English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 23/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels
Mark 08/31-38: “Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo
great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite
openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and
looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For
you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things. ’He called
the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.For
those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life
for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it
profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can
they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be
ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Titles For The Latest English
LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September
22-23/2025
Naim Qassem lives in a pathological state of denial. His constant
existence in an underground pit has rotted his mind and distanced him from
reality./Elias Bejjani/September 20/2025
Lebanese Renaissance Gathering: Chapter VII Status, Neutrality, and the Danger
of Elections Under the Current Law/September 22, 2025
LCCC/Video Link – Interview in English by The National News with U.S. Ambassador
to Turkey, Tom Barrack
Report: Ortagus lauds army's efforts, says insufficient till Hezbollah disarmed
Report: Israeli official says 2026 'decisive' for Hezbollah's full disarmament
Barrack says Lebanon 'only talks' about Hezbollah disarmament
US envoy Tom Barrack says Hezbollah is rebuilding its strength, Lebanese
government must disarm it
Serious Positions by Barrack: The Situation in Lebanon Is Very Difficult... and
All Talk, No Action
Saudi Arabia shows willingness to support Lebanon, report says
Netanyahu says peace with Lebanon and Syria possible
Report: Lebanon given a month before possible escalation
Salam orders ban of unauthorized use of touristic sites after Raouche Rock
uproar
Marking Peace Day, UNIFIL head highlights efforts with army in building peace
Anger in Lebanon after Israeli strike kills 3 children, Israel voices 'regret'
Lebanese Cabinet approves draft 2026 state budget
Critical economic reforms: Lebanon to host IMF mission ahead of Washington
meetings
New Details Revealed on Israel’s Assassination of Nasrallah
Peace Protects the Raouche Rock from Provocation… Washington is of One Opinion:
Lebanon is Wasting Time
Aoun from New York: We are Moving Forward with the Gradual Implementation of the
Weapon Monopoly Decision... And Slovak President: We are Ready to Help
Lebanon/Al-Markazia/September 22, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Dramatics of Peacemakers/Samir Attallah/Middle East/September 23, 2025
(Translated from Arabic)
The Raouche-Riyadh Line/Dr. Saleh Al-Mashnouk / Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23,
2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Weather Report: Sheikh Naim/Imad Moussa/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025
(Translated from Arabic)
Parliamentary Elections in Akkar: Popular Enthusiasm and Political Coldness/Mays
Obaid/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
"Your Vote is a Bullet": How Hezbollah Will Campaign for the Elections/Tarek
Abou Zeinab/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 22-23/2025
How Israel could retaliate against the growing push for recognition of a
Palestinian state
The Latest: Israeli army orders evacuation of a Gaza City hospital as world
leaders gather at the UN
Saudi Arabia calls for global recognition of Palestine and end to Israeli
aggression in Gaza
‘The time has come,’ Macron tells landmark UN conference as slew of countries
recognize Palestine
Denying Palestinian statehood ‘a gift to extremists everywhere’: UN chief
Syria’s Al-Sharaa, in New York, renews call for US to formally drop sanctions
Palestinian mission in UK celebrates statehood recognition, raises flag in
London
Palestinian Authority says France’s recognition of state ‘historic and
courageous’
Spanish PM calls for full UN membership for Palestinian state
Israel says will not allow Gaza-bound aid flotilla to break its blockade
Israel to skip UN Security Council meeting on Gaza
Israel to demolish homes of Palestinians who killed six in Jerusalem bus stop
attack
Two Gaza hospitals forced to stop operations as Israeli offensive escalates,
health ministry says
Israeli army operations stir fears in Syria’s Quneitra
Titles For The Latest
English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September
22-23/2025
Apocalypticism and War Ending/Dr.
Charles Chartouni/This Is Beirut/September 22/2025
On an International Conference That Is Urgent and … Impossible/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq
Al-Awsat/September 22/2025
Qatar's Arab-Islamic Summit: Hypocrites and Cowards/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/September 22/2025
Why recognizing Palestine is important/Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/September 22, 2025
Genocide label spurring further legal action against Israel/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab
News/September 22, 2025
Trump’s UK visit: A cost-benefit analysis/Chris Doyle/Arab News/September 22,
2025
From the tunnel of Gaza to the window of New York/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al
Awsat/September 22, 2025
Slected X tweets For September 22/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
September 22-23/2025
Naim Qassem lives in a pathological state of denial. His constant existence in
an underground pit has rotted his mind and distanced him from reality.
Elias Bejjani/September 20/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147431/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3I4a6yFUY&t=174s
The speeches of Sheikh Naim Qassem are no longer worth delving into. They are
repetitive, parrot-like, and recycle the same lies and hypocrisy of a so-called
“resistance” that was nothing but an Iranian criminal terrorist project—now gone
forever. Hezbollah has been stripped bare of its heresies and empty bravado
after Israel inflicted on it a crushing defeat, eliminated its commanders, and
continues—on a daily basis—to hunt down its operatives across multiple Lebanese
areas, without the group being able to respond with even a single bullet.
This criminal Hezbollah has now been reduced to a mere sound organization:
militarily, politically, and through its media mouthpieces. Empty threats,
ridiculous posturing, and accusations of treason against the overwhelming
majority of Lebanese who reject it and demand its removal—militarily,
politically, and criminally—through the enforcement of international resolutions
and the ceasefire agreement that amounted to an act of surrender signed by
Hezbollah and its patron Iran.
As for Naim Qassem, who hides underground in a dark pit where no light or sun
reaches him—terrified of Israel—he has become completely detached from reality.
Rot seems to have infected his mind, and perhaps the drugs he consumes (hashish,
Captagon) are adulterated, causing him hallucinations and daydreams, just as was
evident in his speech yesterday on the occasion of the “anniversary of Ibrahim
Aqil’s killing.”
The man lives in absolute denial—blind to all the developments, defeats, and
disasters Hezbollah has inflicted upon Lebanon and upon its Shiite community.
Moreover, this state of denial is not limited to him; it engulfs Hezbollah’s
MPs, officials, media voices, and supporters. It is a pathological denial,
coupled with anger, leaving them incapable of moving through the natural stages
of dealing with pain (denial, bargaining, anger, depression, acceptance).
Qassem, Iran, and Hezbollah’s leadership remain shackled and imprisoned in the
stage of denial and anger, and all their discourse reflects this diseased
mindset.
His call for Saudi Arabia in his yesterday speech to “open a new page” with
Hezbollah and to engage in dialogue to freeze disputes is nothing short of a
mental farce. Saudi Arabia is a sovereign state, not a gang. It cannot and will
not negotiate with an organization designated globally as terrorist—an Iranian
jihadist criminal group that has been and continues to be behind the Houthis’
attacks on the Kingdom, the Gulf states, and international shipping routes.
A final piece of advice to the remaining Hezbollah officials still alive, and to
their clerical patrons in Iran: take Sheikh Naim Qassem out of his underground
hole and place him in a mental hospital. His speech of September 19, 2025, was a
disgraceful bundle of denial, hallucinations, daydreams, and delusions—a
pathetic farce. And as a person, he remains revolting and repulsive.
Lebanese Renaissance Gathering: Chapter VII Status,
Neutrality, and the Danger of Elections Under the Current Law
September 22, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147514/
Press Release from the Lebanese Renaissance Gathering
Following a review meeting of the Lebanese Renaissance Gathering conference, the
group issued the following statement:
At the invitation of the Lebanese Renaissance Gathering, leading figures from
the Opposition of the Opposition convened to assess recent developments, discuss
the coming phase, and outline the steps they and their activists will pursue.
After presenting a summary of the current political situation in Lebanon and the
wider region, participants expressed grave concern over the ongoing mobilization
and heightened incitement orchestrated by the ruling establishment. They warned
that the country remains trapped in a vicious cycle—a media-fueled storm of
exaggerations, fabrications, and distortions of facts—designed to manipulate the
content of agreements. These maneuvers represent desperate attempts to buy time,
push through measures that serve the interests of the ruling class and
Hezbollah, and normalize the status of Hezbollah’s weapons—a reality Lebanon
cannot escape confronting sooner or later.
Participants unanimously emphasized the danger of holding elections—if they
occur at all—under the current law. This law was deliberately engineered to
protect the dominance of political parties and, in particular, to enable the
Shiite “duo” (the two main Shiite blocs) to restore their parliamentary
majority, giving them once again the ability to impose or obstruct decisions at
will. They also warned of the grave consequences awaiting Lebanon if the
ceasefire and disarmament agreements are not respected and if weapons remain
outside the authority of the legitimate state, especially given the state’s
ongoing hesitation and paralysis. For this reason, the Gathering stressed the
urgent necessity of pursuing Chapter VII international status and a policy of
neutrality, as today’s threat is existential for Lebanon and all its components.
Finally, participants reaffirmed their determination to continue their struggle,
form a follow-up committee, and maintain a unified stance against the schemes
aimed at dismantling what remains of the Lebanese state. They pledged to raise
their voices until the Lebanese people awaken from their deep slumber and rise
to confront their oppressors.
(Free translation by Elias Bejjani)
LCCC/Video Link – Interview in English by The National
News with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack
September 22, 2025
Tom Barrack on Israel, the Middle East and what’s next/US special envoy Tom
Barrack sits down with IMI chief international anchor Hadley Gamble for an
in-depth interview on the Trump administration’s approach to the Middle East. He
discusses Washington’s support for Israel, the war in Gaza, the shifting
regional landscape, and his views on Lebanon’s political future.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147537/
LCCC/Video Link – Interview in English by The National News with U.S. Ambassador
to Turkey, Tom Barrack
A candid, non-diplomatic reading of the complexities, disputes, and wars across
the Middle East: America’s relations with Arab states and Israel, the situation
in Lebanon where leaders consistently fail to deliver on their promises and
where Hezbollah remains the snake’s head that must be cut off along with that of
the Iranian regime, the war in Gaza, Trump’s Middle East doctrine, Israel’s
strike on Qatar, and other important related issues. Tom Barrack ruled out the
possibility of achieving peace in the Middle East.
He explained that the current conflict in the region is not about borders but
about the principle of submission and domination. He stressed that the United
States is not prepared to intervene to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon, pointing out
that such responsibility lies with the Lebanese government. He emphasized the
need to cut off the head of the snake represented by both Hezbollah and the
Iranian regime of the mullahs.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147537/
U.S. Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, considered peace in the Middle East to
be “nothing but an illusion.” He described the recognition of a Palestinian
state by some members of the UN Security Council as “unhelpful.”In his interview
on Truth with Hadley Gamble on Sky News Arabia, Barrack stated: “When we say
peace, it is merely an illusion. There has never been peace in the Middle East,
and perhaps there never will be, because everyone is fighting for legitimacy.”
Speaking to Hadley Gamble, Senior International Anchor at IMI, he added: “I
believe there have been 27 ceasefires, and not a single one has succeeded.”
Report: Ortagus lauds army's efforts, says insufficient
till Hezbollah disarmed
Naharnet/September 22/2025
U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus took part in the meeting of the ceasefire monitoring
committee on Sunday and listened to a detailed explanation about the army’s
weapons monopoly plan from the Lebanese representative in the committee.
“Lebanon’s envoy to the committee called on Ortagus to put an end to Israel’s
continued attacks against Lebanon and to press Israel to withdraw from the
points it is occupying, because its continued occupation and security violations
will lead to obstructing the army’s deployment in the South Litani region,”
security sources told the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal. The sources added that
Ortagus “expressed U.S. interest in Lebanon and lauded the army’s role and
mighty efforts.”She, however, added that “this will remain insufficient until
the Lebanese Army manages to remove Hezbollah’s weapons,” the sources said.
Ortagus added that her country has full confidence in the army, promising to
provide it with the necessary assistance so that it implements the mission it is
tasked with, the sources added.
Report: Israeli official says 2026 'decisive' for Hezbollah's full disarmament
Naharnet/September 22/2025
Next year will be “decisive” and Israel will “intervene in Lebanon” if no
“practical measures” are taken against Hezbollah’s arms, an Israeli security
source said on Monday. “If Hezbollah is not disarmed, Israel will expand its
activities inside Lebanon,” the source told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya
television. “There is no specified deadline for Lebanon but Israel will not wait
for long,” the source said. The source added that a “broader ground operation”
in Lebanon is possible “if needed.”“Those building military capabilities against
Israel are not immune, whether the are an activist or a senior leader,” the
source said. Calling for Hezbollah’s “full disarmament,” the source said there
is no place for a “gray situation.”“Hezbollah is trying to repair itself, which
requires vigilance, and Israel considers Hezbollah’s military situation as
unsettled yet,” the source added, noting that “Hezbollah has no military
capability” to intervene should Israel engage in a new “conflict with Iran.”
Barrack says Lebanon 'only talks' about Hezbollah
disarmament
Naharnet/September 22/2025
U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, has said that everything Lebanon is doing is
talk without real action. He told Sky News Arabia in an interview Sunday, that
Israel will not withdraw from the five occupied points and that Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't care about borders or red lines if he feels
Israel is threatened. Barrack claimed that Hezbollah has been lately receiving
USD 60 million monthly from unidentified sources and that the group is trying to
rebuild itself. He said the U.S. won't act militarily against Hezbollah and that
the Lebanese government must act. The situation in Lebanon is very difficult
"but we have a good team in power," Barrack said. In the interview, Barrack
talking about the Middle East said that "peace is an illusion." "There's never
been peace, there will probably never be peace."
US envoy Tom Barrack says Hezbollah is rebuilding its
strength, Lebanese government must disarm it
LBCI/September 22/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack delivered a series of blunt statements in an interview
with Sky News Arabia, describing Hezbollah and Iran as “enemies” and urging
Lebanon’s government to take decisive action. “Hezbollah is our enemy, and Iran
is our enemy. We need to cut off the heads of these snakes and stop their
funding,” Barrack said, stressing that Hezbollah continues to rebuild its
strength despite public perceptions to the contrary. He revealed that Israel
maintains five positions in South Lebanon and has no plans to withdraw, adding
that as much as $60 million a month is flowing to Hezbollah “from somewhere”
during this period. Barrack criticized the Lebanese government for what he
called inaction, urging it to “clearly declare that it will disarm Hezbollah”
and to assume responsibility for curbing the group’s influence. While praising
the Lebanese Army as “a good organization,” he noted it is “not well equipped”
to confront the threat. Despite the escalating rhetoric, Barrack said Washington
will not intervene militarily to confront Hezbollah, whether through U.S. forces
or the Central Command, placing the onus on Lebanon to act.
Serious Positions by Barrack: The Situation in Lebanon
Is Very Difficult... and All Talk, No Action
Al-Markazia / September 22, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack believes that "the situation in Lebanon is very
difficult, and we have a good team in power right now, but everything Lebanon is
doing regarding disarming Hezbollah is just talk, and no actual action has taken
place." He noted that "the Lebanese Army is a good organization, but it is not
well equipped." He continued, "Israel has five points in southern Lebanon and
will not withdraw from them. Hezbollah is rebuilding its strength, and the
government must take responsibility." He added, "Hezbollah is our enemy, and
Iran is our enemy. We need to cut off the heads of these snakes and stop their
funding." He also noted that "during this period, as much as $60 million a month
is flowing to Hezbollah from somewhere," and said, "The Lebanese think Hezbollah
isn't rebuilding its strength, but it is." Barrack affirmed, "We will not
intervene to confront Hezbollah, whether through our forces or through the U.S.
Central Command."
Peace in the Middle East is an Illusion
In his interview on Sky News Arabia's "The Truth with Hadley Gamble," the U.S.
Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said that peace in the Middle East is "an
illusion" and described the recognition of a Palestinian state by some members
of the UN Security Council as "unhelpful." He continued, "There has never been
peace in the Middle East before. And there probably never will be peace because
everyone is fighting for legitimacy." Barrack told IMI's Senior International
Anchor, Hadley Gamble, "I think there have been 27 ceasefires. None of them have
worked." Barrack's comments come just days after the U.S. vetoed a UN Security
Council resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent
ceasefire in Gaza, the sixth such veto since the war in Gaza began. The Gaza
Health Ministry estimates that at least 65,000 Palestinians have been killed as
a result of the war, and there are signs that the increasing number of
casualties is beginning to affect U.S. President Donald Trump's supporters.
Israel's Policies
When asked to comment on the growing dissatisfaction with Israel's policies,
Barrack said that people should view Israel's actions in the context of the
October 7 attacks, "an event that changed everything in the Middle East," as he
put it. The U.S. envoy said, "Personally, I hate what has happened in Gaza from
all sides. For the Palestinians, for the Israelis, for the Jordanians, for the
Lebanese, for the Syrians, for the Turks. You know, it's a mess." In contrast,
he clarified that "Israel is an important ally. We support them with $4 to $5
billion a year. It has a special place in the heart of America, and we are
dealing with the confusion of what is happening during this transition. So it's
complicated."
Recognition of the Palestinian State
Ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York, Barrack described the steps taken
by world leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French
President Emmanuel Macron, to recognize the Palestinian state as "unhelpful." He
added, "It's good to see the UN, whoever it is, doing anything. That's an
achievement in itself. But I think it's useless. It doesn't help at all."
Barrack also believes that the Israeli strike that targeted Hamas officials in
Doha on September 9 was a "shock to the Gulf" and to the world, but it "did not
cause permanent damage to U.S. relations with the Gulf states." Barrack said,
"It wasn't good. Qatar was and continues to be an important and valuable ally to
us from day one," clarifying that the Israelis "did not tell" the U.S. what they
were planning.
The Hezbollah Weapon File
Regarding what would motivate Lebanese Hezbollah to hand over its weapons,
Barrack affirmed: "Israel is attacking everyone, from Syria to Lebanon and
Tunisia, and as these attacks continue, Hezbollah's narrative that it exists to
protect the Lebanese from Israel is strengthened. Israel occupies five points
and will not withdraw from them, and in return, Hezbollah is rebuilding its
strength." He added, "The responsibility falls on the Lebanese government. This
is not our role. But some want the U.S. to do what President Dwight Eisenhower
did; they want President Trump to send in the Marines to solve everything. This
is not going to happen."
Speaking about the possibility of disarming Hezbollah, Barrack stressed that
"the decision must come from the Lebanese government," adding: "If the
government wants to restore stability, it must clearly declare its intention to
disarm Hezbollah. But it hesitates for fear of a civil war. We are not talking
about this topic in vain." When Gamble asked if the Lebanese Army was the party
that would disarm the group, Barrack replied: "The army is the only force
available on the ground. It is a good army with good intentions, but it lacks
sufficient equipment." He continued: "We will not arm the army to fight Israel,
nor do we want to arm it to fight its own people, i.e., Hezbollah. But the party
is an enemy to us, just like Iran, and its funding must be stopped. This is the
only way to stop Hezbollah." Barrack concluded by saying: "We are not going to
go to the homes of the Shiites to ask them to hand over their weapons, or to
say: Excuse me, can we take the rockets and weapons from your homes, or we will
arrest you by force?"
Saudi Arabia shows willingness to support Lebanon, report
says
Naharnet/September 22/2025
Saudi Arabia is willing to help Lebanon and support the Lebanese army, sources
said, as Lebanon plans to disarm Hezbollah. A Saudi-French conference will be
held in Riyadh to secure financial and logistic support for the army to enable
it to deploy in the area south of the Litani river, the PSP's news portal al-Anbaa
said Monday. The sources also told al-Anbaa that Saudis and Arabs will invest in
Lebanon once the disarmament is completed and the reforms are implemented.
Advisor to the Saudi Foreign Minister, Yazid bin Farhan, who had visited Lebanon
last week confirmed to the leaders he met that Lebanon remains a top priority
for Riyadh and that the kingdom is open to dialogue but only with the Lebanese
state and its constitutional institutions, the report said. Bin Farhan also
praised the role played by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, describing him as a
"statesman," and said that talks will be held with him over the reconstruction
of war-hit regions, once the disarmament is implemented. During Bin Farhan's
visit, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem called on Saudi Arabia to open a new
page with Hezbollah, saying that "the resistance's arms are directed against
Israel, not against Lebanon or KSA."
Netanyahu says peace with Lebanon and Syria possible
Agence France Presse/September 22/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel's war with Hezbollah
had created the possibility for peace with Lebanon and Syria. Syria and Israel
have technically been at war since 1948, but the two states opened direct
negotiations after the ouster of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, and hope to
finalize security and military agreements by the end of this year, a Syrian
official said this week. In Lebanon, meanwhile, Israel has continued to strike
Hezbollah members and alleged targets despite a November ceasefire that sought
to end more than a year of hostilities with the Iran-backed group. "Our
victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window for a possibility
that was not even imagined before our recent operations and actions: the
possibility of peace with our northern neighbors," Netanyahu told the cabinet.
"We are conducting talks with the Syrians -- there is some progress, but it is
still a long way off," he added. Since Assad's fall at the hands of an
Islamist-led coalition in December, Israel has deployed troops in a
U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that separates the countries' forces and has launched
hundreds of strikes in Syria. Damascus has not retaliated.Last week, Syrian
President Ahmed al-Sharaa said his country was negotiating an agreement that
would see Israel leave the areas it has occupied in recent months. Israel has
demanded a demilitarized zone in southern Syria, and an official with the Syrian
military recently told AFP it had withdrawn all heavy weaponry from the area.
The United States has been pushing the two sides to reach an agreement to
formally halt hostilities. Washington has also played a role in pressing Lebanon
to disarm Hezbollah, the only group to keep its weapons after the country's
1975-1990 civil war -- doing so in the name of resistance against Israel. In
August, Lebanon ordered its military to draw up disarmament plans which the
Lebanese cabinet said the army would begin implementing. Foreign Minister
Youssef Rajji said earlier in September that the army would start by fully
disarming Hezbollah near the border with Israel within three months, then turn
its focus to other areas. Since November's ceasefire, Israel has maintained
troops in five areas of south Lebanon it deems strategic.
Report: Lebanon given a month before possible escalation
Naharnet/September 22/2025
Lebanese officials have been informed of a one-month deadline for settling the
arms file, a media report said. “There is a possibility of an Israeli escalation
and a broad aerial attack” if Lebanon does not comply, the report said. “The
U.S. atmosphere has become more strict toward Lebanon, which has led to the
Iranian initiative toward Saudi Arabia through Hezbollah,” the report added. It
also said that U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, who will visit Lebanon on Sunday to
take part in a meeting for the ceasefire monitoring committee, will tackle the
issues of the ceasefire and the arms file with a more uncompromising tone.
Salam orders ban of unauthorized use of touristic sites
after Raouche Rock uproar
Naharnet/September 22/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Monday that he ordered the relevant
authorities to prohibit the unauthorized use of the country’s touristic sites,
after Hezbollah sparked controversy by announcing that it would briefly
illuminate Lebanon’s iconic Raouche Rock with the images of slain leaders Hassan
Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. “Today, I issued a circular to all public
administrations and institutions, municipalities, their unions, and all relevant
agencies, regarding commitment to enforcing the laws governing the use of public
land and sea properties, archaeological and touristic sites, official buildings,
and landmarks that carry a unifying national symbolism,” Salam said in a post on
X. “I requested strictness in preventing their use before obtaining the
necessary licenses and permits,” he added. A Hezbollah spokesman had said the
display of the pictures would take place from 5pm to 7pm on September 25,
accompanied by “sea activities.”The announcement prompted several politicians
and Beirut lawmakers to declare their rejection of the move.MP Waddah al-Sadek
said the move is “unacceptable on all levels.”“They are not official figures and
their pictures will be displayed in a city whose most residents reject their
policies, not to mention that some accuse them of taking part in the murder of
their leader (ex-PM Rafik Hariri),” Sadek added, noting that Hezbollah “has not
obtained any permission from the municipality or the (Interior) Ministry” to
carry out the activity. “What’s worse is that their party, as usual, warns
against being dragged into a civil war but wastes no chance to provoke Beirut’s
residents. We must also not forget that the ‘glorious day’ is still carved in
the memory of the Beirutis,” Sadek went on to say, referring to Nasrallah’s
description of the May 7, 2008 day, when Hezbollah and its allies staged an
armed takeover of parts of the capital. “The government, which has shown its
strength in its (latest) decisions (on arms monopolization), must prevent
Hezbollah and others from making any provocative moves in order to preserve
civil peace in the country,” Sadek added. Beirut MPs Fouad Makhzoumi and Nabil
Bader also wrote similar posts on the X platform.On social media, Hezbollah
supporters meanwhile reminded that the rock had been illuminated in the past
with pictures of Saudi King Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and
the Saudi, French and Emirati flags. Hezbollah’s historic and revered leader
Nasrallah and his successor Safieddine were killed in huge Israeli airstrikes on
their underground bunkers during last year’s Israeli war on the group. The
Raouche Rocks are iconic natural limestone formations off the coast of the
Raouche area in Beirut. Named Pigeons' Rocks for the wild rock doves that
historically nested in them, these two massive rock islets have been shaped by
erosion and are a popular spot for tourists and locals to admire from the nearby
corniche or through boat tours that navigate through the arch of the largest
rock.
Marking Peace Day, UNIFIL head highlights efforts with army in building peace
Naharnet/September 22/2025
As peace along the Blue Line remains a “shared aspiration,” Lebanese officials
and local leaders joined UNIFIL peacekeepers today, Monday in marking the
International Day of Peace, which fell on Sunday, September 21, at the U.N.
mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, UNIFIL said. In his address at the ceremony,
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara
strongly emphasized the mission’s efforts with the Lebanese Army in building and
sustaining peace in south Lebanon. Abagnara also highlighted the challenges
peacekeepers face in the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701,
which forms the basis of UNIFIL’s mandate. “Security incidents test our
vigilance,” he said. “UNIFIL must adapt as circumstances evolve, but our purpose
remains unchanged: to serve peace, protect civilians, uphold the ideals of the
United Nations.” At today’s ceremony, the UNIFIL head, senior U.N. officials and
the LAF representative, Brigadier General Nicolas Tabet, released doves to
symbolize peace. On the occasion, 37 military staff officers were awarded with
the U.N. Peacekeeping Medal in recognition of their participation in the
mission’s work. The International Day of Peace was established by the U.N.
General Assembly in 1981. It is dedicated to ceasefire and non-violence and is
an occasion during which all promote tolerance, justice, and human rights. In
2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of
non-violence and ceasefire.
The global theme of this year’s observance is Act Now for a Peaceful World,
calling everyone to take concrete action to mobilize for peace.
Anger in Lebanon after Israeli strike kills 3 children,
Israel voices 'regret'
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/September 22/2025
An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed five people Sunday, including
three children, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. Two others were wounded,
including the mother in the family. The state-run National News Agency reported
that the strike, near Bint Jbeil, had targeted a motorcycle. The Israeli
military later said it had "struck and eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in the
Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon," while acknowledging that it killed
civilians. "The terrorist operated from within a civilian population and in
violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," it added. "As a
result of the strike, several uninvolved civilians were killed. The IDF
(military) regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimize
harm as much as possible," it continued, adding that "the incident is under
review."Israel frequently says it is targeting Hezbollah militants or
infrastructure in Lebanon's battered southern region. Hezbollah has only claimed
firing across the border once since the ceasefire, but Israel says the militant
group is trying to rebuild its capabilities. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said
four of those killed, the three children as well as their father, held U.S.
citizenship. The U.S. State Department, however, said none of the five appeared
to be a U.S. citizen, but the situation was still "fluid."Since a ceasefire
agreement was reached in November to end Israel's monthslong war with Hezbollah
group, Israel has continued to strike southern and eastern Lebanon almost daily.
Lebanese officials have warned that the ongoing strikes risk the country's
recent efforts to disarm the group and could destabilize the country. Hezbollah
has maintained that it no longer has a military presence south of the Litani
River, and has refused to speak of disarmament without Israel stopping its
attacks and withdrawing from southern Lebanese territory. President Joseph Aoun,
who earlier landed in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly,
condemned the strike and called on the international community to pressure
Israel to stop. Aoun, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, endorsed an
agreement last month that would gradually disarm Hezbollah. The monthslong war
between Hezbollah and Israel killed some 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced
residents across southern and eastern Lebanon. Hezbollah officials say the
ongoing strikes justify their refusal to give up their arms, and claim that the
ceasefire agreement and monitoring mechanism with the United States, France, and
United Nations peacekeeping forces is ineffective. Under the Washington-brokered
ceasefire, both Hezbollah and Israel were supposed to withdraw their forces from
southern Lebanon and halt strikes against each other. Israeli forces have
continue to occupy five Lebanese hilltop points by the border.
Lebanese Cabinet approves draft 2026 state budget
LBCI/September 22/2025
The Lebanese Cabinet on Monday approved the draft 2026 state budget, a key step
in efforts to advance long-delayed economic reforms.
Critical economic reforms: Lebanon to host IMF mission ahead of Washington
meetings
LBCI/September 22/2025
Lebanon will host a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this
week in a visit seen as critical to reviving stalled talks for a rescue package,
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber revealed. "All countries have informed us that
the key to cooperation with Lebanon is an agreement with the IMF," Jaber said,
underscoring international pressure on Beirut to finalize a deal that remains
far from reach. According to sources, the IMF team's trip is aimed at preparing
for Lebanon's participation in next month's IMF and World Bank annual meetings
in Washington and assessing progress on several financial reforms. Among the top
issues are the draft law to address Lebanon's financial gap and the recovery of
deposits lost during the country's banking collapse. The Banque du Liban (BDL)
has reportedly finalized its version of the law, while the government continues
to work on its own proposal. South Korea's presidential advisor to fly to
Washington ahead of tariff deadline. The delegation is also expected to push
Lebanon to adopt IMF recommendations on restructuring the banking sector,
including a framework that assigns primary responsibility for the financial gap
to banks before depositors. In addition, the team will review the proposed 2026
state budget to ensure it avoids deficits by balancing revenues and
expenditures. The government will present a four-year plan to raise financial
inflows while implementing further reforms. The Finance Ministry will highlight
measures already taken to boost customs revenues at official border crossings,
increase tax collections, and digitize revenue processing.
New Details Revealed on Israel’s Assassination of
Nasrallah
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/2025
Marking the first anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah's former
Secretary-General on September 27, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper
revealed new information about the operation, saying that spies infiltrated the
Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut under fire, planting devices that guided
airstrikes that killed Hassan Nasrallah. The newspaper said Israel began
dismantling Hezbollah’s senior command in July 2024. Fuad Shukr, Nasrallah’s top
military adviser, was killed in late July, depriving Nasrallah of his main
strategist. Israel then assassinated Hezbollah commanders one by one. The
newspaper said the Israeli army also crippled Hezbollah’s battlefield
capabilities, systematically striking anti-tank squads and rocket launchers, and
in mid-September carried out the pagers operation, which disabled Hezbollah
communications and caused mass casualties. Some Israeli security officials say
preparations for the covert pagers operation were simple compared with the
planning of Nasrallah’s assassination, carried out under fire and at grave risk
to Mossad operatives. The newspaper said intelligence delivered to Unit 8200 and
Military Intelligence indicated that Nasrallah was scheduled to meet there with
Iran’s Quds Force commander in Lebanon, General Abbas Nilforoushan, and
Hezbollah’s southern front chief, Ali Karaki, who was viewed as a possible
successor to Nasrallah. Only a handful of Hezbollah’s security guards and inner
circle knew the bunker even existed. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Mossad
operatives were to place their devices at pre-planned points inside the building
above the compound. They assessed their chances of survival at no better than
50-50. Even if Hezbollah’s men failed to spot them, they still risked being
struck by shrapnel from Israeli bombs raining down nearby.
Under Fire
The Israeli agents said they demanded that the air force halt its heavy
bombardments during their infiltration, particularly in Haret Hreik, the
stronghold of Nasrallah. But the handler insisted the opposite: the raids would
not only continue but intensify, forcing Hezbollah guards to take cover and
giving the agents a chance to reach the bunker. The Mossad team crept through
narrow alleys, hugging walls. Their destination was a high-rise apartment block.
Under the pounding of Israeli bombs, the Mossad team completed its mission. They
planted the devices exactly where planned and slipped away undetected, the
Yedioth Ahronoth report said.
Something Out of Science Fiction
The equipment the team carried sounded like something out of science fiction.
Completed in 2022, about a year before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, it was designed to
allow precision strikes at varying depths underground. The Mossad had sought the
technology not only for Lebanon but also for a potential strike on Iran’s
nuclear program. The newspaper said that the project involved the Defense
Ministry’s weapons development unit, intelligence and technology specialists,
the air force, and defense companies Rafael and Elbit. Revealing further details
on the operation, the newspaper said that on Sept. 27, 2023, at 6:20 pm, 10
Israeli fighter jets dropped 83 one-ton bombs on the target. The strike involved
F-15I Ra’am jets from Squadron 69, known as the Hammers, and F-16I Sufa jets.
The bombs, US-made BLU-109 bunker busters known in Israel as heavy hail, carried
both GPS guidance and the specialized targeting system placed earlier by Mossad.
Peace Protects the Raouche Rock from Provocation…
Washington is of One Opinion: Lebanon is Wasting Time
Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The train of the two-state solution for Palestine and Israel departed from the
Beirut Arab Summit on March 27, 1992, and finally arrived at its destination
yesterday, September 22, 2025, in New York. The journey took about 33 years and
registered two historical ironies. The first was when the head of the Beirut
Summit, President Emile Lahoud, by a decision from his Syrian authority Bashar
al-Assad, prevented Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from participating in
the summit, which forced him to deliver his speech from his headquarters in
Ramallah, Palestine, via satellite on Al Jazeera TV. The second was when the
United States prevented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from entering its
territory to participate in the UN General Assembly, forcing him to deliver his
speech via video technology yesterday.
However, despite the hardships of the two-state train journey, it achieved what
observers described as a defeat for the axis of resistance, which pushed the
Palestinian cause back for decades. It prevented the "Oslo" path, which Arafat
adopted in 1993, from moving forward until we reached a stage where both Saudi
Arabia and France exercised political pressure to achieve a two-state solution.
Had this path continued to its end decades ago, away from Iranian interference,
the Palestinians could have gained more than what was made available to them
today through the two-state solution, at a time when the geography of the
desired Palestinian state is almost being lost due to the policy of swallowing
practiced by the Hebrew state.
A Sudden Attack
From New York to Beirut, the new and surprising element was a statement made by
US Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack yesterday. Diplomatic sources told Nidaa Al-Watan
that this was a message to the Lebanese government and a return of American
pressure after it had receded following August 5 and 7. The sources noted that
Barrack is known for his famous phrase, "Your words are good, but your actions
are zero." They said that words are no longer enough. The Americans have
returned to the same old language despite the government making historic
decisions, but Barrack says it is not implementing them.
No Official Response to Barrack
When asked about the US envoy's statement after the cabinet meeting led by Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam yesterday evening, Minister of Information Paul Markas
replied, "The session was sectoral, specifically related to completing the
budget review. At the beginning, we had to observe a minute of silence and
condemnation, and affirm our denunciation of the Israeli aggressions and our
determination to increase pressure on Israel and the countries sponsoring the
cessation of hostilities agreement." Markas announced that the government had
approved the 2026 budget.
In contrast, in New York, President General Joseph Aoun discussed the situation
in the South in light of ongoing Israeli aggressions, the latest of which was
the Bint Jbeil massacre, with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, Slovakian
President Peter Pellegrini, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Luxembourg's
Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Aoun stressed the "necessity of stopping these
aggressions" and highlighted the "role of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani
River in implementing Resolution 1701." He noted that "Israel is obstructing the
completion of its deployment due to its continued occupation of the hills and
its ongoing hostile acts against southern villages and civilians," pointing out
that the government is proceeding with the gradual implementation of the
decision to confine weapons.
Wasting Time
In a related context, Nidaa Al-Watan learned that there is a unified position in
both the US Departments of War and Foreign Affairs and among the envoys to the
Middle East. This position, which goes so far as to use the same phrases, is
that the administration is disappointed with the official Lebanese government
and that the past months have been about "wasting time." Washington is starting
to run out of patience and to listen to those who object to supporting the army
if major steps are not taken in the file of confining weapons.
The sources add that there are those in Washington who say that the American
strategic direction may lead to the last chance becoming a historical mistake on
the Lebanese side unless Beirut affirms its sovereignty and frees itself from
decades of militia dominance. Washington is still looking for positive
motivations to help Lebanon, including politically and security-wise empowering
the state and limiting Iranian influence and the activity of its proxies,
"Hezbollah." But to build trust, there is a real need for a statement of
actions. There is no harm in the Lebanese state announcing the results of its
actions as they happen. Obstacles still exist, and Lebanon has not reached a
safe shore. Doubts about the army's ability to perform its sensitive tasks are
also still present. In short, the American push to enable the Lebanese army to
dismantle "Hezbollah's" armed capabilities represents a positive turning point,
giving Lebanese institutions a renewed opportunity to regain control, restore
civil stability, and steer the country toward a peaceful and prosperous future.
The Saudi and French Position
For its part, sources following the matter told Nidaa Al-Watan that Barrack's
statement was bold, but its content is no different from the positions of Saudi
Arabia and France. They noted that Paris, whose positions used to be
characterized by flexibility, is now following the path of American policy and
Riyadh's wishes. Consequently, there is American, European, and Arab
coordination regarding the demand to confine weapons, implement reforms, and for
the state to regain its sovereignty.
What Did Barrack Say?
In a television interview, Barrack said that "the situation in Lebanon is very
difficult, and we now have a good group in power, but all that Lebanon is doing
about disarming 'Hezbollah' is talk, and no actual action has taken place." He
noted that "the Lebanese army is a well-organized force, but it is not
well-equipped." He continued: "Israel has five points in southern Lebanon and
will not withdraw from them, and 'Hezbollah' is rebuilding its strength, and the
government must take responsibility." He added: "Hezbollah's' is our enemy, and
Iran is our enemy, and we need to cut off the heads of these snakes and prevent
their funding." He pointed out that "during this period, up to $60 million per
month has been flowing to 'Hezbollah' from somewhere." He said, "The Lebanese
think that 'Hezbollah' is not rebuilding its strength, but it is." Barrack
affirmed, "We will not intervene to confront 'Hezbollah,' either through our
forces or through the US Central Command."
"Green Light"
Diplomatic sources noted that the essence of the matter is the return of
American pressure on the Lebanese state to implement its decisions in light of
American information that there is a slowdown in implementation. Therefore, if
the executive steps are not accelerated, this means a return to square one, not
only for Israel to continue what it is doing, but "we will give Israel the green
light to carry out broader operations, so do not ask us otherwise."
Salam Takes Action
On another note, after the matter of lighting up the Raouche Rock with pictures
of the former "Hezbollah" secretary-generals, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem
Safieddine, on the first anniversary of their assassination provoked strong
condemnation and denunciation, especially from Beirut's MPs, Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam issued a circular to all public administrations and institutions,
municipalities and their unions, and all concerned authorities regarding
adherence to the laws governing the use of public land and sea properties,
archaeological and tourist sites, official buildings, and landmarks with a
unifying national symbolism. In it, he called for a strict prevention of their
use before obtaining the necessary licenses and permits. Later, "the party"
issued a statement that was a challenge to Salam's circular, calling for
participation in an event to light up the Raouche Rock with pictures of
Nasrallah and Safieddine on Thursday, the 25th of this month.
Aoun from New York: We are Moving Forward with the
Gradual Implementation of the Weapon Monopoly Decision... And Slovak President:
We are Ready to Help Lebanon
Al-Markazia/September 22, 2025 (Translated from
Arabic)
President General Joseph Aoun began his third day in New York with a series of
meetings with a number of European leaders and officials at the United Nations
building before the start of the UN General Assembly proceedings. The meetings
were attended by Lebanon's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ahmad
Arafa; the President's personal advisor, Brigadier General André Rahal; and the
Director of the Media Office at the Presidency of the Republic, Rafik Shalala.
During the meetings, President Aoun reviewed the current situation in the South
in light of Israel's continued aggression and its constant violation of the
agreement reached last year to cease hostilities. He warned that these practices
threaten stability in the entire region and put the international community
before the challenge of respecting its decisions in favor of peace and stability
in the Middle East.
Meeting with the Irish Prime Minister
President Aoun began his series of meetings with Irish Prime Minister Michael
Martin, thanking him for his country's participation in the UNIFIL forces
operating in the South and for the sacrifices made by the members of the Irish
contingent during this mission. He stressed that Lebanon appreciates the role
played by the international forces in maintaining stability in the South.
President Aoun noted that despite this, Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon,
the latest of which was the massacre committed in Bint Jbeil against a peaceful
family, with three children among the victims, just hours after the "Mechanism"
committee meeting.
President Aoun also reviewed the situation in the South and the tasks carried
out by the Lebanese Army in implementation of the agreement reached last
November, as well as its inability to complete its deployment in the South due
to Israel's continued occupation of Lebanese territories.
The Irish Prime Minister expressed his sadness over yesterday's massacre and
offered his condolences to the President. He offered any assistance that could
contribute to establishing stability in the South, including participating in
de-mining operations there and any other mission that Lebanon and the United
Nations might request.
The discussion also touched upon bilateral relations and the need to develop
them in various fields, as well as the situation in Syria and the relationship
with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. President Aoun stressed that consultation
is ongoing with the Syrian President and officials to coordinate on security
issues, especially maintaining stability on the eastern border.
The discussion also covered the relationship between Lebanon and Ireland and the
economic situation in Lebanon. President Aoun explained the steps taken by the
government to correct the economic course, implement necessary reforms for the
benefit of Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and reassure friendly and allied
countries to attract investments.
Meeting with the Slovak President
President Aoun then met with his Slovak counterpart, Peter Pellegrini, who was
accompanied by the former Special Coordinator of the UN Secretary-General for
Lebanon, Jan Kubiš. The Slovak President affirmed the deep relations between the
two countries and expressed his country's desire to participate in the UNIFIL
forces. However, the recent UN decision, which renewed the mandate for one year
with a planned withdrawal starting in 2027, prevented this. The two presidents
agreed to strengthen relations between their countries. President Pellegrini
announced the allocation of half a million dollars for humanitarian, social, and
environmental projects in various Lebanese regions and the Bekaa area.
The issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon was also discussed. President Aoun
clarified that some of them had returned to their country, but this process
remains slow, with the number of returnees reaching 500,000 people who have
returned safely to Syria. This number could increase if the necessary aid is
provided to them by the United Nations, to be received in Syria.
The Slovak President expressed his desire to strengthen relations between the
two countries and extended an official invitation to President Aoun to visit
Slovakia, while the Lebanese President extended a similar invitation to his
Slovak counterpart to visit Beirut. They agreed to continue coordination between
the two countries.
Meeting with the Finnish President
Afterward, President Aoun met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and
reviewed the current situation in the South, thanking the Finnish contingent
operating within the UNIFIL forces for its effective presence in the
international forces. He also noted the continued Israeli aggressions against
Lebanese territories and the ongoing occupation of some areas, which hinders the
Lebanese Army's ability to complete its deployment across the entire southern
territory and carry out the tasks it has begun, particularly in terms of
confiscating weapons and ammunition in the areas where it has deployed.
President Aoun addressed the ongoing cooperation between the Army and UNIFIL in
the South, despite the Israeli aggressions, considering this cooperation
essential at this stage and in the next, when the Army completes its deployment
and increases its numbers in the South to about 10,000 officers and soldiers.
The discussion also touched upon the beginning of the process of withdrawing
Palestinian weapons from the camps in the South and Beirut, in accordance with
the agreement reached during Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's last visit to
Beirut. President Aoun said that Lebanon is working, through the "Mechanism"
committee and its contacts with friendly and allied countries, especially the
United States and France—the two sponsors of the agreement reached last
November—to compel Israel to respect the agreement and stop its hostile acts and
violations.
Regarding the issue of the weapon monopoly, President Aoun confirmed that the
government is moving forward with the gradual implementation of its decision in
this regard, noting that the Army's tasks are extensive and complex in all
regions, including combating smuggling, protecting the eastern and northern
borders, preventing armed display, fighting terrorism and drugs, and working to
establish security.
The Finnish President expressed his country's readiness to help Lebanon,
stressing the importance he places on strengthening relations between the two
countries for the benefit of both and their peoples. He wished President Aoun
success in his efforts to lift Lebanon up. The two presidents also exchanged
official invitations to visit each other's countries.
Meeting with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg
The President of the Republic also met with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg,
Luc Frieden, who expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation between Lebanon
and Luxembourg. The discussion covered the situation in the region in general
and in the South in particular. President Aoun stressed that Israel cannot
continue its aggressive policy because it threatens peace and stability in the
entire region and puts the international community before the challenge of
respecting its decisions in favor of peace and stability in the Middle East.
The discussion also touched upon the situation in the Palestinian territories,
in light of the killing of residents, displacement of families, and destruction
of buildings and homes in the Gaza Strip. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg noted
that he had previously visited Lebanon, expressing his admiration for the
country and his appreciation for the Lebanese people. President Aoun extended an
official invitation for him to visit Beirut.
The Dramatics of Peacemakers
Samir Attallah/Middle East/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The most famous mediator during the Lebanese Civil War was a Lebanese-American
named Philip Habib. Habib was the quintessential village man: broad-browed, with
a large nose, broad shoulders, a deep voice, and the slight overweight
appearance characteristic of a mountain diet: hummus in all its forms and
variations. I would sometimes see the American delegation in a Lebanese
restaurant in Paris, enjoying a meal of hummus, and I would greet them with the
traditional question: "What's new with you?" His invariable one-word reply was:
"Long story, cousin." Philip Habib, a senior State Department official and
personal friend of Ronald Reagan, spent about two years in Beirut trying to
reconcile the Lebanese factions, after which he returned to Washington to write
a bitter book about his experience in his homeland, titled "Cursed is the
Peacemaker." I remembered "cousin" and his bitter title, and the dramatics of
peacemakers, when I wrote about two weeks ago, after the raid on Doha, about how
the Israelis assassinated the first peace mediator in the Palestinian conflict:
the Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte. I then felt that I had not given the man
his due as the first international mediator on the issue, and the first victim
of the Israeli approach to the peace process. Bernadotte's assassins were
members of an extremist Jewish group called "Lehi" – often called the "Stern
Gang" – which had killed many British officials and soldiers who were
administering the Palestine mandate territory before the establishment of
Israel. The futility of Bernadotte's peace efforts was underscored by the fact
that his assassination was the second attempt on his life that same day. The
first attempt had been made by "the other side" in the conflict: an Arab youth
fired at his car as it left the airport, but the bullet missed. The Stern Gang's
ambush, however, was more deadly and effective. A seemingly abandoned jeep was
placed across the road, forcing Bernadotte's convoy to stop. Three armed men
wearing the uniforms of the new Jewish state's defense forces emerged. Two of
them opened fire on the tires of Bernadotte's car, while the third, later
identified as Yehoshua Cohen (1922–1986), stuck a submachine gun through the
window and fired, killing Bernadotte and his French military aide, André Serot.
No one was ever brought to trial for the crime, although two members of the gang
admitted their responsibility after Cohen's death. One of the main organizers of
the assassination was Yitzhak Shamir, who would become the Israeli prime
minister in 1984. Goodbye.
The Raouche-Riyadh Line
Dr. Saleh Al-Mashnouk / Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from
Arabic)
Last week, "Hezbollah" made two announcements, so to speak. The first was its
stated intention to light up the Raouche Rock in Beirut—one of the city's most
prominent natural and tourist landmarks—with the images of its two former
secretary-generals, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, on the first
anniversary of their assassination. The second was the explicit announcement of
"Hezbollah's" readiness to engage in a dialogue with Saudi Arabia, after years
of blatant and explicit hostility towards it and its leadership, based on a
premise of joint cooperation in "confronting Israel."
Through these two announcements, which are contradictory in form yet twin-like
in content, we can gain a deeper understanding of "the party's" integrated
strategy for the coming phase (see Plan 2030), which has one single goal: to
preserve its weapons.
At first glance, "Hezbollah's" decision to light up the Raouche Rock with
pictures of its leaders seemed strange, as if it were an act of provocation for
its own sake. The party and its followers have no specific moral or practical
connection to this landmark, which is located in an area with a generally
anti-party political character. Never in the history of the Republic has the
rock (or any of the landmarks that rival it in symbolism, such as Baalbek Castle
or Byblos, etc.) been lit up with images of Lebanese political leaders, even
during the peak of attempts at symbolic control over public space. Naturally,
there was an uproar of protest, especially in the capital Beirut. The decision
particularly provoked the resentment of the city's residents, as well as a large
portion of the Lebanese public.
The question, then, is why "Hezbollah" decided to take such a step at this
specific time, given all the resulting increase in popular and political tension
against it, at a moment when it is losing one ally after another, specifically
within the Sunni political community.
It seems that "Hezbollah" has lost hope in its attempts to win over the Lebanese
people with polished, sweet talk about "national unity" and "coexistence,"
realizing that such talk no longer resonates with the vast majority of them. It
has therefore shifted to another strategy based on consolidating its moral
presence. By doing so, "the party" believes it is achieving two parallel and
intertwined goals.
The first (towards its opponents) is to re-establish its position as a force
that controls the collective imagination by symbolically taking hold of shared
public space, especially after the removal of its leaders' images from the
airport road. This allows it to return, even if only nominally and temporarily,
to a Leviathan-like phenomenon (referring to the biblical human monster) that
must be dealt with seriously and respectfully (as noted by the English writer
Thomas Hobbes in his book on the unified, powerful state).
The second (towards its followers) is the other side of the same coin: We were
not defeated, we did not become small, we were not isolated, and we were not
cornered (in the areas specific to our community). The theme, then, is defiance,
a demonstration of capability, and a symbolic display, even at the expense of
temporary goodwill from others. The events of May 7, for example, created
unprecedented hatred toward "the party," but their effect allowed it to rule
Lebanon for seventeen years. It is as if the Raouche display is an attempt at a
May 7, 2025, version: a desperate and unarmed one.
This is on the Raouche Beirut line. The Riyadh line in Saudi Arabia, however,
follows a completely different logic. The party's Secretary-General Naim Qassem
called for "turning a new page" and initiating a "dialogue" aimed at confronting
what Qassem tried to present as shared challenges.
Regardless of the comically arrogant tone Qassem used when speaking about the
"foundations" of the supposed dialogue (one would think he was a Soviet
commander addressing Americans in the 1970s), and regardless of Qassem's
misunderstanding of Saudi Arabia's position on the Qatari event (both what
preceded it and what came after it), no observer can fail to pause at
"Hezbollah's" call to Saudi Arabia in an effort to understand the party's
strategy for the next phase.
On a Lebanese level, "the party" realizes that it is politically besieged and
cannot break its isolation until further notice. Regionally, it is convinced
(and Iran, which is undoubtedly behind such an initiative, is behind it) that
the axis of resistance, in the sense that it was planned, has collapsed, and
that the rampaging Israeli bull will not rest until it is completely eliminated.
Like others, it knows that Saudi Arabia has established its position as the main
weighty strategic force in the region.
Therefore, it is desperately trying (the possibility of a positive Saudi
response to the initiative, in the mind of any sane person, does not exceed 1%),
even at the expense of its "dignity," to find some gap in the relationship with
the Kingdom. Through this gap, it hopes to rearrange its cards and its safety
network, and to pressure the Lebanese interior to break the tight isolation that
Saudi Arabia helped engineer (especially at the Sunni level). But the step was
feeble (too little too late) and will not produce any positive outcome worth
mentioning. The Saudi answer was clear and concise: "We deal with states, not
with militias. 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but
few things are needed—or indeed only one': Hand over your weapons!"
Weather Report: Sheikh Naim
Imad Moussa/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Suddenly, and without prior warning, the "party's" spokesman entered a phase of
emotional moderation towards Saudi Arabia, addressing it with honeyed words,
urging it to "open a new page with the resistance through a dialogue that
addresses issues and answers concerns." Sheikh Naim is pragmatic in this call,
particularly pragmatic, given that he is a follower of Sheikh Winston, who
famously said, "In politics, there are no permanent enemies or permanent
friends; there are only permanent interests." As a clear indication of the
"party's" attachment to Brother Winston and its adoption of his jihadist ideas,
a picture of him was displayed in the hall of the "party's" Shura Council, as if
Churchill, may God have mercy on him, were the founder of the Al-Rizwan Brigade.
Suddenly, Saudi Arabia became a pivotal state. And suddenly, the cautious Sheikh
opened himself to a constructive dialogue, transcending his predecessor's
accusations against the Kingdom of supporting terrorism.
What does a new page mean?
In formal Lebanese Arabic, it means: "Let's forget the past," "Let's make
peace," "It was just a misunderstanding," "May God curse whoever caused our
disagreement," "You are my true brother, and I can't be happy without you,"
"What's done is done," "We've always been brothers."
A new page also means a change in the weather. The Sheikh follows the weather
forecast daily on all screens, noting in his notebook the wind direction,
humidity, wave height, and water temperature. Based on the weather reports, our
Sheikh forms his fundamental positions. According to the latest bulletin, the
clouds over Saudi-Iranian relations seem to be lifting, prompting Sheikh Naeim
to shift his rhetoric from portraying them as "tools of the American project" to
referring to them as a "brotherly nation," and from claiming they are "unwilling
to understand" to stating they are "open to understanding." How, by some magic
trick, has the Gulf region suddenly ceased to be "the cornerstone of the
American-Zionist project"? How has this figure, so detached from reality,
suddenly become such a pragmatist? It's normal. We all change. Sheikh Ali Ammar
is changing. Tomorrow, perhaps we will see him as a white dove of peace
fluttering in the sky over Minieh. Tomorrow, no one will be surprised to see
Ibrahim al-Musawi, with his British-style elegance, giving a speech in Jounieh
Square, advocating for the state's exclusive monopoly on arms. Tomorrow, Al-Manar
TV might air a documentary titled "The Bridge of Resistance from Najd to Bir
al-Abed." And tomorrow, viewers will be surprised to see Mohammad Raad as the
lead commentator on Al-Arabiya TV. Sheikh Naeim has outlined a vision for a
relationship that Saudi Arabia cannot refuse, establishing a solid foundation
for dialogue "based on the premise that Israel is the enemy, not the
resistance—a dialogue that avoids the past disagreements, at least during this
exceptional phase." To further reassure his counterparts in the Kingdom, Naeim
emphasized that "the resistance's weapons are aimed at the Israeli enemy, not at
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, or any other country or entity in the world." What more
could Saudi Arabia possibly want?
Parliamentary Elections in Akkar: Popular Enthusiasm and
Political Coldness
Mays Obaid/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The atmosphere in Akkar reflects a sense of anticipation and excitement, as if
the parliamentary elections were just around the corner. In villages and towns,
political discussions are widespread among residents in cafes and markets, while
family and community gatherings have become platforms for discussing alliances
and future options, eight months before the election date. Street talk is no
longer limited to predictions or names, but has reached the details of the
composition of electoral lists and potential alliances. People are discussing
which MP will be on which list, and who will be running against whom, supported
by which political party and which foreign power.
Political Enthusiasm Is Lower
At the political and party levels, however, enthusiasm seems much lower. The
focus has been on gauging public opinion, amidst expectations, which the
region's MPs do not hide, that things could move towards a postponement for
several reasons, the most important of which is that foreign powers have not yet
decided whether elections can be held under current circumstances, not to
mention that these foreign powers find in the current government what they did
not find in any previous government.
The Kingdom Does Not Support Specific Candidates
On the other hand, emerging political figures are trying to establish their
presence in any upcoming election, claiming that they are the choice of Saudi
Arabia for the 2026 elections, because the Kingdom is tired of the current MPs,
or some of them, and wants change and direct intervention in the elections. This
claim is completely refuted by the recent meeting of Prince Yezid bin Farhan
with the MPs of the "National Moderation" bloc, as he did not exclude any of
them. In this context, "Nidaa Al-Watan" learned that Bin Farhan did not discuss
the upcoming parliamentary elections with them at all, but rather focused on the
importance of uniting their stance in support of the state that the Kingdom
clearly supports. It is worth noting that these MPs, like other Sunni MPs, are
still lagging behind in their electoral campaigns, waiting for external signals,
especially from Saudi Arabia, regarding which electoral strategy it will adopt,
or to see the major decisions finalized before any actual campaigning begins on
the ground. While public sentiment seems present and active, details gathered
from the people reveal clear contradictions with what the MPs from the region
are saying, most of whom favor postponing the elections. So far, according to
available information, Riyadh has not contacted any Lebanese party regarding the
elections, which makes any claim of Saudi approval for this or that faction
merely an attempt by some ambitious figures to gain early support, without any
real basis on the ground. Generally, the people of Akkar seem enthusiastic and
are anticipating events. They attribute Saudi influence to certain figures and
claim Saudi backing for others. One politician from the region summarized this
eagerness by saying: "Everything in its own time... and if the Kingdom actually
intervenes, you might see things turn out completely different from what is
being said now." This politician's statement indicates that there is no fixed
electoral strategy at this point, except for the fact that the leadership of the
Future Movement in Akkar has given up on the possibility of Hariri returning to
the political scene, and its members are now supporting various candidates.
"Your Vote is a Bullet": How Hezbollah Will Campaign for the Elections
Tarek Abou Zeinab/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 23, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
As the 2026 parliamentary elections approach, Hezbollah is entering this
political milestone with its weapons as its primary slogan, placing its military
arsenal at the center of its discourse and making it the main tool for imposing
its conditions. The party, which rejects any decision that would place its
weapons under the state's authority, is using its power on the ground as direct
leverage to guide the elections and set the boundaries of the political game in
a way that serves its agenda. In this reality, the ballot boxes fall under the
shadow of its weapons, and the Lebanese democratic system remains a prisoner to
the dynamics of force, making the upcoming elections a true test of the state's
ability to assert its sovereignty.
The Dilemma of Expat Participation
The issue of expat participation is one of the most prominent electoral issues.
The "Shia duo" insists on limiting their representation to six seats, while
other political forces—especially sovereign ones—demand that they be given the
full right to vote for all 128 deputies. These forces consider any attempt to
reduce the expat vote as a retreat from the constitution and a deprivation of a
large segment of Lebanese citizens of their right to determine their country's
future.
Informed sources told Nidaa Al-Watan that the party's push to reduce the role of
expats is part of a strategy to strengthen its electoral influence and reduce
the chances for independent voices. In parallel, the party is adopting an
aggressive rhetoric against the Lebanese government, accompanied by actions that
suggest its actual goal may be to obstruct or postpone the elections, which
would set the stage for an electoral period charged with tension and divisions.
The "Your Vote is a Bullet" Campaign
Sources in the South told Nidaa Al-Watan that the party is preparing to launch
its electoral campaign under the slogan "Your Vote is a Bullet," in an attempt
to wrap the act of voting in a legitimate and religious cloak that goes beyond
being a regular democratic practice. Through this slogan, the party seeks to
portray voting as an extension of an existential battle with its opponents, not
merely an electoral competition. This reflects its strategy of using religious
and political symbols to cement internal loyalty.
The sources added that the party's electoral machine is focused on protecting
its popular base from any potential infiltration, exploiting the religious and
ideological atmosphere to solidify the public's connection to its political
project. This is based on hardline rhetoric that portrays sovereign forces as an
internal adversary seeking to undermine the "resistance" and serve foreign
interests, making the voting process a test of loyalty rather than a free
democratic choice.
Early Action and Multiple Messages
Observers believe that the party's early entry into the battle does not reflect
a genuine desire to hold the elections on time so much as it aims to solidify a
political equation tied to its weapons and its regional presence. The party is
acting as if the elections are not just a competition for parliamentary seats,
but part of a strategic struggle that reinforces its political position
internally and externally. Through this path, it sends a dual message: to the
inside, to show that it is an organized force that cannot be bypassed, and to
the outside, especially the international community, to confirm that any
political path in Lebanon will remain linked to its decision. This only adds to
the ambiguity of the political situation before the elections.
The Cracking of Traditional Alliances
In contrast, Hezbollah is facing a crisis in its political alliances. The
parties and figures that formed a solid front with it in previous stages are
gradually distancing themselves, especially in the Sunni and Christian arenas,
where a number of deputies are seeking to cut ties with it for fear that
continued alliance will be interpreted as an acceptance of the legitimacy of
weapons outside the framework of the state.
This distancing presents the party with a dual challenge: maintaining its
network of alliances that give it national cover, and facing the risk of
retreating into its own narrow community if its partners continue to break away.
Consequently, it may enter the elections with fewer allies compared to previous
rounds, which would reinforce the sectarian and isolated nature of its political
movement and place the fate of the elections in the crosshairs of the party's
weapons and internal power balances.
A Pivotal Milestone
All these factors make the 2026 elections a pivotal milestone in modern Lebanese
history. The "Your Vote is a Bullet" slogan goes beyond the limits of electoral
propaganda to become the title of a deep-seated conflict over Lebanon's identity
and role. This time, every vote will not only determine the map of the
parliament but will also decide whether Lebanon will move toward a state of
institutions capable of restoring its sovereignty or toward a reality where the
power of weapons controls everything at the expense of democracy. This makes the
upcoming elections an exception in the history of Lebanese elections.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 22-23/2025
How Israel could retaliate against the growing push for
recognition of a Palestinian state
Joseph Krauss/The Canadian Press/September 22, 2025
France and Saudi Arabia hope to use this year's gathering of world leaders at
the United Nations General Assembly and the increasingly horrific war in the
Gaza Strip to inject new urgency into the quest for a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Those efforts include a new road map for eventual
Palestinian statehood in territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war, and
moves by several Western countries to join a global majority in recognizing such
a state before it has been established. Britain, Canada and Australia formally
recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining nearly 150 countries that have
already done so, and France is expected to follow suit at this week's General
Assembly. But the efforts to push a two-state solution face major obstacles,
beginning with vehement opposition from the United States and Israel. The U.S.
has blocked Palestinian officials from even attending the General Assembly. And
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is opposed to Palestinian statehood, has
threatened to take unilateral action in response — possibly including the
annexation of parts of the West Bank.That would put the Palestinians' dream of
independence even further out of reach.
Prospects have never been dimmer
The creation of a Palestinian state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza
has long been seen internationally as the only way to resolve the conflict,
which began more than a century before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack sparked the
ongoing war in Gaza. Proponents say this would allow Israel to exist as a
democracy with a Jewish majority. The alternative, they say, is the status quo
in which Jewish Israelis have full rights and Palestinians live under varying
degrees of Israeli control, something major rights groups say amounts to
apartheid. "Israel must understand that the one state solution, with the
subjugation of the Palestinian people without rights -- that is absolutely
intolerable,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said last week. “Without a
two-state solution, there will be no peace in the Middle East."Peace talks
launched in the early 1990s repeatedly faltered amid violence and the expansion
of Israeli settlements aimed at preventing a Palestinian state. No substantive
negotiations have been held since Netanyahu returned to office in 2009. Israel
annexed east Jerusalem, considers it part of its capital, and has long
encouraged the growth of Jewish settlements in and around Palestinian
neighborhoods. The occupied West Bank is home to over 500,000 settlers with
Israeli citizenship and some 3 million Palestinians who live under Israeli
military rule, with the Palestinian Authority exercising limited autonomy in
scattered enclaves. In Gaza, Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed tens of
thousands of Palestinians, displaced some 90% of the population of 2 million,
left much of the territory uninhabitable and pushed some areas into famine. A
new offensive threatens to empty and flatten the largest Palestinian city.
Netanyahu's government and most of Israel's political class were opposed to
Palestinian statehood even before the war. The Trump administration has shown no
interest in reviving peace talks, instead calling for the relocation of much of
Gaza's population to other countries, a plan Israel has eagerly adopted even as
critics say it would amount to ethnic cleansing.
The French-Saudi plan
Perhaps hoping this is a darkest-before-dawn moment, France and Saudi Arabia
have advanced a phased plan to end the conflict by establishing a demilitarized
state governed by the Palestinian Authority with international assistance. The
plan calls for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the return of all hostages
and a complete Israeli withdrawal. Hamas would hand power to a politically
independent committee under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority —
something it has already agreed to — and lay down its arms, which it has not.
The international community would help the Palestinian Authority rebuild Gaza
and govern the territories, possibly with the help of foreign peacekeepers.
Regional peace and integration, likely including Saudi normalization of ties
with Israel, would follow. The 193-member world body approved a nonbinding
resolution endorsing the so-called “New York Declaration" earlier this month.
American and Israeli opposition
The United States and Israel say the international push for a Palestinian state
rewards Hamas and makes it harder to reach a deal to halt the war and return the
remaining hostages. The Gaza ceasefire talks broke down again when Israel
carried out a Sept. 9 strike targeting Hamas' negotiators in Qatar, one of the
main mediators. The U.S. had walked away from the talks in July, blaming Hamas,
and Israel unilaterally ended an earlier ceasefire in March. Israel also says
that creating a Palestinian state would allow Hamas to carry out another Oct.
7-style attack on an even wider scale. Hamas leaders have at times indicated
they would accept a state on the 1967 lines, but the group remains formally
committed to Israel's destruction. Netanyahu portrays international recognition
of Palestinian statehood as an attack on Israel. During a meeting with Secretary
of State Marco Rubio last week, Netanyahu said “it is clear that if unilateral
actions are taken against us, it simply invites unilateral actions on our
part.”Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners have long wanted to annex
large parts of the West Bank, which would make it virtually impossible to
establish a viable Palestinian state. The U.S. has not taken a public position
on the issue, but in an interview with Fox News, Rubio linked “this conversation
about annexation" to the issue of statehood recognition. The United Arab
Emirates has called annexation a “red line,” without saying what effect it might
have on the 2020 Abraham Accords, in which the country normalized ties with
Israel.
There are other obstacles
The French-Saudi plan sidesteps the most divisive issues in the conflict: final
borders, the fate of the settlements, the return of Palestinian refugees from
past wars, security arrangements, the status of Jerusalem and recognition of
Israel as a Jewish state. It also relies heavily on the Palestinian Authority,
the current leadership of which is despised by many Palestinians who view them
as corrupt and autocratic. Israel says they are not fully committed to peace and
accuses the Palestinian Authority of incitement despite recent reforms. The plan
calls for Palestinian elections to be held within a year, but President Mahmoud
Abbas has delayed previous votes when it looked like his party would lose,
blaming Israeli restrictions. Hamas, which won the last national elections in
2006, would be excluded unless it gives up its weapons and recognizes Israel.
All of which means the plan is likely to end up on the mound of past Mideast
accords, parameters and road maps, leaving Israel in full control of the land
from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, ruling millions of Palestinians
who are denied basic rights.
The Latest: Israeli army orders evacuation of a Gaza City
hospital as world leaders gather at the UN
The Associated Press/September 22, 2025
Israeli forces showed no signs of relenting on their new ground offensive in
Gaza City on Monday as world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations
General Assembly and more countries prepared to join the surge of nations
recognizing a Palestinian state.
Hundreds of thousands have remained in the city, the territory’s largest and
already in ruins from nearly two years of war and struggling with famine. The
Israeli military ordered the evacuation on Monday of the Jordanian Hospital, a
key health clinic, a Palestinian health official said. The latest Israeli
operation, which started last Tuesday, further escalates a conflict that has
roiled the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach. The
Israeli military, which says it wants to “destroy Hamas’ military
infrastructure,” hasn’t given a timeline for the offensive, but there were
indications it could take months.
Many have been attempting to relocate from the city, where 1 million people once
lived, to the southern Gaza Strip, following Israeli military calls for a full
evacuation.
Here's the latest:
France recognizes the state of Palestine at the UN
France has recognized Palestinian statehood at the start of a high-profile
meeting at the United Nations aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state
solution to the Mideast conflict. More nations are expected to follow, in
defiance of Israel and the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron’s
announcement in the U.N. General Assembly hall received loud applause from the
more than 140 leaders in attendance. The Palestinian delegation, including its
U.N. ambassador, Riyad Mansour, could be seen standing and applauding as the
declaration was made. “True to the historic commitment of my country to the
Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, this is why I
declare that today, France recognizes the state of Palestine,” Macron said.
Around three-fourths of the 193-member United Nations recognize Palestine, but
major Western nations had until recently declined to, saying one could only come
about through negotiations with Israel.
Gaza field hospital to be relocated due to shelling
Jordan’s Armed Forces say they have decided to relocate their field hospital
from the Tal al-Hawa area in Gaza to Khan Yunis to keep its staff safe because
it had previously come under continuous shelling and bombing. The Armed Forces
said in a statement Monday that the hospital and some of its equipment had
sustained damage as a result of the shelling and bombing, resulting in a
disruption of services. According to the statement, the hospital had become
“isolated and non-functional” with the number of patients dropping sharply in
recent weeks. Access had become difficult and dangerous for area residents,
while putting resupply at risk.The Armed Forces said the hospital’s relocation
to Khan Yunis will benefit the “maximum number of residents” in Gaza, helping to
alleviate overcrowding in other medical facilities. The hospital had been
operating at Tal al-Hawa for 16 years and may return there “if circumstances
permit.”
Israeli hostage's parents ‘shaken’ by appearance in video
The parents of an Israeli hostage who appears in a new video released by his
Hamas captors say they are “shaken and in pain.”Idit and Kobi Ohel said in a
statement that their 24-year-old son, Alon, appears thin and distressed, and to
be losing vision in his right eye.
Ohel was taken from a bomb shelter near a music festival during Hamas’ Oct. 7.
attack that sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip nearly two years ago. The
release of the video coincided with the start of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new
year. Long-running negotiations aimed at a ceasefire and hostage release ground
to a halt after Israel carried out a strike earlier this month targeting Hamas
leaders in Qatar, a key mediator.
Palestinian Mission to the UK marks recognition of state
About 400 people gathered at the Palestinian Mission to the U.K. on Monday to
mark Britain’s recognition of the Palestinian state. A crowd clapped and cheered
as the Palestinian flag was raised in front of the building during a ceremony.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian head of mission in the U.K., thanked the people of
Britain for supporting their cause. “We will always remember how you stood by
our sides, on the right side of history,” he said.Zomlot also held up a plaque
made for the newly inaugurated embassy, though he didn’t give details about when
the mission would formally transition to an embassy.
He also said Sunday that recognition must be followed by action, including
sanctioning Israel and reversing the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.
Coalition of aid groups says 300,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City since
August
Site Management Cluster, whose figures are widely trusted by the U.N. and
humanitarian groups, said its teams counted about 297,597 “movements” from Gaza
City toward the south between August 14 and Sept. 20. The organization uses the
term “movements” in case the same displaced person moves more than once. But in
reality, field monitoring teams say nearly all movements are people fleeing the
city. They monitor the number of people moving during daytime hours through four
locations in Gaza, meaning the figure could be an undercount. Israel’s military
claims that over 500,000 Palestinians have left the city.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are still sheltering in the city as troops
move in. Mixed feelings among people fleeing Gaza City about recognition of a
Palestinian state
Some Palestinians fleeing Gaza City said they see the flurry of recognitions as
“a glimmer of hope” and urged other countries to join the move. “This is a
beginning, or a glimmer of hope for the Palestinian people,” said Fawzi Nour al-Deen,
a displaced Palestinian, said late on Sunday. “We are a people who deserve to
have a state.”Naser Asaliya, another displaced Palestinian from Gaza City, said
it was a “positive” move. “No matter how simple, anything that supports us,
strengthens our resolve in light of this unjust blockade,” he said. Others
downplayed the impact of the recognition in the face of the devastation of the
territory. “All of this is worthless,” said Huda Masawabi, a displaced woman.
“We just hope to God that someone outside would acknowledge us or even deal with
us as mere human beings.” Italian workers and students join general strike and
protest in support of Gaza. Thousands of workers and students across Italy have
joined a general strike and demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in
Gaza. Italy’s grassroots unions called for the 24-hour strike on Monday,
affecting both public and private sectors, including transportation, schools and
ports. The strike caused disruptions nationwide, with delays for trains and
limited public transport in cities like Rome and Milan. More than 20,000 people
gathered in front of Rome’s central station to protest the humanitarian crisis
in Gaza. Unions and student organizations have criticized the Italian and EU
governments for their inaction.
France says ties with a Palestinian state will be conditional on Hamas' release
of hostages
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot linked France’s gradual establishment
of diplomatic relations with a Palestinian state on the release of hostages held
by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza, following their Oct. 7, 2023 attack
on Israel that sparked the war.
The comments come as French President Emmanuel Macron is to formally recognize a
Palestinian state later on Monday at the United Nations.This is “a symbolic,
immediate, political decision that shows France’s commitment to the two-state
solution,” Barrot said, speaking on TF1 television on Monday.
He added that its "implementation, the establishment of diplomatic relations,
will be gradual and under condition of a number of factors on the ground,
including the release of hostages.”
Israeli military orders evacuation of a key Gaza City hospital
The Jordanian field hospital in the city's southwestern neighborhood of Tal al-Hawa
received orders to evacuate on Monday morning, according to a senior health
official. The military has already ordered all Palestinians in Gaza City to head
south, to central and southern Gaza Strip. It has told aid workers in private
messages that all humanitarian sites — except hospitals — must evacuate. The
military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Dr. Muneer al-Boush,
director general of the Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that the
hospital has at least 300 patients, as well as medical staff and family members
of the patients. The order came as residents reported that troops were
approaching the facility, with dozens of families trapped in their homes and
shelters around the hospital.
A surge in recognitions
Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday,
joining nearly 150 countries that have already done so, and France was expected
to do the same at the General Assembly. Portugal also joined the group,
announcing its recognition later Sunday from New York. France and Saudi Arabia
hope to use this year’s gathering of world leaders and the increasingly horrific
war in the Gaza Strip to inject new urgency into the quest for a two-state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the efforts to push a
two-state solution face major obstacles, beginning with vehement opposition from
the United States and Israel. The U.S. has blocked Palestinian officials from
even attending the General Assembly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
who is opposed to Palestinian statehood, has threatened to take unilateral
action in response — possibly including the annexation of parts of the West
Bank.
Paris' famed Eiffel Tower projects both Palestinian and Israeli flags
The two flags and a dove with an olive branch have been projected onto a giant
screen on the Eiffel Tower on Sunday evening, ahead of France’s recognition of a
Palestinian State. The city's mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said on Bluesky social media
that it was meant to show Paris’ support for French President Emmanuel Macron’s
initiative, to be formalized at a United Nations conference later on
Monday.“Paris reaffirms its commitment to peace, which more than ever requires a
two-state solution” and expressed “its solidarity toward all Palestinian and
Israeli civilian victims,” Hidalgo wrote.
A Paris suburb and others across France raise Palestinian flags
The mayor of Saint-Denis, in Paris' northern suburbs, raised the Palestinian
flag on the town hall on Monday morning as a “testament of solidarity” toward
the people in Gaza.France’s Interior Ministry said at least 21 municipalities
across the country have made a similar move, defying a government order not to
display of Palestinian flags on town halls in line with the principle of
neutrality in public services. Saint-Denis' mayor Mathieu Hanotin said that at
“this terrible moment that we live through every day in Gaza," the flag was a
"testament to international solidarity in the face of the ongoing
massacres.”Cities such as Nantes and Rennes in western France and several
suburban towns around Paris also raised the Palestinian flag, echoing a call
launched by Socialist leader Olivier Faure. Faure said France’s recognition of a
Palestinian state, alongside other Western nations, was “a major step towards
the possibility tomorrow of a peace with two states.”
Saudi Arabia calls for global recognition of Palestine and
end to Israeli aggression in Gaza
Arab News/September 22, 2025
NEW YORK CITY: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to
the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, during a peace conference
co-chaired by the Kingdom and France at the UN General Assembly in New York on
Monday. Saudi authorities also called for global recognition of the State of
Palestine, and an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank.
Delivering a statement on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the
Kingdom’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Salman, began by sharing greetings
from King Salman, along with the crown prince’s best wishes for the success of
the conference. He also thanked the French president, Emmanuel Macron, for the
formal declaration of France’s recognition of the State of Palestine. The
one-day Saudi-French conference took place amid escalating violence in the
Middle East. Prince Faisal condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza, the
West Bank and Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem), including what he described as
“brutal crimes,” as well as “repeated attacks on the sovereignty of Arab and
Muslim countries,” citing in particular the recent Israeli strike on Doha.“These
actions underline the insistence of Israel to continue with its aggressive
practices that threaten regional and international peace and stability and
undermine efforts of peace in the region,” he said. Only the implementation of a
two-state solution can bring lasting peace, he added. Prince Faisal also
welcomed the recent successful vote by the UN General Assembly on the “New York
Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the
Implementation of the Two-State Solution,” in which 142 member states out of 193
voted in favor. “This reflects the will of the international community to render
justice to the Palestinian people and consolidate their legal, historic rights
in line with international frameworks, relevant UN resolutions, and the Arab
Peace Initiative,” he added. He said Saudi Arabia stands ready to work with
France and other peace-seeking nations to follow up on the outcomes of Monday’s
conference, help end the war in Gaza, halt unilateral actions that undermine
Palestinian sovereignty, and establish an independent Palestinian state along
the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. In his closing remarks,
Prince Faisal thanked those states that have already officially recognized the
State of Palestine, or plan to do so, and urged others to take “a similar
historic step.”He added: “Such action will have a great impact on supporting the
efforts towards the implementation of the two-state solution, achieving
permanent and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, and finding a new reality
whereby the region can enjoy peace, stability and prosperity.”
FULL SPEECH:
In the name of God, the Merciful, the compassionate, Your Excellency President
of the Republic of France, your Excellency Secretary General, your Excellency
President of the General Assembly, distinguished guests, God, peace, and
blessings be upon you. I have the honor to deliver the statement of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia as a co-chair of this conference, on behalf of His Royal
Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and
Prime Minister of the Kingdom. It is my pleasure to convey to you the greetings
of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques, and his wishes along with the crown prince’s wishes for the success of
this conference. We thank His Excellency President Macron and His Excellency
Antonio Guterres for their efforts towards achieving the two-state solution; we
thank him also for recognizing the State of Palestine. This conference is
co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France at a time when the Israeli
occupation authorities continue their aggression and their brutal crimes against
our brothers the Palestinians in Gaza Strip and its violations in the West Bank
and Al-Quds Al-Sharif and its repeated attacks on the sovereignty of Arab and
Muslim countries, the latest of which was the attack against Qatar. This
underlines the insistence of Israel to continue with its aggressive practices
that threaten regional and international peace and stability and undermine
efforts of peace in the region. This reiterates our deeply rooted conviction
that the implementation of the two-state solution is the only way to achieve a
just and permanent peace. The historic position of his Excellency the French
President to recognize the State of Palestine, and the fact that many countries
have taken this similar courageous position, and the broad support for the
resolution of the General Assembly to adopt (the declaration) the New York
Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the
implementation of the two-state solution that received 142 votes in its favor
reflects the will of the international community to render justice to the
Palestinian people and consolidate their legal historic right in line with
international frameworks and relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace
Initiative. The Kingdom is keen on continuing its partnership with France and
all countries calling for peace to follow up on the implementation of the
outcomes of this conference to put an end to the war in Gaza and stop all
unilateral measures that threaten Palestinian sovereignty, to work on ending the
conflict in the region, and establish the Palestinian independent state on the
1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. In conclusion, we thank again
those countries that have recognized or have announced their intention to
recognize the State of Palestine; we call all other countries to take a similar
historic step that will have a great impact on supporting the efforts towards
the implementation of the two-state solution, achieve permanent and
comprehensive peace in the Middle East, and find a new reality whereby the
region can enjoy peace, stability, and prosperity. Thank you.
‘The time has come,’ Macron tells landmark UN conference as slew of countries
recognize Palestine
Ephrem Kossaify/Caspar Webb/Arab News/September 22, 2025
NEW YORK: President Emmanuel Macron received a long standing ovation on Monday
as he formally announced France’s recognition of the State of Palestine, calling
it a “historic and necessary” step to end the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and establish a durable peace in the Middle East. Speaking at the
High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question
of Palestine, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, he declared that “the time
has come” to end the war in Gaza, free the remaining 48 Israeli hostages held by
Hamas, and revive the two-state solution.
Denying Palestinian statehood ‘a gift to extremists
everywhere’: UN chief
Ephrem KossaifyArab News/September 22, 2025
NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for
“irreversible progress” toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, warning that failure to act risks perpetuating an “intolerable” and
worsening crisis. Speaking at the High-Level International Conference for
Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine at the UN General Assembly
Hall, he said the decades-long conflict had reached a “morally, legally and
politically intolerable” point, citing mounting civilian casualties in Gaza and
growing instability in the West Bank. “We are here today to help navigate the
only way out of this nightmare,” Guterres added, emphasizing the UN-backed
vision of two independent, sovereign and democratic states — Israel and
Palestine — coexisting peacefully within secure and recognized borders based on
the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the shared capital.
The event was co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, and marked the most
concerted international push in recent months to revive momentum toward a
negotiated peace. Guterres thanked both governments for convening the meeting,
and reiterated his disappointment that the Palestinian delegation had been
“denied the opportunity (by US visa restrictions) to be fully represented.”He
again condemned the Hamas attack against Israel of Oct. 7, 2023 — calling it
“horrific” and reiterating demands for the “immediate and unconditional” release
of hostages — and the “systematic decimation” of Gaza in response.
“Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any
form of ethnic cleansing,” he said, decrying the widespread killing of
civilians, starvation of the population and attacks on humanitarian workers.
“All of it must stop.”Guterres also warned that continued Israeli settlement
expansion, settler violence, and the de facto annexation of the West Bank pose
an “existential threat” to any viable two-state outcome. “Statehood for the
Palestinians is a right, not a reward,” he said. “Denying statehood would be a
gift to extremists everywhere.”
He added: “This conference must be a catalyst. It must spur irreversible
progress towards ending the unlawful occupation and realizing our shared
aspiration for a viable two-state solution.” Guterres urged all parties to
demonstrate “bold and principled leadership,” noting that the alternative — a
one-state reality marked by occupation and inequality — is neither sustainable
nor acceptable. “Without two states, there will be no peace in the Middle East,”
he warned. “And radicalism will spread around the world.”The conference comes
amid deepening international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where
tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israel, most of
them women and children. Guterres welcomed recent moves by member states to
recognize Palestinian statehood and the UNGA’s endorsement of the Saudi-French
New York Declaration, which calls for concrete steps toward a negotiated
peace.“This is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace between
Israelis and Palestinians — and to wider peace and security in the Middle East,”
he said. “We’ve gathered here because the time has come ... The time for peace
has come because we’re just a few moments away from no longer being able to
seize peace,” Macron said. “There are hundreds of thousands of people who’ve
been displaced, injured, famished, traumatized,” he added.
“Nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza. On the contrary, everything compels
us to definitively end it.”Macron again strongly condemned the Hamas attack of
Oct. 7, 2023, calling it “the worst terrorist attack in Israeli history” and “an
open wound for the Israeli soul and for our universal conscience.”He also paid
tribute to the 51 French citizens killed in the attack, and reaffirmed France’s
unwavering support for Israel’s right to security and its fight against
terrorism, including antisemitism. “Nothing, never, nowhere can justify having
recourse to terrorism,” Macron said. Invoking the 1947 UN Partition Plan, he
emphasized that while the international community fulfilled its promise to
establish a Jewish state, the parallel promise of a Palestinian state remains
unfulfilled. “This is a people who never says goodbye to anything,” he said,
quoting Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. “A people with a strong history, roots
and dignity.”Macron added: “The recognition of the legitimate rights of the
Palestinian people takes nothing away from the rights of the people of Israel.”
He reiterated that France’s recognition of Palestine is not meant to harm Israel
but to support a political solution that allows both peoples to live side by
side in peace and security. “A life is a life,” he said repeatedly, recalling
his encounters with both Israeli and Palestinian victims. By recognizing
Palestine, Macron joined a broader international movement. He confirmed that
countries including Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta,
Monaco, Portugal, the UK and San Marino had also answered the call to recognize
Palestinian statehood. “This recognition is a defeat for Hamas,” Macron said.
“It is a defeat for all those who ferment antisemitism, nurture anti-Zionist
obsessions and who want the destruction of the State of Israel.” France and
Saudi Arabia presented a peace and security plan to the UN General Assembly,
formally known as the New York Declaration which was adopted by a large
majority. The declaration outlines three core priorities: the immediate release
of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, with Macron urging Israel not to obstruct
ongoing efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the US; the stabilization and
reconstruction of Gaza through a transitional administration involving the
Palestinian Authority and young Palestinians, backed by interna Macron said
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had committed to disarming Hamas, excluding
it from future governance, combating hate speech and renewing democratic
institutions. France pledged to monitor implementation closely, and expressed
readiness to contribute to an international stabilization mission and support
Palestinian security forces.
Macron emphasized that, together with EU partners, France’s future cooperation
with Israel would be contingent on it ending the Gaza war and engaging in peace
negotiations. “It’s thanks to this path that we will get a State of Palestine,
sovereign, independent and demilitarized, bringing together all of its
territories, recognizing Israel and being recognized by Israel,” he said, urging
Arab and Muslim states that have yet to recognize Israel to commit to doing so
once a Palestinian state is established. “Together, we will demonstrate dual
recognition for the benefit of peace and security of all in the Middle East,” he
added. “The time has come to do justice to the Palestinian people, and thus to
recognize the State of Palestine — a brotherly country, a neighbor in Gaza, in
the West Bank and in Jerusalem.” He added: “The time has come to cast out from
these lands the vile face of terrorism and to forge peace.”Quoting former
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish extremist
for pursuing peace, Macron reminded the assembly: “‘I fought so long as there
was no chance of peace.’ But today, there is such a chance. Today, here, 142
states are proposing this peace.”Abbas condemned the Oct. 7 attack and called
for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to Israeli settler terrorism and attacks
against Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem. He vowed that the State of
Palestine would be the only legitimate entity to govern Gaza, excluding Hamas
from any future role. “Hamas and other factions must surrender their weapons to
the Palestinian Authority,” he said. “What we want is one unified state without
weapons, a state with one law and one legitimate security forces.”
Speaking via video link from Ramallah, Abbas addressed the Israeli people
directly, saying: “Our future and yours hangs on peace. Enough violence and war.
Our generations deserve to enjoy freedom and security. Let the people in our
region live in durable peace and good neighborliness.”He also wished Jews
worldwide a good new year, and to “our patient Palestinian people in their
homeland and everywhere, I would like to tell you that the dawn of freedom and
liberty is coming, no doubt.”Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also
formally announced his country’s recognition of Palestine amid loud plaudits.
“Portugal’s recognition of the State of Palestine is not an isolated gesture,
but a continuation of a longstanding policy and a decisive contribution to the
safeguarding of the two-state solution,” he said. A day after Australia
recognized Palestine as a state, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lamented “the
grim pattern over the years: opportunities not taken, compromises rejected, good
faith betrayed, a cycle of violence that has crushed generations.” He called for
a “credible cooperative peace plan supporting recovery in Gaza and security for
Israel.”
This plan must establish peaceful governance in Gaza and necessarily “exclude
Hamas on the day after and every day after that,” he said. In formally
recognizing a Palestinian state, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused
Israel of aiming to “prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being
established.”However, Canada is “under no illusions that this recognition is a
panacea,” he said. “We take this action as part of a coordinated effort led by
France and Saudi Arabia — a coordinated effort to provide the possibility of
peace in a two-state solution.”Carney added: “Recognizing the state of
Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful
coexistence and the end of Hamas. It doesn’t legitimize terrorism.”Spain’s Prime
Minister Pedro Sanchez said while the recognition of Palestine is urgent, it is
all the more urgent that “there exists a Palestinian people in the state that
we’re claiming to recognize.”Palestinian people are being annihilated, he added,
urging the international community “in the name of reason, in the name of
international law and in the name of human dignity (to) stop this slaughter
now.”Sanchez said: “Today, we take a crucial step forward in calling for a
two-state solution at this conference, but let us be lucidly clear, there is no
solution possible when the population of one of those two states is the victim
of a genocide. “We are all well aware that the only hope that civilians in Gaza
have is that of knowing that the world does not forget them, and this conference
nurtures that hope. It is an act of moral rebellion and uprising against
indifference and forgetfulness. “Let us make this conference too a collective
commitment to halting brutality and to paving the way for peace.”
Syria’s Al-Sharaa, in New York, renews call for US to
formally drop sanctions
Reuters/September 22, 2025
NEW YORK: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa renewed his call on Monday for
Washington to formally lift US sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Act while
visiting New York to attend the first UN General Assembly of a Syrian leader in
nearly six decades. Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda leader, led rebel forces that
overthrew Bashar Assad’s government last year. US President Donald Trump met him
in Riyadh in May and ordered most sanctions lifted but the Caesar Syria Civil
Protection Act of 2019 authorizing them remains US law. Speaking at a summit on
the sidelines of the annual General Assembly, Sharaa said the sanctions imposed
on the previous Syrian leadership were no longer justified and were increasingly
seen by Syrians as measures targeting them directly.“We have a big mission to
build the economy,” Sharaa said.
“Syria has a diverse workforce. They love to work, it’s in its genes. So don’t
be worried, just lift the sanctions and you will see the results.”Sharaa, the
first Syrian president to participate in the General Assembly since 1967, is
expected to deliver his first address at the General Assembly, which opens its
80th session on Tuesday. Members of Congress have been debating whether to
repeal the Caesar Act, which imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Syria under
Assad. Some lawmakers, including Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as
Democrats, want its repeal to be included as an amendment in the National
Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping defense bill expected to pass by the end
of December.
FROM BATTLEFIELD TO DIALOGUE
Washington has separately been pressuring Syria to reach a security deal with
Israel during the New York meetings this week, Reuters reported. Israel and
Syria remain formally in a state of war rooted in territorial disputes, military
confrontations and deep-seated political mistrust.
Damascus hopes to secure a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the withdrawal of
Israeli troops who have pushed into southern Syria. Sharaa said those talks had
reached an advanced stage and he hoped the outcome would preserve Syria’s
sovereignty and address Israeli security concerns. Senator Lindsey Graham, a
Trump ally, told Axios he would support canceling sanctions against Syria if
Sharaa’s government officially moved toward a new security deal with Israel and
joined a coalition against the Islamic State extremist group. Asked whether
Syria could join the Abraham Accords that some Arab countries have signed to
normalize relations with Israel, Sharaa said anger over Israel’s occupation of
Syrian territory would influence the country’s position toward Israel. “Israel
must withdraw from Syrian land, and security concerns can be addressed in talks.
The question is whether Israel’s concerns are truly about security or about
expansionist designs — this is what the talks will reveal,” Sharaa said. Sharaa,
who as a militant leader had a $10 million US government bounty on his head, was
interviewed in New York by retired General David Petraeus, who commanded US
forces during the Iraq War, putting the two men on opposing sides as Sharaa
joined the Sunni insurgency following the 2003 US invasion. “It’s good that we
were once in the battlefield zone and have now moved to another theater — that
of dialogue,” Sharaa told Petraeus. Syria remains deeply fractured after 13
years of civil war.Sharaa said a deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces, in control of the northeast of the country, was delayed. Calls for
decentralization by Kurdish parties were a step toward separation that risked
igniting a wider war, he said. “This could present threats to Iraq, Turkiye and
even Syria,” he added. Sharaa later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in
New York and did not respond to a reporter asking if he was hopeful that the US
would lift the sanctions.
Palestinian mission in UK celebrates statehood recognition,
raises flag in London
Mustafa Abu Sneineh/Arab News/September 22, 2025
LONDON: Palestinians marked the announcement of the UK government’s formal
recognition of the State of Palestine with a flag-hoisting ceremony attended by
senior UK officials, members of Parliament, ambassadors, and members of the
Palestinian community on Monday.
The official ceremony in the London borough of Hammersmith featured a speech by
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador, outside the Palestine Mission to the
UK, soon to be upgraded into an embassy. “In the same capital of the Balfour
Declaration, after more than a century of ongoing denial, dispossession and
erasure, the UK government has finally taken the long overdue step of
recognizing the State of Palestine,” Zomlot began his speech. Palestine, a
former British colony for nearly 30 years, was never recognized when the mandate
ended, despite the UK’s recognition of the fledgling State of Israel in 1950, an
entity that was envisioned in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which promised to
establish a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. This moment stands as a
defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word; a refusal to
accept that occupation is permanent
Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador
The historic and long-awaited decision was announced on Sunday by Prime Minister
Keir Starmer, who described it as “a pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli
people that there can be a better future.”It marks a shift in policy in the UK
and some European countries, which have long stated that recognizing Palestine
will occur only at the conclusion of peace negotiations. Hamas attacks in
October 2023, followed by an ongoing campaign of vengeance by Israeli forces in
the Gaza Strip, signaled to Starmer that “the hope for a two-state solution is
fading.”Zomlot said that British recognition comes at a critical time of
“unimaginable pain and suffering” for Palestinians, a population of 5.5 million
in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Since August, Israeli forces have conducted
a demolition campaign targeting high-rise buildings in Gaza City, continuing
nearly two years of assaults on the coastal enclave, where over 65,000 people
have been killed. Officials from the UN and the EU, along with the mayor of
London, have recently described Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide. In the West
Bank, the Israeli government announced its approval of the E1 settlement, which
would divide the territory in half and severely undermine any hope for a
Palestinian state. The Palestinian Mission to the UK in London held a special
ceremony on Monday to mark British recognition of Palestinian statehood. (AN
Photo/Mustafa Abu Sneineh) “It comes as our people in Gaza are being starved,
bombed, and buried under the rubble of their homes; as our people in the West
Bank are being ethnically cleansed, brutalized by daily state-sponsored
terrorism, land theft and suffocating oppression,” Zomlot said. Palestinians
hope that the UK’s recognition will be more than merely “symbolic” and will
contribute to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has
embroiled the Middle East since 1948. The UK, a permanent member of the Security
Council and a G7 country, joined Canada, Australia, and Portugal on Sunday in
recognizing Palestinian statehood, while France is expected to follow suit this
week at the UN General Assembly. “This moment stands as a defiant act of truth,
a refusal to let genocide be the final word; a refusal to accept that occupation
is permanent; a refusal to be erased and a refusal to be dehumanized,” Zomlot
said. “(It is) righting historic wrongs and committing together to a future
based on freedom, dignity and fundamental human rights.” A defining moment in
securing self-determination for Palestine and peace through a two-state solution
John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister
The impassioned speech quoted the famous lines, “On This Land, There Are Reasons
to Live,” a poem by the national poet Mahmoud Darwish. “Please join me as we
raise the flag of Palestine with its colors representing our nation: black for
our mourning, white for our hope, green for our land and red for the sacrifices
of our people,” Zomlot concluded. John Swinney, the first minister of Scotland,
attended the event along with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Swinney wrote
on X that it was “a defining moment in securing self-determination for Palestine
and peace through a two-state solution.” Corbyn, an independent MP,
congratulated those “who have tirelessly campaigned for the recognition of
Palestine,” which he described as an “inalienable right” of the Palestinian
people, in a post on the X platform. He called on the UK government to
“recognize the genocide in Gaza, end its complicity in crimes against humanity,
and stop arming Israel.”Saudi Arabia and France are co-hosting a one-day event
at the UN in New York this week to advance the two-state solution, as more
countries are expected to recognize the State of Palestine.
Palestinian Authority says France’s recognition of state ‘historic and
courageous’
AFP/September 22, 2025
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Palestinian Authority on Monday hailed
the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by French President Emmanuel
Macron as a “historic and courageous decision.”“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Expatriates welcomes the recognition of the State of Palestine by the
friendly Republic of France, considering it a historic and courageous decision
that is consistent with international law and United Nations resolutions and
supports ongoing efforts to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution,”
the PA’s foreign ministry in Ramallah said in a statement.
Spanish PM calls for full UN membership for Palestinian state
AFP/September 23, 2025
WASHINGTON: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, an outspoken critic of
Israel’s war in Gaza, called Monday for a state of Palestine to be admitted to
the UN after a French-led summit on recognition. “This conference marks a
milestone, but it’s not the end of the road. It’s only the beginning,” Sanchez
said at the United Nations General Assembly.“The State of Palestine must be a
full member of the United Nations,” he continued. “The process for the State of
Palestine to join this organization must be completed as soon as possible, on an
equal footing with other states,” he said. “Second, we must take immediate
measures to stop the barbarism and make peace possible.”The left-wing Spanish
prime minister has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s devastating
offensive in Gaza launched in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Spain, alongside Ireland and Norway, already recognized a Palestinian state in
May. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar recently described Sanchez as
“antisemitic” and a “liar” after the Spanish leader expressed admiration for
pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted Spain’s Vuelta cycling race. The attack
on Sanchez led Spain to summon Israel’s top diplomat in Madrid.
Israel says will not allow Gaza-bound aid flotilla to break
its blockade
AFP/September 22, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel vowed on Monday that it would not allow a Gaza-bound flotilla
carrying aid to break its blockade of the Palestinian territory. “Israel will
not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach
of a lawful naval blockade,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, accusing
Hamas of organizing the flotilla to serve the militant group’s purpose. The
ministry said the vessels would be allowed to dock at Ashkelon from where the
aid could be delivered to Gaza. “If the flotilla participants’ genuine wish is
to deliver humanitarian aid rather than serve Hamas, Israel calls on the vessels
to dock at the Ashkelon marina and unload the aid there, from where it will be
transferred promptly in a coordinated manner to the Gaza Strip,” the ministry
said. The Global Sumud Flotilla, also carrying prominent pro-Palestinian
advocates including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, set sail for Gaza
earlier this month from Tunisia after repeated delays. It aims to break Israel’s
seige of Gaza and deliver aid to the territory. Prior to its departure it said
that two of its boats were targeted by drone attacks. Israel blocked two earlier
attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July.
Israel to skip UN Security Council meeting on Gaza
AFP/September 22, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: Israel will skip an emergency UN Security Council meeting on
Gaza scheduled for Tuesday because of the Jewish New Year, its envoy to the UN
said calling the timing “regrettable.” As a country directly affected by the
deliberations of the UN’s top security body, Israel had been invited to address
the Council’s discussion of the devastating conflict in Gaza on the sidelines of
the UN’s high-level week. Israeli troops are pressing a major ground offensive
to capture Gaza’s largest urban center, with AFP footage showing plumes of smoke
rising over Gaza City Monday as Palestinians carrying their belongings fled
southwards. “I wish to inform you that the delegation of Israel will not
participate in this meeting, as it coincides with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New
Year,” Ambassador Danny Danon said in a separate letter to the rotating Security
Council president. “Despite Israel’s request to the Presidency and Council
members to reschedule, the meeting remains set for that date — one of the most
significant in the Jewish calendar, marking the start of the High Holy
Days.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address the UN
General Assembly on Friday amid a slew of recognitions of a Palestinian state by
Western countries. Israel has angrily denounced these big policy changes. “It’s
unfortunate that the Security Council will meet without Israel,” Danon in a
video statement issued Monday.
Israel to demolish homes of Palestinians who killed six in Jerusalem bus stop
attack
Reuters/September 22, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said on Monday it will demolish the homes of two
Palestinian gunmen who shot and killed six people at a bus stop in Jerusalem
earlier this month in one of the deadliest attacks in the city in the past few
years. The shooting took place against the backdrop of nearly two years of war
in Gaza that has devastated the enclave, and amid a surge in attacks by Jewish
settlers on Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Jerusalem
attackers were shot dead at the scene. Israel says demolishing the homes of
relatives of attackers and their fellow villagers is a deterrent to future
attacks.
Palestinians and human rights groups say it is a form of collective punishment
prohibited by international law. Earlier this month, Israel ordered the
demolition of all homes built without permits in Qatanna and Qubeiba — the
hometowns of the attackers, and said 750 people from the town would have their
work permits revoked.
Two Gaza hospitals forced to stop operations as Israeli
offensive escalates, health ministry says
Reuters/September 22, 2025
CAIRO: The Gaza health ministry said two Gaza City hospitals have been taken out
of service due to Israel’s escalation of its ground offensive and damage caused
by continued Israeli bombing, as tanks advanced deeper into the territory. The
ministry said in its statement that Al-Rantissi Children’s Hospital was badly
damaged a few days ago by an Israeli bombardment. At the same time, it reported
Israeli attacks in the vicinity of the nearby Eye Hospital, which forced the
suspension of services there, too. “The occupation deliberately and
systematically targets the health care system in the Gaza governorate as part of
its genocidal policy against the Strip,” it said. “None of the facilities or
hospitals have safe access routes that allow patients and the wounded to reach
them,” the ministry added. There was no immediate Israeli comment. Nearly two
years into the war, Israel describes Gaza City as the last bastion of Hamas. The
Israeli military has been demolishing housing blocks it says were being used by
the militant group since Israel launched its ground assault on the city this
month.On Monday, residents said Israeli tanks had advanced deeper into the
Sheikh Radwan area and Jala Street in northern Gaza City, where the two
hospitals are located, while in Tel Al-Hawa in the southeast tanks have pushed
deeper in the direction of the western parts of the city. They said Israeli
forces had used explosive-laden vehicles, detonated remotely, to blow up dozens
of houses in the two areas. In a meeting on Monday at the military headquarters
in Tel Aviv with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his determination to eliminate
Hamas, secure the release of the remaining hostages and ensure that Gaza no
longer poses a threat to Israel, his office said. The offensive has alarmed the
families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Twenty of those 48
captives are thought to still be alive. Meanwhile, local health authorities said
at least 25 people had been killed by Israeli fire on Monday across the enclave,
most of them in Gaza City. Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel killed
1,200 people, and 251 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s two-year-long campaign has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, most
of them civilians, according to Gazan health authorities, and has spread famine,
demolished most buildings, and displaced most of the territory’s population, in
many cases multiple times.
Israeli army operations stir fears in Syria’s Quneitra
AFP/September 22, 2025
KHAN ARNABAH: Rubble and Hebrew graffiti mark Israel’s presence in Syria’s
Quneitra province, where people accuse the southern neighbor’s troops of
demolitions, detentions and forced displacement — defying ongoing security talks
between the two sides. “Israeli forces entered under cover of darkness and
demolished my house, along with 15 others, with a bulldozer,” said Mohammed
Al-Ali. “They turned them into rubble within a few hours,” said the 50-year-old
from the southern town of Hamidiya.Syria and Israel have technically been at war
since 1948, but the state of play between the two countries has shifted
dramatically since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad in
December. Israel has deployed troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan
Heights, launched hundreds of air strikes on targets in Syria and carried out
incursions deeper into the south. These operations — denounced as illegal by
Syria’s government and human rights groups — have continued even as both sides
claim progress in direct talks toward a security agreement. Ali, who works in
Quneitra’s agriculture directorate, can no longer access his destroyed home,
located next to a new Israeli military outpost.“This land belongs to Syrians;
there can be no peace until it is returned to us,” he said.
- Hebrew graffiti -
Hebrew graffiti can be seen on the walls inside Quneitra’s provincial
courthouse, which Israeli forces occupied for weeks.Some listed the soldiers’
schedules, while one inscription read: “My dear, I miss you.”Destroyed homes —
including Ali’s — are visible from the windows of the building. Last week, Human
Rights Watch accused Israeli forces of forcibly displacing residents of southern
Syria in their operation, calling it a “war crime.”The New York-based watchdog
also said Israeli troops had “arbitrarily detained residents and transferred
them to Israel.”The Israeli military operates in a region patrolled by
peacekeepers from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, which is
tasked with monitoring the armistice. Israel says it carries out strikes in
Syria to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities it
considers jihadists or arch-foe Iran and its proxies.Last month, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was engaged in talks to establish a demilitarised
zone in Syria’s south. In the town of Khan Arnabah, 38-year-old Raafat Al-Khatib
is on his motorcycle with his wife and son.“We were terrified when we first saw
Israeli soldiers... as they were stopping young men and checking their
identification documents,” he said.
- ‘An enemy’ -
Ayman Zaytun, who runs a confectionery shop in the town, said sales have dropped
significantly.“The daily Israeli incursions are making people nervous... we just
want to live in peace and safety,” he said. “We demand that the government,
which went to the United States to negotiate a security agreement, ensure the
safety of the people,” he added, emphasising however that Israel “will remain an
enemy until they leave our land.”Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is in New York
to speak at the United Nations General Assembly this week. Syria and Israel are
expected to finalize security and military agreements by the end of the year. A
Syrian military official said last week that government forces had pulled heavy
weapons out of the area. On the road linking Damascus to Quneitra, AFP
journalists saw dozens of military positions abandoned or reduced to rubble by
air strikes. They also saw destroyed tanks, damaged military vehicles and
burned-out trucks. “Only the internal security forces are present in Quneitra,”
said a Syrian security source who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The army has
withdrawn all its heavy weapons, and there is no representative of the defense
ministry here.”Syrian forces have refrained from retaliating against Israeli
attacks since December. “After 14 years of war and destruction, people are
prioritising security and stability above all else,” said Mohammad Al-Said, an
official in Quneitra’s provincial government. Israel has occupied Syria’s Golan
Heights, part of Quneitra governorate, since 1967, annexing it in 1981 in a move
not recognized by the international community. Quneitra city, occupied by Israel
from 1967 to 1974, has been in ruins since then.“Peace means ending the state of
war, not normalization,” added Said.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 22-23/2025
Apocalypticism and War Ending
Dr. Charles Chartouni/This Is Beirut/September 22/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147529/
The paradoxes of the Islamic summit are blatant and quite equivocal. One wonders
what elicited this mobilization after two years of apathy and diplomatic
inaction. An early summit could have spared Gaza and its population the
tragedies brought about by the apocalyptic vision of Hamas, the cynicism of its
handlers and leaders and their ruinous effects. The political apathy is no
coincidence; it betrays an intentional complicity that encouraged Hamas and made
it double down on its blindness and promote its instrumentation by the clashing
power politics operating throughout the region.
The pogrom conducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, was initially meant to create
the congenial environment for the interlocked conflicts and wars that took over
the whole region. Power politics calculations were dismissive of the programmed
humanitarian tragedies in Gaza and quite interested in exploiting them all
along. If the convened countries were concerned with the fate of Gaza and the
future of peace in the region, they should have met by far earlier and forced
the cessation of hostilities on Iran’s proxies. Their inaction equates with
tacit political complicity and moral callousness. They were intent on promoting
their political agendas with no regard whatsoever for their impact on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ultimate paradox is watching Sunni power players converging from different
parts of the world working jointly with the Islamist regime in Tehran to address
the war issues created in the first place by the Iranian power politics
throughout the last twenty years, without making the slightest reference to
their destructive role. They felt belatedly threatened by Israel after it
destroyed the Iranian operational platform and opened up the path for new
regional geostrategic and political dynamics. Why didn’t they meet beforehand to
condemn the Israeli transforming dynamic after two years of its onset and
outcomes?
They suddenly felt that a presumptive Islamic community was about to birth a
unified geopolitical dynamic? They felt the urge to overcome their geopolitical
and political differences and unite their stand since the “sovereignty” of a
major Islamist power broker was trespassed by Israel. How hypocritical on the
part of power players that spend their time undermining each other’s security.
What made them sound this awakening alert while they were sheltering behind the
complacency they professed throughout the last two years? Amazingly enough, what
made them react is the emergence of new strategic imponderables questioning
their hypothetical equilibriums, their acute sense of insecurity, and their need
to deflect the arising pressure, to externalize the blame, and to safeguard a
widely challenged sense of immunity.
Israel, on its side, was compelled to achieve what it started and put an end to
the open-ended state of war. The ambivalence of the Qatari role is symptomatic
of the cynical game of a power player that has no interest in immediate conflict
resolution at a time when Israel has to wrap up its lingering wars after
tackling their attending security hazards. The ultimate assault on Hamas
leadership in Qatar, however fraught with pervasive imponderables, was the
collateral of a failed diplomacy to sway the nihilistic and highly manipulated
Hamas policy course, which has led to the destruction of the Gaza district and
its political inconsequencies and humanitarian tragedies.
This cynical policy was intentional because the politics of victimization was
the ordering variable around which the various modus operandi revolved,
notwithstanding their disastrous fallouts. This conflictual plot with its
interlocking parties extending between Yemen and Gaza has to be untied either
way. None of the nodes could be dealt with separately; it should be addressed
diplomatically or militarily, but it cannot endure anymore.
If these convening parties are serious about finding a working solution to the
intermeshing conflictual plot, Hamas should be coerced into major concessions in
regard to the hostage issues, their inevitable withdrawal from the military and
political scene and the formation of a transitional government. So is the
situation in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is bent on wrecking the disarmament
process jointly with its accomplices in the Palestinian camps. The inability of
Lebanon to recover its operational statehood is dooming and leads tendentially
to its disintegration and to the consolidation of regional chaos. The same
scenario holds in Yemen, where the Iranian-driven Houthi civil war and marauding
politics are putting at stake civil concord and Gulf security.
Now that they have met, why shouldn’t they convince Iran to renounce its
destabilization politics in the Near East and within what is considered to be
the Sunni political realms? Shifting the blame on Israel is a red herring and an
idle ploy designed to ignore the real issues and to overlook the search for a
sustainable course of deconfliction and negotiated conflict resolution in a
situation of extreme volatility. One wonders whether a diplomatic breakthrough
is going to force its way and take over the collision course and its multiple
derailments, and their impact on peace and stability. Skepticism and prudence in
this regard are mandated, be it from methodological or political standpoints.
On an International Conference That Is Urgent and …
Impossible
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 22/2025
Between 1618 and 1648, Europe, especially its central regions, lived through the
Thirty Years’ War: a combination of religious conflicts, dynastic ambitions, and
territorial disputes. This war, which splintered into several wars that resulted
in the deaths of millions, either in conflict or because of famine and disease,
reduced population growth in many of the countries involved, none more than
Germany, and took an immense economic and cultural toll. The war only ended once
the Treaty of Westphalia was signed. This treaty’s reconfiguration of the Holy
Roman Empire has come to be seen as the gateway to modern Europe, which it
reshaped through the nation-state system, a process that is broadly considered
to have laid the groundwork for modern international relations. With Westphalia
having delineated the borders of states, it also curbed rulers’ capacity to
impose, within those borders, this or that religious loyalty on their
subjects.In the decades and centuries that followed, Europe’s major historical
transformations were associated with the “weapon” of conferences that, despite
not exclusively leading to outcomes that align with just and progressive
convictions, heralded a transition from one era to another. That was the case
for the Congress of Vienna that redrew post-Napoleonic Europe in 1815, the
Berlin Conference of 1884–85 which divided Africa among European powers, the
1919 Paris Peace Conference in which the Treaty of Versailles was signed and the
League of Nations proposed, and the Yalta and San Francisco Conferences of 1945,
which respectively deliberated the post-World War II order and established the
United Nations. It may be said that the Levant, along with other Arab countries
like Yemen, Sudan, and Libya, is undergoing a phase that urgently calls for a
transition, under the auspices of an international conference, from one era to
another. Wars are ravaging several countries and ripping them apart, leading to
severe demographic, economic, and cultural decline.
While many intertwined factors can help explain these wars, one factor applies
to all these countries: the failure to build sovereign states and national
communities that unite these countries’ various sub-groups based on a reasonable
degree of consensus. These domestic disputes, with their propensity for
ballooning and spilling over, have cast a heavy shadow on borders and on
relations with the outside world, as we can clearly see in most of these
war-torn countries. It is becoming clear that the question of statehood,
societies, and national communities has been the ultimate impediment and that
resolving it is a necessary step on the path to ending the bloodshed and to
achieving any other noble goal. Regional forces do not have the capacity to
accomplish this on their own. If our region’s state of affairs calls for a
conference that results in an Arab Westphalian Treaty to fix states’ borders and
creates frameworks for managing group relations, such a task appears extremely
complex in light of globalization, even if globalization has receded in recent
years. Indeed, the task combines two requisites: less unified states - that is,
less centralized - and more unity in the geographic and political region they
share, the Middle East.
For example, the future of Iran, which is currently navigating immense upheaval
whose outcomes remain highly uncertain, concerns and impacts many countries in
the region; the same is true for the prospect of a clash between Israel and
Türkiye in Syria, as well as the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,
which could raise the specter of another cross-border crisis. All of this
uncertainty surrounds us as we confront formidable challenges that cannot be
addressed within the framework of a single state and its instruments. Alongside
the Palestinian question, there is the Kurdish question, which itself spans four
countries. There are also challenges regarding poverty, the environment,
pollution, desertification, and rivers, almost all of which flow beyond the
borders of the countries they spring from. Of course, there are other
cross-border challenges as well: smuggling, capital flows, terrorism, labor,
migration, and asylum. For its part, the wider world, especially Europe, will
also be impacted on many levels, especially at present, but not exclusively by
migration and asylum. As for those who might reject the idea of international
intervention to introduce calm and change the regional system that has given our
volatile relations, they are the same people who spent decades deriding the
Sykes-Picot Agreement, only to discover that the “fall of Sykes-Picot” would
give rise to more states, not fewer - let alone the dream of a single state.
It goes without saying that Israel’s engineering of absolute havoc, first and
foremost through its genocidal war in Gaza, will not end without major
international intervention that includes binding steps. The tragedy, however, is
that proposing such initiatives today is much like delivering a sermon; such
initiatives seem like a Platonic form with no equivalent in the material world.
The world, particularly under the current US administration, is also on a
trajectory going in the opposite direction. We are watching the law of the
jungle blossom and broaden before our eyes, which explains the Israeli
government’s assault on the very notion of negotiation with its recent strike on
Qatar. The initiatives that do emerge are intermittent, short-lived, and ad-hoc
approaches to the issues at hand, with some of them mirroring real estate
dealings perfectly and explicitly. In turn, Europe’s current political and
economic weakness completes this grim picture before us. At the very least,
however, it might be a useful yardstick for reminding ourselves that a repeat of
what unfolded four centuries ago seems impossible in our part of the world.
Qatar's Arab-Islamic Summit: Hypocrites and Cowards
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/September 22/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147546/
Israel's airstrike in Doha was directed against Hamas leaders, not Qatar. There
is no reason why the leaders of a terrorist organization, responsible for
murdering thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, should feel safe anywhere.
The war could have ended long ago had Hamas agreed to release the hostages, whom
it should not have seized in the first place, lay down its weapons, and
relinquish control over the Gaza Strip.
Such a celebration could not have taken place without the approval of Qatar's
rulers. Qatar's media especially Al-Jazeera, to this day, have been
enthusiastically praising Hamas's attacks, as well.
Qatar is not – and has never pretended to be – a democracy that respects and
protects free speech and public freedoms. If Qatar's rulers were unhappy with
the actions and presence of Hamas's leaders in their country, they would have
stopped them or deported them long ago. The country's rulers, the Al Thani
family... have placed Al-Jazeera at their disposal to spread their threatening
and radical Islamist ideology. Much of it is based on eliminating Israel through
Jihad.
Notably, several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt decided in 2017 to cut their diplomatic relations
with Qatar because it supports terrorism and extremist groups such as the Muslim
Brotherhood. These countries issued a list of 13 demands, one of which, most
prominently, was shutting down Al-Jazeera.
Qatar is reportedly working to create a second Arab Spring to topple Egypt's
government once again. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the network
[Al-Jazeera] has banned any criticism of Hamas. In December 2024, even the
Palestinian Authority, after accusing Al-Jazeera of broadcasting misleading
reports and stoking divisions among the Palestinians, decided to ban Al-Jazeera
in the West Bank.
By failing to denounce Hamas and call on it to lay down its weapons and cede
control of the Gaza Strip, the Arab and Islamic leaders actually sent a message
to the terror group that it is right to continue its Jihad against Israel.
It would have been more helpful had the Arab and Islamic leaders once again
issued an appeal to Qatar to stop supporting Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The reason Arab and Islamic leaders did not condemn Hamas is because they are
afraid that Qatar will use Al-Jazeera to incite violence and terrorism against
their regimes.
Some of these leaders, in addition, including the United States, seem to be
afraid of alienating a wealthy country such as Qatar.
Israel's airstrike in Doha was directed against Hamas leaders, not Qatar. There
is no reason why the leaders of a terrorist organization, responsible for
murdering thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, should feel safe anywhere.
Leaders of several Arab and Islamic countries held an emergency summit in Doha
on September 15 to discuss Israel's "aggression" against Qatar. The reference
was to the recent Israeli attack on senior Hamas leaders in Qatar. The summit
was held at the request of Qatar, the only Gulf state that has long been
providing shelter and financial and political aid to the leaders of Hamas, the
Iran-backed terror group that carried out the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The assault resulted in the murder of more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign
nationals and the wounding of thousands. Another 251 Israelis and foreigners
were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, where 48 – dead and alive – remain in Hamas's
captivity. Israel's airstrike in Doha was directed against Hamas leaders, not
Qatar. There is no reason why the leaders of a terrorist organization,
responsible for murdering thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, should feel
safe anywhere. By choosing to harbor the Hamas leaders, Qatar should have known
that the day would come when Israel would settle the score with those involved –
directly and indirectly – in the October 7 massacre.
It was the October 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The war has brought death and destruction to the entire Gaza Strip. The war
could have ended long ago had Hamas agreed to release the hostages, whom it
should not have seized in the first place, lay down its weapons, and relinquish
control over the Gaza Strip.
The Arab and Islamic heads of state, however, made no reference to the October 7
attack or Hamas's responsibility for triggering the war. They also did not see
fit to call out Qatar for hosting Hamas's leaders for many years or for
supporting the Muslim Brotherhood organization, whose calls for jihad (holy war)
the emirate has been broadcasting for years through its Al-Jazeera television
empire.
On the day of the October 7 atrocities, the leaders of Hamas, who are
comfortably based in Qatar, were filmed watching the coverage of the terrorist
group's invasion of southern Israel on Al-Jazeera. The Hamas leaders praised the
attack on Israel as a "victory" and performed the "Prostration of Gratitude."
Such a celebration could not have taken place without the approval of Qatar's
rulers. Qatar's media especially Al-Jazeera, to this day, have been
enthusiastically praising Hamas's attacks, as well (here, here, here and here ).
Qatar is not – and has never pretended to be – a democracy that respects and
protects free speech and public freedoms. If Qatar's rulers were unhappy with
the actions and presence of Hamas's leaders in their country, they would have
stopped them or deported them long ago. Qatar, however, has long considered
Hamas a legitimate player in the Palestinian arena. The country's rulers, the Al
Thani family, have allowed the leaders and spokesmen of Hamas to lead luxurious
lives in Doha and have placed Al-Jazeera at their disposal to spread their
threatening and radical Islamist ideology. Much of it is based on eliminating
Israel through Jihad. Were it not for Qatar's financial and political backing,
Hamas would not have been able to stay in power in the Gaza Strip for the past
two decades.
Notably, several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt decided in 2017 to cut their diplomatic relations
with Qatar because it supports terrorism and extremist groups such as the Muslim
Brotherhood. These countries issued a list of 13 demands, one of which, most
prominently, was shutting down Al-Jazeera. The crisis ended in 2021 when Qatar
and the Arab countries reached an agreement mediated by the US and Kuwait.
Despite the agreement, Qatar has continued its policy of supporting Hamas and
promoting the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as having single-handedly promoted the
failed "Arab Spring" to topple Egypt's government.
Qatar is reportedly working to create a second Arab Spring to topple Egypt's
government once again. For many Arabs in the Middle East, Al-Jazeera is the
unofficial mouthpiece of Hamas. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the
network has banned any criticism of Hamas.
In December 2024, even the Palestinian Authority, after accusing Al-Jazeera of
broadcasting misleading reports and stoking divisions among the Palestinians,
decided to ban Al-Jazeera in the West Bank.
Unsurprisingly, the final communiqué issued by the Arab-Islamic summit in Qatar
condemned Israel for its "flagrant violations of international law and
international legitimacy" and expressed full solidarity with Qatar. The summit
also called for imposing sanctions on Israel by suspending the supply, transfer,
or transit of weapons, ammunition, and military materiel.
By failing to denounce Hamas and call on it to lay down its weapons and cede
control of the Gaza Strip, the Arab and Islamic leaders actually sent a message
to the terror group that it is right to continue its Jihad against Israel. More
importantly, their failure to hold Hamas responsible for launching the war
exempts the terror group from its responsibility for the death and destruction
in the Gaza Strip after October 7.
It would have been more helpful had the Arab and Islamic leaders once again
issued an appeal to Qatar to stop supporting Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
It would have been beneficial to both Palestinians and Israelis if these leaders
had called on Hamas to release all the hostages and end its rule over the Gaza
Strip. A demand such as that would have spared the lives of many Palestinians.
These Arab and Islamic leaders, many of whom despise Hamas, could have at least
urged Qatar finally to expel the heads of the terror group.
The Arab and Islamic leaders' summit did exactly nothing to help end the war in
the Gaza Strip. Condemning Israel while ignoring Hamas's atrocities is of no
help in bringing the war to an end. Because of Qatar's failure to pressure the
Hamas leaders to release the hostages, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will
continue to suffer.
The reason Arab and Islamic leaders did not condemn Hamas is because they are
afraid that Qatar will use Al-Jazeera to incite violence and terrorism against
their regimes.
Some of these leaders, in addition, including the United States, seem to be
afraid of alienating a wealthy country such as Qatar.
The Arab and Islamic leaders have again shown their true colors: hypocrites and
cowards.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21918/qatar-arab-islamic-summit
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Why recognizing Palestine is important
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/September 22, 2025
Several countries have recently agreed to add their names to the list of nations
— the majority of UN member states — that have already recognized the state of
Palestine on the borders of June 4, 1967. On Sunday, the UK, Canada, Australia
and Portugal became the latest to do so, with Belgium, France, Luxembourg and
Malta among those expected to quickly follow.
Palestine has met all the requirements for statehood and in 2012 won recognition
as a nonmember observer state in an overwhelming vote by the UN General
Assembly. The only obstacle facing Palestinian statehood is the repeated vetoes
of the US in the UN Security Council. It is especially heartwarming that the UK,
whose Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour helped ignite the 100-year war in
Palestine with his “declaration” of 1917, is among the group of Western
countries that is finally correcting a historic mistake. London’s recognition of
Palestine on the 1967 borders also finally fulfills the promises made to Arab
leaders during the First World War, as documented in the McMahon-Hussein
correspondence — a series of 10 letters exchanged between Sir Henry McMahon, the
British high commissioner in Egypt, and Hussein bin Ali, the sharif of Makkah,
in 1915 and 1916.
Recognizing the state of Palestine and debunking the Israeli narrative will not
end the illegal Israeli occupation, nor will it stop the genocidal war going on
in Gaza. However, it will put down a clear and permanent marker that the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip are Palestinian territories
and that the Palestinian people, through their democratically elected
representatives, have the right to self-determination on their land.
The goal of the Palestinian effort is to shift the discussions to the rights of
Palestinians and the need to accommodate the relationship between two states,
Palestine and Israel. Palestine, even under Israeli occupation, can negotiate
with Israel the modalities of their relations, including borders, Jewish
settlers, Palestinian refugees, water rights and all other aspects between two
peaceful states. It is especially heartwarming that the UK is among the group of
Western countries that is finally correcting a historic mistake
However, despite the importance of the recognition of Palestine, the world
community needs to follow this important step with rigorous efforts and pressure
on Israel to end its vengeful, disproportionate and criminal war against the
Palestinian people, freeze all illegal settlements activities, hold settlers
accountable and honor various commitments made in the 1993 Declaration of
Principles, signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel at the
White House. Countries that recognize Palestine also need to support the state
of Palestine, whose current peaceful president, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel and the US
have unduly demonized, even though he has opposed Hamas and supported the recent
French-Saudi plan that called for its disarmament.
Before a peaceful, negotiated solution between Israel and Palestine is
concluded, a roadmap is needed that includes replacing the occupying Israeli
army with a neutral international and Arab force with a clear mandate and a time
limit. Once this is done, Palestinians will be able to hold democratic elections
that will produce leaders with a clear mandate to negotiate with Israel the
terms of a peaceful solution to the century-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This might seem like a daydream or even an impossible mission, but if the
political will demonstrated in the recognition of Palestine continues, this is
totally possible. To help the process, Washington can do a lot to expedite a
peaceful solution. The world community needs to follow this important step with
rigorous efforts and pressure on Israel
World powers need to do more than just recognize Palestine, especially if Israel
takes retaliatory actions against Palestinians as a result, including further
illegal annexation decisions. Chapter VII of the UN Charter provides measures
that UN members can vote on to hold to account rogue states and those refusing
to honor the charter. This can include sanctions and other punitive measures.The
US, which was the first country to recognize Israel and whose policies over many
decades by both Republican and Democratic administrations have supported the
two-state solution, can do a lot to bring peace to the Middle East. President
Donald Trump would surely qualify for a coveted Nobel Peace Prize if he told his
representative at the UNSC not to veto a resolution granting Palestinian
statehood, while applying tough love to his beloved Israel allies to negotiate
in good faith with the representatives of the state of Palestine.
Peace is possible in the Middle East despite the widespread negative rhetoric
that fills the airwaves and social media. A democratic and independent state of
Palestine can live in peace with a safe state of Israel. The decision to
recognize Palestine is a crucial step in this direction, but it must be followed
by rigorous action.
**Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris
Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of “State of
Palestine Now: Practical and Logical Arguments for the Best Way to Bring Peace
to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab
Genocide label spurring further legal action against Israel
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/September 22, 2025
Every day brings new indictments for Israel. Within three months of the start of
its war on Gaza, South Africa made the accusation of genocide at the
International Court of Justice. That term is now becoming an accepted legal
position among international bodies and governments alike. The latest indictment
came from the UN Human Rights Council last week.“The Israeli authorities and
Israeli security forces have had and continue to have the genocidal intent to
destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” a report by
the council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry unambiguously
stated. While this may seem obvious to those watching the Israeli genocide
unfold in real time, the step is nonetheless historic.According to Triestino
Mariniello, an international law expert and a member of the legal team
representing Gaza victims before the International Criminal Court, the report is
of “historic importance” and is “unprecedented.” Though previous UN commissions
have repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes in Palestine, “they had
never gone so far as to say that Israel is also responsible for what represents
the most serious crime at the international level: the crime of genocide.”
Desperate to see enough international pressure to force Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government to end their mass extermination
of Palestinians in Gaza, many wonder if such reports are enough to hold Israel
to account. Commission chair Navi Pillay, a South African judge who also headed
the international tribunal for the 1994 Rwanda genocide, admits that justice “is
a slow process,” but she does not consider it “impossible that there will be
arrests and trials” in the future.
For those eager to see some measure of justice, specific references to arrests
and trials are of some comfort. For those eager to see some measure of justice,
specific references to arrests and trials are of some comfort. The images of
thousands of innocent people, mostly women and children, being slaughtered are
simply impossible to bear.
The new report is particularly important as it ties into the International
Criminal Court’s ongoing actions against accused Israeli war criminals Netanyahu
and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Though the report is not binding
on either the International Criminal Court or the International Court of
Justice, it provides a strong legal foundation for their investigations. For
example, similar reports were taken into account during the International
Criminal Court’s investigation into the war crimes committed in Sudan between
2003 and 2005. The credibility of the UN Human Rights Council, the commission of
inquiry and its judges are of immense value. Equally important is that the
report is not an isolated conclusion — it is the culmination of two years of
extensive research. And it aligns with the findings of other well-regarded
international legal and human rights bodies, including Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch. The latest of these significant statements was the
resolution passed last month by the world’s leading organization of academics on
genocide, the International Association of Genocide Scholars. This reputable
body concluded that Israel’s “policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal
definition” of genocide.
Many hope that all these conclusions, reports and resolutions will ultimately
push the International Court of Justice to speed up its investigation into
Israel’s conduct in Gaza. But even if the world court continues to drag its feet
under pressure from the US and European allies of Israel, the report is still of
great value. Now, individual governments and civil society organizations can use
its findings to take independent action, thus continuing to build pressure on
Israel and its supporters. In fact, this process is already in motion.
The credibility of the UN Human Rights Council, the commission of inquiry and
its judges are of immense value
A group of lawyers last week filed a criminal complaint against German
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leading officials, including arms trade
executives, for “openly and repeatedly boasting about their unconditional and
unlimited support” for Israel. “Given the undeniable, genocidal consequences of
this support,” they argued, the leaders should be held accountable.
Similar efforts for accountability are underway in Italy. The Greens and Left
Alliance has lodged a complaint against members of its government, not in an
Italian court but with the International Criminal Court — an indication of the
globalized nature of the legal struggle against Israel. The group asked the
court to investigate possible Italian complicity in the Israeli genocide in
Gaza.
Meanwhile, Spain’s attorney general last week authorized an official
investigation into Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. These are just a few examples of
how UN-linked and independent organizations using the label genocide can propel
direct action by legal experts, national police and attorneys general across the
world.Though Netanyahu continues to act with the same arrogant attitude that
insists he, his government and his country are above the law, including
international law, it is incumbent on all of us to remind him and other war
criminals that no individual, no entity and no government are immune to
accountability when it comes to the blood of the innocent. This struggle is not
solely for the sake of Gaza, it is for the very soul of humanity. Should
Netanyahu’s actions succeed in normalizing genocide in the 21st century, this
horrific crime could become a sanctioned political strategy for tyrants and
regimes worldwide. The world cannot afford to let this happen. The future of
global justice hangs in the balance.
*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
Trump’s UK visit: A cost-benefit analysis
Chris Doyle/Arab News/September 22, 2025
Even in the darkest, most pessimistic corners of Downing Street, one can imagine
a few beaming smiles breaking out. The two-day state visit afforded to US
President Donald Trump last week passed off seemingly without a glitch. The
president and first lady beamed and gleamed throughout, tickled by the
pageantry, the parades and the royal and political flattery directed their way.
“Seen from American eyes,” the president said, “the word ‘special’ does not
begin to do it justice.” Yes, British politicians still appear clinically
obsessed with the term “special relationship.”A smooth occasion was never a
certainty when dealing with one of the most unpredictable world leaders. One can
only imagine the nervousness of politicians and officials during the one-hour
press conference given by Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The American
president does not have a script to stick to on such occasions.
Yet the obvious question arising from all of this is: was it worth it? What were
the costs and what were the benefits? It was an unprecedented occasion, the
first time a US president has been given a second state visit. Creating a
positive and lasting impression with Trump will be something that Starmer will
hope to trade off in bumpier times ahead.
A smooth occasion was never a certainty when dealing with one of the most
unpredictable world leaders. The primary benefit appears to be economic. Starmer
will be pleased with the significant US inward investment, not least in tech.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on this. Microsoft will
invest $30 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the UK. Critics
argue that London is not doing enough to bring about local technological
innovation. However, the US tariffs on British steel imposed on “liberation day”
back in April remain stuck at 25 percent. But British officials point out that
this is lower than many other countries. On the political front, European
politicians will have been cheered by Trump’s demonstration of increasing
impatience with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Putin has “really let me
down,” Trump said. Hopes will rise that the US will now be more assertive in
terms of providing military assistance to Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, not
least as Russian planes and drones have threatened both Poland and Estonia in
recent days.
But Trump gave no indication that he would toughen US measures against Putin.
What he may or may not do on the Russia-Ukraine front remains opaque.
The disagreements remained pretty much as they were and were downplayed. On the
vexed issue of recognizing a Palestinian state, Trump was polite and diplomatic:
“I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score, one of the few
disagreements actually.” Starmer waited until Trump had left the UK to move
forward with recognition, while various members of Congress are threatening all
sorts of punitive measures.
Immigration was another area of disagreement. Trump advised the UK to use its
military to stop the “invasion,” something that would be anathema to most
British people. Still, this is a manageable difference. The differences on
energy remain massive. Trump wants everyone to drill for oil and gas. The UK,
meanwhile, is pushing renewable energy to get to net-zero carbon emissions and
to become less dependent on other countries.
But the Trump-Starmer relationship seems to be prospering, as unusual as it is.
They make an odd couple. What really matters is what was discussed and agreed to
behind closed doors. Everything in public was tightly choreographed. What did
they agree on regarding Iran, for example? Were there difficulties the outside
world was unaware of?
But all this is on the political leadership front. In the court of public
opinion, other dynamics were at play. Both leaders are struggling domestically
with approval ratings. They both need a boost. Starmer would have welcomed the
distraction of Trump’s visit after losing his deputy prime minister and his
ambassador in Washington in the preceding days.
The visit was largely out of the public eye, with no public function in London
and no address from Trump to the Houses of Parliament. Large protests were held
around the country.
A YouGov opinion poll indicated that 45 percent of Brits thought a second state
visit for Trump was not merited, with only 30 percent in favor. Just over half
thought such a visit would not make much difference to the US-UK relationship.
For the long term, Trump would not like to learn that just 19 percent of Britons
have a favorable view of him.
But the Trump-Starmer relationship seems to be prospering, as unusual as it is.
They make an odd couple. Their characters, backgrounds and political beliefs
could not be more different. From a distance, one could imagine they would rub
each other up the wrong way with ease — the larger-than-life businessman who
says it as he sees it versus the somewhat dour lawyer who might as well have
caution as a middle name.
Other leaders will have been taking careful notes. Everyone wants to master the
art of engaging this American leader. He is not cut from the usual cloth of US
presidents. Have Britain and Starmer succeeded or was this just an expensive
show with no end product? Time will tell.
*Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in
London. X: @Doylech
From the tunnel of Gaza to the window of New York
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22, 2025
Benjamin Netanyahu is rubbing his eyes. He cannot believe what he is seeing. He
cannot believe what he is hearing. It is as though the world is launching shells
that cannot be repelled toward him — bombarding his unhinged, murderous rampage.
His reckless dreams. And his delusions imported from the caves of history. The
most recent wave of shells came from Canada, Australia and the UK. Britain’s
recognition is a particularly bitter pill to swallow; Keir Starmer’s desire for
Palestinian statehood, if fulfilled, would ease some of the suffering born of
the Balfour Declaration.
Netanyahu has been thrown off balance. You cannot silence the world. You cannot
send planes to get it in line. A painful question will haunt his personal
history: did his adventures and crimes accelerate the rise of the world’s
conscience from its slumber and leave it rushing to recognize the Palestinian
state? Mighty Israel has never been on the receiving end of such a flood of
diplomatic and political slaps.
The world could not tolerate the scenes from Gaza indefinitely. Residential
towers vanish. Homes kill their inhabitants. Tents and the people sheltering in
them burn. Tiny corpses and tiny graves. Pits of death and treacherous bread.
The recurring horrors of displaced civilians who are constantly on the verge of
another funeral. The despair becomes nearly overwhelming; thus, the wounded
cling to history.
The unfathomable violence has not managed to kill all the people, to bring down
every home, to uproot every tree. The dreams of the oppressed are fiercer than
warplanes’ bombs. These dreams can hide in a child’s eyes. They lie dormant for
a brief or extended period and then suddenly explode, revealing themselves. It
is not true that the world has a conscience of stone, nor that it will remain in
a coma forever. Here the world is now, defending the UN’s principles from New
York, washing away Antonio Guterres’ tears.
Mighty Israel has never been on the receiving end of such a flood of diplomatic
and political slaps. And the story does not end in Palestine; it is the story of
the entire Middle East. Experience shows us that the Palestinian cause is the
major open wound of the Middle East, even if there are others we can speak of.
Israel’s policy has been built on the effort to deny this wound’s existence and
erase the Palestinian people’s rightful claim to their land, or part of it.
Netanyahu’s government continues to exploit the trajectory set in motion by
Yahya Sinwar’s Al-Aqsa Flood to finish off the pillars of the Palestinian dream:
erasing Gaza from the map and destabilizing the West Bank, while nibbling away
at what remains of it. Israel seized on the opportunity presented by the “flood”
to launch an operation to reshape the region, especially in neighboring
countries.
Netanyahu openly boasts of having toppled Bashar Assad, driven Iran out of Syria
and removed Hassan Nasrallah from the equation. He proudly brags that his army’s
jets occupy the skies of several regional states. Israeli hubris heightened to
the point of sheer madness when it struck the compound housing Hamas leaders in
Doha.
As they continue to follow the scenes in Gaza this week, the region’s people
will also turn their attention to the significant events unfolding in New York.
The two-state solution conference co-sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France is a
milestone for the Palestinian cause. The Kingdom’s leadership has thrown its
weight behind this effort and the path to recognition of the Palestinian state
has accelerated, most notably in Europe, especially among its leading powers.
This unprecedented development could crystallize into a global push that foils
Israel’s effort to bury the Palestinian cause under Gaza’s rubble.
We must not underestimate the significance of this shift: states that have
supported Israel or turned a blind eye to its crimes for decades are now
conceding that the only way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to
establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The implications go
further than that. This development also amounts to recognition that the Middle
East will not enjoy stability unless this state is founded. The stability of the
Middle East impacts its countries and peoples, but it is also a concern for
Europe and the world; stability in this region has implications for global
powers, their interests and the global economy and its stability.The two-state
solution is the key. It is the only framework that can compel Israel to become
Israel again, to retreat to its borders and skies, and to cease its wanton
attacks on the region. The two-state solution is the path to cutting the fuse of
endless conflict. It removes the pretext that regional adventurism depends on in
its pursuit of reconfiguring the region.
Israeli hubris heightened to the point of sheer madness when it struck the
compound housing Hamas leaders in Doha
Despite Washington’s current stance, the Arab, Islamic and international weight
behind the pursuit of a two-state solution will inevitably compel the American
administration to conclude that it is the only framework for guaranteeing
Palestinian rights and Israel’s security. This major diplomatic and political
battle will take time and require patience. However, it is the Middle East’s
only exit from this tunnel, the only window from which it can escape wars and
horror.
The proceedings in New York are of historic significance. However, this is only
the beginning of the journey. Between recognizing the Palestinian state and
translating this recognition into tangible steps on the ground lies a bitter
struggle that will unfold within Israel, among the Palestinians themselves and
in capitals across the world, especially Washington.
The world has sent a clear message: erasing Palestinian rights is impossible.
The future of nations cannot be determined by warplanes. Universal rights and
international law are the architects of this future. The deliberations in New
York are the cornerstone. Netanyahu’s government must be forced to hold its
fire, head to the negotiating table and discuss borders and guarantees. To this
end, Washington must be convinced that the time has come to heal the Palestinian
wound through justice.
Israel has no option but to shun Netanyahu’s suicidal lexicon. More killing in
Gaza only extends the tunnel that Israel has found itself in. The Israeli army
has turned Gaza into a sea of rubble, but the Palestinian dream has once again
risen from the ashes. The Palestinians, for their part, have no option but to
fight for the two-state solution, pursuing this goal through the framework of
international legitimacy. Exiting the tunnel will entail making difficult and
painful choices, but they are inevitable. The state is more important than
factions.
Yasser Arafat once chose to return to part of the land, seemingly certain that
Israel’s killing machine could not uproot every home and child. That is why he
always reiterated: “The state is only a stone’s throw away.”
*Ghassan Charbel is editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. X: @GhasanCharbel
This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.
Slected X tweets For
September 22/2025
Pope Leo XIV
Our work is in the Lord's hands. We are merely small and inadequate instruments,
“useless servants,” as the Gospel says (Lk 17:10). Yet, if we entrust ourselves
to Him, if we remain united to Him, great things happen, precisely through our
poverty.
Bishop Robert Barron
https://x.com/i/status/1969971181693632667
Friends, Jesus calls us to love our enemies. Today, I was struck by Erika Kirk’s
granting of forgiveness to the man who killed her husband—a breathtaking moment
of the Gospel on full display.
JD Vance
https://x.com/i/status/1969915771875623159
Thank you to everyone who came out to honor Charlie. I think we did him proud.
May God rest his soul
Charlie Kirk was a hero to this country and a faithful servant of God.
Every day that we continue his mission is an honor to his memory.
We've got it from here, my friend.
Mira
@MiraMedusa
https://x.com/i/status/1970095483029729387
Syrian children being indoctrinated on the first day of school:
“Our message: Islam.
Our constitution: the Qur’an.
Our goal: to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Bishop Robert Barron
@BishopBarron
https://x.com/i/status/1969971181693632667
Friends, Jesus calls us to love our enemies. Today,
I was struck by Erika Kirk’s granting of forgiveness to the man who killed her
husband—a breathtaking moment of the Gospel on full display.
Natalia ܢܐܬܐܠܝ
@NataliaInMotion
·To those who dare call Lebanese Christians a minority, know this:
Maronites today are more than 10 million. Tomorrow 15 million. The day
after 20 million. Even when the Ottomans slaughtered half of us we rose again,
and we always will. We are not a minority. We are the people of Mount Lebanon,
rooted here for centuries, never strangers, never outsiders.
From Brazil to Australia, from the United States to Europe, Maronites are
gathering to rebuild Mount Lebanon. Town by town we are taking back our nation
until every piece of our land is ours again. Mount Lebanon will be the safe
haven for Christians of the Middle East, a place of dignity, freedom, and
security. Any Christian who seeks refuge will find a home with us.
Maronites, enough fear. Break the chains of dhimmitude and Stockholm
Syndrome . Stand tall. Defend your land. Protect your faith. Take back your
identity.
The time of oppression is over.Now is the time to rise.From exile to homeland,
the awakening begins. Awaken Maronitism. Rebuild the
nation.
Pierre Poilievre
Prime Minister Carney is recognizing the Hamas state in another effort to
distract from his record of rampant crime, costs, debt, immigration and
job-loss.
As he distracts abroad, Conservatives are working at home. Our priority is to
put Canada First: restoring stronger take-home pay, safer streets and secure
borders within a self-reliant country. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s priority is
creating a Hamas state that will reward terrorists for raping civilians, taking
hostages, oppressing Palestinians and launching a war.
Conservatives will always stand for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself,
living next to a future demilitarized, terror-free, democratic and peaceful
Palestinian State. Conservatives will focus on what is good for Canada because
it is time to put our country first for a change.
Rami Jarrah
https://x.com/i/status/1970050442756514175
I don't know a single person, Syrian or not, friend or foe, who doesn't see Al-Sharaa
as a pragmatist. it's almost a nickname, even folks who can't define the word
call him one.
After this interview, look out for those who will now say he's not. That's how
you spot a bootlicker.
Mira
@MiraMedusa
https://x.com/i/status/1970165175664668734
Abu Mohamad al Julani on peace with Israel:
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Qatar wants praise for negotiating the release of an elderly British couple in
Afghanistan. This is the same Qatar that promised the world that an Islamist
government in Qatar would be moderate and reasonable.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147514/
After #Israel respects going back to 1974 ceasefire, #Syria will consider
talking further to Israel over the Golan (toward peace). But then he added that
current Arab peace treaties, including Abraham Accords, are
government-to-government and not people-to-people because the Arab and Islamic
street is not on board (and currently inflamed over Gaza). These treaties should
be revised (to become more genuine and reflect “Arab street”).
So, here you have it, no bilateral Syrian peace with Israel (like Abraham
Accords), and no peace with Israel without Syria getting back the Golan.
Secretary Marco Rubio
I met with Syrian President al-Sharaa about our shared goals for a stable and
sovereign Syria and ongoing efforts to bring security and prosperity to all
Syrians. We also discussed implementing President Trump’s historic announcement
on sanctions relief and the importance of Israel-Syria relations.