English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 02/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well
on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?
Luke/14/01-06/ One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent
Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man
suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and
experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they
remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his
way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into
a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” And they had
nothing to say.
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on September 01-02/2025
Reflections on the 105th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Greater
Lebanon/Elias Bejjani/September 01/2025
Who is Saint Simeon the Stylite, whose annual feast we commemorate today
September 01?/Elias Bejjani/September 01/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: An analysis in Nabih Berri's Televised Speech on
the 48th Annual Remembrance Day of the Disappearance of El Emam Mousa Al-Sadr
Bolton: Disarming Hezbollah Is Key to Middle East Peace
Barrack reportedly pressing Israel on 'step-for-step' approach
Aoun, Salam discuss preparations for Friday's key cabinet session
Lebanon and Syria to form committees on prisoners, missing persons, and border
issues
Abbas Determined to Withdraw All Palestinian Weapons from Lebanon
Le Drian in Beirut to Prepare Lebanon Conferences
Jaber says BDL trying to resolve issue of Hezbollah's al-Qard al-Hassan
Shiite ministers to attend cabinet session on arms monopoly, report says
LF MP says arms monopoly issue 'leaning to positivity'
Raggi: State Monopoly on Arms Is a “Historic Step” Toward Sovereignty
UNESCO Chief to Visit Beirut for Cultural and Urban Projects
Salloum Warns of Threat from Expired Medicines
850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since Assad's fall, UN says
Neemat Aoun Says Rebuilding Lebanon Will Require Time
Disarming Militias: Time for Lebanon to Assert a Firm Stance?/Élie-Joe Kamel/This
is Beirut/September 01/2025
UNIFIL Exit: Organizing the Withdrawal of 10,000 Peacekeepers from Southern
Lebanon/Soumia Benmerzoug/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on September 01-02/2025
Israel sends tanks deeper in Gaza City, more families flee
Gaza journalists fear they could be targeted next amid Israeli smear campaign
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, scholars’ association says
Gaza aid flotilla departs Barcelona again: AFP journalists
UK ‘outraged’ at Israel restricting aid as it works to evacuate children from
Gaza for treatment
King Abdullah, French President Emmanuel Macron discuss Gaza, Syria, Lebanon
Yemen’s Houthis launch missile that lands near oil tanker in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthis say they Targeted Red Sea Ship with Missile
Iran and the Sanctions’ Reinstatement: From Balance to Isolation
Putin Meets Erdogan, Praises Turkey's Mediation Efforts on Ukraine
Zelensky to Meet European Leaders in Paris on Thursday
Russian Drone Attacks on Ukraine Dropped in August
Xi and Putin Lash Out at the West Before Eurasian leaders
Maduro: 8 US Ships 'with 1,200 Missiles' Threatening Venezuela
Afghanistan Earthquake Kills More Than 1000
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on August 31-September 01/2025
Solomonic Judgment/Dr. Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Is the tide finally turning against Israel?/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/September
01, 2025
The man who closed the chapter of both Assads/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper/September 01, 2025
Can Gaza forge Saudi-Iranian unity?/Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/August 31, 2025
The Woman Behind the Veil/Sara Al Nuaimi/Gatestone Institute/September 01/2025
Seeking Regional Leaders with Sadat’s Vision/Michel Touma/This is
Beirut/September 01/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 01-02/2025
Reflections on the 105th Anniversary
of the Proclamation of Greater Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/September 01/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/146914/
105 years ago, the declaration of
the State of Greater Lebanon took place. The only historical era in which
Lebanon truly enjoyed peace, prosperity, and stability lasted until the early
1970s. After that came disintegration, along with divisions, wars, and chaos
triggered by the armed Palestinian invasion, the rise of local nationalist,
Arabist, leftist, and jihadist movements, the Nasserist tide, and militant
leftist activities.
The process of disintegration and collapse deepened with the Taif Agreement,
which was imposed due to an imbalance of local and regional power. Today,
Lebanon has reached the peak of its decline and loss of sovereignty under the
Iranian occupation, enforced through its jihadist and terrorist military proxy
that blasphemously and heretically carries the name “Hezbollah” (“God’s Party”).
From the Mutasarrifate to the State: Contexts of Greater Lebanon’s Birth
The proclamation of Greater Lebanon was a pivotal event in the modern history of
the Levant, occurring against the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire’s collapse and
the rise of competing national and regional projects. While some local and
regional forces sought to realize the “Greater Syria” project under Emir Faisal
I, supported by the Arab Revolt, an alternative vision backed by France emerged:
the establishment of a distinct political entity in the coastal and mountainous
regions of Bilad al-Sham. This paper offers a deep analytical reading of the
105th anniversary of Greater Lebanon’s proclamation, moving beyond traditional
historical narratives to deconstruct the root causes, outcomes, and enduring
implications of this event on Lebanon’s state structure and identity up to the
present day.
The Proclamation of Greater Lebanon: Between Local Aspirations and Colonial
Reality
The proclamation of Greater Lebanon was not a unilateral decision imposed by the
French Mandate authority; it was the culmination of intersecting local,
regional, and international interests. The entity was formally declared through
an administrative decree issued by General Henri Gouraud, the French High
Commissioner in Syria and Cilicia, on August 31, 1920, which took effect the
following day, September 1, 1920.
The Local Role: Patriarch Elias al-Huwayek
Maronite Patriarch Elias Boutros al-Huwayek played a decisive role in the birth
of Greater Lebanon, and is considered one of the four most important figures in
this context. His vision went beyond creating a mere sectarian refuge for the
Maronites; he was firmly convinced of the need for a viable economic entity.
After the famine that devastated Mount Lebanon during World War I, Patriarch al-Huwayek
realized that the Mutasarrifate, with its narrow borders, was unable to feed its
inhabitants and was plagued by poverty and mass emigration. In response, he led
a delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, where he presented a
detailed memorandum on October 24, 1919, demanding expanded borders for Lebanon.
His demands were based on historical and geographical arguments, claiming they
coincided with the ancient borders of Phoenicia, as well as those of the Ma‘nid
and Shihabid principalities, and with maps from an old French military mission.
These claims extended Lebanon’s boundaries from Lake Homs in the north to Lake
Huleh in the south, incorporating vital agricultural plains absent from the
Mutasarrifate. Thus, Patriarch al-Huwayek was not advocating for a closed
sectarian enclave, but for a pluralistic homeland capable of sustaining its
people economically.
The French Role: Strategic Support
France had long viewed Lebanon as its foothold in the Middle East, casting
itself as the “protector” of Eastern Christians since the 17th century.
Supporting al-Huwayek’s demands was therefore not mere benevolence, but part of
a strategic plan to cement French influence in the Levant against rising Arab
nationalism. The proclamation of Greater Lebanon crowned this French role, with
France presenting itself as the protector of minorities in constant tension with
their Muslim surroundings. In his speech, General Gouraud praised Patriarch al-Huwayek
as “the great Patriarch of Lebanon who descended from his mountain to attend
this glorious day.” Thus, the proclamation resulted from the convergence of two
wills: a local will for a viable entity and a colonial will for dominance. The
economic crisis and famine of Mount Lebanon pressured the Maronite Patriarchate
to demand territorial expansion, while France saw in those demands the perfect
justification for its military and political presence under the guise of
“protecting minorities.” The outcome was the creation of a new entity that
satisfied part of the Lebanese population but clashed with the vision of another
part.
A New Map and a Divided Identity: Voices of Opposition and Faisal’s Project
Despite local support, the proclamation was met with fierce rejection from most
inhabitants of the newly annexed regions. This opposition reflected deep
divisions in national visions — divisions that remain alive today.
Annexed Areas and Local Positions
Decree No. 318 defined the new entity’s borders to include the Mutasarrifate of
Mount Lebanon plus the districts of Baalbek, the Beqaa, Rachaya, and Hasbaya, as
well as the sanjaks of Beirut and Sidon. These regions, which had previously
belonged to Ottoman provinces like Damascus and Beirut, suddenly found
themselves part of a political entity with different orientations. The general
stance of Muslims (both Sunni and Shia) was rejection, though expressed
differently across regions:
Tripoli and Beirut: resistance took the form of strikes, civil disobedience, and
political opposition led by Sunni notables.
Jabal ‘Amil (South Lebanon) and the Beqaa: resistance was armed, with guerrilla
warfare waged against French forces. At the Wadi al-Hujayr Conference, Shia
leaders openly pledged allegiance to King Faisal in Damascus.
The roots of this opposition lay in their shift from being part of a ruling
majority under the Ottomans to becoming a minority within a Christian-led
entity. Many preferred integration into a larger Arab state — “Greater Syria”
(Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan) — under Emir Faisal’s leadership.
The Faisal Era and the Collapse of the Arab National Project
Prince Faisal ibn al-Husayn was the preferred monarch for opponents of Greater
Lebanon. On March 8, 1920, the Syrian General Congress declared Syria’s
independence within its “natural borders” and crowned Faisal as king. This Arab
nationalist project was the favored alternative for Muslims who rejected the
French Mandate and Lebanon’s separation. Yet, the dream was short-lived. In July
1920, France issued Faisal an ultimatum to accept the Mandate; though he
reluctantly agreed, French forces advanced on Damascus and defeated the Syrians
at the Battle of Maysalun on July 24, 1920. Faisal’s withdrawal from Damascus
removed the Arab nationalist alternative that opponents had hoped for. This
collapse was not incidental but an essential precondition for the success of the
Greater Lebanon project. With Faisal gone, opponents were left with no choice
but reluctant acceptance of the new reality.
Ottoman Provinces and Their Reactions to Greater Lebanon
Region (annexed) Previous Ottoman Affiliation Reaction
Baalbek, Beqaa, Rachaya, Hasbaya Province of Damascus Armed resistance
(guerrilla war)
Beirut & Sidon Sanjaks Province of Beirut / Province of Haifa Political
resistance (strikes, civil disobedience)
Tripoli Province of Tripoli Strong political resistance (strikes, civil
disobedience)
This early divergence between armed resistance in the South and Beqaa, and
political resistance in coastal cities, reveals deeper fractures within Lebanese
society — fractures that predated the state’s creation and continued to
resurface thereafter.
The “Golden Age”: Superficial Prosperity, Deep Inequality
After full independence in 1943 and the establishment of the Lebanese Republic
under its sectarian system, Lebanon experienced an unprecedented economic and
social boom during the 1950s and 1960s. Beirut earned nicknames like “the Paris
of the Middle East” and “the California of the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Signs of Prosperity and Modernization
This boom was built on services, particularly banking and tourism. Beirut became
a regional financial and tourist hub, attracting visitors from across the world.
Cultural and artistic life flourished, with thriving nightclubs, cafés, and
theaters. Landmarks like the Phoenicia Hotel and Casino du Liban, which hosted
international figures, symbolized the era. Infrastructure also improved,
including trams and railways.
Roots of Economic and Social Crisis
But the boom was superficial, masking deep contradictions. The Lebanese economic
model was unbalanced — a “dependent capitalism” relying heavily on foreign
capital and remittances, centered on services at the expense of agriculture and
industry. This produced severe income inequality: families in Beirut and Mount
Lebanon disproportionately benefited from opportunities. By 1954, average annual
income in Beirut was five times that of rural agricultural families. Just 4% of
Lebanese controlled 33% of national income, while most suffered from poverty.
These regional and class disparities — with sectarian dimensions — formed a
ticking time bomb awaiting ignition.
From Fragile Balance to Civil War: Palestinian Presence and the National
Movement
Lebanon’s “golden age” rested on a fragile internal balance, which soon
collapsed under regional pressures.
The Rise of Armed Palestinian Presence
Initially, Palestinians in Lebanon lived quietly. But after the 1967 defeat,
fedayeen activity escalated, leading to clashes with the Lebanese army in
1968–1969. The situation worsened after the PLO leadership relocated from Jordan
to Lebanon in 1970 following Black September.
The Cairo Agreement: A State within a State
Signed on November 3, 1969, between the Lebanese army and the PLO under Egyptian
President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s mediation, the Cairo Agreement effectively
granted the PLO semi-autonomous authority in the camps and the right to launch
armed operations from Lebanon. This created a “state within a state,”
undermining sovereignty and dividing Lebanese society between supporters and
opponents.
The Lebanese National Movement
The Palestinians were not the sole cause of civil war; they were the spark that
ignited pre-existing contradictions. Armed Palestinian presence found strong
support from the Lebanese National Movement, a coalition of leftist, Arab
nationalist, and Syrian parties led by Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt. The
Movement’s goals went beyond supporting Palestinians: it called for abolishing
political sectarianism, implementing social and economic reforms, and affirming
Lebanon’s Arab identity. It included members from various sects — Muslims,
Druze, and even some Christians — showing it was not merely sectarian, but a
transformative force challenging Lebanon’s system. Thus, Lebanon’s war was not
Lebanese vs. Palestinians, but an internal struggle over Lebanon’s identity and
future. The Palestinian cause became a tool in domestic battles, leading to
civil war on April 13, 1975.
Key Clauses of the 1969 Cairo Agreement and Consequences for Lebanese
Sovereignty
Right to armed struggle from Lebanese territory → undermined sovereignty.
Increased Israeli retaliatory raids → weakened the army.
Creation of autonomous committees in camps → state within a state.
Camps turned into security zones beyond state control.
Facilitated fedayeen movement across borders → weakened border control.
Heightened tensions between army and Palestinian factions.
Failure of the Experience or National Necessity?
One hundred and five years after the proclamation of Greater Lebanon, a critical
re-examination is necessary, away from founding myths.
Foundational Myths: Critical Deconstruction
Lebanon’s identity was built on narratives such as being a “refuge for
minorities” or a “Mediterranean Phoenician entity.” Its identity remained
contested between “Mediterranean” and “Arab”.
Conclusion: Can It Continue?
The Greater Lebanon experiment has not been a total failure, but as proclaimed,
it has proven unsustainable. The liberal economic model was fragile, dependent
on external wealth, and incapable of ensuring social justice. It deepened
inequalities between rich and poor, center and periphery.
The sectarian system, designed as a political solution for power-sharing, was
never applied in its spirit; sectarian elites exploited it for influence,
obstructing state-building on the basis of citizenship and equality. The problem
was not the idea of Lebanon itself, but the flawed foundations on which it was
built, and the fact that parts of the Muslim community never truly embraced it,
preferring an Arab-Islamic entity.
Centralized sectarianism was never a permanent solution — at best, a temporary
fix. Once it became the problem itself, it opened the door to Palestinian,
Syrian, and later Iranian penetration, leading to the state’s collapse. Lebanon
now requires a “new national formula”, one that establishes a just civil entity
based on federalism. But before moving to federalism, a precondition is the
complete disarmament of all Lebanese, Iranian and Palestinian militias, and the
dismantling of their educational, military, intelligence, and financial
structures, so that all communities and regions stand equal. A federal system
would guarantee each sectarian and ethnic community its rights, preserve its
identity, history, and culture, and enable coexistence within a fair and viable
state.
Who is Saint Simeon the Stylite, whose annual feast we
commemorate today September 01?
Elias Bejjani/September 01/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/146902/
The hallowed monk, Saint Simeon the Stylite, is considered one of the most
prominent hermits to practice a singular form of asceticism in the history of
both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, which commemorate his annual
feast on different dates.
The Orthodox Church, including the Eastern Catholic Churches such as the
Maronite Church, celebrates his feast on the first of September each year. In
contrast, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates his feast on the fifth of January
each year.
Birthplace, Date of Birth, and Passing
Simeon the Stylite was born around the year 388 AD in the village of Sisan (or
Sis), a dependency of the city of Antioch in northern Syria, a region now part
of modern-day Turkey near the Syrian border. He was born into a humble family of
shepherds. He departed from this world on the second day of September in the
year 459 AD, after a lifetime of rigorous asceticism and devout worship.
The Dawn of His Monastic Journey
Simeon’s spiritual journey began at a tender age. At thirteen, he entered a
monastery near his home. He was zealous in his spiritual disciplines, a fervor
that troubled his fellow monks, as he would fast excessively and engage in
prolonged prayers. Among the tales recounted from that period is one of him
binding a rough rope of palm fiber around his body, which caused deep wounds.
When the abbot discovered this, he asked Simeon to leave the monastery,
believing his extreme practices were not suitable for the communal monastic
life. Following his departure, Simeon turned to the solitary life of a hermit in
the desert, spending a period in complete isolation. He then moved to a
mountainous region where he bound himself with iron chains but abandoned this
practice after a time at the request of a bishop.
Life Atop the Column
In the year 423 AD, Simeon made the decision for which he became profoundly
famed: he resolved to live atop a column. He began with a short column and
gradually had it built higher and higher. The final column he lived upon reached
a height of approximately 15 meters. Life atop the column was an unfathomable
physical and psychological trial. He was exposed to biting cold, scorching heat,
wind, and rain, and he slept only for very brief periods. He rarely descended
from the column, and when he did, he would return to it swiftly. Simeon remained
on the column for nearly 37 years until his passing.
The Message of His Life Atop the Column
Simeon the Stylite’s life on the column was not merely an eccentric or
irrational act. It was a message deeply rooted in the Christian faith. Through
it, he sought to convey several profound truths:
Purification from Sin: He believed that living in such a state of harsh
asceticism would help him cleanse himself of the sins of the flesh and attain a
high level of spiritual purity.
Complete Devotion to Worship: Life on the column prevented any worldly
distractions, allowing him to dedicate himself entirely to prayer and
contemplation of his relationship with God. He saw himself as an "angel on
earth."
A Living Testimony to the World: In an age when faith faced challenges, Simeon’s
life was a living testament to the power of unwavering faith and devotion.
People came from every corner to witness him and listen to him, and they were
profoundly moved by his self-sacrifice.
His Most Significant Sayings and Deeds
Simeon was not known for leaving behind extensive writings, yet his sayings and
deeds were echoed by his disciples and visitors. Among the most notable
attributed to him are:
Perpetual Prayer: He emphasized the importance of prayer without ceasing,
considering it the only way to commune with God.
Preaching and Teaching: Despite living atop the column, he would preach to
visitors and teach them the principles of the Christian faith. People sought him
for spiritual counsel, and he answered them with patience and wisdom.
Reconciling Disputes: His fame reached distant lands, and princes and kings
would ask him to resolve disputes between them, which shows that his influence
was not limited to spiritual matters alone. He was regarded as a just spiritual
arbiter.
*Miraculous Works: Numerous works of wonder are attributed to Simeon the Stylite,
such as healing the sick, prophesying future events, and casting out evil
spirits.
Is Saint Simeon the Stylite Canonized by the Catholic Church?
Yes, Saint Simeon the Stylite is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. He
is considered a common saint among the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches.
Canonization Status: Saint Simeon the Stylite is revered as a saint by the
Catholic Church, and his sainthood is referred to as "pre-congregation." This
means his holiness was recognized in the very early history of the Church, long
before the establishment of the modern formal canonization process.
Influence: Historical records and artifacts in Europe, particularly in Rome,
show that Saint Simeon was widely honored in the West as well, underscoring his
status as a great figure of faith who transcended the later schisms between the
Churches.
His Legacy and Commemoration
The life of Saint Simeon the Stylite was a beacon of inspiration for many. After
his passing, a massive church was built around the column on which he lived,
known as "the Church of Saint Simeon the Stylite," which is considered one of
the most important Christian archaeological sites in the world.
Few followed his specific path of asceticism, yet his life remains a symbol of
absolute dedication and sacrifice for the sake of the Faith. Saint Simeon the
Stylite is a living example that faith can compel a person to transcend physical
and psychological limits to achieve a higher spiritual goal. He is a saint
unlike any other, and for this reason, the Church continues to commemorate him
and honor him to this very day.
Elias Bejjani/Text
and Video: An analysis in Nabih Berri's Televised Speech on the 48th Annual
Remembrance Day of the Disappearance of El Emam Mousa Al-Sadr
Dead Rabbits, Torn Hats, Iranian Mouthpiece, Bundles of Contradictions, a Return
to the Parrot-like Repetition of Dialogue and the National Strategy, an Adoption
of the Mullahs' Stances, the Sanctification of Their Criminal Weapon and tying
them to the Fate of the Shiite Community... Iranian stances via Berri the
Mouthpiece & Trumpet
Elias Bejjani/August 31, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146865/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9SwixM28WI&t=42s
Once again, House Speaker Nabih Berri confirms that
he is more dangerous than the terrorist and criminal Hezbollah, the
assassination machine, and the Mullahs' jihadist armed proxy. In practice, Berri
is currently impersonating Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Naim Qassem, Khamenei,
Mohammed Raad, and Wafiq Safa, but in a suit and tie. This acrobatic politician
is the king of corruption and subversion, specializing in playing on all sides
and is the inventor of the "hats and rabbits" heresy. He has been in forceful
control of the Lebanese Parliament for nearly four decades through "alleyway
power." Meanwhile, he was and still is the product of the Palestinian, Syrian
Assad's Ba'athist, and Iranian Mullah occupations, serving as their mouthpiece
and tool.
His speech today was a bundle of contradictions as he stupidly tries to fool the
minds and intelligence of the Lebanese, where he demands something and its
opposite.
He praises the Lebanese army and its role, yet at the same time does not want it
to perform its duties, claiming that the "ball of fire" should not be thrown
into its lap. This means Hezbollah should not be disarmed, as if the army is a
sole traffic police force and a forest guard, and not responsible for defending
Lebanon.
He demands legitimacy and national consensus, yet he turns a blind eye to the
fact that all his 40 years of violations of the constitution, his heretical acts
of obstructing the work of Parliament, his chronic corruption, all of
Hezbollah's wars, terrorism and assassinations at home and abroad, the lie of
the resistance, throwing oneself into the arms of occupations, and defiling the
constitution are not all starkly contradictory to legitimacy and consensus.
He supports the Taif Agreement, international resolutions, and the ceasefire
agreement he personally negotiated and signed on his and on Hezbollah's and
Iran's behalf. Yet at the same time, he does not want to abide by its most
important provision, which is the dismantling of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese
militias and the extension of state authority over all its territories by its
own forces... With prior intent and design, he violates every national pact and
the constitution, sanctifying Iran's weapon in Lebanon and linking it to the
fate of the Shiite community.
He stupidly returns to the heretical tune of "dialogue" and the national
(defense) strategy, forgetting that all the dialogue conventions including the
one held in 2006 were merely theatrical plays to circumvent the state and its
constitution, and not a single one of their clauses was implemented. Here, he
acts foolishly, despite knowing that the ceasefire agreement with Israel, which
he sponsored, specifies who can bear arms and makes no mention of dialogue or
defense strategies.
He talks about the resistance and the liberation of land and people, yet he
knows for a fact that this false resistance first fought against him personally
and his Amal Movement in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, where it destroyed his
influence and his movement and made him and his Amal Movement mere facades,
mouthpieces, and tools in the service of the Iranian occupation, sectarian, and
expansionist evil schemes. The number of killed in that "liberation" battle (the
Battle of Iqlim al-Tuffah) exceeded 1,200, most of whom were members, supporters
and leaders of his movement. He also turns a blind eye to the fact that
Hezbollah and all those who claim the lie of resistance did not liberate South
Lebanon in 2000, and that Israel decided to withdraw unilaterally in accordance
with an international and regional agreement with Israel.
Mr. Berri also contradicts himself regarding the current government in which he
and Hezbollah are among its members. They both participated in drafting its
statement, and they both elected Joseph Aoun and still support his oath
speech... The ministerial statement and the oath speech do not mention
"resistance" or "dialogue" at all. We point out here that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon met with Berri at
length yesterday, which indicates that his speech today was inspired by what the
ambassador dictated to him... We remind that this military and intelligence
ambassador was among those who were hit badly and wounded in Israel's bombing of
Hezbollah's pagers. In conclusion, Berri's speech today was an Iranian one par excellence, and it
contradicts the ministerial statement, the oath speech, the constitution, the
Lebanese-American paper, and violates all international resolutions (1701, 1559,
and 1680), the Taif Agreement, and the ceasefire agreement. In the event the
Lebanese government falters in its next session and succumbs to Berri's edicts
and Hezbollah's pressures and does not set a timetable for the withdrawal and
disarmament of Hezbollah, then Israel will be free from any restrictions, and it
will continue its war and completely eliminate Hezbollah. It is capable and
willing, and what it did in Yemen yesterday and today with Abu Ubaida in Gaza is
the best proof of what is unfortunately to come in terms of blood, destruction,
and catastrophes as a result of the stupidity, delusions, daydreams, empty
bravado, and mental and intellectual deficiency of Berri, Hezbollah, and their
patron, Iran... Tomorrow is soon enough for those who watch.
Bolton: Disarming Hezbollah Is Key to Middle
East Peace
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
In an article to the Telegraph on Sunday, former US National Security Advisor
John Bolton warned that Lebanon faces an existential choice: emerge from decades
of war or again fall into civil conflict and terrorist domination. He argued
that Israel’s strikes against Iran and its proxies following Hamas’s October 7
attack give Lebanon a chance to return to “normalcy.” Bolton noted that
Hezbollah has long ruled Lebanon from the shadows, relying on military force
rather than public office, and that its power stems largely from Tehran’s
support. “Without Iran, the terror group might never have existed,” he wrote.
Bolton highlighted that Israel’s post-October 7 operations, along with US
efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, have changed the strategic
landscape, but Hezbollah still retains significant military capabilities, as do
Hamas in Gaza and, to a lesser extent, Shia militias in Iraq and the Houthis in
Yemen. In the Telegraph, the former advisor urged Lebanon’s government to finish
what Israel started by disarming Hezbollah and forcing it to act as a political
party rather than an armed organization. He cited UN Security Council Resolution
1701 of 2006, which aimed to disarm Hezbollah and restrict arms imports to the
Lebanese Armed Forces, but ultimately failed due to Iranian and Hezbollah
defiance and Western indifference. Bolton emphasized that UNIFIL, the UN
peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, is widely seen as ineffective and will conclude
in 2026. He called on Western nations to provide direct support to the Lebanese
Armed Forces and civilian authorities, and for Lebanon to maintain close
cooperation with Israel to secure southern withdrawal and Hezbollah’s
disarmament. “Seeing Lebanon reborn with a peaceful, democratic government, free
from both Iran and Hezbollah, would be a substantial step toward true Middle
Eastern peace,” Bolton concluded. “If Beirut and its international supporters
shrink from disarming Hezbollah, we will simply end up where we were on October
7, and that cannot be permitted.”
Barrack reportedly pressing Israel on 'step-for-step'
approach
Naharnet/September 01/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack is still pressing Israel to obtain a final answer
regarding the so-called step-for-step proposals related to Hezbollah’s
disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon, Lebanese media reports
said. “The Lebanese-American contacts are also still ongoing, although in a
low-intensity manner,” al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Monday. Speaker Nabih
Berri on Wednesday expressed frustration and said Barrack and his fellow U.S.
envoy Morgan Ortagus "brought nothing from Israel" and "came with something
contrary to what they had promised us."“Things have once again become
complicated,” Berri said in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. Ortagus
said on Tuesday that Lebanese authorities must execute their decision to disarm
Hezbollah, adding that Israel would respond in kind to any government steps.
Last Monday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a phased pullout
of troops from Lebanon if Beirut implements its decision to disarm Hezbollah --
part of a November ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington. Ortagus said that
Israel was "willing to go step by step, it might be small steps... but they're
willing to go step by step with this government."Barrack, who was also part of
the visiting delegation, said that when the Israelis see action from Lebanon,
"they will give their counterproposal" on troop withdrawal and security
arrangements. The Lebanese government's decision to disarm Hezbollah by the end
of the year was made under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded
military action by Israel, which has continued to carry out attacks in Lebanon
despite the November ceasefire.
Hezbollah has strongly opposed the Lebanese government’s decisions and said that
it will deal with them as if they do not exist.
Aoun, Salam discuss preparations for Friday's key cabinet session
Naharnet/September 01/2025
President Joseph Aoun met Monday with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and discussed
with him the preparations for Friday’s important cabinet session that will
tackle the army’s plan for arms monopolization. Salam also briefed Aoun on the
outcome of his latest visit to Egypt and his talks with President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi and a number of top officials. Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said
Saturday that “Hezbollah, the army and the government have agreed to avoid
confrontation.” “The government will not back down from its arms monopoly
decision,” Mitri added. The Lebanese government's decision to disarm Hezbollah
by the end of the year was made under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of
expanded military action by Israel, which has continued to carry out attacks in
Lebanon despite the November ceasefire. Hezbollah has meanwhile rejected the
government’s decisions and said that it will deal with them as if they don’t
exist.
Lebanon and Syria to form committees on prisoners, missing persons, and border
issues
Associated Press/September 01/2025
Lebanon and Syria will form two committees to decide the fate of the nearly
2,000 Syrian prisoners held in Lebanese jails, locate Lebanese nationals missing
in Syria for years and settle the shared unmarked border, judicial and security
officials said. Monday's announcement came as a Syrian delegation, which
included two former Cabinet ministers and the head of Syria's National
Commission for Missing Persons, visited Beirut, a first since insurgent groups
overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad's government in early December. Syria's
new administration, under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, wants to "open a
new page" with Lebanon and pave the way for a visit by the Syrian ministers of
foreign affairs and justice, though a date is yet to be set, a Lebanese judicial
and two security officials told The Associated Press. The future visit could be
a possible breakthrough between the two countries that have had tense relations
for decades. The current Syrian leadership resents Lebanon's Iran-backed
Hezbollah group for taking part in the country's conflict, fighting alongside
Assad's forces, while many Lebanese still grudge Syria's 29-year domination of
its smaller neighbor, where it had a military presence for three decades until
2005. Talks on Monday with Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri included
Syrians held in Lebanese jails, of which about 800 have been detained for
security reasons, such as attacks and shootings, the officials said, speaking on
condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Many Syrians held in Lebanon
are in jail without trial. They also said the two sides discussed Lebanese
citizens missing in Syria and the two countries shared border, where smuggling
is common, and the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon who escaped
the uprising-turned-conflict in their home country over 14 years ago. The Syrian
side wanted to review bilateral agreements that were in place during the Assad
family's 54-year dynasty, but Lebanon suggested forming new agreements to deal
with pending issues between the two nations, the Lebanese officials said.
Since the fall of Assad, two Lebanese prime ministers have visited Syria.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and al-Sharaa also held talks on the sidelines
of an Arab summit in Egypt in March. The two neighbors had only agreed to open
embassies in 2008, marking Syria's first official recognition of Lebanon as an
autonomous state since it gained independence from France in 1943.
Abbas Determined to Withdraw All Palestinian Weapons from
Lebanon
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday that his leadership is
determined to withdraw all Palestinian weapons from Lebanon, calling the step
essential to the country’s security and sovereignty. In an interview with Al-Arabiya,
Abbas confirmed that he had reached an understanding with Lebanese President
Joseph Aoun on carrying out the withdrawal process. “The removal of weapons from
the camps is a prelude to protecting Lebanon,” he said. “We are determined to
ensure all Palestinian arms are withdrawn.”
He noted that the debate over disarming Palestinian camps in Lebanon has been
ongoing for more than 15 years. “These weapons served their purpose in 1969 and
have no role today,” he stressed. The Palestinian leader underscored his support
for Lebanon’s institutions, rejecting any role for weapons outside the authority
of the state. “I will not be the reason for obstructing the Lebanese state
project,” Abbas declared. “I want a normal relationship with Lebanon and for it
to maintain its unity and security.”He also emphasized that all Palestinian
weapons would be placed under the custody of the Lebanese state, ensuring
official oversight.
Le Drian in Beirut to Prepare Lebanon Conferences
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
French presidential envoy and former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is
expected in Beirut within days. He has been tasked by President Emmanuel Macron
with following up on Lebanon’s political and economic developments. His mission
will center on preparing two international conferences: one aimed at supporting
Lebanon’s reconstruction, and another dedicated to strengthening the Lebanese
Army. The announcement came on Monday, during a meeting between President Joseph
Aoun and French Ambassador Herve Magro, in which they discussed the overall
situation in the country.
Jaber says BDL trying to resolve issue of Hezbollah's al-Qard al-Hassan
Naharnet/September 01/2025
Lebanon's Central Bank is trying to address the issue of Hezbollah-affiliated
Al-Qard Al-Hasan financial institution, Finance Minister Yassin Jaber told Saudi
news interactive channel al-Hadath. In July, the Central Bank prohibited all
licensed financial institutions in Lebanon from dealing directly or indirectly
with unlicensed entities and listed Al-Qard Al-Hassan as an example. The bank
had issued similar circulars in the past but this was the first time it
mentioned Al-Qard Al-Hassan by name. The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed
sanctions on Al-Qard Al-Hasan in 2007, saying Hezbollah used it as a cover to
manage "financial activities and gain access to the international financial
system."Al-Qard Al-Hassan, founded in 1983, describes itself as a charitable
organization that provides loans to people according to Islamic principles that
forbid interest. Israel struck some of its branches during its war with
Hezbollah last year. Operating as a not-for-profit organization under a licence
granted by the Lebanese government, it has more than 30 branches, mostly in
predominantly Shiite Muslim areas of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa
Valley. A Lebanese official said the central bank move had been in the works for
months, and reflected U.S. pressure on Lebanon to take action against
Hezbollah's financial wing. Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Byblos Bank, said
Lebanese banks were already careful to avoid dealing with Al-Qard Al-Hasan
because it is under U.S. sanctions.
Shiite ministers to attend cabinet session on arms
monopoly, report says
Naharnet/September 01/2025
Diplomatic efforts to cool political tensions are ongoing, ahead of a Cabinet
session that will discuss Friday a plan prepared by the army to implement the
state's monopoly on arms, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said Monday. The daily
quoted a minister as saying that Amal and Hezbollah's ministers will attend
Friday's session, securing a "full quorum", and that Hezbollah has no intention
to boycott it and call for street protests on Friday. He added that President
Joseph Aoun is in direct and indirect talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Hezbollah's leadership in an attempt to ease the
tensions ahead of the thorny session. According to the minister, the Lebanese
government is committed to the state's monopoly on arms, which enjoys broad
Lebanese, Arab, and international support and will not be "lured into an Israeli
political trap" to drag Lebanon into clashing with the international community.
LF MP says arms monopoly issue 'leaning to positivity'
Naharnet/September 01/2025
MP Melhem Riachi of the Lebanese Forces has said that “the positive point in
Speaker Nabih Berri’s speech (on Sunday) was his talk about a Shiite desire for
resolving the issue of arms.”“The president and the prime minister must
capitalize on this development,” Riachi said in an interview with Radio Free
Lebanon. “The course in the issue of arms monopolization is leaning toward
positivity and the national security strategy will become in the Swiss fashion,
which means every citizen is a soldier in the national army,” Riachi added. He
noted that “Lebanon’s strength is not in marrying the two forces -- the army and
the resistance -- but rather Lebanon’s strength is in its army.” As for the
Lebanese Army’s plan for disarming Hezbollah and the other armed groups, Riachi
said the plan will have “a practical and dialogue-based nature, not a
conflict-based nature.”“It will take time, but what’s important is that it
starts,” the MP added. “The situation is in crisis in shape, but in reality it
is under control,” Riachi went on to say, suggesting that “Lebanon is the only
country in the region that is not facing an existential threat.”He added that
“the Lebanese Forces enjoys endless bravery and this bravery reaches the extent
of rejecting civil war in an entire manner.”
Raggi: State Monopoly on Arms Is a “Historic Step” Toward
Sovereignty
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Lebanon has reaffirmed its determination to strengthen ties with Gulf states and
fully restore national sovereignty, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said in an
interview published Monday by the Emirati daily Al-Ittihad. He highlighted the
government’s recent decision to grant the state exclusive control over weapons,
describing it as a “historic step” long overdue since the Taif Agreement 35
years ago. He described the move as the foundation for building a state of law
and sovereignty that exclusively holds the power to decide on war and peace,
noting that “the Lebanese have waited too long for the state to reassert its
full authority.”In his interview with Al-Ittihad, Raggi reiterated that the
international community has tied any financial support for Lebanon to two key
conditions: implementing economic reforms to combat corruption and waste, and
ensuring that weapons are solely in the hands of the state. “No funds or
investments will flow into the country before these conditions are met,” he
emphasized. On border disputes, Raggi said that Lebanon’s boundaries with Israel
– set since the 1948 truce – must be reinforced through indirect negotiations
under UN or US mediation. He pointed to Israel’s withdrawal from five disputed
points in the south and the release of Lebanese prisoners as prerequisites for
progress. Regarding the Syrian border, he described the issue as “technical,”
requiring bilateral committees and the involvement of Syria’s new
administration. He also criticized past Lebanese governments for damaging
relations with Arab states due to their alignment with certain internal factions
that adopted hostile positions. He said the current government has restored
balance, but stressed that Arab investment in Lebanon depends both on political
stability and on legal and judicial guarantees to protect investors’ capital. He
also stated that the government’s greatest challenge is to prove its ability to
impose the rule of law across all Lebanese territory. Achieving this, he said,
would mark a turning point in Lebanon’s future and contribute not only to
domestic stability but also to regional security.
UNESCO Chief to Visit Beirut for Cultural and Urban
Projects
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
UNESCO announced on Monday that Director-General Audrey Azoulay will visit
Beirut on September 3 and 4 to review the organization’s work in Lebanon and
unveil new initiatives for cultural and urban rehabilitation. Over the past five
years, UNESCO has mobilized over $45 million, leading one of its largest urban
recovery operations in the capital. During her visit,
Azoulay will tour the Sursock Museum and Sursock Palace, lay the foundation for
the redevelopment of the old Mar Mikhael railway station into a cultural hub and
announce a project to revive the Grand Theatre of Beirut. She will also reveal
Lebanese NGOs selected for UNESCO grants supporting cultural and creative
industries in Tyre and Baalbeck. Since the 2020 Beirut port blast, UNESCO has
helped rehabilitate 280 schools, provided emergency education and psychosocial
support to over one million students and safeguarded Lebanon’s cultural heritage
through digitization and rehabilitation efforts.
Salloum Warns of Threat from Expired Medicines
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Expired medications piled up in pharmacies pose a significant threat to patient
safety. This is what Dr. Joe Salloum, head of the Lebanese Pharmacists’
Syndicate, expressed, calling on the Ministries of Health and Environment to
ensure that expired drugs are collected and destroyed outside Lebanon. He
stressed that the risk they present is comparable to that of counterfeit
medicines. In a statement on Monday, he explained: “Expired medication is no
less dangerous than counterfeit medicine. Some companies and manufacturers
refuse to fully retrieve and destroy expired stock abroad, which results in
pharmacies being flooded with expired drugs. Since pharmacies are prohibited
from disposing of them locally due to environmental and public safety concerns,
this situation turns pharmacies into a ticking time bomb that endangers
patients’ lives.”Salloum urged companies and manufacturers, especially those
still reluctant, to comply with Article 53 of the Pharmacy Practice Law, which
requires the retrieval of all expired medications to protect patients’ lives and
their removal from Lebanon for proper disposal.
850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since Assad's
fall, UN says
Associated Press/September 01/2025
Since the fall of Bashar Assad's government in December, some 850,000 Syrian
refugees have returned home from neighboring countries and the figure could
reach 1 million in the coming weeks, a top official with the U.N. refugee agency
said Monday. Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR Kelly
T. Clements told The Associated Press in Damascus that about 1.7 million people
who were internally displaced during the 14-year-old conflict have returned to
their communities as the interim central government now controls large parts of
Syria. "It's a dynamic period. It's an opportunity where we could see
potentially solutions for the largest global displacements that we have seen in
the last 14 years," said Clements, who has been in Syria for three days. Syria's
conflict that began in March 2011 has killed nearly half a million people and
displaced half the country's pre-war population of 23 million. More than five
million Syrians fled the country as refugees, most of them to neighboring
countries. Clements said everybody has a different reason for coming back now,
while some are delaying and waiting to see how things go. As part of her visit,
she went to a border crossing with Lebanon where she said she saw long lines of
trucks and people waiting to head back to Syria. Lebanese authorities had given
an exemption to Syrians staying illegally in the country if they left by the end
of August. Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world,
and in the past few days, thousands of Syrians headed back over the border.
"Returns numbers are exceptionally high," Clements said.
Many Syrians had high hopes after Assad was brought down in an offensive
by insurgent groups in early December. However, sectarian killings against
members of Assad's Alawite minority sect in Syria's coastal region in March and
against the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida in July claimed
hundreds of lives. Clements said that about 190,000 people were displaced in
southern Syria as a result of the fighting in July between pro-government gunmen
and Druze fighters. Since then, 21 convoy of relief supplies, of which UNHCR has
been an important part, were sent to Sweida, she added.
She said the Damascus-Sweida highway, blocked for weeks by pro-government
gunmen, is now open, "which is very important because that will allow much more
relief to come into the area."
Neemat Aoun Says Rebuilding Lebanon Will Require Time
This is Beirut/September 01/2025
First Lady Neemat Aoun said on Monday that the country must be given time to
recover from collapse. She outlined plans for social projects, including a ban
on child marriage and improvements to prison conditions. “The State was
collapsed, and we need time to rebuild it,” Aoun said in her first televised
interview with MTV Lebanon. “That is why I always say we must give time to time.
We are working on a patriotism project that will be launched in October.”Aoun
revealed that her team is drafting a project to prohibit marriage under the age
of 18, describing child marriage and so-called “honor crimes” as forms of
physical and psychological violence. She stressed that only the judiciary has
the authority to issue verdicts, warning against any form of extrajudicial
judgment. The First Lady also pointed to the prisons' situation as a priority.
She said efforts are under way to rehabilitate existing facilities “within the
possible means” and to establish prisons that allow mothers to remain with their
children. Aoun urged Lebanese families to look to the Lebanese Army as a model
of discipline and unity within the household. While noting that she holds no
legislative or executive authority, she underscored that she has “a voice” and
intends to use it.Aoun also spoke of her personal faith, recalling her devotion
to Saint Charbel, and expressed solidarity with those displaced or who lost
their homes, saying she has lived through the same hardship.
Disarming Militias: Time for Lebanon to Assert a Firm
Stance?
Élie-Joe Kamel/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Lebanon is entering a critical week as the Cabinet prepares to meet on Friday,
September 5. During the session, the army’s plan to disarm militias – most
notably Hezbollah – is expected to be presented. The meeting comes amid mounting
pressure from Israel and the United States, deep internal divisions and a
so-called “consensus” initiative spearheaded by Speaker of Parliament Nabih
Berri.
A High-Stakes Deadline
Since the Lebanese government adopted, on August 5, the principle of state
monopoly over weapons, and two days later committed to the 11 objectives of the
US roadmap for Lebanon, the country has entered uncharted territory. The roadmap
aims to establish a lasting ceasefire with Israel and to strengthen state
authority across the entire territory, notably through the disarmament of all
armed groups. However, the staunch opposition of the Amal-Hezbollah tandem poses
a major challenge to a state that remains determined to assert its authority
nationwide. Two Possible Scenarios: Between Compromise and Breakdown
According to sources cited by ad-Diyar, two outcomes are possible on Friday. The
army’s plan could be presented during the session and formally approved, but its
implementation might be delayed, pending a reciprocal move from Israel, in line
with the give-and-take principle outlined in the US roadmap. Such a move could
involve a halt to hostilities or the withdrawal from certain positions within
Lebanon.
However, Amal and Hezbollah highlight the ongoing airstrikes over Lebanon and
Israel’s continued presence at five border points, using these factors to
justify maintaining the pro-Iranian group’s arsenal. This point was emphasized
by the Speaker of Parliament in his Sunday address as Israel stepped up its
strikes in southern Lebanon, particularly around Nabatiyeh, in what is seen as
the most violent escalation since November 2024. The Amal-Hezbollah duo widely
interpret these attacks as a categorical Israeli rejection of the reciprocal
approach proposed by the Americans. According to the Shia tandem, Tel Aviv
insists on the complete, preemptive disarmament of Hezbollah before making any
concessions, without offering concrete guarantees in return. By endorsing the
disarmament plan without launching its implementation, the government preserves
its unity, avoiding the resignation of ministers from the Hezbollah-Amal bloc.
The second scenario would involve a formal vote and adoption of the plan, even
if the Shia ministers were to resign from the government. This outcome would
give the army a clear mandate to begin executing its plan but would expose the
country to potential unrest, as warned by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
Berri’s Consensus Initiative
To defuse tensions, Berri has suggested an initiative, revealed by al-Modon,
aimed at preserving what he describes as the political balance while avoiding a
direct confrontation.
Under the proposal, all ministers would attend the session, including the Shia
ministers, but no vote would take place. The army would present its plan,
highlight progress made in demilitarizing the area south of the Litani River,
outline the remaining steps and provide an indicative schedule without fixed
dates. The initiative would also include a series of requests: funding,
logistical support, equipment, technical assistance and access to intelligence,
while stressing the need for Hezbollah’s cooperation. The government would “take
note” of the plan without formally adopting it or approving the schedule, while
reaffirming its commitment to restoring Lebanese sovereignty – a step that would
require Israel’s withdrawal from the five border points and a halt to the raids.
‘Dialogue: A Thinly Veiled Refusal’
Contacted by This is Beirut, Charles Jabbour, head of communications for the
Lebanese Forces (LF), stressed the uncertainty surrounding the session, noting
that the LF reject the dialogue put forward by Speaker Berri on the weapons
issue. According to him, Hezbollah demands an explicit reversal of the
government’s decision, while Berri’s refusal is “masked by the call for
dialogue, which in reality aims to undermine the government’s decision.”
Since 2006, when the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons first became pressing, the
tandem has pursued a forward-looking strategy, advocating a vague dialogue on a
national defense strategy – without achieving any breakthroughs. Jabbour
believes the government will not give in, stating that “accepting the dialogue
would mean acknowledging the failure of its efforts.” “The government will not
reverse its decision,” he adds.
Regarding the timing, procedures and details of any disarmament, Jabbour
emphasizes that these will be clarified over time, adding that “the army has
become the only force capable of preserving Lebanese sovereignty.” He also
insists that Hezbollah “is no longer in a position to stage another May 7.” On
May 7, 2008, Hezbollah took control of parts of Beirut and the surrounding
mountains in response to the Siniora government’s decision to dismantle its
illegal telecommunications networks and dismiss the head of security at Beirut’s
airport, who reported to the pro-Iranian group. The crisis ended with the Doha
Agreement, which restored a national unity government and granted Hezbollah an
enhanced political role through the “blocking third,” giving it effective veto
power over key decisions.
Meanwhile, journalist and political analyst Ali Hamadé argues that even if the
army’s plan is approved by a simple majority, the resignation of the Shia
ministers would undermine the political legitimacy of the decision, leading to a
deadlock.
He compares Berri’s current call for dialogue to his 2006 initiative, which
resulted in prolonged political paralysis. He adds, “The goal of the Shia tandem
is to bury the current momentum to reclaim sovereignty, putting it off
indefinitely.”
The September 5 session could signal an attempt at de-escalation. The government
might project a façade of unity, the army could unveil its plan, while Hezbollah
would slow its implementation without triggering a direct confrontation. Still,
Lebanon could face the risk of an even more intense Israeli operation.
Alternatively, the session could mark a new turning point. The outcome remains
uncertain.
UNIFIL Exit: Organizing the Withdrawal of 10,000
Peacekeepers from Southern Lebanon
Soumia Benmerzoug/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
The UN Security Council has decided that the UNIFIL mandate in southern Lebanon
will end on December 31, 2026. By 2027, nearly 10,000 peacekeepers are expected
to withdraw after almost 50 years of continuous presence – a complex logistical
and military challenge. Retired Lebanese General Khalil Helou outlines the key
stages of this operation. On August 28, the UN
Security Council voted to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026. After nearly half a century of presence
in southern Lebanon, the 10,000 peacekeepers will be required to withdraw in
2027. The operation will be complex – logistically, militarily and
diplomatically. How will the withdrawal unfold?
Retired Lebanese General Khalil Helou makes the principle clear: the plan will
be carried out “in reverse.” “By midnight on December 31, 2026, Lebanese
territory must be fully vacated by UNIFIL,” he explains. Each stage of the
withdrawal will be organized backward from the final date. On December 30, the
Naqoura headquarters will be handed over to the Lebanese army; on December 29,
UNIFIL’s command staff will withdraw, and so on. The entire operation will be
conducted under the mission’s command, in close coordination with the Lebanese
army and under the supervision of the UN Security Council.
The withdrawal will not be as simple as a few hundred soldiers leaving each
month. “The command staff will be the last to depart, as they are responsible
for coordinating all operations. Logically, the northern contingents will leave
first, followed by those in the central sector and finally those in the south
along the Blue Line,” the general explains. Each national contingent will
negotiate its precise departure schedule with the UN.
The issue of heavy equipment should not be overstated, Helou adds. “UNIFIL is
not threatened, neither by Israel nor by Hezbollah, as long as the withdrawal
follows established procedures,” he emphasizes. Armored vehicles, trucks and
other equipment will be evacuated via Beirut International Airport and,
primarily, the capital’s port, which can accommodate large ships. Some equipment
may even be transferred to the Lebanese army, as has already been done.
Regarding the bases, there are two possible options. “If the Lebanese army
chooses to take control of them, they will be handed over intact – only the
flags will need to be replaced. If not, they will be dismantled to ensure they
do not fall into the wrong hands,” the retired officer explains.
The risk of incidents during the convoys is minimal. “But if any fire occurs,
UNIFIL has the right to defend itself, and Lebanese army escorts are expected to
respond,” he notes. Coordination with Israel will be crucial through regular
tripartite meetings in Naqoura, which will continue to be held to prevent any
misunderstandings between the armies during the withdrawal. On the ground,
monitoring of the southern border will be carried out by Lebanese army patrols.
Technological tools, such as drones or observation balloons, could be deployed,
but would require prior coordination with Israel. The UN still maintains a small
team of observers who have been present since 1949, and they could continue
their role – but their mission is purely observational, without any security
responsibilities. The departure of UNIFIL will not
create a security vacuum in the villages of the South. “UNIFIL has never had a
law enforcement role; that responsibility has always belonged to the Lebanese
army and internal security forces,” the retired officer notes. The checkpoints
and markers along the Blue Line can be maintained easily by the Lebanese army.
Remaining border disputes with Israel cover only a very small area, less than
half a square kilometer. This sets the stage for a
major withdrawal that will require close coordination between the UN, the
Lebanese army and regional stakeholders. “Ten thousand soldiers could be
withdrawn in a matter of days or over several weeks – it will all depend on the
pace decided,” General Helou concludes. One thing is clear: by midnight on
December 31, 2026, UNIFIL will have closed its chapter in southern Lebanon.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on September 01-02/2025
Israel sends tanks deeper in Gaza City, more families flee
Reuters/September 01, 2025
CAIRO: Israel pushed tanks deeper into Gaza City and detonated explosives-laden
vehicles in one suburb as airstrikes killed at least 19 people on Monday,
Palestinian officials and witnesses said. Reports of the offensive came as the
president of the world’s leading genocide scholars’ association said it had
passed a resolution saying the legal criteria have been met to establish that
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. There was no immediate response from
Israel on the reported offensive or on the statement from the International
Association of Genocide Scholars. Israel has in the past strongly denied that
its actions in Gaza amount to genocide. The Israeli military said its forces
were continuing to fight Hamas across the enclave and over the past day had
struck several military structures and outposts that had been used to stage
attacks on its troops. Residents said Israeli forces sent old armored vehicles
into the eastern parts of the overcrowded Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, then blew
them up remotely, destroying several houses and forcing more families to flee.
Israel is pushing ahead with a plan to take full control of the whole
Gaza Strip, starting with Gaza City, with the goal of destroying Hamas after
nearly two years of war.
In leaflets dropped over Gaza City, its military told residents to head south
immediately, saying the army intended to expand its offensive westward of the
city. “People are confused, stay and die, or leave
toward nowhere,” Sheikh Radwan resident Mohammad Abu Abdallah told Reuters. “It
was a night of horror, explosions never stopped, and the drones never stopped
hovering over the area. Many people quit their homes fearing for their lives,
while others have no idea where to go,” the 55-year-old said over a chat app.
SECURITY CABINET CONVENED
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet late on
Sunday to discuss a new offensive to seize Gaza City, which he has described as
the bastion of Palestinian militant group Hamas. Local health authorities said
the 14 people, including women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes
on houses in Gaza City as tanks briefly crossed into Sheikh Radwan. The Israeli
military had no immediate comment on those reports. A full-scale offensive is
not expected to start for weeks. Israel says it wants to evacuate the civilian
population before moving more ground forces in. Israel’s military has warned its
political leaders that the planned Gaza City offensive could endanger hostages
still being held by Hamas. Protests in Israel calling for an end to the war and
the release of the hostages have intensified in past weeks. The war began with a
Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200
people were killed, mostly civilians, and 251 taken hostage. Twenty of the
remaining 48 hostages are believed to still be alive. Israel’s military campaign
in Gaza has killed more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza
health officials, and it has plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis and
left much of it in ruins.Ceasefire talks ended in July in deadlock and efforts
to revive them have so far failed.
Gaza journalists fear they could be targeted next amid
Israeli smear campaign
Arab News/September 01, 2025
LONDON: Journalists in Gaza say fears are mounting that they could be the next
targets of Israeli strikes following a smear campaign that links media workers
to Hamas. Several journalists, primarily from Al
Jazeera, have reported threats against them on Israeli media and say some have
been identified as targets in military statements, prompting some to request
anonymity for their safety. Media watchdogs, including
the Committee to Protect Journalists, warn that this Israeli tactic of labeling
journalists as Hamas affiliates is designed to “manufacture consent” and justify
deadly attacks on the press. “By labelling journalists and media workers as
Hamas operatives, it aimed to legitimize their murder. This is not only
dangerous, it is a war crime unleashed through information warfare,” said Sara
Qudah, CPJ’s Middle East and north Africa regional director. Such accusations,
often linked to critical reporting on Israeli military operations, reflect a
broader pattern to reportedly justify strikes on the press.
“If Israel can kill its most visible reporters without consequence, it
signals that no journalist or their family is safe. This sustained targeting of
the press is a grave threat to press freedom. The world must act to stop this
massacre.”
CPJ, Reporters Without Borders, and Al Jazeera have all expressed deep concern
for journalists in Gaza who face unfounded allegations and are at imminent risk.
The warnings come amid a deadly month for the media; nearly a dozen journalists
have been killed in August alone, including Al Jazeera correspondent Anas
Al-Sharif and Mariam Dagga of Independent Arabia. Other victims include Moamen
Aliwa, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Mohammed Noufal, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Al-Khaldi,
Hossam Al-Masri, Mohammad Salama, Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz, all killed
in Israeli strikes.
Rights groups say the Israeli military justified the killing of Al-Sharif and
others by claiming they were Hamas operatives involved in the Oct. 7 attacks —
claims widely dismissed by rights bodies and the international community as
“fabricated evidence.”
A similar justification was offered in the strike on Nasser Medical Complex on
Aug. 25, where Israel alleged militants used a camera to monitor Israeli forces,
leading to further journalist and medic deaths in what was confirmed to be a
“double tap” strike, a controversial military tactic designed to maximize
casualties. Israeli media outlet +972 reported the
existence of a military “legitimization cell” tasked with portraying Gaza
journalists as Hamas militants in an effort to “blunt growing global outrage
over Israel’s killing of reporters,” a tactic journalists describe as an attempt
to silence the only voices left in Gaza. One Al Jazeera journalist, Ismail
Al-Ghoul — who was killed in an Israeli military claimed targeted killing in
July 2024, along with his cameraman, Rami Al-Rifi — was named in military
documents as a Hamas operative, although documents cited as evidence were shown
to contain inconsistencies, including the fact that he allegedly received
military ranks when he was just 10 years old. At least six Al Jazeera
journalists have been targeted using this tactic; two — Al-Sharif and Hossam
Shabat — have been killed, and another, Ismail Abu Omar, was critically wounded
and evacuated from Gaza earlier this year. Three remain under threat, while
others report ongoing social media campaigns against them. “They are not
allowing international journalists in and then are defaming local journalists
and justifying ongoing assassinations,” said Tamer Almisshal, a senior presenter
at Al Jazeera in Doha who has reported from Gaza for years and faced threats
himself. “What we are saying is very clear: They are
trying to kill the only voices and eyes left in Gaza, and they are scaring the
others not to work. They give the journalist one choice: If you work, you will
be targeted.”Watchdogs including CPJ, Amnesty International and the UN
rapporteur on freedom of expression have warned that this pattern of falsely
accusing journalists to justify deadly strikes is escalating. The Israeli
military declined to comment, rejecting accusations of war crimes, but several
cases are being reviewed at the International Criminal Court, including the
strike that killed Al-Sharif and his colleagues. In November 2024, the
International Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials
Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant as well as former
Hamas commanders, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
One journalist in Gaza said: “We live in a state of constant anxiety and real
fear that we might be next.” They added that the targeting of journalists is no
longer just exceptional but “a dangerous reality that threatens our lives and
targets our message.”“We call on the international community and journalist
protection organizations to take urgent action to provide us with protection,
hold those responsible for these crimes accountable, and guarantee our right to
work freely and safely in accordance with international conventions,” the
reporter said.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, scholars’ association says
Reuters/September 01, 2025
THE HAGUE: The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has passed a
resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish Israel is
committing genocide in Gaza, its president said on Monday. Eighty-six percent of
those who voted among the 500-member International Association of Genocide
Scholars backed the resolution declaring: “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza
meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations
Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
(1948).”There was no immediate response from the Israeli foreign ministry.
Israel has in the past strongly denied that its actions in Gaza amount to
genocide and says they are justified as self defense. It is fighting a case at
the International Court of Justice in the Hague that accuses it of genocide.
Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip in October, 2023, after fighters
from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the territory, attacked
Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.
Since then, Israel’s military action has killed 63,000 people, damaged or
destroyed most buildings in the territory and forced nearly all its residents to
flee their homes at least once. A global hunger monitor relied on by the United
Nations says parts of the territory are now suffering a man-made famine, which
Israel also denies. In Gaza, Hamas welcomed the resolution: “This prestigious
scholarly stance reinforces the documented evidence and facts presented before
international courts,” said Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza
government media office. The resolution “places a legal and moral obligation on
the international community to take urgent action to stop the crime, protect
civilians, and hold the leaders of the occupation accountable,” he said. Since
its founding in 1994, the genocide scholars’ association has passed nine
resolutions recognizing historic or ongoing episodes as genocides. The 1948 UN
Genocide Convention, adopted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews by Nazi
Germany, defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole
or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”It
requires all countries to act to prevent and stop genocide. Criminal acts
comprising genocide include killing members of the group, causing them serious
bodily or mental harm, creating conditions calculated to destroy them,
preventing births, or forcibly transferring children to other groups.
The three-page resolution adopted by the scholars calls on Israel to
“immediately cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes
against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza, including deliberate attacks
against and killing of civilians including children; starvation; deprivation of
humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other items essential to the survival of the
population; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement of the
population.”The resolution also states that the Hamas attack on Israel which
precipitated the war constituted international crimes. “This is a definitive
statement from experts in the field of genocide studies that what is going on on
the ground in Gaza is genocide,” the association’s president, Melanie O’Brien, a
professor of international law at the University of Western Australia who
specializes in genocide, told Reuters. Sergey Vasiliev, a professor of
international law at the Open University in the Netherlands who is not a member
of the association, told Reuters the resolution showed that “this legal
assessment has become mainstream within academia, particularly in the field of
genocide studies.”Several international rights groups and some Israeli NGOs have
already accused Israel of committing genocide. Last week hundreds of UN staff at
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk wrote to ask
him to explicitly describe the Gaza war as an unfolding genocide, according to a
letter reviewed by Reuters.
Gaza aid flotilla departs Barcelona again: AFP journalists
AFP/September 01, 2025
BARCELONA: A Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian
activists including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg departed Barcelona
again on Monday, several hours after winds forced it to return to the Spanish
port, according to AFP journalists at the scene. Around 20 vessels left the
Spanish city on Sunday aiming to “open a humanitarian corridor and end the
ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people” amid the Israel-Hamas war, said the
Global Sumud Flotilla — sumud being the Arabic term for “resilience.”But “due to
unsafe weather conditions,” the flotilla returned to port “to allow the storm to
pass,” the organization said in an earlier statement, without specifying when
exactly the boats returned to Barcelona. “We made this decision to prioritize
the safety and well-being of all participants and to safeguard the success of
our mission,” it added, citing gusts that exceeded 55 kilometers (34 miles) per
hour. Organizers said they were especially concerned about the risk the weather
posed to the smaller boats. Spain’s national weather
agency AEMET had issued warnings of rainfall and strong storms for the
northeastern region of Catalonia which includes Barcelona.
The activists from dozens of countries included Thunberg, Irish actor Liam
Cunningham and Spain’s Eduard Fernandez, as well as European lawmakers and
public figures, including former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
The flotilla is expected to arrive in Gaza in mid-September and comes
after Israel blocked two activist attempts to deliver aid to the devastated
Palestinian territory by ship in June and July. The United Nations has declared
a famine in Gaza, warning that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions.
The war was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel by
Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death
of 1,219 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official
data. Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages,
with 47 still held in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 63,459 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry which the
UN considers reliable.
UK ‘outraged’ at Israel restricting aid as it works to
evacuate children from Gaza for treatment
AP/September 01, 2025
LONDON: British officials are working to get critically sick and injured
children out of Gaza so they can receive specialist treatment in UK hospitals,
the British foreign secretary said Monday, adding that the first patients will
arrive in coming weeks. David Lammy said he was “outraged” by Israel not
allowing enough aid to enter Gaza as he announced 15 million pounds ($20
million) more for medical assistance for Gaza and the region. “This is not a
natural disaster, it’s a manmade famine in the 21st century,” he said. “I’m
outraged by the Israeli government’s refusal to allow in sufficient aid.”“We all
know there is only one way out — an immediate ceasefire,” Lammy added. He told
lawmakers that British officials are also supporting students from Gaza who have
been granted scholarships at UK universities so that they can start their
studies in the fall. Lammy said a “massive humanitarian response” was needed to
prevent more Palestinians from dying and starving after the world’s leading
authority on food crises said in late August that the Gaza Strip’s largest city
is in the grips of famine. He did not give specifics about the number of sick
children or scholars that Britain is accepting from Gaza. But Home Secretary
Yvette Cooper told Parliament on Monday that officials are expediting visas for
those Palestinians, as well as their accompanying family members. British media
have reported that officials are facilitating the evacuation of nine students in
Gaza who were awarded Chevening scholarships, funded by Britain’s Foreign
Office, but that dozens of other Palestinian students who have offers to study
in the UK were still in limbo. Officials have said they will not give specifics
on the evacuation process because the situation was sensitive and complex. Other
European nations including Italy have also evacuated students and sick children
from Gaza.The UK funds field hospital operations in Gaza through a charity and
works with the World Health Organization in Egypt to help treat some of the
8,000 people from Gaza who have been medically evacuated there.
King Abdullah, French President Emmanuel Macron discuss
Gaza, Syria, Lebanon
Arab News/September 01, 2025
AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II spoke on the phone to French President Emmanuel
Macron on Monday to discuss developments in Gaza, the West Bank, and broader
regional issues. The Royal Court said the king stressed the urgent need for
intensified international efforts to halt the war in Gaza and guarantee the
uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid across the enclave, the Jordan News
Agency reported. He reiterated Jordan’s firm rejection of Israeli plans to
consolidate the occupation of Gaza, expand military control there, and its
continued settlement expansion in the West Bank. King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s
commitment to supporting the Palestinians in securing their legitimate rights
and establishing an independent state based on the two-state solution. He
welcomed France’s declared intention to recognize the Palestinian state later
this month and commended its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to achieve
peace in the region. The two leaders also focused on the importance of
supporting Syria and Lebanon in safeguarding their security, stability, and
territorial integrity, Petra added.
Yemen’s Houthis launch missile that lands near oil tanker in Red Sea
Updated 01 September 2025
AP/September 01, 2025
DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi militants said Monday they launched a missile at an oil
tanker off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, potentially renewing their
attacks targeting shipping through the crucial global waterway. Houthi military
spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the launch in a
prerecorded message aired on Al-Masirah, a Houthi-controlled satellite news
channel. He alleged the vessel, the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray, had ties to
Israel. The ship’s owners, Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, could not
be immediately reached. However, the maritime security firm Ambrey described the
ship as fitting the Houthis’ “target profile, as the vessel is publicly Israeli
owned.”Eastern Pacific is a company that is ultimately controlled by Israeli
billionaire Idan Ofer. Eastern Pacific previously has been targeted in suspected
Iranian attacks.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which
monitors Mideast shipping, earlier reported a ship heard a splash and a bang off
its side near Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. From November 2023 to December 2024, the
Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones over the
Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. In their campaign so far, the Houthis have
sank four vessels and killed at least eight mariners.
The Iranian-backed Houthis stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the
war. They later became the target of an intense weekslong campaign of airstrikes
ordered by US President Donald Trump before he declared a ceasefire had been
reached with the rebels. The Houthis sank two vessels in July, killing at least
four on board with others believed to be held by the rebels. The Houthis’ new
attacks come as a new possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war remains in the
balance. Meanwhile, the future of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran’s
battered nuclear program is in question after Israel launched a 12-day war
against the Islamic Republic in which the Americans bomb three Iranian atomic
sites.Israel just launched a series of airstrikes last week, killing the
Houthis’ prime minister and several Cabinet members. The Houthis’ attack on the
ship appears to be their response, as well as their raids on the offices of the
United Nations’ food, health and children’s agencies in Yemen’s capital Sunday
in which at least 11 UN employees detained.
Yemen's Houthis
say they Targeted Red Sea Ship with Missile
This is Beirut/ AFP/September 01, 2025
Yemen's Houthis on Monday said they had fired a missile at a tanker in the Red
Sea, days after their prime minister was killed in an Israeli attack. The
Iran-backed Houthis , who sank two tankers in July, said they targeted the
Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray, claiming a direct hit.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors the region, said on Sunday that
the attack missed its target. The ship is Israeli-owned, according to maritime
security company Ambrey.
Yemen's Houthis Hold Funeral for PM Killed in Israeli
Strike
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
Yemen's Houthis held a funeral on Monday for their prime minister and 11 other
senior officials killed in an Israeli air strike that penetrated the Iran-backed
group. Twelve coffins draped in flags were displayed at Sanaa's Al-Shaab mosque,
as masked gunmen patrolled the area and thousands of mourners flooded in. Houthi
prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, nine ministers and two cabinet
officials were killed as they attended a government meeting in the Sanaa area on
Thursday. It was the highest profile assassination to be announced in months of
attacks by Israel during the Gaza war. The United States also waged an intense
bombing campaign against Houthi targets from March to May this year. On Sunday,
the Houthis detained at least 11 United Nations workers as part of a round-up,
prompting a protest from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A Yemeni
security source told AFP on Saturday that Houthi authorities had arrested dozens
of people in Sanaa and other areas "on suspicion of collaborating with Israel".
The Houthis also fired a missile at an Israeli tanker in the Red Sea on Sunday,
reprising a campaign they have waged throughout the Gaza war. The missile landed
close to the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray with a "loud bang", the UK Maritime
Trade Operations monitoring agency said.
'Bad day' for Houthis
The Houthis, part of Iran's "axis of resistance" of anti-Israeli groups, vowed
to step up their attacks on Israel following Thursday's killings. They have been
firing missiles and drones at Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, a major cargo
route, throughout the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians. Last
week's Israeli strike wiped out about half of the 22-strong Houthi cabinet,
which plays a mainly administrative role. Rahawi, the late prime minister, was
from the southern province of Abyan, which is not part of the large swathes of
Yemen under Houthi control. The Houthis, who hail from divided Yemen's rugged
north, have traditionally reserved the premiership for southerners in an attempt
to win hearts and minds. US-based Yemen analyst Mohammed Al Basha said
Thursday's strike may signal an Israeli shift towards targeted killings, an
approach that gutted the leadership of Gaza rulers Hamas and Hezbollah in
Lebanon. The attack could mark "the beginning of a campaign of targeted
assassinations against both civilian and military Huthi leadership, even at
informal gatherings", he posted on X, calling it a "bad day" for the group.
Iran and the Sanctions’ Reinstatement: From Balance to
Isolation
Paul Guillot/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Three months after the “twelve-day war” with Israel, Iran is struggling to keep
its economy afloat under severe US sanctions. With mounting military pressure,
the return of European sanctions and the continuing collapse of its currency,
the Islamic Republic has never been more vulnerable.
Fragile Growth
Despite decades of international restrictions, Iran’s economy showed some
resilience in 2024. The World Bank reported a GDP of $436.9 billion, largely
fueled by oil exports. Yet, behind this figure lies a starkly contrasting
reality: a dual market where the official rial rate masks the currency’s
collapse on the black market. Iran remains heavily reliant on crude oil,
exporting between 1.2 and 1.5 million barrels per day, primarily to China. These
revenues allowed Tehran to cover daily expenses and partially contain inflation,
which was already approaching 40%, according to the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
The Shock of Europe’s Snapback
August 28, 2025, marked a turning point. France, the United Kingdom and Germany
reactivated the “snapback” mechanism, reinstating trade and financial sanctions
in response to Tehran’s nuclear shortcomings. Though not a UN embargo, the
measures pose a direct threat to banks, insurers and shippers involved in
Iranian trade. Crude shipments still find buyers, but at heavily discounted
prices, with China effectively becoming the sole purchaser.Maritime routes have
become more complicated as well. Iranian tankers now take tortuous paths through
Malaysia, Singapore or Vietnam to conceal the origin of their crude.
A Currency in Free Fall
Following the reinstatement of sanctions, Iran’s domestic economy is under
severe strain. In the spring, the rial crossed a symbolic threshold, surpassing
one million per dollar on the black market. Today, it trades between 1.05 and
1.08 million, further entrenching the dollarization of the economy. For
households, daily life has grown increasingly precarious. The minimum wage, set
in March at 104 million rials (roughly $100-110 at the parallel rate), barely
covers basic needs. The erosion of purchasing power has deepened public distrust
in the national currency, prompting Iranians to hoard foreign currency or gold.
Toward a Survival Economy
The June conflict highlighted the fragility of Iran’s economic system. Israeli
strikes on oil infrastructure briefly halted exports, underscoring the strategic
vulnerability generated by heavy reliance on crude oil. Today, Iran continues to
finance its budget through exports to China, but at discounted prices and amid
growing financial isolation. The IMF projects that GDP, already in decline, will
drop to $341 billion in 2025, a stark sign of gradual economic strangulation.
While the economy has not collapsed, it survives through constant improvisation.
The result is a drained currency, slashed purchasing power and near-total
dependence on China. More than ever, Iran is caught between sanctions and
regional tensions, forced to sell its oil at sacrificed prices just to keep the
state afloat.
Putin Meets Erdogan, Praises Turkey's Mediation Efforts on Ukraine
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Turkey's mediation attempts around the
Ukraine war at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in
China on Monday. "I'm confident that Turkey's special role in these matters will
continue to be in demand," the Russian president said during talks with Erdogan
on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.Putin
added that the three rounds of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul have made
some progress on the humanitarian track. The talks have failed to yield a
breakthrough over Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion and resulted only in
exchanges of prisoners and soldiers' bodies. The warring sides have radically
different positions and Ukraine has accused Russia of sending low-level
officials with no real decision-making power to the Istanbul talks. Russia has
called on Ukraine to effectively cede four regions that Moscow claims to have
annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable. US President Donald Trump has
called for a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,
but Moscow said it was too early to do so before key issues are resolved.
Russia's full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, has ravaged swathes of
eastern and southern Ukraine, killing tens of thousands of soldiers and
civilians.
Zelensky to Meet European Leaders in Paris on Thursday
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet European leaders on Thursday in
Paris, a source told AFP, amid an international push to broker an end to
Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion. "We're planning such a meeting" between
Zelensky and European leaders, the source said Monday, adding that US President
Donald Trump "is not so far expected to be there." The source said the main
topic of the Paris talks will be security guarantees for Ukraine and "promoting
diplomacy, because the Russians are wriggling out again" of the efforts to end
the war. The issue of Western-backed security guarantees for Ukraine if a truce
comes into force has been dominated the diplomatic flurry around Ukraine in
recent weeks. Kyiv wants such guarantees to deter any future Russian attacks. A
European peacekeeping force has been floated publicly among leaders as a
potential security arrangement for when the conflict ends. Trump has indicated
the United States could back up any European peacekeeping plan, but would not
deploy US soldiers to Ukraine.
Russia has pushed back against any Western peacekeeping troops, with the Kremlin
saying last week it viewed "such discussions negatively."
Russian Drone Attacks on Ukraine Dropped in August
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
Russia's long-range drone strikes on Ukraine dipped sharply over August, an AFP
analysis published on Monday showed, during a flurry of high-profile but
fruitless meetings aimed at ending Moscow's grinding invasion. The falloff in
drone strikes came after months of escalating aerial attacks and meetings US
President Donald Trump hosted with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders that ended
without any breakthrough. An AFP analysis of data published by the Ukrainian air
force showed that Russia launched 4,132 long-range drones at Ukraine in
overnight attacks over the month of August, a 34-percent decrease from July,
when Russia fired a record number of drones. Despite the overall decrease,
Russian attacks still killed dozens of civilians. Moscow's military hit Kyiv
with one of the worst drone and missile attacks of the war on August 28, killing
25 people, mainly in a residential building.
AFP journalists on Sunday saw friends and relatives weeping over coffins and
burying a 24-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter, who were killed in
the barrage. Moscow has launched almost nightly aerial drone and missile attacks
on Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, sparking
the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. There has not been a single
night without a Russian long-range drone attack since May.
Sophisticated Attacks
Russia also launched some 156 missiles at Ukraine across the month of August,
according to the Ukrainian air force data. The AFP analysis, based on official
reports published each morning by the Ukrainian air force, does not account for
every Russian attack.
The number of projectiles launched by Russian forces is likely to be higher, air
force officials have told AFP. Ukrainian air defense units are adapting to the
increasingly sophisticated attacks that have been growing in size over recent
months. AFP's analysis of the air force data showed that Kyiv's forces downed 83
percent of Russian drones and missiles, representing a five-percentage-point
decrease over July. The dip in Russian drone attacks fell mainly in the first
half of the month, when Trump hosted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for a
high-profile meeting in Alaska that saw no progress towards ending the war.
Trump then hosted European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,
who has been appealing to allies for more air defense systems to protect against
the Ukrainian attacks.
Xi and Putin Lash Out at the West Before Eurasian leaders
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin took turns Monday to swipe at the West
during a gathering of Eurasian leaders for a showpiece summit aimed at putting
Beijing front and center of regional relations. The Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO), comprising China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, is touted as a non-Western style
of collaboration and seeks to be an alternative to traditional alliances. Xi
told the SCO leaders, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the global international situation
was becoming more "chaotic and intertwined." The Chinese leader also slammed
"bullying behavior" from certain countries. a veiled reference to the United
States. "The security and development tasks facing member states have become
even more challenging," he added in his address in the northern port city of
Tianjin. "With the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must
continue to follow the Shanghai spirit...and better perform the functions of the
organization," Xi said. Putin used his speech to defend Russia's Ukraine
offensive, blaming the West for triggering the three-and-a-half-year conflict
that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern Ukraine."This
crisis wasn't triggered by Russia's attack on Ukraine but was a result of a coup
in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West," Putin said. "The
second reason for the crisis is the West's constant attempts to drag Ukraine
into NATO." Meanwhile, Putin praised Turkey's mediation attempts around the
Ukraine war during his first meeting this year with Turkish counterpart Recep
Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. Turkey has hosted three rounds of peace talks between
Russia and Ukraine this year that have failed to break the deadlock over how to
end the conflict. Putin met his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the
sidelines of a regional summit in China on Monday, the Kremlin said. The pair
are expected to discuss Iran's nuclear programme, with Russia having publicly
backed its ally after Britain, France and Germany said last week they would
reimpose sanctions over Tehran's non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
'Always Insightful'
Earlier, leaders from the 10 SCO countries stood on a red carpet and posed for a
group photo. Xi, Putin and Modi were seen on live footage chatting, the three
leaders flanked by their translators. Modi and Putin, who were photographed
holding hands, held talks in the afternoon. Russian state media reported the
pair spent nearly an hour talking "face-to-face" in Putin's armored presidential
car before their official bilateral meeting. "Conversations with him are always
insightful," Modi wrote on X along with a photograph of them travelling in the
car. In opening comments before their meeting, Modi praised the "special and
privileged strategic partnership" with Moscow. "India and Russia have stood
shoulder to shoulder, even in the toughest situations," he said. On the conflict
in Ukraine, Modi said India wanted both sides to end it "as soon as possible and
to find stable peace."
Flurry of Meetings
The SCO summit, which also involves 16 more countries as observers or "dialogue
partners," kicked off on Sunday, days before a massive military parade in the
capital, Beijing, to mark 80 years since the end of World War II. The member
states signed a declaration Monday, agreeing to strengthen cooperation in
sectors such as security and economy, China's Xinhua news agency said. They also
"unanimously agreed" to admit Laos as a "dialogue partner," Xinhua added. Xi
held a flurry of back-to-back bilateral meetings with leaders, including
Lukashenko, one of Putin's staunch allies, and Modi, who is on his first visit
to China since 2018. Modi told Xi that India was committed to taking "forward
our ties on the basis of mutual trust, dignity and sensitivity." The world's two
most populous nations are intense rivals, competing for influence across South
Asia, and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.
A thaw began last October, when Modi met Xi for the first time in five years at
a summit in Russia.Their rapprochement deepened as US President Donald Trump
pressured both Asian economic giants with trade tariffs. More than 20 leaders
are attending the bloc's largest meeting since its founding in 2001. Many of the
assembled dignitaries will be in Beijing on Wednesday to watch the military
parade, which will also be attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim left
Pyongyang by train on Monday afternoon and is expected to arrive Tuesday, the
Yonhap news agency reported.
Maduro: 8 US Ships 'with 1,200 Missiles' Threatening
Venezuela
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed Monday that eight US military
vessels "with 1,200 missiles" were threatening his country, denouncing an
"absolutely criminal, bloody threat."The United States, which accuses Maduro of
leading a drug cartel, has announced a deployment of warships to the southern
Caribbean in an anti-drug trafficking operation. Maduro railed at a meeting with
international media in Caracas Monday against "the greatest threat that has been
seen on our continent in the last 100 years" in the form of "eight military
ships with 1,200 missiles and a submarine targeting Venezuela."The president,
whose last two re-elections in 2024 and 2018 were not recognized by the United
States or much of the international community, said that "in response to maximum
military pressure, we have declared maximum readiness to defend
Venezuela."Washington has doubled the bounty for Maduro's capture to $50 million
but has made no public threat to invade Venezuela.Caracas has said it would
patrol its territorial waters and mobilize more than four million militia
members in response to the US "threats."Maduro deplored that communications
channels with the United States have broken down and vowed his country "will
never give in to blackmail nor threats of any kind." At the press conference,
Maduro warned US President Donald Trump that his Secretary of State Marco Rubio
wanted to "lead him into a bloodbath... with a massacre against the people of
Venezuela."
Afghanistan Earthquake Kills More Than 1000
This is Beirut/AFP/September 01/2025
A massive rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday, after a strong
earthquake and multiple aftershocks collapsed homes onto sleeping families in a
remote, mountainous region, killing more than 1000 people, according to the
Taliban authorities.
The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck just before midnight, rattling buildings
from Kabul to neighboring Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. More than 1.2 million
people likely felt strong or very strong shaking, according to the US Geological
Survey (USGS), which recorded at least five aftershocks throughout the night.
Casualties and destruction swept across at least five provinces. Near the
epicenter in eastern Afghanistan, around 1000 people were killed and 2800
injured in remote Kunar province alone, chief Taliban government spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid said. Another 12 people were killed and 255 injured in
neighboring Nangarhar province, while 58 people were injured in Laghman
province. In Wadir village in the hard-hit district of Nurgal, dozens of people
joined the effort to pull people from the rubble of destroyed or severely
damaged homes more than 12 hours after the initial earthquake, AFP journalists
saw. The epicenter was about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from the city of Jalalabad
in Nangarhar province, according to the USGS, which said it struck about eight
kilometers below the Earth's surface. Such relatively shallow quakes can cause
more damage, especially since the majority of Afghans live in low-rise,
mud-brick homes vulnerable to collapse. Some of the most severely impacted
villages in remote Kunar provinces "remain inaccessible due to road blockages,"
the UN migration agency warned in a statement to AFP. The Taliban authorities
and the United Nations mobilized rescue efforts, with the defense ministry
saying at least 40 flight sorties had so far been carried out. A member of the
agricultural department in Nurgal said people had rushed to clear blocked roads
in the hours after the earthquake, but that badly affected areas were remote and
had limited telecom networks. "There is a lot of fear and tension... Children
and women were screaming. We had never experienced anything like this in our
lives," Ijaz Ulhaq Yaad told AFP. He said that many living in quake-hit villages
were among the more than four million Afghans who have returned to the country
from Iran and Pakistan in recent years.
"They wanted to build their homes here." Nangarhar and Kunar provinces border
Pakistan, with the Torkham crossing the site of many waves of Afghan returnees
deported or forced to leave, often with no work and nowhere to go.UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres added his condolences to those shared by the
Taliban government and several nations. "I stand in full solidarity with the
people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country
earlier today," he said. In a post shared by the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said he
was "deeply saddened by the significant loss of life caused by the earthquake in
the area of eastern Afghanistan."
Frequent Quakes
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush
mountain range, near the junction of the Eurasia and India tectonic plates.
Since 1900, there have been 12 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than seven in
northeast Afghanistan, according to Brian Baptie, a seismologist at the British
Geological Survey. "This scale of the seismic activity, the potential for
multi-hazard events and the construction of structures in the region can combine
to create significant loss of life in such events," he said in a statement.
Nangarhar province was also hit by flooding overnight Friday to Saturday, which
killed five people and destroyed crops and property, provincial authorities
said. In October 2023, western Herat province was devastated by a 6.3-magnitude
earthquake, which killed more than 1,500 people and damaged or destroyed more
than 63,000 homes. In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake struck the impoverished
eastern border province of Paktika, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving
tens of thousands homeless. Ravaged by four decades of war, Afghanistan is
already contending with a series of humanitarian crises. Since the return of the
Taliban, foreign aid to Afghanistan has been slashed, undermining the
impoverished nation's ability to respond to disasters. Around 85 percent of the
Afghan population lives on less than one dollar a day, according to the United
Nations Development Programme.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 01-02/2025
Solomonic Judgment
Dr. Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/146890/
International issues are pending, and nothing seems
to move toward negotiated solutions across Ukraine and the wide arc of conflicts
extending through the Middle East. None of the actors is interested in
peacemaking; on the contrary, these zones of active conflict tend to work in the
best interests of countries vying for imperial conquests and showing no concern
for the political fortunes of the ensnared states. These territories are mere
appendages within competing imperial designs. We are in a typical scenario of
frozen conflict where actors work actively, keeping conflicts smoldering and
stoking them when need be. In other words, none of them is interested in finding
solutions and promoting the search for peace as the ultimate gauge and ordering
variable.
The whole negotiation process that took place in Alaska was a mere diversion
that unveiled the true intentions of Putin and the limits of personal diplomacy.
The war is pursuing its unhindered course despite the Kremlin’s gross military
miscalculations and the destructiveness of the conflict, with its inherent
absurdities. None of the objectives was achieved, and the war degenerated into
gory bloodletting with no identifiable rationale aside from the delusions of a
dictator who has a hard time adjusting to the well-established geostrategic and
geopolitical facts of the post-Soviet era.
Russia is nowadays the hostage of a raving mind and of the ethos of a military
institution that struggles to adjust to the realities of the post-Soviet era and
the need to review its strategic culture. Negotiations are made impossible since
the Russian dictatorship is unwilling to acknowledge the national autonomy of
Ukraine and is still confident in its ability to challenge European security and
undermine its strategic and intellectual foundations. How can a peace dynamic
set in if the very premises of negotiations and discursive forms of conflict
resolution are totally overlooked?
Ukraine, NATO and the European community have no other choice but to solidify
Ukrainian defenses and offensive capabilities to make a future negotiated
political solution possible. Furthermore, the Western community has to double
down on its sanctions as a complementary deterrence strategy. A nihilistic
dictatorship needs to be firmly confronted, contained, and ultimately defeated.
The stalemated war in Gaza will persist as long as Hamas is in control and
fulfills its sabotaging role. The dilemmas of the Israeli hostage crisis are
going to endure as long as Hamas claims control over the district and
instrumentalizes it to serve its overlapping strategic and ideological agendas.
While disposing of an exhausted civilian population that has no control over a
terrorist organization, it is still manipulating the Israeli hostage trump card
to wrest an unlikely deal that safeguards its political status and prerogatives
and challenges Israel’s national security.
This equation is by definition self-defeating and intellectually inconsistent.
The advocacy of European diplomacies for the recognition of Palestinian
statehood before a settlement in Gaza is counterproductive and will by no means
help end the war in Gaza. It is unacceptable to equate the state of Israel with
the terrorist organization that originated this conflict, and one should never
expect Israel to bow to international pressure.
Political benevolence should start with the reordering of the intellectual
priorities: a negotiated solution to the Gaza quandary should start with a
cessation of hostilities based on the unconditional liberation of the Israeli
hostages, the withdrawal of the ragtag Hamas militias, and the creation of a
transitional authority to oversee the deconfliction process, the
demilitarization of the district, the setup of plans for reconstruction and the
monumental task of humanitarian relief. The overall solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict should come at a second stage.
Lebanon is coping with travails similar to what Gaza is experiencing. The
Lebanese government is still incapable of setting a practical plan for
decommissioning Hezbollah and the Palestinian camps. In contrast, Israel’s
thresholds of tolerance are shrinking by the day after eight months of
procrastination and with the resumption of the rearmament process and its
adjacent dynamics.
The forceful American mediation and the pressure of the international community
have not overcome the recalcitrance of Hezbollah, its acolytes and its Iranian
mentor. As long as the Iranian sabotaging factor is still operating, the
negotiated denouement of the Lebanese, Iraqi, Yemeni and Syrian stalemates is
unlikely to take place. This nest of vipers is unlikely to unravel unless it is
irreversibly annihilated. The reconstruction of the integrated strategic
platforms woven by Qassem Soleimani is still in view as long as the Iranian
regime is in place. The idle maneuvering of the Iranian regime will pursue its
course until the United States and the European Union are weaned off the
falsehoods of empty diplomatic jockeying.
Lebanon’s endless negotiations over the decommissioning assignment are not meant
to address the issues at stake; it is a deflection to foil international
pressure, keep the tension alive, and prepare for alternative subversion
courses. The latest moves of the current executive have been spurred by the
intense American diplomacy and the Israeli wariness with procrastination and the
indefinite deferment of constitutional mandates.
The same reservations hold for Syria and Iraq, where the absence of national
consensus is undermining civil peace and the chances of sustainable political,
socio-economic and environmental reforms in countries dealing with systemic
dislocations and overwhelming post-war political dilemmas and reconstruction
challenges. The same holds in Yemen, where the issues of civil concord and
structural reforms are severely tested by endemic instability. However difficult
and intriguing the issues at stake are, they necessitate a head-on confrontation
if we are to stem the tide of pervasive volatility all along the outlined arc of
conflicts.
Is the tide finally turning against Israel?
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/September 01, 2025
Is it finally happening? Is the West turning against Israel? Or are we, whether
motivated by hope or driven by despair, simply engaging in wishful thinking? The
matter is not so simple.
In July, a significant number of countries and organizations signed the New York
Declaration, a strong statement that followed a high-level meeting titled
“Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine.”
The conference and its bold conclusion warrant a deeper conversation. What
matters for now, however, is the identity of the countries involved. Aside from
states that have traditionally advocated for international justice and law in
Palestine, many of the signatories were countries that had previously supported
Israel regardless of context or circumstance.
These mostly Western countries included Australia, Canada and the UK. Some of
these nations are also expected to formally recognize the state of Palestine at
the UN General Assembly this month. Of course, one has no illusions about the
hypocrisy of supporting peace in Palestine while still arming the Israeli war
machine that is carrying out a genocide in Gaza. That notwithstanding, the
political change is too significant to ignore. Australia’s home affairs minister
boldly argued that ‘strength is not measured by how many people you can blow
up’In the cases of Ireland, Norway, Spain, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal, among
others, one can explain the growing rift with Israel and the championing of
Palestinian rights based on historical evidence. Most of these countries have
historically teetered on the edge between the Western common denominator and a
more humanistic approach to the Palestinian struggle. This shift began years
prior to the start of the ongoing Israeli genocide. But what is one to make of
the positions of Australia and the Netherlands, two of the most adamantly
pro-Israel governments anywhere? In Australia’s case, media accounts argue that
the friction began when the federal government denied an extremist Israeli
lawmaker, Simcha Rothman, a visa for a speaking tour. Israel quickly retaliated
by canceling the visas of three Australian diplomats in the Occupied
Territories. This step was not a mere tit-for-tat response but the start of a
virulent campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wage a
diplomatic war against Australia. “History will remember (Australian Prime
Minister Anthony) Albanese for what he is: a weak politician who betrayed Israel
and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” Netanyahu said, again infusing the same logic
of lies and manipulation tactics.
Israel’s anger was not directly related to Rothman’s visa. That was a mere
opportunity for Netanyahu to respond to Australia’s signature on the New York
Declaration, its pending decision to recognize Palestine and its growing
criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Though Albanese did not engage Netanyahu directly, Home Affairs Minister Tony
Burke did. He answered the accusations of weakness by boldly arguing that
“strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up.”
This statement is both true and self-indicting, not only for Australia but for
other Western governments. For years, and numerous times during the Gaza
genocide, Australian leaders have argued that “Israel has the right to defend
itself.” Since blowing people up hardly qualifies as self-defense, it follows
that Canberra knew all along that Israel’s conduct amounted to war crimes. So,
why the sudden, though still unconvincing, shift in position? The answer is
directly related to the mass mobilizations in Australia. On a single Sunday in
August, hundreds of thousands of Australians took to the streets in what
organizers described as the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the
country’s history. Marches were held in more than 40 cities and towns, including
a massive rally in Sydney that drew a crowd of up to 300,000 people and brought
the Sydney Harbour Bridge to a standstill. These protests, which called for
sanctions and an end to Australia’s arms trade with Israel, demonstrated the
immense public pressure on the government. The idea of a political crisis in the
Netherlands sparked by Israeli war crimes would have been unthinkable in the
past
In other words, it is the Australian people who have truly spoken, courageously
standing up to Netanyahu and to their own government’s refusal to take any
meaningful steps to hold Israel accountable. If anyone should be congratulated
on their strength and resolve, it is the millions of Australians who
relentlessly continue to rally for peace, justice and an end to the genocide in
Gaza.
Similarly, the political crisis in the Netherlands, starting with the
resignation of Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on Aug. 22, is indicative of the
significant change in European politics toward Israel and Palestine.
“The Israeli government’s actions violate international treaties. A line must be
drawn,” said Eddy van Hijum, the leader of the country’s New Social Contract
party and deputy prime minister. The “line” was indeed drawn, and quickly so,
when Veldkamp resigned, ushering in mass resignations by other key ministers in
the government. The idea of a major political crisis in the Netherlands sparked
by Israeli war crimes in Palestine would have been unthinkable in the past. The
political shift in the Netherlands, much like in Australia, would not have
happened without massive public mobilization around the Gaza genocide, which
continues to grow worldwide. While pro-Palestine protests have occurred in the
past, they have never achieved the critical mass needed to compel governments to
act.
Though these governmental actions remain timid and reluctant, the momentum is
undeniable. People power is proving more than capable of swaying some
governments to impose sanctions and sever diplomatic ties with Israel, not only
through pressure in the streets but also through pressure at the ballot box.
While the West has not yet fully turned against Israel, it may only be a matter
of time. The precious blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians in
Gaza deserves for history to be finally altered. The children of Palestine
deserve this global awakening of conscience.
**Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine
Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” will be published by Seven
Stories Press. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud
The man who closed the chapter of both Assads
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/September 01, 2025
As I entered the Syrian presidential palace, I observed a young man called Ahmad
Al-Sharaa at the seat of the two Assads. My realization grew stronger that what
had happened in Syria was immense and would leave its mark on the country and
perhaps beyond.
Al-Sharaa’s tempest not only uprooted an excessively cruel regime that had ruled
for over half a century, but it also cast aside mentalities that had prevailed
for decades. Observing Al-Sharaa at the presidential palace, one cannot forget
that his tempest also extracted Syria from the so-called Axis of Resistance and
diminished Iran’s role in the region. Al-Sharaa’s tempest severed the
Tehran-Beirut route that passed through Iraqi and Syrian territories. It was the
supply route of “resistance” rockets and the shaping and diminishing of roles.
I do not want to exaggerate the change in Syria, but it really did reshape roles
and sizes, starting from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Popular Mobilization Forces
in Iraq.
I noticed that Al-Sharaa’s entourage did not ask the people invited to the
palace to avoid asking sensitive questions. No subject was off limits and it
quickly became evident that Al-Sharaa would not get flustered when it came to
speaking about his past.
He spoke clearly and frankly about complex issues. He said he does not view
himself as an extension of religious extremist or nationalist movements, which,
according to him, have failed. He also stressed that he was not affiliated with
the Muslim Brotherhood.
He expressed his position in practical terms and called on the world to approach
Syria through its people and its state, not separate segments and shares. He
expressed a readiness to discuss lingering concerns as long as Syria’s unity is
protected.
It quickly became evident that Al-Sharaa would not get flustered when it came to
speaking about his past
Al-Sharaa acknowledged that the developments in Sweida have left a wound and
that violations had taken place before that by other parties, including the
security forces. He wants to avoid a bloody clash with the Kurds, led by Mazloum
Abdi, while questions remain over Turkiye and the US’ interests. Al-Sharaa was
obviously very at ease with the network of international relations he has
forged, starting with the regional support embodied by Saudi Arabia and Turkiye,
and the new chapter in ties with Washington, which is credited to Riyadh’s
encouragement.
The visitor realizes that Al-Sharaa is adopting a policy of “Syria First” and
that he did not come to power with a view of changing the region or the world.
He is a man of state, not a leader of a faction. He spoke in detail about the
economy and establishing a suitable investment environment. He is banking on a
partnership of interests with Iraq and Lebanon through full economic
integration, ignoring the wounds inflicted on Syria by the PMF and Hezbollah.
Al-Sharaa spoke of ending problems with Syria’s neighbors. He did not rule out
striking a security agreement with Israel similar to the 1974 deal. He noted
that the Abraham Accords were struck with countries that do not neighbor Israel
and that do not have territory occupied by it.
Al-Sharaa is aware that the Syrians have for decades suffered poverty,
oppression, injustice, immigration and displacement. A million died in the war,
hundreds of thousands are missing and the “biggest butchers have escaped”
justice. Al-Sharaa knows that time eats away at the euphoria of new beginnings.
But he is banking on the people and he does not hesitate in approaching them and
listening to their complaints.
Still in his 40s, Al-Sharaa has amassed vast experience through the difficulties
he has endured. He speaks confidently in practical terms and is banking on
establishing a prosperous Syria. He is a strong man with the traits of a
prominent regional player should he succeed in navigating the minefield and
Syria’s problems: an economy in ruins, complex relations between various
parties, and contradictory advice from various friends.
He is banking on the people and he does not hesitate in approaching them and
listening to their complaints
I do not claim to have the right words to accurately write about the man who
surprised Syria and the world. I read and asked a lot about him, but this was
the first time that I had the opportunity to listen to him in person. My career
has taught me that it is wrong to be charmed by the dreams of the person in
power. It has taught me that our countries are difficult and full of traps that
eat away at the dreams of the ambitious leader who is seeking change. It taught
me that the past often pounces and debilitates the future, leaving countries to
tread carefully on shattered glass.
Time is a master in changing fates. Hafez Assad was deluded in believing that he
would remain in power forever. He imposed his rule on Syria by force and thought
he could freeze time the way time was frozen for the prisoners who languished in
Sednaya jail. He thought he would not have to worry when he died, as he would
rule Syria from the grave through his sons and their sons. This was nothing
unusual. Damascus, like Baghdad, helps its rulers in building these delusions.
Perhaps it is because of their location or vast history … but time can be
deceptive and treacherous. I recalled a visit to Baghdad after Saddam Hussein’s
ouster. I could not find a trace of the president, his army or party, not even
his grave. People unleashed their anger on his statues. They erased any traces
of him from the palaces, books and local currency. But the man who was quick to
send people to their deaths stood defiantly in front of his own noose. The
master of Baghdad does not die in his bed of old age.
Assad was fortunate. The American army did not sweep in to topple him and the
people did not dare to even dream of such a thing. They remembered what happened
in Hama. Joining the opposition would put anyone at risk of death, no matter how
young. Even cities like Hama were not spared a deadly ending. Assad saved Syria
from the cycle of coups. This costly stability allowed Syria to become a
regional player. Mr. President felt like he owned the country and that he had
even invented it. When illness struck, he named his son Bashar as his successor.
For a quarter of a century, Bashar was the one and only ruler. He never believed
that the winds blowing from Idlib would soon turn into a hurricane that would
lead him to his frosty exile in Russia. Al-Sharaa closed the chapter of both
Assads. Bashar opted for exile instead of joining Hafez, Saddam and Qaddafi and
their fate in the palace or the grave.
Can Gaza forge Saudi-Iranian unity?
Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/August 31, 2025
The emergency session of Organization of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers
held in Jeddah last Monday transcended routine diplomatic proceedings. Convened
during one of the Gaza war’s most brutal chapters, the gathering highlighted how
Palestinian affairs have evolved beyond regional politics into a litmus test for
the global commitment to justice and legal principles.
The summit’s closing declaration employed unusually blunt language, denouncing
“Israeli schemes for the total occupation and military dominance of Gaza,” while
characterizing “blockades, forced starvation and mass expulsions as severe
breaches of humanitarian law constituting war crimes, crimes against humanity
and genocide.” Beyond demanding the immediate cessation of hostilities and
unrestricted humanitarian corridor access, delegates called for sanctions and
Israel’s UN suspension — language reflecting documented legal assessments rather
than political rhetoric.
Saudi Arabia assumed a pivotal conference role. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal
bin Farhan condemned the “occupation forces’ most abhorrent practices, including
murder, starvation and forced displacement,” and demanded “the termination of
Gaza’s siege and urgent, adequate crossing openings for relief supplies.” He
rejected the “Greater Israel concept,” while reaffirming the Kingdom’s
commitment to “Palestinians’ historic right to statehood within the 1967
boundaries with East Jerusalem as capital.”
The proceedings in Jeddah extended beyond collective statements toward
meaningful diplomatic engagement. Prince Faisal’s meeting on the sidelines with
his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, represented a crucial test of the
potential for Riyadh-Tehran practical cooperation. While Araghchi endorsed the
OIC declaration, he emphasized that “implementation matters most,” advocating
that Islamic nations “sever commercial and diplomatic Israeli ties.” Saudi
Arabia prioritized pragmatic international mechanisms encompassing humanitarian
assistance and legal channels.
The contrasting approaches are evident: Iran’s maximalist positions regardless
of feasibility versus Saudi Arabia’s balance between principles, realism and
effective diplomatic-legal pressure. Nevertheless, Saudi-Iranian convergences
remain significant — particularly shared concerns that ongoing warfare
destabilizes the region and that impunity erodes international legal
credibility. Prince Faisal’s meeting with Araghchi represented a crucial test of
the potential for Riyadh-Tehran cooperation.
Should Tehran temper its ideological messaging and embrace practical steps
within established international institutions, Saudi-Iranian collaboration
through OIC frameworks could amplify efforts toward Gaza ceasefire
possibilities, despite the extremist Israeli government’s persistence with
policies of starvation, occupation and forced displacement.
Europe’s positioning, especially France’s stance, reinforces this approach’s
significance. President Emmanuel Macron consistently maintains that the
two-state solution represents the sole sustainable pathway to peace. Paris
supports international conferences establishing clear conflict resolution
roadmaps. The alignment of Saudi Arabia’s strategic two-state commitment with
France’s revival of a comprehensive peace process creates opportunities for
broader international cooperation that transcends condemnation and leads to
concrete action.
Such developments would present US President Donald Trump with additional
political and humanitarian considerations amid mounting pressure due to the
famine in Gaza. More than 40 senators in July petitioned the State Department,
warning that the current aid distribution mechanisms are ineffective and
crisis-aggravating. These pressures also reflect shifting public sentiment, with
recent polling showing 55 percent of Americans want a ceasefire. Trump faces a
stark choice: either maintain unconditional support for Israel despite the
domestic and international political costs or pursue negotiations and a truce to
restore America’s credibility as a peace broker. Riyadh’s preferred outcome
would be Washington guaranteeing a comprehensive and permanent termination of
the Gaza war.
The escalating humanitarian conditions and constrained political options
confronting Israel and its supporters enhance the value of the regional
initiatives, including potential Saudi-Iranian cooperation. This creates
cumulative contexts supported by multiple European and global capitals, as well
as widespread public opinion, which Washington and Tel Aviv are increasingly
struggling to dismiss indefinitely.
The Jeddah OIC foreign ministerial meeting demonstrated the capacity for Islamic
convergence on Palestinian issues despite the divergent perspectives. However,
the developments in Gaza and the West Bank test not only the Palestinian
leadership — requiring internal reconciliation around coherent, rational
programs — but also the effectiveness of joint Islamic action in restoring
international law and regional stability, granting this organization genuine
influence over urgent matters.
• Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher interested in Islamic
movements, the development of religious discourse and the relationship between
the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran.X: @Halmustafa
The Woman Behind the Veil
Sara Al Nuaimi/Gatestone Institute/September 01/2025
When I ask my mother why she decided to wear the niqab, she looks at me,
puzzled. "Decide?" she repeats, as if I'd asked why she "decided" to speak
Arabic.
She manages her own stock portfolio entirely in Arabic... she notes that "wars
slow things down, yet when there are wars, gold goes up."
When asked what she thinks of interest, she explains that interest has multiple
meanings. When someone is desperate or helpless and needs a loan with interest,
that is unacceptable — it exploits the needy. But interest on her own deposits?
That is her money "working" to bring more money.
She does not trust foreign stocks. Even locally, she is selective about private
ventures, such as new hotels. "It's never clear what they're doing exactly," she
says. "They could be financing prostitution."
Watching so many politicians talk about my mother's niqab, I do not see bad
intentions. I see concern. People want to protect their culture. They worry that
foreign customs might slowly replace their own. It is true of people in the
West, as well, who might worry that people could be in their midst who wish to
replace miniskirts with burqas.
This response is not prejudice. What people are picking up on — sometimes
without knowing how to name it — is that people wish to protect what matters to
them.... Like church bells in Salzburg or kimonos in Kyoto, they belong to a
place, and they deserve to be protected.
In the end, my mother's story is not really about the niqab. It is about how to
stay rooted in a world that keeps shifting.
This means being yourself within the world as you find it, not demanding the
world to change for you. That is the kind of wisdom we do not talk about enough.
Recently, in Dubai, a tourist filmed a woman in a niqab eating at a restaurant.
The tourist and her friend were treating the woman as if she were entertainment
for them, rather than as a person trying to enjoy her dinner. Eventually, when
the video clip went viral on social media, the Dubai Police issued a statement
that they were investigating the matter.
Even in a Muslim-majority country, the woman could not simply be out in public
without becoming a spectacle.
In 2017, Australian Senator Pauline Hanson wrote about the burqa, which covers
the whole body and face:
"I have long believed that full face coverings, such as the burqa, were
oppressive, presented barriers to assimilation, disadvantaged women from finding
employment, were causing issues inside our justice system, presented a clear
security threat and has no place in modern Western society."
In 2014, Australian Senator Jacqui Lambie said about burqas:
"I believe it's a national security issue and it's a security issue and it's
just like anything else. It's like a motorbike helmet or it's like a balaclava.
You cannot wear one. I will not allow you to wear that into my office because
it's a security risk."
The same year, then Prime Minister Tony Abbott commented on burqas:
"I have said before that I find [the burqa] a fairly confronting form of attire.
Frankly, I wish it was not worn but we are a free country, we are a free society
and it is not the business of government to tell people what they should and
shouldn't wear."
The language, from there, gets harsher. In 2018, the year before he was elected
prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson compared niqab-wearing women to "letter
boxes" and "looking like a bank robber."
One critic has described the face veil as "not an article of clothing — it is a
mask, a mask worn at all times, making identification or participation in
economic and social life virtually impossible."
Academic discourse is not much kinder. Sahar Amer, a scholar at the University
of Sydney, wrote in 2014 that "many non-Muslims perceive veiling — the burqa and
niqab especially — as a sign of religious extremism and possible political
militancy."
Sara Silvestri at City University London noted in 2016 that "this type of dress
is associated with Islamic extremism."
One commenter on X even referred to the niqab as a "garbage bag" revealing the
complete dehumanization of the women who choose to wear it.
I decided to speak to one woman who wears the niqab: my mother, Alya.
An Emirati living in the United Arab Emirates — one of the world's most
successful countries and a model of stability and prosperity — she faces no
religious, legal, or family pressure. She wears a niqab entirely by choice.
My mother is fortunate. She made her decision freely — without pressure or fear.
Many women do not have that choice. Her good fortune shows what the veil can
mean when it is not forced.
So, why does she wear it?
Me, I have no problem wearing a bikini on the shores of Formentera. When I ask
my mother why she decided to wear the niqab, she looks at me, puzzled. "Decide?"
she repeats, as if I had asked why she "decided" to speak Arabic. "We see other
women wear it, so we wear it."
She was raised to cover her hair -- everyone did -- the same with the niqab. She
was not wearing it when she first got married, but over time, more women around
her started to wear one, and it became the norm.
It was not from an ideology, or a "personal statement" or a religious
"awakening." Just something that became part of the landscape — like the food
you grow up eating.
"These things are not strange to us," she says. "They are customs."
She manages her own stock portfolio entirely in Arabic, checking market
movements on her smartphone, following financial news, and making investment
decisions with ease. Her portfolio has grown steadily over the years, although
she notes that "wars slow things down, yet when there are wars, gold goes up."
She also manages her bank deposits. When asked what she thinks of interest, she
explains that interest has multiple meanings. When someone is desperate or
helpless and needs a loan with interest, that is unacceptable — it exploits the
needy. But interest on her own deposits? That is her money "working" to bring
more money.
She invests exclusively in UAE companies — semi-private or government-owned.
Supporting her country's stocks feels safe and aligns with her values. She does
not trust foreign stocks. Even locally, she is selective about private ventures,
such as new hotels. "It is never clear what they're doing exactly," she says.
"They could be financing prostitution."
When I ask her about her values, she is again puzzled. "Islamic values," I
emphasize, what, as a Muslim, she finds important. She answers, "kindness, good
deeds, being close to family." She insists on family cohesion above all and has
no interest in ideology or politics. She believes that with modern life, family
cohesion has started to weaken and wants us to "work more on that."
When I ask if it bothers her to see people from other countries dressed
differently, she says it does not. "I know that is who they are." She says she
appreciates it when visitors dress modestly — not necessarily covered, but
considerately and decent -– but she is repulsed by revealing clothing: "Don't
they know they are in a Muslim country?" she asks. When I suggest this sounds
religious, she corrects me: "Not really, it is just unfamiliar to my eyes. I am
used to something else."
For her, the problem is not about religious rules but environmental norms — the
difference between what feels familiar and what feels jarring.
When I point out that Europeans might be similarly jarred by niqabis on their
streets, her response is matter-of-fact: "Niqabs are banned in France."
No anger, no sense of injustice. Just accepting that different places have
different ways.
Her understanding of world events is always practical, never ideological. When
Americans were protesting wars, she was confused. Why would they care about
people so far away? Why invest emotionally in distant conflicts? It made no
sense.
I explained how much of their earnings go to taxes — close to half, sometimes.
"Ah" she said, "that is why they are protesting." Once she understood that
Americans were funding the wars with their own money, their outrage made perfect
sense. It was not national security or moral idealism; it was financial logic.
All the same, when she watches Indian soap operas dubbed into Arabic, she forms
totally different cultural connections. Watching a drama about family betrayal,
she said: "Indians are like us. They feel shame when they do something wrong."
She recognizes a shared heritage of family honor and emotional accountability.
With Indians, she sees cultural kinship based on values -- again, not ideology.
Every month, she drives our domestic worker to the money transfer office. During
the rides, the women share frustrations about husbands spending everything,
extended families making endless demands, and the pressure to send every dirham
(UAE currency) back home.
Her advice is always the same: Save your money. Build a home. Make the sacrifice
worth it. She has seen the pattern: Women who save money end up building houses
and educating their children. The ones who send everything home often find
themselves starting over repeatedly, never able to break free. She even acts as
a shield for our worker. When the pressure gets intense and she does not know
what to say, my mother lets her use the excuse: "The lady I work for will not
allow me to send money."
Her social circle includes women from social clubs, longtime neighbors, and
fellow Arab homemakers from different nationalities. Their ties have lasted
decades. They celebrate weddings and graduations, and support one another
through funerals and family crises.
She drives wherever she wants to go, usually preferring the traditional desert
roads to the busy highways. Her choice reflects her personality -- independent,
taking the path that feels right rather than the one everyone else travels.
When young Emirati doctors come to our home to treat my grandmother, they always
make the same mistake. They see me — in Western clothes, bilingual, outgoing —
and assume I must be the one managing her care.
My mother, they soon find out, knows every detail. Every medication, every
reaction, every preference. She coordinates doctor visits, advocates for her
mother's wishes, and navigates the complexities of caring for an older woman who
despises hospitals. When my grandmother insisted on getting a formal letter
stating she would only be taken to the hospital in a genuine emergency, my
mother made sure it was documented and legally binding.
"Ask my mother," I tell them. "She knows everything."
They are surprised. But they should not be.
Watching so many politicians talk about my mother's niqab, I do not see bad
intentions. I see concern. People want to protect their culture. They worry that
foreign customs might slowly replace their own. It is true of people in the
West, as well, who might worry that people could be in their midst who wish to
replace miniskirts with burqas.
This response is not prejudice. What people are picking up on — sometimes
without knowing how to name it — is that people wish to protect what matters to
them.
Panic, however, does not help. It hardens people and can push them to extremes.
If the goal is to preserve Western heritage, what is needed is confidence: how
one can protect a cultural heritage without apology.
This confidence probably begins with knowing what you are trying to protect.
Some customs are spiritual, such as praying or fasting; others are tangible:
things you can see and touch — passed down, worn, spoken, tasted, lived in.
It might mean knowing when, where and how which customs belong, and how to
protect them without anxiety. Like church bells in Salzburg or kimonos in Kyoto,
they belong to a place, and they deserve to be protected.
In the end, my mother's story is not really about the niqab. It is about how to
stay rooted in a world that keeps shifting.
This means being yourself within the world as you find it, not demanding the
world to change for you. That is the kind of wisdom we do not talk about enough.
**Sara Al Nuaimi is an Emirati who lives in Abu Dhabi. Follow her on X @saranuaimi.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21829/the-woman-behind-the-veil
© 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.
Seeking Regional Leaders with Sadat’s Vision
Michel Touma/This is Beirut/September 01/2025
Clothes do not make the man – a saying that fits today’s leaders of Iran’s
radical factions, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Tehran’s proxies in Iraq and Yemen.
They issue routine inflammatory statements and adopt media stances that are
often exaggerated, sometimes bordering on the absurd.
In response to the upheavals sweeping the region, they do not hesitate, in a
hostile tone, to issue surreal threats against the United States, European
countries, Israel, and even Gulf states. They may be trying to raise the stakes
ahead of possible negotiations with Washington, but above all, they aim to
project firmness and uncompromising resolve, while in reality exposing what
could signal panic amid unfolding events.
This sense of panic is amplified by the growing isolation of hardliners within
their own social circles. On the local stage, Hezbollah has virtually no allies
left beyond Amal leader Nabih Berri, who, whenever possible, signals a certain
distance from the course dictated by the mullahs in Tehran.
The near-isolation of radical factions is also evident within Iran itself. To
underscore his differences with the Revolutionary Guards, President Masoud
Pezeshkian recently stated that “internal divisions [in Tehran] pose a greater
danger than the snapback mechanism,” triggered last week by the European troika
– France, Germany and the United Kingdom – to revive United Nations sanctions
imposed on Iran in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 due to its persistent refusal to
limit its nuclear program.
These internal divisions in Iran grew sharper in August with the emergence of
the “Reform Front,” a coalition of around thirty parties, organizations and
leading figures that released a roadmap calling for sweeping reforms and a
profound shift in the regime’s policies, particularly on the nuclear issue and
on relations with the West and Gulf states. The movement is especially critical
of the mullahs, saying, “For 22 years, they have engaged in tactical
negotiations with the West solely to buy time, without ever addressing the
underlying issues.”
President Pezeshkian’s defiant stance, the emergence of the “Reform Front” and
popular uprisings in several Iranian cities have contributed to somewhat
isolating the Revolutionary Guards, who, for now, remain in control thanks to
the brutal repression of dissent. Still, the growing opposition in Iran and
Lebanon, not to mention Iraq, against the Pasdaran and Hezbollah reflects a
deeper divide in political thinking and behavior. One camp bases its approach on
irrationality, ideology and a rigid posture determined to confront the West,
while the other exhibits pragmatism and clear-eyed awareness of the strategic
realities at play. Such a divide between pragmatism and irrationality has long
marked this part of the world. It was strikingly evident in 1993, when Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat committed decisively to the
path of peace, while Israeli Prime Minister and Labor Party leader Yitzhak Rabin
showed enough pragmatism and political courage to extend a hand to the PLO,
which he had previously labeled a terrorist organization.
This dual leap forward gave full momentum to the 1993 Oslo process, which had
been initiated on both sides by a small group of senior Palestinian and Israeli
officials. The result was a historic peace agreement, which was ultimately
undermined by the two de facto allies of the time: the Israeli right and Hamas,
which today are locked in conflict in Gaza. Long before Arafat and Rabin, late
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat took the historic step of traveling to Jerusalem
in 1977 to address the Israeli Knesset directly, seeking to turn the page on the
long-standing conflict with Israel. This move paved the way for the Israel-Egypt
peace treaty signed in Washington in March 1979. At a press conference, Sadat
explained the reasoning behind his initiative, demonstrating a remarkable degree
of geopolitical pragmatism. He recalled that during the October 1973 war, he had
sent a message to Syrian President Hafez Assad, explaining that he accepted a
ceasefire with Israel because, in reality, he was effectively at war with the
United States rather than with Israel. “The United States has been at war with
me for ten days, and I am therefore not willing to risk the destruction of my
people and my armed forces,” he told Assad.
To further underscore his pragmatism, President Sadat noted at the same press
conference that he had visited the Soviet Union four times, in March and October
1971, and in February and April 1972. “Each time,” he explained, “Soviet leaders
made it clear, without any ambiguity, that there was no question of challenging
Israel’s borders.” In light of these historical facts, one conclusion is
unavoidable: given today’s technological, military and intelligence balance, the
leaders of the radical wing of the mullahs’ regime, as well as the leadership of
Hezbollah and Hamas, must finally acknowledge that the Arab peoples need
clear-sighted leaders of the caliber of Sadat or Arafat. For more than 75 years,
people across the Arab world have endured, often unnecessarily, the hardships of
successive, futile wars that offered neither resolution nor hope, preventing
them from aspiring to a normal, peaceful life.
Slected X
tweets
For September 01/2025
Zéna Mansour
The persecution of Druze in Syria implies measures to protect their
rights&well-being.
Traditional approach focusing on Justice-Equality may be insufficient. Radical
solutions "Independence-Separation" might be required to prevent further
conflict & ensure lasting peace. @POTUS
Maher Sharaf
Eddine
Three Druze ninth-grade students were killed by the Damascus government during
its terrorist forces' invasion of the Sweida governorate in southern Syria.The
exam results for these three students were released yesterday, revealing their
success and excellence.The terrorist Damascus government, which the United
States wants to give a chance to, committed genocide against the #Druze in
Sweida based on their religious affiliation.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Since none of the Hamas leaders who launched war on #Israel are alive today,
can't whoever remained of Hamas release the Israeli hostages and end the war?