English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 09/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal
life, and they will never perish
John 10/22-42: “At that time the festival of the Dedication took
place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the
portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long
will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus
answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my
Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong
to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give
them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my
hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can
snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I
are one.’ The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, ‘I have
shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to
stone me?’ The Jews answered, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to
stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making
yourself God. ’Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in
your law, “I said, you are gods”? If those to whom the
word of God came were called “gods” and the scripture cannot be annulled. can
you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is
blaspheming because I said, “I am God’s Son”? If I am not doing the works of my
Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe
me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in
me and I am in the Father.’ Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped
from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John
had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they
were saying, ‘John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this
man was true. ’And many believed in him there.”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 08-09/2025
The Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel/Elias Bejjani/November 08/2025
Geagea Refutes "The Party's" Letter... and Gemayel Supports Any Form of
Negotiation
Israeli army claims killing Hezbollah operative in South Lebanon: Avichay Adraee
Israeli strike in Lebanon kills alleged arms smugglers
Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill three
Two Siblings Killed in Israeli Strike in South Lebanon
EU Condemns Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
Hezbollah’s Financing Network: Another Arsenal to Dismantle
Tracking money in Lebanon: US sanctions expose gaps in banking oversight
U.S. Treasury Delegation in Beirut, Sanctions Top of the Agenda
Protesters block main road in Beddawi camp over closed entrances
Egypt reaffirms support for Lebanon’s sovereignty in call between FM Abdelatty
and PM Salam
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, journalists at West Bank olive harvest,
witnesses say
Lebanon Reaffirms Negotiations as Path to Resolve Dispute with Israel
Disarmament in Lebanon’s Interest Amid Mounting International Pressure
Raed Khoury: Eliminating Banks and Deposits Would Be a “Catastrophe”
“If only I had known…” Once Again!
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
November 08-09/2025
Gaza Health Officials Say Over 69,000
Palestinians Have Been Killed in the Israel-Hamas War
Hospital Officials in Gaza Receive Bodies of 15 Palestinians Returned from
Israel
Israel Identifies Latest Returned Body as Israeli-Argentinian Hostage
Israel army chief vows to return remains of officer slain in 2014 Gaza war
US forces working with Israel on Gaza aid, Israeli official says
Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians reach record number in October: UN
One Palestinian Killed by Israeli Firing in Gaza
Beyond the Middle East: Why is Kazakhstan considering joining the Abraham
Accords?
Russia Hits Several Key Ukraine Energy Facilities, Kills 3 People)
Barzani Says Armed Factions Stronger Than the State in Iraq, Lebanon
Russia's Lavrov Says Work Under Way on Putin's Order on Possible Russian Nuclear
Test
Syria carries out pre-emptive operations against Daesh cells
JD Vance hopes his Hindu wife converts to Christianity, sparking debate on
interfaith marriage
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on
November 08-09/2025
The Anti-American Terror State: Iran's
Regime Must Not Be Allowed to Rise Again/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/November 08/2025
A Model of Civilization, and There is No Alternative/Radwan al-Sayyed/Asharq Al
Awsat/November 08/2025
UN Security Council approach offers hope for Gaza/Daoud Kuttab/Arab
News/November 08, 2025
What the conventional economic wisdom is missing/Joseph H. Davis/Arab
News/November 08, 2025
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 08-09/2025
The Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel
Elias Bejjani/November 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148978/
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel. Who is
he, and what is the historical ecclesiastical background of this feast?
Michael, the Prince of the Heavenly Host, is the one who fought with his
righteous angels against the arrogant Devil and his wicked angels, casting him
out of heaven with the cry: “Who is like God?” This is the meaning of his name,
“Michael” (Mi−kha−′el), as stated in the Book of Revelation (12:7). The Holy
Church has adopted him as its patron and advocate.
The Miracle in Colossae
The Church commemorates this day as the anniversary of the miracle he performed
in the city of Colossae (well-known from the Epistle of Saint Paul). A pagan man
came with his daughter, who had been mute since birth. He saw a crowd of
Christians bathing in the water basin near the Church of Saint Michael. He did
the same and gave his daughter some of the water, and she was immediately cured.
The man and some of his acquaintances believed. The angry pagans attempted to
destroy the church by digging around it to divert a river’s water towards it.
The church guard, named Archippus (from Baalbek), pleaded with God and invoked
the help of Saint Michael. The Archangel Michael appeared to the pagans at night
while they were digging, and he diverted the water away from the church by
cleaving a rock with his staff, causing the water to disappear into the fissure,
thus saving the church. Many pagans believed as a result. This event is dated to
around the Second Century A.D. His prayer is with us. Feast of the Archangels
and Angels (November 8th)
1. Origin and History in the Eastern Tradition
The Churches that follow the Byzantine Tradition (such as the Eastern Orthodox
and Melkite Greek Catholics) celebrate on November 8th a glorious, collective
feast for the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and all the Bodiless Hosts (Angelic
Orders).
The origins of this celebration trace back to the Fourth Century A.D. in the
East. The organization of this veneration followed a period of theological
debate, where the Church had to distinguish between worship due to God alone and
veneration/intercession of the angels and saints who are servants of the Lord.
Condemnation of Worship, Not Veneration: The local Council of Laodicea (c.
343-381 A.D.) is mentioned in this context, as its 35th Canon condemned the
worship of angels as a heresy. This canon did not abolish their veneration or
intercession but prevented them from being worshipped as creators or essential
mediators.
Substitution of Pagan Feasts: Ancient Church Fathers, such as Pope Silvester of
Rome and Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria (+ 328 A.D.), replaced pagan
festivals with Christian feasts to consecrate time.
Symbolic Interpretation of November 8th: The choice of November is symbolically
interpreted in the Eastern tradition as the ninth month if the year is counted
from March (as per some ancient calendars). The number nine (9) corresponds to
the Nine Choirs (Orders) of Angels that are collectively celebrated on this
feast.
2. Who is Saint Michael?
Michael is one of the Seven Archangels (in the Eastern Christian tradition) or
one of the three most prominent (in the Western tradition). His name in Hebrew
means “Who is like God?” (Mi−kha−′el).
Primary Function: He is depicted in the Holy Scriptures and Christian tradition
as the Commander of the Heavenly Host and the Defender of God’s people against
the powers of evil and the Devil.
Other Functions: He is traditionally credited with four main roles:
Fighting Satan.
Rescuing the souls of the faithful from the enemy’s power, especially at the
hour of death.
Serving as the Patron of the Church and Defender of God’s people.
Calling the souls of humanity to Judgment (the Resurrection).
Origin: His existence dates back to the divine creation of the angels, making
him a spiritual being that predates human history.
3. Michael’s Biblical Story and Mentions
Saint Michael is explicitly mentioned by name four times in the Holy Bible:
Biblical Reference/Context and Role
Daniel 10:13/Mentioned as “one of the chief princes” who assisted the messenger
angel sent to Daniel.
Daniel 12:1/Mentioned as the great prince who “stands watch” over the people of
Israel during times of great distress.
Jude 1:9 Mentioned when “contending with the devil and disputing about the body
of Moses,” deferring judgment to the Lord (“The Lord rebuke you!”).
Revelation 12:7 Mentioned as the leader of the heavenly war: “And war broke out
in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon…”
Geagea Refutes "The Party's" Letter... and Gemayel
Supports Any Form of Negotiation
New Israeli Warning to Lebanon... And Egypt Exerts Diplomatic
Pressure to Prevent Escalation
Nidaa Al-Watan/November 09/2025 (translated from Arabic)
While condemnation continues to pour in regarding the open letter that Hezbollah
addressed to the three presidents, Israel continued its field escalation in the
south and Bekaa on Saturday, threatening to expand the scope of its attacks. The
Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed that Israel informed Washington that
Hezbollah had recruited thousands of new fighters in recent months,
rehabilitated missile launch platforms destroyed during the last war, and
smuggled hundreds of missiles from Syria. Tel Aviv asked Washington to send a
warning message to the Lebanese Army, stating that if it did not take sufficient
action against "The Party," Israeli attacks would intensify. This stance came
after new targeting operations struck vehicles in Rashaya Al-Wadi, Baraashit,
and Bint Jbeil, resulting in the killing of three people, including two
brothers, and injuring 11 others. Amidst the field escalation, Egypt continues
its mediation efforts to prevent the outbreak of a new round of war. This matter
was the focus of a phone call between Caretaker Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty, who affirmed his country's complete
rejection of any infringement on Lebanon's sovereignty, unity, and territorial
integrity, stressing the importance of de-escalation and prioritizing the path
of calm to preserve the security and stability of Lebanon and the region.
Hezbollah's letter took a prominent place in the speech of the head of the
Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, during the annual dinner of the Zahle
Coordination Office, where he spoke of fundamental fallacies in "The Party's"
message. He addressed "The Party," saying, "We have a fully functioning state.
You cannot say, 'I want to hold on to the option of resistance.'" Geagea
rejected the party's claim that it had fully adhered to the ceasefire agreement,
stating that it had not yet evacuated its military and security centers and had
not handed over its weapons to the state. He added, "Before the Americans, the
Arabs, the West, and the Israelis, we want a genuine state. And the state is not
a genuine state unless it centralizes all weapons within its embrace and
confines the decision of peace and war to itself."
For his part, the head of the Kataeb party, MP Sami Gemayel, announced in an
interview with MTV his support "for any form of negotiation with Israel, whether
direct or indirect, political, civilian, or military, even if it requires the
participation of the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, because the
important thing is to completely end the war in the South." He added that
"Hezbollah is destroying the efforts of the President of the Republic,
facilitating Israel's attacks, and clinging to its weapons instead of supporting
Aoun's position on negotiation to protect Lebanon, its sovereignty, and its
liberation."
Meanwhile, the President of the Republic will leave tomorrow morning for Sofia,
accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Rajji, on an
official visit at the invitation of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. The two
sides will hold talks covering bilateral relations and ways to develop them in
all fields. During the visit, President Aoun will also meet with Bulgarian Prime
Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Speaker of the National Assembly Raya Nazaryan, in
addition to a number of Bulgarian officials.
Israeli army claims killing Hezbollah operative in South
Lebanon: Avichay Adraee
LBCI/November 08/2025
Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli army, announced on X the killing of
a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon. He claimed: "Earlier today, the
Israeli army struck in the Baraachit area in southern Lebanon and 'eliminated'
one Hezbollah operative."Adraee added: "The 'terrorist' was involved in attempts
to rebuild Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area, which violated the
understandings between Israel and Lebanon." He concluded: "The Israeli army will
continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel."
Israeli strike in Lebanon kills alleged arms smugglers
AFP/November 08, 2025
BEIRUT: An Israeli drone strike killed two Lebanese brothers in their car
Saturday, according to Lebanon’s news agency, as Israel said it had hit arms
smugglers from a group affiliated to Hezbollah. The National News Agency report
said the pair were from the town of Shebaa and hit while driving on a road on
the slopes of Mount Hermon in southeastern Lebanon, “causing their SUV to catch
fire and resulting in their deaths.”The Israeli military confirmed that they had
conducted a strike near Shebaa and killed two smugglers from the “Lebanese
Resistance Brigades,” a group allied to the militant organization Hezbollah.
“The terrorists were involved in smuggling weapons used by Hezbollah and their
activities constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel
and Lebanon,” the Israeli military said. “The IDF (military) will continue to
operate in order to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel,” it
warned.Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the death toll. A similar Israeli
strike on Saturday morning on a car near a hospital in the southern city of Bint
Jbeil wounded seven people, according to the ministry. The latest strikes came
as the European Union added its voice to international concern over Israel’s
continued strikes despite its year-old ceasefire with Lebanon. “Focus by all
parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far,”
the European Commission’s foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.
Israel argues that Lebanon is acting too slowly to disarm the Iran-backed
Hezbollah militia and insists it has the right to carry out operations to
protect its border and citizens from attack. On Thursday it announced a series
of strikes in southern Lebanon in advance, and urged civilians to evacuate the
targeted areas.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill three
AFP/08 November/2025
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed three people and wounded several more on
Saturday, according to the Lebanese health ministry, with Israel announcing one
of the attacks had hit arms smugglers from a group affiliated with Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that two brothers from the town
of Shebaa were hit while driving on a road on the slopes of Mount Hermon in
southeastern Lebanon, “causing their SUV to catch fire and resulting in their
deaths.” The Israeli military confirmed that they had conducted a strike near
Shebaa that killed two smugglers from the Lebanese Resistance Brigades, a group
allied with Hezbollah. “The terrorists were involved in smuggling weapons used
by Hezbollah and their activities constituted a blatant violation of the
understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the Israeli military said, referring
to the ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with the
Iran-backed militant group. “The IDF (military) will continue to operate in
order to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel,” it warned. Lebanon’s
health ministry confirmed the death toll in Shebaa, later reporting that another
strike on a car in the southern village of Baraashit had killed one person and
wounded four.A similar Israeli strike on Saturday morning on a car near a
hospital in the southern city of Bint Jbeil wounded seven people, according to
the ministry. The latest attacks came as the European Union added its voice to
international concern over Israel’s continued strikes despite the nearly
year-old truce. “Focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and
the progress achieved so far,” the European Commission’s foreign affairs
spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. Israel argues that Lebanon is acting too slowly
to disarm Hezbollah and insists it has the right to carry out operations to
protect its border and citizens from attack. On Thursday it announced a series
of strikes in southern Lebanon in advance, and urged civilians to evacuate the
targeted areas.
Two Siblings Killed in Israeli Strike in South Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
An Israeli drone strike killed two Lebanese brothers in their car Saturday,
according to Lebanon's news agency, as Israel claimed it had hit arms smugglers
from a group affiliated to Hezbollah. The National News Agency report said the
pair were from the town of Shebaa and hit while driving on a road on the slopes
of Mount Hermon in southeastern Lebanon, "causing their SUV to catch fire and
resulting in their deaths".The Israeli military confirmed that they had
conducted a strike near Shebaa and killed two from the "Lebanese Resistance
Brigades", a group allied to Hezbollah. "The terrorists were involved in
smuggling weapons used by Hezbollah and their activities constituted a blatant
violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," the Israeli
military said. "The (military) will continue to operate in order to remove any
threat posed to the State of Israel," it warned. Lebanon's health ministry
confirmed the death toll. A similar Israeli strike on Saturday morning on a car
near a hospital in the southern city of Bint Jbeil wounded seven people,
according to the ministry. The latest strikes came as the European Union added
its voice to international concern over Israel's continued strikes despite its
year-old ceasefire with Lebanon.
EU Condemns Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
The European Union on Saturday condemned Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and
asked it to respect a ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah. Israel
conducted fresh attacks in southern Lebanon on Thursday, claiming to target the
Iran-backed organisation and accusing the group of rearming. "The EU calls on
Israel to cease all actions that violate resolution 1701 and the ceasefire
agreement reached a year ago in November 2024," the EU's foreign affairs
spokesman Anouar El Anouni stated, AFP reported. "At the same time, we urge all
Lebanese actors and especially Hezbollah to refrain from any measures or
responses that could further inflame the situation," he added. "Focus by all
parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so
far."The Israeli army had previously told residents of four villages to evacuate
buildings, warning that it planned to target Hezbollah's military
infrastructure. The Lebanese army has accused Israel of seeking to "undermine
Lebanon's stability" with Thursday's strikes and to "prevent the completion of
the army's deployment" in line with the ceasefire. Lebanese President Joseph
Aoun has condemned the Israeli strikes, as has Iran, which on Friday called them
"savage" attacks and appealed for the international community to intervene.
Lebanon and Israel are still technically in a state of war, but all the recent
armed conflicts with Israel were fought by Hezbollah, not the Lebanese military.
Hezbollah was the only movement in Lebanon that refused to disarm after the
1975-1990 civil war, first claiming it had a duty to liberate territory occupied
by Israel, and then to continue defending the country. The group is backed by
Iran, which also fought its own war against Israel earlier this year.
Hezbollah’s Financing Network: Another Arsenal to
Dismantle
This is Beirut/November 08/2025
In an article published this week in Foreign Policy, Michael Jacobson and
Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argue that
urging the Lebanese Army to disarm Hezbollah is not enough; the international
community must also work to dismantle the group’s financial network. Although
Israeli strikes have severely damaged Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, the
group is now working to rebuild its capabilities. Amid regional upheaval,
Hezbollah can no longer rely on traditional routes for financial and logistical
support. In Beirut, the government has taken unprecedented measures, including
banning Iranian planes from landing and tightening oversight of suspicious
financial transfers. In Syria, the new authorities are also seeking to curb the
flow of Iranian weapons and cash into Lebanon. Faced with these restrictions,
Hezbollah is attempting to reactivate its longstanding international financing
and procurement networks. According to the authors, the organization has for
decades woven a global network stretching from West Africa to South America, via
Europe and Asia. These networks allow it to raise funds through money
laundering, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and smuggling. Last October, the
U.S. Treasury Department warned of a “network of financiers” linked to Hezbollah
operating in West Africa. In South America, the group generates significant
income from its operations in the so-called “Tri-Border Area” – between
Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, – a region notorious for trafficking and money
laundering. At the same time, Hezbollah is seeking to acquire military and
dual-use materials through front companies. In 2024, several European countries,
including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain, foiled a large-scale attempt
to purchase components intended for the production of explosive drones. Jacobson
and Levitt stress that the international community must step up efforts to
dismantle Hezbollah’s financial and logistical networks. Otherwise, they warn,
the group will remain an uncontrollable armed and political force in Lebanon and
beyond.
Tracking money in Lebanon: US sanctions expose gaps in
banking oversight
LBCI/November 08/2025
The U.S. Treasury Department has added three Lebanese nationals — Ossama Jaber,
Ja’far Muhammad Qasir, and Samer Kasbar — to its sanctions list, accusing them
of facilitating the transfer of tens of millions of dollars from Iran to
Hezbollah this year through currency exchange companies. What stood out in the
statement was the mention of licensed exchange companies, not just unlicensed
ones. These firms are typically authorized to exchange currencies and transfer
funds between countries. Licensed money changers expressed surprise at the
Treasury’s announcement. According to industry sources, they stressed that they
verify each client’s identity and are subject to oversight by the Banking
Control Commission and the Central Bank of Lebanon. They also emphasized their
strict compliance with anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing
regulations, noting plans to adopt an app that can identify clients and flag
anyone listed under sanctions.If transactions are monitored so closely, the
question remains: how are these funds entering the country? Financial sources
say one of the easiest ways to evade regulatory oversight is through digital
currencies, particularly USDT (Tether) — a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar.
The process involves transferring USDT from a client’s digital wallet abroad to
that of a money changer in Lebanon, who then converts it into cash. The danger
lies in the absence of legislation regulating digital wallets in Lebanon — even
though licensed exchangers claim they do not deal with them.
These currency exchange activities form part of the broader cash economy, which
the government — through both the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry — is
working to curb. Tackling this issue remains one of the key demands of the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The Central Bank has already
signed a contract with an international firm to help combat the cash economy,
while banks have become stricter than ever in verifying clients to protect their
relationships with correspondent banks. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has
instructed public institutions to resume collecting taxes and fees through banks
rather than in cash and is working to install POS (Point of Sale) machines
across state departments — including land registries — to limit cash
transactions. These are part of ongoing efforts to contain money laundering
activities linked to various financial crimes. Still, experts say the process
remains complex, and real control will not be possible without restoring trust
in Lebanon’s banking sector, which would enable proper tracking of financial
flows.
U.S. Treasury Delegation in Beirut, Sanctions Top of the
Agenda
This is Beirut/November 08/2025
This is Beirut has learned that President Joseph Aoun will meet tomorrow at 6
p.m. at Baabda Palace with a delegation from the U.S. Department of the
Treasury, headed by Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
John Hurley, and accompanied by officials from the White House. Talks are
expected to focus on counterterrorism financing and anti–money laundering
efforts, as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign against Iran and his push
to prevent terrorist groups from accessing the global financial system.
The U.S. delegation is also expected to discuss the implementation of U.N.
sanctions and measures, and to deliver a message urging faster progress on
financial reforms and banking transparency.
Protesters block main road in Beddawi camp over closed
entrances
LBCI/November 08/2025
Protesters blocked the main road in the Beddawi camp using burning tires to
protest the closure of the camp’s secondary entrances and exits that connect it
to surrounding neighborhoods. According to a reporter from the National News
Agency, the protesters also held marches inside the camp, demanding the
reopening of these access points, citing delays in reaching schools and
workplaces, the negative impact on their daily lives, and the severe congestion
that would occur at the main entrance if it became the only entry and exit
point. Some residents of the camp had staged a sit-in Friday evening in front of
the closed entrances, calling for them to be reopened.
Egypt reaffirms support for Lebanon’s sovereignty in call
between FM Abdelatty and PM Salam
LBCI/November 08/2025
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Lebanon’s Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and ongoing
efforts to de-escalate tensions, according to a statement from Egypt’s Foreign
Ministry.
During the call, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s firm rejection of any violation of
Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. He emphasized the
importance of reducing tensions and prioritizing calm to preserve the security
and stability of Lebanon and the wider region. Abdelatty also reiterated Egypt’s
steadfast position in supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty, national unity, and
independent decision-making, as well as extending support to Lebanese state
institutions to enable them to fully assume their responsibilities in
maintaining stability, safeguarding security, and addressing current challenges
in the interest of the Lebanese people.
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, journalists at West
Bank olive harvest, witnesses say
LBCI/November 08/2025
Israeli settlers attacked a group of Palestinian villagers, activists and
journalists on Saturday who had gathered during an attempt to harvest olives
near a settler outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, witnesses said. Two
Reuters employees - a journalist and a security adviser accompanying her - were
among those injured in the attack by the men who wielded sticks and clubs and
hurled large rocks, in an area close to the Palestinian village of Beita. The
area, lying south of the West Bank city of Nablus, has in past years been a
flashpoint for settler attacks, which increased across the West Bank after the
war in Gaza began two years ago. Such attacks have escalated during this year's
olive harvest, which began in October. As the number of such attacks has
climbed, Israeli and other activists have often joined Palestinians to support
them and their right to harvest their olive groves, while also documenting any
violence. Activists or local Palestinians often inform journalists of harvesting
plans, so they can attend to report, particularly in flashpoint areas, such as
outposts.
Lebanon Reaffirms Negotiations as Path to Resolve Dispute with Israel
Beirut: Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Senior Lebanese officials reaffirmed their commitment to negotiations with
Israel through the international committee tasked with overseeing the November
2024 ceasefire agreement, known as the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, following
Hezbollah’s statement on Thursday in which the group told them it rejects any
form of political negotiation. Communication between Lebanon and Israel is
limited to a United Nations-backed monitoring mechanism involving France and the
US. The two sides meet separately under UN auspices but do not engage in direct
talks.
Berri: No to normalization
While President Joseph Aoun underscored Lebanon’s adherence to this mechanism,
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said there is no alternative to it. Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam responded to Hezbollah by saying that decisions of war and
peace rest solely with the state.Berri told Asharq Al Awsat that normalization
with Israel is out of the question.“Anyone calling for normalization should know
it is impossible,” he said. “I remain firm in my position on the mechanism,
which brings together all parties, Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France
and the United Nations. There is no objection to bringing in civilian
specialists when needed, as happened during the demarcation of the Blue Line in
2000, when geological and mapping experts were involved.”Berri added that
Israel’s threats and airstrikes will not alter Lebanon’s stance. On the
electoral law, Berri said he has not yet received the draft. Once it reaches
him, he will decide his position. The government had approved a draft law
scrapping the six seats allocated to expatriates and allowing overseas voters to
cast ballots in their place of residence, according to their electoral
registration. Berri and Hezbollah oppose the changes. Berri has insisted on
implementing the current parliamentary election law, saying it remains
technically and legally viable. He also questioned why some political actors are
backtracking on previous positions “for maneuvers we all know are futile.” He
said: “This law was once described by George Adwan (Lebanese Forces deputy
leader) as his own. So what was valid in past elections is suddenly not valid
today?”
Aoun: We are committed to the November agreement
The President reaffirmed “Lebanon’s commitment to the cessation of hostilities
agreement reached in November 2024 under US and French sponsorship.” Speaking
during a meeting with a World Bank delegation, he said Israel had not complied.
“According to this deal, Israel was supposed to withdraw completely and fully
from the South sixty days after the agreement, but it still occupies five hills
and is escalating its attacks on Lebanon amidst increasing daily threats against
the country and its people,” said Aoun. Salam: Decisions of war and peace rest
with the government. The Prime Minister said Lebanon is moving steadily toward
reclaiming its natural role within the Arab region. He voiced satisfaction at
“Lebanon’s return to the Arabs and the Arabs’ return to Lebanon,” saying this
renewed relationship forms “a foundation for national recovery in technology,
the economy and security.”Speaking at an event dedicated to technology and
artificial intelligence, Salam recalled that the government has made a “clear
decision” regarding the state’s monopoly over arms, stressing that the Lebanese
Army’s plan to achieve this “is progressing according to well-defined
stages.”This plan is still in its first phase, Salam noted, alluding to the
disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River. Responding to Hezbollah’s
statement, Salam said that decisions of war and peace lie exclusively with the
Lebanese government, which alone is responsible for protecting sovereignty and
maintaining stability. He described Israeli escalation as dangerous and a threat
to regional security, saying the government is seeking Arab and international
support to stop Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory and strengthen the state’s
ability to assert full authority across its land. On Lebanese-Syrian relations,
Salam said the era of interference in Syria’s affairs has ended. Lebanon is
committed to a policy of self-distancing and to mutual respect with all Arab
states, he reaffirmed.
Disarmament in Lebanon’s Interest Amid Mounting
International Pressure
Bassam Abou Zeid/This is Beirut/November
08/2025
According to an official Lebanese source, the process of placing all weapons
exclusively under state authority is first and foremost a Lebanese initiative —
not an Israeli, American, or broader international demand. Any delay or
suspension of this process, the source warned, would have negative repercussions
solely for Lebanon and its government. The source stressed that the Lebanese
government remains committed to centralizing all weapons under state control and
is actively working toward its implementation. Hezbollah, it added, must
recognize that the Lebanese people — and especially its own base — stand to
benefit from this process, which could end the daily suffering caused by Israeli
strikes and targeted killings and pave the way for reconstruction. The official
underlined that positions regarding arms centralization and negotiations with
Israel are taken collectively by the government. Other statements — particularly
those made by individual officials — reflect personal opinions, sometimes driven
by emotion in reaction to specific incidents. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence
reports indicate that military and diplomatic pressure on Lebanon is mounting to
push the government toward direct negotiations with Israel to resolve
outstanding disputes — but only after swiftly addressing the issue of
Hezbollah’s weapons. According to the same sources, Israel will continue its
airstrikes — at times intensifying, at times easing them — but a full-scale war
with Lebanon is not currently on the table. Diplomatic sources said that
Washington, Riyadh, and Paris have sent — and continue to send — clear messages
to the Lebanese government, stressing the need to complete Hezbollah’s
disarmament by year’s end and warning that no comprehensive aid will be provided
until the process is concluded.
The report added that the United States remains determined to pursue all matters
linked to Hezbollah, particularly its financial networks. In that context, a
U.S. Treasury official is expected in Beirut on Sunday. He will meet with senior
officials and Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid to implement new measures aimed
at cutting off the channels Hezbollah still uses to fund its activities.
Washington continues to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon and related
developments, seizing every opportunity to reiterate that dismantling
Hezbollah’s arsenal remains a top priority. In its view, this is the key to
transforming Lebanon from a failed state into one capable of joining the
regional shifts now underway.
Raed Khoury: Eliminating Banks and Deposits Would Be a
“Catastrophe”
Nadia Hallak/This is Beirut/November
08/2025
Banks and depositors are on the same side, and both have rights, as they are
creditors of the state and the central bank. They cannot be bypassed in shaping
solutions, nor can they be held responsible for a crisis caused by the state
through its financial policies and reckless spending. The state is the main
beneficiary of the crisis. As the financial collapse continues and losses keep
mounting with no clear plan yet for their distribution, attention is once again
turning to the stalled negotiations between the Lebanese government and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), amid conflicting official approaches on how
to address the crisis and restructure the banking sector. The IMF does not take
into account the complex specificities of the Lebanese situation, which differs
fundamentally from other countries’ experiences. Strictly applying its
recommendations could destroy what remains of the financial sector. This raises
serious questions about the future of Lebanese banks, with proposals to
restructure them or replace them with new ones alarming both depositors and
employees in the sector and prompting questions about the feasibility of these
ideas and their ability to restore confidence.
In this context, former Minister of Economy Raed Khoury explains to “Huna Lubnan”
that “the IMF’s approach to the Lebanese crisis—which involves placing most of
the losses on the banking sector and eliminating capital, banks, and deposits to
pave the way for new banks—remains a theoretical proposal far from Lebanese
realities.” Khoury said that “although the IMF is indeed seeking to place the
bulk of losses on the banking sector, this does not mean that Lebanon will
blindly follow its proposals. Every country has its own particularities, and
external solutions cannot simply be copy-pasted onto a fundamentally different
reality like Lebanon.”
He added, “The priority today is to unify Lebanon’s position—between the
Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, the Central Bank, the Association
of Banks, and the Prime Minister’s Office. The IMF deals with a single sovereign
counterpart, not with rival factions. The more united and coherent the internal
position, the stronger and more effective the negotiations will be. Experience
has shown that the IMF has adjusted its stance several times when confronted by
logical arguments and a clear vision serving the national economic interest.”
Khoury stressed that the IMF “is not an authority that can impose decisions, but
a negotiating party where give-and-take is possible.” emphasizing that “the Fund
itself acknowledges that the Lebanese crisis is unprecedented in the history of
modern financial crises: the world has never witnessed a simultaneous collapse
of the state, the central bank, and the banking sector as happened in
Lebanon.”He continued: “Therefore, the IMF cannot apply ready-made recipes that
it used in other countries such as Argentina or Greece, because the
circumstances are entirely different. In Argentina, for example, the central
bank did not go bankrupt and did not default, whereas in Lebanon the situation
is far more complex and intertwined.”
Regarding the consequences of any attempt to liquidate existing banks or replace
them with new ones, Khoury described such a scenario as “catastrophic and
destructive,” as it would sever relationships with correspondent banks abroad
and close international accounts, leading to a complete paralysis of financial
and economic activity in Lebanon. “Creating new banks will not be a magic
solution,” he said, “because restoring confidence and international relations
takes many years.” He pointed out that “Lebanese banks are not merely financial
institutions; they are a foundational pillar of the national economy, employing
about 15,000 families and possessing decades of accumulated expertise. This
structure cannot simply be erased with the stroke of a pen or through an
improvised scheme.”Regarding the bank restructuring law, Khoury noted that “the
law was passed by Parliament after a partial appeal was accepted, making it
legally valid. In practice, it is tied to the approval of the financial-gap law,
which is still under discussion between the government and the IMF.” He added,
“The recent amendment to the draft by the Cabinet and its referral back to
Parliament reveals a flaw in respecting institutional processes.”
Khoury strongly criticized the exclusion of representatives of the banking
sector and depositors from discussions about the sector’s future, saying, “Banks
and depositors are on the same side, and both have rights, as they are creditors
of the state and the central bank. They cannot be excluded from shaping
solutions, nor can they be held responsible for a crisis caused by the state
through its financial policies and reckless spending.” He added, “The state is
the biggest beneficiary of the crisis: it has effectively reduced its dollar
debt (Eurobonds of $33 billion) and its lira debt by billions more, in addition
to the decline in public-sector salaries, while depositors and banks have paid
the real price.”Khoury concluded that “any serious approach to the crisis must
be based on dialogue and partnership with those entitled to rights—namely,
depositors and banks. Drafting laws without involving them means underestimating
them and disregarding justice. Unilateral solutions will not restore confidence;
they will deepen the collapse and keep Lebanon trapped in a cycle of lost
credibility.”
“If only I had known…” Once Again!
Marc Saikali/AFP//This is Beirut/November 08/2025
It was the famous line uttered by the late former secretary-general of Hezbollah
after the disastrous war of 2006. Yet the pro-Iranian militia can’t seem to help
itself — always eager to “help its neighbor,” especially when the one that pays
the price is Lebanon.
And so, it happened again in October 2023. The brilliant idea this time? To
support Hamas by launching a so-called “war of solidarity.”
The result?
Southern villages reduced to rubble, families displaced, and Israeli troops now
entrenched inside Lebanese territory. Bravo, maestro. The cruel irony of it all
is staggering: Hamas, the supposed beneficiary of this grand but utterly futile
gesture, went on to sign an agreement with Israel, while South Lebanon remains
in ruins.
So what was the war for again?
Ah yes, to “liberate Jerusalem.”
The outcome: 4,000 officially dead, 16,000 wounded, and $14 billion in damages —
all of it in Lebanon! And now comes the punch line: the same “strategists” are
asking that the State rebuild. Reconstruction, they say, is the State’s job —
meaning the Lebanese people must pay for the recklessness of others, while those
who unleashed the storm remain comfortably seated in their self-proclaimed role
as “divine victorious resistance.”
And still, it goes on…As if this tragic farce weren’t enough, Hezbollah
continues to refuse disarmament, to deny the army control over Lebanese soil,
and to reject any dialogue with Israel – all written in black and white.
As if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens look on in disbelief: a
pointless war, civilian casualties, and militia leaders applauding their own
disasters before handing others the broom to clean up the mess. If war were an
art, Hezbollah would be Dalí: master of chaos and incomprehensible destruction
(with all due apologies to the fans of the great artist).Now, as the drums of
war are sounding again, one can only wonder what will the pro-Iranian militia
seek to “liberate” this time?
We fear the worst. But this time… they know.
The Latest English
LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on
November 08-09/2025
Gaza Health Officials Say Over 69,000 Palestinians Have Been Killed in
the Israel-Hamas War
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Gaza health officials say that over 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in the
Israel-Hamas war so far. Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Saturday that the death
toll has climbed to 69,169, with another 170,685 wounded since Hamas’ Oct. 7,
2023 attack into Israel.
The latest jump in deaths is attributed to more bodies being recovered under the
rubble since the ceasefire was announced in the devastated strip and also
because of identification of previously unidentified bodies, The AP news
reported. The announcement comes after Israel on Saturday returned the bodies of
15 Palestinians to Gaza, a day after militants returned the remains of a hostage
to Israel under the terms of the tenuous ceasefire agreement in the two-year
war. The exchange marked another step forward for the tenuous, US-brokered
truce. As part of the deal, Israel has returned the remains of 15 Palestinians
for each Israeli hostage.
Hospital Officials in Gaza Receive Bodies of 15 Palestinians Returned from
Israel
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Hospital officials in Gaza said on Saturday that they have received the bodies
of 15 Palestinians returned from Israel under the terms of the US-brokered
ceasefire agreement. The bodies arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the
officials said. It followed the return by Palestinian militants of a body of an
Israeli hostage the previous day. Israel identified the latest body returned
from Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad as Israeli-Argentinian hostage Lior Rudaeff,
the Israeli army said Saturday. As part of the deal, Israel has returned the
remains of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage. Under the October ceasefire
deal Hamas turned over all 20 living hostages still held in Gaza since the
group's 2023 attack on Israel, in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts
and wartime detainees held in Israel. The ceasefire agreement also included the
return of remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for remains of 360
militants.
Israel Identifies Latest Returned Body as Israeli-Argentinian Hostage
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Israel has identified the latest body returned from Gaza by Hamas and Islamic
Jihad as Israeli-Argentinian hostage Lior Rudaeff, the Israeli army said
Saturday. "Following the completion of the identification process by the
National Institute of Forensic Medicine... IDF (military) representatives
informed the family of Lior Rudaeff that he had been returned for burial," the
military said in a statement. Rudaeff, 61, was killed in Nir Yitzhak kibbutz
while trying to protect his community with four other residents on October 7,
2023 during the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, and his body
was taken to the Palestinian territory that day. Under the October ceasefire
deal Hamas turned over all 20 living hostages still held in Gaza since the
group's 2023 attack on Israel, in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts
and wartime detainees held in Israel. The ceasefire agreement also included the
return of remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for remains of 360
militants. Including Rudaeff, 23 hostage bodies have been returned in exchange
for 285 bodies of Palestinians, though not all have been identified, according
to Gaza's health authorities.
Israel army chief vows to return remains of officer slain in 2014 Gaza war
AFP/November 09, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military chief pledged Saturday to bring home the remains of
an officer killed more than a decade ago in Gaza, after media reports that Hamas
had pinpointed the location of his body following a search greenlit by Israel.
The army said Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had met with the family of Lt. Hadar Goldin,
who was killed during the 2014 six-week war in Gaza. Since his death, Goldin’s
body has been held in Gaza but Hamas has never publicly confirmed his death or
acknowledged possession of his remains. “Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met this evening
with the Goldin family and updated them on the information known to the IDF so
far,” the military said in a statement, without specifying what the information
was. “The chief of the general staff emphasized his commitment and the IDF’s
commitment to bringing back Hadar and all the fallen hostages.”Israeli media
reports said Israel had allowed Hamas and Red Cross personnel to conduct a
search earlier on Saturday in an area under Israeli control, although neither
Hamas nor the military has confirmed. Several networks, including Channel 12,
reported that the group had recovered Goldin’s remains in a tunnel under a part
of the southern city of Rafah held by the army. Another Israeli soldier, Oron
Shaul, was also killed in the 2014 conflict. His body was recovered earlier this
year during the latest war, which erupted after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on
Israel. Efforts to secure the return of both soldiers’ remains in past prisoner
swaps had repeatedly failed. Goldin, 23, was part of an Israeli unit tasked with
locating and destroying Hamas tunnels when he was killed on August 1, 2014, just
hours after a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire took effect. The army said his team
came under fire from militants, who killed him and seized his body. Israel has
listed Goldin among the deceased hostages whose remains it seeks to repatriate
under the ongoing US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the latest Gaza war. At the
start of the truce on October 10, Hamas was holding 20 living hostages and 28
bodies of deceased captives.It has since released all the living hostages and
returned 23 sets of remains in line with the ceasefire terms. In exchange,
Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and
returned the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians. Apart from Goldin, four hostage
bodies — three Israeli and one Thai — remain to be returned from Gaza, all of
them seized during the October 2023 attack.
US forces working with Israel on Gaza aid, Israeli official says
Reuters/November 08, 2025
JERUSALEM: US forces are taking part in overseeing and coordinating aid transfer
into the Gaza Strip together with Israel as part of US President Donald Trump’s
ceasefire plan, an Israeli security official said on Saturday. The Washington
Post on Friday reported that the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC)
will replace Israel in overseeing aid into Gaza. It cited a US official and
people familiar with the matter as saying Israel was part of the process but
that CMCC would decide what aid enters Gaza and how. The Israeli security
official said that Israeli security services remain part of policy, supervision
and monitoring with decisions made jointly, and that the integration of the CMCC
was already underway. The US embassy in Israel and CMCC did not immediately
respond to requests for comment. Aid agencies say too little aid getting in
Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed a month ago to a first phase
of a plan presented by Trump. It paused a devastating two-year war in Gaza
triggered by a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, and
secured a deal to release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The CMCC
began operating from southern Israel in late October, tasked with helping aid
flow and stabilizing security in Gaza, according to the US Central Command.
While 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, humanitarian agencies said last week
that far too little aid is reaching Gaza. 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. Reuters reported on October 23 that
Washington is considering new proposals for humanitarian aid delivery. The
Israeli official said that the United States will lead coordination with the
international community, with restrictions still in place on the list of
non-governmental organizations supplying aid and the entry of so-called dual-use
items, which Israel considers to have both civilian and military use.
Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians reach record number in October: UN
Reuters/November 08, 2025
NEW YORK: Israeli settlers carried out at least 264 attacks against Palestinians
in the occupied West Bank during October, marking the biggest monthly total
since UN officials began tracking such incidents in 2006, the UN said. In a
statement warning against the sharp rise in violence, the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the attacks, which resulted in
casualties and property damage, amounted to an average of eight incidents per
day. “Since 2006, OCHA has documented over 9,600 such attacks. About 1,500 of
them took place just this year, roughly 15 percent of the total,” the UN body
said in a statement. Home to 2.7 million Palestinians, the West Bank has long
been at the heart of plans for a future Palestinian state existing alongside
Israel, but successive Israeli governments have expanded settlements rapidly,
fragmenting the land. The UN, Palestinians, and most countries regard
settlements as illegal under international law. Israel disputes this. Over half
a million Israeli settlers live in the West Bank. OCHA also said that according
to OCHA-confirmed data as of Wednesday, 42 Palestinian children had been killed
by Israeli forces in the West Bank so far this year.“That means one in every
five Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2025 has been a
child,” OCHA said. Israel’s mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. The West Bank attacks came despite a US-brokered ceasefire
in the war in Gaza in October, which has calmed most fighting and led to the
return of hostages.
One Palestinian Killed by Israeli Firing in Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
One Palestinian was killed in Gaza by Israeli firing and another wounded on
Saturday, local medics said, as a fragile ceasefire holds between Hamas and
Israel. Gazan medical officials said the person who died was killed by Israeli
firing east of Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Civil defense
rescuers said one Palestinian was shot and wounded by Israeli gunfire in the
western Khan Younis area in the southern part of the Strip. The Israeli military
did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Reuters, the
US-brokered Gaza truce, which left thorny issues like the disarmament of
Palestinian militant group Hamas and a timeline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
unresolved, has been tested by periodic violence since coming into force on
October 10. As Kazakhstan joins the Abraham Accords, will other Middle East
countries follow suit? On tonight’s W News with Leigh-Ann Gerrans, International
Lawyer and Former Senior Adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Ami
Okaraby responds to news that Kazakhstan has joined the Abraham Accords — the
first country to do so since the war in Gaza began. Plus, as explosions are
heard near Sudan’s capital Khartoum despite the RSF agreeing to a humanitarian
truce, we’re live from Port Sudan with Al Arabiya Correspondent AlMigdad Hassan.
Also tonight, Royal Commentator Afua Hagan weighs in on Andrew Mountbatten
Windsor’s latest scandal as the US Congress summons him for questioning over his
ties to Jeffrey Epstein. And with the global wellness industry projected to
reach $9 trillion by 2028, Co-Founder of Reform Athletica Dina Elshurafa
explains why she’s expanding her studio to Riyadh.
Beyond the
Middle East: Why is Kazakhstan considering joining the Abraham Accords?
LBCI/November 08/2025
Washington and Tel Aviv’s push to bring Kazakhstan—the largest country in
Central Asia—into the Abraham Accords has raised questions, as it becomes the
first non-Arab nation to join the normalization framework. Despite maintaining
stable relations with Israel since the 1990s, Kazakhstan’s participation carries
significant geopolitical and economic implications. Kazakhstan’s inclusion
signals a shift of the accords from a regional Middle Eastern framework to a
broader global platform. So, why is Kazakhstan considering joining the Abraham
Accords? The move is driven largely by economic interests, consistent with
former U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy of blending politics and
economics. As the world’s largest landlocked country, Kazakhstan has no access
to open seas and depends on cooperation with neighboring states to export its
key resource—oil. The country is a strategic partner for Moscow within the
Eurasian Economic Union and maintains strong trade ties with China, yet seeks to
expand its engagement with the West to avoid overdependence on any single power.
The recent peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brokered by Trump,
adds further dimension to this geopolitical calculus. The deal, combined with
the growing “Middle Corridor” trade route linking Central Asia to the
Mediterranean through the Caucasus, could open new opportunities for the U.S.
and Israel to tap into Central Asia’s vast reserves of minerals and energy.
However, one potential obstacle remains: Turkey. With considerable influence in
Central Asia and a complex relationship with Israel, Ankara could slow or block
the project unless it is diplomatically engaged in future arrangements. For
Kazakhstan, joining the accords offers access to new markets and advanced
cooperation with the U.S. and Israel in renewable energy, agriculture, and water
desalination—key sectors for diversifying its economy.
The inclusion of Kazakhstan marks a significant step in transforming the Abraham
Accords from an Arab-Israeli framework into a broader model of cooperation among
Muslim-majority nations. It could pave the way for future partnerships in
Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa. Still, Washington and Tel Aviv’s ultimate
focus remains on securing Saudi Arabia’s participation—an outcome that hinges on
meeting the kingdom’s conditions before any formal agreement can proceed.
Russia Hits Several Key Ukraine Energy Facilities, Kills 3
People)
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles in overnight attacks on Ukraine
on Saturday, killing at least three people and damaging large energy
infrastructure facilities in three regions, Ukrainian officials said. President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had launched more than 450 drones and 45
missiles. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in the city of Dnipro when a
drone hit an apartment building. One person was killed in the Kharkiv region,
regional officials said. Energy facilities in the Kyiv, Poltava and Kharkiv
regions were damaged, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. Zelenskiy said the
strikes showed that sanctions pressure should be intensified. "... for every
Moscow strike on energy infrastructure – aimed at harming ordinary people before
winter – there must be a sanctions response targeting all Russian energy, with
no exceptions," he said on the Telegram app. Since the start of its full-scale
assault on Ukraine almost four years ago, Russia has made a point of attacking
the power sector as the need for heating grows. This autumn it has attacked gas
facilities nine times in the space of two months, according to the state energy
firm Naftogaz. Moscow's Defense Ministry said it had launched "a massive strike
with high-precision long-range air, ground and sea-based weapons" on weapon
production and energy facilities in response to Kyiv's strikes on Russia. Russia
also said its forces continued to advance in grinding battles around the key
towns of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, and had captured a tiny village in eastern
Ukraine. Ukraine regularly sends its drones to strike oil facilities inside
Russia.As diplomatic efforts to stop the war have faltered, Kyiv is trying to
reduce Moscow's ability to finance its war. The Ukrainian air force said 406
Russian drones and nine missiles had been shot down, and 26 Russian missiles and
52 drones had hit 25 sites. Svyrydenko said the government and energy companies
were working to restore damaged electricity, water and heating provision. In the
central Poltava region, two cities - Kremenchuk with a population of about
200,000 people and Horishni Plavni with some 50,000 residents - lost most of
their electricity and were using generators to provide water, city officials
said.
Barzani Says Armed Factions Stronger Than the State in Iraq, Lebanon
Baghdad: Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani said the Iraqi presidency carries symbolic weight
for the Kurds under a political convention in place since 2005, and argued that
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani lacks the ability to rein in armed
factions that dominate political decision-making, in a situation he likened to
Hezbollah’s hold over the Lebanese state.
‘Iraq’s mini-states’
In a televised interview aired on Thursday evening, the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP) leader said “every side in Iraq sees itself as a state”, adding that
“there are mini-states within the state that control the constitution, the
parliament and the government”, in reference to armed groups tied to powerful
political blocs. Barzani said the KDP had considered boycotting the elections in
protest against what he called an “unjust law”, explaining that seat allocations
based on the food-ration card system made the results “almost predetermined”. He
added that the party chose to participate after receiving signals from “genuine
forces” in Baghdad that expressed readiness to pursue political reform after the
vote. The “ration card” system was created under Saddam Hussein’s rule to
distribute food to Iraqi families during the economic embargo of the 1990s, and
has long been used as a statistical reference in the post-2003 political order.
A settled entitlement
Barzani said the presidency had become “a customary entitlement for the Kurds”,
given its symbolism after the region’s suffering during the Anfal campaigns and
chemical attacks.
He said the post was “symbolic and largely non-executive”, noting that “the
speaker of parliament holds wider powers under the current political system”. He
said “there is a Sunni individual aspiring to the presidency, as if not
realizing that the speakership is more influential and more powerful, while the
presidency is not a personal ambition for anyone, but a settled entitlement and
convention for the Kurds”. Former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi,
leader of the Sunni Taqaddum (Progress) party, said earlier that “if the Sunni
community, through its representatives, sees the presidency as its entitlement
and the post it prefers, then we will move toward it”.
‘Sudani is unable’
On the debate over Iraq’s armed groups, Barzani said “Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani does not have the ability to confront these factions”, warning
that the situation is undermining state institutions and deepening political and
sectarian divisions.
He said Iraq’s current reality resembles Lebanon, where Hezbollah wields power
beyond that of the state. “The factions in Iraq have become a force above the
constitution, controlling political and economic decisions and imposing their
will on the government”, he said, stressing that weapons “must be within the
national defense system, not a tool for imposing political influence”.Barzani
said the Kurdistan Region helped build a “new Iraq” after 2003, but added that
“circumstances imposed a separation between Kurdistan and Baghdad because of
exclusionary and marginalizing policies”.He said “some still treat the Kurds as
outsiders”, adding that “cutting the region’s public sector salaries is an
example of unfairly punishing the Kurdish people”. He said the region “will not
bow and will not bargain over its constitutional rights”.
‘One of the best constitutions’
Barzani said Iraq’s constitution was “one of the best in the region despite its
flaws”, but criticized the Federal Supreme Court, calling it “politicized and
targeting the Kurdistan Region”.He stressed the need to form the “Federation
Council”, a body mandated by the constitution, to serve as the proper
constitutional reference. He added that the current Federal Supreme Court “dates
back to the era of Paul Bremer, the former US civil administrator, and cannot be
considered a constitutional institution”. Barzani also warned that the
withdrawal of the international coalition could pave the way for ISIS to return,
recalling the experience of 2011 when US forces pulled out before the group
expanded three years later. “The coalition’s departure means the return of
ISIS”, he said, adding that any foreign military presence must be based on “a
clear agreement with Baghdad and Erbil”.
Russia's Lavrov Says Work Under Way on Putin's Order on Possible Russian Nuclear
Test
Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that work is under way
on President Vladimir Putin's order to prepare proposals for a possible Russian
nuclear test, state news agency TASS reported. According to TASS, Lavrov said:
"Regarding President Vladimir Putin's instruction at the Security Council
meeting on November 5, it has been accepted for implementation and is being
worked on. The public will be informed of the results."The order was in response
to President Donald Trump's surprise announcement last week that the US would
resume testing. TASS also cited Lavrov as saying that Russia had received no
clarification from the US regarding Trump's order, Reuters reported.Russia-US
relations have deteriorated sharply in the past few weeks as Trump, frustrated
with a lack of progress towards ending the war in Ukraine, has cancelled a
planned summit with Putin and imposed sanctions on Russia for the first time
since returning to the White House in January.
Syria carries out pre-emptive operations against Daesh cells
Reuters/November 08, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria has carried out nationwide pre-emptive operations targeting
Daesh cells, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said on Saturday. Syrian
security forces carried out 61 raids, with 71 people arrested and explosives and
weapons seized, the spokesperson told state-run Al Ekhbariya TV. The raids come
ahead of a trip by Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to Washington to meet with
US President Donald Trump and join an anti-Daesh US-led coalition. The US State
Department and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Washington is preparing to establish a military presence at an air base in
Damascus to help enable a security pact that the US is brokering between Syria
and Israel, six sources familiar with the matter. previously told Reuters. A US
administration official also previously said that Washington was constantly
evaluating its necessary posture in Syria to effectively combat Daesh.
JD Vance hopes his Hindu wife converts to Christianity, sparking debate on
interfaith marriage
AP/November 08, 2025
WASHINGTON: Vice President JD Vance recently told a packed college arena that he
hopes his Hindu wife would someday convert to Christianity, thrusting into the
spotlight the deeply sensitive challenges facing interfaith couples. Experts who
have counseled hundreds of couples who don’t share religious beliefs say the key
is respect for each other’s faith traditions and having honest discussions about
how to raise their children. Most agree that pressuring or even hoping the other
would convert could prove damaging to a relationship, and all the more so for a
couple in the public arena. “To respect your partner and everything they bring
to the marriage — every part of their identity — is integral to the kind of
honesty that you need to have in a marriage,” said Susan Katz Miller, author of
the book “Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family.”“Having
secret agendas is not usually going to lead to success,” she said. Vance, who
converted to Catholicism five years into his marriage with Usha Chilukuri Vance,
shared his hopes for her conversion while taking questions at a Turning Point
USA event at the University of Mississippi. A woman asked how he and his wife
raise their children without giving them the sense that his religion supersedes
her beliefs. “Do I hope that eventually she is somehow moved by what I was moved
by in church? Yeah, honestly, I do wish that, because I believe in the Christian
Gospel, and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way,” the vice
president said. “But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and
so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”Vance’s comments received extensive
criticism. The Hindu American Foundation, in a statement addressing the vice
president, cited a history of Christians attempting to convert Hindus, and what
it says is a rise in anti-Hindu online rhetoric often coming from Christian
sources. “Both of these underpin the sentiment that your statements re: your
wife’s religious heritage are reflective of a belief that there is only one true
path to salvation — a concept that Hinduism simply doesn’t have — and that path
is through Christ,” the statement said. Vance’s press office did not offer
comment for this article. But Vance did engage on social media with a critic who
accused him of throwing his wife’s religion under the bus, calling the comment
“disgusting.” He said his wife is “the most amazing blessing” in his life and
that she encouraged him to reengage with his faith.
“She is not a Christian and has no plans to convert, but like many people in an
interfaith marriage — or any interfaith relationship — I hope she may one day
see things as I do,” Vance said in his X post. “Regardless, I’ll continue to
love and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else,
because she’s my wife.”
Interfaith marriage is more common today
A Pew Research Center survey in 2015, the most recent asking Americans about
interfaith marriage, found that 39 percent of Americans who had married since
2010 have a spouse from a different religious group. By contrast, only 19
percent of those who wed before 1960 reported being in an interfaith marriage.
The number of interfaith couples in the US has increased over the past decade,
said Miller, whose mother was Christian and her father Jewish. Her mother chose
to raise the children Jewish.
“Interfaith couples have different options,” Miller said. “They can choose one
or both religions. They could choose a new religion or choose no religion, which
is a choice a lot of couples are now making.” But, she said, “pressuring one’s
spouse to convert or even hoping they would convert is not a good basis for a
successful marriage.” At the Turning Point event, Vance told the audience that
he and his wife decided to raise their children as Christian. He said they
attend a Christian school and participate in milestone Catholic sacraments, such
as his oldest son receiving his First Communion a year ago.Vance has said that
when he met his wife at Yale Law School, they were both atheist or agnostic. She
grew up in a Hindu immigrant family that was not particularly religious, and
they incorporated Hindu rites into their wedding ceremony in 2014. Vance became
Catholic in 2019. The Catholic Church requires interfaith couples to raise their
children Catholic, and it’s a commitment Catholics must make in order to receive
permission to marry outside the faith, said John Grabowski, theology professor
at The Catholic University of America. Along with his wife, Grabowski helps
prepare interfaith couples for marriage. “If your faith is the most important
thing in your life, you want to share that with your spouse,” he said, adding
that it is a natural expression of love for Christians to want their partners to
join them in eternal life. “However, the Catholic Church does insist that
spouses should not be coerced or pressured into the faith,” he said. “It’s a
delicate line.” Religious conversion in interfaith relationships is a key theme
of Netflix’s hit show ” Nobody Wants This.” The romantic comedy follows the
relationship between a Reform rabbi and an agnostic woman, including the
pressures they face as she considers converting to Judaism. Vance’s comments
offered a glimpse into a real-life example of this intimate decision-making.
Grabowski believes the vice president handled the touchy question “fairly well”
by generally addressing the challenges in his interfaith marriage, but not
detailing how the couple handle their differences. “It was fascinating listening
to that exchange,” Grabowski said, “because we normally don’t get a prominent
political figure thinking out loud about grappling with these issues as a
Catholic while trying to respect his faith and his wife’s conviction.”
Interfaith spouses handle religious conversion in many ways
Dilip Amin, founder of InterfaithShaadi.org, an online forum serving mostly
South Asians, believes that religious conversion for the sake of a marriage
could derail the relationship. “If you convert because you’ve had an authentic
change of heart, that’s fine,” he said. “But if it occurs because of constant
pressure and proselytizing, that’s wrong. My advice is: Don’t let a religious
institution drive your actions. Talk with each other. You don’t need a third
party to interpret the situation for you.” There is also strife when one
spouse’s religious beliefs shift after marriage, said Ani Zonneveld, founder and
president of Muslims for Progressive Values. She has officiated many interfaith
weddings. “I’ve seen that strain ... where a Muslim husband who didn’t care much
about practicing Islam became orthodox after having children,” Zonneveld said.
“That’s unfair to the other person.”The Rev. J. Dana Trent was ordained a
Southern Baptist minister, but married a man who was initiated into Hinduism and
lived as a monk. They’ve been married 15 years and together wrote a memoir
titled “Saffron Cross: The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a
Hindu Monk.”Raised an evangelical, Trent knows the Bible verse from Corinthians
6:14, that some believe discourages interfaith marriage. In it, the Apostle Paul
says: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.”Trent disagrees with that
interpretation, saying its millennia-old context doesn’t apply in 2025 when
being in an interfaith marriage often is not isolating. “The goal of an
interfaith marriage is not to convert each other,” she said, “but to support and
deepen each other’s faith traditions and paths.”
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November 08-09/2025
The Anti-American Terror State: Iran's Regime Must Not Be Allowed to Rise
Again
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/November 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148989/
Iran's is not a normal political system that responds to diplomacy as other
governments do. Iran's regime is fundamentalist -- built on a radical
ideological foundation. Iran's regime defines its very existence by
confrontation, expansion and violence.
The Islamic Republic is not merely a government; it is a revolutionary movement
wrapped in the structure of a state. Its leadership does not operate by the
logic of "compromise" or "coexistence" but by the logic of domination and
destruction.
The Iranian regime's animating belief is that it was divinely chosen to
challenge and replace the global order, to export its ideology beyond its
borders, and to destroy those it considers its ultimate enemies—Israel, Jews and
the United States. To expect moderation from such a regime is to misunderstand
its deepest nature, its DNA.
Recently, Israel's intelligence agency, the Mossad, revealed that Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has built a vast global terror network... The
network often operates through cutouts — local criminals, mercenaries and
radicals — so Tehran can deny direct involvement. The strategy is insidious: to
spread terror through surrogates while officially maintaining plausible
deniability on the world stage.
When Iranian leaders say that Israel "will not exist in 25 years," they mean it.
When they boast that their missiles can reach Europe or the United States, they
mean it.
Iran's leadership views itself as the vanguard of a global struggle between the
"pure" Shia Islamic revolution and the "corrupt" Western order. The West's
mistake for four decades has been to treat this rhetoric as fanciful talk, when
in fact it is a window into the regime's worldview and a roadmap for its
actions.
The Iranian regime wants nuclear weapons now more than ever. Facing internal
unrest, economic pressure and international isolation, the regime still views
nuclear weapons as the ultimate guarantor of its survival and of its ability to
dominate the region and beyond. Possessing such weapons would not only deter
foreign intervention but also allow it to blackmail its neighbors to reshape the
Middle East on its own terms.
Unlike most nations, Iran's goal is not security through deterrence but power
through fear. Its ideological mission — to export its Islamic revolution, to
dominate the Middle East, and to challenge the West — would be vastly amplified
by the possession of nuclear arms.
Iran's regime, playing the long game, examines the psychology of its adversaries
and sees that democratic societies tire quickly of conflict and prefer the
illusion of peace.
Iran's regime is not just an enemy of its own people — it is an enemy of
freedom, modernity and humanity itself. It has survived because the world has
allowed it to survive. It has exploited every pause, every negotiation and every
concession. It has turned Western diplomacy into a weapon of delay and
opportunity.
We must increase pressure on Iran — the only language it understands — until its
machinery of terror collapses. The free world has a moral and strategic duty not
to let Iran's weapons of mass destruction threaten all of us again.
Unlike most nations, Iran's goal is not security through deterrence but power
through fear. Its ideological mission — to export its Islamic revolution, to
dominate the Middle East, and to challenge the West — would be vastly amplified
by the possession of nuclear arms.
Iran's is not a normal political system that responds to diplomacy as other
governments do. Iran's regime is fundamentalist -- built on a radical
ideological foundation. Iran's regime defines its very existence by
confrontation, expansion and violence.
Please do not think that just because Iran took a few hits in June that their
threat is over, or that the Iranian regime has learned its lesson or is going to
change. Iran's is not a normal political system that responds to diplomacy as
other governments do. Iran's regime is fundamentalist -- built on a radical
ideological foundation. Iran's regime defines its very existence by
confrontation, expansion and violence.
The Islamic Republic is not merely a government; it is a revolutionary movement
wrapped in the structure of a state. Its leadership does not operate by the
logic of "compromise" or "coexistence" but by the logic of domination and
destruction.
The Iranian regime's animating belief is that it was divinely chosen to
challenge and replace the global order, to export its ideology beyond its
borders, and to destroy those it considers its ultimate enemies—Israel, Jews and
the United States. To expect moderation from such a regime is to misunderstand
its deepest nature, its DNA.
Recently, Israel's intelligence agency, the Mossad, revealed that Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has built a vast global terror network,
orchestrating the targeting of Jews and Israelis around the world. This network,
directed by the IRGC's Quds Force, was reportedly overseen by one of its senior
commanders, Sardar Ammar. Under his command, Iranian operatives and recruited
proxies have plotted or attempted attacks on multiple continents, including
Europe, Asia, and South America.
The network often operates through cutouts — local criminals, mercenaries and
radicals — so Tehran can deny direct involvement. The strategy is insidious: to
spread terror through surrogates while officially maintaining plausible
deniability on the world stage. These plots have included the surveillance of
Jewish community centers, attempts to bomb Israeli embassies, and targeting
Jewish community leaders in several countries. The Mossad's exposure of this
network is a bracing reminder that Iran's global campaign of terror is alive,
active, and getting bigger.
When Iranian leaders say that Israel "will not exist in 25 years," they mean it.
When they boast that their missiles can reach Europe or the United States, they
mean it. The Iranian regime's rhetoric is not propaganda meant for domestic
consumption—it is an open declaration of its plans. Every statement about wiping
Israel off the map or about missiles that can target Western capitals reflects a
serious, deliberate, long-term strategy. Iran has built and maintained an entire
state apparatus around this goal: its military, intelligence, economy, and
education system are all shaped to advance this ideological mission.
Iran's leadership views itself as the vanguard of a global struggle between the
"pure" Shia Islamic revolution and the "corrupt" Western order. The West's
mistake for four decades has been to treat this rhetoric as fanciful talk, when
in fact it is a window into the regime's worldview and a roadmap for its
actions.
Despite the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran, the regime is now
aggressively rebuilding its ballistic missile program. It is not doing this
alone. China, Russia and North Korea are all aiding Iran, directly or
indirectly, in evading sanctions and acquiring the materials, technology and
expertise necessary to advance its weapons programs. North Korea has long served
as a model and a partner for Iran in ballistic missile and nuclear weapons
development, while China and Russia provide diplomatic cover, technology, and
economic lifelines. Through oil deals, shadow banking networks, and illicit
trade routes, these countries help Tehran grow stronger and survive. The result
is a dangerous, expanding axis of anti-Western powers determined to challenge
the liberal world order.
The Iranian regime wants nuclear weapons now more than ever. Facing internal
unrest, economic pressure and international isolation, the regime still views
nuclear weapons as the ultimate guarantor of its survival and of its ability to
dominate the region and beyond. Possessing such weapons would not only deter
foreign intervention but also allow it to blackmail its neighbors to reshape the
Middle East on its own terms. Imagine a scenario in which Iran can load a
nuclear warhead onto one of its long-range ballistic missiles — a missile
capable of reaching Israel, Europe, or soon even the United States. This is the
outcome that the regime has been working toward for decades.
Unlike most nations, Iran's goal is not security through deterrence but power
through fear. Its ideological mission — to export its Islamic revolution, to
dominate the Middle East, and to challenge the West — would be vastly amplified
by the possession of nuclear arms.
For more than 40 years, Iran's brutal dictatorship has proven extraordinarily
resilient. Every time it is cornered, it adapts and reemerges more defiant. It
manipulates divisions among Western governments, exploits their desire for
diplomacy and buys time to rebuild. Iran's regime, playing the long game,
examines the psychology of its adversaries and sees that democratic societies
tire quickly of conflict and prefer the illusion of peace. While the West
celebrates short-term victories, Tehran quietly rearms, reconstitutes its
forces, and strikes again when the world's attention shifts elsewhere.
This pattern has repeated itself for decades. It is precisely because of its
ideological discipline and ruthless control over its population that the regime
endures. It murders, tortures and silences its citizens to maintain power; it
uses religion to justify oppression; and it funds terrorism abroad to keep its
revolution alive.
Let us not sit comfortably believing that all is well, that the regime will
somehow evolve into a peaceful actor. Iran's regime is not just an enemy of its
own people — it is an enemy of freedom, modernity and humanity itself. It has
survived because the world has allowed it to survive. It has exploited every
pause, every negotiation and every concession. It has turned Western diplomacy
into a weapon of delay and opportunity. It will continue to do so until it is
confronted with the one language it understands: sustained pressure, isolation
and the credible threat of force.
We must not allow Iran to regain its footing, to rise again and plot another
tragedy like 9/11 or a catastrophic nuclear event targeting Jews, Americans, or
any other people.
The world must finish the job — through unrelenting, coordinated pressure on
every front: political, economic and military. The European Union must stop all
trade that provides Iran with hard currency. China and Russia must face
consequences for undermining sanctions and enabling Iran's militarization. The
United States and its allies must make clear that any further advances in Iran's
nuclear or ballistic missile programs will be met with swift, crippling military
responses. Diplomatic isolation must become total; embassies closed, envoys
recalled and trade channels severed. At the same time, the free world must
openly support the Iranian people, who seek genuine regime change, as well as
others in the region — especially Iraqis — who seek freedom from Tehran's
interference. Iran's regime survives by convincing the world that it cannot be
replaced. That illusion must be shattered.
Please let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that the Iranian regime is
finished or has moderated. It is still plotting, still financing anti-American
and antisemitic terror operations across the world, and, behind closed doors,
still advancing its nuclear ambitions. Before the world wakes up to yet another
devastating act of terrorism, nuclear or not, we must increase pressure on Iran
— the only language it understands — until its machinery of terror collapses.
The free world has a moral and strategic duty not to let Iran's weapons of mass
destruction threaten all of us again.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22037/iran-terror-state
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
*Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 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.
A Model of Civilization, and There is No Alternative!
Radwan al-Sayyed/Asharq Al Awsat/November 08/2025
The opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum was breathtaking. Dozens of
delegations arrived from across the Western world to enjoy Western music,
Western dancing, and the grand spectacle of the museum’s triangular buildings
and the monumental staircase surrounded by artifacts and antiquities. At the
center of these scenes and at the forefront of this event was the massive statue
of Ramses II and five thousand funerary treasures of Tutankhamun. The slogan of
the museum and of the ceremony, as President al-Sisi declared, was civilization
and peace: there can be no civilization without peace. The ancient Egyptian
state that had forged peace is the same state that created this civilization
that the world now extols. As I watched the majestic ceremony, I immediately
recalled Khedive Ismail’s celebrations of the Suez Canal’s inauguration. It was
a grand European spectacle in which the Aida opera was performed. We saw this
same model at the museum’s opening ceremony, only it was more dazzling and
diverse this time- even if Empress Eugénie of France, the wife of Napoleon III,
was not in attendance!
At Khedive Ismail’s celebration, traces of the “Oriental spirit” as imagined by
the West were present despite the Western artistic approach. This time, however,
both forms of Western culture, classical and modern, were unmistakably there,
even in the so-called “Pharaonic” costume.
The new classicism that monumental museums and opera troupes represent, and that
emerged in the seventeenth-century, was on full display. It embodied the
civilization of peace as the Egyptians have chosen it, modeled on the legacy of
seventeenth and eighteenth-century Europe. Europeans have long been enamored of
the ancient Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations; most of the archaeological
missions to find their treasures were carried out by Europeans, and only later
did the Americans and Japanese join them. Thus, the museum’s opening celebration
followed the model of European, American, and Japanese cultural ceremonies. The
traditions of the European Renaissance and its evolution were clear sources of
inspiration- traditions that have become a model for the entire world. The
Japanese, Indians, and Koreans have adapted to them, and the Chinese are on the
verge of doing so as well. The Egyptians presented a spectacle that projected
refinement and artistry. In the culture of this new global civilization (whether
Eastern or Western, Asian or European) we find that this shared model has been
essentially fully embraced. In our own region, in contrast, we continue to
confront insurgencies and wars that, while they were once national, political,
or strategic, have become culture wars that reflect the “clash of civilizations”
Huntington had predicted. A century and a half ago, Khayr al-Din al-Tunisi
compared what he called the “European city” to an irresistible flood: unless we
go along with the current, we will remain stranded on barren ground. These are
wars of modernity and colonialism. The polarizing struggles of identity and
culture entered the fray later on, bringing their own forms of violence. So why,
after a hundred and fifty years of imitation and conviction, do some of our
youth continue to feel alienated; indeed, it is now music, museums, art,
antiquities, and the other aesthetic dimensions of life that draw us? When
Joseph Nye, the man who coined the term “soft power,” sought to explain the
allure that granted the US influence beyond its military capacities, the
“realists” mocked him as a dreamer! The Egyptians, for their part, say that the
new museum will draw an additional five million tourists, mostly from Western
Europe, America, and even Japan, fascinated by its exotic treasures. They are
drawn to the spell of ancient Egypt, not modern Egypt. What is so objectionable
about that, when the museums of New York, Paris, Greece, and Italy attract
hundreds of millions?
I have previously written about Taha Hussein’s book “The Future of Culture in
Egypt,” in which the Dean of Arabic Literature urged Egypt to model itself on
the antiquity of Greece and the modernity of Europe. When issues of identity and
belonging molest culture to reshape it, they often lead to multipronged
divisions and push us in conflicting directions, all of them wrong, bringing a
Quranic verse to mind: “And fear a trial not which will afflict those who do
wrong among you exclusively. And know that Allah (is) severe (in) the penalty.”
The strength of this new, superior, “Euro-Mediterranean” culture stems from the
lack of an alternative. After all, where are the alternative cultures? Where can
we even find potential for an alternative that offers a healthier or more
peaceful model? It is no longer a problem of imitation or idealized historical
purity. It is also a question of the very culture that sustains the colonial
mentality, in thought and in practice. A colonial impulse continues to plague
both Enlightenment Europe and right-wing Europe alike, under the pretext of
conspiring against the world, especially against Islam (!). To our misfortune,
we have no real need for such conspiracies; as the saying goes, “the worm that
spoils the vinegar emerged from within it.” Modern Egypt draws upon ancient
Egypt both for moral inspiration and to further material interests. However,
Egypt does not benefit alone. This ancient civilization also draws tens of
millions to Europe. If Africa enjoyed even a measure of stability, its heritage
too would command attention, though many remind us that mass tourism has its own
drawbacks. Ultimately, this is a worldview and a way of life that can no longer
be ignored or resisted. There are certainly excesses, but they are only found on
the surface. The “model” as a whole has proven sound, and its success is beyond
dispute.
UN Security
Council approach offers hope for Gaza
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/November 08, 2025
Leaders of a number of key regional countries who met with US President Donald
Trump before his announcement of the 20-point ceasefire plan have expressed
reservations about the temporary international security force needed to ensure
compliance with agreement.
Jordan, the country with the longest border with Israel and Palestine, appears
reluctant to send any security force to Gaza at all, and has publicly called for
a clear mandate on the plan from the UN Security Council. For Palestinians, the
UN is a much more welcoming venue. Palestinians have been asking that Israel end
its occupation since 1967. Palestinian leaders, including Yasser Arafat and
Mahmoud Abbas, have often called for a UN or international force. Abbas has even
said that the force can also include NATO member states. But the discussion then
was to replace the Israeli occupiers in both the West Bank and Gaza. When Mike
Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, met Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent
observer to the UN, the encounter represented a reversal from the Israeli and
American position negating the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian
people. Jordan appears reluctant to send any security force at all.
Apparently, in coordination with the Israeli government, US Secretary of State
Marco Rubio took the extreme decision to ban an invited Palestinian delegation
headed by Abbas from attending the opening session of the UN General Assembly in
New York. While Washington has decided to use the UN as an arena to convince
countries to join the international force in Gaza, it is clear that the words in
the draft resolution appear to have been written in Tel Aviv’s Kirya, the
Israeli equivalent of the Pentagon. It seems that the “stabilization force” that
is supposed to ensure compliance with the truce could easily get into a shooting
match with Palestinian fighters instead of recording ceasefire violations.
What appeared in the first draft submitted by the Trump administration is
worrying in many other ways. Not only does it lack any reference to previous
international resolutions and fails to give a clear role to the Ramallah-based
government, it also gives the US and Israel the right to decide what constitutes
acceptable reform by the Palestinian Authority.
The overwhelming majority of members of the Security Council have already
recognized the state of Palestine along its 1967 borders, and that includes Gaza
in addition to the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Social media has been calling
the resolution a new colonialism.
Social media has been calling the draft resolution a new colonialism, adding
that Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu will be the rulers of Gaza.
Oraib Rantawi, director of Al Quds Center for Political Studies, took a
different direction. He appealed to all the countries that recognized Palestine,
and specifically the Arab and Islamic countries that had given the US president
a green light for his 20-point plan. At a meeting in Istanbul, Arab and Islamic
states asked to participate in a stabilization force affirmed that no such step
could be taken without an explicit mandate from the Security Council. Rantawi
reiterated that those countries “are demanding a clear and fundamental role for
both the Security Council and the Palestinian Authority from the outset,
ensuring that the “Peace Council’ serves as a monitoring and oversight body, not
a colonial trusteeship that perpetuates the separation between the West Bank and
Gaza and obstructs the establishment of a Palestinian state. Rantawi said that
those countries bear the responsibility of ensuring that the stabilization force
is not used against the Palestinian people. Disarmament must be achieved through
"negotiation and agreement, within the framework of organizing weapons under a
single Palestinian leadership, a single authority, and a unified national
decision,” he argued. It is too early to tell whether an agreed text will be
found that nine members of the council will agree to and that none of the five
permanent members will veto. **Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian
journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He
is the author of “State of Palestine Now: Practical and Logical Arguments for
the Best Way to Bring Peace to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab
What the conventional economic wisdom is missing
Joseph H. Davis/Arab News/November 08, 2025
What are we to make of gold and US stocks, especially tech-heavy indices,
recently hitting record highs around the same time? Traditionally, gold surges
when equities correct; but this time, both have risen together, defying
conventional wisdom. Faced with what look like increasingly frothy prices,
analysts and commentators are wondering which asset is more overvalued. But
short-term considerations aside, the simultaneous rise in gold and artificial
intelligence-themed tech stocks may signal something deeper, opening a window
onto our economic future and revealing something that economists, policymakers
and investors should not ignore. The prevailing outlook in the US — steady gross
domestic product growth around 2 percent per year, with the inflation rate
heading toward 2 percent, as projected by the Federal Reserve and others — does
not align with a dual ascent for gold and stocks. Instead, the market is
beginning to contemplate a future that is more complex. As I show in the book
“Coming Into View: How AI and Other Megatrends Will Shape Your Investments,” the
odds of non-consensus outcomes for the US economy exceed 80 percent over the
next five years. This high probability reflects the growing tug-of-war between
the transformative potential of AI and the structural drag of mounting fiscal
deficits. My research, based on 130 years of new data, points to a bifurcated
economic diagnosis (one that is consistent with the rise in both gold and US
stocks). Not only do two likely paths emerge, but neither is what most
economists may expect.
The most likely outcome is an “AI-wins” scenario, where AI-enabled technology
becomes a general-purpose force akin to the personal computer or the internet,
lifting real (inflation-adjusted) GDP growth past 3 percent by 2030 and driving
corporate earnings higher. The US equity market is increasingly anticipating
this future and many investors are fearful of missing out on what could be a
once-in-a-generation opportunity. Alternatively, in a more pessimistic
“deficits-dominate” scenario, AI underdelivers and the weight of fiscal
imbalances — exacerbated by societal aging and geopolitical tensions — keeps
interest rates high and drags down growth. Owing to gold’s historical role as a
store of value in times of monetary stress, many see it as a hedge for a future
in which US economic exceptionalism wanes.
If the economic outlook is as bifurcated as I suggest, how should investors
position themselves for the next several years, given the push-pull between
productivity-driven optimism and debt-driven caution? Would a mix of gold and US
tech stocks best balance these risks over the next three to five years? My
research says no. Instead, if we start thinking about the second half of the
chessboard, we find more compelling investment opportunities.
In the age of AI, healthcare or financial companies could hold the most
transformational potential. If AI continues to transform the economy (as in the
AI-wins scenario), investors might consider allocating more of their stock
holdings outside Silicon Valley. In every technology cycle, the firms producing
the new technology do initially outperform (sometimes by fantastic or even
“irrational” levels); but as the technology spreads, it is non-tech companies
that benefit. That is what happened with manufacturers and service companies
during the age of electricity. Similarly, in the age of AI, healthcare or
financial companies could hold the most transformational potential, implying a
rotation in stock outperformance, with the best returns shifting from technology
stocks to other sectors.
My research finds that much of the value premium shows up during the diffusion
of general-purpose technologies. The more pessimistic scenario also has an
underappreciated dynamic: Gold may not be the optimal investment that many think
it is. Our work shows the Fed most likely will fight to keep inflation at bay.
As in the mid-1980s, higher short-term interest rates will help to offset (at
least partly) the disappointment of a tepid equity market. In this world, gold
would underperform.
Even if AI disappoints, the Fed’s inflation-fighting mandate is the Achilles’
heel for gold buyers but a boon for bond investors in an otherwise challenging
investing environment. Here, again, non-US stocks and non-tech stocks could
soften some of the blow. In quantum mechanics, there is a concept known as
superposition: a state in which an object can exist in multiple places
simultaneously. Our economic future is following a similar pattern. The
co-movement of gold and equities seems to defy conventional wisdom but that is
because the economic outlook is unconventional, too. It is easy to dismiss this
dual rise, given apparent froth and momentum in the financial markets today. But
it is sending a signal that economists, policymakers and investors should heed:
one way or another, structural economic change is coming.
**Joseph H. Davis is Vanguard Global Chief Economist and Global Head of the
Investment Strategy Group. ©Project Syndicate