English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 29/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets
and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you
hear, but did not hear it.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10/21-24:”At
that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and
the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was
your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no
one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then turning to the
disciples, Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you
see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”’
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 28-29/2025
Who is His Holiness Pope Leo XIV?/Elias Bejjani/November
27/2025
Video link of a highly important commentary by journalist Ali Hamadeh from the
"An-Nahar Newspaper" YouTube platform...A Must watched commentary
Hezbollah says has ‘right’ to respond to Israel’s killing of military commander
Hezbollah leader leaves open possibility of new war with Israel
Lebanese army boosts its presence along border with Israel, dismantling
Hezbollah posts
Lebanon complains to UN Security Council over Israeli walls in its territory
Raad: Barrack's paper is surrender and Egypt's proposal is 'thinking out loud'
Berri says Egypt FM conveyed no threat to Lebanon
Lebanese general says no side has presented evidence of arms entering South
Litani
What did Egyptian foreign minister propose in Beirut?
Salameh blames 'Shiite Duo' and FPM for banking collapse
British ambassador, environment minister inaugurate King Charles III Cedar Trail
Bassil says those in power exposing country to 'major war'
Histories of Hezbollah’s assassinated top military commander, likely candidates
to replace him/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/November 28/2025
The Missing Dimension: International Complicity in Lebanon’s Paralysis/Pierre A.
Maroun/Face Book/November 28/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
November 28-29/2025
Pope Leo urges Middle East Christians to
overcome divisions
Aura farming: Pope Leo’s Middle East debut ignites hope — and memes
On visit to Turkey, pope urges Turkey to embrace mediator role while lamenting
world conflicts
Deadly clashes in Beit Jinn: Israel kills 13 people in southern Syria village
Israel arrests ‘Islamic Jemaah’ suspects in Syria, Israeli military says
Syria’s Sharaa acknowledges ‘legitimate demands’ of Alawite protesters, stresses
national unity
Israel says nine more militants killed in Hamas tunnels
Israeli violence in West Bank under spotlight as Europeans denounce settler
attacks, UN ‘appalled’ at army shooting
UN condemns Israel's ‘brazen summary executions’ in West Bank
UN watchdog urges Israel to probe Gaza ‘torture’ claims
US envoy to Iraq blames ‘armed groups operating illegally‘ for Khor Mor attack,
pointing finger at pro-Iran militias
US National Guard shooting suspect to be charged with murder
Trump says US will permanently pause migration from all ‘Third World Countries’
UN urges US not to stigmatize Afghans after shooting
Australia lists Iran’s IRGC as state sponsor of terrorism over antisemitic
attacks
Putin says Russia will fight on unless Ukraine cedes land
Ukraine’s top peace negotiator quits after raid by anti-graft police
Ukraine, US talks on peace proposals to happen soon, Zelenskyy says
Tunisia court gives long prison terms to 40 opposition leaders, business and
media figures
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources on
November 28-29/2025
Qatar's Campus Conquest: Importing Muslim
Brotherhood Policies in a War for the Future of the West/Salah Uddin Shoaib
Choudhury/Gatestone Institute/November 28/2025
Question: “Is gluttony a sin? What does the Bible say about overeating?”/GotQuestions.org/November
38/2025
America’s AI Stack Needs an Israeli Upgrade/Leah Siskind/The National
Interest/November 28/2025
Trump targets the Muslim Brotherhood wisely — taking down its terror arms piece
by piece/David Adesnik/New York Post/November 28/2025
Fixing Putin’s plan ...Helping make Russia great again is not in America’s
interest/
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/November 28/2025
Gaza plan plants the seed of a fragile political transition/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab
News/November 28, 2025
Why Pope Leo’s visit to Turkiye is important/Dr. Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/November
28, 2025
Europe must stop squandering the power of its purse/Liesbeth Casier, Joren
Verschaeve & Chrisophe Deboffe/Arab News/November 28, 2025
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 28-29/2025
Who is His Holiness Pope Leo XIV?
Elias Bejjani/November 27/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/149615/
The Birth and Roots
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was born on September
14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, into a believing
Catholic family dedicated to prayer and Church life. He grew up in a home
accustomed to Mass attendance and parish service. His devout mother had a
significant influence on his spiritual formation, instilling in him a love for
the Church and an attachment to the Word of God from an early age. His Holiness
holds both American and Peruvian citizenship (since 2015).
Childhood and the Path of Faith
His childhood was marked by a close attachment to the Church and simple pastoral
service. He served as an altar boy in his local parish and participated in
activities assisting the poor and marginalized. Signs of a priestly vocation
appeared at a young age, and he became attached to the spiritual life and the
liturgy, spending long hours in meditation and prayer, which led his parish
priest to encourage him to pursue the call to the clergy.
Culture and Academic Credentials
He pursued his higher education at prestigious American Catholic universities,
where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University and a
Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union. He studied philosophy
and theology, earning advanced degrees in Canon Law (JCL and JCD) from the
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
He showed particular interest in the Eastern heritage and the Eastern Churches
and became familiar with Oriental spirituality, particularly Maronite
spirituality. He is proficient in English as his mother tongue, in addition to
Italian and Latin, and has extensive knowledge of biblical Greek and Aramaic.
Deaconate and Religious Order
He was ordained a deacon in the early 1980s, and then chose to join The Order of
Saint Augustine (O.S.A.), a religious order with a contemplative and prayerful
nature, where he spent years of religious formation and took his vows. Within
the Order, he distinguished himself with his calm and open spirit, and his
intellectual and administrative abilities, which led him to assume early
teaching, pastoral, and administrative roles. He later served as the Prior
General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013.
Positions He Held
Following his religious vows and priestly ordination, he held teaching positions
in theological institutes, then progressed to assume:
Prior General of the Augustinian Order (2001–2013).
Monastic responsibilities within his Order and managing pastoral and educational
institutions.
Service in South America: He served as a missionary in Peru, where he was the
Bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo (from 2015 to 2023) and the Apostolic
Administrator of the Diocese of Callao (until 2023).
Subsequently, he joined Church work closely connected to the Vatican Curia,
serving as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical
Commission for Latin America (from 2023 until his election as Pope). He
participated in initiatives to support suffering Churches and dossiers on
inter-church and Christian-Islamic dialogue.
Priestly and Administrative Advancements
Priest: June 19, 1982.
Bishop: December 2014.
Archbishop: After years of episcopal service.
Cardinal: He was chosen for this rank on September 30, 2023, due to his
theological experience and deep interest in the Middle East, serving as a
Cardinal on essential files concerning Eastern affairs, Eastern Churches, and
interreligious dialogue.
His Qualities in Pastoral Service
Pope Leo XIV is known for being close to the people, simple in his dealings, and
averse to pretense and ostentation. He tends to listen before passing judgment
and believes that the Church is a house of healing for the wounded, not an
institution of superiority. He also pays great attention to youth and the social
and humanitarian role of the Church, blending liturgical conservatism with
openness to cultural and spiritual dialogue.
Personal Characteristics
Humility and a clear spirit of prayer
Theological wisdom and ability for profound dialogue
A calm yet firm reformatory vision
Love for peace and building bridges between peoples
A special attachment to Oriental spiritualities and contemplative silence
His Achievements
Establishing initiatives to support the suffering Churches in the Middle East
Promoting Ecumenical and Christian–Islamic Dialogue
Supporting studies of Eastern heritage and Oriental spiritualities
Launching educational programs for youth in several countries
His Election as Pope of the Catholic Church
The American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Successor of Saint
Peter on May 8, 2025, taking the name Leo XIV, in a move that reflected the
desire of the Holy See to promote dialogue and peace, support the Churches in
the Middle East, and stimulate the process of spiritual and pastoral reform
within the universal Church.
The Anticipated Visit to Lebanon and His Spiritual Connection to Saint Charbel
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a historic visit to Lebanon, a visit
awaited by the Lebanese due to its spiritual and national importance amid the
country's circumstances.
1. Lebanon as a Message During his anticipated visit, the Pope will affirm that
Lebanon is not merely a country, but a message founded on freedom, coexistence,
and respect for humanity. His speeches are expected to carry messages of support
for spiritual, religious, and civil institutions in Lebanon.
2. Supporting Christians in Lebanon His Holiness places great importance on the
steadfastness of Christians in Lebanon and their role in protecting the unique
Lebanese model. His visit will be an occasion to renew the solidarity of the
universal Church with them and to call for the protection of their presence and
mission.
3. Annaya and Saint Charbel — A Key Stop in the Visit Program Pope Leo XIV holds
a special spiritual relationship with Saint Charbel Makhlouf, whom he considers
a “symbol of hope, silence, and prayer in a troubled world.” According to the
official program, His Holiness will visit the Monastery of Saint Maron - Annaya
to spend time in prayer and contemplation at the tomb of Saint Charbel, seeking
his intercession for Lebanon and the world. This stop, although not yet
materialized, is considered one of the most prominent points of the anticipated
visit because it reflects the depth of the link between the Holy See and
Lebanese spirituality.
A Prayer for Christians and Peace in Lebanon
O Lord of peace and mercy, We bow before your greatness and raise Lebanon and
its people to you, especially the Christians who carry the roots of faith and
the message of witness. Illuminate their hearts with strength from you, Protect
them from fear and division, And grant them the courage of steadfastness and the
hope of the Resurrection. Bless Lebanon with its mountains, plains, and seas,
Spread the spirit of peace throughout its regions, And fill its homes with
tranquility and love. By the intercession of Saint Charbel and all the saints,
We ask you to heal our blessed country, And that it may transform into a land of
light, glory, and coexistence.
Video link of a highly important commentary by
journalist Ali Hamadeh from the "An-Nahar Newspaper" YouTube platform...A Must
watched commentary
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/149674/
A scientific, documented, national, sovereign, bold, and explicit description of
the catastrophic Lebanese situation, which is being caused with debauchery and
immorality by the terrorist and Persian Hezbollah, the enemy of Lebanon and the
Lebanese people.
Hamadeh revealed that the Israeli war is inevitable because Hezbollah refused to
hand over its weaponry to the Lebanese State, and that this terrorist and
criminal Iranian proxy is merely detached from reality and is dragging Lebanon
and its Shiite environment toward suicide.
Hezbollah says has ‘right’ to respond to Israel’s
killing of military commander
AFP/28 November/2025
Hezbollah’s leader on Friday said the group had the right to respond to Israel’s
assassination of its top military chief in a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs
last week.
In a televised speech, Naim Qassem called the killing of Haytham Ali Tabtabai “a
blatant aggression and a heinous crime,” adding that his group had “the right to
respond, and we will determine the timing for that.”Qassem insisted that the
Iran-backed group has respected the November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end
over a year of hostilities with Israel, calling for an end to persistent Israeli
strikes on the country. Tabtabai was in a meeting with four of his aides “to
prepare for future actions” when he was struck, Qassem said. He was the most
senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since the truce, during which
Israel has kept up strikes and said it has targeted numerous members of the
group. His assassination came as Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon,
vowing that it would not allow Hezbollah to rearm.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
Corps called for “revenge” after Tabtabai’s killing.
Hezbollah leader leaves open possibility of new war with Israel
Reuters/November 28, 2025
BEIRUT: The head of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said on Friday it retained
the right to respond to Israel’s killing days ago of its top military commander
and left open the possibility of a new conflict with Israel. Naim Qassem spoke
in a televised address as fears grew in Lebanon that Israel could escalate its
bombardment of the country to compel Hezbollah to relinquish its arsenal across
the country, which the group has repeatedly rejected. Israel’s killing of
Hezbollah’s top military commander Haytham Ali Tabtabai in a strike on Beirut’s
southern suburbs on November 23 sharpened those worries. Qassem said the group
would “set the timing” for any retaliation, and said threats of a broader air
campaign had no impact on the group — but that renewed war was possible. “Do you
expect a war later? It’s possible sometime. Yes, this possibility is there, and
the possibility of no war is also there,” Qassem said.
Qassem did not explicitly say what the group’s position would be in a new war
but said Lebanon should prepare a plan to confront Israel that relies on “its
army and its people.” Qassem also said he hoped Pope Leo’s upcoming visit to
Lebanon “will play a role in bringing about peace and ending the (Israeli)
aggression.” Lebanon is under growing pressure from both Israel and the United
States to more swiftly disarm Hezbollah and other militant groups across the
country. Moments after Qassem’s speech ended, Israeli military spokesperson
Avichay Adraee said the Lebanese army’s efforts to seize Hezbollah weapons in
the country’s south were “inadequate.”“Hezbollah continues to manipulate them
and work covertly to maintain its arsenal,” Adraee said in a post on X.But
Hezbollah has said it is unwilling to let go of its arms as long as Israel
continues its strikes on Lebanese territory and its occupation of five points in
the country’s south.
Lebanese army boosts its presence along border with
Israel, dismantling Hezbollah posts
AP/November 28, 2025
ZIBQIN VALLEY, Lebanon: The Lebanese army has intensified its efforts in areas
along the border with Israel, in the volatile area that witnessed the 14-month
war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Parts of the zone south of
the Litani River and north of the border with Israel were formerly a Hezbollah
stronghold, off limits to the Lebanese national army and UN peacekeepers
deployed in the area. But since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Hezbollah war a
year ago, Lebanon’s army has boosted its presence along the border to nearly
10,000 troops, closed 11 crossing points used for smuggling along the Litani
River, and is dealing with huge amounts of unexploded ordnance, according to
several senior army officers. The army took dozens of journalists from local and
international media outlets Friday on a tour of the rugged area along the
border. Its troops could be seen in places where Hezbollah once had a heavy
military presence. Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since the
November 2024 ceasefire, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but 127 civilians
have also been killed, according to the office of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights. Hezbollah has only claimed responsibility for an attack on an
Israeli military post since last November. The group maintains it no longer has
an armed presence south of the Litani River, close to the border.
Hezbollah rejected disarmament plan
Hezbollah refuses to discuss full disarmament across Lebanon until Israel stops
its attacks and withdraws from five hilltop points that it captured during the
war and still holds. 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. In August, the Lebanese government voted in favor of a US-backed plan
to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah rejected the plan. In recent weeks, Israel has
said that Hezbollah is working on rebuilding its capabilities in south Lebanon.
“The Lebanese army is making tremendous efforts during this critical period in
the history of the region,” said Brig. Gen. Nicolas Thabet, Lebanese army
commander in the sector south of the Litani River. The journalists were taken
Friday to Zibqin Valley, where Hezbollah once had rocket launchers, tunnels and
posts hidden in the bushy region. There was no presence of the militant group
and its former posts were either struck or now controlled by Lebanese troops. A
nearly 100-meter (328 feet) tunnel inside a mountain, used by Hezbollah in the
past, contained what appeared to be a small medical clinic, a ventilation
system, power cables, water tankers and large amounts of canned food. Zibqin
Valley is where munitions in an arms depot exploded in August, killing six army
experts who were dismantling them. “We will not abandon our goals no matter what
the difficulties are,” said Thabet, adding that “the army is making major
sacrifices” in one of “the most dangerous parts of the Middle East.” Weapons and
tunnels discovered Army officers told journalists that there have been 5,198
violations by Israel since the ceasefire, including 657 airstrikes. They added
that 13,981 housing units were destroyed by the war, in addition to the damage
done to infrastructure in border villages. They said that some of the weapons
and ordnance they found were dismantled or ,detonated while others have been put
in storage. Weapons that can be used are taken by the army, they said. The
officers added that the army now has 200 posts south of Litani River, in
addition to 29 fixed checkpoints, and it operates patrols around the clock. On
Sept. 5, the army strengthened its efforts in the region after the government’s
decision to disarm Hezbollah. Since then, troops have discovered 74 tunnels, 175
rocket launchers and 58 missiles. Thabet said the army does not enter homes to
search them without a judicial order and only do so if they witness illegal
activities as they’re taking place.
Lebanon complains to UN Security Council over Israeli
walls in its territory
Naharnet/November 28/2025
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday submitted a complaint to the
U.N. Security Council regarding Israel's construction of two concrete walls
inside Lebanese territory. In a statement, the Ministry said that it "submitted,
through Lebanon's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, a
complaint to the Security Council in response to Israel's new and serious
violation of Lebanese sovereignty, adding to its numerous and ongoing
violations.”“This violation consists of the construction of two T-shaped
concrete separation walls southwest and southeast of the town of Yaroun, within
the internationally recognized Lebanese borders. The construction of these
walls, the presence of which has been documented by UNIFIL forces, leads to the
encroachment on additional Lebanese land and constitutes a violation of
Resolution 1701 (2006) and the 2024 Declaration of Cessation of Hostilities,"
the Ministry added.
In its complaint, Lebanon called upon the Security Council and the U.N.
Secretariat to take urgent action to deter Israel from its violations of
Lebanese sovereignty, compel it to remove the two walls, and immediately
withdraw south of the Blue Line from all areas it still occupies within Lebanon,
including the five border hills. Lebanon also demanded that Israel refrain from
imposing what it calls buffer zones within Lebanese territory, respect its
obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions,
and allow the return of Lebanese civilians to their border villages. The
Lebanese government also reiterated in the complaint its “readiness to engage in
negotiations with Israel to end the occupation and halt the attacks.”Lebanon
also outlined in its complaint the efforts undertaken by the Lebanese Army to
implement the national plan aimed at monopolizing weapons under state control
and strengthening its deployment south of the Litani River, in coordination with
UNIFIL and the ceasefire monitoring committee. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister
Youssef Raji affirmed that “Lebanon has entered a serious reform phase based on
the state’s monopoly on weapons and the consolidation of sovereignty over all
its territory,” stressing that “the presence of any armed groups in Lebanon
outside the authority of the state is no longer acceptable.”Raji’s remarks came
during his participation in the Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting
held in Barcelona. In his address to the meeting, he emphasized “Lebanon’s
commitment to stability and security in the region” and thanked Spain and the
European Union for their continued support of Lebanon. Raji also noted
“Lebanon’s openness to reactivating the 1949 Armistice Agreement” and called on
the international community to pressure Israel to cease its daily violations and
attacks on civilians and UNIFIL forces, and to withdraw completely from the
occupied territories. He also called for supporting the Lebanese Army and
strengthening its capabilities, and for the reconstruction of the affected
border areas as a basic condition for stability.
Raad: Barrack's paper is surrender and Egypt's proposal is
'thinking out loud'
Naharnet/November 28/2025
The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc MP Mohammad Raad has said that
Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah military chief Haitham Tabatabai and his
companions was a “targeting of entire Lebanon -- the state, the army, the
resistance and the people.”“It is their right and duty all to act in a manner
that halts the Zionist violation of the country. Coordination and integration
impose themselves on everyone and no one can disavow their national duties,”
Raad added, in an interview with the al-Modon news portal. “The useful stance
that we call for and encourage is compelling the enemy to halt hostilities and
withdraw, and after that the border issues can be discussed, and we’re clearly
against any political negotiations with the enemy,” Raad said. He added that
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s latest paper had blatantly disregarded the 2024
ceasefire agreement and “gone far in calling on Lebanon to surrender and
normalize with the Zionist enemy.” As for the reports about an Egyptian
initiative, Raad said Hezbollah learned of its details in an indirect manner.
“It is clearly driven by the Egyptian brothers’ good intentions, but it seems to
be a preliminary proposal or as the Lebanese say ‘an idea spoken out loud,’”
Raad added. Asked about Hezbollah’s relation with President Joseph Aoun, the
Hezbollah lawmaker said it is one that is “based on clarity and frankness.”“To
Mr. President, Hezbollah is a national component, it is not terrorist as the
U.S. administration labels it, and it has a recognized role in liberating
Lebanon from Zionist occupation,” Raad added. As for the relation with Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam, Raad said it is a “no clash and no harmony” relation,
adding that it is subject to “the seriousness of the governmental performance
and how much it serves the national interest.”
Berri says Egypt FM conveyed no threat to Lebanon
Naharnet/November 28/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri denied, in remarks published Friday in ad-Diyar
newspaper, that Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned Lebanon about an
imminent escalation as he met with Lebanese leaders in Beirut Thursday. "No
threat was conveyed to us," Berri said, adding that the threats are coming from
Israeli media and not from visiting envoys. Local media reports had claimed that
Abdelatty warned Lebanese officials of a new Israeli war on Lebanon. "The
Israelis have been threatening for weeks about a deadline (to disarm Hezbollah
by the year end) but no envoy has officially warned us of an imminent war,"
Berri said. The Speaker also told ad-Diyar that Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil has
learned during a visit to Tehran that there are currently no talks between Iran
and the United States that could affect Lebanon.
Lebanese general says no side has presented evidence of
arms entering South Litani
Naharnet/November 28/2025
The commander of the South Litani sector of the Lebanese Army, Brigadier General
Nicolas Tabet, announced Friday that the army does not coordinate with any local
party in carrying out its operations within the South Litani region. During a
tour for journalists in the South Litani sector, Tabet emphasized that
coordination is exclusively with the Army Command and that there has been "zero
objection" from residents to the army's operations in the area. “No side has
provided any evidence of any weapons entering the area south of the Litani
River, and the army's plan does not include entering homes so far except in
cases of flagrant offenses,” Tabet added. Tabet also revealed that the army has
completed 80% of its mission in South Litani without any domestic obstacles,
adding that the army does not intend to ask for an extension of the year-end
deadline specified for the disarmament of the sector. As for the homes that were
recently targeted in south Lebanon after evacuation orders, Tabet said most of
the homes were civilian homes, noting that the army had communicated with the
ceasefire committee in order to inspect the properties prior to Israel’s
“insistence” on targeting those homes. Tabet noted that the army has conducted
30,011 missions in the South Litani region to date and is currently deployed in
200 positions along the border. The army also presented a summary of its field
operations, explaining that it has dealt with 177 tunnels since the
implementation of the "Homeland Shield" plan to restrict weapons possession,
closed 11 crossings on the Litani River, and seized 566 rocket launchers. The
army also indicated during the tour that the Israeli army has violated the Green
Line (the 1949 truce line) in the town of Rmeish by approximately 2,000 square
meters.
What did Egyptian foreign minister propose in Beirut?
Naharnet/November 28/2025
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty carried to Beirut a proposal involving
a declaration by Hezbollah that it accepts to hand over its weapons south and
north of the Litani River, Lebanon’s al-Binaa newspaper reported on Friday. The
suggestion also entails an announcement by Israel that it would withdraw from
two of the five occupied hills, after which negotiations would kick off in Cairo
with Arab and international sponsorship in order to reach a Gaza-like agreement,
the daily said. In an interview published Friday, the head of Hezbollah’s
parliamentary bloc MP Mohammad Raad called the Egyptian proposal preliminary and
an attempt to “think out loud.”
Salameh blames 'Shiite Duo' and FPM for banking collapse
Naharnet/November 28/2025
Former Central Bank governor Riad Salameh asserted in an interview with Al-Arabiya
Business that he has become a “scapegoat” for the financial crisis that has
plagued Lebanon in recent years, denying any connection to depositors' losses or
the collapse of the banking sector. Salameh stated that he is not implicated in
any of the legal cases pending in Lebanon, France, or any other European
country, noting that the Syrian war cost Lebanon $25-30 billion. Salameh added
that he took office in 1993 with over $20 million in personal wealth, noting
that in 2021 he requested a comprehensive audit of his accounts, and that "no
evidence of any illicit funds was found."
“What happened was a conspiracy that began in 2015,” Salameh said.
He indicated that what he faced was “not an ordinary legal case” but rather “a
coordinated political conspiracy” that, according to him, began in 2015, “aimed
at striking the banking sector and dismantling financial structures designed to
protect the Lebanese pound.”He added: “Me being used as a scapegoat was part of
a broader political and economic scheme,” noting that the collapse that occurred
in 2019 was preceded by “organized campaigns” orchestrated by partisan entities
with political agendas. Salameh believes that the banking collapse the country
has witnessed in recent years “was not solely a result of decisions made by the
Central Bank of Lebanon,” but rather due to “the government of the Shiite Duo
and the Free Patriotic Movement, which adopted unsustainable financial
policies,” as he put it.
Salameh also emphasized that “government policies, uncontrolled spending, and
the obstruction of reforms” formed the basis of the financial explosion that
wiped out the savings of the Lebanese people. Moreover, Salameh denied that he
or the Central Bank of Lebanon were directly responsible for Lebanese citizens
losing their deposits, stating that "the Central Bank's financial engineering
contributed for years to protecting the economy, and the collapse occurred when
the state defaulted on its debts."
He explained that all ongoing investigations in several European countries "do
not include any convictions," and that the files are still "under review,"
noting that his name "is being used in Lebanese political debates and not in any
clear legal proceedings."
Salameh indicated the possibility of depositors' funds being returned as long as
banks do not declare bankruptcy, revealing that a Western plan had been proposed
to bankrupt some banks and establish new ones. He pointed out that he issued a
circular between 2017 and 2020 to repatriate a portion of the funds that had
left the country.
British ambassador, environment minister inaugurate King
Charles III Cedar Trail
Naharnet/November 28/2025
British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell and Minister of Environment Tamara
al-Zein have inaugurated the “King Charles III Cedar Trail”, a new reforestation
and eco-tourism initiative in the Shouf Biosphere Reserve. The event was
attended by Noura Jumblat, the mayors and makhateer of Ain Zahalta, Bmahray and
Mokhtara, the head of the reserve committee Faisal Abu Ezzeddine, and the
reserve's staff. The trail, named to mark King Charles III’s coronation in May
2023, features 96 cedar trees planted to celebrate of the UK-Lebanon friendship.
"The trail reflects the UK’s enduring commitment to Lebanon’s environmental
resilience," a British embassy statement said. The cedar tree, Lebanon’s
national emblem and a symbol of fortitude and resilience, stands at the heart of
this initiative. The trail ranges from 1,300 to 1,800 meters elevation and
connects to the iconic Lebanon Mountain Trail, offering hikers a rich
biodiversity experience and a tangible link to Lebanon’s natural heritage. The
project was funded by the UK Government’s Climate Diplomacy Fund, which supports
global leadership on climate action and is dedicated to helping partner
countries unlock sustainable energy solutions.
In September, the UK supported the launch of Lebanon’s National Renewable Energy
Action Plan (NREAP 2025–2030) which provides a strategic roadmap for Lebanon’s
renewable energy ambitions and implementation priorities for the coming years.
The project also builds on the legacy of the Queen Elizabeth II Cedar Trail,
established in 2016, where 90 young cedar trees were planted to commemorate the
late queen's 90th Birthday. In November 2022 and in memory of the late queen,
another cedar tree was planted, as a continuation of The Queen’s Green Canopy
initiative. British Ambassador Cowell said: “The King Charles III Cedar Trail is
a powerful symbol of the enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and
Lebanon. It reflects our shared commitment to climate action, biodiversity, and
the preservation of Lebanon’s iconic natural heritage. As we look ahead, this
trail stands as a living testament to our partnership and our joint efforts to
build a greener, more resilient future.”Minister of Environment al-Zein said:
“We are proud to partner with the United Kingdom on this meaningful initiative.
The Cedar tree is not only our majestic national tree, but also a symbol of hope
and steadfastness. The King Charles III Cedar Trail strengthens our
environmental cooperation and highlights Lebanon’s commitment to reforestation
and climate resilience. We thank the UK for its continued support.”Head of the
Reserve Committee Faisal Abu Ezzeldin said: “Today we inaugurate the King
Charles III Trail at the Shouf Biosphere Reserve’s Ain Zhalta–Bmohray Cedar
Forest entrance. This new route established with UK support complements existing
trails, including the nearby Queen Elizabeth II Trail, and celebrates Lebanon’s
rich natural heritage. Developed with local communities, these trails blend
history and geography, enhancing the Reserve’s identity as a sanctuary of
beauty, biodiversity, and peace.”
Bassil says those in power exposing country to 'major war'
Naharnet/November 28/2025
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has warned that “the country is
facing significant challenges and dangers.” “Those who promised the people
reform and sovereignty are not implementing anything, and no one believes them,
neither domestically nor internationally,” said Bassil during an annual FPM
dinner in Beirut. He added: “Their policies are exposing the country to a major
coming war, because they are not being honest with the foreign forces about
their capabilities, nor are they being honest inside the country about their
promises.”“The country will pay the price for their false promises,” Bassil
lamented.
Histories of Hezbollah’s assassinated top military
commander, likely candidates to replace him
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/November 28/2025
On Sunday, September 23, 2025, an Israeli airstrike targeted the third and
fourth floors of a residential building on Al Arid Street in the Haret Hreik
neighborhood of Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburbs with three missiles. The
strike killed Hezbollah’s de facto chief of staff, Haitham Ali Tabatabai, and
four other Hezbollah operatives—Qassem Hussain Berjawi, Mustafa Asaad Berro,
Rifaat Ahmad Hussain, and Ibrahim Ali Hussain—and wounded 28 people.
It was Israel’s first strike on Beirut since June 5, 2025, when it targeted a
Hezbollah drone production facility. It was also the most high-profile
assassination of a Hezbollah figure by the Israelis since the November 27, 2024,
ceasefire went into effect.
Who was Tabatabai?
According to Hezbollah, Haitham Ali Tabatabai, aka Abu Ali Tabatabai, was born
on November 5, 1968, in Bashoura, a neighborhood of Beirut just south of the
Grand Serail seat of government and Nejmeh Square. According to some sources,
his father was an Iranian, while his mother was Lebanese.
Tabatabai’s official eulogy says he joined “the ranks of the Islamic Resistance
at their foundation and underwent several military and command training
courses.” Hezbollah posthumously credited Tabatabai, 57 years old at the time of
his death, with “over 40 years of secret jihadist activity.” However, as
Hezbollah’s official genesis dates to June 1982, when Tabatabai would have been
13, it is likelier that he joined its ranks sometime in the mid to late 1980s,
which would place him on the cusp between the organization’s founding and second
generations.
From there, Tabatabai gradually rose in the organization’s ranks. Hezbollah
claims he had a “central role in repelling the ‘Israeli aggression’ against
Lebanon in 1993 and 1996,” referring, respectively, to Israel’s Operation
Accountability and Operation Grapes of Wrath against Hezbollah. The group’s
eulogy, however, does not elaborate on Tabatabai’s specific role during those
two conflicts.
During the 1990s, Tabatabai also commanded more routine operations against
Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Between 1996 and May 25, 2000 (the date of
Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon), he was given command of operations in
the Nabatieh Sector of south Lebanon. Tabatabai was also one of the operational
commanders of Hezbollah’s October 7, 2000, cross-border raid in the Har Dov/Shebaa
Farms, in which three Israeli soldiers were ambushed and kidnapped. The
Hezbollah squad conducting the operation hit the Israeli patrol with a rocket,
entered Israeli territory in a Range Rover after blasting a hole in the frontier
fence, seized the captive soldiers, and quickly returned to Lebanon. The three
soldiers’ bodies were returned to Israel in a prisoner swap on January 29, 2004.
Subsequently, Tabatabai was given command of Hezbollah’s Khiam Sector between
November 2000 and 2008. During that time, he commanded the group’s operations
there during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War.
After the assassination of Hezbollah’s then-Chief of Staff Imad Mughniyeh on
February 12, 2008, Tabatabai took command of Hezbollah’s strike forces, which he
reorganized as the Radwan Force commando unit, named in honor of the fallen
Mughniyeh. Tabatabai then set about improving the Radwan Force’s capabilities.
When the Syrian Civil War broke out, Hezbollah said Tabatabai was among
Hezbollah’s commanders who planned and led operations against Islamic State and
Al Nusrah Front militants “on Lebanon’s eastern borders.” This detail suggests
that Tabatabi played a key role in Hezbollah’s involvement in the 2017 Battle of
Arsal.
Hezbollah says that in subsequent years, Tabatabai was “tasked with senior
leadership roles within the [Iran-led] Resistance Axis on various fronts,”
without specifying the nature or location of those roles. The statement on
Tabatabai’s assassination issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), however,
says that he also “commanded Hezbollah’s operations in Syria,” including
“strengthening Hezbollah’s entrenchment in th[at] country.”
Strengthening the IDF’s claim, Tabatabai was one of the intended targets of the
Mazraat Amal airstrike in Syria’s Quneitra on January 18, 2025. The strike
killed six Hezbollah operatives, including Jihad Mughniyeh and field commander
Mohammad Issad, plus Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier
General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi. At the time, Tabatabei was erroneously assumed
to have been killed in the explosion. Hezbollah has posthumously confirmed that
he was an intended target of the Quneitra strike.
Tabatabai assumed a senior role in Hezbollah’s Unit 3800, which is responsible
for training and supporting Shiite militias in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The
United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control added
Tabatabi to its Specially Designated Nationals list on October 20, 2016, and the
State Department subsequently designated him as a Specially Designated Global
Terrorist (SDGT) on October 26, 2016, both for Hezbollah-related activities in
Syria and Yemen. Since then, the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program
offered a $5 million bounty for information on Tabatabai.
With the onset of the October 7 War, Hezbollah appointed Tabatabai to command
the “operations section of the Islamic Resistance,” which he did until the war
of attrition between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into a full conflict in late
September 2024. At that time, Hezbollah claims, Tabatabai was “one of the senior
jihadi commanders who commanded and oversaw” the group’s operations in what it
has dubbed “the Battle of Uwli Al Ba’s,” the phase of the war that lasted from
late September to November 27, 2024. Hezbollah also claims he was the target of
several Israeli assassination attempts during the year-long conflict. After the
war, Hezbollah says, Tabatabai “assumed responsibility for military leadership
in the Islamic Resistance.” In other words, he became Hezbollah’s de facto chief
of staff.
According to the IDF, between November 2024 and his assassination last Sunday,
Tabatabai’s “duties included leading the organization’s regeneration.” According
to Israeli Army Radio, Tabatabai led this effort and Hezbollah’s military
command alongside Mohammad Haydar, who was previously deceased Hezbollah
Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s senior security advisor, with
responsibility for the group’s forces in Syria and security-military affairs in
south Lebanon. The IDF also said Tabatabai “commanded most of the units in
Hezbollah and worked hard to restore their readiness for war with Israel.”
Tabatabai’s likely successors
Israel severely degraded Hezbollah’s senior leadership during the 2023-2024 war.
However, those cadres, including what the group dubs its “Founding Generation,”
have not been entirely depleted. The likeliest potential successors include
Mohammad Haydar and Talal Husni (or Hussain) Hamiyeh.
Mohammad Haydar
Mohammad Ali Haydar, also known as Abu Ali, was born on November 25 or October
2, 1959, according to various sources, in Qabrikha in the Nabatieh Governorate’s
Marjayoun District.
Some sources claim Haydar began studying at the American University of Beirut’s
Institute of Applied Sciences in 1979, but never finished a degree. Haydar holds
a certificate in vocational education and devoted many years to religious
studies in Shiite seminaries in Lebanon and Iran.
Sometime in the 1980s, Haydar held an administrative post at Middle East
Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s national carrier, while also gradually integrating
into Hezbollah’s organizational structure. He subsequently resigned from MEA,
devoting himself fully to organizational duties. Haydar has reportedly undergone
several training courses within Hezbollah, including developing high-level
strategies, supervisory management of individuals and institutions, strategic
planning, and the techniques and terminology of political work. Precise dates
for these life events are not publicly available.
Haydar has served as the director of Hezbollah’s Al Manar Television and was the
brother-in-law of Mohammad Afif, Hezbollah’s former head of media affairs, whom
Israel killed on November 17, 2024.
Haydar ran for election to the Lebanese parliament in 2005 and was elected to
the 2005-2009 term for the Marjayoun-Hasbaya Districts. However, reports say he
“suddenly disappeared from political and media work” after the assassination of
Mughniyeh—with whom he was very close—in 2008, resigning his parliamentary seat.
All public traces of Haydar subsequently disappeared. After Mughniyeh’s
assassination, he quickly rose in stature within Hezbollah, becoming one of the
most influential founders of the group’s security apparatus and overseeing its
military operations room. According to some reports, global intelligence
services believe Haydar became a field commander and then a “jihadist
commander,” or a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council. By late 2019, the US State
Department described him as a “senior leader within Hizballah’s Jihad Council.”
Haydar is known to have overseen Hezbollah’s Unit/Bureau 113, which is part of
the group’s external operations architecture. In this role, Haydar oversaw
several Hezbollah networks operating outside of Lebanon and was responsible for
appointing commanders to many of the group’s units. Some sources claim he was a
target of one of the Israeli loitering munitions that hit Beirut on August 25,
2019, one of which exploded in Mahallet Maawad in Dahiyeh. This, some reports
claim, is because of his involvement in Hezbollah’s precision-guided missile
program. On September 19, 2019, the State Department designated him as an SDGT.
Haydar has been described as one of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah’s advisors, and was also closely linked, perhaps by familial ties, to
Wafic Safa, the head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit. He has also
been described as the group’s top security official, the head of Hezbollah’s
fighters in Syria, and the head of Hezbollah’s military and security affairs in
South Lebanon. It is likely in the latter capacity that he, as some reports
claim, oversaw operations against Israel in late 2024.
By late 2023, Haydar was reportedly responsible for Hezbollah’s classified
military projects that the group manages alongside the IRGC-Quds Force,
particularly its Unit 8000, which is responsible for transferring weapons and
advisers directly to Latakia, Aleppo, and Damascus.
Israel reportedly targeted Haydar for assassination in Beirut on November 23,
2024, but apparently failed. After the war, he was reportedly appointed to head
Hezbollah’s military command alongside Tabatabai, and together they oversaw
Hezbollah’s regeneration efforts.
Talal Husni (or Hussain) Hamiyeh
Talal Hamiyeh has been floated as a potential candidate for Hezbollah’s top
military post since then-Chief of Staff Mustafa Badreddine’s assassination on
May 12, 2016, and again after the assassination of Badreddine’s successor, Fuad
Shukr, on July 30, 2024.
Like most of Hezbollah’s military commanders, Hamiyeh, also known as Ismat
Mayzarani and Abu Jaafar, is a shadowy figure, earning him the moniker “the
ghost.” Underscoring this ambiguity, his dates of birth are variously given as
November 27, 1952; March 05, 1958; December 08, 1958; or March 18, 1960. His
place of birth is likewise disputed. The United States Government has stated his
place of birth as Sujud, in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Jezzine District, or
Taraya in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Baalbek District. Other sources say
Brital, in the Baalbek District.
Before joining Hezbollah, Hamiyeh worked as an administrative employee at Beirut
International Airport until 1982. He joined Hezbollah sometime in the mid-1980s,
becoming part of the organization’s founding generation and operating out of the
Burj al Barajneh neighborhood of Dahiyeh, just northeast of the airport. At the
time, he was tasked with recruitment in that area and oversaw several Hezbollah
operatives who, in time, would become some of the group’s most significant
operational commanders. In short order, Hamiyeh would become Imad Mughniyeh’s
deputy and, in that capacity, has been linked to:
Attacks against US personnel and assets in Lebanon, including the US Embassy
bombing in Beirut on April 18, 1983, and the Marine Corps Barracks Bombing on
October 23, 1983, though this is not confirmed.
The hijacking of TWA Flight 847 on June 14, 1985.
The 1992 Israeli Embassy and 1994 AMIA Jewish Community center bombings in
Buenos Aires, based on an intercepted call with Mughniyeh in which he describes
the bombings as “our project” in Argentina.
The 1996 Khobar Towers Bombing in Saudi Arabia.
In addition to working closely with Mughniyeh, Hamiyeh is reported to have
worked alongside Mustafa Badreddine and Ahmad Vahidi, the latter of whom
previously served as the head of the IRGC’s Qods Force. Hamiyeh has also
reportedly been a senior member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council since 2008. Some
reports suggest he was appointed in 2011 to replace Badreddine as the commander
of Hezbollah’s military operations after Badreddine was implicated in former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri’s assassination on February 14, 2005.
A 2011 report also indicated that Hamiyeh was closely linked to
then-Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, stating that he “answer[ed] directly”
to Nasrallah and to then-Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani. On September 13,
2012, the US Treasury Department designated Hamiyeh “for providing support to
Hizballah’s terrorist activities in the Middle East and around the world.” On
October 10, 2017, the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program offered a
$7 million reward for information on him.
Hamiyeh’s last confirmed post was as the commander of Hezbollah’s External
Security Organization, also known as Unit 910. This unit is responsible for
planning operations and attacks outside of Lebanon that target Israelis and
Americans, according to the US State Department.
**David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/11/histories-of-hezbollahs-assassinated-top-military-commander-likely-candidates-to-replace-him.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
The Missing Dimension: International Complicity in Lebanon’s Paralysis
Pierre A. Maroun/Face Book/November 28/2025
A Response to David Schenker’s “A Year Later, Lebanon Still Won’t Stand Up to
Hezbollah”
David Schenker’s recent assessment of Lebanon’s year-long struggle to assert
authority after the 2024 ceasefire accurately documents the Lebanese state’s
inability to confront Hezbollah. On this point, his critique is unassailable.
The proposed disability-card program for Hezbollah fighters, the Lebanese Armed
Forces’ (LAF) avoidance of Hezbollah-controlled “private property,” and the
obstruction of both the Beirut Port investigation and the Lokman Slim
assassination all reflect a government that fears the militia more than it
serves its citizens.
Where Schenker’s analysis falls short is in framing Lebanon’s paralysis as an
exclusively domestic pathology—a Lebanese variant of “Stockholm Syndrome.” This
interpretation captures the symptoms but not the system that sustains them.
Lebanon’s dysfunction endures not only through of internal weakness but because
of a broader environment in which powerful international actors have repeatedly
chosen strategic silence over truth. The result is a paralysis maintained from
within and reinforced from abroad.
Domestic Failures: Real but Only Half the Story
Lebanon’s internal failures are undeniable. Judges leading the 2020 Port Blast
investigation were sidelined once their inquiries reached senior officials
across the political spectrum. Immunity maneuvers, retaliatory lawsuits, and the
disabling of the Court of Cassation combined to form a cross-sectarian firewall
against accountability.
Similarly, the LAF’s reluctance to confront Hezbollah is not ideological
alignment but institutional survival. Any unilateral attempt to seize the
militia’s weapons risks fracturing the army along communal lines and potentially
igniting civil conflict. Without credible international guarantees—which no
Lebanese government has been offered—the LAF cannot gamble its existence.
These domestic dynamics explain Lebanon’s paralysis, but they constitute only
one side of the equation.
International Complicity: Strategic Silence as Policy
What Schenker omits—and what is essential for U.S. policymakers to understand—is
the international dimension of Lebanon’s paralysis. Foreign powers frequently
criticize Beirut’s failures, yet they withhold the information and leverage
needed to overcome them.
1. The Intelligence Blackout Around the Beirut Port Explosion
Lebanon formally requested high-resolution satellite imagery and radar data from
the United States, France, Italy, Russia, and others to clarify what occurred on
August 4, 2020. According to investigative reporting, France told Lebanese
authorities it possessed no usable imagery from the critical timeframe. Italy’s
position remains unclear. The United States has never publicly confirmed or
denied whether relevant intelligence exists.
This intelligence gap has sustained a “negligence-only” narrative that avoids
implicating any major regional actor—whether Hezbollah, Israel, or Iran. It is
precisely because of these gaps that Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International,
and dozens of UN member states continue to call for an independent international
investigation five years later.
Global powers may have chosen silence not out of indifference, but because
releasing the full picture could implicate actors they prefer not to confront
directly—thereby threatening regional stability, U.S. interests, and ongoing
security arrangements.
2. The Shielded Financial Trail of the Ammonium Nitrate
The 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in Hangar 12 were purchased by Savaro
Ltd, a UK-registered shell company tied—through shared addresses and
investigative reporting—to individuals later sanctioned for supplying chemical
precursors to the Assad regime. Despite this evidence, British authorities
allowed Savaro to be struck off the corporate register in 2021 without a full
probe into its beneficial owners.
Western regulators sanctioned specific individuals but never dismantled the
broader commercial network, leaving accountability to Lebanon’s incapacitated
judiciary. This allowed responsibility to remain confined locally rather than
extending to the international actors and intermediaries who facilitated the
shipment.
Conclusion: Lower Expectations—But Understand Why
Schenker is right that expectations for the Lebanese state must be modest. But
the underlying reasons are broader than he acknowledges. Lebanon is trapped
between:
• a domestic oligarchy–militia system suffocating justice, and
• an international order prioritizing geopolitical stability, intelligence
secrecy, and commercial opacity over accountability.
I have personally raised the issue of international complicity with numerous
U.S. officials in Congress and within the Biden administration, as well as with
European figures such as French Senator Olivier Cadic, during a gathering in
Lebanon convened by Mrs. Laura Khoury Kfoury and attended by several families of
the victims. Yet these appeals have yielded no results. As for Mr. Schenker, a
respected American diplomat, it remains unclear why he chose to omit the
international dimension from his analysis.
Either way, Lebanon cannot escape its paralysis until its partners release the
intelligence they hold, enforce the transparency they claim to champion, and
provide the political cover the LAF would require to act. The cedar cannot stand
alone when the storm is shaped not only by Lebanon’s failures, but by the
choices of the world around it.
Pierre A. Maroun
President of Shields of United Lebanon (SOUL
Strategic Analyst
SOUL for Lebanon
Shields Of United Lebanon (SOUL)
Lebanese Presidency
The Latest English
LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on
November 28-29/2025
Pope Leo urges Middle East Christians to overcome divisions
Reuters/November 28, 2025
IZNIK: Pope Leo condemned violence in the name of religion on Friday at a
landmark event with Christian leaders from across the Middle East, urging them
during his first overseas trip as leader of the Catholic Church to overcome
centuries of heated divisions. At a celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of a
major church council with senior clerics from countries including Turkiye,
Egypt, Syria, and Israel, Leo called it a scandal that the world’s 2.6 billion
Christians were not more united. “Today, the whole of humanity, afflicted by
violence and conflict, is crying out for reconciliation,” Leo said at a ceremony
in the Turkish town of Iznik, once known as Nicaea, where early churchmen
created the Nicene Creed still used by most Christians today. “We must strongly
reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence, or any form of
fundamentalism or fanaticism,” said Leo, the first US pope. “The paths to follow
are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation.” Friday’s ceremony,
at which the church leaders prayed in English, Greek, and Arabic and lit candles
near the underwater ruins of a fourth-century basilica, is the main reason for
Leo’s four-day visit to Turkiye.
Leo, a relative unknown on the world stage before becoming pope in May, is being
closely watched as he makes his first speeches overseas and interacts for the
first time with people outside mainly Catholic Italy. Leo told the clerics on
Friday that if Christians could overcome their differences, it would offer “a
message of peace and universal fraternity that transcends the boundaries of our
communities and nations.”
Hundreds of excited onlookers gathered at the lakeside site where the event took
place. Beatrix Cervantes, 75, a French woman living in Turkiye, said the pope’s
visit was “very important.”“Whether we are Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, or any
other religion, the essential thing is that we live together peacefully,” she
told Reuters. Also attending the ceremony at Iznik, 140 km southeast of
Istanbul, was Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s
260 million Orthodox Christians. In his welcoming remarks, Istanbul-based
Bartholomew urged Christian leaders not only to remember the past but to “move
forward” together. In an illustration of the divisions that Leo lamented, the
Russian Orthodox Church, which is closely allied to President Vladimir Putin,
did not attend Friday’s celebration. The Moscow Patriarchate severed ties with
Bartholomew in 2018 over his recognition of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox
Church. Arriving in Turkiye on Thursday, Leo held talks with President Tayyip
Erdogan and lamented that an unusually high number of bloody conflicts raged
across the world. Turkiye has only about 33,000 Catholics in a population of
about 85 million, Vatican statistics show, but it was once home to important
early Christian saints, including the apostles Philip, Paul, and John. Leo met
some of Turkiye’s Catholics on Friday morning at Istanbul’s Holy Spirit
Cathedral. Amid shouts of “Viva il papa” (Long live the pope), he urged them not
to seek political influence but to focus on helping migrants in Turkiye, home to
nearly 4 million foreigners. Some 2.4 million of them are Syrian, while many
others are from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. Leo has made care for migrants a
key priority of his six-month papacy, frequently criticizing the
anti-immigration policies in the US. Pope Leo, 70 and in good health, has a
crowded itinerary during his six-day overseas trip, which also includes Lebanon.
In Turkiye, he will visit Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, his first visit as
pontiff to a Muslim place of worship, and will celebrate a Catholic Mass at the
city’s Volkswagen Arena.
Peace is expected to be a key theme of Leo’s visit to Lebanon, which starts on
Sunday. Lebanon, which has the largest share of Christians in the Middle East,
has been rocked by the spillover of the Gaza conflict, as Israel and Hezbollah
went to war, culminating in a devastating Israeli offensive. Leaders in Lebanon,
which hosts 1 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees and is also struggling to
recover from years of economic crisis, are worried Israel will dramatically
escalate its strikes in the coming months and hope the papal visit might bring
global attention to the country.
Aura farming: Pope Leo’s Middle East debut ignites hope
— and memes
Arab News/November 28, 2025
LONDON: Pope Leo XIV’s first-ever foreign visit since becoming pontiff has been
marked by messages of hope — and memes. Leo, who succeeded Pope Francis in May,
becoming the first American to be elected to the highest role in Catholic
Christianity, arrived in Turkiye on Thursday, before making his way to Lebanon
on Sunday. Shouts of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa” (“Long live the pope”)
erupted along with cheering and clapping, inside and outside Istanbul’s
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit as Leo arrived to begin his first full day in
Turkiye on Friday. But on social media, the reaction was less about theology and
more about “aura.” In the clip, Leo confidently walks past the soldiers,
accompanied by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and belts out a crisp,
booming, “Merhaba Asker!” (“Greetings, soldiers!”) in Turkish. Gen Z users
immediately labeled the moment as “aura farming,” internet slang for someone who
exudes effortless power or charisma. “You can’t convince me this wasn’t on
purpose,” said one user on X, pointing out how visibly happy he seemed to be to
pull it off. “His lil turn. He’s so cool,” said another user on Instagram.
Another account joked about how the pope must have prepared for the moment by
taking Turkish language lessons: “When your Duolingo Turkish finally pays
off.”Beyond the viral clips, the visit carried deep spiritual weight. Leo is
also honoring the promises made by his predecessor, Francis, to visit both
countries. Francis had planned to visit Lebanon in 2022 and Turkiye at some
point in 2025 to commemorate an important church anniversary, but both trips
were postponed for health reasons. On Friday, Leo also visited Iznik (ancient
Nicaea) to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a move
celebrated by Orthodox and Catholic communities alike as a historic step toward
healing ancient rifts. Paying tribute to the historical event, people called
Leo’s meeting with the local Christian community, which numbers about 25,000 in
a country of over 80 million people, the majority Sunni Muslim, a “moment of
unity, simplicity, and deep peace. Truly unforgettable to witness this in my own
city.”The first American pope is embarking on his first trip during the US
Thanksgiving holiday, a time when gratitude, togetherness and peace come to the
fore. Before his flight took off from Rome on Thursday, Leo wished a Happy
Thanksgiving to American journalists aboard the papal plane bound for Ankara.
“To the Americans: Happy Thanksgiving!” he said, joking that he would miss the
turkey but hoped for some pumpkin pie. He got his wish: Journalists on board
presented him with two homemade pies, which he promised to share with his staff.
During the occasion, CBS News correspondent Chris Livesay, who is traveling with
Leo in Turkiye, surprised the pontiff with a baseball bat formerly owned by
Nellie Fox, legendary player for the Chicago White Sox, the team of the city
where the pope grew up. “He asked me how the heck I managed to get that thing
through security,” Livesay said during his broadcast for CBS, noting the pontiff
was visibly amused and “very grateful” at the sight of the Louisville Slugger.
The unique blend of American approachability and ancient tradition has sent
interest in the new pope skyrocketing. Data from Google Trends suggests Leo is
on track to become a contender for “Most Googled Person of the Year” for 2025,
surpassing political figures and pop stars. Betting markets and search analysts
have noted a massive spike in global curiosity since his election in May, with
this Middle East tour serving as his first major introduction to the non-Western
world. As he prepares to depart for Lebanon on Sunday, where he will meet with
leaders in a country facing deep economic and political crises, the world is
watching closely.
On visit to Turkey, pope urges Turkey to embrace
mediator role while lamenting world conflicts
The Arab Weekly/November 28/2025
Pope Leo XIV began a four-day visit to Turkey on Thursday, urging Ankara to
embrace its role as a mediator in a world gripped by conflict after talks with
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Mr President, may Turkey be a source of
stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting
peace,” he said in the capital as he began the first overseas trip of his
papacy. “Today more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and
practice it, with firm will and patient resolve,” said Leo, in a nod to Turkey’s
growing role in conflict-resolution efforts in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond. Pope
Leo lamented that the world was seeing an unusual number of bloody conflicts,
and warned that a third world war was being “fought piecemeal” with humanity’s
future at risk. In his first speech given overseas since his election in May to
lead the 1.4 billion-member Church, Leo, the first US pope, said “ambitions and
choices that trample on justice and peace” were destabilising the world. He told
political leaders in Turkey that the world was experiencing “a heightened level
of conflict on the global level, fuelled by prevailing strategies of economic
and military power”. “We must in no way give in to this,” he pleaded at an event
with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after they held a private meeting. “The
future of humanity is at stake.” The 70-year-old pontiff landed in Ankara
shortly on Thursday on a trip that will also take him to Istanbul and the
ancient city of Iznik before heading to Lebanon on Sunday. “I have very much
been looking forward to this trip because of what it means for all Christians,
but it is also a great message to the whole world,” he told reporters on board
his plane, describing it as an “historic moment”. A tight cordon of security
meant the papal convoy swept through nearly empty streets en route to the vast
mausoleum dedicated to the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
where Leo paid his respects. He then headed to the sprawling presidential
complex for talks with Erdogan.
“This land is inextricably linked to the origins of Christianity, and today it
beckons the children of Abraham and all humanity to a fraternity that recognises
and appreciates differences,” he said. Hailing Turkey’s “special role” as a
bridge between East and West, Asia and Europe, he described it as a “crossroads
of sensibilities” that was richer for its “internal diversity”. “Uniformity
would be an impoverishment. Indeed, a society is alive if it has a plurality,”
he said in a country that counts some 100,000 Christians among a population of
86 million, mostly Sunni Muslims. “Christians desire to contribute positively to
the unity of your country. They are, and they feel, part of Turkish identity.”
Ahead of Leo’s speech, which was in his native English, a choir dressed in
embroidered robes accompanied by traditional Turkish instruments sang a host of
spiritual songs in English and Turkish. Giving the first address, Erdogan
insisted Turkey was a country that “would not allow even a single one of our
people to be subjected to discrimination. “We do not consider cultural,
religious and ethnic differences a source of division, but rather a source of
enrichment,” he said. He also hailed Leo’s stance on “the Palestinian cause” and
called for “justice” for the Palestinian people. “As the human family, our
greatest debt to the Palestinian people is justice. The way to repay this debt
is to implement the two-state solution as soon as possible.”Friday’s calendar
will take on a more religious aspect with the celebration in Iznik of the
1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, a gathering of bishops in
the year 325 that resulted in a statement of faith still central to
Christianity. Invited by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, leader
of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Leo will join an ecumenical prayer service
on the shores of Lake Iznik. The pope is the fifth pontiff to visit Turkey,
after Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in
2014. On Sunday, Leo will head to religiously-diverse Lebanon, a nation that has
been crushed by a devastating economic and political crisis since 2019 and which
has been the target of repeated bombings by Israel in recent days, despite a
ceasefire.
Deadly clashes in Beit Jinn: Israel kills 13 people in
southern Syria village
Reuters/28 November/2025
Thirteen people were killed in an Israeli raid in southern Syria on Friday,
Syrian state media reported, with Damascus accusing Israel of a “criminal
attack” in a village where Israel said its troops came under fire during an
operation to arrest militants. The Israeli military said six soldiers were
wounded, three of them severely, by militant fire during the raid in the village
of Beit Jinn. The casualty tolls suggest the Israeli raid spiralled into one of
the deadliest since President Bashar al-Assad was toppled a year ago. Israel
frequently bombed Syria when it was ruled by al-Assad and stepped up its
military operations in the country after he was ousted, citing goals that
include keeping militants away from the frontier. The Israeli military said its
troops had gone on an operation to detain suspects belonging to Jama’a Islamiya
- a Lebanese Sunni group which fired rockets at Israel from Lebanon during the
Gaza war - accusing them of involvement in “terrorist plots.” The military
described the raid as part of routine operations in the area in recent months.
Reuters couldn’t immediately reach Jama’a Islamiya officials for comment.
Violent clashes
Syrian state news agency SANA, which reported 13 people killed and dozens
wounded, said Israeli forces shelled Beit Jinn at 3:40 a.m. (0140 GMT) and
Israeli troops had entered the village. Residents confronted the Israeli forces,
which responded, leading to “violent clashes,” it added. The Israeli military
said “armed terrorists” fired on its troops, and they responded with fire “along
with aerial assistance.”“A number of terrorists were eliminated,” it said.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israel would not allow
“terrorism and terrorist elements to entrench themselves on our borders,” and
that three people suspected “of involvement in terrorist plots” had been
arrested on Friday.The Israeli military accused them of planting improvised
explosive devices and “planning future attacks on Israel including rocket fire.”
Syria’s foreign ministry said the Israeli attack killed more than 10 civilians
including women and children, damaged property and forced residents to flee
their homes, accusing Israel of committing a “full-fledged war crime” and
warning the strikes threatened security and stability in the region. Asked for
comment on the Syrian ministry’s statement, a spokesperson for Israel’s prime
minister’s office referred Reuters to the Israeli military statement on the
raid, which didn’t mention the foreign ministry’s accusation. Walid Akasha, a
local official in Beit Jinn, denied there were any terrorist factions there.
“We’re a peaceful, civilian population, farmers. We have a legitimate right to
defend ourselves. We didn’t attack them first - they came onto our land,” he
told Reuters by phone. Akasha said seven people had been taken from the village
in an earlier raid in June, since when they had received no news about them. The
Israeli military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the
account of the June arrests.
Stalled talks, Israeli suspicion
Syrian and Israeli officials have met a half-dozen times for S.-brokered talks
on a security deal to bring stability to the border region but negotiations have
been frozen since September. Israel has voiced deep suspicion of Syria’s new
government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander, and
has said it wants a demilitarized southern Syria. Al-Sharaa has said Syria does
not pose a threat to any state. Israeli military action in Syria has included
several interventions with the declared aim of protecting members of Syria’s
Druze minority, notably during violence in Sweida province in July that pitted
Sunni Muslim Bedouin fighters and government forces against Druze fighters.
Israel has moved troops and military equipment past a 1974 buffer zone and into
southern Syria, including the strategic overlook point of Mount Hermon.
Israel arrests ‘Islamic Jemaah’ suspects in Syria,
Israeli military says
Reuters/28 November/2025
Israeli troops arrested suspected members of what the military called the
Islamic Jemaah organization during an overnight operation in the Syrian village
of Beit Jin, the Israeli military said on Friday. The military said the raid was
launched by troops after intelligence gathered in recent weeks indicated the
group was advancing plans for attacks against Israeli civilians. According to
the Israel military, troops came under fire and returned fire with air support,
leaving three soldiers wounded. The army said all targeted suspects were
detained and several militants were killed. Troops remain deployed in the area
and will continue operations against perceived threats, it added. Israel has
carried out frequent strikes across Syria in 2025, hitting targets on the
outskirts of Damascus and in the country’s south in what it says are efforts to
disrupt threats against Israel and to protect the Druze community near the
frontier. Israel has said it is acting against armed groups it views as hostile,
while Syrian authorities say the strikes have killed soldiers.
Syria’s Sharaa acknowledges ‘legitimate demands’ of
Alawite protesters, stresses national unity
The Arab Weekly/November 28/2025
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday that protesters had
“legitimate demands”, state media reported, days after thousands took to the
streets to denounce violence against the country’s Alawite minority. The
demonstrations earlier this week in several cities along Syria’s coast, the
heartland of the country’s Alawites, were the largest by the community since the
overthrow of Bashar al-Assad last year. Assad himself is an Alawite and some of
the religious minority prospered under his rule. In the months since his fall,
there has been several incidents involving anti-Alawite violence, the worst of
which involved the killing of more than 1,700 people in coastal Syria in March.
The protests followed the fresh outbreak of unrest in the religiously-diverse
city of Homs in central Syria, which was triggered by the murder of a Sunni
Bedouin couple that was blamed on Alawites, after sectarian graffiti was found
at the scene. Speaking during a phone call with the governor of the coastal
province of Latakia, Sharaa said “we have observed that there are many
legitimate popular demands, although some are politically-motivated, to put it
politely,” the official SANA news agency reported. Sharaa, a former jihadist
whose Islamist militants led the overthrow of Assad, said his government was
“fully prepared to listen to all the demands and to seriously consider them”.
His rise to power has unnerved many in Syria’s various minority populations,
fears which were exacerbated by violence targeting Alawites and clashes between
Sunni Bedouin and the Druze in southern Syria earlier this year. “National unity
is a fundamental pillar and indispensable,” Sharaa said. “The time has now come
to put an end to divisions sown in the minds of Syrians for over sixty years,”
he added. From the 1963 coup that brought the Ba’ath Party to power until the
fall of Assad last year, Syria was ruled by Alawites. Since taking power, Sharaa
has tried to reassure the international community that he would protect the
rights of the country’s many minorities. He has also, however, insisted on a
strong, centralised state and refused demands for autonomy from Syria’s Kurds.
His government also tried to enforce its authority in Druze-majority Sweida in
the south, sparking clashes and strikes launched by Israel. Sharaa said Syria’s
coast was a priority but “cannot be governed by an independent authority,
isolated from the rest of the regions” because “a Syria without access to the
sea would lose a fundamental part of its strategic and economic strength”.
Crippled by more than a decade of civil war and international sanctions, Syria’s
economy remains in tatters. The new government is currently seeking funds for
the reconstruction of the country, which the World Bank has estimated could cost
$216 billion.
Israel says nine more militants killed in Hamas tunnels
Reuters/28 November/2025
The Israeli army said Friday it had found the bodies of nine Palestinian
militants recently killed in its attempts to dismantle the tunnel network in the
southern Gaza Strip. During operations in eastern Rafah, soldiers “located nine
additional terrorists who had been eliminated in the underground terror
infrastructure,” the army said in a statement. “Thus far, over 30 terrorists who
attempted to flee the underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah have
been eliminated.” Multiple sources told AFP on Thursday that negotiations were
underway regarding the fate of dozens of Hamas fighters holed up in southern
Gaza’s tunnels, beneath areas under Israeli military control. On Wednesday,
Hamas called on mediating countries to pressure Israel to allow safe passage -
the first time the group had publicly acknowledged the situation. The
US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with Egypt, Turkey and Qatar as
mediators, entered into force on October 10. Under its terms, the Israeli army
withdrew behind the so-called Yellow Line within the Gaza Strip, a boundary
marked on the surface with yellow concrete blocks. The Hamas militants are in
tunnels located on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line. A source from
one of the mediating countries confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the United
States, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar have been discussing “with the aim of reaching a
compromise that would allow Hamas fighters to leave the tunnels behind the
Yellow Line near Rafah.”“The current proposal would grant them safe passage to
areas not under Israeli control, helping to ensure this does not become a
friction point that leads to further violations or the collapse of the
ceasefire,” the source added. A prominent Hamas member in Gaza told AFP that the
group estimated their number to be between 60 and 80. On this subject, an
Israeli government spokesperson told AFP earlier this month that Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu “is not allowing safe passage.” The ceasefire remains
fragile, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the terms, while
the Gaza Strip remains in a deep humanitarian crisis. The Gaza war was sparked
by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of
1,221 people. Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 69,799
people, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the UN
considers reliable. The ministry says that since the ceasefire came into effect,
352 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.
Israeli violence in West Bank under spotlight as Europeans
denounce settler attacks, UN ‘appalled’ at army shooting
The Arab Weekly/November 28/2025
“We, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, strongly condemn the massive
increase of settler violence against Palestinian civilians and call for
stability in the West Bank,” said the four European nations. Violence by
Israel’s settlers and army in the West Bank have come under close scrutiny after
four European nations denounced “the massive increase” of settler attacks while
the Palestinian Authority described the killing in Jenin of two Palestinians
while seemingly surrendering as a “war crime”. Four European nations on Thursday
urged Israel to stop what they called increasing “settler violence against
Palestinian civilians” in the occupied West Bank. “We, France, Germany, Italy,
the United Kingdom, strongly condemn the massive increase of settler violence
against Palestinian civilians and call for stability in the West Bank,” they
said. “These attacks must stop,” they added, saying they risked undermining
plans to end the Gaza war and prospects for long-term peace.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
Violence in the West Bank has soared since Palestinian militant group Hamas’
October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war. It has not ceased despite
the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas coming into effect last month. More
than 500,000 Israelis currently live in settlements in the West Bank, occupied
since 1967, as do around three million Palestinians. The settlements are illegal
under international law, while outposts are also illegal under Israeli law. The
United Nations said that last month had been the worst month for settler
violence since it began recording incidents in 2006, with 264 attacks that
caused casualties or property damage. The rise in attacks this year has
coincided with the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a policy
promoted by the government. Several members of Netanyahu’s coalition advocate
the annexation of the territory, which they regard as part of Israel’s God-given
land. On November 18, Netanyahu condemned the actions of a “handful of
extremists” among settlers in the occupied West Bank and vowed to deal with the
issue personally. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, an opposition party on
the political left, lamented in response that “Jewish terrorism … is out of
control”. An Israeli settler accused of beating a Palestinian woman in the
occupied West Bank with a stick and seriously injuring her was charged on
Thursday with terrorism, Israel’s justice ministry said. Such charges are rarely
pressed against settlers
“War crime”
In the meantime, the Israeli army and police said on Thursday they were
investigating the circumstances in which two Palestinians were shot dead in the
occupied West Bank, while seemingly surrendering to Israeli forces. The incident
in Jenin in the northern West Bank, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups,
was filmed from several angles, including by foreign media. The Palestinian
Authority named the two men killed as 37-year-old Yussef Ali Asa’sa and
26-year-old Al-Muntasir Billah Mahmud Abdullah. It said they were killed in a
brutal summary execution and condemned the incident as a “war crime”.The United
Nations said Friday that the killing of two Palestinians was an “apparent
summary execution”. “We are appalled at the brazen killing by Israeli border
police yesterday of two Palestinian men in Jenin,” UN rights office spokesman
Jeremy Laurence told reporters in Geneva, calling the incident “yet another
apparent summary execution”. He said UN rights chief Volker Turk was calling for
for “independent, prompt and effective investigations into the killings of
Palestinians”, and for those responsible for killings and other violations in
the West Bank to “be held fully to account”. Israel’s far-right National
Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir swiftly backed the forces who opened fire,
saying: “Terrorists must die!” Videos circulating on social media and on
television channels showed two men emerging from a building with their arms
raised, surrounded by Israeli forces. They were then seen lying on the ground
before being directed back inside the building. Gunshots rang out and the two
men were seen lying on the ground. In a joint statement, the Israeli military
and the police, which oversees the border guard unit, said, “The incident is
under review by the commanders on the ground, and will be transferred to the
relevant professional bodies.”
The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry said the two men were “shot dead by
Israeli forces in the Jabal Abu Dhahir area in the city of Jenin”, adding that
their bodies were being held by Israeli forces. The foreign ministry in Ramallah
said it “strongly condemns the brutal field execution carried out by the Israeli
occupation army against two Palestinian youths”, calling it a “deliberate
Israeli war crime”. It urged the international community to take “immediate
action to stop the Israeli killing machine, deter these crimes and impose urgent
international protection mechanisms for the Palestinian people”.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas called it a “cold-blooded execution of two
unarmed Palestinian youths”. Meanwhile, Ben Gvir offered his total backing to
the Israeli forces involved. “I fully support the border guard members and
Israeli army soldiers who shot at wanted terrorists who emerged from a building
in Jenin,” he said on X.
“The forces acted exactly as expected of them, terrorists must die!”
Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said the two men were killed “while posing
no threat”. “The execution documented today is the result of an accelerated
process of dehumanisation of Palestinians and the complete abandonment of their
lives by the Israeli regime,” said B’Tselem’s executive director Yuli Novak.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West
Bank, many of them militants, but also scores of civilians, since the start of
the Gaza war. At least 44 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have
been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to
official Israeli figures. Israel’s military on Wednesday launched a new
operation against Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank. A local
governor said that Israeli forces had raided several towns.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
UN condemns Israel's ‘brazen summary executions’ in West
Bank
Reuters/November 28, 2025
GENEVA: The United Nations said on Friday the killing of two Palestinian men in
the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces as they appeared to be
surrendering, unarmed, looked like a “summary execution.”“We’re appalled by the
brazen killing by Israeli border police yesterday of two Palestinian men in
Jenin in the occupied West Bank in yet another apparent summary execution,” UN
human rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told a briefing in Geneva. The
two men killed on Thursday appeared to be unarmed and surrendering during a raid
in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestine TV news footage showed.
UN watchdog urges Israel to probe Gaza ‘torture’ claims
AFP/28 November/2025
A UN committee urged Israel on Friday to set up an independent investigatory
commission to probe claims of torture of Palestinians, and warned the situation
had “gravely intensified” since the start of the Gaza war. The United Nations
Committee against Torture said it was “deeply concerned about reports indicating
a de facto state policy of organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment”
in Israel. The committee, whose 10 independent experts monitor how countries
implement an international convention against torture, stressed that it
“unequivocally condemned the attack perpetrated by Hamas and other groups on
October 7, 2023 against Israel.”But in a report published after a regular review
of Israel, it “also expressed its deep concern over the disproportionate nature
of Israel’s response to these attacks.”And it decried “a range of policies
adopted by Israel in the course of its continued unlawful presence in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory,” warning that it risked leading to “cruel,
inhuman or degrading living conditions for the Palestinian population.”The
experts called on Israel to “establish an independent, impartial and effective
ad hoc investigatory commission to review and investigate all allegations of
torture and ill-treatment committed during the current armed conflict.”Israel
should also “prosecute those responsible, including superior officers, and
ensure the immediate entry of necessary humanitarian aid and aid workers into
Gaza,” the committee members said.
During the review conducted in Geneva earlier this month, committee rapporteur
Peter Vedel Kessing told the Israeli delegation the experts had been “deeply
appalled by the description we have received... of what appears to be systematic
and widespread torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians, including children.”
“It is claimed that torture has become a deliberate and widespread tool of state
policy... from arrest to interrogation to imprisonment.” The committee report
highlighted allegations of widespread use of torture methods, including
“repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, water-boarding, use of
prolonged stress positions (and) sexual violence.” During the review, Israel’s
ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, rejected the allegations
presented, branding them “disinformation.”Israel, he said, was “committed to
upholding its obligations in line with our moral values and principles, even in
the face of the challenges posed by a terrorist organization.”
US envoy to Iraq blames ‘armed groups operating illegally‘
for Khor Mor attack, pointing finger at pro-Iran militias
The Arab Weekly/November 28/2025
Mark Savaya, the US special envoy to Iraq, condemned the attack on the Khor Mor
gas installations in Iraqi Kurdistan which, he said, had been carried out by
“armed groups operating illegally and driven by hostile foreign agendas”. “There
is no place for such armed groups in a fully sovereign Iraq,” he posted on X.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility and authorities did not say who
was behind the attack, which did not cause any casualties and took place late on
Wednesday. But pro-Iran Iraqi militias were suspected of being behind the drone
strike. Washington has long pressured Iraq to disarm Iran-backed groups and to
free itself from Iranian interference. Attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan’s oilfields
are recurrent and often lead to a halt of supplies, with local officials
pointing to Iran-backed militias as a likely source, acting against US interests
in the region. Kurdish authorities, who have strong ties to the United States,
have previously accused armed groups backed by Iran of conducting drone and
rocket strikes within their region. Regional Prime Minister Masrour Barzani
urged the US on Thursday to provide the region with defensive equipment to
protect the installations. “How many attacks must happen before the US
government simply allows the KRG to purchase kinetic anti-drone equipment for us
to defend our skies and critical infrastructure?” Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of
Staff to Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said in a post on X after
the attack. The KRG, or Kurdistan Regional Government, exercises autonomy in
northern Iraq, where US companies have significant investments in energy. Iraq
said on Thursday that it would investigate the attack, which disrupted gas
supplies and caused power outages all across Kurdistan. Sabah al-Numan, the
military spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister, said in a statement that the
caretaker PM Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani had ordered “the formation of a high-level
investigative committee” to look into the attack. Numan said “terrorist groups
are attempting to undermine the country’s stability”. Late on Wednesday,
regional authorities in northern Kurdistan said that a drone attacked the
facility, cutting off all gas supplies to the region’s power stations. Iraq has
only recently regained a sense of normality after decades of war and turmoil,
though it still frequently suffers such attacks. The regional electricity
authority said the attack had disrupted 80 percent of Kurdistan’s power grid.
The attack was the most significant since a series of drone attacks in July hit
oilfields and cut production from the region by around 150,000 barrels per day.
Sudani spoke by phone to Barzani and condemned the attack as “an attack on all
of Iraq”. The attack hit a liquid storage tank at the Khor Mor facility, UAE-based
Dana Gas said in a disclosure to the stock market. The tank is part of new
facilities partially financed by the US and built by a US contractor, an
industry source said. The new facilities were installed as part of the KM250
project which has boosted production capacity of the field by 50 percent, Dana
Gas and its affiliate Crescent Petroleum said in October.
US National Guard shooting suspect to be charged with
murder
AFP/28 November /2025
An Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard members will be
charged with first-degree murder, a US official said Friday, in an escalation of
charges following the incident that left one Guardsman dead. The US attorney for
Washington DC, Jeanine Pirro has identified the assailant as Rahmanullah
Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who the US media described as a member
of the “Zero Units” - a CIA-backed counterterrorism group. “There are certainly
many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault
to murder in the first degree,” Jeanine Pirro, the attorney for Washington DC,
told the Fox News program Fox & Friends. “It is a premeditated murder. There was
an ambush with a gun toward people who didn’t know what was coming.”President
Donald Trump has said that Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia National
Guard member deployed in the US capital as part of his crackdown on crime, died
from her wounds. He said the other soldier wounded in Wednesday’s attack just
blocks from the White House, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was “fighting for his
life.”“We still have hope,” Pirro said of Wolfe. “He’s still in critical
condition. We are doing everything we can to assist his family.”Pirro said
earlier Lakanwal opened fire with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver on a group of
guardsmen on patrol near the White House. He had been living in the western
state of Washington and had driven across the country to the capital, she said.
The shooting on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday has brought together three
politically explosive issues: Trump’s controversial use of the military at home,
immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan. Following the
shooting, Trump pledged to suspend migration from what he called “third world
countries” and threatened to reverse “millions” of admissions granted under his
predecessor Joe Biden, in a new escalation in his anti-migration stance. The
heads of the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security and other senior Trump appointees
all insisted that Lakanwal had been granted unvetted access to the US because of
lax asylum policies in the wake of the chaotic final US withdrawal from
Afghanistan under former president Biden. However, AfghanEvac, a group that
helped resettle Afghans in the US after the military withdrawal, said they had
undergone “some of the most extensive security vetting” of any migrants.
Trump says US will permanently pause migration from all
‘Third World Countries’
Reuters/28 November/2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his administration will work to
“permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” to allow the US
system to fully recover. Trump did not identify any countries by name or explain
what he meant by third-world countries or “permanently pause”. He said the plan
would include cases approved under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the
US system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal
admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove
anyone who is not a net asset to the United States,” he said on his social media
platform, Truth Social. Trump said he would end all federal benefits and
subsidies for “noncitizens”, adding he would “denaturalize migrants who
undermine domestic tranquility” and deport any foreign national deemed a public
charge, security risk, or “non-compatible with Western civilization.”White House
and US Citizenship and Immigration Services did not immediately respond to
Reuters’ requests for comment. Trump’s comments followed the death of a National
Guard member who had been shot near the White House in an ambush investigators
say was carried out by an Afghan national. Earlier, officials from the
Department of Homeland Security officials said that Trump had ordered a
widespread review of asylum cases approved under Biden’s administration and
Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries. The alleged gunman was granted
asylum this year under Trump, according to a US government file seen by Reuters.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services on Wednesday stopped processing all
immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely. “These goals
will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and
disruptive populations,” Trump said.
UN urges US not to stigmatize Afghans after shooting
AFP/27 November/2025
The shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House should not be a
reason for US President Donald Trump’s administration to review its immigration
policy towards Afghans, a UN official told AFP on Thursday. The man suspected of
the shooting on Wednesday was an Afghan national who worked alongside US forces
in Afghanistan before arriving in America four years ago, US media reported.
Trump condemned the shooting and immediately called on his administration to
“reexamine” all individuals who had come to the United States from Afghanistan
during Joe Biden’s administration. “It’s a heinous crime what this person is
being accused of, and if it is true, which seems to be the case, then certainly
we condemn it,” said Arafat Jamal, head of the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) in
Kabul. He added he hoped the incident “doesn’t impact other Afghans and asylum
seekers and refugees” in the United States. “I’m a little bit worried when I do
see the news reports that constantly emphasise his Afghan heritage,” he said
during a visit to Brussels for meetings with EU officials. He added he hoped it
did not “colour many of the Afghans in the US and other countries who stood
loyally by the Americans during their time in Afghanistan.” US Homeland Security
Secretary Kristi Noem said the suspect took advantage of a programme put in
place by Biden’s administration to help Afghans who worked with the Americans
after the Taliban came to power in 2021.
Australia lists Iran’s IRGC as state sponsor of terrorism over antisemitic
attacks
Reuters and ToI Staff/28 November 2025
Foreign Ministry says Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps orchestrated arson
incidents in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024 to ‘sow division’ by targeting Jewish
Australians
Australia has listed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a state sponsor
of terrorism, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday, following an
intelligence assessment that the paramilitary force had orchestrated arson
attacks against Australia’s Jewish Community. “The Government committed to
taking this step following ASIO’s [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]
assessment that the IRGC had orchestrated attacks against Australia’s Jewish
Community — on the Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney in October 2024 and the
Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024,” the ministry said in a
statement. “These cowardly attacks on Australian soil were designed to undermine
and sow division in our multicultural society, by targeting Jewish Australians
to inflict harm and stoke fear,” it said. The IRCG was the first listing of a
state sponsor of terrorism under a new law passed this year, the statement
noted. “The Minister for Home Affairs was satisfied that the IRGC met the
criteria for listing as a state sponsor of terrorism under Division 110 of the
Criminal Code,” the Foreign Ministry said. The law makes it an offense “to
direct the activities of, be a member of, associate with members of, recruit
for, train with, get funds to, from or for, or provide support to, a state
sponsor of terrorism,” according to the statement. Offenders can be punished
with up to 25 years in prison. “Listing the IRGC is an important deterrent and
disruption to terrorist activity, and puts members of the public on notice that
the IRGC is a state sponsor of terrorism under Australian law, and certain
dealings with them are now criminal offences,” the ministry said, and “a
reminder that terrorist activity does not stop at our borders.”After Australia
in August accused Iran of directing the two antisemitic arson attacks in the
cities of Sydney and Melbourne last year, it gave Tehran’s ambassador seven days
to leave the country — its first such expulsion since World War II. The arson
attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was one of the most
devastating in a string of antisemitic incidents. The fire gutted much of the
building, shocked Australians, and was tagged by police as a “likely terrorist
incident.”Iran has a history of targeting Jews and Israelis abroad, especially
in South America and Europe. Iran has been linked to attacks on Jewish and
Israeli institutions in Sweden, Germany, and Cyprus, among others. Also in
August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a scathing letter to his
Australian counterpart, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing him of failing
to act against antisemitism in Australia..
Putin says Russia will fight on unless Ukraine cedes
land
Agence France Presse/28 November/2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he would end his Ukraine
offensive if Kyiv withdrew from territory Moscow claims at its own -- otherwise
his army would take it by force. The Russian army has been slowly but steadily
grinding through eastern Ukraine in costly battles against outnumbered and
outgunned Ukrainian forces. Washington has meanwhile renewed its push to end the
nearly four-year war, putting forward a surprise plan that it hopes to finalize
through upcoming talks with Moscow and Kyiv. "If Ukrainian forces leave the
territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations," Putin said Thursday
during a visit to Kyrgyzstan. "If they don't, then we will achieve it by
military means."Russia controls around one-fifth of Ukraine's territory. The
issue of occupied land, which Kyiv has said it will never cede, is among the
biggest stumbling blocks in the peace process. Another important issue in the
talks are Western security guarantees for Ukraine, which Kyiv says are needed to
prevent Moscow from invading again in the future. Washington's original plan --
drafted without input from Ukraine's European allies -- would have seen Kyiv
withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto
recognize the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian. The US pared back
the original plan over the weekend following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but
has not yet released the new version. Putin, who has seen the new plan, said it
could be a negotiation starter. "Overall, we agree that it could form the basis
for future agreements," he said of the latest draft, which the United States is
thought to have shortened to about 20 points. But Russia was still seeking
international recognition of the occupied territories, Putin added. Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky's top aide, Andriy Yermak, strongly denied that in
an interview with US outlet The Atlantic published on Thursday. "As long as
Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up territory. He will
not sign away territory," Yermak said. "All we can realistically talk about
right now is really to define the line of contact," he said, referring to the
sprawling 1,100 kilometer (700 mile) front line. US negotiator Steve Witkoff was
expected in Moscow next week to discuss the revised document, Putin said. US
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is meanwhile due to visit Kyiv later this week,
according to Yermak.
'Little can be done' -
In his remarks Thursday, Putin repeated the claim that Russia had encircled the
Ukrainian army in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region --
the most fiercely embattled area and a key target for Moscow's forces. "Krasnoarmeysk
and Dimitrov are completely surrounded," he said, using the Russian names for
the cities. Moscow was also advancing in Vovchansk and Siversk, as well as
approaching the important logistic hub of Guliaipole, he added. The Russian
offensive "is practically impossible to hold back, so there is little that can
be done about it", Putin said. Ukraine has denied that Pokrovsk and Myrnograd
are encircled, insisting its forces continue to hold the enemy along the front
line. Putin, in power for 25 years, also questioned Zelensky's legitimacy and
said signing any agreement with him would be legally "almost impossible" at the
moment, a suggestion that has drawn groans from Kyiv and its allies. According
to data analyzed by AFP from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW),
Russian forces have conquered an average of 467 square kilometers (180 square
miles) each month in 2025 -- a step up from 2024. Moscow launched its full-scale
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the worst armed conflict in
Europe since World War II. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people
and forced millions to flee their homes.
Ukraine’s top peace negotiator quits after raid by
anti-graft police
Reuters, Kyiv/28 November/2025
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, who headed Ukraine’s negotiation
team at fraught US-backed peace talks, quit on Friday, hours after
anti-corruption agents searched his home. Zelenskyy said Andriy Yermak had
resigned and that he would consider his replacement on Saturday. Yermak’s
departure comes as a major probe into high-level graft ensnared senior
officials, fueling widespread public anger. “Russia very much wants Ukraine to
make mistakes,” Zelenskyy said in a video address. “There will be no mistakes on
our part. Our work continues.”Close friend of Zelenskyy from his days in media.
Yermak, 54, has been a close friend of Zelenskyy since the president’s days as a
TV comedian, and helped guide Zelenskyy’s successful 2019 presidential campaign
as a political outsider. He has not been named a suspect, but opposition
lawmakers and some members of Zelenskyy’s own party had called for his dismissal
as part of Ukraine’s worst wartime political crisis. Earlier on Friday, Yermak
had confirmed his apartment was being searched and said he was fully
cooperating. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized
Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said the searches were “authorized” and
linked to an unspecified investigation.Earlier this month, the two anti-graft
agencies unveiled a sweeping investigation into an alleged $100 million kickback
scheme at the state atomic energy company that ensnared former senior officials
and an ex-business partner of Zelenskyy.
In a statement on Friday, the opposition European Solidarity party had called
for Yermak’s dismissal and his removal from the negotiating team, as well as for
a new coalition government and talks with Zelenskyy. “The issue of peace and the
fate of Ukrainians cannot depend on the personal vulnerabilities and tarnished
reputation of politicians involved in a corruption scandal,” it said. The
US-backed peace push comes as Russian forces grind forward along several parts
of the sprawling front line. Moscow says its troops are close to capturing the
eastern city of Pokrovsk, which would be their biggest prize in nearly two
years. On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said a 28-point US peace plan
leaked last week could be “a basis for future agreements.”He demanded Kyiv
withdraw troops from eastern land it holds before Moscow stops fighting.
Speaking to The Atlantic magazine this week, Yermak had said “no one should
count on us giving up territory.”Showing progress in fighting corruption is a
central element of Kyiv’s bid for European Union membership, which Ukrainian
officials see as critical to breaking out of Russia’s orbit. In a statement
before Yermak’s resignation was announced, a European Commission spokesperson
said Brussels would “continue to follow the situation closely.” The two
anti-graft agencies have stepped up their campaign during Russia’s invasion, but
have said they face pressure from vested interests. Zelenskyy briefly rolled
back their independence last July but reversed course after a public outcry and
criticism from foreign partners.
Ukraine, US talks on peace proposals to happen soon,
Zelenskyy says
Reuters/28 November/2025
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that talks between Ukrainian and US
officials on proposals to end the war with Russia would take place soon.
In the video address to the nation, Zelenskyy said senior Ukrainian officials
representing the military, foreign ministry and intelligence would participate
in the talks on how to end the conflict, which is approaching its 4-year mark.
Tunisia court gives long prison terms to 40 opposition
leaders, business and media figures
Arab News/November 28, 2025
TUNIS: A Tunisian appeals court on Friday sentenced 40 opposition leaders,
business and media figures to jail terms ranging from five to 45 years on
charges of conspiring against state security, the state news agency TAP said.
The case was one of the largest prosecutions for security offenses in the North
African country’s recent history. The defendants had been on trial since March,
while more than 20 others had fled abroad, authorities said. “The Court of
Appeal in Tunis issued a final ruling early Friday against the defendants in
what is known as the conspiracy against the state case,” said radio station
Mosaique FM, citing an official source, adding the terms ranged from five to 45
years. Nearly 40 defendants, many of whom are critics of President Kais Saied,
were sentenced to up to 66 years in April for “conspiracy against state
security” and “belonging to a terrorist group.”Rights groups have condemned the
verdict as politically motivated. With Agencies
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
on
November 27-28/2025
Qatar's Campus Conquest: Importing Muslim Brotherhood Policies in a War
for the Future of the West
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury/Gatestone Institute/November 28/2025
According to a shocking new report by the Study of Global Antisemitism and
Policy (ISGAP), as well as Jihad in America: The Grand Deception, a 2012 film by
the Investigative Project on Terrorism, the Muslim Brotherhood, along with its
major patron, Qatar, has a dangerous ideological agenda aimed at undermining the
West from within.
ISGAP's latest report highlights a crucial and overlooked fact: the ruling
family of Qatar has pledged Bay'ah -- a spiritual oath of loyalty -- to the
Muslim Brotherhood, the intellectual parent of modern political Islam. This
ideological commitment drives Qatar's global influence operations and informs
the direction of its foreign funding.
Qatar's influence does not end with funding. ISGAP identifies the Muslim
Students Association (MSA) -- founded by Muslim Brotherhood activists -- as the
primary vehicle for campus-level ideological entryism. Operating on 600+ US
campuses, the MSA works closely with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, these groups have mobilized some
of the most aggressive anti-Israel activism, including disruptions, protests and
dissemination of pro-Hamas messaging.
According to ISGAP's Executive Director, Charles Small, the Muslim Brotherhood
aims to isolate Israel and weaken US-Israel ties, fragment US society through
antisemitism and campus radicalization, and challenge democratic norms and
replace them with Islamist ideological frameworks.
Qatar's campaign is not confined to the United States. A credible security
source, cited in a report by the Usanas Foundation, a "geopolitics and security
affairs organization" based in India, indicates that Doha is funding
Islamist-aligned academia, media, and campus activism across India, the United
Kingdom, and EU nations.
Money is flowing to journalists, professors, and influencers in India who
promote political Islam under the guise of "Palestinian activism".
Qatar continues to conduct one of the most extensive foreign influence
operations in modern history. Through hundreds of billions of dollars --
estimated at up to a trillion dollars -- funneled into Western universities,
research centers, media platforms and political advocacy networks, Qatar has
become the leading global patron of the Muslim Brotherhood in pushing an
ideological agenda aimed at reshaping democratic societies from within.
Qatar continues to conduct one of the most extensive foreign influence
operations in modern history. Through hundreds of billions of dollars --
estimated at up to a trillion dollars -- funneled into Western universities,
research centers, media platforms and political advocacy networks, Qatar has
become the leading global patron of the Muslim Brotherhood in pushing an
ideological agenda aimed at reshaping democratic societies from within.
New findings by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP)
show that Qatar's funding is not benign philanthropy; it is a strategic
investment in Islamist soft power, with far-reaching consequences for the United
States, India, Europe, and beyond. According to a shocking new report by the
Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), as well as Jihad in America:
The Grand Deception, a 2012 film by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, the
Muslim Brotherhood, along with its major patron, Qatar, has a dangerous
ideological agenda aimed at undermining the West from within.
ISGAP's latest report highlights a crucial and overlooked fact: the ruling
family of Qatar has pledged Bay'ah -- a spiritual oath of loyalty -- to the
Muslim Brotherhood, the intellectual parent of modern political Islam. This
ideological commitment drives Qatar's global influence operations and informs
the direction of its foreign funding.
Charles Asher Small, ISGAP's Executive Director, told the New York Post that
Qatar is using universities, cultural institutions and educational programs "to
promote its ideology" and advance the Brotherhood's decades-long strategy of
infiltrating Western society.
Massive funding of Western universities:
Qatar has poured extraordinary sums into elite American institutions:
Cornell University: Over $10 billion in total funding for its Doha medical
school, averaging $156 million annually since 2012.
Georgetown University: More than $1 billion, heavily influencing Middle East
studies and diplomatic training programs.
Texas A&M University: $1.3 billion, including hundreds of research projects - at
least 58 with potential dual-use military applications.
In one contract reviewed by ISGAP, Qatar secured all intellectual property
rights related to certain research at Texas A&M's Qatar campus. The university
began closing the campus earlier this year, which analysts link to the growing
scrutiny of Qatari influence.
Campus networks: MSA, SJP and ideological penetration
Qatar's influence does not end with funding. ISGAP identifies the Muslim
Students Association (MSA) -- founded by Muslim Brotherhood activists -- as the
primary vehicle for campus-level ideological entryism. Operating on 600+ US
campuses, the MSA works closely with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, these groups have mobilized some
of the most aggressive anti-Israel activism, including disruptions, protests and
dissemination of pro-Hamas messaging.
Through them, Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood gain:
A pipeline into elite student leadership
Influence over academic discussions on the Middle East
Control over sentiment around Israel and antisemitism
Long-term access to future political, media and tech elites
Infiltration of K-12 schools
Qatar Foundation International (QFI), Doha's US affiliate, has penetrated
American K-12 schools. In one notable incident, a QFI-sponsored classroom map
replaced Israel with "Palestine" in a Brooklyn public school.
QFI's curriculum material and grants give Qatar access to the political
formation of American children -- an alarming development largely overlooked by
policymakers.
The Muslim Brotherhood's blueprint for transforming the West
ISGAP's report, "The Muslim Brotherhood's Strategic Entryism into Western
Society", argues that the Brotherhood is halfway through a long-term plan to
reshape Western society by embedding Islamist ideology in universities, think
tanks, political institutions, media networks and social movements.
According to Small, the Muslim Brotherhood aims to isolate Israel and weaken
US-Israel ties, fragment US society through antisemitism and campus
radicalization, and challenge democratic norms and replace them with Islamist
ideological frameworks.
Escalating global reach: India, UK and Europe
Qatar's campaign is not confined to the United States. A credible security
source, cited in a report by the Usanas Foundation, a "geopolitics and security
affairs organization" based in India, indicates that Doha is funding
Islamist-aligned academia, media, and campus activism across India, the United
Kingdom, and EU nations.
Al Falah University -- linked to extremist elements -- is suspected of having
received Qatari funds.
Money is flowing to journalists, professors, and influencers in India who
promote political Islam under the guise of "Palestinian activism".
Anti-Hindu narratives and pro-Hamas messaging reflect a coordinated ideological
push.
Similar patterns are emerging in London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin - where
Qatar-backed groups are at the forefront of anti-Israel demonstrations and
pro-Brotherhood messaging.
A direct threat to democratic society
Dr. Small warns that the Muslim Brotherhood's agenda - heavily financed by Qatar
- includes the destruction of Israel, the subjugation of women, the targeting of
LGBTQ communities, and the dismantling of equality under the law.
The Brotherhood's worldview fundamentally rejects the democratic idea of equal
rights for all citizens, regardless of gender, religion or ethnicity.
To confront the challenge posed by Qatar's global influence operations,
democratic governments should adopt the following measures:
Mandatory transparency for foreign funding of universities. All foreign grants
and contracts should be publicly disclosed, with penalties for nondisclosure.
Prohibit funding from states aligned with extremist ideologies. Governments
should ban or strictly regulate donations from entities linked to the Muslim
Brotherhood.
Investigate ideological networks on campuses. Organizations such as the MSA and
SJP - which openly coordinate with Islamist movements - require deeper scrutiny.
Designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. This step, already
taken by the State of Texas, would restrict the Brotherhood's ability to operate
legally across Western countries.
Protect K-12 education from foreign influence. QFI and similar organizations
should be barred from funding or shaping public-school curricula.
Qatar's massive global influence operation represents one of the most serious
ideological threats facing the democratic world today. Through its ideological
loyalty to the Muslim Brotherhood and strategic funding in the West, Qatar is
reshaping Western educational institutions, influencing political discourse, and
fostering hostile attitudes toward democratic values and Western allies,
especially Israel.
Unless democracies take decisive action -- through transparency laws,
foreign-funding oversight, campus reform, and ideological vigilance -- Qatar's
anti-democratic ideological offensive will continue hollowing out the
foundations of free societies throughout the world.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22079/qatar-campus-conquest-muslim-brotherhood
**Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an award-winning journalist, writer, and
Editor of the newspaper Blitz. He specializes in counterterrorism and regional
geopolitics.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Question: “Is gluttony a sin? What does the Bible say
about overeating?”
GotQuestions.org/November 38/2025
Answer: Playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote, “There is no love sincerer than
the love of food” (Man and Superman, Act I). That may be true in some people, in
which case they might be guilty of gluttony, the habit of eating immoderately.
But the love of food should never be allowed to become disproportionate to the
love of other, more important things.
The Bible’s warnings against gluttony are mostly indirect, and there is no verse
that says outright, “Gluttony is a sin.” However, when we consider what gluttony
is and the biblical principles that apply, our conclusion has to be that
gluttony is indeed a sin.
Gluttony is eating to excess. Aquinas defined gluttony as “an inordinate desire”
for food and drink that goes beyond reasonableness and therefore departs from
goodness (Summa Theologica, Secunda Secundæ Partis, Question 148). Gluttony can
be seen as a form of greed—a selfish desire for something—which is definitely
sin. Jesus warned us to guard ourselves against “all kinds of greed” (Luke
12:15). Gluttony can also be seen as a lack of self-control, and self-control is
a quality believers are to pursue (2 Peter 1:5–6).
Gluttony is a sin because it gives too high a priority to physical desires. Paul
took care not to be “disqualified” from the ministry, and part of that care was
physical: “I discipline my body and keep it under control” (1 Corinthians 9:27,
ESV). He determined that he would “not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians
6:12). Believers are not to “indulge the flesh” (Galatians 5:13). All of this
seems to indicate that gluttony—eating to excess—is wrong. In contrast to Paul’s
commitment to exercise control over his body, the enemies of the gospel give
free rein to their appetites: “Their god is their stomach” (Philippians 3:19).
Proverbs 23:19–21 mentions gluttony directly. In giving wisdom to those who
would avoid self-induced hardship, the wise man says,
“Listen, my son, and be wise,
and set your heart on the right path:
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”
The path of those who indulge in too much wine and too much food is a ruinous
one. Moderation in all things is much preferred over gluttony (see also Proverbs
28:7).
Gluttony is a sin because the Bible promotes self-control as one of the
characteristics of the Spirit-led life. We are to curb physical appetites and
not let them control us. There are many things about our bodies that we must
control: our sexual behavior (1 Thessalonians 4:4), our tongues (James 3:1–12),
our hands (Proverbs 16:17), our feet (Proverbs 16:18), and our eyes (Mark 9:47).
It stands to reason that we must also control our stomachs. The ability to say
“no” to anything in excess is a godly skill.
Jesus was accused of being “a glutton and a drunkard” (Luke 7:34), but it was a
malicious false charge. The same evil-hearted people accused John the Baptist of
being demon-possessed because he did not feast. Jesus attended feasts and so was
labelled a “glutton.” The fault-finders were unwise. As Jesus said, “Wisdom is
proved right by all her children” (Luke 7:35); that is, those who are truly wise
will understand and appreciate both John and Jesus.
God “richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17, NLT), and
that includes an incredible variety of foods that are delicious, nutritious, and
pleasurable. We should thank God for the colors, aromas, textures, and tastes
that we enjoy at our meals. And we should honor God by partaking of His gifts in
appropriate quantities.
America’s AI Stack Needs an Israeli Upgrade
Leah Siskind/The National Interest/November 28/2025
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/americas-ai-stack-needs-an-israeli-upgrade
The Department of Commerce should consider Israeli AI security companies for its
trusted partner program to ensure the US tech stack is the global standard.
The core of the Trump administration’s artificial intelligence (AI) playbook has
been simple and steadfast: don’t just out-innovate China—out-sell it, by
offering the most compelling AI package from chips to apps. While there is no
doubt that America is the world leader in advanced or “frontier” models, chips,
semiconductors, data centers, and apps in general, the missing piece of the
American tech stack is undoubtedly AI security. To create the most appealing US
AI stack for global customers, America should merge forces with its strong ally
that is defining this new field of technology: Israel.
White House Special Advisor for AI and Crypto (also dubbed the AI and Crypto
Czar), David Sacks, regularly articulates the worldview that America’s best
chance of winning the global AI race is by making the American “tech stack” the
global standard. For an administration that believes in removing obstacles for
business and empowering the private sector to lead, partnering with Israeli AI
companies is a natural continuation of patterns already occurring in the private
sector. The Department of Commerce (DOC) is currently gathering information from
the public that will shape what constitutes the American tech stack to be
exported abroad. Israel possesses the ideal candidates for the DOC’s “trusted
partner” program. Security Is a Missing Layer in the US AI Package
To create an AI technology package adopted across the globe, it has to be secure
by design, not as an afterthought. This is where Israel’s unique expertise
becomes critical.
Leah Siskind is director of impact and an AI research fellow at the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies. Her research focuses on adversarial use of AI by
state and non-state actors targeting the United States and its allies. She
previously served as the deputy director of the AI Corps at the US Department of
Homeland Security.
Trump targets the Muslim Brotherhood wisely — taking down its terror arms piece
by piece
David Adesnik/New York Post/November 28/2025
President Donald Trump is not known for restraint, but with the executive order
he issued Monday his administration is taking a measured approach in its
offensive against the Muslim Brotherhood — and that’s surely the wisest course.
The Brotherhood, now a global movement, embraces three core principles that
include: “The Quran is our constitution. Jihad is our path. Martyrdom is our
aspiration.”Its branches include Hamas, and its most prominent alumni include
the late al Qaeda chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri. For over a decade, Republicans on
Capitol Hill have pushed to officially designate the Brotherhood as a terrorist
organization, putting it in the crosshairs of law enforcement — or even setting
the stage for military action. These advocates have mainly favored a single
pronouncement that would treat every arm of the movement, on every continent, as
part of one unified organization — as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently did in his
state. Trump has firmly rejected that approach. Instead, his new executive order
tasks the State and Treasury departments with evaluating the Brotherhood chapter
by chapter and determining which components deserve the terrorist label. This
approach is likely to have a far greater and more lasting impact — because it
matches the decentralized, even haphazard, organization of the Brotherhood
itself.
The Brotherhood has no paramount leader and no central council or governing
body.
As the founding branch, the Egyptian Brotherhood enjoys a special prestige, and
its leader carries the title of Supreme Guide — but has no means of exerting
control. National branches go their own way, adapting to local conditions to
maximize their growth and influence. These facts matter because a terror
designation can be challenged in court. It’s rare, because the departments of
State and Treasury traditionally build their cases cautiously and
comprehensively.
But if the White House insisted on designating a group with no leader, no
headquarters and no clear control over its constituent parts, the result would
be a legal debacle.
To avoid that, the president has instructed the secretaries of State and
Treasury to deliver a report within 30 days addressing whether any “Muslim
Brotherhood chapters or subdivisions” meet the legal criteria for designation as
terrorist groups, with a final decision to follow within 45 days.
The order specifically requires evaluation of the movement’s branches in
Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Last month, in a report assessing the merits of
designating various Brotherhood branches, my colleagues and I found that action
is more than warranted on the Lebanese and Jordanian fronts.
In Lebanon, the Brotherhood operates as the Islamic Group, which lavished praise
on Hamas for the atrocities of Oct. 7 — then directed its militia to join
Hezbollah in rocket attacks on northern Israel, relieving some of the pressure
on Hamas in Gaza.
In Jordan, where the Brotherhood spent decades reassuring authorities that it
rejected violence, the state intelligence service this year found that the
group’s members were manufacturing rockets and drones for a planned attack on
“sensitive sites” in the kingdom. The Brotherhood insisted that those arrested
were acting independently, but Amman rejected that rationale and launched a
crackdown. It’s a different situation in Egypt, where the military dictatorship
of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has spent a decade crushing the Brotherhood, jailing its
leaders and dismantling its political arm. Still, the Egyptian Brotherhood has
generated a pair of violent splinter groups that the first Trump administration
designated as terrorist organizations.
What’s clear is that the Egyptian Brotherhood has not changed its ideological
orientation. On Oct. 7 this year, its leader celebrated Hamas for how it had
“awakened the cinder of jihad” in 2023, and called for those outside Gaza to
provide the enclave with “military support.” One critical question left open by
Trump’s executive order is how to stop foreign governments, like those of Qatar
and Turkey, from supporting Brotherhood chapters that cross the line into
terrorism.
Both Ankara and Doha have remained firm supporters of Hamas even after Oct. 7,
and their broadcasting arms, especially Qatar’s Al Jazeera, promote pro-Hamas
and pro-Brotherhood narratives. In theory, Washington could designate either
Turkey or Qatar as a state sponsor of terrorism for this boosting — yet that
label is reserved historically for the worst of the worst, and the two nations
are, technically at least, US allies.
The first step may simply be for Trump to put an end to public praise for Ankara
and Doha, while turning up the heat in private. If that isn’t enough, the
Treasury Department can hit individual officials with sanctions. They are likely
to need a wake-up call — much like the one the White House just directed at the
Muslim Brotherhood.
*David Adesnik is the vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense
of Democracies.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/25/opinion/trump-tackles-the-muslim-brotherhood-wisely-piece-by-piece/
Read in New York Post
Fixing Putin’s plan ...Helping make Russia great again is
not in America’s interest
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/November 28/2025
President Trump is a master multitasker. Still, while he was busy dining and
deal-making with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia last week, I doubt he had time
to carefully examine the 28-point “peace” plan drafted by Steve Witkoff, his
special envoy, and Kirill Dmitriev, de facto special envoy of Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
Initially, Mr. Trump appeared to endorse the plan, saying that Thanksgiving
would be “an appropriate time” for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to
agree to it.
Over the weekend, however, American and Ukrainian officials met to revise the
plan in Geneva where, according to a joint White House/Ukraine statement, they
made “meaningful progress.” On Sunday, Marco Rubio, who serves as both Mr.
Trump’s secretary of state and national security advisor, said the meeting had
produced a “solid framework for ongoing negotiations,” one that reduces the plan
from 28 points to 19. He added: “This is a living, breathing document. Every
day, with input, it changes.”
He indicated, also, that Mr. Trump had decided to be flexible regarding
deadlines.
And on Monday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that, “something
good just may be happening.”It will soon be four years since Mr. Putin’s
military forces invaded Ukraine – not for the first time. Since then, Russian
drones and missiles have rained down on hospitals, schools, churches,
supermarkets, and, lately, the energy systems needed for heating homes during
the coming Ukrainian winter.
Mr. Trump has worked hard to persuade Mr. Putin to negotiate an end to the
conflict. Mr. Putin has suggested he was in favor of that, but he’s never begun
a serious diplomatic process. Back in April, Mr. Trump posted that continuing
Russian strikes on “civilian areas, cities and towns” had caused him to consider
that perhaps the Russian strongman “doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just
tapping me along.” That perception has since proven indisputably accurate.
On Monday, Mr. Putin said the 28-point plan could form the basis of a
settlement. That came as no surprise since it required Ukrainians to surrender
territory, slash their military, and limit their alliances. Accepting that
Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces will be controlled by Moscow
for the foreseeable future merely recognizes reality. The same is not true of
the demand that Ukraine cede well-defended territories in its eastern Donbas
region that Mr. Putin’s forces have not conquered, do not occupy, and from which
a future assault on Kyiv could be launched.
Among the other benefits the initial plan would have given to Russia: the
lifting of most sanctions and re-entry of Russia into what is currently the
Group of Seven. That elite political forum had been the G8 until Russia invaded
and annexed Crimea in 2014.
The members of the G7 – the U.S., the U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and
Japan – are democracies. In the past, it was possible to hope Russia was
evolving in that direction. Not anymore.
The plan also stated: “It is expected that Russia will not invade neighboring
countries.” Expected by whom? Russia sliced two territories from Georgia in
2008.
The plan required Ukraine to cut its military from some 900,000 troops to
600,000 with no reciprocal limits on Russian force levels. You don’t need to be
Carl von Clausewitz to understand the implications.
Also demanded: NATO “will not expand further.” The suggestion that NATO is
expansionist or threatening is ludicrous.
Another point: “Russia will enshrine in law its policy of non-aggression towards
Europe and Ukraine.”
Is this meant to be funny? Russian law is whatever Mr. Putin says it is on any
given day.
One more point in the initial plan: “Ukraine will receive reliable security
guarantees” from the U.S. and its NATO allies. But a Russian attack on Ukraine
would have to be “significant, deliberate, and sustained” to merit a response,
the aim of which would be merely “to restore security.”
Plus, the guarantees would be voided if Ukraine launches a missile at Moscow or
St. Petersburg “without cause.”
Recall how Moscow, in 1999, engineered an apartment-bombing narrative to falsely
justify launching a war in Chechnya, whose independence movement was soon
crushed. Recall, too, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in which Ukraine agreed to
give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for an American and Russian guarantee
that Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity would be respected.
A key strategic component that I’m confident President Trump has by now
considered: Xi Jinping would regard the abandonment of Ukraine as an echo of
President Biden’s capitulation to the Taliban in Afghanistan. China’s ruler
would then be justified to conclude that Taiwan is now his for the taking.
On Tuesday morning, the Kremlin rejected a European counterproposal to the
28-point peace plan – which is not the same as the 19-point working document
negotiated by Mr. Rubio over the weekend. This suggests, however, that the road
to an agreement is likely to be long and bumpy. Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry
Peskov, has said on numerous occasions that ending the war requires the
elimination of the “root causes” of the war.
Mr. Peskov never explains that term, so I will. In his 2005 state-of-the-nation
address, Mr. Putin called the collapse of the Soviet Union “the greatest
geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20th century. His mission, it should be
obvious, is to restore what President Reagan called the “evil empire.” Ukraine
would not be his last stop. To that end, he has made common cause with the
communists ruling China, the Islamists ruling Iran, and the third-generation
despot ruling North Korea – an ambitious Axis of Aggressors.
An America that is great again will not help Mr. Putin achieve his imperialist
and anti-American ambitions.
*Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the
“Foreign Podicy” podcast.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/25/fixing-putins-russia-ukraine-war-peace-plan/
Read in The Washington Times
Gaza plan plants the seed of a fragile political
transition
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/November 28, 2025
With the UN Security Council’s adoption of the US resolution endorsing President
Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, the Palestinian file has entered one of its most
delicate phases since the eruption of the war. What began as a 20-point proposal
circulating through bilateral and regional understandings has now been pushed by
Washington into the realm of binding international legitimacy — backed by an
unusually broad Arab and Islamic consensus that includes Egypt, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. The proposal is no
longer merely an American initiative; it has become a political and security
framework protected by the authority of the UN, meant to shape the contours of
Gaza’s post-war phase, and perhaps the future of the Palestinian question.
Granting the plan international endorsement gives it political and legal weight
not seen since Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. The next stage will no
longer depend on fragmented negotiations or piecemeal mediation efforts, but on
a unified international process that enables the formation of a “International
Stabilization Force” working in coordination with Egypt, Israel, and newly
trained Palestinian police units. Its mandate includes border security,
disarming non-state armed groups, securing humanitarian corridors, protecting
civilians, and supporting reconstruction. The establishment of a “Peace Council”
as a transitional governing body for Gaza through the end of 2027 adds an
institutional dimension that goes well beyond the original American paper.
What is new in the final version of the resolution is the inclusion of explicit
language referring to the “possibility of establishing a future Palestinian
state” — conditional on the Palestinian Authority carrying out major reforms and
upon the launch of Gaza’s reconstruction, which together “may create the
conditions for a credible path toward self-determination.” Washington also
commits to launching direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians to define
a political horizon for “peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” thus returning,
at least on paper, the notion of a political settlement to the table after years
of treating the issue purely as a security file.
Israel faces deep internal divisions
The resolution also builds on the European role, particularly the EU’s proposal
to train 3,000 Gaza-based Palestinian police officers as a foundation for
rebuilding a 13,000-strong security force, while expanding the mandate of the
European monitoring mission in Rafah to include other crossings. In this sense,
the plan becomes a complex web of American, European, Arab, and international
roles rather than a unilateral US initiative. Yet the entry of the project into
this phase has not been free of resistance. Moscow immediately submitted a
competing draft resolution that mirrors the general idea, but omits two
essential elements: the Peace Council, which effectively grants the White House
significant influence over the transition, and the ability to form a
stabilization force outside UN structures. The Russian draft shifts the center
of gravity back to the UN by asking the secretary-general to present “options”
for an international force, thus restricting the room for unilateral US
manoeuvre. The confrontation is, therefore, not merely a vote of “yes” or “no,”
but a clash between two visions: an expansive American design centered on
Trump’s 20-point plan, versus a more cautious Russian — and implicitly Chinese —
approach. Even with the passage of the US resolution, negotiations, and
amendments are likely to continue to reassure Moscow, Beijing, and other
hesitant members. While the adoption of the resolution is undeniably a
diplomatic victory for Washington and a rare moment of regional alignment, its
implementation represents a far more difficult test. Israel faces deep internal
divisions: The nationalist and religious right opposes any withdrawal, any
international force, and any expanded role for the Palestinian Authority in
Gaza. This resistance could quickly morph into a political crisis or produce
on-ground pressures that obstruct implementation. On the Palestinian side, the
picture is even more fragile. Gaza lacks a unified and legitimate governing
authority; the Palestinian Authority itself suffers from a crisis of legitimacy
and performance; and Hamas’ future remains ambiguous. Will it be politically
integrated? Fully disarmed? Allowed to remain in a diminished form? The
uncertainty surrounding its role makes the transitional period inherently
unstable and vulnerable to collapse.
The plan could unravel before it begins
As for the International Stabilization Force, it remains more conceptual than
real. No state has yet declared a clear willingness to operate inside the
densely populated and highly volatile “old Gaza” areas. If the force fails to
materialize or emerges too weak to carry out its mandated tasks, ranging from
border security to disarmament and police support, the entire plan could unravel
before it begins. The economic and reconstruction dimension is no less critical.
Without rapid and tangible reconstruction, public trust will erode, and the
people of Gaza may perceive the resolution as a continuation of the blockade
rather than a path out of it. Experiences in Bosnia, Iraq, and Lebanon show how
delayed reconstruction can doom even the most carefully crafted frameworks.
Still, the plan cannot be reduced to a mere repackaging of crisis management.
For the first time since Oslo, there is a transitional framework that carries at
least the potential for a political evolution, dependent on Palestinian unity,
Israeli de-escalation, and genuine international commitment to funding
reconstruction and supporting the international force. The resolution plants the
seed of a solution, yet simultaneously contains all the ingredients for becoming
another mechanism for crisis maintenance if the central challenges of security,
governance, and reconstruction remain unresolved. The US-backed resolution
enters its implementation phase with two opposing faces. It is a political
opportunity if the necessary elements fall into place, and it may mark the
beginning of a broader settlement. But it is equally capable of devolving into
an improved form of crisis management if those elements fail to align. Its
success hinges on a decisive triangle: Washington-Cairo-the Palestinian
leadership. Should this triangle succeed in managing the complex balances and
restraining the disruptive actors, Gaza may move from a battlefield to a model
of political transition. If not, if Israeli politics remain governed by its
current hard-right dynamics, or if Palestinian division persists, then the
resolution risks becoming a well-written agreement … with no future.
• Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. X: @ALMenawy
Why Pope Leo’s visit to Turkiye is important
Dr. Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/November 28, 2025
Pope Leo XIV’s much-anticipated visit to Turkiye — his first official foreign
trip as pontiff — has both diplomatic and religio-historic importance. Paul VI
became the first pope to visit Turkey in 1967, following the establishment of
relations between the Holy See and Ankara seven years earlier. This is the fifth
papal visit since that landmark trip.Leo arrived in Turkiye on Thursday and will
stay until Sunday, with a busy itinerary. Traditionally, papal visits to Turkiye
have had two main stops: Ankara and Istanbul. In Ankara, meetings with officials
are held, in which discussions mainly focus on regional and international
humanitarian issues. While in Istanbul, meetings are held with religious figures
and community members. In this visit, Ankara was the pope’s first stop. There,
he visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of
modern Turkiye, and was then welcomed with an official ceremony at the
Presidential Complex by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Leo’s visit serves
several purposes. While Turkiye is a Muslim-majority country, it is also home to
the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is considered the spiritual leader
of the Eastern Orthodox Church. His headquarters are in Istanbul. The first
purpose of the visit is to send a unification message regarding
Catholic-Orthodox relations.
The first purpose of the visit is to send a unification message regarding
Catholic-Orthodox relations
In addition, Turkiye is considered by the Vatican as a significant geopolitical
actor that plays a key role in regional crises. Thus, the second purpose of the
visit focuses on Turkiye-Vatican relations, which have seen improvement of late,
particularly in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Gaza war.
The Vatican has expressed appreciation for Turkiye’s efforts to mediate between
Russia and Ukraine. Although the Holy See has also attempted to broker a
ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, those initiatives have so far failed. In
addition, the war in Gaza has intensified diplomatic traffic between the Holy
See and Ankara. Erdogan and the late Pope Francis held several phone calls on
the Gaza war. The Holy See has particularly drawn international attention with
its stance on the plight of the Palestinians, an issue also of deep sensitivity
to Turkiye.
The last papal visit to Turkiye took place in 2014, continuing the tradition of
popes visiting the country in the early years of their tenures. During his 2014
visit, Francis visited the Hagia Sophia, then a museum before it was converted
to a mosque in 2020, and the Sultanahmet Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, where
his prayer was widely seen as a gesture of interfaith dialogue and a symbol of
strengthening Catholic-Muslim relations. Leo’s itinerary includes only the Blue
Mosque. In 2014, Francis was warmly welcomed by the Turkish public and a similar
atmosphere surrounds this visit. Souvenirs and posters featuring a portrait of
Leo alongside the Turkish flag have been prepared.
Overseas trips are considered an important part of the Holy See’s soft power,
giving the pope the opportunity to meet leaders, engage with Christian
communities and draw global media attention to regional issues. During his visit
to Turkiye, Leo is expected to focus on continued efforts toward
Catholic-Orthodox reconciliation, strengthen dialogue between Christians and
Muslims, raise concerns over regional issues, and support local Christian
communities. Leo’s first overseas visit being to Turkiye comes as no surprise.
It is both a papal tradition and a deliberate choice
There have been reports that the pope is likely to raise the possible reopening
of a Greek Orthodox religious seminary in Turkiye, known as Heybeliada school,
which was closed in 1971 following a Constitutional Court ruling that private
higher education institutions must be affiliated with state universities. The
seminary, founded in 1844, is a symbol of Orthodox heritage and it trained
generations of Greek Orthodox patriarchs, including Bartholomew. Turkiye has
long faced pressure from the US and EU to reopen it. Optimism grew after US
President Donald Trump discussed the issue with Erdogan at the White House in
September. Erdogan reportedly told Trump at their meeting that “we are ready to
do whatever is incumbent upon us regarding the Heybeliada school.”
However, the central purpose of Leo’s Turkiye trip is to mark the 1,700th
anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, Christianity’s first ecumenical
council, which was held in 325 A.D. in today’s Iznik, in the northwestern
Turkish province of Bursa. The pope will pray with Bartholomew toward the ruins
of the Basilica of St. Neophytos and sign a joint declaration as a symbolic
gesture of Christian unity. According to reports, 15,000 Christians are expected
to attend the ceremony in Iznik.
Data from the Catholic Church states that about 33,000 Catholics currently live
in Turkiye. The meeting between Leo and Bartholomew is considered an important
step for the convergence of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The pope is also
scheduled to perform a prayer service to an estimated 4,000 people at the
Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul. Leo has also met the head of Turkiye’s Presidency
of Religious Affairs and the country’s chief rabbi. Within this context, the
pope’s first overseas visit being to Turkiye comes as no surprise. It is both a
papal tradition and a deliberate choice. Turkiye is a mosaic of faiths, home to
Muslims, Christians, Jews and other religious minorities. It also hosts
religious archaeological sites, making the country particularly important in the
eyes of other communities. The timing of the visit is also important, as it
comes when greater reconciliation is needed. Leo hopes to foster stronger
Turkiye-Vatican relations, while also encouraging a united moral stance toward
crises from Gaza to Ukraine.
*Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s
relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
Europe must stop squandering the power of its purse
Liesbeth Casier, Joren Verschaeve & Chrisophe Deboffe/Arab News/November 28,
2025
Public procurement accounts for about 14 percent of the EU’s gross domestic
product, making it one of the bloc’s most powerful tools for shaping markets and
advancing its policy goals. But a recent evaluation by the European Commission
confirms what many governments and businesses already suspected: The current
framework has fallen short of making public spending simpler, more strategic,
and greener. With over 75 percent of public contracts still lacking
environmental criteria, it is no wonder that spending is so poorly aligned with
the EU’s stated industrial and climate objectives.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made procurement reform a
central part of the EU’s new strategic agenda, linking it to the proposed
Industrial Accelerator Act and the goal of creating “Made in Europe” markets for
clean technologies. In her latest state of the union address, she emphasized the
need to boost domestic production and decarbonization together, not at the
expense of one another. Similarly, Stephane Sejourne, a European Commission
executive vice-president, has highlighted public procurement’s potential as a
lever for ensuring competitiveness, resilience, and economic security. However,
to promote competitiveness and meaningful climate leadership, sustainability
must become a requirement in public tenders, not an optional add-on. Otherwise,
companies building clean steel plants or producing low-carbon cement will still
lose out to cheaper, higher-emissions competitors.
These heavy industries are central to Europe’s competitiveness and job creation,
and they are doing exactly what Europe’s strategies demand: decarbonizing supply
chains, investing in innovation, and creating skilled local jobs. But they need
a stable incentive that rewards decarbonization and fosters reliable markets for
clean products. As the German Steel Association warns, Europe risks losing
competitiveness unless public procurement creates reliable demand for low-carbon
materials.
While many public buyers are trying to incorporate green criteria, the current
legal framework remains too fragmented and complex to facilitate the
mainstreaming of strategic, climate-aligned procurement. This leaves cleaner
firms facing inconsistent demand and unclear expectations. Public procurement
should be a strategic instrument that rewards performance, not just compliance.
But outdated habits and administrative caution still hinder innovation,
benefiting higher-emissions competitors.
Making matters worse, competition in EU procurement has declined overall,
especially for smaller tenders. The European Court of Auditors found that
single-bid contracts rose from 24 percent in 2011 to 42 percent in 2021, while
the recent commission evaluation shows that large contracts still attract strong
participation. Simplification is needed, not to lower standards, but to make
green procurement easier and more consistent.
Europe risks falling behind not for lack of technology, but for lack of
alignment between its industrial, climate, and procurement policies.
Liesbeth Casier, Joren Verschaeve, Chrisophe Deboffe
Other economies have moved more decisively. Under President Joe Biden’s
administration, the US Inflation Reduction Act used public spending to promote
clean manufacturing and domestic resilience. And in the UK, a new procurement
act embeds “social value” and climate considerations into public tenders,
creating clearer incentives for innovation and sustainability. Both show how
procurement can create “leading markets” for clean materials, a goal that is
central to the Industrial Accelerator Act.
While that act aims to boost domestic demand for low-carbon technologies, the
procurement directive should ensure coherence with sectoral legislation and
translate these ambitions into consistent, implementable rules. Done right, this
can promote a shift to procurement that rewards quality and innovation. Europe
risks falling behind not for lack of technology, but for lack of alignment
between its industrial, climate, and procurement policies.
If implemented well, procurement reforms could unlock more competitive,
consistent, and resilient public spending without raising budgets. That means
awarding contracts based on real value for money and making green public
procurement the default, thus sending a clear market signal that quality,
life-cycle costs, and wider societal benefits matter more than the lowest
initial bid. It also means agreeing on common environmental criteria and robust
standards across the single market, so that buyers and suppliers adhere to the
same rules, making implementation easier and competition fairer. And it means
harmonizing requirements in key sectors, reducing complexity for public buyers,
and giving companies the certainty they need to plan and invest.
Some countries are already showing what is possible. Lithuania scaled green
procurement from 5 percent to over 90 percent of contract value in just three
years, combining clear criteria with training and oversight. Portugal has
introduced binding environmental standards in high-priority sectors, while
Ireland uses embodied carbon targets to procure cleaner, higher-performance
public buildings. The first Irish tender using the CO2 Performance Ladder, a
best-practice tool for green public procurement, cut emissions by 21 percent
compared with a conventional approach, offering proof that the right criteria
can drive measurable results. The EU already has the tools to do better. Using
them can unlock benefits that extend beyond driving clean industrial innovation.
Consider, for example, that air pollution costs Europe an estimated €600
billion ($696 billion) per year. According to the consultancy Carbone 4,
aligning procurement with sustainability could cut carbon dioxide emissions by
34 million metric tons annually, mobilize €86 billion for green industries,
and create 384,000 high-quality jobs. And the same dynamic occurs locally. When
the French city of Dinan added green and social criteria to its cleaning
services contract, it cut costs by 20 percent, reduced water use, and created
jobs for unemployed residents.
At a time when demands on constrained public budgets are rising, strategic
procurement can strengthen businesses, reduce emissions, protect public health,
and promote economic growth at the same time. Why not reform the rules to make
it the norm?
This commentary is signed by Paolo Campanella and Gijs Termeer.
• Liesbeth Casier is Lead of Public Procurement and Sustainable Infrastructure
at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
• Joren Verschaeve is Coordinator at the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement and
Concrete.
• Chrisophe Deboffe is a partner at Neo-Eco, a circular economy consultancy.
Copyright: Project Syndicate.
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