English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 05/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify
them in the truth; your word is truth
Saint John 17/14-19/:”I have given them your word, and the world
has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong
to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you
to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do
not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you
have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their
sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 04-05/2025
Anniversary of the Signing of the Catastrophic Cairo Agreement That Legitimated
Occupations and Traded Sovereignty for Undelivered Security/Elias Bejjani/November
03/2025
1 killed in Israeli drone strike on car in Nabatieh region
Israeli opposition chief reportedly voices support for possible anti-Hezbollah
operation
Israeli report: No place immune in Lebanon if Hezbollah keeps boosting its
capabilities
Military plans: Israel dismisses diplomatic path with Lebanon, weighs escalation
against Hezbollah
Aoun urges diplomacy as Israeli strikes escalate in southern Lebanon
Barrack suggests that Aoun should 'call Netanyahu'
Berri says Israeli claims of arms smuggling from Syria 'mere lies'
UK Middle East Minister Falconer upholds UK support to Lebanon
Lebanon Receives French Legal Request to Arrest Wanted Senior Syrian Regime
Figures
Beirut waste-sorting facility rebuilt after Beirut Port explosion, remains
unused amid dispute
Lebanon could reduce or cancel $11 million bail for Hannibal Gadhafi
Years into the crisis: Lebanon still without a clear path to restore deposits
Jeita Grotto scandal: Unauthorized event triggers outrage and investigation
Between war and rebuilding: Msayleh meeting marks first step toward Lebanon’s
reconstruction
BDL seeks middle ground in ongoing dispute over deposit recovery—the details
Mona Ziade, who covered Lebanon's civil war and Arab-Israeli peace talks for the
AP, dies at 65
America and Lebanon… an Obscure Picture/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/November
05/2024
Time Is Running Out for Lebanon to Avoid the Price of Hollow Politics/Dr.
Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/November 03/2025
A hymn by Monsignor Mansour Labaki on the occasion of Pope Leo XIV's visit to
Lebanon
Hymne de Monseigneur Mansour Labaki à l'occasion de la visite du Pape Léon XIV
au Liban
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
November 04-05/2025
Israel says it has received remains of Gaza hostage
Arab-Muslim backers of Trump plan seek to influence post-war Gaza, consensus
formula emerging
A look at the hostages left in Gaza, by the numbers
UN Secretary-general Decries 'Continued Violations' of Gaza Ceasefire
US National Intelligence Director: Monitoring Gaza Ceasefire is a Challenging
Mission
Fatah Likely to Skip Upcoming Palestinian Factions’ Meeting in Cairo
Washington pushes for UN approval of Gaza security force with two-year mandate:
Report
Israel Uses Gas Deal as Leverage to Curb Egyptian Military Presence in Sinai
Iran piles up pre-conditions for dialogue, cooperation with US amid protracted
impasse
Iran frees two French nationals from prison, Macron says
Iran frees two French nationals from prison, Macron says
Iran Commemorates Storming of US Embassy with Missile Replicas
Report: Iranian Man Found Dead After Burning Picture of Khamenei
Trump Threatens Nigeria with Potential Military Action, Escalates Claim of
'Christian Persecution'
Trump calls Jewish supporters of New York’s Mamdani ‘stupid’
Trump to meet with Syria’s al-Sharaa on Monday, White House says
Trump says no Tomahawks for Ukraine, for now
Merz Invites Syrian President to Germany to Discuss Deportations
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on
November 04-05/2025
PKK announcement of withdrawal from Turkey has ramifications for Iraq,
Syria/Seth J. Frantzman/FDD's Long War Journal/November 04/2025 |
Palestinian Islamic Jihad shows signs of renewed activity in the West Bank/Joe
Truzman/ FDD's Long War Journal/November 04/2025
How Political Leaders Are Fast-Tracking the Islamification of Europe/Guy
Millière/Gatestone Institute./November 04/2025
Selected X Tweets For November 04/2025
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 04-05/2025
Anniversary of the Signing of the Catastrophic Cairo Agreement That Legitimated
Occupations and Traded Sovereignty for Undelivered Security
Elias Bejjani/November 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148840/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWDqlptsr-U
Today, we remember with anger and sorrow the Cairo Agreement, the crime and
national catastrophe that was signed between Lebanon the State and the terrorist
Palestinian organizations. This agreement destroyed Lebanon, eliminated its
unity, undermined its independence, and handed over its decision-making to
foreign terrorists, Arab nationalists, leftists, and jihadists who occupied
Lebanon and continue to do so, starting with the Palestinian organizations, then
the Syrian occupation, and currently the Iranian occupation through the
terrorist and jihadist Hezbollah. What were the backgrounds of this voided
agreement? What are its catastrophic consequences that continue to this day? And
who was responsible for the signing and the surrender of Lebanon, and why?
Undoubtedly, the Cairo Agreement, signed on November 3, 1969, was not merely a
military accord, but a catastrophic turning point in modern Lebanese history. It
undermined its sovereignty, legitimized an armed presence outside state
authority, and paved the way for the wars that Lebanon was subjected to and
which are still raging, serving Palestinian, Syrian, Nasserist Arab nationalist,
jihadist, and Iranian agendas.
Date of Signing, Signatories, and Background of the Cairo Agreement
Date and Place of Signing: The agreement was signed in Cairo, the capital of the
United Arab Republic (Egypt at the time), on November 3, 1969.
Signatories and Parties:
On the Lebanese side: General Emile Boustani, Commander of the Army, during the
presidency of Charles Helou.
On the Palestinian Organizations side: Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Egyptian Presence and Influence: The signing was attended by Mr. Mahmoud Riad
(Egyptian Foreign Minister) and General Mohamed Fawzi (Egyptian Minister of
War). The late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser played a pivotal role in
summoning Arafat and the Lebanese authorities and pressuring for the swift
conclusion of the agreement. It is reported that he warned General Boustani upon
signing the agreement, saying: "The agreement is not in your interest."
The Bloody Background: The agreement came in the wake of bloody and fierce
clashes that lasted for months between the Lebanese Army and the local Christian
popular forces rejecting the Palestinian occupation, and the Palestinian
resistance factions whose power was escalating through their alliance with
Lebanese leftist and nationalist political forces (later known as the Lebanese
National Movement). The core of the conflict was the rejection by the majority
of Lebanese Christian parties and organizations of using Lebanon as a platform
for military operations against Israel or an arena for ideological Arab wars, at
the expense of Lebanese state sovereignty and stability.
Text Of The Cairo Agreement 1969
IN 1969, under the authority of the then president Charles Helou, the
following document was signed by the Head of the Lebanese Delegation General
Emile Bustani, and the Head of the Palestinian Delegation Yasser Arafat.
Text
On Monday, 3rd November 1969, the Lebanese delegation headed by Army Commander
General Emile al-Bustani, and the Palestine Liberation Organization delegation,
headed by Mr. Yasir 'Arafat, chairman of the organization, met in Cairo in the
presence of the United Arab Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmud Riyad,
and the War Minister, General Muhammad Fawzi.
In consonance with the bonds of brotherhood and common destiny, relations
between Lebanon and the Palestinian revolution must always be conducted on the
bases of confidence, frankness, and positive cooperation for the benefit of
Lebanon and the Palestinian revolution and within the framework of Lebanon's
sovereignty and security. The two delegations agreed on the following principles
and measures:
The Palestinian Presence
It was agreed to reorganize the Palestinian presence in Lebanon on the following
bases:
1. The right to work, residence, and movement for Palestinians currently
residing in Lebanon;
2. The formation of local committees composed of Palestinians in the camps to
care for the interests of Palestinians residing in these camps in cooperation
with the local Lebanese authorities within the framework of Lebanese
sovereignty;
3. The establishment of posts of the Palestinian Armed Struggle [PASC] inside
the camps for the purpose of cooperation with the local committees to ensure
good relations with the Lebanese authorities. These posts shall undertake the
task of regulating and determining the presence of arms in the camps within the
framework of Lebanese security and the interests of the Palestinian revolution;
4. Palestinians resident in Lebanon are to be permitted to participate in the
Palestinian revolution through the Armed Struggle and in accordance with the
principles of the sovereignty and security of Lebanon.
Commando Activity
It was agreed to facilitate commando activity by means of:
1. Facilitating the passage of commandos and specifying points of passage and
reconnaissance in the border areas;
2. Safeguarding the road to the 'Arqub region;
3. The Armed Struggle shall undertake to control the conduct of all the members
of its organizations and [to ensure] their non-interference in Lebanese affairs;
4. Establishing a joint command control of the Armed Struggle and the Lebanese
Army;
5. Ending the propaganda campaigns by both sides;
6. Conducting a census of Armed Struggle personnel in Lebanon by their command.
7. Appointing Armed Struggle representatives at Lebanese Army headquarters to
participate in the resolution of all emergency matters;
8. Studying the distribution of all suitable points of concentration in border
areas which will be agreed with the Lebanese Army command;
9. Regulating the entry, exit, and circulation of Armed Struggle personnel;
10. Removal of the Jiyrun base.
11. The Lebanese Army shall facilitate the operation of medical, evacuation, and
supply centers for commando activity;
12. Releasing detained personnel and confiscated arms;
13. It is understood that the Lebanese authorities, both civil and military,
shall continue to exercise all their prerogatives and responsibilities in all
areas of Lebanon in all circumstances;
14. The two delegations affirm that the Palestinian armed struggle is in the
interest of Lebanon as well as in that of the Palestinian revolution and all
Arabs;
15. This agreement shall remain Top Secret and for the eyes of the commands
only.
Head of Lebanese delegation
Emile Bustani
Head of Palestinian delegation
Yasir Arafat
Resolution adopted by the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies, 21 May 1987
1. Abrogation of the law issued by the Chamber of Deputies on 14 June 1983,
authorizing the Government to ratify the agreement signed by the Government of
the Lebanese Republic and the Government of the State of Israel on 17 May 1983.
2. The agreement signed on 3 November 1969 between the head of the Lebanese
delegation General Emile Bustani and the Chairman of the PLO and which is known
as the "Cairo Agreement" is hereby null and void as if it had never existed.
Further, all annexes and measures related to the Cairo Agreement are hereby null
and void as if they had never existed.
**The Catastrophic and Ongoing Consequences of the Agreement
Despite the apparent attempt to mitigate tension, the Cairo Agreement
constituted an explicit authorization for an armed foreign group to possess
weapons on Lebanese soil, leading to:
Erosion of Sovereignty and National Decision: The agreement established a "state
within a state," where areas controlled by armed Palestinians, especially the
camps and Southern Lebanon, became entirely outside the authority of the
Lebanese state.
Abandonment of the South: Allowing the "securing of the road to the Arqoub area"
and facilitating operations from the South transformed this region into an arena
for direct conflict with Israel. This initiated the cycle of destruction and
displacement in Southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese state bearing the
consequences of a war it did not decide.
Turning Lebanon into a War Zone: Lebanon became an "open arena" for Feda'een
actions and counter-military operations, leading to the destruction of
infrastructure, destabilization of security, and the eruption of the Lebanese
Civil War (1975-1990) as a direct result of clashes between Lebanese militias
rejecting the situation and Palestinian militias allied with Lebanese leftist
forces.
Transforming Camps into Security Enclaves: Palestinian camps remain outside
state authority to this day, becoming safe havens for "merchants of the
resistance lie," drug dealers, fugitives from justice, and fertile ground for
extremist organizations and chaos.
Fourth: Loss of Sovereignty and the Continuation of Disasters
Since the signing of the Cairo Agreement, it can be said that Lebanon lost a
significant part of its sovereignty and independent decision. This was not
limited to armed Palestinian influence but extended to open the door wide to
other regional powers:
Syrian Influence: The Assad regime exploited the agreement and then the Civil
War to intervene militarily and politically, transforming Lebanon into a
bargaining chip in its hand.
Iranian Hezbollah Occupation: The "crime of the Cairo Agreement" was repeated
with the emergence and growth of Hezbollah (which holds Iranian identity and
goals). It possesses weapons outside state authority, wages wars, and dominates
Lebanon's sovereign decision, representing a continuation of the "illegitimate
weapons" approach established by the Cairo Agreement.
Fifth: The Nullification of the Agreement and the Crime of Repetition
The Death of the Agreement (The Lebanese Barter):
The Cairo Agreement died and was officially annulled on May 20, 1987, shortly
after the expiration of the effect of the "May 17 Agreement" (1983) signed by
Lebanon and Israel.
"The Cairo Agreement died, as it was born, in the blink of an eye that lasted
about 18 years... thus, the barter was nullification for nullification."
The armed Palestinian revolution departed from Beirut in 1982 following the
Israeli invasion, thereby ending the effective and open armed presence of the
PLO legitimized by the agreement, before it was officially annulled afterward.
The Repetition of the Cairo Agreement Crime:
The current situation in Lebanon, under the control of Hezbollah's weapon, is a
repetition of the Cairo Agreement crime but with different local and regional
tools.
The Lost Wars: Lebanon continues to pay the price for the "lost wars" waged by
Hezbollah against Israel, which devastate the South and place the country on the
brink of a comprehensive war. It remains unwilling to implement the recent
ceasefire agreement and all international resolutions: 1559, 1701, 1680, in
addition to its refusal to respect the Lebanese Constitution after its amendment
through the Taif Agreement, which demands the dissolution of all Lebanese and
non-Lebanese militias and the imposition of state authority through its own
forces over all Lebanese territories.
Appeasement and Empowerment: The actions of the current Lebanese government and
the Army leadership at present, in terms of appeasing Hezbollah and not
compelling it to surrender its weapons to the state, are a repetition of the
same historical mistake committed by the Lebanese leadership in 1969: the
surrender of the state's sovereign decision in exchange for temporary calm or
under regional pressure, thus ensuring the continuation of the national
catastrophe.
Conclusion: Every time sovereignty was abandoned in exchange for purported
security, the country was the loser and the Lebanese were the victims, because
sovereignty belongs to the state alone and not to any armed groups, whether
Lebanese or non-Lebanese
1 killed in Israeli drone strike on car in Nabatieh
region
Naharnet/November 04/2025
An Israeli drone strike targeted a car in the southern town of Kfar Dajjal on
Tuesday, killing one person, media reports said. Despite a November 2024
ceasefire with Hezbollah, Israel maintains troops in five areas in southern
Lebanon and has kept up regular air strikes.
Israel usually says it is targeting Hezbollah militants and positions -- and has
stepped up the attacks in recent days. Hezbollah was badly weakened during the
war, and the United States has intensified pressure on Lebanese authorities to
disarm the group.
Hezbollah and its allies oppose the plan.
Israeli opposition chief reportedly voices support for
possible anti-Hezbollah operation
Naharnet/November 04/2025
Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid has called for a “powerful military
operation” against Hezbollah, Lebanese media reports said on Tuesday. LBCI
television meanwhile reported that Israel’s opposition and governing coalition
have reached a rare consensus that the situation with Lebanon has reached a
point of no return and that another round of war is only a matter of time. “This
conclusion came after Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid was briefed on
intelligence reports containing claims by security and military agencies that
Hezbollah is strengthening its capabilities and preparing to attack Israel,
while the Lebanese state has failed to uphold the ceasefire agreement,” LBCI
said. According to an Israeli report, the Israeli Intelligence Directorate and
Northern Command have intensified efforts to monitor Hezbollah’s movements and
its support from Iran. The report alleges that the group is building defensive
systems north of the Litani River, in southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley,
while rebuilding its Radwan Force and attempting to recover weapons buried in
bunkers previously targeted by the Israeli army. In response to the report,
Lapid called for keeping the option of a military operation against Lebanon on
the table. Meanwhile, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir, speaking at a meeting of
reserve force commanders, said that the reserves would be on the front lines of
any potential conflict, declaring that the war is not over and that the army
faces two choices: either achieve stability on all fronts or return to war until
victory is achieved. Zamir’s comments followed a joint assessment with the U.S.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, during which they
discussed regional and broader security challenges.
Israeli report: No place immune in Lebanon if Hezbollah
keeps boosting its capabilities
Naharnet/November 04/2025
Although the Israeli army “has so far refrained from carrying out strikes in
Beirut, no place will be immune if Hezbollah keeps boosting its capabilities,”
senior Israeli sources told the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.
Lebanese governmental sources had on Monday told Al-Jadeed television that
Lebanon is already in a “state of war.”“Escalation will not expand in a major
manner, despite fears that some areas around the capital might be targeted,” the
sources said. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper meanwhile quoted Israeli army officials
as saying that “the Lebanese Army is not doing much to prevent Hezbollah from
rehabilitating itself and is avoiding confrontation with its members.”
Military plans: Israel dismisses diplomatic path with
Lebanon, weighs escalation against Hezbollah
LBCI/November 04/2025
Israel has dismissed the possibility of a successful diplomatic track with
Lebanon regarding the demarcation of land borders, the implementation of U.N.
Resolution 1701, and the ceasefire agreement, warning instead of plans to
intensify its military operations.
According to Israeli military assessments, daily operations are no longer
sufficient and should be expanded into unprecedented simultaneous air and ground
attacks against Hezbollah. Military officials indicated that the timing of any
escalation will depend on the progress of political talks between Beirut and
Washington, as well as broader regional developments. The Israeli Northern
Command is expected to present its field options to the cabinet on Thursday,
amid intelligence suggesting that Hezbollah has strengthened its capabilities,
particularly in producing rocket and drone launch platforms.
Ahead of a possible cabinet approval of these military options, the Israeli Air
Force has redeployed parts of its defense systems to the north, after having
concentrated them in central and southern Israel, due to fears of rocket and
drone attacks from Iraq and Yemen's Houthis. Within Israeli military plans,
there are growing calls to act swiftly against Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Beirut has
become part of internal debates—between those urging direct strikes to weaken
Hezbollah's presence in certain areas and others arguing that such actions
should be timed carefully in coordination with U.S. pressure. On the diplomatic
front, former Israeli army operations officer Zvi Bar'el voiced skepticism about
reports of a potential agreement with Lebanon similar to the Gaza ceasefire
arrangement. He argued that Lebanon's commitment to disarming Hezbollah under
American guidance has remained mainly symbolic, questioning how a comprehensive
political deal with Israel could be achieved when even limited security
arrangements have proven challenging to implement.
Aoun urges diplomacy as Israeli strikes escalate in
southern Lebanon
The Arab Weekly/November 04/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday reaffirmed his commitment to
negotiations with Israel, saying Lebanon had “no option” but to engage in
dialogue. “Negotiation is not conducted with a friend or ally, but with an
enemy,” Aoun said, stressing that “the language of negotiation is more important
than the language of war, which we have seen what it has done to us.” A
statement issued by the presidential palace quoted Aoun as underscoring his
adherence to “the diplomatic language adopted by all of us, from Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.”He said Lebanon remained
committed to the existing negotiation framework “through the Mechanism
Committee,” which currently includes only military representatives but could be
expanded to include civilians under a recent US proposal conveyed by Morgan
Ortagus. US envoy Thomas Barrack, together with special envoy Morgan Ortagus, is
leading indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. The two officials have
visited Beirut several times, with the disarmament of Hezbollah topping the
agenda during their meetings. Speaking at the Manama Dialogue summit in Bahrain
during a panel on “US Policy in the Levant,” Barrack last Saturday urged Lebanon
to enter direct talks with Israel. “The conversation needs to be with Israel. It
just needs to be with Israel. Israel is ready,” US envoy Tom Barrack told
reporters. “March to that door, to Israel, and have a conversation, it can’t
hurt,” he added. But he said that Lebanese leaders were “rightly nervous” about
such talks. Hezbollah, which opposes Israel, has been heavily weakened by the
war but remains financially resilient and armed.
“They’re rightly hesitant because it’s a dangerous environment,” he said.
But “if you want to do that, we’ll help. We’ll put pressure on Israel to be
reasonable”, he said. Aoun’s comments on Monday came as Israel stepped up its
military campaign in southern Lebanon, intensifying pressure on Hezbollah to
disarm. An Israeli air strike on Monday targeted a motorcycle in Aita Al-Shaab,
killing its rider, the second such strike within hours. Media outlets close to
Hezbollah identified the victim as Youssef Naameh, whose two brothers were
previously killed in Israeli attacks. Earlier the same day, the Israel Defence
Forces struck the town of Doueir in the Nabatieh district, killing one person
and wounding seven others, according to the Lebanese ministry of health.
Lebanese outlets reported that the slain man was Hezbollah commander Mohammed
Ali Hadid, previously injured in a 2024 pager explosion attributed to Mossad, an
operation Israel never officially claimed. Reports said Hadid had survived an
Israeli drone strike on Sunday in Zefta, also in the south, where three missiles
were launched but missed their target. Footage circulating online showed a car
engulfed in flames, with nearby vehicles and a commercial complex of shops and
restaurants also damaged.
Israel’s Channel 12 said the latest escalation followed remarks from an “Israeli
security source” who noted that “the Lebanese state does not enter certain areas
where Hezbollah operates and, if we are asked to act, we know how to increase
the pace of attacks in Lebanon if necessary.”The intensified strikes have
brought the death toll in less than a week to 16, most of them Hezbollah
members. A strike on Saturday in the town of Kfar Roummane killed four Hezbollah
fighters and wounded three civilians. A Lebanese security source said further
escalation was likely in the coming months, as the Lebanese army’s deadline to
complete its disarmament plan south of the Litani River approaches. Israeli
Defence Minister Israel Katz accused Hezbollah on Sunday of “playing with fire”
and held the Lebanese government and the president “responsible for
procrastinating in fulfilling their commitments regarding the disarmament of the
party and its withdrawal from the south.” Katz added that “Israel will continue
to implement a policy of maximum response in its military operations and will
not allow any threat targeting northern residents,” urging Lebanese authorities
to “assume their full responsibilities to ensure stability and prevent
escalation.”
Barrack suggests that Aoun should 'call Netanyahu'
Naharnet/November 04/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has reportedly suggested that President Joseph Aoun
should pick up the phone and call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
order to settle the outstanding issues between Lebanon and Israel. According to
media reports, Barrack voiced his remarks in a meeting with journalists in
Turkey. In defense of his unusual suggestion, Barrack noted that U.S. President
Donald Trump has held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Chinese President Xi Jinping despite the tensions with Moscow and Beijing.
Berri says Israeli claims of arms smuggling from Syria 'mere lies'
Naharnet/November 04/2025
Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday said Hezbollah “has fully committed to the
ceasefire agreement” with Israel. Berri added that the Lebanese Army has
deployed in the South Litani region with more than 9,000 soldiers and officers,
noting that the army can deploy up to the international border but pointing out
that “what is obstructing that is the continued Israeli occupation of vast parts
of southern Lebanese territory.” “But the question that should be asked is when,
where and how has Israel committed to a single clause of the ceasefire
agreement?” the Speaker said. Berri also revealed that U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus
had mentioned two things during her latest visit to Beirut: the Israeli claims
about arms smuggling from Syria and the issue of negotiations. “What Israel is
alleging about weapons from Syria is mere lies, and the U.S. -- which controls
the skies with its satellites and other means -- knows that,” Berri added.
As for negotiations, Berri said the ceasefire monitoring committee, known as the
Mechanism, “should meet in a periodic manner.”“The help of civilian or military
experts can be sought should the need arise, in the vein of what happened in the
delineating of the Blue Line or the maritime border,” the Speaker added. As for
the possibility of normalization with Israel, Berri said he is confident that
the Lebanese would reject such a move.
UK Middle East Minister Falconer upholds UK support to Lebanon
Naharnet/November 04/2025
Hamish Falconer, the UK Minister for the Middle East, has ended a two-day visit
to Lebanon, the British embassy said on Tuesday. On his first official visit to
the country, he met with Lebanese leaders, inaugurated a new base for the
Lebanese Army in south Lebanon constructed through UK funding, and saw how UK
aid funded programs are helping those impacted by the recent conflict. He was
accompanied by British Ambassador Hamish Cowell. In South Lebanon, he saw how a
new Lebanese Army operating base, built with UK support, will enhance the army's
operational resilience and address critical infrastructure needs. "This is
essential for supporting a permanent and sustainable LAF presence in the South.
The UK has also built over 80 LAF operating bases along the Syrian border to
strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty and security," the embassy said in a statement.
Falconer also visited the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) center in Tebnine where he
welcomed the partnership between the British Red Cross (BRC) and LRC to boost
crisis preparedness and disaster response.
In Seddiqine, he visited a UNICEF Makani multi-service community center, which
is supporting the most marginalized children with essential education and child
protection services. This is part of a broader package of UK aid to Lebanon this
year totalling £33.5 million. "This support helps to provide humanitarian
assistance to the most vulnerable communities to meet their basic needs and
access essential services such as education and gender-based violence
prevention. This is done in collaboration with the Government of Lebanon, to
help strengthen their national social protection systems," the embassy said.
Minister Falconer met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam,
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe
Haykal, where he reaffirmed "the UK’s commitment to support Lebanon’s reform
efforts and long-term security and stability." At the end of his visit, Falconer
said: “Across the region, the UK is supporting efforts towards a lasting peace
through tireless diplomacy, humanitarian support, and security cooperation." “In
Lebanon, I saw the devastating impact of conflict and how UK support is
strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces through new Forward Operating Bases and
training. Our humanitarian programming is helping communities to meet their
basic needs and children return to learning,” he added. British Ambassador
Hamish Cowell said: “The UK is committed to working closely with Lebanon, to
help deliver meaningful change that benefits the country and its people, and I
was pleased to welcome Minister Falconer on his first official visit to
Lebanon."“In our meetings with Lebanon’s leadership, we reaffirmed the UK’s
steadfast support to Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, reform efforts and the
importance of parliamentary elections in 2026,” he added.
Lebanon Receives French Legal Request to Arrest Wanted
Senior Syrian Regime Figures
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
The Lebanese judiciary received on Monday a legal request from France demanding
assistance in tracking down officials from the ousted Syrian regime and their
arrest should they be found in Lebanon. A prominent Lebanese judicial source
told Asharq Al-Awsat that the request was received by Chief Public Prosecutor
Judge Jamal Hajjar. It called for assistance to track down Syria’s former
Director of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate Jamil al-Hassan, former
Director of the National Security Ali Mamlouk, and former head of the
investigation branch in the Air Intelligence Abdelsalam Mahmoud.
The request urged Lebanon to probe whether they are in the country and to arrest
them if found so that they can be turned over to French authorities. The request
is part of an ongoing case against ousted President Bashar al-Assad and members
of his regime for war crimes and crimes against humanity that claimed the lives
of French citizens. Three French citizens of Syrian descent had died under
torture while held by the Air Intelligence and interrogated by Mahmoud, said
Monday’s legal filing. The source revealed that Hajjar tasked the information
branch in the Internal Security Forces to carry out the necessary investigations
and verify whether the wanted officials were in Lebanon. Moreover, the source
said the request also included Lebanese telephone numbers that are in regular
contact with the suspects. French this summer issued a new arrest warrant
against Assad over deadly chemical attacks in 2013. France has now put out three
separate arrest warrants against the former president exiled in Russia. Lebanon
had previously received a notice from Interpol, demanding that it implement an
arrest warrant issued by the US to detain al-Hassan and Mamlouk.
Beirut waste-sorting facility rebuilt after Beirut Port
explosion, remains unused amid dispute
LBCI/November 04/2025
The waste-sorting facility in Karantina district, which was destroyed in the
2020 Beirut Port explosion, has been fully rehabilitated with international
funding — but remains idle due to a dispute between government authorities. The
$6 million project was financed by the Lebanon Financing Facility, a World
Bank–managed trust fund, and carried out by the U.N. Development Program in
coordination with Lebanon’s Environment Ministry and the Municipality of Beirut.
Environment Minister Tamara el-Zein recently raised the issue in Cabinet after
the Beirut Municipality refused to take over the facility, citing a lack of
funds to operate it. The Cabinet later approved the municipality’s formal
takeover and instructed it to begin operations until the necessary funding is
secured. Despite the decision, Beirut Mayor Ibrahim Zeidan has continued to
reject the handover, leaving the newly rebuilt plant unused. The standoff
highlights Lebanon’s chronic governance and waste management challenges. Even as
international donors continue to invest in critical infrastructure, local
authorities struggle to maintain basic public services — further eroding
confidence among investors and aid partners.
Lebanon could reduce or cancel $11 million bail for
Hannibal Gadhafi
Agence France Presse/November 04/2025
Lebanon may reduce or cancel the $11 million bail imposed for the release of
Hannibal Gadhafi, son of deposed Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, his lawyer and a
judicial official said. Lebanese authorities arrested the younger Gadhafi in
2015 and accused him of withholding information about the 1978 disappearance of
Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa Sadr in Libya. Gadhafi, who is now 49 according to
his lawyer, was around two years old at the time of Sadr's disappearance. A
judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP a Libyan
delegation met Lebanese judicial officials and President Joseph Aoun on Monday.
The delegation, he said, presented the judge investigating Sadr's disappearance
with "a copy of the investigations conducted by the Libyan authorities into the
Sadr case, as well as transcripts of the interrogations of a number of political
and security officials in the regime of ousted president Moammar Gadhafi."The
official then noted "significant flexibility" from Lebanon in the Hannibal
Gadhafi case, "with the $11 million bail to be reduced to the minimum... so that
it no longer hinders Hannibal's release." The judge also seemed open to lifting
the travel ban imposed on Gadhafi, the official said. Lawyer Laurent Bayon told
AFP that the bail "should be significantly reduced or even canceled."According
to Bayon, the bail was divided into two parts: "$10 million for the victims and
$1 million as an appearance guarantee." The judge may decide to retain only the
$1 million appearance guarantee, Bayon said, while noting that he nevertheless
still aims to have the "unjustified" bail canceled. Moussa Sadr -- the founder
of the Amal movement -- went missing during an official visit to Libya, along
with an aide and a journalist. Beirut blamed the disappearances on Moammar
Gadhafi, who was overthrown and killed decades later in a 2011 uprising. The
official said that "the Lebanese judiciary will review the Libyan file and
assess the information it contains to determine whether it helps uncover the
fate of Sadr and his companions."
Years into the crisis: Lebanon still without a clear path
to restore deposits
LBCI/November 04/2025
Despite government claims that progress is being made on Lebanon's long-awaited
bank deposit recovery plan, major obstacles remain, with deep disagreements
between the government, the banking sector, and the Banque du Liban (BDL). The
first sticking point centers on how to define the nature of the crisis. Banks
and BDL consider what happened to be a "systemic crisis" that affected the
entire financial sector—not just a few banks. However, the government refuses to
label it as such, since doing so would place greater responsibility on the
state, which spent the funds and later defaulted on payments. By avoiding this
classification, the government effectively shifts most of the losses onto banks
and depositors. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also tends to support this
view, as it allows Lebanon to maintain borrowing capacity and repay its debts. A
second source of contention is the government's proposal for a new audit of
banks, covering the years before the financial collapse. It is intended to
uncover "irregularities," but it has offered no clear standards for how those
irregularities will be identified or measured. Such an open-ended audit could
lead to the further erasure of depositors' funds. Meanwhile, BDL says it already
has an audit process underway to assess banks based on their exposure to high
interest rates and previous financial engineering schemes. The third dispute
involves the lack of consultation with banks and depositors—arguably the two
groups most affected by the plan. Banking representatives say they have been
excluded from drafting discussions, prompting them to launch a series of
meetings to pressure decision-makers. For now, without clear resolutions to
these core disagreements, the recovery plan remains another headline without
substance—while depositors continue to bear the cost of delay and political
stalling.
Jeita Grotto scandal: Unauthorized event triggers outrage
and investigation
LBCI/November 04/2025
A pre-wedding party held inside Lebanon's iconic Jeita Grotto has triggered
public outrage and a government investigation, after videos showing loud music,
bright lighting, and candles inside the cave went viral. The grotto, one of
Lebanon's most prized natural landmarks, is considered highly sensitive to human
interference, and experts warn that such events could cause lasting damage.
According to the Lebanese Caving Club, which serves as the official technical
consultant for activities inside the grotto, the event violated multiple safety
and conservation regulations. Moreover, the mayor also violated a contract he
signed himself. No prior approval was sought from the Tourism Ministry, despite
a binding contract requiring written authorization for any activity in or around
the grotto. Sources told LBCI that the existing agreement between the Ministry
of Tourism—owner of the site—and the Jeita municipality, which currently manages
it, explicitly requires written consent for any event held within the grotto or
its surrounding premises, including the parking area. The contract also mandates
consulting the club on all technical matters related to the cave's preservation.
Neither condition was met before the pre-wedding celebration took place. This is
not the first time Jeita Grotto has been at the center of controversy. In 2011,
the company, which was then operating the site, organized a promotional event
without prior approval. The incident led then-Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud to
issue a warning, which was ignored when the company went on to film a commercial
inside the grotto. Abboud later referred the matter to the public prosecutor,
but no further action was taken. Now, the Tourism Ministry faces two options:
issue another warning or terminate the municipality's management contract.
Sources indicate that the ministry has already prepared a formal notice and
plans to form a technical committee to assess potential damage caused by the
event. The Interior Ministry, which oversees municipalities, has also requested
a report from the Mount Lebanon governor on what occurred. The controversy has
reignited debate over the exploitation of Lebanon's natural and cultural
heritage for profit. According to sources, the pre-wedding event
reportedly cost $30,000 for private bookings—or $20,000 with "connections"—with
40 % of the fee going to the ministry and the rest to the municipality.
Between war and rebuilding: Msayleh meeting marks first
step toward Lebanon’s reconstruction
LBCI/November 04/2025
Tens of thousands of Lebanese whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed by
Israeli attacks have long awaited the phrase “toward reconstruction.” It also
served as the title of the first coordination meeting held at the Nabih Berri
Cultural Complex in Msayleh. In the same town, Israel recently targeted dozens
of bulldozers and construction vehicles. Hezbollah and the Amal Movement
convened there under the patronage of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who was
notably absent from the meeting. The meeting brought together representatives
from the Lebanese Army, UNIFIL, municipalities, the Council for South Lebanon,
and the presidential adviser for reconstruction, along with the ministers of
health, finance, and environment. The goal, as participants stated, was to
lay the foundation for Lebanon’s reconstruction process — though all
acknowledged that Israel remains the main obstacle to any progress. In the end,
what took place in Msayleh marked a first symbolic step toward affirming the
return of displaced residents to their land. Yet, the pace of reconstruction
ultimately depends on factors beyond Lebanon’s borders — on Israel, whose
decisions in war and peace can either enable or obstruct rebuilding efforts.
BDL seeks middle ground in ongoing dispute over deposit
recovery—the details
LBCI/November 04/2025
Disputes between the Lebanese government and the banking sector continue over
how to define financial losses and return deposits, while the central bank
maintains a firm but flexible stance, according to Banque du Liban sources. The
central bank’s position is based on four main pillars: First, cleaning up
irregular claims by removing all noncompliant or unjustified items from banks’
accounts, including those related to past financial engineering and high
interest rates. Second, applying the hierarchy of claims to ensure banks bear
responsibility and recapitalize themselves, even if their capital has been
eroded since the crisis.
Third, classifying deposits into small, medium, and large categories to
prioritize the protection of small depositors. Fourth, sharing responsibility
among the state, the central bank, and commercial banks for repaying deposits.
Banque du Liban believes the government has remained aligned with these
principles, particularly after prime minister Nawaf Salam formed a committee to
draft a new financial stability and deposit repayment law, viewed as part of the
broader framework for restructuring the banking sector.
Mona Ziade, who covered Lebanon's civil war and
Arab-Israeli peace talks for the AP, dies at 65
Associated Press/November 04/2025
Mona Ziade, who helped The Associated Press cover major events out of the Middle
East during the 1980s and '90s, including the taking of Western hostages during
Lebanon's civil war and Arab-Israeli peace talks, has died. She was 65. Ziade
died Tuesday morning at her home in Beirut from complications of lung cancer
after undergoing treatment for months, her daughter Tamara Blanche said. Blanche
said that her mother had been unconscious in the hours before she passed away.
Ziade, a dual citizen of Lebanon and Jordan, launched her journalism career with
United Press International in Beirut in 1978 before joining the AP four years
later. While covering Lebanon's 15-year civil war, Ziade's boss, the AP's chief
Middle East correspondent Terry Anderson, was kidnapped in Beirut in 1985. He
was held for seven years, becoming one of the longest-held American hostages in
history.
Months after Anderson's kidnapping, the AP moved its Middle East headquarters
from Beirut to Cyprus' capital, Nicosia. Ziade moved there in 1986 and later
married longtime AP correspondent Ed Blanche, who served as the agency's Middle
East editor for 10 years. Ziade also closely covered the Palestine Liberation
Organization when it was based in Lebanon and later in Tunisia, delivering
several scoops to the AP through her excellent source work within the group.
When the PLO's chairman, Yasser Arafat, and Israel's prime minister, Yitzhak
Rabin, signed a historic peace accord at the White House in 1993, Ziade was
there to cover it. "Mona was a firecracker, a hard-charging young reporter in an
international press corps replete with hard chargers and ambitious journalists,"
said Robert H. Reid, the AP's former Middle East regional editor. "Her razor's
edge was a longtime friendship with the commander of the Palestine Liberation
Organization's military wing, Abu Jihad, a boyhood friend of her father," Reid
said. "That tie was not only an invaluable source of information from a major
player in the Middle East, but also a safety guarantee for AP reporters
operating in areas of Lebanon controlled by Abu Jihad's troops."Ziade left the
AP in 1996 to resettle with her family back in Beirut. She and Blanche helped
relaunch Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper, which had ceased publishing at the
height of the civil war. Ziade served as the English-language daily's national
editor before becoming its managing editor. She left the Daily Star in 2003 and
went to work as a communications officer for the World Bank's Lebanon office.
Before launching her career, Ziade studied communications and political science
at Beirut University College, which is now known as Lebanese American
University. Ed Blanche died in Beirut in 2019 after a long battle with cancer.
The couple is survived by their daughter, Tamara, and Ed Blanche's two sons from
a previous marriage, Jay and Lee.
America and Lebanon… an Obscure Picture
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/November 05/2024
Lebanese citizens start and end their days with questions of what the future
will bring amid political paralysis and economic hardship... and with justified
anxiety about the future. Meanwhile, Washington piles on the pressure to push
through the “Lebanese part” of its regional effort that naturally aligns with
the US and Israel’s goals. Despite the many “Lebanese names” among the American
diplomats in the Middle East, there is no doubt that their loyalty to Washington
and its interests comes first. Nevertheless, the Lebanese inside Lebanon
continue fantasize about the prominent role that their expatriate kin could play
in the hallways of American politics. This “unattainable dream” is shared by
many expatriates as well; during President Donald Trump’s election campaign for
a second term, they bet that family ties and business deals would allow them to
have influence on him positively.
As usual, they (or let’s say many of them) have evidently lost their bet. Their
aspirations were unfounded because of the hard realities they refuse to
acknowledge. To begin with, there are “two problems” standing in the way. The
first is a fundamentally “Lebanese problem,” and the second is an “Arab–Islamic
problem.”With respect to the “first problem,” while “Judeo–Christian values” are
a pillar of the American right’s politics, and the political loyalties and
geopolitical views of the “old Lebanese immigrants” (the majority of whom are
Christian) are very different to those of the “new Lebanese Americans”...
The “new Lebanese Americans” are the Lebanese who have left for the US since
World War II, mostly during the Lebanese Civil War, and most of them are
Muslims. It should be noted that the “old immigrants,” along with their children
and grandchildren, see Lebanon (its political, national, and religious identity)
differently from those who arrived later, particularly after the Civil War
(1975–1990).
Another important point is that the “old immigrants,” by and large (especially
the Christians) have become “Americanized.” They have assimilated into the
“white Christian political culture” of the United States, particularly through
the Republican Party. They are part of the business class. By contrast, a large
portion of the “new Lebanese Americans” continued to identify with their
origins, an attachment that continues to grow in parallel with regional
influences (Israeli, Iranian, and, more recently, Turkish). This split seems to
be reflected in the tension between the proposals of “intermediaries” and
American diplomats (including active Jewish figures like Jared Kushner and
Morgan Ortagus) and Lebanese Christian diplomats and advisers such as Tom
Barrack, Massad Boulos, and the new American Ambassador in Beirut, Michael Issa,
on one hand, and , on the other, local Lebanese forces that have political and
military weight, as well as regional ties. In truth, Washington and Tel Aviv are
well aware of Lebanon’s fragility. They understand the intricate local political
calculus in this country of “18 sects,” that has not stopped them from behaving
with “willful ignorance.”
For example, Washington and Tel Aviv fully understand that Iran has a strong
influence on all of the Shiite communities in the Middle East. Nevertheless,
they are pushing the Lebanese government to take steps that do not account for
the delicacy of the country’s power-sharing system. Moreover, this “heavy-handed
approach” is being taken as Iraq is about to hold critical elections that will
test Tehran’s influence, which it attained in 2003 because of the US and
Israel’s policies. They will be held after the Iranian regime had been
“defanged” in Syria, whose “new political identity” has yet to take shape amid a
Turkish–Israeli tug-of-war over its territory.
That brings us to the “second problem:” the Arab–Islamic dimension of the
Lebanese question. It is evident, unfortunately, that the US and Israeli
pressure on Lebanon have failed to account for what has happened in Gaza since
October 7, 2023. They have ignored the threats faced by West Bank residents and
others, despite the promises of a “Greater Israel,” by the ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir
and Bezalel Smotrich, as well as the extremist settler activists like Daniella
Weiss. In my view, the first question is whether President Trump can “persuade”
the Israeli right to commit to his Abrahamic project as the latter presents
plans for displacement and settlement expansion. Indeed, it will be difficult to
imagine the regional repercussions (in but also beyond Lebanon) of the White
House failing to stand in the way of these plans, which a growing number of
sensible Jews around the world now recognize as a heavy burden and a dangerous
threat for Jewish communities across the world. Before threatening the fragile
Lebanese government, Washington must make the next move. It must show a serious
commitment to ensuring comprehensive peace in the region. As for wasting time
with minor battles meant to divert attention away from the key issue... It will
only aggravate and complicate things.
Time Is Running Out for Lebanon to Avoid the Price of
Hollow Politics
Dr. Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/November 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148862/
Lebanon’s leaders are clinging to outdated ideas and refusing to adapt to new
regional realities. While Washington’s latest diplomatic efforts sought to
convey a sense of urgency to Lebanon and forestall Israel from launching a new
war, the country’s leaders have shown themselves to be ineffective and unwilling
to break from the past. Just listening to President Joseph Aoun’s hollow
pronouncements is enough to lose hope that Lebanon will ever regain any moral or
political credibility. Lebanon cannot survive if it fails to uphold its
sovereignty and constructively engage the international community. It now faces
a last chance to do so. US shuttle diplomacy has worked relentlessly to convince
Lebanon’s government to implement the November 27, 2024 ceasefire with Israel
and join Washington’s peace plans for the Middle East, but to no avail. The
ceasefire is undermined by the Lebanese government’s inability to honor its
commitments on disarmament. Israel’s continued attacks on Hezbollah’s military
infrastructure testify to Lebanese leaders' failures to address the group’s
arsenal. Hezbollah’s actions go beyond obstinance on disarmament. They question
whether Lebanon can function as a liberal democracy. Hezbollah’s rhetoric is
quite clear in rejecting Lebanon’s foundational narrative and disputing its very
logic. The rise of areas outside Lebanese state control was not a mere hazard.
It was the outcome of deliberate ideological and strategic choices made by
successive Lebanese leaders. Lebanon’s deliberate disregard for the
ceasefire’s stipulations is not just a political deviation from the ceasefire
agreement. It represents a strategic decision and a pivotal political
realignment, reshaping dynamics both domestically and internationally. Lebanese
leaders’ failure to abide by the ceasefire’s terms is deepening well-entrenched
political fractures and placing the country on a hazardous path. The country’s
credibility is eroding day by day. The strategic reshuffling initiated by
Israel, far from being a series of isolated events, is redefining the region’s
strategic and political landscape alongside US diplomacy. Lebanon remains the
outlier, as the country’s leaders cling to outdated ideas and refuse to adapt to
new regional realities. Ideological and strategic divisions at Lebanon’s
executive levels of power are politically damning. They undermine the country’s
international standing and ability to position itself as an independent actor
free from the sway of Iran’s Axis of Resistance. These equivocations must end.
Lebanon’s leaders reflect the rot that has eaten away its political system for
decades. Lebanon has mutated into a sham democracy run by a hybrid oligarchy
composed of warlords, corrupt and subservient politicians, and the dregs of its
old feudal order. Even if the 2026 parliamentary elections are held on time, it
is hard to believe anything will change. If Lebanon wants to recover its
political standing, it must prevent destabilizing dynamics from taking hold. The
Iranian regime’s attempt to redress its faltering fortunes through the revival
of its destroyed axis of proxies is doomed. This would only compound the
tragedies already wrought by its imperial projections. Lebanon must remove the
blinders of its defunct politics and choose a new, forward-looking political
path and strategic realignment.
A hymn by Monsignor Mansour Labaki on the occasion of
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lebanon
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148874/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqEqCEqJ1dE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4AJDnF_2jA
1-Welcome, Holy Father, our shining star
In our grieving and troubled heavens.
For all our anxious minds, your word is soothing:
"In illo uno unum." Thank you for existing!
2-Saint Augustine, that giant, studied in Carthage,
Daughter of Tyre in Lebanon, the "message-land."
This illustrious founder nourished, through his writings,
Your humble Pastoral heart, which is filled with them.
3-In the Bible, Lebanon is mentioned 70 times:
Elijah was welcomed there, near Zarephath.
Its soil was trodden by the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ,
By John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and by you today.
4-We have the same faith as the Syrophoenician woman,
Whose daughter Christ saved from a perverse spirit.
With the same fervor, we implore His Vicar
To drive evil and hatred from our land.
5-Thanks to our saints of Lebanon, a breath of freedom
Impulses us to truly be "first in line,"
To rebuild differently what war has razed
And to see in our enemies brothers to love.
6-"The Peace of the Risen One, disarmed and disarming,
The Peace of the Risen One, humble and patient Peace."
Peace is the weapon of Heaven that uproots the tares
Sown by the Divider in our fields of wheat.
Hymne de Monseigneur Mansour Labaki à l'occasion de la
visite du Pape Léon XIV au Liban
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148874/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqEqCEqJ1dE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4AJDnF_2jA
1-Bienvenue à toi, Saint Père, notre étoile scintillante
Dans notre ciel endeuillé et si tourmenté.
Pour tous nos esprits inquiets, ta parole est apaisante :
"In illo uno unum". Merci d’exister !
2-Saint Augustin, ce géant, a étudié à Carthage,
Fille de Tyr au Liban, le "pays-message".
Cet illustre fondateur a nourri par ses écrits
Ton humble cœur de Pasteur qui en est pétri.
3-Dans la Bible, le Liban est cité 70 fois :
Elie y fut accueilli, près de Sarepta.
Son sol a été foulé par la Vierge et Jésus-Christ,
Par Jean-Paul II et Benoît, par toi aujourd’hui.
4- Nous avons la même foi que la Syro-phénicienne,
Dont le Christ sauva la fille d’un esprit pervers.
Avec la même ferveur, nous supplions son Vicaire
De chasser de notre terre le Mal et la haine.
5-Grâce à nos saints du Liban, un souffle de liberté
Nous pousse à être vraiment "premiers de cordée",
Pour rebâtir autrement ce que la guerre a rasé
Et voir en nos ennemis des frères à aimer.
6-"La Paix du Ressuscité, désarmée et désarmante,
La Paix du Ressuscité, Paix humble et patiente".
La Paix est l'arme du Ciel qui déracine l'ivraie
Semée par le Diviseur dans nos champs de blé.
The Latest English
LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on
November 04-05/2025
Israel says it has received remains of Gaza hostage
AFP/04 November/2025
Israel said its security forces in the Gaza Strip had received from the Red
Cross the remains of a hostage returned by Hamas on Tuesday as part of a
US-brokered ceasefire deal. The terms of the truce, in effect since October 10,
require the return of all hostages living and dead. “Israel has received, via
the Red Cross, the coffin of a fallen hostage that was handed over to an
[Israeli military] and Shin Bet force inside the Gaza Strip,” a statement from
the prime minister’s office said Tuesday. In a later statement, the military
said the body had been brought into Israel and was being transferred to a
forensic medical center for identification. Earlier, Hamas’ armed wing, the
Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it would hand over the remains of another
hostage in accordance with the ceasefire terms. The group said the body had been
recovered in “the Shujaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City during ongoing search
and excavation operations inside the yellow line,” referring to the boundary
marking Israeli military positions within Gaza. If the identity is confirmed,
this would be the 21st dead hostage handed over by Hamas since the ceasefire
took effect. At the start of the truce, Hamas held 48 hostages in Gaza – 20
alive and 28 deceased. The militants have since released all surviving captives.
Of the 20 deceased hostages to have previously been repatriated 18 were
Israelis, one was a Thai national and another one Nepali. In a separate
statement, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the militant group was working on
“completing the process of handing over the bodies of the Israeli captives
despite the difficulties and obstacles.”“We are working to complete the entire
exchange process as soon as possible,” he added. Israel has accused Hamas of
dragging its feet in returning the bodies of deceased hostages, while the
Palestinian group says the process is slow because many are buried beneath
Gaza’s rubble. The group has repeatedly called on mediators and the Red Cross to
provide it with the necessary equipment and personnel to recover the bodies.
Arab-Muslim backers of Trump plan seek to influence
post-war Gaza, consensus formula emerging
The Arab Weekly/November 04/2025
Turkey and six other Arab and Muslim nations meet on Monday in Istanbul seeking
to influence the US led security and reconstruction effort in post-war Gaza amid
signs of an emerging consensus formula being shaped by the US in the UN Security
Council. Turkey, which played a central role along with the a number of Arab and
Muslim nations in forging the now shaky three-week-old ceasefire, is pushing for
Muslim nations to bring their influence to bear on the reconstruction of the
embattled territory. They want Gaza’s future to be Palestinian-led and avoid any
new system of tutelage. “Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the
Palestinians and ensure their own security, the international community should
support this in the best possible way, diplomatically, institutionally and
economically,” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the talks.
“Nobody wants to see a new system of tutelage emerge,” he told a news
conference. Brokered by US President Donald Trump, the October 10 ceasefire,
which halted two years of continuous bloodshed, has been tested by Israel’s
fresh strikes and its claims of Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers. The
talks involved top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates,
Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia. All of them attended a meeting with Trump in
September on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, just days
before he unveiled his plan to end the Gaza war. “We’ve now reached an extremely
critical stage: we do not want the genocide in Gaza to resume,” Fidan added,
saying all seven nations supported plans for the Palestinians to take control of
Gaza’s security and governance. Fidan, who held talks at the weekend with an
Hamas delegation led by its chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, said the Islamist
movement was “ready to hand Gaza to a committee of Palestinians”. He also said
that he hoped that reconciliation efforts between Hamas and the rival West
Bank-based Palestinian Authority, “will bear fruit as soon as possible,” saying
inter-Palestinian unity would “strengthen Palestine’s representation in the
international community”. Earlier, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Hamas was
“determined to adhere to the (truce) agreement” and urged Muslim states to play
“a leading role” in Gaza’s recovery. “We believe the reconstruction plan
prepared by the Arab League and the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)
should be implemented immediately,” he said of the plan unveiled in March.
Turkey has been instrumental in backing Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on
Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Fidan said it was crucial that the emerging
International Stabilisation Force that will monitor the Gaza ceasefire under
Trump’s plan, have a “mandate defined by a UN Security Council resolution and a
framework for legitimacy”. According the US news website Axios, UN Security
council members have received on Monday a draft resolution for the creation an
International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza to be deployed till at least
2027.
A US official said the ISF will be an “enforcement force and not a peacekeeping
force.”
According to the draft, the ISF would “stabilise the security environment in
Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip, including the
destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror and offensive
infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from
non-state armed groups,” the draft states. The ISF is hence authorised to disarm
Hamas if it does not do so willingly. It will be “under unified command
acceptable to the Board of Peace,” chaired by US President Donald Trump. The
draft also stresses that the establishment of the force and its operations will
take place “in close consultation and cooperation with Egypt and Israel.”The
Board of Peace will be tasked with “supervising and supporting of a Palestinian
technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip …
which shall be responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza’s civil service and
administration.”
The proposal of a committee of Palestinian technocrats seems to aim for a
consensus agreement among all countries backing Trump’s 20-point for Gaza. The
presentation by the US of a UN Security draft points to Washington’s apparent
desire to accommodate the wishes of nations backing its peace plan. Washington
is also currently working with Arab and international partners to decide on the
composition of the force, with Turkey hoping to play a role, despite fierce
opposition from Israel. “The countries we’ve spoken with say they will decide
whether to send troops based on … the ISF’s mandate and authority,” Fidan said.
“First, a general consensus needs to be reached on a draft, then it needs to be
approved by the members of the Security Council. “And it needs to be free from
vetoes by any of the permanent (UNSC) members,” he said of a blocking move
frequently used by key Israel ally Washington. Israel has long viewed Turkey’s
diplomatic overtures with suspicion over Ankara’s close ties with Hamas and
opposes it joining the task force that is meant to take over after Israeli
troops withdraw from Gaza. The US is reportedly pressuring Israel to drop its
opposition to Ankara’s participation in the force. A Turkish disaster relief
team, sent to help efforts to recover the remains of those trapped under the
rubble, including Israeli hostages seized by Hamas, has been stuck at the border
because of Israel’s refusal to let them in, according to Ankara.
A look at the hostages left in Gaza, by the numbers
Associated Press/November 04/2024
Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages who were held in
Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. But Hamas and Israel
are now arguing over the release of the remains of the last eight hostages.
Hamas says it has not been able to reach all of the remains because they are
buried under rubble left behind by Israel's two-year offensive in the Gaza
Strip. Israel has accused the militants of dragging their feet and threatened to
resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all of the remains
are not returned.
Since the ceasefire began this month, Israel has released the remains of 225
Palestinians to Gaza in exchange for the remains of the hostages, many of whom
were killed in Israel during the attack. Only around 80 of the 270 Palestinian
bodies returned since the ceasefire began have been identified, according to
Gaza's Health Ministry. Hamas-led militants allegedly killed some 1,200 people,
mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The ensuing
war has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, about half of whom were
women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry, which
is part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed casualty records that
are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.
Here are details on the hostages:
Total hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack: 251
Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: 4 (2 who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015
and the bodies of 2 soldiers killed in the 2014 war)
Living hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 160
Hostages rescued alive: 8
Bodies of hostages released in deals: 28
Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 51
Bodies of hostages still in captivity: 8, of whom 2 are non-Israeli (1 Thai
national and 1 Tanzanian)
UN Secretary-general Decries 'Continued Violations' of Gaza
Ceasefire
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
Far too little aid is reaching Gaza nearly four weeks after a ceasefire,
humanitarian agencies said on Tuesday, as hunger persists with winter
approaching and old tents start to fray following Israel's devastating two-year
offensive. The truce was meant to unleash a torrent of aid across the tiny,
crowded enclave where famine was confirmed in August and where almost all the
2.3 million inhabitants have lost their homes to Israeli bombardment. However,
only half the needed amount of food is coming in, according to the World Food
Program, while an umbrella group of Palestinian agencies said overall aid
volumes were between a quarter and a third of the expected amount. Israel says
it is fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, which calls for
an average of 600 trucks of supplies into Gaza per day. It blames Hamas fighters
for any food shortages, accusing them of stealing food aid before it can be
distributed, which the group denies.Gaza's local administration, long controlled
by Hamas, says most trucks are still not reaching their destinations due to
Israeli restrictions, and only about 145 per day are delivering supplies. The
United Nations, which earlier in the war published daily figures on aid trucks
crossing into Gaza, is no longer giving those figures routinely.
TENTS 'COMPLETELY WORN OUT'
"It is dire. No proper tents, or proper water, or proper food, or proper money,"
said Manal Salem, 52, who lives in a tent in Khan Younis in southern Gaza that
she says is "completely worn out" and she fears will not last the winter. The
ceasefire and greater flow of aid since mid-October has brought some
improvements, said the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA. Last week OCHA
said a tenth of children screened in Gaza were still acutely malnourished, down
from 14% in September, with over 1,000 showing the most severe form of
malnutrition. Half of families in Gaza have reported increased access to food,
especially in the south, as more aid and commercial supplies entered after the
truce, and households were eating on average two meals a day, up from one in
July, OCHA said. There is still a sharp divide between the south and the north
where conditions remain far worse, it said.
FOOD, SHELTER, FUEL NEEDED
Abeer Etefa, senior spokesperson for WFP, described the situation as a "race
against time". "We need full access. We need everything to be moving fast," she
said. "The winter months are coming. People are still suffering from hunger, and
the needs are overwhelming."Since the ceasefire the agency has brought in 20,000
metric tons of food assistance, roughly half the amount needed to meet people's
needs, and has opened 44 out of a targeted 145 distribution sites, she said. The
variety of food needed to ward off malnutrition is also lacking, she added. "The
majority of households that we've spoken to are only consuming cereals, pulses,
dry food rations, which people cannot survive on for a long time. Meat, eggs,
vegetables, fruits are being consumed extremely rarely," she said. A continuing
lack of fuel, including cooking gas, is also hampering nutrition efforts, and
over 60% of Gazans are cooking using burning waste, said OCHA, adding to health
risks. With winter approaching, Gazans need shelter. Tents are wearing thin.
Buildings that survived the military onslaught are often open to the weather or
unstable and dangerous. "We're coming into winter soon - rainwater and possible
floods, as well as potential diseases because of the hundreds of tons of garbage
near populated areas," said Amjad al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian agencies
that liaise with the UN. He said only 25-30% of the amount of aid expected into
Gaza had entered so far. "The living conditions are unimaginable," said Shaina
Low, spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which leads a group of
agencies working on a lack of shelter in Gaza. The NRC estimates that 1.5
million people need shelter in Gaza but large volumes of tents, tarpaulins and
related aid is still waiting to come in, awaiting Israeli approvals, Low said.
US National Intelligence Director: Monitoring Gaza
Ceasefire is a Challenging Mission
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Monday in remarks to Fox
News that monitoring the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip is a
“challenging” task which requires “communication, coordination and
transparency.” "This is a challenging mission which requires clear
communication, coordination and transparency," Gabbard said. "Intelligence
supports not only security, and achieving lasting peace and stability for both
Israelis and Palestinians."Her remarks came during a surprise visit to the
US-operated Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) as American forces work on
the planning and implementation of phase two in the ceasefire deal, according to
the news service. "It’s a living example of what can happen when nations unite
for common interests with the potential impact of lasting peace that benefits
generations to come," Gabbard told Fox News about the CMCC. The CMCC will
support the stabilization efforts inside Gaza and facilitate humanitarian and
security assistance that is under development as part of the broader Trump
administration peace plan. "For the first time in a generation, there’s a
genuine sense of hope and optimism, not just in Israel, but across the Middle
East," Gabbard added. "That’s because of President Trump’s leadership and the
groundwork he laid through his historic peace deal”, she told Fox News.
Intelligence sharing and coordination are expected to play a critical role in
the success of the ceasefire, part of the reason Gabbard arrived in Israel to
see operations first-hand. The Director of National Intelligence revealed that
right now 16 countries and 20 NGOs are working side-by-side as part of this
multinational civilian and military force aimed at bringing stability to Gaza,
while ushering in a new chapter for the Middle East. "The American people should
know that the US presence at the CMCC is about leadership, coordination, and
service," Gabbard said. Around 200 US service members are on the ground
participating in the CMCC, but will not enter the Gaza Strip. A coalition of
forces from Arab countries will ultimately send stabilization personnel into the
enclave to assist with implementing the administration’s peace plan, said Fox
News. "In conversations I had with leaders from across the region, including in
Manama, people spoke openly and hopefully about a future defined not by
conflict, but by cooperation and stability," Gabbard said. "Progress is possible
with strong leadership and a shared vision for peace." Gabbard, who also visited
the Kerem Shalom Crossing along the Gaza border, is the latest Trump
administration official to visit Israel as part of a broader push to ensure the
peace plan is successful. Her trip follows similar visits by Vice President JD
Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. "This
is a challenging mission which requires clear communication, coordination and
transparency," Gabbard concluded. "Intelligence supports not only security, and
achieving lasting peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians."
Fatah Likely to Skip Upcoming Palestinian Factions’ Meeting in Cairo
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
Two senior officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) told
Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that consultations are underway to hold a meeting of
several Palestinian factions in Cairo this week. However, they said the Fatah
movement is unlikely to participate in the talks, which are expected to focus on
forming a committee to run the Gaza Strip. One of the officials said that
several factions are already present in Cairo, including the Islamic Jihad,
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front for
the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Reformist Current led by exiled
Fatah leader Mohammad Dahlan. He added that Hamas had not yet arrived. “Cairo is
organizing the meeting, but no official invitations have been sent so far,” the
source said, explaining that the event remains informal due to Fatah’s
reluctance to join at this stage. A source close to Fatah said the movement
insists that any dialogue must take place within the framework of a
comprehensive national dialogue, similar to previous rounds held in Egypt and
China. He argued that a limited meeting of a few factions “does not amount to a
national consensus that could end the division or form a unified national
strategy,” particularly amid “attempts by some to isolate the Gaza Strip.” The
upcoming talks follow an earlier Cairo meeting on October 24, which Fatah also
boycotted. During that gathering, the factions agreed to continue implementing
the ceasefire arrangements and to hand over Gaza’s administration to an interim
Palestinian committee composed of independent figures from the enclave. The
factions endorsed the creation of an international committee to oversee the
funding and implementation of Gaza’s reconstruction, emphasizing the unity of
the Palestinian political system and the need for an independent national
decision.
However, disputes later emerged over who should lead the new administrative
committee, after Israeli media reports claimed that the factions had agreed to
appoint Amjad Shawa as its head. Last week, Abdelfattah Dawla, a spokesperson
for Fatah, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his movement “will not stand in the way of
any proposed candidate for the Gaza Administrative Committee, provided they are
qualified professionals from the Strip.”He declined to give further details
about potential candidates, but another senior Fatah official said Dr. Majed Abu
Ramadan, the Palestinian health minister and a native of Gaza, remains among the
leading contenders to chair the committee. “He is a national figure with
extensive field experience and high competence that qualifies him to assume such
responsibility,” the source added. Taher al-Nounou, a senior Hamas official,
said in a televised interview from Doha last week that the movement had proposed
45 independent technocrats to serve on the Gaza Administrative Committee. He
noted that these nominees “have no political affiliations” and were approved by
all participating factions during the October 24 Cairo meeting.
Washington pushes for UN approval of Gaza security force with two-year mandate:
Report
Al Arabiya English/04 November/2025
The US sent several UN Security Council members a draft resolution for the
establishment of an international force in Gaza for a duration of at least two
years, Axios reported. The draft was sent to the members on Monday, the report
said. According to the draft, which was designated as “SENSITIVE BUT
UNCLASSIFIED,” the US and other participating countries would be given a broad
mandate to govern Gaza. It also offers them mandate to “provide security through
the end of 2027, with the possibility of extensions after that.” Speaking to
Axios, a US official said that the aim is to deploy the first troops to Gaza by
January, adding that the International Security Force (ISF) will be an
“enforcement force and not a peacekeeping force.” The ISF would also “stabilize
the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the
Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military,
terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning
of weapons from non-state armed groups,” the draft states. According to the
report, this suggests that the ISF’s mandate includes disarming Hamas, if the
group doesn’t do so. There has been little sign of progress on the next stages
of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end war in Gaza and major obstacles
still lie ahead, including the disarmament of Hamas and a timeline for Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza. Additionally, according to the draft, the force, which is
expected to be established in consultation with the Gaza “Board of Peace,” will
be tasked with securing “Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt, protecting
civilians and humanitarian corridors, and training a new Palestinian police
force, with which it’s to partner in its mission.”As for the Board of Peace, the
draft calls for its empowerment as “‘a transitional governance administration’
to set the priorities and raise funding for Gaza reconstruction, until the
Palestinian Authority ‘has satisfactorily completed its reform program’.” The
draft also calls for the Board of Peace to remain in place at least through the
end of 2027, Axios reported.
Israel Uses Gas Deal as Leverage to Curb Egyptian Military
Presence in Sinai
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
Israel is reportedly using its pending natural gas agreement with Egypt as a
political pressure card to restrict the Egyptian military’s deployment in the
Sinai Peninsula. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the two
neighbors following the war in Gaza, which has complicated border security
arrangements. According to the Israeli daily Israel Hayom, Energy Minister Eli
Cohen has been withholding final approval of a major gas export deal with Egypt
“despite strong pressure from the administration of US President Donald
Trump.”The paper cited what it described as “alleged Egyptian violations of the
peace treaty provisions concerning troop deployment in Sinai,” in addition to
“concerns over rising gas prices for Israeli consumers.” Days earlier, citing
unnamed officials, Israeli media including Yedioth Ahronoth reported that US
Energy Secretary Chris Wright canceled a planned visit to Israel after the
Israeli government refused to endorse the large-scale gas export agreement with
Cairo. In a statement coinciding with reports, Cohen’s office said that
“outstanding issues related to local pricing and national interests” remained
unresolved, stressing that Israel “will not proceed until fair pricing for the
domestic market and full energy security are guaranteed.”Israel Hayom later
quoted Cohen as saying: “Israel’s top priority remains protecting its security
and economic interests.”Tel Aviv continues to delay the final approval of gas
exports from the Leviathan field to Egypt “until a clear settlement is reached
regarding the presence of Egyptian forces in Sinai,” it added. Egyptian military
analyst and professor at the Military Academy for Advanced Studies, Major
General Nasr Salem, dismissed Israel’s claims as “baseless,” saying: “Israel
benefits far more from the gas agreement, since it lacks liquefaction facilities
to export its gas to Europe. Without Egypt, Israel cannot market its
production.”Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Salem emphasized: “Egypt has not
violated any terms of the peace treaty, otherwise the Multinational Force and
Observers (MFO) would have reported it.”Military deployments in Sinai are
“subject to coordination between Egyptian and Israeli security agencies,” he
explained, adding: “Egypt will not be swayed by these false accusations or any
Israeli pressure over troop presence or gas arrangements.” In August, NewMed
Energy, a partner in Israel’s Leviathan field, announced an amendment to the gas
supply contract with Egypt, extending it to 2040 and raising its total value to
$35 billion. However, by early September, amid the Gaza conflict, Israeli media
suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered a review of
Egypt’s “full compliance” with the peace treaty before granting final approval.
Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs member and Israel affairs expert Ahmed
Fouad Anwar described Israel’s stance as “a sign of weakness,” noting that the
treaty’s security annex has already been amended twice to allow additional
Egyptian forces in Sinai. “Israel itself violates the peace arrangements,
particularly in Zone D along the Philadelphi (Salah al-Din) Corridor,” he added.
In that area - designated a demilitarized buffer zone under the 1979 peace
treaty - Israeli forces recently re-entered during the Gaza war.Egyptian MP
Mostafa Bakry accused Israel on X of occupying the corridor’s 14-kilometer
stretch along Egypt’s border with Gaza “in violation of the 2005 security
protocol.”
Iran piles up pre-conditions for dialogue, cooperation with
US amid protracted impasse
The Arab Weekly/November 04/2025
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Tehran would
only consider cooperation with the United States if it changed its policy in the
region including supporting Israel and ending its military presence in the
region. “If they completely abandon support for the Zionist regime, withdraw
their military bases from here (the region), and refrain from interfering in
this region, then it (cooperation) can be considered,” said Khamenei. “The
arrogant nature of the United States accepts nothing other than submission.” The
remarks came during a gathering with students in Tehran marking the anniversary
of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy following the Islamic Revolution which
toppled the Western-backed Shah. In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented
bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a war which saw the US join briefly
with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The 12-day war with Israel, which
prompted an Iranian response with missile and drone strikes, derailed nuclear
talks between Tehran and Washington which had begun in April. A ceasefire
between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24. “If the country becomes
strong and the enemy realises that confronting this strong nation will not yield
profit but will bring loss, the country will certainly gain immunity,” Khamenei
added. US President Donald Trump said in October that the US is prepared to make
a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready to do so, saying: “The hand of friendship
and cooperation [with Iran] is open.”Talks between the two sides have faced
major stumbling blocks such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil,
which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of
weaponisation, a plan that Tehran has rejected. On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that Tehran remained “ready to
enter negotiations” with Washington, but only on its nuclear programme, ruling
out any talks on its missile capabilities. He added that talks could resume
“whenever the Americans are ready to negotiate on an equal footing and based on
mutual interests. Apparently, they are not in a hurry. We are not in a hurry
either.”Iran has been reeling under years of international sanctions, especially
after the United States in 2018 withdrew from a nuclear accord and reimposed
sanctions. In September, the United Nations reinstated sanctions under the
so-called “snapback” mechanism after Britain, France and Germany triggered the
process.
Iran frees two French nationals from prison, Macron says
Agencies/04 November/2025
Iran has released two French nationals imprisoned there for more than three
years, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, in an apparent exchange
for an Iranian student who was conditionally freed in October. Cecile Kohler and
her partner Jacques Paris, who had been detained since 2022, “are out of the
Evin jail and en route to the French Embassy in Tehran,” Macron posted on X. “I
welcome this first step. The dialogue continues to allow for their return to
France as quickly as possible.”Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said later on X
that Kohler and Paris were now “safe” at the French Embassy “ahead of their
final release.”The Iranian foreign ministry said Kohler and Paris were out on
“conditional release” and remain on bail. “These two French nationals, jailed
for a long time over national security infractions, have been released on bail
by the judge in charge of the case and will be placed under surveillance until
the next stage of the judicial proceedings,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei
said in statement whose heading described the pair’s “conditional
release.”Kohler and Paris were among dozens of foreign and dual nationals held
by the Islamic Republic in recent years, often on espionage-related charges.
France has said the charges against Kohler and Paris were unfounded. Their
release brought to an end years of negotiations between the two countries over
French citizens held in Iran – as many as seven as of 2022. France has
repeatedly accused Iran of state hostage-taking and holding its nationals
arbitrarily in conditions akin to torture. Tehran has denied the allegation. The
chances of Kohler and Paris being released appeared to rise after France
arrested Mahdieh Esfandiari, a student living in the city of Lyon, earlier this
year over anti-Israel social media posts. She was conditionally released in late
October. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an Iranian foreign
ministry official at the time as saying that Esfandiari was getting ready for a
prisoner swap.
Iran Commemorates Storming of US Embassy with Missile Replicas
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
With replicas of missiles on display and effigies of Donald Trump and Benjamin
Netanyahu hanging from a crane, thousands of Iranians commemorated on Tuesday
the 1979 storming of the US embassy in Tehran. Five months after a brief war
with Israel that saw the US join in with strikes on key nuclear facilities,
demonstrators chanted "Death to America, death to Israel!" and sang
revolutionary songs in a particularly charged outing for the annual event.
Though the commemorations are held annually, "this year, the country is under a
bit of pressure" from its two arch foes, said student Mohammad Hossein, 15,
standing next to a friend whose shoes bore the trademark swoosh of American
apparel giant Nike. "We must be more visible this year so that the authorities,
the army and others can feel at ease and know that we are behind them," he
added. Throughout the day, US and Israeli flags were burned and trampled, and
participants dressed as Israeli soldiers pretended to mourn over fake coffins
draped with the Star of David, mocking the country's losses in Gaza. The
swinging effigies of Trump and Netanyahu, meanwhile, called to mind the public
executions sometimes carried out by Iran. "America's hostility towards us will
never end," said Malek, 57, a laborer who declined to give his full name, adding
"America's job is to deceive". In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented
wave of air strikes on targets across Iran, including military sites, nuclear
facilities and residential areas, killing dozens of senior officials and
scientists. Over the course of the 12-day war that followed, Washington joined
its ally in striking three nuclear sites, despite having been involved in
ongoing talks with Tehran over its atomic program. "Our feeling is much
different (this year) because our country has been seriously attacked," said
Sareh Habibi, a 17-year-old student.
"Our peers, teenagers and the youth, were martyred, and somehow it seems like a
mission on our shoulders to come" to the demonstration, she added. Along the
parade route, replicas of missiles -- similar to the ones fired at Israeli
cities during the war -- were displayed bearing the slogan "We love to fight the
Israeli regime". Mock uranium centrifuges were also set out, a nod to Iran's
insistence on its right to develop a civilian nuclear program despite Western
suspicions it is seeking a bomb -- an accusation Tehran denies. According to
state media, similar commemorations took place in several other cities,
including Mashhad in the northeast, Kerman in the south and Rasht in the north.
Some participants carried portraits of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei,
while others hoisted the image of Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of the
Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group who was killed in an Israeli strike last
year. On November 4, 1979, less than nine months after the overthrow of Iran's
monarchy and the establishment of the current republic, a group of students
stormed the US embassy in Tehran, deeming it a "nest of spies".Several dozen
American diplomats were held hostage, some for 444 days, marking a break between
Tehran and Washington, which were previously allies. The animosity has persisted
for decades, and Khamenei ruled out on Monday any cooperation with the United
States until Washington changed its policy towards the region, including its
support for Israel.
Report: Iranian Man Found Dead After Burning Picture of
Khamenei
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
An Iranian man has been found dead with a gunshot wound after posting an image
of himself burning a picture of the supreme leader, with mourners blaming the
authorities, according to opposition media based outside of Iran. Omid Sarlak,
from Lorestan province in western Iran, had published on Instagram an image of
himself setting alight the image of Ali Khamenei in a forested area on Friday,
hours before being found dead at the weekend. Iran's official IRNA news agency
carried a report citing Ali Asadollahi, the police chief in his town of
Aligudarz, saying a man had been found dead in his car after taking his life
with a pistol that was found by his side. But at Sarlak's funeral on Monday,
dozens of mourners shouted slogans including "they killed him!" and "death to
Khamenei", according to social media footage broadcast by opposition media based
outside Iran, including Iran International and Radio Farda. In his video Sarlak,
who was in his 20s, included a recording of the voice of deposed shah Mohammad
Reza Pahlavi, indicating his sympathy for the Iranian monarchy that was ousted
by the 1979 revolution. The ousted shah's US-based son, Reza Pahlavi, wrote on X
that Sarlak had "stood against the oppression of the Islamic republic and
sacrificed his life for Iran's freedom". The Iranian Tasnim news agency on
Monday rejected what it described as claims in "anti-revolution media" that he
"was prosecuted for critical statements and was murdered in a suspicious
manner", saying there had been no case against Sarlak and he had killed himself
with a gunshot to the head. Sarlak's father was shown in a video posted on
social media by Iranian opposition outlets weeping and saying "they killed my
boy". But he later gave an interview to local state-run television urging people
not to believe what they saw on social media. Activists say the authorities are
pressing an intensified crackdown three years after nationwide protests shook
the authorities and months after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
"External aggression has fueled deeper internal repression," the UN's special
rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, said last week, noting an
"alarming" surge in executions and "mass arrests" of activists.
Trump Threatens Nigeria with Potential Military Action, Escalates Claim of
'Christian Persecution'
Asharq Al Awsat/November 04/2024
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he's ordered the Pentagon to begin
planning for potential military action in Nigeria as he stepped up his
allegations that the government is failing to rein in the persecution of
Christians in the West African country.
The president also warned that he “will immediately stop all aid and assistance
to Nigeria.”“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of
Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria,
and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to
completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible
atrocities,” Trump posted on social media. “I am hereby instructing our
Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast,
vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED
Christians!”
Asked by reporters Sunday on Air Force One whether that could mean sending US
troops into the country, or striking Nigeria from the air, Trump was
non-committal. “Could be,” he said. “They’re killing the Christians and killing
them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen." Trump's
warning came after Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday
pushed back on Trump announcing a day earlier that he was designating the West
African country “a country of particular concern” for allegedly failing to rein
in the persecution of Christians. In a social media statement on Saturday,
Tinubu said that the characterization of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant
country does not reflect the national reality. “Religious freedom and tolerance
have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,”
Tinubu said. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.
Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all
faiths.”Trump on Friday said “Christianity is facing an existential threat in
Nigeria”.
Trump's comment came weeks after US Sen. Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate
Africa’s most populous country as a violator of religious freedom with claims of
“Christian mass murder.”Nigeria’s population of 220 million is split almost
equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity
from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to
establish its own radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted
Muslims it deems not Muslim enough. Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives.
There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims,
clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal
rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.While Christians are among
those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims
in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated
the commitment of Nigeria to protect citizens of all religions. “The Federal
Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of
race, creed, or religion," Ebienfa said in a statement on Saturday. "Like
America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our
greatest strength."Nigeria was placed on the country of particular concern list
by the US for the first time in 2020 over what the State Department called
“systematic violations of religious freedom.” The designation, which did not
single out attacks on Christians, was lifted in 2023 in what observers saw as a
way to improve ties between the countries ahead of then-Secretary of State
Antony Blinken’s visit.
Trump calls Jewish supporters of New York’s Mamdani
‘stupid’
Reuters/04 November/2025
Donald Trump said on Tuesday any Jewish person who votes for New York mayoral
candidate Zohran Mamdani is a “stupid person,” the latest in a string of
comments over the course of the US president’s career suggesting that Jewish
Americans vote against their own interests. “Any Jewish person that votes for
Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!!”
Trump wrote on Truth Social. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google
News channel online or via the app. His social media post followed comments on
Monday in which he urged New Yorkers to vote for former New York Governor Andrew
Cuomo, who is trailing Mamdani in the polls. He also threatened to withhold
federal funds from New York City if Mamdani wins the Tuesday election. Mamdani,
who identifies as Muslim, has been critical of the current Israeli government
but vehemently rejects accusations of anti-Semitism, which he has faced from
many Republican leaders. Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for
comment. Trump and his fellow Republicans have been unpopular among Jewish
Americans for many years, a fact that is known to rankle the president. In a
September 2024 Pew Research Center survey, Trump trailed then-Democratic
presidential candidate Kamala Harris by some 32 percentage points. “If I don’t
win this election - and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with
that if that happens because if 40 percent, I mean, 60 percent of the people are
voting for the enemy - Israel, in my opinion, will cease to exist within two
years,” Trump told an Israeli-American summit ahead of his election last year.
Trump to meet with Syria’s al-Sharaa on Monday, White House
says
Agencies/04 November/2025
US President Donald Trump plans to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at
the White House on Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday at a
press briefing. “When the president was in the Middle East, he made the historic
decision to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a real chance at peace and I
think the administration, we’ve seen good progress on that front under their new
leadership,” she said. On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said
al-Sharaa will discuss issues including lifting remaining sanctions,
reconstruction and counter-terrorism when he becomes the country’s first leader
to pay an official visit to Washington. On Saturday, US envoy to Syria Tom
Barrack said al-Sharaa was heading to Washington “hopefully” to sign an
agreement to join the international US-led alliance against ISIS. Though it will
be al-Sharaa’s first visit to Washington, it will be his second to the US after
a landmark UN trip in September, where he became the first Syrian president in
decades to address the UN General Assembly in New York. In May, al-Sharaa, who
led armed opposition forces that ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last
year, met Trump for the first time in Riyadh during a historic visit that led to
the US leader vowing to lift economic sanctions on Syria.
Trump says no Tomahawks for Ukraine, for now
Reuters/04 November/2025
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that, for now, he is not considering a
deal that would allow Ukraine to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles for use
against Russia. Trump has been cool to a plan for the United States to sell
Tomahawks to NATO nations that would transfer them to Ukraine, saying he does
not want to escalate the war. His latest comments to reporters aboard Air Force
One indicate that he remains reluctant. “No, not really,” Trump told reporters
as he flew to Washington from Palm Beach, Florida, when asked whether he was
considering a deal to sell the missiles. He added, however, that he could change
his mind. Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed the Tomahawk
idea when they met at the White House on October 22. Rutte said on Friday that
the issue was under review and that it was up to the United States to decide.
Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles), long enough to strike
deep inside Russia, including Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
has requested the missiles, but the Kremlin has warned against any provision of
Tomahawks to Ukraine.
Merz Invites Syrian President to Germany to Discuss
Deportations
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to
Germany to discuss deporting Syrian citizens with criminal records in Germany,
the German leader said on Monday. "We will, of course, continue to deport
criminals to Syria. That is the plan. We will now implement this in a very
concrete manner," Merz told reporters. Germany also wants to help stabilize the
country, he said, adding that he intends to discuss with Sharaa "how we can
solve this together". Merz's conservative predecessor Angela Merkel oversaw a
historic open-doors policy towards refugees 10 years ago, welcoming some 1
million migrants to Germany, many of them Syrians fleeing civil war. Since then,
support for the far right has surged and the conservative CDU party under Merz
has pursued a far tougher line on border security and migration, pledging to
speed up deportations, Reuters said.
"I will say it again: the civil war in Syria is over. There are now no longer
any grounds for asylum in Germany," Merz said. Since seizing power from former
President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Sharaa has made a series of foreign
trips as his transitional government seeks to re-establish Syria's ties with
world powers that had shunned Damascus during Assad's rule. He is expected to
visit Washington in early November.
The Latest
English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
on
November 04-05/2025
PKK announcement of withdrawal from Turkey has ramifications for Iraq, Syria
Seth J. Frantzman/FDD's Long War Journal/November 04/2025 |
On October 26, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said it was withdrawing its
fighters from Turkey. The withdrawal is part of a peace process that has seen
the group say it will disarm and end a 40-year insurgency in eastern Turkey.
While the withdrawal announcement is being greeted with optimism in Turkey, it
may also have significant ramifications for Iraq and Syria because of the PKK
and Turkish roles in both countries.
Al Ain News in the UAE captured the uncertainty hanging over the wider region in
its October 28 article, asking whether the PKK’s move is a tactical move or a
“strategic shift.”
“Sabri Ok, a member of the Kurdish umbrella organization, the Kurdistan
Communities Union, said all PKK forces in Turkey were being withdrawn to areas
in northern Iraq ‘to avoid clashes or provocations,’” the Associated Press
reported. The Rudaw Media Network, based in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of
Northern Iraq, noted on October 27 that the United Nations had praised the PKK’s
move. “Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres,
told Rudaw that the UN chief is ‘following very closely the progress made
regarding the PKK and its decision to disarm and we take note of the
announcement by the PKK that it’s withdrawing its forces from Turkey to Iraq,’”
the report stated, also referencing Iraq as the likely destination of PKK
forces.
The PKK has long had bases in the mountains of northern Iraq and is closely
affiliated with the People’s Defense Units (YPG), a Kurdish group linked to the
US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu
Agency noted in July that “the Turkish government has repeatedly stressed over
the years that the so-called SDF is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK,
which is designated a terrorist organization by both the US and Turkey.” Thus,
the withdrawal from Turkey has ramifications for PKK-linked groups in Syria, the
PKK’s bases in Iraq, and the Kurdish regions of both countries. It may also
affect Syria’s attempt to integrate the SDF into Damascus-backed security
forces.
In the week since the PKK’s announcement, there has been no clear official
response in Iraq or Syria regarding how it may affect both countries.
The PKK’s role in northern Iraq affects the Kurdistan autonomous region, which
is administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government. The leading party of the
KRG, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, has historically opposed the PKK and
maintained amicable ties with Turkey’s ruling AK Party. For instance, on October
9, Nechirvan Barzani, the president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG),
met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in what the Turkish pro-government
Daily Sabah termed an “anti-terrorism push.” The article asserted that Barzani
had supported the peace process with the PKK in Turkey and urged the group to
take the same actions in Syria, but did not speculate on what would happen in
Iraq. “The KRG controls parts of Iraq where the PKK terrorist group’s senior
leadership is hiding out,” the Daily Sabah noted.
“Did Baghdad and Erbil approve the PKK’s withdrawal from Turkey to northern
Iraq?” a headline in The New Arab asked on October 28. The piece reported that
“veteran Kurdish politician Mohammed Amin Penjweni [stated] that both federal
Iraqi and Kurdish regional authorities could benefit from the PKK’s retreat, and
suggested they were likely informed in advance.” The article also noted that the
withdrawal could affect Turkish military posts in northern Iraq, which Turkey
has maintained to fight the PKK for decades.
These impacts on Iraq could be influenced by the next phase of the peace talks
in Turkey. Al Ain News noted on October 28 that “the presence of PKK elements in
the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq constitutes—according to Turkish security
assessments—a persistent source of concern for Ankara, which insists on the
complete dismantling of the party’s military structure.”
Rudaw has also noted that US “engagement” may be key to the success of the peace
talks in Turkey. The US, which classifies the PKK as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization, is a close partner of the KRG and the SDF, both of which stand to
be impacted by the PKK’s move to Iraq.
Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a
contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East
correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7
War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Palestinian Islamic Jihad shows signs of renewed activity in the West Bank
Joe Truzman/ FDD's Long War Journal/November 04/2025
An unidentified Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) field commander announced on
October 29 that the organization had launched “Operation Blinding Vision”
against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The announcement of an offensive adds
to mounting evidence that PIJ is attempting to renew its attacks in the West
Bank after a year of reduced activity stemming from sustained Israeli military
operations.
“Since the beginning of the Battle of al-Aqsa Flood [Hamas’s October 7, 2023
attack], the leadership of the al-Quds Brigades [PIJ] in the West Bank gave the
signal to the mujahideen brothers to begin Operation Obstructing Vision, which
targeted the eyes of the enemy and its unmanned aircraft in all the cities of
the West Bank,” the PIJ commander said.
The PIJ leader added that since the operation was implemented, members of the
group had successfully downed IDF drones. Furthermore, he remarked that “new
weapons” had been introduced to the battlefield, but did not specify what the
arms were. The commander also claimed that PIJ had successfully extracted
intelligence from the drones, revealing the “coordinates of [IDF]
command-and-control sites, enemy concentrations, some newly established sites,
and information that cannot be disclosed at this stage.”
PIJ supported some of its assertions when it published a propaganda video of IDF
drones that the group claimed to have downed. The footage shows several micro
unmanned aerial vehicles allegedly belonging to the IDF, including video
recorded on the drone’s memory card that shows Israeli troops at what appears to
be a military base.
Since Israel launched its “Iron Wall” operation in January, it has achieved
notable success in curbing the activities of Palestinian terrorist groups in the
West Bank. According to figures released by the Israeli security establishment,
terrorism in the West Bank was on a downward trend over the spring and summer.
In April, authorities recorded 46 terrorist attacks, a sharp decline from the
peak monthly average of 115 in 2024 and 214 in 2023. For comparison, the monthly
averages in previous years were 168 in 2022, 120 in 2021, and 74 in 2020, the
report noted. Additionally, FDD’s Long War Journal has noted a significant
decline in online propaganda published by PIJ and other armed groups in the West
Bank over the past five years.
However, PIJ, in addition to declaring renewed attacks against IDF
infrastructure, has shown other signs that it is ramping up its activity in the
territory.
Israeli police and the IDF announced on October 28 that they had killed three
terrorists in Kafr Qud, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Israeli
forces targeted the trio due to intelligence that indicated they were planning
to carry out an attack. PIJ later acknowledged that those killed were members of
the organization.
Earlier, on October 18, PIJ in the West Bank published a propaganda message on
its official Telegram channel hinting that it had established a branch in
Ramallah. The group did not provide evidence of its activity in Ramallah, but
scattered reports as early as 2023 indicate that PIJ had been attempting to
establish a branch in the city.
On September 25, PIJ announced that Israeli forces had killed one of its
commanders and another operative in the northern West Bank. Both individuals
were wanted for planning an attack and committing acts of terrorism. PIJ
identified the slain fighters as Alaa Suleiman and Muhammad Suleiman.
For now, PIJ’s claims of a Ramallah branch and the acquisition of new weaponry
have yet to be independently verified. The renewed signs of PIJ activity come as
Israeli forces continue operations across the West Bank aimed at dismantling
terrorist networks. Whether the group’s recent statements signal a genuine
resurgence or serve primarily as propaganda remains to be seen.
*Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle
East.
How Political Leaders Are Fast-Tracking the Islamification of Europe
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute./November 04/2025
Surveys have been exposing what British Muslims think. In March 2024, a poll
conducted by the Henry Jackson Society reported that 32% of British Muslims
favor the implementation of Sharia law in the UK; 48% feel more sympathy with
Hamas than with Israel; 80% believe that Israel is committing genocide. 49%
think Israel has no right to exist, and 46% think Jews in the UK -- only 0.5 %
of the population -- have too much power.
The situation in the United Kingdom is worrying: what affects the UK affects all
Western Europe. While the situation in France may seem a bit better, it is
probably worse.
While the UK Labour Party expelled its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn in 2024 over
accusations of anti-Semitism, a French political party, La France Insoumise
(France Unbowed), includes several MPs who are on record as having made
anti-Semitic remarks. One of its MPs, Rima Hassan, openly supports Hamas.
Millions of people in Western Europe appear anxious about the future they see
taking shape in their countries and have been turning to political parties that
address their concerns. Since these parties have been growing in strength,
current leaders are doing everything they can – such as preventing their leaders
from running for election, or forming a coalition, or branding their policies as
"fascism" and "Nazism" – in an apparent effort to bury these concerns. These are
virtually the only parties that support Israel and denounce rising anti-Semitism
by actually calling it by its name.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is leading in voter polls, but the next elections
will only take place in 2029. During the next four years, the ruling Labour
Party can continue to radically transform the country.
"The great replacement" -- the eventuality of a basically Christian Europe being
slowly replaced by a Muslim one -- is not a conspiracy theory. It is rapidly
underway. The birth rate of Muslim populations remains higher in Western Europe
than that of non-Muslim populations, whose birth rates have been collapsing and
are now vastly below the replacement level. Muslim births add to the numbers of
those who have immigrated from the Muslim world. The proportion of Muslims in
Western European countries continues exponentially to increase. Data further
shows that Muslim populations are integrating less and less, and that the
influence of radical Islam has also been exponentially increasing.
Surveys have been exposing what British Muslims think. In March 2024, a poll
conducted by the Henry Jackson Society reported that 32% of British Muslims
favor the implementation of Sharia law in the UK; 48% feel more sympathy with
Hamas than with Israel; 80% believe that Israel is committing genocide. 49%
think Israel has no right to exist, and 46% think Jews in the UK -- only 0.5 %
of the population -- have too much power.
Manchester, England, October 2, 2025: In the most violent act of antisemitic
hatred Britain has seen in years, a Muslim man rams a car into a group of Jews
on a sidewalk in front of a synagogue, exits the vehicle and begins stabbing
other Jews. He is shot by the police. Two Jews are killed, one by the murderer
and another who was shot accidentally by police.
Antisemitic violence has become deeply entrenched in the country. Since Hamas's
jihadist massacre of October 7, 2023, in Israel, it has increased considerably.
For more than 30 years, successive British governments have promised to fight
antisemitism but never did. Now they deny reality. Antisemitism in the UK is now
mostly Islamic antisemitism, perpetrated by radicalized Muslims. Islamic
antisemitism in these times has become closely linked to a hatred of Israel, and
it is now widespread and shared by a large part of the political "left." On the
evening of Hamas's October 7, 2023 massacre, thousands of Muslims celebrated it
in major cities across the country.
In London, the very day after Hamas had murdered 1,200 people in Israel and
seized 251 more as hostages, Muslims and "leftists" organized and gathered
together in anti-Israel demonstrations, which have continued ever since.
Two years later, on October 7, 2025, protesters assembled in London, Glasgow,
and Edinburgh to "celebrate" the second anniversary of the massacre. The
demonstrators shouted slogans such as "Israel is a terrorist state" and "death
to the IDF." "
We will continue to fight for the abolition of Zionism both in Palestine and in
our own Jewish communities," one speaker said.
Islamic violence in Europe has not been limited "just" to Jews. Some of the
deadliest Islamist attacks in recent years appeared to be against all
"infidels": the jihadist attacks of July 7, 2005 on London's mass-transit
system; the slaughter at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the jihadist
massacre at the Bataclan Theater in Paris; the truck-ramming attack in Nice on
July 14, 2016 ; the Madrid and Barcelona terrorist attacks in Spain; New Year's
Eve mass rapes in Cologne, Germany; the Christmas Market rammings in Berlin in
2016 and Magdeburg in 2024; a murder at the Krudttønden cultural center in
Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as countless individual murders: Father Jacques
Hamel, Fusilier Lee Rigby, Ilan Halimi ; Theo van Gogh, Sarah Halimi, Mireille
Knoll, to name just a few. In the United Kingdom, in 2017, at the end of a
concert, a British Muslim suicide bomber of Libyan ancestry attacked the
Manchester Arena: 22 people were murdered and 1,017 wounded.
For years, in the Muslim neighborhoods of London, Paris, Brussels, Malmö and
major British cities, radicalized Islamic preachers have been spreading hatred
against Jews, Israel and Western civilization -- and calling, with impunity, for
armed jihad. Anyone who so much as questions this call is labelled a racist or
an Islamophobe.
British non-Muslims bemoaning Islamic terrorism are being jailed. In 2018, Paul
Golding and Jayda Fransen, leaders of the right-wing movement Britain First,
were sentenced to prison for having distributed leaflets allegedly showing
"hostility toward Muslims and the Muslim faith."
In November 2024, former soldier Daffron Williams posted on Facebook a simple
observation about the rise of Islamic violence in the country: "Civil war is
here. The only thing missing is bullets, that's the next step." He, too, was
imprisoned.
In September 2025, Pete North, a blogger who had shared a meme saying "F*ck
Hamas," was arrested at his home and charged with "spreading racial hatred" –
among many other such arrests.
Although Muslims make up only 6.5% of Britain's population, successive
governments, like those in France, Germany and the Netherlands, have shown signs
of gradual submission to Islam. Since UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was
elected, this trend has intensified. In March, as antisemitism was exploding in
the country, Starmer attended a Ramadan fast-breaking ceremony in Westminster
Hall, where he announced that 2024 had been the "worst year on record" for
"anti-Muslim hate crimes."
Surveys have been exposing what British Muslims think. In March 2024, a poll
conducted by the Henry Jackson Society reported that 32% of British Muslims
favor the implementation of Sharia law in the UK; 48% feel more sympathy with
Hamas than with Israel; 80% believe that Israel is committing genocide. 49%
think Israel has no right to exist, and 46% think Jews in the UK -- only 0.5 %
of the population -- have too much power.
Starmer recognized the non-existent "state of Palestine" in September and
claimed that his decision helped US President Donald Trump strike a Gaza peace
deal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded that Starmer had bowed to
pressure created by politically active "foreigners" and that his decision had
actually been an "impediment to peace" in the Middle East.
The situation in the United Kingdom is worrying: what affects the UK affects all
Western Europe. While the situation in France may seem a bit better, it is
probably worse.
In France, a rabbi and three Jewish children were murdered by a radicalized
Muslim in Toulouse on March 19, 2012. Jews were murdered in a kosher supermarket
on January 9, 2015. Compared to the rest of Europe, it is in France that the
largest number of individual Jews have been murdered by radicalized Muslims and
the deadliest Islamic attacks have occurred.
The massacre at the Bataclan on November 13, 2015, left 130 dead and 413
wounded. A July 14, 2016 truck-ramming attack in Nice on people celebrating
Bastille Day left 86 dead and 458 wounded. In 2020, the school teacher Samuel
Paty was beheaded, and in 2016, a priest, Father Jacques Hamel, was beheaded
while celebrating mass.
After each jihadist attack on Jews, government officials say they will combat
antisemitism. They never have. Only one French politician, former MP Meyer Habib,
in 2020, dared to denounce Islamic antisemitism explicitly. A text signed by 300
prominent French figures repudiated this "new anti-Semitism": "In our recent
history, eleven Jews have just been murdered – and some tortured – because they
were Jewish by radical Islamists." The statement was quickly forgotten. When a
march against anti-Semitism was organized on November 13, 2023, roughly a month
after the October 7 massacre, French President Emmanuel Macron chose not to
attend.
In many mosques throughout France, imams preach hate. Sometimes, rarely, one is
expelled. Commentators in France who criticize Islam are sentenced by the courts
to heavy fines. The leader of the National Rally Party, Marine Le Pen, widely
predicted to win the next presidential election, was sentenced to prison and
banned from holding public office for alleged "embezzlement". Former journalist
Éric Zemmour, for instance, had to pay thousands of euros. Author Renaud Camus,
also fined, now finds that no publisher will publish his books anymore. Hundreds
of lesser-known figures have also been sentenced to fines and censorship.
Demonstrations against Israel in Paris have been as abundant as in London.
Muslim and "leftist" protesters shout slogans hostile to Israel, including
"Death to the Jews." Polls conducted among French Muslims produced results as
disquieting as those conducted among Muslims in the United Kingdom: in 2020, a
poll showed that 38% of French Muslims think that Sharia law is more important
than the laws of the Republic. A poll conducted in December 2023 showed that 45%
of French Muslims think that the October 7 massacre was an "act of resistance".
Similar conditions can be seen in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.
While the UK Labour Party expelled its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn in 2024 over
accusations of anti-Semitism, a French political party, La France Insoumise
(France Unbowed), includes several MPs who are on record as having made
anti-Semitic remarks. One of its MPs, Rima Hassan, openly supports Hamas.
France has a larger Muslim population than the United Kingdom: 10% of the total
in 2019-2020. The number of Muslims in both countries keeps on growing. France
also has a larger Jewish population than the United Kingdom: 438,500, or 0.88%
of the French population, compared to 0.5% in England and Wales. French Jews,
however, are fleeing the country, so their number is decreasing, as is the
number of Jews in Western Europe altogether.
When Macron, at the UN General Assembly in September 2025, formally announced
France's recognition of a non-existent "state of Palestine", he was quickly
followed by United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Portugal and Belgium. Rubio
slammed Macron's decision as a "slap in the face to the victims of October 7"
that served Hamas propaganda. Macron, who had not even made his "recognition"
contingent upon Hamas releasing the Israeli hostages, declined to react.
US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner wrote in an open letter to Macron:
"Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a
Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life
in France."
Macron called Kushner's words "unacceptable".
Millions of people in Western Europe appear anxious about the future they see
taking shape in their countries and have been turning to political parties that
address their concerns. Since these parties have been growing in strength,
current leaders are doing everything they can – such as preventing their leaders
from running for election, or forming a coalition, or branding their policies as
"fascism" and "Nazism" – in an apparent effort to bury these concerns. These are
virtually the only parties that support Israel and denounce rising anti-Semitism
by actually calling it by its name.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is leading in voter polls, but the next elections
will only take place in 2029. During the next four years, the ruling Labour
Party can continue to radically transform the country.
In France, the next presidential election is scheduled for 2027. Le Pen, as
mentioned, was leading the polls, but was declared ineligible to run in 2027 by
a French court. Jordan Bardella, the current president of Le Pen's party, has a
good chance of winning, but in July 2025, on the order of the judges who charged
Le Pen, masses of documents were seized from the party headquarters. Many judges
in France practice "political justice". Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
recently began serving a five-year sentence handed down by leftist judges –
despite no evidence of guilt and before his appeal has been heard. He is now
behind bars. Bardella is already the subject of a complaint, allegedly for a
pseudonymous online account that was racist. Bardella has stated, "I am sorry to
disappoint you but I only have one Twitter account. I will not stand by comments
I did not make."
In 2024, in the last French legislative election, called by Macron, he
established quarantine to contain the National Rally party, leaving conservative
voters with a choice of only left-wing parties, resulting in a hung parliament
and the impossibility of forming a stable government.
In Belgium, the Flemish Interest party is gaining ground, but is only present in
the Flemish-speaking regions of the country and similarly facing a quarantine.
The center-right New Flemish Alliance has been in power in the country since
February 2025. It refuses to include Vlaams Belang in any coalition, supports
"controlled migration", has no clear position on Islam apart from objecting to
the hijab headscarf in public, but did join the government in recognizing a
"state of Palestine" and imposing sanctions on Israel.
In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom won the most seats in the
November 2023 elections, but Wilders was prevented from becoming prime minister
by a coalition of other parties that formed a barrier. He recently withdrew his
support for the government, and elections held last week resulted in his party
receiving the second-largest share of the vote.
Alternative for Germany (AfD), that country's second-largest party, is also
being kept out of power by other parties. Germany's domestic intelligence agency
stated -- apparently innocent of all irony -- that the existence of AfD was
"incompatible with the free democratic basic order". AfD could be banned
altogether.
The possibility that these parties will triumph over those anti-democratic
maneuvers appears remote. The politicians in power who are carrying out these
maneuvers show no intention of responding to the growing concerns of much of
their public.
What is taking place in Western Europe is likely to get worse.
"The great replacement" -- the eventuality of a basically Christian Europe being
slowly replaced by a Muslim one -- is not a conspiracy theory. It is rapidly
underway. The birth rate of Muslim populations remains higher in Western Europe
than that of non-Muslim populations, whose birth rates have been collapsing and
are now vastly below the replacement level. Muslim births add to the numbers of
those who have immigrated from the Muslim world. The proportion of Muslims in
Western European countries continues exponentially to increase. Data further
shows that Muslim populations are integrating less and less, and that the
influence of radical Islam has also been exponentially increasing.
If profound changes do not occur, Western Europe tomorrow will be
unrecognizable.
"If we do not stop Islamification now," Geert Wilders said in 2007, "Eurabia and
Netherabia will just be a matter of time".
Eighteen years later, the Islamification of Europe seems only to have begun.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27
books on France and Europe.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22031/islamification-of-europe
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Selected X Tweets For November 04/2025
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Diaspora friends who are asking about my assessment:
The likelihood of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah is low for the
Christmas - New Year’s break, so I’d buy tickets to visit I were you. The summer
season, however, will likely be very hot, so save yourself ticket money, you
will probably sit this one out. Always remember, it’s your government and army
who are failing you by refusing to restore sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
When Tom Barrack said Lebanon was a failing state, he was not making Israel’s
point for continued policing of Hezbollah, he was making Hezbollah’s point of
its inevitability, depicting it as a reality that could not be changed and had
to be lived with. Barrack views himself as a Lebanese who knows authentic
reality that Washington and Americans do not know, and therefore keeps peddling
Hezbollah’s talking points. It helps that these points win him brownie points
with Qatar and Turkey.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Diaspora friends who are asking about my assessment: The likelihood of
escalation between Israel and Hezbollah is low for the Christmas - New Year’s
break, so I’d buy tickets to visit I were you. The summer season, however, will
likely be very hot, so save yourself ticket money, you will probably sit this
one out. Always remember, it’s your government and army who are failing you by
refusing to restore sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah.
Blitz@LebBlitz
Sheikh Bashir Gemayel after returning from his visit to the USA in 1977:
"The Lebanese cause is the struggle of a free people to survive on a defined
land, in a permanent homeland,