to become a hermit as well. But Nimatullah dismissed this suggestion, explaining that the true challenge of being a monk involved communal life.
Nimatullah was well-known for his spirituality, and is said to have performed many miracles. On one occasion, he ordered his students to move away from a wall, because he had a premonition that the wall was going to collapse. The wall subsequently fell, but thanks to his vision, the students were kept safe. He miraculously cured an alter boy who was deathly ill, and when his monastery's donation box was nearly empty, he prayed and soon it was found to be overflowing with food. In the late fall of 1858, Nimatullah fell ill with a high fever while teaching. He remained in bed for two weeks, holding tightly an icon of the Blessed Virgin, and entrusting his soul to her. He died on December 14, 1858. In 1864, his tomb was opened for reburial and his body was discovered incorrupt. His body was venerated by the public until 1827, when he was finally reburied in a chapel.
His case for canonization was opened on September 7, 1978, and he was declared venerable. In 1997, a miracle was attributed to him. Pope John Paul II beatified him on May 10, 1998. He later canonized Nimatullah on Sunday, May 16, 2004.

A video Link/documentary telling the life story and death of journalist Kamel Mrowa, who was assassinated by Gamal Abdel Nasser's intelligence on May 16, 1966 in Beirut.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143374/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL__vzWzZGI&t=20s
Kamel Mrowa: His Life and Times
Kamel Mrowa Foundation
This short film (in Arabic) tells the story of Kamel Mrowa, an influential Lebanese journalist, writer, publisher, and political thinker. He is considered to be the father of modern Arab journalism. Born in Lebanon in 1915, Mrowa founded the leading Arab daily Al-Hayat in 1946, and the Lebanese English-language newspaper The Daily Star in 1952. He was a vocal critic of the military dictatorships that came to rule the Arab world in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly those led by the Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser, and the Baathist military officers in Syria and Iraq. He was assassinated in his office in Beirut in 1966 by a lone Lebanese gunman, in a plot linked to Nasser's secret service.

UN peacekeepers attacked by civilians in Lebanon, no casualties reported
Tala Ramadan/Reuters/Fri, May 16, 2025
DUBAI - A large group of civilians wielding metal rods and axes attacked a patrol of U.N. troops in southern Lebanon on Friday, causing damage to U.N. vehicles but no injuries, a United Nations peacekeeping force said. The U.N. troops used non-lethal force to protect themselves and those present, according to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), adding the patrol had been on a routine operation between the villages of Jmayjmeh and Khirbat Silim. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were notified and arrived shortly after the incident, escorting the patrol back to base.
UNIFIL said the patrol had been pre-planned and coordinated with the LAF.The U.N. peacekeeping mission stressed that its mandate, under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, guarantees freedom of movement in its area of operations with or without LAF accompaniment. On Wednesday, UNIFIL said that direct fire from the Israeli army had hit the perimeter of one of its peacekeeping positions in south Lebanon. UNIFIL said the incident on Tuesday was the first of its kind since Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire last November.

UNIFIL condemns attack on patrol in southern Lebanon
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/May 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities on Friday were urged to ensure that UN peacekeepers could carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, “reminds all actors to avoid actions putting UN peacekeepers in danger,” said its spokesperson Andrea Tenenti. They must respect the inviolability of UN personnel and premises at all times, he stressed.Tenenti said the routine UN peacekeeping patrol was “pre-planned and coordinated with the Lebanese army.”The UNIFIL statement came after its patrol was attacked on Friday in southern Lebanon by a large group of people wielding metal sticks and axes. The attack took place in the villages of Jmayjmeh and Khirbet Silim. The peacekeepers were confronted when the group attempted to block their movement using aggressive means, according to the UNIFIL statement.
A number of residents in Jmayjmeh in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon prevented the UNIFIL patrol on Friday from reaching a privately owned area in the town. However, the incident escalated into gunfire and the use of smoke grenades.The residents, most of whom are Hezbollah supporters, justified their actions by claiming that “the patrol was not accompanied by the Lebanese army to complete its mission.”According to journalists in the area and video footage captured by mobile phones, the confrontation escalated to the point where soldiers from the UNIFIL patrol — composed of French, Norwegian, Finnish, and Scottish battalions — fired shots into the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowd, until a Lebanese army patrol arrived and escorted the UNIFIL unit out of the area.
According to the National News Agency, the incident resulted in injuries among both UNIFIL personnel and civilians. UNIFIL spokesperson Tenenti, in an official statement issued by the UNIFIL command, described the incident from the perspective of the international forces. He said: “This morning, a UNIFIL patrol conducting a routine operational activity between the villages of Jmayjmeh and Khirbat Silim was confronted by a large group of individuals in civilian clothing. “The individuals attempted to stop the patrol using aggressive means, wielding metal sticks and axes, resulting in damage to the vehicles. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.“In response, UNIFIL peacekeepers used non-lethal force to ensure the safety of both the peacekeepers and those present. “The Lebanese Armed Forces were informed and promptly arrived at the scene, subsequently escorting the patrol back to base.”He stressed: “UNIFIL reminds all actors that its mandate provides freedom of movement within its area of operations in south Lebanon, and any restriction on this violates UN resolution 1701, which authorizes the UNIFIL to operate independently — with or without the Lebanese Armed Forces.
“While we always coordinate our operational activities with the Lebanese forces, our ability to conduct these activities independently does not depend on their presence.”
He added: “It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting Security Council-mandated tasks are routinely targeted.”UNIFIL reiterated that “the freedom of movement of its peacekeepers is essential to accomplishing our mandate, which requires us to be able to act independently and impartially.”
Since the ceasefire agreement took effect in November 2024, attacks on UNIFIL by Hezbollah supporters have continued and escalated, particularly in recent weeks, under the pretext of preventing the UN force from entering private property.
Friday’s attacks coincide with the request made by the Lebanese Cabinet last Wednesday to extend UNIFIL’s mandate for one year.
As usual, the Security Council reviews the request and subsequently renews the mandate of UNIFIL each August. UNIFIL has maintained a presence south of the Litani River since 1978, deploying around 10,000 troops. In August 2022, most of the members of the UN Security Council approved the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate after an amendment to the freedom of movement of international peacekeepers. The amendment stated: “UNIFIL does not require prior authorization or permission to carry out its mandated tasks and is allowed to conduct its operations independently. It emphasized, however, “coordination with the Lebanese government.” Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, influenced by Hezbollah, had protested against the amendment. Hezbollah’s then Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned against adopting the amendment. He said: “If they (UNIFIL) intend to act independently of the state and the Lebanese army, which is responsible for movement south of Litani, then they are pushing matters in a direction that is not in their interest.” Less than four months after the amendment of UNIFIL’s duties, a violent incident — considered the most serious against the peacekeepers — took place in December 2022.
An Irish soldier was killed and three others were injured when their armored vehicle was shot at in the Aaqbiyeh area, north of the Litani River, after they lost their way.
The investigation into the incident in 2023 led to the issuance of an indictment by the military judiciary, accusing five Hezbollah members of premeditated murder.
One of them, Mohammed Ayyad, was arrested, but later that same year, he was released because he was said to be suffering from a terminal illness and did not appear before the judiciary thereafter.Despite Lebanese objections, UNIFIL’s mandate was renewed in 2023, without altering the amendment.
Hezbollah supporters continued to assault UNIFIL, and incidents have escalated since the ceasefire took effect in November 2024, especially in recent weeks. Lebanon has, however, pledged to increase the army’s presence along the southern border and has already expanded its deployment. According to President Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese army “carried out its duties in full south of the Litani River and continues to confiscate weapons and ammunition and to dismantle armed groups.”
A government source speaking to Arab News on condition of anonymity said on Friday that “the new request submitted by the Nawaf Salam government was not accompanied by a request to cancel the amendment rejected by Hezbollah. Instead, it accepted the amendment as it stands. “Lebanon fears that the US and Israel may seek to add new privileges to UNIFIL in the next mandate extension. "Meanwhile, the French side, as promised, is working to help Lebanon maintain the extension without any additional amendments. “In the aftermath of war, Israel has been free to carry out attacks on Lebanon with Washington’s approval. It has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with UNIFIL’s role, which it considers insufficient.”Also on Friday, a statement signed by the “residents of Jmayjmeh” accused UNIFIL of “overstepping by entering the vicinity of the town’s hills for the second time without being accompanied by the Lebanese army and trespassing onto private property.” According to the statement, the residents “rushed to inspect the property and asked UNIFIL peacekeepers to retreat and not to go further into the premises.
“However, UNIFIL started quarreling with the residents, throwing tear gas canisters at their eyes and firing bullets, resulting in several injuries.”

Army intervenes after UNIFIL-residents clash causes injuries
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/May 16/2025
A clash erupted Friday morning between a UNIFIL patrol and residents of the southern town of al-Jmeijmeh in the Bint Jbeil district. The National News Agency said the clash broke out after the patrol “entered a private property area in the town to be intercepted by the land owners and a number of town residents, who prevented it from continuing its mission because it was not accompanied by a Lebanese Army patrol.” “This prompted the UNIFIL patrol troops, who belong to the French, Norwegian, Finnish and Scottish contingents, to fire in the air and hurl a tear gas canister to disperse the residents, after which an army patrol arrived and escorted the UNIFIL patrol out of the area,” NNA added, reporting several injuries among both residents and UNIFIL peacekeepers. A UNIFIL spokesperson later said that troops were confronted by a "large group of individuals" during a routine patrol, calling the incident "unacceptable" and calling on Lebanon to "ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction." A UNIFIL statement said the residents “attempted to stop the patrol using aggressive means, wielding metal sticks and axes, resulting in damage to the vehicles.”
The peacekeepers used “non-lethal force” in response, and there were no injuries, the statement added. But a statement from Jmaijmeh residents said that at least one person was wounded in the violence. The residents' statement also accused the U.N. force of firing bullets and tear gas at them. Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission — which was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion -- of collusion with Israel. Israel has accused the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s military activities in southern Lebanon. Earlier this week, UNIFIL issued a statement that complained of “aggressive behavior” by Israeli forces towards its peacekeepers, including shots fired across the border that hit a UNIFIL base south of the village of Kfarshouba.

Ortagus to visit Beirut in a week, says occupation doesn't justify Hezbollah arms
Naharnet/May 16/2025
U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus will return to Lebanon in around a week, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday. In an evening interview with LBCI television, Ortagus confirmed the imposition of new U.S. sanctions targeting three Hezbollah “financiers”, stressing Washington's commitment to cutting off illicit financing to Iran and its proxies in the Middle East. She added that the U.S. administration has revived the "maximum pressure" campaign originally launched during President Donald Trump's first term, particularly targeting Iran and affiliated groups like Hezbollah.
"These sanctions aim to identify and expose individuals and networks facilitating illicit financing for Hezbollah. This is part of our broader strategy to ensure that terror proxies throughout the region, especially those funded by Iran, are held accountable," Ortagus said. She emphasized that this effort would continue with additional sanctions on the way. When asked whether Israel's occupation of five strategic sites in south Lebanon offers Hezbollah justification to keep its weapons, Ortagus firmly rejected the notion. "Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into wars twice in the past two decades -- wars the Lebanese people did not choose. They destroy the south every time," she said. "There is no justification for Hezbollah to keep its arms," she added. Ortagus also reiterated the United States' desire to work with Lebanese leaders, including President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Speaker Nabih Berri, to create a new economic future for Lebanon. "But that future is only possible when the Lebanese state, through the Lebanese Armed Forces, has the exclusive authority over weapons," she noted. The interview also discussed the possibility of Lebanon joining the Abraham Accords, which were brokered during Trump’s first term to normalize ties between Israel and several Arab nations. While Ortagus did not confirm any current negotiations with Lebanon, she underscored Trump's commitment to peace in the region and the success of the accords. "President Trump was the only modern leader to achieve peace deals between Israel and Arab states after 26 years," she stated. Ortagus was also asked about reports of her upcoming visit to Lebanon. While she did not confirm specific dates, she mentioned her regular visits and expressed hope to return soon, joking, "Who can pass up a summer in Beirut?" Ortagus also emphasized that peace and prosperity for Lebanon are only possible through the disarmament of Hezbollah, not just in the south but across the country. On the recent decision to lift sanctions on Syria, Ortagus said Lebanon should observe the approach taken by the Syrian leadership under interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa. She described ongoing dialogue aimed at protecting minorities and encouraging inclusive governance. "The path forward for Syria and Lebanon is not war, but peace and stability," she concluded.

Report: No reconstruction funds before reforms and Hezbollah disarmament
Naharnet/May 16/2025
Lebanese officials have sensed reluctance from major powers, particularly Arab countries, to provide reconstruction funds, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday. “Arab and donor countries have informed Lebanon that they will not to engage in the reconstruction project until the vision for Lebanon and the region becomes clear. According to their definition, reconstruction is linked to the state's ability to undertake necessary reforms, fully disarm Hezbollah and prevent it from rebuilding its military and financial capabilities,” the daily said. “These countries do not want to engage in such a project while the situation has not yet reached a peaceful path,” the newspaper added. All the Arab and European promises are “awaiting serious action by the Lebanese state and signals from Washington,” the daily said.

Hezbollah will 'go far' in the issue of arms handover
Naharnet/May 16/2025
Hezbollah will “go far” in the issue of the handover of its weapons to the Lebanese state and it will “embarrass” everyone, a source close to Hezbollah said. “Consensus between Hezbollah and the Lebanese president has become bigger than the issue of arms handover and dialogue between Presidenty Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah is ongoing, without specifying any deadlines or dates,” the source added, in remarks to Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. “The handover of weapons is possible, in return for gains for Hezbollah such as Israel’s withdrawal and reconstruction,” the source said, adding that “Hezbollah’s acceptance to hand over its weapons does not mean giving them up for nothing in return.” “Hezbollah is convinced that the slogans it voiced in the past and which needed weapons are no longer existent and it is fully cooperating with Aoun and offering him solutions related to its heavy and strategic weapons,” the source revealed. “President Aoun knows Hezbollah’s concerns as to the withdrawal of its arms and is working on resolving the difficulties, while Hezbollah knows well the magnitude of international pressure on the president for its disarmament,” the source went on to say.

Berri blames US not Israel for ongoing ceasefire violations
Agence France Presse/May 16/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri linked Friday the Israeli escalation in south Lebanon to the push for normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab world, days after U.S. President Donald Trump said Syria's president backed normalization with Israel in the future. Trump had said after meeting the Syrian interim President that Ahmad al-Sharaa backed normalization with Israel in the future but "they have a lot of work to do". The meeting took place in Riyadh on Wednesday, a day after Trump announced he was lifting sanctions on the war-battered country.
"Syria is definitely on the path of joining the Abraham Accords," Berri told Asas Media, as he blamed the United States for the Israeli violations. "We have signed a ceasefire deal with the U.S. and not with Israel," Berri said. "The Americans are supposed to compel Israel to implement the deal, if they really want a ceasefire," he added. Israel has continued to launch strikes on Lebanon despite the November 27 truce which sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including, two months of full-blown war. Israel's military said Thursday it killed a Hezbollah militant in a strike on south Lebanon, on the Arnoun–Yahmor road. On Wednesday, Israel said it struck and killed a "Hezbollah commander of the Qabrikha area", also in the south. Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull back its fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south. Israel was to withdraw all its forces from Lebanon, but it has kept troops in five areas that it deems "strategic".Lebanon says it has respected its ceasefire commitments and has called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its attacks and withdraw all of its troops.

Lebanese and Iraqi Prime Ministers Discuss Closer Ties Before Summit
This is Beirut/May 16/2025
The Prime Ministers of Lebanon and Iraq strengthen ties as Baghdad prepares to host pivotal Arab Summit. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met on Friday with his Iraqi counterpart, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in Baghdad to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation ahead of the 34th Arab Summit. Talks focused on energy, economic ties, and cultural exchange, with both leaders emphasizing the need to strengthen Arab unity in the face of regional challenges. “We are here to reaffirm the deep ties that bind Lebanon and Iraq,” said Prime Minister Salam. “Our cooperation, particularly in energy and economic development, is vital not only to our two nations but to the stability and progress of the Arab world.” Prime Minister Al-Sudani welcomed the Lebanese delegation, saying, “This visit reflects our mutual commitment to enhancing strategic relations. Iraq stands with Lebanon and believes in the power of Arab cooperation to confront common challenges and achieve regional stability.”Salam also expressed Lebanon’s gratitude for Iraq’s continued support, especially in the oil sector, and highlighted Baghdad’s historic role in uniting Arab nations. “We deeply appreciate Iraq’s assistance during difficult times and its leadership in fostering dialogue and unity in the Arab region,” he said.Salam arrived in Baghdad at the head of a delegation that includes Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and Economy Minister Amer Bisat, representing Lebanon at the 34th Arab Summit. The summit is being held amid what officials have described as “exceptional regional and international circumstances.”Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein received the Lebanese delegation at the airport, alongside the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Dr. Hamid Al-Ghazi. “The Baghdad summit is a critical opportunity to unify Arab positions and promote sustainable development across our nations,” Hussein noted. “We are proud to host this dialogue at such a pivotal moment.”In closing, Salam praised Iraq’s warm welcome and the summit’s organization, stating, “We are confident that Baghdad will once again be a platform for Arab unity and cooperation.”

Salam says 'no turning back' in plans to monopolize arms
Naharnet/May 16/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that Lebanon “has managed to pave the way for a promising new start, despite all the difficulties that the project of rebuilding confidence and the course of reform are facing.”“There will be no turning back in the project of consolidating the monopoly of arms in the hands of the Lebanese state alone, which should be in charge of the war and peace decisions and of defending its land and sons -- all its sons -- with the means allowed by international laws and norms,” Salam added, in an interview with the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
“The entire Lebanese state is seeking full Israeli withdrawal from its land and to prevent all forms of violations. The government is also working on rallying efforts to launch the reconstruction process,” Salam went on to say.

MP Ghayath Yazbek tells LBCI: No alliance with Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon needs a unified state strategy
LBCI/May 16/2025
MP Ghayath Yazbek of the Strong Republic bloc said that insisting on holding onto weapons only weakens the Lebanese state's position in efforts to push Israel out of Lebanese territory. Speaking on LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, he urged Hezbollah to empower the Lebanese state by handing over this leverage, allowing it to negotiate more effectively with international actors to end Israel's occupation of southern border points. Yazbek also said he supports the idea that Lebanon should be the last country to sign a peace deal with Israel.
Commenting on Beirut's upcoming municipal elections, he stressed the importance of Christian participation to prevent the city from falling under one political group, adding: "We have not allied with Hezbollah in Beirut—our candidacy is a statement of faith in the city's diversity."

Lebanon left waiting amid shifting regional dynamics: Has Beirut fallen off the US priority list?
LBCI/May 16/2025
The easing of U.S. sanctions on Syria has accelerated under a set of conditions, chief among them Damascus agreeing to join the Abraham Accords. There is also a growing discussion of other countries, including Lebanon, potentially joining the U.S.-backed initiative. U.S. President Donald Trump’s Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, announced even before Trump’s Gulf tour that countries such as Syria and Lebanon could soon join the Abraham Accords. But where does Lebanon stand on all of this, especially given that U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus publicly urged the country to learn from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who appears to have accepted Washington’s most important condition: joining the Abraham Accords. Lebanon maintains that the United States has not officially raised the issue of the Abraham Accords directly with the Lebanese government.
It also insists that the most it would be willing to accept is a return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement and the full restoration of Lebanon’s land and maritime border rights from Israel. Most importantly, Lebanon would be willing to consider entering peace negotiations only after these conditions are met.
This is Lebanon’s official stance—but what if Israel and the United States reject it? Lebanon remains trapped in a cycle of political deadlock, with ongoing internal disputes compounding a deepening economic crisis and raising the risk of further instability. In contrast, much of the Middle East, including Syria, is moving toward greater stability and economic recovery. The intended path forward is clear: a move toward peace, meaning an end to all forms of conflict. Lebanese officials are aware of this, but none dare admit they have been told as much.

Lebanon’s deadly tradition: Stray bullets and lost lives in the 'epidemic' of celebratory gunfire
LBCI/May 16/2025
Celebratory gunfire remains a deeply rooted and dangerous practice in Lebanese society. So far, the Lebanese army has arrested 86 individuals, most for firing shots in celebration of municipal and mukhtar election results in the North Lebanon and Akkar governorates. This reflects a deeply rooted mindset in which individuals show little regard for human life, opening fire in celebration of a mayor, a municipal council member, or during any joyful or somber occasion, turning gunfire into a deadly ritual. One such victim is Mohammad Khaled, a young man from Ain al-Dahab in Akkar, who remains hospitalized after being wounded by a stray bullet fired by someone celebrating the election results last Sunday. These individuals show no remorse and appear indifferent to the families devastated by their reckless actions. Among the most heartbreaking examples is 7-year-old Naya Hanna, who was killed by a stray bullet during a celebration marking official exam results. Her death, along with numerous other tragedies involving children and women across the country, underscores the deadly consequences of this entrenched practice. The 86 people arrested—likely a number that will rise—will not be subject to the new legal provisions passed by Parliament last Thursday. Those provisions double the penalties for discharging firearms or facilitating gunfire, but they do not apply retroactively. Instead, current law will apply: one month in prison for firing a weapon, unless the shooter is proven responsible for causing a death.
While increasing penalties, imposing fines, and enforcing legal action are all important, more critical is the development of a long-term plan to address the root causes of this phenomenon. This effort must involve coordination between the government, institutions, security agencies, civil society, NGOs, and influential community figures. Random gunfire and the killing of innocent people represent a cultural problem that must be addressed seriously, beginning in schools and through direct awareness campaigns in affected areas. Religious authorities must also be regularly warned about the dangers. As for the widespread possession of illegal firearms, a national strategy is needed to confiscate, regulate, and reduce their circulation, as part of a broader effort to prevent the tragedies they continue to cause.

Lebanon Seeks World Bank Loans to Boost Energy, Water Sectors
This is Beirut/May 16/2025
Lebanon is advancing efforts to tackle its energy and water crises by activating two major loans from the World Bank. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber announced that the Council of Ministers has approved Decree No. 217, tied to a $250 million loan to develop renewable energy and strengthen the national power grid. The project, prepared on an urgent basis, has been referred to Parliament for fast-track review and voting. Simultaneously, a second loan worth $256 million has been authorized to support improvements in Lebanon’s water sector. A separate draft law will be submitted to Parliament for approval under expedited legislative procedures. In related infrastructure developments, Minister Jaber met with Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny to discuss enhancing operations at the Port of Beirut, including the procurement of new equipment to modernize port activities.

Follow the money: corruption, immorality, and the leitmotif of the art trade
Valeria Rando/Now Lebanon/May 16/2025
Oghenochuko Ojiri, an art dealer who featured on the popular BBC show ‘Bargain Hunt’, appeared in a London court last Friday for selling art to suspected Hezbollah financier Nazem Ahmad, already sanctioned in 2019 by the United States for money laundering to the Shia party. But this is no surprising, as artwashing is a common practice, especially in cash-based systems like the Lebanese one, and ethics a virtue that the art market has globally given up on
The global trade in art and antiquities, it is well known, is a billion-dollar industry, with a culture of privacy where single objects can attain high prices: this can attract individuals who wish to launder the proceeds of their crime, as well as raising or moving funds in support of organizations. But it is no surprise, in Lebanon as much as in other countries all over the world, that the timings of revealing these practices are profoundly politically-charged.
“The art market is highly political,” commented Reem Rizk, Lebanese researcher and cultural manager, whose work has been focusing on contemporary art practices and archival material to explore the interplay between politics, society, and the arts. “Any attempt to understand it must be accompanied by a parallel reading of the region’s politics, where these practices are unfolding.”
It is in this scenario – and under the strict terms of the British law – that Oghenochuko Ojiri, a British-Nigerian art dealer who appeared as an expert on BBC’s antiques show ‘Bargain Hunt’, has confessed of having sold artworks to a suspected financier for the Lebanese group Hezbollah: for the equivalent raised, between October 2020 and January 2022, of approximately £140,000. Fifty-three years old, owner of an art gallery in East London – the Ojiri Gallery -, he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London last Friday, May 9, pleading guilty to eight charges of failing to disclose potential terrorist financing – as, according to both Britain and the United States, the Iran-backed group is designated as a terrorist organization – hence becoming the first person to be charged with such an offence.
Under section 21A of Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000, in fact, the British law makes it illegal for people in some sectors to “fail to disclose” suspicions of terrorist fund-raising, financing or money laundering – although Britain’s art sector became a regulated sector under the law only in 2020. In light of that, Ojiri has been released on bail – yet ordered to surrender his passport and refrain from applying for international travel documents – ahead of a sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court on June 6, with the maximum sentence for such an offense in the United Kingdom being five years’ imprisonment.
The Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court that Ojiri had sold several artworks to Nazem Said Ahmad, a dual Belgian-Lebanese citizen, whom he knew to be a suspected financier sanctioned by the United States and Britain because of links to Hezbollah. Prosecution documents summarizing the case against Ojiri said that on multiple occasions, as he put paperwork relating to sales to Ahmad in the names of “other individuals suggested by Mr. Ahmad’s associates, in what is alleged to be an attempt to disguise the true owner of the works of art,” The New York Times reported.
Harris claimed that the British dealer had dealt with Ahmad directly, negotiating sales of artworks and “congratulating him on purchases” which were sent to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and to Beirut. “At the time of the transactions,” the Prosecutor added, “Mr. Ojiri knew that Nazem Ahmad had been sanctioned in the US as a suspected terrorist financier. Mr. Ojiri accessed news reports about Mr. Ahmad’s designation and engaged in discussions with others about it, indicating his knowledge or suspicions.”
A previous cooperation with the US Justice Department had already announced, in the spring of 2023, charges against Nazem Ahmad for evading terrorism-related sanctions, describing the Belgian-Lebanese financier as a “diamond smuggler and art collector” who had dealt in millions of dollars worth of goods and services: known for having once posed in his Beirut penthouse for a glossy magazine – the Architectural Digest Middle East – and featuring in a piece about the “world’s most beautiful homes and the fascinating people who live in them,” his collection included, just to name some, masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Antony Gormley, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. When interviewed by the police, Ojiri said he did not support terrorist activity and that he had no reason to suspect or believe that Ahmad was a terrorist or money launderer: he only described him as a big name in the art-collecting world and that he knew of other galleries that had dealt with him.
The shady transactions of Nazem Ahmad
Before it was shut down, his Instagram account, where he posted regularly about his acquisitions, had about 190,000 followers. His bio read: “Art has no rules.” And indeed Nazem Ahmad acted as if there were none.
A US statement claimed Ahmad lived in Lebanon and that he had already been sanctioned by the United States for being a financier for Hezbollah in December 2019. At the time of the designation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) – a unit of the US Treasury Department – said Ahmad was considered a major Hezbollah financial donor who had “laundered money through his companies for Hezbollah and provided funds personally to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah:” the collector is in fact said to have gifted the former leader of the Shia party a large diamond to show support to the ‘resistance’, which he allegedly acquired from his trade in blood or conflict diamonds. The OFAC’s statement added clearly that Ahmad “stores some of his personal funds in high-value art.” However, despite the sanctions, he had used a “complex web of business entities to obtain valuable artwork from US artists and art galleries,” it specified.
Artwork that Ahmad allegedly obtained from the United States between December 2019 – when he first was sanctioned – and April 2023 – when he was charged, with eight others, of evading the sanctions by using a network of businesses to conceal millions of dollars in transactions involving art and diamonds -, was valued at more than $450,000, while an additional $780,000 in artwork from people outside the United States was also acquired in what the US said was a violation of terrorism sanctions.
The 2023 federal indictment led to headlines around the world, but less discussed has been the extent to which it detailed, with example after example, how the art market had, by the government’s accounting, played a significant role in the dealer’s scheme. According to the indictment, over a dozen galleries and artists had facilitated what investigators described as Ahmad’s deceptive methods. While none of them were charged with misconduct or alleged to have knowingly assisted Ahmad, however, the indictment portrayed the art market as a convenient channel for money laundering and circumventing sanctions.
For instance, over a year after the Lebanese collector had been designated as a financial supporter of Hezbollah – and doing business with him or any entities he controlled had been prohibited – a New York artist, seemingly unaware, agreed to sell him artwork, the indictment alleged. The government claimed that Ahmad asked the artist, whose name was not disclosed in the indictment, to avoid mentioning him to the artist’s gallery, as he preferred to stay anonymous – a tactic also seen in the recently-uncovered case involving Oghenochuko Ojiri. In 2021, the gallery, which also remains unnamed, sold six of the artist’s pieces to a “Sierra Leone-based entity” that investigators identified as a front for Ahmad, according to the indictment.
In a separate case, the indictment stated that an unnamed gallery in Chicago sold twenty-one artworks to a company Ahmad had frequently used to acquire art. The sale, which took place in March 2022, occurred nearly three years after sanctions were imposed that barred him from such dealings. According to the legal documents, the shipment to a company in Lebanon was falsely labeled as containing “wooden baby cribs” rather than artworks.
Despite US officials having openly said that Ahmad used his art to convert and shelter proceeds from his diamond trading – which ultimately was a source of funding for Hezbollah – and despite the ban, his companies continued to ship hundreds of diamonds to the US for grading, the process of evaluating their quality. One stone alone was valued at $80 million, according to the indictment. In total, federal prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn reported uncovering about $400 million worth of imports and exports, primarily of artwork and diamonds, to and from the United States by entities connected to Ahmad after the sanctions were imposed: of this, more than a million dollars’ worth of contemporary art was acquired from the United States or from American nationals abroad – though the art was often undervalued to avoid tariffs.
NOW Lebanon and Hezbollah’s Blood Art
Publicly associated with Hezbollah since at least 2011, in an interview published in 2021 with Daraj, an Arabic news site, Nazem Ahmad said his passion for art was real, not a front for money laundering, and he described the charges against him as politically inspired. “I am proud I am from south Lebanon, where seventy years ago few had clothes on them,” he said from his luxurious apartment in Downtown Beirut. The feeling of social and political rise due to Hezbollah military prowess in confronting Israel during the 2006 war, and the party’s growing influence, is quite common among the wealthy Shiites who have emerged in the past two decades, and who are trying to balance their political relations within Lebanon with their activities abroad: yet, apart from being a merely sectarian issue, it is indeed a more general social behavior.
Dwelling on the struggle of his family, and on how his grandfather immigrated from Haris, his hometown in southern Lebanon, to Africa due to poverty at the beginning of the last century, in the interview he remembers how much his father suffered there before he started the diamond trade in Sierra Leone, which became the family’s trade between Africa and Belgium – a major headquarters in the diamond trade – and where he obtained citizenship, after starting collecting and selling art works.
NOW Lebanon’s 2023 report – Hezbollah’s Blood Art, among the first titles to feature this network of illicit art trading among the party’s ‘velvet community’ – stressed how, for years, Ahmad skirted international regulations and safeguards by using business associates, front companies and family members in a complex ‘layering’ scheme of cash transfers, bypassing cash reserve restrictions to avoid investigation by financial authorities. Apart from having a connection with art, in fact, Ahmad had connections with many of the Hezbollah financiers classified as such on the US sanctions lists, including Kassem Tajeddin and Mohamed Bazzi. At the time of the first indictment, sanctions even linked him to Saleh Assi, Adham Tabaja and Qassem Hojeij in the case of buying a $240 million land, which Washington considers a front for Hezbollah: that was one of the reasons to issue sanctions against him. “I bought lands which made Walid Joumblatt and Saad Hariri crazy angry, and accused Hezbollah of purchasing. But I mean isn’t it ridiculous for Hezbollah to need to buy land in order to send missiles to Palestine? I bought the land. Kassem Hojeij and I did. I had $150 million, and I asked Hojeij to pay the rest,” the accused responded.
Through operations, both legal and illegal, across Lebanon, Dubai, the UAE, South Africa and Hong Kong, the collector and diamond trader took advantage of the often opaque and inscrutable nature of the global luxury commodities market, focusing primarily on diamonds and art.
US regulators have long complained that art transactions happen in such secrecy – with the true parties seldom being publicly identified – that the market has become ripe for money laundering and tax evasion. American art dealers and auction houses argued that the threats have been exaggerated and the abuses are few: some auction houses claimed they have programs to ensure they possess a firm understanding of the underlying customers involved in transactions, while others – often smaller galleries and individual artists – said it’s unreasonable to expect them to perform extensive background checks of clients, especially if they have taken measures to obscure their identity. So far the US government has refrained from adopting regulations like those enacted recently in Europe that require art dealers to verify, next to the identities of their clients, also the sources of their wealth.
However, beyond the depth of legal action of some jurisdictions over others, since Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist organization in multiple international laws – not only the United States -, many other countries have outright banned transfers of money to the party, including Australia, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom – as the recent Westminster case showed, hearing an individual at the renowned Criminal Court for simply “failing to disclose” potential terrorist financing.
But while Nazem Ahmad’s international assets have now been frozen, no action has been taken against the trader in Lebanon, his native country, where he remains at large, despite having evaded countless taxes and depriving the Lebanese treasury of much-needed fiscal revenues during a time of crippling national crisis: an issue common to many other Lebanese. And just like many others, despite having been on the sanctions list for six years, his extravagant lifestyle remains unaffected, as he continues to trade in art, displaying pieces throughout the lobby of his opulent building in Downtown Beirut, surrounded by upscale restaurants and cafés.
Litmus test of a widespread corruption
“So we’re going to talk about emotions,” she said laughing when asked about how she feels – as a Lebanese citizen, and as an artist – about Ahmad’s freedom. “To be very honest with you,” Reem Rizk confessed in a virtual interview from Venice’s Biennale, “Today, Nazem Ahmad is the least of our problems in Lebanon. I wouldn’t have said this a year or two ago, but now there are far more pressing issues that have long surpassed his case.” And she listed: a geopolitical crisis, an ongoing occupation, an expansionist threat, and a broader system of impunity, that the case of Nazem Ahmad becomes a drop in an ocean of injustices. “Many criminals in Lebanon circulate freely – not just him. Politicians and bank owners roam without consequence; they are thieves who have stolen the people’s resources, savings, and dreams. I won’t single out Ahmad simply because he’s linked to Hezbollah – my aim is to denounce all those who exploit and betray the Lebanese people.”
According to Rizk, Ahmad’s case is just the litmus test to unveil such a system of corruption that allows him – and people like him – to act undisturbed. “Nazem Ahmad isn’t free because Hezbollah is protecting him – Hezbollah can barely protect itself at this point. It’s the system that’s shielding him. Recently, I’ve sensed a growing tendency to focus narrowly on Hezbollah, but when you consider the broader context, it becomes clear that the problem is regional in scale, and Hezbollah is only one part of it.” She concluded: “My anger is directed more at the system that enables Nazem Ahmad’s freedom than at him personally.”
Money laundering and artwashing are practices that have been happening for decades, and not only in Lebanon: art is in fact the easiest market to launder money, because it is classified as a non-fungible good: it does not have a standard market price; its value depends on individual traits, provenance, or subjective appreciation. Any recognized artist can sell anything defining it as a piece of art, pricing it hundreds of thousands of dollars. Commenting on the matter, Rizk warned: “We must recognize that major art sales involving prominent international collectors often coincide with practices like artwashing and money laundering. These activities frequently occur alongside large auction houses, many of which are based in Britain, such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Naturally, money laundering is not associated with emerging artists selling works for a few thousand dollars; rather, it is linked to high-value art transactions.” She added, “I’m not surprised that the British court case is emerging at a time when global attention is focused on Hezbollah. I believe this is a political strategy aimed at diverting public attention from the real issue, which goes beyond sectarian lines.”
“Nazem Ahmad has been building his collection over the course of twenty or thirty years – such extensive collections aren’t assembled overnight,” the researcher continued. “The timing of exposing his activities is clearly politically motivated.”
Under their watchful eyes
Rizk tackled the issue in a research article published for the International Journal of Persian Literature in 2024, titled ‘Under the Watchful Eyes of the Supreme Leader: Iranian Politics and the Art Market’, where, she said, “It was my duty – and my responsibility – to examine the country’s politics in order to truly understand what is happening in its art market.”
Sanctions, she wrote in the paper, mentioning Mehrnaz Shahabi’s previous research, resulted in the devaluation of Iran’s currency, bringin the prices of art supplies to increase drastically, yielding the availability of materials and impacting the artwork’s quality, quantity, and even dimensions. “Consequently,” the article reads , “the prices of artworks have dropped dramatically, turning the Iranian market into a paradise for collectors and dealers – yet only for those who can smuggle money into the country.”
Aiming at studying the relationship between politics and the art market by adopting the Iranian model to analyze how the political advancement of the Islamic Republic influenced aesthetics, art production, and the art trade – that ultimately became a hidden and unregulated market where the sale of artworks is muddled with money laundering and illegal exchange -, the article’s discussion can be easily applied to other ruling élites: all part of a political circle, despite acting outside of it. “Not only Hezbollah, but almost all political parties with wide-reaching networks have art collectors connected to them. These collectors often support the political goals of their affiliated parties in various ways. Much like the situation in Iran, many of these collectors are involved in and benefit from the larger political power systems. Because of this close relationship between politics and art collecting, it becomes very difficult to separate one from the other,” the researcher explained.
Aside from political factors, though, the art market generally lacks a central regulating body, operating with a degree of immunity, prompting questions about its accountability and transparency: private collectors and investors, in Iran and in Lebanon, are not legally obligated to disclose their spending and purchases, contributing to the challenge of obtaining rigorous data on art transactions. In fact, referring to the Islamic Republic’s context, the article reads, “accurate figures for art trading are impossible to divine, because only public auction sales are overt. Private treaty sales by definition are not – unless perhaps purchased by a publicly funded institution or publicly listed company, both of which types of organization are, or can be, required to publish their expenditures.” It comes clear that without transparent regulations and oversight, there is a risk of facilitating unethical practices such as lobbying, money laundering, tax evasion, and the circulation of counterfeit artworks. In addition, the absence of accurate data on art transactions can distort market perceptions, leading to inflated prices, market manipulation, and decreased confidence among investors and participants.
This lack of transparency not only undermines the integrity of the art market but also poses broader risks to financial systems and regulatory frameworks. In financial terms, the art market represents a prudent model of a free economy based on minimum regulation: this means that while laws targeting money laundering through the acquisition of art are in place, economic restrictions within the art market are nonexistent. The result is a hidden, uncertain, and sometimes questionable market. At the tenth Tehran Auction in 2019, for example, a work by the late Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian sold for $400,000, setting a new auction record for the artist. However, collectors and experts commented: who knows where the money went? It could have stayed in Iran, or it could have been sent abroad. While, in fact, it is difficult for many collectors outside Iran to buy art from the country, the art trade has become a popular avenue for wealthy Iranians to transfer substantial sums from Iran, primarily to the UAE, and subsequently to the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Artwashing, money laundering and the technological shift
But there are not only geopolitical and legislative aspects to impact the art market: global revolutions, like the current technological one, are deeply reshaping it too.
“The only thing technology is doing well is dismantling the traditional nature of the art market,” said Rizk, with a hint of cautious optimism. She continued, “The art market is undergoing significant changes: while works by iconic artists like Picasso and Dalí still attract high prices, younger collectors are increasingly less interested in classical art forms such as historical paintings and sculptures. Instead, they are drawn to digital and AI-generated art. Just as technology reshapes many aspects of our lives, it is transforming the art market. Major auction houses face challenges adapting to these shifts. The ways art is bought, created, and appreciated are evolving, along with changing collector interests. Established practices like money laundering in the art world are also adapting to new realities. Today, some artists accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin as payment, reflecting how art transactions mirror broader societal and technological changes.”
However, Rizk warned that new technologies could also enable more complex forms of money laundering. “If regulating traditional, physical art transactions is already difficult, controlling virtual currencies is even more challenging,” she said.
Lebanon’s case, moreover, seems to be the ideal, fertile ground for illicit financial activity. On one hand, the country’s banking secrecy laws hinder authorities from scrutinizing accounts potentially linked to illegal operations. On the other, its predominantly cash-based economy facilitates money laundering by obscuring the sources and movements of funds. These vulnerabilities are compounded by a generally opaque and passive market, the lack of stringent sanctions legislation, and a widespread institutional neglect – or deprioritization – of thorough investigations into such matters. Moreover, auction houses allow clients to buy and sell anonymously, enabling bad actors to fabricate transactions that drastically manipulate asset values with little regulatory oversight or accountability.
Unmasking hypocrisy: the art is us
I asked Rizk whether some space, in today’s art world, is left for morality. She laughed with bitterness: “Ethical standards are nowhere to be found.” she replied. “Art reflects the times we live in. Since the world’s moral compass has been shattered, how can we expect morality in the art market? Is there any sense of ethics guiding those who deliberately starve, torture, massacre, and deny people access to healthcare, clean water, and proper housing? The Arab world, the West, and all of us are witnessing the Israeli-induced starvation and ethnic cleansing in Gaza – and we remain silent. Because we have all lost our morality, just as the art world has today.”
In these catastrophic times, the response of art traders came in the form of a slap of grotesque paroxysm. The news, in the middle of Israel’s brutal onslaught on Gaza, of a Chinese cryptocurrency businessman, Justin Sun, who after having purchased a $6.2 million art piece consisting solely of a banana duct taped to a wall, ate the piece, the banana, the art. “Many friends have asked me about the taste of the banana,” Sun wrote in a post on X alongside a video of him eating the multimillion-dollar Maurizio Cattelan piece called Comedian. “To be honest, for a banana with such a back story, the taste is naturally different from an ordinary one. I could discern a hint of what Big Mike bananas from 100 years ago might have tasted like.”
Does art reflect the time we’re living in – or does it reflect ourselves? The immorality and the amorality we are witnessing all over: are they described by the art world, or do they contribute in prescribing its terms and forms? To reflect on it, Rizk invited me to look at this year’s Venice Biennale. The Venice Biennale of Architecture embodies many of the contradictions at the heart of today’s art world. The curatorial theme, Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective., sets out to examine the intersections between natural, artificial, and collective intelligence in architecture. It calls for adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable design in response to urgent global challenges such as climate change, desertification, and water scarcity. This ecological narrative is undoubtedly appealing to both audiences and funders.
“Yet when we look at how the Biennale is actually produced, the contradictions become hard to ignore. The extensive use of AI, the overpriced tickets and catalogues, the material waste generated by temporary national pavilions, and even the central exhibition at the Arsenale—all of these undermine the very sustainability values the Biennale claims to promote. In my view, art should move beyond merely representing problems; it should confront them and seek tangible solutions”.
There have been promises to recycle the materials used in the exhibition’s construction, but whether these will be meaningfully implemented remains to be seen. What is certain is that the Biennale’s core budget exceeds €20 million – and that does not include the individual budgets of national pavilions, many of which are publicly funded. For example, the German pavilion alone received €650,000. One has to ask: could this money be more wisely invested in artistic practices that take real, immediate action, rather than in costly spectacles that risk reinforcing the very issues they claim to critique? In such a context, it’s difficult to speak meaningfully about morality.
Commenting on Nazem Ahmad’s former Instagram bio, Rizk argued: “There should be rules, of course. Art does have rules. Rules of morality, virtue, and ethics. Art was once a force of resistance – a voice for truth, freedom, and justice. It existed to challenge corruption and denounce illegitimate power. Every artistic movement emerged in response to a flaw in the system, each with its own internal logic, its own set of principles. From social practice to feminist art, the message was always clear, always urgent. But today – what is the message? The world is collapsing, and instead of confronting this collapse, artists seem to be complicit in it. Silent participants in the very systems they once sought to disrupt.”It represents us, I replied. “If art represents the people, then it is succeeding in reflecting our indifference in the face of an unprecedented global collapse,” she followed. And so does its market: from Nazem Ahmad, to Cyprus, Iran, Russia, England, the United States, uniting the wealthy classes of all countries in the same shamelessness with which they look at money, in spite of their planet, their people, their values.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 16-17/2025
Israeli and Syrian official hold rare direct talks, Israeli source says
Lauren Izso and Tim Lister, CNN/ May 16, 2025
Israel and the new Syrian regime have recently held direct talks, according to an Israeli source familiar with the matter – an indication of shifting dynamics between the former enemies as Israel expands its military presence in the country. The talks were held in Azerbaijan and were attended by the chief of the Israeli military’s Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basyuk, the source said, adding that Basyuk met with Syrian government representatives in the presence of Turkish officials. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not confirm or deny that the talks in Azerbaijan took place, but did say that there have not been any direct talks between IDF officials and representatives of the Syrian government. CNN has reached out to the Turkish government for comment.
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said last week that his government was holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to its attacks on his country “so matters don’t reach a point where both sides lose control.”
There’s been no word from Damascus on any direct talks with Israel. The source did not disclose the topics of the meeting, nor who was mediating. Channel 12 in Israel was the first to report the meeting. This week, US President Donald Trump met Sharaa – a former jihadist who was designated a terrorist by the US in 2013 – in Saudi Arabia. Trump pledged to remove crippling sanctions imposed against the regime of Bashar al Assad. Assad was overthrown in an uprising led by Sharaa and fled Syria in December. The White House said that Trump urged Sharaa take a series of measures, including normalization with Israel, expelling foreign and Palestinian “terrorists,” and helping the US to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. Since the Assad regime fell, Israel has taken more territory in Syria and staged multiple attacks that it says are aimed at preventing the reconstitution of military capabilities and rooting out militancy that could threaten its security. Israel’s move into Syrian territory was initially described as temporary but officials have since said that the military will remain indefinitely. Israel has also declared a buffer zone in the south of Syria with the stated aim of protecting Syria’s Druze minority. It also occupies the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in the 1967 war and later annexed. Prospect of sanctions returning every six months
The US Treasury said Thursday it was working to Trump’s direction on Syria sanctions and aims to implement “the necessary authorizations that would be critical to bringing new investment into Syria.” It added in a post on X that the “Treasury’s actions can help rebuild Syria’s economy, financial sector, and infrastructure and could put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the US will issue waivers to Syria sanctions and is not fully repealing them for the time being. “As we make progress, hopefully we’ll be in a position soon, or one day, to go to Congress and ask them to permanently remove the sanctions,” Rubio said in Antalya, Turkey, adding that the Trump administration hoped to eventually repeal the waivers because the prospect of sanctions returning every six months is a deterrent to investment.
An Israeli official told CNN earlier that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked Trump not to remove sanctions on Syria, saying he feared it would lead to a repeat of the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel.

Syria and DP World ink $800 million deal for port development
Reuters/16 May ,2025
The Syrian government and DP World signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth $800 million to develop Syria’s port of Tartous, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Friday, after the lifting of US sanctions cleared the way for the deal. The deal to develop, manage and operate a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous includes cooperation in establishing industrial and free trade zones. DP World is a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates investment company Dubai World. Syria is seeking to attract foreign investments to boost its struggling economy, and the deal was signed in the same week that US President Donald Trump announced plans to lift of sanctions on Syria during a visit to Riyadh. Trump said he made the decision to lift sanctions after discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose governments have both strongly urged the lifting of sanctions. Trump had also met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ahead of the GCC summit in Riyadh on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Trump intends to issue waivers under the “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act,” through which Washington imposed stiff sanctions on former President Bashar al-Assad’s government and secondary sanctions on outside companies or governments that worked with it. Removing US sanctions that cut Syria off from the global financial system will also clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds.

World Bank says Syria eligible for new loans as arrears cleared
Reuters/Published: 16 May ,2025
The World Bank on Friday said it had cleared Syria’s $15.5 million in outstanding debt after receiving payments from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, making the country eligible to apply for millions of dollars in grants for reconstruction and budget support. Saudi Arabia and Qatar said in April that they would cover Syria’s arrears with the multilateral development bank, which will make it eligible for new grant programs, subject to the bank’s operational policies. The step follows a surprise announcement by US President Donald Trump that he would order the lifting of all sanctions on Syria, which is struggling to rebuild after 13 years of civil war. The United States is likely to begin providing some sanctions relief in the coming weeks. As of May 12, Syria has no outstanding balances with the International Development Association, the bank’s fund for the poorest countries, the World Bank said. “We are pleased that the clearance of Syria’s arrears will allow the World Bank Group to reengage with the country and address the development needs of the Syrian people,” the bank said in a statement. “After years of conflict, Syria is on a path to recovery and development.”The bank said it would work with other countries to help mobilize public and private financing for programs that can help the Syrian people build better lives, stabilizing the country and the region. It said its first project with Syria would focus on access to electricity, which would enable economic progress and aid the delivery of essential services, from health and education to water and livelihoods. “The proposed project is the first step in a planned increase in World Bank Group support designed to confront Syria’s urgent needs and invest in long-term development,” the bank said.

Trump wraps up Gulf tour, says wants to meet Putin soon
Arab News/May 16, 2025
DUBAI: American President Donald Trump says he would like to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “as soon as we can set it up”, during a business roundtable in Abu Dhabi on Friday. “Let’s see what happens with Russia and Ukraine” Trump said referencing the Russia-Ukraine peace talks taking place in Turkiye. The US president also told reporters his administration would have the situation in Gaza “taken care of” stating: “We’re looking at Gaza, and we are going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving”. Wrapping up his Gulf tour, Trump said he had secured over $1.4 trillion in investment pledges from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.The President now intends to return to the US to meet his newborn grandchild. Describing his tour as “incredible”, he said: “now it’s time to go back home. My daughter had a baby and I am going home to see that baby.”(With agencies)

Trump says Iran wants to trade with US
Reuters/16 May ,2025
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran wants to trade with the United States, according to excerpts from an interview with Fox News. “Iran wants to trade with us, OK? If you can believe that I’m OK with that. I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” Trump said in the interview conducted before he left Abu Dhabi after a four-day Middle East trip. “But I’ve told Iran, we make a deal. You’re going to be really - you’re going to be very happy,” said Trump, who has been pushing Iran on a nuclear deal.

Iran denies receiving US proposal, says it won’t give up right to enrichment
Al Arabiya English/16 May ,2025
Iran said Friday that it had not received any written proposal from the US over a new nuclear deal, hours after US President Donald Trump said Washington had relayed a proposal to Tehran. “Iran has not received any written proposal from the United States, whether directly or indirectly,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X. He added that Tehran was receiving “contradictory and confusing” messaging from the US, and said Iran is determined to strike a deal if the US removes sanctions and “respect[s] our rights.” The Trump administration has said Iran can have enriched uranium if it purchases from a third country, but that there is no need for such a program if it doesn’t aspire to acquire a nuclear weapon. “Mark my words: there is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to enrichment for peaceful purposes: a right afforded to all other NPT signatories, too,” Araqchi said on Friday. “We ALWAYS welcome dialogue based on mutual respect and ALWAYS reject any diktat.” Earlier on Friday, speaking from Abu Dhabi, Trump said Iran needed to make a quick decision on a proposal he said was relayed for a new deal or “something bad will happen.”

Iranian officials confirm Iran, European leaders held nuclear talks in Istanbul
Reuters/16 May ,2025
Diplomats from Iran and three European countries discussed their now-moribund 2015 nuclear deal in Istanbul on Friday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said, without giving details of any progress made. The talks between senior diplomats from Iran and three European countries - Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 - came ahead of an expected fifth round of US-Iranian negotiations. Under the terms of a UN resolution ratifying the 2015 nuclear pact, the three European powers could reimpose UN sanctions against Tehran - known in diplomatic circles as the “snapback mechanism” - if no agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear program. According to diplomats and a document seen by Reuters, the E3 countries may trigger a snapback by August if no substantial deal can be found by then. The window closes on October 18. Iran and the Europeans agreed to hold further talks if needed, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X on Friday. “Iran and the three European countries are determined to maintain and make optimal use of diplomacy,” Gharibabadi said. “We will meet again to continue the discussions if necessary.”Relations between the E3 and Iran have worsened over the last year despite sporadic meetings, against a backdrop of new sanctions imposed on Tehran over its ballistic missile program, its detention of foreign citizens and support for Russia in its war against Ukraine. The European powers are not part of current negotiations between Iran and the United States, the fourth round of which ended in Oman on Sunday. But the three powers have sought to coordinate closely with Washington with a view to whether and when they should use the snapback mechanism to raise pressure on Iran over its nuclear program. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met the national security advisers of the E3 powers on Friday to discuss Ukraine and Iran, a US official said.

Trump Tells Gulf Hosts He’s ‘Not Thrilled’ With Their Gift
Ewan Palmer/The Daily Beast/May 16, 2025
President Donald Trump joked that he was “not thrilled” with the tiny amount of oil he received as a gift during his trip to the United Arab Emirates on Friday. A clip shared online by Margo Martin, Trump’s special assistant and communications adviser, captured the moment the president was presented with a memento during his diplomatic visit to the Gulf nation. The gift, given by Sultan Al Jaber, head of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., was a box containing a small amount of Murban crude oil visible through glass. “This is the highest quality oil there is on the planet, and they only gave me a drop,” Trump said, prompting laughter from those around him. “So I’m not thrilled, but it’s better than no drop.”Trump’s visit to the UAE on Friday marks the end of his four-day charm offensive in the Middle East, which also included stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. At a business forum held Friday at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, Trump was wooed by industry leaders and oil tycoons. It was there that Al Jaber presented him with the small memento. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was also in attendance as Trump toured the event held at the royal palace. During the meet-and-greet, Trump was shown a presentation highlighting the UAE’s aviation sector, where he offered praise for Boeing. “It’s just my opinion, but Boeing makes the best planes,” Trump said, reported Sky News. “They’ve had some headaches over the last few years, but they make the best planes.”Trump’s Middle East tour has been plagued by controversy over his plans to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family to use in place of the current Air Force One. On Thursday, the White House announced a major deal between Boeing and GE Aerospace with Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national airline.
As part of efforts to strengthen ties between the U.S. and the Gulf state, Etihad agreed to purchase 28 U.S.-made Boeing 787 and 777X jets powered by GE engines in a deal worth over $14.5 billion.

Trump says 'people are starving' as Israeli strikes pound Gaza
Reuters/May 16, 2025
Palestinians fled areas of northern Gaza on Friday following Israeli strikes.
Local health authorities said more than 250 people have been killed since Thursday morning. It is one of the deadliest phases of bombardment since a truce collapsed in March, and a new ground offensive is expected soon. One of the displaced, Fadi Tamboura, said "Where should I go", adding that there is bombing in Western Gaza, and people dying in the south. U.S. President Donald Trump ended a Middle East tour on Friday with no apparent progress towards a new ceasefire. He said that “a lot of people are starving in Gaza” and emphasized the need for aid deliveries. Heavy strikes on Friday were reported in Beit Lahiya and Jabalia. In the Jabalia refugee camp, Palestinians searched through the rubble to look for survivors. Abu Omar Al Zanati says his cousin was "martyred". "Every day they say that the situation will be resolved, that the situation of the war will be resolved, and we are sitting. Every day martyrs, every day martyrs, every day martyrs, in addition to the war of hunger that we are in. This is another war.”Although Israel is facing growing international pressure to resume ceasefire talks and end its blockade of Gaza, it has instead intensified its bombardment and built up armed forces along the border.

Trump says journalist Austin Tice has not been seen in many years
Reuters/May 16, 2025
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that American journalist Austin Tice, captured in Syria more than 12 years ago, has not been seen in years. Trump was asked if he brought up Tice when he met with Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. "I always talk about Austin Tice. Now you know Austin Tice hasn't been seen in many, many years," Trump replied. "He's got a great mother who's just working so hard to find her boy. So I understand it, but Austin has not been seen in many, many years." Tice, a former U.S. Marine and a freelance journalist, was 31 when he was abducted in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by Syrian rebels who seized the capital Damascus in December. Syria had denied he was being held.
U.S. officials pressed for Tice's release after the government fell. Former President Joe Biden said at the time he believed Tice was alive.

US developing plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya, NBC News reports
Reuters/17 May ,2025
The Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate as much as one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, NBC News reported on Friday, citing five people with knowledge of the matter. Citing two people with direct knowledge and a former US official, NBC also reported that the plan is under serious enough consideration that the US has discussed it with Libya’s leadership. In exchange for resettling the Palestinians, the administration would release to Libya billions of dollars of funds the US froze more than a decade ago, according to NBC and citing the same three people.

Deadly Israeli strikes pound Gaza, Trump says ‘people are starving’
Reuters/17 May ,2025:
Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 250 people since Thursday morning, local health authorities said on Friday, one of the deadliest phases of bombardment since a truce collapsed in March, with a new ground offensive expected soon. US President Donald Trump, who ended a Middle East tour on Friday with no apparent progress towards a new ceasefire as Israel steps up its military campaign, acknowledged Gaza’s growing hunger crisis and the need for aid deliveries. “We have to help also out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides,” he said. When asked if he backed Israel’s war plans, Trump said he expected “good things” over the next month. Friday’s air and artillery strikes were focused on the northern section of the tiny, crowded enclave, where dozens of people including women and children were killed overnight, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Khalil al-Deqran. Israel has intensified its bombardment and built up armored forces along the border despite growing international pressure for it to resume ceasefire talks and end its blockade of Gaza, where warnings of famine are growing.
Just before midnight on Friday, the Israeli military said that during the last day forces began launching extensive strikes and transferring forces to seize control over areas within the Gaza Strip. It said the escalation was part of the initial stages of what it said was “Operation Gideon’s Wagons” to expand the battle in the enclave “with the aim of achieving all the war’s objectives, including the liberation of the kidnapped soldiers and the defeat of Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded, intensive offensive against Hamas as his security cabinet approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid. An Israeli defense official said at the time that the operation would not be launched before Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East, which was expected to end on Friday. Israel’s declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. Its military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all inhabitants from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities, while aid agencies say its blockade has caused a humanitarian crisis. Heavy strikes were reported on Friday in the northern town of Beit Lahiya and in the Jabalia refugee camp, where Palestinian emergency services said many bodies were still buried in the rubble. Israel dropped leaflets on Beit Lahiya ordering all residents to leave, whether they lived in tents, shelters or buildings. “Leave southwards immediately,” the leaflets read. Residents said Israeli tanks were advancing towards the southern city of Khan Younis. Israel’s military said its air force had struck more than 150 military targets across Gaza.
Strikes
In Jabalia, men picked through a sea of rubble following the night’s strikes, pulling out sheets of metal as small children clambered through the debris. Around 10 bodies draped in white sheets were lined up on the ground to be taken to hospital. Women sat crying and one lifted a corner of a sheet to gaze at the dead person’s face. “Where should I go today? To west Gaza? There’s bombing in west Gaza. To the south? They’re killing people in Khan Younis. To Deir al-Balah? There is bombing. Me, my children and my family, where should we go?” said Fadi Tamboura, sitting crying next to a crater left by an overnight strike. Ismail, a man from Gaza City who gave only his first name, described a night of horror. “The non-stop explosions resulting from the airstrikes and tank shelling reminded us of the early days of the war. The ground didn’t stop shaking underneath our feet,” Ismail told Reuters via a chat app. “We thought Trump arrived to save us, but it seems Netanyahu doesn’t care, neither does Trump.”Israel has faced increasing international isolation over its campaign in Gaza, with even the United States, its staunchest ally, expressing unease over the scale of the destruction and the dire situation caused by its blockade on deliveries of food and other vital aid. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was “troubled” by the humanitarian situation. Netanyahu has dispatched a team to Doha to take part in ceasefire talks with Qatari mediators, but he has ruled out concessions, saying Israel remains committed to defeating Hamas. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents some of the families and supporters of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, said Israel risked missing a “historic opportunity” to bring them home as Trump wound up his visit to the Middle East.
“We are in dramatic hours that will determine the future of our loved ones, the future of Israeli society, and the future of the Middle East,” the group said in a statement.

Palestinian death toll tops 53,000 after Israel airstrikes pummel Gaza overnight
Paul Godfrey/United Press International/May 16, 2025
At least 50 people were killed in airstrikes overnight in Gaza after Israel stepped up its military offensive in the north, the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said, with the 19-month-long conflict marking another grim milepost as the number of Palestinians killed surpassed 53,000.
The agency said the fatalities were in addition to more than 120 on Thursday, prompting Hamas to describe the move as "barbaric escalation" by Israel and urge the international community to hold Israel to account. Israel Defense Forces said it was conducting ongoing, intelligence-based strikes against "terror targets," hitting 150 sites in the past day, "dismantling terrorist infrastructure sites" and "eliminating terrorists" preparing to carry out attacks against its troops. Figures published on the Hamas-run Ministry of Health's Facebook account on Friday put the total number of Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023, at 53,119 and the number injured at 120,214. However, Gaza's Government Media Office put the real figure of people killed at 61,700, due to the thousands of other residents who are missing -- buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings -- presumed dead. The BBC said Israel was engaged in the largest ground offensive since it resumed its military campaign in mid-March after cutting off aid to Gaza at the beginning of March and terminating a two-month-long cease-fire and hostage/prisoner release agreement with Hamas two weeks later. Following the airstrikes, the Israeli military launched a major assault early Friday on Beit Lahia in the northwest, close to the border with Israel, with ground forces and from the sea and air, according to residents. They said nearby Israeli positions rained artillery fire down on the town shortly after the attack began, which began with smoke barrages. Tanks then began advancing toward the Al-Salateen neighbourhood of Beit Lahia, encircling hundreds of displaced people sheltering in a school. The IDF also said troops had destroyed Hamas "terrorist infrastructure" in the south of Gaza, "including structures and [tunnel] shafts," killing "several terrorists who it said were planning to lay an explosive booby trap. Israel had tied its plans to U.S. President Donald Trump's four-day visit to the region, which was scheduled to end Friday, threatening to intensify its military offensive and permanently occupy Gaza if Hamas failed to sign onto a proposal for a temporary cease-fire and the return of remaining hostages by then. Speaking to reporters en route back to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump declined to support or condemn Israel's plans. "We'll see what happens," but said the United States needed to "help out the Palestinians" because "a lot of people are starving," due to the aid blockade. "We're going to look at everything, but we want to get the hostages back, Trump said, referencing a deal for Hamas to relinquish power brokered by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

France says conference on two-state solution to Mideast conflict set for June
AFP/16 May ,2025
The conference will be organized by the UN General Assembly under a shared French and Saudi presidency, the diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity. Nearly 150 countries recognize the State of Palestine, which has observer status at the United Nations but is not a full member as the Security Council has not voted to admit it.In May 2024, Ireland, Norway and Spain took the step of recognizing a Palestinian state but other European governments, including France, have not. President Emmanuel Macron said in April that France could recognize a Palestinian state in June. Macron said at the time that he wished to organize the New York conference to encourage recognition of the State of Palestine, “but also a recognition of Israel from states that currently do not.”The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 during US President Donald Trump’s first term. But many Arab countries have yet to join the agreement, particularly Saudi Arabia, as well as Israeli neighbors Syria and Lebanon. Even before the start of the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, Saudi Arabia had rejected the normalization of ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is firmly opposed to any such move.Several of his ministers have called in recent months for Israel to annex the West Bank, a Palestinian territory it has occupied since 1967.

Israel threatens Houthi leaders after striking Yemen ports
AFP/May 16, 2025
HODEIDA Yemen: Israel threatened to target the leadership of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis after the air force struck two Yemeni ports on Friday, following repeated Houthi missile attacks in recent days. The Houthis agreed earlier this month to stop firing on international shipping in the Red Sea after the United States stepped up air strikes on Houthi-held areas with British support. But the Houthis vowed to keep up their strikes on Israel despite the deal and fired three missiles in as many days this week that triggered air raid warnings in major cities. The Houthis’ Al-Masirah television reported strikes on the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, a key entry point for aid, as well as the port of Salif further north, without immediately mentioning any casualties. Israel’s military confirmed striking the two ports, saying it “dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites” belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis. It noted that prior warnings had been issued to civilians in both areas. “These ports are used to transfer weapons and are a further example of the Houthi terrorist regime’s systematic and cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure in order to advance terrorist activities,” a military statement said. The Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of Yemen for more than a decade, began firing at Israel-linked shipping in November 2023, weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. They later broadened their campaign to target Israel, saying it was in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Houthi leadership there was “more to come” after Friday’s strikes. “We are not willing to sit on the sidelines and let the Houthis attack us. We will hit them far more, including their leadership and all the infrastructure that allows them to hit us,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Houthi leaders that if the missile attacks continue, they face the same fate as Hamas leaders slain by Israel in Gaza. “If the Houthis continue to fire, we will also hit the heads of the terror groups, just as we did to (slain Hamas military chief Mohammed) Deif and (the) Sinwars (Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed Sinwar) in Gaza,” Katz said in a post. “We will also hunt down and eliminate the Houthi leader, Abd Al-Malek Al-Houthi.”In early May, a Houthi missile struck an area at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, gouging a hole near its main terminal building and wounding several people in a rare penetration of Israeli air defenses. Israel retaliated by striking the airport in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said the exchange marked a “dangerous escalation” and was a reminder that the war-torn country is “ensnared in the wider regional tensions.”

Israel attacks Yemeni ports, warns that Houthi leader could be target
Reuters/May 16, 2025
ADEN -Israel struck Yemen's Red Sea ports of Hodeidah and Salif on Friday, continuing its campaign to degrade Houthi military capabilities and warning that the group's top leader could be targeted if attacks on Israel persist. The Houthis have continued to fire missiles at Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, although they have agreed to halt attacks on U.S. ships. Israel has carried out retaliatory strikes in response, including one on May 6 that damaged Yemen's main airport in Sanaa and killed several people. On Friday, the Israeli military said it dropped over 30 munitions on Houthi targets in its eighth such attack. It said the ports of Hodeidah and Salif were being used to transfer weapons, reiterating its warnings to residents of those areas to evacuate. The Israeli strikes killed at least one person and injured nine, the Houthi-run health ministry said in a statement. Residents in Hodeidah said they heard four loud booms and saw smoke rising from the port following the strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that they would hunt down the Houthis' top leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. "If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at the State of Israel, they will be severely harmed, and we will also hurt the leaders," they said, adding that al-Houthi could join the list of militant figures killed by Israel, such as Hamas' Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior group figure, described the Israeli threats as "illusions", saying on X that they were aimed at buying time by setting "unattainable goals." The Houthis are part of Iran's so-called "Axis of Resistance" against Israeli and U.S. interests in the Middle East, alongside Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. About 60% of the Yemeni population lives under their control. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks toward Israel, most of which have been intercepted or landed short.

Israeli proposal details possible plan to rule Gaza after Hamas
Eleonora Vasques/Euronews/May 16, 2025
The Israeli government has on its table a proposal on creating a new entity from scratch in Gaza after it defeats Hamas, a document seen by Euronews dated December 2023 reveals. The proposal, in the form of a 32-page academic paper titled “Gaza Security and Recovery Program, How Should The Day After Look Like,” was authored by the Israel Defense and Security Forum — a group of over 35,000 Israeli security force reservists — and the well-established think tank Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. The study was presented to the Israeli government at an unknown date between its creation and now, and represents one of the future options currently under consideration by Israel for the Gaza Strip, according to officials who talked to Euronews. The proposal depicts what “the day after” should look like in the scenario of the fall of Hamas. It entails economic reconstruction, building infrastructure and, as the authors of the study say, “uprooting a murderous ideology,” also labelled as a process of “de-nazification”. “In order to prepare for the new state of affairs, even though the results of the military operation have not yet been achieved, it is necessary to prepare an orderly plan for the control of the Gaza Strip after the fall of Hamas,” the document reads. The plan explicitly excludes the sovereignty of Palestine, or more specifically the Palestinian Authority (PA), or the presence of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a source for humanitarian aid. “No less serious is the foolhardy idea of establishing a Palestinian state in Gaza," the document reads. However, it is not said in the document whether Israel intends to annex the Strip, although it is clearly stated that Israeli Security Forces (IDF) want to have a greater say in the overall administration of Gaza’s affairs. The document's authenticity was confirmed by one senior government official who talked to Euronews on the condition of anonymity to avoid interfering with the government's work, as well as Ohad Tal and Simcha Rothman, two Knesset members of the far-right National Religious Party, which is part of the ruling coalition. “The contents in this paper are part of the plans the government is looking at, they are on the table,” the senior government official confirmed to Euronews. The official specified that it is not a "finalised plan," however, it is "definitely part of the scenarios that are on the table".
"This plan is on the table and consistent with the direction the government is going," Tal confirmed. Rothman told Euronews that, while the plan remains a "moving target," the framework outlined criteria, such as "elimination of Hamas, no PA (Palestinian Authority) presence in Gaza, no Palestinian state, no UNWRA, (are) consistent with my approach and to the best of my knowledge, with the approach of the government." Euronews contacted the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for comment, but has not received a response by the time of publication.
What does the document contain?
The paper says the new entity, initially managed by the IDF, should establish a new mechanism for reconstruction, economic development, aid management and “re-education” of Gaza’s society. Some parts of the proposal obtained by Euronews and the Israeli government's actions announced at the beginning of May might be going in the same direction. On 5 May, the Israeli government gave the green light to the IDF to start a massive operation to take control of the whole Gaza. The decision came shortly after the military announced the mobilisation of tens of thousands of reservists.
On the same day, Netanyahu announced that further displacement of the 2.1 million Gaza residents has to be expected as a result of the massive ground operations that have started.
The detailed study dates back to roughly two months after 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities at the border with Gaza, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage. The Israeli military says it has killed some 20,000 Hamas combatants, while also reporting around 3,000 dead and wounded among its soldiers. In the proposal, there is no reference to the Israeli hostages. Hamas' terrorist attack triggered the Israel-Hamas war in the Strip, in which 52,000 Palestinians lost their lives, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. However, two sources familiar with the document, who spoke to Euronews under the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the study's conception predates Hamas’ 7 October attack, but it was imagined more for the West Bank, rather than for Gaza. The proposal is divided into three different stages, where the first two are considered the most important, where the Israelis are foreseen to extensively take over and manage the Strip, creating a new entity from scratch.
Even though the document envisages a third, long-term stage in which there is space left for the self-determination of those residing in the Strip, it would happen only after a complete erasure of the current Hamas-run Gaza network is finalised.
“It would be wrong to put the cart before the horse, and it would be similarly wrong to predetermine, for the Gazan population and its leadership its political future,” since the focus for Israel is not Palestinians’ self-determination but rather “ending Hamas rule,” the document says.
The first and second phase
In the scenario of the fall of Hamas, the IDF would aim to temporarily take over the whole Gaza Strip, having free movement on the ground while obtaining complete control of the 12-kilometre border between Gaza and Egypt, including the Rafah crossing. The IDF has already partially done what is mentioned in the proposal, creating a buffer zone alongside some portions of the border. Since early April, the Israeli military has already taken control of roughly half of Gaza.
To widen the buffer zone, the IDF systematically demolished all infrastructure, making the portion of the territory uninhabitable. A “buffer zone along the border with Israel” must be established, where the “Palestinian traffic will not be permitted,” the document says. In this first stage, “It may be necessary to impose martial law”, the document reads, with the IDF taking over all the civilian affairs, until a new “mechanism” is established. This period could last a few months up to a year, according to the study. In the second phase, the Israeli government would establish five administrative autonomous councils. The proposal suggests these should be called “Northern Gaza Strip, Gaza City, Central Gaza Strip, Khan Yunis and Rafah”. The councils would be tasked with managing civilian life in Gaza after meeting certain preconditions, such as not being related to “terror-Palestinian factions”, recognising the state of Israel and taking part in a re-educational plan also called the “de-nazification” process. Control over education is a key part of the study, according to which the councils are meant to have a “meaningful supervision” of what is happening not only in classrooms but also during extracurricular activities in which Israel would have greater say. Israel would also establish an International Managerial Directorate (IMD) for aid, reconstruction and supervision of the administrative councils. It would be formed not only by the Israeli government, which should be the major player, according to the document.
A complex international presence
In a significant and complex part of the proposal, the IMD would include the US, some European countries “such as Germany, France, the UK and Italy” as well as “pragmatic Sunni countries” such as “Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and possibly Saudi Arabia, as part of a broader move to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.”In the document, Israel was suggested it should make the IMD the only source of aid for the local administrative councils. The assistance, such as direct “aid money to economic growth and reconstruction of infrastructures” would be conditional on specific criteria, including the implementation of re-educational plans. “In any event, aid and reconstruction will be given in congruence with the principle of the plan and of the de-radicalisation and denazification process in the education system, the media and society,” says the document.
Israel already publicly proposed to manage aid flow to Gaza, as detailed in the document obtained by Euronews.
Since 2 March, aid flow has stopped for Gaza residents, creating a situation that the UN described as a catastrophe, since people are running out of food and water.
In early April, UN Secretary General António Guterres said that “Gaza is a killing field, and civilians are in an endless death loop.”
The UN criticised the Israeli proposal to control humanitarian aid in Gaza by routing it through military-run hubs, warning it would endanger civilians and aid workers, cut off vulnerable populations from aid, and increase forced displacement.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas militants of abusing the aid influx for their personal gain and to further strengthen the group.
In the proposal, the Israeli government was suggested it should put in place a blacklist of organisations that “must not receive aid,” or cannot operate.
The UN is one of the intergovernmental organisations which Israel does not want in the Gaza Strip. However, the document leaves open the possibility for the presence of the UN agency for refugees, UNHCR.
The document says Israel should favour the deployment of a team modelled after the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai, a peacekeeping organisation established in 1982 with US support to monitor the demilitarisation of the Sinai Peninsula under the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
Once the other phases are completed, a third phase in which the Palestinians can self-determine is presented as a possibility, even though it is not detailed in the proposal.
“The proposed plan puts no actual obstacle before the Palestinians’ ability to achieve self-determination once they recognise Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and abandon the path of terrorism,” the document says.
The study says it would be premature to decide Gaza’s political future, as Israel’s priority is ending Hamas’ rule, not Palestinian self-determination.
Sharp criticism of the European Union
The European Union is the primary donor to the Palestinians and supports a future for Gaza under the leadership of a reformed PA and with the presence of UNRWA. The proposal heavily criticises the European Union for its positions and says that it should not take part in the reconstruction.
“There is no intention of including the European Union as a partner, but only a small number of European countries. We recommend including the countries that are most influential in Europe and that currently support Israel in its war against Hamas: countries such as Germany, France, the UK, and Italy,” the study says. The document goes even further, saying that its implementation does not need international cooperation, although it might help. “This plan does not depend on recognition or international cooperation. Israel can carry out the plan in Gaza by itself, or with only a handful of partners and/or supporters. But broad recognition and cooperation would undeniably help the plan to succeed more quickly and efficiently,” it states.

Israel blasts UN aid chief over call to prevent Gaza genocide, UN says 'let us do our work'
Michelle Nichols/Reuters/May 16, 2025
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Israel on Friday blasted the United Nations aid chief for asking the U.N. Security Council if it would act to "prevent genocide" in the Gaza Strip, where experts say famine looms after Israel blocked aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave 75 days ago. While briefing the 15-member body earlier this week, U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said: "Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?"In a letter to Fletcher on Friday, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon accused him of delivering "a political sermon" and weaponizing the word genocide against Israel, questioning under what authority he made what Israel viewed as an accusation. "You had the audacity, in your capacity as a senior U.N. official, to stand before the Security Council and invoke the charge of genocide without evidence, mandate, or restraint," he wrote. "It was an utterly inappropriate and deeply irresponsible statement that shattered any notion of neutrality." Under international law, genocide is an intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. This includes through killings, serious bodily or mental harm and inflicting conditions calculated to bring about physical destruction.
'LET US DO OUR WORK'
In a letter to Danon on Friday, Fletcher responded: "I fervently believe in the U.N. Charter, and in our obligation to act with humanity, independence, impartiality and neutrality. And of course, honesty about what we observe, and are mandated to report."The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies, and has blocked all aid to Gaza since March 2, demanding Hamas release all remaining hostages. A global hunger monitor warned on Monday that half a million people face starvation - about a quarter of the population in the enclave. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that "a lot of people are starving in Gaza." Fletcher appealed to Israel to lift the aid block, telling Danon there are 9,000 trucks - half of them carrying food - which had all been cleared by COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, and were ready to enter Gaza. "We have solid plans to distribute to civilians, with verification measures to ensure that aid does not get stolen by Hamas. We showed during the ceasefire that we can deliver at scale," he wrote. "Please let us do our work."

NYU withholds diploma from student who denounced war in Gaza during graduation speech
Karina Tsui, CNN/May 16, 2025
New York University said it is withholding the diploma of a student who condemned “genocide” in Gaza while delivering a graduation speech Wednesday – a move the university called a violation of the student’s commitment to comply with school rules. Logan Rozos told members of his graduating class that “as I search my heart today in addressing you all … the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine.”NYU “strongly” denounced “the choice by a student at Gallatin School’s graduation,” university spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement after the Wednesday ceremony. Commencement season on US campuses comes amid the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on students who engage in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Earlier this year, NYU was among the universities cited by the Department of Justice as having “experienced incidents of antisemitism.” In his speech, Rozos repeatedly referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” which he said was “politically and militarily” supported by the US and “paid for by our tax dollars.”He said his remarks are intended to “speak for all people of conscience, all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity.”Cheers erupted from the crowd when Rozos first mentioned Gaza, and some NYU faculty sitting behind him briefly applauded. Some in the crowd could also be heard booing at times. Without naming Rozos, Beckman said the student speaker “lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules.” “The university is withholding his diploma while we pursue disciplinary actions,” Beckman said, adding that the school is “deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him.”CNN reached out to Rozos and NYU for further details. Rozos’ student biography was no longer on Gallatin’s website as of Thursday night. CNN also reached out to the student government for comment on Rozos’ speech.
Rozos majored in Cultural Criticism and Political Economy and was a member of the Gallatin Theater Troupe, according to an archived version of Gallatin’s website. He was selected by fellow students to give the program’s commencement address, the Associated Press reported. The commencement ceremony for all of NYU was held Thursday. The Anti-Defamation League condemned what it described as “divisive and false comments about the current Israel/Hamas war” and thanked NYU “for their strong condemnation and their pursuit of disciplinary action,” according to a statement on X. At the same time, the Council on American-Islamic Relations defended the “pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide commencement address” and called on NYU to release the student speaker’s diploma. CAIR described the ongoing disciplinary actions against those who engage in pro-Palestinian protests as a “betrayal to American freedoms and the American people,” according to a statement on X. Last year, students and faculty were arrested at NYU as protests were held at universities across the US. The university filed more than 180 conduct cases against students and faculty tied to demonstrations over the war in Gaza following last year’s protests, according to an investigation by NYU’s student newspaper, Washington Square News. Israel launched its war in Gaza following Hamas’ October 2023 attack in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. According to figures provided by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants. In January, the Israeli military said it had killed 20,000 Hamas operatives since October 7.

Lammy visits Pakistan in push for ‘durable peace’ with India
Helen Corbett, PA Political Correspondent/PA Media: UK News/May 16, 2025
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has visited Pakistan and vowed the UK would play its part in turning the “fragile ceasefire” between Pakistan and India into lasting peace. Mr Lammy welcomed the ceasefire with India as he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during the first visit of a UK foreign secretary to Pakistan since 2021. He said the British Pakistani and British Indian diasporas would particularly welcome news of the pause in fighting and increased stability for Pakistan and India. The Foreign Secretary was in contact with his Indian counterpart on Thursday and plans to travel to New Delhi soon. Pakistan and India agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire over the weekend after escalating hostilities between the two nuclear-armed rivals followed a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Mr Lammy said: “The images of conflict between India and Pakistan were distressing for all of us in Britain: but in particular the millions of Brits with Indian and Pakistani heritage, and the many British nationals living in both of these countries. “Ever since the horrendous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the UK has done all it can to play a supportive role to reduce tensions, get to a ceasefire and condemn terrorism.” He said it was a positive that the two sides, who he said are “both great friends to the UK”, have agreed to a pause in hostilities that is holding. Mr Lammy added: “Because of the deep and historic links between our populations and our governments, we are determined to play our part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace.”

European leaders consult Trump, then agree joint response to Russian foot-dragging in truce talks
Llazar Semini And Lorne Cook/The Associated Press/May 16, 2025
TIRANA, Albania — European leaders agreed on Friday to press ahead with joint action against Russia over the failure to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, after consultations with U.S. President Donald Trump. Starmer spoke from Albania’s capital, Tirana, where leaders of dozens of European countries were gathered for the European Political Community, or EPC, summit attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We just had a meeting with President Zelenskyy and then a phone call with President Trump to discuss the developments in the negotiations today, and the Russian position is clearly unacceptable,” Starmer told reporters. “As a result of that meeting with President Zelenskyy, under discussion with President Trump, we are now closely aligning and coordinating our responses and will continue to do so,” he said. Starmer said that he and the leaders of France, Germany and Poland had consulted Trump. He didn't say what the response might involve, but some European leaders pressed for new sanctions. The European Union is likely to adopt a new round of measures as soon as Tuesday. Russia and Ukraine held their first first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. The talks, which were held in Turkey on Friday, ended after less than two hours, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a Ukrainian official. French President Emmanuel Macron said it was “unacceptable that, for a second time, Russia hasn’t responded to the demands made by the Americans, supported by Ukraine and the Europeans. No ceasefire, and therefore no meeting at a decision-making level. And no response.” Macron added: “We will continue to coordinate with our European partners — the coalition of the willing — and the United States. There will be new contacts and feedback in the coming hours.”German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “The diplomatic efforts that we have made so far have unfortunately failed because of Russia’s lack of readiness to take the first steps in the right direction now.”"But we will not give up; we will continue and we will coordinate well on the European side, together with the Americans,” Merz said.
‘The world must respond’
Earlier, Zelenskyy had said that Ukraine is committed to ending the war, but urged the European leaders to ramp up sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to play for time in talks aimed at securing a truce. “Ukraine is ready to take all realistic steps to end this war,” Zelenskyy said. But he warned: “If it turns out that the Russian delegation really is just theatrical and can’t deliver any results today, the world must respond.”That reaction, he said, should include "sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks.”
'Putin made a mistake'
Zelenskyy's remarks came after Putin declined to attend face-to-face talks in Istanbul. “I think Putin made a mistake by sending a low-level delegation,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said as he arrived for the summit under a steady drizzle. “The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court. He has to play ball. He has to be serious about wanting peace."European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that it was clear that “President Zelenskyy was ready to meet but President Putin never showed up, and this shows his true belief. So we will increase the pressure.”Von der Leyen said that the EU is preparing a new package of sanctions. She said that the measures would target the shadow fleet of aging cargo vessels that Russia is using to bypass international sanctions and the Nord Stream pipeline consortium. Russia’s financial sector would also be targeted, she said. EU envoys have been working on the new sanctions package for several weeks, and the bloc’s foreign ministers could enact them as soon as Tuesday. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni stressed that efforts to reach a deal on Ukraine must continue. “I think ... that we must not throw in the towel. I think we must insist, we must insist for an unconditional ceasefire and a serious peace agreement that includes guarantees of security for Ukraine,” she said.

Russia, Ukraine agree prisoner swap, fail to reach truce in first talks since 2022
AFP/May 16, 2025
ISTANBUL: Russia and Ukraine agreed a large-scale prisoner exchange, said they would trade ideas on a possible ceasefire and discussed a potential meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in their first direct talks in over three years on Friday.But coming out of the highly anticipated talks in Istanbul, which lasted just over 90 minutes, there were few signs of more significant progress toward ending the three-year war. Kyiv was seeking an “unconditional ceasefire” to pause a conflict that has destroyed large swathes of Ukraine and displaced millions of people. Moscow has consistently rebuffed those calls, and the only concrete agreement appeared to be a deal to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. The two sides also said they would “present their vision of a possible future ceasefire,” said Russia’s top negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky. Russia also took note of Ukraine’s request for a meeting of Presidents Putin and Zelensky, he said.“Overall, we are satisfied with the results and ready to continue contacts,” Medinsky added. Ukraine’s top negotiator, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, confirmed the prisoner swap in a separate statement and also said a ceasefire and a possible presidential meeting had been discussed.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who presided over the talks, said the sides had “agreed in principle to meet again” and would present ceasefire ideas “in writing.”Fidan sat at the head of a table in front of Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian flags at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace for the talks — with Russian and Ukrainian delegations facing each other, footage from the room showed.But progress on more fundamental issues appeared minimal. During the talks, a Ukrainian source told AFP that Russia was making “unacceptable” territorial demands in a bid to derail negotiations. Nevertheless, the fact the meeting took place at all was a sign of movement, with both sides having come under steady pressure from Washington to open talks. Putin declined to travel to Turkiye for the meeting, which he had proposed, sending a second-level delegation instead.
Zelensky said Putin was “afraid” of meeting, and criticized Russia for not taking the talks “seriously.”Speaking at a European summit in Albania, the Ukrainian leader urged a “strong reaction” from the world if the talks failed, including new sanctions.
Ahead of the talks, the two sides spent 24 hours slinging insults at each other, with Zelensky accusing Moscow of sending “empty heads” to the negotiating table. Both Moscow and Washington have talked up the need for a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump on the conflict. The leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Britain and Poland held a phone call with Trump on Friday, Zelensky’s spokesperson said, without elaborating. Trump has said “nothing’s going to happen” on the conflict until he meets Putin face-to-face. Zelensky had warned that if a ceasefire was not agreed, “it will be 100-percent clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy.” And in that case, “the world must respond. There needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions on Russia’s energy sector and banks.”Ahead of the talks, Ukrainian officials in Istanbul held meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg and the national security advisers of Britain, France and Germany. Rubio urged a “peaceful” end to the war and said “the killing needs to stop,” according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. While the talks were ongoing, a Ukrainian source told AFP that Russia was advancing hard-line territorial demands. Moscow claims to have annexed five Ukrainian regions as its own — four since its 2022 invasion, and Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. “Russian representatives are putting forward unacceptable demands... such as for Ukraine to withdraw forces from large parts of Ukrainian territory it controls in order for a ceasefire to begin,” the source said. They accused Moscow of seeking to “throw non-starters” so the talks end “without any results.”Another source familiar with the talks said Russia had threatened to capture Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Both border Russia and were invaded by Moscow’s army at the start of the conflict, though Russia has not previously made formal territorial claims over them. Russia has repeatedly said it will not discuss giving up any territory that its forces occupy, and Putin last year called for Kyiv to withdraw from parts of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that it still controls.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 16-17/2025
Remembering the Truth behind Columbus Day
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/May 16/2025
I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes. The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much. They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but “WOKE,” or even worse, nothing at all! Well, you’ll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback. I am hereby reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!
Trump is referring to the fact that, for years now, Columbus Day — or as it has been increasingly known, “Indigenous Peoples Day” — has been condemned as a day when Americans celebrate the “genocidal” actions of an Italian madman against poor and peaceful the natives.
Trump’s point that “the Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus” is especially validated by former Vice President Kamala Harris. Not only is she on record affirming that she wanted to officially cancel Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous People Day, but in 2021, she condemned America’s “shameful past” in the context of Columbus, saying:
Since 1934, every October, the United States has recognized the voyage of the European explorers who first landed on the shores of the Americas…. Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for Tribal nations — perpetrating violence, stealing land and spreading disease. We must not shy away from this shameful past, and we must shed light on it and do everything we can to address the impact of the past on Native communities today.
Good for Trump for caring about and wanting to reinstate Columbus. It’d be even better if we took this occasion to remember why Columbus sailed west in the first place. Although the Fake History we were all taught in school claims it was to “find spices,” the reality is that he did so to circumnavigate and fight Muslims.
Old Atrocities and Current Crimes
When Columbus was born, Europe’s Christian kingdoms had already been defending themselves from Islamic jihads for more than 800 years – and the fighting was at an all-time high. In 1453, when Columbus was two years old, the Turks finally sacked Constantinople, an atrocity-laden event that rocked Christendom to its core.
Over the following years, Muslims continued making inroads deep into the Balkans, leaving much death and destruction in their wake, with millions of Slavs enslaved. (Yes, the two words — Slavs and slaves — are etymologically connected for this very reason.)
In 1480, when Columbus was 29, the Turks even managed to invade his native Italy. In the city of Otranto, they ritually beheaded 800 Italians — and sawed the local archbishop in half — for refusing to recant Christianity and embrace Islam.
It was in this context that Spain’s monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella — themselves avowed Crusaders, especially the queen, who finished the centuries-long Reconquista of Spain by liberating Granada from Islam in 1492 — took Columbus into their service.
A Special Mission
They funded his ambitious western voyage in an effort to launch, in the words of historian Louis Bertrand, “a final and definite Crusade against Islam by way of the Indies” (which culminated in the incidental founding of the New World).
Many Europeans were convinced that if only they could reach the peoples east of Islam — who, if not Christian, were at least “not as yet infected by the Muhammadan plague,” to quote Pope Nicholas V (d.1455) — together they could crush Islam between them. The plan was centuries old and connected to the legend of Prester John, a supposedly great Christian monarch reigning in the East who would one day march westward and avenge Christendom by destroying Islam.
All this comes out in Columbus’s own letters: in one he refers to Ferdinand and Isabella as “enemies of the wretched sect of Muhammad” who are “resolve[d] to send me to the regions of the Indies, to see [how the people thereof can help in the war effort].” In another written to the monarchs after he reached the New World, Columbus offers to raise an army “for the war and conquest of Jerusalem.” (That his voyages centered on liberating Jerusalem from Islam is further evident in the title of one 2011 book, Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem.)
Nor were Spain and Columbus the first to implement this strategy. Once Portugal was cleared of Islam in 1249, its military launched into Muslim Africa. “The great and overriding motivation behind [Prince] Henry the Navigator’s [b. 1394] explosive energy and expansive intellect,” writes historian George Grant, “was the simple desire to take the cross — to carry the crusading sword over to Africa and thus to open a new chapter in Christendom’s holy war against Islam.” He launched all those discovery voyages because “he sought to know if there were in those parts any Christian princes” who “would aid him against the enemies of the faith,” wrote a contemporary.
Islamophobes?
Does all this make Columbus, and by extension Ferdinand and Isabella — not to mention the whole of Christendom — “Islamophobes,” as those few modern critics who bother mentioning the true motivation of Columbus’s voyage allege? For example, in an LA Times op-ed, Yale historian Alan Mikhail wrote:
A primary force behind Columbus’ Atlantic crossings was a fear and hatred of Islam…. This shaped how white Europeans engaged with the “New World” and its native peoples for centuries, and how today’s Americans understand the world.… Columbus was born into Europe’s anti-Islamic mind-set in 1451…
While much of this is true, Mikhail does not bother explaining why there was such a “fear and hatred of Islam,” or why Europe had an “anti-Islamic mind-set” in the first place. Rather, “white Europeans” were just unenlightened bigots (“racists” in contemporary parlance).
But therein lay the irony: Yes, Columbus and Europeans were “Islamophobes” — but not in the way that word is used today. While the Greek word phobos has always meant “fear,” its usage today implies “irrational fear.”
However, considering that for nearly a thousand years before Columbus, Islam had repeatedly attacked Christendom to the point of swallowing up three-quarters of its original territory, including for centuries Spain; that Islam’s latest iteration, in the guise of the Ottoman Turks, was during Columbus’s era devastating the Balkans and Mediterranean, slaughtering and enslaving any European who dared travel east through their domains; and that, even centuries after Columbus, Islam was still terrorizing the West — marching onto Vienna with 200,000 jihadists in 1683 and provoking America into its first war as a nation — the very suggestion that Western fears of Islam were, or are, “irrational” is itself the height of irrationalism.
In short, let’s not just start celebrating Columbus Day again later this year, but let’s also remember — and learn from — the events that gave rise to it in the first place.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2025/05/16/remembering-the-truth-behind-columbus-day/

Trump Lets China Win in Tariff War — First Round, Anyhow
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/May 16, 2025
[T]he arrangement is a win for China.
The main barrier to American goods in China, however, is not Chinese tariffs but China's many non-tariff barriers, which are untouched by the new deal. Therefore, the tariff rollbacks benefit Chinese exporters far more than America's.
The Chinese promise is unlikely to be worth anything. The only way Xi Jinping can honor his pledge is to give up most elements of communism, because non-tariff barriers, predatory trade practices, and even theft are inherent in that system.
Trump is still hoping for robust relations with the Communist Party, but unfortunately that is not possible.
Xi cannot now admit that China needs the United States, and he certainly cannot be seen as giving in to American coercion. In fact, the Chinese regime since the tariff announcement has been crowing about its win over Trump.
On May 12, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to CNBC's "Squawk Box," urged a "decoupling for strategic necessities."
Yes. And "a complete decoupling," which as Trump tweeted in 2020 would remain "a policy option," would be even better. Why should Americans shovel any cash to Communist Party's coffers?
The White House has termed the new trade arrangement with China "a historic trade win for the United States." No, the arrangement is a win for China. President Donald Trump effectively traded tangible relief from American tariffs for China's vague promise to open up its economy.
On May 12, President Donald Trump announced a "total reset with China."
"The best part of the deal," he said, was that "China agreed to open itself up to American business." Beijing, Trump proclaimed, will "suspend and remove all of its non-monetary barriers."
In the meantime, both the U.S. and China agreed to drop tariffs by 115 percentage points. The general American tariff rate on China's goods is now 30%. The general Chinese rate is 10%. Both reductions will be in effect for 90 days.
China also agreed to reverse "all the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the United States since April 2, 2025."
American tariffs in place before April 2, such as the Section 232 and Section 301 levies, remain in effect.
These moves, in sum, undo American and Chinese measures that were put in place from April 2, what Trump has called "Liberation Day."
The White House termed the arrangement "a historic trade win for the United States."
No, the arrangement is a win for China.
The assorted U.S. tariffs are generally remedies for China's theft of U.S. intellectual property and its increasingly predatory trade practices. For the period of the pause, China will undoubtedly continue unacceptable practices without facing the penalty of the elevated tariffs.
The elevated tariffs, if left in place, would keep most Chinese goods out of the U.S. The main barrier to American goods in China, however, is not Chinese tariffs but China's many non-tariff barriers, which are untouched by the new deal. Therefore, the tariff rollbacks benefit Chinese exporters far more than America's.
The relief for China came at a crucial time. The 90-day pause covers the beginning of the Christmas season for China's export factories.
In short, Trump effectively traded tangible relief from American tariffs for China's vague promise to open up its economy.
The Chinese promise is unlikely to be worth anything. The only way China's President Xi Jinping can honor his pledge is to give up most elements of communism, because non-tariff barriers, predatory trade practices, and even theft are inherent in that system.
Xi will not relent because he has long believed in total state control and now is preparing for war. Therefore, he is trying to make China even more self-sufficient than it has been during the four-decade "reform era." That means he will not allow American business to have even more sway in China.
"The new U.S.-China trade deal shows that President Trump blinked," trade expert Alan Tonelson told Gatestone. "Even though the mutual tariff rollbacks are set to last only three months, Trump's actions restore a pre-Liberation Day status quo that he rightly has deemed unacceptable. In return, he received nothing of consequence."
Why did Trump agree to such an unfavorable arrangement?
The dominant narrative is that the president gave in to the fear of both bare shelves in big-box stores and of skyrocketing prices.
Reporting tells us White House advisors were worried about eroding political support, but a better explanation is that Trump was giving Xi, heading to a collision with a world unwilling to accept a new flood of Chinese goods, a final off-ramp.
Moreover, Trump was worried about the devastating effect of his tariffs on China. "We're not looking to hurt China," he said on May 12. That country, Trump noted, was "being hurt very badly." "They were closing up factories," he pointed out. "They were having a lot of unrest."
"Given the Chinese economy's mounting woes, the tariff reprieve granted by Trump is especially ill-timed," said Tonelson, who blogs on geopolitics and trade at RealityChek. "If the President is not willing to keep or increase the trade pressure on China now, when will he use the decisive leverage America enjoys as a crucial export market for the Chinese?"
"Trump's tariffs hit Xi and the Communist Party at the worst possible time for the regime," Blaine Holt, a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general who has participated in numerous Sino-U.S. Track II dialogues and lectured at Chinese universities and think tanks, told Gatestone. "They were already at the 'End of Dynasty' moment. The tariffs were the final end."
Despite everything, Trump is still hoping for robust relations with the Communist Party, but unfortunately that is not possible. In addition to the inherent hostility of the regime to the United States, Xi for about a half decade has told the Chinese that their nation has already surpassed the U.S. and that America is in terminal decline.
Xi's favorite phrase, which highlights this bold view, is "new era." "Change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years," he said in March 2022 to Vladimir Putin while bidding farewell after their 40th in-person meeting. "And we are driving this change together."
Xi cannot now admit that China needs the United States, and he certainly cannot be seen as giving in to American coercion. In fact, the Chinese regime since the tariff announcement has been crowing about its win over Trump.
Americans should not try to foster cooperation with a militant leader. Instead, they need to build resilience into supply chains.
Companies, however, will view Trump's pause in tariffs as a signal, a dog whistle that it is okay to keep factories in China.
Americans, however, should be trying to move factories out of China, because they can no longer rely on that hostile state to deliver the products they need. On May 12, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to CNBC's "Squawk Box," urged a "decoupling for strategic necessities."
Yes. And "a complete decoupling," which as Trump tweeted in 2020, would remain "a policy option," would be even better. Why should Americans shovel any cash to Communist Party's coffers?
When Trump forces all factories to move out of China and locate either to America or countries both friendly and nearby, Americans can truly celebrate "Liberation Day."
**Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America, a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board.
**Follow Gordon G. Chang on X (formerly Twitter)
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21626/china-win-tariff-war

Pope Leo Sets Up Trump Showdown With Demand About Migrants
Janna Brancolini/The Daily Beast/May 16, 2025
Pope Leo XIV used his first diplomatic audience to call on world governments to respect the dignity of migrants—a stark contrast to the Trump administration’s increasingly callous immigration practices. Saying it was the responsibility of government leaders to work to build “harmonious and peaceful civil societies,” the pontiff warned the Vatican diplomatic corps: “No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.” “My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate,” said Leo, 69, who was born in Chicago but lived for many years in Peru as a missionary. The pontiff’s paternal grandparents emigrated to Chicago from France, while his mother’s side of the family has Creole roots.
His maternal grandfather was born in Haiti and later emigrated to the New Orleans area. Census records list both his maternal grandparents as “mulatto,” an outdated term to describe people of mixed African and European ancestry, before they too moved to Chicago. Before he was chosen last week to replace the late Pope Francis, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost had criticized the Trump administration’s immigration rhetoric and policies. Last month, Leo shared a social media post calling out Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele for laughing together in the Oval Office over El Salvador’s agreement to house U.S. immigration detainees in Bukele’s notorious CECOT mega prison.
Abrego Garcia, linking to a condemnation of Trump's immigration crackdown as
About 250 Venezuelan and Salvadoran “gang members” were deported to CECOT—a massive prison complex where inmates are kept in their cells twenty-three and a half hours per day and denied contact with their families or attorneys—without being given court hearings. One of the men—Maryland dad Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is married to a U.S. citizen with whom he shares a disabled 5-year-old son—was sent to El Salvador due to an “administrative error.”Instead of bringing him home, Trump brought Bukele to the Oval Office, where both men tried to claim they were somehow powerless to release Abrego Garcia. Another alleged “gang member” sent to CECOT was Andry Romero, a gay makeup artist and asylum-seeker who was arrested when he showed up for his asylum appointment. During a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia asked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem if the administration could at least do a wellness check on Romero, who hasn’t been heard from since he was sent to prison. “Would you commit to just letting his mother know—as a mother, to mother—if Andry is alive? Garcia asked in a viral exchange. “His mother just wants to know if he is alive. Can we check and do a wellness check on him?”
Noem refused, saying, “The appeal would be best made to the president and to the government of El Salvador on this. This is not under my jurisdiction.” As part of the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, the government has also deported U.S. citizens, deported a man who had been granted legal refugee status, detained permanent legal residents, and arrested a Harvard medical researcher over some frog embryos. Pope Leo’s call to treat immigrants with respect follows in the footsteps of the late Pope Francis, who famously told his followers to “build bridges, not walls,” both literally and figuratively. When Trump announced his plans for a southern border wall during his first term, Francis said that anyone who thought of only building walls and not bridges “is not Christian.”One person, however, who wasn’t in the audience Friday to hear Leo’s message was Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch. Senate Democrats held up his nomination this week as part of a blanket hold on nominees in response to the Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill, the Catholic News Agency reported. Republican lawmakers aim to cut $880 billion in funding to Medicaid and other programs that help the poor, leading to millions of people losing their health insurance, the Associated Press reported. The savings would be used to fund tax cuts that would primarily benefit wealthy Americans and business investors, according to Bloomberg. That, too, would seem to go against Leo’s remarks from Friday.
“All of us in the course of our lives can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged: It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance is nevertheless planning to fly to Rome to attend the pope’s inauguration mass on Sunday.

Trump eager to get home, see ‘beautiful grandson,’ Tiffany's new baby
Kinsey Crowley and Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK/Palm Beach Post:/May 16, 2025
President Donald Trump seems excited to meet his “beautiful grandson,” who has just arrived in the world. Tiffany Trump, daughter of the president and his second ex-wife Marla Maples, gave birth to a baby boy on May 15. The boy named Alexander Trump Boulos is Donald Trump’s 11th grandchild. "I have spoken to her a couple of times. She's doing great. The baby is great, and we'll be seeing them very soon," Donald Trump told reporters at an event in Abu Dhabi, according to a pool report.
The president has been on his first major foreign trip of this presidency this week. He has met with leaders in the Middle East to discuss investments in US industries. He is scheduled to return Friday, May 16. “My daughter had a baby. I'm going back home to see that little baby," Donald Trump said. “I do want to see my beautiful grandson, a son, and we'll be doing that.” Marla Maples is now 'Gran Mar Mar' What do the other grandkids call President Donald Trump?
How many grandchildren does Donald Trump have?
The new Trump-Boulos baby is the president’s 11th grandchild.
Donald Trump and Marla Maples were married from 1993 to 1999. Tiffany Trump, a 31-year-old former model, is their only child together.
Here is a look at President Trump’s other grandkids and their family trees:
Kai Madison Trump, eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife Vanessa Trump, and the eldest grandchild of Donald Trump
Donald Trump III, eldest son of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump
Spencer Trump, son of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump
Tristan Trump, son of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump
Chloe Trump, daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump
Arabella Kushner, daughter of Ivanka Trump and husband, former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner
Joseph Kushner, son of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
Theodore "Theo" Kushner, son of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
Luke Trump, son of Eric Trump and "Fox News" host Lara Trump
Carolina Trump, daughter of Eric Trump and Lara Trump
Alexander Trump Boulos, son of Tiffany Trump and Michael Boulos
What has Melania Trump said about Tiffany Trump's new baby?
First lady Melania Trump has not commented publicly on the new Trump grandchild.
The first lady posted on social media in honor of National Police Week. She has kept a relatively low profile since the 47th president returned to the White House.
Her office did not provide a comment on the new baby.
Who is the baby's father, Michael Boulos?
Michael Boulos, the 27-year-old married to Tiffany Trump, is a businessman of Lebanese descent, whose father is a self-proclaimed billionaire.
Boulos and Tiffany Trump married in 2022 at Mar-a-Lago, and news reports show they have lived in Miami since Tiffany graduated from Georgetown University in 2020. Boulos’ father Massad Boulos was involved with Trump’s presidential campaign, trying to help curry favor among Arab Americans, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. The elder Boulos has been appointed as senior adviser for Africa, and senior adviser to the president on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. A New York Times investigation did not find evidence that Boulos had amassed significant wealth from his Nigerian business endeavors, accusations which he struggled to clarify when asked by the outlet.
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
**This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump eager to see ‘beautiful grandson' as he wraps Middle East trip

Question: “What is sola scriptura?”
GotQuestions.org?May 16, 2025
Answer: The phrase sola scriptura is from the Latin: sola having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word scriptura meaning “writings”—referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Sola scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. This resulted in many practices that were in fact contradictory to the Bible. Some examples are prayer to saints and/or Mary, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, indulgences, and papal authority. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings. The Catholic Church threatened Martin Luther with excommunication (and death) if he did not recant. Martin Luther’s reply was, “Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!”
The primary Catholic argument against sola scriptura is that the Bible does not explicitly teach sola scriptura. Catholics argue that the Bible nowhere states that it is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice. However, this is only true in the shallowest sense. The principle is strongly indicated by verses such as Acts 17:11, which commends the Bereans for testing doctrine—taught by an apostle, no less—to the written Word. Sola scriptura is all-but-explicitly indicated in 1 Corinthians 4:6, where Paul warns not to “go beyond what is written.” Jesus Himself criticized those who allowed traditions to override the explicit commands of God in Mark 7:6–9.
Whether sola scriptura is overtly mentioned in the Bible or not, Catholicism fails to recognize a crucially important issue. We know that the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible declares itself to be God-breathed, inerrant, and authoritative. We also know that God does not change His mind or contradict Himself. So, while the Bible itself may not explicitly argue for sola scriptura, it most definitely does not allow for traditions that contradict its message. Sola scriptura is not as much of an argument against tradition as it is an argument against unbiblical, extra-biblical and/or anti-biblical doctrines. The only way to know for sure what God expects of us is to stay true to what we know He has revealed—the Bible. We can know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that Scripture is true, authoritative, and reliable. The same cannot be said of tradition.
The Word of God is the ultimate and only infallible authority for the Christian faith. Traditions are valid only when they conform with Scripture. Traditions that contradict the Bible are not of God and are not a valid aspect of the Christian faith. Sola scriptura is the only way to avoid subjectivity and keep personal opinion from taking priority over the teachings of the Bible. The essence of sola scriptura is basing one’s spiritual life on the Bible alone and rejecting any tradition or teaching that is not in full agreement with the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 declares, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Sola scriptura does not nullify the concept of church traditions. Rather, sola scriptura gives us a solid foundation on which to base church traditions. There are many practices, in both Catholic and Protestant churches, that are the result of traditions, not the explicit teaching of Scripture. It is good, and even necessary, for the church to have traditions. Traditions play an important role in clarifying and organizing Christian practice. At the same time, in order for these traditions to be valid, they must not be in disagreement with God’s Word. They must be based on the solid foundation of the teaching of Scripture. The problem with the Roman Catholic Church, and many other churches, is that they base traditions on traditions which are based on traditions which are based on traditions, often with the initial tradition not being in full harmony with the Scriptures. That is why Christians must always go back to sola scriptura, the authoritative Word of God, as the only solid basis for faith and practice.
On a practical matter, a frequent objection to the concept of sola scriptura is the fact that the canon of the Bible was not officially agreed upon for at least 250 years after the church was founded. Further, the Scriptures were not available to the masses for over 1500 years after the church was founded. How, then, were early Christians to use sola scriptura, when they did not even have the full Scriptures? And how were Christians who lived before the invention of the printing press supposed to base their faith and practice on Scripture alone if there was no way for them to have a complete copy of the Scriptures? This issue is further compounded by the very high rates of illiteracy throughout history. How does the concept of sola scriptura handle these issues?
The problem with this argument is that it essentially says that Scripture’s authority is based on its availability. This is not the case. Scripture’s authority is universal; because it is God’s Word, it is His authority. The fact that Scripture was not readily available, or that people could not read it, does not change the fact that Scripture is God’s Word. Further, rather than this being an argument against sola scriptura, it is actually an argument for what the church should have done, instead of what it did. The early church should have made producing copies of the Scriptures a high priority. While it was unrealistic for every Christian to possess a complete copy of the Bible, it was possible that every church could have some, most, or all of the Scriptures available to it. Early church leaders should have made studying the Scriptures their highest priority so they could accurately teach it. Even if the Scriptures could not be made available to the masses, at least church leaders could be well-trained in the Word of God. Instead of building traditions upon traditions and passing them on from generation to generation, the church should have copied the Scriptures and taught the Scriptures (2 Timothy 4:2).
Again, traditions are not the problem. Unbiblical traditions are the problem. The availability of the Scriptures throughout the centuries is not the determining factor. The Scriptures themselves are the determining factor. We now have the Scriptures readily available to us. Through the careful study of God’s Word, it is clear that many church traditions which have developed over the centuries are in fact contradictory to the Word of God. This is where sola scriptura applies. Traditions that are based on, and in agreement with, God’s Word can be maintained. Traditions that are not based on, and/or disagree with, God’s Word must be rejected. Sola scriptura points us back to what God has revealed to us in His Word. Sola scriptura ultimately points us back to the God who always speaks the truth, never contradicts Himself, and always proves Himself to be dependable.

What the end of US sanctions means for Syria and the region
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/May 16, 2025
During his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Donald Trump, the iconoclast US president, announced the lifting of American sanctions on Syria. Having been urged to do so by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump made this phenomenal decision for Syria.
He said: “There is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. That’s what we want to see in Syria.” With these simple and straightforward words, the American president summarized what experts have been saying since the fall of Bashar Assad last December. The sanctions were for the Assad regime and, now that he is gone, they are irrelevant. Sanctions have crippled the Syrian economy, leading to instability for the country and its neighborhood. If the US sanctions had remained, Syria would have no choice but to ask for help from America’s rivals, namely Iran, Russia and China. The lifting of the sanctions is a big win for Saudi diplomacy. The Kingdom has again proved it is the center of gravity in the region. The fact that the crown prince used his political capital with the American president to press for sanctions relief for Syria shows how important the country is for Saudi Arabia and for regional stability. It also shows that Saudi support and guidance is necessary for Syria’s revival.
More importantly, what does the lifting of US sanctions mean for Syria? First of all, it means that countries that want to help Syria can now do so without being subjected to sanctions themselves. With the sanctions removed, reconstruction of the devastated country can begin.
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who met with Trump in Riyadh, invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas. Syria’s postwar reconstruction will lead to an economic boom, which will encourage refugees to come back. It will also encourage the country’s different factions to coalesce toward building a better future for their children. With reconstruction, jobs will be created, which is the best deterrent against terrorist organizations, preventing them from recruiting destitute youths. Lifting the sanctions is the starting point to making Syria a stable and prosperous country.
Countries that want to help Syria can now do so without being subjected to sanctions themselves
This is what Trump wants. He said so in his speech at the US-Saudi Investment Forum. He said he does not want to export a Western model to the region. He thinks, rightly, that the people of the region know better how to govern themselves and to build their own nations. He wants a prosperous and stable Middle East, in which American companies can do business and make money. Trump criticized the neoconservatives who waged war in the region, costing the US money and blood while bringing nothing to the region but destruction and violence.
However, this does not resonate well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bibi has another vision for the region and for Syria. He wants Syria divided and weak. A violent and unstable Syria suits him well because it allows him to interfere whenever he wants. It also allows him to use the different factions’ insecurities to pit them against each other and the central state. An unstable Syria allows Netanyahu to gain more influence and more land. By acquiring more land, he satisfies his base of right-wing fanatics and makes sure he stays in power, meaning he does not go to jail.
The lifting of US sanctions on Syria is also very good news for Lebanon. The country is struggling under the weight of the Syrian refugees that have overwhelmed its decaying infrastructure and services network. Even after Assad’s fall, refugees have not been going back because of the dire economic situation. With the lifting of sanctions and the start of reconstruction, Syrians will be more likely to return. This will also improve Syrian-Lebanese relations, as the return of refugees was a point of contention between the two countries. And an economic boom in Syria would definitely have a positive spillover effect on Lebanon.
By lifting sanctions on Syria, the Trump administration has shown it is ready to say no to Israel
However, lifting sanctions is only the beginning. Syria is still facing Israeli aggression on a daily basis. There can be no real reconstruction or stability as long as Israel occupies parts of Syria, continuously shells Syrian territory and engages with factions and minorities to create disturbances.
By lifting sanctions on Syria, the Trump administration has shown it is ready to say no to Israel. It means that the White House is prioritizing stability over catering to the whims of the right-wing Israeli government. It is a great step in favor of Syria. However, the US should follow it up with pressure on Israel to leave Syria alone and go back to the disengagement agreement of 1974.
The UAE has reportedly set up a backchannel for dialogue between the Syrian government and Israel. Damascus wants to return to the disengagement agreement, while Tel Aviv does not. According to a Syrian source of mine, Israel is saying that the party it established the agreement with — meaning the Assad regime — does not exist anymore, so it considers the agreement null and void. This is where American pressure is needed. Diplomacy works better when it is backed by strength. The fact that Trump listened to his Arab friends and lifted the sanctions indicates that he might also listen to them and pressure Israel to stop its aggression against Syria.
The lifting of the sanctions has many meanings. In geopolitical terms, it means Saudi Arabia is key to stabilizing the region. It is the main diplomatic and political actor in the Middle East. It also means that Israel, Netanyahu and his Likud gang are not as important to the Trump administration as everyone thought. And, most importantly, it means the Syrians now have a chance to build the stable, prosperous and democratic state of which they have always dreamed.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

A historic opportunity for a positive upheaval in the Levant
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/May 16, 2025
History was made on many fronts during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week. One of the main events was his speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, during which Trump announced that he would lift all American sanctions on Syria to give the country “a chance at greatness.” He added: “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off. Good luck Syria, show us something very special.”
There is no doubt that Syria’s new government, led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, owes a great deal of gratitude for this decision not only to the US president but also to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is, therefore, a critical mission for Al-Sharaa to succeed in stabilizing the country and maintaining peace — to deliver on what the crown prince wished for the people of Syria: that they live in prosperity and peace.
As Trump stated, the “brutal and crippling” sanctions have served their purpose and are no longer needed. It is also important to note that this came just a week after the Syrian president made his first official visit to Europe, meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. This was undoubtedly achieved with Arab support and marked a first diplomatic step following the overthrow of Bashar Assad. The visit went ahead despite some negative media coverage, mainly focused on the future of minorities in Syria.
It is important to note the great will among regional and international powers for Syria to be stable. This is one of the most important steps Al-Sharaa will have to deliver on, and quickly. There is a clear understanding of the threats and potential interference, so the new Damascus leadership needs to show its citizens real efforts to bring about a secure, stable and sovereign Syria. This means a government that not only protects all communities but also gives all its citizens the right to security and a chance at greatness.
The new leadership needs to show its citizens real efforts to bring about a secure, stable and sovereign Syria
This is indeed a historic opportunity. We must never forget the atrocities of the previous regime, but it is also time to build a new future; a better future. Not only for Syrians, but also for the Lebanese and the entire Levant. This is what is at stake. Previous regional upheavals have always favored Damascus or, more precisely, the Assad regime. Each time, they have brought more despair, misery and killings to Levantines.
Today, there is also unprecedented Arab and Turkish support for the new Damascus. This includes positive engagement with Tehran to shield the entire region from any escalation that could be disastrous. This broader approach has shown that leading regional countries are ready, with great maturity, for greater agency. While this plays out — and the outcome is still unknown — everyone is well aware of the risks and dangers. Yet, everyone understands that if there is a strong will from the new government to enact real changes, then Syria will be on a positive new path.
Lebanon’s fate is linked to this future. There will be no peace in Lebanon unless there is a clear path in Syria. A few years ago, I wrote that no one would invest in Lebanon politically or financially before the setting of a new path for Syria. Indeed, Lebanon was, and still is, too fragile to shield itself from what happens in Syria. This change has now happened and there is hence a great opportunity for Lebanon to also build lasting peace and stability. We can end the cycle of rebuilding, followed by everything being destroyed with every geopolitical change.
The Assad regime established a system of organized crime against its citizens and its Arab neighbors. It conducted itself in the same manner and, when looking into the captagon trade, we see that the Assads were part of it. They also used blackmail, terror and violence. This was their dirty “business model.” They are now gone.
Lebanon’s fate is linked to this future. There will be no peace in Lebanon unless there is a clear path in Syria
Nevertheless, the new leaders in Syria cannot simply say that they are not like the previous rulers. They need to achieve and build this new Syria. In my conversations, I often mention the need for protecting every citizen and every minority, which gets a mixed reaction — as if I am focused on the details when bigger things are at play. Yet, I believe it is the small actions and details that reveal everything. And here, passivity toward attacks on minorities (by any party) will be equivalent to giving a green light to terror groups to conduct more attacks. This is the path to destruction.
The Sunni majority suffered at the hands of the Assad regime. There was a clear will for religious and ethnic cleansing. Yet, while the military officials and their accomplices need to be brought to justice, there should be no place for attacks on the Alawite community.
The new state must honor its duty to all communities equally, just as each citizen bears their duty to the new nation. The critics claim that Al-Sharaa’s past should condemn Syria to the same blockades as the Assad regime. Let us hope that, with this unbelievable opportunity, he will prove them wrong and seize the chance for greatness for all citizens of the Levant.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.