English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 28/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The Miracle Of Reviving Lazarus From the Grave/I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
John 11/17-27: “When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 27-28/2025
The Possible Appointment of Nejad Fares as Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington Raises Serious Questions/Elias Bejjani/May 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
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: May 12–May 18, 2025/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/May 27/2025
You Lebanese people,Return to your patriotism and free yourselves from your subservience so that the heart of the nation may beat/Youssef Salameh/Facebook/May 27/2025
Israeli strike on south Lebanon kills one: ministry
What did Aoun and Hezbollah delegation discuss?
Salam says Lebanon retrieving itself, its Arab identity and its openness to the world
Berri not notified of Ortagus visit, says US hasn't done enough to stop Israeli violations
Lebanon PM says media is key to nation’s peace after conflict
Can Lebanon succeed in disarming Hezbollah when Israeli troops still hold territory?/ANAN TELLO/Arab News/May 27, 2025
Cyprus Maronites Vanishing Language/MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS/Associated Press/May 24, 2025
Lebanon’s Nabih Berri, The Perpetual Speaker/John Smith/American Thinker/May 24/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 27-28/2025
Syria and Israel in direct talks focused on security, sources say
Judge stabbed to death in southern Iran
Israeli forces raid foreign exchange stores across West Bank
Jordan, Finland agree on need for two-state solution for regional stability
Gaza dominates Arab League Summit as leaders push for ceasefire and pledge to work on reconstruction
Germany threatens steps against Israel as tone shifts over Gaza
Israeli troops fire warning shots as Palestinians overwhelm new Gaza food center
Hundreds of lawyers call for UK sanctions on Israel over Gaza war
Sweden charges man over 2014 killing of Jordan pilot in Syria
4 Liverpool fans seriously hurt in UK car ramming
US says supports gas deals with Kurdistan region after Iraq lawsuit
Arab journalists, lawmakers call for media reform at Dubai summit
Trump says it will cost Canada $61B to join 'Golden Dome'

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sourceson on May 27-28/2025
Syria’s captagon industry continues to flourish despite new regime crackdowns/Natalie Ecanow and Nam Tran/FDD's Long War Journal/May 27/2025
'Tyranny in Disguise': Will Democracy Survive in Europe?/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/May 27, 2025
IDF firing ‘warning shots’ near diplomats sets an unacceptable precedent in international relations/Andrew Forde, Assistant Professor - European Human Rights Law, Dublin City University/The Conversation/May 27, 2025
Europe’s rude awakening on confronting Israel/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/May 27, 2025
Golden Dome: The next theater of strategic conflict?/Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/May 27, 2025
The end of certainty and the rise of the rest/Dr. John Sfakianakis//Arab News/May 27, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 27-28/2025
The Possible Appointment of Nejad Fares as Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington Raises Serious Questions
Elias Bejjani/May 26/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143687/
Last week, social media platforms circulated news about intensive deliberations taking place at the highest levels in Lebanon to choose a new ambassador to the United States. The leading candidate appears to be Mr. Nejad Fares, a prominent figure in the "American Task Force for Lebanon" (ATFL), who is reportedly receiving special backing from president Joseph Aoun. As discussions around this appointment intensify, it is essential to pause and raise a number of questions and observations—not out of personal suspicion, but from a standpoint rooted in Lebanon’s national interest, its sovereignty, and the ongoing regional shifts and domestic challenges Lebanon faces in its struggle to reclaim its independence and liberate itself from the Iranian-Hezbollah occupation.
The first and most obvious question is this, why is a dual U.S. citizen being considered for this crucial post, when Lebanon and the Lebanese diaspora are home to hundreds of highly qualified, sovereign-minded individuals who meet all legal requirements and do not need to renounce any foreign citizenship to comply with Lebanese laws?
Doesn't this indicate a troubling narrowness in the selection process—especially in president's  Aoun’s choices?
And why, during such a critical and sensitive period, the focus is on nominating figures who spark political controversy and raise many questions?
If it is indeed true that president Aoun is pushing for Mr. Nejad Fares to be appointed to this position, then it is Mr. Fares’s duty—first and foremost—to clearly and publicly declare to the Lebanese people, and to the regional and international actors striving to help Lebanon break free from Iranian occupation:
Where does he stand on the key United Nations Security Council resolutions related to Lebanon, particularly:
Resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of all militias,
Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war and reasserted the sovereignty of the Lebanese state,
Resolution 1680, which called for the demarcation of borders with Syria.
And most importantly, his clear stance on all the provisions of the ceasefire agreement issued following the end of the war that Hezbollah launched against the State of Israel—on orders from Iran, not Lebanon—in support of Hamas’s terrorist war.
We must ask: Does Mr. Fares support the full implementation of these resolutions? Or does he, like president Joseph Aoun, adhere to the failed notion of “dialogue with Hezbollah”—a theory that has proven disastrous over the past two decades? Hezbollah has never once abandoned its weapons. It has rejected every call for dialogue, broken every national accord, and each time it sat at the dialogue table, it later returned to impose its terms on the Lebanese people by force of arms.
The national and moral responsibility falls on Mr. Fares—if he truly intends to take on this diplomatic post—to issue an unambiguous and public statement detailing his position on Hezbollah and the aforementioned international resolutions. He must express his full commitment to these resolutions and affirm his belief that only the Lebanese state should possess arms—no one else.
Ultimately, if the reports of Mr. Nejad Fares’s nomination are accurate, then many inside Lebanon and within the diaspora view this choice as highly unfortunate, one that raises serious doubts about its timing and implications.
In conclusion, Lebanon today needs ambassadors with a sovereign and independent track record—diplomats committed to confronting the Iranian project and ending Hezbollah’s occupation. It is time to appoint ambassadors who genuinely represent a Lebanon that seeks peace, liberation, and an end to Hezbollah’s grip and to all forms of violence and hostility.

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.

Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: May 12–May 18, 2025
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/May 27/2025
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between May 12 and May 18, 2025. The IDF’s activities last week included targeted strikes on Hezbollah operatives, including one regional commander.
The IDF conducted operations in 16 Lebanese locales during the week, some more than once. The activities were primarily concentrated south of the Litani River, but several also targeted Hezbollah north of the waterway. Eleven areas were hit by airstrikes, two were hit by artillery fire, and three experienced ground actions. Additionally, the IDF fired flares and smokescreens over one area.
Israeli operations in south Lebanon between May 12 and May 18, 2025. Green: Israeli outposts. Red: Israeli ground operations. Dark Gray: Israeli artillery attacks. Lighter Gray: Israeli smokescreens. Lighter blue: Israeli airstrikes. Purple: Israeli flares. Red: Israeli ground operations. Orange: Reference points. Darker blue: Partial course of the Litani River. (Google Earth annotated by LWJ)
Nabatieh Governorate
Bint Jbeil District: Ayta Ash Shaab, Beit Yahoun, Maroun Al Ras, and Shaqra
Hasbaya: Shebaa-Al Sadana
Marjayoun District: Adaisseh, Houla, and Kfar Kela
Nabatieh: Arnoun-Yohmor and Qaaqaaiyet Al Jisr
South Lebanon Governorate
Saida District: Zrariyeh
Tyre District: Alma Al Shaab-Lahlah, Dhayra, Jwaya, Naqoura, and Yarine
Casualties
Total casualties from Israeli operations in Lebanon reached four people killed, all Hezbollah operatives, and two people wounded—one of whom was not identified and the other is an LAF soldier.
May 12, 2025: No casualties were reported.
May 13, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed.
May 14, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed.
May 15, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed.
May 16, 2025: No casualties were reported.
May 17, 2025: One Hezbollah commander was killed.
May 18, 2025: Two people were wounded, including an LAF soldier.
Chronology of Israeli operations against Hezbollah, May 12–May 18, 2025
May 12
At 10:56 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops from the Labbouneh outpost inside south Lebanon raised defensive earthen barriers within Lebanese territory on the outskirts of Alma Al Shaab in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District. Two Merkava tanks, accompanied by five military vehicles and two bulldozers, reportedly entered the area of Lahlah to raise the defensive barriers approximately 100 meters from a nearby Lebanese army post.
May 13
At 1:10 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a motorbike in the Tayri Pond area in Houla in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated sources later revealed the fatality was Hezbollah operative Musa Ali Aboud, whose nom de guerre was Abu Al Fadl, from Houla.
At 3:33 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted an excavator in Jwaya in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 5:20 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun grenade on the public school of Dhayra in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 7:34 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops directed gunfire at the wooded areas outside of Ayta Ash Shaab and Rmeish in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 8:18 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the town of Shaqra in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. However, the missile did not explode, and the driver survived.
Death announcement of Musa Ali Aboud. (Balagh Media Telegram)
May 14
At 8:17 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Qaaqaaiyet Al Jisr in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District, killing one person. At 1:32 pm, Hezbollah-affiliated social media accounts announced the death of Hezbollah operative Hussain Neemeh Melhem, whose nom de guerre was Shamran, from the village of Qabrikha. At 2:08 pm, the IDF released a statement saying it had targeted and killed “an operative from the Hezbollah terrorist organization who acted as the commander of the organization’s Qabrikha complex.”
At 11:06 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops directed gunfire from the Tel Al Aoueidah Post in south Lebanon toward Maroun Al Ras in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
Death announcement of Hussain Nehmeh Melhem. (Balagh Media Telegram)
May 15
At 8:25 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that after midnight, an Israeli Apache helicopter targeted a prefabricated home belonging to Hezbollah’s “Wa Taawanu” NGO in Houla in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 10:28 am, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on a prefabricated structure in Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 11:20 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun grenade on the school in Dhayra in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 11:45 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on a home in Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 3:48 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on a bulldozer in the valley between Yohmor and Arnoun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated social media accounts later announced the strike had killed Hezbollah operative Mohammad Ali Marouni, whose nom de guerre was Ammar, from the village of Arnoun in south Lebanon. At 7:36 pm, the IDF announced that it had targeted and killed “a Hezbollah terrorist near Arnoun who was involved in attempts to rebuild the group’s infrastructure in the area.”
At 6:06 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery fired eight shells at Al Sadana Hill, on the outskirts of Shebaa, in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Hasbaya District.
At 9:39 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted prefabricated structures in Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 10:02 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery again shelled prefabricated structures in Ayta Ash Shaab.
Death announcement of Mohammad Ali Marouni.
May 16
At 3:22 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces fired smokescreen shells over Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
May 17
At 8:20 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone conducted two airstrikes on a hangar in the Mafraq neighborhood in Ayta Al Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 8:52 am, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Wadi Khalil on the road to Zrariyeh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Saida District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah later declared that one of its commanders, Mahdi Ahmad Al Tamer, whose nom de guerre was Sajed, had been killed in the strike. At 12:03 pm, the IDF identified Tamer as a “commander in Hezbollah’s Shqif Command, who was involved in attempts to rebuild the group’s infrastructure in the area” where he was killed, noting that “rebuilding terrorist infrastructure and operating from them constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
At 9:37 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted a prefabricated structure and a cement factory in Yarine in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 10:34 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped an explosive on a tractor in the town of Dhayra in the south Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 12:10 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun explosive near several fishermen on the coast of Naqoura in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 3:12 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped three stun explosives near a destroyed house in Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
Mahdi Ahmat Al Tamer (left) and his official death poster.
May 18
At 12:30 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in the town of Beit Yahoun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The strike wounded two people, one of whom the Lebanese Health Ministry says was a Lebanese Armed Forces soldier.
At 8:13 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops positioned near Metulla in Israel fired upon a vehicle in Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 9:33 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops fired illuminating flares over Shebaa in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Hasbaya District.
David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/05/israeli-operations-in-lebanon-against-hezbollah-may-12-may-18-2025.php

You Lebanese people,Return to your patriotism and free yourselves from your subservience so that the heart of the nation may beat
Youssef Salameh/Facebook/May 27/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143726/
The recent municipal and mayoral elections have confirmed that the Lebanese are graduates of a school that has labeled each sect with a duality: the Shia has its duality, the Christians are besieged by duality, the Druze maintains its own, and the Sunni alone has its particularity: “sons of one nation from the ocean to the gulf.”Unfortunately, it is a school that does not produce citizens and does not build a nation. By the way, the re-election of Mrs. Mirna Murr as head of the Federation of Metn Municipalities confirms that the calculations of the Christians are in one place, and the priorities of their political parties are in another. Hence, I advise the princes of empty ambitions to be a little humble and respect our minds. The announcement by the FPM (Free Patriotic Movement) of its victory in the election of Mrs. Mirna Murr as head of the Federation of North Metn Municipalities reminds me of the Lebanese Forces’ announcement of their victory in the election of “Faysal George Afram as head of Jounieh Municipality and Sheikh Rachid Haykal El Khazen as vice-president.”Personal ambition is the measure of true leadership, and unfortunately, the ambition of our leaders has not yet reached the borders of the nation.O Lebanese people, “Return to your patriotism and free yourselves from your subservience so that the heart of the nation may beat!”

Israeli strike on south Lebanon kills one: ministry
AFP/May 27, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike on south Lebanon killed one man on Tuesday, the latest attack despite a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. In a statement, the ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike” on a motorcycle killed one man in Yater, in south Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack, which came after it said it killed a Hezbollah member in south Lebanon’s Majdal Zoun on Monday. Israel has continued to launch strikes on its northern neighbor despite the November truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of full-blown war.Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, only UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army should be deployed in southern Lebanon, though Israel has kept its forces in five areas it has declared strategic. Lebanon has called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its attacks and withdraw all its troops.

What did Aoun and Hezbollah delegation discuss?
Naharnet/May 27, 2025
President Joseph Aoun held a friendly meeting with a delegation from Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc on Monday, after which sources from or close to the bloc lauded Aoun as “very affable,” a media report said. “President Aoun joked with the bloc members, talking about neighborliness between Jbaa, the hometown of MP Mohammad Raad, and al-Aishiyeh, the hometown of the president, with Aoun telling Raad: ‘We are sons of the same region,’” the sources told Al-Jadeed television. “The president did not mention any pressing deadlines or specific dates as to the issue of arms handover, but the conferees sensed the president’s desire to offer ‘something tangible’ to the international community,” the sources added. As for the issue of arms removal south of the Litani River, Aoun described the course of things as “excellent and positive,” noting that Hezbollah has been “very cooperative.”The meeting also tackled several files, most notably the municipal elections, the general situation in Lebanon, the Israel-held Lebanese captives and post-war reconstruction, with Hezbollah’s MPs telling Aoun that “the people of the South are still without homes.”The president responded, according to the sources, by saying that “there is no link between weapons and reconstruction, explaining the role of the ministerial committee tasked with preparing the reconstruction study.” Aoun added that he is seeking to hold an international conference with the participation of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., France and Egypt to rally support for Lebanon’s reconstruction process.Pressed by the delegation about Israel’s daily strikes and violations and about Lebanese authorities’ response in this regard, Aoun told Hezbollah’s MPs that he is holding nonstop contacts in this regard with the international delegations and sides.

Salam says Lebanon retrieving itself, its Arab identity and its openness to the world
Naharnet/May 27, 2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that Lebanon, exhausted by divisions and wars, has decided to retrieve the state and its monopoly on arms and to return to the Arab fold. In a speech at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai, Salam said that Lebanon's project - which "is not a fantasy, but a realistic project" - is based on reforms and sovereignty, explaining that the latter means freeing Lebanon from the duality of arms "which led to dual decision-making and to the loss of a national state." "We want a Lebanon that takes its own decisions in peace and war, a Lebanon rooted in its Arab identity and affiliation, open to the world, and capable of serving as a bridge between the East and the West" Salam said, as he urged the Arab world to return as well to Lebanon through investments and partnerships. "As Lebanon returns to the Arab fold, it longs for the return of its Arab brothers to it, an effective return based on partnership," the Prime Minister said. Salam said his "realistic" vision of the Lebanese state is "a state of law and institutions not a state of quotas and clientelism, a state of sovereignty not subjugation, a state of decision-making not an arena for conflicts."

Berri not notified of Ortagus visit, says US hasn't done enough to stop Israeli violations
Naharnet/May 27, 2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has only heard about U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus' visit to Lebanon from media reports. Berri told local al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that he hasn't been formally informed that Ortagus would visit Lebanon next week and that he has not seen any tangible steps from the U.S. regarding the Israeli violations of the November ceasefire. Israel has continued to launch near-daily airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon and sometimes in Beirut’s suburbs despite a November 27 truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war. Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, the only armed bodies in southern Lebanon are meant to be U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon's army, though Israel has retained its forces in five areas it has declared strategic. "We are committed to the ceasefire," Berri said, urging the U.S. to compel Israel to stop its attacks. Al-Akhbar newspaper had earlier reported that the Lebanese presidency was informed of a postponement of a visit by Ortagus from May to June and that the U.S. diplomat would carry with her a list of U.S. conditions for Israel's complete withdrawal from south Lebanon and a halt of its attacks on the country and would pressure Lebanon to consider joining peace accords with Israel. Ortagus said last week that Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah across the country.

Lebanon PM says media is key to nation’s peace after conflict
Celine Hijazi and Dalal Awienat/Arab News/May 27, 2025
DUBAI: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has emphasized the pivotal role of the media in shaping a new era of peace and prosperity for Lebanon. “We are at a historical juncture in our country, especially when it comes to media. We want a living Arab media that creates the future and doesn’t linger on the past,” Salam said during his address on Tuesday at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai. Since Lebanon’s ceasefire agreement with Israel in November, the country has been racing to rebuild — physically, socially, and politically. “We are back — back to our state and back to our Arab identity,” Salam declared, concluding his speech and receiving emphatic applause from the audience.He credited the UAE and GCC for their support in Lebanon’s recovery, noting the significance of Emirati citizens returning to visit the country. “I want to thank the GCC, and especially the UAE and its leaders such as His Highness President Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who kept their promise and allowed our Emirati brothers to travel to Lebanon,” he said. Highlighting the media’s power in shaping public discourse, Salam acknowledged both its potential for progress and its risk of harm. “Seventy-five percent of the world’s population has a smartphone; 67 percent are connected to the internet, and 57 percent receive news through social media,” he said. “Media is becoming a tool for misinformation and the spread of distorted context.”
In a country marked by decades of political and sectarian divides, Salam stressed the importance of media neutrality in his nation. “We don’t want the media to be loyal to us. We want it to be professional, neutral, and a shared space for understanding,” he stated.
Despite progress, Salam warned that Lebanon’s path forward remains complex, but harnessing the influence of the media was a critical tool for improving conditions in Lebanon, and maintaining sovereignty. “We still have commitments,” he said, referring to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. “We continue to face occupation of our land and ongoing violations from Israel.” He reassured, however, that while the media can be a “maker of peace and war,” Lebanon would prioritize a neutral media outlet — free from sectarian ties — that upholds truth for the well-being of all Lebanese citizens. “I speak to you not only as a prime minister, but as Lebanese citizen, I have lived through the pain and hope, and I also believe that when words are honest and true, they can be a bridge to building humanity between communities.”“Lebanon is making its comeback from its crises, based on the principle of reform and sovereignty. Our vision for Lebanon is not just imagined, it is a project. “We want a state of decision and a country that is enshrined in its Arab identity and to become a bridge from the east to the west,” he said. “We are back, we are back to our state and back to our Arab identity,” he said.

Can Lebanon succeed in disarming Hezbollah when Israeli troops still hold territory?
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/May 27, 2025
LONDON: Lebanon’s armed forces say they have taken control of several villages near the border with Israel that had long been held by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. But behind these official declarations is a more complicated reality — and a fragile peace that may not hold. On April 30, the Lebanese army announced it had dismantled more than 90 percent of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River, near the Israeli border. The operation followed a ceasefire in late November between Israel and the militia. That same day, President Joseph Aoun told Sky News Arabia that the army had deployed across 85 percent of southern Lebanon. He emphasized that efforts to remove weapons not under state control were taking place nationwide, although the “priority is the southern part of the country” — Hezbollah’s stronghold. “The army, despite its limited resources, is deployed across the entire Lebanese territory, inside the country as well as at the east, north, northeast, and south borders,” Aoun said. About two weeks later, at the Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 — the framework for the current truce. But enforcing that commitment comes with its own set of challenges. “The president and prime minister’s affirmation of Lebanon’s monopoly on force is a step in the right direction,” Fadi Nicholas Nassar, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Arab News. “But its promise fades the moment Hezbollah’s open defiance goes unchallenged.”He said the ceasefire offered a prime opportunity to disarm Hezbollah, which continues to resist full disarmament during Israel’s ongoing occupation of parts of Lebanon. “The ceasefire agreement that ended the war must be framed, not as a de-escalation, but as a decisive window for Lebanon to complete Hezbollah’s disarmament — anything less risks another military confrontation Lebanon cannot afford,” he added. Israel continues to occupy five hilltop positions it deems strategic, despite a Feb. 18 deadline for withdrawal. Aoun said this has prevented the Lebanese army from fully deploying along the border. Aoun said Lebanon had asked the US and France, the ceasefire’s guarantors, to pressure Israel to pull out. In a recent interview with Egyptian channel ON E, he said Israel’s occupation of the five sites is a major obstacle to border control. “We are in constant contact with the US to urge it to pressure Israel,” he said, stressing that Lebanon is seeking a durable truce — not normalization of ties. While Hezbollah has avoided further escalation, its deputy leader Naim Qassem said in February that Israel must withdraw completely, saying “there is no pretext for five points nor other details.”“Hezbollah has taken serious hits,” Nassar said. “It’s lost much of its arsenal and key figures in its leadership, both vital to its ability to adapt and survive.”Despite this, “it’s still a disciplined, ideologically driven force that can threaten to derail the progress unfolding across the Levant,” he added.
The recent conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken hostage. After Israel retaliated by launching airstrikes and ground incursions against Gaza, Hezbollah began rocket attacks on Israel from the north. By autumn 2024, the cross-border exchanges had escalated into full-scale war. Over the course of the conflict, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 3,800 Lebanese, injured about 15,700, and displaced nearly 1 million, according to Lebanese health authorities.
The World Bank put Lebanon’s economic losses at $14 billion. Hezbollah, meanwhile, suffered heavy losses to its leadership, fighters, weapons, and public support.
A ceasefire was reached on Nov. 27, brokered by Washington and Paris. Anchored in UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, the deal called for Israel’s full withdrawal and for Hezbollah to relocate fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle all military sites in the south. However, six months on, Israel still occupies Jal Al-Deir and Jabal Blat in Bint Jbeil district, Labbouneh and Alma Al-Shaab in Tyre, and Hamames Hill and a newly built outpost along the Markaba-Houla road in Marjayoun. An Israeli military spokesperson said their troops “need to remain at those points at the moment to defend Israeli citizens, to make sure this process is complete and eventually hand it over to the Lebanese armed forces,” Reuters reported. The UN high commissioner for human rights raised the alarm in April over the increase in Israeli offences since the ceasefire began. At least 71 civilians have been killed and critical infrastructure destroyed, according to a preliminary OHCHR review.
Aoun also reported nearly 3,000 Israeli ceasefire breaches.
Meanwhile, Israel said at least five rockets, two mortars, and a drone have been launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel since the ceasefire. “Israel should stop carrying out strikes in Lebanon immediately,” David Wood, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, told Arab News. “The whole point of the ceasefire deal was to empower the Lebanese army to exert control over all Lebanese territory, to the exclusion of Hezbollah.”He said that continued Israeli attacks risk undermining state authority and bolstering Hezbollah’s narrative. “Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, even as the army makes progress on implementing the agreement, threaten to undermine the state’s authority,” he said. “Especially in areas facing constant assaults, locals might increasingly view Hezbollah’s armed resistance as their only effective defense against Israeli aggression.” While Hezbollah has cooperated with army efforts south of the Litani, it refuses to disarm elsewhere until Israel leaves Lebanese soil. Hezbollah chief Qassem insists only his forces can defend Lebanon. “Lebanese officials are satisfied that Hezbollah is cooperating with the disarmament process in the area south of the Litani River, which is next to the Lebanese-Israeli border,” Wood said. “However, Hezbollah refuses to surrender its weapons in the rest of the country, at least until Lebanon’s various political factions have entered into dialogue concerning a new national defense strategy.”Disarmament is a key demand from the US, Qatar, and other foreign donors. But Lebanese authorities prefer dialogue to confrontation, wary of igniting civil conflict or scaring off badly needed investment. “Lebanon’s new president and government have made clear that, when it comes to Hezbollah’s disarmament, they prefer cooperation over confrontation,” Wood said.“They want to achieve the state’s monopoly over arms yet also avoid a potentially dangerous clash between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah.”
FASTFACTS
• Lebanon’s army has taken control of most Hezbollah-held areas in the south, dismantling 90% of its military infrastructure. • Despite army gains, Hezbollah refuses full disarmament until Israel withdraws from all occupied positions in Lebanon.
Last month, Aoun said the decision to limit the monopoly on weaponry to the state “has been made” and will be carried out “through dialogue, not force.”Still, international pressure on Lebanon is mounting. “Lebanon faces growing pressure — chiefly from the US, Israel, and some of Hezbollah’s domestic opponents — to accelerate the disarmament process, even without Hezbollah’s approval,” Wood said.
Last week, Morgan Ortagus, the deputy US special envoy to the Middle East, said Lebanon has “more work to do” to fully disarm Hezbollah, despite making more progress in the past six months than in the previous 15 years.
“We in the US have called for the full disarmament of Hezbollah. And so that doesn’t mean just south of the Litani. That means in the whole country,” Ortagus told the Qatar Economic Forum. Disarmament is a key demand from the US, Qatar, and other foreign donors. (AFP) Aoun, however, cautioned against moving too quickly. He reiterated in his interview with Egypt’s ON E that Hezbollah’s disarmament should proceed through dialogue, not confrontation. Makram Rabah, an assistant professor at the American University of Beirut, said the army is not expected to “engage in a physical clash with Hezbollah.” Even so, he warned, the state must stop clinging to the notion that disarmament depends solely on Hezbollah’s cooperation.
“The government should stop promoting the idea that disarming Hezbollah requires dialogue — that it only requires coordination with Hezbollah for them to hand over their weapons,” Rabah told Arab News. “If they refuse to do so, they will have to deal with Israel.”He said Lebanese authorities are failing to meet their obligations under Resolution 1701. “The president of the republic was elected on a platform of establishing full sovereignty, and up until now, he has failed to do so.”
Elaborating, Rabah said the core problem lies in the government’s reliance on consensus — a strategy, he argued, that plays directly into Hezbollah’s hands.
“It’s clear that Hezbollah’s weapons — which are Iranian in nature — have exposed and devastated Lebanon,” he said. “Once the government starts acting like a real government, there will be no justification for Israel to maintain a physical presence in Lebanon. “Israel’s continued airstrikes serve as a reminder to the Lebanese authorities that they are failing to do their job,” he added, stressing that “it’s not a question of capability — it’s a question of will. “Frankly, I don’t think the Lebanese leadership is even serious about confronting the issue, because they expect Israel to handle it for them. And that, ultimately, is deeply damaging to Lebanon as a sovereign state.”

Cyprus Maronites Vanishing Language
MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS/Associated Press/May 24, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143706/
KORMAKITIS, Cyprus — Ash dangled precariously from Iosif Skordis' cigarette as he reminisced with fellow villagers in a language on the edge of extinction, one that partly traces its roots to the language Jesus Christ once spoke. The 97-year-old Skordis is one of only 900 people in the world who speak Cypriot Maronite Arabic, or Sanna. Today, his village of Kormakitis is the last bastion of a language once spoken by tens of thousands of people across dozens of villages. The tongue, an offshoot of Syrian Arabic that has absorbed some Greek, has been passed from generation to generation in this windswept community in Cyprus. Until less than two decades ago, there was no written script, or even an alphabet, since parents transmitted it to children in conversation. Only a handful of people are trained to teach it. Sanna is at risk of disappearing, according to the Council of Europe’s minority language experts. One Indigenous language dies every two weeks, the United Nations estimates, diminishing the tapestry of human knowledge one strand at a time. But the 7,500-strong Maronite community in Cyprus is pushing back. With help from the Cypriot government and the European Union, it has built schools, created a Sanna alphabet to publish textbooks and begun classes to keep the language alive and thriving. “Sanna … is undoubtedly one of the most distinguishing features of our cultural identity,” said Yiannakis Moussas, the Maronite community’s representative in the Cypriot legislature. He spoke in the Kormakitis coffeehouse adorned with soccer trophies and banners emblazoned with a Lebanese cedar. “And it’s striking evidence of our heritage. The fact that we speak a kind of Arabic over so many centuries makes it clear that we descend from areas of Syria and Lebanon.”
Roots in Syria and Lebanon
The language was brought to Cyprus by waves of Arab Christians fleeing persecution by invading Arab Muslim fighters in what is now Syria, Lebanon and Israel, starting as early as the 8th century. Sanna at its root is a semitic language that, unlike other Arabic dialects, contains traces of the Aramaic that was spoken by populations prior to the Arab invasion of the Levant, according to University of Cyprus linguistics professor Marilena Kariolemou, who leads the team responsible for the language’s revitalization. That’s because the Maronite community in Cyprus was isolated from other Arabic-speaking populations. But as Maronites increasingly interacted with the island’s majority Greek-speaking population and became bilingual, Sanna evolved to incorporate several Greek words, adding to its uniqueness among the many Arabic dialects. According to Kariolemou, Sanna contains five vowels similar to Greek and another three similar to Aramaic, while consonants whose sounds are formed in the back of the throat have diminished, likely because of the Greek influence. Sanna also adopted Greek syntax, she said.
The effects of a Turkish invasion
Until the mid-1970s, the Maronite community was largely centered around four villages: Asomatos, Ayia Marina, Karpasia and Kormakitis as the cultural center. But the 1974 Turkish invasion that split Cyprus into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and a Greek Cypriot south, where the internationally recognized government is based, saw most Maronites dispersed throughout the south. Asomatos and Ayia Marina are empty of Maronite inhabitants and are now Turkish army camps. Moussas, the community representative, said the consequences of 1974 were “catastrophic” for the Maronites as they gravitated toward the island’ It’s said that currently, only one in five Maronite marriages are between members of the community.
A hope for revival
That left Kormakitis as the linguistic “hive” for Cypriot Maronite Arabic, only spoken by residents over 50, according to retired teacher Ilias Zonias. Born in Kormakitis, Zonias is the only native Sanna speaker qualified to teach the language. Kormakitis was a closed society in which residents spoke Sanna, while their kids went to school not knowing Greek. That’s how the language was preserved, Zonias said. Still, speakers after 1974 began to dwindle until around the turn of the millennium, when the Maronite community with the help of the Cypriot government increased efforts to save the language. Cyprus’ 2004 membership in the EU was a milestone for Sanna as the bloc poured resources into safeguarding Indigenous minority languages, a designation that Cypriot authorities had bestowed. Kariolemou said her team in 2013 set up a recorded archive of spoken Sanna, some 280 hours long, for further study. A 27-letter alphabet was created in mostly Latin characters, thanks mainly to the work of linguist Alexander Borg. Grammar was formulated and refined, enabling the publication of books for teaching Sanna.
Efforts to attract young families
Language courses are in their early stages, Skordis said, with about 100 children and adults in classes in Kormakitis and the Saint Maronas primary school in Lakatamia, a suburb of Nicosia, the country's capital. A summer language camp for children and adults in Kormakitis has also been created. An initiative is underway for native-born speakers — primarily Kormakitis residents — to learn how to teach Sanna. At Ayios Maronas primary school, 20 kindergarten-age children are learning the language with books containing QR codes that can be scanned so students can follow an audio adaptation on school-provided tablets. But for Sanna to have a real future, there is no substitute for young families returning in large numbers to Kormakitis, where the language can be taught in the newly built, EU-funded school, Moussas said. Community leaders, however, aren’t pleased with the low number of people expressing interest. Moussas said community leaders and the Cypriot government are looking into offering incentives, primarily to make it easier to find housing. For Zonias, keeping the language alive for the ages would be the crowning achievement of his career. “I don’t want to be the last teacher of Sanna,” he said.
https://apnews.com/article/sanna-cyprus-maronite-arabic-language-

Lebanon’s Nabih Berri, The Perpetual Speaker
John Smith/American Thinker/May 24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/143722/
In most democracies, a legislative speaker in power for more than three decades would be an anomaly, if not a scandal. In Lebanon, Nabih Berri’s uninterrupted rule over parliament since 1992 is treated as political furniture—imposing, immovable, and ultimately untouchable. Now aged 87, Berri is more than a political survivor; he is a symbol of the entrenched, unaccountable elite that has overseen Lebanon’s descent into economic ruin, institutional collapse, and international irrelevance.
A lawyer by training and a warlord by origin, Berri rose to prominence during Lebanon’s civil war as head of the Shiite Amal Movement (“Amal”). Though originally a rival to Hezbollah, Berri long ago cemented an alliance with the Iran-backed group, together forming Lebanon’s dominant Shiite bloc. If Hezbollah is the muscle, Amal is the mechanism—the party that manages the state from within, ensuring that key ministries and public contracts remain within loyalist hands.
Today, the two Shiite factions divide influence over Lebanon’s state and society. Amal dominates the state bureaucracy; Hezbollah holds the weapons.
Though Amal claims to be secular and nationalist, Berri’s politics are anything but. For decades, he has cultivated a base in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, where loyalty is rewarded with public sector jobs and government contracts.
It is within this nexus of state control and political patronage that Berri and his family have prospered. This patronage machine extends beyond politics. His wife, Randa Berri, has long been accused of exploiting public institutions for personal gain, notably within education and health programs. Activists have alleged that she exerts undue control over NGOs and international aid projects in the south, where Amal’s networks are strongest. Critics accuse her of turning public institutions—especially those related to education and social programs—into fiefdoms of personal enrichment.
Oversight is nonexistent; transparency, irrelevant. The Berri family’s alleged involvement in skimming public funds and monopolizing local development projects has been a common theme in Lebanon’s media and protest slogans. Transparency, needless to say, is not a family value.
More quietly, Berri’s extended family has also thrived under his shadow. Ayman Zakaria Jomaa, a telecommunications entrepreneur married to Berri’s daughter, Maysaa, is emblematic of Lebanon’s oligarchic elite: politically connected, economically mobile, and remarkably insulated from accountability. This year, Jomaa and his brother Imad Jomaa—the latter allegedly involved in several questionable business deals in Iraq, according to an Iraqi government source—were part of the Lebanese delegation to the SelectUSA 2025 Investment Summit in the United States.
Before traveling to the summit, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut hosted the delegation, publicly honoring them as part of its push to boost American investment ties. For many Lebanese watching from a collapsing economy, the optics were enraging. Here were relatives of one of the most powerful—and reviled—political figures in the country, receiving diplomatic courtesies from Washington while Lebanon’s own state institutions remain gutted by the corruption their families helped institutionalize.
But behind the scenes, that tolerance may be fraying. According to a U.S. government source, officials in Washington increasingly view Berri’s unwavering alliance with Hezbollah as a serious impediment to Lebanon’s recovery. With frustration mounting, the Trump administration is now considering targeted sanctions—not only against Berri himself, but also against his family members and closest associates, whose entrenchment in public institutions and business networks is seen as central to the country’s entrenched dysfunction.
The irony is hard to miss. While Berri has consistently resisted U.S.-backed reforms, obstructed IMF negotiations, and aligned himself with Iran and Hezbollah, his inner circle can still gain access to American prestige events and soft diplomatic platforms. For critics, it’s another example of Western double standards in the region: condemning corruption on paper while empowering its beneficiaries in practice.
Though Berri presents himself as a centrist broker—between Christians and Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites, East and West—his record tells a different story. He has consistently resisted any American-led initiative in Lebanon, from political reform to military aid conditioning. In fact, his loyalty has long tilted toward Tehran. During times of regional tension, Berri has reliably aligned himself with Iran’s strategic calculus, echoing Hezbollah’s rhetoric and shielding its political interests.
He has rarely, if ever, condemned Hezbollah’s unilateral wars or its defiance of state authority. When Israel and Hezbollah traded fire in 2024, Berri played the role of mediator only after the fighting paused—careful never to criticize his partner’s recklessness.
Domestically, Berri’s reign has brought paralysis. Parliament under his leadership has become a mausoleum, convened only when his interests or those of his allies are at stake. Key reforms demanded by international lenders—such as restructuring the banking sector or curbing clientelism—have been shelved, watered down, or sabotaged.
He has used procedural games and informal “consensus” rules to block votes, bury legislation, and kill off investigations. His role in preventing the election of a new president between 2022 and 2024 was emblematic: Berri simply refused to call voting sessions until he could dictate the outcome.
For all his maneuvering, Berri commands little legitimacy outside his shrinking base. Among Lebanese youth, especially those who led the 2019 uprising, he is reviled. “All of them means all of them,” the protesters chanted, but Berri was often singled out with special venom. The streets of Beirut have long been defaced with graffiti reading “Berri = Thief.” And yet, he endures.
Part of the reason is the system itself. Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing arrangement grants the speakership exclusively to a Shiite, and Amal, by historical inertia and brute force, has monopolized that role. But part of the reason is also international. Western and Arab diplomats, reluctant to provoke Hezbollah, have often tolerated Berri as the “acceptable” Shiite—forgetting, or ignoring, that his power depends on preserving the very dysfunction they hope to overcome.
Though Berri styles himself as a political balancer—bridging sectarian divides and mediating during crises—his legacy is largely one of obstruction. Parliament under his leadership has served as a graveyard for reform. Key financial accountability measures have been buried. Presidential elections were stalled for years. Investigations into the Beirut port explosion and banking sector fraud were sabotaged with his quiet blessing.
Still, Berri remains indispensable to the system he helped engineer. Sectarian politics insulate him; international actors, fearing a vacuum, treat him as a necessary evil. But inside Lebanon, the patience is gone. Protesters chant his name with venom. His family’s wealth and visibility are symbols of elite impunity.
That a Berri in-law and his politically connected brother can walk into U.S. investment summits while ordinary Lebanese face blackouts, food insecurity, and blocked bank accounts, is not merely offensive—it is clarifying. Lebanon’s crisis is not accidental. It is the product of elite capture and international indulgence.
Lebanon is now a failed state in everything but name. Its currency has collapsed. Its institutions are hollow. Its elites are richer than ever. And its speaker of parliament—unchanged for 33 years—sits at the very heart of the wreckage. For all the talk of reform, Berri is a reminder that Lebanon’s problem is not just bad policies. It is a political class that has mastered survival while the country beneath them dies.
Nabih Berri will remain speaker not just of Lebanon’s parliament, but of its long, slow death. Until figures like Nabih Berri and the networks they anchor are confronted—rather than celebrated—there can be no real path forward for Lebanon.
**John Smith is a law enforcement professional with decades of experience in risk, sanctions, and compliance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/05/lebanon_s_nabih_berri_the_perpetual_speaker.html

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 27-28/2025
Syria and Israel in direct talks focused on security, sources say
Reuters/May 27, 2025
DAMASCUS: Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, five people familiar with the matter said. The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the US encourages the new Islamist rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its bombardment of Syria. They also build on back-channel talks via intermediaries since Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham toppled Syrian strongman Bashar Assad in December, said two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence source familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject for two nations with no official ties and a history of enmity. The direct talks and their scope have not been previously reported. On the Syrian side, the sources said contacts have been led by senior security official Ahmad Al-Dalati, who was appointed governor of the province of Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after the fall of Assad. Earlier this week, Dalati was also put in charge of security in the southern province of Sweida, home to Syria’s Druze minority. Reuters could not determine who participated on Israel’s side, though two of the sources said they were security officials. Three of the sources said there had been several rounds of in-person meetings in the border region, including in territory controlled by Israel. Israel’s foreign ministry and Syrian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this month, Syrian interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks with Israel that he said were aimed at calming tensions, a striking admission that followed a Reuters report that the UAE was mediating such talks. Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and took more territory in the aftermath of Assad’s ouster in December, citing lingering concerns over the extremist past of the country’s new rulers. It has also waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that destroyed much of the country’s military infrastructure, while at the same time lobbying Washington to keep the country weak and decentralized. But the bombing and the criticism have subsided in recent weeks. On May 14, a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Sharaa in Riyadh upended decades of US Syria policy, and signalled to Israel’s right-wing government that it should work to reach understandings with Sharaa. The regional intelligence source described Trump’s engagement with Sharaa as a pivotal part of a realignment in US policy that upset Israel’s post-Assad strategy of exploiting Syria’s fragmentation.
BROADER UNDERSTANDINGS?
The relative calm in May has also seen a reduction in tensions around Sweida, which saw days of bloody clashes between Druze armed factions, some of which enjoy Israeli backing, and Sunni Muslim fighters last month. Amid the violence, Israel had launched a series of airstrikes, including one just outside the presidential palace overlooking Damascus, which it framed as a warning over threats against the Druze, an offshoot of Islam with adherents in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. While the direct talks are currently focused on joint security, such as preventing conflict and reducing Israeli incursions into Syrian border villages, two of the sources said they may help pave the way for broader political understandings. “For now, they are about peace, as in the absence of war, rather than normalization,” said the person familiar with backchannel talks. Trump indicated after meeting Sharaa that the Syrian leader was willing to eventually normalize ties with Israel, while adding that it would take some time. Sharaa has not commented on the statement, saying instead that he supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Syria’s new rulers have made repeated efforts to show they pose no threat to Israel, meeting representatives of the Jewish community in Damascus and abroad and detaining two senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. A letter sent by Syria’s foreign ministry to the US State Department last month, seen by Reuters, said “we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel.”More recently, Syria’s leadership has shown goodwill by approving the handover of a trove of long-dead Israeli master spy Eli Cohen’s belongings.

Judge stabbed to death in southern Iran
Associated Press/May 28, 2025
A judge was stabbed to death on his way to work in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz on Tuesday morning, state media reported. A report by the official IRNA news agency called the killing a "terrorist act," adding that two unidentified assailants are still at large. It identified the judge as Ehsum Bagheri, 38, who worked for the city's judicial department. Bagheri in the past worked as a prosecutor in the revolutionary court, which court deals with security and drug smuggling cases. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Iran has witnessed other killings of judges in the past. In January, a man fatally shot two prominent hard-line judges in Iran's capital Tehran, both of whom allegedly took part in the mass execution of dissidents in 1980s.

Israeli forces raid foreign exchange stores across West Bank
AFP/May 27, 2025
RAMALLAH: Israeli forces raided foreign exchange stores in several West Bank cities including Ramallah and Nablus on Tuesday, accusing their parent company of “connections with terrorist organizations,” according to an army closure notice. “Israeli forces are taking action against Al-Khaleej Exchange Company due to its connections with terrorist organizations,” a leaflet left at the company’s Ramallah location read. An AFP journalist present at the scene reported several army vehicles at the store’s entrance while soldiers came out carrying items covered by a cloth. Two army vehicles escorted one of the store’s employees away from the premises. In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli forces raided a second foreign exchange store belonging to the Al-Khaleej company, as well as a gold store, according to another AFP journalist. Some Palestinian residents of Nablus were seen clashing with the army during the raid, throwing objects at troops. The Ramallah-based Ministry of Health said one man was killed and eight other people were injured by Israeli forces’ live ammunition during a raid in Nablus on Tuesday. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it treated 20 people for tear gas inhalation and three others who were injured by rubber bullets. The Palestinian movement Hamas condemned the raids on foreign exchange shops. “These assaults on economic institutions, accompanied by the looting of large sums of money and the confiscation of property, are an extension of the piracy policies adopted by the (Israeli) government,” the group said in a statement, adding that the targeted companies were “operating within the law.”

Jordan, Finland agree on need for two-state solution for regional stability
Arab News/May 27, 2025
AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday held talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman, where discussions focused on addressing regional developments, particularly the crisis in Gaza. The meeting, which was attended by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, also covered opportunities to bolster cooperation across various sectors between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency reported. The king stressed the importance of creating a political horizon to achieve peace on the basis of the two-state solution and commended Finland’s support for efforts aimed at reinforcing regional stability. Separately, Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Ayman Safadi held extensive talks with Valtonen, during which the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening ties and advancing collaboration within the broader framework of Jordan’s strategic partnership with the EU. With reference to the war in Gaza, the ministers emphasized the importance of multilateral action and upholding international law, including international humanitarian law.The talks also covered the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate, sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave. The ministers reviewed efforts to ensure that the upcoming international conference in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, yields tangible results in support of a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. Safadi reiterated the importance of broader international recognition of a Palestinian state as a key step in affirming the international community’s commitment to the two-state solution. On Syria, their discussions touched on the need for supporting reconstruction efforts grounded in preserving Syrian unity, security and stability, as well as eliminating terrorism and safeguarding the rights of all Syrians. Safadi highlighted the need for effective international engagement to that end.

Gaza dominates Arab League Summit as leaders push for ceasefire and pledge to work on reconstruction
Orestes Georgiou Daniel/Euronews/May 27, 2025
Gaza dominates Arab League Summit as leaders push for ceasefire and pledge to work on reconstructionScroll back up to restore default view. Arab leaders gathered in Baghdad on Saturday for the annual Arab League Summit, where they announced they were working on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and vowed to contribute to the enclave's reconstruction. The summit in the Iraqi capital was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also attended as a guest, as did UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The Spanish prime minister, who in a speech to the Spanis parliament on Wednesday called Israel a "genocidal state", urged the international community to apply pressure on Israel "to halt the massacre in Gaza."Guterres called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the territory, which has been under a total blockade by Israel for more than two months. He also said the UN rejects any "forced displacement" of Palestinians. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called for allowing aid to flow back into Gaza, which has been under a total blockade by Israel since early March. "This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history," he said, adding that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the region's reconstructionom which his country will pay $20 million for Gaza and a roughly similar amount for Lebanon. Egypt's el-Sissi said that his country was coordinating with Qatar and the US in "exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire", and that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the Gaza's reconstruction "once the aggression stops".A notable absentee was new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who sent his foreign minister instead. Iraqi Shiite militias and political factions wary of al-Sharaa’s past as a Sunni militant pushed back against his invitation to the summit.
Al-Sharaa did nevertheless meet US President Donald Trump earlier in the week, who promised to remove US-imposed sanctions on Syria.
'Operation Gideon's Chariots'
The day before the summit took place, Israel announced the launching of a new announced a new phase in its Gaza offensive called "Gideon's Chariots", under which the IDF said it was "conducting extensive strikes and mobilising troops to achieve operational control in the areas of Gaza."The UN Secretary-General responded to the news by saying he was "alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more."Separate to Israel's announcement of an expanded offensive, Euronews revealed the existence of documents dated December 2023 which revealed that creating a new entity in Gaza "the day after" a defeat of Hamas is one of the proposals the Israeli government has on the table. The meeting in Baghdad was the 34th Arab League Summit, where Arab leaders gather to address regional matters. The League was formed in 1945 and currently comprises of 22 members.

Germany threatens steps against Israel as tone shifts over Gaza
Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams and Rachel More/Reuters/May 27, 2025
TURKU, Finland/BERLIN -Germany's foreign minister threatened unspecified measures against Israel on Tuesday and said Berlin would not export weapons used to break humanitarian law, as he and Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered their most severe rebuke yet over Gaza. Germany, along with the United States, had long remained in support of Israel's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, even as Israel became increasingly isolated internationally. Its about-turn comes as the European Union is reviewing its Israel policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened "concrete actions" over Gaza. Speaking to broadcaster WDR, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Germany's historic support for Israel must not be instrumentalised, as massive air strikes and shortages of food and medicines had made the situation in Gaza "unbearable".Earlier, Merz criticised air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and "no longer comprehensible", in comments at a press conference in Finland. While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. It also reflects a broader shift in German public opinion. "Our committed fight against anti-Semitism and our full support for the right to exist and the security of the state of Israel must not be instrumentalised for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip," Wadephul said. "We are now at a point where we have to think very carefully about what further steps to take," he said, without giving further details. "Where we see dangers of harm, we will of course intervene and certainly not supply weapons so that there will be further harm," he said, adding that no new weapons orders were currently under consideration. The shift in government stance comes after calls among the junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, to halt arms exports to Israel or else risk what the move's backers say would be German complicity in war crimes.
WORSENING HUNGER
Attacks on Gaza killed dozens in recent days, and the population of more than 2 million faces worsening hunger and starvation, according to a U.N.-backed monitor. Efforts to revive a short-lived ceasefire that broke down in March have made little visible progress, although one regional diplomat said talks were still going on in Doha and there remained a chance for a deal. The German comments are particularly striking given that Merz won elections in February promising to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on German soil in defiance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). "The massive military strikes by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me - how they serve the goal of confronting terror," Merz said in Turku, Finland. He did not reply to a question about German weapons exports to Israel. Wadephul said arms deliveries were a matter for a security council presided over by Merz, whose meetings are confidential. The foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a further request for comment on whether Germany's next step could include halting weapons shipments. The chancellor is due to speak to Netanyahu this week. In his office, Merz has a picture of Zikim beach, where Hamas fighters arrived on boats during their rampage in 2023 that killed around 1,200 people - a picture he had hanging for years previously in his parliamentary office. Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns on Tuesday but made no commitments. "When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend," Prosor told the ZDF broadcaster. Merz's comments come on top of a groundswell of opposition to Israel's actions. A survey by Civey, published in the Tagesspiegel newspaper this week, showed 51% of Germans opposed weapons exports to Israel. More broadly, only 36% of people in Germany view Israel positively, a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found in May, down from 46% in the last survey in 2021.Only a quarter of Germans recognise a special responsibility towards the state of Israel, while 64% of Israelis believe Germany has a special obligation, the survey found.

Israeli troops fire warning shots as Palestinians overwhelm new Gaza food center
AP/May 28, 2025
MUWASI, Gaza Strip: Chaos erupted on the second day of aid operations by a new US-backed group in Gaza as desperate Palestinians overwhelmed a center distributing food on Tuesday, breaking through fences. Nearby Israeli troops fired warning shots, sending people fleeing in panic. An AP journalist heard Israeli tank and gunfire and saw a military helicopter firing flares. The Israeli military said its troops fired the warning shots in the area outside the center and that “control over the situation was established.” At least three injured Palestinians were seen by The Associated Press being brought from the scene, one of them bleeding from his leg. The distribution hub outside Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah had been opened the day before by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations. The UN and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won’t be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies. Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of Israeli blockade pushed Gaza to the brink of famine.
Palestinians walk miles for food, finding chaos
Palestinians at the scene told AP that small numbers of people made their way to the GHF center Tuesday morning and received food boxes. As word spread, large numbers of men, women and children walked for several miles from the sprawling tent camps along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. To reach the hub, they had to pass through nearby Israeli military positions. By the afternoon, hundreds of thousands were massed at the hub. Videos show the crowds funneled in long lines through chain-link fence passages. Two people said each person was searched and had their faces scanned for identification before being allowed to receive the boxes. Crowds swelled and turmoil erupted, with people tearing down fences and grabbing boxes. The staff at the site were forced to flee, they said. The AP journalist positioned some distance away heard gunfire and rounds of tank fire. Smoke could be seen rising from where one round impacted. He saw a military helicopter overhead firing flares. “There was no order, the people rushed to take, there was shooting, and we fled,” said Hosni Abu Amra, who had been waiting to receive aid. “We fled without taking anything that would help us get through this hunger.”
“It was chaos,” said Ahmed Abu Taha, who said he heard gunfire and saw Israeli military aircraft overhead. “People were panicked.”Crowds were seen running from the site. A few managed to secure aid boxes — containing basic items like sugar, flour, pasta and tahini — but the vast majority left empty-handed.
US-backed group says they ‘fell back’ to ensure safety
In a statement, GHF said that because of the large number of Palestinians seeking aid, staff at the hub followed the group’s safety protocols and “fell back” to allow them to dissipate, then later resumed operations. A spokesperson for the group told the AP that no shots were fired from GHF. Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with the group’s rules, the spokesperson said the protocols aim at “avoiding loss of life, which is exactly what happened.” GHF uses armed private contractors to guard the hubs and the transportation of supplies. The hub is also close to Israeli military positions in the Morag Corridor, a band of territory across the breadth of Gaza that divides Rafah from the rest of the territory. GHF has set up four hubs around Gaza to distribute food, two of which began operating on Monday — both of them in the Rafah area. The UN and other humanitarian groups have refused to participate in GHF’s system, saying it violates humanitarian principles. They say it can be used by Israel to forcibly displace the population by requiring them to move near the few distribution hubs or else face starvation – a violation of international law. They have also opposed the use of facial recognition to vet recipients. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday commented on the turmoil at the Rafah center, saying, “There was some loss of control momentarily … happily we brought it under control.” He repeated that Israel plans to move Gaza’s entire population to a “sterile zone” at the southern end of the territory while troops fight Hamas elsewhere. UN says it has been struggling to transport aid. Israel has said the new system is necessary because it claims Hamas has been siphoning off supplies that reach Gaza. The UN has denied that any significant diversion takes place. Throughout the war, the UN and other aid groups have conducted a massive operation distributing food, medicine and other supplies to wherever Palestinians are located. Israel says GHF will replace that network, but the past week has allowed a trickle of aid to enter Gaza for the UN to distribute. COGAT, the Israeli military agency in charge of coordinating aid, said on Tuesday that 400 trucks of supplies, mainly food, was waiting on the Gaza side of the main crossing from Israel, but that the UN had not collected them. It said Israel has extended the times for collection and expanded the routes that the UN can use inside Gaza. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office OCHA, told reporters in Geneva that agencies have struggled to pick up the supplies “because of the insecure routes that are being assigned to us by the Israeli authorities to use.” He said the amount of aid allowed the past week was “vastly insufficient.”

Hundreds of lawyers call for UK sanctions on Israel over Gaza war
Frances Mao - BBC News and Natasha Preskey - BBC News/May 27, 2025
Hundreds of lawyers have called on the UK government to use "all available means" to stop the fighting in Gaza, including reviewing trade ties with Israel and imposing sanctions and travel bans on Israeli ministers. Some 828 UK-based or qualified legal experts, among them former Supreme Court justices, signed a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday. They warned "genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza" from Israel's blockade of food and aid and its new military offensive, which has killed hundreds of Palestinians there in the past fortnight. Israel has strongly denied genocide allegations, claims which are also being examined by the International Court of Justice. Jeremy Bowen: Netanyahu's plan for Gaza risks dividing Israel, killing Palestinians and horrifying world.
'Situation is dire' - BBC returns to Gaza baby left hungry by Israeli blockade
As Israel faces diplomatic 'tsunami', Trump is staying quiet
The lawyers' letter comes amid a wave of increased criticism from Israel's Western allies, condemning its latest military offensive, which began in mid-May, and the impact of its blockade. The blockade was in full effect for 11 weeks from 2 March. Last week, the UK, France and Canada issued a joint statement condemning Israel's "egregious" expansion of military operations in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the British, French and Canadian leaders of "siding with Hamas", saying the offensive is aimed at freeing the remaining 58 hostages held by the group. But UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the escalation "morally unjustifiable". The UK last week suspended trade deal talks, summoned Israel's ambassador and imposed fresh sanctions on West Bank settlers. Netanyahu has declared Israel's intention to take over the Gaza Strip and displace residents from the north to the south. The operation has seen about a 100 Gazans killed per day in strikes in its first week, according to the territory's Hamas-run rescue authorities and health ministry. On Monday, the group of legal experts said in a detailed 36-page letter that Israel's May offensive was "a grave violation" of international law, and also violated the Palestinian people's legal right to self-determination. The group of lawyers, legal experts and retired judges expressed their "deep concern over the worsening catastrophe" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank where violations of international law were "being committed and are further threatened" by Israel."First, genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza or, at a minimum, there is a serious risk of genocide occurring," the legal experts wrote. They said this had been caused by Israel's blockade - and the trickle of aid now being allowed in was "gravely insufficient."They said the UK and all countries were legally obliged to "prevent and punish genocide". "The UK's actions to date have failed to meet those standards", they said, but they welcomed the "indication" of stronger action in last week's statement. The UK must immediately impose financial and immigration sanctions on Israeli ministers suspected of "unlawful conduct", to help secure a ceasefire, the lawyers wrote.
The letter also called for the UK to review existing trade ties with Israel, impose trade sanctions on the country and also suspend the UK's "2030 Roadmap" with Israel - an agreement between the UK and Israel on defence, technology and science, culture, the arts and other areas. They called on the government to ensure it would adhere to its obligations as a member of the International Criminal Court to act on arrest warrants issued by the court. Netanyahu is currently wanted by the court for alleged war crimes in Gaza and breaches of international law, charges he emphatically denies.
The letter is the group's latest since the war began in October 2023. Its first missive was issued weeks into the conflict, where it raised concerns about the UK government selling arms to Israel. The legality of the UK's decisions concerning arms sales is now being examined by the High Court of England and Wales. Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 54,056 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 3,901 since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March following a two-month ceasefire, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. On Tuesday, Germany and Finland also spoke out, saying Israel must allow humanitarian aid into Gaza immediately. "We must put pressure on Israel to ensure the aid truly reaches its target," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters alongside Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Finland. "But it is also crucial that Hamas must not prevent humanitarian aid from arriving." Merz, who has strongly criticised Israel in recent days, said events in Gaza were "in no way acceptable". He described the effect on Gazan civilians as "excessive" and called for an end to the killing and suffering. "This is a terrible human catastrophe and we must be able to tackle it," Orpo added. Sweden on Tuesday also summoned the Israeli ambassador to its foreign ministry, and called on the country to "immediately ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza". The Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement that Israel had a right to defend itself but "the current way the war is waged is unacceptable".UK, France and Canada threaten action against Israel over Gaza. Construction sites appear in Gaza ahead of Israeli-US aid plan rejected by UN, images show. New US-backed group says it has begun aid distribution in Gaza

Sweden charges man over 2014 killing of Jordan pilot in Syria
Reuters/May 27, 2025
STOCKHOLM -Swedish prosecutors pressed charges on Tuesday against a man on suspicion of war crimes and terrorism over the murder of a Jordanian air force pilot who was burned to death in Syria a decade ago. The Swede, named in court documents as Osama Krayem, 32, has previously been convicted of involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016. The Islamic State militant group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh in December 2014 and later published a video of him being burned alive in a cage. The Swedish Prosecution Authority charged Krayem with gross war crimes and terrorism, the indictment showed. "Krayem, together with and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to IS, killed/deprived Muath al-Kasasbeh of his life," the authority said in the indictment.
It said Krayem had forced the pilot to the cage and that he also posed for a camera, knowing the footage would be dispersed as a manifestation of a plan and ideology advocated by Islamic State. Krayem's Swedish lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Krayem has been temporarily transferred to Sweden from France to stand trial at the Stockholm district court. Islamic State controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017, and was defeated in its last bastions in Syria in 2019.
Under Swedish legislation, courts can try people for crimes against international law committed abroad.

4 Liverpool fans seriously hurt in UK car ramming
Associated Press/May 28, 2025
British police were holding a 53-year-old man on Tuesday over a collision that turned a joyous soccer celebration in Liverpool to tragedy and sent more than two dozen people to hospitals, four of them in very serious condition. Merseyside Police said they are not treating the incident as terrorism and are not looking for other suspects. The force has not identified the arrested driver. Police in Britain usually do not name suspects until they are charged. Detectives were working to piece together how a minivan plowed into crowds packing a narrow street, just after the players of Liverpool Football Club had celebrated the Premier League championship with an open-topped bus parade. Water Street, near the River Mersey in the heart of the city, was cordoned off by police tape, and a blue tent had been erected on the road strewn with the detritus of celebration, including bottles, cans and Liverpool flags. Liverpool City Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said four of the injured were "very, very ill in hospital."The North West Ambulance Service said a total of 47 people were injured, of whom 27 were taken to local hospitals, while 20 were treated at the scene of the crash for minor injuries. There were no reported deaths.
Four of the injured are children, said ambulance service spokesman Dave Kitchin.
Four of the victims, including a child, were trapped under the van and firefighters had to lift the vehicle to free them. Hundreds of thousands of Liverpudlians had crammed the streets of the port city in northwest England on Monday to celebrate the team winning England's Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title. As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan turned into a street just off the parade route and plowed into the sea of fans wrapped in their red Liverpool scarves, jerseys and other memorabilia. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air, before veering into a larger crowd, where it plowed a path through the group and pushed bodies along the street before coming to a stop. "It was extremely fast," said Harry Rashid, who was with his wife and two young daughters as the minivan passed by them. "Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car." Rashid said the crowd charged the halted vehicle and began smashing windows. "But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going," Rashid said. "It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people."Police identified the suspect as a white local man, in a possible decision to prevent misinformation from flooding social media.Last summer, a teen in the nearby town of Southport killed three girls in a stabbing rampage at a dance class and wounded 10 others, including two adults. An incorrect name of the suspect was spread on social media and people said he was an asylum-seeker. In fact, he had been born in the U.K. Rioting spread across England and Northern Ireland, targeting Muslims and refugees in hotels for asylum-seekers, lasting about a week. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes in Liverpool appalling and hailed the bravery of rescuers. "Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror," Starmer said. "The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times. Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool."

US says supports gas deals with Kurdistan region after Iraq lawsuit
AFP/May 28, 2025
WASHINGTON: The United States said Tuesday it supported American energy companies’ contracts with Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region after the Iraqi government filed a lawsuit against them. Regional prime minister Masrour Barzani announced the signing of the two deals valued at tens of billions of dollars during a visit to Washington, in which he met Friday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio in his meeting “commended” the deals with US companies, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. “We encourage Baghdad and Irbil to work together to expand domestic gas production as soon as possible. These types of economic partnerships will benefit both the American and Iraqi peoples and help Iraq move toward energy independence,” she said. “We also believe that US and Iraqi interests are best served by having a strong, resilient Iraqi Kurdistan region within a sovereign and prosperous federal Iraq. “As far as the nature of the lawsuits, obviously we are looking forward to continuing these kinds of deals. We expect these kinds of deals to flourish, and expect and would hope that they would be facilitated,” she said.

Arab journalists, lawmakers call for media reform at Dubai summit
Celine Hijazi and Dalal Awienat/Arab News/May 27, 2025
DUBAI: Speaking at the Arab Media Summit on Tuesday, prominent Arab journalists and lawmakers — including Emad El-Din Hussein, Paula Yacoubian, and Mohammed Al-Rumaihi — called for urgent media reform to confront growing political fragmentation and foster greater unity across the Arab world.
“Whether we like it or not, the world changed after Oct. 7, 2023,” said Hussein, editor-in-chief of the Egyptian daily Al-Shorouk. “I am proud to stand with the Arab League, but we are deeply divided.”Hussein spoke during a panel alongside Yacoubian, Lebanese journalist and member of parliament, and Al-Rumaihi, Kuwaiti author and sociology professor. “For the first time in the Arab world, we’re witnessing significant transformation,” said Yacoubian. “We are beginning to build our own foundation.”While acknowledging developments such as the Syrian Arab Republic’s tentative steps toward stabilization, and the formation of a new Lebanese government, the panelists underscored persistent structural challenges across the region. “The Israeli dream is to divide Syria — so what are Arabs doing in response?” Yacoubian asked, pointing to regional inaction and disunity. Each panelist offered a distinct perspective on the root causes of the Arab world’s instability. “Political Islam and the manipulation of religion remain among the most serious internal conflicts we face,” said Al-Rumaihi. Hussein echoed this sentiment: “Political Islam is the biggest threat we face today. While many talk about solutions, few are willing to diagnose the real disease.”Despite differing viewpoints, the panelists agreed on one point: media and education must be at the heart of efforts to heal political rifts. “Arab education is classical,” Al-Rumaihi noted. “We need to provide an education to give people immunity against anything the media says.”Hussein added: “Many can’t comprehend the evolving language of today’s youth. The Arab world remains in the dark, and our leaders are enabling this. Without free media, we cannot survive.”

Trump says it will cost Canada $61B to join 'Golden Dome'
Kelly Geraldine Malone/The Canadian Press/May 27, 2025
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he told Canada it would cost $61 billion to join his "Golden Dome" plan for a missile defence shield while returning to his "51st state" rhetoric. In a post on social media, Trump said Canada will pay billions of dollars to be part of the Golden Dome if "they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State."Trump's post claimed Canada is "considering the offer!" The Prime Minister’s Office said Tuesday that Prime Minister Mark Carney "has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one."In a meeting between the president and the prime minister in the Oval Office earlier this month Carney told Trump that Canada will never become a U.S. state. But during the meeting, which both leaders described as cordial and productive, the president assured reporters he was still keen on annexing Canada. Trump had seemed to tone down rhetoric towards Canada in recent weeks, and newly minted United States Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra has told multiple Canadian media that he believed talks of annexation were over. Trump's comments on Tuesday came a few hours after King Charles opened Parliament by delivering a throne speech aimed at unifying Canada and reasserting its sovereignty.The King was invited to deliver the speech by Carney as a symbolic gesture following months of comments by Trump about turning Canada into a U.S. state. The King said Tuesday that "as the anthem reminds us, the true North is indeed strong and free." Trump announced aspects of a plan for the complex multilayered system — based on Israel’s “Iron Dome” defence network — earlier this month. Trump said it would cost $175 billion and that it will be completed within his term, which ends in 2029.Despite Trump's claims, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the space-based components of the program alone could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. Carney has repeatedly said Ottawa intends to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States. The Prime Minister’s Office said Carney and his minsters were having wide-ranging discussions with their American counterparts. Those discussions included strengthening the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad, and other initiatives such as the Golden Dome.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 27-28/2025
Syria’s captagon industry continues to flourish despite new regime crackdowns
Natalie Ecanow and Nam Tran/FDD's Long War Journal/May 27/2025
When Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa entered Damascus in December 2024 as a victorious rebel, he remarked that Syria was “the world’s leading source of captagon” but “is being purified by the grace of God almighty.” However, despite Sharaa’s words, the captagon industry continues to operate.
An easy-to-produce amphetamine-based drug, captagon provided an economic lifeline to the former Bashar al Assad regime in Syria. The industry generated billions of dollars for Damascus and fell directly under the control of Assad and his close associates, most notably Maher al Assad—Bashar’s brother and the commander of the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Division.
In the weeks after Assad’s fall, the new Syrian government, led by Sharaa, vigorously attacked the remnants of the deposed dictator’s narcotics empire, burning millions of captagon pills and uncovering dozens of narcotics factories across Syria.
In January, Sharaa negotiated the formation of a joint committee with Jordan to combat arms and drug smuggling along the countries’ shared 375-kilometer border. In a press conference regarding the committee, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al Shibani avowed, “When it comes to captagon and drug smuggling, we promise it is over and won’t return.” Early operations on the Jordanian border saw Syrian government forces discover 15 captagon factories, in addition to dozens of arms caches destined for Hezbollah in Israel and Lebanon.
However, subsequent efforts to curb the production and trafficking of the drug have proven lackluster. On March 16, Iraqi security forces seized more than seven million pills inside a truck that originated in Syria and passed through Turkey before arriving at the Iraqi border. The 1.1-ton seizure was the first since Assad’s ouster and one of the largest in Iraq in recent years.
In April, Syrian officials confiscated four million pills at the port of Latakia that were hidden inside metal bars, packaged, and ready to export. During the Assad era, captagon smugglers hid pills in a variety of products, from fake fruits to electronics, and the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Division used the Latakia port to export the drug as far away as Malaysia. Despite Sharaa’s promise to “put an end” to Syria’s captagon industry, traffickers continue to operate by the same methods used under the Assad regime.
So far in May, there have already been three major captagon seizures. On May 5, the Lebanese army seized a truck near the border town of Hermel laden with equipment and chemicals to produce synthetic amphetamines. This seizure led to the discovery of a “large quantity” of captagon and a narcotics laboratory, which Lebanese authorities subsequently dismantled.
Ten days later, nine million pills were confiscated in Aleppo after a month-long joint effort between Syrian and Turkish officials. According to the Syrian Interior Ministry Telegram account, “Approximately 5 million of these pills were smuggled into Turkey, while the remaining quantity was intended for smuggling [to other countries].”
Most recently, on May 19, Syrian authorities seized four million pills hidden inside of tahini manufacturing equipment at the port of Latakia, marking the second mass seizure of captagon at the port this year.
Though some 30 million pills have been seized so far in 2025, arrests have been made on a case-by-case basis, mostly targeting low-level smugglers. As of May, no major production or trafficking networks have been dismantled except for those previously abandoned by the Assad regime. In addition, because industrial-level labs in northern Syria have been deserted, experts warn that small-scale captagon production might increase in the near future to meet demand in the Gulf States.
Despite Damascus’s can-do rhetoric and border security efforts, Sharaa’s government is still responding to the effects of the captagon trade rather than tackling the causes. Although security officials continue to seize shipments of the drug, its production continues. One reason for this could be that major drug kingpins in the Assad era have been welcomed into the new government. For instance, the week he entered Damascus, Sharaa met with local armed faction leaders to discuss their integration into the new Syrian army. Present was Imad Abu-Zureiq, an influential captagon kingpin who the US government sanctioned in 2023 for using his militia to “sell contraband, operate protection rackets, and smuggle drugs in Jordan, while also recruiting directly for [Syrian military intelligence.]”
Not long after that engagement, Sharaa and his newly appointed minister of defense, Murhaf Abu Qasra, took meetings and brokered deals with other narco-leaders, including Moayad al Aqra and Ali al Miqdad, who was later appointed head of military intelligence.
Despite Sharaa’s stated conviction to combat the Syrian narco-trade, the industry has proven it can flourish with or without the support of the state. Thus far, the new regime has underdelivered on its promise to “put an end” to captagon trafficking, and it remains to be seen whether authorities will make meaningful progress in curbing it.
**Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East and the Gulf. Nam Tran is an intern at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/05/syrias-captagon-industry-continues-to-flourish-despite-new-regime-crackdowns.php

'Tyranny in Disguise': Will Democracy Survive in Europe?
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/May 27, 2025
In 2022, the European Union adopted the Digital Services Act (DSA), which is supposed to "protect the rights of social media users" and "provide a safer online environment" by "limiting the spread of illegal and harmful content." What constitutes "illegal and harmful content" was not defined and could be anything the European Commission defines as such, along with the right to impose fines and shut the websites down.
The reason given by Germany's domestic intelligence agency for designating AfD an "extremist organization" is neither fascism nor racism. In fact, not a single AfD leader advocates fascist or racist positions, and, what actually may be objectionable to many Europeans, is that AfD is "the most pro-Israel and philo-Semitic" party in Germany.
This anti-democratic drift has taken hold in several European countries. Politicians and parties who disagree with the worldview of the officials in power are increasingly being excluded from any possibility of running for an official position...
In France, Marine Le Pen, who polls show is in first place for the 2027 presidential election, was sentenced to five years of election ineligibility and four years in prison for allegedly embezzling public funds.
Le Pen did not embezzle public funds.... The Democratic Movement, a centrist party led by French Prime Minister François Bayrou, did exactly the same thing as the National Rally with its MEPs' assistants, but Bayrou was acquitted by a judge.
Most European leaders today refer to the parties and politicians they wish to exclude as "far right." The term is used to refer to racist, xenophobic and authoritarian parties. None of the parties mentioned above shows the slightest tendency toward racism, xenophobia and authoritarianism half as much as their opponents do.
Many European leaders today appear blind to the consequences of ever-increasing immigration, and a growing Muslim presence in Europe. They are dismissive of the Muslims' continuing mass-migration, enthusiastic birthrate, and they remain stubbornly deaf to the concerns shouted by their non-Muslim citizenry.
European leaders and governments have moved away from what once bound Europe and the United States, such as freedom of speech and free and fair elections, the results of which are actually enacted. Can the anti-democratic drift that has gripped several large European countries be stopped? (Images source: iStock)
February 14, 2025. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance delivers remarks in Germany, at the Munich Security Conference. The audience expects him to talk about foreign policy, geopolitics, and threats facing the world.
Instead, he says that the most worrying threat today is "the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values." He adds that European countries and institutions are undermining democracy and freedom of speech -- and gives examples.
"A former European commissioner," Vance states, "went on television recently and sounded delighted that the Romanian government had just annulled an entire election."
In fact, Thierry Breton, the European Union's former internal market commissioner, admitted in a French television interview that the Romanian Constitutional Court had bowed to EU pressure and annulled the country's presidential elections because right-wing candidate, Călin Georgescu, had a good chance of winning. "We did it in Romania," Breton said, "and of course we will have to do it, if necessary, in Germany."
On February 26, when Georgescu went to register as a candidate for the presidential election re-run organized a few months after the annulled election, he was arrested by the police and charged with "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order." To date, the Romanian authorities have provided no evidence to substantiate that allegation.
"The very same thing could happen in Germany, too," Vance said in his Munich speech.
The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party which participated in the German parliamentary elections of February 23, came in second place with 20.8%. The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which won the plurality of votes (28.5%), however, chose to boycott the AfD and instead chose to form a government with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) -- which formed the previous government and which the Germans had just rejected, giving it only 16.4% of the vote.
Germany's new chancellor, CDU leader Friedrich Merz, had declared during the election campaign, "We will not work with the party that calls itself Alternative for Germany -- not before [the election], not after, never."
Merz stuck to his word. Just after the election, Germany's domestic intelligence agency designated the AfD an "extremist organization" and a "threat to democracy". The reason given was that the AfD is "anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim". The AfD could be banned by the government.
Vance continued:
"I look to Brussels, where EU commissars warn citizens that they intend to shut down social media during times of civil unrest, the moment they spot what they've judged to be 'hateful content.'"
Indeed, in 2022, the European Union adopted the Digital Services Act (DSA), which is supposed to "protect the rights of social media users" and "provide a safer online environment" by "limiting the spread of illegal and harmful content." What constitutes "illegal and harmful content" was not defined and could be anything the European Commission defines as such, along with the right to impose fines and shut the websites down.
Although Vance's claims were indisputable, the officials present immediately expressed shock. Statements from European political leaders exploded:
Germany's Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Vance's remarks were "not appropriate," adding:
"Never again fascism, never again racism, never again aggressive war... Today's democracies in Germany and Europe are founded on the historic awareness and realization that democracies can be destroyed by radical anti-democrats... we've created institutions that ensure that our democracies can defend themselves against their enemies, and rules that do not restrict or limit our freedom but protect it."
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that "Freedom of speech is guaranteed in Europe."
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted:
"We've had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time... in relation to free speech in the UK, I'm really proud of that—our history there."
Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference Chairman, at the end of the conference, said that Vance's remarks had made it "a European nightmare.... We have to fear that our common basis of values is not common anymore." He then broke down in tears.
It is quite possible that the "common basis of values" ​​that once bound Europe and the United States is no longer common. If that is true, however, it is for the reasons listed by Vance: that European leaders and governments have moved away from what once bound Europe and the United States, such as freedom of speech and free and fair elections, the results of which are actually enacted.
Scholz's argument about fascism, racism and the threat to democracy is simply unfounded, if not an inversion of the facts. Georgescu made no fascist or racist statements and has never threatened democracy. On the contrary, he has affirmed his desire to defend national sovereignty and Western civilization and has declared himself close to the positions of the Trump administration, which are neither fascist nor racist.
In 2018, AfD politician Alexander Gauland said that "Hitler and the Nazis are just a speck of bird poop in more than 1,000 years of successful German history."
In 2017, Björn Höcke, the leader of the AfD in the German state of Thuringia, called the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin a "memorial of shame."
But the words of Gauland and Höcke do not represent the AfD party line. Gauland clarified his remarks only days later, saying:
"Many saw the expression as an inappropriate trivialization... nothing could be further from me than to allow such an impression to arise.... I regret the resulting impression. It was never my intention to trivialize or deride the victims of this criminal system.
The reason given by Germany's domestic intelligence agency for designating AfD an "extremist organization" is neither fascism nor racism. In fact, not a single AfD leader advocates fascist or racist positions, and, what actually may be objectionable to many Europeans, is that AfD is "the most pro-Israel and philo-Semitic" party in Germany.
"That's not democracy," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said about the German domestic intelligence agency's decision, "it's tyranny in disguise."
Ironically, in the United States, Democratic National Committee (DNC) this month voided the election of David Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta as DNC vice-chairmen, ostensibly on "procedural grounds." Following his election, Hogg had said he planned to raise funds to support challengers in the primaries of incumbent Democrat officeholders. In June, the DNC will be considering a re-do of the election, presumably in the hope of get a pre-determined outcome. Meanwhile, many Democrats endlessly criticize the Republican Party for "destroying democracy."
Contrary to what the French foreign minister claimed, freedom of speech is declining in Europe, particularly in France. Former journalist and presidential candidate Éric Zemmour has been convicted countless times and handed heavy fines simply for criticizing Islam and Muslim immigration. His most recent sentencing took place on March 26, 2025. After the murder of a young Frenchman by a gang of Muslims, Zemmour spoke of the presence in France of criminals who are "Arab-Muslim scum." He was found guilty of delivering a "racist insult."
Novelist Renaud Camus was convicted in 2014 of incitement to hatred for saying that France was being "invaded" by Muslim immigrants.
The French television channel C8 was shut down by the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom), for "lack of diversity and pluralism." CNews, another French television channel, was fined heavily by Arcom for the same "crime" and remains at risk of being shut down. Any television station similar to America's Fox News would not be allowed to exist in France.
Freedom of speech in the United Kingdom, contrary to what Starmer said, is very much in danger. In recent months, British citizens have been sentenced to prison for posting messages critical of Islam on social media, and for even praying near an abortion clinic.
This anti-democratic drift has taken hold in several European countries. Politicians and parties who disagree with the worldview of the officials in power are increasingly being excluded from any possibility of running for an official position:
In Germany, as mentioned, Merz chose to shut out the AfD.
In France, Marine Le Pen, who polls show is in first place for the 2027 presidential election, was sentenced to five years of election ineligibility and four years in prison for allegedly embezzling public funds. The sentence was supposed to go into effect immediately, without a temporary suspension of the conviction pending appeal. After that decision caused a scandal, the Paris Court of Appeal said it would examine the case and issue a final judgment in the summer of 2026.
Le Pen did not embezzle public funds. The judge defined as a crime that assistants to the National Rally's Members of European Parliament who worked in Strasbourg also worked in Paris for the party. The Democratic Movement, a centrist party led by French Prime Minister François Bayrou, did exactly the same thing as the National Rally with its MEPs' assistants, but Bayrou was acquitted by a judge.
In the Netherlands, when the Party for Freedom (PVV) won a plurality of the votes in November 2023 parliamentary elections and its leader, Geert Wilders, attempted to form a government, all the other political parties joined forces to prevent him from doing so until he was forced to withdraw.
In Austria, in September 2024, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) won a plurality of the votes in the parliamentary elections, and its leader, Herbert Kickl, was prevented from forming a government.
In Italy, on the other hand, when Brothers of Italy (FdI) -- a party with policies similar to those of the French National Rally, the Dutch PVV, and the Austrian FPÖ -- won the 2022 Italian parliamentary elections, its leader, Giorgia Meloni, was able to form a government and is now prime minister. The reason? Fdl happened to be part of an alliance with other right-of-center parties. Now, Meloni is the only politician disparagingly labeled by the European mainstream media as "far right" and able actually to enjoy the result of her election.
Most European leaders today refer to the parties and politicians they wish to exclude as "far right." The term is used to refer to racist, xenophobic and authoritarian parties. None of the parties mentioned above shows the slightest tendency toward racism, xenophobia and authoritarianism half as much as their opponents do. The parties being elbowed out, according to historian and author Daniel Pipes, are not "nationalist,", but patriotic, "defensive, not aggressive." Pipes describes them as "civilizationist":
"They cherish Europe's and the West's traditional culture and want to defend it from assault by immigrants aided by the left.... Civilizationalist parties are populist, anti-immigration, and anti-Islamization. Populist means nursing grievances against the system and a suspicion of an elite that ignores or denigrates those concerns."
The attacks on freedom of speech target statements warning that mass, unvetted migration might bring about a demographic "great replacement" of native Europeans, whose values are Judeo-Christian, by migrants from the Middle East, whose values are basically Islamic. The general apprehension about Islamic values eventually overwhelming European ones is a view condemned by most politicians, the media and the judiciary in Europe, even though the Muslim birthrate is vastly higher than the European one. This apprehension also stems from the fact that the majority of Muslims living in Europe neither integrates nor seems to wish to, and that the proportion of Muslims among criminals in Europe today is far higher than their share of the general population.
Many European leaders today appear blind to the consequences of ever-increasing immigration, and a growing Muslim presence in Europe. They are dismissive of the Muslims' continuing mass-migration, enthusiastic birthrate, and they remain stubbornly deaf to the concerns shouted by their non-Muslim citizenry.
These leaders seem to refuse to see that a serious demographic shift is taking place, even though it is highly visible. They also seem to refuse to see that this demographic shift is swiftly eroding Europe's traditional cultures.
Out-of-control immigration from the Muslim world continues year after year throughout Western Europe, while Germany's birthrate is 1.35 per woman. The figure for Austria is 1.58. For Italy, it is 1.31. For Spain, it is 1.41. The figure for France is 1.85. All of these are significantly far from replacement level, which is 2.1 per woman.
In every country in Western Europe, the birthrate of Muslims is significantly higher than that of the general population.
Even if many Europeans are not aware of the statistical data, they can see with their eyes that a population change is taking place, along with the corrosive destruction of their values and traditions. Voting for "civilizationist" parties, Zemmour has said, is the "reaction of people who do not want to die."
The key question for the future of Europe seems to be: Will "civilizationist" parties remain excluded from any access to power, or will they succeed in overcoming the barriers being put up in their path?
In Romania, George Simion, a presidential candidate whose ideas are close to those of Georgescu, won more than 40% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election and had a strong chance of being elected on May 18. Unexpectedly, he lost. The winner, who had the full support of the European Union, went from 21% in the first round to 53.6% in the second round, an extraordinary performance that probably needs to be analyzed.
In Germany, the AfD has now become the country's most popular party. The German intelligence agency mysteriously decided to walk back AfD's extremist label. In France, polls show that if Marine Le Pen cannot run, Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally, has a good chance of being elected in 2027 despite being only 29 years old. In the United Kingdom, Nigel Farage's Reform UK party recently made large gains in English local elections. If Britain's general elections were held soon, would likely win.
The question at the heart of these issues is: Can the anti-democratic drift that has gripped several large European countries be stopped?
"European elites," wrote the American columnist Michael Barone, "seem to have convinced themselves that they must destroy democracy in order to save it."
Will it be possible to save democracy in Europe?
In a recent article, Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald wrote:
"Across the West, citizens are rebelling against demographic replacement. A battle is under way between their will and the will of the elites. If Germany's leaders continue to tell a quarter of the German population—decent, law-abiding individuals—that they are at best Hitler-adjacent and at worst Hitler-worshippers for wanting Germany's cultural identity preserved, if those leaders continue to suppress voices and votes, either there will be a massive upset in the halls of power and the people will be liberated, or the mechanisms of repression will grow more sweeping.
"Americans should hope for the former course."
**Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21652/democracy-tyranny-europe

IDF firing ‘warning shots’ near diplomats sets an unacceptable precedent in international relations
Andrew Forde, Assistant Professor - European Human Rights Law, Dublin City University/The Conversation/May 27, 2025
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) appears to have “crossed the Rubicon” in the West Bank town of Jenin, when it opened fire in the vicinity of a group of visiting diplomats on May 21 – in flagrant violation of international law. The group of diplomats representing 31 countries – including Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Russia and China – were on an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority to observe the humanitarian situation there. They were giving media interviews when IDF troops fired what they later referred to as “warning shots” over their heads, forcing them to run for cover. The shots came despite the visit having been flagged and coordinated in advance with both the Palestinian Authority and the IDF, which has effective control over the area. Jenin has long been a flash point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With much of the population descendants of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war, Israeli occupation and active Palestinian resistance are observable in the town.
The international community’s reaction to the warning shots incident – in particular, by those states whose diplomatic officials were directly involved – was one of swift and widespread outrage. The high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas, called for a full investigation into the incident, and for those responsible to be held accountable. “Any threats on diplomats’ lives are not acceptable,” she said. The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Israel of having “deliberately targeted with live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation”.
Israel acknowledged the incident and triggered an initial investigation, but downplayed its significance. A spokesman for the IDF said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” by the incident. But its statement went on to effectively justify the action, arguing that the diplomats had “deviated from the approved route” by entering a restricted area – leading to IDF soldiers firing warning shots into the air. Such a response doesn’t remotely correspond to the seriousness of the situation, and Israel is perfectly aware of this.
International law and diplomats
Diplomats carry out functions on behalf of the country they represent. They are the eyes, ears and voice of their country, called upon to pursue legitimate diplomatic activities. The protections afforded to individual diplomats must therefore be seen in the context of broader and longer-term diplomatic relations between states. To carry out diplomatic functions effectively, those individuals must be allowed to perform their functions without hindrance, coercion or harassment from any country that hosts their delegations. These customary rules are thousands of years old, and have been codified in international law through the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations – to which Israel is a signatory.
That convention provides for diplomatic inviolability, immunity from criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction, and freedom from detention or arrest. It also affords diplomatic staff the right to freedom of movement and free communications.
Most importantly for this case, article 29 of the convention states that the host state “shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on [their] person, freedom or dignity”. Firing warning shots in the vicinity of diplomats, even if done in error or without ill-intent, represents a serious threat to the person and their dignity. As such, it constitutes a flagrant abdication of Israel’s duty to protect them. Moreover, the firing of warning shots in Jenin immediately interrupted the diplomatic work there, and as such can be seen as an attempt to intimidate or limit the efficient and effective performance of diplomatic functions on behalf of their governments.
Need for accountability
Any use of force against diplomats, even indirect, is incompatible with the principles of diplomatic immunity enshrined in international law. The onus is on the host state to ensure the safety and inviolability of diplomatic personnel. And this duty of care is not diminished in situations of conflict. On the contrary, states have a special duty in times of conflict to protect diplomats and preserve diplomatic channels of communication. Israel’s actions in firing above these diplomats may or may not have been deliberate. But they had an intimidatory effect, which undermines the foundational principles of international relations. In a climate where Israel’s courts have effectively endorsed a media blackout in conflict-affected regions, the role of diplomats is indispensable.
The entire system of diplomatic relations relies on the presumption that diplomats can carry out their functions freely and effectively. Diplomatic protections work effectively when they are reciprocal. Without trust, the system quickly unravels.
It would be wrong to suggest this act may have tipped the balance of international opinion against Israel, when you consider the 19 months of violence in Gaza. The killing by the IDF of vast numbers of civilians (including thousands of women and children), the seeming use of starvation as a weapon of war, and the destruction of vast swaths of Gaza have rightly attracted growing international condemnation.
On May 19, Britain, France and Canada – staunch allies of Israel – said they will “not stand by”, and would take “concrete actions” if the military offensive is not halted and humanitarian aid is not delivered to the people of Gaza.
But threatening diplomats – even if not actively shooting at them – is an egregious breach of trust under the laws of diplomatic relations, which requires a meaningful apology and effective investigation. Those responsible for giving the orders to fire the “warning shots” need to be held accountable for that decision.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
**Andrew Forde is affiliated with Dublin City University (Assistant Professor, European Human Rights Law). He is also, separately, affiliated with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Commissioner).

Europe’s rude awakening on confronting Israel
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/May 27, 2025
European leaders are undergoing what can only be described as a rude awakening as they wrestle with how to respond to the devastating conflict raging in Gaza and the surge of anti-Israel protests sweeping their nations. After nearly 19 months of escalating violence, Europe is finally waking up to its collective responsibility — not only as a political union but as individual states and a shared cultural community — to address what has become a deep moral wound in the conscience of humanity.
Israel has long represented a sensitive and vulnerable issue for European nations, shaped not only by the historical trauma of Nazi persecution but also by centuries of European antisemitism and oppression of Jewish communities. While the UK took on the controversial role of transferring Palestine — the homeland of Palestinians — to the Zionist movement, many other European states failed to challenge this historic and contentious territorial handover. Here we stand today: Decades after Israel occupied Palestinian territories, displaced millions, created a vast Palestinian diaspora and committed numerous violations against the rightful inhabitants, we now face a conflict that Israeli officials themselves acknowledge could result in millions being killed or expelled from their ancestral homes.When Netanyahu imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid to more than 2 million Palestinians, the dam finally broke
Oct. 7, 2023, marked a watershed moment. Yet Israel’s response to that attack cannot justify the deaths of more than 54,000 people, overwhelmingly civilians. With Israel’s current plans to reoccupy Gaza, tens of thousands more could perish.
European leaders had already shifted from unwavering support for Israel to a more cautious and critical stance regarding its methods and goals. But when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid to more than 2 million Palestinians, the dam finally broke. Images of tens of thousands of civilians crowding desperately for scarce food under horrific conditions galvanized millions worldwide into protest.
Europe has long distinguished itself on the global stage as a defender of human rights. Gaza has exposed a glaring vulnerability in that reputation. The EU — Europe’s crowning political achievement, embodying shared values — now finds itself trapped in an almost impossible position. The EU has chosen to venture into uncharted political territory to uphold its fundamental principles while striving for unified action. Several countries — Spain, Ireland and Norway (though not an EU member) — last year recognized Palestine as a state, bringing the total number of the bloc’s countries acknowledging Palestinian statehood to 10.
More notably, the UK and France now stand on the brink of recognizing Palestine. While this marks significant diplomatic progress, it changes little on the ground. Israel has threatened retaliation against countries that recognize Palestine. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that if major powers like Britain and France were to formally recognize Palestinian independence, Israel would respond by annexing occupied land in the West Bank. But Israel has already confiscated major portions of the West Bank, with far-right ministers promising continued expansion regardless. The EU as a collective body holds significant leverage to compel changes in Israeli policy. However, it must act in unity. Such Israeli threats were predictable. But Europe can and should go further to reinforce its evolving position. For the first time, European countries are seriously debating sanctions against Israel, including trade restrictions and arms embargoes. Meanwhile, Israel continues to authorize new settlements in the West Bank, repeatedly violating international law. European nations can pursue three concrete actions: sanction Israel for violating international law in Gaza and the West Bank; recognize Palestinian statehood; and support international investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes and genocide.
Israel will resist all three measures. The most predictable response will be accusations of antisemitism. But such claims today lack credibility. Many Jewish voices have emerged condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, drawing a clear distinction between historical Jewish suffering and current Israeli policies. Beyond this, the EU as a collective body holds significant leverage to compel changes in Israeli policy. However, the EU must act in unity. Currently, fewer than half of its members recognize Palestinian statehood.
Europe pioneered the recognition of Palestinian rights in the 1980s with the Venice Declaration. Since then, however, the EU has largely deferred to US leadership in the peace process, culminating in the Oslo Accords. Subsequently, the EU has provided billions in aid to the Palestinian Authority but has failed to prevent Israeli violations of those accords or the destruction of EU-funded Palestinian projects. For the EU and European states to effectively confront Israel today, they must break free from US political dominance. The EU can still champion international bodies that uphold international law. While the US retreats from these legal foundations, the EU can emerge as a defender of the world order, advocating human rights and rules-based governance. Europe’s rude awakening may not immediately alter the trajectory of violence in Gaza. But it will make a difference. Israel cannot survive as a nation while ignoring international condemnation and the threat of sanctions for its actions. If it seeks to exist as a normal state, it must end its Gaza campaign and recognize Palestinians as equals.
**Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010

Golden Dome: The next theater of strategic conflict?
Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/May 27, 2025
US President Donald Trump unveiled his long-promised missile defense shield initiative in early 2025, codifying what was then known as the “Iron Dome for America” through an executive order shortly after returning to office. The initiative, which Trump repeatedly touted during his campaign, represents a bold and controversial shift in American national security policy. At a press conference at the White House last week, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, the US Space Force’s vice chair of space operations and the newly appointed head of the project, Trump described the initiative — now branded as “Golden Dome” — as a major leap forward in American missile defense and a historic breakthrough in space-based deterrence. Trump framed it as the completion of President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which was introduced more than 40 years ago. Whereas Reagan’s vision in the 1980s was aspirational — described at the time as a long-term research and development program — Trump’s is the real deal because the technology now exists to realize that vision. The president noted that space-based sensors and interceptors will be deployed and operational before the end of his term in 2029.
The president said the Golden Dome would serve as an integrated defense shield against “any and all missile threats,” promising protection from projectiles launched from across the globe — or from space itself. The objective, as Hegseth said, is to “rebuild our military capability and reestablish deterrence.” The architecture will incorporate land, sea, air and space-based platforms, and Canada will be part of it. As Politico noted, Trump’s reliance on Canada is crucial, especially to track and neutralize potential missile launches from Russia or China. Trump promised it would offer protection from projectiles launched from across the globe — or from space itself
But as bold as the announcement was, it immediately drew fierce criticism from scientists, arms control advocates and US rivals, as did the Strategic Defense Initiative under Reagan. While the Trump administration heralded the initiative as a technological breakthrough and a national security imperative, its critics warned of potentially devastating implications: an escalation of great power competition, the erosion of global arms control frameworks and an arms race in space.
The central legal question is whether the Golden Dome violates the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the foundational international agreement governing space activities. This treaty explicitly prohibits the placement of “nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction” in orbit or on celestial bodies. However, the treaty does not ban conventional weapons — an omission that arms control experts now regard as a critical loophole. China’s Foreign Ministry voiced its “grave concern” over the Golden Dome, accusing Washington of undermining the principle of peaceful use of space enshrined in the Outer Space Treaty. A spokesperson warned that the initiative could “heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, shaking the foundations of the international arms control system.”
Russia’s response was more measured, reflecting the delicate timing of US-Russia negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested the project might provide an opening for renewed strategic arms talks. “The very course of events requires the resumption of contacts on issues of strategic stability,” he said.
At the UN, recent efforts to forestall an arms race in space have faltered. In the fall of 2024, a draft resolution introduced at the UN Security Council by the US and Japan — to ban nuclear and mass destructive weapons in space — was blocked by Russia and China. Ironically, both powers argued that the resolution did not go far enough, as it excluded conventional weapons.
Though Trump did not explicitly mention China or Russia during his Golden Dome announcement, the initiative is widely viewed as targeting these two adversaries. With tensions with Beijing rising over Taiwan and Moscow’s global influence diminished by war and sanctions, Washington appears to be recalibrating its defense posture with China as the primary long-term competitor.
Nonetheless, Russia remains a concern. Despite its weakened geopolitical position, it maintains a powerful nuclear arsenal and significant space capabilities. As one arms control expert put it, “Russia may be the junior partner in the threat equation, but it’s still a partner.” While the Trump administration insists that the Golden Dome is purely defensive, opponents say the deployment of space-based interceptors effectively weaponizes space, destabilizes deterrence and encourages adversaries to develop or deploy similar capabilities. The Arms Control Association has condemned the plan as a costly “strategic blunder,” calling it “deeply flawed, technically complex and counterproductive.” The group urged the administration to negotiate a follow-on agreement with Russia to maintain New START limits until a broader treaty can be secured. The initiative has stirred controversy in Congress. Democrats have slammed the project as wasteful and misaligned with national priorities. With $25 billion allocated in the 2025 budget and estimates ranging from $161 billion to more than $540 billion over two decades (according to the Congressional Budget Office), critics are questioning the cost-benefit ratio.
Washington appears to be recalibrating its defense posture with China as the primary long-term competitor. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, backed by 42 Democratic lawmakers, called for an investigation into the defense contracts awarded for the project. Accusations of profiteering have surfaced, particularly involving Elon Musk and his company SpaceX and its investors.
Some defense analysts argue that the declining cost of space launches has made space-based defense more feasible than in the Reagan era. Others, including scientists from the American Physical Society, argue that, even with modern technology, the fundamental challenge remains: hitting a fast-moving missile with another object in space is akin to “hitting a bullet with a bullet.” Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation acknowledged technological advances but noted, “the laws of physics have not changed.”The Golden Dome arrives at a moment of deep uncertainty in global arms control. The Cold War-era architecture painstakingly built over decades has all but crumbled. The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty is gone, as is the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The last remaining agreement — New START — is set to expire in 2026. The US and Russia have suspended participation in most of these agreements and China has never been a party to any of them.
By introducing a space-based missile shield, Trump risks opening a Pandora’s box. With space already declared a warfighting domain by both NATO and the US, and with the emergence of powerful new space actors, the Golden Dome may fundamentally alter the character of space security.
Trump’s Golden Dome may be technologically ambitious and politically bold, but its implications are profound and far-reaching. It challenges long-standing international norms, stirs geopolitical tensions and threatens to accelerate the weaponization of space.
As arms control frameworks erode and space becomes the next frontier of competition, the world faces a stark choice: will space remain a shared, peaceful domain or will it become the next theater of strategic conflict? If Trump truly wishes to cement his legacy not just as a protector but as a peacemaker, he may need to extend his diplomatic ambitions skyward — into the final frontier.
**Dr. Amal Mudallali is an international affairs adviser for Think and a former Lebanese ambassador to the UN.

The end of certainty and the rise of the rest
Dr. John Sfakianakis//Arab News/May 27, 2025
The liberal international order that has shaped the world since 1945 is no longer the uncontested framework for global governance. Born of the Western victory in the Second World War and codified through institutions like the UN, International Monetary Fund and NATO, the Pax Americana was long underpinned by open markets, expanding democracy and US-led multilateralism. Today, this vision no longer commands consensus — even in the West. The postwar order is not collapsing overnight, but it is being overtaken — by geopolitical pluralism, ideological contestation and the rise of credible alternatives. Across the globe, new political models are emerging that blend state-led capitalism, centralized governance and selective modernization. These are not temporary deviations. They reflect historical traditions, domestic legitimacy and regional priorities. In many parts of the Global South, Western-style liberal democracy is no longer seen as the default destination. It is simply one among many options. Nowhere is this shift clearer than in the internal disarray of Western democracies. In the US, partisan tribalism, social media disinformation and institutional gridlock have eroded democratic norms. “Trumpism” could outlast President Donald Trump. It prioritizes identity over policy, suspicion over alliance and power over principle. America’s leadership in innovation, higher education and cultural influence remains formidable. But its ability to lead by example has weakened — both at home and abroad.In many parts of the Global South, Western-style liberal democracy is no longer seen as the default destination
Europe faces its own reckoning. The center is hollowing out, squeezed between populist right-wing nationalism and disillusioned progressivism. Inflation, inequality and housing insecurity have undermined the postwar middle class, once the bedrock of European stability. The social democratic model is stretched thin, caught between rising fiscal demands — from climate to defense — and waning political will. Brexit, far from being a sovereign renaissance, has revealed the costs of detachment in an interdependent world. Slowly and quietly, the UK is rebuilding practical ties with Europe out of necessity rather than nostalgia. This fraying coherence has global consequences. For decades, the West assumed others would converge toward its model. That presumption is no longer viable. Across Asia, the Middle East and the Global South, performance-based legitimacy, long-term vision and technocratic governance are gaining appeal — especially after the West’s uneven response to COVID-19, various economic crises and political polarization. The Middle East exemplifies the contradictions of this emerging order. Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pushing ambitious economic reforms — from Vision 2030 to sovereign wealth diversification — while maintaining firm, centralized control. They are no longer just recipients of external power but brokers of influence. The region is also a strategic arena where great powers compete. Washington, Beijing and others are no longer merely extending power, but negotiating it.
China’s rise further underscores the shift. The Chinese model — rooted in state-led capitalism, digital infrastructure and strategic planning — offers an alternative to Western liberalism that many countries find compelling. Legitimacy in China comes not from elections but from economic performance, social stability and national revival. For much of Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, Beijing’s approach represents a pragmatic, if imperfect, model for development without democratization.
The war in Ukraine marks not only a geopolitical rupture but a rejection of the Western-centric international architecture
The war in Ukraine marks not only a geopolitical rupture but a rejection of the Western-centric international architecture. Russia seeks strategic autonomy through multipolar partnerships, turning eastward toward China and southward toward its BRICS partners. This loose coalition has grown into somewhat of a platform for institutional counterbalance to the West — spurred by resentment over the weaponization of the dollar and the perceived double standards of liberal norms.
Yet this is not a story of inevitable Western decline. The US still anchors the global financial system, leads in technological innovation and shapes cultural narratives. Europe remains a bastion of soft power and institutional depth. But influence must now be earned, not assumed. The era of uncontested Western primacy is over. What remains is a world of competing systems, fractured legitimacy and negotiated relevance.
What is fading is not democracy itself but the illusion of its inevitability. The world is fragmenting into a mosaic of governance models — liberal, illiberal, technocratic, hybrid. The task for the West is no longer to assert universality but to demonstrate adaptability and relevance. That task begins at home. Without restored trust, renewed institutions and a revitalized social contract, Western democracies cannot credibly lead abroad. Internationally, engagement must be grounded in mutual respect — not paternalism. Sovereign states will chart their own paths. Partnership, not proselytization, is the new currency of diplomacy.
We are not entering a new Cold War era. We are entering something more uncertain: a world without a center of gravity, without a sole definition of progress and without a clear endpoint. The liberal order’s twilight is not the end of order — it is the beginning of something more complex, more pluralistic and more demanding.
The end of certainty may feel like decline. But it could also be the beginning of a more honest, resilient global order — if the West is willing to adapt.
**Dr. John Sfakianakis is the chief economist and head of economic research at the Gulf Research Center.