English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 26/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.May26.25.htm
News Bulletin Achieves
Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On
The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط
على الرابط في
أعلى للإنضمام
لكروب
Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click
on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس
بجاني/اضغط
على الرابط في
أسفل للإشتراك في
موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
Mary and her sister Martha sent a message to Jesus saying, ‘Lord,
Lazarus whom you love is ill
Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this
world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
11/01-16/:”Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary
and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and
wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a
message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it, he
said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Accordingly, though Jesus
loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was
ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he
said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’The disciples said to him,
‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there
again?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk
during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But
those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ After saying
this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there
to awaken him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he
will be all right.’ Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they
thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly,
‘Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may
believe. But let us go to him.’ Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his
fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 25-26/2025
Video and Text: The “Liberation of the South Day” Is a Lie, a Distortion
of History, and Must Be Cancelled and Forgotten/Elias Bejjani/May 25/2025
On May 25th, a veil of darkness falls over Lebanon./Fatima N Jomaa/Face book/May
25/2025
Video link to an interview with Dr. Imad Murad on MTV titled “Palestinians in
Lebanon”
Southern Border: Israeli Drones Target Lebanese Localities
Lebanon releases 2025 municipal and mukhtar election results for Nabatieh
Lebanon announces 2025 municipal election results for Sidon
Lebanon announces 2025 Hasbaya municipal election results
In Lebanon's Matn, the municipal union battle heats up — can development stay
above politics?
A quarter-century later: Two wars, two realities for Hezbollah
Hezbollah-Amal alliance is ‘unbreakable,’ says Qassem, reaffirming resistance’s
role in Lebanon
Aoun Calls for Electoral Reform Ahead of 2026 Parliamentary Elections
Abraham Accords: Israeli Ambassador to Washington Cites Lebanon and Syria...
Before Saudi Arabia
Lebanon Faces Eight-Month Deadline to Tackle Illegal Weapons
Post-May 25, 2000: A String of Blunders/Michel Touma/This Is Beirut/May 25/2025
UNIFIL Delivers Vital Medical Aid to Marjayoun Government Hospital
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 25-26/2025
Israel Says it Intercepted Missile Fired by Yemen's Houthis
US Envoy: Syria to Help Locate Missing Americans
Israeli air strikes kill 22, including pregnant woman, in Gaza, rescuers say
Israel’s US ambassador called home over interview remarks
Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
Why fury over Israeli actions in Gaza and West Bank may lead to EU sanctions
Man with US and German citizenship is charged with trying to attack US Embassy
in Tel Aviv
Israel's latest strikes in Gaza kill 38 people including children
US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more
on their own
Starmer’s criticism of Israel was met with ‘terrorist cheers’, claims Badenoch
Israel Is Fighting 'Proxy War On UK's Behalf' In Gaza, Kemi Badenoch Claims
13 killed as Russia pummels Ukraine with biggest ever drone attack
Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners as another attack on Kyiv leaves
3 dead
Can Pope Leo remain a U.S. citizen now that he's a foreign head of state?
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sourceson
on May 25-26/2025
Do Not Be Fooled by Iran: What They Really Want Is to Destroy America,
Israel Is Just in the Way/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 25/2025
The Consequences of Trump Walking Away from the Russia-Ukraine Conflict/Con
Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./May 25, 2025
Trump in Riyadh: Saudis shift the storyline/Dr. Hatem Alzahrani/Arab News/May
25, 2025
No quick way back for UK-Israel relations/Alistair Burt/Arab News/May 25, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 25-26/2025
Video and Text: The “Liberation of the South Day”
Is a Lie, a Distortion of History, and Must Be Cancelled and Forgotten
Elias Bejjani/May 25/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143643/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_sxlCM-F4Y&t=104s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77eZt5HiaXc
May 25, 2000, was portrayed as a turning point for South Lebanon. The Israeli
army withdrew, fulfilling a promise made by then- Isaeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak ahead of the Israeli elections. But what followed was not liberation—it
was betrayal. A secret deal between Israel, Iran, and Syria sealed the fate of
the "Southern Security Zone", and handed it over to terrorist and Jihadist armed
forces.
The Lebanese citizens of the "Southern Security Zone", along with their defender
the South Lebanon Army—were abandoned to the Syrian Ba'athist occupiers and
Iranian jihadist militias operating under the deceptive and blasphemous name
“Hezbollah.”
Though Barak’s move was packaged as a fulfillment of a democratic promise, the
reality was far darker. Hidden negotiations took place behind the scenes,
brokered through envoys from Germany, Sweden, and Jordan. These talks led to an
arrangement with the authoritarian regimes in Syria and Iran that effectively
delivered the "Southern Lebanon Security Zone"—and its people—into Hezbollah’s
hands.
This deal dismantled the South Lebanon Army and sealed the border with Israel,
leaving the region vulnerable to Hezbollah’s violence and domination.
What Hezbollah falsely markets as “liberation” was nothing more than a
calculated political maneuver, based on lies, betrayal, and international
hypocrisy. The annual celebration of May 25 by both the Lebanese government and
Hezbollah, under the name “Liberation Day,” is a national disgrace and a
historical fabrication.
Let us not forget that, just days before the Israeli withdrawal, Hezbollah’s
leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared on every available media outlet to issue direct
threats to the people of the "Southern Security Zone". He terrorized them with
blood-curdling warnings about beheadings and revenge killings. These threats
forced tens of thousands of innocent civilians to flee to Israel, where they
continue to be unjustly labeled as “collaborators” and are forbidden from
returning to their homes.
The reality is clear: the so-called “liberation” was not the result of heroic
resistance, but a consequence of foreign-brokered deals and Syria’s military
occupation. The myth of Hezbollah’s victory was crafted in Damascus and
Tehran—not on the battlefields of the South.
The people of the "Southern Security Zone" were betrayed and abandoned. They
deserve justice—not propaganda, not fear, and certainly not lies wrapped in the
flag of so-called resistance.
We firmly assert that the so-called “Liberation Day” must be abolished from
Lebanon’s national calendar and erased from the collective memory of its people.
Hezbollah is not a resistance movement—it is a terrorist, criminal, and jihadist
militia operating as a proxy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Its
killed leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has repeatedly admitted this affiliation with
pride, acting as a Trojan horse within Lebanon’s borders.
On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into a war by attacking Israel on
orders from Iran. This reckless act was carried out without the consent of the
Lebanese people or its government. Therefore, Hezbollah bears full
responsibility for the devastating retaliation that has followed and still going
on—the deaths, destruction, and displacement.
Despite the loss of many of its leaders and suffering crushing blows in the
ongoing conflict, Hezbollah still hijacks the Lebanese state. It is not
Lebanese. It is not Arab. It is not a representative of Lebanon’s Shiite
community. It has taken the Shiites hostage—killing their youth, destroying
their towns, and disfiguring their history and identity.
This Iranian armed Jihadist proxy is not just a political problem; it is a
national, ethical, and civilizational disaster. It engages in terrorism,
smuggling, assassinations, and organized crime. It is one of the most dangerous
mafias on Earth. Accordingly, Lebanon will never be saved until the Hezbollah
occupation is ended—politically, militarily, culturally, and institutionally.
For all these reasons, President Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese government, and all
political leaders—regardless of sect or affiliation—must summon the courage to
speak the truth. They must name Hezbollah for what it truly is: a terrorist
Iranian proxy militia. The false label of “resistance” must be stripped away,
and Lebanon must fully and publicly support the implementation of all relevant
United Nations resolutions and the recent ceasefire agreement.
The military, security, and political structure of Hezbollah must be
dismantled—by force if necessary—to liberate the Shiite community and the rest
of Lebanon from this foreign-imposed nightmare.
No Hezbollah member should ever be allowed to serve in the Lebanese Armed Forces
or any state security agency. The group’s remaining leaders must be prosecuted
and permanently banned from political life. The time for hollow dialogue has
passed. Hezbollah must be disarmed, and its intelligence networks and parallel
state apparatus dismantled.
In conclusion: A draft resolution must be urgently submitted to Parliament to
abolish the lie of “Liberation Day.” This toxic myth must be buried, so that
Lebanon may finally begin to heal.
On May 25th, a veil of darkness falls over Lebanon.
Fatima N Jomaa/Face book/May 25/2025
A day falsely celebrated as “Liberation and Resistance Day” honors not
heroes—but terrorists, drug traffickers, and corruption. It glorifies a lie.
Meanwhile, the true protectors of Lebanon—men and women, young and
old—who stood in defense of this land, have lived in forced exile for 25 years.
Their sacrifices are erased, their names dishonored, their families forgotten.
When will the people rise? When will the politicians demand that our
Lebanese brothers and sisters return home? When will we oust every politician
loyal to foreign regimes? When will we put on trial those who fought alongside
the Palestinians and supported the slaughter of Lebanese lives?When will we tear
up the Taif Accord—an accord that broke our sovereignty? When will our blood
mean more than real estate? More than a redesigned Beirut? May 25th should not
be a day of deception. It should be a national holiday: South Lebanon Army
Commemoration Day. To the fighters and families of the SLA: Thank you. Your
dignity endures, even if this state has forgotten you.
Video link to an interview with Dr. Imad Murad on MTV titled
“Palestinians in Lebanon”
A historical and current reading of the Palestinian presence in Lebanon and the
developments in the region that facilitated the decision to demilitarize the
Palestinian camps and place them under Lebanese authority.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143675/
May 25, 2025
Southern Border: Israeli Drones Target
Lebanese Localities
This is Beirut/May 25, 2025
An Israeli drone strike early on Sunday targeted the outskirts of the border
town of Bani Hayyan in South Lebanon, aiming toward the wooded area, without
causing any injuries. Another attack struck the area between Markaba and
Odaisseh. An Israeli drone also dropped a bomb east of Kfar Kila, while bursts
of machine-gun fire were directed at the devastated neighborhood. In addition,
Israeli drones flew at low altitude over the city of Saida and its eastern
outskirts. These incidents come a day after a relatively calm Saturday in the
South, which saw heightened security measures during the municipal and mukhtar
elections held in the South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh governorates.
Lebanon releases 2025 municipal and mukhtar election results for Nabatieh
LBCI/May 25, 2025
The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities has published the results of the
2025 municipal and mukhtar elections in the Nabatieh district.
To view the results, click the link below:
http://www.moim.gov.lb/
Lebanon announces 2025 municipal election results for Sidon
LBCI/May 25, 2025
Lebanon's Ministry of Interior has released the 2025 municipal and mukhtar
election results for the Sidon district.
To view the results, click the link below:
http://www.moim.gov.lb/AdsDetails.aspx?ida=5490
Lebanon announces 2025 Hasbaya municipal election results
LBCI/May 25, 2025
The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities has released the results of the 2025
municipal and mukhtar elections in Hasbaya district.
To view the results, click the link below:
http://www.moim.gov.lb/AdsDetails.aspx?ida=5490
In Lebanon's Matn, the municipal union battle heats up —
can development stay above politics?
LBCI/May 25, 2025
Municipal and mukhtar elections are over, but the battle has shifted to a new
stage: municipal unions. The main contest is between Mirna Murr, the current
union president and mayor of Bteghrine, and Nicole Gemayel.
The union includes 33 municipalities. To assume the presidency, a
candidate must secure at least 17 votes. According to some observers, this
year’s municipal union elections differ from previous ones. With Lebanon heading
into parliamentary elections in 2026, municipal unions are increasingly viewed
as platforms for delivering services and resources that can strengthen a
candidate’s political and developmental influence.
Sources close to Mirna Murr told LBCI that municipal unions are not political
tools for any party but unified development bodies focused on serving the
public—not on promoting electoral slogans. Still, the contest has taken on a
distinctly political tone. The same sources also
reported that Kataeb Party leader MP Samy Gemayel has two main objectives in
this race: to launch a "political elimination campaign" against the Murr family
and to take control of municipalities by bringing mayors under his
authority—making party members the key decision-makers and gatekeepers of public
services, ultimately paving the way for full municipal dominance. All eyes will
be on Matn on Monday for a pivotal vote—one that could shape the district’s
trajectory for the next six years, not only in terms of development but
politically as well.
A quarter-century later: Two wars, two realities for
Hezbollah
LBCI/May 25, 2025
A quarter-century has passed since Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanese
territory—reluctantly, not voluntarily—under the pressure of persistent
resistance operations. That remains a fact. Since then, Israel has launched two
wars on Lebanon. In the first, the July 2006 war, Hezbollah emerged victorious.
Few can deny the footage showing Merkava tanks hit by Kornet missiles in
Wadi al-Hujeir—missiles that Israel was unaware Hezbollah even possessed at the
time. Nor can anyone claim Israel succeeded in assassinating any top Hezbollah
leader during that war.
The prisoner exchange that followed revealed the fate of two captured Israeli
soldiers—returned in coffins in exchange for five living Lebanese detainees and
the remains of nearly 200 others. The second war,
however, told a different story. That is also a fact. Just as it is difficult to
dismiss Hezbollah’s battlefield accomplishments in 2006, it is harder to
overlook the scale of Israeli strikes since the September 2024 offensive. From
the operation involving pager explosions to thousands of airstrikes over a short
period, the toll includes thousands of casualties, the assassination of much of
Hezbollah’s command-and-control unit—including Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah—and the destruction of southern villages during the ceasefire,
followed by Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory. Still, Hezbollah and its
ally, the Amal Movement, have reasserted their local support, winning a majority
of municipal councils in Shiite-majority areas of the south and the Bekaa. The
question remains: how much does the win matter to Washington, especially
following a war that shifted the balance of power and intensified U.S. calls for
Hezbollah’s disarmament? Hezbollah, for its part, maintains that the issue of
disarmament applies only to the area south of the Litani River. The reality
after 2006 is not the same as the one after 2024. Simply put, the outcomes of
the two wars are not just different—they are contradictory. The question now is
how Hezbollah will navigate this new phase—and, more critically, what timeline
Washington has set for achieving its stated goals.
Hezbollah-Amal alliance is ‘unbreakable,’ says Qassem,
reaffirming resistance’s role in Lebanon
LBCI/May 25, 2025
The head of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, praised Lebanese Army Commander Gen.
Rodolph Haykal's recent statement, calling it a reflection of his patriotism and
the army’s national role. Qassem reaffirmed Hezbollah’s continued commitment to
the “army, people, and resistance” equation. “Don’t ask anything of us anymore,”
he said. “Let Israel withdraw, end its aggression, and release the captives.
After that, we’ll talk.”He declared that Israel’s ability to expand into Lebanon
“has ended,” adding that the resistance remains active. “Weapons are a tool to
be used when necessary, in the appropriate way and with proper judgment,” he
stated. Qassem also accused the United States of
overstepping Lebanese sovereignty, adding that Washington’s pressure on Lebanese
officials will not fulfill Israeli demands. “What
couldn’t be achieved through war won’t be achieved through pressure. We do not
yield to threats.”In his remarks on Sunday, he noted that reconstruction is the
first pillar of stability and essential to ensuring citizens’ security. He
called on the Lebanese government to move quickly on the issue. Qassem added
that no one can remove the resistance from Lebanese soil, saying it is embedded
in the country’s foundation. “Hezbollah and the Amal
Movement have proven to be the safeguard of national balance, and their alliance
is the most influential strategic partnership — one that cannot be broken.”
Aoun Calls for Electoral Reform Ahead of 2026 Parliamentary Elections
This is Beirut/May 25, 2025
President Joseph Aoun has stressed the “urgent need” to prepare for Lebanon’s
parliamentary elections scheduled for 2026 by revisiting the country’s electoral
framework and improving the logistical and administrative processes behind the
vote.
His call came on Sunday following the successful conclusion of municipal
elections across all Lebanese provinces. While praising the peaceful and
democratic nature of the recent electoral process, Aoun acknowledged that
several irregularities and administrative shortcomings had surfaced. “These must
serve as lessons,” he said, emphasizing that the government bears the
responsibility of ensuring that future elections are conducted with greater
transparency and efficiency. “The upcoming parliamentary elections must be free
of flaws,” Aoun asserted, urging both a comprehensive review of electoral laws
and the bolstering of institutional readiness. Such reforms, he said, are
essential to ensuring that the election process reflects the true aspirations of
the Lebanese people and restores confidence in the democratic system.
Furthermore, Aoun reiterated his congratulations to newly elected municipal and
mukhtar officials, reminding them of their duty to serve with integrity and to
be “faithful voices” for those who elected them. In this context, he highlighted
the importance of municipal councils in delivering essential public services and
fostering trust between citizens and the state. In closing, the president
reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding Lebanon’s democratic foundations and
called on all state institutions to begin immediate preparations for next year’s
national vote.
Abraham Accords: Israeli Ambassador to Washington Cites Lebanon and Syria...
Before Saudi Arabia
This is Beirut/May 25, 2025
While Saudi Arabia is often cited as the next country to join the Abraham
Accords, a statement by Israeli diplomat Yechiel Leiter upsets predictions. In
an interview with Marissa Streit, CEO of US platform PragerU, the Israeli
ambassador to the United States openly raises the possibility of Lebanon and
Syria joining the normalization agreement before Riyadh. His comments were
picked up by several media outlets, including The Jerusalem Post and Caliber.az,
as well as Lebanese platforms such as Al Markaziya, quoting Annahar. For Leiter,
the regional context is no longer the same. He believes that the obstacles that
blocked certain rapprochements have disappeared. “There are now no obstacles to
reaching an agreement with Syria and Lebanon,” he said. “We have profoundly
transformed the political model in this area.”
As far as Lebanon is concerned, he spoke of an opportunity on the condition that
the country begins to find a way out of the crisis. And for him, this means
first and foremost disarming Hezbollah. “As long as Lebanon progresses in this
direction, we'll be closer to an agreement and a form of peace,” he says. He
also spoke of an evolving ceasefire, linked to what he called “concrete
results.”As far as Syria is concerned, the approach is similar. The ambassador
considers that the lifting of US sanctions should only depend on visible acts:
the end of jihadist groups, the banning of organizations such as Hamas and
Hezbollah, and better protection of minorities, notably the Druze and Alawites.
He also insists on the need to observe the first gestures of Ahmad el-Chareh,
the new Syrian president, who succeeded Bashar al-Assad. The interview also
looks back at the failure of talks with Riyadh five years ago. According to
Leiter, if Donald Trump had been re-elected in 2020, a deal could have seen the
light of day. “Saudi Arabia was not far from concluding as early as 2019,” he
asserted. Nevertheless, he assures us that dialogue between the two countries
has not ceased, even with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
These statements add to a series of recent announcements concerning the
Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco
and Sudan. Until now, no senior Israeli official had so clearly included Lebanon
and Syria in this process. These two countries are still officially at war with
Israel. Beirut and Damascus have not yet reacted. He
also spoke of an evolving ceasefire, linked to what he called “concrete
results.”These statements could therefore raise questions about the new
diplomatic priorities and the way in which certain lines seem to be gradually
redrawn.
Lebanon Faces Eight-Month Deadline to Tackle Illegal
Weapons
This is Beirut/May 25, 2025
Citing high-ranking political and security sources, Kuwaiti daily Al-Anbaa
reported that Lebanon has been given an eight-month deadline to address the
long-standing issue of illegal weapons on its soil and to assert full state
authority across the country. During this period, international economic aid and
reconstruction support will reportedly be put on hold. The matter took center
stage following a meeting of the Lebanese-Palestinian joint dialogue committee,
which convened in the wake of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent visit
to Beirut. Sources indicate that discussions have gained renewed momentum, with
the disarmament of Palestinian factions emerging as a potential precursor to
broader efforts to address Hezbollah’s arsenal – a long-standing demand of the
international community. Speaking to Al-Anbaa, sources
criticized the Lebanese government’s lack of a defined timetable for the
disarmament process. “The establishment of a schedule for Palestinian
disarmament could open the door to similar measures concerning Hezbollah,” one
source stated, lamenting the state’s failure to articulate a clear strategy.
The issue is expected to dominate the agenda during US Deputy Special Envoy for
the Middle East Morgan Ortagus’ upcoming visit to Beirut. According to
diplomatic sources, Washington considers the window for dialogue on Lebanon’s
weapons dilemma to be rapidly closing. In a recent interview with Lebanese
television Al-Jadeed, Ortagus emphasized that “disarming militias and terrorist
groups, as well as implementing long-overdue reforms, is the only way to unlock
real and lasting investment in Lebanon.” She echoed this position in a separate
interview with LBCI on May 15, stressing that the disarmament of Hezbollah must
occur not only south of the Litani River but throughout the country. Meanwhile,
sources close to the Fatah movement, the dominant faction within the Palestinian
Authority, told Al-Anbaa that while they are ready to comply with Lebanese state
directives, they will not disarm unilaterally. Instead, they call for a
reciprocal commitment from other Palestinian groups, particularly Hamas, which
are not part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
According to Huna Lubnan, President Abbas has conveyed to Lebanese
officials that Palestinian arms not only infringe on Lebanese sovereignty but
also harm the Palestinian cause. He has reportedly expressed full and
unconditional support for the surrender of all Palestinian weapons, declaring
them unjustifiable under current conditions. Sources
further emphasized that Lebanon will not engage in separate negotiations with
non-PLO armed factions. “The Lebanese state deals solely with the official
Palestinian leadership represented by President Abbas and the PLO,” the sources
affirmed, underscoring that this leadership has reiterated its respect for
Lebanon’s sovereign decisions. The discussions in Beirut reportedly concluded
with a mutual understanding of the need for swift, tangible action. Participants
agreed to draft a concrete implementation mechanism and a firm timetable to be
launched after the Eid al-Adha holiday. Crucially, sources stressed that this
process remains distinct from any potential dialogue between the Lebanese
presidency and Hezbollah regarding weapons north of the Litani.
Post-May 25, 2000: A String of Blunders
Michel Touma/This Is Beirut/May 25/2025
A quarter-century is a brief chapter in the life of a nation. But for a
population held hostage for decades by war and relentless existential crises –
driven by the unchecked ambitions of regional powers and factions – it can feel
like an era. On May 25, 2000, Hezbollah staged a major celebration to mark the
withdrawal of the last Israeli soldier from South Lebanon, ending an occupation
that had lasted nearly 22 years. With Israel’s full
withdrawal, many in Lebanon paid tribute to the young Hezbollah fighters and
operatives who, since the party’s founding in the early 1980s, had given their
lives in their prime for a cause that, in hindsight, served more to advance the
Islamic Republic of Iran’s sweeping regional ambitions than to resist Israel’s
presence in the south. In May 2000, Hezbollah’s leadership was quick to claim
victory, crediting the party and its so-called “Islamic Resistance” with the
liberation. But it was soon overlooked that the first resistance to emerge after
the 1982 invasion was not Islamic at all. It was, in fact, secular, initiated by
a leftist movement – most prominently the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) – led
in large part by the late Georges Hawi, the party’s former secretary general,
and former MP Elias Atallah. In May 2000, an
undeniable fact was quietly ignored: the earliest resistance fighters – senior
members and leftist activists – had been actively targeted and eliminated by the
pro-Iranian party’s apparatus. Also overlooked was the bitter fratricidal war
Hezbollah waged in the late 1980s against its rival Shiite militia, the Amal
Movement (supported by the Assad regime), notably the deadly battles in the
southern suburbs of Beirut in 1988. This violent conflict, which claimed dozens
of lives on both sides, ultimately allowed the pro-Iranian party to assert
itself through sheer force as the sole power on the ground against Israel.
In reality, it was Hezbollah’s Iranian backers – particularly the
regime’s hardline faction under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – who dominated
Lebanon’s political arena and, by extension, the region. Wilayat al-Faqih’s
doctrine was irrefutable. This is where the real issue lies. The Israeli
withdrawal gave the pro-Iranian party the opportunity to claim legitimacy under
the banner of “resistance,” a legitimacy it would aggressively capitalize on to
cement its dominant position in Lebanon’s political arena. Yet, true to the
ideological commitment it made at its founding in the mid-1980s – unwavering
allegiance to the Supreme Leader (wali al-faqih) – Hezbollah, guided by Tehran,
gradually launched a prolonged campaign of conflict and destabilization after
Israel’s pullout. While this served Iran’s national interests, it brought
devastation to Lebanon, sowing death and destruction over time, particularly
within the Shiite community.
Following the pivotal moment of May 2000, Hezbollah followed the directives of
its Iranian sponsor. It initiated a series of actions that systematically
dismantled Lebanon’s central state in favor of its own mafia-like mini-state and
the geostrategic agenda of the Islamic Republic’s hardline faction. This
included the July 2006 war; the deliberate sabotage of UN Security Council
Resolution 1701, adopted at the end of that conflict; relentless political and
media campaigns against Gulf countries; deploying instructors to Yemen to train
Houthis in attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco facilities; deep and direct
involvement in Syria’s civil war to prop up Bashar al-Assad’s regime;
establishing covert cells in Kuwait, Cyprus, Germany, the UK and several
European and Latin American countries; militia control over state institutions;
large-scale smuggling operations into the Syrian market; an arrogant and
domineering attitude toward all Lebanese factions; and, as the ultimate blow,
the “support war” for Hamas launched on October 8, 2023, despite near-unanimous
opposition from Lebanon’s political leadership.
The major strategic mistake committed by Hezbollah over the past 25 years – and
for which it now pays a heavy price – was to remain rigidly aligned with its
ideological stance, becoming exclusively the chosen instrument of the regime’s
hardline faction, while disregarding the most basic Lebanese interests. For the
party’s leadership, Lebanon is little more than a small corner of a vast
regional chessboard, where the Supreme Leader maneuvers his pieces according to
hegemonic ambitions and Iranian strategic interests which hold no relevance for
the Lebanese people…
UNIFIL Delivers Vital Medical Aid to Marjayoun Government Hospital
This is Beirut/May 25, 2025
Spanish peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) Sector East, in collaboration with the Military Technical Committee for
Lebanon (MTC4L), delivered a significant package of medical aid to the Marjayoun
Government Hospital this week. The official handover ceremony was held on the
hospital campus, where the hospital’s director, Dr. Mouanis Kalakesh, received
the donation from UNIFIL Sector East Commander, Major General Fernando Ruiz
Gómez. Both parties signed the formal handover certificate in a show of
coordinated support for Lebanon’s health sector. According to a UNIFIL statement
issued on Sunday, the aid package includes a variety of essential supplies, such
as personal protective equipment (PPE), specialized materials for casualty
rescue operations and a stock of critical medicines. The initiative is designed
to bolster the hospital’s emergency response capabilities, enhance sterilization
procedures and expand pharmaceutical reserves. In its
press release, UNIFIL emphasized that the donation is part of a broader effort
to reinforce Lebanese civil institutions and improve health infrastructure,
particularly in areas facing heightened vulnerability. The mission underscored
that such initiatives contribute to greater preparedness in the face of
potential health or humanitarian emergencies. “This
contribution reflects the core values of international peacekeeping—supporting
host communities, promoting resilience and fostering trust,” the statement
noted. The delivery also aligns with UNIFIL’s ongoing
mandate to support stability and development in southern Lebanon. Officials
highlighted that the peacekeeping force’s collaboration with Lebanese
institutions aims to create sustainable impacts that go beyond security,
directly improving the lives of local citizens.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on May 25-26/2025
Israel Says it Intercepted Missile Fired
by Yemen's Houthis
Asharq Al Awsat/25 May 2025
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi
militias on Sunday. The missile triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other
areas, the Israeli military said earlier. There were no immediate reports of
casualties or damage.
The Iran-backed Houthis have
launched repeated missile attacks targeting Israel as well as international
shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a response to Israel’s offensive
against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Most of the targeted ships had no relation to
Israel or the conflict. The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign
against the Houthis earlier this month, saying the militias had pledged to stop
attacking ships. That informal ceasefire did not include attacks on Israel.
US Envoy: Syria to Help Locate Missing Americans
Asharq Al Awsat/25 May 2025
Syria's new authorities have agreed to help the United States locate and return
Americans who went missing in the war-torn country, a US envoy said on Sunday.
"The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the USA in
locating and returning USA citizens or their remains," US special envoy for
Syria Tom Barrack wrote on X, describing it as a "powerful step forward". "The
families of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and Kayla Mueller must have closure," he
added, referring to American citizens who had gone missing or been killed during
Syria's devastating civil war that erupted in 2011.
Tice was working as a freelance journalist for Agence France-Presse, The
Washington Post, and other outlets when he was detained at a checkpoint in
August 2012. Kamalmaz, a Syrian-American
psychotherapist, was believed to have died after being detained under the Assad
government in 2017. Mueller was an aid worker
kidnapped by ISIS, which announced her death in February 2015. The announcement
came a day after the United States formally lifted sanctions on Syria, marking
the start of a new chapter in the previously fraught ties between the two
countries. "President (Donald) Trump has made it clear that bringing home USA
citizens or honoring, with dignity, their remains is a major priority
everywhere," said Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Türkiye.
"The new Syrian Government will aid us in this commitment,"
he added. A Syrian source aware of the talks between
the two countries told AFP there were 11 other names on Washington's list, all
of them Syrian-Americans.
Sunday’s meeting mainly focused on following up
with the implementation of the sanctions waiver, with Sharaa telling Barrack
that sanctions remain a heavy burden on Syrians and hinder economic recovery
efforts, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. They also discussed means to
support foreign investments in Syria, especially in the fields of energy and
infrastructure, according to SANA. The Syrian side expressed readiness to
provide the necessary facilitation to attract investors and contribute in
reconstruction efforts.
Israeli air strikes kill 22, including pregnant woman, in Gaza, rescuers say
FRANCE 24/May 25, 2025
Rescuers in Gaza said at least 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded in
Israeli air strikes across the Palestinian territory on Sunday, taking the war's
overall death toll to 53,939, according to the Gaza health ministry. Rescuers in
Gaza said 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli air strikes
across the Palestinian territory on Sunday. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud
Bassal said seven people were killed in a strike on a home in Jabalia, in the
north. Some people were still under the debris, he added, as "the civil defence
does not have search equipment or heavy equipment to lift the rubble to rescue
the wounded and recover the martyrs". Two more people, including a woman who was
seven months pregnant, were killed in an attack targeting tents sheltering
displaced people around Nuseirat in central Gaza, he said, adding doctors were
unable to save the unborn child.
Also included in the toll were the civil defence's director of operations Ashraf
Abu Nar and his wife, who were killed in a strike on their home in Nuseirat,
according to Bassal. Fatal strikes were also recorded around Deir el-Balah in
the centre of the territory, Beit Lahia in the north, and the main southern city
of Khan Yunis. In all, civil defence teams recovered "at least 22 martyrs,
including a number of children, and dozens of injured" on Sunday, with a number
of people still missing, Bassal said. The Israeli army did not immediately
respond to a request for comment on the strikes.
Israel’s
US ambassador called home over interview remarks
AFP/May 25, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s ambassador to Washington is being summoned home on the
instructions of a government disciplinary body to discuss comments he made in a
podcast interview, the foreign ministry said Sunday. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter
had made an appearance on a podcast run by the right-wing US online media
platform PragerU, in which he accused opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of levelling “blood libels” at the Israeli leader. “The Director
General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eden Bar-Tal, will summon the
ambassador in Washington, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, for a hearing regarding statements
he made during a media interview,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement. The
spokesman said the summons was “in accordance with the instructions of the
Discipline Department at the Civil Service Commission.”Although the role of
Israeli ambassador to the United States is a political appointment and Leiter
was selected by Netanyahu, Israeli diplomats are typically expected to refrain
from making political statements. In the interview with PragerU, Leiter accused
“extremists on the left” and the Israeli media of trying to topple Netanyahu’s
government. “It’s the extremists, and there is nothing they won’t do to bring
Netanyahu down, and it’s a calumny that needs to be called out,” he said,
accusing Netanyahu’s detractors of levelling “blood libels against your own
PM.”Leiter also dismissed as “insanity” claims that the premier was prolonging
the war in Gaza to remain in power, adding: “How dare they say something as
malicious as that?“A poll published by Israel’s Channel 12 News on Saturday
showed that 55 percent of the public believes Netanyahu is more interested in
remaining in power than ending the war or freeing the hostages still held in
Gaza. A former adviser to Netanyahu, Leiter is originally from the United States
and lived in a settlement in the occupied West Bank. His son, Moshe Leiter, was
killed in combat in November 2023 in the Gaza Strip.
Spain hosts
European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
AFP/May 25, 2025
MADRID: The international community should look at sanctions against Israel to
stop the war in Gaza, Spain’s foreign minister said, as European and Arab
nations gathered in Madrid Sunday to urge an end to its offensive. Some of
Israel’s long-standing allies have added their voices to growing international
pressure after it expanded military operations against Gaza’s Hamas rulers,
whose 2023 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war. A two-month aid
blockade has worsened shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine in the
Palestinian territory, stoking fears of famine. Aid organizations say the
trickle of supplies Israel has recently allowed to enter falls far short of
needs. The talks in Madrid aim to stop Israel’s “inhumane” and “senseless” war
in Gaza, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters before the
meeting opened. Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza “massively, without conditions
and without limits, and not controlled by Israel,” he added, describing the
Strip as humanity’s “open wound.”“Silence in these moments is complicity in this
massacre... that is why we are meeting,” said Albares. Representatives from
European countries including France, Britain, Germany and Italy joined envoys
from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, Morocco, the Arab League and the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Norway, Iceland, Ireland and Slovenia, who
like Spain have already recognized a Palestinian state, are also taking part,
alongside Brazil. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met
with Albares on the sidelines of the meeting.
During the meeting, they discussed relations between their countries, areas of
joint cooperation, and regional and international developments including the
latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. After the European
Union decided this week to review its cooperation deal with Israel, Albares told
reporters Spain would request its “immediate suspension.”Spain would also urge
partners to impose an arms embargo on Israel and “not rule out any” individual
sanctions against those “who want to ruin the two-state solution forever,” he
added. Sunday’s meeting will also promote a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke by
video link with Arab counterparts on Sunday and would press “the need for
coordinated pressure” for a ceasefire, aid and the release of Hamas-held
hostages, his office said. Barrot will also meet the Palestinian Authority’s
minister of state for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, during a trip
to Yerevan next week, the French foreign ministry announced on Sunday. The
diplomatic drive comes one month before a UN conference on the
Israel-Palestinian conflicted presided over by France and Saudi Arabia. Spanish
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said his country will back draft resolutions at
the United Nations aimed at ramping up aid access to Gaza and holding Israel to
account over its international humanitarian obligations. Madrid’s attempt to
rally a wider consensus on the war comes a year after it broke with some
European allies by recognizing a Palestinian state, infuriating Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on
Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mainly civilians, according to an
AFP tally based on official figures. Palestinian militants also took 251
hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are
dead. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed almost 54,000 people, mostly
civilians, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry.
Why fury over Israeli actions in Gaza and West Bank may lead to EU sanctions
Jonathan Gornall/Arab News/May 25, 2025
LONDON: Watching the widely circulated footage of Israeli soldiers firing
“warning shots” in the direction of a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting a
refugee camp in the Palestinian city of Jenin on Wednesday, it was hard to
resist the conclusion that the Israeli military had lost its collective mind.
Luckily, no one was injured in the incident. But in a manner of speaking, Israel
shot itself in the foot.
Man with
US and German citizenship is charged with trying to attack US Embassy in Tel
Aviv
AP/May 25, 2025
NEW YORK: A dual US and German citizen has been arrested on charges that he
traveled to Israel and attempted to firebomb the branch office of the US Embassy
in Tel Aviv, officials said Sunday. Federal prosecutors in New York said the
man, Joseph Neumeyer, walked up to the embassy building on May 19 with a
backpack containing Molotov cocktails but got into a confrontation with a guard
and eventually ran away, dropping his backpack as the guard tried to grab him.
Law enforcement then tracked Neumeyer down to a hotel a few blocks away from the
embassy and arrested him, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern
District of New York.The attack took place against the backdrop of Israel’s war
in Gaza, now in its 19th month. Neumeyer, 28, who is originally from Colorado
and has dual US and German citizenship, had traveled from the US to Canada in
early February and then arrived in Israel in late April, according to court
records. He had made a series of threatening social media posts before
attempting the attack, prosecutors said. Israeli officials deported Neumeyer to
New York on Saturday and he had an initial court appearance before a federal
judge in Brooklyn on Sunday. His criminal complaint was unsealed Sunday.
Neumeyer’s court-appointed attorney, Jeff Dahlberg, declined to comment. During
his first term, President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
despite Palestinian objections and moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv.
Israel's latest strikes in
Gaza kill 38 people including children
Wafaa Shurafa And Samy Magdy/The
Associated Press/May 25, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours killed at
least 38 people in Gaza, including a mother and her two children sheltering in a
tent, local health officials said Sunday, with no data available for a second
straight day from now-inaccessible hospitals in the north. Further details
emerged of the Palestinian doctor who lost nine of her 10 children in an Israeli
strike on Friday. Gaza's Health Ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in
the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its offensive in March,
vowing to destroy Hamas and return the 58 hostages it still holds from the Oct.
7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Hamas has said it will only release the
hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel
also blocked the import of all food, medicine and fuel for 2 1/2 months before
letting a trickle of aid enter last week, after experts' warnings of famine and
pressure from some of Israel's top allies. Israel has been pursuing a new plan
to tightly control all aid to Gaza, which the United Nations has rejected. The
executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, Cindy McCain, told CBS she
has not seen evidence to support Israel’s claims that Hamas is responsible for
the looting of aid trucks. “These people are desperate, and they see a World
Food Program truck coming in and they run for it,” she said. Israel also says it
plans to seize full control of Gaza and facilitate what it describes as the
voluntary migration of much of its population of over 2 million Palestinians, a
plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Experts
say it would likely violate international law. More details on the strike that
killed a doctor's 9 children. The new strike on the tent housing displaced
people that killed the mother and children occurred in the central city of Deir
al-Balah, according to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A strike in the Jabaliya area
of northern Gaza killed at least five, including two women and a child,
according to Gaza's Health Ministry. In Friday's strike, only one of
pediatrician Alaa al-Najjar's 10 children survived at their home near the
southern city of Khan Younis. The 11-year-old and al-Najjar’s husband, also a
doctor, were badly hurt. The charred remains of the children were put into a
single body bag, said a fellow pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, Alaa al-Zayan.
The home was struck minutes after Hamdi al-Najjar had driven his wife to the
hospital. His brother, Ismail al-Najjar, was first to arrive at the scene. “They
were innocent children," the brother said, with the youngest 7 months old. "And
my brother has no business with (Palestinian) factions.”Israel on Saturday said
“the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.” It says it
tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because it
operates in densely populated areas. There was no immediate comment from the
military on the latest strikes. “This is not an endless war," Israel’s military
chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said during a visit to Khan Younis. Recent
ceasefire talks in Qatar gained no ground. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200
people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 people. Around a
third of the remaining hostages are believed to be alive, after most of the rest
were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's 19-month
offensive has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health
Ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead. It does not
provide figures for the number of civilians or combatants killed.The offensive
has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's
population, often multiple times.
A missile from the Houthis
Separately, Israel's military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's
Houthi rebels on Sunday. It triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other
areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Iran-backed
Houthis have launched repeated missile attacks targeting Israel as well as
international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a response to Israel’s
military campaign in Gaza. Most of the targeted ships had no relation to Israel
or the conflict. The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against
the Houthis earlier this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking
ships. That informal ceasefire did not include attacks on Israel.
US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more
on their own
Sam Metz And Monika Pronczuk/The
Associated Press/May 25, 2025
TAN TAN, Morocco — The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good
governance and countering insurgencies' underlying causes, instead leaning into
a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their
own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that
shift was clear: “We need to be able to get our partners to the level of
independent operations,” Gen. Michael Langley said in an interview with The
Associated Press. “There needs to be some burden sharing," Langley, the U.S.
military’s top official in Africa, said on Friday, the final day of the
exercise. For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to
confront threats by air, land, and sea. They flew drones, simulated
close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert.
Maneuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 25th year. But
mostly gone now is language that emphasizes ideas the U.S. once argued set it
apart from Russia and China. Messaging about the interwoven work of defense,
diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington’s security pitch.
In their place now are calls for helping allies build capacity to manage their
own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump’s
Defense Department. “We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland.
And we’re also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global
instability areas,” he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan. The shift comes
as the U.S. military makes moves to "build a leaner, more lethal force,”
including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like
Africa, where America's rivals continue to deepen their influence. China has
launched its own expansive training program for African militaries. Russian
mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of
choice throughout North, West and Central Africa. In an interview a year ago,
Langley emphasized what U.S. military officials have long called a “whole of
government approach" to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended
the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn't stabilize weak states and
protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out. “I’ve always
professed that AFRICOM is not just a military organization,” Langley said last
year. He called good governance an “enduring solution to a number of layered
threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from
changing environments, or whether it be from violent extremist
organizations.”The “whole of government approach" no longer occupies the same
place at the center of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have
worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development coupled with defense had
reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border.
But such successes aren't a pattern.
“I’ve seen progression and I’ve seen regression,” said Langley, who is scheduled
to exit his post later this year. As the US steps back, insurgencies gain
ground. The U.S. military's new posture comes even though many African armies
remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand. “We see Africa as the epicenter
for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,” a senior U.S. defense official said
earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the
Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official
spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the
issue publicly. Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon's list of
priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on
security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the
continent. In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and
China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require
direct military action, Langley said. The messaging shift from “whole of
government” to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence
could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found
vacuums in which they can consolidate power. Parts of of both East and West
Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, more than half of the
world’s terrorism victims were killed across West Africa's Sahel, a vast desert
territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and
Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia
accounted for 6% of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for
terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel. Since Trump took office, the U.S.
military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab
operatives. But despite air support, Somalia's army remains far from being able
to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged. “The Somali National
Army is trying to find their way,” Langley said, adding that they had regained
some footing after years of setbacks. “There are some things they still need on
the battlefield to be very effective.”Similarly in West Africa, the notion that
states could soon have the capacity to counter such threats is a distant
prospect, said Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks, a security
consulting firm. Even before Western influence began to wane in the Sahel,
needed military support was limited, threats remained active, and local
militaries were left without the tools to confront them. Western powers with a
presence in the Sahel have gradually scaled back their engagement, either by
choice or after being pushed out by increasingly hostile governments. “Many of
them do not have very strong air forces and are not able to monitor the movement
of militants, especially in areas where roads are very difficult to traverse,
the infrastructure is extremely poor,” Ochieng, who specializes in the Sahel and
Great Power competition in Africa, said.
Starmer’s criticism of Israel was met with ‘terrorist cheers’, claims Badenoch
Joe Hadden/PA Media: UK News/May 25,
2025
Starmer’s criticism of Israel was met with ‘terrorist cheers’, claims
BadenochScroll back up to restore default view. Prime Minister Sir Keir
Starmer’s public criticism of Israel “does not send the right message” and led
to “terrorist cheers” from Hamas, Kemi Badenoch has said. Earlier this week, Sir
Keir, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
condemned the Israeli government’s “egregious” actions in Gaza, warning the UK
and allies will take “concrete actions” unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu changes course. The statement was condemned by Mr Netanyahu and he
accused the world leaders of “emboldening Hamas”.Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday
With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch joined in
condemning Sir Keir.She said: “You should do it in a way that does not have
Hamas cheering – Hamas praised that statement.
“Sending a signal to Hamas like that does not send the right message, you should
not have terrorist cheers.”Mrs Badenoch said she supports a two-state solution,
but warned: “There are 58 hostages still not returned to Israel – we want a
two-state solution but we cannot have a terrorist state running one of those.
“Israel still is at war and we need to make sure the war they are having, a
proxy war with Iran, is not one that damages our national interest. Iran is not
our ally.”Asked if there is anything Israel could do that she would criticise,
Mrs Badenoch said she has already raised humanitarian concerns. She said: “I
have criticised – we’ve talked about when people need aid, get it – they
responded to that. “Let’s not forget, two years ago hundreds of people at a
music festival were butchered, massacred – we’re still waiting for 58 hostages.
“What we need to do is get a ceasefire.”Earlier on the same show, Deputy Prime
Minister Angela Rayner brushed off the criticism from the Israeli leader. Asked
if Mr Netanyahu’s comments mean people should question whether Israel is a true
ally, she replied: “No they shouldn’t. “But we should always look at what’s
happening and be objective, and sometimes you have to call out when things are
wrong. “Keir Starmer has been very clear right from the start. October 7 was a
massacre for Israel and for Jewish people there, and it was absolutely
abhorrent. “Hamas has no place in a functioning government, and we’re very clear
on that. “But you cannot block aid where we have a humanitarian catastrophe
happening in Palestine, and it’s very clear, and that’s what Keir Starmer set
out, that aid has to get into Gaza now and that Israel has to ensure that that
happens.”
Israel Is Fighting 'Proxy War On UK's Behalf' In Gaza, Kemi Badenoch Claims
Kate Nicholson/HuffPost UK/May 25, 2025
Kemi Badenoch has claimed Israel is fighting a “proxy war on behalf of the UK”
in Gaza against Hamas.The Conservative leader attacked this week’s joint
statement from Keir Starmer, Mark Carney and Emmanuel Macron calling on its ally
to stop the “intolerable” human suffering in Gaza or they will “take further
concrete actions in response”. The UK then suspended trade negotiations with
Israel on Tuesday. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu then accused the UK, France and
Canada of being on the “wrong side of humanity” and claimed Hamas has “thanked”
them for their intervention. Netanyahu’s government also claimed this week the
war will continue until all parts of Gaza are under Israel’s control. This
morning, Sky News’ Trevor Phillips asked Badenoch if she believes the language
of Netanyahu is justified. She replied: “I’m not here to police the language of
the prime minister of Israel. “Who funds Hamas? Iran, an enemy of this
country.“Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the UK, just like Ukraine
is on behalf of western Europe against Russia. We have to get serious!” “Are you
actually equating the Israeli action in Gaza with Ukrainians?” Phillips asked.
“Israel is fighting a war. It is not for me to police exactly how they are doing
that,” Badenoch said. “It is not a genocide, as people are saying.” Phillips
said: “This morning it doesn’t sound like you’re criticising anything that the
Israelis do.” She replied: “That’s not true. I have criticised things before,
but right now there are 58 hostages who have not been returned home.” Badenoch
also claimed Starmer was in the wrong if Palestinian militants were thanking
him. “If Hamas is praising your actions, you’ve probably done something wrong.
Hamas is a terrorist group,” she said. “Israel is fighting a war where they want
to get 58 hostages who have not been returned, that is what all of this is
about, and they have said there won’t be a ceasefire until they get their people
back. “What we need to make sure is that we are on the side that needs to
eradicate Hamas, we need that to happen if we are ever going to get a two-state
solution and end this war.”Israel launched a full-scale offensive into Gaza in
October 2023 in response to the Hamas attack on Israeli soil where they killed
1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. After 19 months of war in the region,
more than 50,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed and Gaza is in a
humanitarian crisis.
13
killed as Russia pummels Ukraine with biggest ever drone attack
AFP/May 25, 2025
KYIV, Ukraine: Russia launched a record number of drones against Ukraine,
killing 13 people across the country, officials said Sunday, even as Kyiv and
Moscow completed their biggest prisoner exchange since the start of the war.
Ukraine’s emergency services described a night of “terror” amid a second
straight night of massive Russian air strikes, including on the capital Kyiv.
The attacks came as the two countries completed their biggest prisoner swap
since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with 1,000
captured soldiers and civilian prisoners sent back by each side.
Those killed in the latest Russian strikes included two children, aged eight and
12, and a 17-year-old, killed in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr, officials
said. Their school named the dead children as Roman, Tamara and Stanislav in a
post on Facebook, saying: “Their memory will always be with us. We will never
forgive.”“Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this
brutality cannot be stopped,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on
social media. “The silence of America, the silence of others around the world
only encourages Putin,” he said, adding: “Sanctions will certainly help.”
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called for “the strongest
international pressure on Russia to stop this war.”“Last night’s attacks again
show Russia bent on more suffering and the annihilation of Ukraine. Devastating
to see children among innocent victims harmed and killed,” she said on social
media.German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also denounced the attacks. “Putin
does not want peace, he wants to carry on the war and we shouldn’t allow him to
do this,” he said. “For this reason we will approve further sanctions at a
European level.”
The strikes came after Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones
overnight Friday to Saturday, which wounded 15 people, according to Ukrainian
officials. Ukraine’s military said on Sunday it had shot down a total of 45
Russian missiles and 266 attack drones overnight. Air force spokesman Yuriy
Ignat said 298 drones were launched, adding that this was “the highest number
ever.”Four people were also reported dead in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi
region, four in the Kyiv region. Two people died in the Mykolaiv region. On
Sunday evening Vitaliy Kim, governor of the southern region, said the body of a
second person had been recovered from the rubble. Emergency services said 16
people were injured in the Kyiv region, including three children, in the
“massive night attack.”“We saw the whole street was on fire,” a 65-year-old
retired woman, Tetiana Iankovska, told AFP in Markhalivka village just southwest
of Kyiv.Russia said its strikes were aimed at Ukraine’s “military-industrial
complex” and that it had brought down 110 Ukrainian drones. Flights at Moscow
airports suffered temporary closures due to Ukrainian drone activity but no
injuries were reported, officials said.
Russia also said it had exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the
same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv — the last phase of a swap agreed
during talks in Istanbul on May 16. Russia and Ukraine had over three days
“carried out the exchange of 1,000 people for 1,000 people,” the defense
ministry said.Zelensky confirmed the swap was complete. Both sides received 390
people in the first stage on Friday and 307 on Saturday. US President Donald
Trump on Friday congratulated the two countries for the swap. “This could lead
to something big,” he wrote on social media. Trump’s efforts to broker a
ceasefire in Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II have so far been
unsuccessful, despite his pledge to rapidly end the fighting. An AFP reporter
saw some of the formerly captive Ukrainian soldiers arrive at a hospital in the
northern Chernigiv region, emaciated but smiling and waving to crowds. “It’s
simply crazy. Crazy feelings,” 31-year-old Konstantin Steblev, a soldier, told
AFP Friday as he stepped back onto Ukrainian soil after three years in
captivity. One former captive, 58-year-old Viktor Syvak, told AFP was overcome
by the emotional homecoming. Captured in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, he
had been held for 37 months and 12 days. “It’s impossible to describe. I can’t
put it into words. It’s very joyful,” he said of the release.
Russia and
Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners as another attack on Kyiv leaves 3 dead
AP/May 25, 2025
KYIV: Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds more prisoners Saturday as part of a
major swap that amounted to a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed
efforts to reach a ceasefire. The exchange came hours after Kyiv came under a
large-scale Russian drone and missile attack and authorities said another
combined aerial attack that started Saturday night and stretched into Sunday
morning had left three people dead in the “Kyiv region,” according to Mykola
Kalashnyk, head of the Kyiv regional military administration. Mayor Vitali
Klitschko said “there are already 10 injured” is Kyiv as of 3 a.m. Sunday,
adding that a student dormitory in Holosiivskyi district was hit a drone and the
exterior of one of its walls was on fire. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky
and Russia’s defense ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers on
Saturday, a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians.
Further releases expected over the weekend are set to make the swap the largest
in more than three years of war. “We expect more to come tomorrow,” Zelensky
said on his official Telegram channel. Russia’s defense ministry also said it
expected the exchange to be continued, though it did not give details. Hours
earlier, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many
sought shelter in subway stations as Russian drones and missiles targeted the
Ukrainian capital overnight. In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month — the
first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia’s 2022
full-scale invasion — Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and
civilian detainees each.
‘A difficult night’
Officials said Russia attacked Ukraine with 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed
drones overnight while Ukrainian forces shot down six missiles and neutralized
245 drones — 128 drones were shot down and 117 were thwarted using electronic
warfare. The Kyiv City Military Administration said it was one of the biggest
combined missile and drone attacks on the capital. “A difficult night for all of
us,” the administration said in a statement. Posting on X, Ukraine’s Foreign
Minister Andrii Sybiha called it “clear evidence that increased sanctions
pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process.”Posting on X,
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke of “another night of terror for Ukrainian
civilians.”“These are not the actions of a country seeking peace,” Lammy said of
the Russian strike. Katarina Mathernová, the European Union’s ambassador to
Kyiv, described the attack as “horrific.”“If anyone still doubts Russia wants
war to continue — read the news,” Katarina Mathernová wrote on the social
network.
Air raid alert in Kyiv
The debris of intercepted missiles and drones fell in at least six Kyiv city
districts. According to the acting head of the city’s military administration,
Tymur Tkachenko, six people required medical care after the attack and two fires
were sparked in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district. The Obolon district, where a
residential building was heavily damaged in the attack, was the hardest hit with
at least five wounded in the area, the administration said. Yurii Bondarchuk, a
local resident, said the air raid siren “started as usual, then the drones
started to fly around as they constantly do.” Moments later, he heard a boom and
saw shattered glass fly through the air. “The balcony is totally wiped out, as
well as the windows and the doors,” he said as he stood in the dark, smoking a
cigarette to calm his nerves while firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
The air raid alert in Kyiv lasted more than seven hours, warning of incoming
missiles and drones. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, warned residents ahead of
the attack that more than 20 Russian strike drones were heading toward the city.
As the attack continued, he said drone debris fell on a shopping mall and a
residential building in Obolon. Emergency services were headed to the site,
Klitschko said. Separately, 13 civilians were killed on Friday and overnight
into Saturday in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s south, east and north, regional
authorities said. Three people died after a Russian ballistic missile targeted
port infrastructure in Odesa on the Black Sea, local Gov. Oleh Kiper reported.
Russia later said the strike Friday targeted a cargo ship carrying military
equipment. Russia’s defense ministry on Saturday claimed its forces overnight
struck various military targets across Ukraine, including missile and
drone-producing plants, a reconnaissance center and a launching site for
anti-aircraft missiles.
A complex deal
The prisoner swap on Friday was the first phase of a complicated deal involving
the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. It took place at the border with
Belarus, in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The
released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian
Defense Ministry said. POWs arrived at the medical facility in the Chernihiv
region for a second day on Saturday. But for many their arrival was bittersweet.
Those who were not reunited with their loved ones took solace in the released
POWs providing some information about when their relatives were last seen. Anna
Marchenko, the daughter of a missing Ukrainian serviceman, was elated when a
released POW said they had seen her father. “This is such a big news. It’s like
a fresh breath of air,” she said. “I didn’t see him, but at least it’s some
news. At least it’s news that gives us the opportunity to continue to breathe
and live in peace.”However, the exchange — the latest of dozens of swaps since
the war began and the biggest involving Ukrainian civilians so far — did not
herald a halt in the fighting. Battles continued along the roughly
1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have
been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes. After the May
16 Istanbul meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner
swap a “confidence-building measure” and said the parties had agreed in
principle to meet again. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that
there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as
diplomatic maneuvering continued. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said
Moscow would give Ukraine a draft document outlining its conditions for a
“sustainable, long-term, comprehensive” peace agreement, once the ongoing
prisoner exchange had finished.
Far apart on key conditions
European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his
feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army’s battlefield
initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. The Istanbul meeting revealed that
both sides remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One
such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary
ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. Russia’s Defense
Ministry said that overnight and early on Saturday its forces shot down over 100
Ukrainian drones over six provinces in western and southern Russia.
The drone strikes injured three people in the Tula region south of Moscow, local
Gov. Dmitriy Milyaev said, and sparked a fire at an industrial site there.
Andriy Kovalenko, of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said
Saturday the drones hit a plant in Tula that makes chemicals used in explosives
and rocket fuel.
Can Pope
Leo remain a U.S. citizen now that he's a foreign head of state?
Russ Bynum/The Associated Press/May 25, 2025
Pope Leo XIV's election as the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church
elevated him to the extremely rare, and legally thorny, position of being an
American citizen who now is also a foreign head of state. Born in Chicago as
Robert Prevost in 1955, the new pope for the past decade has held dual
citizenship in the U.S. and Peru, where he spent time as a missionary and
bishop. As pope, Leo serves as leader of both the Holy See, the governing body
of the Catholic Church, and Vatican City, an independent state. Can the pope
remain a U.S. citizen while leading a foreign government? Here are things to
know about Leo's citizenship.
Is the Vatican considered a sovereign nation?
In addition to being the spiritual leader for what the church says is roughly
1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, Leo is also the head of what's recognized as
the world's smallest nation. Vatican City covers just 0.17 square miles (0.44
square kilometers) and has a population of a few hundred people. It became an
independent state in 1929 under a treaty between Italy and the Holy See.
Could Leo be stripped of his U.S. citizenship?
Americans working for foreign governments aren’t automatically at risk of
forfeiting their U.S. citizenship. But the U.S. State Department says on its
website that it may “actively review” the citizenship status of Americans who
“serve as a foreign head of state, foreign head of government, or foreign
minister.”“Such cases raise complex questions of international law, including
issues related to the level of immunity from U.S. jurisdiction that the person
so serving may be afforded,” the policy states. The State Department declined to
comment on the pope’s status. A spokesperson said the department doesn’t discuss
the citizenship of individuals. The core issue is whether foreign leaders should
hold American citizenship when they also enjoy broad immunity from U.S. laws,
said Peter Spiro, a Temple University law professor and an expert on citizenship
law. Such immunity clashes with the constitutional principle that no U.S.
citizen should be above the law. However, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1980
decision ruled that Americans can't be stripped of their citizenship unless they
intentionally renounce it. “The State Department never assumes that you intend
to lose your citizenship unless you specifically say so through the renunciation
process,” Spiro said. He said it would be hard to argue that Leo, by becoming
pope, demonstrated an intent to give up being a U.S. citizen. “I think it’s
highly unlikely that the U.S. moves to terminate the pope’s citizenship,” Spiro
said. Can the pope remain a citizen of Peru?
Peruvian law has no conflict with Pope Leo remaining a citizen, said Jorge Puch,
deputy director of registry archives at Peru’s National Registry of
Identification and Civil Status. Leo was granted Peruvian citizenship in August
2015, the month before Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Chiclayo in the
South American country's northern region. To qualify, he had to live in Peru for
at least two years and pass a civics test. “It is the most praiseworthy thing
our beloved supreme pontiff could have done: Wanting to have Peruvian
nationality without having been Peruvian by birth,” Puch said.
All adult Peruvians, including naturalized citizens, are required to vote in
elections through age 69. Voting in Peru's presidential election next April
won't be mandatory for Leo. He turns 70 in September. Did prior popes retain
citizenship in their home countries? It's not clear what happened to the
citizenship status of Leo's predecessors once they became pope. That's not
information the Vatican discloses. Pope Francis renewed his passport in his home
country of Argentina in 2014, the year after he became pope. German-born Pope
Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, a native of Poland, never publicly
relinquished citizenship in their home countries.
John Paul was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.
Margaret Susan Thompson, a Syracuse University history professor and expert on
American Catholicism, said she doubts Leo would renounce his U.S. citizenship.
But she believes the new pope was sending a message when he delivered his first
speech in Italian and Spanish without using English.
“I think he wants to stress that he is the pope of the universal Catholic
Church,” Thompson said, “and not an American holding that position.”
Have other US citizens served as leaders of a foreign government?
Yes. Here are a few notable examples.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was born in New York to British
parents in 1964. He left the U.S. as a young boy and renounced his American
citizenship in 2016 while serving as the U.K.'s foreign secretary. Johnson
became prime minister three years later. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was an
American citizen when he was elected president of Somalia in 2017. Born in
Somalia, he moved to the U.S. in 1985 and became a citizen in the 1990s. Mohamed
gave up his U.S. citizenship two years into his presidency. Valdas Adamkus
became a U.S. citizen after his family fled Lithuania to escape Soviet
occupation. He returned to win Lithuania's presidency in 1998, years after the
Soviet Union collapsed. He relinquished his American citizenship after being
elected.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on May 25-26/2025
Do Not Be Fooled by Iran: What They Really Want Is to Destroy America,
Israel Is Just in the Way
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 25/2025
The real nakba [catastrophe, for Palestinians] was that they started a war and
lost it. Well, if you start a war, that is what can happen.
The Trump administration should beware of countries where the mouth says one
thing but the legs do the opposite. Believe the legs. The Iranians and
Palestinians have not given up their dream of eliminating Israel and America.
Iran's leaders do the same thing. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reassures
Americans that "We are not seeking war, we favor negotiation and dialogue."
Meanwhile, Khamenei calls for the elimination of the "Zionist regime" and
endorses "Death to America."
It is time for the Trump administration and other Westerners to see that the
Palestinians and the Iranian regime do not want Israel or America in the Middle
East -- period -- and are prepared to do anything to achieve this goal,
including with nuclear weapons.
In many respects, Hamas, the Iran-backed terror group, has always been more
forthright and honest about its goals regarding Israel than its rivals in the
Palestinian Authority (PA). When one listens to leaders of the PA and the
leaders of Hamas in Arabic, it is almost impossible to tell the difference
between them. Their rhetoric, for instance, to vilify Israel, is identical: "The
Zionist Enemy", "the Zionist Entity", the State of Occupation", and "the
Apartheid State".
Hamas and the PA both view the establishment of Israel as a "catastrophe"
(nakba) and call for flooding it with millions of Palestinian "refugees" so that
Jews become a minority to eliminate or cast out.
Hamas makes clear to everyone that its primary goal is to wage jihad (holy war)
against Israel with the intention of replacing it with an Islamist state. The
terror group's covenant proudly quotes Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim
Brotherhood organization, as stating: "Israel will exist and continue to exist
until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."
In mid-May, the PA and Hamas marked the 77th anniversary of "Nakba Day"
("Catastrophe Day"), a reference to the establishment of Israel in 1948.
Hamas, in a statement, said:
"The occupation [Israel] has no legitimacy or sovereignty over any part of our
occupied land, and our people will continue to themselves through comprehensive
resistance until the liberation of all of Palestine."
The terror group vowed that the "resistance" against Israel will continue until
Palestinian refugees achieve the "right of return" to their former homes inside
Israel.
Most of the so-called refugees are not real refugees. Most are descendants --
now quite distant -- of refugees who lost their homes when five Arab armies
attacked Israel in 1948 in an attempt to prevent it from coming into existence.
For Hamas and other Palestinians and Arabs, the fact that they failed to thwart
the establishment of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people is a
"catastrophe."
The real nakba was that they started a war and lost it. Well, if you start a
war, that is what can happen.
The PA and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, share Hamas's view. In a speech marking
"Nakba Day," Abbas, bizarrely referred to by some Westerners as a "moderate
leader" even though he handsomely pays his people to murder Jews, described the
establishment of Israel as a "tragedy" and as "the catastrophe of catastrophes."
Like Hamas, Abbas called for flooding Israel with millions of Palestinian
"refugees":
"On behalf of the steadfast Palestinian people, and in the name of more than 15
million Palestinians, including seven million Palestinian refugees, we renew our
pledge that we will remain adherent to our rights and will continue our
legitimate struggle for freedom and independence until they are realized. Today,
we commemorate not only this somber anniversary, but renew the pledge that the
Nakba was not and will not be the permanent and inevitable fate of our people,
and that the right of return, the right to self-determination, and the
independence of the Palestinian State are steady and inalienable rights and will
not be forsaken by our people."
Such statements by Hamas and Abbas show why the talk about a peace process
between Israel and the Palestinians is, unfortunately, just a sick joke. If the
Palestinians consider the establishment and existence of Israel a "catastrophe"
and "tragedy," this means that they have not – and will not – recognize Israel's
right to exist.
By demanding the "right of return" for so-called refugees, Hamas and Abbas are
clearly stating their intention to turn Israel into a country with an Arab
Muslim majority. In this country, perhaps for a price – required Arab jizya
payments are actually protection money -- some Jews might be allowed to live on
sufferance, as dhimmis, tolerated residents of a land conquered by Islam.
Those who continue to advocate for the creation of a Palestinian state need to
consider that such a state would be backed, politically and militarily, by Iran
and its ruling mullahs, whose declared goal is to eliminate the "Zionist entity"
Israel, as well as the United States.
As Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has stated about the "Little Satan":
"'Death to Israel' is not just a slogan, it is a policy." The same goes for the
"Great Satan" and "Death to America."
In the years leading up to its invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas
developed a concrete plan to destroy the Jewish state, in full coordination with
Iran and its Lebanon-based terror proxy, Hezbollah. According to classified
documents published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information
Center, Iran was a critical player in funding Hamas's plan to destroy Israel.
On May 15, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reminded us, once again, that in
his view, as he posted on X: "The Zionist regime is illegitimate, and the
formation of this regime was based on a false premise." He is actually repeating
what he knows is the false claim that Jews have no religious, emotional or
historical attachment to their homeland.
His post came on the occasion of "Nakba Day." Many Arabs and Muslims, including
Khamenei, continue to dream of the day when they would be able to destroy it.
They do not conceal their support for the use of violence to achieve this goal.
Furthermore, they never conceal their hatred for the "Little Satan" Israel, and
the "Great Satan", the U.S.
On May 4, Khamenei wrote:
"When we, the Muslim Ummah [nation], are detached from each other, the colonial
powers – the US, the Zionist regime, and some European and non-European
countries – impose their own interests over the interests of other nations."
Iran's supreme leader is telling Arabs and Muslims that they must unite to
confront not only Israel, but also the US and other non-Muslims.
In another post on May 15, Khamenei wrote:
"Palestinian political, military and cultural fight should continue until those
[Jews] who have usurped Palestine submit to the vote of the Palestinian nation."
For Iran's mullahs, the "military fight" means unleashing terrorism against
Israel by their Palestinian, Lebanese, and Yemeni terror proxies: Hamas,
Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
In the context of his anti-US rhetoric and policy, Khamenei recently scoffed at
US President Donald J. Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab
Emirates and his talk about achieving peace and prosperity. "Trump said he wants
to use power for peace," Khamenei wrote on May 17:
"Some of the remarks made during the US President's trip to the region aren't
even worth a response at all. The level of those remarks is so low that they are
a source of shame for the American nation."
He later added:
"Trump said he wants to use power for peace. He's lying."
The Trump administration should beware of countries where the mouth says one
thing but the legs do the opposite. Believe the legs. The Iranians and
Palestinians have not given up their dream of eliminating Israel and America.
The Trump administration also should realize that Palestinian and Iranian
leaders tell Westerners one thing -- what they like to hear -- in English, while
addressing their people with completely different messages in Arabic and Farsi.
Believe the Arabic and Farsi.
Mahmoud Abbas has long been telling Westerners about his desire to make peace
and establish a Palestinian state next to Israel; at the same time, he keeps
calling for Israel's destruction.
Iran's leaders do the same thing. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reassures
Americans that "We are not seeking war, we favor negotiation and dialogue."
Meanwhile, Khamenei calls for the elimination of the "Zionist regime" and
endorses "Death to America."
The Palestinians and Iran's mullahs believe that Americans and most Westerners
are gullible enough to unreservedly swallow any lie – they so often have in the
past.
It is time for the Trump administration and other Westerners to see that the
Palestinians and the Iranian regime do not want Israel or America in the Middle
East -- period -- and are prepared to do anything to achieve this goal,
including with nuclear weapons.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made
possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to
remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The Consequences of Trump Walking Away from the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./May 25, 2025
Far from helping to end the war in Ukraine, all the indications suggest that US
President Donald Trump's mediation efforts are not only prolonging the conflict,
but increasing the likelihood that Russia will ultimately emerge victorious.
Indeed, far from showing any interest in ending Russia's military offensive in
Ukraine, the Russian leader has given every intention that he intends to
continue fighting until victory has been achieved.
Nor does there appear to be any serious prospect that Trump will be willing to
hit the Kremlin with further sanctions, let alone military encouragement, if it
fails to show any serious interest in peace negotiations.
The problem with Trump's hands-off approach to the Ukraine conflict is that it
could ultimately prove counterproductive for the US and its allies, as the more
Washington indicates it is losing interest in the conflict, the more encouraged
Moscow becomes that it will ultimately achieve victory.
This outcome would be a disaster for the entire Nato alliance -- including the
US, which would see its extensive trade ties with Europe threatened by Russian
aggression.
In addition, Trump walking away from the conflict would be seen worldwide as a
green light to other US adversaries, such as Iran and China, that it is open
season, as the US is not serious about defending any allied territory.
As someone who shows a keen interest in expanding America's trade ties, Trump of
all people should understand the disastrous implications another Putin-inspired
war would have for the US economy.
Far from showing any interest in ending Russia's military offensive in Ukraine,
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given every intention that he intends to
continue fighting until victory has been achieved. Pictured: Putin in Moscow on
March 19, 2025. (Photo by Alexei Nikolsky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Far from helping to end the war in Ukraine, all the indications suggest that US
President Donald Trump's mediation efforts are not only prolonging the conflict,
but increasing the likelihood that Russia will ultimately emerge victorious.
Trump's pledge to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office now seems
but a distant memory.
Instead, his belief that he could use his relationship with Russian President
Vladimir Putin to implement a lasting ceasefire has amounted to nothing, with
Trump now conceding that the Russian autocrat has shown little interest in
negotiating a peace deal.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump has informed European allies that
Putin is not ready to end the war because he believes he is winning. Trump
apparently made the acknowledgement during a call with European leaders that
followed a May 19 phone call with Putin, with whom he claims to have a special
relationship.
Trump's downbeat assessment to European leaders -- most of whom remain committed
to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia -- contrasts markedly with his
upbeat public assessment of the conversation.
Trump declared after the two-hour call with Putin that the "tone and spirit of
the conversation were excellent," and that Russia wanted to do "largescale"
trade with the US once the war was over.
Trump insisted that the talks went well and would lay the ground for Moscow and
Kyiv to immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire for ending the
conflict.
Trump even raised the prospect of newly-installed Pope Leo XIV hosting the peace
talks at the Vatican, claiming it would be "very interested" in hosting the
negotiations. Putin declined.
Indeed, far from showing any interest in ending Russia's military offensive in
Ukraine, the Russian leader has given every intention that he intends to
continue fighting until victory has been achieved.
Interviewed in a documentary marking his 25 years in power, Putin declared:
"We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a
logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires."
Nor does there appear to be any serious prospect that Trump will be willing to
hit the Kremlin with further sanctions, let alone military encouragement, if it
fails to show any serious interest in peace negotiations.
The American president had previously raised the prospect of hitting Russia with
a new round of sanctions if it showed no interest in ending the war. Trump has
been especially critical of Russia's continued missile and drone attacks against
civilian targets in Ukraine.
After his surprise meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome
during the funeral for Pope Francis last month, Trump wrote in a post on Truth
Social:
"[T]here was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas,
cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he
doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt
with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people
are dying!!!"Since then, Trump has appeared to back away from the threat,
instead telling European and Ukrainian officials that it is their
responsibility, not Washington's, to find a formula to end the conflict.
The Trump administration has even signalled that it will no longer act as a
mediator in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, claiming that neither
side has shown much interest in engaging in meaningful peace negotiations.
The gulf between the two sides was clearly evident when representatives of the
two countries held their first direct talks in three years, in Istanbul on May
16, a meeting that ended without major progress toward peace.
During the talks, the Russian delegation, a junior team led by Kremlin aide
Vladimir Medinsky, reportedly demanded that Kyiv fully surrender the four
Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims are Russian territory but does not fully
occupy. The Russian negotiators threatened to seize more Ukrainian regions if
this demand is not met.
The problem with Trump's hands-off approach to the Ukraine conflict is that it
could ultimately prove counterproductive for the US and its allies, as the more
Washington indicates it is losing interest in the conflict, the more encouraged
Moscow becomes that it will ultimately achieve victory.
Such an outcome would be disastrous: if Putin achieves his goal of seizing
territory by force in Ukraine, there will be nothing to prevent him from
launching further military adventures in Europe, a move that could provoke a
direct confrontation with Nato.
This outcome would be a disaster for the entire Nato alliance -- including the
US, which would see its extensive trade ties with Europe threatened by Russian
aggression.
In addition, Trump walking away from the conflict would be seen worldwide as a
green light to other US adversaries, such as Iran and China, that it is open
season, as the US is not serious about defending any allied territory.
As someone who shows a keen interest in expanding America's trade ties, Trump of
all people should understand the disastrous implications another Putin-inspired
war would have for the US economy.
The only way for Trump to prevent such a catastrophe is to abandon his hands-off
approach to the Ukraine conflict and instead demonstrate unequivocally that he
is not prepared to tolerate Russia achieving victory.
Fulfilling his pledge to impose secondary sanctions against Russia if it does
not agree to a lasting ceasefire would be a good first step: it would make it
clear that the US will continue to provide serious military support to Ukraine
if Russia insists on continuing the war.
Trump, if he wants America to enjoy the benefits of peace and prosperity in
Europe, must come to understand that withdrawing US involvement in the Ukraine
conflict, whether it involves military or diplomatic action, is simply not an
option.
**Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21647/trump-russia-ukraine-conflict
Trump in Riyadh: Saudis shift the storyline
Dr. Hatem Alzahrani/Arab News/May 25, 2025
As US President Donald Trump’s plane descended toward Riyadh on May 13, escorted
by Saudi F-15 fighter jets, preparations on the ground evoked a quiet cultural
confidence. Across the tarmac stretched the lavender ceremonial carpet,
officially adopted in 2021, inspired by the desert khuzama flower and bordered
with the geometric patterns of the UNESCO-inscribed traditional sadu weaving.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “the visionary leader who never sleeps,” as
Trump described him, welcomed his guest into the reception hall, where Saudi
coffee was served in traditional Arabian style. And within two days, perceptions
built up over decades began to shift.
Riyadh was once again Trump’s first foreign trip in office, this time coinciding
with the 80th anniversary of the 1945 Quincy meeting between King Abdulaziz and
President Franklin Roosevelt. Back in 2017, Trump’s first summit in Riyadh had
introduced a new political chemistry between a Saudi leadership with an
ambitious vision and an outsider American administration driven more by
deal-making than by bureaucratic routine.
The 2025 meeting, however, took place between two well-acquainted partners, at a
rare moment of symmetry: an American president returning to power after a
sweeping victory, and a young Saudi leader who is the architect of regional
transformation and the subject of global fascination, thanks to a vision that
repositioned his country as a rising force on the global stage.
While analysts were preoccupied with the headlines of political understandings,
investment deals, and bilateral economic agreements, the deeper meaning of this
visit lay in how the Saudis chose to present themselves, and how the Americans
responded.
For decades, visits by Western, especially American, leaders to the region
followed a familiar script: security cooperation in exchange for energy
stability, filtered through a condescending outsider’s gaze and quiet
assumptions of superiority. But this time, something fundamental had changed.
The inspiring Saudi reality on the ground turned old expectations on their head
and signaled a new way of seeing.
The visit became an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to reintroduce itself to the
world through its most authentic symbols, to reshape the storyline through which
it has long been seen — the lavender carpet; dallah pots pouring Saudi coffee
into finjan cups; Arabian horses escorting the presidential motorcade through
Al-Yamamah Palace; and the samri dance that greeted Trump in At-Turaif, the
UNESCO-listed district in Diriyah, birthplace of the Saudi state that restored
the Arabian Peninsula’s central role after a millennium away from the
geopolitical spotlight.
This was a live act of meaning-making from a nation that knows its own cultural
weight. On air, in real time, the Kingdom projected a narrative of itself as
confident, visionary, ambitious, and economically powerful. A country shaping
how it wants to be seen. Western media captured the symbolism with awe, while
Saudi digital majlises erupted with pride. The message was unmistakable: Welcome
to the new Saudi Arabia, a nation proud of its roots, open to the world, and
carrying a heritage unfolding toward the future.
Beyond symbolism, the perception shift was clearest in Trump’s own speech. In
one of its most striking moments, he delivered a sharp critique of “Western
interventionists ... giving you lectures on how to live or how to govern your
own affairs ... intervening in complex societies that they did not even
understand.” Then he declared that “the gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi
were not built by so-called nation-builders, or neocons, or liberal nonprofits.
They were built by the people of this region themselves, developing their own
sovereign countries, pursuing their own visions, and charting their own
destinies.”
The 2025 Riyadh Summit marks a new chapter in the Saudi-US story, one defined by
mutual respect and a new understanding of the region from within, rather than
through borrowed frameworks.
This echoed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 2018 remarks at the Future
Investment Initiative, two years after Vision 2030 was launched: “The new Europe
is the Middle East” and that achieving this vision is “the Saudis’ war, my war
personally. I do not want to die without seeing the Middle East at the forefront
of the world. This goal will be achieved 100 percent.”
Some at the time saw those words as a visionary promise still far from reach.
Even Trump acknowledged that: “Critics doubted whether what you achieved at home
was even possible.” But what once sounded like a distant ambition is now an
undeniable reality, and the US leader’s remarks were a direct response to that.
Moreover, these remarks marked a shift in how Washington perceives its
relationship with the region. They pushed back against the “Western savior”
narrative, returned credit to local agency, and acknowledged that real change is
now coming from within. The outcomes of the visit reflected this shift as well,
culminating in a strategic economic partnership covering vital sectors.
For years, the Middle East figured in American discourse as a problem to fix, a
threat to contain, or a place waiting to be saved. These portrayals were largely
imagined constructs, shaped by entrenched Western frameworks built on outdated
assumptions and ideological baggage. As historian Zachary Lockman reminds us in
“Contending Visions of the Middle East,” much of the Western scholarly
engagement with the region was historically tied to the priorities of foreign
powers, rather than a genuine intellectual quest for understanding. The Middle
East was treated as the “Other,” an object to be studied and explained in
service of Western strategy.
Now, the lens is changing. The developmental models taking shape in the wider
region are not imported templates, but strategies born from lived experience and
cultural depth. Now reality leads perception, after decades in which perception
shaped reality. Thanks to countries like Saudi Arabia, the region is reclaiming
its voice as a fully engaged actor, redefining itself from within what was long
considered an “exotic” or “mysterious” part of the world.
Saudi Arabia is redrawing its global image with clarity of vision and tangible
results. Through self-assessment, data-driven governance, and large-scale
reforms, the Kingdom has done in a few years what Trump called “a modern
miracle, the Arabian way.” This shift echoes a broader global rebalancing. As
Fareed Zakaria outlines in “The Age of Revolutions,” we are witnessing the rise
of “new powers,” countries that combine bold economic reform with cultural
self-confidence and geopolitical ambition. Saudi Arabia stands as a leading
example of these emerging global actors.
With strategic clarity, Saudi Arabia is reclaiming its place in the global
imagination, not as a petro-state anomaly, but a civilizational force rooted in
the Arabian Peninsula. For centuries, this land served as a crossroads of trade
and a hub of cultural exchange. It gave rise to a language that became a global
medium of learning and philosophy. From its historic cities, the people of
Arabia, alongside peoples from Asia, Africa, and Europe, helped synthesize
ancient knowledge and forge new ideas in science, law, literature, and
spirituality. Vision 2030 calls back to this legacy as a strategic resource,
reinvesting it to forge global partnerships, articulate a confident Saudi
identity, and position the Kingdom as a key player in shaping the future.
In that spirit, the 2025 Riyadh Summit marks a new chapter in the Saudi-US
story, one defined by mutual respect and a new understanding of the region from
within, rather than through borrowed frameworks. “All of humanity will soon be
amazed at what they will see right here in this geographic center of the world
and the spiritual heart of its greatest faiths,” Trump declared in his Riyadh
address. It was a shift in perception, a recognition that the West will now
understand the region through its own successful models. And at the center of
those models stands Saudi Arabia as a force actively shaping the narratives of
tomorrow.
• Dr. Hatem Alzahrani is a writer, cultural adviser, and academic specializing
in Middle Eastern cultures. He holds an MA from Yale University and a Ph.D. from
Georgetown University. He is a member of the International Arts Advisory
Committee at the Middle East Institute.
X: @HoYalieOfArabia
No quick way back for UK-Israel relations
Alistair Burt/Arab News/May 25, 2025
In 40 years of being a close observer of, and participant in, UK-Israel
relations, in fair weather and foul, I had never heard the strength of official
criticism of the Israeli government with which Foreign Secretary David Lammy and
Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke last week. Describing Israel’s blockade of
Gaza as “indefensible and cruel,” and “intolerable,” while also ending trade
talks with Israel and summoning its ambassador to the Foreign Office, the UK’s
language and actions marked a turning point in the relationship between two
allies.
It is important to note what it was not. This is not support for Hamas. This is
not a break in the UK’s support for the existence and safety of Israel, proved
just a few months ago with the launch of aircraft to help defend the country
against Iranian missiles — a mission the UK would perform today if asked.
But it was almost a cry of despair at the actions of a friend now risking much
more than it appears to realize worldwide, dragging the UK into a position of
complicity which its domestic politics demanded could no longer be acceptable.
The catalysts for this change were clear, and none were connected with wanting
terror to win, as senior Israeli politicians claimed. There has been rising UK
domestic political unease for months, from all parties in Parliament. UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs chief Tom Fletcher’s speech to the
UN, warning the Security Council of its responsibilities in stark terms on May
13; the media coverage of UK medical staff in Gaza and their testimony of the
conditions of patients and hospitals under attack; and the pictures of obviously
starving children — all counted in the minds of ministers.
But perhaps more than anything else has been the announcements by Israel of
action that seemed to suggest no end to the existing catastrophe, but promised
more and worse to come, from the recommencement of even more severe ground
operations, and an Israeli minister’s boast that Gaza would be “cleansed” and
its population displaced — described as “extremist” by the UK foreign secretary.
For the UK, and importantly France and Canada — also strong and not fair-weather
friends of Israel — “enough” was the one-word description.
The Israeli reaction was, I suspect, anticipated, debated in the Foreign Office,
and accepted as an inevitable price. The Israeli government is extremely
sensitive to any criticism, and could have been expected to denounce what the UK
had said and done with a dig at history and the British Mandate and little
acknowledgement of continuing and not insignificant UK support.
The Israeli reaction was accepted as an inevitable price.
But, of course, what could not have been predicted was the outrageous murder of
two young Israeli officials in Washington, a cruel coincidence of fate, which
would conflate issues better kept separate. A hurt and stung Israel has said
harsh things in its grief. It is highly unlikely that the foreign policy
positions of the UK, France, and Canada will have influenced the murderer in
whatever motives he might twistedly have possessed, but none of us know. It
would be best in my view for the reaction to such remarks to end quickly,
respecting the pain of the families involved. Increased bitterness surrounding
them adds nothing to the resolution of issues.
It is to that resolution that the UK, and the world, should now turn its
attention. There is no going back on what the UK prime minister and foreign
secretary have said and what they believe. Israel’s declared way forward will
not succeed in giving it security or the return of hostages, which may now be
incidental to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, but not to the UK, to
families involved or to millions of Israelis. The refusal to negotiate peace by
all those on both sides with an interest only in the war continuing will condemn
thousands to die now, and if extremist voices are heard, condemn future
generations to slaughter. And, as Washington showed, do not expect this to be
confined to the region. The UK should now be demanding that “enough” is the cry
of all.
The taboo in the West of governments seriously criticizing an Israeli government
has gone, not because these governments are antisemitic, but precisely because
they are not. They are rightly, and about time, demonstrating that you can call
out the actions of a government when you think it is wrong without denying its
right to exist, in the same way that you can support the right of a people to a
state, without endorsing terror.
The forthcoming Saudi-French international conference has to tackle more taboos.
It must not be a declaratory affair, but one that addresses the questions ducked
for too long. How will Arab states that want a relationship with Israel, and a
Palestinian state, practically address Israel’s security, as suggested at the UN
General Assembly back in September? Who will make Israel realize that its
security based on denying a Palestinian state has been illusory? Who will ensure
that in return for statehood, neither Hamas nor any other ideological force
denying Israel’s existence will ever have power or authority? What concrete
steps will be set out to end violence and terror on the West Bank?
Israel’s best friends have taken a risk. For the sake of those dying now, and
doomed to die in the future, we are running out of time for other friends to
talk truth to all protagonists.
**Alistair Burt is a former UK member of Parliament who has twice held
ministerial positions in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; as parliamentary
undersecretary of state from 2010 to 2013 and as minister of state for the
Middle East from 2017 to 2019. X: @AlistairBurtUK