English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 22/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before
Abraham was, I am
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
08/56-59/:”Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it
and was glad.’Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and
have you seen Abraham?’Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before
Abraham was, I am.’So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid
himself and went out of the temple.
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 21-22/2025
Independence Day: A Mere Memory for Occupied Lebanon/Elias Bejjani/November
22, 2025
President Aoun's Independence Day Message/Elias Bejjani/November 21/2025
Faith Reflections on the 'Grain of Wheat' Principle on the Anniversary of the
Martyrdom of MP Pierre Amine Gemayel/Elias Bejjani/November 21/2010
The Concept and Meanings of the “Heart” in the Bible/Elias Bejjani/November
19/2025
Aoun stresses state role, floats initiative for negotiations with Israel
Aoun hopes for south liberation, only Lebanon flag on border
Haykal calls on Lebanese to trust army despite 'slanderous campaigns'
Efforts ongoing to reschedule Haykal's US visit within 48 hours
Netanyahu says 'Hezbollah's threat' has become 'totally different'
Salam says Lebanon no longer has 'luxury' of wasting time and chances
Who are the 'venom spreaders' that everyone is talking about?
Issa begins diplomatic contacts, Ortagus to attend Mechanism meeting
UN Special Coordinator says it's time for negotiations with Israel
Lebanese army feeling US, Israeli heat over Hezbollah disarmament
Trump: We're Working with Lebanon and I'll Invite Joseph Aoun to the White House
Lebanese Army Chief Says Country Witnessing a 'Crucial' Phase in History
Lebanon: Fadel Shaker’s Tuesday Trial Seen as Test of Legal Cases
Lebanon…Denunciation Out in the Open/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/November
21/2025
Lebanon Ready to Negotiate to Reach an Agreement that Would End Israeli Strikes,
President Says
America’s War on Caribbean Drug Routes Is Quietly Crippling Hezbollah’s Global
Finances/Pierre A. Maroun/Face Book/November 21/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
November 21-22/2025
Iran Rejects UN Atomic Agency's Resolution and Threatens More Reprisal
Actions
Trump Peace Plan Leaves Ukraine Out of NATO, Gives Donbas to Russia
Netanyahu Meets with His Cabinet to Discuss Rising Israeli Settler Violence in
the West Bank
Israeli Military Says Killed '13 Hamas Terrorists' in Tuesday Lebanon Strike
Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinian Teens in Escalating West Bank Violence
Food Supply Improving in Gaza since Truce but Long Way to Go, Says UN
Complicated Search for Three Hostage Bodies Casts Shadow on Gaza Deal
Israeli Peace Group Slams New Settlement in West Bank
Iran Says New Framework Needed to Access Bombed Nuclear Sites
Iran Stepping Up Harassment of Its Nationals in Germany, Says Opposition Group
Ukraine would cede territory to Russia in draft of Trump peace plan
Trump Lavishes Praise on New York's Mayor-elect Mamdani at Warm White House
Meeting
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources on
November 21-22/2025
Ukraine: The Peace Mirage/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Question: “What does the Bible say about thankfulness/gratitude?/
GotQuestions.org/November 21/2025
Saudi Arabia ‘Major Non-NATO Ally’, why now?/Mohammed El-Houni/The Arab
Weekly/November 21/2025
Israel's silence over US' F-35 deal with Saudi Arabia is strategy, not
indifference/Yaakov Katz/Jerusalem Post/November 21/2025
Selected Face Book & X tweets for November 21/2025
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 21-22/2025
Independence Day: A Mere Memory for Occupied
Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/November 22, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/149430/
November 22, Lebanon’s Independence Day, was once a celebration
of freedom and sovereignty. However, today, the reality we live stands in stark
contrast to the values of independence. Independence has been reduced to a mere
memory, stripped of its core elements such as free decision-making, liberty,
law, equality, democracy, services, peace, security, stability, and protected
borders—the list goes on, and all are absent.
Today, Lebanon has completely lost its independence and against the will of its
majority, it finds itself under sectarian, jihadist, and terrorist Iranian
occupation.
This occupation is enforced through a local armed militia comprised of Lebanese
mercenaries working under the command of Iran’s mullahs, operating under the
blasphemously named "Hezbollah." This armed Iranian proxy, through its actions
of force, terror, assassinations, wars, and displacement, stands against
everything Lebanon represents—justice, rights, love, peace, stability, identity,
and openness to the world.
As a result of this occupation, Lebanon is now witnessing a destructive war
between Iran's Hezbollah and the State of Israel. This is an Iranian-Israeli war
in which Lebanon and its vast majority have no stake. It is not Lebanon's war
while Hezbollah initiated it under direct orders from Iran, serving Tehran's
terrorist, expansionist, and colonial agendas.
There is no independence to celebrate today. Lebanon has effectively become a
Hezbollah state. This failed and rogue state continuously violates the
constitution and paralyzes governance. Hezbollah prevents the election of a
president, shuts down parliament, and dismantles state institutions.
The current parliament, subservient and failing in its constitutional duties,
was formed under an electoral law crafted by Hezbollah to ensure its dominance.
This law predetermined the election results before they even took place.
How can we celebrate Independence Day when state institutions are infiltrated,
the judiciary is controlled, citizens' savings have been stolen from banks,
borders are wide open for smuggling, and chaos reigns? Killings, theft, poverty,
displacement, and humiliation define the daily lives of Lebanese citizens.
The independence we should be celebrating today has become an empty memory. True
independence will not return to Lebanon until it is liberated from Hezbollah's
occupation and Iran's domination. Achieving this liberation requires
implementing all international resolutions pertaining to Lebanon, including the
Armistice Agreement and Resolutions 1559, 1701, and 1680. It also demands
conducting free parliamentary elections under a modern electoral law,
eradicating corruption, and holding the corrupt political class accountable.
It may be necessary to declare Lebanon a failed state according to all the UN
criteria for failure and place it under international trusteeship.
Until then, Lebanon remains an occupied state, and Independence Day is but a
painful reminder of a freedom that is no more.
President Aoun's Independence Day Message
Elias Bejjani/November 21/2025
President Aoun’s Independence Day message is a bundle of fallacies that bears no
resemblance to reality. It is saturated with populist clichés and submissive
rhetoric that amount, at best, to sheer dhimmitude.
Faith Reflections on the 'Grain of Wheat' Principle on the Anniversary of
the Martyrdom of MP Pierre Amine Gemayel
Elias Bejjani/November 21/2010
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/113528/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb6u2BH440Y&t=603s
The Martyr, MP Sheikh Pierre Amine Gemayel, is not dead, for martyrs do not die.
Rather, through their martyrdom, they move from death to eternal life, where
there is no pain or suffering, but joy, happiness, and bliss. The righteous
martyrs are the grain of wheat that dies to give life: "Unless a grain of wheat
falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces
much grain. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in
this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24)
The believer understands that the salvation of humanity would not have been
possible without the sacrifice made by the Incarnate Lord Christ through His
suffering and crucifixion. Christ the Redeemer asks the believers who carry His
cross to follow His example and walk the path of Golgotha with joy, courage, and
hope, because it ultimately leads to salvation. The sacrifice that Christ
offered without complaint, enduring torment, humiliation, and death, is what has
yielded and continues to yield abundant fruits.
The grain of wheat that died, was buried, and yielded much grain for the entire
world is Jesus Himself. The Incarnate Jesus sacrificed Himself for humanity to
liberate it from the yoke of slavery and the burden of original sin. He died on
the cross, was buried in the tomb, conquered death and broke its sting, and rose
alive from the dead. Thus, His death, suffering, burial, and resurrection became
the source of the grain and the wellspring of abundant graces that will continue
to flow upon humanity until the end of time.
The graces that Jesus grants to those who believe in Him, are baptized in His
name, and keep His commandments, qualify them to enjoy the divine life on earth
and eternal happiness in the heavenly kingdom. The righteous martyrs are at the
forefront, and blessed is the nation whose people are granted the grace of
martyrdom by God.
Jesus wished for the believer in His teachings to be like Him, a grain of wheat
that falls to the ground, dies, is buried, and produces much grain. He called on
them to reject the love of their earthly life for fear of losing it in the
afterlife, and to hate it in this world out of a desire for eternal life. He
expressed this call in a very clear, direct, and powerful manner that no one
expected, and it had a profound impact on the souls of those who heard His
message and believed in it. The resonance of His words still dwells in the
hearts, minds, and consciences of believers: "Those who love their life lose it,
and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life... For
all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." (Romans 8:14)
Jesus, who knew the nobility of sacrifice and tasted its severity and
difficulty, will not leave the believer who undertakes it in His honor without a
reward. He Himself said to His disciples who sacrificed everything for His sake:
“Truly I tell you, in the age of renewal, when the Son of Man is seated on the
throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:27-29).
Lebanon—the nation of mission, holiness, coexistence, civilization, and
giving—where Jesus walked with His mother, the Virgin Mary, blessed its soil,
and performed His first miracle at the Wedding at Cana by turning water into
wine, and later healed the Canaanite woman, charmed by her faith—this Lebanon is
resilient against all forces of evil and terrorism. Just as its people, through
their deep and unwavering faith, triumphed over all invaders and renegades for
7,000 years, they will triumph, thanks to the sacrifices of their martyrs, over
all the forces of terrorism attempting to kill it, uproot its identity,
slaughter its history, demonize it, and transform it into a fundamentalist
republic that does not resemble it and is alien to its values, history, and
culture.
The Lebanese people are children of hope, faith, piety, courage, steadfastness,
and martyrdom. Therefore, under no circumstances will they allow the forces of
evil, terrorism, arrogance, and Trojan elements to succeed in enslaving them and
crushing their free will, no matter the sacrifices.
Martyr Pierre Gemayel is alive in the heart, mind, and conscience of every
sovereign, free, and faithful Lebanese. And with the Prophet Job, we say: "The
Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Note: This article was originally published on November 21, 2010, in both voice
and text formats, and was broadcasted via Voice of Phoenicia Phone Newsline.
One cannot give what does not have, and all
the world’s Viagra is useless with the emasculated.
Elias Bejjani/November 18/ 2025
Ninety-nine percent of Lebanon’s rulers, Owners Of the so called political
leaders, MPs, media outlets, and journalists are products of the occupiers’
incubators… and therefore, their paralysis cannot be cured.
The Concept and Meanings of the “Heart” in the Bible
Elias Bejjani/November 19/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/144659/
The word “heart” appears over 300 times in the Bible. Theologically, it has
little, if anything, to do with the physical organ that pumps blood. Instead, it
refers to the core of human existence, the center where all our capacities
converge, including our conscience, emotions, and entire range of feelings and
contradictions. In modern psychological terms, it’s our “self” or “ego.”
Therefore, from a theological, emotional, spiritual, and faith-based
perspective, the heart isn’t the physical organ beating in our chest. It’s the
spiritual and existential reality that forms the very essence of our personal
being. It’s the central point where all the threads of our human existence
intertwine. In observing church rituals and icons, we notice the immense
significance given to the “Heart of Jesus” and the “Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, dozens of verses emphasize the
critical importance and centrality of this spiritual, intellectual, and
faith-based understanding of the heart.
The Heart in God’s Commands
This understanding is clearly seen in the first of the Ten Commandments: “Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27, Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus Himself
speaks of the heart as the root of human intentions and the origin of all our
actions. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person”
(Matthew 15:19-20). This confirms that the very essence of who we are, whether
for good or ill, originates in the heart.
Only God truly knows the intentions of our hearts
Only God truly knows the intentions of our hearts, whether good or evil. Because
He loves us and awaits our return to His heavenly home—a home not built by human
hands—He, as a merciful Father, constantly warns us through various means. He
does so when we defile our hearts, fall into the devil’s temptations, and follow
our “old self”—the self of original sin—abandoning the “new self” born of
baptism by water and the Holy Spirit. “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he
prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts
are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human
rules’” (Matthew 15:7-8). This verse highlights the importance of genuine
worship that springs from the heart, rather than just outward rituals.
A Pure Heart: A Gift from God
The Bible teaches us to always pray to God with humility, sincerity, and faith,
asking for the grace and gift of a pure, upright, and good heart. “Create in me
a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). This
prayer expresses a deep longing for spiritual renewal, rooted in a new heart.
God the Father created humanity in His image and likeness, giving us a heart
like His own. When He sees that heart being defiled, He rushes to our aid,
sending prophets, saints, and righteous people to guide us back to the right
path. However, when we disobey, remain unrepentant, and fail to atone, He
disciplines and punishes us, as He did in the time of Noah and Nimrod, and with
Lot’s cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
God’s sorrow over the corruption of human hearts
“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the
earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only
evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the
earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:5-6). These verses vividly
show God’s sorrow over the corruption of human hearts. God works through natural
law, conscience, and prophets to awaken the hearts of humanity, so they may
return to Him, find Him, give Him their hearts, and observe His ways and
commandments. “With your own eyes you saw those great trials and the signs and
great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand
or eyes to see or ears to hear. Yet I have led you forty years in the
wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not
worn out on your feet” (Deuteronomy 29:3-5). Here, we see that a lack of
understanding and perception stems from the heart.
The Heart as a Dwelling Place for the Holy Spirit
Our Lord God bound our hearts to His, so that we may love Him with all our heart
and soul, and live through Him. God fully accomplished this in the New Covenant
through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers. Our hearts become a
dwelling place for His Spirit, sanctified for Him, making us temples of God’s
Spirit. Our hearts become altars consecrated for worship through devout prayers
and sincere love. As our hearts are purified, we come to see God, and Christ
works within us through faith. Thus, it is crucial to pause and reflect on the
biblical and theological meaning of the heart.
The heart is that reality in which the human being finds his or her unity and
inner orientation
In his commentary on the Third Secret of Fatima, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
(Pope Benedict XVI) offered a concise description of the heart: “In biblical
language, the heart means the center of human existence, the integration of mind
and will, temperament and feeling.” He added: “The heart is that reality in
which the human being finds his or her unity and inner orientation.”
The heart is a human capacity that goes beyond and deeper than intellectual
ability, and beyond the reach of our imagination. It is the dimension of divine
instinct and also the depth of the soul. “The heart is deceitful above all
things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and
examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to
what their deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). This verse emphasizes that only
God truly sees and tests the hidden depths of the heart.
It’s impossible for any of us to fully penetrate another person’s inner being,
no matter how close they are, or to know what’s stored within their heart and
thoughts. However, we can understand it through their actions, words, and
feelings, which bear witness to what’s in their heart, “for the mouth speaks
what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). And this heart becomes defiled when
its owner succumbs to the traps of worldly desires, failing to curb and refine
them due to a lack of faith and weak hope.
The Heart and Love
In our prayers, we say, “Lord, give me a heart like Your own” (“Create in me a
pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10)). This
means: “Bestow upon me the gifts of love, for love is God, and love is the
heart.” The meaning of love, which is God Himself, was beautifully defined by
the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13: “If I speak in the tongues of men or
of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging
cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love,
I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to
hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It
does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love
never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are
tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For
we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in
part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a
child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood
behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of
these is love.”
Biblical Verses on the Heart
Many verses in the Bible illustrate the meanings of the heart. Here are a few
more:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
“He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by
faith” (Acts 15:9).
“The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or
swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:4).
“They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him”
(Psalm 78:8).
“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and
a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?” (Ezekiel 18:31).
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you
your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). This verse
specifically speaks of the inner transformation granted by God.
Then Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is
from within, out of people’s hearts, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality,
theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander,
arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person” (Mark
7:20-23).
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep
your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your
eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you” (Proverbs 4:23-25).
This verse emphasizes the importance of protecting the heart as it is the source
of life.
“As the secrets of their hearts are laid bare, they will fall down and worship
God, exclaiming, ‘God is truly among you!'” (1 Corinthians 14:25).
“Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their
eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand
with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10). This verse shows the
consequence of stubbornness and refusal to hear God’s word.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus: A Fount of Divine Love
Pope Benedict XVI: “The roots of this devotion (to the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
are deeply embedded in the mystery of the Incarnation. Through the Heart of
Jesus, God’s love for humanity was revealed in a vivid way. Therefore, authentic
devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus retains its meaning and particularly
attracts souls thirsting for God’s mercy—an unfathomable spring of living water
capable of quenching the deserts of the soul, allowing hope to grow.”
Prayer to the Sacred Heart
O Jesus, You possess a compassionate heart, full of goodness and kindness. You
see me and love me. You are merciful and forgiving, for You cannot witness
misery without desiring to heal it. Behold, I place all my hope in You, trusting
that You will not abandon me, and that Your graces will always surpass my
expectations. Therefore, Jesus, fulfill all Your promises for me, grant me the
graces necessary for my state, bestow peace upon my family, comfort me in my
trials, and be my refuge throughout my life and at the hour of my death. If I am
lukewarm in faith, I will grow fervent through You. If I am fervent, I will
ascend to higher degrees of perfection. Grant me, Jesus, a special grace to
soften hardened hearts, and to spread devotion to Your Sacred Heart. And
inscribe my name in Your adored Heart, that it may never be erased. I also ask
You to bless my home, where the image of Your Most Sacred Heart is honored.
Aoun stresses state role, floats initiative for
negotiations with Israel
Naharnet/November 21/2025
President Joseph Aoun on Friday said that Lebanon "has grown tired of the
state's absence" and "the Lebanese have grown exhausted of the projects of
statelets."
He also proposed a five-point initiative for negotiations with Israel, in a
speech marking Independence Day. The following is the full English-language text
of Aoun's address as published by the state-run National News Agency:
"Dear Lebanese, Fellow citizens at home and abroad, brothers in
arms,Independence starts from the moment we face the truth. That is why I came
to South Lebanon, a land that reflects Lebanon’s enduring history of resilience.
Here, where the state's authority and sovereignty are challenged, the
conversation about independence begins. From this land, which has endured
persistent aggression and lack of governmental presence, but has remained
steadfast, there is hope for the restoration of the state sovereignty, national
symbols, and independent decision-making. The path to independence starts from
the establishment of state authority, full sovereignty, and from the liberation
of every inch of Lebanese territory.
Brothers, loved ones,
I have always been honest with you and today honesty feels more necessary than
ever.
It is the first Independence Day on which I address you as president after a
series of successive voids in power that we will not allow to happen again.
Moreover, since this is a critical moment that cannot withstand half-truths, our
independence stands as a real and living reality today, not merely as a chapter
from the past. Lebanon’s independence is genuine because Lebanese men and women
gave their lives to achieve it. Countless martyrs have fallen on the path to
independence and the 22 of November is but a day in this proud history and I
regret that we sometimes forget their legacy.
Today, in your name I bow to their sacrifices to the blood they have shed and to
their martyrdom. Those who have fallen in Bchamoun defending the independence
government and in the Nejmeh Square defending the independence flag as well as
the 14 brave young students of Tripoli who gave their lives demonstrating for
independence.
They are the martyrs of the 22nd of November 1943, we honor them and we remain
loyal and deeply grateful for their sacrifices. This country wasn’t born in a
day, nor did it achieve independence in a year. It is the sum of a
centuries-long struggle for freedom, by individuals and communities united by
their shared pursuit of liberty on this land. In a region which has and still
unfortunately at times, oppose force to legal rights and oppression to freedom.
And let us also be truthful and admit that the birth of Lebanon in the 1920’s
wasn’t a moment of unanimity. Some had considered a smaller Lebanon shaped by
concern for individuality and fear for their collective identity to be
overwhelmed and dissolved in a contrasting environment. While others envisioned
a larger state than Lebanon, believing in an idea that transcends the Lebanese
identity, or were motivated by the fear of a foreign hegemony or a colonial
state.
However, two major developments happened at the same time and changed the course
of events:
First the Lebanese people got to know each other and came to realize that they
had a lot in common. Second, we all found out that the price of living together
was less costly than our allegiance to any foreign power whether it came from
the East or the West. We discovered that what Lebanon offers us as individuals
and communities is far more important than whatever was being proposed as an
alternative. This is how a new national majority was formed by Christians,
Muslims and all other Lebanese who refused any vision of a Lebanon smaller than
its historical identity or indebted to loyalties larger than itself. This
majority became a covenant: a shared belief in Lebanon as a sovereign and
unified nation. They embraced the foundational pact and upheld the conviction
that Lebanon’s existence as a single cohesive nation-state was worth protecting,
even as critics on both sides pursued other projects and other destinies. Yet it
is this very covenant that carried us to the independence we celebrate today.
Regrettably, our independence was not managed effectively, and we allowed the
adverse external conditions that we were faced with 50 years ago to draw us to a
succession of complex wars. We then emerged from war through the Taif Accords,
which instead of restoring full sovereignty placed us once again under foreign
tutelage that distorted the implementation of this agreement for more than a
decade and a half.
Once the occupation and the tutelage ended, we had another opportunity to
reclaim our Independence. Yet soon after, we reverted to conflicts among
regional powers competing to inherit tutelage over Lebanon or to use it as
leverage in their pursuit of broader foreign influence.
The reason I am saying this now is because today looks a lot like yesterday:
We are going through a very critical and delicate phase of our existence, much
like the previous ones, amidst a turmoil of developments and the shifting of
balance of powers around us, similar in many ways to what accompanied Lebanon’s
creation as an independent state, presenting us with yet another threat to our
independence. Let us speak frankly because we are faced with two contradictory
approaches that are far from the truth and the essence of independence. In
Lebanon today some of us, doubtful of the unfolding of events in our region, act
as if nothing has happened within our borders, around us, in Palestine, or Syria
or the rest of the world.
This obstinacy or denial serves for some to continue to believe that things can
go on as they have been for the last 40 years, intrespassing the concept of the
state and its sovereignty on its own soil. This attitude is denying both the
reality and the will of the Lebanese people, as well as dismissing the regional
and international changes. Similarly, there is an opposite approach for some
other Lebanese who believe that the shock that happened has wiped out, or even
obliterated a whole community in Lebanon, as if it ceased to exist and to be
accounted for. In my opinion, this is yet another obstinacy and another form of
denial no less wrong or dangerous than the first one.
We as a state, and I as a head of state, stand where our country’s and our
people’s interests lie. We do not take sides. Standing here on the soil of the
beloved South I say to those who refuse to acknowledge what has happened: times
have changed and Lebanon and the Lebanese people are tired of the non-state
situation, the world is also weary of us, and we cannot go on living outside the
boundaries of the state. This is not only about ensuring that the state holds
authority over arms and decisions of war and peace, though those are very
important and inevitable, but the ask is much bigger; it is for all Lebanese
citizens to pledge allegiance to Lebanon. And to be legally and constitutionally
part of the Lebanese state. So that we can reestablish the concept of statehood
as a way of living and a behavioral code guiding every aspect of our lives on
our national soil.
It is no longer acceptable to encroach upon public rights, public property,
public funds or the public space. None of this can be justified anymore, not in
the name of an exception nor under the pretext of a past, present or future, nor
by the blaze of power or its excess, nor by the reaction of one group or region
to an unjust reality. All of this is no longer permitted to anyone residing on
the Lebanese soil.
While I speak these words with a firm sense of national responsibility, I am
equally resolute in refusing to accept any other kind of denial. It is neither
true, nor is it acceptable to act as if a Lebanese community has been defeated
or has vanished from the political landscape. They are citizens of this nation
who laid down their lives for this country. It is now our collective
responsibility to make sure that they, along with all other citizens, return to
the embrace of the homeland under the unified authority of the state without
exceptions or special conditions.
Because we have taken this stance, we face criticism from both sides, and we are
met with misunderstandings, and disbelief. But we will not budge, nor will we
back down, as the events unfolding around us prove us right and confirm the
validity of our choice:
The Gaza agreement and its adoption by the Security Council confirms our
position. Furthermore, our new relationship with Syria is evolving in the right
way as between two sovereign and equal states.
As the Higher Commander in Chief, as designated by the Constitution, I am also
honored to acknowledge that our armed forces are diligently fulfilling their
national duties throughout all regions of Lebanon. This is particularly evident
in the South as confirmed by reports of the Quintet Committee entrusted with the
implementation of the November 2024 agreement. Despite all trespasses and
disagreements, I will never forget that you have given this land countless
martyrs while implementing the ceasefire agreement, to which Lebanon has
committed fully and unilaterally.
Moreover, our economy is recovering, and we have the figures to prove it, under
the wise leadership of specialized government entities and the Governorate of
the Central Bank which also comes under fire from those threatened by the return
of the state authority. The Lebanese in Lebanon and around the world are looking
at us with big hopes and determination. And you shall see them unite in the
coming days, in a historic national event where we welcome His Holiness Pope Leo
XIV on his visit to Lebanon entitled “Blessed are the peacemakers”.
We have chosen this title because we are people who believe in peace and seek
peace, and our region is heading toward a new phase of stability to which we
need to be fully prepared. We envision peace founded on rights and justice.
Peace for Palestine and the people of Palestine and we are committed to take
part in it fully and efficiently.
We need to do that not to miss out on the occasion and become some sort of
bargaining chip or compensation prize on the new map of the region. We are fully
prepared and confident, guided by a clear principle: all Lebanese affairs, from
Beirut to the international border are matters we conduct with our own free and
independent will, driven solely by the interests of Lebanon and its people. And
this means a full Israeli withdrawal from every inch of our soil, and the return
of our prisoners and final border arrangements insuring permanent and
sustainable stability.
As for the “beyond our border course”, we shall navigate it in alignment and
coordination with the unified Arab position. The summit between President Trump
and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman has shown promising signs for the
initiation of such course. Lebanon must not miss this course by even a single
step. This is the reason for my presence in the South today and my deliberate
choice of this location and moment. I speak with full awareness and
responsibility to my country and people, prepared to convey the following
message to the world:
First, to assert the readiness of the Lebanese Army to assume control over the
occupied points on our border and the readiness of Lebanon to present to the
Quintet Committee a clear timetable to that effect. Second, to confirm the
willingness of the Lebanese Armed Forces to take control over the said points as
soon as the Israeli violations and aggression of all sorts cease, and the full
withdrawal of the Israeli army from all points. Third, to entrust the Quintet
Committee of making sure that in the South Litani region, only the Lebanese Army
is exerting its sovereignty by its own means.
Fourth, to confirm that Lebanon is ready to negotiate under U.S. or
international or joint U.S.-international sponsorship any agreement which will
put a permanent end to the transborder aggressions. Fifth, to call on Lebanon’s
friends and brotherly countries, to provide oversight throughout this process by
establishing clear and guaranteed timelines, implementing an international
mechanism of support to the Lebanese Army, as well as assisting in the
reconstruction efforts following the devastation inflicted by the war.
This measure will also ensure and reinforce the state’s exclusive authority over
arms, ultimately securing that all weapons are in the hands of the state, on the
entirety of the Lebanese soil. This initiative is being presented today for the
whole world to see. To every country invested in Lebanon’s future, to every
sincere ally wanting to see security and stability on our borders and in the
region. We are ready and we are committed.
Brothers, Lebanese men and women
Today marks a new chapter in the history of Lebanon -- one that begins with
independence but ends only when the nation regains full sovereignty, guarantees
a dignified life for all its citizens, and builds a state dedicated to upholding
rights and delivering justice. We are all fighting the battle of our renewed
independence, determined to succeed for the sake of our children’s future, to
fulfill the dreams of those who have passed and to keep alive the hopes of those
who stood firm. We will protect Lebanon, safeguard its independence and witness
its new rebirth, as a country of dialogue, modernity, freedom, tolerance and
peace. We hold on to this country that unites us under one flag where our cedar
tree proudly stands as a symbol of our resilience and our unity. Let us all
stand united, with faith in Lebanon as a definitive country that belongs to
every one of us. Long live Lebanon, long live its people and its future."
Aoun hopes for south liberation, only Lebanon flag on
border
Naharnet/November 21/2025
President Joseph Aoun said Friday, amid a visit to the south Litani sector
command, that the army is committed to protecting the Lebanese and the
southeners despite being targeted by campaigns of defamation and incitement.
During the visit, a day ahead of Lebanon's independence day, Aoun hoped that the
next independence day would come with the entire south liberated and only the
Lebanese flag raised on its borders.
Israel has kept up near-daily attacks on Lebanon and still maintains troops in
five areas in south Lebanon, despite a ceasefire reached last year. It has
intensified raids on Lebanon in recent weeks and says the army is failing to
disarm Hezbollah and to prevent it from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Under a government-approved plan, the army is to dismantle Hezbollah military
infrastructure south of the Litani river by the end of the year, before tackling
the rest of the country. The army commander was scheduled to visit Washington
this week but the trip was called off after U.S. political and military
officials cancelled their meetings with him just hours before he was scheduled
to depart on Tuesday, with a Republican Senator harshly criticizing General
Rodolphe Haykal's "weak almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah".
Haykal calls on Lebanese to trust army despite 'slanderous
campaigns'
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
Army chief Rodolphe Haykal called Friday on the Lebanese to trust and support
the army as they have always done, amid American and domestic pressure on the
army to speedily disarm Hezbollah. Haykal also called on the government to
secure equipment for the army and improve the conditions of the military
personnel, and urged the Lebanese soldiers to persevere despite the rumors and
the "slanderous campaigns". He said that Lebanon is going through hard times
amidst Israeli occupation of Lebanese territories, and the continuing
aggressions and violations resulting in the death and wounding of army personnel
and preventing the army's deployment in south Lebanon. "The Army has exerted
tremendous efforts since the ceasefire agreement, despite difficulties and
limited resources, to implement the (disarmament) plan, beef up its presence
south of the Litani River, and extend the state's authority over all Lebanese
territories," Haykal said. "It will not hesitate and will not be sparing any
effort or drop of blood to preserve Lebanon's right to sovereignty over every
inch of its land and to help the war-displaced residents to return to their
villages."Under a government-approved plan, the army is to dismantle Hezbollah
military infrastructure south of the Litani river by the end of the year, before
tackling the rest of the country. Israel has kept up near-daily attacks on
Lebanon and still maintains troops in five areas in south Lebanon. It has
intensified raids on Lebanon in recent weeks and says the army is failing to
disarm Hezbollah and to prevent it from rebuilding its military capabilities.
"The Command is fully aware of the exceptional circumstances surrounding the
implementation of the army's plan, which is going on as previewed. These
circumstances necessitate the highest degrees of wisdom, firmness and
professionalism, in a manner that serves the national interest and civil peace,"
Haykal said. The army commander later visited with President Joseph Aoun the
city of Tyre, where they discussed the security situation in south Lebanon, the
Israeli aggressions and the army's missions. Haykal was scheduled to visit
Washington this week but the trip was called off after U.S. political and
military officials cancelled their meetings with him just hours before he was
scheduled to depart on Tuesday.
Those who cancelled included influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who
in a statement on X slammed what he said was Haykal's "weak almost non-existent
effort to disarm Hezbollah". Graham also criticized an army statement that
referred to Israel as the "enemy" -- a standard term even in official discourse
in Lebanon, which has been technically at war with Israel since 1948. The
statement in question condemned "the Israeli enemy's insistence on violating
Lebanese sovereignty" and was issued after the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Israeli soldiers shot at its peacekeepers on Sunday.
Political and ministerial sources meanwhile said that the cancelled visit is not
targeting Haykal but is a message to the Lebanese authorities and President Aoun,
who is trying to resolve the problem and will soon meet with new U.S. Ambassador
Michel Issa to discuss the issue. "What happened does not mean that the Lebanese
army is no longer a strategic ally to Washington or that it will no longer
support it, these are temporary measures", political sources told al-Jadeed. The
TV channel also reported a meeting over the cancelled visit between Haykal and
French Ambassador Hervé Magro.
Efforts ongoing to reschedule Haykal's US visit within 48
hours
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
Efforts are ongoing within official political and intelligence channels in order
to reschedule a new visit for Army chief Rodolphe Haykal to Washington within 48
hours, a media report said. Haykal would meanwhile renew “his pledge to remove
arms south and north of the Litani by the end of this year,” the Nidaa al-Watan
newspaper said. Senior and informed U.S. sources meanwhile told the daily that
the reports claiming that the U.S. administration is pushing for Haykal’s
resignation are “exaggerated and excessive speculation and intimidation.”Asked
whether Lebanon still has a chance to “regain the international community’s
confidence and disarm Hezbollah,” the sources said: “Yes, there is a chance to
correct this matter.”“That’s why the United States is strenuously working behind
the scenes with the Mechanism committee,” the sources added. As for the Lebanese
fears over a possible expansion of the Israeli strikes on Lebanon, the sources
said a new Israeli war on Lebanon remains a possibility, adding that Washington
is worried over such a scenario and is exerting utmost efforts to prevent it.
“That’s why we’re doing what we can to help the Lebanese Army and to make the
mechanism and plan it has presented work and succeed,” the sources added.
Netanyahu says 'Hezbollah's threat' has become 'totally different'
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has noted that "the threat posed by
Hezbollah today is completely different from what it was before October 7,"
stressing that "everything has changed."He explained that Iran may try to
rebuild the so-called Axis of Resistance, emphasizing that "Israel will work to
prevent that in Lebanon and elsewhere." Regarding Gaza, Netanyahu indicated that
"the war phase has ended," but he stressed that "Israel may return to fighting
on any front when necessary."
Salam says Lebanon no longer has 'luxury' of wasting time
and chances
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Friday that Lebanon no longer has the luxury of
wasting time and opportunities, calling for peace and tolerance. "We have
squandered many opportunities, including the Taif Agreement, the failure to
deploy the army in the South in 2000 and to manage our political affairs after
the Syrian mandate," Salam said. He added that for a better future, the Lebanese
must adopt a new political culture based on the rejection of violence and the
acceptance of the other.
Who are the 'venom spreaders' that everyone is talking
about?
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
The Lebanese Forces said in a statement Friday that the real "spreaders of
venom" are Hezbollah, without naming the group, after pro-Hezbollah newspaper
al-Akhbar published a report in which it accused a senior LF official of being
an "informant" on Hezbollah to the U.S. administration. President Joseph Aoun
and Speaker Nabih Berri had both mentioned Lebanese politicians "spreading
venom" in Washington without naming them. "The media of the resistance has
launched a new campaign of misinformation.. The real spreaders of venom and the
true informants, are those who pushed the country into the abyss, dragged it
into wars, chaos and destruction," the Lebanese Forces' statement said, adding
that their positions are the same whether they are stated in public or in
private. The report published Wednesday in al-Akhbar said that Joseph Gebeily is
working to convince the U.S. that LF leader Samir Geagea is the only one capable
of fighting Hezbollah and reaching a peace accord with Israel, unlike Aoun and
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. "He worked for years as an informant for the Saudi
and Emirati embassies in the United States and used to send reports to
Congressmen to expose Hezbollah's supporters in the U.S.," the report said,
claiming that Gebeily also led a campaign against activists from the Free
Patriotic Movement in the U.S.
Issa begins diplomatic contacts, Ortagus to attend Mechanism meeting
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa has started his diplomatic efforts and
contacts between Lebanese officials and the U.S. officials who are in charge
with the Lebanese file in his administration, media reports said. Issa has met
with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for a second time since his arrival in Lebanon,
the reports added. Moreover, the Mechanism ceasefire committee will hold a
meeting early next month, after the pope’s visit to Lebanon, and U.S. envoy
Morgan Ortagus will visit Lebanon to attend the Mechanism meeting, the reports
said.
UN Special Coordinator says it's time for negotiations with
Israel
Naharnet/November 21, 2023
Marking nearly one year since the November Understanding came into effect, the
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, told
the United Nations Security Council that “since that time, noteworthy progress
has been achieved on some issues, while others remain at a standstill”. Briefing
the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701
(2006) alongside United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Special Coordinator emphasized that “time is of the
essence”, noting that “Lebanon can no longer afford to be perceived as dragging
its feet – on either its participation in dialogue or the establishment of a
State monopoly on arms”. While commending the Lebanese Armed Forces for the
progress seen in tackling non-State arms, particularly south of the Litani
River, Hennis-Plasschaert stressed the outstanding and urgent need for a
whole-of-government approach to the extension of State authority. “The army,
alone, cannot bring resolution 1701 to life”, she said. The Special Coordinator
further underscored that progress on reforms in Lebanon is no less urgent,
especially to unlock much-needed recovery and reconstruction funding. “Lebanon
must seize this window of opportunity, rather than falling prey to the internal
political brinksmanship that has hampered the country for far too long.”With the
changing regional context, Hennis-Plasschaert conveyed that “unique
opportunities are in front of both countries”, adding that “as Lebanon must
seize this window, so too must Israel”. Acknowledging that the presence of the
Israeli army north of the Blue Line and frequent Israeli military activity
across the country continues in violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity, she again underlined that the status quo serves “neither
Israel’s nor Lebanon’s strategic interests” and is a “harbinger of greater
instability to come – if not now, then later”.In closing, Hennis-Plasschaert
underscored that, “In the interest of the stability and security both parties
say they seek, the time for negotiations and dialogue is now."
Lebanese army feeling US, Israeli heat over Hezbollah
disarmament
Naharnet/November 21/2025
Israeli and U.S. pressure on Lebanon's army to speedily disarm Hezbollah is
intensifying, with the army chief cancelling a visit to Washington after
officials snubbed him, a military official told AFP. Lebanon's army has been
beefing up its presence in south Lebanon near the Israeli border since a
U.S.-brokered ceasefire last November sought to end more than a year of
hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group. Under a
government-approved plan, the army is to dismantle Hezbollah military
infrastructure south of the Litani river -- some 30 kilometers from the border
-- by the end of the year, before tackling the rest of the country. The military
official, requesting anonymity as the matter is sensitive, said "we respect the
timeline approved by the government and which the United States and other
concerned parties are aware of".But the official expressed concern that
"systematic U.S. and Israeli pressure could pave the way for an escalation of
Israeli strikes", adding that "the demand to disarm Hezbollah across all Lebanon
before the end of the year is impossible". Israel has kept up near-daily attacks
on Lebanon and still maintains troops in five areas in south Lebanon. Israel's
military has intensified raids on Lebanon in recent weeks, accusing Hezbollah of
rebuilding its military capabilities near the border. The military official said
the army was being pressured to search homes in southern Lebanon for Hezbollah
weapons or tunnels under houses. The Lebanese army has beefed up troop presence
near the border since the truce, with some 9,000 soldiers now deployed there,
the official added.
'Weak'
Lebanon's cash-strapped army, which counts some 80,000 personnel and depends
heavily on U.S. aid, is seen as a pillar of stability in the crisis-hit country.
President Joseph Aoun served as army chief before being elected as head of state
in January with the backing of the international community, and his successor
Rodolphe Haykal was scheduled to visit Washington this week. But the trip was
called off after U.S. political and military officials cancelled their meetings
with him just hours before he was scheduled to depart on Tuesday, the military
official told AFP. Those who cancelled included influential Republican Senator
Lindsey Graham, who in a statement on X slammed what he said was Haykal's "weak
almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah". Graham also criticized an army
statement that referred to Israel as the "enemy" -- a standard term even in
official discourse in Lebanon, which has been technically at war with Israel
since 1948. The statement in question condemned "the Israeli enemy's insistence
on violating Lebanese sovereignty" and was issued after the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Israeli soldiers shot at its peacekeepers
on Sunday. Since the ceasefire, UNIFIL said it "has recorded over 7,500 air
violations, almost 2,500 ground violations north of the Blue Line, and over 360
left behind weapons caches that were referred" to the Lebanese army. A committee
comprising the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL, holds regular
meetings to monitor the ceasefire. Since the truce, the army has been
coordinating with the committee and UNIFIL to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure
despite its limited equipment and means, with 12 soldiers killed during such
operations in recent months.
House to house
"The Lebanese army is being asked to do what the Israeli army was unable to
accomplish during the war with its missiles, aircraft and technology," the
official charged, referring to demands the army search houses in the south, and
noting it lacks the personnel and expertise to do so. The army also seeks to
avoid civil conflict in Hezbollah's southern heartland, they added. A promised
international donor conference to support the army has not materialized.
Hezbollah, which was created after Israel invaded in 1982, is the only group to
have kept its weapons since the country's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the
name of resistance against Israel. The group says it is respecting the ceasefire
but has refused to surrender its weapons. An Israeli military official told
AFP's Jerusalem bureau that the ceasefire monitoring mechanism was working but
"not as fast as we want, not in the places that we want". "We see the way that
Hezbollah is rebuilding themselves... we don't let those kinds of threats grow
in our backyard," they added. Hezbollah still has long-range missiles, the
Israeli official said, adding that "when we ended the war, we knew that they had
between 20 and 30 percent of their fire abilities" left. "You can never do
zero... In order to do zero, you need to go house (to) house -- every place in
Lebanon, which is kind of what we expect the Lebanese army to do, because we
can't do this ourselves," they added. A Western military source told AFP that
"the disarmament of Hezbollah will probably not happen. "Israel believes that
after having its arm twisted by Washington over Gaza, it will have a free hand
to deal with Hezbollah."
Trump: We're Working with Lebanon and I'll Invite Joseph
Aoun to the White House
Al-Modon/November 21, 2023
In response to a question about Lebanon, US President Donald Trump indicated
that he would invite President Aoun to visit the White House. Regarding the
situation in Lebanon, Trump stated that "Hezbollah in Lebanon is not in a good
position," referring to the political and economic pressures and sanctions
targeting the party and its allies both domestically and abroad. He also noted
that "Hezbollah is a problem for Lebanon, and we are working with Lebanon and
everyone in the Middle East." Trump said that his administration "removed a
great dark cloud from the Middle East by reducing Iran's influence," considering
that this policy contributed to lowering the level of tension in the region and
weakening the role played by Tehran in a number of regional issues. In a press
statement, Trump added that "it is possible that we will reach a deal with
Iran," indicating that the door to negotiations remains open to Tehran if it
adheres to conditions that the White House deems necessary to ensure the
security of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.
Lebanese Army Chief Says Country Witnessing a 'Crucial'
Phase in History
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Lebanon’s Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal said on Friday that Lebanon is witnessing a
very crucial phase he described as “the most difficult” in history amid Israel’s
continued occupation of parts of Lebanon and its constant deadly attacks in the
country. Marking Independence Day, Haykal said in a
statement on the army’s page on X that Israeli violations and strikes prevent
the army from deployment near the border and causes “massive destruction in
belongings and infrastructure.”“The army has exerted strenuous efforts since the
ceasefire agreement got into effect, and despite the limited capabilities and
the difficulties as the result of the (economic) crisis, the army embarked on
the implementation of the plan, deploying its troops in south of the Litani
River”, said Haykal. Haykal underscored that these efforts require close
follow-up by the state’s institutions to improve the conditions of the military,
and embark on improving the requirements suitable to restore stability. He
assured that the Lebanese leadership is aware of the exceptional circumstances
affecting the army’s deployment plan. Israel has kept
up near-daily attacks on Lebanon and still maintains troops in five areas in
south Lebanon. Israel's military has intensified raids on Lebanon in recent
weeks, accusing Hezbollah of rebuilding its military capabilities near the
border. In his remarks, Haykal stressed that the army continues to safeguard the
northern and eastern borders and Lebanon’s territorial waters, in addition to
preventing trafficking (along its border with Syria) in coordination with the
related Syrian authorities. He concluded by saying that efforts are underway to
“improve the army’s capabilities amid the ongoing coordination with brethren and
friendly countries”.
Lebanon: Fadel Shaker’s Tuesday Trial Seen as Test of Legal
Cases
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Lebanese singer Fadel Shaker is set to appear before the military court next
Tuesday to face trial in four separate security cases, “belonging to an armed
group, financing the group, possessing unlicensed weapons, and undermining state
authority and prestige,” sources familiar with the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The sources said the head of the military court, Brig. Gen. Wassim Fayyad,
“allocated Tuesday for questioning Shaker, without placing any other cases on
the agenda, given the lengthy time his interrogation is expected to
take.”Security measures will be tight, the sources added, with the Lebanese army
deployed around and inside the military court. The trial will be attended by
Shaker, his defense team, and a representative of the military public
prosecutor. It is not yet clear whether the court will allow media coverage,
with attendance possibly limited to journalists accredited to the military
court. The session is seen as a practical test for Shaker and his legal team in
preparing for the trial and challenging the charges. The sources noted that
“during the first session, the court presidency will question Shaker and
confront him with the evidence underlying previous absentia rulings. The
military public prosecutor will also pose questions, reinforcing the seriousness
of the case built against Shaker since 2013, following the Abra clashes between
the Lebanese army and supporters of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir.”Shaker voluntarily
surrendered to Lebanese army intelligence at the entrance of Ain al-Hilweh camp
on October 4, after spending more than 12 years there. At the time, he described
the surrender as a judicial settlement to close his cases, though delays in
scheduling the military court trial have fueled doubts.
Meanwhile, Shaker’s defense lawyers have prepared thoroughly for the
session. A source close to the defense told Asharq Al-Awsat that the team
“insists on proceeding with the trial without interruption or delay.” The source
said, “There is no legal justification for postponement. Shaker is the sole
defendant, and with his lawyers and the military public prosecutor present, the
case is complete and questioning must begin. Any delay would be unjustified.”
The source added that after Shaker’s interrogation, the court is expected to
summon numerous witnesses, including Ahmed Al-Asir and others involved in the
Abra events, particularly those with close knowledge of Shaker and his
relationship with Al-Asir at the time.
Second Trial Scheduled
Shaker is also due to face a second trial in mid-December before the Beirut
Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Bilal Dannaoui. The case, filed by Hilal
Hammoud, a leader of the “Saraya al-Muqawama” group in Sidon, accuses Shaker,
Al-Assir, and others of inciting his attempted killing. The court president has
already conducted a preliminary questioning of Shaker in preparation for the
mid-December session. The first military court session
is expected to offer insights into the direction of the case, based on Shaker’s
defense of his innocence and the position of the military public prosecutor. It
will also serve as a test of the Lebanese military judiciary’s ability to handle
sensitive cases impartially, amid lingering questions over the harsh absentia
sentences previously issued against Shaker.
Lebanon…Denunciation Out in the Open
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Armies exist to defend national borders and prevent adversaries from occupying
their country. The Lebanese Army is no different; it has the same duties as all
other armies. Lebanon is currently being subjected to daily Israeli strikes, and
these cannot be called anything but assaults. Whatever the justification,
Israel’s attacks are a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty. Thus, it was
normal for the army or the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to speak
frankly; for most of the Lebanese population, Israel remains an enemy as it
continues to occupy Lebanese land, violate its airspace, and attack its
territory.
Accordingly, it is normal that the army’s statement referred to Israel as an
enemy and that it took actions along the border. Devastated, and economically,
financially, and militarily collapsed, however, Lebanon is in no position to
engage militarily. Neither its armed forces nor any armed group in the country
has the capacity to wage war. Indeed, the latter’s miscalculations and inflated
assessments of its capacities had, in the first place, precipitated its cruel
defeat in the support war they fought, and they could cause further losses if
there is no change of course.
Anyone following the developments in Washington’s approach toward Lebanon can
understand its dynamic. The stance of the White House is clear, and its bias is
explicit. This is not to say that we must surrender to their demands. Still,
before we end up in a crisis with Washington, our armed political class must
give up on its attempts to manipulate the administration and trick the Americans
with deceptive ploys, assuming that we can buy time or play on
inter-departmental and factional disagreements, such as the divergences between
the White House and the Departments of State and Defense. While some are opposed
to pressuring the Lebanese army and its leadership, no one in the administration
disagrees that it has been complacent because of the political leadership.
No state, however weak, can remain caught between American demands and
Hezbollah’s pressure. Its new secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, seems like
a leader elected following internal elections. In reality, the party and its new
leadership must overcome their denial, acknowledge their defeat, and reassess
the outcomes. As for the speeches and statements they issue, seeking to impose
their terms on the Lebanese, these provocations could provide the enemy with a
pretext to settle scores, not only with the party but with Lebanon as a whole.
The Arab and international communities’ trust cannot- contrary to the claims of
President Joseph Aoun- be retained by accusing “informants” of undermining the
standing of the state and its institutions in Washington and other capitals. The
crisis cannot be resolved by hiding behind domestic excuses, nor by merely
reminding the outside world of the president’s inaugural speech or the cabinet’s
ministerial statement. Lebanon does not need a wave of domestic clashes or civil
strife. The domestic situation has made the solution clear for some time:
pushing all factions to conclude a national settlement that saves Lebanon and
Aoun’s presidency. No one’s interests would be served by more delays in
anticipation of a regional settlement that some believe could legitimize
Hezbollah’s arms. Everyone is short on time, and Lebanon (its state, its people,
and its institutions) is facing challenges, potential existential challenges for
the people of the South if the enemy carries out its threats.
As for informants, Mr President, they are not all operating in secret here. This
incitement is not limited to complaints about you made behind closed doors. It
is also public; we are hearing it from everyone openly defying the decisions of
the state. And as for the head of our government that is responsible for
disarmament, the state also has a duty to embrace the families of men who bear
these arms, Mr Prime Minister. Imposing the authority of the state is necessary,
but it must also tend to the wounds of the South’s residents following the
bloodbath. Tending to the political wounds of those who caused this bloodbath,
on the other hand, is not its job.
Lebanon Ready to Negotiate to Reach an Agreement that Would
End Israeli Strikes, President Says
Asharq Al Awsat/November 21/2025
Lebanon is ready to negotiate to reach an agreement that would end Israeli
strikes on the country and lead to Israeli withdrawal from five border hills it
has occupied since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended last year, President Joseph
Aoun said. In a televised speech marking Independence Day, Aoun added that
Lebanese troops are ready to deploy in all points from where Israeli troops
withdraw. It was not immediately clear if Israel would accept the offer as it
comes at a time when it has intensified its strikes in Lebanon. On Tuesday, an
airstrike killed 13 people in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near
the southern city of Sidon in the deadliest attack since a ceasefire went into
effect a year ago. Aoun did not say whether the negotiations with Israel would
be direct adding that they could be sponsored by the US, the United Nations or
the international community. Aoun said the ceasefire monitoring committee that
is made up of the US, France, Israel, Lebanon and the UN peacekeeping force
known as UNIFIL, can then check that only forces of the Lebanese state are
deployed along the border. Israel said recently that Hezbollah is trying to
rebuild its capabilities after it was weakened by the Israel-Hezbollah war. The
latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked
southern Israel, after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with
Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon for two months last
year that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion. That war,
the most recent of several conflicts involving Hezbollah over the past four
decades, killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of
civilians, and caused an estimated $11 billion worth of destruction, according
to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.
America’s War on Caribbean Drug Routes Is Quietly Crippling
Hezbollah’s Global Finances
Pierre A. Maroun/Face Book/November 21/2025
For years, Hezbollah has been portrayed as a purely ideological or military
movement. But the real engine behind its regional power is financial, and much
of that money does not come from Tehran. It comes from drug trafficking and
money laundering networks that stretch across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Today, those networks are under unprecedented pressure from U.S.
counter-narcotics operations, and the cracks are beginning to show.
Nothing illustrates this shift more clearly than the arrest of Lebanese drug
lord Nouh Zaiter, long considered Lebanon’s “Pablo Escobar.” For decades, Zaiter
operated openly in the Beqaa Valley, protected by political shields and militia
alliances. His empire, spanning Captagon production, cocaine routes, and weapons
trafficking, was deeply intertwined with Hezbollah’s illicit financing web.
Until recently, he was untouchable. Not anymore!
Hezbollah’s Revenue Stream Few Talk About
While Hezbollah receives funding from Iran, it has learned to diversify. In
Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, and Caribbean free-trade zones, Hezbollah-linked
operatives found fertile ground: cartels, corrupt officials, and porous borders.
Cocaine moves north. Cash moves south. And Hezbollah moves in the shadows,
laundering profits and converting them into hard currency sent back to Lebanon.
This isn’t speculation. It’s documented in DEA operations, Treasury sanctions,
and joint investigations with Latin American governments.
The Caribbean: An Unexpected Front Against Hezbollah
In Washington, the “war on drugs” has often been dismissed as outdated. But in
the Caribbean, it has evolved into something far more strategic. U.S. Navy,
Coast Guard, and DEA interdictions now routinely target shipping lanes used not
only by cartels, but by networks connected to Hezbollah’s facilitators. Maritime
seizures have surged, now drug boats are being bonded by US Navy. Financial
chokepoints have tightened. Partner nations, from Colombia to the UAE, are
sharing intelligence. The result? It is becoming far harder for Hezbollah to
move narcotics, launder profits, and repatriate funds.
Hezbollah’s cash pipeline is no longer secure.
Against this backdrop, the Lebanese Army’s capture of Nouh Zaiter is more than a
local law-enforcement victory. It signals a rare alignment of international
pressure, U.S. support, and Lebanese institutional resolve. Zaiter had already
been sanctioned by Washington, London, and Brussels for drug trafficking linked
to Hezbollah and the former Assad regime of Syia, (some of these networks on the
Syrian-Lebanese borders are still active.) His arrest shows that global pressure
can empower Lebanese institutions to act in areas traditionally dominated by
militias.
This is a blow to Hezbollah, not because Zaiter was a political figure, but
because he was a pillar of a criminal economy the group depended on.
Why The Timing Matters?
Hezbollah is facing an unusual financial squeeze. Iran’s resources are stretched
thin. Local revenue streams , from smuggling, protection networks, and
corruption, are under growing scrutiny. And now, their drug-linked income is
being disrupted abroad.
This matters for U.S. policy, since every dollar Hezbollah loses erodes its
capacity to:
• Finance proxy militias like Saraya al‑Moukawameh, sustaining its armed reach.
• Preserve patronage networks, which buy loyalty and silence dissent.
• Project regional power, destabilizing neighbors through influence and force.
• Block reform inside Lebanon, keeping institutions weak and democracy hostage.
At the same time, the Lebanese state, often dismissed as weak and fragmented,
rightly so, has shown that with the right incentives and support, it can
challenge actors once believed untouchable.
A Chance Washington Shouldn’t Waste
The United States should recognize what the Zaiter arrest represents, which is a
proof of concept. Counter-narcotics pressure abroad + diplomatic pressure at
home + more financial support for Lebanese institutions = measurable setbacks
for Hezbollah and to any other illegal networks.
That formula works.
It should be expanded, through more coordinated sanctions, enhanced maritime
interdiction, and sustained aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal
Security Forces, conditioned on continued action against militia-linked
trafficking networks.
The Bottom Line
Hezbollah built a criminal empire across the Western Hemisphere over decades.
Today, that empire is being challenged from the Caribbean to Europe, to the
Beqaa. Zaiter’s fall is a reminder that when pressure is applied in the right
places, Hezbollah’s financial lifelines can be cut, and Lebanon’s institutions
can finally reclaim space long denied to them.
A Final Caution
Lebanon must resist the temptation to undo its own progress. If Mr. Zaiter is
pardoned or released through pressure from his supporters, the United States
will react with fury. Support for the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces
would be terminated, and financial assistance could be replaced by sanctions
targeting officials and civilians alike. While Washington views Lebanon as a
valuable strategic partner, it does not extend the same protection to individual
officials, who remain replaceable within the broader U.S. calculus.
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Iran Rejects UN Atomic Agency's Resolution and
Threatens More Reprisal Actions
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Iran’s foreign ministry called a resolution by the UN atomic watchdog’s board of
governors “anti-Iranian” and threatened unspecified retaliatory actions, state
media reported on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday
demanded that Iran fully cooperate with the agency and provide “precise
information” about its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, as well as grant
its inspectors access to Iranian nuclear sites. A report by the official IRNA
news agency on Friday quoted foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei as saying
that Iran informed the Vienna-based IAEA in a letter that it in addition to
ending an agreement forged over the summer in Cairo, the Iranian government
could take “other actions" in response to Thursday's resolution. Iran suspended
all cooperation with the IAEA after the war with Israel. IAEA Director-Genral
Rafael Mariano Grossi then reached an agreement with Iranian Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi in Cairo in early September to resume inspections.
Baghaei didn't immediately elaborate on what further actions Iran would
take, but further uranium enrichment by the country is a possibility. He accused
the IAEA of amplifying “grudges” held against Iran by the United States, the
United Kingdom, France and Germany. The minister complained that the resolution
didn't mention the reason that Iran halted inspections was because of the
strikes by Israel and the US against Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. The
IAEA's resolution sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions
between the UN nuclear agency and Iran, which has reacted strongly to similar
moves by the watchdog in the past. After a 12-day air war in June with Israel,
Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA. Strikes on Iran killed nearly
1,100 in Iran, including military commanders and nuclear scientists. After the
deal to resume inspections in September, the UN reimposed crushing sanctions on
Iran later that month through the so-called snapback mechanism contained in the
2015 Iran nuclear deal, drawing an angry response from Tehran and leading it to
halt implementation of the Cairo agreement.
Trump Peace Plan Leaves Ukraine Out of NATO, Gives Donbas
to Russia
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
US President Donald Trump's plan for ending the war in Ukraine would cede land
to Russia and limit the size of Kyiv's military, according to a draft obtained
Thursday by The Associated Press. The proposal, originating from negotiations
between Washington and Moscow, appeared decidedly favorable to Russia, which
started the war nearly four years ago by invading its neighbor. If past is
prologue, it would seem untenable for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
who has opposed Trump's previous calls for territorial concessions. A side
agreement aims to satisfy Ukrainian security concerns by saying a future
“significant, deliberate and sustained armed attack” by Russia would be viewed
as “threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community.”
The agreement, which was detailed by a senior US official who was not authorized
to publicly discuss the matter, does not obligate the United States or European
allies to intervene on Ukraine's behalf, although it says they would “determine
the measures necessary to restore security.”
Trump's push to end the war could drive a wedge between himself and European
leaders, who are likely to oppose any agreement that could be seen as rewarding
Russian President Vladimir Putin for his aggression, leaving him emboldened
rather than defeated.
For example, the proposal would not only bar Ukraine from joining NATO but would
also prevent the alliance's future expansion. Such a step would be a significant
victory for Moscow, which views NATO as a threat. Putin would also gain ground
he has been unable to win on the battlefield. Under the draft, Moscow would hold
all the eastern Donbas region, even though approximately 14% still remains in
Ukrainian hands. Ukraine's military, currently at roughly 880,000 troops, would
be reduced to 600,000.
The proposal opens the door to lifting sanctions on Russia and returning it to
what was formerly known as the Group of Eight, which includes many of the
world’s biggest economies. Russia was suspended from the annual gathering in
2014 following its annexation of Crimea, a strategically important peninsula on
the northern coast of the Black Sea that is internationally recognized as part
of Ukraine. Under the proposal, Russia would commit to
making no future attacks, something the White House views as a concession. In
addition, $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be dedicated to rebuilding
Ukraine. However, handing over territory to Russia would be deeply unpopular in
Ukraine. It also would be illegal under Ukraine’s constitution. Zelenskyy has
repeatedly ruled out such a possibility. Russia would also be allowed to keep
half of the power generated by Europe’s largest nuclear power plant,
Zaporizhzhia, which it captured from Ukraine early during the war. The draft
calls for a “Peace Council” that Trump will oversee. The council is an idea that
Trump snatched from his lengthy peace plan aimed at bringing about a permanent
end to war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. If either Ukraine or Russia
violated the truce once enacted, it would face sanctions.
Netanyahu Meets with His Cabinet to Discuss Rising Israeli
Settler Violence in the West Bank
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Israel's prime minister met with top security officials to assess a rising tide
of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, an Israeli official said Friday,
as he faces increasing US pressure to halt the flare-up that could undermine
Washington's peace plan for Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet late Thursday,
bringing together officials from the military, the country's domestic security
service Shin Bet and police to discuss the recent spike in violence, according
to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
permitted to talk about a closed-door meeting. The Prime Minister’s Office did
not immediately respond to request for comment about what was discussed at the
meeting. The Israeli official said there would be a follow-up meeting.
Washington is hoping Israel can contain the rising settler violence to avoid
jeopardizing the UN Security Council-approved US plan for Gaza, which authorizes
an international force to provide security and envisions a possible path to an
independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu has called the perpetrators “a handful
of extremists” and urged law enforcement to pursue them for “the attempt to take
the law into their own hands.” But rights groups and Palestinians say the
problem is far greater than a few bad apples, and attacks have become a daily
phenomenon across the territory. Israel’s government is dominated by far-right
proponents of the settler movement including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich,
who formulates settlement policy, and Cabinet minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who
oversees the nation’s police force. The UN
Humanitarian office reported that October saw the highest number of Israeli
settler attacks since it began tracking in 2006, with more than 260 incidents
causing injuries or property damage. That's on top of 2,660 settler attacks
recorded this year through the end of September. The security cabinet meeting
comes a day after Israel's Civil Administration announced plans to expropriate
large swaths of Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the West Bank. Peace
Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, said the site is around 1,800 dunams
(450 acres) — Israel’s largest seizure of archaeologically important land.
Separately, Israeli settlers celebrated the creation of a new, unauthorized
settlement near Bethlehem.
Israeli Military Says Killed '13 Hamas Terrorists' in Tuesday Lebanon Strike
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Israel's military on Friday said a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in
southern Lebanon earlier this week had killed "13 Hamas terrorists". Lebanese
authorities said Tuesday's strike on Ain al-Hilweh camp killed at least 13
people, without giving their identities.
"Thirteen Hamas terrorists were eliminated in a precise military strike
targeting the organization's training compound in southern Lebanon," the Israeli
army said in a statement. Those killed included "Jawad Sidawi, who was involved
in training terrorists in order to carry out terror attacks from Lebanese
territory" against Israel and its troops, the statement said. The Israeli army
did not immediately respond to an AFP request for the names of the 12 other
people killed in the strike. Israel's military "is operating against Hamas's
establishment in Lebanon and will continue to operate against Hamas terrorists
wherever they operate", it said. In a statement released Thursday, accompanied
by pictures of 13 young-looking men, Hamas described the strike as a "horrific
massacre that caused the deaths of several innocent civilian martyrs". On
Tuesday, the group denied it had military installations in Palestinian camps in
Lebanon and called Israel's claims "lies". The Israeli military released a video
of a strike hitting a building, but Hamas said that "the targeted site was an
open sports field frequented by the youth of the camp", and that "those targeted
were a group of young boys" on the field at the time.
The crowded Ain al-Hilweh camp, located on the outskirts of the coastal city of
Sidon, is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. Israel has kept up
strikes on Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreed last November that sought to halt
more than a year of hostilities with Hamas ally Hezbollah, including two months
of full-blown war.
Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinian Teens in Escalating West Bank Violence
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Israeli forces killed two Palestinian teenagers during an overnight raid on a
town near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, residents said, as
violence surges in the territory with a growing number of dead. Forces shot Sami
Ibrahim Mashaikha, 16, and Amr Khaled Al-Marboua, 18, in Kfar Aqab and both
later died of their wounds, according to the health ministry in the Palestinian
Authority. The Palestinian WAFA news agency reported that Israeli forces had
raided Kfar Aqab overnight, deploying forces to the streets and on top of the
town's buildings before opening fire. Asked for comment, the Israeli military
deferred to the Israel Border Police, a unit of Israel's national police, which
did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. While an October
10 ceasefire has largely ended the war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian
Hamas militants, the West Bank is experiencing increasing violence. Palestinians
have faced tightening military restrictions over the past two years, curbing
their freedom of movement. Attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers have also
escalated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he would meet with
cabinet ministers to ensure that Israelis involved in attacks on Palestinians
are brought to justice.
Food Supply Improving in Gaza since Truce but Long Way to Go, Says UN
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
More food supplies are getting into Gaza since the October ceasefire but are
still falling short of huge humanitarian needs as winter rains risk spoiling
delivered foodstuffs, the UN World Food Program said on Friday. "Things are
better than before the ceasefire, but we have a long way to go. Sustained
support is an important endeavour to help families rebuild their health, their
nutrition and their lives," WFP spokesperson Martin Penner told reporters in
Geneva via video link from the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of people
remain in urgent need of food assistance, according to the WFP. In August a
global food monitor said at least half a million people were experiencing famine
in parts of the coastal enclave. Earlier this week, Gaza was hit by heavy rain
that spoiled and washed away some food supplies that residents had been storing,
senior WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said. It was a sign of the challenges for
families as winter sets in, she added. Since a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire
took effect on October 10 after two years of war that demolished much of the
highly urbanized territory and caused a humanitarian disaster, the WFP has
brought 40,000 tons of food aid into Gaza. But it has met only 30% of its target
for food parcels - reaching around 530,000 out of 1.6 million people, due to
logistical issues getting supplies into the enclave earlier this month. However,
it said it is now starting to catch up. Though Gaza's markets are reviving, food
prices remain high for Palestinians, many of whom lost their income during the
war, with a chicken costing $25, meaning many are reliant on food aid, the WFP
said. It said a woman had told the WFP in Khan Younis that she did not take her
children to the market so they would not see all the food that's available, but
unaffordable. "If they go near the market, she tells them to cover their eyes,"
Penner stated.
Complicated Search for Three Hostage Bodies Casts Shadow on Gaza Deal
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Efforts to recover the bodies of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip have become
increasingly complicated, Palestinian factions say, after searches resumed
following a brief pause that produced no results and with Palestinian groups yet
to locate the remaining three bodies in their custody. Fighters from the Qassam
Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, were searching on Friday for one body in the
Zeitoun neighborhood south of Gaza City, accompanied by engineering equipment
and a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Islamic Jihad’s
armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, were simultaneously searching for another body
north of Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, with an engineering team and Red Cross
representatives. Sources from Hamas and other Palestinian factions told Asharq
Al Awsat that the operation has become more complex. They said mediators and the
United States were informed during ceasefire negotiations that the search for
the bodies would face difficult conditions and that field commanders were
struggling to reach at least four bodies. The sources said military field
leaderships had managed to pinpoint the location of one body, where attempts to
retrieve it continue in the Nuseirat area.
Another search is underway in Zeitoun for a second body, while the location of
the third remains unknown. They added there is limited confidence in the ability
to recover the three remaining bodies, though one might be found north of
Nuseirat. According to the sources, Israel attempted
to assassinate a commander overseeing the search for one hostage in Zeitoun,
which would have further complicated efforts. They
said another body is believed to be in northern Gaza in an area heavily
destroyed by Israeli forces, which carried out extensive bulldozing and multiple
strikes, making recovery extremely difficult. The factions say they remain in
constant contact with mediators on this issue and all matters related to the
ceasefire. Mediators appear to understand the complexity, the sources added,
while efforts continue to convince Washington of the situation. The United
States, they said, has conveyed this to Israel, stressing that searches will
continue but will require more time. The sources
stressed that Hamas and Palestinian factions are committed to the ceasefire
agreement and to handing over the bodies in their possession.
Israel is divided over the issue, the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported
on Friday. A senior Israeli official said there was a
real effort and a real difficulty in returning the bodies. Other Israeli sources
said Israel understands that Hamas’s willingness to return them has decreased.
Israeli officials said that despite the situation, the three remaining cases
were the most complicated of all the casualties. A source familiar with the
details said it was difficult to move forward, but he did not believe there was
deception or deliberate stalling on Hamas’s end. Israel insists the bodies be
returned and says the issue is not closed. It has conveyed a message to Hamas
that it will not leave any hostage in Gaza, as was the case after Operation
Protective Edge in 2014, according to the daily.
Recovery of Palestinian bodies
This comes as Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, announced that
starting Saturday, teams would begin the first phase of retrieving the bodies of
Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes from under the rubble.
Basal said the initial work would begin in Maghazi camp in central Gaza,
in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Egyptian
committee, the police and local municipalities. Thousands of appeals have been
received from families whose relatives remain trapped under collapsed buildings,
urging authorities to expedite recovery, he added. He noted that the operation
will proceed despite the lack of heavy machinery after most Civil Defense
equipment was destroyed by Israel. Israeli forces
continue to block the entry of heavy equipment needed for search and recovery.
Basal said there was an urgent humanitarian need for DNA testing facilities
because many victims remain unidentified.
Violations and casualties
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said at least 67 children have been
killed in conflict-related incidents since the ceasefire began on October 10.
Spokesman Ricardo Pires told reporters in Geneva that dozens more were
wounded, adding that on average, nearly two children have been killed every day
since the truce went into effect. On the ground, Israeli forces killed one
Palestinian and wounded six others in attacks carried out by ground vehicles and
drones in Khan Younis and Gaza City. Medical sources said a young man was killed
by Israeli vehicle fire in the Al-Tineh area south of Khan Younis, and several
bullets struck tents of displaced families in Al Mawasi. Two Palestinians were
also wounded by a drone in the Shujaiya neighborhood, while four children were
injured when a quadcopter drone dropped an explosive in the Al Salatin area
northwest of Beit Lahiya. Several areas east and west of the yellow demarcation
line set under the ceasefire agreement were hit by airstrikes, artillery fire
and drone attacks. Explosions caused by demolitions were also reported,
especially in Khan Younis, Gaza City and east of Al Bureij camp. The Israeli
army said it killed six fighters and arrested five others after they emerged
from two tunnel openings in Rafah, which has been under Israeli control for
months. The army said the incident occurred east of the city when the men
approached Israeli forces and posed a direct threat. Searches continue for
others. Army Radio said the incident happened in the Jneina neighborhood of
eastern Rafah, where it said the remaining Hamas operatives are concentrated in
the last tunnels. It added that fighters have begun
emerging gradually due to Israel’s operations there.
Israel’s public broadcaster said around 80 fighters remain trapped in the last
tunnels in Rafah. It said Hamas had previously tried, through mediators, to
secure a safe route for them to exit, but Israel insists they either surrender
or be killed. Channel 14 reported that Israeli forces operated near the tunnel
area and that twelve fighters emerged. Seven were killed, four retreated into
the tunnel, and one was arrested and transferred to the Shin Bet for
interrogation. The channel said intelligence assessments indicate that around 30
fighters are still inside, including what is believed to be a battalion
commander or deputy commander. No Palestinian sources confirmed Israel’s account
of the incident, though heavy gunfire was heard from Israeli helicopters
targeting areas in Rafah.
Israeli Peace Group Slams New Settlement in West Bank
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Israeli anti-settler organization Peace Now denounced the creation of a new
settlement, announced earlier by the Gush Etzion regional council in the south
of the occupied West Bank. Yaron Rosental, the president of the Gush Etzion
council, on Thursday morning announced the creation of a "new locality" near
Bethlehem, AFP reported. "Tonight, we established a
new locality at Shdema, near Bethlehem. For 5,000 years, the Jews have prayed to
return to Bethlehem and today we have achieved that," Rosental said in a video
circulated by his office. A spokesman for the regional council confirmed to AFP
that three mobile homes had been set up in the area and that families would move
in during the weekend.= Peace Now in a statement said: "The new outpost is
intended to choke the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour and block its development.
"There is no limit to the settlers' audacity in establishing outposts and
creating facts on the ground, utilising public funds while undermining Israel's
prospects for peace and a two-state solution."The Gush Etzion region has in
recent days seen multiple violent incidents involving settlers and Palestinian
residents. The flare-up follows the dismantling of a settler outpost by Israeli
authorities that regard it as illegal. All settlements in the West Bank are
illegal under international law. Excluding east Jerusalem, which was occupied
and annexed by Israel in 1967, some 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West
Bank, along with about three million Palestinian residents.
Iran Says New Framework Needed to Access Bombed Nuclear
Sites
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new approach should be taken for
the monitoring of the country's nuclear sites attacked in a recent war with
Israel. Tehran is under pressure from Western powers
to allow inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog into the facilities. "We need
a method or a framework for how to inspect those facilities," he said in an
interview with the British magazine The Economist, posted on his telegram
channel on Friday. "There are safety and security risks; there are unexploded
ordnance, missiles, and the like. There is also the risk of radiation," the
Iranian top diplomat stated.
He added that Iran was also receiving threats of attacks from the United States
should anyone got close to those facilities. In mid-June, Israel launched an
unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a 12-day war that the
United States briefly joined with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.
Following the war, Iran heavily restricted access of the UN nuclear watchdog's
inspectors to its nuclear sites. A few months later in September, an agreement
was reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in
Cairo to establish a framework for cooperation. That deal, however, was declared
invalid by Tehran last month when Britain, Germany and France triggered the
return of UN sanctions that had been lifted under a now-defunct 2015 nuclear
deal. On Thursday, the IAEA's Board of Governors approved a resolution,
demanding Tehran provide "full and prompt" cooperation including access to
sensitive nuclear sites. Iran in return, sent an official letter to the IAEA
reiterating that the Cairo Agreement was "null and void"."Given that the E3 and
the US seek escalation, they know full well that the official termination of the
Cairo Agreement is the direct outcome of their provocations," Araghchi said on X
on Friday. The 12-day war also derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran
and Washington that had begun in April, during which the two sides were at odds
over Iran's right to enrich uranium, which Tehran defends as "inalienable".
"Like the diplomacy which was assaulted by Israel and the US in June, the Cairo
Agreement has been killed by the US and the E3," Araghchi said in his X post.
Iran Stepping Up Harassment of Its Nationals in Germany, Says Opposition Group
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
Iranians living in Germany are facing increased harassment from Iranian security
services, including threats and pressure to inform on other exiles, German
authorities and an Iranian opposition group said. German intelligence services
have regularly reported Iranian pressure and spying conducted against exiled
groups in Germany and the main domestic intelligence agency, BfV, said in its
annual report last year that the danger remained high. The BfV set up a special
telephone line in 2024 for people to report on suspected cases of terrorism and
foreign espionage activity. "In recent months, there
has been an increasing number of reports related to Iran," it told Reuters in an
email in response to questions, but gave no detailed figures.
Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately reply to a request for
comment. Within Iran itself, rights groups and
activists have reported a crackdown on political dissent, with multiple accounts
of harassment, detention and other forms of pressure, especially since the
Israeli-US airstrikes in June, which destroyed much of Iran's aerial defense
capacity. Javad Dabiran, spokesperson for the National Council of Resistance of
Iran, an opposition group banned in Iran but with a strong presence abroad, said
he knew of more than 100 cases in Germany since the start of the year, adding
they usually involved pressuring people to inform on other Iranian exiles.
The cases reflect "an unprecedented intensification" in the activities of
Iranian intelligence services in Germany, he said. Germany is home to around
144,000 Iranians, according to the statistics office. Last month, the UN Special
Rapporteur on human rights cited "a growing pattern of transnational repression"
by Iranian authorities that targeted dissidents abroad through "intimidation,
surveillance, and threats".The NCRI cited cases in which it said its own members
had contacted the German police to report harassment.
In one case, a 40-year-old Iranian Christian in the western German city of Essen
said his siblings in Iran were contacted and threatened by the intelligence
services there after he participated in a demonstration in Brussels in
September.
Ukraine would cede territory to Russia in draft of Trump peace plan
Associated Press/November 21/2025
President Donald Trump's plan for ending the war in Ukraine would cede land to
Russia and limit the size of Kyiv's military, according to a draft obtained
Thursday by The Associated Press. The proposal, originating from negotiations
between Washington and Moscow, appeared decidedly favorable to Russia, which
started the war nearly four years ago by invading its neighbor. If past is
prologue, it would seem untenable for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
who has opposed Trump's previous calls for territorial concessions. A side
agreement aims to satisfy Ukrainian security concerns by saying a future
"significant, deliberate and sustained armed attack" by Russia would be viewed
as "threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community." The
agreement, which was detailed by a senior U.S. official who was not authorized
to publicly discuss the matter, does not obligate the United States or European
allies to intervene on Ukraine's behalf, although it says they would "determine
the measures necessary to restore security."Trump's push to end the war could
drive a wedge between himself and European leaders, who are likely to oppose any
agreement that could be seen as rewarding Russian President Vladimir Putin for
his aggression, leaving him emboldened rather than defeated. For example, the
proposal would not only bar Ukraine from joining NATO but would also prevent the
alliance's future expansion. Such a step would be a significant victory for
Moscow, which views NATO as a threat.
Putin would also gain ground he has been unable to win on the battlefield. Under
the draft, Moscow would hold all the eastern Donbas region, even though
approximately 14% still remains in Ukrainian hands. Ukraine's military,
currently at roughly 880,000 troops, would be reduced to 600,000.
The proposal opens the door to lifting sanctions on Russia and returning it to
what was formerly known as the Group of Eight, which includes many of the
world's biggest economies. Russia was suspended from the annual gathering in
2014 following its annexation of Crimea, a strategically important peninsula on
the northern coast of the Black Sea that is internationally recognized as part
of Ukraine.
Proposal increases pressure on Zelenskyy
The U.S. team began drawing up the plan soon after U.S. special envoy Steve
Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, according to
a senior administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and
spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that Umerov agreed to
the majority of the plan, after making several modifications, and then presented
it to Zelenskyy. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was also in Kyiv on Thursday
and discussed the latest draft with Zelenskyy, according to a senior
administration official. Zelenskyy offered a measured statement on social media
about it but did not directly speak to the substance of the proposal. "Our teams
— of Ukraine and the United States — will work on the provisions of the plan to
end the war. We are ready for constructive, honest and swift work," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has informed the
White House he'll leave his post in January, according to two senior
administration officials. Kellogg was initially named special envoy for Ukraine
and Russia during Trump's presidential transition. But his role shrunk as
Witkoff, a real estate developer turned diplomat, emerged as the president's
chief interlocutor with Putin and his advisers.
Trump would oversee compliance with truce
Under the proposal, Russia would commit to making no future attacks, something
the White House views as a concession. In addition, $100 billion in frozen
Russian assets would be dedicated to rebuilding Ukraine. However, handing over
territory to Russia would be deeply unpopular in Ukraine. It also would be
illegal under Ukraine's constitution. Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out such a
possibility. Russia would also be allowed to keep half of the power generated by
Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which it captured from
Ukraine early during the war. The draft calls for a "Peace Council" that Trump
will oversee. The council is an idea that Trump snatched from his lengthy peace
plan aimed at bringing about a permanent end to war between Israel and Hamas in
Gaza. If either Ukraine or Russia violated the truce once enacted, it would face
sanctions. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., an Air Force veteran, rejected the
emerging plan. "Unacceptable," he posted on social media. "It is a 1938 Munich,"
referring to a diplomatic agreement aimed at securing peace with Nazi Germany
but widely viewed as paving the way for World War II.
European diplomats urge wider consultations
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff have been quietly working on the
peace plan for a month, receiving input from both Ukrainians and Russians on
terms that are acceptable to each side, White House press secretary Karoline
Leavitt said Thursday. Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Putin,
have been key to drafting the proposal. As reports about the draft emerged,
blindsided European diplomats insisted they and Ukraine must be consulted.
European leaders have already been alarmed this year by indications that Trump's
administration might be sidelining them and Zelenskyy in its push to stop the
fighting. Trump's at-times conciliatory approach to Putin has fueled those
concerns, but Trump adopted a tougher line last month when he announced heavy
sanctions on Russia's vital oil sector that come into force Friday.
"For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board," European
Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said at the start of a meeting in
Brussels of the 27-nation bloc's foreign ministers. She also suggested that the
draft would be too favorable toward Moscow. "We haven't heard of any concessions
on the Russian side," Kallas said. German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul
said he talked by phone Thursday with Witkoff and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan
Fidan to discuss "our various current efforts to end Russia's war of aggression
against Ukraine and thus finally put an end to the immeasurable human
suffering."Ukraine's deputy U.N. Ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn told the U.N.
Security Council that Kyiv has officially received Trump's draft peace plan and
is ready "to work constructively," but she stressed Ukraine's "red lines.""There
will never be any recognition, formal or otherwise, of Ukrainian territory
temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as Russian," she said. "Our land
is not for sale.""Ukraine will not accept any limits on its right to
self-defense or on the size and capabilities of our armed forces, nor will we
tolerate any infringement on our sovereignty, including our sovereign right to
choose the alliances we want to join," Hayovyshyn added.
Trump has long pushed for end to war
It was not clear whether European foreign ministers had seen the peace plan,
which was first reported by Axios. Although they appeared caught by surprise,
some elements of the plan were not new. Trump said last month that the Donbas
region should be "cut up," leaving most of it in Russian hands. However, the
administration's previous diplomatic efforts this year to stop the fighting have
so far come to nothing. A summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska did not
result in a breakthrough over the summer, and plans for them to meet again in
Budapest, Hungary, did not come to fruition.Trump frequently complained that the
negotiations involving Ukraine were taking longer than other conflicts where he
helped mediate. "I thought that was going to be my easy one because I have a
good relationship with President Putin," he said this week. "But I'm a little
disappointed in President Putin right now."
Trump Lavishes Praise on New York's Mayor-elect Mamdani
at Warm White House Meeting
Asharq Al Awsat/November 21/2025
After months of trading insults, US President Donald Trump and incoming New York
City mayor Zohran Mamdani smiled at each other, swapped compliments and pledged
to collaborate on tackling crime and affordability in the nation's biggest city
at an unexpectedly friendly meeting at the White House on Friday.The political
opposites – a Republican billionaire and a young democratic socialist – have
clashed over everything from immigration to economic policy. But it was clear
the two forged a rapport in their first encounter. Mamdani, a 34-year-old state
lawmaker, stood by Trump's desk as the 79-year-old president smiled up at him
and patted him warmly on the arm, having only recently falsely caricatured
Mamdani as an antisemitic communist, among other jibes. "We agree on a lot more
than I would have thought," Trump said after letting journalists and cameras
into the Oval Office at the end of a private meeting with the mayor-elect. "We
have one thing in common: We want this city of ours that we love to do very
well." The meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump has sometimes embarrassed or
chastised visiting heads of state, far exceeded Trump's prediction earlier on
Friday that it would be "quite cordial."The men, two different generations of
New Yorkers, announced nothing new on policy except what seemed to be the launch
of an unexpected, politics-shifting professional friendship. "What I really
appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on
places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared
purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers," Mamdani said. Just 26% of
Americans say Trump is doing a good job at managing the cost of living,
according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Meanwhile, Mamdani, promising a freeze on
rents and free buses and childcare, was one of a slew of Democratic victors
around the country in elections earlier this month. It was among the most
deflating nights endured by Republicans this year, and Trump had not been
expected to enjoy the reminder through a visit by one of the most prominent
Democratic winners.
Yet the president, who found his fame as a New York real estate developer,
brightened at Mamdani's call for more housing in the city he will lead from
January 1. Trump was cheered to hear a chunk of New Yorkers who voted for him in
last year's presidential election had gone on to vote for Mamdani. "When we
spoke to those voters who voted for President Trump, we heard them speak of the
cost of living," Mamdani said. Trump, who says he is paying increasing attention
to affordability and inflation, said this made sense to him: "Some of his ideas
are the same ideas I have," Trump explained. "The better he does, the happier I
am."
MAMDANI, TRUMP LAUGH OFF THEIR PAST INSULTS
As Mamdani surged in the polls to victory on November 4, Trump issued threats to
strip federal funding from New York City. Mamdani has regularly criticized
Trump's promise to ramp up federal immigration enforcement efforts in a city
where four in 10 residents are foreign-born. In the weeks before they met, Trump
had labeled Mamdani a "radical left lunatic," a communist and a "Jew hater."
Mamdani has espoused Nordic-style democratic socialism, not communism. While a
staunch critic of Israel, he was endorsed by prominent Jewish politicians, is
bringing Jewish staff into his new administration, notably New York Police
Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and has repeatedly condemned antisemitism. And yet,
less than an hour after first meeting each other in person, Trump was repeatedly
coming to Mamdani's aid to fend off pointed questions from the press. The pair
laughed away some of their spicier insults as reporters reminded them of what
they had said about each other. "I've been called much worse than a despot,"
Trump said with a smile. "So it's not that insulting, but I think he'll change
his mind after we get to working together." Mamdani was asked if he still
considered Trump a fascist. "That's OK, you can just say 'yes'," Trump
interjected, swapping grins with Mamdani and patting his arm twice. "It's easier
than explaining it."
TRUMP DEFENDS MAMDANI AS 'A VERY RATIONAL PERSON'
Trump also defended the Uganda-born Mamdani, who will be New York City's first
Muslim mayor, from some of the Islamophobic slurs he has faced. One reporter
asked Trump if he believed he had "a jihadist" standing by him.
"No, I don't," Trump said as Mamdani looked on. "I met with a man who's a very
rational person." Some politicians and commentators were discombobulated by the
televised friendliness. At least a couple Republicans said they still did not
trust Mamdani, Trump's new approval notwithstanding. "What the heck just
happened?" US Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, wrote on
social media, sharing a clip of one of the meeting's Trump-Mamdani buddy
moments. Trump had repeatedly urged New Yorkers not to vote for Mamdani, warning
it would be a disaster for a city that is already portrayed as a crime-ridden
hellscape by conservative media, despite being among the safest big cities in
the country. After his first term as president, Trump decamped from Manhattan to
become a Florida resident.A reporter asked Trump if he would consider moving
back to the city of his birth with Mamdani running it.
"Yeah, I would," Trump said, "especially after the meeting."
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources on
November 21-22/2025
Ukraine: The Peace Mirage ...
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 21/2025
How long might the war in Ukraine last?
This was a question discussed and debated at a recent conclave in Paris of
historians and strategic experts from different backgrounds. The real answer not
given at the meeting was another question: how long is a piece of string?
The current phase started in February 2022 with what looked like a full Russian
invasion. But that was only a sequel to the invasion and occupation of the
Crimean Peninsula in 2014. That episode was itself a sequel to another
politico-military operation two years earlier to impose a Russian stooge as
President of Ukraine while pouring in Russian troops into Sevastopol to force
Kiev to sign a long lease for a Russian aero-naval base.
And all that is just recent history.
Ukraine’s trials and terrors followed what had been the pattern in broader
European history of long armed conflicts such as the 100 years and the 30 years
wars. In a continent torn apart by religious, sectarian, racial and dynastic
divisions, war was the rule and peace the exception. It was only in the 20th
century that Europe puffed the dream-pipe of relatively short wars.
As things stand today the war in Ukraine may last many more years. It has
already been factored in the overall pattern of global politics in the sense
that all those directly or indirectly involved have managed to minimize the
damage it does to their interests while maximizing the benefit they can draw
from it. Despite heavy human and material losses, the principal protagonists,
Russia and Ukraine, appear to be far from the threshold of pain that could force
either to raise the white flag.
Russia cannot win the war because President Vladimir Putin isn’t mental-ly
prepared to switch higher gear with a massive dose of boots on the ground.
Sticking to an air war, chiefly with use of drones, Russian generals cannot
offer the classical three Cs of war: conquer, cleanse and control. Even in the
25 percent of Ukrainian territory already seized none of those three Cs has been
fully achieved.
A similar fate happened to the Russian “special military operation” in Syria as
well.
There, too, years of carpet bombing transformed many Syrian cities into piles of
rubble while killing tens of thousands of civilians with-out granting Putin even
the ghost of a victory.
At the same time Russia cannot lose this war either. For that could mean the end
of Putin and Putinism.
There is also little chance of Ukraine being visited by a surprise “savior” to
get Russia off the hook with minimum loss of face like Ahmad al-Sharaa did in
Syria.
Despite repeated assertions by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine, too, is in
no position to either sign a blank cheque for Putin or to recapture territories
lost.
All in all, what could be called the cruising speed of this strange war may seem
suitable to all concerned. The US reasserts its position as the only
“indispensable power” capable of offering a game-changer when and where it
chooses.
China is benefiting from cut price Russian oil and gas while extending its
influence in Central Asia in the absence of the historical Russian rival.
The Europeans are also using the war as an excuse to launch a massive military
build-up while Russia continues to bleed in both real and metaphorical sense.
One sign that the European Union may be banking on a long war came this week
with the letter of intent signed by France to sup-ply up to 100 Rafale fighters
to Ukraine. Since the warplanes cannot be built and Ukrainian pilots trained in
less than three years, it is clear that Paris expects the war to continue at
least until 2029.
Yet, despite the grim tableau just painted talk of peace of at least an end of
the war hasn’t gone away.
According to some usually reliable sources the US, having ejected the idea of a
meeting between President Donald J Trump and Putin in Budapest is working on a
framework for talks aimed at halting the war. What that phrase might mean isn’t
quite clear.
However, if we accept the existence of a Trump method, as seen in sever-al
recent cases of halting military conflicts, the US may be seeking some-thing
between a ceasefire, which is by definition punctual and for a fixed period, and
full and lasting peace which may not be easy to achieve.
That “something in between” could be marketed as an armistice, a term with
enough historic and diplomatic credentials, to save the faces of all involved by
freezing the situation on the ground while negotiations on modalities of a
permanent settlement are arranged, without being subject to a time Guillotine.
There are indications that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have been
cast to do part of the footwork needed in that direction. Zelensky’s latest
talks with Erdogan appear to endorse that view while Putin, too, has obliquely
welcomed the Turkish intervention if only to ward off a charge of kowtowing to
Trump.
All that, however, may turn out to be nothing but another peace mirage. Yet the
US has at least two major cards to play to make it happen.
The first, supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missile has appeared and disappeared
in news bulletins like the Cheshire cat’s smile.
A decision to bring in the Tomahawks could be as much of a game-changer in this
war as Stingers to the Mujahedin was in Afghanistan in the 1980s. With a range
of up to 2,500 kilometers the missiles would put al-most all of “useful” Russia,
including Moscow and Saint Petersburg with-in range of attacks from Ukraine. (It
is just 762 kilometers from Kyiv to Moscow.)
The second card that Trump could play is to ignore the five years extension that
former President Joe Biden granted for the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
(SALT) that ended the arms race between the US and the then USSR saving the
latter from diplomatic loss of face and economic hardship.
The current dicey state of the Russian economy would make another arms race at
high-gear highly costly if not suicidal for Putin.
An American armistice scheme, that is to say a fishtail halt to the fighting
might tempt Putin for another reason: his old dream of decoupling the US and the
EU even on so crucial an issue as European security.
A mirage? Perhaps.
But one not to be totally ruled out.
Question: “What does the Bible say about
thankfulness/gratitude?”
GotQuestions.org/November 21/2025
Answer: Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. First Thessalonians 5:16-18
says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Did you catch that? Give thanks in
all circumstances. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally
flowing from our hearts and mouths.
Digging into the Scriptures a little more deeply, we understand why we should be
thankful and also how to have gratitude in different circumstances.
Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures
forever.” Here we have two reasons to be thankful: God’s constant goodness and
His steadfast love. When we recognize the nature of our depravity and understand
that, apart from God, there is only death (John 10:10; Romans 7:5), our natural
response is to be grateful for the life He gives.
Psalm 30 gives praise to God for His deliverance. David writes, “I will exalt
you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies
gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. O
Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the
pit. . . . You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and
clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my
God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:1-12). Here David gives thanks to
God following an obviously difficult circumstance. This psalm of thanksgiving
not only praises God in the moment but remembers God’s past faithfulness. It is
a statement of God’s character, which is so wonderful that praise is the only
appropriate response.
We also have examples of being thankful in the midst of hard circumstances.
Psalm 28, for example, depicts David’s distress. It is a cry to God for mercy,
protection, and justice. After David cries out to God, he writes, “Praise be to
the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my
shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I
will give thanks to him in song” (Psalm 28:6-7). In the midst of hardship, David
remembers who God is and, as a result of knowing and trusting God, gives thanks.
Job had a similar attitude of praise, even in the face of death: “The LORD gave
and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21).
There are examples of believers’ thankfulness in the New Testament as well. Paul
was heavily persecuted, yet he wrote, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance
of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14). The writer of Hebrews says,
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be
thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).
Peter gives a reason to be thankful for “grief and all kinds of trials,” saying
that, through the hardships, our faith “may be proved genuine and may result in
praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
The people of God are thankful people, for they realize how much they have been
given. One of the characteristics of the last days is a lack of thanksgiving,
according to 2 Timothy 3:2. Wicked people will be “ungrateful.”
We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is only
right to credit Him for “every good and perfect gift” He gives (James 1:17).
When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of
current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in
control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and
beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God,
and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).
Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
Saudi Arabia ‘Major Non-NATO Ally’, why now?
Mohammed El-Houni/The Arab Weekly/November 21/2025
This move is not merely symbolic, but a genuine attempt at the restructuring and
re-engineering of regional security.
This strengthened partnership may be the best response to regional chaos and a
bold step toward a peace based on strength, not illusions.
In a highly significant move, US President Donald Trump announced on November
18, 2025, during a lavish state dinner at the White House, the designation of
Saudi Arabia as a “Major Non-NATO Ally,” adding it to a list that now includes
20 countries, among them Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Japan, and South Korea. This
announcement, which coincided with the signing of an “historic strategic defence
agreement” with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is not just a formal exercise
as it reflects a fundamental shift in the nature of the US-Saudi partnership,
which has spanned more than eight decades. It expresses a clear desire by the
second Trump administration to reshape regional security, moving away from the
heavily constraining commitments of NATO, while strengthening joint deterrence
against growing threats.
To be clear, this designation is not a mutually-binding defence treaty in the
full legal sense, as in Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which makes an attack on
any one member-state an attack on all others. However, the deal grants Saudi
Arabia enormous advantages that are both practical and useful, such as
facilitating the purchase of advanced weapons, including F-35 stealth fighter
jets, which Trump agreed to sell to Riyadh without downgrading their
capabilities to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge, and the transfer of
military technology, the storage of American equipment on Saudi soil, priority
access to surplus military assets and concessional funding for joint research.
The new defence agreement goes even further: it considers any threat to Saudi
security a threat to American interests, and establishes a framework for joint
deterrence, and capability integration. It also lays the ground potentially for
joint bases and expanded intelligence sharing. This, in my view, is the closest
thing to a defence guarantee arrangement. It reflects Trump’s understanding of
geopolitical realism: the United States wants strong partners who share the
burden, not dependent subordinates.
But why now? The regional context is compelling. The Middle East is in turmoil:
repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and Red Sea shipping lanes,
evolving Iranian influence through proxies, and ongoing tensions in Gaza, Yemen
and Lebanon. At the same time, the United States is gradually withdrawing from
direct military engagement in the region, as seen in its partial exit from Iraq
and Syria. Against this background Saudi Arabia emerges as an ideal security
pillar: a wealthy regional power capable of financing its own defence, and a
country prepared to invest a trillion dollars in the American economy, as Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced during his visit to Washington, raising
investment commitments from 600 billion to one trillion.
This positioning also comes amidst intense international competition with China
and Russia, which are bolstering their influence in the Gulf through energy and
technology deals. Washington, under Trump, understands that losing Saudi Arabia
is not an option since Riyadh not merely an oil supplier, but a partner in
artificial intelligence, clean energy and critical minerals, among many other
fields.
From an historical perspective, this shift is quite logical. Since the meeting
between King Abdulaziz and President Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy in 1945,
the relationship has been built on the equation of “oil for security.” But the
world has changed. The United States has become the world’s largest oil
producer, and Saudi Arabia has launched Vision 2030 to diversify its economy.
Today, Saudi Arabia is not a follower, but an actor. It invests in the US,
participates in reshaping the Arab order, and demands a greater role on many
regional issues such as Palestine and Sudan. Designating it as a major ally
acknowledges this reality and places it on par with Israel and Egypt, thus
reinforcing its position as a leader of the Sunni Muslim world.
Is this a prelude to an “Arab NATO”? Perhaps. Talk of a regional defence
alliance comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan, and backed by the
US, is not new. This designation could be the first step toward a security
umbrella against Iran and terrorism threats, while also ensuring the security of
maritime routes. However, there might be challenges ahead with Israel fearing
loss of its military superiority despite Trump’s assurances, American human
rights criticism that Trump has once again ignored, and the difficulty of
politically uniting Arab positions.
In conclusion, this move is not merely symbolic, but a genuine attempt at the
restructuring and re-engineering of regional security. Trump, with his
characteristic pragmatism, is building alliances based on shared interests, not
emotions, and is giving Saudi Arabia the necessary tools to become stronger
hence promoting global stability. Saudi Arabia, in turn, is proving itself to be
an indispensable rising power. In a multi-polar world, this strengthened
partnership may be the best response to regional chaos and a bold step toward a
peace based on strength, not illusions.
**Mohammed El-Houni is the editor-in-chief of Al Arab.
Israel's silence over US' F-35 deal with Saudi Arabia is
strategy, not indifference -
Yaakov Katz/Jerusalem Post/November 21/2025
Jerusalem understands that everything announced this week is an inevitable part
of the trajectory toward a US-brokered Saudi normalization deal. Israel is ready
to bear the cost.
Imagine for a moment that someone other than Benjamin Netanyahu had been prime
minister this past week, a week during which the Saudis received an American
pledge to purchase fifth-generation stealth fighter jets and advanced civilian
nuclear capabilities, and a United States-led resolution supporting an
independent Palestinian state passed at the UN Security Council. How would
Netanyahu react in such a scenario? It is not hard to imagine. When the Yair
Lapid-Naftali Bennett government struck a maritime border agreement with Lebanon
in 2022, Netanyahu called it treason, a betrayal of Israel’s national security
interests, and vowed to overturn it the moment he returned to power. Three years
later, he has not reversed it. Another example: A year earlier, before Lapid and
Bennett formed their coalition, Netanyahu held secret talks with Ra’am party
chairman Mansour Abbas, attempting to bring him into a Likud-led coalition. When
the move failed and Abbas joined the so-called Change Government, Netanyahu
accused the coalition of being led by the Muslim Brotherhood and radical
Islamists. The fact that he himself had pursued the very same deal only months
earlier was dismissed as a detail.
Some people conclude from these episodes that Netanyahu is willing to take any
action, adopt any stance, or reverse any principle to stay in power. Others
argue that the opposition simply lacks the willingness to fight as ruthlessly as
he does.
The more sober truth is this: The current opposition is not prepared to burn
Israel’s most important strategic alliance – the one with the United States – in
exchange for a few days of headlines and the satisfaction of sticking it to
Netanyahu. It has red lines, and chief among them is not undermining Israel’s
security and diplomatic foundations for short-term political gain. Take the
government’s silence surrounding the Saudi F-35 deal, which is striking when
compared to past arms sales to Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s, Israel and AIPAC
waged a fierce battle to block the Reagan Administration’s sale of AWACS
surveillance aircraft to Riyadh. That clash went down as one of the toughest
confrontations in the history of US-Israel relations, testing the limits of
pro-Israel advocacy against a president widely viewed as friendly to the Jewish
state.
In 2007, Israel again tried to stop the Bush administration from selling smart
bomb kits – known as JDAMs – to the Saudis. The difference is that Saudi Arabia
in 2025 is not the Saudi Arabia of the 1980s or even of the 2000s. The kingdom
is no longer a distant regional player. It is a strategic partner for Israel.
Israelis travel to Riyadh on business; Israeli planes fly over Saudi airspace;
Saudi jets helped intercept Iran’s missile barrage last year; and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman speaks openly about “normalization.”
Moreover, even if approved, the Saudis will not receive their F-35s anytime
soon.
The UAE, which was promised F-35s as part of the Abraham Accords in 2020, is
still waiting more than five years later, after American concerns that the
advanced technology could reach China froze the deal. That same question will
hover over Riyadh as well.
That is why Israel’s quiet this week needs to be seen not as indifference but as
part of a strategy. First, like with the UAE, the Saudis’ delivery timeline will
stretch years and require congressional approval and Pentagon review. Details
can change, technology can be downgraded, and conditions can be inserted along
the way. Second, Jerusalem understands that everything announced this week – the
nuclear deal, the F-35s, and even the UN resolution advancing Palestinian
statehood – is an inevitable part of the trajectory toward a US-brokered Saudi
normalization deal. The silence in Israel illustrates that what we are seeing
now is not the final act but rather the opening scene.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, US law obligates Washington to preserve
Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME). If Saudi Arabia gets F-35s, Israel
will demand – and hopefully receive – a compensatory package of its own.
What Israel wants is already being discussed behind closed doors. One
possibility is access to platforms currently off-limits, such as the F-22
Raptor, long considered too sensitive to export. Another is participation at a
foundational level in developing future weapons platforms, such as the
next-generation US fighter jet unveiled recently by President Trump, called the
F-47.
A third option is a new long-term military aid package to replace the memorandum
of understanding (MOU) expiring in 2028. Israel is pushing for a 20-year
framework that includes financial assistance for purchasing US-made aircraft,
along with joint research and development (R&D) programs of future weapons
systems. That kind of cooperation would mark a shift from a buyer-supplier
relationship to a true strategic partnership, binding the US and Israel
technologically and operationally in ways that endure beyond who is in the White
House. The end result may be a mix of these options with advanced platforms,
development cooperation, and a long-term funding package. Either way, Israel has
decided not to publicly confront Washington and instead to keep its focus on the
potential of normalization while also maximizing what it can gain in return.
What we need to remember is that this moment is bigger than just fighter jets.
We are watching the potential contours of a new regional order emerging after
two years of war with Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
The question is not whether normalization will carry a price – it was going to,
always – but rather whether Israel will help shape this new order or merely be
forced into it.
Israel has a unique opportunity to benefit from what comes next. Yes, we will
need to be vigilant and make sure that the IDF’s qualitative edge is preserved,
but the F-35s in Saudi do not need to frighten the nation.
There is a bigger picture, and it is refreshing to see that the government in
Jerusalem understands it.
**The writer is a co-founder of the MEAD policy forum, a senior fellow at JPPI,
and a former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. His newest book is While
Israel Slept.
Selected Face Book & X tweets for November
21/2025
Makram Rabah
Good thing, Mr. Ashraf al-Moussawi, you didn’t go as far as calling him a
pharmacist running for the Pharmacists’ Syndicate. Nouh is the poster boy of
lawlessness, and none of these theatrical performances absolve you from cleaning
up the country from the most dangerous drug of all… Hezbollah’s weapons.
What’s with all this sudden “energy”? The state is on an arrest spree just days
after the Washington visit was canceled—as if the Americans are going to buy
this Greek tragedy
Ronnie Chatah
Youssef Raggi said the right thing on Sarelwa2et by calling for a meeting with
Iran’s foreign minister in a neutral country like Switzerland.
Negotiating all issues & defending Lebanon’s interests.
Proactive diplomacy that has been lacking from the ministry for decades.
Roger Bejjani
Congratulations for the State military and security services for their cracking
down on drug lords. It happens that all the drug lords belong to a given
community, and this has not led to civil war. Why would cracking down on
assassins, namely the assassins of Rafic Hariri and a plethora of others, would
lead to a civil war?
Is the crime of assassinating a milder one than the crime of drug trafficking?
Hashashin and Assassins come from the same source and they are one.
Roger Bejjani
The word "corrupt" is a tyranny on the scene.
You have to be mentally retarded to believe that countries like the United
States or Saudi Arabia build their policies based on cancans.
Roger Bejjani
That irresistible swing reflex is disgusting!
Who said the Shiites have to disappear? Nobody!!! Stop these lies. The terrorist
HZB must go and Safa must be arrested along with so many others before Nouh
Zeyater. He's afraid to say "Israel". He should have confirmed that Khartoum
declaration is dead and that Lebanon recognizes the state on its Southern
border. That would solve 80% of our problems. This tilt is disgusting.
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